Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) celebrated Women’s Equality Day with a ceremony hosted by the Heritage Committee Aug. 24.

Established by Congress in 1971, women’s equality day was designed to commemorate the long struggle of generations of women to gain the right to vote. This same observance calls attention to women’s continuing efforts today towards full equality.

The women’s suffrage movement began in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention. Suffragist leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and committee published a “Declaration of Sentiments.” This declaration outlined key social, civil and political demands for women, helping the cause of women’s suffrage to gain

national attention. Nearly 72 years later, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was passed Aug. 26, 1920, granting women throughout the United States the right to vote.

“94 years ago women earned the right to vote in the United States,” said Capt. Neil A. Karnes, Commodore Bataan Amphibious Ready Group. “It took nearly 70 years of hard work and dedication for womens suffrage advocates to finally accomplish their goal. Until the 19th Amendment was

ratified, only men were considered U.S. citizens.”

In 1908, women became a part of the Navy when Congress established the Navy Nurse Corps. This was 12 years before women gained the right to vote.

Martina Wells, one of the Navy’s new deployment Resiliency Counselors (DRC), recently arrived on USS Bataan to provide services as a clinical counselor.

“The DRC is an extension of the Fleet and Family Support Centers and provides clinical counseling and psycho-educational trainings,” said Wells. “Some

of the counseling and support services provided by the DRC include, but are not limited to: adjusting to deployment and to the military, relational/marital issues, separation from family and friends, operational stress, anxiety, and overall stressors.”

Wells encourages Sailors to seek help with smaller issues to be handled through talk therapy, coping skills and strategy development as a form of preventative support before they become larger issues that are more difficult to deal with.

“As the DRC on Bataan I will work closely with the Chaplains and Medical to provide another layer of support for the Sailors,” said Wells. “In addition, as the DRC I will be able to consult and

August 29, 2014Volume: 2 Issue: 17

Look Inside!Well deck Operations, Page 2 | Mongolian Night, Pages 4 & 5 | British Air Crew, Page 6

Equality cont. page 2

Deployment Resiliency Counselor Stationed on BataanBy MC3 Chase Hawley

Bataan Sailors & Marines Celebrates Women’s EqualityBy MC3 Mark Hays

Photo by MC3 Chase Hawley

Photo by MC3 Mark Hays

DRC cont. page 3

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The editorial content of this newspaper is prepared, edited and provided by Bataan’s Public Affairs Office. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of military services at sea. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy and do not imply endorsement thereof.

Commanding OfficerCaptain George J. Vassilakis

Executive OfficerCaptain John “J.C.” Carter

Command Master ChiefCMDCM(SW/AW) Kevin M. Goodrich

Public Affairs Officer MCC(SW/SCW) Dennis Herring

News Team 5MC1(AW/SW) RJ StratchkoMC1(AW) Julie MatyascikMC3(SW/AW) Mark Andrew HaysMC3 Erik Foster MC3(SW/AW) Chase Hawley

MCSN Nicholas Frank CottoneMCSN(SW/AW) Michael J. LieberknechtMCSN Michael FiorilloMCSN Caleb Strong

Layout and Design MCSN Nicholas Frank CottoneEditor MC1(AW) Julie Matyascik

The Navy’s first enlisted women were Yeoman and provided clerical support during World War I, but only for the duration of the war. Nurses remained the only women in the Navy until the service launched the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program in 1942. During World War II, 85,000 WAVES served at naval shore establishments across the nation and overseas, including 81 nurses held as prisoners of war by the Japanese.

“This is a very important day to the female population,” said Cpl. Delia RosadoVega, from Orlando, Florida. I take this day very seriously, not only because I am a female in the Marine Corp, but because without this precise right, I would not be standing in front of you today.”

In 1978, the Navy began its “Women on ships” program, assigning women to non-combatant ships. Opportunities were later broadened to include service on combatants in 1994, following the repeal

of the Combat Exclusion Law. Women’s roles on combatant ships were further expanded in 2011, when the first group of women reported on board submarines.

“Just this past summer, Adm. Michele Howard became the Navy’s first female four star admiral, and at the same time the first female Vice Chief of Naval Operations,” said Capt. George J. Vassilakis, Commanding Officer USS Bataan. “ As you can see we have made great progress, but there is still a lot of work to do, to make it better.”

With Bataan on deployment Sailors, Marines, both male and female are standing side by side answering the worlds call together. No matter how hard the task, team work is the most important to complete Bataan’s mission.

“This business is hard,” said Vassilakis. When we need to do a job, we should never look right or left and ask who is on our left or right. We should have complete and total confidence and trust the job will get done because its a United States Navy Sailor or Marine standing there.

collaborate with other Clinicians at Fleet and Family Support Service at Naval Station Norfolk with investigating Family Advocacy Program cases and ensuring the Sailors are receiving treatment recommendations.”

Eileen Pawloski, LCSW, Clinical Counseling Program Analyst at Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), said during a previous interview that the implementation of the DRC program was mandated as part of the new Sexual Assault Response Program initiatives directed in NAVADMIN 181/13 and that the goal of the program is to provide a continuity of professional counseling services and support to Sailors during

DRC from Front Page 1

Equality from Front Page 1

Photo by MC3 Mark Hays

their deployment and while they’re at the homeport.”As a DRC, Wells is also trained as a SAPR Victim Advocate. As

a civilian, this gives potential victims another option in case they may not feel comfortable having a uniformed Victim Advocate.

