USS Momsen Hosts First PACNORWEST Leaders to Sea

by Karli Yeager, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

12 April 2023
EVERETT, Wash. - Five distinguished guests attended the first Pacific Northwest (PACNORWEST) Leaders to Sea onboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) at Naval Station Everett, April 12.

Participants included leaders from ActiveWords Systems, Inc., Amazon, Spryly, Tango, and Dent the Future. The intent of Leaders to Sea is to introduce civilians with no Navy background to experience what it's like to live and work at sea, acquaint them with naval ship capabilities, and show off the ship and its crew.

“USS Momsen was proud to host the first Leaders to Sea event in the Pacific Northwest, and it was an honor to embark and go to sea with our local community and business leaders,” said Cmdr. Ryan Downing, commanding officer of Momsen. “This event altogether facilitated a rare opportunity to integrate each leader with the Momsen crew and offer a chance to experience a day in the life of our United States Navy’s Surface Fleet.”

Participants were able to witness the crew demonstrating safe navigation of the ship, the operation of the engineering plant, and a variety of at sea evolutions that guests visiting a pierside ship would not be able to witness.

“Leaders to Sea was an opportunity for Momsen’s wardroom and crew to showcase their equipment and display their proficiency in operating a warship at sea to private sector leaders that would otherwise never get an opportunity to interact with Sailors in their professional environment,” said Lt. Alexander Jung, Momsen’s operations officer.

Momsen is currently homeported in Everett, Washington along with USS Barry (DDG 52), as part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 31.

The Leaders to Sea program is sponsored by Commander, Naval Surface Forces (CNSF) and is designed to provide influential community leaders, educators, and business and industry executives with insight into the daily operations of a Navy ship at sea. The goal is to increase awareness of the leadership development and career opportunities that the Navy provides, to provide a view into life in the Navy, and to build advocates for the Navy within the civilian world.

The mission of CNSF is to man, train, and equip the Surface Force to provide fleet commanders with credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore.

For more news from Naval Surface Forces, visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/