PAGE 4

The Human Side 

of Flight-Deck 

Operations

12Shooting at Sea

USS CAPE ST. GEORGE (CG 71)

1550 Percent Milestone

USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8)

16Illuminated

USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42)

20 Muscle Memory Saves the Day

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75)

22Enduring the Arduous DSRA

USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91)

The Naval Safety Center Magazine for Surface, Submarine and Diving Operations

SPOTLIGHT ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MILITARY DIVER PAGE 8

Winter 2015
ON THE COVER: CS2 Brian McEvoy 

(foreground) directs an SH-60B 

Seahawk helicopter from the 

“Island Knights” of Helicopter AntiSubmarine Squadron (HSL-49) as it 

delivers supplies to the flight deck 

of the Arleigh-Burke-class guided 

missle destroyer USS PREBLE (DDG 

88) during a vertical replenishment. 

(Photo by MC3 Paul Kelly)

EDITORIAL STAFF

Head, Media Division Derek Nelson

Editor Evelyn Odango

Art Director Allan Amen

Graphics and Design John W. Williams

Webmaster Darlene Savage

Social Media Manager Christopher Jones

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Commander, Naval Safety Center

Attn: Sea Compass

375 A Street

Norfolk, VA 23511-4399

Media Division

Telephone: 757-444-3520, ext. 7870 (DSN 564) / Fax: 757-444-6791

General email: safe-seacompass@navy.mil

Editor's email: evelyn.odango@navy.mil

Afloat Safety Programs

Telephone: 757-444-3520, ext. 7831 (DSN 564)

Afloat mishap line: DSN 564-1562 / 7130; Fax: DSN 564-8636

Afloat safety email: safe-afloat@navy.mil

ABOUT SEA COMPASS

Sea Compass (ISSN 1550-1434) is published twice yearly (spring-summer and fallwinter). The editorial content of this magazine is edited and approved by the Naval Safety 

Center Public Affairs Office. Sea Compass is an authorized publication for members of the 

military services and distributed to ships, submarines, diving commands, shore-based 

commands, and DoD agencies. Contents and opinions expressed are not necessarily the 

official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy and do 

not imply endorsement thereof. Unless otherwise noted, photos and artwork are for illustrative purposes only. Reference to commercial products or links to non-DoD resources do 

not imply Department of the Navy endorsement. Unless otherwise stated, material in this 

publication may be reprinted without permission; please credit the magazine and author.

SUBMISSIONS

Submit your stories or news items to safe-seacompass@navy.mil. Email letters to: evelyn.

odango@navy.mil or write to: Commander, Naval Safety Center, Attn: Sea Compass, 375 A 

Street, Norfolk, VA 23511-4399. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for grammar, 

clarity, applicability, and length.

DISTRIBUTION

To get on our distribution list, email safe-seacompass@navy.mil or download and fill out 

a form at http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/documents/media/magazines/mag_subscribe.pdf.

Sea Compass is published by Commander, Naval Safety Center, at 375 A Street, Norfolk, 

VA 23511-4399. Periodical postage paid at Norfolk, Va. 

Postmaster: Send address changes to Commander, Naval Safety Center, Attn: Sea Compass, 375 A Street, Norfolk, VA 23511-4399.

Commander, Naval Safety Center RDML Christopher J. Murray

Deputy Commander Col Glen Butler, USMC

Director, Afloat Safety Programs CDR J. Lee Bennett, USN

Department Head, Media and Public Affairs Maggie Menzies

AFLOAT SAFETY PROGRAMS

To contact a safety analyst by phone, call the main number 757-444-3520 and 

dial the extension at any time during the greeting.

Surface Division 7831

safe-afloat@navy.mil

Diving Division (DIVERS/DJRS) 7837

safe-divesalvage@navy.mil

Submarine Division 7838

safe-submarines@navy.mil 

MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD

CDR Scott Noe Division Head, Surface Ship

CDR Eric Stein Division Head, Submarine

CWO3 William Turner Division Head, Diving

SAFETY ANALYSTS

LCDR James Bostick Surface Seamanship Lead

NDC (DSW/SW) Fred Taylor Diving Analyst

Steve Scudder Afloat Safety Analyst

FLEET CONTRIBUTORS

LT Sarah Donaldson, IHO, OHST USS NIMITZ (CVN 68)

Assistant Safety Officer/Industrial Hygiene Officer

LT Jesse Rond USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42)

Assistant Safety Officer

LTJG Benjamin Rathwell USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42)

Assistant Safety Officer

LT G. A. Wald VAW-115

ENS Abigail Meyer USS PREBLE (DDG 88)

First Lieutenant/Assistant Safety Officer

ENS Kellie Hall USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91)

Public Affairs Officer

GMC (SW) Edward R. Ballard USS CAPE ST. GEORGE (CG 71)

Range Safety Officer

MC2 Benjamin Wooddy Navy Expeditionary Combat Command

Public Affairs

MC3 Dennis Grube USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8)

Public Affairs

MC3 Macon Gillan USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75)

Public Affairs

The Anymouse program provides an outlet for safety concerns 

that have been submitted to the chain of command but remain 

unresolved. You can find the Anymouse icon on the main page of 

the Naval Safety Center web site.

Vol. 5, No. 2 Winter 2015

Join us on the web or your mobile device through these social networks:

CONNECT WITH US
Winter 2015

Members of Underwater Construction Teams (UCT) 1 and 2 conduct 

diver training aboard the Runnymede-class large landing craft USAS 

PAULUS HOOK (LCU 2033) off the coast of San Clemente Island, Calif. 

(Photo by MC2 Daniel P. Rolston)

FEATURES

COVER STORY

4 THE HUMAN SIDE OF FLIGHT-DECK OPERATIONS

Leaders and crew of USS PREBLE (DDG 88) work together to assess and 

understand the factors that could impact the watch team’s workload. 

By ENS Abigail Meyer

SPOTLIGHT

8 PLUNGE INTO THE NEXT CENTURY

State-of-the-art telemetry system enhances the Navy’s diving capabilities 

as the service embarks on a new era of underwater missions.

By MC2 Benjamin Wooddy

FLIGHT DECK AWARENESS

12 SHOOTING AT SEA

USS CAPE ST. GEORGE (CG 71) sheds light on how to avoid small-armsrange shipboard collateral damage. By GMC (SW) Edward R. Ballard

BEST PRACTICE

14 QUICK DISCONNECTS

USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) uses lessons-learned from another shipyard fire to 

provide hands-on training during installation of temporary services. 

By LT Sarah Donaldson, IHO, OHST

15 50 PERCENT MILESTONE

Every civilian contractor and Sailor working in ship spaces aboard USS 

MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8) sticks to daily routines to meet PMA schedule. 

By MC3 Dennis Grube

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

16 ILLUMINATED

LED lights take the place of more than 400 fluorescent lights, making life 

and work aboard USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42) safer and more efficient. 

By LT Jesse Rond

DEPARTMENTS

2 EDITOR’S NOTE I Sea Compass Turns Five

3 COMBAT READINESS I Medical Surveillance Toolbox 

7 ASK THE EXPERTS I Requirements for Safety Standdowns

10 ORM PLAYBOOK I Avoiding Dehydration and Decompression Sickness

11 B2BPMS I Where Did the Air Go?

TCRM ON THE JOB

20 MUSCLE MEMORY SAVES THE DAY

Training, situational awareness and quick decision making help USS 

HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75) Sailors secure an unstable RIB during a 

drill. By MC3 Mason Gillan

SAFETY CULTURE

22 ENDURING THE ARDUOUS DSRA

Safety leaders aboard USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91) ensure crew members 

understand and avoid hazards while in a dry-dock selected restricted 

availability. By ENS Kellie Hall 

24 GERMANTOWN EMBARKS SAFETY

A reflective look at 2015 as the amphibious dock-landing ship highlights 

its busy year of shared culture of awareness and compliance. 

By LTJG Benjamin Rathwell

OFF DUTY

28 SWEPT OUT TO SEA

A dramatic turn of events during a day hike in Guam pulls a Navy pilot 

into a rescue operation. His personal account touches on ORM principles. 

By LT G. A. Wald 

32 ROADWAY SAFETY 

How to avoid the “Fatal Four” (speeding, drowsy driving, impaired driving, 

not wearing PPE). From the Naval Safety Center
EDITOR’S note

Sea Compass Turns Five

s we move forward to 2016, let’s take a look 

at some of this year’s highlights. Sea Compass

celebrated its fifth-year anniversary and 

we’re still going strong! Our distribution 

is steady at more than 7,000 copies per issue with a 

distribution list of more than 700 addresses. Thank you 

for your continued support and appreciation for riskmanagement resources and lessons-learned stories.

We did face a challenge early this year when the 

U.S. Postal Service made changes to the FPO mailing 

process. If you’ve missed an issue, we apologize. We 

make every effort to keep your mailing addresses 

up to date, but the greatest challenge we face is the 

deployment cycle. You can help us by verifying your 

homeport address (street name or PO box). We also 

need to know when you deploy; send us your FPO 

address (with box number and unit number). Visit our 

magazine landing page (http://www.public.navy.mil/

navsafecen/pages/media/subscription.aspx) to fill out 

an online subscription form.

In other news, you’ll find this issue full of 

information and resources about improving work 

performance and shipboard safety (“The Human Side of 

Flight-Deck Operations” and “Illuminated”), enhancing 

mission readiness (“Plunge Into the Next Century”), 

updating instructions (“Shooting at Sea”), and 

nurturing a safety culture that identifies and mitigates 

risks (“Quick Disconnects,” “50 Percent Milestone,” 

“Enduring the Arduous DSRA,” and “Germantown 

Embarks Safety”).

In every issue, we feature articles that promote 

time-critical risk management on the job. On Page 20, 

you’ll read about how “Muscle Memory Saves the Day,” 

where training and decision-making skills help prevent a 

possible threat. 

For your off-duty days, we’ve provided you an 

exhilirating story about a cliff rescue along the shores of 

Guam. If you will be on the road in the winter months, 

take note of the roadway safety tips and resources 

addressing the “fatal four” contributing factors to car 

wrecks.

