6th Grade Live Chat With USS Normandy Captain

Captain: Hi everyone

Mrs. LaRow: Hi, Captain.

Mrs. LaRow: We are here, and we are 6th graders.

Captain: Good Afternoon everyone. All set for some good stuff?

Mrs. LaRow: It looks like this will be slower because the West Coast is online too now.

Captain: Hi 6th graders!

Mrs. LaRow: Captain, are you in the room alone?

Captain: From my perspective it is fine

Captain: I am alone but the Operations Officer just showed up

Mrs. LaRow: Good morning, Mr. Operations Officer. Can we have your name and rank?

Mrs. LaRow: By the way, this class looked up the meaning of Aegis and Phalanx this morning.

Captain: His name is Lieutenant Commander Mike Lee

Mrs. LaRow: Oops, it's afternoon. Good afternoon, Lt. Cmdr. Lee

Captain: Great I am ready for questions

Mrs. LaRow: How long is the ship, and how fast can it go. This is Shuva's question.

Captain: Shuva, the ship is 563 feet long, weighs 10000 tons and can travel at 33 knots. 

Mrs. LaRow: Liza wants to know how many people are onboard.

Captain: 33 knots is about 37.95 mph

Mrs. LaRow: Rob thought it could travel34 knots. He was off by one.

Captain: there are 396 men assigned to this ship

Mrs. LaRow: Captain, we have Cailin O'Meara here, and her father is an active Marine. He's a captain. Any words for her, or him?

Mrs. LaRow: Kristin wants to know why there are no women onboard your ship.

Captain: HOO-RAH marine.....Hi Cailin. Join the Navy

Mrs. LaRow: Oh, we can't wait for Cailin to go home and say that!!

Captain: Kristin women will be assigned to this ship next year. There are cruisers with women on board now, just not us

Mrs. LaRow: Eamonn wants to know the nickname of the USS Normandy.

Captain: Eamonn, we do not have a nickname. Our motto is "ready on arrival"

Mrs. LaRow: Hey, if women will be assigned next year, there's hope for me. How would you like to have Mrs. LaRow as a crewmember?

Mrs. LaRow: They are surprised you don't have a nickname.

Captain: This is a set-up right?

Mrs. LaRow: Right. You are too smart for me, Captain!

Mrs. LaRow: Allie wants to know what the large, box like structure is on the ship.

Captain: Ok but I am certain you would make a fine crew member!

Captain: There are several large boxlike structures, I am not sure which one she means, unlsess she means the superstructure itself

Mrs. LaRow: I'd be your computer specialist, and I'd correct everyone's grammar for them! And, I know a lot about astronomy. Don't sailors have to know a lot about astronomy? I could navigate by scanning the stars.

Mrs. LaRow: Large, boxlike structure. It's the largest thing we can see on the ship. It looks like it's right behind where the missiles come out. 

Captain: We don't use the stars much anymore... navigation is primarily by electronics. 

Captain: Oh that is the forwards view of the superstructure. That is actually the upper part of the ship

Mrs. LaRow: Captain, as we look at the picture of the ship, this structure is the largest thing we can see. It looks as if it houses something.

Captain: If you saw the two rounds holes at the top, those are the pportholes to my cabin

Mrs. LaRow: We are sending someone to get the picture. We don't think we are talking about the same thing.

Mrs. LaRow: Courtney wants to ask what the worst weather is that you've been in at sea? Were the seas rough? What was it like? Where were you?

Captain: Hey, the ship's cop just walked in He is called the Chief Master at Arms and his name is Chief Dan Ritenburg

Mrs. LaRow: Hi, Chief. Nice to meet you. WE are 6th graders from Van Antwerp Middle School in upstate New York.

Captain: This ship has been in a hurricane...60mph winds and waves as high as 16 feet. I was on the bridge of the ship the ship was in the North Atlantic Sea

Mrs. LaRow: Did the ship list much?

Captain: The Chief lived in Binghampton for a few years and was an Iowa state trooper for 10 years.

Mrs. LaRow: Okay, we have the picture. We see the two portholes. That's where your cabin is?

