George Washington (CVN 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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X-4 Division “O o; i ervice to the Crew is the motto of .GW's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Division. This hearty band of tour agents arranged for GW CVW 7 crewmembers to participate in tours to numerous major European cities such as Paris, Venice, and Rome and skiing trips (both snow and sand) in Italy, Austria and the United Arab Emirates. They also made sure that recreational activities were always available both while in port and underway. Rugby, basketball, softball and golf proved popular in all foreign ports while George’s Gyms stayed busy around the clock providing the latest in fitness equipment for the crew’s use. Big Bucks Bingo was another crew favorite where the prizes and jackpots grew every time it was played. Video Postcards to loved ones back home proved popular as did their latest innovation of the Spirit Video where they could rent current and older favorite videos for $1 a day. Selling cruise books, movie tickets. Suez Canal certificates, beer on the pier in Jebel Ali, and a variety of other good deals also contributed to keeping morale high. Always thinking ahead, plans were put into effect in early February for GW’s July homecoming and the ever popular annual ship’s party which was held shortly after returning to Norfolk as well as the annual Christmas party. GW's MWR division proved up to the challenge of entertaining a crew of more than 5,500 and contributed significantly to a highly successful and enjoyable deployment. LT Stevie Stephens. Jr. AOC(AW) David V alker 276 ADMIN

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X-3 Division The mind is a terrible thing to waste, and seeing to it that crew members' brains were put to good use was the job of the personnel of the ship's Educational Services Office (ESO), or X 3 division. The best ESO team in the Atlantic Fleet provide the best crew in the Atlantic Fleet every opportunity to further their academic skills and expand their minds. The ESO administered over 1300 Navy Wide Advancement Exams, and provided thousands of required rate-training manuals. Another service offered was the means for Sailors to work toward a college degree while deployed. More than 700 crew members took advantage of the various courses offered through the Program for Afloat College Eg Both instructor based courses as well as a new corr ner-active course, were offered. The DANTES College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Standardized Sui, Tests were popular and over 400 were administered. Additionally, as the authonty on programs leading to a commission. the ESO assisted dozens of crew members in preparing applications for possible selection into various officer programs. Whatever the goal, the ESO team provided every crew member the assistance necessary to quench their thirst for knowledge.

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X-5 Division George Washington's information specialists work in X-5 Division, better known to the crew as the Public Affairs Office. Simply put, X-5’s primary responsibility is to tell the George Washington, CVW 7 and battle group story to the crew and the rest of the world. Public Affairs wrote, designed and distributed the ship's newspaper (“The Guardian ), family gram (“The Cherry Tree ) and welcome aboard brochures. as well as the cruise book you are reading now. They operated the Shipboard Information, Training and Entertainment (SITE) system, providing television programming to the crew 24 hours a day at sea. In addition, X-5 produced GW NOW, the command’s local news show, as well as dozens of live and pre-recorded telecasts such as Captain's Call and Big Bucks BINGO. Outside the ship. Public Affairs marketed hundreds of stories about the crew to external media. Their efforts in coordinating hometown radio interviews made a big splash with GW crew members and radio deejays alike. Sailors from every state in the union spoke either live or on tape to radio stations in or near their hometowns. Last, but certainly not least. Public Affairs acted as liaison for scores of embarks by a variety of distinguished visitors from around the world, including a welcoming visit from former President George Bush upon GWs arrival in the Arabian Gulf region. A seven-man division serving a crew of over 5,500 Sailors, X-5 had a large hand in keeping the world informed of the power and flexibility of George Washington and the U.S. Navy. LCDR Mark McDon-u JOC(AW) G. Scott Mohr JOI Douglas Hummel J02 Thomas Gclsanliter J03 O'Dell Isaac II J03 Thomas Smith SN Curt Molzor