Nimitz News Daily Digest - July 23, 2013

JULY 23, 2013

Vol. 2 Issue 65

DAILY DIGEST

NO

RESERVATIONS

5-STAR SERVICE FROM THE TALENTED CULINARY SPECIALISTS OF THE FLAG MESS

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s Culinary Specialist 1st Class Matthew G. Bauman purees ingredients for an upcoming dinner, the galley that he stands in seems to revolve as quickly as the blender that he holds in his skilled hands; it’s a marvelous whirlwind of movement, sounds and smells.

The flag mess on board the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) provides 4-star restaurant quality meals with a staff of hardworking, talented culinary specialists (CS) preparing meals every day.

Chief Culinary Specialist Jason D. Rush, Culinary Specialist 1st Class Christopher L. Lyons, Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Marianne McLaughlin, Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Cook and Bauman are the

Story and Photos by MCSA Victoria L. Ochoa

forces at work inside the Flag Galley preparing meals.

To prepare for a special meal, the culinary specialists begin preparations hours beforehand. Cutting vegetables, rolling pastry dough, defrosting proteins and preparing garnishes are just some of the steps taken to create a quality meal. Observing a Flag Mess CS at work is similar to watching the Food Network; bystanders will gawk in awe at the craftsmanship that occurs when a simple vegetable can become a work of art under the expert hands of the chefs. “An example of a menu presented in the Flag Mess would be: puree of carrot soup, heart of romaine salad with house made vinaigrette, grilled breast of chicken with warm peach glaze and pear tart tatin with vanilla Continued on page 3

Sailor of the Day

Story and Photo by MCSA Andrew W. Price

Yeoman Seaman Phil B. Worley, a native of Syracuse, N.Y., now a Sailor on board the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) was named Sailor of the Day, July 22.

“It is a great surprise,” said Worley. “I was nervous when I was selected, but it is an honor.”

Worley’s duties as departmental yeoman, a job usually reserved for petty officers, and his work in the operations department led to his being named Sailor of the Day. As a hose team member in repair locker 1B, his enthusiasm led to multiple successful training evolutions and general quarters drills. His passion Commanding Officer CAPT Jeff Ruth

for damage control resulted in training 20 new team members and multiple advanced DC qualifications.

Worley has proven to be a team player and displayed exceptional initiative by being recently appointed as an assistant command security manager, and responsible for the validation, updating, and general management of more than 90 security clearances.

For those Sailors who are looking to be nominated by their chain of command as a future Sailor of the Day, Worley has some advice.

“Stay positive, and always work hard no matter what the outcome,” said Worley.

Executive Officer CDR John Cummings

Editor MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Command Master Chief CMDCM Teri McIntyre

Public Affairs Officer LCDR 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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Continued from page 1

ice cream,” said Rush.

Intricate meals like this are commonly served at special dinners in honor of distinguished visitors.

“During this deployment the Flag Galley has entertained the Commander of 3rd Fleet, Commander of Pacific Fleet, Commander of Naval Air Forces, Carrier Task Force 70, Commander Strike Force Training Pacific and the South Korean and Japanese Allied Dinner,” said Rush.

The manner in which guests order food is very similar to a high-class restaurant, explains McLaughlin.

“We put out menus on the table and we’ll have two different main items, a vegetable and a starch and guests will come through and circle what they want,” said McLaughlin. “Then the FSA [food service attendant] will take it to the kitchen, pick up the order and deliver the food back to the guests.”

FSAs are a vital component in the flag mess. They serve beverages, deliver food, wash dishes and retrieve items from the pantry. An FSA could potentially run up and down a ladderwell more than 10 times in one meal to replenish ingredients.

“The FSAs definitely make our job so much better, we’re lucky to have them,” said McLaughlin.

“Mis-en-place” is a French term that means everything has its place and the term applies perfectly to the Flag Galley. Although it may be a small space, the culinary specialists make use of every surface available and meticulously organize everything in sight to improve efficiency. However, working in such a small space does call for some creativity.

“We have to put pans up high to cool because

A table setting in the Flag Mess

we don’t have space,” said McLaughlin. “So one day we put cookies up to cool and they fell, suddenly we heard, ‘Who put the cookies there?’ After that, it’s become a joke. When we put something somewhere and it falls we all yell, ‘Who put that there?’ You’ve gotta have fun; if you don’t have fun with your job you’re not going to enjoy it.”

A four-star-restaurant on board Nimitz may sound like a myth from around the deckplates, but I assure you, with the professional chefs that work there, the Flag Mess is just that, a wonderful oasis of great food. If you’re lucky, one day you’ll have the pleasure of being invited to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by this elite group of culinary specialists.

