THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015
Harrison sailor based in Spain A 2012 Harrison High School alum and Harrison native is serving on the U.S.S. Donald Cook, living and working at a Naval base in Rota, Spain. Fireman Lukas Struszczyk is an electrician’s mate on the Rota, Spain-based ship. Rota is located near the Strait of Gibraltar, the entryway into the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. “I’m an electrician,” Struszcyk said. “There aren’t even a lot of us in the civilian world. Working on de-energized circuits is my favorite part of the job.” The U.S.S. Donald Cook is 505-feet long, almost the length of two football fields. The ship is 66 feet wide and weighs more than 9,200 tons. Twin gas-turbine engines can push the ship through the water at more than 30 mph. The U.S.S. Donald Cook is an Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer that has been outfitted with an Aegis ballistic missiledefense capability that enables the crew to conduct long-range surveillance, tracking and engagement of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Only 15 other destroyers in the Navy have been outfitted with the Aegis BMD system. As a sailor with numerous responsibilities, Struszczyk said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. “I’ve learned more self-discipline and am improving my organizational and leadership skills,” Struszczyk said. The U.S.S. Donald Cook was commissioned in 1998 and is named in honor of U.S. Marine Corps officer and Medal of Honor recipient Donald Cook, a Vietnam
for European allies. “Our Navy presence has to be where it matters and we have to be there when it matters. I am so proud and amazed by the knowledge Cook sailors display and the work they do every day,” said Commander Charles E. Hampton, the ship’s commanding officer. Lukas Struszczyk “Their professionalism, prisoner of war who died motivation and commitin captivity. ment to the Navy are With approximately 30 genuinely inspiring.” officers and 250 enlisted In addition to missile personnel comprising defense, the forwardthe ship’s company, jobs deployed, BMD-capable are highly varied which destroyers conduct a keeps the ship mission myriad of tasks that ready — this includes include the full range of everything from washmaritime security operaing dishes and preparing tions, bilateral and multimeals to handling weap- lateral training exercises, onry and maintaining the and NATO operations propulsion system. and deployments. Struszczyk also said Destroyers are one of he is proud of the work the most versatile ships. he is doing as part of the Fast, maneuverable, and Cook’s crew, protecting technically advanced, America on the world’s they provide the reoceans. quired war-fighting ca“Port visits are my pabilities and operational favorite part,” Struszczyk flexibility to execute said. “I’ve been to about multi-mission evolutions 10 different countries.” such as surface warfare, Assigned to the U.S. anti-submarine warfare 6th Fleet, U.S.S. Donand anti-air warfare. ald Cook sailors are on U.S.S. Donald Cook can watch throughout the operate independently European region and or as part of carrier are important assets strike groups, surface supporting President action groups, amphibiBarack Obama’s Euroous ready groups, and pean Phased Adaptive underway replenishment Approach to enhance the groups. security of that area of As a member of one the world from ballistic- of the U.S. Navy’s most missile threats originatversatile combat ships, ing in the Middle East. Struszczyk and other In addition to U.S.S. U.S.S. Donald Cook sailDonald Cook, two other ors know they are part BMD capable ships are of a forward-deployed forward deployed in naval forces team that Rota: U.S.S. Porter and is heavily relied upon to U.S.S. Ross. A fourth, help protect and defend U.S.S. Carney, will arrive America on the world’s in the fall. Having four oceans. destroyers based in Rota “I feel proud in knowgives the U.S. 6th Fleet ing that my job is imporflexibility to send these tant,” Struszczyk said. ships to a variety of loca- “Just from doing it, I’m tions for a range of missupporting the mission. sions, while at the same Every person plays their time providing a large part.” umbrella of protection – U.S. Navy
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