Web Users Group Implementation:The Who, When and Why

The Shuttle

USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

Newsletter Edition

“We are Legend”

March 19, 2012 Issue

Web Users Group Implementation: The Who, When and Why Story by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Brian G. Reynolds

USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea – As most Sailors aboard USS Enterprise have noticed, Internet usage has been somewhat restricted during certain hours.

Web Users Group (WUG) has been implemented due to low-bandwidth issues while underway.

While most Sailors notice the limitations Enterprise’s Combat Systems department has placed on Internet access, few really understand the reason behind the restrictions.

“This is a combined effort to ensure that the Big E strike group’s mission able to be carried out on a 24-7 basis,” said Lt. Adrian Young, Enterprise’s ADP officer. “We definitely want to meet the personal needs of every Sailor, but we must ensure a balance between operational and adminstrative requirements, quality of life,as well as operational security.”

Enterprise is not the first CVN to implement WUG. Extensive studies have been conducted on multiple CVNs that show web user group configuration improves overall internet services.

The data collected on Enterprise’s daily network monitoring tool shows bandwidth saturation at certain periods of the day. Therefore, WUG

Photo by MC3 Scott Pittman

INTERNET continued on page 2

Goals in Afghanistan Remain the Same, Dempsey Says

By Jim Garamone, AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE WASHINGTON, March 17, 2012 – While recent incidents have challenged U.S. operations in Afghanistan, the longterm objectives there remain the same, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told Charlie Rose.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff appeared on the PBS interview show last night. He said the U.S. military is committed to conducting an investigation into the March 11 alleged murder of Afghan civilians by an American staff sergeant in Kandahar province.

Dempsey put the recent incidents in

perspective. “We also have to be aware of the fact that we’ve had possibly 800,000 to 900,000 young men and women rotate through Afghanistan and they’ve served honorably, they’ve done the right thing, they’ve maintained their senses of discipline,” he said.

The alleged murders, the Quran burning incident last month and images of dead bodies being desecrated all have converged, the chairman said. “We have to be introspective and learn what the past 10 years of war have done to us as a profession,” he said. “In terms of whether these incidents have hurt the war effort,

our goals and objectives remain the same.”

NATO leaders agreed at the 2010 Lisbon summit to maintain security in Afghanistan and train Afghan forces to transition to the lead in their own security by 2014. Afghan government officials also agreed to these goals and objectives, Dempsey said.

“I think Afghan leaders understand that, but their outrage at a particular instance is understandable,” he said.

“It should be clear that no one wants to put Afghans in the lead more than we do -- when they are ready to be in the GOALS continued on page 3

The Shuttle

Page 2

Monday, March 19, 2012

Big E Happenings INTERNET continued

was implemented to reduce the saturation and optimize utilization of allotted bandwidth for internet services.

To accomplish this goal, the Internet has been restricted as follows: -Banking/Educational sites: 0000-0300/1100-1400 -Navy business: 0700-1100/1400-1800/2100-2400 -All other sites/Facebook: 0400-0700/1800-2100 -Network maintenance, as required (unavailable for all users): 0300-0400 As always, these times and types of restrictions are subject to change.

“The small amount of bandwidth that the ship is allotted to use actually fluctuates in every area of operation throughout the deployment,” said Young. “It is given and taken away in certain areas and during certain times. Accordingly, a decision had to be made as to what services have the priority to use the internet during these times.”

Young says that ADP will work with anyone who has issues with Internet service outages…especially if the outage hinders the Sailor from doing his or her job.

“We have a growing list of websites that departments can use 24 hours a day in to order accomplish Navy related business,” Young said. “Sailors need to use the ADP help desk supervisor for all of their questions or concerns.” Many questions, issues, or misinformation can be dealt with by the Help Desk Supervisor. If a question/ concern arises outside of the scope of their duties, the Supervisor will immediately relay that information to the LPO/LCPO to facilitate the customers request.

ADP has also taken steps to ensure that Sailors can have temporary access to the Internet during extenuating circumstances. For example, if a Sailor is in a dire

Walk-ins for Cruisebook Photos will be taken at ANY TIME from 0900-1130 1300-1630 1800-2100

financial situation, they will be able to check their bank account online.

“We will take care of our Sailors,” Young said.

“Without any question, if a Sailor is in need of emergency help, then all he or she needs to do is run their request up their chain of command to their the LCPO and with liaison support from their LCPO we will make whatever needs to happen, happen for them.”

Due to the inherent nature of deployment, the slow Internet speeds, as well as the access restrictions, are something Enterprise Sailors must learn to live with.

“This ship has to manage appropriately to be effective,” Young said. “Responsible bandwidth management that takes into account multiple departmental, and individual needs is critical, and we are up to the task of facilitating this need.”

While the interruption of the Web may hinder the use of allowed social networking sites, like Facebook, the ship’s e-mail network is still fully functional. Sailors are encouraged to use email as the primary form of communication on and off ship, rather than social media websites for every day use.

E-mail is the preferred method of communication and is rapid, reliable, and allows those on the ship engaged in work to maintain adequate bandwidth in the attempt of that attainment.”

“All leaders must make a just effort to ensure a proper balance of network resources throughout the day; ensuring that their troops are genuinely engaged in work, and are mission focused” Young said.

The ship can be successful in all three phases of Web use; (Operational and administrative requirements, quality of life, and operational security). To do this to a high degree we must employ best practices, learn from previous lessons, manage bandwidth, and adhere to policy (web restrictions).

