OPE R AT ION U N I F I E D R E SPONSE USS Carl Vinson SPECIAL EDITION FEB 2, 2010

MorningQuarters 2 Carl Vinson Voice S B y C o m m a n d i n g O f f i c e r, C a p t . B r u c e L i n d s e y Shipmates, While youve been working the last two weeks, the world has been watching. You may not have seen it, but youve been all over the television, the newspapers and the internet. You have become the faces of the Navys slogan, A Global Force For Good. No one can possibly doubt the sincerity of that phrase; not after what youve accom- plished here. As youve been working, though, its possible you havent seen the coverage youve received or the imagery our MCs collected of you while youve helped the Haitian people. The intent of this special edition of the Vinson Voice is to provide you a keepsake youll have forever, a reminder of the days spent off the coast of a nation youre helping re-build from the ground up. Youre going to read stories about the heroic efforts of our Medical Department and the round-the-clock work of Air, Engineering and our Chaplains. But, this was a total team effort like few ever seen in our Navy. Less than one day after leaving Norfolk, you were tasked with a real-world mission. Every single one of you responded and many would say that the last two weeks helped this crew come together, quicker than you ever would have under any other circumstances. Enjoy this product and keep it forever. Thank you for representing this ship, our Navy and our nation so well.

January 31, 2010 3 Changing For The Better T By MC1 (SW/AW) Jason Thompson, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs coming to them. by the on-board medical team. Published January 30, 2010 We changed. The air crews flew 435 medical 161.5 Each of the stories in evacuations. Air Department and This much is true: all TONS this magazine was pub- the attached squadrons flew 2,200 87,200 things change. When USS lished previously, and sorties Carl Vinson (CVN 70) left GALLONS Norfolk Jan. 12, the crew F O O D is not meant to tell the to the was ready for a three-month jaunt entire story. Few things, island W A T E R affecting around South America filled with port if any, could. There exists a story in each member of the crew and in untold thousands of Haitians. The visits to exotic locations, a chance to 18 each Haitian affected by final tally: 1,186,200 pounds of become a Shellback and the earthquake. In the cargo. TONS finally Southern Californias palm trees. The same day, a eyes of the world, the U.S. We changed lives. 7.0 magnitude earthquake MEDICAL Navy, with the Carl SUPPLIES Vinson/CVW-17 60 shook the as its most very foundation visible repre- PATIENTS of Haiti. sentative, was changing lives Lives changed. for the better. Less than 48 hours later, Carl Vin- All told, Carl son and attached Carrier Air Wing Vinson and CVW- 17 delivered more than 435 (CVW) 17 were on station - a large 161.5 tons of 2,200 white 70 visible off food to Hai- tians affected the coast and heli- by the earth- MEDEVACS copters in S O R T I E S quake. They the air. Our mechanized birds werent received more than 87,200 gallons carrying anti-submarine or mine of water from the ship. countermeasures equipment, but The more than 18 rather something of greater impor- tons of medical sup- tance to the people of Haiti. Hope, in plies went to relieve the form of water, food and medical the injuries many thou- supplies, was sands of Haitians endured while 60 patients were treated

4 Carl Vinson Voice CRMD Published January 27, 2010 Project Handclasp Provides Food for Haitians S By MC2 Ashley Van Dien, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs Sailors from USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, and USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) distributed food to Haitians affected by a recent earthquake S E R V I T U M on Isle de la Gonave, Jan. 26, as a part of Project Handclasp. CVW 17 flew 6 palettes of food, which was donated by Kids Against Hunger for humanitarian aid. Each palette contained 24 boxes, and each box contained 25 bags of chicken- flavored rice casserole. Sailors distributed 2 bags to each Haitian. It was amazing just to see their faces and their gratitude, said Lt. Jeff Ross, a Navy Chaplain. It was a very sweet moment to know that theyre not going hun- gry tonight. Project Handclasp is an official U.S. Navy program which coordinates the trans- A D portation and delivery of humanitarian, educational and goodwill material. The material is donated to the Project Handclasp Foundation by corporations, chari- table and public service organizations, and private citizens throughout the United V O C A T I States for distribution to needy recipients in foreign countries. Kids Against Hunger donated humanitarian aid to Project Handclasp, which donated the food to Carl Vinson to be distributed through community relations projects. A lot of times people see the Navy as a global force of protection, but we are more than that, said Chief Religious Program Specialist (SW/AW/FMF) David Winter. We are also a symbol of peace. We do community relations ashore, such as distributing food and water, to help out those in need.

