27NOV2017 Washington Surveyor

WASHINGTON SURVEYOR THE

NOV. 27, 2017

By MC2 Bryan Mai

ADVANCEMENT EXAM UNDERSTANDING YOUR PROFILE SHEET

By MCSA Michael Botts

PAR FOR THE CORPS FALL GOLF TOURNAMENT

The Washington Surveyor

Commanding Officer CAPT Glenn Jamison

SAILOR

On the cover: (Nov 3, 2017) - ABFAN Kyle Harden poses for a photo after receiving a Thanksgiving meal from the air department first class petty officers. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

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 Alan Lewis MC3 Brian Sipe MC3 Kristen Yarber MCSN Trey Hutcheson MCSN Oscar Moreno MCSN Marlan Sawyer MCSA Michael Botts MCSA Adam Ferrero MCSA Steven Young

W

(Nov 17, 2017) - GW Sailors volunteer during the 21st annual Mayflower Marathon. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Trey Hutcheson)

QUESTIONS of the WEEK DC2 Shana Simpkins

DC

Q:

3M

Q:

Who wears the 45 minutes Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) bottle?

A:

BOUNDRYMAN.

DEPARTMENT: Engineering 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*

HOMETOWN: Chesapeake, Virginia WHEN I JOINED THE NAVY: January, 2012 REASON I JOINED THE NAVY: I’ve always wanted to join the military, but I just wanted to go to college first just to try that out. (DC2 Simpkins is a graduate of Norfolk St. University) FAVORITE PART OF MY JOB: My favorite part about my job is that I’m always busy. I work with a really good team of people and they allow me to do everything that I need to do. I’m able to do DC command training, Surface boards and a few other collateral duties because my team is so great they allow me the time to do those things.

ON-SCENE LEADER, TEAM LEADER, NOZZLEMAN, HOSEMAN, PLUGMAN,

What does the SPMIG stand for and what is its use?

SAFETY

A:

STANDARD PMS MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION GUIDE AND IT IS USED TO IDENTIFY CORRECT PMS MATERIALS FOR MAINTENANCE.

Q: What PPE shall be used during grinding operations?

A: SAFETY GOGGLES, RESPIRATOR, AND GLOVES.

ADVANCEMENT EXAM

DEPARTMENT in the

SPOTLIGHT

W(Nov 20, 2017) - DCFN Cody Heath prepares to refill Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) tanks in the hangar bay. (U.S. Navy photo

by MCSA Steven Young)

ENGINEERING

T

W(Sept 21, 2017) - GW Sailors take the Navy-wide advancement exam.. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Jessica Gomez)

By MCSA Steven Young

he Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) was constructed to serve a 50-year service life. After 25 successful years of service, George Washington is currently undergoing its Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH).

The Sailors of George Washington’s engineering department are continually working towards ensuring that the ship is prepared for optimal performance upon completing its RCOH and returning to the fleet.

“Right now, our primary goal is maintaining readiness of the ship and preparing the ship for the next 25 years of its service life period,” said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Shana Simpkins. “We have to make sure that we’re maintaining equipment readiness. We have [Machinist Mates] that are going through the anchor chains and making sure that the elevators are prepared, [Damage Controlmen] making sure that all of the firefighting equipment is up to date and electricians working on all electrical equipment. Essentially what we’re doing right now is setting up for success once we leave the shipyard.”

The duties of certain engineering department personnel may differ during the RCOH period, but they are no less important.

“When the ship was up and running things were definitely a lot crazier,” said Damage Controlman Fireman Cody Heath. “We’d have [General Quarters], line squad drills, reactor drills and things of that sort. Now that we’re in the yards those things aren’t going on anymore so it’s a bit more relaxed, but we know that we can’t get complacent. That’s the most important thing, so we’re always staying up on our maintenance.”

Heath’s emphasis of avoiding complacency is especially important during the RCOH period because of the hazards that are presented during this process.

This is where the necessity of the engineering department remaining primed to address any challenges that they are faced with becomes evident.

“We’re the ones who save the ship when things go awry,” said Heath. “If a fire breaks out we’ve got to get there and keep it from spreading. If there’s flooding in a space we’re there. If someone falls down a void we’ve got to go

get them. If we’re not there then they’d have to wait for base firefighting to arrive which means that precious time is ticking away. We’re the initial casualty response. That’s pretty much what every aspect of our job boils down to; prevent casualties.

