San Bernadino Native Keeps Seas Free Between Middle East and Europe

A 2006 Cajon High School graduate and San Bernardino native is helping the U.S. Navy keep sea lanes safe and open in the Middle East, serving on the mine countermeasures ship USS Devastator (MCM-6). Petty Officer 1st Class Carsten Galindo is a Navy damage controllman who lives and works at a Navy base in Manama, Bahrain, where the Devastator is based. Bahrain is a small island country situated near the western shores of the Arabian Gulf. A Navy damage controllman is responsible for maintaining watertight integrity on board ship. "In my job, you're always interacting with people,” said Galindo. “I enjoy teaching the crew about damage control.” The Devastator was commissioned in 1990 and is the second Navy ship to bear this name. It is one of the Navy’s 11 Avenger class mine countermeasures ships that are designed to remove mines from vital waterways and harbors. “We're a small crew and have a family atmosphere where everyone gets along,” said Galindo. The Devastator is 224 feet long, 39 feet wide and displaces 1,312 tons of water. It is powered by four diesel engines and can reach speeds of more than 16 mph. With approximately eight officers and 80 enlisted comprising the ship’s company, jobs are highly varied which keeps the ship mission ready — this includes everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining the propulsion system. As a member of the crew, Galindo and other Devastator sailors know they are part of a forward deployed naval forces team that is heavily relied upon to help protect and defend America on the world’s oceans. “On deployment you visit very rural countries,” said Galindo. “It makes you appreciate what we have back home.” In addition to the Devastator, another Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship is forward deployed in Bahrain along with seven Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships. The world is increasingly complex and crew members aboard the Devastator, as well as the other forward-deployed naval vessels in Bahrain, assist with assuring international sea lines between the Middle East and Europe remain open and help protect against possible maritime threats. As a sailor with numerous responsibilities, deployed halfway around the world away from friends and family back home, Galindo said he is learning about himself as a leader, sailor and a person. "In the Navy you learn patience and how to communicate what you want done clearly,” said Galindo.