THE DOMINANT NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 THE DOMINANT NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 MCM CREW DOMINANT ON DEPLOYMENT Another month has passed and we now have less than 3 months until we return to good old San Diego. The month of August was a quite busy month for us. We completed a very productive maintenance period and our second port visit all during the holy month of Ramadan. During Ramadan there are a few major restrictions imposed such as no drinking or eating in public before sun down, no consumption of alcoholic beverages off base, and the mandatory wear of conservative dress attire including long pants off base regardless of the temperature. Even with these extra restrictions we still found ways to entertain ourselves. MWR sponsored a softball tournament against MCM Crew SWERVE and British MCM Sailors from HMS PEMBROKE, HMS QUORN, and HMS RAMSEY on Naval Support Activity Bahrain. We enjoyed the afternoon through the evening by playing softball, eating BBQ and consuming refreshments while strengthening the camaraderie between our mine sweeper brethren. With the maintenance period over we set back to sea to execute our assigned tasks. Once off the pier, SCOUT steamed strong all the way to Oman in company of USS GLADIATOR. Where, we shifted our focus to preparing for the Straight of Hormuz transit. We conducted a Crew Serve Weapons live fire exercise, and later that evening we rendezvoused with USS TRUXTON (DDG 103). With our escort, we conducted the Strait transit during the night with a few extra watches on the Bridge, in Combat Information Center and a few standing by on the 03 level to man the gun mounts. The transit through the Straight became just another routine evolution by the time we completed it. In the morning the crew awoke finding themselves onboard the first MCM to transit into the Gulf of Oman since With a safe trip through the Strait of Hormuz behind us, and a day away from Oman with a well earned 3 day port visit ahead of us. We moored in the late morning midst on August 26 th, and quickly put SCOUT into an in port condition. We enjoyed MWR sponsored tours that ranged from scuba diving to excursions throughout the rugged country. Our Sailors used this opportunity to explore the local area and observing the Omani lifestyle. Muscat gave our Sailors a whole new culture to experience and allowed them to see the beautiful scenery in a different area of the Middle East. After departing Muscat, we finished out the month of August completing a daytime transit through the Straight of Hormuz back into the Arabian Gulf. With a busy month of September ahead, our Sailors are embracing it and are prepared to execute our mission the DOMINANT way! MN2(SW) Cadigan, Editor LTJG Cass watches as Deck Division prepares to launch the RHIB (Ridgit Hull Inflatable Boat) during our transit to Oman. ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 1

2 CO s COMMENTS Greetings Crew DOMINANT family and friends! Welcome to another addition of the DOMINANT newsletter. I d like to start off this issue by recognizing our new editor, MN2 (SW) Daniel Cadigan. He stepped up to the challenge and took on the responsibility of soliciting the pictures and articles to put this publication together not an easy task! Well done, MN2, and I look forward to more of your work in the near future (as I hope the readers do as well!) Since our last publication we ve been putting some sea miles on SCOUT taking her though the Straight of Hormuz to a liberty port call in Muscat, Oman. Your Sailors had a chance to get off the ship there to enjoy several tours of the countryside, see some wild camels, shop at the local Souq (market), and enjoy a traditional Ramadan Iftar, or fast-breaking dinner. All in all, it was good liberty for some MCM Sailors who don t usually get a chance to leave the Arabian Gulf! We re over half way through this deployment and are taking SCOUT on some of her last trips to sea before we take her into the drydock facility here in Bahrain for routine repairs where she ll be for the rest of the time we re here. This marks a time of working extra hard on qualifications and maxing out the training opportunities every day at sea. There are five ESWS qualifications in the crew to show for it, and at least another two or three on the way ask your loved one how he s doing on the progress to his pin! Coming up, we re going to be embarking some Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers to assist in their unit level training and to give us another opportunity to detonate one of our live mine neutralization charges. We re also going to be assisting USS ARDENT (MCM 12),one of our sister MCMs deployed to Bahrain, in preparations for her upcoming INSURV material inspection. If you were on the crew for our last INSURV inspection, you have an idea of what ARDENT is going through now. September also marks the start of the school year for many of you at home. I d recommend taking advantage of the resources that Senior Chief Bernard mentions in his segment of this newsletter to help get your family members started. If you re running into any difficulty, please feel free to contact our command OMBUDSMAN who can point you into a direction to get some assistance, her phone number is (858) Before I close, I d like to welcome a couple new members of the crew: DC3 (SW/AW) Stuart Lovorn, and EN3 Jacob Beers; WELCOME ABOARD to all of their family and friends. I d also like to thank QM2 (SW) David Bauer who just left us, thanks for the hard work in Navigation Division; fair winds and following seas. That wraps up this issue, until next time, have a safe end of summer and enjoy the start of the school year! G. P. Lorio ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 2

