CHENNAI, Mar 17(TOI): "I have a mostly male crew. They're not old, but they're not young either," says commander of the USS Decatur, Shanti Sethi, in her blog, Adventures in Paradise. When her ship docked in Chennai on Wednesday, Shanti Sethi, an American of Indian descent, became the first female commander of a US naval vessel to visit the country.

The port call of USS Decatur, a destroyer armed with surface-to-air missiles and anti-submarine rockets, is part of the US effort "to demonstrate commitment to regional partners" and promote bilateral relations. It comes close on the heels of another visit by a US ship, the USNS Safeguard, a salvage class vessel, which visited Port Blair in January 2011.

Serving in the US Navy since 1994, Sethi took over the command of USS Decatur in 2010 and leads a predominantly male crew. But her blog suggests that she enjoys an easy camaraderie with them. It even has pictures of her moments after being "doused by a bucketfull of water during yesterday's fresh water wash of the ship" and experimenting with recipes in the ship's kitchen. A native of Reno, Nevada, Sethi describes herself as a "half Indian" with an American mother. She's a graduate from Norwich University with a degree in international affairs.

Sethi, who was deployed in the Arabian Gulf in 2001, has also served as a navigator onboard USS Hopper. A much-decorated officer, her credits include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Medal. Sethi's is a job with high risks. The primary mission of Decatur is to operate with strike groups in high-threat environments in the Asia-Pacific region.

The ship can also provide essential escort capabilities to US Navy and Marine Corps amphibious forces, combat logistics ships and convoys. Decatur crewmembers will participate in various community events in and around Chennai during the threeday visit. Commander Sethi will also hold a roundtable discussion with local students.