Spending weeks at a time on a piece of ground slightly smaller than a football field is enough to give most people a case of cabin fever, and that may be especially true when that “piece of ground” is actually floating amidst the hollow seascape of the Indo-Pacific.
For Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69), that scenario is a reality of everyday life underway. Though days can be long and insulated from activities and recreations ashore, Milius Sailors have many options to relax and unwind in their downtime, including a fully-stocked crew library offering hundreds of books to anyone at any time.
"Having a well set-up library contributes to the success of our sailors,” said Ensign Matthew Martin, Milius’ library custodian and native of Cincinnati. “A library can serve as a destination to pursue passions and grow personally and professionally. Our command and our sailors all benefit greatly from having this resource while out at sea."
Lt. Daniel Lubega, Milius’ chaplain and a native of Huntsville, Alabama, formed a team of 11 Sailors dedicated to reorganizing the ship’s library, facilitating 24-hour accessibility and keeping the book selection fresh and interesting in an effort to inspire Sailors to read more often to improve their minds, as well as entertain themselves.
The team overhauled the library by donating some of the books that have been on the shelves for a while and re-organizing the entire catalog into genre-specific sections. Their efforts culminated in a grand re-opening March 10, attracting dozens of Sailors who lined the ship’s passageways hours before the event.
“I think the event definitely helped morale,” said Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Christopher Palacios, from El Paso, Texas. “With the high-tempo nature of the work we do out here, it’s good to get a break every once in a while. Taking a little time and to immerse yourself in a different world every now and then by reading a book can be a really positive thing.”
According to Fire Controlman 3rd Class Kayla Kerns, a Canon City, Colorado, native and member of the ship’s library team, a modest effort seems to have made a sizeable impact on morale.
“It’s reassuring to see how many people were waiting to use the library,” said Kerns, “It was really a very simple effort to reorganize things and make it more accommodating for the crew and I think it’s an example of how it really doesn’t take that much to make a difference. I hope we can continue to do more of that.”
With books in high demand and the library back in full service, the focus now is on future improvements. With Milius scheduled to enter dry dock this summer, plans are in the works to replace all of the shelving to accommodate more books and provide easier access to them, add a desk with two computer work centers and comfortable seating for Sailors to sit and read at their leisure.
“Milius Sailors are among the finest in the world,” said Lubega. “They expertly perform some of the most difficult tasks in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility while under incessant and intense stress. I envision our ship’s library team continuing to develop a peaceful place for all Sailors to read or secure the books they need in order to de-stress, recharge, develop their minds and hone their skills, empowering them to maintain the mental toughness and spiritual fitness necessary to be able to fight and defend the American people against aggressive adversaries around-the-clock.”
Milius is assigned to Commander, Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.
7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.