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Lincoln’s BirthdayCelebration

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V-2 Cats Launch the Aircraft

This is the week those of us serving aboard Big Abe get to hold our heads a little higher as we celebrate honest Abraham Lincoln’s 203rd birthday. I don’t know about you, but I think MC2 Idle makes a good argument on page 4 when he calls Abe “arguably our greatest president.” He held the union together, presided over the end of slavery and forged the path toward a greater realization of our national potential.

The Penny Press is full of tributes to our favorite president this week, so I hope you’re already all big fans of his. If not, hopefully we can inspire you.

There’s no doubt that John C. Stennis, Adm. Chester Nimitz, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower were all great Americans. But if you had to choose among the names on carriers’ fantails, who’re you gonna pick? Carl Vinson? I didn’t think so.

Abraham Lincoln for the win.

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The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ALCSG) launched its first combat sorties this deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Feb. 16.

The ALCSG, which was last in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) in February 2011, is comprised of the most effective collection of assets in the Navy, said Capt. David Silkey, commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2.

“Having been deployed out here twice in a year and a half, we’ve played a huge role in the Navy’s persistent presence in the AOR over the last couple of years,” Silkey said. “Another trip out here is just business as usual for our guys. U.S. Navy assets have been in this region for more than 60 years, and we’ll be here for decades to come, even long after the OEF mission is complete.”

Lt. Troy Teasdale, a pilot assigned to the Bounty Hunters of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2, said the OEF mission suits the professionals of CVW 2 quite well.

“We train our entire careers to properly execute what is asked of us,” Teasdale said. “All of our aircrew are prepared to support coalition forces working hard to ensure security and stability throughout the region. We have the best maintenance team and aviators in the world to ensure we accomplish this demanding mission.”

Rear Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, said the strike group is well-equipped to assume the challenges of the OEF mission.

“The strike group’s surface ships and aircraft squadrons are all manned, trained and ready,” Shoemaker said. “We’ve done the preparation, now it’s time to get to work.”

Story by MC2 Jonathan Idle

LINCOLN BEGINS

OEFAIR MISSIONS FOR

U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Zachary Welch

U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Zachary Welch

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1 Lincoln was an inventor. Abe was a big fan of machinery and gadgets. He enjoyed taking things apart and seeing what made them run. It was all part of his

inquisitive nature and his thirst for knowledge. Somewhere along the way, he decided that just understanding the inner workings of things wasn’t enough, so he began work on an invention of his own. In 1849, he patented a device for the purpose of “buoying vessels over shoals.” This basically means he created a system for getting boats or ships over sandbars. The design was deemed too expensive for its purpose and subsequently was never put into use. However, to this day, he is the only U.S. president to ever patent an invention of any kind.

2Lincoln only had one child that lived to see adulthood. Lincoln and his wife Mary Todd had four sons--Edward, William, Thomas and Robert. Unfortunately for the

family, only Robert, the oldest son, lived to see his 19th birthday. Edward Baker Lincoln, born Mar. 10, 1846, died at four years of age from pulmonary tuberculosis. William Wallace Lincoln (you have to love the fact that the kid was named after “Braveheart”), born Dec. 21, 1850, died at 11 years old from typhoid fever. Thomas Lincoln, born Apr. 4, 1853, died at 18 years old, also from tuberculosis. Robert lived to be 82 and had three children of his own. However, Robert almost shared the same fate as his brothers. Which brings us to…

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most famous and celebrated presidents in U.S. history. Chances are you’ve all heard about his humble beginnings in a log cabin, his self-taught education, his rise to Congress and ultimately to the White House. You’ve likely heard numerous tidbits of information about the life of Honest Abe.

Instead of giving you another basic biography, in honor of his 203rd birthday, we here at the Penny Press have decided to expand your knowledge base with a few nuggets of wisdom about the life (and all of the death) that surrounded the namesake of this great warship. What better way to pay our respects to arguably our greatest president than with the laziest form of print journalism…a list.

Abraham Lincoln was a man who was known for his wit and humor, but he reportedly suffered from serious depression. He was famous for his intelligence and prowess as a public speaker even though he only attended a year of formal schooling. He lived an extraordinary life and accomplished extraordinary things. Many writers before me have paid homage to him, and many more will in the future. So, I end by saying Happy Birthday, Abe. Next year, I’ll bake you a cake shaped like a stove pipe hat or something.

