Success before Stress: Keeping Relationships Healthy

By Dr. Kate McGraw, DCoE clinical psychologist

If you could have the ideal loving relationship, what would that look like? For some couples, it would involve lots of time together and shared interests, and for others, it may include more space and time spent separately. There are many ways to be a loving partner, and the key is discovering what your partner needs from you, rather than what they aren’t giving to you. Often, loving your partner means putting yourself in their place and imagining what would bring them happiness.

Military couples face incredibly challenging stressors together. Those couples who remain resilient often find themselves with stronger relationships when the dust settles. However, many of the unique stressors imposed on military couples may chip away at the fabric of safety and peace within the relationship. What can you and your partner do to help protect your relationship from the stress of military life?

Here are some ideas to enrich your relationship so it serves as a vessel of comfort for you both:

■Ask your partner what they need. Also, you should both be able to identify what you need and how your needs can be met. If you both develop empathy for each other’s needs, than you will both be very satisfied with what you can create together in your relationship.

■Eliminate all sarcasm, name calling, belittling or other types of verbal and emotional abuse, and make a pact to not tolerate displays of temper such as slamming objects or doors. These behaviors cause significant damage to the trust and safety between you and may lead to physical abuse. If you’re able to say at least five positive comments to every negative one you say to your partner, your relationship will feel much more loving and supportive.

■Nurture the bond between you. One way is to foster and keep open regular communication about the important things in your life, as well as the small daily matters.

■Develop a homecoming ritual upon your partner’s return from deployment. This ritual can serve as a line of demarcation for both of you, a dividing point from their being away at war, to being here, at peace.

Often service members returning from deployment need a period of readjustment to their old lifestyle and familiar surroundings. They may want to talk but are unable to find words to express their experiences or feelings about what they’ve been through. They may need time to themselves, which you should respect. The non-military partner can play an important role in the stress management of the relationship by lovingly encouraging their military partner to seek help if it appears they are experiencing severe post-deployment problems.

Service members should remember that their partners want to help and reconnect with you. Have compassion for the stresses that they experienced while you were away. It’s OK to share your feelings about your deployment experiences without sharing details about what you saw or did. In this way you can reconnect emotionally, lean on your partner for support, and feel less isolated while protecting them from the harsh realities of what you experienced. Be alert for signs of traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder. If you find yourself unable to cope, talk to your partner about it and seek professional help. If you have suicidal thoughts, always seek professional help, as you may be experiencing depression, which resolves with proper treatment.

In the end, our relationships reflect the amount of energy and devotion we give to them. If you both give your relationship the gifts of compassion and empathy, regardless of what the external world heaps upon you, you both will reap the rewards of contentment and love within your relationship.

Are you familiar with some of the risk factors for suicide, which include relationship issues? Find out more about suicide prevention information and resources on the DCoE website.

Blue Angels Talk to Media Before NAS Oceana Air Show

By Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman Lenea Johnson, Naval Air Station Oceana Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Members of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels, spoke to local media Sept. 23 before the start of the 2011 Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana Air Show, which ran through Sept. 25.

Both pilots and enlisted crew members answered questions about what it's like to be part of the Blue Angels and offered advice for those who would like to join the prestigious team.

For Marine Maj. Brent Stevens, who flies left wing, being part of the Navy's Flight Demonstration Team is much more than just taking to the skies at shows such as the annual Oceana Air Show, which this year celebrates the Centennial of Naval Aviation.

While the Blue Angels' talent in the air is witnessed by millions every year, Stevens believes the most rewarding part of being a Blue Angel takes place on the ground.

"We visit schools and volunteer at hospitals and community events. We serve as representatives of the Navy and Marine Corps for those communities that do not have a military presence," he explained.

Originally from Knoxville, Tenn., Stevens has been a Marine for 15 years. Prior to applying to the Blue Angels, Stevens was an F/A-18 instructor and decided to take his training to the next level.

He says performing at military bases, especially at air stations where the sight and sound of military jets is a part of everyday life for those who live nearby, is an exciting challenge.

Stevens is very familiar with Oceana, having been stationed here from December 2002 to November 2003 with the "Gladiators" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106.

"There is a rush when flying in front of your peers and showing what the team can do. It's exciting everywhere we go, but it's great to be back in Virginia Beach," said Stevens.

He encourages Sailors and Marines who admire the Blue Angels to apply to join the team and emphasizes that the selection process for the Blue Angels pilot starts with a commission.

