ROUGH RIDER USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
AUGUST 23, 2013 • DAILY
train to FIGHT ADTT KEEPS SAILORS ON THEIR TOES
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story by MC2 Cory Asato photos by MCSN Stephane Belcher, MCSN Jennifer Fournier and MCSN Bounome Chanphouang (JP)
hile descending for a landing, the hydraulic gear fails. It’s too late to pull back. The Air Boss calls over the 5MC, “Five minutes standby.” The USS Theodore Roosevelt’s (CVN 71) flight deck crew springs into action. The crew gets the barrier up in time as the F/A-18A Hornet crashes into the flight deck. Theodore Roosevelt’s Air Department Training Team (ADTT) facilitated a flight deck drill simulating a barricade and crash and salvage response that stressed time-critical operational risk management and situational adaptability. “We’re simulating a last resort response to assisting a plane landing on the flight deck as safely as possible when the landing gear has failed,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Alonzo Wells, Theodore Roosevelt’s arresting gear and catapult boatswain. “As soon as the Air Boss calls away ‘Five minutes stand by,’ everyone needs to be ready to get our barricade up to slow down the plane’s movement.” After a plane crashes into the barrier and stops, the crash and salvage team responds immediately to manage the fire and save the pilot. “We can’t tow the plane out of the way since the landing gear doesn’t work,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Jeremy C. Bliss, the assistant leading petty officer of the crash and salvage team. “So we have to combat any fire from the plane crash and pull the pilot out of harm’s way while not becoming a casualty as well.” ADTT training builds a foundation for all Sailors to respond to casualties in the most timely and efficient manner possible. “Time-critical operational risk management is what keeps us alive and still doing our job when we don’t have the luxury of time on our side,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Marcus J. Stewart, Theodore Roosevelt’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment maintenance chief. “We need to be able to respond in the blink of an eye, so we continuously drill to keep our response to casualties like second nature.” No flight-deck emergency is the same, so Sailors train to be adaptable. “Sailors from every division in Air Department participate in these drills,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Dustin R. Shead. “We are always on standby to respond to any casualty during all flight evolutions. That is why we constantly drill to, not only perform our jobs to the highest level, but also our shipmates’ job too if someone gets hurt in the process.” Effective and efficient response to flight-deck emergencies is a core capability of Theodore Roosevelt’s Air Department Sailors. ADTT’s top-notch training exercises maintain these Sailor’s readiness, adaptability and capabilities.
COVER: Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Matthew Cutright signals that the crew is ready for the next step of the crash and salvage drill aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The flight-deck drills train Sailors to be ready for emergency situations that may occur in an operational environment. Theodore Roosevelt is currently conducting a fast cruise. 1. Sailors from Air Department carry a barricade net while conducting a barricade drill during flight-deck drills. 2. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Grant Kelly and Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Lane Barkley conduct a salvage and overhaul drill on a model F/A-18A Hornet by walking the perimeters of the aircraft to detect hot spots or residual fire during flight deck drills. 3. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Petty Officer 3rd Class Allen Gee unhooks the training aircraft from the flight deck in order to be relocated by the Mobile Crash Crane (TILLY) as part of flight deck drills. 4. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Grant Kelly and Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Lane Barkley receive feedback from Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Nandesh Baliraj about the crash and salvage exercise on a model F/A-18A Hornet during flight-deck drills.
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Operations Specialist 3rd Class Holly Hogan communicates from the pilot house to watchstanders who are on the look out for outside surface and aircraft contacts aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Sailors continuously stand watch in the pilot house and throughout the ship to ensure the ships safety. Theodore Roosevelt is currently conducting a fast cruise.
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WORLD NEWS Navy Gives Recruiters The Boot By Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY
One sailor had committed adultery. Another was involved in a domestic dispute. The third committed “alcohol-related harassment.” The Navy ordered the three recruiters to pack their duffel bags and find different jobs. They are three of 60 troops found unfit for duty after the Pentagon re-screened its sailors, per Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s orders. The move came after the military announced this spring that 26,000 troops had been sexually assaulted in 2012, a 35% increase over 2010. In all, 60 troops working as recruiters, instructors or sexual assault counselors have been disqualified after their records were re-examined. USA TODAY first reported that earlier this month. Two Navy counselors were also removed from their jobs. No Marines or airmen were disqualified. The Army barred 55 soldiers from sensitive posts, and more suspensions may be coming; it has not yet completed its screening of about 20,000 soldiers.
News about what got troops the boot has been slow in coming. A document obtained by USA TODAY showed the Army’s criteria for suspension included evidence of sexual harassment or assault, prostitution, incest, adultery, stalking, even bestiality. The Army has not responded to requests to detail the violations it found among the disqualified soldiers. Each service has had struggled to contain sexual assault within its ranks. There have been several examples in the last year: • More than a dozen trainers at the Air Force’s main training base have been convicted of sexually abusing trainees. • An Army sergeant in charge of sexual assault prevention at Fort Hood is under investigation for running a prostitution operation. • The Marines had the highest rate of sexual abuse, according to the Pentagon. Nearly 30% of women said they suffered unwanted sexual contact by another military member. • Three midshipmen at the Naval Academy were charged this summer with sexual assault of a female classmate.
