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INSIDE

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Faces of Abe

Woman Who Serve

OfficerVolunteers At Soup Kitchen4

what is it ?If you think you know what this is, email whatisthisCVN72@gmail.com with your answer and if you’re right, you’ll get a shout out in the next issue!

Shout out to ABE3 Michael Riddle for his answer to last issue’s picture: Spanner Wrench

lincoln sailors host waveswith cake cutting

Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) celebrated Women’s History Month with a cake-cutting ceremony

aboard Lincoln’s Floating Accommodation Facility (FAF), March 19.

Capt. Karl Thomas, Lincoln’s commanding officer, Capt. Randall Peck, Lincoln’s executive officer, Command Master Chief CMDCM(SW/AW/SS) Gregg Weber and Lincoln Sailors were joined by members of the Tidewater Tidal WAVES to commemorate 2014’s Women’s History Month events. The national theme this year is “Celebrating Women of Character, Courage and Commitment.”

Lincoln’s ceremony spotlighted how far women have come toward equality in the workplace, according to one of its Sailors.

“Women wear the same uniform, make the same amount of money based on rank and time in service,” said Lt. Jessica Woody, Lincoln Medical Department. “But, I can only speak from my experience as an officer in a staff corps that has boasted strong diversity for decades.”

Three World War II Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) – Libby Morrison, Linda Mitchell and Dassa Carvey – spoke at the ceremony.

In addition, the event recognized Lincoln Sailors who participated in a “Writing Women Back into History” essay contest.

“We had female Sailors write essays about women in history who didn’t get credit for their accomplishments,” said Lt. j.g. Amber Holland, Lincoln Deck Department and the ship’s Women at Sea Coordinator. “Most of the women written about were the first to make large impacts in their field.”

The top three winners were, HM3 Sandra Guzman, AOAN Nikki Celis, and PS2 Hellen Streeter.

Women’s History Month is observed nationally during March to celebrate the courageous and extraordinary achievements of women.

Story By USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Public AffairsPhotos By MC3 Wesley T. Buckett

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Lt. Michael Sturm, from Wayne, Pa., has always had a strong desire to volunteer. Sturm, assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham

Lincoln (CVN 72), said he felt it was his personal mission to give back to the community. The thought of helping others gives him a great sense of pride and personal accountability. This, among other factors influenced him to join the Navy.

When Sturm arrived aboard Lincoln August 2011, he assumed his role as the deputy reactor training assistant.

“I oversee the continuing education of more than 300 Sailors aboard Lincoln,” said Sturm. “When they first report aboard, I make sure they are properly trained to do their jobs.”

During his off time, Sturm volunteers at a local church and food bank and he still enjoys playing rugby and golf as often as possible.

“I started a volunteer group of reactor Sailors known as a ‘reactor hunger shut down initiative,’” said Sturm. “It’s something I’m proud to be a part of and proud to have my Sailors involved in as well.”

The initiative, according to Sturm, includes his Sailors volunteering at area soup kitchens and food banks to help people at risk of hunger. He began serving at the Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in September 2013.

“When I arrived in Norfolk service was something I wanted to continue.”

Sturm also collected more than 2,000 pounds of food for a local food drive with the help of his Sailors last year.

“There are a lot of people who don’t have the benefit of eating on a regular basis,” said Sturm. “I like to remind

my Sailors to be grateful for everything they have and to allow them the chance to help those who are less fortunate than they are. It’s important to share the gifts God gave us with those who may not have it.”

Sturm, born and raised in Wayne, Pa., spent a lot of his youth playing rugby and helping charities and churches.

“I was the captain of the rugby team for my school,” said Sturm. “It’s just something I’ve always enjoyed. I’ve also been volunteering since I was in high school.”

Sturm had many influences that strengthened his desire to join the armed services.

“My grandfathers on both sides of my family were in the armed forces,” said Sturm. “Also, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, had a huge impact on my decision to join. So when my mentor in high school went to the Naval Academy, that was all the convincing I needed.”

