Lighthouse July 14, 2011

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Vol. 11, No. 14 | Thursday, July 14, 2011www.thelighthousenews.com

WHATS INSIDENBVC SEABEE DAYS 2011: 12-PAGE PULLOUT INSIDE

FILE PHOTO BY PHAN JOHN P. CURTIS / U.S. NAVY

A firepower demonstration using a M-240B machine gun is part of the parade ceremoniesat Seabee Days at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. In Seabee Days tradition,Seabees collect the spent cartridges after the parade and hand them out to awestruck

children.Special Seabee Days pullout section, Pages 19-30.

All fired up for

Seabee Days

Vendor applications are nowbeing accepted by Naval BaseVentura County (NBVC) for thefourth annual NBVC Point MuguSurf Contest Presented by Qui-ksilver, scheduled for Aug. 20 and

21 at Surfers Beach.Outside vendors cant sell food

at the event, but drink vendorsare welcome. Those interestedneed to call Morale, Welfare andRecreation at 982-5554, or theycan stop by MWR at Building

1180, NBVC Port Hueneme, topick up an application.

More than 100 surfers have

Surf contest is Aug. 20-21

Surfers Point at Naval BaseVentura County, Point Mugu,will be closed Aug. 1-12 forrange testing.

Beach closing

The public is invited to meetthe Navys construc-tion battalions the men and women who havebuilt bridges, airstrips, ports and roads allover theworld as Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hue-neme, hosts NBVC Seabee Days 2011 on Saturdayand Sunday, July 23 and 24.

Theres also a special Military Night on Friday,

July 22, for anyone with base access.Admission and parking are free.What youll find in a 12-page pullout inside: Who Seabees are and what they do, Page 19. Listing of Seabee Days activities, Page 19. Profiles of NMCB 3, Page 22; NMCB 4, Page

23; NMCB 5, Page 26; and NMCB 40, Page 27. Inside the new Seabee Museum, Page 28. Profiles of those being honored in the military

parade Saturday, July 23, Page 29. Map of the event, Pages 24-25.Well see you at Seabee Days!

No admission, free parkingfor July 23-24 event

PHOTO BY ANDREA HOWRY / LIGHTHOUSE

Jake, an NBVC military working dog, apprehends Capt. DavidSasek, NBVC chief staff officer, at the new base kennel. Page 18.

SEE SURF, PAGE 16

he F-4S Phantom II at Missile Parknext to NBVC Point Mugu is beingrepainted, but not with brushes orsprayers. Sheets of painted vinyl arebeing applied in a technique that isriendlier to both the environmentnd pocketbook. Page 3

Capt. Matthew W. Danehy, left,succeeds Capt. David L. Buttram

s Commander, Airborne Commandontrol and Logistics Wing. Page 10

his utility truck is one of severaliesel-powered hybrid vehicles being

ested for possible deployment toNavy and Marine bases worldwide.Page 12.


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By Captain Jim McHughNBVC Commanding Ofcer

THE LIGHTHOUSE IS PUBLISHED AT NO COST TO THE GOVERN-MENT EVERY OTHER THURSDAY BY THE STAR, OF CAMARILLO,CA. THE STAR IS A PRIVATE FIRM IN NO WAY CONNECTED WITHTHE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OR THE UNITED STATES NAVY,UNDER WRITTEN CONTRACT WITH NAVAL BASE VENTURACOUNTY. THE LIGHTHOUSE IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED CIVILIANENTERPRISE NEWSPAPER FOR MEMBERS OF THE U.S. NAVY,CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, RETIREES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERSIN THE VENTURA COUNTY AREA. CONTENTS OF THE PAPER ARENOT NECESSARILY THE OFFICIAL VIEWS OF, NOR ENDORSED BY,THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,OR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AND DO NOT IMPLY EN-DORSEMENT THEREOF. THE APPEARANCE OF ADVERTISING INTHIS PUBLICATION INCLUDING INSERTS AND SUPPLEMENTS,DOES NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENTOF DEFENSE, THE U.S. NAVY OR THE STAR, OF THE PRODUCTSOR SERVICES ADVERTISED. EVERYTHING ADVERTISED IN THISPUBLICATION SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE, USE

OR PATRONAGE WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, RELIGION,SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, MARITAL STATUS, PHYSICALHANDICAP, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, OR ANY OTHER NON-MERITFACTOR OF THE PURCHASER, USE, OR PATRON. IF A VIOLATIONOR REJECTION OF THIS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY BY AN AD-VERTISER IS CONFIRMED, THE PUBLISHER SHALL REFUSE TOPRINT ADVERTISING FROM THAT SOURCE UNTIL THE VIOLATIONIS CORRECTED. EDITORIAL CONTENT IS EDITED, PREPAREDAND PROVIDED TO THE PUBLISHER BY THE LOCAL INSTALLA-TION PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICES UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THENAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE.

COMMANDING OFFICER

CAPT. JIM McHUGH

CHIEF STAFF OFFICER

CAPT. DAVID SASEK

LIGHTHOUSE EDITOR

ANDREA HOWRY

[email protected]

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

TERI REID

PUBLISHER

GEORGE H. COGSWELL III

Ventura County Star

NICHE PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR

MICHAEL HOFFMAN

[email protected]

ADVERTISING

JANE ALVAREZ

[email protected]

N AVA L B A S E V E N T U R A C O U N T Y

Please submit your questions or comments to Lighthouse Editor Andrea Howry at [email protected]

800-221-STAR (7827)

Ask theCaptain

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Welcome to Seabee Days and we hope youll come back!I wish to extend a personal invitation for you to come

honor our Navys construction battalions and experi-

ence first-hand their can-do spirit as Naval Base

Ventura County, Port Hueneme, proudly hosts NBVCSeabee Days 2011.

This special edition of The Lighthouse tells you all

about the many activities on July 23 and 24 and on

Military Night, July 22. Come join us for this free event!

In addition, I want to tell you about five more NBVC

events this year that are open to the public. For more

information on any of these events, call 982-5554, check

Facebook at NBVC Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, SanNicolas Island or call up the base website at http://

www.cnic.navy.mil/ventura/.

The NBVC Point Mugu Surf Contest Presented by

Quiksilver. This is the fourth year NBVC Point Mugu

has hosted a surf contest, and it gets bigger and more

popular every year. Its Aug. 20 and 21 from 7 a.m. to

5 p.m. at Surfers Beach, and, just like Seabee Days,

theres free parking and free admission. If you want tocompete theres still time to register at www.active.com.

The Wounded Warrior Half Marathon. Register at

Active.com to take part in one of three races starting

at the NBVC Point Mugu Gym on Sept. 17: a half-

marathon at 7:30 a.m., a 5K run at 7:45 or an 8 a.m.Military Mile thats open to individuals as well as units

that want to run in formation. NBVC hosts a training

camp for the Navys wounded warriors who want to

compete in the annual military-wide Warrior Games,

and several of the athletes are expected to attend this

half marathon.

The Haunted Swamp. Join military families for a

scary visit to the Seabreeze Aquatics Center at NBVCPort Hueneme from 4 to 10 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30.

The Laguna Peak Challenge on Nov. 19. Race up

the switchbacks to a spot near the radar facility across

from NBVC Point Mugu. Time to be determined.

The Year-to-Year Run on Dec. 31. Usher in 2012

by running in this 5K that starts a few minutes before

midnight. Details will be released soon.

I hope youll join us for each of these fun events.And dont forget Seabee Days!

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By Andrea HowryLighthouse editor

Its been raining for a month thatconstant, steady drizzle that makes you

earn for just five minutes of sunshine.The roads are muddy, the parking lots

are flooding, the roof is starting toleak.

And then things get much, muchworse.

The winds pick up and the rain fallsfaster, but now theres nowhere for it togo. Mudslides wash out highways. TheOxnard Plain is under water and soare the roads. Water seeps under thedoors and starts to soak the carpeting inbase housing. Winds blow the roof offan office building and threaten to do thesame to others.

Now what?Citadel Rumble, a Navy Region South-

west and Northwest disaster exercise, isset for July 18 and 19, and this scenarioenvisions a 100-year storm that forcesevacuations at Naval Base Ventura Coun-ty (NBVC), Point Mugu, and damagesbuildings and injures people at NBVCPort Hueneme.

Longtime Ventura County residents

know this scenario isnt far-fetched.These severe weather events were

modeled from storms in 1998, 1983 and1980, explained Robert Huether, instal-lation training officer and lead coordina-tor of this event.

He also used scenarios faced by NavalSupport Activity Mid-South in Milling-ton, Tenn., in 2010.

San Nicolas Island is also involved inthe exercise. The scenario assumes the

supply barge has not been able to reachthe island for several weeks.

Huether hopes the exercise will makepeople understand the importance of:

Having a disaster preparedness kit athome.

Making sure everyone in the familyhas up-to-date emergency contact infor-mation at all times.

Knowing an evacuation route from

both home and office. Knowing what to do with pets should

mandatory evacuations be ordered.This will be one of the most difficult

exercises weve conducted because itssupposed to happen over time, he said.Its not a sudden emergency. It buildsand builds.

Huether said gate access will not beaffected on July 18 or 19, but peopleshould expect road detours on base dur-

ing the exercise, which runs from 8 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. each day.

Stormy weather: Disaster exercise July 18, 19


Crews from AP Studio in Ridgecrest wrap painted sheets of vinyl around the F-4S PhantomII in Missile Park. Officials say repainting aircraft this way is more environmentally friendlyand less expensive than using a paint sprayer. Below, Shawn Murata applies the vinyl tothe underside of a wing.


