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FEB. 24, 2020
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE 6 Elevate Your Career Tips to prepare for the March Navywide Advancement Exam
8 Crew Move Aboard GW Sailors look ahead to making the ship a home again
12 PRT Season Now is the time to prepare for PFA 20-1
16 Presidents Day Honoring our first and 45th commanders in chief and all our presidents
18 2 â– The Washington Surveyor
Around the Fleet USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Deploys Upon Completion of COMPTUEX
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URVEYOR Vol. 20, issue: 3
FEB. 24, 2020
USS George Washington (CVN 73) Commanding Officer
Executive Officer
Command Master Chief
Surveyor Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lt. Cmdr. Stephanie Turo
Copy Editors Capt. Kenneth Strong
Capt. Daryle Cardone
CMDCM Maurice Coffey
Lt. Tyler Barker MCC Christina Shaw MC1 Gary Johnson
Media Department
MC2 Trey Hutcheson
Public Affairs Officer
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
Lt. Cmdr. Stephanie Turo
Lt. Tyler Barker
Departmental LCPO
Divisional LCPO
Layout Designers
MCCM Reginald Buggs
MCC Christina Shaw
MC3 Tatyana Freeman MCSN Cory Daut
Production LPO
MCSN Robert Stamer
MC1 Gary Johnson
Journalists
Media Department Requests PRINT REQUESTS
PHOTO/VIDEO REQUESTS
E-MAIL MEDIA PRINT REQUESTS
(757) 534 - 2369
MC3 Zack Thomas MC3 Michael Hazlett MCSN Stephen Sullins MCSN Robert Stamer
mediaprintrequests@cvn73.navy.mil
Customer Service Hours MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY: 0800 - 1300
TUESDAY & THURSDAY: 0800 - 1400
2600 WASHINGTON AVE. SUITE 203
A special thank you to all those who let us tell your stories to the crew and to the fleet. The Washington Surveyor is an authorized publication for Sailors serving aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73). Contents herein are not the visions of, or endorsed by the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy or the Commanding Officer of USS George Washington. All news releases, photos or information for publication in The Washington Surveyor must be submitted to the Public Affairs Officer.
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SAILOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT
GW’S NEWEST WARRIORS
ABE2 Johan Aquino ABE3 Raven McQueen ABH2 Brandon Kelley ABHAN Sean Canon MMN2 Victoria Thorpe OS3 Bryce Johnson YN3 Payge Eddlemon
DCFN Steven Young HOMETOWN: Atlanta, Georgia
ABFAN Raul Hernandez
WHERE HE WORKS:
AN Rahcleon Lane
Damage Control Division, Engineering Department
AZ3 William Bradley
WHY HE JOINED:
MM3 Bailey Nelson
IT3 William Turner
To provide a better opportunity for his family and to get away from home
HOBBIES: Photography, sports, working out, shooting guns, fishing
DAMAGE CONTROL DIVISION LEADERSHIP NOMINATED HIM BECAUSE:
IT3 Elijah Akers IT3 Semiyah Elliott
“He is super qualified and has all of his pins as a fireman. Since the day he got to our division, he has been learning to do his job well and has always been reliable.”
ITSN Adam Rosol
ESWS Coordinators
EAWS Coordinators
EIWS Coordinators
MMC Flyod Hollier CSC Joe Magri
AOC Volario Lott CSC Jose Valencia
ITC Xica Johnson CTT1 Nicollette Jeffery
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Life Counts
ELEVATE YOUR CAREER: TIPS FOR ADVANCEMENT EXAM PREPARATION STORY, PHOTO, AND GRAPHIC BY MCSN ROBERT STAMER Advancing to the next pay grade brings new responsibilities and privileges. Although it is not the only way to advance through the ranks, taking the exam to move on to a Sailor’s respective pay grade is the most common way to do so. The Navy’s advancement quotas often fluctuate. Preparing for the advancement exam is extremely important to be able to meet that quota, regardless of what the quota is. Preparing for and doing well on the advancement exam is a crucial component to future success. “The best advice I could give is study,” said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 1st Class Michael Mack, the leading petty officer of the aviation intermediate maintenance department administration aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). “Take 20 to 30 6 ■ The Washington Surveyor
minutes a day to just look over the material.” The Navy creates its advancement exams by pulling information from rate specific instruction manuals. Sailors can visit Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL) at cool.navy.mil to find a full bibliography of the manuals for every rate in the Navy, and many rates have specific portals, websites, and forums where Sailors can gather information to focus their study. “Everything you need to know about advancement comes directly from Navy COOL,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Reshawn Orr, a command career counselor aboard George Washington. Once Sailors learn the bibliography for their specific rate, it can still be confusing to know what exactly to focus on. Navy COOL lists subtopics that are used to pull
questions. Subtopics are a focus within a chapter in each manual, and they break down each instruction. “It kind of breaks it down for you, so it can help you out studying,” said Navy Counselor 1st Class Teri Richards, a command career counselor aboard George Washington. If a Sailor does not have access to a computer, Navy COOL is also available as a smartphone application. The bibliographies can be downloaded directly to a smartphone. “When a Sailor is underway and there is no connectivity, they will already have the information available to them,” said Richards. The resources are fully available to every Sailor who takes the effort to find the material on Navy COOL.
