The Washington Surveyor - January 22, 2019

WASHINGTON SURVEYOR THE

JAn. 22, 2019

By MC3 Adam Ferrero

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SHIPYARD ESSENTIALS FOR SAILOR SAFETY

By MCSN Tatyana Freeman

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM REMEMBERING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

By MC3 Julie Vujevich

KEEPING COMMUNICATIONS SECRET SECRET INTERNET PROTOCOL ROUTER NETWORK

washington surveyor Commanding Officer Capt. Glenn Jamison

AZ2 (AW) Cody Johnson

IS2 (IW/SW) Rien Desplinter

FC2 Ariah Miller

LS3 (SW) Keilah Blanton

Executive Officer

MMN2 Robert Vogel

AOAN Lestat Schaaf

Capt. Daryle Cardone

MA3 Austin Giron

OSSN (SW) Antoric Pullom

ABH3 (AW) Sydney Hughes

ABEAN Kielyr Backus

RP3 Jenny Bienaimewilliams

RP3 Jenny Bienaimewilliams

ET3 Craig Basel

ET3 Craig Basel

ABEAN (AW) Martin Boatengdaaku

ABEAN (AW) Martin Boatengdaaku

STGSN Arkeese Richardson

STGSN Arkeese Richardson

Command Master Chief CMDCM Maurice Coffey

Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Stephanie Turo

Deputy Public Affairs Officer Lt. Tyler Barker

Departmental LCPO MCCS Reginald Buggs

Divisional LCPO MCC Mary Popejoy

Editors MC3 Zack Thomas MC3 Adam Ferrero MCSN Jack Lepien

Content

MC1 Gary Johnson MC2 Alan Lewis MC2 Mandi Washington MC3 Michael Botts MC3 Carter Denton MC3 Jamin Gordon MC3 Trey Hutcheson MC3 Julie Vujevich MC3 Kyle Loree MCSN Elizabeth Cohen MCSN Tatyana Freeman MCSN Samuel Pederson MCSR Steven Young 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.

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.”

- The Declaration of Independence

SAILOR in the SPOTLIGHT

ABE3 Fernando Blanco ABE3 Blanco from Oakley, California, joined the Navy in March 2015 with a love for travel. He works in the ship’s work control office, reviewing and tracking ship’s force and Newport News Shipbuilding work authorization forms (WAF), training Sailors on tag-out procedures, and maintaining active tags by audits. “We work with a lot of people in work control and I like that I’m able to have an active part in helping other Sailors on the ship,” said Blanco. He enjoys playing soccer on the GW soccer team and volunteering as a coach for the Suffolk Youth Athletic Association.

PPE: Shipyard Essentials for Sailor Safety

By MC3 Adam Ferrero

H

ard hat? Check. Ear protection? Check. Eye protection? Check. Steeltoed boots? Check. All of these safety measures are in place to keep everyone safe in a shipyard environment.

Like any construction site, there are numerous hazards and rules one must be aware of – knowing where to walk, what places are off-limits, and particularly, what equipment to have.

Sailors need to be mindful of their surroundings, and remember: safety first!

“At two and a half miles, the shipyard is pretty big, and it’s full of dangers,” said John Pitts, a health and safety analysis representative for Newport News Shipbuilding. “[Personal protective equipment] is for your health and safety.”

One of the most fundamental pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) that everyone should have on the shipyard is a hard hat.

“Having a helmet protects you from the obstructions you come across, like when going down ladderwells,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Matthew Ayres, a Sailor assigned to the safety department aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

“When transiting a ship, there [are] ventilation tubes and cabling that’s run everywhere overhead. There are also people working above you a lot.

If they drop something, your hardhat could save you.”

Falling debris is a genuine threat in the shipyard environment.

“We’ve had several incidents in the shipyard where tools or plywood has fallen from overhead and landed on a shipyard worker’s head,” said Pitts.

“Thank goodness they were wearing their hardhat.”

