INSIDE
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Leadership Class
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Mattress Move Aboard
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Harvest Festival
Around The Fleet
Thermometer Manager or Thermostat Leader The Choice is Ours!
By CDR Moe Buford, Command Chaplain
We always have a choice! Contrary to conventional wisdom, we have the power to select our responses while we are in a specific situation. The literature suggests that there are essentially two places that people reside in life. Namely, there is the circle of concern (COC) and the circle of influence (COI). The COC includes all those things we care about but over which we have little or no control. Whereas, the COI involves those things that we can positively affect directly. Typically, those who dwell in the COC embrace a mindset that says, “This is just the way things are around here and there’s not much I can do about it.” In other words, COC folk are like thermometers. That is they are good at describing and emulating the temperature around them. If the environment is saturated with negativity, this person will happily reflect that reality. Thermometer personalities are excellent in maintaining the status quo and will “go along just to get along.” Thermometer minded people will hastily walk past the paper on deck, are known for majoring in the minor, and make it a hobby to criticize others. On the other hand, people that reside in the COI are like thermostats. As you already know, a thermostat is a device that regulates the temperature in a particular context. People that decide to labor in their COI tend be those that build people up with positivity and instill hope in the midst of hopelessness. Thermostat leaders have a way of pushing us to the next level with a compelling vision that says that, “Our best days are yet to come!” Thermostat leaders use their influence to change the atmosphere and not to allow it to change them. So the specific question becomes, “How can we move from being a thermometer manager to being a thermostat leader?” First, make a quality decision to retire from negativity, gossiping and unfairly criticizing others that have a bias for action. This behavior only clouds our own judgment and discourages others from taking their game to the next level. Second, over the next
twenty-one days, make a commitment to only operate in your COI. Encourage a fellow shipmate as you walk to and from 50th street. Go the extra mile at home and in the workplace. Go out of your way to forgive that person that has wronged you and understand that at the end of the day – “this too shall pass!” Finally, know that we practice how we will play on game day. So make it a practice today to proactively look for the needs of the organization and fill it! Stop waiting on others to change the atmosphere for us. Stop looking for an invitation to make things happen. Stop letting precious opportunities pass us by. My friend, it’s time to make a decision today to walk out the maxim, “If it’s to be, it’s up to we.” I want you to know that our families, this ship, our communities as well as our beloved country are hungry for Thermostat Leaders. So the question now becomes, “Which will you choose to be - a Thermometer Manager or Thermostat Leader?”
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The Surprising Origin of Murphy’s Law Revealed By Kate Hickey
Murphy’s Law is a very recent invention. The first reference to it is in a 1951 scientific journal. It comes from an unlikely source. In 1948 and 1949, tests to see how humans could tolerate G forces on impact and while flying at high speeds were being carried out at Edwards Air Force base in the Mojave Desert, in California. Dr. John Stapp, a U.S. Air Force colonel and flight surgeon, was in charge. Research and development chief Edward Aloysius Murphy, a New Jersey native and decorated World War II pilot was also involved in the highly complex testing phase. A key sensor was installed completely backwards, allegedly by Murphy, who never checked it before it was made operational. As a result the test went utterly haywire much to the embarrassment of everyone concerned. Stapp used the term “Murphy’s Law” in a subsequent
press conference saying the incident had taught them to assume whatever could go wrong would, and to plan for it. The next major mention is in the May/June 1955 issue of Aviation Mechanics Bulletin which included the line “Murphy’s Law: If an aircraft part can be installed incorrectly, someone will install it that way.” It really took off (pardon the pun) in 1962 when the Mercury astronauts cited Murphy’s Law when explaining why everything was checked and rechecked before space flight. Murphy died in 1990. In the 1960s he worked on the Apollo moon mission on safety and life protection issues. He always claimed his law was a positive development, because it taught people to expect the worst and safeguard against it.
