USS Blue Ridge Magazine - May 10, 2014

May 10, 2014

Asian American Celebrating

AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH

Blue Ridge celebrates how Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander descent have sought to excel beyond the challenges they have faced throughout history.

CONTENTS pg. 2

Blue Ridge HAZMINCEN

(May 7, 2014) -- AE3(AW) Jenna Obertone, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12 (HSC-12) “Golden Falcons,” washes an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter.

Photo by MC3(SW) Jared Harral

MC2(SW) Jeff Troutman

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Electrical Safety MC3(SW) Michael Hendricks

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Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month MC3 Kelby Sanders

(May 1, 2014) -- HT1(SW) Michael Molina holds up a piece of wood shoring during a structural damage drill Photo by MCSN Everett Allen

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News From Around the Fleet (May 4, 2014) -- Blue Ridge’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation committee hosts a movie night on the main deck.

Photo by MC3(SW) Ben Larscheid

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Military Spouse Appreciation

By MCSN Everett Allen

pg. 6

Mother’s Day

By MCSN Everett Allen

back cover

(May 3, 2014) -- SN Anthony Cook, center, directs the launching of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter.

Photo by MC3 Kelby Sanders

Know Your Shipmates MC3(SW) Michael Hendricks

Blue Ridge Magazine 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 Blue Ridge Magazine must be submitted to the Public Affairs Officer. Produced by Blue Ridge Media Services | Ext. 4154

Command Master Chief CMDCM(SW/AW/IDW) Mark Tomlinson

Commanding Officer Capt. Richard McCormack

Editor-in-Chief MC1(SW) Robert Northnagle

Executive Officer Cmdr. Brian Ribota

Lead Designer MC3(SW) Ben Larscheid

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Public Affairs Officer Lt. Clinton Beaird Asst. Public Affairs Officer MCC(SW/AW) Heather Ewton

Blue Ridge Magazine | May 10, 2014

Media Team MC1(SW/AW) Michael Story MC2(SW) Jeff Troutman MC2(SW) Phillip Pavlovich MC3(SW) Michael Hendricks MC3 Kelby Sanders MC3(SW) Cody Babin MC3(SW) Sam Weldin MC3(SW) Jared Harral MCSN Everett Allen MCSN(SW) Jacob Waldrop

Blue Ridge HAZMINCEN Keeping the Mission Operational

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeff Troutman

U.S. Seventh Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), at 43 years old, is an intricate machine with a vast array of moving parts that require constant care and attention to function properly.

and lead to something catastrophic, like a fire or an explosion. It also enables us to quickly find and provide the HAZMAT our shipmates need for their jobs.”

Many of these shipboard components require hazardous material (HAZMAT) to properly function and support the ship’s mission.

Blue Ridge’s Hazardous Material Center (HAZMINCEN) primarily functions to support the ship’s daily use of hazardous material, and to properly store and dispose of used hazardous material.

All ship’s personnel have the ability to check out HAZMAT, provided they have their Quality Assurance and Craftsman qualifications, which are usually obtained during ship indoctrination class upon reporting to Blue Ridge.

“Because HAZMAT has the potential to be dangerous to the person using it and the people around them, you have to be approved to use the HAZMAT by your chain of command, via a HAZMAT form signed by your leading chief petty officer and division officer,” said Rice.

“Once you provide us the form, we can issue the HAZMAT you need to complete your work around the ship.”

“Every work center on the ship needs hazardous material (HAZMAT) at one time or another,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Yuechao Zhao, Blue Ridge’s HAZMINCEN supervisor.

“We provide HAZMAT for everything, from grease and silicon for ship’s maintenance to the chemicals needed to help the ship’s boilers operate.”

The crew in HAZMINCEN also LS2(SW) Yuechao Zhao (left) checks out a grease gun to SN Anthony Cook so agreed that the opportunities they get to interact with the he can perform scheduled ship. Photo by MC2(SW) Jeff Troutman The HAZMINCEN crew is ship’s crew and expand their usually composed of three individuals, who see an average of 50 – horizons within their rate are additional benefits they get out of their 75 customers a day. Because of the dangers of storing, providing and job. disposing HAZMAT, a strict organizational system is in place to make sure each item is stored properly.

