Washington Surveyor (Dec. 11, 2017)

WASHINGTON SURVEYOR THE

DEC. 11, 2017

By MC3 Trey Hutcheson

GW MUSTANG ASSOCIATION MUSTANGS RIDE INTO HOLIDAYS

By MC3 Jamin Gordon

GIVE BLOOD, SAVE A LIFE GW HOSTS ASBP BLOOD DRIVE

The Washington Surveyor

Commanding Officer CAPT Glenn Jamison

SAILOR

On the cover: (Nov. 12, 2017) - Mac Smith, son of Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy Smith, assists the Mustangs in assembling the Ronald McDonald house Christmas tree. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

PHOTO of the

of the

WEEK

WEEK

Executive Officer CAPT Colin Day

Command Master Chief CMDCM Maurice Coffey

Public Affairs Officer LCDR Gregory L. Flores

Deputy Public Affairs Officer LT Andrew Bertucci

Editors MC3 Devin Bowser MC3 Kashif Basharat MCSN Julie Vujevich

Content MC2 Alora Blosch MC2 Jessica Gomez MC2 Bryan Mai MC2 Anna Van Nuys MC3 Joshua DuFrane MC3 Jamin Gordon MC3 Shayla Hamilton MC3 Trey Hutcheson MC3 Alan Lewis MC3 Brian Sipe MC3 Kristen Yarber MCSN Oscar Moreno MCSN Marlan Sawyer MCSA Michael Botts MCSA Adam Ferrero MCSA Steven Young

W

(Nov 28, 2017) - FC3 Aaron Michael Riffle has his temperature taken during a blood drive. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

QUESTIONS of the WEEK CTT2 JORDYN CALHOUN

DC

Q:

3M

Q:

What are the two sizes of Emergency Water Activated Repair Patch?

A:

SIZE 2: 4 INCHES BY 15 FEET.

DEPARTMENT: Intelligence Department The Washington Surveyor is an authorized publication for Sailors serving aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73).

Contents herein are not the visions of, or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy or the Commanding Officer of USS George Washington. All news releases, photos or information for publication in The Washington Surveyor must be submitted to the Public Affairs Officer (7726).

*For comments and concerns regarding The Washington Surveyor, email the editor at julie.vujevich@cvnit.navy.mil*

WHEN I JOINED THE NAVY: March 2, 2015 HOMETOWN: Corpus Christi, TX REASON I JOINED THE NAVY: “I joined the Navy to serve my country, go out to sea and travel the world. My dad is an NCR, a Navy Counselor (Recruiting), so I grew up around the military, and I have known since I was two years old that I wanted to join the military.”

FAVORITE PART OF MY JOB: “I love performing maintenance and knowing the maintenance I perform as an AN/SLQ-32 V4 Technician is making my system functional and properly working. I love seeing the entire tactical position come together and knowing that I had a hand in that because had I not fixed my system properly, I would not be working properly.”

SIZE 1: 2 INCHES BY 5 FEET;

The maintenance index pages are?

SAFETY

A:

BASIC PLANNED MAINTENANCE SYSTEM REFERENCE DOCUMENTS

Q: What are the PPE requirements for forklift operations?

A: HARD HATS FOR OPERATOR AND BOTH SAFETY WALKERS, WHISTLE AND REFLECTIVE VESTS.

GW HOSTS ASBP BLOOD DRIVE DEPARTMENT in the

SPOTLIGHT

W(Nov 20, 2017) - Sailors from USS George Washington’s Intel Department pose for a group photo. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)

INTEL

D

By MCSA Michael Botts

uring the time the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) spends in Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), all departments aboard the ship will see a major change in their daily activities. Most departments will have different goals than they normally would have had if the ship were operational. The George Washington’s Intelligence Department is no different.

Just like many departments aboard George Washington, their job titles remains the same, except now they must fill a different role to acquire their department’s goals.

“Right now, in RCOH, our main goal is to make sure all of our equipment that leaves the ship comes back good as new and after we make sure the equipment is good to go, we have to make sure we get them installed properly,” said Cryptologic Technician-Technical 2nd Class Jordyn Calhoun, a Sailor aboard George

Washington. “We are focused a lot on getting our Sailors proper training, and we want to have everything our department is going to need ready for when the ship becomes operational again.”

While operational, the intelligence department plays a vital role in the tactical operations of the ship. They are responsible for receiving, decoding and analyzing intelligence, as well as providing maintenance for the ships intelligence equipment.

“Normally, when the ship is operational, I love being a hand in the tactical picture,” said Calhoun. “The maintenance we perform helps make sure our equipment is accurate and good to go, so when the time comes and the equipment is needed, we can be sure that it is going to work as intended.”

