Finally, and no less important, today’s sailors and marines demand and deserve a personal life. People are not robots; they need rest, family relationships, and opportunities to advance personally and professionally. Warship crews need some portion of their service careers at or near their home ports. This human factor is the first casualty when politicians deny pay increases and hardship bonuses, or extend emergency deployments to extreme lengths. Because relatively few of today’s national leaders have the personal experience of long military deployments, the sea services have especially suffered. To remedy this problem, Admiral Johnson has instituted a six-month “portal to portal” deployment policy. That is, the Navy has promised that sailors will spend 50% of their time in home port.
Navy planners struggle constantly to build schedules that maximize the number of carrier groups available for deployment, while providing the best quality of life for embarked sailors and marines. Given a carrier force level of a dozen units, it works out something like this:• Deep Overhaul/Nuclear Refueling—Two or three units at a time. Currently, there are three shipyards (Bremerton, Washington; Norfolk, Virginia; and Newport News Shipbuilding) capable of doing this intensive job, which essentially “zeros the mileage” on a ship.
• Yearly/Periodic Maintenance—Two or three additional carriers are usually conducting yearly/periodic maintenance, which is mainly done dockside at the ship’s home port.
• Deployment/Workup Cycle—The remaining six or seven carriers are on an eighteen-month cycle, broken into the following phases:—Leave/Unit Training Period—The first six months of the cycle are devoted to resting crews coming off deployment, with leave and training time. Some individual ship or unit training is also conducted then.
—Workup Period—The second six months of the cycle are designed to refresh unit combat skills, conduct combine training, and validate the unit’s ability to conduct joint operations prior to deployment.
• Deployment—Designed to be six months long, this is the period where the combined battle group is packaged and forward-deployed for actual operations.
Assuming that this cycle is not interrupted by a major regional contingency, two or three CVBGs can be forward-deployed at any given time. There is always one from the East Coast, which can be assigned to the 2nd (Atlantic), 5th (Persian Gulf/Indian Ocean), or 6th (Mediterranean) Fleets. The West Coast usually has one or two groups available, which work with the 3rd (Eastern Pacific), 5th (Persian Gulf/Indian Ocean), or 7th (Western Pacific) Fleets.65
Yes, it takes a great deal of effort and investment to keep just two or three carrier groups forward-deployed at one time. Yet the lack of forward U.S. bases in areas critical to American national interests makes these mobile air bases critical to the national leadership. If America wants to have a voice in a crisis somewhere on the other side of the world, then we need either a friendly allied host nation66 or a carrier battle group offshore. And CVBGs have one major advantage: They do not need anyone’s permission to sail anywhere in recognized international waters.
The current scheme of carrier group rotations assumes a generous (by past standards) allotment of home-port time for ships and sailors, given the operations tempos (OpTempos) of today. In an emergency, though, the groups working up can be rapidly “surged” forward to reinforce groups already in the crisis zone. This is exactly what happened in 1990 and 1991 during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. By the time war broke out in early 1991, six CVBGs were in place for strikes against Iraq. Two other American CVBGs had operated in support of Operation Desert Shield and rotated home, while a British carrier group covered the Eastern Mediterranean to fill NATO commitments. In other words, even if forward-deployed carriers are tasked in a crisis, there is enough “flex” in the rotational schedule to allow units at home in the U.S. to “backfill” other American commitments.
USS George Washington (CVN-73)
Let’s take a look at one of these groups “up close and personal.” Specifically, the CVBG based around the USS George Washington (CVN-73), one of the East Coast carrier groups assigned to 2nd Fleet at Norfolk. “GW,” as her crew calls her, is an improved Nimitz-class (CVN-68) nuclear aircraft carrier. One of the second group of three built during John Lehman’s glory years of the 1980’s, she was laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding on August 26th, 1986; launched from the dry dock on July 21st, 1990; and commissioned on July 4th, 1992. Manned by over six thousand sailors and Marines, the GW has conducted three Mediterranean and Persian Gulf deployments since commissioning, a very heavy OpTempo. During her maiden voyage she was ceremonial flagship for the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the D-Day Landings in Normandy, and has conducted “no-fly” operations like Southern Watch (Iraq) and Deny Flight (Bosnia).
