Know Your Shipmate
ABEAA Kyle E. Price Air Dept.
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viation Boatswain’s Mate Equipment Airman Apprentice Kyle E. Price, a native of Norfolk, Va., chose to enlist in the Navy immediately following his graduation from high school. Having learned the basics of manning and maintaining the catapults and arresting gear in “A” School, Price is now getting acclimated to his first duty station aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). At the age of 18, Price is already confident that he will make a career out of the Navy. Living in Norfolk until the age of 10, he saw enough of the Navy life to know what he was getting into. “There’s no mystery for me about what the Navy has to offer,” said Price. “I want to be a 20-year guy.” Price is looking forward to Lincoln’s homeport change, a trip around the world that, for him, will be a homecoming cruise. “I am really excited for this world tour, since at the end of it, I’ll be seeing my old home again,” he said. “I haven’t seen that place in forever.” Enthusiastic as Price is about his future in the Navy, he is more specifically excited about his plans to cross rate into the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) field. Price is confident that he will contribute to the Navy in whatever capacity he serves. “As soon as I’m no longer the new guy, it’ll be that much better,” he said.
Individual Augmentees Honored in Everett By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kirk Putnam
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ozens gathered at Naval Station Everett in the Grand Vista Ballroom for a ceremony to welcome home Individual Augmentee (IA) Sailors that recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. It was a day of reflection and appreciation as Sailors, spouses and senior leadership came together to share stories, mutual respect and a solemn pride in America. “We are a nation bonded by a common ideal. We live for freedom, but we have to protect that freedom. There will always be someone out there trying to take that away from us,” said the keynote speaker for the ceremony, Capt. John D. Alexander, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). “You have protected our freedom. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Following Alexander’s speech, Master-at-Arms 1st Class Michael Daniel, who recently returned from Afghanistan, reminded Sailors that the difficulties of an IA tour are balanced out by resources for help. “The Army deploys as a unit, but we deploy as individuals,” Daniel said. “Just because you deploy as an individual does not mean that you are alone. The Navy will be here to support you, and you can always fall back on your fellow Sailors who have also returned from a deployment. They can understand what you may have been through.” After a moment of silence in remembrance of fallen Sailors, command leadership from Lincoln, USS Ford (FFG 54), USS Shoup (DDG 86) and Naval Station Everett joined leaders from the University of Washington to present the returning Sailors with certificates of appreciation and to
express their thanks for the sacrifices they’ve made for their country. Additionally, representatives from the Quilt of Valor Foundation presented each Sailor with a hand-stitched quilt to thank them for their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The returning Sailors were not the only ones being honored at the ceremony. Family members and spouses were also presented with certificates of appreciation for their efforts at home while their Sailors were overseas. During the presentation of the certificates to the Sailors’ spouses, a survivor’s wife read a poem about the struggles faced by loved ones waiting for the return of their deployed Sailors. Daniel said that, in some respects, the time away can be harder to bear for the family members waiting at home. “When you’re deployed, you’re constantly moving and always have some kind of work you can do, so at least that helps the time pass,” he said. “Out there, luckily, we know that behind every deployed Sailor is a family that stands with them.” After the ceremony, the returning IA Sailors met with Sailors who will soon depart for their own IA tours. As some Sailors reunited and others made their first introductions, the ballroom filled with camaraderie and mutual understanding. “It was a nice ceremony,” said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Joseph Williams, who returned from Afghanistan in April 2010, where he participated in detainee operations at Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper. “It’s good to feel like you’re surrounded by people who have been through or seen the same kind of things you have.”