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C

HIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert discussed the status of the fleet, readiness impact due to sequestration, and modifications to Navy policies at a press conference July 19 at the Pentagon.

“Presence remains our mandate,” Greenert said. “This is what we are mostly about, and it’s an essential element of our defense strategic guidance.”

Greenert pointed out that the Navy has about 95 ships deployed and about 3,700 operational aircraft.

The current ship count in the Mediterranean has been higher than it has been through the years.

USS Kearsarge and USS San Antonio are positioned in the Red Sea and stand ready with a range of missions and operations if required.

USS Nimitz is deployed to the North Arabian Sea supporting ground operations in Afghanistan with close air support, and piracy in the region is slowly increasing and is becoming more of a concern.

In the Pacific theater, Talisman Saber Exercise, started July 14, off the coast of Australia and in the Coral Sea. TS13 is an ongoing biennial training exercise with Australia and currently has George

Washington Carrier Strike Group and Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group assets participating.

In the Southern Command, sequestration has caused the reduction to zero combat ships in the region.

“There are other naval forces in the region,” Greenert said. “Non-combatant ships and other forces.”

The Navy’s first spearhead class joint high speed vessel will deploy to the Southern Command area of operation in FY 14.

“Presence forward, assuring our allies and deterring potential adversaries is our primary function,” Greenert said. “I think we are out there at the, what I call, the maritime crossroads where it matters, when it matters.”

CNO addressed the readiness impact of sequestration for FY 13 and FY 14.

There is one carrier strike group (CSG) and one amphibious ready group (ARG) deployed to the each of the Arabian Gulf and Western Pacific theaters.

Sailor of the Day

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Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert conducts a press conference at the Pentagon to provide an update on the status of the Navy.

- Photo by MC1 Peter D. Lawlor

WHERE WE STAND CNO UPDATES STATUS OF NAVY

said.

By MCSN Jennifer Lebron Defense Media Activity - Navy

CNO addressed sexual assault organizational changes and a revision to the Navy Exchange alcohol sales policy by further discussing the Navy’s newest changes that are taking place fleet-wide. Greenert said with more than half of all sexual assaults involving alcohol, the Navy had to look more critically at the atmosphere and climate of its bases.

Greenert said after a review of Navy Exchange alcohol sales trends at base stores the data showed a high volume of sales occurring late into the night and early morning and were not in line with mainstream retailers.

However, the surge force is a concern, Greenert

Currently, there is only CSG and one ARG ready to surge if needed. A year ago, the Navy had three CSGs and ARGs ready to surge.

Despite reduced operations and maintenance spending in FY 13, Greenert said the Navy’s focus is to keep sea commands ready for deployments scheduled for FY 14.

For FY 14, sequestration could reduce each account by 10 percent. The Navy possibly faces deeper cuts for FY 14, because FY 13 used money available from previous years to help pad the effects of sequestration, Greenert explained.

CNO’s goal is to preserve shipbuilding and aviation contracts through this process.

Furlough impacts to the civilian force continue to be a challenge.

“Regrettably, we’re enduring furloughs,” Greneert said. “It’s an impact, I felt it last week. I feel it this week. It hurts our readiness and it hurts our productivity as well.”

“

Presence forward, assuring our allies and deterring potential adversaries is our primary function.

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”

GREENERT

By MC3 (SW) George J. Penney III

ATAN Alexander Parker performs corrosion prevention on equipment in the Aviation Electronics Shop.

Sailors prepare aircraft for flight operations on the flight deck.

HM2 Cynthia Jackson gets ready to catch a box of mail.

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By MC3 Chris Bartlett

Sailors direct an F/A-18E Super Hornet.

By MC3 (SW) Nathan McDonald

By MCSA Aiyana Paschal

THROUGHTHE LEN S

TV

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State of Play Yea r One

1200 / 0000 My Sist er’s Keeper

District 9

1400 / 0200 Bandsl am

Lymelife

1600 / 0400 The Propos al 1800 / 0600 Per fec t Getaway

Where Eagles Dar e Dr ag Me to Hell

Away We Go

Tak ing of Pelham 123

X-M en Origins: Wolverine

Obsessed

Tor pedo Run

The Ghost of Gir lfr iend’s Past

Total Rec all (2012) Ale x Cross

Hope Spr ings

The Green Zone

The Impossible

R atatouille

Das Boot

Silent House

The Cam paign

Ter min ator Salvat ion

Tr ansporter

The Expendables 2

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