Welcome Aboard! USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Navy Tattoo Policy Changes
In response to feedback from the fleet and senior enlisted leadership, the Navy announced a big change to its uniform policy, March 31, in NAVADMIN 082/16. First, the Navy is updating its tattoo policy and will authorize Sailors to: * Have one tattoo on their neck that does not exceed one inch in any direction. * Have visible tattoos below the elbow or knee -- no longer restricting their size or amount. * Allow Sailors with sleeve tattoos to be assigned to Recruit Training Command and Recruiting Command positions (previously not allowed). The Navy has a long-standing tradition with tattoos. According to tattoo legend, it was Sailors visiting Asian countries as early as the 1700 who first brought the art form into the western world’s counter-culture. Much like the stereotypes from countless pirate movies, early Sailors were very superstitious.
Tattoos were believed to work as both protective talismans and symbols of accomplishment. Many popular Navy tattoos have a rich nautical heritage. Here are a few popular ones you may have seen or heard of. The Swallow tattoo: The first-known origins of the swallow tattoo date back to a mutiny on board a ship named The Swallow. The seven crew members who staged the mutiny each had a swallow tattooed on their chests so that they could identify their co-conspirators. The Swallow tattoo would later come to represent having traveled 5,000 nautical miles. Before the days of nuclear propulsion, Sailors traveled on wooden ships, and 5,000 miles at sea was usually rife with starvation, disease, and death. For each swallow a Sailor had, the more experience he had rightfully earned. The Pig and Rooster: The meaning behind this one is still contested, but a few likely candidates exist. These animals were commonly carried on ships in buoyant wooden crates. In some cases during disasters at
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Another explanation is that since the pig and rooster are averse to water, you would be quickly grabbed out of the sea in the event of accident. A few other famous Navy tattoo standards are the turtle on the leg, cross on the sole of the foot, and a rope around the wrist. The turtle on the leg represents having traveled across the equator, the cross on the sole of the foot is meant to ward off sharks in the event you fall overboard, and the rope around the wrist is indicative of being a deckhand. Whether your tattoos are born out of Navy symbolism, intense personal dogma, or meaningless weird things you think are kind of funny (like mine), after April 30 (when the policy goes into effect) your (tasteful) tattoos will have less impact on your future assignments.
Editor MC3 Derry Todd
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Lincoln beats EOD Group 2 in a charity game raising money for NMCRS.
sea, the containers containing the animals would wash up on shore, appearing to be the only beings left alive.
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Lincoln gets another step closer to operational status with fuel onload.
Lincoln celebrates the birth of the Chief Petty Officer rank.
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Navy Releases 2016 MAP Quotas, Policy Updates From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Today, the Navy announced quotas and policy updates for the 2016 Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) in NAVADMIN 089/16, which will expand commanding officers’ (CO) ability to recognize and advance Sailors with top performance in rates and paygrades needed to keep the Navy healthy with great talent. These changes are based on recommendations from senior enlisted leaders throughout the fleet and are intended to increase the overall number of MAP advancements for Sailors this year by expanding program eligibility to include shore command as well as Professional Apprenticeship Career Track (PACT) Sailors. MAP is designed to give CO’s greater authority to recognize superior performance and advance their very best Sailors. The 2016 fall advancement cycle planning will incorporate the number of Sailors advanced via MAP to arrive at quotas for advancement based on Navy Wide Advancement Exam (NWAE) results. This year, there will be 3,081 quotas for Sailors to advance to the next pay grade of E-4, E-5 and E-6, which is an increase of 799 quotas from 2015. There will be 2,212 quotas for sea commands, 678 quotas available for shore commands and 191 quotas for designated Echelon 2 commanders to distribute within their claimancy. Advancement quotas by paygrade are:
- E-4: 1,124 with 86 percent of quotas going to sea commands - E-5: 936 with 85 percent of quotas going to sea commands - E-6: 1,021 with 58 percent at going to sea commands, as many E5s begin rotating to first shore tour.
