by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
It was dark when all of the visitors boarded the bus at 6 a.m. But now as we were entering the Mayport Naval Station, the world was beginning to wake up.
Just beyond a rain speckled window, the lights of something in the water looked like an alien spaceship.
But rather than E.T. coming out to greet the sponsors and family members of the United States Navy, it was an array of activity – from physical training to getting the USS Stephen W. Groves ready to depart.
As passengers boarded the 453 foot vessel to embark on a journey down the St. John’s River, they were transformed from sleep-deprived adults to wide-eyed children.
The United States Navy turned 233 years old Monday, and the weekend started with a day cruise from the Mayport Naval Station to the Hyatt.
Along the way, sailors got the rare opportunity to show family members and guests around their floating workspace on the sea.
Commissioned in 1982, Petty Officer 3rd Class Sam Buckley explained that the frigate is named after an actual pilot, Stephen W. Groves, who died in the Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942.
Loaded guns, tight hallways and plenty of stairs greeted guests with an exhilarating experience.
“The torpedoes were taken off the ship,” said Buckley, showing guests the hollow tubes that normally house the guided missiles. “But the guns are still loaded.”
He was right. On both sides of the vessel at the midway point and the stern of the frigate, men stood guard over their guns.
But that wasn’t nearly as peculiar as the way the frigate was navigated through the narrow channels exiting Mayport Harbor and entered the river.
Instead of just relying on satellite images and visuals from one location, sailors were stationed on both sides of the ship to call in orders to steer the ship.
“This is the first time this ship and this crew have made this trip,” said Ensign Tim Shaffer. “But the Commanding Officer (Dan Starling) has done it before.”
The guided missile frigate is part of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, and its original mission was to provide protection to battle groups as well as antisubmarine warfare. Today, its mission is to combat narcotics trafficking.
Last time out, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, the USS Stephen W. Groves interdicted 10.2 billion tons of cocaine.
For guests, it was an eye-opening experience that offered a glimpse into what it is like to be in the Navy.
But for the sailors, it’s just another day in the office.
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