3 XO s POST The month of August provided the crew the opportunity to experience a few things that are viewed as routine in the Cruiser/Destroyer Navy during deployment, but they are abnormal for MCM Crews. After spending the first part of the month conducting training and improving SCOUT s material condition we got SCOUT underway to conduct a port visit in Muscat, Oman. Additionally while we transited with USS GLADIATOR (MCM 11), we conducted multiple training events to maintain our high level of readiness. This gave our Sailors the opportunity to hone their skills and train new watch standers. After completing our training we were joined by USS TRUXTON (DDG 103) and transited through the Straight of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman (GOO). This marked the first time an MCM Class vessel had operated in this region since A day later we were moored in Muscat, Oman which was another first for an MCM. GLADIATOR pulled in a few minutes later and our crews enjoyed the three day port visit by taking tours and experiencing the city life of Muscat. In true DOMINANT fashion our SEL s BLOG Sailors took their roles as Ambassadors of the U. S. Navy and of the country seriously and left only positive impressions on the Omani people they had the pleasure to interact with. Oman had a lot to offer us and I feel that few will forget the amzing things they were able to see and experience for the forseeable future. With the port visit behind us, we met up with TRUXTON and transitted through the Straight of Hormuz enroute to Bahrain. This day time transit did give us the opportunity to see a few Iranian warships and helped us to dial in our operator skills. All in all, August was a great month for Crew DOMINANT and we are ready to execute any tasking that comes our way! Thank you for your continual support! It s Back to School. Now is the best time to sharpen your tools, so that you can improve your education and broad your opportunity. The Navy College has a lot to offer for service members and their family. Did you know that all U.S. Navy members and their family have FREE unlimited access to Tutor.com provided by the Department of Defense? This resource is available 24/7 to get help in home work, studying, test prep, resume writing, and more. You must sign into Navy Knowledge Online (wwwa.nko.navy.mil/portal/home/) and follow these easy steps: Sign-in, Reference tab, click Tutor.com box on the right hand side. You can find other educational resource links by visiting www. Navycollege.navy.mil/. If you are looking to build a solid academic foundation by improving your math and verbal skills in order to score well on exams, advance your education, and excel in your career. Then the Peterson s Online Academic Skills Course is right for you. This online course is FREE to all U.S. Navy members and their Spouses. The success of our Navy families, Truly strengthen our Mission Readiness. Have a nice day and we will be home soon. Boatswain mate Rating Badge Boatswain Mate Senior Chief Bernard ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 3

4 CHENG s PIT August marked the half way point of our deployment and the count down to our return to San Diego. Most of the month was spent inport Bahrain as the crew and engineers made substantial repairs to the ship in order to carry out a scheduled transit to Muscat, Oman. The smooth transit through the Straight of Hormuz reflected the hard work and tireless efforts the crew and engineering department placed into the ship and marked the first time a MCM has transited those waters in about a decade. The port visit in Oman provided crewmembers with another opportunity to experience another history-rich culture. Many took tours to ancient forts and castles, while others visited local markets and swam in the Indian Ocean. The down time was a much deserved reward for all the preparation that went into getting SCOUT back out to sea in time for the port visit. IC1(SW) Simmons explains how he is repairing the electrical governor control for 1A SSDG to LT Bryant. Despite the arduous work schedule throughout the month of August, two Sailors from the engineering department successfully achieved their qualification as Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. Bravo Zulu to both EN3 Smothers and ENFN Oladapo on their achievement and the completion of a major milestone in their careers. Welcome aboard ENS Hansberry and EN3 Beers! ENS Hansberry joins Crew DOMINANT after four years at the Naval Academy. He assumed his duties as Main Propulsion Officer earlier this month and has been a welcomed addition to the department s leadership. EN3 Beers joins Crew DOMINANT aboard USS Scout as his first ship, following the completion of Engineman School. EN3 Beers has been assigned to the Oil Lab and has hit the deck plates running! Until next month, Thank you for your support, understanding, and the job you fill back home! We look forward to seeing you all soon! OPS s STAND August brought the hottest, most humid weather of the year in the Gulf. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan also ran between 31July and 28August. During this time our crew observed the cultural practices while on liberty such as wearing long pants and not eating or drinking in public during the day. It seemed like a long month as we were in port for the first three weeks making repairs that kept us tied up to the pier. Our visit to Oman turned out to be an unexpectedly pleasant trip. LTJG Cass and LTJG Reilly enjoy a moment on the Bridge during the transit from Muscat, Oman back to Bahrain, notice LTJG Reilly s excessive deployment mustache. ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 4

5 SUPPO s BIN The month of August was a busy month for MCM Crew DOMINANT. After finishing up an extended maintenance period it was back to sea for our trip to Muscat, Oman. Once there the crew got to enjoy some good liberty and had the opportunity to take several site seeing trips that really showed the diversity of RECOGNITION STAGE AWARDEES the country. The S-2 division also put together some good work and made some last minute arrangements for a stores on load which gave us the opportunity to sample some of the local foods. The remained of the month was spent on the transit back to Bahrain and a continued preparation for the next Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Recipients: QM2(SW) Bauer. underway. Perhaps the biggest event of the month was LS3 Rosas reenlistment, BZ to him for that accomplishment. We are also expecting to see new orders for both LS3 and CS2 Gant and wish them the best of luck with their choices. Senior Sailor of the Quarter Junior Sailor of the Quarter Blue Jacket of the Quarter PROMOTIONS LCDR Erdner RE-ENLISNTMENTS MN2 McReynolds, LS3 Rosas IC1(SW) Simmons MN3(SW) Chickering MNSN Trinidad WARFARE QUALIFICATIONS HM1(SW/FMF) Martinez, EN3(SW) Machado, EN3(SW) Smothers, ENFN(SW) Oladapo. HAILS FAIRWELL QM2 (SW) BAUER DC3 (SW/AW) LOVORN EN3 BEERS ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 5

6 MONTH IN PICTURES ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 6