16 JAX AIR NEWS, NASJACKSONVILLE, Thursday, March 13, 2008 RESCUE: 'Dusty Dogs' help snag crew from sinking vessel From Page 1 Dusty 617 then launched from the Sacagawea and proceeded back to the Nadi. It was early afternoon with about 20 knots of wind and 12 to 14-foot waves. Nadi was anchored and aligned into the wind. From the initial flyovers the crew determined that they would lower their rescue swimmer down between the two masts where there was no wire, allowing maxi- mum room to execute the rescue and maintain visual reference to the rest of the ship. They also determined that the rescue would require two trips, since the heli- copter had room for seven passengers and there were 10 crewmembers on the ship. The pilot positioned the helicopter 10 feet above and in between the two masts, while Hernandez made verbal position calls to assist the pilot in maintaining a good position in order to execute the rescue. When the helicopter was established in a steady hover, Graham was lowered down to the ship's deck. The sea state made it difficult to plant the rescue swimmer on the deck so the crew chief timed the arrival of the swimmer to the deck with the lull of the waves. The pilot kept a close eye on the masts, while maintain- ing altitude vice climbing and descending with the ship, which pitched up and down five to 10 feet as the waves passed underneath. Graham hit the deck as Hernandez made sure to payout extra slack on the hoist so that if the ship started pitching again it would not lift Graham back off the deck. Once on deck he was able to communicate to the crew how the recovery was going to happen. The first three crewmembers were hoisted off one at a time. Graham came up with the fourth individual and the aircraft departed the hover and returned to the Sacagawea to drop off the four crewmembers for medi- cal care. The helicopter was then repositioned back over the Nadi; the remaining six individuals were recovered and then taken back to the Sacagawea for treatment as well. Each trip took about 20-30 minutes to complete. The pilot landed on deck and shut down as the medical staff examined the individuals. After the medical examinations were complete, the medical staff determined that the survivors were mal- nourished and dehydrated. One crewmember from the Nadi had a broken hand that needed special attention. The aircrew and medical staff then departed back to their ship. The Nadi eventually sank later that night. Through the hard work and dedication of HS-7 Dusty Dogs, the medical staff and USS Sacagawea, the individuals were rescued from a sinking vessel. The exceptional flexibility of HS-7 was demonstrated in the way the maintenance department flawlessly reconfigured the helicopter from a special operations configuration into a medical evacuation capable plat- form. Furthermore, the aircrew shifted their frame of mind from the training exercise to a real world rescue. Everyone performed their duties with the utmost pro- fessionalism to accomplish the mission. FACSFAC: 'I just try to do my job to the best of my ability ...' From Page 1 He has received three letters of appreciation from the Federal Aviation Administration Jacksonville Center for his dynamic management of airspace during periods of inclement weather. FACSFAC Jax Commanding Officer Cmdr. Curtis Stubbs stated that Kerns has gone well-beyond what we expect from our Sailors today. The late Adm. Robert Pirie understood the importance of the ATC rating after the establishment of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. Pirie fought for and succeeded in keeping this Navy rating alive. "AC 1 Kerns is a product of that struggle 50 years ago. His ground-breaking performance as a forward control- ler in Iraq will serve as a template for future air opera- tions and the lessons learned will further justify forward deployed controllers," said Stubbs. "I could not ask for a better Sailor to lead my troops or represent this command than AC 1 Kerns!" On