Ship's Blog Logs More than 9,000 Visitors
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS080415-07
Release Date: 4/15/2008 12:40:00 PM
By Ensign Theresa Donnelly, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Pearl Harbor based guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) has found an innovative way of keeping families and the public informed about their daily activities – launching a ship's blog, March 23.
The blog is designed to give a first-hand perspective of the crew's life at sea while on a scheduled deployment. The ship accomplishes this by using posts that cover a wide variety of different topics and events, ranging from a gun exercise to Sailors fishing off the side of the ship.
After being on the Web for less than a month, the blog has already created a stir with feedback from several media sources and has recorded more than 9,000 visitors.
"It's quite an honor to see that the American people are really interested in what their Navy is doing," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Tyler Kirkland, a ship's contributor to the blog.
Russell's Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Chris van Avery created the blog because he felt that Americans wanted to know more about what life was like for Sailors in the Navy.
"If you watch the reactions of visitors touring the ship, you can see that they're really amazed by what Sailors do and what the ship can do," said van Avery. "Americans want to know more."
Readers of the blog can learn about the less than glamorous aspects of shipboard life, such as trash duty. They will also read about evolutions that require a large amount of teamwork and skill like exercises involving hunting for a submarine.
"Anti-submarine warfare is probably the most challenging mission a ship or strike group can perform, especially when done well. It involves nearly every asset and tactic you can imagine, as ships and aircraft perform a thorough and sustained search by listening with passive sensors and probing with active sensors, both electromagnetic and acoustic," writes van Avery in a posting.
The feedback from the blog has been extremely positive.
"It is the real daily life on a ship that makes this blog and contributions like yours valuable," wrote a blogger, who identifies himself as Galrahn.
The families of the ship's crew are also taking notice of the blog.
"This is the first time that I have ever seen anything like this," said Russell Ombudsman Joni Nowatzki. "It's a great forum for families to get a better understanding of the Sailors life at sea."
The blog operates on self-imposed "standing orders," making sure to keep news and ship's events unclassified and also to maintain a strict level of operational security when discussing the ship's daily operations.
"It is impossible for a project like this to take place without some level of consent and review from superiors," writes van Avery.
To access the blog, visit destroyermen.blogspot.com.
For more news from Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/cpf/.
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