Sailor Selected for National Organization for Mexican American Rights Award

From Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- A Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic (NCTAMS LANT) Sailor was selected as a recipient of the 2014 National Organization for Mexican American Rights (NOMAR) Meritorious Service Award.

Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Malachai Torres received the honor for his leadership and contributions while assigned to NCTAMS LANT.

"To be selected is such an honor," said Torres. "The fact that I was nominated and ultimately selected is an affirmation for me that I'm on the right track."

The award honors military and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees who supported the DoD mission or overseas contingency operations, and demonstrated role model qualities and the core values of their respective military service or agency.

Torres is proud of his heritage, shipmates, service and country.

"By honoring and celebrating our differences, we encourage an atmosphere in which an individual can form and grow ideas without fear," said Torres.

Torres was born in Hampton, Virginia, and raised in Montville, Connecticut. As the middle child of seven siblings, he saw the potential for great achievements by serving his country in the military and wanted to be a much needed role model for his brothers and sisters, he said.

He joined the U.S. Navy in March 2011 and upon completion of recruit training he attended Information Systems Technician "A" School in Pensacola, Florida, where he graduated with the highest grade point average in his class.

As a minority working in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field, he exemplifies success for a minority in a non-traditional field. Serving as a technical control chief of the watch, he led a team of 16 Sailors providing support to the fleet and ground mobile forces for more than 400 mission critical circuits. His expertise and leadership led to the restoration of more than 150 communication outages.

Torres also volunteered for the 2013 NCTAMS LANT Drug Education for Youth Program. He mentored 20 children through drug education, leadership and character development and established activities to build positive resistance skills and improve social behavior.

The award will be presented during the NOMAR 2014 Annual Training Conference and Business Meeting, Sept. 3-5, Denver, Colorado.

NCTAMS LANT, a subordinate command of U.S. 10th Fleet, was established to combine the traditionally separate responsibilities of message traffic handling and data information management. Today, this combination of communications and computer technologies is key to ensuring the warfighter has access to the right information at the right time.

Navy's Spokeswoman Promoted to Rear Admiral

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Stuart Phillips, Defense Media Activity

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- The United States Navy promoted Dawn E. Cutler to the rank of rear admiral lower half during a ceremony at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Sept. 3.

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus spoke about Cutler's past performance as a public affairs officer (PAO) and commended her ability to step into the role as the Navy's acting Chief of Information (CHINFO) on short notice nine months ago.

"She was ready, she didn't take any time to get up to speed," said Mabus. "She knew what she had to do and she had the wealth and breadth and depth of experience that a job like this takes. In fact one of the things that has been noticeable about her career - the people she has served as PAO for ... all went on to get four stars from the time she was their PAO. And she was their PAO usually when they had one star. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to my next job. Because it is clear the only thing those folks had in common was Dawn Cutler."

The 30th Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, spoke on the importance of the role of CHINFO and the responsibilities that come with the title.

"She will be the chief of all Navy information. And in this world of being hyper connected, information is power. And the management of it is the management of power. And if we do this right, we'll get the Navy's narrative right both externally and internally," said Greenert.

Cutler expressed gratitude for her supportive family and spoke fondly of the ideals instilled by her father, a former Sailor.

"He taught me about service to others, selflessness, dedication, that people are important, and treating them with dignity and respect is a must no matter what," said Cutler. "He taught me that being anchored in faith and having a moral compass is essential. Simply put, if you just do the right thing - you'll be just fine."

Retired Rear Adm. Bill Thompson, the first Navy public affairs flag officer, and Lt. j.g. Kat Dransfield, the Navy's newest public affairs officer, placed one-star shoulder boards on Cutler during the promotion ceremony.

Cutler is a native of Portland, Oregon. She is a 1989 graduate of Oregon State University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and earned her commission as a General Unrestricted Line Officer through Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps program. She holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

As the U.S. Navy's Chief of Information, Cutler is the principal spokeswoman for the Department of the Navy and provides strategic counsel to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. She leads the Navy's public affairs community consisting of more than 2,500 active and reserve officer, enlisted and civilian communication professionals.

