A Royal Navy officer has piloted the US Navy destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill into Portsmouth, underscoring the close ties between Britain and the United States, the Royal Navy stated.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which is always assigned a British navigator in recognition of its namesake, arrived on Sunday as part of operations with Carrier Strike Group 12 led by USS Gerald R. Ford. The stop in Portsmouth highlights the ship’s long-standing association with the UK since its commissioning 25 years ago.
Lieutenant Commander Owen Long, from Lincolnshire, currently serves as navigator. He said: “The captain very graciously allowed me to bring her in. It was a real privilege passing Round Tower and my girlfriend Emily on the tower there waving us in.”
Crew from the US destroyer toured Royal Navy vessels during the visit, including HMS Victory, where some sailors received promotion insignia. According to the Navy, the visit allowed sailors to explore Portsmouth and experience British culture, with Lt Cdr Long providing recommendations to his American shipmates.
Stationed in Florida when not deployed, Lt Cdr Long noted that he tries to keep British traditions alive aboard the ship. “I play into the Britishness on board where I can. I have a kettle, and a big box of Yorkshire Tea in the chart room,” he said. “When they’re all having their morning coffee, I’m having my morning cup of tea, and I’m trying to make tea more popular on board as well.”
He added that the role is a chance to strengthen US-UK ties: “The fact I can come across to the US Navy in this role and seamlessly integrate with their wardroom is testament to our two countries’ ability to work together as allies in theatres across the globe, standing shoulder to shoulder as we have for hundreds of years.”
USS Winston S. Churchill is expected to depart Portsmouth on 18 September to resume operations with the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, which has been active in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
Its about time we identified a new reciprocal ship. We used to have a USN officer on HMS Marlborough.
‘Crew toured Royal Navy vessels during the visit’. What did they do in the afternoon?