Military Monday

Dear SAN ANTONIO Families and Friends,
 
Hard to believe over a month has passed since my last Familygram – time flies when you’re having fun!
 
First off I would like to welcome the newest members of the SAN ANTONIO family and congratulate their proud parents:
-          Michael William Horn – born 08Sep08 to FC2 Horn and his wife
-          Lucia Evelyn Lopresti – born 16SEP08 to IT1 Lopresti and his wife
-          Olivia Mae Thyng - born on 30 Sep 08 to CTT3 Thyng and his wife
-          Xavier Elijah Minan – born 02Oct08 to SK2 Minan and his wife
-          Sheniyah Kenise Williams – born 08Oct08to SN Williams and his wife
-          Kash Scott Swim – born 18Oct08 to ENFN Swim and his wife
 
Congratulations and best wishes to all of our new families.
 
Your Sailors and Marines have been very busy.  In early October, we left the Indian Ocean near the Horn of Africa and transited through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf.  Along the way we hosted our first round of SAN ANTONIO Idol where we had about 15 contestants try to sing their way to idol status.  The judges were tough and we narrowed the field down to eight who will compete in the near future for SAN ANTONIO stardom and bragging rights.
Our first port visit in the Gulf region was to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE).  Jebel Ali was a working port for us, but the crew did get to enjoy some liberty in the “Sand Box”, an MWR facility in Jebel Ali offering food and drinks.  Others hopped on a bus or taxi and headed to the world famous city of Dubai.  Dubai is a very modern city with an incredible skyline, a mall with a roller coaster inside, and a mall with a ski slope inside. 
 
We departed Jebal Ali and joined the rest of the IWO JIMA Strike group to conduct Exercise Red Reef, a bilateral training exercise with the Saudi Arabian Navy.  Our first official duty was to visit the port of Jubayl, Saudi Arabia to conduct engineering and damage control training with Saudi Naval Forces and host a reception.  We were the first Navy ship to pull into Jubayl in more than 8 years.  Rear Admiral Al khayal, Commander of the Saudi Arabian East Fleet as well as other Saudi Arabian dignitaries, US Navy dignitaries, and guests attended the reception.  Supply Department put on a nice affair complete with heavy hors’deuvres and an ice sculpture. We were pierside in Jubayl for two days; both the reception and training went well.
During Red Reef, your Sailors and Marines participated in an amphibious offload, field exercises, a naval gun exercise, flight operations, and other training exercises with Sailors and Marines of the Saudi Arabian Eastern Fleet. The training and exercises fostered a positive working relationship with our allies in order to enhance maritime security in the region.
 
Following Red Reef, we transited to our current location in Bahrain.  Along the way, the crew was allowed to grow beards for the male Sailors or let their hair down for female Sailors for a small donation to our Morale, Welfare, and Recreation fund.  It’s amazing how different everyone looks with a beard and their hair down!  We also conducted a “pirate day”, which was an opportunity to have some fun and dress up like old or new pirates.  All of these activities help us pass the time and break up the monotony of long days at sea.
On Halloween, we had a costume contest followed by trick or treating around the ship.  It is always amazing to me the originality and ingenuity that goes into the costumes. We had a mummy, an Incredible Hulk, a Michael Phelps, a pirate, some punk rockers, the rap artists 50 cent and DMX, and many others. We even had a “guest” Commanding Officer running around for most of the day. It was fun for all involved.
We are currently in Bahrain conducting maintenance and repairs. We will leave Bahrain and participate in another bilateral training exercise, Iron Magic, with the UAE Navy and Marines in mid-November.
 
I’d also like to introduce Mrs. Megumi Fuda, our new Family Readiness Group President. Look for a letter or email very soon inviting you to join our Family Readiness Group. The Family Readiness Group is committed to supporting not only your Sailors and Marines, but the families back home too.
 
SAN ANTONIO and your Sailors and Marines are having a great maiden deployment and have met or exceeded every operational commitment to date.  I am immensely proud of all of them!  We thank you for your continued support and for “keeping the home fires burning”; I recognize and appreciate the sacrifices you all make.  If you have any questions or feedback about the familygram, please send it to me at the address below or the Command Master Chief, CMDCM Tom Meglen cmc@lpd17.navy.mil.
 
With respect,
 
CDR Kurt Kastner
Commanding Officer
USS SAN ANTONIO (LPD 17)
co@lpd17.navy.mil
"Never Retreat, Never Surrender"