20 Sea Cadets from the CNMI visit USNS Watson

Twenty cadets of the Saipan chapter of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets’ Natibu Division tour the U.S. Navy vessel USNS Watson that was docked on Saipan last Saturday, April 8. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Twenty cadets of the Saipan chapter of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets’ Natibu Division toured last Saturday, April 8, the U.S. Navy vessel USNS Watson that was docked on Saipan.

According to CNMI Natibu Division’s spokesperson Michael Bacher, the Natibu Division cadets, with ages ranging from 10 to 17, boarded the USNS Watson for an educational tour of the vessel.

Over 30 officers and crew aboard the Watson eagerly welcomed the Natibu Division cadets, Bacher said, and proudly showed off the best of their ship. The tour included visits to the bow, pilot house, cargo holds, and engine room, which is powered by two gas turbine engines capable of producing 64,000 shaft horsepower.

In addition to the tour, the ship’s crew also hosted the cadets for lunch, “which proved to be the highlight for many cadets,” Bacher said.

According to cadet Michael Pangilinan, he was impressed by the high-tech navigation equipment on the bridge, particularly the radar and he wants to learn more about how it works.

Cadet Darlincia Masga said she learned that USNS Watson has a hospital, making it an excellent platform for providing medical services in support of international U.S. humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. She also thought the lunch was delicious.

Cadet Gregory Camacho shared that he could not believe that the whole ship was powered by two gas turbine engines that would propel it to a top speed of 24 knots or about 28 miles per hour.

The visit was sponsored by Maritime Prepositioning Squadron 2 out of Diego Garcia, which has operation control over the Watson.

The 950-foot-long ship is operated by Patriot Contract Services out of Concord California.

The Watson is a Large Medium Speed Roll On/Roll Off ship that is owned by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command and is forward deployed with Army cargo ready for a military contingency at a moment’s notice.

An LMSR can deploy from the Saipan anchorage and respond to most regional hot spots in under a week. Each civilian-crewed LMSR has more than 380,000 square feet of cargo-carrying capacity.

The USNS Watson can carry an entire US Army Task Force, including 58 tanks, 48 other tracked vehicles, as well as more than 900 trucks and other wheeled vehicles.

The Navy Sea Cadet Corps is a federally chartered non-profit regimented civilian youth program sponsored by the Navy League and supported by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. It is open to all children ages 10 to 18 who hold a U.S. citizenship or green card.

The goal of the CNMI Natibu Division is to develop an interest in seamanship and seafaring skills, instill principles of good citizenship and strong moral character, demonstrate the value of a substance-free lifestyle, and expose cadets to the prestige of a military or merchant marine career.

For inquiries on how to become a Sea Cadet, contact Selina Taitano at staitano@seacadets.org or log onto seacadets.org and follow the link to join.

Interested individuals may also call the division’s commanding officer, Ray Alvarez, at 670 989-7266 for more information.