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Blue Ridge Celebrates 36th Birthday

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS061121-17
Release Date: 11/21/2006 5:01:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Peter D. Lawlor, USS Blue Ridge Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) celebrated its 36th birthday Nov. 14 with a special meal on the mess decks, a quick game of Blue Ridge trivia, and live music provided by the Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Band.

Blue Ridge is the third Navy vessel to bear the name and was commissioned Nov. 14, 1970, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard as the most sophisticated command–and-control platform in the Navy, a declaration that Blue Ridge still lays claim to today.

The ship has continued to evolve over the years with the technological revolution, advancing its communications systems to levels unimagined during the ship's commissioning.

Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) John Stadelman, a member of the ship’s chief petty officer’s mess, has been in the Navy for 25 years and first served on Blue Ridge in 1982.

“As a seaman checking aboard in 1982, things looked a lot different on the main deck,” said Stadelman, who will retire aboard this month. “Forward of the superstructure on the main deck there used to be three-inch guns, and there weren’t any of those spherical satellites back then. The antenna configurations have all changed and we were docked at pier 8, 9.”

Stadelman also said that the shipboard quality of life today’s Blue Ridge Sailors enjoy is a considerable improvement to what it was a couple of decades ago.

“Back then we didn’t have barracks for single, junior enlisted Sailors, so most of the guys without families would sleep on the ship,” he said. “The mess decks didn’t offer the salad bar, sandwich bar, or soup bar that they have today, and they didn’t have soda fountains. There were only three flavors of “bug juice”, milk and water,” said Stadelman. “Those were your only options.”

According to Stadelman, things have changed for the better.

“The fourth deck passageways used to be all tile, and once a week we’d have to strip and wax the deck. It would usually take up an entire day. Now with these low maintenance decks, all Sailors have to do is sweep and swab during clamp-down in the morning for about 30 minutes and the job is done,” said Stadelman.

Stadelman said that some things about Blue Ridge have remained the same over the years aboard ship.

“The ship was clean the first time I came on board, and it’s still a very clean ship today,” said Stadelman. “The mission hasn’t changed much, either.”

Commanding Officer, Capt. Jeff Bartkoski was also aboard the ship early in his Navy service, experiencing a Midshipman cruise here in 1981. He echoed Stadelman’s sentiments about the cleanliness of the ship.

“We are better equipped than we were in 1981,” said Bartkoski. “But, I would say we are in as good a condition as we were then, and that’s a tremendous complement to the many people who work on the ship. It is also a testament to the Ship’s Repair Force in Yokosuka and the strong support that comes from folks like Naval Sea Systems Command, Commander Naval Surface Forces, and all the folks that are part of the process to keep the ship in good material condition.”

The current Blue Ridge has been forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, since October 1979, making it the longest running forward-deployed ship in the Navy.

Blue Ridge participated in the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam, in 1975 and Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 1990 through May 1991.

Blue Ridge continuously upgrades her command-and-control facilities, warfighting capabilities and methods of meeting the high visibility requirements of a fleet flagship with each additional birthday.

USS Blue Ridge is commanded by Bartkoski and serves under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7/ Task Force (CTF) 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force. Blue Ridge is the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.