“The hardest part of this job is by far is the casualties,” said Heath. “We take every measure possible to avoid it, but accidents are going to happen. This job gets your adrenaline going. It’s fun to do, but when it comes down to it it’s pretty serious, so we definitely have to know our stuff.”

During George Washington’s time in the shipyard, its Sailors are perpetually working towards a common goal - preparing their ship for its departure. The Sailors of the engineering department are playing a vital role in preventing casualties, responding to crisis’ on board and maintaining the preparedness of damage control and safety equipment, all of which are essential aspects of making sure that George Washington is prepared to rejoin the fleet and return to the fight in support of the Navy’s mission.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR PROFILE SHEET

By MC2 Bryan Mai

T

housands of Sailors take the advancement exam twice a year and await the results of those exams twice a year. The results of these exams determine their careers, and thus their intentions.

The results for September 2017’s advancement exam was released.

While many Sailors will advance, unfortunately, some will not.

The most important thing for Sailors that did not advance this cycle to understand is why they did not advance, and what areas they can strengthen for the next cycle.

Every Sailor that took an exam will have a profile sheet that they can review.

“A profile sheet is a snapshot of the exam,” said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Gilberto Vaz, a member of the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) educational services office (ESO). “It is a breakdown of

your score on the exam. It has your performance mark average (PMA), your passed-not-advanced (PNA) points, your standard score, your time in rate and how well you did on various sections on your exam.”

Your PMA uses only the Promotion Recommendation block (Block 45) from evaluations in the current paygrade. For E4, your ESO uses evaluations from the past eight to nine months. For E5, the past 14 to 15 months are used, and E6, the past 36 months. Block 45 marks are added together and then divided by the number of evaluations used in the computation.

“An ‘EP’ (early promote) evaluation gives you a 4.0, a ‘MP’ (must promote) evaluation gives a 3.8 and a ‘P’(promote) evaluation gives a 3.6,” said Personnel Specialist Seaman Apprentice Langston Hooper.

“With a ‘SP’ (significant problems) evaluation, you wouldn’t be able

to take the exam, so with that, you can determine what your PMA is yourself and make sure that it is correct.”

Evaluations are important, but the standard score is weighted more for junior Sailors. The standard score is the score from the examination itself.

“For Sailors taking the second or third class exam, if they score well enough, they can advance even with a ‘P’ evaluation,” said Vaz. “For the first class exam however, their PMA will have a much larger influence on whether or not they will advance.”

Although one may pass the exam, that does not necessarily mean a Sailor will advance to the next paygrade. You will fall under one of three areas: selectee, pass not advance, or fail.

Selectee means that the Sailor passed the exam and will be proCont’d on next page

moted. Pass not advance (PNA) means that a Sailor passed the exam, but did not end up with a high enough final multiple score (FMS) to advance. Fail means the Sailor failed this cycle’s advancement examination.

For Sailors with pass not advance, if they scored well enough, they can get PNA points. Sailors will be able to get a maximum of three PNA for each cycle. They can get a maximum of 1.5 PNA points from scoring well and another 1.5 PNA points from having a high PMA. “That’s why it’s important to be able to read your profile sheet,” said Vaz. “We all make mistakes and you wouldn’t want to miss advancing because of a mistake.

Some people will have incorrect information on their profile sheet such as a wrong PMA because the Sailor bubbled in the wrong infor-

mation, we took in the wrong evaluation, or they just didn’t give us the evaluation. If they knew how to read it, they would be able to spot potential incorrect information and tell us so we can correct it.”

Sailors who find discrepancies in their profile sheet can go to the ESO department to fix them. These discrepancies can include their PMA, their PNA points, education points, or award points.

“We can’t change the standard score from the test, but we can fix your PMA and award points,” said Vaz. “We don’t deal with the education points either but if you bring in supporting documents such as a transcript or award letters, we can send a correction letter and get it changed.”

Having a clear understanding of one’s profile sheet is a vital step in ensuring all possible points are

awarded.

“Being able to read your PMA and award points will be the most important part of understanding your profile sheet,” said Vaz. “As long as you can read those two and potentially get some additional points, you should be good to go.”

