Operation Homefront & Operation Gratitude Join Forces for Pepsi Refresh Project

Online Contest Gives Supporters Chance to Vote on Recipients of Grants up to $300,000

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – It won’t cost a dime in October to help military service members and their families.  Thanks to Operation Homefront and Operation Gratitude, patriotic Americans can give real support with the click of a mouse.  By selecting the organizations’ joint grant proposal in the Pepsi Refresh Project, online voters can help the two military support groups win up to $300,000 for holiday programs supporting the men and women serving in harm’s way and their families back home.  

The two nonprofits are competing in two separate grant categories -- $250,000 and $50,000. Winners are determined solely by the final vote count. The top two charities in the running for $250,000 will win the grand prize. The top 10 charities competing for $50,000 will win that amount.

Voting on the joint proposal is open every day through the month of October. Supporters are encouraged to vote each of three different ways daily:  

1.  On the Operation Homefront/Operation Gratitude applications in the $250,000 and $50,000 categories at  http://www.RefreshEverything.com/MilitaryFamilySupport

2.  Through the Pepsi Refresh Facebook application

3.  By texting 103268 for the 250K grant and 103144 for the 50K grant to PEPSI (73774).  (Standard text messaging rates apply.)

Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance to military families and wounded warriors, and  Operation Gratitude sends care packages to deployed service members.  If successful in winning a grant, the two organizations will use the funds to send holiday care packages to troops deployed in Afghanistan,  give holiday toys to military children and provide food to wounded warriors and military families throughout the holiday season.

“We know we’re on the same page when it comes to our commitment to military families, but we also know the competition for this grant money is intense,” said Jim Knotts, CEO of Operation Homefront. “We really believe that by working together and pooling our supporters, we can win this.”

“This is what social networking truly is all about,” said Carolyn Blashek, president of Operation Gratitude. “We’re both nonprofits with limited finances and boots on the ground. We have to do more with less. Through this partnership, we now have more than we could ever muster on our own.”

About Operation Homefront

A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers across 23 chapters and has met more than 267,000 needs since 2002.  A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, $.95 of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes to programs.  More information is available at www.OperationHomefront.net.

About Operation Gratitude

Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000-plus care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. service members deployed in hostile regions. Our mission is to lift morale, bring a smile to a service member's face and express to our armed forces the appreciation and support of the American people. Each package contains donated product valued at $125 and costs the organization $15 to assemble and ship. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 560,000 packages to American military deployed overseas.  For more information: www.OperationGratitude.com.

A moonlit search, a remarkable rescue

Written by: LTJG Stephanie Young

As a family of seven cast their lines 25 miles off the coast of Charleston, S.C., for a day of fishing over Labor Day weekend, their 38-foot Fountain boat began to flood with water. They called “mayday” on their VHF radio and gave details of their location, but their call for help was distorted.

With no choice but to abandon ship, they quickly put on their life jackets and tied everyone together using the boat’s anchor line hoping that their call for help was heard.

Having only received a single “mayday” without a position, the Coast Guard searched the coast of South Carolina for four hours but without any signs of distress or further details, the tough call was made to suspend the active search. The case was reopened later that evening, when the Sector Charleston Command Center received a call with information about an overdue boat that was fishing off the coast of Charleston.

Using the caller’s details, the search recommenced with helicopters from Air Station Savannah and Air Facility Charleston as well as a C-130 search plane from Elizabeth City, N.C. and an 87-foot patrol boat, CGC Yellowfin.

On board the 6565, an MH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Air Facility Charleston, was the crew of LCDR Jeffrey Graham, LTJG Joe Forgeng, AET2 Benjamin Rosen and AST2 Jason Booher.

The 6565 flew through the night without finding any signs of the missing family. As hope was diminishing, a low ambient light began to show just before the sun’s rising as the crew approached the last stretch, of their last search pattern.

Aided by the ambient light, Rosen glimpsed an object with his night vision goggles. As a junior member of the aircrew, this was Rosen’s first time aboard an aircraft for a search and rescue mission, and in disbelief, he began to scan behind the aircraft. He again saw an object in the water.

The aircrew marked the position, turned around and confirmed the object was a debris field – with survivors. Booher was lowered into the water and found the entire family clinging to a cooler. Remarkably, after 20 hours in the water, all seven were alive and accounted for.

“The largest amount of people in the water I had dealt with in my training was six people at the most,” said Booher. “I looked to my left and looked to my right and there were kids. An adult was holding one of the kids so I just put them in the basket first.”

As the first hoist went up, with an adult and a child that was just five, Booher knew he was going to need assistance from other assets. He asked the adult to relay to the aircrew that all people in the water were accounted for and to divert assets to their position.

The enveloping darkness of night made the already difficult challenge of hoisting seven survivors more complicated.

 “As I was trying to hover during one of the hoists, I flipped up the night vision goggles to see what I could see, and it was pitch black,” said Graham.

One by one, as the moon retreated and the sun rose, the dehydrated and hypothermic survivors were hoisted into the helicopter, but one last challenge was presented to the aircrew – as the fifth survivor was hoisted into the 6565 the aircraft reached its hoisting weight limitation leaving two survivors in the water.

Coordinating with the crew aboard the 6604 from Air Station Savannah, the 6565 remained on scene as the last two survivors were hoisted into the 6604. Both helicopters safely landed in Charleston, where ambulances awaited and cared for the survivors.

Together the 6565 and 6604 crews flew for 15 hours, but the realities of the rescue did not hit the crews until they landed with both aircrafts on scarce fuel levels and maximum hours in flight.