"A degree in aeronautics is not required. We have English literature majors on the team; the military will train you how to fly. Pilots fly a two-year rotation, so there will always be a need for talented pilots to follow in our footsteps," he said.

The next stop for the Blue Angels is Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. Stevens explained that traveling is a large part of the job and being away from his family is challenging. His family includes his wife and 2-year-old daughter Riley, who already loves air shows and shouts "Daddy plane" whenever she sees an airplane.

While the Blue Angels pilots perform at air shows around the nation, they could not fly without the skilled maintainers who take care of their aircraft. Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class (AW) James Buchanan, a Blue Angels crew chief, explained the importance of his job with the prestigious team.

"We come out every morning before the pilots and make sure all systems are operating properly. A crew chief is the first and last person to look at the aircraft each day," Buchanan said.

Crew chiefs are responsible for ensuring the aircraft are properly serviced and that any part not in perfect condition is detected and corrected promptly. Blue Angels crew chiefs are initially assigned an aircraft but are trained to work on every aircraft that performs. They also complete the pre- and post-flight inspections that keep both the F/A-18 Hornet and C-130 flying.

Originally from Toxey, Ala., Buchanan has been in the Navy for eight years and with the Blue Angels for the past year. Buchanan offered advice for those interested in being a part of the prestigious Blue Angels team: "Get your education and stay away from the wrong crowd. We're waiting for you."

The Blue Angels have performed for more than 427 million spectators since their inception in 1946. They fly the same aircraft and perform the same maneuvers as Navy combat pilots flying over Afghanistan and operating off flight decks of aircrafts carriers worldwide.

Brooke Toner: Life After the Knock on the Door

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2011 – Brooke Toner was 28 years old the day she heard the knock on her door.

That knock brought the news every military spouse dreads: for Brooke, it meant her husband of less than three years was never coming home.

“It was the worst day of my life,” she told the capacity crowd gathered at the Navy Memorial here yesterday for the award ceremony honoring her husband, Navy Lt. j.g. Francis L. Toner IV.

Toner died in Afghanistan while defending fellow service members from an enemy who had infiltrated the Afghan National Army. The Americans were unarmed and on a physical training run when the gunman started shooting. Toner accosted the man and bought time for another service member to seek help.

After Brooke accepted her husband’s posthumous Silver Star from Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, she told American Forces Press Service how she felt about the event, and how her life has changed since that knock on the door in 2009.

Surrounded by hundreds of friends, family, and ‘Frankie’ Toner’s fellow sailors, she said, “I’m just so proud of my husband. It’s as simple as that. I’m just proud that he’s a man who lived the way he did, who loved me the way that he did, just who he was as a person.”

Toner was a great friend, brother, support system to others and a Navy officer, she said.

“He was just so incredible,” she added.

Their first date was six years to the day before he was killed March 27, 2009, she said.

“I knew him for seven months before that; we started dating in 2003, and we were married in 2006,” she said. “We were married for two years, seven months, eight days.”

Brooke said she is now involved in the American Widow Project, which a fellow military widow, Taryn Davis, founded after her own husband was killed.

On the group’s website under “our mission,” visitors will find this:

“Since 2001, nearly 6,000 U.S. service members have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around half of these service members were married, leaving an estimated 3,000 military widows across our country. While the service member’s sacrifice is acknowledged, many simply forget or fail to recognize the sacrifice of the spouse who is now left a widow of war. Oftentimes the invisible wounds of military widows are disregarded due to age or a simple lack of knowledge and understanding.

"The American Widow Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to the new generation of those who have lost the heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow, with an emphasis on healing through sharing stories, tears and laughter … military widow to military widow.”

Brooke said the organization “means a lot to me, because I know how alone I felt. Just being able to meet with other women who understand the love that I have for my husband, and understanding that it’s forever.”

The group is “full of love, full of life, full of laughter, surprisingly,” she said. “For me to be able to let another widow know that they’re not alone, through the organization – I couldn’t ask for a better gift, because I know how I felt.”

In the two and a half years since her husband died, Brooke said, she has moved back to Idaho, where her “entire family” lives.

“After not living there for 12 years, I decided it would be a good support system at home, which is wonderful,” she said.

She also got a dog, which she named Kailua after the place she lived with her husband in Hawaii.

“I call him Kai. We picked out the name – we wanted to name our pets after places where we had lived,” she added.

Brooke said she travels to retreats “with the widows” and helps Davis with the group in any capacity she can.

