{"id":22126,"date":"2015-05-09T14:11:17","date_gmt":"2015-05-09T14:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2015\/05\/09\/cruiser-sailors-awarded-for-heroism-after-drone-strike\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:19:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:19:26","slug":"cruiser-sailors-awarded-for-heroism-after-drone-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2015\/05\/09\/cruiser-sailors-awarded-for-heroism-after-drone-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruiser sailors awarded for heroism after drone strike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Fire Controlman Second Class (SW) David Gentry was sending an email to a tech-rep in the cruiser Chancellorsville&#8217;s main computer room 18 months ago when he <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">saw a flash and <\/span>heard an enormous bang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;There was a flash and within an instant<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">incident<\/span> and without warning, the whole space was on fire,&#8221; Gentry said<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">,<\/span> in an April interview with Navy Times. &#8220;It was just shock and adrenaline.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Chancellorsville had been struck by a rogue drone during a training exercise off of Point Magu, California. The live, subsonic practice target \u2014 shaped like a missile and designed to test the ship&#8217;s combat systems \u2014 punched through the port side of the ship and slammed into computer central, spraying jet fuel everywhere, before coming to a stop on the starboard bulkhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Gentry headed to the exit, the drone&#8217;s spilt <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">spiled <\/span>rocket fuel ignited, setting the space ablaze <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">alight<\/span>and inflicting second-degree burns on Gentry&#8217;s hand and arm. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">But d<\/span>Despite his injuries, Gentry rounded up the contractors in the ship&#8217;s computer central and was the last to leave fiery space<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">blazing space<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"rte rte-comment\"><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">But n<\/span>ot only did he ensure <\/span>After ensuring the <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">five <\/span>contractors were safe, he <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">also <\/span>began fighting the fire by spraying CO<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">2<\/span>\u00b2 bottles on <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">the <\/span>it.<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">, and<\/span><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">w<\/span>When he couldn&#8217;t find any more<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> CO2<\/span>, he began to take<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">fake<\/span> out a hose and assemble a team to battle the blaze<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">get a team together<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For his courage, Gentry, along with Chief Damage Controlman Jeremy Tuculet, was awarded the highest non-combat valor award, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, at a March 19 ceremony on the Chancellorsville<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> on March 19<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3200\" height=\"2011\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635666323118179358-16733915989-8b61f6fb8e-ojpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47912\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635666323118179358-16733915989-8b61f6fb8e-ojpg.jpg 3200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635666323118179358-16733915989-8b61f6fb8e-ojpg.jpg?resize=300,189 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635666323118179358-16733915989-8b61f6fb8e-ojpg.jpg?resize=768,483 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635666323118179358-16733915989-8b61f6fb8e-ojpg.jpg?resize=1024,644 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635666323118179358-16733915989-8b61f6fb8e-ojpg.jpg?resize=1536,965 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635666323118179358-16733915989-8b61f6fb8e-ojpg.jpg?resize=2048,1287 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">150319-N-ZS026-086 SAN DIEGO (March 19, 2015) Rear Adm. Patrick Piercey, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 9, speaks to the crew of the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) during an award ceremony. Five Sailors were presented awards for heroism and bravery as a result of their actions as damage control first responders while combating a major fire in the aftermath of a rogue drone striking the ship Nov. 16, 2013. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Trevor Welsh\/Released)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Piercey speaks to the Chancellorsville crew during a ceremony in which sailors were presented awards for heroism and bravery as a result of their actions as damage control first responders while combating a major fire.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span>Photo Credit: MC1 Trevor Welsh\/Navy<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to Tuculet and Gentry, Lt. j.g. Clifford Ward and Hull Maintenance Technician 1st Class Christopher Kesser both received Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals for their actions, and Lt. Cmdr. James Santymire received the Meritorious Service Medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Nov. 16, 2013, the cruiser <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">ship <\/span>was at the range to test its brand new, top-of-the-line AEGIS software and combat system. But it wasn&#8217;t the combat system that was put to the greatest test that day, it was the skill and courage of the crew that found itself battling a major fire in one of the ship&#8217;s most vital spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the ceremony, the ship&#8217;s former commanding officer, Capt. Andrew Hesser, expressed his gratitude to the <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">thanked the <\/span>crew for acting quickly and saving lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Thanks for everything you did that day, for your heroism, for saving the ship, for saving my life and the lives of the crew,&#8221; Hesser said, according to a Navy release. &#8220;We were in trouble, and had you not taken the actions you did and put your training to use, we would have been in<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">if<\/span> far greater trouble. What these individuals did was truly heroic. I&#8217;ll never forget it, and I can never thank you enough.