“For me, it’s the face-time I get with other people on the ship, from working down here,” said Rice. “I’ve met just about everybody on “Every single piece of HAZMAT is assigned a specific location in the ship at one point or another just by them coming down to check our storeroom, based on a five-character alphanumeric system,” said out HAZMAT, and made some great friends along the way. It’s nice Logistics Specialist Seaman Kory Rice. “This is important because it’s knowing I helped them do their work safely and properly.” a way for us to ensure the HAZMAT does not get cross-contaminated

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ELECTRICAL

SAFETY All personal electrical equipment with a plug or charger needs to be safety checked when initially brought on board at Tool Issue (4-128-2).

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Personally-owned equipment such as fans, extension cords, high intensity lamps, reading lamps, electric blankets, heating pads, electrical power-driven tools, heat lamps, hot plates, microwave ovens, electric heaters and air conditioners are prohibited from being introduced and used on board.

If you are working on (or conducting PMS on) any electrical equipment that is more than 30 volts, then an energized work chit (approved by the CO) is required or the equipment must be tagged out. The electrical

ratings such as EM, IT, IC, ET can verify voltage or no voltage (residual charge) to work on equipment.

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Using unapproved electrical equipment on board can potentially cause a ground and lead to a class C fire.

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If you do discover a class C fire then report it, secure the power source and then, if possible, use CO2 or PKP as a last resort to extinguish the fire.

May May10, 10,2014 2014 | | Blue BlueRidge RidgeMagazine Magazine

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SAILING BEYOND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelby Sanders Photos by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Everett Allen

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Blue Ridge Magazine | May 10, 2014

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a vast and diverse community, some native to the United States, hailing from Hawaii and our Pacific Island territories.

Others trace their heritage to dozens of countries. All are treasured citizens who enrich our Nation in countless ways, and help fulfill the promise of the American dream which has drawn so many to our shores.”

-President U.S. Seventh Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) is celebrating the culture and accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout the month of May, and capping it all off in style with a planned extravagant Mongolian style BBQ dinner.

This year’s theme is “I Am Beyond,” capturing the aspirations of the American spirit and how Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander decent have sought to excel beyond the challenges they have faced throughout history.

Asians and Pacific Islanders of various nationalities: Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian, Asian Indian and Polynesian have served in the Navy since the early 19th century and have played a role in every major war the U.S. has been involved in since.

Directed by Congress in 1977 and established by presidential proclamation in 1978, Asian/Pacific-American Heritage Week was first observed the week of May 4, 1979. In 1990, President George H. W. Bush expanded the observance to encompass the month of May; and in 1992, Congress passed a law permanently designating May as Asian/Pacific-American Heritage Month.

May is significant for this observance as it commemorates the arrival date of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and the completion, at the hands of Chinese migrant workers, of the First Transcontinental Railroad on May 10, 1869 “Blue Ridge has such an ethnically diverse crew that I don’t really feel so different from my shipmates - I just feel like another

Barack Obama

Sailor,” said Blue Ridge Training Officer Lt. j.g. Jason Park, a Korean-American from Rochester, New York, who’s family is from Daegu, South Korea.

Sailors of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage comprise 6.43 percent of active duty U.S. Navy personnel. More than 20,500 active duty Sailors, 4,000 reservists and 18,900 Navy civilian employees identify themselves as Asian American or Pacific Islander, including 10 flag officers, and 176 master chief petty officers. The Blue Ridge crew includes 105 Asian or Pacific Island Sailors, which is 16% of its personnel.

“Growing up in a melting pot like Los Angeles and serving aboard Blue Ridge has taught me to take pride in my heritage and respect people of other cultures,” said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Gojo Relova, who migrated from Manila to the U.S. at age 7.

Frequent port calls in the Indo Asia Pacific Region provide some Sailors the opportunity to visit family and friends they may not have seen in several years. Relova finally got to see Manila again, 18 years after leaving, when Blue Ridge visited earlier this year.

“It’s very important to know and understand your people’s history, but also to be openminded towards others,” said Relova. “No group of people exemplifies this principle better than the Blue Ridge crew.”

Blue Ridge’s multi-cultural heritage committee will be posting fliers throughout the ship during May displaying important facts and historical accomplishments of Asian/Pacific-Americans.