Another critical piece of equipment to remember is hearing protection.

“Typically, on the helmet, you have hearing protection as well,” said Ayres. “In some areas of the shipyard, double hearing protection is actually required depending on the noise level.

In those situations, you would use the “foamies” as well as the earmuffs.

Signs are posted when double hearing protection is necessary.”

While debris and other physical hazards are occasional threats, loud noise is an ever-present condition in a refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) environment.

“There are high noise areas we have on CVN 73, such as the hangar bay and down in the drydock,” said Pitts. “If you’re welding, grinding, burning or needle gunning, of course, you’re going to need to have hearing protection. Constant loud noise can absolutely damage your hearing, and over time it can, and will, catch up with you. As a general rule, if you’re standing next to someone and you have to raise your voice in order for them to hear you, then you should probably be wearing hearing protection.”

Another essential piece of PPE is safety glasses or protective goggles.

“Eye protection is very important,” said Ayres. “We recently had someone get a metal shard in their eye. In

an industrial environment like the shipyard, you should always be wearing it just in case. A foreign object can easily end up in your eye, whether it be hazmat or particles from grinding.”

Beyond being required uniform items, boots offer protection against a number of potential hazards.

“Wear your steel-toed boots,” said Ayres. “It’s necessary because there’s always stuff going on when you’re transiting the ship. You may not notice something on the ground. You may trip on something. Heavy or sharp things may fall on your feet. Working in the hangar bay or anywhere else, the steel toe is going to be your protection against a foot injury.”

Outside of standard PPE, one final piece of equipment that may be easily overlooked is a flashlight.

“It is a requirement that you have a self-powered lighting device on the ship,” said Pitts. “If you are going into a confined space, the requirement is two. If the power goes out on the ship… you need to go ahead and get out of that area [using your flashlight].”

With so much going on in the dayto-day operations of RCOH, it can be easy to forget some essential pieces of safety equipment, but it’s very important to keep them in mind and close by. In the event of an unforeseen mishap, having the correct gear could mean the difference between a close call, an injury, or worse.

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

D

r. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

King was a social activist, as well as an American Baptist minister, who played a vital role in the American civil rights movement.

In honor of his birthday, the heritage committee aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) hosted a ceremony Jan. 16 to remember the impact King had on our

By MCSN Tatyana Freeman country.

In an effort bring about full equality for African Americans through nonviolent protest, King, along with other civil rights activists, founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957. As president of the SCLC, he gave lectures on nonviolent protest and civil rights, and met with religious figures, activists, and political leaders.

“He stood up for equality for every man and woman on this planet,” said Command Master Chief Maurice Coffey, the command master chief

aboard George Washington. “We as Sailors, as those that wear the cloth of this nation, that is something that we do. We do it a little different than Dr. King did, but we stand for peace, and we stand for equality.”

King helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. He was the driving force behind landmark legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Coffey spoke about how his grandmother had so much pride when

talking about protesting with King, and that she felt she did the right thing, not only for his mother and her brothers and sisters, but so all her grandchildren could have a better life.

In 1964, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent resistance to racial prejudice in America.

Eventually, in addition to seeking equality and human rights for African Americans, King supported and advocated for all economically disadvantaged and victims of injustice through peaceful protest.

“Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice for his fellow human beings, and he died because of that effort,” said Robert F. Kennedy, an American politician and Navy veteran, in a speech after King’s death.

Thanks to King’s dedicated leadership and peaceful ideals, the civil rights movement made significant progress and was exposed to nationwide attention that helped bring about pivotal legislation and national awareness of human rights, peaceful demonstrations, and social justice.

“He embodied the meaning of peaceful justice,” said Electronics Technician Seaman Kade Gibbs, a Sailor assigned to George Washington. “His life and his work symbolized the quest for equality and

CMC Maurice Coffey, Capt. Daryle Cardone, and Capt. Glenn Jamison bow their heads to a prayer during the heritage committee’s Martin Luther King remembrance event. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

nondiscrimination that lies at the heart of the American, and human, dream.”