The aircrews, flying through the darkness of night and with limited information, turned what some may deem the impossible into a reality.

General Officer Announcements

The chief of staff, Air Force announced today the following assignments:

Maj. Gen. Darren W. McDew, vice director, strategic plans and policy, J-5, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to commander, Air Force District of Washington, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

Maj. Gen. Salvatore A. Angelella, vice commander, Fifth Air Force, and deputy commander, Thirteenth Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Yokota Air Base, Japan., to vice director, Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Maj. Gen. Kenneth D. Merchant, director, logistics, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., to commander, Air Armament Center and Air Force Program executive officer for weapons, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Brig. Gen. Bruce A. Litchfield, who has been selected for the rank of brigadier general, commander, 76th Maintenance Wing, Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., to director, Logistics, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

Today in the Department of Defense, Monday, October 04, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates hosts an honor cordon to welcome Macedonian Minister of Defense Zoran Konjanovski to the Pentagon at 3 p.m. EDT.  The cordon will be held on the steps of the Pentagon River Entrance.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the Pentagon River Parking Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort to the cordon.

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn has no public or media events on his schedule.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen hosts a full honors ceremony to welcome Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, United Kingdom, to the Pentagon at noon EDT.  The cordon will be held at the Pentagon's River Entrance Parade Field.  Please call 703-697-4272 for escort to the cordon.

Continuing Promise 2010 Opening Ceremony Held in Panama

By Lt. Jacqui Barker, Continuing Promise 2010 Public Affairs

CHIRIQUI GRAND, Panama (NNS) -- The U.S. Embassy and Panama Minister of Health hosted a welcoming ceremony for the Continuing Promise 2010 (CP10) team Sept. 28 at the Rambala Maternity Clinic in Punta Pina, Panama.

The CP10 team of 1,500 personnel aboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) was anchored off the coast of Chiriqui Grand, Panama and provided humanitarian civic assistance (HCA), to include medical, dental, optometry, veterinary, and engineering services to the area for ten days.

"Though we bring doctors, and dentists, veterinarians and engineers, what we really bring is a message; a message of commitment and partnership," said CP10 Commodore, Capt. Thomas Negus. "That commitment is strong, sustained, meaningful and based upon mutual respect. I pledge to you, the work of the entire Continuing Promise 2010 team, as we work with you, our Panamanian partners in bringing "whole of community" humanitarian assistance to the region."

The CP10 message of partnership, respect and collaboration was reciprocated in the echoed sentiments articulated by Dr. Daryl Padmore, Bocas del Toro Regional Ministry of Health director.

"In this mission, your doctors and our doctors will work together to bring healthcare to the people of Panama," said Dr. Daryl Padmore, Bocas del Toro Regional Ministry of Health director. "The government of Panama is committed to bring healthcare to its people, as you see here. For medical people, it's not words that matter. It's the medical attention we give to the people."

Negus spoke about the CP10 team's excitement for being in Panama.

"The international Continuing Promise team is very excited to be here in Panama today, to work with you in this important humanitarian mission," said Negus "Continuing Promise is an equal partner mission that serves as a tangible demonstration of our commitment to our neighbors."

"With Continuing Promise, you are going to different countries and teaching and healing – and we are so very grateful," said Dr. Jose Stonestreet, Comarca Ngabe Ministry of Health regional director.

Continuing Promise 2010 is an HCA operating from USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility under the operational directorate of Commander, Fourth Fleet.

Navy Safe Harbor Hosts 2nd Annual Awards Ceremony

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Shannon Burns, Defense Media Activity - Anacostia

Arlington, Va. (NNS) -- Eleven service members enrolled in the Navy Safe Harbor Program and their caregivers were recognized during the 2nd Annual Navy Safe Harbor Awards Ceremony in Arlington, Va. Sept. 30.

"The vast expanse and input, and the people that Safe Harbor touches is amazing," said Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO).

The Navy Safe Harbor program assists service members who are wounded, ill or injured with non-medical issues. More than 550 active duty, retired, reserve, discharged Sailors and Coastguardsmen are enrolled in the program.

"Our mission is to augment Navy medicine's mission of taking care of Sailors", said Capt. Key Watkins, Navy Safe Harbor director. "We pick up where they leave off. We do everything the Sailor and family needs, along with servicing the coast guard."

During the ceremony, the eleven service members and their caregivers were invited to the stage as a brief synopsis was read describing the challenges they have faced and overcome.

Navy Safe Harbor Program 2010 awardees received certificates from VCNO, as a token of appreciation for their commitment.

"The most challenging aspect of recovery was going from 100 miles per hour to 0", said Special Operator 1st Class Mark Robbins. "The most inspiring aspect for me was Navy Safe Harbor stepping in and helping me get back on my feet."

Robbins lost his right eye when he was shot by a sniper while on his second deployment to Iraq.

Culinary Specialist Seaman Judi Boyce, Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Nathan Dewalt, Rose Lammey and Stephanie Rose, were recognized for their ongoing commitment to the Navy Safe Harbor organization.

"It's always fun being the lowest ranking person demonstrating that small people can make a big difference," said Boyce, who suffers from Moyamoya disease, a rare cerebral-vascular disorder. Boyce acts as an advocate for the program.

"Safe Harbor is here for everybody," said Boyce. "They will find you if you don't find them, they will bother you in a good way. The hardest part is saying you need help. Once you come to grips with that, the help will continuously come."

During ceremony Lt. Cmdr. Sandra Cole was recognized as the 2010 Navy Safe Harbor Non-medical Care Manager of the Year.

As one of 17 non-medical care managers, Cole assists wounded warriors on a daily basis with a variety of issues such as pay and personnel benefits, veteran's benefits, childcare and family challenges, and employment benefits during their recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration.

