The Eye in the Sky

the

SHUTTLE

USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - Friday June 3, 2011

THE EYE IN THE SKY

Friday June 3, 2011

the SHUTTLE

Page 3

Enterprise News

VAW-123 ‘Screwtops’ are eyes, ears of Enterprise Strike Group

By MC3 Peter D. Melkus USS Enterprise Public Affairs

USS ENTERPRISE, At sea – As the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) neared the last leg of its 21st deployment June 2, its Sailors are beginning to reflect upon their accomplishments throughout the past five months, many of which would not have been possible without the advanced reconnaissance and mission coordination efforts conducted by one of the embarked squadrons.

Thanks to the command, control, communications, computer and intelligence (C4I) capabilities of the ‘Screwtops’ of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123, Enterprise Strike Group has been able to obtain timely, accurate and complete targeting information to strategically plan and successfully execute missions in support of operations New Dawn, Enduring Freedom and multiple anti-piracy efforts.

The Screwtops fly the E-2C Hawkeye, a twin-engine turbo-propeller aircraft capable of attaining speeds up to 300 knots and altitudes above 30,000 feet. With a gross weight of more than 25 tons, the Hawkeye is the largest aircraft currently operated from the flight decks of aircraft carriers. Though the Hawkeyes comprise only four of the aircraft aboard Enterprise, VAW-123’s contributions to the mission surpass the number of E-2Cs in their possession.

Commissioned in 1964 as VAW-12, Detachment 3,the Screwtops originally flew E-2A Hawkeyes before switching to the E-2C model in 1973. An E-2C crew consists of a pilot, co-pilot, combat information

center officer, air control officer and radar officer. The five-person crew operates a wide array of state-of-the-art electronic equipment that is collectively called the Airborne Tactical Data System (ATDS).

The heart of the ATDS is a powerful, long-range radar that transmits its energy through a 24-foot rotating antenna dome fixed atop the aircraft - a feature that ensures no E-2C will be hard to find amongst a crowd of dome-less jets.

“The versatility of our squadron’s platform is our greatest asset,” said Lt. Rebecca Ziaja, a mission commander with the Screwtops. “Whether we’re helping to coordinate air-to-air communications and strikes or making the C4I process run more smoothly between the air wing, ship, and strike group warfare commanders, everyone with the Screwtops plays a crucial role in accomplishing our missions.”

Ziaja, who has logged nearly 200 E-2C flight hours during Enterprise’s current deployment, attended an eight-week Air Intercept Controller course last year at the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor school (aka TOPGUN) at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev. When not in the air, Ziaja said she uses her TOPGUN education to instruct controllers from Enterprise’s Combat Direction Center on how to better integrate C4I technologies with Enterprise’s strike fighter squadrons in order to further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all mission assignments.

“We’re a very serviceoriented community, and we take a lot of pride in what we do to help out with the big

Photo courtesy of Carrier Airborne Early Squadron (VAW) 123

Two E-2C Hawkeyes assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123 scan the skies and ocean for vital information.

picture,” Ziaja said. “It’s been awesome integrating with Enterprise and the air wing during this deployment. You’ll almost always see Screwtops in other squadrons’ briefing rooms because it’s our job to learn their tactics in order to better serve them and help keep them safe in the air. We’re the ones who must extend the line of sight for the strike group, and we want the fighters to know we’ve got their backs out there.”

Many of the Screwtops’ nearly 130 Sailors are maintenance personnel who work around the clock to ensure their E-2Cs’ radars, communications and navigation systems are always ready.

“I really like all of the challenges my job presents on a daily basis,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class (AW) Adam Ressue.

“Sometimes we have to think outside the box to troubleshoot problems we’ve never encountered before, but everyone goes out of their way to help each other out until the problem is solved.”

Though Ressue said that the

diverse types of maintenancerelated tasks he and his colleagues face every day can make their jobs quite fun, they also understand the importance their maintenance has when it comes to completing successful missions.

