Cryptologic Technician 2nd Class Rex Wright, the most recently qualified ESWS Sailor aboard Delbert D. Black, raised the ESWS pennant alongside the ship’s command master chief, Christopher Bartley.

“Being the one to raise the pennant was monumental for myself and the ship,” said Wright. “It was a culmination of all the hard work. I feel truly blessed.”

To earn an ESWS pin, Sailors are required to complete standardized common core and platform-specific qualification books, training sessions with subject matter experts, and written and oral exams to demonstrate their knowledge of surface warfare.

“The Sailors earning their warfare pin put in the effort to qualify over a dozen prerequisites and two ESWS qualification books,” said Bartley. “Our first class petty officers led the way with countless training sessions and mess deck rodeos, and our chief petty officers finalized with multiple walkthroughs and the final oral boards. It is a milestone in every Sailors career to qualify as an enlisted surface warfare specialist, but to do it on a ship named for an enlisted Sailor and that of our first master chief petty officer of the Navy makes them true trailblazers in their own right. Having a junior enlisted Sailor raise the pennant brought all that hard work together.”

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 and the George H.W. Bush CSG. CSG-10 is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON 26 within CSG-10 are USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and Delbert D. Black.

The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard George H.W. Bush are the “Sidewinders” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, the “Jolly Rogers” of VFA-103, “Nighthawks” of VFA-136, the “Pukin Dogs” of VFA-143, the “Bluetails” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 121, the “Patriots” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, and the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

The George H.W. Bush CSG is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

Delbert D. Black is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, and homeported in Mayport, Florida. For more information on USS Delbert D. Black, find us on Facebook (https://m.facebook.com/USSDelbertDBlackDDG119) or please contact our Public Affairs Office at PAO@ddg119.navy.mil.