Profile sheets also shows how well you scored in certain sections pertaining to your rating. Sailors are able to tailor a custom study program for themselves to study what topic or section they scored lowest on based on the information from the profile sheet.

You can find your profile sheet by logging into NSIPS at https://nsipsprod.nmci.navy.mil/nsipsclo/jsp/ index.jsp. In the Training, Education and Qualifications tab, click on “View Training, Education and Qualifications.” Click on “Exam Profile Data.”

NOVEMBER is

W(Photo provided by PS2 Nicholas Jones)

NATIONAL ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH

By MC3 Brian Sipe

E

very day around the world, children and teens live in foster care waiting to get the chance to be part of a family. To help those children and teens, November has been named National Adoption Awareness Month to raise awareness and to get those in foster care adopted.

“It’s a month of appreciation for those who open their homes, hearts and families for children in need,” said Personnel Specialist 2nd class Nicholas Jones, a Sailor assigned to the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and adoptive father of four.

“It doesn’t matter whether they don’t have a home or have lost their home, all of the children in foster care that need a family. But more than that, it’s also to raise awareness for those people in need that are out there.”

According to heartbeatinternational. org, National Adoption Awareness Month originally started as National Adoption Week, started by President

Gerald Ford. Later when it had grown in popularity and more states were doing it, it was changed to be a month long.

During the month, there is one day, usually a Saturday, where thousands of adoptions are handled in one day.

“If you do decide to adopt, just make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons,” said Jones. “Whoever you are bringing into your family is not just a paycheck. You’re going to be molding someone to be great and you have to ensure you are stable enough for that kind of responsibility. A lot of times the kids are coming from broken homes, so you have to be ready mentally and financially for any problems that may arise from that.”

Most people are eligible to adopt a child if they wish to, according to childwelfare.gov, and marital status, age or sexual orientation do not matter for most adoption agencies. There are certain requirements if wishing to adopt from a different country or from a faith-

based agency that can vary from agency to agency.

“The lasting connections and support created through adoption can make the difference between lifelong vulnerability for young people leaving foster care or a future of resilience, support, and well-being,” said Jerry Milner, the Associate Commissioner at the Children’s Bureau. “Which is something worth celebrating all year long.”

According to childwelfare.gov, this year’s theme is “Teens need families, no matter what,” promoting the fact that teens are in need of foster care just as much as young children. The website states that teens are less likely to be adopted due to their age and will age out of the system without ever having been adopted.

For any Sailors that are looking to adopt, childcare.gov provides resources and explanations to help guide prospective foster parents along the correct path of adoption for them.

GIVING MORE THAN THANKS

Photos by MC3 Jamin Gordon

(Nov 2, 2017) – GW Sailors from air department recieve Thanksgiving meals from their first class petty officers. (Photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

(Nov 2, 2017) – AN Jordan Liebhardt from air department recieves Thanksgiving meals from his first class petty officers. (Photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

(Nov 2, 2017) – ABF3 Travis Bond from air department recieves Thanksgiving meals from her first class petty officers. (Photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

(Nov 2, 2017) – AN LaPorschia Shaw from air department recieves Thanksgiving meals from her first class petty officers. (Photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

(Nov 2, 2017) – GW air department first class petty officers give away Thanksgiving meals to some of their Sailors.. (Photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

(Nov 2, 2017) – GW Sailors from air department recieve Thanksgiving meals from their first class petty officers. (Photo by MC3 Jamin Gordon)

FALL GOLF TOURNAMENT

W(Nov 2, 2017) - Supply officers golf on Eagle Haven Golf Course at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek during the Navy Supply Corps Foundation Hampton Roads Fall Golf Tournament. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Adam Ferrero)

PAR FOR THE CORPS

By MCSA Adam Ferrero

S

ailors from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) participated in the 2017 Navy Supply Corps Foundation Fall Golf Tournament at Eagle Haven Golf Course on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Nov. 2.

The event was coordinated by Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 2 Logistics and Support Unit (LOGSU-2) and Expeditionary Support Unit (ESU) 2.

Capt. Paul Amodio, President of the Navy Supply Corps Foundation (NSCF) Hampton Roads Chapter, began the tournament with a few words of appreciation.

“I know it’s hard work to do this, and they did a great job,” said Amodio.