Some of Murphy’s laws: 1. Everything takes longer than you think. 2. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw. 3. If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. 4. If left to themselves, things will always go from bad to worse. 5. Everything that can go wrong will. 6. If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the first one to go wrong. 7. The things that go wrong are the hardest to get right. 8. If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
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Lincoln Celebrates Fall and Family Story by MCSA Ashley Raine Northen
Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) celebrated the holiday season with their families and shipmates during the Lincoln Harvest Festival in Hampton, Va. Oct. 25. The annual event was hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Family Association (ALFA) and provided a family-oriented atmosphere for Sailors to enjoy fun fall-themed events with their loved ones. “I think a lot of times we get wrapped up with our work, so it is nice to see everyone, their kids and their spouses here,” said Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Melissa Acebo, a volunteer at the event. “It makes us into a family unit to get Sailors’ families involved in some of the extra-curricular activities.” The festival featured many fall-themed activities. Children participated in a costume contest, played in the pumpkin patch and visited booths for face painting, cookie decorating, pumpkin painting and Halloweenthemed games. “In order for me to have focused Sailors, I have to make sure that families are taken care of and that is what we want to achieve with ALFA here,” said Captain Ronald Ravelo, Lincoln’s Commanding Officer. ALFA aims to foster a beneficial relationship between Sailors’ families and the command. Toni Eckert, the President of ALFA,
says that the association coordinates with other organizations when planning events. Eckert planned the Harvest Festival this year, but she will soon be passing over the title of president to Jamie Molidor. “I really hope that we can get more single Sailors involved in ALFA, as well as families,” Molidor said. “We are here to help everyone.” Lincoln’s First Class Association, Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) and the Abraham Lincoln Motorcycle Association provided volunteers to help run the event and interact with families. “It was nice to come out here and help ALFA,” Acebo said. “By volunteering at the event I am able to have some fun and interact with kids. Being involved in more than just the nine to five of work encourages me to volunteer. It is nice to see everyone have fun and really get their families involved with the ship.” Photo by MC3 Zachary Anderson
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Photo by MCSA Ashley Northen
Photo by MCSN Brandon Davis
Photo by MC3 Brenton Poyser
Photo by MC3 Zachary Anderson
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Photo by MC3 Zachary Anderson
Photos of the Week
Photo by MC3 Zachary Anderson
Photo by MCSA Ashley Northen
Photo by MC3 Zachary Anderson
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Beginning To Move Aboard
Photos and Story By MCSA Ashley Raine Northen
50 Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) began the first steps toward the crew move-aboard Oct. 23 when they loaded Inport Emergency Team (IET) and Reactor department berthing accomodations onto the ship. “It all works into the process of getting the ship where it needs to be which, in the scheme of things, helps us make progress getting through the Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) and back to where the ship needs to be,” said Senior Chief Logistics Specialist Roderick Jessamy, the readiness leading chief petty officer. The 50 Sailors loaded approximately 40 pallets of berthing material onto the ship and stacked mattresses to be moved into the berthing for IET and Reactor department duty section personnel. The purpose of the move-aboard is to decrease delays in both IET’s response to a
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shipboard casualty and Reactor’s response to a reactor casualty. “It benefits Sailors because it eliminates difficulties caused by a situation where IET is needed on the ship immediately and has to transit from the Floating Accommodation Facility (FAF) to the ship,” said Aviation Electronics Technician Chief Nathan Cork. “It makes handling and preventing emergencies much easier.” Sailors worked hard to move the materials onto the ship efficiently and safely. The working party was divided into sections to accomplish tasks relating to the berthing on-load. “I’m very happy for the turnout, I got all of my 50 people,” Jessamy said. “It shows that we are motivated and we are interested in what is going on with the ship. We can be teammates when we are allied to achieve our Lincoln mission.”
BMSN Derrick Baker Photos and Story By MCSN Brandon Davis
When you see him, you’ll know there’s something special about him. From his sense of humor and confidence to his undoubtedly professional tone in the workplace, Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Derek Baker is not your average Sailor. Baker has been aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) for nearly two years, and has been working to get the ship out of the dry
docks for most of his time on board. He was appointed as a leading seaman of deck department, and has done his best to live up to the expectations that accompany that title. “When they made me leading seaman, I was grateful,” Baker said. “I put my all into my work, and I know that I’m capable of helping to lead the department.” Baker said that he takes a groundup approach to leadership, because his main focus is on completing the mission; ultimately, helping get the ship underway. “Even though I’m a leading seaman,
I’m still a seaman myself, so simply ordering people around and delegating responsibility won’t help get the job done,” Baker said. “I would much rather work hard and have other people follow my lead that way, because I think that’s much more respectable and efficient.” Baker said that he has always had a serious approach when it comes to work, and gives partial credit to the fact that he dropped out of the Basic Underwater Demolition School (BUDS) program. “After boot camp, I went through part of the BUDs program, but I was released due to a technicality,” Baker said. “I was around so many hard working people, and it started to naturally come to me. If I had been able to go through the entire program, I know that I would have made it through. After I was released, it gave me even more of a desire to earn my keep in whatever rate I ended up with.” Baker was recently decorated with the Navy Achievement Medal (NAM) for his work during the anchoring evolution, but said that the recognition of his hard work meant just as much to him as the actual award did. “When they gave me the NAM, I was happy,” Baker said. “It gave me the chance to become leading seaman on top of just being recognized, and I take pride in the fact that I was given a leadership position.”
