ROUGH RIDER USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
NOVEMBER 10, 2013
INSIDE
x-47B comes to TR
Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator
photos of THE WEEK By Theodore Roosevelt Media
X-47B By MCSN Stephane Belcher
Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator Sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) welcomed the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) onboard. Theodore Roosevelt is the third carrier to test the tailless, unmanned autonomous aircraft’s ability to integrate with the carrier environment. “The main purpose of the demonstration is to show we can operate in a carrier space and perform landings and take offs on a carrier,” said Gary Owen, the UCAS integrated product team manager. The UCAS-D team received a warm welcome from the ship’s crew for the X-47B operations. “There’s been a lot of support on the ship, it’s been nice. All the way down to just getting radios we can utilize,” said Owen. Current and future test events will continue to mature and refine unmanned technologies to inform unmanned carrier requirements. These program successes represent significant advancements in naval aviation technology and provide a glimps into the future integration of manned and unmanned aircraft aboard the carrier fleet.
MOVEMBER facial hair for a cause By MCSN Stephane Belcher
T
his November, Sailors are shaving time off their morning routine by growing out their mustaches for men’s health awareness. As unlikely as it seems, the Movember ‘stache raises awareness and funds for the worldwide fight against
cancer. Sailors from Medical, Administration, Reactor and Aviation Intermediate Maintenance departments aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) put down their razors to grow mustaches to promote prostate and testicular cancer awareness throughout November. “It’s easy to do,” said Chief Corpsman Alexis Alvarado. “Just don’t shave for a month.” This is Alvarado’s third year participating in the annual worldwide fundraiser. “At my last command, one of my mentors invited me to participate,” said Alvarado. “He was like ‘Hey, have you heard of Movember’, and then he explained it to me. He showed me the site and
where all the proceeds go and what goes directly to research. They have a pretty solid ratio.” Alvarado rallied the Medical department aboard Theodore Roosevelt to compete with his old command, Uniform Services University of Health and Sciences, in Washington D.C. “I have our team here, TR medical, going against my last command,” said Avlarado. “We’re going to win of course.” The ship’s Medical department is competing to see who can raise the most money. Lucky for them, Theodore Roosevelt is a larger command. “We’ll win based on how many people participate,” said Alvarado. “We are annihilating them.” Alvarado has a few years experience raising funds for this charity and is well on his way even though Movember has just begun. “I suggested to my guys to publish it on Facebook and we’re at $100 so far,” said Alvarado. ‘The first year, all I did was post
to Facebook like once a week. It really picks up about midway through the month.” Donating to the fundraiser is as easy as going to the Movember website and clicking on the donate tab. Contributers can donate by sponsoring registered participants. “It’s just the way you put it out, how you solicit funds and contributions,” said Alvarado. “It’s like a job. The second year, it was singling people out, like ‘Hey, I saw you at Starbucks this morning, you can take that five dollars and it could have been a donation towards a great cause’.” Alvarado recruited numerous departments around the ship to grow their mustaches for the Movember movement. “It’s a good way to have fun, donate some money and do something good while you’re at it,” said Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Justin Whipkey from Reactor. “We’re still working on it. Right now we’re just trying to raise awareness. It’s a fun way to grow some
facial hair. Everyone is walking around with mustaches and it’s not a very common thing.” Sailors seem to like the fact that growing their ‘staches for Movember’s awareness is different than the average fundraiser. “This is probably one of the more fun fundraisers,” said Alvarado. “It’s definitely a unique concept as opposed to doing a 5K. We had a run to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis. That was great, but everyone does a run. I think it’s just the concept that you grow a mustache. I like that it’s unique.” Two Australia friends wanted to bring awareness to men’s health in 2003. They had 30 men grow out their mustaches for 30 days to draw attention to the issue. A year later they created the Movember foundation and a global movement was born.