The intelligence department is comprised of a few different rates which perform different tasks from one another, but work together to

provide the intelligence needed to keep warfare commanders informed.

“The intelligence department is made up of intelligence specialists (IS), cryptologic technicians (CT) and aviation aerographer’s mates (AG),” said Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Rien Desplinter.

“The CT’ss collect the information and they send it off to the IS’s,” said Desplinter. “IS’s are intelligence analysts. We take what the CT’s collect, assess it and inform warfare commanders on why it is important.”

“The AG’s are the weathermen of the Navy, and when you are out at sea on an aircraft carrier, weather is extremely important,” said Desplinter.

The intelligence department plays a vital role in George Washington’s overall mission and although some Sailors in the department are not doing their typical day to day jobs, everything they do is important to mission success during RCOH.

GIVE BLOOD, SAVE A LIFE

By MC3 Jamin Gordon

A

ccording to the American Red Cross, approximately every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed daily. One blood donor can save about three people.

Military personnel can help save fellow brothers-in-arms, as well as military family members’ lives by donating blood.

“It is important for military personnel to donate blood because it can be used for service members overseas, as well as to support war efforts,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Clement McKenzie, a lab technician aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

When blood is donated through the Armed Service Blood Program (ASBP), it can be used to help a child

with cancer, a family member in need of heart surgery or a service member injured in action.

Although blood is something everyone has, only about 38 percent of the population is eligible to donate.

“There are specific requirements for donating blood,” said McKenzie.

“Some of the requirements are that you must have a hemoglobin level above a certain amount, cannot be sick and must weigh at least 110lbs. A complete list of requirements for donating through ASBP can be found at www. militaryblood.dod.mil.”

Although some people may meet the minimum requirements, there are also some disqualifying factors.

“If you have sickle cell or an autoimmune disease, you can’t donate,” said McKenzie. “Also, if you’ve been out of the states or have gotten a tattoo

W (Nov 28, 2017) - DC3 Brandon Grech donates blood during a blood drive at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

W (Nov 28, 2017) - FC3 Jonathan Bartley donates blood during a blood drive at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

W (Nov 28, 2017) - DC3 Brandon Grech donates blood during a blood drive at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

W (Nov 28, 2017) - FC3 Aaron Michael Riffle donates blood during a blood drive at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

W (Nov 28, 2017) - DC3 Brandon Grech donates blood during a blood drive at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

W (Nov 28, 2017) - Snacks are laid out for Sailors after they finish donating blood during a blood drive at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

recently, you may be disqualified.”

While any blood type from those qualified to donate is always appreciated and needed, O- is one of the most sought after blood types being that it is known as the universal donor.

Furthermore, AB positive and negative blood types are of great demand because it is the rarest blood group.

Having a rare type of blood is also one reason why people like Fire Controlman 3rd Class Jonathan Bartley, a Sailor aboard George Washington, donate.

“Someone asked me to donate one time,” said Bartley. “I didn’t mind doing it especially since I am AB- , which is the rarest blood type.”

AB blood is also known as the universal plasma donor. Blood can be broken down into four transfusable parts which helps save lives. These

parts are red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. The various products of blood can contribute to saving multiple lives.

People like Damage Controlman 3rd Class Brandon Grech and Fire Controlman 3rd Class Aaron M. Riffle, Sailors aboard George Washington, recognize that donating saves lives. It’s a way to give back and help the community.

For the remaining 62 percent of the population that isn’t eligible to donate blood, all is not lost. Though they can’t contribute any blood, non-donors can help by coordinating a blood drive or something as simple as asking others to volunteer to donate.

Sailors interested in donating or coordinating a blood drive around Hampton Roads can contact Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, or go online to www.militaryblood.dod.mil.

GW MUSTANG & ronald mcdonald house ASSOCIATION

W(Nov. 12, 2017) - Mustang association members

and their families pose for a photograph at the Ronald McDonald House. (U.S. Navy photo

Jeremy Smith said that his family tries to focus between November and December to find somebody or participate in an event that needs help.

“From November until Christmas we try to go out every week and do something in the community with our kids to get into the spirit of giving back and helping out those that need it,” said Jeremy Smith.

In addition, Carl Smith said the Mustang Association enjoys serving the community and is glad to be back state side.

“Anytime we get the chance where we can serve the community and support by lending a hand we are going to do that as long as we are here and able to do that,” said Carl Smith.

The Mustang Association stays active by helping the community throughout the Hampton Roads region. In addition to helping the Ronald McDonald House Foundation during the holiday season, they also plan to distribute gifts in support of Toys for Tots Dec. 18.

