05mar2018 by USS NIMITZ (CVN 68)

MARCH 6, 2018

CONTENTS Vol. 9 | Issue 01 4 Black History Month: A Heritage of Mentorship Story by MCSN Greg Hall

NIMITZ NEWS

Capt. Kevin Lenox Commanding Officer Cmdr. J.W. David Kurtz Executive Officer CMDCM Rick Mengel Command Master Chief

MEDIA DEPARTMENT

Lt. Cmdr. Theresa Donnelly PAO Ens. Meagan Morrison DIVO MCCS Ahron Arendes Media DLCPO MCC Grant Probst Media LCPO MCC Porter Anderson Media CPO MC2 Austin Haist Media LPO

Learn about how mentors influence junior Sailors and the impact they have on long-term careers.

8 DPIA: Nimitz Enters Dry Dock Story by MC3 Cole Schroeder

Check out Nimitz moving to its new home as it enters the beginning stages of her upcoming DPIA cycle and home for the next 18 months.

12 From Crossed Anchors to Cranes Story by MCSN Michael Prusiecki

Many skills acquired in the Navy can carry over to jobs in the civilian world. Turn to page 12 to read about the skills Boatswainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mates earn and how it benefits them outside of the Navy.

MC3 Emily Johnston Lead Designer MC2 Don White Phojo WCS MC2 Marc Cuenca MC2 Deanna Gonzales MC2 Holly Herline MC2 Erickson Magno MC2 Ian Zagrocki MC3 Chad Anderson MC3 Kenneth Blair MC3 David Claypool MC3 Colby Comery MC3 Cody Deccio MC3 Chris Jahnke MC3 Ian Kinkead MC3 Kennishah Maddux MC3 Jose Madrigal MC3 Liana Nichols MC3 Cole Schroeder MC3 Leon Wong MC3 Bethany Woolsey MCSN Greg Hall MCSN Mike Prusiecki MCSN Frank Speciale MCSN Jessica Tukes

Story and photos by MCSN Greg Hall

Black History Month A Heritage of Mentorshi

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER

ANDRE D. AMOS

“Master Chief Brian Skeete was my DLCPO (departmental leading chief petty officer) when I was a petty officer second class,” said Lt. j.g. Erika Mecum, from Dallas, Texas, the assistant first lieutenant in deck department aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). “He pushed me every day to do better. At first it was hard to take, but eventually I saw that it was for the best, [and he changed my life].” African-Americans, like Skeete, have been serving honorably in the Navy for centuries, setting an outstanding example of honor, courage and commitment among all of those they serve with. Although the Navy recognizes this excellence year round, during Black History Month the Navy highlights AfricanAmerican trailblazers like April D. Beldo, the first African-American female command master chief of an aircraft carrier, Jesse LeRoy Brown, the first African-American aviator in the U.S. Navy, and Carl Brashear, the first African-American to become a U.S. Navy Master Diver, all of whom were examples to future generations of AfricanAmerican Sailors. Some may have even served as mentors to younger generations. For this year’s Black History Month, Mecum recognizes Skeete for everything he has done for her as her mentor. Mecum said that seeing someone of her own race leading Sailors made her want to work harder. Seeing the effort that he put in every day made her not want to let him down. “He said that I did not have to stay enlisted and to aim as high as I wanted to go,” said

Mecum. “He told me that getting schooling would help with advancement and help me to become an officer. He really pushed me. I earned my bachelor’s degree then, but now I am working on my master’s degree for myself now.” A good mentor was pivotal in Mecum’s advancement and success in multiple aspects of not only her Navy life, but also her personal life. African-American Sailors can pave the way by being mentors to those that follow. Mentors help influence decisions by leading others by example. “All of my uncles were prior military,” said Mecum. “I wanted to be on a path similar to the one they were on, and I decided to join the Navy right out of high school. I liked how professional they looked in uniform.” Mecum said that her uncles were an example to her. They were different from the people around her. “A lot of people around me weren’t on the correct path,” said Mecum. “Seeing someone like one of my uncles, on the correct path with passion, helped me see they were making something of themselves. That is influenced me and made me want to join.” Mentorship is vital to junior Sailors. It helps shape who they are and impacts who they will become. Part of the mentor’s creed says, “Help as many people as possible reach their own personal level of success.” “When I was commissioned, I asked him to be my guest speaker, and he commissioned me at the ceremony,” said Mecum. “To see him there meant so much. He spoke about how he had worked to mold me, and it was awesome to hear that. It made it that much more worth it to have him there and speak those words.” Mentorship goes both ways and leaders will also learn from the process. This is why many leaders are always looking for the opportunity to be a mentor. “I really try to work with the Boatswain’s Mates in deck department,” said Chief Warrant Officer Andre D. Amos, from Hampton, Ark., the ship’s boatswain’s mate (Bos’n) aboard Nimitz. Amos said that he also teaches petty officers second classes supervisory skills. He helps them with career guidance and

