Voice, Feb.9

FEBRUARY 09, 2014

USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) VOL 5 ISSUE 07

bomb squad: EOD Always Ready Navy Olympians

In Pursuit of a Different Medal

The Office Life: Chief of Naval Personnel

Showcase: Carrier Aviation

Commitment And Everything That Goes With It

EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL

bomb squad: EOD Always Ready T

by MCSA James P. Bleyle

he helicopter blades pound percussive rhythms as it takes off from Carl Vinson, nose down, headed for Yokosuka, Japan in the middle of Carl Vinson’s 2010 deployment. The passengers are explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians, an elite group of highly trained Sailors, and among them, Explosive Ordnance Disposal 1st Class (EDS/ FPJ/SW/AW) Spencer Crawford, leading petty officer of EOD Mobile Unit Three (EODMU 3) assigned to Carrier Strike Group One’s EOD team.

“We were going for some scheduled training with a U.S. EOD team based in Japan,” Crawford recalled.

“Right when we got there they told us that they had gotten a call from the airport. Some of the live sticks of dynamite they use to train their bomb sniffing dogs had become dangerous.”

Dynamite is made of nitroglycerine, which can seep out of the stick, then dry and crystallize.

The crystals of pure nitroglycerine are extremely volatile, according to Crawford, and can explode at the slightest touch.

“We drove to the airport, and assessed the situation,” Crawford said. “We sprayed the dynamite with neutralizing compounds and followed the procedures we had in place. We took control of the dynamite and took it to a safe area to detonate it. That’s the best part of this job for me, the unpredictability and excitement that I feel every day. We didn’t know when we woke up that morning that we’d be blowing up highly unstable dynamite later in the day.”

EOD is not your typical rate. Instead of merely

attending a short “A”-school for training, Sailors interested in the rate spend almost a year and a half in the training pipeline and undergo intensive physical and mental training.

Crawford said the attrition rate is routinely around 75 percent for this process, but if a candidate makes it through, they will be able to accomplish a wide amount of highly specialized tasks.

“The pipeline starts in Great Lakes, where candidates undergo a prep course,” said Crawford.

“It’s like boot camp on steroids. The instructors run physical training based on carrying logs, running up hills backwards, jumping into the lake in the winter;

it’s tough. For two weeks it’s kind of a weeding-out process.”

From there, candidates go to dive school for two months where they learn how to use open circuit and closed circuit underwater breathing apparatuses. If they graduate from dive school, they move on to EOD School which lasts about nine months, capped off by two months of training in what is called “Area 8”, which is a more stringent underwater proving ground.

“Area 8 is pretty tough,” Crawford said. “You can make it through the whole way in training, but if you don’t have what it takes in that last month, you’re out. Once we graduate from underwater, we get our basic EOD technician badge, which we nicknamed ‘the crab’ because of its resemblance to one.”

From there, newly pinned EOD technicians go to jump school in Ft. Benning, Ga., to learn “static line” parachuting techniques to make jumps safer, followed by expeditionary

combat skills such as shooting, first aid and navigation at Naval Expeditionary Combat Command in Gulfport, Miss.

Then they move to San Diego where they are further trained on shooting, helicopter insertion tactics and communication systems. Only after all of this has been accomplished is the training pipeline complete.

“EOD is the best rate in the Navy, hands down,” said Explosive Ordnance Disposal 2nd Class (FPJ) Preston Lee, assigned to EODMU 3. “We can skydive from 30,000 feet, dive down to 300 feet, and anything in between. Anywhere the mission takes us, we’ll be ready.”

Part of a Navy EOD technician’s mission is to protect the ship from any potential mines, improvised explosive devices (IED’s) or any ship’s ordnance that may have become dangerous. For this reason, they are assigned to the strike group while on deployment.

“Our primary mission onboard Carl Vinson is to protect the carrier in and out of port,” Lee said. “This includes antiterrorism force protection dives, where we fly out ahead to the water where the carrier is going to be and make sure it’s safe and hasn’t been mined, and shipboard IED response.”