-To help ensure rating health, communities that are overmanned will be managed more closely. CO’s who desire to MAP a Sailor in a controlled rate listed in NAVADMIN 089/16 will nominate Sailors to their designated Echelon 2 command for consideration. -If a Sailor is not selected for MAP by their designated Echelon 2 command, that quota will Quotas by Unit Identification Codes (UIC) are be returned to the subordinate command. posted on the MAP web page at: http://www.public. -Controlled quota requests must be made by navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/talentmanagement/ June 15; selections will be completed by June 30. Pages/MAP.aspx. MAP selections are from July 1 to Aug. 31, Additionally, some of the other key changes but commands are encouraged to begin their included in the MAP policy update include: MAP selection process and submit their MAP Certification Letter (MCL) as early as possible -Professional Apprenticeship Career Track to ensure Sailors are advanced and paid (PACT) Sailors will be now eligible for MAP if they: expeditiously. Sailors’ advancement is effective -Complete a minimum of 12 months-time the date of the command’s MCL to Navy Personnel onboard their permanent duty station Command, or July 1, whichever is later. -Meet time-in-rate (TIR) requirement for advancement to E-4 of Jan. 1, 2017 and have Because of manning reductions and changes in an approved quota for rating designation (i.e. force structure, a moratorium has been placed on approved quota in C-WAY) via the NWAE or Rating MAP for Selected Reserve (SELRES) Sailors for 2016 Entry Designation in order to preserve and maximize advancement -Do not have a designation approval for an opportunity. However, Navy recruiting districts A-school required rating. (NRD) will have one MAP quota per NRD for Reserve -The TIR requirement has been expanded Sailors filling canvasser recruiter billets. to Jan. 1, 2017, decoupling MAP from the NWAE requirements. -Expand MAP eligibility to Sailors at shore commands.
Navy Announces SAAPM 2016 Theme: “Eliminate Sexual Assault: Know your part. Do Your Part” From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy leaders announced March 30, the 2016 Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) theme of “Eliminate Sexual Assault: Know your part. Do your part.”
ensure we end this crime across the fleet.” Earlier this year, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, announced five initiatives to help “end the scourge of sexual assault” in our Navy. “Eliminating sexual assault requires The April awareness month is designed to build more than words, zero tolerance requires an momentum for year-round efforts to eliminate all-hands effort,” he said. the crime of sexual assault, while making sure all Sailors are treated with dignity and respect. CNO’s five initiatives include: 1) A Shipmate is not a “bystander.” If you see “By sharing stories, ideas, and the resources needed something wrong, do something right. to build awareness, we hope every command and 2) Establish counselors within the Fleet and every Sailor takes away something meaningful from Family Support Centers as a resource for victim this month,” said Rear Adm. Ann Burkhardt, director, support. 21st Century Sailor Office. “Leaders who feel 3) Improve our personnel management empowered to make a difference and encourage practices and procedures, following a sexual their Sailors to do the same, are the critical link to assault experience, to ensure our Sailors are
put in the best position possible to succeed. 4) Continue our efforts to educate our Sailors and reduce alcohol abuse in the Navy, particularly binge drinking. 5) Better utilize technology to remove cultural barriers and stigma associated with reporting a sexual assault or seeking advice and counsel. In addition to asking Sailors to learn, discuss and think about sexual assault prevention, commands are encouraged to organize events in April to highlight the awareness and prevention of sexual assaults. Information, references, and resources can be found online at www.sapr.navy.mil.
