AwardsThe aircraft rescue and

firefighting team at MCAS Yuma,Ariz., received the 2001 MarineCorps Fire Department of theYear award, presented to the unitwith the best records in customerservice, innovation, qualitymanagement and quality of life.

Enterprise (CVN 65) took tophonors in the large commandcategory of the Department ofDefense 2002 DefenseMaintenance Awards, whichrecognize outstanding achievementsin military equipment and weaponsystems maintenance.

Training Air Wing 2’s Lt. JoelJanopoulos was awarded the NavalAir Training Command’s 2002

Landing Signal Officer of the Yearaward.

PCU Ronald Reagan’s trainingofficer Cdr. Judith A. Lee receivedthe 2002 Joy Bright HancockAward during the Women OfficersProfessional Associationsymposium. She was selected from afield of 79 officers and seniorenlisted personnel for herinspirational leadership.

John. C. Wright III, an NASJacksonville, Fla., firefighter, wasrecognized for his dedication, hardwork and distinguished career by

being named both the 2001 All-Navy Firefighter of the Year andthe 2001 Department of DefenseFirefighter of the Year.

Naval Region Mid-Atlanticnamed Saipan (LHA 2) the largeafloat winner in its PersonalExcellence Partnership Flagshipaward. The honor recognizes thebest educational partnership programbetween a Navy command and aschool or youth service organization.

Kearsarge (LHD 3) received the2001 Secretary of the NavyEnergy Conservation Award. Theaward recognizes outstandingleadership in energy management,innovations in the improvements ofenergy efficient equipment andenergy conserving approaches in

38 Naval Aviation News January–February 2003

Early morning fog sets in aboardCarl Vinson (CVN 70) as the crewprepares for her underway periodlater in the day.

PH3 Martin S. Fuentes

daily operations.Four VAQ-130 crew members and the flight deck

of Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) were saturated withaircraft fuel when a hose on a EA-6B Prowler rippedaway from its nozzle during a routine hot-pumprefueling. AO3 Yari Quintana grabbed the out-of-control hose while AD2 Dan Cowan and AT3 KyleMahaffey put a crimp in it. AMC(AW) Ward Tonersignaled a rapid engine shutdown on the Prowler,after which the aircrew immediately left the aircraft.Then, the damaged hose was dragged to edge of theflight deck and secured. The four sailors eachreceived the Navy and Marine Corps AchievementMedal for teamwork, quick thinking andprofessionalism.

Scan PatternTo provide more opportunities for growth, the

Navy recently implemented the rank of ChiefWarrant Officer 5 (CWO5). An expected 84 willphase in over the next five years, providing technical

CONNIE DEPARTSBelow, Constellation (CV 64) departs NAS North Island, Calif., for asix-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.Right, l-r, CO Capt. John W. Miller, Connie Battle GroupCommander RAdm. Barry Costello, and Commander CVW-2Capt. Mark Fox take questions from local media at the pier beforedeparting on deployment.

STATUS CHANGE OFNAVY CAPT. MICHAEL“SCOTT” SPEICHEROn 11 October 2002, Secretary ofthe Navy (SECNAV) GordonEngland announced a revision tothe status of Navy Capt. Michael“Scott” Speicher. Then a LCdr., hehas been unaccounted for since hisVFA-81 F/A-18 Hornet was shotdown over Iraq on the openingnight of Operation Desert Storm in1991. Based in part on thesignificant status change made in2001 from “Killed in Action” to“Missing in Action,” SECNAVdecided that the most appropriatecategory is “Missing—Captured.”

Note: On 29 October, President George W. Bush enacted thePersian Gulf War POW/MIA Accountabiity Act of 2002, whichaims to persuade foreign nationals to take the necessary andsometimes risky steps needed to return any surviving AmericanPOW/MIA from the Persian Gulf War by providing asylum tothose who cooperate and their families. PH2 Felix Garza, Jr.

