MAY 21, 2014
VOL 5 ISSUE 14
Your 10-Month
Pill Box
In In thisthis issue: issue: 3MA SARC / Battle / Midshipmen of Coral Sea / Early / Early OutOut / Metrology / Metrology
T
by MC2 (SW/AW) Travis Alston
he anxiety and nervousness of deployment will soon become a reality for Carl Vinson Strike Group Sailors. Some of you will stay up most of the night packing and spending those last precious moments with loved ones, wishing you didn’t have to leave. You’ll wake up extra early the morning of deployment and say your finally good-byes. You’ll walk across the brow, head to the berthing to unpack…oh no. It’s then you’ll realize you forgot your prescription in the medicine cabinet at home. No need to panic, Shipmate; Carl Vinson’s pharmacy is here to save the day. Just like a civilian hospital, the ship’s medical department provides routine patient care to include physicals, vaccinations, surgeries and pharmaceutical support. “When the ship pulls away from the pier, there won’t be adequate space to store a 10-month supply of medication for everyone who needs it,” said Hendrick. “We’re asking Sailors if they are in need of pharmaceutical assistance, whether birth control, medication for high blood pressure, allergies, cholesterol – anything they take on a regular basis – to let us know now so we can get them what they need ahead of time.” The first step to processing a 10-month supply of your prescription is to inform ship’s Medical before their June 10 deadline. There are two ways to inform Medical of your current prescription status – send an email to “Medical Appointments” or go to medical and inform a staff member. “One of our doctors will go to a local facility to have all of our prescriptions prescribed. Two or three days before we depart on deployment, we will go to that facility to pick it up. Once it is on board, the member can come down and I will give them their 10-month supply,” said Hendricks. Hendricks and the pharmacy team understand new check-ins may miss the June 10 deadline, so they are taking the initiative to preorder additional anticipated medications. “We routinely check the ship’s alpha roster via Personnel and send the list to Balboa Medical Center where it is run through a system called P-mart. P-Mart scans the database for prescriptions filled for those Sailors by the ship, military and civilian hospitals and pharmacies – even those in other states.” The pharmacy staff will have addition medication aboard to support incase of accidentally lost or damage “We do stock additional medication on board, but supplies may become an issue, so if you damage or
PG 2
Your 10-Month
Pill Box
lose your prescription, I will provide you only a 30day supply from then on to ensure I have enough for everybody. Orders are constantly placed and delivered via replenishments-at -sea, but it may take awhile to arrive on the ship.” The ship can fulfill optometry needs as well as medical needs. Medical does not carry any equipment to support those that wear contact lenses but does have an optometrist aboard to assist with treating common eye injuries, conducting eye exams and providing glasses. “We don’t support replacement contact lenses, cases or solution for contact lenses,” said Hendrick. “Make sure you have enough replacements to last the entire deployment because there is nothing we can do to help you. I also recommend you bring two sets of glasses with you.” Regardless your medical concern once underway, fully supporting Carl Vinson’s embarked Sailors is Medical Department’s top priority. “On board Carl Vinson we have medications for most illnesses,” Hendrick said. “It may not be the exact medication you are used to, but it will be an acceptable substitute. We are going to make sure our Sailors are taken care of.”
