The Carl Vinson Voice is an internal document produced by and for the crew of the USS Carl Vinson and their families. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government or the Departments of Defense or

the Navy and do not imply any endorsement thereby.

See`SMI` page 2

VOL 1 / NO 52 December 16, 2010

Story by MC2 Byron LinderUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

Carl Vinson’s Supply Department Sailors set a new standard of Navy-wide excellence, earning the high-est recorded score of 99.3 for retail operations and an overall score of 93.26 for a ship’s Supply Management Inspection (SMI) upon completion Dec. 15.

SMI, held every eighteen months, inspects the ship’s Supply Department’s ability to carry out the mission. A comprehensive assessment, every aspect of Supply Department is heavily scrutinized. From logs to train-ing to cleanliness to service ability, the inspection en-sures and certifies the department’s ability to support the strike group’s needs.

Cmdr. Ken Epps, Vinson’s Supply Officer, observed an apt timing of the inspection with the ship’s current operations.

“This is kind of our Composite Training Unit Exer-cise (COMPTUEX), which ensures all our key business areas in Supply can turn around and support the strike group when we go on cruise,” said Epps.

The three-day inspection checks the proper way of operating the 13 Supply divisions. While ships are usu-

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Publisher Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey

Commanding Officer

Executive Editors Lt. Cmdr. Erik Reynolds

Public Affairs Officer

Lt. Erik Schneider Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Managing Editor MC2 Ashley Van Dien

Photo Editor MC2 Adrian White

Layout and DesignMC3 Patrick Green

Staff Writers/PhotographersMC2 Byron C. Linder

MC3 Lori BentMC3 Travis K. Mendoza

MC3 Jessica RobertsonMCSN Zachary D. BellSTA

FFCarl Vinson Voice2

From ‘SMI’ Page 1“The 70” Keeps Vinson Sailors up to Date

Check out what’s happening on the latest episode of Carl Vinson’s newscast “The 70.” It’s a show made for Sailors, by Sailors, to showcase what’s going on around the ship and

who’s doing what.“The 70” features news stories on

subjects ranging all the way from the new satellite bars to underway replenishments, Hanukkah celebra-tions to NCPACE courses, and even visits from people like “Wee Man” and a Padre pitcher. The news sto-ries offer information and enter-tainment for the crew about what’s happening on our ship.

Hard-working, outstanding Sail-ors are recognized in The 70’s “Two Minutes With…” where Sailors tell their personal and professional sto-ries. “Two Minutes With…” gives us an inside look at how motivated Sailors’ enthusiasm and dedication to their jobs and their Shipmates bumps up productivity and boosts morale.

All over the ship, Sailors are indi-vidually doing their part to accom-plish the strike group’s mission. “A Day in the Life” lets us peek into some of our Shipmates’ work cen-ters and see what they’re doing on a day-to-day basis. Understanding each other and our different jobs will benefit everyone when it comes to living and working together.

In “Movie Break!” Mass Commu-nication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Green shares his opinions on sev-eral films coming up on SITE TV. Exuberant, sarcastic and bleeping awesome, Green will give you the synopsis of films without a spoiler, complete with actual movie foot-age.

Content of The 70 is driven by what’s happening on board, forward to aft, port to starboard, featuring Sailors above and below deck from all walks of life. If you have a sto-ry idea, recommendation for “Two Minutes With…” or “A Day in the Life” for The 70 newscast, email it to mediasuggestions@cvn70.navy.mil

New episodes of The 70 will air on SITE TV Channel 5 Sunday at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., and repeat Mon-day through Saturday at 5:00 and 7:00 a.m. and again at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

ally in a regular at-sea operation-al status, Epps explained the dis-tinctive challenge Vinson’s crew faced.

“Obviously we were unique in this situation because we’ve been in refueling complex overhaul (RCOH). The last time Carl Vin-son had a supply management in-spection was in 2005,” Epps said.

Supply Department met the challenge head-on, welcoming the opportunity to prove their department’s prowess at mission execution.

“It’s basically 48 hours of grill-ing on everything we do day in and day out,” chuckled Lt. Cmdr. Jack Tan, Vinson’s Assistant Sup-ply Officer. “It started from noon on Dec. 13 and ended last night (Dec. 14) at 9:00 p.m.”

Preparing for the thorough in-spection required action taken well in advance of departing San Diego.

