Landing Vol 1 Issue 9

EDITOR’S NOTE: Now that you’ve drooled all over the cover, I have to warn you that the cover is not real and is not nearly delicious as it looks. Welcome to Issue 9, the tastiest issue yet!

We’ve been getting a lot of requests to take divisional photos, so we’re going to start scheduling those. The ultimate goal is to have plenty of photos of your division for the cruise book. Just let YN3 McHugh know when you’d like to do it, and she’ll get you worked in to the schedule.

I also encourage everybody to stop the MCs when you see them walking around with a camera. Your families love to see photos of you on the Facebook page, but there are a few of you out there that have been hiding from the cameras.

MC1(SW/FMF/AW) Chad V. Pritt Editor

Covers by MC3 Mandello

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CSSN NICHOLAS STRATTON » BAKING MORALE

» FEEDING THE MASSES

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LT. SABELLA » BABY CHAPS

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LEBRON MULLING UNION RUN » KING JAMES FOR PRESIDENT OF NBPA

AUGUST 5, 2013 ¬

U.S. NAVY RECEIVES CONFEDERATE NAVAL FLAG » ENDS 150-YEAR JOURNEY

» VOL I, ISSUE 9

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Landing Magazine is published tri-weekly by USS Kearsarge Public Affairs. The Commanding Officer has determined this publication operationally necessary. The use of a name of any specific manufacturer, commercial product, commodity, or service in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Navy. Any opinions herein are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commanding Officer, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense.

I am CSCS(SW/AW) Scotty Wallace, the Leading CS for all of the food service operations onboard Kearsarge. I’ve only been aboard a couple of months, but I am already impressed with the level of professionalism of everybody in Food Service.

The CSs and Marine cooks, the FSAs and Marine messmen in the main galley, CPO mess and Wardroom give 110 percent to make sure your meals are the best possible on a warship afloat.

But, like everybody else in the food service industry, we strive to be better.

We are open to constructive criticism through our comment cards and we invite everybody down to the mess decks once a month to voice concerns suggestions and compliments at the Menu Review Board. Real change comes from these suggestions, but we need theose respectful opinions and suggestions.

This issue of the Landing takes you deep inside what we do every day to bring you those meals, and I’m excited to see so much attention on the people who feed the warfighter.

CSCS(SW/AW) Scotty Wallace Leading CS

ESWS - SUPPLY 6 Categories of Hazardous Material: Aerosol Containers Toxic Materials Oxidizing Materials Corrosive Materials Compressed Gases Flammable/Combustible

Discharge Limitations: Trash In-port: Local Guidelines Underway: All non-food waste inside 25nm Garbage In-port: Local Guidelines Underway: Food waste outside of 12nm Plastic In-port: Local Guidelines Underway: Non-Contaminated retain last 20 days.

Contaminated retain last 3 days. CNO notified if you discharge any plastic. Process and retain onboard.

DOD SPOTLIGHT

CONFEDERATE NAVAL FLAG FALLS INTO U.S. NAVY HANDS Navy News Service A Confederate flag finished a nearly 150-year journey as it traded hands from the HarrisonburgRockingham Historical Society (HRHS) to Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) during a ceremony at the society’s building in Dayton, Va., July 31. Capt. Henry Hendrix, NHHC’s director, accepted the flag which will be preserved and displayed in one of the U.S. Navy’s museums.

The flag’s journey to Washington, D.C. began during the Civil War in 1865.

It was early morning as Lt. William Ladd rode his horse into a nearly deserted Richmond, Va. The siege of the Petersburg had come to an end after eight months, signifying an end to the war that had divided America. With the Confederate capital of Richmond captured, the last hopes of the rebel army vanished and the army and populace of the city had scattered. It was while investigating the city that Ladd observed a Confederate ship flying their colors.

“I was in the Capitol grounds as early as 5:30 am,” wrote Ladd, in the History of the 13th New Hampshire Regiment. “I saw no flag on the Capitol at that time. After looking about the grounds and vicinity for a few minutes, and realizing I was alone in the city, I rode back towards Rocketts, and when near there met a white Union cavalryman - the first Union soldier I had seen in Richmond that morning. We tied our horses, took a skiff and rowed out to a rebel war ship in the James, and captured two Confederate flags then flying upon her. I pulled down the larger flag, the cavalryman the smaller one, and we rolled them up and tied

them to our saddles.”

Unknown to Ladd, the Confederates had previously rigged the ship, Confederate States Ship (CSS) Hampton, to explode, denying the Union Army its capture. Soon after he and the cavalryman left with their captured flags, the ship was rocked by an explosion and slowly sank into the waters of the Potomac.

After the war, Ladd kept the flag in his residence, where it remained for years.

Fast forward to 2011. On a shelf in a Dayton, Va. building belonging to the HarrisonburgRockingham Historical Society, sat an archival collection box. The vice president of the society was working with volunteers to update their collection registry. As she went through the boxes she made an astounding discovery, a Confederate flag. A handwritten (note?) sewn onto it read, “That of Confed gun boat Hampton burnt in James River at the taking of Richmond. The flag was taken from the burning ship by Liet. Ladd (13th N. Hampshire), Gen. Devens staff.”

“I was surprised and amazed when I saw that we had such a rare, unique article in our collections,” said Nancy Hess, now former vice president of the society.

Her unearthing of the flag started an 18-month hunt for both clues of its origin and, ultimately, a place where the society knew it would receive proper care.

