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First, fotos I didn’t take include ones of a half dozen sailors riding the Staten Island ferry this past Sunday. These days that’s not a common sight. Should I have said . . . Can I take your picture? I usually don’t take close-ups of people, at least not strangers. Of course, if USS Iowa had been homeported here, seeing sailors on the ferry would have been routine. Bitterness persists in some circles about the Navy pulling out of Homeport Staten Island. Here’s what’s happening on that space . . . although as of Sunday, the federal buildings are still standing.
Now a foto I did take. Can you see the rest from this?
FFG-28 USS Boone was in town this past weekend after its last deployment before decommissioning, scheduled for February 2012. Anyone fill me in on what chain of events that sets into motion? Do all personnel get reassignment? Will it be mothballed? Is sale to another country a possibility?
Since this is a “thin-ice” post . . . I’m parading my unfamiliarity, here’s a vessel I saw over in Newark Bay Sunday. Pilot boat?
All fotos by Will Van Dorp.
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November 15, 2011 at 7:19 pm
JED
BIG question – in short, that those that don’t roll out on a normal set of orders of will be cut special orders driven by the DECOM date. All personnel will be spread to the four corners within days of DECOM.
It’s a big job. Certain things have to be set in motion a certain way – being taken out of the pool of available ships. Where will she DECOM? Sold possibly – Turkey has bought others of this class, Pakistan bought our BROOK-class frigates in late 80′s. That would change the schedule.
Will she be laid up in the James? Perhaps INACTSHIPS Philly? Disposed? All relevant questions with specific event streams.
It don’t happen overnight. I decommissioned AOR4 SAVANNAH back in 95 and due to SUPERIOR management by my upper chain command it was a pretty painless evolution.
November 15, 2011 at 10:09 pm
tugster
thanks, jed. great help.
November 16, 2011 at 1:07 am
Joe Herbert
Boone is a Perry Class Frigate, the last of her class tasted the salt thirty years ago. by the look of her she has two FRAM life extensions done. The FFG’s are single screw ships with a turbine and a cruising diesel for power. The Turbine on a single shaft puts tremendous strain on the frames and structure. Likely the Crew will be transfered, for promotions, C Schools & etc., then the ship will be towed to Philadelphia or Norfolk for storage or sale. If is not sold in 5 – 7 years she will be stripped and either sunk as a reef or in a shootex.
The White over Black 65′(?) is a docking pilot, in some places they ride the tugs, the Port Authority decided that the launch was cheaper.
November 16, 2011 at 5:45 am
Anonymous
pilot launch- name looks like it could be S.COMOLETTI ?….belongs to Sterling Equip.- doing work in Newark Bay. jeff s
November 16, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Jed
Something you may find interesting; the FFG7-Class screws are right turning, controllable, reversable pitch (CRP).
In other words – they will back to STARBOARD instead of Port as ‘normal’ vessels do.