The Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) is currently deployed in the Pacific as part of the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG). Sailing with the ship is U.S. Navy Commander Andrew Plumer, a native of Salina.
Plumer is an intelligence officer who was selected by the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence to join the British Carrier and the Strike Group who are currently at sea in the Pacific Ocean. He joined the Navy after graduating from college, having grown up in Kansas attending Salina Central High School, Kansas Wesleyan University, and Kansas State University. He currently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, stationed at the U.S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters in Pearl Harbor.
Serving in the U.S. Navy has taken Plumer around the world with his work. After Sept. 11, he got into Naval Intelligence which was then expanding deeply into Special Operations, and Plumer took active tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Headquarters of U.S. 5th Fleet in Manama, Bahrain. He also served in the USS Iwo Jima and on command establishments in Florida, Washington D.C. and Honolulu, and Japan.
Even so, Plumer has always maintained a connection with his hometown, and his close family still live there.
When remembering his home, he said, “You miss down to earth people. I’ve lived in multiple cities, from one corner of the Earth to the other… and visited many more in both combat and non-combat roles. I will likely continue to do so as long as the Navy sends you wherever they need you. You also come to miss the small things, like Cozy Inn Burgers. I’ve had them since I was a kid, and there is truly nothing like them anywhere else in the world.”
Joining the UK CSG as an intelligence analyst and as the liaison for the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet and Office of Naval Intelligence has been a rich experience for Plumer.
Describing the journey, he said, “I flew to London and got some briefings, meeting senior leaders in the Royal Navy before travelling to Portsmouth and joining the HMS Queen Elizabeth, a brand new aircraft carrier designed to carry the new F-35B strike aircraft. It was remarkable to see the historic port of Portsmouth, and see the locations and sights that you only read about in a Patrick O’Brien novel, such as HMS Victory, Spithead, and the Minches (around Scotland). I’ve also learned Royal Navy lingo (called ‘Jack Speak’), terms like "goffa," "gen," "scran"; we don’t use these terms in the U.S. so this has been quite a learning experience!”
Before departing Portsmouth to begin the deployment, there was a very special visit to the flagship.
Plumer said, “Her Majesty the Queen came to meet the officers and crew whilst in Portsmouth and I was one of those introduced. This has really been a remarkable experience, and I think I am one of the few people in the U.S. Navy, including very senior U.S. Admirals, who have had an opportunity like this”
Plumer’s previous experience working in the Pacific region with US CSG 5 and embarked in the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) has meant he has lots of advice to shape daily operations and he provides an important link to the other US forces working closely with the UK.
Working with the Royal Navy, he joins many other Americans living on board the carrier. The US Marine Corps have a detachment on board from VMFA-211 Squadron as well as a group from US Navy Ordinance. HMS Queen Elizabeth together with the US Marine Corps, are at the forefront of developing the F-35B strike fighter jet, and much of the deployment has focused on launching these brand new jets from US and UK squadrons.
Plumer was also filmed in his role as a Pacific expert in the BBC sponsored documentary currently in production by Chris Terrill about the HMS Queen Elizabeth’s voyage. The documentary is due out in the fall of 2022.
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The above story and photos were provided to Salina Post by the British Royal Navy.