Great Lakes Chief Selectees to Serve as Museum Tour Guides

By Judy Lazarus, Naval Station Great Lakes Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill (NNS) -- Forty nine volunteer chief selectees completed training to serve, for the second year in a row, as tour guides at the Museum of Science and Industry for the USO U-505 Naval History Program, presented along with the Pritzker Military Library and the museum, Sept. 4-8.

The selectees received training Aug. 9-10. about the history and artifacts relating to the U-505, the only German U-boat captured during World War II.

U.S. submariner veterans also provided their knowledge and experience during the two-day training.

The selectees will volunteer at the exhibit to answer questions and discuss submarine-related artifacts with museum guests.

Located in a 35,000-square-foot exhibit at the museum, the U-boat serves as a national war memorial for those who lost their lives in the two battles of the Atlantic during World War I and II.

"This is an outstanding program on many fronts," said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman (FMF/SS/SW) Roger Buck, senior enlisted leader, director Fleet Medicine, Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. "The new selects learn about the heroic capture and transport of the U-505 and get to work alongside submarine veterans and share their new knowledge with museum guests. This program has expanded Navy/CPO presence in Chicago and educated thousands of civilians on naval history and the role/history of CPOs," the senior chief said.

Command Master Chief Leon Walker, Naval Station Great Lakes, noted that the volunteers are an example of, "chief selects giving back what has been given to them."

"Having an opportunity to be even a small part of the career development path for Navy chief selects is truly an honor for the USO of Illinois," said USO President and Chief Operating Officer Alison Ruble. "We are thrilled to offer this program, now in its second year, and to continue to support our Navy chief petty officers while fostering connections to naval heritage through the legacy of the U-505 submarine."

Chief selectee participants said they look forward to serving as museum guides.

"I am personally very excited to represent the U-505 and share its experience with the public," said Chief Machinery Repairman (select) Kelly Morrow, Machinery Repairman Strand School course supervisor. "Heritage is everything to me, and being able to actually relive the stories is an honor," said the Los Angeles, Calif. native who has been in the Navy 19 years.

"Volunteering at the U-505 exhibit in the Museum of Science and Industry is an honor that I take very seriously," said Chief Hull Technician (select) Nolan Nichols, from Monroe City, Mo. "Representing the Navy and chiefs mess, in front of thousands of people at one of the most important naval heritage exhibits in the area, is going to be one of the highlights of my induction that I will remember for the rest of my life.

"Now that I have learned about what happened with the capture of the U-505, I will take the lessons of honor, courage, and commitment that those U.S. Sailors showed and instill those same core values in Sailors in today's Navy," said Nolan, who has been in the Navy for almost eight years.

"Overall, the U-505 has been a great experience. I would recommend that anyone who gets the chance make a trip down to Chicago to see the exhibit and learn the story behind the exhibit for themselves."

"In my lifetime, I can recall going to museums and wishing I had a guide," said Chief Hospital Corpsman (select) Shante Morris. "Having someone to explain the artifacts or the significance of a time period, in layman's terms, would have made my experience more enlightening. So when the opportunity arose to be a volunteer at the museum I was elated.

"The museum was captivating; the atmosphere was exciting for kids and adults alike," said Morris, who noted the friendliness of the other chief selectee volunteers. "They were genuine about their interactions with the visitors and were excited the entire time I visited. I expect to be infected by that excitement and help carry out the museum's mission and vision.

"I love interacting with people, so this is going to be an awesome experience," said the Atlanta, Ga. native who has been in the Navy close to 15 years. "Not many people are afforded the opportunity to make a difference in a young person's life and I am honored that they are entrusting me to do so."

Biden Family Shares Deployment Experiences at USO Event

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and their five-year-old granddaughter, Natalie, shared their first-hand experiences on how the deployment of a military parent can impact children during a USO-hosted book reading here today.

The Bidens traveled to the District of Columbia National Guard Armory to meet with children of members of the D.C. National Guard. Dr. Biden read from her new book, “Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops.”

Dr. Biden’s book teaches coping methods for military children who are dealing with the absence of loved ones during deployment. The book provides a personal account of Natalie’s experience in coping when her father, then-Army Capt. Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, departed in the fall of 2008 for a year-long deployment to Iraq with his Delaware National Guard unit. Biden, a military lawyer, has since been promoted to major.

“There are tens of thousands of beautiful kids just like this all over the country,” Vice President Biden said at the armory. “What we found out … was when your mommy and daddy are away it’s a hard thing. It’s a difficult thing.”