"This award means a lot", said Cole. "We have care managers all over the United States working for the Navy that are representative of how wonderful Navy Safe Harbor is."

The Navy Safe Harbor Program was created in 2005 in support of the Military Severely Injured Center which had seen an influx of sea service members who were seriously wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF).

When the Navy Safe Harbor Program was created, the staff consisted of a Navy liaison, program director and an outreach case manager. At the time there were only 20 OIF and OEF Sailors enrolled in the program.

USS Kentucky Awarded Omaha Trophy

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gretchen Albrecht, Commander, Submarine Group 9 Public Affairs

BANGOR, Wash. (NNS) -- The blue and gold crews of USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) were presented the Omaha Trophy during a ceremony on Delta Pier at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Wash., Sept. 29.

The Omaha Trophy, sponsored by U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) and the STRATCOM Consultation Committee, is given annually to the best ballistic missile submarine as well as units with intercontinental ballistic missiles, strategic aircraft and strategic space and information operations.

Rear Adm. Frank Caldwell, commander, Submarine Group 9 praised both crews of the Kentucky for their outstanding performance.

"When I think of the USS Kentucky I think of operational excellence," said Caldwell. "I am tremendously proud of the Kentucky crews and all they have done as well as their families because they too are an important part of our mission."

With 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) in the U.S. Navy and 28 crews, Kentucky was chosen as the number one SSBN for 2009.

During this time the Kentucky successfully completed three strategic deterrent patrols, had 100 percent strategic navigation performance and more than 1,200 hours of community service time given by Sailors of both crews.

Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, Gen. Kevin Chilton, spoke about the continued importance of strategic deterrence while addressing both crews.

"Let's give the Navy 600 ships, let's give the Air Force 45 fighter wings, let's give the Army 10 divisions of tanks and let's take away our nuclear weapons and give 10 nuclear weapons to any country in the Western Hemisphere," said Chilton. "Then you tell me who you fear most. It won't be a 600 ship Navy, a 45 wing Air Force, or a 10 battle tank division Army. It will be the country with the nuclear weapons."

Nuclear deterrence underpins every other element of our entire nation's defense, Chilton added.

Strategic Command Consultation Committee member, Mr. Joe Moglia, was on hand to present the award on behalf of the committee and the citizens of Omaha, Neb.

"I pride myself in the respect and appreciation I have for achievement of excellence," said Moglia. "You cannot find a better boat or crew in terms of what USS Kentucky has achieved, and it is my incredible honor to be here."

The opportunity to recognize excellence and help present the highest STRATCOM achievement to the crew was important to Chilton.

Navy Reserve Launches 2011 Strategic Plan

By Robert Durand, Director of Public Affairs, Chief of Navy Reserve

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink, Chief of Navy Reserve and commander, Navy Reserve Force, released the 2011 update to Ready Now: The Navy Reserve Strategic Plan, Oct. 1.

Now in its third year of execution, the plan serves as the blueprint for building the Navy Reserve so it can effectively and efficiently carry out its mission. This year's strategic plan lays out twelve strategic initiatives and identifies who is responsible for carrying them out.

"Our strategic initiatives go right to the heart of our Navy Reserve Force Motto: "Ready Now. Anytime, Anywhere.", said Debbink. "We have a solid plan that delivers real improvements in how we carry out our mission to provide strategic depth and deliver operational capabilities to our Navy and Marine Corps team, and Joint forces, from peace to war."

To read the complete Navy Reserve Strategic Plan, visit: https://www.navyreserve.navy.mil.

Jim Grover, a Department of the Navy civilian employee on the staff of the Office of the Chief of Navy Reserve, has been an integral part of Debbink's strategic planning team from the start, and has seen how the process has matured.

"We have learned a great deal in three years about how to drive positive change in the Navy Reserve, and this year's initiatives reflect those lessons learned," said Grover. "For 2011, we are concentrating our efforts on major issues requiring flag-level attention."

"What we did get right the first time, and what has guided us since, was the framework for our planning process: define the mission, articulate the vision, and identify our strategic focus areas to organize our change efforts," Grover said. "Our Strategic Plan organizes change efforts into three strategic focus areas – DELIVER a Ready and Accessible Force, PROVIDE Valued Capabilities, and ENABLE the Continuum of Service."

Debbink sees the strategic plan as a way to create fundamental changes and improvements in the way the Navy Reserve operates. It's also a useful tool for clarifying and requesting changes to laws and policies that are beyond the Navy Reserve's control.

"Our Sailors have performed magnificently in the years since 9/11, and we enjoy tremendous support from the Chief of Naval Operations, Congress and the Navy enterprises we support," Debbink said. "When we come to them with a well thought-out plan and say 'these are the things we need to fix so we can serve you better and make life better for our Sailors,' they are eager to join us in this important work."

Volunteers, American Red Cross Sort Thousands of Cards for Troops

By Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Justin Smelley, Naval Air Facility Atsugi Public Affairs

ATSUGI, Japan (NNS) -- Volunteers from the Red Cross, Camp Zama Family Readiness Support group, Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi Ombudsmen, active duty service members and spouses helped out Oct. 1 at the NAF Atsugi's Aerodrom Conference Room by sorting holiday cards for the "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program.

The volunteers received and sorted more than 5,000 cards but the Red Cross station manager expects close to a million by the end of the campaign.

"Today we are sorting cards for 'Holiday Mail for Heroes,'" said Kenneth Romero, Station Manager for the American Red Cross serving Camp Zama and NAF Atsugi. "Basically it's a campaign Red Cross does in the U.S. to offer the American public a chance to show their support for military members who are deployed and serving worldwide."

