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Celebrating 20 years of serving the Hampton Roads Navy family
Vol. 21, No. 8 Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com | 02.28-03.06.13
Phase Two of RECP rolls out
JEBLCFS CONDUCTS CITADEL SHIELD 2013
Press Release Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs
NORFOLK
By MC3 Frank J. Pikul Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Norfolk
VIRGINIA BEACH
The crew of the landing dock ship USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41), the Coast Guard and the Virginia Beach Fire Department participated in Citadel Shield 2013 at Joint Expeditionary Base (JEB) Little Creek-Fort Story, Feb. 21. This annual exercise is designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security forces and emergency responders to react to threats to installations and units. “This exercise helps us coordinate between different elements on the installation to respond to any sort of threats that we may face,” said Rod Reich, the installation training officer at JEB Little Creek-Fort Story. The exercise involved a simulated small boat attack on Whidbey Island. Different assets on the installation were brought into fight fires, treat wounded Sailors, recover a man overboard and defend the ship from additional attacks. “The scenario involved Coast Guard, Navy and the Virginia Beach Fire Department working together to respond to a USS Cole-style attack,” said Reich. “This took months of planning and the lessons that we learn from this will be used to improve our responses for future exercises.” The Coast Guard sent two fast-speed rescue boats to recover the man overboard while the installation fire department arrived on scene to set up a triage center and respond to fires on the ship. “This exercise is important in that it tests our ability to operate efficiently together to ensure the safety of all the Navy’s assets on this installation and to protect our Sailors,” said Capt. Frank E. Hughlett, Commanding Officer, JEB Little Creek-Fort Story. Hughlett was on the pier to witness the exercise and was pleased with what he saw. “I think the scenario went well and the personnel on the installation worked well with the Coast Guard, Virginia Beach Fire Department and the crew of Whidbey Island,” he said. “We can take lessons from this and improve upon our operations so we may be prepared for any type of threat and respond quickly and professionally to it.”
MCSA Jesse Hyatt Participants in Operation Citadel Shield practice boarding procedures at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. The annual exercise is designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security forces to respond to threats to installations and units.
Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group deploys Press Release Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs
NORFOLK
The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (IKECSG), with nearly 4,500 Sailors, deployed from Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Station Mayport, Fla., Feb. 21, to support operations in the U.S. Navy’s 5th and 6th Fleets. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), commanded by Capt. Marcus A. Hitchcock, along with German Frigate FGS Hamburg (F220), commanded by Cmdr. Ralf Kuchler, departed from Naval Station Norfolk, and the guided missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66), commanded by Capt. Dan Uhls, from Naval Station Mayport. Eisenhower returned three months earlier than previously scheduled in order to resurface its flight deck prior to a planned redeployment. The IKECSG is redeploying to support carrier strike group presence requirements in the U.S. Navy’s 5th and 6th Fleet area of operations. Working with allied and partner maritime forces, the IKECSG Sailors will focus heavily on maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the Navy’s 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. “This strike group is tested and always ready for the next mission,” said Rear Adm. Michael
MC2 Ryan D. McLearnon Above: Tug boats assist the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) as it pulls away from the pier at Naval Station Norfolk. Left: Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Cody Scouten hugs his dad goodbye on the pier prior to departing aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Feb. 21.
MC1 Phil Beaufort
C. Manazir, Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8. “I’m proud of the versatility and flexibility of every Sailor in this strike group. They have proven that we can meet all tasks set out for us by our fleet commanders. I look forward to once again playing a part in ensuring the security of international waterways and building partnerships around the world.”
LOCAL SAILORS RESTORE, PRESERVE BUFFALO SOLDIER BURIAL GROUND Sailors assigned to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads – Northwest Annex are making final restorations to a cemetery that holds the graves of African-American Civil War-era Army Soldiers.
For this deployment, IKECSG is comprised of CSG 8, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN69), embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, embarked Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28, German Frigate FGS Hamburg (F220) and USS Hue City (CG 66). Aircraft squadrons of CVW-7 include strike fighter squadrons VFA-143 “Pukin
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Dogs,” VFA-131 “Wildcats,” VFA-83 “Rampagers” and VFA103 “Jolly Rogers,” tactical electronics warfare squadron VAQ140 “Patriots,” carrier airborne early warning squadron VAW121 “Bluetails,” Fleet Logistics Support Squadron VRC-40 “Rawhides” and helicopter anti-submarine squadron HS-5 “Nightdippers.”
BONHOMME RICHARD ARG COMPLETES COBRA GOLD 2013 The ARG and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed the multinational, joint exercise Cobra Gold 2013, Feb. 22.
MILITARY SAVES Military Saves is part of the Department of Defense’s Financial Readiness Campaign and has been a partner with DoD since 2003.
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In an effort to achieve energy efficiency in Navy Public Private Venture (PPV) housing units, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (NRMA) is currently rolling out the second phase of the Resident Energy Conservation Program (RECP). The goal of RECP is to achieve reductions in the amount of utilities consumed in the PPV housing communities and the program is expected to be fully implemented by October of this year. RECP is an Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) initiative and NRMA is fully supporting OSD and the Department of the Navy’s (DoN) overall efforts to aggressively pursue conservation initiatives to reduce the United States’ dependence on foreign oil and other fossil fuels. Research shows that residents use 20 percent less in utilities when they are directly responsible for utility payments. RECP will help to bring PPV utility usage in line with usage in private communities, and results in savings will be reinvested to improve the PPV community’s quality of life, such as housing renovations, community center upgrades, playground replacements and resident programs. “Most importantly, the savings that we are intending to achieve through RECP will go right back into our neighborhoods to make them better places to live,” said Rear Adm. Tim Alexander, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. “RECP also supports our overall consumption in our Navy attitude about energy consumption and energy awareness.” Navy Region Mid-Atlantic has 15 installations that will be participating in the program. How it works: PPV houses are grouped into similar sizes (based on square footage, age and condition of the home) and then placed into “like type groups,” (LTGs). Utility usage for the LTGs is measured to create an average utility usage for each LTG monthly. A 10 percent buffer is added above and below the average to create a “normal usage band” (NUB). Residents will eventually start to receive monthly statements on how their usage compares to the NUB. Residents using more than the NUB will pay for the excess, and those using less than the NUB will receive a rebate, or credit, for the difference. Four-phase program: In the first phase, individual meters were installed at PPV housing units to accurately measure residential energy usage. Homes were also grouped into LTGs to create the NUB. “The PPV partners are installing individual meters so that recording usage is accurate and fair across the board for all of our families in our PPV homes,” explained Alexander. The second phase is the “Communication Phase,” where residents, base commanders and other interested military organizations will be informed of the pending transition to RECP. This phase is intended to make both the residents and the interested military organizations familiar and comfortable with the program. Coordination between the partners and the installations is a key component. “I think it’s important for everyone to understand exactly what this program is, why it’s important and
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2013 NMCRS FUND DRIVE The goal of the 2013 NMCRS Fund Drive is to have 100 percent contact with all service members, March 1 - 31. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/WggMMo.