Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Benjamin Farone explains navigation operations to locals in Busan, Republic of Korea. Farone, from Lockport, is stationed aboard the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington. (PHOTOS COURTESY US NAVY)

BY SCOTT LEFFLER
scott.leffler@eastniagarapost.com

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This year alone, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Farone has been to Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. He spent eight years in Japan, two in the Netherlands and a year in Greece. He lists Viet Nam and Australia among his favorite pit stops along his 12-year Navy career.

As much as he enjoys his time abroad, he misses his family — and Lock City Pizza.

Speaking by satellite phone aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington, MC1 Farone had recently taken part in a community relations exercise in Busan in the Republic of Korean — South Korea to us — where he explained navigation operations to locals on one of the many tours given aboard the aircraft carrier.

MC1 Farone's job as a communications specialist allows him to serve as an ambassador for not only the Navy, but the United States as a whole, putting a friendly face to the sometimes foreign concept that is America. Aside from regular tours of the aircraft carrier — they average four a day — Farone and many of the others aboard the George Washington make regular visits to schools, attend sporting events and play basketball with the locals of wherever they may be at port.

Farone, a Lockport High School graduate of the class of 2000, joined the Navy in 2002. He's spent the entire 12 years overseas in seven different duty stations. He's been with the George Washington since May, when it departed Japan for its six-month deployment.

The USS George Washington took six years and $3.5 billion to build. The fourth ship to bear the name of the first president was commissioned  on July 4, 1992. MC1 Benjamin Farone has served aboard it since May.

The USS George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Its 60,000 tons of steel houses as many as 6,250 sailors and 75 aircraft. It contains four elevators to bring the aircraft to is 4.5-acre deck. Capable of traveling at upwards of 30 knots, the carrier could operate at sea for 18 years without stopping to refuel thanks to its two nuclear reactors and fresh water distilling plants.

Of course, it doesn't stay at sea for 18 years. It makes frequent stops.

"We do a lot of community relations events," explained LCDR James Stockman, adding that the port visits to friendly nations "gives the sailors a little break from operations at sea."

Every place is special in its own right MC1 Farone said. "I like the opportunity to see new cultures and get out and see things that I wouldn't see if I was stateside. ... Over the course of these 12 years, I've been to 25 different countries and each one had something special about it."

"Things over in Asia are very very night-and-day different from back at home," Farone said.

Asked what he missed the most, Farone said, "I have to say spending time with family." They've visited him twice while he has been overseas, once in Greece and once in Japan. He hasn't been home since November of 2011.

Serving up an average of 18,000 meals a day, Farone said, "The food on the ship is very good."

That doesn't mean he doesn't miss Western New York food. Asked what local delicacies he missed the most, he said — without hesitation — "Lock City Pizza. And One-Eyed Jacks BBQ. ... Best BBQ in Western New York." Farone worked there prior to his career with the Navy.

Farone couldn't say where he was headed to next, but did say that the support of friends and family makes it easier to be away.

"I'd just like to say 'thank you' to everybody back home for their support over the last 12 years that I've been in. I really appreciate that."

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