I T I: V V | V S F L | W’ H M | C A S
Vol 03 No 25 | March 1, 2012
Are You Ready to Test?
Photo by: MC3 (SW) Christopher K. Hwang | Carl Vinson Staff Photographer
CONTINUE ‘EXAM’ ON PAGE 2
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Vinson Sailors Take Advancement Exams At Sea
FROM ‘EXAM’ ON PAGE 1
STORY BY
MC3 (SW/AW) Rosa A. Arzola | Carl Vinson Staff Writer
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what to do in order for all Sailors to have a test waiting for them on the day of the exams.” It’s a checklist that leaves no room for error. “Starting last December until January we reviewed the command’s time-in-rate (TIR) eligibility list, which consisted of more than 1,500 Sailors,” explained Cano. “A Sailor’s eligibility to take the exam is strictly based
fter months and countless hours of preparation – individual and group study groups, worksheet signing and test day preps - Sailors onboard Carl Vinson will start taking the Navywide petty officer (E4-E6) advancement examinations this Thursday. Vinson’s Education Service Office (ESO) will be administering three exams on the first, second and third Thursdays of March. But how will they accomplish this out to sea? “Our biggest obstacle when out to sea is resources,” said Senior Chief Personnel Specialist (SW/AW) Hector Leyco, ESO’s leading chief petty officer. “If we need more tests or more materials for the exam while we are in port, it is very easy to get a test to the ship. While we’re deployed it gets a lot more technical. Photo by: MC3 (SW) Christopher K. Hwang | Carl Vinson Staff Photographer We depend on so much on his is her TIR.” to ensure the tests get to the ship.” “From there, all Sailors who separated, Each step in the process to get exams out to a deployed crew keeps the Sailors transferred, or already advanced in the past were eliminated from the list,” Cano in the ESO on their toes. “While many Sailors spent months continued. “This process is essential so studying prior to the exam dates, the right amount of tests could be ordered Administration Department dedicated and received on time. This is an important an equal amount of time to prepare process because a small mistake can for administrating the exams while the potentially mean not having the correct ship is at sea,” said Personnel Specialist or right amount of tests for Sailors. We 1st Class (SW/AW) Deonta Jones, ESO don’t want to ruin a Sailor’s opportunity to representative for Carrier Airborne Early advance.” In the event a Sailor detaches from the Warning Squadron (VAW) 125. That preparation involved a lot of command, Vinson’s ESO representatives planning and constant attention to detail ensure exams are delivered to the Sailor’s to ensure everyone who is eligible to take future command. Monitoring the number of Sailors detaching and arriving onboard the exam will be able to do so. “A NAVADMIN comes out months is also something that is taken into account prior to the test dates with a step-by-step when ordering exams. “We can’t count on a Sailor’s previous process that needs to be followed,” said Personnel Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) command to mail us their exams,” Jones Luis Cano, an ESO representative. “It is said. “That’s why we also keep track of all basically a checklist that guides us on our future gains, and work side-by-side with
the squadron’s PSs, to guarantee Sailors are not left without an exam booklet on test day.” Once all the numbers are accrued and the exam booklets are delivered to the command, the process of verifying all individual booklets begins. “Administrating exams for more than 1,500 Sailors is demanding, timeconsuming, and requires a lot of attentionto-detail,” Cano said. “We have to check every serial number to verify each individual has a booklet assigned to them, they have the right exam rate and paygrade.” The month before the exam season begins, ESO opens its door for worksheet signing. Each Sailor verifies their data and updates any necessary information before test day. “When we get Sailors down to the office to sign their worksheets we know that we are one step closer to administering the exams and we are on the right track,” explained Jones. “At the end, we are happy to know everyone was taken care of and able to take their exams with no discrepancies,” Jones said. “It’s a team-effort job and I am proud of my guys for putting forth so much concentration all these months.” Sailors taking the upcoming exam understand the tedious job Administration Department is responsible for and are thankful for making this process easier on them. “I am glad to have a department that ensures all advancement tests are taken care of,” said Intelligence Specialist 3rd Class (AW) Michael Devore who will take the E-5 exam on March 8. “It’s something less to stress about and I can concentrate on just studying for the exam.” “That’s why we are here,” added Cano. “We wanted to facilitate this process so they can concentrate on studying for their upcoming exams.”
