January 19, 2007 www.hawaii.navy.mil Volume 32 Issue 2

USS Hopper change of commandSee page A-2

Pearl Harbor waterline projectSee page A-4

MDSU One salutes Copernicus Awardwinner See page A- 2

Hawai’i National Volcanoes ParkSee page B-1

MC1 (SW/AW) Keith Jones

Fleet Public Affairs CenterDetachment Hawai’i

USS Salvor (ARS 52) ended a20-year career and was trans-ferred to the Military SealiftCommand (MSC) and rededicat-ed as USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52)in a decommissioning ceremonyheld at Pearl Harbor’s BravoPier on Jan. 12.

The ship was designed for sal-vage of stranded vessels, rescueand assistance, recovery of sub-merged objects and manned div-ing operations and commis-sioned June 14, 1986. Salvorfirst arrived in Pearl Harbor onNov. 1 of the same year and hasbeen patrolling and working inthe Pacific for the past twodecades.

“I am honored to end theproud history of USS Salvor - ahistory of outstanding service toour nation, our Navy and a his-tory of dedicated crews thathave come before us,” said Lt.Cmdr. John C. Howard, USSSalvor’s final commanding offi-cer.

Howard, a Norton, Va. native,commanded Salvor for its mostrecent Western Pacific deploy-ment where it participated inthe Cooperation AfloatReadiness and Training(CARAT) exercise 2006.

Salvor and her crew also wereable to positively identify thewreck of the U.S. Navy subma-rine, USS Lagarto (SS 371). Thesubmarine was lost in battle in1945 during World War II in theGulf of Thailand. Salvor and hercrews throughout the years haveworked with many multi-

national exercises including Rimof the Pacific (RIMPAC)Exercise in 1990, with theRussian Federated Navy duringCooperation from the Sea in1995, and performed salvageoperations with the Republic ofKorea during SALVEX ’96.

Since returning last Octoberfrom deployment, Salvor’s crewwas steadily at work preparingfor the ship’s transfer to MSC.

“I salute you for your tirelessefforts, not only to operateSalvor, but to render her readyfor transfer,” said Rear Adm. T.G. Alexander, Commander, NavyRegion Hawai’i andCommander, Naval SurfaceGroup Middle Pacific, keynotespeaker for the ceremony. “Shelooks magnificent. It’s a tributeto your dedication and your hardwork.”

The ship has already under-gone many modifications to pre-pare it for transfer to MSC, butwill receive automation and con-trol upgrades at Puget SoundNaval Shipyard in Bremerton,Wash. to prepare her for contin-ued service, albeit with a small-er civilian crew.

Howard said that command-ing the Salvor taught him howdependable and dynamic theU.S. Sailor can be.

“Regardless of the situation,”said Howard, “whether it was asurprise or planned event, thecrew of Salvor – every singlemember – was a vital partici-pant and really made everyevent a success.

Capt. Wade Armstrong,Master of USNS Salvor, replacesHoward as commanding officer.The ship will operate out ofPearl Harbor.

U. S. Navy photo by William R. GoodwinSailors man the rails during the decommissioning ceremony held on Jan. 12 for the rescue and salvage ship USS Salvor (ARS52). Designed to salvage stranded vessels, rescue and assistance, recovery of submerged objects and manned diving operations,USS Salvor was commissioned June 14, 1986 and first arrived in Pearl Harbor on Nov. 1 that same year. Most recently, Salvorreturned from a scheduled five-month deployment to Southeast Asia in support of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training(CARAT) Exercise 2006. The ship was transferred to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) upon decommissioning and will bemanned by MSC civil service mariners and is now USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52).

Navy names new aircraftcarrier USS Gerald R. FordDepartment of Defense

Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winterannounced Jan. 16 the selection of GeraldR. Ford as the name of the first aircraftcarrier in what will be the Gerald R. Ford-class of carriers.

The selection honors the 38th president

of the United States and pays tribute tohis lifetime of service in the Navy, in theU.S. government and to the nation.

“President Gerald R. Ford provided theUnited States great leadership at a time ofconstitutional crisis,” said Winter. “I amhonored to have the opportunity to namethe first ship in the new class of aircraftcarriers after this great Sailor, this greatleader, this great man.”

Born in Omaha, Neb. in 1913, Ford grewup in Grand Rapids, Mich. He starred onthe University of Michigan football teamwhere he was a center and team’s mostvaluable player in 1934. After graduation,he attended Yale Law School where heserved as assistant football coach whileearning his law degree.

During World War II, he attained therank of lieutenant commander in the Navyand served on the light carrier, the USSMonterey. After the war, he returned toGrand Rapids where he began the practiceof law and entered political life.

Ford was the first vice president chosenunder the terms of the 25th amendmentand, in the aftermath of the Watergatescandal, succeeded the first president everto resign - serving as the 37th vice presi-dent (1973-1974) and the 38th president ofthe United States (1974-1977). Prior tobecoming vice president, he served formore than eight years as the Republicanminority leader of the House ofRepresentatives as a representative fromMichigan’s fifth Congressional district.