Sturm decided to enroll in the Navy Recruit Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program in 2004, which allowed him to attend Cornell University on a scholarship.

“My immediate family still resides in Pennsylvania while my wife lives in Charleston, S.C. They’ve been very supportive of my decision to join and I thank them for that.”

Sturm said he will continue to volunteer, even when he leaves the Navy.

“We plan to volunteer for the food bank this spring,” said Sturm. “When I get out, I plan to continue my passion of giving to those who don’t have as much as I do.”

lincoln officer volunteers at local church

Story By MC3 Jonteil JohnsonPhoto By MC3 Danian Douglas

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ready,dodgeball!

Weapons Department swept Combat Systems, 4-0, in a fast, intense Captain’s Cup Dodgeball Tournament final aboard the Nimitz-class

aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), March 19. The 14-team tournament ran over two weeks at Huntington Hall.

As soon as the referee yelled “dodgeball,” the players on each team ran for a ball and went wild.

“There were dodgeballs whizzing past my ear so fast that I had very little time to react,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Oliver Lee, from Lincoln’s Weapons Department. “I managed to avoid all of them coming at me because my teammates had me covered.”

The game took a matter of minutes after Weapons had a three-on-one advantage.

“The game was intense,” said Lee. “The last time I played dodgeball, it was last year and even then it was very intense.”

Besides the ferocity of the sport, dodgeball is more helpful in building team spirit and is about more than just having fun, according to another of Weapon’s players.

“Captain’s Cup is a positive outlet for Sailors because it builds team spirit and adds healthy competition between departments,” said Firecontrolman 1st Class Robert Richmond, from Weapons Department. “I can’t wait until the next intramural sporting event. I’m really interested in how it might play out.”

Captain’s Cup events continue to draw a large portion of the crew. Coming up in April, Combat Systems will host a golf tournament and Security Department will host a Weight Lifting Competition.

“Playing dodgeball with my department reminds me of when I was growing-up,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Christopher Penn. “It brings back fond memories. That feeling alone makes me want to play dodgeball.”

Story and Photos By MCSA Christopher Huot

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dodgeball!

Photo By MC3 Wesley T. Buckett

Photo By MC3 Brenton Poyser

images of the week

Photo By MC3 Brenton PoyserPhoto By MC3 Danian Douglas

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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTHCELEBRATING WOMEN WHO SERVE

During the Spanish-American War, nurse instructors were hired to train hospital workers for the newly established Navy Hospital Corps of 1898. The Navy Nurse Corps was established in 1908, with the first twenty nurses assigned to the naval hospital in Washington, D.C. By World War I there were 446 nurses in the Navy Reserve Nurse Corps.

During the Civil War, the paddle wheeler Red Rover became the Union’s first hospital ship. On Dec. 24, 1862, three Sisters of the Holy Cross and six African-American women boarded the Red Rover to help nurse the sick and wounded soldiers. The women served as nurses throughout the war, and two of the nuns-- Sister Veronica Scholl and Sister Adela Moran--remained on the ship until the last patient was moved to the Grampus in Nov. 1865. In Feb. 1962, the Navy honored the women as the forerunners of the modern Navy Nurse.

Women began serving as nurses in the “man’s navy” as early as 1811. During World War I, women were called on to “free a man to fight” by taking the place of men in administrative positions on the home front. As World War II intensified two decades later, the Navy “WAVES” and Coast Guard “SPARS” became a vital part of the

war machine.

By mid-century, women’s roles in the navy were well established, and in 1978, female sailors began serving aboard U.S. Navy ships. Women’s roles continue to move forward today as more and more women join the men as pilots, captains, and astronauts.

EARLY ON

During World War I, the Navy faced a shortage of sailors, as many men who might otherwise have served aboard ships remained occupied with clerical work on shore. Realizing that women might be the solution to the problem, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels asked, “Is there any law that says a yeoman [Sailor of lowest rank] must be a man?” The answer, of course, was “No,” and on March 19, 1917, under the Naval Reserve Force Act, about one hundred women enrolled as yeomen and began performing mostly clerical duties for their country.