The cards go through Pitney Bowes Inc. where they collect and screen the mail received. They go through and check for any hazardous materials in the mail. After that process they are shipped to various Red Cross locations where workers and volunteers sort through it.

"We are sorting them by the branch of service and to make sure that they are appropriate to send. We also check to see if they are for wounded military members or veterans," said Romero.

"I volunteered because I believe in the Christmas spirit and I wanted to give back to our service members," said Dozier Renee, Family Readiness Support Assistant for 441st Military Intelligence Battalion.

"I think this is a good way for the American people to show their support," said Romero. "There is a lot of energy put into these cards and we're able to share that with the folks deployed over here."

The program started on September 3rd and has a deadline of December 10th.

If you would like to participate in the "Holiday Mail for Heroes" program send cards to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes

PO Box 5456

Capitol Heights, MD

20791-5456

Artist to Paint Seabee Series

By Mass Communication Specialist Chief Terrina Weatherspoon, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet Public Affairs

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (NNS) -- A visual information specialist from the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, D.C., visited the Third Naval Construction Regiment in Kandahar, Afghanistan Sept. 12 to document Seabees in Afghanistan.

The artist, Morgan I. Wilbur, was given access to projects being done by Naval Mobile Construction Battalions 18, 40, 5 and 21.

"I wanted to come here to observe the Seabees in Afghanistan, so that I could do a series of paintings to tell their story for the Navy art collection," said Wilbur. "Together the head of the Navy art collection and I both said we need to capture the Seabees. We don't have too much art on that. So between the two of us we knew this was the next project we needed to do."

Wilbur was able to photograph and sketch scenes that he will take home and later turn into paintings for the Naval Heritage archives. The paintings may also be used in an exhibit at the Seabee Museum currently being built in Port Hueneme, Calif.

"I'm most excited about painting the people," said Wilbur. "Seabees are very upbeat and motivated people who love their jobs. I truly believe they are among the hardest working people in the Navy."

Wilbur has been on the staff of the Naval History and Heritage command, working as the art director for Naval Aviation News magazine.

His work is represented in several collections including the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, and his art has been reproduced in numerous books and magazines.

In 2002, Wilbur boarded the USS John C. Stennis, an aircraft carrier engaged in offensive operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In April 2003, he traveled to Iraq to document Navy Medicine's support in Operation Iraqi Freedom, which included time with Fleet Hospital 3 in southern Iraq. Wilbur returned to Iraq in 2005 to document the work of Navy medical corpsmen serving with the Marines, and in 2006 to document coalition activities in Baghdad.

"My trips have mostly been to shore based units," said Wilbur. "When people think of the Navy they think of the water. I wanted to show people a different side, a side that not everyone knows about."

Wilbur spent three weeks in Afghanistan and visited more than three forward operating bases and two combat outposts.

"The environment out here is incredible," said Wilbur. "All I knew up [until] this point is what I've read about Afghanistan. I knew it sounded like a difficult place to do the work that Seabees do. From what I've heard of the Seabees, I thought it would be good way to learn a lot about what they do and to help document their history and contributions to the people of Afghanistan."

Wilbur plans on painting at least a dozen different scenes from his time in Afghanistan.

"The dusty environment, the sun and the heat," said Wilbur. "I'm just going to try and capture this incredible work and these harsh environmental conditions. But the main thing is the people and their attitudes. One of the main impressions is the physicality. It's pretty impressive. The Seabee culture is very interesting."

New Navy Survival School Honors Former Prisoner of War

By Darryl Orrell, Center for Security Forces Public Affairs

KITTERY, Maine (NNS) -- Naval Education and Training Command's (NETC) Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR) officially named the new Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) School at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY), Portsmouth, N.H. in honor of retired Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. Sept. 30.

Distinguished guests included Denton, Rear Adm. (Sel) Mike White, NETC chief operating officer and Congressional Representatives from the offices of Senator Judd Gregg, Senator Jeanne Saheen, Congressman Paul Hodes, and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire. Senator Susan Collins, Senator Olympia Snowe, and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree of Maine were among those attending the ribbon cutting ceremony.

"The men and women of the United States Navy and Marines step forward to serve with valor and determination," said Collins in a letter read during the ceremony. "This building is devoted to the highest ideals of America's armed forces and is named for a great patriot who exemplifies those ideals."

"This outstanding new facility will be used to fulfill a critical mission - the training of our Sailors in Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape tactics," said White. "Our professional instructors will make excellent use of this wonderful new facility preparing Sailors so they know what to do when things go from bad, to worse. The demand for exemplary training has never been higher."

"The promise of covenant leadership requires we persist in finding ways to continue providing world-class training to our Sailors. As we have always done, Naval Education and Training works closely with the Fleet to determine the best training to support their needs," White said. "We have never, and will never, create our training in a vacuum. We listen to the subject matter experts. We take their knowledge and experience and craft them into exemplary training."

In his introduction of Denton, the key note speaker and namesake of the new training facility, White called Denton a "true American hero."

"Some people may look at the Code of Conduct printed in the program you hold in your hands and say, 'just words,'" White said. "For those who have fought in the past, and for those who fight today, these are a written testament to the strength, character and honor of our military. If you are looking for proof of this legacy of courage, you need look no further than our guest speaker."

A 34-year Navy veteran, Denton served on active duty during World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and was heavily involved during the Cuban Missile Crisis as the commander of the Guantanamo Defense Force.