NMCRS BENEFIT HOCKEY GAME HELD IN NORFOLK Story and Photos by MCSN Ashley Northen Additional Photos by MC3 Matthew Young
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he USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) hockey team defeated the team from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 4-3, during a Navy Marine Corps Relief Society charity game at the Scope Arena, April 8. Rear Adm. Frank A. Morneau, commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, dropped the official game puck to kick off the match-up. “I am excited to be out here today with the USS Abraham Lincoln and the demolition men of EOD Group 2,” Morneau said. “It is in the spirit of competition, but it also brings back what is important, which is how much we want to give back to our own; our Sailors.” The Lincoln Color Guard presented the colors as Air Traffic Controller 1st Class John Phillips sang the National anthem. Lincoln Sailors who came out to support their team and NMCRS watched and cheered from the crowd. “It feels really good to be playing here today,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) 3rd Class Stephen Dobbs. “We played hard and winning the game feels amazing, but I am just glad that we were able to support our shipmates with the NMCRS.” In 2015, the NMCRS provided financial assistance of more than $45 million to help Sailors, Marines and their families. “It’s great to be out here. We are lucky that we have such phenomenal Sailors between these two commands that will come out and give their time to put back into the Navy and Marine Corps family,” Morneau said.
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Lincoln takes on
Story by MC3 Jonathon Lockwood Photos by MC3 Derry Todd
JP5 Sailors assigned to the Nimitzclass aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln’s (CVN 72) V-4/ Fuels Division worked alongside Newport News Shipbuilding to bring on approximately 750,000 gallons of JP-5 fuel for the first time in three years. This milestone completes one more check in the box in the process of redelivering the ship to the fleet. This evolution had many moving parts to ensure that everything was ready to receive the fuel onboard. “We have been sending out Sailors to various carriers throughout the fleet to allow them to receive the training and qualifications needed to complete this milestone,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Smith, Aviation Fuels Boatswain.
ABFAN Travis Dutton operates a sound-powered telephone.
The amount of work and manhours that goes into
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repairing and replacing the fuel lines and pumps throughout the ship is a tremendous job and it all came down to this event. This onload could not be possible without a team effort between the shipyard and the crew.
A Newport News shipbuilder prepares a chain pulley.
“The integration between our Sailors and the shipyard is important and the team effort between Newport News Shipbuilding and the Sailors involved was performed flawlessly,� Smith said.
Newport News shipbuilders prepare a fitting.
ABF3 Lydia Kocourek tests fuel.
Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Smith inspects fuel before testing.
Newport News shipbuilders prepare a fitting.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
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A message from the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy– Chief Petty Officers, As I reflect back on my service as a Chief Petty Officer, I am reminded of the exceptional leadership you have demonstrated time and time again. Together we have witnessed many changes ranging from the total integration of the force, to CPO 365. These changes, and many more, were done in an effort to ensure we provide everyone with a fair and equal opportunity to be successful, and to better enhance our naval force as a whole. Although change comes with a level of uncertainty, it is necessary in order to remain relevant. Chief Petty Officers have embraced and owned these changes, ensuring our Sailors are led with the highest level of excellence. As we celebrate 123 years of the Chief Petty Officer, it is not lost upon me the endless sacrifices you and your families make every day in leading, mentoring and training Sailors under your charge. I once read that legacy is the lantern that lights the path for others to follow, and I have no doubt that the path you lit will shine brightly for generations to come.
-MCPON
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Photos by MCSN Ashley Northen
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Goat Locker Challenge Team competes in a competition. Photo by MC1 Leeanna Photo by MC1 Leeanna Shipps.
Lincoln Sailors participate in UNREP training. Photo by MC3 Ciarra Thibodeaux.
Lt. Cmdr. Louie Cedillos goes ashore for the final time in the Navy accompanied by his family at his retirement ceremony. Photo by MC3 Patrick Maher.
Lincoln Sailors serve food. Photo by MC3 Josiah Pearce.
Lincoln Sailors play basketball. Photo by MC3 Robert Ferrone
11 Lincoln Sailors play basketball. Photo by MC3 Robert Ferrone.
Lincoln Sailors participate in UNREP training. Photo by MC3 Ciarra Thibodeaux.
Lt. j.g Melissa Smith recites the Oath of Office. Photo by MCSN Ashley Northen
Goat Locker Challenge Team huddles. Photo by MC1 Leeanna Shipps.