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February 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1

All hands have shown exemplary resiliency and

adaptability to their new environment and have exceeded

expectations. Even in the first few weeks of supporting

Operation Enduring Freedom, the Garuda team has achieved

an incredible task of executing over 150 straight sorties

including 36 combat missions, without a single cancellation;

an unheard of accomplishment for any Prowler squadron!

As we continue to press with the mission, each member

of the squadron continues to give his or her all. No effort goes

unnoticed and above all we realize that our success is a team

success, and included in that team is the support we steadily

receive from our families back home. It is your support that

continues to keep us WORLD FAMOUS!

Welcome to the first edition of the Garuda News! – the

monthly newsletter that will keep you, the families and friends

of our Sailors, informed of squadron happenings during this

2011 Deployment aboard the USS Carl Vinson, CVN-70.

The Garudas of VAQ-134 are back doing what they do

best – flying combat operations. As the mission and the

maintenance are all very familiar to every member of the

squadron, the living conditions have changed dramatically

from the stable, centralized base with amenities of Bagram to

the constantly moving aircraft carrier. With a new home

comes new experiences: man-overboard drills, cleaning

stations, a flight deck environment, and of course, port calls!

Commander J.L. Jackson Commanding Officer

We’re back in the saddle again!

cO’s cOrner Garuda Families,

Hopefully this note finds everyone in good

health and doing well. The last time I wrote one of

these messages VAQ-134 was in Bagram Afghanistan

finishing up our deployment and trying to plan to

our next deployment to Iraq. It is amazing how

much has changed since then. We have transitioned

from a squadron that deploys to land bases with

plenty of space to roam and creature comforts like

good internet connectivity, available phones, Skype,

and a bedroom to ourselves to a carrier squadron

which makes it impossible to get more than 1000

feet from each other and creature comforts like 100

man berthing, one phone line for the whole

squadron that is monitored for business use, and

internet connectivity that makes us long for a dial-up

modem. However, there are some positives that we

have been fortunate to experience in this transition

like port calls, the excitement of the carrier flight

deck, and being part of a larger weapon system

(Carrier Battle Group) that can influence a world

situation just by its presence. Like the commercials

use to say it “It is not just a job, it is an adventure.”

I would also like to say that many things in this

command have remained unchanged. This

squadron continues to perform at a level that many

people on the outside cannot understand. The

environment has completely changed, but the

squadron is performing like it has been doing it for

years. I continually hear from the other leadership

in the Air Wing that the one major improvement

this Air Wing has received in this turnaround is the

addition of VAQ-134. The Garudas are setting the

standard in all areas from maintenance to personal

behavior on liberty. We are also continuing to focus

on individual improvement by studying for

exams/warfare specialties, getting in shape, and

taking college courses.

Since we left after Thanksgiving the squadron

has successfully completed the final phase of work-

ups and traveled across the Pacific. We operated

around the Korean Peninsula in order to send a

message to the leadership in North Korea that the

United States is still watching. We recently arrived

in 5th Fleet (the Middle East) to support Operation

Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation

New Dawn in Iraq. We have even had a little time

LTJG Mary O’Melia

CONTINUED ON PG. 3

CO’s Corner 1

XO’s Corner 2

Words from CMC 2

Ombudsman 2

Powerplants 3

HM1 Sarsfield 3

Line 4

NC1 Matthies 5

AD1 Bauer 5

EAWS 6

IN THIS issue….

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February 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1

Garuda Families,

Greetings from the North Arabian Sea. This is

my first opportunity to write to all of you and say how

happy my wife, Tiffany, and I are to be members of this

squadron. That being said, the Garudas have made the

transition back to sea look easy and have set the standard

for all (former) expeditionary squadrons to meet. Whether

on the job or in port, the Garudas have acted professionally

and should make all of you proud!

Like the Skipper alluded to, life on the ship can

be challenging and the living conditions down right rough.

It is my job to make sure that everyone’s quality of life is as

good as life on the ship will allow. While we have had

some issues, what the ship couldn’t fix, we have learned to

fix ourselves. I am sure our First Lieutenant folks have

learned some skills they never thought they would need.

As we settle in to flying missions here know that

XO’s cOrner

Commander G.D. Byers Executive Officer

Garuda Families,

Our “Garuda Family” is now enjoying things like mail/email, port visits, and camaraderie. A handwritten letter from home with words of inspiration is one of the best things that can put a smile on any Sailor. I encourage everyone to use email as well, the contact is awesome. Our port visits were full of shopping and some great MWR tours. Camaraderie within the squadron is a unique gift bestowed to a Sailor that will be a life time memory. However, the family support from home guard is what keeps a Sailor strong.

