Farragut Comes Face-to-Face With Future

The college-preparatory, military style school, which originated in 1933 in Pine Beach, New Jersey, now resides on the shores of Boca Ciega Bay, St. Petersburg, FL since 1945.

During the first evening in Mayport, the cadets traveled directly to the ship and were welcomed by USS Farragut Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Philip E. Sobeck.

The cadets were shown a demonstration of fire fighting hose handling and techniques by Gas Turbine System Technician Mechanical 2nd Class Hernandez and Fire Controlman 3rd Class Steers. Defensive tactics, with participation by a cadet, were also displayed by Ensign Beale, Farragut's Force Protection Officer.

After enjoying pizza at the end of the day, the cadets retired for the evening to the Navy Lodge. Beale started the cadets' event filled Saturday with a rigorous PT session on the beach, before journeying over to the Mayport Airfield to tour the HSL squadrons. Lt.j.g. Ferrell, one of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 42's and USS Farragut's Air Department pilots, gave the cadets a detailed tour of the aviation hangar, maintenance spaces and the SH-60B Seahawks helicopters.

Upon returning to USS Farragut, the cadets took an extensive tour of the ship, headed by Senior Chief Fluent and Chief Watson. They were able to explore the Engineering spaces, Bridge, Combat and the Flight Deck. USS Farragut's crew also gave the cadets the opportunity to dress out in complete fire fighting attire to gain appreciation of one crucial aspect of working onboard a ship. The students asked very insightful questions and had an unparalleled enthusiasm, which contributed to a very prolific and enjoyable experience for both cadets and crew.

"It was a great way for the duty section to reflect on why we [the Navy] are here and that what we do on a daily basis is not mundane, but is on the tip of the spear…(and that) two of the foreign national students stated [to him] that the visit to Farragut was the best weekend they had had in the U.S. all year," Senior Chief Fluent said.

At the end of the morning's tours and events, Farragut provided a pier-side BBQ for cadets and crew to relax and mingle. After the BBQ, the Admiral Farragut Academy departed the ship to prepare for a drill parade. The cadets performed an impressive drill on the pier consisting of complex formations, exceptional rifle handling, and phenomenal showmanship maneuvers.

Much to Farragut's enjoyment, the drill team performed another drill parade that displayed their exceptional level of discipline and concentration. However, instead of uniforms and rifles, they had beach attire and chairs. The parade parody was performed at the same complex level as the earlier drill, but with a unique and crowd pleasing approach.

Saturday evening Admiral Farragut Academy's Cadets and USS Farragut's Sailors joined together to retire our nation's colors - a unification of a time-honored tradition to the present and future Farragut. The Admiral Farragut Academy cadets returned the next morning for brunch with Sobeck as a wrap up to a memorable experience for all involved. The Academy's school flag was proudly flying from Farragut's yardarm as the cadets departed the ship after an unforgettable weekend. The weekend ended with a capping ceremony that signified the completion of their Farragut "Sea Trials," a milestone that the commanding officer signified as displaying team unity, honor, courage, and commitment.