ROUGH RIDER USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
TUESDAY EDITION
Cal Lab’s Rise to the Top why tr’s cal lab is the best in the fleet
YOUR THOUGHTS ON ... mwr’s big bucks bingo
September 29, 2015
ARABIAN GULF (Sept. 26, 2015) – An MV-22B Osprey from the Greyhawks of Marine Medium-lift Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (Reinforced) lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Anna Van Nuys/Released)
cal lab rises to the top
why tr’s cal lab is the best in the fleet by MC3 Stephane Belcher
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merging from a four-year refueling and complex overhaul, the calibration lab aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71 was at the bottom of the fleet’s metrology and calibration report (METCAL). “It’s pretty important because a lot of the watches around the ship, a lot of the maintenance personnel and squadrons, they depend on a piece of gear, gauge, a torque wrench or whatever, to be exactly what [we] say it is,” said Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Gamal Williams, formerly calibration lab’s leading chief petty officer. TR’s calibration lab is now top of the METCAL list. The METCAL report compares the aircraft carriers’ calibrated equipment readiness. TR’s triumph would have been impossible without the hard work and perseverance of the Sailors aboard. TR’s calibration lab Sailors do more than address the calibration needs of TR and the aircraft of Carrier Airwing One. While on deployment they’re accountable for the calibration needs of all five ships in the strike group and any other ships or aircraft within the area of operations. When TR pulls into Bahrain, every command in Bahrain floods the calibration lab with gear. “There’s a lot of teamwork involved with everybody,” said Williams, talking about the 14 Sailors who work in the calibration lab, as well as the 5 calibration petty officers from other departments. “We support strike force intermediate maintenance activity and the area of operations. We not only support the ship and squadron, we support every ship that’s in our battle group and every command that’s in Bahrain.” On the aviation side, Sailors in the calibration lab repair the equipment Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) uses to fix aircraft parts. “That has to be exact,” said Williams. “So when they fix the radar component, engine mount or whatever it is, and they put it in the aircraft, that’s now safe for flight. They’re good to go.” On another side of the lab, the Sailors are calibrating everything from Reactor’s equipment to the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) bottles used for fighting fires. “Say I’m on watch and I’m supposed to check this fire main because it can’t get below 125 psi [pounds per square inch] or 100 psi, and the gauge says 150 psi. But
that gauge has been out of calibration for two years and it’s stuck at 150. Then there’s a fire and they go to open up the fire main and there’s really only 50 psi on that line. Now my fire team is in danger,” said Williams. The climb to number one was no simple task. Certain factors, such as a lengthy deployment, make it difficult to calibrate equipment. “Once the systems go up we can’t always tag them out because we’re on deployment,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Sean Bowen, the calibration lab’s leading petty officer. “If it’s a main or critical system, they’re not going to tag it out.” TR is responsible for calibrating more than 4,000 pieces of equipment. Items that still need calibration are classified as overdue. TR’s overdue list is now under two percent. “Currently we’re number one in the fleet,” said Bowen. “The goal was to get below two percent. Right now we’re at 1.8. We’re the only carrier in the fleet right now that is below two percent.” Superior calibration numbers compared to the rest of the fleet means better efficiency when it comes to operations as well as bragging rights. AIMD Sailors didn’t do it alone. Williams stressed the importance of steady support and collaboration with other Sailors, even during their time off. “We actually get personnel from Engineering, Reactor and Air department, and we’re lucky enough to have a Devil Dog,” said Williams. “They put the long hours in when we were in port, when other people were leaving. There were times that they were here until 17, 18, 1900.” TR’s calibration laboratory reached a milestone. Starting from the bottom and climbing to the top is an achievement that reflects the shop’s dedication. TR is now one of the highest-ranked carriers ever when it comes to METCAL. “I know they’ll continue it. It’s just who they are,” said Williams. “It wasn’t even something that you had to tell them about. It was never that. Once they saw the numbers they took it personally. They wanted those numbers to be as high as humanly possible. I’m just proud to be able to say I worked with them. It’s solely because of those guys in there.”
