Hagel Seeks to Limit Convening Authority Powers Under UCMJ

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 8, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will ask Congress to change military law so that commanders cannot overturn major convictions, the secretary announced in a written statement issued today.

Article 60 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice currently gives power to “convening authorities,” or commanders, to set aside a conviction or decrease punishment following a court-martial, although convening authorities cannot change a “not guilty” verdict or increase a sentence.

Under the secretary’s proposed changes, a convening authority would no longer have the authority to set aside a conviction for major offenses such as sexual assault. The accused will continue to have the right to appeal the conviction. Also, convening authorities would be required to explain in writing any changes made to the findings or sentences of a court-martial.

“These changes, if enacted by Congress, would help ensure that our military justice system works fairly, ensures due process, and is accountable,” the secretary wrote in today’s statement. “These changes would increase the confidence of service members and the public that the military justice system will do justice in every case.”

His proposal has the full support of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the service secretaries, Hagel said. “I look forward to working with Congress on these proposals and others to improve accountability for these crimes,” he added.

Hagel ordered a review of Article 60 in March, after convening authority Lt. Gen. Craig Franklin, the 3rd Air Force commander, overturned the sexual assault conviction of Air Force Lt. Col. James Wilkerson. Last year, a panel of military officers found Wilkerson guilty in court-martial proceedings at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The judge sentenced him to a year in prison and dismissal from the Air Force.

Franklin was the convening authority for the court-martial and reviewed the finished case and sentence. The general used his Article 60 authority to dismiss the charges against Wilkerson, who returned to service and was reassigned.

Defense officials speaking to reporters on background today said the proposed changes to Article 60 are not based on that case alone, but are part of a range of comprehensive actions the department has taken and will take related to sexual assault in the military.

Hagel acknowledged in his statement that despite the efforts of senior leaders throughout the department, the crime of sexual assault “is damaging this institution.”

Thousands of victims in DOD, both male and female, have seen their lives and careers upended by sexual assault, Hagel said.

“And that is unacceptable,” he said in his statement issued today. “The current situation should offend every single service member and civilian who, like me, is proud of their association with the United States military.”

The secretary said he is reviewing other options to strengthen the department's sexual assault prevention and response efforts, and he will announce his decisions soon.

“Consistent with the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, I will soon be naming individuals to sit on independent panels to review and assess the systems used to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate crimes involving sexual assault, and judicial proceedings of sexual assault cases,” Hagel said. “I will closely review their recommendations when complete.”

The secretary said he’s committed to taking steps that bring about tangible change and real results.
“Addressing the problem of sexual assault will remain a top priority for the department's leaders for as long as this crime continues to hurt our people and weaken the force,” Hagel said.

U.S., foreign officers exchange ideas during Pacific Unity

by Tech Sgt. LuCelia Ball
PACAF Public Affairs

4/8/2013 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  -- Pacific Air Forces Airmen hosted civil engineers and security forces personnel from several Asia-Pacific nations as they participated in a subject matter expert exchange as part of Pacific Unity/Defender April 1 through 5 here.

Members of the Republic of Singapore Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Forces, Royal Thai Air Force, Royal New Zealand Army and Royal Cambodian Air Force participated in the exchange, part of U.S. Pacific Command's Theater Security Cooperation Program, co-hosted by senior civil engineering and security forces personnel from PACAF.

The purpose of the event is to build partnership capacity with foreign nations so we can interact with them more efficiently, said Capt. Khary Davis, PACAF CE planner, who facilitated the SME exchange for the CE personnel.

PACAF Installations and Mission Support partnered with PACAF International Affairs Division to develop an event curriculum and select a list of attendees. About five SME exchanges take place every year at PACAF.

"Depending on some of the topics that were discussed in a previous year, we may also schedule a SME exchange in a different country," said Davis.

During the event, twelve foreign participants began with an overview of PACOM and PACAF and then toured military units and civilian organizations to observe key facilities and programs, training, tactics and techniques used by CE and SF personnel.

