Program Offers Specialized Help to Support Those Transitioning

By Nicolle Bettis, inTransition Program coach

inTransition, a Defense Department (DoD) program, helps service members who are receiving mental health treatment transition—to a new health care system or provider. Program participants are assigned a personal coach who monitors and guides them through their transition.

Nicolle Bettis became an inTransition coach six months ago and although she herself, never served in the military, she feels a strong connection to the military community because of her Navy veteran father and retired government civilian mother. The DCoE Blog staff recently took the opportunity to chat with Nicolle about her work—supporting service members.

Q. What is an inTransition coach?

A. As a coach, I help service members through a transition, like relocating from one base to another; retirement; or temporary leave prior to discharge. I provide resources and information and coordinate mental health treatment. In some cases, I even help the service member initiate treatment for the first time. The treatment can be provided by military treatment facilities, VA hospitals/clinics, TRICARE providers, independent insurance or community service agencies.

 

Q. What makes inTransition different from others programs?

A. I believe inTransition provides a bridge when there’s a gap in services. inTransition helps service members and their families receive continuity of care while moving between health care systems or providers. The majority of service members I work with feel overwhelmed with all the changes they’re experiencing. They’re often juggling many large issues at once like relocating, trying to find employment (or filing for unemployment), struggling financially, enrolling in school—all while coping with mental health concerns, like post-traumatic stress disorder.

The majority, if not all, of the service members I have worked with are unfamiliar with the resources available, including: OEF/OIF program managers at the VA; community resources designed to assist service members; Vet Centers; veteran discounts; support groups; and employment resources specifically designed to help prior-military men and women to name a few.

 

Q. What’s your most memorable experience?

A. Through motivational interviewing techniques, I was able to encourage a guarded service member to open up about their military experiences. After a few sessions, the service member was connected to a mental health professional and thanked me for motivating and assisting them through the process. Helping this service member realize the benefits of continuing treatment was a rewarding feeling because I knew they were on the right track to getting better.

 

Q. What should we know about inTransition?

A. Both providers and service members should know that we offer coaching and support for service members transitioning—we are here to help. Separating from active duty or returning to civilian life can be extremely difficult and just knowing that someone is available to talk to, if and whenever needed, can be comforting. I’ve had several service members say that they appreciate me checking in with them regularly.

Also, as a coach I can provide resources on several topics in addition to mental health, and I think this aspect is often not used because most people simply don’t know about our services.

 

Q. How can people contact inTransition?

Call 800-424-7877 to speak with a licensed clinician 24/7 or visit www.health.mil/inTransition.

Missouri Guard Begins Support Operations in Joplin

From a Missouri National Guard News Release

CARTHAGE, Mo., May 23, 2011 – About 140 Missouri National Guard troops are working under the orders of Gov. Jay Nixon to assist local authorities after a tornado ripped through the city of Joplin, Mo., yesterday.

Guardsmen are assisting in search and rescue missions in support of local authorities, and are expected to conduct a number of missions in the upcoming days, including emergency route clearance, communications support, door-to-door safety visits and security, officials said.

“As soon as we heard the news of the tornados, the Missouri National Guard began mobilization activities,” said Army Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general. “Your Missouri National Guard is bringing experienced citizen-soldiers and leaders to provide the best support we have to our neighbors in Joplin.”

Among those responding are soldiers of the 117th Engineer Team, of Monett, and 294th Engineer Company, of Carthage and Anderson. Additionally, a Joint Task Force Communications Kit out of Jefferson City is en route to assist local authorities.

The troops are part of a task force organized under the 203rd Engineer Battalion and is using the Carthage Armory to stage and deploy troops to Joplin. The Missouri National Guard has a total force of more than 11,500 Guard members who are ready to respond, officials said.

Army Spc. Daniel Brown of the 117th Engineer Team said his unit was the first to respond and worked throughout the night.

“We got the call while doing our annual training in nearby Anderson, and we immediately packed up and went straight to Joplin,” he said. Along the way, he added, he saw overturned trucks at the intersection of highways 71 and 44, and his unit stopped to check a gas station for people who might have needed help.

“We moved on to Joplin, where we spent the night at the Walmart and a local sports store searching the rubble,” Brown said. “This is something nobody wants to see and thankfully we haven’t needed to save anyone yet. But we’ve got a lot of good knowledge and training to help. This is our job and Joplin is our backyard.”