January 31, 2010 5 S Published January 19, 2010 Gold Eagle Sends Desperately By MC3 Shentel M. Yarnell and MCSN Heather Roe, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs Needed Water Ashore Their plans factored in water pressure and helicopters and distributed throughout Haiti. Sailors aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) efficiency. The HTs cut the pipes, calculated Since the dispensers were assembled Jan. 18, built two 12-faucet pure water dispensers in where the holes should be placed to provide Carl Vinson Sailors have filled and loaded an effort to provide even more fresh water to even distribution, and pieced the pipes to- more than 800 five-gallon containers of those effected by the 7.0 magnitude earth- gether. water. The Nimitz-class carrier desalinizes quake caused mass devastation Jan. 12. Pieces of the dispenser were assembled in more than 400,000 gallons of water each day, Over the course of two days, engineering de- the pipe shop, then taken to the flight deck, 200,000 gallons of which are excess, which partments hull technicians created, built and where the rest was assembled. can be loaded into water containers and assembled the water faucet, nicknaming the Eighty water spouts can be used at a time to distributed to Haitians in need. process operation hydration, along the way. fill containers, instead of using less efficient The hull technicians who built the We have the capabilities and manpower means. Carl Vinson currently has two water dispensers are happy to have had a part in the to help, said Hull Technician 1st Class (SW/ dispensers that each produce 120 gallons of relief efforts. Its great to help other people, AW) Harmon Hazelwood, leading petty clean water per minute. The hoses supplying said Hull Technician 3rd Class Brandon Key, officer of Engineerings repair division on the dispensers are attached to a potable water who helped assemble the dispensers. Its a board. It is a crisis and we are maximizing feed that is normally used to wash down good feeling, helping in their time of need. water usage to the best of our abilities. aircraft. The dispensers were built to be staged The hull technicians drew up plans on the flight deck or in the hangar bay so full for the faucet and then built it from scratch. water containers can easily be loaded into

6 Carl Vinson Voice D E P A R T M E N T

January 31, 2010 7 It Looks As Though Our Air Crews Published January 19, 2010 May Have Saved Lives. U By MC1 (SW/AW) Jason Thompson, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs U.S. Navy helicopters operating from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) rescued two American citizens in Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 15. An MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter, from the Tridents of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 responded to a MEDE- VAC call from the Air Force 23rd Special Tactics Squadron. An Air Force pararescueman (PR) on the scene had just freed a man from the rubble of the Hotel Montana, but his legs below the knee were lost. The helicopters aircrew airlifted the man to USS Carl Vinson for emergency medical care. Vinson doc- tors treated his injuries. The man is in stable condi- tion in the ships medical ward. Carl Vinson responded to a second distress call a couple of hours later, sending an MH-60 Knighthawk from the Chargers of HSC-26 to evacuate an Ameri- can woman. The woman, a 55-year old Christian mis- sionary, said a wall collapsed on top of her when the earthquake struck. She is also in stable condition, undergoing further evaluation by Navy doctors aboard the carrier. It looks as though our air crews may have saved lives, said Rear. Adm. Ted Branch, Commander of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and Task Force 41, the U.S. Navys sea- based humanitarian support mission of Haiti. The Carl Vinson, with its speed and flexibility, along with the USS (DDG 76) 2Higgins and other units that were in the area, are the perfect first responders, said Rear Adm. Victory Guillory, Commander, U.S. 4th Fleet. Theyre pro- viding critical help when its needed most. Very soon, well have our sea base in placethe right ships with the right capabilities for sustained relief operations from the sea.

