WASHINGTON SURVEYOR THE
August 16, 2016
By MCSA Krystofer Belknap
GEAR DOG
GAMES V-2 RELIES ON TEAM PLAY TO SAFELY ACCOMPLISH MISSION
By MC3 Kashif Basharat
GWHOSTS
NroTCMIDSHIPMEN SENIOR MIDS EXPERIENCE LIFE ABOARD CARRIER
By MC3 Clemente Lynch
GEORGE’S CORNER TATTOOREGULATION EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW INK-STRUCTION
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 14, 2016) - Sailors prepare an F-35C Lightning II carrier variant assigned to the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the Navy’s F-35C Fleet replacement squadron, to launch off the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). VFA-101 aircraft and pilots are conducting initial qualifications aboard George Washington in the Atlantic Ocean. The F-35C is expected to be Fleet operational in 2018. Photo by MC2 Kris R. Lindstrom
PHOTO of the DAY
By M C SA K r ys to f e r B e l k n a p
GEARDOG
GAMES v-2 relies on team play to safely accomplish the mission
A
nother game begins, lights on the engine glow green. The wire is ready. Isolation valves spin to allow the steady movement of the engine’s purchasing cables. The engine’s pressure gauge stabilizes at 400 pounds per inch, and its temperature stays below 170 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid stripping out the engine’s cables. An F/A-18 Super Hornet snags the third arresting wire with its stinger of a tail hook, causing the flight deck to roar so loudly that it echoes from the flight deck to several decks below. Sailors on the flight deck guide the arresting wire back into place as the arresting gear engine’s operator, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Diyon K.
Copeland, rhythmically adjusts the components of the engine to its operable status, as if it were an elaborate arcade game. Air Department V-2 division Sailors, known as Geardogs, work with arresting gear supporting each other in multiple roles to allow aircraft to safely land during flight operations. “My job as an engine operator is safety and standing watch,” said Copeland. “At any time, something could go wrong and I’d have to know how to troubleshoot it.” The arresting gear engine has an accumulator that provides a storage space for the hydraulic fluids and air displaced by a hydraulic piston, known as a ram, when the aircraft catches the
arresting wire with its tail hook. The ram separates the hydraulic fluid side of the accumulator from its air side. “If the hydraulic fluids were to mix with the air then the cable could move when we don’t want it to,” said Copeland. The engine operator will grab their wrench to release the substances from the accumulator. A metal bucket below catches hydraulic fluid after every three to five traps. Engine operators interact fully with the engine by using its terminal’s graphical user interface (GUI). “The GUI lets us know what’s going on with the engines,” said Copeland. “It can switch between maintenance mode, which is
used to safely perform hands-on maintenance on the arresting gear, and operation mode, which is used for recovering aircraft during flight operations.” Geardogs have to operate with multiple components of the arresting gear, such as the wires, anchor dampers, and damper sheaves, while the engine is set in maintenance mode. An anchor damper is a component that keeps the wire taut for traps. Damper sheaves pay out purchase cables connected to both sides of the arresting wire, which provides hydraulic shock absorption for when the aircraft catches the wire. “Engine operators work in conjunction with the ‘primary operator ’ in primary flight control that receives aircraft information
from the station’s Air Boss,” said Copeland. “Engine operators will use the GUI to input the information of the aircraft that is about to trap, such as its weight, when the engine is in operation mode.” Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Zachary B. Stone, arresting gear leading petty officer, supervises the multiple operators within the arresting gear team, which spans across the ship on both the 3rd level and on the flight deck. The ‘deck edge operator ’ is a middleman who receives information from the engine operators and passes it to topside operators. Topside crews sprint on the flight deck to change out wires after 125
traps and replace damaged metal wire supports. Aircraft are moved around the flight deck, frequently launching and returning to trap. “I started on topside,” said Copeland. “It’s an adrenaline rush, you have to move quickly and do everything quickly. I loved being on topside.” Stone says that there is very much a family atmosphere in his team of arresting gear operators. There is a lot of camaraderie, but they are focused on what is important. Safety is the primary objective for members of the arresting gear team. They will have a safety brief prior to flight operations and will go through a check list, which ensures each operator properly inspected their equipment.
