Fil-Am on USS Juneau glad to be home

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – First Class Petty Officer Elcid Famorcan from Navotas, Manila has been at sea for almost a year now on board the USS Juneau (LPD 10), an Austin-class amphibious transport dock ship that is headquartered in Okinawa, Japan.

It was a happy surprise for him when he saw familiar faces as his ship docked at Subic’s Alava Wharf yesterday morning.

In the waiting crowd that lined up the pier were his wife, Bessie Litz, and their two sons.

Famorcan, 28, is a storekeeper aboard the USS Juneau. His reunion with his family at Subic marked a rare moment in which he returned for a visit to his homeland.

"There are a lot of Filipinos on board (the USS) Juneau and we all yearn to see the Philippines once again," Famorcan told mediamen in still-perfect Tagalog.

"It makes me really happy that my family was down here to meet me," he added after receiving hugs and kisses from his wife and kids.

Famorcan is part of the 460-man crew of enlisted sailors and marines who disembarked from the USS Juneau, which has come to the Philippines for a goodwill mission in communities near the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

The visit, made possible by the cooperation of the United States Navy’s 7th Fleet and the US Embassy Manila, will include community service projects and the delivery of Project Handclasp materials and donated items from US Marine and Navy family members in Okinawa, Japan.

The ship’s arrival signaled the start of a two-day outreach program in Olongapo City and the nearby town of San Antonio in Zambales province.

USS Juneau commanding officer Capt. John Alexander said that the US servicemen were in Subic for a standard port visit: "We’re here for a few days to do some outreach activities like a medical and dental mission and to do some community relations work."

Alexander said that they will be holding a medical and dental mission at the Olongapo Community Center today and a similar activity in San Antonio on Sunday.

When asked if his crew will be allowed to go on R&R (rest and recreation) leave while the ship is docked here, Alexander replied that the priorities of the USS Juneau sailors are for the completion of the goodwill mission that they have set out to undertake.

"They will be allowed to go on liberty, but our priority is to finish what we set out to do here," Alexander said. "We’re planning to do some great things there, working with the local community and building up on that partnership."

He also said he had a long talk with his crew about going on R&R, suggesting that they "continue to be respectful of the locals and to be responsible with their activities here."

Meanwhile, business in Olongapo, which once served as the largest US Naval base outside American territory, promises to be brisk over the next two days that the USS Juneau is here.

"When these US servicemen go out for their rest and recreation, it’s going to be one big boost to local businesses," said Olongapo businessman Ramon del Rosario.

"It’s pretty much like how it was when the Americans were still a regular feature in Subic," he added.

The officers and crew of US Navy and Marine personnel on board this ship from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (ME) were met by local officials, Freeport authorities and Olongapo City officials.

Other community projects for the US sailors and marines include painting the local school and cleaning its facilities, and conduct a basketball clinic for local children at the Aeta Resettlement and Rehabilitation Center at Sitio Gala in Subic.– Ric Sapnu