The F-4S Phantom II at Missile Park,adjacent to Naval Base Ventura County,PointMugu, is getting a newcoatof paint

and there isnt a paintbrush or powersprayer in sight.Instead, the jet is being wrapped in

painted vinyl, a technique that is friend-lier to both the environment and pocket-

Jet paint joball wrapped up

SEE PAINT, PAGE 32

Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) istaking part in a Feds Feed Families fooddrive campaign to collect 2 million poundsof food nationwide for food banks acrosshe country.

This is the first time the Department ofDefense has participated in Feds Feed

amilies. Last summer traditionally theime of year when food banks are most ineed of donations the campaign col-

lected 1.7 million pounds of food, farexceeding the goal of 1.2 million

ounds.Feds Feed Families is a way for base

employees to give back to our local com-unities, said NBVC Public Affairs Of-

ficer Teri Reid, who is assisting Lt. Deann

oleman, staff chaplain, with the localcampaign. This is an opportunity forNBVC Sailors and civilians alike to makea difference and help fill a critical need inour local communities.

Base takingart in federal

food driveBarrels for cans andother non-perishablesare set up all over NBVC

SEE FOOD, PAGE 16

COMMUNITYCALENDAR

BACKPACK BRIGADE:

E-1 to E-6 families whohave pre-registeredcan get a free

backpack from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,Fleet & Family Support Center, Port

Hueneme. Details, Page 7.

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JulySEABEE DAYS: MilitaryNight starts Fridayat 4 p.m.; public isinvited Saturday, July

23, and Sunday, July24, starting at 9 a.m. both days.Details, Pages 19-30.

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HEAT OF SUMMER

5K: Registration at10:30 a.m. at NBVCPoint Mugu Swimming

Beach. 1K kids fun run at 11:15a.m.; 5K at 11:30 a.m. Free ofcharge. Information: 989-7378.

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LUNCHEON: TheVentura CountyChapter of the MilitaryOfficers Association

of America meets at 11:30 a.m.at the Bard Mansion, NBVC, PortHueneme. $13 ticket includeslunch and presentation by Dr.Michael Jamison. Reservation andinformation: 484-3864.

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August

CAMARILLO AIR

SHOW: Two-day eventwith military ticketsdiscounted to $10 at

the gate, with ID. Kids under 12are free. Information:www.WingsOverCamarillo.com.

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SURFS UP: Two-day,

fourth annual NBVCPoint Mugu SurfContest Presented

by Quiksilver, Surfers Beach. LasPosas Gate opens at 7 a.m. bothdays. Details, Page 1.

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In my younger days I spent everyspare moment at the pool or beachcatching rays. My motto was, Shewho dies with the best tan wins. Iwould swim, apply fresh lotion, thenread and repeat.

OK, that was in my foolish days.While I no longer strive for the best tan,

I look back on those days relishing thewonderful books I consumed whilebasking in the sun.

Catching rays are no longer my pas-sion, but summer reading continues tobe. A book can capture my imagination,whisk me off to another place or time,open new worlds, inform, inspire, chal-lenge or educate. Reading broadens myhorizons. And reading can be a wonder-ful way to recharge my batteries.

Have you enjoyed a good book re-cently? Are there books on your shelfyou have been meaning or hoping toget to? With the emergence of talkingbooks and electronic books, it is easierthan ever to enjoy the company of agood book.

My husband is an avid reader. I was

amazed to learn of the library of bookson his smart phone. A book is such awelcomed reprieve for him and manyof his shipmates, especially duringworkups and deployment.

Since the beginning of the year wehave combined our shared love of read-ing to draw us together during the in-voluntary separation of workups anddeployment. We are reading the samebooks. This has been wonderful! WhenScott is home, we read together beforeretiring for the night. When apart, we

continue to read the same book at thesame time. When apart, we may notalways talk in depth about the bookswe are reading together, but we aresharing the experience of these books and that is priceless.

So what have we read so far, and whatis on the list for the summer? I thought

youd never ask. Scott and I both lovehistory, self-improvement and classics,and our list reflects this:

Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lew-is. I know, childrens books right? Pickthem up and I dare you to put themdown.

Under God by Toby Mac and Mi-chael Tait. The authors may be familiarto you as two of the three members ofthe award-winning Christian band, dcTalk. This book explores what itmeans to be a nation under God. Agreat read!

The Marriage Code by Bill and PamFarrel. We love this couple and theirinsight into marriage. Youll enjoy the irhumor, research and insight throughthis book.

The Marriage Book by Nicky andSila Lee. This is by far the best bookwe have ever read on marriage. Checkout the chapter on involuntary separa-tion. They interviewed and met withmany, many military couples for thischapter. Outstanding book!

The Gettysburg Address. Yes, you

read that right. We visited Gettysburgbattlefield last year and decided weneed to read our historical docu-ments.

The Constitution of the UnitedStates. Yep, see above.

The Bulletproof George Washing-ton by David Barton. Did you knowGeorge Washington was the only officeron horseback not shot during theFrench and Indian war? Learn more!

I hope youll join us in diving into agood book. What is sitting on yourshelf just waiting for you?

Connect with Beth at beth@

homefrontinfocus.com and share your

summer reading at www.facebook.com/

EnlistedSpouseCommunity.

Whats on your suggested summertime reading list?

Homefront

in focuswithBethWilson

ti f t h t t h h l kid


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There was a time in California whenomeschooling was illegal. Parents who

chose to educate their children had tohide from local school authorities andface prosecution if their children were notenrolled in school.

Fortunately, that time has passed. Notonly can parents homeschool their chil-

dren, but they are also given options onow to homeschool.It is not uncommon for military families

o choose to homeschool. Homeschoolingllows military-connected children to haveconsistent educational program wher-

ver the family may be living.Homeschooling also allows families toove anytime during the year. Since a

service member can be transferred anytime of year, families with children in tra-ditional schools will sometimes be sepa-rated for periods of time so that the chil-

ren can finish out the school year. Also,ince military families are often affordedhe opportunity to travel to new places,omeschooling allows the classroom too on the road.In the state of California, parents are

ffered options for how they will imple-

ment a homeschool. In every situation,children ages 6 to 16 must be accountedfor and enrolled in a program.

Private School Affidavit

Many California families choose tocomply with the states attendance law byestablishing a private school in their ownhome. These families file a private schoolaffidavit with their local county board ofeducation or the state Department ofEducation, just like their local established

private schools do. Since the EducationCode allows anyone to establish a privateschool of any size, with any philosophy,employing whatever teachers they choose,parents use this legal provision to home-school. Many years ago, the CaliforniaDepartment of Education used to ques-tion the legality of these very small private

schools, but it now agrees that the lawpermits parents to form these schools.Parents can find support via local home-schoolnetworks and create their own cur-riculum or purchase widely available cur-riculum programs.

Public/Charter Home School

Becoming more popular, brick andmortar public and charter schools areoffering homeschool programs to inter-ested families. These are public (free)schools, and students must check in regu-larly to turn in assignments, take tests andreceive instruction. However, the major-ity of school work is done at home withthe parent. Students are required to takestandardized tests annually, with scoresreported to the California Department of

Education.Another form of thisoption is virtual

charter schools. Students will check inregularly online, receive assignments andtest online as well. Students will also besubject to take state standardized testsannually with a test proctor.

Private Tutor

The private tutoring exemption allowsforfamilies to employ a private tutor. Thismeans that the student will need to be in-structed for at least three hours each day,175 days a year, by a teacher who holds avalid California teaching credential for thegrade taught. The cost is the responsibil-ity of the parents, or parents with a validteaching credential can act as tutor fortheir children. Tutors are not required tofile with the county or state or to keepattendance records.

For more information on local homeschool

options or any K-12 education related

questions, please contact the Naval Base

Ventura County school liaison at 989-5211 or

at [email protected].

any options for parents who want to homeschool kids

Schoolconnection

withMonicaJames

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D l ti f I d d i l i it f ith


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Seabee Chapel

Port HuenemeBuilding 1433

Phone: (805) 982-4358Fax: (805) 982-5364

ProtestantSunday worship service: 9 a.m.Choir rehearsal: Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Catholic MassSunday: 11:15 a.m.Confession by prior appt.: 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday: 11:30 a.m.Confession by prior appt.: 11 a.m.

Christian Bible StudiesWomens Bible Study: Tuesday,

10 a.m.Mens Prayer Meeting: Wednesday,

5:30 p.m.All Hands Bible Study: Thursday,

11:30 a.m.Catholic Religious EducationPre-K through high schoolTuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Chapel of Faith

Point MuguBuilding 121

Phone: (805) 989-7967Fax: (805) 989-7968

Protestant

Episcopal service: 11 a.m.

Catholic MassSunday: 9 a.m.Confession by prior appt.: 8:15 a.m.Thursday: 11:30 a.m.Confession by prior appt.: 11 a.m.

Chaplains serving NBVC

Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey HanCommand Chaplain

Lt. Deann Coleman

Staff Chaplain

Father Antony BerchmanzCatholic Priest

Worship schedule

Just a few weeks ago the United Statescelebrated Independence Day, affection-ately known as the Fourth of July holi-day. This holiday celebrates our freedomas a nation from Great Britain.

