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CONTENTS Vol. 9 | Issue 5 4 Two Nimitz Sailors’ Quest For Gold Story by MC3 Chris Jahnke
NIMITZ NEWS
Capt. Kevin Lenox Commanding Officer Cmdr. J.W. David Kurtz Executive Officer CMDCM Richard Mengel Command Master Chief
MEDIA DEPARTMENT
Lt. Cmdr. Theresa Donnelly PAO Lt. j.g. Meagan Morrison DIVO MCCS Ahron Arendes Media SCPO MCC Grant Probst Media DLCPO MCC Porter Anderson Media CPO MC1 Kevin Johnson Media LPO MC2 Don White Production LPO
Read about the two Sailors who represent Nimitz in the All-Navy Wrestling Team and their dream to represent the U.S. in the Olympics someday.
10 CREDO: Strong Marriages Improve Mission Readiness Story by MCSN Greg Hall
A healthy relationship is not only they key to a strong marriage, but effects the overall readiness of the ship. Turn to page 10 to read about how CREDO retreats promote resiliency.
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MC3 Emily Johnston Lead Designer MC3 Ian Kinkead Phojo WCS MC2 Marc Cuenca MC2 Austin Haist MC2 Erickson Magno MC2 Ian Zagrocki MC3 Chad Anderson MC3 Kenneth Blair MC3 David Claypool MC3 Colby Comery MC3 Cody Deccio MC3 Chris Jahnke MC3 Kennishah Maddux MC3 Jose Madrigal MC3 Weston Mohr MC3 Liana Nichols MC3 Cole Schroeder MC3 Leon Wong MC3 Bethany Woolsey MCSN Greg Hall MCSN Mike Prusiecki MCSN Frank Speciale MCSN Jessica Tukes
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weat drips off foreheads onto the mat just as the buzzer sounds. Tired and sore, two Sailors mentally prepare themselves for the task at hand. Their eyes are focused with clear minds ready to begin the next drill. The whistle blows. They wrestle like angry brothers trying to settle the age old question of who is better.
Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class Austin Craig from Monroe, North Carolina, and Culinary Specialist Seaman Derekston Williams from Macomb, Georgia, both assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), represent the ship as members of the All-Navy Wrestling Team, and one day hope to represent the United States in the Olympics. Craig and Williams are good friends who do a lot together. They hang out, work out, practice, and share a dream of one day being Olympians. They are Sailors first and athletes second, which can make getting to practice some days tough, but both believe the hardship of being a Sailor and an athlete will make achieving
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their goal possible. “It means a lot to me to represent Nimitz on the All-Navy Wrestling Team,” said Williams. “I want to show people that you can be an exemplary Sailor and a great athlete; it goes hand in hand. You have to be a hard worker in both aspects, and nothing is ever just given out for free.” Being a Sailor and an athlete is not taken lightly by those who have the title. Craig thinks it’s important to be a part of something bigger than yourself. “I was the vice president of the Junior Enlisted Association aboard Nimitz, and I’m a command fitness leader,” said Craig. “They see me as an athlete, but I’m also a pretty good Sailor. I have the mindset that if you put the time in and learn your rate, earn your qualifications and help others succeed, in turn others will help you succeed.” Craig and Williams’ success on and off the mat can be attributed to their attitude, although success didn’t come to Craig right away. “The first year I tried out I didn’t make the starting team,” said Craig. “In 13 years of wrestling, I’ve never wrestled as bad as I did that day. Coach [Alejandro] Delapena gave me some words of encouragement, and I made the team the second year which is where I’ve been ever since. I’m thankful for that moment, as it was my turning point, and I became more focused than I ever was.” Craig and Williams are hop-
ing for good results from this year’s Open Wrestling Tournament, referred to as Nationals by the wrestling community. “Placing in Nationals is key,” said Craig. “However, you don’t want to just place. You want to be an All-American. I have two months of practice to get everything together to make this year’s Nationals a success.” They’re determined to be All-Americans, which would mean being the best in the country. They both put in time and effort in hopes of eventually being the top of their respective weight classes.
