VFA 113 December 2010 Newsletter

STINGTOWN Newsletter DECEMBER 2010

Maintenance Control (020)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us in Maintenance Control!

While one of the smaller workcenters in the squadron, we tend to be the nerve center of the maintenance effort, whether calm or not. Led by AVCM Jeff ”Sea Goat” Huemann and his cadre of Maintenance Chiefs, nothing happens on an aircraft maintenance-related unless it comes through 020. Day shift includes ADC Lawrence “LD” Davis at the desk (hot seat) with ADC Joselito “Lito” Lababit in training. AMC Brooks “the Bull” Jeffery leads the charge on HIS flight deck making sure “Stinger sorties” make it off the pointy end.

Everything happens according to his plan… In the “hot seat” on night shift is ATC Jerry “Brain” Williams with AMC Eric “Pinky” Bart in training.

Rounding out the quest for world domination on the flight deck is ADC Edelaido “Snowball” Manzon, who has great night vision and can make even the mighty “Dog” on the flight deck cower in fear.

AVCM “Sea Goat” Huemann with the usual intensity required of a Maintenance Master Chief. It’s what 24 years does for you…

AMC “Pinky” Bart and ADC “Lito” Lababit “In training”. Hey, no excuses!!

AMC “the Bull” Jeffery and AVCM “Sea Goat” Huemann are ALWAYS working together. Believe it or not, AMC rarely leaves his flight deck.

Maintenance Meeting

ADC “Snowball” Manzon with weapon in hand.

ADC “LD” Davis doing what someone in the “hot seat” does all day.

ATC “Brain” Williams is scheming yet again on the quest for world, er, maintenance domination from the “hot seat”. Never reveal a plan…

Life in QA

AO1 Eric Leavitt is learning to live with out his fruity little Starbucks drinks. While he may not take the time to eat regularly; he has taken to Starbucks double shots in a can. Thus, he still has energy to buzz around with the many tasks he undertakes.

AM1 Tee Hollins is the very picture of laid back. With retirement around the corner Tee has been there and done that. He is using his final days at sea to help the younger Stingers sharpen their skills AME1 Andrew Burlile is still on mend after his pre-cruise surgery.

He is becoming more mobile and is starting to get back on the aircraft. Oh and one thing stay from his snickers guys.

AM1 Mike Mc Kown is on his fitness quest. His daily visits to the gym are keeping him pumped for cruise.

AD2 Ramon Lopez is the indisputable work horse of Quality

Assurance. AD2 is constantly on the move assisting maintenance efforts around the squadron whether they are on the roof (flight deck) or down in the hangar.

AZ3 Jason Ware, Central Technical Publications Librarian, keeping us all up to date on the latest changes keeping our pilots and jets coming back safely. AZ3 Ware has the positive attitude to cheer you up on your bad days. AZ3 is often the originator of thought provoking conversation.

The First and the Finest Aircraft Division in the Navy

Once upon a time… A very long time ago, I had heard the expression “there is no i in team”.

I now understand that, with what I’m about to tell you. No one shop in maintenance can stand on their own. It’s all about team work. Since

there are so many people that make up this team, I’ll mostly relate about the supervisor’s and the shops in general.

First.. The Mech’s - Lets start off with AD1 Lomeda. Don’t let the size of this guy throw you.. He is the one that keeps the whole shop together. AD2 Santos may seem very humble ( he is) but it’s been said he’s a genius with those engines. The rest of this fuel drinking team is AD3 Hernandez, AD3 Rodriguez, AD3 Pena, AD3 Perdon, AD3 Connors, ADAN Conklin, ADAN Denisco, ADAN Harrison, and ADAN Byrd.

Second.. Airframes – Leading the charge is AM2 Varela. He is the head honcho of the workhorse in this division. Leading nights is AM2 Aderhold, not a day goes by that they don’t have something to do.

Sleep and work is what airframes are mostly about on this cruise. The rest of this hammer wielding bunch is AM2 McIntosh, AM3 Clary, AM3 Reynolds, AM3 Fabbi, AM3 Dugie, AMAN Linot, and AMAN Jackson.

