Inside this edition:

LCS Mission Modules

SWO Life on CVNs

Vol. 31 No. 3

Summer 2006

http://www.navsea.navy.mil/swmagazine/
cov2 Surface Warfare

ON THE COVER:

Students at the Farrier FireFighting School in Norfolk, Va., prepare to fight a live fire in one of the school’s simulators 

during a recent training session. Students receive classroom instruction during the one-day class before they head out to 

the field with their instructors to put their knowledge to the test.

Inside this edition:

LCS Mission Modules

SWO Life on CVNs

Vol. 31 No. 3

Summer 2006

http://www.navsea.navy.mil/swmagazine/

Surface Warfare (USPS 104-170)(ISSN 0145-1073) is published quarterly by the Department of the Navy, Director, Surface Warfare (OPNAV N861M), 2511 Jefferson Davis HWY, Suite 4300, 4th Floor, 

Arlington VA 22202. Periodicals postage paid at Arlington, VA, and at additional mailing offices. The Secretary of the Navy has determined this publication is necessary in the transaction of business required 

by law or the Department of the Navy. Funds for printing this publication have been approved by the Navy Publications and Printing Committee. 

Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface Warfare, OPNAV N861M, 2000 Navy Pentagon, Washington, DC 20350-2000.

2. MESSAGE FROM COMMANDER 

3. DIRECTOR’S CORNER 

FEATURE STORIES 

6. A Look at Littoral Combat Ship Mission Modules 

 Mission packages for LCS are being developed simultaneously across the country to fit the ship.

16. SWOs and CVNs: A Vital Partnership

 Some junior Surface Warfare Officers may balk at being assigned to a carrier, but they may be 

missing out on a unique sea experience.

18. LCU Crews Prepare for Future Deployments

 Pre-commissioning crews for LCS 1 prepare for their maiden voyage, scheduled 

shortly after the ship’s commissioning.
Summer 2006 

Rear Adm. Barry McCullough, USN

Director, Surface Warfare Division

Military Editor

Lt. Jennifer Rossi, USN

Managing Editor

MC1(SW/AW) Athena Blain, USN

Administration and Distribution

YN2 (SW/AW) Fredrica Johnson, USN

Staff Journalist

MC2 Heather Canterbury, USN

Editorial: 

Address editorial inquiries to:

Surface Warfare Magazine

OPNAV N86IM

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22. Sustaining Our Ships at Sea

 A collection of articles explaining the intricate coordination between U.S. Navy ships 

and Military Sealift Command to provide food and resources to our deployed ships.

25. Distance Support

 The latest process being developed by Surface Warfare Enterprise to ensure vital 

support for LCS can be done at a distance.

SAFETY

34. Combating the Deadliest Enemy at Sea

 A case study that highlights the need for ongoing training to survive one of the 

most dangerous aspects of shipboard life: fires.

40. BOOK REVIEW

42. VIEWS FROM THE FLEET

44. SHIP SHAPE

45. CAPTAIN’S TRIVIA

ON THE BACK:

Sailing in formation along with 

the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier 

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 

76), guided-missile cruiser USS 

Lake Champlain (CG 57), 

guided-missile destroyers USS 

McCampbell (DDG 85) and 

USS Decatur (DDG 73) line 

up during the photo portion of 

Exercise Valiant Shield 2006. 

(MC1 Michael J. Obney/USN)

 Surface Warfare
I introduced the Surface 

Warfare Enterprise (SWE) in these 

pages several issues ago and we 

have made tremendous headway 

since SWE was launched in 

November 2005.

The SWE Vision is to provide 

Sailors and warships that are 

adaptive, dominant, and lethal, 

built on a tradition of victory, 

infused with the technology of 

tomorrow, and enabled by the 

power of our people. 

The Surface Warfare Enterprise 

will produce warfighting 

readiness for Fleet Forces 

Command in support of the 

combatant commanders by 

providing:

• Sailors trained and ready 

to fight, valued for their 

warrior ethos

• Warships ready at the right 

time, place, and cost...

every time

• Teamwork among our 

Enterprise partners to improve 

continually and produce 

innovative enterprise solutions

• A challenging and rewarding 

environment that embraces 

diversity and personal growth 

as essential components in the 

way we do business.

Simply stated, SWE is about 

producing warships ready for 

tasking. A warship consists of 

a modernized and capable ship 

and a trained crew to man her. 

In the past, we had processes in 

place that effectively delivered 

a warship ready for tasking, 

but we did that without an 

eye on doing it effectively and 

efficiently. Think of the old way 

as readiness at any cost. Today, 

the SWE strives to provide the 

right readiness at the right cost. The 

effectiveness of our warfighting 

capability remains the same or 

gets better, but we deliver that 

readiness at improved efficiency.

Every one of you is part of the 

readiness equation and contributes 

to the overall enterprise, more 

so as you move up in rank and 

responsibility. Collectively, you 

are the brightest, best trained, 

and hardest-working Sailors 

that our Navy has ever seen. We 

must harness your innovative 

ideas so we can continue to lead 

our Navy and the Surface Force 

into the 21st century. I encourage 

you to forward any ideas for 

improving our processes for 

manning, training and equipping 

our Surface Force up your chain of 

command to the Surface Warfare 

Enterprise leadership.

To focus our efforts, I recently 

approved a five year Strategic 

Plan. I encourage each of you to 

review it at www.swe.surfor.navy.

mil. In addition to the Strategic 

Plan, a SWE 101 brief, my 

Commander’s Intent and SWE 

Vision and Mission statements 

also reside on the SWE web site. 

It will provide you an idea of 

what issues we are tackling in the 

infancy of the SWE. 

With these initiatives and 

others I know that the Surface 

Navy will continue to lead the 

way as our Navy transforms 

to face the challenging global 

environment of the 21st Century. 

Thank you for your service and 

your commitment to our Navy 

and our nation.

T. T. Etnyre

Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy

Commander Naval Surface Forces

Message from Commander, Naval Surface Forces

Surface Warfare
In the last several months, 

the U.S. Navy and the Missile 

Defense Agency (MDA) have 

teamed up to achieve several 

stunning successes in the realm 

of Sea Based Ballistic Missile 

Defense (BMD) capability. 

These events exemplify the 

versatility of our multi-mission 

surface combatants to provide 

warfighting capabilities that will 

defeat new and emerging threats 

and keep our force relevant to the 

joint fight.

Most recently, MDA and the 

Navy successfully completed 

a test called Aegis BMD Flight 

Test Maritime (FTM)-10, 

demonstrating the ability to 

intercept a separating, medium 

range ballistic missile during the 

exo-atmospheric phase of flight 

with a Standard Missile (SM-3 

Block IA). During this mission, 

USS Shiloh (CG 67), an AEGIS 

cruiser modified with the latest 

Aegis BMD 3.6 configuration, was 

the launch platform. This was the 

first BMD live-fire event for the 

crew of Shiloh, the second cruiser 

to fire an SM-3 missile. This was 

also the first use of the final BMD 

3.6 configuration and the SM-3 

Block IA missile, which uses “Hit 

to Kill” technology, destroying 

the target using the kinetic energy 

from the force of impact. 

The June 22nd test was the 

seventh successful intercept 

test in eight attempts involving 

the sea-based element of 

the nation’s Ballistic Missile 

Defense System (BMDS). Shiloh

recently completed the BMD 3.6 

modifications and upgrades to 

its Aegis Weapon System (AWS) 

and advanced communications 

system to make it capable of being 

a sea-based BMD platform.

The target missile, a Medium 

Range Target (MRT) provided 

by MDA, was launched from the 

Pacific Missile Range Facility at 

Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii 

as part of a larger, operationally 

realistic scenario. During this 

test, the participating ships were 

not notified of the exact target 

launch time, simulating a ship 

on a BMD patrol. Shiloh’s crew 

detected and tracked the target, 

developed a fire control solution, 

and about four minutes later 

fired the SM-3 Block IA, which 

successfully intercepted the target 

warhead outside the earth’s 

atmosphere more than 100 miles 

above the Pacific Ocean and 250 

miles northwest of Kauai. 

The SM-3 is a long-range 

derivative of SM-2 Block IV missile. 

The Standard Missile was first 

deployed with the U.S. Navy in 1970.

Three Aegis destroyers - 

USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), 

USS Milius (DDG 69) and JDS 

Kirishima (DDG 174) - also 

participated in the flight test. One 

Aegis destroyer, equipped with 

a modified version of the Aegis 

BMD system, demonstrated the 

ability to receive a cue from a 

land-based missile defense radar, 

generate an organic track and 

conduct a simulated engagement. 

Two other Aegis destroyers, 

including one from the Japanese 

Maritime Self-Defense Force, 

stationed off Kauai performed 

long-range surveillance and 

tracking of the target, exchanging 

track data between the two ships. 

This event marked the first time 

that a unit from an allied navy 

took part in a U.S. Aegis BMD 

intercept test.

Our Aegis BMD equipped 

ships provide a vital service to the 

nation, by conducting the Long 

Range Surveillance and Tracking 

mission and providing radar track 

data on threat ballistic missiles 

to the ground-based and other 

elements of the BMDS. These 

ships are capable of providing 

this crucial data in support 

of Homeland Defense, while 

also providing “shoot down” 

capability against Short and 

Medium Range Ballistic Missiles 

within their operating theater.

The other recent success 

in the BMD mission area was 

the successful Near Term Sea 

Based Terminal demonstration 

conducted at PMRF on May 24. 

This demonstration, also called 

Spring 2006 

Missile Defense Ships Hit to Kill
 Surface Warfare

“Pacific Phoenix,” involved 

the intercept of a Lance Short 

Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) 

Target with a modified SM2 Block IV missile using a 

modified Linebacker Computer 

Program. This was the first 

attempt since the cancellation of 

the Navy Area Program in 2001 

to conduct a Sea Based Terminal 

(SBT) engagement.

USS Lake Erie (CG 70) was 

the firing ship. She successfully 

acquired the target shortly 

after launch, transitioned to 

track, launched the SM-2 Block 

IV missile, and completed the 

intercept well within predicted 

performance parameters. 

While detailed data analysis is 

ongoing, initial indications point 

to an unqualified success with 

visual evidence of catastrophic 

destruction of the target.

What makes this test so 

significant? For the first time, 

we have a capability, albeit 

limited, to provide a mobile 

defense of airports and seaports 

of debarkation to joint force 

commanders. We are working 

closely with MDA to develop 

a long-term strategy that 

will deliver a more robust 

SBT defensive capability by 

approximately 2014. 

MDA is developing defenses 

against ballistic missiles of all 

ranges and in all phases of flight. 

The first portion of a Ballistic 

Missile’s flight where it is under 

power from a booster, is known 

as the “Boost Phase”, when the 

missile gains acceleration to lift its 

payload. The next phase, called 

the “Midcourse Phase”, is typically 

the longest part of the missile 

flight, where the payload separates 

from the booster in space and 

continues its ballistic trajectory 

toward the ground target. The 

midcourse phase typically ends 

when the ballistic missile re-enters 

the Earth’s atmosphere.

In the final phase of 

ballistic missile flight, the 

missile’s warhead re-enters 

the atmosphere and proceeds 

to its intended target. This 

phase, called “Terminal Phase” 

is usually the shortest phase of 

flight and is the last opportunity 

to engage a threat prior to it 

striking the target.

Over the coming decades, 

the Ballistic Missile threat to the 

United States, its Military Forces 

deployed around the globe 

and our Allies will continue 

to increase. We have a solid 

program in place today for 

delivering a proven Sea Based 

BMD capability, which will 

pace the perceived threat for the 

foreseeable future. Our challenge 

is to continue delivering on our 

promise of proven performance... 

Navy and MDA are now “7 for 8” 

in Aegis BMD/SM-3 Intercepts 

against SRBM/MRBM’s and 

“1 for 1” in Sea Based Terminal 

engagements. This unparalleled 

record of success in the BMD 

mission area must continue for 

our Surface Navy to contribute 

to the joint warfight, in every 

dimension. “from brown water to 

ballistic missiles.”

Bravo Zulu to the crews of 

every Aegis BMD ship that has 

participated in testing events 

and those that are on station 

conducting the BMD mission 

today. The Surface Navy is proud 

of your accomplishments... 

keep charging!

Barry McCullough 

Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy

Director, Surface Warfare
Summer 2006 

 Inside SW

 By Lt. Jennifer Rossi, Military Editor

I want to quickly say hello to you all and thank you for easing my transition to shore duty. This will 

be the first magazine I have published, so please send any feedback you may have. My email address is 

jennifer.rossi@navy.mil.

We know many of you have questions about the Littoral Combat Ship mission modules, so we have an article 

for you in this issue. We also have a group of articles that focus on how we sustain operations while at sea. 

We will tell you about the new Navy Standard Menu as well as the physical fitness standards now altering 

the Navy. I tested the menu while on USS Nitze and I can see why it will be easy to get people within physical 

standards. Just kidding! The menu is pretty good, more efficient for the CSs and easier to deliver to the fleet. 

Look forward to having it onboard all ships by the end of 2007! 

I enjoy hearing about what everyone is doing in the fleet. Please keep all the letters, photos and articles coming 

in so I can add them to the magazine. Keep in mind cover photos need to be shot vertically. I am adding a 

“dynamic photo” in each edition for the Table of Contents. It works best if the photo is slightly off center so the 

best part doesn’t sit in the crease. Check out the Table of Contents for an example of what I mean! 

USS Antietam/July

Capt. Sean O’Connor relieved 

Capt. Edward Quinn

USS Chosin/July 

Cmdr. Steven Lott relieved 

Capt. Douglas Venlet

USS De Wert/August 

Cmdr. William Campbell relieved 

Cmdr. Mark Declue

USS Denver/September 

Capt. Joseph Clarkson relieved 

Capt. William Cone

USS Doyle/August 

Cmdr. Michael Elliott relieved 

Cmdr. Joseph Voboril

USS Essex/July 

Capt. Brian Donegan relieved 

Capt. Martin Keany

USS Ford/July 

Cmdr. Michael Taylor relieved 

Cmdr. Timothy Spratto

USS Germantown/August 

Cmdr. Steven Vincent relieved 

Cmdr. John Deerh

USS Gonzalez/August 

Cmdr. Robert Borchert relieved 

Cmdr. Robert Randall

USS Howard/July 

Cmdr. James Morgon relieved 

Cmdr. Carol Hottenrott

USS Ingraham/September

Cmdr. Richard M. Odom relieved 

Cmdr. Ricks Polk

USS Lake Champlain/July 06

Capt. Sean O’Connor relieved 

Capt. Donald Roane

USS Leyte Gulf/September

Capt. Scott Phillpott relieved 

Capt. Michael Turner

USS McInerney/July

Cmdr. Patrick Holub relieved 

Cmdr. Ace Vanwagoner

MCM Crew Bulwark/ July

Lt. Cmdr. Lloyd Reinhold relieved 

Lt. Cmdr. David Peterson

MCM Crew Swerve/August

Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin Nicholson 

relieved Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Britt

MHC Crew Bold/September

Lt. Cmdr. John Reilley relieved 

Lt. Cmdr. Shanti Sethi

MHC Crew Endurance/August

Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Carlson relieved 

Lt. Cmdr. Eric Cash

MHC Crew Loyalty/August

Lt. Cmdr. James Storm relieved Lt. 