advises Sailors on choosing orders for where they should go next to advance their career. “I show Sailors who are interested how I became a warrant officer,” said Amos. “I show them my officer packet and tell them what I did. I even give them copies so they can compare it to what they are working on. The Navy can be easy if someone shows you what you need to do.” Good mentors work hard to influence others and make changes around themselves. “I saw a lot of things that I wanted to change,” said Mecum. “I also wanted to show other young women that they can make the transition from enlisted to officer. That is why I decided to become an officer.” Sailors can find mentors in their workplace, but they are encouraged to look for inspiration in U.S. Navy history. “There are a lot of examples that African-Americans can look to,” said Amos. “When I heard about Carl Brashear it made me realize that I don’t have it as bad as he did. I am thankful for him and that he paved the way for people like me.” Finding a mentor is important for each Sailor’s time in the Navy. A mentor can provide advice and direction to Sailors. Ultimately, each Sailor needs to become a mentor that someone else can rely on. “Master Chief Skeete showed me how a mentor can make a difference in a person’s life,” said Mecum. “His example makes me want to work harder in my own life. It makes me want to be a better mentor to the Sailors I work with now.” Nimitz is currently preparing for a docking planned incremental availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility where the ship will receive scheduled maintenance and upgrades.

PHOTO BY MC3 CHRISTOPHER R. JAHNKE

PHOTOS BY MC3 IAN KINKEAD and MCSN JESSICA C. TUKES

THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) shifted from its homeport pier at Naval Base Kitsap

Bremerton to a dry dock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton site, March 1. “I’ve seen this ship come full circle,” said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Jordan Manuel, from San Jose, Calif. “I got to the boat in the middle of Nimitz’s last maintenance availability so I got to experience all the work-ups and underway periods that led up to our previous deployment, and now we’re back in the yards getting ready for our next mission. I’ve experienced everything it takes to get an aircraft carrier back on deployment, and this is just a part of the process.” This shift is part of the ship’s 10

scheduled 15-month docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) period which officially begins March 1, following a six month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleets. Nimitz took part in multiple operations during the its last deployment. In June 2017, the ship participated in a series of bilateral training operations with the Royal New Zealand Navy to increase interoperability. Exercise Malabar 2017 took place in Chennai, India and the Bay of Bengal, which increased relations and maritime security between the U.S. Navy, Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime SelfDefense Force. They also took part in Operation Inherent Resolve, flying more than 1,000 combat sorties into Iraq and Syria, dropping more than 900 pieces of ordnance.

“It’s a different mission for these guys,” said Brian Fazio, the project superintendent. “This isn’t deployment, but it is depot level maintenance that requires attention to detail and a safety mindset.” Although Nimitz is being moved from an operational to a maintenance status, the work for the crew does not stop. “We still have to execute the same way we have been,” said Cmdr. Chuck Jones, Nimitz’s chief engineer. “This is still our home, and we have to take care of this ship and get it ready for the next deployment.” Nimitz will receive upgrades and renovations to a variety of systems to include steering components, hull preservation, combat systems equipment, aircraft elevator doors, berthing areas and a new stern dock.

Capt. Kevin P. Lenox. “I have no doubt that this crew will efficiently and safely execute this DPIA period the same way they executed their last at-sea period.” “This is nothing like deployment, but this is work all the same,” said Manuel. “This is the preparation it takes to get a ship through a deployment or combat operations safely, and effectively.” Although some sailors won’t be on board long enough to see this yard period all the way through, it’s going to take the work of everyone to get Nimitz back to operations.

““We still have to execute the same way we have been. This is still our home, and we have to take care of this ship and get it ready for the next deploymenT.

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This will be the ship’s most recent upgrade since it’s last maintenance period from January 2015 to October 2017. “In all reality, this preservation period should be one of the last for Nimitz,” said Fazio. “With new counter measure systems and refurbishments to multiple areas of the ship including antennas; close-in weapons systems; rudders, shafts and propellers; habitability areas; and overall hull preservation, Nimitz should expect a busy preservation period.” With a lengthy and high work tempo yard period ahead, the crew anticipates 15 ship’s force teams to split up 315,000 man hours to get the ship back in fighting condition and back out to sea. “This crew performed extremely well since the ending of the last yard period,” said Nimitz commanding officer

-CMDR. CHUCK JONES, NIMITZ’S CHIEF ENGINEER.