The back page of this issue invites you to share your 

best practices for promoting safety awareness. Send in 

your best safety standdown story or photo essay before 

May 9, 2016 and we’ll consider it for the fall-winter 

issue. Check our website for more information.

I hope to hear from you again in the new year! 

We want to hear from you!

We do our best to cover stories, articles and information 

that may be helpful or necessary to manage your safety 

program and/or promote safety awareness on and off 

duty. If you have a question or opinion about anything you 

read in Sea Compass, send us your comments. 

Calling All Public Affairs and MCs

We welcome public affairs and mass communication 

specialists as fleet correspondents or guest editors. We 

want to hear about your ship’s safety programs, best 

practices and risk-management success stories. Send 

your press releases to safe-seacompass@navy.mil.

Letters to the Editor

We want to hear what you think about something you 

read in Sea Compass magazine. Letters must include 

your name, email or phone number (for verification). 

Letters may be published anonymously. Write to evelyn.

odango@navy.mil.

BZs and Attaboys

Nominate an individual or a group from your command/

unit for a job well done. Write a brief narrative (500 

words) including name(s) of the nominee(s) and reason 

for the nomination. Please include your name and contact 

information.

Lessons Learned and Safety Culture

Help us preserve combat readiness and save lives by 

sharing your lessons-learned story in Sea Compass. 

Perhaps you’ve experienced a personal mishap or a nearmiss at work. How did that shape your behavior and/or 

your command’s safety culture? Send articles (450 words 

minimum,1,500 words maximum) to safe-seacompass@

navy.mil.

Submit Seasonal Off-Duty Story

Do you have a story about a mishap or near-miss that 

occurred while off duty during the warmer days? Send 

your submission for the spring-summer issue. We’ll take 

any topic as long it demonstrates risk-management and 

lessons learned.

Submission Guidelines

http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/pages/

media/submissions.aspx

2 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
The “Medical Surveillance Tracking and Reporting” section contains the tools you need for staying abreast of the status of your 

Medical Surveillance Program. The remaining sections contain training materials and instructions that will help you become familiar 

with the medical surveillance process. Submit your ideas for content or resources to safe-medsurv@navy.mil.

COMBAT readiness

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE TOOLBOX

OUR MISSION IS TO HELP YOU PRESERVE COMBAT READINESS AND SAVE LIVES.

• NAVADMIN 213/12 Baseline Medical Surveillance Program Tracking and Reporting (revised 2/15)

• 2014 medical surveillance exam completion report 

spreadsheet (Excel)

• Medical surveillance exam completion report spreadsheet instructions (PowerPoint)

• Medical surveillance tracking and reporting FAQs

• Introduction to surveillance and certification exams

• Navy certification examination guidance matrix (“Specialty Examinations”)

• Navy safety and supervisor’s guide to medical surveillance

• Supervisor’s medical surveillance and certification 

exam referral form (SECNAV 5100/1)

• Respirator use questionnaire (OPNAV 5100/35) • DoDI 6055.1, DoD Safety and Occupational Health 

(SOH) Program

• DoDI 6055.05, Occupational and Environmental Health 

(OEH)

• DoDI 6055.12, Hearing Conservation Program (HCP)

• OPNAVINST 5100.19, Navy Safety and Occupational 

Health (SOH) Program Manual for Forces Afloat

• OPNAVINST 5100.23, Navy Safety and Occupational 

Health Program

• Navy Unit Safety Self-Assessment - NAVADMIN 

048/10 (current reference)

• NMCPHC-TM OM 6260, Medical Surveillance Procedures Manual and Medical Matrix

• Medical Surveillance Program process

• Afloat Hearing Conservation Program management 

training guide

• Sample Afloat Medical Surveillance Program management

• Medical surveillance and certification exams for Sailors 

assigned to ships

• Safety Training Gouge #17: Medical Surveillance

• Medical surveillance presentation from the 22nd Annual SOH Professional Development Conference

• Cartridge change-out

• Compressed breathing air

• Generic standard operating procedures

• Respiratory checklist

• Respirator standard operating procedures

MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE TRACKING AND REPORTING

INSTRUCTIONS

TRAINING RESOURCES

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

Medical Surveillance Toolbox Online

http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/pages/osh/medsurv.aspx

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 3
The Human Side

of Flight-Deck Operations

COVER STORY I RISK FACTORS

By ENS Abigail Meyer

Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS PREBLE (DDG 88) 

observe and employ the principles of operational risk management to 

mitigate risk, to keep their people safe, and to ensure mission success. 

(Photo by ENS Abigail Meyer)

4 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
Human factors are the most commonly cited cause for all 

mishaps, with more than 80 percent of all mishaps attributable 

to human-factor failures at some level. However, this does not 

mean that 80 percent of all mishaps are necessarily the fault of 

the Sailor or Marine. There may be additional layers of causal 

factors including preconditions, supervisory issues, and/or 

organizational influences.

— Naval Safety Center

Crew rest, personal stress, perceived pressure, 

physical fitness, nourishment – all these matter 

when working aboard CruDes ships at sea.

S

erving on a cruiser or destroyer (CruDes) 

flight-deck team means danger and 

excitement. For many, like the Sailors aboard 

USS PREBLE (DDG 88), it also means a jampacked schedule and the potential for little to 

no sleep for long periods.

Human factors such as inadequate rest, personal 

stress, perceived pressure, work attitude, physical fitness, 

and nourishment issues can creep up unnoticed. If not 

mitigated, these can significantly impact flight-deck 

operations and safety culture. Naval Safety Center data 

shows that over 80 percent of Navy and Marine Corps 

mishaps are attributed to human error. 

A deployed CruDes ship with an embarked 

helicopter detachment is entitled one flight-deck crew. 

However, when operating with a strike group, the ship 

will typically be manned for flight quarters throughout 

the day and night. This manning supports hot pumps, 

deck landing qualifications, functional check flights, 

and passenger transfers to meet mission and unit-level 

training requirements. If flying during the day, members 

of the flight deck team are typically expected to return 

to their regular jobs during breaks. Long periods of 

sustained operations, combined with normal ship 

activity, can potentially create significant physical and 

mental stress. 

For CruDes flight-deck team members, adequate 

rest is sometimes hard to come by. In the galley, culinary 

specialists prepare meals three times a day with aroundthe-clock preparations. At any time, they could be called 

away for more than an hour for flight quarters. Their 

work oftentimes remains unattended until they return. 

Boatswain’s mates on the flight-deck team can have it 

even worse. After a two-station underway replenishment 

(UNREP), members from the UNREP detail can roll 

directly into a helicopter vertical replenishment as part 

of the flight-deck team.

At night, the ship is required to do flight operations 

in support of aircraft carrier escort duties until well past 

midnight. The next day, each member of the flight deck 

team can be called to roll from one duty to the next – 

additional flight operations, small boat operations and 

damage control or man overboard drill. 

Flight operations on a large-deck aircraft carrier 

(CVN, LHD, LHA) is arduous. The flight-deck crew 

on an aircraft carrier works tough and long hours. But 

their job as part of the ship’s company is just that: flight 

operations. On CruDes platforms, being a flight-deck 

team member is a collateral duty. PREBLE’s flight deck 

team includes personnel from all departments – from 

the boatswain’s mates in operations department to 

culinary specialists in supply department, to cryptologic 

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 5
technicians – each with significant work demands on 

their time. 

On CruDes units the individuals piloting our 

aircraft have mandatory crew rest minimums established 

by NATOPS. However, the individuals who support 

them on the flight deck do not. These Sailors may still 

be tasked to stand other watches, conduct maintenance, 

and perform other divisional duties outside of 

scheduled flight hours. 

The safety team aboard USS PREBLE is aware 

that fatigue, personal or work-related stress, work 

conditions can affect the quality of work and influence 

a Sailor’s attitude. Managing these human factors 

helps the men and women of PREBLE become more 

resilient and improve their performance. PREBLE 

leadership understands that if neglected, these factors 

may raise safety concerns that could potentially create 

hazardous conditions and adverse outcomes. That is 

why PREBLE’s safety team maintains awareness of these 

needs and takes deliberate actions to mitigate risks. 

Before every special evolution, the safety team 

hands out human factors worksheets to identify safety 

issues and apply operational risk management (ORM) 

to individual tasks. Every flight-deck crew member 

must complete the worksheet and communicate their 

concerns. 

Understanding human factors and the potential 

impact to the watch team is critical to flight operations. 

PREBLE leadership, safety teams, and all the Sailors 

aboard strive to nurture a safety culture that promotes 

risk management. From the top down to the flight deck, 

everyone evaluates the risk factors before flight-deck 

operations. If necessary, the evolution is modified by 

changing personnel, training additional personnel and 

changing the schedule. 

Editor’s Note: PREBLE successfully executed its 

Western Pacific Deployment conducting operations with 

the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73), USS 

BONHOMME RICHARD (LHD 6) and USS RONALD 

REAGAN (CVN 76) strike groups.

ENS Meyer is the first lieutenant and assistant safety officer 

aboard USS PREBLE (DDG 88).

Using the principles of ORM, our safety team ensures the 

flight deck crews are not at risk during high intensity or 

“surge” operating periods by:

• managing the flight deck schedule to avoid surge 

periods,

• providing temporary relief from primary divisional 

responsibilities, 

• offering “by order” hotplates so Sailors can select 

healthy options if desired,

• managing crew rest for flight deck crews outside of the 

normal daily routine, and

• deconflicting the regular and special-evolution 

watchbills for shipwide evolutions like UNREP, sea-andanchor, and main space fire drills.

Launching and recovering helicopters off a pitching and rolling flight 

deck 12 feet above sea level is one of the most dangerous evolutions 

the surface Navy executes. Considerable risks must be mitigated from 

every angle – the strength and direction of the winds, the tolerated 

pitch and roll of the ship, and the water over a low-freeboard deck. 