"At the moment, I'm working in an operation-level headquarters and it helps to understand the area of where PACOM has interests and where PACAF has bases and where they do engagements," said Royal New Zealand Army Maj. Jono Meldrum, who is participating for the first time. "These are things that New Zealand does as well. It was good to get an understanding of how it works here."

The group toured facilities such as the Navy Facility Command Hawaii's Wastewater Treatment Plant, the 647th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight and the East West Center, an organization that promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Each person was able to learn about U.S. capabilities for infrastructure, disaster response and security and discuss each other's methods for the same.

The event also allowed for a greater understanding of how civil authorities and military members work hand-in-hand in some situations.

"We visited the (93d Civil Support Team) unit and it was interesting to learn how they are one of the few U.S. units who can respond for the state as well as for the federal government," said Meldrum. "There are some similarities with how it happens back home. Our local commanders have a certain authority to respond in a similar manner."

The relationship also made an impression with the members of the RTAF.

"I was amazed at the unity of command and control and the level of cooperation between the military and civilian units," said RTAF Wing Commander Watchara Sakunrat, who works in his unit water and sanitation division. "This is something that our country is trying to strengthen."

On the security side, the personnel learned about non-lethal weapons options, basic military security missions, how U.S. security forces units are set up and how they execute policy and development from PACAF headquarters.

"The purpose of the event is to foster relationships with our partner nations; get to know their capabilities as well as limitations and they in turn learn ours so that when we go out on future engagements, such as contingency operations, we know how each other operates," said Mr. Frank Deniz, security forces readiness specialist and Pacific Unity/Defender program manager.

Airmen unload 40,000 books for children

by Airman 1st Class Christine Griffiths
355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

4/8/2013 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Sixty-four Airmen from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., assisted First Book Tucson with unloading approximately 40,000 books at the Bookman's warehouse in Tucson, Ariz., April 2.

First Book Tucson began in 2008 and is one of 150 First Books around the U.S. Their mission is to give children from low income families the opportunity to read their very own books.

Airmen unloaded, sorted and stacked books for children from pre-kindergarten to high school.

"When we got here, all the books were packed up," said Staff Sgt. Brianna Riedel, 25th Operational Weather Squadron weather forecaster. "We opened all the boxes, unpacked all the books and then started organizing them against the walls in piles base on the titles, so that people can sort them even further tomorrow."

First Book Tucson won these books by participating in a First Book National contest.

"We've never had an event like this before," said Tami Arthur, First Book Tucson's grants/events chair. "We participated in a First Book National contest. Each organization needed to sign up at least 300 groups from around the state in a four month period. So, as a thank you to all those who participated and signed up, we are holding this distribution event for them."

As a result, each teacher should receive 130 books for their students.

Arthur stated the premise of First Book is to always give children their own books. The books are never given to a library or a teacher to keep in the classroom. If teachers or libraries would like books for themselves, they can purchase them through the marketplace on the First Book Tucson website.

Approximately 6,600 children will be receiving a book throughout Tucson, and the
majority will be from lower income families.

"That's the criteria," Arthur said. "At least 70 percent of the children we serve are at or below the poverty level."

Mary Harvey, First Book Tucson chair, stated that military children and schools are also allowed to participate.

"Military children are eligible, whether they are low income or not," Harvey said. " We have not reached out to military children or schools before, however, we would like to partner with them. Military members can join First Book, and they can purchase books and ask for grants. They can apply through us."

Kentucky Soldiers make big impact on small Comoros island

MORONI, Comoros (4/8/13) - The last place Soldiers from the Kentucky National Guard ever thought they would be is on the Comoros Islands (officially called Union of the Comoros) off the coast of Eastern Africa.

After all, they were deploying to Djibouti, 1,600 miles north of the Comoros.

But that is exactly where Capt. Matthew Doughman, 1st Lt. Justin Gilliam, and Spc. Ryan Stull would end up. The mission was a 1-week military-to-military exchange to provide 28 Comoran soldiers “best practices” in first aid.

The Comoros is roughly twice the size of Louisville and is made up of three islands of more than 700,000 people. It is strategically located in the mouth of the Mozambique Channel in the western Indian Ocean roughly 200 miles east of Mozambique and 200 miles northwest of Madagascar.

