WASHINGTON SURVEYOR THE
May 2, 2017
By MC3 Kashif Basharat
GLIDINGAWAY GW SAILORS RELAX AT SKATING RINK
By MCSN Julie Vujevich
DANACOHEN The Story of a Holocaust survivor
By MC3 Joshua DuFrane
MUSTANGS
COOKOUT ASSOCIATION COOKS FOR THE CREW
On the cover: (April 27, 2017) CWO 2 Jorge Siguenza grills burgers during a Mustang Smokeout. (Photo by MC2 Alora Blosch)
PHOTO of the DAY
(April 24, 2017) George Washington Sailors participate in a sexual assault walk to support National Denim Day. (Photo by MC2 Alora Blosch)
The Washington Surveyor Commanding Officer
Executive Officer
Command Master Chief
CAPT Timothy Kuehhas
CDR Colin Day
CMDCM James Tocorzic
Public Affairs Officer
Deputy PAO
Media DLCPO
Media LPO
LCDR Gregory L. Flores
LTJG Andrew Bertucci
MCC Mary Popejoy
MC1 Alan Gragg
Staff
Editors MC2 Jennifer O’Rourke MC3 Kashif Basharat
MC2 Alora Blosch MC2 Jessica Gomez MC2 Kris Lindsrton MC2 Bryan Mai MC2 Jules Stobaugh
MC3 Devin Bowser MC3 Carter Denton MC3 Joshua DuFrane MC3 Jacob Goff MC3 Shayla Hamilton
MC3 Brian Sipe MC3 Anna Van Nuys MC3 Michael E. Wiese MCSN Jamin Gordon MCSN Alan Lewis
MCSN Oscar Moreno MCSN Kristen Yarber MCSA Julie Vujevich
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 kashif.basharat@cvn73.navy.mil*
GLIDINGAWAY
GW SAILORS RELAX AT SKATING RINK By MC3 Kashif Basharat
A
fter a long day of work, while some Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) went home to relax, others had an inclination to glide. Fortunately, for them, an event coordinated at the Haygood Skating Rink for Skate the SCOOP Away Day provided them with a perfect opportunity to do so April 27. In recent weeks, George Washington Sailors have been working hard to prep the ship for Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH.) The ship just completed the Shipboard Consolidated Offload and Outfitting Plan (SCOOP) phase, which required gutting the ship of anything that is not hard-wired, plumbed-in or welded to frames. The ship’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) team spearheaded the event and one of the motivations for holding it was to allow Sailor’s to take a break from their arduous work schedule. “I wanted the Sailors to take a break and do something different than just moving heavy objects off the ship,” said Derecka Collier, the ship’s MWR fun boss. “A lot of Sailors showed interest to do a skating event during our meeting. The location was great because it was local and it gave Sailors an opportunity to try something new if they have never skated.” The event featured a live DJ
and pizza buffet. It also gave Sailors an opportunity to relax and mingle with one another. “I think it was a fantastic idea,” said Airman Alejandro Baisman. “Most of the crew’s focus has been on RCOH for the past couple of weeks and this gave us a chance to loosen up and just hang out. We all look for ways to relieve our stresses we accumulate through the week, and sometimes we release them in ways that are not productive. Organized events by the ship are designed for us to have fun, and I think this was a great example of it.” Like some Sailors, Baisman says he was hesitant at first because of his inexperience with skates. “One of my friends invited me out and I was not too sure about it at first,” said Baisman. “But once I stepped on the rink, I was hit with a rush of nostalgia. It reminded me of how I used to go skating with my family when I was younger. Some of us here were not the best skaters, but to me it is all about creating fun memories and meeting new people.” The next events MWR will host are the department vs. department paintball tournament as well as a command picnic in May . For questions or suggestions about MWR events, Sailors are encouraged to contact the fun boss at derecka.collier@ cvn73.navy.mil.
(April 27, 2017) EM3 Manuel Aguirre, left, and his children get fitted for skates. (Photo by MC3 Kashif Basharat)
(April 27, 2017) Sailors skate on the rink during a SCOOP the Day Away event. (Photo by MC3 Kashif Basharat)
(April 27, 2017) RP3 Joey Rush, left, and AN Alejandro Baisman skate on the rink. (Photo by MC3 Kashif Basharat)
MUSTANG’S
COOKOUT
ASSOCIATION FEEDS THE CREW MC3 Joshua DuFrane
“Just seeing everyone enjoying themselves and taking their lunch breaks and enjoying their time in the jet shop made all the hard work into making this event possible worth it.” -CWO 4 Carl Smith
T
he scent of charcoal, lighter fluid and searing meat filled the air around the fantail of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73); peals of laughter reverberate throughout the jet shop as Sailors and contractors enjoy every delectable bite of their juicy burgers and hot dogs. Members of the ship’s Mustang Association held a barbeque fundraiser April 24-28 to raise money for the association. “Most of the programs we do are not funded by the ship, so we need to raise money to make what we do possible,” said Lt. John Wells, former secretary of the association. The Mustang Association uses proceeds from events like the cookout to donate to outside organizations and to fund more events for future endeavors. “We love being able to help our community,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carl Smith. “We are going to
provide the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society with a donation from the money we raised this week. Another event we are going to hold is providing a breakfast for the Ronald McDonald House. Fundraisers like this one allows us the opportunity to do amazing things.” Junior Sailors used the cookout as an opportunity to seek career advice from the Mustangs. “When Sailors come here to eat, one of the benefits they receive is they get to see who we are,” said Wells. “They are able to come and say, ‘That’s the guy I wanted to talk to about an officer program’ because each and every single one of us have been in the junior Sailor’s shoes wondering who to talk to about an officer program.” Whether talking career options or simply enjoying good food with great company, the cookout was beneficial in a lot of ways. “Everybody loves a cookout,” said Smith. “We just wanted to get some
of the Mustangs together to build comaraderie. We saw this as an opportunity to provide something different during lunch time for the crew and our civilian guests as well as raise some money and have a good time.” Feeding the crew of an aircraft carrier as well as civilian workforce on board is not easy task, but the Mustangs put a plan in place to ensure all went well. “It was like clockwork,” said Smith. “Every day at 11 o’clock, Sailors and civilians were lining up; folks were just waiting for the food! Just seeing everyone enjoying themselves and taking their lunch breaks and enjoying their time in the jet shop made all the hard work into making this event possible worth it.” For more information about the Mustang Association and what benefits they provide to the community, contact CWO 4 Smith or any Mustangs onboard USS George Washington.
