May Landmark

LANDMARK Volume 7, Issue 2

May 2016

The Official Newletter of USS Emory S. Land (AS 39)

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Machinery Repairman 2nd Class Kyle Wilson embraces his wife after returning to Guam following a five-month deployment. The return is Emory S. Land’s first since shifting its homeport from Diego Garcia to Guam, December 23.

LANDMARK Table of Contents

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

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SAPR Team In honor of April being Sexual Assault Awareness month, get to better know your SAPR team.

16 ESL Family Life ET1 Thomas and ET3 McClelland share their experiences being away from their families during the deployment.

21 New CMC!

Get to know the ship’s new Command Master Chief!

6 10 Personality Feature Return to Guam See how HTFN David Gleeson is getting fit!

19 New JEA SWAG! Check out the new Junior Enlisted Association t-shirt!

Get a look at photos of the ESL’s return to Guam.

20 Farewell CMDCM Smith Read CMDCM Smith’s farewell to Emory S. Land.

22 Chaplain’s Corner Check out Chaplain Skelton’s first address to the crew!

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MEET YOUR SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TEAM!

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{ { { {

Name: BM1 Jason Womack Hometown: Mount Pleasant, Texas

{ { { {

Why I Became A SAPR VA: I became a SAPR VA because sexual assault holds no place in our navy and I want to do everything I can to help people, bring awareness and prevent it from happening.

Name: MR2 Reynante Taa Hometown: San Jose, California

Why I Became A SAPR VA: I like to help others

in general and the idea that someone would have someone to speak to about their problems with. At least I’d be there to listen and show that I care.

Name: MM2 Vanessa Wilson Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

Why I Became A SAPR VA: At my first command,

there was an incident with one of my shipmates and it kind of struck home with me. I became really passionate about the program. I learned about the opportunity to become a VA and I took it. I think it’s a really good program and our Sailors should reach out if they’re in need.

Name: IT3 Ashley Benjamin Hometown: Daegu, South Korea

Why I Became A SAPR VA: With my dad being in

the Army and being the person you call if something happens and my mom working for the military and doing the safe-kits, it was just ingrained in me that I need to help.

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

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“Floating Like a Butterfly, Stinging Like a Sailor”

By MC3 Zach Kreitzer

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

T

he lights brighten, and

taught me how to be a man and

heavy hitting have drawn fitness

the roar of the crowd

how to respect myself, as well as

enthusiasts from around the ship

rises as the challenger

others through boxing.”

to him for training.

enters the ring. He focuses on his

opponent for a moment before

spans more than a decade, and

“I saw him hitting the heavy

bag one day,” said Electrician’s

unleashing a flurry of jabs,

Mate 1st Class Yuji Toda, an

followed by an uppercut and a

assistant command fitness

vicious right hook.

leader aboard Emory S.

Land. “I thought he was one

The opponent is sent

rocking back as the crowd goes

of the best boxers on the

wild! The roar of the crowd rises

ship because of his power,

to new heights as his opponent

form and speed, so I asked

falls to the ground, defeated.

him if he could teach me.”

Training other people is

Around the world boxing

is a popular sport. Many people

something quite new to

who box, have been fighting

Gleeson, having only started

from a young age and enjoy the

training his shipmates in

workout and stress-relieving

January, but it’s something

aspects of the sport. One such

he’s quickly learned to

person is Hull Maintenance

enjoy.

Technician Fireman David

Gleeson, from Boston, assigned to the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), who used boxing for more than stress relief when his Navy career was at stake.

“My dad taught me how to be a man and how to respect myself, as well as others through boxing.”

“I didn’t like to train

others at first,” said Gleeson.

“Now I like seeing people improve, seeing the drastic difference someone can make in a couple days. Just

has helped him release stress

getting the right technique and the

after his long workdays, meet new

power comes right after that, it’s a

me into boxing,” said Gleeson. “I

friends on the ship and improve

beautiful thing to see.”

started off very overweight as a

his overall fitness.

child, I was always bullied. My dad LANDMARK MAY 2016

training is also noticed by those he

8

Gleeson’s boxing journey

“My dad is the one who got

Gleeson’s hard work and

Gleeson’s newfound love of

works with.

