EVERETT – Catherine MacCaskill-Whitethorne never quite gets used to the separations, even though it happens so often in her military life.
Her husband, Petty Officer Ariel Whitethorne, will be away for nearly six months, leaving her at home to manage their three children, ages 3 to 15.
Dan Bates / The Herald
“I don’t know if you ever get used to it. We’ve learned to cope with it,” she said.
Her husband is one of about 330 men and women assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen, which left Naval Station Everett Thursday morning for Southeast Asian waters and a mission to deter terrorism.
The Momsen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, arrived in Everett in late 2004 as the newest ship in the fleet. It’s making its first deployment.
In Southeast Asia, the crew will be looking for smugglers and pirates – such as those encountered in March by an American destroyer and cruiser off the coast of Africa.
The Momsen’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Patrick Kelly, took over the helm in August with the goal of preparing the ship for deployment. Just about everything from boarding suspicious ships to participating in a show of military force could be in the Momsen’s future in the next few months.
If it comes to force, the Momsen is armed with Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles, as well as missiles that can be used to defend the ship or attack submarines.
On the pier Thursday morning, MacCaskill-Whitethorne said she was about to go home to Marysville and make a paperchain with her children – with one link for every day the ship will be gone. This is her husband’s sixth deployment.
Each day, the children will remove one link, giving them a visual idea of when their dad will return. That’s especially important for the younger children, who need to know that he will be coming home again, she said.
Elsewhere, Scott Day was holding 3-year-old Abigail Day as Lt. Michele Day headed for the ship and her first deployment since the birth of their daughter. The ship’s weapons officer, Michele Day has been away for a month or two, but never for six months.
Scott Day said his wife’s parents likely will come to Everett to help out. Besides caring for Abigail, he is working toward an engineering degree. He knows the routine, because he previously was in the Navy.
“I learned the lifestyle, and that helps a lot,” he said.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Grace lingered on the pier about as long as he could before the crew cast off the lines. He hugged his wife, Sheena Grace, and their two children.
The Everett residents will undergo their first deployment as a married couple, although he was away for 14 months while the ship was being readied for commissioning in Maine.
When he finally departed, Sheena Grace suddenly became quiet. “I’m going to miss him,” she said.
Xanthe Calzadilla stood alone at the head of the pier crying quietly. She didn’t want to walk any closer to the ship. Her husband, Petty Officer First Class Jose Calzadilla, has been in the Navy for 10 years.
“I have my calendar, and I’m already counting down the days. It’s hard,” she said.
For the most part, she enjoys Navy life. It’s the separations that get to her. But it’s her husband’s life.
“That’s what pays the bills,” she said. “And he loves his job.”
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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