Cmdr. Mark Kesselring

USS Paul Hamilton/September

Cmdr. Christopher Bushnell relieved 

Cmdr. Werner H. Jurinka

PC Crew Delta/September

Lt. James Quaresimo relieved 

Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Thien

USS Peleliu/August

Capt. Warren Rhoades relieved 

Cmdr. James Cody

USS Port Royal/August

Capt. David Adler relieved 

Capt. David Matawitz

USS Reuben James/July

Cmdr. Richard Haivogal relieved 

Cmdr. Logan Jones

USS Russell/July

Cmdr. Charles Cooper relieved 

Cmdr. James Kilby

USS Shoup/July

Cmdr. Mark Johnson relieved 

Cmdr. Christopher Halton

USS Simpson/September

Cmdr. Luis Maldonado relieved 

Cmdr. John Uhl

USS Underwood/July

Cmdr. Thomas Dearborn relieved 

Cmdr. Roderick Fraser

USS Vadegrift/July

Cmdr. John Rinko relieved 

Cmdr. David Chase

USS Wasp/August

Capt. Michael Hawley relieved 

Capt. Todd Miller

Changes of Command
A new concept in naval warfare 

is coming together, literally. At the 

same time the fi rst two Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) seaframes are being 

built, the fi rst mission packages for 

LCS are being assembled and tested 

at the Naval Surface Warfare Center 

(NSWC) in Panama City, Fla.

LCS is a focused-mission ship with 

modular combat capability that is 

reconfi gurable to counter anti-access 

threats in the littoral from mines, submarines and small, fast attack boats. 

“It has a focused mission in a 

particular operating environment 

against specific threats,” says Capt. 

Walt Wright, program manager for 

LCS Mission Modules, Program 

Executive Officer for Littoral and 

Mine Warfare.

Each “mission package” includes 

the systems, modules and crew to 

conduct one of the three missions. 

The package can be removed and replaced with another mission package 

to give the ship a different capability. 

NSWC Panama City is designing, developing and integrating the 

modules for the mine warfare (MIW) 

mission package. The antisubmarine warfare (ASW) package is being 

created by Space and Naval Warfare 

Systems Command (SPAWAR) San 

Diego and Naval Undersea Systems 

Center Newport, R.I. The surface 

warfare (SUW) mission package is 

being developed by Naval Surface 

Warfare Center Dahlgren, Va. 

The Navy is building two very different hull designs for LCS. 

Lockheed Martin is building a semiplaning monohull design at Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisc. General Dynamics is building a trimaran 

LCS at Austal in Mobile, Ala.

It is always a challenge for engineers to integrate the components of a 

combat system into a new ship. With 

LCS, that task is multiplied, because 

there are essentially three different interchangeable mission packages, and 

two different seaframes, each with 

different combat system. 

NSWC Panama City is certifying that all of the mission packages 

are ready. “We check the interfaces, 

validate the communications and 

verify everything works the way it’s 

supposed to and that they are ready 

for fl eet use,” says Jose Velez, a systems engineer and the LCS customer 

advocate at NSWC Panama City. 

Each of the two ship designs, 

while very different, had to meet 

the same requirements for weight, 

volume, power, storage, and physical and computer interfaces, along 

with speed, draft and inherent selfdefense capabilities.

The seaframe has the basic combat 

management system (CMS) with the 

computing environment and post 

mission analysis tools for each of the 

mission packages.

The mission package computing 

environment (MPCE) is government 

furnished equipment (GFE), which 

means it is provided to the ship 

builders “as is” to install and operate, 

Velez says. That means each of the 

two ship designs will use the same 

MPCE and the same displays. “A 

mission specialist would be able to 

operate his or her systems the same 

way with either ship,” he says.

The initial Flight 0 LCS employs 

systems that were in various stages 

of development prior to the LCS 

concept, and were adapted for use 

on LCS. The two LCS seaframes 

employ different launch and recovery systems. In the future, the Navy 

is developing a family of standard 

offboard systems optimized for use 

with LCS, with common launch and 

recovery systems, communications 

and command and control. 

The Navy is “spiral developing” 

the mission packages. “We don’t want 

to push these systems too fast. We’ll 

build a little, and test a little. We’ll get 

a capability into the fl eet, and see how 

well it performs before trying to add 

more capability,” says Velez. “Then 

we can look at what other mission 

areas we want to address with LCS.”

Containerized 

combat capability

The mission packages are modularized 20-foot ISO-compatible shipping containers, called TEUs (twentyfoot equivalent units). The containers 

are made by a commercial source, but 

they are not commercial off the shelf 

(COTS) in that the containers must 

meet naval shipboard requirements 

such a shock loads, says Jeff Mott, 

project engineer for the MIW support 

containers development. 

Littoral Combat Ship 

Mission Packages Being 

Assembled, Tested at 

Panama City By Edward Lundquist, N86 Public Affairs

6 Surface Warfare
Each container has a 60 cm space 

around the sides and back, and 12 

feet of clear working space in the 

front to get material in and out. 

Containers are equipped with 

white and red lighting (for night vision), smoke alarms, fi re extinguishers, phones, and 1MC loudspeakers. 

Receptacles deliver 115 VAC, 44VAC 

and 28VDC power. Some containers 

have handling equipment or diagnostic computers. The box that hold 

the AQS-20 mine hunting sonars, for 

example, is air-conditioned, and has 

a nitrogen-charging bottle to pressurize the towed sensor prior to use.

The MIW mission package will 

include one container with four AQS20 units. Two of the towed sensors 

will be confi gured for employment 

from the H-60S helicopter, and the 

other two for the WLD-1 Remote 

Minehunting Vehicle (RMV). This 

container has a special handling 

system to change sensor heads on the 

sonar bodies. Each AQS-20 variable 

depth sonar can be used for both 

volume search mine hunting and for 

identifi cation, but requires a different 

sensor head for the two functions. 

The LCS mission modules are 20-foot shipping containers, modifi ed to carry off-board systems and equipped power and communication. (Robert Cole/USN)

Summer 2006 7
8 Surface Warfare

Four AQS-20 towed sonars are canned in one module on LCS. (Robert Cole/USN)
The AQS-20 is built by Raytheon 

Integrated Defense Systems, and the 

RMV by Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors Division. 

When coupled together, they are 

referred to as the Remote Minehunting 

System (RMS).

The Flight 0 MIW LCS mission 

package is intended to have one 

H-60 helicopter and two RMVs. The 

ASW mission package will normally 

include two RMVs, but the initial 

LCS will use just one RMV because 

the system has just entered production. The RMV is powered by a 370 

horsepower Cummins diesel, and runs 

just below the surface with a large mast 

antenna for air supply, exhaust, communications relay and a camera. The 

RMV is autonomous, following preprogrammed waypoints. It proceeds to an 

area at speeds up to 16 knots, and then 

streams the AQS-20, which it can tow at 

speeds up to ten knots, depending on 

the depth of the towed body.

The engine powers the propulsor, 

and provides 500-plus amps of electric power for the onboard systems, 

including the sensor that may be 

streamed far behind and below the 

main unit. The sonar maintains a certain elevation above the bottom.

While the different remote vehicles will require periodic maintenance, and various mission preps 

and post-mission washdowns, the 

majority of maintenance will be 

done off the LCS.

Training 

the operators

The fi rst team of Navy mission 

specialists have begun training at 

Panama City, working with the 

actual equipment.

NSWC Panama City’s Ed Benner describes the eventual training 

for LCS mission specialists as “just 

in time” training, where crews get 

specialized training just prior to their 

next mission. Slightly complicating 

the challenge is that crews must be 

Summer 20069
trained to operate their mission package from either seaframe. When a 

new crewmember joins the team, he 

or she has all needed training signed 

off in their training record. “All the 

CO needs to do is a quick assessment 

to verify what they know for that 

platform,” Benner says.

The combat systems are more 

“open” than before. That means 

fewer systems have elaborate hardware and proprietary software that is 

only applicable to that single military 

system, or available from a single 

vendor. Today’s combat systems 

have many COTS components. 

Sailors must spend less time training 

to use and maintain, or to fi x than 

proprietary military equipment, and 

have more time to be pure operators. 

Benner says much of the initial 

training for LCS mission specialists 

will be “factory training” with the 

original equipment manufacturers. 

First, the Sailor must be trained to 

operate an individual system, then to 

be able to work in the mission command center as a team.”

“Because there’s no legacy school 

or schoolhouse infrastructure set up 

for a lot of these unmanned systems, 

you had to pick what was available 

out of the existing schools and then 

come up with your own specialized 

curriculum at the laboratories or 

at vendor sites to actually do vendor training in a lot of cases,” says 

Wright. “We’re still fi nalizing the 

design of these Flight 0 modules.”

Using civilian schools has its own 

challenges. “Just because it’s COTS 

doesn’t make it easier,” Benner cautions. “We have more systems to 

train to.”

 

Mainstreaming 

Mine Warfare

Dealing with mines used to be 

the job of very specialized ships and 

aircraft. That’s changing. LCS and 

its mine warfare capabilities will 

become such a large and important 

0 Surface Warfare

The diesel-powered Remote Mine-hunting Vehicle will be employed on LCS. (Robert Cole/USN) 
Summer 2006 
part of the U.S. fl eet. “We’re mainstreaming mine warfare,” says Dave 

Turbidy, head of the Littoral Systems 

Integration department at NSWC 

Panama City. 

Mines are relatively inexpensive, and highly effective at denying access. On Feb. 17, 1991, USS 

Tripoli (LPH 10) struck a moored 

Iraqi “chemical horn” contact mine 

ripping open a large hole below the 

waterline. Three hours later, USS 

Princeton (CG 59) was damaged by 

a Manta bottom mine. The Italian-made “seabed infl uence” mine 

was small and made of a composite 

material, and thus hard to fi nd. Both 

Tripoli and Princeton had been operating in a minefi eld, yet neither was 

aware of the danger.

When USS Samuel B. Roberts

(FFG 58) struck an Iranian mine in 

1988, the frigate had to be returned 

to the U.S. aboard a heavy-lift ship. 

Repairs took a year.

The littoral environment is littered 

with objects, says Turbidy, many of 

them metallic. Magnetic mines can 

be buried and will detonate when a 

steel ship passes above. Rocky bottoms can scatter mine hunting sonar 

energy. Sandy ridges on the bottom 

can refl ect sonar energy, reducing 

detection probability.

LCS will excel in the mine warfare 

role. It will be able to arrive at an 

area of interest quickly, deploy offboard systems, effectively “keeping 

the man out of the minefi eld.” The 

LCS systems will use volume search 

sonars to search a large volume of 

water to fi nd objects of interest, then 

go back and investigate “minelike” 

objects using electro-optical identifi -

cation (EOID) sensors.

Each LCS carries a helicopter which 

can employ the Northrop Grumman 

AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine 

Detection System (ALMDS), a higharea coverage system that detects, 

classifi eds, and localizes fl oating and 

near-surface moored sea mines using 

a blue-green laser. 

The Navy intends to deploy most 

of its new MCM systems from the 

Sikorsky-built MH-60S helicopters 

and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

The AQS-20 advanced minehunting sonar, from Raytheon, will operate 

from the RMS and MH-60S helicopters. 

The Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) is a helicopter-deployed system, by Northrop 

Grumman, that promises a much 

faster means to fi nd on or near the 

surface moored sea mines. 

The Airborne Mine Neutralization 

System (AMNS) is a helicopter-towed 

weapon, by Raytheon, that locates 

and destroys moored mines.

The Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS), a sophis-

2 Surface Warfare

LCS will operate with focused-mission packages that deploy manned and unmanned vehicles to execute missions including, Special Operations Forces (SOF) support, 

high-speed transit, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP). Artist concept 

provided to the U.S. Navy courtesy General Dynamics (General Dynamics/RELEASED)
ticated laser-aimed gun, from 

Northrop, will defeat mines on or 

near the surface. 

The Organic Airborne and Surface 

Infl uence Sweep (OASIS), a towed 

device, by EDO Corp., imitates a 

ship’s magnetic and acoustic signals 

to set off infl uence mines.

New idea?

LCS isn’t the fi rst modular ship. 

The German Blohm + Voss shipyard 

makes the Meko frigate, which has 

a standard hull, and offers a variety 

of weapons and sensors that can 

be selected based on the particular 

requirement. Meko frigates are operated by Malaysia, South Africa and 

other navies. The Danish Stanfl ex 

frigate, developed by Naval Team 

Denmark, is also modular.

In fact, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers are essentially modular, 

and employ offboard systems. The 

combat capability on amphibs can be 

varied to meet the assignment. The 

offboard systems are the boats, tanks 

and vehicles along with Marines that 

take the combat capability ashore. 

Similarly, an aircraft carrier’s weapons fl y off the deck. Carriers can 

employ spiral development. When 

one aircraft type becomes obsolete, 

newer aircraft can replace them and 

still operate from the carrier. In the 

1960s, carriers deployed with F-4 

Phantoms, RA-5 Vigilantes; and A-7 

Corsair II attack aircraft; all of which 

have been long since retired, replaced 

by F-14 Tomcats and later F/A-18s 

Hornets. But the “seaframes” continue to operate.

LCS is unique, however, because 

it is the fi rst to combine modularity, 

reconfi gurability, and extensive use 

of unmanned offboard systems.

