What’s INSIDE
Shipyard apprentices enter workforce See page A-2
August 18, 2017
Construction work between Aloha Stadium and the H-1 Interchange for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project began Aug. 15 and is expected to create additional traffic congestion and night-time construction noise in the Pearl Harbor area. Commuters to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) using Halawa, Borchers and Makalapa Gates should plan accordingly as lane closures in both directions of Kamehameha Highway could delay traffic trying to turn into those gates. Commuters should use Nimitz Gate (open 24/7), O’Malley Gate (open 24/7), and Kuntz Gate (open to privately owned vehicles from 5 to 7:30 a.m. and again after 9 a.m.), and for those heading to the Makalapa Compound, use Luapele Gate (off Salt Lake Boulevard), open weekdays from 5 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Note: Gate hours are subject to change based on security posture.) From the hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., all traffic will be moved to one side of Kamehameha Highway to conduct work on the other side. Two-way traffic will flow in a contraflow pattern (side-by-side) with help from special-duty officers who will be directing motorists. All traffic movements at the Radford/ Makalapa and Arizona/ Halawa intersections will be allowed during contra-
Back to school safety See page B-4
Women’s Equality Day meal See page B-5
www.issuu.com/navyregionhawaii www.hookelenews.com
Rail construction near Joint Base underway Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Public Affairs
Feds Feeds Families seeks more donations See page A-4
flow hours, unless there is an emergency safety issue. Access to base gates will always remain. At all other times of the day and night when contraflow is not in place, drivers may experience lane closures in both directions of Kamehameha Highway. Drivers will first see barriers placed on the outside of the roadway for road widening activities. Once road widening is complete, the barriers will move to the median of the roadway for drilling operations. Once drilling begins in the median, Kamehameha Highway town-bound will be reduced to two lanes throughout the life of the project. Two lanes will remain on Kamehameha Highway ewa-bound. Pedestrian access will be maintained on sidewalks throughout the corridor. There will be no dedicated bike lanes throughout the duration of the project. Construction work on this phase of the rail project is expected for the next five years. For questions or comments, call the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) 24-hour project hotline at 566-2299 or visit the website at www.HonoluluTransit.org. Other useful information can be found on rail contractor Shimmick/Traylor/ Granite (STG)’s Facebook page @STGHawaii. For JBPHH updates and information, visit JBPHH Facebook at www.facebook. com/JBPHH and Twitter @ JointBasePHH.
Arizona Street / Halawa Drive
Makalapa Road / Radford Drive
Images Courtesy of STG Hawaii
Volume 8 Issue 32
USS Chafee crew intercepts 827 kilograms of cocaine Fire Controlman 3rd Class Aubrey Henderson, assigned to USS Chafee (DDG 90), climbs down the pilot’s ladder into a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) during boat operations. Chafee is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility in support of UNITAS 2017. Photo by MC2 Michael Hendricks
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs The Pearl Harbor-based Arleigh Burkeclass guided missile destroyer, USS Chafee (DDG 90), seized more than 800 kilograms of illicit narcotics, Aug. 2, off the coast of Central America. While conducting a routine patrol in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility, a Sikorsky MH-60R multi-mission helicopter from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37,
embarked in Chafee, sighted a small boat with three passengers and two outboard engines. The pilots determined the vessel’s characteristics met the description of vessels that frequently traffic narcotics in Central and South America and investigated further. As the helicopter approached the small craft, the passengers began jettisoning the boat’s contents. The helicopter crew identified 37 bales of an unknown substance, and coordinated with the ship that deployed the small
boat crew utilizing a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to recover the floating packages. Once the bales were on board, Chafee’s Command Master-at-Arms confirmed the substance was cocaine. “This would have been impossible without the vigilance of the ship’s crew, the aviation department and the maintainers that allow the aircraft to operate on time,” he said. “The crew worked incredibly together, utilizing multiple facets of our capabilities to achieve this success.”
During the recovery, the ship’s crew also discovered a solar-powered GPS tracking buoy attached to the bales of narcotics. “Every member aboard Chafee performed superbly during this miss i o n , ” s a i d C h a f e e ’s RHIB boat officer during the recovery. “Knowing our efforts translate to real successes by disrupting illicit drug trafficking, reinforces our mission and provides a sense of self-worth for the entire crew.” Chafee turned over custody of the narcotics to the U.S. Coast Guard.
USS Santa Fe returns to Pearl Harbor MC2 Shaun Griffin COMSUBPAC Public Affairs The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) returned from deployment to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Aug. 15. “It was amazing to watch this crew pull together through a challenging deployment workup and take on the challenge of sustaining the ramp-up through deployment,” said Cmdr. Jake Foret, Santa Fe’s commanding officer. “I am proud of our crew’s commitment to keeping
our boat and teams ready to execute all tasking.” D u r i n g t h e d e p l o yment, 29 enlisted Sailors and one officer earned their submarine warfare qualification. “My most memorable achievement during deployment was earning my dolphins,” said Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Nicolas Tankersley. “Earning my dolphins was the pinnacle of all my hard work finally paying off. My dolphins enabled me to become part of an elite group known as ‘submariners.’” While deployed, Santa Fe executed two port
calls to Yokosuka, Japan and hosted submariners from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) out of Sasebo, Japan for underway training. “Santa Fe was thankful to expand the U.S. Navy’s partnership with the JMSDF,” said Lt. Cmdr. Rob Edmonson III, Santa Fe’s executive officer. “We welcome any opportunity to work alongside our JMSDF submarine force allies.” Upon returning to Pearl Harbor, Master Chief Electronics Technician (Navigation) Jorge Perez, Santa Fe’s Chief of the Boat, praised his
crew for their hard work and preparation for the six-month deployment. “Preparing for any deployment is challenging, and this was no exception,” Perez said. “The experience gained by this next generation of submariners will prove invaluable as a foundation for our future operations. I could not be prouder of each Sailor and I look forward to continue to serve with them.” Editor’s note: In addition to the Santa Fe’s arrival, USS Jacksonville (SSN 699) returned to JBPHH, Aug. 10 from deployment to the western Pacific. See photo on A-5.
Photo by MC1 Daniel Hinton
A Sailor greets his loved one after the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) made its homecoming arrival at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, after completing its latest deployment, Aug. 15.