Sailors help prepare Pakistani crew

[sonicboom]

Sailors help prepare Pakistani crew

By TIMOTHY J. GIBBONS
The Florida Times-Union

MAYPORT NAVAL STATION, Fla. -- Over its 30-year history, the USS McInerney racked up a lot of firsts, from new propulsion systems to cutting-edge weaponry.

Now at dock at Mayport Naval Station for the final time, the crew of the oldest-serving Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate in the U.S. fleet is once again trying something new.

This time, it's figuring out how to help another crew from another country get ready to run its ship.

"It's been a learning experience as we've gone along," said Cmdr. Paul Young, commanding officer of the ship.

Shortly after the McInerney arrived home in April from its final deployment under the U.S. flag, a crew of Pakistani sailors began readying to sail the vessel to its new home more than 7,000 miles away.

At the end of August, the ship will be decommissioned - the first of Mayport's 13 frigates to be retired - and turned over to Pakistan. The country is paying upwards of $65 million to buy and refurbish the ship, money which the United States has given it as a friendly non-NATO ally.

Rechristened the PNS Alamgir, the frigate will go into a shipyard for the rest of the year before getting under way with the new crew.

A handover like this is known as a hot transfer, in which the vessel isn't packed away waiting for the new owner.

It's the preferred method for another country to take ownership, said Bob Gronenberg, deputy program manager for ship transfers at the Naval Sea Systems Command.

"We have the benefit of joint training," he said. "On-the-job training is the best form of training."

About 160 Pakistani crew members are taking part in the transfer, spending their days working on the ship and living on a berthing barge docked nearby.

Eventually, about 200 Pakistani sailors will train here and then be the ship's crew as it crosses the ocean.

Getting the Pakistanis ready for the job has fallen to the sailors who took the ship on its last U.S. deployment.

Even while still at sea, Young said, the crew was already pulling together a training plan, something that's never been done from the ground up.

"We took the core competencies that we have to do and drilled down from there," he said.

That meant looking at each piece of what the crew does - from air warfare to communications to ship handling - and figuring out how to teach them.

The captain talks with his Pakistani counterpart each day, doing his own form of training as the two discuss ship handling, daily routine aboard the vessel and other issues of command.

"They are really interested in emulating how we do business here," the captain said.

The actual teaching has gone smoothly, said some of the sailors involved in the process.

"It's easy to train people when they're ready to learn," said Petty Officer 1st Class Juan Pena.

As well as the training, the 140 U.S. crew members still aboard also take care of maintenance issues and other typical pierside jobs.

Much of that routine work is done on Friday, when the Pakistani sailors don't work

"Friday is their holy day, and Friday is our McInerney day," Young said.

The Navy looked to raise awareness of such things before the Pakistanis arrived, putting the crew through two days of sensitivity training.

"Once we got engaged, we realized we're both professionals," said Lt. Cmdr. Eric Keiser, executive officer of the ship. "Everything fell into place. Now it's like you don't even think about it."

Cultural issues have affected even seemingly minor things, such as the timing of the handover ceremony

The ship will be turned over to Pakistan during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, with the ceremony held after sunset, because observant Muslims will be fasting during the day.

Getting ready for that day just a few weeks from now has been made easier by the experience of the Pakistani crew members, who Young said already know basic seamanship and just have to learn the specifics of the McInerney.

The experience of the incoming crew is testimony to how important the vessel will be at its new home

Pakistan has focused on beefing up its navy in recent years, including buying four frigates from China last year.

"This ship will be a capital ship for Pakistan," Young said

Knowing that helps ease the pain some of the sailors feel as they prepare to say goodbye to a ship with such a storied history.

"It makes me feel good to know she'll still be fighting the fight," Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Gordon said. "I would love to see how it turns out."



Read more: Sailors help prepare Pakistani crew - Florida AP - MiamiHerald.com