Vinson Voice: 13 December 2011

In This Issue: Sailor ‘N’ The Spotlight | Tuesdays with the CMC | Water Bottle Distribution | INDOC | Fixing ACE 1

Vol 02 No 78 | December 13, 2011

TOBACCO CESSATION Supporting Tobacco-Free Sailors

STORY BY

MC3 (SW) Luke B. Meineke| Carl Vinson Staff Writer

O

n the heels of the Great American Smoke Out which began the day of our departure, Vinson is offering another resource for Sailors who want to quit their nicotine use. Starting Monday, Dec. 19, Vinson’s Medical Department is scheduled to conduct tobacco cessation classes using the American Cancer Society’s program, “Freshstart”.

“It’s a four-week program and will be held in Medical,” said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Melanie Torrez, Medical Department’s Preventive Medicine leading petty officer and course facilitator. “It meets once a week for about an hour and each class has a different mode to it. For example, the first session is all about why you started smoking to begin with.”

The course then progresses to identifying and avoiding nicotine triggers and stimulants, coping mechanisms, avoiding relapses, overcoming major obstacles and keeping to a nicotine-free lifestyle. Torrez said, while the information provided by the The Carl Vinson Voice is an internal document produced by and for the crew of the USS Carl Vinson and their families. Its contents do not necessarily ref lect the official views of the U.S. Government or the Departments of Defense or the Navy and do not imply any endorsement thereby.

course is worthwhile, the group atmosphere is what makes the course effective.

“You have to follow those four weeks to get the full effect,” she said. “Some people just want to get the medication, but if you don’t have the group effort or the peer mentorship, then you’re not going to be as successful. When you get people talking, someone might say how they quit and someone else might be like, ‘Oh. I’ve never thought about that.’ Studies have shown that having a peer group really helps.”

The tobacco cessation course will also be the only way Sailors SEE ‘CESSATION’ ON PAGE 7

Photo Illustration By: MC3 (SW) Megan L. Catellier | Carl Vinson Staff Graphic Designer

Vinson Voice

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TRICARE Partnering for Success: FACTS & USS Carl Vinson and the Plastics Reduction in the Marine Environment (PRIME) Program I N F O R M AT I O N STORY & PHOTO PROVIDED BY

Mr. Trey Kunkel | Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support

The TRICARE active duty dental program (ADDP) is administered by United Concorida Companies, Inc. (United Concordia) and is available to eligible active duty service members (ADSMs) who are either referred for care by a dental treatment facility (DTF) to a civilian dentist or have a duty location and live great than 50 miles from a DTF. ADSMs enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote are automcatically eligible to use the Remote ADDP. National Guard and Reserve members are eligible only if they have active duty orders issued for a period of more than 30 consecutive days.

ADDP BENEFITS - Provides dental care to ADSMs who are unable to receive required care from a military DTF - Ensures dental health and development readiness - United Concordia will coordinate appointments for ADSMs

- Within 21 days of request for

routine dental care

(e.g. examinations and fillings)

- Within 28 days of request for

specialty dental care

(e.g. crowns, bridges, dentures) TRICARE DENTAL PROGRAM The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP), administered by United Concordia, is available to eligible active duty family members (ADFMs) and National Guard and Reserve members and their eligible family members.

TDP BENEFITS - Voluntary enrollment - Worldwide, portable coverage - Single and family plans available - Affordable monthly premiums - Lower specialty care cost-shares for E1E4 pay grades - Comprehensive coverage for most dental services - 100 percent coverage for most preventive and diagnostic services

U

SS Carl Vinson’s Green Machine and Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) partnered to provide the PRIME Sports Bottle to over 3,000 members of ship’s force during the first week of deployment. Through its use, the bottle will result in decreased plastic waste, decreased waste processing time, and decreased waste storage requirements.

The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships made into law the zero discharge of plastics on all US Navy ships. In order to comply with this legislation, Plastics Waste Processors (PWPs) were installed for shipboard plastic management. The NAVSUP WSS PRIME program focuses on waste minimization by identifying alternatives for items that contain high amounts of plastic. This plastic reduction eases the burden that processing and storing plastic waste creates for a ship.

The PRIME program completed a Waste Characterization Study aboard USS Porter (DDG 78) which revealed that 15% of plastic waste came from single serving water and drink bottles. To address this finding, the PRIME program determined that the utilization of a reusable sports bottle could avoid a mountain of bottles and cans that would otherwise be processed as waste.

