editor at large: it2(sw) langston
TRANSCRIPT
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
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So why do w e protectthis oil platfo rm? Simple: ABOTis responsible fo r nearly 85% ofthe Iraqi governmental revenuewith the more than one millionbarrels of crude oil it produces
each day. The personnel sta-tioned on the platform are re-sponsible for the defense of theplatform, and its a responsibilitythat they obviously do not takelight ly. The tou r was a greatlearning experience and ithelped many of us understandthe big p icture just a little bitbetter. Thanks to those whowelcomed us on the platformand provided us with the oppor-tunity to see the history andhear the stories. Also, specialthanks has to go out to the peo-ple who are responsible forsetting the tours up, getting theRHIB in the water, and all thelogistics that went into makingour tours happen.
(SEE ABOT RA DRILL PG 3)
Many of us were givenan opportunity to tour the oilplatform ABOT over the last fewweeks. I signed up for this touropportunity as soon as I heardabout it. After all, I wanted to
see exactly what it w as that wewere protecting and why w ewere steaming around in t hisbox. Thanks to the tour, I gotthat chance to find out this in-formation and quite a bit mo re.
We took a short ride inthe RHIB over to the platformwhere we were greeted andgiven bottles of w ater. The intro-ductory tour began w ith basicinformation about ABOT, or AlBasrah Oil Terminal. It was inter-esting to discover that ABOTwas constructed in 1975 and it
was only expected to last for 20years. Looking around, it waseasy to see that there had beenreconstruction and other cos-metic work done on the plat-form to p rolong its life.
We moved up onelevel to check out the CommandCenter of the platform. I thinkwe were all surprised to see thatthe offices of the staff sta-tioned on the platform weresimple CONNEX boxes. Wedidnt get a chance to look in-side one, but lets face it, how
luxurious can you make a CON-NEX box?
As we continued ourtour, we heard stories aboutattacks on the platform and thenumerous attempts by differentcount ries to take it over. Storiesabout how the U.S. Navy Sealsstormed the platforms and tookcontrol of it we recounted,along with stories like how suici-dal water craft came inbound atthe platform in 2004. Bulletholes can still be found through-
out the platform from the vari-ous gun fights that had takenplace. One platform in particularwas riddled with bullet holes.Someone had drawn a chalkoutline of a body on the deck in
jest. It was funny for us, but Imsure on the day that the bulletswere flying, it wasnt quite sofunn y. Needless to say, there isdefinitely a lot of h istory w iththis platform.
We saw each of thefour tanker berths where shipshook up to take on the preciouscargo of crude oil. We also got atour of the mess hall, barbershop, recreational lounge, andthe workout Facilities. Beingstuck on the platform formonths at a time (much like
deployment on a ship) can getvery mundane. It was obviousthoug h, that MWR was workinghard to keep morale up and togive everyone there opportuni-ties to relax. Amenities includedtelevision, internet, a recentlyadded basketball goal, a smallcardio center, weight sets, andthe w eekly ice cream socialspent developing camaraderiebetween the different nationsthat protect the platform.
CHAPS, STAT IONED ON ABOT,
EDUCATING HOPPER SAILORS
ABOUT ABOTS HISTORY
ABOT TOURS Written by FC1 CootsI N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
PROMOTION 2
NAVY
TRADITION
2
ABOT R&A 3
MW R 4
CASINO NIGHT 5
SRF-B 6
SPORTS
CAPSULE
7
FITNESS 7
HAI L & FARE-
W ELL
8
FIGHTING FORFREEDOM
8
CELEBRITY
GOSSIP
9
MILITARY
NEW S
9
HOROSCOPES 10
ESW S
W ARRIORS
11
HOPPER
MARATHON
11
CMC NO TE 12
PICTURE
CAPTION
13
SATIRE 13
E D I T O R A T L AR G E :
I T 2 ( S W ) L A N G ST O N
AMAZING SCUTTLEBUTT1 5 D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 9V O L U M E 0 9 , I S S U E 0 3
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P A G E 2
GSM1 Santillian
OS1 Scott
DC2Avery
IT2 Langston
CTT2 Steward
FC2 Weyant
STG2 Merriweather
CS2 Reed
CTT3 Groo
OS3 Lindsay
OS3 Miller
CTT3 Romero
CTT3 Cartelli
YN3 Bonnet
EM3 Calvert
GSM3 Mullican
STG3 Mucklow
SH3 Olis
06DEC2009 IS A
DAY 18 SAILO RS
W ILL NEVER
FORGET...
A Navy Tr a dit ion W r it ten by st g 3 ha l l
18 SAILORS PROMOTED Story Provided By LTJGBURKHARTEighteen Petty Officers were
selected for advancement in the lastcycle. This high number of promo-tions demonstrates the high qualityof Sailors on HOPPER.
Petty Officer has marked thespecialists of the ships companysince the days of sail. The first PettyOfficers in the US Navy served onthe USS CONSTI TUTI ON ,UNI TED STATES, and CON-STELLATION. Each Captainappointed one Captain's Clerk, twoBoatswain's Mates, a Coxswain, aSailmaker's Mate, two Gunner'sMates, one Yeoman of the GunRoom, nine Quarter Gunners, twoCarpenter's Mates, an Armorer, aSteward, a Cooper, a Master-at-Arms, and a Cook. Only four ofthese rates correlate to the 11 differ-
ent rates in which HOPPERs Sail-ors were advanced.
Before being frocked, Sailorsmust attend a Petty Officer Indoc-trination course. This course is led
by First Class Petty Officers andincludes instruction on leadershipand responsibility. Being a pettyofficer insinuates a higher level ofknowledge and abili ty. Junior Sail -ors look to Petty Officers in theirrespective ranks for answers andprofessional leadership.
