WASHINGTON SURVEYOR THE
JAN. 29, 2017
By MCSN Julie Vujevich
OUT WITH THE OLD FIRE MAIN MAINTENANCE
By MCSA Steven Young
ENLISTED WARFARE THE PATHS TO SUCCESS
The Washington Surveyor
Commanding Officer CAPT Glenn Jamison
Executive Officer
SAILOR
of the
WEEK
CAPT Colin Day
Command Master Chief CMDCM Maurice Coffey
Public Affairs Officer LCDR Gregory L. Flores
Deputy Public Affairs Officer LT Andrew Bertucci
Departmental LCPO MCCS Reginald Buggs
Divisional LCPO MCC Mary Popejoy
Editors MC3 Devin Bowser MC3 Jamin Gordon
Content MC2 Alora Blosch MC2 Jessica Gomez MC2 Bryan Mai MC3 Kashif Basharat MC3 Joshua DuFrane MC3 Shayla Hamilton MC3 Trey Hutcheson MC3 Brian Sipe MC3 Kristen Yarber MCSN Michael Botts MCSN Oscar Moreno MCSN Julie Vujevich MCSA 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 (7726).
*For comments and concerns regarding The Washington Surveyor, email the editor at jamin.gordon@cvnit.navy.mil*
PSSN Langston Hooper DEPARTMENT: Personnel HOMETOWN: Brooklyn, New York REASON HE JOINED THE NAVY: I joined because I felt like it could help get me where I needed to be, such as going to school with the Navy’s help.
On the cover: (Jan. 23, 2018) DC2 Mark Carroll cycles an out of service fire valve on the ship. (U.S. Navy Photo by MCSN Julie Vujevich)
PHOTO of the
WEEK
(Jan. 18, 2018) ABH1 Kevin Vincent fills in his information during the Navy-wide E-7 exam. (U.S. Navy Photo by MC2 Alora Blosch)
QUESTIONS of the WEEK
DC 3M
Q:
How is Halon 1301 activated?
A:
BY A FIVE POUNDS CARBON DIOXIDE BOTTLE; PULL PIN, AND SQUEEZE THE HANDLE.
Q:
What are the different SPMIG categories?
SAFETY
A:
I. TEST EQUIPMENT, II. MATERIALS, III. PARTS, IV. TOOLS, V. MISCELLANEOUS.
Q: What is a Class “D” mishap? A:
$20,000 OR MORE BUT LESS THAN $50,000. RECORDABLE INJURY OR ILLNESS NOT OTHERWISE CLASSIFIED AS A CLASS A, B, OR C.
DEPARTMENT in the
SPOTLIGHT
PERSONNEL By MC3 Brian Sipe
B
eing in the Navy comes with many opportunities for Sailors, whether they be new orders, tuition assistance (TA), advancements or other programs. Many Sailors do not know what is needed to take advantage of the opportunities provided to them, luckily Sailors have personnel department in order to help them. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington’s (CVN 73) personnel department is ready to help guide Sailors through their careers and make sure they are ready for whatever comes next in their life. Personnel is split into multiple sections each specialized in different tasks to help Sailors. Customer service,
which generally handles pay issues such as basic housing allowance (BAH) and meal pay deductions, separation and transfers, Receipts, which handles travel claims and gain packages and educational service officer (ESO), which handles advancement, tuition assistance (TA), awards and packages such as seaman-to-admiral (STA 21). “We serve anywhere between 75-120 Sailors a day on average,” said Chief Personnel Specialist Hector Morales. “Those are just the customers that actually need to sign in and receive help. But there are also a larger number of Sailors that just need some quick help or a question answered and including those numbers we can end up serving around
250 or more Sailors every day.” Personnel has two locations currently, one on the floating accommodation facility (FAF), which is much smaller, and one at the bank building (2600 Washington Ave.). The bank building is personnel’s main location and is where a majority of help is given to Sailors “Now that we have a central location things are running much smoother,” said Morales. “Before moving to the shipyard communication was a big problem for us. At one point we had personnel Sailors on the ship, on the FAF and at the bank building so servicing the ships Sailors could get difficult.” Being in the yards also gives George
“We serve anywhere between 75120 Sailors a day on average.” -PSC Hector Morales Washington Sailors the benefit of having more downtime to allow for developing oneself. Although normally provided to Sailors even out of the yards Sailors are able to, after going through the proper steps, get TA to help with the costs of
(Jan. 25, 2018) PS3 Lena Jordan completes forms for Sailors’ career sea pay premium. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Brian Sipe)
schooling. “You always want to expand your career outside the Navy,” said Personnel Specialist Seaman Langston Hooper, a member of the ESO team. “With tuition assistance the Navy College helps you pay for your classes to expand your career. As long as you fill out the forms correctly the Navy will help pay for college, so why not go for it and help
yourself for when you get out.” Whether transferring, applying for TA, dealing with pay issues or making sure your award is valid Personnel is there to help George Washington Sailors throughout their career while on board. For any questions or concerns, contact personnel department at the bank building or for minor questions, on the second deck of the FAF.
