The Big Easy Winter 2015

USS NEW ORLEANSWINTER 2015

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The Big Easy

The Ea

syMagazineBIGThe insider to what’s happening around New Orleans

The Ea

syMagazineBIGThe insider to what’s happening around New Orleans

Winter 2015

Take a look back at what

New Orleans has accomplished


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The Big Easy

After a short break, The BIG Easy has returned to entertain and inform its readers aboard New Orleans.

Change is coming as New Orleans prepares to come alive again for the ship’s Light Off Assesment. Some departments that have worked outside their rate while the ship was in the yards will need to kick off the rust and get ready to be in an operational status once more.

This month, we take a look back at 2014 to see what we as a crew have accomplished onboard New Orleans. 2014 brought us many great things, to include a new warfare program that is available to a number of Sailors aboard New Orleans.

Are you living in the barracks and tired of eating sodium packed frozen meals or chips and dip every night? Well we have laid out a few options that you can try to have your own gourmet cooking with just a microwave and a few ingedients.

The BIG Easy is looking to make big changes.... particularly in our staff. We are looking for Sailors who have a writing background and would like to take part in our command magazine. More details are to follow as the ship begins its work up and training cycles.

We are always looking to improve The BIG Easy Magazine to better suit your interests and provide an entertaining read. We are looking for positive, and even negative, feedback. Don’t worry, you won’t hurt our feelings. If you have any new ideas for the team to incorporate please feel free to email us at [email protected].

-New Orleans Public Affairs

The Editor’s Column

“This newspaper is an authorized publication for military members on board USS New Orleans (LPD 18). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the United States Navy and do not imply endorsement thereof.”

The Big Easy

Commanding OfficerCAPT Douglas Verissimo

Executive OfficerCDR Roberto Dumlao

Command Master ChiefCMDCM(SW/AW) Paul A King

OmbudsmanRachel Renner

Family Readiness GroupSamantha Schneggenburger

The BIG Easy EditorialPublic Affairs Officer:ENS Chloe Morgan

Editor:MC1(SW/AW) Gary Granger Jr.

Designer:MC3 Brandon Cyr

Photos & Stories:ENS Chloe MorganMC1(SW/AW) Gary Granger Jr. MC3 Brandon Cyr

USS NEW ORLEANS LPD 18

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The Big Easy

INSIDERTHE

FEEDTHE

FITTHE

PLANTHE

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1015

NOL SAILORS VOLUNTEER

DINE ON A DIME

CROSSFIT LIFE

COLLEGE EDUCATION

AWARDSTHE

FROCKING CEREMONY56 Sailors were frocked to the next paygrade during a ceremony on New Orleans, Dec. 5, 2014.

REUPSTHE

SIGNING UP FOR MORECongratulations to all the New Orleans Sailors who have recently reenlisted to continue serving in our Navy.

New Orleans Sailors do their part and volunteer to burn unservicable flags.

Ever get hungry while you’re in the barracks? Skip the vending machine and cook for yourself.

Keep yourself motivated to achieve your fitness goals even after the PRT has concluded.

College is a daunting task with a hefty price tag, but the Navy is here to help. Check out some of your options when it comes to earning your collegiate degree.


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The Big Easy

THE

USS NEW ORLEANS LPD 18 With another year in the books we wonder, “where did the time go?” This year is no different. From the eight-month deployment that wrapped up in April to the crucial work that was completed at BAE Systems Ship Repair Yards, the ship has always been on the move. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, New Orleans chose to give back to the community and volunteer at local MWR events.

With New Orleans preparing for future deployments, 2015 is sure to be full of exciting stories and memories. As we take a moment to look back at 2014, we remember all we have already accomplished.

New Orleans was the second U.S. naval warship to port in Duqm, Oman.New Orleans completed numerous successful evolutions while deployed.

New Orleans celebrated Mardi Gras with the crew while deployed.

After eight months deployed to 5th, 7th and 3rd Fleets, New Orleans returned to Naval Base San Diego.

8 Months9 Countries1100 Sailors & Marines1 Successful Deployment

Capt. Verissimo relieves Cmdr. Ray as the ship returned from its eight month deployment.

The ammunition offload at Seal Beach marked the end of a successful deployment.

