CONTENTS Dec. 11, 2014
Volume 25, No. 24
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FEATURED
Thank you for your Service Lincoln says farewell to Command Master Chief Gregg Weber.
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Skipper Visits AIMD CO recognizes some of Lincoln’s unsung heroes.
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Physical Readiness
Lincoln’s “Fit Boss” shares his three rules for maintaing your waistline over the holidays.
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Lincoln Making Progress Fast
Learn how we accomplished a huge milestone in our RCOH process.
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Freshly Frocked
Take pride with us as we recognize our newly advanced Sailors as they don their new rank.
Welcome Aboard! USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Happy Holidays, Shipmates! With the holidays and the masquerade party right around the corner, we know you’re excited to crack open your decorations and eggnog. However, hold on to those rambunctious feelings for just a moment and take this time to look back on what you, the Lincoln, have accomplished these past two weeks. We shared a few laughs over a good, home cooked meal for Thanksgiving, a few heart-warming tears as we said farewell to CMC Gregg Weber and welcomed our newest Petty Officers with a loud applause. Here in Media Department, we were pleased to hear how quickly our last edition of the Penny Press flew off the tables and into eager hands. Like always, though, the sky is the limit and we are making no attempt to stop improving. We welcome your comments. So to our readers both old and new, welcome aboard. We’ve worked very hard on this issue, and certainly hope you enjoy this next edition of The Penny Press. MC3 Christopher Huot, MCSA Derry Todd, Managing Editors
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CMC CORNER
Words from Command Master Chief Lee Salas
Greetings Fellow Lincoln Warriors!
I
t was great to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday without a liberty incident. Let’s continue to look after each other and enjoy our holiday stand down with our family members. Many of you will travel over the holiday. Ensure you keep an eye on the weather. Mother Nature has a funny way of changing our plans. If you are driving this season, complete your travel plans on TRiPS and turn it in to your chain of command. Access it through the Navy Safety Center at http:// safetycenter.navy.mil/. Remember to have a plan and a backup plan. If your plans change, re-evaluate your situation and stay in touch with your leadership even if it’s a simple text or phone call. I know I speak for every supervisor when I say that I’d rather get a call in the middle of the night before something happens than to pick up the pieces after a wrong decision I could have prevented. Let me be the first to wish you a happy 2015. As we start a New Year, take a moment to see what you can accomplish in the year ahead. I challenge each of you to earn your primary enlisted warfare specialist designator this year (Enlisted Surface Warfare
Specialist or Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist). If you have your primary, work on a secondary. And, study now for your next promotion, even if we just frocked you to a new pay grade. Set the goal, make a plan, and make the time! I will talk more about planning in our next chat. This will be a big year for Lincoln! Our ship is beginning to look like a warship now! Looking across the James River on my way back from the GE Warehouse recently, I was reminded of the first time I saw Lincoln back in 2002 in Everett, Wash. Our job in 2015 is to have the ship ready to move aboard; to look and feel like we’re ready to sail! Getting ready to sail means owning your piece of the ship. If we have ownership, plan effectively and work as a team, we will be successful. There is no time for rework or human errors. Your orders and procedures need to be strictly followed. Failure to follow orders and procedures cost us time, money, and most importantly, it could cause a significant injury or death. Each of you is important to me and to our command. So, be safe, plan ahead and own your work. Most of all, I wish each of you a happy holiday,
a Merry Christmas and a Happy, prosperous New Year. Enjoy your holiday! You’ve earned it! Stay safe, stay strong, and make good decisions Lincoln Warriors! -CMC
This week’s uniform notes:
Proper wear of your winter fleece coat includes a tab with your rank on it. According to the uniform regulations, when wearing the optional outer fleece, it must have a sewn-on center chest tab. Officers wear a slip-on version of the regular size embroidered grade insignia. Master, senior, and chief petty officers wear a slip-on version of the 1-1/4 inch embroidered cap device on the tab. First, second, and third class petty officers wear a slip-on version of the appropriate embroidered petty officer cap device on the tab. The eagle faces to the wearer’s right. E-3/below wear a plain sewn-on center chest tab. Also, the watch cap is NOT authorized in uniform outside the shipyard gate.
