July 28, 2011
Nimitz News
July 28, 2011
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Vol. 36, No. 30
Family Readiness Group Nimitz Sailors achieve cares about yougoal and yours educational
Nimitz prepares to float out of dry dock Story by MCSN Jacob Milner Maintenance continues aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during the ship’s overhaul in dry dock. Some major evolutions must be completed before the dock can be flooded. All of the voids and tanks need to be repaired, JP-5 jet fuel is slated to be reloaded onto the ship and various systems that are required for underway operations will need to be restarted. Divisions must ready their equipment and personnel prior to flooding the docks. Many of the processes involved are division specific and could delay the flooding if not completed in time. “Deck division will make sure that they have all of the lines necessary to move the ship,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chuck Jones, the ship’s maintenance manager. “Navigation will make sure their charts are ready to go for getting underway.” In addition to individual divisions preparing, department heads will have to inspect and sign off on their department
Nimitz officer accepted into Blue Angels
Lt. Scott Adams is accepted into prestigious flight squadron. See Page 3 for more details.
checklists, lists of assigned priority tasks imperative to ship integrity, before flooding can begin. “The captain makes the signature on the prerequisite list saying that all of the department heads have completed all of the work required,” said Jones. “That gives permission for the shipyard to flood the dry dock.” The scenery around the dry dock will also change prior to flooding. The pier will undergo a large change from its machinery and caution tape ridden condition to make way for the ship to be moved. “A lot of the stuff around the wing wall of the ship will have to be moved,” said Jones. “All of the tanks and extraneous buildings will have to be moved so that the line handlers will be able to walk up and down the side of the ship to move us out.” According to Jones, buoyancy will put new stresses on the ship, so the dry dock will be filled and allow the ship to float in a controlled environment. The water SEE “DRY DOCK” PAGE 8
Story by MC2 (SW/AW) Amara Timberlake Story by MCSN Jess Lewis USS Nimitz’ (CVN 68) Ombudsmen teamed up with the Family Readiness Group (FRG) to host a meeting at the Jackson Park Community Center Wednesday. The meeting was set up to update Sailors and their families on the status of the ship’s homeport change to Everett, Wash. in December as well as changes in housing and travel allowances. “We’re here for you,” said ombudsman Lindsay Baldwin, wife of Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Brett Baldwin. “We’re in direct communication with the commanding officer to get you the information that you need.” “We’re trying to keep families up to date on the status of the homeport change and the ship’s schedule,” said Ens. Eric Ehley, the ship’s homeport change coordinator. “It’s a lot of the same things from the last change of homeport but there are some entitlements and things that are different, so it will be important for Sailors to communicate with their dependants.” Ehley also discussed housing options such as SEE “FRG” PAGE 10 CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Ens. Eric Ehley speaks at FRG meeting last night
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Amazing
Commentary by MC3(SW) Matthew Patton Commanding Officer CAPT Paul Monger Executive Officer CAPT Buzz Donnelly Command Master Chief CMDCM William Lloyd-Owen Public Affairs Officer LTJG Jason Scarborough Media LCPO MCCM Jon McMillan Media Production Chief MCC Mike Jones Editor MC2 J.D. Levite Lead Designer MC3 Matthew Patton Media Dept MC2 C.J. Amdahl MC2 James Mitchell MC2 Amara Timberlake MC2 Adam Wolfe MC3 Ashley Berumen MC3 Ian Cotter MC3 Mark Sashegyi MC3 Glenn Slaughter MC3 Thomas Siniff MC3 Nichelle Whitfield MC3 Robert Winn MC3 Devin Wray MCSN Andrew Jandik MCSN Jacob Milner MCSA Alexander Ventura II MCSA Renee Candelario MCSA Jess Lewis MCSA Derek Volland Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All submissions must be in by Friday, COB. 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.