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Vinson Sailor With Boots on Ground STORY BY
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arl Vinson Sailors, on this deployment and the previous one, have heard about the importance of supporting the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq through the forward projection of naval air power. Weapons Department’s G-1 Division conducts their part of the mission fully aware they are directly supporting one of their own – individual augmentee (IA) and Los Angeles native Aviation Ordnanceman 2 nd Class (AW) John Tran. Having reported to Weapons Department’s G-1 Division in 2008 and completed Vinson’s 2010-2011 WestPac deployment, Tran took the opportunity to go IA Sept. 2011 to see a different side of the Navy’s contribution to the war effort. “I wanted to try out ‘boots on the ground’ to take a break from being on a ship and have new experiences,” Tran said of his thoughts during an email interview prior to his transition to IA. “My family was proud of me, and at the same time, they were worried.” Tran had been serving an integral role as the night check quality assurance safety officer (QASO) in his division on Vinson. He conducted daily QA and safety checks on bombs, missiles and ammunition while also supervising 10 personnel safely move ordnance for the daily flight plan. Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (AW) Mark Ethington, Weapons Department’s G-1 Division leading chief petty officer, noted Tran’s loss was keenly felt in the division. “He helped make G-1 the best
division in Weapons Department and on the waterfront. If a key element in our division leaves, it’s going to be felt because we’re such a small division,” he said. The transition to Afghanistan IA, Tran said, was a simple one. “It was easy, just a lot of processes to go through and a lot of gear to carry,” he noted. “I just wish I knew the training was going to be pretty physical.” “I tried to talk him out of it. I wanted to keep him. But he’s doing it for the country, so there’s always a bigger picture,” Ethington added. Ethington pointed out how Tran ensured the division was prepared for his absence and ready to carry out the mission. “He conducted a lot of training. He made sure when he left, the people coming up were ready to be QAs,” he said. “He did a lot of mentoring, and he’s a good person all-around. He built a lot of camaraderie in the shop.” Now, Tran’s main job at Camp Sabalu Harrison is as an external escort in the camp’s detainee facility, escorting Afghan prisoners to scheduled appointments. This entails working closely with the Afghan National Army. “Before my departure, I talked to a few of my Shipmates that had a previous deployment here. I was anxious to find out my primary job. The most challenging aspect is trying to understand the languages spoken here, which are Dari and Pashtu,” Tran said. “The most rewarding aspect is teaching the Afghan National Army English.” Tran is pursuing his Sergeant of the Guard qualification, which demands
Photo Provided by: AO2 (AW) John Tran
MC2 (SW) Byron C. Linder| Carl Vinson Staff Writer
detailed knowledge of the detainee facility. “It’s a big qual to get. It looks good on your evaluation, and you are in charge of 30 Americans and 20 Afghan National Army soldiers,” he explained. “It shows you have leadership and a good partnership with the Afghan people at the same time.” In addition to his escort duties, Tran volunteers as the Operation Pencil coordinator, which he compared to the “Toys for Tots” program. “One day of the week, we gather about 30 volunteers to assist in putting together school supply packages for Afghan children,” he explained. Tran is scheduled to return to San Diego in the fall, and looks forward to rejoining the ship. “Carl Vinson is a great ship. I like the people I have worked with, and the liberty ports we’ve been to. I’m looking forward to reuniting with my family and friends,” he said. “I wish they would have joined me on this mission. This is an experience not everyone will get to have.”
