Harpers Ferry Newsletter - First In Freedom
004
From the CO
Commanding Officer,
Cmdr. Jon Rigby
ESG-3 Commander Visits Harpers Ferry
By Seaman Valentine Mulango
SAN DIEGO - Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Three (ESG-3), Rear Adm.
The Harpers Ferrian
February 2017 Issue No.
Heartfelt Thank You! Quote Of the Month
Team HARPERS FERRY,
What a wonderful tour I have had! From an
"Every Sailor has
extremely difficult availability, through a very
abbreviated training cycle, completing a
the potential to lead.
highly successful deployment, and then all I don't care if it's a
the way back to another major availability,
this ship and crew have knocked it out of the seaman recruit or
park EVERY single time! This ship and I
have been taken very good care of by this someone higher
crew!
As I wrap up my tour on the mighty HARP-
ranking than myself.
ERS FERRY, I want to say a heartfelt thank
you to all of the crew and the wonderful fam-
Where there's a will,
ilies that support them. I have been truly there's a way."
blessed to Command a ship that is outstand- Former Chief of Naval Opera-
ing in every way, but due only to the pride
and professionalism of the Sailors, Chiefs tions (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen
and Officers that make up her crew. They during an All Hands Call, Nor-
are truly what makes this ship HARPERS folk, VA 01 May 2007
FERRY! Guns Up!
Inside This Issue
From the CO P.1
Ombudsmen Con-
tacts P.2
Cathal OConnor, wrapped
up an official visit onboard ESG-3 Commander
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD Visits Harpers Ferry
49) Feb. 7. The Admiral P.1-2
toured key shipboard spac-
es gaining a better under- Top Two Photos of the
standing of the complexities Month P.2
of Harpers Ferrys Plan Sailors Completes
Maintenance Availability SRF-B Training P.2
(PMA).
The one-hour visit took Harpers Ferry and the
Rear Adm. OConnor from Civil War II P.3
the Pilot House to the Mess
Deck and from the Main This Month in Naval
Machinery Room to the History P.3
Well Deck amongst others.
Continue on page 2... They Said Goodbye to
Harpers Ferry P.4
(Feb. 7, 2017) - CO, Cmdr. Jon Rigby walks visiting Com-
mander, ESG-3, Rear Adm. Cathal OConnor and his entou-
Contact Us P.3
rage to the Vehicle Storage Area (VSA) of dock landing ship Sailor Spotlight P.4
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49). It was the Rear Admirals first
visit since taking command of ESG-3 on Jan. 13, 2017. No. 004 February 2017
COMMAND TITBITS
ESG-3 Commanders Visit story
Continues
The tour was guided by Commanding
Officer, USS Harpers Ferry, Cmdr. Jon
Rigby, who took several questions from
the ESG-3 Commander regarding the
PMA among other things.
Nice Spaces. Spotless! Rear Adm.
OConnor told sailors onboard USS
Harpers Ferry during an All Hands call
following the tour. Top on his agenda as
the new ESG-3 Commander, he said,
will be to scale up safety or better still in
his own words; buy down risks. He
challenged sailors to learn to express
their concerns because thats the best
way policies can be tailored to meet
their needs.
The Rear Admirals entourage included
ESG-3 Material and Logistics Officer,
Cmdr. Robert Bailey; ESG-3 Command
Master Chief, Master Chief Donald Da-
vis, Outgoing Flag Aid Lt. Kris Huff and
incoming Flag Aid, Ltjg. Chelsea Ol-
shenske.
Rear Adm. Cathal O'Connor relieved
Rear Adm. Daniel Fillion as ESG-3
commander during a change of com-
mand ceremony held on amphibious
assault ship USS America (LHA 6)
while pierside at Naval Base San Die-
go, Jan. 13. Rear Adm. OConnor is a
Surface Warfare officer who has com-
manded Amphibious Squadron 11/Task
Group 76.4 in Sasebo, Japan, and USS
Rushmore (LSD 47) in San Diego, Calif.
Expeditionary Strike Group Three was CO, Cmdr. Jon Rigby and Rear Adm.
commissioned April 17, 2007 in San OConner in Main Machinery Room
Diego, Calif. It comprises three amphib- Two, Feb. 7, 2017
ious squadrons, eight naval support
elements and 13 amphibious warships comprise more than 13,500 active-duty
(including Harpers Ferry). The group and reserve Sailors and Marines.