by MC2 (SW/AW) Travis Alston
“
M
y hope is that every Sailor feels comfortable speaking with me. Also, I hope to keep working with the amazing sexual assault prevention and response team aboard USS Carl Vinson, to ensure “ provide the best services we can to we victims who seek our help,” said Carl Vinson’s Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) Diana Tovar. A SARC provides direct oversight and accountability for sexual assault awareness, prevention, response, training, and victim care for all commands under their umbrella of care. Tovar ensures services are available 24/7 for victims of sexual assault and monitors the command’s compliance with the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps’ requirements. She also provides guidance and technical assistance to the commanding officer in addressing matters concerning the SAPR program. “I serve as the single point of contact to coordinate sexual assault response when a sexual assault is reported. I manage all reported cases in my area of responsibility and am responsible for overall management of sexual assault awareness, prevention, and training,” said Tovar. “I also supervise SAPR Victim Advocates (VAs) in the performance of their duties providing services to victims of sexual assault.” A native of Mexico, Tovar began working as Vinson’s command SARC in March 2013. “I always knew I wanted a helping profession,” said Tovar. “Immediately after graduating college, I had the opportunity to work for a nonprofit agency that assisted victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. This led me to later work for the Fleet and Family Support Center in their Family Advocacy program, and then as a regional SARC.” Before taking the helm as the regional SARC, Tovar was required to complete numerous hours of Navyprovided training. “I received 40 hours of SARC training, 40 hours of SAPR victim advocate training, eight hours of SAPR liaison training and two hours of data collection coordinator training,” said Tovar. “Also, I was required to shadow senior SARC’s
Here for You 24/7
while they conducted their daily duties.” Tovar gained a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge from the individuals who trained her. “Shadowing a senior SARC was very beneficial for me. I was given the opportunity to get firsthand experience. It took a couple months to complete all of my required training to serve as a SARC, but learning is continuous.” For Tovar, her job provides a platform to educate and train others on services the Navy provides to victims and their commands. “I believe it is important that we provide compassionate support services
to victims,” Tovar expressed. “I also believe it is important to provide education and awareness to our Sailors. Anyone can become a victim so they should know what to do and where to go for help.” Tovar is proud of her job and glad she is able to make a difference for others. “I am happy to know that because of the SAPR program there will always be someone here to listen when a victim wants to talk,” said Tovar. “It is difficult knowing the horrible crimes some individuals are capable of committing and knowing how this affects a victim and those around them.” National research shows that the majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone known to the victim: 73 percent by a nonstranger, 38 percent by a friend or acquaintance, 28 percent by an intimate partner and 7 percent by a relative. “I would like them to know we are here to listen without judgment,” Tovar said. “Even if they are not sure about what they want to do, we can help with that process. I really want people to understand that these types of crimes can happen to anyone and anytime, even between friends or partners.” Tovar added that regardless of the situation or circumstance, she wants Sailors to feel comfortable coming to her in the case of sexual assault or to educate themselves on what her program offers. “At the end of the day my job is to assist and help victims of sexuallyrelated crimes, therefore I’m going to do that job to the best of my abilities. Each command has a victim advocate who can assist you. We are here to help.”
PG 3
Midshipman 2nd Class, Ian Blankenship, Shreveport, La “Meeting all the enlisted and hearing all their stories.”
Midshipman 1st Class Lomaro Caldwell, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. “Getting to see the different fields, very diverse.”
PG 4
Starting
Midshipman 1st Class Rhen Nathe, Albuquerque, N.M. “Getting to experience all the different communities on the ship.”
Poi F
rom the saltiest Chief to the greenest Seaman, every Sailor has a story and every story has a beginning. For a few prospective officers, commonly known as midshipmen, Carl Vinson’s month-long composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) underway is their first experience in the fleet. Eligible civilians interested in a senior leadership position and the opportunity to develop Navy programs and policies have a few avenues they can take in pursuit of a commission. One such program is the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program where college students, in addition to working towards their degree, undergo physical fitness and leadership training to transform them into naval officers. “ROTC is an officer ascension program that works with civilian colleges,” said Midshipman 1st Class Rhen Nathe, a senior at the University of New Mexico. “Generally, it takes four years to get your degree, so you start off freshman year and train all the way up to your senior year of college, and then you get commissioned after that.” ROTC requires first and second class midshipmen to go to sea attached to a surface ship in order to see firsthand how the Navy operates on a day-to-day basis, and Carl Vinson hosts some every summer. “We typically do two cruises,” said Midshipman 1st Class Vadim Reytblat, a Tufts University senior and one of 13 midshipmen aboard Carl Vinson for COMPTUEX. “The summer after sophomore year we go on our first cruise as 2nd class midshipmen, where we follow around our enlisted running mate and learn how enlisted Sailors live aboard the ship. After our junior year we go on our first class cruise, which is all preparation for our commissioning.” For first-time cruiser Midshipman 2nd Class Kelly McCormick, a University of San Diego junior, being underway on Carl Vinson is an eye-opening experience. “I’ve never been on a Naval ship before,” McCormick said. “Everything is brand new for me – seeing how the
int
by MCSN James P. Bleyle
enlisted people live, where they eat – all of it is very different from anything I’ve encountered. This cruise is very informative and I feel like this is very important information to get before I hit the fleet.” During their 1st class cruise, midshipmen shadow commissioned officers as an opportunity to gain general knowledge or as an opportunity to learn more about what field they would like to serve in once they have completed training and been commissioned. “I’m on my aviation cruise, so I get to see how everything works in Air Ops. I’ll go up into their spaces and hang out and see what’s going on to get a feel for the department,” Nathe said. “The other day I had the opportunity to go out
Midshipman 3rd Class John Ferguson, Dallas “Watching flight operations at night.”
