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 reflect the official views of the U.S. Government or the Departments of Defense or

the Navy and do not imply any endorsement thereby.

VOL 2 / NO 7 January 20, 2011

Story by MC3 Jessica TounzenUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Rosa Arzola

See ‘REPLENISHMENTS’ Page 5

Inside this Issue: Carl Vinson & Admiral Byrd | CONREP & VERTREP | 5 Operational Excellence Principles | Division of the Day

Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 simultaneously conducted a connected replenishment (CONREP) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP) with the dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) Jan. 18.

Among the supplies Vinson received during the CONREP and VERTREP were food items, supplies, parts, and mail, adding up to 600 pallets total, said Supply Department’s Leading Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Logistics Specialist (AW/SW) Gilbert Ermitano.

The sheer amount of items received on board Vinson, combined with the simultaneous replenishments, proved to be a logistical feat for all involved.

“It’s important to be on point when you’re conducting a dangerous evolution [like a VERTREP],” Ermitano explained. “You’ve got people on the flight deck working with helicopters, pallet jacks and moving heavy loads. There’s a lot of moving parts and you don’t want someone to get hurt.”

Ermitano, who served as the director of drop zone one on the aft starboard side of the flightdeck during the VERTREP, said safety was in fact the number one concern during the replenishment.

“There’s always a backup, someone who’s looking out for someone else,” he said. “You’ve got to treat VERTREPs as if it’s the first time, every time. You cannot afford to relax. Everyone’s head has to be on a swivel.”

“With two evolutions going on at once, it’s important to not get distracted. You have to be aware of what’s going on around you,” agreed Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mate (SW) David Iverson, Deck Department’s Leading Chief Petty Officer.

During the CONREP, Iverson and his team had the help of a

A B O V E A N D A C R O S SVinson VERTREPS, CONREPS With Byrd

Carl Vinson Voice2

Publisher Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey

Commanding Officer

Executive Editors Lt. Cmdr. Erik Reynolds

Public Affairs Officer

Lt. Erik Schneider Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Managing Editor MC2 Ashley Van Dien

Photo Editor MC2 Adrian White

Layout and DesignMC3 Megan L. Catellier

Staff Writers/PhotographersMC2 Byron Linder

MC3 Lori BentMC3 Jessica Tounzen

MCSN Rosa ArzolaMCSN Nicolas LopezST

AFF

Story by MC2 Byron C. LinderUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

A Moment In HistoryCarl Vinson & Admiral Byrd

A moment in history was revisited during a combined connected and vertical replenishment at sea between Carl Vinson and the Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) the morning of Jan. 18.

Sixty nine years before Vinson Sailors received stores and mail from the Byrd, Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson received a piece of Navy history from the ship’s namesake, pioneering American aviator and polar explorer Rear Adm. Richard E. Byrd.

In the ship’s museum hangs a 13 by 20.5-inch frame, containing a small, well-worn American flag and a letter from Byrd to Vinson. Affixed to the letter is a three-cent stamp, commemorating the second Byrd Antarctic Expedition. The letter, dated January 1, 1942 from Washington D.C., expresses Byrd’s deep appreciation for Vinson’s efforts on behalf of the Navy. As a token of his thanks, Byrd enclosed the American flag he had carried with him on his journeys.

The 48-starred flag had been in the Fokker F-VII Trimotor plane Josephine Ford when Byrd flew from the Norwegian

island Spitsbergen to the North Pole in in 1926; in the Fokker Trimotor plane America’s flight from New York across the Atlantic Ocean to Normandy, France in 1927; in the Ford Trimotor plane Floyd Bennett’s flight to the South Pole in 1929; and all of Byrd’s major flights of exploration. The flag was present at Byrd’s six-month stint operating the Advance Base meteorological station alone at the South Pole in 1934, and when Byrd conducted surveys of remote islands for airfields in the Pacific in 1942. While some of the various aircraft are on display at places like the Henry Ford Museum and the Virginia Aviation Museum, the flag has only been visible in Vinson’s museum.

The scrawled signature of “Dick Byrd” closes the letter, under the typed “Your Friend”, emphasizing the appreciation for Vinson’s efforts in Congress. Eight years prior to the letter, Vinson co-wrote a bill authorizing new warships during a time the Navy was falling behind the power curve of nations who had rejected naval limitation treaties. Vinson’s later legislation allowed the U.S. Navy to enter World War II with new ships able to match the capabilities of enemy vessels.

Vinson’s efforts continued on well past World War II, as he assumed the role of Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee in 1949. As the chairman, he continued to modernize the military as the mission focus shifted to the Cold War and oversaw the acquisition of the first nuclear-powered aircraft carriers beginning with the USS Enterprise.