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) will be thepremier forward asset for crisis responseand early decisive striking power in amajor combat operation. The carrier andthe carrier strike group will provide for-ward presence, rapid response, enduranceon station, and multi-mission capability.

Gerald R. Ford and subsequent Ford-class carriers will provide improved warfighting capability, quality of life improve-ments for Sailors, and reduced acquisitionand life cycle costs.

U.S. Navy photo by MCC Shawn P. Eklund Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), the HonorableDr. Donald C. Winter speaks to an audience of300 during the official naming ceremony of theUSS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first aircraftcarrier in the Ford class of carriers.

USS Port Royal grants a wish

U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Mark TanisTen-year-old Micah Vaughn and his family from Erie, Pa. were guests aboard the USS PortRoyal (CG 73) during a visit to Pearl Harbor on Jan. 16. Micah has a blood disorder and hiswish was to visit Pearl Harbor. His visit was made possible by the Make-a-Wish Foundation.Capt. David Adler hosted the family and Ensign Jeremiah Slack took them on a tour of theship, all capped off by lunch in the wardroom. Micah was presented with a flag that flew overPort Royal, a signed photograph and a ship’s coin.

USS Salvor gets decommissioned, transfers to MSC

A-2 Hawai’i Navy News January 19, 2007

Sunlight powers up Merry Point Landing at nightKrista Stehn

Naval Facilities EngineeringCommand Hawai’i EnergyTeam

In Hawai’i, we are fortunateto have an abundance of sun-shine throughout the year. Itnot only enables us to enjoy thebeaches and other outdooractivities, but the sun is also agreat source of electricalpower.

Navy Region Hawai’i hastapped into this plentiful ener-gy source, using it to supportthe region’s electrical powerneeds. One example of this isthe solar powering of a smallboat landing at Pearl Harbor.

The Merry Point LandingPhotovoltaic (PV) Project wascompleted approximately fivemonths ago. Originally, powerfor the landing was suppliedby power lines from BravoPiers that were installed in the1930s.

In 2002, this duct work col-lapsed due to saltwater corro-sion. At that time, Clint Miller,

Navy Facilities EngineeringCommand (NAVFAC) Hawai’ifacility manager, began look-ing for various alternatives torestore electricity to the land-ing.

Miller discovered that PVsolar energy was a good option.It was a less expensive, morereliable, and long-term energysavings solution for the land-ing.

“Projects such as the MerryPoint Landing PV Project aregreat examples of how to usesolar electricity when alterna-tives are either too costly orimpractical,” said Miller. “Istrongly encourage everyone toexplore alternative sources ofenergy, like photovoltaic,rather than simply relying ontraditional forms of electricity.”

Photovoltaic or PV solarenergy is a proven technologythat uses solar cells to provideelectricity. Solar cells producedirect current electricity fromthe sun’s rays which can thenbe used as a principal or sup-plementary source of electricalpower.

Today, Merry Point Landinghas one PV solar panel thatprovides up to five nights oflighting. According to Miller,the PV solar panel “providesrestorable, dependable andconvenient lighting for thelanding.”

Electricity from the sun is aversatile technology and theproject at Merry Point Landingis one of many solar energyprojects implemented by NavyRegion Hawai’i. Other currentuses of solar energy by theregion include photovoltaicstreet lights and traffic signson Pearl Harbor and solarwater heating in Navy familyhousing.

“I applaud Clint for hisaggressive pursuit of energyefficient projects and his fore-sight to use renewable energyin his projects,” said KevinSaito, NAVFAC Hawai’i ener-gy manager. “If more facilitymanagers followed his lead,the region would soon be theleader in the Navy’s energyefforts, as well as paying alower energy bill.”

U.S. Navy photo by Denise EmsleyClint Miller, Naval Facilities Engineering Hawai’i facility manager, showcases the photovoltaic solarpanel that provides electricity to Merry Point Landing.

USS Hopper welcomes new commanding officerStory and photo byMC2 (AW/SW) Justin P. Nesbitt

Fleet Public Affairs CenterDetachment Hawai’i

USS Hopper (DDG 70) took partin a Navy time honored traditionof passing command from oneskipper to another at a change ofcommand ceremony held at NavalStation Pearl Harbor’s Bravo Pieron Jan 12. Cmdr. Jeffrey W. Jamesrelieved Cmdr. Peter M. Driscoll ascommanding officer of the PearlHarbor-based guided missiledestroyer.

Driscoll assumed command ofthe Hopper in March 2005. Duringhis tour as commanding officer ofHopper, the ship took part in aCooperative Afloat Readiness andTraining cruise and participatedin six bi-lateral exercises.

“Time has flown like the wind

and it tends to do so when you’rehaving fun. I have truly enjoyed itall,” said Driscoll. “To the crew, Istand in awe of all that you haveaccomplished over the last 22months, the conditions underwhich you have flourished, andyour resilience and dedication.”

On hand for the event were theHopper’s 330 crew members aswell as other local unit command-ers and family, includingCommander, Destroyer Squadron31, Capt. Fredrick Pfirrmann,keynote speaker for the change ofcommand.

He remarked about the Hopper’sgood will and successes underDriscoll’s command.

