IMPROVE? CAMP PENDLETON/MIRAMAR …...2014/12/09 · NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION SPRING...
Transcript of IMPROVE? CAMP PENDLETON/MIRAMAR …...2014/12/09 · NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION SPRING...
NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION SPRING 2014
Message from the President… Gree$ng Members, Friends, and Family;
First and foremost, I want to thank you for your dedica$on to the chapter and all of its endeavors. Because of your hard work and devo$on to such a worthy cause, the Na$onal Board recognized the Camp Pendleton/Miramar chapter at the 42th Annual Conference for its superb performance over the last year as Overall Outstanding Chapter. I want to personally thank the Execu$ve Council for their countless hours and selfless commitment. Addi$onally, for the fourth year in a row our chapter website was selected as the most outstanding with CWO3 (Ret) Gerald Washington at the helm.
I look forward to your con$nued support as we con$nue to raise the bar for the chapter seeking new and innova$ve approaches to accomplish our mission of “Developing America’s future leaders to enhance mission readiness and cultural awareness. I challenge you to get involved, join a commiVee, give a PME and most importantly spread the word. I promise the $me you invest will yield a much greater return. Lastly, let us not forget our commitment to service and our embodiment of sacrifice. As we move forward, in our service missions, our thoughts and prayers shall remain with the Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen forward deployed throughout the globe. Semper Fidelis!
Capt Zerbin M. Singleton, President, Camp Pendleton/Miramar Chapter, NNOA
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PERFORMANCE !WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO
IMPROVE?
PHYSICAL FITNESS !DAILY AND WEEKLY
ROUTINES
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
KNOW YOUR REPORT!
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION
GRADE COMPLETE?
CAMP PENDLETON/MIRAMAR NEWSLETTERUpcoming Events
-9 Dec General Body Meeting
-13 Dec Holiday Social
-18 Jan Quarterly Church Visit
-TBD Officer Speed Mentoring
The B.ottom L.ine U.p F.ront…(page 5)
NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION SPRING 2014
Chaplain’s Corner… I recently read a short ar$cle in the publica$on, The Chris$an Century in regards to bias. The ar$cle was repor$ng that Time’s “Most Influen$al People of All-‐Time” list had recently come out for 2014. The top ten included such names as Jesus Christ, Napoleon, and Abraham Lincoln. These names were not a huge surprise. Then, the ar$cle made an interes$ng observa$on: the first woman to be named was found at number thirteen. There were not very many that followed either. Time was contacted and stated that the list definitely has a Western bias. Does this explain why a woman’s contribu$on to history may be overshadowed or underes$mated? Does Western culture perceive contribu$ons from women as less significant? It is upsedng that a biased list would be published in the first place, yet I suppose that is the danger in ever crea$ng such a list; however, this also implies we simply carry ingrained biases whether we like it or not. Maybe this interpreta$on is an important step in understanding the world around us. Iden$fying our biases and how those biases limit us is one step in truly understanding diversity. If we truly believe a diverse Navy and Marine Corps strengthens our community, then iden$fying and then, elimina$ng our biases is a prac$ce we need to use each and every day. Understanding that people from all walks of life contribute to the mission and bring new and fresh perspec$ve is just as mission cri$cal than anything else. Contribu$ons are made at every rank, every gender, every social class and every color – even in Western culture! When we value this principle by iden$fying the bias we may hold, the strength of the beloved community may one day be truly realized.
Blessings, Chaplain David A. Tambur, LT, CHC, USN
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About NNOA…
N a t i o n a l N a v a l O f f i c e r s Association (NNOA) actively supports the Sea Services in the recruitment, retention, and career development of minority o f f i c e r s . W e p r o v i d e professional development and mentoring while supporting cultural diversity, which is an essential element in maintaining operational readiness. Please come out and join an innovative group of thinkers committed to a shared vision of leadership, professional exchange, and networking. !General Body meetings are held at 1800 on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the MCI West Command Center, Bldg 1160, Room 292 (Mainside).
ANNUAL BACK-‐PACK GIVE-‐A-‐WAY We have seen the current economic crisis that has affected many households in North San Diego County, causing several financial hardships to families in that area. Because of these hardships, many students were not equipped with sufficient school supplies they so desperately needed for the 2014-‐ 2015 calendar school year.
To meet this need, hundreds of backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed to children in need on August 8 at the annual NAACP Backpack Giveaway and Fun Day in Oceanside, Ca. The daylong event which took place at Mira Costa College featured raffles, music and free barbecue in a family friendly environment. The event was a huge success and 450 backpacks were distributed that day.