The course is designed to pre-pare young Petty Officers for thechallenges they might face in a newleadership role and how to deal witheach situation appropriately andprofessionally. Not only do theynow have more authority, but theyare responsible for taking care of
each other and junior sailors. It is aright of passage and a proud mo-ment in many sailors lives.
ing Policy has been in
effect, may know what a
Fools Errand is. However
for less salty sailors
and even newer sailors,
such as my self, the tra-
dition of Fools Errands
was a right of passage so
to speak. It was a way of
welcoming a junior sailor
into their new ship boardfamily. These often harm-
less and comical errands
were commonly sending the
new sailor on a task that
is impossible to complete
due to the equipment not
requiring those specific
parts. They also may con-
tain any of the following
but are not limited to:
impossible items, machin-
ery parts that sound real
(yet due to the nature of
the machine can not be),
fetching a quantity of
something that can not be
contained, imaginarythings.
The most commonly known
Fools Errand is sending
the newest sailor of the
division to stand the
Mail Buoy Watch. Other
not so commonly know are
sending someone to the
chiefs mess to turn off
their lights when darken
ship is piped, finding
the charger for the
sound powered telephone
batteries, and Basin
Trials (which consisted
of getting junior sail-
ors to watch the basins
in the head for any
leaks prior to deploy-
ment.) Other not so safeerrands included re-
charging escape arrows
with a torch and sending
a sailor to pilot a
missile. This by the way
is just one more reason
for the Navy to have a
Hazing Policy.
Realizing that for the
most part this tradition
was done in good humor
on long deployments, I
feel it is my duty to
inform you that the Navy
left a specific event in
which this is not con-sidered Hazing. So if
you are feeling left out
just remember there is
always WOG day.
With Thanksgiving just
behind us and Christmas
just around the corner,
I have spent a great
deal of time remember-
ing traditions from my
past. I have also been
in deep contemplation
about things I am
grateful for. Amongst
the top ten things I amgrateful for is the
Navys Hazing Policy,
thus the absence of
Fools Errands. Senior
sailors, that have been
in longer than the Haz-
ENS
MARTELL CAN TELL YOU
ALL ABOUT T HE MAIL
BUOY W ATCH!!!
A M A Z I N G S C U T T L E B U T T
PHOTO BY YN2 TETREAU
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P A G E 3V O L U M E 0 9 , I S S U E 0 3
The group of 11 Sailors that makeup the Rescue and Assistance Teamare trained to provide assistance toother ships, including merchantvessels in distress. This can be fora fire, flooding, or medical issue,explains Damage Controlman ChiefPetty Officer Joseph Montenero,HopperDamage Control TrainingTeam Coordinator. But the possibil-ity of a fire on ABOT is very realistic,so it is important that we think out-side the box and train to this situa-tion.
Throughout the drill and afterward,the Hopper Training Team offeredguidance to the Coalition Forces tobetter enable them to handle a dam-age control situation on the platform.They discussed proper communica-tions between the team members,proper responses, and proceduresto contain a casualty.
This exercise is a building block forestablishing how a naval unit con-ducting perimeter defense dutiescan assist in the damage controleffort, said Commander Timothy
Kott, Hoppers Commanding Officer.A ships ability to augment a crisis iscritical, and that is what we re-hearsed today.
The combined drill was the first ofits kind on the Oil Platform, but itformed the foudation for continueddrills and improved crisis responseproceedures. We brought some-thing that we live by day to day onnavy ships to ABOT Damage Con-trol is everyones responsibility!declared Montenero.
Al Basra Oil Terminal, Iraq The Sailors of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USSHopper (DDG 70) conducted a jointdamage control drill yesterday withthe Task Force Iraqi Maritime (TF-IM) forces on the Al Bara Oi l Termi-nal (ABOT).
USS Hopper is assigned to TaskForce Iraqi Maritime as a picketunit for the perimeter defense of AlBasra Oil Terminal (ABOT). The oilplatform is run by Southern Oil Com-pany of Iraq, and facilitates export ofmillions of gallons of crude oil a day
from inland Iraq. ABOT is home toCoalition forces which comprise TF-IM as well as Iraqi Military Forcesand civilian support.
Hoppers Damage Control TrainingTeam simulated a material fire in aberthing compartment, and usedprops to indicate it grew out of con-trol. Hoppers Rescue and Assis-tance Team was called into actionand arrived at ABOT via small boatwith fire fighting equipment to renderassistance to fight and contain thefire.
With cooperation between Hoppersteam, the Coalition forces that ini-tially responded to the fire, and theSouthern Oil Company personnelwho control the installed fire fightingequipment, the fire was put out.
During the whole evolution, bothsides worked together and commu-nicated well to ensure success, saidEnsign Jessica Fitzgerald, HoppersRepair Officer and Rescue and As-sistance Team Officer in Charge(OIC).
US Sailors Practice Fire Fighting with Coalition
Forces on Iraqi Oil Platform Story Provided By: LTJG BURKHART
This exercise is
a building block
for establishing
how a naval unit
conducting
perimeter
defense duties
can assist in the
damage control
effort, said
Commander
Timothy Kott
Photos Provided By GSMFN FOWLER
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
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P A G E 4
MW R SCHEDULE
24DEC: ICE CREAM SOCIAL
ON THE MESSDECKS. GAMES
AND KARAOKE WILL BE SETUP ON THE MESSDECKSFOR
THE CREW TO ENJOY WHILE
THE JUDGESMAKE THEIR
ROUNDSTO PICK THE WIN-
NING P-WAY/SPACE FOR
XMASDECORATION CON-
TEST.
25DEC: $1000 BINGO NIGHT!
ANNOUN CE WINN ING DIVI-
SION FOR XMASDECORAT-
ING CONTEST.