New Orleans welcomed over 100 Midshipmen during their summer cruise.

After a long deployment it was finally time to tune up the ship at BAE System Shipyards.

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Keeping up with training and qualifications is one of New Orleans top priorities.

New Orleans’ Sailors volunteered to serve dinner to local military families at San Diego USO.

Sailors from New Orleans volunteered to honorably retire unserviceable flags.

Remember when we represented New Orleans in the Surface Line Week athletic events?

New Orleans upheld the traditions of the Navy throughout the year.


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The Big Easy PHOTOSTHE


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The Big Easy PHOTOS STORIESTHE

The amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) departed BAE Systems Shipyard for Naval Base San Diego after a five-month planned maintenance availability (PMA), Dec. 3. The “Big Easy” spent the summer and fall undergoing an extensive maintenance period, receiving more than $16 million in repairs and upgrades to equipment and systems throughout the ship. This availability period provided the opportunity to do extensive work on major systems not otherwise possible when the ship is in an operational status. “After enduring a rigorous eight-month deployment, the extensive work conducted in the main machinery rooms will ensure we are ready to meet max engineering readiness for any future operations,” said Ensign Mike Siordia, New Orleans’ main propulsion assistant. Other major projects completed during the 2014 PMA include software upgrades and repairs to the stern gate. “This yard period was highly successful,” said Lt. Cmdr. David Mahoney, New Orleans’ chief engineer. “The collaborative efforts between the port engineer, project manager, BAE and ship’s force will allow us to sustain worldwide operations well into the future,” Ship’s force established several Tiger Teams responsible for painting and the installation of lagging and deck coverings. The crew took it upon themselves to incorporate the ship’s namesake when refurbishing highly trafficked spaces. “The crew takes a lot of pride in our ship and wanted to show the New Orleans spirit visually throughout the ship vice just on the faces and hearts of the crew,” said Senior Chief Personnel Specialist Alexandria Dyer. The ship used three tugs for the two-mile transit through San Diego Harbor. Although out of the shipyards, the ship still has two more months of planned maintenance before beginning light-off assessment and sea trials. Light-off assessment will ensure engineers can safely start and operate the plant. The planned events will include a program management review to ensure the ship is in accordance with all governing documents and a safety walk-through to make sure the material readiness of the main spaces can support the safe light off for sea trials. “The Sailors of New Orleans are glad to be back at the Naval Base,” said Capt. Douglas C. Verissimo, New Orleans’ commanding officer. “We look forward to the challenge of getting the ship ready for our first operational test underway at sea trials.”

RETURN OF NEW ORLEANS

Lt. j.g.

NC1 ClarkBM1 DallasYN1 MosleyPS1 Smith

EN2 BarbaHM2 CameronFC2 ChuFC2 DallasET2 DisonGM2 GonzalezOS2 JimenezIT2 KelleyCS2 McCareyCTT2 McGaheyEN2 MichielsET2 PanzeraOS2 MatsubaraDC2 MarinOS2 Patterson-TaylorFC2 SmallIT2 TriasIT2 PayneBM2 VillagarciaIT2 WeirFC2 WindoverET2 Young

EN3 Barry PS3 BethelGM3 CasiasQM3 ClevingerBM3 DavidsonCS3 HernandezOS3 HarrisMR3 GarciaIT3 MagsipocBM3 LarsonIC3 DavisHT3 MartellQM3 MillionCS3 Ocegueda-RamirezOS3 OlagueQM3 PeelerIT3 PerryEN3 RomeroOS3 SakalaDC3 SalazarMM3 SchlapakGM3 ToolanSH3 WashingtonSH3 WoodsCTT3 CrocketMC3 Cyr

FIRST CLASS PETTY OFFICER

Second CLASS PETTY OFFICER

THIRD CLASS PETTY OFFICER

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST PETTY OFFICERS


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The Big Easy REUPSTHE

Top Left: Machinist Mate 1st Class Dufeal is reenlisted by Lt. j.g. Wood in the log room.

Top Right: Chief Hospital Corpsman Washington is reenlisted by Ensign Lynch in Medical Triage.

Bottom: Capt. Verissimo and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Hodges promote Ensign Wood and Ensign Ellington to Lt. j.g. in the wardroo.


