“DOMINANT IN BATTLE”

ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 1

THE DOMINANT NEWSLETTER

ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011

MCM CREW DOMINANT ON DEPLOYMENT

Another month has passed and we now have less than 3 months until we

return to good old San Diego. The month of August was a quite busy

month for us. We completed a very productive maintenance period and

our second port visit all during the holy month of Ramadan. During

Ramadan there are a few major restrictions imposed such as no drinking

or eating in public before sun down, no consumption of alcoholic

beverages off base, and the mandatory wear of conservative dress attire

including long pants off base regardless of the temperature. Even with

these extra restrictions we still found ways to entertain ourselves. MWR

sponsored a softball tournament against MCM Crew SWERVE and British

MCM Sailors from HMS PEMBROKE, HMS QUORN, and HMS RAMSEY on

Naval Support Activity Bahrain. We enjoyed the afternoon through the evening by playing softball, eating BBQ and

consuming refreshments while strengthening the camaraderie between our mine sweeper brethren. With the

maintenance period over we set back to sea to execute our assigned tasks. Once off the pier, SCOUT steamed

strong all the way to Oman in company of USS GLADIATOR. Where, we shifted our focus to preparing for the

Straight of Hormuz transit. We conducted a Crew Serve Weapons live fire exercise, and later that evening we

rendezvoused with USS TRUXTON (DDG 103). With our escort, we conducted the Strait transit during the night

with a few extra watches on the Bridge, in Combat Information Center and a few standing by on the 03 level to

man the gun mounts. The transit through the Straight became just another routine evolution by the time we

completed it. In the morning the crew awoke finding themselves onboard the

first MCM to transit into the Gulf of Oman since 2003. With a safe trip through

the Strait of Hormuz behind us, and a day away from Oman with a well earned

3 day port visit ahead of us. We moored in the late morning midst on August

26th

, and quickly put SCOUT into an in port condition. We enjoyed MWR

sponsored tours that ranged from scuba diving to excursions throughout the

rugged country. Our Sailors used this opportunity to explore the local area

and observing the Omani lifestyle. Muscat gave our Sailors a whole new

culture to experience and allowed them to see the beautiful scenery in a

different area of the Middle East. After departing Muscat, we finished out the

month of August completing a daytime transit through the Straight of Hormuz

back into the Arabian Gulf. With a busy month of September ahead, our

Sailors are embracing it and are prepared to execute our mission the

DOMINANT way!

MN2(SW) Cadigan, Editor

LTJG Cass watches as Deck Division prepares to launch the RHIB (Ridgit Hull Inflatable Boat) during our transit to Oman.

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ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 2

CO’s COMMENTS

Greetings Crew DOMINANT family and friends! Welcome to another

addition of the DOMINANT newsletter. I’d like to start off this issue by

recognizing our new editor, MN2 (SW) Daniel Cadigan. He stepped up to

the challenge and took on the responsibility of soliciting the pictures and

articles to put this publication together… not an easy task! Well done,

MN2, and I look forward to more of your work in the near future (as I

hope the readers do as well!)

Since our last publication we’ve been putting some sea miles on SCOUT

taking her though the Straight of Hormuz to a liberty port call in Muscat,

Oman. Your Sailors had a chance to get off the ship there to enjoy

several tours of the countryside, see some wild camels, shop at the local Souq (market), and enjoy a

traditional Ramadan Iftar, or fast-breaking dinner. All in all, it was good liberty for some MCM Sailors

who don’t usually get a chance to leave the Arabian Gulf!

We’re over half way through this deployment and are taking SCOUT on some of her last trips to sea

before we take her into the drydock facility here in Bahrain for routine repairs where she’ll be for the

rest of the time we’re here. This marks a time of working extra hard on qualifications and maxing out

the training opportunities every day at sea. There are five ESWS qualifications in the crew to show for it,

and at least another two or three on the way… ask your loved one how he’s doing on the progress to his

pin!