In 1965, Denton was shot down and captured by North Vietnamese forces and spent the next seven years and seven months as a Prisoner of War (POW) and became the first U.S. military captive to experience four years of solitary confinement.

"Your responsibility as an American war fighter does not end when you are captured," said Denton addressing the SERE school staff earlier that morning. "There is much you can do to inflict damage on the enemy."

During his captivity, Denton gave the American public its first confirmation that American POWs were being tortured in Vietnam. He did so by secretly blinking his eyes in Morse code spelling the word 'torture' during a 1966 television interview arranged by the North Vietnamese.

"Once I was tortured for 3 days and 3 nights straight and overheard the camp commander, frustrated because I did not break, say to my tormentor, 'break his legs,'" said Denton. "I knew my body could no longer take the punishment and literally thought I was going to die any moment.

At that moment I prayed to the man up stairs telling him I could no longer continue to resist on my own - I needed him to intervene. It was in that very moment that my pain was simply gone and the guard refused the order to break my legs."

Touching on this same story during his ceremonial address and citing how honored he was by the new facility Denton said, "But I stand here today telling you that if it were not for God, I would have washed out."

Based on his experience, Denton said, "There are no atheists among POW's."

Denton went on to speak of how people only seem to focus on the pain and suffering endured by POWs.

"Often forgotten are the families of those men and women who equally suffer and in some cases endure the endless suffering of not knowing what has happened to their loved one," said Denton.

"As long as you realize who you are and the great country of which you belong, you can achieve anything," said Denton in his conclusion.

The relocation of the SERE school to PNSY was prompted by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission's decision to disestablish the Brunswick Naval Air Station in 2011.

Navy survival training emerged in the late 1950s as an arctic survival course and has since evolved into the current SERE training.

SERE is a 12-day Code of Conduct course designed to give students the skills necessary to survive and evade capture, and if captured, resist interrogation and escape.

The new $11 million 33,612 sq.ft SERE facility will host more than 100 military and civilian staff and train an average of 1,200 students per year.

The first group of students to attend training at the new facility will convene Oct. 4 where they will undergo six days of academic study before proceeding to the 12,500-acre Navy range in Redington, Maine for practical field exercises.

"This is a great day for PNSY and we welcome you, look forward to working with you, and wish you the best of luck in your new home," said Capt. Bryant Fuller III, PNSY commander.

Established by the Federal Government in 1800, PNSY launched its first product, the 74-gun warship USS Washington, and in 1815 during World War I, PNSY took on a new role -the construction of submarines.

Royal Australian Navy Vietnam Veterans Receive Award from CNO

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst, Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

SYDNEY (NNS) -- The chief of naval operations (CNO) and his counterpart of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) presented long overdue awards at the HMAS Waterhen to veterans for serving in Vietnam during a ceremony Oct. 1.

CNO Adm. Gary Roughead, along with Chief of Navy, Royal Australian Navy Vice Adm. Russ Crane, had the honor of presenting two United States Navy Unit Commendations to 43 members of the Clearance Diving Team (CDT) 3 and their family members for their service to Australia in the Vietnam War alongside the United States Navy.

Roughead expressed the importance of recognizing the dedication and the commitment of our service members around the world and their contributions for serving in harms way that give our nations the liberty and freedom we have today.

"United States Sailors have many, many reasons to admire and to thank our enduring and stalwart shipmates in the Royal Australian Navy, and the exploits of CDT 3 in the inland waters of Vietnam four decades ago are of a piece with the shared dedication Australian and American sailors have demonstrated since the War in the Pacific," Roughead said.

"My hope that today's ceremony typifies our mutual commitment to that end, conveys how our sailors' achievements live on in our memories," Roughead continued, "and how they will more brightly stand in the annals of naval history for future generations to discover."

Crane said the RAN motto, "United and Undoubted," speaks of CDT 3's service during the Vietnam War and the significant mark they left in naval history.

"Although the smallest unit Australia deployed numbering no more than six at the time, they built on WWII's lessons in bomb disposal and mind clearance to create a enviable reputation for extreme courage, innovation and expertise."

CNO said the relationship between the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy has always been and will continue to be a strong maritime partnership with a shared dedication in the Pacific and around the world's oceans.

The ceremony recognized the 43 members of CDT 3 for their contributions to the Vietnam War between 1968 and 1973 as Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Pacific (Teams 21 and 35).

This Day in Naval History - Oct. 01

From the Navy News Service

1800 - U.S. schooner Experiment captures French schooner Diana.

1844 - The Naval Observatory, headed by Lt. Matthew Fontaine Maury, occupies its first permanent quarters.

1874 - Supply Corps purser Lt. J.Q. Barton is given leave to enter service of new Japanese Navy to organize a pay department and instruct Japanese about accounts. He served until Oct. 1, 1877, when he again became a purser in the U.S. Navy.

1880 - John Phillip Sousa becomes leader of Marine Corps Band.

1928 - The first class at school for enlisted Navy and Marine Corps radio intercept operators (The "On the Roof Gang") is held.

1937 - Patrol aviation is transferred to Aircraft Scouting Force, a re-established type command. With the change, five patrol wings were established as a separate administrative command over their squadrons.

1946 - Truculent Turtle lands at Columbus, Ohio, breaking the world's record for distance without refueling during flight of 11,235 miles.

1949 - Military Sea Transportation Service is activated.

1955 - USS Forrestal (CVA 59), the first of post-war super carriers, is commissioned.

1979 - President Jimmy Carter awards the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Neil Armstrong, retired Navy Capt. Charles Conrad Jr., retired Marine Col. John Glenn and retired Rear Adm. Alan Shepard Jr.