Amazing [uh-mey-zing] 1. causing great surprise or sudden wonder Amazing. That’s going to be the word for today. You want to know what’s amazing? Someone came down here and said “thank you” for the last editorial I wrote a few weeks ago. You know why that’s amazing? It’s incredibly rare for any of us to actually have someone come down here and do that. Especially for me. The last time I wrote an editorial was while “The Relevant” was in circulation underway, and boy did that blow up. Yeah, people actually read my little message to the crew about getting their pictures taken. Their reaction to what I said was predictable, so that was easy to absorb. I was shocked that they actually read it. And so did some of the other blue shirts, more than I would have guessed. I started getting email responses from various LPO’s offering assistance, their own opinions… the whole nine. Freaking amazing, people. So in honor of the person who came down here and thanked me for what I wrote, I’m going to tell you something else that I find amazing: people. Yeah, I’m gonna talk about people, and anyone that knows me knows I generally don’t like people. But there’s a recurring theme that I’m seeing amongst us younger people, and with the recent advent of drugs and idiocy that’s permeating throughout the ship, it’s an amazing theme: no car equals accepting boredom. And accepting boredom equals making stupid decisions. Amazing, right? I mean… I can’t tell you how often I hear people my age use “if I had a car” as a segue way into all the things they’d do as opposed to sitting around doing nothing all day. I find that amazing. I know that we are all incredibly wealthy in this Navy business, because we all know the Navy pays so well for our services. In fact, I’ve concluded that all this cash we’re getting has collectively made us incredibly bourgeois. Since when did anyone become too good to climb onto a bus to get somewhere? Yeah, I understand that having a vehicle is a sign of independence, and it does beat having to operate within public transit hours. But using the lack of a vehicle as a linchpin for all your boredom woes is beyond amazing: it’s stupid. Maybe I just don’t have the right perspective, I don’t know. Maybe if this Sailor over here had a car, then they would have driven away from the spice that was placed in front of them, as opposed to walking toward it. Maybe if Nimitz just bought
us all cars so we could all just drive away from everything, then maybe that black board on the barge quarterdeck would be empty. Maybe then we’d all have something to do, because driving around automatically qualifies as doing something! Huzzah!! Isn’t that an amazing idea? Too bad it’s completely unrealistic, among other things. It almost makes me think that the generation I’ve grown up in, and the ones that follow, have a centralized theme: convenience. With technology advancing the way it is, constantly streamlining production processes and making it easier to communicate with each other, it’s no wonder that we’ve all gotten progressively lazier. The mantra of “right now” is probably the most subtle epidemic hitting today’s youth, and it shows no signs of abatement. If an internet page takes longer than a few seconds to load, then it’s “slow.” We don’t talk on phones, we text them. No one buys CD’s: we have iTunes. If it isn’t “right now,” it’s useless. The concept of “waiting” is almost dead and gone. The effects of this transition are subtle, but magnified with every stupid decision that comes out of it. Grammy Patton used to say “idle hands are the devil’s playground.” And the more I hear you all say “I don’t go anywhere because I don’t have a car,” the less I think of you. It’s one thing if you’re just not interested in going anywhere, like I am most of the time. If you’re content to sit in front of your laptop or Xbox to kill the hours, fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if you want to go to Seattle, or anywhere else, and don’t because you have to use public transit to do it, well... Not having a car shouldn’t impede anyone from doing anything they want to do. Yeah, you may have to go through the hard process of finding Google and researching something to do. You’ll never get those ten minutes of your life back, it’s true. Not to mention looking up Google Maps, and the pain of printing that mess out to keep with you… man, that’s just not worth it, is it? Nah, there’s a bunch of us that would rather sit in our rooms complaining about the lack of things to do because we don’t have a car. I find that totally amazing. Don’t you?
Comments? Questions? e-mail MC3 Patton at matthew.patton@cvn68.navy.mil
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Lt. Scott Adams, USS Nimitz’ (CVN 68) Supply Department’s training officer and Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Lisa Hood, Supply Department’s S-8 division training petty officer, review the Supply Department’s training material. Photo by MC3(SW) Nichelle N. Whitfield.