(Jan. 25, 2018) PS3 Victoria Gonzalez (left) helps EMFN Trent Gottsacker with his check-in paperwork. (U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Brian Sipe)
ENLISTEDWARFARE PATHS TO SUCCESS By MCSA Steven Young
F
or enlisted Sailors, the Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) and Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) programs are in place to teach Sailors basic knowledge of mission essential systems on the ship such as engineering, combat systems and aviation operations. For Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73), knowledge of their vessel and the systems aboard contribute to mission readiness, and ensure that they are prepared to handle any situation that may arise while operational, or during George Washington’s current Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH). “I think that since we’re in the yards it’s more important than ever for these programs to continue to remain strong and continue to keep our Sailors qualified,” said Masterat-Arms 1st Class Jessica Billings, the assistant anti-terrorism officer and physical security officer aboard George Washington. “That way when we do become operational we’ll be competitive in the fleet. Our Sailors will be educated, well rounded, and knowledgeable with whatever platform they’re on.” Sailors must complete a series of prerequisites before obtaining their enlisted warfare qualifications. These include watch-standing, maintenance, and damage control qualifications. Upon completing these requirements, Sailors then receive training from designated, departmental warfare co-
ordinators where they obtain signatures as verification for this training. After all line items have been signed, Sailors must pass a written test with a score of 80-percent or better, in order to move onto the pre-board, then onto the final board. The path to earning a warfare pin may seem overwhelming, but with determination and the appropriate preparation it can be achieved. “I’d say the program is a little more difficult now because Sailors aren’t able to see the departments do their actual functions,” said Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Nafeesa Williams, George Washington’s ESWS board coordinator. “Operations, combat systems, engineering, reactor, none of these departments are functional right now. Because of that, it’s harder for Sailors to actually get hands-on and see what the program is designed to do, but if they take the time out and go to each department’s respective coordinator they can still be successful.” Prior to 2010 obtaining warfare pins was optional. Naval Administrative (NAVADMIN) 268-10 made it a requirement for all Sailors to get their primary warfare device within an allotted period of time. “Getting their warfare pin is now a part of a Sailor’s career path,” said Williams. “Now you can’t get approved through C-Way (Career Waypoints) without having your primary pin, so it should be a stepping stone to move up in rank, and resonate through their career. It makes
you more competitive. I personally think the program was better when it wasn’t mandatory. I say that it was better before because you could tell who those Sailors were that took initiative and showed drive to step forward and get their pin because they wanted to decorate their uniform and be proud of what they had accomplished. Now it’s a requirement, so some people are just getting their pin out of obligation, not because it’s a pride or integrity thing.” While Williams supports leaving the decision up to Sailors to show initiative, Billings believes that mandating every Sailor to receive their warfare pin is beneficial to the Navy as a whole. “I do think it’s good for people to be held to a higher standard than what they were before,” said Billings. “We’re creating a better fleet overall. Our work force is more qualified. You see a lot of E-3 and below with dual warfare qualifications and it absolutely looks better.” Opportunities to receive training and qualifications will last throughout a Sailor’s naval career and beyond. Upon earning their warfare devices, Sailors can take pride in knowing that they have accomplished a great achievement and contributed to their ship and their shipmates. The ESWS and EAWS programs are preparing George Washington Sailors for departure from the shipyard, ensuring the ship returns to the fleet with a well-trained crew, prepared to face and overcome any challenge.