FEP,” he said. “Once I got off FEP

working out, and now that he’s

I kept boxing to keep myself off of

come back to that and is training

a great attitude that’s always

FEP and to stay in shape”

people, you can tell he’s happy. It

willing to help,” Said Electronics

is a part of who he is.”

Technician 2nd Class Derek

been noticed by many around the

Mitchem. “Especially when it

ship, and more importantly his

his journey to a healthier body

“David is a great guy with

Gleeson’s weight loss has

Gleeson plans to continue

comes to

and mind and

boxing, it’s

training those

something

who wish to

that he really

learn the art of

loves to do.”

boxing.

Boxing

“It keeps me

for Gleeson

motivated,” he

is also a way

said. “Working

for him to

out with people

improve

and being the

his physical

catalyst for that

fitness. His

group helps

weight gain

motivate me

during “A” school and at his first command caused some setbacks.

When he reported

“Just getting the right technique and the power comes right after that, it’s a beautiful thing to see.”

to the Emory S. Land, he was enrolled into the Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP).

Being enrolled in FEP inspired him to begin boxing again.

“I got in shape by working

out and boxing on my own after

to keep on track with my own workouts and being healthier.”

change in morale.

“You see more optimism

in what Gleeson does,” said Mitchem. “He’s doing something that he loves; there is no simpler way to put it. He loves boxing and

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

EMORY S. LAND RETURNS TO GUAM

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Hull Technician 1st Class Joe Thomas greets his family for the first time following a five-month deployment.

(U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jason Amadi)

Emory S. Land Family Matters

Story By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jason Amadi

I

t’s a Monday morning and

could once again feel the humid

behind their success and is the

the final few hours of a five-

Guam air against their skin. They

reason they put on their uniform

plus month deployment.

were excited to return to their

every day. The moment a Sailor

friends and family.

reunites with family is one they

Sailors throughout the ship woke up knowing they were mere

dream of the entire deployment.

minutes away from donning their

Joe Thomas, assigned to the

dress white uniforms, manning

submarine tender USS Emory S.

from manning the rails and

the rails and feeling Guam

Land (AS 39), has served in the

most Sailors headed back in,

beneath their feet.

Navy for 12 years and had been

Thomas waited on the ship’s aft

on four previous deployments,

quarterdeck. He stood watching

into Apra Harbor, many Sailors

but this was the first time he’d

as the brow was erected, staring

manning the rails were greeted by

left behind a family. For many

down onto the pier with his eyes

familiar sites, familiar faces and LANDMARK MAY 2016

Sailors, family is the driving force

fixed on his wife Nicole and two-

As the ship pulled back

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Hull Technician 1st Class

After the crew secured

Modern methods of communication like Facetime

had sharpened his linguistic skills

and Skype allowed him to keep in

in the time he was a way.

touch his wife and child, but there

“When I left he was saying

was no substitute for actually

words here and there, but when

spending time with them.

I got back he was saying entire

“I talked to them every

Thomas picks up his son for the first time after deployment.

(U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Alana Langdon)

quickly found that his young son

phrases and whole sentences.

chance I got. I wasn’t there, but

You have to watch what you

just seeing them on-screen would

say around him, he’s repeating

make the day better. My biggest

everything. I was shocked by how

concern was my son being kind

much he learned,” said Thomas.

of distant from me, because the

While the majority of the

year-old son Joseph.

ship’s crew were free to

Thomas was

spend time with their

selected at random to

families and explore

be the first Sailor off the

Guam, for duty section one

ship to greet his family.

it was business as usual.

As soon as he was able,

They got out of their dress

he stormed down the

uniforms and immediately

brow, swept his son

got into uniform of the day

up into his arms and embraced his wife. It was in that moment that Thomas realized that he’d finally returned home.

“This is the longest I’ve been away from both of them,” said Thomas. “My wife and I said if we can make it through this deployment, we can make it through anything.”

Thomas rushes on to the pier to pick up his son.

(U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jason Amadi)

only time he’d really seen me was through a computer screen. But it took him maybe 15 minutes before he was saying ‘daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy.’ He’s like my little liberty buddy everywhere I go,” said Thomas.

