Friday, aUGUST 27, 2010 • NorThweST NaviGaTor > KITSAP/EVERETT EDITION www.NorThweSTNaviGaTor.com PaGe 17

9623-40 8-4-10 TKRS_Mltry_4-5x7_1

4.5"X 7" MILITARY AD BW

A RAINFOREST FILMS PRODUCTIONSCREEN GEMS PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH GRAND HUSTLE FILMS “TAKERS” MATT DILLONAND HAYDEN CHRISTENSENPAUL WALKER IDRIS ELBA JAY HERNANDEZ MICHAEL EALY WITH CHRIS BROWN TIP “T.I.” HARRIS

MUSICBY PAUL HASLINGER EXECUTIVE

PRODUCERS GLENN S. GAINOR GABRIEL CASSEUS CHRIS BROWN MORRIS CHESTNUTPRODUCED

BY WILL PACKER TIP “T.I.” HARRIS AND JASON GETER WRITTENBY PETER ALLEN & GABRIEL CASSEUS AND JOHN LUESSENHOP & AVERY DUFF

DIRECTEDBY JOHN LUESSENHOP

MC2 Heather SeelbachNBK Public Affairs

Thirteen Sailors from Naval Base Kitsap Bachelor Housing provided 65 volunteer hours to clear blackberry bushes and under-growth from Jackson Park child develop-ment center (CDC) emergency ramp walk-ways Aug. 18.

“I was interested in this project, because if we take care of our buildings and sur-roundings, it shows a deeper respect for our country, our community and our Navy,” said Bachelor Housing Divisional Officer Chief Warrant Officer Clarence Robb.

Volunteers removed weeds, pulled roots and trimmed brush to improve the acces-sibility and appearance of walkways sur-rounding the CDC building.

One of the volunteers provided landscap-ing equipment to complete the task.

“Culinary Specialist 1st Class Tyler Case had formerly owned a landscaping compa-ny, so he brought weed eaters, lawn mowers and hedge clippers for everyone to use,” said Robb. “We couldn’t have done this without him.”

The CDC project came about after Robb spearheaded a clean-up campaign for Bachelor Housing at Bremerton and Bangor, attracting the attention of base fleet and family readiness installation program director Lynn Flynn.

“Lynn Flynn was impressed with our efforts at Bachelor Housing, and asked if I would head a crew to spruce up the Jackson Park CDC,” said Robb.

The clean-up effort kick-started a beau-tification initiative arranged through Fleet

and Family Readiness (N9 department) called N9BI.

“The Beautification Initiative was collec-tively discussed with N9 Managers to help improve areas within the Department, said N9 manager, Food Service and Bachelor Housing Officer, Chief Warrant Officer Michael Hill. “The end result was better than I expected.”

The success of the Jackson Park CDC project offers promise to N9 managers towards future endeavors.

“We are looking forward to the next proj-ect, and we hope that the initiative filters down to other departments, including ten-ant commands,” said Hill. “I think one day of work with volunteers can pay big divi-dends in improving the overall appearance of facilities throughout the base.”

Sailors spearhead beautification initiative

MC2 Heather Seelbach

Thirteen Sailors from Naval Base Kitsap Bachelor Housing provided 65 volunteer hours to clear blackberry bushes and undergrowth from Jackson Park child development center (CDC) emergency ramp walkways Aug. 18.

By Kimberly MartinNAS Whidbey Public Affairs

NAS Whidbey Island Search and Rescue responded to a call for assistance Tuesday evening from the Mason County Sheriff ’s Office. A 15-year old girl had fallen off a cliff and into the river in Skokomish River Canyon while hiking with her family.

Ground rescue teams had reached the injured hiker and ren-dered first aid. Volunteers with the Department of Natural Resources firefighting team were rigging up a rope line, but hauling the injured teen up the steep canyon walls was going to be difficult and danger-ous for everyone involved, espe-cially as her vital signs began to deteriorate.

SAR launched the MH-60S Knighthawk at 6 p.m. Aug. 17 with six crew on board: Lt. Brandon Sheets, pilot and mission com-mander; Lt. Scott Zenner, pilot; Naval Air Crewman (Swimmer) 1st Class Andrew Worth, crew chief; Chief Naval Air Crew (Swimmer) Jeremiah Wilkins, Naval Air Crew (Swimmer) 2nd Class Brian Casey and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Richmond Roy.

Once on scene, the crew ana-lyzed the situation and began conducting basic operational risk management (ORM), taking everything into consideration in order to embark on a safe and successful extraction mission. The biggest obstacle was the 450-foot High Steel Bridge spanning the canyon.

“When we showed up we took a deep breath, surveyed every-thing and formulated a plan,” said Sheets, explaining they had con-ducted power checks, determined wind levels and direction, checked the clearances under the bridge and run through the scenario. “Once we had a good plan we knew we could do it safely.”

The pilots flew the aircraft into position and held it in a steady hover so Roy could rappel down to the river with the litter. Due to the river’s current and the wind kicked up by the rotor blades, Roy stayed on the line. Thanks to the ground rescue crew, the patient was ready for transfer so they placed her in the litter, car-ried her out to the line and hooked her onto the line for the ride up into the helicopter with Roy.

“The rotors caused a funnel of wind in the canyon and that’s what made us spin more than usual” said Roy. “I was able to slow it down some (with arm motions), but it was Wilkins and Worth up on the hoist that really helped us get into the aircraft quickly with-out too much spinning.”

The entire time the aircraft was

under the bridge, the crew in the plane had eyes on the rotors and was calling out distances to ensure they maintained adequate clear-ances on both sides. Sheets fig-ures they were actually on scene no more than 11 minutes even though it felt longer.

“Lt. Zenner did an awesome job holding the bird rock solid,” said

Roy, adding that the river’s cur-rent and depth were enough of a challenge to handle. “That made it possible to get the patient hooked up and in the aircraft so quickly.”

Once in the aircraft, the pilots maneuvered the helicopter back out from under the bridge, gained elevation out of the canyon and headed east for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

NAS Whidbey Island’s SAR crews have successfully conduct-ed 17 missions this year. Usually their skill and courage go undoc-umented. Not so this time. A news crew from the Seattle NBC affiliate, KING 5, caught the dra-matic rescue on film and was so impressed they came to the base for an interview with Sheets and Roy on Wednesday.

“It’s about trusting that we have a good aircraft to fly,” said Sheets to the reporter, touting the dedi-cated civilian and military SAR maintenance personnel who keep the aircraft in top notch condi-tion.

“And it’s about training — every day — so we have the crew coor-dination and the experience to fly a safe and successful mission,” said Sheets. “It’s our job to be ready when the call comes in and some-one in a life-or-death situation needs our help.”

SAR rescues injured teen

Tony Popp

KING 5 TV NBC affiliate reporter Gary Chittum and cameraman Ken Jones interview SAR pilot Lt. Brandon Sheets, right, and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Richmond Roy for their role in a Skokomish River Canyon rescue in Mason County, Wash., Aug. 17.