By M C 3 K a s h i f B a s h a rat
GWHOSTS NROTCMIDSHIPMEN SENIOR MIDS EXPERIENCE L I F E A B OA R D CA R R I E R
T
he aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) welcomed five first class Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) midshipmen from universities across the nation July 26 to August 17. Every year, first class NROTC midshipmen participate in summer cruise programs to enhance their professional development. While at a naval command, they shadow a running mate in their perspective fields. The midshipmen shadow junior officers and participate in the day-to-day operations of their running mate’s division. “The running mates for the midshipmen, who are rector option nukes, are divisional officers from the reactor department,” said Lt. Cmdr. Shaina Hogan, training officer aboard George Washington. “The running mates and the midshipmen will do everything together. Both of them will stand watch, perform maintenance and interact with Sailors during daily quarters. It is all to open the eyes of the midshipmen on what they could do if they chose to pursue the
reactor field and lead a division.” After a few days working with their running mates, the midshipmen quickly adjusted to their new environment. “I spent my first two days touring the ship and following my running mate around,” said Midshipman 1st Class Jerynne Noble, from San Diego State University. “It was what I expected it to be. I saw how Sailors worked, and I got a good feel for how it is like running a division and standing watches. After that, I felt more comfortable and started roaming other parts of the ship I had not seen.” For some midshipmen, this was the first time they had stepped foot on a functional aircraft carrier. “I have been on an amphibious ship before, but it is nothing like a carrier,” said Midshipman 1st Class Geraldine Burnette, from Clack Atlanta University. “There are just a lot more spaces, gyms and food options. It is just like a mini-city floating in the middle of the ocean.” While aboard, the midshipmen observed flight operations,
participated in general quarters, and watched a Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) gun shoot. They also spoke to Sailors in different departments to learn more about what other rates do. “I really enjoyed talking to the CHENG [chief engineer],” said Midshipman 1st Class Colleen McCoy, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “It was really informative because he is following a career path that I really thought about doing. I never had the opportunity to talk to anyone who does it on a regular basis, and he explained a lot of what he does and how he got there to all of us.” Although some midshipmen are not hard set on which naval career path they will embark, Hogan says she hopes the midshipmen will learn more about themselves and what they want to do after they graduate. “I’ve tried to expose them to different communities on board. I am hoping whatever they learn here, they can apply it to their futures and that it makes it easier for them to figure out what they want to do.”
CVN KAKURO
GAMES CROSSWORD
HARD SUDOKU SUDOKU
TATTOO REGULATIONS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW INK-STRUCTION
By MC3 Clemente Lynch
GEORGE’S
CORNER
Department: Supply/S-2 Favorite Sports Team: Boston Red Sox Hobbies: Watching movies
NAVY NEWS SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- More than 7,000 John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) Sailors returned to San Diego following a regularly scheduled seven-month deployment to the IndoAsia-Pacific region Aug 10. JCSSG left on deployment Jan. 15 and operated in both U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility -- including more than 60 days in the South China Sea. Rear Adm. Marcus A. Hitchcock, commander, JCSSG, commended the Sailors on completion of their deployment. “I am proud of our Sailors and their dedication during the last seven months,” said Hitchcock. “They performed admirably, excelling in both complex exercises and the often demanding maritime environment. The success of our strike group was a team effort, the result of preparation, training and the truly exceptional Sailors who make up crews, squadrons and staffs. They demonstrated once again that the U.S. Navy can operate around the world, promoting maritime security alongside our international partners and friends.” While underway, JCSSG worked alongside international partners during exercises Balikatan, Komodo, Foal Eagle, Malabar and Rim of the
#USSGW
John C. Stennis Strike Group Returns to San Diego By Lt. j.g. Emily Wilkin, John C. Stennis Strike Group Public Affairs