AFGSC holds first ARC focus day

Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

9/5/2014 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Air Force Global Strike Command hosted its first Air Reserve Component focus day here, Aug. 26 and 27.

The ARC is comprised of the Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard, and it complements the Air Force's active duty capabilities. In a time marked by shrinking budgets, AFGSC is increasingly leaning on its Reserve components to bolster mission effectiveness.

The inaugural AFGSC ARC focus day brought together regular Air Force, Reserve and Guard leaders from around the command to participate in discussions regarding their operations and the way ahead.

"The ARC is important because it can offer a lower-cost alternative," said Lt. Gen. James Jackson, commander of Air Force Reserve Command. "We offer many of the same capabilities that the active duty component does, but we can do it for less in some circumstances because of our lower associated manpower costs."

The ARC achieves their lower manpower costs by not maintaining full strength at all times, Jackson explained.

In the ANG for instance, members sometimes serve as little as one weekend per month and two weeks sometime during the year. During those periods, guardsmen receive training comparable to that received by their active duty counterparts. During the rest of the year, many guardsmen work in the private sector.

Throughout the ARC focus day, attendees heard from unit representatives from the 307th Bomb Wing, 131st Bomb Wing, 102nd Air Operations Group and 219th Security Forces Squadron. AFGSC leaders including Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, AFGSC commander, were briefed by these representatives on matters affecting their respective units such as training schedules and manning.

"Our active duty units need to listen closely to what their ARC counterparts have to say," Wilson said. "Many of the issues that they deal with can be found in their own units as well. It's important that we learn from each other."

In a broader perspective, attendees were presented with information on topics such as AFGSC's Force Improvement Program, the upcoming Presidential Budget and the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force. They also participated in open discussions on ARC initiatives and future programs.

The ARC focus day also served as an opportunity to network with peers.

"Look at the person to either side of you," said Wilson. "Chances are you'll be working with at least one of those people in the coming years. The first time you meet shouldn't be during a crisis."

As the government and Department of Defense continue to cut budgets and limit spending, the Total Force concept will play a progressively more prominent role in the Air Force's future, Jackson explained.

"As we move forward, programs like the ARC focus day will become more important," Jackson said. "If we are to operate seamlessly together -- active duty, Reserve and Guard -- we need to stay informed on what each component has going on."

CMSAF discusses changes to EES at Andersen all call

by Staff Sgt. Robert Hicks
36th Wing Public Affairs

9/3/2014 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody met with Team Andersen Airmen during an Airman's call at the Coral Reef Fitness Center Aug. 26 to discuss the upcoming changes in the Air Force.

He addressed the concerns Airmen had with changes to the Enlisted Evaluation and Weighted Airman Promotion Systems. Cody assured Airmen if they are doing what is expected of them, there is no need to worry.

"We're still going to promote the same number of people," Cody said. "This year there were 9,600 Airmen selected for staff sergeant. If we had this new system in place, and we were getting ready to promote, guess how many Airmen would be promoted - about 9,600. It would be the same amount of people, just a different group."

The changes are intended to ensure the Air Force makes job performance the driving factor for promotions and will be implemented incrementally beginning in August 2014 and continuing through early 2016.

"This is the most significant change to the EES and WAPS in nearly 45 years," Cody said. "We have researched everything to include how we got to this point, and how we are going to rebuild the system so it's where we need it to be in the future to sustain our force."

Chief Cody stressed that the feedback sessions are the heart of our EES.

"The most significant part of this EES is the Airman Comprehensive Assessment," he said. "It is important the Airmen and their supervisors have open, honest and purposeful conversations where clear expectations are established."

Air Force officials also plan to make several modifications to the WAPS. The current system will be replaced by a model using a maximum of the last three EPRs, placing increased emphasis on an Airman's most recent duty performance.

"I'm really happy to hear the new changes to the evaluation system in regards to WAPS testing," said Staff Sgt. Kristian Atkinson, 36th Medical Operations Squadron bioenvironmental engineering technician. "I'm excited to see the importance of time-in-grade and time-in-service decreasing because it shifts the importance to your job knowledge and now people can't rely on however many years they've been in to push them through to the next rank."

During the all call, Chief Cody also touched on how the Air Force is making it a priority to create well-rounded Airmen.