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MCPON Kicks Off Leadership Mess Symposium with Senior Navy Leaders By MC1 Stuart Phillips, Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus named November 2014 Warrior Care Month in an all-Navy message (ALNAV) to Navy and Marine Corps personnel released Oct. 27. “The Department of the Navy (DON) has made an abiding commitment to seriously wounded, ill, and injured Sailors
exhibit during their journey toward recovery. “This is an opportunity to join with the other military services in publicly recognizing our wounded warrior heroes,” said Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) - Safe Harbor Director Capt. Brent Breining. This year, Warrior Care Month kicks off during the last week in October
and Marines, as well as their families and caregivers,” said Mabus. “I encourage all DON personnel to take an opportunity during Warrior Care Month to join me in expressing heartfelt gratitude and support.” Warrior Care Month is an annual effort to increase awareness of resources available to seriously wounded, ill and injured service members, their families, and those who care for them. This year’s theme, “A Show of Strength,” recognizes the fortitude and resiliency that seriously wounded, ill and injured service members
(Oct. 27-31) to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday during the final week in November. Since its inception, NWW has provided world-class assistance to more than 3,100 Sailors and Coast Guardsmen and their families throughout the country. It provides a lifetime of non-medical care to seriously wounded, ill and injured service members, guiding them through their recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. “There are a lot of disabled veterans out there, and service members suffering with various issues, whether they
PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 27, 2014) Sailors assigned to the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) perform a helicopter in-flight refueling exercise with an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Saberhawks of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77. Antietam is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility in support of stability and security in the Indo-AsiaPacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman David Flewellyn/Released)
RED SEA (Oct. 26, 2014) Lt. j.g. Robert Allen, left, and Lt. Mathew Dryden supervise a replenishment-at-sea aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) with the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198). Philippine Sea is deployed as part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Abe McNatt/Released)
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realize it or not, and they may feel forgotten,” said retired Lt. j.g. Laura Root, who was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy in 2011. “We really need to raise awareness and bring them into our community and this movement.” Each day, wounded warriors demonstrate strength in ways large and small - from pushing themselves during a grueling physical therapy session, to attending a class to acquire new skills, to asking for help when they need emotional support. Wounded warriors are not only service members wounded in combat; the term also applies to those with serious illnesses, as well as those injured in shipboard, training and liberty accidents. “Military treatment facilities are providing expert restorative and rehabilitative care for wounded warriors
Daily Living) program, FOCUS (Families Overcoming Under Stress), and the Joining Forces Peer-to-Peer initiative. “Everyone in the Navy family can make a difference in the lives of wounded warriors,” said Breining. “They can refer a service member who has experienced serious illness or injury to NWW by calling 855-NAVY WWP (628-9997). They also can help spread the word about NWW and other resources online, in conversations with neighbors, at community meetings and around the dinner table.” Warrior Care Month was established in 2008, when former Secretary of Defense Robert F. Gates declared it would be a “Department of Defense effort aimed at
whether on the battlefield or the home front,” added Breining. “And, our non-medical care providers at NWW, as well as our other Fleet and Family Support programs, address the daily needs of wounded warriors so they can focus on healing without distraction.” The families and caregivers of wounded warriors also exhibit strength by supporting their loved ones’ during their recovery -- often at great personal expense. The Navy connects them with critical resources to make their jobs as caregivers more manageable, including the SCAADL (Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of
increasing awareness of programs and resources available to wounded, ill and injured service members, their families, and those who care for them.” For more information about NWW, call 1-855-NAVY WWP/1-855-628-9997, visit http://safeharbor.navylive. dodlive.mil or email navywoundedwarrior@navy.mil. For more information about Warrior Care Month activities, visit http://safeharbor.navylive.dodlive.mil or www. facebook.com/navysafeharbor.
GULF OF ADEN (Oct. 23, 2014) The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) transits the Gulf of Aden. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is returning to Naval Station Norfolk after supporting maritime security operations, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Abe McNatt/ Released)
WEST SEA OF THE PHILIPPINES (Oct. 22, 2014) The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) transits in formation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer JS Sazanami (DD 113), middle, and the Republic of the Philippines frigate Gregorio Del Pilar (PF 15). Antietam is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility in support of stability and security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman David Flewellyn/Released)
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