Lincoln’s Command
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Visits AIMD Sailors
Story and Photos by: MC3 Aaron Kiser
ailors from Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln’s (CVN 72) Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department’s (AIMD) GE Warehouse were recognized by Lincoln’s leadership during a visit Nov. 24. Lincoln’s commanding officer, executive officer and command master chief also conducted an inspection during their visit with Sailors. “There’s a lot of production happening on the ship, but a little-known fact is the work being done by some of the unsung heroes like the Sailors working here at the warehouse,” said Capt. Ronald Ravelo, Lincoln’s commanding officer. “This morning I was glad to be able to come here and recognize AIMD Sailors for outstanding uniforms and let them know what a fantastic job they are doing.” Work centers for the Lincoln are disbursed across the ship, the floating accommodation facility, the GE Warehouse, and the Light Industrial Facility building. Because of this separation, many Sailors were grateful that Ravelo took the time for
the inspection. “I appreciate that the CO took time out of his schedule to participate in the inspection,” said Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Corey Underwood. “It felt good to know that he cares enough about us to visit Sailors outside of the normal ship’s force.” For more than a year, Lincoln Sailors have maintained a great deal of flexibility while standing watches, manning critical spaces and keeping pride in the ship even though many of them work away from it the majority of the time. “We may not have the same work as the ship but it’s the same intensity,” said Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 2nd Class Patricia Bermudez. “Production is very high and being recognized for the work we do off the ship by the upper chain of command is a great morale boost.” Although it is a challenging task to prepare a warship to get back underway and out into the fight, Ravelo says he knows everyone is doing their part and is ready for the mission at hand. “Everyone can appreciate the hard
work all Lincoln Sailors are doing right now,” Ravelo said. “In this one corner of Lincoln nation it’s great to be able to recognize that they are training and preparing to get the ship underway just like any other ship’s force Sailors.”
ASK THE CHIEF Chief Machinist’s Mate John Torres Discusses In-Port Emergency Team Why is IET important? The in-port emergency team is like the neighborhood fire department for the ship. They help keep the ship in a safe, sound condition. Without IET, Lincoln would not function. I feel that our Sailors don’t understand the overall importance of IET. They don’t take it seriously, and they don’t realize that it could be their lives that need saving one day. The only way to secure the safety of our Sailors is by having Sailors on IET pride themselves on what they are doing for the ship. In an actual casualty, IET has to be ready to drop everything and run to get the job done.
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When will IET progress to handson training? We already have hands-on training by simulating drills every day for IET and the duty sections. Just the other week, we had a hose team charge a fire hose and they practiced fighting simulated fires off the fantail. On top of daily training, we can also send Sailors to a basic firefighting school over in Norfolk. This school offers the basics: Firefighting, basic damage control, flooding repair, you name it. The course sets the foundation; it is a great start for our Sailors, but once they get back to the ship, it becomes a different idea. We provide our teams with enough training experience so that when it hits the fan, they will respond accordingly.
How can Sailors move up in IET? It’s all about their PQS’s. If a Sailor wants to move up in IET, they need to complete their PQS’s by actually completing the training and learning the material, rather than just gundecking the signatures. Out of indoctrination, they already have basic damage control finished, but they are still going to need advanced DC, team leader and maybe even DCPO. By accomplishing these qualifications, they can take ownership of their team. This also sets them up for success down the road when they start getting their ESWS pins. By being a part of IET, they can get their qualifications done in a timely manner, and avoid dink study before it occurs.