53January 20, 2011

Story by MC3 Lori BentUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

Navy policies are constantly revised and updated in an effort to stay current with technological and operational developments. However, traditions, customs, rules and regulations remain the underlying backbone of how the Navy operates today.

Carl Vinson Commanding Officer Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey challenges Vinson Sailors to live and work by five Operational Excellence Principles. According to the CO’s principles, level of knowledge (LOK) on Navy policies, the ship and the specified rating is paramount to the success of Vinson’s mission.

“Level of knowledge is the foundation of all of our actions,” said Lt. Cmdr. Amy Hunt, Vinson’s training officer. “The effective operation of the ship requires that everyone become an expert in their field, whether that is driving the ship, maintaining aircraft or preparing meals for the crew.”

“When Sailors have a strong LOK they can perform [their job] accurately and to the best of their ability,” added Personnel Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Carl Vizzi, leading petty officer for Administration Department Education Service Office. “We rely on each and every Sailor to contribute to the success of the [ship’s] mission.”

Many resources and references are available today. The Bluejacket’s Manual, Navy regulations, rating and technical manuals offer a wealth of information for new Sailors and keep all hands on track.

During recruit training, Sailors are equipped with basic military knowledge and an understanding of the regulations that govern the naval community. On board Vinson, Sailors are groomed to be experts in their rating and specialists in knowing their ship.

“Because the ship is such a complex and integrated system of departments and personnel, it is important every Sailor understands his or her part in that network,” explained Hunt. “It starts with basic knowledge of one’s rate, the ship and finally it all comes together as part of the mission.”

Rating knowledge plays a vital role in mission success as well as career success.

“When it comes to advancement exams a Sailor will face anywhere from 100 to 175 in-rate questions depending on their pay grade,” said Vizzi. “Understanding your rate will definitely help someone up for advancement.”

An important aspect of LOK is the ability to understand the “black and white” of the Navy. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) regulates good order and discipline and sets the law down on what’s wrong from right.

5 Operational Excellence Principles:L e v e l o f K n o w l e d g e

Legalman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Gina Camacho of Legal Department explained while it is not required to know the contents of the UCMJ verbatim, it is important to understand and grasp the rules and regulations of the Navy and Carl Vinson.

“It is your responsibility to know the consequences of your actions,” said Camacho. “If you violate any of these rules and regulations, ignorance is not an excuse.”

Level of knowledge is the foundation for the remaining principles: strict procedural compliance, formal communications, questioning attitude and forceful backup.

..............

Carl Vinson Voice4

NavigationDAY IN THE LIFE OFU.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Nicolas Lopez

5January 20, 2011

NavigationDAY IN THE LIFE OFThe next time you’re in your car and

you find yourself in a tight spot where you don’t have much room to move, who are you going to call? Try one of the Sailors in Vinson’s Navigation Department. They’re used to maneuvering in tight spots—it’s something they do often on board a billion-dollar aircraft carrier.

It’s a task they perform when pulling in and out of ports or negotiating narrow bodies of water, like a strait. There’s a certain route the ship must follow, and due to her size, Vinson must turn at exactly the right moment to avoid a collision with other ships or becoming stuck in shallow water. It’s a task that requires accuracy, and time is of the essence.

That means there’s a lot of pressure placed on Navigation Sailors to ensure the ship’s safe journey, said Quartermaster 2nd Class (SW/AW) Vannessa Park.

“I wish people knew just how difficult and important it is to get the ship in and out of port,” said Park. “We have to make sure we don’t run aground or hit anything. It’s a very stressful job.”

“It’s draining, but it’s something that has to be done to a T or else the ship could get in serious trouble,” added Quartermaster 3rd Class Erich Hoffman, the department’s charts petty officer.

And the job of keeping Vinson and crew out of harm’s way isn’t one that ends at taps.

“We man the bridge 24 hours-a-day to ensure safe navigation, maintain the deck log, where we note everything that happens on the ship, and record the ship’s position both electronically and on a paper chart,” said Hoffman.

The Navigation team has a lot on their shoulders, but they agree there are some perks to the job.

“The most interesting part about our job is the underway replenishments (UNREPs) and vertical replenishments (VERTREPs), because we get to do things we don’t do on an ordinary basis, like using Morse code, raising and lowering the flags and talking to other ships,” said Park.

While everything has to be in order and Vinson’s navigators have to do their job—and do it extremely well—for the ship to be able to go anywhere, said Hoffman. “It’s pretty cool that we get to have input or an influence on where the ship needs to go. Plus we’ve got one of the best vantage points on the ship.”

