The USS Thayer Sinks?

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The sinking of a ship is usually bad news. But the USS Trayer (BST 21) is slowly submerging, every week, a little more. And it is good news:

The Navy’s largest simulator, USS Trayer (BST 21), turned five-years-old June 18 at Recruit Training Command (RTC).
Trayer, a 210-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer simulator, was commissioned in 2007 and is the “E” Ticket ride of the Navy’s only boot camp. It has stood ready, embarking more than 38,000 recruits each year, as the centerpiece of Battle Stations 21. The ship has never been to sea, never been on deployment or been in combat.
But on many nights during the week, Navy engineers work to sink the ship while the Navy’s newest recruits fight to save her.

Republic of Korea navy Vice Adm. Son Jung-Mok observes training at the U.S. Navy’s only boot camp, Recruit Training Command (RTC) and Training Support Center (TSC) Great Lakes, during a day-long visit. While at RTC and TSC, Son toured the 210-foot Arleigh Burke-class destroyer simulator USS Trayer (BST 21) and facilities.

I ran/walked/limped through Boot Camp long before this evolution came into being. But I like “real-world” training. The better the training, the better the Sailor. . .

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5 thoughts on “The USS Thayer Sinks?”

  1. Mmmmm….damage control simulations……good times.

    Nothing says that “you’re too damn short” like standing in neck deep water while everyone else is in chest deep water, stopping a pipe leak.

    USS NeverSail was my first ship in San Diego.

  2. I suffered then and even now from motion sickness; as it turns out, I wouldn’t have been a good sailor on the water…oh well, I did it on land…k

  3. I have to take issue with calling it a USS. Is it in Commision? If not a commissioned vessel, then USS does not preced the name. For example, I was on a Torpedo Weapons Retriever (100 foot long) with a CPO in charge. It was SVC Crayfish, not USS Crayfish. It was not in commision, but was a Service Vessel Craft.

    • From the Navy: “Trayer, a 210-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer simulator, was commissioned in 2007″ . So yes, it’s USS…

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