Navy News for 24 Sept 2009!!

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NNS090924-09. NNMC Helps Cancer Patients, Survivors through Art

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Timothy Wilson and Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marcus Suorez, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) — The Red Cross at the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) sponsored a Courage Collage workshop Sept. 19 to help individuals who have battled cancer.

“Cancer is one of the hardest things to go through,” said Colleen Luzier, a breast cancer survivor. “While being scared and attempting to go through treatment, you need the desire to live and to return to what is seen as normal by facing your fears.”

In a continuing healing-through-art initiative, NNMC will host an art show Oct. 8, sponsored by the Hematology/Oncology and Breast Care Center, along with the Oakleaf Club and the Mary Jane Sanford Project, will sponsor the 6th Annual Breast Cancer Art Show.

“Creative expression workshops are for cancer patients currently going through treatment or who have survived cancer, or anyone who just wants to participate,” said Luzier, founder and executive director of the Courage Collage program.

Luzier said art, such as these Courage Collages, helps patients and survivors in the healing process.

“A lot of emotional and mental trauma can occur when cancer enters someone’s life,” Luzier said. “This program is designed to help people process what is happening in their lives. The pictures are meaningful expressions of future hope.”

Melanie Twomey was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. This workshop was the first of its kind she has attended.

“Going into the workshop, I didn’t expect to get a lot out of it,” Twomey said. “But I discovered I was pleasantly surprised, I loved it.”

Twomey said creating her Courage Collage gave her an opportunity to reflect on “the bigger picture” of her life and what it means to her.

“This [workshop] allowed me to sit and think about what I am and what things mean the most to me and how I can move forward,” Twomey said. “I was able to be heard through pictures, not words, and I put it all down on my collage.”

Family, spiritual beliefs and physical well-being were the common themes Twomey said she noticed in her collage.

“I realized and found out a lot about myself and my rehabilitation process,” she said. “The pink ribbon [signifies] stomping out breast cancer. Once you go through it, it’s always part of your life.”

Twomey said she would recommend this activity for everyone, regardless of whether they have cancer or not.

“It really allows you to reflect on yourself, and it also supports cancer, which is always good,” she said.

Judy Cassells, a Breast Cancer Art Show committee member, said it is important for everyone to recognize the courageous cancer patients and survivors and to showcase how they manage to make it through their tough ordeals.

“[The breast care show] to honor patients, survivors and those who have passed away from cancer and gives them a chance to share their healing with others,” Cassells said.

The Breast Cancer Art Show began five years ago for breast cancer patients at NNMC to showcase pieces they created during their rehabilitation and coping process of the diagnosis, said Cassells. At first, it only showcased patients’ art, but last year it grew to include artwork from Bethesda staff members.

“Art helps people greatly because it makes them concentrate on what they’re doing and put their lives into what they’re creating,” said Gay Schroeder, a breast cancer survivor and Breast Cancer Art Show committee member. “It’s a peaceful way of releasing that energy you spend thinking about how ill you are and creating a piece with whatever art form you’re using and it helps you to continue on.”

Schroeder was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. In 2005, she found out she had breast cancer for a second time. “It’s been a difficult time and, if it wasn’t for my cross-stitching, I’m not sure where I’d be in my life,” she said.

Schroeder said the Breast Cancer Art Show is important because it’s a means for other people to acknowledge that life goes on after cancer.

Jonna Tamases, a three-time cancer survivor, will be the guest performer at the event. Tamases had Hodgkin’s disease, breast cancer and large-cell lymphoma. She will share her story and her fight to live.

“I encourage everyone to come to the show and support breast cancer awareness,” Schroeder said.

For more news from National Naval Medical Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/nnmc/.

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NNS090924-02. Scholarships Offered to Sea Services Family Members with Alaska Residency

By Ed Barker, Naval Education and Training Command

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) — The Navy League and Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) announced on Sept. 17, requirements for applications for the Alaska Sea Services Scholarship for academic year 2010-2011.

The program awards up to four $1,000 scholarships for undergraduate education annually to dependent children or spouses of legal Alaska residents who are currently serving in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard (either active duty or Reserve), retired from those services, or were serving at time of death or missing-in-action status. Applicants who meet the residency requirement will be ranked according to academic proficiency, character, leadership ability, community involvement and financial need.