Third.. Corrosion – This group does not just sand down a jet, slap on some paint and call it a day. It takes a creative mind to do the things they do. AM2 Christian is the LPO

that makes this into an art form in itself. AM2 Bergstrom, the boss on nights, has put her team thru many tasks, where thinking out of the box is the norm. From coming up with inventive stencils to making sure our jets look the best. The rest of this artistic team would be AM3 Cortez, AM3 Mosley, AD3 Dover, AMAN miller, and ATAN Valera.

Last but definitely not least.. Is the PR’s and AME’s. I’d want to say we are the coolest, but that would be biased for sure. Let’s start with the PR’s, PR1 Martinez is not only the boss he is also the Division’s LPO. Someone has been around for a while!! If you want safety as a pilot, PR3 Recustodio and PRAN Moore are the sailors you’d want to talk to. In the “Seat” shop (AME’s) we have the very large stature of AME2 Spencer.

If you’re not sure what “A Donk” is?

Come look this guy up, I mean way up. AME2 Johnson is “the man” on nights. On his off time you might find him in the forest conversing with his Bigfoot brethren. The rest of the seat mech’s are AME2 Dworschak, AME3 Bugsch, AME3 McMurrain, AME3 Bragdon, AME3 Echavarria, and AMEAN Branscome.

ADMIN

Another deployment has begun for VFA-113 and team Admin. At the head of team is the Admin Officer, Ensign Boykin, who just happens to be celebrating her ... birthday this month on the 31st (she ordered me not to put it in the letter wink wink).

The next member of our team that just so happens to be adding another notch to the birthday belt would be our LCPO, YNCS Blackmon, on the 30th (that belt’s about to fall apart by the way). He’s the wise sage in the office that makes sure everything runs smooth. I almost forgot, he’ll be turning..never mind.

From the “Blue-shirt” side of our office, NC1 Beasley, our LPO/Command Career Counselor has a knack for making sure everyone in the office knows where they’re supposed to be and what’s going on and taken care of in the office as well as making sure the career intentions of the squadron are taken care of.

Our PS’s; PS2 Dominguez and PSSN VanDover are taking care of the squadron’s pay and making sure we all get that extra few dollars to spend or send home

The YN’s; YN2 Calderon, YN2 Colby and YN3 Schmall are taking care of our awards and travel needs getting us from “here” to “there”.

For our Admin folks that work outside the office: Our IT support; IT2 Simmons and ITSN Harris are up to their elbows in telling people to restart their computers to fix their email/internet problems..that’s a joke by the way.

The CS’s; CS2 Ivie and CSSN Kang are fast at it, making sure the crew is fed “food”, it’s not too bad actually.

We have PSSN Lopez who is TAD to the ships laundry for now making sure all our clothes make it back in one piece just like the CO promised the whole squadron would.

YNSN Freeman who works in OPS in the Ready Room, makes sure the pilots know when to go and get in their planes and fly.

The Intel Dept.; IS2 Bizzarri and IS3 Brautigam are..wait, that’s classified, sorry.

Our MA’s; MA2 Van Paris and MA3 Moore our cops, can be found on the mess decks eating doughnuts, not really, they’re taking care of the security of the ship, as well as in the brig, so, be good!

Down in ship’s medical is HM2 Richmond our newest member of Admin. He’s made a good name for himself already, well, up until shot day. Our next issue will have some more good stuff and be filled with more photos as well.

AT, ITW & Shooters

The gloriously triumphant AT/Shooter/IWT shop with all its little elves, lived on the flight deck that everyone knows so well. From atop our aircraft 301 or 302, we keep em’ flyin’ just for you. We work on the run and into the wind so that the Stingers can fly once again.

Just like reindeer, during the day, AT1 Guevara is fighting the schedule to make aircraft fly, with his elves ATAN Valera, AT3 Savoie, AT3 Hill and AT3 Ney. Launch one, launch two, three aircraft or four, we’ll make the schedule as just as before.

In the nights cold wind a leader, a Stinger that is men of all men( AT1 Yannuzzi), he keeps the flights going with all his green shirts, making sure that work

is first. His elves are mighty and mighty they be, they work so hard like worker bees (AT2 Cox, AT3 Strickland, ATAN McGuffie). The schedule is set and aircraft are ready to fly, now come the shooters all dressed in white( AT1 Swanburg, AD2 Rainbolt, AM2 Bonney, AME2 Simmert, AM3 Smith, AE3 Correll, AD3 Flores, AT3 Beaty) to final check the line, making sure our Stingers are ready to fight! On to the cat as the aircraft roll, final checking making sure we are ready for war. We all know the weapons shall burst with great fear, thanks to the I-Dub(AT2 Ruml, AO3 Coffey, ATAN Rodriguez) who were checking the gear.

