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URVEYOR Vol. 21, Issue: 5 Mar. 8, 2021
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE 6 BACK ON POST The post office reopens on GW
8 FOOD FOR THOUGHT All three galleys set to get back to serving
12 TRAINING FOR SUCCESS MMN3 Graham uses training to save the ship
16 A LEGACY FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS GW votes on a new command crest Culinary Specialist Seaman Aldaysha Johnson, assigned to S-2, the general mess division of supply department, cleans the mess line in the aft galley.
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AROUND THE FLEET USS Donald Cook Supports Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group ON THE COVER: Culinary Specialist Seaman Recruit Connor Pierce, assigned to the supply department, gets plates ready for the opening of the galley.
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USS George Washington (CVN 73) Commanding Officer
Vol. 21, Issue: 5 Mar. 8, 2021
Surveyor Magazine Command Master Chief
Executive Officer
URVEYOR
Editor-in-Chief Lt. Cmdr. Javan Rasnake
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Capt. Kenneth Strong
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Media Department
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Lt. Cmdr. Javan Rasnake
Lt. Chelsea Cannaday
MC2 Trey Hutcheson MC2 Marlan Sawyer MC3 Zachary Thomas
Departmental LCPO
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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.
The Washington Surveyor • 3
SAILOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT
HN Carina Lira HOMETOWN: San Antonio, TX
WHERE SHE WORKS: Dental Department
HOBBIES:
Painting, discovering new music, researching and cooking new recipes
WHAT SHE ENJOYS ABOUT THE NAVY:
“I enjoy working in the dental department and getting dental readiness up.”
WHAT ‘SAILOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT’ MEANS TO HER:
“Being named ‘Sailor in the Spotlight’ means that I’m doing my part in the mission of the ship. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t just for my effort, but the effort of my department as a whole.”
WHY SHE WAS NOMINATED:
HN Lira hit the ground running when she came to the ship, working on qualifications and getting her warfare pins. Dental department’s chain of command says she’s shown tremendous initiative with her work and getting things done. 4 • The Washington Surveyor
GW’S NEWEST WARRIORS ESWS ETN2 David Nguyen GM2 Asia Myrick IT2 Justin Pakele LSSN Benjamin Dukes MC3 Michael Hazlett MMN1 Kortney Cunningham RSSN Isaiah Ledezma
EAWS AT2 Matthew Schiavo ATAN Sydnie Smith
ESWS Coordinators
EAWS Coordinators
EIWS Coordinators
Deck Watch Coordinators
OSC Zachary Machnics MAC Thomas Bohannon
ACCS Matthew Cuppernoll AOC James Cooksey
CTMC Kathleen Chandler IT1 Thaddeus Wiedemeier
CDR. Steve Yargosz LT. John Coughlin
GEORGE WASHINGTON IS BACK ON POST STORY AND PHOTOS BY MC3 ROBERT STAMER
Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Ashanni Davis, assigned to the supply department, stamps a package in the ship’s post office.
Every aircraft carrier in the Navy is like a giant, floating city. On it is nearly every amenity that a Sailor could need. There is somewhere to eat, shower, lounge, exercise, and buy a cup of coffee. There is even a full post office for mailing letters and packages. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is no exception. For the last four years, because of the refueling, and complex overhaul process, the post office was removed from the ship, and the space was empty. But now, as the ship is starting to come back together, life is returning to the ship’s post office and soon mail will once again be leaving from and arriving aboard the ship. While the mail room on the ship was inactive, Supply department’s S-1 and S-12 divisions operated from the floating
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accommodation facility (FAF). “We moved into the [ship’s] post office from the FAF after every little piece was fixed,” said Logistics Specialist 1st Class Ankit Patel, S-1’s postal leading petty officer. “First, it was the CANES [Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Systems] drops, then it was the power and ventilation. Finally, after the deck had been laid, and we waited for it to cure, we were good to go.” Patel says their space, located in 3-148-1-Q, just below the aft mess decks, was completed on Jan. 28, and by Feb. 1, the division had moved all of their postal operations onboard the ship. “We moved all the mail we had on hand,” said Patel. “Anything you would imagine a post office to have, we brought over to the ship.”