“I’m just keeping busy. Each day I wake up and say, ‘I’m going to have a good day today.’ Because it’s not always easy,” she said. “So I make myself smile, and I find a way to really live and love life, the way me and Frankie lived and loved life.”

Mullen Presents Silver Star to Fallen Sailor’s Widow

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – The nation’s top military officer today presented a posthumous Silver Star to the widow of a heroic Navy officer who was killed in Afghanistan.

During a ceremony at the Navy Memorial here, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen told the hundreds of people in attendance that Lt. j.g. Francis L. Toner faced death “tragically and heroically.”

Toner, 26, was deployed to Afghanistan with an embedded training team as garrison engineer mentor for the Afghan National Army’s 209th Corps at Forward Operating Base Shaheen, near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.

He and three other officers were exercising, running around the camp’s perimeter on March 27, 2009, when an enemy fighter who had infiltrated the Afghan army attacked with a firearm.

As Toner’s Silver Star citation recounts, “In seconds, officers were shot and lying wounded on the ground. The gunman proceeded to shoot one of the wounded officers. … Toner, unarmed, verbally challenged the insurgent and continued to advance until he was fatally wounded.”

“I’ve been to enough [award presentations] and I’ve seen enough citations to know that he was basically walking straight into the enemy’s fire,” the chairman said of Toner’s actions. “We shouldn’t -- and we won’t -- ever, ever forget that service, that sacrifice,” the admiral added. “Because that is what makes us strong, as a military and as a nation.”

The chairman said today’s ceremony, attended largely by sailors in uniform, was particularly poignant for the Navy because Toner deployed as an individual augmentee, attached to an Army unit.

“I started that [program] when I was [chief of naval operations],” the admiral said.

Mullen said his experience in Vietnam and knowledge of ground operations made the decision to deploy individual sailors very simple.

“I knew the ground forces would bear the brunt, and every sailor I could get into the fight was going to relieve a soldier,” he said.

The Navy and Air Force have had thousands of their members “in the sand” of Iraq and Afghanistan, Mullen said.

“There are 12,000 there today, and that continues,” he said.

Brooke Toner, who accepted her husband’s Silver Star, spoke during the ceremony and thanked everyone who attended.

“Form the moment I got that knock on the door -- which was the worst day of my life -- I’ve been supported by my casualty assistance officer, by Admiral Mullen, by [Navy Rear Adm. Christopher J. Mossey, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Command], by all of our friends who have wrapped their arms around our family to support us all,” she said.

Toner was born Sept. 26, 1982, in Panorama City, Calif. He graduated from Westlake High School in 2001 and his family relocated to Narragansett, Rhode Island, in 2002.

In the summer of 2002, Toner entered the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. where he earned a bachelor of science degree in marine engineering and shipyard management.

In May 2006, Toner was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy. He graduated from Navy Civil Engineer Corps Officer School in Port Hueneme, Calif., September 2006, and was assigned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

He reported to Camp Mike Spann in Afghanistan in October 2008 for a one-year individual augmentee assignment.

Toner is survived by his wife, Brooke Toner; mother, Rebecca Toner; father, Francis Toner III; stepmother, Sharon; sister, Amanda; and brothers, John and Michael.

Toner was previously posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with valor. The Silver Star is the third highest combat military decoration.

USS New Hampshire Sailors Present Flags to Governor Prior to Speedway Race

By Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, Commander, Submarine Group Two Public Affairs

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- Twenty Sailors from USS New Hampshire (SSN 778) attended the New Hampshire Motor Speedway race in Loudon, N.H., Sept. 25, during one of many Navy community outreach events planned for New England Navy Week 2011.

Navy weeks feature engagements with corporate, civic, government, education and community service organizations and are conducted primarily to show Americans the investment they have made in their Navy.

"Attending this week's race in Loudon is a great opportunity for our Sailors to continue their great relationship with their namesake state of New Hampshire and proudly represent both," said Cmdr. John McGunnigle, commanding officer, USS New Hampshire.

Prior to the call to start their engines and with tens of thousands NASCAR fans watching, McGunnigle presented New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch with an American flag and state flag, both of which were flown on USS New Hampshire in the Arctic during Ice Exercise 2011.

"USS New Hampshire has a great connection with its namesake state. This week, five of my Sailors will participate in various New England Navy Week engagements to expand the awareness of our Navy, and in particular our submarine forces," said McGunnigle.

New Hampshire was commissioned at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, Oct. 25, 2008. She is the fourth ship to be named for the state of New Hampshire.

