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SUPPORT EQUIPMENT REWORK FACILITY PG. 12
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE 6 This Week in History A brief overview of the Korean War
8 Keeping the Ship Connected How interior communications electricians support RCOH
12 S.E.R.F. Support Equipment Rework Facility
16 Farewell and Following Seas Sailors remember Chief Logistics Specialist Brian Love
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Around the Fleet USNS Comfort Departs Norfolk for Medical Mission
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USS George Washington (CVN 73) Commanding Officer
Executive Officer
Command Master Chief
Surveyor Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lt. Cmdr. Stephanie Turo
Copy Editors Capt. Glenn Jamison
Capt. Daryle Cardone
CMDCM Maurice Coffey
Lt. Tyler Barker MCC Christina Shaw MC1 Gary Johnson
Media Department
MC3 Trey Hutcheson
Public Affairs Officer
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
Layout Designers
Lt. Cmdr. Stephanie Turo
Lt. Tyler Barker
MC3 Adam Ferrero
Departmental LCPO
Divisional LCPO
MCCM Reginald Buggs
MCC Christina Shaw
Production LPO
MCSN Tatyana Freeman MCSN Jack Lepien
Journalists
MC1 Gary Johnson
MC3 Michael Botts MCSN Tatyana Freeman
Media Department Requests PRINT REQUESTS
PHOTO/VIDEO REQUESTS
E-MAIL MEDIA PRINT REQUESTS
(757) 534 - 2369
MCSN Jack Lepien MCSA Stephen Sullins
CUSTOMER SERVICE HOURS MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY: TUESDAY & THURSDAY: 0800 - 1300 0800 - 1400 2600 WASHINGTON AVE. SUITE 203
A special thank you to all those who let us tell your stories to the crew and to the fleet. 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.
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SAILOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT
GW’S NEWEST WARRIORS
ABE3 Kekoa Carranza AT2 Dakota Ortega HM2 Hunter Cole MA3 Megan Bertapelle MA3 Zachery Adams YN3 Haylie Price
LSSA Jared Baldoz HOMETOWN: San Jose, California
WHERE HE WORKS: Legal Department
TIME IN THE NAVY: 1 Year
WHY HE JOINED: To travel and to make his family proud
FAVORITE PART OF HIS JOB:
ESWS Coordinators HMC Knesha Wimbush CSC Joe Magri
Going to different military bases and delivering and procuring parts for the ship.
HOBBIES: Going to the beach, trying different foods, reading comic books, playing football, volunteering, and experiencing new things 4 ■ The Washington Surveyor
EAWS Coordinators
EIWS Coordinators
AOC Volario Lott CSC Jose Valencia
ITC Xica Johnson CTT1 Nicollette Jeffery
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: June 25, 1950
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE KOREAN WAR Story by MC3 Michael Botts Images courtesy of Naval Surface Force and Naval History and Heritage Command At the end of World War II, Japaneseoccupied Korea was temporarily split at the 38th parallel of latitude north of the equator by the United States and the Soviet Union. As a result of the division, two countries were formed: Soviet-supported communist North Korea and United Statessupported South Korea. On June 25, 1950, five years after the divide of the countries, Kim Il Sung, the
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communist leader of North Korea, initiated a surprise attack on South Korea. Two days later, with the belief that the Soviet Union was backing the North Korean assault, President Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, followed through on his “Truman Doctrine,” a policy designed to curb the spread of Soviet Union-supported communism in European and Asian countries following World War II.
The Truman Doctrine was a policy and a promise to the rest of the world that the United States would provide any economic or military support to stop the spread of communism. Truman assembled with the United Nations Security Council to form an American-led United Nations (UN) coalition force to send to aid South Korea. This effectively led to the start of the Korean War.
