Nimitz News - Sept. 15, 2013

September 15, 2013

Vol. 39 No. 32

INSIDE: USMAP

PG. 8

NAVIGATING YOUR FUTURE

2013 CHIEF PINNING PG. 3

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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Commanding Officer Capt. Jeff Ruth Executive Officer Capt. John Cummings Command Master Chief CMDCM Teri M. McIntyre Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Karin Burzynski Media DIVO Ensign John Mike Media LCPO MCC Mike Jones Media Production Chief MCC Gregory Roberts Media LPO MC1 Michael Cole Editor MC2 Jason Behnke Lead Designer MC3 Raul Moreno Jr. Media Department MC2 Jacquelyn Childs MC2 Ashley Berumen MC2 Nichelle Bishop MC2 Devin Wray MC2 Ryan Mayes MC2 Alexander Ventura II MC3 Renée L. Candelario MC3 Shayne Johnson MC3 Jacob Milner MC3 Christopher Bartlett MC3 George J Penney III MC3 Linda S. Swearingen MC3 Jess Lewis MC3 Vanessa David MC3 W. J. Cousins MC3 Derek Volland MC3 Phil Ladouceur MC3 Sam Souvannason MC3 Nathan McDonald MC3 Joshua Haiar MCSN Kole Carpenter MCSN Derek Harkins MCSN Kaitlyn Haskett MCSN Eric Butler MCSN Siobhana McEwen MCSA Aiyana Paschal MCSA Kelly Agee MCSA Victoria Ochoa MCSA Andrew Price Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All submissions must be in by Friday, COB. Submissions are subject to review and screening.

“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.

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By Lt. Cmdr. Brandon Harding

I

n August of 2010 I suffered a nearly fatal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (brain bleed). Thanks to my wife who immediately took action and called 9-1-1, a great team of Neurosurgeons at the Mayo clinic in Florida, and lots and lots of prayer, my life was spared.

I was in the ICU for 3 weeks. I don’t remember much from the first 10-12 days.

I had two surgery’s and have two stents in my brain. After being discharged from the hospital at the end of August I had 60 days of convalescent leave to recover.

When I first came home I took 4 hour naps, sometimes twice a day. I had been training for an IronMan and worked out 12-15 hours a week. Now a half mile walk wore me completely out. My physical strength was greatly depleted, but what about my spiritual strength?

While it is easy to assess our physical strength, how about our spiritual strength? Imagine for a moment your soul sitting next to you. What would it look like? Is it scrawny and malnourished? Or do does it look like Mr. or Mrs. Olympia? How big are your spiritual muscles? What do the spiritual muscles of your spouse and or children look like? Where does spiritual strength come from?

Spiritual muscles like physical ones grow stronger through exercising faith.

For physical exercise to have any last effect it must be consistent. Likewise, spiritual strength develops and increases as we are consistently exercise our faith by being obedient to the commandments of God. Do you expect to have spiritual strength in moments of need when obedience has been rare or haphazard?

Imagine for a moment there is a set of pull up bars outside your workspace. You are told on Wednesday night there will be a test of your strength. If you can do

20 pull-ups, you will receive $20 million dollars, 10 pull-ups $10,000 and 1 pullup, just a $1. How many could you do?

Well let’s say instead of the strength test being on Wednesday, it is going to be 6 months from now. If you wanted the $20 million could you do it? What would it take? A few pull-ups here and there?

Imagine the spiritual strength developed in a child who knows that each morning and night he or she will kneel in family prayer. Think of the same child in home where holy scripture is studied daily, and where there is weekly attendance at worship meetings. Honesty and integrity permeate the home.

Obedience, to have real power must be consistent. I didn’t say perfect, just consistent.

Now think of the kind of faith and spiritual strength that is produced if these activities happen only occasionally. What happens when our children encounter temptation? Do they have the spiritual strength to flee like Joseph did from Potiphar’s wife? Do we?

One Christian leader put it this way, “A consistent, righteous life produces an inner power and strength that can be permanently resistant to the eroding influence of sin and transgression”.

You are surfing the internet…your mouse moves over an inappropriate link…do you click it?

Your spouse says or does something that upsets you…Do you seek vengeance or reconciliation?

You are filing your taxes…it would be easy to add some deductions to ensure a return…do you?

What we decide to do in each of these cases and the many other temptations we face largely depends on our spiritual strength. That strength is developed by consistent obedience. Are you ready for your 20 spiritual pull-ups?

