Are You inTransition?

By Jayne Davis, DCoE Strategic Communications

“Put me in coach … I’m ready to play!” In sports, that statement shows a player’s determination to succeed. The same could be said for service members who voluntarily access inTransition, a coaching program that helps those being treated for psychological concerns transition between behavioral health care providers or systems as a result of a change in their service status.

Such transitions can pose challenges and create uncertainties for the service member under treatment, sometimes resulting in a retreat from care or behavioral health setbacks. InTransition coaches work one-on-one with service members and veterans to ensure continuity of care and help them feel comfortable with and prepared for a change to a new provider.

Coaching services are performed by licensed, master- or doctoral-level behavioral health experts. The coach doesn’t provide behavioral health care, but helps the user navigate the transition with guidance and resources, such as community services, support groups and crisis intervention services, and motivates the individual to continue pursuing their wellness goals. All of this is done through telephone contact and continues until the service member has been seen by their new mental health provider.

InTransition is a collaboration between the Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and is managed by Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE). The DCoE inTransition team informs behavioral health care providers, service members, veterans and their families about the program through Yellow Ribbon events, conferences and presentations worldwide.

Here are a few further notes on the program:

 ■It is voluntary, free and accessible by self-referral or referral by a current provider or case manager

■Participating service members can expect absolute privacy of personal information other than contact details, and a diagnosis only if the current provider elects to provide it to the coach

■Public service announcements educate interested parties about coaching services and benefits

■A confidential, toll-free number for coaching information is available 24/7 — 800-424-7877

■Resources frequently requested include VA benefits and accessing VA services; Vet Center readjustment counseling services; OEF/OIF/OND programs; community resources and support groups; information on posttraumatic stress disorder and TBI; the GI Bill; and employment links and financial resources

To learn more, read this information sheet about inTransition and this DCoE blog post about one service member’s experiences.

Lincoln Demonstrates Readiness at Damage Control Olympics

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Karolina A. Martinez, USS Abraham Lincoln Public Affairs

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, At Sea (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) participated in a Damage Control (DC) Olympics while the ship was underway, May 25.

The DC Olympics is a practical training competition pitting the ship's 10 repair lockers against each other in a host of contests to test their DC knowledge and their physical skills.

"The DC Olympics gives Sailors the opportunity to handle damage control situations under pressure and to actually hold a 150 psi hose in their hand and see how tired they can get quickly," said Cmdr. Kenneth Belkofer, Lincoln's damage control assistant. "It also puts them under a stressful situation where they have to put on a firefighting ensemble and experience how long it can take to put that gear on."

Belkofer said the event allowed Sailors to demonstrate their knowledge of general damage control equipment and several fire extinguishing systems, from aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) to other fixed firefighting systems. The Olympics also provided Sailors with opportunities to work in teams.

The competition consisted of multiple relay races, such as advanced protective chemical gear dress out, fire fighting ensemble dress out, hose handling on the flight deck and AFFF stations.

The Reactor division team representing Repair Locker 5 won the overall shipboard competition. For their efforts, the victorious locker received a plaque along with head of the line passes for chow, the ship's store and the liberty brow for the ship's next port visit.

"It's fun and it's good training for the overall crew," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Anthony Castille. "It helps us have more fun doing the training evolutions rather than just looking at it as work. It helps keep people more active, and it will get other people to try different things rather than being restricted to one task."

Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3rd Class Bryant Guest said the event reinforced mission readiness, preparation, fun and a feeling of purpose in the participants.

"I had a great time," said Guest. "We train to make sure, should an actual casualty occur, that our shipmates are prepared, that they know what to do and that they are going to have each other's backs."

Lincoln is currently deployed with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, which also includes embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, the guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71), and Destroyer Squadron 9, comprised of guided-missile destroyers USS Momsen (DDG 92) and USS Sterett (DDG 104). CSG 9 is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and combat flight operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Army takes important step towards enabling a Global Energy Grid for the battlefield

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. – Engineers from the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command’s communications-electronics RD&E center, CERDEC, hosted the Defense Information System Agency's chief technology officer here, May 25, to discuss the Global Energy Grid - a concept being promoted by CERDEC to leverage civilian smart grid technologies to more efficiently deliver energy to U.S. forces worldwide. 

