point is for everyone to get involved. This is a multicultural event.” Quino said that she is very passionate about the MCHC and the events that the committee hosts. When she first joined the Navy, she wasn’t sure how diverse it really was.

“When you start seeing things like these events, it makes you feel like the Navy, and America as a whole, is embracing you and your culture,” said Quino. “It gives you that sense of hominess. I’m very excited about this. I enjoy seeing the dances and hearing the songs and poems. I like trying the different foods and learning about different cultures. It’s kind of magical.” “It’s nice to know peoples’ backgrounds and origins,” said Secord. “It’s just interesting. It’s nice to know our military is so diverse.” The MCHC is confident the celebration of diversity will be a good time for everyone involved. “The performers have been putting a lot of time and effort into their practice to ensure a good show for everyone,” said Julian. Asian American/ Pacific Islander Heritage Month was first introduced

in 1977, when Representatives Frank Horton and Norman Y. Mineta introduced a resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first 10 days of May as Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Week. A year later, in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution designating the annual celebration of AAPI Heritage week. May was chosen for the AAPI Heritage observance to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese people to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. Much of the work on this railroad was completed by Chinese immigrants. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed an extension, making the week-long celebration a month-long. All hands are invited to attend the observance May 18, at 2000 in the Big E’s hangar bay.

May 17, 2012 Issue“We are Legend”Newsletter Edition

USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

The Shuttle

USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea- Sailors and Marines aboard aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65) are scheduled to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the ship’s hangar bay May 18. Celebrated across the nation during May, Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the U.S. Enterprise’s Multicultural Heritage Committee (MCHC) is responsible for planning and hosting the observance aboard the Big E as the carrier continues its 22nd and final deployment. The observance will focus on this year’s theme: “Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion.” The celebration planned by MCHC will educate the crew about the AAPI culture. “It’s about bringing together all the different ethnicities of the Asian countries to represent their cultures,” said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class John R. Julian. “All the communities will come together to put on a show centered on the Asian cultures.” The show will include dance, song, an informational speech, a poetry reading and a “Haka.” “A Haka is basically a war chant,” said Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic Lorraine Marie C. Secord. “A very long time ago, the chant was created as a way to intimidate enemies.” The Haka to be performed derives from the island of Samoa. The dance portion of the show will include Hula, an interpretive dance style from Thailand and a Tahitian dance. “There is a lot of diversity in the Asian and Pacific Island countries,” said Julian. “Of course, you have the big countries that everyone knows about like China and Japan, but you also have smaller countries, like Thailand, and a lot of islands that many people have never even heard about.” Lt. j.g. Hosannah R. Quino, the master of ceremonies for the event, said that the observance is a celebration for everyone and that it can serve as a great learning experience for the entire crew. “We are going to mix it up a little bit,” said Quino. “The

Story by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Gregory White

Enterprise to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Thursday, May 17, 2012Page 2

Big E Commemorates...The Shuttle

ASIAN AMERICANPACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH - MAY 2012

“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders comprise many ethnicities and languages, and their myriad achievements embody the American experience. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders … are leaders in every aspect of American life -- in government and industry, science and medicine, the arts and our armed forces, education and sports.”

- President Barack Obama

During the month of May, the Defense Department takes time to recognize and honor the dedicated service and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, both past and present, through military service in defense of our nation.

The Shuttle is published and printed daily underway and bi-weekly in port by the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Media Department, FPO AE 09543-2810. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Please direct all story ideas, questions and comments to MC1 (SW) Steve Smith at smithsw@cvn65.navy.mil.

Public Affairs OfficerLt. Cmdr. Sarah T. Self-Kyler

Executive OfficerCapt. G. C. Huffman

Commanding OfficerCapt. William C. Hamilton, Jr.

EditorsMC2 (SW) Kristin L. Grover MCSN Brian G. Reynolds

The Shuttle

USS Enterprise (CVN 65)

Command Master ChiefABCM (AW/SW) Eric M. Young

1863- Chinese American William Ah Hang becomes one of the first Asian Americans to enlist in U.S. Navy during Civil War.

-1915Navy Fireman 2nd Class Telesforo de la Crux Trinidad, a Filipino, earned the Medal of Honor during a boiler explosion incident aboard the USS San Diego.

1941- U.S. Congress resolutions allow almost unlimited enlistment and employment of Filipino Americans in war effort.

-1943First Chinese American officer in U.S. Marine Corps, Wilbur Carl Sze, commissioned as second lieutenant.

1946- The 442nd “Go for Broke” Regimental Combat Team receives the Presidential Distinguished Unit citation from President Truman in Washington.

-1959World War II Army Capt. Daniel K. Inouye, holder of the Distinguished Service Cross, becomes first Japanese American elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1959-63); later becomes U.S. senator.

1969- Jiunzo Matsumuna, first Japanese midshipman at U.S. Naval Academy (Class of 1973), admitted.