March: Women’s March: Women’s
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PROVIDED BY
Vice Admiral S. R. Van Buskirk |
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Celebrating Women’s
omen’s History Month originated in 1978, when the Sonoma county (California) commission on the status of women initiated a Women’s History Week to coincide with International Women’s Day. In 1981, in response to growing support for the week, congress passed a joint resolution proclaiming a Women’s History Week. In 1987, the National Women’s History Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and preserving women’s history, petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March. Since then, national Women’s History Month has been approved by Congress every year and commemorates the diverse contributions women have made, and continue to make, to our nation. Today, more than 54,000 women serve on active-duty in our Navy and more than 10,000 serve in the Navy Reserve. They make up 17.1 percent of the force, and make numerous and diverse contributions to our mission and operations. There are currently 34 active and reserve female flag officers and
59 female Command Master Chiefs leading from the front. Today, 95 percent of Navy billets are open to women, and women are routinely assigned to ships, submarines, afloat staffs, naval construction battalions, medical units, and aviation squadrons. Since becoming an official part of the Navy with the establishment of the Nurse Corps in 1908, women have exhibited an ever increasing influence and impact that remains in our Navy today. Those first Navy nurses, known as the Sacred Twenty, went on to pave the way for women serving today. The Navy’s first enlisted women, more commonly known as Yeomanettes, provided primarily clerical support during World War I, but only for the duration of the war. It was not until the passage of the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act on 12 June 1948 that women gained permanent status in the Armed Services. The first six enlisted women were sworn into the regular Navy on 7 July 1948 and, on 15 October 1948, the first eight female officers were commissioned. Women
History Month History Month
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Education - Women’s Empowerment were first assigned to selected non-combatant ships in 1978, and opportunities were later expanded in 1994 to include service on combatant ships following the repeal of the Combat Exclusion Law. Most recently, in April 2010, the Navy announced a policy change to allow women to serve on submarines, and the first female submarine officers reported for duty November 2011. The spirited and courageous efforts of women in the United States Navy have shaped our legacy. On 3 August 1942, Lt. Cmdr. Mildred H. Mcafee was selected as the first female officer and subsequently the first director of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). A
veteran of two world wars and director of the WAVES from 1946 to 1953, Capt. Joy Bright Hancock played a critical role in the passage of the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act. In 1959, while serving as assistant to the global strategy officer at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., Navy Yeoman Anna Der-Vartanian became the Navy’s first female master chief, as well as the first woman in the armed services to be promoted to E-9. During the Vietnam War in 1972, Cmdr. Elizabeth Barrett became the first female line officer to hold command in a combat zone when she became commanding officer of the Naval Advisory Group in Saigon. In 1974, Lt. Barbara Allen Rainey earned her wings and be-
came the first female U.S. Naval aviator. In 1990, Lt. Cmdr. Darlene Iskra became the first woman to command a Navy ship. In 1998, Cmdr. Maureen A. Farren became the Navy’s first female combatant ship commanding officer. In 2002, Master Chief Jacqueline Dirosa became the Navy’s first female force master chief and, in 2006, she became the first female fleet master chief. In 2007, Capt. Sunita Williams, a Naval aviator and NASA astronaut set the record for the longest uninterrupted space flight by a female astronaut. In 2010, Rear Adm. Nora Tyson became the first woman to command a Carrier Strike Group.
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Everyone Has A Voice STORY BY C
MC3 (SW) Luke B. Meineke | Carl Vinson Staff Writer
arl Vinson Sailors currently have the opportunity to speak their mind via the climate assessment survey. The survey is being administered until March 5 and is a commandmanaged equal opportunity (CMEO) initiative from the Command Assessment Team (CAT), a group comprised of diverse individuals around the command. The team’s diversity is a direct effort to accurately represent the command as a whole, said Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class (SW/AW) Thomas Ingram, a Vinson equal opportunity advisor (EOA). “Different rates, different ranks, different types of people – the reason for the diversity is because the CAT should reflect the command,” Ingram said. “It should be a small percentage of the overall command. They all perceive things differently and have different perspectives.” Ingram said the climate assessment survey is the “biggest face value” event produced by those in the CMEO and EOA communities. “It’s such a remarkable tool for Sailors E-1 to O-10 to really voice their concerns, either positive or negative,” Ingram said. The survey assesses equal opportunity (EO) effective areas and organizational effective areas through topics like discrimination, sexual harassment, job satisfaction, working cohesion and favoritism. “A lot of times,” Ingram explained, “how Sailors are treated, meaning equal opportunity areas, affects the organizational effectiveness, or how well we do our work.” “It’s a way for the commanding officer to evaluate where the command is as far as policies, crew morale and equal opportunity are concerned,” added Chief Logistics Specialist (SW/AW) Carlos Gutierrez, a Vinson CMEO advisor. “If there are policies that need to be changed, those will stand out. If there’s a way we can improve how we do business, or how we are treating our Sailors, it will show up on a climate assessment survey.” Carl Vinson is one of the first commands to participate in the new climate assessment survey, which assesses 14 EO and organizational effectiveness areas, rather than the previous 13 factors. It is the CAT’s job at the end of the survey window to process the available data. “Everything a Sailor says gets a value, so nothing gets ignored,” Gutierrez said. “CAT looks at how Sailors are answering, and without any type of pre-judgment, gives a value. That myth that, ‘It doesn’t matter what I say; they’re not going to do anything about it. They’re not even going to read it’, is incorrect. Every single Sailor’s response gets evaluated by the CAT.” However, the survey is only a third of the complete command