Thomas Jefferson sat down, I want tobelieve, inspired with a greater purposein mind to unite men and women resid-

ing in this country. Although our cultureand individual freedoms were much dif-ferent in 1776 compared to today, hisrecorded words, whether prophetic orincidental, are powerful: We hold thesetruths to be self-evident, that all men arecreated equal, that they are endowed bytheir Creator with certain unalienableRights, that among these are Life, Lib-erty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Many debate about whom Jeffersonwas addressing in this document. Who-ever he had in mind then, the power ofhis words continues to transform ourlives and inspire unity among us today.This document encourages us to look ateach other and appreciate the gifts, tal-ents, culture and ideas we bring to thetable.

Whether we understand it or want to

accept it, we are united by the commonpurpose reflected in the Declaration ofIndependence. It is the foundation ofwho we are today as a nation. We shouldreflect on these commonalities whichbirth humility and acceptance of theunique attributes we all possess. Why isit that we are so quick to judge somethingor someone different than us? Whatwould happen if we reflected on our be-ginnings, the progress we have made asa nation and be forward thinkers abouthow we want to positively contribute tothe greater good of the world we affect?

What would happen if we thought out-side ourselves and the comfort zonesweve adopted and stretched our interac-tion with those different than us?

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 133:1,How good and pleasant it is whenbrothers live together in unity!Applyingthis, the word unity presents a picture

of a conglomerate of peace among us.Paul supports this idea when he wrotein Ephesians 4:3, Make every effort tokeep the unity of the Spirit through thebond of peace.

If we apply the Declaration of Inde-pendence to our current world systemand wholeheartedly pursue Gods will forus to live in unity, we would be majorcontributors to world peace. Peace startswith us, fully appreciating and acceptingthe differences of those around us.

May we be unified with God so thatwe live in unity and experience peacewith one another. May God bless us withevery spiritual gift, along with the cour-age and strength needed, to humble our-selves enough so that we honor, appreci-ate and embrace our shared but uniquedifferences.

Declaration of Independence is a lesson in unity, faith

Chaplainscorner

withLt.DeannColeman


A cozy office and a cup of coffee cango a long way when it comes to chattingwith a chaplain, Lt. Todd Fowler has dis-covered.

Fowler, who started in March as thechaplain of the Airborne Command Con-trol and Logistics Wing, felt it was impor-tant to offer chaplain support as close tothe enlisted working force as possible.

So he movedhis office from thecomfort-able command building into a hangar of-

fice next to the flight surgeon and, overthe next three months, turned the ante-room into a carpeted, softly lit haven,complete with a coffeemaker anda televi-sion for training purposes. He plans toadd a microwave and refrigerator.

At least two or three people a day stopby now, he said. Counseling has in-creased fivefold. Its awesome!

Theroom is now an inviting place wherepeople can come and sit and find peacefor a few minutes during a hectic day.

I wanted to make this feel more like a home instead of an office, Fowler said.I want people to come in and escape theworld when they need to.

Fowler took out the metal partitionseparating the anteroom from the hallwayand built a full wall. That, combined withthecarpeting, made the room peaceful andquiet. He installed a television so he canshow religion-themed documentaries andhold lunchtime roundtable discussions.

He still needs to finish his own work-space.Ill get around to that at some point,

he says, unbothered by the paint cans andcanvas stuffed into the corners of his tinyoffice. This is much more important.

Chaplains lounge a cozy haven


Lt. Todd Fowler, chaplain of COMACLOGGWING, relaxes in the cozylounge he created in the Hawkeye Countryhangar.

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On Saturday, July 30, Operationomefront Southern California will say

hank you to military families by provid-ng their children with needed schoolupplies and new backpacks for the

chool year.

Registered military families (E-1 toE-6) are invited to attend the BackpackBrigade from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at theFleet & Family Support Center, NavalBase Ventura County, Port Hueneme,where 350 children will be able to choosetheir own special backpack and stuffthem with new supplies for a successful

school year.

If you are a military family and wouldlike to learn more about how to par-ticipate and register, please visit www.operationhomefront.net/socal and clickon July 30 on the event calendar.

Operation Homefront Southern Cali-fornia provides emergency financial andother assistance to the families of service

members and wounded warriors. A na-

tional nonprofit, Operation HomefrontSouthern California leads more than 440volunteers and met more than 11,500emergency financial and morale needsin fiscal year 2009-10.

For more information about the event,contact Vance Vasquez in the Public Af-fairs Office at [email protected]

or by calling 989-8095.

350 free backpacks to be distributed at NBVC July 30


Kyle Paradeza, the son of Marisol andeoman 2nd Class Randy Paradeza ofarrier Airborne Command and Con-

rol Squadron 117 (VAW-117) has re-ceived a $1,000 Can Do scholarshiprom the Bee Club of Naval Base Ven-ura County.

Kyle graduated in June from Huenemeigh School and will study pharmaceu-

ical chemistry at the University ofalifornia, San Diego, the only univer-

ity in the state to offer what he calledhat gem of a major.

Kyle called thesch olarship anhonor.

I feel very privi-leged to receivethis, he said.

The Bee Club, an aval off icersspouses group,granted the schol-arship based onKyles high schoolrecord and an essay in which he stressedthe importance of a good education anda good work ethic.

I refuse to be an apathetic person,he wrote. People have to grasp the factthat with hard work, all things will payoff.

He also wrote about his strong interestin the pharmaceutical field.

I have a dear desire to understandmedicine, learn the components neededto make up certain medication and learnhow those components are used to treatpeople, he wrote.

At Hueneme High, Kyle was the cap-tain of the football team and was on thetennis team. He was vice president ofAVID (Advancement Via Individual

Determination) and president of MESA(Math, Engineering, Science Associa-tion). He also worked as a pharmacytechnician intern at a local drug store.

Each year, the Bee Club awards a CanDo scholarship to a student graduatingfrom a Ventura County high school whois a dependent of any military memberassigned to Naval Base Ventura Coun-ty.

Scholarship monies are raised at theBee Clubs fall auction and continue tobe generated through the sale of a Sea-bee cookbook, aprons and tile trivets.

Bee Club awards $1,000 scholarship to pharmaceutical major

KYLE PARADEZA

The Society of American Military En-gineers (SAME), Oxnard/Ventura Post,awarded seven scholarships this year tostudents planning to major in engineeringor architecture.

One recipient was given a scholarshipat the National Engineering Week Dinneron March 3 at the Ronald Reagan Presi-dential Library in Simi Valley.

Four of the recipients were awardedscholarships at the Oxnard College Per-

forming Arts Center in Oxnard on April30. These scholarships were graciously

atched by the Oxnard College Founda-tion, therefore doubling the aid to thesestudents.

The final two scholarships were award-ed on June 2 at the Ventura County Officeof Education Conference and Education-al Services Center in Camarillo. The fundsfor these two scholarships were in an ac-count established more than 10 years ago

as part of the Ventura County Commu-ity Foundation (VCCF) for the SAMEOxnard/Ventura Post Engineering andArchitect Scholarships. The return on in-vestment from this fund determines the

umber of scholarships that can be award-ed.

Military engineers group gives out 7 scholarships

PHOTO COURTESY SAME VENTURA/OXNARD POST

Attending a recent SAME Ventura/Oxnard Post scholarship presentation are, from left,Capt. Dave Sasek, chief staff officer of Naval Base Ventura County and president ofthe SAME Oxnard/Ventura Post; Pierre Tada, chair of the Ventura County CommunityFoundation (VCCF) board; award recipient Cullen McAlpine; Hugh Ralston, VCCF presidentand CEO; and award recipient Michael Fickenscher.

Supplies are limited, sore-registration is a must

om

Relief Society formed to help widows orphans


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By Lisa AszklarNavy-Marine Corps Relief Society

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief So-ciety (NMCRS) was founded in 1904to assist widows and orphans of Sailorskilled or wounded while on active duty,thereby filling a gap created by the ab-sence of federal programs at that

time.In its first year of operation, the So-

ciety awarded more than $9,500 in fi-nancial assistance to the families of 20Sailors who suffered financially due toillness or death. Fast-forward to 2010,when the Society provided $1.3 millionin assistance to 771 widows of Sailorsand Marines!

NMCRS remains dedicated to itsroots in assisting service members andtheir families, including widows. Butthe Society has morphed to keep upwith changing times. Gone are the daysof taking up a collection among surviv-ing crewmembers to benefit the widowand children of a fallen comrade!

The NMCRS of today offers mem-bers of the naval service and their fam-ilies (including retirees, their families

and the families of personnel killed onactive duty) a formal comprehensiveassessment of their income and spend-ing in order to help them identify thosehabits that may be detrimental to thefamilys financial health.

In addition, todays NMCRS partnerswith other organizations to ensure that

family members are aware of all re-sources available to them.

Although the responsibility of man-aging finances starts at home, mostoften the most financially vulnerableare widows.

Last year, for example, the Societyprovided assistance to widows for es-sential items as diverse as the purchaseof a new washing machine, a crucialcar repair, rent, food and other basicliving expenses while the service mem-bers widow was awaiting resolution ofinsurance claims and benefits allbased on demonstrated need.

An alarming number of death ben-efit recipients declare bankruptcy with-in five years of the service membersdeath, says Cheri Nylen, the Societysdirector of casework. In almost every

one of these cases, poor financial choic-es have been made, and unfortunately,the Society can only address the mosttime-sensitive and urgent needs of thesefolks until a long-term plan is estab-lished.

