Sampson 4.0: bringing the fourth generation to life

All Hands, March, 2008 by Jason McCammack

The U.S. Navy is steeped in tradition and every Sailor who is bestowed the honor to help bring a new ship to life will bear witness to many of the Navy's greatest customs. But, it takes much more than nuts, bolts and modern technology for a ship to be worthy of being welcomed into the fleet-it takes a team of dedicated Sailors with the strength and know-how to fight their ship when she's put to sea.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A Crew Takes Shape

As with all ships, USS Sampson was known as Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Sampson prior to her commissioning.

"I think the pre-Commissioning process is one of the closest things you can get to training to qualify," said Cmdr. Philip Roos, Sampson's commanding officer. "We did a lot of our training on the beach to get us ready to be where we needed to be. We got a lot of support from Afloat Training Group, Pacific, and we took advantage of our Navy schools. Many of our Sailors spent a lot of their time in San Diego, our homeport city. They took advantage of the training support centers there as well as attending a number of schools. We did a lot of firefighting and damage control training there. When they arrived [in Maine] they did ship-specific training."

Every commanding officer tries to develop a sense of ownership between the crew and their ship. Aboard Sampson, it's evident the goal has become a reality. Some of Sampson's crew have been with the ship since the keel was laid March 17, 2005, and many others were welcomed aboard during the months that followed. This gave Sampson Sailors a unique perspective and understanding of their ship. They have seen it rise from mere sheet metal into the Navy's most modern warship.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"The Sailors just love this ship," said Sampson's Command Master Chief Sandra Huffman. "They love learning about her. They love being part of something new. When they were building the ship, all of the Sailors would come down because they wanted to see what they were doing. Compared to other ships I've been on-there's just something different about being on a brand new ship that makes people take pride in her and take better care of her. This is truly their ship."

Quartermaster Seaman Jessalyn Glassgow joined Sampson's crew more than 18 months prior to commissioning.

"When I got to Sampson we were stationed in a building in San Diego," said Glassgow. "It was definitely weird, because this was my first ship and there really wasn't a ship because it was being built across the country in Maine. That time was great, though, because it gave everyone a chance to come together. We were all learning about our ship and we really kind of became a family during that time period."

As Sampson was being built in Maine, most of her San Diego-based crew were being trained and qualified both locally and in schools across the country.

"I came to Sampson in June 2006 and got about two months of damage control and firefighting training while I was there," said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Mattew Danucci, Gun Division workcenter supervisor. "Then I went to Norfolk for even more training. A lot of people went [on temporary assigned duty] to ships at sea while we were in San Diego to get hands-on experience."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Personnel Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Shari Fletcher from Sampson's Ship Office said the task of putting the ship's administrative plan together was as great as building the actual ship.

"When you come to a ship that is already established you're just taking over a job from someone else and you figure out your role through turnover or just getting your feet wet. With a PCU, it's a totally different challenge. You're building everything from scratch and finding your own way. Every program and procedure has to be developed and the decisions that are made will have an impact for years."

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Roos said the pre-commissioning period was a unique opportunity to instill a standard of excellence among the crew.

"I recognize the importance of setting the spirit and the tone of a new command and the impact it will have on successive crews," said Roos. "When you have a crew in tip-top fighting condition, you set a high standard and establish a solid reputation.

It's [then] easier to have new crew members come aboard and get swept up in that momentum."

Breaking the Pennant

Sampson was commissioned in Boston amidst a fierce storm with the hallmark of a classic Nor'easter. In fact, Hurricane Noel had brought 70 to 90 mph winds to nearby Cape Cod and sheets of rain made umbrellas the order of the day at the city's Black Falcon Cruise Terminal.

Icy temperatures and wet raincoats did little to dampen the spirits as the fourth Sampson received her commission. Dozens of veterans, who once roamed the decks of the third ship named Sampson (DDG 10), were on hand to see their beloved ship's legacy live on as a new generation of Sailors took the helm.

The men and women assigned to Sampson during her commissioning are her "plank owners." The term's history is rooted in ships that had wooden "plank" decks. Plank owners from those wooden ships were eligible to receive a small piece of decking. Today, the term still implies that a crew member was assigned when the ship was built and commissioned, and is therefore entitled to lay claim to the prestigious designation.