ANDMARK Landmark L
November 2016 Volume 7, Issue 5
The Official Newsletter of USS Emory S. Land
Robin Janse, guest singer, sings the Guam Hymn during a change of command ceremony held aboard the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) where Capt. Douglas A. Bradley relieved Capt. Mark A. Prokopius as the commanding officer of Emory S. Land.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
CHICAGO RETURNS!
USS Chicago returns to Guam, and moors alongside.
6 ASAN COMREL
Check out photos from the Halloween COMREL at Asan mayor’s office.
10 CHANGE OF COMMAND Capt. Bradley assumes command.
18 PENNSYLVANIA ARRIVES TO GUAM FEATURED STORIES 26 SAILOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT
PO2 Escobar is this month’s Sailor in the Spotlight.
8 NEW SUPPORT BUILDINGS Read about support buildings opening in Polaris Point.
The ballistic missile submarine arrives at Polaris Point.
22 CMC INTERVIEW
Master Chief Greene tells us about what is happening around the ship.
30 CO’S CALL
Capt. Bradley’s first CO’s call.
32 CHAPLAIN’S CORNER Chaplain Jefferson is back with her piece titled, “Faith”. Landmark NOVEMBER 2016
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
USS Chicago Moors Alongside Oct. 7. 4
Above: Cmdr. Brian T. Turney, center, the commanding officer of the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721), stands on the submarine’s sail. Left: Sailors aboard the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721) tighten lines.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
EMORY S. GIVES LAND BACK
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PHOTOS BY: SN DANIEL WILLOUGHBY
Sailors assigned to the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) prepare Asan village mayor’s office for a Halloween party during a community relations event.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
T
hree military construction (MILCON) projects that will increase repair capabilities for the submarine tenders USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and USS
Frank Cable (AS 40) are scheduled to be completed in December.
Polaris Point is scheduled to be home to an expanded
Emergent Repair Facility (ERF), dehumidified warehouse and ship’s support building, which will enhance submarine maintenance and repair on the Guam waterfront.
EMORY S. LAND, FRANK CABLE BENEFIT FROM NEW SUPPORT BUILDINGS STORY & PHOTOS BY PO3 JASON AMADI
“It expands our capabilities
significantly,” said Lt. Kristopher Kyzar, tender facilities manager assigned to Frank Cable. “When a tender is deployed their stay-behind crew will now be able to complete production there as well as the tender that’s in port. It essentially doubles our production capability on the island.”
Plans for the new support buildings
were initially drawn up in 2011, with construction beginning in 2013. Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (SUBPAC)
contracted the work out to Naval Facilities Engineering Command, who drew up plans based on Frank Cable’s needs and desires. From there Watts Construction and Bulltrack Construction put those plans in motion.
“The dehumidified warehouse is owned by both tenders and CSS-15,” said Richard Gaskill, SUBPAC Guam on-site representative. “It has storage for all the repair department divisions and a storage area for CSS-15.”
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Construction continues to expand the Emergent Repair Facility (ERF).
“The ship’s support building will have Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard, Pearl Harbor Naval Ship Yard, Lockheed Martin Towed Array area and a calibration lab annex that the tenders use. This building will provide some support needed when maintenance is being performed on homeported SSN’s and deployed SSGN’s,” said Gaskill.
The ERF will be occupied by personnel from the deployed tender and the repair department will
The new ship’s support building.
operate from that facility. It will contain machines, equipment and spacing needed for them to operate ashore.
Despite the increased capabilities on shore, Kyzar says there is still no substitute for the expeditionary capabilities of a submarine tender.
“There is still a need for a highly mobile repair platform in this uncertain world. Both tenders,
The new dehumidified warehouse.
while deployed, have conducted thousands of manhours of repairs on forward-deployed naval forces ranging from minor to major repairs, keeping those not in Guam fit to fight,” said Kyzar.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
Fair Winds and Following Seas Captain Prokopiu
EMORY S. LAND WELCOMES ABOARD ITS 25TH COMMANDING OFFICER SN Daniel Willoughby PO3 Michael Doan 10
us!
Welcome Aboard Captain Bradley! Landmark NOVEMBER 2016 11
EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
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721st ARMY BAND The 721st Army Band played music during the USS Emory S. Land change of command ceremony.