The Stingers are well known for their great skill, we are the best and always will. AEC Jimenez and ATC Quassy are honored, that their team is well known, for their hard work and honor.

Stingers!

Officers

The Stinger officers have kicked off the 2010-2011 deployment with COMPTUEX, our final hurdle of the 2010 workup cycle. VFA-113 started the underway period with carrier qualification where every Stinger pilot received two day and two night traps. We rolled immediately into an intense three week period in which over 170 sorties were flown, spanning the gamut of strike-fighter missions. XO, Ghost, and Oddjob all finished their difficult Air Wing Strike Lead qualifications by leading their final missions with over 25 planes under their command.

Meanwhile, all Stinger pilots are honing their skills in preparation for OEF operations, including more training in Close Air Support as well as other ground support skills. After many long days, we all celebrated the end of COMPTUEX with a cigar social on the Admiral’s sponson.

The first line period of the deployment has ended as well. Under some extremely demanding conditions, the Stingers maintained their high standard of safe and reliable passes with an overall 3.47 GPA and 96% boarding rate.

Even though the Stinger officers are wishing they could spend the holidays with their loved ones, they are grudgingly prepared for Christmas on the boat. The ready room is decorated in the spirit of the holiday season thanks to the Stinger wives! Everyone is eagerly anticipating packages which they know are on the way, but are taking forever to be delivered! All were excited to hear the news that Katie Tkach is pregnant and Jaws is a father to be. We are quite certain that whatever the gender, this child is destined to become winner of the Top Gun trophy in 2028. We are all eagerly anticipating our first port call and our ultimate return home.

Meanwhile, we thank all of our loved ones for their support as we steam west to lay waste to America’s Enemies!

Command Senior Chief.

Happy Holidays. I hope this season is a joyous one, know that we are trained for our duties on station. Know that we, the Sailors of VFA-113, will do everything in our power to ensure your spouses, sons and daughters are safe, healthy and happy.

Congratulations to our newly frocked Petty Officers:

PR3 Recustodio

AD3 Perdon

AD3 Connors

AE2 Hawkins

AE2 Reyes

AO2 Cross

AO2 Dominguez

AT3 Hill

LS3 Coulter

LS3 Ortega

Congrats to our CAPs, AT1 Yannuzzi and AME3 Echavarria. Did not know the Skipper had such skills!

Wee man wishing he was a Stinger! I told him it might be too long.

Great Job on the jersey AE3 Correll and AM3 Cortez!

AT1 Yannuzzi

Shout Outs:

Eden, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Baby! Miss you and love you. –Josh Keever Mom and Dad, Hope you had a great Christmas and New Years. Tell everyone I said hello. Love you. –Josh Keever To Mom, Dad, Carla, jean, Dave, the boys and Erika; we’re out here safe and sound , trained and ready. Thanks for all the e-mails, keep the jokes coming! Love and miss you! Craig To the boys: thanks for looking out for us. Word cannot express my gratitude to have you in our lives. I take great comfort knowing that you are taking care of my loves unconditional. Owe you! Craig I want to wish a Joyous Holiday Season to all of our families that support us so much! Your men and women are doing great and I hope you are proud of them…I know that I am. From the XO

AME3 Echavarria

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Tammy, Cody, Dylan and Buddy. Love, Dad To Patti; I Love and miss you. The days are flying by. Staying out of trouble; yeah you’re right I’m not! Hope the weather is good, not too much rain. No matter what everything is going to be great!

Jennifer and Thomas. You’re great kids. Kind of sad that you’re too old for Santa and all. I’m not. Your turn to spoil me! Love you and I am proud of you. Dad Josh, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year my love! Hugs and kisses to you and the Duker. I love you! Kelly xoxo

CO Drawing Crow on AME3

Mom, Dave, Dad, Julie, Tera, Drew, Amber, Hunter, Cody, Mikayla, Amy, Adam, Michelle, your spouses and of course all my nieces and nephews….

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love you all! Kelly Merry Christmas Mom, Dad, and Brian!”

Stephanie, Chose, Chason, Bryce and Jalyn Ware; Happy Holidays, I Love you, Daddy