Flagship February 5, 2015

NASA TOUCHES-DOWN ON TRSailors aboard USSTheodore Rooseveltanswered a long-distance phone callfrom the InternationalSpace Station (ISS),Jan. 26.

SAND SOCCERRegistration is nowopen for this summer’sNorth American SandSoccer Championships,ready to rock theVirginia Beachoceanfront June 5-7with its 22nd edition.

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Vol. 23, No. 5 Norfolk, VA | f lagshipnews.com | 02.05-02.11.15More than 20 years ofserving the Hampton Roads Navy family

2013 Russell Egnor Navy MediaAwards has recognized in Civilian

Enterprise News Publications:First Place:The Flagship

AWARD WINNINGJOURNALISM

By Sandra L. NiedzwieckiNavy Installations Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON

Commander, Navy InstallationsCommand (CNIC) announcedthe CNIC 2014 Sailor of the Year(SOY) during a ceremony held atCNIC headquarters at the historicWashington NavyYard on Jan. 29.

Air Traffic Controller 1st Class(AW/SW) Darren S. Johnson, fromNaval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk,under Navy Region Mid Atlantic,was selected from among 70 instal-lation SOYs to earn the prestigiousaward.

CNICnamesSailor ofthe Year

U.S. Navy photoVice Admiral Dixon R. Smith, Com-mander, Navy Installations Command(CNIC) presents Air Traffic Controller1st Class (AW/SW) Darren S. John-son, from Naval Station (NAVSTA),Norfolk, under Navy Region Mid-Atlan-tic, with a plaque for selected as the2014 CNIC Sailor of the Year.

MCSN Deven Leigh Ellis

Cmdr. William C. Bush-man, Commander of

TACRON 21, talks to stu-dents from Point O’View

Elementary School duringa welcome-back ceremonyfor their mascot, Midnight.

LOCAL SCHOOL’SMASCOT RETURNSFROM DEPLOYMENTBy MCSN Deven Leigh EllisNavy Public Affairs Support Element, East

VIRGINIA BEACH

Students at Point O’View ElementarySchool celebrated the homecoming of theirstuffed panther mascot, Midnight, Jan. 29,who recently returned from a nearly nine-month deployment with Sailors assigned toTactical Air Squadron (TACRON) 21.

The visit was part of a decades-long tradi-tion with the school. It included a presen-tation showcasing the stuffed panther par-taking in day-to-day ship activities during

the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan’s(LHD 5) deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6thFleet areas of responsibility.

Sailors from TACRON 21 took turns in-teracting with the children and sharing theirpersonal experiences of Midnight from de-ployment.

“We hit a lot of ports; we went to Portu-gal, Bahrain, Spain, shopping in Turkey,”Operations Specialist 2nd Class JaxonMarie Heuring said.

Students swayed and sang along to Phar-rell Williams’ “Happy” as they watchedphotos and videos of Midnight flying

aboard an MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft,playing golf on the flight deck and swim-ming in the Mediterranean Sea. Childreneven “oohed” and “aahed” with each suc-cessive dive and roll of the jet footage pro-jected on-screen.

Before TACRON 21 deployed in Febru-ary 2014, Sailors visited the school to pickup Midnight and prepare him for the up-coming journey, which meant the studentsgot to see all the check-in processes for Sail-ors aboard a ship.

» see MASCOT | A7

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NORFOLK

The Flagship Newspaper, Mili-tary Newspapers of Virginia and ourpresenting sponsor, USA Living, arepleased to announce that The 2015Heroes at Home Military SpouseAwards nomination period is nowopen. In its 11th year, this programrecognizes deserving active duty mili-tary spouses from all branches fortheir strength, their many sacrificesand their service to our community.Nominations are accepted from activeduty personnel and the general public.

Now acceptingnominationsfor the militaryspouse awards

By MCC(SW/AW) Molly BurgessThe Flagship Military Editor

NORFOLK

The Virginia InternationalTattoo, the largest military musi-cal display in the U.S., announcedthis year’s theme, “A Tribute toMilitary Families,” during itsannual press conference at theRobin Hixon Theater in Norfolk,Jan. 30.

The 2015 event, held April23-26 at the Norfolk ScopeArena, is a multi-national eventthat showcases talent and tradi-tion through military performanc-es. With more than 900 perform-ers from around the world in adisplay of military bands, massedpipes and drums, drill teams,Celtic dancers, cultural perform-ers, choirs and more, the show istailored to the whole family.

During the conference, some ofthe show’s events were highlight-ed, to include the international

aspect of the event of the manyparticipating nations, as well assome of the local bands that willparticipate in this year’s Tattoo.

“Some of the things you’ll seethis year are the Norfolk publicschools All-City High SchoolChorus, Virginia Children’sChorus, an amazing obstacle racewhere the United States Marineswill participate against the UnitedStates Coast Guard,” said J. ScottJackson, Virginia InternationalTattoo producer/director. “And aspecial treat this year for the firsttime ever, from Virginia Tech,the Highty-Tighties RegimentalBand.”

Returning to the Tattoo is thefull scale student matinee perfor-

mances that will each accommo-date more than 600 students, to-taling more than 18,000 studentswho will get to visit the Tattoo.

“One of the things I am es-pecially proud of is working soclosely with the school districtsin the area to make sure there isbroad participation,” said Jack-son. “For example, in Norfolk,every single 6th grader in a publicschool in Norfolk, attends thetattoo every year. That meansevery child in Norfolk publicschools will see the Tattoo at least

once in their school career.”The student matinee perfor-

mances are open only to studentsduring school hours and similarmatinee arrangements extend outto Virginia Beach, Portsmouthand Williamsburg James City ac-cording to Jackson.

Other highlighted events willbe the special audience night thatwill be open to special needs pa-trons to attend the Tattoo dressrehearsal; and the education out-

International Tattooannounces 2015 events

MCC Molly A. BurgessThe U.S. Air Force Heritage Brass plays the nation anthem during the presen-tation of colors during the 2015 Virginia International Tattoo press conference.

» see TATTOO | A7

onlineFor more on the 2015 VirginiaInternational Tattoo, visit www.vafest.org/2015/tattoo-main.

NAVSEA EMPLOYEESRETURN TO NAVY YARDOne year, four months andseventeen days.That is a longtime to be away from home,but that is how long employeesfrom the NAVSEA have spentaway from theirs, since the tragicshootings of Sept. 16, 2013.

» see B1

A2 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM

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The Flagship® is published by Flagship, Inc., a private firm in no wayconnected with the Department of Defense (DOD) or the United States Navy,under exclusive written contract with Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic.This civilian enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for members ofthe military services. Contents of the paper, including advertisements, are notnecessarily the official views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S. Government, DOD,or the Department of the Navy (DON).The appearance of advertising in thispublication, including inserts and supplements, does not constitute endorsementby the DOD; DON; Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic or Flagship, Inc. ofthe products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race,color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap,political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, orpatron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiseris confirmed, the publisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source untilthe violation is corrected. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Department of Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic.

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MCPON VISITS FRMCA OCEANAFleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic Site Oceana(FRCMA) hosted Master Chief Petty Officer of theNavy (AW/NAC) Mike D. Stevens Jan. 16, for atour of the command. Stevens is the U.S. Navy’shighest-ranking enlisted Sailor and senior enlistedadvisor to the Chief of Naval Operations. “It’salways great to get out and visit with our Sailors.Hearing what’s on their minds, meeting them, andspeaking with them face to face is essential,”Stevens said. “As leaders, I believe it’s vital thatwe are engaged with our Sailors and have thatover-the-shoulder mentorship on a regular basis.”See the full story at http://bit.ly/18HVDCn.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN KICKS OFFCAPTAIN’S CUP BOWLINGSailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrierUSS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) participatedin the Captain’s Cup bowling competition atLangley Lanes at Langley Air Force Base Jan. 27.Abraham Lincoln Sailors began the four-weekseries of Captain’s Cup with bowling. The teamsare comprised of Sailors by department and theycompete for points throughout the tournament.See the full story at http://bit.ly/1uRmpwD.

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Drive Safe Hampton Roads

Did you know that an old orbroken safety seat could be putting achild in danger? To help keep youngchildren as safe as possible, DriveSafe Hampton Roads, along withvarious partners, have teamed up toconduct the 26th annual “Old, Used,Borrowed and Abused Child SafetySeat Round-up.”

Many safety seats are old, havemissing parts, have been recalled bythe manufacturer, or are no longercrash-worthy. Drive Safe HamptonRoads and partners want to “roundthem up” and recycle them so theycannot be used again.

Throughout February, safety seatscan be dropped off at select WalmartSuper Centers or AAA offices inHampton Roads for a $5 reward. Formore information, call Drive SafeHampton Roads at 498-2562, [email protected] or visit www.drivesafehr.org.

Safety seatround up

Bestof theMess

Culinary Specialist 2nd Class James Onuska (left) and Culinary Specialist 1st Class Niles Harper fromNaval Air Station (NAS) Oceana serve food to guests at the Chief Petty Officer Scholarship Fund’s (CPOSF)“Best of the Mess” culinary showdown, Jan. 23, at Founders Inn in Virginia Beach. Best of the Mess is aCPOSF fundraising event in which six teams of three CSs from local commands compete for the title “Bestof the Mess.” Oceana’s team, also including Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Derrick Bates, took home thePeople’s Choice Award.

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FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | A3

By Hugh CoxNavy and Marine Corps Public Health CenterPublic Affairs

PORTSMOUTH

The Navy & Marine Corps PublicHealth Center (NMCPHC) hosted aRadiation Risk Assessment Work-shop at the Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront Hotel, Jan. 27-28.

More than 40 participants, in-cluding professionals from the U.S.Navy’s Radiological Affairs Sup-port Office (RASO), Naval FacilitiesEngineering Command (NAVFAC),and NMCPHC radiation healthphysicists, risk assessors, physicians,industrial hygienists, and risk com-municators attended the workshop.

The workshop presentation teamwas from Argonne National Labora-tory, a U.S. Department of Energy(DOE) laboratory and a multidisci-plinary science and engineering re-search center, where “dream teams”of world-class researchers workalongside experts from industry, aca-demia and other government labora-tories to address vital national chal-lenges in clean energy, environment,technology and national security.

Classes included both lecture andparticipant interactive computerdemonstrations using laptops for at-tendees whose work involves under-standing of human health radiologi-cal risk assessment.

The focus of this workshop was onspecific approaches, methods, andtools when conducting risk-basedand dose-based radiological assess-ments, which depend on the specificissue(s) being evaluated and regula-tory agencies involved.

“This course demonstrates themodeling and regulatory complexi-ties and issues that are present inconducting a radiological risk as-sessment,” said Joe Sevcik, a radia-tion health physicist from RASO.

Workshop participants deal withradiation issues at varying frequen-cies from full time to periodicallyproviding technical support thatrequires some knowledge of radia-tion principles and practices. For ex-ample, NMCPHC health physicistsaddress radiation issues on a daily

basis as part of the Navy’s Radio-logical Materials Permit Program.Other NMCPHC public health pro-fessionals may periodically encoun-ter radiation in support of issuesinvolving:Drinking water, Risk as-sessments, Health and safety planreviews, Risk communication and/orOccupational health.

NMCPHC medical staff routinelywork with RASO on various radio-logical sites and issues. NMCPHCoften involves others within the med-ical community such as our medicaltreatment facilities and our NavyMedicine Regional Offices (NavyMedicine East and Navy Medi-cine West) as issues arise at theircommand(s) or installations.

According to Dr. Paul Gillooly,NMCPHC health risk communica-tion expert who gave a presentationon radiation risk communication, ef-fectively communicating health risksto stakeholders from radiation expo-sure is a unique challenge.

“While radiation may be a familiarterm to most people, the basic factsand science about radiation are muchless familiar,” said Gillooly. “One ofour goals when working on radiationissues is to address the psychologi-cal, sociological, and cultural factorsthat may create public mispercep-tions and misunderstandings aboutrisks from radiation.”

While NMCPHC has traditionallyprovided risk assessment and riskcommunication support for nonra-dioactive chemicals to the NAVFACenvironmental restoration programand other environmental programssuch as drinking water, we periodi-cally provide support for various ra-dionuclides.

“The workshop provided an excel-lent overview of the models used todetermine preliminary remediationgoals for common radionuclidesfound at Department of the NavyCERCLA [e.g. Superfund] sites,”said Linda Cole, a remedial projectmanager (RPM) from NAVFAC-MIDLANT. “The instructors wereexperts in their fields. Working withthe models was a lot of fun! I’dhighly recommend this course forany RPM.”

NMCPHC hosts radiationrisk assessment workshop

Navy Information DominanceForces Public Affairs

SUFFOLK

A ribbon cutting ceremonymarking the establishment of NavyInformation Dominance Forces(NAVIDFOR) Command, washeld at the DOD complex in Suf-folk, Jan. 28.

The ceremony commemoratedthe establishment of the Navy’snewest global Type Command(TYCOM) responsible for theman, train, equip and readinessmission for all Navy InformationDominance (ID) capabilities afloatand ashore.

“Much work has been done toprepare for NAVIDFOR’s estab-lishment,” said Rear Adm. Mat-thew J. Kohler, Commander, NavyInformation Dominance ForcesCommand, he said during his re-marks. “I’d personally like to thankall of you who were essential ingetting NAVIDFOR on its feet andunderway.”

NAVIDFOR was established toimprove the generation and sus-tainment of ID force readinessacross the Navy under a singleTYCOM. Since Oct. 1, 2014,NAVIDFOR has been consolidat-ing and aligning missions, func-tions, and tasks previously man-aged by separate ID commands(specifically, Navy Cyber ForcesCommand, Fleet Cyber Com-mand, Naval Meteorology andOceanography Command, and theOffice of Naval Intelligence).

“NAVIDFOR’s mission isunique among the TYCOMs,” saidKohler. “While it has traditionalman train and equip readiness re-sponsibilities for afloat and expe-ditionary units, NAVIDFOR alsosupports the Information Domi-nance commands ashore [FleetCyber Command, Office of NavalIntelligence and Commander,Naval Meteorology and Oceanog-raphy Command] as well as readi-ness of the Navy’s networks bothafloat and ashore.”

The Navy doesn’t establish a

TYCOM very often – the mostrecent being the U.S. Navy Ex-peditionary Combat Command(NECC) nine years ago.

“Navy Information DominanceForces joins the ranks of theNavy’s other TYCOMs; NavalSurface Forces, Naval SubmarineForces, Naval Air Forces, NavalSpecial Warfare Command, Mili-tary Sealift Command and NavalExpeditionary Combat Com-mand,” said Kohler. “Unlike otherTYCOMs that are usually formedaround “platforms” such as ships,submarines and aircraft, NAVID-FOR is the first TYCOM to beformed around a capability; Infor-mation Dominance.”

TYCOMs drive the businessof the Navy as force-generatingorganizations, ensuring that de-ploying Navy units are ready forthe full scope of warfighting mis-sions. They ensure units are prop-erly equipped and manned withthe appropriately skilled person-nel. TYCOMs ensure these forcesare trained on the latest tactics,techniques and procedures, and areequipped with the best weaponsand tools the Navy can provide.