Captain: Yes, my Cabin is right where those two porthols are. Below me are computer rooms and the Combat Information Center

Mrs. LaRow: Binghamton is about 2 hours southwest of here. Nice to meet a neighbor, Chief.

Mrs. LaRow: Can you tell them a bit about the CIC Room?

Captain: The ship does not list at all except in a tight turn and then we "heel" over about 25 degrees

Mrs. LaRow: I was trying to tell them about the symbols on the screens: triangles, circles, etc. I was trying to tell them about identifying friendly/air, unknown/suface, sub, etc.

Captain: The CIC is where all the ships radars and radios and weapons are controlled from. Usually there are about 25 men in there all the time

Captain: Yes we use symbology to identify things on our radar screens

Mrs. LaRow: Where were you during the Persian Gulf War?

Captain: I was not involved in the Persian Gulf war in 1991.

Mrs. LaRow: What's it like leaving your families for 6 months at a time?

Captain: It is a sad time when we have to leave our families behind. No one likes to do it but it is our duty to the nation

Captain: But is is really helpful to get cards and letters from you all. 

Mrs. LaRow: Do our letters make a difference to you? Can we make a difference, even though we are only kids?

Captain: Your cards and letters last year put smiles on lots of sad faces at Christmas time

Mrs. LaRow: Do grown up miliary men like hearing from kids?

Mrs. LaRow: What can we talk about in our letters that you'd like to hear, and what can we send you besides cookies when you are at sea?

Captain: You bet they do. We like hearing from everyone especially school kids...after all you kids are our future

Mrs. LaRow: Brittany wants to know what the weakest part of the ship is, in case it's hit. I'm not sure you can answer this.

Captain: Writing about anything that comes to mind is helpful...old magazines pictures and other reading materials are always helpful

Mrs. LaRow: I told them to tell you about funny family stories, funny stories about pets, etc. They can even tell you funny stories about ME!

Captain: Brittany, the weakest art is at the very end of the ship, called the transom. It is the wall at the very end 

Mrs. LaRow: Cailin and Liza want to know how many missiles are on the ship.

Captain: We would LOVE to hear all stories about Mrs La Row!!!! Especially funny ones 

Captain: we can carry about 130 missiles of different types 

Mrs. LaRow: They are laughing outloud. I may break a few knuckles over here.

Mrs. LaRow: Missiles: Please tell us the names of them and how far they can travel.

Captain: We have 3 types...Surface to Air SAMs for use againts airplanes and other missiles Harpoon missiles for use against ships about 70 miles and Tomahawks for use against land targets about 900 miles away 

Mrs. LaRow: We want to know more about the Phalanx guns. What are they primarily used for? And, tell us their nicknames and range.

Mrs. LaRow: We call them R2 D2, and I know you have different names for them.

Captain: The phalanx guns are nicnamed CEEWIZ the acronym for CIWS which stands for Close In Weapons System They can fire 3000 rounds per minute and are used to shoot down enemy missiles 

Mrs. LaRow: These kids looked up the meaning, and they know it has something to do with the ancient Greeks and the way they marched into battle. 

Captain: We also call them R@ D@ cause they look like the robot

Mrs. LaRow: Is it true that the bullets have to be teflon coated because they heat up the barrel so much?

Captain: R2D2 sorry

Mrs. LaRow: How far can they shoot?

Captain: The are not coated in Teflon however they are encassed in a teflon SABOT which is a case that is lost as soon as the bullet leaves the muzzle

Captain: The max range is over 2000 yards

Mrs. LaRow: Why do they need the teflon SABOT?

Mrs. LaRow: Erin wants to know how it feels to know that you are protecting millions of lives with the jobs that you do.

Captain: The gun is nominally a 20mm gun but the bullet is actually the size of a 45 calliber bullet so the SABOT fills in the space

Captain: I have some urgent business, Here is LT Briuan O'Donnel, a new York City guy. He is in charge of all the missiles and weapons

Mrs. LaRow: Okay, hello, LT. Here's another question.

They saw the Augusta onload on the tape, and they want to know what it was. This was Allie's question.