The PRIME Program partnered with USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) and USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) to proof the concept. The PRIME program tracked the number of single serving beverage purchases, compared that to previous deployments and analyzed the impact of using the PRIME Sports Bottle. The results indicated the PRIME Sports Bottle reduced plastic water bottle waste by 20-30%. If these same metrics are realized on USS Carl Vinson, over 2.5 tons of plastic waste, equivalent to 714 PWP disks or 186,000 bottles, will be eliminated during deployment.

Do your part. Refill your PRIME Sports Bottle instead of using disposable, one-time-use drink containers. Waste generation at sea is unavoidable, but can be minimized. Please submit other PRIME Project ideas to wraps.prime.fct@navy.mil. Every little bit helps and by using your PRIME Sports Bottle you can make a difference.

December 13, 2011

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VINSON BRINGS BASIC DC AND 3M BACK T O C O M M A N D I N D O C T R I N AT I O N MC2 (SW) Byron C. Linder | Carl Vinson Staff Writer

STORY BY

S

ailors new to Carl Vinson’s deckplates now experience an array of different events in the command indoctrination (indoc) program. Over the first five days Sailors meet their commanding officer, executive officer and command master chief; they also receive briefings on topics ranging from drug and alcohol abuse prevention to the Navy Cash card program. New additions in the form of material maintenance management (3M) and basic damage control (DC) classes will follow on the sixth day and will round out the essential skillsets for life aboard a warship.

Basic DC and 3M taught in indoc is nothing new to Carl Vinson; it was the status quo two years ago while the ship was in refueling complex overhaul (RCOH). At the time, Vinson’s Training Department received departmental support, increasing staff size to 40 personnel. Once the ship left RCOH, Training Department’s staff size was reduced, and the indoc qualification classes were not sustained, explained Senior Chief Aviation Electronics Technician (AW/SW) Michael Armetta, a Baltimore native and Training Department’s leading chief petty officer (LCPO).

The demand for earlier 3M/DC-qualified Sailors came from the LCPO level, said Chief Damage Controlman (SW/AW) Matt Brenner, Engineering Department’s DC Division LCPO. “A lot of the LCPOs wanted a newly-reported person to come to them from indoc ready to do whatever work needed to be done. Part of that pipeline is to be Basic DC and 3M qualified,” Brenner said.

With all 18 departmental LCPOs agreeing on the proposed course of action to bring the classes back to indoc and with the support of Command Master Chief CMDCM (AW/SW) April Beldo, Training Department partnered with DC Division and the 3M office to extend indoc an extra week and qualify the new Sailors in Basic DC and 3M. “This is in the best interest of young Sailors that are coming aboard. They learn basic firefighting in boot camp, but this is

familiarization with new equipment they’re not ready to use,” Armetta said. “The 3M program is huge for maintenance in their department.”

For four days, the Sailors will experience classroom instruction as well as practical familiarization with the different repair lockers and equipment, don self-contained breathing apparatuses and firefighting ensembles, and take a written test for 301-306 Basic DC. Two and a half days will be devoted to learning 3M, taking a written test, and going back to the work center to perform maintenance and earn the 301 maintenance person qualification.

The extra time in indoc, Brenner said, will pay dividends beyond an individual’s personal qualifications.

‘This will relieve the divisions of having to constantly monitor basic qualifications. It will lighten the load on both the chain of command and the Sailor to meet critical timelines,” he said. “In order for this to work, the Sailors need to be able to complete the entire process.”

Knowledge and practical application of proper 3M provides benefits on multiple levels, Armetta said.

“Qualifying early prevents a Sailor from going four or five months without knowing 3M and failing spot checks because they don’t know how to read a maintenance requirement card (MRC).

This also prepares us for the 3M inspection (3MI) coming in May of next year.”

Vinson’s deployment to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility demands a mindset where damage control education is of the utmost importance, Armetta emphasized.

“We need our Sailors to get in the forceful habit of fighting the ship. We need Sailors to know about chemical warfare, how to fight a fire and how to repair damage if we were to take a missile or torpedo,” Armetta said. “These things make the Sailor more engaged. The learning curve improves by starting it now. It readies them to do anything they need to do in case of an emergency.”

Standalone Basic DC classes will continue to be available aboard Vinson for personnel who have already completed indoc. Sailors are encouraged to contact Training Department at J-6525 with their questions.

