The Carl Vinson crew is preparing for their upcoming INSURV inspection by thoroughly cleaning and organizing all spaces on the ship. Sailors are removing personal items, deep cleaning areas like equipment mounts and ductwork, ensuring all lights are bright and in working order, and securing loose gear. Proper preparation requires attention to details from non-skid strips to safety checks on electrical equipment to pass the inspection. Teamwork across departments will be necessary to get the entire ship up to standards.

1. VOL 1 / NO 43 October 7, 2010
Vinson Ready
for a GOLD EAGLE
INSURV
Story by MC3 Jessica Robertson
USS Carl Vinson Staff Writer
As INSURV gets closer and closer (now less than two
weeks away), CARL VINSON Sailors are realizing there are two
vital qualities that will strongly influence whether or not CVN 70
succeeds: pride and ownership.
Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW) Carlos Young, Safety
Department’s Leading Petty Officer, knows just how important it is
for Vinson Sailors to take pride in their ship. Young’s department
has one of the widest reaches of any department on board. Safety is
responsible for ensuring various items throughout the ship are up
to par with current regulations.
Just because Safety might not perform
maintenance on a certain piece of equipment
doesn’t mean the department isn’t ultimately
responsible for it. Likewise, just because one
department performs maintenance on a
piece of equipment, doesn’t mean they’ll be
the only department affected if something
goes wrong.
That’s where it comes down to taking
ownership and pride in the quality of your
work to make sure your spaces are in the best
shape possible.
“It’s like a domino effect. If you don’t
do your job or you don’t do it right, it directly
See`INSURV` page 7
The Carl Vinson Voice is an internal document produced by and for the crew of
the USS Carl Vinson and their families. Its contents do not necessarily reflect
the official views of the U.S. Government or the Departments of Defense or
the Navy and do not imply any endorsement thereby.
Photo By MC2 Adrian White

2. 2 Carl Vinson Voice
Carl Vinson teams up to
tackle INSURV
Deck Department’s workload has windlasses up to par, since the anchor-
intensified. There is no room for drop is one of the major things the
error during the inspection, so the INSURV inspectors will be looking at.”
By MC3 Jessica Robertson department must make sure all of their Chief Machinist’s Mate (SW)
USS Carl Vinson Staff Writer equipment is in proper working order. Leodias Jack from Engineering
“We’ve been doing maintenance Department A-Division added it’s also
As Carl Vinson prepares on things like life rafts, search-and- important to consider the needs of
for Inspection and Survey rescue gear, towing gear and anchor other divisions and not just your own.
(INSURV), Sailors are finding chains,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd “You can’t compartmentalize
out just how important teamwork Class (SW/AW) Zachary Chavez, your department and think, ‘I’m going
is in accomplishing the mission. a Sailor in Deck Department 1st to do things my way’,” said Jack. “If I
Although not every Division. “These things are really big for decide to shut off the air-conditioning
department on board owns equipment INSURV. If they don’t work or they’re or refrigeration, all the Sailors on the
that will be checked during INSURV, not up to speed, we can’t get underway.” ship will be sweating and all the food
VINSON leadership is stressing to Preparing for the challenge that in Supply will spoil. We have to work
the crew that every Sailor plays a is INSURV means departments must every day as a team to make this work.”
crucial role in passing the inspection. lean on and be willing to support each Just as Engineering is lending a
One department with several other. One of the many departments hand to the Sailors in Deck to prepare
vital equipment checks is Deck. At that has stepped up to lighten Deck’s for their INSURV inspections, Deck is
sea, the department’s responsibilities heavy load is Engineering Department. returning the favor to other departments.
include anchoring and mooring “We’re doing checks on Deck maintains eye-washing stations for
Vinson, bringing on mail, cargo, their connected replenishment Safety, as well as equipment belonging to
and fuel, as well as standing watch (CONREP) stations and fueling-at- VINSON’s Damage Control Division such
and serving as the first responders sea (FAS) stations,” said Engineering as battle lanterns, CO2 and PKP bottles.
in the event of a man overboard. In Department’s Auxiliaries Division “That’s how it works on the
port, the department’s daily tasks Officer Lt. j.g. Michael Wellman. Carl Vinson,” said Chavez. “We come
vary from space rehabilitation “We’ve put in more than 400 together and get the job done. From
and preservation to equipment man hours doing maintenance on the shipyards, to being underway, to
maintenance and inspection. life jackets and the same amount inspections, even if it’s hard work or long
As INSURV approaches, of time getting Deck’s anchor hours, we pull together and do it.”
Publisher
STAFF
Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey
Commanding Officer
Executive Editors
Lt. Cmdr. Erik Reynolds
Public Affairs Officer
Lt. j.g. Erik Schneider
Deputy Public Affairs Officer
Managing Editor
MC2 Ashley Van Dien
Photo Editor
MC2 Adrian White
Layout and Design
MC3 Megan L. Catellier
Staff Writers/Photographers
MC3 Shentell Downes
MC3(SW) Stephen Hale
MC3 Heather Roe
MC3 Aaron Shelley
MCSA Kevin Harbach
Illustration by MC3 Aaron Shelley

