Published Friday, November 29, 2002
meet at
naval base
Herald Staff Writer
Stationed on the world's largest naval base, coupled with living in the same sprawling city, the odds of meeting a person from one's native area would seem to be inordinately small.
However, that is exactly what happened to two Shenango Valley natives. Even more ironic is the fact that their meeting occurred when one was set to take over the other's duties.
While both men live with their families in Virginia Beach, Va., the two are not close neighbors. "Think of all the cities that make up Mercer County, and that is Virginia Beach," said Nicholas "Nik" Koukis, originally from Farrell.
He and Mark Lewis, a 1984 Sharpsville High School alumnus, are stationed at Commander Second Fleet/NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic Command in Norfolk, Va.
"We never really talked about where we came from until one day, at about 5:30 a.m., Mark made a comment about a Pittsburgh Pirate hat I was wearing," Koukis said. "He was asking where I bought it. I told him that I had purchased it at a mall in Ohio, just across the border from a small town I grew up in, in Pennsylvania."
Koukis said Lewis was shocked to learn he had lived in Farrell. "For about 10 seconds he (Lewis) was quiet, then he said 'No way. I am from Sharpsville.' I then told him that I graduated from Kennedy Christian (High School). He responded with a quote that is typical for someone who graduated from Sharpsville back then: 'Damn Buzzards.'
"We had a good laugh and later in the day caught up about those back home we both knew and common places we would visit while on leave. We did agree that Billy's Black and Gold is the best place to watch a Steeler game."
Lewis said he enjoyed talking with someone from the Shenango Valley. "Even though we were a few years different in age, we knew some of the same people and it was fun talking to someone that knew where I grew up."
Koukis, who has been in the Navy for 14 years, said he was filling a different role within his job field at the time and that Lewis accepted orders to fill his position. The alumnus of what is now Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage is a cryptologic technician technical (CTT) chief petty officer and is presently aboard the USS Mount Whitney.
"The Amphibious Command and Control Ship is classified as a Joint Command and Control Ship," he said. "We are the only ship in the Navy that is classified as a Joint Command and Control Ship. We are the command ship for the Commander Second Fleet. My duties onboard include managing the electronic warfare (EW) division as well as a Combat Information Center watch officer."
EWs are responsible for anti-ship missile defense of the ship, Koukis said. As a watch officer, he ensures that information received by the ship is shared throughout the vessel.
"The Combat Information Center is the nucleus of the ship," Koukis said. "Whether we are in the middle of a war or peacetime steaming, any and all information must go through us."
While he could not divulge their exact location, Koukis said the ship is on its way to the Horn of Africa. "Second Marine Division will set up their headquarters to oversee the operations in and around the Horn of Africa," he said. "Headquarters will initially be based onboard, but will probably be moved ashore. We are scheduled to be gone for six months. As with any military operation, this time frame can move up or down." The last time he did a six-month deployment was in 1998 onboard the USS Guam.
Lewis, a CTT first class petty officer, has spent 8è years of his 16-year Navy career aboard a ship. "The only difference between our jobs is he (Koukis) does it as ship's company and I work for the Admiral intelligence's staff," said Lewis of his own duties in Norfolk.
Lewis said he gives support to the ships' crew while in Norfolk. "I was stationed on board the ship from 1986 through 1990, as ship's company," said Lewis of his own time aboard the Mount Whitney.
While about 6,000 miles from home, Koukis said he keeps in touch with his family via e-mail. "This is one of the best ways to communicate," said the son of Zora Koukis of Farrell. "It is a good way to continue correspondence with family as well as friends. "My wife can send pictures and even short videos of the kids so I can keep up with how much they have grown."
He and his wife, Kelly, have two daughters, Brittany, 9; and Alexis Nicole, 3.
Lewis, son of Sara Addicott of Hermitage, communicates with his family via e-mail and telephone when he is far from home. He and his wife, Susan, have three children, Kristen, 15; Alyssa, 13; and Ryan, 8.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Lisa Mehler at: lmehler@sharonherald.com