Mrs. LaRow: Lt, what is your job title on the ship?

Mrs. LaRow: Lt, we have a picture of the ship we are looking at. We see some structures on the fantail, near the helo pad. We want to know what they are.

Captain: The Augusta onload was conducted last fall after our Tomahawk strike against Bosnia targets. The Vertical Launching System allows for easy offload of empty missile cannisters and easy onload of new missiles.

Mrs. LaRow: So, we saw you onloading Tomahawk missiles on the tape -- the large white cannisters?

Captain: My job title is Weapons Control Officer. I will be on this ship for three years.

Mrs. LaRow: Is that similar to Combat Systems Officer?

Captain: On the fantail there are two structures that belong to me. One is the Harpoon launcher, used for holding Harpoon Surface to Surface missilies. The other is the 5'/54 caliber gun.

Mrs. LaRow: Erin wants to know how it feels to know that you are protecting millions of lives with the jobs that you do.

Mrs. LaRow: Rob is an Army fan, and he wants to know who you think will win the Army/Navy game.

Captain: I will spend 18 months on this ship as Weapons Control Officer and then become (fleet up) to Combat Systems Officers. So essentially, the same job.

Mrs. LaRow: Sam wants to know if the Tomahawk Missiles are nuclear tipped.

Captain: I will reserve the answer to Erin's question for the Captain, he'll be back in a minute. 

Mrs. LaRow: By the way, our principal just walked in. His name is Mr. Brandone.

Mrs. LaRow: Erin wants to know how it feels to know that you are protecting millions of lives with the jobs that you do.

Captain: For Rob: Sorry buddy, but this is Navy's year. I am originally from Yonkers New York, but a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Captain: Surface ships are no longer authorized to carry nuclear weapons, so none of ours are.

Mrs. LaRow: Jennifer wants to know if any of your new, advanced missiles are based on old missile structures.

Mrs. LaRow: Are there any subs in port with you now?

Captain: OK I am back a litlle business that only I can do had to happen...sorry

Mrs. LaRow: We want to know how it feels to have to celebrate holidays without your families.

Captain: There are eight subs in port with us now, at the next pier

Mrs. LaRow: Erin wants to know how it feels to know that you are protecting millions of lives with the jobs that you do.

Captain: Let me answer Erin's question. Erins to me it is a privilge to be able to do something for America. Our country has done so much for me and my family that I am glad to be able to do something in return. I also like our way of life. I have been overseas where people do not have the same rights and privileges that we have. I like the USA 

Mrs. LaRow: Rob wants to know who you feel will win the Army/Navy game. He's an Army fan.

Captain: It is no fun to celebrate the holidays without our families. For example tomorrow there will be 70 men on this ship who will not be able to be with their families for Thanksgiving. Of course some of those families will join their husbands on the ship but it will not be the same as being at home 

Captain: GO NAVY of course! 

Mrs. LaRow: They all stood around waiting for you answer. They are leaving now. Next, and last class is coming in. The next class is 6th grade too.

Captain: One thing that really helps us when we are away is the letters and cards that you all send us 

Captain: Sorry I got taken away

Mrs. LaRow: That's okay. We understand.

Mrs. LaRow: Next class is coming in. Excuse me as I direct traffic!

Mrs. LaRow: This is the quickest they've ever gotten to English class. You are quite a draw!

Mrs. LaRow: Okay, Period 8, 6th graders, meet Captain DeMasi of the USS Normandy.

Captain: OK for Mr Brandone, I gotta tell you how great it is to get letters from the children. Today a number of men stopped in to my cabin when they heard the class was online. These men received letters last year and just wanted to say thanks 

Captain: Hi period 8 6th graders!! Glad to meet you

Mrs. LaRow: Mr. Brandone just stepped out. We are sending someone for him.

Mrs. LaRow: Trevor wants to know if the whole ship shakes when you launch a missile.

Captain: OK well just let him now how strongly I feel about the program. It is an absolute boost to our morale and does positively contribute to unit morale and readiness

Captain: The entire ship trembles when a missile is launched. It is awesome!

Mrs. LaRow: Meaghan wants to know why there are certain things you can't tell us about the ship.