Into the Blue: Nimitz officer accepted into Blue Angels Story by MC3(SW) Nichelle Whitfield
For Lt. Scott Adams, an officer on USS Nimitz (CVN68), the skies are much more blue. Adams has been accepted into the Blue Angels flight demonstration team as their new supply officer. “I didn’t know I would have the opportunity to try out for the team,” said Adams. “I worked for a supply officer who had previously been a Blue Angels SUPPO. Then there was another officer that had just come to the ship who came from there. They both talked to me about the job and helped push me down the road to apply.” In researching the position, Adams discovered he was not only eligible for the billet but impeccable with timing, as the position he desired was opening up for applications. The demonstration squadron has a supply officer position open, explained Adams. Like any billet, the Blue Angels crew requires a supply officer to ensure proper financial and equipment management. Adams’ job will require him to perform the
duties of any supply officer but on a larger and more prestigious scale than his current position on Nimitz. The Blue Angels program and crew are based out of Pensacola, Fla., where Adams will reside for the duration of his two year tour. Adams said he’s prepared and anticipating the amount of travel required accompanying the Blue Angels crew. For the 2011 year, the Blue Angels are scheduled to perform 69 shows in 37 cities from March 2011 through November 2011. From March 2012 through November 2012 they are scheduled to perform 68 shows in 35 cities. Adams’ parents and family are extremely excited for him, he said. “Before I joined the Navy, when I was in college, I went to an air show with my dad the Blue Angels were flying at, and I thought that was the coolest thing ever,” said Adams. “I’ve always been interested in aviation; it’s why I wanted to come to a carrier.”
So, will Blue Angel “Newbie” Lt. Scott Adams be flying? No, unfortunately, those positions are for the trained and highly seasoned naval aviators. But the pilots do, from time to time, take support officers for backseat rides -- something Adams said he’s absolutely interested in. “They have a great support network there, not just with the maintainers and with the personnel they have with the team, but also with prior members who have already left. They are easy to get into contact with,” said Adams. Adams is excited to join the Blue Angel crew as a team that represents the Navy Marine Corps and has the opportunity to influence thousands of lives and promote the Navy and Marine Corps. “I would encourage anybody to do whatever it is they want to do in life because you get one shot at it. You might as well enjoy it and try to do what you want to do,” said Adams. “Take every opportunity.”
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Smart Money Story by MC3(SW) Robert Winn
A used 3-series BMW costs $17,000. A seaman I know decided he wanted to buy one. He sat down, found out how much his income was, calculated expenses, found his credit score, got insurance with a $1,000 deductable… the works. He came to me with his little sheet of information and proudly told me: I want it, I can afford it, let’s go get it. The thing I tried to convey to him was, despite the fact he had calculated all the costs, he could never afford that car, especially as a seaman. The cost of the parts to repair it, say if he got into an accident, are far more expensive than those on just some car. And wouldn’t you know it, the second day owning his shiny pre-owned 3-series, he hits one of those concrete pillars in the parking garage. $952 in damages. “What people fail to realize is the difference between their budget and their spending plan,” said Chief Yeoman Antwione Whitfield, the assistant command financial specialist. “People will go and say ‘I need to adjust my budget’ and they just don’t. Your budget is fixed. It’s the amount of money you have after your bills. Your spending plan is how you go about spending the budget you have. You can’t adjust your budget without getting a promotion.” Most Sailors don’t have a problem with things like missed payments. The problems they have come from mismanaged money and impulse buying. Not impulse like that pack of gum right at the checkout, impulse like buying a round of shots for your buddies at the club, said Whitfield. “A lot of people have just been spending money because they’re bored,” Whitfield continued. “It’s their first time being away from home, and they’re trying to make the most of it by going and doing things. Three days in they’ve spent their whole paycheck.” Couponing is a simple solution to a large problem, says Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Kimberly Kerkhoff. “I coupon like fierce and keep one of those little rewards cards for everywhere I shop,” Kerkhoff said. “That’s the simplest way to save on the things you are going to buy regardless.” Spending impulsively adds up over time, but big budget, well thought out items can get you in trouble all the same, said Whitfield.
