The UNREP evolution is an intricate evolution for ship handlers with potential for two ships colliding. Nonetheless the evolution is a thing of beauty to behold. My LHA (the LHD is the follow-on ship version) was replenished with stores and "passed gas" to in the form of DFM (distillate fuel marine) and JP-5 aircraft fuel. The evolution went well when all the lines and fueling rigs were disconnected and our ship made a safe break away from the replenishment ship. Slowly altering course and increasing speed to gain separation, we played our UNREP breakaway song. It could be heard throughout the ship and by the replenishment ship.
East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed was one of the breakaway songs that I remember. Each Navy ship has a thematic song.
East Bound and Down was played because we had just started our six-month cruise and were heading to the Med. Some of you may remember the melody:
East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'
A-we gonna do what they say can't be done
We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run
The other break away tune had a yearning theme as we replenished during our transit home across the Atlantic. The tune was Neil Diamond’s
America:
We've been traveling far
Without a home
But not without a star
Free…….
They're coming to America
Never looking back again
They're coming to America
As
@rickdunnjr pointed out earlier, “going to sea on anything can be hazardous”. We were fortunate on our UNREPs to not lose any stores during high line transfer, didn’t have any fuel spills and never "bumped" into another ship.