New England Navy Week 2011, gives area residents an opportunity to meet some of the Navy's Sailors and learn about the Navy's critical missions and its broad ranging capabilities.

New England Navy week runs Sept. 24-Oct. 2. The U.S. Navy conducts approximately 20 Navy Weeks each year. During a Navy Week celebration, the Navy concentrates a variety of outreach events in a metropolitan area for a week, sharing the Navy story with as many people as possible.

Injured Veterans Wrap Up Sports Clinic

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2011 – The fourth-annual National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic that drew 100 injured military veterans, including three active-duty Marines, concludes today in San Diego.

This year’s clinic began Sept. 18. The yearly clinics, sponsored primarily by the Veterans Affairs Department, feature workshops designed to assist injured veterans to develop sports skills, officials said.

Attendees participated in adaptive kayaking, sailing, track and field, cycling, and surfing.

For many participants, the clinic is their first exposure to the therapeutic value of adaptive sports and recreational activities, officials said.

“The Summer Sports Clinic is proof of VA’s commitment to improve the quality of life for veterans with disabilities,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said. “The clinic helps our most severely injured veterans gain physical and mental confidence.”

This year’s group of veterans attending the clinic had sustained injuries such as amputations, traumatic brain injuries, burns, psychological trauma, certain neurological conditions, visual impairments and spinal cord injuries.

At the outset of the clinic, VA’s undersecretary for health, Dr. Robert Petzel, said participants would be surrounded by fellow veterans who share common bonds though their service.

“The clinic helps wounded veterans return to active lifestyles through physical and mental rehabilitation,” Petzel added.

The VA’s San Diego Healthcare System has hosted the clinic since 2008. Other clinic sponsors this year include its founders, Help Hospitalized Veterans and the Veterans Canteen Service, as well as San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina, Cisco Systems Inc., Health Net, Booz Allen Hamilton and Challenged America.

The 2012 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic is scheduled to be held in San Diego from Sept. 16 to 21.

USS Constitution Sailors Participate in New England Navy Week

Check out these great War of 1812 books written only by military authors!

From USS Constitution Public Affairs

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to USS Constitution began participating in New England Navy Week in Springfield, Mass., Sept. 24.

Sailors will perform War of 1812-era gun drills and 17th century boarding pike drills daily at The Big E, Eastern States Exposition, the largest fair in the Northeastern United States that is expected to attract more than one million guests.

"Navy Weeks in general are a great opportunity to bring the Navy to areas that are not near a Navy base and show people what the Navy is doing for the nation," said Cmdr. Matthew Bonner, Constitution's 72nd commanding officer. "It helps strengthen the relationship between the public and the Navy."

Sailors are also scheduled to teach naval history and interact with more than 300 students at Converse Middle School and Granite Valley Middle School in Monson, Mass.

Additionally, they will meet and give Navy ballcaps to children dealing with chronic and severe health issues as part of a Caps for Kids visit at Bay State Medical Center.

"I am excited to take part in one of my ship's important missions to give back to our community," said Seaman Gerald Coriolan, a Sailor assigned to Constitution. "There's no better place in Massachusetts or a better time to have a Navy Week."

This is the fifth Navy Week Constitution Sailors will participate in this year. The event runs through Oct. 2. They performed similar activities teaching naval history to more than 400 middle school students and giving more than 130 ballcaps to children in Tampa Bay, Fla., Austin, Texas, New Orleans and Chattanooga, Tenn.

The primary purpose of Navy Week is to increase Navy awareness by presenting the Navy to Americans who live in cities that normally do not have a significant naval presence. New England Navy Week will showcase the mission, capabilities and achievements of the U.S. Navy and provide residents the opportunity to meet Sailors in person.

Constitution is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard of Boston Harbor and is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. The ship defended the sea lanes against threat from 1797 to 1855, much like the mission of today's Navy. Constitution's mission today is to offer community outreach and education about the ship's history, as she welcomes more than 500,000 visitors per year.

Greenert Becomes Chief of Naval Operations, Roughead Steps Down

By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle P. Malloy

Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2011 – Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert became the 30th chief of naval operations during a change of command ceremony today at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Greenert accepted the Navy’s highest military post from Adm. Gary Roughead, who will retire Sept. 30 from the post he has held since September 2007. Both officers are Naval Academy graduates; Roughead, in 1973, and Greenert, in 1975.

Greenert, who previously served as vice chief of naval operations, will now become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In that capacity, he will serve as principal naval adviser to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and President Barack Obama.