Wells will continue be part of the crew when Bataan returns to homeport. Her office will remain on the ship at all times to accommodate the Sailor’s schedules.

“Sailors are welcome to just stop by my office and I can see them anytime if I don’t already have an appointment,” said Wells. “They can also access me through email, as a referral from Medical or the Chaplains, or through their chain of command.”

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Photo by MCSN Michael FiorilloPhoto by MCSN Nicholas Frank Cottone

Photo by MC1 Julie Matyascik

Mongolian night

Photos by MCSN Nicholas Frank Cottone

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British Sailors Cross Deck to the USS BataanBy MCSN Michael Fiorillo

Sailors from the Air Department describe the unmistakable scent of aircraft exhaust and the gusts of swirling wind like a slap to the face when stepping onto the flight deck of the USS Bataan (LHD 5). The crew has become experts in nonverbal communication as a result of the deafening work environment. The ballet of launching, landing and rearranging aircrafts on a listing ship is a spectacle few civilians are ever able to experience first hand.

While watching the crew in action, three Sailors stand out from the rest. Maybe it’s their beards. Maybe it’s their accents. Maybe they aren’t very different at all.

The three Sailors from the British Royal Navy have been aboard Bataan for more than six months. With a combined Naval experience of over 37 years, this is the first time any of them have experienced a training program like this.

The US-UK Long Lead Specialist Skills Program (LLSSP) began in early 2013 with British Sailors aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE) and Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). LLSSP is designed to train British Sailors in flight deck operations, maintenance and weapons handling to expose them to all facets of fixed wing and rotary wing aviation while their carriers are under construction.

The program helps fulfill a joint-signed Statement of Intent on Enhanced

Cooperation on Carrier Operations by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the UK Secretary of State for Defense in January 2012. The intent provides guidance to “ensure the generation, training, operation and sustainability of carrier forces are effective and reflect maximum interoperability and synergy of maritime power projection.”

One of those Sailors is Royal Navy Aircraft Handler 1st Class Ross Jenkins, from Wales, U.K. Jenkins originally planned to become a fire fighter, but while in college he realized that his inexperience and job outlook would make it difficult to break into firefighting.

“I thought I’d join the Navy instead to gain some experience,” explained Jenkins. “But I enjoyed it so much that I decided to stay in. “

Jenkins explained the difference in the size of the aircraft and size of the crew as the biggest adjustment when joining the Bataan.

“We had a couple of guys on the Truman, Kearsarge and Eisenhower so we had an idea of what it was like, but until you get on and experience it for yourself you don’t really know what it’s like,” said Jenkins. “It’s a lot busier than what we’re used to on UK ships.”

When the aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Whales are complete, the ships will be the biggest assets of the Royal Fleet. Currently the Royal Navy’s largest ship is HMS Ocean,

which is responsible for amphibious assaults and helicopter operations.

Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Paul Ranson, from North Wales, U.K. has been serving in the British Navy for 17 years. Ranson was working at a pharmaceutical plant making drugs for heart patients when an office celebration served as the catalyst for a career change.

“Everyone was congratulating one of my coworkers and when I asked if it was his birthday the man replied that he had been working for the company for thirty years,” said Ranson. “I couldn’t see myself working there for thirty years so the next day I went down to the army recruiter and before I could get into the army recruiter’s office the navy grabbed me and I thought why not?”

Ranson has been keeping a detailed training log to ensure what he has learned will be passed onto future generations of Aircraft Handlers.

Royal Navy Aircraft Handler 1st Class Chris Lansdowne explained that the largest change since joining the USS Bataan was below the flight deck. He explained the berthings aboard the Royal Navy ships house fewer Sailors with carpet and recreation rooms.

“I’ve had an interesting time on board,” said Lansdowne. “I’ve enjoyed integrating into the flight deck team and I’ve been happy know that in a small way my visit has helped build a stronger coalition between our two great Navies.”

Photo by MCSN Michael Fiorillo

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Tobacco fights dirty. It’s a dangerous addiction that’s expensive, deadly, and has a serious impact on readiness. Sailors who smoke get sick more often, which translates into more lost workdays and hospitalizations than nonsmokers. Equally as bad are the effects of secondhand smoke on your shipmates and friends. To help you win the battle, the Health Promotion and Wellness Department of the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center offers you effective resources to end tobacco use and learn about the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Visit us at WWW.MED.NAVY.MIL/SITES/NMCPHC/HEALTH-PROMOTION

Bataan’s Big 5 Smoke OutSeptember 1st

The Executive Officer encourages smokers to use September 1st to quit!Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. Here are some tips to help you have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you’re up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.

TIPSDetermine why you want to quit. Post a picture of someone special as a reminder, remember they’re pulling for you. Set a quit date. To make sure you stay motivated, make it soon. Find support in friends and family, online, in a cessation group, or with your doctor for when things get tough. Stick with it. Withdrawal symptoms and cravings will pass if you can resist the urge to use tobacco. Remind yourself why you want to quit and the benefits you’ll get from doing so. Prepare for challenges. Practice what you’ll say when someone offers you a cigarette or dip. No sweat, right? You face much bigger challenges every day.