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#YouCanTalkToMePAGE 4

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September 18, 2014 | Vol. 40| Issue 31

REMEMBERING TRAGEDY,

SAFEGUARDING OUR FUTURE

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Public Affairs OfficerLt. Cmdr. Karin Burzynski

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.

Commanding OfficerCapt. Jeff Ruth

Media DepartmentMC2 Jacquelyn Childs | MC2 Devin Wray | MC2 Ryan Mayes | MC2 Jacob Milner | MC2 Jess Lewis | MC3 Shayne Johnson | MC3

Linda S. Swearingen | MC3 Vanessa David | MC3 W. J. Cousins | MC3 Nathan McDonald | MC3 Joshua Haiar | MC3 Kaitlyn Haskett | MC3 Eric Butler | MC3 Siobhana McEwen | MC3 Samuel Souvanason| MCSN Aiyana Paschal | MCSN Andrew W. Price | MCSN Kelly

Agee | MCSN Victoria Ochoa | MCSN Eli Buguey | MCSN Lauren Jennings | MCSN Derek Volland | MCSA Kole Carpenter

Media DIVOEnsign John Mike

Media LCPOMCC Gregory Roberts

Media LPOMC1 Michael Cole

EditorMC2 Phillip Ladouceur

Lead DesignerMC3 George J. Penney III

Executive OfficerCapt. J.J. Cummings

Command Master ChiefCMDCM Greg Renick 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.

Commanding OfficerCapt. John Ring

Public Affairs OfficerLt. Cmdr. Clinton Phillips

Media Department MC2 Ryan Mayes | MC2 Sam Souvannason | MC2 Jess Lewis | MC2 Phil Ladouceur | MC3 Shayne Johnson

MC3 Linda S. Swearingen | MC3 Vanessa David | MC3 W. J. Cousins | MC3 Joshua Haiar | MC3 Andrew Price | MC3 Eric Butler MC3 Siobhana McEwen | MC3 George J. Penney III | MC3 Aiyana Paschal | MC3 Victoria Ochoa |MC3 Kelly Agee| MCSN Eli Buguey

MCSN Lauren Jennings | MCSN Derek Volland | MCSN Holly Herline | MCSN Shauna Sowersby | MCSA Kole Carpenter

Media DIVOEnsign John “Media” Mike

Media LCPOMCC Gregory Roberts

Media LPOMC2 Jacquelyn Childs

EditorMC3 Nathan McDonald

Lead DesignerMC3 Andrew Price

Executive OfficerCapt. J.J. Cummings

Command Master ChiefCMDCM Greg Renick

NIMITZSailor of the Day

September 16, 2014

September 17, 2014

Put your best effort into everything you do. Always keep in communication with your superiors.

With support of people in my shop, I was able to learn my rate and achieve a higher standard of work.

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GM3 Robert Womble

ATAN Aaron Schultz

Weapons Department

AIMD

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IM-3

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T he intercom in the room had been disabled to limit the distractions for the Sailors and Marines participating in the Navy’s alcohol and drug treatment therapy. Split

up in small groups of four, the room was a buzz with dis-cussion about how alcohol affects the body in various ways, but the repetition of the announcement eventually murmured through the walls. Group by group the room came to enough of a hush that the participants could all decipher the mes-sage. The medical facility had been put on lockdown and an active shooter situation was occurring at the Washington Navy Yard.

One year will have passed since the Sept. 16, 2013, Navy Yard shooting. Remembering our tragedies, learning from them, and honoring all that were involved can prove to be the way we prevent tragedies from happening in the future.

Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Corey Hill, a substance abuse counselor on board USS Nimitz (CVN 68), was assigned to the base clinic at the Navy Yard on the day of the shooting.

“It started out normal, everything seemed normal, but some people said they felt eerie that morning before every-thing started happening but I can’t recall felling that way myself,” said Hill.

“I actually got word of the shooting before they made that announcement because my secretary’s brother was in the building adjacent to the building where the shooting hap-pened,” said Hill. “She received a call from her brother, and I was just doing administrative stuff so I walked around the clinic asking the chain of command if they knew what was going on. At that time they were starting to get wind of it as well.”

At approximately 8:20 a.m., Aaron Alexis began open-

ing fire inside the headquarters of the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA). Over the next hour, the perpetrator carried out the second deadliest mass murder on a U.S. mili-tary base, behind only the Fort Hood shooting in November 2009.