Photos Of The Month

SAN DIEGO (Feb. 22, 2017) - Director Navy Staff, Vice Admiral
James Foggo III (right), administers the reenlistment oath to
Culinary Specialist Chief (CSC) George Martin Balogo (center),
on the starboard bridge wing of dock landing ship USS Harpers
Ferry (LSD 49) as wife, Relita Ochoa (far left) and daughter,
Lhayla Rizel Balogo looks on. Vice Adm. Foggo and CSC
Balogo share a special bond which began in Naples, Italy when
Eighteen Sailors Completes SRF-B Class
the later served as the Enlisted Aide for the former who was the
then commander of U.S. 6th Fleet. Vice Adm. Foggo is a lead-
er and a mentor, Balogo said.

SAN DIEGO- Some 18 sailors assigned to dock landing ship

USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) concluded an Armed Sentry and
Security Reaction Force Basic (SRF-B) training which ran from
Feb. 7 through 17. Sailors were trained in non-lethal tactics and
take-down procedures during the class, providing them with
options other than the 9mm handgun. The Training was facili-
tated by Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) Instructor, Reli-
gious Program Specialist 1st Class Carlos Hall under the super-
vision of Chief Master-At-Arms Jose Cruzalvarez and Assistant
to the MAC, Quarter Master 2nd Class Dashawn Palmer. The
CO, Cmdr. Jon Rigby, XO, Cmdr. Anthony Uniewski
trainees are now ready to apply the mechanical advantage com-
and CMC, Master Chief Vince Vanterpool serve lunch
bat hold (MACH) take-downs and tactical maneuvers learned.
to the crew in the Mess Deck Feb. 24
The Harpers Ferrian 2 No. 004 February 2017
 FLASH BACK
This Month in
Naval History
Feburuary 9, 1942 - While un-
dergoing conversion at New York
City pier 88, USS Lafayette (AP
53) catches fire resulting in the
total loss of the ship.
February 18, 1846 - Secretary of
the Navy George Bancroft issues
the General Order to change Lar-
board to Port for identification of
the left side of a sailing vessel.
February 24, 1945 - USS Lagar-
to (SS 371) sinks Japanese sub-
marine I 371 and freighter Tatsu-
momo Maru off Bungo Strait,
Kyushu.
THEY SAID GOODBYE
TO HARPERS FERRY
HTCS Johnson Mike, Feb. 22, 2017
ENS Tim Howarth, Feb. 3, 2017
ENS Arthur Small, Feb. 1, 2017
CS1 Byron Green, Feb. 10, 2017
The Harpers Ferrian
Harpers Ferry And The Civil War Part II
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, 13th Marine
Expeditionary Unit team, is now operating in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations.
USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) is the lead
ship of her class of landing ship dock of the
United States Navy. This warship was
named for the town of Harpers Ferry, West
Virginia, which, because of the Federal
arsenal there, was an important location
during the Civil War.
The Battle of Harpers Ferry started with
light fighting September 13, 1862, to cap-
ture the Maryland Heights to the northeast
while John Walker moved back over the
Potomac to capture Loudon Heights south
of town. After an artillery bombardment on
September 14 and September 15, the Fed-
eral garrison surrendered. Lee, because of
the delay and the movement of Federal
forces west, was forced to regroup at the
town of Sharpsburg, leading two days later
to the fateful Battle of Antietam, and the
bloodiest single day in American military
history.
Contact Us
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USS Harpers Ferry LSD49
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USS HARPERS FERRY LSD49
3 No. 004
When Virginia seceded in April of 1861 the
US garrison attempted to burn the arsenal
and destroy the machinery. Locals saved
the equipment, which was later transferred
to a more secure location in Richmond.
Arms production never returned to Harpers
Ferry.
Shortly after the end of the Civil War, Harp-
ers Ferry, along with all of both Berkeley
and Jefferson Counties, was separated
from Virginia and incorporated into West
Virginia. The inhabitants of the counties as
well as the Virginia legislature protested,
but the federal government went ahead
anyway, forming the West Virginia
"panhandle" of today. Without the distrac-
tion of Union forces at Harpers Ferry dur-
ing the Antietam campaign the North might
not have won that crucial battle or, conse-
quently, the war.
Publisher:
CO, Cmdr. Jon Rigby
Editorial Adviser:
XO, Cmdr. Anthony R. Uniewski
Executive Editor:
CMC, MCPO Vince Vanterpool
Managing Editor, PAO:
LTJG Britney Steen
Desk Editor, Assistant PAO:
SN Valentine Mulango
February 2017
 SAILOR SPOTLIGHT
Sailors of the Quarter:
Every month, The Harpers Ferrian throws a spotlight on four crew members onboard dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry.
In this issue, we dedicate this rubric to our Sailors of the Quarter whose hard work and dedication exceeded expectation.
Senior Sailor of the Quarter EN1 Dennis Ballantyne, Sailor of the Quarter EN2 Mauri Moran, Junior Sailor of the Quarter BM2
Thomas Oloughlin and Blue Jacket of the Quarter Seaman Deborah Laplante.