Financial responsibility has a lwaysbeen the individuals duty, and NMCRS

stands ready to help. The Societys goalhas been consistent: to help active andretired Sailors, Marines, and their fam-ilies, including widows, live within theirmeans and maintain a modest and dig-nified lifestyle.

The Society has never forgotten itsreason for being: to help the widowsand families of our Sailors and Ma-rines. Assistance is confidential and hasalways been provided on the basis ofneed that will never change. By con-tinuing its commitment to the familiesof those who have sacrificed so muchin the defense of our country, NMCRScomes full circle to its beginning.

For more information on NMCRS programs

in Ventura County, call 982-4409 between 9

a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays.

Relief Society formed to help widows, orphans

ThriftShop (Bldg.829, PortHueneme):Open Monday and Wednesday, 10 a.m.to 1 p.m.

Budget forBaby: Tuesday, Aug. 9, andTuesday, Sept. 13, from 6 to 7 p.m. Lunch-time class: Thursday, July 14, at noon.

Volunteerorientation: Wednesday, July27, at 1 p.m. Recruiting office staff, ThriftShop cashiers and Budget for Baby in-structors. Reimbursement for child careand mileage. Snacks provided.Information: 982-4409.

Schedule of events

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The Navy Lodge program is now of-ering eco-friendly personal amenities tots guests.

Guests will find shampoo, conditionernd soap from the Terra Green amenity

line by American Hotel Register Com-any in all Navy Lodges worldwide.We want to do our part to decrease

landfill volume and reduce our carbonfootprint on our installation and withinthe community, said James Tiqui, man-ager of the Navy Lodge at Naval BaseVentura County, Port Hueneme. TheNavy Lodge program believes that min-imizing our environmental impact is theright thing to do. We are confident thatour guests will appreciate a quality prod-

ct that is also eco-friendly.

Terra Green products are made withorganic ingredients and are packaged in100 percent recycled paper.

The shampoo and conditioner contain-ers feature eco-friendly additives thatreact to the combination of oxidation andbiodegradation processes by completelydisintegrating the plastic into organic

compounds.In addition, all of the printing used on

the Terra Green line consists of soy-basedink.

To make a reservation for any of the40 Navy Lodges worldwide, call toll-freeat 1-800-NAVY-INN or log on to www.navy-lodge.com. For other military lodg-ing options, go to www.dodlodging.com.

Navy Lodge has green amenities

The Ventura County Chapter of theilitary Officers Association of America

ecently donated 30 pre-paid telephonealling cards to chaplains deploying tofghanistan with Naval Mobile Construc-

ion Battalion 4.The cards are used to allow deployed

Seabees to call home during family emer-gencies.

This is the fourth year the chapter hassupported the Seabees in this way. Dona-tions are collected in a Feed the Bootprogram during the chapters monthlyluncheon meeting.

Donated phone cards let Seabees call home

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COMACCLOGWING undergoes change of command


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By Lt. Todd FowlerCOMACCLOGWING

Capt. Matthew W. Danehy re-lieved Capt. David L. Buttramas commander, Airborne Com-mand Control and LogisticsWing (COMACCLOGWING),on Friday, June 24, in a ceremo-ny at Hawkeye Country,Han-gar 553, on board Naval BaseVentura County (NBVC) PointMugu.

As commodore of the Navyssole E-2C Hawkeye and C-2AGreyhound Type Wing, But-tram managed 14 E-2C and C-2A squadrons operating out ofPoint Mugu, Naval Station Nor-folk, Naval Air Station NorthIsland in San Diego, Naval Air

Facility Atsugi, Japan, and offof the flight deck of every air-craft carrier around the world.

The guest speaker for thechange of command ceremony

was Vice Adm. Allen G. Myers,who recently completed twotours in Washington, D.C., asdirector, Warfare Integration/Se-nior National Representative,

and director, Air Warfare Divi-sion.

Prior to that, Myers served asCommander, Carrier StrikeGroup 8, during an extendeddeployment in support of Op-erations Iraqi Freedom and En-during Freedom.

During Buttrams tenure ascommodore, the 14 squadronsunder his command completedmore than 80,000 flight hoursproviding direct support of 16Carrier Strike Group deploy-ments for combat operations inboth Iraq and Afghanistan andhumanitarian relief for earth-quake victims in Haiti.

Under Buttrams leadership,the Hawkeye/Greyhound fleet ismaking significant technologicaladvances, including a transitionfrom E-2C to the new E-2D,which will be used as a modelthroughout the Naval Air En-terprise.

The new commodore, Danehy,has served as deputy command-

er of COMACCLOGWINGand prior to that was deputydirector with the Air Land SeaApplication Center, Langley AirForce Base, Va., where he wasresponsible for multiservice tac-tics, techniques and proceduresfor all the military services, such

as close air support, strike coor-dination and reconnaissance,tactical convoy operations, air-space control and brevityterms.

This will be Danehys secondcommand tour. He led theScrewtops of VAW-123 ascommanding officer from May2005 to July 2006.

Capt. Select Todd Watkins hasassumed the position of deputycommodore. He comes to PointMugu after serving as com-mander of the Greyhawks ofVAW-120 since July 9, 2010.

Prior to that, Watkins was astaff officer at HeadquartersUnited States European Com-mand in Stuttgart, Germany.

COMACCLOGWING undergoes change of command

PHOTO BY MC2 (SW) KARALIE MOORE / NBVC

Capt. David L. Buttram, left, is congratulated for his achievements by

Capt. Matthew W. Danehy, who takes over as Commander, AirborneCommand Control and Logistics Wing. The June 24 ceremony was heldat Hawkeye Country.

Danehy succeedsButtram ascommodore of 14squadrons

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By Nichole OGrady

NSWC Port Hueneme Command

ommunications Office

The AfricanAmerican Focus Group forNaval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hue-

eme Division (NSWC PHD), hosted aJuneteenth celebration on June 16 featur-ing guest speaker Capt. William DeBow,

PHDs first African American command-er.

The on-base event began with ethnicentertainment provided by the JuneteenthEnsemble Choir, followed by a solo dance

erformance.DeBow then shed light on the historical

significance of Juneteenth and its currentsignificance within society.

For the values and the ideals that arecaptured in Juneteenth, because we dontreally have an official holiday here inCalifornia, they tie very closely to the val-

es and ideals of America, said DeBow.For me, when we celebrate the Fourth ofJuly, we celebrate the same ideals and val-

es that are captured in Juneteenth, andit ties back to the idea of freedom andequal opportunity for all Americans.

Juneteenth represents June 19, 1865,

when slaves across America learned oftheir freedom. Although the Emancipa-tion Proclamation was issued on Jan. 1,1863, it took more than two and a halfyears for the news to reach across thecountry. Today, the festival commemoratesAfrican American freedom, emphasizingeducation, achievement and the power to

overcome.During his speech, DeBow went on to

express the purpose of Juneteenth andhow it also celebrates American values andfreedom achieved through the U.S. mili-tarys enforcement of the EmancipationProclamation.

I believe that its more than just a dayof remembrance,he said. Its about em-bracing the ideas and cultures and thevalues of American society.

Following DeBows speech, attendeeswere invited to close the celebration bysharing in authentic cuisine typically as-sociated with Juneteenth festivities.

NSWC PHD is located at Naval BaseVentura County. It is the Navys premierin-service engineering and logistics centerand has been in existence for more than48 years and currently employs over 2,800

military and civilian personnel. The com-mand provides test and evaluation, in-ser-vice engineering, and integrated logisticssupport for weapon and combat systemsinstalled in the U.S. Navy fleet, U.S. Coast

Guard fleet and severalforeign navy fleets.NSWC PHDs focus is to provide safe, ef-fective and affordable weapon systems thatkeep Americas Navy number one in theworld.

Commemorating Juneteenth

PHOTO BY ALYCE MONCOURTOIS / NSWC PHD

Capt. William DeBow, NSWC PHDs first African American commander, reflects on theintrinsic significance of Juneteenth during an on-base celebration June 16.

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By Darrell WallerNAVFAC ESC Public Affairs Office

Testing of diesel-powered hybrid vehicletechnology for possible deployment toNavy and Marine Corps bases worldwideofficially started June 15 by Navy engi-neers in San Diego and Bangor, Wash.

The program kicked off with the May

12 delivery of two vehicles to the NAV-FAC Southwest Coastal Integrated Prod-uct Team (IPT) in San Diego. A secondpair of trucks was pressed into service inJune with the recycling team in Bangor,Wash.

The Navy has commissioned a total offour testvehicles two diesel hybrids andtwo conventionally powered trucks thatwill be compared side by side for sixmonths at Bangor and the California site.Each location will receive a single hybrid

to be tested against a like model non-hy-brid. Both sites will operate the trucksunder normal conditions, and the resultswill be compared to determine potentialfuel savings for the fleet.

The testing in this phase will be com-pared to earlier baseline tests to determinehow well the hybrids match up in the real

world against their conventional counter-parts, said Naval Facilities EngineeringService Center (NAVFAC ESC) Com-manding Officer, Capt. Paz B. Gomez.This has the potential to save millionsof dollars for the fleet and taxpayers, en-abling the Navy to move closer to achiev-ing the Secretary of the Navys energy

goals of 50 percent reduction in petro-leum used in naval vehicles by 2015.NAVFAC ESC is working with the sites

to monitor critical operating data on thetruck use and hybrid system status for theduration of the test period. The truckswill undergo weekly inspection of the hy-brid systems. The fleet managers, opera-tors, and service teams will provide im-portant input on the truck statusthroughout the demonstration period.