There were 24 teams playing in the tournament. Nine of the teams were comprised of George Washington Sailors. The remaining teams came from Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, LOGSU-2, ESU-2, Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Air Station Oceana, United States Fleet Forces Command, and Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Newport News.

“This event embraces comradery and fellowship in an effort to bridge

communication among supply officers at multiple commands across the Hampton Roads region,” said Cmdr.

Kelly House, the George Washington’s supply officer. “That way, when one of us experiences a problem in our own unit, we tend to reach out through what we call ‘SUPPO-net’ to ask other supply officers, ‘Hey, how did you handle this problem? How did you correct the deficiencies in accountability? How did you put in controls?’ Those are things that some supply officers may not know the answer to but some other supply officer has already experienced.

With that we’re able to communicate together to solve it as a community.”

Lt. Cmdr. Laura Takanen, the supply officer for LOGSU-2, reflected the same attitude, and said that events such as the tournament are an excellent way for Supply Corps officers to network and mentor between different ranks.

“I was able to introduce several junior officers to my commanding officer,” said Takanen. “Since they’re interested in expeditionary they’re looking to potentially come to my command, and so it’s good for them to meet other officers and find out what

that really entails.”

Takanen said that the tournament was also an excellent way to raise money for scholarships.

“Those scholarships go to the sons and daughters of both Supply Corps officers and our enlisted personnel,” said Takanen. “We also use some of the money to support the families of Supply Corps officers who are killed in action or die on active duty.”

Takanen said that NSCF holds multiple events throughout the year, including annual golf tournaments every spring and fall.

“To be honest, I’m a horrible golfer, but I love these events so much,” said House. “It allows us to have that comradery and fellowship that I think every supply officer needs.”

After the tournament, a raffle was held and lunch was provided for the golfers.

NSCF’s next golf event, the Supply Corps Classic Golf Tournament, is slated for Dec. 1 at the Windy Harbor Golf Club on Naval Station Mayport.

For more information, or to sign up, contact Lt. Cmdr. Nate Edge at nathaniel.s.edge@navy.mil.

W(Nov 2, 2017) - Lt. Cmdr. Jay Davis golfs on Eagle Haven Golf Course at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek during the Navy Supply Corps Foundation Hampton Roads Fall Golf Tournament.

(U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Adam Ferrero)

W(Nov 2, 2017) - Cmdr. Kelly House golfs on Eagle Haven Golf Course at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek during the Navy Supply Corps Foundation Hampton Roads Fall Golf Tournament.

(U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Adam Ferrero)

W(Nov 2, 2017) - Lt. Cmdr. Roy Klotzbach golfs on Eagle Haven Golf Course at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek during the Navy Supply Corps Foundation Hampton Roads Fall Golf Tournament. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Adam Ferrero)

NAVY NEWS

By Military Sealift Command Public Affairs

M

ilitary Sealift Command’s hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) returned to Naval Station Norfolk after providing life-saving medical care to the people of Puerto Rico.

Comfort departed Virginia Sept.

29, and had been in Puerto Rico for almost two months providing disaster relief support after Hurricane Maria devastated the island.

“The ship’s namesake Comfort was absolutely appropriate for what the crew was able to do, because we weren’t just there to provide medical treatment, we were there for the comfort to the patient’s families,” said Capt. Kevin Robinson, the Comfort’s mission commander. “We made every effort to bring family member escorts aboard to provide comfort to the patients as well as the family.”

Comfort worked with the Puerto Rico Department of Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to treat patients since the first day it arrived in Puerto Rico Oct 3.

Since departing Norfolk to provide humanitarian relief, Sailors aboard Comfort have treated 1,899 patients, performed 191 surgeries, provided 76-thousand liters of oxygen and 10 tons of food and water.

“When we first got there, there was no electricity and everything was dark. We were a bright beacon that had power,” said Capt. Roger Gwinn, USNS Comfort’s master.

“We met people that hadn’t showered in 8-9 days, hadn’t had a hot

USNS Comfort Completes Hurricane Relief Mission in Puerto Rico

W

(Nov 20, 2017) - The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) returns to Naval Station Norfolk after being deployed in support of humanitarian relief efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Patrick T. Bauer)

meal in the same amount of time, and that made the crew realize what we were dealing with.”

