OCTOBER 2015
CAPTAIN’S CORNER
Steaming Up History Crusing the East Caroline Basin, hundreds of miles across a big, ballooned water tank called the Pacific Ocean, there is a grey, flat-bottomed, satellite and antenna donned flagship that is cutting the glass blown sheet of flat, equatorial ocean water into waves like a fresh flung bed sheet. It was on this ship that the last Republic of Vietnam president set foot in an act of
Commanding Officer Kyle P. Higgins co@lcc19.navy.mil
Executive Officer
CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE
BLUE RIDGE IN REVIEW
Story by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin A. Flinn
diplomacy during the Vietnam War, where South Vietnamese (SVN) Marines slept on the flight deck under a sky of bungled, burning stars. It was here during Operation Frequent Wind that one could look up as Saigon was being evacuated and see a sky full of SVN helicopters looking for a crash pad, where five of those helos would barrel down onto the flight deck, one of them crashing, spraying the ship and its crew with debris. Here, Vietnamese refugees who were caught in boats, drifting the vast nowhere of oceanic middle ground, were rescued for years after the war. It was on this ship that limelight could be seen during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, where relief supplies were transported past earthen parapets, in the aftermath of the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami in an effort to clasp hands with those empty-palmed masses.
of the U.S. Navy’s oldest operational warship, engineers live an unwritten story on the underbelly of history. “We have the oldest running steam plant in the Navy, still being assessed and setting the Navy’s standard,” said Lt. Seth Hall, Blue Ridge’s Main Propulsion Assistant. “It just goes to show that not only our current crew, but the crews before us did an excellent job in keeping the ship up. They took pride in her. Blue Ridge has a great history of professional engineers steaming her plant.” Hall is in charge of all the main propulsion boilers, main engine reduction gear, evaporators, and all associated equipment for the propulsion plant.
Under the massive pages and inkwells of history, one “Our Sailors take great pride in the plant,” collective propelled this ship for over 46 years – the lone, said Hall. “We showed it in this year’s light-off single propulsion plant of the ship. assessment. Engineering Assessment Pacific (EAP) Inspection Team came aboard and during our For the past few years, U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS inspection, took pictures. Because they were so Blue Ridge (LCC 19) has undergone many engineering impressed by the plant and the condition of it, they upgrades, stamping its individuality that no other naval believe it sets the standard for the Pacific fleet now. vessal can parallel. So, they took the pictures back to show people what the standard should be across the fleet based on Down the ladderwells. into the hot, tinkering steam Blue Ridge’s propulsion plant.” plant
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BLR Ombudsman Shanette Abney
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BLR Ombudman
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Samantha Knepper
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Blue Ridge Family and Friends,
I hope this message finds you and your family well. Though we have been home for a little over a month and the maintenance work is in full swing, I trust everything has settled in and you are enjoying the reunions with your loved ones. I know many of you were looking forward to much deserved down time, but we need to accomplish critical upgrades for the ship. Our maintenance is moving along with many challenges, but we will successfully get back to sea on time. It is very important this particular maintenance period goes as scheduled if we are to meet our operational requirements next
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year. Your Sailors are dedicated to the continued support of promoting the safety and security within this region. I sincerely appreciate their efforts and the hard work they are providing on a daily basis, from the depths of the engine room to the tip of the mast. Your Sailors are the reason USS Blue Ridge has the highest respect and preserves a sterling reputation on the waterfront. I am well aware you provide them the support they need to perform at their very best. Thank you for your sacrifice! Last month, we had the distinct pleasure of participating with five of our Sailors as they became naturalized citizens. These Sailors, after already committing to the service of our great nation, were granted the ability to enjoy all the benefits of what it is to be an American. It was a pleasure to partake in the ceremony and it is my hope they shared with you what it meant to them. We are very proud.
The next few months will be demanding, but we will make it through and be back to sea. During the change of command ceremony some months ago, I said something along the line of, ‘there is no limit to what we can accomplish, if we are not concerned with who gets the credit’. That rings as true now as it did then. We are succeeding as a team and getting the job done, all of us, Sailors, Family and Friends. Thank you again for unending support. Take Care, Capt. Kyle P. Higgins
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the CAPTAIN’S CAPTAIN’S corner
Happy 240th Birthday! Every October 13th, we celebrate the “birth” of our great Navy. I look forward to meeting some of you during our Navy Ball this year.
