Busting Rust and Drug Runners, a zeugma

CARR Families and Friends,

Our Sailors are doing a great job in executing the day-to-day mission as well as taking advantage of this weather to get some serious topside preservation completed. This should be the last time we need to preserve the main deck and above before decommissioning. My biggest concern is that we maintain our focus and standards for operating/maintaining our equipment until we are safely back in Norfolk with all lines doubled and shore power connected. At the end of deployment everyone is exhausted and it becomes harder to keep focused – please remind your Sailors that you are thinking about their safety – as should they. Last reminder that our Family Readiness Group (FRG) will host a Halloween Party on Sunday, October 28th 4-6PM at the First Christian Fellowship Church, 3401 Azalea Garden Rd. Norfolk 23513 (this is not the normal FRG location). The event is potluck, so please RSVP to usscarrfrg@gmail.com and include what you will be bringing. They will have games, costume contest, and goody bags for everyone who attends. This week we got some press in the Navy Times along with a few other publications; I have also posted the article on our Facebook page: Carr recovers $26M worth of cocaine in Pacific

Day 136 – Sunday, October 14th
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This morning we were alerted about some small boats operating in our area, as a result we launched our helicopter and quickly closed the contacts. CARR was able to chase down one of the boats and finally stop it using our RHIB; the second boat was tracked by the helicopter. After further inspection we didn’t find anything suspicious on board and the boats went on their way. After landing safely back on board CARR, the helicopter detachment shifted gears and prepared to host our first steel beach picnic in about a month. We also had the opportunity to finish our Captain’s Cup event from last month – the HORSE tournament. If you recall, the final eight teams were S1 v LEDET, CE v OT, EA v EX/NN, and AIR v S3. The wind played a factor in today’s competition and it came down to the LEDET against the EX/NN team of PS1 James Hannah and MA1 James Lighty. It was very close but PS1 and MA1 came out victorious. The CE division team of ETC William Dowe and ET1 Casey Strom edged the Helicopter Detachment team for third place. After thirteen Captain’s Cup events, the standings are as follows: 1st Place: LEDET (29 pts) 2nd Place: S2 Division (26 pts) 3rd Place: OI Division, EX/NN Division (23 pts)

Day 137 – Monday, October 15th (VNB, Panama)
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The Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist qualifications keep on trucking along. Dozens of our Sailors are hard at work in an attempt to complete their qualification prior to our return to Norfolk – there is much teaching and learning going on everywhere you go in CARR. Congratulations to our latest qualifiers: PS1 James Hannah, GM2 Ethan Krug, EN2 Joseph Lawhorn, and MA1 James Lighty, for earning their Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist pins today. Today we were scheduled for a late afternoon arrival in Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Panama; however, after several delays by the port authority we arrived after sunset. Due to the late time of arrival we allowed the crew to hit the town for some food and internet connectivity and to get some rest. Upon arrival we had some parts waiting for us on the pier. Great job to LS1 Larry Stephens, LS1 Daniel Shelton and LS2 Dominique Sherrod who received the parts and mail and then spent a few hours processing them.

Day 138 – Tuesday, October 16th (Underway from VNB, Panama)
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This morning was busy as our Engineers completed their fuel lineup and connected the rigs to safely fill up our tanks with 58,751 gallons of Marine Gas Oil (we are almost to the million gallon mark). After fueling and stores onload we were at sea and anchor detail for an early afternoon underway. It drizzled a bit as LT Brenda Beznoska smoothly conned the ship away from the pier and back out to sea. Good job to LTJG Ari Hague, SHSN Ulises Hernandez, SH2 Justin Howard, SHSN Rashad Simpson, and SH1 Jason Zarcone for looking out for the crew and obtaining some food items and drinks from USS CURTS (FFG 38) – they were also pierside. So far the number one seller in the store has been Monster Energy drinks – so far the crew has consumed 6,200 cans of energy drinks this deployment. Although I don’t think these drinks are the healthiest choice, everyone has their vices…mine is Diet Coke. Farewell and following seas to GM2 Ethan Krug and ET1 Casey Strom who both departed for their follow-on assignments ashore – GM2 is heading to Connecticut to be a Small Arms Instructor at the Groton Submarine Base and ET1 is going to Pensacola to be an instructor. Thank you both for all the hard work you did while serving in CARR.

Day 139 – Wednesday, October 17th
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Rain put the damper on the topside preservation efforts today – like I have stated previously, it will not be very pleasant to paint in Norfolk in December so we are trying to get as much done as possible while we are out here. Great job to our Auxiliary Division who is not affected by the weather; they started some projects today in their Auxiliary spaces. Congratulations to LTJG James Peluso who earned his Engineering Officer of the Watch qualification today. He will be folded into the EOOW rotation and get some experience under his belt.

Day 140 – Thursday, October 18th
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We reached our 75% mark today – we are in the home stretch but we need to maintain focus and drive. We still have a mission to do for the remaining six weeks of deployment. OI Division has started their preservation project in the centerline passageway to methodically identify and repair discrepancies from fwd to aft. This is one of the most heavily trafficked areas on CARR and is subject to the humid environment. I am looking forward to seeing their progress over the next few weeks. Great job to OS2 Quentin McDonald and OS2 George Walker for using their previous experience in Deck Division to lead the preservation efforts.

Day 141 – Friday, October 19th
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LT Al Rognlie developed and conducted a new General Quarters scenario today to train and assess our watchstanders. As part of the scenario we shot our Close in Weapons System (CIWS). Great job to FC1 Adam Lemons and FC2 Cliff Jensen who made sure their system was ready to fire. BZ to STG2 David Botel who ran a training scenario for the Sonar Technicians. So far, he has run over 60 hours of scenario time, helping all the Sonar Techs keep up their very perishable skills. STG3 Matthew Baker, STG2 Botel, STG3 Larry Whitehead, and STG3 John Wilkinson spent a good portion of this week replacing the non-skid on the deck in the Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS) space. It was a tough job, but better to accomplish now while we’re deployed than back home in Norfolk. Congratulations to EM2 Germaine Pelican – our Engineer of the Week. EM2 made lightning fast repairs to our NR1 fuel purifier which helped maintain our Engineering plant at full operation. Wherever you go in CARR, you are sure to see EM2 Pelican making repairs….well done!!

Day 142 – Saturday, October 20th
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If you were topside on CARR today, you would have seen CF, CG, NN, OD and OT Divisions chipping and painting. Great job to everyone involved; we have busted a ton of rust and fixed numerous cable connectors and painted over labels. Keep it up – the end point of this project is in sight.

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Jessica Meissner OMBUDSMAN
April Linton Co-OMBUDSMAN
Jackie Lease FRG President

Please join CARR along with our OMBUDSMAN and Family Readiness Group: CARR https://www.facebook.com/FFG52 OMBUDSMAN
http://www.facebook.com/pages/USS-CARR- ombudsman/219688138070847?sk=wall CARR Family Readiness Group www.facebook.com/USSCARRFRG Sailors Name Department/Division USS CARR (FFG 52) FPO AE 09566-1506 ==========================================

Until next Sunday, stay safe CARR Family and Friends!
CDR Patrick Kulakowski
Commanding Officer
USS CARR (FFG 52)
“Courage, Will, Determination!”