I T I: H P N | S S | V V | FCPOA | F F S
Vol 03 No 18 | February 9, 2012
Ship’s Store Sees Sales Soar STORY BY
MC1 (SW/AW) Jeffrey J. Price | Carl Vinson Staff Writer
V
inson Sailors are no longer waiting as long, paying as much, or worrying about shipping damages to new high-end electronics. Within a week of Vinson’s last replenishment-at-sea (RAS) on Jan. 29, the Ship’s Store sold more than $65,000 worth of newly-received electronics. Vinson’s Sales and Service clerks assigned to Supply Department’s S-3 Division, purchased $98,000 worth of iPads, MacBook Pros, Toshiba laptops, Kindles, ‘Beats by Dre’ headphones, and portable hard drives in response to needs and requests from the crew. “We purchase what the crew asks for,” said Ship’s Serviceman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Seng Chan, Sales and Service records keeper. “We expect all of the items to sell within the first week of their arrival.” Since the RAS, the ship’s store has sold out on all six available MacBook Pros, three Toshiba laptops, 100 ‘Beats by Dre’ headphones, and 30 portable hard drives. Chan said the hard drives sold in the first two days. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class (AW) Amber Lawson, assigned to Air Department’s V-1 Division, is one of the six Sailors who purchased a $1,539 MacBook Pro. “I was actually expecting to spend more,” Lawson said. “I was excited I found it cheaper!” CONTINUE ‘SHIP’S STORE’ ON PAGE 2
Photo by: MC2 (SW) James R. Evans | Carl Vinson Staff Photographer
Vinson Voice
2 FROM ‘SHIP’S STORE’ ON PAGE 1
“I’ve already been doing research off the ship. I visited the Best Buy, Amazon and Apple websites and the same one I bought is $1,799 on those sites,” she continued. Normally, products sold throughout the ship, via ship stores and vending machines, have an automatic 15 percent markup to augment Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR). Sales and Service limited the profit gain for these electronics to five percent so each item would be below the cost of the item plus shipping. Not only were Sailors able to purchase these electronics cheaper on the ship than online, but also the sales still warranted a $5,000 profit for MWR. Chan observed the record one-day sales for the main ship store totaled more than $17,000 due,
CO’s Sir, Is it possible to open a secondary smoke pit? It becomes a huge time factor when feeding the crew to wait in these long lines. Thank you for your time.
Response: The XO and CMC field a lot of questions about the smoke pit situation. The previous area on the port side that was used as an enlisted smoke pit was secured for a number of reasons. It was a safety hazard due to cigarette butts being thrown over the side and landing on the flight deck, it created a daily mess on the interior decks and ladder wells that our Shipmates had to clean everyday; it was dark and difficult to supervise as well. Many smokers were spending hours in the old smoke pit and the XO determined it was best to secure the area to smoking on a permanent basis rather than continually securing it when issues arose. The new smoking area has brought about problems of its own including smoke in many berthing areas and long lines. However, the new area is less frequently secured and is far better supervised. The XO has spent a lot of time looking at every other possible area and has determined that each of them pose additional problems. Most have air intakes to berthing and work areas or are poorly lit and unsuitable for use as smoking areas. The XO will continue to
in part, to the sale of these electronics. Last month, record sales were just above $11,000. While the MacBooks and hard drives sold out in a week, sales have been slower for the iPads and Kindles. Only 19 of 60 iPads and 16 of 44 Kindles have sold thus far. According to the Sales and Service Leading Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Ship’s Serviceman (SW/AW) Hector Quiroga, the reason iPads and Kindles haven’t taken off yet is twofold – the time restraints for putting large amounts of money on the Navy Cash Card and activation needed for these electronics via an Internet/WiFi connection. Quiroga expects sales to pick up on those items
once Vinson is closer to pulling into a port where Internet is accessible. In two weeks, the sales office is going to make another $100,000 purchase to include XBox 360s, PlayStation 3s, more computers and 150 portable hard drives of varying capacity. “We strongly adhere to the suggestions the crew puts into the suggestion boxes. If we can make those items available, we will,” Quiroga said. “Get your request in within the month if you want to see something on this deployment.” Suggestion boxes are found outside each ship store and the sales office.
