USS Louisiana SSBN 743 (G)

The Louisiana Lookout Newsletter

May 2012

Letter from the CO

LOUISIANA Gold Families,

Contact Information

As we start May, I would like to thank all of you for your attendance at our town-hall meeting/pre-deployment night on April 25. It was great to speak with and meet many of you for the first time. If you have feedback on how to make this event more useful to each of you, please let the Chief of the Boat and the Ombudsman know so we can improve communication between the command and LOUISIANA families.
The month of April went by fast and was highly successful. We started April by celebrating the 112th Birthday of the Submarine Force at Seattle and here in Bangor; it was an honor to attend both occasions and meet many of you at both events. The month ended with LOUISIANAs selection as the third OHIO-class submarine in Bangor to integrate women onboard. I anticipate the arrival of the first three female submarine officers around December of this year and we look forward to their arrival aboard. The Pre-Deployment training period was a great success due to the hard work and dedication of the crew. I am happy to report that the crew performed exceptionally well training in the areas of tactics, ship-handling, and navigation, to name a few skill areas. LOUISIANA received high marks in all evaluated events and we are ready for the upcoming patrol cycle. I commend each of your Sailors for their time and effort towards our strategic mission. The Month of May will bring us refit and the upcoming patrol cycle; I encourage each of you to verify your familys prepatrol preparations are complete. If you have any questions about what you and your family needs to prepare for your sailors patrol, contact the Ombudsman and they will be able to assist you. Thank you for your continued support of your sailor and to the mission of LOUISIANA. Rob Peters Commanding Officer USS LOUISIANA (SSBN 743)(G)

COMMANDING OFFICER: CDR Rob Peters

EXECUTIVE OFFICER: LCDR Keith Floyd

CHIEF OF THE BOAT: MMCM (SS/SW) Dave Janowski

COMMAND SUPPORT TEAM COs Wife Sarah Peters XOs Wife Jennifer Floyd jwfloyd13@yahoo.com COB'S Wife Allison Janowski (360) 550-4092 allijanowski@gmail.com

Ombudsmen: Shiloh E. Mahmood 360-598-0587 (H) 860-218-5001 (M)

ombud743gold@yahoo.com

Stacie Hall 360-689-2662 (M) 843-437-4263 (M)

ombud743gold@yahoo.com

COBs Corner
LOUISIANA Gold Families, What a great time the past month has been. The weather has changed, the liberty opportunities have increased and the crews morale is high. We have been building up steam and are ready for our at-sea operations. There are some great highlights to share and even more to come in the near future. Our Pre-Deployment Training period has been successful on many levels. We had the occasion to exercise and hone our tactical expertise at the Trident Training Facility. We also challenged and engaged our navigation team in a host of complex scenarios, all of which LOUISIANA completed with high marks. This culmination of pride and professionalism resulted in our continued tactical certification enabling LOUISIANA to remain on the forefront of our Nations strategic deterrence. Outside of the rigors of TTF we had the opportunity to attend the 112th Submarine Ball. Thank you to all of those who attended, it was a great time, with good food and better company. Our Family Readiness Group with the help of Petty Officers Bombard, Halter and Brantley beautified the Trigger Gate planter. I have received a host of positive comments, thank you for all of your efforts. Help me welcome aboard CSC Alfera, MM1 Kraft, YN2 Vazquez, EM3 Ohara, MM3 Ginnings, MT3 Weber, MMFN Parsons, and MTSN Unite. Fair winds and following seas to LT Gutierrez, MM1 Ashander, and ET1 Smith, we wish you and your families the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. As we prepare ourselves to take the ship through a refit and patrol, I believe we are in an excellent position. This PreDeployment Training Period has reinforced the high levels of knowledge, technical acumen and esprit-de-corps throughout all levels of the command. I look forward to Patrol 45 and overcoming any challenges that are thrown our way. I encourage each of you, if have you had not already, to connect with the Ombudsman and Family Readiness Group, both are an excellent resource while we are in port or at-sea. Thank you again for all of the continued support for your Sailor and the ship! CMDCM Dave Janowski Chief of the Boat USS LOUISIANA (SSBN 743) (G)

May 2012
May 8thMay 13th May 19th May 28th VE Day Mothers Day Armed Forces Day Memorial Day

Happy Birthday!
Justin Akins Rylan Alfera Olivia Butterfield Grace Dew Madison-Skye Gates Kirsten Hudson Jordan Otterbeck Rylee Parker

Congratulations!
LSSN Gukich On qualifying Submarines!

