Vol. 14, No. 12 | Thursday, June 19, 2014www.thelighthousenews.com
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Inside the newly erected green
privacy fencing thats visible from
the RV Park at Naval Base Ven-
tura County (NBVC) Port Hue-
neme, a village has taken shape.
But this time, the Seabees didnt
build it, and Sailors arent using
it.
Centered in and around Build-
ing 267 is temporary housing for
up to 575 teenagers caught trying
to enter the United States ille-
gally and without an adult
children the federal government
calls unaccompanied alien chil-
dren.
In addition to the 42,000-
square-foot building, there are
catering trucks, dining tents, por-
table bathrooms and a dirt soccer
field.
TheDepartment of Health and
Human Services (HSS) runs the
facility through its Office of Ref-
ugee Resettlement. Except for the
fact that it sits on NBVC Port
Hueneme land, the Navy has
nothing to do with it.
Fifteenmedia outlets, including
The Lighthouse, toured the facil-
ity Thursday, June 12. Cameras,
cell phones and recording de-
vices were not allowed, and re-
Bldg. 267 expected to reach capacity this week
Its a temporary shelter for up to 575 teens
caught crossing the border without adult
Photo by MC1 Chris Fahey / NMCb 3
Photos like this are why MC1 Chris Fahey of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 was named Navy
Journalist of the Year and MC of the Year (Sea) for 2013. For this photo, shot May 3 of last year during
the Springs Fire in Ventura County, Fahey leaned out the side window of a helicopter. It felt like
someone was physically trying to rip my camera from my hand, Fahey said. For more of the portfolio
that earned him the awards and the stories behind the photos see Pages 16 and 17.
HANGING OUT FOR THE BEST PHOTO
New surfboards, new stand-up
paddleboards, 10 colorful new kay-
aks and half a dozen pop-up camp-
ers that can be towed into beach-
side campgrounds are among the
new rentals available at the Out-
door Adventure Center at Naval
Base VenturaCounty (NBVC) Port
Hueneme.
Rental prices range from $15 a
day for a surfboard, $20 a day for
a kayak and $55 a day for the new
Aliner camper.
In addition, the center has new
management and new staff.
The thing for people to remem-
ber is that in addition to all this
new equipment, we still have the
Center offers
new kayaks,
paddleboards
Outdoor Adventures
at NBVC rents out
summer gear
See MeDIA, PAge 24
See OUTDOOR, PAge 23
Seabees and Sailors attend the
Battle of Midway commemoration at
NBVC Point Mugu June 4. Page 3
WHATS INSIDE
WHATS AHEAD
Bell, a German shepherd-bull
terrier mix, attends the June 14 pet
event at the NBVC Port Hueneme
Navy Exchange. Bell came with her
owners, Charles and BUCN Robin
Prince of NMCB 5. Military working
dogs performed. July 3 Lighthouse
Seabees have put together a hip-
hop band, Roc*It, thats developing
a local fan base. Page 11
By Captain Larry Vasquez
NBVC Commanding Officer
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 wiTh
The deparTmeNT Of defeNse Or The uNiTed sTaTes NaVy,
uNder wriTTeN CONTraCT wiTh NaVaL Base VeNTura
COuNTy. The LighThOuse is The ONLy auThOrized CiViLiaN
eNTerprise Newspaper fOr memBers Of The u.s. NaVy,
CiViLiaN empLOyees, reTirees aNd Their famiLy memBers
iN The VeNTura COuNTy area. CONTeNTs Of The paper are
NOT 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 iN
This puBLiCaTiON iNCLudiNg iNserTs aNd suppLemeNTs,
dOes NOT CONsTiTuTe eNdOrsemeNT Of The deparTmeNT
Of defeNse, The u.s. NaVy Or The sTar, Of The prOduCTs
Or serViCes adVerTised. eVeryThiNg adVerTised iN This
puBLiCaTiON shaLL Be made aVaiLaBLe fOr purChase, use
Or paTrONage wiThOuT regard TO raCe, COLOr, reLigiON,
sex, NaTiONaL OrigiN, age, mariTaL sTaTus, physiCaL
haNdiCap, pOLiTiCaL affiLiaTiON, Or aNy OTher NON-meriT
faCTOr Of The purChaser, use, Or paTrON. if a ViOLaTiON
Or rejeCTiON Of This equaL OppOrTuNiTy pOLiCy By aN ad-
VerTiser is CONfirmed, The puBLisher shaLL refuse TO
priNT adVerTisiNg frOm ThaT sOurCe uNTiL The ViOLaTiON
is COrreCTed. ediTOriaL CONTeNT is ediTed, prepared
aNd prOVided TO The puBLisher By The LOCaL iNsTaLLa-
TiON puBLiC affairs OffiCes uNder The auspiCes Of The
NaVaL Base VeNTura COuNTy puBLiC affairs OffiCe.