“These scholarships are an outstanding way for our sea service members to make undergraduate education affordable for their dependents,” said Larry LeDoux, Alaska commissioner of education. “We strongly encourage all qualified Alaskans to apply and take advantage of this great program.”

The scholarships are made possible by funds raised as a War Bond during World War II to honor the Sailors of the USS Juneau (CL 52). Following the war, the governor of the Territory of Alaska and the secretary of the Navy agreed that the bond monies would remain on deposit until an appropriate use for the fund could be found. In 1986, the Navy established the Alaska Sea Services Scholarship Fund.

The application deadline is March 1, 2010 for the FY-10 selection board, which convenes in April, 2010.

Applicants must show acceptance at an accredited college or university for full-time undergraduate study toward a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. No more than two scholarship awards may be given to any individual during pursuit of the four-year degree.

For complete information and an application to apply for the Alaska Sea Services Scholarship, visit http://www.navyleague.org/scholarship/ or read NAVADMIN 274/09. Interested families may also contact Cheral Wintling at (850) 452-3671 (DSN 922-3671), e-mail: cheral.wintling@navy.mil or contact Julie Beaver at (703) 312-1585, e-mail: jbeaver@navyleague.org.

For more news from Naval Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnet/.

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NNS090924-07. Coast Guard Coxswain Transports Boarding Teams

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Erica R. Gardner, FA PANAMAX 2009 Public Affairs

USS DOYLE, At sea (NNS) — U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC 913) Visit, Board, Search and Seizure team executed a vessel boarding exercise aboard USS Doyle (FFG 39) during Fuerzas Aliadas PANAMAX 2009 Sept. 15.

The boarding team scrambled up the side of the Doyle, as Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Daniel Torres and his crew stood by in their boat to provide backup and a means of rapid transport for the boarding team.

Torres, a native of Los Angeles, Calif., plays a key role in Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), using his boat handling skills to get boarding teams out and back swiftly and safely. The Coast Guard frequently performs such missions, leveraging its law enforcement authority and expertise to stop human trafficking and interdict illegal drugs.

“I am glad to be a part of a humanitarian and law enforcement entity,” said Torres. “Growing up around the distractions of drugs helps me want to give back.”

Torres is also qualified to board vessels but is used in the transporting of boarding team members because of his expertise in the operation and maintenance of the rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB). The RHIB coxswain and his three-person crew are fully briefed on boarding-team missions, to allow them to support the boarding or make a swift extraction of the team.

During the exercise, Torres kept a watchful eye on the Doyle’s flight deck, and kept up constant communications with the boarding team officer and Mohawk. Such MIO operations are a major tool in maintaining freedom of the seas, one keystone of U.S. maritime strategy along with creating multinational solutions to multinational problems.

“We have a demand for vessel boarding in areas where weak maritime governance and limited enforcement resources hinder the implementation of maritime security measures,” Torres said. “PANAMAX is an opportunity for the newer team members to get comfortable with the way we do things. Working with foreign countries helps us in more ways than one.”

FA PANAMAX 2009 is one of the largest multinational training exercises in the world, taking place in the waters off the coasts of Panama from Sept. 11-22 with the participation of civil and military forces from 20 partner nations.

More than 20 vessels and a dozen aircraft are involved in the exercise. Participants focused on a variety of responses to any request from the Government of Panama to protect and guarantee safe passage of traffic through the Panama Canal, ensure its neutrality, and respect national sovereignty. Simulated ground forces also participated at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.

For more news from U.S. Forces Southern Command visit, www.navy.mil/local/southcom.

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NNS090924-06. National Weather Service Names Whiting Field ‘Storm Ready’

By Jay Cope, Naval Air Station Whiting Field Public Affairs

WHITING FIELD, Fla. (NNS) — Hurricane season is still in full swing, and Naval Air Station Whiting Field has the National Weather Service’s (NWS) vote of confidence that the base is prepared should a major storm occur. NWS assigned their “Storm Ready” designation to the base during a short presentation Sept. 23.

NAS Whiting Field is the first military installation in northwest Florida and only the ninth nationwide to receive “storm ready” approval.