Leaders implement formal procedures and instructions by ensuring 

every member of the flight-deck crew completes a human factors 

worksheet before any special evolution. (Photo by MC3 Alonzo M. Archer)

6 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
Questions, mysteries and unclear issues answered by Naval Safety Center analysts

Requirements for Safety Standdowns

Naval Safety Center:

“Is there a DoD or USN requirement for a certain number 

of safety standdowns per year?”

— Submitted by a GS-0018 Safety and Occupational Health Specialist

Safety standdowns are not required for shore facilities. There is no mention of standdowns in the DoD 

instructions. The only place standdowns are mentioned in the OPNAVINST 5100.23G is in Appendix A of Chapter 

6, Pages 6-A-2 and 6-A-3, “Safety & Occupational Health Topics.” Section 2 says, “Cover various topics applicable to 

employees including mishaps, compensation, MDSs, work procedures, smoking, stress, plans and goals, radiation, 

and others. The supervisor can provide these at “stand-up” safety meetings at industrial regions or activities, safety 

standdowns or through routed handouts and publications in offices. Formal classroom training is not required; 

however, where meetings or informal classroom training are conducted, document training by roster with subject, 

date, instructor and attendees; electronic media can be used to document such training. For non-industrial (office) 

regions or activities, or personnel, the supervisor should use monthly or periodic “captain’s call” or other meetings or 

methods to distribute information to promote safety.”

Standdowns are required for afloat units. Per OPNAVINST 5100.19E Vol 1, A0503, “SOH Training 

Requirements and Responsibilities,” Section F: “At a minimum, commands shall conduct one safety standdown per 

year. Additional safety standdowns may be warranted at the discretion of the commanding officer.” 

U.S. Navy photo

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 7
SPOTLIGHT I NEW DIVING TECHNOLOGY

Next 

Century

Plunge Into the

By MC2 Benjamin Wooddy

The Navy has acquired the Diver 6 

telemetry system, which will allow 

dive supervisors to keep better track 

of divers who perform critical dives.

Without Diver 6, submerged divers themselves provide realtime information to supervisors. EOD2 Ryan Bejar, assigned to 

Commander, Task Group (CTG) 56.1, signals to his fellow diver 

after a pier survey of the Royal Jordanian Naval Force Base in 

preparation of Eager Lion 2015. (Photo by MC2 Arthurgwain L. Marquez)

8 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
he Navy celebrated 2015 as the “Year 

of the Military Diver,” marking 100 

years since the Mark V diving helmet 

was first developed. Mark V became the 

cornerstone piece of equipment for the 

community for more than 65 years.

Though current divers no longer wear the 

iconic helmet, many other facets of diving have 

remained the same. With the recent acquisition 

of the Diver 6 telemetry system, Navy diving is 

poised to embark on its next century.

“We [have been] testing the first generation 

of diver telemetry,” said Chief Warrant Officer 

Coy Everage, assigned to Explosive Ordnance 

Disposal, Group 2. “It tells us a diver’s location, 

diver’s depth, diver’s air pressure, breathing rate 

and how long they have left to breathe based on 

the depth.”

The Diver 6 system will allow dive 

supervisors to keep better track of divers 

once they are submerged. Before Diver 6, 

supervisors had little knowledge of what was 

happening underwater during a scuba dive. The 

new system will provide supervisors real-time 

information on a submerged diver. Previously, 

this information was provided only by the diver 

themselves.

“If a diver were to get trapped, I can now 

know exactly where he is,” said Everage. “I can 

point another diver to him. I know how much air 

he has left while he is doing his regular day-today job, and I know how much air he has left for 

decompression in an emergency.”

JEB Little Creek-Fort Story and Dam Neck 

Virginia Beach have tested the new system before 

it can be used for mission-essential dives. 

The current procedures that divers and dive 

supervisors use to communicate with each other 

do work and have worked for many years, said 

Everage. It is beneficial for them to have the 

opportunity to step into a new technological area 

of diving. 

“When our divers go under, the dive 

supervisors have to rely on the diver to know what 

is going on,” said Everage. “It works, and we’ve 

done it for years, but any way we can advance into 

a new era is a great benefit to our community.”

MC2 Wooddy is with Navy Expeditionary Combat Command public affairs.

Diver 6 uses acoustic wave technology to transmit 

data between topside and the diver. The system was 

added to the U.S. Navy-Approved for Military Use 

(AMU) list in February 2015. Diver 6 has a typical 

range of 1,000 meters and is rated to a depth of 100 

meters. (Photo courtesy of Azimuth Incorporated)

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 9
Center performed a study on 57 male pigs. The pigs 

were divided into two groups: 31 hydrated and 26 

dehydrated. They were compressed on air to 110 fsw 

(depth of dive) for 22 hours and brought directly to 

the surface at a rate of 30 fpm (feet per minute). In the 

hydrated group, 10 out of 31 developed DCS and four 

died. In the dehydrated group, 19 out of 26 developed 

DCS and nine died. Dehydration significantly increased 

the overall risk of severe DCS and death.

The key to avoiding dehydration and reducing your 

chances of DCS is prevention. A few ways to prevent 

dehydration include drinking plenty of clear liquids, 

avoiding diuretics like alcohol and caffeine products, 

consuming a healthy vitamin- and mineral-rich diet, 

avoiding overexertion, and avoiding too much sun 

exposure. If unsure of your hydration status, check your 

urine. The color should be light yellow to clear and odor 

free. If it is dark in color and smells strong, chances are 

you are dehydrated.

HMC Del Favero worked as a diving medical technician at the 

Naval Safety Center.

Playbook ORMMANAGE RISK. ENSURE SUCCESS. COMPLETE THE MISSION.

Avoiding Dehydration and 

Decompression Sickness 

By HMC (DSW) Dean Del Favero (U.S. Navy Retired)

This article originally appeared in the spring 2015 edition of “Diving Safety Lines.”

I

n diving, high levels of nitrogen are absorbed 

when a person is exposed to increased pressure. 

If this excess nitrogen is not metabolized 

naturally as a diver ascends, it forms bubbles 

that can lodge in various parts of a diver’s body. 

The term decompression sickness (DCS) 

describes any one of a variety of ailments caused by 

absorbed nitrogen coming out of solution in a person’s 

body.

Every diver has a different level of DCS risk. Many 

risk factors are still not fully understood, but there are a 

few basic factors that experts agree increase the chance 

of developing DCS. Common risk factors include high 

body fat levels, exercising too soon before and after 

diving, poor fitness level of the diver, older age, illness 

or injury, alcohol consumption before or after diving, 

diving in cold water, increased blood carbon dioxide 

(CO2) levels, and dehydration.

Dehydration causes less blood to be available for 

gas exchange which makes it more difficult for the 

body to off-gas. To demonstrate the increased risk of 

DCS due to dehydration, the Naval Medical Research 

U.S. Naval Base Guam (NBG) is home 

to the only hyperbaric chamber within 

the Micronesia Islands that accepts 

and treats military and civilian patients 

with dive-related illnesses. Early this 

year, the NBG dive locker conducted an 

emergency scenario where a diver went 

into a cardiac arrest in a hyperbaric 

environment simulated in a depth of 60 

feet of sea water. In this photo, divers 

assigned to the NBG dive locker monitor 

the “patient” during a demonstration 

for patient care due to decompression 

illness. Signs of DCS and arterial gas 

embolisms (the clogging of arteries 

from bubbles in the bloodstream) 

can be recognized within 10 minutes 

of reaching the surface after a dive. 

Symptoms can range from elbow pain or 

itchy skin to severe neurological damage 

such as paralysis. Some patients may 

even become unconscious. (Photo by MC2 

Chelsy Alamina)

10 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
B2BPMS is your basic guide on how not to fall a victim of complacency. It is 

a common-sense approach to keeping your ship on the right course. Have you 

ever taken a shortcut to save time, but instead, cost you and your ship time, 

resources or people? Share your short story with our readers so they might 

learn from your experience. Submit your article to safe-seacompass@navy.mil.

Adapted from “Diving Safety Lines.”

By NDC (DSW/SW) Fred Taylor, Diving Analyst, Naval Safety Center

Where Did the Air Go?

Use your diving compressor log book to 

keep maintenance checks up to date

During diving safety assessments, we see an 

assortment of compressor makes and models 

in various configurations and sizes. We 

usually cross-check the PMS boards for any 

associated maintenance with objective quality evidence 

such as air sample logs, relief valves/gauge logs. 

The checklist for air and stowage is straightforward. 

The PMS coverage for all compressors is relatively 

standardized across the board when it comes down to 

compressor, drive unit and filter system maintenance. 

The operational hour meter/log book should also be 

common to all compressors.

The compressor log can be a very useful tool when 

tracking situational requirements (or “R-checks”) 

and checks with dual-periodicity codes. When used 

properly, the compressor log can provide operators with 

a history of completed maintenance, upcoming checks, 

and parts ordering. The contents of a compressor log 

can be tailored by commands as needed but the required 

entries are frequently covered on a PMS card under the 

“Notes/Procedures” section.

Trends we are seeing include missing or damaged 

log books or logs with little or no pertinent tracking 

information; run time in hours; and systems being 

charged. Maintenance recordkeeping is also often 

overlooked. 

During on-the-spot training with work center 

supervisors and maintenance personnel, we go through 

the compressor maintenance index page (MIP). We 

emphasize how to track maintenance concurrent with 

the running hours. 

Here is a list of the typical compressor log-book 

entries:

-Date

-Initials

-Oil Levels

-Start/Stop Time

-Total Hours

-Systems/Cylinder Jammed

When PMS checks with dual-periodicity codes are 

completed, they should be written in the log book across 

the columns. The entry acts as a place holder and creates 

a new starting reference point for that check.

For example: If the “Total Hours” were at 213 when 

changing the engine oil/lube oil filter (A-1R on MIP 

5921/035), the check would be redone in 200 +/- 20 

hours of operation or after 413 hours; or within a year 

for the annual portion of the check. 

