Mediterranean Sea - United Kingdom sailors on temporary duty to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) earned their Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) warfare devices, July 21, 2019.
Command Master Chief David Marcus, the senior enlisted leader and ESWS program manager, offered the allied sailors the unique opportunity to earn a U.S. Navy warfare device during their time aboard the Carney.
“Since they are here in support of our mission and as long as they were willing to put in the work, I was more than willing to allow them this chance,” said Marcus. “The fact that these two sailors were able to come aboard as allied representatives, perform their duties and responsibilities, and earn our ESWS device is no easy feat.”
The ESWS device represents a Sailors’ knowledge of the ship and its systems, and is specifically tailored to the type of platform they are serving on. Aboard Carney they had to show proficiency in the following departments: deck, sonar, operations, combat systems, damage control, supply, and engineering. In addition to ship specific areas, they also had to be proficient in U.S. naval heritage.
“It made for long days and it was a lot of work,” said U.K. sailor AB1 Nicholai Higginbotham. “There was a lot to learn given the short amount of time we had aboard the Carney.”
“It was difficult at first. The main part was learning the basics and acronyms,” said U.K. sailor AB1 Lawrence Hepworth. “After that, it was easier, we were able to adapt and revise.”
While the U.K. sailors were aboard they were integrated into the Carney’s watch rotations and stood 12-hour watches and were held to the same standard as their U.S. counterparts.
“The best part was being able to go through all the spaces and meet everyone on the ship,” said Higginbotham. “It increased my appreciation for the crew and the work that they do.”
“It was a great opportunity,” said Hepworth. “The whole process provided us with more a sense of inclusion.”
Typically a U.S. Sailor has 30 months to complete their ESWS. The U.K. sailors had to complete the program in less than four months.
Both sailors echoed the same sentiment when they completed the final Chief’s board.
“After I found out I passed, it was a massive relief,” said Hepworth. “The Carney sailors aboard really went out of their way to help us out. There is no way we could have finished it in the amount of time without their support.”
Both U.K. sailors are attached to Her Majesty’s Ship Collingwood, which is the warfare training center located in Fareham, Portsmouth, England.
USS Carney, forward deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet are of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.
U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts a full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, and interagency partners, in order to advance national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.