Coming up, we’re going to be embarking some Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) divers to assist in

their unit level training and to give us another opportunity to detonate one of our live mine

neutralization charges. We’re also going to be assisting USS ARDENT (MCM 12),one of our sister MCMs

deployed to Bahrain, in preparations for her upcoming INSURV material inspection. If you were on the

crew for our last INSURV inspection, you have an idea of what ARDENT is going through now.

September also marks the start of the school year for many of you at home. I’d recommend taking

advantage of the resources that Senior Chief Bernard mentions in his segment of this newsletter to help

get your family members started. If you’re running into any difficulty, please feel free to contact our

command OMBUDSMAN who can point you into a direction to get some assistance, her phone number

is (858) 232-5686.

Before I close, I’d like to welcome a couple new members of the crew: DC3 (SW/AW) Stuart Lovorn,

and EN3 Jacob Beers; WELCOME ABOARD to all of their family and friends. I’d also like to thank QM2

(SW) David Bauer who just left us, thanks for the hard work in Navigation Division; fair winds and

following seas. That wraps up this issue, until next time, have a safe end of summer and enjoy the start

of the school year!

G. P. Lorio

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ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 3

XO’s POST

The month of August provided the crew the

opportunity to experience a few things that are

viewed as routine in the “Cruiser/Destroyer” Navy

during deployment, but they are abnormal for MCM

Crews. After spending the first part of the month

conducting training and improving SCOUT’s material

condition we got SCOUT underway to conduct a port

visit in Muscat, Oman. Additionally while we

transited with USS GLADIATOR (MCM 11), we

conducted multiple training events to maintain our

high level of readiness. This gave our Sailors the

opportunity to hone their skills and train new watch

standers. After completing our training we were

joined by USS TRUXTON (DDG 103) and transited

through the Straight of Hormuz into the Gulf of

Oman (GOO). This marked the first time an MCM

Class vessel had operated in this region since 2003.

A day later we were moored in Muscat, Oman which

was another first for an MCM. GLADIATOR pulled in

a few minutes later and our crews enjoyed the three

day port visit by taking tours and experiencing the

city life of Muscat. In true DOMINANT fashion our

Sailors took their

roles as

Ambassadors of

the U. S. Navy

and of the

country seriously

and left only

positive impressions on the Omani people they had

the pleasure to interact with. Oman had a lot to

offer us and I feel that few will forget the amzing

things they were able to see and experience for the

forseeable future. With the port visit behind us, we

met up with TRUXTON and transitted through the

Straight of Hormuz enroute to Bahrain. This day

time transit did give us the opportunity to see a few

Iranian warships and helped us to dial in our

operator skills. All in all, August was a great month

for Crew DOMINANT and we are ready to execute

any tasking that comes our way!

Thank you for your continual support!

SEL’s BLOG

It’s Back to School. Now is the best time to sharpen your tools, so that you can improve your education and broad

your opportunity. The Navy College has a lot to offer for service members and their family. Did you know that all

U.S. Navy members and their family have FREE unlimited access to Tutor.com provided by the Department of

Defense? This resource is available 24/7 to get help in home work, studying, test prep, resume writing, and more.

You must sign into Navy Knowledge Online (wwwa.nko.navy.mil/portal/home/) and

follow these easy steps: Sign-in, Reference tab, click Tutor.com box on the right hand

side. You can find other educational resource links by visiting www.

Navycollege.navy.mil/. If you are looking to build a solid academic foundation by

improving your math and verbal skills in order to score well on exams, advance your

education, and excel in your career. Then the Peterson’s Online Academic Skills Course is

right for you. This online course is FREE to all U.S. Navy members and

their Spouses. The success of our Navy families, Truly strengthen our

Mission Readiness. Have a nice day and we will be home soon.