local groups in community service projects, while others took part in organized tours provided through the ships’ Moral, Welfare, and Recreation programs. Strike group ships sailed more than 66,000 nautical miles over the course of their time underway, while aircraft flew over 19,000 hours with fixed wing aircraft launching and landing from the aircraft carrier’s catapults and recovery gear more than 8,500 times. JCSSG consists of aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, and Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). DESRON 21’s ships which deployed with the strike group include Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), Photo by MCSN Austin R. Clayton USS Stockdale (DDG 106), and USS dual carrier operations with the Ronald Reagan Chung-Hoon (DDG 93). Chung-Hoon completed the first homecoming Strike Group off the coast of Japan, during which both aircraft carriers worked in concert and remained at her homeport of Pearl Harbor with one another, conducting coordinated flight following the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise Aug 4. operations. Aircrew from CVW 9 squadrons returned Ships from JCSSG made port calls to Fiji, Guam, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, home Aug. 9 after conducting a “fly-off” of Singapore and South Korea. These port visits aircraft from John C. Stennis. The remaining provided Sailors the opportunity to interact and air wing personnel rode the ship to Naval Air experience the culture of the countries they Station North Island where they offloaded their visited. Many Sailors volunteered alongside equipment and the rest of their personnel. Pacific (RIMPAC). International exercises provide units from different countries with opportunities to share their experience and improve their ability to work together in the maritime environment. JCSSG also conducted
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underway
movie
schedule
AUGUST 16TH 2016
Channel 4 0800 Sinister 1000 Gangster Squad 1200 Broken City 1400 Life of Pi 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1800 Parental Guidance 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 Monsters Inc. 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0200 Happy Feet 0400 Doom 0600 Ratatouille
Channel 5 0800 London Has Fallen 1000 The Choice 1200 Deadpool 1400 Zoolander 2 1600 For a Movie Request Call 4988 1800 10 Cloverfield Lane 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 Barbershop: The Next Cut 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0200 Witch 0400 The Divergent Series: Allegiant 0600 Batman VS Superman: Dawn of Justice Channel 6 Channel 7 0800 Robocop (1987) 0800 The Spongebob Movie: The 1000 Robocop 2 (1990) New One 1200 The Other Women 1000 The Boy Next Door 1400 The Quiet Ones 1200 Mordecai 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1400 Run All Night 1800 The Equalizer 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 1800 Black or White 2200 Brick Mansions 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 Project Almanac 0200 Million Dollar Arm 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0400 How To Train Your Dragon 2 0200 The Loft 0600 Jersey Boys 0400 Jupiter Ascending 0600 Focus
staff Commanding Officer CAPT Timothy Kuehhas
Executive Officer CAPT Kenneth Strong
Command Master Chief CMDCM James Tocorzic
Public Affairs Officer LCDR Reann Mommsen
Deputy Public Affairs Officer LTJG Andrew Bertucci
Senior Editors MC1 Alan Gragg MC2 Kris R. Lindstrom
Design Editor MC3 Kashif Basharat
AUGUST 17TH 2016
Channel 4 Channel 5 0800 Wall-E 0800 Gods of Egypt 1000 Twelve Monkeys 1000 Triple 9 1200 U-571 1200 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 1400 The Hunt for Red October 1400 The Other Side of the Door 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1800 We Were Soldiers 1800 The Perfect Match 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 K-19 2200 The Brothers Grimsby 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0200 Silent Hill Revelation 0200 The Young Messiah 0400 Oz the Great and Powerful 0400 Miracles From Heaven 0600 Lincon 0600 The Jungle Book Channel 7 Channel 6 0800 Seventh Son 0800 Maleficent 1000 Chappie 1200 Hot Tub Time Machine 2 1000 The Fault in Our Stars 1400 Cinderella (2015) 1200 X-Men: Days of Future Past 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 1400 Mom’s Night Out 1800 Kingsmen: Secret Service 1600 Movie Request Call 4988 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 1800 Dumb and Dumber 2200 The Duff 2000 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 2200 The Pirate Fairy 0200 Divergent: Insurgent 2400 Movie Request Call 4988/7170 0400 Get Hard 0200 Transformers: Age of Extinction 0600 Home 0400 Catch-22 0600 S.W.A.T.
Content Editor MC2 Jennifer O’Rourke
Content MC2 Loni Lopez MC2 Alex Smedegard MC3 Wyatt Anthony MC3 Alora Blosch MC3 Clemente Lynch MC3 Bryan Mai MCSN Michael Wiese MCSA Krystofer Belknap
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).