27DEC: TUG-O-WAR. 5 MAN
TEAMS. WINN ING TEAMS
WILL RECEIVE A VERY NICEGIFT BASKET FROM SHIP
STORE OR TEAM WILL BE
ABLE TO CHOOSE REVEILLE
SON GSFOR A WEEK!
31DEC: CASINO NIGHT!
AW ESOME PRIZES, M&M
COUNTING COMPETITION,
AND RAFFLES.
A M A Z I N G S C U T T L E B U T T
DEC2009/ JAN2010
Sun M on Tue Wed Thu Fr i Sat
24
ICE CREAM
SOCIAL
25$1000
BINGO
NIGHT
26
27TUG-O-
WAR
28 29 30 31
CASINO
NIGHT
01FLIGHT
DECK
SOCIAL
02
03GAM E
NIGHT
04 05 06 07 08 09SPADES
TOURNA-
MENT
10HALO
TOURNA-
MENT
11 12 13 14 15 16BINGO!
17EATING
CONTEST
18 19 20 21 22 23CASINO
NIGHT
CURRENT SPADESCHAMPIONS:
OS2 MORGAN & CS1 JAKEL
28NOV
TURKEY BOWL POKER
TOURNAMENT
(LAST 4 STANDING: LT DOYLE, YNC CATANO, GSEC MCDOWELL,
& EMFN HELMAN)
MORALE,
WELFARE&
RECREATION
***ALL EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ONSHIPSSCHEDULE***
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05DEC09
CASINO
NIGHT!
P A G E 5V O L U M E 0 9 , I S S U E 0 3
W INNERS
LEFT: 1ST PLACE WI
NER - EMFN HELMAWINSAN IPOD TOUC
BELOW: STG2 MERRWEATHER WINSA
CAMERA AND MEMORY CARD
BOTTOM: CS2 MENDOZA IS THE FIRST TLOSE ALL HIS CHIPS
POKER, BLACK JACK,ROULETTE, CRAPS,ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
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P A G E 6
I THINK CHIEF
CHRISTMAN, ANDUS AS TRAINERS
BEING ABLE TOCONNECT TO THE
STUDENTS AND
GETTING THEIRATTENTION HAS
PAID FOR GREATLYDUE TO THE FACT
THAT THE HOPPERWAS AWARDED
THE BEST ATFP SHIPFOR THE PACIFIC
FLEET. WEVE GOT
A PLAQUE ON THE
MESSDECKS TOPROVE IT!
- GM1 MASAOY
SHIPS REACTION FORCEBASICINTERVIEWER: IT2 LANGSTON
INTERVIEWEE: GM1 MASAOY
What is SRF-B for? What are the
objectives behind it?
ASC/SRF-B STANDS FOR ARMED SENTRY
COURSE/SHIPS REACTION FORCE-BASIC.
THE ASC/SRF-B IS A MODULARIZED TRAIN-
ING SOLUTION FOR SHIPBOARD SECURITY
FORCES. THIS SOLUTION TRAINS ARMED
SENTRIES IN BASIC WATCHSTANDINGTACTICS AND PROCEDURES WITH FUR-
THER SPECIALIZED TRAINING FOR BASIC
SECURITY REACTION FORCE (RF) TEAM
MEMBERS. STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE
CLASSROOM AND HANDS ON INS TRUC-
TION IN NON-LETHAL WEAPONS (Module 1),
WEAPONS FAMILIARIZATION (Module 2),
WATCHSTANDING SKILLS(Module 3), AND
SHIPS REACTION FORCE-BASIC(Module 4).
ARMED SENTRY COURSE (ASC) - THE ASC
PORTION CONTAINS THESE THREE MOD-
ULES:
NON-LETHAL WEAPONS - THIS MODULE
INCLUDES OPEN HAND TECHNIQUES, USEOF A BATON, OLEORESIN CAPSICUM (OC)
SPRAY, AND FAMILIARIZATION WITH THEUSE OF FORCE CONTINUUM.
WEAPONS FAMILIARIZAION - THIS MOD-
ULE CONTAINS FAMILIARIZATION AND
WEAPONS QUALIFICATION TRAINING FOR
THE 9MM PISTOL, RIFLE, AND SHOTGUN.
WATCHSTANDING SKILLS - THIS MODULE
CONSISTS OF SKILLSETS FOR ALL ARMED
WATCHSTANDERS TO INCLUDE: WARNINGSHOTS, IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
(IEDS), WATCHSTANDING, AND VEHICLE,
PERSONNEL AND BAGGAGE INSPECTIONS.
SECURITY REACTION FORCE BASIC (SRF-B)
- THE SRF-B PORTION
CONTAINS ONE MODULE:
SRF-B - CONSISTS OF BASELINE TACTICS
AND COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING FOR
SECURITY REACTION FORCE (SRF)/BACKUP
REACTION FORCE (BRF) TEAM MEMBERS
What will some sailors who have not
attended SRF-B expect to learn
from this course?
ASC/SRF-B IS A CRITICAL STEP IN PROVID-ING OUR SAILORS WITH
THE RIGHT SKILLS TO PROTECT OUR SHIPS
AND TO MAKE ATFP A CORE
COMPETENCY THROUGHOUT THE FLEET.
IT GIVES OUR SAILORS THE REQUISITE
KNOWLEDGE TO TEACH AND MAINTAIN
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR ALL ARMED
SENTRIES, AND THE MODULARIZED SOLU-TION TO GIVE THE RIGHT TRAINING,
TO THE RIGHT SAILOR, AT THE RIGHT
TIME.
What are some pre-requisites for
taking this class?
* THE ONLY PRE-REQS FOR THIS CLASS
ARE AS FOLLOWS:
NO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONVIC TIONS
PHYSICALLY FIT/HAS PASSED LAST PFA
NO LIGHT DUTY
MY PERSONAL PRE-REQ IS THAT I RUN ITTHROUGH THE GOAT LOCKER FIRST TO
ENSURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THEIR
SAILOR IS GOING TO BE IN A SCHOOL, &
THAT THE SAILOR KNOWS ITS A SCHOOL.