“Congratulations on a fabulouscommand tour. You have completedyour mission. You have made a dif-ference,” Pfirrmann said. “Hopper’sefforts will provide lasting good willfor the years to come.”

Pfirrmann also welcomed Jamesto the Hopper as well as to theDESRON 31 family.

“Welcome to the Ke Koa O Ke Kaiof DESRON 31 and the band ofbrothers that leads the ships of thePearl Harbor waterfront,” he said.

The orders were read and thenexecuted and James took the reinsas new commanding officer ofHopper.

“What an honor and privilege itis to be given the opportunity tocommand a ship as great as theUSS Hopper,” said James. “There isno other endeavor I would rathertake than this one.”

Now that his tour in Hawai’i iscomplete, Driscoll will report asexecutive assistant forCommander Third Fleet in SanDiego.

USS Hopper is one of six guidedmissile destroyers that are home-ported at Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i.

Cmdr. Jeffrey W. James relieved Cmdr. Peter M. Driscoll as commanding officerof the Pearl Harbor-based, guided missile destroyer, USS Hopper, during a changeof command ceremony at Naval Station Pearl Harbor’s Bravo Pier on Jan 12.

Damage control at the wet trainer

U.S. Navy Photo by MC2 Justin P. NesbittDamage Control Fireman Apprentice Ashley Lorenz approaches a hole with a bucket patch dur-ing the 2007 DC Olympics Held at the damage control wet trainer on Pearl Harbor. The DCOlympics are an annual event held at Pearl Harbor sponsored by Afloat Training Group MiddlePacific to help increase shipboard fire team readiness and camaraderie through a fun andpractical means.

MDSU One salutes Copernicus Award winnerLt. Chris Wolff

Mobile Diving and SalvageUnit One Public Affairs

Information SystemsTechnician 1st Class RyanBroyles, currently assignedto Mobile Diving andSalvage Unit (MDSU) Oneat Naval Station PearlHarbor, was named aCopernicus Award winnerfor 2006.

In a recent message to thefleet, the Armed ForcesCommunications andElectronics Association(AFCEA) and the U.S.Naval Institute announcedthe Copernicus Award win-ners for 2006.

Broyles, a native ofTipton, Mo., was one of only26 Navy, Marine and CoastGuard officer, enlisted andcivilian personnel who werechosen for the prestigiousaward which recognizes sig-nificant contributions to theadvancement of militarycommunications.

He will receive formalrecognition at a banquetheld for all CopernicusAward winners on Jan. 31in San Diego, Calif.

He was recognized for hisdevelopment of MDSUOne’s command and controlsuite from an empty, excessexpandable light air mobile

system (ELAMS). His lead-ership and forward think-ing resulted in the develop-ment of an enhanced fieldcommand and control sys-tem that includes satellitecommunications, secret andunclassified computer landarea networks, global com-mand and control - mar-itime (GCCS-M), and com-

mand and control personalcomputer.

These capabilities, alongwith an increase in networkcapacity, enabled MDSUOne to develop from a sin-gle card table with a fieldradio into a modern taskgroup level communicationssuite that can simultane-ously control multipledetachments in support ofexpeditionary operations.

When asked what hethought of receiving such aprestigious award, Broylesstated, “It is a genuinehonor to receive such highrecognition from my peers.”He also gave high praise toMDSU One. “My assign-ment at MDSU has beenboth rewarding and chal-lenging and I would rank itas one of my best tours inthe Navy to date,” he said.

Mobile Diving andSalvage Unit One is anexpeditionary diving andsalvage command and partof Commander, NavalExpeditionary CombatCommand which was estab-lished in January 2006. Itcombines diving and sal-vage, explosive ordnancedisposal, combat cameraand SEABEE units underone umbrella to standardizethe manning, training andequipping of expeditionaryforces.

IT1 Ryan Broyles

Commander, Navy Region Hawai’iRear Adm. T. G. Alexander

Chief of Staff, Navy Region Hawai’iCapt. Taylor Skardon

Public Affairs Officer - Lt. Barbara Mertz

Deputy Public Affairs Officer - Agnes Tauyan

Managing Editor - MCC (SW/AW) David Rush

Leading Petty Officer - MC1 (AW/SW) James Foehl

Editor - Karen Spangler

Technical Adviser - Joe Novotny

Layout/Design - Tony Verceluz

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January 19, 2007 Hawai’i Navy News A-3

Focus on drug andalcohol awarenessFORCM (SS/SW) DeanIrwin

Commander, NavalSubmarine Forces

As we look forward to anexciting new year, manySailors are looking toaccomplish new goals andset the scene for where theyare headed in 2007.

With high expectationsfrom senior leaders andpeers, it is easy for manySailors to developunhealthy habits in theprocess of tackling theirnewly-established efforts.Two of the most commonhabitual habits come intoplay when drugs and alco-hol are consumed.

To help decrease drugattrition in the new year,Sailors can expect a highlyvisible and unpredictableurinalysis testing schedule.This method of deterrencehas been used across thefleet, raising urinalysiscompliance 13 percentsince last fiscal year. Theincrease in complianceresulted in a 19 percentdecrease in drug attritionlast year alone.