Photo By: MC3 (SW) Travis K. Mendoza | Carl Vinson Staff Photographer

Vinson Voice

4 MC2 (SW) Patrick J. Green |Carl Vinson Staff Photographer

PHOTOS BY

Fixing AN

E l evator

After many hours of wiping oil off the bulkheads and overhead of the machinery space, the Sailors of Engineering Department Auxiliary Division Hydraulics shop had to request for outside assistance for the repairs required for aircraft elevator one. It was initially estimated that the job would take five to ten days. However, with more than a dozen Auxiliary Division Sailors and seven contractors, the job was completed in two days. This repair has only been accomplished once before on a carrier at sea.

“It’s truly my definition of unusually arduous sea duty, but these guys rose to the occasion. It was rewarding to see them come together to support the contractors make all these repairs,” said Chief Machinist Mate (SW/AW) Valoris Forsyth.

December 13, 2011

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From the Deckplates:

Tuesdays with the CMC A NOTE FROM

CMDCM (AW/SW) April D. Beldo| Carl VInson Command Master Chief

S

hipmates, after reading the note from our CNO (see below) I had some thoughts I want to share with you.

Your generation is experiencing something unprecedented. Our Navy is getting smaller and we’re doing it in ways that are new and very painful for some of us. We are asking Sailors to leave who have done everything we have asked them to do, some of these men and women have performed well. The challenge we’re facing boils down to: several of our most critical ratings are overmanned. The Enlisted Retention Board (ERB) was one attempt to correct this, and we onboard USS Carl Vinson felt the effects right before deployment.

Twenty-two Second and Third Class Petty Officers and 16 First Class Petty Officers were told they have to separate from the Navy by 1 September 2012.

Sailors who had expected to make the Navy a career will be leaving the service.

We’re going to help them with that transition through numerous resources the Navy has put into place, but it is still a hard pill to swallow, especially when you were not expecting the news.

There is no “up side”; we’re saying goodbye to some great Sailors who have worked hard

for their ship, their Navy and their country. If there is one lesson for the rest of us, it should come in the form of this question: How grateful are you to be a Sailor?

How grateful are you for the opportunity to serve honorably and to receive benefits equal to or better than any job in this country?

How grateful are you to be able to rest at night knowing your families are safe and out of harm’s way? Considering the economic times we live in today and the scarcity of jobs in the civilian sector...If your rate was not affected by the ERB, how grateful are you to wake up every morning knowing your job is secure?

Never before have those questions meant as much as they do today. You may have taken the Navy for granted before, but in today’s economic challenge, we cannot take our jobs as Sailors for granted. Every Sailor must perform to the best of their ability everyday.

Seeking to improve in their rates, studying to get advanced, preparing to be the best Enlisted Aviation Warrior or Surface Warrior they can be. Striving to complete all qualifications and never, ever thinking, “tomorrow I will work on it.” There might not be a billet for you tomorrow. The ERB and the Continuation Board force us to look at mediocrity with very

skeptical eyes.

You don’t have to be perfect to stay Navy, but you better be looking toward perfection. When you have the option to take a shortcut instead of abiding by strict procedural compliance, that question of “How grateful are you really to be a Sailor” should come to mind.

We have the best crew in the Navy right here aboard the Gold Eagle. I believe that.

You’ve proven it again and again. But, the hard truth is that yesterday’s success doesn’t always guarantee your future. If your plans are to make this a career, my suggestion to you is to consider whether or not you’re willing to make the effort to earn the right to stay.

I believe each and every one of you is capable of that effort. I see it every day on the deckplates and in your work spaces. If you want to stay Navy, don’t ever stop asking yourself the question that matters the most.

How grateful am I to be a Sailor?

Chief of naval operations blog 5 December 2011

MESSAGE FROM

Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert| CNO

L

et me address some concerns I am hearing from Sailors and their families about the Enlisted Retention Board (ERB).

The results came out last week and I realize we are losing some well-qualified Sailors who live their lives with integrity and serve honorably.

Unfortunately, we are in uncharted waters today in manning. We have record-high retention and historically low numbers of people leaving the service. As a result, we are overmanned in several ratings and skill sets. To manage the force levels we had to ask about 3,000 Sailors to leave the Navy.

This is a difficult situation, but there is no way around it. We have a process, the ERB, that is as fair as it can be, considering the numbers involved. ERB reduces overall manpower by reducing the

number of Sailors in overmanned ratings through conversions and separations. The board looks at all the elements of a Sailors’ performance, from the time he or she stepped aboard their first ship. So, sustained superior performance from “day one” was considered. It is also important to understand the situation with your rating. If it is overmanned, you should make sure you have looked at all the options for conversion in addition to being good at your job.