Mack said he prints the bibliography and creates a study binder with the material. He highlights the information that will be used for the exam questions and starts looking over the content as soon as possible. “If you wait too long, you’re going to get down to that crunch zone, and you’re not going to retain a lot of that information,” said Mack. Even though work requirements can sometimes make it difficult to practice effective time management and prioritization, it is essential that Sailors take time to understand the material thoroughly. “Prioritizing is key to studying for the advancement exams,” said Orr. “Especially when they give you the resources and the tools for every rate in the Navy.” If a Sailor taking the exam fails to advance, there will be another exam in the
future, and performance on a current exam can pay dividend in the future. If, while taking the exam, a Sailor scored in the top
“I kept telling myself to push, push, push because you don’t want to be the one that was taken out of the fight.” 25 percent of their peers, but failed to meet the quota to advance, one and a half points will be awarded towards the next exam. This is known as Pass Not Advance (PNA) points. “I took the first class exam 12 times,” said Mack. “In the end, it discourages you, but I kept telling myself to push, push, push
because you don’t want to be the one that was taken out of the fight.” Sailors have a wealth of information and resources to help them prepare for advancement exams. In addition to dedicating time to study every day, Sailors are encouraged to visit some of the links and resources mentioned in this article. The most up-to-date bibliographies can be found at https://www.cool.navy.mil/ usn/index.htm. The Navy COOL app can be found in the iOS App store and Android Play store. Finally, Sailors interested in more information about the effect of PNA points on future exams can visit https:// www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/ careercounseling/Documents/CPPDFTSW%201%200%20IMM%204-1.pdf to learn more.
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SAILORS MAKE CVN 73 HOME AGAIN STORY BY MC3 MICHAEL HAZLETT, GRAPHIC BY MC3 ADAM FERRERO Crew Move Aboard (CMA) is the next major evolution in the Nimitzclass aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73)’s refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) process. CMA is slated to begin August 2020 and has a tentative completion date of December 2020. After more than two years in RCOH, some of George Washington’s Sailors are preparing to live on the ship for the first time, while others are focused on having a central location for the work necessary to complete the ship’s RCOH. “I believe that CMA will increase morale and unify Sailors to reach a common goal,” said Master Chief Machinery Repairman Henry Freeman, George Washington’s Maintenance Material Management Chief (3MC). “We are spread too far out now, and it’s easy to fall into the ‘us and them’ mindset when there is only us. CMA brings our ship one step closer to exiting the shipyard and returning Sailors with rates to the fields they love. We will finally be doing the job we enlisted to do.” With CMA comes an increased workload in some aspects of RCOH. Once more and more Sailors start working from the ship, the wants and needs of the crew and equipment will become more apparent. Addressing the wants and needs across all departments allows the crew to work as one and get the ship to each successive goal. 8 ■ The Washington Surveyor
“Everyone brings something different to the table,” said Lt. j.g. Timothy Jefferson, the deck department division officer aboard George Washington. “Making sure each department is up to par requires Sailors to work together and following through the current ship’s maintenance project. Once CMA happens, it will create a fire in Sailors’ stomachs to keep them going.” In addition to some departments and Sailors moving aboard, there will be milestones along the way. These milestones mark the accomplishments of departments who move aboard.