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><b>&#8220;We shooting the five inch?&#8221;<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Chancellorsville drone strike was one of the biggest mishaps of 2013. It decimated the ship&#8217;s computer central and caused more than $30 million in damages to the space, which <span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> that <\/span>had just been fitted with brand new blade servers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The incident was the most serious involving a targeting drone since <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">one <\/span>a target drone struck the frigate Antrim in 1983, killing a civilian. The 13-foot BQM-74 series drone had a wingspan of 6 feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Tuculet, the ship&#8217;s top enlisted damage controlman, heard the drone strike, his first thought was that it was the ship&#8217;s massive forward gun discharging a round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We actually had the [damage control training team] assembled in the ship&#8217;s classroom, getting prepared for the evening&#8217;s general quarters drill,&#8221; Tuculet said. &#8220;I looked at the [executive officer] and said, &#8216;Sir, we shooting the five-inch?&#8217; And he said, &#8216;No, we shouldn&#8217;t be.&#8217; Then a few deep breaths later we got the word of white smoke in the computer central p-way.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to crew members, the fire produced a heavy, thick white smoke that quickly spread through the cruiser&#8217;s forward aluminum superstructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tuculet and <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">HT1 <\/span>Kesser entered the space, with Tuculet manning an infrared fire-finder.<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">,<\/span> Kesser began hitting a small fire to their right with a CO\u00b2<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">2<\/span> bottle. But then they found the big one: an electrical fire that was beginning to burn combustibles in the space, compounding the blaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They were pushed back out of the space and found a hose team ready to attack the blaze. At that point, Hesser got on the ship&#8217;s main announcing system and ordered the hose team to spray down the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the investigation, the water began to control the flames but also sparked new fires because the power hadn&#8217;t yet been secured<span class=\"rte rte-comment\"> yet<\/span>. In an effort to contain the new fires, the electricians began securing breakers to isolate the space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside the skin of the ship, a second hose team was arriving to spray the flames through the hole made by the drone strike. A third team was also getting on station, which included Gentry, still <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">who was <\/span>suffering from his burns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The word began spreading that Gentry was still in the space, but he piped up that he was out and actually manning a hose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It was at that point that they sent me to medical,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The effort to get the fire secured at that point was reaching its zenith and the crew was beginning to get<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">ting<\/span> the flames under control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The drone struck the ship just before 1:15 p.m., and by 1:27 p.m. the fire was out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It seemed like forever, but it was only a matter of minutes,&#8221; Gentry said. &#8220;While you&#8217;re going through it, it seemed like half a day&#8217;s work, but it wasn&#8217;t long at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tuculet said that when he reconstructed the event, it took six minutes from the time first responders entered the space to the time the fire was reported out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;You&#8217;d be surprised how fast you can put a fire out when it&#8217;s your living room on fire,&#8221; Tuculet said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gentry said that the fast response is a source of pride for the crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The whole crew was really proud of how we reacted,&#8221; Gentry said. &#8220;The whole crew kind of snapped into their training. It could have been much worse. It was a million-to-one chance for it to hit us, and it was a million-to-one chance for nobody to get hurt.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When a drone struck the cruiser Chancellorsville in 2013, setting computer central ablaze, the crew leapt into action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":47910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":65,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[12,65],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3231],"class_list":["post-22126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-your-navy"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"36MTBPAW4JBDDA3FXBAWFOSKRQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2015\/05\/09\/cruiser-sailors-awarded-for-heroism-after-drone-strike\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cruiser sailors awarded for heroism after drone strike - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When a drone struck the cruiser Chancellorsville in 2013, setting computer central ablaze, the crew leapt into action.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cruiser sailors awarded for heroism after drone strike\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When a drone struck the cruiser Chancellorsville in 2013, setting computer central ablaze, the crew leapt into action.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2015\/05\/09\/cruiser-sailors-awarded-for-heroism-after-drone-strike\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-05-09T14:11:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T19:19:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David B. 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