USS George Washington (CVN-73).
OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTO
The official emblem of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73).
JACK RYAN ENTERPRISES, LTD., BY LAURA DENINNO
As a “working class” carrier, GW lacks some of the glamor and polish that fleet “showboats” enjoy (the carrier John F. Kennedy, CV-67, once had this reputation). This is a warship, not some floating palace to impress visiting dignitaries. You’ll notice on GW’s bridge, for example, the row of “E” (Efficiency) awards painted there. These are fleet awards, which are given within each class of ships (aircraft carriers, guided-missile cruisers, etc.) to display the ship’s visible accomplishments. Each award reflects a particular specialty, ranging from engineering and weapons to food service and tactical ability. In fact, just before leaving on her 1997 cruise, the GW crew got the word that they had been selected to wear the Battle “E” (marking them as the top warship for the entire Atlantic Fleet) for 1997, their third such award in just five years. From the bridge to the pump rooms, the men and women who serve aboard the GW know they are expected to be the best in the fleet. They make a pretty good case that they have achieved that goal.
What follows is a “snapshot” of the GW team in the late summer and fall of 1997, and should help you appreciate the kind of people who make a carrier battle group work. But be aware that Navy crews, like all military units, are in a state of constant transition. The sailors and aviators that appear here will certainly have changed assignments by the time you read this book. One other quick point. Because of the mixed Navy/Marine Corps personnel base aboard the battle group, it is easy to confuse the ranks of officers. To help straighten these out, refer to the following table for clarification:
MILITARY OFFICER RANK TABLE 67
Heading the GW command team when we were aboard was Captain Lindell G. “Yank” Rutheford, USN. A graduate of the University of Missouri, “Yank” has spent much of his career as an F-14 Tomcat pilot (he also flew A-4 Skyhawks and F-4 Phantom IIs). He commanded a squadron, VF-142 (the “Ghostriders”), aboard USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) in 1988 and 1989. Following a staff tour abroad the Theodore Roosevelt (nicknamed “TR,” CVN-71) during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, he decided to take the carrier command track (described in the third chapter).
Captain Lindell “Yank” Rutheford, the Commanding Office (CO) of the carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73).
JOHN D. GRESHAM
Two years later, following nuclear power training and command school, he became the Executive Officer (XO) of TR for two deployments to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. Captain Rutheford then spent eighteen months as Commanding Officer (CO) of the replenishment ship USS Seattle (AOE-3), which qualified him for deep-draft command. While driving Seattle, he acquired a reputation around the fleet for superb ship-handling and organizational skills—very useful talents during the next step in his career. Following his relief as CO of the Seattle in November of 1996, he joined the GW as commanding officer. Along with his partner, the commander of the embarked Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1), Captain John Stufflebeem (whom we will meet later), he provides the commander of the GW battle group with a powerful core of striking capability.
The Navy supports its carrie
r captains with handpicked subordinates who run the day-to-day activities of the boat and her three-thousand-plus-person crew (the air wing brings along more than 2,500 more). Of these, the most critical job on board is the Executive Officer, or XO. While we were aboard the GW, we were fortunate to observe a handover between two XOs, when Captain Michael R. Groothousen (the GW’s XO since May 1996) left to take command of Seattle, and the new XO, Commander Chuck Smith, arrived to take his place. Captain Groothousen, a longtime F/A-18 Hornet aviator, was on his way to a deep-draft command in preparation for commanding a carrier of his own, while Commander Smith is something else entirely, having served in S-3 Viking ASW/Sea Control squadrons.
