Official U.S. Navy website - Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

The USS Ford got underway from Naval Station Everett on May 9^th 2011 without skipping a beat.  As usual, the crew was more than ready to cast the mooring lines and make way for the transit across the Pacific Ocean toward Southeast Asia.  Once out of Puget Sound and into open ocean it was smooth sailing for USS Ford’s crew.

After a brief re-fuel in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and rendering proper honors to the USS Arizona, Ford’s crew was able to make an overnight stop in Guam for further refueling and replenishment.  All wasn’t business all the time however, the crew was able to enjoy a little bit of liberty and some of the scenery and natural beauty of the Pacific Tropical islands.  Following the quick stops in Hawaii and Guam it was business as usual while underway…that is if you consider “usual” being that of steaming alongside a Naval Fuel Tanker, VBSS practice evolutions, man-overboard procedures, and making anchor outside of a striking coastal view of Malaysia.

The USS Ford and her crew are tasked with making several stops throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim to conduct Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training(CARAT) and Community Relation (COMREL) activities for the Summer of 2011.

CARAT and COMREL events include activities such as assisting and making donations to children’s cancer wards, orphanages, mentally handicap centers, humanitarian aid, afloat naval training, a variety of naval cooperation and training exercises with several countries naval crews, and as always supporting the US Navy’s Maritime Strategy when forward deployed.