USS Germantown

Almost two months ago to the day this big ship was in port! The USS Germantown.


When it and the crew were here Angelo wrote a good story and both the Tribune and Variety did stories as well.

I had planned to do a post about my experience back then but that was just about the time Christmas season got into full swing. In fact writing this now I'm reminded how I was unable to take the ship tour Angelo talks about because it was during the local artists Christmas bazaar and I was selling DVDs! More on that another time...

I recently received this in the mail! A note from Commander Steve Vincent himself!

I first heard about the ships arrival a few days before it was due primarily because I'm a member of the Chamber of Commerce and they alert us of the ships arrival. With a reception and the Adopt a Sailor program the Chamber attempts to welcome personnel as warmly as possible and ensure their experience here is as enjoyable as it can be. By the way MVA also alerts its members but that is usually on the day the ship arrives or after it leaves!

I also knew of the ships arrival a head of time (by now you must realize that the military really does not advertise it's moves) because of discussions within the dive community regarding how the industry would cope with a large influx of customers. This particular ship had a large crew, I believe upwards of 800 or so, and they were here for R&R after a tour in Iraq.

When I received the Chamber email I contacted Angelo and as Angelo does he organized a large clean up of Garapan on the Friday which just happened to be a "Daddy Day" for me and my first, "never to forget" memory of that weekend.


At the first word of a clean up this seasoned veteran was off to the races! She even made it on the 6PM news! Not only is she ready to work but she also turned out to be a pretty good little ambassador herself! It took her a bit but she was soon the entertainment!

She even met this fella who has the same first and middle name only reversed! How cool is that. Of course I'm not too sure how good I'll feel about her ability to attract so much attention when she's 18!

I didn't get to take many pictures. I had to keep a sharp eye out but, I did manage to talk to some of the guys and what genuinely came across was their desire to pitch in and help out as well as meet the people they are serving. The service men teamed up with students from Garapan Elementary and you could see everyone had a great time. Of course the other thing that stood out was just how young these guys were! I mean I know I'm getting up there but I felt OLD!

It was here I had my first opportunity to meet the Commander and some of the officers. While chasing a 22 month old around the post clean up BBQ I managed to hear a little bit of his appreciation for the warm welcome he and the crew were receiving as well as be part of conversations regarding far away wives, babies and kids. I honestly can't imagine it! They change so fast - to miss 6 months, a year or more at a time would devastate me.

It was here I was also able to pass on a DVD to Commander Vincent. Yep, I'll admit doing so is in part a PR move but, as I've discussed on this blog before, it also has to do with the joy of giving. After speaking with many of the crew it was obvious that not all of them - in fact most, were not going to experience our diving first hand so my DVD would bring it to them! At the time Commander Vincent expressed how he wished he'd had a copy on the way into port so he could have played it throughout the ship!

The second opportunity I had to meet some of the guys was at the Chamber reception held on the beach at the Hyatt. For a time I went into photograph mode. Only about 30 or so very similar sunset photos! No green flash.
Then on into the reception where former Chamber President Won Pon gave a plaque of appreciation.
Judge Wiesman who heads the Chambers Armed Forces Committee said a few words and also presented the commander with something but to be honest I've forgotten what!

And of course all the special people pose for a picture! That, by the way, was Executive Director Christine Parke's last official function - she will be missed.
Then another plaque and more gifts from the ship. This time it was Ruth Coleman from the Veterans Affairs office giving the one above while receiving her very own embroidered USS Germantown cap below!Another picture of the important people! Including Thomas in the red shirt. There's an inside joke with him in there which I don't have time to elaborate on but he'll get it because he knows I'm really bad with names!Another picture of the important people!

Besides all the warm remarks and happy faces and the open bar a couple of things stood out to me when the Commander made his remarks.

First, he commented on what a great reception they were given all over the island and that they really felt it was genuine and not a contrived effort on the part of the residents.

Second, he also took time to explain that when his crew come to a port like this they truly feel safe and can relax more easily than in other areas of the world where, although they may be among allies, they are not necessarily on sovereign land or among people with similar ideals! A R&R port stop in the Philippines or Africa for example does not necessarily come with the same comfort level as a US territory such as Saipan.

These factors coupled with our beautiful beaches, warm sunshine and clear waters make the islands an ideal retreat for these military personnel. To not take full advantage of such an opportunity on both sides would be ridiculous. Of course Guam can offer a similar atmosphere but with the military build up over there the number of service men / women that will want to get off that rock for a vacation is sure to increase as well!

The question is can we handle it? Specifically can the dive industry absorb large one-time influxes of English speaking customers? This is a debate that is going on within the dive community right now. One of the officers who had a great time diving with Speedy Tertle told me there was at least 60 certified divers and that, if they had of known about our diving, they potentially would have taken advantage of it. That does not even include those who want to learn or who dive but are not certified.

