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 1 / NO 31 July 18, 2010

See DECK, page 6

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Petty Officer 3rd Class Luis Ramirez

This Backbone Never BreaksStory by MC2 Ashley Van DienUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

Carl Vinson’s Deck Department is the backbone of the ship. The Sailors work long, hard hours every day. They get the ship underway and into port. They bring on food and fuel. They are ahead of schedule when it comes to inspections. And they are doing it all with a department that is only fifty percent manned.

“We’re carrying the weight of any other deck department on any other ship,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class (SW) Hilary Luke. “We’re doing more work in less time, with

less Sailors.”The success of Deck Department

can be attributed to strong leadership, hard work from junior Sailors and teamwork.

“Deck Department thrives on teamwork,” said Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mate (SW/AW) Thomas Hengel. “The Sailors in this department are young, but they are eager to learn. The leadership has really stepped up to the plate, with 2nd Classes filling 1st Class billets and doing a fantastic job.”

One of those 2nd Class Petty Officers is Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jonathan Beesley, 2nd Division’s Leading Petty Officer.

“It’s all about leadership by example,” said Beesley. “The petty officers are knowledgeable in their rate, and we work side-by-side with junior Sailors to accomplish the job.”

“We have good leadership that motivates us to work hard,” said Luke. “After a long day of hard work, we’re tired, but ready for the next day.”

“What motivates me is seeing Deck Sailors with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment,” said Beesley. “What we do is really tough, and when we can do it safely, that’s what makes it all worthwhile.”

Deck Department is responsible for the rehabilitation and preservation of

Carl Vinson Voice2

Publisher Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey

Commanding Officer

Executive Editors Lt. Cmdr. Erik Reynolds

Public Affairs Officer

Lt. j.g. Erik Schneider Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Managing Editor MC2 Ashley Van Dien

Layout and DesignMC3 Patrick Green

MCSN Rosa A. Arzola

Staff Writers/PhotographersMC3 Shentel Downes

MCSN Zachary D. BellSTAFF

Carl Vinson reached a historic milestone with its 200,000th trap on the flight deck July 13.

Vinson celebrated with two ceremonies, where cakes were presented in Wardroom III to the aviators who

Vinson Reaches 200,000th Trap

By MCSN Zachary BellUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

landed the EA-18G Growler, and in Arresting Gear Room 4, to the Sailors manning the V-2 engine room who manned the arresting gear for the landmark trap.

Lt. Ben Hartman and Lt. Ian Hudson, attached to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129, said they were honored and surprised to learn they got the 200,000th trap.

“It feels good to be part of Carl Vinson’s history. It’s a new community we’re a part of, so everything is new and exciting,” said Hudson. “It takes 25 years plus to accumulate 200,000 traps on an aircraft carrier. It’s really surprising we got the 200,000th.”

The aviators expressed how proud they were to be flying the aircraft, but also recognized the Sailors who made this monumental achievement possible.

“It definitely feels good, but it’s more of a testament to the guys working on the flight deck and the arresting gear. They’re the ones working hard all day, every day,” said Hartman.

The team that was working hard to catch Hudson and Hartman’s plane was Air Department’s V-2 Division. The aircraft was caught by the arresting gear on the fourth wire, which was being

manned by Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Airman Shawn Greer.

“I’m honored to be apart of Carl Vinson’s history and V-2’s history with arresting gear,” said Greer. “Working in the V-2 engine room can be high pressured because it’s not just the pilot’s lives on our hands, but everyone working on the flight deck as well. That’s why me and my boys in the V-2 Division always execute the highest level of safety.”

V-2 Division is responsible for the safe recovery of all aircraft on the ship’s flight deck. V-2 performs maintenance on industrial cables which catch the planes, as well as the hydraulic machinery that assists in stopping them.

“This is a testament to the kind of Sailors we’ve had working this flight deck for the past 28 years,” said Cmdr. Richard Wiley, Carl Vinson’s air department head. “Two-hundred thousand traps means we’ve done it right, and we’ve done it safely for a long, long time. Carl Vinson, also known as the ‘Gold Eagle,’ has built a legacy of excellence, and it’s been built by the Sailors we had out there today and the men and women who served before them.”

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Airman Kelston Moore and his shipmates from V-2 Division celebrate after Lt. Ian Hudson and Lt. Ben Hartman from VAQ-129 performed the 200,000th trap on the Vinson flight deck. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adrian White.

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3July 18, 2010

Sailor In The Spotlight: ABHAN BerryStory by MC3 Shentel DownesUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

“Competition breeds excel-lence” is a motto for Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Julian Berry.

Originally from Mansfield, Texas, Berry arrived on board Carl Vinson in December 2007, and was one of the first people in the current line-up of Air Department’s Crash and Salvage Division to be fully qualified as an aircraft firefighter. The main job of the Crash and Salvage crew is to ensure the safety of the rest of the Sailors working on the flight deck if there is a crash or if an aircraft is damaged.