After finding the flag, Hess was curious. She asked a former president of the society about it.

She learned that the flag had been a part of their collection for decades but little was known about

why the flag was part of their holdings. Hess found some handwritten notes that recorded the flag being added to their collections in the 1960s.

The society, which had moved several times since the 1960s, did not have any administrative records of the flag. It was on some inventories from 1982 and there was a photo of the flag taken sometime between 1978 and 1988.

The flag remained a bit of a mystery through the years. According to Hess, she contacted previous members about it, and she learned that the flag was mailed to the society from a law firm settling the estate of a client. When a former society president went to a Massachusetts courthouse to look up the will in 2000, he found no mention of the flag or its disposition.

Although the flag was researched by several members of the society, none were able to figure out why the society was given the unique artifact, and several attempts were made to get the flag out of storage and displayed. But the efforts were futile and the flag remained in storage. Finally Hess took action, first writing museums about the flag, asking for someone to take and conserve it. When she unable to find a museum that would conserve and display it, she started calling.

Earlier this year, Hess contacted the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Retired Col. Robert Dalessandro, the director of the center, recommended she contact NHHC’s director, Capt. Henry Hendrix. In March she received the long-awaited call from Hendrix, and an answer to her hopes to find a proper resting place for the flag.

SECURITY WORRIES TRIGGER EMBASSY CLOSINGS CNN The State Department will close a number of US embassies and consulates this Sunday, Aug. 4, due to “more than the usual chatter” about a potential terrorist threat.

A Senior US official said while the threat does not have a great deal of specificity about time and location, but it is being taken ‘very seriously.”

US ‘interests” including military installations could also see additional security and protection measures. This official, and a second official as well, noted the date comes as tensions are rising

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with the approach of both the holy days at the end of Ramadan and the one year anniversary of the September 11th attack on the US compound in Benghazi.

There are several hundred Marines in Spain, Italy and in the Red Sea that could assist in providing additional security for US embassies in Southern Europe, North Africa or the Middle East if requested by the State Department.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf revealed the closing but gave no details as to the location of the impacted embassies or the nature

of the threat.

“The Department of State has instructed certain U.S. embassies and consulates to remain closed or to suspend operations on Sunday,August 4th.

The department has been apprised of information that out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may be visiting our installation, that indicates we should institute these precautionary steps. The department, when conditions warrant, takes steps like this to balance our continued operations with security and safety,” Harf said at the State Department briefing with reporters.

WORLD SPOTLIGHT

SNOWDEN GETS TEMPORARY ASYLUM

CNN After living in a Moscow airport since June, National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden began his temporary asylum Thursday by staying with Americans in the Russian capital whom he met online, his attorney said.

“He made a lot of friends here -- and great for him that those Americans who live here and found about his situation and were in touch with him,” his Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said.

Sought by American authorities, Snowden is putting high emphasis on his security now that he can roam freely in Russia, according to his lawyer.

“He’s concerned about life and health because he believes that people from the American intelligence service are chasing him,” Kucherena said. “This is a superpower. And the statements made by the State Department recently are threatening to him.”

Russia’s awarding temporary asylum to Snowden -- he can legally stay in Russia for one year, his lawyer said -- has infuriated U.S. officials, so much so that they are reconsidering a planned meeting between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin next month in Moscow before a G-20 gathering in St. Petersburg, Russia.

“We are evaluating the utility of a summit,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

The U.S. was not given a heads-up about Russia’s decision, according to spokesmen from the White House and State Department.

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael

McFaul has previously discussed the United States’ feelings on Snowden and reiterated those views Thursday.

In an interview with state-run Russia 24, Kucherena said that Russia “didn’t have a choice” in granting his client asylum.

“It was a humane decision because Edward couldn’t come and buy himself tickets to Havana or any other countries since he had no passport,” the attorney told the news outlet. “So Russia behaved very honest in this situation.”

The lawyer added: “It’s not right to implement any sanctions” against Russia.

A former U.S. government contract employee, Snowden leaked to the media that the NSA had secretly collected and stored millions of phone records from accounts in the United States. The agency also collected information from U.S. companies on the Internet activity of overseas residents, he said.

This high-profile leak thrust Snowden to the center of the debate about government surveillance, privacy and leaking for almost two months, during which he’s been in limbo at Moscow’s airport.

In addition to categorizing White House reaction as “extremely disappointed,” Carney said Thursday that Snowden faces three felony charges for leaking classified information.

Snowden has said he is afraid he would not get a fair trial if he came back to the United States.

If he stays in Russia, he might have a job waiting for him. Pavel Durov, the founder of the social

CNN A young Yemeni girl stares defiantly into the camera. Her question is a shocking one, coming from an 11-year-old: “Would it make you happy to marry me off?” asks Nada Al-Ahdal.

In the nearly two-and-a-half-minute video, which was uploaded to YouTube and quickly went viral, Nada accuses her parents of trying to get her married off in exchange for money. She explains how she doesn’t want to be one of Yemen’s child brides.

“Death would be a better option for me,” she declares.

Nada also speaks on behalf of other Yemeni

girls: “What about the innocence of childhood?

What have the children done wrong so that you would marry them off like that?”

The video, which been seen by millions of people around the world, has put a spotlight once more on Yemen’s child marriages.

It has also made Nada an online sensation, although questions have been raised: Did her story add up? Was she really being pressured to get married?