King was passionate about racial equality, and the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect.

“Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream,” said King. “It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”

King made it his life’s work to bring people together, but there were those that didn’t support his vision. His life

was cut short on April 4, 1968 when he was assassinated by James Earl Ray on a balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.

King’s legacy lives on today in those that continue to fight for equality for all. King said it best when he said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.

Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and George Washington are the only two people from U.S. history whose birthdays are celebrated as national holidays.

Capt. Daryle Cardone and CMC Maurice Coffey, along with other Sailors aboard CVN 73 cut a cake at the heritage committee’s Martin Luther King remembrance event. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)

LATER GATOR Cmdr. Brian Solano, USS George Washington’s former navigation officer, received the Meritorious Service Medal before bidding a final farewell to his fellow khakis aboard CVN 73.

Photos by MC3 Adam Ferrero

Secret Internet Protocol Router Network: KEEPING COMMUNICATIONS SECRET

W

ith the start of a new year, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) became the first aircraft carrier to be outfitted with Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) during refueling complex overhaul (RCOH).

A small team assigned to George Washington has the responsibility of building and installing a mobile SIPRNet on the ship.

“This is not the first time SIPRNet was installed on the ship, but this will be the first time SIPRNet accessibility is available to a carrier during RCOH,” said Lt. Paul Guidry, the ship’s communications officer and leader of the three-person team assigned to build and install SIPRNet. Due to RCOH, the Secret Integrated Shipboard Network System (ISNS) systems were removed, and will be replaced with Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES).

The ship’s unclassified network, Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet), is reserved for less sensitive unclassified information. Having the ship’s own SIPRNet locally allows the ship to access classified websites and other operational information versus having to rely on accessibility at Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic Fleet (CNAL).

The SIPRNet setup is a Deployable Site Transport Boundary/Fly Away Kit (DSTB/FAK), also called “NMCI in a Box.” It is portable equipment, which provides encryption, network capability and direct connectivity to securely connect to the Navy/Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) SIPRNet

through a commercial internet service provider.

“The ability to access classified messages will benefit the ship by keeping the [commanding officer, executive officer, and command master chief] readily abreast of critical information impactful to the command or the Navy,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Bryan Johnson, one of the Sailors assigned to the project.

SIPRNet is the Department of Defense’s primary command and control network. It is used to access and transmit classified information in a secure environment.

The access to SIPRNet allows the ship to obtain operational and intelligence information, classified training material, process classified messages, and communicate sensitive information securely.

“This SIPRNet setup will, more than likely, pass on to the next carriers that enter RCOH in the future,” said Guidry. “This will allow carriers in RCOH to maintain access to SIPRNet locally when shipboard networks are removed.”

In the future, the information

Photo illustration by MC3 Adam Ferrero

By MC3 Julie Vujevich systems technicians aboard George Washington will be responsible for ensuring the DSTB/FAK maintains connectivity, installing updates on the SIPRNet laptops, assisting prospective users to gain access, and processing classified message traffic.

“On top of continuously monitoring and maintaining the mobile network, we will be integral to SIPRNet’s expandability and security posture,” said Information Systems Technician Seaman Jeremy Mullendore, one of the Sailors assigned to the project. “We feel our contribution was impactful to ensuring that the command and future carriers will have seamless access to sensitive information crucial to the mission and personnel readiness.”

The team assigned to the task had the valuable opportunity to work in their rate’s realm of knowledge and contribute a tool that can be utilized in the future by other aircraft carriers during their RCOH periods.

“It was an honor to lead a team of Sailors that were motivated to take on this unique project and to bring SIPRNet capability to a carrier in RCOH for the first time ever,” said Guidry.

NAVY NEWS The Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), closed out 2018 on a high note with the acceptance of the ship’s first advanced weapons elevator (AWE), setting the tone for more positive developments in the year ahead.

