Every year, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division takes a group of interns and new hires from West Bethesda, Maryland, to “Meet the Fleet” at Naval Station Norfolk for a day of ship tours.
This year’s July 16 trip was attended by Carderock’s Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP) college interns, Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) high school interns and new hires. The 45 participants toured the Carderock’s Combatant Craft division (CCD), USS Mahan (DDG 72) and USS Boise (SSN 764) during their visit at the largest naval base in the United States.
The tour began at the CCD where the group saw boats on site for maintenance and research. After seeing the range of technology being explored at CCD, the group went to the division’s port where they cruised around the bay on a Mark V Special Operations Craft (SOC) formerly used to transport Navy SEALs.
Piloted by a retired Navy captain, the group’s 15-minute tour around the bay included quick turns and all stops, allowing for a unique experience with a former member of the United States’ fleet. The now-retired Mark V SOC is primarily used for base research, as well as the occasional tour.
Matthew Mitchell, a SEAP intern, said the visit to CCD prompted him to view his future career differently.
“It changed what I want to be. I want to be a little more hands on after seeing today,” Mitchell said.
Following the boat ride, the group boarded the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mahan. Escorted by Navy officers, the group was given an extensive tour of the ship which included trips to the mess deck, crew berthing and bridge.
Stopping at the mess deck first, the group was able to see where the Sailors’ food is prepared and where they eat. After that, they visited the crew berthing where they saw the small amount of space allotted to Sailors to sleep and store their belongings. The tour concluded on the bridge, where the group saw the control center and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) staff working to update the ship’s systems.
Before ending their visit, the team toured the 160-plus man submarine USS Boise. The tour mirrored that of Mahan, with the exception of the visit to the torpedo room. The petty officer’s giving the tours explained how the torpedo room becomes additional crew berthing in times of over-capacity.
“Meet the Fleet” allowed both the interns and new employees to grasp a unique understanding of the sacrifices made in the limited quarters of a submarine and destroyer; and they were shown firsthand the importance of their contributions to ship design in these communities.
Greta Ouimette, an NREIP intern and a second-year attendee of “Meet the Fleet” said that each year she goes, she leaves feeling equally inspired.
“It’s really intriguing to see the different areas of NAVSEA as a whole, and it showed me the different aspects of where I can apply my major,” Ouimette said. “I loved it last year, and I loved it this year.”