Cadets, McCool Students Tour USNS Amelia Earhart

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Corwin Colbert, Joint Region Marianas Public Affairs

April 6, 2010 - SANTA RITA, Guam (NNS) -- USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE 6) invited students for an underway tour in the waters off U.S. Naval Base Guam April 5.

More than 100 children from Commander William C. McCool Elementary/Middle School, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps of Guam and Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) of Father Duenas Memorial School spent approximately nine hours on the Military Sealift Command (MSC) ship.

"The purpose of bringing the children out was to teach the children patriotism," said Cecilio Gonzales, U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps regional director and a McCool history teacher. "As for the cadets, even though there is no obligation to join, we want to show them what the high-tech and diverse Navy and merchant marines can do."

Throughout the tour, the group was briefed on the mission of the ship, MSC and the Navy. USNS Amelia Earhart is the sixth ship of nine in the Navy's T-AKE class. As part of MSC's Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force, these ships deliver ammunition, provisions, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy's carrier strike groups at sea and other naval forces worldwide, allowing them to stay at sea, on station and combat ready for extended periods of time.

"The children had an exhausting tour," said Senior Chief Operations Specialist (SW) Phillip Heldt, the senior enlisted advisor for the military detachment of the ship. "We gave them a tour on mostly every space we have on board."

The children witnessed a damage control and chemical, biological and radiation display and an underway replenishment and vertical replenishment static display as well as toured medical spaces. They also had the opportunity to drive the ship on the bridge.

"I learned a lot about how the ship transfers cargo to other ships so that those ships do not have to go into port," said Brenna Leadingham, a McCool eighth-grader. "My step-dad is in the Navy. I can appreciate what he does more."

The tour ended with flight quarters and the group had a chance to witness a Puma HC1 helicopter land on the ship's flight deck.

"I liked the helicopter landing," Leadingham said. "Now I can tell sea stories of the tour and how the whole lunch line shifted when the ship was rocking."

Cmdr. Dawn Richardson, officer in charge of the military detachment of the ship, was pleased at how well the underway tour went.

"The tour was successful," Richardson said. "It was a great opportunity for the merchants and Sailors to interact with the youth. The children may be the future of the Navy or MSC. Hopefully they will remember the positive experience they had during this underway."

Retired Navy Senior Chief Willie Pizarro, naval science instructor for Father Duenas Memorial School, said hopefully the students understand some concepts of shipboard life.

"This doesn't happen very often," Pizarro said. "The kids are very excited. I just hope the children can take back a positive experience and a feeling of teamwork and camaraderie like Sailors on board who are home away from home."