Suggestion Box look for a solution, but in the meantime, smokers need to understand that their habit is having a negative effect on many non-smokers. Dear Capt., I would like to bring an issue to your attention I find most troubling. The Sailor phones all enlisted members use to call home are in terrible condition. I have tried just about every phone on this ship and I am appalled at the quality of the connection on both ends. I would be eternally grateful if you would help me solve this problem. I love my family and would really like to talk to them. Thank you! Response: If any Sailor telephone is physically damaged or inoperative due to obvious visible damage, please report the same to Combat Systems Maintenance Central at J-dial 2647 or J-dial 2648 immediately. Sailor telephones travel the same path as our normal satellite data stream but AT&T (our service provider) oversees that data path when the satellite signal terminates at a shore facility. We make every effort to keep a pulse check of the Sailor telephones with AT&T, but it is only a snapshot in time and can easily change. USS Carl Vinson has no control of the telephone service once the signal leaves the ship. Connectivity for Sailor telephones can
be and is interrupted due to EMCON exercises, River City, Internet Protocol shifts & satellite mission shifts at communications shore facilities, severe weather situations and satellite interference. Other than notification to all personnel via e-mail, it’s challenging to inform individuals of the changing status of Sailor telephones. I would say many users have a positive experience when using the Sailor telephone service. Thanks for your constructive feedback.
THE
CO’s Suggestion Box IS LOCATED BESIDE THE MAIN SHIP’S STORE AND NEXT TO THE MEDICAL ENTRANCE ON THE STARBOARD SIDE.
Health Promotions Note: February 9, 2012
PROVIDED BY
Resistance Training 101
Lt. Joshua Halfpap | Health Promotions Officer
I
3
n our previous issue, we discussed cardiovascular fitness. Today we’ll focus on resistance training and its importance to overall fitness. Benefits of resistance training include: increased bone density, increased lean body mass, increased metabolism, improved glucose metabolism, and increased amount and strength of connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bone). This will also have a synergistic effect on your cardiovascular/aerobic training. Resistance training can be broken down into two basic components: muscular strength and endurance. Muscular strength is the greatest force a muscle group can exert in one effort. Muscular endurance is the ability to act repeatedly against a sub-maximal resistance. When we add speed to the equation, we get power which is a component of force and velocity. In football, an offensive lineman must produce maximal power in order to drive a defender backwards or to hold his ground. As we age, muscle power, more than any other variable, captures more of the components related to dysfunction as people get older. Think about the difficulty for some elderly people to simply produce the power to get out of a chair. Maintaining optimal strength and endurance in our muscles is very important the older we get. In fact, after the age of 30 we begin permanently losing a small, but constant amount of muscle fiber each year. This means that over the remainder of our lifetime, we must exercise the capability of the remaining muscle fibers. A common myth is that resistance training builds more muscle, but we actually just increase the size of our existing muscle fibers. If you are just beginning or getting back into resistance training, keep in mind the first 5-8 weeks of training are mainly neurological muscle adaptations. The greatest muscular strength gains occur within the first two to three months of beginning a resistive training program. This is why you’ll see many collegiate and professional training programs moving to a different phase of conditioning every 6-8 weeks to avoid hitting a plateau. Ideally we should work each major muscle group/body part 2-3 days per week. The following are basic guidelines for achieving different conditioning goals. These guidelines assume proper form and technique during every repetition. –Combined strength & endurance: 8-12 repetitions per set –Strength: 1-6 repetitions per set –Endurance: 12-15 repetitions per set –Power: Combo of strength training & light loads (30-60% of 1 repetition maximum x 15 repetitions) performed at fast
velocity –Increase size/mass: 6-12 repetitions with higher volume/ multiple sets Perform power, multi-joint, overhead or larger muscle group exercises first and then move to single joint or smaller muscle group exercises. Perform higher intensity before lower intensity exercises if done on the same day. Alternation of upper & lower body exercises, and switching between opposing muscle groups (push & pull) exercises has also been proven beneficial. The American College of Sports Medicine states resistance training three times per week may increase arm & leg strength gains by 20-30% when compared to only two times per week. Each major muscle group may be trained 2-3 times per week despite the large number of workouts. How long should you rest between sets? For strength and power, optimal rest breaks are 2-5 minutes. For increasing muscle