Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class (AW/SW) Dennis Mullens, a 22-year-old native of San Diego, works as the tool control coordinator in the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department

(AIMD) aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).Mullens said his father, a former master gunnery sergeant in the Marine

Corps, was a huge inspiration in his joining the military.“I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” he said. “I just ended up in the Navy

instead.”Mullens has been in the Navy for two and a half years, and has spent the

last two of those years working in Lincoln’s AIMD shop. As the tool control coordinator, he is responsible for ordering and inventorying every tool used by AIMD.

“Tool control is everything,” said Mullens. “Tools can become FOD (foreign object damage), which can destroy jet engines. That’s why accountability is so important.”

Mullens said he fully intends to make the Navy his career, and he has already submitted an officer package in hopes of earning a commission.

“It’s not the whole reason, but I kind of just want to reach a higher rank than my father,” he said.

Mullens believes that his competitive nature will help him to excel in the Navy. In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports and said he likes just about anything that allows him to compete with others. He believes in striving to excel and never settling for what he has already accomplished.

“You should always have a goal in mind,” he said. “Even after you’ve reached that goal, you should always be looking for the next step.”

AS3 DenniS MullenSAIMD

Know Your ShipMAte

Photos and information by MC3 Zachary Hunt

Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Mason Campbell

CoMbineD MArine-nAvY SquADron ConDuCtS Flight quAlS on Abe

A different kind of squadron visited USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Aug. 2, during the

ship’s recent underway period off the coast of Southern California.

Marine Corps and Navy air crew members from the Sharpshooters of Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 101, based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, checked aboard Lincoln to conduct flight operations.

Over the course of several days, VMFAT 101 personnel completed carrier qualifications for new aviators. Six Marine and Navy student pilots from

the squadron landed F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets on Abe’s flat top to satisfy their training requirements.

With Marines and Naval Aviators integrated into the same squadron, the Sharpshooters demonstrate the ability of Navy and Marine Corps aviators to cooperate effectively, said Marine Capt. Scott Symons.

“That goes across the board,” said Symons. “With a Marine skipper and a Navy executive officer, the squadron provides an opportunity for our services to work together.”

Marine Capt. Robert Hood said that the students entered the onboard training

phase well aware that landing a strike fighter jet on an aircraft carrier—during both day and night flight operations—was going to be quite challenging. Previously, they had prepared by flying the T-45, a training jet typically used to train new pilots.

The day before Lincoln pulled into San Diego ahead of her return trip to Everett, Wash., Aug. 8, the squadron had completed all the slated qualifications to meet their deadline. Ten day arrestments and six night arrestments later, with a few touch-and-gos in between, the Sharpshooters completed their mission and returned home to Miramar.

A

As USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) returns home to Everett after a month-long underway period, the ship’s crew

will set its sights on the upcoming Tailored Ships Training Availability (TSTA), which is set

to start August 22.TSTA is a training regimen designed to prepare a ship

for prompt and sustained combat operations so the crew can react properly to any type of emergency. During this type of availability, an Afloat Training Group (ATG) typically conducts training and gives guidance to Sailors for the first week. The ATG then usually grades Sailors’ ability to respond to each type of emergency.

However, this TSTA will be a little different for Lincoln’s crew as the training group will move directly into the grading portion of the availability, said Chief Damage Controlman Derek Cooper.

“During the last TSTA, we did quite well,” said Cooper. “However, last time we had different rules.”

Cooper said this time around, participants will begin in the demonstration phase, starting with an administrative period on day one. ATG inspectors will examine watchbills, ship documents, letters of designation and lists of Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) holders to ensure Lincoln personnel are sufficiently qualified. Training evolutions are scheduled to run for four days, and TSTA will end with an outbrief on the final day.

The ATG will observe how the different warfare areas operate ship-wide during the planning, briefing, execution and debriefing evolutions of emergency drills. They will grade Lincoln’s crew on their conduct and knowledge during emergency drills using the same criteria used by

Lincoln leadership and determine if the crew is being graded effectively.

The purpose of this TSTA is to provide Lincoln with a snapshot of the ship’s war fighting readiness. Since the ATG is able to observe how other ships in the fleet conduct various evolutions, they are able to suggest best practices for the crew.

Cooper said the ATG will stop some Sailors in the passageway and ask them questions about Lincoln’s operational readiness. “Don’t shy away,” he said. “They aren’t the enemy. Answer to the best of your abilities and move on. Lots of times, ATG members will ask questions and Sailors might think they’re doing something wrong. This isn’t the case. Most times, the ATG member is asking to ensure you know the ship’s standards.”

Even with the entire crew working to make TSTA a success, crew members are using this opportunity to gear up for their next big challenge this year. The Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) is a three-week period during which the ship’s crew will prepare for a combat deployment by honing warfare skills and work toward unit cohesion between Lincoln and strike group personnel.

