The Shuttle
USS Enterprise (CVN 65)
Newsletter Edition
“We are Legend”
March 20, 2012 Issue
USS Enterprise Will Respond Story by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Randy J. Savarese
The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) conducted a mass casualty drill March 17, as part of a continued commitment to mission readiness. A mass casualty is any instance in which the level of
casualties is greater than the medical department can support. “The number of casualties that warrants a mass casualty response is typically five or more,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Stuart A. Breen, flight deck corpsman and initial responder. “In this instance, a mass casualty is called away to set up all the battle dressing stations to take on the influx of patients.” There are four levels of casualties used to categorize the injured who will then be taken to one of four corresponding triage stations. “A red station is for those needing immediate care, yellow for those marked delayed, black for expectant and green for those called ‘walking wounded,’” said Breen. Another aspect of a mass casualty event is the activation of the walking blood bank. “This is our way to handle a situation in which, we may need a large quantity of blood to save a patient’s life very rapidly,” said Breen. “Blood out of body has an expiration date so we store some on board, but the rest we must get from the crew.” “Anyone can potentially save someone’s life by participating in the walking blood bank and those interested should come down to medical to sign
Photo by MCSN Randy J. Savarese
RESPOND continued on page 2
U.S. Navy Sees Fleet Target Of About 300 Ships By REUTERS WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy is nearly finished with a review that will recommend a total fleet of around 300 ships, down from the current target of 313 ships, the Navy’s top uniformed officer said on Friday. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert said the Navy expected to deliver the review to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as early as next week. He said the review was intended to translate the Pentagon’s new military strategy into concrete requirements for the number of ships, planes and people
the Navy needs to carry out its missions by 2020. “I think the number will come out somewhere around 300,” Greenert told a defense writers meeting, referring to the fleet size addressed by the review. Navy leaders have called for a 313ship Navy since a Pentagon-wide review of programs conducted in 2006, but the revamped military strategy and tighter defense budgets have reduced the target. The Navy currently has 285 ships in its fleet, but it plans to build 55 new lighter, more agile coastal warships in coming years to help meet mission needs. The U.S. Navy on Friday announced
that it had modified its existing block-buy contracts with Lockheed Martin Corp and Australia’s Austal to add funding for two new ships from each of the companies in fiscal 2012. The Navy said it was adding $715 million to its fixed-price, incentive-fee contract with Lockheed Martin for two ships in fiscal 2012, which ends Sept. 30, and $691.6 million to a similar contract with Austal, also for two ships. The funding will pay for the ninth through 12th ships in the Navy’s new class of coastal warships. “The Navy is successfully driving FLEET continued on page 3