When not on watch for potentially explosive situations, EODMU 3 follows an intensive training regimen. Whether training for their next level EOD badge, shipboard qualifications, or conducting drills on ordnance disposal, EOD technicians are rarely stationary, said Lee. “An average training scenario would be neutralizing and disposing of ordnance on or off an aircraft which is damaged in some way,” Lee said. “In that scenario, we would respond to the call as quickly as possible and research exactly what has been damaged on the ordnance item. Then we read a publication to understand exactly how that particular ordnance item works and attack it from that point, ultimately ending in the disposal of the ordnance item in the safest way possible.”

While EOD is an inherently dangerous job, it also has glamorous aspects, Crawford explained.

“We’re part of a special team that gets to work directly with the secret service sweeping spaces that the President or other dignitaries will be in,” said Crawford. “My parents are proud, but they worry about me. So I only tell them about those kinds of jobs that are safer and more prestigious.”

Crawford was formerly an aviation structural mechanic stationed in Guam when he decided to change rates.

“I saw some Navy publication where the cover image was some EOD techs getting into a recompression chamber,” said Crawford. “And then I saw another image of EOD’s working with dolphins, and I thought to myself ‘I can do this!’ So I went to my career counselor and talked to him, checked out MILPERSMAN 1220 and just went for it.”

Both Crawford and Lee agree the job’s variety is what makes it such a satisfying field to work in.

“Every day really is different,” Crawford said. “I know a lot of Sailors say that about their rate, but it’s true with EOD. One day we’ll be diving, and the very next day we’ll go shooting, and then we’ll go on a hike with our rucksacks down at the trident drop zone in San Diego. Next we’ll be doing helicopter rope insertion techniques. It’s a lot of fun, and it keeps the monotony down.”

The EOD team will be back aboard the ship for Carl Vinson’s 2014 deployment. In the meantime, they will continue training in Southern California.

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s the Olympic Committee prepared to kick off the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, two Navy warships stationed themselves in the Black Sea. The two ships are serving as a deterrent for terrorism while more than 2,000 competitors from 90 countries compete for medals.

From the start of the opening ceremony Feb.7 through the closing ceremony Feb. 23, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and the USS Taylor (FFG 50) are proof positive the U.S. Navy is a global force for good. Media reports also note their presence, referencing their ability to help with a mass evacuation of U.S. citizens in an Olympic terrorist attack, should one occur.

This is not the first time the Navy shared a close relationship with the Olympic Games, though.

Navy In Pursuit of a Different Medal Olympians

by MC3 Curtis D. Spencer

Over the course of Olympic history, 92 Naval Academy graduates participated in the Olympic Games. Of those 92 Naval Olympians, 39 won a medal. In total, they won 21 gold medals, six silver medals and 12 bronze medals for the U.S. The Navy participated for the first time during the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Harris Laning, an eventual rear admiral, and future captain Carl T. Osborn were members of the U.S. Rifle Team.

Osborn was a prolific competitor and during a later season of the Olympic Games had yet another Navy officer as his teammate. At the 1924 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium, Willis A. Lee Jr. – who would eventually achieve the rank of

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vice admiral – joined Osborn on the U.S. Olympic Rifle Team.

Osborn held the record as the Olympian with the most medals for 46 years. He participated in a total of three Olympic Games held in 1912, 1920 and 1924. He earned 11 medals in total – five gold, four silver and two bronze – distinguishing himself as one of the greatest marksmen in history. His record for most Olympic medals was broken in 1972 by Team U.S.A. swimmer Mark Spitz.

Though Osborn stands out as the Navy’s most successful Olympian to

date, he was not the last with Navy ties.

Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Albert Agyemang competed in the 200-meter and 400-meter relays for Ghana’s National Team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney prior to enlisting.

Agyemang’s father pushed him to move to the U.S. to get a scholarship and further his education, which he did soon afterward. He received an athletic scholarship and earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics after attending both Southern University in New Orleans and Middle Tennessee State.

