#                                                                         USS Mesa Verde hosts Family Day for loved ones to learn about their Sailors                                                                    

##### by Ltjg Michael Schwing, ESG2 Public Affairs  

30 March 2023
                NORFOLK (Mar. 24, 2023) – Damage Control Man Chief Johns from USS Mesa Verde LPD19 (MVD) shows her daughter how to safely operate a ship firehose. This was part of MVD family day where the crew and loved ones shared lunch and toured their working environment. (U.S. Navy photo by ENS Kyle Clement)                            DCC Johns teach daughter how to use a fire hose                            NORFOLK (Mar. 24, 2023) – Damage Control Man Chief Johns from USS Mesa Verde LPD19 (MVD) shows her daughter how to safely operate a ship firehose. This was part of MVD family day where the crew and loved ones shared lunch and toured their working environment. (U.S. Navy photo by ENS Kyle Clement)            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: ENS Kyle ClementVIRIN: 230310-N-X1307-1103NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. –  On March 24, USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) hosted an open house for its family members with ship tours, good eats, and a live band performing for the crew.

Mesa Verde Executive Officer, Cmdr. William Bridges said Family Day was for spouses and children to better appreciate what their Sailor does aboard the ship each day.

“Family Day is a great opportunity and experience for the family and crew of Mesa Verde,” Bridges said. “Once we show where we live and work, our lives become tangible in ways that our family cannot otherwise grasp.”

                NORFOLK (Mar. 24, 2023) – Damage Control Man Chief Johns from USS Mesa Verde LPD19 (MVD) shows her daughter how to safely operate a ship firehose. This was part of MVD family day where the crew and loved ones shared lunch and toured their working environment. (U.S. Navy photo by ENS Kyle Clement)                            DCC Johns teach daughter how to use a fire hose                            NORFOLK (Mar. 24, 2023) – Damage Control Man Chief Johns from USS Mesa Verde LPD19 (MVD) shows her daughter how to safely operate a ship firehose. This was part of MVD family day where the crew and loved ones shared lunch and toured their working environment. (U.S. Navy photo by ENS Kyle Clement)            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: ENS Kyle ClementVIRIN: 230310-N-X1307-1103

Family tours took the visitors deep into the ship where the heart beats – the engine room. The few who persevered down six decks and braved the main machinery room heat were rewarded with the impressive sight of the massive diesel engines – two in the port engine room, two in the starboard, each towering 15 feet over on lookers and each capable of pushing 25,750 tons of steel, fuel, cargo, and personnel through the water. Upon the conclusion of the exclusive tour, family members, likely exhausted by the lengthy descent, now had to go back and climb even more steps to get to the flight deck.

The damage control equipment received the most attention. A firefighting hose was flaked out and charged for people to get a sense of the physical demands for operation. Spouses awed at the unassuming heft of the 25-foot hose and eight-pound brass nozzle, and the force of water that pushed them back like a helpless kite caught up in a gust of wind. Also on display was a Naval Firefighter Thermal Imager (NFTI) and a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). The black and white display on the NFTI proved to be entertaining with children seeing the world in a monochromatic form. The SCBA was another form of entertainment for the young ones with making the face mask fog up.

Besides the tour, some families played corn hole while others ate pizza and snow cones on the flight deck. Capt. Marc Davis, Commanding Officer, topped off the festivities with the traditional Navy cake cutting on the mess decks.

This unifying event brought families closer and fostered pride in the Sailors that operate Mesa Verde to help loved ones better understand the purpose of many nights spent away from home.

Tags:
**Mesa Verde**LPD 19**damage control training**family**Chief**USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19)