Consider how detrimen-

tal inci-dents ofdrug anda l c o h o labuse areto aS a i l o r ’ scareer andp e r s o n a llife. Then e g a t i v eeffects areplaced not

only on the Sailor, but alsoimpact mission readiness.

To aid in the awarenessand prevention, you areencouraged to support theoverall goal of reducingdrug and alcohol attrition.Documentation of DUI[driving under the influ-ence] offenses in [service]member’s annual evalua-tions and putting measuresin place such as the SafeRide Programs and com-mand awards for an estab-lished number of days with-out an alcohol-r elated inci-dent can make the differ-ence in maintaining goodorder and discipline.

The use of alcohol shouldbe done with safe andresponsible behavior. Besafe and let’s have a great2007.

Christening Battleship Missouri

Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives

Margaret Truman, Missouri’s sponsor, christens the ship during launching ceremonies at the New York Navy Yard, on Jan. 29,1944. Looking on are (left to right): Rear Adm. Monroe R. Kelly, New York Navy Yard commandant; Rear Adm. Sherman S.Kennedy, USN; and Senator Harry S. Truman of Missouri, the sponsor’s father.

FORCM (SS/SW)Dean Irwin

Accredited FinancialCounselors

Pearl Harbor Fleet and Family Support Center

Credit is big businessin America. Interest onconsumer purchasesbrings over $100 billioninto the economy eachyear. With so muchmoney to be made, it isno wonder that con-sumers have so manycredit cards from whichto choose. Choosingcarefully among cardsand using credit wiselycan make a big differ-ence in how much cred-it costs. Here are sometips on winning withcredit:

• Compare theadvantages whenchoosing amongcredit card offers.Many credit cards havespecial features thatmay make them moredesirable than others.Examples wouldinclude no annual fee,lower interest rates, agrace period, free airmiles, cash back, orsome other incentive.

• Pay close atten-tion to fees. Possiblefees include charges forbeing late, over thelimit, and taking cashadvances. Avoid situa-tions where fees areimposed to reduce yourtotal credit cost.

• Ask for betterterms. Ask your creditcard company to reduceyour interest rate ordrop the annual fee.Often they will oblige tokeep your business.

• Limit credit pur-chases. Credit shouldbe used carefully. Use

it only for items thatgain in value, such as ahome purchase, or forconvenience, such as anemergency airplaneticket.

•Pay the balance infull. Credit cards canbe useful tools but, ifonly the minimum pay-ment is made, they canalso be expensive ones.Paying the balance eachmonth allows the userto take advantage of theconvenience of creditcards without becomingmired in making mini-mum payments that dolittle to reduce debt.

•Allow yourselfonly one credit cardfor the upcoming hol-iday shopping. Creditcards should be usedonly to improve cashflow and collect fre-quent flyer miles.Anyone using creditcards to pay forChristmas in Decemberwill probably start theNew Year with a spend-ing hangover. Decidehow much you canafford to pay off inJanuary and thencharge that much andno more. Say it’s $500.Keep your receipts andsubtract each one fromthe balance, as if you’reusing a checkbook.Better yet, use a debitcard or checks. Somecharges may squeakthrough. But you won’tdread opening Januarybills.

For more informationon credit cards or themany financial educa-tion programs offeredat the Pearl HarborFleet and FamilySupport Center, call474-1999.

Choosing andusing credit cards

CNO discusses Navy’s future

U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Chad J. McNeeleyChief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen holds an all hands call on Jan. 9 with students assigned to the Naval War College.During the all hands call, Mullen discussed the future of the Navy, individual augmentees in the global war on terrorism, deckplate leadership, and took questions from the audience.

A-4 Hawai’i Navy News January 19, 2007

MC2 (AW/NAC) Eric J. Rowley

Fleet Public Affairs Center DetachmentNorthwest

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)Sailors said goodbye to their familymembers and friends Jan. 16 as theship departed Naval Base KitsapBremerton, Wash. for San Diego toonload Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9. Thecarrier, with its embarked air wing,USS Antietam (CG 54), and USS Preble(DDG 88), will deploy from San Diegoon Jan. 20.

USS O’Kane (DDG 77) and USS PaulHamilton (DDG 60) will deploy fromtheir homeport of Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i.

Stennis is the flagship forCommander, Carrier Strike Group(CCSG) 3, headed by Rear Adm. KevinM. Quinn.

“I’m ready for deployment,” saidMachinist’s Mate Fireman Josh Layton.“They gave us a heads-up to get ourstuff in order and they gave us plenty of

time for leave to see our families.”Stennis’ embarked air wing consists

of the F/A-18C Hornet, F/A-18E/F SuperHornet, EA-6B Prowler, E-2C Hawkeye2000, C-2A Greyhound and SH-60F/HH-60H Seahawk. The aircraft canbe used to conduct strikes, support landbattles, protect the CSG or other friend-ly ships, and implement a sea or airblockade.