In April 2012, heavy rains caused the worst flooding in decades in the Comoros. These downpours triggered landslides, collapsed bridges, contaminated fresh water supplies and isolated many communities from evacuation. With approximately 46,000 people displaced, France and India, along with the Red Crescent and Red Cross and funding from the U.S.’s USAID, began sending disaster-relief teams and supplies to the affected regions of the country.
To better prepare Comoros to handle future disasters, the country submitted a request to the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar, which also serves as home for the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to the Comoros, for a U.S. military-to-military team. The team would provide medical training on first aid, casualty evacuation procedures, CPR, and field hygiene to the Comoran military, whose members are often the first responders to a disaster.

After receiving the request at the embassy, it was sent to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) offices in Djibouti, where the Kentucky National Guard’s Task Force Longrifles was selected for the mission.

Doughman, a native of Crestview, Fla., served as mission commander and said he was thrilled to get an opportunity to visit the Comoros and work with the Comoran military.

“You can probably count on your hand the number of times National Guard Soldiers of any state have gotten to train in this beautiful country,” said Doughman.  “You could tell the Comoran Soldiers had a huge sense of accomplishment and took the training very seriously as well,” he added.

Gilliam, of Lexington, Ky., a medical services officer for Task Force Longrifles, was also selected to provide support for the mission. His responsibilities included teaching preventative medicine, CPR, and casualty-evacuation techniques.

“Many of these Soldiers have never received formal CPR training and I think the floods of 2012 have really provided them an experience that emphasizes why it is so important,” said Gilliam.

1st Lt. Yasser Said, the Comoran Liaison Officer who helped coordinate the mission, is excited about future partnerships as well.

“It’s a good thing to have the U.S. Soldiers here and we hope to have more of these kinds of partnerships in the future,” he said at the completion of the training.

All of the Task Force Longrifles Soldiers agreed the best part of the exchange was seeing how proud the Comoran soldiers were to have first aid skills so that they can better serve their fellow soldiers and civilians in times of crisis.

“The Comoran Soldiers were incredibly thankful to receive this training and I hope we made as big an impact on them as they have on us,” Doughman said.

A Neurosurgeon in Wartime Vietnam

The May 23, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with United States Navy Vietnam Veteran and Neurosurgeon Dr. Paul Pitlyk.

Program Date: May 23, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: A Neurosurgeon in Wartime Vietnam

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/05/23/a-neurosurgeon-in-wartime-vietnam

About the Guest

Dr. Paul Pitlyk “graduated from St. Louis University School of Medicine where he then left for Rochester, Minn. to participate in the five-year program studying neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic. After operating in a private practice in Milwaukee, Wis., he joined the U.S. Navy where he was sent to Vietnam for one year as a neurosurgeon for wounded marines during the war. Upon his return, Pitlyk was assigned to work in the Naval Hospital in San Diego. He then returned to private practice for 40 years. Currently retired, Pitlyk is married with two children and lives in San Francisco Bay area.”  Dr. Paul Pitlyk is the author of Blood on China Beach: My Story as a Brain Surgeon in Vietnam.

According to the book description of Blood on China Beach: My Story as a Brain Surgeon in Vietnam, “More than once during his yearlong duty, thirty-two-year-old Dr. James J. Paul wondered what had possessed him to leave the security of a neurosurgery practice in the Midwest to experience the blood, guts, and gore of brain surgery at a forward marine hospital during the Vietnam War. In Blood on China Beach, Paul, a neurosurgeon from the Mayo Clinic, shares the story of how he learned his craft in a rudimentary hospital in Vietnam, twelve thousand miles from home. This memoir picks up where most Vietnam battlefield memoirs leave off-when the choppers deliver the dead and gravely wounded to the field hospitals and the dedicated doctors and medical staff struggle under primitive and unsterile conditions to preserve life. In this environment, Paul was charged with carrying out emergency neurosurgery on those soldiers sustaining head injuries. He details both the emotional and professional factors that played a role in his service and provides a unique perspective to the Vietnam War. Insightful and historically significant, Blood on China Beach shows Paul's reverence for life and his admiration for the bravery of the marines he operated on, even as he questioned his own ability to make a difference. This memoir shows Paul's evolution from child to man and from neophyte to surgeon.”