Both the NAVFAC Southwest Base

Support Vehicles and Equipment Coreteam and the Coastal Integrated ProductTeam worked closely with NAVFAC ESCand the manufacturer to make this hap-pen, said Luann Benson, NAVFACSouthwest Base Support Vehicles andEquipment product line coordinator.

Navy engineers testing diesel-powered hybrid vehicles

PHOTO BY CHRIS SHIRES / U.S. ARMY

A U.S. Navy hybrid electric utility truck undergoes fuel economy lift cycle testing. The truckwill support utility line maintenance at installations in the San Diego area as part of ahybrid demonstration study.SEE HYBRI D, PAGE 13

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We are looking forward to re-viewing the results and hopefullyimplementing more heavy hybridvehicles.

One demonstration truckincludesan innovative hybrid platform known

as a hydraulic hybrid system, whichworks by charging an on-board gasaccumulator. Itssimple layoutallowsfor rigorous use and frequent stopswhile delivering lower costs throughhigh volume production. This typeof technologybecomes increasinglyimportant with the rising costs ofpetroleum.

Hybridelectricsystemswillreducenoise, allowing quiet engine-off op-eration at low speeds or idling for

work modes. This not only enhanc-es environmental quality of life butalso improves safety and productiv-ity. Line workers can better commu-nicate without having to competewith diesel engine noise, and crewscanwork normal shiftswithout con-cerns over additional noise.

While improved fuel efficiencyis a critical driver for this demon-stration, the hybrid systems offeruniqueenvironmental benefits. Thehybrid trucksregenerative brakingsystem will significantly eliminatethe use of a conventional brakesystem. This not only avoids the

downtime and cost of brake re-placement, but it also avoids thefine particulate matter generatedwith each application of the brakes,better protecting air and water re-sources.

This is just one small exampleof the Navys many contributionsto how our government is leadingthe charge towards a healthy andsustainable future,said Ken Fur-ra, NAVFAC Southwest Coastal

IPT Public Works Business Lineteam leader.

Test data will be released tootherDepartment of Defense com-ponents and federal governmentorganizations by 2012, and thetechnology may eventually benefitwarfighters in all theaters.

PHOTO BY CHRIS SHIRES / U.S. ARMY

he trough-loader system on a test truck undergoes an inspection. The test truck will support regionalrecycling initiatives at installations in the Silverdale, Wash., area as part of a hybrid demonstration

tudy.

Hybrid vehicles studiedCONTINUEDFROM12

s.com200 base workers get free checkup during health fair


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A health and wellness fair at NavalBase Ventura County (NBVC), Point

Mugu, last month drew more than 200people eager to get their blood pressure,glucose levels, cholesterol and bone den-sity checked for free.

I feel we had a very successful event,said Leticia Solano, human resourcestechnician in the Total Force Strategyand Management Department of NavalAir Warfare Center, Weapons Division,Point Mugu.

Twenty healthcare providers and rep-resentatives handed out information at

the June 22 event. Among them wereCommunity Memorial Hospital and Kai-ser Permanente, which together provid-ed 170 glucose screenings.

United Blood Services Bloodmobilewas at the event, and 17 people donat-ed.

Other companies measured body mass

index and did ultrasounds of carotidarteries to check for plaque or blockagethat could lead to a stroke. There werealso shoe fittings and vision screenings.

I figured this was a good time to gettested, said Mathew John, an elec tron-ics engineer who was having his glucoseand cholesterol levels checked by Me-lissa Vela of Community Memorial Hos-pital.

Vela gave him the figures, and Johnwas pleased.

Theyve been exactly the same for 10years, he said.

Barbara Williams, a software trainerand mentor, had the same reaction when

she had her carotid artery checked forplaque by Cynthia Cerezin of ProspectMedical Group of Los Angeles.

She said everythings good, Williamssaid.

More health fairs are scheduled forNov. 2 at Point Mugu and Nov. 3 atNBVC Port Hueneme.

200 base workers get free checkup during health fair


Barbara Williams, a software trainer at NAVAIR, gets her carotid artery checked for plaqueby Cynthia Cerezin of Prospect Medical.

More events scheduled for Nov. 2 at Point Muguand Nov. 3 at Port Hueneme

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s.comA School students get a break during appreciation day


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Food collection barrels are at severallocations, including the Naval Exchangesat both Point Mugu and Port Hueneme,the Fleet and Family Support Center, allbattalion buildings and many office build-ings and the Camarillo Heights Commu-nity Center.

The barrels come courtesy of FoodShare, Ventura Countys food bank. Allfood donated at NBVC will be distributed

to Food Share.Non-perishable items can be placed in

the barrels anytime through Aug. 30.Feds Feed Families is an Office of Per-

sonnel Management initiative which hasrequested DoD support during its thirdannual campaign due to the impact of aseries of natural disasters that have de-pleted charitable resources because ofincreased demand.

This years theme is Feeding Familiesone Fed at a Time.

For more information, or to volunteer

to assist in the campaign, please call 989-7137 or 989-9234.

Food drive continues through Aug. 30CONTINUEDFROM3

By BUC (SCW) Daniel James LynchNCTC

Across the United States, the long-awaited arrival of summer is welcomedwith picnics, barbecues and sportingevents.

Its also the time to commemorate theaccomplishments of the Navy and Air

Force Construction Mechanic A Schoolstudents at the Naval Construction Train-ing Center (NCTC) at Naval Base Ven-tura County, Port Hueneme.

The June 11 Student Appreciation Daywas hosted by NCTCs Chief Petty Offi-cers and Acey-Deucy associations. The140 Navy and Air Force students weretreated to a cookout and an afternoonfilled with sporting events.

Itgives the students a break from theirnormal routine and allows them to de-

compress a bit, commented Builder Se-nior Chief Ron Bowman, assistant train-ing officer. It also lets them know thatthe command staff and instructors havea genuine concern for their well-being.

Construction Mechanic 1st Class Mar-vin Milton,who officiated the flag footballevent, said it allowed the students to let

off some steam.It gave them a chance to bond more

than they would just being classmates,he said.

The rigors of the 12-week ConstructionMechanic A Schoolcan be taxing on thestudents, most of who areaway from home

for the first time.Construction Mechanic Construction-

man Umid Babojanov, an A Schoolstudent, enjoyed an afternoon of soccer.

The food was good and it was well or-ganized, he said of the event.

Construction Mechanic Recruit Bran-

don Bess spent hisafternoon playing soft-ball.

It was nice to be around our superiorsin a relaxed environment, he said. It wasnice to team-build with our Air Forcebrethren.

A School students get a break during appreciation day

PHOTO COURTESY NCTC

Navy and Air Force students enjoy a game of flag football at the Naval Construction Training Centers Student Appreciation Day.

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ws.com Hunting blinds need fixing

All persons eligible to hunt waterfowl Military working dogs get good home


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heLighthouseNew All persons eligible to hunt waterfowl

alone aboard Naval Base VenturaCounty (NBVC), Point Mugu, are in-vited to participate in theannual repairof hunting blinds.

Personnel eligible to hunt waterfowlinclude active duty, reserve and retiredmilitary personnel; current and retiredNBVC Department of Defense civil

service personnel; and NBVC contrac-tor personnel with an NBVC CACbadge. Blind repair will take place dur-ing the month of September, with spe-cific dates to be determined.

On or after Aug. 1, volunteers areasked to e-mail their name, one or pref-erably two phone numbers and eligibil-ity status to Vern at [email protected] or leave a message on theduty waterfowl phone (805) 890-7245.

You may not sign up someone else,

and you may not sign up earlier thanAug. 1 unless you will be TAD or outof town that date. All requests are dueno later than Friday, Aug 26.

Volunteers will be notified of theirassignments in early September. Thereare a limited number of blinds in needof repair, therefore volunteers will betaken on a first come, first served ba-sis.

Volunteers earn six priority chits to

be used during the hunting season toincrease their chances of getting a de-sired blind assignment.

CarFit is July 16

The Veterans Home of California inVentura is teaming with driving expertsto hold a CarFit event, a unique, freeeducation program designed to helpmature drivers 55 and older understandhowto improve driving safety by ensur-

ing their cars are properly adjusted forthem.

The event will be held on Saturday,July 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10900Telephone Road, Ventura, 93004.

The check-up is free, but appoint-ments are required and can be made bycalling 659-7501.

CarFitis not a mechanical inspectionof the car or a test of the drivers abil-ity. Instead, during each 20-minuteCarFit session, trained technicians rec-ommend personal vehicle adjustmentsand adaptations and offer resourcesthat could enhance driving safety.

To learn more about CarFit, go towww.car-fit.org, or call 385-8019.


Dix, a 5-year-old German shepherd,found more improvised explosive devicesthan any of the 14 other dogs he servedwith on oneof his recent toursto Afghan-istan.

Jake, also a 5-year-old German shep-

herd, apprehended 32 drug suspects on hislast deployment.And now, these two dogs and eight oth-

ers arefinallygetting something better thana medal they can only lick or a certificatethey can only sniff: Theyre getting a goodhome.

A new kennel openedin late June atNa-val Base Ventura County (NBVC), PortHueneme, replacing the asbestos-laden,rattlesnake-infested cages they used to livein at Point Mugu.

That facility should have been con-demned long ago,said NBVC Force Pro-tection Director Larry Jones. Theres noquestion it is to blame for some of themedical conditions our dogs experienced.We had the highest rate of dogs becomingnon-mission capable within the region andthe entire Navy, and much of that was be-cause of their living conditions. This newkennel is a godsend.