“As warfighting has evolvedover the years, so too has theUnited States Navy, always striv-ing to meet the Nation’s needs,”said guest speaker Adm. Phil Da-vidson, Commander, U.S. Fleet

Forces Command. “Today theestablishment of NAVIDFORrepresents the next evolution inthe Navy’s effort to keep the fleetready to fight and win.”

Davidson highlighted the impactthe new TYCOM will have on theNavy and Information DominanceCorps. "Our fleet and our tacticalcommanders must have infor-mation dominance capabilitiesto fight and win – especially in acontested battlespace,” said David-son. "That's why NAVIDFOR hasbeen established here in HamptonRoads with the fleet – bonding theID forces and [other] fleet forcesinextricably, closer than everbefore."

NAVIDFOR is fully operationaland already making improvementsto advance warfighting capabili-ties. Since establishment of thecommand in October, it has beguncapturing and standardizing readi-ness reporting and has improvedcybersecurity capabilities throughnearly a dozen man train and equipinitiatives.

“While much work has beendone, much more will be accom-plished by NAVIDFOR to improveNavy warfighting readiness andmission success.” said Kohler. “Weare excited about the opportunitiesto elevate the Navy’s and informa-tion dominance capabilities to thenext level of warfighting.”

NAVIDFOR hosts ceremonyfor Navy’s newest TYCOM

U.S. Navy photoAn official ribbon cutting ceremony marking the establishment of Navy Infor-mation Dominance Forces (NAVIDFOR) Command was held Jan. 28, aboardthe DOD complex in Suffolk.

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By MC3 Timothy DaughtonNAS Oceana Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH

Whether preparing to tran-sition from military servicein the near future or plan-ning for it someday, militarymembers, DOD employeesand eligible family membershave the opportunity to takeclasses at Fleet and FamilySupport Center (FFSC)Oceana that will help themdo just that.

Once a month, FFSC holdsa career week consisting ofclasses that discuss federalemployment, job search strat-egies, interview techniquesand effective resume writing.More than 15 people attendedthe Federal Employment Sys-tems workshop Jan. 16, atOceana. The class providedinformation and resources onapplying for government jobs.

Among the group who at-tended the class, the major-ity were looking to crackthe code on how to gain anadvantage when applying forgovernment jobs. Anothercommon expectation for theclass was to learn better net-working skills.

“I have been to otherclasses and this is one of thebest I have seen. I learneda lot about the federal jobsystem and how to becomeorganized and prepared forapplying for different posi-tions,” said retired MasterChief Dan Mittendorff.

One of the resources dis-cussed during the class wasUSAJOBS.gov, a one-stopwebsite resource for federalveteran employment informa-tion. It is designed to ensureveterans, transitioning ser-vice members and their fami-lies receive accurate and con-sistent information regardingveteran’s employment in thefederal government.

Many of the attendees saidthey were familiar with thewebsite but had become over-whelmed by the applicationprocess, which was discussedin-depth during the class.

“We know a lot of transi-tioning service members andspouses are looking for fed-eral employment and the in-formation they receive duringthese classes is crucial to theirtransition,” said Roslyn Wil-liams, employment educator.

Williams, a retired seniorchief, has a bachelor’s degreein Human Resources and amaster’s degree in PublicAdministration. As an em-ployment educator, Williamsconducts one-on-one resumereviews, plans job fairs andhas been teaching classes formore than 18 months.

“This is the second courseI have taken here at FFSC,the first being resume writingwhich was exceptional, andthis really prepares you to beable to compete for federal po-sitions,” said Cmdr. Jody Kite,air traffic control analyst atNaval Safety Center Norfolk.

Another resource dis-cussed during the class wasMil2fedjobs.com, a websitedesigned to provide informa-tion on federal jobs related toa member’s military experi-ence. It also explains federaljob characteristics, paygradesand qualifications. For moreinformation on Mil2fedjobs,visit http://www.dllr.state.md.us/mil2fedjobs/.

“We do have several suc-cess stories from memberswho have attended this class. Ihave been a part of their appli-cation process and many havecome back for mock inter-views that allowed them to bebetter prepared. A lot of peopleare intimidated by the federalemployment systems and weassist in taking away some ofthat anxiety,” added Williams.

FFSC hosts federalemployment classduring career week

By MC3 Jared AldapeJEBLCFS Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH

DOD personnel and their familymembers gathered inside theNavy Operational Support Center(NOSC) auditorium at Joint Ex-peditionary Base Little Creek-FortStory (JEBLCFS) to take finan-cial responsibility at a leadershipforum, Jan. 27.

The conference is part of anall-encompassing financial year-round saving program highlightedannually as the “Military SavesCampaign.”

The event kicked-off as Capt.Frank Hughlett, Commander, JE-BLCFS signed the Military Savesweek proclamation ratifying the in-stallations involvement in pledgingto save. “Joint Expeditionary BaseLittle Creek - Fort Story fully sup-ports the Military Saves campaignand its commitment to assistingMilitary Families, including of-ficers, Sailors, Airman, Soldiers,

Marines, Coast Guardsmen, familymembers, retirees, and civil ser-vants in taking immediate financialaction to build wealth, not debt,”said Hughlett.

This year’s campaign runs fromFeb. 23 - 28, and is an annual op-portunity for the Department of De-fense to increase the knowledge ofits service members and their fami-lies in establishing savings goals andcreating good habits that set moneyaside for emergencies, future needsand retirement.

“Although the economy is im-proving slowly, the number offinancial challenges facing ourSailors today has not declined,”said Mary Spear, a financial edu-cator at Fleet and Family SupportCenter (FFSC) JEBLCFS. Spearalso explains that unhealthy finan-cial practices can hinder a servicemember’s career. “The Departmentof the Navy Central AdjudicationFacility reported that 62 percent ofall Sailors who had their securityclearances revoked or denied had a

financial issue,” said Spear.Peter Bielagus, a motivational

financial educator, was the keynotespeaker for the event. Bielagus hasbeen called “Young America’s Fi-nancial Coach” whose strategieshelp put money back into servicemember’s pockets. “I’ve been help-ing service members since 2007.Fiscal responsibility is so importantand I would like to impress uponyou all to take actions to secureyour finances,” said Bielagus.

During the event Bielagus sharedtips and strategies to build wealth,emergency savings, eliminate

debt, and increase personal networth. “Start before you need tostart, there’s never going to be anideal time to save there will alwaysbe something in the way it startstoday,” said Bielagus.

Attendees also had the opportu-nity to meet with finance experts,credit unions, non-profit institu-tions and community officials forinformation and assistance at theevent. “This event was truly re-sourceful,” said Engineering Aide1st Class Asdru Arana, an eventparticipant. “It’s like an epiphany,that all of a sudden you realize that

you have the power to control yourfinancial future.”

FFSC JEB Little Creek is offeringa number of free events as part ofthe campaign to help DoD person-nel and their families build wealth,not debt. Events include a children'sfinancial fair hosted by Navy childand youth program (CYP) and amobile shredding station where par-ticipants can eliminate hard to dis-pose of invoice and billing receiptsthat may contain accounting andpersonal information.

In addition, FFSC has preparedseminars and workshops to helpeducate all members of the militaryon how to improve their financialfitness throughout the month ofFebruary in consumer practices,credit cards, I.D. theft and howto identify financial scams. “Themajority of service members seenby command financial specialistsand FFSC financial counselors thispast year have revealed a lack ofbasic saving, investing, and finan-cial planning for the future,” saidSpear. “The Military Saves Cam-paign seeks to reverse this persis-tent trend.”

Hampton Roads FFSCs will bespreading the savings message andurging the community to participatein Military Saves Week and take theMilitary Saves Pledge at www.mili-tarysaves.org/take-the-pledge.

JEBLCFS TAKESTHE MILITARYSAVES PLEDGE

MC3 Jared AldapeCapt. Frank Hughlett, Commander, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-FortStory (JEBLCFS) signs the Military Saves week proclamation ratifying the installa-tions involvement in pledging to save during a command leadership forum event.

MC2 Chris BrownCapt. Daniel C. Grieco, commanding officer of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), gives a thumbs upto Capt. Barry “Butch” Wilmore, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, during a video teleconference aboard Theo-dore Roosevelt. Wilmore fielded questions from the Theodore Roosevelt crew during the event. Theodore Roosevelt is underwayparticipating in a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), which tests the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group’s ability toeffectively react to real-world scenarios and perform as an integrated unit.

By MC3 John M. DrewUSS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraftcarrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71), along with a distinguished visitor fromNASA, answered a long-distance phone callfrom the International Space Station (ISS),Jan. 26.

NASA astronauts Navy Cmdr. Reid Wise-man, Air Force Col. Eric Boe, U.S. MarineCorps Col. Randy Bresnik, Serena Aunon,Michael Barratt along with NASA flightsurgeons Air Force Maj. Anil Menon andDr. Stephen Hart visited TR for a taste oflife aboard an aircraft carrier and a chanceto meet her Sailors. NASA flight directorGregory Whitney, and NASA military liai-son Judy O’Connor also joined the groupvisiting TR.

“It’s so great to be on an aircraft carrieragain,” said Wiseman. “As soon as I steppedonboard I could feel the energy of the shipand her crew. It’s amazing.”

During their tour, the NASA guests joinedTR Sailors for a video teleconference (VTC)with Navy Capt. Barry “Butch” Wilmore, aNASA astronaut, aboard ISS. Sailors askedWilmore, currently on a five-month tripaboard ISS, questions about life in space.

“It’s something I’ll remember for the restof my life,” said Mass Communication Spe-cialist Seaman Anna Van Nuys, a native ofAkron, Ohio. “You don’t get chances to talkto the International Space Station very often,so it’s a memory I’ll always cherish.”

The most prevalent question was how hehad become an astronaut.

“My training started when I joined theNavy. Thanks to the Navy I had the oppor-tunity to do this,” said Wilmore, gesturing tothe space station around him.

“From TR, we thank [Capt. Wilmore] fortaking the time to answer our Sailors’ ques-tions,” said Capt. Daniel Grieco, command-ing officer of TR. “We are all incrediblyproud of all of the work you and NASA aredoing, especially you and how well you rep-resent the Navy.”

In the evening, Sailors packed into TR’saft mess decks as each member of NASAtook a turn to discuss not only their jobs, butwhat life in space is like. Afterward, Sailorslined up to take pictures with the astronautsand ask them questions. Aviation ElectronicsTechnician 3rd Class Allison Brilla, a nativeof Ypsilanti, Michigan, was one Sailor luckyenough to meet the NASA team and tookfull advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime op-portunity.

“It was amazing – the best day of my life,”said Brilla. “I’ve always wanted to meet anastronaut since I was in the Young Astrono-mers Club when I was younger. It was a stel-lar opportunity.”

TR is underway participating in compositetraining unit exercise (COMPTUEX) withthe Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group(TRCSG), which tests the strike group’s abil-ity to effectively react to real-world scenariosand perform as an integrated unit.

TRCSG is composed of Carrier StrikeGroup 12 staff, USS Theodore Roosevelt(CVN 71), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, De-stroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60)and the DESRON 2 ships; guided-missiledestroyers USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG81), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), andUSS Farragut (DDG 99).

Join the conversation with TR online atwww.facebook.com/USSTheodoreRooseveltand www.Twitter.com/TheRealCVN71. Formore news from USS Theodore Roosevelt,visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn71/.

NASA touches-down onUSS Theodore Roosevelt

You don’tget chancesto talk tothe Interna-tional SpaceStation veryoften, so it’sa memoryI’ll always

cherish.”

-MassCommunication

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By Tom KreidelNAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK

Naval Facilities EngineeringCommand (NAVFAC) Mid-At-lantic awarded a contract to reduceenergy consumption Jan. 23 atCamp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The $24.4 million steam de-centralization project was award-ed to DRP Hardin Construction-WGI Joint Venture Inc. and willsave the base nearly $4 millionannually in costs.

According to ElizabethSmith, energy manager at CampLejeune, the base will save $1.3million annually in utilities costs,with additional savings in opera-tions and maintenance of almost$1.6 million per year.

“This is the third phase of afour phase steam decentralizationprogram at Camp Lejeune,” saidScott Littlefield, a project man-ager at NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic’sMarine Corps Integrated ProductTeam. “The goal of the program isto remove all of Camp Lejeune’smore than 450 buildings from thecentral steam plants.”

Littlefield, who will overseethis project, adds that once thisproject is complete an additional86 buildings will be heated byhigh-efficiency gas systems. Hesays the project will kick off in acouple of weeks with the designphase. From there, the installa-tion should begin later this year.

“This project will assist inenhancing the overall energy ef-ficiency of Camp Lejeune, reduc-ing energy usage and mitigatingcarbon emissions,” he added.

For more from Naval Facili-ties Engineering Command, visitwww.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.

CampLejeune tosee energyupgrades

By Terri Moon CronkDOD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON

The redesigned TransitionAssistance Programgives separating service members a “unique setof capabilities” as they enter the civilian work-force, Susan Kelly, defense transition to veteransprogram office director, told a House VeteransAffairs Committee panel.

In a review of the program before membersof the economic opportunity subcommittee,Kelly outlined strides the Defense Departmenthas made with the new TAP, in collaborationwith several interagency partners, such as theveterans affairs and labor departments.

Kelly emphasized that the new program willhelp more than one million service memberstransition from active duty in the next four years.

Career-readiness Standards“The foundation of the redesigned TAP is a

set of career-readiness standards that are veri-fied for all transitioning service members nolater than 90 days prior to their separation fromthe military,” she explained.

If civilian career readiness standards are notmet, service members receive further trainingor a “warm hand-over” to interagency partnerswho ensure they receive post-separation assis-tance, Kelly added.

“Part of the redesign includes the robust ‘Tran-sition GPS curriculum – Goals, Plans, Success.’It builds the skills that transitioning service mem-bers need to meet in career-readiness standardsand it is now fully implemented at 206 militarysites in the United States and overseas,” she said,

adding that three supplemental training tracksexist for those who want to pursue higher educa-tion, technical training or entrepreneurship.

The five-day program also is offered for ser-vice members around the world through DOD’sJoint Knowledge Online platform, Kelly said.

TAP Evaluation Strategy ProgressesA strategy for evaluating and assessing TAP

has shown substantial progress, Kelly told theHouse panel. Its three goals are accountability,customer satisfaction and program effective-ness, she said. Long-term measures also arebeing developed by VA, DoL and the SmallBusiness Administration, she said.

“Outcome measures are a priority for theTAP evaluation strategy, beginning with [The

Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011] and career-readiness compliance,” Kelly said.

DOD-verified data to date shows active-dutyservice members’ compliance across the servicesranges from 91 percent to 97 percent, she said.

“These results account for three-quarters ofthe members who have separated from activeduty,” Kelly added.

Work Remains to Be Done“We realize that we must work hard to close

the remaining reporting gap,” she said.A comprehensive communications campaign

to inform service members about the rede-signed TAP was put in place during fiscal year2014, Kelly said. This year, she added, the goalis to implement the Military Life Cycle transi-tion level of the program.

According to DOD’s TAP website, the MLCtransition level is critical because it gives ser-vice members the chance to plan for their post-separation career and see how their militaryskills can be used in the civilian world; it en-ables DOD to show how the services preparetheir members for transition, and it optimizeshow these highly trained and adaptable peoplecan rapidly contribute to civilian society.

