Rough Rider

November 30, 2012www.roosevelt.navy.mil

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THE SPIRIT OF GIVINGCFC ASKS SAILORS TO GIVE BACK

Story & photos byMCSN Eric Norcross

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)Public Affairs

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Tis the season for giving as USS Theodore Roosevelt’s (CVN 71) Combined Federal Campaign

(CFC) is underway to raise funds to help a large variety of charitable organizations. “This is an opportunity we have to volun-tarily contribute to non-profit organizations that are doing good things to help those in need,” said Chief Logistics Specialist (SW/AW) Albert Oparaji, TR’s CFC command coordinator. CFC is the only charity campaign

authorized to solicit and collect con-tributions from federal employees in the workplace on behalf of charitable organizations. Sailors can pledge to any of the eligible non-profit organizations that provide health and human service benefits throughout the world. “USS Theodore Roosevelt has a very wonderful tradition with CFC as one of the top contributors,” said Oparaji. “Last year we raised about $76,000. Our goal this year is to raise $80,000. Currently, we are at about 47 percent and have raised $38,000.” With two weeks left until the Dec. 15 deadline, there is still time to contribute and help TR reach its goal, and more importantly, help those in need. “It’s not too late to donate,” said Oparaji. “Please go to your CFC repre-sentative, collect a form, fill it out, and donate what you can. There is no limit – whatever you can afford.” One-time donations can be made by

cash or check. Alter-natively, Sailors can make monthly payroll deductions for a year. “We are the lucky ones,” said Oparaji. “We have a job and are guaranteed a paycheck. There are a lot of people out there who have health

issues or are facing other challenges. The little money we donate can help make a difference in their lives.”

07 18 28COMMANDHOLIDAY PARTY 27 07

DECEMBER JANUARYFIRST HOLIDAYLEAVE PERIOD (STARTING COB)

SECOND HOLIDAYLEAVE PERIOD (STARTING COB)09 CHILDREN’S

HOLIDAY PARTY 10 FAST CRUISE #2,DC OLYMPICS

$38,000

$80,000

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THE SPIRIT OF GIVINGCFC ASKS SAILORS TO GIVE BACK

November is not just a month about Turkey, fall leaves, and football; it’s also a month which

celebrates moustaches. The sudden influx of moustaches aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during November does not mean Sail-ors are just getting tired of shaving their upper lips – many are actually participat-ing in “Movember,” an initiative which aims to spread awareness about prostate and testicular cancer. While some Sailors already had moustaches before Movember, many have joined their ranks to support the cause. Electronics Technician 2nd Class (SW/EXW) John Meisner said this year marked his first time growing a mous-tache in support of the cause. “Considering how often men are diagnosed with these illnesses, I think it’s incredibly important to raise aware-ness,” said Meisner. “The more people that know about it being a possibility that they could be afflicted with these cancers the better – that way they will have a bet-ter chance to fight it if they are diagnosed early on.” Movember was started by a group of 30 men in Australia in 2004, in which they would grow a moustache for 30 days to raise money and awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. Since then, Mo-vember has caught on around the globe,

having raised more than $299 million since it started. Unlike “No Shave November,” which involves a wide variety of facial hair, Movember is all about moustaches. The official rules of Movember state that on Nov. 1 all contestants must start with a clean-shaven face, and must only grow the hair on their upper lip, making the cause easy for members of the military to take part in. “I first heard about Movember when the executive officer put it out over the 1MC,” said Meisner. “If it’s fun and it gets the job done then hey, why not? I don’t mind looking funny for a month.” Though the competition aspect of Mo-vember is meant to be fun, the message is serious. According to the American Can-cer Society, an estimated 8,590 new cases of testicular cancer will be diagnosed in 2012. Out of those, 360 will die. Testicular cancer is relatively un-common, but if it goes unnoticed and untreated there is a chance it could be fatal. Early detection can save a man’s life from the disease, as treatment is very successful. According to the American Cancer Society, Prostate cancer kills nearly 88 American men per day, and affects one in six men on average. Luckily, if caught early and treated, there is an almost 100% chance the man will be disease-free in

five years. Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Evans, TR’s public affairs officer, said he first began partici-pating in Movember last year. For Evans, the cause hits close to home; his father and two of his father’s siblings were diagnosed with prostate cancer, making him more likely to contract the disease himself. “The major purpose of this is to raise awareness,” said Evans. “I wanted to help spur conversation about men’s health.” Evans said he believes his Movember moustache has been successful in gener-ating conversations about men’s health around the ship, as most people know him as being clean-shaven. “People see me and say ‘hey, what’s that on your upper lip?,’” said Evans. “That’s the opener to tell them more about prostate cancer and men’s health in general.” Movember may not last longer than 30 days, however the message it intends to spread applies all year round. Though grateful to have been able to participate in a good cause, many newly-musta-chioed TR Sailors expressed their relief in being able to return to being clean-shaven at the start of December. “This is my first-ever ‘stache, and no, I don’t plan on keeping it,” said Meisner. “It’s really itchy.”