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ARRIVAL OF THE OFFICIAL PARTIES
EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
The color guard parades the colors before the singing of the national anthem, the Guam hymn and the arrival of Rear Admiral Frederick J. Roegge, Captain Mark A. Prokpius and Captain Douglas A. Bradley. 14
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NEW COMMANDING OFFICER
EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
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Capt. Douglas A. Bradley assummes command of Emory S. Land and addresses the ship’s crew for the first time as its 25th commanding officer.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
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USS PENNSYLVANIA ARRIVES IN GUAM PO3 MICHAEL DOAN SN DANIEL WILLOUGHBY
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
USS Pennsylvania Arrives in Guam for Port Visit By Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
APRA HARBOR, Guam (Oct. 31, 2016) – This morning the ballistic missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) arrived at Apra Harbor, Guam, for a scheduled port visit. The U.S. routinely and visibly demonstrates commitment to allies and partners through forward presence and operations of strategic forces. This specific visit to Guam reflects the United States’ commitment to its allies in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, and complements the many exercises, training, operations, and other military cooperation activities conducted between the U.S. and its partner nations. To deter a broad range of threats, the U.S. requires a robust triad of strategic forces and forward deployed non-strategic nuclear forces. Ballistic missile submarines such as USS Pennsylvania are on patrol continuously, providing a critical, stabilizing and highly effective element of the U.S. nuclear deterrence force.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
Interview with CMDCM Greene by MC3 Jason Amadi
Q: What are your thoughts and feelings on the World Series between the Cubs and Indians? A: It’s cool that the Cubs are in it. I think they’re the underdogs. The Indians are statistically the best team in baseball right now and they’re going to be tough to beat. I’m really not emotional about who wins. Q: You were gone for about a week or so. Senior Chief Williams stepped in as acting CMC. What were you up to during that time? A: I went home to check on my wife. She had to get medically evacuated because the facilities at Naval Hospital Guam couldn’t handle my wife’s high risk pregnancy. A couple Sailors on board had to deal with the same thing. I was basically keeping my wife sane and hanging out with my two younger kids.
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Plus, there was a general major commander’s conference which Captain Bradley attended as well. We talked about some good things. I got to hear personally from Admiral Swift, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and I got to do a video teleconference with Admiral Tyson, Commander, U.S. Third Fleet. I really got some perspective on what’s going on and what direction we’re going in the third and seventh Fleet operating areas and how the tenders play a role in that. Another thing we did was work on qualifications for CMC and Chief of the Boat. We worked a lot of sponsorship programs and how we can do that better, as well as some Go Guam initiative stuff. Q: The CMC vs. Chief of the Boat thing was brought up during a recent all-hands quarters. I was always under the impressions that Chief of the Boat was just the submarine equivalent of CMC. What’s the difference? A: Technically, they are equivalent. I say technically because you have to do the same qual card. While the Chief of the Boat is a 9579 NEC and Command Master Chief is 9580, as Chief of the Boat, you have some submarine specific stuff you have to do, but also you have to take care of the crew, you’re in charge of the crew and liason between the captain and crew. The only difference is you still have to be selected by a CMC board in order to go CMC after you’ve been Chief of the Boat. So technically they’re equivalent, but you have to be board selected to be a CMC to get that 9580 NEC. Q: We recently held the change of command onboard. How do you think that went? A: I think the change of command went well. The only thing I didn’t like is that we weren’t able to get the whole crew there. In order to get the whole crew there it would have had to have been in the base theater. The way it went down, the weather was awesome, it cooled off a little bit, there was a breeze, the shipped look good and we had everybody in their whites. I think Captain Prokopius got a good send off and Captain Bradley got a good welcome. I thought it went well.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
Q: What are your thoughts on your time working with Captain Prokopius? A: It was good for me. He cared about the crew and he let the chief’s quarters have a vote and input on decision making. When it came down to get some hard things done, he put it on the backs of the chiefs quarters and we would deliver. I liked it. I wish him the best of luck and look forward to working with our new captain. Q: What are your first impressions of our new CO? A: He’s going to be great to work with. First impressions are good and I’m excited. Having people here for a longer period of time is good and gives us stability. I don’t know if you noticed, but at the change of command when he was giving his remarks and he was looking back at Rear Admiral Roegge, he said ‘Hey, we deliver. We will answer the call.’” I think that really sets a positive tone for the crew and says that you can count on Emory S. Land and we’ll deliver anything you need. Our Sailors are capable and our leaders can make it happen. I think as far as first impressions go, that sets the strongest possible tone. Q: How do you feel about Navy rates going away? A: I know the crew is upset with it and I don’t disagree with them being upset. But, I think it’s going to pave the way for advancement exams to go away, I think it’s going to pave the way for more billet opportunities. I think those are the positives. The positives are going to outweigh the negatives. I understand people are upset. I had my rate go away already once, I’m not an FT anymore, I’m a Command Master Chief now. But I’d like people to look at the positives and find a way to keep the traditions alive.
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Sailor in the Spotlight: Petty Officer 2nd Class Josselyn Escobar By PO3 Michael Doan
“I definitely would like to travel more, and the Navy seems to want to oblige me. They sent me here where my first few months were spent going from port to port. I loved being underway. My next duty station has me totally relocating to Europe. I was blessed with good orders.”