“This marks a major cultural shift for the de-partment,” Kelly said. “In December, the mili-tary services reported to the White House thatMilitary Life Cycle transition preparation wasfully implemented at their installations, whichthe new TAP interagency governance structurewill continue to monitor and improve.”

DODofficialdescribestransitionprogramprogress

MC3 Jared E. WalkerAviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Terence R. Taylor, right, assigned to Fleet Readiness Center Oceana, signsup for health benefits with Carvin Harmon, a social worker from Hampton veteran affairs during a transitionassistance program (TAP) class at Norfolk Naval Station.

The foundation ofthe redesigned TAP is aset of career-readinessstandards that are verifiedfor all transitioning servicemembers no later than 90days prior to their separationfrom the military.” -Susan Kelly

SnapshotThe Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | A6

USS Elrod isdecommissioned

■ onlineFor more photos, go towww.flagshipnews.com/multimedia

By Ensign Mary C. SenoyuitUSS Elrod Public Affairs

NORFOLK

Placed into commissionnearly 30 years ago, the guid-ed-missile frigate USS Elrod(FFG 55) was decommis-sioned during a Naval StationNorfolk ceremony, Jan. 30,led by Cmdr. Brad Stallings,commanding officer.

Marine Corps Brig. Gen.Raymond Descheneaux, de-livered remarks as the guestspeaker while Capt. JohnWade, Destroyer Squadron 28Commodore, presided overthe event. Three members ofnamesake Maj. Henry T. El-rod’s family were also in at-tendance: William, Kelly, andMark Elrod.

“I’m proud of this ship andits legacy of service, especial-ly her performance in the lastyear of her life,” said Stall-ings. “It’s a somber occasionto decommission her, but anhonor to be part of her finalcrew.”

Elrod last deployed in 2014,to the U.S. 6th Fleet area ofoperations to advance nationalsecurity interests in Europeand Africa, conduct maritimeand theater security opera-tions and participate in part-ner-building exercises.

The ship and her crew pa-trolled the Central Mediterra-nean in support of OperationActive Endeavor, providedsupport for the safe passageof M/V Morning Glory, andassisted USS Bataan (LHD 5)

in the rescue of 282 personsin distress.

“Up until her last day, ‘Ham-merin’ Hank’ and her crew ac-complished the mission and didso with pride,” said CommandSenior Chief Nathaniel Griffin.“That sort of consistent perfor-mance is generally not seen ona 30 year-old ship. Frigate Sail-ors set the standard by work-ing hard and making thingswork when the odds are againstthem. I’m not speaking alonewhen I say I’m proud to haveserved on Elrod.”

The ship was christened andlaunched on May 12, 1984 inBath, Maine, the 45th OliverHazard Perry-Class frigate.Elrod was commissioned onMay 18, 1985 and originallyhomeported in Charleston,S.C. before shifting to Norfolkin 1995. The ship completedfive deployments to the PersianGulf, the third one followingOperation Desert Storm.

In the 1990’s, Elrod partici-pated in numerous exerciseswith NATO allies and deployedin support of Operation Endur-ing Freedom. In 2004, the crewconducted maritime interdic-tion operations as part of Op-eration Active Endeavor. Elroddeployed again in 2008, 2010,and 2012. Her 2012 Caribbeandeployment resulted in theconfiscation of record amountsof illegal narcotics. Her finaldeployment was in 2014, andit took her back to the Medi-terranean to conduct MaritimeSecurity Operations with theMQ-8B Fire Scout.

Brig. Gen. Raymond Descheneaux salutes the side boys during thearrival of the official party at a decommissioning ceremony for the OliverHazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) at Naval Station Norfolk.

Photos by MC3 Ellen HilkowskiBrig. Gen. Raymond Descheneaux serves as the guest speaker at a decommissioning ceremony for the Oliver Hazard Perry-classfrigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) at Naval Station Norfolk. Elrod is being decommissioned after 30 years of naval service.

Sailors assigned to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) present the command-ing officer with the ensign during the ship’s decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk.

■ 30 yearsof serviceElrod was named

after U.S. MarineCorps aviator, Maj.Henry T. Elrod. Hewas the first aviatorto receive the Con-gressional Medal ofHonor in World WarII, awarded posthu-mously for his hero-ism in the defenseof Wake Island onDec. 11, 1941.

The ship is slatedto be offered inforeign militarysales. Her decom-missioning leavessix active frigates inthe Navy, the last ofwhich is scheduledto be decommis-sioned this fall.

Up until her last day, ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ and her crewaccomplished the mission and did so with pride.That sort of consistent performance is generally notseen on a 30 year-old ship.” -Command Senior Chief Nathaniel Griffin

Below: Sailors assigned to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigateUSS Elrod (FFG 55) pose for a photo in front of the ship beforeher decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk. Elrodis being decommissioned after 30 years of naval service.


“I took him (Midnight) to dental,medical, made sure he was up-to-date on his vaccines and that his seabag was ready to go,” said Air Traf-fic Controller 2nd Class Rachel M.Finks, Midnight’s “handler” for thefirst half of his deployment.

Deploying with the school’smascot is one of many ongoing com-munity relations programs betweenthe squadron and the school, saidCmdr. William C. Bushman, com-manding officer of TACRON 21.

“We’ve worked with PointO’View for many years,” Bushmansaid. “The Sailors participate in aweekly reading program, and theyalso do a ‘lunch buddies’ programwhere they have lunch with thesame kids every week.”

After the presentation, Bushmanheld a “Q & A” session with thechildren, fielding earnest questionsregarding job descriptions (“Areyou a police man?”) and tactical op-erations (“Who drives the boat?”).

As part of the ceremony, Bush-man promoted Midnight to masterchief petty officer and awarded himthe Navy and Marine Corps Com-mendation medal.

Midnight is slated to join thecrew of the amphibious assaultship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) ontheir scheduled 2015 deployment.

Johnson was among three finalists whowent before the SOY board conducted by apanel of senior enlisted leaders. Each Sail-or’s service record was scrutinized carefully,evaluating the Sailor on educational accom-plishments, physical fitness standards, aca-demic test scores and participation in civicand community activities.

The other two candidates who competedfor the award were Electronics Technician1st Class Tracy Rico (SW), NAVSTA Ev-erett, Washington, and Master-at-Arms 1stClass Christie Kunkel (SW), Naval SupportActivities Naples, Italy. “Having the chanceto talk to these three humble individuals, whoput their Sailors first, who put their jobs first,made me reflect back a little bit on my firstdays in the Navy,” said Vice Adm. Dixon R.Smith, Commander, Navy Installations Com-mand. “It’s our petty officers who get the job

done. These three individuals, every one ofus can be proud of them.”

Force Master Chief Nancy Hollingsworth,assigned to CNIC, added, “It wasn’t hard toconvince them that no matter what the out-come of the board, they are all already win-ners,” she said. Recognizing the nominee’sleadership who attended the ceremony withthem, “I had both their installation and regionmaster chiefs here today and I think it’s beenimportant for the Sailors to look out into theaudience and not just see their Navy family,but faces they recognize and those who sup-port them back home.”

A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, Johnsonhas served in the Navy for more than 14 years.He began his career by attending Air TrafficControl “A” school in Pensacola, Florida;followed by assignments at Naval SupportFacility Diego Garcia; Carrier Air Traf-fic Control Center “C” school in Pensacola,Florida; the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.

Eisenhower (CVN 69); and Naval Air Tech-nical Training Center Pensacola, Florida.

As the leading petty officer for his divisionat NAVSTA Norfolk, Johnson leads 56 Sail-ors. As a qualified facility watch supervisor(FWS), he and his team produced seven FWSand earned qualifications in 256 positions.Among the 93 petty officers in command,Johnson is ranked number one.

“I wouldn’t be here without the people whohave been there for me,” said Johnson, “espe-cially my junior Sailors. There aren’t manywords I can use to describe this feeling rightnow...it feels good that hard work pays off.”

Johnson has served as the leading petty of-ficer and Radar chief at the Naval Station inNorfolk, and has completed his associate’sdegree from Coastline Community Collegein supervision and management as well as hisProfessional Military Education requirements.

Johnson will now compete for the NavyShore Activities SOY competition nextmonth where he’ll compete against 30 othershore activity Sailor nominees.

Visit www.heroesath-omeva.com for details andto submit a nomination.The nomination deadline isSunday, March 29, at mid-night.

While the active duty ser-vice member is rewarded forsuperior job performancewith medals, promotionsand ceremonies, the mili-tary spouse generally onlyreceives a kiss and a “thankyou” from their significantother.

That changed whenThe Flagship Newspaperlaunched Heroes at HomeMilitary Spouse Awards™.Since 2005, The Heroes atHome program has honoredthousands of local militaryspouses. They are unsung

heroes who maintain thehome-front during lengthydeployments, selflessly giveback to their communitiesthough volunteer work, pro-vide moral support for theirloved serving both at homeand in harm’s way as well asfor other military families.These spouses deserve rec-ognition for everything theydo behind the scenes and forthe challenges they overcomeevery day.

This May, the HamptonRoads community will cometogether to recognize spous-es of service members fromthe Air Force, Army, CoastGuard, Navy and MarineCorps. The Military SpouseAwards give the military andcivilian communities an op-portunity to say “thank you”and to recognize our military

spouses for their ongoing ef-forts and their impact on thelocal community. This recog-nition program was the firstof its kind and is still the onlyregional event in the countrythat honors military spous-es from all branches of theArmed Services.

A judging panel consistingof members of the HamptonRoads business and militarycommunity will review thenominations and select 10finalists, one of whom willbe named the 2014 Heroesat Home Military Spouse ofthe Year. ALL NOMINEESwill be honored at the Heroesat Home Spouse Apprecia-tion and Awards Luncheonon May 7. The finalists andthe Heroes at Home MilitarySpouse of the Year will be an-nounced at this luncheon.

reach events in which performers go into areaschools to provide a more intimate experiencefor students.

Also returning to the Tattoo this year is Hul-labaloo, an Edinburgh Festival inspired event,a free festive celebration on Scope Plaza threehours prior to each performance.

“I always think it’s nice when someone’shad a great time at the hullabaloo,” said Jack-son. “They sit in their seat for the Tattoo, andthey’ve already had a good time and it makesour job a lot easier.”

In keeping with this year’s theme “A Tributeto Military Families,” the guest speaker for theevent was Mike Gooding, an award winningmilitary reporter for WVEC-TV since 1985,who has traveled the world reporting on mili-tary affairs, has visited 19 countries and hasreported from war zones.

“This is going to be the 19th Tattoo, andI’m pretty sure I have attended about 15 ofthem, and multiple times during those 15, as

an emcee, as a television news photographerand as a spectator sitting in the audience withmy children from the time they were younger,”said Gooding, “and while working for channel13 covering the military has been my pleasure– my honor, for many years, I’m here to talkabout the other side as a former Navy brat.”

Gooding went on to speak about his child-hood experiences and growing up with his latefather, who he spoke in detail on his serviceduring two tours in Vietnam as a Navy pilotand earning a Silver Star medal for actionsduring war.

At the conclusion of the event, six-timeworld champion bagpiper and Tattoo PipeMajor Andrew Carlisle, played a solo asphotos of military families scrolled through anoverhead screen.

“Many of the people here today were gener-ous enough to provide us with photos of theirmilitary family, to remind us just how personalit is for us to be here,” Jackson said. “Duringthe Tattoo this year, we will be inviting all ofour audience to participate in the same wayand we look forward to celebrating our mili-tary families together.”

By Melissa BlackFFSC Norfolk Navy Gold Star Coordinator

The Department of Navylaunched the Navy Gold Star(NGS) Program on 1 October2014 to offer support and as-sistance to loved ones of de-ceased service members. NGSis an inclusive program – re-gardless of military branch,location, or manner of death.

The Navy currently has sixRegional Gold Star Coordina-tors and 12 Installation GoldStar Coordinators throughoutCONUS. NGS coordinatorsprovide dedicated long-termcasualty assistance supportto surviving members for

as long as desired. They fa-cilitate support groups, co-ordinate life skills educationopportunities, and connectsurvivors with a variety ofresources and to other survi-vors. The Coordinators usean all-inclusive approach bydelivering services through acombination of both govern-ment and non-governmentprograms and organizations.

Melissa Black (FFSC Nor-folk) and Samantha Black-well (FFSC Oceana) are theInstallation Navy Gold StarCoordinators in the HamptonRoads area. Upcoming eventsand activities will be mar-keted through The Flagship,

FFSC Hampton Roads Face-book page, and direct cor-respondence. Melissa Blackcan be reached at 444-2102and Samantha Blackwell canbe reached at 492-8282. Feelfree to contact the coordina-tors with any questions.

To locate a Navy Gold StarCoordinator outside of theHampton Roads area, pleasevisit www.navygoldstar.com.The Navy Gold Star Face-book page is ww.facebook.com/navygoldstar.

Navy Gold Star Program supportsloved ones of fallen troops

MCC Molly A. Burgess

TATTOO | 2015theme: Tribute toMilitary Families

MASCOT |Midnight todeploy withKearsarge

AWARDS | Nominate a deservingmilitary spouse; deadline March 29

SOY | Johnson native of Portsmouth

Continued from frontContinued from front

Continued from front

Continued from front

■ Turn to pagesA4 and B2 to seemore from FFSC.

fromFFSC

Robert W. Cross,Virginia ArtsFestival, PerryArtistic director,delivers remarksduring the 2015Virginia Inter-national Tattoopress conference.

Countries par-ticipating in the2015 Tattoo willinclude Austra-lia, Denmark,Finland, France,the Republic ofKorea, the UnitedKingdom, and theUnited States.

MCSN Deven Leigh EllisCommander William C. Bushman, com-mander of TACRON 21, pins Midnight,Point O’View Elementary School’s mas-cot, as a master chief.

Keep learning at nu.edu/quantico

Onecowhidecan produce10 footballs.

Learn even more atNational University.Service members areeligible for reducedtuition. Online. Non-profit.

Don’t think you have timeto learn something new?You just did.

© 2015 National University OIC14_1878-2

Online Information Center337 Potomac Ave.in Quantico Town(703) 630-3800

SECTION B | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | 02.05 .15

Mustin, John S. McCain Sailorsstrengthen partnerships in Koreathrough bilateral training, port visit

U.S., KOREANPARTNERSHIP

■ 17 months laterThe event marks the firsttime employees are returningto work in the building nearly17 months since the tragicevents of Sept. 16, 2013.

NAVSEAemployeesreturn toNavy YardhomeBy Brian LeshakNAVSEA Public Affairs

WASHINGTON

Forty-three million seconds,725,000 minutes, 12,000 hours,504 days, 72 weeks or one year,four months and 17 days. How-ever the time is interpreted, itis a long time to be away fromhome, but that is how long em-ployees from the Naval SeaSystems Command (NAVSEA)have spent away from theirs,since the tragic shootings ofSept. 16, 2013 at the Washing-ton Navy Yard (WNY).

NAVSEA Commander ViceAdm. William Hilarides offi-cially opened the doors to thecommand’s newly renovatedworkplace during a christeningceremony held Feb. 2, on thesteps of the Humphreys Build-ing, Bldg. 197.