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Story by: MC3 Jonteil Johnson
G
regg Weber always wanted more from life. His parents were concerned about him going to school out-of-state, so he went to a local college. Every day, Weber would go to school and every night, he would go to work. He realized that his current path was no longer fulfilling, and he didn’t go to work that day. While sitting at home, he received a call from a Navy recruiter. He made a mental note to himself to look into the Navy the following day. He had no idea at the time that this one simple decision would change his life forever. A native of Oakdale N.Y., Command Master Chief Gregg Weber, command master chief of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), retired Dec. 5 at the Fort Eustis Auditorium. “It’s an intimidating step in a new direction,” Weber said. “But I know my family will be excited to have me around more.” Weber cites his first Chief of the Boat (COB), the submarine community’s equivalent to a surface Command Master Chief, as his professional inspiration. “Ever since I met this guy, he took care of me. The way he was dedicated to his job and to taking care of his crew was unmatched,” Weber said. “From the moment I met him, I knew I’d be a COB.” Weber dedicated his career to achieving this level of leadership and responsibility. He knew that when he retired it would be as a command master chief. “No matter what time of day it is, I have my
command cell phone. I’m constantly tied to the ship and everything that happens there,” Weber said. “It can be hard on my family, but I have a responsibility to my crew and they understand that.” Weber’s previous commands include: USS Baton Rouge (SSN 689), USS Gato (SSN 615), USS Santa Fe (SSN 763), USS Parche (SSN 683) and USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN 730). When asked what his favorite duty station was, Weber pauses, reflecting on a long and successful career. “That’s a tough choice. Each command had its strong points and weak points,” Weber said. “However, I have to say I really enjoyed the challenges aboard Lincoln. Seeing the tremendous progress from a ship in the yards has been a great experience.” Weber states that serving on the USS Santa Fe was the most influential experience of his career. “I was aboard the Santa Fe when it was commissioned. In those four years, I managed to make chief petty officer,” Weber said. “It was wonderful to be there to breathe life into the ship. A lot of lessons I learned on the Santa Fe prepared me for my experiences on the Lincoln.” When asked about his thoughts on Lincoln and her crew, Weber gave a subtle smile as he recounted his time aboard the ship. “Whenever I think of the Abraham Lincoln crew, I think of success,” Weber said. “There have been many challenges we faced as a crew, and a lot of them were tasks nobody wanted to do, but we sucked it up and got the job done. I am very proud of what the crew has done.”
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Photos by
MC3 Brenton Poyser
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AbrahamLINCOLN makes
TheFirst
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CALL
imitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) conducted its first internal phone call using the Integrated Voice Network (IVN) since Lincoln’s Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) Nov. 20. Capt. Ronald Ravelo, commanding officer, Abraham Lincoln, received the call from Lincoln’s RCOH Program Manager Bruce Easterson from a separate location inside the ship. “This is one small step for the project and one large step for the project-kind,” Ravelo said, adding that it was wonderful to enter into a compartment and immediately notice the significant changes that have been accomplished. The space containing one of three nodes to operate the full system began its reconstruction back in 2012 when Lincoln first started the RCOH process. In order to install the IVN system, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) workers had to remove the legacy system and replace it with the latest technology. “It is nice to have the IVN system operational,” said Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Paul Johnson who arrived aboard
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Abraham Lincoln in August 2012 and witnessed the transformation of the J-Dial system to the new IVN system as it went through the process of construction and light-off. According to Easterson, having a third of the IVN system operational is another in the string of milestones Lincoln has successfully achieved since the RCOH execution phase started back in March 2013. “This is a significant milestone because it’s the first step towards bringing this major communication system to operational status,” Easterson said. “We’re very proud of the Navy, Newport News Shipbuilding and vendor cooperation that made this possible.” Along with the installation of the IVN system, the NNS team working on the project also took steps to make the space containing this equipment less constricted and easier to work in during construction. The NNS team finished the space in record time, completing the project four months ahead of schedule. “When Lincoln pulled into Newport News, the space had already been gutted during the Smart Start phase,” said Floyd Shelton, Lincoln’s
Story and Photos by : MC3 Christopher Huot RCOH construction manager. “We were ready to install the IVN system, the cables, put in new foundations and update the power systems at arrival at NNS.” Chief Interior Communications Cindy Lambert reflected on the teamwork involved to complete her space transformation. “I am very proud of the hard work done by Newport News Shipbuilding.”