Capt. Jim McHugh, commanding officer

of NBVC, said military working dogs area critical part of Force Protection and ofthe Navys overall mission.

They do a wonderful job, and it is ourresponsibility and duty to make sure theyhave good facilities, just as we do for ourSailors, he said. This kennel is one of akind in its energy efficiency, and we shouldall be proud of how it was developed anddesigned.

The old facility offered the dogs little tono protectionfrom the weather. There was

a roof for shade, but the dogs couldnt es-cape the heat, the cold or the rain on awindy day.

Not only doesthis kennel have a ventila-tion system, it also hassolarpanels on theroof that can heat waterand pump it underthe concrete pads in each run so the dogshave a warm place to go during the win-ter.

The dogs have a large yardwithan obe-dience obstacle course and a separate yardfor more classified training that is fullyblocked off from publicview both so noone cansee the tactics being taughtand sothere are no distractions for the canines.

Its great to see the dogs being sup-ported this way, said Rodney Spicer, theowner of Gold Coast K-9, which trains

dogs for police work in Oxnard, PortHue-neme and Culver City. Private industryand most government agencies wouldntbe able to do something like this simplybecause land in Southern California is soexpensive. The basehad the room to createthis training facility.

Spicer and more than a dozen K-9 of-ficers from throughout Ventura Countyattended the June 29 ribbon-cutting for thekennel. The event included several workingdogdemonstrations, including one in whichJake attacked Capt. David Sasek, thechief staff officer for NBVC. Under ordersby his partner, Master at Arms SeamanDustin Tyler, Jake went after Sasek, whowaswearing a protective sleeve, and locked

his jaws around his arm until Tyler ap-proached and called him off.

I cantimagine whatthat would be likewithout the sleeve, Sasek said, clearly re-lieved when the demonstration was over.

Tyler and Jake will be leaving soon fora drug mission in El Salvador.

Its one of several special assignments

these dogs have been called outon, includ-ing searching for drugs and explosivesbefore presidential visits, explained Masterat Arms 2nd Class (FMF/AW) AdamLeeds.

In Afghanistan, the bomb-sniffing dogswill walk off leash or on a long retractableleash in frontof a convoy so they cansniffout IEDs. They also search vehicles andbuildings for explosives.

Leeds, who served with Dix for 14months in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008,

saw his partner detect explosives in beds,on donkeys, under floorboards, in chil-drens play areas and even in a pack ofcigarettes on a coffee table where Soldierswere writing their reports.

Dix came back, took two months off,underwentfour months of intensive train-ingand returned to Afghanistan in Marchof 2009 with a new partner, Master atArms 1st Class (SW) Joseph Domin-guez.

He was awesome, Dominguez says.Leeds said the dogs deserve this kennel

and so much more.The better we take care of our dogs,

the better theyll perform for us, he said.Theyre theones who are sniffing out thebombs and the drugs, not us.

Military working dogs get good home

PHOTO BY VANCE VASQUEZ / NBVC PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

Foxy, shown off here by MA2 Adam Leeds, thanks senior officers for the new kennel at PortHueneme. Shown with Leeds are, from left, Capt. Jim McHugh, NBVC commanding officer;MA1 Brian Thomas; and Capt. David Sasek, NBVC chief staff officer.


Civilian canine handler Keith Robishaw putsRocko through his paces in the spacioustraining area at the new kennel, located atNBVC Port Hueneme.

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Welcome to NBVC Seabee Days 2011

We build. We fight.Since World War II, the Naval Mobileonstruction Battalions (NMCBs), af-

ectionately known as the Seabees, havebuilt the roads, bridges, airstrips, waterwells and outposts for U.S. warfightingefforts and humanitarian projects all overthe world.

Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC),Port Hueneme, is the homeport for fourconstruction battalions and one underwa-

ter construction team. But there are manyother organizations that help leadthe Sea-bees and teach them how to become bet-ter builders, better fighters and betterleaders.

Heres a look at some of these organiza-tions based at NBVC Port Hueneme:

30th Naval Construction Regiment

The 30thNaval Construction Regiment(30th NCR) provides operational com-

and and control of combat ready engi-eer forces in response to Combatant

Commanders(PACOM, CENTCOM) andNaval Component Commander require-

ents and provides planning and opera-tional support for Seabee deployment.

The 30th NCR was formerly known asthe 3rd Naval Construction Brigade. Withthe establishment of the 1st Naval Con-structionDivisionin August 2002, the2ndNaval Construction Brigade became the

22ndNaval Construction Regiment, serv-ing the Atlantic, and the 3rd Naval Con-struction Brigade became the 30th NCR,serving the Pacific.

The 30th NCR is directly responsiblefor managing the Pacific Fleet SeabeesTables of Allowance, including Civil En-gineer SupportEquipment.The 30thNCRroutinely supports stateside Naval Con-struction Force units as well as units de-

loyed to Guam and Okinawa, includingany detail locations throughout the Pa-

cific.The Regiment also supports units for-

ward deployed in contingency operationsworldwide.

ho are the Seabees andwhat do they do?

SEE SEABEES, PAGE 20

Join the U.S. Navy on Saturday andSunday, July 23 and 24, for Naval BaseVentura County (NBVC) Seabee Days2011 at Port Hueneme.

Admissionand parking are free, and thePatterson and Victoria gates open both

days at 9 a.m.Military Night on Friday, July 22, is

from 4 to 10 p.m., and anyone with baseaccess is welcome.

Seabee Days celebrates nearly 70 yearsof accomplishments by the Navys con-struction engineers. There will be demon-strations of construction and disasterrecovery skills and hands-on displays ofthe latest in construction equipment. Ac-tivities include:

Carnival: Hours will be 4 to 10 p.m.Friday, Military Night, for anyone withbase access; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday;and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets willremain at half price $10 for 20 tickets at Morale, Welfare and Recreationticket offices at NBVC until 4 p.m. Friday,July 22. After that, tickets will double inprice, and most rides require more thanone ticket. Information: 982-4284.

Pass and Review Parade: The paradebegins at 11 a.m. Saturday on the parade

grounds. The guest of honor and guestspeakeris Rear Adm.Christopher J. Moss-ey, commander of the Naval FacilitiesEngineering Command, Chief of CivilEngineers. The Seabee Days 2011 Hon-oree is 51-year civil servant Peggy Craig.Read their profiles on Page 29.

Seabee Museum: The brand-new Sea-bee Museum opens on Friday, July 22,from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During SeabeeDays, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 5p.m., and a free shuttle will be availableat the corner of 23rd Avenue and HarrisStreet. For more information on the mu-seum, see Page 28.

Car and motorcycle show: The car

Equipment displays,demonstrations, boxing

matches, karaoke, newmuseum all part of thisyears event

SEE SEABEE DAYS, PAGE 29

FILE PHOTO BY ANDREA HOWRY / LIGHTHOUSE

Divers with Underwater Construction Team 2 will show their skills in a dive tank set up atSeabee Days. Here, children enjoy their antics during the 2010 Naval Base Ventura CountyAir Show at Point Mugu.

NBVC FILE PHOTO

The Pass and Review Parade, scheduled this year for 11 a.m. Saturday, July 23, is ahighlight of the Seabee Days festivities. It takes place on the Parade Grounds at NavalBase Ventura County, Port Hueneme.

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The joint warfighter and supportedcommanders value 30th NCR Seabees fordelivering expeditionary engineering and

construction whenever and wherever re-quired.The commanding officer of the 30th

NCR is Capt. Bret J. Muilenburg.

31st Seabee Readiness Group

The 31st Seabee Readiness Group (31stSRG ) is responsible for homeporttrainingof all Pacific Naval Construction Forceunits, including active and reserve battal-ions, support units, regiments and Under-

water Construction Team 2.The 31st SRG exercises operational con-

trol over the four Pacific NMCBs whilein homeport,providing technical, military,disaster recovery, embarkation and specialteam training, as well as conducting vari-ous exercises covering overall unit pre-paredness.

The 31st SRG also provides manage-ment assistance to homeported Seabeebattalions and Reserve NMCBs and per-forms personnel and material readinessevaluations, ensuring their readiness todeploy.

The 31st SRG has historically beenknown as the 31st Naval ConstructionRegiment (31st NCR). As part of a Na-vywide transformationof Naval Construc-tion Force Units, in January 2003, the 31stNCRwas disestablishedand the 31stSRGestablished. The 31st SRG carries on thecommands proud traditions and mission:providing training, logistics and mobiliza-

tion support for the Pacific Seabees.The commanding officer of the 31st

SRG is Capt. John W. Korka.

Underwater Construction Team 2

Underwater Construction Team 2(UCT-2) carries out underwater and wa-terfront engineering, construction andrepair projects in support of Navy andMarine Corps operations. Its sister unit,UCT-1, is based in Little Creek, Va.

Construction diving has evolved fromsuch World War II projects as blastingcoral reefs and building mooring facilities.Since its establishment, UCT-2 has de-ployed to every naval installation in thePacific, as well as several sites in the At-

lantic, the Arctic and the Antarctic. Theteam has also taken part in post-tsunamihumanitarian relief efforts.

Center for Seabees andFacilities Engineering

The Center for Seabees and FacilitiesEngineering (CSFE) provides training andcareer development for Seabees, Civil En-gineer Corps officers, facility engineersand environmental professionals.

Capt. Rick Cook is the commandingofficer for CSFE.