“Active shooters are so dangerous because it’s one per-son, they haven’t told anyone else, and you don’t find out that it’s happening until they decide to take action, and that is our biggest fear,” said Master-At-Arms 1st Class Scott Grettum. “It’s not ISIS [The Islamic State of Iraq and Syr-ia] coming to our entry checkpoint. ISIS is a thought, North Korea is a thought, but our biggest fear is the Sailor that is in security that becomes the lone wolf and wants to start shooting people.”

The idea that a shipmate could be the cause of an on-base mass casualty can be hard to accept, but it is a real pos-sibility.

“I’ll explain the active shooter with the sheep, the sheep dog, and the wolf, ” said Grettum. “95 percent of our popu-lation is sheep. They do their job, they are happy. Now the wolf is possibly 4 percent of the community, people that are out there waiting to take that opportunity to get the sheep, to do something bad. Now add that 1 percent, the sheepdog. The sheepdog thinks like the wolf, and he likes to eat meat, but he wants to protect the sheep. That sheepdog is your Master-at-Arms.”

Before day’s end, 12 civilians would eventually perish on that day in September. Although there were no military casualties, we now memorialize those who lost their lives tragically while performing jobs that support the U.S. Navy.

“I think the best thing you can do to honor them is to re-member,” said Cmdr. John M. Hakanson, Chaplain on board

STORY BY MCSN ELI K. BUGUEY

REMEMBERING TRAGEDY,SAFEGUARDING OUR FUTURE

Washington Navy Yard memorial service, Sept. 16, 2014.

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Nimitz. “When we commemorate these events, we remem-ber them. We pass on their importance to reflect on them so we make sure that we guard against them ever happening again. Tragedies, if we remember them, we are more likely to understand.”

An active shooter situation is difficult to prevent be-cause of the element of surprise and isolated planning of those who would commit a mass shooting.

“Active shooters are the same, from Columbine un-til now,” said Grettum. “The instruction is almost written vague because an active shooter situation is an asymmetri-cal environment that can’t be predicted. An active shooter is a person. You can’t stop it until it is too late for them.”

We will never be able to uncover what went through the perpetrator’s mind that day. But much like putting the piec-es of a puzzle together, using what we have learned from the Navy Yard shooting and other mass casualties, we can set a course in hopes of preventing active shooter situations from happening in the future.

Taking the initiative to be aware of the mental state of individuals in your department can be the best defense against a mass casualty.

“Those things that lead up to an active shooter can be stopped,” said Grettum. “Not by security but by you, by the people in your workspace. That’s how that stuff is stopped, because somebody says something is not right or they feel something is not right and they fail to act on it.”

The consequences for ignoring the warning signs could be dire.

“If you see something that’s not right and you don’t re-

port it, are you willing to live the rest of your life knowing that you could have stopped a mass shooting? Or you could have stopped one person from being murdered,” said Gret-tum.

A watchful eye and a willingness to engage with your shipmates can be the preventative tool that keeps people safe.

“The way these things are stopped is just by loving your shipmate,” said Grettum. “Putting them before yourself, loving your friend, and love thy neighbor. If you do that, that ray of light can light up the darkest of hearts. I have seen a lot of people in the depths of darkness and thinking of ending their life or ending the lives of others and it has been stopped because of a kind word or a kind act.”

The impact from the devastating events of last Septem-ber has created a moment in Navy history that requires us to remember that the Navy is not just a group of Sailors, but a family in combination with civilians devoted to protecting our nation.

“I think it is more important that we as people learn from this incident more so than as a military force learning something because a military is comprised of people,” said Hill.

If the Navy places an importance on learning from our tragedies as we honor those who have fallen, the chances of having another tragedy will greatly decrease. Stepping up and vocalizing when something seems off in the workplace can be the best step to take in preventing another incident like the Navy Yard shooting from ever happening again. Most of all, it’s important to remember that people matter.

AM1 Corey Hill poses in front of his work-center. Photo by MCSN Eli K. Buguey

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY MC3(SW/AW) AIYANA PASCHAL

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A ccording to the World Health Organization, about one million people commit suicide each year. For the Navy, September is suicide prevention month,

which aims to raise awareness that suicide is prevent-able, improve education about suicide and decrease the stigma around getting help.

Around the world, our country, our Navy and even USS Nimitz (CVN 68), suicide is an issue that shouldn’t be shrouded in silence. You can know what suicide is, even know the signs, but to know if someone is thinking about suicide, you have to really know that person. That is why the Navy has launched a new initiative: every Sailor, every day. Its purpose is to encourage Sailors and family members to strengthen connections and bonds with those around them.

YN1 CINDY COULTER

Y eoman 1st Class Cindy Coulter, from Hotchkiss, Colo., is a Sailor who took the initiative and went the extra step to help others struggling with

thoughts of suicide. She ultimately helped one of her Sailors and a close family member of her’s overcome the hold of suicidal ideations.