“Our squadron is the eye in the sky for both the ship and the air wing, and it’s our mission to see everything that’s going on out there,” Ressue said. “Our job is to make sure everything works, because [the Hawkeye] is pretty much just a passenger plane without the work we put into it.”

When it comes to gathering and distributing valuable information to effectively fight battles, VAW-123 always delivers.

“I love flying in Hawkeyes,” said Ziaja. “You don’t get to pull a lot of ‘G’s like jets, but at the start of the day you still have a catapult, and at the end of the day you still have a trap.

Plus it’s pretty cool working with four others in the air and knowing how they all think and react to situations. We couldn’t do our jobs up there without one another, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Page 4

the SHUTTLE

Friday June 3, 2011

Sailor of the Day Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class

Lance Corporal

Jeremy Wayne Champlain- Memphis, TN

Bret Wray- St. Louis, OH

HM3 Champlain, a ward corpsman in Medical Ward 1/ ICU for Enterprise’s Medical Department, joined the Navy to support his family and further his education in medicine. To Champlain, the most rewarding aspect of his job is “learning and practicing medicine on one of the Navy’s most legendary ships.” Champlain is working hard to earn his enlisted warfare pins. Eventually, Champlain would like to become a physician’s assistant or go even further in the field of medicine. Champlain plans to work on cars and spend time with his family when he returns from deployment.

FUN ZONE!

Lance Cpl. Wray, a power plants mechanic and plane captain for the “Thunderbolts” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 251, joined the Marine Corps three years ago to be “part of an elite unit, the United States Marine Corps.” To Wray, the most rewarding aspect of his job is “having a difficult task and still completing the mission.” Wray wants a future where he is both financially stable and surrounded by a family of his own. Wray plans to work on cars, train his body and spend time with friends and family when he returns from deployment.

Photos by MC3 Alex R. Forster Down 1 Prefix with structure 2 One in the spotlight 3 Ellipsoids 4 Countries 5 The Sunshine State, briefly 6 Overwhelming victory 7 Adolescent affliction 8 Iridescent gem 9 An NCO 10 Red 11 Estranged 12 “___ Lisa” 13 Recreational drive 21 Blubber 23 Forty winks 26 Term of endearment 28 Lights-out tune 30 Cardiologist’s concern 32 Leonine locks 33 “M*A*S*H” star 34 Joplin pieces, perhaps 35 Ireland, to the Irish 36 Yard-sale items 38 Stir 41 Country dance 42 Aphorisms 45 Ape or chimp 47 Monogram part 49 One of the Kennedys 51 Chump 53 “After the Bath” painter 55 Perceive vaguely 56 Implied 57 Angle 58 Mosque official 59 Bay of Pigs location 61 Island east of Java 64 Arles article 66 Collarless shirt

Across

Answers can be found on Big ‘E’ Net at S:\Public\MEDIA\GM\Crossword and Sudoku answers

Marine of the Day

1 Clickable image 5 Agitated state 9 Cons 14 St Petersburg’s river 15 Curtain material 16 Lively old dance 17 Lacking fizz 18 “The King and I” character

19 Singer Lopez 20 Historical memento 22 “Jurassic Park” actress 24 Have in mind 25 Soaks up 27 Exempli gratia, e.g.

29 African antelope 31 Canal site 34 Civil War side 37 Who’s Who entries

39 Bit of a blossom 40 Gas-station freebie 41 Make right 43 Come to a close 44 Complaint 46 Europe’s highest volcano 47 Concept 48 Confidential matter 50 Egyptian dam site

71 Official staffs 4 Lends a hand 58 Cold-war weapon: Abbr. 72 Fourier series function 73 Baltic native 60 Financial burden 62 Bargain 63 Wall painting 65 Way of walking 67 Ancient Andean 68 Die down 69 Cosmetic additive 70 “It’s ___ to Tell a Lie”