CARR Families and Friends,
Last week’s email stated that 8 Oct is the deadline for sending mail to your Sailors; however, due a change in port visits we now expect to receive mail routinely over the next six weeks.
Tiger Cruise Reminder: For our invited guests, if you haven’t done so already please submit your registration and medical forms by 15 Oct to our Tiger Cruise Coordinator. (email them to LT Beznoska: ops@ffg52.navy.mil)
Family Readiness Group:
– The 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). This will be a 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.
– With homecoming fast approaching, it is time to start thinking about the adjustments that will occur when your Sailor returns. The brief will be held on Thursday, November 15 6-8PM at the First Baptist Church of Norfolk, 312 Kempsville Rd, Norfolk, VA. Whether it is your first or 14th homecoming, this brief is very important to help our family’s reunite in December. Please join us and a representative from FFSC. We are looking for those who have been through this before to share their experiences with others. Please RSVP via email or on Facebook under events. Child care will be provided.
– First Hug/First Kiss tickets are still available to purchase! These can be purchased whether you are in the Hampton Roads area or not. These give family members a chance to get the first hug/kiss at homecoming.
The prices are: 1 ticket for $1, 7 tickets for $5, and 32 tickets for $20. Tickets may be purchased at any FRG event or through mail by sending a check (make payable to “USS CARR FRG”) along with a note including your name, your number, the number of tickets you’d like to buy, and which kind of tickets you are purchasing (either First Hug, First Kiss or a combination) to Melissa Rognlie, 1317 Plantation Lakes Circle, Chesapeake, VA 23320.
You will receive one free ticket of your choice when you attend an FRG event!
The winners in each category will be drawn and announced at the Night Before Party, so the last chance to buy your tickets will be at our November meeting on 15 November 2012!
Day 122 – Sunday, September 30th
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After observing Sunday routine throughout the morning, we decided to conduct some man overboard training in the afternoon to ensure our crew was proficient in the event the unthinkable occurred. We threw our dummy overboard several times and conducted recoveries using both our Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat to recover the man overboard and driving CARR alongside the man overboard and recovering him by lowering our Search and Rescue (SAR) swimmer into the water from our Forecastle (the bow).
Great job to our Bridge, Forecastle, Boat Deck, and Combat Information Center teams for demonstrating their proficiency. Super job to all three of our Search and Rescue Swimmers as well – they had been aching to get in the water.
Special thanks to FC2 Gary Freas as Forecastle Petty Officer in Charge; his leadership ensured we safely lowered and recovered each swimmer.
Day 123 – Monday, October 1st
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Congratulations to EN1 Andrew Moye and DC2 Andy Fernandez upon completing their Electric Plant Control Console qualification. Both demonstrated expert level of knowledge regarding normal and casualty operation of CARR’s electric distribution system.
This week the Gunner’s Mates and Deck Division spent time sweltering in the tropical sun as they chipped, sanded, primed, and painted topside.
It may be hard work now, but the Sailors realize that time spent now preserving the ship means they won’t have as much to do when we get back to Norfolk. Great job to CG and OD Divisions!
Day 124 – Tuesday, October 2nd
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Great work by Carr’s Supply Officer, Lt. Quentin Lease, who organized a program to educate our Sailors about the marrow donor program and provide them an opportunity to register. Eighty five Carr Sailors enrolled in the program and 40 additional Sailors were already registered. The registration consists of some basic paperwork and a cheek swab that takes less than 10 seconds. Thanks to HM1 Randall McLain, HMC Patrick Ehrhard, LSC Jeff Fries and SH1 Jason Zarcone for assisting with the registration drive and making it a successful event.
The swabs will be analyzed to determine the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) or tissue type and then the results are added to the National Marrow Donor Registry.
The Department of Defense established the C. W. Bill Young Marrow Donor Center in Kensington, MD, to meet the needs of the military. While donors through the DoD program join the National Marrow Donor Registry, a separate donor management system offers a secure system to facilitate the process. Since the creation of the National Marrow Donor Program in 1986 more than 400,000 service members have registered as marrow donors.
Approximately 500 children in the Department of Defense are diagnosed each year with leukemia, aplastic anemia or other fatal blood diseases.
For many of these people, a bone marrow transplant is their only hope.
Day 125 – Wednesday, October 3rd
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Today was a fairly quiet day until we approached a storm cell and were struck by lightening – although it created a loud bang, there was no damage. When lightning strikes a ship, the electricity is distributed to the hull and harmlessly dissipated to the surrounding water.
Unfortunately, the lightning meant that we had to delay flight operations. Although harmless to CARR, a single lightning strike to the helicopter could cause it’s systems to completely fail (since there is no medium to dissipate the electricity to).
DC1 Jeremiah Robertson has been doing an outstanding job filling in and conducting repairs during the brief absence of our Hull Technician (welder). Today he repaired two pinhole leaks. Keep up the good work!
Congratulations to LTJG Andrew Berry who earned his Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) qualification today. He demonstrated superior knowledge of CARR’s propulsion plant and performed well during graded drills and evolutions.
Day 126 – Thursday, October 4th
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Last night we encountered a communications fault in our Hawklink System – this system allows voice, data, and video to be securely transmitted between our helicopter and CARR. ET2 Corey Mink, ET2 Michael McCullick, and ET3 Matthew Darby worked closely with AT1 Eduardo Diaz and AT2 Jak Lopez from our Air Detachment to identify a loose connection in the helicopter’s system. Job well done!.
Congratulations to ETC William Dowe upon earning his Officer of the Deck qualification today – he is the only Chief Petty Officer to earn this qualification during my two years on CARR. He has demonstrated exceptional level of knowledge and ability – well done!
Day 127 – Friday, October 5th
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This afternoon we brought some of our damage control equipment topside and allowed the crew to practice using it – it is not very often we get to discharge fire hoses. It is good for the crew to realize how a charged fire hose handles and get familiar with the different spray patterns so that they are not surprised in the event they must use this equipment inside the confined spaces of CARR.
Day 128 – Saturday, October 6th (VNB, Panama)
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Congratulations to our Sailors of the Quarter! This quarter’s competition was the closest competition I have seen in my two years in command. Each department submitted Sailors who were extremely competitive and deserving. BZ to:
Senior Sailor of the Quarter: IC1 Derek Hotop
Junior Sailor of the Quarter: EN2 Jereme Fuller
Blue Jacket of the Quarter: LSSN Bilal Barnes
This morning we arrived at our home away from home, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, Panama, for a brief stop to receive fuel, parts, stores and mail.
Farewell and Following Seas to LTJG Andrew Berry and IT1 Kevin Bultman who both detached today. IT1 Bultman’s next assignment is NCTAMS LANT and LTJG Berry is headed to be the Fire Control Officer in USS STOCKDALE (DDG 106) stationed in San Diego. Both did a great job and contributed to CARR’s mission readiness – thank you both!
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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
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Until next Sunday, stay safe CARR Family and Friends!
CDR Patrick Kulakowski
Commanding Officer
USS CARR (FFG 52)
“Courage, Will, Determination!”
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