“People like to prey on young Sailors,” said Whitfield. “They’ll reel you in with some nice offer and then stick you with the highest interest rates you can imagine. By the time you’ve realized what’s happened you’re already committed to it and you’ve lost the patience to go about trying to fix it.” The way to get ahead in your finances is to assess what you currently spend, said Whitfield. “Take a few months worth of statements and see what you spend,” said Whitfield. “Take the time to break down what you spend and how you spend. Look for things like when you buy food at the galley even though you’ve got food at home or if you’re traveling to Seattle a lot and drive rather than take the ferry.” “Ever since I got online banking, I’ve been able to track what I was spending,” said Yeoman Seaman Recruit Corey Boggs. “It was all junk. One day I counted up all the junk I bought with the last paycheck and moved that amount into savings on my next paycheck.” If you’re going to invest in something, take the time to make sure you can really afford it, Whitfield advises. “If you feel like buying a car, and it has a $300 payment on it, take $300 out of each month for the next three months and put it into savings,” said Whitfield. “If you run out of money by the end of each pay period during those three months, then you’re prepared to buy it, and you’ve saved $900. If you’re not prepared in those three months, try six.” For those who are not so much concerned with staying out of financial trouble because they’re already in it, Whitfield suggests contacting your leading chief petty officer or the command financial specialist. “We mostly offer informational counseling,” said Whitfield. “People might not know that their money troubles can have side effects in their work. If you’re in mountains of credit card debt and you’re going up for your security clearance renewal, they’re not going to let you keep it. And now there are more than a few rates that you just can’t stay in if you lose your clearance. And before you know it you’ll find yourself out of a job.” The best thing you can do for yourself is plan, said Whitfield. “Set up a plan to keep your straight and stick to it.”
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July 28, 2011
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July 28, 2011
Beastin’ the Eastern
The rainy, dreary atmosphere of the Puget Sound, highlighted by the bustle of Seattle seems to be a very gray reality for the Evergreen State. However, Washington has some of the most diverse terrain in the country, and expanding east from the Cascade Mountains is the last ecological niche you’d expect to see in the Pacific Northwest. Story and photos by MC3 Ian Cotter
D
esert. Miles and miles of it, stretching across the vast plateau east of the Cascades. I’d heard about it, but I didn’t believe that there was really anything past Mt. Rainier. I just figured it was a blank spot on the map, and I wanted to know for sure what was beyond what couldn’t be seen from here. It was time for another adventure, so I grabbed my backpack and headed into the unknown. Leaving my driveway behind, I drove across the Sound to the foot of the Cascades and began the assent. The mountain climb
on Interstate Route 90 was slightly hard on my little car’s engine, but it finally heaved to the top of Snoqualmie Pass. Empty ski lifts at The Summit ski resort hung motionless on their cables, idle in the absence of snow and people like swings at an abandoned playground. Around me, tall conifer trees reached skyward stirring the hazy mountain clouds. The road angled sharply downward, and I emerged on the other side of the mountains descending into the valley below. The trees grew sparser as if they were retreating to the cool wet safety of
July 28, 2011
the mountainside. Ahead, the rolling hills and plains emerged vibrant with lush green vineyards and auburn steppes. This was no longer the Washington I was familiar with. Instead, it felt like a drive into the Upper California countryside. Atop the tallest hills stood massive wind farms slicing through the arid air with their blades and supplying power to nearby towns. The road finally leveled off, and I started into the flatlands. I couldn’t help but notice the height and population of the trees diminishing as I drove further into the heat. Back in Bremerton, it was raining and about 60 degrees outside, but here was a completely different world. The sky was open and vast, and I sped on across the plateau as the temperatures continued to rise. Soon, the golden sand of the dunes danced across the road in the wind. I was in the desert, the last place anyone would associate with Washington State. As the car ran low on fuel, I pulled off the main highway into a small town called Mattawa and filled up at a 76 station. Paying for my fuel and a PowerAde, I asked the store clerk if there was anything interesting about the area. “Oh yes,” she said with a smile. “This town used to be known for its ice caves, but they’ve all caved in over the years.” Back before the days of refrigerators, farmers and butchers would take fresh ice down from the mountains
Nimitz News
in the winter to caves in the desert, where the ice would stay cold and frozen into the summer. Then, during the hottest months of the year, produce and meat could be kept cold or frozen in those caves so they wouldn’t spoil. With a full tank of gas, I pressed eastward toward I-90. I had overheard a British Columbian family at the gas station talking about their vacation at a place east of there called Moses Lake. Being the curious type, I wanted to know why a dot on the map in the middle of the Washington desert would be so alluring to Canadians that they’d want to go on holiday there. I had a destination and a passing road sign displayed that it was 68 miles away. With a 70 mph speed limit on I-90, that meant that I’d be there in less than an hour. It was surprising how quickly the vast, rugged desert faded away into the background of endless farmland. I felt like I was driving into the Midwest. For such an out-of-the-way state, Washington really did have everything. Small signs on the fences guarding the fields indicated what crops were growing there. The welcome sign at Moses Lake proudly introduced the town as a “desert oasis” and home of the desert’s Great Blue Heron population. The town itself was like no place I’d ever been before. Situated around what looked like a scrape in the