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The Big Easy

CHENG presents HT2 Brown with the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal as he wraps up his time on board.

NEW ORLEANS RETIRES UNSERVICEABLEFLAGS

Sailors from the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans and members from the San Diego Young Marines and Cub Scouts Pack 810 laid to rest faded and torn flags during a flag retirement ceremony November 22, at the American Legion Post 434 in San Diego. The New Orleans Sailors completed a colorguard performance and helped Post 434 to retire unserviceable flags into the flame. “Today was a special day, I have been to a number of flag retirement ceremonies but it was great to share this moment with my shipmates and to retire these flags,” said Aviation Boatswains Mate (Fueling) 2nd Class. “This is something a lot of Sailors have never seen before, it was a great experience to render proper honors to old, unserviceable flags.”

Lt. Wilson places an unserviceable American flag in the fire as New Orleans colorguard renders final honors.

Story and Photos by: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brandon Cyr

FEEDTHE


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The Big Easy FEED

New Orleans help honor, fold, carry, and retire hundreds of unserviceable American flags at Post 434.

Title 4, U.S. Code, Chapter 1, Section 8, Paragraph k states: “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”

The colorguard marched ahead as Sherry Hill, the commander of ceremonies at the American Legion Post 434, asked that the unserviceable flags be brought forward for final inspection.

“These flags have become faded and worn over the graves of our departed comrades and the dead Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen of all our

nations wars,” said Hill.

After the final inspection a prayer was read and all active duty, retired service members and guests in attendance carried a flag to the post burn yard where the flags would be honorably burned.

To a clean and purging flame we commit these flags, worn out in worthy service said Hill as New Orleans Sailors saluted the flags once final time before they were placed in the fire.

Following the ceremony the Sailors were offered food, drinks and good conversation with the legion

members who told war stories about their time in the service and the proud history they shared in. “On behalf of Post 434 I would like to thank the Sailors from New Orleans who came days in advance to help fold the flags and again today as we laid them to rest,” said Hill. “The ceremony was a great success and having active duty service members in uniform present made for a great ceremony as we remembered the history of our great nation.”

FEEDTHE


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The Big Easy NAVYTHE


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The Big Easy NAVY NAVYTHE


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The Big Easy FEEDTHE

By Ensign Chloe J. Morgan, USS New Orleans Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO -- The amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) has become the first small ships to be approved for the Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare Specialist (EIDWS) program, Oct. 21. Sailors from various Information Dominance Corps (IDC) ratings and from the electronics technician (ET) rating aboard New Orleans now have the opportunity to earn their EIDWS pin. “I am very proud of the work my Information Dominance Professional put into getting our program running independently,” said Douglas C. Verissimo, New Orleans’ commanding officer.” We will be able to better train and test both our Sailors and others on the waterfront,” The process of starting an EIDWS program began over a year ago and required New Orleans to work closely with 10th Fleet. Master Chief Cryptologic Technician (Technical) (SW/IDW/AW) Suzanne L. Whitman and Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collection) (SW/AW) Phillip Pena spearheaded the program with the help of several subject matter experts.

NEW ORLEANS ADOPTS INFORMATION DOMINANCE WARFARE PROGRAM


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“First we had to show 10th Fleet that our ship’s mission was compatible with the IDC, and from there we had our work cut out for us,” said Whitman. Utilizing the Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS) from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), which leads New Orleans’ amphibious ready group, New Orleans had to create a program that encompassed the unique IDC missions of the LPD 17 class platform. “Boxer’s PQS gave us a baseline to start with, but we had to tailor our program to our specific platform, and even more specifically, to our actual ship,” said Whitman. “We are the first small ship – that is, not a CVN or LHD or LHA—to have created an EIDWS PQS, so it took a great deal of time, research, and dedication.” The subject matter experts worked to produce an extensive PQS, covering everything from naval heritage to expeditionary intelligence. After months of compilation, the Naval Education and Training Command and 10th Fleet gave New Orleans the final approval to employ the PQS. With the oversight of 10th Fleet via video teleconference, New Orleans’ seven board members conducted the ship’s first EIDWS board for Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 1st Class James Holzmann (SW/AW) on October 9. “It was nerve racking being the first to go through the board with such a large audience, and the questions were difficult,” said Holzmann. “Thankfully I had been preparing for months, so I felt confident that my answers were sound.” Holzmann passed the strenuous board and was pinned on Oct. 24, paving the way for other Sailors aboard New Orleans. A total of 52 crew members are currently working on earning their EIDWS designation. The Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare Specialist designation was implemented in 2010 to enhance the Navy’s understanding of information dominance to increase warfighting and mission effectiveness. The EIDWS warfare qualification specifically focuses on Information Dominance personnel in the aerographer’s mate (AG), cryptologic technician (CT), intelligence specialist (IS) and information systems technician (IT) ratings.