assessment, Ingram said. From the data gathered through the survey, CAT generates focus questions to justify or refute trends seen within the data. Typically, for one to one-and-a-half weeks following the survey’s completion, randomly-selected focus groups are utilized to further explore the data and trends found during the survey’s analysis. CAT then compiles that data with records and reports to formulate the complete assessment. “The survey and the focus groups are the perceptual information,” Ingram explained. “They’re just somebody’s opinion. The records and reports are quantitative – facts. For a good snapshot in time – to say, ‘Here’s the picture we see of the overall climate,’ – CAT takes the information from the survey, from records and reports and from focus groups and compiles it in an unbiased way to present to the CO.” The anonymous survey is a great leveler, said Gutierrez, and a Sailor’s chance to be heard. “Everybody has the same voice. Everybody is equal in this process with an equal voice,” Gutierrez said. “There is no such thing as, ‘Well, this is just an E-1. Let’s just crumple this up and throw it away’. It’s another Sailor’s response that we are going to give a value to and see where it falls in the scheme of life with USS Carl Vinson.” “It is anonymous. Guaranteed. There’s no better way to voice how you feel, positively or negatively, than this survey,” Ingram added. “Your opinions and perceptions don’t get filtered out. This is your direct communication with the CO to let him or her know what is going on.” Ingram challenged Sailors to take the survey, as its effectiveness is directly related to the amount of information it gathers. Those who do not would lose a critical opportunity to voice their concerns. “It’s an opportunity for people to participate,” Ingram said. “As Sailors, we don’t take advantage of a lot of opportunities we have to voice our opinions or participate in something. The more information CAT gets, the better they can create that picture of the command climate.” Ingram acknowledged the survey’s effectiveness is ultimately determined by the command’s leadership. “This chain of command is heavily invested in increasing command morale, increasing command level of knowledge and professionalism, as well as taking care of the Sailors here. Very few times do you have the opportunity to voice your concerns where somebody is actually going to listen,” Ingram stressed. This assessment survey, similar to the one administered last year, falls during an optimum time of Vinson’s operational cycle, Ingram said. “Doing an assessment while underway is really the best time because that’s when we are actually doing business. That’s when the ship really comes alive. As Sailors, this is what we’re meant to do.” With only a few days available to take advantage of the survey, Ingram said he hopes the participation surpasses the 67 percent seen last year, to enable him to do his job most effectively. “I would like to see at least 75 to 80 percent,” Ingram said. “There would be a lot of hurt heads, because it’s a lot more information to analyze, but the picture that we could draw from to make our recommendations to present to the CO would be amazing.” Sailors interested in participating in the survey are encouraged to talk to their divisional or departmental Chief, or any of the command EOAs for additional information and a departmental code to access the survey. Sailors can access the link at anytime regardless of their web user group, go online and take the survey.
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Vinson Vignette
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Who Was Carl Vinson? O
n June 24, 1926, Congress gave the Air Service a five-year program to secure manpower and equipment. It authorized building 1,000 planes, two dirigibles (balloon airships), and a metal airship to be used for experiments. Vinson explained and defended the new building program in great detail on the congressional floor. The measure was the first of its kind to come before Congress, with an $85 million budget over the five-year timeline. “The Naval Policy of this government is that the Navy should be maintained in sufficient strength to support its policy and commerce, and to guard its continental and overseas possessions,” Vinson said. “The task of the Navy as a first line of defense is enormous, and each arm of the fleet must be maintained
to the highest point of efficiency at all times. This cannot be accomplished unless there is sufficient aviation with the fleet. We must have an air strength worthy of America.” In the Air Corps Act, approved July 2, 1926, the Air Service became the Air Corps, providing it with a professional officer corps of pilots and technicians. The measure gave special representation to aviation on the General Staff and created a special assistant secretary of war for air. Although the act did not completely resolve the conflict between air power and sea power, numerous longstanding dissensions between the air and ground forces were compromised. Most importantly, the new legislature established a framework for the Air Corps to improve its equipment, train its personnel and elaborate its doctrine. Vinson was cited by the National Aeronautical Association as an Elder Statesman of Aviation for his role in the developments within the aviation field. Who is Carl Vinson? is part of a continuing series based on the book, Carl Vinson: A Legacy of Public Service.
Naval Missions and Heritage Naval Missions and Heritage Taken from the 24th edition Blue Jackets’ Manual
Enlisted Advancement System
Advancement in the Navy means better pay, more privileges, greater responsibility, and increased pride. Advancement to petty officer rates in the Navy are made through centralized competition. Because the requirements sometimes change, it is always best to consult with your personnel office or educational services office for the latest information. While the Navy will assist you in many ways, meeting the requirements for the advancement in rate is ultimately up to you. Think ahead and prepare, so that you are ready for advancement once you have met the time-inrate (TIR) requirements. Keep in mind that not all ratings have the same opportunities for advancement. Training, promotion, bonuses, and duty locations are rating specific. Contact your command career counselor for the lasted information.