COmmaNdiNg OffiCer
Capt. LaRRY VaSQUEZ
Chief sTaff OffiCer
Capt. SCott LoESChkE
COmmaNd masTer Chief
CMDCM pERCY tRENt
puBLiC affairs OffiCer
kIMBERLY GEaRhaRt
LighThOuse ediTOr
aNDREa howRY
805-989-5281
fiNd us aT:
facebook.com/
NavalBaseVenturaCounty
puBLisher
MaRGIE CoChRaNE
adVerTisiNg deparTmeNT
437-033
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 the
Captain
Thursday,June19,2014
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Q: With news broadcasts this week of more than 150
teenagers being temporarily sheltered at Naval Base
Ventura County (NBVC) with more to come, might
there be an opportunity to volunteer with the agency
overseeing these children? I speak fluent Spanish and
would love to help out.
A: Thank you for your generous offer. Weve had a
great outpouring of support from the community since
it was announced that NBVC would be one of the De-
partment of Defense sites supporting the Department of
Health and Human Servicesmission to care for unac-
companied children who have crossed the border into
the United States. Your desire to help reflects credit on
you and the community.
At this time, the federal agencies supporting these
facilities are unable to accept donations or volunteers
to assist the unaccompanied children program.
Several refugee resettlement non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) in the U.S. are accepting mone-
tary donations and, in some cases, experienced vol-
unteers to assist incoming refugee families, although
not specifically unaccompanied children, in support
of the effort of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
at the State Department. Information, by state, for
refugee resettlement NGOs can be found at the State
Departments Refugee Processing Center (RPC) web
page at http://www.wrapsnet.org/Home/RPAgencyCon-
tacts or the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
web page at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/state-pro-
grams-annual-overview.
Do you have questions, comments, or sugges-
tions? I want to hear them! Reach me here by emailing
[email protected], on Facebook at www.facebook.
com/NavalBaseVenturaCounty or on Twitter at www.
twitter.com/NBVCCalifornia. You can also go online to
our homepage at http://cnic.navy.mil/ventura/index.htm
and use the Commanding Officers Suggestion Box. I
look forward to hearing from you.
Does the temporary shelter at NBVC need donations or volunteers?
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,June19,2014
CommunityCalendar
JUNE GLOOM 5K:
Monthly lunchtime
5K put on by Morale,
Welfare and Recreation.
Free. 11 a.m. registration, 11:30
a.m. run. Family Beach, NBVC
Point Mugu. Open to everyone with
base access. Info: 989-7728.
19
NARFE LUNCH:
National Active
and Retired
Federal Employees
Association, Ventura County
chapter, meets at 11:30 a.m.
at the Elks Club, 801 South A
St., Oxnard. Lunch is at noon.
Cost: $9. Reserve by noon June
23 to Dukie, 487-1801, or email
26
June
FAMiLy FUN NiGHt:
5:30 to 7 p.m.,
Seabreeze Aquatics
Center, NBVC Port
Hueneme. Enjoy a luau
and pool party. Snacks and drinks
provided. RSVP interest to the
Seabee Chapel, 982-4358.
20
MOviE NiGHts: Dusk
at Family Beach,
NBVC Point Mugu,
with campfire, The
LEGO Movie; 5:30 p.m. in the
Seabreeze Aquatics Center at
NBVC Port Hueneme, Despicable
Me. Info: 982-4752.
27
NEMEsis ALUMNi
AssOCiAtiON LUNCH:
51st anniversary of
Naval Surface Warfare
Center, Port Hueneme Division,
11:30 a.m., Bard Mansion. $15.
Guest speaker. Base access info
to Teri Reid by July 2, trojai@icloud.
com or 805-861-6972. RSVP by
July 3 to Reid or to Gerry Roberts,
805-642-6504.