“I believe that CMA will increase morale and unify Sailors to reach a common goal.” “We will be having ceremonies for each of our milestones,” said Freeman. “This might seem like a small thing, but it’s important to understand how every small accomplishment adds up. These accomplishments mean finishing our tasking and work on time.” Taken individually, these milestones show that the ship and her crew are steadily progressing towards the eventual finish line, and taken together they show just how far the ship and crew have come
since they entered RCOH. “It means Sailors are doing their job,” said Jefferson. “I have been through CMA before; staring down the barrel of a workload and marking the milestones is like finishing a marathon. After the marathon is done, there is another marathon, and there is another milestone to mark.” After years in the shipyard completing RCOH, George Washington Sailors have filled a unique and important role in the life cycle of their ship. Working handin-hand with thousands of shipyard workers and contractors for such an extended period of time is rare for the Navy’s Sailors, and it requires a unique approach and workload to accomplish. “As a crew, we can’t change a lot about having shipyard workers in our spaces,” said Freeman. “We can ensure our Sailors complete their tasks, and what is required of us is accomplished on or ahead of schedule, which can bring us out of Newport News and back to the fleet.” CMA brings George Washington one step closer to returning to Yokosuka, Japan, and pursuing the Navy’s mission of maintaining, training, and equipping combatready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas.
COMBAT READINESS Sailors assigned to the in-port emergency team (IET) participate in a flooding drill on Feb. 1, 2020 aboard the ship.
PRT PREP: GW SAILORS STRIVE FOR OUTSTANDING
STORY BY MCSN STEPHEN SULLINS, PHOTOS BY MCSN CORY DAUT
Rally at the gym and jump into your prescribed physical training (PT) gear. It’s time to weigh in, start running, biking, swimming, and cranking out some crunches and push-ups because it is physical readiness test (PRT) spring season, and cycle 20-1 is right around the corner. Every six months, Sailors transition from one PRT cycle to the next, and are again required to prove to themselves and their chain of command that they can adequately meet or exceed the Navy’s physical fitness standards. Many Sailors strive to push themselves even further toward a healthier, more active lifestyle, not just during PRT season, but all year long. “The best thing about PRT season is it tests our abilities in physical fitness and showcases that as well,” said Lt. Cmdr. Corey Hausman, the command fitness leader (CFL) aboard George Washington and air department’s administration officer. “We only do it two times a year, but it’s a good fit
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to establish what the Navy expects from its Sailors.” While the PRT itself has undergone slight modifications over the years (and with additional changes on the horizon), the goal of the Navy’s physical fitness program, and those who enact and administer it, is to ensure Sailors are physically prepared to meet the demands of the naval service, no matter where they are stationed. “I want to make us the fittest ship in the fleet,” said Ryan Roberts, George Washington’s (CVN 73) afloat fitness specialist, or FITBOSS. “It’s going to be a long process, but we can make it happen.” Like most things in life, preparation is a key element for success. While the PRT typically takes place in the spring and fall, staying active throughout the year, even doing something as simple as walking, is a great way to be better prepared for the PRT. “I like to run a couple times a week, [especially] as it gets closer to [the PRT]
date,” said Hausman. “Staying as healthy as you can and looking out for yourself is key before every PRT season and living life as a whole in the Navy.” Hausman and the many members of George Washington’s command fitness team, including assistant CFLs (ACFLs), departmental fitness leaders, and FITBOSS, provide resources, lead physical training sessions, and are available to help all George Washington Sailors in the pursuit of their individual fitness goals. “The best way to stay fit is to constantly be doing something even if you can’t make it to the gym that day,” said Airman Chelsea Mckeithen, an ACFL for the training department. “For those of us that walk from 50th Street to the ship every day, see how fast you can make it to the parking lot or ship before and after work, see how many ladderwells you can climb before getting winded. I challenge myself like this every day.”
Members of the command fitness team are also available to administer mock PRTs, so Sailors can gauge where they are at not only during PRT season, but throughout the year as well. A mock PRT is not recorded in the Sailor’s record, but does allow them to see which areas they are strong in and which need a little more work. “Preparing for the PRT and staying physically fit should be a year-round thing, but if you slacked a little through the holidays, the best place to start is to give yourself a mock PRT,” said Mckeithen. “This will give you a starting point and allows you to see where your weak points are at so you can work on those first.” FITBOSS is taking it upon himself before and after each PRT cycle to give the crew competitions to show off their ability against each other each month. “I want to turn around the stigma behind PRTs and get Sailors to enjoy fitness more,” said Roberts. “I really want them to turn around the stigma behind PRTs and get
“I want to make us the fittest ship in the fleet. It’s going to be a long process, but we can make it happen.”