AWE Upper Stage #1 was turned over to the ship on Dec. 21, following testing and certification by engineers at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding, where the ship is currently working through its postshakedown availability (PSA). The acceptance marks a major milestone for the ship and the Ford-class of aircraft carriers to follow.

USS Gerald R. Ford is the first Fordclass aircraft carrier and is the first new carrier design in over 40 years.

Unlike Nimitz-class carrier elevators that utilize cables for movement, the Ford class elevators are commanded via electromagnetic, linear synchronous motors allowing for greater capacities and a faster movement of weapons.

The new design will allow the ship to be able to move up to 24,000 pounds of ordnance at 150 feet-per-minute. This is in contrast to the 10,500 pounds at up to 100 feet-per-minute on a Nimitzclass carrier.

“This will allow us to load more aircraft faster, and in the long run, increase our overall sortie generation rates,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chabonnie Alexander, Ford’s ordnance handling officer.

But aside from the advantages of the new AWE, the new ship design also offered a chance to streamline the overall movement and assembly of weapons to allow for even greater efficiencies. Ford features three upper stage elevators that move ordnance between the main deck and flight deck, and seven lower stage elevators that move ordnance between the main deck and the lower levels of the ship. Ford also features a dedicated weapons handling area between the hangar bay and the flight deck, on the 02 level, that eliminates several horizontal and vertical movements to various staging and build-up locations. This ultimately offers a 75% reduction in distance traveled from magazine to aircraft.

An additional benefit of the ship’s design is a separate utility elevator that can serve as a dedicated elevator

USS Gerald R. Ford Accepts First Advanced Weapons Elevator From USS Gerald R. Ford Public Affairs

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Jan. 16, 2019) Chief Machinist’s Mate Franklin Pollydore, second from left, from Georgetown, Guyana, goes over safety procedures for the Upper Stage 1 advanced weapons elevator with Sailors from USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) weapons department.

to move both ordnance and supplies, and also serve as a means to medically evacuate (MEDEVAC) injured personnel from the flight deck to the hangar bay. This allows the 10 main AWEs and Ford’s three aircraft elevators to be dedicated to their primary missions of ordnance and aircraft movement during real-world operations.

To keep up with the new technologies and radical changes that the AWEs offer, Ford Sailors recently completed newly developed familiarization, operations and maintenance training in Newport News to become better educated on how to work with and maintain the elevators. The crew is now conducting hands-on training where they will validate technical manuals and maintenance requirements cards against the elevator’s actual operation.

Their feedback and observations will ultimately inform future Sailors how to properly and safely operate the elevators.

Alexander said Sailors are now training with the elevator which will complement the classroom instruction they have received to this point.

“Getting this elevator turned over to the ship and allowing our Sailors to get hands-on training on the elevator will help in two ways,” said Alexander.

“One, it will help in the training and understanding of the system itself, and two, to work out any bugs that remain with the system during our PSA.” Though the first elevator has been accepted, work still remains on the remaining 10. Currently, all shipboard installation and testing activities of the AWEs are due to be completed prior to the end of Ford’s PSA, scheduled for July. However, some remaining certification documentation will be performed for five of the 11 elevators after PSA completion.

According to Alexander, while there was sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in having the first elevator turned over, the team working on the elevators can’t rest on this single event.

“We’re all 100 percent invested in this, but there’s still work left to do,” Alexander explained. “We’re all one big team with the same goal in mind: to get these systems operational and turned over to the ship.

“I think it was a greater sense of accomplishment to my Sailors that have been working on these systems for the last 4-to-5 years,” he said. “To be able to finally push the buttons and watch it operate like it’s designed to do was a great feeling. Once these systems are proven, they are going to pay huge dividends for naval strike capability.”

GEORGE’S

CORNER

Pun #1 There’s a huge sale on paddles at the boat shop.

It’s quite an oar deal.

Pun #2 I saw a documentary on how they put together ships.

It was riveting.