Captain: Meaghan there are very few things that I can't tell you so just ask whatever you want to. There are some things however few that are prohibited from being said for security reasons. Wouldn't want the bad guys to find out!! 

Mrs. LaRow: Ashley wants to know if you ever regret joining the Navy.

Mrs. LaRow: Captain, Mr. Brandone just came back in. He can't stay. 

Captain: Ashley, sometimes on the day that I must sail away from my family I am sad, but I have never regreted sering my country. It is an honor

Captain: OK well just wanted to say thanks for the project that Mrs LaRow coordinates and tell you how important it is from my perspective

Captain: It contributes directly to the morale of my men thus improves overall readiness 

Captain: improves

Captain: And it absolutely brightens up our day 

Mrs. LaRow: Mr. Brandone says we appreciate the opportunity of sending these letters of good cheer to your men.

Captain: Great it is our pleasure 

Mrs. LaRow: The students look forward to their correspondence with the men on your ship.

Mrs. LaRow: Mr. Brandone's father is a Normandy vet.

Captain: I am glad and I hope that you will receive many many cards and letters in return

Mrs. LaRow: Mr. Brandone wants to know if, on a bad day, he can borrow some of your weapons to keep some of the students in line. (not the teachers, or course)

Captain: Well I would like to invite Mr Brandone and his father to visit the ship named for the historic action in which his dad fought

Captain: Speak softly and carry a big stick...that's my motto!!

Mrs. LaRow: Mr. Brandone says he tries to do that, and he wishes you a nice Thanksgiving. He's leaving the room now.

Captain: I will send his dad some mementoes if you will please forward an address

Mrs. LaRow: We will do that.

Mrs. LaRow: Aaron wants to know how you feel when you return to port and see your family after a 6 month deployment.

Captain: Aaron, on that day I am the happiest man in the world. It is exhilarating. Did I spell that right??Teacher!!!

Mrs. LaRow: Yep, you did, Captain!

Captain: Excellent, then I won't have to write it 50 times!! LOL

Mrs. LaRow: Kati wants to know about meals on the ship and when you get to sleep.

Captain: Kati we serve about 1500 meals per day to 400 hungry men. The food is pretty good and much llike what you eat at home. We all try to sleep at night except for the men who must operate the ship at night. They sleep during the day 

Mrs. LaRow: Sean wants to know if you've ever been wounded in battle.

Captain: No Sean I have never been wounded and I am thankful for that

Mrs. LaRow: Adam wants to know if you've ever been seasick, and what was it like?

Captain: Yes I have been seasick and imagine the sickest you have ever felt then multiply that feeling 100 times That is seasick

Mrs. LaRow: James wants to know how you feel when you know that a missile is going to hit people after you've fired it.

Captain: So bad I wouldn't even eat ice cream which is my favorite food

Mrs. LaRow: Christine wants to know what your job was before you were a captain.

Captain: James, I feel badly about it but I know that what I am doing is the right thing for our nation and for the world

Mrs. LaRow: Michelle wants to know why you have the "dummy" blue missiles. I told them you put the dummies up while in port. I told them white were real, and blue were dummies.

Captain: I was the Speechwriter for the Commander in Chief of the U. S. Atlantic Fleet, Admiral Henry Mauz.

Captain: Oh, we don't have blue missiles here. Since our missiles are stored in containers and launched form a box there is no launching device on the deck

Mrs. LaRow: By the way, that makes me think of a question. When I sailed on the USS Biddle, I was told they had to get special permission for me to be on a guided missile cruiser. Whom did they get special permission from?

Captain: Permission probably came from the Admiral commanding the Cruiser Force ATlantic. He is here in Norfolk

Mrs. LaRow: Okay, so we are referring to the older guided missile cruisers like R K Turner and Biddle, right. They had sleds, and they would need the blue ones for while in port for safety reasons. Am I right?

Mrs. LaRow: Was that permission difficult to obtain -- having a civilian onboard and a female at that!

Captain: Not quite, but true about the older cruisers having twin armed launchers

Mrs. LaRow: Brian wants to know if the ship's computers have had to be updated since it was built.