For Coulter, the decision to help others was easy.“I cared about them,” said Coulter. “I cared about

the decisions they were making. I cared about their to-morrow.”

Even though the decision to help was an easy one, going about the actual process proved to be more diffi-cult.

“People sometimes don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “Especially when they’re depressed or contemplat-ing suicide.”

Approaching someone she was already close to was easier for Coulter than approaching a shipmate she didn’t know as well.

“I approached it a little different,” she said. “The oth-er one worked for me in the military. I figured out ways I could talk to her one on one.”

Forming bonds and showing someone you care is one way you can help someone dealing with suicide. Know-ing the signs is another way to help prevent suicides.

“At first I asked if they were okay,” said Coulter. “Of course both times with both individuals they said yes, they were okay, but I knew different because their gestures and body language said differently. They were a different person, had different characters. Things that they said were concerning.”

Some of the signs Coulter witnessed from her ship-mate were: isolating herself, being late to work and act-ing out of character.

The process for Coulter was not a quick one. She spent days talking and trying to understand the individu-als. She was met with resistance at first when she asked questions like, “How do you think other people would feel?” or “How do you think this would be without you?”

“I would just pose the questions back to them that they were feeling,” said Coulter. “There was a lot of si-lence and there was a lot of pause. A lot at first of, ‘well I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t care’ or ‘they wouldn’t care any-way.’ And then slowly but surely we were able to think of ways to turn things around, get them some help and refer them over to people that they trusted. I really wanted the outcome to be positive for them and feel good about their decision.”

Although Coulter’s loved one still deals with depres-sion on occasion, her family combats this by keeping an eye on them and offering support.

The Sailor that Coulter helped through depression and thoughts of suicide is doing much better now.

“I get letters from the service member all the time thanking me for that moment,” she said “She was in a dark place and didn’t think anyone cared and didn’t think she wanted to live this life anymore. We remained close. She knows now that if she ever feels a certain way that it’s important to talk things out.”

Depression is commonly a factor in suicide. “They coincide tremendously,” said Coulter. “Usual-

ly it starts out with depression, and a lot of people spiral so much so that they don’t know how to get out. And now, it’s the only way that they know. Recognizing you have depression is the first step to getting help.”

The number one thing Coulter stresses, for both those suffering from suicidal ideations or not, is com-munication.

“It’s important to talk to somebody,” she said. “Whether it’s a friend or a shipmate or a family mem-ber. It’s important to talk it out. Don’t be afraid to talk to somebody about it. We’re all human. Then turn around and try to help others.”

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RP3 CASEY NIEDORF

Sailors lead a life that requires them to be away from land and loved ones for long periods of time. Last year Nimitz spent eight-and-a-half

months out at sea for a Western Pacific deployment. Although deployment is over, Nimitz still has mis-sions, standards and qualifications to keep up, which is why Nimitz has departed from Naval Station Ev-erett, Wash. on three separate occasions for under-ways lasting roughly three weeks each.

Being away from family not only puts a toll on service members, but their families as well. Because a lot of Sailors don’t have much control over where they are stationed and live, military couples often end up in long distance relationships at some point in their military career.

This is the case for Religious Programs Spe-cialist 3rd Class Casey Niedorf, from North Pole, Alaska. Nimitz was in Pearl Harbor nearing the end of its 2013 deployment when Niedorf’s girlfriend, Brianna, confided in her about thoughts of suicide.

“There were lots of signs before hand,” said Niedorf. “I think that the feeling was there, but the actual intent wasn’t quite there. She had been deal-ing with depression.”

Luckily, Niedorf was able to contact Brianna’s mother, who was able to help.

“A lot of it is depression,” said Niedorf. “It gives you those feelings like numbness and sadness, and when you’re constantly feeling like that, there’s a lot of guilt. So the thought process of people with suicidal ideations is ‘Would it really matter if I was alive anymore?’”

Up to that point, Niedorf had known her girl-friend dealt with depression, and even took a small dose of mood stabilizer for it, but it wasn’t until that day when Niedorf realized she needed to get her some help.

“I can only do so much,” said Niedorf. “Espe-cially being in the Navy and a long distance relation-ship. I really pushed for her to go get help. She was a little stubborn at first, but she did come out and do it, and she got a very positive outcome from it.”

