CELEBRATINGTraditional music begins to play from the

Ukulele as practice for the Pacific Island Heritage Celebration begins. The dancers

harmoniously sway their hips to the beat and for a short couple minutes Nimitz Sailors of Pacific Island descent feel at home.When asked to describe their upbringing, several

traits were repeated that they said were instilled in their lives including: community, respect and humility.Aviation Ordnanceman (AO) 1st Class Anthony

Whalen said his childhood in southern Guam truly instilled the importance of family and brotherhood.“I’ve been in the Navy 15 years and still to this

day my family eats every meal together,” said Whalen. “Islanders will give you the shirt off

their back, it’s the bond we have. That’s what I like about being an AO, we work as a family, and we work as one.”Whalen believes that family does not have to be

limited to the people you are related to, and that’s the goal with Nimitz’ celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month scheduled to take place May 23.“What I love about these events is having

an opportunity to observe other heritages to appreciate and understand how diverse we really are,” said Chief Yeoman Moana Looney, a native of Somoa.The event will consist of music and dancing that

can be traced right back to the roots of native island culture ranging from the elegant Hawaiian Hula to powerful Somoan tradition.“When a lot of Sailors go to Hawaii they just

want to get drunk,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) Airman Moerani Johnson, a native

Story and Photos by MCSN Joshua Haiar

Continued on page 4

May 18, 2013 Vol. 2 Issue 27

Commanding OfficerCAPT Jeff S. RuthExecutive Officer

CAPT Buzz DonnellyCommand Master Chief

CMDCM Teri McIntyrePublic Affairs OfficerLCDR Karin Burzynski

EditorMC2 (SW) Jason Behnke

Lead DesignerMC3 George J. Penney III

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.

RP2 (SW) Marie Perez

Story and Photo by MC3 Derek W. Volland

Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Marie Perez, a resident of Long Beach, Calif. was selected as Sailor of

the Day for May 17.“This feels so amazing,” said Perez. “All of

my hard work paid off.”

RP2 Perez preformed her duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner by filling a gapped first class billet and supporting four chaplains while she led six Sailors in the delivery of religious ministry to more than 5,000 ship’s Sailors and embarked personnel.

Perez recently re-enlisted April 18, originally joining the Navy in 2008 to give her an opportunity to bring her daughter to the United States from the Philippines.

She was responsible for organizing volunteers for three separate community service projects at three separate orphanages in Busan, Republic of Korea, during the ship’s port visit.

Additionally, RP2 assisted in the administrated management of Shift Colors, mentoring 185 of her peers to overcome personal and professional adversity.

“This was what I focused on,” said Perez. “It’s worth the effort to be acknowledged like this.”

SAILOR DAYOFTHE

Page 2

Story by MCSN Nathan McDonald

SOLITUDEThere are also a number of computers available

for professional and private use. “We offer computers for NKO (Navy

Knowledge Online) courses and, after 4 p.m., general Web browsing,” said Covian. “It helps people work on important educational goals and allows them to communicate with friends and loved ones back home.” Covian said the computers are the biggest draw

for Sailors and Marines in the library. “Mostly what we see are people who want to

use the computers,” he said. “The ability for departments who don’t normally have computer access makes this place particularly popular for e-mail, Facebook and NKO courses.”No matter what Sailors and Marines use the

library for, Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Wilbert Mitchell, on temporary active duty with Religious Ministries, said the library offers much needed and welcome relief. “The best thing about the library is you can

come in and just relax,” said Mitchell. “Especially coming from a weapons rate, if you can go and collect yourself for even five or 10 minutes, that can make a big difference.” The library aboard Nimitz can be located at 03-

118-10-Q.

little solitude, maybe an e-mail from home or a book to escape into. Little things such as these can go a long way in the midst

of a deployment, but the opportunity for them can seem fleeting with busy work schedules. The library aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) has all of these at its disposal for Sailors and Marines. “Honestly, the best thing about the library when

we’re out to sea is it provides a place away from work centers where Sailors and Marines can sit and relax,” said Religious Programs Specialist 3rd Class Emmanuel Covian. “It allows people who have nowhere to go a place to get away, no matter their schedule. We have great hours.”The library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,

7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. Of course, a wide selection of books are

available for check out. “We have a huge selection – more than I

expected a ship to have,” said Covian. “We offer everything from the Navy reading list, fiction and non-fiction books and reference books for the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test).”