10
July
A farmers market with fresh produce,
exercise-class demonstrations and free
samples of coconut water and other
healthy foods will be featured the last
weekend in June as the Port Hueneme
Commissary hosts its first Your Healthy
Lifestyle Festival.
The event will take place in front of the
commissary andNavy Exchange complex
at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)
Port Hueneme from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, June 26; from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, June 27; from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat-
urday, June 28; and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 29.
The theme is Shop healthy! Eat healthy!
Be healthy!
When I first heard about this theme, I
jumped in with both feet, said Store Di-
rector Velma Siler, amarathon runner and
fitness fanatic.
Also participating will be the Navy Ex-
change, the Fleet & Family Support Cen-
ter, the Navy Lodge andMorale, Welfare
and Recreation (MWR), which operates
the Seabee Golf Course and the gyms on
base.
The farmersmarket will be stockedwith
melons, pineapples and stone fruits.
Siler said there will be cooking demon-
strations alongwith the samples of healthy
foods.
Done right, a Portobello mushroom
can replace a steak, Siler said.
There will be information on good eat-
ing habits and nutritional values, along
with music and giveaways, including gift
cards of up to $50.
We want this event to reinforce the
health and wellness goals of the military
community, Siler said. And we want
everyone to have a good time.
Festival celebrates healthy foods, lifestyles
Twelve residents of the Veterans Home
of California-Ventura attended a Battle
of Midway commemoration atNaval Base
Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu 72
years after the historic and bloody event
that turned the tide of WorldWar IIs Pa-
cific Theater.
The base personnel were wonderful
and treated our veterans like royalty, said
Lynda Griffin, the supervising rehabilita-
tion therapist who accompanied the vet-
erans to the event, along with two other
staff members. It is an honor for our
Veterans Home to be invited to this event
every year.
Capt. Larry Vasquez, commanding of-
Veterans attend
Battle of Midway
commemoration
PHOtO by vANCE vAsqUEz / NbvC PUbLiC AFFAiRs
Capt. Larry Vasquez, left, the commanding officer of Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC),
is joined by BM2(SW) George Oteng, NBVCs Junior Sailor of the Quarter, during the Battle
of Midway wreath-laying ceremony at Building 1, NBVC Point Mugu.
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Past, present and future have been
blending together lately for Steel-
worker 2nd Class Matthew Rush.
At work, hes restoring a 74-year-
old movie marquee thats headed to
the Seabee Museum. And at home,
he recently welcomed a baby boy,
Jordan, his second child.
The idea that someday he might
take his grown son to see a piece of
World War II history that he helped
restore hasnt been lost on him.
Im glad to be a part of this, he
said.
Rush and other Seabees and civilian
welders at the Construction Equip-
ment Division (CED), Naval Facili-
ties Engineering and Expeditionary
Warfare Center, are currently working
on two parts of themarquee: the base
and the crown.
The marquee was part of theMay-
fair, a downtown Ventura theater
built in 1940, the year before Pearl
Harbor was bombed and the United
States entered World War II.
The theater burned in 2000 andwas
razed in 2004, but the marquee was
spared and spent a decade in an oth-
erwise empty lot in Ventura. A group
Restoration continues onWWII-era marquee
See MIDWAY, PAge 23
See PROJeCT, PAge 22
PHOtO by ANdREA HOwRy / LiGHtHOUsE
Wes Calder examines the marquee crown in the
Construction Equipment Division at Naval Base
Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme.
9
0
~
Thursday,June19,2014
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By MC1 Charles Panter
NMCB 4
Cmdr. Jeff Lengkeek relieved
Cmdr. Jeff Kilian as commander
of Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion (NMCB) 4 during a
change of command ceremony at
Naval Base Ventura County
(NBVC) Port Hueneme Thurs-
day, June 12.
Capt. Dean Tufts, commander
of Naval Construction Group 1,
the guest speaker at the ceremony,
commended Kilian for his excel-
lent performance.
Let me talk about the super-
stars in front of you, said Tufts.
And Im not talking about
[Kilian or Lengkeek]; Im talking
about the Sailors, the Seabees, the
Air Force and the Marines that
make up NMCB 4. Last year
these men and women completed
$18millionworth of construction
across 27 countries. They did it
all with professionalism, pride
and excellence.
Tufts presentedKilian with the
Meritorious ServiceMedal for his
outstanding performance as the
commanding officer of NMCB
4 from June 2012 to June 2014.