PH

2 T

im S

mith

experience and leadership andenhancing combat readiness. Noadditional billets will be created as aresult of this implementation, andthe number of CWO5 billets maynot exceed five percent of the totalnumber of CWO billets. For moreinformation go towww.bupers.navy.mil.

The Aviation MaintenanceOfficer School, formerly located atthe Naval Aviation SchoolsCommand, NAS Pensacola, Fla.,relocated to NAS Whiting Field,Fla., in December 2002. Therelocation allows for further growthand professional development of theschool, which graduated 249students from its indoctrination and

manager courses in FY 01.

A piece of the Berlin Wall,adorned with a bronze profile of theship’s namesake, was placed aboardPCU Ronald Reagan (CVN 76),crediting the former president with

ending the Cold War. Chas Fagan,the artist who created the sculpture,presented the piece to RonaldReagan Sailors during a ceremonyin Newport News, Va.

A new Naval Air Technical Dataand Engineering Services Command

website, www.natec.navy.mil,designed to relieve the bulk of thepaperwork and hassle of publicationrequests and changes, is leading thepush for hosting more than 20,000NAVAIR publications online by2007. The digital access is faster forthe fleet, and also solves the

40 Naval Aviation News January–February 2003

Iraqi forces continue tofire antiaircraft artilleryat coalition aircraftenforcing no-fly zonesover Iraq. Sub-sequently, coalitionplanes have beendropping leafletsurging Iraqi militaryforces not to engagecoaltion aircrews. Theleaflets state theconsequences of suchactions to ensure localcivilians are properlyinformed. Typically 3 x6 inches, thepublications are writtenin Arabic and droppedin fiberglass containersthat explode overdesignated areas toincrease scatter anddrift to the ground. Inthis example, theEnglish translation isprovided forinformation purposes.

R E A D A N D H E E D

A Tactical Tomahawk missile is escorted by anF-14 Tomcat during a controlled test over theNAVAIR test range in southern California. Thisnext-generation cruise missile can bereprogrammed in flight to strike any of 15preprogrammed targets, or can be redirected toany global positioning system targetcoordinates.

DO

D G

raph

ic I

llust

ratio

n

Sculptor Chas Fagan and Capt. BillGoodwin, CO PCU Ronald Reagan(CVN 76), unveil a bronze relief of theship’s namesake. The artwork isattached to a piece of the Berlin Wall.

PH

1(A

W/S

W)

Bria

n Ta

llette

logistical paper problem of storingand updating the manuals. Most ofthe manuals will be printable ondemand.

Rescues

A Marine Corps C-130 Herculesand two Air Force HH-60GPavehawk helicopters fromKeflavik, Iceland, rescued twopeople stranded in the ocean 300miles southeast of Iceland. ACanadian and a British sailor werestranded when the mast from their30-foot yacht broke during 50-knotwinds in 15- to 20-foot seas. Thevictims were hoisted aboard thehelos and provided first-aidtreatment while in transit to a

hospital in Reykjavik. The VMGR-452 Hercules provided in-flightrefueling for the helos due to thelong range of the rescue.

Essex (LHD 2), anchored off thecoast of Pohang, Korea, onloadedmore than 900 members of the 3dMarine Expeditionary Force whowere stranded there by typhoonRusa. The Marines’ originaltransportation had been affected bythe typhoon and they were runninglow on supplies. Essex was calledfrom her forward-deployed port ofSasebo, Japan, to pick up andtransport the Marines to Okinawa,Japan.

A Sailor from VFA-151 wasrecovered off the coast of southernCalifornia after spending more thanseven hours in the Pacific Ocean.The crewman was blown overboardby jet blast as he walked behind anEA-6B Prowler on boardConstellation (CV 64). Becausefellow shipmates saw him go overthe side, rescue efforts beganimmediately. Helicopter and rigidinflatable boats from Connie, ValleyForge (CG 50), Bunker Hill (CG 52)and Kinkaid (DD 965) assisted andreturned the victim to Connie wherehe was in stable condition aftermedical treatment.