Sailors to enjoy fitness more,” said Roberts. “I really want them to feel like they do want to keep a healthy lifestyle for their future and the Navy’s as well. If we can change the mindset on PRTs and working out in general, then attendance, excellent scores, high numbers would be no problem, but the problem is how to change that mindset.” With the PRT season only a few weeks away, now is a great time for Sailors to ensure that they are prepared for the test. FITBOSS and the Huntington Hall staff offer many classes at Huntington Hall at various times and days during the week that all George Washington Sailors can attend to help increase their physical fitness levels. Sailors interested in learning how do perform proper Navy exercise or what scores will be needed for them to pass their PRT can visit https://www.public.navy. mil/bupers-npc/support/21st_Century_ Sailor/physical/Documents/Guide%20 5-Physical%20Readiness%20Test%20%20 (May%202019).pdf.
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THE EVOLUTION OF
PR ES IDENTS DAY STORY BY MC3 ZACK THOMAS, GRAPHIC COURTESY OF .THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND MOUNT VERNON Presidents Day; George Washington’s birthday; Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Some Sailors may consider these to be the same, and even as a nation, Americans celebrate what is popularly known as “Presidents Day” on the third Monday of every February. The focus of the day has changed dramatically over the centuries, with its current form being a relatively new development. While initially marked as a day 16 ■ The Washington Surveyor
to celebrate the birth of our nation’s first president, George Washington, the holiday has evolved to celebrate not only George Washington, but also Abraham Lincoln and every other person elected to hold the highest office in the land. According to usmint.gov, the first national celebration of George Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22 can be traced back to the late 1700s, when George Washington still held office as
the United States’ first commander in chief. The federal government formally adopted George Washington’s birthday as a federal holiday in 1879 after more than 60 years of Americans celebrating the day. In addition to celebrations and remembrance around the country, United States senators honor the legacy of the executive branch in their own unique way. According to senate.gov, beginning
in 1862, during what some historians view as the darkest period of the American civil war, Andrew Johnson, then a senator from Tennessee, introduced a petition to read George Washington’s Farewell Address in the Senate. In his speech, Senator Johnson read aloud, “In view of the perilous condition of the country, I think the time has arrived when we should recur back to the days, the times, and the doings of Washington and the patriots of the Revolution, who founded the government under which we live.” This petition has grown into an annual reading of George Washington’s Farewell Address by an alternating member of the political parties. This annual tradition of celebrating George Washington’s birthday would go relatively unchanged until Representative Robert McClory of Illinois proposed an update in 1968 to also celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on Feb. 12.
While McClory did not initially succeed in combining Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays as a federal holiday, the 1968 “Uniform Monday Holiday Act” required some holidays, like George Washington’s Birthday, to be observed on a designated Monday instead of the actual day. According to mountvernon. org, due to the date being moved closer to Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and with the help of clever marketing and advertising campaigns for holiday sales, the term “Presidents Day” and the celebration of both George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthday became common practice in America. Further, according to an article written by C. L. Arbelbide on archives. gov, “Local advertisers morphed both ‘Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday’ and ‘George Washington’s Birthday’ into the sales sound bite ‘President’s Day,’ expanding the traditional three-day sales to begin before Lincoln’s birth date and end after Washington’s Feb. 22
birth.” According to archives.gov, the common perception of Presidents Day would change again in the early 1970s when President Richard Nixon referred to the holiday as Presidents Day during a speech. This, in addition to advertising campaigns, helped expand Presidents Day beyond just the first and sixteenth presidents. The holiday we commonly refer to as Presidents Day has a long history stretching back hundreds of years. While we continue to celebrate all of our nation’s presidents on the third Monday in February, two of the most revered presidents in our nation’s history are especially noted for their starring role in the holiday.
