VOL. 7 | ISSUE 2 June 25, 2017
Mail Call
MADNESS
NIMITZNEWS.WORDPRESS.COM 1
Electrician 3rd Class Austin lass Oronde Vassell run in this issue: y through Thursday and hangar bay two aboard the N 68).4 , Chief Aviation Boatswain’s tive of Brooklyn, N.Y., ment and entertained ors and Marines who were A Fleet United: Learn what happened after the USS Fitz(62) collided with the Filipino flagged merchang ship ACX Crystal on the coast of Japan. Honor those who lost their lives and have become known as the “Fitgerald Seven.”
NIMITZ NEWS
Sailor | on the | street
Capt. Kevin Lenox Commanding Officer Cmdr. J.W. David Kurtz Executive Officer CMDCM Jimmy Hailey Command Master Chief
Media Department Lt. Cmdr. Theresa Donnelly PAO Ens. Meagan Morrison DIVO MCCS Ahron Arendes Media DLCPO MCC Grant Probst Media LCPO MC1 Porter Anderson Media LPO MC1 Jose Hernandez Production LPO MC2 Holly Herline Phojo WCS MC3 Marc Cuenca Lead Designer MC2 Jessica Gray MC2 Austin Haist MC2 Erickson Magno MC2 Elesia Patten MC2 Ian Zagrocki MC3 Chad Anderson MC3 Kenneth Blair MC3 Colby Comery MC3 Deanna Gonzales MC3 Ian Kinkead MC3 Weston Mohr MC3 Liana Nichols MC3 Cole Schroeder MC3 Leon Wong MC3 Bethany Woolsey MC3 Leon Wong MCSN David Claypool MCSN Cody Deccio MCSN Emily Johnston
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Get Lit, Get Fit: Sweat it out! It’s boot camp fitness in the hangar bay. Find out where and when these workouts are held and join the friendly, no pressure atmosphere. Good vibes and good times await!
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GMSN Dakota Rigsby, 19 | YN3 Shingo Douglass, 25 | STG3 Ngoc Truong Huynh, 25 | GM2 Noe Hernandez, 26 | FC2 Carlos Victor Sibayan, 23 | PS1 Xavier Martin, 24 | FC1 Gary Rehm Jr., 37
Collision : 2 a.m. MEDEVAC injured Sailors Search begins for missing Sailors
JUNE
17|:
Return to port 6:15pm 7 Sailors found dead in berthing
TIMELINE
JUNE 18|:
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Identification of lost Sailors
JUNE 19|: Last wounded Sailor departs naval hospital
The Fitzgerald 7 departed Japan June 20, and are headed home.
Fitzgerald
USS
JUNE 16|:
“This has been a difficult day. I am humbled by the bravery and tenacity of the Fitzgerald crew.”
The USS Fitzgerald (DDG 86) collided with a Filipino container ship approximately 56 nautical miles off the coast of Honshu, Japan around 2 a.m. local time, June 16 .
“They are known as the ‘Fightin’ Fitz,’ and the crew lived up to that name.”
-U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucions
SHIP’S MOTTO:
PROTECT
YOUR PEOPLE
DDG 62
Fitzgerald primarily sustained damage on the starboard side of the ship, to include a large puncture below the ship’s waterline, opening the hull to the sea. The damage caused the rapid flooding of three large compartments including one machinery room and two berthing spaces that needed to be quickly secured to stop the spread of water. Above the waterline, the commanding officer’s cabin was directly hit. Despite a likely sleeping and unaware crew, the Sailors aboard Fitzgerald undoubtedly proved their ability to fight the casualties. The crew evacuated three personnel, including the ship’s commanding officer, via helicopter to the Yokosuka Naval Hosptial. The crew managed to keep the ship afloat and were able to get the ship back to shore on its own power with the help of tug boats. Posts, links and photos are filling the pages of Facebook and news outlets as the stories of the Sailors aboard Fitzgerald are starting to be told. Including the stories or those that lost their lives. From hometown community engagements to the actions carried out on the day of the accident, each of the seven Sailors that lost their lives are being praised for their commitment to serving and protecting.
-U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucions
A FLEET UNITED Sailors from the surrounding ships homeported near Fitzgerald have covered watches and helped with the continued damage control efforts in support of allowing the crew to rest and recover from the loss of their shipmates. Donations from around the fleet immediately began pouring in. NMCRS requests that no more donations be made. The current contributions have proven to be more than enough to support Fitz Sailors from Sailors and military supporters around the world.