Welcome to the World!

Maxwell Price Rubenstein Born 30 April 2012 To MMC Rubenstein and Kimberly

Family Readiness Group

The next meeting is Tuesday, May 22nd at 6:30 P.M. Location TBD.
The FRG is here to help you during a deployment! If you have a surgery, a baby, anything where you can use a hand, food, etc. please contact the FRG we also now have a Facebook account, please add us! The FRG is separate from the Ombudsman though, so if you would like the FRGs help then let the Ombudsman or FRG know via email or Facebook. The FRG is looking for a new President and Vice President! We hope to have someone step up before the end of May. If you are interested in being a part of the FRG Board, please contact Lisa Guzman by emailing the FRG or FB messaging them.

Tulips in full bloom at the Trigger Ave. Gate Planter

Adopt a Single Sailor If you would like to adopt a single sailor for half way boxes please contact Lisa Guzman via FRG email or FB account. We still have over 30 sailors to adopt out! Calendar Squares The FRG is selling Calendar squares for a dollar if you would like to purchase one please contact the FRG. If you want a specific date then you will have to purchase in person at the next FRG meeting. If you dont care what date then just let us know how many and we will randomly assign you a date. They will be 4x6 this time! Please make them with the long part horizontal. Please DO NOT EMAIL specific dates as that could be an OPSEC violation.

MM2 Bombard, ET2 Brantley and MM2 Halter spread mulch in the Trigger Ave. Planter.

Upcoming Events The FRG will be having play dates/ meet ups during the deployment so be on the lookout for those. If you have an idea for an event or activity, be sure to attend the next meeting and share!


Starting May 1, 2012, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Inc. (MetLife) is the new TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) contractor, providing dental benefits for more than 2 million TRICARE beneficiaries worldwide. Halfway Box
A halfway box is a shoebox-sized present the sailors will open halfway through a patrol. If you are making a halfway box for your sailor, please have it turned in to the

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Starting May 1, 2012, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Inc. (MetLife) is the new TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) contractor, providing dental benefits for more than 2 million TRICARE beneficiaries worldwide.
MetLife is a very welcome new partner to the TDP, TRICARE Deputy Director Brig. Gen. W. Bryan Gamble said. The company shares in our commitment to provide top quality health care to our service members and their families. Beneficiaries purchasing TDP will see expanded dental benefits beginning May 1 with lower monthly premium rates than last year. More details about premiums costs can be found on the MetLife TDP website at https://mybenefits.metlife.com/tricare. Some TDP enhancements include an increased annual benefit maximum of $1,300, and a lifetime orthodontic maximum of $1,750. New expanded coverage includes an additional annual maximum of $1200 for dental accident coverage and no cost shares for deep cleaning for diabetic patients. TDP information is available by calling 1-855-638-8371 in the U.S., 1-855-638-8372 outside the United States or online through the MetLife TDP website, https://mybenefits.metlife.com/tricare. The website has more information about costs, coverage details and finding a provider. Beneficiaries can use the Find a Dentist feature to locate one of the 168,000 MetLife dental access points. For more information about TRICARE's dental programs, go to www.tricare.mil/dental.

Ombudsman by Saturday, June 9th.

Mail Drops
A Mail Drop is a gallon-sized Ziploc bag that is sent to a sailor periodically throughout a patrol. Mail drop dates will be announced as they become available. If you will not be in the area, but still wish to provide mail drops for your sailor, you may always send mail drops early! All mail drops are sent to the boat via the Ombudsman.

Drop off or mail to:

Shiloh Mahmood 3071 Bonefish Circle. Apt O-11 Silverdale, WA 98315 (360) 598-0587 Stacie Hall 87 C Haven Court Bremerton, WA 98312 (360) 689-2662

Quick Links to Remember

www.myffr.navyaims.com www.militaryonesource.com www.navylifepnw.com http://www.gocompass.org/kitsap.html

Ombudsman Contact Information: ombud743gold@yahoo.com

To keep current crew members and their families updated on boat information as well as local events, please "Like" the Command page: "USS Louisiana (SSBN-743G)". If you would also like to be able to contact the Ombudsmen via Facebook, please feel free to add "Louisiana Gold Ombudsman" to your Friends List.

Shiloh E. Mahmood 360-598-0587 (H) 860-218-5001 (M)

Stacie Hall 360-689-2662 (M) 843-437-4263 (M)