MOUSTACHIOED MEN OF MOVEMBERSAILORS RAISE AWARENESS FOR MEN’S HEALTH

Story by MC2(SW) Austin RooneyPhotos by MC2(SW) Austin Rooney

and MCSN Eric NorcrossUSS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)

Public Affairs

The temperature clocked in at 1 de-gree below freezing, five degrees below average for Nov. 17. The

wind was blowing a steady 6 mph, push-ing the cold air through even the thickest jackets. Most residents of the tiny town of Hagerstown, Md., were still asleep in their beds. The time was 5 a.m. Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW/AW) Christopher Cwiklinski stepped out of his hotel, took a breath, and watched the exhale rise in the crisp November air. It was a good day for a run. Cwiklinski was not going for a mere jog. Hell, he wasn’t even going for what most of us would consider a nice long run. Cwiklinski laced up his running shoes and headed out to the JFK 50-Mile Ultra Marathon. “This never gets easier” Cwiklinski said before starting. “It’s different each time, but never easier.” While running 50 miles is no easy feat on its own, Cwiklinski faces unique challenges during every race he enters. He has Ankylosing Spondylitis, an auto-immune deficiency that causes swelling of the joints. The disease is a form of arthritis that commonly affects persons as young as age 20. Cwiklinski must mentally prepare for every race he runs knowing it very well may be his last. “There will come a day that this disease will take over, and I will not be

able to run anymore,” said Cwiklinski. “That’s going through my mind all day on the course, and it’s one of the biggest reasons I push myself to finish. I run to spread awareness, but when I’m out there I’m also running for those who are affected that cannot get out here and run for themselves. Not finishing isn’t an option.” The 50-mile course gains more than 1,000 feet in elevation during its 13-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail, descending 1,000 feet for the final 2.5 miles, continues 26 miles along the his-toric Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and finishes with more than 8 miles of rural highway. Each of these sections on their own is more than enough for many peo-ple, but to Cwiklinski, the race would not be over until he had conquered each of these sections, along with the unique challenges that each presented. “The Appalachian Trail was pretty hard,” Cwiklinski said. “It was all cov-ered with leaves so you weren’t sure of your footing and a lot of it was narrow so only one person could go at a time. The canal was worse though. It felt like it would never end.” Although open to the public, the JFK 50-Mile is in spirit a military race. In 1963, the initial inspiration behind the event came from then-President John F. Kennedy, challenging his military offi-cers to meet the requirements that Theo-

dore Roosevelt set for his own military officers at the dawn of the 20th Century. Roosevelt’s requirement was for all mili-tary officers to be able to cover 50 miles on foot in 20 hours to maintain their commissions. Cwiklinski finished the race in 9:45:19, exceeding his goal of 10 hours. He ran the 50 miles at an 11:43 pace, finishing 360th of 967. The fastest run-ner of the day set a course record of 5:34:58. “I’ve never been a fast runner, and I’ll never run at the elite level like some of these guys,” Cwiklinski said. “I just challenge myself to run farther and far-ther. I want to see how far I can go.” Cwiklinski has only been running for six years, and has been distance running for five of those years. He got his start in the Navy running his physical readiness test (PRT). “It all started with my PRT back in 2006. I finished that and started thinking about how much farther I could go,” said Cwiklinski. “I graduated to 5k races and in 2007 I ran my first marathon. From there I just kept trying to go farther.” The challenges that are presented by such a long distance run are not limited to endurance and fatigue, a runner also has to fight against his mind to finish. “You go through peaks and valleys out there,” Cwiklinski said. “You will be on top of the world, then a mile later you just want to say ‘forget it’ and quit. It’s a real emotional rollercoaster. Then when

Story & photos by MC2 Sean HurtUSS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Public Affairs

you want to quit, you get someone out there cheering you on and you feel like you can go another 10 miles no problem. This sport is 30% physical and 70% mental.” Cwiklinski fights through the pain of arthritis six times a week to train for his runs. He runs 70-80 miles per week (five to 10 miles after work every day, and four to five hours of running on the weekend), does core strength and cross training exercises, and balances his diet. “Running doesn’t happen overnight,” stressed Cwiklinski. “It takes time to build up the endurance to run long dis-

“Not finishing is not an option.”

tances. I see people go out there all excited to start running, they jump right into it and get injured, then they don’t want to run any-more. You need to train hard, but train smart.” Cwiklinski’s biggest piece of advice to those who want to get into distance running is that anyone can do what he does with training and motivation. “It doesn’t matter if you are running a PRT, a 5k, a marathon, or an ultra, as long as you are having fun doing it. There will be times when you want to quit and say ‘this was a mistake’ or ‘this isn’t for me,’ but as long as you can put one foot in front of the other and are vertical, you can finish. That’s how I live my life: vertical and moving forward.”