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earth filled with water, Moses Lake had an atmosphere of countryside living with a twist of Latin accent. Like Midwest meets Mid-Cal, Moses Lake was a very diverse and interesting place. Swimmers and water skiers cooled off in the 90 degree heat, as tourists shopped on the main street of town. The older models of cars lining the streets outside of record and cassette shops made it feel like the town still had a foot in the 1980s. Leaving, a rainbow poured out of the clouds into a baseball field and the sky brightened with the colorful hues of the oncoming sunset as Moses Lake grew smaller in the rear-view mirror. With all of the windows rolled down and the sunroof open, I drove west toward the Cascades as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky. Coming around a bend in the desert, the Colombia River lazily weaved through the rocky canyons down below. Soon I was once again passing the wind farm. The slowly rotating blades of the elevated turbines waved farewell in the fading light, almost beckoning to “come back soon.” It wouldn’t be the last time I’d see the desert. The adventure was worth the drive, and as clouds in the sky ignited in shades of violet and red against the desert sunset, I sped down the stretched open road toward the mountains and eventually home.
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Dry Dock:
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July 28, 2011
overhaul continues
temperature is generally kept at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the dock to give the ship an adjustment period to the temperature in Puget Sound which is about 45 or 50 degrees. “Undocking a carrier is about a two and a half to three day evolution.” said Jones. “Flood on one day, letting the ship sit and soak one day and then actually moving it out the next.” Once the dry dock has been flooded and the soaking period has been completed, the ship will be moved out of the dry dock area, though not under its own power. “We will be pulled by tug boats and ship’s power will be provided by our diesel generators,” said Jones. With the time in dry dock coming to an end, many processes and evolutions must be completed to keep things on schedule. Keeping on schedule is imperative to Jones, and his record shows that he knows how to get it done. “I’ve been in this shipyard four times, and I’ve never been late out of the dry dock yet,” said Jones. “I do not expect us to be late this time.”
Nimitz Sailors achieve academic goals Story by MCSA Jess Lewis Tuesday, July 12, marked a memorable day for Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Michael Hayes and Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Lee Yang. They both graduated college from Vincennes University, each having acquired an associate degree. Hayes, the Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program director, said it was a civilian contractor he worked with at Naval Hospital Bremerton who told him he was smart and suggested he go to school to get a degree. “I barely made it through high school. I was too busy partying. I didn’t really care for school,” said Hayes. “I guess I was always afraid of it, like I was going to fail so I never did it,” he said. But after she continually pushed Hayes towards getting a degree, he decided to go for it. “She’s been a mentor to me along the way and my wife has been a big encouragement as well,” Hayes said. Yang said he started taking classes back in 2006 but decided he couldn’t do it anymore so from there he stopped. Then in 2010, he decided to take classes again while on board. Yang took two classes a semester and said it was just the right amount of work.
Both Hayes and Yang said one of their biggest obstacles was balance. They both serve on active duty and each have a family in addition to taking classes. “It’s not to where anyone can’t do it, you’ve just got to put the time into it,” said Yang. Hayes said getting a degree is achievable depending on how bad you want it. Originally, Hayes said he started working towards a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2008 while he was still on shore duty at Naval Hospital Bremerton. “Being a SARP counselor you kind of work in the field to a certain degree. I found it exciting and thought maybe it was something to do when I get out of the Navy so why not pursue it now,” he said. Since he was so close to getting an associate degree, Hayes said he took the two classes he needed for an associate so it would be out of the way. He said he is only about four classes away from finishing his bachelor’s degree and is hoping to finish by December before workups start. If a Sailor doesn’t know what degree he or she wants to pursue, Hayes recommends the Sailor works on at least the basic classes like English, math, humanities, etc. “I try to get them to knock out the smaller stuff
while they’re in the Navy so when they do get out, they’re that much closer to getting their degree,” said Hayes. Hayes said by doing this, Sailors can not only get their underclassmen classes done but they can also see where their focus is and where their passion lays. “Don’t wait [until] later down the road,” said Yang. “It’s a lot easier when you’re right out of high school.” Hayes said he hopes his young Sailors see him getting a degree as a positive thing. “I think they’ll see it and I’m hoping that it’ll be a motivator to someone to start or maybe finish up something they’ve already started. It’s been a long, tough road, but I’m glad I did it. I hope that I can be a role model and an example for others to achieve the things that I have. It’s one of my biggest reasons for doing it and also for myself. I’m happy I got it.”