Before his departure, Kilian
shared his gratitude for the op-
portunity to servewith the Sailors
and families of NMCB 4.
I am leaving with a profound
sense of satisfaction knowing that
we gave it our best,Kilian said.
I was part of an outstanding
battalion that demonstrated the
highest levels of performance
through exemplary character,
preparedness and disciplined ex-
ecution. You did everything I
asked of you and then some. You
exceeded expectation every
time.
Upon assuming command,
Lengkeek spoke of the humbling
experience of taking command
and leading the battalion.
I truly am honored and hum-
bled to be your commanding of-
ficer, said Lengkeek. I look
forward to writing the next chap-
ter of Seabee history with you.
Lengkeekwas commissioned in
1995, with his first command be
-
ing Naval Air Station Lemoore.
He holds a bachelors degree in
civil engineering from Pennsylva-
nia State University and a mas-
ters in civil engineering from
Stanford University.
Lengkeek has served with Na-
val Support Facility Diego Gar-
cia;NMCB3 atNBVCPortHue-
neme; 1st Naval Construction
Division in Virginia Beach, Va.;
Naval StationRota, Spain; Camp
Lemonnier, Djibouti; Command-
er Navy Installations Command,
Washington, D.C., where he
served on the Shore Investment
Strategy Task Force developing
the Chief of Naval Operations
Shore Investment StrategicGuid-
ance; Amphibious Construction
Battalion 1 in San Diego; as the
operations officer of Naval Fa-
cilities Engineering Command
Southwest, also in San Diego;
and the Navy Office of Legisla-
tive Affairs in Washington,
D.C.
NMCB 4 holds change of command ceremony on base
Photo by MC1 Charles Panter / nMCb
Cmdr. Jeff Kilian, left, passes the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion
(NMCB) 4 flag to Cmdr. Jeff Lengkeek, who becomes the 36th
commanding officer of the battalion since its recommissioning in 1951.
The change of command ceremony took place Thursday, June 12, at
Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme.
Lengkeek relieves
Kilian, becomes
battalions 36th CO
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www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,June19,2014
5
As summer begins, students are usually
excited to leave the books and homework
behind. As appealing as this sounds, it will
often lead to the summer slideof losing
a few months of learning during summer
vacation.
There are many wonderful ways that
students can get out, explore and con-
tinue their learning. Since some students
prefer to stay on a computer or tablet,
parents may want to find some educa-
tional websites for them and encourage
their use.
Ive compiled a few keywords that lead
to educational and free sites. (A reminder
that sometimes free means it will have
ads, so be sure your child knows the rules
about not clicking on them). There are
many more, but here are some to get you
started:
5 and younger
PBSKids: Children who love Curious
George or The Cat in the Hatwill en-
joy this website. It combines many of the
well-loved PBS characters with learning
games. Best of all, PBS is always free of
ads.
National Geographic Little Kids: It is
never too early to ignite an interest in sci-
ence. National Geographic Little Kids
has games, crafts, recipes, science, videos
and animal information.
Grades K-5
National Geographic Kids: Geared for
the 5-and-over crowd, this site features
games, videos, information and really cool
videos. This will definitely keep your chil-
dren engaged.
Spatulatta: Encourage a love of cook-
ing. This website features kid-friendly
cooking with lots of videos and recipes.
FunBrain: Emphasizing the fun inmath
and reading, this website features games
like math baseball and Mad Libs Junior.
Grades 6-8
Pottermore: The author of the Harry
Potter series, J.K. Rowling, created this
site so kids could read the books and use
interactive features and games.
Whyville: A fun and safe place for
tweens to hang out while playing learning
games and socializing.
NGA Kids: If you cant visit museums
in person, heres another option. This
website gives users art adventures and ac-
tivities from the National Gallery of
Art.
High school
TED: Started in 1984 as a conference
where technology, entertainment and de-
sign converged, TED today shares ideas
from a broad spectrum from science to
business to global issues in more than
100 languages. The website features videos
and articles.
National Geographic: With maps, cul-
tures and facts from around the world,
this website is a geography and history
lesson wrapped up into one.
The College Board: As a national non-
profit membership association whosemis-
sion is to prepare, inspire and connect
students to college success and opportu-
nity, this site includes SAT preparation,
test dates and information for any college-
bound student.
