USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71 )
ROUGH RIDER December 3, 2017
IN THIS EDITION
Rating on the Radar
P u t t i n g o n C row s Supporting Operation Inherent Resolve
CONTENTS
COMMAND MASTER CHIEF CMDCM Andrew Frederick
Sailors transport ordnance across the flight deck. Photo by MC3 Spencer Roberts.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER Lt. Cmdr. Beth Teach
Launching into 5th Fleet
TR Strike Group launches in support of Operation Inherent Resolve
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Putting on Crows
Rough Riders advance through the ranks and earn their 'crows'
ASST. PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER Lt. j.g. Brittany Stephens SENIOR EDITORS MCCS Misty Flynn MCC Jay Pugh EDITORS MC1 Michael Russell MC1 John Hetherington MC2 Jason Pastrick MC3 Alex Perlman
'OC' or Bust
Rough Riders take the final test to pass the 'SFR-B' course
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Rating on the Radar Pg.11
COMMANDING OFFICER Capt. Carlos A. Sardiello EXECUTIVE OFFICER Capt. Fred Goldhammer
On the Cover
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STAFF
What it's like to be a Gunner's Mate
d n 2 r e b m e c Sunday, De
ROUGH RIDER STAFF MC2 Matthew Fairchild MC3 Jimmi Lee Bruner MC3 Victoria Foley MC3 Robyn Melvin MC3 Alex Perlman MC3 Spencer Roberts MC3 Rachael Treon MM3 Andrew Langholf MCSN Michael Colemanberry 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. CHECK US OUT ONLINE about.me/ussTheodoreRoosevelt @TheRealCVN71
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Launching into Operation Inherent Resolve Story by Commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine Public Affairs Photo by MM3 Andrew Langholf
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he Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 began strike sorties from the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). "The first day of flight operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve is a highly-anticipated day where the Theodore Roosevelt strike group transitions into combat operations to demonstrate our continued commitment to this region and our partner nations," said Rear Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of Carrier Strike Group Nine. "Success in this important mission takes every Sailor and Marine on board working as a team. I'm incredibly proud of all the work this team has done throughout their training and preparation, they are ready and now it is time to go to work." "Our priority is to be ready for any contingency," said Capt. Chris Ford, commander of CVW-17. "The counterterrorism mission is one of many reasons why we are here. I'm confident the highly skilled and professional warfighters in this air wing are ready to execute assigned tasking alongside U.S. and coalition forces."
The first CVW-17 squadrons to conduct combat flight operations against ISIS, Dec. 1, included the Redcocks of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, the Checkerboards of Marine Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 312, the Stingers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113, and the Mighty Shrikes of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 94. "Carrier strike groups are a flexible, adaptable and persistent force that help deter potential adversaries, respond to humanitarian crises, reassure partners and enhance security," said Koehler. "We look forward to building on the success of the strike groups and air wings that have operated before us in 5th Fleet." The Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group's deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations supports Operation Inherent Resolve and signals the continued commitment to defeat and destroy ISIS. In addition to anti-ISIS missions, the strike group is conducting maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners, preserve freedom of navigation, and maintain the free flow of commerce. 3
This Week in Review
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1. An F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to the Checkerboards of Marine Strike Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 312, takes off from the flight deck. Photo by MC3 Rachael Treon. 2. Seaman Paulsteven Dolores stands watch on the fantail. Photo by MC3 Alex Perlman. 3. Sailors transport ordnance across the flight deck. Photo by MC3 Spencer Roberts. 4. MA1 Patrick Ga waits to for his name to be called during a frocking ceremony on the flight deck. Photo by MC3 Victoria Foley.
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5. Vice Adm. John Aquilino, commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, arrives aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Photo by MM3 Andrew Langholf. 6. EMN2 Amelia Haverkamp stands in formation to receive her frocking letter on the flight deck. Photo by MC3 Spencer Roberts.. 7. Sailors signal ready for launch on the flight deck. Photo by MC3 Rachael Treon.
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PUTTING ON CROWS
Story by MCSN Michael Colemanberry USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs
hile normally reserved for the hustle and bustle of flight operations, the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) hosted Sailors for a frocking ceremony, Nov. 26. A total of 337 Sailors aboard TR were promoted to first, second and third class petty officer from the Navy wide advancement exam held in September. “What we accomplished here today is no small feat,” said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, commanding officer of the TR. “Moving up each and every rank is an important achievement. It’s your individual achievement as well as an achievement of the team, collectively, to get the mission done. You’re learning in rate. You’re getting better at what you do, and you’re supporting the mission as you reach the next level.” The Sailors stood in ranks, awaiting their turn to walk on stage and and be congratulated by the commanding officer and command master chief in front of their friends and shipmates. “It was a great experience being on the flight deck, seeing all the frockees standing in formation,” said IT3 Nicholas Tiong, from Cerritos, Calif. “I knew the advancement list was long, but seeing it in person made it feel real.”