Photo by MCSN (SW) Kole Carpenter

58 SAILORS RECEIVE THEIR ANCHORS Story by MCSN (SW) Kole Carpenter

Newly pinned chief petty officers stand at attention during a chief pinning ceremony in the hangar bay.

heavier. I hope to be a good mentor and leader, and now I have my new brothers and sisters to fall back on.”

Senior Chief Air Traffic Controller Kyle Hempel shared his thoughts on this year’s induction.

“The ceremony went well,” Hempel said. “It’s good to see the new chiefs get qualified. Being out to sea it’s hard, because their families aren’t here, but the fact that they’re with their brothers and sisters, and the sailors that got them here, and the junior officers they should be training and leading. It’s probably the best part of a ceremony at sea.”

Hempel said that the journey is not over for the inductees.

They, like all chiefs before them, have more room to grow.

However, he believes the honor of wearing the anchors is one they will live up to.

“They have some learning to do, but they have come a long, long way,” he said. “As they continue on their journey, I’m sure they will step up to the plate and uphold the traditions of the chief petty officer.”

Nimitz Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts.

Photo by MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Photo by MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Fifty-eight Sailors were promoted to the rank of chief petty officer during a ceremony held Sept. 13 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

Chief Electrician’s Mate JayJay Cash, a new addition to the Chief’s Mess, described the ceremony as, “an awe.”

“It was beautiful,” Cash said. “Absolutely amazing.

When you think about the journey, it doesn’t even matter if you planned to be in this long. It’s more than just a reward.

It’s a way of life. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything, ever.

If I had to do it all again, I would do it.”

He expressed his excitement in working with his shipmates as a new chief.

“I’m looking forward to being on the deck plates with my Sailors,” Cash said. “Taking care of them and leading them the right way.”

Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Laura Colby, another newly pinned chief, said the experience was as weighty as it was thrilling. The moment the anchors were hers, Colby said, she could feel the heft of responsibility they carry.

“It was a lot of weight added,” she said. “I felt it. The anchors are pretty heavy, and they’re only going to get

AEC Dustin Dickinson places a chief petty officer cover on NCC Billy Spillers during a chief pinning ceremony in the hangar bay.

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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MULTI-DIMENSIONAL

Story and Photos by MC3 Linda S. Swearingen

T

hroughout time, there have been men who have pursued the life of a multi-dimensional artist; men such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michaelanglo.

For 27-year-old Operations Specialist Seaman Rickson Sainvil, of Miami, a Sailor on board, being an artist of many different forms of art is something that comes naturally to him.

“I create art to give a voice to my imagination and imagined instances of worlds in my mind,” said Sainvil. “Art is also a growing and active part of humanity. It needs to be created, recreated if possible, and preserved to inform future generations of the times.”

According to Sainvil the inspiration for his art is inherent.

“Moreover that comes easy, but time doesn’t stay around long enough at times for thoughts to manifest,” said Sainvil.

“I’m inspired by my thoughts and current events that shape the framework and destiny of history.”

The son of Haitian immigrants, Sainvil’s parents instilled a hard work ethic in him and his three other brothers from an early age.

“First my dad came to the U.S. in 1979, and he saved up money for an entire year to bring my mother over in 1980,” said Sainvil.

Thanks to his father, Sainvil grew up speaking, reading and writing four different languages fluently: English, Haitian Creole, French and Spanish.

“My dad didn’t speak fluent English so he taught my brothers and me how to speak, read and write the three languages he did know,” said Sainvil. “My dad is very religious and he taught us from the Bibles he had in different languages.

He never finished school, but he taught us that education was paramount.”

Sainvil started out his education as an -Sainvil artist in high school where he learned to paint and draw.

“I got started drawing and painting when I had a general arts class in high school,” said Sainvil. “The first project I had was to draw a still life project, and I did so well on it my teacher told me about a magnet school program for visual arts.

I met with the chairman of the magnet school and got accepted on the spot for the Dillard Center for the Arts. When I

“I create art to give a voice to my imagination...”

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OSSN Rickson Sainvil poses with some of his artwork.

was there I studied drama, painting, drawing and was the wide receiver on the football team.”

Sainvil said that most of his drawing and painting have been made in the form of abstract art. He uses mostly acrylic and oil paints mixed with various mediums when making visual art.

After he graduated high school, Sainvil was accepted to multiple colleges on scholarship programs, so he chose to go to Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).