mass and size, shoot for 30second to 1.5 minute rests breaks. For endurance, rest breaks should be 30 seconds or less. So what happens when you stop training? While muscular strength & power may be retained for up to as much as 6 weeks, many people will begin to see some detraining effects in as little at 4-6 days. Muscular endurance decrements may begin after as little as two weeks of inactivity. If you must reduce your training activity for any reason, the best way to retain muscular strength, power, or endurance is by maintaining the intensity of your workouts at least once weekly. This is also true for your cardiovascular training. Due to specificity of training, one should perform both aerobic & resistive training to optimize physical fitness benefits, but on separate days if you are focusing on strength gains. I cannot emphasize proper form and technique enough. As a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist, I frequently see patients with dysfunctional movement that does not cause immediate injury, but eventually leads to overuse injuries and/or chronic pain. Many of these injuries could have been prevented with proper weight lifting fundamentals. The biggest mistake I see many people make is working from the outside-in (i.e., bicep curls, shoulders, chest before the core) rather than working inside-out (core stabilization/strength and then progressing to extremities). If you have great strength from your core (which includes the area just above the knees to just below the chest), your extremity strength will easily follow. Otherwise, you are putting yourself at greater risk for future injury. As always, please contact me for any questions or concerns.
4
SAILOR
Vinson Voice
IN
the
SPOTLIGHT AOAN (AW) Astrid ROSARIOMORET | Weapons Department G-1 Division | TAD Supply Department’s S-11 Division
STORY & PHOTO BY
MC3 (SW/AW) Rosa A. Arzola | Carl Vinson Staff Writer
A
viation Ordnanceman Airman (AW) Astrid RosarioMoret, assigned to Weapons Department’s G-1 Division, has come a long way since deciding to join the Navy in May 2009, said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW) Anthony Hedgpeth, G-1 Division flight deck leading petty officer. “When RosarioMoret first came aboard, she seemed lost and unsure of herself,” Hedgpeth said. “She didn’t understand she could make a big difference in her shop. Now, it’s a different story. She is one of my top airmen, confident enough to accomplish any task or responsibility given to her.” The 23-year-old, Luquillo, Puerto Rico native’s responsibilities as an AO include being accountable for all ordnance checked out from squadrons, keeping inventory of all bombs and missiles loaded on aircraft while on the flight deck, and knowing the “cook off ” time, or how long it will take ordnance to ignite or explode, in the event of a fire or aircraft emergency. She is also the repair parts petty officer for G-1’s flight deck shop. Although many Sailors can handle the previous responsibilities as an airman without complaint, RosarioMoret’s ability to accomplish all of this while on temporary assigned duty (TAD) as a food service attendant to Supply Department’s S-11 Division demonstrates her dedication as a hard worker and a disciplined individual, Hedgpeth added. “Usually, when we send a junior Sailor TAD, their morale drops since they believe they are not wanted in their work centers,” Hedgpeth explained. “We thought this was going to be the case with her, but she is still
motivated to come to the shop and work with us when she isn’t fulfilling TAD responsibilities.” “I am absolutely proud to have her as my Sailor,” said Chief Warrant Officer (CWO2) Clement Dickson, the ship’s Weapons air gunner. “She is a dynamic AO in constant pursuit of success.” RosarioMoret says she just loves her job and her passion for it makes her want to participate in all their evolutions, even though it is not demanded. She also understands fulfilling her duties as an AO while being TAD helps her retain all previous knowledge and keeps her on the same page as her fellow co-workers for when she returns to the flight deck. “Working as an AO on the flight deck, with such a diverse group of Sailors who have your back all the time, means a different story every day,” RosarioMoret said. “It’s not a routine at all. One day a jet might catch on fire while on another we might be sent to help a country in need.” Even if her TAD time is not as fascinating a job as being on the flight deck, RosarioMoret still finds this a positive new experience. “Being TAD has opened my eyes to different managing skills,” she said. “It has made me more patient, and I have learned to work with people from different backgrounds.” RosarioMoret’s attitude and performance earned her praise from her TAD work center as well. “She works hard and has a good work ethic,” said Culinary Specialist 1st Class (AW/SCW) Heidimar Ayala, Supply Department’s S-11 leading petty officer. “She is one of my most proactive Sailors and assists the division in all RPPO matters.” The opportunity to help others in need is what makes RosarioMoret proud of serving her country while onboard this warship. “Carl Vinson has allowed me to be part of different experiences,” RosarioMoret said. “While in Haiti we saw things many of us don’t ever want to see in our lifetime.