Mrs. LaRow: How old is the ship?

Captain: Actuall our computers are quite old. 1980's technology but we are updating to newer technology even now aas we type

Captain: The ship is 6 years old

Mrs. LaRow: Alyssa wants to know why you joined the Navy.

Captain: The computer that you are using is actually more powerful than the most sophisticated shiopboard computer

Captain: Alyssa I have always liked the sea. My Grandmother saved pictures of ships that I drew when I was young. So it must have been born in me

Mrs. LaRow: We don't understand. We thought your computers were powerful and much more sophisticated than what we have here.

Mrs. LaRow: Have you ever been really scared while on the ship? What was your most scary moment on the ship? Chris wants to know this.

Captain: Your little desk top could take the place of four of my computers Our best is a 2HZ 64KB jobber that was designed in 1970. What is most useful however is that they interface with everything onboard, something your desktop cannot do

Mrs. LaRow: Have you ever been really scared while on the ship? What was your most scary moment on the ship? Chris wants to know this.

Captain: My most scariest moment was on a minesweeper when we were clearing actual enemy mines in the Persian Gulf in 1987. We came pretty close to a mine and I thought we were finished. But God wasn't ready for my crew yet

Mrs. LaRow: Were you in command of that minesweeper?

Captain: Yes, I was...USS Inflict

Mrs. LaRow: Captain, did you get letters while you were there? That name sounds familiar to me, and we started writing back in 1983. I think we wrote to that ship.

Elana wants to know how much free time you have on the ship.

Captain: I think I just hit the wrong button...don't worry I am still here

Mrs. LaRow: Angela wants to know what you have to do to become a Navy captain.

Captain: I lost the screen presentation. Hit the wrong button

Mrs. LaRow: Elana wants to know how much free time you have on the ship.

Captain: To be a Navy officer you must attend 4 years of college, successfully graduate the got to Officer candidates School. Or you can attend the US Naval Academy

Captain: Elena, at sea we have very little free time. Most of the men work 14-16 hours per day

Captain: sorry about the typos

Mrs. LaRow: Wow, and these kids complain about a little bit of homework. 14 - 16 hours. I must change my demands up here.

Mrs. LaRow: Where are you from?

Captain: Yep even in port the men average about 78 hours per week

Mrs. LaRow: Amanda wanted to know that.

Captain: I was born in Willkes-Barre PA about 200 miles south of Niskayuna I think

Mrs. LaRow: Lucy wants to know if you eat alone on the ship.

Mrs. LaRow: Lucy's grandparents are from there!

Captain: Lucy, I eat in the wardroom, the officers dining are. I would not like eating alone. It would be no fun

Captain: Om my what is the last name??

Mrs. LaRow: Feyrer

Captain: I am afraid I don't know them but they must be nice people

Mrs. LaRow: Jon wants to know if things move around in your cabin when you are in a bad storm.

Captain: Yes, if I left them alone everything would fall. But we tie things down or store them in a drawer if the sea get rough

Mrs. LaRow: Kayleigh wants to know what it's like to be away from your family for long periods of time.

Captain: Kayleigh, it is not fun to be away. we get very lonely even though we have our friends. But your cards and letters really do put a smile on our faces. We like to recieve them

Mrs. LaRow: Karin wants to know if you ever saw anyone get killed. If so, what were your feelings?

Captain: Yes, and could we skip that, please?

Mrs. LaRow: We apologize for asking an insensitive question, Captain.

Mrs. LaRow: Meaghan wants to know how fast the ship can go.

Captain: No problem. It was a good good friend

Captain: The ship can go 33 knots That is about 37.95 mph pretty fast for 10000 tons of steel!!

Mrs. LaRow: How far does the ship have to travel to come to a complete stop when you are traveling at top speed?

Captain: The ship can stop very very quickly From full speed to a dead stop we travel about300 yards, three football fields. That seems like a long distance compared to a car, but for a ship that is really very very short

Mrs. LaRow: Trevor wants to know if you ever celebrated Thanksgiving on the ship while at sea, and have you or the crew dressed up like Pilgrims, turkeys, and Indians to have a little fun?

