[underdog]

The U.S. guided missile destroyer ship USS Stout reached 208 days at sea on Sept. 26,
spending nearly seven months in the Middle East and North Africa area, known as the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations. The previous record of 207 days, held by the USS Eisenhower and USS San Jacinto, was also set this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Navy to cancel port visits to prevent sailors from being exposed while ashore.

U.S. missile destroyer ship breaks Navy record for longest stint at sea

www.msn.com

On a DDG? OMG!
The entire crew will be insane by the time this is over.

 

[Stevejet]

"The entire crew will be insane by the time this is over."

Our middle son just retired from the Navy two years ago, having served aboard USS Oldendorff, USS John Paul Jones and USS Hopper, all guided missile destroyers. He'd be the first to tell you that it is the skipper, XO and CPO's who keep the ships company functional and "happy" while deployed. With nowhere to go but the ship, it is essential to keep the "rust pickers" busy and active to belay the effects of boredom. I know this personally from having been assigned by my company to the USS John F, Kennedy (CV-67) for 6 months back in 1982.

Records for at-sea/underway deployments were set back during the Iran Hostage Crisis, as well.

 

[underdog]

There are really no comforts on a DDG.
It is an oversized PT boat.
I was aboard DDG 34.
I went and visited a friend on a frigate. It was like a luxury hotel compared.
A CV is a floating city, that i understand you could spend 20years on and not see the whole ship

 

[jmf552]

In 1980, I was on Eisenhower in the Indian Ocean when we set the record for that time, twice. We were at sea for 145 days, went into port in Singapore for five days, came back out and were at sea for 154 days. Both of those were records back then. Also that was 299 days at sea with only a short break. We had been scheduled for another port call in Perth, Australia, but as we were headed there, the Iran/Iraq war started and they wanted us back on station.

It is better being on a carrier than a smaller ship, but that big boat can get awfully small after that long a time. While it is bigger, there are also a LOT more people on it. One of the things that got to me, being an introvert, is that whole time, you are hardly ever in a room alone. Another issue back then they don't have now is we had no internet or phone calls like they do now and mail took 4-5 weeks. My wife and I would number our letters and keep a log of them, so when we answered a letter, the other person knew the context of the answer.

 

[RMLamp]

Try doing 2-3 months underwater on a sub, we had even fewer amenities than surface ships and received no mail. All fresh food is consumed in the first 2 weeks and after that it's all canned, frozen or dehydrated. Fresh air and sunshine is a gift when you crawl out the hatch after almost 80 days underwater.