I got to help a little kid who lost everything. He saw both his parents die in front of him. He lost both his arms and legs. Even after all of this he still thanked us for rescuing him. It opened up my eyes to appreciate what I have.” From that point on, RosarioMoret stayed motivated, achieving many important milestones in her naval career. She obtained her EAWS pin last deployment and is preparing for her upcoming ESWS murder board now. She is studying for the upcoming advancement exam in March and still manages tasks from two work centers. She willingly does all this by using her step-mother as an inspiration to strive for success, RosarioMoret explained. “My step-mom always told me I could be as good or better than my peers,” RosarioMoret said. “All I saw from her was hard work.” Her Shipmates agree on the extra effort RosarioMoret exerts. “She works really hard on the flight deck,” said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Joshua Daniels, assigned to Weapons Department’s G-1 Division. “She never complains about her day and I consider her a go-getter in any goal she tries to achieve.” “RosarioMoret is helping me get my air pin by studying with me and guiding me where to get my books signed off,” said Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Kaseam Hunter, assigned to Weapons Department’s G-1 Division. Her upper chain of command attests RosarioMoret’s positive achievements have led G-1’s flight deck shop personnel toward becoming better Sailors. “It’s a domino effect,” Hedgpeth said. “Sailors see what she is accomplishing and feed on it. There’s a positive result when everyone works hard and helps each other out to meet their goals, whether it’s their air pin or studying to make rank.” “I am happy with the results I get from her,” Dickson said. “She shows initiative, hard-work and always wants to succeed. She has really blossomed.”
February 9, 2012
Vinson Vignette
5
Who Was Carl Vinson? I
n 1916, long before World War I and before his appointment to the Naval Affairs Committee, Carl Vinson established his role in defense planning. The House was considering appropriations for naval service for the nest fiscal year. The measure included a $160 million shipbuilding program – a paltry amount today, but at the time the largest to be proposed by the government. Many thought it was too much, and many thought it wasn’t enough. In the midst of the arguments, Vinson made his first speech on the Congress floor, citing two basic principles – peace can be possible only with a strong defense, and preparedness is a nonpartisan issue. “Preparedness to increase the efficiency of the military and Navy of the United States is a nonpartisan question. My country and its safety
comes ahead of any party,” Vinson said. “The peace the American people hope will continue to be their heritage of today must be insured and guaranteed by adequate preparation for defensive purposes.” Vinson then proceeded to outline his proposals for strengthening the Navy, including – in 1916 – naval aviation. During World War I, Vinson was primarily concerned with an adequate Navy, but advocated support in other ways. When the House Military Affairs Committee opposed President Woodrow Wilson on the selective draft to raise an army, Vinson termed their action “rank cowardice”. Vinson supported the selective draft because the President and his military advisors insisted it was the only effective way to temporarily increase the military establishment, and he was thoroughly convinced it was democratic and fair.
Naval Missions and Heritage Naval Missions and Heritage Taken from the 24th edition Blue Jackets’ Manual
Nonjudicial Punishment (NJP)
T
his is basically a hearing in which the commanding officer (CO) handles a relatively minor offense rather than sending it to a court. While it is not a “trial” in the civil justice sense, it is held with formality and is not a pleasant experience for anyone involved. Instead of having a lawyer, the offender is represented at NJP by her or his Chief and division officer. Because these proceedings are nonjudicial, the offender may be punished but will not have a criminal record. In the Navy, NJP is usually referred to as “captain’s mast.” On hearing the evidence, both for and against, the commanding officer determines whether the accused is guilty or not and then, if necessary, assigns an appropriate punishment. Some of the punishments that a CO may award are: - Restriction to the ship (or shore station) of not more than 60 days. - Extra duties for not more than 45 days. - Reduction in grade (for E-6 and below). - Correctional custody for not more than 30 days (for E-3 and below).
