USS Spruance (DDG 111) returned to homeport Jan. 22 after successfully completing Type Commander (TYCOM) Sea Trials and Mariner Skills Week.
During TYCOM Sea Trials, Commander, Naval Surface Force Pacific evaluated the Arleigh-Burke destroyer after the ship’s nine-month dry dock selected restricted availability.
Spruance preformed her first underway replenishment since SRA alongside USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189) and executed a live-fire gunnery exercise during which more than 900 rounds of five-inch, 25 mm, and close-in weapons system (CIWS) ammunition was expended in less than 20 minutes.
During Mariner Skills Week the crew trained and certified maritime core competencies, such as navigation, seamanship, ship handling, and flight operations. Events included a precision anchorage, man overboard drills, mooring to a buoy, towing another vessel, refueling-at-sea, and flight deck operations.
As the destroyer chased winds to find the ideal envelope, Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM 71) conducted day and night deck landing qualifications for ATG’s Mobility-Aviation (MOB-A) assessment to certify the ship’s flight deck.
“The goal of these two weeks was to not only evaluate our proficiency in navigation, deck seamanship, and casualty procedures but to establish the foundation of a ‘smart ship’ as we continue to the Basic Phase and execute more complex evolutions,” said Cmdr. Micah T. Sybor, Spruance’s commanding officer.
It was a lot of “firsts” for many members of the crew, including the first time some stood qualified watches or the first time they witnessed special evolutions.
“Even though it was the first-time standing bridge watch for a majority of the junior officers, I noticed they were eager to learn and excited to be back at sea, hallmarks of a winning team,” said Cmdr. Robert Parke, a strategic sealift officer assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific, who facilitated a Bridge Resource Management Afloat Workshop for the ship’s deck watchstanders.
USS Spruance, is homeported in San Diego and is attached to Destroyer Squadron TWO ONE and Carrier Strike Group THREE. The 61st Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was commissioned Oct. 24, 2011, and is the second ship to bear the namesake of Adm. Raymond Ames Spruance. The ship’s motto, “Launch the Attack,” is the order Spruance issued to his staff when the first of four Japanese aircraft carriers were located off the island of Midway on the morning of June 4, 1942, initiating the four-day Battle of Midway during World War II.