USS Philippine Sea Completes SNOOPIE, STEAM and FAC/FIAC Exercise

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brian Read Castillo, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs

USS PHILIPPINE, At Sea (NNS) -- Guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) completed its second steam formation training exercise (STEAMX), during the George H.W. Bush Group Sail (GHWB GRUSL), Aug. 6.

USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and USS Truxtun (DDG 103) were also involved in the STEAMX.

During the exercise all four ships aligned themselves one behind another while moving at high speeds and close distances simulating a "Beryl Strait Transit."

"We had 2000 nautical yards of separation between us and maintained a speed of about 15 knots," said Lt. j.g. Molly Hanas, Philippine Sea's navigator. "On deployment we will be transiting through narrow passages like the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. This exercise allows us to practice the formations we need in order to get the strike group through safely."

The STEAMX also included a fast attack craft (FAC)/fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) exercise, further testing the strike group's interface and communications.

"Basically FAC's are small militarized boats, whereas FIAC's are small customized commercial boats," said Lt. j.g. Daniel Cho, ship's force protection officer, and port bridge wing sniper during the exercise.

While transiting through narrow passages a ship can often encounter these smaller more agile militarized boats. For this reason formations are vital not only because of the limited space during a strait transit but also because of the safety concerns that come into play when transiting so close to land.

"Formations allow multiple ships to work together to identify each possible threat," said Chow.

When such threats are met the ship's nautical or otherwise photographic intelligence exploitation (SNOOPIE) team is activated. The SNOOPIE team is a reaction force made up of Sailors that have been trained to record and photograph unknown contacts that approach the ship within visual range.

"Typically when a threat enters within visual range the tactical action officer (TAO) will call away the SNOOPIE team," said Chief Intelligence Specialist Raynald P. Lemieux, ship's intelligence officer. "We have two minutes to get up to the bridge from wherever we're at on the ship."

The SNOOPIE team is specially trained in intelligence, collections and analysis of all air, surface and sub-surface threats. This training enables them to can quickly identify a contact and determine if its weapons are manned, unmanned, covered or uncovered.

"We can identify what the contact is and if it's displaying a threatening posture," said Lemieux. "The SNOOPIE team, along with our lookouts, provides the commanding officer (CO) and TAO a positive identification, giving them options."

All imagery captured is then forwarded off the ship for both intelligence gathering and documentation. Visual information (VI) documentation differs from intelligence gathering in that it is used to help defend against false accusations of an engagement.

"The photos and video we use to gather our intelligence plays a dual role," said Lemieux. "If someone is claiming that we fired upon them first then we can pull that video as evidence of the contrary."

The number of personnel on board, their actions, the types of weapons and their approach on the ship are all elements that that need to be recorded, said Lemieux.

"This transit exercise activated a lot more of our warfare components" said the ship's Executive Officer, Cmdr. Paul S. Nagy. "It involved team work on multiple levels between the crew and the ships themselves. I consider this one a win."

The Philippine Sea is participating in the GHWB GRUSL to improve strike group interoperability and prepare for an upcoming deployment.

USS Roosevelt Departs for Group Sail

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Samantha Thorpe, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Public Affairs

USS ROOSEVELT, At Sea (NNS) -- The Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) departed its homeport of Mayport, Fla., to participate in the George H.W. Bush Group Sail (GHWB GRUSL), July 29.

During the approximately month long at-sea period, Roosevelt will be part of the Group Sail in order to improve interoperability with the other ships in the strike group.

"This is the first time we will be operating with the George H.W. Bush Strike Group for the upcoming deployment," said Commanding Officer Cmdr. Frankie J. Clark. "We have completed our unit level training, which is specific for our platform, but now we are joining the other ships in the strike group to complete group-training exercises as well as prepare for deployment."

Lt. LeAndra Kissinger, the ship's operations officer, said this at-sea period is the first opportunity for the ships in the strike group to work on becoming a functional unit.

"It is an extremely important training phase that will ensure that during the actual assessment phase, Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), all the ships in the Strike Group can get certified for deployment," said Kissinger.