The Backpack Giveaway was organized and hosted by the North San Diego Chapter of the NAACP, Camp Pendleton/ MCAS Miramar Chapter of Na$onal Naval Officers Associa$on, Xi Gamma Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Inc, and San Diego Chapter 12 of the Monoord Point Marine Associa$on, Inc.
NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION SPRING 2014
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Following the historic (an understatement) presiden$al elec$on of 2008, mainstream media organiza$ons such as Forbes and Na$onal Public Radio (NPR) declared that “racism was over” or that we were living in a “post-‐racial society.” However, the recent years’ struggles with topics such as the shoo$ngs of Trayvon Mar$n and Michael Brown would suggest that there are s$ll racial tensions in America. In a racially tense 21st Century, one might ask: are diversity organiza$ons adding to or helping to dissipate the pressure?
Open $mes, when discussing diversity in a mixed group, I have found myself feeling defensive. The natural “fight or flight” ins$nct arises either externally in the urgency of my tone, or internally in the built up an$cipa$on of the ques$on “do we even need these organiza$ons anymore.” My defensiveness suggests to me two things. The first is that I s$ll believe there is s$ll a place for organiza$ons dedicated to the cause of diversity. The second is that there are s$gmas surrounding diversity organiza$ons as a whole.
As individuals, we are open defined by our associa$ons. When assessing whether or not to associate with an organiza$on, it is important that individuals weigh the ethos of an organiza$on against that of their own. There are four adverse traits related to diversity organiza$ons -‐ whether real or perceived -‐ that are damaging not only to that organiza$on, but to the percep$on of all diversity organiza$ons. This nega$ve percep$on can detract from membership, the ability to outreach, and the poten$al to
partner with other organiza$ons that might otherwise support their goals.
Mission Relevance
Since there are myriad na$onal organiza$ons dedicated to the cause of minori$es of all types, I will refrain from making an overarching statement regarding their collec$ve worth. Organiza$ons should look internally to assess whether their mission statement and ac$vi$es are kept relevant to the needs of the community which they serve.
Perceived Exclusion
A pioall of minority organiza$ons is that they can be viewed as only for minori$es. This percep$on, whether true or not, can lead to the same feelings of exclusion that they might be working to fight against.
Vengeful History
The teaching of a minority group’s history can have significant value for both that group and for the na$on as a whole. For that group, an increased sense of collec$ve pride and self-‐esteem can develop from stories of underdogs achieving against insurmountable odds. For the na$on, a holis$c awareness and understanding of our history and all of the contributors to our success will provide beVer informed and more responsible ci$zens. However, if that history is only presented as a means to resurface old injus$ces and to paint another group in a nega$ve light, the only thing that is being served is vengeance, and it creates a vic$m mentality out of its audience.
!
New “Good Ol’ Boys” Network
It is human nature to group together with those whom we feel most comfortable. These associa$ons can lead to close rela$onships and deeper understanding of character between members. With this understanding, it is common place to see members defer to their fellow cohorts rather than an outside en$ty, presumably because this individual is an unknown quan$ty. While this deferral due to mutual values can be a posi$ve, it has the poten$al to develop into nepo$sm, either real or perceived.
Conclusion
While fresh wounds hurt the most, it is important to note that The United States of America has come a long way from a past of sweeping ins$tu$onalized exclusion. We have come this far because of organiza$ons dedicated to the cause of cultural awareness and universal inclusion. Though we have come far, we cannot rest on our laurels. Just as best prac$ces in business and the military stress Con$nued Process Improvement, organiza$ons should remain vigilant to ensure that old habits do not return. This way we can all grow from our successes, and will not retreat to our benighted past. In order to ensure con$nued posi$ve success, organiza$ons dedicated to diversity should avoid the pioalls discussed to ensure that they are not a distrac$on to the larger cause.