“Our Sailors will be educated, well rounded, and knowledgeable with whatever platform they’re on.” -MA1 Jessica Billings
(Jan. 23, 2018) DC3 Carter Gratton places a sign on an out of service fire plug on the ship. (U.S. Navy Photo by MCSN Julie Vujevich)
FIREMAINMAINTENANCEEVOLUTION By MCSN Julie Vujecich
A
pproaching the six-month mark for Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) begins to undergo an important maintenance evolution to ensure the ship’s mission readiness upon completion of RCOH. The Damage Control division came in Jan. 20-21 to segregate the port side fire main from the starboard side, perform mass tag-outs to the port side’s fire plugs and valves, and to slowly depres-
surize the port side’s fire main system. “The reason we’re doing this is so that the shipyard can overhaul, first the port side, and then the starboard side fire mains,” said Damage Controlman Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Sawyer, a George Washington Sailor that participated in the evolution. “The valves on the ship have been operating for 25 years so some of the valves, seats and discs could be corroded. We haven’t been able to provide any sort of isolation so when we’re trying to do tag-outs
on our equipment and try to fix our equipment, we can’t isolate properly because the valves leak by. This maintenance is going to restore all of our valves so that we can properly maintain our equipment.” As of Jan. 23, approximately 75 percent of the ship’s fire main has been depressurized and is scheduled to remain in Inactive Equipment Maintenance (IEM) until mid-July of this year while repairs are being made, said Damage Controlman Master Chief Petty Officer
Orlin R. Volmer, the Assistant Damage Control Assistant (ADCA) and Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO) of the Damage Control division. “On the port side, there’s no fire main on the lines, it’s entirely tagged down,” said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Mark Carroll, a George Washington Sailor that participated in the evolution. “We installed some blanks – a steel plate that blocks any water from escaping – on the starboard side and then slowly opened up the valves on each of the main branches of that side, allowing it to slowly release the fire main back into the system. This insures that we will still have half of the ship’s fire main still pressurized and usable while the other side is down.” Sailors on the ship should be aware of the outages and are advised to learn
“This maintenance is going to restore all of our valves so that we can properly maintain our equipment.” - DC2 Daniel Sawyer
where the closest working fire plugs are in the event of a fire. “After six to eight months, the maintenance should be done and we can bring the port side fire main back up, making sure the repair work that was completed during that time was able to fix any potential issues,” said Carroll. “We will then start the process of bringing down the starboard side of the fire main and go through the exact same evolution.” All affected fire plugs will have tags and labels on them, warning Sailors that the fire main is out of commission and giving the nearest location of an operable fire plug. The importance of the fire main maintenance evolution is paramount to the ship and its mission, better preparing the ship in the event of a fire in the future.
DC2 Mark Carroll checks a tag on an out of service fire valve on the ship. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Julie Vujevich)
(Jan. 23, 2018) An out of commission fire valve on the USS George Washington. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Julie Vujevich)
(Jan. 23, 2018) An out-of-commission sign hangs on a fire plug. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Julie Vujevich)
NEWESTRETENTIONPOLICY: HELPING SAILORS STAY IN By MCSN Michael Botts
“This NAVADMIN makes it easier for Sailors to extend.� - NCC Shaquanta Chukwuma
E
very year the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) and the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) team up with other high ranking government officials to address issues affecting the fleet. They assess instructions and make changes to outdated regulations to better suit Sailors and commands through the fleet. One of the major changes they made this year was on Dec. 21,
2017, with the release of Naval Administrative message 307/17 (NAVADMINS), which affects command manning levels and Sailor retention. This NAVADMIN has brought some significant changes to way the Navy handles its business pertaining to the retention of its Sailors. In the past, Sailors with projected rotation dates (PRD) after their end of active obligated service (EAOS) were able to push
the EAOS to match their PRD, only if they were a first term Sailor on sea duty. This was able to be done without any additional paperwork or applications. Any future extensions of EAOS required a career waypoints (CWAY) application to verify that the Navy could support the manning level in that rank and rate. This resulted in Sailors transitioning out of the Navy and leaving billets unmanned for months to a