You must spend a minimum length of time in any given rate before you can even try to advance to the next higher one. This period is called “time in rate” and is designed to ensure that a Sailor spends some time at each level gaining experience before she or he is eligible for advancement to the next higher rate. The specific TIR requirements do change from time to time, but currently they are as follows: E-1 to E-2: 9 months as an E-1 E-2 to E-3: 9 months as an E-2 E-4 to E-4: 6 months as an E-3 E-4 to E-5: 12 months as an E-4 E-5 to E-6: 36 months as an E-5 E-6 to E-7: 36 months as an E-6 E-7 to E-8: 36 months as an E-7 E-8 to E-9: 36 months as an E-8
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Ask the Wizard! G
reetings, Shipmates. Lt. Cmdr. Lippy here. I am the Ship’s Psychologist and this is the first installment of a new series called “Ask the Wizard!” Some of you may not even be aware that you have a Psychologist on the ship to help support you. Some of you may know about the Psychologist and want nothing to do with me. If you are any of these people, no worries, you are not alone. I understand very well the stigma attached with mental health and seeing “the Shrink,” “the PsychO,” “the Wizard,” or whatever other colorful name you can come up with. (I happen to like the ring of “the Wizard” so that’s what I’m going with for the title of this column). Therefore, rather than you coming to me, I am coming to you. I want this ship and our great war-fighting team to benefit as much as possible from my services. My job is not only to help those experiencing psychological problems and distress, but also to promote health, mental well-being,
and resilience. To better accomplish this mission and to
“Please feel free to email your questions directly to me at Robert.Lippy@cvn70. navy.mil with the subject line ‘Ask the Wizard.’”
better serve you, I am starting this weekly column in which I will discuss and provide information on various occupational and personal difficulties such as operational stress management, anger management, relationship problems, leadership issues, conflict resolution, career transition issues, communication/assertiveness issues, suicide awareness/prevention, problem solving,
parenting issues, behavioral change (e.g., dieting, exercise, smoking cessation), and homecoming issues, to name just a few topics. My intent is to assist Sailors with issues that are important to them. To that end, I am soliciting your questions on these or other topics, or mental health issues in general. If I receive several questions, I will attempt to answer and address common themes. If I receive no questions, then I will simply write about topics I believe are relevant to the crew as a whole. If you have suggestions/complaints about shipboard operations, I ask that you please address those to the appropriate venue (i.e. CO’s Suggestion Box). But if you have a question that you have always wanted to ask the Wizard, please fire away. I can’t promise Ann Landers or Dr. Phil entertainment quality, but I will do my best to provide relevant, useful and objective information to help improve your psychological health.
STAFF
|PUBLISHER|
STAFF
CAPT. KENT D. WHALEN COMMANDING OFFICER
|EXECUTIVE EDITORS| LT. CMDR. ERIK REYNOLDS PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
LT. ERIK SCHNEIDER
ASSISTANT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
|EDITOR IN CHIEF|
Sailors coordinate the movement of aircraft on the flight deck ouija board in flight deck control. Photo by MC2 Benjamin Stevens
ESWS||EAWS
Bravo Flag - Ship is handling explosives or fuel
Fixed Wing Alert Condition IV - This is similar to Condition III except that minor maintenance may be performed on the aircraft if no delay in launch is involved.
MCC (AW) MONICA R. NELSON MEDIA ALCPO
|MANAGING EDITOR| MC2 (SW/AW) LORI D. BENT
|PHOTO EDITOR|
MC2 (SW) JAMES R. EVANS
|GRAPHICS/LAYOUT| MC3 PHOENIX LEVIN
attention on deck!
It is basic military and shipboard courtesy for personnel to stand aside when seniors approach in a passageway or a ladderwell. Additionally, “Attention on Deck” is expected and appropriate when CSG-1, the CO, XO, or Captains or above enter a space. Heads of departments are extended the same courtesy.
|STAFF WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS| MC2 (SW) BYRON C. LINDER MC2 BENJAMIN STEVENS MC3 (SW/AW) ROSA A. ARZOLA MC3 (SW) CHRISTOPHER K. HWANG MC3 (SW) LUKE B. MEINEKE