"We are currently working on the deliberate development of our Airmen in significant ways, whether it's the development of special duties or moving forward with the enlisted professional military education," he said. "We are also trying to figure out what is important to our Airmen and families and create a good balance of work and personal time with loved ones so it's sustainable and reasonable in the future."

Chief Cody ended his visit by expressing his gratitude toward the Airmen.

"I would like to thank the Airmen and their families for what they do every day," he said. "We are currently facing a lot of challenges, but the task at hand still remains and Guam plays a major role in that by projecting airpower globally."

Deployed together: Family supports rescue missions in Africa

by Staff Sgt. Leslie Keopka
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Public Affairs

9/5/2014 - CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti (AFNS) -- Preparing for a deployment can be a challenging, stressful and exciting task, plus there are multiple checklists to finish as well as appointments, briefings and goodbyes to make.

One father and son duo had one less goodbye to make, and instead just had to say, 'See you in Djibouti, Africa!'

Chief Master Sgt. Lazaro Ibarra is a flight engineer with the 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron and his son, Senior Airman Daniel Ibarra, is a loadmaster with the 81st ERQS, both are deployed together at the same place, during the same time.

Both Ibarra's are reservists from the 920th Rescue Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.

After serving 34 years in the Air Force, Chief Ibarra is wrapping up his final deployment before retirement, while his son is just beginning his career and first deployment.

"I knew I wanted to fly since I was little, from growing up around helicopters and aviation in general," Daniel said. "(My dad) didn't really push me to join; he just said it was always an option."

The Ibarra's are assigned to the same wing, but separate squadrons. This is the first time the wing's two squadrons have deployed together since 2003, giving the Ibarra's the opportunity to experience a deployment together.

Although they have the support of each other during their deployment, they also have the support from their family back home.

"They are proud of us, very proud," Chief Ibarra said. "I talk to my mom, his grandma, and she asks how he is doing."

Both Ibarra's are in flying career fields, which at times have overlapping missions, giving them the chance to work together. Chief Ibarra works on the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and his son works on the C-130 Hercules.

"It is strange to hear him on the radio talking to us back and forth while on the planes," Chief Ibarra said. "A lot of the guys make jokes saying, 'Is that you, Laz, or your son?' since we kind of sound alike."

According to Daniel, one particular moment of working together sticks out in his mind.

"I remember on one of my first TDY's to Key West for an exercise and we were doing an air refueling," Daniel said. "It was one of the first times I was sitting on the ramp when it opened up and it was the first time I actually hauled with (my dad). When they were coming in to plug I could see him and he gave me a little wave."

Chief Ibarra has been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey and Africa, spending many months away from his family.

"It wasn't easy growing up with that, but at the same time from a young age I understood that what he was doing was important," Daniel said. "The greatest blessing was that when he was home, he was home and not getting caught up in work. We would go fishing or just spend time together."

Upon retirement, Daniel said his father plans to spend his time fishing, boating and brushing up on his golf game.

As for Daniel, he will graduate Florida State University fall 2015 with a bachelor's degree in economics and political science. He said he hopes to commission and become a pilot in the Air Force Reserves.

15th Wing hosts Caring for People Forum

by Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden
15th Wing Public Affairs

8/28/2014 - JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii  -- The Child Development Centers were the focus of the Caring for People Forum that took place at the Earhart Community Center on JBPHH Aug. 28.

During the forum, members of the community had an opportunity to voice their opinions and talk directly to CDC leadership and subject matter experts about issues which directly impact their families.

Dr. Kimberly Moore, Child and Youth Programs regional manager, said the goal of the forum was to make sure parents are ultimately happy with the quality of service their children receive from the CYP.

"Our mission is to make sure your children are safe so you can focus on and do your mission--that's why we're here," she said. "We're here to make sure parents have peace of mind when they go to work. If they are worried about their children or what's going on at the CDC or with their family they won't be able to put 110-percent of themselves into their job."

Now that the forum is over, the top six issues will be channeled up through the CDC, 15th Wing and JBPHH leadership for resolution.