Mabus said the Navy will go through a transparent transition with Greenert now serving as its top officer.

“Admiral Roughead's contributions may be hard if not impossible to surpass, but I am confident that if anyone can match them it is Jon Greenert,” Mabus said.

Greenert praised Roughead’s example and said he would strive to follow it.

"My priorities, our course, are one, we've got to remain ready to meet the current challenges today, we've got to build a relevant and capable future fleet, and we have got to continue to care for our sailors, our civilians and their families, and recruit and nurture a motivated, relevant and diverse force," he said.

Greenert said he will focus on three tenets while in office: warfighting first, operate forward and be ready.

"We will approach our challenges and we will implement our changes that will have to be done in the future with three tenets in mind," he said. "They will be effective [and] efficient. Our solutions will be joint and the Marine Corps will remain our primary partner."

Mabus, who served as keynote speaker for the ceremony, highlighted Roughead's accomplishments during his naval career while thanking him for his leadership.

"I don't think anyone can ever fully express how much we're going to miss Gary Roughead's counsel and absolutely unwavering commitment to the Navy [and] the United States," said Mabus.

"Admiral Roughead has had the genius and the skill to turn so many of the challenges he's faced into opportunities," he said.

Mabus reviewed Roughead's career milestones, including being one of only two Navy admirals to command both the Pacific and Atlantic fleets.

"As chief of naval operations, his leadership has helped to reshape the Navy into the 21st century, operationally and strategically," said Mabus. "Gary Roughead's leadership skills follow great officers and a willingness to innovate while respecting the deep traditions of the sea service."

Mabus spoke about Roughead's commitment to his sailors, and how he always made them his first priority. "He never lost sight of the primary responsibility of leadership -- taking care of the people entrusted to you and to the office you hold," he said.

As Roughead took the podium, he thanked his counterparts, both foreign and domestic, friends and his family for their continued support and guidance during his tenure. He spoke about his unique experiences in the armed service, especially in the relationships built.

"There has been a lot of change, but throughout, there has been the decisive, constant and the aspect of the Navy that will be my enduring memory - our sailors," he said.

In an emotional conclusion, Roughead summarized his naval career.

"To echo what another Navy man said nearly five decades ago at this academy, when asked what I did to make my life worthwhile, I will respond with a great deal of pride and satisfaction, ‘I served in the United States Navy,’” he said.

National Military Medical Center Opens New Fitness Center

By Bernard S. Little, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Public Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, at Bethesda, (WRNMMC) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the command's new fitness center, Sept. 22.

The 45,000-square foot facility offers a 50-meter indoor pool, an indoor running track, and NBA/NCAA regulation-sized basketball court. Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) staff held a Fit Challenge and "Fun Palooza" in the state-of-the-art gymnasium to celebrate the opening.

Events included basketball scrimmages for wounded warriors, fitness demonstrations and contests, a blood drive, food, prizes and giveaways.

A basketball scrimmage was held between AMP1 and the hospital staff, said Wendy Tompkins, manager of the fitness center. AMP1 is the first organized stand-up amputee basketball team in the country, she said. WNBA Washington Mystics' forward/center Crystal Langhorne, from the University of Maryland, was the honorary coach for the hospital staff team.

The USO, the Washington Redskins cheerleaders and staff from Information, Tickets & Technology (ITT) were also in attendance for the Fun Palooza.

The Fit Challenge began with TRX and Kangoo, Tompkins said. TRX is a form of suspension fitness training which offers alternative exercises and is beneficial for wounded warriors. Kangoo offers a fun fitness workout using spring boots and is ideal for people with bad knees or who have had back injuries because its low impact, she said.

5-K runs also took place, along with a half-mile swim challenge, an eight-mile spin bike ride, and a wheelchair basketball scrimmage with Paralympic players.

"We're very proud of the variety of things we offer," Tompkins said.

The fitness center offers personal training services and fitness classes, including BodyPump, BodyFlow, BodyCombat, spinning, yoga, boot camp, water aerobics and more, she said. In addition, the gym has racquetball courts, cardio and weight equipment, spinning and group work-out studios.

"We are also getting ready to start a class to work with our Department of Defense dependent children focusing on teen obesity," she added. "We're trying to entertain everyone."

Intramural sports, including basketball, softball, volleyball, kickball, indoor soccer and indoor wheelchair flag football, will also be offered by the fitness center, Tompkins said. Anyone who has a CAC and works on base, except contractors, can use the facility, she added. Full-time NIH employees can also use the fitness center.

