Around the Region

January 2011 Volume 1 Issue 1

Returning Warrior Workshop Honors Sailors and FamiliesBy MC2 Katrina Parker

NAVYHEADLINES

CAPT Lori Laraway, assigned to BUMED in the Wounded, Ill and Injured program, speaks to ser-vicemembers and their families during RWW. Photo by MC2 Katrina Parker.

WASHINGTON -- More than 140 active duty and Reserve personnel along with their families attended the Navy Region Mid Atlantic Reserve Component Com-mand’s (NRMA RCC) Return-ing Warrior Workshop (RWW) at the Gaylord National Harbor Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Washing-ton Oct. 22-24. RWW is designed to honor individual augmentee Sailors and their families who have been deployed in support of combat support operations.

This workshop supports these members with reintegration and reunion after deployments, and addresses the stresses that come from these situations. NRMA RCC’s Command-ing Officer Capt. Brian Smith addressed the crowd at the start of the ceremony to thank them for the service they have rendered for their country and to tell them that RWW is truly a celebration of their service. “The nature of service is of course sacrifice, and I under-stand that servicemembers have sacrificed greatly, particu-

larly our Sailors in the reserve component,” Smith said. “You answer the call when it comes and leave life as you know it for a year or more at a time going to the less desirable places in the world to do a very difficult job. That sacrifice would not be possible without the on-going steadfast support of the fam-ily and friends that you leave behind. So this weekend is a celebration of your service and to honor the service, sacrifice, and support. So we are here for you. We are here to better ap-preciate the sacrifices that you

Uniform RulesOn Jan. 1 it became

official! No more utili-ties for Sailors and wash

khakis for Chiefs and Officers. The NWUs are the working uniform for

all ranks.

GI Bill ImprovesThe Post 9/11 GI Bill reached maturity in

the fall 2010 term, with more people using the

new education benefits.

No Separation Pay for PFT FailuresMembers separated

from the Navy after Jan. 1 solely for failing the

PFT portion of the PFA will not be authorized

involuntary separa-tion pay (NAVADMIN

420/10).

Navy Workforce Programs Gain

RecognitionCompeting against

Fortune 500 companies, the U.S. Navy earned 15 national awards in 2010 for workforce manage-

ment, training, diversity and life-work balance.

Continued on pg. 3

Around the Region Page 2

NOSC Wilmington Sailors Recognized at NASCAR RaceBy HM2 Amy Leslie

AROUND THE REGION

STAFF

CAPT Br ian T Smith RCC C ommanding Of f icer

CDR Matthew Jackson RCC Chief Staf f Of f icer

LT Steve Frankl in RCC Publ ic Af fairs Of f icer

C h i ef E d itor s / D e si g n & L ayout MC2 Katr ina Parker & MC2 (SW/AW) Maddel in Angebrand

CONTRIBUTING PERSONNEL

HM2 Amy Lesl ie NOSC Wilmington

MCC (EXW) Roger S . Duncan NOSC Manchester

DOVER, Del. - The NAS-CAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover International Speedway honored 10 Service members from the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard and Air Force, Sept. 26. The members were invited by Denis McGlynn, president and chief executive officer of Dover Motor Sports. He wanted to honor military members for all the hard work that they do. McGlynn worked with the USO director Joan Cote to arrange the recognition. Chief Information Techni-cian Nathan Keller and Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Fuels 2nd Class Brian Mumpower are both mem-

bers of Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Wilmington and were among the 10 recognized at the race. Each member was greeted and introduced by one of NASCAR’s top 10 qualifying racers. Keller was introduced by number 42 Juan Pablo Montoya and Mumpower was introduced by number 98 Paul Menard. Keller just completed a one year mobilization to Afghanistan attached to a Provincial Recon-struction Team and was recently pinned as a Chief Petty Officer. “This is amazing, truly moving and a unique experience,” he said. “It’s a huge honor to be recog-nized in my home state along with my family.”