(April 25, 2017) Lt. j.g. Latonya Felton holds a sign for the Mustang Smokeout. (Photo by MCSN Alan Lewis)
(April 25, 2017) The Mustang Association servers food to the crew. (Photo by MCSN Alan Lewis)
(April 18, 2017) CWO 2 Nicholas Mason seasons burgers. (Photo by MC3 Anna Van Nuys)
(April 18, 2017) CWO 2 Nicholas Mason grill burgers. (Photo by MC3 Anna Van Nuys)
FREESAT/ACTPREP
T
he eKnowledge Donation Project with Commander, Navy Installation is offering assistance to Sailors and their families by waiving the $350 course fee for the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and American College Testing (ACT) tests Preparation Programs. Students only have to provide a small fee of $14.99 for materials and support programs. The semester-length programs offer instruction from professional educators, more than 100 hours of student participation time, over 3,000 files of supplemental multi-media preparation material and hundreds of sample questions and practice tests. This opportunity alleviates some of the stress of applying to college by offering financial assistance. “When [a Sailor] looks at a price like $350 for a prep course, it can be an intimidating number,” said Personnel
By MC3 Carter Denton Specialist 1st Class Henry Johnson. “Especially if it’s a junior Sailor that’s getting E3 or E4 pay.” The program price is paid by the more than 300 Project partners and sponsors to show their appreciation for Sailors. “These courses being offered for a small fee shows Sailors that people do care about what they’re doing for the country,” said Johnson. “People are showing they care about Sailors bettering themselves by saying ‘We’ll cover the cost, you just show up.’” For Sailors that do not have access to information, it is important their leadership spread the word. “We can’t expect for Sailors to know where to find all this information,” said Johnson. “It’s our responsibility as leaders to pick up on their interests and then point them in the right direction.” It’s important for leaders to be
knowledgeable about the resources available to their Sailors. “As a leader, you need to know where to go to get your Sailors help with this,” said Master Chief Navy Counselor Ellis Picheloupe, the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) command career counselor. “This can help them prepare for their future.” The eKnowledge Donation Project opened to help both military and civilian students and their family who may not have access to SAT/ ACT preparation materials for financial reasons obtain study materials for little or no cost. It has spent $54,427,195.78 in donated programs for more than 200,000 students in more than 40 countries. More information on these programs can be found at the George Washington Educational Services Office or online at www.eKnowledge. com/CNIC.
NAVY NEWS WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy joins the nation in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month throughout May. ALNAV 006/17 encourages participation in all the heritage celebrations and special observances throughout the year. This year, Navy commands are encouraged to celebrate and reflect on the theme “Unite Our Voices by Speaking Together.” “It is an honor and a privilege to serve with such a diverse group of officers and enlisted personnel who make up our Navy,” said Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, a Hawaiian-born Filipino and the 40th commander of Navy Region Southeast in Jacksonville, Florida. “I’m blessed at the opportunities the Navy has given me, and I’m thankful to celebrate this month with my fellow Asian
Navy Celebrates 2017 Asian American, Pacific Islander Heritage Month From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
Americans and Pacific Islanders.” There are 24,743 Asian American and Pacific Islander Sailors currently serving as part of One Navy Team, including eight admirals, 659 master chief and senior chief petty officers and 318 officers. These Sailors represent more than 56 ethnic groups, speaking over 100 languages from Asia and the Pacific Islands, living in the United States. Asian American and Pacific Islanders represent 11.7 percent of the Navy civilian workforce and 3.2 percent of Senior Executive Service members. “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have a proud history,” Bolivar said. “It’s a history of service. We’re dedicated not only to our heritage, but also to our Navy; to be a shining example of the core values that guide us: honor, courage and commitment.”
Asian American and Pacific Islanders of various nationalities and ancestry have been serving in the Navy since the early 19th century. The rich history of these cultures, their struggles against adversity to achieve equality, significant contributions to the American experience and the opportunity to build the foundation for a bright future are made reality by some great leaders who share the same heritage. For more information about the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their numerous contributions to the Navy, visit www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/diversity/asian-americans-pacific-islanders-in-the-navy.html For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/ cnp/.
(May 24, 2016) Sailors and DoD civilians assigned to Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC), 10th Fleet, Suffolk and Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) gathered to recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with a ceremony. (Photo by Robert Fluegel)
CVN KAKURO
GAMES CROSSWORD
HARD SUDOKU SUDOKU