Midshipman 2nd Class Edgar Garcia, Houston, Texas “Getting to know how the enlisted live, so when we become leaders we know how to take care of our Sailors.”
with the shooters and see exactly how planes are launched off of the deck. I feel like I’ve gained a lot of technical knowledge just from coming here.” “I’m learning a lot,” said McCormick, who would like to be a Navy nurse and is already looking forward to her next cruise. “I’m a nurse option, and at the campus clinical where I train at college, we aren’t allowed to do blood draws or I.V.’s on campus. Here, though, I can practice more medicine, which is very helpful in my studies.” Both Nathe and McCormick expressed their enjoyment being underway on Carl Vinson, and McCormick offered thanks to all of the officers and enlisted who had taken time out of their busy schedules to help train her and her fellow midshipmen.
Midshipman 1st Class Taylor Fisher, Milton, Fla. “Witnessing flight operations close up for the first time.”
PG 5
around the
V I N S O N
Early Separation Reinstated
U
by MC2 (SW) Brent Pyfrom
SS Carl Vinson was awarded gold anchors for winning the retention excellence award this year. Outstanding retention and recruiting success Navy-wide has led the service to reinstate the Enlisted Early Transition Program (EETP). The program allows eligible Sailors to apply for a voluntary early separation up to 24 months prior to their End of Obligated Service as Extended (EAOS). “Anytime the Navy comes up with a program like this, it’s a force shaping tool,” said Chief Navy Career Counselor (AW/SW) Damion Perry of Carl Vinson’s Administration Department. One rating on board Carl Vinson is currently being downsized under the program. ”This is good for the rate all around. It will increase the advancement opportunities for those who want to stay Navy and release those who have other goals,” said Ship’s Serviceman 2nd Class (SW) Sarah Blakney, Supply Department’s S-3 Division. EETP will be an ongoing program limited to overmanned ratings, controlled by quotas and offered on a firstcome, first-served basis. It will help reduce the need for involuntary force management. “As we have stabilized to our new end strength, we
PG 8
have looked to bring back those programs in a little bit of a different format,” said Capt. Karan Schriver, head of enlisted plans for the chief of naval personnel, in a May 6 phone interview with Navy Times Journalist Mark Faram. “Overmanning in any community can impact opportunity across the board, so we want to offer programs like this to give Sailors who want the opportunity to move on early to civilian life to leave early and free up advancement and reenlistment opportunity for those who want to stay.” Right now, the Enlisted Early Transition Program is offering 378 discharge quotas to several thousand Sailors across 10 ratings: AWF, AWV, SH, BU, CE, CM, EA, EO, SW, UT. Schriver said they’ll adjust ratings and quotas in the future as they continue to target ratings with 104 percent manning or higher; interested Sailors can check for the latest quotas on the Navy Personnel Command website at http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/ community/pages/eetp.aspx. Available quotas are identified by rating, paygrade, year group and Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC). Early outs are only being offered to Sailors with 14 years or less of service.
Requests for early separation will not be approved for the following Sailors: * With existing Permanent Change of Station orders, * Identified to fill an Individual Augmentee assignment, * In nuclear ratings, * Assigned to a DoD area tour and have not completed the tour requirement, including overseas tour extension incentive programs for which a benefit has been received. Commanding officers (CO’s) maintain final disapproval authority and are under no obligation to forward requests they cannot support. A request with the CO’s positive endorsement goes to Navy Personnel Command, Performance Evaluation Division for final approval.