The “Garuda Family” has adapted to sea life with ease and is well respected around this great ship, USS CARL VINSON. I‘m truly blessed to be able to sail with these fine men and women.

As we have settled into our mission, we‘ll have periods of no communication and intermittent email flow. Not to worry, it‘s all normal and designed to maximize our

Words from CMC

CMDCM(AW/SW) W.D. Goforth Command Master Chief

operational posture while conducting our missions. So far I have had great communication with our Ombudsman, Jackie Queen and Katie Koziol. If you have any concerns or a really pressing need please contact them and they will relay the message and I will respond as promptly as possible.

March second is Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. We have a great opportunity to read all the Dr. Seuss’ Books for the Month of March through the “United Through Reading” program which is in full swing and popular. USO shows always bring joy to our days at sea, be sure to ask who was here in your letters from home. In addition, ask your Sailors to smile for the CRUISEBOOK photos coming up as they will be dressed in their Sunday best, Service Dress Blues.

Walking around the shops, I find our Sailors with their heads held high with pride. Without doubt, these Sailors truly appreciate your sacrifice. Our job is important, but we are only successful with your brave support from home. Thank you. Proud of the Garuda Family, CMDCM Bill Go4th Command Master Chief

your Sailors are performing well and continuing to

impress both our fellow Airwing members and Ship’s

company alike. Ashore, they have acted like the

ambassadors we expect them to be while still being able

to enjoy the biggest benefit of a carrier deployment,

liberty in foreign ports. As I get around the shops, the

troops recognize the importance of our mission here and

are excited to see a Garuda jet go shooting off the pointy

end and head “in country”. Their enthusiasm is

infectious making me truly honored to be a member of

the Garuda Family. I look forward to meeting you all

again soon, and know that we are all in this together.

Another proud Garuda,

CDR Greg “Pugsley” Byers

Executive Officer

Happy Spring from your VAQ-134 Ombudsmen

- we hope you had a joyful holiday season. Get

ready for an exciting spring kicking off with a

Family Readiness Group (FRG) meeting, a Half-

way Party, and a Video Teleconference with your

sailors - stay tuned for dates and locations! We

had our second successful FRG meeting on 8

February where we discussed ideas for social

gatherings, fund raisers, and our half-way party.

We're still looking for a chair, co-chair, and

treasurer - get involved and have a great time

meeting new people and enjoying the Pacific

Northwest! As always, we're here for you, the

spouses, friends, and families - please feel free to

contact Katie or myself (Jackie) at

omb.vaq134@gmail.com, 360-320-9280, or

360-320-9279.

V/R,

Jackie Queen

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February 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1

to enjoy ourselves in two successful port calls to Busan, Korea and Kuala

Lampur, Malaysia, which was very interesting because we went from

freezing cold to jungle hot in a less than a ten day period. We also took a

little time on Christmas Day to celebrate as a squadron and recognize two of

our Sailors, AM3 Bates and AZ2 Brevard, who were command advanced to

AM2 and AZ1 based on their hard work and dedication. Overall, it has been

a very busy beginning to deployment but very rewarding to watch what the

people in this organization are capable of doing.

The final point I would like to make is none of these things could be

accomplished without the support of our families and friends back home.

We continue to work towards establishing a functioning Family Readiness

Group (FRG) to help provide a solid foundation back home and welcome any

help in the effort. I treat this command like a family and we are all an

important part of it. If we can do anything to help a situation or problem at

home please get in contact with us through the Ombudsman and we will do

everything we can to help. I could not be more proud of what this squadron

has accomplished in the last year and what they continue to do every day!

Proud to be a Garuda,

CDR Lee “Spaulding” Jackson

Commanding Officer

P.S. Give our Ombudsman Jackie Queen and Katie Koziol a thank you next

time you see them or talk to them on the phone. They are doing a great job

keeping the information flowing and our families supported.