“Even if you aren’t where you want to be, I’m glad you are where you are.”
EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
My average day starts with a cup of coffee, and then from there, I honestly cannot say. After quarters, I begin to tackle the day. I always tell people that I have multiple offices. You can find me dropping off folders with CMC, Supply, Repair Admin (actually any divisional Repair office), Weapons and my office on the O3. I am constantly on the go, and depending on what is important that day, that’s how my day is tailored.
My job is to process and review most of the correspondence onboard. The reason I say most is because certain things do not need to go higher than your Chief, DIVO, or even Department Head. However, if someone approaches me with a question, I try to help them out as much as I can. The other thing I do, that takes up a lot of my day, is official travel. You will see me hassling with the Defense Travel System (DTS) and Citibank websites, or on the phone calling SATO, ensuring Sailors detach the island and go TAD with no issues. There is a lot of time and work that goes into it.
I really enjoy the people I work with. The people in my department make any stress caused from the job just go away. However, what I have come to truly enjoy about the Navy, are the opportunities I have gotten to travel. I come from an immigrant family and wandering is in my blood. People tell you to take advantage of it, and I can honestly say that I have.
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I have a ton of duties and responsibilities. Paperwork is very important to an individual and the command. Morale goes down when Sailors feel that they are not getting taken care of. Say you routed something as simple as a barracks request. This means you waited your time, and labored to get your quals, but your paperwork was lost in the process, and now you have to stay on the ship even longer. I would be pretty disappointed and feel that my leadership didn’t care about me. The Navy loses a lot of good Sailors because of little things like this. Little things multiply, and they become bigger issues. Things that seem insignificant to us, may not appear that way to the person next to you, so I try to handle every document I process with care and efficiency.
The first people I’d like to thank, above all others, are my parents. Those two, they are my EVERYTHING. Then I’d have to say my partner, Jonathan. He’s in the Navy as well. Life is easier knowing you can talk to someone and they fully understand what you’re talking about. I have my two best friends, Nohemi and April, who don’t allow me to deter from the person I really am. As far as the Navy goes, there are two people I’d like to openly thank: my first LPO, who is now an ensign, and my first ALPO who became a career counselor. My opinion of what a good leader should be like is based off of them. They set the standard pretty high, not too many match it, but I hope I mirror even a fraction of what they were like.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
CAPTAIN’S CALL Captain Douglas A. Bradley Commanding Officer USS Emory S. Land (AS 39)
Q: Sir, I was reading your bio and it says you’re from Baltimore. Is that correct, sir? A: I am from Maryland. I grew up in a little town called Ellicott City. It’s not so little anymore. It was recently in the news for having extreme flooding. I grew up maybe 10 minutes away from the historic part of the town. The nearest big city is Baltimore. Q: Is that still where you call home today, sir? A: In a manner of speaking. I still have brothers in the area and my parents still visit, although they’ve relocated to Florida. The last home I owned was in Florida, so I consider myself a resident of Florida, but I still have a lot of family connections back in Maryland. Q: Do you have any favorite sports teams? A: My hometown teams are the Orioles (baseball) and the Ravens (football). I went to school at Virginia Tech, so I’m into the Virginia Tech Hokies for college sports. Q: Sir, your last command was in Washington, DC, can you talk about what you did there? A: Absolutely. I worked on the staff for the Office of the Secretary of Defense under the Director of Operational Testing and Evaluation. The director is a presidential appointee and has the unique responsibility of reporting directly to congress. It’s an interesting position. It was created in the 1980s as a check and balance to the services by operationally testing the weapons systems and equipment that are purchased by each of the services. Early in the process, a testing plan is developed for the weapon or system to measure how well it will perform based on the contract. The systems are tested in a realistic way against expected current day threats, in the targeted operational environment, and with a representative crew. It’s not the contractor or specially trained personnel that are ultimately going to operate the system. So we used regular Sailors, Airmen or Marines to test each weapon or system in conditions as close to a wartime setting as possible. My office provided oversight to those testing plans to make sure they were adequate. We would supervise the testing, collect the data, and assess the effectiveness in a report to Congress. The director has a unique job and can state his opinion based on the facts that we presented to Congress regarding the system’s lethality, effectiveness, and vulnerabilities. Congress would get an honest report of how we spent our money and whether then system can do what it was supposed to do.