“Seventeen months ago we gotknocked down. But, we didn’tstay down. We returned to work,kept NAVSEA going, support-ed the fleet, the Navy and eachother,” said Hilarides during thechristening ceremony.

“We did so thanks to numer-ous people both at the NavyYardand in the neighborhood. Thoughtoday is about looking forwardand getting back to where webelong, we’ll never forget thosewe lost that terrible day. Theywill always remain a part of us,the Navy, and NAVSEA.”

Following Sept. 16, employ-ees were displaced across theWashington D.C. metro area asauthorities conducted a multi-month investigation insideBuilding 197. A decision wasquickly made to renovate thebuilding upon conclusion ofthe investigation, but it wouldbe more than a year before theworkforce could return.

With employees working inborrowed workspaces in neigh-boring commands or telework-ing from home, NAVSEA lead-ership worked feverishly to finda way to bring the workforceback together under one roofuntil the Humphreys Buildingcould be repaired and renovated.

Coincidentally, just a fewblocks away, at Buzzard Pointin Southwest Washington, D.C.,members of the U.S. CoastGuard were vacating their head-quarters building and moving toa new location.

NAVSEA leadership workedwith the General Services Ad-ministration to put together anoccupancy agreement allowingNAVSEA to temporarily moveinto the building. The 850,000-square foot building, dubbed byemployees as “NAVSEA West,”would serve as a temporaryworkplace for nearly 2,800 em-ployees until renovations werecompleted. “The building reallyfell into our laps and it could nothave come at a better time,” saidHilarides.

» see WNY | B7

By MCC Wendy WymanCommander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea Public Affairs

BUSAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Sailors from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Mustin (DDG 89) andUSS John S. McCain (DDG 56) strengthenedpartnerships with the Republic of Korea navyduring a port visit to Busan, Jan. 29 - Feb. 2.

During the port visit, crew members plan toconduct warfighting skills engagements and

exchanges with their ROK Navy counterpartsand visit local sites in the Busan community.

“This opportunity for bilateral engagementallows us to foster existing friendships whileemphasizing shared tactics and technologybetween the U.S. and ROK navies,” said Lt.Richard Ray, operations officer aboard USSJohn S. McCain.

The ships just concluded a series of bilat-eral training exercises with the ROK navyin international waters east and west of the

Korean peninsula. The routine exercises fo-cused on reinforcing teamwork and interop-erability between the U.S. and ROK navieswhile giving Sailors the opportunity to sharp-en their tactical skills. The exercises covereda full spectrum of scenarios including anti-submarine warfare training, communicationdrills, ship maneuvers, and naval liaison of-ficer exchanges.

» see KOREA | B7

By Amaani LyleDOD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON

Presence remains the mandate of the Navy andthe service must operate forward “when and whereit matters,” the chief naval officer testified beforethe Senate Armed Services Committee, Jan. 29.

However, sequestration in 2013 not onlywhittled the Navy’s contingency response forceto one third, but forced reductions in afloat andashore operations, generated ship and aircraftmaintenance backlogs, and compelled the Navy

to extend unit deployments, Adm. Jonathan W.Greenert said.

“Sequestration resulted in a $9 billion shortfallin 2013, below our budget submission ... degrad-ed fleet readiness and created consequences fromwhich we are still recovering,” the admiral said.

CNO Greenertexplains valueof presence,danger of cuts

MCC Julianne F. MetzgerChief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. JonathanGreenert, center left, testifies before the Senate ArmedServices Committee.

» see CNO | B7

» see TIES | B7

By Lt. j.g. Alexander PerrienCommander, Navy Region Europe, Africa,Southwest Asia Public Affairs

DEVESELU, ROMANIA

Since the ground breaking ofNaval Support Facility (NSF) De-veselu, the daily interaction be-tween Romanian and U.S. contrac-tors, and military personnel hasprovided a platform for multi-cul-tural exchange and understanding.

Lt. j.g. Alexander PerrienU.S. Navy Sailors and American andRomanian contractors construct a U.S.Aegis Ashore missile defense systemat Naval Support Faculty Deveselu,Romania.

A newbase leadsto deeperU.S. ties inRomania

Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs

PARAGUAY

Secretary of the Navy(SECNAV) Ray Mabus com-pleted a visit to Paraguay Jan.29, during which he met withRepublic of Paraguay Presi-dent Horacio Cartes to discussthe relationship between theDepartment of the Navy and

Paraguay’s military.“We look forward to future

opportunities for our forces towork together to strengthen ourrelations, build interoperabilityand increase regional security,”said Mabus.

Mabus also met with Para-guay’s Minister of DefenseBernadino Soto to explore pos-sible opportunities to increase

the partnership between theU.S. military and Paraguay andto discuss security cooperationissues.

“We appreciate and value ourmilitaries’ work together andhope to solidify the strength ofour partnership in the future,”Mabus said.

SECNAV completes visit to Paraguay

» see SECNAV | B7

U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Republic of Korea NavyCmdr. Joseph A. Torres Jr., commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), is greeted by the daughter of a Republicof Korea sailor as the ship arrives in Busan for a port visit.

DOD launcheschild care websiteAs military families move frequentlyand face a host of concerns, findingchild care can be one of the greatestchallenges, Barbara Thompson, directorof military community and policy’s officeof family policy/children and youth/special needs, said. » see B2

B2 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM

HeroesatHomeThe Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | B2

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By Terri Moon CronkDOD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON

As military families move fre-quently and face a host of con-cerns, finding child care can be oneof the greatest challenges, BarbaraThompson, director of militarycommunity and policy’s office offamily policy/children and youth/special needs, said.

To streamline and standardizewhat can be a daunting search,the Defense Department unveiledMilitaryChildCare.com, an onlineresource to help military, DOD ci-vilian and contractor families findan array of military-operated andmilitary-subsidized child care op-tions for children between the agesof 4 weeks and 12 years, Thomp-son said.

Child Care Affects the Force“Child care is a workforce issue

that impacts the readiness and re-tention of the force,” Thompsonsaid. “As families relocate to otherareas, it’s really challenging tomake sure your child care needsare being met, and this tool givesparents an opportunity in advance

to find those child care spots thatwill work for the family.”

MilitaryChildCare.com is a“single gateway” for families toenter as they request child care, shenoted.

Of the 200,000 children DODserves in child care, more than 50percent are younger than age 3,Thompson said.

“It’s very difficult to find infantand toddler care in the civiliancommunity,” she said. “[DOD has]young families with young chil-dren and we really feel that we’reproviding a high-quality environ-ment for those babies and toddlers[with the website].”

Families can customize theirsearch, put their children on wait-ing lists and monitor requests forplacement, Thompson said.

“The idea is that you have choic-es, and you see the array pictoriallyof what’s available at those loca-tions,” she noted.

A help desk online and at (855)696-2934, toll-free, is also avail-able to help personalize families’searches, she added.

Pilot Program ExpandingThe website initiative used

focus groups comprising childcare staff and parents, with a goalof making the website functionaland intuitive to make sure familiescan easily navigate the system,Thompson said.

A pilot program was also con-ducted in the study at numer-ous installations over the past 18months at Nellis Air Force Base,Nevada, for the Air Force, Hawaiifor the Army, Hawaii and SanDiego for the Marine Corps, andHawaii, San Diego, Key West,Bahrain, Meridian and Singaporefor the Navy, she said.

Recently, 13 more installationswere added to the website in addi-tion to the pilots.

They are Naval Air Facility ElCentro, California; Naval Air Sta-tion Fallon, Nevada; Naval Air

Station Joint Readiness Base FortWorth, Texas; Naval Air StationKingsville, Texas; Naval Air Sta-tion Joint Readiness Base, NewOrleans, Louisiana; Naval AirWeapons Station China Lake, Cali-fornia; Naval Air Station Lemoore,California; Naval Support ActivityMonterey, California; Naval BaseVentura County, California; NavalAir Station Corpus Christi, Texas;Naval Station Everett, Washington;Naval Base Kitsap, Washington;and Naval Air Station WhidbeyIsland, Washington.

The child care website is ex-pected to be fully functionalworldwide in September 2016,Thompson said, adding that it willremain a work in progress as ittakes in feedback from parents forimprovements.

DOD launches childcare website to easemoving transitions

Courtesy photoMilitaryChildCare.com is a “single gateway” for families to request child care.

By Sara Jane ArnettMilitary Spouse Contributor

I don’t get it. It always frustratesme when I hear the infamous wordsfrom new families joining our unit: “Iwould get involved with the FRG, butI had a bad experience in the one wejust came from...”

I just don’t get it. I doubt I amthe only one that has ever heard this(excuse or reason) not to serve orcontribute as a Spouse. Because withevery PCS, one of my main goals isto seek out and get involved with ournew FRG (Family Readiness Group)!

I guess this is because my very firstexperience with an FRG was positive.Our first duty station took us an oceanaway from family and friends in Kai-serslautern, Germany. My husband’sbattalion commander encouraged theimportance of the FRG to servicemembers and their families. His lead-ership philosophy proved that FRGscontribute to bridged gaps in com-munication and strengthened relation-ships among families.

It didn’t hurt that the commanderand his beautiful wife made a greatmilitary duo. Bev served as FRGleader and set the standard high aboutwhat to expect from an FRG and FRGleader. A week before my husband de-ployed, we received the news we wereexpecting our first child! This cameas quite a shock especially since wewere told we would not be able to con-ceive…however, our FRG leader wasthe first to show empathy and com-passion to our situation and even ac-companied me to my first ultrasoundappointment! I no longer felt alienatedfrom family living stateside because Ibelonged to a bigger military familyOCONUS.

Likewise, both my husband and Isee the value in having a solid, self-sustaining, and drama-free FRG asthese organizations have the potentialto carry the entire mission (i.e. positiveservice members coupled with an in-crease in family morale equals healthywork and home environments).

Since I love to write, I have servedas newsletter editor in every unit wehave been attached to for the past eightyears among other vacant FRG posi-tions that needed to be filled, but themost rewarding job was FRG leader asthis was my chance to step up to theplate alongside my husband duringhis time in that unit. I feel that directcommunication should be laid out atthe inaugural FRG meeting providingclear-cut expectations and goals fromthe leadership that way interpretationdoes not rule the roost!

I urge the unwilling not to focuson a past negative experience, but totake a chance – get involved and giveback. I believe that our military fami-lies carry the brunt of the daily, not-so-glamorous work on their backs, butfeel it out and let the FRGs carry outtheir mission to lighten your load.

Take a breath and realize what theFRG was designed to do: provideguidance and assistance to families,not host gossip groups. Sort throughyour personal hang-ups and get towork – step up and fill a need in yourFRG…you just might make a lifelongfriend and find inspiration to do more!

Sara Jane Arnett is an active Armyspouse, mother of three boys and mili-tary children’s author of “My Daddy’sa Soldier.” In 2011, she was selectedas the “Heroes At Home” MilitarySpouse of the Year and also receivedthe Military Police Corps “Order ofthe Vivandiere” award.

Why didn’t you tell me –All FRGs are not alike!

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MCC Molly A. BurgessThe 2013 Heroes at Home Military Spouse of the Year, ChristinaLara at The Founders Inn in Virginia Beach, May 9, 2013.

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By MC3 Nathan WilkesU.S. Naval Academy Public Affairs

ANNAPOLIS, MD.

Two hundred and forty-three U.S. Naval Academy(USNA) midshipmen selected the ships that they willserve on after graduation and commissioning during ShipSelection Night in Mahan Hall, Jan. 29.

Ship Selection is the culmination of the service assign-ment process for Naval Academy midshipmen assignedto serve as Navy Surface Warfare Officers. Upon report-ing to their first ship after graduation, they will be incharge of any number of shipboard operations and activi-ties while at sea.

Vice Adm. Thomas S. Rowden, Commander, Naval Sur-face Forces, and 1982 graduate of USNA, welcomed thefuture surface warfare officers to the community and of-fered his insight into the future of the Navy and what theclass can expect to experience in the fleet.

“There is a world of opportunity out there,” said Rowden.“In the very near future all of you will be walking acrossthat brow for the very first time, reporting to your ships,and leading the finest men and women that our country hasto offer. The energy that I feel in this room tonight leavesme monumentally hopeful, not only for our Navy, but forour nation.”

Midshipmen prepared to choose their ships accordingto their order of merit, which takes into account their aca-demic performance, physical fitness and professionalismthroughout their four years at the Naval Academy.

Midshipman 1st Class Kyle Cregge, an Alpharetta,Georgia native, chose the Arleigh Burke-class guided-mis-sile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) out of Pearl Harbor,Hawaii. Cregge is an English major and an offensive guardfor the Midshipmen football team.

“There were a lot of great options up on the board,” saidCregge. “I feel that my classmates and I are going to befine no matter where we go. We are a really great classand I’m looking forward to hitting the fleet and servingmy country.”

After selecting a ship, each midshipman was greetedby Capt. Bill Byrne, Commandant of Midshipman, seniorleaders from around the fleet, ship commanding officers,executive officers and command master chiefs. The lead-

ers offered warm welcomes, advice, and words of encour-agement to the future ensigns.

Ship Selection Night was especially exciting for Mid-shipman 1st Class Adrianna Ayala. Born in El Salvador,Ayala moved to the U.S. when she was seven and wantedto enlist in the Navy to avoid gang related violence. Oneof her high school teachers, a USNA grad and surface war-fare officer, persuaded her to apply to USNA instead.

“This moment has been a long time coming so I’m still alittle nervous, but so excited,” said Ayala. “After choosingthe guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), I

had the opportunity to meet the commanding officer andthe CMC, which was great. I can’t wait to call my familyand share the excitement with them.”

Midshipman 1st Class Kevin Lee, from Gainesville, Vir-ginia, chose the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyerUSS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) out of Yokosuka, Japan.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to be stationed inJapan and am anxious to make the most of my first tour,said Lee. “I’m happy that my parents were here tonight tocelebrate this opportunity with me and I’m ready to hit theground running on my first assignment.”

USNACLASSOF 2015CHOOSEFIRSTSHIPS

Above: Rear Adm.Cynthia M. The-baud, Commanderof ExpeditionaryStrike Group 2,presents her Sur-face Warfare Officerpin to U.S. NavalAcademy Midship-man 1st Class LilyVan Steenberg dur-ing Ship SelectionNight in Mahan Hall.

Left: Vice Adm.Thomas S. Row-den, Commanderof Naval SurfaceForce, U.S. PacificFleet, presents hisSurface WarfareOfficer pin to U.S.Naval AcademyMidshipman 1stClass MichaelLemonick.

Photos by MC3 Nathan Wilkes


By Eric BeidelOffice of Naval Research Public Affairs

ARLINGTON,VA.

The Office of Naval Research(ONR) recently launched a studythat could lead to breakthroughs increating the next-generation of ava-tars, robots and other human surro-gates for military training.

The study is being carried out atthe University of Central Florida(UCF), where a human surrogatewill greet and interact with peoplepassing through the lobby of theuniversity’s Institute for Simulationand Training. The human surrogatewill be controlled by a human op-erator in another location.

The “lobby greeter” study at UCFwill last for several weeks. When itis over, researchers will use whatthey have learned to demonstratethe use of surrogates in more com-plex situations that require a greateramount of interaction.