May 10, 2014 |

An Inspiring History A brief biography of a few inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the Navy

Gordon Paiea Chung-Hoon

Chung-Hoon was a star halfback on the Navy football team and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1934. Ten years, later he took command of the destroyer USS Sigsbee (DD 502) and led his Sailors through harrowing combat in the Pacific, which earned him the Silver Star. On April 14, 1945, when kamikazes attacked Sigsbee and five other destroyers off Okinawa, one plane crashed into Sigsbee’s stern, causing a tremendous explosion and flooding. Once the rest of the enemy planes had been shot down, ChungHoon concentrated on directing damage control, enabling the crew to save the ship, which limped to Hawaii for repairs. For his actions, Chung-Hoon received the Navy Cross, the Navy’s highest medal and the nation’s second highest combat decoration.

He retired in 1959 as a two-star admiral and the Navy’s first Asian Pacific American flag officer.

Vice Adm. Robert K. U. Kihune Kihune, a 1959 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, distinguished himself during a 35-year career in which he commanded two carrier battle groups and took part in the Navy’s response to the Lebanon crisis, the capture of terrorists in the Achille Lauro hijacking, and the anti-terrorism air strikes against Libya. Promoted to vice admiral in 1988 -- the first native Hawaiian to wear three stars -- he took charge of the Pacific Fleet Naval Surface Forces. Kihune’s command provided half of the naval forces in supprt of the First Gulf War.

Eleanor Concepcion Mariao Born at Clark Air Base in the Philippines in 1955, Dr. Mariano is the daughter of a Filipino master chief petty officer who served 29 years in the Navy’s steward branch. She immigrated to the U.S. with her family at age two. After receiving a medical degree in 1981 from the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, Dr. Mariano joined the Navy, where she quickly rose from ship’s surgeon to become attending physician to the President at the White House. She served in that billet for more than eight years during the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations. President Clinton promoted her to rear admiral in 2000, making her the first female Filipino to achieve flag rank.

Blue Ridge Magazine

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News From Around the Fleet

CNO Explains Navy’s

Compensation Reform at Congressional Hearing

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Julianne Metzger

WASHINGTON (May 6, 2014) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the proposed Department of Defense budget and the potential slowing of growth to service members pay and compensation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Martin L. Carey) “We cannot sustain our current personnel cost trajectory,” said Greenert. “We need to address this problem sooner rather than later.”

Greenert stated both he and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens heard in their travels around the fleet, a vast majority of Sailors and families believe that their compensation matches well with their civilian counterparts.

quality of service - their work environment needs to improve.”

The DOD proposed compensation reforms are estimated to generate a savings to the Navy of $123 million in fiscal year 2015 and $3.1 billion over the Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP).

“I intend to reinvest any and all of these savings into Sailor quality of service enhancements.”

“I intend to reinvest any and all of these savings into Sailor quality of service enhancements,” Greenert said.

Since 2001, Navy - Adm. Jonathan Greenert Greenert said quality of manpower has shrunk significantly due to the CNO service enhancements elimination of 25 ships resulting from proposed from the fleet. Meanwhile rising personnel budget savings include: increasing sea pay, costs have spiked which have been a burden critical skills incentive pays; improving and on the Navy’s ability to balance investments, constructing barracks, training buildings, said Greenert.

MWR and fitness centers; providing school and trainings; purchasing tactical trainers and “Our Sailors and families are not enthusiastic simulators; purchasing spare parts, tools and about compensation reform,” said Greenert. providing more maintenance opportunities.

However, he added, “they were clear that their

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Blue Ridge Magazine | May 10, 2014

WASHINGTON (May 6, 2014) Chief of Naval Operations testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) encouraging Congress to accept and implement the Department of Defense budget proposal recommendation to slow growth of service members’ pay and compensation.

“All of these reinvestments address ‘dissatisfiers’ in our Sailors’ quality of service,” said Greenert. “These enhancements help Sailors get their jobs done effectively and safely, while addressing our critical manning, training and equipping challenges.”

If Congress denies authority for the DOD compensation savings proposals, the Navy would be unable to enact Sailor quality of service improvements.

There would also be an additional bill of $4 billion resulting from pay raises.

Greenert said that would compel the Navy to reduce readiness, shipbuilding and aircraft procurement even further.