In addition to the variety of programs offered by the fitness center, Tompkins is most proud of her staff of 19 fitness and recreational specialists and personal trainers.

"They all get along and have come together as a team," she said.

This is important in the center which has seen its patronage increase from about 350 people per day at its previous locations (in Building 147) to about 1,000 per day since it moved into Building 17, she added.

Tompkins said that Bob Killion, the Quality of Life director at WRNMMC, has also been instrumental in helping with its growth.

"He's a big part of what we've accomplished here. We're glad to be here and able to offer the services that we have," Tompkins continued.

She added that people have waited patiently for the new center to open and there will be some growing pains in an effort to improve services, but people's patience will be worth the wait.

"I'm proud of what we've done and how things are run," she said.

Blue Angels Meet with Students at Norfolk High School

By Lt. Stephanie Homick, Navy Public Affairs Support Element - East

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Members of the Navy's flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, visited Granby High School in Norfolk, Va. to meet with Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) students Sept. 23.

Lt. Cmdr. Jim Tomaszeski, Marine Corps Capt. Brandon Cordill, and Avionics Technician 2nd Class Will Martin, along with local Navy and Marine Corps recruiters, spoke to high school students from Granby High School, Lake Taylor High School and Lee Davis High School.

Students from all three high schools filled the seats of the auditorium, dressed in their NJROTC uniforms or Navy T-shirts. Prior to the start of the presentation, students chanted motivational phrases in unison.

Following the presentation of the flag and the singing of the national anthem, the Blue Angels played a video, which showcased their mission. Tomaszeski, the number two pilot and right wing of the team, said that the video showed the pride and professionalism of the U.S. Navy. He then spoke of his role as a member of the Blue Angels team and why he became a pilot in the first place.

"I wanted a sense of excitement," and the thrill of adventure while serving his country, said Tomaszeski.

Martin next explained his role as a crew chief, ensuring the maintenance of the aircraft and completing the final safety check just prior to the pilot strapping in for flight. Speaking about the pilot whose aircraft he inspects, he added, "His life in is my hands."

Afterward, students asked the Blue Angels and the recruiters questions about the naval service. Questions ranged from "what does one have to do to become a Blue Angel?" to "what was the worst weather the pilots had ever flown in?"

When asked what the best part of his job was, Tomaszeski answered, "This [speaking to students] is the most rewarding part of my job ... I hope to inspire the students to join the Navy, a global force for good."

The Blue Angels have performed for more than 427 million spectators since their inception in 1946. They fly the same aircraft and perform the same maneuvers as Navy combat pilots flying over Afghanistan and operating off flight decks of aircrafts carriers worldwide.

Navy Memorial Hosts 24th Annual Lone Sailor Awards Dinner

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Mikelle D. Smith, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy Memorial honored six military veterans during the 2011 Lone Sailor awards dinner held at the National Building Museum in Washington, Sept. 22.

The notable veterans included Lloyd "Beau" Bridges III, Jeff Bridges, Lloyd Bridges, Brian Lamb, Jerry Coleman and Bob Feller. Beau Bridges, Lamb and Coleman were in attendance and were presented with the Lone Sailor award before military members and distinguished guests at the dinner.

Beau Bridges, an actor, producer and director, was recognized for his accomplishments as a civilian after serving both active and Reserve duty in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Lamb was recognized for his service as a naval officer and, later, founder of C-SPAN.

Coleman, said to be the only Major League Baseball player to have seen combat in two wars, was recognized for the 120 missions he flew as an aviator and his devotion to the Marine Corps.

The Lone Sailor award is presented to veterans who have excelled in their respective civilian careers while continuing to exemplify military values.

"This event allows the Navy Memorial Foundation, and the entire Navy, the opportunity to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the maritime services and our nation," said Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson.

Beau Bridges, following in the footsteps of his father Lloyd, enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1959 and served eight years as a Reservist, after active duty.

"I enlisted when I was 17 after Kennedy threw up the blockade in Cuba," said Bridges. "My father, thinking that there would be a draft, suggested that I try to choose my service beforehand. My father had been made an honorary commodore in the Coast Guard and I knew a lot of the personnel, so I chose to enlist in the Coast Guard."

Bridges accepted his Lone Sailor Award on behalf of his deceased father, Lloyd, and younger brother Jeff who could not attend the event.

