BREMERTON — The City of Bremerton was sans one police chief last week as Chief Steven Strachan traveled 150 miles out to sea to visit the sailors on board the USS Nimitz.

“The Navy has a program for civilians to visit the ship and meet the sailors, learn more about the Navy and its mission and build stronger connections with their community,” Strachan said. “I was invited as the chief of the city that is the Nimitz’s homeport.

“We have been working with the captain and his staff to build good relationships with the sailors and their families.”

Strachan said the Bremerton Police Department and the local naval base have been fostering stronger connections and relationships lately.

“We have been working hard to become more familiar with the sailors and the staff at the base,” Strachan said. “Our officers go on base and have gotten to know the law enforcement officers at the base. We have a good relationship because we know we will have to rely on each other if anything happens.”

Strachan said visiting the Nimitz was a completely new experience for him.

“I knew carriers were immense operations, but seeing it in person really drives home the significance of the carrier and its importance to the Navy and the country,” he said.

Strachan said he was able to visit the medical, flight control and maintenance areas, as well as other parts of the ship, giving him a chance to see how it all works together.” The key component really seemed to be the more than 5,000 people on board the deployed carrier.

“The teamwork of every single person on the ship is amazing, especially when they are doing takeoffs and landings — or recoveries, as they call them — on the deck,” Strachan said.

“Also, you could see how proud and pleased the sailors were to be out at sea again after a long time in port,” he added. “As they said, this is what they signed up for.”

While Strachan visited, the USS Nimitz was performing carrier qualifications, which are tests to ensure the crew and equipment are working after the two-year period at the base, where the Nimitz underwent significant upgrades and refurbishing.

All in all, the experience enabled Strachan to develop and foster relationships with the sailors who, even deployed, are part of the Bremerton community, and learn about the Navy and its mission, Strachan said.

“We see the thousands of people working and going into and out of the shipyard and the base every day,” Strachan said. “We all know the engineers and people who work on the ships and projects at the giant base in the middle of our city.

“To get to see the end result of all that work brings home the importance of the work everyone does at the base, and why it really matters to our country.”

Michelle Beahm is a reporter for the Central Kitsap Reporter and Bremerton Patriot. She can be reached at mbeahm@soundpublishing.com.