“So Jill found out there’s a lot of ways to kind of make you feel better,” he added. “By the way, it’s not just little kids. You don’t have to be four, five, six, seven or eight. You can be 17, 18, [or] 19. It doesn’t matter.”

Elaine Rogers, president of USO of Metropolitan Washington, explained to the children who Dr. Biden was and why she came up with the idea to write a book to help military families.

“She loves children,” Rogers said of Dr. Biden. “But do you know which children are very special to her? Military children -- children who have …” [one or both parents] “in the military.”

Rogers said Dr. Biden knows things can be hard when parents are away because of her experiences with her own two grandchildren, Natalie and Hunter.

“This is Natalie’s story, as well as your story, because how many your moms and dads have gone to Iraq or Afghanistan?” Dr. Biden asked the children. “What I realized when I went around this country, is that many Americans don’t even know anybody, at all, in the military.”

“And they don’t know how strong you are and how resilient you are when your moms and dads are away,” she added.

Prior to reading the book in its entirety, the Bidens provided free copies to each child at the armory. Proceeds from book sales, Rogers said, will be donated to the USO to support the education of military children.

“We’re going to make scholarships for kids like you when you get ready to go to college,” Rogers told the children.

Vice President Biden reminded the children to remember they are not alone in their experiences and their parents are constantly thinking of them.

“Just remember when your daddy and mommy are working for the country and they’re away -- they’re always, always thinking about you,” he said. “And parents, thank you very much. Thank you for your service. It’s amazing what you do.”

Mets Host Military Appreciation Day at Citi Field

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Karen Blankenship, Navy Public Affairs Support Element, Norfolk

NEW YORK (NNS) -- The New York Mets and the USO hosted the fifth annual Military Appreciation Day on Memorial Day May 28 at Citi Field as part of Fleet Week New York 2012.

Held nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the city's celebration of the sea services.

Fleet Week New York provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see, first-hand, the latest capabilities of today's maritime services.

Adm. Tim Alexander, commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, who threw the first pitch.

"Today we're at Citi Field and they're throwing a big party for us for Military Appreciation Day here with the Mets," said Alexander.

The game opened with a performance by the USO Liberty Bells, followed by the National Anthem performed by the U.S. Navy Band Northeast.

The Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 15 from Naval Air Station Oceana, homported in Virginia, flew over the field at the end of the Star-Spangled Banner. Several service members and Delayed Entry Program members also recited the Oath of Enlistment before the start of the game.

At the end of the third inning the Mets welcomed veterans by recognizing the veteran of the game.

"Thank you to New York for having us, and thank you to the Mets for giving us awesome seats and letting us meet all the players in the dugout," said Marine Corporal Ronald Smith of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, Bravo Company, who was the veteran of the game. "We're getting treated like celebrities and it doesn't happen very often, so it's been great."

More than 6,000 service men and women arrived aboard the ships for Fleet Week New York. This year, Fleet Week New York is one of the signature events around the country commorating OpSail 2012, the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 an the Star-Spangled Banner. The commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 is a salute to all Sailors and Marines who fought gallantly in that conflict, who served in all our nation's conflicts since then, and who are defending freedom around the world today.

For more information visit the official fleet Week New York City web site at www.fleetweeknewyork.com or find "Fleet Week New York" on Facebook.

Sesame Street USO Event Helps Kids with Moves

By Robyn Mincher, DCoE Strategic Communications

At the Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families event May 16 at Fort Belvoir, Va., Sesame’s favorite furry friends introduced a new character — Katie, a military child.

“You will love Katie!” Grover said. “She’s always so happy and peppy!”

Yet when the new Sesame Street character came onstage, she seemed sad.

“I just found out some really big news,” Katie said. “My family will be moving to a new base. I won’t be around here anymore.”

The character’s stress resonated with the audience of service members and their families. Moving is a part of life for many military families, especially in the summer, as thousands uproot and relocate to a new place each year. It can be tough to leave friends behind and become the new kid at school again. Some kids, like Katie, feel that every time they finally feel at home somewhere, it’s time to move again. Most aren’t happy about moving, but as the TV characters explained, there are ways to take on the challenge with a smile.

“It can be hard to be the new kid on the block. This shows how to build confidence, learn to say hello, find new friends and learn new surroundings,” said Ariel Dominick, a military spouse who brought her 3-year-old son to the show along with her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Adam Dominick.