Though Lincoln does not have much time between now and the beginning of TSTA, Cooper is confident the crew’s long-term preparation will help the ship succeed.

“Most commands fall short by ramping up training for inspections and then dropping off after,” said Cooper. “We continue to train year round, which gives us an edge. This inspection is not a bad thing; it gives us the opportunity to show off. And this is one of Lincoln’s greatest strengths. We set the standard.”

Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kirk Putnam

Bring on the readiness tests

U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Jeremiah Mills

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Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jerine Lee

If anyone would have told undesignated Seaman Shequena Banister that

she was going to be working in Washington D.C. for the CNO,

she wouldn’t have believed it. However, this Lincoln Sailor has achieved more in her career so far than she expected. Coming in without a rate and working her way up to becoming the executive officer’s yeoman, Banister is ready to move to the country’s capital and spread her knowledge and skills to big Navy.

After graduating from high school, Banister left her home in Milwaukee for basic training in August 2007 hoping to learn more about herself so she could choose what kind of education to pursue.

“I joined the Navy to get away from home and to do something different for myself,” said now-Yeoman 2nd Class Banister. “I wasn’t ready for college yet, so I chose a different path for myself.”

In January 2008, Banister checked aboard Lincoln and was immediately sent to Deck department’s 1st division, where she learned the value of hard

work early in her career. She said her work ethic wouldn’t be as strong as it is without the time she spent working in Deck department, preserving the ship and standing watch.

“All the long hours and sweat put into working as an undesignated Seaman really made me appreciate what I have now,” she said. “It quickly pushed me to accept work and not become too stressed about it.”

While serving as the divisional yeoman for Deck department, Banister discovered that she wanted to take on an administrative rating. From Deck, she moved to Legal department for on-the-job training. There, Banister worked for nine months as the chiefs’ standard of conduct board (CSCB) coordinator and also did paperwork for executive officer’s investigations (XOI) and non-judicial punishments (NJPs) but knew that striking the legalman rating was not appropriate for her.

“I’m really glad I was given the chance to explore the legal side of the Navy,” said Banister. “I learned a lot,

but it wasn’t for me. I finally decided to strike as a yeoman and took the third class exam. I was amazed to find out a couple months later that I became eligible to advance!”

Yeoman 3rd Class Banister moved to work for the Captain’s administration division as the leading petty officer. Just as she was taking on a leadership role, the time had come to either transfer or get out of the Navy.

“I felt like I was just getting started getting into a good thing with my career, so I wasn’t exactly ready to leave just yet. I turned in my Perform to Serve (PTS) package but was denied to stay in the Navy,” she said.

That didn’t stop Banister from pursuing other goals. She was planning to move to Jacksonville, Fla., to pursue a nursing degree. It wasn’t until the beginning of June when she received a phone call from her chief that she had advanced to petty officer 2nd class, a promotion that provided her the option to stay in the Navy.

“I was ecstatic but overwhelmed

ShipMAte in the Spotlight: Yn2 ShequenA bAniSter

to hear I made it,” she said. “I was just transitioning my mind to getting out of the Navy, and then everything changed overnight.”

As soon as her plans changed, Banister was offered a billet working for the Secretary of the Navy. She would have to fly to Washington, D.C., to be interviewed for the job.

“I was so nervous about the interview because I didn’t know what to expect,” she explained. “But once I got into the room, I became comfortable and answered all the questions as honestly as I could.”

Banister did so well, she was offered the chance to interview for a position working for the CNO. A week later, she got a phone call saying she had been accepted.

“It was crazy that I left for one job

and came out of the whole experience with something totally different. I’m glad it all turned out the way it did. I’m really excited to start something new,” she said.

Chief Yeoman Corey Mincey said Banister is one of the sharpest yeomen he has ever had the opportunity to serve with.

“Although she’s very young, she’s more mature and responsible than most people ten years older than her. If she continues her naval career on the same path she’s on now, she has a very strong potential to become the first female Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) or even the first African-American MCPON. I respect her for her work aptitude, standards and moral principles and wish her the best of luck for her future. Now is her time to spread

her wings, and I have every assurance that she will only succeed.”

Through the roller coaster of events, Banister claims her positive attitude, personal drive and the support of her many friends and shipmates were critical to her success.

“You’ve got to keep going and keep a positive attitude through anything,” she said. “I wouldn’t have made it this far if it weren’t for the support of my chain of command and my great mentors.”

In the future, Banister plans to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and is even considering becoming an officer, possibly through the limited duty officer program.

“You just have to learn from your lessons and be strong,” she said. “Have all your options open to you because you can only go forward.”

Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Zachary WelchFollowing the FlYing SquAD

It is the same story every time for Damage Controlman 1st Class

Jonathan Fleming. He’s sitting down to eat on the mess

decks, hard at work or sleeping in his rack when it happens. Bells begin ringing and familiar words come over the 1MC: “Away the Flying Squad away! Flying Squad away!”