Maintenance personnel usually claim they never get 

close to the hourly section of the dual check. But, if you 

are not tracking these checks properly, you are at best 

guessing. An example which proves this point better 

is the 18M-4R for the Bauer P1 filter cartridge when 

used on a seven-standard cubic foot/minute (SCFM) 

Bauer portable compressor. The cartridge is good for 35 

hours of operation which may easily happen before the 

18-month portion of that check.

If you’re asking “Where did the air go?” Use your 

“Systems/Cylinder Jammed” reference if you suspect 

air contamination. If you don’t know which air bank or 

scuba cylinders were jammed when bad air is suspected, 

then everything must be considered contaminated and 

tagged out.

Use your compressor’s operational hour meter/

log book to your advantage and accurately track your 

maintenance with it. Stay ahead of maintenance and 

watch those dual-periodicity checks. Ensure the 

compressor, which is a critical life-support system, 

consistently delivers quality air to the scuba tanks.

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 11
FLIGHT-DECK AWARENESS I SHIPBOARD RANGES

Shooting 

atSEA

BY GMC (SW) Edward R. Ballard PHOTOS BY FC2 NICHOLAS TRIPP

How to avoid shipboard 

collateral damage

Being able to conduct small-arms 

qualifications at sea is a huge advantage 

to streamlining the Navy’s process. As the 

surface Navy emphasizes the CNO’s vision 

of “Warfighting First,” the use of at-sea, 

small-arms ranges is increasing. With increased usage 

comes a higher probability of mishaps or near-mishaps. 

The crew of USS CAPE ST. GEORGE (CG 71) 

recently found that flight-deck net frames and steel nets 

had been damaged during small-arms qualifications. 

In May 2015, while preparing for flight quarters, the 

ship’s crew discovered dents on one of the port quarter 

flight-deck net frames as well as torn steel on three of the 

flight-deck net strands. 

The flight deck was immediately self-decertified 

because the personnel safety barriers had been 

compromised. Upon further investigation, the crew 

determined that the cause of the damage stemmed from 

poor shooting during a recent small-arms qualification. 

the ship stood down from small-arms shoots until a 

more robust plan was in place.

First, the officers and crew of CAPE ST. GEORGE 

sought the most recent versions of the applicable 

publications, “Small Arms Training and Qualifications” 

and “Shipboard Small Arms Ranges: Description and 

Installation.” 

Second, the publications were analyzed to 

determine procedural shortfalls leading to the damaged 

nets. 

Third, the command instruction was updated to 

ensure controls were in place to avoid repeating the 

incident. 

USS CAPE ST. GEORGE (CG 71) crew installs flight-deck range protective barriers made of pressure-treated wood and galvanized piping.

12 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
Once the barriers are in place, the range safety 

officer must inspect the range orientation to verify all 

obstructions in the line of fire are blocked by adequate 

protection. This includes lowering flight deck nets 

to their lowest possible level. One of the issues we 

encountered was that the flight deck nets were lowered, 

but not to their lowest configuration. To provide an 

additional layer of safety, the weapons officer conducts 

a final inspection to ensure the range is set up in 

accordance with the command instruction and verifies 

that instructions are on station.

USS CAPE ST. GEORGE’s lesson should prevent 

other ships from repeating their mistake. During your 

next small-arms quals, observe the evolution from the 

range setup to the safety walkthrough to the breakdown 

of the range. Is a robust plan executed? Are updated 

instructions on station? Are there any obstacles such as 

flight-deck net frames not protected? 

GMC Ballard is the range safety officer aboard USS CAPE ST. 

GEORGE (CG 71).

Lastly, the small arms range was reconstructed to be 

in compliance with the new instruction.

The “Small Arms Training and Qualification” 

(OPNAVINST 3591.1F) instruction has several key 

passages. Compliance with this directive would have 

reduced the probability of hitting the flight-deck nets. 

Line coaches are required to ensure compliance with 

safety procedures and assist individual shooters on 

the firing line. The ratio of shooters to line coaches 

varies from 6:1 to 1:1 depending on the course of fire. 

The range safety officers must verify range orientation 

in accordance with Enclosure 1 of the instruction. 

The enclosure specifically discusses firing points and 

obstacles downrange.

Technical manual SW370-AH-11N-010, which 

has not been updated in more than 22 years, is 

not referenced in the OPNAVINST 3591.1F, but 

is important to safe small-arms-range operation. 

This manual identifies important aspects of a ship’s 

small-arms range, from target and barrier setup to 

environmental range limitations. The manual provides 

enough direction to construct a safe range while 

allowing for flexibility to account for ship-specific 

peculiarities. For instance, some cruisers added the 

MK 38 Mod 2 25mm gun systems on the missile deck 

- below the ammunition path - after the SW370-AH11N-010 was published. The electro-optical systems for 

the Mod 2 are at risk of being in the bullet path. 

Although many of the fleet’s current ship classes 

are not included in SW370-AH-11N-010, the manual 

has pertinent information on barrier and target 

construction. Creating a command-at-sea small-armsrange instruction, if one hasn’t already been written, is 

highly recommended. This instruction should include 

guidance on how to construct and maintain the range, 

taking into consideration specific equipment needing 

barriers for protection. SW370-AH-11N-010 mandates 

that the commanding officer annually certify the 

shipboard range in writing. A template is available in 

Appendix A of the manual.

After updating and approving the new command 

instruction, the the ship’s crew procured pressuretreated wood, galvanized piping, and hardware to 

construct coaming barriers, targets, and light barriers in 

accordance with the instruction. These barriers should 

be light enough to build and break down, yet sturdy 

enough to protect ship’s equipment. The targets must be 

steady with the ship when deployed.

RELATED ARTICLE

“Small Arms Training and Qualification” (OPNAVINST 3591.1F),12AUG2009

“Shipboard Small Arms Ranges: Description and Installation” (SW370-AH-11N-010), 01APR1993

A flight-deck net damaged by small-arms projectiles.

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 13
BEST PRACTICE I HANDS-ON TRAINING

Quick Disconnects

By LT Sarah Donaldson, IHO, OHST PHOTOS BY MC3 LAUREN JENNINGS

s the crew of USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) 

and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) 

prepared NIMITZ for the big move to the 

shipyard, we noticed our ship transforming 

right before our eyes. During this 

extended planned incremental 

availability, shops were being relocated to the “mini 

city” being built in the hangar bay. Crews worked 

shoulder to shoulder with civilian counterparts. Life 

onboard was changing; and continued to change every 

day. 

With change sometimes comes uncertainty. 

Walking through the passageways, and up and down 

ladder wells, it’s apparent that there is no longer that 

“clearly defined” pathway. Temporary services are 

strung everywhere. Different types of electrical wiring, 

ventilation, and pressure hoses hang throughout the 

ship.

One apparent problem is that a temporary service 

requires hatches, watertight doors, and scuttles to 

remain open. This can mean narrow passageways and 

ladder wells, as well as increased risk of injuries. It 

can also slow reaction times in case of fire or other 

casualties.

To mitigate the risks increased by the introduction 

of temporary services, the shipyard’s ship safety officer 

and deputy project superintendent put a plan in action. 

Based on lessons learned from the USS MIAMI (SSN 

755) fire in 2012, procedures were updated to help 

ensure fire and other boundaries could still be set, even 

if they had something running through them. 

PSNS’ Shop 99 built an instructional tool with 

examples of their quick-disconnect lines, prominently 

displayed in one of our three hangar bays. This allowed 

all of “Team Nimitz” personnel (civilians included) 

to receive hands-on training on how to properly 

disconnect the different types of services in case of a 

casualty. This is critical in the case of damage control 

boundaries; it limits the areas for a casualty to spread.

LT Donaldson is the assistant safety officer and industrial hygiene 

officer for USS NIMITZ (CVN 68). She has earned her occupational health and safety technologist certification from the Board 

of Certified Safety Professionals and a master of science in 

occupational safety management from the University of Central 

Missouri.

The “Mini City” aboard the carrier USS NIMITZ (CVN 68).

Shop 99’s “Quick Disconnect” board provides detailed information of 

the quick-disconnect lines.

Temporary services strung throughout the ship during the carrier’s 

availability.

14 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
COLLABORATION I BEST PRACTICE

By MC3 Dennis Grube

Civilian contractor Andrew Huffman, the ship manager for National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, explains the current maintenance being 

conducted on the flight deck of USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8). RDML William J. Galinis, Commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center (right), 

tours the ship with the ship’s commanding officer, CAPT Jon P. Rodgers (second from right) and members of the safety team. (Photo by MC1 Mathew J. 

Diendorf)

USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8) has 

reached the 50-percent completion 

marker ahead of schedule for the Chief of 

Naval Operation’s phased maintenance 

availability (PMA). In August, the 

amphibious assault ship ship’s crew, contractors and 

leaders appraised its progress at its homeport of Naval 

Base San Diego. 

With extraordinary hazards present during any 

maintenance period, safety is at the forefront during 

the PMA cycle. Safety department personnel conduct 

daily walkthroughs with contractors and weekly zone 

inspections of all ship spaces. They have safety meetings 

and pass down information for division safety petty 

officers to relay to their shipmates.

ABH1 Benjamin Odea, one of the ship’s safety petty 

officers, expressed the importance of precaution and 

being alert to your surroundings while the ship is in an 

industrial environment. 

“During PMA, with many of our systems being 

upgraded and maintained, there is a lot of equipment 

being transferred through the ship’s hangar bay, the flight 

deck and on the pier. This makes it that much more 

important for everyone to keep their head on a swivel,” 

said Odea.

Collaboration between Southwest Regional 

Maintenance Center, National Steel and Shipbuilding 

Company contractors and ship’s force has been crucial 

to keeping the ship on its scheduled timeline. Daily 

huddles and weekly production meetings take place to 

discuss the progress and plan of action.

Contractors perform maintenance on the ship while 

select Sailors are assigned to teams that provide support. 

“Sailors assigned to these teams assist with restoring 

habitability of the ship by painting the ship, resurfacing 

decks and upgrading the interior of the ship with safety 

being the primary focus,” said MAKIN ISLAND’s PMA 

coordinator, LCDR Andrew Woolley.