- Forfeiture of not more than half a month’s pay per month for two months. The accused has certain rights during a captain’s mast: - To be present before the officer conducting the mast. - To be advised of the charges. - Not to be compelled to make a statement. - To be present during testimony of witnesses or the receipt of written statements. - To question witnesses or to have questions posed to witnesses. - To have available for inspection all physical and documentary evidence. - To present evidence in one’s own behalf. - To be accompanied by a personal representative who may or may not be a lawyer and whose presence is arranged for by the accused. - To appeal the imposition of punishment to higher authority. - If assigned to a shore activity, to refuse captain’s mast and demand trial by court-martial instead.
Vinson Voice
6
First Class Petty Officers’ Association STORY BY
L e a ding
By
E xa m pl e
MC1 (SW/AW) Jeffrey J. Price | Carl Vinson Staff Writer
T
he Carl Vinson First Class Petty showing up and kicking butt,” Amezcua leadership in a nutshell,” she said. “On Vinson, there are more than 300 Officers’ Association (FCPOA), said. first classes working in different rates, And they have continued forward in having elected new leadership Sept. working at different levels of leadership, pursuit of that goal from day one. 12, 2011, is making its presence felt and facing different challenges. There “We continuously volunteer our on the deck plates with increased is a wide range of experience between time to lead and set the example for involvement in a variety of command first class petty officers, and they would the crew. We host community service activities. do well to meet in the middle,” stressed projects in foreign ports, such as San “With the change C o m m a n d of regime, new Master Chief perspectives CMDCM (AW/ and ideas have SW) April been brought Beldo. out which adds W h i l e something new membership has to all of the doubled from 30 programs and paid members to events. I feel almost 80 since the president Amezcua and his (Intelligence team took over, Specialist 1st the total number Class (SW/ of members is AW) Ricardo only 23 percent A m e z c u a , of the 318 PO1s assigned to Intel attached to D e p a r t m e n t ’s Vinson. OZ Division) “My vision is has done a great for the FCPOA job putting the membership to a s s o c i a t i o n ’s consist of at least name out,” said Hospital Members of the First Class Petty Officers’ Association poses for a group 80 percent of the first classes. Corpsman 1st photo. Photo by MCSN George M. Bell More importantly, Class (SW/FMF) 80 percent or not, Tarren Windham, first classes need to be a voice of the Francisco and Hong Kong, and serve assigned to Medical Department and command. They should participate in as petty officers in charge for port call the FCPOA events coordinator. leadership classes, command-sponsored tours. The idea is to take care of junior FCPOA members are now involved with programs like United through Sailors, making sure they experience events and be first to volunteer,” Beldo Reading (UTR), which they adopted the world, have a good time and get said. “If the FCPOA wasn’t something I from Command Religious Ministries back without incident,” he continued. agreed with wholeheartedly, I wouldn’t The tight-knit team of first class Department Jan. 16, the command participate in it,” Windham added. petty officers (PO1s) is dedicated sponsorship program, Carl Vinson Looking forward, the FCPOA will to strengthening junior Sailors and Advancement Team (CVAT), and participate in an “FSA-for-the-Day” furthering their careers, hosting CVAT fitness enhancement programs (FEP). event and has plans to revamp the UTR classes which teach and review basic They have more representatives program, acquiring additional cameras military regulations so they can score assisting with surface and aviation and books. The association is also better on their advancement exams and warfare training and qualification lending a helping hand to the Second be altogether stronger leaders. boards, command birthday meals Information Systems Technician Class Petty Officer Association, offering and Morale, Welfare and Recreation st Class (SW/AW) Nina Brewington, guidance on how to create bylaws and 1 (MWR) sponsored ice cream socials. Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1’s N6 how to set up a treasury account. “One thing I wanted, when I took Perhaps their most major project yet, Division assistant leading petty officer over as president, was to create though, is to design and attain command and lead instructor of CVAT, believes many opportunities for the FCPOA approval to build the new First Class it’s an opportunity for PO1s to extend members to become involved in. Petty Officer’s Mess in late March. their knowledge to Sailors. “That’s With each event, our first classes are
