O Brien (DD 975) - Naval Cruise Book

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uss o'BRiEN QDD-9751 ef ,x?i.',,, FAMIL YGRAM .Q :AQ-I..-, ,. X wig! F Ir. 22 ,. i'f'I'ft?-ijJ.4:? 'L' Commanding Otticer Executive Otticer ,,frI'f,l:vi.-1,ftjrrf J con. J, J. MULLEN Loon. R. L aimm Q-e4...,.'r,?f:g iii i , Z, , I ppp . is MAY 19.78 To The Families And Friends Of The United States Ship O'BRlEN: Ili the Strips lrrst f'.irrirIyi1r.urr I rrioritroriert the .irtrrrrratrori ttr.it I Itifltf for the Crew following .i very tiu.-e.y pre Colnrnrssrorirrig perrolt lri ttrr.-4 require I 1 rigiirri rrorriptrrrrerit ttie lrrew .rrrrt t.iAe this opportunity to .rdrt .ill ot you who have w.itr:tied us grow over ttie I.r,-it tr-w It riiorittis, to the Irs! ot tlttttlltv 5 ,,f, vu stiiprrmtes for ttit' ivrves .irrtt trrr-rrrt-4 ' g A who silw their Nrivyrrrerr oII very fairly on most Morittay rriorrirrrus, .rrirt w.rrti'lI T' lor .i Lite everrrrio returri .it ttie writ til .i tirrctrr: week ot trrirrrrrro, I pass on my sincere ttmrrks tor your support Without you I .irri .sure that the strip would not have eriroyed one ti.iIt ot ttrr- Successes .ictireved to date Uttlilf N has operated extremely well srrrre we departed Pasrragroirla on the fitti ot December 7977, Every mari orrtioard Cari belustly proud of .i rob wel! done We .ire looking Iorimiriltothel'ti.iIlr'rir1r'.rIie'.irI.uiiII.insirrrryoirthrllwe will inarntarn our tirgti levelot.1r7tm?vf?lIll'ltt rrr the futuri- ,QIl7t'l'lt'IV. .I .I Mills! FN CDH HSN CIOAIIAIANDINCS OFFICE H SINCE OUR LAST FAMIL YGRAM . .. This is the Second OBFZIEN Familygram, the first issue having been published on the ships riommissionmg dily. 3 December 1977, It is intended that these newsletters assist those ol you at home to better know what O'BRlEN is doing now, and what the future offers Since Commissioning the OBRIEN and her crew have met the demands of a rigorous operational schedule The crew has worked hard, at times slept little, and has emerged as a ready unit of the Fleet. Even before OBRIEN left her commissioning berth in Pascagoula. Mississippi, preparations were clearly Underway, aimed at readying the ship and her crew for participation in that ultimate training evolution f0'ma Y entitled Shakedown Training , scheduled for the month of February Many hard hours and a C0I'l.Siderable number of calories were spent pouring over. and complying with. pre-training checksheets designed to bring shipboard equipment and personnel to the proper degree of readiness that would allow maximum benefit to be derived from the scheduled training evolution. Once all was deemed to bein readiness.

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a fresh and eager O'BRlEN entered her y month long Shakedown period. L O'BFtlEN spent most of the month at T - sea. entering port only for weekends and to drop off Training Group observers. Most of those long g I underway hours were spent al' 4 conducting various drills and exercises designed to put OBRIEN in prime fighting condition. This time frame attested to being an excellent proving ground where O'BFtlEN's Officers and men demonstrated uncommon determination and professionalism. Shakedowns end saw O'BFttEN's crew emerge slightly worn, but, most importantly, they also came away with a sense ot comradery a t 3 M . , and pride in accomplishment 2 As Shakedown ended, a new managerial challenge, Final Contract Trials lFCTt, appeared interspersed with many minor and some major evolutions, FCT was the predominant theme around which everyones efforts were concentrated during the next several weeks. Final Contract Trials are aimed at identifying deticiencles throughout the ship, and getting them corrected ata subsequent Post Shakedown Availability iPSAt at Pascagoula before the ship is finally accepted from the building yard bythe Navy ln reality FCT is merely a pseudonym for lNSLJFtV INSURV is an important and very rigorous inspection designed to identity deficiencies that can rflfect the operational capability of a ship. This inspection is conducted by a board composed ot both Naval and civilian experts. The philosophy behind preparing for FCT was one ot documenting or correcting all possible problems before the inspection actually began. O'BRlEN's transit from San Diego to Pascagoula for FCT and Post Shakedown Availability was dedicated to such FCT preparations where. under the experienced leadership of O'BRlEN's Officers and senior Petty Officers. the crew made il concerted effort toward cleaning the ship, and either correcting deficiencies. or writing reports about them Although an immeasurable amount ol time and energy was spent by all hands ln these preparations, the expenditure was punctuated by periods ol relaxation during which crew members whiled away time basking in Sols rays on 'OBRIEN Beach ian 03 level weather deck appropriated for sunbathingt, fishing off the fantail. curling up with a good book, or otherwise involved in such energetic ends. Upon arrival in Pascagoula O'BFtlEN entered FCT, All the efforts expended in preparations earned excellent returns as OBRIEN emerged whole. if somewhat frayed. from the week-long ordeal. All hands really pulled together and made O't3RIEN's FCT one of the smoothest and g y most impressive to date. gli jg FCT was wrapped up on a Friday T V morning. By that afternoon, most of N16 crew could be found delightfully involved ln deciding how they were goingto spend the next three days of a well-earned g vacation. Some men took advantage of the time by visiting relatives in surround- V ing areas. others tramped up and down the banks of the Pascagoula Ftiver intent on snaring a wiley catfish or two, and many more just decided to do nothing at The crew Mans the Rail at O'BRIEN's Commissioning.