Nimitz news 9 apr 2017

VOL. 6 | ISSUE 8 April 9, 2017

NIMITZNEWS.WORDPRESS.COM

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in this issue:

NIMITZ NEWS Capt. Kevin Lenox Commanding Officer Capt. Todd Marzano Executive Officer CMDCM Jimmy Hailey Command Master Chief

Media Department 3

Lt. Cmdr. Theresa Donnelly PAO Ens. Meagan Morrison DIVO MCC Ahron Arendes Media LCPO MC1 Porter Anderson Media LPO MC2 Jimmy Cellini Production LPO MC2 Holly Herline Phojo WCS MC3 Marc Cuenca Lead Designer MC3 Samuel Bacon Designer

Get Grades, Get Paid: Want to take college courses during deployment? The last day to sign up is April 27. Read on to learn how to sign up before it’s too late!

MC2 Jessica Gray MC2 Jose Hernandez MC2 Siobhana McEwen MC2 Ian Zagrocki MC3 Chad Anderson MC3 Kenneth Blair MC3 Colby Comery MC3 Deanna Gonzales MC3 Austin Haist MC3 Erickson Magno MC3 Weston Mohr MC3 Liana Nichols MC3 Bethany Woolsey MCSN David Claypool MCSN Ian Kinkead MCSN Cole Schroeder MCSN Leon Wong MCSA Cody Deccio MCSA Emily Johnston

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Captain to Cartoonist: The story of a 26-year Navy veteran, Jeff Bacon. Learn how he still brings life to his cartoons and raises a laugh in the fleet, 12 years after his retirement.

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MCSN LEON WONG

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This is a question many Sailors are asked throughout their career. Many would say they joined to travel the world, while others may say they joined to get the college tuition benefits.

With the Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE), Sailors are able to do both at the same time.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is slated for a 2017 deployment, which gives Sailors an opportunity to either begin or continue to further their education through NCPACE while underway.

NCPACE is a program that gives Sailors the opportunity to pursue higher education through college courses, both undergraduate and graduate, allowing them to continue their personal and professional development while on sea-duty assignments.

“As of now 37 Sailors are currently enrolled in NCPACE courses aboard Nimitz,” said Personnel

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Specialist 2nd Class Caleb Newgard, a native of Port Angeles, Wash. and member of the Education Services Office (ESO) team aboard Nimitz.

There are two ways NCPACE is provided: Distance learning (DL) and Instructor led (IL).

DL courses are self-paced and self-taught, with a 90-day duration per course. They include associate-level, bachelor-level and graduate-level options.

Initial DL enrollment is limited to one course.

Upon successful completion of the initial DL course, Sailors may be enrolled in up to two NCPACE courses at a time.

There are more than 200 undergraduate and graduate DL courses available ranging from elementary algebra to business law.

NCPACE courses are provided by regionally accredited colleges and universities. The DL program is offered by a collation of nine different colleges.

IL courses are associate-level and taught by a professor in a classroom environment. It is only available during a ship’s deployment cycle. The courses provided are dependent upon how many students sign up for a particular course.

IL courses are provided by Central Texas College, which is accredited and credits can be transferable.

Although all IL courses are currently filled, the deadline to sign up for DL courses is April 27.

“Besides the cost of books, NCPACE is completely tuition-free,” said Newgard. “Any Sailor can enroll in classes as long as all of the requirements are met.”

Normally, Sailors must complete a scheduled NCPACE crew brief given by Navy College personnel before they can sign up for classes through the ESO. For this NCPACE session, Nimitz Sailors will only need the NCPACE Crew Brief Individual Training certificate

from the Navy College website at https:// www.navycollege.navy.mil/information-forcommands/ncpace.htm, an approved NCPACE Request and Screening Checklist from their chain of command and their course enrollment paperwork, which can be found on the Nimitz share point under Admin-ESO. All three should be provided to the ESO at the same time.

Those interested must have their primary warfare pin, their basic watchstander qualifications and passed the most recent advancement exam.

They also cannot be enrolled in the fitness enhancement program and have non-judicial punishments or civilian convictions within the last 12 months before applying.

“You’re not going to be in the Navy forever, even if you’re one of those guys who does 20 years,” said Newgard. “You’ll still have a lot of life in you and a lot of things you need to do. A college degree can help you pursue opportunities that otherwise won’t be available.”

There are also benefits that come with having a degree within the Navy.

“Degrees are worth points towards advancement for junior enlisted,” said Newgard.

“Even when you’re up for boards, like chief or limited-duty officer (LDO), a degree goes miles for those selection boards.”

Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 2nd Class Khristopher Singletary, a native of Miami, took advantage of NCPACE with his last command, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).

“When I was on deployment with the Vinson, I took two classes through NCPACE,” said Singletary. “It’s a great program that a lot of Sailors don’t know about.”

Although NCPACE provides the opportunity for higher education, managing work and school may be difficult for some Sailors.

“I was working on the flight deck as a plane captain, so dealing with the flight schedule and then having to go to class for three hours was pretty tough,” said Singletary.

Fortunately, NCPACE instructors are prepared to assist Sailors through their challenging schedules.

“The teachers that they brought on board

were really helpful because they provided a course syllabus so we knew when assignments were due,” said Singletary. “They also had night sessions where we could get tutoring. They’ll help you get through it.”

In the grand scheme of things two classes appears to not be much, but every credit counts as an individual works towards a degree.

“Deployment is a great time to knock out some school,” said Singletary. “You can take advantage of finishing all of your prerequisite classes before actually getting to your degree.”

Whether you stay in the Navy for a while or get out after your first enlistment, taking advantage of the opportunities NCPACE has to offer is something one shouldn’t pass up. With some motivation and time-management, any Sailor can get a head start or even finish their perspective degrees.

