Hotel Services, Big E Style

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USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

Newsletter Edition

“We are Legend”

January 26, 2012 Issue

Hotel Services, Big E Style Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Heath Zeigler USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea – Distinguished visitors (DV) arrived aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) while underway during the month of January for an overnight stay with accommodations prepared by a select group of Enterprise Sailors.

Supply department’s S-5 division, Hotel Services, is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all 150 of the staterooms used by officers and visiting DVs. “It is important for the 12 Culinary Specialists and 22 temporary assigned duty Sailors attached to S-5 to be squared away because they are dealing with all officers including the commanding officer of the ship,” said Lt. Michael H. Blair, S-5 division officer.

“Additionally, they are tasked with maintaining the staterooms set aside for the command’s Distinguished Visitor program.”

Distinguished visitors are guests invited to fly out for an overnight visit aboard Enterprise, allowing them a glimpse of life onboard the nation’s oldest carrier.

SHSN Kendra Kennedy makes a bed in a distinguished visitor’s stateroom aboard USS Enterprise.

The primary DV staterooms are located down a single passageway named the “Hall of Heroes”, In addition to DV groups visiting Enterprise, the S-5 Sailors known to the Sailors aboard Enterprise as DV row. In DV row, are responsible for the daily task of maintaining all 270 stateservices run like clockwork. rooms and 30 officer heads aboard Enterprise.

“It gives me a good feeling having the DVs come aboard The Sailors also strip and wax the decks, vacuum and adand share in the history of this ship,” said Culinary Specialdress any reported trouble calls that the officers report. ist 2nd Class Anise A. Williams. “Being here to tell that story “We are ultimately responsible for the upkeep of the O-3 makes me feel a part of something bigger than myself. level staterooms,” said Williams “Anything that the officers call Before the DVs arrive, Williams and her team clean the in and say that they need, we provide it as quickly as we can.” rooms, put fresh sheets on the beds and provide complete toiAlthough the hotel services team has a busy schedule, they letry kits, towels and complementary snacks for the guests use enjoy the challenges of the job and the satisfaction of making during their stay. the Big E a memorable place for the guests who visit.

As the guests step off the C-2A Greyhound onto the flight “We have a lot of fun and enjoy our time in S-5,” said Cudeck, they immediately begin a tour of Enterprise. While being linary Specialist 3rd Class William A. Jones. “I especially like greeted by the commanding officer, their luggage is collected making the DVs feel at home during their stay. They always and taken down to their individual staterooms. complement our service and how the rooms are perfect.”

Blair does a complete walkthrough of the spaces to ensure Enterprise left Norfolk on Jan. 11, and has hosted more that they are properly maintained and all details are taken care than 100 officers and DVs, including U.S. Secretary of Deof before the visitors are shown to their rooms. fense Leon E. Panetta, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. After a full day of observing operations and meeting Sailors Jonathan Greenert and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy aboard Big E, the guests return to their rooms for the night.

(MCPON)(SS/SW) Rick D. West, along with numerous civic The following morning, the DVs head to breakfast and and industry leaders. continue their tour. After a brief stop to pack their bags midThe Enterprise Carrier Strike Group is underway in the morning, they won’t see their rooms again and the luggage Atlantic Ocean conducting a composite training unit exercise will already be on the plane when the tour ends. The S-5 team (COMPTUEX) in preparation of an upcoming regular deploybegins the preparation for the next arriving group. ment.

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Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012

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Big E Happenings USS Nitze Sailors Practice Strait Transit Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff Atherton USS NITZE, At Sea -- Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burkeclass guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) participated in a practice strait transit Jan. 23.

In the scenario, Nitze, along with USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95), transited the fictional “Beryl Strait” off the coast of the equally fictional country “Amber”.

During the simulated transit the small craft action team (SCAT), stationed at weapon mounts on the ship, closely monitored the actions of suspicious vessels.

“The scenario was pretty close to reality,” said Chief Gunner’s Mate David Hill, the anti-terrorism watch officer directing the crew-served weapons during the training scenario. “Although this was an extreme case, we need to prepare for the worst.”

In the scenario, Nitze came under attack by small craft while transiting the strait.

“We were set up the way we will be when we transit future straits,” said Lt. Greg Trach, Nitze’s weapons officer.

“The scenario was run as if it was real,” said Hill.

“When we see small boats inbound like we did today, we will act accordingly.”

During an actual strait transit, there will be many factors and possible dangers for the crew on Nitze to look out for.

“Small boats are one of the many threats we need to be concerned with as we transit a strait,” said Trach.

During the practice strait transit, the crew on Nitze was able to defend the ship against the aggressors.

“We were able to use pre-planned responses until the threat increased to a level where the ship needed to defend itself,” said Trach.

“The aggressors displayed weapons, fired on us and we engaged them,” said Hill.

The purpose of the training is to get the crew used to what they may see in the worst case. It gives them the ability to act immediately and without hesitation in a bad Do your part and

situation.

