The USS Gridley (DDG 101) comes to town.
By Sergeant Bobby Randazzo, Supervisor Marine Operations

After months of organizational meetings and group discussions with all the Marine Patrol assets in Dade and Broward Counties, the USS Gridley arrived at Government Cut on Friday, February 2, 2007. The USS Gridley is a guided-missile destroyer that spans 511’ feet in length, 66’feet at the beam and displaces 9000 tons, not to mention is a very ominous site to see on the water. The Gridley has a crew of 300 men and women that operate the ship’s technologically advanced radar systems, navigational gear, state-of-the-art weapons, and communications systems and operate a fully functional flight deck with two helicopters on board. Also included in the duties of the crew are the essentials of this small city such as, providing utilities like water, electric and computer services, preparing food, laundry services and so on and so on. The ship and its crew can sustain long voyages at sea because they are self sufficient.

On the day the USS Gridley arrived at the sea buoy near the entrance to Government Cut, an entire entourage of Police and Fire vessels were waiting to escort her to her docking berth at Dodge Island. In that entourage was our very own Grey Pearl, the Sunny Isles Beach Police Vessel with Sergeant Mike Mulvey, Detective Blake Royal and myself on board. We were the lead vessel to bring the Gridley into port. What an honor for our city and our police department. Directly behind our vessel was the Miami-Dade Fire vessel spurting water out of her four water cannons. What a site. Obviously, the Gridley being a war ship, she needed 24/7 security. A slew of agencies including Miami-Dade County, FWC, Customs and Border Protection, City of Miami, Miami Beach, Aventura, North Miami, Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, the Broward Sherriff’s Office, the United States Coast Guard and of course the Sunny Isles Beach Police marine unit were on hand to provide security during her 11-day stay. We also had the distinct honor of being a part of her escort detail when the Gridley left for sea trials and her home port of California.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007, was “Law Enforcement Day” aboard the Gridley; and Captain Grandinetti, Lt. Snyder and I went aboard. We were able to visit several sections of the ship including the flight deck, the bridge and the communications room, which by the way looks like something right out of Star Trek. She is really a unique ship with guns and sound cannons mounted in every nook and cranny. She is armed with Tomahawk land-attack missiles, anti-air missiles, torpedoes, and a large 5 inch deck gun. The Gridley crew is trained to conduct maritime interdiction missions critical to disrupting the travel of terrorists, pirates and drug traffickers.

The USS Gridley was named after Captain Charles Vernon Gridley, (1844–1898). Captain Gridley commanded the OLYMPIA, which was a flagship during the battle of Manila Bay on May 1st, 1898. During that battle, Captain Gridley was given the order to, “Fire when ready.” That has now become the USS Gridley’s motto.

What a thrill this was for me personally and what an honor for our city and our police department to be a part of this historic occasion and celebratory commissioning!

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