Feb 2016

FEBRUARY 2016

CAPTAIN’S CORNER

BLUE RIDGE IN REVIEW

CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE

Blue Ridge Wraps Up SRA, Completes Light Off YOKOSUKA, Japan -- Commanding Officer of the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), Capt. Kyle P. Higgins, lit off Blue Ridge’s 1 Alpha boiler officially wrapping up a selective restricted availability (SRA), February 4.

The oldest steam ship in the Navy, Blue Ridge uses its boilers to provide the ship with its own supply of steam, powering its ability to

Commanding Officer Kyle P. Higgins co@lcc19.navy.mil

Executive Officer Jason Eckhardt xo@lcc19.navy.mil

BLR Ombudsman

Samantha Knepper

samantha.knepper@lcc19.navy.mil

BLR Ombudman Donesha Scott

donesha.scott@lcc19.navy.com

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ensure the safety and security of the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, engaging with its Pacific partners.

“Having lit off the boilers, we can now start making our own services,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Atwater, Blue Ridge’s boiler officer. “Without the boilers, this ship cannot generate its own electricity, steam, or water. The boiler light off signifies that the SRA period is coming to a close and Blue Ridge is making the transition to being able to get back underway.”

“It signifies the definitive end of the major maintenance and operational preparations in engineering spaces,” said Higgins. “And because there are few boiler steam engineering plants in the Navy, I was honored to experience a little bit of what this elite group of engineers does on a regular basis.”

Blue Ridge spent the last six months in SRA, making repairs and improvements throughout the ship, ranging from major systems upgrades in the Information Systems and Engineering

We are off to a great start this New Year!

We recently celebrated the conclusion of a very stressful and challenging yard period. The best part was we made it out on time, and that is something we are very proud of. We hosted a celebratory meal onboard with our partners from the Ship’s Repair Facility, and then quickly moved into the process of lighting fires in our steam boilers, ultimately preparing to get back to sea.

We are making the transition from a maintenance mindset to one focused on the mission. We spent almost six months improving spaces throughout the ship and have an extended dry-dock period set for when we

160204-N-YL053-344 YOKOSUKA, Japan (Feb. 4, 2016) Commanding Officer of the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), Capt. Kyle P. Higgins, uses a torch to light off the ship’s boilers in Blue Ridge’s fireroom. Blue Ridge is currently moored at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, finishing the final preparations for its 2016 patrol cycle. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Don Patton/ RELEASED)

Departments, to habitability upgrades with renovations in some of the ship’s berthings.

Prior to lighting off the boilers, Blue Ridge had to first demonstrate its engineering and damage control proficiencies to the Engineering Assessment Pacific inspection team, during a week long assessment.

“The Damage Control Material Assessment is the first part of the light off assessment,” said Damage Controlman 1st Class Joni Abando. ...continued on back cover>>

return, so it is even more important that we are out, engaging with our Pacific partners and aiding 7th Fleet. What we do is tremendously important and your loved ones’ sacrifices do not go unnoticed. The Sailors are what make our ship. They are the ones who touch the many communities we visit and they set the standard for conduct and professionalism in port or at sea. The 2016 patrol is going to be demanding and will require a lot from everyone. I have no doubt we will exceed all expectations. ...

continued on inside>>

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the CAPTAIN’S CAPTAIN’S corner

Blue Ridge Family and Friends …

Happy belated New Year! Hopefully you enjoyed a well deserved holiday season with your loved ones. With the many different celebrations put on by the USO, MWR and our Supply staff, a huge thank you is in order.

I know they made it special for those of you who made it on board for either holiday meal while your Sailor was standing the watch. I appreciate everything you do looking out for our Sailors and providing a little touch of home for those unable to get away. We were able to get the team back together and push for the homestretch of our maintenance period, locked in and determined to get underway on time!

Story by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Don Patton

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the CAPTAIN’S corner cont’d .....