ITS NOT TRAINING IN THE CLASSROOM.
THIS IS A SCHOOL WITH A FINAL TEST AND
ALL STUDENTS WILL RECIEVE GRADUA-TION CERTIFICATES. ONE THING I CANTSTAND IS WHEN THEY HAVE SOME SORRY
EXCUSE SAYING THEY CANT BE IN CLASS
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO DO THIS..OR DO
THAT, OR SOMEONE IN THEIR CHAIN OF
COMMAND COMES IN THE CLASSROOM
AND TELLS THEM THEYVE GOTTA TAKE
CARE OF SOMETHING. SCREW THAT!
BEING UNDERWAY, I CAN UNDERSTAND
WATCHSTANDING. THIS IS WHY THE
COURSE IS TAUGHT THE SAME TOPIC TWO
NIGHTS IN A ROW. AND THE REASON IT
TAKES SO LONG TO FINISH. CENTER FORSECURITY FORCES TEACHES THIS ASHORE
AS A 3 WEEK/8 HR A DAY COURSE. DO THE
MATH. I SUCK AT MATH, SO I WONT DO
IT!
THIS CLASS IS HOWEVER A PRE-REQ FOR
SRF-A (SHIPS REACTION FORCE-
ADVANCED), AND VBSS. BOTH THESE
COURSES ARE TAUGHT ASHORE AT CEN-SECFOR ON FORD ISLAND.
What are some of the hand-on
training that the class does?
I TRY TO GIVE HANDS ON TRAINING IN
THIS CLASS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AS
ENTERTAINING AS I AM, ILL ADMIT THATTHE POWER POINTS GET REALLY DRY AND
BORING! EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT
WAYS OF LEARNING AND MOST LEARN BY
HANDS ON TRAINING. ILL BREAK OUT
THE WEAPONS & HAVE EVERYONE TAKE
THEM APART & DRY FIRE THEM. YOULL
ALSO SEE THE STUDENTS TACTICAL TEAM
MOVEMENTS THROUGHT THE SHIP. WELLRUN DIFFERENT SCENERIOS WITH THEM
TO GET THEM TO THINK ON HOW TO RE-
ACT/WHATS JUSTIFIED, AND WHAT GIVES
THEM THE BEST TACTICAL ADVANTAGE
OVER ADVERSARIES. AND OF COURSEOUR NON LETHAL WEAPONS PORTION IS
ALL HANDS ON AS FAR AS TEACHING THE
FUNDEMENTALS OF SELF DEFENSE, MACH
TECHNIQUES, USE OF THE BATON, AND
EVERYONES FAVORITEOC!! AND NO
MATTER WHAT ISC COBBS CLAIMS ON
VIDEO, I DIDNT SPRAY HIM IN THE EYESON PURPOSE! I CAN NEITHER CONFIRM
NOR DENY THAT I DID SPRAY ENS MARTEL
IN THE EYES ON PURPOSE! HEY, HES THE
ORDO, IM A GUNNER. SOMETIMES YOU
HAVE TO PROVE A POINT AND LET PEOPLE
KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
What exactly do the sailors learn
from this class and how will they
apply it in the future? (i.e. VBSS)
THEYLL LEARN WHAT I SAID IN THE
ABOVE ANSWERS!! THIS IS JUST A BASIC
COURSE. YOUVE GOTTA CRAWL BEFOREYOU WALK. THIS IS A GATEWAY TO A
BIGGER FORCE PROTECTION AREA. THIS IS
VERY HELPFUL IF A PERSON WANTS TO BE
ON ATTT, ITS MANDATORY FOR SRF-A,
AND SRF-A IS MANDATORY FOR VBSS.
GOING THROUGH THIS COURSE IS PROBA-
BLY THE BEST WAY TO GET FORCE PRO-
TECTION KNOWLEDGE.
What do you, as the trainer, think of
the SRF-B class?
IM THE LEAD ATFP TRASUP ONBOARD.
WELL, BY THE TIME THIS COMES OUT, MA1WILL BE THE ATFP TRASUP! GM2 TERCERO
IS ALSO ONE OF THE TRASUPS & GM2 WIL-
LIAMS IS ALSO A NON LETHAL WEAPONS
INSTRUCTOR ALONG WITH US THREE. I
LOVE TEACHING THIS COURSE. FORCE
PROTECTION IS FUN TO ME. AS A GM, FORCE
PROTECTION IS BASICALLY PART OF OURRATE, SO IVE BEEN AROUND IT MY ENTIRE
CAREER. FOR THE MOST PART, IM GLAD
THAT IM THE ONE GETTING TO TEACH
MOST OF THESE SAILORS WHO HAVE LITTLE
ATFP EXPERIENCE. I WANT TO ESTABLISH
THAT CORE OF FORCE PROTECTION & SHOW
THEM THE RIGHT WAY BEFORE SOMEONE
ELSE FUCKS THEM UP. IDEALLY, ID LIKE TO
HAVE THIS CLASS FOR FULL STRAIGHT 2 - 2
WEEKS INSTEAD OF 2HRS A NIGHT SPAN-
NING OVER A MONTH. BUT ILL TAKE WHAT
I CAN GET. INPORT PH IS THE ONLY TIME ICAN HOLD THOSE CLASSES LIKE THAT.
I THINK CHIEF CHRISTMAN, AND US ASTRAINERS BEING ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE
STUDENTS AND GETTING THEIR A TTENTION
HAS PAID FOR GREATLY DUE TO THE FACT
THAT THE HOPPER WAS AWARDED THE
BEST ATFP SHIP FOR THE PACIFIC FLEE T.