The John C. Stennis Strike Group willoperate in the Persian Gulf region withthe Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group,already in the Central Command areaof operations. The presence of two air-craft carriers, while not unprecedented,demonstrates U.S. resolve to bring secu-rity and stability to the region.

These strike groups will supportOperation Enduring Freedom,Operation Iraqi Freedom and CombinedJoint Task Force Horn of Africa, and willconduct maritime security operations.They will also work closely with allies tobuild regional security and long-termstability.

Stennis has a flight deck of about 4.5acres and towers nearly seven storiesabove the sea. The ship is capable of car-rying a crew of about 5,600 Sailors,more than 3.5 million gallons of fuel, 70aircraft, and enough weapons andstores for extended operations withoutreplenishment.

The ship’s two nuclear reactors give itvirtually unlimited range andendurance and a top speed in excess of30 knots. The ship’s four catapults andfour arresting gear engines enable it tolaunch and recover aircraft rapidly andsimultaneously.

Some Stennis Sailors are looking for-ward to some of the challenges ahead aswell as time to receive shipboard quali-fications.

“The thing I’m looking forward to themost is just learning my rate,” saidQuartermaster Seaman RecruitCatherine J. Schools. “My dad who is aretired chief says the first time you getto see a sunset at sea, you will knowwhy you joined the Navy.”

U.S. Navy photo by MCC Jerry McLainNimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) steams out of Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton, Wash. on Jan. 16 as it starts ascheduled seven-month deployment. Stennis will embark Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-8) in San Diego before they head toward the FifthFleet area of responsibility.

Pearl Harbor waterline project –3,000 feet remaining Story and photo byDenise Emsley

Naval Facilities EngineeringCommand Hawai’i PublicAffairs

What if you turned on yourwater tap at home or at workand found out there was nowater? Just think, you couldhave suds in your hair, dirtydishes in your sink, andparched flowers just outsideyour door. Since you, alongwith most everyone else, do notlike being inconvenienced,your expectations probably donot take into account thatwater systems can fail if theyare poorly maintained, or haveoutlived their normal lifecycle.

To protect Navy water usersfrom broken pipes and watershut downs, Naval FacilitiesEngineering Command,Hawai’i’s (NAVFAC Hawai’i)utilities employees are close tofinishing a three-phased, $13million project that began inJanuary 2002. It is expected tobe completed by this summer.

The project calls for thereplacement of 15,850 feet of24-inch/18-inch cast ironwaterline, installed in the1920s, with new 30-inch/24-inch/18-inch ductile iron line.The new Navy waterline willextend from the CommandPacific Fleet Boathouse, pastthe Arizona Memorial VisitorCenter, onto Fleet IndustrialSupply Center, past NavalStation’s submarine base areato Nimitz Gate, down SouthStreet, right at Paul HamiltonStreet, and will end at the har-bor control tower on PearlHarbor Naval Shipyard.

This line brings water fromthe Navy’s main water shaft atWaiawa in Pearl City to a mul-titude of Pearl Harbor cus-tomers. The new pipeline islarger in some sections and canaccommodate higher waterpressure, allowing more waterto be moved through the line tocustomers.

“This project has beensteady work that has pro-

gressed as expected,” saidMitchell Sakai, project engi-neer. “On most days, crews areable to install about 40 feet ofpipeline a day. Every so often,we have to deal with otherexisting utility lines. Then thecrew is required to do a lot ofhand shoveling to make surethose systems remain undam-aged.”

Currently, waterline effortsare in phase three in operationon Paul Hamilton Street. Workwill continue toward the PearlHarbor Naval Shipyard area.The project has less than 3,000feet of waterline left to com-plete and will end at the har-bor control tower next to build-ing one.

“By using NAVFAC Hawai’iutilities personnel for this proj-ect, the Navy saved approxi-mately $300 per square linearfoot or $4.755 million,” saidSakai. “The Navy first lookedat contracting this job out, butfound in-house forces would beable to complete the job morecost effectively.”

Replacement of the old1920s pipeline with a newerline is very important for thehealth of the Navy’s PearlHarbor water system. And, bykeeping it in good repair, it isless likely to fail.

Currently, waterline efforts are inphase three in operation on PaulHamilton Street. Work will contin-ue toward the Pearl Harbor NavalShipyard area. The project hasless than 3,000 feet of waterlineleft to complete and will end atthe harbor control tower next tobuilding one.

USS John C. Stennis deployswith Carrier Strike Group 3

Highlights

January 19, 2007 Hawai’i Navy News A-5

(Above) Electricians Mate 3rdClass Nick Fluhr, assigned toOliver Hazard Perry-class guidedmissile frigate USS ReubenJames (FFG 57), slam dunks abasketball during a 3 on 3 bas-ketball tournament at BlochArena gym aboard Naval StationPearl Harbor. The basketballtournament is one of severalcompetitions taking place thisweek for the annual Surface NavyAssociation Surface Line Week.