Summer 2006 

An artist concept of General Dynamic’s version 

of the Flight 0 Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). General 

Dynamics will receive orders in 2006 and 2007 for 

the build of LCS 2 and LCS 4, which are scheduled for 

commissioning in 2008 and 2009. (General Dynamics/RELEASED)

An artist concept of the Lockheed Martin’s version of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Construction of USS Freedom (LCS 1), is already underway at Marinette Marine in 

Marinette, Wis., and is scheduled to commission in 2007. (Lockheed Martin Corporation/RELEASED)
Certifying 

the systems

John Brady, a systems engineer 

at NSWC Panama City is creating a 

new way to test and certify the 

mission packages. 

“We used to take systems and 

throw them over a brick wall, and 

then retest them. Today, with LCS, 

we monitor what is being done for 

testing. We get involved in development. The contractors test to our 

standards, and we monitor the tests,” 

Brady says. “We used to wait until 

a system was completely ready for 

an operational evaluation, and then 

we created an elaborate test regime 

that took six to nine months, maybe 

longer. After that, we would wait 

for the analysis and the report of the 

results. Now we are constantly testing. We test a little, learn a little, and 

test some more. It’s ongoing, and 

we are incorporating what we learn. 

We assess the systems based on their 

maturity level,” Brady says. 

“All of the systems we are using 

in the LCS MIW mission package 

were originally developed for use 

with some other platform or for 

some other purpose. Some of these 

systems are quite mature and have 

been thoroughly tested. Others have 

not been fully tested. We decide how 

much risk there is in bringing new, 

unproven systems into the mission 

package, and determine if that level 

of risk is acceptable. We are now 

using a lab-based test environment as 

well as at-sea testing. So we will end 

up deploying with some systems that 

have not been through the full operation and evaluation process,” says 

Brady. “That’s the new paradigm for 

the 50-knot Navy.”

Brady says the LCS mission package program is not constrained by a 

very long-term system development 

and test and evaluation process to get a 

capability to sea. “We are now asking 

ourselves what systems do we have 

 Surface Warfare

The LCS is an entirely new breed of U.S. Navy warship. A fast, agile, and networked surface combatant, LCS’s modular, focused-mission design will provide Combatant 

Commanders the required warfi ghting capabilities and operational fl exibility to ensure maritime dominance and access for the joint force. Artist concept provided to the 

U.S. Navy courtesy Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed Martin/RELEASED)
in development that can help us get 

part way down the road to where we 

want to go with LCS. As we get more 

ships out in the fl eet, the joint warfare 

commanders and the carrier strike 

group and expeditionary strike group 

commanders will see what LCS can do. 

Then we’ll learn from their experience 

in exploiting LCS for its capabilities and 

contributions to the strike group.”

It’s our job to make sure the mission packages are safe to operate and 

do what they’re supposed to do, says 

Brady. We’ll also conduct post-delivery tests and trials. We’ll establish the 

standard and certify the system. Then 

as more modules are put together, we’ll 

certify that those modules meet the 

standard. If, through spiral development, subsequent confi gurations are 

developed for the modules, we will 

certify that which has changed, but we 

won’t have to conduct a full certifi cation for the entire package.

Brady says the Navy needs a new 

way to train Sailors for LCS. “Under 

the current paradigm, with a 15-person team of mission specialists, we’ll 

wear them out. But if we change 

the way we train them, the way they 

work together, and with the core 

crew, and the way they are tasked, 

we think this will work. They won’t 

be doing a lot of PMS, or corrective 

maintenance, or painting and preservation, in the fashion we expect 

Sailors to work today.”

Wright says the Navy continues 

to work on reducing the number of 

vehicle operators required to conduct 

LCS mission. “The manpower bill 

for the United States Navy is a very 

large number. So we want to continue 

to see what can we do with these 

vehicles and the technology to reduce 

the manpower loading on the Navy.”

Remote 

Minehunting 

Vehicle

“We’re looking at tighter integration in the command and control software for the vehicles, with less legacy 

software employed where possible,” 

says Sandy Martin, a system engineer 

at NSWC Panama City. 

The RMV is autonomous, and 

follows pre-planned waypoints. The 

operator on the LCS can monitor 

the visual presentation transmitted 

from the camera on the mast. The 

vehicle operator works next to the 

sensor operator. In the future, the 

two stations might be combined, or 

one operator might be able to control 

multiple vehicles. “We want to aim 

for less and less vehicle control, and 

only intervene with an autonomous 

vehicle as needed,” Martin says.

There are policy concerns, Martin 

says. Even though the RMV has a 

camera, an unmanned vehicle is the 

responsibility of the launching ship, 

and subject to the COLREGS (The 

International Regulations for Avoiding Collisions at Sea, or “Rules of the 

Road”). The control communications 

are line-of-sight, and so communicating with the RMV at longer ranges 

can also be a challenge.

The RMV with the AQS-20 “in 

the saddle” can transit at 16 knots. 

The speed while towing varies with 

the scope of the tow. RMV could go 

faster, “but we required a non-cavitating propullsor blade. Cavitation 

creates noise, which you do not want 

in a mine environment,” Martin says.

The RMV weighs 14,000 pounds, 

powered by a Cummins diesel that 

generates 360 shaft horsepower. The 

vehicle has a hydraulically operated 

auto-folding mast and antenna, which 

differs slightly from RMVs deployed 

from DDGs due to the way they are 

handled. The RMV today uses standalone legacy vehicle specifi c control interfaces. The system eventually will be 

controlled by an “Unmanned Vehicle 

Common Control” system that uses 

standard communications protocols. 

“We’ve taken RMS to sea,” 

says Wright. “It’s a very effective 

mine hunter.”

“Getting all of these components 

to work together with LCS on a very 

ambitious schedule is a challenge,” 

Martin says. “LCS has shattered all 

of the old approaches to shipbuilding. This is the fi rst times we have 

pulled this many items together that 

were never designed to work together. And then we have to make them 

all work from an entirely new class 

of ship, and if that’s not enough, we 

have not one but two new ships.”

All of the unmanned systems on 

LCS need to be recovered, refueled or 

recharged before returning to operation. And most maintenance will be 

done off the LCS. But, Wright says, 

“because I have a system out there 

that’s unmanned, it doesn’t need to 

be fed, it doesn’t need rest.” 

From a mine warfare point of view, 

the systems we will be employing on 

LCS address the full regime of mines 

at all depths. Some of the systems are 

in production, some are in low-rate 

production, and some are engineering 

development modules (EDMs).

Full-size replicas of the two different LCS seaframe have been created 

at Panama City to test the software. 

Greg Roberts heads up the Mission 

Package Development Lab where 

they are conducting development, 

integration and certifi cation of the 

initial spiral software packages. 

Roberts says his team is using 

the same ruggedized workstations 

that will be found on LCS to test 

the software packages. The COTS 

workstations can be readily adapted 

as the technology and processing 

capability matures. 

“In most cases it is the actual 

equipment that will then go to Marinette and be installed on Freedom,” 

Roberts says. 

Summer 2006 
They are the status symbol of the 

Navy. When the public envisions 

our branch of service, enormous 

aircraft carriers, with jets soaring off 

over the vast ocean dominates their 

impression. Aircraft carriers are 

featured on every recruiting poster, 

showcased in television ads and 

touch every aspect of naval life, from 

aviation to nuclear reactors, and most 

especially the Surface community.

Carriers, it seems, are synonymous 

with jets, Top Gun fighter pilots 

and air strikes. Sometimes it’s 

easy to forget one of the most 

essential aspects of carrier life 

falls to the surface community. 

With only a significant minority of 

Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) 

serving today onboard CVNs, most 

upcoming SWOs may not see duty 

onboard carriers as a viable careerenhancing opportunity. But that idea 

couldn’t be further from the truth.

“SWOs are key players on carriers 

because of their leadership capabilities 

and professional training,” said Lt. 

Cmdr. Raymundo Villarreal, Damage 

Control Assistant onboard USS 

Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). “From 

nuclear power training to engineering 

to damage control to bridge 

watchstanding to staff positions, the 

shipboard environment is the Surface 

Warfare Officer’s natural domain. 

SWOs are subject matter experts 

and are expected to lead the way as 

competent shiphandlers and 

tactical warfighters.”

All SWOs onboard the CVN 

class carriers are at least second 

tour division officers, according 

to Lt. Cmdr. Clifton Phillips, 

Naval Assistant of the Defense 

Science Board, with most falling 

into the engineering field, but 

SWOs can also be found in 

the Deck Department, Combat 

Systems and quite importantly, 

the Maintenance Divisions. 

 “SWOs are proven Divos 

[Division Officers] who are skillful in 

the art of intrusive leadership,” said 

Lt. Robert Rulof, a SWO working as 

the Air Transport Officer onboard 

Truman. “SWOs know how to 

conduct proper zone inspections 

and are highly trained in looking for 

material readiness issues.” 

Although the majority of surface 

officers onboard carriers fall under 

the nuclear reactor category, those 

non-nuke designators have a strong 

presence throughout the ship. 

“A SWO’s area of expertise 

encompasses all aspects of the 

16 Surface Warfare

Lt. Barry Shaw instructs Ensign David Dagostino on watch standing duties as officer of the deck on the bridge aboard the conventionally-powered aircraft carrier USS 

Kitty Hawk (CV 63) during Exercise Valiant Shield 2006. Valiant Shield focuses on integrated joint training among U.S. military forces, enabling real-world proficiency in 

sustaining joint forces and in detecting, locating, tracking and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.

(MCSN Adam York/USN)
Navy’s operational warfighting 

responsibilities,” said Villarreal. 

“SWOs must be knowledgeable and 

competent in virtually every key 

mission warfare area: air defense, 

surface warfare, undersea warfare, 

mine warfare, tomahawk/strike 

warfare, amphibious warfare, 

mobility and command and 

control. Most importantly, SWOs 

are warfighters and leaders. They 

motivate Sailors to accomplish the 

mission despite any limitations or 

time and resources.”

While the general duties of SWOs 

are relatively the same onboard 

carriers and small boys, there are 

large differences between their 

lifestyles and opportunities.

“On a carrier, Junior SWOs have 

access to many Senior SWOs,” said 

Rulof. “The compilation of DESRON 

and the Strike Group makes for an 

excellent counseling and mentoring 

program for Junior SWOs. There is 

also the opportunity for exposure 

to many non-SWO senior officers, 

allowing many diverse opinions.”

Villareal agrees. “Due to its very 

nature, the aircraft carrier is an 

aviation and strike platform. The 

size of the ship and crew require a 

great cross-section of departmental 

specialization, and as such, means 

that SWOs are in the minority as 

compared to their counterparts on 

other smaller combatants.” 

That also gives SWOs a distinct 

voice in a carrier’s wardroom. 

“Being a SWO, I’m able to add 

a SWO flavor to STA-21 and LDO 

boards,” said Rulof. “I’m also able to 

contribute to the safe navigation of 

the ship as the piloting officer and to 

the defense of the ship during choke 

point transits.”

There are many different aspects 

junior SWOs must inspect before 

deciding where to go for their second 

division officer tour, whether to 

stay in the mainstream of the SWO 

community with smaller ships or 

jump into the diverse surroundings 

of carrier life. One commonality, 

though, resolutely resides in all 

surface officers deeming to stay in 

their chosen career path: the pride in 

the surface warfare community.

“My SWO career has allowed me 

opportunities to lead great Sailors and 

enjoy opportunities that simply are 

unique in both the civilian sector and 

within the military,” said Villareal. 

“I’m proud to be a part of 

where the surface warfare Navy is 

moving,” agreed Rulof. “With an 

exciting future incorporating LCS 

and the DDX, I look forward to the 

future of SWOs.”

“SWOs,” said Villarreal, “by the 

very nature of our work, are skilled 

and adept at getting the job done 

regardless of any limitations in 

resources or obstacles that are in their 

way.” 

By MC1(SW/AW) Athena Blain, Managing Editor

Summer 2006 17

Lt. Cmdr. Bill Cox (right), serving as the ship’s 

Tactical Action Officer, consults with AGSC(AW) Ronald 

Plourde as he directs the weapons and aircraft of USS 

Enterprise (CVN 65) from the Display-And-Decision 

station in the ship’s Combat Direction Center. (MC2 

Milosz Reterski/USN) 

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) conducts routine operations in the 

Atlantic Ocean. (MC2 Miguel Contreras/USN)
Amidst an icy winter landscape 

in Marinette, Wis. an army of 

steelworkers, pipefitters, painters, 

and engineers are assembling the 

nation’s first Littoral Combat Ship, 

USS Freedom. The manufacturing 

activity excites the senses, but even 

more fascinating work is coming 

together over 1,500 miles away where 

the pre-commissioning crews for 

Freedom are assembled in Norfolk, 

Va. and San Diego. The 40 men and 

women that make up each of the 

rotational crews are involved in an 

aggressive training pipeline that 

delivers the necessary skills to sail 

Freedom out of Green Bay, across the 

Great Lakes, down the eastern U.S. 

seaboard, through the Panama Canal, 

and into the Pacific Ocean where the 

ship will begin an historic start to a 

new class of warship for the Navy.

The first crews to operate LCS 

1 are focused on the traditional 

Lt. Cmdr. Rich Jarrett, Prospective Operations Officer, PCU FREEDOM (LCS 1)

LCS CREWS PREPARE 

FOR DELIVERY — 

AND DEPLOYMENT

 Pictured from left to right are: MN3(SW) Jamnis Lacy; MN1(SW) Cameron Carlisle; MN1(SW) Paul Bufano (Background); and MNSN(SW) Christopher Leclere review 

the physical and operating characteristics of the AN/AQS-20A Mission Module support container during their orientation at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. The 

session was only a small part of the 19-member MIW DET Crew’s training package, specifically focused on learning about the AN/AQS-20A and the Remote Minehunting 

Mission System. (USN)

18 Surface Warfare
pre-commissioning activities of 

training, development of shipboard 

procedures, and preparation for 

the first underway trials and crew 

certifications. However, unlike 

many new construction projects 

that undergo long periods of test 

and evaluation in the initial years 

of service, the Freedom crews 

are also spending a great deal of 

time focused on an operational 

deployment within months of 

delivery. The rapid overseas 

deployment of Freedom offers an 

unprecedented opportunity to 

test the Navy’s newest concept in 

surface warfare on the front lines of 

the global war on terror (GWOT).

ANCHORS 

AWEIGH AND ALL 

AHEAD FLANK!

