SS Enterprise (CVN 65) departed its homeport of Norfolk, Va., Jan. 11 to

participate in a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) and Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX). The early morning departure was the next to last departure from Naval Station Norfolk for the 50-year-old carrier. Enterprise is scheduled to enter deactivation after completing its 22nd and final deployment later this year. COMPTUEX is the intermediate phase of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group’s (CSG) Inter-Deployment Training Cycle (IDTC), designed to hone warfare skills throughout the strike group while maintaining unit proficiency. “It’s the final exercise to ensure Enterprise is combat ready,” said Capt. William C. Hamilton, Jr, USS Enterprise commanding officer. “We’re looking forward to working with the

full strike group conducting combat exercises across the full spectrum of battle spaces.” COMPTUEX is designed to bring every part of a strike group together to work effectively and efficiently as one cohesive unit. COMPTUEX will require a total

team effort from Enterprise, the embarked air wing and the more than 4,500 Sailors and Marines involved. Every department, division and work center, and every Sailor and Marine aboard Enterprise, from the engineering plants up to the flight deck, will play a vital role in

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Stephen M. White

The Shuttle Newsletter Edition Januaray 12, 2012 Issue

USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

“We are Legend”

Photo by MCSN Harry Andrew D. Gordon

Enterprise Gets Underway for Final Qualifications

the exercise. The JTFEX will test the ship’s ability, as well as that of its strike group, to operate in a complex, hostile environment with other U.S. and coalition forces. “By the end of COMPTUEX and JTFEX, we will have a combat-ready strike group that will be ready to execute the Navy’s mission anywhere in the world,” said Rear Adm. Walter E. Carter, Jr., commander, Enterprise Carrier Strike Group. “Our goal is to ensure we are integrated as a team and to exceed our requirements for our combat operational efficiency.” The Enterprise Carrier Strike Group includes USS Enterprise (CVN 65), Carrier Air Wing 1, Destroyer Squadron 2, the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), the guided-missile destroyers USS Porter (DDG 78), USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) and USS Nitze (DDG 94).

U

Photo by MCSN Harry Andrew D. Gordon

Thursday Jan. 12, 2012Page 2 The Shuttle

The Shuttle is published and printed daily underway and bi-weekly in port by the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Media Depart-ment, FPO AE 09543-2810. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Please direct all story ideas, questions and comments to MC1 (SW) Steve Smith at smithsw@cvn65.navy.mil.

Public Affairs OfficerLt. Cmdr. Sarah T. Self-Kyler

Executive OfficerCapt. G. C. Huffman

Commanding OfficerCapt. William C. Hamilton, Jr.

EditorsMC3(SW) Jeffry A. Willadsen

MCSN Eric BrannMCSN Harry Andrew D. Gordon

Big E Happenings

The ShuttleUSS Enterprise (CVN 65)

Command Master ChiefABCM (AW/SW) Eric M. Young

ESWS Question of the Day:What are the three methods of recovery for a man overboard?

Members of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise’s (CVN 65) basketball team got underway Jan. 11 with their undefeated record still intact. Enterprise has had multiple teams in the past, but this team “represents.” “We want to represent the Enterprise and represent the Enterprise well,” said Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Keith Kirton, coach and coordinator for the basketball team. Enterprise had two teams last year, an “A” team and a “B” team. Kirton didn’t like splitting everybody up, so when he took over he brought everyone together by combining the teams. “We have all the talent in one place,” said Kirton. “We’re real organized and we share the ball.” Kirton’s plan has paid off. The current Enterprise basketball team is undefeated with a record of 8 wins and 0 losses. Their very first game against USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) was a resounding victory. Enterprise defeated Bainbridge 50 to 15. “Everybody was on their game,” said Logistics Specialist Seaman Timothy Price, an Enterprise Sailor and team captain. “Everybody was hitting. We blew them out 32 to 9 in the first half alone.” The Enterprise team has won every game since. “You would think from one of our practices that we’ve been playing together for years,” said Machinist’s Mate Fireman Donovan J. Jemison, the other captain of the USS Enterprise basketball team, “but we’ve only been playing

together for two months.” “Chief Kirton did a good job putting everyone together,” said Price. “We bring better competition to everybody else in the fleet.” The team understands that with so much manpower they may not all get to play in every game and they are okay with that. “Of course there are times that everyone doesn’t get in the game, but everyone’s on the team, said Kirton. “We’re just trying to win.” Both Price and Jemison reflected on one of the games against their toughest competitor, the USS Dwight D.

