Mercy on another mission of Mercy

We are up to our eyeballs in debt, fighting a war.. Hey Lets go rebuild some other 3rd world country with the money we “DON’T” have, all the while Gas is about to go to 4.00 a gallon, and Food is going through the roof.

Btw Did you all know you were put on “WELFARE” this month? When you get your Tax check it is supposed to go to Food and Gas prices.. Wow. so gracious of them..

I’ll be quiet now..

Nope I won’t. Look I think we need missions like this, but darn it we can’t afford to fix barracks for the Army, our ships can’t even fire weapons due to safety problems, but hey lets go help build a school!!

Now I am done.. D/C

Mercy to deploy for humanitarian mission

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 1, 2008 6:18:20 EDT

SAN DIEGO — The hospital ship Mercy, carrying about 700 Navy personnel, will leave its homeport here Thursday morning for a humanitarian mission in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, Navy officials said.

The deployment is the second goodwill mission for Mercy since its short-notice orders in January 2005 to assist in the aftermath of devastating tsunamis that struck Indonesia and South Asia.

Mercy will operate as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s “Pacific Partnership 2008” mission and provide humanitarian civic assistance alongside non-governmental organizations specializing in medical, dental and construction. Navy medical teams and Navy Seabees, from the service’s construction battalions, are among the sailors who will participate in the missions during the deployment.

“They will get a lot of people throughout the deployment, on and off,” said Navy Lt. Sarah Self-Kyler, a U.S. 3rd Fleet spokeswoman in San Diego.

These include medical teams from the naval hospitals in Oak Harbor and Bremerton, Wash., and Seabees with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 from Gulfport, Miss., according to the Pacific Fleet.

Mercy, a Military Sealift Command ship, is slated to provide assistance in the Philippines, Vietnam, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.

Leading the mission is Capt. W.A. Kearns III, who commands Destroyer Squadron 31. Navy Capt. James P. Rice will command the Military Treatment Facility aboard Mercy, which is skippered by a civilian master, Capt. Robert T. Wiley.

Article From: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/navy_mercydeploys_043008/

Service Dress Khaki’s Wear Testing

Aww jeez.. Damn Damn Damn…
Now they come back. This is a part of Naval heritage I always wanted to wear. Read below..D/C

Service dress khaki wear tests underway

By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 1, 2008 7:12:58 EDT
Service dress khaki wear tests underway

Wear tests of a throwback service dress khaki uniform have begun at six Navy locations and will continue through the summer.

“Sailors should be aware the service dress khaki [tests] for E-7 and above are underway and they will soon see this uniform out and about,” said Rob Carroll, head of the Navy Uniform Matters office.

The khaki tests are part of a number of wear tests currently underway around the Navy. Other wear tests include attempts to improve the current enlisted service dress white and blue “crackerjacks.”

Chiefs and officers will test the khaki uniform in Washington, D.C.; Norfolk, Va.; Millington, Tenn.; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Newport R.I.; and Yokosuka, Japan. Carroll said testers are expected to wear the uniform as a travel uniform, too.

The uniform, popular during World War II, was worn through the Vietnam War. It was done away with in sweeping changes by then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt.

The tests will run through Aug. 25.

Wear testers will fill out online surveys and participate in focus groups about the uniform, Carroll said, and sailors who had frequent contact with those wearing the uniforms also will take part in focus groups.

Article from NavyTimes: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/04/navy_khakiweartest_043008w/

US Navy Positions 2nd Carrier in GULF, Draws up Battle Plans for IRAQ, MSNBC

US MARINES Capture town from Taliban, MSNBC VIDEO

NATIONAL CALL TO SERVICE (NCS) UPDATE ++READ++

Additional opportunities for NCS extensions will be offered between now and the end of FY-08.

Any NCS Hospital Corpsman in receipt of orders or with a current EAOS requiring them to report to a Naval Reserve Activity prior to 30 September 2008, regardless of unit assignment, NEC, or previous request disapproval, may submit or resubmit a Personnel Action Request (NAVPERS 1306/7) requesting 24 month extension on active duty to BUPERS 329D.

Submit scanned requests directly to PSC Herron at mark.herron@navy.mil.

Navy All Hands Magazine April 2008

April 2008 All Hands Magazine. Click on the link to download it.