MC3 Dennis Grube is with USS MAKIN ISLAND (LHD 8) public 

affairs.

50 Percent 

Milestone

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 15
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY I LED LIGHTING

ILLUMINATED

Sailors aboard USS GERMANTOWN 

(LSD 42) safely move heavy 

equipment in the ship’s vehicle 

turning area, which has recently 

received upgraded LED light fixtures. 

(Photo by MC1 Mathew J. Diendorf)

16 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
he crew of USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 

42) has something to be excited about: 

they’ve received the long-awaited light emitting 

diode (LED) upgrade to lighting fixtures. 

During the ship’s recent selective restrictive 

availability, fluorescent lights were replaced with more 

advanced LED light fixtures and bulbs. 

The first phase of this major alteration began with 

replacing more than 400 fluorescent lights in critical 

operational areas throughout the ship. The project began 

in high-traffic areas including engineering spaces, the 

well deck, vehicle-turning area, and truck tunnel where 

they would make the most impact on safety. The goal is 

to convert the entire ship’s lighting system to LEDs.

LED lights brighten the 

way for amphibious ship

By LT Jesse Rond

The upgrade required buy-in from all levels, 

including ship checks and approvals from the planners 

at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and from the TYCOM 

for funding. 

“The benefits of the upgrade were immediate 

and positive,” said CDR Gary Harrington, USS 

GERMANTOWN’s commanding officer. “I’m very 

pleased with the results and the benefits of increased 

safety and energy conservation.”

On the surface, this appeared to be an easy 

alteration, but it turned out to be no simple task. The 

initial delivery of parts was delayed, and execution of 

the work package was in jeopardy. With support from 

the port engineer, Chris Chilton, and detailed tracking 

and oversight between the maintenance team and 

electrical division, the ship’s leadership was finally able 

to schedule the job. 

For three weeks, the ship’s electricians secured 

power to spaces so contractors could install the new 

light fixtures. The new LED lights were mounted first in 

all four main engineering spaces, aft steering machinery 

room, and many of the lower decks. 

Installation of LED lights affects heavy traffic areas 

such as the well deck. Marines assigned to the 

31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) move 

vehicles onto a landing craft utility (LCU) during well 

deck operations aboard the dock landing ship USS 

Germantown (LSD 42). (Photo by MC2 Andrew B. Church)

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 17
Next was the heavily trafficked amphibious 

operating areas (well deck, vehicle-turning area, and 

truck tunnel), which needed significant upgrades. 

This installation was probably the most critical. With a 

planned deployment and the impending embarkation of 

a Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force for the 

upcoming Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 

(CARAT) deployment, this installation was a high 

priority.

“The lights in the amphibious operating areas have 

made a huge impact on safety,” says BMCS Billy Brown, 

the leading chief petty officer in the deck department. 

“We operate huge vehicles and move around equipment 

daily,” Brown said. “Being able to see everything is 

critical. We need to see every corner to ensure we don’t 

have any mishaps.”

Improvements in safety were not the only 

consideration. The new lights pay huge dividends in 

saved labor hours, as well. LED lights stay brighter 

longer and have a lifespan of up to seven years, much 

longer than the one-to-two-year lifespan of fluorescent 

bulbs. The LED lights do not use electrical starters and 

ballasts; these two components used in fluorescent 

lights fail frequently and require constant replacement.

“With fluorescent bulbs, we had to electrically 

isolate an entire space just to replace a starter or ballast,” 

says Electrician’s Mate Senior Chief Steven Couey, the 

engineering department leading chief petty officer. 

“LED lights don’t require the same isolation. It was 

a significant impact on workers in the division when 

someone had to fix light fixtures.”

The amphibious operating areas were especially 

challenging. They have extremely high overheads, and 

the deck areas have heavy traffic. Simply accessing 

the lights needing replacement is a job in itself, often 

requiring de-confliction to prevent interfering with 

routine events.

“Many lights, such as in the well deck, truck tunnel, 

and vehicle-turning area, require scaffolding or a manlift 

just to access,” says LTJG Ashley Sparks, the electrical 

division officer. “Decreasing the number of times Sailors 

must access these lights means less risk to them of falls, 

trips, or scaffolding failure.”

Another negative about the difficult-to-access 

fluorescent bulbs is their fragility. These bulbs are made 

of thin, fragile glass. When the bulbs fail, replacement 

is often delayed until there are enough of them to 

justify installing scaffolding or using a lift. They require 

very careful removal and proper disposal. This means 

accepting slowly deteriorating safety conditions until it 

is favorable to replace. With the increased LED lifespan, 

the very few that do go out can simply be replaced 

at more routine times, such as when scaffolding is 

already installed for other work such as cleaning and 

preservation.

LED bulbs are also environment-friendly. While 

burnt out fluorescent bulbs are considered hazardous 

material (hazmat), LED lights are not. This puts less 

strain on the ship’s hazmat program that has to store the 

fluorescent bulbs until they can be disposed of in port.

Although the initial cost of installation and the 

new LED bulbs are quite high, USS GERMANTOWN 

found that the long-term savings quickly add up. The 

savings aren’t just in labor hours but also in decreased 

electrical consumption. For example, while the old 

incandescent light fixtures can require as much as 

110 watts. Fluorescents require as much as 51 watts. 

LED fixtures range from a meager 5 to 50 watts. Less 

electrical drain also means less heat production, which 

helps drive down air conditioning costs.

With what started as a single overhaul job 

blossomed into a major upgrade. The benefits of the 

LED light installation are far-reaching throughout the 

ship and are dramatically affecting crew safety, work 

efficiency, and environmental concerns. Several embarks 

familiar with the LSD-class have even commented 

specifically on the significant improvement in lighting in 

the vehicle operating areas. 

The lighting upgrade may seem quite simple on 

the outside, but in reality, it has illuminated the ship’s 

dedication to continuously advance shipboard safety.

LT Rond is the assistant safety officer aboard USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42). His article, “USS GERMANTOWN Sets the Bar in 

Safety,” appeared in the 2014 ORM issue of Sea Compass.

RELATED ARTICLES

“Seeing the Light: Shipboard LEDs,” Navy Live Blog

http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/10/02/seeing-the-light-shipboard-leds/

“SECNAV Directs Navy to Expand Use of LEDs,” Navy News Service

http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=86532

18 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
About the photo: A Sailor assigned to the Gold crew of the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS NEVADA (SSBN 733) makes preparations 

as the submarine returns to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor following a routine strategic deterrence mission. (Photo by MC2 Amanda R. Gray)

SMS SAFETY PROMOTION
TCRM ON THE JOB I DECISION MAKING

The Knife

Muscle Memory

Saves the Day

It was a typical day at sea with 

roaring waves and ocean breezes. 

The Sailors aboard USS HARRY S. 

TRUMAN (CVN 75) worked diligently. 

Then something unforeseen tested 

their ability to make quick decisions.

That day’s man-overboard drill 

was like any other training exercise. 

YNCS R. O. Davidson, TRUMAN’s 

search-and-rescue swimmer, said 

the exercise was going smoothly. 

The crew noticed a snag in the 

line used to secure the small rigid 

inflatable boat (RIB) to the ship to 

prevent it from drifting. As the waves 

grew, it became more difficult to 

secure the lines.

Story and photos by MC3 Mason Gillan

BMC J. E. Karus (foreground) reaches to cut a line caught in the 

engine of the RHIB alongside the aircraft carrier USS HARRY S. 

TRUMAN (CVN 75) after completing a man-overboard drill. Inset 

photo: Sailors return to the aircraft carrier TRUMAN after successfully 

retrieving “Oscar” and completing their mission.

20 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
“Oscar”

“As we came alongside the ship, we attached 

ourselves to the first line, which is normal 

procedure,” said Davidson. “Once that happened, 

we noticed the line was not attached correctly.” 

Before the crew could finish securing the RIB 

back to the ship, the waves took a turn for the 

worse and threw the RIB off course. 

“While we were situating the line and getting 

a better placement, we started getting slack in 

it,” said Davidson. “The next thing I realized was 

that a wave was pushing us onto the line. From 

there, the wave receded and the slack tightened 

underneath the RIB.”

BMC J. E. Karus, the RIB boat officer, 

immediately rushed to the line, pulled out his 

knife and slashed it, ending the possible threat. 

“If we hadn’t cut the line, the RIB could 

have flipped over and we would have had a real 

situation on our hands,” said Karus. “I grabbed 

my knife as quickly as I could and did what I had 

to do.”

But the threat was far from over. Karus said as 

soon as the boat was safe from the initial hazard, 

the boat quickly turned right causing another line 

to be caught in the propellers. This time, the crew 

was able to cut the line from both ends and safely 

move the RIB away from the ship. After a few 

minutes to reset, the crew successfully connected 

back to the ship and returned aboard.

Even with the complications the crew was 

able to complete their mission and bring “Oscar,” 

a training mannequin, back to the ship safely. 

Their muscle memory gained from extensive [risk 

management] training saved these Sailors from 

what could have been a disaster.

“Although we base these exercises on normal 

situations, it’s through training we make sure 

we are better,” said Davidson. “We want these 

evolutions to go as smoothly as possible and the 

way to accomplish that is through training.”

Karus said accidents like this could happen 

even if the steps to ensure safety are followed. He 

made it clear that it was not anyone’s fault and it 

was a learning experience for everyone involved.

“The biggest takeaway from this is that in 

a dynamic environment, where anything can 

happen, you must always be aware of your 

surroundings,” said Karus. “No matter how many 

times you’ve done something, always be alert.”

MC3 Gillan works in TRUMAN’s public affairs office.

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 21
SAFETY CULTURE I SETTING STANDARDS

ENDURING

THE ARDUOUS

Story and photos by ENS Kellie Hall

For the Sailors of USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91), 

their experience over this past year was far from exciting. 

Instead of rain and wind, Sailors battled cables and wires 

grazing the tops of their hard hats. Intense operations in 

the Middle East were just an imagination while Sailors 

operated cranes to move heavy pallets of equipment on 

and off the ship. The monotonous environment of the 

BAE Shipyard had kept Sailors from seeing breathtaking 

views across the horizon. 