When the economy plummeted and he lost his job, Agyemang joined the Navy as a personnel specialist

Adm. Harris Laning, left, and Capt. Carl T. Osburn, right, were members of the 1912 U.S. Olympic Rifle Team.

to take care of his family, and became a U.S. citizen after completing “A” school.

Team U.S.A. swimmer Larsen Jensen began his Naval career after winning silver medals in the 800 and 1,500-meter freestyle races respectively at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and a bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle swim at the 2008 games in Beijing. Jensen joined the Navy Capt. Robert Weissenfels following his retirement from active competition through the Officer Candidate School (OCS) program and then attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training. He graduated at the top of his class in 2011.

Naval Academy grad and commodore of Tactical Air Group One (TACGRUONE), Capt. Robert Weissenfels led the U.S. bobsled team in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France. Though Weissenfels’ team fell short of winning a medal, he went on to have a Naval career that has spanned more than 20 years.

While more than 92 Sailors claim a close tie to the Olympic Games in the past, it is likely the U.S. Navy will continue that relationship over the coming years – be it in competition or as a forward presence, a global force for good.

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around the

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V I N S O N

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Commitment And Everything That Goes With It

by MCSN Matthew A. Carlyle

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ne of the biggest commitments made in life is marriage.

Committing yourself to another person requires sacrifice and compromise. Committing to the military requires more of the same, which is why it can be especially challenging to commit to both.

But as an old adage about love says, “with love, anything is possible.”

One couple has proven for almost 20 years that love, and marriage, are possible for two service members with military careers.

“I think it was better that I met my husband in the military because we have a complete understanding of what we need to do for our jobs,” said Chief Ship’s Serviceman (SW/AW) Barbara Lynch. “There’s a balance between family and Navy that someone who hasn’t served might not fully comprehend, but I think that understanding has gone a long way for us.”

Chief Gas Turbine System Technician (Mechanical) (SW) Michael Lynch, a native of Sumner, Wash., enlisted in the Navy in 1987.

He served aboard frigates USS Flately (FFG-21) and USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29) before reporting to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola’s Port Operations in 1992 – where

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he met a young yeoman who would become his future wife.

Barbara, a native of Centrailia, Wash., enlisted in 1992 and reported to Helicopter Landing Trainer (HLT IX-514), also at NAS Pensacola.

The two met through mutual friends, and Michael will tell you that Barbara made an indelible impression upon him the first time he laid eyes on her.

“I knew from the minute I saw her she was going to be the one I spent the rest of my life with,” said Michael.

For about six months after they first met, the two got to know each other through softball games held between their two commands and by continuing to hang out with their group of mutual friends.

Barbara began to notice how much Michael cared for her when he made a surprise phone call to her.

“I had duty on my birthday while he was on leave once,” she said.

“He called me at work to wish me a happy birthday. When he got back, we went on our first date to a Mexican

restaurant.”

Both Lynchs agreed that being from the same state and sharing a devotion to family attracted them to each other.

“After learning how she was taking care of her mom, I found out how softhearted and caring a person she was,” Michael said.

Barbara added her perspective.

“He’s the sweetest person I ever met.

He’s always been committed to his friends, is family-oriented and had high expectations. That all attracted me to him.”

The couple got to know each other’s families initially by talking to them over the phone. Before getting married, they took leave to drive up to Wisconsin, where Michael’s mother and step-father were living so Barbara could meet them in person.

“His family gave me a warm welcome into their home,” Barbara said. “It was nice since that is a huge step for anyone.”

Michael and Barbara married in Medford, Wis., in July 1994. All their family members across the country were able to attend.

“We were married outside under a gazebo,” Barbara remembered. “The weather out was windy and started to rain. When you watch the video it almost sounds like a hurricane was all around us. That’s how the first of the best days of my life went.”

Barbara left the Navy after her first 2-year contract ended; she was also pregnant with the first of their three girls. Kayla was born Dec. 19, 1994.

Michael also left the Navy in 1996, honorably discharged after his tour at NAS Pensacola’s Port Operations was finished.

A few years removed from the military, the couple discovered they preferred the security the Navy offered them.

“We realized the foundation and benefits received in the Navy outweighed those in the civilian sector,” Michael admitted.