Nada’s parents have repeatedly stressed they have no intention to marry her off.

And Seyaj, Yemen’s leading child-rights organization, said they believed portions of Nada’s story were fabricated.

11-YEAR-OLD REFUSES MARRIAGE

website V Kontakte, offered Snowden a job as a developer in his company’s St. Petersburg office.

“I believe Edward would be interested in working on protecting personal data of millions of users,” Durov wrote, who cheered Snowden for having “exposed the crimes” of the U.S. government.

WikiLeaks, the secrets-busting site that has put itself firmly behind Snowden -- as well as another infamous leaker, recently convicted Bradley Manning -- seemed thrilled about his being granted temporary asylum.

Since he was in Hong Kong thrown now, the group has had one of its officials with Snowden.

“We would like to thank the Russian people and all those others who have helped to protect Mr. Snowden. We have won the battle -- now the war,” WikiLeaks said on Twitter.

OH BABY!

CNN One of the heaviest babies ever born in Germany was born last week at the University Hospital Leipzig.

The baby girl, Jasleen, weighed a whopping 13.47 pounds and measured nearly 23 inches long.

She was born vaginally, not via a C-section, according to a hospital statement.

“We anticipated that the child would be big,” said Holger Stepan, chief of obstetrics. “We prepared in advance by assembling a special team (of doctors and midwives) to be ready for any possible complications.”

He said he’d never before helped in the birth of such a heavy baby.

The girl’s mother suffered from gestational diabetes, which, when untreated or uncontrolled, can cause babies to be born larger than normal.

Her condition was not discovered until the mother checked herself into the hospital while in labor. She had not previously been a patient there.

The hospital said both mother and child are well.

According to the website for Guinness World Records, the heaviest baby -- weighing in at more than 23 pounds -- was born in Seville, Ohio, on January 19, 1879. He died 11 hours later.

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Food For The Masses MC3 Chelsea Mandello

T

here are three things that are especially important to all Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge

(LHD 3): sleep, energy drinks and, of course, FOOD! VOLUME I - ISSUE 9

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Each day more than 2,500 Sailors and Marines eagerly stand in a long line, wrapping themselves around ladder wells and through hatchways, waiting their turn to grab a tray, throw some hot food on it and finally sit down to eat.

As I stroll through the mess decks each morning I listen to the tempo of cooks already preparing food, not only for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner as well. There are steaks sizzling on a grill, butter frying on a hot slab and a mixture of whisking, chopping, pans clanging and laughing.

The smell of fresh bread, chili and fried chicken wafts through the air and my mouth immediately begins to water.

In the galley, more than a dozen cooks and food service attendants (FSAs) rush in organized chaos; each buzzing to complete their task of dicing vegetables, boiling noodles, starting ovens, throwing more steaks on a grill or anything else that is required to keep the starving masses fed.

I wanted to see just what it was like to be a culinary specialist (CS). What do they go through? What do they do to prepare for each meal?

Donning a paper cap, I step into the main galley and begin observing the rituals of the kitchen and talking to the culinary specialists.

It sounds easy to repeatedly supply hungry, eager service members with three square meals, while also washing dishes, cleaning up leftovers and providing service with a smile, right? But, like a delicious parfait, there is more than one layer.

The first person I spot is Culinary

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Specialist Seaman Charles Speelman.

He is making more than two-dozen grilled ham and cheese sandwiches on an industrial-sized grill.

I ask him about the job of a culinary specialist on a deployed ship.

“It’s definitely a lot of hard work,” said Speelman, as he flips over a sandwich and presses it down slightly. “We are constantly moving and working toward feeding the crew.”

Preparation for meals can take anywhere from one to eight hours prior to the meal, said Speelman. It all depends on what is being made for that day.

“There really isn’t a great process behind each meal,” said Speelman. “It all comes down to a routine of following the menu and breaking out the necessary items.

I begin to feel in the way as Sailors and Marines rush about with steaming pans of hot chili, diced vegetables, and sizzling chicken. A Marine is filling and stirring six large pots in an area called the “copper pit”. Each pot is roughly four feet tall and holds about 60 gallons, though none of them are copper.

So why are they called copper pots then?

“If I had to guess,” said Culinary Specialist 1st Class Leonard Ash. “I’d say it’s because the Navy used to cook in copper pots instead of stainless steel.”

That’s true. Until the early 20th century, copper was heavily used in the U.S. Navy, including in the galley. The 20th century U.S. Navy General Mess Manual and Cookbook refers to the use of copper pots, called ‘coppers’ for boiling and cooking needs. The size of the coppers ranged from 60 to 180 gallons, or

“three hogs heads.”

Eventually, the Navy began using stainless steel; however, the name “coppers” and “copper pit” stuck.

Carefully avoiding the scalding sides, I peer into the not-copper pot. Inside is a bubbling mix of peas and carrots. I lean back and walk over to the next pot in line. Each one is cooking, boiling or thawing something different. From buttery egg noodles, creamy gravy or spicy chili, each pot is being utilized for something different.

In fact, everything in the galley is being utilized. Every surface has something being sliced, buttered or diced in addition to the cooking, baking and frying taking place everywhere else.

“I tip my hat to the CSs,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Apprentice Ashley Clinton, an FSA on her second week of “cranking.” “Every day the CSs are up early, they cook all day long, clean and then cook some more. They are the hardest working individuals I know.”