YOUR THOUGHTS ON
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BIG BUCKS BIN
I was playing, I didn’t get anything though. It all happened real fast. LS3 Rose and I work in the same shop. Like her, I always get close and always want to win it. This time I wasn’t going to play but I did end up getting in line at the last second. I like that we have bingo though, it’s fun. It brings me up. Say today was a bad day, I could have something like bingo to look forward to. LSSN Mylando Monroe
I wasn’t expecting this. I was excited, it was fun! I’ve played every time, and I always get close, but this time I won! I’ll probably use it in port, but I’m not sure, I wasn’t expecting this at all. LS3 Kendall Rose
This is my first time and first game. I wa the first two rounds I didn’t even play an round. I got four tickets and it definitely deployment really brings up morale and to look forward too. ABEAN ARIEL BROWN
I’m going to spend the winnings most likely on my friends up in the METOC shop. What’s up guys! I’ve been playing bingo pretty much every chance I can get for the two years I’ve been here. It’s the first time I’ve won. I like that we have the chance to win money and also I’m sure people around the ship really come together to take part and watch it. AG1 KEVIN MCGEE
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It felt so good to win something this time since I’ve never won this before. When I found out I got bingo, I was like, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it! I’ve actually won something!” It was so worth it! YN2 ELBONY BARTON
NGO
as so surprised when I actually got it because nd everyone encouraged me to play this paid off. I think that playing this during excites people and gives everyone something
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I just wanted to play. I’ve never won before. The last couple times I played I missed it just by one. I didn’t even know that I won it this time. I’m sitting and saying “Just call 54!” and everyone said “They already called 54!” I was so surprised and they all yelled and said “Call, call, go up there!” ABH3 TIFFANY PARKER
WORDS from
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HOME What your family is saying.
God bless & keep you all! Love to hear from Samuel Hibbert!!! We love & miss him! And we all are so proud of him, of all of you! Michelle McClelland Jenkins September 27
The wonderfull hightech marvels of Uncle Sams Navy! Every foe should take notice of this! Bauke R. Byma September 26
The best part is getting the whole shop together and bonding and playing the game. We joke around, we kinda see who has the winning card and brag and tease each other and in this case ICSN Loftis won and everyone was really excited. It was a team effort when she was getting close to winning, we had someone on the phone ready to call when she got it. EM3 ABRIEL HERNANDEZ
That is incredible! I love all the pictures you post. Some kind of way it brings me comfort seeing these pictures. Letting us know ya’ll are ok. My son is on the TR. Jacque Whaley Seotember 26
Please hurry up and come back to the states.... can’t wait to see my kiddo! Maria Melisa Swann September 24 Love the videos. Gives me goosebumps every time I see the action from the flight deck. My grandson is on this ship. Patty Eaves - Commons September 24
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Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class
Patrick Kelly, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa
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Eight bells In the days when ships used hourglasses to tell time a watchstander would flip the glass every time it ran out and struck the bell to indicate he was standing a proper watch. His watch was four hours long, and at the end of his four hour watch he struck the bell eight times.
By: MC3 Jennifer Case
NAVY NEWS
CNO, MCPON hold Hampton Roads all-hands calls From From Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens held a series of all-hands calls at Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Air Station Oceana Sept. 22. The pair discussed the status of the Navy and took questions from Sailors around the Hampton Roads area in several forums, from flag officers to junior officers and enlisted personnel. In his opening statements, Richardson highlighted four priorities that will guide him and the Navy day to day: safety and integrity, accountability and assessment, creativity and initiative and toughness
and resilience. “Those are, I think, the four ingredients that will characterize us going forward, keep us strong, and keep us the toughest, most effective Navy in the world,” said Richardson. CNO and MCPON also fielded a wide variety of questions from the
audience, on personnel issues and the Navy’s budget. Both leaders assured Sailors that regardless of the fiscal uncertainty, “people” would remain a top funding priority. “A consistent theme through all the budget churn that we’ve been
going through in the past is that if we’re going to cover down on one thing, it’s going to be our commitment to our people,” said Richardson. Richardson closed by discussing his relationship with the MCPON and how that could be modeled throughout the fleet. “Today you got a sense of how much I value my partnership with the MCPON,” said Richardson. “And that is, I think, symbolic of the partnership that we’re going to having going forward, and the partnership that we all have to strike as we become the most effective team possible.” For more news from Chief of Naval Operations, visit www.navy.mil/local/cno/.
