VOL. 8 | ISSUE 4 October 15, 2017
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CONTENTS Vol. 8 | Issue 03
4 Woman Overboard
By MCSN Kennishah Maddux
NIMITZ NEWS
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 External LCPO MCC Porter Anderson Media Internal LCPO MC1 Jose Hernandez Media LPO MC3 Weston Mohr Phojo WCS
Read to learn about one of the Nimitz Sailors responsible for responding to man overboards.
8 Airspeed
By MCSN Emily Johnston
MC1 Marcus Stanley MC2 Austin Haist MC2 Holly Herline MC2 Erickson Magno MC2 Elesia Patten MC2 Ian Zagrocki MC3 Chad Anderson MC3 Kenneth Blair MC3 Colby Comery MC3 Marc Cuenca MC3 Deanna Gonzales MC3 Liana Nichols MC3 Cole Schroeder MC3 Leon Wong MC3 Bethany Woolsey MCSN David Claypool MCSN Cody Deccio MCSN Emily Johnston MCSN Kennishah Maddux MCSN Jose Madrigal
Find out how Nimitz is improving efficiency and reducing man-hours using the Airspeed program.
12 Hispanic Heritage Month By MCSN Jose Madrigal
Nimitz’ Multi-cultural committee put together a few events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. 2
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By: MCSN Kennishah Maddux
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t first glance, the water of the Arabian Gulf looks almost dreamy but upon further inspection one can see the thousands of tiny jellyfish floating just outside the safety of the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB). Add the sea snakes, sharks and various other sea creatures that lurk below these waters and the scene is more of a nightmare for most. With no hesitation or second thought to the dangers that might be awaiting her, Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Katherine Roy from Middletown, Connecticut, jumps into the deep unknown waters. She quickly holds up one finger to signal to the rest of the crew still in the RHIB that all is good and that she is ready to start the training evolution. Roy is a search and rescue swimmer (SAR) assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). She has been in this role for a little over two years now but has been swimming her entire life. “I grew up in the water and swam competitively,” said Roy. “When I heard that the command needed a replacement swimmer for the individual that was leaving, I knew I had to try out for it.” That is exactly what Roy did. She tried out for the position and once they reviewed her qualifications they agreed to let her perform the swimmer fitness test (SFT). The test consists of four pull-ups, a 500-meter 6
equipment swim and a 400-meter buddy tow in 27 minutes or less. Passing this test is required for all SAR swimmers. “I saw a bunch of guys go in there before me and not make it, so I knew I had to really give it my all,” said Roy. After successfully completing the SFT, Roy then went on to participate at a four-week-long course at the Rescue Swimmer School (RSS) in San Diego. At RSS, Roy learned various techniques and methods to save those in need. The training included teaching the swimmers how to find, rescue and stabilize any individual they may find in distress. “The training was really intense,” said Seaman Derek Evans, a SAR swimmer, from Austin, Texas, “there are just so many scenarios that it takes a lot of practice to cover each possibility.” Due to the large amount of information and skills needed to be successful, SAR swimmers continue training with both the medical team as well as the SAR team upon returning to their command. After completing RSS in San Diego, Roy returned back to the Nimitz ready to put her training to work. Thankfully Roy says she has yet to have any real calls that have required the team to respond, although there have been plenty of drills to keep her and the rest of
the SAR crew ready in case of an actual scenario. “A lot of times they don’t tell us if it is a drill or an actual call so we treat them all like they are real,” said Roy. “It’s important to respond to each scenario as if they were life and death situations because one day they really could be.” Roy has experienced firsthand the potential complications that might arise when responding to those calls. “There have been plenty of times that things don’t go perfectly,” said Roy. “I have definitely had a few scares while out on a drill, we all have. Thankfully we have a great crew so that when things don’t go exactly as planned we have the resources to come back from the scenario safely.” Though not every drill is a perfect one, Roy continues to volunteer to be a SAR swimmer because of the overall joy she gets from doing so. “I’m not a fearless hero,” Roy laughs. “I just really love swimming and if I can potentially help someone doing so, that makes it even better.” The love she has for what she does is evident as the drills finish and she climbs back into the safety of the boat. Though the team has been vigorously training all morning Roy has the biggest grin on her face. According to Roy, there’s no better way to start the
day. Nimitz is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. While in this region, the ship and strike group are conducting maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners, preserve freedom of navigation, and maintain the free flow of commerce.