U.S. Navy photo by MC1 (SW/AW) James E. Foehl

(Left) Hull Technician 1st ClassRobert Thompson grabs shoringtimber off the bulkhead duringthe 2007 DC Olympics

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Justin P. Nesbitt

(Above) Damage Controlman 2ndClass Jeffries starts and oper-ates a P-150 fire pump during the 2007 DC Olympics.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Justin P. Nesbitt

(Right) Chief InformationSystems Technician EddieGranger, assigned to the OliverHazard Perry-class guided mis-sile frigate USS Crommelin (FFG37), drives toward the net toscore a basket during a 3 on 3basketball tournament at BlochArena gym aboard Naval StationPearl Harbor. The basketballtournament is one of severalcompetitions taking place thisweek for the annual SurfaceNavy Association Surface LineWeek. Surface Line Week con-sists of a series of competitiveevents designed to promote rat-ing skill development, physicalreadiness, teamwork, esprit decorps and sportsmanshipamong the surface ships.U.S. Navy photo by MC1 (SW/AW) James E. Foehl

Surface Line Week

Team members attempt to patch a ruptured pipe during the 2007DC Olympics held at the CNE Damage Control Wet Trainer on PearlHarbor.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Justin P. Nesbitt

A-6 Hawai’i Navy News January 19, 2007

Navy on right track for traffic safetyApril Phillips

Naval Safety Center PublicAffairs

Motor vehicle safety is oneaspect of mission readinessthat often goes unnoticed,but in a complete turn-around from fiscal year2006, the Navy is off to itsbest year ever as Sailors userisk management strategiesto stay safe on the roads.

During fiscal year 2006, 78Sailors lost their lives as aresult of incidents involvingmotor vehicles, according toCmdr. Ed Hobbs, who leadsthe Naval Safety Center’sdata management andanalysis team. He said thatas of Jan. 3, 2007, 13 Sailorshad been killed, a 55 percentreduction compared to thesame time period last year.

While mission readinessgoals often focus on trainingand manning levels, Capt.William Glenn, head of theshore safety directorate at

the Naval Safety Center,believes it is important toinclude traffic safety in theequation.

“It affects the smallerunits more, but all of theunits are affected,” he said.

Glenn pointed to fourSailors stationed in the

same department aboardUSS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) who were killed in a traf-fic accident last year.

“It was one single eventthat was devastating to theship," said Glenn. "From amorale standpoint, the effectit has on the crew and the

people they worked withcannot be overstated.”

Lincoln was about to com-plete a scheduled shipyard-maintenance period and wasin a crucial part of its train-ing cycle, making the blow tomission readiness especiallyheavy.

“All of these incidents havesome effect on readiness. It’sa hole that is not easilyfilled, especially when you’retalking about someone who’sbeen through their wholetraining track,” Glenn said.

Chuck Roberts, head of thesafety center’s traffic safetydivision, agreed with Glenn.

“A chain is only as strongas its weakest link and ifthat link breaks, the wholechain breaks. That’s whathappens when you losesomeone as a result of a traf-fic accident,” said Roberts.

Fiscal year 2006 was theworst in 12 years in terms ofprivate motor vehiclemishaps - so Navy leaderstook action. A committee of

flag officers formed the NavyExecutive Safety Board,which meets periodically todiscuss new safety initia-tives. According to Hobbs,these leaders have focused alot of their attention onmotor vehicle safety since itis the leading cause of deathfor Sailors.

Using tools providedthrough coordinated cam-paigns from the NavalSafety Center, ships’ com-manding officers and basecommanders have madetraffic safety a priority.

“Traffic safety is all aboutrisk management,” saidCapt. David C. Dykhoff, USSGeorge Washington (CVN73) (GW) commanding offi-cer.

“In almost every accidentinvolving a Sailor, we findthat there were some elevat-ed risk factors. The goodnews is that we can controlwhether or not we put our-selves in situations wherewe know we’ll be at higher

risk, particularly situationssuch as driving while intoxi-cated, fatigued, or withoutseat belts. Those risk factorsrepresent, to steal a linefrom Tom Clancy, a ‘clearand present danger’ to ourbodies, our family members,our fellow motorists, and theoperational readiness of ourcommands,” explainedDykhoff.

He said GeorgeWashington supports safetythrough education, mentor-ing, and the implementationof the GW Safe Cab pro-gram, where Sailors can geta ride back to the ship ifthey’ve had too much todrink.

One of the new toolsRoberts and his staff aredeveloping is a Web-basedtest that will assess high-risk driving behavior. Theyhope to use this tool to iden-tify Sailors who need inter-vention in the form of addi-tional driver’s education andawareness.

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January 19, 2007 Hawai’i Navy News A-7

Battleship Missouri Memorial says ‘mahalo’ with Crew Members’ DayUSS Missouri MemorialAssociation

Exclusive sneak peaks into pre-viously off-limits spaces aboardthe Battleship Missouri Memorial,a boat tour of Pearl Harbor, storiesfrom its Hawaiian and militaryhistory, and accounts of life at seafrom the world’s last battleshipcaptain - these are a few high-lights being planned for the USSMissouri Memorial Association’ssevennth annual Crew Members’Day on Jan. 27.

Held each year in honor of the‘Mighty Mo’s’ supporters, CrewMembers’ Day 2007 will mark the63rd anniversary of the battle-ship’s launching from New YorkNaval Shipyard.