1980 - USS Cochrane (DDG 21) rescues 104 Vietnamese refugees 620 miles east of Saigon.

1990 - USS Independence (CV 62) enters Persian Gulf (first carrier in Persian Gulf since 1974).

Post 9/11 GI Bill Proves Popular

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (AW) LaTunya Howard, Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Since its introduction in 2009, the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit has proven popular with transferability being one of the most-valued features for Sailors interested in paying for their family member's college education.

"I did everything online for my wife," said Navy Diver 1st Class (DSW) Jad Graves, Navy Experimental Diving Unit, Panama City, Fla. "I didn't have any problems what so ever. The biggest delay was waiting on a voucher from the Veterans' Administration."

According to NAVADMIN 203/09, while a Sailor may be eligible for education benefits provided by the Post 9/11 GI Bill, generally the option to transfer benefits to an eligible family member requires an additional service commitment in the Armed Forces.

Qualified Sailors may elect to transfer all or a portion of their benefits to a spouse or child enrolled in Defense Eligibility Enrollment System and eligible for benefits. For transferability, Sailors must have served at least six years in the Armed Forces and agree to serve an additional four years, in most cases.

"It's extremely valuable to the service member, but I'm glad my wife can use mine," said Graves. "If I were able to attend school full-time, I'd receive the housing allowance also. That would be taking full advantage of this benefit."

"I give the Post 9/11 GI Bill a definite 'A+'," said Chief Warrant Officer David Williams, Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Mayport, Fla. "The process was extremely easy. I transferred my benefits to my daughter who has graduated from Virginia State with her bachelor's degree, and she was able to continue her education. She was accepted into Saint Joseph University to finish her master's degree with the use of this benefit. I was really grateful to be able to do that for her."

Sailors can apply to use the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill at the Veteran's Administration website, https://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp or apply for transferability of benefits at www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB/ however Sailors should ensure their service obligation is reflected in their Electronic Service Record at https://nsips.nmci.navy.mil/.

According to the Records Management and Benefits Division, the number one reason for rejected applications is the lack of sufficient obligated service or Page 13 not reflected in a Sailor's Electronic Service Record (ESR). Sailors should verify the information is there before applying for transferability. Self-validation of ESR is required by NAVADMIN 203/09.

Additionally Sailors should transfer their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits before going on terminal leave. Benefits must be transferred prior to leaving active duty.

The Navy has approved more than 24,000 requests for transferability since the program's inception, processing approximately 250 applications weekly.

For additional information visit the Navy Personnel Command (NPC) Website at http://www.npc.navy.mil/CareerInfo/Education/GIBill/ or call the NPC Customer Service Center at 1-866-U-ASK-NPC.

This Day in Naval History - Sept. 30

From the Navy News Service

1800 - United States concludes Treaty of Peace with France, ending Quasi War with France.

1944 - USS Nautilus (SS 168) lands supplies and evacuates people from Panay, Philipppine Islands.

1946 - U.S. government announces Navy units would be permanently stationed in the Mediterranean to carry out American policy and diplomacy.

1954 - Commissioning at Groton, Conn., of USS Nautilus (SSN 571), the world's first nuclear-powered ship.

1958 - Marines leave Lebanon.

1959 - Last flight of airships assigned to the Naval Air Reserve at Lakehurst, N.J., takes place.

1968 - USS New Jersey (BB 62) arrives off Vietnam.

Navy SEAL Laid to Rest After Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Scorza, Naval Special Warfare Public Affairs

TOMS RIVER, N.J. (NNS) -- Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) 3rd Class Denis Christian Miranda, 24, was laid to rest at Ocean County Memorial Park Cemetery in Toms River, N.J. following a military funeral Sept. 30.

Miranda was one of nine military personnel killed when the helicopter in which they were traveling crashed in Zabul Province in Southern Afghanistan Sept. 21.

Miranda's body was flown from Afghanistan to Dover Air Force Base, Del., during a dignified transfer. On Monday, his family and friends received his remains at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

As Miranda began the final leg of his journey to his hometown of Toms River, more than 400 service members from the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Corps lined the streets of the base to render salutes to him and pay respect to his family and friends as the procession passed by.

Beginning Tuesday family, friends, service members and an outpouring of local residents gathered at the Anderson and Family Funeral home to grieve the loss of the young man. Local and national organizations presented small mementos and offered support to family during the wake.

Among those who offered support was Judy Tapper, president of the Department of New Jersey Gold Star Mothers, an organization and support group made up of mothers of fallen service members. Tapper presented a gold pin from the group to Miranda's mother.

"After the loss of my son, it has always been important for me to help mothers in any way that I can," said Tapper. "What ever the Miranda family needs, we will get them."

Tapper's son, Photographer's Mate 1st Class (SEAL) David M. Tapper, died from wounds received during combat operations Aug. 20, 2003 in Afghanistan.

Miranda was carried in by his SEAL teammates to the cemetery where he received a military funeral. Miranda's best friend, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (FMF) Eugene A. Lewis III, made remarks about the special friendship he and Miranda shared.

"Denis achieved his dreams," Lewis said. "He set out to become a Navy SEAL and fulfilled that dream. He lived life to the fullest. I consider myself lucky to have known him."

Capt. Tim Szymanski, commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group Two, solemnly spoke about the warrior spirit of Navy SEALs and Miranda's ultimate sacrifice for his country.

"Miranda was a man who touched the lives of so many of us, a man who willingly made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the freedom and liberty of his fellow citizens, and a man who lived his life for the cause greater than himself," Szymanski said.

After the commodore's remarks, the American flag that draped Miranda's casket was folded and presented to Miranda's mother. A Navy honor guard rendered a gun salute and guests bowed their heads through the playing of "Taps."

