MMs are losing steam — or are they?
June 14th, 2010 | Congress The deckplates | Posted by Phil Ewing
When the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk went away, many machinist's mates went with it. Many more are expected to go away when the Navy decommissions many of its steam ships -- if it does. // MC3 Kyle Gahlau / Navy
My eminent colleague Mark D. Faram and I had a story in the print edition of Navy Times last week about what it could mean for Navy engineers if Congress goes through with its requirement that the Navy keep around many more ships than it now plans. Basically, if the fleet has to keep the steam powered ships it now wants to decommission, it also has to keep around machinist’s mates to run them, even though the rating has been shrinking for the past couple of years.
Check out the story here — then come back and tell us what you think. Are lawmakers taking into account the effect their changes could have on sailors? If you’re an MM, what do you think of the future of your rate? Is this all much ado about nothing?
Getting their hands dirty
June 4th, 2010 | Ships The deckplates | Posted by Phil Ewing
Engineering sailors got a refresher course in tagging out valves in a waterfront training session in San Diego. // Steve Vanderwerff / Navy
June isn’t just the one-year blogiversary of Scoop Deck. Twelve months ago, Navy Times ran a cover story about a scathing inspector general’s report that uncovered systemic problems with the Navy’s computer-based training, which had equaled or exceeded the amount of real, hands-on instruction in the fleet. Many sailors never saw the actual equipment they needed to work on until they reported to their first ships.
Fast forward to today: Naval Surface Forces officials say they’ve made real progress across the board in tackling their problems of the past several years — including more hands-on instruction for incoming crew members. Today, sailors can take waterfront classroom training after their first few months on their ships, to juxtapose what they’re being asked to do against the basic skills they’ve acquired, and brush up or expand their abilities. According to SurFor, nine of nine ships have passed their maintenance inspections on their first try so far this year, as of May.
What does it look like from where you sit? If you’re out on the deckplates, tasting that sea air, enjoying the cry of the noble waterfront seagull, we want to hear what you think of the changes SurFor is making. Are they making it to your level?
The PT is virtual, but the sweat is real
May 26th, 2010 | Recruiting Science and technology The deckplates | Posted by Phil Ewing
HM1 Guy Duke helped ET3 Joshua Benedict attempt the tree position -- or vrksasana, to purists -- in Wii Fit yoga. The Navy may consider adding Wii Fit, or video games like it, for boot camp classes. // MM3 Juan Pinalez / Navy
The Navy’s top medial officer, Vice Adm. Adam Robinson, isn’t personally acquainted with the video games these kids play today — your crazy golfing games, or your yoga things they have now, and such — but he said last week he could see the Navy using them to help new recruits get into shape.
Robinson was good enough to spend some time here at the Center of Excellence for a meeting with Military Times reporters and editors to talk about a wide range of health-in-the-force issues, and you can get the full accounting, including stories and an extended transcript, in the print edition of Navy Times now on newsstands. But in a special blog sneak preview, you can check out his video game ideas right now.
One thing we wondered about is whether the Navy would use existing software and hardware, or develop its own custom equipment to train recruits. For example, the Navy could design a game using the “Dance Dance Revolution” gamepad in which you accidentally found yourself in blue-tile country, and you had to run away as an angry officer chased you back to your berthing spaces. Or you could use a Wii remote to check tank levels in the machinery spaces — the old fashioned way.
How would you use video games to help Navy newcomers get into shape?
The green-green team
April 28th, 2010 | Environment The deckplates The greenside | Posted by Phil Ewing
Lt. Julie Cunningham and AMEAN James Creek, of VAQ 129, the "Vikings," sorted garbage on the hunt for recyclables April 14 in Oak Harbor, Wash. Besides trash-bin sorties, what other lifestyle changes could the Navy's environmental focus have in store? // Nardelito Gervacio / Navy
Absolutely no disrespect meant here, but isn’t it funny to think about the Navy and Marine Corps — an immense, mechanized bureaucracy built around the basic goals of killing and destruction — as a crunchy-granola, hippie-dippie, save-Mother Earth commune? That’s the picture the Navy tried to paint as Earth Day came and went last week — ah, but one day wasn’t enough out at Naval Base San Diego: it celebrated a whole Earth Week.
There’s no question the Navy Department is serious about expanding its uses of alternative energy and being environmentally conscious, but does that mean sailors will be starting up drum circles and delivering sanctimonious lectures on the importance of locally grown produce? What effect do you think a low-impact, alternative-fuel, enviro-culture could have on the people of the Navy and Marine Corps?