No matter what time of day it is breakfast, lunch, dinner or midnight rations - the hard-working members in the galley are dedicated to making sure that each and every individual onboard is fed.

BEHIND THE SCENES In addition to the obvious presentation, preparation and on-time daily meal schedule, the galley maintains a 24-hour operation underway and jumps through many hoops to continuously prepare for

the next meal.

“The galley never shuts down,” said Chief Culinary Specialist Bobby Strunk, S-2 leading chief petty officer. “We are always moving, preparing meals, building morale, supplying reenlistment cakes, planning birthday or celebratory meals, while also trying to work on qualifications and keep up with the ship’s schedule.”

Working long, grueling hours is the more noticeable aspect of the job, but the process has to start somewhere.

“Everything starts with the paper work,” said Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Anna Hibner, records keeper. “I send a meal requisition (NAVSUP Form 1282) each night, watch the cost of the supplies and handle the catalog orders; all of which is important for maintaining the galley.”

So far during this deployment the crew has eaten through $3 million, that’s more than a million McDonald’s Big Macs.

That’s a lot of food!

At the end of the day, the repetitive routine begins all over again with an updated inventory of exhausted, remaining and soon-to-be-needed supplies - and so continues the mess deck circle of life.

IT’S ALL ONE MENU! We’ve all heard it and we’ve all thought

it at one point during deployment: “This again?”

Each day, a new menu is prepared and crewmembers line up without question, but who comes up with the meal of the day? Why is there always the same set of ingredients vice another? And why is “Taco Tuesday” also on Thursday?

As always, it’s “Big Navy” pulling the strings.

“It’s the Navy Standard Core Menu (NSCM),” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sharon Bryan. “Each class of ship uses the same menu, prepares the same meals and very rarely are changes made.”

So when it’s burger day on the Kearsarge, it’s also burger day on the Wasp and every other LHD in the fleet.

The NSCM gives a daily listing of main courses, side dishes and even deserts.

Everything is already planned. Items are unable to be taken away from the menu, but substitutions can be made, such as peas in place of carrots when supplies run low.

Because of the established menu, there isn’t a great deal of creativity that is allowed. However, when given the opportunity, culinary specialists thrive on spicing up presentations and events.

Forgetting any mention of an upcoming physical readiness test, the division goes above and beyond to create decadent, colorful cakes for reenlistments, birthdays and ceremonies.

A creative representation of the CS ability is the garnish decoration that trims the mess line each day with a new theme.

Sometimes they display animals made of fruit - who can forget the watermelon swan? - or even go so far as creating a winter wonderland made of rice, powdered sugar and… mashed potatoes?

Either way, the culinary specialists do what they can to have fun while staying busy and feeding the crew.

“We try to push creativity where we can,” said Culinary Specialist 1st Class Jermaine Webber, leading petty officer of S-2. “The garnish and cakes are a big creative outlet, but we also try to flex with other ingredients and sometimes the simplest change can boost the morale aboard.”

IS IT WORTH IT? “Absolutely! I love what I do,” said Ash. “I enjoy cooking, receiving positive feedback on a meal and knowing that I am indirectly responsible for the morale aboard a U.S. Navy vessel.”

Though culinary specialists take great pride in their abilities, some occasions not only build crew morale, but also crew appreciation.

“Last deployment, we were underway for Christmas and Thanksgiving and it took the hard work and dedication of the entire galley to make a homestyle meal and atmosphere,” said Hibner. “It was the later appreciation of everyone that made me personally realize how important my job is and how much of a family we are.”

From daily food preparation to catering ceremonies, culinary specialists dedicate their days fighting to provide superb service to their most valued customer – you.

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LIFE SPAN COMMISSIONED REFIT SLOOP OF WAR IS COMMISSIONED JANUARY 24, 1862 BATTLE OF CHERBOURG JUNE 19, 1864

After Persuing the Confederate ship CSS Alabama for more than a year off the coast of Europe, the Sloop of War engaged the Alabama as she left Cherbourg Harbour.

Alabama was first to fire as Kearsarge held her fire until closing to 1,000 yards.

An hour after her first salvo, Alabama was reduced to sinking rubble by Kearsarge’s 11 inch Dahlgren smoothbore pivot canon.

BB-5 IS COMMISSIONED FEBRUARY 20, 1900 GREAT WHITE FLEET DECEMBER 16, 1907 - FEBRUARY 22, 1909

Kearsarge set sail as part of President Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet which circumnavigated the globe. Kearsarge was in the Fourth Division, Second Squadron.

Roosevelt sought to demonstrate the United States military power in hope to enforce treaties and pr over-sea assets. The hulls of these ships were painted stark wh earning the armada the nickname “Great White Fleet”.

CRANE SHIP NO.1 NOVEMBER 5, 1941

Kearsarge was converted into a crane ship and reclassed to IX-16 and later AB-1. It was later renamed Crane Ship No.1, allowing her name to be given to CV-12.

KEARSARGE WRECK’S FEBRUARY 2, 1894

Kearsarge ran aground on a reef off Roncador Cay. Congress appropriated $45,000 to raise her, however the salvage company determinined she was unsalvagable.