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Graduating Sailors of the Executive Officer Professional Sailor Program stand with XOPSP instructors at the July 21 graduation. Photo by MCSA Derrek Volland.
XOPSP is saving grace for some Sailors Story by MCSN Jacob Milner With the perform to serve program in full swing, the U.S. Navy is now discharging Sailors for inability to perform duties successfully, PRT failures and multiple minor offenses. The USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is running a program to curtail behavior that may otherwise send Sailors down the path of non-judicial punishment or Captain’s Mast. “The Executive Officer Professional Sailor Program is targeted to junior Sailors whose chain of command feels that there may be something hindering them from unlocking their potential,” said Information Systems Technician 1st Class Pierre Blackwell, an XOPSP instructor. Sailors who have fallen victim to the recent spice craze or have been convicted of multiple alcohol related incidents are not
the target of this program. This program targets Sailors who have multiple minor incidents that have resulted in too many counseling chits and could be sent to NJP without some turn around in their career. “We’ll look at their division records and most of the time they’ll have a couple of counseling chits,” said Blackwell. “We’ll look at the counseling chits and see if there is a pattern.” Participants in the class are there to have a behavioral change for the better when it comes to their Navy career. The class is not meant to be a punishment but an avenue to correcting their path in the Navy. “Most people are under the impression that the class is a bad thing,” said Blackwell. “They think that their chain of command is out to get them, and they don’t think that there is going to be anything beneficial to
come out of this class.” The participants in the class should also realize that this class is their last chance to correct themselves. Following the class, if improvement has not been shown the next step is the beginning process of NJP. “They are going back to their divisions with a spotlight on them. However, it’s going to be ultimately up to them to decide what path they want to take,” said Blackwell. Sailors being sent to the XOPSP class are there for a positive change in their career and a last chance to save themselves before NJP processing begins. Disciplinary review boards, executive officer inquiry and Captain’s Mast are punishments which could toss you out of the Navy. The Executive Officer Professional Sailor Program could land you on solid ground.
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A full scale USS Nimtiz model was featured at the exhibit
Seattle’s Museum of Flight honors 100 years of Naval Aviation Story and photo by MCC(SW/AW) Mike Jones The Seattle Museum of Flight opened of space exploration. A full-scale model of its newest exhibit July 22 to honor naval the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is aviators past and present in celebration of featured as its centerpiece. “The exhibit’s much more than a history the 100th anniversary of naval aviation. USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Commanding lesson,” said King. “As you walk through Officer Capt. Paul O. Monger joined you learn what it takes to be a naval aviator Museum of Flight President and CEO - what it takes to think about a career this Douglas King for a ribbon-cutting rewarding and this interesting.” The detailed panels and displays serve ceremony to officially open “Soaring At to challenge all visitors to remember the Sea: 100 Years of Naval Aviation.” The exhibit features photographs, courage these early pioneers possessed as uniforms and other artifacts that chronicle well as understand the current sacrifices the history of naval aviation from its humble made by today’s naval aviators and their beginnings aboard makeshift aircraft families, Monger explained. carriers all the way through the current era “The biggest privilege is to serve with
folks that are talented, skilled and extremely dedicated,” he said. “They do it because they want to serve. They want to be part of something that’s bigger than they are.” The Museum of Flight is currently offering free admission to military members and up to five family members from now through Labor Day. For more information visit http://www. museumofflight.org. For more information on the Centennial of Naval Aviation visit www.navy.mil/ flynavy.
