YANKEE STATION

"Even while Thunderstorms we make no differences!"

Picture taken at Indochina SL ( http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Binh Dinh/109/206/24 ) Model: Victoria C. Blanc

A worthy tribute to those who served our country so valiantly, selflessly,  and courageously. November 11, 2019, a workday in most of the world, started off with celebration of morning colors. Senior officers from MC 2nd Regiment, CV-63 Kitty Hawk, and Task Force 77.

A mix of marches and military hymns preceded the ceremony at 1000. All guests from 2nd and 7th fleets predominantly faced the fantail and honored the National Ensign. Benediction was performed by Sister Catherine. 

The Skipper from the Kitty Hawk, CAPTAIN Helena Sheridan, graciously volunteered to fill in for RADM Pobieski, CO Task Force 77 who was sidetracked by RL obligations. Skipper Sheridan delivered the essence of the speech prepared by RADM Pobieski from Shakespeare’s St Crispen’s Day monologue and reminded us of the famous phrase “We few, we happy, few, we band of brothers!”

Once again, we were blessed to welcome RADM Izzy Harcassle as our keynote speaker. As usual he did not disappoint You can find a copy of his speech here.

A big TY to RADM Harcassle and all speakers.

The USS Kitty Hawk was open for tour requests while many others teleported to Quang Tin Airport for a USO presentation of The SECOND LIFE CHEERLEADING SQUAD (SLCS) who were accompanied by DJ Poppy. The cheerleaders had so much fun that they stayed past their scheduled one-hour production. What fun the men had watching the sexy cheerleaders.

DJ Poppy then started her patriotic 2 hour set having already putting in one hour with the SLCS. 

One of the first things that you learn in your Recruit Training, and then hone further if you attend Officer Candidate School, is the Traditions, Customs and Courtesies common to the United Sates Navy. This includes things such as the correct times and manner of wearing different types of uniforms, the mysteries of who, when and how to salute, when you do and do not wear a cover, the proper forms of address and other various rules and exceptions.

Both Recruit Training Command and Officer Candidate School are, of course, shore duty assignments. Any time spent aboard a ship is normally brief and in a training rather than an operational environment. So it may surprise you to learn that the customs and rules are somewhat different when you are aboard a Navy ship on active duty at sea.

When a vessel is in port (Berthed) it is treated in most respects the same way as any building at a Naval shore facility. All of the familiar rules that you learned at school apply. Covers are not worn indoors except in certain special cases (such as a duty requiring you to be under arms). Salutes are only rendered when covered or when making a formal report, so rarely indoors.

What you may not know is that when a ship is at sea (Underway) a very different set of rules apply. Covers are not worn at all(there are exceptions such as helmets at battle stations, or flight deck caps) indoors or out. Salutes are not rendered except in a few very specific situations (reporting for duty, making a formal report, etc). Verbal forms of address are as ashore, and one is often called to come to attention where a salute may have been rendered ashore.

Confused about what to do and what not to do? You are not alone. Confusion about these issues has lead to misunderstandings and disagreements (particularly between RL Navy vets and those who are not) that could have been easily avoided had you been provided with better training when you joined the ship. In order to resolve this quickly, I will be developing a short training class called “Customs and Courtesies Underway” that will clearly explain the differences between time spent ashore and time spend on a vessel underway.

The class will be available in February and will be accessible using our automated course delivery system. This means that you will be able to take the class at a time that is convenient to you without the need to schedule time to attend a class. All Officers and men assigned to the Kitty Hawk or Naval Air Wing 11 will be required to view the class within 2 weeks of when it is made available. All newly assigned Officers and men will view the class as a part of their orientation to the ship or the Wing.

The different underway rules recognize the fact that sea duty is busy and leaves little room for distraction while still maintaining the level of discipline and courtesy upon which any military organization depends. If you have any input for, or questions about, the new course, please pass them on to your Commanding Officer.

And look for the class availability announcement next month.

The US Navy has issued to our Aviators a new teaching tool.  This automatic slide projector gives pictures and audio to teach the Aviator/NFO's on different subjects pertaining to their jobs.    

Where is it? It is located  in the Pilots briefing room next to the podium.

How do you use it?

There is a Red button on top of the Projector.  Press it and select "Classes".    Then choose the options of classes available.   There are 10 class option slots available.   Not all are filled at this point.   Choose the class you wish to take and the class will start.

If you need to pause the Class to review notes or to look at the Illustrations you press the RED button.   Select "Controls" and you can Pause the class.  Then hit "Resume" to continue where you left off.    There is also an "OFF" button to end the class where your at and abort the class all together.

Why do we need this?

This type of teaching tool was designed to help speed up and allow flexibility and repetition to any class subject.   It saves time and is more efficient, both from the point of view of the Instructor and the Student.   As most everyone learns, retains and absorbs information at different rates...it allows you to control it at comfortable rate.

Currently the available classes are   Primary Flight training classes 1 - 3  and COQ Carrier ops.    More will be loaded into the system this year.