CSADD Encourages
Sailors to make Good Decisions
Story by: MCSA Ashley Northen
M
embers of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) work hard at encouraging shipmates to make good decisions through mentoring. “The purpose of CSADD is to provide peer mentorship for our junior Sailors and to promote awareness of, and alternatives for potentially destructive decisions,” said Chief Fire Controlman Bethany Ross, a senior leadership advisor. “Sailors can get involved in CSADD simply by attending our meetings and participating in CSADD events.” Sailors who choose to get involved in CSADD to benefit not only themselves, but also the Sailors around them by enabling themselves to provide shipmates with positive advice and peer support. “CSADD benefits Sailors by basically allowing them to learn all aspects of their peer group,” said Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Lisa Crocker, a supporter of CSADD. “They come up with great ideas for building morale within their peer groups and lead peers in the right direction before they make those bad decisions.” CSADD members work together to plan interesting events for Sailors to enjoy so
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that they can avoid making bad, impulsive decisions. As the winter season approaches, CSADD members work to plan holiday-themed events. “It is all their own ideas, and with their ideas, events can be anything,” Crocker said. “They are willing and happy to be doing what they are doing. They are making the right decisions for the holidays.” The CSADD calendar is full for the next few months, including positive changes and multiple projects for members to involve themselves in. “For the upcoming months, CSADD plans to start up qualification study groups, begin fundraising and promote smoking cessation,” Ross said. “We are also establishing a CSADD mascot and we will be using that for creating public service announcements about destructive decisions.” Junior Sailors are encouraged to participate in CSADD meetings on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. in the brown bag area of the Floating Accommodations Facility (FAF). The target group for CSADD is Sailors from 1825 who are E-5 and below, however, every Sailor interested in participating is welcomed to attend meetings. “The people that I have met in CSADD have a really good attitude towards the command and their shipmates,” said Airman Jon Holmes, a Sailor
who had joined CSADD after being put on restriction. “I am excited to get started in the organization and have a positive effect on people.” CSADD aims to help Sailors who may struggle to make the right decisions by showing them the positive ways that they should treat each other and how they can enjoy the command while working at their jobs in the Navy. “We want to accomplish big things,” Ross said. “In order to do that, we need motivated Sailors to get involved and bring their ideas, particularly those that will help us to reach junior Sailors in ways that are relatable to them.”
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Reasons to JoinCSADD 1. Your VOICE gets to be heard. 2. Peer MENTORSHIP. 3. Giving BACK to the community. 4. Command INVOLVEMENT. 5. Being a PART of something. 6. You can be a POSITIVE influence. 7. Increased AWARENESS of issues. 8. POSITIVE Coalition. 9. It’s FUN. 10. You can save LIVES.