Seven in Seven
April 22nd, 2010 | Aviation Carriers Congress Environment Foreign navies Maritime operations Military Sealift Command Navy NECC ordnance Recruiting SEALs Ships Submarines The deckplates The greenside The Middle East The Pacific Washington | Posted by Lance Bacon
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that the Green Hornet on Thursday took to flight – the fighter jet, not the super hero. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was powered by a 50/50 blend of biofuel and JP-5.
That same day, a U.S. military jury cleared a Navy SEAL of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors. Two others will soon have their day in court.
And on Wednesday, the Navy implemented its first change in 17 years to the Defense Department’s much-debated “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
Here’s seven stories in seven minutes from the past seven days that you may not have seen, but are worthy of notice:
Happy birthday, chiefs!
April 1st, 2010 | Chiefs Historical Navy The deckplates | Posted by Lance Bacon
- Master Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey Covington, command master chief of U.S. Fifth Fleet, kicks off the Southwest Asia Chief Petty Officer Association picnic. (Photo by MC2 Class Jason T. Poplin)
Maybe he made you scrub the deck for no apparent reason. Maybe he has a permanent scowl on his face. But it’s the chief’s 117th birthday, so wish him well!
Did you know that some of the first chiefs made only $70 per month? Or that there were more than 200 chief ratings after World War II?
If you want to hone your goat locker knowledge, here is a good site. And here is another.
Again, happy birthday chiefs! Just don’t eat too much cake — PRTs are just around the corner.
A day aboard Truman — the XO
March 30th, 2010 | Aviation Carriers leadership Life at Sea Navy Officers Personnel The deckplates | Posted by Lance Bacon
Scoop Deck blogger Lance M. Bacon just completed a 24-hour embark aboard the carrier Harry S Truman. This is the play-by-play.
Truman’s XO knows it’s the sailors who make the difference, and he has some strong initiatives to take care of them, their families and their Navy. (Photo by Lance M. Bacon)
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Fresh out of the metal shop, we sat down for a one-on-one with the XO, Capt. John “Oscar” Meier. Most of our discussion will be used in a forthcoming story, so keep an eye on Navy Times. But Scoop Deck can tell you this: Meier is someone who will go the distance to protect his sailors and protect his Navy.
We’re exactly like every other Nimitz-class carrier. We’re 95,000 tons of steel, technology, two nuclear reactors – the only thing that makes this carrier a Battle E-winning carrier is the crew and the leadership on this ship.”
He along with the skipper have some pretty strong initiatives in place, from family readiness to curbing alcohol abuse to overcoming the transfer of one-third of the qualified crew when Big E pushed the fall deployment back by six months.
Don’t be surprised if you see Meier get command of his own flat top in the near future.
A day aboard Truman — Unsung Heroes
March 30th, 2010 | Aviation Carriers leadership Life at Sea Maritime operations Morale Navy Shore duty The deckplates | Posted by Lance Bacon
Scoop Deck blogger Lance M. Bacon just completed a 24-hour embark aboard the carrier Harry S Truman. This is the play-by-play.
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Scoop Deck has laid down the challenge. We have a couple of open hours, and we want to spend them with some deck plate leaders, some sailors who are never in the spotlight and some petty officers who are making a big difference.
MC1 (SW/AW) Denise Davis of the public affairs office answered that challenge well.
A day aboard Truman — Cat 3 is down!
March 30th, 2010 | Aviation Carriers leadership Life at Sea Navy The deckplates | Posted by Lance Bacon
Scoop Deck blogger Lance M. Bacon just completed a 24-hour embark aboard the carrier Harry S Truman. This is the play-by-play.
HT2 Anthony Picillo and his team stands in front of the 10-foot hydraulic line that shut down Cat 3 — but for only two hours, thanks to the ship’s metal shop. (Photo by Lance M. Bacon)
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Catapult 3 is down. Heat and vibration cracked a hydraulic line that wraps around steam lines. The failure is not even visible to the naked eye, but is quick to announce its presence when the line ramps up to 3,000 psi.
The squadrons are short on time. Every pilot has to conduct the required traps and touch-and-gos prior to sunrise, when training will take a significant shift. Pri Fly needs every catapult up and running.
They turn to the sailors in the ship’s metal shop.
A day aboard Truman — The flight deck
March 30th, 2010 | Aviation Carriers Chiefs Life at Sea Maritime operations Navy The deckplates | Posted by Lance Bacon
Scoop Deck blogger Lance M. Bacon just completed a 24-hour embark aboard the carrier Harry S Truman. This is the play-by-play.
ABCS (AW/SW) Ernest Taylor (left) gives Scoop Deck a full tour of the flight deck during flight ops (Photos by Lance M. Bacon)
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Scoop Deck has hooked up with ABCS (AW/SW) Ernest Taylor, the safety LCPO. We spend the next 45 minutes traversing the flight deck – 4.5 acres of controlled chaos.