Barbara reenlisted in the Navy in 1999, this time as a ship’s serviceman, and served aboard fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) stationed at Naval Weapons Station Earle, N.J. before it was decommissioned July 13, 2001.

During her time on Supply, Barbara

had their second daughter, Darian, who was born July 31, 2000.

Michael decided to follow in his wife’s footsteps once more and reenlisted in 2001.

While he reported to frigate USS Jarrett (FFG 33) at Naval Base San Diego in 2002, Barbara was transferred to Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, Calif.

The couple welcomed their youngest girl, Morgan, into the world on June 13, 2003. They have continued serving at various commands both near to and far from each other.

“I think staying in the Navy has kept our relationship fresh and exciting,”

Barbara said. “We both changed and grew together, complimenting each other’s successes. It takes a lot of understanding to be a military spouse and it makes it easier when the spouse is in the military.”

While both Michael and Barbara are proud of the fact that they’ve been a dual-military couple for the majority of their marriage, Michael admitted it doesn’t come without its hardships.

“I would have to say the hardest thing is trying to maintain a consistent foundation for the kids,” Michael said. “Having different duty

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The Office Life:

stations is tough, especially when one is deployed. Even when one is home on shore duty, it is not a nine-to-five job.

So keeping our schedules straight is also difficult.”

Despite the adversity they’ve faced, Barbara said the extra time and effort they’ve put into being in the Navy

Chief of Naval Personnel

by MC2 Brent Pyfrom

T

together has been worthwhile for their family.

“The Navy has worked for us,” Barbara explained. “We’ve made it a priority to always maintain communication, keep structure for the girls and make whatever adjustments we need to make. Neither one of us has had to sacrifice for the other; we have always been able to pick up where the other left off. We’ve been able to keep the girls on the right path and they have so much respect for the job we do.”

For any couple considering a military-to-military marriage, Michael stressed the importance of ensuring the relationship has a strong foundation before deciding to jump-the-broom.

“You have to be very flexible in the things that you want out of the marriage because things will change on the fly,” Michael advised. “Communication is the key to any marriage and it’s hard when a lot of it is by email or social media, but we’re proof that it can be done. Also, don’t take anything for granted. Nothing in a marriage or in the Navy is guaranteed. You need to work just as hard at both to make both successful.”

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he Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) is responsible to the Chief of Naval Operations for the Navy’s manpower readiness and serves as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (DCNO) (Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education).

The CNP/DCNO, a three-star admiral, oversees the Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS), Navy Personnel Command (NPC) and the Navy Manpower Analysis Center.

The CNP/DCNO is nominated by the president and confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. The role of CNO and DCNO go hand in hand. The DCNO dictates all strategy and resource policies and serves as a single resource sponsor for all manpower and training program matters.

The DCNO also handles all Capitol Hill-related duties pertaining to the Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education Command, such as giving Congressional testimony for personnel matters.

Navy personnel matters were originally handled by the Secretary of War until the establishment of the Department of the Navy, April 30, 1798. The Secretary of the Navy later took control of personnel matters in 1815.

In 1861 the Office of Detail was created to deal with officer detailing, the appointment of volunteer officers and the purchasing of ships. The Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting was then established to handle the enlisted side of recruiting and service record maintenance.

In 1862 the Bureau of Navigation was created and three years later the Office of Detail was placed under it. In 1889 the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting also transferred its enlisted personnel activities to the Bureau of Navigation.

It wasn’t until 1942 that the command’s name changed to the Bureau of Naval Personnel and once again in 1982 to the Naval Military Personnel Command. Eventually, the name changed back to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in 1991.

BUPERS is the human resources section of the DON. The purpose of the bureau is to provide administrative leadership, policy planning, and basic oversight of the Navy command. BUPERS also oversees Navy Recruiting Command.

There have been 16 CNP’s in Naval history and the current Chief of Naval Personnel is Vice Adm. William “Bill” Moran.