The Shuttle USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

The Shuttle is published and printed daily underway and bi-weekly in port by the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Media Department, FPO AE 09543-2810. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Please direct all story ideas, questions and comments to MC1 (SW) Steve Smith at smithsw@cvn65.navy.mil.

Commanding Officer Capt. William C. Hamilton, Jr.

Executive Officer Capt. G. C. Huffman

Command Master Chief ABCM (AW/SW) Eric M. Young

Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Sarah T. Self-Kyler

Editors MC2 (SW) Kristin L. Grover MCSN Harry Gordon

3M 3M Question of the Day: What is the purpose of the MDS Confidence Fator (MCF)?

Yesterday’s 3M answer: The system and guidance for performing tag-outs aboard Enterprise is SOMS/TUMS.

Page 3

The Shuttle

Monday, March 19, 2012

World News Career Intermission Pilot Program Renewed for Three Years

By Ensign Amber Lynn Daniel, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION PUBLIC AFFAIRS The head of a powerful committee vowed recently to fight defense budget cuts already set by Congress and boost funding for weapons programs including Navy ships.

Just weeks before the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) will write its version of the Pentagon policy bill, Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) outlined his military priorities yesterday during a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. He described a “three-pillared philosophy towards revitalizing our military forces,” intended to reverse $487 billion in longterm cuts imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011, prevent roughly $500 billion more in “sequestration” reductions, and “restore and rebuild” the military.

“We should ask ourselves, will this be the moment, right now, when America abandoned its special role in the world, and transformed itself from a superpower to a regional power?” he asked yesterday. Arguing he will “not be complicit in the dismantling of the Reagan military,” he said if the entire

defense budget is cut the nation would still have a “massive deficit” because of entitlement programs.

McKeon has been fighting to prevent the sequestration cuts, which will likely start in January unless Congress crafts a plan to cut $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit. He touted yesterday anti-sequestration legislation he crafted, which would prevent the first year of those cuts through federal-workforce reductions.

The HASC chairman further called for undoing the first round of 10-year defense cuts brought by the Budget Control Act, which the Pentagon says amount to a $487 billion reduction to its planned spending.

“One of my top priorities is getting that half a trillion dollars back,” he said.

“We’re past cutting the fat and past the muscle, now we’re cutting into the bone,” he said. “Less than 20 percent of our federal spending goes to defense. But 50 percent of our deficit reductions have come from defense.

The consequences are being felt.”

McKeon lamented that President

GOALS continued lead,” Dempsey said. “That’s the conversation we’ve been having.”

There are a number of areas where Afghan national security forces – the army and police – are in the lead. By next year that will increase dramatically, the general said.

Already, Afghan forces are responsible for protecting more than half of Afghan citizens. In 2013, the NATOled International Security Assistance Force will transition more areas to Afghan control. He said there will be “a milestone of sorts” next year.

Dempsey made a recent trip to Afghanistan and came away with the impression that the Afghans want to lead and want to assume responsibility. “I think that when given the opportunity to lead … -– there are capability gaps -– but when given the opportunity to do so, they actually do better than we think they will and, importantly, they perform better than they think they

Barack Obama’s fiscal year 2013 budget request, in line with spending caps in the Budget Control Act, cuts $43 billion in spending. He cited concerns about Navy ship and Air Force cargo plane reductions, saying the nation must invest in the two services’ modernization if the administration truly wants to enhance the U.S. military presence in the AsiaPacific.

“We will seek to modernize airlift capabilities, including C-130s and C-5s that predate the Reagan administration,” McKeon said. “We will try to hold back cuts to the Navy’s cruiser force, finding the money for our cruisers to undergo proper upgrades, instead of mothballing vital ships needed to sustain the shift to Asia.

McKeon emphasized his intention to invest in upgrading existing equipment, calling for an end to “this unofficial procurement holiday and get our forces the tools they need to win the current war, and deter future wars.”

can,” he said.

Afghanistan is a very poor country with many disparate groups, which complicates efforts in the area, but the United States and its allies are helping build a sense of nationhood there, he said.

Pakistan is another wild card in the hand in Central Asia, and while Dempsey believes the state is more stable, it still faces challenges that terror groups, such as the Haqqani network, exploit. The November incident where NATO forces killed Pakistani soldiers on the border still colors relations between the United States and Pakistan and Pakistan leaders closed a NATO supply route.

The United States has quietly worked with Pakistani leaders to mend relations. “I think the best thing we’ve done is we’ve not conducted our engagement with them with a megaphone,” he said. “We’ve communicated with them directly. We’ve communicated with them privately.”

Page 4

The Shuttle

Sailors of the Day

Monday, March 19, 2012

Airman Rolando D. Garcia

Aviation Machinist’s Mate Airman Alexander Smith

AN Rolando Garcia from Brownsville, Texas, joined the Navy 18 months ago for educational, travel, fitness and personal discipline opportunities. Garcia enjoys reading, working out, drawing and painting, music and studying foreign languages in his spare time. In the future, he plans to earn a second degree.

ADAN Alexander Smith from Mabank, Texas, joined the Navy one year ago because he wanted to better his life and gain leadership skills for his business. In his spare time, Smith enjoys dirt biking. He plans to have a family, own his family business, advance in rank and earn his air warfare pin in the future.

Big E Entertainment