The extensive 11-month dry dock selected restricted 

availability (DSRA) period was highly uncommon. 

Besides the absence of underway time and mission 

development, PINCKNEY continually dealt with safety 

concerns. Constant hot work and painting, ubiquitous 

scaffolding, cables, and hazardous materials surrounded 

PINCKNEY Sailors every day. 

“The DSRA presented a different working 

environment with more hazards, rules, and precautions,” 

said LT Rebecca Wolf, PINCKNEY’s safety officer. 

”DSRA also changed the routine, which affected people’s 

mindset. Constantly adjusting to different routines 

and hazards made it a challenge to achieve operational 

success.”

Petty Officer Second Class Megan Stilley shared 

Wolf ’s concerns about the shipyard environment and its 

effect on the crew. “There are so many more risks during 

the DSRA,” she said. “Crew members could trip and 

hit their head. Electrical wires could pose a threat for 

possible fires. People really have to have their ‘safety eyes 

and ears on’ and keep safety as a priority.”

To ensure safety among its crew and maintain 

daily productivity, Wolf and the assistant safety officer, 

CSC Edwin Torres, created a selection of projects and 

training modules to help the crew understand and avoid 

hazards. The team of safety petty officers organized 

safety standdowns every few months to emphasize the 

shipyard “threats.” At each event, the crew would rotate 

through stations for each perceived threat. Sailors were 

expected to gain understanding of the hazards onboard.

The safety team also created a “safety passport” 

for Sailors. They used the passport for tracking their 

progress through the stations, and for learning or getting 

a refresher about the required topics. 

“It was pretty neat to see how the presenters really 

got involved,” said Wolf. “They added different levels of 

creativity to their presentations. The hazmat station had 

actual, threatening examples and offered discussions 

on the proper reading of hazmat labels. To top that off, 

presenters held a quiz and provided rewards for correct 

answers.” 

In addition to hands-on training, Wolf created a 

“Safety Gram” that was distributed at least three times 

per month. The newsletter focused on mishaps around 

hen Sailors join the Navy 

they may envision having 

adventures with the rain 

and wind in their teeth as 

they sail the high seas, intense operations 

searching for threats in the Middle East, 

or a deployment around the world to 

experience life beyond their state borders. 

22 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
the ship and shipyard; it provided a shipyard safety 

gouge. 

Throughout the availability, PINCKNEY’s Team 

Safety was excited to see the complete transformation of 

safety standards within the crew through their actions 

and involvement. 

“You know your safety program is working and 

the safety mindset is becoming ingrained when you 

see Sailors correcting each other and Khakis stopping 

Sailors to explain the ‘why’ behind safety procedures,” 

said Wolf. 

PINCKNEY ended its arduous 11-month DSRA 

last fall. Members of Team Safety are confident that the 

safety standards everyone had practiced and exceeded 

throughout the availability would carry through at their 

home port at Naval Base San Diego.

ENS Hall is the public affairs officer for USS PINCKNEY (DDG 91). 

Clockwise from left: SN Kyle Hovelson moves the rest of First 

Division’s equipment from the barge (APL-18) over to USS PINCKNEY 

(DDG 91). Struggling to get through scaffolding and wires, SN Aurea 

Guzman attempts to perform maintenance on a valve top side. During 

a safety standdown, Sailors work through “safety passport,” where 

they rotate through different stations and learn about the dangers on 

the ship.

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 23
SAFETY CULTURE I YEAR-ROUND SUSTAINMENT

Germantown Embarks Safety

Developing an effective safety program 

aboard a naval warship is not an easy task. 

Sustaining one is even more challenging. USS 

GERMANTOWN (LSD 42), recipient of the 2014 

VADM Bulkeley Safety Award, continues to cultivate its 

culture of safety awareness and procedural compliance, 

not only for the crew but also for temporarily assigned 

personnel.

Maintaining their steady-strain approach, the crew 

managed a watertight safety record through several 

multilateral and multinational exercises and operations. 

Some of these activities were often with embarked 

personnel who were unfamiliar with shipboard life. 

When it comes to administering Navy Safety and 

Occupational Health Programs, GERMANTOWN 

extends its culture of safety to all personnel – from 

daytime visitors to personnel embarked throughout 

patrols.

BUSY YEAR

In 2015 the ship embarked more than 350 Marines 

and more than 275 personnel from traditional seagoing 

and shore-based commands. Ensuring these personnel 

understood shipboard safety requirements was 

challenging and required active involvement by the 

ship’s leadership.

With afloat safety and the well-being of its personnel 

at the forefront, GERMANTOWN implemented a 

variety of programs. Some Sailors have never been 

on a ship while others have spent a majority of their 

careers on sea duty. For many, adjusting to life on a ship 

can be daunting, but GERMANTOWN made these 

adjustments as seamless as possible.

WELCOME ABOARD

All embarked personnel received a welcome aboard 

package that included information on command 

policies, key personnel points of contact and phone 

numbers, emergency procedures, trouble-call process, 

services onboard and hours of operation, and commonarea locations.

In addition to the package, which served as a 

quick reference guide, an accompanying presentation 

provided visitors and newly arriving personnel with 

an initial indoctrination to the requirements of living 

on a ship. Topics included man-overboard procedures, 

berthing emergency egress and proper use of emergency 

egress breathing devices (EEBD), electrical safety, basic 

hygiene, medical, dental, and repair services. With the 

number of personnel embarked and equipment loaded, 

support services from deck, engineering, medical, 

dental, and supply departments were often in high 

demand.

“This was my first time on a ship,” said Cpl Furphy, 

one of the embarked Marines. “I knew ships in the Navy 

were big and had a lot of intricate systems. But I couldn’t 

have imagined what it would be like until I got here.” 

The corporal credits training for his quick adjustment 

to shipboard life. “I thought all of the initial safety 

familiarization training was going to be pretty cheesy, 

but after the EEBD and egress training I actually started 

to understand some of the shipboard dangers and 

became more aware of the safety equipment.” 

Furphy took it upon himself to extend what he had 

learned to the rest of his fellow Marines by reinforcing 

the importance of the ship’s training, particularly the 

proper way to don an EEBD and safely egressing from 

berthing and work spaces with obscured vision.

By LTJG Benjamin Rathwell PHOTOS BY MC2 WILLIAM S. GASKILL

24 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Sgt Matthew Holcomb, company first sergeant for 

Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, currently assigned 

to 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary 

Force, on Unit Deployment Program, counts Marines embarking in USS 

GERMANTOWN during Exercise Blue Chromite 16 on White Beach, 

Okinawa, Japan (U.S. Marine Corps photo by LCpl Makenzie Fallon)

More than 350 Marines and more than 275 personnel 

from traditional seagoing and shore-based commands 

embarked USS GERMANTOWN in 2015. Ensuring these 

personnel understood shipboard safety requirements 

was challenging and required active involvement by the 

ship’s leadership, particularly during the Cooperation 

Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2015 phase where 

embark and debark changed on an almost weekly basis.

• Commander Destroyer Squadron SEVEN

• 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines

• Afloat Training Group

• Naval Beach Unit SEVEN

• Riverine Squadrons THREE and FOUR

• Explosives Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit FIVE

• Navy Mobile Construction Battalion FIVE

• Pacific Missile Range Facility Detachment Far East

• Officers from the Royal Thai Navy

Amphibious assault vehicles assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, Hawaii, launch from USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42) during a beach 

storming exercise in 2015.

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 25
WEEKLY INSPECTIONS

GERMANTOWN used these programs, and 

several others, to maintain a consistent culture of 

safety. The safety team also emphasized the value of 

fundamental shipboard programs like weekly zone 

inspections, “Division in the Spotlight” reviews, 

messing and berthing inspections, and daily fire marshal 

space walkthroughs. These weekly inspections have 

helped bolster overall safety by educating not only the 

inspectors, but the space owners as well. 

Sailors used this opportunity to document and 

correct deficiencies and discrepancies. For example, 

improper or missing safety tags on personal electronics 

are often the most common discrepancy found during 

embarkation periods. During these inspections, 

electronic equipment onboard GERMANTOWN was 

specifically spot-checked.

“A few years ago, confiscating untagged electronics 

was like taking candy from a baby,” said EM2 Hindrichs. 

“Now that we have set times for everybody to have their 

electronics inspected during the initial check-in process, 

the occurrences are few and much farther between.”

FOOD & FITNESS

Culinary specialists in the galley prepared more than 

2,000 meals a day for the crew and embarked personnel. 

Serving that many meals proved to be a challenge for the 

crew; they needed extra hands to help prepare. 

According to CSC Benett, one of 

GERMANTOWN’s culinary specialists, the food 

handlers (or messmen) who embarked with the Marines 

received training from the medical department on food 

handling and proper sanitization standards. Dedicated 

personnel assigned to the mess decks ensured the crew 

“chowed down” in a sanitized environment.

Good food often translates to lots of calories 

and, for embarked Marines, maintaining physical 

fitness throughout the deployment is crucial to their 

EN2 Joshua Timmins (center) and ENS Ailorra Brunnin, both assigned to the amphibious dock landing ship USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42), look on 

as an inspector from Afloat Training Group go over the machinery spaces.

26 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
mission success ashore. Working out shipboard takes 

on a whole new meaning when the gym pitches and 

rolls, something that was emphasized at the welcome 

aboard presentation. Common exercises for many of 

the Marines did not stop at just pull-ups, push-ups and 

running but often included practical strength building 

like weightlifting and rapid-pace metabolic conditioning 

drills.

OPERATIONS

A daily “Operations and Intelligence Brief ” kept 

the leadership and underway watchstanders abreast 

of upcoming schedules and major events. The ship’s 

safety team frequently reviewed safety procedures and 

incorporated operational risk management into all 

upcoming evolutions. 

“As an amphibious platform, it is our mission to 

put Marines on the ground,” said ENS Chien, the ship’s 

First Division officer. “It’s an awesome job and the 

Sailors enjoy being able to actually see the execution 

of our mission,” he added. “But we have to constantly 

remember that the hazards are real.” 