Representatives from the regional NWS office in Mobile, Ala., traveled to Milton, Fla., to present the plaque and the signs recognizing the base’s new status to the base Commanding Officer Capt. Enrique Sadsad.

“This is a great accomplishment for Whiting Field,” Sadsad said. “We have been training and preparing, and if something were to hit us, we know we would be as prepared as we can be.”

The “storm ready” designation began in 1999 with the intent to help ensure communities had the communication procedures and storm preparedness structure in place to respond to a weather-related emergency. According to NWS statistics, 90 percent of all presidentially declared disasters are weather related leading to nearly $14 billion in damages annually.

Military bases are qualifying communities, and Whiting Field’s emergency manager Jim Walsh worked for more than six months to ensure the program requirements were met. Guidelines include having a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center, providing multiple methods to inform the community of potential weather problems, having a system for monitoring local weather conditions, promoting weather preparedness through community seminars, and developing and training a formal severe weather plan.

“It was a pleasure working with Jim (Walsh) and from the moment we walked on the base there was no doubt that everything was in order,” John Purdy, senior meteorologist with the Mobile office of the NWS said. “The base exceeded qualifications in every area and you can be justifiably proud of your program.”

NAS Whiting Field’s home county, Santa Rosa County, Fla., is also a “storm ready” community, and seeing the signs for the designation along the road was the impetus for Walsh’s effort. A little research indicated military bases qualified, and he completed the application process. According to Walsh, Navy bases already have much of the structure in place, and it is mostly a matter of documenting the programs and activities which the bases perform as a part of their normal routines.

However, having just passed the anniversary of hurricanes Ivan and Dennis, Walsh sees the added emphasis of the “storm ready” designation as being valuable.

“I believe this is a good time to reflect on the turmoil those storms caused and to ensure we are prepared for the next one,” he said. “This designation recognizes the commitment we have made to our populace that we are doing everything possible to be prepared for any storm that may arise.”

For more news from Naval Air Station Whiting Field, visit www.navy.mil/local/naswf/.

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NNS090924-01. EPC 09 Holds Oil Spill Preparedness Training

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Gary M. Keen, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa/Commander, US 6th Fleet Public Affairs SOUDA BAY, Greece (NNS) — Multinational military and civilian personnel from five countries participated in hands-on oil spill preparedness training Sept. 22 at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay as part of Eurasia Partnership Capstone 2009 (EPC 09).

In quick response boats, 11 representatives from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Latvia and the United States observed the techniques and equipment used to combat oil spills.

“It is important that we are able to work in a unified environment with host nation representatives, as well as our other partner nations,” said John Owens, one of four oil spill preparedness instructors for EPC 09. “We have the right resources at the right place, at the right time, and we are talking to the right people to get the job done. If we do have an incident, we are able to work through established relationships and quickly respond as required.”

Owens is also the U.S. Navy on-scene coordinator and program manager for Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia and has led oil spill preparedness training for the last three EPCs.

“In the previous two EPCs, we were underway on the Mount Whitney [USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20)], and we were primarily focusing on classroom training with countries in the Black Sea region,” said Owens. “By coming to shore, we are able to go out and perform actual hands on training and observe some of the response equipment and some of the different techniques that are used to combat oil spills. Also, we are fortunate this year to have some host nation personnel with subject matter involvement in this year’s class, enhancing our cooperative efforts.”

Many of the students are on-scene environment coordinators for their countries. They have come to EPC 09 not only to receive a better understanding of oil spill preparedness but also to share their knowledge with other nations.

“I am going to go back to make some suggestions to my chain of command and organize a similar oil spill preparedness program that is organized like the U.S. and other countries’ navies,” said Greek Navy Lt. Cmdr. John Tsolakis.

He also added that, to his knowledge, no one in the Greek Navy has ever received this level of training on oil spill preparedness before.

“Speaking from the environmental perspective, engaging in these types of workshops protects us from the potential negative impacts that oil spills can have, including impacting relationships with host nations,” added Owens. “The reality is we need to have an ongoing program with this type of collaboration to ensure optimum spill prevention and response preparedness.”

EPC is an annual conference hosted by the U.S. Navy, where military and civilian personnel participate in non-formal workshops and seminars aimed at increasing maritime safety and security. This is accomplished through the building of long term relationships at the junior officer and non-commissioned officer level with open and transparent sharing of information.