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Q: How do you think the change of command went? A: It was fantastic. The ship was in great condition and it was a great day. I thought the ceremony was terrific and it was a great honor to have Admiral Roegge come in from Hawaii to speak during a very busy travel schedule. I couldn’t have asked for more from the weather, the ship, or the local support we received from the police, the mayor’s office and my family. We were even able to telecast it to folks not able to make it, including Capt. Prokopius’ family. Q: Sir, what are your impressions of Guam thus far? A: I love it. I would say the number one thing that’s been striking it to me has been how extremely friendly and welcoming to the people have been to both myself and my family. The second is the beauty of the island. The sunsets are amazing and the water is crystal clear. It’s like we’re part of the actual reef. As soon as you walk into the water it’s there. We’ve enjoyed the environment, but also the history that’s here. We’ve taken advantage of the national park service as well. I would say the people, the beauty, and the history are things that have captivated us so far. Q: You’ve been in command here for about two weeks, sir. What are your first impressions of the ship and its crew? A: The first word that comes to mind is “diverse.” The ship is incredibly diverse from backgrounds, to skill levels, to all the different communities and experience onboard. We have a large LDO presence in the officer corps and many trade skills onboard. We’ve got an incredibly diverse skillset here; it’s like a Swiss Army knife. There are hundreds of different capabilities onboard and included in that is the MSC contingent. What they bring from operations, to crane expertise, to seamanship and navigation, just enhances the diversity of knowledge and experience of the ship. So far we’ve hosted tended units, SSBNs, SSGNs, and Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines. The capabilities that we have onboard in terms of both people and equipment to provide support to those ships is incredible. As I walk around and see medical, dental, legal, repair, weapons, supply, operations, public affairs and the host of things we can provide, it’s unbelievable. Even while the ship was out to sea, we were still sustaining the crew of USS Key West with small arms training. I think it’s tremendous to be able to have those capabilities and I want to continue to grow that and support the fleet and keep its teeth sharp. Q: Finally sir, is there anything you’d like to say directly to the crew? A: There has never been a better time to be on this ship than now. The nickname of this ship, “Land of Opportunity,” maybe it’s just timing, but that’s completely fitting. We have the opportunity to be part of the growing footprint here on Guam with the two-tender model and the deployed operational cycle, to be part of the theatre commander’s operational plans, and to support the effort to increase our maintenance capabilities here on Guam through shore-based support buildings. It really is the “Land of Opportunity.” Each and every person onboard this ship has a new opportunity to be a leader on this ship and run something. I see examples of that all over this ship. Seize the opportunities and take what’s there. And of course, my continued message to the crew is: Be safe, be honest, be respectful, and be ready.
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EMORY S. LAND Public Affairs
C
haplain’s orner
Lieutenant Takana Takana Jefferson Skelton Lieutenant Command Chaplain Chaplain Command USS Emory Emory S.S. Land Land (AS (AS 39) 39) USS
Faith “I have not failed. I've just found 1,000 ways that won't work.”
F
-Thomas Alva Edison on the light bulb. aith is defined by Webster’s dictionary
challenges and one will never know totally if
to do or make something better. Each learning
as “strong or unshakable belief in
what one is doing will be completely successful.
opportunity brought Thomas Edison closer and
something, especially without proof or
The only sure way to know is to put forth the
closer to his reality until one day it happened.
evidence.” Thomas Edison was not sure of how
effort and that is why in the 17th verse of James
He changed history forever in that one defining
creating a light bulb would work but he had a
2nd chapter it states “Faith without works is
moment.
strong unshakable belief that it could be done
dead.”
even without proof. When others doubted his
ability and deemed him a failure because by the
given up his dream to harness electricity into
doesn’t work,” syndrome. One cannot live a
1,000th try he had not succeeded, he provided
a light bulb after the first couple of tries. No
life filled with purpose by allowing the fear
the above quote.
one would have judged him any differently if
of failure and the dreaded what if to be one’s
had quit because who could ever think this is
mantra. Don’t allow your eulogy of life to read
having faith or believing in something if we are
really possible, right? However, Thomas Edison
“what if” seize the learning opportunities you
not willing to put in the work. One has to put in
had faith it was possible, he had to keep trying
have been given each and every day because
the work to see one’s vision and dream brought
and perfecting his craft. Failures are not truly
faith without works is dead.
to fruition. Life is filled with never ending
failures; they are learning opportunities of how
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James 2:14-17 asks us what good is
Thomas Edison could have easily
“What if” has been the death of many
dreams and aspirations due to “what if this
THE OFFICIAL USS EMORY S.LAND NEWSLETTER
USS EMORY S. LAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Public Affairs Officer Leading Petty Officer Lt. Brad Newsad PO1 (SW) Brandon Shelander
Publication POIC PO3 Jason Amadi
Photography PO3 Michael Doan
Photography & Journalism SN Daniel Willoughby
Commanding Officer Executive Officer Command Master Chief Captain Douglas A. Bradley Commander Brian C. Rednour CMDCM (SS/NAC) William L. Greene