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Tiong was one TR Sailor selected for promotion, changing his title from seaman to that of petty officer. “It felt good to finally pick up third and join my friends in the ranks of petty officer,” said Tiong. “Being a third class means more responsibility, more so than when you were a seaman. You are now in more of a supervisor role, so you have to start acting like a supervisor and earn your crows.” While many advanced to the petty officer ranks for the first time, some progressed to level of first class. “Honestly it felt pretty good knowing that I was up on stage for a purpose, that I am making my way up to the top,” said MA1 Patrick Ga, from San Diego. “Being advanced to first class puts my naval career in perspective for me. I can make this a long-term career and not have any worries about falling short as long as I push myself.” Ga reminded himself to not rest on his laurels, but to keep working toward the next step in his naval career. “I always tried to act as a first class when I was a second class,” said Ga. “Now I have to take a step forward and put myself into a chief’s shoes. I have to keep working so I can make that next step to put on khakis.” As the ceremony ended there were plenty of smiles, handshakes and congratulations exchanged, along with new weight carried on collars.
Sailors await their frocking ceremony on the flight deck. Photo by MM3 Andrew Langholf.
Reading Your Profile Sheet Story by MC2 Bryan Mai USS George Washington Public Affairs Originally published on Navy.mil housands of Sailors take the advancement exam twice a year and await the results of those exams twice a year. The results of these exams determine their careers, and thus their intentions. While many Sailors will advance, unfortunately, some will not. The most important thing for Sailors that did not advance this cycle to understand is why they did not advance, and what areas they can strengthen for the next cycle. Every Sailor that took an exam will have a profile sheet that they can review. "A profile sheet is a snapshot of the exam," said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Gilberto Vaz, a member of the Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) educational services office (ESO). "It is a breakdown of your score on the exam. It has your performance mark average (PMA), your passed-not-advanced (PNA) points, your standard score, your time in rate and how well you did on various sections on your exam." Your PMA uses only the Promotion Recommendation block (Block 45) from evaluations in the current paygrade. "An 'EP' (early promote) evaluation gives you a 4.0, a 'MP' (must promote) evaluation gives a 3.8 and a 'P' (promote) evaluation gives a 3.6," said Personnel Specialist Seaman Apprentice Langston Hooper. Evaluations are important, but the standard score is weighted more for junior Sailors. The standard score is the score from the examination itself. "For Sailors taking the second or third class exam, if they score well enough, they can advance even with a 'P'
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evaluation," said Vaz. "For the first class exam however, their PMA will have a much larger influence on whether or not they will advance." Although one may pass the exam, that does not necessarily mean a Sailor will advance to the next paygrade. You will fall under one of three areas: selectee, pass not advance, or fail. Selectee means that the Sailor passed the exam and will be promoted. Pass not advance (PNA) means that a Sailor passed the exam, but did not end up with a high enough final multiple score (FMS) to advance. Fail means the Sailor failed this cycle's advancement examination. "That's why it's important to be able to read your profile sheet," said Vaz. "We all make mistakes and you wouldn't want to miss advancing because of a mistake. If you knew how to read it, you would be able to spot potential incorrect information and tell us so we can correct it." Sailors who find discrepancies in their profile sheet can go to the ESO department to fix them. These discrepancies can include their PMA, their PNA points, education points, or award points. "We can't change the standard score from the test, but we can fix your PMA and award points," said Vaz. "We don't deal with the education points either but if you bring in supporting documents such as a transcript or award letters, we can send a correction letter and get it changed." Having a clear understanding of one's profile sheet is a vital step in ensuring all possible points are awarded. "Being able to read your PMA and award points will be the most important part of understanding your profile sheet," said Vaz. "As long as you can read those two and potentially get some additional points, you should be good to go." 7
An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to the Mighty Shrikes of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 94, prepares to launch from the flight deck. Photo by MC3 Rachael Treon.