The experiment is part of ONR’sHuman Surrogate Interaction pro-gram, a three-year investigationinto how humans interact with vir-tual (avatars), physical (animatron-ics), and other types of surrogates.

Findings will help officials deter-mine how best to use these surro-gates in military training systems,such as the Infantry ImmersionTrainer, a former tomato-packing

plant that ONR and the MarineCorps transformed into a state-of-the-art urban training facility atCamp Pendleton, California.

The program underscores thecommitment of the Marine Corpsto training and education as de-scribed in the service’s Science andTechnology Strategic Plan. Train-ing and education also are at theheart of research to enhance warf-ighter performance, one of ONR’skey technology focus areas.

“Marine Corps training conceptscontinue to merge virtual and livecomponents to create the most real-istic, effective and affordable train-ing for Marines,” said Dr. PeterSquire, ONR program officer. “Theway people react to and interactwith the different surrogates in thisstudy is crucial to understandinghow we can improve our militarytraining systems.”

As part of this research ONR issupporting the development of asystem called AMITIES (AvatarMediated Interactive Trainingand Individualized ExperienceSystem) a framework that enablesactors to “inhabit” and controlvarious types of surrogates. Acombination of voice modulation,artificial intelligence, network pro-tocols and human control opens upa world of training possibilities,researchers say.

With AMITIES, multiple surro-gates can be controlled by a singlehuman using a specialized hand-held user interface and head-track-ing software. The human controllercan be anywhere, and can rapidlyswitch between characters andtraining sites as needed.

The technology helps reduce thecost and logistics burden of find-ing and hiring human actors to filleach individual role in training sce-narios.

“If human role players are notavailable because of cost or otherreasons, this research will help usunderstand the type of surrogateto replace them with so that thelevel of training is not diminished,”Squire said.

One example of a human sur-rogate is a humanoid robot. Thesetypes of surrogates can changefacial appearance and behaviorto represent people of differentraces, genders and personalities.During a recent demonstration, anactor used a robot with AMITIESto play the part of a local villagerin Afghanistan seeking compensa-tion for goats that had been killed.ONR’s technology has also beendemonstrated in Sexual AssaultPrevention and Response trainingscenarios, with a virtual surrogatetaking on the characteristics of a

victim or aggressor.Experts will be on hand to dis-

cuss a range of ONR training tech-nologies at the Naval Future ForceScience and Technology EXPO inWashington, D.C., on Feb. 4-5.

The EXPO is the Navy’s premierevent to share information, discussresearch opportunities and buildscience and technology partner-

ships between the Navy and MarineCorps, industry and academia. For-merly titled the Science and Tech-nology Partnership Conference, thebiennial event draws thousands ofattendees from around the world.

For more information about theNaval Future Force Science andTechnology EXPO and to register,visit http://bit.ly/1tFXmkR.

Office of NavalResearch haslaunched astudy usinghuman sur-rogates.

The study isbeing carriedout at Univer-sal of CentralFlorida andis part of athree yearinvestigationinto how hu-mans interactwith virtual,physical andother types ofsurrogates.

Courtesy of Universal of Central Florida

New study willhelp researcherschange face ofmilitary training

Marine Corps training concepts continue

to merge virtual and live components to create

the most realistic, effective and affordable

training for Marines.” -Dr. Peter Squire, ONR program officer

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Office of Naval Research Public Affairs

ARLINGTON,VA.

Missiles are launched at a Navy ship,and Sailors must decide in a matter ofseconds how to keep from getting hit. Aserious game sponsored by the Office ofNaval Research is receiving accolades forpreparing Sailors for exactly this scenario.

Strike Group Defender: The MissileMatrix prepares Sailors for exactly thisscenario, and was named “Best Govern-ment-Developed Serious Game” in theSerious Games Showcase and Challengeat the simulation and training industry’spremier event last month: the Interser-vice/Industry Training, Simulation, andEducation Conference (I/ITSEC) in Or-lando, Florida.

Strike Group Defender is a virtual“demo space” developed as part of theOffice of Naval Research Integrated Airand Missile Defense (IAMD) FutureNaval Capabilities (FNC) portfolio man-aged by PMR-51.

It exposes Navy planners, tacticiansand operators to different missiles andthe best ways to counter them, eitherthrough electronic means (soft kill) orwith traditional firepower (hard kill). It isthe Navy’s first multiplayer, game-basedtraining program to test and evaluate per-sonnel in surface electronic warfare.

“Strike Group Defender is an afford-able, realistic way for personnel to under-stand and emulate the capabilities beingdeveloped in the IAMD FNC’s and learnhow those improvements enhance themeans to respond to threats Navy shipsface around the world,” said Scott Orosz,ONR program manager. “But beyond thatapplication, this technology will allowSailors and Marines to plan, experimentand train whenever they want, whetherthey are at sea or in a classroom.”

More than ever, Navy and MarineCorps leaders are treating the electro-magnetic spectrum like a true battledomain, as important as land, sea, air andspace. Chief of Naval Operations Adm.Jonathan Greenert’s Navigation Plan spe-

cifically calls for improving the abilityof forces to detect and defeat adversaryradars and anti-ship missiles-tasks at theheart of Strike Group Defender.

ONR worked with MIT Lincoln Labo-ratory and serious games experts Metateqand PipeWorks Studios to develop thegame and has received assistance fromthe Naval Postgraduate School andONR’s own TechSolutions Program,among others.

“While the current content focuseson anti-ship missile defense tactics andtraining, the larger value of Strike GroupDefender is an underlying ‘ecosystem’ oftechnologies that we have not yet seenin the Navy,” said Perry McDowell, re-search associate at the Naval Postgradu-ate School.

This includes a powerful combinationof analytics, crowdsourcing, social mediaand cloud technology that are attractiveto the current generation of Sailors andMarines. This allows for easy collabo-ration across the Navy and for an evenmore engaging playing experience.

That experience may begin with ascreen depicting incoming threats. In oneexample, a warning states a missile is 20seconds from impact.

The “missile matrix” gives users a run-down of different missiles, their locationsand how best to defeat them. It then givesspecific recommendations, such as usingdecoy flares to distract an infrared-track-ing missile that is not succeptible to radarjamming.

At the end of a session, the game showsthem the missiles they hit and the onesthey missed.

The game already has received highmarks in tests, with nearly 30 unitsaboard ships. The Naval PostgraduateSchool and MIT are now studying play-ers’ analytic data to make improvements.Meanwhile, various U.S. Navy fleets andcommands are continuting to test andevaluate Strike Group Defender.

Experts will be on hand to discussa range of ONR training technologiesat the Naval Future Force Science andTechnology EXPO in Washington, D.C.,on Feb. 4-5.

The EXPO is the Navy’s premier eventto share information, discuss research op-portunities and build science and technol-ogy partnerships between the Navy andMarine Corps, industry and academia.

For information on the Naval FutureForce Science and Technology EXPO orto register, visit: www.onr.navy.mil/expo.

Ed Barker

By Ed BarkerNaval Education and Training CommandPublic Affairs

PENSACOLA, FLA.

Center for InformationDominance (CID) Sailorsmentored local high schoolstudents in the inauguralCyberthon competition, Jan.23-25, at the National FlightAcademy onboard Naval AirStation (NAS) Pensacola.

Hosted by the Blue AngelsChapter of the Armed ForcesCommunications Association(AFCEA), agencies includ-ing the Department of Home-land Security, businesses andorganizations joined forces ina competition designed to testthe students on their abilitiesto use computer skills theylearned in their classroomsto defend and defeat cyber-attacks on websites.

Greg Touhill, Deputy As-sistant Secretary for Depart-ment of Homeland SecurityOffice of Cybersecurity Op-erations and Programs, saidthe goal of the competition isto leverage classes in science,technology, engineering andmath (STEM) and energizethe next generation of infor-mation warriors.

“Cyberthon is designed toput steam into STEM, andinspire these high school stu-dents to further develop theirskills in information technol-ogy,” said Touhill. “The com-petition also helps developteamwork, leadership, prob-lem-solving and communi-cations skills; all things theycan use as they continue theireducation and move into theworkforce.”

Sailors from the CID Unit

at Corry Station volunteeredto assist the Cyberthon BlueTeams (good guys) with de-feating the Red Team (badguys) attacks on the BlueTeams’ websites.

“Mentoring the Cyberthonkids was a great experiencefor both us and the students,”said Information SystemsTechnician (IT) 1st Class(SW) Carlos Garcia, IT ‘A’School instructor at CIDUCorry Station. “These kidsare the future of informa-tion warfare, and they weresurprised to find out that theNavy is a significant playerin the world of informationdominance.”

Randy Ramos, presidentof the local AFCEA chapter,was one of the main organiz-ers for the event.

“We gathered a team of in-formation technology expertsto support the competition asRed Team members, and alsoas mentors for the students,”said Ramos. “The volunteersfrom CID were invaluable inhelping keep the competitiongoing. It’s also great to showthe kids that there are a lot offuture cybersecurity and ITjob opportunities – rangingfrom businesses and educa-tion to the Department of De-fense.”

Angelo Mayorga, a PineForest High School fresh-man, said the competitionhelped him understand thebroad range of talents and

coordination needed to run aneffective cybersecurity pro-gram.

“Before coming to Cy-berthon, I thought it tookonly one person to combat ahacker intrusion,” said May-orga. “Now I know that ittakes a team to monitor yourwebsite and defeat the at-tacks. I’m starting to think se-riously about going to collegeto study computer technologyand hopefully get a job in thefield.”

Capt. Maureen Fox, com-manding officer of CID, com-mended her Sailors for volun-teering their weekend time tohelp with the competition.

“It’s great to not only part-ner with the community forsuch a significant learningevent, but at the same time beable to share our professionalexpertise with the Cyberthonparticipants,” said Fox. “To seethese kids totally immersedin core STEM activities withmentorship from CID Sailorsis very gratifying.”

At the ceremony conclud-ing the competition, the twoBlue Teams were commend-ed for successfully defend-ing the weekend’s constantbarrage of cyber-attacks fromthe Red Team’s industry pro-fessionals. All student par-ticipants in the competitionwere declared cyber warriors,received recognition cer-tificates and Cyberthon chal-lenge coins.

CID Sailors help inspire nextgeneration of information warriors

Virtual trainer takesserious approach toelectronic warfare

GAME ONInformationSystemsTechnician1st ClassKyle Gosser,an instruc-tor at theCenter forInformationDominanceUnit CorryStation, men-tors a localhigh schoolstudent par-ticipating inthe inauguralCyberthoncompetitionJan. 23-25.

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By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.DOD News, Defense Media Activity

GLENDALE, ARIZ.

The Seattle Seahawks and New EnglandPatriots, the two teams that were preparingto square off Feb. 1 in Super Bowl XLIX,shared their appreciation for U.S. servicemembers serving overseas during mediaavailabilities Jan. 27.

Pete Carroll, head coach of the defend-ing champion Seahawks, assured troopsthe team understands the sacrifice they aremaking.

“We want to make sure that you under-stand that the Seahawks know the workthat you’re doing,” he said. “We just wantto be more like you guys – we herald thework that you do and the attitude that youbring. I know that the Super Bowl is reallyexciting to watch. It’s extremely excitingfor us too, but if we could be a little bitmore like you guys, we have a chance towin this thing.”

Carroll promised his team’s best effort.“So enjoy the heck out of it, and we’ll bethinking about you, and I hope you guysreally enjoy the game,” he said.

Several players from both Super Bowlteams also joined in expressing their ap-preciation.

Kam Chancellor, a strong safety for thedefending champs, offered not only histhanks, but also the gratitude of the team’sfans, who have a moniker that reflects theircontribution to the efforts of the 11 Se-

ahawks who are on the field at any giventime.

“All the love from the Seahawks, [and]from the [12th man],” he said. “Kam Chan-cellor right here, man, wishing you the best.”

K.J. Wright, a Seahawks linebacker, saidthe team plans to “come out there Sundayand put on a good performance for youguys. Stay safe out there.”

His teammate, defensive end Cliff Avril,offered a “big” shoutout on behalf of theteam and said the Seahawks hope to puton a show for the troops during the SuperBowl in appreciation of everything they do.

Patriots defensive back Devin McCourtyalso said his team hopes to put on a goodshow and thanked service members for ev-erything they do. Matthew Slater, a widereceiver and special teams player for theAmerican Football Conference champions,shared his gratitude for being able to playfootball for a living.

“Just want to give you guys a big hello,”he said. “And [we] appreciate all that youdo for us, allowing us the freedom to playthis great game of football that we love somuch. You guys are the real heroes; we tipour hats to you. God bless you guys, andstay safe over there.”

Vince Wilfork, a Patriots defensive tackle,said U.S. troops are the “true patriots.”

“Thank you for everything you guys dofor us,” he said. “You guys are the true pa-triots. You are everything we want [to be],so thank you for all the service you guysprovide for us.”

SEAHAWK, PATRIOTPLAYERS TO TROOPS:

DOD photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

Kam Chancellor, adefensive back forthe National Foot-ball League’s de-fending championSeattle Seahawks,talks to membersof the media dur-ing Super BowlWeek in Glendale,Ariz., Jan. 26.

Chancellor gavea shoutout to U.S.troops servingabroad who maywatch the NFL’schampionshipgame.

‘You’re the real heroes’

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With employees back togetherunder one roof, the temporary move toNAVSEA West was symbolic of theworkforce collectively taking their firststep forward together. The year that fol-lowed would prove difficult for many,both emotionally and logistically.

“We’ve been here for a little more thana year now and we’ve obviously had ourchallenges, coming and going, but it’sbeen a good year, a year to prepare our-selves, both spiritually or emotionallyto go back,” said Capt. Karin Vernazza,director, NAVSEA Total Force Manage-ment, one of the NAVSEA employeeswho returns to the NavyYard this week. “Ibelieve we’re stronger and better preparedto handle the challenges ahead. Over thepast year we have grown closer as a resultof the incident and we are committed toour mission to get the job done. That’swhat we’re all about, supporting the fleet,so now it is about going to go back towhere we belong – in the Navy Yard.”

NAVSEA’s workforce will continue totransition back to the Navy Yard in the

coming weeks. The last wave of employ-ees is scheduled to return by the end ofMarch. While it won’t be the first timemany employees have been in the build-ing, it will have a new look and feel.

In addition to repairing the damage,building renovations were also made.They include a new main entrance, a re-membrance area and redesigned atriums.NAVSEA’s renovation team also made aconcerted effort to maintain the historicalfacade of the building.

Hilarides explained that among his pri-orities of helping to restore normalcy, hewanted to ensure the building had a newsense of space, felt safer and brighter foremployees and also had a space for em-ployees to reflect.

“The Remembrance Area inside thebuilding is the physical manifestation ofthat truth. It’s also a place where thoseof us who were physically and emotion-ally affected by the 16th, can go for quietreflection and healing,” said Hilarides.“Getting to this day hasn’t been easy. It’sbeen a long road – physically, mentallyand emotionally – but we’re back. Ourwork home is complete.”

Long deploymentsGreenert also described

carrier strike groups, am-phibious-ready groups anddestroyers experiencingeight- to 10-month, or longer,deployments. “This comesat a cost of our Sailors’ andour families’ resiliency; it re-duces the performance of theequipment and it will reducethe service lives of our ships,”he said.