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“I think we get tied up in a ‘this is the way we’ve always done it’ kind of attitude. Nobody likes change.” -Cmdr. Michael Mulhern, MO
AIRSpeed
Story and photos by MCSN Emily Johnston
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irtually everything in life involves a process: a series of steps to reach the desired end-goal. On Navy ships, processes are imperative. It is vital that every step is executed properly, and that the personnel involved are actively engaged in order to accomplish the mission. The more efficient each process is, the better. AIRSpeed is a Navy program committed to observing and improving processes to decrease man hours, increase morale, save money, and improve mission readiness by making them more efficient. The comparable program is known in the civilian world as Lean Six Sigma. “AIRSpeed is decreasing input to increase output,” said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class Rebecca Sova, from Sheridan, Mich. “The goal is to do less to get more done.” Sova runs the AIRSpeed program aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68). “AIRSpeed Is a methodology that’s used for process improvements,” said Cmdr. Michael Mulhern, from Brandon, Fla., the maintenance officer aboard Nimitz. “It doesn’t mean anybody’s doing anything wrong; it just means there could be a better way of doing things. We try to get rid of any wasted movement, wasted time, anything that takes up the Sailors’ ability to do their job, and we try to capitalize on efficiencies.” First, the AIRSpeed team, led by Sova, chooses a process to conduct an event on. That process is observed over the course of multiple days, and the team looks closely at each step, looking for anything that can be changed to make the process more efficient. Then, changes are implemented; parts tools are moved or organized, paths are shortened, and unnecessary steps are removed. After the changes are implemented, the team observes the process again and compares the efficiency of the process from before and after the event was held. More often than not, work centers with processes chosen for AIRSpeed events feel targeted, like their process is wrong. “I think we get tied up in a ‘this is the way we’ve always done it’ kind of attitude,” said Mulhern. “Nobody likes change.” 10
The goal now, Sova said, is to eliminate the negative stigma and spread the word about how impactful AIRSpeed really is, and get as much involvement as possible. “We’re getting the word out as to what AIRSpeed is on the ship and what we do,” said Ens. Joseph Hibner, from Austin, Texas, the AIRSpeed divisional officer. “Even the people who don’t know what AIRSpeed is are still reaping the benefits of it.” There are multiple levels of qualification in AIRSpeed/Lean Six Sigma. The lowest level certification is yellow belt, which is easily attainable aboard Nimitz. It covers the basics of conducting an AIRSpeed event. Sova teaches a yellow belt course regularly, and anyone from any department has the potential to be certified. The next level of certification is green belt. Green belt members must already be yellow belt certified. Green belt certification provides a level of greater knowledge and experience into Lean Six Sigma methodology. After green belt comes black, followed by master black belt, which is the highest attainable certification. “We just finished a green belt course that completed training for 18 people,” said Sova. “This time around, we are going to maintain AIRSpeed through the shipyard period, which has a lot to do with the unlimited support of the AIRSpeed chain of command. I see the program growing through the long-term sustainment, getting more people certified and involved.” Certification for AIRSpeed, like yellow belt and green belt, are easily translated into the civilian world. Qualification in the Navy counts towards qualification in a civilian job. The AIRSpeed team, according to Hibner, is trying to get as many Nimitz Sailors involved as possible. They are trying to start small by getting people from various departments yellow belt certified, and branching out to green belt, eventually attaining command-wide involvement. “AIRSpeed’s goal isn’t to point out the things you’re doing wrong,” said Hibner. “The goal is to improve the process of what already might be a good process. It’s to help you reduce the time required for the actual work, distance
traveled, and to save the Navy money.” The AIRSpeed team has completed several events this year. One such event saved an approximate 75% in man hours, improving mission capability and readiness and creating greater efficiency in that work center. “I would say give it a chance,” said Mulhern. “We’re not making any changes to the end product, we’re changing the way you get to the end product. If we can save a Sailor an hour out of the day, that’s an hour they get back. If you can minimize the time spent walking from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ to get a part, that means we’re getting that part through the system a bit quicker, that means we’re saving unnecessary travel for the Sailor, we’re saving wasted steps. So I think in the long run, it’s a way to improve their processes.” As a part of everyday life, processes need to be as seamless as possible. AIRSpeed strives to increase efficiencies wherever possible, in the best interest of Sailors and the Navy as a whole. Nimitz is deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. While in this region, the ship and strike group are conducting maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners, preserve freedom of navigation, and maintain the free flow of commerce.