Lt. Martin Sanchez, the assistant postal officer aboard George Washington, said the entire division has been working really hard to bring over all operations in a matter of days. “There have been a lot of boxes to check off in order to get over here, but the entire team has crushed it, and I’m excited for them to actually work out of the space,” said Sanchez. The reason for such a quick transition was that there could not be two operational post offices run by the George Washington at the same time. This could run a security risk, said Patel. “We have everything from official documents, evaluations, exams, urinalysis results, and letters that need to be secured,” said Patel.
On the ship, Sailors don’t have to worry about their mail being stolen. “Every window and door that enters the post office has three locks on it and is also set with an alarm that pings Security [department] directly,” says Patel. “If anybody breaks in, an alarm is going off.” “Working on the ship is better because it is easier get in contact with work centers if there is mail that needs to be picked up, or if there is mail that has been left at the post office for an extended period of time,” said Patel.
Every day, when mail arrives, the post office reaches out to the recipient directly to ensure that mail is not accidentally left there for over 30 days. After that 30-day period, the post office is required to return the mail to the sender. Now, sending mail out is going to be extremely easy, said Patel. There will no longer be long walks in the cold to the FAF to pick up mail. Sailors can just walk down to the post office, knock on the door, and pick their packages or letters. “If anyone has personal mail they would
like to send, they would just come here to the mail room, pay a standard postage fee, and we would send it off,” says Patel. “You could even put your own postage on the item, and then no extra fees will be added.” To aid in dispersing the mail, Patel recommends leaders on the ship qualify more personnel to be mail orderlies. Mail orderlies are designated Sailors who are authorized to pick up mail for their departments and divisions. “Get junior Sailors to come down and get qualified,” says Patel. “It’s a good collateral
“THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF BOXES TO CHECK OFF IN ORDER TO GET OVER HERE, BUT THE ENTIRE TEAM HAS CRUSHED IT, AND I’M EXCITED FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY WORK OUT OF THE SPACE.” to have on your evaluation, and the more people who are qualified, the easier it is to disperse the mail.” In a very short period of time, every Sailor will have what they need to live on the ship. When Sailors’ needs are met, they can focus on the mission. They can focus on grinding out the rest of RCOH. An onboard post office is just one more step in the direction of a fully functional aircraft carrier. Our community is almost complete, and we can continue to work as a team to bring the Spirit of Freedom back out to sea once again.
Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Jennings, assigned to the supply department, sorts letters in the post office.
The Washington Surveyor • 7
Culinary Specialist Seaman Aldaysha Johnson, assigned to S-2 the general mess division of supply department, cleans the mess line in the aft galley.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
THE WAY TO SAILORS’ HEARTS IS THROUGH THEIR STOMACHS STORY AND PHOTOS BY MC3 CORY J. DAUT
After four years of gutting and rebuilding, the aft galley is finally going to reopen and serve food to crewmembers assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). This will initiate the process of crew move-aboard (CMA) and get the ship back to a place Sailors can call ‘home’. “There was a huge task list at the start of refueling and complex overhaul, and we are nearing the finish line,” said Culinary Specialist Seaman Mesha Parks, assigned to the supply department aboard George Washington. “The last few obstacles before we can open the aft galley is to identify the personnel, make sure all the Sailors are qualified, test all of the equipment, and make sure the safety
Sailors assigned to the engineering department test the aft galley ventilation system.
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procedures are in place. [It will require] a lot of man hours to get the galley’s sanitation up to par.” Over the past four years, the ship’s galleys have been inoperable while the galleys got a complete makeover. This consisted of stripping the galley of nearly everything and upgrading it. “There was a lot of dust and debris in the galley, so there were a lot of field days,” said Chief Culinary Specialist Roderick Baker, the cargo leading chief petty officer of the supply department aboard George Washington. “We needed to ensure the engineering department tests the equipment, that medical tests the water make sure it is safe to drink, and [we
needed to] pick up our stuff from [the] SCOOP [warehouse]. Sometimes the simple stuff sometime can be the most difficult tasks.” Now that the reopening of aft galley is at the finish line, it is time to start thinking about what will be served to the Sailors. “Ordering the food is actually the easiest part of all of this,” said Baker. “There is no middleman in that whole process. The hardest part of getting the food here is actually storing all of the food and keeping it at the right temperature.” With CMA happening, Sailors will be losing their basic allowance for subsistence, or BAS, which is an allowance added to basic pay when there is no food provided at a command.
Culinary Specialist Seaman Aldaysha Johnson, assigned to S-2 the general mess division of supply department, cleans a table in the aft galley.