The 117th Engineer Team has special equipment, and the soldiers have extensive training and expertise to conduct search and rescue missions. The soldiers are working 12-hour shifts.

Army Spc. Richard Stotts of the 294th Engineer Company said he was driving with his girlfriend when the storms hit. After taking shelter and making sure his family was safe, Stotts immediately began helping. He pulled three people out of the local AT&T building when he got the call that he was mobilized.

For Stotts, the transition from citizen helping citizens to soldier helping citizens was seamless.

“This is what I signed up for -- to help people,” he said.

The 294th Engineer Company worked throughout the night and is supporting the 117th and local authorities.

Supporting people throughout the area is the main mission, said Army Maj. Michael Brown, executive officer for the 203rd Engineer Battalion.

“We are here to support the citizens of Joplin any way we can,” he said. “Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones in this disaster. The residents here are our fellow citizens, neighbors and friends. We will remain here as long as they need us.”

Missouri’s soldiers and airmen will continue supporting local authorities until released by the governor, officials said.

WORTH Pampers Bataan's Female Sailors

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Tamekia Perdue, USS Bataan Public Affairs

USS BATAAN, Mediterranean Sea (NNS) -- The Women's Organization to Reach Teach and Help (WORTH) aboard the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) held a beauty shop day for female Sailors and Marines in the ship's barber shop May 22.

Beauty shop day was organized to provide female service members aboard time to spend with one another in an atmosphere not typically found aboard Navy ships.

"Sometimes you just need an outlet," said Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW) Connie Blevins, one of the many active members of WORTH. "Sometimes you just want to talk to another female that might understand what you're going through. I can hang with the guys for 12, 16, or even 18 hours a day, but at the end of the day, I want to be a female. I am a female. I want to go somewhere and just be a girl."

WORTH is an organization started by senior enlisted female Sailors aboard Bataan as a way to give junior female Sailors guidance and an outlet to discover themselves.

Beauty shop day is the first of many WORTH-organized activities for female service members aboard Bataan.

"We decided to come up with the beauty day, so we could go over the regulations of how we can wear our hair, what's acceptable, and what isn't, as well as boost morale for the junior personnel aboard," said Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW/AW) Trinika Savage.

WORTH members opened the beauty shop doors to all females aboard Bataan, providing hair, nail, and eyebrow care.

"It is a free event, and all of the services were donated by the talents [of female Sailors] aboard Bataan," said Blevins.

A day at the beauty shop gave Bataan's females an opportunity to relax and feel pampered.

"I got my nails and eyebrows done, and it made me feel quite elated," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate Fueling 3rd Class Ananasa Dobson. "There is never a day for females to take a break and get something done for themselves without it being after taps in the berthing."

According to Blevins, the members of WORTH are trying to coordinate beauty shop day at least once a month. The goal is to boost the morale aboard the ship and continue to give females the beauty outlet they normally would not obtain on a warship.

There are a number of planned events for Bataan's current deployment. Movie night, bingo, and fitness challenges are just a few of the upcoming events in the works.

Bataan is the command ship of the Bataan Amphibious Ready (ARG) group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility.

Blue Angels Cancel Naval Academy Air Show

From Blue Angels Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue

Angels, has cancelled the practice demonstration and air show scheduled for May 24-25 at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Md.

This cancellation is due to a safety stand-down period imposed by the team's commanding officer after a lower-than-normal maneuver that took place during the team's last performance at Lynchburg Regional Air Show May 22 in Lynchburg, Va.

Following this low maneuver all aircraft landed safely without damage or injury to personnel.

During the training stand-down the team will remain in Pensacola, Fla., for additional training and air show demonstration practice. It has yet to be determined if

the Blue Angels will perform the flyover at the USNA graduation May 27.

The Blue Angels regret any inconvenience and look forward to continuing to represent the Navy and Marine Corps.

For more information, call Lt. Katie Kelly, the Blue Angels; public affairs officer, at (850)452-3955.

Today in the Department of Defense, Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates delivers remarks at 1 p.m. EDT at the American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C.  Media interested in attending should contact Véronique Rodman at vrodman@aei.org or 202-862-4871.  The event will be covered live on the Pentagon Channel and will be streamed live at www.pentagonchannel.mil.

Secretary Gates hosts an honor cordon to welcome United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence Liam Fox to the Pentagon at 4:30 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 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.

Secretary Gates and Secretary Fox will make the keynote address at the Ronald Reagan Centennial Gala at 7:30 p.m. EDT at the Ronald Reagan Building, Washington, D.C.