“There was a lot of upkeep to spaces before SMI. A lot of long hours, hard work, and paying attention to detail,” said S-3 Di-vision’s Leading Chief Petty Of-ficer, Senior Chief Ship’s Service-man (SW/AW) Hector Quiroga.

The contributions to SMI’s success did not begin and end

with Supply Department Sailors. Master Chief Logistics Special-ist (AW/SW) Gil Ermitano, Sup-ply Department’s Leading Chief Petty Officer, cited the “one team, one fight” mentality as a key ele-ment.

“The engineers were fixing the equipment that we use in the gal-ley and ship’s laundry and the barber shop. You name it they were there to support us. All the departments and squadrons sup-ported us. I can’t name a single department or squadron that didn’t help us,” said Ermitano.

Epps remarked on the SMI in-spectors’ notice of Vinson’s strong support of Supply Department.

“The SMI inspector was im-pressed and surprised the captain came on and discussed Supply Department and what we were going through. Not a lot of ships do that. A lot of times, we operate in the background and you don’t always get that visible support from the chain of command,” said Epps. “They understand how im-portant it is for us to do what we do well so the rest of the ship can do well,” he said.

With SMI in the books, Epps emphasized the importance and rewards of maintaining the stan-dard set on a daily basis.

“I hope my Sailors take away the lesson that you will be rewarded because you’ve put in the right amount of work and you’ve made the sacrifices. You work excep-tionally hard, but you also work exceptionally smart,” he said.

MC2 Ashley Van DienUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

3December 16, 2010

LS2 (AW/SW) Maggie ApplewhiteDec. 13, 2010

LS2 (AW/SW) Maggie Applewhite’s perseverance and dedication to duty was key to the unprecedented material and operational readiness of Carl Vinson. Petty Officer Applewhite successfully processed 70 credit card purchase requirements worth $250,000 for 19 departments in support of Carl Vinson’s deployment. Applewhite successfully coordinated and expedited 22 highly critical casualty report (CASREP) parts through various Department of Defense, Navy and commercial supply channels which resulted in restoring seven primary mission critical equipment. Applewhite’s enthusiasm and dedication to Supply Department and USS Carl Vinson is noted daily and truly deserving of special recognition.

MM3 Alexander MoosSafety Department

Electrical safety is probably one of the most overlooked, underap-preciated safety programs on board. There is not a single person on board, or in the Navy for that mat-ter, that is not affected by electrical safety. If you use anything that plugs into a wall, you are participating in the electrical safety program. Not everyone, however, cares. Our job in Safety Department is to educate and enforce the programs for which we are responsible. That means electrical safety, and many others.

The Electrical Safety Program is vital to preserving the operational stability of the ship. We cannot af-ford a shipmate being electrocuted due to carelessness. Nor can we af-ford the effects of a fire caused by

faulty gear or unattended electron-ics. Carl Vinson had a close call just before INSURV. An unattended lap-top power adapter overheated and started a fire. The fire completely destroyed a space, and if not for the efforts of the duty section’s fire party, the damage could have been much more severe.

Electrical items that are NOT au-thorized on board U.S. Naval ves-sels.

1) Personal fans that plug into the ships power system. (Battery op-erated fans are allowed.)

2) Power strips and surge sup-pressors that are not labeled “AP-PROVED FOR SHIPBOARD USE” Approved power strips can be ac-quired through your department’s electrical tool issue workcenter.

3) Space heaters of any kind.4) Portable A/C units.5) Hot plates/ Rice cookers/

Crock pots (any personal cooking appliances).

6) Extension cords of any kind. (Only departmental tool issue work-centers are authorized to possess / is-

sue extension cords.)7) Personal drills/ power tools

of any kind.All other personal electronics

must be safety checked and labeled with the authorized stickers. This can be done at either the ship’s elec-trical tool issue or at your depart-ment’s electrical tool issue room. It is the responsibility of all hands to ensure that all electric tools and electronics on board are safety checked, whether they are personal gear or work center tools. Do not plug your electronics in until they have been safety checked. Please remember to always ensure that you are not resting your electronics on or near any materials that can easily catch on fire, as was the case in the earlier mentioned accident. Final-ly, if you are not actively using your electronics, make sure they are not plugged in, and are turned off.

Always remember, electricity can be your best friend, but the mo-ment you stop respecting it, it can and will hurt you and possibly your shipmates.