“I choose MICA because they offered me the biggest scholarship,” said Sainvil. “I got my Associates of Art at MICA and then I went to Miami Dade College (MDC) where I got my B.A. in Communications. After that I went to Full Sail University in Orlando, Fla., which is a renowned art school. I went there for a few months, but dropped out due to the high cost of tuition.”

In addition to being a visual artist, Sainvil is also a writer who has had two books published.

“I write mostly poetry and I’ve published two books so far full of my poetry,” said Sainvil. “One is called ‘Mirrored Memories of My Mind’ and the other is called ‘Mirrored Memories of My Mind: Visual Images’. Right now I’m working on a biography of someone from back home and I continue to write poetry. I write a lot of stuff that is for my eyes only and that I’ll never publish.”

The future appears to be limitless for this modern day Renaissance man, but for now Sainvil plans on reenlisting in the Navy for recruiting duty while continuing to pursue the arts.

“My long-term goals include traveling around the world and writing about the different things I see,” said Sainvil. “I also plan on going back to school to study the arts.”

No matter where Sainvil finds himself in years to come, he said he will continue to create art in various forms due to the way it makes him feel.

“Making art makes me feel a freedom that is boundless,” said Sainvil.

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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WORKING FOR THE CMC Story and photos by MCSA Kelly Agee

Imagine being a very junior Sailor having the responsibility of taking care of one of the most senior ranking enlisted Sailors on board. It would be stressful, right?

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N

ot for one of the yeomen on board Nimitz who performs this task daily with a smile on her face.

Yeoman Seaman Mikayla Farley, of Warner Robbins, Ga., is the yeoman for Command Master Chief (CMC) Teri McIntyre. She assists the CMC with paperwork and scheduling, and is instrumental in Sailors receiving their award certificates.

Farley joined in July 2012 because she wanted to try something new and was hoping to get a job that was based off of her bachelors degree in network and security.

In October 2012 Farley received her first orders to report to Nimitz. When she arrived she was part of Deck Department and because of her hard work was noticed by her chain of command.

“I was originally working in Deck Department, I wasn’t doing much Deck Department stuff such as painting,” said Farley. “I painted when I first got here and then I started working for my division officer, Lt. j.g. Kim.” Farley helped Kim with deck tablets, deck evaluations, setting up repair locker teams and making sure everyone in deck got their training they needed done.

In February of last year, Farley’s chain of command told her that because of her military bearing and professionalism she was best qualified to work for the CMC. Now Farley deals with various paperwork the CMC needs taken care of.

Farley helps with the enlisted warfare qualifications by taking the names of the people receiving the awards down to media to get the certificates printed. From there she brings them to get signed by the CMC, XO and CO. According to Farley this job is very important to the Sailors receiving these and other awards on board Nimitz and timeliness is key.

“It’s important especially when Sailors get their qualifications and Sailors get their awards on time,” said Farley.

“If I don’t get them to the CMC on time they won’t get the award on time.”

As well as awards, Farley also helps with the NIMITZNOTEs, which are shipboard instructions on board.

Farley said she helps by typing them up in the proper format before turning them into XO admin.

“

SN Farley poses with CMDCM McIntyre.

Since the CMC is very busy Farley helps with her schedule to make sure the CMC’s day goes smoothly.

“People will send out e-mails to me and ask if they can meet with the CMC,” said Farley. “I help set up the CMC’s schedule and set up meetings for those people. I mainly schedule the meeting for check-ins and check-outs and any of the meetings they need scheduled.”

Although her job consists of so much paperwork she enjoys her job and getting to work with the CMC. “I like this job,” said Farley.

“The CMC is an awesome person to work with. I look up to her as a role model. She has been a big help to me with my life on board Nimitz.”

Farley said she admires the CMC because of her accomplishments and leadership on board Nimitz.

“By accomplishing her goals in the Navy and to get where she is now I believe that is amazing,” said Farley. “Every day she comes to work in a professional manner with a smile on her face; working hard to help others and the com-FARLEY mand itself. Also, being the first female CMC on Nimitz, achieving her goals and professional attitude in the workspace makes me look up to her.”

Farley also believes the CMC does a great job looking out for the Sailors on board.

“She is a great person to work with because she is also a great leader and also looks out for the Sailors aboard Nimitz; that is why she has an open door policy,” said Farley.

“Her concern for others is very admirable because she likes to help.”

With the CMC’s help, Farley believes that someday she can get involved in the information system technician field (IT) and maybe even become an officer.

“The CMC helped get me great information about the IT field because someday I would like to work in that field.