Mumpower, who is preparing to mobilize, serves as the leading petty officer at the NOSC was asked how it feels to be recog-nized by a NASCAR Racer. “It feels great to have recog-nition for the work that I have completed,” Mumpower said. “It means a lot to me, because I feel like everything that I’ve done has not been un-noticed.” Lt. Cmdr. Scott Isaacson, com-manding officer of NOSC Wilming-ton, said “It’s a fantastic way to honor selected reserve members. These two members are making a huge sacrifice. Keller mobilized in 2009 to Afghanistan and Mumpower has an upcoming deployment. Without the support of reservist and families none of this would be possible.”

Sailors and Community Members Honor Fallen HeroBy MC2 Katrina Parker

MANCHESTER, N.H.-- “Senior Chief Dan Healy was a mountain of a man who led his platoon fearlessly. His true character and courage was displayed when he led a quick reaction force to as-sist members of his platoon who were compromised in a firefight outnumbered 20 to 1. Without hesitation, he rejected self-preser-vation and flew toward the fight. Ultimately, he laid down his life for his brothers, which led to one man surviving the battle.” This was stated by Cmdr. Douglas Munz, Commanding Officer of Navy Operational Sup-port Center (NOSC) Manchester, N.H., after a recent beautification of a monument made in honor to Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy. More than 60 participants, including Chief Petty Officers (CPO), CPO Selectees and Exeter residents, gathered with family and sponsors to the CPO’s Mess Aug. 28 to support this memorial. The

volunteers added mulch, new flags and conducted a general cleaning around the memorial. With per-mission from Healy’s mother, Mrs. Natalie Healy, a small wrought iron border fence was also added to bring more attention to the area and for safe keeping. Healy died June 28, 2005, while conducting combat operations in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. He, along with seven other Sea, Air, Land (SEAL)s’ and eight Army “Night Stalker” commandos, were shot down from their MH-47D

Chinook helicopter during a mis-sion to rescue a four-man SEAL reconnaissance team. They were outnumbered by more than 200 Taliban fighters. This was the largest single-day loss of life in SEAL’s history. Senior Chief Dan Clark, of NOSC Manchester, said he first learned of Healy during his origi-nal memorial in 2005. He said that Healy’s values as a husband, father, son, brother and Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) struck a cord.

Continued on pg. 4

Birds Fall From the Sky

Around 3,500 birds in Louisiana and Arkansas died suddenly before the new year. Biologists are

investigating why.

Fla. Man Lives with Lions

James Jablon will live in a fenced inclosure with

lions for the Wildlife Rehabilitation of Her-

nando.

Drunken Burglar Gets Stuck Inside

HousePolice in Delaware say a man broke into a house, got drunk, and couldn’t

find his way out.

STRANGE TIMES

LSC Dan Field taps a flag into the ground at Healy’s memorial. Photo by MCC Roger Duncan.

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‘Workshop’ Continued from pg. 1 This Month In

NAVAL HISTORY

January 5, 1968First Male Nurse Corps officer in Regular Navy,

LT Clarence W Cote

January 8, 1847Battle of San Gabriel

(Navy, Marines, Army defeat Mexicans in CA)

January 10, 1956Establishment of first Navy nuclear power school at Submarine

Base, New London, CT

January 16, 1991Operation Desert Storm,

liberation of Kuwait from Iraq, begins

January 31, 1961LCDR Samual Lee

Gravely, Jr. becomes first African-American to

command a combat ship, USS Falgout

PMK Question of the Month

Check out AROUND THE REGION next month for answers!