“I want to show people that you can be an exemplary Sailor and a great athlete; it goes hand in hand.” “I was an All-American in high school,” said Williams. “I have unfinished business, and that is to become an All-American, but this time with the All-Navy Team. This would be a stepping stone to my Olympic dream, and I look forward to getting that gold alongside Austin Craig.” Craig and Williams say they are working toward their goal of representing their country at
the 2020 Olympics but, for now, they’re proud to represent Nimitz and the Navy at Nationals in April. A thunderous thud silences the onlookers in the gym, and a scramble proceeds. Both Craig and Williams are back on their feet with no points scored by either. Within a second they’re locked together like two bucks fighting over territory. Straining for position, a faint buzzer rings.
They walk off the mat joking with one another knowing today was another great practice on the hunt for Olympic gold. Nimitz is conducting a docking planned incremental availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility where the ship is receiving scheduled maintenance and upgrades.
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“Marriage and family readiness ultimately equates to mission readiness,” said Scott Radetski, Chaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operation (CREDO) subcontractor. “CREDO is about more than just mission readiness though. It is about creating a safe place for service members and their families to have a safe place to be vulnerable.” CREDO Northwest hosted a marriage enrichment workshop (MEW) for Sailors and their spouses at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (NBK), March 24. Radetski said military families can struggle with expressing their feelings, especially 12
after long deployments. The feelings will eventually come out and can negatively impact the Sailor and even their command. There are limited ways to keep in touch with spouses on deployment, and this can make it difficult to keep the lines of communication open. “Deployment makes communication with spouses back home difficult,” said Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Nick Wozniak, from Orlando, Florida, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). “You have email, some phones on the ship and you are able to communicate when you get into ports. There is also a dif-
ficult transition coming back from deployment. You have to work when you get home to open those lines of communication again.” Wozniak said that the workshop provided a safe environment for couples to share feelings without the fear of being judged. CREDO workers try to ensure that participants feel comfortable, so they can work on problems they are dealing with. “CREDO workshops give Sailors an opportunity to come back, realign with their families and sift through their lives to find what is important,” said Radetski. “These events make marriages and families stron-
ger, more resilient and thus a stronger Navy.” Sailors spend a lot of time at sea in preparation for, and during, deployments which can impact their marriages. “Credo events allow couples to get away from the kids, their regular work routine and re-engage in each other,” said Lt. Tianna Ren, CREDO Northwest NBK Detachment chaplain officer in charge. Ren said that MEW is especially helpful for couples that were separated by a deployment. The workshop focuses on communication and tries to teach tools and skills that will rekindle the romance. The goal is to get couples to open up to each other. “The event also helped my wife and I understand how we communicate with each other and helped to strengthen those ties,” said Wozniak. “The CREDO event helped us to work through some problems from last deployment, and I think what we learned will help us with future deployments.” Ren said that all of the events are free for Sailors and their families. Food, accommodations and activities are provided to Sailors and their spouses, so Sailors can focus on their families and not the cost. “We try to be as welcoming as possible at CREDO,” said Ren. “One way that we do that is by being on a first name-basis. There isn’t a rank structure here, and we try to focus on the person and not on the rank. We want people to feel safe and not worry about who might hear what they have to say.”
CREDO organizes workshops for service members throughout the year that help with marriages, suicide prevention and personal resiliency. To attend a workshop, contact your local CREDO office. Nimitz is conducting a docking planned incremental availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility where the ship is receiving scheduled maintenance and upgrades.
“CREDO workshops give Sailors an opportunity to come back, realign with their families and sift through their lives to find what is important.”