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

This Day in Naval History - May 23

From the Navy News Service

1850 - Navy sends USS Advance and USS Rescue to attempt rescue of Sir John Franklin's expedition, lost in Arctic.

1939 - USS Squalus (SS 92) sinks off Postsmouth, N.H., with loss of 26 lives.

1962 - Launch of Aurora 7 (Mercury 7), piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Malcolm Scott Carpenter who completed three orbits in four hours, 56 minutes, at an altitude up to 166.8 statute miles at 17,549 mph.

1962 - USS Valcour (AVP 55) provides medical care to a merchant seaman from tanker SS Manhattan in the Persian Gulf.

Missouri National Guard responds to deadly tornado

Missouri National Guard report

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (5/23/11) - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon immediately mobilized the Missouri National Guard after tornadoes ripped through Joplin on Sunday evening.

"As soon as we heard the news of the tornadoes, the Missouri National Guard began mobilization activities," said Army Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general.

"Your Missouri National Guard is bringing experienced Citizen-Soldiers and leaders to provide the best support we have to our neighbors in Joplin."

Expected support missions include: search and rescue, emergency route clearance, communications support and security.

Missouri's Soldiers and Airmen will continue working in support of local authorities until released by the governor.

USS Theodore Roosevelt Undocking Marks Overhaul Milestone

From Program Executive Office Aircraft Carriers Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aircraft Carriers announced USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) successfully completed the drydocking portion of her Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH), May 23.

RCOH is a mid-life refueling and modernization program for aircraft carriers that enable them to complete the final half of their 50 year service life. During an RCOH, more than 20 million man-hours of work are conducted on board the ship, divided between refueling the propulsion plant, upgrading ship's infrastructure to last for the next 25 years, and modernizing combat systems and air wing capabilities to increase combat effectiveness.

CVN 71 will be the first RCOH to incorporate work normally carried out during a Fleet maintenance availability, returning the ship to the Fleet sooner and at lower cost.

"Undocking of USS Theodore Roosevelt marks a major step towards completing her RCOH on time and within budget," said Rear Adm. Michael McMahon, program executive officer for Aircraft Carriers. "The Navy/shipbuilder team that worked together to make this happen is committed to keeping America's aircraft carrier fleet operationally available and ready to meet any requirement for their full service life."

CVN 71 has been moved to an outfitting pier to complete the remainder of her RCOH in December 2012.

Theodore Roosevelt is the fourth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier to undergo RCOH at Newport News. Advance planning is currently underway for the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) RCOH, scheduled to begin in Fiscal Year 2013.

PEO Aircraft Carriers is responsible for the acquisition, modernization and support of the Navy's in-service and future aircraft carriers.

American Heroes Air Show Lands at Hansen Dam

Buckle up for high-flying excitement when the nation's premier aviation event devoted exclusively to helicopters lands once again at the Hansen Dam Recreation Complex in the San Fernando Valley.

Since 1993, this admission-free event has been dedicated to the unique capabilities and dynamic role of helicopters in law enforcement, fire service, public safety, national defense and homeland security.  With   aircraft from local, regional, state and Federal / DOD agencies, guests are treated to an up-close look at why these aircraft and their crews are on the front line of public safety and community service.

           

Explore the evolution of helicopters from elegant lines of the U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 ”Dolphin”  to the Hi-Tech muscle of the   "Pavehawk" helicopter from the U.S. Air Force’s elite combat Search & Rescue  unit.   It's a unique opportunity to learn why these aircraft are the first tool out of the toolbox in times of natural disaster or homeland security threats and why their crews are the Heroes your family can really look up to !  

Plus, have your camera ready and introduce your entire crew to many of the Southland's most well known celebrity / media pilots and news reporters plus get an up-close look at the aircraft you see them in every day for traffic and news reports.  

MORE THAN JUST AN AIR SHOW

More than just an Air Show, the American Heroes event also features the CODE3 Career Fair which brings together recruiting teams from public safety, government service, volunteer agencies and all military services to profile what they do and how you can be a part of the action.

Recruiting teams from many of today’s “Top Gun” agencies offer information and personal insights on:

•           Mission of their organization in today’s dynamic world of security and safety

•           Hiring criteria and entrance testing schedules.

•           Salary and compensation ranges.

•           Local schools are on hand to deliver information on their Criminal Justice / Public Safety curriculum to potential students.

