Navy Ship Blog Evolutions Continue

In March of 2008, Yankee Sailor started a trend with Destroyermen, so I blame him for the many interesting evolutions of ship blogging. Since the early exposure of that effort, the various unofficial/somewhat-official Navy blogs of ships have been some of my favorite reads. In particular, in June of 2008 I became hooked on the activities of the Fighting Freddy, in that case my personal interest was almost entirely due to the fact the CO who wrote the blog content, which was dedicated primarily to the friends and family of the ships crew, was like me...

A displaced Arkansan. Small states are like small towns, we stick together.

Anyway, I noted in the news collector that CDR Brian Fort was being relieved as CO of USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) and being relocated a few dozen miles north of me here in upstate New York, bringing the total number of Razorback fans in the Capital District area to perhaps a dozen, including my 4 year old. Actually.., maybe CDR Fort's relocation is a good reason to see if I can get a tour of the Nuclear Power Training Unit in Ballston Spa, particularly if the CG(X) really does go Nuke.

So why is any of this interesting to me? Because one of my favorite blogs for awhile has been the USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) blog, and in particular I was looking forward to the final post hoping it would include CDR Fort's Change of Command speech. It did, and like all change of command speeches, it is an enjoyable read.

Meanwhile, with the Fighting Freddy blog perhaps going dormant under a new CO, I am shifting my interest to the two month old USS Stout (DDG 55) blog, which I find to be an excellent blog that is frequently updated with pictures of the activities of the ship and crew, and is perhaps one of the best unofficial official Navy blogs going right now. For those who are interested, USS Stout (DDG 55) is currently on deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. Something worth noting... the blog does not allow comments. This might be a smart idea for a Navy ship blog, because it allows for quick updates and removes the need for potentially time consuming efforts of moderation.