Two months after the initial invasion, North Korean forces controlled most of South Korea. The American-led forces formed a defensive perimeter by the South Korean port city of Busan in the southeast of the country. That September, forces under the command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur put in motion a counterattack on the North Korean forces. During the counterattack, the United States launched an amphibious landing on South Korea’s western coast, in the North Korean-controlled city of Inchon. The landing later became known as one of the most successful military operations in modern times and would act as the turning point in the war. It ultimately reversed the near-total occupation of North Korean forces in South Korea and the recapture of the South Korean capital city, Seoul. Not long after the counterattack, the United States and UN forces were able to push the invading troops back to the North Korean border at the 38th parallel. Following the retreat of North Korean forces, the Truman administration chose to continue their advance beyond the 38th parallel. As troops neared the border with China, Chinese leaders, fearing an invasion of American and UN forces, amassed tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and sent them cascading into North Korea to stop the advance into North Korea and force them back across the 38th parallel. Over the course of the next two years, the border saw times of relentless battles between the North Korean forces and the American-led forces. Ultimately the border held and in 1953, an armistice between North and
South Korea reestablished the pre-war border. This armistice created the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a 2.5 mile-wide, heavily-armed area between North and South Korea that is still in place today. Frequently called “The Forgotten War” due to taking place between World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War was nonetheless a major conflict in our nation’s history. It is estimated that 36,500 American service members lost their lives, along with hundreds of thousands of North Korean, South Korean, and coalition armed
forces, and civilians. For more information regarding the facts in this article and to learn more about the United States involvement in the Korean War, visit https://www.khanacademy.org/ humanities/us-history/postwarera/1950’samerica/a/the-korean-war. To learn more about the turning point of the war for American-led forces at the Battle of Inchon, visit https://www. newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Battle_ of_Inchon.
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George Washington’s ICs
Keeping the Ship Connected Story and Photos by MCSA Stephen Sullins It happens every day of the year, and many Sailors take it for granted. Sailors roam the passageways on the ship, hearing the petty officer of the watch strike bells and make announcements over the ship’s one main circuit (1MC) marking time. Concurrently, departmental duty officers and command leadership talk to each other on handheld radios, keeping everyone informed. Television monitors display views of aircraft launching and recovering on the flight deck. The unsung heroes who keep these systems humming along are known as Interior Communication Electricians (ICs). ICs are responsible for maintaining critical equipment in nearly every space on the ship, from forward to aft. While underway, these same Sailors work to maintain shipboard communications such as the phone lines, sound-powered telephones used for damage control and other operations, and the one main circuit (1MC) announcing system. During an aircraft carrier’s refueling complex overhaul (RCOH), they fill a slightly different role, assisting with corrosion control teams and completing tag-outs to alert their shipmates of dangerous live electrical current in wiring or equipment. However, their job spans much more than that. “We use the cathodic protection system (CP) to keep corrosion off of the ship,” said Interior Communications
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Electrician 2rd Class Alyssa Kean, a Sailor assigned to the combat systems department aboard the George Washington. Kean said cathodic protection controls the corrosion of a metal surface (and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington is one large metal surface!) by using large metal structures as a sponge for corrosion rather than letting the ship collect the corrosion itself. While operational underway, air ICs are also responsible for maintaining the ship’s integrated launch and recovery television system (ILARTS) and the improved fresnel lens optical landing system (IFLOLS), which allows them to keep a watchful eye on flight operations. ILARTS is a chain of several flight deck cameras that record flight operations, making it possible to review almost every aircraft launch and recovery. IFLOLS is a visual landing aid to assist pilots by indicating position in relation to glide scope upon landing. Both systems play a vital role in continued air operations and the ICs of the visual landing aids (VLA) team are the backbone. As RCOH work continues to press on, these ICs are looking forward to crucial testing of important air operations equipment. “Next year begins testing for VLA equipment,” said Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Samantha Cox, the V-2 division training
petty officer. “Air IC’s are not dealing with the 1MC and other combat systems equipment. We mainly are concerned with air department’s VLA equipment.” One IC Sailor said RCOH is the perfect time to gain technical expertise and conduct training in a non-operational environment to help prepare these Sailors for their important tasks ahead. “This is the time for us to learn handson how to fix our equipment,” said Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Bethany Calhoun, a Sailors assigned to the combat systems department aboard the George Washington. “While in RCOH, nearly every air Interior Communications Electrician is in combat operations working on all the equipment we own and we are removing and replacing systems as well as getting to troubleshoot them.” Sailors may not always stop to think of the hard work done by these ICs. However, it is worth remembering that without the dedication and efforts of these Sailors, communications could not be possible. Without communications or air operations IC equipment, the George Washington could not function, orders could not be passed, and operations could not be carried out, jeopardizing our mission. Interior Communications Electricians make this, and much more, possible.