NATO Has Closed About 700 Bases So Far In Afghanistan By Paul McLeary, DEFENSE ONE
While the U.S. Army has announced it is deploying the 498th Engineering Battalion to Afghanistan to assist in the dismantling of scores of U.S. bases still spread out among the mountains and deserts of that country, an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) spokesman has confirmed that NATO troops have already vacated more than 700 bases in preparation for the final withdrawal in 2014. ISAF spokesman Gen. Heinz Feldmann provided the numbers in an interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, part of which was published online on Aug. 20. “During its presence in Afghanistan, ISAF once had over 800 small and big military bases” Feldmann said. “But the number has now fallen to less than 100. We are jointly working with the Afghan finance ministry to decide which bases should be handed over to Afghan forces.” There are still over 60,000 U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan, but they’re also going to start heading for the exits in large numbers. By February, plans call for a force of about 34,000 troops remain in country. Final numbers have yet to be
announced, but it is generally expected for several thousand U.S. personnel to remain behind to continue training Afghan forces after the official NATO withdrawal date of December 2014. Along with those troops there is still about $30 billion of U.S. government equipment on the ground in Afghanistan, all of which will have to be moved out, handed over to the Afghan government, or destroyed in place by the end of next year. The Army has said that it plans on bringing home about $22 billion of the $28 billion worth of its gear by the end of 2014. Most significantly, about 9,000 of the 11,000 MRAPs the military has in Afghanistan will be sent home, with the remaining 2,000 destroyed in place. Military officials have said that about 1,000 pieces of rolling stock and more than 2,000 cargo containers are leaving Afghanistan per month, either by air or through ground routes across Pakistan or north through the Northern Distribution Network – though only about 4 percent of equipment is currently heading that way.
Staff Commanding Officer Capt. Daniel Grieco Executive Officer Capt. Mark Colombo Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Evans Media Officer Ensign Jack Georges Senior Editor MCCS (SW/AW/EXW) David Collins Editor & Layout MC3 Katie Lash Rough Rider Contributors MCSN Stephane Belcher MCSN Bounome Chanphouang (JP) MCSN Jennifer Fournier MC2 (SW) Corey Asato Command Ombudsman April Kumley cvn71ombudsman@yahoo.com DOWN 1. Immerse briefly into a liquid 2. Largest continent 3. Diversion 4. Shiver 5. Large flightless bird 6. “Action word” 7. Fool 8. A four-wheel covered carriage 9. Betrayer 10. Vagabond 11. Brother of Jacob 12. Untidyness 15. Gain knowledge 21. Diva’s solo 23. Soft drink 25. Savvy about 27. Broad valley 28. Colonic 29. Precious stone
31. 100th anniversary 32. Drop to one’s knees 34. Regulation (abbrev.) 36. Askew 39. Petrol 40. Initial wager 43. Existing in name only 44. Arab chieftain 46. Storm 47. Take aback 49. Operatic solos 50. An association of sports teams 53. Leaf opening 55. Colored part of an eye 56. Connecting point 57. Parasitic insect 58. Historical periods 60. Twin sister of Ares 61. Achy 64. Card with one symbol
Movie SCHEDULE Friday August 23
ACROSS 1. Blowgun missile 5. Wicked 9. Not us 13. End ___ 14. Award 16. Thorny flower 17. Agreeable 18. Pee 19. Garments of goat hair 20. Fate 22. Brazen 24. River of Spain 26. Fortuneteller’s card 27. Coping 30. Disengage 33. Aardvark 35. Sporting venue 37. Floral necklace 38. Alpha’s opposite 41. Not used
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Ch. 66 (Horror / Sci-Fi) THE RAVEN
The Rough Rider is an authorized publication for 42. Overact 45. Mobster the crew of USS Theodore 48. Beast Roosevelt (CVN 71). 51. Courtly Contents herein are not 52. Rubber wheels necessarily the views of, 54. Distinctive flair 55. Anger or endorsed by, the U.S. 59. Sea eagles government, Department of 62. Somersault 63. Ancient Greek marketplaceDefense, Department of the Navy or the Commanding 65. Novice 66. Bright thought Officer of TR. 67. Poison plant All items for publication in 68. Den the The Rough Rider must be 69. Char 70. Leisure submitted to the editor no 71. If not 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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Ch. 66 (Horror / Sci-Fi) MEN IN BLACK 3
Ch. 67 (Action / Adventure) RED DAWN
Ch. 67 (Action / Adventure) TAKEN 2
Ch. 68 Drama / History) ENTRAPMENT
Ch. 68 (Drama / History) IDES OF MARCH
Ch. 69 (Comedy / Family) THE LUCKY ONE
Ch. 69 (Comedy / Family) MAJOR LEAGUE
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