Eisenhower (CVN 69). “We were down, and I only had four points in the first half,” said Price. “I couldn’t do anything. No matter what I tried to do, I couldn’t make anything happen. They were in the zone.” Price said the other team suddenly spread out across the court leaving the lane open. With the lane open, everything came together for the Enterprise team, and they made a comeback. “We started dunking on them,” said Price. “It just all came together, and it was amazing because it showed how good we can be as a team.” “We handle adversity well,” said Jemison. “If we’re down we just keep our heads up and keep going.” Kirton said the Enterprise basketball team usually plays Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays inport at either Q80 or McCormick’s Recreational Centers. “Come check us out,” said Jemison.

“We’re going to win,” said Price. The Enterprise basketball team plans to play at least three more games prior to deployment.

Undef e at e d !By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Gregory White

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Gregory A. Pickett

Keep Big ‘E’ germ free...wash your hands!

Answer in tomorrow’s paper.

Thursday Jan. 12, 2012 Page 3The Shuttle

Around the WorldWASHINGTON - President Barack Obama’s decision to reorient the U.S. military’s focus to the Asia-Pacific region will not lead to a major naval buildup there, the top U.S. Navy officer said on Tuesday, adding that the United States already has a robust presence in the area. Obama last week unveiled a new military strategy shifting attention to Asia over the next decade while downsizing the overall force, moves that will accommodate significant cuts in projected U.S. defense spending. But the Pentagon has not yet revealed what that plan will mean concretely for the deployment of U.S. military forces and equipment to differentregions of the world. More details are due in the coming weeks during the rollout of the annual U.S. federal budget proposal. China’s military did not wait for details before issuing statements accusing the United States of trying to contain China. Addressing a forum in Washington, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, put forward a chart showing that the U.S. Navy has about 50 ships and submarines deployed today in the western Pacific, compared withabout 30 in the Middle East. Greenert said the Navy would review Obama’s strategy and “adjust accordingly.” “But my first assessment is that we’re in good shape in the

No Big U.S. Naval Buildup In Asia, Top Officer SaysBy Phil Stewart and Paul Eckert Navy where we stand in the western Pacific,”

he told a forum hosted by the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington. Asked about a possible buildup in naval forces and equipment in Asia, Greenert appeared to play down speculation about a major change in the deployment of forces there and in the Middle East. “My point is, it’s not a big naval buildup in the Far East. We’re there, wehave been there, we will continue to be there,” he said. “And that I see the same proportion in the (Middle East), I don’t see a naval movement” from there, he said.Greenert spoke at a panel launching a report by the Center for a New American Security on dealing with potential conflict in the South China Sea, where maritime territorial disputes pit China against Vietnam and others.‘A Declining Power’? The report urges the United States to build a worldwide naval force of up to 346 ships - far more than the fleet of 250 vessels envisioned after budget cuts and the retirement of older ships. The center’s Patrick Cronin said that if the United States did not use this decade to expand its fleet, “whatever we say, we’re going to be seen as a declining power” in Asia.

“What I’m worried about is the idea that we may be shrinking rather than growing our Navy,” said Cronin. The shift in focus to Asia comes amid increasing concern at the Pentagon over China’s strategic goals as it begins to field a new generation of weapons that U.S. officials fear are designed to try to prevent U.S. navaland air forces from projecting power into the region. The People’s Liberation Army’s newspaper said on Tuesday the United States was “laying out forces across the Asia-Pacific region in advance to contain the rise of China.”Part of the U.S. strategy includes shoring up U.S. alliances across the region, and Greenert acknowledged deepening ties with countries including longtime allies such as Japan and Australia and emerging relationships with others, like Vietnam. He also stressed the need to deepen dialogue with the People’s Liberation Army Navy. China’s Ministry of Defense on Monday warned the United States to be “careful in its words and actions” after announcing the new strategy. Asked about the comments, Greenert responded: “I appreciate the advice.”

People Form Defense Strategy’s Centerpiece, Official SaysBy Jim GaramoneWASHINGTON – People are the centerpiece of the new defense strategy guidance that President Barack Obama released last week, the deputy undersecretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces said here yesterday. Kathleen Hicks told the Pentagon Channel that the new guidance calls for a military force sized to handle the operational environment in the world today, and that the force will not be like that of the past 10 years. Rather, she said, the strategy guidance says the country is best served through having forward-deployed military forces present abroad.While technology is an incredible enabler, “what we understand today is that nothing substitutes for the quality of our trained, equipped and ready force, and that’s our focus for the future,” she said. The strategy guidance uses information gleaned from the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, Hicks said, but the situation in two short years has changed. “Now we have a changed fiscal environment, the Arab Awakening, the end of U.S. operations in Iraq, and [we are] looking forward transition in Afghanistan,” she said. Changes in Iranian behavior and other factors also were considered in the new guidance, she added. The Budget Control Act signed last year calls for the Defense Department to cut $487 billion over 10 years. But even without this impetus, DOD would be incorporating the lessons learned from 10 years of war, she said. The strategy guidance has some concrete changes to past strategy, Hicks said. “We have been looking toward Asia more and maintaining our presence inthe Middle East, but now we have to bring new focus to those primary emphases to ensuring we have the right mix of capabilities for our special operators all the way up to the high ends of warfare,” she explained. The emphasis, she added, is particularly in the air, naval, cyber and space domains. But people remain the bedrock capability, Hicks said. The message from DOD to service members is “we are looking out for you, we are making sure that any drawdown that does occur comes with appropriate transition incentives and capabilities that we can help people transition to civilian life,” she added. For service members who opt to stay in the military, department leaders will make sure they have the pay and benefits they deserve, and that family programs will remain in place, she said.