Also, she has helped me look at the officer programs.”

While working for senior personnel might seem intimidating at first, for Farley it has proven to be equally rewarding as it is challenging as it has provided a first hand look at the qualities that make a good leader, setting her up for success in whatever her future may hold.

I look up to her as a role model.

She has been a big help to me with my life on board Nimitz.

SN Farley sits at her desk in the CMC’s office.

”

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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USMAP Heading in the right direction with

Story by MCSN (SW) Kole E. Carpenter

The civilian job market is getting more and more competitive.

Even though education is more readily available than ever, unemployment is at an eye-widening high, and the cost of living steadily, unrelentingly, grows. This means the field is flooded with highly-qualified players, all trying to muscle into the same limited positions. To stay in the game, job-hunters need to have an edge.

The United States Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) is an opportunity for those re-entering the civilian workforce to sharpen that edge. USMAP is a journeyman’s program backed by the Department of Labor, available free to military members. The program offers a chance to use on-the-job training in the fighting forces toward hundreds of professional civilian certifications.

According to Navy Counselor 1st Class Domenique Sanchez, a command career counselor aboard Nimitz, employers are looking for more than a resume, a portfolio, or even a degree. They want to know that your ability is concrete. USMAP constructs a specific, logged presentation of the experience you’ve gained while you served.

Sanchez said the program is simple. “You just log the hours you work,” he said.

The hours add up toward your certificate’s required total.

Sanchez utilizes USMAP himself and encourages Sailors to enroll and take advantage.

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“It all falls upon the Sailor to get it done,” he said.

“It’s all up to you. Out there, you pay for journeyman programs out of pocket. Here, they cost nothing but time.”

Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Keli Wagers, also a USMAP participant, said she logs her work time every week. According to Wagers, her unofficial, or “proxy mentor”, originally pushed her to enroll.

And so far, she has stacked up 576 hours toward a radio station operator certification.

“It’s great to have a record of what you do each week,” Wagers said. “It feels like I’m getting

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“I’m hoping it will give me a competitive edge when I get into the civilian world”-Niedorf

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closer, you know? Taking steps toward something big – something I can use.”

Religious Programs Specialist Seaman Apprentice Casey Niedorf, a new arrival to the Nimitz, said her future lies outside the Navy, in the world of corporate America.

“I’m hoping to get a masters in business,” she said.

To catch a head start in the game, Niedorf enrolled in USMAP. She has already started making headway to a certification in administration and business.

“I’m hoping it will give me a competitive edge when I get into the civilian world,” she said.

According to Sanchez, new users like Niedorf should have no trouble accessing the site. He said the quickest way to enroll is via the Navy Personnel Command website.

“It was actually really simple – really user friendly,” Niedorf said.

Under personal info, click career links. Then find the USMAP link under the Training and Education section. It can also be accessed through Navy Knowledge Online.

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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Peleliu Story by MC3 (SW) Phil Ladouceur

T

he invasion of Peleliu was supposed to protect the flank of the American invasion of the southern Philippines, and its captured airstrips were to provide support. But when carrier air raids determined that the southern Philippines were lightly defended, it was decided that the attack should occur farther north. A number of operations were cancelled due to the change of plans. But not the invasion of Peleliu.

During the war in the Pacific, Adm. Chester Nimitz kept a sign on his desk that had a list of questions. The first of them was simply: “Is the proposed operation likely to succeed?�

He did not like to take risks without reason.

The previous amphibious assault, on Tinian, had taken only nine days. It was assumed that Peleliu would take as long, if not a little less. If this was overly optimistic, there was reason for it. All had gone well up until then, with both the Army and the Navy enjoying a string of victories.

After several weeks of bombing, the Navy started shelling the island three days before the invasion. For two days they pounded the island, until they were cancelled early, mistakenly believing there were no more targets to hit. The commander of the First Marine Division predicted it would take four days of hard fighting, but that would be all.

Optimism was in the air.

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The Marines went ashore with three infantry regiments Sept. 15, 1944. It was different from the beginning. They were counterattacked that evening from the airfield they were trying to secure. Thirteen tanks charged at them, guns blazing, Japanese infantry riding on them wherever they could find a handhold. The Marines fired howitzers, anti-tank guns, flamethrowers, and small arms. Some Marines even stood on rocks, blazing away until the tanks were destroyed.

Unlike the wild and suicidal attacks the Marines had faced in previous invasions, this one was disciplined, coordinated and effective.