Naval Aviation News January–February 2003 41

AW2(AW/SW) Tammy Gonzalez of VP-1operates the Advanced Imaging Multi-spectral Sensor (AIMS) aboard a P-3COrion during a routine mission insupport of Operation EnduringFreedom.

PH2 Michael Sandberg

42 Naval Aviation News January–February 2003

By JOC Walter T. Ham IV, CNO Public Affairs

Two-thirds of the Navy’s carrier force has deployedsince the attacks on 11 September and Naval

Aviation will continue to play a critical role in the waron terrorism, stated Chief of Naval Operations Adm.Vern Clark, right, during a speech at the TailhookReunion in Reno, Nevada. “What the world and ourleadership is understanding is why the nation has tohave this kind of capability. Without Naval Aviation,we would be just like any other navy,” he said.

CNO emphasized that Naval Aviation has excelledbecause of its focus on the growth and development ofits Sailors: “We grow our perspective because of thepeople we get to work around, the people who teachus, the people we came up with, the people who shapeour character and our development. And even thoughI’m a black shoe, I’m an individual who has beenshaped greatly by this community.”

According to the admiral, another reason for NavalAviation’s success is clear focus on its purpose: toproject American sovereignty and power to far cornersof the earth. “It’s the responsibility of everyone wholeads in our Navy to help those who are coming alongto understand who we are. One of the things thatmakes Naval Aviation great is that you all understandwho you are,” CNO said. “The men and women wholead our Navy are thinking hard and challenging the

assumptions about what our Navy is about today andwhat it needs to be about in the future. It’s an excitingand great time to be a part of Naval Aviation and theUnited States Navy.”

The Essex (LHD 2)crash and salvageteam oversees thesafety of flightoperations as aircraftfrom the AviationCombat Element of the 31st MarineExpeditionary Unitarrive for semi-annualworkups. The traininghelps blend thecapabilities andtechniques of theNavy/Marine Corpsteam into onecohesive unit.

NAVAL AVIATION CRITICAL TO WARON TERRORISM

PH

C J

ohnn

y B

iver

a

PH

AN

Ste

phan

ie M

.Ber

gman

Naval Aviation News January–February 2003 43

Lieutenant Commander Klas Ohman, aKitty Hawk (CV 63) F/A-18C Hornet

and Navy test pilot, right, recentlycompleted an aviation archaeologyexpedition at Jockey’s Ridge State Park,N.C., retracing discoveries made by thepioneers of aviation 100 years ago. In doingso, Ohman completed numerous flights in areplica of a 1902 Wright brothers glider, thefirst aircraft to incorporate yaw, pitch androll controls, a technology that paved the way forpowered flight and aviation as we know it today.

He was impressed by the experience, “The 1902glider is challenging to fly,” Ohman said. “Reenactingthe flights helped us better understand the challengesthe Wrights faced in their journey to develop aviation.”

The experience allowed other military pilots to seeaviation history firsthand as several U.S. Air Force andArmy pilots joined Ohman for various flights.Learning the thinking processes of the aviation

pioneers was enlightening for all involved,but the goal of the expedition was to furtherthe future of aviation industry by inspiringyoung people.

Ohman logged a total of 25 flights in theglider, after training in a hang glider for twodays. In order to fly, the historic gliderreplica requires a nominal 15 knots of windand four people to literally run it up to aboutfive knots over the ground. The longest flight

measured was over 250 feet and was sustained forapproximately 40 seconds.

Ohman looks forward to retracing more of theWrights’ historic discoveries in the upcoming monthsas the nation nears the 100th anniversary of the 17December 1903 flight of the Wright Flyer, the firstpowered flight.

For related news www.news.navy.mil/local/cv63 orwww.kittyhawk.navy.mil.

CARRIER PILOT LEARNS SECRETS OFWRIGHT BROTHERS

By Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Public Affairs

BURGERS ONTHE BARBEY

Members of the Australian air force hosteda barbeque at NAS North Island, Calif, thatraised $200 for Navy-Marine Corps Relief.The main dish was “Aussie Burgers,” acheeseburger with a pineapple ring, a sliceof beet and a fried egg. When presentingthe check, the squadron leader said, “Itseems Fosters, Russell Crowe andCrocodile Dundee are not the only thingsAustralia has brought to America.”

