Face of Defense: USS Lake Erie Sailor Writes From the Heart

By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Lucas Hans, Carrier Strike Group 11

ABOARD USS LAKE ERIE, Nov. 27, 2017 — "Poetry is how I let it all out," Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Antwoun Stevens said in a soft, but matter-of-fact way. "It's my heart."

Stevens stands 6 feet tall. He's strong, with the short, well-kempt hair you'd expect from a U.S. Navy sailor. He cracks jokes with the guys and dreams of being home with his newborn son, Immanuel, whom he has yet to meet.

Stevens is a yeoman aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie. He's on deployment in Subic Bay, Philippines, after spending several months in the Persian Gulf supporting combat operations. He processes reams of forms, letters and orders for more than 300 sailors aboard Lake Erie. Everything has to be perfectly formatted to Navy writing standards: precise, exact and perfect. There's no room for error or creativity.

What most of Stevens' shipmates don't know is he's also a self-published poet.

"When you think 'military,' you don't think 'poetry,'" Stevens said. "So it's an unnerving experience putting something out there for your peers to see and possibly judge."

Putting Emotions on Paper

Stevens developed a love for words early on and found sanctuary in putting his emotions on paper. He grew up on the north side of St. Louis, one of nine children. Money was tight, and his parents did the best they could with a large family to feed. His siblings often talked about what they wanted to be when they grew up, but to Stevens it seemed to be all talk. He knew he had to be different; he had to make his move.

"I always wanted to be a rapper," Stevens said. "On a dare, I got myself into spoken-word poetry. Words have always meant something to me, and poetry is what I loved the most. By the time I was 16, I was teaching poetry at a camp. Kids would come in really hesitant, but by the time they left, they had a love for it."

From then, his affinity for poetry just took off, he said. He made up his mind that he wanted to be a published poet, but didn't know how and when.

Determined to Achieve His Dream

By the time Stevens joined the Navy in 2014, he had yet to try his hand at writing a book, despite having already made a name for himself in his hometown as a poet. He had embarked on a new journey as a sailor, but he was determined to achieve his dream of getting published. He set to work putting his heart onto paper in the little time he had between shifts and studying for his job.

"I would write in my rack or get up in the middle of the night to find a free computer to type and edit," he said.

Stevens finally finished his book in July and used an online service to get it published.

"Publishing was actually a lot easier than you might think," said Stevens. "The most difficult aspect was making sure the book was in the right format. I sent in the 43 poems along with my cover design and signed the contract. When I finally received my hard copy, I couldn't stop smiling. This was it. This was my book. It was proof of something I created all by myself."

Titled, "When the Clock Strikes Twelve," Stevens' book is about his own life story -- his journey from growing up a big city to the sailor, man and father he has become.

"When my son asks me what I wanted out of life, I want to be able to tell him exactly what I wanted and the steps I took to achieve my dreams," he said. "I want him to understand who his dad was at that moment in time."

Seeking to Inspire

Modest about his writing, Stevens is working up the nerve to deliver the message of his poems to his shipmates, and that he hopes his words will be more than just read.

"I want people to take something away from the book," said Stevens. "Maybe someone is dealing with something internally that they can't tell anyone about. I hope that they find something in my book that helps them or gives them the strength to deal with it. Maybe the fact that the book is self-written and self-published inspires them. It might just inspire them to achieve something they've always wanted to do."

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Shanice Harrison from Ypsilanti, Michigan, a quartermaster assigned to USS Lake Erie, recently read Stevens' poetry and said she admires his work.

"It was real and raw, and I am so amazed by what he was able to create," Harrison said. "The fact that he wrote and published the book while on deployment floors me. So many people look up to Stevens, and I can't wait for everyone to read it. He has inspired me so much."

Now, as Stevens looks forward through deployment toward his new adventure as a father, he continues to write and is already well on the way to completing his next book of poetry.

"I'm taking an entirely different approach," he said. "It won't be anything like ‘When the Clock Strikes Twelve.' I hope people take to it."

Cameroon’s Troops Learn About Counter-Bomb Operations

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Alexandra Hays U.S. Army Africa

DOUALA, Cameroon, Nov. 24, 2017 — With his uniform shirt soaked with sweat, Army Staff. Sgt. Joshua Crenshaw calmly halts the Cameroonian soldier in front of him.

“Stop, you’re dead,” Crenshaw said.

It’s 9 a.m. in Douala, and the humidity is pervasive. Crenshaw, an explosive ordnance disposal technician and team leader, is overseeing a practical exercise -- one in which the real-life applications can mean life or death.

Crenshaw is one of a handful of explosive ordnance disposal soldiers from the 764th Ordnance Company from Fort Carson, Colorado, who came to Cameroon at the request of U.S. Army Africa during Counter Improvised Explosive Device-Defeat Phase I training. The training, held Oct. 23-Nov. 17, was designed to help Cameroonian troops learn more about IEDs and how to dispose of them safely.

