4 February 2015

VOL. 4| ISSUE 1 FEBRUARY 4, 2015

BLOOD | GORE | MAKEUP

NIMITZNEWS.WORDPRESS.COM

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nimitz news

in this issue

Capt. John Ring Commanding Officer Capt. J.J. Cummings Executive Officer CMDCM Greg Rennick Command Master Chief

media department

Lt. Cmdr. Clint Phillips Public Affairs Officer Ensign John Mike Media DIVO MCC Gregory Roberts Media LCPO MC2 Sam Souvannason Media LPO MC2 Phil Ladouceur ALPO MC3 Andrew Price Editor/ Design MC2 Jess Lewis MC2 George J. Penney MC3 Kelly Agee MC3 Eli Buguey MC3 W.J. Cousins MC3 Jesse Gray MC3 Joshua Haiar MC3 Holly Herline MC3 Lauren Jennings MC3 Shayne Johnson MC3 Nathan McDonald MC3 Victoria Ochoa MC3 Aiyana Paschal MCSN Shauna Sowersby MCSN Derek Volland MCSN Cody Deccio

Page 10 An inside look at the town of Granite Falls, Wash. Some know it for the vast expanse of trails as part of the Mountain Loop Trail. MC3 Andrew Price takes a local approach to the town behind the trails.

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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.

As Nimitz enters the yards, the battlefield shifts to preparing for the future. Capt. John Ring tells us what he is doing today that will give Nimitz the edge tomorrow.

By depicting gruesome scenes with fake blood and latex body parts, ABHAN Casey Davis helps Nimitz Medical Department prepare for mass casualty drills.

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SHIPSHIPMATESELF -T-

Story by MC3 Eli K. Buguey

Three weeks into a 16-month yard period, the ship has already transformed drastically. The conversion of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) hangar bays from being a storage and maintenance facility for aircraft to becoming the epicenter for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard’s on-ship presence is an ever developing event. Miles of hoses snake throughout the ship, weaving above the hard-hat covered heads of the crew while safety and security have become paramount in the challenge of returning the oldest carrier in the fleet back to the front line of defense.

“The people of the United States depend on us to keep the bad guys on the other side of the water so they can sleep at night,” says Capt. John C. Ring, Commanding Officer of Nimitz. “That’s what this is all about. This is about getting the ship fixed, getting back out there, so you can do what you joined the Navy to do, which is making the world a safer place.”

Underlining the physical changes with this maintenance period comes a conceptual change in the conduct and responsibilities of the crew.

“We are going achieve our goal by the on-time completion of quality maintenance, maintaining qualified and proficient sea warriors, and by building a combat ready warship,” said Ring.

“Fixin’ for the Fight” is the motto that shows how serious the Nimitz is to return to the ocean. Like how many gears make a great machine run, it’s up to individual Sailors to each do his or her part in making sure Nimitz returns to sea on time.

Sailors that embrace the Captain’s concept of “Ship, Shipmate, Self” will create the greatest impact in preparing the ship to get back into fighting shape while simultaneously improving themselves and the people around them.

“When you are going home at the end of the day, there are three things I want you to ask yourself,” says Ring. “What have I done to improve the material readiness of the ship today? Second, What have I done to improve the Sailors around me? Last thing is self, what have I done to improve my skills or make myself better in general?”

From keeping a critical eye open for discrepancies, to changing light bulbs when you see they are out, each Sailor has to do his or her part to better the ship.

To assist your shipmates, possibly providing training for Sailors in your work center who are less knowledgeable than you or mentoring a new check-in can improve those around you.

As for improving self, becoming better prepared for the physical readiness test, advancing your education, or working to be better qualified, everyone can take

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EM3 Michael Keiss watches as Nimitz moves to its new home, pierside at Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton.

Photo by MC2 Ryan Mayes

steps to be a better Sailor everyday.

“Leadership, to get it going initially, is going to be the challenge and I hope our leaders are up for the challenge,” said Ring.

The responsibility of maintaining the ship and ourselves is great, but it is a trial that Nimitz’ crew can surely accomplish. At the end of the day if everyone does his or her part, the ship will be ready to fight right on schedule.

Embracing the idea of “Ship, Shipmate, Self” during this maintenance period will gain exponential benefits. The combined efforts of each Sailor to improve these three aspects will create a stronger warship equipped with a crew of war fighters ready to take on any challenge that waits on the horizon.