The Navy’s fleet readinesslikely will not recover fromthe ship and aircraft mainte-nance backlogs until about2018, five years after the firstround of sequestration, ac-cording to Greenert.

“We reduced procurementof advanced weapons andaircraft, [and] we delayedupgrades to all but the mostcritical shore infrastructure,”the admiral said. “The endresult has been higher risk

[to] those missions requir-ing us to deter and defeat ag-gression and ... project powerdespite an anti-access, area-denial challenge.”

Forward presenceprovides value

Still, recent events speakto the value of forward pres-ence, Greenert asserts.

“When tasked in August,the George H.W. Bush StrikeGroup relocated from theArabian Sea to the North Ara-bian Gulf and was on stationwithin 30 hours, ready forcombat operations in Iraq andSyria,” Greenert said.

Additionally, Navy andMarine Corps strike fight-ers from the carrier gener-ated 20-30 combat sortiesper day and for 54 days rep-resented the only coalitionstrike option to project poweragainst the Islamic State ofIraq and the Levant, the ad-miral said.

Greenert highlighted theUSS Truxtun, which arrivedin the Black Sea to establisha U.S. presence and reassureallies within a week afterRussia invaded Crimea. Herecounted the USS GeorgeWashington Strike Group’sdozen ships that provideddisaster relief to the Philip-pines in the wake of supertyphoon Haiyan just over ayear ago.

Overall, he said, a return tosequestration further delayscritical warfighting capabili-ties, further reduces contin-gency response force readi-ness and jeopardizes ship andsubmarine procurement.

“Unless naval forces areproperly sized, modernizedat the right pace ... ready todeploy ... and capable to re-spond in the numbers andat the speed required by thecombatant commanders, theywon’t be able to answer thecall,” Greenert said.

While in Busan, Sailorsfrom both ships will alsohave the opportunity to con-duct community relationsengagements in the localBusan community. Foster-ing enduring relationshipsthrough community rela-tions with local citizens,teambuilding activities withthe ROK Navy, and regularbilateral training is part ofthe U.S. Navy’s contribu-tion to sustaining a strong

alliance between the U.S.and the ROK.

“Through bi-lateral train-ing, we can improve our pro-ficiency and integration withU.S. Navy ships,” said Cmdr.Lee, Jong-Sik, of the Repub-lic of Korea Fleet Headquar-ters in Busan. “However, itis through port visits likein Busan, that we can trulyshare our Korean culture andheritage as Sailors with ourU.S. Navy counterparts.”

Mustin and John S. McCainare forward deployed to Yo-

kosuka, Japan as part of theU.S. 7th Fleet, which main-tains an enduring presence inthe Indo-Asia-Pacific region.As multi-mission platforms,the ships can carry out inde-pendent operations or operatein conjunction with a carrierstrike group or other partnernavies to conduct maritimesecurity and stability opera-tions across the region.

For more news from Com-mander, U.S. Naval ForcesKorea, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnfk/.

NSF Deveselu is part of NATO’sballistic missile defense (BMD)system. With the Forward DeployedNaval Forces ships in Rota, NSFDeveselu will increase the levelof protection for Europe and U.S.allies. The support from the Ro-manian government, military andlocals, during the early constructionphase, has left an impression on theinstallation’s leadership.

“Since arriving in August, I’vebeen thrilled with the level of sup-port from the Romanian govern-ment,” said Cmdr. Rod Tribble, NSFDeveselu executive officer. “OurRomanian allies have done every-thing in their power to make us feelwelcomed. They have been greatpartners in every aspect of construc-tion and support for this base.”

Many Romanians who work

on the installation come from thenearby towns of Craiova or Cara-cal. The installation has provided asignificant number of employmentopportunities to local citizens al-lowing the formation of new bondsbetween the two countries.

“I worked for Hotel Plaza inCraiova before coming to work atNSF Deveselu in May of 2014,” saidNSF Deveselu Housing ManagerSorina Obrcea. “I have learned a lotabout American culture and feel re-spected by the people I work with.”

The only struggle in the work-place is the language barrier whichis overcome through the use oftranslators and by team memberscommitted to excellence.

“I have an excellent staff,” saidNSF Deveselu Galley Manager,Donald Douglas. “They are verydependable, hard workers, whoenjoy coming to work every day.”

Sailors temporarily assigned toNSF Deveselu, have the uniqueopportunity to travel a part of theworld that has been seen by rela-tively few Americans.

“I’ve been stationed overseasbefore, but just on deployments.I have been to Abu Dhabi, Dubai,Bujara, and Jebel Ali,” said Master-at-Arms 1st Class (EXW) BillyYoung. “In those places they see alot of Americans. Here, there werevirtually no Americans before thisbase opened.”

As NATO Allies, Romania andthe U.S. have served together inKosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan androutinely participate in militaryexercises and engagements. Withthe eventual completion of NSFDeveselu, Americans and Roma-nian’s will have ample opportunityto interact and multiply the strongbonds of partnership and goodwill

already being created.“When you really like what you

are doing,” said Obrcea. “You neverwork.”

NSF Deveselu sits on about 430acres. The site will consist of a fire-control radar deckhouse with an as-sociated Aegis command, control

and communications suite. Sepa-rately, it will house several launchmodules containing SM-3 missilesand be manned by about 200 U.S.military personnel, governmentcivilians and support contractors.Construction is expected to be com-plete on NSF Deveselu late 2015.

During the stop, Mabusalso met with Marines as-signed to protect the U.S.Embassy in Paraguay and laya wreath at the Pantheon ofthe Heroes, honoring thoselost in war.

Mabus’ stop in Paraguayis part of a multi-nation visitto the U.S. Southern Com-mand area of responsibilityfocused on reinforcing exist-ing partnerships and visitingSailors and Marines forwarddeployed.

For more news from theSecretary of the Navy, visitwww.navy.mil/local/secnavor visit www.facebook.com/SecretaryoftheNavy.

MCC Sam Shavers

Secretaryof the Navy(SECNAV)Ray Mabus re-ceives honorsfrom membersof the Repub-lic of Paraguayarmed forces.

Mabus is inthe region tomeet with Sail-ors, Marines,and civilianand militaryofficials todiscuss theongoing part-nership andcooperationbetween theU.S. and Para-guay armedforces

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SECNAV| MabusvisitsSailors inParaguay

Scott Adam WebbBeverly Hilarides, in the time-honored tradition of Navy shipbuilders, christens the HumphreysBuilding, Building 197, during a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard.

WNY | Last wave of Navy Yardemployees to return in March

KOREA | Mustin, John S. McCaindeployed to Japan as part of 7th Fleet

CNO | Greenert: Navy’s fleet readinessmay not recover from blacklogs until 2018

TIES | Base helps employment in community

Lt. j.g. Alexander PerrieU.S. Navy Sailors and American and Romanian contractors construct a U.S. AegisAshore missile defense system at Naval Support Faculty Deveselu, Romania.


MF2_FLAGSHIP_2.12_VA

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INSIDE: Check out Flagship Values, your source for automobiles, employment, real estate and more! Pages C6-7

SECTION C | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | 02.05 .15

The North American Sand SoccerChampionships (NASSC) is back andready to rock the Virginia Beach ocean-front June 5-7 when the 22nd edition ofthe Championships returns to one of thenation’s top resort cities.

NASSC 2015 anticipates over 1,000teams, including 10,000 youth/adultplayers, plus 100,000 weekend visitors/spectators, based on weather; 16 statesand several countries; NASSC has hostedover 137,000 players since inception in1994.

Back again this year, you’ll find color-ful international teams parading to thesound on conga drums enroute incredibleU.S. OPEN Pro/Am matches, with cashprizes at stake; hundreds of youth teamsaged 9 thru 19 battling on the beaches,men’s and women’s single gender squads,college teams, and ever-increasing “cor-porate-coed” competitors from business-es and military organizations promotinghealth and fitness. The game, played on25-35 or 30-40 yard grids, is 5v5 andfast-paced, with limited dribblin’ and anaverage of 60 shots on goal. Never fear,however, as over 80 brackets are seededto support all levels of play – from thebeginner to the most professional. Muchlike beach volleyball, sand soccer‘s rulesare easy to pick up. Uniforms for thisbeach bash are “anything-goes.”

This “World Cup” equivalent of inter-national amateur beach soccer events ishard to miss and attracts teams from allover, including nearly 20 states and asfar away as Africa, Portugal, Germany,Brazil, Norway’s rocky seacoasts, the Ca-ribbean, and the wilds of Canada’s North-west Territories.

The Championships are staged over 22full City blocks of prime oceanfront realestate, on over mile and a half of whitesand – against a backdrop of diving gulls,banners waving in stiff ocean breezes,thousands of Boardwalk bedazzled spec-tators, live music and great food. Mean-while, surf’s up just a few steps fromthe soccer action and, when day is done,most participants and fans head out to thearea’s unbelievable lineup of region en-tertainment.

The Hampton Roads Soccer Council(HRSC) is your host for the tournamentweekend and plan year-round to ensure aguaranteed sand-blast. Consisting of theVirginia Rush, the Southeastern VirginiaWomen’s Soccer Association, the OverThirty Men’s League, and Beach FCtravel soccer organizations, HRSC hasstaged the Championships since 1994 togenerate revenues for its premier 75-acreSoccer Complex. Led by the McDon-ald’s Corporation, over 100 national andregional sponsors and advertisers gra-ciously support the festival. New corpo-rate teammates are always welcomed andmay view our sponsors page or contact usfor more information.

Conventional outdoor soccer enthu-siasts make up the bulk of competition.Once you’ve experienced soccer in thesand, you’re hooked big-time and a hugepercentage of 93 percent players andfamilies return year after year to makethe North American Sand Soccer Cham-pionships their “Summer Kickoff,” or areward for a just-completed school yearor Spring soccer campaign.

The tournament is first come-first in bydate of receipt of online application andentry fee. The single exception is the Pro/Am division where entry is based on teamcomposition and history and additionalentry material is forwarded by the tourna-ment to those Pro/Am teams showing in-terest in entering the men’s “U.S. OPEN.”

For information and photos, includingcoverage of the nearly two million dol-lars of new high-end lighted turf fieldsmade possible through NASSC charityrevenues, visit www.soccercomplex.org.

Register forthis summer’sNorth AmericanSand SoccerChampionships

Courtesy photoThe North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC) is first come-first in by date of receipt of online application and entry fee.

NEWYORK CITY

New Kids On The Block are steppinginto the ring for 2015! The pop phenomsstopped by Good Morning America ear-lier this month to announce THE MAINEVENT, a summer headlining tour featur-ing very special guests, Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling artistsTLC and Nelly. NKOTB surprised viewerswith a special reveal of TLC and a personalmessage from Nelly (who is currently over-seas with the Armed Forces). The groupshinted at possible collaborations and otherexciting possibilities while on the road thissummer, sending fans into a frenzy acrosssocial media. The tour, promoted by LiveNation, kicks-off on May 1 in Las Vegas,Nevada, and will stop in over 30 citiesacross North America. Tickets can be pur-chased starting at livenation.com.

After announcing the tour on Good

Morning America, NKOTB took over theLIVE! with Kelly and Michael set to stepin and play a mix of super hits and new fanfavorites throughout the entire hour on air.The morning TV whirlwind was followedup with an NKOTB/TLC media blitz. Thegroups shut down Chase Plaza at MadisonSquare Garden for a press conference filledwith media and ecstatic fans, talking withoutlets like Access Hollywood, E!, Enter-tainment Tonight, EXTRA, AssociatedPressand BuzzFeed. Social media has beenabuzz ever since the official reveal with nosigns of slowing down.

“We always have something special upour sleeves,” said NKOTB member DonnieWahlberg. “Our fans keep asking us tocome back out on the road, and we wantto keep giving them what they want! Wewanted to make sure it was something newand fresh and fun and totally worthwhile

for all of our supporters year after year.This year, we are making it THE MAINEVENT. And we promise, it will be THETICKET of the summer.”

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCKARE COMING TO NORFOLK;TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Courtesy photoThe MAIN EVENT will come to the NorfolkScope Tuesday, June 9. Tickets are now on sale.

familyevent

■ when and whereFriday, Feb. 13 at the Norfolk ScopeWatch the Norfolk Admirals compete against theSyracuse Crunch at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information,visit http://www.norfolkadmirals.com/tickets.php.For more information or to buy tickets, contact Sami [email protected] or call 640-1212 ext. 24.

Military AppreciationNight with the Admirals

News ReleaseVirginia Beach Parks and Recreation

VIRGINIA BEACH

Follow fascinating bird activity and ex-plore the natural areas of our community atthe 2015 Winter Wildlife Festival present-ed by Virginia Beach Parks & Recreationin partnership with Virginia Departmentof Game and Inland Fisheries. This annualevent teaches what it takes to properly ob-serve and identify wildlife in their naturalsettings.

The 2015 Winter Wildlife Festival takesplace Feb. 5-8, and also has a new homebase location: Great Neck RecreationCenter, located at 2512 Shorehaven Drive.

Winter Wildlife Festival includes educa-tional workshops and engaging excursionsthat are sure to captivate outdoor enthusi-asts, both novice and expert for a nominalfee. Registration is required to attend work-shops and excursions (unless otherwisenoted). Space is limited for the excursionsand workshops, so register early to secureyour spot! You can register online (with

your client barcode and pin), in person atany recreation center, or by using the mail inregistration form. Download a registrationform at www.VBgov.com/winterwildlife

Join us for the Festival Keynote on Friday,Feb. 6 at the MEO Central Library featuringveteran wildlife photographer, tour leaderand accomplished birder Kevin Karlson.New Jersey-based Karlson discusses hislatest project, “Visions: Earth’s Elements inBird and Nature Photography,” a book setby the elements of the planet (earth, fire, air,and water) and includes an assortment ofnature photographs, from exciting action andmoody contemplation, that are connected tothese elements. The festival keynote event issponsored by Back Bay Restoration Founda-tion and Lynnhaven River NOW.

Also, be sure to stop by the Exhibit Hallon Saturday, Feb. 7 and speak with WinterWildlife Festival partners and other exhibi-tors, including the Virginia Aquarium, BackBay National Wildlife Refuge, VirginiaState Parks, Lynnhaven River NOW, andthe Virginia Beach Audubon Society. Learnways to get involved with local efforts, and

find out what the environmental groups andbusinesses are up to. Observe skilled decoycarvers from the Atlantic Wildfowl HeritageMuseum working. Tour fascinating oystercastles constructed by Virginia Beach Parks& Recreation’s Project Green Teens.

This year’s Walk-Up Workshops includetopics “Black Bears 101,” “Fisheries in BackBay,” and “Harbor Seals in Virginia Beach.”The Exhibit Hall and Walk-Up Workshopsare free and open to the public, starting at10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7 atGreat Neck Recreation Center. Enjoy foodtruck eats plus special children’s activitiesby the Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coastfrom 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For a full list of workshops and excur-sions and to download a registration form,visit http://www.VBgov.com/winterwild-life.

To register for the keynote event call 385-0426 or email [email protected].

