Thursday, May 28, 2009

Counting the days until Hawaii arrival

Aloha,

We arrived back in Florida yesterday. We had some extra free time prior to mooring so we conducted a swim call with the crew. Everyone had a great time until a shark showed up. The crew got out of the water, a little slow for my taste, but everyone including the shark seemed to enjoy the swim. It was quite an interesting drive in to the port. In a one hour period I saw dolphins, sharks, small manta rays and a few sea turtles.

Every night underway the crew watches a movie together. During the week two of the movies had scenes filmed in Hawaii. Everyone was really excited about the scenes and how breathtaking everything is.

Over the next few weeks we will be working hard on our tactics and techniques for several different mission areas including anti-submarine warfare, missile strike, and mine field penetration.

The crew and I are counting the days to our arrival.

CDR Ed Herrington
Commanding Officer, USS HAWAII SSN 776

Friday, May 22, 2009

Excitement among the crew of USS Hawaii

Aloha,

Excitement stirs among the crew as HAWAII makes her journey to her new homeport. Several crew members previously stationed in Pearl Harbor are stimulating the crew about the wonderful life in Hawaii. The stories of the panoramic views from wherever you are on the island are beyond belief. The stories are including that ALOHA is not just a greeting or salutation but a way of life.

CMDCS(SS) Robert R. Crossno, Jr.
Chief of the Boat, USS Hawaii SSN 776

USS Hawaii departs Groton

Aloha,

HAWAII has finally said goodbye to the cold Groton weather only to find rain in Florida during our brief stop there. We are in the process of conducting technical evaluations of some of our systems over the coming weeks and working on tour tactical proficiency in preparation for our next deployment. Though we have left many friends in Groton behind, we look forward to meeting our new Hawaiian ohana soon. Many of our families are already starting to arrive in Hawaii and their reports are helping to build the excitement of the crew.

CDR Ed Herrington
Commanding Officer, USS HAWAII SSN 776