The country will continue to need a strong and capable National Guard and reserve components, Hicks said. But there are constraints there as well. “We will have to draw down somewhat, but those who remain will be well taken care of,” she said. “What we can really offer now that we haven’t been able to do for some time is a more sustainable tempo.” This means employers of reserve-component service members will be able to plan for military absences. The president worked very closely with DOD leaders, including the combatant commanders, to understand all the nuances of a new defense strategy, Hicks said. She called it a very collaborative and inclusive process. In the field, there will be a growing focus on building partnership capacityin Asia, as well as more exercises and more opportunity to get high-endtraining. “We will still maintain [counterinsurgency] skill sets that are sovital, but we will begin to have time and opportunity to train on a muchbroader range of potential threats,” she said. The biggest risk of any strategy is uncertainty of the future, she said. “We don’t know exactly where threats will emerge,” she acknowledged. “We don’t know where opportunities will emerge and whether we will be able to see them in time to take advantage of them. We really have tried to develop a balanced force that can take account of that uncertainty and be ready to flex to different types of crises that may emerge. “We think we have brought down risk that we had at the highest levels ofconflict,” she continued, “by investing in our power-projection capabilities.”The strategy guidance does pose a risk in the case of large-scale, enduring operations like the military has been doing in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hicks said. “We believe we’ve addressed that risk by building in reversibility to the strategy,” she added. Defense Department officials are concerned about several trends, including a continuing concern that terrorism still is a problem, Hicks said. Officials also worry about Iran’s path and the country’s push for a nuclear capability. “There is opportunity in the Arab Awakening, but there is also tremendous uncertainty,” she said. “North Korea remains a challenge for the United States and its allies in Asia.” The strategy guidance makes sense if the cuts outlined in the Budget Control Act remain in force, Hicks said. But all bets are off, she added, if a “sequestration” mechanism in the law comes into play, doubling the projecteddefense budget cuts. The law calls for sequestration to kick in unless Congress acts before January 2013 to override that provision.

Thursday Jan. 12, 2012Page 4 The Shuttle

Big E EntertainmentMovie Schedule Jan 12, 2012

Channel 6Stop Loss 0900/1900Brothers 1100/2100Napoleon Dynamite 1300/2300The Express 1430/0030Did You Hear About The Morgans? 1700/0300Channel 7Quantum Solace 0900/1900Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 1100/2100Austin Powers: Man Of Mystery 1300/2300The Green Hornet 1430/0030Hotel For Dogs 1700/0300Channel 8Get Him To The Greek 0900/1900Gran Torino 1100/2100Meet Dave 1300/2300Sex And The City 1430/0030Bedtime Stories 1700/0300Channel 10 The Town 0900/1900Despicable Me 1100/2100Taken 1300/2300Avatar 1430/0030A-Team 1700/0300Channel 11Social Network 0900/1900Up 1100/2100Toy Story 1300/2300Fight Club 1430/0030Red 1700/0300Channel 12Kill Bill: Volume 1 0900/1900G.I. Jane 1100/2100Easy A 1300/2300Inception 1430/0030Groundhog Day 1700/0300Channel 13Terminator: Salvation 0900/1900Night At The Museum 1100/2100Happy Gilmore 1300/2300The Rock 1430/0030Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs 1700/0300

5-SITE Information6-Movie7-Movie8-Movie10-Movie11-Movie12-Movie13-Movie

14-VMS/FURUNO Channel15-AFN16-AFN17-AFN

18-GBS Channel (NEWS)19-Flight Deck Camera

20-ABC21-CBS22-NBC23-FOX24-CNN

25-Fox News26-The Weather Channel

27-Discovery Channel28-History Channel

29-American Movie Classics30-Fox Movie Channel

31-ESPN32-ESPN2

33-BET34-E!35-FX

36-Animal Planet