3Booth saved Lincoln’s life. Remember that part a few words ago where I inferred that Robert Lincoln almost died? Abe’s soon-to-be only living son was standing

in a train station one day during the Civil War when he was knocked off his feet by a moving train. As he was falling off of the platform and onto the tracks, a man grabbed his collar and pulled him to safety. Well, in some kind of strange karmic twist of fate, the man who saved him was named Edwin Booth. Booth was widely considered one of the finest Shakespearean actors of the 19th Century. Booth came from a long line of actors which included his younger brother, John Wilkes Booth. Yes, that John Wilkes Booth. Let that sink in for a second. The older brother of the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln saved the life of Lincoln’s son.

4Lincoln talked to the dead. No, I’m not saying he had some crazy power like that weird little kid in “The Sixth Sense,” and no I’m not making a reference to the

fictional biography of Abraham Lincoln as a vampire hunter. However, he and his wife did hold séances in the White House to try and contact the two sons they had already lost. His wife Mary was actually the one who organized most of these events, but he attended many of them. It’s not surprising because he was known to be a very superstitious man. One time, he saw two reflections of himself in an old mirror and told a friend it meant he would be elected president for a second term, but would not live to see it through. Which leads us to…

5Lincoln was psychic. About a week before the fateful night when Lincoln was assassinated, he had a dream. In his dream, Abe heard crying from somewhere in the

White House. He came upon a funeral already in progress. When he asked a crying woman who had died, she answered, “the president.” When you consider the nature of his dream and note the rumors that he was reluctant to attend the play at the Ford Theater the night he was shot, it’s clear he was not optimistic about his future.

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U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Benjamin Liston

U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Zachary Welch

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Big Abe Celebrates Abraham Lincoln’s

Birthday

Lincoln celebrated the 203rd birthday of her namesake in the ship’s hangar bay, Feb. 15.The celebration included an ice cream social

event, a cake-cutting ceremony, a reading of The Gettysburg Address and a mass reenlistment ceremony presided over by Capt. John D. Alexander, the ship’s commanding officer.

“Being able to plan events like these is the best part of my job,” said John Porter, Lincoln’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation coordinator. “We have the crew together to boost morale, and it’s to celebrate the achievements of a legendary leader.”

A massive cake in the shape of the carrier was cut and served to the crew by Alexander, Command Master Chief Susan Whitman and Lt. j.g. Ian Brenner, who dressed as Lincoln for the event. After serving the cake, Brenner read the Gettysburg Address to the assembled crew members.

“This is the first ship I’ve served on, so to be a part of this celebration is a unique experience,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuels) Airman Connor Breslow.

During the festivities, 29 Sailors from Lincoln’s Reactor department reenlisted. The aggregate selective reenlistment bonuses of those who signed up for two to six more years was $1.8 million.

“It’s an awesome thing to see Sailors reenlist, especially when things like Perform-to-Serve and enlisted retention boards are preventing many Sailors from reenlisting,” said Senior Chief Navy Counselor Paul A. Tyquiengco.

As the celebration continued, the crew also enjoyed DJ-hosted karaoke and dancing in the hangar bay.

Story by MCSN Benjamin Liston

U.S. Navy photo by MCSN Benjamin Liston

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You see them every day, wearing green jerseys faded by the sun and the salty air on the weatherdecks, covered in grease and sweat, looking exhausted

walking up and down the passageways. These are the men and women of Air department’s V-2 Catapults.

The 32-man team known as “the Cats” is responsible for the safe launching of aircraft from Lincoln’s flight deck. They begin work as early as 5 a.m. every day and often work until past 11 p.m. The responsibilities for V-2 include performing pre-operational checks on launching equipment, foreign object damage (FOD) walkdowns, flight operations, steam watch and late night post-operational maintenance on launch equipment. They perform maintenance on all four C-13 MOD 2 catapults, and subsystems including launch valves, water brake assemblies, jet blast deflectors and steam pistons.

“Without the Cats, the ship would not be able to launch aircraft from the flight deck to secure our missions,” explained Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Airman Brandi Washington.

Unlike most divisions, V-2 doesn’t have shifts or working hours. Their schedules revolve around the daily flight plan and they must be at their stations before, during and after flight operations to ensure the ship’s mission is successful. Some days, the team barely has time to eat, much less have personal time to themselves.

“There will be days when we are hard charging, working on the catapults and then we will rush down to the mess decks to grab some food and then run right back to the deck and continue where we left off,” said Washington. “Time flies by because we’re so busy, and it’s a good feeling at the end of the day to know we play a large role in the ship’s mission.”

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Working on the flight deck of a naval vessel is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Aircraft are turning constantly, catapults are launching those aircraft for hours on end, jets are steadily being recovered and airmen are regularly resupplying ordnance to the flight deck. These factors make safety the primary concern of all V-2 personnel.