khaki cuts
Theodore Roosevelt opens its doors to the new khaki barber shop
History of veteran’s day Veteran’s Day is a wonderful holiday and celebrated throughout America. From small towns in Indiana and Montana to major cities of New York and Los Angeles, Veteran’s Day has relevance to each American family in each town and city in the nation. In each generation, in each family there are those who served their country. It may be a father, a brother, a grandfather or cousin. Or perhaps a mother, a sister, a nephew or niece. It may have been in WWI or WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraqi Freedom or operation Desert Storm –but whatever the conflict, whatever the service, the commitment to serve and protect our nation is a commitment of the individual and his or her family. To best understand and celebrate Veteran’s Day, it’s important to look to its origin – its history. Veterans’ Day evolved from the original celebration of Armistice Day, the end of WWI. On November 11th 1918, the “war to end all wars” itself ended. Considered to be the most savage and far reaching war in human history, the “armistice” which ended WWI was a day of celebration and prayer. On every continent, formal events commemorated this historic moment and celebrations of a day of international peace evolved. It came as no surprise that Armistice Day would evolve into a national holiday that continued to be celebrated year after year. In November of 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued his Armistice Day proclamation. The last paragraph set the tone for future observances: “ To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation.” For sixteen years the United States formally observed Armistice Day, with impressive ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where the Chief Executive or his representative placed a wreath. In many other communities, the
American Legion was in charge of the observance, which included parades and religious services. At 11 A.M. all traffic stopped, in tribute to the dead, then volleys were fired and taps sounded. What was a surprise, at least to the generation that experienced WWI, is that this war marked a new beginning in international conflict-- not an end. WWII involved an even greater mobilization of soldiers, sailors, marine and airman in the nation’s history. Korea soon followed. With so many new veterans who had little or no association with World War I, the significance of a celebration of an “armistice,” which means simply a truce, was lost. Slowly, the holiday that was to commemorate the end of WWI, evolved into a general celebration of all veterans. Leaders of Veterans’ groups began to celebrate the original date of November 11 to honor all who had fought in various American wars, not just in World War I. It was in Emporia, Kansas, on November 11, 1953, that a local veterans’ group held the one of the first “unofficial” Veterans’ Day celebrations instead of an Armistice Day program observance. Ed Rees, of Emporia, was so impressed that he introduced a bill into the House to change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans’ Day. After this passed, Mr. Rees wrote to all state governors and asked for their approval and cooperation in observing the changed holiday. An Act of Congress changed the name to Veterans’ Day on May 24, 1954. In October of that year, President Eisenhower called on all citizens to observe the day by remembering the sacrifices of all those who fought so gallantly, and through re-dedication to the task of promoting an enduring peace. Thus the celebration of Armistice Day was officially replaced with Veteran’s Day and all American veterans of all wars were to be honored. Yet, there’s more to the story. When President Eisenhower, himself a veteran, formally established Veteran’s Day as a national holiday – it was to be celebrated on a different day than November 18th. The actual law, the Uniform Holiday Bill signed on June 28, 1968, established four three-day weekends by assigning
the celebration of national holidays to a Monday. So four Mondays were selected to celebrate Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. This gave federal workers a threeday weekend. Now, of course the intent was to encourage travel and recreation – mini-vacations so to speak – for federal employees. But the result was confusion. Many states did not like the non-traditional celebrations and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on Monday, October 25, 1971. It’s kind of refreshing to realize that patriotism was more important than a three-day weekend. Many veterans and their families honored tradition and kept to the original celebrations – enough so that in 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 that returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This was universally popular with state legislatures, all of the major service organizations and the American people. And it’s important to the meaning of the celebration itself. Tradition is at the core of the holiday. The tradition of service, the tradition of sacrifice and the tradition of a selfless commitment to the preservation of freedom. Veteran’s Day is not a “day off” from work or a sale at the mall. It represents the ultimate sacrifice – for it honors those that not only served their country but gave their lives on behalf of their country. What does that really mean? It means that each of you in the audience today has the life you have –because of them. It’s quite simple really. They fought, many died, and you and your families are the direct beneficiaries of their sacrifice. The observance of Veteran’s Day allows each of us to reflect and focus on the purpose behind such a commemoration. It is a day to celebrate and honor America’s veterans. Taken from a navy.mil Veterans Day speech.