“This is about getting the ship fixed, getting back out there, so you can do what you joined the Navy to do” - Capt. Ring

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Story and photos by MC3 Lauren K. Jennings

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BLOOD | GORE | MAKEUP The eyepiece, she adhered with latex and its edges blended in with makeup always felt like it pulled and tugged on her face. Its tight seal to her skin could hold all day. Yet, after keeping it on for a few hours, the seal did not pinch, itch or tug anymore.

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wearing it, the moulage had become one with her face. Through her one open eye, she could see most of the people lying on the stretchers next to her. Their wounds were different.

Some burns of varying degrees, broken and protruding bones and pieces of shrapnel stuck through the head.

All these wounds are just some of many pieces Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Casey Davis would put on a mass casualty volunteer. For the last three years, Davis, a member of Air Department, has volunteered her free time painting the faces and bodies of volunteers to look like wounded victims of a disaster.

Mass casualty drills train Sailors for real-life medical emergencies, and are a way for the medical department to assess the ability of the ship to perform in critical situations. The more realistic the drill, the better prepared the ship is.

“Normally, I think of what something looks like and just run with it,” said Davis. “I challenge myself to make more realistic makeup. If it looks real, people should want to stop and help someone who looks hurt.”

Alongside Davis is a team of medical professionals, including the ship’s nurse, Lt. Cmdr. John Sinclair, whose goal is to create a drill that will inform and teach Sailors.

With knowledge of anatomy, an interest in a medical career, and no previous experience to speak of, Davis had to learn to use the stage makeup on her own.

“I would show her what these wounds look like through pictures and she would then create them off of that,” said Sinclair. “She’d always ask questions like, ‘what does a bone look like when it sticks out?’ Then we would

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lose to an hour after

make actual little bones.” “[Sinclair] and I are always on the same page,” said Davis, “making everything as detailed as possible; pumping the fake blood until the first responder properly takes care of the wound.”

During a drill, a hundred volunteers pour into the Intensive Care Unit barely large enough to house three hospital beds. As they come in, the medical team separates the burn victims from the decapitated patients and begins simulated treatments.

Meanwhile, Davis works diligently to produce accurate interpretations of real wounded Sailors.

“Decapitations are my favorite,” said Davis. “You get a mannequin head you can dress up like yourself.

I open the jugular and glue on veins I made out of clay and painted red.”

The paintbrush fans out as she presses down with it on the black powder. It is the final touch. Once she blows on it and the dust from it settles onto the petroleum jelly seeping from the pores of her face, she can now feel complete. She is a real burn victim.

As she looks into the mirror, she grins with pure satisfaction, because to the naked eye it looks convincingly real.

“She had been indispensable to me over the year,” said Sinclair. “You need someone with passion and dedication like that. She keeps asking me still, ‘whens our next drill, whens our next drill.”

As Sailors prepare for a colossal catastrophe, treating the wounded in a chaotic environment, Davis works meticulously to ensure every detail of the gory goodness is correct, so that when the time comes Nimitz Sailors will have the courage and knowledge to respond.

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“Decapitations are my favorite; you get a mannequin head you can dress up like yourself.�

-Davis

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Mossy stones cover parts of the Lake Twenty Two trail.

ANITEFALLS My Nikes searched for a hold on the black shale as my tired feet pressed on. Sweat poured down my face despite the frigid temperature outside. Water from the melting snow at the peak was trickling down the mountain, down the path I was walking. The blood of the mountain seeped into my shoes and between my toes. I was almost there. My trip culminated with this. Lake Twenty Two, a deep blue oasis atop the northern shoulder of Mt. Pilchuck.

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y trip began 22 miles east of Everett in the town of Granite Falls, Wash.

It is the nearest town to hiking destinations such as Mt. Pilchuck and Mt. Baker Snoqualmi National Forest. It gave me the opportunity for an easy workout for the weekend, and offered sights that one can only find in the Pacific Northwest. Granite Falls offers a friendly small-town feel with an array of restaurants so close to great hiking that I’m never hungry for too long when I come down from the mountain trails.

I came into this town blind, so to speak, as a tourist just passing through. I did no research ahead of time, because I wanted to get the story of Granite Falls from a local perspective.

I set my GPS to city hall and found it within minutes. I was looking for the chamber of commerce office. Every town has a chamber of commerce, right? The bubbly receptionist there let me know that although they didn’t have a chamber of commerce building exactly, they did have chamber of commerce society, and the president could be found working at the local library.

I sat down with the chamber of commerce president, Jude Anderson, who runs the SnoIsle Library in Granite Falls. He sat across from me, mild mannered and happy to hand off everything he knew from tales of the town’s history to hiking brochures, and a couple of his favorite places to go around town. I could tell that I came to the right place. Jude was an expert, and the library was full of resources to find my way.