The GEG, which is modeled on and enabled by DISA's Global Information Grid, will allow energy sources and users to more effectively and efficiently provide, schedule and use conventional and alternative energy sources and storage.

This is an important step towards actualizing the foundation and infrastructure for intelligent power management at the tactical edge, said Thomas F. Podlesak, Ph.D., a supervisory electronics engineer in CERDEC’s Command, Power and Integration Directorate.

"Military operations are becoming more and more net-centric, but current energy use in the field is stove-piped with minimal coordination. Our goal is to interface power generation and utilization with data systems so we know where things are and where we have to go. The GEG concept would use DISA-owned data command and control links to coordinate and schedule the generation and usage of military power sources,” Podlesak said.

“This is going to coordinate everything so it can maximize the delivery of power from available sources to where it is needed, and it will manage them effectively. Once everything is interfaced, it should be fairly easy to manipulate the data. It’s pretty much what happened when we went from individual PCs to a networked system – it vastly increased capabilities,” he said.

In addition to unifying existing programs/technologies, the GEG would leverage energy storage from conventional and alternative power sources, alternative fuels and the onboard power storage of electric hybrid vehicles – ground, ship or aircraft. The efforts would support forward operating bases, tactical operations centers and possibly dismounted units. 

A future meeting is scheduled with DISA’s technical director for the Office of the Component Acquisition Executive and their director of Emergency Preparedness. 

“The military is in a unique position to advance Smart Grid technology, which is predicated on Informational Assurance due to the development of the Global Information Grid. CERDEC welcomes the opportunity to partner with DISA and other services to advance these goals,” Podlesak said.

Military Bands Perform for Thousands in Times Square

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Isaiah Sellers, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East

NEW YORK (NNS) -- Military bands from across the sea services performed for thousands at Times Square in support of Fleet Week New York 2012 and the the Bicentenial of the War of 1812 May 27.

The Navy, Marine and Coast Guard bands performed before a captive audience in one of the heaviest traffic areas of New York City.

Spectators from across the globe traveled to take part in the festivities surrounding Fleet Week.

"We heard the band perform last year and decided that we would not miss it again," said Sara Baynum, a spectator from North Carolina. "They played beautifully."

The U.S. Navy New Orleans Jazz Band, Quantico Marine Corps Band and Coast Guard Dixieland Band caught the attention of wandering tourists and drew them in to the festivities.

"We came to New York to celebrate our three-year marriage anniversary. We heard the music from three blocks over and decided to come over and see where it was coming from," said Douglas Fagan, a native of Chicago.

The joint efforts of each sea service's band provided entertainment to citizens that normally would not have had the opportunity to experience.

Held nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the city's celebration of the sea services. Fleet Week New York provides an opportunity for the citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see, first-hand, the latest capabilities of today's maritime services. More than 6,000 service men and women from the U.S. and coalition nations will arrive aboard the ships.

This year, Fleet Week New York is one of the signature events around the country commemorating OpSail 2012, the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner.

The commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 is a salute to all Sailors and Marines who fought gallantly in that conflict, who served in all our nation's conflicts since then, and who are defending freedom around the world today.

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

Panetta Calls on Navy Grads to Focus on Asia-Pacific

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

ANNAPOLIS, Md.  – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta called on the U.S. Naval Academy’s class of 2012 at its graduation and commissioning ceremonies here to help restore America’s maritime presence and power with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

Panetta, speaking under a brilliant blue sky at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium,

noted that the 1,099 new officers are joining the fleet and Corps at a “strategic turning point after a decade of war.”

He cited key accomplishments: the return of U.S. forces from Iraq, NATO’s approval last week of a plan to transition full security responsibility in Afghanistan to Afghan forces by the end of 2014, and the successful NATO effort to free Libya of Muammar Gadhafi’s brutal regime, among them.

In addition, the secretary said, the U.S. “has successfully gone after the leadership of al-Qaida to send a clear message that no one -- no one -- attacks the United States and gets away with it,” drawing loud applause.

“And yet we still face challenges and risks,” the secretary said, from violent extremism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to the destabilizing behavior of Iran and North Korea, military modernization across the Asia-Pacific, turmoil in the Middle East, piracy and cyber-attacks.

“Our nation now looks to you, the next generation of military leaders, to confront these challenges, to protect our nation and to ensure that America always has the strongest military force in the world,” the secretary said. “That is the way it has always been. And that’s the way it always will be.”