IN WORLD WAR I

Sources:www.navy.milwww.marinersmuseum.org

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH WAVES SERVING TODAYCELEBRATING WOMEN WHO SERVE

In July 1942, the Navy Women’s Reserve Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The organization’s official name became Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or “WAVES.” The word “emergency” was intended to denote the temporary nature of the women’s service. As the war continued, more WAVES were sent overseas to cover noncombat duties. By 1945 there were more than 84,000 women enlisted in the Navy.

By Sept. 11, 2001, military women were some 15 percent of America’s military. Women were serving in nearly every rank and unit of the force and were filling critical technical, leadership and warfighting positions. So, when the Global War on Terror was declared, it was not surprising that women were among the first to deploy to the combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq.

At any one time, 11 percent of the forces on the ground in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom were women. Serving as professionals, side-by-side with men on the battlefield, America’s servicewomen in 2010 and still today are doing whatever they are trained to do, with the courage and pride that has been the hallmark of our militarywomen, beginning with the American Revolution.

Today, women serve side-by-side with their fellow servicemembers. From peacekeeping and humanitarian

operations to the combat arena, women have thrived in this fast-paced environment, excelling as leaders and securing their place as vital members of the team.

Sources:www.navy.milwww.marinersmuseum.org

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Military transition can create stress on any relationship, be it physical, emotional, financial or spiritual. For many, there may not seem to be enough time to deal

with these issues properly. That is why the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) and Hampton Veterans Assistance Medical Center (Hampton VAMC) are teaming up to host their free quarterly program “From Warrior to Soul Mate”(FWSM) May 2 through May 4 at the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina in Norfolk, Va.

FWSM is a weekend long marriage retreat that lasts from Friday at 4 p.m. to Sunday at 2 p.m. FWSM provides couples (both active duty members and veterans) with tools for healthy communication, emotional closeness and conflict resolution.

“The focus of these retreats is communication and conflict management,” said Chaplain Ben Sanford, part of Pastoral Care Services in Hampton VAMC. “We teach couples what we like to call the ‘fair fight for change’ which is basically learning how to have an argument in a healthy fashion.”

While at the retreat, participants can expect to learn better communication skills from each of the facilitators there. These activities can either be in large group sessions where every person will have their chance to add to the lesson, or in smaller, one-on-one advisory lessons.

“The group sessions begin with the facilitators going over a short introduction of the daily activities,” said Sanford. “From that presentation, they go into the actual lesson and start to teach the participants how to use some of the skills they were just taught. By the end of the weekend, couples will have learned a new way to communicate and should feel more comfortable in their relationship.”

A part of the program take personal profiles for each person in the relationship,” said Cmdr. Carl Koch, command chaplain of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72). “What those assessments do is teach both persons the other’s personality type so that they will be able to understand how the other might think in certain situations.”

The retreat is designed to be able to help couples of any marital status, no matter how many years they have been together.

“We’ve had couples who have been married for five months who loved it,” said Sanford. “At the same time, there have been couples who were 20 to 40 years into their marriage and loved it all the same.”

The retreat teaches couples how to maintain the relationship they already have and make it look as good as it did when they first got married, Koch said.

Any member who has questions about the event can go to PAIRS.com or may call Pastoral Care Services at (757) 722-9961 Ext. 3601.

Story By MCSN Christopher Huot

navy v.a. to host marriage retreat in may

lincoln supports

Sailors aboard Lincoln celebrated the official start of the 2014 annual NMCRS fund drive with a cake-cutting ceremony aboard Lincoln's Floating

Accommodation Facility (FAF), March 3.Capt. Karl Thomas, commanding officer of USS

Abraham Lincoln (CVN72), Command Master Chief Gregg Weber, along with the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) coordinators and Sailors aboard Lincoln celebrated the official start of the 2014 annual NMCRS fund drive with a cake-cutting ceremony aboard Lincoln's Floating Accommodation Facility (FAF).