Recruiting space is free to public service & military organizations

The Heroes event also offers an annual favorite, the "Rollin’ to the Rescue" presentation of vintage police, fire and emergency vehicles as they roll into the event and set up for static display throughout the day.  These lovingly restored public safety vehicles will roll Code 3 into the event site - scheduled to arrive at 10 a.m.  

The FIRST PROMISE- Family Preparedness Fair offers information and resources on emergency preparedness tactics for businesses and community plus family tips for Internet and identity safety from the F.B.I., U.S. Secret Service and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

The SAR SITE1 program introduces the community to many of the finest local Search & Rescue teams from mountain, urban, swiftwater, canine and Combat / SAR organizations. Check out technical rope rescue gear and learn how to join the action as a reserve volunteer with a local Search & Rescue team.  

Our traditional collectible event trading cards are back and available free in limited quantities to early bird arrivals.  Plus mission briefings from flight crews, entertainment, exciting flight demos, concessions and much more.

American Heroes Air Show               

Date:   July 16th Saturday 

FREE Admission + Parking

Location:

Hansen Dam Recreation & Sports Complex

11480 Foothill Blvd  

Lake View Terrace, California 91342

Exit the Foothill (210) Freeway at Osborne & turn South

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Contact for follow up:

James D. Paules Jr. 

Volunteer – Exec Producer

Cell (818)  631 - 8132

USS Avenger Strengthens Partnership With Royal Malaysian Navy

By Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Brian A. Stone, USS Avenger Public Affairs

LUMUT, Malaysia (NNS) -- Sailors aboard USS Avenger (MCM 1) sponsored a series of community outreach activities designed to build upon the growing relationship between the U.S. Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy May, 17-18.

The outreach efforts began with a visit to the Rumah Wawasan orphanage in Lumut, where Sailors delivered food supplies and played sports with local children.

The owner of the orphanage, who requested not to be named, but is referred to by the children as "Papa," expressed his gratitude to Avenger Sailors for their help.

"I hope that we can start an ongoing relationship and I will get to see you all again," said Papa. "I thank god I've got friends like you Navy boys. This is truly a miracle."

Avenger Sailors also hosted a series of ship tours May 18 for Malaysian navy personnel, displaying the Navy's mine-sweeping technology. During the last two years, the U.S. 7th Fleet has doubled its mine-sweeping capabilities, which can aid the secure passage of merchant vessels through narrow sea lanes.

Mineman Seaman Jonathan Cedeno, an Avenger tour guide, said that the Malaysian officers were impressed with the capabilities of the mine countermeasure ship platform.

"Many of them have never seen the kind of advanced robotics and equipment that we use to locate and detonate mines," said Cedeno. "I think we really piqued their interest. They said they were interested in working with us in the future, to see if we could coordinate mine sweeping operations as a team."

Later that same day, Avenger Sailors hosted a dinner party for Royal Malaysian Navy personnel. During the dinner, Royal Malaysian Navy Cmdr. Mohd Roslim Bin Hilmi spoke about the strength of the U.S.-Malaysian relationship.

"Although our operating procedures may be different, at the end of the day, the U.S. and Malaysian navies are working for the same goal," said Roslim Bin Hilmi.

Following Roslim Bin Hilmi's remarks, Avenger's commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Patrick L. German, gave a token of appreciation to the Royal Malaysian Navy personnel for their hospitality during Avenger's stay in Malaysia and spoke on the importance of the partnership between the two navies.

"I am so proud to be standing here with these fine Malaysian officers," said German. "Our two countries share so much in common and together we have achieved so much. Just look at how piracy is almost non-existent in the Strait of Malacca these days! That is because of this partnership. I am so happy to think that as our navies rise together, this is only the beginning."

Governor Walker thanks National Guard troops

By 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson

Wisconsin Army National Guard

The commander-in-chief of the Wisconsin National Guard expressed his appreciation to some of those citizen Soldiers May 20 as part of Armed Forces Week.

"I wanted to come by and offer my thanks on behalf of my family and on behalf of the state of Wisconsin," Gov. Scott Walker said during a brief visit to Joint Force Headquarters in Madison. "We appreciate the commitment you make, the excellence you bring — we don't take that for granted."

Walker spoke of attending numerous sendoff ceremonies and funerals for fallen service members when he served as Milwaukee County executive.