Now That You’re in Port, Shouldn’t You Be in Class? Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Mason Campbell
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any Sailors spend their liberty relaxing, visiting friends and families and enjoying land while it’s still underfoot. Away from the stressful and repetitive demands of the ship, everyone can finally unwind. However, as some of the greatest benefits the military has to offer are best enjoyed right here in port, this is no time to slack off. The staff of the Navy College Office located on Naval Station Everett is more than happy to help Sailors get closer to their educational goals. Not only is the Navy’s educational guidance free, it also offers serious financial perks. The college office here—in Building 2000—is a laid back spot for kick starting your education and opening your career options. Since the Navy College Office here in Everett is a smaller office than you find on larger installations, the personnel are more likely to take the time to go over all of your options and personally help you achieve your goals. “People aren’t born knowing how to get an education,” said Stan Monusko, the director of Navy College Office Everett. “But if somebody shows them how, they can see how easy it is.” Monusko speculates that by the age of 18 or so, young men and women stop asking the necessary questions because of others around them. At that age it seems to him that people are expected to have a general knowledge of everything, especially in the military, and that keeps them from seeking the answers to important questions. Monusko said Sailors need to be proactive to take advantage of available financial aid programs. “If they want the military to fund their education, they’ve got to come to us,” he said. Tuition Assistance (TA) is the Navy’s primary active-duty financial
assistance program for education. It provides active duty personnel funding for courses taken in an off-duty status. Because the Department of Education must approve schools prior to funding your education, it’s important you start your journey at the Navy College Office. Officers may also make use of the program with the stipulation they extend their active duty status for two years beyond completion of the course(s) receiving funding. Naval Reservists, who are considered on
continuous active duty, can also qualify. Monusko said the college office can help Sailors with even more than college. For instance, the Everett office is one of two on the West Coast that offer language testing. Monusko said an average score on the test for a sought language skill is worth $200. Whether you want to earn extra pay for what you already know, or jump start your college education, the Navy College Office is the place to get started.
Winning? Charlie Sheen on Parade Review - My Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option, Comcast Arena, Tuesday, May 3 By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Luciano Marano
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he first thing you need to understand about Charlie Sheen is that he’s not crazy. When you sift through the media frenzy that seems to follow him everywhere (the hype is at least half a product of his own creation), you will find that the truth is just not that complicated. Behind the ridiculous quotes, and beyond the bizarre behavior, he is exactly what you think he is: an actor. I tried to keep this in mind amidst the carnival-like atmosphere that pervaded the Everett performance--and tour finale--of his controversial one-man show, “My Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option,” at the Comcast Arena, May 3. That’s not to say the accolades are undeserved. Though the whole thing is a kind of performance, it is at the very least a good one. That itself is a hard thing to come by in this media-saturated, entertainment-obsessed modern world of ours. Sheen ranted and raved to a crowded arena about topics as far-reaching as politics to working in television and, of course—the real reason we’re all there—his personal life. He speaks slowly and surely and paces constantly, smoking the entire time. His voice is raspy, his eyes are tired, and he makes no bones about the
fact that he doesn’t care what anybody thinks. It’s not comedy, but it is funny. It isn’t drama, but it is serious. It is certainly not essential, but it might be important. And we have all come to see it for ourselves. The celebrity burnout is not a new concept for America, a nation that has been slowing down to look at personal train wrecks for as long as larger-thanlife personalities have been falling from our pedestals. We did it with Marilyn, Elvis, Michael, Brittany and Lindsay and now, once again, we’re doing it with Charlie. But Sheen has balanced the ledger somewhat. As his personal life continues to crumble, his professional career becomes a memory and his health suffers the effects of his raucous lifestyle, he has done what no other flailing celebrity has ever done. He turned his descent into “winning.” Sheen has to know, however, that somewhere behind Twitter and Facebook and all the antics, he’s in trouble. Banned from visiting his own children, repeatedly divorced, continually on tumultuous legal ground and now fired from his last real acting job, nobody should live like he does, and it’s finally catching up to him. However, if you want a front seat to the live disaster unfolding as we speak (and don’t lie to yourself, you’re
curious), you’re going to have to pay. It’s a performance, but it’s one that we are all participating in. Sheen will play the part that we want him to, and we will play the part that’s expected of us: we will continue to be his audience, to cheer every time he gets more ridiculous. It was going to happen anyway, he simply figured out how to collect a paycheck along the way. If I’ve led you to believe that I didn’t have a good time, then I’ve failed in this review. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and if he revamps for a second tour, I would encourage anybody to go check it out. A lot of what Sheen says makes real sense, and his social commentary is refreshingly honest. His personal recollections are extremely entertaining and worth the price of your ticket alone. He ends with an open-forum questionand-answer session with the audience in which he promises “complete honesty,” and no question is off limits. In short, it’s a night in with Charlie Sheen, one of the most controversial and complex media figures of the moment, and it comes with everything you’d expect from a man with “Adonis DNA” and “warlock powers.” I don’t pretend to have any insight into the situation; I’m just a fan. These are not new thoughts. We’ve been here before, America. There’s nothing to do now but take the ride, the ticket’s been paid for.