Captain: Trevor I have celebrated several Thanksgivings at se though we have never drssed up like turkeys. Some of us act like turkeys sometimes though. At Christmas though Santa does come to the ship in full costume

Mrs. LaRow: Michelle wants to know who steers the ship while at sea.

Captain: We have sailors who are specially trained to steer. It is a hard task but they are good at it

Captain: Anyone can learn to steer

Mrs. LaRow: WE all want to know why Navy people get upset when we refer to your ships as "boats."

Captain: Well, submariners call their subs "boats" because they are so small and we don't want to be confused with some lowly submariners

Mrs. LaRow: After you've been at sea for months, do you have trouble sleeping when back on land? And, are your habits a lot different while you are at sea as compared with being at home.

Captain: I never have trouble sleeping. Our habits do change. At sea we eat regularly at set times, we wash and clean up on a schedule etc...so when we are home we can set our own meal or washing times

Mrs. LaRow: We have 5 minutes before your grilling for the day is over, Captain. You did a great job today. There are still several hands in the air for questions, but we only have 5 minutes left. I will see how many I can get in.

Captain: OK I am ready

Captain: I'll try for short answers

Mrs. LaRow: Mike wants to know when your birthday is. And, does the crew give you a party, or is it a regular day for you?

Captain: My birthday is Sept 5 1950 Yes the crew gave me a cake but it is a work day for me

Mrs. LaRow: When did you become a captain?

Captain: I became a Captain in August 1993 and became Captain of Normandy in September 1994

Mrs. LaRow: Oh, Captain, you just told them how old you are.

Captain: Just don't call me Grandpa!! or I'll send up a Tomahawk

Mrs. LaRow: Hey, that's a threat! 

Captain: Yea, and I don't make idle threats so watch out you guys

Mrs. LaRow: Guess we better be on good behavior because those Tomahawk missiles can travel 900 miles.

Mrs. LaRow: Captain, can I get you to take care of a few problem students for me?

Captain: yep but your students are always on good behavior I am sure

Mrs. LaRow: Hey, they can act like hamsters at times.

Captain: Sure we'll send in the Marines 

Mrs. LaRow: Oh, they are yelling at me now.

Captain: NO YELLING

Mrs. LaRow: Lucy wants to know what cheers you up if your lonely or sad while at sea.

Captain: Getting mail from friends and especially from my family is always fun

Mrs. LaRow: They want to know if you liked their picture I sent you?

Mrs. LaRow: I sent you two for each class. Did you like the kiddies?

Captain: I have all the pictures right in front of me so I can see the classes

Captain: I liked the signs and pictures

Mrs. LaRow: Captain, they want a picture of you. could you send us one of yourself?

Captain: Sure I'll get one in the mail soon

Mrs. LaRow: The kids are leaving. Captain, you did a great job today. Did we tire you out?

Captain: No this was fine I enjoyed it

Mrs. LaRow: Thank you so much for hanging in there today. I know we took a lot of your time. the assistant superintendent never made it here today.

Mrs. LaRow: We'd like to thank you and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Captain: No problem I was hoping to say a few word to the ASUP 

Captain: Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and no snow no snow....

Mrs. LaRow: Your sense of humor is great and geared perfectly to this age group. I'm really impressed here.

Captain: I like children... Got two of my own you know and sometimes I think these sailors are like kids

Mrs. LaRow: I wish he had been here. He planned on it. He sent me word he couldn't leave. He's interviewing people for a teacher's job that opened up, and they need a teacher to fill the position ASAP.

Captain: Too bad...well I must get to work since I have had the day off!! The program you head up is a good one and I would be happy to support it 

Captain: nope still here 

Captain: Maybe we lost the last transmission... I

Mrs. LaRow: Thanks. I will sign off now too. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for today. It was great.

Mrs. LaRow: I have to go to another building for a computer course. I will work on sending you short, little WAV files of the kids talking! Okay with you?

Captain: My pleasure We will keep in touch Good luck with the letter writing program this year See you online in future...Frank

Mrs. LaRow: Take care. We will keep in touch.