MC3 Jessica RobertsonUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

Greetings from San Diego,

You all should be well on your way after your recent port call. I know it is very bitter sweet. Not ready to go back to being on the ship and out to sea again, yet closer to your return home to San Diego. I would love to share with you how very excited the families were back here at home when they knew the ship had moored and liberty was beginning! You would have thought all the Sailors and families were visiting Busan, South Korea together! It was so wonderful to hear the stories of how your families were able to see you on Skype, through more frequent e-mails and those late night phone calls that always relayed “I miss you.”

Thank you to the crew of the Carl Vinson for taking the time to reach out to your families back home! Ok, so this brings me to your sit-ups? I will forgive you if you took a few days off from the routine. I would love to know if any of you out there are even doing them? I am finally all caught up and I am on track. My abs hurt really badly and my body is in shock but, I am holding up my end of the bargain. Send me an e-mail and let me know how you are doing.I know a big conversation piece on the ship the last few days is the AMAZING support and humanitarian relief you provided to Haiti this same time last year. As, you all look back over the last year aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the families are so very proud of you and we all have a sense of overwhelming pride that we had sailors out there that put, all selfishness aside and fought hard for the safety of the Haitians. Thank you for your daily sacrifices and always know, your families back home are eternally grateful for all that you do!

A proud supporter of the Carl Vinson,Jennifer

Vinson.ombudsman8@gmail.com

200-man working party and 50 line handlers from various departments. Iverson said teamwork played a large role in the successful completion of the CONREP.

“It’s important for everyone to work together, because we’re in a time crunch. Things have to flow smoothly, or something will be missed,” added Ermitano.

Naval Aircrewman 3rd Class (NAC/AW) Christopher Bonar is assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 15. His squadron was responsible for transporting the required cargo from Byrd to Vinson via SH-60F Seahawks. Bonar agreed VERTREPs would fail without teamwork.

“We had helicopters trying to land in certain spots on the flight deck, bringing cargo back and forth, and people on the flight deck trying to clear the deck as soon as possible,” said Bonar. “Teamwork was vital for us to accomplish the VERTREP as quickly as possible and get all cargo transferred.”

With so many people involved in the

evolutions and so much going on at once, it was also imperative that everyone practice effective communication. The reason for this is simple, said Iverson.

“Communication is the number one mix-up with any evolution and the primary reason why things go wrong,” he explained.

It was also crucial that everyone knew their role during the evolutions.

“We had to make sure we were on the same page,” said Ermitano. “For example, I’m the only one who could direct the forklifts. If that wasn’t the case, we would have chaos. Underway replenishments are already chaotic, but we want to manage what we can.”

In the end, said Bonar, the ship and air wing were successful in managing that chaos.

“We’ve got this down to an art,” he said. “There are some people who have been doing this their whole lives, and some who are just learning, but overall it was pretty balanced and smooth.”

After successfully completing a CONREP with Byrd, Vinson continued a VERTREP with fleet-replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187).

From ‘REPLENISHMENTS’ Page 1

Carl Vinson Voice6

ABE2 (AW) Will Heard HT3 Casey Moores MM2 Stefani Hill

What MWR Tour are you taking and why?

“I’m taking the Sunway Theme Park tour because I have been

to the park before and enjoyed it and it’s not expensive at all”

“I have my golf clubs on board and I’ve been waiting for the

chance to golf so I’ll be taking the Monterez Golfing tour.”

“My friends and I will be taking the KL After Dark and Beyond

the City tour. It sounds like an interesting and refreshing way for us to spend our time in

Malaysia.”

DECKPLATE

Strike Operations-responsible for planning

daily aircraft operations to support the requirements

of the Battle Group Commander.

Strike Operations OfFicer- writes the Air Plan.

ECDIS- The purpose of the Electronic Chart Display and

Information System is toeventually eliminate the need for paper charts.

W i n n i n g C a p t i o n for last week’s photo

“Mine, Mine, Mine...”Caption submitted by

LT Vicky Chang

Deckplate Dialogues

7January 20, 2011

Kuala LampurMalaysia

CurrencyInternational CallingThe most

commonly used currency in Kuala

Lumpur is the Malaysia Ringgit

(MYR).

$1.00 USD = 3.61 MYR

To call U.S.A. from a cell phone or landline -Dial “00” + 1 + area code + number

To call the ship’s landline (From a cell phone) -Dial Int’l access no. + 60 + 19 + number(From a landline) -Dial Int’l access no. + 60 + 3 + number

AT&T DIRECT DIAL 1-800-8000-11 WORLD PHONE 1-800-8000-12 SPRINT 1-800-8000-13

General RecallAll hands should ensure they can return to VINSON within nine hours. A recall will be signaled through the TV and radio and the signal flag “Papa” (blue square with a white square in the center)

flown from the mast.

