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USS Samuel B. Roberts Visits Guantanamo Bay

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090403-04
Release Date: 4/3/2009 2:45:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ace Rheaume,

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58), made a brief port visit to Naval Station (NAVSTA) Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) April 2 to refuel and replenish stores.

Roberts is nearing the end of a six-month deployment, which consisted of community relations and counter-illicit trafficking (CIT) operations.

"The first half of deployment we went through the Panama Canal," said Ens. Molly Harris, ordnance officer aboard Roberts. "We were operating in the Eastern Pacific, which was really exciting. We made port visits in Panama City, and after that we came back through the [Panama] Canal. Since December, we've been operating off of the Honduran rise and also a little bit further south than that, doing CIT missions," said Harris.

Sailors participated in several community relations events including painting a school in Honduras and hosting the Honduran Navy aboard ship.

"It's an awesome feeling," said Quartermaster 3rd Class Bryan Small, one of the navigators aboard Roberts. "You tend to overlook stuff like that coming from where we're from. You would never think would be as bad as it is in some countries until you actually get there, so you get a good sense of accomplishment once your done," Small said.

"Part of our mission with Fourth Fleet is what we call community relations," said Harris. "[We conduct] theater security operations, so we work with other navies. We [have conducted] vessel, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercises with them, and we let them stay aboard overnight to kind of see how we operate."

"When I was in Honduras, I was on duty one of the days and we had the military navy from Honduras come aboard the ship," said Ship Serviceman 3rd Class Jesus Gomez, Roberts' Bluejacket of the Quarter.

Gomez served as a Spanish translator during port visits in the South American region and Caribbean.

"We did a lot of presentations, and the presentations were in English, so I gave the presentations in Spanish," said Gomez. "[The foreign navies] got to tour the ship, stay the night and get the chance to experience the Navy life in the American Navy."

Roberts is also capable of conducting CIT operations with the help of on board equipment.

"We also have two SH-60B helicopters," said Harris. "We have an air detachment embarked on board to provide support for surface search and be able to visually identify contacts that are out there. They help support the (CIT) missions that we do out here too. We've been really successful and really lucky, we came back the first half of deployment with 498 bails of cocaine," she said.

Shortly after leaving GTMO, Roberts will return to NAVSTA Mayport, Fla.

"I'm really glad to be going back home," said Gomez. He expressed that this is his second deployment and it was very enjoyable. "I got to visit foreign countries, and countries I never thought I would visit. I got to know more about [each country's] history, visit museums and historical places."

For more news from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, visit www.navy.mil/local/guantanamo/.