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Get Lit
&
Get Fit
Photo Layout by MC3 Ian Kinkead Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Austin Craig and Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Oronde Vassell run a boot camp fitness class, Monday through Thursday and on Saturdays every week at 2000 in hangar bay two aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). On Saturday, June 17, Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) Gustavo Forero brought out his disc jockey equipment and entertained and motivated more than 50 Sailors and Marines who attended the fitness class.
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THROUGH | the | LENS
U.S. Navy Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) 3rd Class Rajari S. Moore, a native of Winter Springs, Fla., takes fuel samples aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during a replenishment-at-sea with the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO 202). Photo by MC3 Cole Schroeder Director of Maritime Operations U.S. Pacific Fleet Rear Adm. Victorino G. Mercado salutes the sideboys as he is piped aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Photo by MC3 Ian Kinkead U.S. Navy Naval Air Crewman 1st Class Timothy Igoe, a native of Houston, watches as a Sailor removes the chocks and chains from an MH60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8. Photo by MC2(SW/AW/IW) Holly Herline
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channel list CH. 02- TRAINING CH. 03- TRAINING CH. 04- TRAINING CH. 05- SITE TV CH. 07- SITE TV CH. 07- SITE TV CH. 08- AFN CH. 09- SITE TV CH. 10- ILARTS CH. 11- TRAINING CH. 12- MOVIE SCHEDULE CH. 13- SHIPBOARD UPDATES
SuDOKU
s ' C M C : R E N COR
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Find Chester Admiral Chester Nimitz’s face is hidden somewhere in every Nimitz News. Can you find him?
Religious service schedule Friday
1200 Muslim Lay Service (Relmin Classroom) 1700 Jewish Lay Service (Ship’s Chapel)
weekly throwback
Saturdays
1600 Catholic Confession (Ship’s Chapel)
Sundays
Sailors participate in recreational boxing aoard Nimitz while on deployment in 1982.
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0830 Catholic Mass (Fo’c’sle) 0830 Lutheran Lay Service (Ship’s Chapel) 1030 Protestant Service (Fo’c’sle) 1030 Latter-day Saint Lay Service (Ship’s Chapel) 1300 Gospel Lay Service (Fo’c’sle) 1700 Catholic Mass (Ship’s Chapel) 1800 Heathen Lay Service (Relmin Classroom) 1900 Protestant Service (Ship’s Chapel) 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.
Holy cow the NAVADMIN folks have been busy this week!! 3 game changers and it is only Wednesday as I am writing this. So, let’s stop beating around the bush and talk about them before the next 10 come out. First was NAVADMIN 141/17, the change to the physical readiness instruction rewarding those who go above and beyond on their PRT. Starting with the cycle 17-2 PRT, any Sailor who passes the BCA within the Navy age-graduated body fat standards, and scores an overall excellent low or better (with no single event lower than good low) on the PRT will be exempt from participation in the following PRT cycle. The only real catch here is that all Sailors, regardless of PRT performance, will still be required to participate in the BCA each cycle. Oh, and since only about 4% of the total PFAs each cycle are done on an elliptical...it is no longer an authorized alternate cardio option starting on PRT 18-1. Next came NAVADMIN 143/17 which modified the High Year Tenure (HYT) for all active and Full Time Support (FTS) Sailors. Effective 01 August 2017 the HYT length of service gates are as follows: E4 - 10 years (vice 8) E5 - 16 years (vice 14) E6 - 22 years (vice 20)
Finally there was NAVADMIN 146/17 which made lots of changes to the Navy’s Uniform Regulations, but only a few of which I will talk about here. Effective immediately, female Sailors wearing a bun hairstyle with a Navy or command ball cap are authorized to position the bun through the rear opening of the ball cap if the design of the ball cap allows for wearing the hair and cap in that fashion. Also effective immediately, the earring policy for female Sailors (officer and enlisted) is expanded and authorizes the wear of white pearl earrings 4mm 6mm with dress uniforms and white diamond earrings 4mm 6mm round cut with Dinner Dress Blue and White Jacket uniforms. Synthetic variants are acceptable if they meet color and size requirements. So as you can see, lots of changes affecting lots of Sailors aboard Nimitz. I only touched the highlights of the three messages, but I have also posted all three on my sharepoint CMC Corner. So please take the time to read through each one of them, and if you have any questions please stop by or ask your chain of command. That’s all for now...I will see you all around the ship!
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