Freedom’s forthcoming 

deployment may well begin with 

only a single Officer of the Deck at 

the integrated bridge system controls 

to guide the ship from her berth and 

outbound San Diego Harbor to the 

Western Pacific Ocean and beyond. 

Only two to three Sailors will be 

assigned to the Freedom bridge 

watch team at any given time – an 

Officer of the Deck, Navigator of 

the Watch, and Readiness Control 

Officer (similar in function to the 

traditional Engineering Officer 

of the Watch). The joystick-style 

controls and water jet propulsion 

system allow seemingly effortless 

maneuvers away from the pier 

without the support of tugboats or 

the necessity of a docking pilot. The 

bridge watch team, aided by an array 

of propulsion plant, navigation, 

communication, and maritime 

surveillance equipment will conduct 

all of the same surface warfare duties 

from a navigation cockpit more 

akin to a fighter jet than a warship. 

Upon departure from homeport, the 

real fun begins, as Freedom heads 

westward at a high rate of speed to 

deliver a focused mission package 

to far flung corners of the world 

within days. At a sprint speed of 40 

 Pictured left to right are: MN3(SW) Jamnis Lacy, ARINC AQS-20 Instructor Rick Lemcool, AG1(SW) Michael Johnson and MNC(SW) Ollie Collins perform maintenance 

actions on the AN/AQS-20A sonar tow body. The LCS MIW DET-1 crew will handle and maintain the five organic Airborne Mine Countermeasures mission systems once 

deployed. (USN)

Summer 2006 19
knots, LCS can reach Pearl Harbor in 

less than three days from departure 

from San Diego. To maximize the 

ship’s capability to sprint ahead 

and reach distant locations in the 

shortest time possible, a coordinated 

logistics schedule for refueling 

in port and at sea is planned in 

advance. At sprint speed, and full 

payload, Freedom requires refueling 

approximately once every day and 

half, which equates to an operational 

range of over 1,000 NM. However, 

the Freedom’s flexible propulsion 

plant utilizes a combined diesel and 

gas turbine system that can also be 

configured for economical cruising 

with only the diesel engines engaged 

– offering an operational range of 

approximately 3,500 NM at 18 knots. 

Given even vast expanses of Pacific 

Ocean to conquer, Freedom swiftly 

and capably meets the call to arrive 

in theater on demand!

FLEXIBLE, 

RECONFIGURABLE 

MISSION PACKAGES

The nature of Freedom’s focused 

mission packages provides that the 

exact makeup of embarked vehicles, 

weapons systems, and Sailors could 

vary with the mission requirements 

at the outset of deployment. As the 

combatant commanders determine, 

mission packages can be reconfigured 

several times over the course of 

a deployment with the changing 

nature of the adversary, theater of 

employment, or the capabilities of 

other strike group assets that might 

operate in conjunction with an LCS. 

Primary focused mission systems 

in mine warfare, anti-submarine 

warfare, and surface warfare offer 

unique capabilities not organic in 

current strike force platforms. 

NEW MISSION, 

NEW THEATER – 

LCS IN ACTION

After a quick pit stop in 

Singapore, where the Maintenance 

Support Team conducts a rigorous 

set of preventive and corrective 

maintenance actions worthy of 

comparison to the finest pit crews 

in the Daytona 500, Freedom

heads to sea for more missions. 

Upon departing the harbor, a new 

assignment is received in MCC 

– a far departure from previous 

duty. Across the globe in 5th Fleet, 

intelligence is uncovering a terrorist 

plot to mine the Strait of Hormuz. 

With no time to lose, Freedom

 Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Organic Mine Countermeasures Tactician Teresa Link critiques the skills and proficiencies of Littoral Combat Ship Mine 

Warfare Detachment-1 MNC(SW) Ollie Collins while conducting Post Mission Analysis of the AN/AQS-20A Sonar data. (USN)

20 Surface Warfare
engages the gas turbine engines 

for high-speed transit and makes 

its way toward the North Arabian 

Sea. In three days, Freedom is in 

port Diego Garcia – a convenient 

stopping point vital for success in the 

mine warfare mission. On the pier, 

a series of shipping containers await 

with all the ingredients for the next 

focused mission. Upon arrival, the 

mission bay’s overhead crane and 

elevator system kick into gear, as the 

equipment dedicated to the previous 

mission package is replaced with 

new gear for the mine warfare battle. 

Before the end of day four, Freedom

is on the move again and transiting at 

high speed for the 5th Fleet.

Three more days, and Freedom

is in the North Arabian Sea. A few 

hours earlier, a meeting with the 

replenishment ship provided a 

needed boost in fuel, and the new 

mission package Sailors are readying 

their equipment to go to work. In 

conjunction with dedicated mine 

warfare assets already on station, 

Freedom brings some unique 

tools to the battle space that will 

accelerate minehunting operations. 

Already, the VTUAV is back at work, 

scanning the approaches to the 

Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes and 

providing reconnaissance across a 

broad area for potential minelayers. 

Meanwhile, the Remote Minehunting 

System(RMS) is being fitted with the 

Q20A towed SONAR for mine-like 

contact or MILCO identification.

Dedicated assets based in Bahrain 

(MHC/MCM mine countermeasures 

ships and MH-53E helicopters) 

have been preparing a Q-Route for 

ships transiting in and out of the 

Persian Gulf. Once a segment of 

the Q-Route is cleared, Freedom

has a base of operations to launch 

another series of remote vehicles 

to expand the minehunting effort. 

The Battlespace Preparation 

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle 

(BPAUV) is launched to conduct 

high resolution surveys of the sea 

bed for mine-like objects. The 

SONAR imagery from BPAUV is an 

effective tool in classifying bottomtypes and pin-pointing mine-like 

objects with a precise navigation 

system. Simultaneously, the MH-60S 

helicopter fitted with the Airborne 

Laser Mine Detection System 

(ALMDS), is rapidly interrogating 

the sea surface for drifting, floating, 

and other near-surface mines. Also 

on the surface, an unmanned surface 

vehicle (USV) with real-time camera 

surveys the ocean for suspect vessels 

that could be involved in minelaying 

operations. (Please note that the 

original USV sentence needed to 

be modified as the USV would be 

very vulnerable to surface mines 

and equipping USV with an EO/IR 

sensor to look for surface mines 

seems impractical. Also, an EO/IR 

sensor for USV for surface/nearsurface minehunting is not a funded 

effort nor is it being worked on. 

Lastly, there is a substantial risk of 

USV being shot up when it gets close 

to suspect vessels.)

Back in the Freedom MCC, MIW 

Mission Package operators are hard 

at work exploiting information 

from the same consoles that days 

ago were displaying data for the 

VBSS intelligence gathering team. A 

Remote Minehunting Vehicle (RMV) 

has just returned from a mission, and 

Sonar Technicians are conducting 

post-mission analysis of the vehicle 

data in the hunt for mines. The 

VTUAV pilot remains hard at work 

vectoring an aircraft across the battle 

space for identification of small craft 

and other unidentified vessels that 

could be employed in minelaying. 

On one console, information collected 

by all of the minehunting assets 

is collected and disseminated on 

the Global Command and Control 

System Maritime (GCCS-M) where it 

is shared across multiple platforms 

and accessed by the Mine Warfare 

Commander (MIWC) embarked with 

the Carrier Strike Group.

A different hub of activity is taking 

place in Freedom’s vast mission bay, 

home to all of the remote vehicles 

and equipment when they are 

not deployed. The mission bay’s 

overhead crane is lifting the RMV 

into position for the next launch 

through the ship’s stern. Once that 

event is accomplished, the ship’s 

stern will unfold to recover a USV 

returning for a quick refueling and 

then subsequent re-deployment. An 

array of closed circuit cameras keeps 

track of all this below decks activity 

and is displayed for the Officer of 

the Deck to observe all launch and 

recovery operations.

ACCOMPLISHING 

THE FOCUSED 

MISSION

Several days into the 

operation, Freedom delivers a 

real breakthrough for the MIW 

team. The VTUAV detects a vessel 

heading outbound from port that 

seems to match intelligence’s 

description of a suspect mine layer. 

Subsequent launch of the MH-60S 

helicopter confirms the suspect 

vessel’s payload. In conjunction 

with other Strike Group assets, the 

vessel is soon boarded and rendered 

ineffective in its minelaying mission 

before it was able to make it to 

the shipping channel – the most 

effective means of conducting 

mine warfare.

With a potential terrorist mining 

operation thwarted, the first LCS sea 

frame is en route the next focused 

mission assignment. The Navigator 

of the Watch has loaded up the 

voyage plan for Bahrain, where the 

next mission package is on the pier 

and waiting to be loaded out. What 

will the next mission have in store? 

The Sailors training for Freedom’s

first deployment can’t wait to find 

out! 

Summer 2006 21
MSC: Crucial 

to sustained 

forward presence

By Frank Randall, MSC Public Affairs

If you’ve served in the U.S. armed 

forces, you know the critical role of 

the Navy in the nation’s defense. 

You’re aware of how important a 

sustained forward presence is to the 

freedom of the seas and how integral 

that freedom is to our continued 

viability as a maritime nation.

How does the Navy sustain its 

forward presence around the world? 

It takes a tremendous volume of fuel, 

food, spare parts, ammunition and 

other supplies to keep hundreds of 

Navy ships at sea, on station and 

ready to deter any aggressor. These 

ships, despite their impressive size, 

have relatively little room for the 

immense amount of supplies needed 

for extended deployments. So, how 

does the Navy do it? 

The answer is the combat logistics 

force services provided by the U.S. 

Navy’s Military Sealift Command. 

Simply stated: MSC ships deliver. 

Every day, out there on the 

world’s oceans, MSC operates an 

average of 115 civilian-crewed 

ships. Ship missions vary widely -

- from replenishing U.S. Navy ships 

at sea, to charting ocean bottoms, to 

conducting undersea surveillance, 

to prepositioning combat cargo at 

sea, to moving equipment, fuel and 

other supplies to deployed U.S. 

military forces. 

To the Navy’s surface warfare 

community, MSC is probably best 

known for the distinctive ships 

that bear the familiar blue and gold 

stack stripes -- the 36 ships of MSC’s 

Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force (NFAF). 

These ships are the lifelines to U.S. 

Navy ships at sea. MSC’s underway 

replenishment oilers, combat stores 

22 Surface Warfare

Sustaining OPS At Sea

The Military Sealift Command (MSC) underway replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200) prepares to conduct an underway 

replenishment with the guided missile frigate USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60). (MS2 Brian Biller/USN)
ships, ammunition ships and fast 

combat support ships keep Navy war 

fighters supplied, at sea and combat 

ready. Other NFAF ships conduct 

towing and salvage operations and 

serve as floating medical facilities.

Though the NFAF ships are 

mostly gray-hulled and familiar 

to surface warriors, there is a 

key distinction in manning that 

separates NFAF ships from the 

cruisers, destroyers and carriers 

they serve at sea. All NFAF ships 

are crewed by civilians -- federallyemployed civil service mariners.

Military Sealift Command 

conducts its multiple missions with 

not only civil service mariners, but 

also civilian mariners who work for 

private companies under contract to 

MSC. The command is the largest 

single employer of U.S. civilian 

mariners in the world, with more 

than 4,700 civil service mariners and 

4,000 commercial mariners. About 

400 military personnel also serve 

within MSC forces afloat. That adds 

up to approximately 80 percent of 

MSC’s global workforce serving 

at sea. The remainder serves at 

headquarters, area commands and 

other shore-side support locations. 

Merchant mariners have been part 

of our nation’s defense team since 

the 18th century, when a private ship, 

under the commission of General 

George Washington, captured the 

British vessel, Unity -- our first prize 

in the Revolutionary War. Merchant 

mariners have been involved in every 

military action since then, so the 

concept of using civilian mariners to 

assist with the nation’s defense is not 

a new idea.

The concept of using civilian 

mariners to re-supply the Navy’s 

ships while underway has been 

around for some time, too. 

In 1972, following a series of 

performance tests, the Navy fleet 

oiler USS Taluga (A0 62) was 

Summer 2006 23

 Deck Department Sailors stationed aboard the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) heave around the phone and distance line as the ship takes on fuel 

during an underway replenishment (UNREP) with Military Sealift Command (MSC) underway replenishment oiler USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193). (MC1 Terry Spain/USN)
transferred to Military Sealift 

Command as the first NFAF ship. 

Crewed by 105 civilian mariners 

and a small detachment of Navy 

communication specialists, the 

newly-designated USNS Taluga (TAO 62) performed every task up to 

Navy standards with its civilian crew. 

By the end of the 1970s, more than 

20 NFAF ships performed combat 

logistics services for the Navy. 

Through the 1980s and into the 

1990s, the NFAF included various 

fleet support activities, including 

ocean surveillance. In July 1991, 

the NFAF had expanded to a 50-

ship force made up of oilers, ocean 

surveillance ships, fleet tugs, stores 

ships, fleet ballistic missile re-supply 

ships and an ammunition ship. 

By the year 2000, the only 

remaining surface fleet combat 

logistics ships totally operated 

by active duty Sailors were the 

Sacramento-class (AOE 1) and 

Supply-class (AOE 6) fast combat 

support ships. The Navy asked 

MSC to test a new hybrid-crew 

concept by placing 18 utilitymen 

and one chief steward, all civil 

service mariners, aboard USS 

Supply to provide food and laundry 

services. The ship remained under 

the command of a Navy officer. 

When the civilian mariners reported 

aboard, 24 Sailors were freed up 

and available for assignment to warfighting duties. 

That was 2000. Today, all AOE 6-

class ships have transferred to MSC 

for civil service operation. MSC now 

provides 100 percent of the combat 

logistics force services for the Navy’s 

surface ships.

In 1994, following 22 successful 

years of fleet combat logistics service, 

the Navy asked MSC to explore the 

possibility of using civilian contract 

helicopters to replace the aging CH-46 

Sea Knight fleet for underway vertical 

replenishment missions. CH-46s 

embarked aboard MSC combat stores 

ships provided vertical lift capabilities 

to move food, equipment and mail to 

and from Navy ships at sea. Again, 

with an eye toward improving 

operations and response to the 

customer, MSC began the process that 

led to testing the use of commercial 

helicopters aboard MSC ships. 