That’s when the transformation happens. Fleming and the rest of the Flying Squad get out of their racks, leave their trays on tables or drop whatever they’re doing to change into their firefighting gear. The response has been programmed into them to be second nature, to just get up and get out to wherever they’re needed at the drop of a hat.

“I get a rush out of it,” said Fleming. “When you walk around the decks, you may see us looking tired and groggy, but man, as soon as those bells go, it’s like a sudden boost, and we’re out.”

With precision and speed, the “red hats” fly down the passageway, equipment in tow. Screams of “make a

hole!” and “move out the way!” can be heard as dozens of Sailors move toward bulkheads and duck away from doors, making room for the sudden stream of red-capped responders.

The Flying Squad is a group of volunteer Sailors, composed of mostly damage controlmen. However, personnel of many rates volunteer to be ready to act at a moment’s notice. The squad is the first to respond to all shipboard casualties, their one and only goal to save the ship and the Sailors aboard.

Flying Squad members need a special skill sest. They have to be qualified in advanced damage control, be physically fit and agile, and maintain a mental toughness and strong constitution within themselves.

“Anybody can be on Flying Squad,” Fleming said. “We just want volunteers to know what it’s all about. They need to understand how to fight a fire, de-smoke a space, all the things that go into damage control. They have to be willing to get up at two in the morning and be ready to go as soon as that bell rings.”

Fleming said Flying Squad members always have to ensure they eat and sleep where they can hear 1MC announcements.

“You’re on the mess decks with your buddies and in the back of your mind, you’re keeping that ear out with the idea that ‘I could get called away at any moment when those bells go off!’” he said. “Not everyone can do that.”

The Flying Squad also drills the majority of the week and participates in many drills with various other departments. During deployments, they perform in three general quarters drills and conduct three to four flying squad drills per week. This way, the entire ship remains casualty-response ready at all times.

Fleming said the Flying Squad is always trying to get bigger and seeking increased participation. “You may start out as a boundaryman, but if you’re willing to work hard and get your qualifications, don’t be afraid to push ahead. You may just succeed and help us all perform better.”

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“Sailors on deployment

can live without many luxuries while at

sea—just don’t take away their mail. Enduring a life of

little privacy, mail from the mainland is one thing that can give solace to a Sailor who’s far from their loved ones. The mail handlers responsible for delivering parcels were once called postal clerks when they were a trade all to themselves. In October, 2009, the rating formerly known as PC merged with storekeepers into the supply catch-all logistics specialists (LS) they are today.

Working in Lincoln’s onboard post office and bulk mail room, storekeeper-

turned-Logistics Specialist Seaman Henry Solis is experienced in the day-to-day joys and challenges of distributing mail to Lincoln’s Sailors. On a typical day, the ship’s mail distributors hold mail call for at least an hour.

“When I see a package come in for someone I recognize, I get excited for them,” he said. “I have to let them know. It’s the feeling anyone gets when

receiving mail, but I get that feeling for everyone.”

When a carrier on-board delivery (COD) plane lands, roughly 100 to 600 lbs. of mail on average will be brought aboard for distribution to the crew. During deployment, when Sailors order mail for delivery to the ship, the deliveries get bigger. On heavier load days, the post office on board may receive 800 to 3,000 lbs. of mail from two CODs in a day’s haul. If there is a replenishment at sea operation, it’s common for more than 150 palettes of mail to be distributed from Lincoln’s hangar bay during mail call. Each division of the ship has at least one mail representative, and when the palettes hit

the deck plates, more than 200 reps will be ready to receive the sorted mail.

Solis and Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Suhyun Lee are the only certified mail handlers on board. Not a large number when you consider their client base is several thousand Sailors composed of ship’s company and the air wing.

“We have logistics specialists from

It’s always great to give a piece of home to someone

while on deployment,” --Logistics Specialist Seaman Henry Solis

other divisions aiding us, but we’re the only ones who have the ability to send and receive parcels. As you can imagine, everyone gets to know us,” Solis said.

While it’s a fairly exclusive job within the LS rating, the acting postal clerks still face the usual working pitfalls of Sailor life.

“Like any other department, we have to do zone inspections, maintenance and keep up on our qualifications.” said Solis. “But like the rest of the Sailors out here, our customer service is always our top priority, especially while we’re at sea.”

Email and social networks such as Facebook are great for staying

connected with family and friends, but nothing really compares to the feeling of receiving a package in the mail.

“It’s always great to give a piece of home to someone while on deployment,” said Post Office Leading Petty Officer Logistics Specialist 1st Class Edward Verdadero. “A package has weight, meaning and a whole different feel than just a typical email.”

Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Wade T. Oberlin

the Post office

--Logistics Specialist Seaman Henry Solis

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Seth Clarkeour Month unDerwAY-A looK bACK

It seems hard to believe, but Lincoln returns to Everett after only one month away from home. Between L.A. Navy Week and the

seemingly never-ending underway training evolutions, this underway period has felt like a

longer deployment.The ship has ported four times, once for an entire

week spent hosting what at times appeared to be the entire population of greater Los Angeles. While in L.A., Lincoln hosted more than 40,000 people for public and private tours. If you were on duty for any part of Navy Week, chances are you played a role in welcoming the public to our home away from home.

Throughout Navy Week, Lincoln Sailors unwound at amusement parks (Downtown Disney, Knott’s Berry Farm), visited popular L.A.-area neighborhoods (Santa Monica, Hollywood), and donated their liberty time to helping the less fortunate (St. Francis Center, Habitat for Humanity) and beautifying historic landmarks (Rancho Los Alamitos). You raced sailboats at the Cabrillo Yacht Club, relaxed over dinner at a restaurant in Long Beach, watched as the Navy Leap Frogs landed in shallow center field at Dodger Stadium and let your hair down at the Elks Lodge.

Navy Week provided us with a strong opportunity to showcase the quality of our personnel to the citizens of

Southern California. Lincoln’s participation demonstrated to area leaders and the general public that the Navy remains an effective and vital tool of national defense and a viable career opportunity for young men and women. We showed a diverse population that nobody does diversity like the U.S. Navy.

The Navy conducts approximately 20 Navy Weeks each year, reaching out to communities across the country to showcase for Americans the investments they have made toward their national defense. For Navy Week, Lincoln joined guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) and mine countermeasures ship USS Champion (MCM 4) in port.

Following Navy Week, it was time for us to get back to doing what we do: spending our time in a training environment. Flight deck crews qualified and re-qualified pilots from the air wing and from the Marine Corps, repair locker personnel repeatedly ran general quarters and flying squad drills, and personnel from all departments conducted plenty of maintenance. In between training evolutions, we found time to play bingo twice, eat our weight in blackberries and host groups of Sea Cadets and Midshipmen who came to visit the finest warship in the fleet.

We accomplished quite a bit during our time away from home. Bravo Zulu, shipmates!

U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Wade T. Oberlin

brieFlY

President Barack Obama and military leaders paid their respects Aug. 9 at Dover Air

Force Base in Delaware during the dignified transfer of remains of service members killed in an Aug. 6 helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

Two Air Force C-17 transport aircraft carrying the remains arrived at Dover the morning of Aug. 9.

An investigation is under way to determine the facts surrounding the deaths of 30 U.S. service members and eight Afghans when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter went down in Afghanistan’s Wardak province. Five of the U.S. casualties were aircrew members, and 25 were members of the U.S. Special Operations Command.

By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service

The Navy released revisions to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill policy, Aug. 4, providing Sailors, veterans and their families updated information on their educational benefit options. The new policy, announced in NAVADMIN 235/11, adds benefits explanations and introduces new changes.

• All public school in-state tuition and fees are covered.• Annual tuition has been capped at $17,500 for private and foreign schools.• Tuition payment tiers now apply to active duty personnel.•The post-9/11 G.I. Bill will now only pay the net cost for tuition and fees – that is, it will only pay what scholarships, grants and loans do not cover. •Housing stipends will not be paid during semester breaks. •Monthly living stipend will be paid based on rate of pursuit.•Entrance exam fees may now be reimbursed. •Active duty members and spouses can receive book and supply stipend entitlements.•Non-degree programs, on-the-job training, apprenticeship training, flight programs and correspondence training are now eligible for benefits.

Most of the changes took effect Aug.1, prior to the beginning of the fall term. Another significant change will be how the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill deals with other scholarships and loans. Previously, the G.I. Bill issued set amounts based on tuition and fees. The benefit will now pay only net costs after scholarships, grants and loans are applied. Under the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, qualified Sailors may elect to transfer all or a portion of their benefits to a spouse or child enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment System (DEERS). For transferability, Sailors must have served at least six years in the Armed Forces and agree to serve an additional four years, in most cases. NAVADMIN 203/09 identified exceptions to the additional four-year service obligation, which includes Sailors currently eligible for retirement within four years of the Post 9/11 GI Bill start date.

nAvY ClAriFieS reviSionS to poSt-9/11 gi bill

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was in attendance at Dover today, along with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife, Deborah; and Michael G. Vickers, undersecretary of defense for intelligence.

Representing the services were Navy Secretary Ray E. Mabus, Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Rick D. West; Army Secretary John M. McHugh and Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff; and Air Force Undersecretary Erin C. Conaton, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, Air Force vice chief of staff, and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy.

PresIDent, MIlItAry leADers PAy resPects At Dover AIr Force BAse

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza