Aug. 18, 2016 - Washington Surveyor

WASHINGTON SURVEYOR THE

August 18, 2016

By MC3 Alora Blosch

familybonds Cousins mark four years serving together aboard gw

By MC3 Clemente Lynch

Technology

AND

INNOVATIVEresponse VX 23, VFA 101 TEST F-35C ON GW

By MC3 Wyatt Anthony

onthedeckplates LOCKHEED MARTIN’S F-35 LIGHTNING ii

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 16, 2016) Sailors assigned to the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy’s F-35C Fleet replacement squadron, pose on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during an aerial photo exercise. VFA-101 aircraft and pilots are conducting initial qualifications aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean. The F-35C is expected to be Fleet operational in 2018.

Photo by MCSA Krystofer Belknap

PHOTO of the DAY

By M C 3 C l e m e n t e Ly n c h

INNOVATIVE

RESPONSE AND TECHNOLOGY VX 23, VFA 101 TEST F-35C ABOARD GW

T

wo squadrons flying the F-35C Lightning II carrier variant have been embarked on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) since August 15, conducting various flight tests and qualifications at sea.

The Salty Dogs of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 are conducting their third and final developmental test (DT-III) phase, while the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 are conducting initial qualifications aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean.

The F-35C, the latest aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin, will usher in a new day in naval aviation.

“The squadron that we are attached to is VX-23, and it’s the Navy’s developmental test squadron out of Patuxent River, Md.,” said Lt. Cmdr.

Daniel Kitts. “We test all the jet aircraft that are in the Navy. Our department within the squadron is called the

‘Integrated Test Force’ (ITF), where we test F-35C.” The ITF is made up of military pilots, contracted test pilots and civilian contractors from various corporations such as Lockheed Martin and Northup Grumman along with maintainers from each corporation.

“A big portion of our maintainers are civilians,” said Maj. Eric Northam, a U.S. Marine Corps pilot. “The maintainers have a quality assurance perspective. It’s

pretty cool. These maintainers are the subject matter experts to the aircraft and they intimately get to know that aircraft.

I have asked them about issues before and they know and can convey what it was and how they went about correcting it.”

The maintainers have a history with the aircraft, and some have been working with it for years.

“What we are experiencing right now, with this ship at the forefront, is an evolution in the ability to land aboard the aircraft carrier,” said Kitts. “We are doing things with our control laws that haven’t been done before with the F-35C that aim to reduce the workload in landing an aircraft. Our aim is to make landing the aircraft safer, more efficient and more repeatable.”

The F-35C Lightning II successfully trapped 120 times, repeatedly catching the number three wire on the ship’s flight deck. The number three wire is the main wire

pilots aim to catch when performing an arrested landing.

“This aircraft is a lot of fun and easy to fly,” said Northam. “Since it’s so easy to fly, it makes it a lot easier to focus on the tactical mission. With the Hornet, one of the most stressful things we do is landings at night. This aircraft makes it very easy to land at night and allows the pilots to focus more on the mission.”

Northam made history as the first Marine pilot to land an F-35C on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.

“One of the things that makes this exciting is that we arrange a team of 170 personnel, a lot of whom are civilians who work in a developmental test world, and bring them out to sea,” said Kitts.

“That’s a very complex thing. I was stationed here previously with Carrier Air Wing 5, and it’s awesome that we have been welcomed with open arms by every single department on board this ship. It’s awesome to ‘come home’ and to work with folks who are excited for us to be here, because we are excited to be here.”

While VX-23 is in its final testing stage, VFA-101 is in its initial qualification stage for the F-35C. The new aircraft is expected to be Fleet operational in 2018.

By MC3 Alora Blosch

FAMILYBONDS cousins mark four years serving together aboard gw

T

he Navy is filled with acronyms and jargon that can be confusing to Sailors let alone family back home, which can make talking about what they do more difficult to explain.

Deployments and work ups cause Sailors to be out to sea more than they are at home, and Sailors often find themselves homesick as a result. But, two cousins have been able to share the experience, serving the past four years aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

Aviation Structural Mechanic 3rd Class Darquis Thomas and Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Petie Thomas are serving their first tour in the Navy together. The pair grew up closely in the same home state of North Carolina, and both said having family close by has made the time a little easier.

“We were in college together,” said Petie. “He was in the dorm room when I walked in, I just looked at him and said ‘I think I want to join the Navy, this school stuff isn’t working anymore.’

And he looked at me and said ‘I’ve been waiting for you to say that.’”

Darquis left for boot camp first and Petie soon followed.

“I wrote him letters telling him what to expect before he got there,” said Darquis.

“Petie got to the GW about a month after me. Before he got there, I was really stressed out. I was homesick, and I felt out of place. I had no one to talk

to. It was my first time being out of the country and my first time away from him since 7th grade. I missed my cousin more than I missed my own girlfriend.”