W (Nov. 12, 2017) - Members of the GW Mustang association and their family members assist in assembling the Ronald McDonald house Christmas tree. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

W (Nov. 12, 2017) - Members of the GW Mustang association and their family members assist in assembling the Ronald McDonald house Christmas tree. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

MUSTANGS RIDE INTO HOLIDAYS

By MC3 Trey Hutcheson

O

n the morning of Nov. 12, members of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) Mustang Association assembled to assist the Norfolk Ronald McDonald House Foundation in putting up a Christmas tree.

“The Ronald McDonald House is special in that the people that are there, don’t want to be there,” said Lt. Cmdr.

Jeremy Smith, a member of the Mustang Association. “They are primarily there because they have a child or somebody in the family that is either long-term or terminally ill and they need to be provided a place near the hospital where they can come instead of sleeping in a bed in the hospital room and eating cafeteria food. They

can get away and decompress. I think for the families that’s really important that there are places they can do that.”

The Ronald McDonald House is a charity that provides housing for families that have a hospitalized child to help lessen the financial strain that some families might be under.

The Mustang Association helps the Ronald McDonald House on a regular basis including a breakfast that is conducted quarterly to serve the kids and families that are staying in the House.

“Helping out at the Ronald McDonald House means a whole lot,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carl Smith, the Mustang President aboard George Washington. “I believe in giving, and that it will come back to you probably

three or four times better. If I can help or support someone or have the opportunity to do so, I would do that.”

Carl Smith said that he was honored that the Ronald McDonald House called him for assistance in assembling their Christmas tree.

He gathered the Mustangs and their families early on that Sunday afternoon with the mission of bringing some holiday cheer.

“We wanted to bring some early holiday Christmas cheer and holiday spirits and I think we achieved that,” said Carl Smith.

Helping at the Ronald McDonald House offers many opportunities for the Mustang Association and their families.

W(Nov. 12, 2017) - Lt. Jason Baker, a member of the GW Mustang association, assists in assembling the Ronald McDonald house Christmas tree. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

W

(Nov. 12, 2017) - Members of the GW Mustang association and their family members assist in assembling the Ronald McDonald house Christmas tree. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

military families around Hampton Roads, Operation Homefront will host other local events as well.

Operation Homefront will host a “Holiday Meals for Military” in Hampton, Virginia, December 12.

This event is open to all active duty military members and their families.

Persons interested in attending must register on the Operation Homefront website and sign up to be put on the waitlist. There are only a limited number of spots available, so be sure to register quickly.

Operation Homefront relies on their dedicated volunteers. Without them, they would not be able to accomplish their missions.

One such volunteer, a man who goes by the name “Nick Claus” and his wife have been volunteering with organizations like Operation Homefront for the past 25 years.

“We have been doing this for about 25 years,” said Claus. “Our favorite part of delivering the toys to families who are less fortunate is the smile it puts on the kids’ and the parents’ faces, the looks of pure joy that they get and the nice things they have to say to you. During the last four to five years, we’ve given away several thousand toys and some other things, like strollers and holiday meals to military members and their families.”

The holidays should be a joyous time for all families. If anyone is in need of assistance to help keep the holidays happy, don’t hesitate to reach out to Operation Homefront.

Active duty, active reserves, a veteran or are a wounded, ill or injured service member may be eligible for assistance. All members must possess valid military identification and complete a financial application.

Any military member or veteran needing assistance or wanting to donate may contact Operation Homefront at www.operationhomefront. org.

W(Dec. 4, 2017) - PS2 Nicholas Jones, left, Nick Claus, a volunteer from Operation Homefront, and RP2 Meredith Mockler pose for a photo after picking up toys for the GW Kids Holiday Party. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Julie Vujevich)

OPERATION: HOMEFRONT

By MCSA Michael Botts

T

he holiday season is typically filled with joy and laughter.

It is a time to make memories with loved ones, and most importantly, give back. While some military families are out doing their holiday shopping and getting gifts for their kids, other military families may not be that fortunate. Thankfully, there are organizations like Operation Homefront, that help lighten the load during this time of year.

Operation Homefront’s goal for the holiday season is to provide military families and veterans an opportunity to give their families a cheerful holiday season.

Operation Homefront is a nonprofit organization which assists military members and their families during difficult financial times, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and the back-to-school season. They provide food assistance, auto and home

repair, vision care, travel and transportation for active duty military, veterans and their families.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington’s (CVN 73) Second Class Petty Officers Association teamed up with Operation Homefront to provide gifts for military members and their families during the holidays.

“We were able to get in touch with Operation Homefront, and they were able to donate us tons of toys,” said Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Nicholas Jones, a Sailor aboard George Washington. “With the amount of toys they brought us, we will be able to provide every child that comes to the holiday party with a gift bag.”