CO’S CORNER CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

The Power Plants work center started the WESTPAC deployment with a lot of

fresh faces and new talent. Losing most of the experienced personnel from

the last Expeditionary Team, the younger maintainers are eager and willing to

be knowledgeable of the EA-6B aircraft systems. This shipboard ready

maintenance team has contributed greatly to the timely return of critical

aircraft assets to full mission capable status, enabling the command to meet

all operational commitments during deployment. Their hard work has turned

out the removal and installation of three J52-P-408A/B engines, along with

plenty of throttle quadrant changes to bring our aircraft to full mission

capability. All of our loved ones are in our thoughts, missing them dearly and

waiting to return home to them safely. We understand that there is a mission

to complete before we hit home guard.

HM1(AW/CAC) Paul Sarsfield, born and raised in Tacoma, WA, went to

college in Ellensburg at Central Wash University and graduated with a BS in

Pre-Emergency Medicine in 1996. He joined the Navy on 23 February 1997 to

broaden his medical experiences and practice medicine in an operational

environment. After two tours as a general duty HM he elected to go into the

Search & Rescue HM program and went down to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in

2002 to fly SAR and homeland security missions. In 2004 he deployed with

the Marines flying CASEVAC missions in central Iraq, transporting over 700

patients in 122 mission earning six Air Medals and his Combat Aircrew

designation. In 2005 he volunteered to start up the Navy’s Air Ambulance

Mission (2515th NAAD) and deployed again to Kuwait to relieve the Army to

fly MEDEVAC and en-route care missions throughout the region. In 2007,

while attached to HS2/HSC-12 he was the USS Lincoln Battle Group’s sole SAR

HM, taking care of his squadron of 200 Sailors, providing advanced life

support MEDEVAC care to and from the Battle Group, and leading CVW-2’s

medical dept and the Ship’s Aviation Medicine as the LPO. After five tours he

requested to come back to his home state and help bring VAQ-134 back to

the carrier with his experiences and continues to provide operational

medicine and leadership. His goal is to be selected for HMC once eligible in

2012 and continue to lead Sailors while raising his family with his wife Tricia,

a high school guidance counselor in the Kent School District.

HM1 Sarsfield

participating in a mass casualty drill

aboard the USS Carl Vinson, CVN 70.

By AD1 Kurt Lund & AD3 Michaelangelo Silang

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February 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1

“ Ugh, another mail call and, of course, I didn’t

get S@#$! ” was the greeting I received from AMEAN

Nathan Moss as I arrived at work yesterday, the 17th of

February. “ Rob gets his stupid box of stupid jerky, but

here I am still with nothing! ” He went on to explain

that he was anxiously anticipating the arrival of a card

his wife had sent with an EKG printout of his unborn

son’s heartbeat. His wife, Leslie, delivered the joyous

news that they were expecting within the first two

weeks of deployment, and in his mind, June couldn’t

come soon enough. That seemed to be the general

consensus one evening in the berthing when I asked

each of the “ Line Shackers ” to give me one word that

best summarized what was on their mind in regards to

deployment. “ Home, wife, kids, family, friends, land,

freedom, the drive home from base, ” were some of

the answers I received. It was clear that #1 on

everyone’s mind was the lives and loved ones they’d

left back home.

With so much to daydream about, I was curious

as to how the Line Division, such an integral

component in the completion of flight operations, had

been so successful over the course of the last few

months. VAQ 134 has surpassed the 100 consecutive

launch and recovery milestone, and shows no signs of

slowing down. I asked a few of the plane captains why

they thought they were able to maintain such a high

level of success, despite the frustration, monotony,

and feelings of detachment associated with

deployment. AD3 Greg Robinson said that on the front

of his mind was his girlfriend Lacey, a former VAQ 134

Garuda, waiting for him back in Oak Harbor. “Does

that make it harder to do your job well?” I asked him.

His response was, “ No, doing the job keeps ya from

going crazy. ” AMAN Jonathan Rojas agreed and

added, “ We get the job done to maintain morale. It’s

better when we do well and keep all our spirits up. I’d

go crazy otherwise. ” While the details varied, the

theme behind Division 310’s professional ability

seemed to be constant: “ We’d rather be home, but

while we’re gone, we’ll do our job and do it well. ”