Five years and a paradigm 

shift in thinking later, the first 

contract for operational use of 

commercial helicopters in the vertical 

replenishment role was awarded 

to Geo-Seis Helicopters of Fort 

24 Surface Warfare

 Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) participate in a working party on the flight deck. McCampbell, conducted a vertical replenishment (VERTREP) with the Military Sealift Command (MSC) fast combat support ship USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7) and Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 

76) to prepare for continued operations in the area. (MC3 Christopher Blachly/USN)
Collins, Colo. In 1999, two SA 330J

Puma helicopters embarked aboard 

an MSC combat stores ship in the 

Mediterranean, performing vertical 

replenishment missions as prelude 

to what has become an expanded 

commercial helicopter program. 

A message from the commanding 

officer of a Navy combatant ship 

at the time summed up the new 

commercial helicopter program: “It 

went so smoothly, we didn’t even 

notice they weren’t CH-46s!” 

Since then, Navy SH-60s have 

been introduced into the Fleet for 

vertical replenishment missions, but 

commercial helicopters continue 

to provide vertical replenishment 

services from MSC combat stores 

ships in the Mediterranean Sea. This 

Summer 2006 25

Surface 

Warfare 

Enterprise 

Releases 

Strategic Plan

By MC1 Paula Ludwick

CNSF Public Affairs

The Surface Warfare Enterprise (SWE) released on June 6, 

2006, a strategic plan to help 

maintain the U.S Navy’s maritime dominance. The SWE is 

set to develop Sailors and warships to produce adaptable, 

dominant, lethal surface force 

ready to meet warfighting 

requirements across all mission 

areas now and in the future.

“The strategic plan is built 

around six objectives that outline how we will achieve our 

mission of providing warships 

ready for tasking,” said Vice 

Adm. Terry Etnyre, Commander, Naval Surface Forces.

The plan is meant to provide 

a basis for the SWE management team to prioritize work 

over the next five years. 

The document is available at http://

www.swe.surfor.navy.mil.

 U.S. Navy air department personnel pass a pendant to crewmembers of an SH-60F Seahawk helicopter during a vertical replenishment between USNS Guadalupe (T-AO- 200) and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS 

John C. Stennis (CVN 74). (MC3 Philip Morrill/USN)
step has freed up some Navy flight 

crews -- making them available 

assignment to war-fighting duties. 

At the same time, commercial 

helicopters have proven to be highly 

reliable, and the associated smaller 

flight detachments save the Navy 

dollars for other uses. 

Following success with flight 

detachments, the Navy replaced 

small Navy communications 

detachments aboard NFAF ships 

with civil service radio electronic 

technicians from MSC. However, 

Navy departments remain aboard 

combat stores ships to manage and 

be accountable for the repair parts, 

consumables -- dry, fresh and frozen 

-- and other materials that support 

Navy carrier strike groups and 

expeditionary strike groups.

Over the years, several factors 

contributed to the transfer of Navy’s 

auxiliary ships to MSC for operation 

by civil service crews, factors that 

are still valid today. One key factor 

is the opportunity it provides to 

redirect Navy’s active duty Sailors 

to the critical war fighting missions 

for which they were trained. MSC’s 

civil service crews provide that 

opportunity for Navy Sailors. 

For more than three decades, 

MSC’s civil service mariners have 

demonstrated their value to the 

Navy. Today, they average about 10 

years older than typical Navy Sailors. 

Civil service mariners are highly 

skilled seamen. Most spend virtually 

their entire careers at sea, honing 

their seagoing skills in specialty 

areas, which reduces training needs 

and the associated time required. 

Individual civil service crew 

members rotate off MSC ships as 

their forward-deployed assignments 

end. Reliefs are drawn from a 

mariner pool ashore, thereby 

permitting MSC ships to remain 

at sea and on station for extended 

periods. Non-productive transit time 

between sea and shore is reduced. 

Earlier this year, the civil service 

crew of MSC fleet replenishment 

oiler USNS Laramie conducted 20 

underway refuelings for 13 ships in 

11 days in the North Sea as part of 

exercise Brilliant Mariner. This fastpaced tempo of operations is typical 

of the thousands of MSC civil service 

mariners who provide essential 

combat logistics support to the Fleet 

every day. 

As the older combat stores and 

ammunition ships are retired, MSC 

accepted delivery of USNS Lewis and 

Clark, the first of up to 11 new dry 

cargo/ammunition ships designated 

T-AKE. These new ships are 

replacing the Sirius- and Mars-class 

combat stores ships and the Kilaueaclass ammunition ships. 

The new T-AKEs are operated 

by MSC civil service crews. Cargohandling and other operations are 

designed to be as automated as 

possible. Automation is especially 

evident in the engineering, 

navigation and communication 

spaces, although there have been 

significant automation improvements 

in the food service and laundry areas 

as well.

Cargo handling automation 

includes computerizing cargo 

management through the use of 

bar coding, computerized load 

positioning and automated container 

handling equipment both on board 

and ashore. 

These innovations provide 

better service to the customer -- the 

thousands of uniformed men and 

women who serve aboard the Navy’s 

global combatant fleet.

The nation’s civilian mariners have 

a long history of dedicated and 

professional service to U.S. military 

forces. Today, thousands of MSC 

civil service mariners provide critical 

at-sea support, enabling the U.S. 

Navy to project a powerful, forwarddeployed presence around the world. 

At the same time, the support offered 

by these highly skilled mariners 

allows Navy war fighters to be redirected to the combatant roles for 

which they were trained. MSC’s 

civil service mariners are valuable 

shipmates to the Navy’s Fleet Sailors. 

The tradition continues: Military 

Sealift Command delivers.

26 Surface Warfare

 More than 40 line handlers assist with the underway replenishment on the USS Denver (LPD 9). Denver

took on 27,000 gallons of fuel from the USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194) during exercise Rim of Pacific 2006. 

(MC2 Jennifer Villalovos/USN)
Summer 2006 27

New distance support 

processes will ensure 

LCS stays in the fight

By MC1 Paula Ludwick, 

CNSF Public Affairs

The Surface Warfare Enterprise’s 

distance support team is 

developing a new process of 

distance support for the Littoral 

Combat Ship (LCS) which will have 

a core crew of about 40 operator/

technicians for a ship the size of 

a frigate.

The team’s goal is to incorporate 

remote monitoring in the LCS 

configuration to assist with the 

distance support that the crew will 

have to rely on for maintenance. 

Remote monitoring is the current 

process by which shipboard 

equipment and system data is 

collected, processed and analyzed by 

shore-based organizations. 

“Distance support and remote 

monitoring are the most important 

emerging technologies in the fleet 

today,” said Capt. David H. Lewis, 

Commander, Naval Surface Forces’ 

(CNSF) Assistant Chief of Staff for 

Maintenance and Engineering. “The 

intent of the remote monitoring 

capability will be to prevent 

equipment casualties and enable 

an LCS to be forward deployed for 

longer periods.”

Distance support is defined 

as a combination of process and 

technology that provides the transfer 

of data, information and knowledge 

at the right time, to the right people, 

at the right place, that significantly 

improves the productivity of the 

Sailor and Marine and the mission 

readiness of naval forces.

“With distance support utilized 

correctly, operators onboard an 

LCS will be able to contact the LCS 

squadron commander’s Maritime 

Support Detachment (MSD),” said 

Lt. Cmdr. Frank L. Dugie, CNSF 

Action Officer for Fleet Introduction, 

Maintenance and Engineering. 

“The MSD will assist the shipboard 

operator in resolving any issues they 

may have with their equipment. 

If the MSD is unable to resolve 

the problem through distance 

support, a fly-away team will 

then deploy to wherever the ship 

may be operating and correct the 

deficiency with the system. 

These LCS-dedicated fly-away 

teams will consist of approximately 

20 Navy repair and maintenance 

technicians with their equipment 

and be ready to leave at a moment’s 

notice. The teams will also visit their 

LCS three days per month to perform 

all preventative and corrective 

maintenance that the ship’s core crew 

is unable to complete. In addition, 

the team will be there at every crew 

turnover to ensure the ship is ready 

for the new core crew. 

“Maintenance continuity will 

be provided through the fly-away 

teams, especially when dealing 

with multiple crews swaps over an 

extended deployment,” said Dugie.

Ultimately, the goal is to have the 

distance support remote monitoring 

capability on all of the systems 

onboard an LCS. Technicians ashore 

will then be able to determine the 

problems with specific systems 

by analyzing the data sent ashore 

from the systems’ diagnostic 

tests. Remote monitoring will also 

enable personnel onboard LCS’s to 

complete corrective actions before 

equipment casualties occur. 

“This will optimize the return cost 

of the ship – the right readiness at the 

right time at the right cost,” said Lewis.

Grab-and-Go at your 

Ship Store

By Edward Lundquist, N86 Public Affairs

“We’re a convenience store afloat,” 

Charlie Vaughan says.

Vaughan is the director 

of the Navy’s Ships Stores 

Program, a function of the Navy 

SHSA Clinton Cummings places an item in the ship’s store window aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS 

Russell (DDG 59). (MC3 Jordon Beesley/USN)
Exchange Service Command 

(NEXCOM). Vaughan’s team 

supports approximately 155 ship 

stores operated by U.S. Navy 

commissioned ships.

While each ship with a ships store 

runs its own facility and the profits 

benefit that Ships Morale, Warfare, 

and Recreation (MWR) fund, the 

Ships Store Program provides 

some centralized management and 

support functions.

The Navy Exchange Service 

Command has a “retail seagoing 

program” that supports the entire 

fleet with quality of life products 

and services. On 155 commissioned 

ships with a retail store, this program 

provides merchandise, soft drinks, 

and snacks to eager customers. Profit 

from the sale of these items goes to 

support both the ships with ships 

stores as well as the rest of the fleet. 

Behind the scenes of this worldwide 

program is a group of individuals at 

the NEXCOM Ships Stores Program.

When in port, ships can procure 

items for resale from vendors who 

have contracts in place for various 

items, from candies and snacks to 

apparel and semi-luxury items.

The vendor community is set up 

to respond to customer needs on 

ships, Vaughan says. The Ship Store 

officer can order from one of the 

approved vendors and have products 

delivered within 24 to 72 hours based 

upon appropriated fund contracts 

established by the Fleet Industrial 

Supply Center.

“Our product mix has moved to a 

‘grab and go’ philosophy. Ships used 

to offer higher end merchandise such 

as jewelry, or large electronic items 

when there was a demand for that 

type of merchandise. Today however, 

our customer, the 18-22 year old 

Sailor, is more attracted to the smaller 

and more mobile electronic items 

such as MP3 players and the snacksize items. Our customer wants to 

get in and get out and get what they 

need quickly,” Vaughan says.

To meet the mission of providing 

for a Sailor’s quality of life, ship 

stores carry a basic assortment 

of health and beauty aids such 

as: toothpaste, deodorant, soap, 

and shampoo. The stores are also 

required by law to carry tobacco 

products, but they are no longer 

sold tax-free. The stores also offer 

services, such as flower delivery. 

Snacks, candy and beverages are 

also popular.

The stores still offer consumer 

electronics, such as MP3 players, 

digital cameras, watches, CD and 

DVD players, games and music. Not 

surprisingly, AA and AAA batteries 

are very popular.

The majority of sales take place at 

sea, Vaughan says. Sailors tend to 

do their shopping off the ship when 

they are not at sea. “A ship is more 

of a workplace than a home when the 

ship is in port,” Vaughan says.

Resupply cargo ships replenish 

ship stores once a month. When at 

sea the resupply ships carry 97 basic 

quality of life items that a ships store 

can requisition.

The latest recorded music gets 

sent to the ship by mail in regular 

shipments. The ship store officer 

can specify what kind of assortment 

is desired based on price and music 

format. Most ships receive the best 

selling music from the states at the 

most favorable prices.

Other replenishment ships like 

oilers carry deck load cargo, such 

as palletized soft drinks. The 

Navy Exchange System supplies 

all soda in the Sixth Fleet. Orders 

are placed by Standard Automated 

Logistics Tool Set (SALTS) program 

to Fleet Services in Naples and 

paid for with a government 

purchase card. In the Fifth Fleet, 

soda orders are filled through a 

prime vendor and delivered as 

deck load cargo.

Ship stores can remain in stock on 

most items thanks to a far-flung but 

responsive supply network, so Sailors 

can buy what they need and want 

while deployed.

According to Vaughan, the average 

customer for a ship store is between 

18 and 22 years of age, and 85 percent 

of the fleet is male. “They like their 

28 Surface Warfare

SHSN Joseph Hassler from Supply Department, S-3 division; stocks the shelves in the ships store aboard 

the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). (MCSN Corey Oesch/USN)
snacks cheesy and crunchy.” Red 

Bull is the top selling energy drink on 

the East Coast, but Monster outsells it 

in San Diego.

One-Stop Shopping 

for Underway 

Replenishment

By Frank Randall, MSC Public Affairs

New replenishment ships are 

being delivered to the U.S. Navy’s 

Military Sealift Command (MSC) so 

that better service can be delivered 

to the Fleet. The Lewis and Clarkclass dry cargo/ammunition ships 

(T-AKE) will replace MSC’s current 

Mars- and Sirius-class combat 

stores ships and Kilauea-class 

ammunition ships. 

The T-AKEs are multi-product 

ships, much like the fast combat 

support ships (T-AOEs) operated 

by MSC. With fewer connected 

replenishments, Navy combat ships 

won’t need to connect with three 

separate supply ships for fuel, 

food, spare parts and ammunition. 

That is also great news for the 

Navy safety program.

At 689 feet in length, the T-AKEs 

have a sustained speed of 20 knots 

with a 14,000 nautical mile range at 

full load. Inside their wide beam of 

106 feet, they carry 6,000 metric tons 

of ordnance, dry cargo supplies and 

frozen and chilled foods. They also 

have a capacity of 25,000 barrels of 

fuel products, fresh water, or both. 

Eight internal cargo elevators 

and four cranes assist with cargo 

management, load and discharge. 

The integrated diesel/electric 

propulsion system consists of 

large diesel generators that drive 

electric propulsion motors and a 

bow thruster. Each T-AKE will 

have two helicopters for vertical 

replenishment. In addition, the 

ships will be capable of connected 

replenishment of dry cargo and 

fuel with an additional astern 

refueling capability.

The ships will each carry a crew 

of 123 civil service mariners for ship 

and cargo handling operations and 13 

military personnel for flight operations.

