Nimitz News Daily Digest - Oct. 19, 2013

Oct. 19, 2013

Vol. 2 Issue 126

SAILORS OF STEAM AND HEAT SHOP KEEP SHIP RUNNING Story and photos by MCSN (SW) Kole E. Carpenter

T

here is one unifying factor among all Nimitz Sailors. Whether we realize or not, we depend on one shop to ensure some of our most basic and important human needs are met. The galleys, potable water, and laundry wouldn’t be possible without the steam and heat shop. They are the caretakers of the equipment that keeps us alive at sea.

According to Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Fidel Lopez, steam and heat leading petty officer, he and his 10 Sailors “are on call 24/7.”

The shop works most regularly with Supply Department, Lopez said. “Supply is our best customer.”

Their biggest obstacle, Lopez said, is galley equipment. Steam and heat consistently deals with a

catch 22 between needing it fixed, and needing time to fix it. When something breaks, or requires regular maintenance, they have a limited time to get to it before it is needed again for mealtime. This means that they often have an hour window to perform a threehour task. And if the job isn’t done, the galley may not be able to operate smoothly.

Additionally, the shop is responsible for laundry equipment, which is not only crucial for morale, but a highly visible problem if it goes down.

“We have 15 tumbler dryers,” Lopez said.

“These things get used and abused 24/7. They get pretty beat up, and we have to take care of them.

Laundry has to get done. It’s for the well-being of the ship. We’re responsible for the self-serve laundry as Continued on page 3

SN Melissa Roman, left, and SN Robert Nunez coil a line in the hangar bay.

Sailors move supplies in the hangar bay after a replenishmentat-sea.

Sailors hold the line during a replenishment-at-sea.

Commanding Officer Capt. Jeff Ruth

Executive Officer Capt. John Cummings

Editor MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Command Master Chief CMDCM Teri McIntyre

By MCSN (SW) Siobhana R. McEwen

By MCSN (SW) Siobhana R. McEwen

Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Karin Burzynski

Lead Designer MC3 (SW) George J. Penney III

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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By MCSN (SW) Siobhana R. McEwen

AOAN Daphne Pealo shoots a line to the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) during a replenishment-atsea.

The Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) sends cargo over during a replenishment-at-sea.

By MCSN (SW) Kole E. Carpenter

By MCSN (SW) Kelly M. Agee

“““MAIL CALL, MAIL CALL”

Continued from page 1

well, and right now, we have eight machines down.”

Unfortunately, they are at the mercy of the mail system to obtain the parts they need in order to repair them.

“Parts are killing us,” he said. “We can’t do much right now, unfortunately.”

Lopez said that most of his crew is relatively new to the Navy, and it’s a situation he prefers.

“You know what they say. You can’t teach new tricks to an old dog,” Lopez said. “I get to build the team myself. I try to teach them that hard work pays off in the long run. I’ve been in the Navy 15 years, so I know all about that. Now, the Navy is about all-around ‘Sailorization’, and that’s what I’m trying to do with my guys. I try to build them up to always be better people, better Sailors. So far, I have been successful, I must say.”

He measures his success by his team’s accomplishments, and according to Lopez, his Sailors are all hard-chargers. He said they are all speeding up the gauntlet of qualifications at breakneck speed.

“I have guys who have been here less than two months, and they already have quals like fire pump operator, and AC/R operator,” Lopez said.

Engineman Fireman Michelle Toledomendoza, or “Toledo,” as she is known in the shop, is new to the Navy and brand new to Nimitz. She arrived less than three months ago without any pre-military experience in the very hands-on work in store for her. Also, the shop is predominantly male. Toledo said these factors added up to be very intimidating at first. But she quickly adapted and found herself right at home, and is already tackling big jobs single-handedly.

“I’ve never really done this kind of work,” she said while disassembling a drying unit the 116-pound Sailor could easily fit inside. “It’s pret-

Sailors of Steam and Heat shop pose for a photograph.

ty cool though. I like to get my hands dirty. And I really get along with everyone.”

Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Drew Chestnut has been a part of the team for more than a year.

He said the best part of his job is the direct role he plays in the crew’s morale. He said he values the opportunity he has to “help people out.”

Managing potable water, Chestnut said, is a delicate balancing act. Water always has to flow, and the temperature has to stay within a very specific window. Otherwise, problems arise for things like crew showers.

“We don’t want a bunch of smelly people running around,” he said. “Hot water is very important.”

Lopez said he is proud of his team, and of the work they do.

“These guys are shining stars,” he said. “I’m very happy with them. When your water goes down – when your steam goes down, who do you call?

Not the Ghostbusters. You call steam and heat.”

3

Adm. Cecil D. Haney passes through the side boys after being relieved by Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, during a change of command ceremony on the Pearl Harbor waterfront.