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“

I’ve always loved the Navy, I love the people and the energy that comes with it. When I write the cartoons, I know who I’m trying to make laugh. I know my target audience, the people in uniform.

“

-Jeff Bacon

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J

Jeff Bacon scribbles away, his pencil a blur on the notepad as it sits on his table.

A general issue Navy notepad, with an even more modest pencil in his hand.

The tools provided to the author of the Navy Times’ comic “Broadside” don’t seem to slow him down.

“It gets an idea across,” he says, his eyes precisely focused on his work as he creates the image before us. “My cartoons, my artwork, they’re about getting a point out there. It’s not perfect, but due to the familiarity that comes with Navy life, we can identify with the joke.”

Centered around a light table, Bacon’s collection of artisan supplies invokes thoughts of anarchy. Various inks, pens, pencils and paper lay askew, forming their own rebellion against any form of organization. Every piece, although unconventional, is where it needs to be for the retired Navy Captain.

Broad-shouldered and bare-headed, Bacon doesn’t quite fit the typical image of a cartoonist. Quick to laugh about his lack of hair, the correlation to him being a Navy man is easy to make.

“All I wanted to do was drive ships,” said Bacon. “While I was in school, I started doing little doodles in the margins like any other bored student. It wasn’t until the frigate USS Cook (FF1083) that I started really working on my drawing.”

Bacon had begun a career as a junior surface warfare officer on Cook, spending his time as many junior officers do, on watch.

“There was a dry erase board just outside of the Executive Officer’s stateroom,” he says. “I was 22 years old and there’s a board, with markers, just sitting there in the open. I’d wait till no one was around, do a quick graffiti sketch then get the heck out of dodge!

The XO would get furious trying to figure it out. Of course when he did, my

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buddies would think I was a rock star because I just jammed up the XO.” Bacon was forced to quit, but by that point he had obtained a small taste of a career he would carry with him for nearly 31 years.

It was six unique cartoons that cemented Bacon’s career in 1986.

Urged on by his fellow officers, Bacon submitted his cartoons straight to the magazine publication the Navy Times.

Oversized, under-edited and sketched by free-hand, the jokes were solid Navy humor. Gentle but stern comments on Navy life and the things that irk Sailors everywhere.

While on watch aboard Cook, Bacon received a surprise he had only dreamed of. The latest issue of Navy Times arrived and his cartoons were featured right alongside his favorite artists.

Bacon had found a unique level of satire with his work. Refusing to directly ridicule or scorn the trivial issues he came across, there was a balance found between a teasing joke and a good-natured jab at some of his fellow Sailors’ idiosyncrasies.

Thirty-one years later, Bacon continues cartooning despite having retired from the Navy. Once a week, he releases one hand-tailored strip for the Navy and one for the Marines through his website Broadside.net and Navy Times.

Bacon explained his mission simply, “In the Navy you have that inside humor, there are things always going on that can rub (people) the wrong way. You do a cartoon that irks everyone, gets a few laughs and maybe you might inspire some change with a few gentle pokes to the ribs.

I’ve always loved the Navy, I love the people and the energy that comes with it. When I write the cartoons, I know who I’m trying to make laugh.

I know my target audience, the people in uniform.”

Traveling to military bases across the globe, the work of a cartoonist and writer is never quite complete.

Spending a considerable amount of his time refreshing his memory on

Navy equipment and personnel, Bacon regularly rides along with ships on short visits during cruises and deployments for new cartoon ideas. This time, he flew on USS Nimitz (CVN 68) for an overnight visit as part of the Commander, Naval Airforces distinguished visitor program.

“Some of my jokes are from personal experience, but I’ve been out for 12 years,” he says. “My newer material is mostly what I hear and what I observe when I’m riding along. When you let Sailors talk, unguarded, you can get some real priceless stuff out of them.”

Surprisingly, despite his successes after retiring, Bacon still feels like he’s never completely transitioned back to civilian life. Speaking on his feeling of relevance while on deployment, there’s a difficulty in replacing that feeling in the civilian world.

“When you’re in, you have a sense of purpose, you’re serving your country, defending your family and friends,” said Bacon. “When you get out of the military, if you’re discharged because you got hurt or injured and you’re not ready to leave yet, you have this sense of purpose that’s lacking.”

Bacon works with several organizations such as the National Cartoonists Society and the USO to help in giving back to current and former service members who feel the same way.

Despite his light hearted jokes, Bacon has a somber reminder for the Sailors who have long since earned their salt and those who are just now joining the branch that commands the sea.

“Remember that what you do is important. It means everything to the country and the civilians in it. There’s a power you represent, both off our coasts and overseas,” said Bacon. “When you’re down in the mess decks or buried under paperwork in an office, you may forget, but everyone’s got their piece to play. We’re proud of you and we’re thankful for you keeping our families safe.”

MC3 SAMUEL BACON

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crossword Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

weekly throwback Crew members assigned to Deck departments 2nd division pull an aircraft fuel tank back to Nimitz. The fuel tank was dropped by an F/A-18C, assigned to the “Black Knights” of VMFA-314, before the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing. The aircraft landed safely on deck but had to drop one of its tanks.

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through | the | lens

Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 3rd Class Jason Cardena, a native of Houston, sits at the door of an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, from the “Wolf Pack� of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75, as it lands on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), while participating in a show of force strait transit exercise. Photo by MCSN Cole Schroeder USS Nimitz (CVN 68) fires a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) during a live-fire exercise. Photo by MC3(SW) Marc O. Cuenca Chief petty officers (CPO) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) pose for a group photo as part of an 124th anniversary of the establishment of the CPO rank. Photo by MC2(SW/AW/IW) Holly L. Herline

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