The Sailors and Marines have performed in 

coordinated efforts as GERMANTOWN maintains 

a stellar record of zero class “A” or “B” mishaps since 

2004. The crew knows it is a feat not easy to achieve 

especially with the fast-paced OPTEMPO supporting 

our forward-deployed naval forces.

“The ship is doing very well in all warfare areas,” said 

LT Tribble, the ship’s safety officer. “Safety is a part of 

our operational culture and we make it a part of who we 

are. Our success wouldn’t be possible without the hard 

work and dedication from both our Sailors and Marines. 

As we like to say, ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ in 

GERMANTOWN.”

SAFETY STANDDOWNS

The ship’s Safety Council is dedicated to 

maintaining a strong safety culture and continues to 

look for efficiencies to raise the bar by identifying 

additional areas of improvement. During the 

deployment, the council revamped the traditional biannual classroom-based safety standdown requirement. 

GERMANTOWN’s safety standdowns were actually 

interactive events tailored for the season or operations 

expected during the deployment, as well as before 

AM2 Ramon McDuffie, left, and MR2 Sean Walters position a BQM74E target drone for maintenance on the flight deck of the amphibious 

dock landing ship USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42).

commencing every patrol. The training transitioned 

from a classroom presentation setting to walkthrough 

stations requiring interactive participation at 

30-minute intervals. This method has turned a typically 

monotonous day into an entertaining event the crew 

actually looked forward to attend. 

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

To improve safety and save energy, 

GERMANTOWN has replaced more than 400 

conventional fluorescent fixtures with light-emitting 

diodes (LEDs) in the ship’s critical areas of operation. 

Crews worked this past year to replace lighting fixtures 

in the engine rooms and amphibious operating areas. 

Using a phased approach, GERMANTOWN plans to 

replace all fixtures on the ship making it safer and more 

energy efficient. 

GERMANTOWN and her crew are committed to 

excellence and passionate about making the ship a safer 

place for everyone that comes aboard – from the crew 

to embarked personnel and visitors. The ship’s positive 

safety culture is reflected upon its excellent safety 

record. 

LTJG Rathwell is the assistant safety officer aboard USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42).

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 27
OFF DUTY I SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Swept Out to Sea

By LT G. A. Wald

I

t was March of 2015, and my squadron, VAW-115, 

was in Guam for a detachment exercise. On one 

weekend we were not flying, so a group of us went 

hiking near Pagat Caves, a well-known lookout 

point along the coast.

We hiked for 20 minutes through the jungle before 

reaching a 30-foot ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

It was warm and cloudy, but the weather was changing. 

Part of our reason to go hiking that day instead of 

hanging out at the beach was the quickly deteriorating 

weather; Tropical Storm Bavi was predicted to hit the 

next day. 

The sea was rough. We took a break from hiking 

and watched nine-foot waves crash along the rocks 

beneath us. From about two hundred yards away, we saw 

another group of people emerge from a different trail. 

We watched in disbelief as four hikers climbed down 

the cliff wall. They tried to walk along the rocky edge of 

a plateau at the bottom of the cliff wall that jutted out 

into the ocean. Within seconds, a giant wave swamped 

them, slammed them into the rocks, and swept them off 

the plateau and out to sea. We counted as two people 

climbed back on the rocks, with no sign of the other 

two.

I considered two possibilities. Either everyone was 

fine and we just couldn’t tell from our distance, or two 

people were in trouble. They could be struggling in the 

stormy seas, unable to get ashore. I checked to see if I 

had any supplies that could be useful. I had snorkel gear 

in my backpack and two empty water jugs, which could 

be used as flotation devices. I sprinted through the thick 

brush to see if I could help. Following me was LT Justin 

Strausser, who had experience as an ocean lifeguard.

The thick vegetation slowed our progress. I thought 

back to my time before the Navy, when I had trained as 

a wilderness emergency medical technician in Yosemite 

National Park. The very first thing I had learned (and 

the message above all else had been ingrained into our 

minds) was “scene safety”: Before rescuing someone 

in distress, figure out if the scene is safe. Do not put 

yourself into unnecessary risk. If you get injured trying 

to rescue someone, then the problem has grown from 

View of the cliff wall from the ridge a few days after the storm. (Photo courtesy of the author)

28 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
one victim to two, and you’ve only made the situation 

worse. The limited exposure we had to emergency 

military medical training as aviators had a different take 

on risk. Do not accept unnecessary risk, but do accept 

the risk when the benefits outweigh the cost.

I began to formulate a plan as we neared the other 

group. First, figure out how many people had been 

in the party and account for everyone. If anyone was 

unaccounted for, call 9-1-1. I had no knowledge of the 

emergency response systems of Guam, but I did know 

that there were multiple Air Force and Navy Search 

and Rescue (SAR) helo squadrons stationed there. 

I assumed they would be used for 

something like this. Once emergency 

services were on the way, I would get 

as close as I safely could to whoever 

was in the water, toss them the gear I 

had and whatever else I could find, and 

then provide assistance from a distance 

as we would wait for the SAR helo to 

arrive. 

After three minutes of running 

through the brush, I came upon the 

two people who had made it back 

ashore and by now had climbed back 

up the cliff wall. I looked around for 

Justin, but didn’t see him. 

“How many people are down there?” I asked as I got 

closer to them. 

“There are four of us,” one of them replied. 

“Where are the other two?”

“I don’t know,” he said.

I looked out at the ocean and could see one person 

in the water. He was about 30 feet from the shoreline, 

safe from the rocks the waves were colliding against 

below us. I couldn’t tell how long he’d be able to stay 

afloat. Either way, that meant there was still one person 

missing.

“Do you have a cell phone?” I asked the two on land. 

They nodded yes.

“Call 9-1-1. Find out [when they’ll get here].”

I yelled back to the rest of my group, who were all 

still 200 yards away, to call 9-1-1 as well. I hoped that 

between the two attempts, someone would get through. 

There were now two hazards, determining how long the 

person in the water could continue treading, and finding 

the fourth victim.

“How good of a swimmer is he?” I asked the one 

who wasn’t on the phone.

“He’s in the Navy,” he replied.

“Any swim training?”

“He’s a maintainer.”

Having accounted for three of the hikers and 

determining that the one in the water seemed to be 

surviving — at least for the next few minutes — my 

attention focused on rescue efforts. While Survivor 1 

continued to call 9-1-1, Survivor 2 and I started heading 

down the ridgeline as we looked for the fourth victim. 

We found him making his way back up the cliff wall, 

safely above the reach of the crashing waves below. 

As I headed back to Survivor 1 who was still on the 

phone, he turned to me and said, “Your friend is in the 

water.” 

I looked down and saw Justin 

swimming toward the man in the 

water. An experienced swimmer, he 

was quickly making his way through 

the waves. Once he reached the 

man, he helped him float and then 

pulled him back toward shore. They 

reached the plateau. I watched as the 

man tried to pull himself back on the 

plateau — which stood four feet above 

the water line — with Justin pushing 

from the water. Their attempts were 

unsuccessful. The two of them stayed 

there, trying to make it out of the water. 

The waves continued to pound them. 

I tried to toss them one of the empty water jugs 

and watched as the wind took it off into the distance. 

It became clear that from above, it would be next to 

impossible to render any sort of assistance. Seeing the 

two of them being pummeled by the waves, I knew I had 

to try and do something. But if I was going to be of any 

help, I would have to get closer.

“Any ETA on the helos?” I asked the guy on the 

phone.

“Not yet,” he replied.

I looked back down the cliff line. It was a 30-foot 

descent; steep, but at enough of an angle I thought I 

could make it down safely. At the bottom of the cliff 

was the rock plateau from where the hikers had been 

swept out to sea. It jutted out about 20 feet and looked 

to be a few feet above the water line. I could see waves 

crashing over the edge, engulfing the plateau but quickly 

dissipating. Justin and the last survivor were still in the 

water, near the edge of the plateau. 

I put my snorkel gear on my back and, with the 

other empty water jug, climbed down the cliff line to the 

rock plateau. I knew I was violating the “scene safety” 

I looked back down 

the cliff line. It was a 

30-foot descent; steep, 

but at enough of an 

angle I thought I could 

make it down safely. 

At the bottom of the 

cliff was the rock 

plateau from where the 

hikers had been swept 

out to sea. 

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 29
rule I had learned in a previous life: to not risk becoming 

another victim. My plan was to mitigate the risk by 

paying attention to when the waves were coming to the 

plateau. 

Once I made it to the rock plateau, I could see Justin 

and the man still trying to make it up onto the edge. I 

tried to toss the second water jug, but the wind swept it 

away. I looked up, and saw that a small crowd of random 

hikers had now formed along the ridgeline. I yelled up to 

them to throw me anything that floats. A moment later, 

about 20 yards of rope was tossed down to me. 

I grabbed the line. I thought that I might be able to 

pull the men out of the water by tossing them the other 

end. I planted my backpack with the snorkel gear on a 

ledge on the cliff. On my way down, I found part of the 

cliff wall that jutted out and formed a hook. I tied one 

end of the line to the hook to secure it. 

I didn’t even see the wave that swept me off the 

rock. One moment, I was headed toward the edge of the 

plateau, almost close enough to throw the other end to 

Justin. The next moment, I was being pulled out along 

the plateau and off into the water. I instinctively grabbed 

onto the line and went off the edge.

Then I was submerged, completely controlled by 

waves that were now pushing me down, holding me 

under the surface. I felt helpless as a force smashed my 

body into the coral and rocks underneath the water. 

I tried to contort my body to use my back to take the 

blows. As the force of the water continued to hold me 

under, I started to wonder if I’d get a chance to breathe 

again. 

I could feel the line still in my hand but thought 

there was no way the knot on the cliff wall would hold 

under the forces that were pulling me away. But it 

continued to hold, the end wrapped around my hand. 

It was the only lifeline I had to keep me near the surface 

and the plateau.