'OC' or Bust Photo and Story by MC3 Victoria Foley USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs
ailors watched as a shipmate wearing Navy PT gear braced himself on a mat surrounded with orange cones. The breeze felt cooler and the humidity felt less suffocating—the “red man” was coming. USS Theodore Roosevelt’s Security Division sent Sailors through a two-week Security Reaction Force Bravo course (SRF-B) Nov. 13 to Nov. 28 to maintain proper manning and operational readiness. The final stage of SRF-B involved going up against a simulated assailant after being sprayed with oleoresin capsicum (OC). “A lot of Sailors get sent TAD to security and have never been involved in security training before,” said MA1 Cruz Cline. “The SRF-B course allows them to be an effective watch stander.” The course consisted of weapons familiarization, use of deadly force training, basic watchstanding principles, and non-lethal weapons training. On the final day of the course, the Sailors must complete five stations while enduring the effects of the OC spray. “The stations consist of being OC sprayed, takedown maneuvers, defensive strikes with a baton, blocking techniques, and going up against the ‘red man,’” said MA1 Jacob Green, SRF-B lead instructor. The non-lethal weapons obstacle course not only taught Sailors basic tactics, it was also the final
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qualification to graduate from the SRF-B course. “There are two reasons why a member must be OC-sprayed,” said Cline. “One is to get qualified and understand how to effectively use the spray, and the other is to feel the effects in the event that they are sprayed by an assailant. It shows them how to push through any situation.” According to Cline, at the fifth station, they proved how to effectively use mechanical advantage control hold (mach) moves, baton takedowns, and what to do if the “red man” grabbed the baton. “I’ve been sprayed by OC before, but I’m glad it wasn’t me this time,” said MASN Marcos Chavez, who served as the “red man.” “Being on the other side of things is a little more fun. Other people’s reactions remind me of when I went through the course.” OS3 Carlos Galicia said it was the worst feeling he ever experienced in his life. “Your face is burning, it’s hard to open your eyes, and it feels like you can’t breathe,” said Galicia. “You literally just want to curl up and die.” Even though SRF-B challenged many students, they still encouraged each other to the end. “As bad as it hurts to be sprayed, I really felt like the group cheered each other on,” said MA1 Kyle Long. “There was a lot of support and camaraderie between shipmates.”
R a t i n g on the R a d a r
Gunner's Mate Photo and Story by MC3 Robyn Melvin USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs
stablished in 1794, Gunner’s Mate is one of the Navy’s oldest ratings. GMs originally operated and maintained all different types of weapons. Today, GMs are also responsible for the magazine flooding and sprinkler systems, identifying and reporting explosive usage, and the weapons training and proficiency of the crew, according to the Navy’s official website. “Watching a Sailor who has never fired a weapon, with no skillset, learn and become familiar with a firearm is very satisfying,” said GMC Nick Ayala, G2 division leading chief petty officer. “We do the best we can to teach because we are the TR’s last line of defense.” Ayala said that GMs are familiar with almost all types of weapon systems. From pistols and rifles to torpedos and rockets, GMs are jacks-of-all-trades. “On the days that we are not actually shooting guns, we break them down as far as they can go, clean every single inch of it, and put it back together,” said GMSN Lindsey Laney. “There is no better way on this planet to learn about all the different weapons that we use and how they work.” Because of the diverse set of skills that GMs possess, they can be stationed almost anywhere in the world. “Anywhere there is an armory, there is probably a GM,” said Ayala. “Whether you are at a Naval Ammunition Command or on a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, like Diego Garcia, there is a GM. From special forces to any ship that’s haze gray and underway, it’s safe to say a Gunner’s Mate is there.” As one of the oldest ratings in the Navy, GMs have
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a long and rich history. Gunner’s Mates have been cited with 27 Medal of Honor presentations, dating back to the Civil War. The first Navy ship named after an enlisted Sailor was the destroyer USS Osmond Ingram (DD 255), named for a Gunner’s Mate who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism in the presence of the enemy during the torpedoing of the USS Cassin (DD 43) on Oct. 15, 1917. Ingram sighted the torpedo coming and attempted to release depth charges, but was unable to before the torpedo struck the ship. 13
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Good morning, I accidentally misplaced the satellite to our internet. I lost it somewhere in our last strait transit. If anyone has seen it, please email me. V/R SN Bully the Moose
A THEODORE ROOSEVELT COMIC BY MC3 JIMMI LEE BRUNER
Name: BM3 Quy Vinh Hometown: Hue, Vietnam Favorite thing about the Navy: Meeting funny people Message to the crew: Life is a gamble, keep playing 'til you win Favorite food: Vietnamese pho Favorite movie: Lion King