-1986 Astronaut Air Force Lt. Col. Ellison Shoji Onizuka dies in space shuttle Challenger explosion. Onizuka, a Japanese American, served on the first DoD space shuttle mission.

1994- Chinese American Frederick Pang sworn in as assistant secretary of defense for force management policy.

-1997Design concept unveiled for National Japanese American Memorial in Washington. Initially intended to commemorate Japanese American war veterans, the purpose has been extended to honor the patriotism of all Japanese Americans during World War II.

Timeline of Memorable Contributions

Allen, who had been expected to spend two years inAfghanistan, would leave his post early to take the job as the supreme allied commander in Europe, Defense officials said. Senior Pentagon and White House officials do not want to pull out the top commander in Afghanistan in the middle of the country’s fighting season, which runs from spring through the fall. Replacing Allen in the winter would give his successor a few months before the start of heavier fighting to learn theterritory. Adm. James G. Stavridis, head of the U.S. EuropeanCommand, has been asked to stay a few months beyond theend of his four-year term so that Allen will have time to return from Afghanistan and prepare for his new command. Allen’s major task over the coming months will be toreduce the American force in Afghanistan to about 68,000troops by the end of September, down from about 100,000 last year. At the same time, he will have to rely increasingly onAfghan forces, bolstered by American training teams, to hold ground taken from the Taliban.

“The purpose of this tour is not to say ‘What is the best way to fix it?’ but to say ‘What are the repercussions if these cuts actually came to be?’“ Forbes said before the two-hour session began in the Chesapeake Conference Center. The problem today, he said, is that the impact of theautomatic cuts is not being discussed in Washington. He was joined by U.S. Reps. ScottRigell, R-Virginia Beach, and Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland County, both members of the armed services panel. While Forbes and others have argued that the cuts would hinder the nation’s ability to defend itself and protect its interests, many of the speakers Monday night were more focused on concerns about the direct impact on the region’s economy.

Thursday, May 17, 2012 Page 3The Shuttle

In the News

Defense Cuts Would Cripple Va. Economy, Leaders WarnBy Bill Bartel, THE VIRGINIAN-PILOTCHESAPEAKE--If Congress doesn’t stop $1 trillion in automatic budget reductions set to begin unrolling inJanuary, Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia will see such dramatic cutbacks that a statewide recession is likely, a public policy expert warned. Professor Stephen Fuller of George Mason University told more than 500 people at a congressional listening session that the deep cuts, including about $500 billion in defense cuts, would be “devastating,” given that 10 cents of every defense dollar is spent in the commonwealth. “These would be enough to drive the economy into a recession in 2013,” Fuller said, noting that 20 percent of all the jobs in Virginia are dependenton military spending. Fuller was among several speakers

Top U.S. General in Kabul Likely to Leave Command for Europe PostBy Greg Jaffe, WASHINGTON POST

who voiced concern about the automatic budget cuts at the first of several special meetings set up by U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake, and other members of the House Armed Services Committee. The nationwide “Defending OurDefenders” tour aims to raise awareness about the impending automatic defense cuts, as well as the $487 billion the Obama administration has proposed to cut at the Pentagon over five years. The $1 trillion in cuts were set in motion after congressional negotiators failed late last year to approve a plan to cut the federal deficit. When noagreement was reached, the law approved by Congress required that the cuts be made in the budget, half of the amount coming from defense and the other half from social programs.

Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, the top commander inAfghanistan, is expected to leave his post early next year and take over the U.S. European Command, officials said. Allen has spent much of his tumultuous year in Afghanistan helping to negotiate a longterm security agreement with the Afghan government and overseeing the initial drawdown of U.S. forces from the country. He has shifted American troops from a counter-insurgency strategy, with a focus on governance and reconstruction, to a more limited mission of training the Afghan army and fighting the Taliban. The planned promotion to head the U.S. European Command will allow Allen to remain deeply involved in Afghanistan policy and work with NATO allies who have maintained a presence in the country despite the war’s growing unpopularity in Europe. Defense officials cautioned that the plan could change ifconditions in Afghanistan shift. “No final decisions have been made regarding a follow-on assignment for Gen. Allen or the future of EuropeanCommand,” said Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman. If the White House nominates Allen, the general will have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Thursday, May 17, 2012The ShuttlePage 4

Big E Entertainment

AA William Draughon, from Fayetteville, N.C., joined the Navy eighteen months ago to make a better future for himself. Draughon enjoys exercising in his spare time. His future goals include going back to school and working toward becoming a firefighter.

Airman ApprenticeWilliam E. Draughon

Sailors of the Day

AO3 Matthew Bahner, from Mount Holly, N.J., joined the Navy four years and five months ago to be a part of something worthwhile and to travel the world. He enjoys sport shooting, basketball, reading and listening to music. Bahner plans to make a career out of the Navy and possibly become a teacher one day.

Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd ClassMatthew F. Bahner

I wish he had conserved water when he had the

chance...