We cannot take this market for granted and should cater to it as much as possible. Another aspect of the commander’s comments that stuck with me was the importance his crew places on the service and ambassador roles that come with being a soldier.

I think Commander Vincent’s note clearly indicates there is a tool available to attract potential divers in the DVD as well as evidence that our natural resource deliver a world-class standard.

Now, the dive community, business and MVA need to work together to ensure these ambassadors have every opportunity to experience what we have and receive safe, world-class service. With this scenario will come a wave of word of mouth that can be spread around the rest of the world free of charge!

If a ship of 800 men and women spreading the word can use my DVD to help showcase what we have to the world then I think it's a little well placed PR. Besides, especially with notes like this, it just feels good to know someone has appreciated your work.

Thanks Commander Vincent and the crew of the USS Germantown - hope to see you again soon!

NWA not making it any easier!

On July 4, 2007 the following letter was sent from Northwest Airlines to all Saipan tour companies

Effective today, all passengers with diving bags will be charged $28.00 per dive bag and will be able to carry up to 70lbs per diving bag.

Diving bags are now not apart of the free baggage allowance. Baggage allowance is two bags under 50 lbs for economy class passengers and 70 lbs for business class passenger. Any passenger who is traveling in economy class or business class will have to pay $28.00 per diving bag.

Diving bags are now considered the same as bicycles.

Thank you for your understanding and I hope we can work together to better help the customer of our airlines.

Signed
Karl T. Reyes, II
Saipan Station Supervisor.

My internet search is not complete since PTI's service has been on and off like a yo yo all day. That's a whole other post - wasn't their upgrade to take only a week - like a month ago!

Back to the issue at hand. At one point today I was able to access the NWA website luggage page which clearly states that SCUBA equipment is considered part of the free allowance as long as it does not contain an empty TANK. Now in the case of showing up at the ticket counter with a tank on your shoulder I think you should expect to pay a fee! Call it a stupidity tax if you like. On the other hand, paying a fee because your bag looks different than another doesn't make sense. Remember weight restrictions are the same if it's a dive bag or not. Throw in golf bags, which look different than most luggage bags, including dive bags, but are not subjected to additional fees and the situation gets inconsistent to say the least.
Confusing the issue further is NWA's international web page. Here at least they say SCUBA equipment MAY be exempt from the free baggage allowance on intra-Asia flights (which includes Japan to Saipan). Unfortunately they do not tell us how much we MAY pay if it is deemed we must pay. Perhaps the letter from Mr. Reyes was meant to clarify it is no longer a MAY pay, but rather a Must pay situation. Twenty-eight big ones, no if ands or buts. On the bright side at least now we know we either "have to pay" or figure out a way to get that BCD into a golf bag.

Of course the issue is less confusing if you look at the economics. Recently emerging from chapter 11 protection NWA must be looking for every possible way to squeeze a little more out of it's customers. If it can be done quietly then even better for them. If it can be done to a group that consistently shows high demand for the product then maybe everyone will just pay and no one will notice!

Let's take note of just how much revenue we're talking about. Let's take a look at the numbers which, I will be the first to admit, are approximate. Based on arrival statistics collected by MVA, divers have historically accounted for about 20% of the total travelers from Japan. Fiscal year 2005 / 2006 saw 280,000 visitors from Japan. That's approximately 56,000 divers. Now not all will bring their own gear but even if we say 50% do, that's 28,000 folks paying an extra $28.00 for a total of 784,000 big ones. Knock it down to a quarter of the divers bring gear and it's still nearly 400,000 bucks a year. I may be off on the number of divers who travel from Japan with their gear, after all the average stay is only a few nights so many more may rent but I've only included the fee ONE way! Any way you slice it, it's a pretty big chunk of cash. Cash that ultimately does not make it to local businesses and the government tax base - ie. jobs.

Not to mention that in a time when margins are already cut very thin for everyone including dive operators this is just another obstacle to attracting one of the most lucrative market groups to our islands. Should we really stand by and let this just happen? Sit back and say; well it's not THAT much! I don't think so. And just in case you were thinking it's just the tourists from Japan then think about the next time you need to use Japan as a gateway for a dive trip or perhaps the trickle down effect.

According to their web site Continental does not currently have a fee for dive equipment but often competitors copy ideas especially when they go unnoticed! Now is it hitting home? $56 extra for a trip to Palau or Yap or even Guam IF Continental followed suit.

I said my internet search was not yet complete. That's because as soon as I read the letter from Mr. Reyes I was sure I remembered a situation a few years back when another airline in the states began to charge for SCUBA gear and I believe PADI and other dive organizations like DEMA rallied together and it resulted in elimination of the fee. Unfortunately my google will have to wait till tomorrow. Anyone else remember such a situation?
I also remember seeing a list of air carriers with their charges and incentives (such as extra weight allowance) in a dive magazine recently. Again anyone else?

For now I plan to bring it up to our Chamber of Commerce President tomorrow at the monthly general meeting!