The Beacon by USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19)

CONTENTS

-ON THE HORIZONSTORY BY MC3 MAR'QUEON TRAMBLE

Blue Ridge is scheduled for Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) in July this year. Blue Ridge will be graded on several different sections including berthing. ALWAYS READY! 6

WHAT'S A HAKA? 4

TRAINED AND PREPARED 8

“Habitability will be one of the largest sections that will be graded during INSURV and will require everyone's full support,” said Chief Culinary Specialist Alleyne George. All Officers and Enlisted personnel are required to adhere to an instruction detailing the acceptable items to make their racks and staterooms. “Sailors are only authorized one white sheet, one pillow and they must have a grey wool blanket,” said George. "Everything needs to fit in their stand-up lockers or within their racks."

TEAM BEACON MEDIA DEPARTMENT

LEADERSHIP

MEDIA SERVICES DIVO

COMMANDING OFFICER

LTJG ERIC UHDEN

CAPT ERIC J. ANDUZE

Y2019 - SUNDAY 1530-1630 - MAIN DECK PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

EXECUTIVE OFFICER

LEAD DESIGNER

COMMAND MASTER CHIEF

MCC CHARLES L. LUDWIG

MC3 MAR’QUEON A. D. TRAMBLE

CDR BENJAMIN E. NEHRKE CMDCM JAMES W. GRANT

Blue Ridge and C7F Sailors should read the instruction to make sure they are following all the rules and regulations for the INSURV process.

COVER PHOTO

AROUND THE FLEET IN OVER 80 DAYS 10

PRODUCERS

MC1 MARVIN E. THOMPSON JR. MC2 ADAM K. THOMAS MC2 PATRICK SEMALES MC3 DYLAN MCKAY MC3 ETHAN CARTER MC3 ANGELES A. MIRON MCSA BRANDON L. HARRIS

Seaman Juan Zuniga, from Chicago, shows off his excitement for a haka dance during the Asian American Pacific Islander month.

The Beacon is an authorized publication for Sailors aboard USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19). Contents herein are not the views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy or the Commanding Officer of USS Blue Ridge. All news, photos and information for publication in The Beacon must be submitted to the Public Affairs Officer. Produced by Blue Ridge Media Services Ext. 4154

CELBRATING HERITAGE

STORY BY MC3 MC3 MAR'QUEON TRAMBLE / / PHOTOS BY MCSA BRANDON L. HARRIS

he military is a place where the heritages of its members are appreciated and recognized. There is heritage observance almost every month within the Department of Defense. May happens to be the observance month of Asian American Pacific Islanders. This month includes members from Japan, China, Vietnam and many more places throughout Asian and the Pacific.

All of these cultures come together to create a celebration in which the highlight Blue Ridge’s observance would possibly be the haka. For some Sailors if they’ve never seen or heard of the haka before this might leave them with a question; what’s a haka?

The haka is a traditional ritual practiced by many different island cultures but it derived in the Maori culture. It is a type of ancient Maori war dance traditionally used on the battlefield, as well as when tribes come together in peace. “Mostly now it’s not just about power. It’s also about coming together and showing pride in your culture,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Denise Atualevao, the leader of this year’s Haka. “I’m proud of my island heritage and being able to show the 'Ka Mate' to my shipmates now is amazing.”

“I think that the parallels between island culture and Hispanic culture are one and the same,” said Seaman Juan Zuniga. “The warrior culture and the welcoming family dynamic mirror each other well. That’s why even though I’m not an islander I want to give the haka my all.” Those who have also been brought into this embrace of culture show their support as well. “My husband laughed at me when I told him I'm doing the haka” said Quartermaster 2nd Class Japera Matautia. “To me I’m touching back to his and our daughter’s heritage and how much I appreciate how openly his family accepted me into their lives and hearts.”

The “Ka Mate” is a particular haka people are most likely familiar with. It comes from the story of Te Rauparaha, the chief of the Ngati Toa tribe, as he escapes a rival tribe’s pursuit. When he is cornered into hiding in a sweet potato pit guarded by a woman he Regardless of the reasoning everyone has pride in whispers to himself "Ka mate, ka mate," which means "It showcasing this culture and bringing the "Ka Mate" to is death," or "Will I die?" Through his chanting the rival Blue Ridge. tribe passes him over and he survives their pursuit. The story of the "Ka Mate,” is important to those who perform it as it makes them aware of the cultural traditions even if they are not a part of the island culture themselves.

ALWAYS READY! forney MEET SEAMAN FORNEY STORY & PHOTOS BY MC3 ANGELES A. MIRON

rom the moment we stepped foot in Great Lakes, and the many places we’ve been since then, you’ve probably heard the term “situational awareness.” In certain contexts, the phrase is used as a reminder to keep your guard up; “never relax!” as our RDC used to put it. The reason being that at any given moment you might need to act. Take, for example, Seaman Allison M. Forney. On her way to holiday stand from boot camp down the unexpected happened. “I was standing in line on the quarterdeck about to receive those magical slips called liberty cards,” said Forney. “Out of nowhere I just heard a loud thud and gasps. It just clicked in my head I knew something was wrong.” What Forney had just heard was the father of a recent graduate collapse and stop breathing.