Photos around THE fleet from
S ee w h at your sh i p m ates a re do i n g a round the W O R L D
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 24, 2015) Aviation Ordnancemen assigned to the Bounty Hunters of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2, lower a training missile off an F/A-18F Super Hornet on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Clemente A. Lynch/Released)
SASEBO, Japan (Sept. 25, 2015) Rear Adm. John Nowell Jr., commander of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7, holds an all-hands call for the mine countermeasures ships USS Pioneer (MCM 9), USS Warrior (MCM 10) and USS Chief (MCM 14). Nowell is in the middle of a weeklong visit to Sasebo where he is visiting some of the commands that fall under ESG-7. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st class Joshua Hammond/ Released)
NAVY NEWS
USNS Comfort Arrives in Mayport From Continuing Promise 2015 Public Affairs
MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Mayport, Sept. 25 after completion of the humanitarian and civil assistance mission Continuing Promise 2015 (CP15). The brief stop allowed for a portion of CP-15 team to disembark before Comfort continues on to its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia. Sailors assigned to Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Florida; Naval Health Clinic, Mayport; Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40, Mayport; Soldiers from the Army 10th Mountain Division, Fort Polk, Louisiana;
partner nation military personnel; Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202; Airmen from the Joint Communications Support Element (JCSE) and members from the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)
Project Hope departed the ship after they served in support of CP-15, providing critical care, security and oversight of the mission. “CP-15 has been an incredible journey in which the entire team put forth a tremendous
amount of hard work, coordination and perseverance to provide quality care and services to the people within the region,” said Capt. Sam Hancock, CP-15 mission commander. “We have strengthened partnerships with each of the host nations as well as our colleagues, friends and citizens of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.” Upon their return to Mayport, prior to departing the ship, CP15 members expressed their eager anticipation to greet their family members and reunite with friends and loved ones. “It’s great to be back, and I’m looking forward to seeing my mother.”
Photos around THE fleet from
S ee w h at your sh i p m ates a re do i n g a round the W O R L D
Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) man the rails Sept. 25, 2015 as the ship pulls into Rota, Spain. Carney is the fourth of four Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to be forward-deployed in Rota to fulfill the United States’ phased commitment to NATO ballistic missile defense (BMD) while also carrying out a wide range of missions to support the security of Europe. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan B. Trejo/Released)
WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2015) Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) Adm. Michelle Howard delivers remarks on the cyber domain at a military strategy forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. (U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Scott D. McIlnay/Released)
HOMETOWN HERO
Sequoia Youngblood
LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE
DEPT/DIV: OPS/OI HOMETOWN: Long Island, New York WHY SHE CHOSE THE NAVY: To travel. HER FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB: Mentoring Sailors. PROUDEST NAVY MOMENT: When I commissioned as a limited duty officer. SHOUT OUT: Operations and Combat Systems.
FUN
FACT
I play the flute in my spare time.
HOMETOWN HERO
Connor Coker
AVIATION STRUCTURAL MECHANIC (SAFET Y EQUIPMENT) AIRMAN SQUADRON: VFA-11 HOMETOWN: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho WHY HE CHOSE THE NAVY:
Because both of my parents were in the Navy.
HIS FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB: Being able to be myself. PROUDEST NAVY MOMENT: Being deployed aboard TR. SHOUT OUT: Shoutout to ADAN Bianzon.
FUN
FACT
I have a twin brother.
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WHAT’S ON underway m ov i e schedule
Tuesday
SEPTEMBER 29, 2015
Staff Commanding Officer
Capt. Craig Clapperton Executive Officer
Capt. Jeff Craig Public Affairs Officer
Lt. Cmdr. Reann Mommsen Media Officer
Lt. j.g. Jack Georges Senior Editor
MCC Adrian Melendez MC1 R. David Valdez Editor
MC2 Chris Brown MC2 Danica M. Sirmans rough rider contributers
MOVIE TRIVIA
Q: what film draws inspiration from lockheed martin defense See in the next edition of the Rough Rider. Previous Question: the leading actor in this film herniated two discs due to the immense weight gain for his role. who is the actor and what is the film? Answer: christian bale in american hustle
A:
technologies company?
wednesday
SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
WHAT’S ON underway m ov i e schedule
MC3 Stephane Belcher MC3 Jennifer Case MC3 Anna Van Nuys Theodore Roosevelt Media command ombudsman
cvn71ombudsman@gmail.com The Rough Rider is an authorized publication for the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Contents herein are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy or the Commanding Officer of TR. All items for publication in The Rough Rider must be submitted to the editor no later than three days prior to publication. Do you have a story you’d like to see in the Rough Rider? Contact the Media Department at J-dial 5940 or stop by 3-180-0-Q.
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