Once he was able to spend more time with him, Thomas

to stand watch and protect the ship.

“It was especially difficult leaving because I had duty the day before that as well,” said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Aaron McClelland. It was tough because I felt like I’d have to lose one extra day. That might not seem like a big deal, but it felt like a big deal to me.”

LANDMARK MAY 2016

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS McClelland has served

After working he worked

what it means to be a Sailor and

in the Navy for just three years,

through the nerves however, he

the challenges that come with it.

but has been deployed three

was immediately overwhelmed by

times. The stresses that go along

the joy of seeing his wife and he

for. Everybody has to do it at

with being deployed take their

was finally able to process the fact

some point. You never want to

toll on him, but he suspects the

that he’d returned home.

be the guy who’s away when

separation may actually take a

“I’m walking down the brow

greater toll on his wife Tiffany.

your kid is being born or during

and I can see the car and I just

Christmas, but everybody has

couldn’t stop smiling. I got in the

to deal with it. Fortunately,

harder for her than it was for me.

car, kissed my wife and we drove

when we’re deployed you’ve got

She gets stuck in Guam and it’s

back to our house and it all felt

the whole crew with you going

“I would imagine it was

hard for her to find work so

through the same thing and

this time we decided to just

they’re always a big help,”

send her back to the United

said McClelland.

States, especially because

Thomas and

this deployment was during

McClelland’s experiences

all the major holidays,”

are not new. Sailors have

said McClelland.

been deploying away from

Once the duty day was over however, it wasn’t the stresses of the deployment McClelland

loved ones for hundreds The Thomas family enjoys their first moments together post-deployment.

(U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Austin Ingram)

of years. And even though modern technology allows them to stay more

was concerned about. It was

surreal almost. It took me a little

connected than ever, reuniting

seeing his wife again for the first

bit of time to get adjusted, but I

with family is still one of the best

time in more than five months.

definitely feel a lot of my stresses

things about coming home.

“It’s almost nerve racking when you’re meeting somebody again like that for the first time.

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“It’s what we signed up

are gone now that we’re back,” said McClelland.

Now that McClelland has

It made me nervous meeting my

had a chance to settle back into

wife, as silly as that sounds,” said

his home life and get reacquainted

McClelland.

LANDMARK MAY 2016

with his wife, he can reflect on

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-ND3 Sanders LANDMARK MAY 2016

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Friends , Family, and Crew of the USS EMORY S. LAND First and foremost, i want to express my gratitude to all those who helped make our homecoming to Guam a special day. This includes our Ombudsman, Mrs. April Pacileo, Naval Base Guam personnel, Naval Base Guam MWR, Miss Guam, our own stay-behind crew, the crew of USS Frank Cable (AS 40), and our many family and friends who came to the pier for our arrival.

Watching our Sailors re-unite with their families, as captured by the many photos in this issue of the Landmark, was heartwarming.

We are exited to be in Guam and have already begun to make an impact on the waterfront by performing maintenance and repair on three different submarines. Additionally, we have successfully completed several inspections and re-integrated more than 200 additional crew members. We remain focused in the challenges ahead: shifting to Polaris Point and completing the repair facility turnover with Frank Cable; performing maintenance and repair on forwarddeployed submarines as Lead Maintenance Activity; and continuing to successfully complete our many inspections.

Although Emory S. Land has returned to her homeport in Guam, we are keenly aware that many members of our crew are still far away from their families and friends. To those members of our family and friends back home, we miss you. We think of you every day and you are the reason why we work so hard to ensure the submarine force has a safe harbor. It’s only through the hard work and dedication of our wives, husbands, sons, daughters, and friends, that we are able to accomplish our mission.

Thank you USS EMORY S. LAND family for your continued love and support!

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C

haplain’s orner

Lieutenant Takana Skelton Command Chaplain USS Emory S. Land (AS 39)

O

ne of my most favorite

Do we become frustrated and see no

life offers us, we should take those

quotes is by Dr. Martin

future?

lemons and make lemonade.