ORTRESSOFF

A

Page 3

of the Hawaiian island of Oahu. “I’d like to take this as an opportunity to show everyone that there is a deep culture worth checking out.”Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Donovan

Ahuna, a fellow Hawaiian native and 20 year veteran of the Ukulele, glows with relaxed demeanor. He said he manages to have a tranquil

state of mind in stressful conditions, which is definitely one of the hardest things to do during deployment.If an event like the one scheduled this month

can cause just a little bit of that mindset to rub off on Nimitz Sailors it’s something worth checking out.

Continued from page 1

Story by April PhillipsNaval Safety Center Public Affairs

Page 4

Story by April PhillipsNaval Safety Center Public Affairs

The most recent change to the Navy’s Traffic Safety Instruction, OPNAVINST 5100.12J, requires commands to set up

mentorship programs for motorcycle riders. These programs are designed to give experienced riders the opportunity to teach new riders how to be successful on their bikes.“Mentors are those who have been through

it,” said Stan Jones, the Naval Safety Center’s Motorcycle Safety Representative and an advisor to mentorship programs across the fleet. “It’s a mindset. Experienced riders have the moral authority to provide tips on riding that the training courses don’t have the time to go into.”Required training courses, such as the Basic

Rider Course and Military Sportbike Rider Course, are designed to teach the basics of bike handling and risk management. “Training provides the basic skills in a

controlled environment, but mentorships are about getting out on the open road, in traffic, riding outside of the square box of a training course,” Jones said. He suggested that Sailors look for mentors who

ride the same type motorcycle. Sportbike riders should pair with other sportbike riders and

cruiser riders should seek mentors who have experience on cruisers because the nuances of the bikes are different.He also suggested that the

traditional rank structure of the Navy may be relaxed during mentorship discussions and rides.“There will always be that respect

for rank, but it’s important to move from that mentality to a rider role. You don’t want new riders to feel

pressured. They should want to be there,” Jones said.He also pointed out that when it comes to

motorcycles, inexperienced riders come in all ages and ranks.“A Second Class Petty Officer who grew up on

sportbikes may be a mentor to a Chief who is just transitioning from a cruiser to a sportbike,” he said.The requirements for mentorship in the

instruction leave a lot of latitude for commands to design their own programs. The instruction states, “Commands should tailor the motorcycle mentorship program to address the individual commands’ training requirements, ridership, local area and resources available.”To that end, small commands with few riders

are permitted to team up with other commands to maximize the mentorship opportunities.General guidance, pre-ride inspections, and

other topics and information for mentorship programs can be found at the Naval Safety Center’s website at http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/Pages/ashore/motor_vehicle/Motorcycle .For the latest statistics on personal motor

vehicle fatalities as well as narratives, visit the Naval Safety Center’s website at: http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/Pages/statistics/ashore/mv_stats.aspx.

POLICYChange

Page 5

Photos ByTHE

AROUNDDECK PLATES

Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class David C. Steffen and Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class Nicholas Malewski repair a gear box in an A/S 32A-31B tow tractor.

Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Karlton Gregson prepares noodles in the aft kitchen.

Hull Maintenence Technician 2nd Class Neil Hopkins executes a welding procedure in the machine shop.

MCSA Victoria I. Ochoa (Top Left)

MCSN Derek A. Harkins (Right, Bottom Left)

Page 6

Channel 7Channel 6

1000 / 2200My Life in

Ruins

1200 / 0000Night at

the Museum2

1400 / 0200

Ice Age:Dawnof the

Dinosaur1600 / 0400

Land ofthe Lost

1800 / 0600

Ghost ofGirlfriends

Past

0800 / 2000

ImagineThat

Channel 5 Channel 29

Taking ofPelham

123

My Sister’sKeeper

WeatherGirl

Julie&

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BLazingSaddles

PerfectGetaway

ShanghaiKiss

Drag meto Hell

RobinHood

JonahHex

Orphan Meet theFockers

Here Comesthe Boom

House atthe End ofthe Street

Prometheus

FantasticFour: Rise

of the SilverSurfer

21 Jump Street

02 - AFN News 03 - AFN Xtra 04 - AFN Sports 05 - 8MM Movies 06 - 8MM Movies 07 - 8MM Movies 08 - ROLLER 09 - NTV 10 - FLIGHT DECK 11 - CNN 29 - DVD MOVIES 30 - DVD MOVIES

TV

There WillBe Blood

Cirque Du Soleil:

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The ColdLight of

Day

Salt

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Channel 30

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