Malaysian CustomsMalaysia is a multi-cultural society. The main ethnic groups are the native Malays, Chinese, and Indians. When visiting the country it is clear that the ethnicities retain their religions, customs and way of life. However, despite the ethnic differences there are commonalities…

Meeting and Greeting• Shake hands with men when

meeting and again when leaving. • Nod or give a slight bow with hand

on heart when greeting a woman. • Introduce higher ranking people or

older people first. Introduce women before men.

• Western women should greet Malay men with a nod of their head and a smile.

Body Language• Never touch anyone on the head

(home of the soul), especially a child. Avoid touching the opposite sex. Affection is not shown in public.

• Use your right hand exclusively. Do not move objects or point at someone with your foot.

• Giving a slight bow when leaving, entering or passing by people means, "excuse me."

Dining and Entertainment• Drinks are offered and accepted

with both hands. • Malays use only their right hand to

eat, pass, or handle anything. Never use your left hand to eat.

Saving Face• Never openly criticize, insult,

put someone on the spot; challenge someone in authority, especially in public; Do not show anger at another person; or disagree with someone publicly.

• Always remain calm and courteous; discuss errors or transgressions privately; speak about problems without blame; use non-verbal communication to say “no”; and allow others to get out of a situation with their pride intact.

Carl Vinson Voice8

Civilian ClothesNo spaghetti strap tanktops• Only sandals with heel straps are authorized• Males may not wear earrings on or off the • shipNo white or NWU undershirts• Skirts must be worn at or below the knee• Shorts for males and females can be no • more than 2” above the kneeNo doo-rags or stilettos• No PT gear or active wear• No baggy jeans• No jeans with rips, frays or holes•

Wednesday, Jan 26

Thursday, Jan 27

Friday, Jan 28

Saturday, Jan 29

Channel 61000-State of Play1215-X-Files: I Want to Believe1415-Mister Roberts1630-Dan in Real Life1815-Paul Blart: Mall Cop2000-You Again2200-State of Play0015-X-Files: I Want to Believe0300-Mister Roberts0515-Dan in Real Life

Channel 60815-Sisterhood of Travelling Pants 21015-Superhero Movie1145-Wing Commander1330-U-5711530-The Secret of Moonacre1715-Halls of Montezuma1915-Shanghai Kiss2115-Sisterhood of Travelling Pants 22315-Superhero Movie0045-Wing Commander0230-U-5710430-The Secret of Moonacre

Channel 60815-Coroline1000-Away All Boats1230-Hairspray1430-The Bedford Incident1615-Shrek Forever Aft er1800-Cool Runnings1945-Coroline2130-Away All Boats2330-Hairspray0130-The Bedford Incident0315-Shrek Forever Aft er0500-Cool Runnings

Channel 60815-Guadalcanal Diary1000-Furry Vengeance1145-Harry Pott er: Half Blood Prince1415-Torpedo Run1630-Twins1815-Jumper1945-Guadalcanal Diary2130-Furry Vengeance2315-Harry Pott er:Half Blood Prince0145-Torpedo Run0330-Twins0515-Jumper0645-Bandslam

Channel 71000-Curious Case of Benjamin Butt on1300-88 Minutes1500-Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li1645-G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra1845-The Goods2015-Curious Case of Benjamin Butt on2315-88 Minutes0200-Street Fighter: Legend of Chun Li0345-Jennifer’s Body0530-G.I.Joe: Rise of Cobra

Channel 70815-The General’s Daughter1015-Rules of Engagement1230-Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps1445-Let Me In1645-The Last Exorcism1815-Mummy: Tomb of Dragon Emperor2015-The General’s Daughter2215-Rules of Engagement0100-Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps0315-Let Me In0515-Mummy: Tomb of Dragon Emperor

Channel 70815-Sunshine Cleaning1000-Gran Torino1200-Idiocracy1330-Resident Evil: Aft erlife1515-Die Hard1730-Superbad1930-Gran Torino2130-Sunshine Clearing2315-Idiocracy0045-Resident Evil: Aft erlife0230-Die Hard0445-Superbad

Channel 70815-Inglorious Basterds1045-Gamer1230-Army of Darkness1400-Reservoir Dogs1545-The Internati onal1745-The Hunti ng Party1930-Shoot ‘Em Up2100-Inglorious Basterds2330-Gamer0115-Army of Darkness0245-Reservoir Dogs0430-The Internati onal0630-The Hunti ng Party