Luther King Jr. The quote

Do we allow the character

James 1:2-4 “When troubles

states: “The ultimate measure of a man

displayed in our happy moments to

come our way, consider it an opportunity

is not where he stands in moments of

change to match our circumstances?

for great joy. For you know that when

comfort and convenience, but where

Do we allow our morals to decline and

your faith is tested, your endurance has

he stands at times of challenge and

become pessimist? What do we do?

a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when

controversy”

your endurance is fully developed, you

the man behind the quote who took

will be perfect and complete, needing

around us and everything is going our

the lemons he was given and made

nothing.”

way, it is extremely easy to be happy,

lemonade. He saw the injustice within

excited and feeling completely fulfilled.

the system and fought to make it better.

we are being developed and becoming

We may even exhibit the most upstanding

He didn’t quit when times became hard

the person who were are designed to be.

character, patience and joy ever seen by

instead he kept pushing forward as

Let us remain dedicated to the one life

human eyes.

he stood in the face of his haters. He

we have been blessed to live and live that

However, how are we when life has

remained dedicated to his cause even

life filled with purpose even in the face of

handed us a big bowl of lemons?

when faced with death.

adversity.

Do we give up?

We may never find ourselves in the same

Do we walk away?

shoes as Dr. King but whatever lemons

When life is going well all

We should look at the life of

It is in those dark moments that

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EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS!

ESL Warriors!

It has been my pleasure to serve as your CMC for the past 13 months. As I reflect back on our time together, I can’t help but be proud of the success and many accomplishments of the command and the crew. You have met every challenge head on and always accomplished the mission. I know you are in good hands with CMDCM Greene and I look forward to hearing about the great accomplishments yet to come.

V/R CMDCM (SW/SS) Victor Smith “This Land is Your Land”

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Interview with CMDCM William L. Greene Q: Where is it that you call home?

A: Jasper, Texas. Texas will always be home for me.

Q: Do you have a favorite football team?

A: I’m a big bandwagon Texas fan. Whoever is doing the best out of Texas is who I’m rooting for.

Q: Do you have any strong feelings about 5K runs?

A: I’m not a big fan of paying to go run. It almost seems like a scam to me.

Q: How long have you been in the Navy?

A: June will make 19 years.

Q: How has the Navy changed in that time?

A: It’s changed a lot, but the underlying core values: Honor, Courage and Commitment, those things haven’t changed. But the Navy adapts in different ways. Lately, the big new policies have been about doing whats right and providing equal opportunities for Sailors. We’ve gone from excluding some people to including them and making opportunities available for Sailors, whether male or female, to serve in all different types of roles.

Q: What has been your impression of the ship and its crew thus far?

A: Amazing. Being on submarines, I’ve been involved with submarine tenders before, but just walking around and seeing the capabilities and seeing what the Sailors can do has been incredible. Seeing how they can turn just a big piece of steel into something useful either for this ship or a submarine has been amazing. I was just very surprised at the capabilities as I walked around.

Q: Finally, do you have a message you’d like to deliver to the crew?

A: Everyone has the right to a good and safe work environment. We’re going to work hard and we’re going to play hard, but we always need to make sure the work environment is safe. If anything is ever broken, don’t hesitate to e-mail me. I can’t fix what I don’t know is broken.

I’m excited to be here. I want people to be excited to come to work, excited about being on Emory S. Land and fixing submarines.

Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Abdias Reyna, assigned to the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), greets his son for the first time following a five-month deployment. The return to Guam is Emory S. Land’s first, since changing homeport from Diego Garcia to Guam Dec. 23. Emory S. Land is an expeditionary submarine tender conducting coordinated tended moorings and afloat maintenance in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jason Amadi/Released)

The Official Newsletter of USS EMORY S. LAND (AS 39)

Commanding Officer Captain Mark A. Prokopius Executive Officer Commander Brian C. Rednour Command Master Chief CMDCM (SS/NAC) William L. Greene Public Affairs Officer Lieutenant Bradley Newsad JAGC Leading Petty Officer MC1 (SW) Brandon Shelander Editing/Design/Journalism MC3 Jason Amadi MC3 (SW) Austin Ingram MCSN Daniel Willoughby