“AIRSpeed is decreasing input to increase output. The goal is to do less to get more done.” -AS3 Rebecca Sova
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By: MCSN Jose Madrigal
For the past few weeks, a group of Sailors have been hard at work preparing for several events that they hope will translate their passion, pride and most importantly their heritage to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
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The multi-cultural committee aboard Nimitz conducted several events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month which started Sept. 15 and concluded Oct. 15. The committee hosted game nights with Hispanic heritage themes, as well as a celebration that included music and
dancing to highlight different Hispanic cultures. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class (Handling) Ashley Astacio, a native of Springfield, Mass., and president of the multi-cultural committee, believes it’s important to display her heritage and the heritage of her fellow Hispanic shipmates to the Nimitz crew. “Hispanic heritage is going to be celebrated outside the military, but the military has decided to observe it and make it an actual instruction (ALNAV 006/17),” said Astacio. “I think it’s important to display our heritage because not only have Hispanics impacted back home in the United States, we also have an impact when we join the military forces. Puerto Ricans, Mexicans and people from South and Central America come to the United States and join the military and that allows us to have an impact all over the world.” Although Astacio was born in
Springfield, her father was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico and her mother, born in Brooklyn, N.Y., spent a lot of time traveling back and forth from the U.S. and Isabella, Puerto Rico. Astacio has developed a strong sense of pride in her family’s roots and heritage. She, along with the committee, are delighted to be able to share some of their culture with fellow shipmates. “I want people to learn something new from a different culture,” said Astacio. On Sept. 25 the committee held a game night with questions based on Hispanic history, cuisine and pop culture. “I think game night was a success,” says Astacio. “I do think participants learned something new about Hispanic culture, especially about food and political figures.” In addition to game night, the committee held a celebration that included pinatas, cake, music and dancing.
In most Hispanic cultures; food, music and dancing are the main source of bringing people together during all sorts of different celebrations, but what most people don’t realize is that the style of food, music and dancing varies in different Hispanic cultures, said Astacio. The instruments being played to the way people dance are all different. Yeomen 3rd Class Daniel Munoz, from Inglewood, Calif., and vice president of the multi-cultural committee knows the differences in culture. Similar to Astacio, Munoz’ parents were born in a different country. His parents were born in Guatemala, his father in Retalhuleu and his mother in Escuintla. “Every Latin culture has their favorite type of music, for Guatemala it is Marimba which is played with the xylophone,” said Munoz. To display to the Nimitz crew a bit of this variety, four pairs of Sailors aboard Nimitz danced different styles with
different sounds that included; Bachata, Cumbia and Merengue. Munoz was one of the Sailors who participatied in the dances. “There are many different types of dances in the Hispanic culture, but the reason we chose these are because it was our top three favorites and shows variety,” said Munoz. “Dancing is a form of expression to celebrate accomplishments, birthdays, anniversaries and a way for everyone to just get together and have a good time.” The main objective for this month’s festivities is for the Nimitz crew to have a good time, maybe learn something new and bring the crew closer together through diversity. “It’s important to celebrate everyone’s heritage because we get to learn more about each other, where we come from, and a lot of us would be surprised how much we have in common with one another from different backgrounds,” said Munoz.
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Crossword
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Channel List
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CH. 02- NIMITZ ORIGINALS CH. 03- MOVIE CHANNEL CH. 04- MOVIE CHANNEL CH. 05- MOVIE CHANNEL CH. 06- AFN CH. 07- AFN CH. 08- AFN CH. 09- MOVIE CHANNEL CH. 10- ILARTS CH. 11- MOVIE CHANNEL CH. 12- SCROLLER CH. 13- TRAINING
Sudoku
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1. AN Matthew Martin stands a full bore watch in the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by MC3 Leon Wong 2. ABHAN Derek Slater picks up his firefighting boots after a crash-and-salvage watch. Photo by MC3 (SW) Weston Mohr 3. An F/A-18E Super Hornet, from VFA-146, launches from the flight deck. Photo by MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 4. Sailors on the rigging team work and cool off during a replenishment-at-sea. Photo by MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 5. Sailors conduct honor guard practice aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo by MC3 Leon Wong 6. Sailors move ordnance aboard the flight deck off USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo By MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 7. Sailors play football on the flight deck of USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo By MC2 (SW/AW/IW) Holly Herline 8. An MH-60S Sea Hawk from HSC-8 patrols above Nimitz. Photo by MCSN (SW/AW) Cody Deccio 9. Sailors recieve supplies aboard Nimitz during an UNREP. Photo By MC3 (SW) Weston A. Mohr
Find Chester Admiral Chester Nimitz’s face is hidden somewhere in every Nimitz News. Can you find him?
Trivia When was the last time the U.S. Men’s National Soccer team didn’t qualify for the world cup.
Weekly Throwback
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Sailors work on deployment aboard Nimitz in 1991
1986 1| AM3 Aaliyah Jones, from New York, leans against an EA-18G Growler from VAQ 142. |MC2 Herline 2| Sailors participate in the “Thursday Night Throwdown,” a flight deck dancing tradition before the final recovery on the flight deck on Thursday nights. |MC3 Kinkead 3| An F/A-18C Hornet from VMFA 323 launches off the flight deck. |MC3 Wong 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.
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4| Rear Adm. Greg Harris, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, observes bridge operations. |MC3 Wong 5| F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA 154 launches from the flight deck. |MCSN Madrigal 6| “Jared and the Mill” perform for the crew. |MC3 Cuenca 7| AS2 Matthew Bridges, from Memphis, Tenn., and Marine Corps Cpl. Alan Juarez, from Manassas, Va., loosen battery terminals on a T-15 diesel hydraulic power supply. |MCSN Johnston
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