Sunday, July 24, 2011 “UnderWay”

From: Kulakowski Patrick E. CDR CO [mailto:kulakowskip@ffg52.navy.mil]
Sent: 07/24/2011 12:39 PM
To: carrombudsman@gmail.com
Subject: CARR WEEKLY FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPDATE – 24JULY11
USS CARR Families and Friends –

Our facebook page “likes” continues to grow.we are now up to 383

CARR facebook <https://www.facebook.com/FFG52> https://www.facebook.com/FFG52

Jessica Meissner     OMBUDSMAN

<http://www.facebook.com/pages/USS-CARR-Ombudsman/219688138070847?sk=wall>

http://www.facebook.com/pages/USS-CARR-Ombudsman/219688138070847?sk=wall

Melissa Lemons       CARR Wives’ Group

<http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_137767426300026&ap=1;>

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_137767426300026&ap=1;

I am working with Melissa Lemons and the Fleet & Family Support Group to transition the Wives’ Group to our Family Readiness Group. If interested in participating or supporting, please become a member of the CARR Wives’ Group Facebook page for more information.

This week CARR and her crew were engaged in the following activities:

Day 34 – Sunday, July 17th
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Today we enjoyed another Sunday at sea and chance to take a breathe for the week ahead. This Sunday we enjoyed another steel beach picnic -this time we served steaks and lobster tails instead of burgers and hot dogs. Thank you to the Junior Enlisted Association for hosting this event.

Day 35 – Monday, July 18th
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This morning we headed into the harbor of Tallinn, Estonia to pick up an Estonian Naval Officer, LT Martsuk. We rendezvoused with an Estonian small boat, received our passenger, and then headed back out to the Baltic Sea.

Our visitor’s specialty is navigation.over the next week he will observe how our Navy navigates in both open ocean and restricted waters. We are always glad to have visitors and we are looking forward to learning from him as well.

Today we had indications of a ground on our electrical system – this is typically caused by a piece of electrical equipment getting wet or a piece of wire insulation getting worn through. Our overall electrical system is ungrounded, so when we get indication of a ground we need to investigate and make repairs before a second ground occurs.in the event of two grounds in a system, the equipment will no longer operate and there is a possibility of an electrical fire. Great job to EM3 Andrew Toth and EM3 Jereme Fuller who worked together to isolate the source of the ground and quickly conduct repairs.

Day 36 – Tuesday, July 19h
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Today we spent patrolling the Baltic Sea and avoiding bad weather. In addition to the normal daily events, we conducted damage control training drills and engineering evolutions to stay on the top of our game.

Early Tuesday morning we experienced a problem with one of our satellite communications circuits. After reporting the problem off ship, our Electronic Technicians and Information Technicians began examining the system in an attempt to isolate the fault. Localizing faults in these complicated systems is easier said than done, it takes technical expertise and an understanding of troubleshooting methodology. ET2 Michael McCullick’s demonstrated exceptional technical prowess by discovering the fault and leading repairs to return our satellite communications system to full operation. ET2 McCullick has quickly become a subject matter expert in communications gear despite only having three years in the Navy – his talent and drive is remarkable.

The Junior Enlisted Association has continued to put on events to raise money to support such efforts as purchasing special coins to present to junior Sailors upon promotion and to begin giving junior Sailors going away framed photos. The most recent event to raise funds was an auction – Sailors were allowed to bid on the services of various Officers. The ones that raised the most money were bids for CDR Jim Sposato (Executive Officer) and LT Chuck Birchfield (Chief Engineer) to clean the winner’s space. Our Executive Office and Chief Engineer were on their hands and knees today to scrub and clean operations berthing and bathroom/shower area.

Day 37- Wednesday, July 20th
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Another day at sea and we have experienced another material casualty. Today we had a problem when the sonar display screens began to flicker. The natural tendency of most ships is to write a casualty report and request “the pros from Dover” on the scene to make repairs. Although it is always an option to call in off-ship technicians to assist, we like to give our Sailors time to conduct troubleshooting and build their skills – by doing this we have become more self sufficient. It was clear from the first flicker of the displays that STG2 David Botel was on the case until he found a solution. Using technical drawing, test equipment, and his personal knowledge he battled through this casualty for two days until he complete repairs. STG3 Botel’s tenacity and ability to focus ensured Carr’s sonar system was returned to full operability.