LCdr

.Ric

k H

aupt

44 Naval Aviation News January–February 2003

History was made on 24August 2002, when a

team of more than 30 Navyand Marine Corps flagofficers toured MCASMiramar, Calif., as part of theNaval Aviation ReadinessIntegrated ImprovementProgram (NAVRIIP) “Bootson the Ground” (BOG)operation (see Jul–Aug 02, p.16–17). Miramar was the firstMarine station to participatein the program, which givesjunior Marines a chance toidentify barriers to readinessduring a five-week barrieridentification and problem-solving process.

The Marines also had theopportunity talk with seniorleadership about the barriersas they toured workstations.The BOG team visitedMarine Aircraft Group 11,making stops at MarineAviation Logistics Squadron(MALS) 11 and MarineFighter-Attack TrainingSquadron 101. Seniorleadership shadowed Marinesthroughout their workspacesasking questions and givingsuggestions on how to start the process of improvingnondeployed readiness. The visit was helpful to juniorenlisted service members and the BOG team, saidChief Warrant Officer William A. Ross, assistantavionics officer of MALS-11. “[The visit] providesnecessary visibility for those who support us. They cansee what type of things we struggle with day-to-dayand can help us with our support needs,” Ross said.Barriers brought to the team’s attention includedbroken electronics-testing equipment and anunserviceable F/A-18 Hornet fuel tank that wasdelivered new from a supply warehouse, punctured andunusable.

The opportunity for the NAVRIIP team to speak

individually to Marines isnecessary to the NavalAviation mission, saidNavy Lt. Arvis Owens, aidede camp, Naval InventoryControl Point. “We want totalk to the wrench turners.They’re the ones who willgive the most honestanswers. Once we knowwhat’s wrong, we can finda way to fix it,” heexplained.

For many Marines theexperience was somethingthey will never forget. “It’snot every day you lookover your shoulder and seean admiral watching youwork,” said Cpl. William A.Branstetter, a MALS-11engine mechanic. “It’s goodthat they are here wantingto make our job a littleeasier.”

Many problemsdiscussed during the visitdealt with aging orunserviceable equipment,but the team also tookinterest in the trainingbarriers in the Fleet MarineForce. NAVRIIP addresses

problems by finding and correcting their root causesand implementing solutions across the community. Inaddition to breaking down equipment barriers, thecommunication during BOG helps Marines and Sailorsunderstand their part in Naval Aviation.

The barriers identified that can be taken care of atthe station level are now being fixed. Those requiringmore research and analysis will be assigned to cross-functional teams of subject-matter experts to solve.

For more information about NAVRIIP and the“Boots on the Ground” team, go towww.cnap.navy.mil/navriip. For more news aboutNAVAIR, visit their Navy NewsStand page atwww.news.navy.mil/local/navair.

MARINE AVIATION PLANTS ITS “BOOTSON THE GROUND”

By LCpl. Robert W. Wynkoop, MCAS Miramar, Calif.

LCpl. Robert Reyes of VMFA-314 inspects theintegrity of a parachute’s shroud lines in theaircrew survival equipment shop on board John C.Stennis (CVN 74). Photo by PHAN Tina Lamb.

Naval Aviation News January–February 2003 45

CVW-1: Capt. Jeffrey M.Cathey relieved Capt. Stephen S.Voetsch, 22 Jul 02.

CVW-8: Capt. David A.Newland relieved Capt. David J.Mercer, 3 Oct 02.

FITWINGLANT: Capt.William G. Bond relieved Capt.Mark N. Clemente, 19 Jul 02.

HSL-45: Cdr. Jeffrey S. Dalerelieved Cdr. Charles E. Norberg,Jr., 12 Sep 02.

HSL-49: Cdr. Alexander V.Sharp relieved Cdr. Frederick T.Blanchard, 3 Oct 02.