"I like the welcome home ceremonies best of all," he said. "I consider every one of you my guys. As commander in chief, I won't be satisfied until everyone who is currently deployed is welcomed home."

Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, recalled how Walker reached out to him shortly after winning the election last year with the idea of holding a tailgate party for the troops during the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl game.

"His appreciation for the military is real," Dunbar said.

NYT: A Victory for Veterans

NYT: A Victory for Veterans

A must read article about PTSD

How Can I Solve My Problem?The answer is "information" ...... and the information is here!

Gates Budget Review to ‘Force Discussion’ of Risk Analysis

By Lisa Daniel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2011 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today announced the framework for a comprehensive review of military spending designed to put national security needs ahead of arbitrary budget cuts.

“We must reject the traditional approach of applying across-the-board cuts -- the simplest and most politically expedient approach, both inside this building and outside of it,” Gates said at a Pentagon news briefing. “That kind of an approach preserves overhead and maintains force structure on paper. But it results in a hollowing out of the force from a lack of proper training, maintenance and equipment. We’ve been there before in the 1970s and in the 1990s.”

President Barack Obama, in an April 13 speech on the nation’s fiscal challenges, set a goal of saving $400 billion over 12 years, mostly from the Defense Department and beyond savings already identified. To do that, he directed Gates and other Pentagon leaders to conduct a “fundamental review of America’s military missions, capabilities, and security role around the world,” Gates noted.

Defense leaders have worked for more than two years to find cost savings in the department, Gates said. The effort began in acquisitions, with more than 20 weapons systems being curtailed or cancelled, then moved to cutting overhead costs and redirecting the savings to support warfighters and help to reduce the federal deficit.

“The overarching goal of these efforts was to carve out enough budget space to preserve and enhance key military capabilities in the face of declining rates of budget growth,” he said.

The goal of the new review, Gates said, is “to preserve a U.S. military capable of meeting crucial national security priorities, even if fiscal pressure requires reductions in the force’s size.”

The review will be guided by the National Security Review, the National Defense Strategy, the National Military Strategy, the Chairman’s Risk Assessment and the Quadrennial Defense Review to ensure it is focused on “strategic policy choices, first, and corresponding changes in the DOD budget, second,” the secretary said. The director of cost assessment and program review, the undersecretary of defense for policy, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will lead the effort jointly, he added.

The review will provide a strong analytical link currently missing between the QDR and the present makeup of the forces, the secretary said. Once competing strategy options are identified, only then should the review consider fiscal implications and options, he said.

The secretary outlined a four-step process for saving money in the department that would start with identifying additional efficiencies to be gained from eliminating bureaucratic excess and overhead. But that alone won’t generate enough savings, Gates said, so examiners should then move on to looking at programs, processes and mandates that drive up costs, “to include the way we deliver health care, compensate military personnel, provide retirement benefits, sustain our infrastructure and acquire goods and services.”

In the third category, officials will review missions and capabilities of marginal scope against overall strategy. “They represent missions that the department carries out today that, while of value, are not central to our core mission or are of lower priority,” Gates explained.

Gates cited the long-standing U.S. strategy that calls for the military to be able to fight two major, regional conflicts simultaneously as an example of reviewing strategic alternatives.

“If you were to tell yourself the likelihood of having two such fights simultaneously is low, and you could therefore plan to fight sequentially, that would have huge implications in terms of the size of force that you need to maintain,” he said. “But the other side of that is the risk involved if you’re wrong.”

The final area for consideration – “the hardest category, strategically, and I would say intellectually,” Gates said – is to consider alternatives to the QDR strategy that translate into options for reductions in force structure or capability needed to execute the strategy, Gates said. Such consideration would be informed by all the other activities in the framework, he added.

“In the end, this process must be about identifying options for the president and the Congress where the nation is willing to accept risk in exchange for reduced investment in the Department of Defense,” Gates said.

No matter what happens in the review process, the secretary said, leaders must make tough decisions and avoid the “hollowing out” of the forces.

“I want to force that kind of discussion,” he said. “If we’re going to cut the military, if we’re going to reduce the resources and the size of the U.S. military, people need to make conscious choices about what the implications of that are for the security of the country, as well as for the operations that we have around the world.”

USS Theodore Roosevelt Officer Judges Contest at Theodore Roosevelt High School

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Kayla Thompson, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The assistant combat direction center officer aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) served as a judge for the second annual public speaking contest at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Washington, D.C., May 12.