“I didn’t see it at first, but I popped my head through and I could see a guy sprawled out on the ground,” Forney said. “I just went on autopilot and rushed over there to see if I could do something.”

Prior to the Navy, Forney was in law enforcement. Six best. I know I can rely on all my training and experience months after graduating high school, 18-year-old Forney to just go do.” began her career as a police officer-a path that opened many opportunities for her. When you check on board you'll always hear “Keep your head on a swivel.” It serves as a reminder for the crew to keep a cautious eye all around you. “The first few years I was a patrol officer,” Forney said. “Then I became a nationally-certified school resource Life is inherently dangerous and our time in the military officer so I did that for about a year and a half. I went makes it even more so. Remember this is an occupational back to the road and then became a detective. I did hazard. Sure we can follow everything step by step by that for 5 years or so then went back to the road. Then the book; being in complete denial that anything bad I became an active school shooter instructor. Some more will ever happen to you – until it does. An easy way to things and now here I am.” mitigate all of this is by attending and being present during training. Asking questions, voicing opinions – Her time in law enforcement made it easier for her to actually engaging and showing you care. assess the situation. Sitting inside the CTR listening to someone talk about how “I had seen a bunch of people go down, so it was to use a Derbyshire might not sound at all interesting to nothing new to me,” said Forney. you but here’s a tip from Forney. And while others stood their frozen she moved on instinct. “Make it personal. Bring it home…” “I feel like I always work better in the most chaotic situations. It’s just where I focus the best and work the

TRAINED AND PREPARED STORY BY MC3 DYLAN MCKAY // PHOTOS BY MC3 MAR'QUEON TRAMBLE

lue Ridge employs many training teams to ensure the crew is ready to fight the ship. There are many aspects to being a fully prepared Sailor, and one of the most important is making sure the crew is capable of helping shipmates in distress and keeping them in the fight. This is the Medical Training Team's (MTT) job. MTT is responsible for ensuring the crew is knowledgeable about many different types of casualties, such as the 11 basic battle wounds. These are injuries that can prove lethal to a Sailor, making it every Sailor’s job to be able to provide competent first-aid. “MTTs main goal is to maintain the readiness of the ship for addressing medical casualties,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Saenz, Blue Ridge MTT leader. “MTT trains the crew in how to address injuries, from the 11 basic battle wounds to maintaining Advanced Life Support in the Health Services Department. We ensure that every Sailor on Blue Ridge is equipped with the

knowledge they need to save a life from the point of injury.” Being a Sailor can be dangerous. There are many high-risk evolutions and events that occur in one’s career, and proper medical training has been known to make the difference in whether someone lives or dies. “I remember myself and another Corpsman were running tag outs, when we heard the bells start ringing,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Amanda

Eakin. “We took off running, and when we got there the Sailor, who was suffering from heat exhaustion, already had their clothing loosened, had ice packs on their body and had been moved to the shade. These interventions our Sailors took made all the difference.”

Being vital to the ship, it is not only the Medical personnel who are part of MTT. As long as a Sailor is qualified and has the required knowledge, any Sailor can assist the team in making sure the ship’s crew is ready for any challenge.

Planning and executing a drill each quarter for each department aboard the ship is also MTTs responsibility. These drills usually focus on if Sailors are knowledgeable enough to follow proper procedures and administer competent life-saving interventions.

“I joined MTT because I have always been interested in the medical field,” said Ship’s Serviceman 2nd Class Jonathan Goulsby. “I studied hard, got the qualification, and now I’m part of a team that can literally mean the difference between life and death for my shipmates. It’s an amazing stepping stone to my dream of commissioning and continuing to teach other Sailors these life-saving techniques. That’s a good feeling.”

MTT also organizes a mass casualty drill for the ship semi-annually. A mass casualty is defined as any situation where the number of casualties outweighs the number of responders. These drills are a multidepartment level exercise.

With all of the dangers Sailors face, medical knowledge has become a necessity. MTT is here to make sure Sailors have that knowledge and use it to “We have to run these drills to give our Sailors a successfully live another day. If you or someone you chance to practice in situations that are very closely know is interested in joining MTT, please contact HM1 simulated to actual casualties,” said Hospital Corpsman Nicholas Belflower or HM2 Amanda Eakin. 3rd Class Daniel Falcocchio. “Giving them this chance build their muscle memory, so they will know by instinct what steps to take when a real casualty occurs.”

Around the fleet in over 80 days STORY BY MC3 ETHAN CARTER

ore than a thousand Sailors and Marines embarked aboard U.S. 7th Fleet Flagship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), will return to Yokosuka, Japan, May 25, completing a four-month patrol throughout the Pacific Ocean. During the patrol, Blue Ridge transited throughout the Indo-Pacific Region and made 11 port visits to cities in Japan, Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Singapore, and Guam, working to foster relationships with allies and partners of the United States.