"My motto in the Coast Guard was Semper Paratus, which means "always ready." That is something that I have carried with me my whole life," said Bridges. "I also learned how important respect is; respecting yourself, respecting your mates, respecting the authorities that are training you and getting you ready ... these are all qualities that I have tried to pass on to my children and carry on for myself and my life."

Lamb, who enlisted in the Navy after graduating from Purdue University, served in many different media elements during his time in the military. He was an aide in the Johnson administration and also a Pentagon public affairs officer during the Vietnam War.

"When I got into the Navy there was structure," said Lamb. "I found people that were dedicated and committed ... I got a sense that people wanted me to learn and all of that fed into the beginning of my life; these foundation experiences will always be paramount in my life."

Lamb added that he didn't think he would have done what he did without serving in the Navy.

After receiving an honorable discharge from the Navy in 1967, Lamb began working as a freelance reporter and spent the next 12 years honing his skills as a political media journalist. In 1977, he won the support of key cable industry executives and began developing a station using satellite uplinks, known today as C-SPAN.

"The advice I would give to young Sailors today would be to look around and take advantage of every opportunity available to you," said Lamb. "Always ask questions. Get down to the bottom of why someone wants you to do what they are asking. If you pay attention, it will help you and it can work for you."

Coleman joined the Marine Corps in 1942 as a naval aviation cadet. After receiving his wings in 1944, he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant, and went on to see combat during World War II and the Korean War. (See these Korean War books written only by Korean War veterans)

"When I found out I was getting the Lone Sailor award, I was thrilled to death," said Coleman. "The proudest moment of my life was the day that I got my second lieutenant bars and my aviator wings ... that still, to this day, remains the highlight of my life."

Coleman returned to professional baseball in 1953 and finished up his career in 1957. He went on to become a sports broadcaster for CBS television and has been recognized by the Marine Corps, as well as being inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2007 for his work in broadcasting.

"As a professional baseball player and broadcaster I think the one thing that stayed with me since my time in the service has been trying to do my best," said Coleman. "When called upon, the United States military are the best qualified [people] in the world."

Prior to the awards ceremony dinner, Bridges, Lamb and Coleman received a tour of the Navy Memorial, which houses the Lone Sailor statue. The Lone Sailor statue is a composite of the U.S. Navy bluejacket, past, present and future, and was designed in 1987.

The Lone Sailor award has been presented to 73 Navy and Marine Corps veterans, and the Navy Memorial continues to provide Navy veterans and personnel currently serving with a place to celebrate their service.

Face of Defense: NCO Heads to All-Army Golf Trials

By Yvonne Johnson

U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., Sept. 22, 2011 – Though Army Master Sgt. Sheila Sango has golfed just eight years, she has hopes of becoming one of the Army’s elite golfers.

Sango, a career counselor with the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command here, was selected to compete in the All-Army Golf Trials held tomorrow through Sept. 26 at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Upwards of 30 of the Army's top golfers will compete in the trials. The top finishers from the 72-hole event will form the 2011 All Army Team, which will compete against teams from the Air Force, Navy and Marines in the Armed Forces Championship held Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, also at the Fort Jackson Golf Club.

This is Sango's second trip to the trials. She competed last year and hopes to do better.

"I didn't do as well as I can; it was a very humbling experience," Sango said. "Through the grace of God, I will do well this year."

A native of California, Sango is a 21-year Army veteran who came to Aberdeen in March from Hawaii. Sango has two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and said she started playing golf while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, after years of playing softball.

"I used to love softball, but for some reason I always enjoyed watching golf," she said.

Sango credits various coworkers who shared their knowledge of the game as she honed her skills. She said a Maryland-based nonprofit golfing organization, along with local golf club manager Rick Bond and golf pro Dave Correll, took her under their wings.

"Dave has been very valuable; he's given me great tips," Sango said. "There is no perfect swing. He takes your swing and works with that.”

Bond called Sango a great player who is driven to succeed.

"She's not just a wonderful player -- she's even a nicer person," he said. "She's a joy to be around and she has a tireless work ethic. Even if it's raining, she's out here working on her game. We're all pulling for her."

Sango said she feels her first assignment on the East Coast is not by chance.

"I just know I'm here for a reason," she said. "I've found a nice church here and a beautiful place to perfect my [golf] game.”

Sango said she loves the quiet of early-morning golf.

"There's nothing here but you and nature,” she said. “I see geese and deer, and I even saw a little fox out here. It's inspiring. So I just keep trying and trying. I know God will still love me whether I fail or succeed as long as I just don't quit."