Ar#cle by Capt Ma/ Bowman Co Cmdr, Co B, 9th Comm Bn. He also serves at the PME Coordinator for the Chapter of NNOA
Figh%ng S%gma To Con%nue Progress
NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION SPRING 2014
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Camp Pendleton-Miramar Chapter Scholarship Program !We would like to thank and congratulate all who par$cipated in the 2014 Scholarship Program. A special thanks goes to our magnificent donors for their compassion and belief in the value of the Na$onal Naval Officers Associa$on. !NNOA is commiVed to developing and suppor$ng youth to aspire for higher academic educa$on through tutorial programs and scholarship awards. The Chapter has established an Annual Scholarship Program for high school seniors who qualify for Need based or Merit based -‐those who meet criteria for the Science
Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Program Scholarships. !The Scholarship CommiVee reviewed 19 applica$ons in the two categories. We were pleased to select nine qualified awardees for the Camp Pendleton-‐Miramar Chapter of the NNOA Annual Scholarship Program. Six Need/Merit based and three STEM scholarships were available for 2014 all valued at $2,000. By: Mr. Russell C. Woody, Colonel USMC Re$red, Scholarship Coordinator
Black Student Union BBQ at Cal State San Marcos
"Black Student Union is a cultural student organiza$on centered around the voices of marginalized people groups specifically black students. Together they aim to create a strong suppor$ve unite where students achieve academic excellence and resources in order to become effec$ve ci$zens in their communi$es."(www.csusm.edu/orgs/blackstudentunion/html)
California State San Marcos and NNOA are commiVed to building stronger communi$es. On 12 September 2014, members of the Camp Pendleton/ MCAS Miramar Chapter of the Na$onal Naval Officers Associa$on and Members of the Xi Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Inc traveled to the campus and mentored students on post college career plans, community involvement, and the importance of academic excellence.
Why should you aQend an NNOA NaRonal Conference? I have never been in such awe as when I aVended the annual NNOA Na$onal Conference. The amazement did not come from such a well-‐executed and professional conference, although each year it always exceeds my expecta$ons. It’s not even the first class sponsors who are commiVed to the mission of NNOA. It is the genuine officers that I met who are willing to bend over backwards to ensure we (aVendees) are able to be the best officers humanly possible. This conference is the one stop source to answer any ques$ons you have about your Naval Career in the Sea Services. The wealth and immeasurable knowledge packed into three days will blow your mind away. In aVendance nearly every year is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Chief of Naval Opera$ons, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard. If your service chief finds the conference to be of great importance, I believe you should too. Every year I gain new mentors that may range from an O-‐3 to an O-‐10. Someone that is able to provide advice and guidance. They sit on boards, they are Commanders, they write leVers of recommenda$ons, and they also will let you know if you are veering off the path of success. Each year I aVend a conference it serves as a renewing of my mo$va$on and enthusiasm to con$nue to strive to become a beVer officer. I hope to see you at the 2015 Na$onal Conference being held in San Diego July 28th – 30th.
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The B.L.U.F. (cont)
The Marine Corps is a professional organiza$on that prides itself on developing the best and the brightest. Any one associated with an organiza$on of this caliber should con$nuously seek professional and personal improvement. Embodying Leadership Traits and Principles, however important, are not the only ways to improve as a Marine. There are several areas in which one can enhance their
successes in their military career. The opportuni$es for development can come from staying late reading a manual or receiving construc$ve counseling from a senior member. Also, daily planning, execu$ng, or recupera$ng from some sort of Physical Fitness is paramount. Body composi$on-‐ good or bad-‐ are reflected in military photos; therefore shape up! Next, performance evaluaRon is a professional statement to promo$on
boards. Communica$ng vital informa$on that may prove beneficial to career aspira$ons and goals to repor$ng seniors is helpful to promo$on board members. Lastly, Professional Military EducaRon is essen$al to professional improvement. Strive to know and learn more regarding career fields. This ensures the preserva$on of the highest standards.
NNOA Editor,
Capt D.D. Sanders
The 2nd Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament was a great success. With nearly 60 golfers and almost $6,000 raised, it was definitely a great start to our goal of $12,000. Over the last three years, The Camp Pendleton/Miramar Chapter has awarded over $36,000 in scholarships to college bound high school seniors. Yet this was not the average golf tournament. A major reason for its success was due to the sponsors. From eco-‐friendly golf balls by Dixon Golf, to customized Krank It Golf Clubs-‐which hold the record for the world’s longest drive-‐ the golfers were definitely in for a treat at many of the holes. To top it off the Golf Academy of America analyzed players' strokes and gave pointers to lower handicap. Once complete with the round of golf, there was free food, a silent auc$on, free massages from San Diego Spa and Rehab and a chance to win great prizes in the opportunity raffle. From $500 Harris Jewelry Gip Cer$ficates to golf clubs valued at over $400, par$cipants were guaranteed to walk away in much an$cipa$on for the 3rd Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament Those who did not win a raffle item s$ll walked away with a laptop bag filled with goodies. The NNOA would like to recognize First Command Financial Services for sponsoring the event. The tournament would not have been possible without their support. Looking forward to next year!