The ship conducted nearly 200 total surgeries to include 44 general surgical procedures such as hernia repair, gallbladder removal and appendix removal; 25 major orthopedic surgical cases; 17 amputations and 15 urologic procedures.

“What we saw were people with chronic conditions that had lost follow-up because either their clinics were gone or they hadn’t gotten their medications refilled,” said Capt. Kevin Buckley, USNS Comfort’s medical treatment facility commanding officer.

Several notable surgeries included a modified radical mastectomy for an advanced case of breast cancer, a complex multi-organ abdominal cancer resection, an urgent drainage and

exploration of a complicated neck infection, and an emergent open repair of a ruptured aortic aneurysm which comprised the largest, most complex surgery ever performed on a hospital ship.

There were two children born onboard Comfort during the hurricane relief mission. The first was a baby girl, Sara Victoria Llull Rodriguiz, Oct. 14, and the second was a baby boy, Isaias Valerio-Fonseca Nov. 3.

The father of the boy was a U.S. Navy veteran.

The recovery mission in Puerto Rico continues under the long-term leadership of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. military reservists and National Guard.

For more news from Military Sealift Command, visit www.navy.mil/ local/MSC/.

CVN

FEP will be held once a day at 0600.

“Sailors required to attend FEP must attend three sessions per week, even during short weeks,” said Britos. “Only one FEP session per day counts for a Sailor.”

Sailors are required to wear command PT gear at FEP sessions.

“Sailors should come prepared for cold weather and should dress accordingly, with plenty of water,” said Britos.

FEP is a program offered at every command in the Navy. Its purpose W(Nov 21, 2017) - GW Sailors begin their morning Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP) session is to help all Sailors succeeded in with a two-lap run around the track. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts) the fitness aspect of their lives.

HEALTH/WELLNESS

F

3

W THREE SESSIONS PER T WEEK ARE REQUIRED TH

M

W(Nov 21, 2017) - GW Sailors stretch during morning Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP) session. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)

FEP: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

By MCSA Michael Botts

D

uring the summer months, Sailors might have stuffed their faces at barbeques with their friends or driven down to the beach to relax for the day.

However, as the fall and winter seasons approached, some of those Sailors found that they were not as prepared as they wanted to be for their bi-annual Physical Readiness Test (PRT). Even though their last PRT might have not gone well, the Navy has a program in place to get them back on the right track.

If a Sailor fails their PRT or receives a probationary score, that Sailor is placed in the Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP). FEP is a program offered by the command that aims to improve the fitness and nutrition levels of the Sailors who attend.

“Over the summer, I wasn’t really focused on working out,” said Airman Gordon Vincent, a Sailor assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). “It really showed during my PRT this time around, but FEP has really helped me get back into a workout routine, and after only a couple sessions, I have seen improvement in my overall fitness.”

Although FEP is required for some Sailors, any Sailor at the command is able to attend sessions.

There is no requirement for those who are not mandated to attend, so Sailors who are thinking about boosting their fitness levels are able to use FEP as a starting point.

“Even if you aren’t required to go, I think FEP is a good way for anyone to get into a workout rou-

tine,” said Vincent. “Most people don’t work out because they don’t know where to start, and I think FEP would be a great starting point for most people.”

FEP is a resource that can benefit all Sailors aboard the ship, and is offered in the gym or on the track at the Huntington Hall Navy barracks in Newport News, Virginia.

“FEP is held, rain or shine, Monday through Friday, at 6 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.,” said Chief Electricians Mate (Nuclear) Carlos Britos, the FEP coordinator for George Washington. “The only exception to that is on command holiday routine days.”

With the holiday season approaching, FEP will be going into its winter cycle. During the command holiday stand-down period,

2

S

S

*Even on short weeks!

FEP IS TWICE A DAY RAIN OR SHINE!

5 1 5 1 & 0 0 6 0

1

*Command liberty and holidays are the exception.

W(Nov 21, 2017) - IC3 Jason Goodpastor stretches during his morning Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP) session. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)

ONLY ONE SESSION PER DAY COUNTS!

• Sailors need to dress for cold weather and bring plenty of water • The CFL will decide if PT can be conducted in inclement weather HOLIDAY STAND-DOWN: FEP will only be conducted once a day at 0600

W(Nov 21, 2017) - MM3 Kevin Albright stretches during his morning Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP) session. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Michael Botts)