“Crew Members’ Day is our wayof saying ‘thank you’ to partici-pants in our ‘Heroes of the MightyMo’ membership program,” saidDon Hess, president and chiefoperating officer of the associa-tion. “We have quite a full day instore for 2007 participants.Activities will include the oppor-tunity to be among the first toexperience the newest additiononboard the battleship, the CPOLegacy Center. Located in Chiefs’Country, the first-of-its-kind CPOLegacy Center is dedicated to thelegacy of the Navy’s chief pettyofficers.”

Retired U.S. Navy Capt. AlbertLee Kaiss, the 20th and 23rd cap-tain of the USS Missouri, will alsoshare his experiences and recol-lections as the world’s last battle-ship captain. A resident of SanDiego, Kaiss is traveling to

Hawai’i for Crew Members’ Day.Each year, Crew Members’ Day

features behind-the-scenes toursof operations at the BattleshipMissouri Memorial in PearlHarbor and interaction with staffand volunteers to answer ques-tions about current and futureprograms, exhibits and events.

In 2007, participants will expe-rience a significantly expandedand detailed tour compared to pre-vious years, complete with histori-

cal experiences and tours that gobeyond the Missouri. The day’sactivities will include:

7:30 a.m. Visit to USS UtahMemorial on Ford Island.

8:00 a.m. Flag raising ceremo-ny at the USS Utah Memorial(afterward, participants will re-board the shuttle for transport tothe Battleship MissouriMemorial).

8:45 a.m. History of PearlHarbor by Kamaki Kanahele.

9:30 a.m. White boat tour ofPearl Harbor departing from PierFoxtrot 2.

10:30 a.m. Tour of CPO (chiefpetty officer) Legacy Center.

11:30 a.m. Lunch.12:15 p.m. Experiences and

recollections of the USS Missouri’slast captain, Capt. Lee Kaiss (theworld’s last battleship captain).

Crew Members’ Day is an exclu-sive benefit for participants in theUSS Missouri Memorial

Association’s ‘Heroes of theMighty Mo’ membership program.However, those who are not cur-rently members, but wish to par-ticipate in Crew Members’ Daycan still do so if they sign up for amembership by today. For moreinformation, call (808) 423-1260 ore-mail development@ussmis-souri.org.

The USS Missouri is the world’slast battleship, best known for herrole as the site of Japan’s formalWorld War II Instrument ofSurrender. Following an astound-ing career spanning five decadesand three wars (WWII, Korea andOperation Desert Storm). the 887-foot, 45,000-ton ‘Mighty Mo’ isnow open to visitors in PearlHarbor as the Battleship MissouriMemorial.

She remains an American iconunder the tireless care of the USSMissouri Memorial Association, Inc.,a private Hawai’i-based 501(c)(3)non-profit organization whose mis-sion is to create and maintain a fit-ting memorial to the people and his-toric events reflecting our nation’sproud legacy of duty, honor,strength, resolve and sacrifice.

The memorial is supported byadmissions, retail and concessionsales, donations, grants, and thework of volunteers. It is not sup-ported by government funding.The association was formed in1994 and includes a cross-sectionof leaders from Hawai’i’s business,civic, political and retired militarycommunities. President GeorgeHerbert Walker Bush is thememorial’s honorary chairman ofthe board.

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy office turns 40MCCS (SW/AW) Bill Houlihan

MCPON Public Affairs

At a retirement ceremony Jan.12, one day prior to the fortiethanniversary of the inception of theMaster Chief Petty Officer of theNavy, MCPON (SW/FMF) Joe R.Campa Jr. reminded chief pettyofficers here what he expects ofthem as deckplate leaders.

Addressing a number of area

chiefs at the retirement ceremonyof Master Chief ElectronicsTechnician (SW) Mickey Manes,Campa recalled the chief petty offi-cers who led and trained he andManes as they grew up in theNavy, and said he envisions areturn to their traditional type ofleadership.

“Those chiefs were cut from acloth of leadership that I want toblanket the Navy with today,” saidCampa. “They had something I like

to refer to as ‘CPO presence.’ Whenthey walked into a space, the toneof the entire space changed. Theywere uncompromising leaders.”

Campa said that when Del Blackwas appointed the first MCPON in1967, his goals were similar tothose of Campa’s 40 years later.

“MCPON Black was a true chief.He knew the value of communica-tion, of listening to his Sailors, andthe absolute need for our communi-ty to take on the role of standard

bearers, to enforce those standardsamongst ourselves as well as upand down the chain of command,”he added.

The eleventh master chief to holdthe position, Campa said that thenine men who followed Black eachentered the office with one goal inmind - the development of theenlisted force as Sailors and peo-ple.

“Each of us has had our ownstyle and way of doing things, but

there has been a constant themefor 40 years from Del Black to TomCrow to John Hagan to me: pro-viding Sailors the best opportunityto succeed,” he said.

Campa echoed that in hisremarks at Manes’ retirement cer-emony. He said that as a Sailor’scharacter strengthens, so too willhis commitment to the Navy.

Campa and Manes servedtogether on USS Frank Cable (AS40) from 2003 to 2005.