receiving the news of his selection as FASCFAC Jax Sailor of the Year and ATC of the Year and nomination as Naval Air Force Atlantic Sailor of the Year, Kerns was happy and shocked. "I just try to do my job to the best of my ability and take care of my Sailors," he said. COMNAVAIRLANT will announce their Sailor of the Year tomorrow in a ceremony in Norfolk, Va. Kerns is among five nominees from various other aviation shore commands subordinate to Naval Air Force Atlantic. Some Sailors smoke... But most don't... Al i Which one are yc S Call to 542-2836 to quit CREWS: 'Well, the collard greens unless your Uncle Frank comes over' From Page 1 "The faces changed but the makeup was the same. Active duty and reserve PAO's, officers and enlist- ed, civilians and military; all working together. We escorted South Florida reporters as well as nation- al and international print and electronic media." He said the media were not as savvy on mili- tary issues as here in Jacksonville. "Several times, I've taken reporters on board an aircraft carri- er had them ask me, 'how many Soldiers are on this boat?"' He became the NAS Jax PAO in 2006. "The only rea- son I have been successful in managing the media cen- ter during Fleet Week or managing the public affairs program for this base is because of the people around me," he said. "I've had the pleasure and good fortune of working with the finest professionals in the Navy. In fact, the staff in the NAS Jax PAO is the best staff in the world, in any profession. In my mind, no one has ever worked with any group of profes- sionals as good as these guys. "There are so many people here that I'll really miss. It goes beyond 'co-workers,' it goes beyond 'friends.' Many of the folks here, includ- ing my PAO cohorts at the region, NS Mayport and NSB Kings Bay, Ga., are a lot more like family to me. There will always be a spe- cial place in my heart for you," he continued. "I am very proud of this base, from the commanding officer and executive offi- cer down to the youngest Sailor. I'll always be proud to have been a part of the things we've accomplished here," added Crews. When asked about his personal philosophy, Crews simply said, "I remember once when I was about five listening to my mother, father and grandmother talking about a funeral. I asked them why people were born and had to die. My grandmother, who was pretty hard of hearing said, 'Well, the collard greens unless your Uncle Frank comes over.' My parents just let it go and I haven't pursued any real philo- sophical thinking since that time," he said. He and his wife, Mary Ann, plan to travel exten- sively in the near future. "Mary Ann grew up in New York City in Queens. We're great together, but at fam- ily reunions she sticks out like a bagel on a plate of grits," he said. According to Crews, his family is analogous of fried catfish, grits and hushpup- pies. "Mary Ann is a bagel with lox and cream cheese," he points out. He is introspective about their backgrounds, though. "My wife is second genera- tion Cuban and Irish. I tell folks back home that her ancestors were not fighting against our ancestors who left their farms to serve in the Civil War. They were all too busy digging pota- toes and rolling cigars," he stated. Crews doesn't have any immediate plans to go back to work. He explained that Mary Ann will continue working as a registered nurse. "I'll be retired, so one of us has to be working steady," he said. "She is looking forward to having a house-husband. Of course, I won't be the kind that cooks and cleans house while she is working. I'm going to be a trophy husband who trains for 5K races and works on writing the great American novel all day." His main hobbies are physical fitness and com- prising his family geneal- ogy. FloridaUniformTfic LwFoiaStatte31608 Crews has a daughter, Heather, who resides in Orlando with her husband and their two children; and a son, Matt of Orange Park. He and Mary Ann also live in Orange Park