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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (148548)	11/24/2005 8:55:25 AM
From: greenspirit	Respond to of 793689

Clancy's vision brought to reality here Bill. Virginia Returns Crew, families set to enjoy Thanksgiving Day together theday.com By GLADYS ALCEDO Day Staff Writer, Groton Published on 11/24/2005 Groton -- As the wind and the temperature headed south, Debi Slywczuk huddled under a tent across from the pier at the Naval Submarine Base, waiting patiently Wednesday for the USS Virginia to return from its first deployment. “I want to go back to Hawaii,” Slywczuk, of Ledyard, said as she waited for her husband, Chief Greg Slywczuk. “... Although this homecoming will be warm in its own way. It will be a nice Thanksgiving.” Debi Slywczuk, who has attended several such homecomings in Hawaii, wasn't the only one in the crowd thinking of warmer climes. And even though she could have stayed home a little longer and avoided waiting for more than an hour in the cold, she said she “would have been sitting at home twiddling my thumbs.” So she put some pork chop suey on low heat and headed to the base. Unbeknownst to the dozens upon dozens of wives, partners, children and families who waited to greet the submarine's 134 officers and sailors, the crew had brought with them a taste of Hawaiian culture –– fresh leis. Greg Slywczuk placed the necklace of purple and white flowers around the neck of his wife of six years, embraced her and kissed her as they stood on the pier in the midst of the crowd. Later, he said the idea for the leis, which had been flown to the submarine Saturday, was hatched by the chief of the boat, who hails from Hawaii. In Hawaii, returning crews are welcomed at the pier by family members bearing leis. The crew of the Virginia decided to reverse the roles, Greg Slywczuk said. Led by Cmdr. Todd W. Cramer, the officers and sailors had racked up a number of “firsts” on their deployment. They were the first to serve on the Virginia, the first boat in its class of fast-attack submarines. The crew came home Wednesday from their first deployment in support of the global war on terrorism in the U.S. Southern Command, a territory that covers Central America south of Mexico and all of South America. The submarine, commissioned in 2004, was deployed 18 months ahead of schedule on Sept. 12 and returned home two hours earlier than anticipated. “I was watching my schedule very closely,” said Cramer, who plans to spend today with his family in Gales Ferry. Cramer, who called the deployment an “absolute success,” said the Virginia “was built and designed to perfection.” In the post-Cold War era, the Virginia-class subs have been designed for stealth and to support Special Forces operations, Cramer said. The Virginia's inaugural deployment was marred early last month when one of its sailors, Sonar Technician 1st Class Eric P. Skinner, a 34-year-old Ohio native, died of natural causes while performing his duty. “A death in any family is a sad moment,” Cramer said. The crew paid its respects to Skinner in a memorial service in Kings Bay, Ga. Then, they focused their attention on the mission before them, said Cramer, who praised his sailors and officers for their performance during the short deployment. Debi Slywczuk said a deployment of any duration “is always hard.” The Slywczuks plan to spend today with their daughter, Marisa Noury, whose husband is deployed aboard the USS Miami, and their 18-month-old granddaughter, whom they call “Miss Olivia.”