- Photo by MCSN Johans Chavarro

AROUND THE FLEET

Change W WINDS

OF

ADM. HARRIS TAKES COMMAND OF PACIFIC FLEET Story by

“

U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

As a nation, we will rebalance to the Pacific and we will work closely with our allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

- HARRIS

” 4

ith the USS Arizona and Battleship Missouri Memorials as a backdrop, Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. relieved Adm. Cecil D. Haney as commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet during a change of command ceremony on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Oct. 16.

“The only thing that makes my departure a little easier is knowing that my good friend and Naval Academy classmate Adm. Harry Harris is my replacement,” said Haney. “He has had an exceptional career filled with challenging assignments that have more than prepared him to command the Pacific Fleet. He knows the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and fully understands its complexities.”

Haney spoke of those complexities, and how the Navy’s historic role in the region will continue to promote security, stability, prosperity and peace.

“Our nation today looks to the future as we rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific,” said Haney, who assumed command in Jan. 2012 near the beginning of the rebalance initiative. “The world

watches to see how economically and politically this rebalance will work. We’ve faced austere economic cycles and political turmoil in the past, but we’ve maintained a continuous, robust and capable naval presence in the Pacific since World War II.” “Given the consistent message of our political and military leadership, I can stand on firm ground and predict that the U.S. will remain a Pacific power far into the future,” Haney said. “It has been fantastic to see new capability join this vibrant theater ... the new littoral combat ship, Virginia class submarine, EA-18 Growlers, MV22 Ospreys, and MH-60 Romeo and Sierra helicopters.”

“As excited as I am about our new platforms, I am even more excited about the rebalance of intellectual focus and leadership attention to a region where trillions of dollars of trade f lows,” Haney said. “Given the uncertainty in the region regarding friction over sovereignty claims and certain nation state provocations, we must continue to maintain a combat-ready Fleet while working peaceful solutions using existing international norms and multilateral approaches.”

Adm. Samuel Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), commended Haney on his leadership during challenging times.

“Your strategic vision has set the stage for a new level of engagement, dialogue and consistence inside the PACOM area of responsibility,” said Locklear. “You have really done wonderful things in increasing the coordination and information sharing with our allies, to growing those critical partnerships, and on the Navy making sure the rebalance to the Asia-Pacific was real and realized.”

Locklear presented Haney with the Distinguished Service Medal. The award highlighted Haney’s efforts in achieving an unprecedented level of Fleet combat readiness, advancing regional partnerships, and leading the 2012 Rim of the Pacific, the largest multinational naval exercise in modern history.

“This award is more about the hard work and sacrifice of so many outstanding Pacific

Fleet Sailors, civilians and family members,” said Haney, who moves on to lead the U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska. “They are the ones who have earned it and who I sincerely thank for their hard work during my tour.”

After reading orders and assuming command, Adm. Harris thanked the men and women of the Pacific Fleet saying: “What you do on a daily basis is of fundamental importance to our nation’s defense -- I’m proud to be your commander.”

As the former assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Harris said he would continue the Pacific Fleet’s commitment to the rebalance “with our brothers and sisters” in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Special Operations and Coast Guard.

“Our President and Secretary of Defense are clear,” said Harris. “As a nation, we will rebalance to the Pacific and we will work closely with our allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.”

Harris is the 34th naval officer to command the Pacific Fleet since it was established in February 1941 with headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1978, is a MIT Seminar 21 fellow, and has attended Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and Oxford University for East Asia security.

As commander of Pacific Fleet, Harris is responsible for 100 million square miles. Covering more than half the Earth’s surface, the Indo-AsiaPacific region is vital to U.S. economic and security interests. Pacific Fleet maintains combat-ready and forward-deployed naval forces that consist of approximately 200 ships/submarines, 1,100 aircraft and 140,000 Sailors and civilians. Whether called to fight and win or to protect the peace, Pacific Fleet operates alongside allies, partners and multilateral organizations to ensure a stable and secure Indo-Asia-Pacific where all nations can prosper.

Please visit www.cpf.navy.mil for more news and images.

For more news from Pacific Fleet, visit www. navy.mil/local/cpf/.

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By MCSA (SW) Kelly M. Agee

AD2 Susana Chinea, left, and ADAN Chris McCarthy inspect spindles for an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, assigned to HSM-75, in the hangar bay.

Sailors don firefighting equipment during a fire drill in the hangar bay.

ABEAN Jaime Ramos Rodriguez cleans the windows of primary flight control.

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By MC3 (SW) Raul Moreno Jr.

By MCSN Eric Butler

By MCSN (SW) Siobhana R. McEwen

Sailors sort 355 tri-walls of mail in the hangar bay during a replenishment-at-sea.

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