After the flag presentation, Navy SEALs from across the country lined up and one-by-one, removed the Tridents from the left chest of their uniforms and pounded them into Miranda's coffin.

Miranda's two brothers Alan and Kevin shared stories of their brother and spoke of his selfless, humble character.

"My brother could have been the most charitable man in the world, but if you didn't catch him in the act, you wouldn't know," said Alan. "He helped others and never spoke of his acts. That's just the type of guy he was … humble."

"He wanted to help as many people as he could with things he was knowledgeable in," said Kevin. "He would do anything for anyone in need."

Miranda's fiance, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Lacy Cromwell, grieved his loss as well. When asked what he meant to her, Cromwell simply said, "He was the love of my life." Miranda's last words to her before he deployed were, "You know I'm going to marry you right?" She responded, "I know."

Miranda is survived by his mother, father, Christian, and two brothers.

Fallen Wisconsin Guard hero honored at Soldier Field

Thomas Wortham IV, a first lieutenant with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's Troop A, 105th Cavalry as well as a member of the Chicago Police Department, was honored for his dedication to duty, selfless service and heroism in a halftime ceremony at Soldier Field during the Monday night game between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers.

Wortham, a Chicago native, was murdered May 19 outside his parents' Chicago home when four men attempted to steal his motorcycle.

"Like many of his peers, subordinates and leaders, we knew he was a great leader," said Capt. Matthew McDonald, Wortham's commander in Troop A. "He was always out front, pushing his Soldiers, never asking them to do what he wouldn't do."

Wortham enlisted with the Wisconsin National Guard in April 1999 and deployed to Iraq twice — a 12-month deployment in 2004 with the 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry, and a 10-month deployment in 2009 with Troop A, 105th Cavalry. He also spent a year on active duty performing airport security as part of Operation Noble Eagle in 2003.

After being commissioned in 2006, Wortham attended police academy and joined the Chicago Police Department, working in the Englewood district.

McDonald said he learned after Wortham's death that the 11-year veteran brought the same warrior ethos to his police work and community. Wortham served as president of the Cole Park Advisory Council in Chatham, and worked to make the neighborhood safe for children to play in area parks.

"He didn't talk about it," McDonald said. "He embodied both the outstanding Soldier and the outstanding citizen."

McDonald, who attended Reserve Officer Training Course at the University of Wisconsin around the same time Wortham was in ROTC at UW-Whitewater, wanted to commemorate his friend's life and accomplishments but discovered that Wisconsin did not have an award recognizing both military and citizen service. After doing some research, he learned that the state of New York had a Citizen-Soldier award. He proposed a similar award to Wisconsin National Guard leaders, who embraced the idea enthusiastically.

Wortham was the first recipient of the Thomas E. Wortham IV achievement award, presented to family members Monday night. The Chicago Police Department developed a similar award, which was also presented Monday night.

"We don't always have the opportunity while in uniform to recognize the things our Soldiers do in their civilian lives," said Brig. Gen. Mark Anderson, commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard. "This award gives our organization an opportunity to recognize Soldiers and Airmen for their success both in and out of uniform."

The Wisconsin National Guard and the Chicago Police Department said they intend to present the award each year to members who best represent the values and commitment to community and service Wortham emulated.

"We will annually recognize an outstanding sworn member of the department who has made significant contribution to the Chicago Police Department and his or her community," said Jody Weis, Chicago Police Department superintendent. "The awardee must also have served in the Armed Forces. When someone asks what the award ribbon stands for, saying it is the Thomas E. Wortham IV award will be enough to explain its significance."

Wisconsin Guard Drug Control program part of take-back initiative

The Wisconsin National Guard's Drug Control program was among 80 state agencies to take part in a national collaborative effort sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency to collect and dispose of potentially dangerous expired or unused pharmaceutical drugs.

The one-day effort, held Sept. 25, collected more than 4,400 pounds of pharmaceuticals in Wisconsin. The project also emphasized pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse and misuse as well as keeping pharmaceuticals out of the water system.

In the past, local government agencies have offered similar prescription drop-offs, but this Take-Back program is the first at the national level.

"This event took a tremendous amount of planning and partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement in Wisconsin, as well as with community groups," said James Bohn, assistant special agent in charge, DEA Milwaukee.

Discarded pharmaceutical medications were collected at De Forest, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Spooner and Wausau on Monday (Sept. 27) and taken by the Wisconsin Guard's Drug Control Program, under law enforcement escort, to the Milwaukee DEA office.

Drug Control Program and DEA personnel transported the discarded medication to Indianapolis on Tuesday (Sept. 28) using a Wisconsin National Guard transportation company vehicle. The DEA incinerated the medications Wednesday (Sept. 29).

"The Wisconsin National Guard provided much needed manpower and equipment to assist in the collection and transportation of several tons of collected pharmaceuticals from around the state," Bohn added. "Their commitment to the mission was instrumental to the success of the overall program and communities all around Wisconsin."

"The Drug Control Program appreciates the opportunity to support DEA in their efforts to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from our state's medicine cabinets," said Col. Mark Greenwood, Wisconsin's Counterdrug coordinator.

DEA will evaluate the program's results nationwide to determine if the effort should be established on a more permanent basis.

Spc. Megan Burnham contributed to this report.

Face of Defense: Soldier Follows Grandfather’s Path

By Army Spc. Jerry Ellis

4th Infantry Division

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2010 – Army Pfc. Chelsea Draper joined the Army, she said, to follow in the footsteps of her beloved grandfather, a decorated Marine Corps veteran of World War II.