A tall, lean professional (he resembles a young Peter O’Toole), Chuck Smith is the kind of aviator you’d want at the controls if your plane had to make a night landing in a storm with one engine out. Carrier captains usually come from fighter and attack aviation backgrounds. The “right stuff” mystique and old-boy network of TopGun fighter jockeys make it tough for aviators from electronic warfare, ASW, AEW, and sea control specialties to claw their way to the top of the promotion ladder. However, the increasing importance and versatility of the S-3 in carrier operations, has enabled a few former Viking drivers to get choice commands: big-deck amphibious ships (like the Tarawa (LHA-1) and Wasp-class (LHD-1) helicopter carriers), and even some supercarriers. Chuck Smith will make a terrific carrier CO when he “fleets up” in a few years. Commander Smith took over the XO job in late August 1997, while GW was steaming into the battle group’s final training exercise prior to deploying to the Mediterranean. The change happened quickly and seamlessly. The only sign of it aboard the ship was the few minutes it took for every officer who could fit into flight-deck control to see Captain Groothousen off the ship, en route to his next assignment.
Master Chief Petty Officer Kevin Lavin, the Command Master Chief of the USS George Washington (CVN-73). Here he is just minutes away from boarding the GW for the 1997/98 cruise to the Persian Gulf.
JOHN D. GRESHAM
Commander Chuck Smith, the Executive Officer (XO) of the carrier USS George Washington (CVN- 73).
JOHN D. GRESHAM
Of the three thousand crewmembers aboard the GW, something like 95% are enlisted sailors. Their representative, advocate, and ambassador to the Captain is GW’s Command Master Chief (CMC) Petty Officer, the senior NCO on board. This is a job of great responsibility. If the food or laundry service in the enlisted spaces is unsatisfactory, it is the CMC who makes sure the Captain knows about it. If a sailor’s family member ashore needs assistance, he is the one to coordinate solutions through the Red Cross or other appropriate authority. On GW, the job is ably filled by CMC Kevin Lavin. When you meet him he seems more like the vice-president of a start-up computer company than the traditional gruff, tattooed Navy chief (his background is in electronics maintenance). Chief Lavin is Commander Smith’s senior enlisted advisor, and when he speaks both the CO and XO listen closely!
Captain Rutherford and Commander Smith manage an organization that seems more like a small city or corporation than a ship. Its various departments are key to keeping the GW running smoothly for the six months or more that she may spend deployed, or “on cruise” as her crew calls it. Each department performs specific tasks, which make possible the operation of her men, aircraft, and weapons. The alphabetical breakdown of these departments and their heads in the fall of 1997 is shown below:• Administration (ADMIN)—Headed by Lieutenant Jerry Morrison, this is the primary record-keeping group for the ship, and includes personnel, maintenance, supply, financial, and other files.
• Aircraft Maintenance Division (AIMD)—With almost six hundred personnel assigned, AIMD provides the GW’s embarked air wing with spare parts, maintenance facilities, and specialized support personnel. Commander Gordon Coward heads this division.
• Air Department (AIR)—One of the busiest groups aboard the GW, the Air Department controls the operations of the GW’s hangar and flight decks, as well as the airspace directly around the ship. The Air Department is led by an officer nicknamed the “Air Boss,” and his deputy, the “Mini Boss.” While we were aboard GW, the Air Boss was Commander John Kindred, while the “Mini” was Commander Carl June. Both are experienced pilots who have the skills and knowledge to control every type of carrier-capable aircraft under all weather and sea conditions. In late 1997, Commander Kindred was planning to move on to his next assignment, while Commander June would stay aboard and “fleet up” as the new GW Air Boss. Then it will be his job to train a new “Mini” before he moves on in a year or so.
• Crew Recreation and Morale Department (CRMD)—This department deals with the crew’s spiritual and moral welfare, and is headed by GW’s Command Chaplain, Captain Jim Nichols.
• Deck Division (DECK)—Even in a “high-tech” age of networked computers and PGMs, there is still a need on every Naval vessel for sailors who can handle lines, small boats, anchors, and all the paraphernalia of traditional seamanship. The GW’s “Deck Division” handles everything from launching the ship’s boats to manning the replenishment stations during underway refueling and replenishment (UNREP). Lieutenant Commander Johnnie Draughton, who will retire in late 1997, and will be replaced by Lieutenant Greg Worley, leads the sailors of the Deck Division.