Spring patrol is coming up soon and though we are ensuring that we are professionally ready, we need to make sure that you and your Sailors are personally preparing for our departure. Family care plans, medical appointments, financial preparations and simply being away from each other for a period of time need to be discussed and planned.

It doesn’t matter how new to the Navy we are or if we have been in over 25 years, of the many challenges we face and overcome throughout military life, separation from friends and family never gets easier. However, what makes it worthwhile is that we have the opportunity to serve our country, protect our homes and families, while creating some amazing memories along the way with our shipmates.

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Looking to the future, we are planning to have a Friends and Family Day cruise toward the end of the patrol.

The minimum age for participating members is 8-years-old and all guests must be medically fit to be able to go up and down ladder wells and passageways on their own. Our Ombudsmen will have more specific guidance as we get closer to the date, but in the meantime, we certainly look forward to having you all onboard.

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Feb. 4, 2016) - Sailors, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), standby with a hose in preparation for the lighting of the boilers. Blue Ridg currently moored at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, finish the final preparations for its 2016 patrol cycle. (U.S. Navy photo

by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Don Patton/ RELEASED)

I appreciate your continued support to our Sailors. Without you and your dedication, they would not be able to give all they have to the mission or one another.

Capt. K. P. Higgins

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YOKOSUKA, Japan (Feb. 4, 2016) - Machinist’s Mate Fireman Ethan Enos, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), passes a message to sailors in the lower deck of the fireroom in preparation for lighting the ship’s boilers. Blue Ridge is currently moored at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, finishing the final preparations for its 2016 patrol cycle. (U.S. Navy photo

by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Don Patton/ RELEASED)

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Feb. 5, 2016) Machinist’s Mate Fireman Jorge Ballesteros, right, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), holds a torch lit by Fireman Ethan Enos, left, before lighting off the ship’s 1 Bravo Boiler in the fireroom. Blue Ridge is currently moored at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, finishing the final preparations for its 2016 patrol cycle (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mike Story/ RELEASED)

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Jan. 27, 2016) - Repair Locker members check material condition readiness during a main space fire drill onboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19). Blue Ridge is currently moored at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka wrapping up a selected restricted availability maintenance period, which will allow the ship to undertake future patrols, ensuring the safety and security of Pacific sea lanes. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Timothy Hale/ RELEASED)

by ge is hing to

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Feb. 11, 2016) - Damage Controlman Fireman Daniel Mcneil,right, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), helps Damage Controlman Fireman Jessica Closser don a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) mask during a drill.

Blue Ridge is currently moored at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, finishing the final preparations for its 2016 patrol cycle. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Waldrop/ RELEASED)

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YOKOSUKA, Japan (Feb. 2, 2016) - Hull Maintenance Technician Fireman Tristian Daugherty, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), performs routine maintenance on a deck drain. Blue Ridge is currently moored at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, finishing the final preparations for its 2016 patrol cycle. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jordan Kirkjohnson/ RELEASED)

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Blue Ridge Wraps Up SRA, Completes Light Off cont’d...

“We had to demonstrate to the inspectors that all of our firefighting equipment was working, including our halon 1301 and aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) systems, and our self-contained breathing apparatuses.

“The halon 1301 and AFFF systems are our primary fire defense when the boilers are lit,” continued Abando.

The long hours and hard work that Sailors contributed to the ship were essential in preparing the ship and its crew for the upcoming underway period.

Several dedicated divisions, called “tiger teams”, were formed using Sailors from every department to tackle specific jobs, such as lagging, deck and bulkhead preservation, and door maintenance.

“We worked with the Corrosion Control Assistant Team to complete 23 jobs, preserving over 7,600 square feet of the ship,” said Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Nathan MacDonald, leading petty officer of the ship’s corrosion control tiger team.

“Since Blue Ridge is a flagship, its outward appearance is important for first impressions with our Pacific partners,” said MacDonald. “The work we did not only allows us to represent ourselves well, but it also extends the life of the ship by maintaining what we already have.”