year. In an effort to both retain Sailors and ensure billets stay manned, the new NAVADMIN, mandates that Sailors’ EAOS and PRD match. “With this new NAVADMIN coming out, those Sailors, who are about transfer out of our command to a new one, are being told that they are going to have to serve until their PRD at their next command,” said Chief Personnel Specialist Tiffany Jordan, a Sailor aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). “If the Sailor chooses not to extend and is planning on separating from the Navy, we must inform the detailer of their decision. Then the detailer will determine if that Sailor will still execute those orders and meet the needs of the Navy, or if they will have to extend their contract and remain onboard the ship.” This new NAVADMIN does not affect those Sailors who have already
been given their orders to their next command. For those Sailors currently onboard, our command is here to offer guidance on the best plan of action. “The command is responsible for the counseling of the Sailors onboard and making them aware of what their options are,” said Jordan. “You should make your intentions known on whether you plan on staying in the Navy or getting out to your chain of command. Depending on your intentions, your chain of command should be able to provide you with the information you need to help determine what is best for your specific circumstance.” Another change brought on by this new NAVADMIN, is the change to the previous extension policy. Sailors will now be able to extend to a maxium of 48 months, as where previously they were only able to extend up to a total of 23 months. “This NAVADMIN makes its easier
for Sailors to extend,” said Chief Navy Counselor Shaquanta Chukwuma, a Sailor aboard George Washington. “It removes the CWAY requirement for Sailors who fall into the category where they would need to extend their soft EAOS to meet their PRD. Before, we required a CWAY quota to extend anything over 24 months, now we are able to extend up to 48 months without having to have a CWAY quota.” Change is something every Sailor goes through during their Navy career. Whether it is a change of station or a change in an instruction, change can be difficult, but if you have any questions or are looking for more information on this NAVADMIN, you can read NAVADMIN 307/17 at www.npc.navy. mil or speak with one of the ships command career counselors.
(Dec. 08, 2017) 1st Class, 2nd Class and 3rd Class Petty Officer Selectees pose for a group photo during a frocking ceremony. (U.S. Navy Photo by MC2 Jessica Gomez)
THEDANGERZONE
HAZMAT DIVISION HELPS TO FACILITATE DANGEROUS MATERIAL
W
hile in refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington’s (CVN 73) hazardous material (HAZMAT) division plays a vital role in the day-today operations of the ship. In RCOH, HAZMAT’s main job is the distribution and disposal of HAZMAT that is needed for on-going maintenance around the ship, as well as for the different periodic maintenances that individual departments do on a daily basis. On a typical day, HAZMAT will support around 50 different maintenance tasks onboard the ship. It is important that every Sailor onboard the ship is following proper procedure, when it comes to HAZMAT. Wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when using, storing and disposing of HAZMAT is key to the safety of the Sailors who are working with HAZMAT. “Our biggest concern while in RCOH, is the safety of the Sailors who are using HAZMAT,” said Chief Logistics Specialist Genorse Gilbert the HAZMAT leading chief petty officer. “It’s labeled HAZMAT for a reason, so wearing safety goggles, gloves, chemical aprons, boots, anything that can protect your skin and eyes from chemical burns is
By MC3 Trey Hutcheson necessary while dealing with any type of HAZMAT.” With safety being such a major concern, it is important that Sailors do not make easily avoidable mistakes while getting and handling their HAZMAT. “A common mistake being made by Sailors is leaving HAZMAT unattended,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Wuarlin Ortiz Rosario. “Leaving HAZMAT unattended is a danger to not only yourself but others around you, so it is extremely important that you know where your HAZMAT is at all times.” HAZMAT division has an amnesty program in place. Any Sailor who finds any type of HAZMAT laying around the ship, that is not supposed to be there, can bring it to the HAZMAT trailer in the hanger bay without any repercussions. “We’re seeing a lot of the same mistakes from many different Sailors,” said Gilbert. “When you come to HAZMAT you should know exactly what you need, how much of it you need and know that when you are finished with the HAZMAT you must bring it back to us. Even if you use all the HAZMAT, you must bring the container that the HAZMAT was stored in back to us.” In an effort to properly store all
these materials the HAZMAT division designed and built an additional storage facility to store HAZMAT located on the pier. In the upcoming months, there will be a lot more painting going on, which means a lot more HAZMAT onboard the ship. “There is going to be a lot more painting going on next month, much more painting then we have seen since we’ve entered RCOH,” said Gilbert. “So, we designed a red HAZMAT trailer down on the pier to store all of the extra paint.” However, with the ship being in RCOH, most of the HAZMAT that was stored onboard has since been removed. “Prior to entering RCOH, most of our HAZMAT stock was ordered to be off-loaded from the ship,” said Gilbert. “What HAZMAT is left on the ship now is more of the high demand items, things that are used on an everyday basis to complete planned maintenance’s.” As we get more into the RCOH process, more HAZMAT is going to be required. Therefore, Sailors should maintain good practice now in the proper handling, usage and disposal of HAZMAT.
