USS Nashville deploys for final time

NORFOLK, Va. - Most of us slow down a little bit as we grow older, but one of the Navy's older ships is steaming full speed ahead for the coast of Africa.  The USS Nashville will be participating in the "Africa Partnership Station."

The Nashville will celebrate her 39th birthday on Valentine's Day.

On Thursday morning, she pulled away from port for her final deployment. And the Nashville is going out in style, serving not only the United States, but a host of other nations as well.

The vessel will participate in Africa Partnership Station 2009, the biggest maritime partnership program ever in Africa.

CAPT Tushar Tembe, CO USS Nashville told WAVY News 10 the mission will, "[Help] other Navies from the region of West Africa achieve some of the things we take for granted; maritime security, being able to manage their own fisheries."

The USS Nasville will travel more than 5,000 miles to assist the governments of Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria and Gabon. A region currently dealing with an escalating problem of piracy.

"We will use our training as an avenue or a way of bolstering or increasing our capability to deal with our piracy," said CMDR Eloch Bello, Nigerian Navy.

"But our focus is on maritime sector development across the board," Admiral Thebaud, Commodore 6th Fleet Task Force said.

This is not a combat mission, but it could ultimately reduce the number of combat deployments in the future.

CAPT Tushar Tembe, USS Nashville CO told WAVY.com, "In five or ten years we may not have to have people from the United States or Europe or any other part of the world go down there because the Navies are stronger and much better trained and can manage their own waters in their own environment."

The Nashville will be gone for six months, and is scheduled to be decommissioned in September. She's the second Norfolk-based ship to participate in the Africa Partnership Station. The USS Fort McHenry participated in the first APS deployment last year.