USNS Lewis and Clark, the class 

ship, was launched in San Diego 

in 2005 and delivered to MSC in 

June 2006. The second ship, USNS 

Sacagawea, was christened in June 

2006 and is scheduled to deliver to 

MSC in December. The secretary of 

the Navy has identified the name of 

the third ship, USNS Alan Shepherd, 

which is scheduled for launch and 

christening in late 2006.

Summer 2006 29

 The Navy delivered the Military Sealift Command (MSC) auxiliary dry cargo carrier USNS Lewis and Clark, (T-AKE 1), to the MSC June 20, 2006. This ship is the first 

in a new class of Combat Logistics Force ships and is able to deliver ammunition, provisions, stores, spare parts, potable water and petroleum products to the Navy’s carrier 

strike groups and other naval forces world wide. (USN)
30 Surface Warfare

The New Navy 

Standard Menu...

Trying to Make a Tough Job 

a Little Easier

By Lt. Jennifer Rossi, Military Editor

You’ve just finished an exhausting 

watch and the only thing you can 

think about doing is going down 

to the mess decks to get a hot meal. 

But most of us don’t realize how 

much planning and coordination is 

required to provide three meals a day 

to a crew. 

Food Service Attendants (FSAs) 

and Culinary Specialists (CSs) 

know that their jobs are important. 

But you may think “How hard can 

it be, really?” 

Ask your mom how hard it was to 

serve dinner on time to your family 

growing up and the planning she 

had to do each week when buying 

groceries. Multiply that by hundreds 

if not thousands of people at the 

dinner table and then add in the fact 

you can’t run to the local grocery 

store to pick up some last minute 

ingredients or that you have to plan a 

month in advance. It’s not nearly as 

easy as the Culinary Specialists make 

it seem. 

In addition to planning meals, the 

health of the Sailors has to be taken 

into consideration. Nutrition has 

always been a primary concern for 

the Navy Supply Systems Command 

(NAVSUP). The Nutrition Program 

was developed back in 1999, where 

NAVSUP developed the 35-day 

“Healthy Navy Menu” to serve as a 

guideline for all galleys. This was 

set up to provide advantages to the 

then Mess Specialists by not having 

to develop their own menu and to 

help standardize ordering and load 

outs. Recipe cards were updated 

and published with lower fat and 

healthier options. This program still 

left each ship with a large number of 

maximum entrée possibilities and an 

even larger inventory. 

Just as nutrition is a concern, 

so is the quality of life for the 

Culinary Specialists as well as the 

Food Service Attendants. A major 

way to improve quality of life is to 

improve the efficiency of the galleys 

by creating quicker ways to prepare 

and clean up from each meal. This 

allows the CSs and FSAs time to 

conduct training and even allow 

some downtime between meals. 

The Navy has also been trying to 

reduce the workload due to current 

manning constraints. “Years ago, 

the military didn’t look at labor as 

an issue. Now, the less people you 

put on a ship, the better,” said Dave 

Dillon, a retired Navy master chief 

and project officer for the Navy’s 

food equipment program. By using 

advanced foods that already exist in 

the food distribution private sector, 

there is a faster turn around from 

reefer to serving line and it takes less 

manpower. Advance foods proved 

their worth as far back as 1998 at 

NAVSTA Mayport and have been 

steadily tested since then. 

The Navy Standard Menu began 

in July 2004. As a response from the 

Chief of Naval Operations’ (CNO) 

guidance for 2004, Phase I’s objective 

was to identify technology and 

process investments to reduce our 

manpower-intensive functions at sea 

and shore. The prototype aimed to 

reduce manning, reduce preparation 

time, refocus on nutrition, sustain 

high crew morale, simplify logistics 

and transfer workload ashore. The 

ships that served as the prototype 

platforms were USS Milius, Boxer, 

McClusky, Nassau, Anzio and

Rodney M. Davis. Sailors rated the 

food 3.65 on a scale of one-to-five. 

In August 2005, the USS Nitze

entered into a prototype to test 

the new Commander, Fleet Forces 

Command (CFFC) Navy Standard 

Menu (Phase II). The focus was to 

provide an optimally nutritional, 

well-balanced menu appropriate 

for all classes of naval vessels 

with heavy emphasis on workload 

reducing products. “The crew likes 

the new menu,” said YN2 Jonathan 

Evans (SW), USS Nitze, “we enjoyed 

being given the chance to provide 

feedback to the food service division 

on changes that we wanted to see.”

What is this new Navy Standard 

Menu? It is a 21-day cycle, which 

permits the ship to have centralized 

control over menu content. It 

ensures the highest quality of 

healthy, low-fat options is available 

to the crew. This standard menu 

was developed in collaboration 

with the U.S. Army’s Natick Soldier 

Systems Center as the Department of 

Defense Executive Agent for food/

nutrition research and development. 

Similar concepts and objectives were 

used; however a different menu was 

created for the Navy. 

Another goal of the new menu 

is to be able to manage food service 

remotely. Defense Supply Center 

Philadelphia (DSCP) and the Navy’s 

prime vendor, Systems and Services 

Company (SYSCO), are working 

together on this new menu to 

provide support anywhere in the 

world. Having fewer items to order 

from reduces inventory discrepancies 

as well as making it easier to transfer 

items from ship to ship. The prime 

vendor must offer the same quality 

of food regardless of location, 

improving the quality of food across 

the fleet. It will allow the vendors to 

“There are currently 160 

Navy shipboard galleys each 

of which serve a different 

menu and order different 

products to support their 

individual menus. As a 

result of this individuality, 

we are managing numerous 

galley equipment 

configurations and have over 

160 Food Service Officers 

writing checks out of the 

same checking account...not 

too prudent a business 

practice.” Lt. Tara Hodge, 

CNSF Services Officer
have an easier time predicting and 

supplying the Navy’s needs and will 

allow the vendors to keep the Navy 

sustained while at sea. CS1(SW/

AW/SCW) Tatisha Loring, USS 

Nitze, said “the new menu has cut 

down on prep and cook time as well 

as offering a larger variety of foods 

from the prime vendor. “

In April 2006, USS Halsey went live 

using Phase II, Version 2 of the Navy 

Standard Menu. This second version 

was created from feedback from 

Nitze. “I think the 21 day cycle menu 

has improved inventory and load out 

procedures. I was elated that Nitze 

was the platform for the menu. It 

gave us the ability through experience 

to provide productive feedback to 

future ships that will adopt the new 

menu,” said CSC(SW) Michael Muller, 

Leading Culinary Specialist, USS 

Nitze. The efforts of both Nitze and 

Halsey established a more efficient 

process and Commander, Naval 

Surface Forces (CNSF) has started 

the implementation through out the 

Fleet. On June 5, 2006, USS Bunker 

Hill went live, followed by USS 

Comstock on June 19. USS Boxer is 

next on the schedule since the entire 

Boxer ESG will be deploying with the 

Navy Standard Menu this fall. As the 

implementation continues, all CNSF 

ships will be operating on this menu 

by the end of 2007. 

The Standard Menu concept has 

been implemented in many other 

branches of the Department of 

Defense. The Air Force instituted 

a 14-day cycle more than three 

years ago and it has served as the 

basis for the Army’s 21-day menu 

currently being used in Iraq. The 

Marine Corps also uses a 21-day 

menu for CONUS garrison feeding. 

Navy shore facilities are operated 

by Commander, Naval Installations 

(CNI) and there are no plans to adopt 

the standard menu anytime soon. 

Lt. Rossi is the military editor 

of Surface Warfare magazine. She 

served aboard USS Nitze.

Summer 2006 31

 ENFN William Koller serves breakfast to his shipmates using the Navy Standard Menu items on USS Nitze, the initial platform used for testing the new menu concept.

(CTRC Merrill Tilley/USN)

The Boxer Expeditionary Strike 

Group (ESG) is composed of USS 

Boxer (LHD 4), USS Bunker 

Hill (CG 52), USS Comstock

(LSD 45), USS Dubuque (LPD 

8), USS Benfold (DDG 65) and 

USS Howard (DDG 83). The 

ESG will be the first to deploy 

with the Navy Standard Menu.
32 Surface Warfare

Breakfast	 Calories	 Protein	 Fat	 Cholesterol

Cereal	 Var.	

Griddle Fried Eggs	 168	 12	 12	 1

Cooked Eggs	 149	 12	 10	 1

Omelet Bar	 222	 19	 12	 8

French Toast	 261	 9	 7	 39

Turkey Sausage Links	 82	 9	 4	 0

Home Fried Potatoes	 214	 3	 9	 32

Grilled Bacon	 29	 2	 3	 0

Hot Oatmeal	 106	 5	 2	 18

Asst. Yogurt	 Var.	

Fruit Bar	 68	 1	 0	 17

Bread Bar	 257	 9	 2	 49

Pastry Bar	 Var.	

Quick Apple Coffee Cake	 214	 4	 6	 37

HamEgg Cheese Muffin	 252	 11	 14	 25

Lunch	 Calories	 Protein	 Fat	 Cholesterol

Manhattan Clam Chowder	 80	 3	 1	 17

Honey Glazed Chicken Breast	 196	 32	 4	 6

El Rancho Stew	 343	 27	 11	 36

Rice Pilaf	 47	 1	 1	 8

Carrot Slices	 53	 1	 0	 12

Brussels Sprouts	 57	 5	 1	 11

Fruit Bar	 58	 1	 0	 15

Salad Bar	 325	 7	 26	 17

Spinach Mushroom Salad	 18	 2	 0	 3

Kiwi Fruit Salad	 106	 2	 1	 25

Baking Powder Biscuits	 153	 3	 6	 23

Lemon Pound Cake	 206	 3	 15	 5

Cream Cheese Frosting	 120	 1	 6	 15

Crispy Marshmallow Squares	 269	 2	 6	 52

Hot Italian Sausage Sandwich	 400	 20	 20	 35

Coleslaw	 115	 1	 1	 9

Dinner	 Calories	 Protein	 Fat Cholesterol

Split Pea Soup with Ham	 200	 11	 5	 29

Grilled Steak	 433	 45	 27	 0

Baked Fish Scandia	 179	 29	 4	 5

Parsley Buttered Potatoes	 170	 3	 4	 5

Baked Macaroni and Cheese	 359	 17	 16	 37

Cauliflower	 26	 2	 0	 0

Asparagus	 23	 2	 0	 4

Fruit Bar	 83	 1	 1	 21

Salad Bar	 325	 7	 26	 17

Macaroni Salad	 141	 3	 6	 19

Golden Glow Salad	 92	 2	 0	 22

Hot Roll Dinner Roll	 283	 10	 5	 50

Cherry Crunch	 243	 2	 7	 44

Peanut Butter Cookies	 257	 5	 15	 27

Tartar Sauce	 103	 0	 9	 6
Summer 2006 33

With the fall Physical Readiness 

Test just around the corner, it’s time 

for many Sailors to either shape up or 

ship out.

Physical fitness is important for 

everyone to maintain these days, 

especially members of the military. 

Throughout the years, the Navy’s 

physical fitness program has changed, 

but the fact that the Physical Fitness 

Assessment (PFA) can affect a Sailor’s 

career goals hasn’t.

Sailors who exceed their allowable 

body-fat are deemed “overweight.” 

They are screened by medical 

personnel, and then entered into a 

mandatory weight-loss program. 

While in overweight status, Sailors 

are ineligible for promotion, 

ineligible for many volunteer 

assignments and schools, and are not 

eligible to re-enlist.

Starting July 2006, Sailors who 

don’t achieve prescribed physical 

readiness standards by failing to pass 

three PFA cycles in the most recent 

four year period will face processing 

for administrative separation.

Word to the wise: start training now 

if you are on the verge of failing the 

PFA for either the body composition 

assessment and or the physical fitness 

assessment. You’ll become healthier, 

and won’t have to worry about losing 

your job as a result. 

Shape Up or Ship Out By MC2 Heather Canterbury, Staff Writer

 Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class 

destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) participate in 

“Power Hour”, a command wide physical training 

class to stay in shape while out at sea. (MC3 

Marcos Hernandez/USN)

While we always strive for prevention of fires 

at sea, fires do happen and a well trained crew 

is critical for success at both preventing and 

combating fires. Here are ten good practices to 

aid in preventing and combating fires at sea. 

1. Zone Inspection – The SURFOR Zone 

Inspection instruction is an outstanding 

resource for implementing a zone inspection 

regime. Include damage control and electrical 

experts on the zone inspection teams. Damage 

control personnel focus on DC readiness 

in the space and the electricians check for 

discrepancies like over fusing and controller 

cleanliness. 

2. SURFORTRAMAN – The continuing 

certification requirements in the Surface Force 

Training Manual will, if followed, maintain a 

good level of proficiency in damage control. 

3. Effective Damage Control Training Team 

(DCTT) – The Damage Control Training 

Team should be experts in damage control. 

They should be qualifiers for DC PQS and 

should be leading the training effort for 

Inport Emergency Teams and Repair Lockers. 

Too often, this team falls to a drill execution 

organization and does not embrace the 

training role they ought to have. 

4. Robust DC PQS qualification program 

– Damage control is an all hands responsibility. 

DC PQS assignments should reflect this as 

well. Challenge E-5 and below to qualify 

through Scene Leader (watchstation 313) and 

E-6 and above through Repair Party Leader 

(watchstation 318).

5. Drills specifically scheduled for Under 

Instruction watches – In concert with a robust 

DC PQS qualification program, opportunities 

must be scheduled to allow the qualifying 

personnel to exercise their training and 

complete the under instruction portions of 

their PQS. 

6. Leadership presence on DC PQS 

qualification boards – We talk in the Surface 

Navy about the importance of Damage 

Control but often don’t back that up with the 

senior leadership’s presence in execution of 

Damage Control Training. For a robust DC 

PQS program to be effective, there must be a 

quality cut at the end. Oral boards should be 

required to complete each level of Advanced 

Damage Control PQS. I would recommend 

the boards only be given by the XO, CHENG, 

DCA, DCC and DC1. 

7. DC Academy with INDOC – Basic DC 

training for new check-ins establishes a 

mindset for DC early. This helps to speed 

along the Basic DC qualifications, incorporates 

those new personnel into repair lockers and 

starts them on the path to Advanced Damage 

Control qualifications sooner. 

8. Training Fire Extinguishers – Have your DC 

organization purchase several extra PKP, AFFF 

and CO2 fire extinguishers for training. Sailors 

train hands on with everything else that they 

do but we talk through activating portable fire 

extinguishers. Try to give the sailors as much 

“hands on” training as you can. 