FROM CROSSED ANCHORS

TO CRANES BY MCSN MICHAEL PRUSIECKI

They’re one of the oldest ratings in the U.S. Navy. They undertake some of the most dangerous and imperative evolutions required on a warship. Known as tough, hardworking Sailors, they’re usually the first ones awake and the last asleep. 12

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THEM referred to around the ship as their colloquial Navy term, “Boats.” They are U.S. Navy Boatswain’s Mates (BM). Originating in 1775, BMs are one of five Navy rates still in use today of the nine original ratings. Today, they perform underway replenishments, small boat operations, preservation and overhaul of the ship’s hull and spaces. Typical qualifications a BM can earn onboard a ship are coxswain, Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch, safety officer, UNREP rigger, rig captain, quality assurance inspector, rigger weight tester and helmsman. These qualifications make them a vital part of a warship’s operations out to sea. Their skills range from taking on millions of gallons of fuel and thousands of pallets of food and supplies, to dropping the anchor, mooring the ship in port, and launching small boats to recover personnel in man-overboard situations. Deck department plays a large and important role in the Navy’s mission. “BM is one of the hardest working rates in the Navy, and we are required to maintain operational readiness and continued support out at sea,” said Chief Boatswain’s Mate John Parkowski from North Baltimore, Ohio. BM’s duties and responsibilities are essential to the Navy for abundant reasons. They continually prove their worth in commands both at sea and ashore. “We’re the backbone of the Navy,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Kenneth Burger of Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. “Without us, the ship doesn’t sail. We’re pretty much a jack-ofall-trades, because we can get qualifications in almost all departments and positions aboard.” But just what can a BM do with their acquired skill outside of the Navy? “You can do a lot more than most people think,” said Burger. “In terms of civilian jobs, you’re really only as limited as your imagination.” Former BM’s can find themselves in positions within the civilian world, such as a ferry/tug pilot officer, border patrol security

guard, private security firm positions, shipyard crane service rigger, driving security boats for port operations, and various positions aboard Military Sealift Command ships, such as 1st, 2nd, or 3rd mate, rig captain, or master helmsman. “Safety is a number one priority, and when you combine work ethic with safety vigilance we are capable of doing anything, which is why hiring experienced personnel from the military brings a lot of advantages,” said Brian Fazio, the shipyard project superintendent. “Two jobs jump out at me when you talk about BM’s. Lifting and handling riggers, and painting and preservation specialist take direct attributes from BM’s in the Navy and apply them to shipyard specialties.” The qualities that transfer from the Navy to the shipyard also directly correlate to suitability with jobs in the civilian sector. “A key aspect of being a Boatswain’s Mate is making rank and becoming a manager and

supervisor, which could transfer to most, if not all aspects of the civilian world,” said Parkowski. “Every company, store or department, needs managers and supervisors, and that is vital experience that you acquire as a BM.” Since the U.S. Navy’s inception, BM’s have been working diligently, and their rating withstands the test of time. Many have proven to be vital assets in all aspects of the military and civilian workforce. So, whether they look for positions related to the skills they use in the Navy, or they want to enter a completely unrelated field, there is a myriad of positions available in the civilian world for these Sailors to transition to. Nimitz is currently preparing for a dockingplanned incremental availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility where the ship will receive scheduled maintenance and upgrades. 13

crossword

SUDOKU

trivia

find chester

A business man has two regular cubes on his office desk. Each cube has six single digit numbers on it. Every day, he arranges both cubes so that the front faces show the current day of the month. What are the numbers on each face of each cube?

Admiral Chester Nimitz’s face is hidden somewhere in every Nimitz News. Can you find him?

weekly throwback FC3 Lawrence Buschan and FC3 Christopher Laird perform maintenance on the SPS-48 Air Search Radar in 2005.

The key to the solution is the fact that “6” and “9” are the same character. One cube would contain the numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The other cube would contain the numbers 0, 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8. Even though there is no day “00” a 0 is needed on both cubes in order to make all of the days between “01” and “09.” There are many alternate configurations that also will produce all of the days of the month. Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All submissions are subject to review and editing. “Nimitz News” is an authorized publication for the members of the military services and their families. Its content does not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or the Marine Corps and does not imply endorsement thereby.

21. AN Matthew Martin stands a full bore watch in the Strait3of Hormuz. Photo by MC3 Leon Wong

2. ABHAN Derek Slater picks up his firefighting boots after a crash-and-salvage watch. Photo by MC3 (SW) Weston Mohr 3. An F/A-18E Super Hornet, from VFA-146, launches from the flight deck. Photo by MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 4. Sailors on the rigging team work and cool off during a replenishment-at-sea. Photo by MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 5. Sailors conduct honor guard practice aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo by MC3 Leon Wong 6. Sailors move ordnance aboard the flight deck off USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo By MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 7. Sailors play football on the flight deck of USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo By MC2 (SW/AW/IW) Holly Herline 8. An MH-60S Sea Hawk from HSC-8 patrols above Nimitz. Photo by MCSN (SW/AW) Cody Deccio 9. Sailors recieve supplies aboard Nimitz during an UNREP. Photo By MC3 (SW) Weston A. Mohr