WEVE GOT A PLAQUE ON THE MESSDECKS
TO PROVE IT!
How often do you hold a SRF-B
class?
CLASSES ARE HELD WHEN THERE ARE
ENOUGH STUDENTS TO FILL A CLASS, AND
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE COMMAND CAN
SUPPORT IT. AS BUSY AS THIS COMMAND IS,
ITS A HARD SELL TO CONDUCT THESE
CLASSES AS OFTEN AS WE WOULD LIKE.
A M A Z I N G S C U T T L E B U T T
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SPORTS CAPSULE WRITTEN BY IT1 ANDREWS
P A G E 7V O L U M E 0 9 , I S S U E 0 3
Welcome HOPPER sports fans toanother edition of the Sports Cap-sule. This month saw the wrap up
of the college regu lar season, theNFL playoff picture taking shape,the NBA and NHL in full swing,the MLB winter meetings takingplace, and the World Cup groupdraw taking place.
Starting off w ith college footballth is season saw 5 teams finishundefeated in the course of theseason causing a log jam at thetop of the controversial BCS poll.But after the complicated calculuswas finished Alabama finished theseason ranked # 1, and yes that
hollering you hear is BMC. Theywill play #2 Texas on January 7 th(the 8th our time) for all the mar-bles. The granddaddy of them allwill see one perennial and oneinfrequent player this year as theOhio State, ranked #8, w ill face offwith ou tlandishly clad OregonDucks, ranked #7. The Fiesta Bowlwill host a first for the BCS in hav-ing two schools from non-BCSconferences play in a BCS bowl.#4 TCU will be playing #6 BoiseState. The Big Easy will be watch-ing #3 Cincinnati go against #5
Florida in Tim Tebow s swan song.The last time #9 Georgia Techmade an appearance in the Or-ange Bowl the Vietnam War wasraging and man had not been tothe moon yet. They will play #10Iowa.
The NFL season is entering crunch
time as there are only 4 moregames left. New Orleans andIndianapolis both have survivedscares to keep their unblemishedrecords and have been rewardedwith clenching their respectivedivisions and all but w rapped uphome field advantage. Minnesotastumbled last w eek only for thesecond time but still are in controlof their division . The Cardinals aredominating the weak Westerndivision. The only real race in theNFC comes from the East w ith theEagles and Cowboys tied and theGiants only a game behind. The
Eagles and the Packers hold dow nthe tw o Wild Card spots at thistime in the NFC.
The AFC has a few more closerraces. The Bengals are in thedrivers seat in the North. TheWest sees the Chargers leadingthe Broncos by a game. The Patri-ots also hold a one game lead onthe Dolphins and Jets. The WildCard has the Jaguars and Broncosin if the season ended today.
The NBA is about a quarterthrough the regular season andseparation is beginning to happenwith betw een the haves and havenots. In the West the Lakers, Nug-gets, Mavs, and Suns are dominat-
ing. While in the East the Magic,Celtics, Cavs, and Hawks havebroke away from the pack. The
Nets and T-Wolves are seeing whocan gain the most ping-pong ballsfor th is years lottery.
Most teams in the NHL haveplayed right around the 30 games.Atop the Eastern Conference arethe Capitals (44pts), Devils (41pts),and Penguins (41pts). Way downat the bot tom is the Hurricaneswith a mere 19 points to show fortheir effor ts. The Western Confer-ence is much closer packed withonly the Sharks (43pts) and Ava-lanche (40pts) at or over the 40
point mark and only the Blues(29pts), Wild (29pts), and Ducks(28pts) have not yet reached the30 point mark.
The World Cup draw has beenconducted and the US Nationalteam has a favorable group. Theywill be playing England, Algeria,Slovenia. This grouping makes itexpected for the Nats to make itout of the group stage. June 12thwill mark the first t ime the US andEngland p lay each other in the
World Cup since the Yanksstunned the soccer world w ith a 1-0 win in 1950, in what many say isthe biggest upset in World Cuphistory. The US team has neverfaced Algeria or Slovenia in tour-nament competition before.
CULTURE OF FITNESS WRITTEN BY STG2 KESTER
This monthsaw the wrapup of thecollege regularseason, the NFL
playoff picturetaking shape,the NBA andNHL in fullswing, the MLBw inter meetingstaking place,and the WorldCup groupdraw takingplace.
- IT1 ANDREWS
Ever feel the need to just get away? Need to relieve some built -up stress? Try anew workout routine with Hoppers gym equipment. Run down your stress on a tread-mill. Step your way to a happier you on the stairmaster. Joint pain? No problem, exercisewith low impact on the elliptical. All located in the forw ard pallet staging area. Take arelaxing row in the sonar skid. Maybe even ride your w ay to a healthier you on bicyclesfeatured in several convenient spaces including the starboard vestibules by berthing oneand two, nixie p-way, and the sonar skid. Picture your least favorite person on the speedand heavy bags also located in the forward pallet staging area. Return home looking likeRocky by lifting in the gym or weight t raining on the most improved bowflex . Becomestress free and bring w ellness into your new year w ith the culture of f itness!
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
8/13
P A G E 8
LT EASTER
ETC WRIGHT
GM1 MASAOY
LT HOERSTER
GM2 TERCERO
GM2 WILLIAMS
DC2 BENDER
HAIL
WE FIGHT FOR FREEDON, WE FIGHT FOR THOSE WHOCANNOT FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES
STORY PROVIDED BY FPO - ENS GERARDO
STUNNING FACTS WRITTEN BY CS2 PERALTAHere are some extremely
weird news and odd funny
facts from all over the
world:
A Sneeze travels out of your
mouth at over 100 mph
You burn more calories sleep-
ing than you do watching Tele-
vision.