8 Carl Vinson Voice Published January 15, 2010 Carl Vinson Begins Humanitarian Operation in Southern Command T By MC1 (SW/AW) Jason Thompson, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 began humanitarian and disaster relief operations Jan. 15 after arriving on station Thursday. Carl Vinson and CVW 17 received orders from U.S. Southern Com- mand to deliver assistance to the Caribbean nation following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake which caused catastrophic damage within the capital city Jan. 12. Weve been able to complete our first mission which was to de- liver aid and supplies to the airport, said Commander, Carrier Strike Group 1, Rear Adm. Ted Branch, the joint force maritime component commander. The Carl Vinson is part of a comprehensive Department of Defense and U.S. government approach to disaster relief in Haiti. Navy expe- ditionary forces are deploying to provide on-scene assessment, con

January 31, 2010 9 70 struction, security civil affairs and logistics support in con- junction with interagency and multinational partners. The task ahead is a daunting one, but we have Sailors who are eager to be part of the solution, said Branch. We have great Sailors and agency partners; lots of people try- ing to do good things. Since humanitarian assistance and disaster response are part of the U.S. maritime force core capabilities, Carl Vinson is uniquely positioned to provide assistance. One of the great benefits of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is that we were able to proceed at 30 knots for two full days to arrive on station, said Carl Vinson Commanding Officer, Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey. Our flexibility, speed and sustainability en- abled us to immediately begin the relief efforts. Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command directs U.S. naval forces operating in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions and interaction with regional partner nation navies.

10 Carl Vinson Voice Carl Vinson Provides Medi U By MC2 (SW) Candice Villarreal, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 medical personnel provided emergency medical assistance Jan. 21 to hundreds of injured Haitian citizens at the Killick Haitian Coast Guard Clinic in Carrefour, Haiti. Sixteen Carl Vinson Sailors have been working closely with members of the U.S. Army, Air Force and Coast Guard to treat almost 200 patients each day for orthopedic injuries, fractures, blunt trauma, wound infections and burns. The earthquake made many people sleep in the street without [their] families and people everywhere [were] very hurt, said Culdon J. Miguelsonn, a Carrefour resident and translator for the U.S. military at Killick. But when we [saw] America come to help us, we slept with joyous hearts. People [were] running and saying America is here! America is here! and God is good. The clinic, swarmed with hundreds of injured earth- quake patients daily whose injuries ranged in severity, be- Petit-trou De NiPPes Jacmel cerca CARREFOUR - A Haitian woman sits after she received medical treatment and medication at the Killick Haitian Coast PORT-AU-PRINCE - Guard Clinic in Carre- A Haitian child stands four, Haiti, Jan. 20. U.S. in the road after his Navy photo by Mass Com- home was destroyed munication from the earthquake Specialist 2nd Class (SW) on Jan. 12, 2010. U.S. Candice Villarreal. Navy photo by Mass Communication Spe- cialist Seaman Megan L. Catellier.

January 31, 2010 11 leads charge, Published January 21, 2010 ical Care at Killick came a triage center and operating room immediately after the The U.S. Navys military arrived. Helicopters performing medical evacuations efforts in Haiti have been (MEDEVACs) from Killick transported nearly 150 of the most se- profound, said Rogish. verely injured patients to Carl Vinson, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), We responded very USS Bataan (LHD 5), Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Sacred Heart quickly, redirected Hospital in northern Haiti. [from our original I think we are giving the people of Haiti a lot of hope in a time course], and of desperation, said CVW-17 Flight Surgeon Lt. Kristina Rogish. arrived in We are doing everything we can, around-the-clock, to show them record time. the good will America has for all in need, and they trust us to take In the end, care of them. though, Victims friends and family members carried patients in on its the makeshift stretchers fashioned from doors, wheelbarrows, blan- joint kets and chairs. Food and water were distributed to patients await- effort ing treatment, and chaplains comforted Haitians of all ages. between Seeing the patients smile and saying God bless you touches us all branches of our most, said Rogish. Theyre so appreciative. military that have been crucial to every success we continue Carl Vinson and CVW-17 arrived in Haiti Jan. 15 to support to see. Operation Unified Response by providing humanitarian aid and Operation Unified Response is part of a request from the emergency assistance after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked government of Haiti for urgent humanitarian aid. The U.S. the island nation. Operation Unified Response is a joint military is working closely with the Deptartment of State, U.S. military opera- tion providing U.S. military capabilities in Agency for International Development (USAID) and the interna- support of international relief operations in tional community to provide life-sustaining services to the people Haiti. of Haiti. All military efforts are in support of government of Haiti, USAID, and the U.N. Stabilization Mission. a-la-source Port-au-PriNce KillicK CARREFOUR - Boxes of donor blood are unpacked as the CERCA-LA- Joint Task Force Bravo Medical SOURCE - A Element sets up an operating room Haitian woman at the Killick Haitian Coast Guard and child are Clinic. U.S. Navy photo by Mass next in line to Communication Specialist 2nd Class recieve medical (SW)Candice care from sailors Villarreal. assigned to guid- ed-misslie cruiser USS Bunker Hill as part of continuing re- lief efforts. U.S. photo by Mass Communication Specialst 2nd Class (SW)Daniel Barker