"I hope attendees walked away from the forum today with questions answered and myths dispelled, and that our staff walked away with new ideas for programs and services," Moore said.

Moore said larger issues brought up during the discussions could result in policy changes, Air Force instruction changes or even congressional consideration, hearings and new legislature.

"I think that this forum is so helpful and different that other grievance processes because of its structure," she said. "It's a guided discussion, has tangible results and a positive focus which really allows us to look at what people really need and want."

According to Moore, another benefit of the CfP Forum is that it could give parents answers to questions they may not have known they had.

"This is a chance for us to educate our parents," she said. "Someone may ask a personal question that gives someone else information also. The forum allows for a behind the scenes look at the program which may not be apparent to some people when they're just dropping off and picking up their children."

Forum attendee Tiffany Dailey said she found having the CDC leadership present for the discussion to be particularly beneficial.

"People were actually here to listen to our issues and ask our opinion," she said. "It was different than just voicing our concerns into a dead end process because people who work at the CDC were actually here to hear them and answer questions ... makes me feel like my concerns matter."

USS La Jolla Returns from Final Deployment

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jason Swink, Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The fast attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN 701) returned home to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Sept. 3, following her final regularly scheduled deployment.

The Los Angeles-class submarine's Commanding Officer Cmdr. Kevin Roach said the crew was outstanding during their deployment to the Western Pacific.

"I am honored to have sailed with them. I am inspired by their hard work and dedication they put in day-in and day-out," said Roach of his crew's performance. "They are motivated about doing the mission and doing what our country needs of us."

During the deployment, La Jolla's crew steamed more than 35,000 nautical miles. Theater security cooperation and friendship mission port visits were conducted in Okinawa and Yokosuka, Japan; Sattahip, Thailand, Singapore; and Sepangar, Malaysia.

"We had the opportunity to do some things with the Malaysian submarine force," said Roach. "There is not a more professional group of men and women I have met in the submarine force."

La Jolla's chief of the boat, Master Chief Fire Control Technician Edward Brennan, said he was proud of his Sailors' performance during the different missions conducted in support of national security.

"The crew maintained the ship at sea and fought through all the ups and downs of being on deployment," said Brennan.

La Jolla was underway for 150 of the 180 days deployed.

"My favorite memory of La Jolla is going to be the two Western Pacific deployments and the hundreds of Sailors I have seen grow into submarine force leaders," said Brennan.

Over the course of the deployment, 35 Sailors became submarine qualified and are now able to wear their submarine warfare insignia, or "dolphins," along with more than 30 Sailors moving up in rank, including three selections for chief petty officer, one for senior chief petty officer and one master chief petty officer.

La Jolla is scheduled for decommissioning later this year, and subsequently converted to a moored training ship (MTS) that will be permanently moored at Nuclear Power Training Unit, Charleston, South Carolina.

Roach said he is proud of the second life La Jolla will have as an MTS.

"Most Los Angeles-class submarines will get decommissioned, and that's part of the life of a ship, but La Jolla will live on as a training ship," said Roach. "Well past twenty, thirty, maybe forty years from now years, she'll still be doing a mission, training students, and that's great thing to be part of."

Family and friends showed off signs, banners, and leis as the submarine came into view in the harbor.

Lisa Cortez was particularly excited about the return of her husband, Machinist's Mate 1st Class Nicholas Cortez, looking forward to some quality time together with their children, to include a new baby expected any day.

"I missed him terribly," said Lisa. "It's feels amazing to have him back."

Laura Dillard flew from Oklahoma to surprise her son, Chief Electronics Technician Shaun Blouin.

"His service is unbelievable. No mother has been more proud of her son than I am for him," said Dillard, choking back tears. "Going a year without seeing him has been rough, he is a rock star."

Surprised by his mom and surrounded by family, Blouin said he's looking forward to spending time with them in Hawaii before La Jolla leaves for good.

USS La Jolla is named for La Jolla, California, and is the first warship named after this township. Commissioned Oct. 24, 1981, La Jolla is the 14th ship of the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines. The submarine is 360 feet long, displaces 6,900 tons and can be armed with sophisticated Mark-48 ADCAP anti-submarine torpedoes and Tomahawk guided cruise missiles.