For more information about the event,contact Virginia Beach Parks & RecreationOutdoor Programs at 385-4461 or [email protected]

Chill out at the 2015 Winter Wildlife Festival

C2 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM

Calendar

Paws for the Arts Gala■ When: Feb. 7, 7-10 p.m.■ Where: Hilton Garden Inn,100 E. Constance Rd., Suffolk■ Cost: $50■ For more information, call: 538-3030or visit www.SuffolkHumaneSociety.com

This semi-formal event will feature heavy horsd’oeurves, adult beverages, a silent auction, a liveauction, and musical entertainment by local artists.Tickets can be purchased online at suffolkhumanesociety.com, or at Mike Duman AutoSales, 2300 Godwin Blvd., Suffolk, or the Suffolk Humane Society office, 4300 Nan-semond Parkway, Suffolk. All proceeds benefit Suffolk Humane Society.

For a complete list of events in Hampton Roads or tosubmit your own, visit www.flagshipnews.com/calendar

At the Movies with the Musicof John Williams■ When: Feb. 6 and 7, 8 p.m.■ Where: Ferguson Center, NewportNews and Chrysler Hall, Norfolk■ Cost: Prices range from $25 - $93, and$10 student tickets are available withStudent ID.■ For more information, visit: www.virginiasymphony.org

A dynamo of the silver screen, John Wil-liams has been considered the most suc-cessful and well-known film music com-poser of all time. The performance willfeature selections from Jaws, Harry Potterand the Sorcerer’s Stone, Schindler’s List,ET, Star Wars, and more in brilliant sound,powerfully performed live by the VirginiaSymphony Orchestra and featuring thevocal talents of the Virginia SymphonyChorus.

Virginia BalletTheatre Sweet-heart Concert / Ball■ When: Feb. 13 and 14, 7:30 p.m.■ Where: Tidewater Community CollegeRoper Performing Arts Center■ Cost: $5 - $30. For ticket prices, visithttp://bit.ly/1zF1BOW.■ For more information, visit: http://www.tccropercenter.org.

Bring your sweetheart to the 3rd annualSweetheart Concert Series this Valentine’sDay weekend. Virginia Ballet Theatrepresents three beautiful and romanticworks. VBT professional company is

joined by international guest Chore-ographer David Keener and acclaimedpremiere dancer Kirk Henning to performin a night of classical and contemporaryballet you won’t soon forget.

There will also be a post-performance Sat-urday, Feb. 14 for dancing to the tunes ofa live band, Karnival. The event will havedelicious Hors D’Oeuvres provided byCuisine & CO. Enjoy pictures with yoursweetheart at the photo booth and raffles!A perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day!

‘First Lady OfThe Flute’ BobbiHumphrey■ When: Feb. 14, doors open 6 p.m.,show begins 7 p.m.■ Where: Historic Attucks Theatre,Church Street, Norfolk■ Cost: $35 - $60 plus applicable fees■ For more information, call: AttucksTheatre at 664-6464.

A Valentine treat for lovers of her spe-cial brand of soulful Jazz. She has beenperforming for more than three decadesto audiences around the world, BobbiHumphrey is a talent to be reckoned with.Her accomplishments include perfor-mances at the Montreux InternationalMusic Festival, working on the Bill CosbyShow, performing with such greats asDuke Ellington, Lee Morgan and Stevie,while selling more than five million units.Also appearing will be the Forte Band, aTidewater favorite. Forte Jazz Band is aneight-piece ensemble that has performedas a unit for over 20 years.

“African-American Musical ImprintWeekend,” Feb. 14 and 15 at JamestownSettlement, will showcase performancesby “The Storyteller” Dylan Pritchett, theNorthern Neck Chantey Singers and Legacyof Weyanoke.

The music and storytelling weekend isa highlight of “From Africa to Virginia”month at the state-operated living-historymuseum, with gallery exhibits and daily in-terpretive programs highlighting the cultureof the first recorded Africans in Virginia andthe experience of people of African descentin colonial America.

Dylan Pritchett, “The Storyteller,” willpresent tales of Africa and African-Americanheritage at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. both days.A professional storyteller since 1990 andmember of the National Association of BlackStorytellers, Pritchett has taken his folktalesto schools across the country and, at the JohnF. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,performs and leads workshops for teachers onusing storytelling in the classroom. In additionto recording several albums of folktales, he hasre-created the voices of historical charactersfor museum exhibits and served as a performerand consultant for historical documentaries.

The Northern Neck Chantey Singers willperform, at noon and 2 p.m. on both days,examples of work songs that coordinatedthe efforts of African-American watermen

of eastern Virginia as they hauled in netsfilled with their catch. The group of retiredwatermen, all residents of Virginia’s North-ern Neck peninsula, has been featured on theNational Public Radio program “All ThingsConsidered” and CBS News.

Legacy of Weyanoke, at 3 p.m. on bothdays, will take the audience on a musicaljourney that pays tribute to African ancestorsand their history.

Admission to the performances is includedwith Jamestown Settlement general admissionof $16.75 for adults, $7.75 for ages 6-12. Chil-dren under 6 are free. A combination ticketwith the Yorktown Victory Center, where in-terpretive programming in February also has a“From Africa to Virginia” theme, is $21.00 foradults, $10.50 for ages 6 through 12.

For more information about the museumand “From Africa to Virginia” theme month,call (888) 593-4682 toll-free or 253-4838,or visit www.historyisfun.org.

African-American folk tales, songs takecenter stage at Jamestown settlement

Courtesy photo

Tired of the cold weather?Visit Norfolk Botanical Gar-den’s (NBG) warm tropicalhouse and feel like you havetraveled to the tropics. TheGarden has a special visitor –Orchids! The Second AnnualWinter Orchid Display is nowopen through March 29, from9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Many of the orchids wereprovided by the TidewaterOrchid Society and Old Do-minion University (ODU)– Arthur and Phyllis KaplanOrchid Conservatory andResearch Greenhouse. Theseblooming beauties are nestledthroughout the tropical dis-play house.

Bring your camera andtake time to explore! Thereare more than 150 bloomingplants – beautiful colors andvarieties of orchids you won’twant to miss!

The NBG Director of Hor-ticulture Brian O’Neill sayshe doesn’t have just one fa-vorite.

“I especially love thehybrid varieties with all ofthe stunning color and uniquedetail,” he said. “This is aspecial exhibit and we arethrilled to have a special part-nership with ODU and theTidewater Orchid Society.”

Discover the warmth ofthe NBG Tropical Display

House and enjoy the beautyof winter orchids. The Housealso features a wide varietyof interesting plants includ-ing begonias, gingers, palmsand a large number of bro-meliads. Though most ofthese plants are not hardy tothis region, they thrive in thetropical rainforests aroundthe world.

This winter exhibit is freewith paid Garden admission.Mark your calendar for theupcoming Tidewater OrchidSociety Show & Sale begin-ning Friday, March 27 - 29.

For more information, visithttp://norfolkbotanicalgar-den.org.

See the Winter Orchid Display

Lynnhaven Mall • 757-631-6940

Inside USA Living, Virginia Beach • 3320 Holland Rd., 757-368-1800

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FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | C3

Brandpoint

Whether you're smitten after datingfor only a month or your relationshiphas a soothing rhythm after manyyears of marriage, your affections de-serve to be celebrated this Valentine'sDay. Finding the perfect way to sayyou care, however, is often easier saidthan done. Stop stressing and considerthese top trends and unique gift ideas,all custom-fitted to the length of yourrelationship.

The smitten kittenYou're infatuated with your new

relationship and every time you goon a date, you get butterflies in yourstomach. You just started dating a fewweeks or months ago, but you want tomake sure the day is extra special.

Classic Valentine's Day gestures aretime-tested ways to show you care.Start by sending gorgeous bloomsto her – such as the Hugs and Kissesbouquet from ProFlowers that containsone dozen tulips and one dozen irises.For him, go for something more mas-culine he can put on his desk, like theChinese Elm Bonsai from ProPlants.

Complete the gesture by wrappingup a classic rom-com movie and planan evening in to view it together. Givethe gift along with a hand-writtencard when you see your new love inperson – it's sure to leave a lasting im-pression.

Over-the-moon in loveLazy afternoons together, inside jokes

and nicknames – you're head over heelsin love. This might be the person whoyou want to spend the rest of your lifewith, so you want to do somethingunique on Valentine's Day.

Show your love how sweet you thinkhe or she is with some decadent treatsand a fun scavenger hunt. Plan it out atyour house or another special location,writing hints for each step along the wayon heart-shaped paper. This is a fun ac-tivity for both men and women.You canopt to have one big sweet gift at the endor hide small treats along the way witheach clue. The top trends for decadentValentine's Day sweets can be foundat Shari's Berries. From HandmadeValentine's Love Bug Brownie Pops tounforgettable gourmet dipped strawber-ries, Shari's Berries will have your lovesmiling and swooning over the delicioustreats.

HoneymoonersYou're recently married and still in the

honeymoon phase. Planning your lifetogether is an exciting journey and yourone-of-a-kind love should be honoredon Valentine's Day.

When shopping, look for gifts thatcan be used long after the day is com-plete. Check out Personal Creations forpersonalized items you won't find any-where else. Show your cheeky side witha fun canvas print perfect for the kitchen

that says "You are the eggs to my bacon"with both your names in beautiful script.For him, a customized leather watch boxwith his initials is a sophisticated gift –pair it with his favorite cologne or candyand he'll grin from ear to ear. Person-alized gifts will serve as a reminder ofyour love every day of the year!

The endless flameYou've been with your partner for

many years, but just because you've hityour stride doesn't mean you're any lessinfatuated with him or her than whenyou first fell in love. Keep your flameburning bright by planning an extra-spe-cial night at home for just the two of you.

Get some snacks that pair well withyour favorite bottle of wine and preparefor an intimate evening. Instead of run-ning from store to store, order the BestWith Wine gift basket from CherryMoon Farms. It features carefully cu-rated items infused with or that comple-ment wine, like fresh Gold and Crimsonpears, award-winning cheese and deca-dent chocolate.

Then, spend a few hours doing some-thing that reminds you of why you aretogether. You might watch your wed-ding video or maybe the first movieyou ever saw together when you weredating. Go through old photos and havefun reminiscing. These reminders ofspecial moments demonstrate why yourlove is endless and are sure to make fora very special Valentine's Day.

TOP WAYS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE’SDAY FOR ANY RELATIONSHIP STAGE

Valentines | part 2 of 3

By Janet TharpeJust A Pinch

Add a zing to your Valentine’s Day with MalindaColetta’s citrusy-sweet Valentine Sugar Cookies! Weused orange zest in our test batch and were thrilled withthe refreshingly light flavor. Add your favorite icing,or maybe drizzle with some chocolate, and you have aspecial treat!

Citrus adds flavor tothese sugar cookies

Ingredients■ 4 c flour ■ 1 tsp baking powder ■ 3/4 tsp salt ■

2 1/2 sticks butter, cut in pieces ■ 3/4 c sugar ■ 1large egg, plus one egg white ■ 2 tsp lemon, limeor orange zest

Directions■ In a food processor, combine flour, bakingpowder and salt. Pulse to mix. ■ Add butter andpulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. ■ Addsugar, eggs and lemon zest. Process until mixtureresembles wet sand. ■Turn mixture out onto a light-ly floured surface; knead several times until doughcomes together. ■ Divide into 3 portions; flatteneach into a disk. ■ Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thick-ness between sheets of parchment. ■ Stack dough(still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate20 minutes. ■ Preheat oven to 375 degrees, withracks in middle and lower thirds. ■ Working with 1dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save forbaking). ■ With lightly floured cutters, cut doughinto desired shapes and arrange, 1 inch apart, ontwo parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets (re-rollscraps, if desired). ■ Bake until cookies are set butstill pale, 7 to 9 minutes, rotating sheets halfwaythrough. ■Transfer cookies to wire racks and letcool completely. ■ Using a pastry bag and tip, frostcookies with icing and decorate with sugar!

Courtesy of Just A Pinch

Courtesy of Brandpoint

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Valid with Military ID. Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply.Subject to availability. Excludes premium seats. All tickets $2 more day of show.

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Arts&Entertainment

The Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | C4

$3 Movies JEB Little Creek,GatorTheater – 462-7534

Thursday - February 056p.m. Unbroken (PG-13)

Friday - February 066p.m. Big Eyes (PG-13)9p.m. American Sniper (R)

Saturday - February 071p.m. Night at the Museum:Secret of theTomb (PG)4p.m. SNEAK PREVIEW -McFarland, USA (PG)

Sunday - February 081p.m. Big Hero 6 (NDVD -Free Admission) (PG)4p.m. American Sniper (R)7p.m. The Hobbit: Battle ofFive Armies (3-D) (PG-13)

Admission to all movies isonly $3 per person at bothAerotheater and GatorTheater. Children ages twoand younger are admitted free.Patrons 17 years of age oryounger must be accompaniedby a paying adult to attend allR rated movies. Doors openapproximately one hour beforeshowtimes. Both theaters arenow accepting credit cards foradmission and snacks.

Schedule is subject tochange. For your weeklymovie showtimes and more,check out the Navy Mid-Atlantic Region MWR websiteat discovermwr.com.

basetheaters

intheatersnow

NAS Oceana,Aerotheater – 433-2495

Friday - February 066p.m. American Sniper (R)9p.m. The Gambler (R)

Saturday - February 0712p.m. Night at the Muse-um: Secret of theTomb (PG)3p.m. Big Eyes (PG-13)6p.m. Unbroken (PG-13)9p.m. The Hobbit: Battle ofFive Armies (3-D) (PG-13)

Sunday - February 081p.m. Exodus: Gods andKings (PG-13)4p.m. The Imitation Game(PG-13)7p.m. American Sniper (R)

The SpongebobMovie: SpongeOut Of WaterSpongeBob goes on aquest to discover a stolenrecipe that takes him to ourdimension, our world, wherehe tangles with a pirate.SpongeBob SquarePants andpals come to the real worldin this sequel from directorPaul Tibbitt (who previ-ously worked as a screen-writer on The SpongeBobSquarePants Movie).

Seventh SonA powerful knight trainshis young apprentice to dobattle against a diabolicalwitch who is gathering anarmy to wage supernaturalwar on all of mankind in thisadaptation of author JosephDelaney's young-adult novelThe Spook's Apprentice.Years ago, brave MasterGregory (Jeff Bridges)succeeded in capturingevil enchantress MotherMalkin (Julianne Moore),and locking her away torot in prison. Now MotherMalkin has escaped, andshe's hungry for revenge. Asher followers gather power,the dreaded witch revealsher infernal intentions tothe noble knight who onceimprisoned her, and whonow has until the next fullmoon to train Tom Ward(Ben Barnes), the seventhson of a seventh son, todefend humanity against athreat whose evil knows nobounds.

JupiterAscendingMila Kunis stars as JupiterJones, an everyday girl inthe future whose life takesan unexpected turn when anex-soldier (Channing Tatum)comes looking for her inhopes that she can live up toher destiny as the savior ofthe universe. Andy and LanaWachowski once again diptheir feet into sci-fi territorywith this sprawling WarnerBros. epic.

Courtesy of Village RoadshowPictures / Warner Bros.