CSFE has five learning sites, two ofwhich are at NBVC Port Hueneme:

Naval Construction Training CenterAs the primary technical training

schoolhouse for Pacific Fleet Seabees, theNaval Construction Training Center(NCTC) plays a key role in ensuring theNaval Construction Force (NCF) has thecapability to meet global demand for ex-peditionary construction.

So far this year, 7,501 Navy and AirForce students have gone throughNCTC.

Of those, 893 graduated from Construc-tion Mechanic A School, which teachesbasic, entry-level classes about the diesel-and gasoline-powered vehicles used inconstruction bulldozers and gradersamong them.

Another 3,095 Navy students gradu-ated from F School, which providesspecialized training for each rate or team-based skill set that operational units needto complete their mission.

Another 380 Navy students graduatedfrom C School, gaining a supervisory-level knowledge base of what is requiredfor a specific rate that is awarded uponcompletion. Instruction was provided inseven rates.

In addition, 3,133 students took cours-es in chemical, biological and radiological(CBR) education, training, defense anddecontamination operations.

NCTC has 72 instructors 57 fromthe Navy and 15 from the Air Force.

With the construction skills learned intraining, our West Coast Seabees areequipped to confidently deploy around theglobe and accomplish their mission, saidCmdr. Charlie Willmore, commandingofficer of NCTC. I could not be moreproud of this fact and the commandscontribution to the Navy.

Naval Civil Engineer Corps OfficersSchool

More than 6,000 students attended theNaval Civil Engineer Corps OfficersSchool (CECOS) in 2010.

The school provides Civil EngineerCorps officers, enlisted Seabees and civil-ian employees training in facilities man-agement, acquisitions and planning; Sea-bee construction management andoperations; contingency engineering; andenvironmental protection.

Academic categories include career de-velopment; energy management; environ-

mental compliance, conservation, manage-ment,pollution prevention and restoration;facilities acquisiiton and management;Seabee contingency engineering and lead-ership.

Some graduates of the program go onto oversee the engineering, management,planning, construction and maintenanceof the Navys shore facilities. Others man-age contracts; the Navy has $4 billionworth of design and construction con-tracts performed by civilian constructionand engineering firms. Still others go intotopleadership positions in the Seabee bat-talions.

Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Paukovits is the edu-cational director of CECOS.

Seabees build roads, bases, airfields, ports worldwideCONTINUEDFROM19

NBVC FILE PHOTO

Weapons displays are among the many hands-on activities at Seabee Days.

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By ITC (SCW/SW) Eric PurcellNMCB 4

Naval Mobile Construction BattalionNMCB) 4s Field Training Exerciseat Fort

Hunter Liggett, which took place severalweeks before the battalions June deploy-

ent, carried many opportunities to trainon communications. But the Seabeesbrought more to thetablethis time: theRug-gedized Satellite, or RDSAT.

RDSAT is a robust, sustainable, reliableand secure satellite subsystem. It will be ondisplay in the Seabee Command Post dis-

lay area during Seabee Days.RDSATs capabilities take the Naval

Construction Forces Command and Con-trol to the next level of network centricwarfare.

Radio frequency, or RF, has been thestandard form of communications in theield; however, as the Navy shifts more heav-

ily towards Internet Protocol centric plat-orms, RDSAT enables the use of newer

technology on the battlefield.In March, NMCB 4 becamethe firstbat-

talion to employRDSAT during an exercisesing a live satellite access, which increased

he battalion communications capabilitieso worldwide interconnect ability.

System capabilities include connectivityo Internet and Intranet, full e-mail ser-ices and up to eight Defense Services Net-ork (DSN) phone lines. These features

nable users with a Common Access Cardto use administrative sites for maintainingsupply, pay and record systems. Also, RD-

AT communication allows more interac-ion with family and friendsthroughe-mail,acebook and morale calls utilizing theSN phone system.RDSAT services provide users near real-

ime access of data and voice communica-ions through a self-sustained Local Area

etwork and Public Broadcast Exchangeonnected to RDSAT, bringing the sameata and voice communications availablet your home to the field and around theorld.The RDSAT enclosureis small,contain-

r-sized andexpands to a workspace for thequipment and servers. Set-up takes abouthree hours, and the system can be brokenown for transport in about four hours.

Ruggedized Satellite system on display at Seabee Days

PHOTOS BY MC1

RUSSELL STEWART /

NMCB 4

There are s ev eralsteps to putting up theRuggedized DeployableSatelli te System(RDSAT), as theseSeabees learn duringNMCB 4s Field TrainingExercise at Fort Hunter

Liggett in late Marchand early April. At left,ITC Eric Purcell, left,meets with Rear Adm.Mark Handley after thesystemis all set up. TheFTX is designed to helpevaluate and prepareconstruction battalionsfor deployment and isthe culmination of a10-month deploymenttraining cycle. NMCB 4deployed to Afghanistanin late June. An RDSATwill be on display atSeabee Days in thecommand post andcamp display area.

Setting it up is part ofField Exercise Training

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By MC3 (SCW) Christopher CarsonNMCB 3

During the latter part of their deploy-ment to Afghanistan, the Seabees ofNaval Mobile Construction Battalion(NMCB) 3 had to work at night in orderto eliminate heat injuries associated withthe high temperatures of Afghan summerdays.

NMCB 4 inherited those high tem-peratures.

NMCB 3 deployed to Afghanistan inOctober and returned in June. They en-dured the harsh cold of the winter andthen the brutal summer heat that duringthe day is greater than 100 degrees Fahr-

enheit.The direct sunlight itself is not the only

danger. The high temperatures also heatup metal tools and materials.

The metal building we are workingon gets hot under the sun and increasesheat casualty risk, said Chief Builder(SCW) Benjamin Campbell, the battalionsafety officer.

Campbell also said that in this environ-ment, skin contact with metal tools or

material could result in burns, and thehigh temperatures and direct sunlightalso increase the risk of dehydration, heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

The night projects included a 90-foot

by 40-foot metal building called a K-spanthat was built to house tools and materi-als in the battalion supply yard.

The battalion also remodeled a build-ing that is now serving as the new medi-cal office and treatment spaces.

At these projects the Seabees use anoutdoor floodlight known as a light plantfor nighttime illumination.

Construction isnt the only work thattakes place during the cooler night con-

ditions. NMCB 3s Alfa Company han-dled heavy equipment operations andmaintenance and worked during thenight to repair their equipment as wellas complete routine preventative main-

tenance.Working at nights makes it easier to

keep going at a steady pace, said Con-struction Mechanic 3rd Class (SCW)Bobby Brown. Since we have beenworking nights repair and maintenancecompletion for equipment has in-creased.

The battalion communication shopalso placed and buried more than 3,000feet of fiber optic cable in order to im-

prove the computer-network performancethroughout the camp. Placing the cableat night not only helped beat the heat,but it also made it easier to work withless foot and vehicle traffic in the way.

Heat of the day means hard work at night during Afghan summers

By MC1 Russ StewartNMCB 4

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghan-istan Naval Mobile ConstructionBattalion (NMCB) 3 and NMCB 4

turned over construction operations asone of two Seabee battalions in Af-ghanistan in a brief ceremony June 17on board Camp Krutke, which is a partof Camp Leatherneck.

Capt. Allan Stratman, commodore,Task Force Overlord, said NMCB 3ssuccess pushing tactical infrastructureto the village level has had a great im-pact on the coalition mission in Af-ghanistan.

Enabling Marines to enter villages

has hada dramatic impact on the coun-ter-insurgency strategy, he said.

NMCB 3s commanding officer,Cmdr. Patrick Garin, said his battalionmade a huge difference in the livingand working conditions for coalitionforces at Camp Leatherneck.

When we arrived here last year,Leatherneck construction was not fin-ished, he said. There were Seabeeprojects in almost every corner.

Beyond construction at Camp Leath-erneck, NMCB 3 deployed more than200 Seabees to every Regional Com-mand in Afghanistan, including in sup-port of Special Operations Commandsin more than 40 locations.

The motivation of all our Seabeesover the last seven months has beentruly inspiring, said Garin.

NMCB 3: Long deployment over

PHOTO BY MC1 RUSSELL STEWART / NMCB 4

Cmdr. La Tanya Simms, commanding officer, NMCB 4, relievesCmdr. Patrick Garin, commanding officer, NMCB 3, in front ofCapt. Allan Stratman, commodore, Task Force Overlord, duringa June 17 Transfer of Authority ceremony on Camp Krutke,Helmand province, Afghanistan.

By MCC (SCW/SW/AW) Jesse SherwinNMCB 3

During Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3sdeployment to Afghanistan, which began in November 2010and ended in June, the battalion supported U.S. and Coalitionforces spread across more than 30 different locations throughoutAfghanistan. Key efforts included the completion of 110 tacti-cal infrastructure projects, ranging from combat outposts toroads.

NMCB 3 is currently compromised of more than 600 person-nel and has already begun training and planning for a deploymentto Europe and Africa in the late spring of 2012.

One of the first Seabee units commissioned during World War

II, NMCB 3 played an important part in the building of basesin the South Pacific and participated in a number of combatoperations during the Marshall Islands campaign. During theVietnam War, the battalion made three deployments to Da Nang,Vietnam, where they constructed more than 500 facilities for theMarine Corps.

In the1990sNMCB 3 established a legacy of disaster recoveryto include operations in Guam, Yap and the Philippines.