Lt. Cmdr. Charles Rogers judged the contest that was sponsored by the D.C. chapter of the Theodore Roosevelt Association and aimed at improving self expression.

Rogers served on a five-judge panel, which included prominent people in the community, including Anne Roosevelt Mason, a great granddaughter of Theodore Roosevelt; the U. S. Senate Sergeant at Arms, Terrance Gainer; an executive for a local television channel; a lawyer; and an educator. The school is predominantly African American and Rogers, an African American himself, volunteered his time because of his desire to help at-risk youth. Rogers regularly donates his time to efforts like these in the community.

The judges were introduced to the contestants, who drew names to decide the order in which they would speak. They were given five minutes to speak on any aspect of Theodore Roosevelt's life.

"All nine students were well studied and prepared for the stiff competition, but there was one young man who really stood out," said Rogers. "The winner, Jonathan Rucker, was very articulate and eloquent and tied his research of Theodore Roosevelt to his personal decision to join the Navy. He had me with that declaration. He just really stood out among the competitors."

Once all the students were done and the judges finished their deliberation on who the winner should be, they provided feedback on things that impressed them and areas they could improve upon. The judges also had the opportunity to speak to the students on a personal level after the contest was done.

"I was able to speak to the winner about things to expect when he hits the deck plates as a Sailor," said Rogers. "The event overall was as rewarding for me as it was for the kids because it was an opportunity for me to mentor them. Some children didn't have parents there to cheer them on, and it was an opportunity to be a good role model for them."

Service members, employers recognized during Armed Forces Week

By Tech. Sgt. Thomas Sobczyke

128th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

Two Wisconsin National Guard members were among five Richard Bong Award recipients honored at the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) breakfast, held May 16 at the Wisconsin Club in downtown Milwaukee.

Master Sgt. Mike A. Schmaling, of New London, Wis., of the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 128th Air Refueling Wing, Milwaukee, and Sgt. 1st Class Richard P. Gerard, Franklin, of the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 132nd Army Band, Madison received awards alongside Staff Sgt. Edel A. Rojas, U.S. Air Force; Boatswain's Mate (Petty Officer) 1st Class Adam Kraft, U.S. Coast Guard; and Sgt. Ryan M. Lackey, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Hydro-Thermal Corporation, of Waukesha, Wis., was recognized at the breakfast for its support of service members.

Bong Award recipients are chosen by their commanders for outstanding service and dedication. The award commemorates Maj. Richard Bong, a Medal of Honor recipient born in Superior, Wis., in 1920 who remains the top American ace fighter pilot with 40 enemy aircraft destroyed in aerial combat.

The ESGR breakfast, organized by the Milwaukee Armed Forces Committee and the Wisconsin Committee for ESGR, kicks off Armed Forces Week in Milwaukee.

IKE Sailors Prepare for Ship's Return to the Fleet

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Albert Jones, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)(IKE) Sailors are preparing for the ship's return to the Fleet by attending damage control courses, such as the Advanced Shipboard Fire Fighting Course at the Farrier Fire Fighting School Center for Naval Engineering in Norfolk, May 10.

The four-day course is designed to prepare firefighter Sailors to combat casualties they may encounter aboard a ship. It covers a wide range of topics, from proper battle dress to rescue and assistance team procedures, and even how to set up a P-100 pump for firefighting if the ship were to lose fire main pressure.

"Be open-minded, because you're going to learn something," said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Anthony Trujillo, an instructor at the school.

The first day of the course takes place in a classroom, while the remaining three days are spent between the classroom and a live fire trainer. On the trainer, students get hands-on experience with setting up a Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), hose handling, setting up a ram fan for smoke control, plotting in a repair locker, working as the on-scene or team leader and setting up a P-100 for firefighting. The students also watch demonstrations on how to set up and use some equipment, such as the Portable Exothermic Cutting Unit (PECU).

Trujillo said while the controlled fires in the trainer aren't as hot as an out of control shipboard fire, the students still get that sense of urgency, because they are dealing with high heat and a charged hose.

Hull Technician 1st Class Michael Kubicki, who recently attended the course, agreed with Trujillo, adding that the trainer creates that feeling because it is not like a general quarters or inport emergency team drill. He said during these drills there is not a charged hose, and there is not any extra heat because it's a person waiving a flag, whereas the heat and smoke at the trainer makes it feel more like an actual emergency.

The Farrier Fire Fighting School also has a one-day firefighting course, as well as other courses designed to augment training.