For a moment I felt a reduction in the forces holding 

me under. I pulled on the line and got my head above 

the water. I gasped for air and saw an image of the top 

of the ridgeline, a crowd of people staring down at me. I 

stuck my free hand in the air and gave a thumbs-down, 

hoping for some help. But then a second wave hit, and I 

was pulled underneath the surface again.

For the next few minutes, the cycle continued. The 

oncoming waves would pull me under water, pummel 

me against the rocks and coral, and would recede long 

enough for me to get my head above water for a few 

quick breaths to be pulled under by the next wave. 

As I was thrashed around under the water, images 

of my wife and my dog back home went through my 

head. Yet still, the rope — my one lifeline to get back 

ashore — continued to hold. And then, after a larger 

wave started to recede, I felt the ball of my foot touch 

View from 30 feet above as seen from 

the cliff’s edge on much calmer sea 

conditions. (Photo courtesy of the author)

30 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
I waited for one more wave to hit. Going against 

every inclination in my body, but still fueled from the 

adrenaline from the last battle with the water, I ran back 

out to the edge of the plateau with rope in hand. I threw 

it to the two of them and they pulled their way over to 

the edge of the plateau. 

As Justin helped push from the water, I grabbed the 

hand of the survivor and pulled him up onto the plateau. 

He looked exhausted and started to collapse, but I yelled 

at him to head to the cliff line. I then grabbed Justin’s 

hand and pulled him up on the plateau. All three of us 

then ran for the cliff line and climbed back up. I looked 

back and saw another wave sweep across the plateau. We 

were safe!

The surviving hiker was barefoot, but someone 

from above threw us a pair of flip-flops. Exhausted, we 

finished the 30-foot climb. With the four hikers now all 

together, I took a moment to assess their injuries. We 

called off the emergency vehicles, but we still had to 

make the 20-minute hike through the jungle and back to 

our parked cars.

I did a quick head-to-toe exam on the four survivors. 

They were all scraped up, and one had a large gash up his 

leg and across his knee. However, they said they could 

all make the trek back to the cars. One of them pointed 

out that I was bleeding. I looked down and saw my arms 

and legs also had lacerations. I felt a gash on the back of 

my head.

I used the leftover clothing we had to make 

impromptu pressure bandages for our injuries. We were 

joined by a few other members from the survivors’ party, 

the ones smart enough to stay away from the plateau. 

We started the trek back to the vehicles. Knowing the 

adrenaline would wear off soon, I encouraged everyone 

to keep moving. I could see the rest of my party walking 

up ahead on the trail; Justin was with them.

After a slow but steady hike we made it back to our 

cars. Some officers from our party were waiting for us 

and drove us all to a nearby Navy hospital. After a few 

hours of evaluation and some stiches (on my back, 

which had taken the brunt of the damage) we were all 

released and returned to our commands. It felt good to 

be back.

LT Wald was with VAW-115 at the time of this writing.

something solid. I knew this was my chance as I pushed 

myself off of it and pulled on the line with everything 

I had left. Then I had a hand on the top of the plateau. 

Using the line, I was able to pull myself back up on the 

plateau. I ran back to the edge of the cliff line, out of the 

distance of the waves. 

“New plan,” I thought to myself, as I fought to 

catch my breath. “That was risky. Help them stay afloat 

and wait for the helos to arrive.” Justin and the hiker 

had been swept back from the edge of the plateau 

presumably by the same waves I had just encountered. 

Without a line to keep them near the shore line, they 

were now 20 feet from the edge. I grabbed my snorkel 

gear. From the safest distance as I could manage, I tossed 

the fins to Justin. The two of them then started to make 

their way back toward the plateau. I returned to my 

perch on the cliff wall, above the reach of the waves.

After I caught enough air to speak again, I called up 

to the people on the ridgeline. “How long till the helos 

arrive?” 

“There aren’t any helos.”

“How are they getting here?”

“They said they are fueling up jet skis on the other 

side of the island.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Jet skis from 

the other side of Guam? That could take an hour to get 

here. I looked over at the two figures that were still being 

pummeled by the waves as they struggled to stay afloat. 

Without some sort of help, I doubted the surviving hiker 

would make it the hour until the jet skis arrived. 

I watched helplessly from the back of the plateau 

a few feet up on the cliff wall, as waves continued to 

wash-out the area in front of me. If I went out there and 

got swept away again, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pull 

myself out a second time. But what other option did the 

two people in the water have? 

I watched a wave roll over the plateau and counted 

the time until the next one hit: 20 seconds. Then the 

next one: 30 seconds. If I timed it right, I could get out 

there, pull them up on the plateau, and we could all 

make it up the cliff line before another wave would hit. 

But if another giant wave came during that time, we 

would all be back in the water, with no other assistance 

in sight. 

My plan was to mitigate the risk by 

paying attention to when the waves 

were coming to the plateau.

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 31
OFF DUTY I ROADWAY SAFETY

The'Fatal Four'

Impaired Driving

Nearly 33,000 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2013, and more than 10,000 of those fatalities occurred in drunk-drivingrelated crashes. Sixty-eight percent of the drunk-driving fatalities involved at least one drunk driver in the crash with a BAC almost double 

the legal limit.

There are more intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes than intoxicated drivers on our roads. The highest percentage of fatally 

injured motorcycle riders with BAC 0.08 or higher was the 40-44 age group (37%), followed by the 45-49 age group (36%) and 35-39 

age group (35%).

Forty-three percent of the 2,030 motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2012 had BACs 0.08 or higher. Sixty-four 

percent of those killed in single-vehicle crashes on weekend nights had BACs 0.08 or higher.

Alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes cost more than an estimated $37 billion annually. Consider the legal and financial costs of 

drinking and driving: jail time, suspended driver’s license, higher insurance rates, legal fees, car towing and repairs, and lost wages. 

The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers in fatal crashes was nearly four times higher at night than during the day (35% versus 9%). 

Fifteen percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes during the week were alcohol-impaired, compared to 30 percent on weekends.

Make a plan for a safe way home before going to a party or a weekend event. If you plan to drink, designate a nondrinking driver ahead of 

time. You can also program the phone number of a friend or local taxi service into your phone.

Speeding

There are more than 1,700 fatalities and 840,000 injuries yearly due to vehicle crashes off public highways. 

Speed is a factor in nearly one-third of all fatal crashes. On average, 1,000 Americans die every month in speed-related crashes. Of all 

drivers 15-24 years of age involved in fatal crashes, 32 percent were speeding.

In 2012, 34 percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared to 22 percent for passenger car drivers, 

18 percent for light-truck drivers, and eight percent for large-truck drivers.

Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway, and it extends the distance required to 

stop a vehicle in emergencies. The probability of death, disfigurement, or debilitating injury grows with higher speed at impact. Such 

consequences double for every 10 mph over 50 mph that a vehicle travels.

Fuel consumption increases steadily above 45 mph with passenger cars and light trucks using approximately 50 percent more fuel 

traveling at 75 mph than they do at 55 mph. 

Wikimedia Commons Photo

Although the winter months usually encourage some people to stay in and enjoy the warmth of their homes, 

others need to be on the road for work or leisure travel. It is bad enough that winter driving poses certain road 

hazards; tragically, some drivers do not heed traffic warning signs or state laws. Speeding, driving under the influence, 

drowsy driving, and not wearing a seat belt are the major contributing factors to fatalities in car wrecks. 

32 SEA COMPASS Winter 2015
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

Drowsy Driving

In a drowsy driving crash, the driver was reported as drowsy, sleepy, asleep, or fatigued. A typical crash related to sleepiness has the 

following characteristics: 

•Occurs during late night, early morning or mid-afternoon.

•Serious accident. 

•Single vehicle leaves roadway.

•Occurs on a high-speed road. 

•Driver doesn’t try to avoid crash. 

•Driver is alone in the vehicle.

Although no driver is immune, the following three population groups are at highest risk:

•Young people (ages 16 to 29), especially males.

•Shift workers whose sleep is disrupted by working at night or working long or irregular hours.

•People with untreated sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) and narcolepsy. 

If you plan a trip or a night out, consider these preventive strategies: 

•Get a good night sleep (full six to eight hours).

•Don’t drive between midnight and 6 a.m.; don’t drive all day; avoid driving in the midafternoon hours (especially for older persons); 

and take a break on long trips.

•Avoid taking medications that may cause drowsiness. Get someone else to drive if feasible.

• Recognize and treat sleep disorders.

• Do not consume alcohol; it interacts with and adds to drowsiness.

Not Wearing a Seatbelt

Statistics show that passenger vehicle occupants are buckling up more during the day, but not enough at night.

In 2013, nearly half of the motor vehicle occupants who died in crashes were unrestrained. Among young adults 18 to 34 years old killed 

in crashes, 61 percent were completely unrestrained — the highest percentage of all age groups. 

Men make up the majority of those killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes. In 2013, about 65 percent of the 21,132 passenger-vehicle 

occupants killed were men. Fifty-four percent of men in fatal crashes were unrestrained, compared to 41 percent for women.

U.S. Air Force Photo

Winter 2015 SEA COMPASS 33
Submissions 

Wanted

Safety Standdown Issue

Sea Compass

Fall-Winter 2016

DEADLINE: May 9, 2016

Do you have the best safety standdown program in the fleet? 

Here’s your chance to tell our readers why your standdown is a 

hit with your shipmates!

WHAT WE WANT:

Articles or personal stories and photos that showcase your 

event: booths, people visiting booths, graphics/posters 

announcing your event, and other safety promotionals.

GUIDELINES:

You may choose to submit an article or a photo essay.

Article with Photos

800-1,500 words per submission. Submit 300dpi highresolution photos (1 minimum, 3 maximum) with captions.

-ORPhoto Essay

Five (5) photos with extended captions (up to 4 lines). The 

photos must be able to independently tell the story without 

the aid of an article. Captions must identify individuals in the 

photos and provide a good description of the event.

INFORMATION:

Download the detailed article submission guidelines from 

http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/documents/media/

magazines/Submission_Guidelines.pdf

Contact us at safe-seacompass@nayv.mil for more information.