Congratulation to Ensign Michael Brown (Ordnance Officer) and Ensign Andrew Berry (Electrical Officer) for each completing their qualification as Officer of the Deck (OOD) Underway. This is the first significant qualification that all junior officers must complete as they work toward their Surface Warfare Officer qualification. In order to for me to qualify them as OOD, they must earn my trust and demonstrate to me that they possess knowledge of navigation, navigation rules, and shiphandling. Great job to both of them!

We are continuing to focus on improving Carr’s material condition throughout deployment. There is significant work going on in our Engineering spaces as we battle the enemies of leaks and rust. Great job to EN3 Joshua Young working back in Auxiliary Machinery Room 3 – he is doing a great job at keeping at space preservation. Additionally, he led repairs on number three ship’s service diesel generator fuel supply. He quickly removed a leaking fuel manifold, replaced a failed o-ring, and then reassembled the system.

Thank you for keeping the press on in Aux 3.

Day 38 – Thursday, July 21st
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This morning was time for more damage control training – this time it was a chemical and biological attack scenario.

Later in the afternoon I threw Oscar overboard to verify that our team was proficient in recovering a person who fell overboard. Oscar is an orange dummy that I throw overboard to simulate a man. The Bridge team acted quickly, immediately identifying a small boat recovery as the quickest method to get the man back on board. Deck division immediately manned up the boat deck and deployed our rigid hull inflatable boat.six minutes later the man was rescued and enroute back to Carr. Although a man overboard is not something that routinely happens, it is extremely important that we remain proficient just in case – time is critical!

The one place on Carr where everyone has access to computers for email and internet is our classroom. After constant use by the crew, keyboards fail and computers files become overloaded. Thank you to IT1 LeMarcus Brown and

IT3 Jacob Blizzard who led an overhaul of Carr’s classroom. IT1 Brown and

IT3 Blizzard replaced all the computers and monitors to ensure all crewmembers have access to communicate with their loved ones back home.

Congratulation to YN1 Anthony Contino who completed his Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) requalification. Every time a Sailor arrives on a new class of ship, he has to complete a qualification process to ensure he understands the specifics of the new ship. This process typically takes months; however, YN1 Contino completed this requal in less than 40 days!

Day 39 – Friday, July 22nd
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This morning we arrived in Tallinn, Estonia.

For those who are not familiar with Estonia.Tallinn is the capital and the largest city in Estonia. Tallinn is designated the European co-Capital of Culture for 2011, along with Turku, Finland (our last port visit). Tallinn is the Silicon Valley on the Baltic Sea! I am sure most of you have heard of Skype.shocking news to many, Skype is not an American invention.Skype was developed here in Estonia.

Over the years, Estonia has been ruled by many foreign ports. Going back over the past thousand years, Estonia was led by the Danish, Order of the Brotherhood of the Swords, returned to the Danish, sold to the Germans, taken over by Sweden during the Livonian War of 1558-1583, and taken over by the Russians during the Northern War from 1700 to 1721. On February 24,

1918 Estonia proclaimed independence; however, German troops marched in and occupied Estonia the following day. Independence was restored after Germany surrendered in the WW I. In 1940, the Soviets rolled into Estonia, occupying them until August 28, 1941 when German troops arrived. The Soviet army took Tallinn back on September 23, 1944 and the Soviets remained until Estonia regained independence in 1991 following the end of the Soviet Union.

Most of our crew had the opportunity to enjoy liberty while the duty section supported tours for U.S. Embassy personnel and their families. This port is significantly less expensive than what we experienced in Finland – good news to all!! Another good deal is that we are within walking distance of dining, shopping, and attractions – saving the expense of cabs.

Day 40 – Saturday, July 23rd
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Another day in port and supporting distinguished visitor tours. Although we had a soccer game planned against the Estonians, they had to cancel. Just like Finland, this is holiday season in Estonia. The Estonians take advantage of the warmth and daylight to get away to the country in July and August; as a result, there are very few government and military official in town.

Farewell and following seas to EN1 Bryan Riley and OS2 Dion Edwards who both departed Carr this week and are transitioning back into the civilian world.

Best of luck to both of you and thank you for your service to our nation.

As our week comes to an end, CARR has steamed over 8,000 Nm and our Sailors have had the opportunity to visit St. Petersburg, Russia; Turku, Finland; and Tallinn, Estonia. Looking forward to providing you all with another update next Sunday.

CDR Patrick Kulakowski
Commanding Officer
USS CARR (FFG 52)
“Courage, Will, Determination