You are invited to check out the class giver and familiarize yourself wit hit.   And you are encouraged to off up suggested topic for NEW Classes you would like offered.

Contact your Supervisor and present it to the Wing Commander's office.

CDR John Sheridan

The 2018 Halloween mission was a success thanks to the Army coming to the rescue.  

Colonel Sky with elements of Delta Co. of the 25th Infantry Division including Capt Steven Aries and PFC Allexis Thatcher along with a Marine security force lead by  Col Woodrunner received their Operations order at the Phu Yen Airfield.

Lt Roy choppered the team, designated as Tango 3, to the LZ.  

The Situation?  Elements from 1st Platoon Lima Co. Rangers are missing.  The Team call sign was Lima 1 and they were on a Long Range Reconnaissance into the Den Xua province in North Vietnam.  They made their first two check in's -   then went silent and are now 2 days overdue.

Tango 3  mission was to retrace the route taken by Lima 1 and investigate the reason(s) for their disappearance. Then collect information and fall back to the Extraction Point.

Once the team landed they started the arduous navigation through thick vegetation down the hill  where they found train tracks masked by the Triple canopy of the jungle.

They followed the train tacks the way Lima 1 did but were hearing noises that didn't seem right.    Clicking noises that no bird or bug they ever heard, made.  

They continued on till finally the train rails went into the mouth of a mountain cave.   They found a train station, but were shocked at what they found inside.    The slain and dismembered bodies of the Rangers and, strangely,  VC soldiers too!

It seemed at first glance the mystery was solved.  They were ambushed by VC but this turned out not to be the case.

Col Sky reported:  "After a more through examination of the area we noticed...

The bodies were grouped as if they were back to back to each other.....as if they were firing in all directions.

The VC were not attacking them....  from the way they are laying....it looked like they were fighting along side the Rangers....."  

Tango 3 members ran across some cowering VC who escaped the massacre. They were reported to be in shock.  After questioning they were able to get a few words out of them.    Capt Steven Aries reported the VC only talked about Ghosts in the jungle.  "They were attacked by Ghosts!", he said.

The team found some green glowing Bio-luminescent liquid on the ground.   What was that?!? the team wondered.    But the drips were like a trail that lead them into a tunnel from the railroad tracks deeper inside the mountain said, Col Woodrunner.

Members of Tango 3 reported as they followed the trail they heard more strange and crazy noises.   "The tunnels were dark....so the team switched to starlight scopes ....but it did not expose everything inside the tunnel... you only saw maybe 20 feet ahead of you", said Col Sky.   They moved in the dark like that for about a mile when they saw the tunnel finally opened to the outside.

The eerie sounds got louder.   But now they heard an electrical hum....then a Zing!  Then the chirping ticking notices they heard before.

The team came under fire!    White bolts traced into the group but no one was hit.   They took cover behind a hill....   They could not see who was firing at them.

Then the jungle went silent.    The team emerged and started to make their way back to the Extraction point and the imagined safety of the Chopper.

but as they moved...they could hear what ever it was following them.  Col Sky said, "It's incredibly fast and could keep up no matter how fast they ran".

Then they saw it.    Some sort of man, in a mask which had pointed dreadlock hair coming out all around its head.  It stood 8 ft tall and wore some sort of black metallic armor on its shoulders, arms, chest and legs.

The sight of this brought the response of "FIRE" from Col Sky of Delta Force.  The exchange of fire lead to the deaths of two Delta force members but the expert shots from Delta force managed to hit the intruder and forced it to retreat.

Col Sky reported the man was fast and agile.  It could climb trees like nothing he ever seen.  then we lost sight of it.   It seemed to just blend into the surroundings like no cammo he ever seen.

Delta Force survivors continued its run towards the extraction point.  When they finally got there the fog had rolled in and delayed the choppers arrival.

The team dug in on the Extraction point waiting for the chopper, but more importantly, for mutual protection as they started hearing the chirping sounds again echoing in the jungle.

At dawn the chopper arrived, but Delta Force's Predator was not done with them yet!    Shots of white electrical bolts rang out from the jungle at the team who also had the VC survivors with them.  

A fire fight erupted but this time they also had he door gunner from their gunship in support.   The M60 laid a field of covering fire as the team and VC prisoners got on the chopper and lifted off.

The chopper and its cargo of battered and worn out members of Tango 3 managed to survive.     The question remains, what unearthly man did they encounter out there?   And will it return?

LCDR JOHN SHERIDAN, USS KITTY HAWK CV-63

On Saturday and Sunday, 20OCT18 - 21OCT18, a SL air race commemorating the great 1934 air race from England to Australia was organized by Jennytryit Katz and drew about 10 racers flying vintage aircraft to compete. The actual 1934 race, which began on 20OCT34, was instrumental in convincing the public that the airplane was a safe and efficient way to travel, even over vast distances.