Any of the above sites can be found
through an Internet search engine, and
that may lead to many others.
Going online for kids does not need to
be only about social media.With somany
websites offering games, interactive videos
and virtual tours of historic places, valu-
able learning can take place online.
For any education-related information,
please visit http://navylifesw.com/ventura/
families/cyp/slo/.
The NBVC school liaison officer can be
contacted at 805-989-5211 or via email at
[email protected] for any K-12 education-
related information.
Done correctly, computers can offer fun summer learning
School
connection
withMonica
James
6Thursday,June19,2014
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Seabee Chapel
Port Hueneme, Bldg. 1433
Phone: (805) 982-4358
Protestant
Sunday worship service: 9 a.m.
Choir rehearsal: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Catholic Mass
Sunday: 11:15 a.m.
Confession by prior appt.: 10:45 a.m.
Wednesday: 11:30 a.m.
Confession by prior appt.: 11 a.m.
Thursday: 11:30 a.m.
Confession by prior appointment only
Womens Bible Studies
Tuesday: 10 a.m., Book of I Samuel.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m., Esther: Its
Tough Being a Woman. Childcare
provided.
Mens Bible Studies
Thursday: 11:30 a.m., The Gospel of
Luke from the Inside Out. Lunch
provided.
Soup Fellowship Study
Sunday: 5 p.m., Foundations of
Apologetics. Potluck.
Catholic Religious Education
Pre-K through high school
Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Chaplains serving NBVC
Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Han
Command Chaplain
Lt. Lesa Welliver
Staff Chaplain
Father Antony Berchmanz
Catholic Priest
Volunteer opportunities
Womens shelter
8 a.m. to noon Thursday, June 26,
Gabriel House womens shelter, 1450
S. Rose Ave., Oxnard. Help needed
painting a farmhouse. Info: RP3
Theresa Bomba, 982-4358.
Highway cleanup
June 11 event was canceled and will be
rescheduled.
Ventura County Stand Down
July 25-27. Donations needed for
homeless vets; drop off at chapel. Info:
SW1 Shawn Herr, 419-789-0293.
Worship schedule
By patient, sympathetic labors with the
crew, day in, day out, and through many
a night, every chaplain I know contrib-
uted immeasurably to the moral courage
of our fighting men; none of this appears
in statistics. Most of it necessarily secret
between pastor and confidant. It is for
that toil, in the cause both of God and
country, that I honor the chaplain
most.
Fleet Adm. Chester A. Nimitz,
USN
The book of Job in the Bible is the
story of a faithful man who lived long
ago. However, tragedy hovers over this
righteous man.
The opening pages explain how Job had
lost just about everything children,
wealth, even his health. He was deeply
grieved and sought comfort from three
of his closest friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and
Zophar.
The Bible records, When three of Jobs
friends heard of the tragedy he had suf-
fered, they got together and traveled from
their homes to comfort and console him.
(Job 2:11, NLT).
Job tried to share his deepest feelings
and concerns with them. Unfortunately,
they didnt listen. Instead, they talked.
Finally, Job says, If only someone would
listen to me! (Job 31:35, NLT).
It is important to be able to be heard.
Chaplains understand this fact of life.
Chaplains provide religious ministry
for members of their own faith groups,
facilitate religious ministry for people of
other faiths and care for all service mem-
bers, family members, Department of
Defense civilians and authorized contrac-
tors with dignity, compassion and respect,
regardless of an individuals faith be-
liefs.
It is equally important to know that
what you share in private is confiden-
tial.
Recently the Chaplain Corps created
a fact sheet on this issue: What you say
to a chaplain in confidence stays between
you and the chaplain; unless you decide
differently, you hold the key
You indeed hold the key.
There are times in our lives when we
face certain existential struggles and we
just need to be heard. Chaplains and
Religious Program Specialists (RPs) have
the obligation and responsibility to pro-
tect and guard what you share in confi-
dence. This level of confidentiality is a
sacred trust. Chaplains are available to
provide you a safe place to talk about
your issues without fear or judgment.
Whatever you share with a chaplain will
remain confidential.
Interestingly, chaplains cannot be com-
pelled by the command, medical profes-
sionals or legal professionals to disclose
what a service member or family member
shares in confidence.