Boatswain mate Rating Badge

Boatswain Mate Senior Chief Bernard

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ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 4

CHENG’s PIT

August marked the half way point of our

deployment and the count down to our return to San Diego. Most of the month was spent inport Bahrain as the crew and engineers made substantial repairs to the ship in order to carry out a scheduled transit to Muscat, Oman. The smooth transit through the Straight of Hormuz reflected the hard work and tireless efforts the crew and engineering department placed into the ship and marked the first time a MCM has transited those waters in about a decade. The port visit in Oman provided crewmembers with another opportunity to experience another history-rich culture. Many took tours to ancient forts and castles, while others visited local markets and swam in the Indian Ocean. The down time was a much deserved reward for all the preparation that went into getting SCOUT back out to sea in time for the port visit.

Despite the arduous work schedule

throughout the month of August,

two Sailors from the engineering

department successfully achieved

their qualification as Enlisted

Surface Warfare Specialist. Bravo

Zulu to both EN3 Smothers and

ENFN Oladapo on their

achievement and the completion of

a major milestone in their careers.

Welcome aboard ENS Hansberry

and EN3 Beers! ENS Hansberry joins

Crew DOMINANT after four years at

the Naval Academy. He assumed his

duties as Main Propulsion Officer

earlier this month and has been a

welcomed addition to the

department’s leadership. EN3 Beers

joins Crew DOMINANT aboard USS

Scout as his first ship, following the

completion of Engineman School.

EN3 Beers has been assigned to the

Oil Lab and has hit the deck plates

running!

Until next month, “Thank you for

your support, understanding, and

the job you fill back home! We look

forward to seeing you all soon!”

OPS’s STAND

August brought the

hottest, most humid

weather of the year in

the Gulf. The Islamic

holy month of

Ramadan also ran

between 31July and

28August. During this

time our crew

observed the cultural

practices while on

liberty such as wearing long

pants and not eating or

drinking in public during the

day. It seemed like a long

month as we were in port for

the first three weeks making

repairs that kept us tied up to

the pier. Our visit to Oman

turned out to be an

unexpectedly pleasant trip.

LTJG Cass and LTJG Reilly enjoy a moment on the Bridge during the transit from Muscat, Oman back to Bahrain, notice LTJG Reilly’s excessive deployment mustache.

IC1(SW) Simmons explains how he is repairing the electrical governor control for 1A SSDG to LT Bryant.

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ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 5

SUPPO’s BIN

The month of August was a busy month for MCM Crew DOMINANT. After finishing up an extended maintenance period it was back to sea for our trip to Muscat, Oman.

Once there the crew got to

enjoy some good liberty and

had the opportunity to take

several site seeing trips that

really showed the diversity of

the country. The S-2 division

also put together some good

work and made some last

minute arrangements for a

stores on load which gave us

the opportunity to sample some

of the local foods. The

remained of the month was

spent on the transit back to

Bahrain and a continued

preparation for the next

underway. Perhaps the biggest

event of the month was LS3

Rosas’ reenlistment, BZ to him

for that accomplishment. We

are also expecting to see new

orders for both LS3 and CS2

Gant and wish them the best of

luck with their choices.

RECOGNITION STAGE

AWARDEES

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Recipients: QM2(SW) Bauer.

Senior Sailor of the Quarter Junior Sailor of the Quarter Blue Jacket of the Quarter

IC1(SW) Simmons MN3(SW) Chickering MNSN Trinidad

PROMOTIONS

LCDR Erdner

RE-ENLISNTMENTS

MN2 McReynolds, LS3 Rosas

WARFARE QUALIFICATIONS

HM1(SW/FMF) Martinez, EN3(SW) Machado, EN3(SW) Smothers, ENFN(SW) Oladapo.

HAILS

DC3 (SW/AW) LOVORN EN3 BEERS

FAIRWELL

QM2 (SW) BAUER

“DOMINANT IN BATTLE”

ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER 2011 Page 6

MONTH IN PICTURES