BENT OUT OF SHAPE Hull Maintenance Technician Fireman Dylan Perron and Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Raul Gutierrez, assigned to George Washington’s repair division, work together to complete a pipe bending job, ensuring the ship’s infrastructure is ready to hit the fleet. Photos by MCSN Jack Lepien
Story and Photos by MCSN Jack Lepien
S.E.R.F. Support Equipment Rework Facility
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During refueling complex overhaul (RCOH), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is undergoing many upgrades and repairs as it prepares to return to active service. Day after day, Sailors aboard the ship work to bring systems back online, install critical components, and prepare for sea. However, it cannot be forgotten that George Washington is an aircraft carrier and aircraft need support equipment. This is where aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD) Sailors at the Support Equipment Rework Facility (SERF) support the ship’s mission. Their work plays a crucial rule in making sure the ship’s aircraft support equipment is ready to go. “Here at SERF, we rework support equipment for the ship’s use at sea,” said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 2nd Class Kyle Teague, the production leading petty officer at SERF. “Our goal is to have all the support equipment ready and up for use by the end of RCOH.”
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Teague also said that SERF is only one of several locations support equipment is sent for maintenance. In fact, repairs are conducted at various other facilities throughout the country. “A project this big is a team effort with lots of different people involved,” said Teague. “The biggest project we’re working on right now is our crash dollies and bomb hoists,” said Teague. “The cool thing about the bomb hoists is that they have more complex mechanical parts in them, so it’s a bit more difficult, but a bit more fun to work with.” Teague said that as they near completion on the bomb hoists and crash dollies, he is optimistic on future projects and knows the Sailors at SERF are more than ready for the tasks ahead. “Soon we’ll start moving on to slings, and then we’ll hopefully have all our flight deck equipment ready by 2020,” said Teague. “It’s going to be difficult, but I’m confident the team here can get it done.”
Some Sailors may not be aware of the work done at SERF, but Teague said he likes to remember that without him and his team, George Washington cannot operate aircraft at sea. “People may not know a lot about who we are, but they notice all that gear and equipment in the hanger bay underway,” said Teague. “The aircraft carrier doesn’t have tractors, doesn’t have firefighting vehicles, doesn’t have a lot of critical equipment without us.” Like Teague, Aviation Support Equipment Technician Airman Jason Farmer, an equipment technician at SERF, understands how vital SERF’s work is. “Each day, we have a number of tasks, whether that be painting parts, sanding a tow bar, or assembling a chain hook, and we put ourselves into that work wholeheartedly,” said Farmer. “Our job is critical to RCOH as a whole.” Farmer said he is grateful for the additional time RCOH gives him to grow his technical
skills and in-rate knowledge. “Being able to see what we do and deal with every day [at SERF] gives us more time and more training than we would normally have,” said Farmer. Farmer also mentioned how SERF’s ability to work thoroughly and quickly plays a vital role in returning George Washington to sea. “The sooner we can get the equipment turned around, the sooner it can get out to the ship for testing, and the sooner we can get back out to the fight,” said Farmer. Like every other Sailor aboard the George Washington, the Sailors at SERF work hard to ensure the ship completes its mission of finishing RCOH and remains the premier and always- ready warship. In the future, Sailors like Farmer and Teague will be the ones who played a critical role in returning “The Spirit of Freedom” to the fight.
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SAILORS REMEMBER CHIEF BRIAN LOVE Story and Photos by MCSN Tatyana Freeman The crew of an aircraft carrier is akin to a family. Quite a large family, but a family nonetheless. Like any family, the loss of a shipmate hits a ship hard and Sailors mourn the loss. Chief Logistics Specialist Brian Love was an important member of the George Washington family, and Sailors have come together to remember him after his recent passing. “As a person, he was very calm and collected,” said Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Rosheena Brown, a Sailor assigned to Chief Love’s V-88 S-6 supply division, aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). “He had a very approachable attitude, so you were able to go to him about anything.” Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Elvira Batac, a Sailor assigned to the same division as Brown, said Love was a kind father to her. “He was very laid back, kind, and just a loving dad to us V-88 people,” said Batac. “He was very caring, that’s for sure.” Love passed away on June 14, but Sailors assigned to V-88 are determined to keep his spirit alive within themselves and their shop as they move forward. Although they lost an integral part of their leadership and their Navy family, the impact he made on his Sailors will not soon be forgotten. “He made it fun coming to work,” said Brown. “He made it fun because he had the most relaxing atmosphere. He made sure even though we’re here to get the work done; we enjoyed being there. We enjoyed each other. We enjoyed our