PG 9
“The day is important because it’s the day our field was born,” said Chief Aviation Electronics Technician (AW/ SW) Cesar Nunez, METCAL program manager aboard Carl Vinson. “All the major countries at the time got together to agree on exact standards of measurement in order to conduct trades with one another.” “The trade was facilitated by a standard of measurement to ensure a pound of oranges was measured the same worldwide. Standardizing measurements was important so measurements such as mass, meters, distance, or volume is equal amongst everybody.” To this day, the treaty provides the basis for a single, coherent system of measurements known as the International System of Units (SI). It is used in both commerce and science. Aboard Carl Vinson, metrology is responsible for many systems. “Take the pressure gauges around the ship, the steam pressure or the fire-main pressure,” said Nunez. “The fire-main pressure must be set at 150 psi; we calibrate the fire-main
H
by MC2 (SW) Brent Pyfrom
ave you ever wondered who is responsible for making sure a gallon of fuel at your gas station is actually a gallon? Or who calibrates the pressure gauges in Reactor’s A/C plants? Sailors in the Metrology and Calibration (METCAL) shop celebrated precise measurements yesterday. The reason for their celebration? May 20 was World Metrology Day, a day to celebrate the signing of the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) treaty by representatives of seventeen nations of the Metre Convention on May 20, 1875.
May 20, 1875
World Metrology Day
Treaty
Celebrating the signing of the
Bureau International des Poids et Mesures Treaty by
17 Nations
- Portugal and the Algarves
- Ottomans
- USA
- Republic of Peru
- Republic of Venezuela
- Brazil
- Argentine Confederation
- Germany
- Italy
- French Republic
- Swiss Confederation
- Spain
- Austria and Hungary
- Belgium
- Russia
- Denmark
- Sweden and Norway
PG 10
This document provides one coherent system of measurment traceable to the International System of Units.
frequency, pressure, force, torque or dimension.” The Convention of 1875 set the framework for global collaboration in the science of measurement and in its industrial, commercial and societal application. The original aim of the Metre Convention – worldwide uniformity of measurement – remains as important today as it was in 1875. “The air department wouldn’t be able to move fuel or launch
gauges accurately. We even check the measurements in the gauges that tell pilots how high they are through RADAR.” “If the fire main pressure isn’t calibrated correctly, it could reach greater than 175 psi,” said Ensign Manuel Aguilar, Carl Vinson’s assistant damage control assistant. “The pressure would then look for weak spots in the piping and it will create leaks. It could also make the fire pumps go air-bound, which could burn out the pump.” According to Nunez, metrology is essential to everyday life. For example, say you’re purchasing a gallon of gas for $4.25. How are you to know if the pump is giving you the full gallon? County inspectors test gas pumps with a five gallon prover to protect you
– the consumer. Having a standard of measurement for a gallon is important; that way you get what you paid for. “The Navy METCAL program operates under ‘test accuracy ratio’ and what that means is, whatever we use to calibrate is four times more accurate than whatever it is that’s being calibrated,” said Nunez. The accuracy of a pressure gauge may be 100 psi +/-4 psi. The Navy’s pressure gauge would have an accuracy of 100 psi +/-1 psi in order to maintain the four to one accuracy ratio. “So when we check voltage or a sine wave we compare it against a standard, and all the Navy standards we maintain in our shop are 4 times more accurate than the things we are calibrating. This concept applies to every form of measurement: voltage,
USS Carl Vinson METCAL Shop
10,000 item inventory 4x’s more accurate
aircraft because they wouldn’t have a quantitative value of the resources they need without the METCAL program,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 2nd Class (AW) Christopher Ball, Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department’s, IM3 Division. The machines used to fire up jet engines for testing on Carl Vinson are also calibrated by the METCAL shop. With 10,000 items in their inventory that they can use for calibration, everything dealing with measurement on board Carl Vinson is precise. “Everybody is affected by weights and measurements in every way, shape and form in everyday living,” said Nunez. The thermometer used to determine the right temperature for hot water, electrical switches for the a/c units and weight scales for the laundry bags are each calibrated through the METCAL shop. “This ship wouldn’t get underway without the METCAL program,” said Ball. “We ensure exact measurements of all Carl Vinson’s precision measuring equipment.”