12 Carl Vinson Voice Photos by MC2 Michael C. Barton, MC2 Adrian White and MCSN Aaron Shelley S& R EARCH ESCUE Search and Rescue workers from France, Haiti, Turkey, Fairfax County, Va. and the U.S. Air Force Pararescue jumpers cut a hole in the roof a of a collapsed market in search of a 25 year-old Haitian woman. USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and CVW 17 are conducting humanitarian and disaster relief operations as part of Operation Unified Response after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused severe damage near Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, 2010.

January 31, 2010 13

14 HM2 Amber Macmullin HM3 (SW) Alfredo Tiu HM3 Eric Davidson HM3 Jeffery Fentress HM3 Kara Fennell HM1 Joshua Nichols of Faces HM3 Steven Harris HM1 Sajata Taylor HM2 Silberic Jimenez M EDICA L Carl Vinson Voice

January 31, 2010 15 Published January 21, 2010 Vinson Helicopters Perform MEDEVAC The Faces Of... segment will be a regular feature in the Vinson Volunteer Sailors on board make up the walking blood bank. Voice, CVN 70s regular ship newspaper. In this edition we begin with Those Sailors are willing to provide blood in the event of a mass the Corpsmen and Nurses who did so much for so many. The story casualty or other medical emergency. The medical team put the below is a sample of what they accomplished. The images serve as an call out over the ships announcing system for A-negative and introduction to a team of Sailors who helped a nation. O- negative blood types. A Medical team members initially triaged the patients whose in- juries range from abdominal pain to fractures. All of the patients are currently in stable condition. The medical team is expecting to By MCSN Megan L. Catellier, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs receive at least two more injured. While the exact ages of the patients are unknown, most are children and middle-aged adults. Comfort and Carl Vinson are participating in Operation Unified Approximately 20 medically evacuated personnel from Haiti Response and are providing military support capabilities to civil and USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived on board USS Carl Vinson authorities to help stabilize and improve the situation in Haiti in the (CVN 70) Jan. 21 and the medical team activated the ships walking wake of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12. blood bank. HM2 Rashan Robinson HM2 (AW) Beth Hicks LCDR Sara Pickett

STAFF Publisher Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey Commanding Officer Executive Editors Lt. Cmdr. Jim Krohne Public Affairs Officer Lt. j.g. Erik Schneider Deputy Public Affairs Officer Managing Editor MC1 (SW/AW) Jason Thompson Layout and Design MC2 (SW)Michael C. Barton MC3 Erin Oberholtzer Staff Writers/ Photographers MC1 (AW/SW) Tekeshia Affa MC1 Troy Miller MC1 (SW/AW) Jeffery Price MC2 (SW) John Shepherd MC2 (SW) Candice Villarreal MC2 Michael Lantron MC2 Adrian White MC2 (SW) Daniel Barker MC2 (SW) Michael C. Barton MC2 David Shen MC2 (SW) Joel Carlson MC2 Ashley Van Dien MC3 Erin Oberholtzer MC3 Shentel Yarnell MC3 Antwjuan Richardjamison MCSN Heather Roe MCSN Aaron Shelley MCSN Megan Catellier MCSN Stephen Hale