Terrorists’ Weapon

IEDs are a favorite weapon among terrorist organizations. Cameroon’s armed forces regularly deploy to northern Cameroon -- an area where the violent extremist organization Boko Haram operates. According to the United Nations, attacks by Boko Haram have displaced up to two million people in the countries of Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, and Niger, and have claimed the lives of up to 15,000 people since 2009.

Crenshaw and his team, many with experience countering IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan, are deployed here providing potentially lifesaving training in the fight against violent extremism.

“We’re here passing on the knowledge that will hopefully save these guys’ lives,” Crenshaw said. “It will make them slow down; make them think about it before they just run into a situation.”

Crenshaw explained that the students in the course come from different military departments -- engineers, presidential guard, and the rapid response brigade -- and have had little to no IED-specific training in the past.

“We’re trying to help them get ahead of the game -- teach them how bad it could be, and teach safe methods now,” he said.

Different Types of IEDs

The American soldiers taught the Cameroonian troops the types of IEDs they might encounter, including vehicle-borne IEDs, suicide vests, IEDs buried in the ground, weapons caches and more.

“This training is relevant,” Crenshaw said. “When we start our training we usually ask what the threats are. Their leadership told us that the big threats they’re seeing are vehicle-borne IEDs and suicide vests.”

Crenshaw said it was rewarding to see the growth in the students from the first day of the four-week course to graduation.

‘The Training is Essential’

“This training is essential,” said Cameroonian Armed Forces Maj. Rene Didier Bekada, deputy commandant of the Cameroonian Armed Forces engineering school. “And it is really the heart of the struggle against groups who are waging asymmetric warfare [in Cameroon].”

Bekada said the training increased the Cameroonian soldier’s capacity.

“The U.S. instructors have vast experience … and so during this training we are really profiting from their experience in counter-IED,” he said.

Partnering Missions

Army 1st Lt. Jacob Schall, platoon leader for the 764th, said his team is one of many partnering with militaries in other West African nations and conducting similar training.

“We come here and we teach them the very basics of IED defeat … hopefully they can take that expertise and take it to wherever they are deployed to and help educate their fellow soldiers,” he said.

Schall said he also witnessed clear improvement in the Cameroonian troops’ counter-IED skills through the training.

“They have a firm grasp of being as safe as possible, which is the whole point here -- to increase your survivability and freedom of movement,” Schall said.

This is the first phase of the exercise in fiscal year 2018 -- the 764th team is scheduled to return to Cameroon in the spring to run two more cycles of the same exercise with new groups of Cameroonian soldiers.

“We’re very concerned about the long-term fight that they’re going to have,” said Crenshaw, explaining that IED threats become more complex as extremists gain experience.

“It means a lot to me personally,” Crenshaw said. “I’ve done the fight; I’ve done what they’re going to do. And I know how dangerous it is. I’ve been on both sides of the effects of it, so it means everything [to me].”

U.S., Chinese Troops Attend Disaster Management Exchange

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Nathan H. Barbour U.S. Pacific Command

HONOLULU, Nov. 24, 2017 — The 13th annual U.S.-China Disaster Management Exchange and Practical Field Exchange portions commenced with an opening ceremony at Camp Rilea, Ore., Nov. 16.

Hosted by U.S. Army Pacific, the exchange allows hands-on and side-by-side interaction between the U.S. Army and the People's Liberation Army on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and enables sharing of lessons learned.

Flooding Scenario

The 2017 exchange focuses on a flooding scenario in which both armies will be requested to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to a third affected state as part of a Multinational Coordination Center.

Army Maj. Gen. Susan A. Davidson, commanding general of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command based at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, welcomed attendees and highlighted how the event builds understanding and trust between the two armies.

"Disaster management exchanges like this are invaluable because as they expand in depth with each iteration. They allow us to truly recognize the importance of collaboration in addressing nontraditional security threats such as natural disasters," Davidson said. "Our ability to increase our practical deconfliction, and gain a better understanding of each other's procedures in the event of a real-world disaster response could be what makes all the difference to the affected state."

Throughout the exchange personnel simulate real-life scenarios to identify procedural gaps and practice techniques required for efficient and collaborative response, such as search and rescue techniques and the construct of the MNCC.

‘The Respect for Human Life is Beyond National Boundaries, Races’

"The PLA and U.S. military both have dignified histories of and glorious accomplishments. Although we are geographically far from each other, the respect for human life is beyond national boundaries and races," said Maj. Gen. Huang Taoyi, deputy commander of the

Starting in 2005, the exchange has been held at locations in Hawaii, Washington, D.C., New York, Washington state and multiple areas in China. The exchange has also matured from basic visits and briefings into a substantive exchange that uses table top and practical field exchanges to focus and facilitate interaction and develop the capacity to deconflict HA/DR operations between the U.S. Army and the PLA.

In addition to providing a learning opportunity for the U.S. and PLA participants, this year the exchange includes military and government observers from Bangladesh, Canada, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and China.

U.S. participants include U.S. Army Pacific, the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, the Oregon National Guard, the U.S. Military Academy, the 351st Civil Affairs Command, the 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, the 571st Sapper Company, the U.S Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pacific Disaster Center, an applied research center managed by the University of Hawaii.