Navy Names Ship for Civil Rights Activist Cesar Chavez

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today the selection of the USNS Cesar Chavez as the 14th Lewis and Clark class of dry cargo/ammunition ships.

Continuing the Lewis and Clark-class tradition of honoring legendary pioneers and explorers, the Navy's newest underway replenishment ship honors the memory of Mexican-American civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.  Chavez served in the Navy from 1944-1946 after which he became a leader in the American Labor Movement and a civil rights activist who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers.

"Cesar Chavez inspired young Americans to do what is right and what is necessary to protect our freedoms and our country," said Mabus. "The Cesar Chavez will sail hundreds of thousands of miles and will bring support and assistance to thousands upon thousands of people. His example will live on in this great ship."

Designated T-AKE 14, Cesar Chavez is being built by General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.  Eleven of the T-AKEs are slated to serve as combat logistics force (CLF) ships, and three are slated to be part of the maritime prepositioning force (MPF).  Cesar Chavez will serve the CLF missions, helping the Navy maintain a worldwide forward presence by delivering ammunition, food, fuel and other dry cargo to U.S. and allied ships at sea.

Cesar Chavez will be designated as a United States Naval Ship (USNS), and operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command with a crew of civil service mariners (129 in CLF mode, 75 in MPF mode).  For CLF missions, the T-AKEs’ crews include a small detachment of sailors.  Like her sister dry cargo/ammunition ships, T-AKE 14 is designed to operate independently for extended periods at sea and can carry two helicopters and their crews.  The ship is 689 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 105 feet, displaces approximately 41,000 tons, and is capable of reaching a speed of 20 knots.

Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at 703-697-5342.  Additional information about the T-AKE class of ship is available at http://www.msc.navy.mil/factsheet/t-ake.htm.

Navy Chaplain Teaches Soldiers about Suicide Prevention

By Robin Holland, Training Support Center Hampton Roads Public Affairs

Norfolk (NNS) -- A Training Support Center Hampton Roads (TSCHR) Navy Chaplain taught the importance solidarity plays in suicide prevention to soldiers at the Army School of Music in Norfolk, Va., May 5.

TSCHR Chaplain Lt. Leo O'Boyle began his briefing by telling a story about baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Peewee Reese.

O'Boyle spoke of Robinson who was the first African-American to break the color barrier as a player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In one particular game in Cincinnati, Robinson played and endured racial slurs while one irate fan threw a beer bottle at Robinson. In this particular incident, Reese, who played shortstop, walked over to Robinson and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Now you might say this wasn't anything extraordinary, but remember the time, climate and the tension; Peewee Reese was making a stand both as an individual and as a teammate," said O'Boyle. "Later in life, Jackie Robinson commented in his biography that if it wasn't for Reese's actions, he would have hung up his spikes forever. This just goes to show you, we never know, at times, the impact a measure of solidarity has in another person's life."

Additionally, O'Boyle showed a clip from the movie "A Scent of a Woman," starring Al Pacino who plays Frank Slade, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Frank is blind and impossible to get along with. Chris O'Donnell plays the role of Charlie Simms, who agrees to look after Frank during the Thanksgiving holiday. Since Charlie is trying to save up a little money so that he can make it home for Christmas, he agrees to look after Frank only to learn that Frank has plans of committing suicide.

After the video, O'Boyle and the students analyzed the clip, and then listed the target audiences for suicide. Men are four times more likely to kill themselves or to die from suicide than women, and yet women attempt suicide more often than men. The number one target audience is between the 15-25 age range in which suicide is the third leading cause of death. Retirees, just like character played by Pacino, are also very likely to commit suicide. In closing O'Boyle shared with the soldiers a two minute video called "Just Ask," which teaches that by just asking if someone is ok, one could help save a life.

"You might notice alterations in personal behavior or changes in attitude that are just very different from how you know that person," said O'Boyle. "If you sense something is wrong, one of the greatest things you can do is say, 'Hey, how are you doing? Or you don't seem yourself?' Just Ask is our motto. That may open an opportunity for a person to express what's going on in their life, and the last thing you want to do is to think you missed that opportunity."

"Chaplain O'Boyle's suicide prevention brief was very effective," said Staff Sgt. Freddie Valenzuela, Army School of Music platoon sergeant. "He engaged the students by showing them video clips they could relate to. We will definitely invite him back."