TYPE: DISPLACEMENT: LENGTH: BEAM: DRAFT: PROPULTION: SPEED:

Sloop of War 1,570 tons 201 FT 33 FT 14 FT Steam Engine/Sails 11 Knots

(CV-12 was renamed USS Hornet before commissioning in honor of CV-8 which was lost October 1942. The name Kearsarge was then given to CV-33)

TYPE: DISPLACEMENT: LENGTH: BEAM: DRAFT: PROPULTION: SPEED:

Pre-Drednought Battleship 10,470 tons 375 FT 72 FT 23 FT 2x Steam 3 cylinder VTE (Vertical Triple Expansion) 16 Knots

CV-33 IS COMMISSIONED MARCH, 2 1946

LHD-3 IS COMMISSIONED OCTOBER 16, 1993

SCB-27A MODERNIZATION JUNE 16, 1950

BOSNIA JUNE 8, 1995

Kearsarge was temporaraly decommisioned to modernize her to support jet aircraft.

Upgrades included a re-enforced flight deck, stronger elevators, more powerful catapults and Mk-5 arresting gear.

Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked on Kearsarge were tasked to Rescue Air Force Capt. Scott O’Grady from the 555th fighter squadron who was shot down June 2 in an F-16 Falcon while patroling skies above over Bosnia.

KOREA JULY 1, 1953

For five month’s Kearsarge aircraft flew nearly 6,000 sorties against communist forces in North Korea.

SCB-125 MODERNIZATION 1956-57

Kearsarge recieved an enclosed hurricane bow and angled flight deck.

PROJECT MECURY JANUARY 24, 1862

rotect hite,

Kearsarge played a vital role in the Space Age by recovering U.S. astronaut Walter Schirra and his space capsule Sigma 7 after splashing down in the Pacific returning from a successful space flight.

SIERRA LEONE MAY 31, 1997

Kearsarge evacuated non-combatants from Freetown, Sierra Leone.

ALLIED FORCE / SHINING HOPE MARCH 24 - JUNE 10, 1999

Kearsarge acted as a platform to launch airstrikes against Serbian forces and treatment facility for Albanian refugues.

CONTINUING PROMISE AUGUST 6, 2008

Kearsarge provided humanitarian relief in the Caribbean.

ODYSSEY DAWN MARCH 2, 2011

VIETNAM JUNE 19, 1964

Kearsarge provided anti-submarine support for seventh fleet while U.S. Navy aircraft destroyed North Vietnamese oil and supply depots.

Kearsarge Harriers droped bombs on Lybian targets and Marines rescued two Air Force F-15 Strike Eagle pilots who crashed due to mechanical failure.

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TYPE: CLASS: DISPLACEMENT: LENGTH: BEAM: DRAFT: PROPULTION: SPEED:

Aircraft Carrier Essex 27,000 tons 888 FT 93 FT 28 FT Steam Turbine 33 Knots

Amphibious Assault Ship (Landing Helicopter Dock) TYPE: Wasp CLASS: 41,100 tons DISPLACEMENT: 844 FT LENGTH: 106 FT BEAM: 27 FT DRAFT: Steam Turbine PROPULTION: 24 Knots SPEED:

I

If you ever get the chance to talk to Culinary Specialist Seaman Nicholas Stratton, you would have the pleasure of talking with one of the most positive Sailors aboard Kearsarge. He always has a smile on his face and a cheery attitude to match. Whether he is baking fudge brownies, dinner rolls, pizza dough or a delicious blue-frosted cake, he is always trying to improve himself and Kearsarge, one meal at a time.

Stratton developed his culinary interests growing up in Los Angeles with his older brother, twin sister and parents.

“I remember baking sugar cookies when I was six years old with my mom,” said Stratton. “It was the Pillsbury brand with little green and red Christmas trees in the center of each cookie.”

Cooking was always a family affair for Stratton. When it was dinnertime, his whole family would come together to cook, laugh and share experiences. It was always an enjoyable past time that later ignited his passion for baking.

“The kitchen isn’t just for my mom and dad, it’s for everyone,” said Stratton.

“That’s why I enjoy baking so much, because I grew up with it.”

Stratton always knew that he wanted to join the military, but the hardest decision he faced was picking a branch.

“I was looking for adventure,” said Stratton. “I see life as a big collection of experiences and baking has always been something that I enjoy.”

His parents met each other while serving in the Coast Guard and his

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brother is currently active duty Coast Guard, so that was what was ingrained on him.

“The Coast Guard was actually my first choice,” said Stratton. “But, in the end, I felt that the U.S. Navy would be exciting and offered the most potential.”

Stratton enlisted in March of 2011. He planned from the beginning to enlist as a culinary specialist, but at the time the rate was full. He was informed by his recruiter that the fastest way to achieve his goal was to join as undesignated and strike for the culinary specialist rate.

Stratton followed the advice of his recruiter and began his career working in the Deck Department. He stayed there for a year and a half, taking care of the ship and working long hours into the night.

“I loved being in Deck, I really did,” said Stratton. “It was difficult work but it kept me motivated and at the end of the day I felt that I had really accomplished a lot.”

During his time in there, Stratton finally had the chance to make his move and take the advancement exam for CS. At the same time, he was sent as a food service attendant (FSA), which he welcomed as he was already confident that he would soon become a proud culinary specialist.

“I was an FSA for three months, which

reinforced my desire to be in the kitchen, before I officially became a CS,” said Stratton.

Stratton finished his obligation as an FSA and proudly assumed the rate he had fought so long and hard for, but the work was far from finished. He began his new career by preparing hot meals for the crew. Determined to show his superiors his innate capabilities and reach his dream of working in the bakery, Stratton worked hard: cooking, cleaning and keeping a smile on his face each day without wavering.