The gift bags were handed out December 2, at the “USS George Washington Kid’s Holiday Party”.

Since its inception in 2002, Operation Homefront has donated to over

14,000 military families.

“I’ve been using Operation Homefront for the last four years,” said Religious Program Specialist Petty Officer 2nd Class Meredith Mockler, a Sailor aboard George Washington.

“They do backpacks when school starts, turkeys for Thanksgiving, toys for Christmas and they are a huge support of the military and their families.”

Although Operation Homefront has been around for the last 15 years, this is the first time the George Washington has asked for their support.

“This is the first time George Washington has used Operation Homefront,” said Jones. “With command support, the Second Class Petty Officers Association will definitely continue to use Operation Homefront in the future.”

In addition to collecting toys for

W (Dec. 4, 2017) - PS2 Nicholas Jones bags gifts with toys

W (Dec. 4, 2017) - ABF2 Latoyia Hawkins bags gifts with

during Operation Homefront. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)

toys during Operation Homefront. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)

“With the amount of toys they brought us, we will be able to provide -PS2 Nicholas Jones every child that comes to the holiday party with a gift bag.”

W (Dec. 4, 2017) - MC2 Alora Blosch bags gifts with toys during Operation Homefront. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)

W

(Dec. 4, 2017) - ABF2 Latoyia Hawkins bags gifts with toys during Operation Homefront. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)

GW KIDS HOLIDAY PARTY

W(Dec. 2, 2017) - Sailors pose for a photo at the USS George Washington Kids Holiday Party at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Steven Young)

SPREADING HOLIDAY CHEER

By MCSA Steven Young

T

he holiday season can be a magical time for children and adults alike. Sailors with children or young ones in their lives are afforded an opportunity during Christmas time to give their little ones happiness and holiday cheer. Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) held the USS George Washington Kid’s Holiday Party, an event planned especially for the children of George Washington Sailors.

“The event was coordinated by the

Second Class Petty Officers Association (SCPOA) with assistance from the First Class Petty Officers Association (FCPOA),” said Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Nicholas Jones, a Sailor aboard George Washington.

“It was backed by Command Master Chief [Maurice] Coffey. We have our own holiday party, but we wanted to do something specifically for the kids so we tasked the petty officers associations to come up with an event for the dependents and children of the George Washington Sailors.”

The holiday party consisted of various games and activities for children.

“It was a free event with everything planned with the kids in mind,” said Jones. “We had arts and crafts, musical chairs and a bouncy house. There was also pizza & hot chocolate. You can never go wrong with those when kids are involved.”

This was the first time that George Washington held a holiday party specifically for children, but Jones says that the event was a success and believes that it will continue in the

“This was the first year of the event, but we will definitely continue this and make it an annual thing.”

-PS2 Nicholas Jones Source: operationhomefront.org

CVN

W(Dec. 2, 2017) - HM1 Vanessa Green, left, SH1 Shandra Mcguire, BM1 Bethea, LS1 Dominique Sherrod and LS1 Karron David pose for a photo at the USS George Washington Kids Holiday Party at Huntington Hall. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Steven Young)

future.

“This was the first year of the event, but we will definitely continue this and make it an annual thing,” said Jones. “All of the Sailors and their kids seemed to really enjoy themselves so I feel like this is something that we’ll be able to keep going.”

The George Washington Kid’s Holiday Party was open to any Sailor who wanted to volunteer or attend solely for recreation.

“I don’t have kids myself, but I still attended,” said Personnel Specialist

Seaman April Lopez. “I was able to volunteer, and I really enjoyed the interaction with the kids. It’s very interesting to me to be able to talk to children because they just have a different mindset. They see the world from a different perspective than we do.”

In an event tailored for children, the little ones are the biggest critics. Lopez said that the children who attended wholly approved.

“I think all of the kids that came had a really good time,” said Lopez.

“I had a lot of fun myself coloring, painting and playing games with them. I’d definitely be all for doing it again next year.”

The initial USS George Washington Kid’s Holiday Party was a great success with the children of George Washington Sailors. The SCPOA’s diligent efforts in organizing and executing this occasion signifies that this event will be able to continue to brighten the holidays of Sailors and their loved ones for years to come.

W (Dec. 2, 2017) - LS2 Kokou Gbekou poses for

W (Dec. 2, 2017) - MM2 Learneice Ussery

a photo with his son at the GW Kids Holiday Party. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Steven Young)

W (Dec. 2, 2017) - HM1 Vanessa Green poses for a photo with her daughter at the GW Kids Holiday Party. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Steven Young)

poses for a photo with her sons at the GW Kids Holiday Party. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Steven Young)

HEALTH/WELLNESS