Emory S. Land and Louisville Continue to Help Malaysian Community During Port Visit

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Chris Williamson, USS Emory S. Land Public Affairs

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia (NNS) -- Sailors from submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Louisville (SSN 724) help improve the quality of life for children at Bukit Harapan Therapeutic Community Orphanage in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, April 5.

Bukit Harapan Orphanage is a non-profit organization for the physically and mentally handicapped. Established by founder Anne "Mama Anne" Keyworth on Nov. 8, 1989 under the Malaysian Trustees Ordinance Act, this facility offers children and adults the trust and love of a family; a family that Sailors from Land and Louisville are now a part of, said Keyworth.

"Everyone who helps out my children, the orphans, is considered family," she said. "I'm so glad that the children deem themselves brothers and sisters with Sailors from the U.S. Navy."

Bukit Harapan currently has 46 residents from ages four to 54 years old, some of whom live with cerebral palsy and other special needs. According to Keyworth, a couple of the orphanage's objectives are to help special needs children understand, handle and develop their emotions in a proper direction; foster, as much as possible, the healing of their mental, emotional and physical health; and ultimately train them according to their individual capabilities so they may become self dependant.

"Everything my staff and I do is for the children and women who stay here," said Keyworth. "We are not government funded, so everything is donated. We do as much as we can to help them succeed. Truly the Sailors' efforts here today are a blessing that we will never forget."

Land's religious ministries department worked together with the orphanage and the Kota Kinabalu Rotary Club to put the event together, with 30 Sailors and one civilian mariner volunteering during their off time to perform maintenance and socialize with the children.

"It's the people that drive community service projects," said Religious Program Specialist 1st Class Norman Oehring. "If it wasn't for all the volunteers who showed up to help, this never would have been accomplished. The orphans greatly valued all of our support."

Originally, Sailors planned to spend the day playing with the children. However, several Sailors from Land's repair department went to the site to conduct repairs on a basketball hoop, the facility's water reservoir, playground equipment and even the roof of the orphanage itself.

"I'm just glad I could help out," said Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class (SW) Josh Taylor. "Seeing the kids' faces as they play on the equipment that we fixed is definitely well worth my time."

Another eager volunteer, Chief Sonar Technician Submarine (SS) Winfred Cameron, attached to Louisville, said that their involvement had a major impact on the community.

"It couldn't have gone any better," Cameron said. "It was a chance for the tender and submarine to interact with children who needed our help and care."

According to Keyworth, it has always been the goal of Bukit Harapan to aid the helpless, from young to old. The orphanage is grateful that many individuals from the local community, including the U.S. Navy, give their support in the form of donating time, effort and smiles.

"The Sailors not only helped with repairs and play time," she said. "They helped the orphans find confidence in life again, and to look forward to the future."

The U.S. Navy has been the first military service to provide support to the orphanage.

Land is in Malaysia conducting a coordinated tended mooring with Louisville as part of a theater security cooperation and good will mission in the region. Land is currently on an extended deployment to Guam serving as 7th Fleet's lead afloat fleet maintenance activity from the ship's permanent home port of Diego Garcia.

Navy Installations to Conduct Exercise Citadel Pacific in April

From Commander, Navy Installations Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) and Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) will conduct Exercise Citadel Pacific 2012 (CP-12) on naval installations throughout the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility including regions Hawaii, Joint Region Marianas (Guam), Japan, and Singapore.

This annual exercise is designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security forces to respond to threats to installations and units. CP-12 is not in response to any specific threat, but is a regularly scheduled exercise.

There is the possibility of increased patrols on and around Navy installations as a result of this planned exercise. Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions to normal base and station operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around bases or delays in base access. Area residents may also see increased security activity associated with the exercise.

During the exercise, personnel and visitors traveling to and from Navy installations in these Regions may adjust their schedules to accommodate any possible delays.

Military Alcohol Abusers Get Online Help

By Katherine Cruise, Director of Communications and Marketing, Military Pathways/Screening for Mental Health, Inc.

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass.— The rate of heavy alcohol use among young military men is about twice that of their civilian counterparts. Taking the first step to getting help is as easy as visiting www.DrinkingIQ.org. The anonymous online alcohol screening tool, provided by Military Pathways, is visited by many users during Alcohol Awareness Month in April and on National Alcohol Screening Day, Thursday, April 5.

Military Pathways provides mental health screening tools for the military community. The alcohol assessment, completed by more than 32,500 users, gives service members and their families useful information about their drinking habits. Alcohol assessments provide participants with information and resources if their responses show they could have an alcohol problem.

It also has Video Doctor, an interactive program in which an actor-portrayed doctor guides the user through a series of videos based on the user’s readiness for change. The program assesses the user’s readiness to accept advice, determines what type of help he or she needs, and delivers only what the user is ready to hear. The advice includes tips for seeking help, types of self-care, and ways of cutting down on drinking. Video Doctor is at the cutting edge of online mental health tools and has been very well received by participants.

