USS Oscar Austin Underway for Fleet Week
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS060503-13
Release Date: 5/3/2006 6:00:00 PM
By Journalist 3rd Class Riza Wenthe, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Atlantic
USS OSCAR AUSTIN, At Sea (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) departed Naval Station Norfolk April 28 to participate in Fleet Week USA 2006 in Port Everglades, Fla.
This is the ship’s first trip out to sea since returning from a six-month deployment as part of Destroyer Squadron 22. The ship continued conducting at-sea operations while in transit to Florida.
Oscar Austin’s Command Master Chief, CMDCM (SW/AW) Darrell Miller, said this underway was a good way to reward the ship’s company for all their hard work, especially during their past deployment.
“This is not an intense underway, but we are going to conduct some drills to knock the cobwebs out a little bit,” said Miller. “There will be a man-overboard, pistol quals, [General Quarters] and the usual things that go on.”
“Once we hit Florida,” added Miller, “the Sailors can enjoy some much-deserved R and R, and Florida can see why Oscar Austin is the greatest ship in the fleet.”
Quartermaster 3rd Class Shauna McTeer said Fleet Week is one of the highlights of her naval career.
“Civilians, when they think of the military, they think of the war,” said McTeer, a Florida native. “[Fleet Week] is another way for us to go out into the community and show the people that we are just like them. It’s going to be great.”
“I’ve been in the Navy almost 12 years, and this is my first Fleet Week,” said Ensign Quincy Seawright, Oscar Austin’s combat information officer. “I’m very excited to see how everything goes and to meet new people and to greet them. Fort Lauderdale is a great port, so it should be a really good time.”
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