U.S. Navy photo by William R. Goodwin The decommissioned battleship USS Missouri (BB 63) is illuminated by the setting sun during a tribute ceremony forretired Chief Boatswain’s Mate Harold B. Estes.

MC2 (SW) Brian P. Biller

Naval Special WarfarePublic Affairs

January marks the45th anniversary of theinception of the Navy’sSEAL (sea, air, land) teams.From those early days of theSEALs, it has been theintense training and broth-er-like bond for their team-mates that has forged thecore of the naval special war-fare community.

Prior to 1962, there wereforces in place that did someof the jobs performed bytoday’s SEALs, many whoseroots and manpower wereintegral in the forming of thefirst teams.

“The SEALs officiallycame from the underwaterdemolition teams (UDT),”according to Roger B. Clapp,Naval Special Warfare(SPECWAR) Command forcehistorian. “But you can real-ly trace the SEAL heritageback to the scouts andraiders and naval combatdemolition units which wereactive only during WorldWar II.”

“They needed 100 volun-teers for this demolition out-fit,” said retired Lt. JosephDiMartino, who found him-self a 17-year-old seaman onthe beaches of Normandy onJune 6, 1944. DiMartinostayed in the communityand eventually became oneof the original members or‘plank owners’ for SEALTeam Two.

“It was a lot of training. Imean we had a line ofschools that we had to gothrough and they were fan-tastic,” he said, “like Ft.Bragg special weapons - youknow, all kind of foreignweapons, HALO (high alti-tude low opening) parachut-ing.”

Back in the early days, theSEALs technology was notas advanced as today.

“We had swim trunks, blueand gold shirts, coral shoesand a k-bar,” said retiredMaster Chief BoilerTechnician (SEAL) Peter P.Slempa Jr., SEAL Team Oneplank owner. “The onlyweapon that was reliable inthe surf was the .45 cal.‘grease gun.’”

Slempa also echoed therigorous training schedule.

“The training pipeline washectic,” he said. “We attend-ed Army basic airborne atFt. Benning, arctic survivalwith the Royal Canadian AirForce, and jungle survival inPanama.”

In addition, Slempa saidthey received Vietnameselanguage training and othertraining as it became avail-able.

Slempa added that the cal-iber of personnel has notchanged though.

“We were and are the bestthere is,” he said.

“Today’s SPECWARSEALs are the best fightingforce the armed forces have,”DiMartino added.

“A lot of people think wemake SEALs here,” saidSenior Chief Special WarfareOperator (SEAL) DanielGearhart, basic underwaterdemolition / SEAL (BUD/S)first Phase leading chief pettyofficer. “We don’t. We findthem. It’s like diamond min-ing, you gotta’ throw out a lotof dirt and you gotta’ digthrough and get your handsdirty and find SEALs, becauseyou don’t make them.”

Gearhart is not the firstmember of his family to be aSEAL.

“My father was in Class

32 ,UDT 11 and

team one,” he said.“I grew up around ... all

these guys back in the daythat were running aroundmy house that are legends inthe frogman communitynow, guys that we all standon their shoulders because ofwhat they did,” said

Gearhart. “I grew uparound those guys and

thought it was kind of neatand the lifestyle was attrac-tive to me.”

Twenty years later,Gearhart imparts his wis-dom to new recruits, draw-ing from the chiefs and sen-ior chiefs who were inVietnam and trained him.

“The student haschanged,” he said, “When Iwent through, I was thenorm. I was a young kid, did-n’t really fit into the collegemode, and didn’t really wantto start a nine to five - Iwanted more. And now theyoung recruit that comes in

usually has a college degreeor some college. He’s a lotsmarter. They ask a lot morequestions, so the traininghas changed to meet whatwe need, but the rudimenta-ry core elements of our train-ing haven’t.”

Gearhart added that whilea lot of the training hasevolved, it hasn’t necessarilychanged, and while some ofthe specific missions fordeployed SEALs may havechanged, the overall missionhas not.

“We are, I think, the firstchoice when it comes to hit-ting the target. I think bat-tlefield commanders want

SEALs to do the job andthey wanted them backthen because they were thebest at it. They want themin Afghanistan and Iraqnow because they’re goingto get the job done,” hesaid.

When asked for the fond-est memory that he was ableto share, Gearhart unhesi-tatingly stated, “The day Igot my Trident, absolutely.”

Instructors like Gearhartensure the strength of theSEAL community for manyyears to come. The men wholaid that foundation still findthemselves missing the action,even in their golden years.

“It’s just the way we were,the teams and the men, thecamaraderie, it lives withyou forever. I mean, younever forget your buddy. Younever forget your shipmate.You never forget the team.You never forget the opera-tions and everything. That’swhat comes back, memoriesof all of the good times andthe bad times - but alwaysthe good times,” DiMartinosaid. “I’m very proud andhappy to have been part ofthe military, part of theSEALs, part of special war-fare and if I was a youngerman, I would still love to beback in there with them.”

Training, teamwork key to 45 years of Navy SEALsA-8 Hawai’i Navy News January 19, 2007

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