Courtesy of ParamountAnimation / Nickelodeon

Movies

American Sniper: Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle’s pinpointaccuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns himinto a legend. Back home to family after four tours of duty,however, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

Courtesy of Warner Bros

HAMPTON ROADS HARLEY-DAVIDSON6450 G. Washington Hwy., Rt. 17, Yorktown

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Have You Gotten AnyFlowers Lately?

Digital Projection, Surround Sound & 3-D

Military $6.50

10:30, 1:35, 4:15, 7:00, 10:00

9:35

10:30, 12:45, 3:00, 5:15

7:35, 10:15

)11:05, 1:55, 4:30, 7:25, 9:55

12:10, 2:35, 4:55, 7:15

11:30, 2:10, 4:40, 7:20, 10:10

Movies & Times Subject to Change

12:15, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:05

1:00, 3:45, 6:45, 9:20

3D: 5:20, 10:252D: 12:00, 2:20, 7:55

(PG) 3D: 6:05, 10:35(PG) 2D: 11:00, 1:20, 3:40, 8:25

SportsThe Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | C5

By Jonathan McLartyContributing Writer

Vanguard Championship Wrestling (VCW) will return to NorfolkMasonic Temple on Saturday, Febr. 7. This event will be headlined bytwo main event title matches. “Mr. Mid Atlantic” Damien Wayne willbe defending his VCW United States Liberty Championship against TheReason, and VCW Heavyweight Champion Dirty Money will defend histitle against the returning Rhett Titus.

If you missed VCW’s event in December, you missed several notewor-thy happenings. Steve Corino used some questionable tactics to defeat“Mr. Xcellence” Brandon Scott in a match to determine the Number OneContender to the VCW Heavyweight Championship. Steve Corino will beunable to attend the Feb. 7 event, but I’m sure fans of VCW will be able toyell at him at a future event. The Reason (with Jerry Stephanitsis) defeatedCountry Kidd after a devastating back senton from the top rope. VCW’sresident French mime Jean Jean Lebon was defeated by “The HomelessLuchador” Chatch. Jean Jean introduced tables and chairs into the match,but Chatch was able to get the upper hand. Following the match, Big MC123 and Benjamin “Money” Banks (collectively known as Quarter Poundand Ground) stormed the ring and attacked Jean Jean and Chatch. DespiteJean Jean and Chatch’s storied history, the masked competitors will teamup to take on Quarter Pound and Ground on Feb. 7.

The VCW Commonwealth Heritage Championship was on the lineas RH3 (with Jerry Stephanitsis) defended against his brother JamesDallas Hall. Both men pulled out all the stops in this contest. RH3 at-tempted a top rope crossbody to Hall, but got caught in the single-legBoston crab submission hold. RH3 tapped out and is no longer theCommonwealth Heritage Champion. Post-match, The Reason enteredthe ring and looked on, disappointingly, at RH3. As Reason assistedRH3 to his feet, Reason delivered a powerful back breaker to RH3.Stephanitsis and his crew no longer want to be associated with RH3after the title loss. Putting family first, James Dallas Hall returned toring to fend off any further attack from Reason.

Careers were on the line as Mugabi went up against Idol X. The loser ofthe match had to leaveVCW. There were no rules in this match as both menbrawled around ringside and Idol delivered multiple chairshots to Mugabi.Idol X pulled out the victory and Mugabi is now gone from VCW. Despitea competitive effort, Mr. Class defeated Devin Lopez. VCW Tag TeamChampions The Platinum Enforcers (Phil Brown and C.W. Anderson)defended their titles against Lance and Harlem – The Bravado Brothers.This was an exciting contest between four talented tag-team competitors.A double-team move by the Bravados tweaked the Platinum Icon’s knee,causing Brown to scream in pain. With Brown on the sidelines, Andersondelivered a spinebuster to Harlem Bravado for the victory. As Andersonand referee Dustin Pruitt tended to Brown’s injury, The Geordie Bulldogs(Sean and Mark Denny) made their way out to ringside. The mood quicklychanged as The Bulldogs made it known that they no longer listen to whatthe VCW fans think. Sean Denny demanded that he cash-in his LibertyLottery title shot right away for the Tag Team Championships. The matchbegan and CW Anderson was able to deliver a superkick right away toSean, almost derailing The Bulldog’s title aspirations. However, the num-bers game took over and Mark Denny delivered a crushing blow to Ander-son to get the three count. The Geordie Builldogs are now the new VCWTag Team Champions.

In the night’s main event, VCW United States Liberty ChampionDamien Wayne defended his title against Chris Escobar. Earlier in theevening, Escobar addressed the fans to inform them that he would bemoving to Boston to be with his son, so his last VCW match would takeplace that evening. He hoped to leave the area while holding the UnitedStates Liberty title. Both men have had many memorable battles in thispast and this match held up with the rest of them. Following a piledriverand a top rope elbow drop by Wayne, Escobar stayed down for the threecount. Escobar was given a sendoff by the VCW locker room and thefans in attendance.

Also signed for the Feb. 7 event: Former United States Liberty Cham-pion Jay Steel will return from his injuries and will take on Krotch. Formore information and to purchase advance tickets, visit VCW-Wres-tling.com.

Jonathan McLarty is a contributing writer for The Flagship, as well as alocal sports and event photographer. Connect with him on Twitter (@Jon-athanMcLarty) and view his photography at McLartyPhoto.Zenfolio.com.

DOUBLE MAINEVENTS TOHEADLINE VCWEVENT THISWEEKEND

Flagshipexclusive

mixedmartialarts

By Thomas GerbasiUFC.com

Much of the drama around theUFC 183 co-main event betweenwelterweight contenders TyronWoodley and Kelvin Gastelumcentered around Gastelum weigh-ing in at 180 pounds for the 170-pound bout on Friday. Unfortu-nately, that remained the extent ofthe drama on Saturday night, asWoodley won a close, but unin-spiring, split decision at the MGMGrand Garden Arena.

Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and28-29.

There was little notable action inthe opening round, with the crowdrefusing to be shy about letting thefighters know their displeasure.

After more circling in the open-ing stages of round two, Woodleystunned Gastelum with a righthand and a fight finally broke out,both fighters becoming more ag-gressive. Woodley’s right was themost effective weapon, and Gas-telum didn’t have anything in hisarsenal close to matching it.

Gastelum got more aggressive inthe third, knowing that he neededa big round to turn things around,and while he got cut over the lefteye, the Arizonan was landing hisshare of shots. It wasn’t enoughto hurt or finish Woodley though,leaving “The Chosen One” to pickup the victory and keep himself inthe title race. With the win, Wood-ley improves to 15-3; Gastelumfalls to 11-1.

IAQUINTA vs. LAUZONLong Island lightweight Al Ia-

quinta made his case for a movefrom prospect to contender, ashe collected his second big namevictim, following up his Novem-ber win over Ross Pearson witha second-round stoppage of JoeLauzon.

Iaquinta began the fight lookingfor takedowns, but came up shorttwice. Lauzon’s response was aseries of hard shots to the head,drawing a rise from the crowd.Iaquinta bounced back nicely,throwing combinations and land-ing hard leg kicks. In the finalminute, the bout went to the mat,with Lauzon going for a guillotinechoke briefly, but after standing,Iaquinta ripped off more combina-tions before getting stuffed on atakedown before the horn.

The back and forth action con-tinued in round two, but midwaythrough the frame, Iaquinta drilledLauzon with a straight right andwobbled him. The right hands keptcoming as Lauzon staggered butwouldn’t go down. But after sev-eral more hard shots, referee MarcGoddard wisely stepped in at the3:34 mark. With the win, Iaquintaups his record to 11-3-1; Lauzonfalls to 24-11.

LEITES vs. BOETSCHThales Leites had to dig deep

to get his eighth straight victory,but the middleweight contenderfinished in style for the third con-secutive bout, submitting TimBoetsch in the second round of anexciting 185-pound battle.

There was plenty of good backand forth action in the openingframe, and even though both fight-

ers had their moments, Boetsch’spunches had more weight behindthem, and he had Leites hurt latein the round. Boetsch (18-8) keptlanding bombs in the second,and he looked to be close to fin-ishing the Brazilian in the thirdminute. But the resilient Leites(25-4) was able to get a takedown,and moments later, he sunk in anarm triangle choke. Boetsch wasin deep trouble, but he escaped.The second time Leites sunk it inthough, it was lights out for “TheBarbarian,” with the end coming at3:45 of round two.

ALVES vs. MEINLongtime welterweight con-

tender Thiago Alves looked likehe was in for a rough night againstCanada’s Jordan Mein in themain card opener, but after land-ing a devastating body kick in thesecond round, the “Pitbull” fin-ished his opponent for the victoryin his first bout since last April.

The first round could not havegone much better for Mein, as hetagged Alves almost at will whilebarely getting touched in return.Mein nearly finished the bout inthe final minute as well, jarring theBrazilian with vicious elbows atclose range.

The second round was an entire-ly different story though, as Alvescaught Mein with a right kick tothe body that dropped Mein hardto the mat. Alves pounced, andafter a blitz of strikes, refereeHerb Dean halted the bout at the39-second mark.

With the win, Alves ups hisrecord to 26-9; Mein falls to 29-10.

Woodley wins, but other UFC183 main carders steal show

Above: Chris Escobar witha back senton splash toDamien Wayne.

Photos by Jonathan McLarty.

Left: Damien Wayne withthe top rope elbow drop toChris Escobar.

Military Newspapers of Virginia is seeking a part time editorial assistant. Duties include writing original stories, proofreading, editing for a weekly print publication, and maintaining websites. This position will split their time between the Public Affairs Offi ce at Oceana and the Military Newspapers Offi ce in Norfolk. The position is part time, Monday- Friday work week, but can involve some evening and weekend events.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: • Production of original editorial copy, including hard news and features, and copy editing.• Rewriting press releases and wire stories to specifi c style guidelines.• Communication liaison between Public Affairs Offi ce staff and Military Newspapers team.• Attention to detail ensuring quality and deadline compliance.• Locate and upload credible internet stories/photos of interest to military audience for use on Military Newspapers websites.• Adhere to all corporate policies and procedures in conduct of business. Exhibits a cooperative, solution- oriented approach to problem solving.• Works independently and handles projects from start to fi nish.• Assist with updating and maintaining Military Newspaper social media accounts. QUALIFICATIONS:• 3 - 5 years related work experience or equivalent education in journalism, communication, or similar fi eld.• Able to apply Associated Press Style Guide and Navy Style Guide rules to news stories.• Profi cient with PC computer and Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat, as well as MS Offi ce (Excel, Word, Outlook, Access, and PowerPoint).• Prior military background or knowledge of the military is preferred.• A strong, demonstrated commitment to high-quality customer service.• Experience working in a monthly, weekly or daily newsprint and/or glossy quality publication environment.• Able to adjust to fl exible schedule during special events.

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for details and showings. OPEN HOUSE DATES 2/7, 2/14, & 2/21 from 9AM-1PM.

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1300 sq.ft. $1250 mo. neg. Call anytime.757-620-8509.

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FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | C7

FunandGames

lastweek'sanswers

Sudoku

CryptoQuip answerIf the puppet Howdy Doody were to wed actress Funicello, would a marionette marry Annette?

ReligiousServicesJEB Little Creek ChapelROMAN CATHOLICMass schedule: 5 p.m., Sat.(fulfills Sunday obligation)8:30 a.m. & 12:15 p.m. , Sun.Confessions:3:30 - 4:45 p.m., Sat.

PROTESTANTSun. School : 9 a.m. Sun.(Ages 4 - Adult)AWANA / Children’s Church :10 a.m., Sun. (Ages 4 - 10)Worship service:10:30 a.m.,Sun.Fellowship: 11:30 a.m., Sun.Coffeehouse: 5 p.m., Sun.Bible Study/ Band Practice:5 p.m., Mon.WOC: 9:30 a.m., WedChapel choir practice: 7 p.m.,Wed.Handbell choir: 7 p.m. Thurs.

NWS Yorktown ChapelROMAN CATHOLICMass schedule: 8:30 a.m., Sun.

PROTESTANTWorship service:10:30 a.m.,Sun.

NSA NorthwestAnnex ChapelROMAN CATHOLICRosary: 9:30 a.m., Sun.Confessions: 9:30 a.m., Sun.Mass Schedule: 10 a.m., Sun.CCD (Sept-May) 11 a.m., Sun.

PROTESTANT (EPISCOPAL)Worship service: 8 a.m., Sun.VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLJuly 29 - Aug. 2; 6 to 8 p.m.

JEB Fort Story ChapelROMAN CATHOLICMass schedule: 9 a.m., Sun.Bible study: 9:30 a.m., Tues.

PROTESTANTWorship service:11 a.m., Sun.Bible study: Noon, Wed.

Naval Station NorfolkROMAN CATHOLICOur Lady of Victory ChapelMass schedule: 11:45 a.m.,Wed. | 10 a.m., Sun.

PROTESTANTDavid Adams MemorialChapel Worship services:10:30 a.m., Sun.

Jewish SABBATHCommodore Levy Chapel(Second Floor Bldg. C7)Sabbath: 7 p.m., Fri.(Sabbath Fellowship OnegShabbot Follows)

ISLAMIC WORSHIP: Masjid alDa’wah 2nd Floor (Bldg. C-7)Services: 1 p.m., Fri.Chapels are open daily forprayer.

NAS Oceana ChapelROMAN CATHOLICMass schedule: 11:30 a.m.,Tues.-Fri.9 a.m. & 12:15 p.m., Sun.

PROTESTANTSun. school: 9:15 a.m., Sun.Worship service: 10:40 a.m.,Sun.Bible study: 11 a.m., Wed.

Dam Neck AnnexChapelROMAN CATHOLICConfessions: 4:15 p.m., Sat.Mass Schedule: 5 p.m., Sat.

PROTESTANTWorship service: 9 a.m., Sun.

Norfolk: 444-7361JEBLCFS: 462-7427Yorktown: 887-4711Oceana: 433-2871Dam Neck: 492-6602NSA NorthwestAnnex: 421-8204

contactinfo

For stories from the Chaplain’s Corner, visitwww.flagshipnews.com/news/chaplains_corner/

dutychaplain

The Duty Chaplainstands by to serve andis available 24 hours aday, seven days a week.Conversations areconfidential. Contactthe Duty Chaplain bycalling 438-3822.

• For active-duty, retired military, their eligible family members and active or retired civil service employees If you are retired military or retired DOD civilian, include current employer and work phone number on the application.

• Only 5 ads per week, per household• Renewals, corrections and cancellations cannot be

taken by phone and must be resubmitted• Illegible, too long or otherwise do not conform

to instructions will not be published and must be resubmitted for the next issue

• Automotive ads must begin with make, model and year

• Real estate ads must begin with name of city, neighborhood and must be your primary residence.

• Ads will not be accepted via offi cial mailing channels such as guard mail or postage and fees paid indicia.

• Free ads cannot be of a commercial nature (i. e., business opportunities, help wanted, etc) and must be personal property of the eligible member. Should not represent a sustained income or business or listed through agents or representatives.

• When advertising a home for rent or home for sale, the home must be THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE. (All rental properties are considered paid ads.)

Get online!Get online!Submit your classifi ed ad and advertise for FREERestrictions do apply see below for details

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To advertise with Military Newspapers of Virginia, call Dot Way at 757-222-5374.

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