VR-56 EARNS SAFE FOR FLIGHT IN C-40 CLIPPER PAGE 7 VOLUME 52 NO. 19
MAY 10, 2012
SERVING NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA
INSIDEJET
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DAM NECK ANNEX
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CHAMBERS FIELD
Motorcycle rodeo showcases safety
BY MC1 STEVE SMITH Enterprise Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs
FENTRESS SAILOR ENJOYS BULL RIDING
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W82TXT IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE
PAGE 8 The Oceana Family Fest will be May 17, 3:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Oceana track on 5th Street. Entertainment will include live music with battle of the bands, a DJ, Bobby the Clown, photo booth, inflatables, carnival games, hayrides and pony rides. Concessions will be sold. Open to all DoD families. For more information, call 433-2246.
Enterprise, CVW-1 support Operation Enduring Freedom
Military motorcyclists ride in formation during in the “Wake The Base Ride” May 4, to kick off NAS Oceana’s annual Motorcycle Safety Rodeo. The ride, sponsored by the Oceana Safety Department, began at Dam Neck Annex and circled around Oceana from the back gate, ending at the Main Gate Park where the rodeo was held.
STORY/PHOTOS BY MC3 ANTONIO P. TURRETTO RAMOS NAS Oceana Public Affairs Military motorcycle riders roared their engines May 4 during the “Wake the Base Ride” beginning at Dam Neck Annex and ending at the Main Gate Park on NAS Oceana.The group ride marked the beginning of the annual Motorcycle Rodeo, sponsored by the NAS Oceana Safety Office. “We get a lot of riders from NAS Oceana, Dam Neck and Norfolk together for this event at the beginning of the riding season to remind these guys to ride safe,” said Dave Ruhl, safety specialist and motorcycle safety coordinator for NAS Oceana and organizer of the event. “Every man and woman is important to the Navy. Operational readiness is affected when we lose Sailors.That’s what we’re here to prevent.” The overall purpose of the Motorcycle Rodeo is to encourage riders of all experience levels to create a positive peer pressure to get the training available through the Navy Safety Office, wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and mentor less seasoned riders.
“I became a CMC because the most important thing to me in the Navy is our Sailors, our people and our families, and there’s nothing more important than making sure they do this [ride motorcycles] safely. We lose so many Sailors to motorcycle accidents; this requires leadership to be out here and show how important this is,” said NAS Oceana Command Master Chief (AW/SW) Bill Smalts. While the motorcycle rodeo is designed to bring riders together to encourage a safe riding environment, it’s also fun. The rodeo included events like the slow-speed race and the cone-weaving race, as well as a bike contest. Many of the riders come just to see all the other bikes, and this year, about 150 riders came out for the rodeo. “A lot of them [younger riders] I think look up to our experienced riders and those who have been riding for a long time.That causes them to want to ride and they get out here and see that mentorship and that leadership and peer pressure is a big deal,” said Smalts. All Sailors who ride motorcycles must complete the Navy’s Basic Rider Course (BRC) to ride on base and out in town. — See Motorcycle rodeo Page 9
USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) — The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 began flying combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) May 1. Through these missions, the Navy and Marine Corps squadrons aboard Enterprise are providing direct support to coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan. The missions include close-air support, electronic warfare, reconnaissance and airborne command and control. In Afghanistan, these missions degrade terrorist activities, diminish Taliban influence and improve security, which leads to stability and economic prosperity. CVW-1 spent months preparing for these missions, and is ready to join coalition forces in the region. Enterprise joins the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group in the region. Thus far,Abraham Lincoln has flown more than 1,400 sorties,totaling more than 8,700 flight hours in support of coalition efforts in Afghanistan, according to Lincoln’s Public Affairs Office. Over the course of May 1, their first day supporting OEF,CVW-1 aircraft flew 29 sorties. According to Capt. Jeffrey Trent, commander, CVW-1, the number of sorties flown on the first day will be the standard throughout much of the time CVW-1 is supporting OEF. — See Combat missions Page 10