“It’s important for us on the base to recognize National Alcohol Screening Day to educate military members about screenings and the services available to them that are confidential,” said Lt. Cmdr. Ken Simmet, a U.S. Public Health Service officer serving as the deputy commander, Mental Health Flight, 92nd Medical Group, Fairchild AFB, Wash. “Providing service members with a free, anonymous screening tool allows them to learn more about their own drinking habits,” added Simmet.

Military installations and health care providers around the world are recognizing National Alcohol Screening Day and National Alcohol Awareness Month with events to reach out and educate people about alcohol use and abuse. The program has been extremely well-received since its inception in 1999.

This program helps people realize what kind of relationship they have with alcohol. Research shows that while people who score positive on assessments often seek treatment, many others take steps to reduce their alcohol consumption.

About Military Pathways

 Military Pathways gives service personnel and their families the opportunity to learn more about mental health and alcohol use through anonymous self-assessments offered online. The program is designed to help individuals identify symptoms and access assistance before a problem becomes serious. The self-assessments address alcohol use, PTSD, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder. After completing a self-assessment, individuals receive referral information including TRICARE, Military OneSource and Veterans Affairs. The program is run by the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, Inc. and is fully funded by the Department of Defense, with support from the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2). To learn more, visit MilitaryPathways.org.

Security Department Sailors 'D.A.R.E' To Educate GTMO

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Justin Ailes, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Two Petty Officers attached to the Security department at Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba attended an 80-hour Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) officer course, Mar. 19-30.

The course, held in Tavares, Fla., trained personnel on how to instruct the D.A.R.E curriculum to students.

"This course was by far one of the best learning experiences I have ever gone through," said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Casey Morgan, D.A.R.E officer program graduate. "The course demanded our full attention along with extra time dedicated to nightly homework assignments and preparation for presentations.

"Throughout the course we sat through constructed lessons (the same ones we will be teaching), learned how to put together outlines, conducted 3 graded presentations, learned how the brain works, (learned) about the 3 types of learning and how to properly use this knowledge to educate others. We were tasked with activities that involved us working individually, in pairs and also in teams. One of our final tasks involved being observed while interacting with kindergarten - 5th grade students at Florida schools."

The course was sponsored by D.A.R.E America, and facilitated by Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) officials.

"This course taught us the facts and effects of drug, tobacco, alcohol and inhalant abuse," said Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Eldis Vazquez, D.A.R.E officer program graduate. "We'll be able to teach others how to make right decisions and how to deal with potentially harmful situations."

The class consisted of 12 students, divided into three teams. Morgan was awarded the Most Outstanding Team Member Award, and Vazquez was recognized as the most motivated, friendly and enthusiastic student in the course.

"These two Sailors now have the ability to better educate local students in all aspects of the D.A.R.E program," said Chief Master-at-Arms Eduardo Perez. "Additionally, they will be able to coordinate and partner with teachers and parents within the Guantanamo Bay community. Morgan and Vasquez were selected among the finest and most dedicated junior petty officers at the installation. Their drive for success, motivation and qualifications obtained were key factors in the selection process."

NS Guantanamo Bay's W.T. Sampson elementary and high schools intend to implement the D.A.R.E. program later this year.

"I think this will be a great opportunity to give kids being schooled here in GTMO the same chance that a lot of kids that go to school stateside get with the D.A.R.E. program," said Morgan.

D.A.R.E. began in 1983 in Los Angeles and now exists in 75 percent of the nation's school districts and more than 43 countries around the world. D.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

Iran Can Stop Economic, Diplomatic Sanctions, Official Says

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON  – Economic and diplomatic sanctions are “biting” Iran, but Iranian government leaders can stop the pain by ending their nuclear weapons program, a senior Pentagon official said today.

“Our assessment of the program remains the same. … We are very concerned about where they might be headed,” said George Little, acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs. “An Iran with a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.”

The United States has made that point crystal clear that all options are on the table to prevent Iran from developing that capability, Little said in a meeting with reporters.

“We don’t know, at this stage, whether they have made the decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon,” he said. “It would be unacceptable if they do move forward.”

American experts are working to discern just what Iranian leaders have decided. “Our government has been very clear about what needs to happen,” Little said. If Iran gives up its nuclear program, he noted, the country can rejoin the community of nations.

Little said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta believes the sanctions are working. Independent news reports out of Tehran also stress the sanctions are impacting Iranians much harder now than in months past.

“The Iranian regime is increasingly isolated because of these sanctions, and they know the impact they are having inside Iran,” Little said. “Whether it factors into their calculus on the nuclear program is up to the Iranians.”