“I made it very apparent from the start where I wanted to be,” said Stratton. “The bakery holds a great deal of responsibility and has minimal supervision, so I had to demonstrate that I was a dependable person by working my way up, getting things done on time, doing a really good job and talking to the right people.”

“He is very experienced,” said Culinary Specialist Seaman Christopher Wright, the only other baker along-side Stratton.

“Stratton is knowledgeable beyond his years and exudes the professionalism of a 2nd class.”

While Stratton has a knack for cooking, he still had many lessons to learn as he found out during a very humbling experience early in his career.

“Fried chicken was the first product I made,” said Stratton. “I was so attentive,

but somehow I ended up burning the chicken and a spatula that I had accidentally left on the pan. It was a big mess and that’s why I bake.”

Stratton took that experience and strived to become better and has since come a long way in his cooking abilities.

“My baking skills have progressively gotten better,” said Stratton.

Stratton’s typical day in the bakery begins at reveille when the rest of the ship is just waking up. He sets to work making buns, brownies and preparing desserts for lunch. By lunchtime, two FSAs, assigned to the bakeshop, serve the desserts as Stratton cleans up and begins preparations for the next line of desserts for dinner.

“I have learned a lot from Stratton,” said Wright. “Because of his influence, I feel more capable in my workspace, preparing desserts and items for the crew.”

Stratton’s baking skills became very apparent during Father’s Day, as a simple cake turned into an elaborate display that took the better part of a day to complete.

“The Father’s Day cake was one of the best cakes I’ve baked so far,” said Stratton.

“I decorated the cake to look like a suit with a bow tie and buttons down the front. It was a great accomplishment for me that turned out well.”

Working in the only bakery on

Kearsarge, Stratton faces the challenge of making sure that each mess has enough food to meet the demand of that day.

“Sometimes I don’t have enough ingredients or supplies to bake even a simple cake,” said Stratton. “I supply baked goods to the galley, chief ’s mess, wardroom and flag mess and after all of the food is divided, it becomes clear that the demand is more than what I have.”

Stratton has learned very quickly that the best way to overcome any problem is to remain calm and collected, which helps him to stay on task and not overthink things.

“Stratton is very laid back and focused at the same time,” said Wright. “He is constantly adapting to any situation which allows him to finish any product that has to be finished.”

Stratton doesn’t just see his work as food, but really his food gives the crew something to look forward to during the long days at sea.

“I feel like I make a difference every day,” said Stratton. “It might not be the difference in the way engineers keep the ship running, or the way Air Department runs flight operations, but what I do has a big impact.”

Stratton says the greatest part of his job is the way people react. It’s what makes his job meaningful to him and why he wakes up every single morning with the

desire to make at least one crewmember’s day a little better.

“What makes me most satisfied is seeing people smile,” said Stratton. “The work that I do brightens up peoples’ days and that’s what gives me that motivation I need every day to work as hard as I can.”

Stratton’s time in the Navy as a culinary specialist is helping him gather the experience that he will one day need to achieve his ultimate goal.

“I want to have a bakery of my own where I can cook anything I want the way I want to,” said Stratton. “But before that happens, I want to turn over the bakery to the next CS and teach them to be better than me.”

Stratton has used his positive and creative personality to leave his hometown, join the Navy and prove his worth in the bake shop. With his dedication and motivation to make every day a good day, there’s no telling what new experiences wait for Stratton.

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Lt. Brett Sabella “Baby Chaps” MC3 Derek Paumen

I was fortunate enough to land the ‘Q and A’ portion for the second time in a row in this issue. It’s a good way to make friends on Kearsarge. This time, they had me sit down with baby chaps, Lt. Brett Sabella. I discovered in my short time with him that being a pastor runs in his family, he’s an Italian allergic to tomatoes, and he would do really well at giving tours of Jerusalem.

DP: I’m just going to jump right into it, was it a spiritual decision to join the Navy?

BS: Yes and no. It was because I know I’m called to be a minister. But I also have a strong calling to serve my country. So being a Navy chaplain is the best of both worlds. It fulfills both those callings at the same time.

DP: What is your hometown?

BS: I was born in Youngstown, Ohio. I only lived there for a year. I grew up in Hermitage, Pa. That’s really my hometown because I moved there when I was one. I grew up there, went to and graduated from high school there. It’s a smaller town, not huge. The area is made up of a lot of different small towns. So the area itself has about 100,000 people, but each town has about 15,000 to 20,000 people.

It’s a suburb of Pittsburgh.

DP: What inspired you to become a pastor?

BS: Growing up, I always felt like I was supposed to do something like this. My dad is a pastor, so that really inspired me to do it.

I wanted to follow in his footsteps. But also my great grandfather was a pastor as well, so it kind of goes down through our family. I feel like God has placed me here on Kearsarge for a specific purpose.

DP: I’m assuming you are the first Navy pastor in the family?

BS: I am. I’m the first guy to serve as a pastor in the Navy. My grandfather served in the Army, in Korea.

DP: What does your dad think of you serving as a Navy chaplain?

BS: Oh he loves it. He’s very proud.

DP: Were your parents surprised when you told them that this is what you wanted to do?

BS: Yes! (laughs) They were pretty surprised.