have made.” Mr. Phillip Brashear, an Army Reservist with the 159th Aviation Regiment at Ft. Eustis and son of legendary Carl Brashear, spoke as a guest speaker for the event. Brashear first spoke to the crowd about his father’s historical mark on military history, from his start as an under-educated African-American and his drive to be-come a Navy diver, to ending up as one of the most influen-

tial African-American Sailors. Brashear also discussed his own experiences, and ended his speech with an emotional account of a young corporal he met while on combat duty. “During combat duty, I wit-nessed an improvised explo-sive device (IED) going off on a convoy. I was there to pick up a 19 year-old corporal who actually stepped on an IED. He was a 19 year-old Marine, serving his country, who lost his left foot and left hand. He

was a former high school baseball player….Ladies and gentleman, these are the true heroes you never hear about, these are the guys that go out and risk their lives day in and day out, risking life and limb, and these are the true heroes…” Aviation Electrontics Technician 2nd Class Gabriel Mirelez, assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Support 24 and a RWW participant, said he was particularly touched by Brashear’s story and felt hon-ored to be able to meet him. “His story was very personal and I feel that it really motivated me,” Mirelez said. “The story of his father, Carl Brashear, will stick with me. I want to try to implement it into my own life.” Throughout the weekend, there was time allotted for ser-vicemembers and their families to attend break-out sessions regarding a topic of their choice. These sessions allowed a more personal environment where participants had the chance to talk to others who have had similar experiences. Topics during the event included warrior transitions, spiritual and emotional well-being, telling your story, couples reconnecting, financial manage-ment, focus on fitness, stress management techniques and considering redeployment. Con-fidential sessions with counselors were also available. “This workshop has helped me learn how to deal with the deployment stresses and other things that deploy-ment brings,” Mirelez said. “This is a great workshop; it is absolutely wonderful.” RWWs are hosted throughout the country by Reserve component com-mands and are an important part of the Department of De-fense Yellow Ribbon Reinte-gration Program.

CWO4 Philip Brashear speaks to guests during RWW.

NOSC Baltimore’s Color Guard parades the colors during RWW. Photos by MC2 Katrina Parker

YNSA Justin Jones and Arlene Boodie, of RCC, register RWW guests.

List the TWO elements of a

ship’s organization.

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Navy Ball Honors HeroesBy MC2 Maddelin Angebrand

Manchester, N.H. --Navy Operational Sup-port Center (NOSC) Manchester Sailors, family members and the local Navy Sea Cadet Corps celebrated the 235th Navy Birthday with a Ball at the Puritan Conference Center. The event theme was “Honoring Heroes Past, Present and Future.” Family members of Lt. Michael P. Murphy (SEAL), Chief Aviation Electrician’s Mate (SEAL) Nathan H. Hardy, and Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy, shared stories of their loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation. “Having the families of three Navy SEALs who were killed in combat in attendance and each having a chance to speak about their sons was tremendously meaningful,” said Cdr. Douglas Munz, NOSC Manchester command-ing officer. “I know the people in attendance will never, for as long as they live, forget the heroic stories of Lt. Michael Murphy, Senior Chief Dan Healy, and Chief Nate Hardy.” The event also showcased a live chat via Skype technology with four NOSC Manchester Sailors currently deployed to Afghanistan.

“To see the tears of joy running down so many faces was truly amazing,” said Chief Personnel Specialist Charles Stevens, NOSC Manchester’s command hief. “A simple video chat brought much joy to all in attendance. To see the smile on Mrs. Heidi Buxton’s face when she got to speak with her deployed husband, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Shawn Buxton, was awesome. It made all the long hours of planning well worth it.” Guest speaker Rear Adm. Buzz Little, commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command, addressed the Sailors thanking them for their service. The local Sea Cadet Corps comprised of high school students ages 13 to 17 were recognized as our nations future heroes, and were thanked for their early commitment to the Navy. In 1972, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt authorized recogni-tion of Oct. 13 as the Navy’s Birthday. Since then, each CNO has encouraged a Navy-wide celebration of the occasion to enhance a greater appreciation of our Navy heritage, and to provide a positive influence toward pride and professionalism.