“Initially, the morale may be down. I only say that, not because of the food onboard, but because of the fact that the Sailors on this ship are going to lose money,” said Baker. “I think the galley will be a nice spot for Sailors living on the ship to hang out with their friends and give them a time to relax and be themselves.” With the rest and relaxation of some Sailors also comes with hard work of the Sailors who have to provide the food, serve the food, and clean up after meals. “Operating in the galley again is going to be a lot of hard work for every one of us working there,” said Parks. “I am excited to finally be working back on the ship like I’d imagined when being assigned to an aircraft carrier.” Because few Sailors ate from the galley on the floating accommodation facility, some Culinary Specialists were temporary assigned duty to different departments and worked outside of their rate. “I am happy that the Sailors who came to the George Washington are finally going to be able to do their jobs,” said Baker. “A lot
“I THINK THE GALLEY WILL BE A NICE SPOT FOR SAILORS LIVING ON THE SHIP TO HANG OUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND GIVE THEM A TIME TO RELAX AND BE THEMSELVES.”
of Sailors came to GW and were sent to PM [preventative maintenance] teams and got discouraged. Now, they are finally going to be able to do the job they signed up for.” Another new element is that Sailors from different departments a will be trained for temporary duty as food service attendants (FSA). “It’s going to take leadership to train our team and making sure they are putting out a quality product, and make sure it’s made the right way,” said Baker. “They all have to take a sanitation class before serving food. We also have the FSA handbook for them to understand what’s expected of them.” Learning a new skill may be tough for some Sailors, but rebuilding and preparing a galley for its first meal was no easy task, either. “To find out our first meal, you will have to come down to the galley and find out what we are serving,” said Baker. “We want to do something simple but something special for our grand opening.”
The Washington Surveyor • 11
IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT: FIRE FIGHTING TRAINING SAVES THE SHIP
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MC3 AISLYNN HEYWOOD
Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) 3rd Class Sean Graham, a Sailor assigned to the reactor department’s mechanical division, writes down information for logs.
Every U.S. Navy Sailor has a specific job rating which they are designated to do, but on top of that job, there is essential training that all Sailors must go through in order to be prepared for emergencies inherent to shipboard life. On Feb. 2, 2021, a fire broke out in one of the cooling spaces aboard the Nimitzclass aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) 3rd Class Sean Graham, who works in the reactor department’s mechanical division aboard George Washington, was roving the ship while on watch when he found he needed to use the skills and training he had received from Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, and the damage control training he received aboard George Washington, to help put out a fire. “Graham learned most of this training when he was going through ‘A’ school and prototype [school], and then when he arrived at the ship, we trained him and his fellow
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shipmates to react properly to different casualty situations,” said Chief Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) Chris Kiner, assigned to the reactor department’s propulsion division aboard George Washington. Graham’s Navy career started when he left for basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. in April 2018. After he graduated, he went to Goose Creek, South Carolina, where he started “A” school, which was approximately three months long and focused on the basic skills of a machinist’s mate. It was here that he was indoctrinated to the nuclear learning process and understood the pace at which things go as they learn everything from proper nomenclature of tools, to refresher math skills, to essential knowledge regarding the basic systems they will be expected to maintain on a ship. Upon graduation from “A” School, Graham advanced to Petty Officer Third Class and transferred to Nuclear Power
School. This school was six months long and covered nuclear theory, chemistry, electrical concepts, and in-depth studies of manuals that control the nuclear navy. This school was entirely hands-off, and focused on his ability to learn and retain information at an accelerated pace. Once Graham completed this training, he was transferred to a Nuclear Prototype Training Unit, commonly referred to as “prototype”. Prototype is also a six-month long program, the first portion being classroom learning based on the platform he was assigned, followed by months of hands-on learning, operation and qualification within his rate. This was where he got his first experiences with qualifications and working on a nuclear platform. The average time for completion of these three schools for a machinist’s mate (nuclear) is between 18 months and two years. When Graham completed the final qualification process, he was granted his
Navy enlisted classification and was issued orders to George Washington in Dec. 2019. “In reactor [department] we are constantly training our Sailors to be able to fight fires and take care of any casualties that happen down in the reactor plant,” said Kiner. “Out to sea, nine times out of ten, it will be the reactor department that is going to be doing damage control efforts down in the plant initially, so we train our guys to be their own fire team.” Once he arrived on the ship, Graham was assigned to the reactor training division, where he started working on his basic nuclear enlisted qualifications (BNEQ). This taught him all about the platform he is now working with, and basic responses to casualties. Once he completed BNEQ, he started on his watch station qualifications so he could begin standing watch in the plants, like the one he was standing Feb. 2, when he applied his training in order to protect the ship. “When I first saw the fire while on watch, my immediate thought was to take a breath and think back to what I was taught
“TRY TO SLOW DOWN AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN A SITUATION THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE YOU OR YOUR SHIPMATES HARM.”