SECNAVINST 1730.9 (4.a) describes
confidential communications this way:
The term confidential communications
includes the legal recognition of the
clergy-penitent privilege, all communica-
tions between Navy chaplains and those
who confide in them as an act of religion,
a matter of conscience or in their role as
spiritual advisers. Commanders and
chaplains are required to honor the con-
fidential relationship between service
personnel and chaplains. This protection
extends to all authorized personnel, and
this obligation extends to all Navy chap-
lains.
Therefore, when life gets tough and
you need to be heard consider speak-
ing with a chaplain.
Chaplains can be reached 24/7. Dont
know who your nearest chaplain is? Call
Navy 311 to request chaplain support in
your area, 1-855-NAVY-311, or text to
Remember, chaplains are here to hear
you; moreover, our confidentiality is un-
breakable. What matters to you, matters
to us!
Need a confidential chat? Try a chaplain
Chaplains
corner
withLt.Cmdr.
RonKennedy
NCG1
Registration is now under way for Vacation
Bible School.
Sporting aWestern theme, this years event will
run 9 a.m. to noonMonday through Friday, July
14-18, at the Seabee Chapel, Naval Base Ventura
County (NBVC) Port Hueneme. Its for young-
sters 5 to 12 years old; older children and adults
are invited to volunteer to help run the pro-
gram.
Put on yer boots, grab yer hat and yall get
ready for this rip roarin roundup in the Wild
West! said Lt. Lesa Welliver, staff chaplain.
Child care is being provided to volunteers who
have children too young to attend the event. Any-
one interested in volunteering is asked to call the
Seabee Chapel at 982-4358.
Almost time for VBS
Yellow bins to collect non-perishable foods for hungry Ventura
County residents will soon be showing up all across Naval Base Ven-
tura County (NBVC) as the Navy once again participates in the gov-
ernment-wide Feds Feed Families campaign.
TheU.S. Department of Agriculture leads the campaign, which runs
through the end of August, with support from other federal agencies.
The chaplains office tracks and manages donations.
One of the most quality times spent with family is sitting around
a table having a meal, said Lt. Lesa Welliver, NBVC staff chaplain.
Folks share their day, kids talk about school, and sharing a meal
really unifies families. Were excited about having the opportunity to
help set the table.
While food banks usually see large amounts of food on their shelves
over the winter months, donations typically trail off after the holi-
days.
By the time summer comes, the shelves are bare, and that need still
exists, said Lt. Thea Lopez, Feds Feed Families operations officer for
the Department of the Navy. Hunger goes year-round.
Last year, the campaign brought in 9 million pounds of food.
Feds Feed Families is back
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,June19,2014
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Seabees from Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion 5 and
military and civilian law enforce-
ment personnel at Naval Base
Ventura County took part in the
Thursday, June 5, annual Law
Enforcement Torch Run, a pre-
lude to the Special Olympics
Summer Games Invitational.
Nearly two dozen Seabees, run-
ning with Port Hueneme Police
Department personnel, gained
custody of the torch from the
Oxnard Police Department and
ran with it from the intersection
of Channel Islands Boulevard
andVenturaRoad to the intersec-
tion of Hueneme and Edison
roads, a distance of 3.6 miles.
There, the Seabees handed it
off to California Highway Patrol
officers, who carried it toMissile
Park, where nearly a dozen Force
Protection personnel and mas-
ters-at-arms from the base were
gathered. They took possession
of the torch and ran the 4.7 miles
fromMissile Park toMuguRock,
where they handed it to campus
police fromCalifornia State Uni-
versity, Channel Islands.
The base personnel were joined
by an air traffic controller and
threeMilitaryWorkingDogswho
wore their own T-shirts during
the run.
They enjoy getting out of the
kennel, saidMaster-at-Arms 1st
Class Scott Chilko, who ran with
Jake.
He was joined by Force Protec-
tionOfficerKeithRobishaw, who
ran with Rocko, and Master-at-
Arms 2nd Class Cristina Colle-
sano, who ran with Pali. Several
other Force Protection personnel
and masters-at-arms ran, along
with Air Traffic Controller 1st
Class Robert Schueller.
Were all here to support Spe-
cial Olympics,Chilko said. Its
a great program.
Peggi Preston, director of the
Ventura County Region of Spe-
cial Olympics Southern Califor-
nia, coordinated all nine legs of
the Torch Run from San Luis
Obispo to the Ventura-Los An-
geles County line, where Los An-
geles-area law enforcement per-
sonnel began the final run to the
University of Southern Califor-
nia.
