Last modified Thu., April 26, 2007 - 10:29 AM
Originally created Thursday, April 26, 2007

Torch Is Passed For Drug Deployments

By Ensign Samantha Lester, USS Halyburton Public Affairs Officer

Sailors man the rails of USS Halyburton (FFG 40) as a line handler throws over one of her last mooring lines. Halyburton left Naval Station Mayport on a regularly scheduled six-month deployment. U.S. Navy photo by MC2(SW) DANIEL K. GAY

USS Halyburton (FFG-40) crewmembers "manned the rails" in dress whites as the ship departed Mayport for a six-month deployment to South America in support of Counter Narco-Terrorism Operations on April 5.

USS Klakring (FFG-42) also departed to begin the same deployment. It was a busy morning in the Mayport Basin, as two ships returned from their counter narco-terrorism deployments just an hour before Halyburton and Klakring departed. USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG-49) and USS McInerney (FFG-8) entered the basin also "manning the rails" in whites, their Battle Ensigns raised proudly, and the ceremonial lea around their ship's bows.

As is tradition on the waterfront, all the other ships in port blew their ship whistles feverishly as an echoing welcome home to their shipmates. Halyburton participated in this gesture with their whistle, as its crew manned up their sea and anchor stations and prepared to get the ship underway for their Counter Narco-Terrorism deployment.

Halyburton returned from a SOUTHCOM Surge and Neptune Warrior deployment in December 2006. Their time between deployments was spent preparing for a major inspection that a ship has once every five years. In late February, the ship performed very well during their INSURV (Board of Inspection and Survey) week and spent all of March in a pre-deployment stand-down leave period.

With them on deployment this year is HSL-44, Detachment 10 Swamp Foxes, who maintain and fly the embarked SH-60B Helicopter. Also deployed on board Halyburton is the United States Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 405, who are the experts on boarding suspect vessels in search of drugs.

Friends and loved ones of Halyburton crew members came on board that morning to spend as many last moments together with their sailors. Some dedicated ones left the pier when Halyburton pulled away, and raced to the jetties just outside of Mayport Basin.

Noticing the many families there, USS Halyburton Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Everett S. Pratt, ordered two blasts on the ship's whistle as a final goodbye salute to the families waving from the jetties.