MEDIA MONDAY / USS ARLINGTON HONORS 911 HEROES

U.S.S. Arlington

GUEST BLOG / By United States Navy Office of Community Outreach—Yesterday, the nation observed the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.  Among those celebrating were Petty Officer 2nd Class Devin Turner, a 2004 Monte Vista High School graduate and San Diego native, who is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard one of three ships named in honor of the victims and heroes of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

San Diegan Devin Turner

Petty Officer 2nd Class Devin Turner is an operations specialist aboard USS Arlington, named for the county of Arlington, Virginia, to honor the first responders and the 184 victims who died when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.

An operations specialist is responsible for providing the tactical picture for both surface and air ensuring the ship's navigational safety and defense.

USS Arlington, one of the Navy’s newest and most advanced amphibious ships, is designed to deliver Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support a variety of missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts, Navy officials said.  Homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, USS Arlington is longer than two football fields at 684 feet, is 105 feet wide and weighs more than 24,000 tons.  It has four diesel engines that can push the ship through the water in excess of 26 mph.

Serving in the Navy and aboard Arlington, Turner is constantly learning how to be the best leader, sailor and person possible by handling numerous responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and forging lasting professional relationships.

“For me the most interesting part about this role is working to keeping everybody safe and making sure we get home safe,” said Turner. “I play a pretty big role in that.”

Arlington has a museum onboard that displays steel taken from the wreckage at the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks. Its motto of “Strength, Honor, Fortitude” embodies the strength and determination of the people of the United States: to recover, rally, and take the fight to the enemy and honor the memory of those who were affected by the attacks. According to Navy officials, USS Arlington forges an enduring alliance between the people of Arlington, Virginia, America, the Pentagon, the ship, and the crew.

“I enjoy learning the amphibious side of the Navy from the operations to the LCACs,” said Turner.  “You learn to deal with the people attached from the air side and amphibious side. You have a wide variety of operations and evolutions on this ship.” 

Sailors’ jobs are highly varied aboard Arlington. More than 400 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly, from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the engines. An additional 700 Marines can be embarked. Arlington is capable of transporting the Marines and landing them where they are needed via helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and landing craft.

“Arlington just completed a deployment that has been both personally and professionally rewarding for all of the sailors and Marines aboard the ship,” said Capt. Sean Bailey, commanding officer of USS Arlington.  “Despite the challenges of being deployed far from home for seven months, the level of dedication and commitment to professional execution of our mission never wavered. Arlington’s Maiden Deployment marks the opening chapter in what I’m positive will be a long and outstanding legacy of naval excellence.”

USS Arlington is one of nine San Antonio-class ships, which will replace more than 41 ships providing the Navy and Marine Corps with modern sea-based platforms. The ship is an Amphibious Transport Dock, and according to the Navy, it is designed to embark, transport, and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions. These ships support amphibious assaults, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious ready groups. Because of their capabilities, these ships have been and will continue to be called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice as well.

“Serving in the Navy means that not only am I keeping my family safe, but all my loved ones,” said Turner. “I’m proud of the fact that at the end of the day we are making sure that nothing happens to, not just the U.S., but my family. We are paving the way for my kids and friends' kids to grow up safe.”

U.S. Navy sailors aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD-24) recover an Orion stationary recovery test at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia (USA). NASA is partnering with the U.S. Navy to develop procedures to recover the Orion capsule and crew after splashdown.

United States Navy Photographs