The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) is using its time while underway for Rim of the Pacific to prepare for the upcoming Maintenance Material Management (3M) systems assessment.

This inspection will be conducted by Command, Naval Air Forces (CNAF), where Nimitz reports its maintenance activity. CNAF is responsible for keeping track of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

“[Not conducting maintenance] is a big reason a lot of ships today fail the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV),” said Lt. Harold Honeycutt, the 3M officer. “It’s the

‘in-service’ inspection. If the material condition of the ship isn’t working,

it’s normally because the ship doesn’t conduct planned maintenance, not fixing things that needed to be fixed or not using corrective maintenance.”

There are going to be a number of different things

that CNAF will be looking for as a whole. It is very intensive and fast-paced process from seeing how the ship conducts its maintenance to the quality of the maintenance itself.

“When they come aboard, there is going to be a large number of personnel,” Honeycutt said. “They will conduct spot checks of all of the maintenance throughout the ship.”

CNAF will also be analyzing Nimitz’ corrective side, such as how they write their jobs, how they process paperwork and how the crew members close out the jobs, he said.

June 23, 2012 Vol. 1 Issue 26

Story by MCSN Jesse Monford

Nimitz Sailors Prepare for 3M Assessment

Sailors perform maintenance on life vests in hangar bay three . Photo by MCSA Ryan Mayes.

See “3M” page 3

Damage Controlman Fireman Jonathan Fienberg performs maintenance on a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus assembly. Photo by MC2 (SW) Robert Winn.

Capt. Jeff Ruth, commanding officer of USS Nimitz, named Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Kenneth Morgan, Sailor of the Day, June 22 in the Pilot House. Photo by MCSN Jess Lewis.

USS Nimitz’ Sailor of the Day

Commanding OfficerCAPT Jeff S. RuthExecutive Officer

CAPT Buzz DonnellyCommand Master Chief

CMDCM Teri McIntyrePublic Affairs OfficerLCDR Karin Burzynski

EditorMC2 Robert Winn Lead Designer

MC3 Jacob Milner

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.

Page 2

With 3M maintenance, every member of every department will have a role in helping make the assessment a success. These Sailors are getting prepared now by training for the assessment.

“All rates on board Nimitz will participate in some form of the 3M systems assessment,” Honeycutt said. “Not every divisional work center has specific maintenance, but they will have things that are common to all of them.”

Even though the Sailors are trained on 3M when they go through command indoctrination, the 3M office on board the ship is offering training to all levels weekly, said Master Chief Hull Maintenance Technician David Conduff, the 3M administrator. The Sailors are now asking their chain of command more

than they ever have.“They want to see it (maintenance)

instead of just trying to read and understand the training,” he said. “They’re actually seeking to have somebody to show them, whether it’s their division or the 3M office where we conduct the training.”

Conducting daily maintenance aboard a ship is important regardless of how little it may seem.

“Without every Sailor doing their part in 3M, whether it’s the brand new Seaman, Airman, Fireman all the way up to the Captain, the ship will not maintain its life, therefore the ship cannot succeed,” said Conduff.

The assessment is scheduled to take place Aug. 5 to Aug. 10.

3M: Assessment to keep maintenance on track

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) Airman Adrian Davis performs maintenance on a float coat. Photo by MC2 (SW) Robert Winn.

Continued from page 1

Page 3

crimson careEveryone needs blood. It is the human body’s

transportation highway for oxygen, nutrients, minerals, vitamins and proteins. Without the right amount of blood, people can’t operate, and when they have blood related issues, they normally consult a pathological laboratory. This may seem impossible for a Sailor or Marine aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as the ship cruises across the Pacific Ocean, but deep beneath Nimitz’ flight deck lies a lab at sea.

“We process and test bodily fluids down here,” said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Elizabeth N. Anderson, one of the lab technicians aboard Nimitz. “Becoming a lab technician requires 13 months of training in ‘C’ School and certification from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.”

Blood is the most common bodily fluid processed at the lab, but urine, synovial fluid and cerebral spinal fluid are processed there as well.

“Most of the time, patients come to get their blood drawn for their BMR (birth month recall), HIV testing and dive physicals,” said Anderson. “Other patients come in from sick call when their providers order specific tests for them.”

According to Anderson, the lab processes between 20 and 25 patients per day and draws seven to 21 milliliters of blood from each patient; that’s enough to overflow a 16 ounce Monster can.

“We usually test for bacteria and infection,” said Anderson. “We can also test for lipids and cholesterol. We’re able to process samples like an ER (emergency room) to quickly help providers with diagnosis.”

After blood is drawn, it will start to coagulate. In order to counter that, a device called an agitator is used.

“The agitator allows for the blood to not clot when it’s not being used for testing,” said Anderson.

Story and photos by MC3 Ian Cotter

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Elizabeth N. Anderson reaches for a sample of blood spinning in an agitator in the pathological laboratory in Nimitz’ Medical Department.

Page 4Page 4

“When it’s ready for testing, we just pull it out of the machine.”

Part of blood testing involves examination under a microscope, which uses oil immersion and can magnify up to 100 times regular size.

“We smear the blood on a slide and wait for it to dry before applying modified Wright stain,” said Anderson. “The stain will color red blood cells pink and white blood cells bluish-purple to make it easier to check for blood cell size, shape, quantity and deformities.”