The first and second days ended with higher than expected casualties and with the Marines far short of their objectives.

The landscape itself opposed the Marines. When artillery fire hit, coral shrapnel showered them, and when they hit the deck for cover they landed on the same sharp coral. The island had only a thin layer of topsoil over coral and limestone, and it was difficult to dig a foxhole.

But the Japanese had carved a network of caves that had to be destroyed, one-by-one, as the Marines advanced.

And Japanese forces simply retreated into their tunnels, to reappear later as part of a counterattack. It was a vicious game of whack-a-mole, an intricate layering of defenses.

They began to realize that the enemy was not interested in opposing them. They weren’t holding territory or seizing tactical initiative. They had no objective beyond just killing as many Americans as they could, for as long as they could.

They were facing better Japanese troops, veterans of China who were being moved into the Pacific for the first time.

The Japanese Army now understood that they were no longer in a position to win the war. Tokyo had written off the troops on Peleliu as good as lost. They were now to kill Americans until they themselves died.

In previous assaults, the Japanese had fought hard to prevent the landing forces from establishing themselves on the beaches. Now they would wait, nearly 10,000 troops, ready to die fighting.

The Japanese had built their stronghold at Bloody Nose Ridge. Here they would let troops move in and advance, and then suddenly open fire on three sides. Wounded men were everywhere on the slopes of the ridge. Those brave enough to try and rescue the casualties were more often than not brought down themselves.

The Marines fought with their guns, hand grenades, and knives. When they ran out of bullets, some resorted to empty ammunition boxes and coral rocks.

By the sixth day of the assault, the 1st Marine Regiment had been reduced from three companies of 612 men to 74.

By Oct. 20, the Army’s 81st Division relieved the battered 1st Marine Division. The Japanese were still lurking in their caves, giving way only by inches, continuing to fight until the morning of Nov. 27.

The Americans had taken ten weeks to finally take the island, at a cost of nearly 10,000 dead, wounded, or missing. More than 6,000 of those casualties came from the 1st Marine Division, one-third of their manpower. Eight Marines would be awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions on Peleliu, five posthumously.

In retrospect, many historians have thought that the battle was unnecessary. Its primary objective was met before the battle had begun, since the Japanese had no way of effectively counterattacking from the islands due to the Navy’s forces in the area. They could have simply been cut off from the Japanese home islands and left until the end of the war. And by the time the island was under control, there was no longer any need for air support for the invasion of the Philippines.

But this was in retrospect. Who would have imagined that 13,500 Japanese troops would fight tooth and nail to the death? And with the exception of 300 or so prisoners and a small band of 35 soldiers who wouldn’t surrender until 1947, that is exactly what they did.

It will never be as famous as Iwo Jima or Okinawa, but that is the nature of history. We remember some events and overlook others. Many of the Marines who fought there felt that it had been an achievement without need, but it also taught a lesson about the new Japanese tactics. It was a lesson learned and implemented. The fight here laid the groundwork for the more famous struggles.

The battle might best be summed up by this exchange: When asked by a naval officer if he had any souvenirs to trade, a Marine leaving the island said, “I brought my ass out of there, swabbie. That’s my souvenir of Peleliu.”

Marines recover casualties after the assault on the beach of Peleliu.

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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TFCC

THE ADMIRAL’S EYES AND EARS

T

Story and photo by MCSA Kelly M. Agee

here are select groups of Sailors and Marines on board who are enlisted with vital secret information on a daily basis. This community includes the operation specialists (OS) in the Tactical Flag Communication Center (TFCC).

There are different groups within the TFCC; link monitoring coordinators (LMC) and data base managers (DBM).

LMCs maintain a tactical picture from all of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11 units using various links, or connections, to forward pictures to fleet headquarters.

The LMCs have an overall picture on a screen in TFCC. Rear Adm. Michael S. White, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CCSG) 11, will come in on a daily basis to make tactical decisions utilizing the information provided by TFCC on where the coalition and/or foreign country units are located. Since leaving Everett, Wash., for deployment TFCC has worked with 17 different countries including Great Britain, Norway, Japan, and Holland and more than 30 U.S. ships since we have left homeport.

“TFCC has to be able to take all that information and use it in a manner where we fold them in, yet not divulge anything classified,” said Lt. John Hightower, the Joint Interface Control Officer.

Another job in the TFCC is the data base managers who manage the global maritime picture (GMP). The GMPs control ship movements including all of

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Lt. John Hightower supervises OS2 Josh Tremblay while he monitors data links.

our units in CSG- 11 and auxiliary units.