Showcase: Carrier Aviation

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ver the past 25 days, Carl Vinson hosted 189 Distinguished Visitors, allowing members of the community an opportunity to get better acquainted with naval aviation and aircraft operations at sea. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, a former L.A. Raiders’ running back, a group of social media gurus, CEO’s and company presidents were among those invited to witness the pride and professionalism of Carl Vinson’s Sailors.

The Navy sponsors the Distinguished Visitor (DV) Program to educate the public on the Navy’s mission.

Each embark fosters awareness and understanding of the role of carrier aviation and demonstrates the high level of training required to keep Sailors ready to meet the nation’s needs, said Cmdr. Kevin Stephens, public affairs officer for Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF).

Vice Adm. David Buss, commander of Naval Air Forces, is overall responsible for management of the program. Naval commands to include fleet, regional, recruiting, personnel and others can sponsor individuals to embark on a ship. In certain cases, someone can even nominate him or herself.

“Obviously there are limited opportunities because we only have 10 active aircraft carriers,” said Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Raines, Carl Vinson’s public affairs officer. “The carrier has to be conducting flight operations and be within a certain distance to land to conduct DV operations, but the payback is a public educated as to what Sailors do out at sea.”

Since opportunities for civilian embarkations on Navy ships are limited, interested personnel are

selected for the program based on their ability to share their experience with the largest possible audience. All requests are screened and vetted by the CNAF public affairs office, to include any medical or physical limitations.

According to Navy.mil, “Embarkations of journalists, community leaders or celebrities that gain mass media exposure greatly assist our recruiting and educational efforts by allowing thousands to share in the experience. These individuals, in turn, make positive contributions to the public understanding of the roles and mission of the Navy by having their experience promoted through various media outlets.”

Not only does it educate the public, Raines believes it also benefits Sailors.

“It’s really beneficial for both parties.

First, it benefits the person who comes out because they get to see what the Navy’s all about and see what we ask of America’s sons and daughters. Second, it’s beneficial for our Sailors to see the profound level of respect people in the community have for what they do.”

During their visits, DV’s observe

shipboard evolutions, flight deck operations, learn about the role of members in the chain of command, and tour various spaces around the ship to include the crew’s berthings.

“After watching the U.S. Navy in full swing for 30 hours, I can tell you that the work they are doing is amazing, it is complex beyond description, it is awe inspiring, and…it is full of challenges and trials I never would have guessed from the outside,” said Brett Murray, a DV and social blogger who accompanied Carl Vinson for 24-hours during her January 2014 underway.

“It’s full of honor, purpose, amazing moments, and pride, but there are enough massive daily challenges to it that my true sense of awe is in that they do this at all,” added Murray.

“It’s a hard path, a misunderstood one, and ultimately one that would have to be driven by a sense of service I don’t think I’ll ever really understand.”

Raines was not surprised by Murray’s post. “The Carl Vinson does it right because every single Sailor takes that role on with pride to show off what they do.”

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DIALOGUES

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D E C K P L A T E

“Our squadron accomplished many goals while training with Carl Vinson.”

MC2 (SW) Megan Catellier

LS2 (EXW/IDW) Joan Gil

“I got shaft alley patrol and JQR qualified in one day.”

“Successfully completed maintenance on our aircraft.”

MMFN Roxana Perakovich

AM2 (AW) Autumn Flaig

LTJG TREVOR DAVIDS Assistant Public Affairs Officer

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF MCCS (SW/AW) MONICA HOPPER Media Leading Chief Petty Officer

MCC (AW/SW/EXW) DAVID CRAWFORD

MEDIA DEPARTMENT

CARL VINSON CINEMA

NOW PLAYING

“I WAS ACCEPTED TO PURDUE UNIVERSITY.”

LCDR KYLE RAINES Public Affairs Officer

Media Operations Leading Chief Petty Officer

JUNIOR EDITORS

MC1 (SW/AW) RYAN TABIOS MC2 BRENT PYFROM

GRAPHICS/LAYOUT MC2 MICHAEL H. LEE MC2 PHOENIX LEVIN

STAFF WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

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EXECUTIVE EDITORS

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“WE accomplished our goal of making sure all aircraftS flew safely.”

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