3. 3
Photo By MC3 Heather Roe Photo By MC3 Aaron Shelley
Photo By MCSA Kevin Harbach
Photo By MC2 Adrian White
October 7, 2010
Photo By MC2 Adrian White

4. 4
The Ship’s
The Ship’s Bell
Story by MC3 Shentel Downes
USS Carl Vinson Staff Writer
Carl Vinson Voice
In addition to its practical use and rich heritage,
the ship’s bell on board Carl Vinson also plays a role
in the ship’s success during Inspection and Survey
(INSURV).
It has taken three months of hard work and the
cooperation of several departments on board to restore
the ship’s bell to INSURV standards.
“The bell and the gong are a substantial part of
our INSURV check,” said Quartermaster 3rd Class Erich
Hoffman. “The inspectors will check the bell according
to very specific standards, including the exact musical
note that sounds when the bell is rung.”
The bell, which is kept on the forward-most
starboard catwalk, needed a new stinger to successfully
pass the INSURV check. Navigation worked closely
with Sailors in Vinson’s Machine Shop to get the bell up
to standards.
Machinery Repairman 2nd Class (SW) Adam
Ferenbach and Machinery Repairman 3rd Class Devin
McConnell shaped the stinger out of a rod of solid
brass.
“That was a huge undertaking for the machinery
repairmen that designed and made the new stinger,”
Photo by MC2 Adrian White said Hoffman. “Them making it was a great help to us.”
VINSON follows the old Navy tradition that the
Photo by MC3(SW) Stephen Hale ship’s cook shines the bell. Now that the bell has been
Photo by MC2 Adrian White

5. s Bell
October 7, 2010
restored, it falls upon Culinary Specialist 3rd Class (AW/
SW) Kimairys Reyes, the commanding officer’s cook, to
5
shine the bell each day.
“When they told me it’s my job to shine the bell,
I thought they were joking at first,” said Reyes. “But
honestly, it feels good to keep the tradition because that’s
what makes us the Navy we are today.”
The tradition of bells on board ships is centuries
old, dating back as far as the 1400s. Today, United
States Navy vessels each have their own bell to serve as
a signaling mechanism during low-visibility situations
and anchoring. All vessels, whether merchant or military,
are required to carry a bell large enough to serve each
vessel efficiently, as well as a gong that is sounded off the
fantail.
Another age-old custom, which originated in
the British Royal Navy, is to baptize a child under a ship’s
bell, or to use the bell as a christening bowl.
This custom was observed in 2008 when Carl
Vinson’s bell, which weighs 200 pounds and is more than
20 inches in diameter, was taken down to baptize the
daughter of Cmdr. John Markowicz, former VINSON
Chief Engineer.
The ship’s bell is both traditional and practical,
and now, thanks to the teamwork and hard work of
Vinson Sailors, up to standard and ready to serve its
purpose.
Photo by MC3(SW) Stephen Hale