The different tools the TFCC uses are the Air Defense System Interrogator (ADSI) and the Interim Jico Support System (IJSS).

The ADSI sets up internet protocol connections to other ships so those ships can feed Nimitz an improved tactical picture.

The IJSS monitors everything that is going on within the network. If someone is doing something they are not suppose to, the IJSS points out where the problem lies and the link monitoring coordinators correct the issue.

“This is my first command and it’s a pretty cool job for OSs because you get to see where everything is located,” said Operations Specialist 3rd Class Tianna Fitzgerald.

TFCC also helps keep communication with embarked pilots through J-voice, a communications path built into the link that can communicate through voice.

Another system TFCC uses, the rapid attack information dissemination execution relay target package generator (RAIDER TPG), can be utilized to send and receive text messages and images with pilots who are having technical problems with sending or receiving coms.

“There have been times when the pilots will go up and they won’t have coms, except through J-voice,” said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Josh Tremblay.

The job of an OS in TFCC can be stressful especially during dangerous

evolutions that involve transiting through dangerous waterways.

While transiting these waterways the small room of TFCC is crowded with high-ranking officials, including CCSG11 and those on a need-to-know basis who eagerly watch the screen checking on the location of all units.

“There was one time where 30 people were crowded within TFCC looking at the screen that I was maintaining,” said Tremblay. “It can be stressful but you have to be engaged the whole time, keep your focus on the screens and make sure that picture stays up.”

According to Operations Specialist 3rd Class Zachery Reeves, you have to be independent to work in TFCC. “There are about a hand full of enlisted working with TFCC,” said Reeves.

“Everyone has to be able to do all of their own work without having to be told to do your job.”

TFCC is important to Nimitz because of the essential information it provides.

“We have to make sure we are giving the admiral the best possible information,” said Hightower. “That’s why everything is so important in TFCC, because the information we provide helps the admiral make informed decisions.”

The workers of TFCC are vital to our mission because of the tactical information they provide to the admiral on a daily basis so he can make informed decisions for the strike group.

T

he Navy is seeking highly-motivated master chief and senior chief petty officers for the Command Master Chief (CMC) and Command Senior Chief (CSC) Program, officials said Sept. 13.

“Hands down, the most important role of a command master chief or command senior chief is to represent their Sailors in all matters Navy to the commanding officer,” said Command Master Chief Petty Officer (SW) Brent Tidwell, CMC/CSC detailer, Navy Personnel Command (NPC). “As a command master chief or senior chief, you are the Sailors’ voice and they look to you for answers during challenging times, and you must be ready.”

CMCs and CSCs ensure there is active communication throughout a chain of command. They advise their respective commander or commanding officer and provide input in the formulation, implementation, and execution of policies concerning morale, job satisfaction, discipline, family support and training of enlisted Sailors, as well as provide input and advice in matters affecting mission and operations.

“As a CMC, I’m responsible for the personal and professional development of Sailors and I provide mentorship and training to junior officers so that their hard work and dedication results in mission success,” said Tidwell.

Those selected for the CMC/CSC Program are responsible for leading the alignment efforts of the Chief ’s Mess with the Navy ethos and Navy core values, and the mission, vision and guiding principles set forth by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

“Senior enlisted leaders should consider applying for the CMC/ CSC Program because it’s the pinnacle of leadership opportunities within our enlisted force,” said Tidwell. “It provides senior chiefs

As a command “master chief or

senior chief, you are the Sailors’ voice and they look to you for answers during challenging times, and you must be ready.”

-CMC TIDWELL

CMCs AND CSCs WANTED

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrea Perez, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

and master chiefs an opportunity to expand their experience past the technical aspects of their rate and lead a larger and more diverse group of Sailors than they would as a source rated senior or master chief.”

NAVADMIN 224/13 outlines eligibility and application procedures. Master chief and senior chief petty officers, including those in a frocked status are encouraged to apply. Applications must be postmarked no later than Dec. 9.

CMC and CSC selection boards convene annually at NPC. The board reviews and selects the best-qualified applicants for assignment into the CMC/CSC Program.

“Every year we get 100 or so packages and the board selects the very best of those,” said Tidwell. “The main thing is that people keep trying to apply if they don’t get selected the first or second time up.