9. Mentor groups – Establish mentor groups 

where each DCTT member is given a roster 

of personnel. The DCTT member tracks the 

training and provides sailors a quick resource 

for DC related questions. The additional 

tracking and focus helps ensure DC PQS was 

being completed and that the knowledge level 

was growing. 

10. DC Olympics – A quarterly fun event to 

allow the mentor groups to compete against 

each other. DCTT members can lead their 

mentor groups and compete against each 

other in who could train the best while the 

sailors were able to show off their skills. 

Damage Control Top 10 

Best Practices By Lt. Cmdr. Steve Murray, CDS 50 CSO
With so many changes to 

Damage Control (DC) training and 

equipment, sometimes the basics 

are forgotten. It’s fitting that we 

re-examine the basic competencies 

in light of these new advances. 

In the last three years, the repair 

party manual received a complete 

overhaul and implementation of 

rapid plotting became effective. 

There have been revisions to the 

NTTP 3-20.31 (formerly NWP 3-

20.31), Surface Ship Survivability 

NSTM 555 V1, personnel qualification 

standards, numerous DC messages, 

and the Surface Force Training 

Manual (SFTM). Because of the 

sweeping changes made to the 

Surface Force Training Manual and 

the Interdeployment Readiness 

Cycle (IDRC) alone, a detailed reexamination of back-to basics training 

for old and new Sailors is a must. 

One of the most basic DC skill 

sets for a ship is the ability to combat 

fires. It is the one dangerous constant 

at sea. Every day, ships train on 

engaging and extinguishing fires. 

A Class Alpha fire in the ship’s 

classroom, a Class Bravo fire in a 

main space, and a Class Charlie fire 

in a power panel are many scenarios 

from which to choose. All pose their 

own unique hazards to ships and 

their crews. To begin, let’s explore a 

standard Class Alpha fire from start 

to finish. 

Putting it in a Box

“Brrringalingaling, ding, 

ding, ding. White smoke, white 

smoke, white smoke reported in 

compartment 1-42-2-A BOS’N 

storeroom. Away the inport 

emergency team. Provide from 

Repair 5. (Repeat)”

 The hose team leader from Repair Locker 3, tells his number one nozzleman the proper technique to set 

a re-flash watch during a Class Bravo fire drill in the engine room aboard the command ship USS Blue Ridge

(LCC 19). (MC2 Lowell Whitman/USN)

34 Surface Warfare

SAFETY
That’s the standard start to a 

Class Alpha fire drill. Per the SFTM, 

every Damage Control Repair 

Station (DCRS), Inport Emergency 

Team (IET) and At Sea Fire Party is 

required to successfully demonstrate 

how to engage and combat a fire 

once a quarter, and some don’t do it 

successfully. Give yourself points if 

the word got passed correctly! Rapid 

response is now in motion. The goal 

is to stop the casualty at the lowest 

level possible. 

As the IET is coming together, 

the locker leader is trying to 

remember if he should still plot 

the manned and ready report 

and electrical isolation on the DC 

Plates. He remembers that with the 

implementation of rapid plotting, it 

belongs in the Repair Party Manual 

(RPM) checklist for shipboard fires. 

The key to using rapid plotting 

effectively is to know your RPM 

and how to use it effectively. The 

script is laid out. Locker leaders, 

follow it! It captures information 

that is no longer cluttering the DC 

plates. Having the phone talkers 

use message blanks helps track 

information and lowers the noise 

in the locker. If the repair locker 

uses the message blanks properly, 

with times and serial numbers, 

they serve to recreate events and 

reduce that scribble in the corner 

of the plate. DC plates with rapid 

plotting information provide a quick 

and effective assessment of what’s 

happening. The details come from 

the RPM, message blanks, as well as 

the watch standers themselves.

Fire and smoke boundaries are 

ordered at the same time that the 

report of the Class Alpha fire is 

made. Fire boundaries are pulled 

from the plates. Did the locker set 

them properly? Ask the locker leader 

where the fire boundaries should 

be located. The correct response is 

the six sides around the casualty (all 

four bulkheads, the deck and the 

overhead). So why, then, are fire 

boundaries so often called away at 

the transverse bulkheads instead? 

It’s convenient, but sloppy. Although 

some boundaries are better than 

By Lt. Jon Hopkins and Lt. Doug Nye

Summer 2006 35

 MMRC Jace Marchant conducts training with a firefighting hose-team leader and nozzle man during a fire drill in an engineering main space aboard USS Kitty 

Hawk (CV 63). (MCSN Joshua LeGrand/USN)

SAFETY
36 Surface Warfare

none, you play how you practice. 

Half measures and overlooking small 

minutiae in training put sailors at 

risk during an actual fire scenario. 

The compartments lumped within 

the primary boundary may pose a 

hazard to the attack team!

From this point, things progress 

smoothly. Boundaries and electrical 

isolation are in progress, the attack 

team is on its way and investigators 

are patrolling their areas of 

responsibility. Unfortunately, this 

is the fifth time the BOS’n Storeroom 

has been used for the purpose 

of training in two months. Does 

anyone think the low road has been 

taken in training in the name of 

routine and expediency? (Damage 

Control Training Team leaders- make 

sure you vary the location and types 

of drills!) First, the fire is engaged 

with a one-and-a-half inch fire hose. 

Then, it’s contained, and finally 

out. Overhaul is quick; dewatering 

is accomplished with buckets and 

swabs, and desmoking complete 

via natural ventilation. Another 

successful day of training....

or was it?

Getting Outside the Box

We’ve all heard the cliché “those 

who ignore history are doomed 

to repeat it.” Despite all of our 

advances in damage control, if we 

don’t make DC training challenging, 

we will repeat unfortunate, and 

probably some preventable, 

tragedies from our past. When was 

the last time your IET practiced 

responding to a secure space, such 

as radio central? What is the access 

plan? What happens to the locks if 

electrical isolation is complete? Does 

the Damage Control Assistant (DCA) 

or Fire Marshal visit secure spaces 

periodically for fire hazards?

On the Nov. 21, 1991, a destroyer 

was dropped into this meat grinder 

when she flexed her IET to the 

limits during a casualty for which 

they had not been well trained. A 

radioman reported a fire in the Radio 

Transmitter Room to the quarterdeck 

at 5:46 p.m. It took the IET 29 

minutes to access the space and 

combat the fire. Several cascading 

things went wrong, leading to $1.2 

million worth of damage to the 

ship. Although the cause was never 

completely determined, improper 

stowage of combustible materials, 

in the form of burn bags, directly 

contributed to the severity of 

the damage. 

The ship went to security alert, 

halting the movements on the ship. 

Realizing that it was not a security 

breech, the command duty officer 

eventually secured from security 

alert. The only form of access to the 

 The nozzleman, center, and number one hoseman, left, advance on a mock fire under the direction of the team leader during a general quarters (GQ) drill in the 

hangar bay aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65). The team leader, right, uses a Naval Firefighting Thermal Imager (NFTI) to locate hot 

spots and casualties in the fire. (MCSN Brandon Morris/USN)

SAFETY
Summer 2006 37

space following electrical isolation of 

the space and, by default, the cipher 

lock, was the key the duty radioman 

left in radio. This was another costly 

mistake! The department head is 

required to keep an access box for this 

reason. Fortunately, the team was 

able to gain access via the emergency 

escape scuttle. Unfortunately, in a 

stroke of bad practice, the fire pump 

was also electrically isolated forcing 

the attack team to withdraw until 

pressure was restored. 

One important lesson learned from 

this tragedy, is that “kill cards” or 

isolation guides are invaluable. More 

importantly, shipboard fire checklists 

have to work, predicated by a plan 

for casualties in secure spaces. 

Scenarios such as these are only a 

fraction of special circumstances that 

pose unique challenges, warranting 

specialized training. Cooperation 

and assistance from the responsible 

division is vital to the IET or At Sea 

Fire Party Squad. If your ship cannot 

recall or reproduce evidence of the 

last drill that dealt with a secure 

space, you are overdue!

Measuring the IET’s effectiveness 

on small casualties, such as an 

Alpha fire, gives insight into the 

ship’s readiness to combat a major 

conflagration. Small fires still occur, 

but it’s those basic skill sets that are 

the building blocks for adaptability 

in more challenging situations. 

Decisions will be made based on 

that basic knowledge. With reduced 

manning already in progress, 

everyone needs to be more qualified.

Stop it Before it Sparks

In firefighting, like in sports, 

the best offense is a good defense. 

The easiest way to put out or stop 

a fire is to prevent them from 

happening in the first place. It is the 

responsibility of every sailor in the 

fleet to follow the general principles 

of fire prevention. Throughout 

naval history, fire has caused more 

damage than groundings, collisions, 

or flooding. 

First and foremost, the key to 

any good fire prevention program is 

awareness. The more that personnel 

are familiar with fire prevention best 

practices, from seaman recruit to 

Captain, the better chance we have to 

prevent fires. Effective awareness is 

only possible through a good training 

program. The NSTM 555 V1 states, 

“each ship department head shall be 

responsible for implementing the fire 

prevention program. That program 

should heighten awareness of ship’s 

personnel.” Senior leadership is the 

driving factor with this program. If 

an effective fire prevention program 

is important to the command 

leadership, it will spread to the deck 

plate level, making our ships safer 

and less likely to have fires break out.

Thorough knowledge of the basic 

fundamentals will work wonders 

in preventing fires from occurring. 

First, ensure all personnel are 

familiar with the precautions which 

should be followed when doing 

hot work. Simple housekeeping 

practices such as removing trash, 

fuels and lubricants will stop many 

Class Bravo fires before they even 

start. Conduct regular training with 

all personnel in the department on 

the operation and maintenance of 

portable fire extinguishers, regardless 

of whether they are damage 

control petty officers (DCPO) or 

not. Training on these very basic 

principles of fire prevention will 

help towards improving the fire 

prevention program on your ship.

To Fight a Fire 

Remember F.I.R.E.

What should you do if a fire breaks 

out? We all know that even with 

the most effective fire prevention 

program in the fleet, fires still have 

a chance to break out on any naval 

vessel. Anytime you are operating in 

an industrial environment, you need 

to be aware of this possibility and 

know how to respond in the event a 

fire. If a fire does break out, all you 

need to remember is the acronym 

F.I.R.E. This stands for Find, Inform, 

Restrict or Extinguish, and Evacuate. 

When a fire is discovered, first you 

must inform others. Next, assess 

the fire and determine whether or 

not you will be able to combat the 

fire on your own. If it is a small 

fire, attempt to extinguish it using a 

portable extinguisher. If the fire is 

too large for you to control, then set 

boundaries on the space to prevent 

the spread of the fire. At this point 

you must evacuate the space for your 

own protection. It is imperative that 

all personnel know these actions by 

heart and are prepared to do them, 

because you never know when a fire 

is going to break out.

Simple actions, awareness 

and training will go a long way 

towards preventing losses due 

to fires. History has shown that 

if this training is ignored, there 

is the potential for significant 

damage to our ships. From the 

commanding officer all the way 

down to the brand new seaman 

recruit, personnel should be 

familiar with common practices of 

fire prevention and fire fighting. It 

could save lives, equipment, time 

and money if we do everything 

we can to ensure this training is 

happening. In the past few years 

there have been many advances 

in technology and procedures 

designed to make us more efficient 

at fighting fires, but if we ignore 

the basics all the equipment in the 

world will not help us.

Lt. Hopkins is a damage control 

instructor at the Surface Warfare 

Officers School in Newport, R.I. Lt. 

Nye is a damage control instructor at 

the Surface Warfare Officers School 

Learning Site in San Diego, Calif.

SAFETY
The air is thick with smoke. 

Shadows intermingle with yellow 

and orange flames dancing around 

the space, giving an all-together eery 

feeling to those who witness it.

Adrenaline is high and sweat 

is beading from the firefighters’ 

foreheads. They are fighting three 

lethal elements: fire-fuel, oxygen, 

and heat. Fortunately, this is only a 

training exercise. 

Approximately 55 students a 

day are taught the basics of general 

shipboard firefighting at the Farrier 

Firefighting School, Naval Station 

Norfolk. The school prepares all 

Sailors to become a vital asset to their 

ship in the event of a fire.

Students begin classroom instruction 

a little after 6 a.m. The instructors 

educate the students about the many 

aspects of shipboard firefighting.

Before the classroom instruction 

ends, students break into teams, 

put on their gear and follow their 

instructor out to the compound. Once 

the students hit the compound, they 

are given instructions on proper 

hose-handling, how to use and 

don their Self-Contained Breathing 

Apparatus (SCBA) and other 

shipboard firefighting basics that will 

keep them safe throughout the course 

of their training.

The students are able to put their 

classroom instruction to use when 

they hit the two structures for their 

mock firefighting drill. 

The room darkens as the doors 

shut, and the fire slowly rises from 

the grates in the front of the room. 

Students are put to the test, and the 

instructors are right by their side 

for support.

“We are right there working handin-hand with the students making 

sure everything goes smoothly and 

to give them some pointers,” says 

MMC(SW) Mark Goley of Detroit, 

Mich., who is the instructor chief 

at the Farrier Firefighting School’s 

general shipboard firefighting class.

Having the lessons firmly at 

the front of their minds, as well as 

the added assurance of instructors 

nearby, may ease some of the tension 

of fighting a live fire.

“Fighting a real fire during the 

training is a great experience because 

you endure all of the factors that 

Preventing 

 Students at Farrier Firefighting School, Naval Station Norfolk, test their skills in a simulated fire in the berthing spaces. (MC2 Heather Canterbury/USN)

38 Surface Warfare

SAFETY
the classroom cannot duplicate 

such as fatigue, the weight of your 

protective clothing and fire fighting 

equipment, and the heat of the fire 

itself. This training undoubtedly 

improves the overall combat readiness 

and effectiveness of USS Mason’s 

crew,” says Ensign Thomas Murray 

of Baltimore, Md., who is stationed 

onboard USS Mason (DDG 87). “This 

training will definitely prove useful 

when I return back to my command, 

as I am a newly-appointed ensign 

with no prior firefighting experience.”

“It’s important for Sailors not to 

be scared when fighting fires, which 

is why we give them live firefighting 

experience before they have to fight 

fires while at sea,” says Goley.

Hopefully none in the class 

will have face a deadly fire while 

stationed at sea, but statistics prove 

those who train are better prepared 

when the real thing occurs.

