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U.S. Navy Guided Missile Destroyer Intimately Tied to Panama City

Posted on: Tuesday, 30 August 2005, 00:00 CDT

Aug. 28--It was a sweat-soaked Saturday thick with humidity and still as the eye of a hurricane. The sun burned down through clear blue skies on about 5,000 guests in unshaded chairs at Port Panama City.

They stretched their necks as rows of white-clad sailors cantered up forward and aft ramps onto the Momsen, a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the midst of its baptism.

The troops garnished the plain, gray ship like candles spaced neatly along the sides of a birthday cake. As they positioned themselves with military proficiency, all movable hardware -- satellites, guns and radar -- began rotating for effect.

In the Navy, they say a ship "comes to life" at its commissioning, the official ceremony where new vessels are brought into service, earning the title "USS."

It was the moment anticipated for over a year as local supporters fought to bring the Maine-built warship to Panama City then raised funds for, planned for, hyped and finally welcomed the destroyer through the newly deepened St. Andrew Bay shipping channel.

A year later, the USS Momsen is far from August in the Panhandle.

The ship's homeport is in Everett, Wash., near Seattle on Puget Sound. The Momsen's crew of about 300 has been undergoing training there for the last year as part of the Navy's regular instruction schedule.

Lt. Cmdr. Christine McManus, chief of staff for the ship's squadron, said the crew is learning undersea, air and surface warfare along with everything else they need to know to man the Momsen before deployment.

"Their training cycle can take them anywhere from just out into the sound or down to San Diego," McManus said.

Ed Kenyon, the ship's commanding officer at commissioning, retired earlier this month, handing the ship over to Cmdr. Patrick Kelly. In the process of a move across the country to Maine, Kenyon was unable to be reached for this story.

Ensign Courtney Thraen, a spokeswoman, said the ship is set to lose more crew members in March 2006.

"We have a new captain now so the climate has slightly changed," Thraen wrote in an e-mail from sea. "Everyone is excited for the future, and we're busy trying to get certified in many weapons and antiterrorism/force protection evolutions."

Meanwhile in Panama City, the Momsen has not been forgotten.

After the enormous effort that went into the commissioning -- the area's first -- local leaders had intended to wait at least a few years before bringing another such event to the area.

However, plans are now under way to bring the 684-foot Mesa Verde, an amphibious transport dock ship named after a southwestern Colorado national park, to the area for commissioning in the fall of 2006.

Gulf Power district manager Ted Spangenberg and retired Navy Capt. Fred Shutt are cochairing a commissioning team.

Spangenberg said the ship's ties to the area through the technology onboard make commissioning in the area appropriate even though the timing is not perfect. The Mesa Verde, the third amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class, is a platform for landing craft that carry U.S. Marines and their supplies. The vessels -- known as LCAC or Landing Craft Air Cushions -- are designed and tested at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Panama City off Thomas Drive.

"We said, 'You know, this just fits,' even though we had planned to wait another year or two," he said. "This shoe fits, let's lace it up and do it."

Navy brass reportedly was impressed by the local effort on the Momsen commissioning. Spangenberg said the Momsen is the reason Panama City came up when officials were searching for a location to commission the Mesa Verde.

"I think clearly the Navy has been impressed," Spangenberg said. "The sense I get from the Navy is they would have us do one a year, but our sense is that's too many."

Joe Tannehill Sr. co-chaired the Momsen commissioning team along with retired Navy Capt. Dave Steere.

"I think it made a big impact with the Navy and also to naval operations here in Panama City," said Tannehill, a businessman who heads up Merrick Industries. "It was the best example that we've ever had for our support for our Navy people here in Panama City, and I think it showed the upper echelons how much this community respects our Navy."

Steere said a Navy friend who has attended several dozen destroyer commissionings told Steere the Momsen's was the best yet.

Exposure, he said, is one of the community benefits.

"I know a number of people still on active duty and many of them are calling me out of the blue and saying, Panama City, I didn't know we had a base there," Steere said.

Locals raised almost $200,000 for the Momsen commissioning. Spangenberg said fundraising is already under way for the Mesa Verde with a goal set at $120,000 to $150,000.

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Source: The News Herald

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