Don’t give up because the opportunities and challenges are worth the fight and the frustration. It’s really rewarding to be a part of the command and see the impact that you have in the command as a CMC.” Upon selection, receipt of orders and successful completion of a Military Senior Enlisted Academy and the Navy’s Command Master Chief/Chief of the Boat course in Newport, R.I., master chief petty officers’ ratings will then be changed to CMDCM. Senior chief petty officers filling CSC billets will retain their source rating until selected for master chief petty officer and approved for conversion to CMDCM. Master chiefs and senior chiefs selected for the CMC/CSC program will be assigned by the CMC detailer based on billet availability, experience and qualifications. If an authorized CSC billet is not available, members may be detailed by their rating detailer until one becomes available.

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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17 Finance

Income Taxes

A Fun and Easy Guide Cmdr. Matthew Miller

Editor’s note: Cmdr. Matthew Miller has transferred from Nimitz, but he left this series of articles to aid the Sailors and Marines aboard in making sound financial planning and investing. He is not a Certified Financial Planner. The opinions expressed in this series of articles are his and do not guarantee any type of financial success whatsoever. There are many rules and regulations associated with taxes, fees, withdrawal penalties, and other complications that require a detailed understanding of various financial products. Before investing you should review the prospectus associated with the financial product and check with a professional to ensure you understand it and that it is right for you. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Introduction I have been doing my own taxes since 1987; however, I am not a certified tax planner. I have used Web Turbo Tax since the 2000 tax year and I believe that unless you have a complicated situation (I’ll discuss what “complicated” is later), then Web Turbo Tax does pretty much everything a tax preparer will do for you (all they do is fill out their own “turbo tax” software that does just about the same thing). I will make a lot of references to Turbo Tax in this email although I’m sure other tax software is just as good – I’ve just never used any of them. This email will cover some tax filing basics and I’ll explain some of the most common forms.

Additionally, many of the tax programs are free unless you have a complicated tax scenario, but even then, those costs are tax deductible.

Tax Forms There are literally hundreds of forms and worksheets along with thousands of pages of IRS tax code. There is no way I could go into all of them (plus I’m definitely not familiar with all of them), but I will go through the main forms and schedules. I’ll give you short definitions/explanations in my words as to what the forms are used for.

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1040 – U.S. Individual Tax Return This is the “main” tax form that almost everyone has to file. It’s where you determine your tax filing status (single, head of household, married filing jointly, married filing separately, etc.), document your income (wages, interest, dividends, business income, capital gains, etc.), document your deductions (standard deduction, itemized deductions, etc.), document your exemptions, and you figure out if you owe taxes or have a refund coming. There are also simple versions of the 1040 (1040A and 1040EZ) that you can use if you don’t have certain types of income and deductions.

Turbo Tax will figure all that out for you quite easily and prepare the right version of the 1040.

Schedule A – Itemized Deductions This is the form where you itemize deductions. You have the option of claiming a standard deduction or itemizing your deductions (if you claim the standard deduction you don’t need to file a Schedule A). The standard deduction varies depending on your filing status. If itemizing your deductions produces more than the standard deduction, then you should itemize. Things that you can itemize include mortgage interest, charitable donations, state income or sales taxes, certain job expenses and medical expenses, and a few other things. There are various income limits and phase-outs that occur with deductions, but Turbo Tax walks you through all the possible deductions and it is really easy. Turbo Tax will also compare the two and determine which will give you a better return.

Schedule B – Interest and Ordinary Dividends This is the form where you document your interest (like from your bank account) and dividends (like from your mutual funds as an example). It’s very simple – there is an interest section and a dividend section. You pull this information from your 1099-INT and 1099-DIV that your bank/mutual fund company sends you in January. Many of the forms are available online and can even be pulled from your institution directly into Turbo Tax. Schedule C – Profit or Loss From Business This is the form where you document all your income from a business and all your expenses to run the business.

If you work for yourself or have a business on the side, you generally need to file a Schedule C. If you are running your own business, then it almost for sure makes sense that you have an accountant/tax professional to help you do your taxes. This is one of the “complicated” scenarios I mentioned in the introduction.

Schedule D – Capital Gains and Losses This is the form where you document your gains and losses from the sale of assets (like stocks, mutual fund shares, etc.). This form is split out into long-term capital gains (assets held more than a year) and short-term capital gains (assets held less than a year). The tax rates are generally higher for

short-term capital gains – again, Turbo Tax can figure all this out for you quite easily. If you have a lot of sales and various buy/sell points, then this is another “complicated” situation where you may want to consider using a tax professional.