An average human loses about
200 head hairs per day
A cow gives nearly 200,000
glasses of milk in her lifetime
In Bahrain, a male gynecolo-
gist can only examine a
womans private parts through
a Mirror
Apples, not caffeine, are more
efficient at waking you up in
the morning
rorism. Pakistan claims it doesnot support t he Afghan Taliban(AT) that has retreated w ithinits borders, ignoring their ob li-gation to reduce terrorism byneutralizing any advancementin planning attacks. Pakistanrefuses to take action in orderto maintain an edge over India.
This needed edge is for theability of persuasion over Af-ghanistan. By allowing the ATto gain momentum w ithin itsborders, Pakistan is allow ing thepossibility of the AT to over-throw Afghanistan when it isstrong enough, leading to Paki-stani expansion and fear in themind of India, ultimately re-straining Ind ia from fu ll expan-sion itself. Indias current ex-pansion comes in the form ofpositive developmental aid andfunding of infrastructural pro-jects to ensure the country isable to stand up on its own;
aiding the United States cur-rent battle in Afghanistan.Unfortunately, what seems likea good deed on Indias part isviewed as a means of destabili-zation for Pakistan. Everyone isentitled to their own opinion,but w hen that opinion allowsfor the momentum and increas-ing strength of terrorism, there
The count ries thatcompose the Middle East havebeen a constant reminder tothe government of issues thatare more important than howmany sections were in andhow long we w ill be away fromour families. These issues in-clude topics such as terrorism,
governmental infrastructurestability, and global economicalstability. Many times it is ourcitizens that believe these issuesare being absorbed solely bythe United States or that w e willbe most affected by the out-comes in the region. This maybe a point of b itterness forsome, but what is not readilyacknow ledged by all is how theregions count ries are alreadyand w ill continue to be af-fected. Afghanistan, much toits chagrin, has become a focalpoint due to it being an everincreasing tension point be-
tw een two opposing countr ies,India and Pakistan.
While these tw ocountries have stayed on theoutskirts of the public eye, thesurmount ing tension betw eenthem has shed light on a pointof w eakness to resolving someMidd le East issues. This weak-ness comes in the form of ter-
are others who w ill be affectednot on ly in the form of localattacks but also from the cas-cading problems that comefrom the dynamic responses.The balance between Indiasaid and Pakistans harboringdetrimental forces has leveledto be in a state of equilibrium,
but for how long? If the Af-ghan government is over-thrown by the AT, what w ouldbe the repercussions? Can weexpect our economy to con-tinue to be in a state of perilwith little hope of ever regain-ing its stature due to our expor-tation of monetary funds?There is no cookie cutter plan ofaction that will resolve this re-gions many issues and becauseof that it t ruly seems that therereally is no means to an end inany countrys involvement,small or large, in the MiddleEast. But we continue our per-
sistence to fight for what webelieve, to fight for mans inher-ent right to freedom. We needto remember that w e are herefor a greater purpose that maynot always seem readily appar-ent, but that is desperatelyneeded to maintain equilibriumand dissuade terror ism.
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A M A Z I N G S C U T T L E B U T T
FAREW ELL
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
9/13
CELEBRITY GOSSIP... WRITTEN BY IT1 MASON
P A G E 9V O L U M E 0 9 , I S S U E 0 3
Reese Witherspoon andJake Gyllenhall call it quits.
The couple who have beentogether since 2007 havesplit, a source close to theactress states. Not too manydetails were given on thereason for the spilt. Oneminute they are moving inwith each other, the next theysplit. Hopefully they will getback together. They aresuch a cute couple.
Lejeunes 1/ 6 to lead Afgan surge
Camp Lejeunes infantry battalion will be thefirst U.S. unit to deploy to Afghanistan duringthe next six month. They will be part of theadditional 30,000 troops to head over to theregion. According to Marine officials at thePentagon the first un til w ill deploy beforeChristmas. Marine officials did not elaborate onthe other un its that w ill deploy, however de-ployment orders are to be expected soon.
WOMAN ARRESTED FOR
TAPING NEW MOON
Samantha Tumpach in Chicago isfacing up to three years in prison forfilming th ree minutes of The TwilightSaga: New Moon. She claims shehad not intent ions of pirating themovie; she w as filming her sisterssurprise 29th birthday party. Alsoincluded on the f ilm were her rela-tives singing Happy Birthday in thetheater. She also has some previewson her camera, however she states
that the camera is new and she wasjust playing around w ith it beforeher sister w alked in. She has alreadyspent two days in the slammer forthe incident, wh ich should be
enough.
MILITARY NEWS WRITTEN BY IT1 MASON
He trained
everyday for
four months
with Master
Wu, who is
the films
fight
coordinator.
First Look: The Next KarateKid
Jaden Smith, who is the son offamed Actor Will Smith, will startas the Next Karate Kid. Theboys got chops! He learned themoves of a true martial artsfighter. He trained everyday forfour months with Master Wu,who is the films fight coordina-tor. He will star opposite JackieChan in the 1984 classic remakeof The Karate Kid, which is duein theaters June 11.
TAYLOR LAUTNER GETSMOBBED BY JAMIE FOXX
Just when you think the screamingtweens were going crazy over NewMoon star Taylor Lautner, JamieFoxx joins them as his biggest fan.Foxx admits that both he and hisdaughter are Lautners biggest fans.Foxx asked for a picture, Lautnerwas like Are you kidding me, Can Iget a picture w ith you?
Sailors can switch, advance faster in
ArmyMore than 2,600 sailors will be sent home thisyear due to high-year tenure, and another1,200 through re-enlistment disapproval. Formost sailors, the chances of fin ishing an activeNavy career are over. But there is hope, sailorscan switch to the Army and have the chance tostay active, obtain a new specialty, advance muchfaster and reti re. The Armys Blue to Green programmay be the way to for some sailors who have thedesire to continue serving their country. For somesailors, the Coast Guard is also an option, and may bemore appealing than the Armys program.
