Sailors, Visiting Delegation Meet to Discuss the Move to Spain

NORFOLK (NNS) -- To get a good look at what life in Rota, Spain has to offer, USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), USS Ross (DDG 71) and USS Porter (DDG 78) Sailors and their families attended briefings June 12 - 13 at Naval Station Norfolk, in advance of their upcoming move.

The event, hosted by Naval Surface Force Atlantic and Naval Station Rota, included presentations and discussions along with a wealth of print and video resources to guide Sailors and families through the homeport change and their move to Spain. In addition to nearly a dozen briefings, the visiting Rota leaders met with those transitioning to answer questions and address their concerns.

Ross and Donald Cook will transition there next year with Porter and USS Carney (DDG 64) arriving in 2015.

"The four ships we are moving to Rota are going to be a very important part of our national security," said Rear Adm. Brian L. Laroche, deputy commander, Naval Service Force Atlantic. "These ships are going to be on the forefront of our national commitment to NATO and the European Phased Adaptive Approach."

Before these ships can execute the mission, Sailors have to know their families are going to be taken care of, Laroche added.

"This is phase two of our four-phased approach of outreach for the Sailors and families who are moving," said Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mikel Bookwalter, NAVSTA Rota deputy public affairs officer, who helped coordinate the multi-faceted event.

Twenty Rota briefers made the trip to Norfolk to meet with Sailors and families and provide them the critical information they need to know to prepare for the move. Among those making the trip from Spain was Barbara Peters, Rota school liaison officer. Her job is to provide parents information about child care, on and off base schooling options.

"My favorite part of this is helping families be prepared to go without the nervousness and the fear of the unknown," said Peters.

She and others individually met with curious Sailors, spouses and children to answer questions at booths set up expo-style. There, they handed out information about housing, changes to pay and benefits, and services provided at the highly-acclaimed hospital, among other things.

The ships' leadership, including representatives of the Family Readiness Group, joined Sailors, spouses and children to spend time with their Rota visitors, to get their questions answered as well as get a feel for life in Rota.

Laura Rees, whose husband serves on Ross, was grateful for the opportunity.

"This is extremely helpful," said Rees. "It gives me a lot of ease knowing people seem really relaxed and eager to help you and give you all the information you need."

Beyond the logistical side of the move, Sailors were interested in what they might do after work. Naval Station Rota's Morale Welfare and Recreation discussed what they had to offer, while Sailors were also interested in learning more about the Spanish culture, and about the seaside city outside the base.

Diego Vasquez Baglietto, the national representative from Rota, was on hand to welcome Sailors and family members and share with them some of the local culture they will experience while in Spain. To this end, he passed out posters and calendars, and showed videos of the area that included bullfighting, flamenco dancing, the beach and the mountains which are so popular in his country.

"The Navy has had a strong presence in Rota for over fifty years," said Baglietto. "The Seabees built my school."

Baglietto also wanted Sailors to know the people of Rota look forward to sharing their culture and appreciate the strong impact the Sailors have on the local economy.

Beginning next year, the four Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyers will forward deploy to Rota to provide enhanced ballistic missile defense, a direct reflection of our commitment to the region. Additionally, these multi-mission destroyers will execute a wide range of duties including maritime security operations, bilateral and multilateral training exercises to enhance security of the European region.