Actually the story is kind of funny. I was serving in a church near my hometown, about 20 minutes away. And I had been doing some research on my own, I hadn’t told my family yet. They knew I was thinking about it, but

then one day… I don’t know what it was, but I got the application, filled the whole thing out in one day, sent it off, then I went over to my dad’s church. I sat down and said, “Hey, I applied to be in the Navy.” They said, “oh, really?” I said, “yup!” So they said, “well hey, go for it then.” They were really supportive.

DP: You never really talked about it too much before that?

BS: A little bit, but not very much. I’m a pretty private person when it comes to my decisions and my personal life and those sorts of things.

But once I decide something, I just go for it.

DP: You’re in charge of the spiritual well being of around 2,000 Sailors and Marines, how do you a find a balance of religions?

BS: As chaplains, when we come into the Navy, we are representatives of the faith group that we are ordained with. So I’m part of the Assemblies of God. That’s who ordained me, that’s who I am a pastor for. And so when I came in, that’s what the Navy hired me as. A representative of that faith group. But part of my job and what we receive training on is to be able to facilitate for other religions.

So it’s not my job to actually go out and perform their services, but I have to provide an opportunity for them if they want to have their own services. I have to be able to provide the religious facilities, the items, the things that they need. But I actually don’t go in and do their service for them. I provide training through the lay leader program for them to be able to have their services.

DP: So you basically steer them in the right direction?

BS: Exactly.

DP: What other faith besides your own do you find fascinating and why?

BS: I always found Buddhism interesting.

I think because it’s about as different from Christianity as you can get. It’s pretty much the other extreme. Where as Christianity believes in one God, so does Judaism and Islam, but Buddhism believes in many, many different Gods. They are polytheistic. So they have thousands of them, literally.

DP: Is there a rotation on who does the evening prayer or is it whoever is feeling the most inspirational?

BS: (laughs) No, we have a rotation. We rotate it between each of the four chaplains when we

are all on board. If they are not all on board, then we just rotate between who is. So there are four of us, we go once every four nights.

DP: How do you come up with what to say?

BS: I can’t speak for the other chaplains, but for me, I try to tailor my prayer for what I see going on throughout the day. So I actually don’t write my prayers until about an hour before I pray them. And the reason for that is I take what I see, talking to people and walking around throughout the day and figure out a theme as I think about it. Then I write the prayer each evening so it’s fresh and new. I try to never to use the same prayer twice, so it’s fresh every time.

DP: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your job?

BS: I think it’s finding the balance between finding both sides of my collar. Because on one side, I have the chaplain emblem. On the other side I have the lieutenant bars. And so, being a Navy chaplain requires you to have that balance between the chaplain aspects of your job and the officer side of things. So not only do I have to be a chaplain, but also I have to be a division officer as well. The chaplain part is easy, because that’s what you are trained for. You don’t really get a lot of training on how to be a division officer before you come in. So you sort of have to learn on the fly. Not having a command chaplain almost seven months out of my two-year tour… I kind of had to learn that job too. So that was the biggest challenge.

DP: Has this challenge changed how you approach your job?

BS: Not really. When I was the only chaplain on board, when I had to do the command chaplain and the ship’s chaplain job, I did have to change how I did my job. I had to go to all of the department head meetings. I had to do all of those things that department heads are required to do, so that didn’t leave me as much time with the crew, which is what my passion is. I like to really get out there, be with the crew and to help them through the situations they face on an everyday basis.

DP: What did you think of the Jerusalem tour and were the tour guides accurate?

BS: (laughs) It was actually kind of funny, because I didn’t tell my tour guide that I was an ordained minister. I didn’t want her to get nervous. So what I did was I stayed in the CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE VOLUME I - ISSUE 9

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 back. All of the Sailors would listen to her explanations and then they would come to the back of the group and ask me questions about it and I’d give my perspective. She was accurate with the historical aspects of it. But she comes from a Jewish background and so her interpretation was through that lens.

Where as, I was interpreting everything from a Christian background. So the Christians of the group asked me questions along those lines in addition to what she was saying. I never contradicted her, but I would answer their questions as we walked around the city.

DP: People turn to you for help in times of need…. Where do chaplains turn to when they need help?

BS: That’s a tough one. There are not many places on board that you can go to. But we help each other out. There are four of us so we vent off of each other sometimes. But my support system at home is incredible and that’s usually where I turn to. My girlfriend as well. We have a really good relationship so that’s whom I mainly go to.

DP: While you are in the Navy, what place do you hope to visit the most and why?

BS: Actually I just did, it was Jerusalem.

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Before we came on deployment, I was talking to my girlfriend. I said, “If I am able to get to Israel, then the rest of deployment will be worth it.” So that’s the main place I wanted to get to.

DP: Are there any other places you can think of off the top of your head?

BS: I heard Malta is beautiful. I’d like to hit Barcelona on the way home, which would be pretty great. So I think those would be the top two.

DP: Which do you prefer, burger day or pizza and wings day?

BS: See that’s tough for me. I prefer pizza and wings day, not for the pizza but for the wings because I’m allergic to tomatoes. I’m an Italian who’s allergic to tomatoes. I know it’s an oxymoron. But I love wings.

DP: What one thing do you look forward to most when we pull back in to home?

BS: Obviously besides seeing family and my girlfriend, I look forward to that first really nice steak dinner. Not really at a specific spot. There are a couple of really nice steak restaurants in downtown Norfolk. I’m going to one of those places.