Schedule E – Supplemental Income and Loss This is the form where you capture your rental income and royalty income plus associated expenses. If you have an investment property that you rent out, then this is where you document all the rent/expenses associated with the property.

Owning investment property is another “complicated” indicator it may be time to hire a tax professional. I would encourage people even in this scenario to try using the software (you don’t pay until the end) because it really is quite easy as I can attest to.

8606 – Nondeductible IRAs There are tons of other forms besides the ones listed above, but I want to call particular attention to this one. This is where you document nondeductible contributions to an IRA (i.e., you make too much money to contribute to a Roth IRA, so you contribute to a Traditional IRA). This form keeps track over the years of the fact that you are contributing “after tax” (nondeductible) money to a Traditional IRA, so when you take it out, you don’t pay taxes on it. This is a critical form for anyone contributing to a Traditional IRA who makes too much to deduct the contribution. The form starts with an “86” because it came about during the sweeping tax law changes in the 1986 Tax Reform Act under Ronald Reagan. Don’t worry, Turbo Tax walks you through this too. These are just a few of the forms, but are the main ones and cover the majority of U.S. tax filers.

Record Keeping Whether you do your own taxes or have a professional do them for you, good record keeping is essential. Keeping all your tax documents in one place and maintaining an organized set of documents will make your tax life significantly easier. Even if you have someone do your taxes for you, they are going to need your W-2s, 1099s, information on asset purchases and sales, expenses, deductions, and on and on. Keeping track of when you buy and sell assets (date, dollar amount, number of shares, price per share, etc.) will prove to be very beneficial (and also help ensure you don’t overpay your taxes). You can do almost everything you need with a paper tax folder for hard copy material and an electronic tax folder on your computer with a spreadsheet that has this type of info. If you don’t, you will end up spending a lot of time in the spring trying to track things down and recreating what happened. If you pay someone to do your taxes, it will probably cost more since it will take longer for them to figure out your situation. I’ll say it again because it’s so important – whether you do your own taxes or have a professional do them for you, good record keeping is critical!

How to File?

Most people are now filing their taxes electronically.

It is very easy and if you use tax preparation software,

they will walk you through it. Most tax preparers will file electronically as well. The alternative is signing and mailing in the forms. You get any refunds much faster if you file electronically. By the way, getting an advanced payment for your pending tax refund is generally a horrible idea. The effective interest rate on these loans can be over 100 percent annualized, so unless you are in some dire emergency, you should do everything you can to wait the week or two it takes for the IRS to process your tax forms and direct deposit your refund.

Refunds, Penalties, and Withholding Is it good to get a tax refund? Yes and no. If you get a tax refund, then you effectively gave the government an interest free loan. You can update your W-4 to change the amount withheld from your paycheck or change the amount of your quarterly tax payments. Mathematically, it is generally bad to get a tax refund. However, like everything in personal finance, the real analysis is what you would have actually done with the money. If you would have “blown” the extra few dollars each paycheck, then getting a tax refund that you put to “good” use like partially funding an IRA, building your emergency savings account, or paying off credit card debt is a good thing. You can argue the interest free loan to the government wasn’t so bad – the “cost” of lost interest was the price to discipline yourself. Certainly getting a large tax bill is no fun (unless you are one of the very few disciplined people who put aside the money ahead of time in an interest bearing account and pocketed the interest – even then I wouldn’t call it “fun”). Regardless, if your tax bill is so large that you have to pay a penalty because you didn’t withhold enough or pay quarterly tax payments, then that is really not smart. In almost every case, giving an interest free loan to the government is much better than paying penalties/ interest for not paying enough taxes during the year. If you are going to err, then err on the side of over-withholding rather than under-withholding. If you are paying penalties and have someone preparing your taxes for you, you should fire your tax preparer (if they aren’t giving you advice on how to eliminate the penalties), or take their advice and stop throwing away money.

Closing Even if you choose to have a professional prepare your taxes, I recommend you try and do your own taxes at least one time. Going through the process and seeing all the questions that the tax software will ask you can be very valuable in helping you understand what you need to keep track of throughout the year and also provide ideas on ways you can save on your taxes. If you aren’t comfortable after going through it, then just turn it over to a professional.

Regardless, you will be much better prepared in subsequent years having the experience of understanding what information is required. By the way, if you’re going to the trouble of keeping track of everything for your tax preparer, you might as well save some money and do it yourself.

NIMITZ NEWS | SEPTEMBER 15, 2013

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