PG 11
ea
m
What has been your favorite movie we’ve shown during the underway?
at
DIA LO GU ES
E IC VO
DECKPLATES
of
LSSR Adrian White
SH3 Rachel Montoya
“Full Metal Jacket”
“The Avengers”
sw
r ilo
“300”
Sa
“Pulp Fiction”
ing
rit f or
AF ST
Sa
PUBLISHER
“42”
“Pulp Fiction”
EXECUTIVE EDITORS
LCDR KYLE RAINES Public Affairs Officer
OS2 Teshayla Pierce-Jackson
AZ2 (AW) Ryan Olson
“Here Comes the Boom”
“Office Space”
s
ET2 (SW) Bobby Roots
F
MA2 Elizabeth Mohlmaster
r ilo
CAPT KENT WHALEN Commanding Officer
LTJG TREVOR DAVIDS Assistant Public Affairs Officer
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF MCCS (SW/AW) MONICA HOPPER Media Leading Chief Petty Officer
MEDIA DEPARTMENT
MCC (AW/SW/EXW) DAVID CRAWFORD Media Operations Leading Chief Petty Officer
JUNIOR EDITORS
NOW PLAYING CARL VINSON CINEMA
MC1 (SW/AW) RYAN TABIOS MC2 (SW/AW) TRAVIS ALSTON
Lt. j.g. Jenn Driesslein
Lt. j.g. Richard Luth
0815 0955 1135 1330 1505 1655 1830 2010 2150 2330 0125 0300 0450 0815 1030 1105 1300 1435 1640 1815 1950 2200 2335 0130 0305 0510 0815 1010 1140 1340 1520 1735 1920 2115 2245 2345 0131 0345 0530
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Despicable Me Ratatouille Over the Hedge Wreck It Ralph The Lego Movie Driving Miss Daisy Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Despicable Me Ratatouille Over the Hedge Wreck It Ralph The Lego Movie Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Dodgeball: Underdog Story Pitch Perfect Moonrise Kingdom Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Easy A Fun Size Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Dodgeball: Underdog Story Pitch Perfect Moonrise Kingdom Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Easy A Snitch Chronicle World War Z R.I.P.D. Pacific Rim After Earth Snitch Chronicle World War Z R.I.P.D. Pacific Rim After Earth Pompeii
0815 0950 1140 1445 1635 1855 2050 2125 2315 0200 0350
Premium Rush Mirror Mirror Out of Africa Edward Scissorhands Captain Phillips Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Premium Rush Mirror Mirror Out of Africa Edward Scissorhands Captain Phillips
Enough Said Flight The Call The Counselor Dallas Buyers Club Prisoners Enough Said Flight The Call The Counselor Dallas Buyers Club Prisoners
0815 0950 1215 1355 1555 1755 2030 2205 2230 0010 0210 0410
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters The Last Stand Evil Dead Seeking A Friend For the End of the World The Campaign Major League Stand Up Guys Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters The Last Stand Evil Dead Seeking A Friend For the End of the World The Campaign Major League Stand Up Guys Rush Parker Man on Fire Hamburger Hill Lawless Chinatown Rush Parker Man on Fire Hamburger Hill Lawless The Green Zone J. Edgar Hyde Park on Hudson Chernobyl Diaries The Fifth Estate The Family The Green Zone J. Edgar Hyde Park on Hudson Chernobyl Diaries The Fifth Estate The Family
0815 0945 1135 1310 1455 1625 1815 1955 2125 2315 0050 0235 0405 0555 0815 1020 1220 1445 1625 1815 2030 2235 0035 0300 0440 0815 1015 1235 1415 1545 1800 1955 2155 2315 0055 0225 0410
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
SATURDAY
GRAPHICS/LAYOUT
MC2 MICHAEL H. LEE MCSN CODY HOWELL MCSN JACOB G. KAUCHER
STAFF WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
MC2(SW/AW) JOHN P. WAGNER MC2 (SW) GEORGE M. BELL MC2 (SW) BRENT PYFROM MC3 SHANTECE GONZALEZ MC3 GIOVANNI SQUADRITO MC3 JAMES VAZQUEZ MCSN JAMES P. BLEYLE MCSN MATTHEW A. CARLYLE he
dia nt’s d Me rtme tell t an d n a to p so g an De n is l Vin in irw ar ssio mi of C ed a ists k y r r ial sto mba ass ec p M re n S re he The a tio ff. nica edia hic a t u p s M a , m r in G m ion Co work d in uct d e o in ro wh y tra o P d s hl Vide an MC’ g i , m on h s n i l sig na ins De Jour y. V nt a nt raph min ir i r P o the n tog a d o Ph tain nline d o e e n i o w ag ma nce e vie ok p e o s b l. i pre can ceb y.m rk ’s Fa Nav o w hip on s d the an