SIOUX CITY...... ONE OF THE
S NAVY'S NEWEST SHIPS BASED
AT NAVAL STATION MAYPORT NOT
FAR FROM JACKSONVILLE, FL.
WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS WHAT
A KEY ROLE LATORAL COMBAT
SHIPS... LIKE THE SIOUX CITY,
PLAY AT MAYPORT. I RECENTLY
TOOK A LOOK, WHILE ATTENDING
THE SHIPS FIRST EXCHANGE OF
COMMAND CEREMONY.
"Thank you, thank you very
much," SAYS CMD. RANDY MALONE.
WITH THOSE WORDS... (SOUND OF
SAILORS CLAPPING) .. AND SOME
UNITED STATES NAVY POMP AND
CIRCUMSTANCE, THE USS SIOUX
CITY RECENTLY EXCHANGED
COMMAND. ONE CREW LEAVING THE
SHIP ANOTHER TAKING CONTROL OF
THE $362 MILLION VESSEL.
"COULDN'T ASK FOR A BETTER
SHIP AND BETTER PROCESS.
EVERYTHING I EXPECTED AND
MORE," SAYS FORMER USS SIOUX
CITY COMMANDER RANDY MALONE".
"ON A MINIMALLY MANNED SHIP
IT'S REALLY ONE TEAM ONE
FIGHT. WE REFER TO BLUE AND
GOLD CREW BUT WE SAY TEAM
SIOUX CITY," SAYS USS SIOUX
CITY COMMANDER KEVIN O'BRIEN.
IT COULD BE A YEAR BEFORE THE
SIOUX CITY SAILS TO ITS FIRST
MISSION. MORE SYSTEMS TESTING
AND QUALIFICATIONS ARE AHEAD.
LIKE ALL EAST COAST BASED
LITTORAL COMBAT SHIPS, THE
SIOUX CITY CALLS NAVAL STATION
MAYPORT HOME. LOCATED JUST OFF
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, NEAR
JACKSONVILLE, FL, MAYPORT HAS
GROWN TO BECOME THE THIRD
LARGEST FLEET CONCENTRATION
AREA IN THE S. "IT'S THE
BESKEPT SECRET IN THE NAVY.
USED TO BE AT ANY RATE. WHEN I
GOT HERE IN '71 THEY TOLD ME I
HAD ORDERS TO MAYPORT AND I
THOUGHT WHAT IN THE WORLD IS
MAYPORT FLORIDA," SAYS PORT
MASTER ROBERT REEDER. PORT
MASTER ROBERT REEDER HAS
CALLED MAYPORT HOME FOR NEARLY
5 DECADES. "YOU'RE CLOSE TO
DISNEY WORLD AND EVERYWHERE
ELSE. WE LIKE TO CALL IT THE
PORT OF CHOICE. EVERYBODY IN
THE NAVY WANTS TO GO TO
MAYPORT," ADDED REEDER. FROM
END TO END, MAYPORT COVERS
ABOUT 2 AND A HALF MILES...
AND IS HOME TO 17 WARSHIPS. IN
ALL, IT'S PORT CAN ACCOMMODATE
34 SHIPS INCLUDING AIRCRAFT
CARRIERS.. THREE HELICOPTER
SQUADRONS AND 10,600 SAILORS
AND DEPT. OF DEFENSE EMPLOYEES
ALSO CALL MAYPORT HOME. "
WE'RE THE HOME, THE EAST COAST
HOME FOR ALL PORTED LCS SHIPS.
THE FACE OF MAYPORT IS
CHANGING AS WE GET MORE LCS
SHIP HERE," SAID PUBLIC
AFFAIRS OFFICER BILL AUSTIN.
WHAT MAKES THIS PLACE TRULY
SPECIAL IS THE WAY THE USS
SIOUX CITY AND A GROWING
NUMBER OF LCS VESSELS ARE
PROTECTING OUR NATION. "YOU
COME IN ON MONDAY MORNING ASK
WHO HAS THE KEY. GET THE KEY
AND PUSH A BUTTON AND IF
YOU'RE GETTING UNDERWAY AT 9,
YOU'LL SEE SMOKE OUT OF THE
STACKS AT 8:30 WHEN THEY LIGHT
THE ENGINES OFF AND GO TO
SEA," SAYS REEDER. REEDER SAYS
IF SOMETHING WERE TO SPARK IN
SOUTH AFRICA OR THE
TIBRIDGET DESK LET ME TELL
YOU.. PORT MASTER ROBERT
REEDER IS A DOCUMENTARY ALL ON
HIS OWN... 5 DEACADES AT
MAYPORT. BRIDGET: YOU
MENTIONED THAT EXCHANGE OF
COMMAND.. EXACTLY WHAT IS
THAT? TIM: LCS SHIPS USE DUAL
CREWS.. BLUE AND GOLD.. SO,THE
BLUE CREW EXCHANGED COMMAND
WITH THE GOLD.... BOTH AT
MAYPORT BUT THE GOLD NOW
COMMANDS THE SHIP..
ADDITIONALLY, THE BLUE CREW
CHANGED COMMAND... NOW CAPTAIN
RANDY MALONE TURNING THE BLUE
CREW OVER TO COMMANDER
CHAVIOUS LEWIS... SEVERAL
FOLKS IN SIOUX CITY HAVE
MET... HE WILL LEAD THE BLUE
CREW WHEN IT AGAIN TAKES
BRIDGET: FROM THE SEA TO THE