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BLUE RIDGE NEWSLETTER | “FINEST IN THE FLEET”
Machinist’s Mate Fireman Michael Gibson, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), performs corrosion control maintenance. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Liz Dunagan)
Sailors attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), perform hull maintenance. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Liz Dunagan)
Fireman Michael Sandersmith, left, and Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Daniel Campbell, right, scrape rust off of the port side steam riser to prevent equipment damage from corrosion. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communcation Specialist 2nd Class Michael Hendricks)
Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Liz Dunagan, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), demonstrates how to perform a valve maintenance check. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael Hendricks)
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Machinist’s Mate Fireman Bradley Norris repairs a valve in the disstiling plant. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Liz Dunagan)
Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Rashaad Merritt, bottom, monitors crane operations on the ship’s main deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Timothy Hale)
Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Brandon Hunt, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), performs corrosion control. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3RD Class Liz Dunagan)
Boatswain’s Mate Seaman David Nelson replaces a dog on a watertight hatch (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Timothy Hale)
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BLUE RIDGE NEWSLETTER | “FINEST IN THE FLEET”
Steaming Up History continued >> The 46 year-old ship has had many upgrades that have assisted in replacing obsolete parts. One of the major upgrades during this past year’s Selected Restricted Availability was the installation of new forced draft blowers. On other steam ships, the steam-driven forced draft blowers do not vary in speed based on the demand because they’re constant. The new electric-driven forced draft blowers however do vary by controlling how much air is going into the boiler based on the load which can now be changed by adjusting the speed on the blower. Another upgrade for Blue Ridge was the lubrication oil system. Like the forced draft blowers, it is unique in that it is an electric motor that varies in speed. The speed depends on the demand for lube oil whereas most lube oil systems maintain constant speed. “The lube oil pumps are more reliable,” said Senior Chief Machinist’s Mate David Lynch, Blue Ridge’s Steam Generating Plant Inspector. “Basically, they only run as fast as they need to. Before, there was this pump running at a constant speed and that’s how fast it was going to go. A valve controlled the amount of oil. It’s the same with the blowers. They only run as fast as they need to, so it’s more economical.” Prior to coming to Blue Ridge, Lynch was stationed at Ship Repair Facility Sasebo. Lynch inspected the boilers on Blue Ridge prior to coming aboard. He has been working with Blue Ridge leadership since. “That helped me make the decision to come here because of everyone’s pride that they had shown and the amount of work that goes in every day,” said Lynch. Unlike Lynch, Machinist’s Mate 1st Class
Steven Serret had never even seen a boiler prior to coming aboard Blue Ridge. Now, he is in charge of calibrating all automatic boiler controls after getting certified as an Electronic Automatic Boiler Control (EABC) technician. Serret is the only EABC technician onboard. “Talking about pride amongst my division, everyone knows that we have the heartbeat of the ship,” said Serret. “If the plant stops, we’re dead in the water.” “I can say as far as pride, ownership and morale in engineering, this ship far exceeds any ship I’ve been on,” said Lynch. “The drive in the engineers on this ship, their willingness to learn and react in a tight situation is beyond comparison. I’ve done all the amphibious ships with the same type of plants my whole Navy career, and I’ve never seen engineers that are so technically adept react so quickly. They really care about their equipment and each other.” The U.S. Navy has a long history of steam and pride outside of Blue Ridge. The Navy had the very first steam warship, originally called Demologos, or “voice of the people,” launched exactly 200 years ago. Just more than 150 years ago, two steam-propelled naval warships met at Hampton Roads during the American Civil War. The USS Monitor from Union Navy and CSS Virginia from the Confederate States Navy were the first ironclad steam warships to meet in battle. From Demologos and Hampton Roads, Blue Ridge’s lone steam plant is propelling naval history into the future. Exhaling steam, the voice of the people has been a story of progress, of pride engineered by brows of sweat and of hands sculpting history.
Congratulations to the Five Star Spotlight Awardees
Pav is a cunt
CSSN Victor Molina QMSN Michael Henry Hisashi Tanaka Takafumi Yamaki
CHAPLAIN’Smessage
“do not be afraid, for i am with you to deliver you” -jeremiah 1:8 It has been a fantastic and wonderful time with you since I joined “America’s Finest Flagship” in August. From deployment to Busan, South Korea, to MCI and SRA, my time so far with you has been very blessed. I’m thankful for the privilege of observing your professionalism in accomplishing our mission. You also have done a terrific job in passing MCI inpection with great success. Your professionalism motivates and encourages me to support you in accomplishing our mission more effectively. I’m truly thankful that I belong to the USS Blue Ridge family and have the opportunity to work alongside such a dedicated team of hardworking Navy Sailors.
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As a proud member of USS Blue Ridge, I wish to contribute something of value to our community in accomplishing our mission. One of the most valuable things that I can contribute is the absolute confidentiality privilege. According to SECNAVINST 1730.9, all personal information relayed to a Chaplain, including suicide ideations, any illegal activity, and sexual assault are maintained in 100% confidentiality.
dignity and professionalism in the counseling relationship in return for your trust.
It is my urgent desire to let you know that absolute confidentiality is available for all Sailors and their family members. I am called to offer comfort and counseling for Sailors and their families, and am obligated to maintain
-Chaplain Um
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Thank you for your trust and confidence. I look forward to working with you on America’s Finest Flagship in the great excitement of this SRA period and our future deployments.
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