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FromComplyingtoChampioning: Motivation Principles from Col. J. L. Chamberlain By Chaplain Maurice A. Buford
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s many of you already know on Nov. 19, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln journeyed to Gettysburg to deliver perhaps one of the most prolific speeches of all times. In an endeavor to pay tribute to the name sake of this mighty warfighting ship, Capt. Ronald Ravelo, USS Abraham Lincoln’s commanding officer allowed 56 sailors to travel to this historic site and pay respects. While there, our tour guide reenacted the key battles and highlighted various characters. One personality and a particular moment that warrants a closer examination for this article is Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s engagement with a group of disgruntle men. While in command of 20th Maine, several men who lost the motivation to fight were placed under his charge. Though the conventional wisdom of the moment was to court martial, execute or even to break them with mistreatment, Chamberlain employed a different technique to inspire these marginalized soldiers. In his own words: “This regiment was formed last summer in Maine. There were a thousand of us then. There are less than three hundred of us now. All of us volunteered to fight for the union, just as you did. Some came mainly because we were bored at home -- thought this looked like it might be fun. Some came because we were ashamed not to. Many of us came because it was the right thing to do. And all of us have seen men die. This is a different kind of army. If you look back through history, you will see men fighting for pay, for women, for some other kind of loot. They fight for land, power, because a king leads them or -- or just because they like killing. But we are here for something new. This has not happened much in the history of the world. We are an army out to set other men free. America should be free ground -all of it. Not divided by a line between slave state and free -- all the way, from here to the Pacific Ocean. No man has to bow. No man born to royalty. Here, we judge you by what you do,
not by who your father was. Here, you can be something. Here, is the place to build a home. But it’s not the land. There’s always more land. It’s the idea that we all have value -- you and me. What we’re fighting for, in the end, we’re fighting for each other. Sorry, I didn’t mean to preach. You, you go ahead. You talk for a while. If you -- If you choose to join us, you want your muskets back, you can have ‘em. Nothing more will be said by anybody anywhere. If you choose not to join us, well you can come along under guard, and when this is all over I will do what I can to see you get a fair treatment. But for now, we’re moving out. Gentlemen, I think if we lose this fight, we lose the war. So if you choose to join us, I’ll be personally very grateful.” I believe that there are five possible principles that can be abstracted from the above encounter. Chamberlain took the time to first seek to understand these men. He could have quickly jumped to conclusions, accepted the report of others or even muzzled their voice. But he didn’t. He suspended his personal judgment and listened with an empathic ear. This leadership trait led him to truly hear their hearts and consequently allowed him to meet their needs. This second principle of attending to the basic needs of followership is critical to any leader and follower interaction. After all, people don’t care how much you know until they truly know how much you care. The third principle of Chamberlain’s action revolved around the fact that he earnestly appealed to their hearts first before he tried to command their hands. In other words, it was as if this influencer understood the difference between merely complying and championing a cause. Compliers do the absolute minimum, they are experts at undermining the mission and they have a Ph.D. in selfishness. In contrast, champions have a bias for action, they look for ways to take the mission to the next level and they have a specialty in building up the team. The key, however, to transforming compliers
into champions is truly a matter of the heart. The fourth key to the motivation secret of Chamberlain revolved around his credibility. We can never underestimate the power of leading by example and how this intangible trait can rekindle the passion of others. The men quickly noted that this Colonel truly led from the front and would not ask them to do something that he wouldn’t do himself. Finally, it should be noted that the tool of disciple was his last resort. Too often, many people are quick to move to disciple prematurely. Sure this is an important leadership method and it can help to foster good order and discipline. But it is also true that if used to soon or utilized disproportionally, it can do more harm than good. In Chamberlain’s case, his methodology inspired 85 percent of the disgruntled soldiers to fight with purpose and not to merely comply in the midst of a major conflict. Perhaps you are pondering how to transform a group of compliers into a team of champions? If so, consider slowing down and seeking first to understand. Go out of your way to make sure the basic needs of the team are actively being addressed. Before commanding the hands of the team, try first to sincerely appeal to their hearts. Let them see you get dirty, share in the suffering and be amongst the people. This simple but powerful gesture can help the speed of trust and help to elevate credibility. For Chamberlain, such actions motivated the majority of these soldiers to get back in the fight at a pivotal moment in the battle of Gettysburg. Because these compliers became champions – it created the synergy needed to win the fight. My friend, like never before we need every team member back in the fight! So allow me to challenge you to today to refine your technique and lean in with inspiration not just intimidation. It will not always be easy but I guarantee you – it will be well worth it!