Serving here with Forward Support Command, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Draper said her grandfather, Teddy Draper Sr., was one of the celebrated Navajo “Code Talkers.”

“Even at a young age, I could see the pride my grandfather took in having served his country, and I also understood the sacrifices he made,” Draper said, noting she and her grandfather both hail from Chinle, Ariz.

Code talkers transmitted coded messages over radio and telephone utilizing the Navajo language, or Diné Ke’Ji, which was undecipherable by the enemy.

Draper said she grew up very close to her grandfather during her youth, having heard him recite stories of his military service. He retired as a sergeant major. During his career he’d received a Purple Heart, the Congressional Gold Medal, and his own personal Congressional Silver Medal, along with numerous other honors.

“I miss her, and I worry about her,” Draper Sr. said of his granddaughter. “But America needs its defenders.”

Draper said she has traveled a long way from the beautiful red-rocked mesas of Arizona to the golden sands of Iraq. Growing up on a reservation, she said she was raised, like her grandfather, within the culture of the Navajo people.

“I speak and write in our native Navajo language in addition to English, following in a tradition our clan has kept alive as part of their heritage -- along with their religion, beliefs, legends and values,” she said.

When Draper was considering carrying on the family tradition of military service, she said her grandfather didn’t coax her at all. But when she told him she had decided to join the Army, she recalled how proud he was of her.

“He gave me his full support, calling me ‘My Soldier,’” she said.

General Officer Announcement

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nomination:

Air Force Brig. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general.  Johnson is currently serving as the director, strategy, policy, programs and logistics, Headquarters U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

General Officer Announcement

The chief of staff, Air Force announced today the following assignments.

Maj. Gen. Thomas W. Travis, commander, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Air Education and Training Command, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas., to deputy surgeon general, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Joint Base Bolling, Washington, D.C.

Brig. Gen. Byron C. Hepburn, who has been selected for the rank of major general, deputy surgeon general, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Joint Base Bolling, Washington, D.C. to commander, 59th Medical Wing, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Air Education and Training Command, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Brig. Gen. Scott A. Bethel, director, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance strategy, integration and doctrine, deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., to vice commander, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, deputy chief of staff, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Fort Meade, Md.

Brig. Gen. Scott P. Goodwin, deputy director of operations, Operations Team One, National Military Command Center, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to commander, 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, Air Mobility Command, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

General Officer Announcement

The chief of staff, Air Force announced today the following assignment:

Maj. Gen. James W. Hyatt, special assistant to the deputy chief of staff, operations, plans and requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C., to commander, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Air Combat Command, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

General Officer Announcements

The chief of staff, Army announced today the following assignments.

Maj. Gen. Robert B. Brown, chief of staff, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army to, commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning, Fort Benning, Ga.

Maj. Gen. Salvatore F. Cambria, deputy director, Center for Special Operations, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., to director for operations and logistics, U.S. Africa Command, Germany.

Maj. Gen. Richard J. Sherlock Jr., U.S. Army Reserve, director for plans and programs, U.S. Africa Command, Germany, to chief of staff,  U.S. Africa Command, Germany.

Today in the Department of Defense, Friday, October 01, 2010

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen will address the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities Annual Luncheon at noon MST at the Westin La Paloma, 3800 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson.  A press conference will follow at 2:p.m.  Media contact is Laura Shaw, 520-609-5972 or laura.shaw@treoaz.org . Mullen will then conduct a public town hall in the University of Arizona’s Centennial Hall at 3 p.m.  Media contact is UA Office of Federal Relations, 520-621-3108.

New SEAL Heritage Center Opens Aboard JEB Little Creek - Fort Story

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Trevor Andersen, Naval Special Warfare Group 2 Public Affairs

NORFOLK, VA. (NNS) -- The UDT/SEAL Association and the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Foundation held a ribbon cutting ceremony September 28 to mark the grand opening of the SEAL Heritage Center at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.

Active-duty and reserve members of the special warfare community and their families braved the rainy weather for the dedication of the new facility, which will serve as a community center for the Navy SEAL community.

Among the speakers at the event was Adm. Eric T. Olson, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command.

"This facility was built to augment the already outstanding services here at the Joint Expeditionary Base and will serve as a community support center specifically for and focused on Naval Special Warfare service members and the families of Naval Special Warfare personnel," said Olson.

NSW families will be offered a wide variety of family assistance, dependent seminars, and workshops. The facility also provides a location for recreational social and official meetings, according to NSW Foundation staff members.

For active-duty service members, the 18,000-square-foot building will be used for NSW ceremonies, briefings, recruiting and outreach, and a wide range of other activities. It will also serve as a museum and memorial for fallen SEAL operators, Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen (SWCC) boat operators, and Sailors who support the NSW community.

"Today is about introducing The SEAL Heritage Center to the active duty and the spouses," said Jim Papineau, Vice Chairman of the NSW Foundation. "This is their building. We wanted them to come in today and get a feel for what this facility offers and really, to get them to embrace it."

This Day in Naval History - Sept. 29

From the Navy News Service

1944 - USS Narwhal (SS 167) evacuates 81 Allied prisoners of war that survived the sinking of Japanese Shinyo Maru from Sindangan Bay, Mindanao.

1946 -Lockheed P2V Neptune, Truculent Turtle, leaves Perth, Australia, on a long-distance non-stop, non-refueling flight that ends October 1.

1959 - USS Kearsarge (CVS 33), with Helicopter Squadron 6 and other 7th Fleet units, begins six days of disaster relief to Nagoya, Japan, after Typhoon Vera.