The ERB and follow-on transition process have my full attention.

We are putting great efforts to ensure the ERB process is being conducted professionally and fairly. More importantly, we look to ensure that the means for transition is clear, broadly applied, open and readily available. I have pushed the ERB to be as transparent as possible, and required that we share as much information as possible with the Fleet - especially those Sailors and their families that are impacted.

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SAILOR

Vinson Voice

‘N’

the

SPOTLIGHT I S 2 ( S E L . ) ( S W / AW ) Phil ip B u r r o w Intelligence Department | OZ Division

STORY BY

MC2 (SW/AW) Lori D. Bent| Carl Vinson Staff Writer

petty officer.

“Many people don’t really know what SNOOPIE team does,” said Burrow. “They hear it called away but never really pay attention to what goes on after that.”

SNOOPIE team is responsible for obtaining high-quality, high resolution photographs of enemy contacts close to the ship. They verify if those contacts pose a threat, what they are and if they are military, and generate reports for defense agencies, explained Burrow.

“I get to see the effects of what I do,” he said. “I support the pilots and their missions. I see the bigger picture.”

As a junior Sailor in a supervisory position, Burrow tackles his responsibilities and continues to learn

produces executive-level products that impact operational decisions.

“He excels in all aspects of the Navy,” he said. “He seeks out more responsibility in here are few Sailors aboard Vinson his job, while also doing the little things who have the ability to directly outside of his job description.” affect the ship’s mission, but a select few “He performs above his paygrade,” assigned to Intelligence Department Ballew added. “His dedication showed OZ Division are working to keep pilots, when he was advanced to second class the ship, and the strike group safe every petty officer when our quota is minimal. minute of the day.

He knows his job and executes when Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class (Sel.) called upon.”

(SW/AW) Philip Burrow, an Arlington, Burrow’s solid work ethic speaks for Texas native, is one of the Sailors who itself and is noticed outside his immediate deciphers satellite imagery and aerial work center. photographs to keep Vinson, Carrier “If something happens in his work Air Wing (CVW) 17, and troops on the space, he is the person to go to,” said ground fully aware of the threats around Intelligence Specialist 1st Class (SW/ them.

AW) Darrel Ellis, also When he enlisted assigned to OZ Division. in the Navy July 2008, “He is truly the go-to Burrow was unaware his guy.” job would put him in the When he’s not front seat of the action busy responding to aboard an aircraft carrier. a SNOOPIE contact He reported to Vinson or identifying hostile June 2009 and started his threats to the ship, role in keeping Carrier Burrow is mentoring Strike Group (CSG) 1 and motivating the at a heightened level of Sailors in his work situational awareness in center. its areas of responsibility | IS2 (Sel.) (SW/AW) Philip Burr ow | “We have to maintain (AOR). an environment that “I keep warfare allows us to be good at commanders aware of the threats in our about his job, knowing his education and what we do,” Burrow said. “My Sailors AOR,” Burrow said. “There are different expertise save the lives of his shipmates. know when it’s time to work, we work, and targets and threats in each AOR whether “He is the type of person to plunge when it’s time to unwind, we unwind. We we are in 7th Fleet or 5th Fleet. We have head first into an issue to troubleshoot have no room for error. It’s that simple.” to be mindful of what’s out there. They and figure out what is wrong with our “We happen to work in a low-visibility depend on me to do that.” equipment,” said Intelligence Specialist area behind locked doors,” Edmond In his department, Burrow is 1st Class (SW) Chadwick Ballew, OZ added. “His productivity and military described as a technical expert. He is the Division’s leading petty officer. “He knows acumen is unparalleled by his peers, department’s lead multi-sensory imagery what he needs to do and he gets it done.” and should be modeled by all in the analyst, the ship’s human intelligence Chief Intelligence Specialist (SW/ command.” collector and ship’s navigational or AW) Dwayne Edmond, Intelligence Looking towards the future, Burrow otherwise photographic interpretation Department’s leading chief petty officer, hopes to pursue his degree in intelligence examination (SNOOPIE) team leading describes Burrow as a Sailor who studies and counter-terrorism.

T

“We have to maintain an environment that allows us to be good at what we do.

My Sailors know when it’s time to work, we work, and when it’s time to unwind, we unwind. We have no room for error. It’s that simple.”