Rules Fit Boss3 for Healthy Chris Jacquard
1. 2. 3.
Holiday Eating
Eat unpackaged, unrefined and unprocessed foods!
Ask yourself: What are you eating?
What is on your plate? Identify what exactly you are eating. Does your plate have a balance of Protein, Fats and Carbohydrates?
Eat smaller portions! Ask yourself: How much are you eating? How big are your portions? How big is your plate? Are you overeating or stuffing yourself? How much PT will it take to burn off all the calories you are eating? Eat smaller more frequent meals (every 3-4 hours) throughout the day, it boosts your metabolism! Ask yourself: How often are you eating? Do you eat frequently enough throughout the day? Are you starving your body by going long stretches of time with no meals or snacks?
Sailor in the Spotlight Where is home? San Antonio, Texas. Why did you join the Navy? So I could stand on my own two feet, and be indepdent and not rely on my parents for college.
Personnel Specialist 3rd Class
Catherine Kapic
By MCSA Derry Todd What are some of your hobbies, what do you like to do for fun? I love hiking. Being surrounded by nature is when I feel the most happy. I also love coffee. I love coffee, visiting coffee shops. I love the environment of a coffee shop. The aromas of fresh coffee, and the vibes from interesting people I find really enjoyable.
What did you want to do after? I don’t know yet, but I would love to do something that helps others. Maybe psychiatric nursing, or social work.
Why do you think being a PS is important? People come to personnel when they have problems with their finances or taking different steps in their careers. We are the ones with the answers to those questions.
What did you do before the Navy? I worked at a popular fast food restaurant. I loved it actually, you get Sundays off and you were required to smile so it rubbed off on people.
What is your favorite part about working as a PS? Every now and then people come back and they are really grateful for our help. That is definitely my favorite part.
How long do you plan on staying in the Navy? Until my EAOS, then I haven’t decided if I’ll reenlist with the Army so I can be closer to home.
What is the most difficult part about being a PS? It can be stressfull sometimes when you have a lot of customers come in when a lot of expectations when I have a lot of personal work to get accomplished.
making rank AbrahamLincoln Frocks 233 Sailors
T
he 223 Sailors crowded tightly into the small hallway. As they lined up in a pre-determined order, they listened with both eagerness and anxiety as family and fellow Sailors excitedly took their seats. “Attention on deck!” These three words reverberated throughout the small gymnasium. In near perfect unison, every Sailor popped to a rigid stance, showing unmatched respect for their commanding officer on this special day. Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) celebrated their frocking ceremony Dec. 9 in Huntington Hall Gymnasium. Lincoln’s Command Master Chief Lee Salas reflected on the high number
Story By MC3 Jonteil Johnson
of Sailors advanced this cycle. “We’ve improved significantly over the previous cycle,” Salas said. “We’re getting closer to where we want to be and it feels great.” Salas said he is impressed with the dedication of Lincoln Sailors. “It’s important to understand that roughly one-third of our crew is Temporarily Assigned Duty to teams and other departments and aren’t getting a chance to do the jobs they came into the Navy for,” Salas said. “These Sailors still understand the importance of being knowledgeable in their rates, and it shows.” Personnel Specialist 1st Class Tyler Stacy said he is up to the challenge of putting on first class. “I’m excited about being promoted, but also a little nervous,” said Stacy.
“It’s a whole new type of responsibility, but it’s also the chance for more opportunities.” Salas expressed how he urges members of the Chief’s Mess to use their leadership skills to mentor junior Sailors and allow them adequate time to study for advancement. “We have a pretty solid leadership structure onboard,” Salas said. “We just have to use what we learned as leaders to help our Sailors succeed.” Stacy said he will use his experiences to help him in the future. “I’ve had both good and bad leadership experiences in my career,” Stacy said. “I’ll use what I learned to be a better leader. It will take time, but it will be worth it in the end to look out for my Sailors.”
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