Hello NIMITZ Family and Friends,
Happy Sunday, everyone. In my last update we were a few days out of Hong Kong and operating in the central Pacific. Since then, we have conducted intensive training operations in the Guam operating areas and had a four-day port visit in Guam. Your Sailors and the Air Wing worked hard (as always) and took full advantage of the training to polish their skills. Due to this unexpected opportunity, our readiness is at tip-top levels and we are very well positioned as we proceed west and continue to execute our tasking.
As you know, Guam is a United States territory and for many of the crew, it reminded them of home. The Navy Base there provided great support and we were able to moor NIMITZ pierside in Apra Harbor. A pierside moor is much preferable to anchoring since it is more convenient to get back and forth to the ship. Many of the crew took advantage of the Navy Exchange and other base facilities and well as enjoying the chance to get into town and see the island “where America’s day begins”. The people of Guam were very excited about USS NIMITZ’ short notice visit and really rolled out the welcome mat for the crew. This was the ship’s first-ever visit to Guam. Fleet Admiral Nimitz had his forward headquarters in Guam during the final months of World War II and one can find the name “Nimitz” in a lot of places there. There are numerous memorials and historic sites from the battle to re-capture the island and a rich sense of history.
Speaking of history, as the sun rose this morning we were steaming though Leyte Gulf and the Surigao Straits in the Philippine Islands - the site of one of the great naval engagements in WWII. Watching from the bridge of NIMITZ, I couldn’t help thinking what it must have been like for the Sailors arrayed against each other in these same waters 60 years ago. I was also struck by how well they navigated, communicated, maneuvered, and fought their formations without all the electronic marvels we have today. Our passage was routine and uneventful, and we passed through the islands toward the South China Sea.
Work goes on, and your Sailors continue to perform superbly. We are not flying today as we are in constricted waters, but that gives us an opportunity to do some maintenance on the ship and aircraft, and to relax just a little on a Sunday at sea. I hope your Sunday was a good one, too. You guys are doing great holding down the fort back there at home. Our terrific team of Ombudsmen and Team NIMITZ, the family support group, is very active and all I hear from them is how well the families are doing. We are closing in on seven weeks into the deployment now and my sense is that most everyone has made the adjustment to their Sailor being deployed. The fact that you are taking a steady strain on meeting the challenges at home makes our success out here possible, and we understand and appreciate how difficult it can be. Thanks and please keep it up.
Warm regards and very respectfully,
CAPT Ted Branch
Commanding Officer
USS NIMITZ (CVN 68)
Date Posted/Last Updated:6/28/2005 7:40:16 PM