For those who would like a copy of the "Just Ask" DVD, contact O'Boyle at (757) 492-6648.

Obama Salutes Devotion to Duty at Coast Guard Commencement

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2011 – The smallest U.S. military service has vast responsibilities in protecting thousands of miles of coast, securing hundreds of ports and patrolling millions of miles of ocean, President Barack Obama said today.

The president addressed 228 graduating cadets and 1,500 military personnel and their families during a commencement speech at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

Obama praised the cadets’ commitment and dedication to service.

“I've seen your devotion to duty all along the Gulf Coast when the Coast Guard, including members of this class, worked day and night tirelessly as you led the largest environmental cleanup in our nation's history,” the president said.

“In you we see the same spirit that has made your service ‘always ready’ for more than two centuries, invoking the English translation of the Coast Guard’s Latin motto, “Semper Paratus.”

“In you we see the readiness that has made the Coast Guard one of our nation's first responders, leading the evacuation of Lower Manhattan on 9/11 and often being the very first Americans on the scene, from the earthquake in Haiti to the oil spill in the Gulf,” Obama said.

Coast Guardsmen pulled stranded Americans from the rooftops during Hurricane Katrina, the president added, saved desperate migrants clinging to rafts in the Caribbean and even today rescue Americans from the surging Mississippi River.

The Coast Guard Academy, founded in 1876, is the smallest of five federal service academies, with 1,030 cadets enrolled. Like the other academies, it is highly selective and charges no tuition. The academy's curriculum emphasizes leadership, physical fitness and professional development.

With the impending retirement of the academy’s superintendent, Coast Guard Rear Adm. J. Scott Burhoe, Obama noted that the incoming superintendent, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sandra L. Stosz, “will become the first woman to lead one of our nation’s military academies.”

This is a tribute to the admiral, the president said, but also “to the opportunities that the Coast Guard affords women of talent and commitment, including the class of 2011, which has one of the largest numbers of women cadets in the history of this academy.”

He commended the class of 2011 on earning the highest grade-point average of any class in the academy’s history and noted the academy’s acceptance of a range of international applicants.

“This academy welcomes cadets from all over the world, including two dedicated young men in your class from the Marshall Islands and Romania,” he said. Obama also acknowledged President Jurelang Zedkaia of the Marshall Islands and King George Tupou from Tonga, who were in the audience.

“They are two of America's closest partners among the Pacific island nations,” Obama said. “Their citizens serve bravely alongside our forces, including in Afghanistan, and we are very, very grateful.”

Obama told the cadets that the nation, for its “enormous investment” in transforming them into leaders, has great expectations.

“Here at home, we need you to stop those smugglers and protect our oceans and prevent terrorists from slipping deadly weapons into our ports,” he said.

In congratulating the Class of 2011, Obama told the cadets that if they stay true to the academy’s lessons, he is confident that “future historians will look back on this moment and say that when we faced the tests of our time, … we passed our country, safer and stronger, to the next generation.”

Today in the Department of Defense, Thursday, May 19, 2011

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

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Ashton B. Carter; Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Christine H. Fox; Director, Operational Test and Evaluation J. Michael Gilmore; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition David M. Van Buren and Program Executive Officer F-35 Lightning II Program Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet testify at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal 2012 and the future years defense program at 9:30 a.m. EDT in room SD-G50, Dirksen Senate Office Building.

British Maj. Gen. Phil Jones, director of the Force Reintegration Cell, International Security Assistance Force headquarters, will brief the media live from Afghanistan at 10:30 a.m. EDT, in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973) to provide an update on the Afghanistan Peace and Reintegration Program.  Journalists without a Pentagon building pass will be picked up at the River Entrance only.  Plan to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to the event; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification.  Please call 703-697-5131 for escort into the building

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will speak at 4:30 p.m. at the Deloitee Energy Conference at the Omni Shoreham, Washington, D.C.  Media interested in attending should contact Lt. Cmdr. Tamara Lawrence, SECNAV’s public affairs officer at 757-343-4230.

This Day in Naval History - May 18

From the Navy News Service

1775 - Benedict Arnold captures British sloop and renames her Enterprise, first of many famous ships with that name.

1798 - Appointment of Benjamin Stoddert as first Secretary of the Navy.

1969 - Launch of Apollo 10, dress rehearsal for first lunar landing mission. Navy Cmdr. John W. Young was the command module pilot and Navy Cmdr. Eugene A. Cernan was the lunar module pilot.