“I remember thinking that I would never allow myself to forget what he and the others had done for me and my family,” Clark said. “They made the ultimate sacrifice so that we didn’t have to; Senior Chief Healy’s memorial monu-ment deserves to be beautified and maintained because of who he was and the sacrifice he made without question.” The beautification project also led to interac-tion with residents of the area. CPOs were able to explain to them what was taking place and why, which Clark said had a profound ef fect

an d t h e on l o ok -e r s we re re s p e c t f u l an d c u r i ou s . “The public needs to understand and learn what it takes for a nation such as ours to enjoy the freedoms we have today,” Clark said. “We enjoy our freedom due to men and women such as Senior Chief Healy and many others that have gone before us.” The focus of any memorial to a fallen hero is to remember their sacri-

fice and to pass their history down to junior troops and citizens.

“As a proud American, it is our duty to honor our veterans for their past sacrifices,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman (FMF) Jeffrey Chunglo, of NOSC Manchester. “We need to acknowledge our current service members along with their families who continue to make sacrifices on a daily basis.” The Manchester CPO Association has com-mitted to the regular maintenance and upkeep of the memorial. In the future, they plan on incorporating Healy’s life and memorial into the annual CPO Transition Training.

‘Fallen Hero’ Continued from pg. 2

Chunglo said that following the event, the Selects felt a high degree of personal pride. “It was important for them to see the impact these events have on family members and car-ing civilians,” Chunglo said. “These are valu-able lessons for everyone.” “This monument is tremendously important to memorialize one of our country’s true heroes and to raise public awareness about what kind of men and women are fighting to protect the freedom we often take for granted,” said Munz.

LSC Jim Wrobel and BUC Dan Vidoli rake the area around Healy’s memorial. Photo by MCC Roger Duncan.

LSC Michael Young spreads mulch around Healy’s memorial. Photo by MCC Roger Duncan.

The youngest and oldest Sailors cut the cake during the Navy Ball. Photo by MC2 Maddelin Angebrand

Around the Region Page 5

FEEDBACKThis newsletter is for YOU

Help us make Around the Region better for you! We need your input on what you’d like to

see in future issues, so send us your

ideas, photos and stories to highlight the great things you and your shipmates are doing! Email or

call:

MC2 Parkerkatrina.parker@navy.mil757-444-7295 ext. 2016

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We look forward to hearinig from you!

ACROSS 1. Most common form of training in the Navy. 3. Status of Forces Agreement. 4. Provides team training for fleet personnel who are nomrally member’s of ship’s company. (2) 7. Nations ability to protect its political, economic, and military interests by controlling the sea. (2) 8. Each ship is organized into what minimum number of depts.?

9. One level of security.10. Dress blue material.11. Pay is taxable, allowance is... (2)12. One type of pay issued by the Navy.13. One thing ADP security safeguards.14. The art of influencing people to progress toward the accomplishment of a specific goal.

DOWN 1. This voltage causes more deaths than any other voltage. (4)2. Under what Governmental department was the Navy first operated? (2)5. BAQ and what other allowance were combined to form the basic allowance for housing?6. PMS tag procedures are not authorized aboard what type of vessel?7. Specialty marks of personnel in paygrades of E-1 to E-3 who have qualified in a particular rating are what? (2)

C R O S S W O R D P U Z Z L E

NA

VY

PM

KMON T H LY P OL L

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Perform-to-Serve is affecting thousands of Sailors all around

the Fleet. Would you change your rate to Stay-Navy?

YESNODON’T KNOW

Email your answer to katrina.parker@navy.mil

Around the Region Page 6

Around the Region Photos of the Month

CDR Hupp salutes NOSC Baltimore Color Guard during

RWW. Photo by MC2 Parker.

GM3 Seth Carron talks to students about staying drug free

and making good choices. Photo courtesy NOSC Bangor.

Reservists assigned to NOSC Norfolk participate in OHSU Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training. Photo courtesy NOSC Norfolk.

NOSC New York City attends a wreath laying ceremony for the 69th

anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Photo courtesy NOSC NYC.

SECNAV Ray Mabus pictured with Sailors from NOSC Manchester after

presenting the Navy Cross to a fallen Marine, LCPL Michael Ouellette.

Photo courtesy NOSC Manchester.

Navaho Code Talkers celebrate during a Veteran’s Day Parade. Photo by MC1 Anderson, NOSC Earle.