Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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x ,.,V . Master Chief Electrician's Mate tSurface Warfare5 John A. Kimbrough was born in Quonset Point, R. I. He graduated from Miami Carol City High School in Miami, Florida, and attended Miami Dade Junior College prior to enlisting in the Navy on 19 May 1971. After recruit training in Orlando, Fla., Master Chief Kimbrough was assigned to Electricianls Mate A School at Naval Training Center, San Diego where he graduated second in his class in February 1971. Upon graduation, Master Chief Kimbrough was advanced to Electricianls Mate Petty Officer Third Class and was assigned to the USS ORLECK CDD 8865 for six months temporary duty, while awaiting nuclear power school in Mare Island, Calif. He attended nuclear power school from August 1972 to February 1973 and then traveled to Idaho Falls, Idaho to complete nuclear power training at the A1W prototype. After successfully complet- ing nuclear training, Master Chief Kimbrough was advanced to Electrician's Mate Second Class under the Selective Training and Reenlistment CSTAR5 program. He remained at the AlW prototype as a staff instructor from September 1973 to November 1975. Following his tour of instructor duty, Master Chief Kimbrough attended Electrician's Mate C School at Naval Training Center, Great Lakes, Ill. from November 1975 to July 1976. He graduated second in his class, and was advanced to Electrician's Mate First Class in July 1976. Master Chief Kimbrough was later assigned to the USS TRUXTUN CCGN 355, which was homeported in San Diego. During his first sea tour, he qualified for all electrical watchstations and as Engineering Watch Supervisor CEWS5. He was selected to Chief Petty Officer in October of 1978. Master Chief Kimbrough returned to instructor duty, but this time at the DIG prototype in Ballston Spa, New York. From November 1978 to March 1982 he served as Training Coordinator, Training Engineering Officer of the Watch, Leading Crew Chief, and Maintenance Leading Chief Petty Officer QLCPO5. While assigned to the DIG prototype, he qualified as Engineering Officer of the Watch CEOOW5. In March 1982, Master Chief was assigned to the USS TEXAS CCGN 395. Once again, he qualified as EWS and EOOW. His job assign- ments included: Electrical Division LCPO, Reactor Training Officer, Assistant Reactor Department LCPO, and USS TEXAS Safety Officer. He was frocked to Senior Chief Petty Officer in April 1985. Master Chief Kimbrough was part of the initial manning at Nuclear Field An School in Or- lando, Fla., from May 1985 to October 1988. While in Orlando, he earned his Master Training Specialist Certificate, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Adminis- tration from Columbia college, graduating with honors. He was promoted to Master Chief in September 1988. A graduate of the Navy's Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, R.I., Master Chief Kimbrough was assigned to USS NIMITZ CCVN 685 in January 1989. Initial assignments include: Engi- neering QE-15 LCPO, Reactor Electrical Technical Assistant, as well as LCPO. He assumed duties as NIMITZ' Command Master Chief on October 15, 1990. Master Chief Kimbrough has been awarded: The Navy Achievement Award Cthree awards5, a Meritorious Unit Commendation, Battle Efficiency Ev, Good Conduct Medal Cfive awards5, National Defense Medal, Southwest Asian Service Medal and four Sea Service Awards. Master Chief Kimbrough and his wife, Danette reside in Port Orchard, Wash.

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It has been said that landing aircraft on a carrier flight deck is like landing on a postage stamp. For Interior Comrnuni- cation Electrician First Class Curtis Beers, Jr., andthe rest of V- 2Division, using lights and lenses to get aircraft safely aboard this four-and-a-half acre postage stamp is all in a day's work. It was Beers, superior performance in his field which earned him the distinction of NIMITZ' 1990 Sailor of the Year. The award which was presented at the NIMITZ Christmas Party Dec. 21, 1990, represents the cessful Navy career. At his workcenter in V-2 Division, Beers super- vises the operation and up- keep of the four primary elec- trical and optical systems which assist in the launch and recovery aircraft aboard NIMITZ. We help pilots get aboard safely, he explains That,s our whole purposef, To do that, Beers and his ship- mates use systems like the Fresnel lens, or meatball, an optical landing system mounted aft on the ship' s port side. This series of lights is designed to assist incoming aircraft in maintaining a glide slope which will get the aircraft and pilot safely onto the deck. Another area under Beers' supervision is the Integrated Launch and Recovery Television Surveillance CILARTSJ Sys- tem. This system consists of six cameras, mounted on and near the flight deck, which monitor catapult hookups, aircraft landings and approaches. The Landing Signal Officer CLSOJ heads-up display system, located near the meatball on the LSO platform, allows the LSO to track and assist incoming aircraft. Used primarily for night and foul-weather situations, the heads-up display re- ceives much of its infor- mation from the auto- matic carrier landing system. Closely related to that system is the Manually Operated Vi- sual Landing Aid Sys- tem, which allows the Landing Signal Officer to manually control the Fresnel lens and lights in case of power failure. To the layman, these systems may sound about as simple as integral calculus, to Beers, however, success lies not just in understanding the systems, but in operating them with a can-do attitude as well. You need to find problems before they find you, says Beers. You have to stay one step ahead of everyone else. If you can do those things, and maintain a positive attitude, you'll be OK. And a little common sense doesn't hurt, either. latest achievement in Beer's suc- Beers has received formal Navy training in the Fresnel lens and ILARTS systems only, but has worked extensively with all four systems during his tour aboard NIMITZ. His training began after completing recruit train- ing in 1986, Beers attended Basic Electricity and Electron- ics School and IC A School in San Diego, Calif. After graduating at the top of his A school class, Beers was the number one candidate for assignment to NIMITZ, then deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. I was happy about it, he says, because I had asked for an East Coast ship. Before reporting to NIMITZ, Beers was Sent to Great Lakes, Ill., and an intense 15-week course on the ILARTS system. Again, he fin- ished at the top of his class. In May 1987, Beers reported aboard the NIMITZ Air Depart- ment. When I got here, NIMITZ was turning over with KITTY HAWK in the Med, he says. A month later, NIMITZ rounded South America on its way to Bremerton, and Beers' East Coast ship had switched coasts. As is typical with Petty Officer Beers, however, everything worked out for the best. He took part in that historic 42,000-mile deployment sailed into the Pacific Northwest, and landed on the end of Cupid's arrow. Curtis met Sandy, a Puget Sound native, later that year. They were' married in August 1989, and now have a daughter. In 1989, with NIMITZdry-docked, Beers attended the Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System Maintenance School in Lakehurst, N.J. Upon his re- tum, he hit the books in preparation for the First Class Petty Of- ficer examinations. And once again, Beers was successful: on I an. 16, after less than five years in the Navy, he was frocked to E-6. Advancing to E-6 and being named NIMITZ Sailor of the Year enter very little into his definition of job satisfaction: he seems to have achieved that satisfaction long ago. When someone knows you'll do a job and do it well -- when they know they can count on you, says Beers, that's satisfaction enough.