Serving aboard a ship as big as a carrier can be a very overwhelming experience to some Sailors, but having family on board made adjusting to the GW and Japan easier.

“I’m not a big people person,” said Petie. “It’s easy because I don’t have to make a lot of friends. I have him

here and he understands me. Having [Darquis] in Japan was better because you always had to have a liberty buddy, even on the weekends.”

Darquis said it was nice having him around because instead of having to call his family and tell them about his experiences, he was able to experience it with his family.

“Once we fell asleep on the train in Japan,” said Petie. “When we woke up and got off, we had no idea where we were. We had to find our way using Google maps and asking people ‘Yokosuka?’ and they would point us in the direction of the train.”

Getting lost in Japan is just one of the experiences the Thomas cousins have shared, including exploring Hong Kong, Austrailia, Peru, Chile and Brazil together before coming back to the U.S. after three and a half years forward deployed.

“It was exciting to come back to the states,” said Darquis.

“Because in Japan no one was there when we pulled in from deployment, but this time his family was there and so was mine.”

Petie is getting out of the Navy when his contract expires. Darquis reenlisted for three more years, but doesn’t have a follow-on assignment yet.

“With Petie leaving the Navy, it’s going to be the longest three years of my life,” said Darquis.

The cousins deployed together four times, vistited eight countries, and experienced two hull-swaps in four years aboard GW. Now, they’ll begin their next journeys separately, but plan to remain close.

CVN KAKURO

GAMES CROSSWORD

HARD SUDOKU SUDOKU

***Any thoughts or concerns about The Washington Surveyor, email the editor at Kris.Lindstrom@cvn73.navy.mil***

Department: Navigation Favorite Sports Team: Philadelphia Eagles Hobbies: Basketball, playing video games

Department: Training Favorite Sports Team: U.S.A. Olympics Team Hobbies: Horse riding, outdoor activities

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schedule Channel 4 0800 Jack Reacher 1000 Evil Dead 1200 The Guilt Trip 1400 Les Miserables

August 21ST 2016

Channel 5 0800 The Huntsman: Winter’s War 1000 Eye in the Sky 1200 Midnight Special 1400 Mother’s Day 1600 For a Movie Request Call 4988

1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1800 The Cold Light of Day 1800 Captain America: Civil War 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 Casino Royale 2200 The Boss 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0200 Quantum of Solace 0200 Criminal 0400 Killing Them Softly 0400 The Angry Birds Movie 0600 Beautiful Creatures 0600 Elvis and Nixon Channel 6 Channel 7 0800 Gladiator 0800 The Longest Ride 1000 Mo’ Better Blues 1000 Furious 7 1200 Predator 1200 The 2nd Best Exotic Marigold 1400 Earth to Echo Hotel 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1400 Unfinished Business 1800 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 1800 Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 2200 Malcom X 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 The Gunman 0200 Braveheart 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0200 Little Boy 0400 Braveheart (con’t) 0400 The Avengers: Age of Ultron 0600 Titanic 0600 Pitch Perfect 2

staff Commanding Officer CAPT Timothy Kuehhas

Executive Officer CAPT Kenneth Strong

Command Master Chief CMDCM James Tocorzic

Public Affairs Officer LCDR Reann Mommsen

Deputy Public Affairs Officer LTJG Andrew Bertucci

Senior Editors MC1 Alan Gragg MC2 Kris R. Lindstrom

Design Editor MC3 Kashif Basharat

August 22ND 2016

Channel 5 Channel 4 0800 X-Men: Apocalypse 0800 Playing for Keeps 1000 Rachet and Clank 1000 Mama 1200 Money Monster 1200 Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away 1400 The Nice Guys 1400 Entrapment 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1800 The Darkness 1800 Journey to the Center of the 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 Earth 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 Ice Age 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0200 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 0200 Bullet to the Head 0400 The Expendables 2 0400 Silver Linings Playbook 0600 Man with the Iron Fists 0600 Identity Thief Channel 7 Channel 6 0800 San Andreas 0800 The Green Mile 1000 Women in Gold 1000 The Green Mile (con’t) 1200 It Follows 1200 The Matrix 1400 Unfriended 1400 L.A. Confidential 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1800 Max Mad: Fury Road 1800 The Fugitive 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 Tomorrowland 2200 Wag The Dog 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0200 The Age of Adaline 0200 Planes 0400 Ex Machina 0400 Hercules 0600 Aloha 0600 Boyz in the Hood

Content Editor MC2 Jennifer O’Rourke

Content MC2 Loni Lopez MC2 Alex Smedegard MC3 Wyatt Anthony MC3 Alora Blosch MC3 Clemente Lynch MC3 Bryan Mai MCSN Michael Wiese MCSA Krystofer Belknap

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).