Remembering Those Who Have Gone Before

Today we started our next exercise, Silent Forces Exercise (SIFOREX), with the Peruvian navy. During the next few days, U.S. and Peruvian surface and air assets will practice locating and tracking Peru’s submarine fleet.

But what we want to remember today is Memorial Day. Today we pause and honor those who have gone before us. Those who have sailed the high seas and served in foreign lands and have made it possible for us to be here today to follow in their footsteps. We thank them for paving the road to freedom for all Americans.

Please take a moment today for a moment of silence, to remember those who gave all and all those who gave. We owe them more than we could ever repay. We are honored to have learned from them and to take their place in the service to our great country.  We will continue in their spirit to defend the greatest country on Earth.

On behalf of the men and women of USS Underwood (FFG 36),

Very Respectfully,

Southern Seas 2012 Public Affairs

UNITAS Ship-rider Exchange

            My name is Jose Carrion-Rodriguez. I am a yeoman 2nd class and have been in the Navy for about 5 years.  I have been to many places and have seen many things, but I have never been on a foreign ship until this deployment. I went to a Peruvian ship and a Mexican ship during a ship-rider exchange during UNITAS. It is an interesting experience to see how other navies operate and it was good to interact with the other crews. I was nervous at first because I didn’t know what to expect and how I was going to be treated.

            I was relieved when the crews from both ships welcomed me with open arms. I speak Spanish so it was easy for me to find common ground with the other sailors on these ships. The sailors on the other ships were friendly and kind to me and were eager to learn about the U.S. Navy and how we do things, such as our job titles and ranks.  They were also eager to learn about me personally.  They asked me where I was from and about my family and friends.  I engaged in friendly conversation with everyone that I met, including officers. It was an excellent experience.

            I think that it is important to understand another culture and in order to do that you must get involved with them and immerse yourself in the culture.  I definitely made some new friends.

          

Very Respectfully,

YN2 Carrion

           

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month

As one born and raised in the Philippines, I completely appreciate this recognition by America of its Asian-Pacific heritage. For too long, America has looked at Europe as the front of its history and heritage. Now, the contributions of peoples from the Asian-Pacific region in making the United States of America the greatest country in the entire world are getting recognized and even celebrated.

Among the countries of the Asian-Pacific region, the Philippines has the second biggest number of immigrants to the United States, next only to China. The Filipinos’ friendship and kinship with America hold strong in times of peace and war. Filipinos fought alongside Americans during World War II and during the Korean War. Aetas, sometimes called Negritoes, who belong to a pygmy tribe in Zambales, trained many American soldiers during the Vietnam War on jungle survival. In answer to the call of America, the Philippines sent a civic action group to Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and some armed troops to Iraq as part of the “Coalition of the Willing.”


On a personal note, I have a grand uncle, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, the equivalent of West Point, who battled Japanese invaders alongside Americans in Bataan and died during the war. Another grand uncle, still alive, is the first man in the hometown of my father to join the U.S. Navy. Another grand uncle and three uncles are retired U.S. Navy men. Three uncles have retired from the U.S .Coast Guard, one from the U.S. Air Force. A cousin serves with the U.S. Air Force and another is a member of the U.S. Army with three stints in Iraq. He volunteered to return to Iraq twice.


I feel very privileged that I was chosen to speak at our ceremony May 8 on Asian-Pacific Heritage month. It was an honor to convey, in my small way how generations of Filipinos have now become an integral part of the American soul. Perhaps, I need not even stress this. The American celebration of Asian-Pacific Heritage month is enough indication that America is fully appreciative of the contributions of generations of people from that region in shaping the United States into what it is today.

Respectfully,

GSEFN Ryan Danao

Crossing the Line

My name is Seaman Frank Pikul.  I am a Mass Communication Specialist with the United States Navy and I am deployed on USS Underwood.  This is my first deployment on a ship. The ship crossed the equator this morning and a ceremony was held to initiate those who have never crossed the line before.  It is called the Shellback ceremony.  I went through this special ceremony with many others on the ship. I started the morning not knowing what to expect and a little wary of what would be going on later in the day. It was a unique experience that tested my willpower and endurance.  It lasted about four hours and involved plenty of water and challenging fun-filled activities throughout the morning.  There were times where I thought, why I was going through this? But when I completed the ceremony, I felt like I accomplished a great deed and also felt a sense of really becoming a Sailor in the Navy.  It feels good to do something that most people never even dream of doing in their lives.  It’s fantastic to be a Shellback!  Hooyah!

Panama Canal

Hi! My name is Jordan Glenn Pugh and I am a Seaman Apprentice. I currently serve as an undesignated seaman on the USS Underwood. I shipped off for boot camp March 8, 2011. This is my first deployment and I am very excited to be here. South America is our destination and we are supposed to visit many countries along the way. Along the journey we will pass through the Panama Canal. My job will be to man the sea and anchor detail. We will drop fenders over the side of the ship and be hooked onto wires that will slowly pull us through the canal. We will be moved through a series of locks that will be lowered and heightened with water and in a few hours we will have moved from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. I just hope it doesn’t rain. As excited as I am to do this for the first time, I’m not because I’ll be engaged in the Shellback ceremony shortly after. HOOYAH!

SA Jordan Glenn Pugh

Kicking off Southern Seas 2012

By Cmdr. Peter T. Mirisola, Commanding Officer, USS Underwood (FFG 36)

We are embarking from Mayport, Fla. and heading south to the Caribbean, Central and South America on SOUTHERN SEAS 2012. SOUTHERN SEAS is an annual collaborative deployment in the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility where a task group deploys to conduct a variety of exercises and multinational exchanges. SOUTHERN SEAS seeks to enhance interoperability, increase regional stability, and build and maintain regional relationships with countries in the region through joint, multinational and interagency exchanges and cooperation.

During SOUTHERN SEAS, U.S. and South America forces will participate in three major exercises including UNITAS PAC, UNITAS LANT and SIFOREX.  This year our ship will be working with a vast array of other navies during these three exercises.

I look forward to this deployment for a number of reasons. First, our partners bring diverse experiences and skills to the mission.  We can learn from them and they from us and together prepare for future events by understanding each other better. Southern Seas is a great opportunity for navies of the Western Hemisphere to conduct navy-to-navy exercises, build military relationships and enhance multinational force interoperability. It’s designed to emphasize interoperability and cooperation through various training opportunities at sea and ashore.

At the end of our mission, we hope to walk away having learned more about our partner nations and foster friendships and understanding among the nations of the Western Hemisphere. I know this ship and the Fighting Devils are ready to work with our partner nations over the next few months.

Over the course of our mission, I ask that you become a fan and follow us on Facebook. Tune in to this blog, which will be published at least once a week to learn about what we’re doing and about the people on this mission.  Sometimes I’ll be the blogger.  Sometimes I’ll have a guest blogger, such as a junior Sailor, a division chief, or a department head.  I welcome any comments and suggestions that you may have, so feel free to share them.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. The next blog post will be up in a few days.

Sincerely,
Cmdr. Peter T. Mirisola, USN

Cmdr. Peter T. Mirisola is the commanding officer of USS Underwood (FFG 36)

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