February 9, 2012
7
Fifth Fleet Safety Principle A MESSAGE FROM
Vice Admiral Mark Fox | Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command
W
e are engaged in an historic effort to attain and maintain stability in the middle east, protect our friends and partners, and deter aggression. It is an enduring mission that requires we maintain credible and effective warfighting capabilities at all times. Risk is inherent in this mission, and we will prudently accept it when it is appropriate and properly managed. However, let me be absolutely clear - we will not compromise on safety. Going to sea is a dangerous business, and no technology alone can make us completely safe and effective. Each and every one of us has to take the initiative to control the risks that threaten our mission and our Shipmates. Effective communication, professional watchstanding, attention to detail, following established standard operating procedures, proper use of checklists, and the use of personal protective equipment must be the constant in all operations. Flawless execution of the basics is the cornerstone of our ability to conduct our mission. Those of us in leadership positions are stewards of our nations greatest resources - Sailors and Marines doing a tough job far from home in ships, aircraft, and
vehicles. Our job is to build a culture that involves all hands in every command to be on the alert and proactive in identifying and anticipating what could become contributing causes of a preventable mishap. If we do not remain alert to hazards, implement controls and follow rules, we jeopardize our ourselves and our ability to fight. It is important to remember each injury, mishap, or accident affects our combat readiness. Let us not allow preventable mistakes from inflicting more harm on our force than the enemy. I need the entire team in the fight.
Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department’s
IM-4 Division Sailors At Work In The Hangar Bay
Above: ASAN Corey Rhodes, left, works with AS2 (AW) Shane Fritz, right, both assigned to the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department’s IM-4 Division, to service an A/F 32A-31B tow tractor in the hangar bay aboard Vinson. Photo by MCSN Dean M. Cates Right: ASAN Corey Rhodes, assigned to the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department’s IM-4 Division, wipes grease from his arms after servicing an A/F 32A-31B tow tractor in the hangar bay aboard Vinson. Photo by MCSN Dean M. Cates
Vinson Voice
8
DIALOGUES D E C K P L A T E
| What do you think of the new Ship’s Store inventory? | “I really like the Beats by Dre, but the whole selection is a lot better than last deployment.”
“I like the new stuff. It’s a big morale booster and it brings variety to the crew.”
ABE3 B a n i c i a M a t t o x
CS2 (SW) L u t h e r S m i t h
“It’s a good thing and it helps individuals get through deployment. Plus, it frees up space on the Classifieds.”
“It gives us a chance to get new technology locally without having to order from Amazon.com or somewhere online.”
DC1 (SW/AW) E d w i n G a r t o n
ET3 J a m e s V a n c e
STAFF
|PUBLISHER|
STAFF
CAPT. KENT D. WHALEN COMMANDING OFFICER
|EXECUTIVE EDITORS| LT. CMDR. ERIK REYNOLDS PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
LT. ERIK SCHNEIDER
ASSISTANT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
|EDITOR IN CHIEF|
MCC (AW) MONICA R. NELSON
ESWS||EAWS
MEDIA ALCPO
|MANAGING EDITOR| MC2 (SW/AW) LORI D. BENT
|PHOTO EDITOR|
MC2 (SW) JAMES R. EVANS
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization
MOVLAS - Manually Operated Landing Aid System
|GRAPHICS/LAYOUT| MC3 PHOENIX LEVIN
attention on deck!
It is basic military and shipboard courtesy for personnel to stand aside when seniors approach in a passageway or a ladderwell. Additionally, “Attention on Deck” is expected and appropriate when CSG-1, the CO, XO, or Captains or above enter a space. Heads of departments are extended the same courtesy.
|STAFF WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS| MC1 (SW/AW) JEFFREY J. PRICE MC2 (SW/AW) STEPHEN G. HALE MC2 (SW) BYRON C. LINDER MC3 (SW/AW) ROSA A. ARZOLA MCSN GEORGE M. BELL MCSN DEAN M. CATES