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little family that we had in V-88, and that’s what I loved about his presence. Our own little family was just perfect, and we lost a main key to that family.” Batac said Love was committed to his Sailors’ morale and always looked for ways to cheer them up. “If you come in with no smiley face, he would bug you all day saying ‘What’s wrong with you? Are you okay? Talk to me over to the side,’” said Batac. “He was very caring to everyone. From our smallest person to our highest person.” Love not only improved his Sailors’ morale every day, but also proved his loyalty to them during tough times. “He always put his family first and also his Sailors,” said Lt. j.g. Shanita Williams, the supply officer for aviation and material control for S-6. “He was amazing to work with. He always had our back no matter what. We could be in the wrong, and he would still have our back, but there was always a lesson learned from any mistakes and anything we messed up here in the shop.” His lessons were not always reserved for work. Instead, he helped his Sailors with any challenges they faced, whether they were related to the Navy or not. “I was really stressing over the amount of study materials [for the advancement exam], and how I felt like I didn’t know enough to go into the exam prepared,” said Brown. “But every morning he came to work he would test us, he would train us, and there was one topic that was giving me a hard time, and he pulled me to the side, and he sat there, and he went over and over and
over that topic until I finally got it.” Batac said Love inspired and motivated her to pursue her fitness goals. “He told me one time: never give up,” said Batac. “Because I lift, and every time I showed my lifting videos to him and I PR’d [reached a personal record] at 225 [lbs] for deadlift, I just wanted to keep going, and he told me one time: don’t give up. Keep it going. And I hope he supports me now up in Heaven when I’m lifting. He inspired me. Never give up. Keep going. Don’t stop until you fail. It’s a really big motivation for me. It keeps me going.” His help and encouragement did not stop at his junior enlisted Sailors, but instead stretched all the way up the chain of command. “Being away from my family, I always went to Chief with all my car questions,” said Williams. “The last thing he helped me with on my car was to make sure that I got new tires and an alignment before I hit the road and transfer.” Love’s motivation to be there for his Sailors and support them in all they do extended into the work he did for the Navy. “He handled everything in his office,” said Williams. “He took all the phone calls. He answered the emails. He answered the tough questions for us. He was just an awesome person to work with. We knew that no matter what came our way, we would be able to get it done because chief was there to help us and assist us in getting through whatever type of challenges that came
our way.” In addition to his duties as the leading chief petty officer of the Navy’s Supervisor of Shipbuilding (SUPSHIP) liaison material division, he was also a command fitness leader (CFL) for George Washington. “He really enjoyed working out,” said Williams. “He was a command CFL. We did a lot of PT sessions within our division.” Brown said Love’s commitment to physical training was clear, and he passed it on to his Navy family. “He made working out fun,” said Brown. “We started physical training right before the PRT [physical readiness test], and he made it fun. He made us enjoy going to PT [physical training]. We would get upset if we actually missed PT sessions together because that was our fun family time out. Everybody actually looked forward to it.” In everything he did, Chief Love did with his whole heart, and his legacy and actions leave lasting impressions on his Sailors, George Washington, and the Navy as a whole. He proudly served
his country for 16 years. “We lost a really great person,” said Brown. “A really great man. A great leader. A supportive leader. We lost that one.” “He was the most amazing, laid-back, awesome Chief out there,” said Batac. “Just a great guy. We will miss you so much. V-88 will miss you.” “Chief Love was a great Chief,” said Williams. “I know I joke around when I tell him ‘You’re the best Chief in the fleet,’ but he truly was a great chief. And I just wish that I had more time with him. We actually talked about me getting my department head tour, and he said he would love to come along with me. So I definitely know that when I do a
department head tour, it will be for Chief Love.” George Washington will be holding a memorial service for Chief Love Thursday, June 27, at 2:00 p.m. on Langley Air Force Base.