when I was qualifying for my watch and what we did during the [electrical] fire checkout,” said Graham. Due to all the training he received during his experiences throughout his Navy career, Graham had the abilities and knowledge to do what was needed in order to save the ship and put out the fire. “Graham is always working hard, trying to push himself to the next qualification, and trying to better himself in any way he can for the reactor department,” said Kiner. “The reactor department definitely benefits from having Graham on their team.” Graham will be aboard George Washington for the next three years and plans on expanding his knowledge as much as possible so he can better himself as a Sailor and be a role model for future shipmates. “The best advice I could give future Sailors is to stay calm, and don’t make judgments based on panic,” said Graham. “Try to slow down and think about what you’re supposed to do in a situation that could potentially cause you or your shipmates harm.”
Machinist’s Mate (Nuclear) 3rd Class Sean Graham, assigned to the reactor department’s mechanical division, reviews logs with another Sailor.
The Washington Surveyor • 13
BARBERSHOP C
Capt. Kenneth Strong, the commanding officer of the USS George Wa of the USS George Washington (CVN 73), receive a new haircu
CUTTING AGAIN
ashington (CVN 73), and Capt. Michael Nordeen, the executive officer ut from RSSN Mikail Sharp aboard the ship for the first time.
FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE: CREATING A LEGACY FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS STORY BY MCSN JOSEPH NEGUSSE, GRAPHICS BY MCSN JACOB VAN AMBURG, MC3 CORY J. DAUT, AND MC3 ZACHARY THOMAS The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) will be home to tens of thousands of Sailors over the rest of its lifetime and its crest represents the history of the ship, the Sailors building the ship now, and those assigned to it in the future. March 1st through March 5th, the crew of the ship held a vote to change the aircraft
carrier’s crest. Sailors chose between the ship’s original crest, or three new designs created by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cory Daut, Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Thomas, and Mass Communications Specialist Seaman Jacob Van Amburg, all assigned to the media department aboard George Washington. “A ship’s crest is important because it
provides a rallying point for the members of a command. It also gives Sailors the opportunity to gain an identity in a symbol that they can associate their hard work with,” said Lt. Cmdr. Javan Rasnake, the public affairs officer aboard George Washington. The crest designers also wanted to uphold the history and character that built
PIRIT OF FREED ES OM H T
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON
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this great nation. “The ship’s crest should harken back to the history of our namesake, [who was] frequently called the father of our nation. With tenacity, fortitude and dedication, [George Washington] led the revolutionary army for years and years of war, eventually triumphing over the British Empire and winning us our independence,” said Rasnake. Redesigning a ship’s crest is a process that involves the entire crew of the ship. They might not be involved with every design process, but the final decision is made by the collective. “Throughout the many months of work that everyone put into redesigning the crest, we have gone through many revisions of our designs,” said Daut. “We wanted to incorporate the history of our namesake into our designs.” On the three new designs, the crest team added different design elements which symbolize Washington’s achievements, including the key to the bastille, which was a gift from Marquis de Lafayette; George Washington’s personal sword; a border
FIRST IN WAR
of 13 stars for the original colonies; his family’s coat of arms; the Betsy Ross flag, the original flag of the United States; George Washington’s personal battle flag; and the words, “first in war, first in peace,” which comes from George Washington’s eulogy.