Nations participating in EPC 09 include Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Ukraine and the United States.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe -U.S. Naval Forces Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/naveur/.

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NNS090924-05. Moneywise in the Military Visits CFAY

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bryan Reckard, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West Det. Japan

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) — Sailors from various commands on board Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) and their family members took part in the 2009 Moneywise in the Military tour at the base’s Fleet Theater Sept. 23.

Kelvin Boston, host of Public Broadcasting Service’s “Moneywise”, Peter Bielagus, a financial advisor who specializes in educating young Americans about their personal finances and Holly Petraeus, director of the Better Business Bureau’s Military Line all contributed to the presentation.

“We’re actually visiting installations all of the world to help people understand, especially military members, that while they’re serving in the military they can still begin to take the steps to achieve all their financial goals or at least most of them,” said Boston.

Boston said they visit between 15 and 25 military installations a year. Bielagus explained his drive to help others become financially successful comes from the personal lessons he learned throughout his life.

“This is important to me because nobody took the time to educate me about personal finance and I didn’t take the time to educate myself, and what happened is I learned the hard way by getting into debt way over my head and realizing that I owe money to people that I’m not able to pay,” Bielagus said. “Through a series of extreme sacrifices I was able to get control of my debt and eventually pay it all off and I realized that I did this and I made it through it but all of this was totally unnecessary with a just a little bit of education and just a little bit of planning.”

More than 100 Sailors attended the presentation which was only one of several events planned during the three-day visit.

Petraeus, a former military daughter and spouse says she feels compelled to be a part the Moneywise in the Military tours to warn service members of the scams that seem to target the military.

“It’s important to arm them with the education they need to prevent somebody from taking advantage of them,” said Petraeus “It’s easy for me to be enthusiastic about my job because it’s important to help service members hold on to their money.”

The purpose of the 2009 Moneywise in the Military tour is to support mission readiness in assisting military personnel and spouses in managing personal finances and improving their overall financial fitness.

For more news from Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, visit www.navy.mil/local/cfay/.

NNS090924-08. Current Daily News Update

From the Navy News Service

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Daily News Update features six newscasts each day – one two-minute newscast and five one-minute newscasts.

Two-minute newscast-
- Naval Support Activity Naples holds a pinning ceremony for its new chief petty officers.

http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13189

First one-minute newscast-
- Headlines from around the fleet: Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet releases a farewell podcast to Sailors; U.S. Fleet Forces Command launches a new blog site.

http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13190

Second one-minute newscast-
- The Marine Corps implements new suicide prevention programs.

http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13191

Third one-minute newscast-
- Sailors in the Hampton Roads area participate in a military sports bike course.

http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13192

Fourth one-minute newscast-
- Marine recruits learn marksmanship skills.

http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13193

Fifth one-minute newscast-
- Seabees participate in a community relations project during exercise maritime pre-positioning force.

http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13194

Defense Media Activity Anacostia produces six Daily News Update (DNU) newscasts: a two-minute newscast and five one-minute newscasts. DNU can be seen throughout the day and evening on the Direct-to-Sailor (DTS) satellite television service available aboard 160 ships of the fleet and via the Navy Web site at www.navy.mil. Check your local DTS program schedule for air times. DNU can also be seen throughout the world on the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).

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NNS020724-34. This Day in Naval History – Sept. 24

From the Navy News Service

1918 – Ensign David S. Ingalls, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force.
1944 – Fifth Fleet carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, Philippines.
1960 – First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), launched at Newport News, Va.

For more information about naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil.

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Navy News Service is the official news wire service of the U.S. Navy, containing stories recently posted to the Navy Web site at www.navy.mil. It is a product of the Defense Media Activity – Anacostia, 2713 Mitscher Rd. SW, Anacostia Annex, D.C., 20373-5819. Reprints should be credited to the Navy News Service (NNS).

For the latest in Navy news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.

For all Navy-related questions, review the FAQs posted at www.navy.mil or visit www.history.navy.mil.

Media queries should be directed to the Navy News Desk at (703) 697-5342.

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Lt. Li Cohen
Publishing Division
Defense Media Activity – Anacostia
www.navy.mil