Another tiger team worked with Ship’s Engineering Maintenance Assistance Team, ripping out old furniture and installing new decking, light fixtures and pipes in 10 state rooms, saving the command more than $300,000.

“These tiger teams allow the Navy to save money by allowing Sailors we have aboard to carry out jobs that we are capable of doing, instead of hiring contractors to outsource the work,” said Culinary Specialist 1st Class Luis Sanchez, habitability tiger team leading petty officer.

“For Blue Ridge to remain viable for the future we have to go through our scheduled maintenance periods, but more importantly, complete them on time. Unlike other ships in the fleet Blue Ridge commences at-sea operations as soon as maintenance periods complete,” said Higgins.

“On-time completion guarantees our ability to properly support 7th Fleet’s mission objectives,” continued Higgins.

Blue Ridge has been forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan for 36 years. As the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucion, Blue Ridge is committed to strengthening and fostering relationships within the Indo-Asia Pacific region.

[ESWS Crossword] 1

1 5

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DOWN

1.) Constrained by draft.

2.) A vessel is deemed to be ______ when coming up to another vessel from a direction more that 22.5 degrees abaft her beam.

3.) Measures the angular bearing of a celestial body from the geodetic point of the user.

4.) Angular distance measured between the prime meridian and the International Date Line through 180 degrees measured eastward or westward.

5.) Personnel recall.

ACROSS

1.) No visual guard.

2.) Man overboard.

3.) Panel which indicates ship’s 5 running light configurations. also indicates whether running lights are on primary or secondary filaments.

4.) (Inport) Ship coming alongside.

5.) Where does the anchor rub through to the side of the ship and also hawes the anchor itself?

CHAPLAIN’S message

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” (Proverbs 20:5) Blue Ridge Sailors and Families, Thank you for your selfless, dedicated work at this critical time and in this cold climate for our future mission. We have been busy to accomplish our goals in preparation for our upcoming mission.

However, one thing that we shouldn’t forget in the middle of being busy is to take care of ourselves.

One of the most important elements for our successful mission is the strong capability to take care of our stress because uncontrolled stress can cause a loss of motivation, commitment, and confidence for our job and our life. Loss of motivation, commitment, and confidence directly impacts other shipmates’ motivation, commitment, and confidence too because we work closely together, so much that we are just like family to each other.

Therefore, it is absolutely important for us to take care of our stress.

So how may we take care of our stress? I would like to give you one important tip in reducing stress.

A sense of purpose or meaning in our life helps us

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to manage and reduce our stress. If your purpose or meaning for your life has not been established well, you may figure it out by trying to help or support people around you, including our shipmates.

In doing so, you may well be able to learn which passion you have for helping people.

If we become selfish and don’t connect with people, then we may not see clearly our purpose and meaning for our life. But conversely, when we focus on others with our genuine love, then we will be able to understand the purpose and meaning for our life. It motivates us and will even provide a great number of opportunities for us to be successful in our lives.

For example, a Marine who worked in the same building where I worked came to my office for counseling, complaining of stress with low energy and low motivation in his work. I asked him why. He said that he doesn’t feel that his work at low level directly contributes to our mission.

His cleanup job and lawn mowing has nothing to do with our military missions. I told him that cleanliness and the clean smell from his work had

helped me to start my work with a fresh mind. I told him “Imagine nobody works for cleanup in this building and let all trash and dirty things live with us for a long time. Your work is so important to us.

Without you, we cannot accomplish our mission.”

Since the counseling, he was able to see his work with a different perspective and angle because he now realizes his job is absolutely meaningful to other people.

We can endure our hard work and handle our stress when our works are recognized and have meaning and purpose to others. Please let’s take care of each other and encourage each other as to how important we all are. Your encouraging words are free, but I can promise you that they will greatly impact people’s lives. Let’s remind ourselves every day that we all work together to support America’s Finest Flagship. Your work is so very crucial and necessary for our important mission aboard America’s Finest Flagship.

Blessings, Lt. Um

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