• Dental Department (DENTAL)—A community of over six thousand people is bound to have some cavities, broken teeth, and dental emergencies while on cruise. Sending them ashore for treatment to a Navy hospital would be impractical and expensive, so GW is equipped with a full dental clinic. Headed by Commander Roger Houk, DDS, the Dental Department has everything necessary for good dental hygiene, not only for the crew of the GW, but also for the crews on the other ships of the battle group.
• Engineering Department (ENG)—The Engineering Department operates and maintains almost every system aboard GW except the two A4W nuclear reactors. These systems include electrical power, air-conditioning, jet and diesel fuel, and sewage transfer systems. Supervising literally hundreds of miles of pipes, ducts, and cable runs, and thousands of valves, pumps, switches, transformers, and gadgets, is GW Chief Engineer (CHENG) Lieutenant Commander Pete Petry.
• Combat Systems Division (CSD)—Without sensors and electronics, modern weapons systems are about as useful in battle as paperweights. The Combat Systems Division cares for the vast array of controlling hardware and software that makes the GW an effective weapons and aviation platform. Heading the CSD is the GW’s Combat Systems Officer (CSO), Commander Diana Turonis.
• Legal Department (LEGAL)-Six thousand sailors, Marines, and their families add up to a lot of legal advice. To support this, the GW has a fully staffed Legal Department to ensure that everyone aboard has an up-to-date will and power of attorney before deployment, and to handle any investigations and courts-martial that might arise. As it happens, today’s military personnel don’t get in trouble with the law nearly as often as previous generations. However, long deployments make for high divorce rates and complex family problems. The ship’s Legal Officer (LEGAL-OFF) is Lieutenant Commander Jim Roth, a sharp and able young lawyer. The Legal Officer is also the Captain’s technical advisor on Rules of Engagement (ROE), the intricate and ever-changing documents that specify where, when, and how you can shoot.
• Medical Department (MEDICAL)—The GW Medical Department is equipped and staffed to handle everything from minor lacerations and sunburns to life-threatening trauma and accident cases. Because smaller ships of the battle group have only modest medical facilities and staff, GW acts as a central hospital for the force. Heading the GW medical team is the Ship’s Medical Officer (SMO), Commander Dean Bailey, MD. He is due for relief in the fall of 1997 by Commander Mike Krentz, MD.
• Marine Detachment (MARDET)—Traditionally, the twenty-six-man Marine Detachment aboard supercarriers provided security for the “special” (the euphemism for “nuclear”) weapons that used to be carried aboard. Today, nuclear weapons are no longer carrie
d aboard carriers, and in late 1997 the Corps reassigned its MARDETs. But until that happened, the GW’s MARDET commander was 1st Lieutenant Grant Goodrich.
• Navigation Department (NAV)—The traditional nautical skill of navigation has been revolutionized by GPS, digital charts, and real-time satellite weather updates. But it still takes an experienced navigator to advise the bridge watch about how exactly to steer the ship in a narrow channel or a tricky tactical situation. GW’s Navigation Department is equipped with every kind of navigational instrument, from sextants to GPS receivers. The Navigational Officer (known as “GATOR” for short) is Commander Ron Raymer. He is expecting to leave the ship in early 1998, and will be relieved by Commander Brian Cosgrove.
• Operations Department (OPS)—Everything from eating schedules and flight operations to making a rendezvous with a replenishment ship requires a high degree of skill and coordination. This is the job of the GW Operations Department, the group that recommends to the CO and XO how they will actually operate and “fight” the GW, should the need arise. The GW Operations Officer (OPSO) is Commander Don Hepfer, who is a sly and skillful officer.
• Reactor Department (REACTOR)—Of all the departments aboard the GW, none is shrouded in tighter security than the “Nukes.” On non-nuclear Navy vessels the Engineering Department controls the ship’s propulsion. But on the GW, a dedicated Reactor Department controls the two mighty AW4 units and other associated machinery. They don’t like publicity. They won’t talk to you. Don’t even ask. The department is controlled by a career nuclear surface officer, Captain Joe Krenzel, who will become the commander of the USS South Carolina (CGN-37) when he finishes his tour as Reactor Officer (RO) aboard GW.
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