There are many new faces in the Line Shack this

deployment, and some of the familiar ones are no

longer in the division. The migration of Plane Captains

AD3 Josh Lee and ADAN Randall Smith to the Mech

shop came earlier this month after a combined 3 ½

years in the Line. With such veteran experience leaving

the shop, other Plane Captains have had to step into

roles of leadership and become more aggressive in

training new personnel. AEAN Dustin Walcott stated in

regards to Smith and Lee that, “ Losing experienced

guys like that makes our jobs tougher, because we

have to handle our own business while picking up their

slack. Plus, the boat keeps taking trainees and sending

them TAD when we could always use the bodies. “

Trainees being sent “ TAD ” is a new complication for

the Garuda Line Shack as it is unique to boat life. A

large portion of the personnel that facilitate galley

operation, waste disposal, and officer and chief state

room maintenance on the ship is comprised of aviation

personnel who have been placed in “ Temporary

Assigned Duty ” billets. So far this deployment, five

trainees in the division have been affected by a three

month TAD. Additional pressure on those in the shop

came down early in deployment when the squadron

Maintenance Officer, LCDR Welch, presented the

entire enlisted community with the challenge of

obtaining their Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist

qualification. The studying necessary for this task,

coupled with that of advancement preparation, has

filled any gaps in time devoted to the job that might

have previously existed for those in the Line Shack.

Despite the distance from family and friends, the

stress of dodging TAD billets, and the strenuous work

schedule, Line Division personnel have found means of

breaking up the monotonous “ Groundhog Day effect ”

with pseudo-recreational activity. AMAN Ryan Way is

an avid chess player and can be found nightly dueling

any and all challengers in the berthing. AEAN Dustin

Walcott has been fine tuning his guitar skills in the

shop. AZAN Lou Garcia can be found most afternoons,

before his shift begins, body building in the ship’s

weight room. These are only a few examples of

methods Line Shack Sailors have been using to pass the

time. Port visits to Busan, South Korea and Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia also served as much needed

miniature vacations for those in the Line Division.

As the 2010/2011 deployment nears the half-way

point, I believe it’s safe to say that for the Plane

Captains and trainees in the Line Shack of VAQ 134,

the last two months feel like years. But in spite of the

long hours, undesirable living conditions, and

homesickness, they find ways of continuing to support

the Squadron’s mission to the best of their abilities,

and will undoubtedly do so till the jets fly home.

By AT3 Alex Bates

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February 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1

The re-enlistment of one of our Sailors is always a special occasion for all parties

involved. For the enlisting officer, the honor of being selected to perform the discharge

and Oath of Enlistment; for the spectators, to witness a peer reaffirm his or her values

and commitment to the United States of America; and for the re-enlistee, the pride and

fulfillment of re-committing their service to his or her country.

On 16 February, AD1 Jacob Bauer re-enlisted in the United States Navy in the

presence of a few distinguished guests – Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. On an

MWR visit to the USS Carl Vinson, the players signed autographs, took pictures, and

proudly shared their diamond-encrusted rings along with the coveted Vince Lombardi

Trophy.

A native of Waterloo, Wisconsin and a lifelong fan of the Packers, AD1 Bauer fondly

remembers watching the Packers play at his grandparent’s house while growing up. “This

experience to be able to re-enlist in the presence of the Super Bowl Champs and to wear

the 1997 Super Bowl ring during my oath will be one of many highlights of my career,” he

says. “Unfortunately I couldn’t share the experience with my family back home; I was glad

to be able to share it with my fellow Garudas.”

NC1 (AW/SW) George Matthies

originally joined the Navy as an “ AS ”,

Aviation Support Equipment Technician;

he chose to become a Command Career

Counselor because he felt that too

many Sailors were being pointed in the

wrong direction when it came to

options in their careers. In this

particular line of work the wrong

information can lead to a lot of wasted

time and can hinder individuals in many

ways. The Navy has career options and

incentives available to just about

everyone, and the possibilities of self

improvement and development are

literally endless. Most Sailors are not

aware of their options when they first

join because it can be too much to

comprehend, however, the basic

principles are explained and later

followed up on. There are key

milestones in a Sailor’s career where a

type of interview called a Career

Development Board (CDB) is conducted

with the Sailor and his or her Chain of

Command. These CDB’s are extremely

important because they lay the

foundation of the Sailor’s career and

are conducted at the following

milestones: Reporting CDB (within 30

days of receipt of individual),

6/12/24/36/48/60 months CDB’s.

As a Command Career Counselor,

NC1 Matthies ensures that each Sailor is

provided with a sufficient quality and

quantity of career information in a

timely manner. This allows them to

make sound career decisions based on

fact and not fiction. The Navy will

continue to evolve and being up to date

on all career guidance helps ensure the

success of Sailors at their Commands.