Report Examines Lower Body Blast Injuries

By Karen Parrish

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2011 – The Army Surgeon General’s Office released its report yesterday on dismounted complex blast injuries, which more than twice as many service members have suffered annually since the 2009 troop surge in Afghanistan.

Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Joseph Caravalho Jr., commander of the Army’s Northern Regional Medical Command, detailed the report’s findings to reporters here.

The injury pattern known as DCBI, Caravalho said, is typically caused by a mine or roadside-bomb explosion, affects troops on foot patrol, and involves traumatic amputation of one leg, at least a severe injury to the other leg, and wounds to any or all of the pelvis, abdomen and genitals.

Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker charted a task force in 2011 to study the injury pattern, Caravalho said. The group, which Caravalho chaired, included experts from the Army, Marine Corps and Veterans Affairs Department, who examined the causes, prevention, protection, treatment and long-term care options for service members suffering these severe injuries, he added.

“These are life-defining injuries for these warriors and their families, but it is not desperate,” Caravalho said. “All of us in uniform understand it’s not just about saving lives; it’s about doing everything military medicine can do to help them lead full and productive lives.”

The report details the number of surviving service member amputees from January 2010 to March 2011. Of 194 amputations, 78 resulted from DCBI and 116 from other causes. By service, 53 Marines, 23 soldiers and two sailors suffered dismounted complex blast injuries resulting in amputation.

Caravalho said while severe injuries nearly doubled from 2009 to 2010, military medicine is saving more lives than ever before.

More combat troops are surviving, he said, because personal protective equipment and armored combat vehicles have decreased the number of head, torso and serious burn injuries; battlefield medics focus first on controlling bleeding with tourniquets; helicopter evacuation times are shorter; there are highly trained medical professionals aboard those helicopters; and medical surgeons have improved surgical resuscitation.

The task force identified 92 recommendations to improve quality of care to service members suffering lower body blast injuries and their families, Caravalho said.

Some best practices have already been implemented, he added: paramedic training for flight medics, to improve the level of care available during medevac; and early use of blood products, possibly even on the battlefield.

Other recommendations focus on point-of-injury and long-term pain management, and on a multidisciplinary approach to long-term care, he said.

Army Col. (Dr.) James Ficke, chairman of the orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation department at Brooke Army Medical Center near San Antonio, told reporters he has worked with many service members who have suffered complex blast injuries.

One, a West Point graduate of less than a year, lost three limbs, Ficke said.

“He’s married; he has a brand-new baby,” Ficke said. “He went through a grieving process, as we can only imagine -- it would be hubris to say we understand what they’ve gone through. But for him to go through that grieving process, and then recover, and be in a wheelchair the rest of his life, but see that child grow up -- he has said, ‘I’m glad I’m alive.’”

Service members who suffer these injuries can still live fruitful and productive lives, but need help to deal with fear of the unknown, he said.

“We have mentoring, we have individuals that have gone through something like this and are able to coach, and tell someone who’s just starting that process: ‘This is what it’s like. I’ve been there; I know,’” Ficke said.

Caravalho said research continues into “blast boxers,” armored underwear that may help prevent some genital and femoral artery injuries.

Army Col. (Dr.) Jonathan Jaffin, chief of staff for the Army Surgeon General Office’s Complex Battle Injury Work Group, said the military medical research community also is researching how to compress blood vessels “that otherwise you couldn’t get a tourniquet on.”

Ficke added, “If we can stop bleeding, we can keep people alive. That’s why we’ve seen such success in survival in this war, with severe injuries.”

The next challenge is to achieve similar success with genital injuries, he added.

“We have reconstructive urologists in the combat support hospitals, deployed, so that if there is a testicular or genital injury that is salvageable, that surgeon can do something far forward,” Ficke said.

The long-term prognosis for people who have had a leg amputated is best if doctors can preserve the other leg, even if it’s damaged, Ficke said.

“If we have technology … that can improve that ability to walk, it, long-term, gives them a better health outcome for heart disease, diabetes, all of those things,” he said. “We are now working with an exciting device that enables someone to use a limb that has had a devastating injury … and can still run.”

Military medical teams use a multidisciplinary approach to complex blast injuries, incorporating surgeons, therapists, prosthetists and behavioral medicine experts to give patients the best possible long-term outcome, Ficke said.

Caravalho said military medical professionals want service members to know there always is hope, even after complex traumatic injuries.

“Military medicine and the VA will be with them for the long term,” he said. “They are entitled to the absolute best care we can provide -- not because of their injuries, but because of their service.”