Synopsis
What’s it like when your office is your home, and your home is a US Navy warship? Find out as our NATO video producer embarks on the USS Ross, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, for a naval exercise.
Living on a ship means living in a confined space, eating only what’s available in the kitchen, and performing your job while keeping the ship clean. As NATO video producer Krista discovers, it’s a demanding lifestyle not for the faint of heart. But every day, NATO sailors wake up and do their jobs on ships as small as minesweepers, and as big as aircraft carriers. Their vigilance and professionalism help keep NATO safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The USS Ross was one of several US Navy ships stationed in Rota, Spain as part of Destroyer Squadron 60. During its 10 years in Europe, the ship participated in NATO naval exercises and served as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group One, which is tasked with patrolling the southern seas.
Following the Madrid Summit in June 2022, the United States announced the deployment of two additional Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to Rota to strengthen NATO’s maritime forces in the European seas.
Transcript
--VOICEOVER—
“What’s it like to live and work on a US Navy ship? To find out, I spent 24 hours aboard the USS Ross, a US Navy destroyer that was deployed to Europe as part of NATO’s naval forces.
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24 HOURS ON A US NAVY SHIP
--VOICEOVER—
“The USS Ross was deployed to European waters for eight years. From its home port in Rota, Spain, the Ross would regularly sail with NATO Allies during exercises, and as part of Standing NATO Maritime Group One charged with patrolling the southern seas. As a guided-missile destroyer, the Ross boasts a powerful arsenal and advanced sensors, which make it an asset for NATO’s maritime forces.
At more than 150 metres long, the Ross is home to roughly 280 sailors. For them, this is their home, their office, their gym and their dining quarters.”
--VOICEOVER—
“This is my first time on a US Navy ship. Because this is unknown territory for me, I wanted to start with a tour.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
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KRISTA
NATO video producer
“So as you can see it’s pretty crowded. So you've got to be careful where you're going, you've got to be polite. Everyone’s super polite.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
CLAIRE DUBOIS, MC2
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CLAIRE DUBOIS
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class
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STORE
“This is the ship's store. This is where our sailors come to get snacks or if, you brought your own soap supply and you kind of ran out on patrol, they've got soap here, they've got toothpaste. Snacks and other cravings that you might want, that aren't necessarily served during meal hours.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Let’s hit the gym!”
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GYM
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
CLAIRE DUBOIS, MC2
“Physical readiness is a big deal in the Navy, so it's important to have gyms on the ship so everybody can work out and stay physically fit.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Let me flex a little. I can actually do one-and-a-half. That's an ab workout. I’m not good at this.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“This was probably my biggest surprise. There's a barber shop on the ship.”
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BARBER SHOP
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
CLAIRE DUBOIS, MC2
“So it's important to have a barber shop on the ship so that everybody can get their hair cut, keep it within regulations, even when we are underway for long periods of time.”
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GALLEY
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“So we're in the kitchen right now. And I heard it's not called a kitchen.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
ROBERT WILLIAMS, CS1
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ROBERT WILLIAMS
Culinary Specialist 1st Class
“It’s a galley.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“So any ground rules entering the kitchen?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
ROBERT WILLIAMS, CS1
“So when we return to the kitchen, usually we grab a paper cover, of course.
For females we ask that they tie their hair back.
Check, check.
And then you just go about your normal routines.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Should we take a trip around the galley?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
ROBERT WILLIAMS, CS1
“Let's take a quick trip.
And we've got my CS2's [Culinary Specialist]. My right and left hand right here. They do everything they need to do and they look out for our guys. That's all I could ever ask.
This is one of the food preparations stations here.
We've got the copper pits that they work in. They cook things. We have meats. We also have a night crew that does a lot of preparations for us also. It's a small galley. It's a DDG [Destroyer], so it's not big like on a carrier or anything like that.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“How many people do you have to serve every day?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
ROBERT WILLIAMS, CS1
“So on average with no guests we have approximately 300, a little over 300 people that we serve. We try to have at least 45 days’ worth of food, off the bat.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“45?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
ROBERT WILLIAMS, CS1
“45 days.”