FRG; answering your HPC questions public private venture base housing and living on the economy in addition to the location of the Navy exchange and support services, not located on base. Some of the “military housing in the Everett area only requires 80 percent of Sailor’s housing allowance,” said Ehley. “Many other places take 100 percent.” The meeting also discussed the Navy’s Exceptional Family Member program in relation to the homeport change. The EFM program is a plan for Sailor’s and families who have a dependant with a medical condition that requires extensive medical treatment. The Navy has five specific categories of EFM and Bremerton and Everett are 2 of
only four geographical areas in the country that offer military medical facilities to treat all five categories, said Lt. Andrew Weiss, the ship’s EFM coordinator. “There are about 70 to 80 Nimitz families that have exceptional family members,” said Weiss. “The program is in place to provide peace of mind for these Sailors and their families.” Sailors should start the planning process early, said Ehley. Homeport Change Certificates are available to Sailors of all paygrades with a rotation date on or after December 15, 2012. In addition to change of homeport information, families recieved an invitation from the ship’s chaplain to
reach out to the local community through COMRELS. “They’ve seen us out there and they’ve seen some of the great work Nimitz Sailors have already done,” said Cmdr. Brent Johnson. “We have several events coming up that we need volunteers for.” Johnson said that in addition to volunteer opportunities, the Chaplains are available for not only for Sailors, but for families as well. Information about the FRG, Ombudsman program, and homeport change can be found at www.nimitz.navy.mil and on the Nimitz Facebook page.
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Navy College Office hosts ESO workshop Story by MCSA Jess Lewis
The Navy College Office hosted a workshop on July 13 to further educate the Education Services Officers, Command Career Counselors and Navy College Program for Afloat College Education coordinators on education options available to Sailors. The initial step for Sailors is to decide what they want to accomplish career wise, said Roseann Cook, a counselor from the Navy College Office. Then start with an educational plan which will later be made into a more specific degree plan. “Begin with the end in mind,” said Cook. “Be continually growing. If you’re not growing, you’re decaying.” The workshop explained the importance of getting the most out of education benefits offered to Sailors while on active duty. Make sure the college is a Service members Opportunity Colleges-Navy school, said Cook. A SOCNAV agreement offers certain guarantees to help complete a degree program by accepting credits earned from classes taken at other schools and transferred into the Sailor’s school of choice. “The whole existence [of SOCNAV] is to make things easier,” said Cook.
Carl Blaisdell, the NCPACE Distance Learning program coordinator, recommends Sailors take advantage of the NCPACE classes available. The classes can be taken all year long and are also available when on deployment. Sailors are also encouraged to use tuition assistance while on active duty. Sailors can take advantage of TA as long as they meet the certain requirements, said Bobby Wilson, a presenter from the NCO. Qualified Sailors can use an online process to request TA. Gil Williams, another presenter from NCO, talked about the Montgomery G.I. Bill and the different chapters which services 99 percent of service members. Williams said Sailors should take advantage of the NCPACE classes and TA before using their G.I. Bill benefits. Defense Activity Non-Traditional Education Support tests are also available to service members through the NCO. These tests assist Sailors who need to get their high school completion or GED. It’s also available for those who would like to apply to college but may need to have an ACT or SAT score on file. DANTES also offers various standardized tests for Sailors
to take to possibly get college credits for information they already know without having to go through the class. If Sailors are interested in learning more about their education options or have questions on how to further their education, they can contact the ESO or the Navy College Office for the next workshop scheduling information.
“Begin with the end in mind... be continually growing. If you’re not growing, you’re decaying.” - Roseann Cook Navy College Office counselor
Friday, july 29 10AM- 3PM
Nimitz Summer Spectacular
Bremerton parade field Food!
activities!
prizes!
live band & a dj!
Page 12
Nimitz News
July 28, 2011
Division 231 Completes Basic Training
Carries Nimitz’ Namesake Throughout
Photos by MC3 Devin Wray and Great Lakes Public Affairs
ABOVE: Capt. Buzz Donnelly, the executive officer of USS Nimitz (CVN 68), talks with a graduate of Recruit Division 231 after the gra duation ceremony on July 22 Nimitz had been sponsoring Division 231 Sailors throughout their boot camp experience. (Photos supplied by Great Lakes Public Affairs).