A main reason Brianna didn’t want to seek help initially was because of the stigma associated with

depression and suicide. “There’s the outlook like you might feel you’re

weak or you’re crazy,” said Niedorf. “I know Brian-na said that a lot. ‘I don’t need help. I’m not crazy.’ That makes it really hard especially with guys. Be-cause guys think, ‘Oh you’re supposed to be strong, you’re not supposed to cry.’ There’s a macho mas-culinity atmosphere around them. So now they need help, but guys don’t really ask for help. That’s just how guys are. That’s why males are more likely to succeed in killing themselves.”

Brianna is now doing a lot better since she be-came open about her depression and got help.

“A lot of it is sometimes people just really need to vent,” said Niedorf. “A lot of time when people talk about things, they can talk themselves out of suicide. I think that’s really important - when some-one has that realization of, “Hold on, maybe I can handle this in a different way.’ A lot of times some-one just really needs someone else to listen to him or her. Just sit down and let them talk. You don’t have to say anything. Usually it’s a pretty good outcome.”

Being a religious programs specialist, Niedorf knows how useful the chaplains’ open door policy can be.

“One thing about the chaplains is it’s completely confidential,” said Niedorf. “You don’t have to tell your chain of command. They won’t tell your chain of command. When you make an attempt though, that’s when it goes out to medical. If you just need the chaplain to talk to and you express ‘I’ve been thinking about committing suicide - of killing my-self’ that stays confidential. They can help someone figure out their feelings. My first recommendation would be to talk to a chaplain.”

Even though Nimitz is home to thousands of Sailors, communicating and forming bonds with those around you is still important for suicide aware-ness and prevention.

“Just asking someone how their day is can be a huge thing,” said Niedorf. “This is a big deal. Hope-fully there is soon to be change on the outlooks and judgment on suicide.”

For more information on the resources aboard Nimitz, visit nimitznews.wordpress.com

#YouCanTalkToMe

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AROUND THE FLEET

USS Ingraham (FFG 61) with He-licopter Anti-Submarine Squad-ron Light (HSL) 49 Detachment

2 and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforce-ment Detachment (LEDET) personnel intercepted 680 kilograms of cocaine illegally trafficked in the 4th Fleet Area of Responsibility Aug. 21.

Ingraham, based in Everett, Wash-ington, successfully tracked and inter-cepted a go-fast vessel in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The panga was fitted with two outboard motors, capable of speeds of more than 30 knots.

Upon detection of one of Ingra-ham’s SH-60B Seahawks, the crew of the vessel threw a significant amount of narcotics overboard. The panga was compelled to stop after warning shots were fired by a Coast Guard marksman aboard Ingraham’s helicopter.

“I am very proud of my crew, the air department, and the Coast Guard law enforcement detachment for their quick and effective response to a very

elusive and evasive threat,” said Ingra-ham’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Dan Straub. “Simultaneously launching and recovering the helicopter and the ship’s small boat while chasing a go-fast vessel laden with contraband is chal-lenging work. The professional and efficient manner in which our teams operate is impressive on many levels.”

The jettisoned bales were netted together, allowing Ingraham’s rig-id-hulled inflatable boat to recover all of the discarded contraband. The seizure totaled approximately 680 ki-lograms of cocaine. The U.S. Coast Guard LEDET embarked the go-fast vessel and apprehended three illegal drug traffickers.

Ingraham has disrupted a total of approximately 7,188 kilograms of co-caine during her deployment. This is her fifth successful interdiction since arriving in 4th Fleet in support of Operation Martillo. Ingraham seized a self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) in May, a fishing vessel in June,

and several other go-fast vessels.Operation Martillo (Hammer) in-

cludes the participation of 14 nations that are working together to counter trans-national organized crime and il-licit trafficking in coastal waters along the Central American isthmus. Joint In-teragency Task Force South, a National Task Force under U.S. Southern Com-mand, oversees the detection and mon-itoring of illicit traffickers and assists U.S. and multinational law enforce-ment agencies with the interdiction of these illicit traffickers.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Com-mand/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and com-bined military operations by employ-ing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperabil-ity and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperi-ty in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

USS Ingraham Intercepts 680 Kilograms of Cocaine in Eastern PacificBy Ensign Sarah Lovelace, USS Ingraham Public Affairs

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SPRAY N’ PRAYSailors use a fire main to spray off the flight deck.Photo by MC3(SW) Kelly Agee

CHIEF KNOWS BESTBMC Justin Alfonso places the pelican hook of a RHIB onto a boat winch.Photo by MC3 (SW/AW) Siobhana McEwen

SCRUB A’ DUB DUBSailors and Marines scrub the flight deck.Photo by MC3(SW/AW) Aiyana S. Paschal

On The CoverAn F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to VFA- 122 lands on the flight deck.Photo by MCSN Eli K. Buguey