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NAVY NEWS
Hospital Ship USNS Comfort Departs Norfolk for Medical Mission
From Military Sealift Command Public Affairs NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) left from Naval Station Norfolk, June 14, to begin its deployment to South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. During its deployment, Comfort will provide medical assistance in support of regional partners and in response to the regional impacts of the Venezuela political and economic crisis. “We are embarking on a five-month deployment to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility to embark on a humanitarian assistance mission,” said Capt. B.J. Diebold, Comfort’s mission commander. “Our mission will consist of multinational personnel from across our partner nations as well as allied personnel, non-governmental organizations, and U.S. Navy personnel.” While deployed, Comfort’s mission will include stops in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Saint Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis. U.S. military medical personnel aboard Comfort will work alongside a variety of governmental agencies to provide medical assistance to communities based on needs identified by host-nation health ministries, and to relieve pressure on host nation medical systems in countries hosting Venezuelans who have fled the country’s crisis. “This deployment responds directly to the man-made crisis Maduro’s regime has created,” said U.S. Navy Adm. Craig Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command, which will oversee the deployment. “Comfort medical teams will be working alongside host nation medical professionals who are absorbing thousands of Venezuelan migrants and refugees. The Venezuelan people are desperately fleeing their homeland for hope of a better way of life. We are committed to finding ways to support the Venezuelan people and our regional partners who share the goal of seeing a legitimate, democratic government reinstated in Venezuela.” This marks the hospital ship’s seventh deployment to the region since 2007, second deployment to the Western Hemisphere in the last six months, and
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reflects the United States’ enduring promise of friendship, partnership, and solidarity with the people of the Americas. The USNS Comfort deployment is part of the Caribbean 2020 Strategy to increase the security, prosperity and well-being of the people of the United States and the Caribbean. “We are deploying with 197 credentialed medical professionals that are joint forces, that’s public health, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Army providers aboard, combined with my full staff of over 800 people,” said Capt. Kevin Buckley, commanding officer, USNS Comfort Medical Treatment Facility. “Currently, we also have 13 multinational providers, including personnel from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Costa Rica. There’s potentially approximately 100 medical providers coming from the civilian non-governmental organizations (NGO) partners as well as other host nations that may be joining us during the mission stops.” A team of Military Sealift Command civil service mariners will oversee the ship’s operation and navigation for Comfort’s deployment. As part of the planning for Comfort’s deployment, the health ministries in each country will determine how patients are seen. The majority of patients will be treated at Comfort’s land-based medical sites. Select patients may be chosen for the hospital ship’s onboard surgical services. The medical and dental capabilities provided during this deployment will assist communities with a wide range of health services. These services will include basic medical evaluation and treatment, preventive medicine, dental screenings and treatment, optometry screenings, eyewear distribution, general surgery, ophthalmologic surgery, public health training, and additional specialties as required.
“We expect to help thousands of people while we are on this mission and impact lives,” Buckley said. “We will be providing surgeries for patients onboard USNS Comfort. These will be low-risk surgeries with high economic impact. The surgery services we will provide have some of the biggest impact economically and help not only the patients themselves but help their families.” A U.S. Navy hospital ship has the capacity to provide afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facilities to the U.S. military, and is an optimal platform to provide hospital services in support of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations worldwide. “It is a great honor to have this opportunity, and we are really looking forward to this mission and to continuing building the strength of our partnerships throughout the region,” added Diebold. Comfort’s deployment demonstrates the U.S. commitment to the Americas and is part of a continuum of support provided by U.S. Southern Command. USSOUTHCOM-sponsored civic assistance and humanitarian missions happen in close cooperation with partner nations in the region as well as with U.S. interagency partners. Similar missions include Continuing Promise, New Horizons, Beyond the Horizon, medical readiness training exercises and the Medical Civil Action Program. USSOUTHCOM is one of the nation’s six geographically focused unified commands, with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and Central and South America.
GAMES CORNER
Kakuro
Fill all the empty squares with numbers 1-9. The numbers in each row must add up to the clue on the left and right, while the numbers in each column add up to the clue on the top and bottom. No number may be used more than once in a line.
Sudoku
Fill all the empty squares with numbers 1-9. Each of the nine blocks must contain every number, and each number can only appear once in a row, column or box.
HAMPTON ROADS EVENTS SUNDAY
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MONDAY
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TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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Anthony Rosano & the Coqueroos Summer Concert Series Port Warwick 6 p.m.
30
1
2
3
Bayou Boogaloo Norfolk Tides Music and Cajun vs Gwinnett Food Festival Stripers
Norfolk Tides vs Gwinnett Stripers
Sail Nauticus
Town Point Park, Norfolk 12 p.m.
Harbor Park 7 p.m.
Weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays
Harbor Park 7 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
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FRIDAY
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28 2019 Virginia Craft Festival
MWR Great Navy Camp Out
Virginia Beach Convention Center 11 a.m.
NWS Yorktown Cheatham Annex
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5
Independence Day BINGO MWR 1 p.m.
SATURDAY
First Friday’s Downtown Street Party 5.p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Mr. Eazi Concert 8 p.m. The Norva
Every 1st Friday of the month
EVERY WEEK - FITNESS CLASSES Yoga Class Huntington Hall 12 p.m.
Mixxed Fit Class Huntington Hall 12 p.m.
Zumba Class Huntington Hall 12 p.m.
Yoga Class Huntington Hall 12 p.m.
Mixxed Fit Class Huntington Hall 12 p.m.
Zumba Class Huntington Hall 12 p.m.
Mixxed Fit Class Huntington Hall 12 p.m.