HSL-51: Cdr. Daniel H. Fillionrelieved Cdr. Mathew J.McCloskey, 5 Sep 02.

Kitty Hawk (CV 63): Capt.Robert Barbaree, Jr., relieved Capt.Thomas Hejl, 3 Sep 02.

NAMTRAU Whidbey Island,Wash.: Cdr. Rafaelito De Jesusrelieved Cdr. Robert Fiegl, Jr., 11Oct 02.

NAS Oceana, Va.: Capt. JasonA. Leaver relieved Capt. Cary A.Silvers, 3 Oct 02.

STRKFITWINGLANT: Capt.Eamon Storrs relieved Capt. MarkBenson, 23 Aug 02.

VF-11: Cdr. Leif Lagergrenrelieved Cdr. John Aquilino, 30Aug 02.

VF-31: Cdr. Paul A. Haasrelieved Cdr. Victor R. Olivarez, 30

Aug 02.VFA-27: Cdr. Gary Shoman

relieved Cdr. David Emich, 29 Aug02.

VFA-83: Cdr. Dennis C.Mikeska relieved Cdr. Thomas A.Meadows, 8 Oct 02.

VFA-106: Cdr. Troy Shoemakerrelieved Cdr. Craig B. Williams, 18Oct 02.

VS-21: Cdr. Steve Pettit relievedCdr. Rich Farrell, 23 Aug 02.

VT-22: Cdr. William G. Davisrelieved Cdr. Lee A. Steele, 6 Sep02.

VT-27: Cdr. James L. Vandiverrelieved Cdr. Timothy E. Coolidge,2 Aug 02.

C H A N G E O F C O M M A N D

Carrier Air Wing 14 aircraft take on an eerie glow while parked on the wet flight deck of Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), whilelightning emerges from the ominous clouds.

Lt.T

roy

Wilc

ox

46 Naval Aviation News January–February 2003

By Bill Doughty, U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka PublicAffairs

Apicture of Greeneville (SSN 772) in drydockcomes on the screen. Can you name its class?

Which U.S. president authorized the Purple Heart? These were a few of the questions at a recent

“Advancement Jeopardy” game held at the U.S. NavalHospital Yokosuka, Japan. Sailors everywhere studyhard for their advancement exams. At Yokosuka, theymake a game of it. Chiefs ask questions and the teamsof Sailors buzz in when they think they have the rightanswer. They compete for points and pride. In a recentgame, a three-person team from the hospital faced atough team of hospital corpsmen (HM) from FrankCable (AS 40). HM2(FMF) John Tyrrell, a preventivemedicine technician on the ship, said, “This is a goodidea. It helps you see the advancements you’ve madein your studying.”

Through instant feedback, participants learn ways of

retaining information. “It helps a lot,” said HN PhillipBennett of the Yokosuka Surgery Clinic. “Before, Inever used to be able to remember this kind of stuff,but after we get the questions wrong the chiefs go overthem and explain everything.”

The hospital team got off to an early start in a recentgame, but Frank Cable fought hard to a near tie and arematch was called. For people who watched, it will behard to forget that Greeneville, above, is a LosAngeles-class attack submarine or that GeorgeWashington was the president who ordered the creationof the Purple Heart.

For more news from U.S. Naval Hospital,Yokosuka, Japan, go to their custom Navy NewsStand

MUNCH-EX ’02Three new employees, Larry, Pete andRon, were “hired” at NAF Key West, Fla., tohelp maintain the grass in the SeminoleBattery area of the facility after no localcontractor expressed interest in the job.

“Pete”

PH

1 (A

W/S

W)

Gre

g M

essi

er

Above, a landing signal enlisted crewmember guides a CH-46 Sea Knightfrom HC-6 to a safe landing aboardNassau (LHA 4), operating off thecoast of Djibouti, Africa.

PH

2 M

icha

el S

andb

erg

‘ADVANCEMENT JEOPARDY’HELPS FLEET, SHORESAILORS