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/05/23/a-neurosurgeon-in-wartime-vietnam

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/neurosurgeon_wartime_vietnam.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/149622038543760

U.S. Cavalry: Horses to Mechanization

The May 16, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with former United States Navy aviator Gary W. Palmer on his book The U.S. Cavalry - Time of Transition, 1938-1944: Horses to Mechanization.

Program Date: May 16, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: U.S. Cavalry: Horses to Mechanization

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/05/16/us-cavalry-horses-to-mechanization

About the Guest

Gary W. Palmer, “was an aviator in the U.S. Navy for ten years. He flew the E-2A Hawkeye, a tactical early warning aircraft, during the Vietnam War. Following his military service, Palmer joined the San Diego Sheriff’s Department while simultaneously serving as a tank commander in the Army National Guard. Palmer retired from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department in 2007 after 33 years of service. Meanwhile, in 1994, Palmer became interested in his father’s World War II service with the 106th Cavalry Group. Palmer subsequently became a member of the 106th Cavalry Association and began researching and writing about the history of the U.S. Cavalry.”  Gary W. Palmer is the author of The U.S. Cavalry - Time of Transition, 1938-1944: Horses to Mechanization.

According to the book description of The U.S. Cavalry - Time of Transition, 1938-1944: Horses to Mechanization, “During the 1930s and into World War II, the U.S. Cavalry wrestled with a fundamental question: should its horses be retired and replaced with tanks and other mechanized vehicles—or should the horse remain the mainstay of the cavalry? Time of Transition is historian Gary Palmer’s colorful, detailed look at this game-changing period for the American military establishment. Ten years in the making, Time of Transition is Palmer’s tribute to his father, who served in the 106th Cavalry Group during World War II. Deftly blending official wartime records with fresh interviews, stories and rare photos from personal and archival collections, Palmer follows the 106th, a unit of the Illinois National Guard, as its 1,500 personnel make the transition from horses to mechanization and participate in the landmark Louisiana Maneuvers of 1940-41.

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/05/16/us-cavalry-horses-to-mechanization

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/cavalry_horse_mechanization.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/508689342522367

Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter Pilot

The May 2, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with former United States Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter Pilot L. Todd Wood.

Program Date: May 2, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter Pilot

Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/05/02/combat-search-and-rescue-helicopter-pilot

About the Guest

L. Todd Wood, USAF, “left Savannah in 1982 to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO where he studied aeronautical engineering.  Upon graduation in 1986, he immediately left the Academy for flight school.  His initial assignment was flying Combat Search and Rescue helicopters at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska.  In the UHAE (Unique Harsh Arctic Environment-pronounced "Yoo Hay" by Alaskans) he flew local rescue missions and was also deployed throughout Asia. During this time he was credited with saving many lives and even more assists.

In addition to flying exciting missions, Todd also managed to graduate from the University of Alaska Anchorage with an M.S. in Engineering Management.  In 1990 he volunteered for Special Operations and went back to flight school.  In 1991 he was assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, FL, flying MH-53J Pave Low helicopters.  Immediately he was deployed to Kuwait.  Over the next three years he was active in  classified missions in support of counterterrorism under the control of the National Command Authority and deployed throughout the world.  His customers included SEAL Team Six and Delta Force.  He left the Air Force as a Captain in 1994.”  L. Todd Wood is the author of Currency.

According to the book description of Currency, “It is said that if you don’t know history, you are doomed to repeat it. Currency, combines multiple historical strands that converge on the number one issue of our time, the geographic location of economic and military power in the 21st century. Economic Thriller! An incredible story of power, romance, revenge and international finance spanning three centuries. The issues could not be more timely! "Currency combines history, finance, romance and action into a timely and entertaining read on a subject that has serious economic and national security implications.”

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/05/02/combat-search-and-rescue-helicopter-pilot

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/combat_search_rescue_helicopter_pilot.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

Facebook Event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/288788891253455

Air Force Reserve colonel hits high notes in traveling quartet

by Master Sgt. Amaani Lyle
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

4/6/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- By the time Air Force Reserve Col. Michelle Barrett attended her first barbershop singing performance, she didn't even realize women had long since made their mark in the genre.