Deployments are harder on girls
Military children are having more problems, the moretimes their military parents are deployed. The prob-lems increase with older youths and gi rls of all ages.The girls report more difficulties with family, schooland peers. About 30 percent of mil itary children in anew study reported elevated anxiety symptoms, in-cluding the need to be evaluated for anxiety disor-ders. The children in the study suffered more emo-tional diff iculties compared to national research. Wi ththe troop increase for Afghanistan, more children w illbegin to suffer some form of anxiety.
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
10/13
P A G E 1 0
HOROSCOPES BY IT2 FIORELLOA R I E S
Work is very rewarding thismonth, dear Aries, yet you stillmanage to find w ays to b reak
the rout ine. You are very busylooking over the horizons,whether its through night visiongoggles or big eyes. Decemberpresents a nice balance of recogni-
tion and accomplishment, as wellas recreation and love. A stellarromantic opportun ity occurs onthe 4-6, to bad youll still be outto sea.
T A U R U S
Sharing, intimacy, finances, andpower plays all figure strongly
for you in December. In the firstthree w eeks of the month , youare thinking strategically, plot-ting charts, and the large screendisplays. You stand to gainmuch from your observations,those little circles, squares andtriangles mean something tosomebody.
Gemin i
Balancing your needs withthose of a significant otherinvolves plenty of negotiatingand back-and-forth before arriv-
ing at any conclusions. Timeslike these require a certainamount of tact and a need tolet others take center stage forthe t ime being. A loan or repay-ment is likely to make headlinesfor you tow ards the end ofDecember; so make sure thatlooser pays up from the pokertourney.
C A N C E R
You simply cant wait until theNew Year to begin fulfilling yourresolutions regarding health,fitness, and lifestyle changes,dear Cancer. The t ime is now !But w ait, the PRT is over soyouve got five and a halfmonths before you follow thruwith the resolutions. After allwho sticks with th ose thingsany way.
L E O
The first three weeks of Decem-ber are exciting and stimulatingfor you , dear Leo. You havespecial magnet ic appeal, extraenergy, and a real yen for ex-
citement now , which is mostlyin your head because you justdrank and double jack and cokeafter drying out for 44 days.Creative Leos will be on a roll,so hit the dance floor and dothe stanky leg, the next portvisit isnt until February.
V I R G O
A scurry of activity in andaround the home or with familyis in store for you this month,dear Virgo. So keep a close eye
on those credit card b ills. Tisthe season to be thrift y, but nota scrooge.
L ib ra
An especially busy mostly pleas-antly so period is in store for youin the first three weeks of De-cember, dear Libra. It can get alittle hectic, w ith many dustbunnies to catch, more sharp-shipping than you can realisti-cally accomplish, but at leastthere is plenty of contact w ithfriends in the p-ways. Its a time
of netw orking, and youre com-ing across very smoothly, on the
slick deck.
S C O R P I O
In many ways, December is amoney month for you, dearScorpio. You enjoy extra energyand enthusiasm for increasingyour income. Its an excellentopportunity period for a bonus
round ofbingo. If youre waitingfor money in the form of a loanor repayment of a debt to you,
its likely to arrive around theFull Moon on the 12th as longas youre willing to accept chip-to-chip.
Capr ico rn
While others are racing aroundyou, preparing for the holidays,you are enjoying a sense of
peace; hump day is almost here.The last week of the monthbegins a power period that youtake with you into the NewYear. Tremendous energy and
initiative is with you as youembark on a journey of internalchange and personal discovery.It feels like you can move moun-tains, keep that feeling becauseyour gonna need it in the nextfew months.
Aquar ius
December is ripe with opportu-nity for envisioning new pro-jects and goals for your future,dear Aquarius. Friends, ac-quaintances, and PB4Ts willcertainly keep you busy. Ro-
mance, however, is completelyout of t he question. Its a mostlyeasy mont h, save for some im-pulsive energy mid-month,when overspending or specula-tion could be costly.
Pisces
In most ways, December is ahigh prof ile month for you, dearPisces, except for on a romanticlevel, which is satisfyingly pri-vate. You may be pu t in chargeof a private matter. Secrets arerevealed and revealing. But its
cool, you need to air out all of theold secrets to make room fornew ones!! The 12-16 is espe-cially fortunate for w ork;. yourwork is recognized and re-warded, you come across asespecially competent, and youexperience a professional peakof sorts. Those new crows feelheavy dont they.
Sagi t tar ius
Energy, verve, andconfidence are withyou th is month, dearSagittarius, until thelast w eek of the monthwhen your life windsdown, quite appropri-ately! Until then, its
hustle and bustle, andmatters are definitelyworking in your favor.The mountain of PQSsyou thought werenever going to end areslowly dwindling, butstay vigilant, theywont sign themselves.
A M A Z I N G S C U T T L E B U T T
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
11/13
P A G E 1 1
CONGRATULATIONS
TO OUR NEW EST
ENLISTED SURFACE
W ARFARE
SPECIALISTS!
HOPPER MARATHON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY CS1(SW) JACKSON
Whered That Come From? Written By MPO- ENS BICKINGS
Side Boys: Some officers,particularly those of higherrank, would gain consider-able body weight in their
later years. This made com-ing aboard a ship a particu-larly strenuous activity. So,the side boys had the job ofhauling the short-o-breathofficer inboard if he haddifficulties.
Carry On: In the days of sail,the officer of the deck kept aweather eye constantly onthe slightest change in thewind so sail could be added
as necessary to ensure thefastest headway. Whenevera good breeze came along ,the order to carry onwould be given. It meant tohoist every bit of canvas theyards could carry. Today,the term means to continuewith your work.