DP: Xbox One or PlayStation 4?

BS: PlayStation 4, because Microsoft was trying to pull some stuff on customers. I didn’t agree with the policies and then they decided to reverse them once they realized people were mad. But what’s to stop them from changing those policies back? So Microsoft lost me, especially when they said in their earlier policies that the console had to check-in online every 24 hours. Well, you can’t do that on a ship. you can’t do that in the military. They basically said they didn’t care, so they lost me.

DP: Anything to add?

BS: I’m here for the Sailors and Marines, quite literally. I’m one of the few people that they can go to and not worry about any repercussions.

So I would tell them to come talk to me. Just because I have two bars on my shoulder doesn’t mean you can’t talk to me. I view myself as a chaplain first. That’s really a big thing. If you see me walking around, say hi. I’ll be willing to stop and talk, hangout, whatever they need.

From the Editor: Is there somebody out there we just have to interview? Who do you want to hear from? E-mail me at prittc@ lhd3.navy.mil with your suggestion. We can’t promise we’ll make it happen, but we’ll see what we can do.

LEBRON MULLING UNION RUN ESPN LeBron James is seriously considering running for president of the National Basketball Players Association, multiple sources told ESPN. James is giving a run “some very heavy thought,” one source said.

The biggest consideration for James will be the time commitment being the union president would require. James has limited time to give because of sponsorship and charity commitments in addition to playing. Deep playoff runs with the Miami Heat the past three seasons have also been taxing.

Still, James has been investigating the issue with advisers and fellow players this summer.

“It’s a very important position for where things are going,” a source close to James said.

Current NBPA president Derek Fisher’s term expired this summer. The association could elect a replacement as soon as August, when they have their annual meeting in Las Vegas.

However, the organization is in flux at the moment and has yet to name a replacement

for executive director Billy Hunter, who was dismissed earlier this year. It isn’t clear when a replacement will be hired.

Hunter was accused of managing union funds and funneling them to family members.

Hunter subsequently sued Fisher and the union.

With Adam Silver scheduled to take over as NBA commissioner in February and a replacement for Hunter expected to be chosen by then, the union is at a crux point, and it had James interested in the important role.

Fox Sports first reported James was mulling a run.

James started to engage more in union business starting in 2011 when he attended bargaining sessions during the lockout.

Earlier this year at a union meeting during All-Star Weekend, James was vocal about the organization needing serious reform.

James is also close friends with Chris Paul, who has served as union vice president.

If he was elected, James would be the highestprofile player to be union president since Patrick Ewing held the role in the late 1990s.

MLB STANDINGS

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and third quarters in addition to the traditional rule in the second and fourth quarters. Possession also will change hands after each quarter.

• Defenses will be allowed to play Cover 2 and press coverage. In the past, only man coverage had been allowed, except for goal-line situations.

• Changes will be made to the game clock during the two-minute warning, with the clock stopping if the offense doesn’t gain at least 1 yard, in order to encourage offenses to try to gain yardage at the end of each quarter.

• In addition, the clock will start after an incomplete pass on the signal of the game referee except during the two-minute warnings and the final five minutes of the game.

• The game will use a 35-second/25-second play clock instead of the traditional 40-second/25-second clock.

• Also, the game clock will not stop on sacks of the quarterback, outside of the game’s final two minutes.

The changes were proposed by NFL Players Association president Domonique Foxworth and were jointly announced Wednesday by the NFL and the union.

“As players, we wanted to keep the Pro Bowl to honor excellence in individual performance and connect with the fans in a different environment,” Foxworth said in a statement. “To do that, I worked with a group of players to map out new ideas.”

N A T I O EAST Atlanta Washington Philadelphia NY Mets Miami CENTRAL Pittsburgh St.Louis Cincinnati Chicago Cubs Milwaukee WEST LA Dodgers Arizona Colorado San Diego San Francisco

DRAFT TO DETERMINE PRO BOWL ROSTERS The NFL is overhauling the Pro Bowl, eliminating the AFC-NFC format in favor of captains picking 43 players per team regardless of conference.

In addition, kickoffs will be eliminated from the game as a safety measure, one of several changes to the game. A coin toss will determine which squad gets the game’s opening possession. The ball will be placed at the 25-yard line at the start of the game and after scoring plays. Since there will be no kickoffs, the kick-return specialist Pro Bowl roster spot will be replaced with an additional defensive back spot.

The loss of a kick returner Pro Bowl spot angered Oakland Raiders returner Josh Cribbs, who said in a link from his twitter page that the game was now “tainted.” He followed that up with another tweet.

I’m glad I made the pro bowl when I did doing what I love to do, & being the best at it...

— Josh Cribbs (@JoshCribbs16) July 31, 2013 Voting for the game also will be changed, as conference affiliation no longer will be considered in determining the All-Star selections. The two leading votegetters will be named captains and will be assisted by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders and two NFL. com fantasy football champions in picking the two teams.

Among other changes: • A two-minute warning will be added to the first

A M E R I C A N EAST Boston 65-44 Tampa Bay 64-44 Baltimore 59-49 NY Yankees 56-51 Toronto 50-57 CENTRAL Detroit 61-45 Cleveland 59-48 Kansas‌ City 53-51 Minnesota 45-59 Chicago White Sox 40-65 WEST Oakland 63-45 Texas 59-49 Seattle 50-57 LA Angels 48-58 Houston 36-70

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