December 13, 2011

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FROM ‘CESSATION’ ON PAGE 1

are eligible to receive medication to help them quit tobacco products. Products like nicotine gum and patches, as well as prescription drugs will only be given to those Sailors participating in the program.

The reason medicine is only offered for those going through the class, Torrez said, is because of a limited supply.

She also explained that if Medical Department incorporates the medicine in with the class, they can monitor the results more effectively. Medical representatives meet with Sailors weekly in order to check their progress as well as ensure they are remaining on the right path.

Torrez, who worked as a facilitator at her previous duty station, understands that four weeks and four sessions isn’t enough time for most people to quit using tobacco products. That isn’t her expectation nor is it the design of the cessation classes.

“My goal for [Sailors] isn’t to quit smoking; it’s to learn skills that will help [them] either continue to stay nicotine-free, or to gradually decrease [their] amount of nicotine intake,” Torrez said, who hopes that starting the process now will make nicotinefree Sailors eventually. “The four-week process is a jumping [off]

point.”

Torrez believes no matter the tools – cessation classes, ideas and support garnered from peers, medication – reducing or altogether removing nicotine from one’s life has to be a conscious, individual decision.

“You’ve got to want to quit, that’s the biggest thing. If you don’t see you’d have a better life financially and medically, then you might not be as successful. If you really, truly want to quit smoking - that will drive you.”

Hopefully, by the end of deployment, those Sailors that have gone through the program will be tobacco-free, Torrez said.

However, even if you don’t get a chance to take cessation classes until the last month of deployment, she believes it’s worth it. It will give you the tools to quit and it is something that can be continued at any command.

Torrez hopes Vinson’s tobacco cessation program grows and the level of success warrants more facilitators. It’s something she hopes she can continue in San Diego, also. “I’m really looking forward to helping people, not necessarily quit, but get on the road to quitting,” she said.

Courtesies, Customs and Ceremonies Courtesies, Customs and Ceremonies Taken from the 24th edition Blue Jackets’ Manual

Flags & Flag Etiquette

The American flag is, in truth, a piece of colored cloth.

But what it represents causes us to want to show our respect.

The American flag is a symbol of the democracy we hold so dear, that men and women have died protecting, that is the essence of what the United States of America is truly about.

American flag by a foreign government took place on 14 February 1778 when a Navy ship, the Sloop-of-War Ranger under the command of Capt. John Paul Jones, exchanged salutes with the French ship Robust, in Quiberon Bay on the Atlantic coast of France. As an American Bluejacket, you will see the American flag often, and you will participate in many ceremonies in which the flag plays a part and is honored.

In the Navy, as in all the armed forces, the American flag is no less a symbol of democracy and it takes on extra significance because it is in the military services that many Americans have sacrificed their lives defending “the republic for which it stands.” The first official salute of the

As with many aspects of the Navy, you must learn some new terms and new customs when it comes to the American flag. To begin with, we don’t normally refer to it as the American flag. In the Navy, it is called the “national ensign” and is sometimes referred to as “the colors.”

Vinson Voice

DIALOGUES D E C K P L A T E

| What would be your ideal port visit? | “Since I was little, I’ve wanted to visit Spain.”

“I’ve always dreamed of going to Australia and I’ve heard good stories about it.”

C S S N Lirian Orozco

Y N 2 ( S W / A W ) A a r on C a rt e r

“I want to go to the Virgin Islands. Relaxing on the beach and listening to Reggae sounds ideal.”

“I’ve never been to Hawaii before and would love to visit the islands.”

S H 3 ( S W ) Teca Sneed

S N Colin Logsdon

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Harpoon: Normally used for surface-to-surface engagements. The harpoon is an active radar homing missile propelled by a turbojet sustainer engine. Aircraft and submarines also carry the Harpoon missile; the maximum range is 64 NM.

There are two basic types of jet blast deflectors (JBDs) in use in the fleet. They are the Mk 6 and the newer Mk 7. The purpose of all JBDs is to protect personnel, equipment, and other aircraft from the hot exhaust gases coming from the aircraft that is about to be launched from a catapult.

MC3 (SW) MEGAN L. CATELLIER

|STAFF WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS| MC2 (SW) PATRICK J. GREEN MC2 (SW/AW) STEPHEN G. HALE MC2 (SW) BYRON C. LINDER MC3 (SW) LUKE B. MEINEKE MCSN (SW/AW) NICOLAS C. LOPEZ