“WE WANTED TO COME TOGETHER AND MAKE A LONG-LASTING LEGACY FOR THE REST OF THE SHIP’S LIFESPAN.” A crest provides commentary on the core values upheld by the Sailors of the ship. The current phase of refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) is a part of the ship’s evolution as well as the evolution of
her crew. Revamping the ship’s crest is just another step. “One of the things that really motivated us to redesign the crest was the chance to be a part of something bigger,” said Daut. “We wanted to come together and make a long-lasting legacy for the rest of the ship’s lifespan.” The crest will represent the George Washington and her Sailors for the next 25 years. It will be a mark left by the Sailors who have worked to the make the ship our home. “I hope to give all the Sailors currently on George Washington an opportunity to make their voices heard, so if they would like to change the ship’s crest, they too can leave a legacy,” said Rasnake. It is important that the crest represents the individual and the ship whom are always, “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”
FIRST IN PEACE
USS GEORGE WASHINGTON
Spirit of Freedom
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N ANEWS VY
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) is providing multi-warfare defense to the Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CDG CSG) in the Mediterranean in support of NATO Exercise Dynamic Manta and other operations, demonstrating our mutual commitment to stability and security throughout the European region, March 3, 2021 CDG CSG took tactical control of USS Donald Cook as part of an integration and interoperability between the U.S. Navy and French navy.The combined forces from Belgium, Greece, France, and the United States will support NATO and European operations in the Mediterranean. “The participation of an American escort ship into the French carrier strike group illustrates the excellent level of cooperation between our two navies, long-time allies.” said French Admiral Marc Aussedat, commander of Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CDG CSG) TF473 “The crew of Donald Cook swiftly demonstrated remarkable commitment and great skills. France and the United States, the only nations having catapult and recovery nuclear aircraft carrier, take advantage of each exchange to consolidate their high-end interoperability. These opportunities directly contribute to strengthening our capacity to fight alongside.” In 2019, USS Donald Cook joined CDG in exercise FANAL 19 which involved operations across all maritime warfare disciplines to tacticallevel skills and promote maritime interoperability between participant naval forces. The high level of interoperability and trust between France and the U.S. has allowed for seamless operations to be conducted with Charles de Gaulle and Donald Cook.
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USS DONALD COOK SUPPORTS CHARLES DE GAULLE CARRIER STRIKE GROUP From U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, U.S. Sixth Fleet Public Affairs
“It is a wonderful opportunity and a privilege to provide support to the Charles de Gaulle Strike Group.” said Cmdr. Matthew Curnen, commanding officer of Donald Cook. “Working alongside NATO Allies in the Mediterranean is critical to keeping the peace and security that Europe has enjoyed for 70 plus years.We are excited for the opportunity to be a part of the strike group and look forward to learning a lot.” In recent history, U.S. Navy has worked side-by-side with the French Navy throughout the European and African theater of operation. To mention just a few, in 2016, USS Ross (DDG 71) operated with CDG as part of Combined Task Force 473 in the Mediterranean. In April 2018, France, the U.K, and the U.S. conducted strikes into Syria in response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons against its own people. In 2020, Ross operated with CDG in eastern Mediterranean in the frame of Operation Chammal, Inherent Resolve, and the fight against ISIS. In addition, CDG has a history of working with U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. The most recent dual carrier operations include, 2016 with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), 2019 with USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) while in the Red Sea, and March of 2020 in the Mediterranean Sea with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. U.S. Sixth Fleet assets routinely exercise and operate with our French and NATO counterparts throughout the region. Exercises like Formidable Shield in the North Atlantic, Baltic Operations (BALTOPS), Sea Breeze in the Black Sea, and Obangame Express in the Gulf of Guinea demonstrate and further enhance our combined capability and capacity in the areas of land, sea and air.
Providing support from this region allows the U.S., along with our NATO allies and regional partners to demonstrate our shared commitment to the region by providing multi-mission capable platforms with strike; ballistic missile defense, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. France is one of the U.S.’s oldest allies dating back to 1781 with their support in the U.S. Revolutionary War.This strong bond between our two nations reinforced our relationship and tested our joint combat skills during both World Wars.Today, these two navies continue in that great tradition of exceptional partnership. The Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group is made up of French ships multi-mission frigate (FREMM) Auvergne and (FREMM) Provence, air defense frigate (FDA) Chevalier Paul and their air wing; Belgium navy command and refueling vessel (BCR) Var and frigate HNLMS Leopold I (F-930); Greek navy multi-mission frigate HS Kanaris (F-464); U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) and USS San Juan (SSN751). Donald Cook is one of four U.S. Navy destroyers based in Rota, Spain, and assigned to Commander,Task Force 65 in support of NATO’s Integrated Air Missile Defense architecture.These Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe ships have the flexibility to operate throughout the waters of Europe and Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic Circle, demonstrating their mastery of the maritime domain. U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.