He offers vocational guidance to Sailors,

both individually and in groups, aboard

ships and at shore facilities. As

Command Career Counselor he

assesses the interests, aptitudes,

abilities and personalities of each

individual Sailor and assists them in

reaching their full potential. NC1 also

provides the basis for establishing and

managing an effective Career

Development Program, and is

responsible directly to the

Commanding Officer, Executive Officer,

and Command Master Chief for

reports on many items such as

retention, attrition, advancement,

testing and other various facets of the

Career Development Program. As a

Command Career Counselor attention

to detail is a must and ensures

personnel throughout the Command

are updated in current Navy policies in

regards to career management, off

duty education and administrative NC1 Matthies with LTJG Lassiter assisting in

the re-enlistment of AM1 Clemena

procedures, among various other

responsibilities. To sum up a Command

Career Counselor in two words would be

“ Lateral Development ”, making sure

that any information received in regards

to anything career wise gets distributed

to all, for continued improvements in

Sailor’s careers.

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February 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1

Sailor of the Year: AM1(AW) S. X. BASSETT

Junior Sailor of the Year: AM2(AW) C. J. LATHAM

Blue Jacket of the Year: AO3(AW) J. G. GOODRICH

Senior Garuda of 1st Quarter: AE1(AW) Young

Junior Garuda of 1st Quarter: LS2(AW) Mosquera

Plane Captain of 1st Quarter: AMAN Leon

Blue Jacket of 1st Quarter: AEAN Walcott

Safety Pro of the Month: AMAN Liles

Congratulations to all the Garudas who

re-enlisted in the month of February!

AM1 Bobby Clemena AM3 Matthew Rodriguez

GM2 Christopher Ruddell AME1 Wyatt Zarr

AD1 Jacob Bauer AE2 David Greer

AM2 Trevor Bates AE3 Jeremy Melendez

AM2 Shawn Tolman AT3 Stephen Jando

Ombudsman Information:

Jackie Queen Katie Koziol

(360) 257-5320 (850) 454-9544

omb.vaq134@yahoo.com

Family Contact and Assistance Officer (FCAO)

LT Ana Brown

(832) 715-8115

Care Packages for Deployed Sailors

The United States Postal Service (USPS) offers FREE

packaging materials to families of deployed military

members.

How to order?

- Call 1-800-610-8734, Monday-Friday (7am-7pm),

Saturday (7am-6pm)

- Press “1” (for English)

- Press “1” (for Operator)

- Ask for the “Care package for deployed Sailors” or

“The Military Kit”.

ELECTRONIC ATTACK SQUADRON

ONE THREE FOUR

VAQ-134

UNIT 25408

FPO-AP 96601-6418

Our Sailors are constantly striving to

better themselves. One way they are doing

that is by getting their warfare qualification via

the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist

(EAWS) program. Before participants are

allowed to start the program they are required

to meet certain pre-requisites pertaining to

their rate as well as a minimum of six months

in the squadron. Once those are met, the

Sailor is given his or her books and is expected

to visit specialists in other shops to learn about

the different aspects of the squadron. After

completion of all the required sign-offs, the

sailor takes a 100 question test followed by a

rigorous oral board.

Earning one’s wings is a point of pride

and professionalism, the Sailor leaves feeling

they have accomplished something. “It’s a

milestone in every Sailor’s career,” says LCDR

Orion Welch, VAQ-134’s Maintenance Officer.

“…it’s something they should be proud of.”

The Garudas currently have 100% of

eligible personnel enrolled in EAWS. The

Commanding Officer, CDR Jackson, has

proposed a challenge for all individuals: to

have 100% of those currently enrolled

qualified by the end of deployment.

Those who have most recently received

their coveted wings are AT3 Alex Bates, AE3

Leslie Queen, AME3 Xiang Zhang, AE3 Jeremy

Melendez, and ATAN Linda Galaviz. Other

recent recipients include AO3 John Goodrich,

AD3 Joshua Lee, and ADAN Randall Smith.

ADAN Smith’s accomplishment was especially

noteworthy because he was the first “E-3 and

below” to earn his wings in the squadron.

Included in this incredible mention are AN

Fred Johnson and AT3 Aaron Headley who

have completed all necessary requirements

and are waiting for the minimum six months

in the squadron so they may take their

boards.

In addition to EAWS, we currently have

approximately 20 Sailors ranging from E-3 to

E-6 enrolled in the Enlisted Surface Warfare

Specialist (ESWS) program, making them

eligible to become dual-warfare qualified. This

incredible accomplishment will mark them as

being well rounded, complete Sailors.