“Airman Berry always has a great attitude with the rest of the Sailors,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class (AW/SW) Gilberto Cruz. “He is always willing to help. His attitude toward his job and the Navy is impressive, because he actually asks for work, does things on his own, and motivates the other Sailors.”

Berry is currently working as the on scene leader for aircraft firefighting phase two and three drills, which is typically the job of a second class petty officer or above. Berry said he learned most of the skills he uses in his day-to-day job while he was on temporary assigned duty to the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) while they were deployed in 2008.

Berry said he has exceeded expectations in the situations he was placed in, not only because of the experience he got on the Truman, but also because of the talents of the leaders he has to look up to.

“There’s a lot of stuff I’ve picked up from working with people like ABH1 (Shaven) Savoy, ABH1 (Gilberto)Cruz, Chief (Aristotle) Villahermosa and Chief (Benjamin)Bilyeu that have made me a better leader,” said Berry.

Berry’s supervisor said that he is key to the success of the division.

“He’s reliable, he knows his job and what’s expected of him,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Erick Castellanos, Berry’s direct supervisor. “He plays a big role in drills by getting aircraft out of the landing area in a

safe and timely manner. You can tell he learned a lot on the Truman and he brought that knowledge back and

improved the work center.”Berry said that he and his co-

workers in Crash and Salvage are very competitive when it comes to qualifications, and that the competition has motivated him to get more quals.

“I think the competitive nature ABH1 Cruz has put in our crash crew has made us

“I think the competitive nature ABH1 Cruz has put in our crash crew has made us better.”

ABHAN Julian Berry

better,” said Berry.Berry’s goals for his tour

on board involve getting his Enlisted Aviation

Warfare Specialist (EAWS) pin, getting qualified as a work center supervisor for Maintenance and Material Management (3M),

and eventually getting Crash Leading Petty Officer qualified.

“Airman Berry is honest and needs no supervision,” said Cruz. “I also know his family personally, and I think his biggest accomplishment is the commitment that he shows to his family and his career.”

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Julian Berry is the on scene leader for crash and salvage drills on the flight deck. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Shentel Downes.

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5July 18, 2010

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110 spaces, including the forecastle, fantail, anchoring system, rigid hull inflatable (RHIB) boats, and the entire hull of the ship. Underway, Deck Sailors stand watch 24-hours-a-day. They are also critical to the success of many vital underway evolutions, such as Underway Replenishments (UNREP) and Connected Replenishments (CONREP).

“Deck Sailors motivate themselves, because they know the job has to get done,” said Beesley. “Everything we do on the ship has something that hinges on it, whether it’s taking on cargo or fuel. People gotta eat and people gotta fly. Without us, the mission could not be accomplished.”

During Southern Seas 2010, Vinson’s Deck Department received 3,500,000 gallons of fuel, and transferred 846,000 gallons to the USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) during UNREPs. They also received 379 palettes of food and supplies during CONREPs.

Even though Deck Sailors are

constantly working hard doing space upkeep, maintenance, evolutions and standing watches, they are still striving to improve.

“We have training every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” said Ensign Dustin Miller, Assistant First Lieutenant. “We do in-rate training, command training, and 3M.”

A lot of the training that Deck Department conducts is hands-on.

“Before an evolution, we will do training on how to do things by the book,” said Miller. “But ninety percent of the training is hands-on. Even though many of them are new to these evolutions, they are quick learners and they do an awesome job.”

Deck Department’s training and operational status has increased their advancement rate, and the number of Deck seamen that have struck the rate of boatswain’s mate has risen as well. Last cycle seven seaman put on the rank of 3rd Class Petty Officer, and six of them were boatswain’s mates.

“The rate of boatswain’s mate is one of pride and professionalism,” said Hengel. “It is one of the Navy’s first ratings, and has many long-standing traditions.”

“I struck the rate of boatswain’s mate because my chain-of-command trained me well,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Joseph McDonald. “We are the backbone of the ship. Without us, we wouldn’t go anywhere because there would be no one to drive the ship. We couldn’t rescue a man overboard in time without lookout watches, boat operations, and search and rescue swimmers. What we do not only allows us to complete our mission, it saves lives.”

“I am extremely proud of my Sailors,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tony Diaz, First Lieutenant. “I demand a lot from them and I see results. They work really, really hard. We are striving for excellence, and we are getting there due to the hard work from Deck Department.”

Seaman Jake Lord and Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Courtney Austin stand lee-helm watch on the bridge. Deck Sailors stand watch 24-hours a day underway, in addition to their other duties on the ship. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Luis Ramirez.

DECK Continued