EN1 Dennis Ballantyne (Senior Sailor)
From Eng. Dept.: My
name is Dennis Ballan-
tyne and I have been a
Navy Sailor for 13 Years.
I have been on Harpers
Ferry for two years. My
home city and state is
Imperial Beach, Califor-
nia. My favorite sport
team is the San Diego
Padres and my hobbies
are import sports cars. If I
didn't join the Navy I
would have been a race
car driver. My best
memory with Harpers
Ferry is the day Inspec-
tion and Survey
(INSURV) ended. In his
own words: I feel very
proud to represent Engineering Department sailors because
this wouldnt be possible without them. Editors note: On Oc-
tober 7, 2015, Harpers Ferry departed San Diego for a day-long
Board of INSURV assessment. INSURV is the inspection and
assessment of material condition of U.S. Navy vessels.
EN2 Mauri Moran (Sailor of Quarter)
From Eng. Dept.: My
name is Mauri Moran and I
have been a Navy Sailor
for four years. I have been
on Harpers Ferry for three
years and six months. My
home city and state is Mi-
ami, Florida. My favorite
sport team is The Pitts-
burgh Steelers, and my
hobbies are working on
cars, diving, and sports. If I
didn't join the Navy I would
have been working for law
enforcement and going to
school finishing a degree
which I am currently work-
ing on. My best memory
with The Harpers Ferry was
completing the last training
cycle which was very nerve
racking but exciting. About
being named Sailor of the
Quarter, Moran says: Well,
it was not expected but
definitively felt great, hopefully inspires my peers by show-
ing that hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed.

BM2 Thomas Oloughlin (Junior Sailor) SN Deborah Laplante (Blue Jacket)

From Deck: My name is
From Deck Dept.: My
Deborah Laplante. I have
name is Thomas O'Loughlin
been a Navy Sailor for two
and I have been a Navy Sail-
years. I have been on the
or for two years, seven
USS Harpers Ferry for 19
months. I have been on
months. My home city and
Harpers Ferry for two years,
state is McDonough, GA.
three months. My home city
My hobbies include skat-
and state is Boise, Idaho. My
ing, cooking, eating, clean-
favorite sport team is the
ing, learning and doing
Baltimore Ravens and my
hair. If I had not joined the
hobbies are martial arts,
Navy, I would definitely
tennis, swimming, video
have aspired to become a
games, and spending fun
successful business owner.
time with my family. If I didn't
My best memory so far
join the Navy I would have
with the Harpers Ferry is
started my own wine busi-
earning my Enlisted Sur-
ness. My best memory with
face Warfare Specialist
Harpers Ferry was porting in
(ESWS) pin. In her own
Seychelles during the 2016
words: "The feeling that
deployment and kicking back
boil up inside of me for
on the beach soaking up sun
being named Blue Jacket
with my fellow shipmates. In
of the Quarter is that of
his own words: Being se-
hope; hope that having
lected a Junior Sailor of the
faith in yourself is enough
Quarter is a great honor!
to help one achieve any goal. I believe the success I have
There are many amazing sailors on Harpers Ferry and to single
found is only a taste of what my career and life holds for me
out from such a great group is incredible.
and I am excited to see where both take me.

The Harpers Ferrian 4 No. 004 February 2017