Panetta recognized the Navy and Marine Corps’ legacies of leading the military and the nation and called on the graduating class to keep the tradition strong. “It is up to your generation to ensure that our fleet remains unrivaled by any other nation on earth,” he said.

Adaptation has always been one of the Navy’s hallmarks throughout its history, Panetta noted. It remains important, he said, as the Defense Department implements new strategic guidance to meet the challenges of the 21st century at a time of fiscal constraints at home.

The new strategy calls for agile, flexible, deployable and technologically advanced military forces and puts emphasis on the Asia-Pacific as well as the Middle East. It calls for strengthening key alliances and partnerships and protecting investments in new capabilities ranging from cyber to unmanned systems to space to special operations. It also ensures that the U.S. military “can confront aggression and defeat any opponent anytime, anywhere,” the secretary said.

“The Navy and Marine Corps are fundamental to every element of that strategy,” the secretary said. He called on the new officers and their generation to sustain and enhance American strength across the vast Asia-Pacific maritime region.

“America’s future prosperity and security are tied to our ability to advance peace and security along the arc extending from the Western Pacific and East Asia into the Indian Ocean and South Asia,” he said. “That reality is inescapable for our country and for our military, which has already begun broadening and deepening our engagement throughout the Asia-Pacific.”

“Your charge,” Panetta told the midshipmen, “is to help ensure the peace and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific for the 21st century.”

“We need you to project America’s power and to reflect America’s character” as you operate throughout the region," he said, strengthening historic alliances and building robust new partnerships.

“We also need you to strengthen defense ties with China,” he told the class. “China’s military is growing and modernizing. We must be vigilant. We must be strong. We must be prepared to confront any challenge. But the key to peace in that region is to develop a new era of defense cooperation between our two countries -- one in which our militaries share security burdens to advance peace in the Asia-Pacific and around the world.”

Panetta thanked the graduates for choosing to serve their country in wartime. “You have set yourselves apart in a profound and in an honorable way,” he said.

“No one can tell you what challenges you will face in the future,” Panetta added. “But one thing is sure. You must be prepared to respond to whatever threats we confront in the future -- with courage, with creativity, with leadership.”

The secretary also recognized the diversity of the class, the first to graduate and accept commissions since repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that banned gays from serving openly in the military.

“You are men and women from every state in the union and 12 foreign countries: rich and poor, secular and religious, black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian, straight and gay,” he said. Panetta called this diversity a tribute to retired Lt. Cmdr. Wesley Brown, the first African-American to graduate from the Naval Academy, who died last week at age 85.

Village of Hastings-on-Hudson Holds Memorial Day Parade

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Drae Parker, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East

NEW YORK (NNS) -- Service members participated in a Memorial Day parade May 27 as part of Fleet Week New York 2012 and the Bicentennial of the War of 1812.

More than 90 service members from the U.S Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, along with sailors from the Brazilian tall ship, Cisne Branco, marched through the streets of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson.

"It's fitting service members are down here, marching in this parade to celebrate Memorial Day with the citizens of New York and Hastings-on-Hudson, because (Memorial Day) is a day to remember those who served before us," said Rear Adm. Tim Alexander, commander Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, who attended the parade.

After the parade, Alexander conducted a wreath placement ceremony at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Memorial as part of the celebration and the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson Fire Chief James Sarfaty presented Alexander with an appreciation proclamation from the people of the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson.

"Hastings has a connection to the Navy," Sarfaty said. "We are the home of the first (Navy) admiral, David Farragut, and it is in recognition of that honor that we are declaring this week U.S. Navy and Marine Corps week."

The celebration was wrapped up with a cookout at which service members had a chance to mingle with locals.

"It's a great honor to be here," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Jaime Rojas. "I didn't realize how many people were going to be here; how many people really appreciate what we do."

Held nearly every year since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the city's celebration of the sea services. Fleet Week New York provides an opportunity for its citizens and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see first-hand, the latest capabilities of today's maritime services. More than 6,000 service men and women from the U.S. and coalition nations will arrive aboard the ships.

This year, Fleet Week New York is one of the signature events around the country commemorating OpSail 2012, the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner.

The commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 is a salute to all Sailors and Marines who fought gallantly in that conflict, who served in all our nation's conflicts since then, and who are defending freedom around the world today.