Since 2000, NMCB 3 has made multiple deployments to Iraqand Afghanistan supporting both Operation Enduring Freedomand Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2008, NMCB 3 became the first main body to deploy toNaval Station Rota, Spain, since 2005. During this time, detach-ments were also sent to Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbiato provide humanitarian construction in these emerging EasternEuropean countries. More than 300 Seabees served throughoutAfrica, drilling water wells, renovating schools, training hostnational militaries and improving the quality of life in Liberia,Cameroon, Djibouti, Kenya, Comoros and Uganda.

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The Secretary of the Army has awardedthe Seabees of Naval MobileConstructionBattalion (NMCB)4 the Meritorious Unit

Commendation (MUC) for exceptionallyeritorious conduct during the battalionsdeployment to Afghanistan, Januarythrough August 2010.

Our Seabees worked extremely hardlast deployment, and getting the MUC isessentially a very nice thank you letter,Cmdr. La Tanya E. Simms, commandingofficer, NMCB 4, said of the June 22 rec-ognition.

NMCB 4 s current deployment is alsoin Afghanistan. The battalion, supporting

Task Force Overlord and the II MarineExpeditionary Force, took over construc-ion operations from NMCB 3 at Campeatherneck on June 17.

This also sets the bar pretty high forour current deployment, Simms said. Ithows our folks that working hard, a part

of our command philosophy, means some-hing.

Simms said the MUC also reinforceshat what Seabees do in Afghanistan is

important and contributes to Americasational strategy.

During the 2010 deployment, NMCBexecuted more than 400 acres of For-ard Operating Base (FOB) expansions

and constructed numerous command andontrol, force protection and life supportacilities on seven FOBs throughout Re-

gional Command (RC) North. The bat-talions efforts were in direct support of

peration Enduring Freedom and enabledhe timely deployment of more than 3,000

oldiers from the 1st Brigade, 10th Moun-tain Division.Always leaning forward in support of

the warfighter, the battalion also con-structed aviation taxiways, parking apronsand operations facilities across the region,greatly increasing operational effectivenessof the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade.

In RC East, NMCB 4 Seabees construct-ed critical facilities across six combat out-

osts and FOBs, enabling the UnitedStates force expansion in eastern Afghan-

istan.Additionally, the unit partnered with thefghan National Army to train theirilitary engineers, directly supporting

ounter-insurgency priorities and empow-ring the Afghan people to help win the

fight for Afghanistan.Probably a decade ago, it was rare to

receive awards from other services; how-ever, since Sept. 11, 2001, Seabee units andSeabees have increasingly participated inoperations and operating environments

with other services, said Simms. Withoutquestion though, the fact that the Armyrecognized our battalion, a Navy com-mand, is indeed a special honor and notmany Seabee units can say they wereawarded an Army MUC.

NMCB 4: Army honors battalion as it heads out again

PHOTO BY MC1 RUSSELL STEWART / NMCB 4

SeniorChiefPettyOfficerCloves Tennis posts NMCB 4s colors inCamp Krutke, Afghanistan,at the June 17 Transfer of Authority ceremony where NMCB 3 was relieved by NMCB 4 asthe construction battalion in the region.


Naval Mobile Construction Bat-talion (NMCB) 4, which is justbeginning an eight-month deploy-ment to Afghanistan, is a compo-nent of Task ForceOverlord, whichcommands and oversees a jointservice task force responsible forplanning, engineering, and con-struction operations in southern,southwestern and western Afghan-istan.

The battalion took over con-struction operations from NMCB3 on June 17.

NMCB 4s commanding officer,Cmdr. La Tanya Simms, said herbattalion is ready to push forward,continuing the extraordinary prog-ress NMCB 3 made.

We trained hard in homeport,and were ready to do what we dobest: be safe, work hard, and havefun! she said.

NMCB 4, commissioned May11, 1942, is homeported in PortHueneme and is made up of 630Seabees. The battalion has a dis-tinguished history of supportingthe American warfighter and pro-viding humanitarian assistanceand disaster relief around theworld.

While deployed to Afghanistan,NMCB 4 will construct combat

outposts, patrol bases, roads,bridges and various other supportfacilities to expand freedom ofmovement and counterinsurgencyoperations for International Secu-rity Assistance Forces.

NMCB 4 is a component ofNavy ExpeditionaryCombat Com-mand that provides contingencyengineering and constructionacross Afghanistan in support ofthe overall mission of Internation-

al Security Assistance Force andregional commander require-ments.

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By MC2 Ace RheaumeNMCB 5

Command Post Exercises and FieldTraining Exercises have kept Naval Mo-bile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5occupied during its homeport at NavalBase Ventura County (NBVC), Port Hue-neme, and now the battalion has a newcommanding officer, with Cmdr. Peter J.Maculan relieving Cmdr. Scot T. Sanderson June 28.

Under Sanders leadership, NMCB 5successfully completed two deploymentsto Afghanistan supporting combat op-erations for the 1st Marine ExpeditionaryForce and Combined Joint Special Op-erations Task Force, Afghanistan.

During the two deployments, NMCB5 executed more than 100,000 mandaysof construction, providing support to 41forward operating bases, combat out-posts, fire bases and patrol bases through-out Afghanistan, safely executing morethan 312 combat ground movements andcompleting more than 100 projects.

NMCB 5 earned the Battle E andPeltier Awards as the Best Battalion inthe NavalConstruction Force (NCF), andthe Marine Corps Engineer AssociationsOutstanding Naval Unit for 2009.

Sanders will report to Naval FacilitiesEngineering Command Hawaii as theoperations officer.

No battalion in the NCFhas had moreasked of them over thelast two years, andno battalion has delivered as much towarfighters as The Professionals, Sand-ers said. It has truly been an honor andprivilege to have worked with such a greatgroup of men and women. Ive been for-

tunate to have been in some great bat-talions on every tour, but none has beenas good as this group. Id go anywherewith these guys.

Maculan, a graduate of the Universityof Maryland, received his commissionthrough Officer Candidate School in1994. He reported to the battalion aftercompleting a tour at Naval Facilities En-gineering Command Far East in Yoko-suka, Japan, where he provided engineer-ing support after the earthquake and

tsunami.NMCB 5 has a reputation throughout

the Naval Construction Force for theirprofessionalism, commitment to the mis-sion and tremendous accomplishments,

he said. I am humbled by the opportu-nity to lead and serve with these amazing

Seabees.NMCB 5s 2011 homeport has been

filled with many accomplishments andachievements.

During a four-week period early in

homeport, the battalion conducted threeCommand Post Exercises (CPX) to help

increase deployment readiness two atPort Hueneme and one at the Joint Im-provised Explosive Device Defeat Orga-nization (JIEDDO) battle force site atPoint Mugu.

During the CPXs, companies in thebattalion practiced setting up a camp,establishing a defense, installing commu-nications, and performing patrols andconvoys. Each company was tested whileexecuting a wide array of combat, con-struction and logistics scenarios.

The battalions annual homeport SuperSquad competition concluded in Marchand was the climax of three months ofsquad-based competitions to includevarious military tactics, physical training,uniform and room inspections, drill com-petitions, completion of administrativerequirements, safety exams and Seabeehistory exams. The final event was held

on a holiday dedicated to the first Medalof Honor recipients in 1863, known asNational Medal of Honor day.

NMCB 5 also participated in severalField Training Exercises (FTXs) thishomeport to prepare for deployment: aSquad Leader FTX, Chiefs and OfficersFTX and Operation Bearing Duel 2011,the Battalion FTX held in April.

During Operation Bearing Duel, eachcompany and department was testedthrough various training scenarios that

Seabees may deal with while operating ina contingency environment, includingchemical biological and radiological(CBR), mass casualty and simulated at-tacks.

NMCB 5: Training, change of command mark homeport

PHOTOS BY MC2 (SCW) ACE RHEAUME / NMCB 5

Above, Bravo Company attached to NMCB 5 undergoes a chemical, biological andradiological (CBR) drill at Fort Hunter Liggett on April 16 during Operation Bearing Duel2011, a Field Training Exercise to test the battalions capability to deploy and conductoperations in a contingency environment. Below, Seabees attached to NMCB 5 carry apatient to a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to simulate a medical evacuation.

Naval Mobile Construction Bat-talion (NMCB) 5 is currently com-promised of more than 600 person-nel and has earned a reputation forexcellence and professionalism dur-ing the 63 years of its existence.

The unit hasearned the Battle Eor Best of Type award 13 times, thePeltier Award four times and theGolden Anchor for retention excel-lence six times. The proud traditionthat is represented by its Can Dospiritis as much a part of ThePro-fessionals of NMCB 5 today as it

was with their predecessors.The battalions upcoming deploy-

ment isexpected tobe in Europe andAfrica.

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By MCC (NAC/EXW) Michael B. WatkinsNMCB 40

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construc-ion Battalion (NMCB) 40 recently host-d a school picnic to show their apprecia-ion for the children of Parkviewlementary School in Port Hueneme.Nearly 100Seabees reported for duty at

arkview Elementary on June 10 to inter-ct with and cook lunch for the childrens a thank you for the support they re-eived while deployed to Afghanistan.

Last year, the school sent outmorethan

1,400 cards for Valentines Day and 40arge care packages for Christmas contain-ng socks, toothpaste, cookies and a vari-ty of other items, said Mandi Glover, apecial education teacher at Parkview. Thefterschool program from Parkview alsoreeted Seabees from 40 at the flight lineith posters and cheers upon their re-

urn.This whole experience has been so

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