PHOTOS BY MC2 PATRICK SEMALES & MC3 DYLAN MCKAY

"This has been an extremely successful patrol," said Capt. Eric Anduze, Blue Ridge's commanding officer. "Blue Ridge’s efforts to accomplish its mission, have been amazing. The theater security operations piece of our engagements have been spot on and this patrol has been a wonderful experience for all of our Sailors to visit many ports and participate in a lifetime’s worth of deployment achievements bundled up into a quick four-month stint.”

During the 2019 Spring Patrol, Anduze’s first underway as the commanding officer of Blue Ridge, the ship’s Sailors forged friendships with locals, participated in community service projects, and spent their free-time exploring new lands and opening their minds to new cultures. “My favorite port was definitely Langkawi, Malaysia,” said Ship’s Serviceman 2nd Class Edwin Johnson. “Langkawi tops the cake for me because I felt like I was on vacation there. The beaches were beautiful, the people were helpful, the food was great, and best of all, it was inexpensive. I’ll probably end up going back on my own time.” Blue Ridge’s crew was given the unique opportunity to visit 11 ports within a four-month period, seeing a new city or country almost every week. According to Capt. Anduze, that didn’t slow them down one bit. “We excelled across the board," Anduze said. "Mission accomplishment was unparalleled. The professional and personal behavior, participation in community service events, and shipboard exercises should make everyone on this ship extremely proud.” Sailors and Marines aboard Blue Ridge were given the chance to interact with and support the local culture and communities by volunteering roughly 10,000 hours of their free time at 26 different events throughout the port calls during patrol.

daily life around the

EYE FLEET ON THE

Amphibious Force 7th Fleet Change of Command STORY BY MC2 JORDAN CROUCH // PHOTO BY MC2 KIRSTEN KING

SASEBO, Japan (NNS) -- Rear Adm. Fred Kacher assumed command of Amphibious Force 7th Fleet from Rear Adm. Brad Cooper during a change of command ceremony aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) May 17. Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, commander of U.S. 7th Fleet, was the guest speaker during the ceremony and highlighted Cooper’s accomplishments. “Brad, you have done a superb job leading this team,” said Sawyer while highlighting Cooper’s substantial accomplishments in partnerships, readiness and operations. “The U.S.-Japan Alliance is truly the cornerstone of security in this region and our bond with the [Japan Self-Defense Force] could not be stronger. That bond will remain just as strong for as long as leaders like Brad, and now Fred, invest their time and energy into the alliance.” Sawyer presented Cooper with the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as commander of Amphibious Force 7th Fleet.

Kacher, who previously served as executive officer to the Commander, United States European Command, expressed his excitement about becoming the commander of Amphibious Force 7th Fleet. “Know that I will do my level best to work with each of you to build on the friendship and operational excellence established by [Rear] Adm. Cooper,” said Kacher. “For the Sailors and Marines of Expeditionary Strike Group 7, I’m ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as we deliver lethal combat capability and integrated American sea power in support of our nation and our neighbors in the Indo-Pacific.” Commander, Amphibious Force 7th Fleet is the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force, headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa, Japan, and is responsible for the full range of expeditionary operations from disaster relief to crisis response in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

During Cooper’s time as commander, the Sailors and Marines of Task Force 76 focused on increasing readiness and lethality throughout the force. Together they executed the first deployment of the F-35B Lightning II aircraft, led the Navy response to aid Americans following typhoon damage in Guam and the Northern Marina Islands and executed more than 25 exercises and operations with U.S. allies in the IndoPacific region. “To the Sailors in our strike group, I extend my personal thanks,” said Cooper. “My most treasured memory from this tour stems from the great accomplishments of the Sailors and Marines that we have the privilege to serve alongside. They make us all so proud each and every day.”

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Down 1. SLAD: ______ Arm Davit 2. 13 digit stock number to identify supply item 3. Dial 3201/3202 for where? 5. Class of fire with black smoke 6. One of the four basic steam cycle phases 7. A terrorist organization with a well defined vertical chain of command 8. Last resort means to control hemorrhaging 9. Sound navigation and ranging 11. Flag flown when personnel are working aloft 13. FPCON ______: terrorist activity is imminent 14. One item on the “Never Out List” 16. Used to steer the ship from the bridge 20. BLR anchor type: Navy standard ______ 22. CANES: Consolidated Afloat Networks ______ Services 23. 1st enlisted man to have a ship named after him: Osmond ______ 27. A type of pipe patching. 28. An EEBD is used for emergency ______

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Across 4. Type of distilling plants onboard BLR: 5 Stage ______ Type 10. Navy’s B Day: October ______, 1775 12. DDRT: Digital dead ______ tracer 15. Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat 17. Suspicion of an intruder on the net 18. VMS: ______ management system 19. 1 of 6 categories of hazardous material 21. How many repair lockers on BLR? 24. Flight deck maintenance team uniform color 25. Navy firefighting thermal imager 26. Stretcher type located in battle dressing stations 29. Scope of chain paid out plus length of ship: ______ Circle 30. Displays the depth from the keel of the ship

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