“It’s a very hazardous working area,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Larry Pugh, V-2’s leading petty officer. “We’re always preaching safety to the Sailors.”

On average, V-2 launches 70 to 80 aircraft each day between the bow and waist catapults. Nevertheless, Washington said their operations rely on the efforts of the personnel from all the flight deck divisions and squadrons. Everyone has a role to play to ensure the pilots are safely launched and recovered.

“Flight operations can be a chaotic orchestra,” said Washington. “And we compose it. Sailors run their positions in a majestic fashion.”

V-2 offers a few incentives to keep Sailors motivated through the long workdays. Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Henry Green rewards Sailors with challenge coins when he sees them putting exceptional effort in on the job. Pugh rewards his shipmates with phone cards and allows them to use his computer to contact their families and to keep in touch with loved ones. He also sometimes lets them perform the role of leading petty officer for a day.

The division is a close community aboard the ship, Washington said. They’re supportive of each other and depend on one another’s hard work to ensure mission success.

“Whenever I’m down, my co-workers make me see something in myself that I’ve never seen before,” said Washington. “I couldn’t imagine a better place to be.”

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ADVANCEMENT EXAMSUP!

The many ways theNAVY ADVANCEMENT

CENTERcan help Sailors

For Sailors throughout the Navy, advancement exams are right around the corner, and the study

materials are located in the same place they can always be found: the Navy Advancement Center.

The Navy Advancement Center is an online hub operating from Navy Knowledge Online (NKO), which stores important knowledge-building information and references essential to Sailors working on building their careers. For Sailors who may feel confused or lost when preparing for their semiannual rating exams, the academic material at the Navy Advancement Center is the starting point for all exam-eligible rated Sailors.

“The Navy Advancement Center is essential because it’s where you can find the bibliographies for advancement (BIBs),” said Lincoln Educational Services Officer Ensign Bryan Gill. “The bibliographies contain hyperlinks to most of the instructions and manuals listed so you can print or download them to study from. Sailors can also download their profile sheets from previous exams on the site. These profile sheets can be used to point out the areas that need to be improved upon to develop a study plan.”

When using BIBs, many references to non-resident training manuals and other training documents are placed at Sailors’ fingertips. The BIBs list the

proper chapters and documents from which questions are drawn by those who write the exams.

“The BIBs are most important because that’s where the chiefs, senior chiefs and master chiefs that wrote the exam looked up the information to develop the questions,” said Gill. “In a way, they have told you where the answers are; it’s up to you to get in the books and find them. It is important to use the most up-to-date BIBs because they vary each exam cycle.”

The one thing that can’t be helped by the Navy Advancement Center is something that has plagued academics since the origin of the textbook: the over-reliance on last-minute cramming when studying for exams.

“Start studying early--don’t wait until the last minute. If you start early enough, you really only need to study for about an hour a day,” said Gill. “Also, being engaged during in-rate training is important. Anytime you can put the knowledge you gain from reading into action, it will help you retain that knowledge. Another good habit is to form study groups with others taking the same exam as you. They may be stronger in different areas than you and vice versa, and you can learn from each other.”

Once Sailors are equipped with the tools provided by Navy Advancement Center and the drive to succeed, the road to advancement is clear.

Story and photos by MC3 Wade T. Oberlin

ARE COMING

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AZAN LesLie OLivAresAIMD Dept./ IM-1 DIv.

Aviation Maintenance Administration Airman Leslie Olivares, a native of Olmito, Texas, is excited to finally be a part of the Lincoln crew.

Prior to enlisting in the Navy, Olivares earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Using the tools she learned while earning her degree, she worked as a reporter and as a design and layout artist for a local newspaper.

Olivares said she enlisted in the Navy in August 2011 to break out of small-town America.

“This was the best option, and I don’t regret it,” she said.While underway, her favorite way to pass the time is to sit back

and enjoy a good book, her favorite of which is, “The Phantom of the Opera,” by Gaston Leroux. When she has the opportunity, she likes to unleash her inner diva and sing karaoke with her friends.

Her first impression of the ship and it’s crew were that of awe and appreciation.

“I like the team because they’re very meticulous but also very approachable,” she said.

While in the Navy, she plans to advance her education and obtain a master’s degree. Career-minded, Olivares intends to stay Navy.

“I like the Navy. Nothing is ever set in stone. It’s constantly changing,” she said. Motivated to advance, she plans to pick up a leadership role as soon as she can. “Leadership entails somebody having the experience and maturity that it takes to be above the standard.”

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