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NAVY NEWS
IKE Deploys Upon Completion of COMPTUEX
From Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) (Feb. 20, 2020)-The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and the ships and aircraft of Carrier Strike Group TEN (CSG-10), departed for deployment after successfully completing the Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX). “The Sailors of IKE Strike Group are trained and ready to execute the full spectrum of maritime operations in any theater,” said Rear Adm. Paul Schlise, commander, Carrier Strike Group 10. “Carrier Strike Groups are visible and powerful symbols of U.S. commitment and resolve to our allies and partners, and possess the flexibility and sustainability to fight major wars and ensure freedom of the seas.” COMPTUEX is designed to fully integrate CSG-10 as a cohesive, multimission fighting force, and test the group’s ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea. During IKE’s COMPTUEX, several international allies, including ships from the Royal Canadian Navy, the French Navy and the Danish Navy supported and were integrated into the exercise. “There is simply no substitute for our integration among our Navies,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet. “It is the bedrock of our ability to assure our allies, respond to threats and enable global operations.
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Our Allies’ participation in COMPTUEX directly enhances defense relationships and improves overall coordination and interoperability among our militaries.” French anti-submarine frigate FS Normandie (D651), Royal Danish Navy frigate Iver Huitfeldt (F361) and Canadian Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec (FFH 332) participated in several events throughout the exercise. Their participation brought a new layer of depth and increased the training value for all units. “Exercises such as COMPTUEX demonstrate the importance of interoperability between allied nations,” said Cmdr. Michael Eelhart, commanding officer of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH 332). “Specifically, the requirement to integrate allied assets and capabilities in order to achieve a common mission.” The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is a multiplatform team of ships, aircraft and more than 6,000 Sailors, capable of carrying out a wide variety of missions around the globe. Deploying ships and aircraft of the strike group, commanded by Rear Adm. Paul J. Schlise, include flagship USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), commanded by Capt. Kyle P. Higgins; the nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing THREE (CVW 3), staffs of Carrier Strike Group TEN (CSG 10) and
Destroyer Squadron TWO SIX (DESRON 26), the guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), the guided-missile destroyers of DESRON 26, USS Stout (DDG 55), USS James E. Williams (DDG 95), and USS Truxton (DDG 103) stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3, commanded by Capt. Trevor Estes, embarked on Eisenhower include the “Fighting Swordsmen” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32, the “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-105, the “Rampagers” of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-83, “Wildcats” of VFA-131, the “Screwtops” of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 123, the “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130, the “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7, and the “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74. C2F exercises operational authorities over assigned ships, aircraft, and landing forces on the East Coast and the Atlantic. When directed, C2F conducts exercises and operations within the U.S. European Command area of operations as an expeditionary fleet, providing Naval Forces Europe an additional maneuver arm to operate forces dynamically in theater. For more information, contact C2F public affairs at ashley.hockycko@navy.mil.
GAMES CORNER
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HAMPTON ROADS EVENTS SUNDAY
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MONDAY
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TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
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THURSDAY
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FRIDAY
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Wintergreen Ski Trip
Learn to Play Pool
Mardi Gras Party
Learning Event: Pizza Bagels
Free Throw and 3-point contest
3:30a.m. Huntington Hall
5:00 a.m. NNSY
5:00 p.m. NNSY
5:00 p.m. Huntington Hall
11:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. NSAHR Headquarters Yorktown
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2
National Dr. Suess Day
Intramural Racquetball
1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. NAVSTA Norfolk Little Creek
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SATURDAY
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Open Mic Comedy Night
NERF Battle 12:00 p.m. Portsmouth
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Tuesday Night Trivia: NBA
Game Night
Liberty Paint by Numbers
Pub + Paint St. Patrick’s Day
Leman’s Camping Trip
6:00 p.m. Dam Neck
5:00 p.m. Huntington Hall
6:00 p.m. NNSY
6:00 p.m. Little Creek
1:00 p.m. Huntington Hall
EVERY WEEK - FITNESS CLASSES M
T
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Strength Training Huntington Hall 5, 6, 7:30 a.m.
Core Training Huntington Hall 5, 6, 7:30 a.m.
GW Run Club Mariners Museum 6:30 a.m.
Functional Fitness Huntington Hall 3:00 p.m.
Functional Fitness Huntington Hall 3:00 p.m.
Functional Fitness Huntington Hall 3:00 p.m.
T Yoga Huntington Hall 5;15 a.m.
F HIIT/Core Huntington Hall 5, 6, 7:30 a.m.