Four years ago, the Reserve Advisor to the deputy assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Reserve Affairs attended a performance by the Alexandria Harmonizers, a Virginia-based men's chorus in which her Navy friend sang and she was hooked.

"They would sing, dance, perform and it was entertaining," Barrett said. "I loved the music and I told him, 'It would be so cool if women could do that.'"

And though her friend quickly informed her that women are actually well-versed in the four-part harmony a cappella singing style, Barrett admits it still took her a while to leave her comfort zone and take on the new hobby.

"It took me about three years to get up the courage," the colonel said. "Finally, I went to go listen to the Vienna-Falls Chorus of about 80 women, but you can't just go listen."

The vocalists, she said, often involve the spectators, voice-place them, and direct them in harmony.

Barrett recalled that after muddling through harmony in a rendition of "Happy Birthday," the singers placed her as a baritone, cementing her involvement with Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organization of women singers committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony.

The Oklahoma-based organization which includes the Vienna-Falls Chorus, claims a membership of 24,000 women and encompasses more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses.

The women all sing in English with choruses in most of the fifty United States as well as in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Wales and the Netherlands.

Barrett said Sweet Adelines helped unite the members of Excel, Barrett's quartet within the Vienna-Falls Chorus. Their popular "singing valentines" in the Pentagon in February as well as their performances in nursing homes has made has helped establish the quartet.

"We delivered (singing valentines) in the Pentagon last year and it just stuck," she said. "We get along, we have a good time."

Formerly a C-27 and C-5 pilot at Howard Air Force Base, Panama and Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Barrett said music has always been a part of her DNA.

"I've grown up singing with my parents, so music has already been a part of my life," Barrett said, noting stints in church choirs and the Cadet Chorale at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Aside from crooning selections such as "Heart of My Heart," "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and "Crazy About You Baby," the quartet, Barrett said, has even "barbershopped" the Air Force Song - despite the fact that the colonel is the only active serving military person in Vienna-Falls Chorus.

"It's neat to share my military community with them, but also take the things I learn from this organization into the military - the communication, the support, the encouragement, it's honestly the most positive thing I've ever done," Barrett said.

Currently regional champions, the Vienna-Falls Chorus is fundraising in preparation for a trip to Hawaii in November to compete internationally.

"After my dad died, it was the 'year of the yes,'" Barrett said of her inspiration, who passed away in April 2009. "So any opportunity that came up I said yes."

Tortuga Sailors Visit House of the Heroes Orphanage

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Amanda S. Kitchner, PHIBRON 11 Public Affairs

MANILA, Philippines (NNS) -- MANILA, Philippines -- Sailors assigned to the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) visited a local orphanage April 4.

House of the Heroes is a non-profit organization that houses children found by government officials and provides them with shelter, basic necessities, education and even medical care.

"Seeing this part of the Philippines was an eye-opening experience," said Cryptologic Technician (Technical) Seaman Kelsey Seitz. "But seeing how these children take what life gives them and continue on was so inspiring."

The orphanage houses 14 children ranging from seven to 16 years of age. The children are given a chance to live in a family that they may not have had otherwise.

"This being my first community relations project, I didn't know what to expect," said Seitz. "I definitely thought the children would be more shy, but I was pleasantly surprised by how excited the children were to play with all of us."

While visiting, Sailors were given an opportunity to play games, tell stories, and make art with the children.

"I wish that would have been able to stay longer," said Religious Programs Specialist 3rd Class Bryant Fossier. "It was great to sing and play with the kids, I had an amazing time."

This was the Tortuga's first time visiting House of the Heroes, but community relations (COMREL) projects such as these are always available for Sailors to participate in any port.

"Events like this are a great way to engage the local culture, step outside of what is socially comfortable and extend your ability to serve in a meaningful way," said Lt. Adrienne Townsend, Tortuga's chaplain and coordinator for this event. "It is an honor to represent our nation in this manner. The places we visit give to us just as much as we give to them."