The Navy Public Affairs Library
Date: Fri, 27 Oct 1995 13:52:10 +0000 (GMT)

Headline: I Can Do Something
USS Scott (NENS) - There are over 104,000 orphaned and
abandoned children in Romania.
Twenty-five percent of all the pediatric aids cases in
Europe are found in the Romanian coastal city of Constanta.
There are currently 1,700 HIV-positive children in
Constanta. Of that number, 24 have a home in Casa Speranta (House
of Hope) ... and you are about to meet them all.
Marolen Mullinax, Director of Casa Speranta provided this
information to the 30 men from USS Scott (DDG-995) and the
Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 14 staff, who recently volunteered to
spend a day with the Romanian children in their home.
As the Sailors arrived at the two-story converted apartment
building and began unloading the painting equipment and other
supplies they had brought, they noticed tiny faces peering at
them from behind the barred first-floor windows. Before the load
of supplies could be put in the storage room, the volunteers
found themselves surrounded by two dozen smiling, chattering
children.
"Each child we have is part of our family," explained Ms.
Mullinax. "We receive them from the local government-run hospital
where most of them have been institutionalized since infancy.
Once they come here, I make a permanent commitment to them to
allow them to live their lives with dignity," she continued.
As she looked around at her beaming charges, Ms. Mullinax
remarked, I appreciate all the hard work you have all put into
this old building but more than that I appreciate the effect
you've had on our kids."
As the day came to a close, the Sailors gave their new found
friends one last hug or carried them around the yard one last
time before gathering up their coats to leave. As the men were
leaving, one glance at a card on Ms. Mullinax office wall seemed
to sum up the efforts of the Casa Speranta staff and Sailors
alike. It read:
I am only one.
But I am still one.
I cannot do everything.
But still I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something I can do.
- USN -

Headline: Rendezvous
USS Scott (NENS) - The Guided Missile Destroyer USS Scott
(DDG-995) conducted a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) with the
Bulgarian Frigate Smeli following its recent four-day port visit
to Varna, Bulgaria.
The tactical maneuvering and simulated underway
replenishment (UNREP) exercise was the latest in a series of
exercises conducted between units of U.S. Sixth Fleet and vessels
of the former Warsaw pact nation.
Following plans developed by the Bulgarian Navy and agreed
upon during Scott's visit to Varna, Smeli left port en route to a
pre-determined location in the Black Sea followed closely by
Scott. At the rendezvous point the ships conducted several
tactical maneuvers and flashing light drills. Once these events
were completed, Smeli smoothly came along Scott's starboard side
and until both ships matched speed and course.
After receiving the signal that Smeli was prepared to
receive the line, a Scott's gunner's mate fired a rifle that sent
the shot line across the waves to Smeli's deck crew. Scott's deck
crew then began paying out the phone and distance line from the
forecastle station and prepared to pass a small package to Smeli.
Both crews performed flawlessly. The UNREP portion of the
exercise came to a close as Smeli was given the signal to break
away. Upon releasing the line, Smeli drew back from Scott and
paused for a moment to render honors.
During the exercise, each ship also exchanged two officers
to better observe how operations progressed. At the conclusion of
the training, these officers returned to their own ships via
Scott's small boat.
The training for the day ended with Scott steaming toward
Constanta, Romania, her next port call during her cruise of the
Black Sea, and Smeli returning to her home port of Varna.
USS Scott is the Flagship for Commander, Destroyer Squadron
14, Officer in Tactical Command for this Black Sea Operation.