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-Land of the Free
Navy's oldest operational warship breaks its days-at-sea record
2020-05-25
[TheHill] The Navy's oldest operational warship has broken its record for the most days at sea, the military branch said Thursday.

The USS Blue Ridge has been at sea for 69 days as of Thursday, the Navy said in a statement, breaking its previous record, set 48 years ago, of 64 days at sea during the Vietnam War.

The ship has been at sea so long to avoid anyone on board contracting the coronavirus.

"These times are uniquely challenging for the entire world, but it takes an extremely dedicated crew to maintain this old of a ship at sea for this long," Capt. Craig Sicola, commander of the Blue Ridge, said in the statement.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Navy aircraft carrier that had been docked in Guam since March 27 due to a coronavirus outbreak, is back at sea, the Navy said late Wednesday.

The ship left Naval Base Guam and entered the Philippine Sea "to conduct carrier qualification flights," basic drills that will allow the crew to ramp up use of the carrier after 55 days away from sea.
Related:
USS Blue Ridge: 2009-11-07 5 Year Old Refugee Returns To The Old Country At The Helm Of A USN Destroyer
USS Blue Ridge: 2008-05-24 Philippines, US to hold naval exercises near Spratlys: report
USS Blue Ridge: 2006-06-19 Stacking the Deck
Posted by:Clem

#10  The Navy is the hardest service. Any Carrier task force people out there with a story about how long they were out of their home port and away from loved ones. My bro was out 300+ days. God Bless the Service Men and Women!
Posted by: Flusorong Darling of the Faith3280   2020-05-25 21:48  

#9  Any thing over 125 ft. Is a ship.. I spent more than 64 days on patrol in an SSBN in late 60s
Posted by: Flusorong Darling of the Faith3280   2020-05-25 21:44  

#8  Submarines are boats. Any actual crew member would know that.
Posted by: Woodrow   2020-05-25 21:18  

#7  They did say ship, not boat, the bubble-heads out there will remind you there is a difference.
Posted by: Marilyn Tojo7566   2020-05-25 15:38  

#6  Speaking of the USS Constitution, my Grandfather,, CPO Navy Veteran 1908-1921, was recruit trained on the Constitution when they were using it for that, and then was radio trained on the then in service USS Constellation, he told me because it was anchored and got better reception. His first flight on an airplane was in the middle 70's when the family sent him to visit his daughter in San Diego. I was sent by the family since we were concerned about his health (84), and I had been stationed at Camp Pendleton after MCRD in SD. During the flight I asked him how he felt seeing San Diego for the first time, he laughed and said he knew it well, he had been stationed there in 1911!
Posted by: NoMoreBS   2020-05-25 15:22  

#5  USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides launched in 1797.
As a fully commissioned Navy ship, her crew of 60 officers and sailors participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while keeping her open to visitors year round and providing free tours. The officers and crew are all active-duty Navy personnel,
Posted by: David   2020-05-25 14:09  

#4  What were you eating the last week? I had no idea there were undersea replenishment ops for Class One.
Posted by: NoMoreBS   2020-05-25 12:44  

#3  Surely they meant surface ships. I mean, how could one even compare them to sub duty!! (Whew, 89 days back to back...can't imagine....)
Posted by: Clem   2020-05-25 11:16  

#2  That's not the longest deployment by a Navy ship. I personally made two deployments for 89 days submerged. Back to back. Back in the 70's and 80's New London based subs were deploying to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for 9 months at a time.
So, 64 days is a normal SSBN patrol, meh!
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839   2020-05-25 11:08  

#1  Have they been able to keep the Zumwalt at sea for that many hours at a time?
Posted by: M. Murcek   2020-05-25 07:21  

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