“Being able to participate in this 

class has afforded me the opportunity 

to get a better grasp of what I need to 

do in the event that I need to fight a 

fire aboard my ship. This experience 

has been great, and I am glad to walk 

away with the knowledge of fighting 

a fire so that I can be a valuable 

asset for my fellow shipmates,” 

says IT2(SW) Kimberly Hauer of 

Marshall’s Creek, Pa., who is stationed 

onboard USS Mason (DDG 87).

“We teach the basics,” says 

MM1(SW) Talmadge Robinson of 

Baxley, Ga., who is an instructor for 

the general shipboard firefighting 

class. “The basics are what help fight 

fires, save lives, and save your ship.” 

It’s important everyone on the 

ship knows the basics that way they 

are one step ahead of the game, 

says Goley.

Those basics, coupled with ongoing training onboard ships can 

prove to be the vital component of 

whether the ship goes down or lives 

are ultimately saved.

Fires at sea have the potential to 

be the most serious and deadliest 

hazard to a ship and its crew while 

out at sea, says Robinson.

“When a fire starts onboard a ship, 

and you are out at sea you have nowhere to go, which is why it’s vital 

that you have the basic knowledge to 

fight that fire,” adds Robinson.

Knowing what to do in case of a 

fire is one aspect of firefighting but 

the best form of firefighting is 

fire prevention.

“It’s important Sailors take 

precaution while at sea, so fires 

don’t start onboard their ship,” 

says Robinson.

“Negligence is the main reason 

a fire breaks out. By not putting 

oily rags in their proper receptacle, 

misaligning equipment, and the 

mixture of steam are the makings of 

a fire. You have to remember that the 

makings of a fire are all around us, 

which is why it’s essential for Sailors 

to follow standard protocol and 

procedures,” says Robinson.

“You don’t expect a deadly 

fire to break out, but you have to 

think about the what ifs. Training 

is essential for giving Sailors those 

answers,” says EMC(SW) Tim 

Honeycutt of Virginia Beach, Va., 

who is the course supervisor for 

general shipboard firefighting class.

“Shipboard fires are lethal, so it’s 

important that students take away 

the knowledge to combat a fire out at 

sea,” says Honeycutt. 

 fires at sea By MC2 Heather Canterbury, Staff Writer

Summer 2006 39

 Instructors help Sailors to extinguish a Class Bravo fire as part of the basic shipboard firefighting course at 

Farrier Firefighting School at Naval Station Norfolk. (MC2 Heather Canterbury/USN)

SAFETY
Book Review

ISBN: 0-9709682-1-3

Publisher: U.S. Army War College 

Foundation Press: Carlisle, Pa.

Copyright: 2001

Author/Editor: Christopher D. 

Kolenda

Forward: Barry R. McCaffrey, Gen. 

USA (Ret)

Introduction: Walter F. Ulmer, Jr., Lt. 

Gen. USA (Ret)

Cover Price: $19.95

Reviewed by Cmdr. Humberto 

Quintanilla II Surface Warfare 

Offi cers School Command, Director, 

Fleet Training (SWOS N72). Former 

Commanding Offi cer of USS Harpers 

Ferry (LSD 49 – Sasebo, Japan) and 

MCM Rotational Crew DELTA (USS 

Warrior MCM 10 and USS Dextrous

MCM 13).

The profession of arms is the 

vocation of leading people into 

combat. This anthology authored 

and edited by Christopher Kolenda 

clearly delivers a thorough analysis 

of military leadership as it has been 

practiced from antiquity to the 

present day. It is a well-planned 

journey through time that digs at 

the fundamentals of what battlefi eld 

leadership is and what battlefi eld 

leaders are supposed to be. You will 

fi nd this book included in the CNO’s 

revised professional reading program 

list prescribed for Lt. Cmdrs. and 

Cmdrs. as a leadership text.

The author has forged a collection 

of essays that both analyze leadership 

from an individual and group 

practice perspectives. There are three 

main thematic sections in the book: 

ancient and modern concepts of 

leadership, historical case studies, 

and contemporary experiences and 

refl ections on leadership. Within 

these sections are 10 to 20 page 

chapters dealing with the rudiments 

of leadership in the battlefi elds of 

history. Various chapters deal with 

the consequences of technological 

advances in weaponry and how 

these advances changed warfi ghting 

and reshaped the needs of people 

who proceed into combat. Always 

captivating, the essays highlight an 

array of leadership elements that are 

considered indispensable for the one

in command.

Of particular interest, the author 

chose to begin this anthology 

with an analysis of what ancient 

(classical) leaders believed were 

the fundamental and indispensable 

elements of leadership based on their 

understanding of human nature. 

To the ancient mind, as expressed 

in the thoughts and teachings of 

philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, 

Cicero, etc., trust forms the heart of 

leadership. The cardinal virtues are 

what bind military people together 

in a trusting relationship: wisdom, 

justice, courage, and moderation. 

This is a reciprocated trust between 

the leader and those who are lead. 

From the leaders, the subordinates 

expect military competence, the 

integrity of character to choose 

plans of action that are for the good 

of the organization and not for the 

individual benefi t of the leader, and 

the foresight (the cultivated mind) 

to successfully manage military 

operations. The leader expects that 

his subordinates will maintain a high 

level of combat readiness, support 

his planning and adhere to his 

guidance, and exert themselves to 

their fullest in combat. This symbiotic 

relationship is a trusting relationship. 

When trust is violated or upset, 

organizational effectiveness is 

diminished. This analysis is certainly 

self-evident. However, the author 

takes the analysis even further in 

explaining the true damage to 

the organization.

The classically defi ned trusting 

relationship necessary for military 

Leadership: The Warriors Art

40 Surface Warfare
Book Review

organizations to succeed is not 

resting on making the ranks happy. 

That is to say, the marketing of 

day-to-day contentment to an 

all-volunteer force was not focus 

expressed by classical writers. 

As Mr. Kolenda describes it, the 

ancients “did not fool themselves 

into thinking that they could 

develop a kit-bag full of magic 

formulas to rescue themselves in 

the disturbingly frequent times of 

immediate danger and doubt.” No 

props, no spin, and no gimmicks. 

He continues, “Ancient leaders had 

to stand before their citizens and 

soldiers and touch them personally 

or face the immediate and severe 

consequences.” 

The realities of our 21st Century 

U.S. Armed Forces are different than 

what our counterparts in antiquity 

faced. The underlying theme of the 

book is devoted to dissecting the 

fundamentals of the differences 

and challenges we face as a modern 

military war machine. Though there 

are basic differences between our 

modern forces and those of antiquity, 

the call and cast of leadership has 

remained the same – the cardinal 

virtues cannot be violated. How 

combat readiness is achieved has 

joined with technological advances 

in weapons and is supported by full 

spectrum combat training assisted by 

computer modeling and simulation. 

Yet, leaders must still be capable 

of influencing the ranks to follow 

their vision, in peace and war. And 

this influence is manifested in the 

performance-based culture that 

is our modern military force. The 

great lessons taught in this book 

are that individual leaders in the 

modern military must continuously 

groom themselves for all challenges 

(seen and unforeseen) they may 

encounter. This grooming is none 

other than the building of intellectual 

courage through the ardent study 

of the profession of arms (and its 

related roots found in history, social 

science, philosophy, etc.). The leader 

must be genuine in demeanor, 

and genuinely concerned with the 

military organization, never allowing 

personal concerns to overshadow 

the organizational needs. The 

leader must embody the ideals of 

leadership and translate those ideals 

into a living model that is practiced 

daily. The difficulty in leading has 

remained the same throughout 

history. The actions of leadership 

still pose the ultimate test of an 

individual’s character 

and capabilities. 

Mr. Kolenda, Retired Gen. 

McCaffry, and Retired Lt. Gen. 

Ulmer have collected a masterpiece 

anthology for military professionals 

to include in their continuous 

professional development programs. 

Inexpensive and wide in scope, this 

book is worth reading and is highly 

recommended by me for all naval 

and military officers. 

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Department 

of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced June 3 that 

active-duty Sailors may be affected by the theft 

in May of military personnel data.

According to the VA, a duplicate 

database with data files was stolen from a VA 

employee’s home May 3. While the VA has 

received no reports that the stolen data has 

been used for fraudulent purposes, they are 

asking all veterans to be extra vigilant and 

to carefully monitor bank statements, credit 

card statements and any statements relating to 

recent financial transactions. 

Several resources are available for people 

to go to for more information. The Department 

of Veterans Affairs has set up a special Web site 

(www.firstgov.gov) and a toll-free telephone 

number (800-FED-INFO or 800-333-4636) 

that feature up-to-date news and information 

on the data compromise. The site offers 

tips on how to check credit reports, how to 

guard against identity theft and whom to 

call if an individual believes any fraudulent 

activity is occurring using his or her personal 

information. 

The Navy and Department of Defense are 

working closely with the VA to determine 

how many Sailors and other service members 

may be affected by the compromise of 

records. Sailors whose information has been 

compromised will be notified by a letter from 

the VA and the Navy so they can take the 

appropriate steps.

Tips on how to watch for suspicious 

activity include the following: 

Closely monitor your bank and credit 

card statements for fraudulent transactions. 

Monitoring accounts online is the best way to 

detect fraud early.

Place a 90-day fraud alert on your credit 

report, which tells creditors to contact you 

before opening any new accounts or making 

any changes to your existing accounts. This 

action may cause some delays if you are trying 

to obtain new credit. 

It is only necessary to contact one of three 

companies to place an alert. That company is 

then required to contact the other two. 

The three companies are Equifax (800-525-

6285, www.equifax.com), Experian (888-397-

3742, www.experian.com) and TransUnion 

(800-680-7289, www.transunion.com). 

Once the fraud alert has been posted, 

you are entitled to free copies of your credit 

reports. Review these reports for inquiries 

from companies you haven’t contacted or 

accounts you didn’t open. The alert can be 

renewed after 90 days.

Sailors are advised to take the following 

steps if they discover fraudulent accounts or 

transactions: 

• Contact the financial institution to close 

the fraudulent account(s) that have been 

tampered with. 

• File a report with the local police department.

• File a complaint with the Federal Trade 

Commission by phone at 877-438-4338, 

online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft

or by mail a letter to Identity Theft 

Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission, 

600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, 

DC 20580.

Other Web sites with more information on how 

to guard against identity theft include:

www.privacy.ca.gov/sheets/cis3_english.htm

www.co.boulder.co.us/da/consumer/idtheft.htm

For more news from around the fleet, visit 

www.navy.mil. 

Sailors Warned Of VA Data Compromise From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

Summer 2006 41
42 Surface Warfare

Newly commissioned officers celebrate the conclusion of their 2006 graduation 

and commissioning ceremony, with the traditional tossing of their covers into the air. 

Vice President Dick Cheney gave the commencement address to 980 Midshipmen who 

were later sworn in as Navy ensigns or Marine Corps second lieutenants. The Chief of 

Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen and Assistant Commandant of the Marine 

Corp Gen. Robert Magnus administered the Oath of Office at the 156th traditional 

graduation ceremony. (MCC Johnny Bivera /USN)
Summer 2006 43

New York fire ship renders honors as USS Anzio

(CG 68) sails up the Hudson River during the parade of 

ships at Fleet Week New York City 2006. (MC2 Gabriela 

Hurtado/USN)

Demonstrating the proper use of a portable exothermic 

cutting unit (PECU), DCFA Scott Edwards lights up the 

hangar bay aboard the amphibious assault ship USS 

Saipan (LHA 2). (MC3 Latrice Ames/USN)

We encourage your mailed submission 

of photographs for publication in this 

recurring section of the magazine. 

Submissions may be sent as prints, 

transparencies, or electronic files (.jpg 

or .tiff format at a minimum size of 5x7 

inches at 266 dpi – 300 dpi preferred).

Address your submissions to:

Surface Warfare Magazine

“Views from the Fleet”

OPNAV N861M

2000 Navy Pentagon

Washington, DC 20350-2000

You can also email us at:

surfwarmag@navy.mil

QM1(SW) John Weidner assigned to the amphibious 

assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), serves a guest of the 

Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen during a volunteer community 

relations effort, during New York Fleet Week 2006. (MC1 

Robert Keilman/USN)
How expert are you at identifying surface combat from foreign navies? Can 

you tell whether a ship on the horizon is an ally or an enemy? It’s time to test 

your ship identification skills. How about all of you manning the “big eyes” 

take a look at the ship pictured below and let us know what type of vessel it is, 

its name and what nation operates it.

Send your entry to surfwarmag@navy.mil with Ship Shape in the subject 

line. Be sure to include your rate, name, ship or unit of assignment, and 

current mailing address. The first individual to provide the correct information 

will receive recognition in the next issue of Surface Warfare.

The winner of this issue is MCC David McBride, CNSF Public Affairs. 

McBride was the first to correctly identify the ship as the Russian Federation 

Udaloy-class destroyer RFNS Marshall Shaposhnikoy (DDG 543). 

 This ship participated in RIMPAC 2006.

Russian Federation Udaloy-class destroyer RFNS 

Marshall Shaposhnikoy (DDG 543).

44 Surface Warfare
This last round of questions must have 

been rough, as we didn’t receive any 

answers from the last issue.

Here are the answers:

• If captured as a POW, you are 

required to give the captor your 

name, rank, service number and date 

of birth.

• The characteristics of a long-term holding 

stage captivity occur in a “hardened” 

facility, such as an individual cell, may occur 

at the same location as the initial capture, such 

as an aircraft or building, or in a remote forward 

operating area, such as in the mountains or in a jungle.

• The most dangerous stage of captivity is the 

initial/capture.

• Shock is likely to set in during the travel/movement stage 

of captivity.

• The three distinct captivity environments are wartime, peacetime governmental and hostage.

This issue’s challenges are presented below. 

The first person to correctly answer all five questions will receive recognition in the next issue. 

Good luck!

Fire fighting training

1. The X40J circuit is commonly referred to as what kind of line?

2. List the names of the alarms that can override the microphone control of the 1MC.

3. How many minutes of air is the Emergency Escape Breathing device designed to provide?

4. When does the battle phase of damage control start?

5. What is the most available heat-removing agent for shipboard use?

Send your replies to SURFWARMAG@navy.mil with “CAPTAIN’S TRIVIA” in the subject line.
4 Surface Warfare