(Jan. 25, 2018) AN Joseph Macias mixes paint for distribution. (Photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)
(Jan. 25, 2018) Left to right, LSSA Corey, LSSN Jacqueune FelixCarrasquillo, AN Joseph Macias, LSSN Nate Iversen and MM3 Tyler Stroup pose for a group photo. (Photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)
(Jan. 25, 2018) MM3 Tyler Stoup secures a lid on a bucket of paint. (Photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)
(Jan. 25, 2018) LSC Genorse Gilbert inspects hazardous material. (Photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)
(Jan. 25, 2018) AN Joseph Macias mixes paint (Photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)
(Jan. 25, 2018) LSSN Nate Iversen verifies HAZMAT invertory. (Photo by MC3 Trey Hutcheson)
NAVY NEWS T
he Navy’s annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program has officially launched. In anticipation of the kick-off of tax season Jan. 29, VITA tax centers fleet wide are opening their doors. VITA is a free self-service program available to active-duty and retired service members and their dependents, as well as deployed Department of Defense civilians. VITA pairs those individuals and their families with trained volunteers and streamlined tax software, called MilTax, to get the job done right - and hopefully a refund in the bank within two weeks. “It is truly Sailors helping Sailors,” said Lt. Alexandra Marin, the Navy’s VITA program manager at the Office of the Judge Advocate General in Washington, D.C. “It is an opportunity to work with a fellow Sailor on how to educate yourself on preparing your own taxes.” “It’s a lifelong skill and starting out with a Sailor teaching you how to do this, so that the next year you can do it for yourself and help your family members and shipmates, that’s critical,” she added. “Self-service VITA taxes is the best way to go about doing that.” Run by the Internal Revenue Service, VITA is available to Sailors and other customers through Naval Legal Service Command. Customers can find their nearest VITA tax center via Military OneSource. They also have the option of doing their taxes online. Those who have taken part in the program have been surprised at how quick and easy filing their own taxes can be. “The process for filing taxes is fairly
Navy’s 2018 VITA Program is Open for Business By Terri Moon Cronk, DoD News, Defense Media Activity
straightforward,” said Kevin Carey, VITA volunteer. “The tax software uses an interview process, asking questions to fill out the tax forms, and a volunteer is always available to answer questions. For a simple return with just one or two W-2s a return can be completed in less than 30 minutes.” There are other benefits of VITA, as well. According to the National Society of Accountants, using this free service will save Sailors an average of $261. “First of all, it’s free, so you can save a few hundred dollars just by coming to a self-service VITA office,” said Marin. “And it educates you on how to prepare your taxes on your own. So when your family and friends want to know how to do it, they can ask you and next year you can have your information saved in the software and you know how to do it yourself.”
Tax preparers advise Sailors bring the following items to appointments at their VITA tax center: * Valid identification for taxpayer/s * Social Security Numbers (including spouse and children) * Child care provider tax I.D. or Social Security Number and address * 2016 adjusted gross income from last year’s tax return (if you have a copy, VITA volunteers can show you where this amount is) * IRS E-filing PIN (you can get one at irs.gov or call IRS at 866-704-7388 * Income data (W-2s) * All end-year tax documents (1099s) * Student loan payment information * Receipts for child care payment * Receipts for educational expenses
(Jan. 23, 2018) A graphic illustrating the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps seal. (U.S. Navy Graphic/ Released)
CVN
HEALTH/WELLNESS