Elmo, Cookie Monster and Rosita, another military child character, danced and sang as they taught Katie important lessons on how to stay resilient. Tips were shared such as swapping letters and emails with old friends left behind, maintaining a positive attitude and not underestimating the power of a simple “hello” to spark conversations with new people. Sesame characters encouraged kids to keep their head up, because all children of those who serve have unique, inherent resilience when facing challenges. At the end of the performance, Katie, with her head high, sang of her excitement for a new adventure.

“I can't wait to meet everyone and make lots of new friends. It's always great to have friendly faces in different places!” she said.

The tour, which first launched in 2008, is scheduled to roll onto more than 65 military installations across the country by the end of this year.

“With the help of friends like Elmo, Cookie Monster and Katie as well as happy songs, we are able to lift the spirits of our nation’s military children like never before,” said Sloan Gibson, USO president and CEO.

After the performances, information and resources to help military families cope with transitions are available for families to take home. Sesame Workshop, along with others, offers resources for kids and parents including:

■Moving tips for preschoolers, school-age children and families offered through familiesnearandfar.org — with resources for grown-ups, too

■Talk, Listen, Connect offers tool kits and videos that help families manage deployments, grief and changes

■Military Youth on the Move is the Defense Department’s one-stop shop where kids and teens can get advice and access resources on moving

■Visit Family Matters for tips to ease summertime moves

■MilitaryKidsConnect.org offers online journals and videos to connect with other military kids

Check uso.org/sesame to learn more and find out when the tour is coming to your town.

Actor’s Foundation Builds Homes for Wounded Warriors

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2012 – Actor Gary Sinise’s efforts to help wounded warriors were highlighted by journalist David Martin on last night’s broadcast of the CBS program “60 Minutes.”

In the 1994 film “Forrest Gump,” Sinise portrayed “Lt. Dan,” an Army officer who loses both legs while serving in the Vietnam War and overcomes adversity following his discharge.

Since visiting Iraq as part of a USO tour in 2003, Sinise and his foundation have worked to support service members and veterans. Martin’s “60 Minutes” story focused on Sinise’s foundation helping to build custom “smart homes” for real-life amputees, such as Marine Corps Cpl. Juan Dominguez, who lost both legs and an arm to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2010.

In his report, Martin said that as of May 1, 1,459 service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have had limbs amputated. Of those, 439 lost more than one limb, and Dominguez is one of 39 who’d lost three, he said.

“I basically thought I was worthless until one of the [quadruple] amputees that were there, he was walking around like it was nothing,” Dominguez said in the “60 Minutes” report. He was referring to Marine Corps Cpl. Todd Nicely, one of five surviving quadruple amputees.

“I have a feeling 10 years down the road I'm not even [going to] remember what it was like to have arms and legs,” said Nicely, who was injured in March 2010 when he stepped on a booby-trapped bridge in Afghanistan.

Martin reported that Nicely and his wife, Crystal, are about to move into a new house being built in Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., and paid for by Sinise, who performs throughout the year with his Lt. Dan Band, raising money for wounded service members.

Nicely explained to Martin during the interview what the new home will mean to his family.

“For me, it means getting my life back -- you know, being able to do a lot of the things on my own,” he said.

Living without hands is the hardest thing, Nicely told Martin, but he added that having the house will make life 10 times easier.

Martin noted during the interview that Sinise’s foundation assists the severely wounded by building new homes. But triple amputee Bryan Anderson said he doesn't want one.

“I'm good,” he said. “Like, I get around just fine. I do everything I [want to] do. I don't need it, so give it to somebody that would take it, and I would feel guilty taking something away from somebody that could actually need it.”

Anderson explained how he’d met Sinise and became friends with the actor while learning to use his new prosthetic legs during physical therapy at Walter Reed Medical Center. “I just put my arms out and I landed on the first person that I could grab, and then I look up. I'm like, ‘Oh, holy crap, it's Gary Sinise.’

"And he looks at me,” Anderson continued. “He's like ‘Holy crap, the real Lt. Dan,’ and I'm just like, ‘No, no, no, no, you'll always be Lt. Dan,’” Anderson said.

Anderson said he and Sinise began to talk about everyday things. “It was like he was talking to me as a person and not just a wounded soldier,” he added.

Anderson said he is now in a “very good place” in his life and credits some of that to Sinise.

“Gary's responsible for the beginning,” he said. “I've done a lot on my own for myself. Gary was the one to show me that I can do everything -- that it is possible. He really showed me that I can still do anything. It doesn't matter that I'm in a [wheelchair]. If this guy can see that, why can't I?”