“Granite Falls is a great place for a day, and even better for a weekend,” said Anderson as he showed me hiking pamphlets and regaled me with stories from the formation of the town in 1903.

Granite Falls is historically a mining town.

When the gold rush didn’t pan out in the early 1900s, its main export became lumber. The

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tracks from the railways soon gave way to highways and the backwoods paths became hiking trails. Nowadays, it’s a recognized destination for hiking and outdoor enthusiasts along the Mountain Loop Trail, which runs from Everett to Monte Cristo. That’s why I was here.

After talking with the chamber of commerce and a few locals, I gathered that my first stop had to be Mark’s Country Store for ice cream. Set on the main street of the town, Stanley Street, Mark’s is easy to find after heading back down the mountain. I ordered a hamburger on recommendation from the resident standing next to me in line and one of their 44 flavors of ice cream and sat down alongside a few of the locals.

Each of them knew a few intricate details of their town’s history, a thought foreign to a Sailor like me, from a big city. The locals gave me some good ideas about what to do around

A waterfall trickles over a wooden bridge on the Lake Twenty Two trail.

Mural on the wall of Omega Pizza and Pasta painted by Chris Pratt.

town, but one theme remained the same: Omega Pizza and Pasta. I had just stuffed myself full of premium beef and thick-cut French fries at Mark’s, so I would have to come back to the food idea later.

I headed across the street to Perfectly Knotty, a name that insists that it is the go-to place for yarn items. Local art along with furniture made from uncommon and household items lined the room. I could see the passion of the owners, Suzi and Jeff Quillen, in each piece.

Anderson had told me earlier in my journey that local art in Granite Falls took a dive when a new steakhouse took over the building from the previous local art facility, so Perfectly Knotty took over as a place to buy and create local art.

The next stop on my list was an alpaca farm turned petting zoo and campground. A local favorite, Paca Pride Guest Ranch could offer a base camp for my Mountain Loop experience if I decided to stay overnight. There are a few

bed and breakfast options along highway, but for an experience like none other, Paca Pride would be the place I rest my weary bones after the hike. I now understood what Anderson meant about staying the weekend here. I didn’t end up staying, because I was short on cash, but I did have enough to buy myself a pair of the acclaimed alpaca wool socks!

It was 11:30 a.m. on my day-trip, so I thought it a good time to head up the mountain.

The Mountain Loop Trail offers more than 10 lakes, 33 trails, and plenty of campsites around each. I chose Lake Twenty Two, a 5.5-mile round-trip hike, was named when the railroads during the early mining companies of the area used to name their lakes numerically. It was raining and foggy, so there was no snow on the trail, even this late in the season. Even so, the hike was majestic; old growth, moss, and views lay at every turn. Since it was raining, the path had become a trickling waterfall most

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Lake Twenty Two atop the northern shoulder of Mt. Pilchuck.

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of the way up the mountain, not enough to soak my shoes, but just enough to be a spectacular sight.

When I reached the lake at the top, I could see the snowcapped peek of Mt. Pilchuck as the fog began to pour in after the afternoon rain. Within minutes, the fog was so thick I could barely see the path, so I decided to head back down. All in all, 3 hours and 5.5 miles. For me, a perfect amount for an intermediate day-hike.

When I came back into town, I was famished. I decided to call upon the advice of the locals I met with and head to Omega Pizza and Pasta. Historic photos of the town and hand-painted murals covered the walls. While waiting for my Gyro pizza and Feta cheese sticks, I investigated some of the photos and murals. Upon closer look (and suggestion of the owner) I saw a familiar face of one of the artists. Chris Pratt, star of Guardians of the Galaxy and Parks and Recreation, had worked at Omega for his first job, and painted one of the murals on the walls. He was a local boy, and the town was proud of him, that was apparent. I sat down with the owner, Kosta Petrakopolous, while I ate.

A grizzled old man who was familiar with what all Granite Falls had to offer. “ This place is a melting pot,” said Petrakopolous in a barely discernable Greek accent. “There is every religion here; every walk of life.”

From what I’d seen, he was right. Granite Falls had many characters to talk to and just as many attractions as a larger town of more notability. I felt as if I discovered a gem like the miners of the old days. I had panned the creek of the Mountain Loop Trail, and Granite Falls was my golden nugget. A charming town set far enough off the grid, but just in range of the many day hike adventures.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MC3(SW) ANDREW W. PRICE

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