The five ships participating in the GHWB GRUSL are the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the Arleigh-Burke class destroyers USS Truxtun (DDG 103) and USS Roosevelt, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

"It is our first event working together as a Strike Group so we have a lot of events scheduled for the at-sea period," said Clark. "We will mainly be testing all the system operability between the different ships working together as one battle group. It is important that we learn how to work well with each other now so during COMPTUEX we can focus on getting the certification."

For the past 90 days, Roosevelt has been in port and the crew looks toward this underway as a time to continue to maintain the proficiency of the crew and equipment.

"During this at-sea period, we need to make sure that we, as a ship, are operating at the level necessary to work together as a team with the Strike Group," said Kissinger. "We will be deploying as a team and it is imperative that we are prepared in case something happens when we deploy. We train for every possibility in order for it to become a matter of muscle memory in case of an emergency."

Clark said this group sail will be the first impression Roosevelt will make on the strike group and he believes the ship and crew will do extremely well.

"I am very excited because Roosevelt has always been a ship with a crew that gets things done and this is our first opportunity to show the battle group that we are ready to meet all assigned tasking," said Clark.

DESRON 24 Group Sail Units Execute Complex Refueling at Sea

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Nistas, COMDESRON 24 Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 24 Group Sail participants took part in a complex five-ship Replenishment-at-sea (RAS) March 12 in the Atlantic Ocean.

The RAS was one of several evolutions executed during Fleet Irregular Warfare Training for ships participating in the upcoming Joint Warrior exercise.

USNS Arctic (T-AOE-8) refueled USS Porter (DDG 78), USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), and USS Anzio (CG 68) consecutively in a fast-paced evolution that integrated intense drills such as emergency breakaways.

Porter alone received about 150,000 gallons of diesel fuel marine (DFM) from the Arctic, a massive supply ship with a holding capacity of almost two million gallons.

"There were a lot of new people on board who were able take part and see firsthand how a RAS works," said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Alicia Turner, a corpsman-on-scene during the exercise. "It was a great training experience for everyone. A multiple-ship refueling is a pretty difficult thing to carry out, but the crews performed well together."

Crew members manned stations, communicated with one another, heaved lines, and maintained a phone and distance line throughout the almost two-hour process. While RAS evolutions are common for ships at sea, involving additional ships can make the process more complex and dangerous, as the distance between the mammoth, moving vessels is normally less than 200 feet.

"Training is mandatory to give new and seasoned Sailors the experience they'll really need to make it through a difficult scenario under pressure," said Chief Boatswain's Mate (SW) Derek Woodland, on board Porter.
"There are a lot of safety concerns and proper procedures involved in things like this [RAS]. Without thorough training, our ability to get through these kinds of operations would deteriorate."

Porter Participates in Low, Slow Flyer Exercise

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tyler J. Wilson, Commander Destroyer Squadron 24 Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Crew members aboard USS Porter (DDG 78) participated in a low, slow flyer exercise March 12, during a Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 24 Group Sail in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Group Sail's primary function is to augment the strike group's abilities to execute U.S. Navy maritime strategy. It is a precursor to the upcoming joint warrior exercise that will encompass thorough training in less traditional areas, like counter-piracy and theater security.

"This exercise gives us a chance to check our procedures when it comes to battling nontraditional threats," said Chief Fire Controlman (SW) Chris Hutter. "It also gives the new guys on board the ability to learn how we handle the low, slow flyer incidents."

On the weather decks, Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Jordan Simmons, a member of the ship's Small Caliber Attack Team (SCAT), prepared the .50-caliber guns to simulate attacking the slow, low flyer, in case the 5-inch gun failed or missed.

"When it comes to the .50-caliber guns we're the ship's last line of defense," said Simmons. "The SCAT has only minutes to suit up with a phone-talker and a gunner at each station and prepare to engage the aircraft if necessary."

Before the SCAT was even called, Simmons ensured that the ship's weapons were clean, loaded, and ready for anything.

"It's my job to make sure the weapons are ready for action at any time," said Simmons. "Whether we're dealing with low, slow fliers, helicopters, or small boats, we need our close-quarters weapons to be ready to fight."

During the exercise, the 5-inch gun, mounted on the bow of the ship, succeeded in hitting the target. Crew members participating in the evolution received praise for their precision and proper execution.

"The training was very positive to all involved," said Hutter. "As we prepare to deploy in an area where non-traditional threats exist, we'll rely on our training."