“Our Navy would be less ready, less modern and less able to execute the missions outlined in the Defense Strategic Guidance,” said Greenert.

During the hearing it was evident these budget decisions are tough but necessary, Greenert explained. Under the current budget these choices are necessary to better balance Sailors’ needs to ensure the Navy remains forward and ready, he said.

Military Spouse

Appreciation Day (Top Left) CS1(SW) Chad Lahousse and his wife, Kasey.

“My wife is by far the most important aspect of my family.

She has the hardest job raising two kids basically on her own.

Her willingness to travel and support in furthering my career with the many avenues available to enlisted Sailors have been paramount in my motivations.”

(Middle Left) ET2(SW) Mike Fanton, his wife Holly, and his son Sebastian.

“She knows what military life is like and supports me in all my endeavors while I am making it a career for me. She always makes sure to send emails and texts making sure I am ok and gives me updates of her and our son and how things are going, and gives words of encouragement when days just aren’t going right or as planned.”

Military Spouse Appreciation Day is May 9th.

Blue Ridge commemorates the spouses of our Sailors who have stayed the course, keeping families and homes steady while we fulfill our missions to serve our nation. We thank our husbands and wives for their selfless service, for their patience, and for their encouragement in what we do.

Our Spouses are as vital to us as we are to the mission.

We acknowledge the sacrifices made by our loved ones and we acknowledge their resilience to constant change and their endurance through tough times without their counterparts.

In many ways, the military spouse embodies that of the Navy core values. They display honor by facing challenges at home without us, they exhibit courage by letting us go when we leave, and they show commitment by remaining steadfast while we’re gone.

(Middle Right) CS2(SW/AW) Tawny Holley and her husband, Michael.

“My spouse has a positive impact because I know that everything is great with my children and my home while I am gone. And he supports me no matter what. ” (Top Right) ET2(SW) Page Gibson, his wife Samantha, and his son Kolten.

“A constant source of motivation and regeneration. She constantly encourages me to strive for bigger and better things, and fully supports me. Samantha is the strongest person I know and she keeps me in a constant state of awe with everything she does.

She makes me a better person and a better Sailor. ”

Thank you for your endurance, for your service to our Sailors, and for your service to our nation.

May 11, 2014

DON’T

FORGET To wish your Mom a Happy Mother’s Day!

May 10, 2014 |

Blue Ridge Magazine

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Know Your Shipmates Master-At-Arms 3rd Class Trey Interview by MC3(SW) Michael Hendricks

Bingham

MA3 Bingham, from Santa Ana, California, reported April 18 to COMSEVENTHFLT, and sat down with us recently to answer a few questions...

Blue Ridge Magazine: Why did you join the Navy?

MA3 Bingham: To pay for college and see the world.

BRM: What are your hobbies?

B: My hobbies are hiking, biking, surfing and pretty much anything to do with being outdoors. I also like to play video games, like Legend of Zelda and Mass Effect.

BRM: What do you like to do on your days off?

B: I like to relax in the sun at the beach with my friends.

BRM: Where do you see yourself in five years?

B: I hope to have earned my degree, so I can become a Navy pilot like my grandfather did years ago.

BRM: What is your favorite song?

B: “No Quarter” by Led Zeppelin.

BRM. What is your favorite movie?

B: The Wall BRM: Who is your favorite actor?

B: Nathan Fillion from the TV show Castle.

BRM: If you could have one super power what would it be?

B: Time control BRM: Would you travel to the future or the past?

B: I would use the time control to go back into the past and make a fortune off of the stock market.

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Who’s That Smile!?

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Can you guess which of your shipmates these smiles belong to?

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1) BM1 Phillips, 2) IT2 May, 3) CSSN Walker, 4) HM1 MacMullin, 5) DC3 O’Connell, 6) CS3 Cardoza, 7) BM3 Maralit, 8) Capt. McCormack

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BRM: What would you like to achieve here on Blue Ridge?

B: My goals are to get my ESWS pin, advance to second class (this cycle hopefully), get more college credits - perhaps even a degree if I can manage it, and to climb Mount Fuji.

BRM: How would you spend your time with 24 hours to live?

B: I would go surfing with my father, meet up with friends and pig out on fish tacos.