T H E WOLVERINEfebruary 2020 TOUCHDOWN ABOARD FORD! FORD KICKS OFF AIRCRAFT COMPATIBILITY TESTING SHORE VS. SEA: THE CHALLENGE OF LANDING AIRCRAFT AT SEA BLUE TO YELLOW THE LIFE OF AN AVIATION BOATSWAIN’S MATE THIS MONTH IN NAVAL HISTORY THE WOLVERINE February 1, 1942 USS GERALD R. FORD (CVN 78) USS Enterprise (CV 6) and USS Yorktown (CV 5) make the first World War II air strike against the Japanese at their outposts in the Marshall Islands. MEET THE TRIAD February 12, 1950 COMMANDING OFFICER U.S. Sixth Fleet is established. CAPT John J. Cummings EXECUTIVE OFFICER February 22, 1974 CAPT Tim Waits L.t. j.g. Barbara Ann (Allen) Rainey becomes the first Navy designated female aviator. COMMAND MASTER CHIEF CMDCM De’Andre Beaufort February 22, 1974 The first ship named for an enlisted man, USS Osmond Ingram (DD 255) is launched. MEDIA DEPARTMENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER LCDR Anthony Falvo LCDR Desiree Frame ASSISTANT PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER LTJG Nicholas Spaleny COMMAND OMBUDSMAN MEDIA DEPARTMENT PRODUCTION LCPO MCC RJ Stratchko THE WOLVERINE EDITOR MCSN Angel Thuy Jaskuloski MEDIA DEPARTMENT STAFF MC1 Jonathan Pankau MC1 Gary Prill MC1 Jeff Troutman MC2 Sean Elliot MC2 Matthew Rice Danni Campbell Brittany Curry MC2 Ruben Reed 757-805-5958 757-708-5581 MC2 Ryan Seelbach MC2 Cat Yanez [email protected] [email protected] MC3 Marissa Vermeulen MC3 Ryan Carter MC3 Connor Loessin MC3 Zachary Melvin MC3 Joshua Murray MC3 Brett Walker MCSN Zachary Guth MCSN Dalton Lowing FOR MORE CONTENT MCSA Riley McDowell Want to see more about USS Gerald R. Ford? Visit us at: FRONT COVER PHOTO https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78 An EA-18G Growler, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, approaches @cvn78_grford USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication @Warship_78 Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Carter) @USSGeraldRFord TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 FORD COMPLETES AIRCRAFT COMPATIBILITY TESTING 6 V-2 HEADS ADVANCED ARRESTING GEAR EFFORTS 9 LICENSE TO FORKLIFT A LOOK INSIDE THE HOSPITAL 10 CORPSMAN COMMUNITY 12 PHOTOS OF THE MONTH 14 FORD UTILIZES VIRTUAL REALITY TO TRAIN THE LIFE OF AN AVIATION 16 BOATSWAIN’S MATE 18 THE CHALLENGE OF LANDING AIRCRAFT AT SEA 21 THE “COOL” GUYS ON THE FLIGHT DECK Secure From Flight Quarters: Ford Completes Aircraft Compatibility Testing By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) went underway last boss. “Every day there is something new going on that month in an effort to complete launches and traps of is a first in this class. Here, today and every day, we are multiple models of aircraft for Aircraft Compatibility setting the standard for ourselves and the Ford class.” Testing (ACT). Ford did just that. Akacem credited the success of ACT to the efforts During the underway, Ford successfully completed of Ford’s Sailors, both past and present. 211 aircraft launches and recoveries, with its “We have taken the aspirations, the studies and electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and the preparation,” he said. “Now we have the time to advanced arresting gear (AAG). actualize it and bring it to life.” “It was outstanding,” said Chief Aviation ACT helped train and prepare junior Sailors, many Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Carlos Segura, from who have no prior experience with an active flight Raton, New Mexico, assigned to Ford’s air department. deck. “It felt really good to be out at sea launching and “It means a lot for our junior Sailors who can now recovering aircraft. My Sailors on the flight deck had get more hands-on training,” said Aviation Boatswain’s great motivation and accomplished a great deal of Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Marc Trietch, from San training.” Antonio, assigned to Ford’s air department. “It lets us For four of the five aircraft, ACT was their first time complete our training and do our jobs.” ever being launched and recovered on a Ford-class Akacem praised the crew while also emphasizing aircraft carrier. the importance of these underways for the Ford. “We have had the first-ever T-45 Goshawk landing “We have been able to bring all the pieces on this ship, the first-ever EA-18G Growler, the first- together,” he said. “There is no simulator for an aircraft ever E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and the first-ever C-2A so it is very important that we get out here.” Greyhound,” said Cmdr. Mehdi Akacem, Ford’s air An E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, takes off from USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. Photo by MCSA Angel Thuy Jaskuloski It’s A Trap! V-2 Division Heads Ford’s AAG Efforts By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Carter The unmistakable guttural roar of a C-2A Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class John Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Thompson, from Kerrville, Texas, assigned to Ford Squadron (VX) 20, resonates through the air as it banks air departments’ V-2 division, who understands how left and begins its approach for USS Gerald R. Ford’s his job and the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) play (CVN 78) flight deck. a pivotal role in the ship’s ability to accomplish the As the seconds tick by, 57,000 pounds of mission. parcels, personnel and propellers barrel toward a black sea of non-skid. “... If we aren’t ready [to do The multi-colored flecks that littered the flight our job], then what is the ship deck have now taken the form of the Ford’s brave air department Sailors. ready for?” The pilot’s grip on the yoke tightens as the gap - ABE2 John Thompson between craft and carrier rapidly diminishes, and the only chance this aviator has to land this bird lies in the “All the systems on Ford are brand new, and our hands of the Warship78 V-2 division. main mission is to launch and recover aircraft,” said Often referred to as the primary mission division, Thompson. “So if we aren’t ready [to do our job], then V-2 Sailors are in charge of the Aircraft Launch & what is the ship ready for?” Recovery Equipment (ALRE), and although their jerseys Thompson also looks toward the bigger picture in may be green, when it comes to the ship’s ability how his system impacts the Navy’s mission globally. to conduct flight operations, this team is “The main task at hand is to make sure we can anything but. launch and recover aircraft so we can go support our Leading the troops wherever they need be,” said Thompson. “My charge is job as an ABE is to make sure that [when we recover Aviation them], those same aircraft land safely.” Thompson had the advantage of being aboard during Ford’s 2017 and 2018 fixed-wing flight operations to see the AAG work first-hand, but for Sailors like Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Louis Zanelotti, from Owings, Maryland, also assigned to Ford’s Left: A T-45 Goshawk, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, prepares to land on USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. Photo by MC3 Zachary Melvin V-2 division, this was an entirely new experience. quick and it’s going to help us out in the long run.” “I had trust in the traditional recovery system. I’ve Sailors like Zanelotti continue looking to the future been underway on another ship and I know that when of this mighty warship with pride and excitement for it is time to recover aircraft, it will [work] every time,” what is yet to come. said Zanelotti. “We’ve been working on the AAG, but “I want to see this boat go on to do what it was I’ve never seen this system fully function at sea, so I designed to do, especially after being a part of the didn’t really know what to expect.” team that got the AAG to where it is now,” said When the day finally came and he saw the E-2D Zanelotti. “To not be a part of this crew when it makes Advanced Hawkeyes, also assigned (VX) 20, tail hook its maiden deployment would be crushing. I want to be catch the wire, the long hours of physically and mentally able to say 20 years from now that I was a member of draining preparation had finally paid off. the Gerald R. Ford team for its first true deployment.” “We spent so much time over the past few months trying to get the AAG ready and certified for fixed- Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Michael Samuel, from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s wing operations,” said Zanelotti. “It took the combined (CVN 78) air department, prepares for flight operations on the ship’s effort of everyone here with ship’s force and Naval Air flight deck. Photo by MC3 Ryan Carter Systems Command to get everything together, and that included work being put in during standdown, but to see the system that we worked so hard to get up and running make that first trap was just surreal.” Thompson echoed the importance of coming together as a team and what it will mean for the division’s future. “We’re a little less manned than a Nimitz-class carrier, but we have the same maintenance demands,” said Thompson. “They’re doing a great job, they’re learning and catching on License to Forklift By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort In the hangar bay of USS Gerald R.