USS San Antonio’s crew responds to Disaster

Photos and story by JO3 Anthony C Tornetta

Pascagoula, MS- Katrina wreaked havoc across the Gulf Coast Monday, August 29, but she wasn’t powerful enough to destroy USS San Antonio (LPD 17) or her crew.

“This was a bad storm and our Sailors responded to every challenge they faced during the storm,” said Command Master Chief Willie Desantiago. In fact, many experts are saying this storm was one of the most devastating storms in American history.

The category four winds and associated storm surge caused tremendous damage to the local area. Businesses and homes were torn apart, bridges collapsed and cars floated away as the storm rolled through.

During the early hours of the storm, it pounded the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Ingalls Operations, and San Antonio took the full force of the storm. “This is one tough ship” said CDR Jon Padfield, San Antonio’s Captain. “She sustained over 140 mph winds and a twenty-five foot storm surge. This is one tough crew. They, like their ship, withstood this catastrophic disaster magnificently.”

“We were ready to act fast and do exactly what we have been trained to do,” said Fireman Brandon Plunkett, a Hull Technician who works in the Engineering Department.

“It was a total team effort. We put the training that we have received through the Navy to work without even thinking about it.”

By early evening, Katrina’s winds started to die down, the waters began to recede and human nature took over.

The only way on and off the ship prior to the storm was by using a brow that had been attached to the flight deck on the port side; however, the brow blew off during the storm.

Deck Department acted quickly as the winds slowed, opening the port sideport

door and re-establishing another brow.

Leading the charge was Boatswain Mate Second Class James A. Mason and Boatswains Mate Second Class Mark Brandt. The two teamed with a handful of junior

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Sailors and jumped from the port sideport door to the pier only a few inches away.

“We needed a brow so that the civilian workers could get shelter and food here on San Antonio,” said Brandt. “We did what was needed of us, no questions asked.”

As the morning sun rose the following day, the crew was allowed to venture outside to see what damage the storm had caused. Remarkably, San Antonio stood strong throughout the storm, suffering no significant damage. The same, however, couldn’t be said for the shipyard or the surrounding areas.

Katrina had chased people miles away from the Northrop Grumman shipyard, so San Antonio began her own relief efforts. The first thing that needed to be done was cleaning up the pier alongside San Antonio and future USS KIDD (DDG 100). The crew cleared the debris that had gathered pierside and tangled in the mooring lines. The debris was then moved back away from the ship and eventually into dumpsters.

“The crew is doing an outstanding job and they’re not finished yet,” said Desantiago.

After cleaning the pier and ensuring the ship was stable and able to sustain herself, the crew received permission to venture out into the community and help with the relief efforts happening in the Pascagoula area.

Sailors continue to provide help inside the shipyard as workers received up their paychecks on Friday; Sailors also teamed with shipyard security forces to stand guard.

Mobile Diving and Salvage Team Two now calls San Antonio home, as they survey the bottom of the channel in and out of Pascagoula, measuring its depth for changes and removing obstructions.

The ship also coordinated the arrival of USNS Comfort and twenty-three Sailors acted as line handlers as she arrived in Pascagoula, Friday, September 9, to provide support and humanitarian assistance.

Lt. David L. Mowbray, San Antonio’s Chaplain, has been taking groups of Sailors on a daily basis out to the community to help those in need. Sailors helped members of the Alabama National Guard distribute water and ice on Thursday, September 1. “Some of these people have been without water for a few days now, I wish we could help everyone affected by this storm,” said Seaman Leonard L. Wellon.

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San Antonio Sailors are volunteering their services to the community while continuing to train for crew certification, light-off assessment and commissioning later this year. “Our job is to serve and protect our country and that’s what we are doing by helping those in need,” said Wellon.

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