“The training is to prepare the crew in the event of an actual attack,” said Trach. “It will help them rely on training instead of freezing up when something goes wrong.”

“The crew was outstanding and professional even in this training environment,” said Hill. “They performed in the manner in which they were trained to defend the ship.”

Nitze is part of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, which is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is designed to bring every part of a strike group together to work effectively and efficiently as one cohesive unit, ensuring overall readiness prior to regular deployment.

The Shuttle USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

CONSERVE WATER!! *keep your showers under 90 seconds!*

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

ESWS Question of the Day: What form is OPNAV 4790/CK? Yesterday’s ESWS answer: The running time for a P100 pump with a full tank of gas is 2.75 hours

Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012

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Around the Navy Navy Seals Rescue Two Aid Workers In Somalia In Daring Raid

By Luis Martinez, ABC News A U.S. special operations team of Navy SEALs conducted a rescue mission into Somalia Tuesday night to free two aid workers, including an American woman, who had been held hostage for three months by Somali criminals.

32-year-old Jessica Buchanan, from Bedford, Virginia and 60-yearold Poul Hagen Thisted, of Denmark, were kidnapped on October 25 by a band of Somali criminals while on their way to the airport in the Galcayo located in central Somalia. Both were working for the Danish Refugee Group’s Danish Demining Group, DDG. In a statement released by the White House, President Obama said he had authorized a rescue mission on Monday.

“Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our Special Operations Forces, yesterday Jessica Buchanan was rescued and she is on her way home. As Commander-inChief, I could not be prouder of the

troops who carried out this mission, and the dedicated professionals who supported their efforts,” Obama said in the statement.

The President said he spoke with Buchanan’s father Monday night, “and told him that all Americans have Jessica in our thoughts and prayers, and give thanks that she will soon be reunited with her family.”

“The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice. This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people,” he added.

Obama made no mention of the successful raid during his State of the Union speech last night, though keen observers noted an interesting exchange with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta as he entered the House Chamber.

Obama pointed to Panetta and said, “Leon. Good job tonight. Good job tonight.”

In a statement released Wednesday, Panetta said he was pleased that neither Buchanan or Thisted were harmed during the operation.

“This mission demonstrates our military’s commitment to the safety of our fellow citizens wherever they may be around the world,” he said.

Panetta described the rescue as “a team effort and required close coordination, especially between the Department of Defense and our colleagues in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ” The Danish Refugee Council also confirmed the rescue in a statement and said, “The two aid workers from the Danish Refugee Council’s demining unit, DDG, are both unharmed and at a safe location. ” A U.S. official says that the rescue mission began around 2 a.m. local time as team of Navy SEALs parachuted into the area near the compound where the two aid workers were being held.

As they approached the compound the official says there was a firefight, but there were no American casualties.

Obama Sets Military As Example For Country

By Kate Brannen, Defense News President Obama bookended a State of the Union address largely focused on the economy with tributes to the U.S. military.

At a time when the military consistently ranks No. 1 and Congress dead last in public opinion polls, Obama urged lawmakers to follow the military’s example of teamwork and selfless sacrifice.

To highlight this point, the president finished his speech Tuesday by talking about the raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in May. Politics did not matter to the Navy SEAL team responsible for carrying out the mission and it did not matter to the people gathered in the Situation Room in the White House, Obama said.

As Obama spoke, Navy Adm. William McRaven, who oversaw the bin Laden raid, sat with first lady Michelle Obama as a special guest in her viewing box.

“All that mattered that day was the mission,” Obama said.

The message to lawmakers: put political differences aside and work together.

However, many of the initiatives put forward by the president received little applause from Republicans in the audience.

With the election in November, many viewed the speech as an opening argument in the president’s political campaign and an opportunity to highlight the differences between the parties’ platforms.

While much of the speech was devoted to the economy, Obama outlined what he viewed were his national security achievements over the past year, including killing bin Laden, ending the war in Iraq and helping oust Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

It was on foreign policy that the president received some of the loudest bipartisan applause.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers were quick to stand and support the president’s comments on Syria.

“I have no doubt that the Assad regime will soon discover that the forces of change can’t be reversed, and that human dignity can’t be denied,” Obama said.

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Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012

Sailors of the Day

Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Kristin L. Grover

MC2 Kristin Grover from Sarasota, Fla., joined the Navy three years ago to gain work experience and be a part of something bigger than herself. Grover enjoys traveling, concerts, volunteering in the community and spending time with her friends and family. In the future, she plans to earn a master’s degree in mass communications.

Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class (AW) Erik S. Wandersee

AT3 Erik Wandersee from St. Louis, Mo., joined the Navy three years ago to take advantage of educational opportunities and travel. In his spare time, Wandersee enjoys comic books, listening to and creating music, skateboarding and traveling. He plans to write a book and go to college to earn an engineering degree in the future.

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