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CNN LIVE TODAY
USS John Paul Jones Returns Home
Aired December 5, 2001 - 14:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The USS John Paul Jones was one of the first ships involved in the U.S. strikes against targets in Afghanistan. And our Frank Buckley has gone by helicopter to join the crew of the USS John Paul Jones as they make their way home. Also, CNN's Thelma Gutierrez is in San Diego with families anxiously awaiting the ship's arrival.
Let's begin with Frank. Tell us what is going on.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are on the USS John Paul Jones and this ship is underway right now. We are in the bridge of the ship. Seaman Jennings is the helmsman here as we get closer to San Diego at the end of a six-month deployment that included the launching of dozens of Tomahawk missiles from aboard this ship against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Right now, the activity on the bridge here, the people of the USS John Paul Jones are finding their navigation points. They are identifying other ships at sea as they get closer to land. And, in fact, they have now seen Point Loma in San Diego. So there is a great deal of excitement onboard this ship.
We are going to take you out to the bridge wing right now so we can talk to some of the people aboard the USS John Paul Jones. Among them, a commander, Dave Steindl, who is the captain of this ship. And first of all, Commander, thanks very much for letting us be aboard your ship while you are underway here, Sir.
And, at the end of a very long deployment, how are the folks onboard this ship feeling today?
COMMANDER DAVE STEINDL, U.S. NAVY: They are having a great day. There's just a feeling of electricity about the ship today as crew members that have been away from their loved ones for six months are going to reunite with them on the pier here shortly. And also, there's a feeling of pride among the crew members as we were asked to do a lot by president, by the American people. And the crew did it very well. They accomplished every mission they were assigned. And it's going to be a great day today.
BUCKLEY: Sir, you were deployed to the region already on a standard five-month deployment when the September 11 attacks occurred. I was reading your command philosophy that says, we must be ready to fight and win at all times. It seems like a philosophy that really came into play while you were on a deployment to be suddenly engaged in a wartime situation.
STEINDL: You are absolutely right, Frank. That is our command philosophy, to train, to fight and win our nation's war at all times. And the Navy trains to that also. Every ship in the Navy is training every day to fight in a variety of missions.
We were doing maritime interception operations in the northern Arabian Gulf, enforcing U.N. sanctions against Iraq. We did air defense missions, enforced the southern no-fly zone in Iraq, all of those types of missions. And then September 11 occurred and we were to conduct some prompt and sustained combat operations in the north Arabian sea, specifically Tomahawk land attack missile operations.
BUCKLEY: We've talked about the Tomahawk. You were among that first wave. Tell us about that first wave. What did you say to your sailors before you launched?
STEINDL: Well, I told crew it was an important mission. All the airmen that were going to be flying that night, their lives were depending on us doing our job correctly. And the soldiers that were going to be ashore in Afghanistan. And we were asked to launch a number of missiles and it went perfectly. And the missiles lit up the night sky and were very effective.
Commander Dave Steindl, thank you very much sir for taking time with us.
We also want to speak with one of the enlisted men aboard this ship. This is fire control 1st class Stephen Miller. About yourself, what has this been like for you? You were saying this is your first wartime deployment.
STEVE MILLER, U.S. NAVY: Yes, it is. I don't know, it's just business as usual. It's the way we train in this and we're just doing exactly what we are trained to do. And it feels good to actually do something that we were trained to do.
BUCKLEY: We have our colleague on the dock, who is Thelma Gutierrez, one of our CNN reporters who is there. If I can ask you to put in the earpiece there. She has got some additional questions for you from dockside -- Thelma, take it away.
THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, Frank. Actually, I do have a question for Stephen. Stephen, after all the training that you had on John Paul Jones, I want to ask you one question: Are you prepared for all that round-the-clock duty that you are going to have once you reach shore?
MILLER: Yes, I am. I'm totally prepared. I'm ready to go home and see my...
GUTIERREZ: You know what I'm talking about?
MILLER: ... wife and my brand new baby girl.
What was that? GUTIERREZ: Stephen, I guess you know what I'm talking about, right?
MILLER: Yes, I sure do.
GUTIERREZ: Right over here, I found somebody for you, somebody that I want to introduce you to. Come right over here to where all the wives are sitting. Stephen, this is little Stephanie, who is named after you. She looks scared. She is nine weeks old, one day old. And, your wife, Kelly is here. Kelly can hear you and Kelly can see you.
Kelly, what do you want to say to your husband? You can go ahead and look into the camera.
KELLY MILLER, STEPHEN MILLER'S WIFE: I don't even -- oh, gosh -- I can't wait to hand her to you and let you hold her. She looks just like you. She is just the most pleasant baby I have ever been around. This is just -- everything was unreal until we got here. I'm just so happy that you are coming home.
GUTIERREZ: Kelly, you are watching the monitor. You are actually seeing pictures of your husband right now. What are your thoughts?
K. MILLER: I hope he hurries off that boat. I really hope he hurries off that boat.
GUTIERREZ: You hope he hurries off that boat to help with you the baby, as well.
K. MILLER: Oh, that too. But, I forgot how good he looks in his uniform.
GUTIERREZ: Stephen, what do you have to say?
BUCKLEY: Stephen, do you have anything to say to your wife as you are getting close to shore here?
S. MILLER: I love you, sweetheart, and I will see you very, very soon. I'm waiting, counting the minutes until I see you again.
K. MILLER: I love you too. We love you, honey.
GUTIERREZ: All right, Kelly and Stephen, thank you very much.
S. MILLER: I love you too.
GUTIERREZ: And little Stephanie -- she's such a beautiful little girl. And we are here with many more families. You can take a look around. We have a couple of dozen families who have arrived. We are expecting about 500 within the next hour -- Frank, back to you.
BUCKLEY: OK. Thank you, first class Miller and thank you all there onshore. We are still a number of miles offshore. We can't say, for security reasons, exactly when we will be arriving in San Diego, but it will be soon -- back to you.
BLITZER: Thank you very much Frank Buckley and Thelma Gutierrez.
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