Son of a Gun: When in port,and w ith the crew restrictedto the ship for any extendedperiod of time, wives andladies of easy virtue wereoften allowed to live aboardwith the crew. Undoubt-
edly, children w ere bornaboard and a convenientplace for this was betw eenguns on the gun deck. If thechild's father was unknown,they were entered in theship's log as "son of a gun".
No Room to Swing a Cat:The entire ship's companywas required to witnessflogging at close hand. Thecrew might crowd aroundso that the Bosun's Matemight not have enoughroom to sw ing h is cat o'nine tails.
1. FCC STEWART - 34971.0 CALORIES
2. OS1 BOYCE - 25495.76 CALORIES
3. CS1 JACKSON - 20906.3 CALORIES
4. STG2 BRANDON - 18509.4 CALORIES
5. CS3 STEARNS - 16195.0 CALORIES
6. STG2 KESTER - 11485.6 CALORIES
7. OS1 BELLARD - 5418.0 CALORIES
8. CMC STUCKEY - 4433.3 CALORIES
9. FC2 SEYMOUR - 3626.0 CALORIES
10. STG2 WEIDLICH - 3197.0 CALORIES
A M A Z I N G S C U T T L E B U T T
Photos by YN2 Tetreau
QM3(SW) DYE
EN2(SW) ILES
CTT3(SW) CARTELLI
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
12/13
N OT E F R OM T H E COM M AN D M AST E R CH I E F
P A G E 1 2V O L U M E 0 9 , I S S U E 0 3
A Sailor's Christmas
Twas the night before
Christmas, the ship was
out steaming, Sailors
stood watch while others
were dreaming.
They lived in a crowd
with racks tight and
small, In a 80-man
berthing, cramped one
and all.
I had come down thestack with presents to
give, And to see inside
just who might perhaps
live.
I looked all about, a
strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, no presents,
not even a tree.
No stockings were hung,
shined boots close at
hand, On the bulkhead
hung pictures of a far
distant land.
They had medals and
badges and awards of all
kind, And a sober
thought came into my
mind.
For this place was dif-
ferent, so dark and so
dreary, I had found thehouse of a Sailor, once
I saw clearly.
A Sailor lay sleeping,
silent and alone, Curled
up in a rack and dream-
ing of home.
The face was so gentle,
the room squared away,
This was the United
States Sailor today.
This was the hero I saw
on TV,
Defending our country so
we could be free.
I realized the families
that I would visit this
night, Owed their lives
to these Sailors lay
willing to fight.
Soon round the world,
the children would play,
And grownups would cele-
brate on Christmas Day.
They all enjoyed freedom
each day of the year,
Because of the Sailor,
like the one lying here.
I couldn't help wonderhow many lay alone, On a
cold Christmas Eve on a
sea, far from home.
The very thought brought
a tear to my eye, I
dropped to my knees and
started to cry.
The Sailor awakened and
I heard a calm voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this
life is my choice."
"Defending the seas all
days of the year, So
others may live and be
free with no fear."
I thought for a moment,
what a difficult road,
To live a life guided by
honor and code.
After all it's Christmas
Eve and the ship's un-
derway!
But freedom isn't free
and it's sailors who
pay.
The Sailor say's to our
country "be free and
sleep tight, No harm
will come, not on my
watch and not on this
night.
The Sailor rolled over
and drifted to sleep, I
couldn't control it, I
continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours,
so silent, so still, I
watched as the Sailor
shivered from the
night's cold chill.
I didn't want to leave
on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor
so willing to fight.
The Sailor rolled over
and with a voice strong
and sure, Commanded,
"Carry on Santa, It's
Christmas, and All is
Secure!"
HONOR, COURAGE AND COM-
MITMENT
Author unknown! Merry
Christmas
"Defending
the seas
all days of
the year,
So others
may live
and be free
with no
fear."
CMDCM(SW/ AW/ FMF)Stuckey
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8/14/2019 Editor at Large: It2(Sw) Langston
13/13
8. Seriously, sail boats
man. What would possess
someone to own a sail
boat? The only excuse for
a sail boat is if you're
stranded on a deserted
island like Tom Hanks or
something. If so, then byall means, build a flip-
pin' sail boat.
9. France bashers. Yep,
France bashing actually
annoys me. Not because I
like France or anything,
F#*! those frogs, mainly
because most France bash-
ers are just people igno-
rant of their own his-
tory. France was one of
the only nations to aid
the U.S. during the Revo-
lutionary war. They even
sent soldiers, ever hear
of La Fayette? And it
seems ironic that so many
people go all out to
celebrate Cinco de Mayo
(one of Mexico's victo-
ries over France), as
well as Independence day,
which was greatly influ-
(...CONTINUED)
6. That piece of plastic on
the side of push lawn-
mowers. You know that
thing you use to blow all
the grass trimmings into
your neighbor's yard?
That thing was invented
out of pure malice.
7. Shock value annoys me.
Whether it's art, or en-
tertainment, or just a
joke. It's just taking
the easy way out to
elicit a reaction. There
is no "greater purpose"
involved in saying or do-
ing something way over
the top just because you
know that somebody out
there is gonna freak out
about it. It's lazy, it's
immature, it is one of
the many things that is
contributing to the down-
fall of human culture. Oh
funny, you behave ob-
scenely in situations
that don't call for it.
Congratulations!, you're
what's wrong with the
world.
enced by France. Consider
yourself educated, fool.
10. People who pronounce
pecan as "pee-can". I re-
alize that there is no
prescribed pronunciation
but "pee-can" just soundsridiculous. I'm from
Texas, it's our state
tree, and I say its pro-
nounced pecan. Get it
right.
(MORE TO FOLLOW)
Kuper: Does this vest make my
butt look big?- ET3 Crandall
SATIRE WRITTEN BY IT2 SHADDOCK
PICTURE CAPTION
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