May 18, 2013
CELEBRATING T
Story and Photos by MCSN Joshua Haiar
raditional music begins to play from the Ukulele as practice for the Pacific Island Heritage Celebration begins. The dancers harmoniously sway their hips to the beat and for a short couple minutes Nimitz Sailors of Pacific Island descent feel at home. When asked to describe their upbringing, several traits were repeated that they said were instilled in their lives including: community, respect and humility. Aviation Ordnanceman (AO) 1st Class Anthony Whalen said his childhood in southern Guam truly instilled the importance of family and brotherhood. “I’ve been in the Navy 15 years and still to this day my family eats every meal together,” said Whalen. “Islanders will give you the shirt off
Vol. 2 Issue 27
their back, it’s the bond we have. That’s what I like about being an AO, we work as a family, and we work as one.” Whalen believes that family does not have to be limited to the people you are related to, and that’s the goal with Nimitz’ celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month scheduled to take place May 23. “What I love about these events is having an opportunity to observe other heritages to appreciate and understand how diverse we really are,” said Chief Yeoman Moana Looney, a native of Somoa. The event will consist of music and dancing that can be traced right back to the roots of native island culture ranging from the elegant Hawaiian Hula to powerful Somoan tradition. “When a lot of Sailors go to Hawaii they just want to get drunk,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) Airman Moerani Johnson, a native Continued on page 4
OF SAILOR THE
RP2 (SW) Marie Perez Story and Photo by MC3 Derek W. Volland
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eligious Program Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Marie Perez, a resident of Long Beach, Calif. was selected as Sailor of the Day for May 17. “This feels so amazing,” said Perez. “All of my hard work paid off.” Commanding Officer CAPT Jeff S. Ruth Executive Officer CAPT Buzz Donnelly Command Master Chief CMDCM Teri McIntyre Public Affairs Officer LCDR Karin Burzynski
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RP2 Perez preformed her duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner by filling a gapped first class billet and supporting four chaplains while she led six Sailors in the delivery of religious ministry to more than 5,000 ship’s Sailors and embarked personnel. Perez recently reenlisted April 18, originally joining the Navy in 2008 to give her an opportunity to bring her daughter to the United States from the Philippines. She was responsible for organizing volunteers for three separate community service projects at three separate orphanages in Busan, Republic of Korea, during the ship’s port visit. Additionally, RP2 assisted in the administrated management of Shift Colors, mentoring 185 of her peers to overcome personal and professional adversity. “This was what I focused on,” said Perez. “It’s worth the effort to be acknowledged like this.”
Editor MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke Lead Designer MC3 George J. Penney III
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Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All. 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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ORTRESS SOLITUDE OF
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Story by MCSN Nathan McDonald
little solitude, maybe an e-mail from home or a book to escape into. Little things such as these can go a long way in the midst of a deployment, but the opportunity for them can seem fleeting with busy work schedules. The library aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) has all of these at its disposal for Sailors and Marines. “Honestly, the best thing about the library when we’re out to sea is it provides a place away from work centers where Sailors and Marines can sit and relax,” said Religious Programs Specialist 3rd Class Emmanuel Covian. “It allows people who have nowhere to go a place to get away, no matter their schedule. We have great hours.” The library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. Of course, a wide selection of books are available for check out. “We have a huge selection – more than I expected a ship to have,” said Covian. “We offer everything from the Navy reading list, fiction and non-fiction books and reference books for the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test).”
There are also a number of computers available for professional and private use. “We offer computers for NKO (Navy Knowledge Online) courses and, after 4 p.m., general Web browsing,” said Covian. “It helps people work on important educational goals and allows them to communicate with friends and loved ones back home.” Covian said the computers are the biggest draw for Sailors and Marines in the library. “Mostly what we see are people who want to use the computers,” he said. “The ability for departments who don’t normally have computer access makes this place particularly popular for e-mail, Facebook and NKO courses.” No matter what Sailors and Marines use the library for, Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Wilbert Mitchell, on temporary active duty with Religious Ministries, said the library offers much needed and welcome relief. “The best thing about the library is you can come in and just relax,” said Mitchell. “Especially coming from a weapons rate, if you can go and collect yourself for even five or 10 minutes, that can make a big difference.” The library aboard Nimitz can be located at 03118-10-Q.
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Continued from page 1 of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. “I’d like to take this as an opportunity to show everyone that there is a deep culture worth checking out.” Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Donovan Ahuna, a fellow Hawaiian native and 20 year veteran of the Ukulele, glows with relaxed demeanor. He said he manages to have a tranquil
state of mind in stressful conditions, which is definitely one of the hardest things to do during deployment. If an event like the one scheduled this month can cause just a little bit of that mindset to rub off on Nimitz Sailors it’s something worth checking out.
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cruiser riders should seek mentors who have experience on cruisers because the nuances of the bikes are different. He also suggested that the traditional rank structure of the Navy may be relaxed during mentorship discussions and rides. “There will always be that respect for rank, but it’s important to move from that mentality to a rider role. You don’t want new riders to feel pressured. They should want to be there,” Jones said. He also pointed out that when it comes to motorcycles, inexperienced riders come in all ages and ranks. “A Second Class Petty Officer who grew up on sportbikes may be a mentor to a Chief who is just transitioning from a cruiser to a sportbike,” he said. The requirements for mentorship in the instruction leave a lot of latitude for commands to design their own programs. The instruction states, “Commands should tailor the motorcycle mentorship program to address the individual commands’ training requirements, ridership, local area and resources available.” To that end, small commands with few riders are permitted to team up with other commands to maximize the mentorship opportunities. General guidance, pre-ride inspections, and other topics and information for mentorship programs can be found at the Naval Safety Center’s website at http://www.public.navy. mil/navsafecen/Pages/ashore/motor_vehicle/ Motorcycle . For the latest statistics on personal motor vehicle fatalities as well as narratives, visit the Naval Safety Center’s website at: http://www. public.navy.mil/navsafecen/Pages/statistics/ ashore/mv_stats.aspx.
POLICYChange Story by April Phillips Naval Safety Center Public Affairs
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he most recent change to the Navy’s Traffic Safety Instruction, OPNAVINST 5100.12J, requires commands to set up mentorship programs for motorcycle riders. These programs are designed to give experienced riders the opportunity to teach new riders how to be successful on their bikes. “Mentors are those who have been through it,” said Stan Jones, the Naval Safety Center’s Motorcycle Safety Representative and an advisor to mentorship programs across the fleet. “It’s a mindset. Experienced riders have the moral authority to provide tips on riding that the training courses don’t have the time to go into.” Required training courses, such as the Basic Rider Course and Military Sportbike Rider Course, are designed to teach the basics of bike handling and risk management. “Training provides the basic skills in a controlled environment, but mentorships are about getting out on the open road, in traffic, riding outside of the square box of a training course,” Jones said. He suggested that Sailors look for mentors who ride the same type motorcycle. Sportbike riders should pair with other sportbike riders and
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AROUND THE
DECK PLATES
Photos By
MCSA Victoria I. Ochoa (Top Left) MCSN Derek A. Harkins (Right, Bottom Left)
Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class David C. Steffen and Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class Nicholas Malewski repair a gear box in an A/S 32A-31B tow tractor.
Hull Maintenence Technician 2nd Class Neil Hopkins executes a welding procedure in the machine shop.
Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Karlton Gregson prepares noodles in the aft kitchen. Page 6
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