Unlike a civilian or shore-based clinic, Nimitz’ blood laboratory does not store any blood due to space and temperature constraints. Instead the blood is stored in the bodies of each Sailor and Marine and in the event of a mass casualty, a walking blood bank is activated.

“During a mass casualty, I collect and process blood for what the provider orders,” said Anderson. “When the walking blood bank is activated, donors will meet down in Dental and get their blood drawn. After that, a runner will take the samples to the

lab where it will be tested for blood type compatibility, before the donor can give the required amount of blood.”

With a trained crew, Nimitz is always ready to transport blood through its passageways and spaces during a mass casualty, just as efficiently as the ship transports fuel and water through its piping systems.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SW) Brent Hammond examines a sample of blood through a microscope in the pathological laboratory in Nimitz’ Medical Department.

Red and white blood cells become visible through a microscope. A special dye is used to visually separate cells, coloring red blood cells pink and white blood cells blue.

Page 5

Sailors assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning

Squadron (VAW) 117, currently aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) are taking advantage of one of the many commissioning programs offered to all enlisted personnel, the Seaman to Admiral (STA) 21 Commissioning Program.

STA-21 is designed to meet the goals of the Navy in the 21st Century, while at the same time creating a fair and reasonable system for outstanding active duty Sailors to receive a top-notch college education and become commissioned officers.

“The Seaman to Admiral program gives enlisted folks the opportunity to earn a commission,” said VAW-117 Command Master Chief (NAWS/EXW/SW) Spike Call. “Any program that leads to pushing young professionals higher and giving them opportunity is awesome.”

Some of the previous commissioning programs required

Sailors to pay their college tuition by themselves or removed them from active duty status. The perk to the STA-21 program is its fairness to the Sailor.

All participants can stay in active duty status at their current enlisted pay grade and will be eligible for advancement while in

the program. This means they will receive all the pay, allowances, benefits and privileges they currently enjoy and be working toward their degree.

“The Seaman to Admiral program provides Sailors an excellent opportunity to bring their experience and skill to the

officer ranks all while being paid and given the chance to attain a degree at a very challenging and demanding college or university,” said Lt. Christopher Kingery, a STA-21 commissioned officer assigned to VAW-117.

The program allows Sailors to apply to the core program or

a target group option. The core program allows participants the most flexibility in selecting a major and requesting schools to attend. Sailors selected into a target group option will, upon commissioning, be assigned to that option’s officer community such as pilot option, naval flight officer, medical corps,

Seaman to Admiral

Story MC2 (SW/AW) Eva-Marie Ramsaran

[STA-21] allowed me to take my experience as an enlisted nuclear machinist’s mate and apply it to other facets of the Navy.

-Lt. Christopher Kingery, a STA-21 commissioned officer assigned to VAW-117

“ “Page 6

“special warfare and more.

“[STA-21] allowed me to take my experience as an enlisted nuclear machinist’s mate and apply it to other facets of the Navy,” said Kingery. “It provides an opportunity to those Sailors possessing exceptional potential to attain higher ranks with greater responsibility more commensurate of their abilities.”

“We are going through trying times with ERB (enlisted retention board) and PTS (perform to serve) in today’s Navy,” said Call. “Having this opportunity for people to grow, earn a commission and really do something they are passionate and enthusiastic about is going to make our Navy better and make them better. All around it’s a win-win situation.”

To be eligible to apply for STA-21, a Sailor must first be a U.S. citizen, recommended by their commanding officer and be a high school graduate or GED equivalent. For the complete list of eligibility requirements, visit www.sta-21.navy.mil/eligibility.

No Hollywood Showers!

Get In

Be A Shipmate

Get Out Get On With Your Day

Eligibility requirements for STA-21

• Be a citizen of the United States. • BerecommendedbytheCommanding Officer. • BeservingonactivedutyintheU.S. Navy or Full Time Support• Meetphysicalcommissioning standards. • Beabletocompleterequirementsforabaccalaureatedegreein36monthsor less. • ACTminimumscoreof41isrequired.• Havenorecordofdrivingwhile intoxicated(DWI)ordrivingundertheinfluence(DUI)withinthethree (3) years.Formoreinformationvisitwww.sta-21.navy.mil/eligibility.

Page 7

Channel 29Channel 7

1000 / 2200

The Last Airbender

1200 / 0000Sex and the City

1400 / 0200

Sweet Home Alabama

1600 / 0400Charlie

St. Cloud

1800 / 0600Cyrus

0800 / 2000

Boyz in the Hood

Channel 6Channel 5

The Rocketeer

Jonah Hex

Face Off

K2

Rules of Engagement

Predators

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Sherlock Holmes

The Green Zone

Happy Gilmore

Legend of the

Guardians

InceptionHot Shots

Anchorman

Grown Ups

Mrs. Doubtfire

Get Him to the Greek

Small Soldiers

2 - AFN Sports3 - AFN NEWS 4 - AFN XTRA5 - 8MM MOVIES6 - 8MM MOVIES7 - 8MM MOVIES8 - ROLLER9 - DVD TRAINING10-FLIGHT DECK11-CNN29-DVD MOVIES

TVLINEUP