Staff YOUR NAVY
IN THE NEWS
Commanding Officer Capt. Daniel Grieco Executive Officer Capt. Mark Colombo
Ford christening
Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Evans
connects President to Navy roots
Media Officer Ensign Jack Georges
By Gerald R. Ford Public Affairs
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) -- With the strike of a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow by the ship’s sponsor, the Navy christened its newest aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the lead ship of the new Gerald R. Ford class, Nov. 9, in a ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. Susan Ford Bales, Ford’s daughter and the ship’s sponsor, had the honor of christening the ship in front of more than 20,000 Sailors, shipbuilders and civilians, bringing to life the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier design in more than 40 years. “I christen thee United States Ship Gerald R. Ford,” said Bales, breaking the bottle across the bow. “May God bless all those who sail in her.” The Ford class is designed with significant quality-of-life improvements and reduced maintenance. These innovations are expected to improve operational availability and capability, and reduce total ownership cost over its 50-year service life by $4 billion compared with Nimitz-class carriers. The ship is also designed to evolve with advances in technology. “The carrier is our Navy’s most adaptable platform,” said Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations. “This ship will not only launch the aircraft we currently have in inventory, it will launch aircraft we haven’t even begun to design. USS Enterprise (CVN 65), a ship we inactivated after more than 50 years of service, was relevant from her first day in service through her last.” The christening of the ship comes after more than 12 years of planning and construction. Newport News Shipbuilidng laid the keel in 2009 and is scheduled to deliver the ship to the Navy in 2016. While the shipbuilder construction and systems installations continue, the Navy is building, training and developing Ford’s crew to operate and maintain the state-of-the-art ship. “Navy tradition dictates that today’s christening ceremony will spark life and luck into this great ship, but the true life of this ship will come from the unparalleled hard work, professionalism and dedication of the Gerald R. Ford
crew,” said Capt. John Meier, commanding officer of Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford. “In partnership with Newport News Shipbuilding, we will match the most technologically advanced and adaptable platform in our Navy’s history with the most adaptable and technically proficient crew.” CVN 78 honors the 38th President of the United States and pays tribute to his lifetime of service in the Navy, in the U.S. government and to the nation. During World War II he attained the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy, serving on the light carrier USS Monterey (CVL-26). Ford was the first vice president and, in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, succeeded the first president ever to resign, serving in the country’s highest office from 1974-1977.
Editor MC2 Brian Reynolds Layout MC3 Katie Lash Rough Rider Contributors MCSN Stephane Belcher MCSN John M. Drew Theodore Roosevelt Media
SUNDAY FOOTBALLSCHEDULE *
From Commander, Task Force 70 Public Affairs
Malabar 2013 Kicks Off USS MCCAMPBELL, At Sea (NNS) -- Naval forces from India and the United States will participate in exercise Malabar 2013, Nov. 5 - 11. Malabar is a regularly scheduled bilateral naval field training exercise and has grown in scope and complexity over the years. Malabar 2013 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises conducted to advance multinational maritime relationships and mutual security issues. The exercise will feature both ashore and at-sea training. While ashore in Chennai, India, training will include subject matter expert and professional exchanges on maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations and anti-submarine warfare operations. The at-sea portions will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal. They are designed to advance coordination and capacity to plan and execute tactical operations in a multinational environment. Events planned during the at-sea portions include liaison officer professional exchanges and embarks; gunnery exercises; visit, board, search and seizure; Surface Action Group operations; helicopter evolutions; underway replenishments.
Senior Editor MCC Gino Carr
The Indian navy and U.S. 7th Fleet have a common understanding and knowledge of a shared working environment at sea. This exercise helps to advance the level of understanding between our Sailors and we hope to be able to continue this process over time. Participants from the U.S. Navy include guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85), Destroyer Squadron 15 and embarked “Warlords” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 51. The United States and India share common values and seafaring traditions. The two navies are natural partners, and look forward to continuing to strengthen bonds and personal relationships. For a list of participating Indian forces, please contact the Indian navy headquarters. For more news from Commander Task Force 70, visit www.navy. mil/local/ctf70/.
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ALL RECEIVERS WILL BE SETUP AND READY TO GO NO LATER THAN 1230
Command Ombudsman April Kumley cvn71ombudsman@gmail.com The Rough Rider is an authorized publication for the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Contents herein are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy or the Commanding Officer of TR. All items for publication in the The Rough Rider must be submitted to the editor no later than three days prior to publication. Do you have a story you’d like to see in the Rough Rider? Contact the Media Department at 534-1406 or stop by 3-180-0-Q.
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SUNDAY
NOV 10
Ch. 66
Ch. 67
0900
RED DAWN
BRAVE
THE DEVIL INSIDE
1100
SHERLOCK HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
THE HOST
1330
CONTRABAND
LAWLESS
DOOM
1530
INDEPENDENCE DAY
WAR HORSE
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
1830
HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS
THE CAMPAIGN
UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING
2030
RED DAWN
BRAVE
THE DEVIL INSIDE
2230
SHERLOCK HOLMES: GAME OF SHADOWS
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE
THE HOST
0100
CONTRABAND
LAWLESS
DOOM
0300
INDEPENDENCE DAY
WAR HORSE
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
0600
HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS
THE CAMPAIGN
UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING
*Movie schedule is subject to change.
Ch. 68