but, "We don't plan on being home much," he says. "We'll do a lot of traveling once I retire. The sun will set between where we're going and home." Editor's note: On behalf of the men and women aboard NAS Jax and it's tenant command, we thank Rick for his pro- fessional excellence and friendship. His great enthusiasm, sense of humor and impeccable leadership will be sorely missed by all. Greg March 11th-15th Greg made his third appearance at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. His show stopping finale of pop star impersonations has been described by many club owners as the best closer in the business!!! CoMe1d> / \ For a complete listing of performance times r ticKets visit: www.comedyzone.com or call 292-HAHA 1-295 & San Jose elvd Qocated inside the Famada-Inn) uide9Dof J undation ForThe Bind, Inc. SELL YOUR HOUSEme ; I'm not a realtor, I buyD ESS Houses. Close when you want. Repairs or behind on payments not a problem. Call Pat or Denise. J904781-1339 r3 23 LOCATION ABC LIQUORS AMERICAN LEGION BONOSBBQ BONUS DOLLAR BP CECIL PINES ADULT COMMU CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHEVRON GAS STATION CITGO COMFORT INN ECKERD DRUGS FAMILY DOLLAR FCE BP FCE SHELL FCE SHELL FCE SHELL FCE SHELL(DAILY'S) FIDDLERS GREEN GOLF COU FLEET RESERVE FOOD LION FOOD LION FOOD LION GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE GATE VYSTAR CREDIT UNION VYSTAR CREDIT UNION VYSTAR CREDIT UNION VYSTAR CREDIT UNION VYSTAR CREDIT UNION JIFFY LUBE JIFFY LUBE JIFFY LUBE JIFFY LUBE JIFFY LUBE JIFFY LUBE JIFFY LUBE OFF-BASE PICKUP LOCATIONS LOCATION ADDRESS CITY JIFFY LUBE 5541 ROOSEVELT BLVD. JAX JIFFY LUBE 5443 SAN JUAN AVE. JAX JOHNSON FAMILY FLEA MARKET 1179 PARKAVE. OP KANGAROO 7628103RDST. JAX KANGAROO 6842 WILSON BLVD JAX KANGAROO NITY 6008 LAKE COVE AVE. JAX KANGAROO 1734 KINGSLEY AVE. OP KANGAROO 206 PARK AVE. OP KANGAROO 1313 BLANDING/KNIGHT BOXX OP KANGAROO 341 PARK AVE. OP KRYSTALS 1952 PARKAVE. OP LIBRARY 4603 BLENDING BLVD. JAX LIL CHAMP 6510 NORMANDY BLVD. JAX LIL CHAMP 6409 SAN JUAN AVE JAX LIL CHAMP 6970103rdST JAX LIL CHAMP 11 BLENDING BLVD OP LIL CHAMP 620 CHAFFEE RD JAX LIL CHAMP RSE CECIL FIELD JAX LIL CHAMP 5391 COLLINS RD. JAX MOVIE STOP 6260 103RD ST. JAX MURRAYSTAVERN 7900 103RD ST. JAX POST OFFICE 1670 WELLS RD. OP RAE'S DINER 5480 COLLINS RD JAX ROWE'S 511 BULLS BAY HWY JAX SAFECO 10980 NEW KINGS RD(US 1) JAX SAMS ST. JOHNS SEAFOOD 4511 SAN JUAN AVE JAX SPRINT 7023103rd ST JAX SPRINT 640 STOCKTON ST JAX SPRINT 277 BLENDING BLVD OP SPRINT 500-60 HWY 17 & CR 220 OP SPRINT 4420 WABASH AVE. JAX SPRINT 4441 WESCONNETT BLVD. JAX SPRINT 7254103RD ST. JAX SPRINT CECIL FIELD JAX SPRINT 182 BLENDING BLVD. OP SPRINT 1441 DUNN AVE JAX SPRINT 821 BLENDING BLVD JAX STAR FOOD 7313 LEM TURNER RD JAX VFW 132 BLENDING BLVD OP WESCONNETT LIBRARY 1548 PARK AVE OP WINN DIXIE 634 BLENDING BLVD OP WOODY'S BBQ 1585-B ISLAND LANE OP YELLOW WATER HOUSING ADDRESS CITY 2692 BLENDING BLVD MDG 1445 S 6th ST MACCL 5800 RAMONA BLVD JAX 2688 OLD MIDDLEBURG JAX 7603103rd ST./RICKER JAX 3137SR220/RUSSELL MDG 2584 SR220 & COLLEGE MDG 5105 SR218W/MALLARD MDG 2816 BLANDING/PEPPERGRASS MDG 4305 HWY 17 & RAGGEDY PT OP 208 LANDING BLVD. OP KINGSLEYAVE. OP 9763103rd ST./CONNIE JEAN JAX 636 McDUFF AVE. S. NEAR 1-10 JAX 770 N McDUFF NEAR BEAVER JAX 102SUZANNE OP 2468 BLENDING & SCENIC MDG 338 COLLEGE & OLD JENNINGS OP 1312 BLANDING/OAK OP 8635 BLENDING BLVD JAX 4527 120TH ST. JAX 1335 KINGSLEY AVE. OP CECIL FIELD JAX 5435 BLENDING BLVD JAX 6407 103RD ST. JAX 1464 PARK AVE. OP 10401 NORMANDY BLVD. JAX 4152 OLD MIDDLEBURG JAX 8181 103rd ST. JAX 4856 PARK ST./CASSAT JAX 3895 OLD JENNINGS/LONGBAY MDG 2682 BLANDING/218 MDG 4486 MIMOSA/218 MDG 804 BLANDING/CAMP JOHNSON OP 2816 HENLEY RD LKASBURY GCS 3075 HWY 17/MAHAMA GCS 6935 HWY 17/HIBERNIA GCS 756 PARK AVE. OP 187ARORA BLVD. OP 103RD ST./HARLOW JAX 5647 ROOSEVELT BLVD. JAX 4291 ROOSEVELT BLVD. JAX CECIL FIELD JAX Updated: FEBRUARY 1,2007 I'IC P *OU AX AIRNESAT ANYO TEEOATIOS ou..3