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U.S. Navy photo illustration by MC2 Jay Chu
Bin Laden Burial Aboard Carl Vinson Osama bin Laden received a Muslim ceremony as he was buried at sea, a senior defense official said in Washington, D.C., May 2. The religious rites were performed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the North Arabian Sea and occurred within 24 hours of the terrorist leader’s death. Preparations for at-sea burial began at 1:10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and were completed at 2 a.m. The burial followed traditional Muslim burial customs, and bin Laden’s body was washed and placed in a white sheet. “The body was placed in a weighted bag. A military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker,” the official added. Afterward, bin Laden’s body was placed onto a flat board, which was then elevated upward on one side and the body slid off into the sea. The deceased terrorist was buried at sea because no country would accept his remains, a senior defense official said.
Better Homecoming Flights for IAs Navy Individual Augmentees (IAs) redeploying from the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility will soon get home to their families in a more predictable manner because of a new dedicated, weekly flight that began May 1. This change improves the Navy’s ability to transport redeploying IA Sailors from the Warrior Transition Program in Kuwait to the four primary Navy Mobilization and Processing Sites in Norfolk, San Diego, Gulfport, and Port Hueneme on the same day. Currently, IAs may arrive at NMPSs on days when personnel support detachments are closed and healthcare clinics are minimally manned, or at times when many Sailors are deploying and the facility can’t support the simultaneous processing of so many personnel. To implement the new flight, U.S. Fleet Forces worked with U.S. Transportation Command, which altered an existing contract to provide the flight at no additional expense to the DoD.
Navy to Christen Destroyer Michael Murphy From the Department of Defense
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he Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, Michael Murphy, May 7 during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. The new destroyer honors Navy SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) Lt. Michael P. Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan June 28, 2005. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Maureen Murphy will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her late son. In accordance with Navy tradition, she will break a bottle of champagne across the ship’s bow to formally christen the ship. Murphy led a four-man team tasked with finding a key Taliban leader in the mountainous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan, when they came under fire from a much larger enemy force with superior tactical position. Mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy fire, Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal in order to communicate with his headquarters. While being shot at
repeatedly, Murphy calmly provided his unit’s location and requested immediate support for his element. He returned to his cover position to continue the fight until finally succumbing to his wounds. Designated DDG 112, Michael Murphy, the 62nd Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Michael Murphy will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and will contain a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare in keeping with “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower.” Cmdr. Thomas E. Shultz, a native of El Cajon, Calif., is the prospective commanding officer of the ship and will lead the crew of 279 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200ton Michael Murphy is being built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.
The Last Ride? By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeremiah Mills
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n the fifth—and possibly final—installment of the “Fast and the Furious” franchise, the casting directors went all out gathering old faces and new to fuel this nitrous oxide knockout machine on wheels. “Fast” veterans Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris join newcomer Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to wrap the series with a bang (although there are rumors the cast will reunite for more heist movies). The cast of “Fast Five” held up their end of the bargain, working together to pull off the heist of all heists for the film series: getting even, once and for all, with the premier drug lord of Rio de Janeiro. Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) is a crime czar both influential and insidious, and he rules his territory ruthlessly (reminiscent of another “Fast” villain— Pablo, from the second film). As the movie begins, Reyes is sucking the soul (and the money) out of Rio,
leveraging or withholding necessities like electricity and water to impose his will on the city. In true super-villain style, he is also supplying drugs to even the smallest of communities, with caustic effect. And that’s where our collection of high-speed bandits comes in. After finding themselves in a bind and looking for a ticket out of the too-fast world of the hustle, the Toretto gang gets backs together to settle the score once and for all with Reyes. If you aren’t familiar with the “Fast and the Furious”
series, the stories primarily consist of urban-based street races in exotic locations littered with vehicles you can only find in car shows or see on television (on programs about car shows). “Fast Five” emphasizes death-defying stunts, grinding crashes and gun play over the standard blend of car trick after car trick from start to finish. The action more closely resembles a thriller like “The Town,” with shootout scenes that might have been cut from the classic thriller “Heat.” I don’t mean that to be rude. Rather, the comparison itself is a sign of this viewer’s respect. The franchise has grown with time. What were once nearly indiscernible from exploitation films, the final “Fast” proves the filmmakers zeroed in on what they do best. Don’t get me wrong—the dialogue is poorly written, and the film tries to hide it behind a blazing wall of haymakers and uppercuts. But with “Fast Five,” they’ve made the most entertaining, noholds barred jawbreaker of the series. It’s a heist film that blends its cast effectively to get the best combination of comedy, drama, romance and action. For the most
part, the film flows according to formula, and the formula works. Incredible cars, good guys that are bad, bad guys that are badder and The Rock (badder still)—put it all together and this is the appropriate sendoff for fans of the previous films. If you liked the first four, you’ll definitely want to take this final ride with the crew. Our Rating: 3 1/2 Out of 5 Pennies