CREDO SPRING 2018 SCHEDULE
Pre-registration is required for all CREDO events. To sign up, or or more information, please contact CREDO NW at 360-476-3793. -MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT RETREATS 13-15 APR: Semiahmoo Resort 04-06 APR: Semiahmoo Resort -PERSONAL RESILIENCY WORKSHOPS 20 APR: NBK Island Lake 27 APR: NAWSI Whidbey Inistitute 03 MAY: NASWI Whidbey Institute 22 MAY: NBK Island Lake-FULL 24 MAY: NASWI Whidbey Institute 31 MAY: NBK Island Lake 05 JUN: NBK Island Lake-FULL 06 JUN: NBK Island Lake-FULL 07 JUN: NSE Jim Creek 15 JUN: NASWI Whidbey Institute 21 JUN: NASWI Whidbey Institute -MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT WORKSHOPS 28 APR: NAWSI Bakerview Restaurant -FAMILY ENRICHMENT RETREATS 11-13 MAY: NBK Miracle Ranch 01-03 JUN: NSE Jim Creek -ASIST WORKSHOPS 22-23 MAY: NASWI Chapel 12-13 JUN: NBK Bangor Plaza -safeTALK WORKSHOPS 03 APR: NASWI Chapel 18 APR: NSE (Smokey Point Chapel) 19 APR: NBK (Bldg. 491-INDOC) 01 MAY: NASWI Chapel 16 MAY: NSE (Smokey Point Chapel) 17 MAY: NBK (Bldg. 491-INDOC) 05 JUN: NASWI Chapel 20 JUN: NSE (Smokey Point Chapel) 21 JUN: NBK (Bldg. 491-INDOC) *All dates are subject to change.
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crossword
SUDOKU
trivia
find chester Admiral Chester Nimitz’s face is hidden somewhere in every Nimitz News. Can you find him?
A thin four-foot chain is suspended by its ends and nailed to a wall. Both nails are level with one another and parallel to the floor. Because of gravity, the middle part of the chain hangs down towards the floor. If the vertical length of the chain is two feet, what is the distance between the other two nails?
weekly throwback Miss America and entourage visit medical patients during the 1976 deployment.
This riddle is nothing more than a simple math problem.Iff the chain is four feet long and it is hanging vertically a distance of two feet, it must be hanging perfectly straight, meaning that the distance between the two nails is zero. Realistically, all this means is that both nails are going through both ends of the chain. Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All submissions are subject to review and editing. “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.
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21. AN Matthew Martin stands a full bore watch in the Strait3of Hormuz. Photo by MC3 Leon Wong
2. ABHAN Derek Slater picks up his firefighting boots after a crash-and-salvage watch. Photo by MC3 (SW) Weston Mohr 3. An F/A-18E Super Hornet, from VFA-146, launches from the flight deck. Photo by MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 4. Sailors on the rigging team work and cool off during a replenishment-at-sea. Photo by MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 5. Sailors conduct honor guard practice aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo by MC3 Leon Wong 6. Sailors move ordnance aboard the flight deck off USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo By MC3 (SW) Ian Kinkead 7. Sailors play football on the flight deck of USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Photo By MC2 (SW/AW/IW) Holly Herline 8. An MH-60S Sea Hawk from HSC-8 patrols above Nimitz. Photo by MCSN (SW/AW) Cody Deccio 9. Sailors recieve supplies aboard Nimitz during an UNREP. Photo By MC3 (SW) Weston A. Mohr
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1| Command Master Chief Rick Mengel inspects a Sailor’s uniform. |MC3 Jahnke 2| Capt. Kevin P. Lenox, Chief Fire Controlman Christyl Schoultz and Command Master Chief Richard Mengel cut a cake celebrating the 125th birthday of the chief petty officer |MCSN Hall 3| ABH3 Victor Montelagre uses a deck crawler to overhaul a space. |MCSN Prusiecki 4| MM1 Nick Peterson speaks with boy scouts. |MC3 Jahnke 5| EMN2 TaHara Williams calibrates thermometers. |MC3 Johnston 6| Seaman Domenic Nesbit uses a disk sander on the overhead. |MCSN Prusiecki
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