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U.S. Navy photos by MC3 Travis K. Mendoza and MCSN Zachary D. Bell

5December 16, 2010

The San Diego Padres hit a home run with the crew of the Carl Vinson when they flew out to the ship, stayed overnight and signed autographs for Sailors Dec 13.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to bring baseball to the crew,” said Dave Roberts, San Diego Padres coach. “We get the chance to show our appreciation and come face-to-face with the men and women whose job it is to protect our freedom.”

The Padres have an ongoing relationship with the men and women in uniform. Before every Sunday home game, members of the Armed Forces

take the field at Petco Park to a standing ovation from the Padres organization and their fans.

“It’s good to see the team come

showing our appreciation. We have the support of the military during the season and during the off season we come out and show our support.”

Renowned Sports Broadcaster Dick Enberg joined the Padres in showing their support as he shook hands and thanked Sailors for their service during an autograph session on the carrier’s aft mess deck.

“We are incredibly impressed to see how this all works,” said Enberg. “To see the rhythm of so many people working together and making so much happen. There is a roster of almost five thousand people and the camaraderie is the same as a baseball team of twenty five people. We are left incredibly impressed.”

out here to see us because it shows that they support us and what we do,” said Operations Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Janice Alvey of Operations Department.

The Padres visitors posed for photos and signed baseball gloves, ball caps and fan gear for Vinson Sailors on the mess decks.

“I grew up with baseball so it means a lot to see the players come out to support us,” added Operations Specialist 3rd Class Jeffery Tratenburg of Operations Department. “I am a huge baseball fan, so it’s a big deal for me to come out and meet talented players.”

Luke Gregerson, pitcher for the Padres, explained how he enjoys showing appreciation for the military that protects him, his team and his country.

“One of the most rewarding experiences of being a ball player is having the support of the men and women in uniform,” said Gregerson. “Coming on board is our way of

Story by MC3 Lori BentUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

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A Gold Eagle All American

Story by MC3 Lori BentUSS Carl Vinson Staff Writer

Ninety minutes in the gym, 45 min-utes on the treadmill, countless reps of weight lifting. Two hours of water resis-tance training, sprint drills and weight lifting in an Olympic-sized pool. Just a typical (in port) routine after a full day’s work for one Carl Vinson Sailor who pushes on the ship and on the field.

Carl Vinson Sailor Aviation Ord-nanceman 3rd Class Antonio Arbelo, from Weapons Department G-1 Divi-sion Weapons Support Equipment, is one of three enlisted Sailors from San Diego to make the cut for the All Navy Rugby Team. Since then, he has been managing his duties as a Sailor and his passion for playing rugby.

“I started playing competitive rugby with Naval Academy graduates and Sailors from other commands while we were still in Virginia,” said Arbelo. “That’s when I got introduced to the All Navy Team. They helped me under-stand my role as a team player just like

Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Antonio Arbelo plays rugby for the All Navy Rugby Team. Photo courtesy of Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Antonio Arbelo.

the Navy does.”In 2009 and early 2010, Arbelo trav-

elled with the All Navy Rugby team to compete in tournaments in Jackson-ville, Fla. where they played the British Navy and the University of Florida. The team had a successful run in November against the Marine Corps and Air Force Rugby teams during the Armed Forces Rugby Tournament.

“We practiced twice-a-day for two weeks to get ready for the tournaments,” said Arbelo. “The water workouts are the worst. Imagine having to do sprints and weight lifting in a pool, then two hours later doing tackling drills and running plays.”

In port, the team trains at the San Diego Chargers practice stadium three-times-a-week with tournaments and games on the weekends. With the support of his chain of command and Shipmates, Arbelo is able to manage his work and practice schedule without los-ing sight of either one.

Underway Arbelo uses the ship as his training field. He commits to daily muscle resistance training in the ship’s weight room and spends up to an hour

per day doing sprint drills on the tread-mill.

“I don’t have a coach telling me how or what to work out and I don’t have a lot of space to practice tackles and ball handling,” said Arbelo. “What I do have is the natural athletic ability to train the essential muscles and body parts to still be in top shape.”

“Arbelo is a self-motivator. The rugby team brings out the enthusiasm in him,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW) Alfredo Razo, Weapons Depart-ment G-1 Division leading petty officer. “The experience helps him broaden his views of the Navy and gives him op-portunities that he wouldn’t have ex-pected.”

On and off the field, Arbelo has learned to tackle challenges from every angle to take on multiple tasks with the determination of a champion.

“Commitment to his team reinforces commitment to his job,” said Razo. “He does what he has to do at work to do what he wants on the field. His determi-nation motivates his peers to do more with their time and abilities. In turn they motivate him to do his best.”