6. 6 Carl Vinson Voice
Sailor
SPOTLIGHT
IN THE
Story by MC3 Shentel Downes
USS Carl Vinson Staff Writer
She manages $850,000 in continuing years and on board 10 months. Although
Logistics Specialist 2 Class nd
services, $135,000 in contracts through she has sacrificed a lot personally to do
(AW/SW) Maggie Applewhite’s can- the Federal Industrial Supply Center, well professionally, Applewhite has a
do attitude and desire to succeed and $2.9 million in credit card purchases strong sense of purpose in her work.
have set the standard for excellence in with zero discrepancies. “Being away does have its trying
Supply Department S-1 Division, Stock Applewhite’s positive attitude times because I do miss my daughter.
Control. has gained the respect of Logistics I have missed her first steps, her first
A native of San Diego, Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Martha words, and different milestones in her
Applewhite balances her duties as Maya, S-1 Division assistant leading life,” said Applewhite. “None of that can
Sailor a with her responsibilities as a petty officer. be brought back, but I do know that in
single parent. “She never says no,” said Maya. the end, I’m doing what I have to do
“It does get hard being in “She’ll do anything you ask of her. now to provide for her. When I reach
the Navy as a single parent,” said Even during closeouts, she tries to help my 20-year mark, my daughter will be
Applewhite. “But when it becomes too customers who come to the door. She’s of age to look back and say ‘I remember
much for me, I look at [my daughter’s] not afraid to take on a challenge. Her when mommy was gone to defend our
picture and tell myself that things won’t motivation isn’t just to be seen, but to country’.”
stay the same forever and to keep the be involved and help people out.” Applewhite is currently working
press on.” Applewhite is the training petty toward a bachelor’s degree in human
Applewhite is a government- officer for the division and a member resources. She plans to retire from the
credit-card holder and customer of the Second Class Petty Officers’ Navy as a Chief Petty Officer and own
service supervisor in S-1 Division. Association. She has been in the Navy 11 her own business.
Photo by MC3 Shentel Downes

7. October 7, 2010 7
Photo by MC3 Aaron Shelley
From`INSURV` page 1
affects someone else on the ship,” said
Young. “If Engineering doesn’t do their
job, Air Department can’t do theirs, and it
goes on and on. There’s no ‘i’ in ‘team’, but
there’s an ‘m’ and an ‘e’. It’s up to us to ask,
‘what can I do to improve this team?’”
Answering that question involves
taking initiative and stepping up when
you see something is wrong.
“This ship is over two decades old.
If something is going to break, it’s not just
going to break. There will be signs leading
up to it, like unusual noises or leaking
fluids. It’s up to each of us to report it if it
doesn’t look right,” said Logistics Specialist
3rd Class (SW/AW) Jonathan Gayles.
Chief Mass Communication
Specialist (AW) Daniel Wolsey, Training
Department’s Leading Chief Petty Officer,
said he’s seen more Sailors stepping up
to do just that, but there is still room for
improvement.
“[Sailors] have to believe in the
Photo by MC3 Heather Roe
ship and take ownership,” said Wolsey.
“Once they do, they’ll take better care of
the ship and its equipment.”
Fire Controlman 1st Class (SW/
AW) Ernest Peebles commented on the
reason why ownership should be in the
forefront of the minds of every Vinson
Sailor.
“We will all fail if we don’t take
ownership. We have to do our best to fix
what problems we have, or else we will fail,”
said Peebles. “It’s one team, one fight.”

8. ?
8 Carl Vinson Voice
Are your spaces
insurv
ready??
• Remove personal gear from the ordered and clean. ladder ways,
ship, particularly from offices • Be sure to clean underneath and on either
and work spaces. This includes cabinets, desks, in corners, along side of knee-
personal TVs, DVD players, deck edges, equipment mounts, knockers and
radios, refrigerators, microwaves, on top of light fixtures, cableways, hatches.
watercoolers, coffee pots. Stow duct work, pipes, and cabinets. • All spaces need to
your personal gear in your locker • All lights need to be on…and be secure for sea. TVs,
or take it home. bright. Check light bulbs and computers, printers, hard drives, and
• Coats, packs, etc., should be starters. Light covers should monitors need to be properly secured
stowed in personal lockers, not in be clean and free of paint (and either by brackets or mounting straps.
work spaces, with the exception of cracks). Cabinets and storage lockers need to be
foul weather gear. • All safety pins need to be in place bolted to either the bulkhead or to the
• Remove excess gear from the in stanchions. Be sure the bolts deck. Loose items and gear need to be
ship. Reduce storeroom holdings holding handrails and steps are properly stowed.
as feasible. Once old equipment tight with pins inserted at both the • CO2 and PKP bottles need to be
has been replaced (like computers top and bottom of ladders. properly PMS’d and within periodicity.
and printers), take it to DRMO. • Non-skid strips (3) should be • All electrical and electronic equipment
• Storerooms should be well in place at the top and bottom of MUST BE safety checked.