CTT1 Holzmann is pinned with the Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare pin by CTTCM Whitman at an all hands call.


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The Big Easy

PLANNING AHEAD: COLLEGE EDUCATION

U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY MIDSHIPMEN

STA 21

Many Sailors enter the Navy with hopes of completing their college degree to make themselves a more marketable and valuable asset in the world today. The Navy offers some of the best options to earn your degree while still earning a paycheck and serving your country. Below we cover some of the options you can use to finish your degree.

One of the most popular and prestigious options to earn your college degree is to apply to become one of the Navy’s newest Midshipmen. A four year, full-time college experience located in the beautiful town of Annapolis, Maryland.

This is a great program that gives you both Naval experience and affords you the opportunity to attend college; however, this option does have a time limit on it. An applicant must be under the age of 23 by July 1st of the year they enter the Academy. Furthermore the applicants must pass a medical and physical fitness screening. Applicants who are married, pregnant or have dependents will be automatically disqualified.

For more information on the Naval Academy and the steps to admission check out http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/ or speak with the Education Officer, ENS Mannier, or PSCS Dyer.

For an enlisted Sailor, the Seaman to Admiral program (STA-21) is about as good as it gets. You have the option to go to college and earn a degree in a particular field of study while still receiving your base pay. This is a high intensity program that requires you to go to college full time and receive your degree within 36 months, which means summer and winter courses as well.

Applicants should be stellar Sailors with no courts martial and have recommendations from their commanding officer. You will also be required to pass a physical readiness test and medical screening.

For more information on STA-21 visit https://www.sta-21.navy.mil or speak with our career counselor NC1 Lemus.

PLANTHE


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The Big Easy PLAN

TUITION ASSISTANCE

OFFICERCANDIDATE SCHOOLNAVY COOL

PLANTHE

Navy credentialing opportunities on-line (COOL) is a great way to learn more about your rate and boost your education block on your evaluation.

https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn is a site that directs you to different credential and certificate websites that will keep you sharp in your rate.

For some Sailors who are thinking of getting out, but are trying to find a similar job in the civilian world, Navy COOL is the way to go. They lay out exactly what sort of jobs are out there for your rate and what things you should be getting certified in to be a top candidate when applying to jobs.

For more information on Navy COOL, visit our career counselor NC1 Lemus.

Officer Candidate School is another popular commissioning program that is only available to Sailors who have already attained their Bachelor degree.

This 12 week bootcamp style course will take any outstanding Sailor and transform him/her into a Naval officer. The school’s curriculum will demand the most of your academic prowess. Mental training involves memorization of military knowledge, academic courses, and military inspections. Physical training (PT) begins immediately upon arrival at OCS. PT consists of running programs augmented by calisthenics, and aquatic programs.

For more information on OCS visit our career counselor NC1 Lemus or check out this website at http://www.ocs.navy.mil.

This is one of the best programs for Sailors who want to obtain their degree while serving or for those who are looking to possibly commission through Officer Candidate School or other commissioning programs.

After one year at a respective command a Sailor can apply to tuition assistance to pay for most if not all of their tuition to a college.

Sailors interested in this program must have no PFA failures in their record.

For more information on Tuition Assistance visit our Education Officer, ENS Mannier, or check out https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/ta.


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The Big Easy

USS NEW ORLEANS LPD 18

Congratulations Big Easy Crew!2014 COMPACFLT Retention Excellence Award

The Big Easy Winter 2015

Documents

Transcript of The Big Easy Winter 2015