VCNOARRIVINGStory by MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Photos by MCSA Andrew Price

DAILY DIGEST

AUGUST 2, 2013 Vol. 2 Issue 73

The Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO), and Fleet Master Chief of Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPT&E), visited the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) July 29.

During the visit Adm. Mark Ferguson and FLTCM April Beldo toured the ship and met with Sailors and Marines assigned to Nimitz, Carrier Air Wing 11 and Destroyer Squadron 23 to pass along key messages for the crew.

“Our business is operating forward,” said Ferguson. “By operating forward we deter ag-gression, reassure our allies and provide stabiliz-ing presence around the globe.”

Ferguson added that the quality of Sailors in the Navy is better than ever.

“We have the finest personnel in our history,” Ferguson said. “[We have] the highest quality, the smartest, most physically fit, healthiest force. The teamwork and proficiency that you display enhances the combat power of our Navy.”

Ferguson assured the crew that it is a priority for the Navy to provide forward-deployed units the best support available.

“Your ability to accomplish the mission matters to us,” said Ferguson. “Know that your leadership is doing everything we can to keep

Continued on pg. 3

Editor

MC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Lead designer

MCSA Andrew Price

Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All submissions are subject to review and screening. ”Nimitz News” is an authorized publication for the members of the military services and their families. Its content does not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or the Marine Corps and does not imply endorsement thereby.

Public Affairs Officer

LCDR Karin Burzynski

Commanding Officer

CAPT Jeff Ruth

Executive Officer

CDR John Cummings

Command Master Chief

CMDCM Teri McIntyre

Marine of the Day

Sgt. Donald S. Douglas, a native of Fortuna, Calif., was named Marine of the Day Aug. 1, 2013, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

“I didn’t know I was getting chosen,” said Douglas. “I felt honored.”

Douglas was named Marine of the Day for outstanding performance as the F/A-18C air-frames non commissioned officer in charge as-signed to Airframes Division of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323.

Since deployment, Douglas diligently and effectively supervised more than 800 discrep-

ancy maintenance actions totaling 7,118 man-hours.

Douglas joined the Marine Corps right out of high school for a change of scenery and plans to make it a career.

Today is his seven-year mark in the Marine Corps. When in his homeport, he enjoys spend-ing time with his family. At sea, he spends his free time working out.

Douglas offered some advice to personnel wishing to receive a similar type of recognition.

“Just try hard in everything you do,” said Douglas.

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Story and Photo byMCSA Aiyana Paschal

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our forces ready and able to respond when called upon.”

Ferguson concluded by discussing the prob-lems of sexual assault and suicide within the Navy and Marine Corps.

“It’s incumbent upon us to take care of each other when we’re forward deployed, but also when we’re at home,” said Ferguson. “Taking care of

one another, acting responsibly and creating a safe, professional work environment is a mission that each of us has to take on board and execute.”

Nimitz Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting mari-time security operations, theater security coop-eration efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Continued from pg. 1

Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson greets Sailors.

TAGGINGOUT Story by MC3 Chris Bartlett

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A tag-out is a safety requirement that is considered one of the most important functions performed by a Sailor on a ship prior to conduct-ing any type of preventive or cor-rective maintenance.

Senior Chief Electrician’s Mate Donavan Por-ter, an Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) and Au-thorizing Officer (AO), believes that the tag-out process saves lives.

“The primary aim of tag-outs are to prevent personnel injury, to prevent equipment damage and to prevent improper operation of a piece of equipment when a component or part of a system is degraded or in an abnormal condition,” said Porter.

All personnel performing any tag-outs must be 3M Maintenance Person (301) qualified. In ad-dition to the 301 qualification, the person doing the tag-out must be qualified as a Shift Operations Management System (eSOMS) basic user.

“eSOMS allows for electronic management of the tag-out process,” said Porter. “Whether it be the paper version of the yester years or electronic version, the process is still the same.”

The maintenance person must then identify the scope of work to be performed, determine the iso-lation components to prevent inadvertency or bar-riers to safely perform the work and affix tags on the equipment.

“As an electrician, tag-out is second nature to us, every time we have to troubleshoot or repair something it requires a tag-out,” said Porter.

Engineering Departments Electrical Division alone processes an average of 20 individual tag-outs daily, led by Electricians Mate 2nd Class Johnathan Villalobos.

“After you drafted your eSOMS for a tag and received permission to hang your tag, you as an individual, by yourself, not with the second per-son, walk to the isolation, hang that tag, and be-

TAGGINGOUT

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fore you hang the tag turn that equipment from on to off,” said Villalobos.

Not turning off the equipment before hanging the tag is a common mistake, says Villalobos.

“Once that tag is on means that nobody is aloud to touch that piece of equipment,” said Villalobos.

A second person then verifies the location of the exact isolation of where the tag was hung on that piece of equipment.

“The whole process of each person checking the tag by themselves is an assurance that both parties did it correctly,” said Villalobos. “That process is easy to mess up. The most important part of that is that people go to the same space together.”

Once both parties have verified the tags were placed in the right location, the next step is to let the EDO know that the tags are on.

Then take the tag-out record sheet (TORS) to Damage Control Central (DCC) and put them in the active folder.

“A common mistake is that people hold onto the TORS in their back pocket thinking that the job

will only take 15 minutes without taking it down to DCC,” said Villalobos.

The process encompasses using different per-sonnel to check and review the different stages to mitigate any errors.

“At the end-of-the-day, the tag-out process may be long and in some cases, takes longer than PMS check itself, but I say this with 100 percent convic-tion, that I’d rather spend an additional hour ensur-ing the tag-out is correct than live with the fact of knowing, that because of my haste, someone got hurt,” said Porter.

For more information or to receive proper guid-ance, the Tag-out Users manual (TUM) rev. 6, is the governing document for all tag-outs.

“The tag-out program’s underlining goal is prevent personnel injury and equipment damage,” said Porter.

Sailors and Marines are encouraged to visit the Navy’s Safety Center website for an in-depth re-port on tag-outs in the Navy today.

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LS2 Tommy Garland, right, performs a box jump in the hangar bay.

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On the front: Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson talks to officers in ready room 6.