What was so remarkable in this race across half the world, was that the 2nd and 3rd place competitors were brand new airliners, the KLM owned DC-2 'UIVER', and the Boeing 247D 'Hollywood Comet' flown by the great air race pilot Roscoe Turner and record breaking co-pilot Clyde Pangborn. The public where captivated by the race, the pilots - who were the 'rock stars' of the time - and especially the new airliners.

Katz cites the "help of lots of special people in SL" in creating the 2-day grid flying event, including a live broadcast of the various pilots' progress by aviation journalist Luke Flywalker. The very long race required landings at 4 airports on the first day and 6 on day 2. Pilots encountered a wide variety of flight and airport conditions, a true navigation challenge and the need to get the most out of their aircraft. Lag was a serious factor for some of the flights, but no one quit. Entrants included the venerable C-47, a Fokker Ju-52, a Fairy Swordfish torpedo bomber, Curtis Jenny, Ryan PT-22 and Grumman F-3 among other pre-1945 aircraft.

At the end of the first day, 7th Fleets 3 Aviator entrants held the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place positions. RADM Sidney Pobieski, LT Sir Matter and LTjg Roy2 continued to give a good account of themselves on the second day as well.

LT Matter finished the race in 1st place overall flying the Ryan PT-22. RADM Pobieski, who started 45 minutes late due to RL issues, clinched a distant second place. LTjg Roy slipped from 3rd place because of persistent bad weather (lag) but toughed it out and made it over the finish line.

All the pilots waited eagerly at the finish for everyone to arrive, and the competition was overwhelmed by a spirit of camaraderie and respect for every entrants accomplishment in finishing such a challenging flight.

On 22SEP18, USS Kitty Hawk lost its Chaplain, LT Shoramin "Chappy" Femto. LT Femto entered hospital on 09SEP18 for surgery to repair a detached retina and never recovered.

Those of you who had the good fortune to know LT Femto, as I did, know full well that he was far more than "just" the Chaplain aboard Kitty Hawk. While those who took advantage of his advice, counsel and perspective as Chaplain know how good he was in that role, during his service he also found the time to become a Naval Aviator and fly helicopters. But that was not enough for Chappy. He also completed all the scripting for the Terrier SAM system, now Kitty Hawk's primary air defense, as well as develop the Deckmaster landing system that reminds us on every landing how much better we could still be.

Prior to his enlistment, Chappy was a deacon at St Catherine's Church, which is occasionally attended. When I approached him to ask if he knew anyone who might be interested in serving as our Chaplain, he said that he did. And he served us well until his passing.

Captain Stenvaag has recommended, and I have approved, LT Femto's posthumous promotion to Lieutenant Commander, to be awarded at October Orders on 04NOV18. Please plan to be there to honor this extraordinary man.

Fair winds and following seas, Chappy. Take your rest. We have the watch.

Smith Funeral Home Obituary

“Thank you everyone for coming to this Aerial Refueling Event.  We appreciate your interest.

I am Lt Commander  John Sheridan and I am with the 7th fleet.    

I was asked to give a few words intro into what we are doing today and speak about air to air refueling.

Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling or in-flight refueling is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one military aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) during flight.

This is done by a Tanker, in this case a KC-130 for today's exercise,  but other types of aircraft can be fitted with external fuel tanks that use a Probe and Drogue system.

The Tanker will fly at a Pre-determined altitude, straight and level, then deploys it's drogue line.  

The "Receiving" aircraft will deploy its fuel Probe and maneuver the aircraft in a "Line Astern" formation to connect with the Drogue line, at which point fuel is then transferred.

What is the Benefit to in-Flight Refueling ?   

1) The procedure allows the receiving aircraft to remain airborne longer, extending its range or loiter time on station.

2) Aircraft can take off with less fuel and greater Payloads ( weapons, Cargo, personnel) then be topped off by tankers en-route there by maximizing efficiency.

3) The cost savings of keeping an aircraft airborne, rather than making a series of take offs and landings to get to its destination, saves both in time and fuel costs.   Potential fuel savings in the range of 35-40% have been estimated for long haul flights (including the fuel used during the tanker missions).

So for this flight you will see three aircraft being refueled.  Two Navy and one Air Force.

Some tips before you take off, adjust your draw distance to about 300m to see the planes.    Also please remove all extra scripts.    To my right you will see a Script o Meter.  Please touch this and get your script levels as close to Awesome level as you can.  

This will make your trip and everyone else's a good one.

At this time I will hand you off to Lt Matter who is the Mission organizer.”

The military event associated with and sponsored by CinSal Intl Airport was a huge success. planned and orchestrated by LT Matter, it included 5 military aircraft, a KC-10 refueler, 2 Chinook helicopters filled with observers, and a SAR helicopter.

Salina Warwick, owner of the airport sias, “It was so successful that I asked LT Matter to host it again in a couple of weeks.” (Yankee Station will post the date once we have it.)

Pictures taken of the event by LCDR John Sheridan are found on the post below. can also be found on our Flickr account https://www.flickr.com/photos/indochina_sl/albums.

A huge TY goes to all that participated from Navy, Marines and Air Force!