(Top right) Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW/AW) Christopher Cwiklinski receives his medal after finishing the JFK 50-Mile race in Hager-stown, Md., Nov. 17.(Bottom) Cwiklinski runs on a trail during the JFK 50-Mile race.

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S t o r i e s a n d p h o t o s f r o m o u r S h i p m a t e s a r o u n d t h e f l e e t

Sailors assist with the onload of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)). Photo by MC3 Lorenzo J. Burleson.

TRUMAN TESTS X-47B AIRCRAFT DEMONSTRATORStory by MC3 Taylor DiMartino

The Navy hoisted an X-47B Un-manned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator on board

aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Nov. 26, in preparation for an unmanned aircraft’s first carrier-based testing. The X-47B, which boasts a wingspan of more than 62 feet (wider than that of an

F/A-18 Super Hornet), will demonstrate seamless integration into carrier flight deck operations through various tests. During each demonstration, the X-47B will be controlled remotely via a hand-held control display unit (CDU). Truman will be the first aircraft carrier in Naval aviation history to host test op-erations for an unmanned aircraft. “It means a lot to our crew to be part

of Naval history,” said Tarver. “We have Sailors who received additional training to safely move the X-47B and they are excited to play a part in its testing.” The X-47B test will be conducted over a three week period which will include in-port and underway demonstrations aboard Truman.

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Richard Kinnison super-vises as Electronics Technician Seaman Jonathan E. Flores fires a MK-38 25mm machine gun dur-ing a live-fire exercise aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81). Photo by MC2 Aaron Chase

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jona-than Greenert is honored with sideboys upon arrival aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Photo by MC2 Aaron Chase

Sailors assigned to the USS Constitution serve food to homeless veterans at the New England Center for Home-less Veterans. Sailors volunteer for the Thanksgiving meal every year to give back to the greater Boston area. Photo by MCSN John Benson

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StaffCommanding Officer

Capt.William Hart

Executive OfficerCmdr. Mark Colombo

Public Affairs OfficerLt. Cmdr. Patrick Evans

Media OfficerLt. j.g. Michael Larson

Senior EditorMCCS (SW/AW/EXW)

David Collins

EditorMC2(SW) Austin Rooney

LayoutMC2(SW) Austin Rooney

Rough Rider Contributors

MC2(SW) Austin RooneyMC2 Sean HurtMC3 Katie Lash

MCSN Eric Norcross

Command OmbudsmenApril Kumley

[email protected]

The Rough Rider is an authorized publication for the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).

Contents herein are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy or the Commanding Officer of TR.

All items for publication in the The Rough Rider must be submitted to the editor no later than three days prior to publication.

Do you have a story you’d like to see in the Rough Rider? Contact the Media Department at 534-1406 or stop by 3-180-0-Q.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

USS Theodore Roosevelt’s (CVN 71) S-2 Division food service team poses for a photo in the aft messdecks during the ship’s Thanksgiving celebration Nov. 22. Photo by MC3 Katie Lash

Interior Communications Technician 3rd Class Rachel Rice helps demonstrate the improper donning of winter gear for transiting to and from work. We counted 10infractions. See below for the answers!

1. Bluetooth device 2. No insignia on jacket 3. Unzipped jacket 4. hood not stowed 5. Bag on incorrect shoulder 6. Out of regs. bag 7. Hand in pocket 8. Out of regs. gloves 9. Trouser pockets full 10. blousing strap too low.

ALL JACKED UP

AS2 (AW) STEPHEN B. SORENSON

ROUGH RIDEROF THE

I AM ABLE TOACCOMPLISH THE TASK GIVEN TO ME WITHOUT

SUPERVISION

WEEK

“”

DEPARTMENT: AIMDDIVISION: IM3FROM: GRANITE FALLS, NCJOINED THE NAVY: 16 DEC 2008ONBOARD TR: 1.5 YEARSPRIMARY DUTIES: TROUBLESHOOTER, DIESELENGINE MECHANIC, ELECTRICIANGOALS: ADVANCE IN RANK, ESWS PIN, RECEIVEDEGREE IS MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, SUBMITOFFICER PACKAGE, RETIRE IN 20 YEARS ANDPROVIDE THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR MY SONHOBBIES: TEACHING MY SON DISC GOLF