“Yes, and that is a lot for a small vessel such as this.”
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CABIN
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Welcome to my room. It’s kind of tiny and this is where the officers would usually sleep. Here we’ve got my bed, which is not called a bed. It’s a rack. And then you can see these straps. They will protect me from falling out of my bed if the ship gets a bit too rocky.
Voilà! That’s it.
Am I going to sleep well tonight?
I think... yes, I hope so. Peace out.”
--VOICEOVER—
During an exercise, NATO ships train on everything from sailing in formation to gunnery drills. A typical day can get quite busy.
--SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Right now, we're out on the deck and there's about to be a live-fire exercise. And Jack, can you tell me about that ship? What's going on there?
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
JACK AISTRUP, MC2
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JACK AISTRUP
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class
“Okay, so that's the HMS [His Majesty’s Ship] Trent. They have something on their back. It's like a giant balloon, called the ‘killer tomato’. That ship's going to drop off the ‘killer tomato’ into the water and then that ship is going to re-join the formation. And once they re-join the formation, all the ships are going to open fire on the ‘killer tomato’ at the same time.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Very, very, very loud. I did not expect it to be that powerful.
It was interesting to see the USS Ross working together with NATO Allied countries, ships in the formation. Seeing how they work together, how they figure out stuff together. How to get through problems if there are some.”
--VOICEOVER—
The USS Ross runs like a well-oiled machine. Everyone knows their place and does their job. But if a disaster strikes, everyone’s job becomes damage control.
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DAMAGE CONTROL LOCKER
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Right now, we're in a damage control locker. I'm about to experience some damage control stuff going down. Can you explain me please? What's about to happen?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
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COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER
Damage Controlman 1st Class
“On board USS Ross we have to train every sailor to be a firefighter. Because we don't have the luxury of requesting emergency services, obviously, while at sea. And when we are in the middle of battle.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“I’m going to put that gear on right now, I assume. Right?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“Absolutely.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“It's already hard to move in this thing.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“This is a breathing apparatus that we use to ensure that none of our firefighters are breathing any of that toxic air.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“I feel very, very heavy.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“There you go!
Looking for any last-minute skin.
Use your hand right there.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“And you have to do this in two minutes?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“Two and a half minutes.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Oh my God!
I'm so slow. But I'm not the worst, probably. Right?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“No. Not for your first time, you’re doing fine.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“I am. He’s lying, he’s lying.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“There you go. Alright. So last but not least, the Navy firefighting thermal imager. What this is for is seeing through smoke, helping you identify hotspots that are located after we put out a fire. As well as finding the base of a fire during an attack.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“The location of the fire was located on starboard side, mid-level. That's the area you're going to be searching for your hotspots in. Are you ready?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Ready!”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
COLLIN KNICKERBOCKER, DAMAGE CONTROLMAN 1ST CLASS
“Outstanding! You found it.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“This is heavy. It's not fun, it's not easy to wear all this equipment. I could barely climb the stairs. The ladder, not the stairs. The ladder. I'm going to need a shower after this.”
-VOICEOVER-
And now my favourite part. The mess hall. The mess hall is an area where enlisted sailors come to socialise and have their meals. Today we’re having a special meal. Mongolian barbecue.
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
ROB KUNZIG, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“How is it?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Hot!”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
ROB KUNZIG, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Is it yummy?”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“Good job! Thank you very much! Definitely the best meal I’ve had on an exercise. Props to you, USS Ross.”
-SOUNDBITE-(ENGLISH)
KRISTA PURMALE, NATO VIDEO PRODUCER
“I don't think I would last four months out here on a ship. You get kind of claustrophobic. You want to get some of your own space but that's not really possible. The sailors here are pretty friendly, they're very nice. You can see that they're very, very focused on their job. And from what I've seen, I know it's a tough job.
END