NMCRS is a non-profit organization that provides financial and educational as well as other assistance to Sailors, Marines, eligible family members and family members of deceased military when in need.

The NMCRS fund drive continues through March 31 with a goal of reaching out and contacting 100 percent of the command as well as raising $45,000.

"This is my first year heading NMCRS for a command but I'm really excited because I feel like we have a great group of motivated Sailors ready to disseminate information and help with the cause," said Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jason Faciszewski, organizer of the 2014 NMCRS fundraising aboard the Lincoln.

Since 1904, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society has been available to help Sailors, Marines and their families in times of need. NMCRS assists in a number of ways from financial assistance counseling.

"As an Airman, I was introduced to the Navy Marine Corps Society when I found myself in a time of need," said Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Tracey Moore, a NMCRS volunteer aboard the Lincoln. "They were able to provide me assistance with car repairs and provided me with a budget that enabled me to be prepared for future emergencies."

Since then Moore received training as an emergency caseworker.

"The training I received enabled me to take back what NMCRS has to offer and teach Sailors and Marines the ways NMCRS can be of assistance," said Moore. "Individuals often feel that they only provide emergency loans. That is not the case."

NMCRS gave more than $48 million in assistance in 2013. Traditional Nurses and Combat Casualty Assistance Visiting Nurses from NMCRS made more than 50,000 house visits to military or military family members in need and had 3,791 volunteers.

NAVY MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY

Story By MCSA Matthew YoungPhoto By MC3 Wesley T. Buckett

Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Jason Faciszewski cuts a Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society kickoff cake aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) along with Lincoln’s Commanding Officer Capt. Karl Thomas, CMDCM Gregg Weber, and Lt. j.g. Amber Holland March 3.

1414

The Tuition Assistance (TA) program will continue to pay 100 percent of Sailors’ tuition and enrollment fees in fiscal year 15 (FY15), as announced by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert, during an All Hands Call in Mayport, Fla., March 18.

This decision modifies a proposal for FY15, which originally included a payment split for TA where the program would pay 75 percent of tuition costs and 25 percent of that would be the responsibility of the Sailor.

“This is important to me because I want an educated Sailor, and I want you to leave with all the certifications you can, so you can get a good job when you leave the Navy and fall right into a career,” said Greenert. “We’ve accelerated your life, as we like to say.”

Usage analysis of Tuition Assistance suggests that when Sailors weigh personal cost as a factor, course completion rates increase.

“Eventually, we may have to ask you to put a little skin in the game, as they say, but again I wanted FY15 to be at 100 percent,” said Greenert.

TA was created after the switch from a draft military

navy tuition assistance continues 100% reimbursement in fy15Story By Chief of Naval Personnel, Public Affairs

An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 prepares to land on the flight deck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61). Ramage is on a scheduled deployment supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jared King (Released) 140316-N-CH661-111

The guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) transits the Atlantic Ocean en route to Scotland to participate in Joint Warrior 14-1. Joint Warrior is a semiannual, United Kingdom-led training exercise. U.S. Navy photo (Released) 140318-N-GS541-001

to an all-volunteer military. It provided an incentive for people to volunteer, and operated as a cost share program for more than 30 years.

In 2002, in response to retention and recruiting challenges, the TA reimbursement rate was increased from 75 percent to a full 100 percent.

The current tuition assistance policy pays up front the tuition and fees for course enrollments. There is an FY credit limit of 16 Semester Hours, 24 Quarter Hours, or 240 clock hours per individual per fiscal year. Payments for tuition/fees will not exceed:

a. $250.00 per Semester Hourb. $166.67 per Quarter Hourc. $16.67 per Clock HourThe Center for Personal and Professional Development

(CPPD) recently announced that the expenditure rate for TA funding is currently below normal levels. Usage is trending upward, and it’s expected to increase to normal levels over the next few month, but currently, there’s more funding available than usual at this time of the year.