There, during the June 6 open-
ing ceremonies of the Special
Olympics Summer Games Invi-
tational, the torch was used to
light the cauldron along with a
torch being run from theMexican
border north to USC and an-
other being run through the In-
land Empire.
More than 1,200 athletes with
intellectual disabilities were
scheduled to compete in the
three-day event, and more than
10,000 spectators were expect-
ed.
The Seabees said they enjoyed
the opportunity to not only get
some exercise, but to support Spe-
cial Olympics.
I wanted to come out and be
a part of this, said Builder Con-
structionman Benjamin Fletch-
er.
It was a good run for a great
cause, added Builder Construc-
tionman Jonathan Stinnett.
Lt. Matthew Riley, the chap-
lain for NMCB 5, coordinated
the battalions run and called it a
cause more than worthy of the
Navys involvement.
This is what we do, he said.
We show support for the people
we love and defend.
Base law enforcement, NMCB 5 carry Special Olympics torch
Photo by RPSA PAlomA Gooch / Nmcb 5
Lt. Matthew Riley, the chaplain for Naval Mobile Construction Battlion 5, carries the
battalion flag as PSSN Wilbert ONeill Baez carries the torch during the Law Enforcement
Torch Run, the annual prelude to the Special Olympics of Southern California. NMCB 5 ran
with Port Hueneme Police Department personnel, wearing white T-shirts, for 3.6 miles.
Photo by ANdReA howRy / liGhthouSe
Civilian and military law enforcement personnel from Naval Base Ventura County take
part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run from Missile Park to Mugu Rock Thursday, June 5.
Military Working Dog Jake is running with MA1 Scott Chilko. The annual run is a prelude to
the Special Olympics Summer Games Invitational in Los Angeles.
Photo by ANdReA howRy /
liGhthouSe
MA2 Kendahl Peterson holds back
Rocko, whos wearing his own Law
Enforcement Torch Run T-shirt and
is ready to run from Missile Park to
Mugu Rock.
Photo by ANdReA howRy / liGhthouSe
With the torch passed from the Oxnard Police Department, Seabees
with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 join the Port Hueneme Police
Department for the 3.6-mile stretch from the intersection of Channel
Islands Boulevard and Ventura Road to the intersection of Hueneme
and Edison roads during the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
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10
Thursday,June19,2014
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Parents whose children are registered at
Child and Youth Programs (CYP) at Na-
val BaseVenturaCounty (NBVC) can now
go online to sign up for hourly child care
and make payments.
CYP Installation ProgramDirector Ja-
cobMunyon said theNavyRegion South-
west CYP Online Services is now up and
running atNBVCPointMugu andNBVC
Port Hueneme.
Parents must first fill out a registration
packet so we canmake sure theyre eligible
for CYP services, he explained. At that
time, theyll get a user name and password,
and they can use that to access the sys-
tem.
Parents can go online to sign up for up
to 10 hours of child care a week at the
Youth Center and up to 25 hours a week
at the Child Development Center. Cost is
$4 per hour per child.
Hourly child care is available from 6:15
a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Fri-
day.
This is a good benefit for families that
dont need child care every day on a regu-
lar basis,Munyon explained.
Formore information, stop by the Child
Development Centers or Teen Centers at
NBVCPortHueneme,NBVCPointMugu
or at the Catalina Heights military hous-
ing complex in Camarillo.
Sign-ups for hourly child care
at NBVC now available online
Longer hours andmore special activities
are among the changes taking place this
summer with the Aquatics Program at
Naval Base Ventura County. Heres a run-
down of the summer schedule:
Longer weekend hours. Through Sun-
day, Sept. 7, the Port Hueneme pool is
open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday. The Point Mugu pool is open
from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5
p.m. Sunday.
Longer weekday hours. The Port Hue-
neme pool is now open from 6 to 8 a.m.
and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through
Friday. The PointMugu pool is open from
6 to 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
Summer swim lessons: There are four
sessions, each consisting of eight classes
that are held Monday through Thursday.
Session 1 has already begun. Session 2 is
July 7-17. Session 3 is July 21-31. Session
4 is Aug. 4-14. Beginners classes are 30
minutes; intermediate classes are 50 min-
utes. Military and their family members
pay $40 per session for beginners and $50
for intermediate; civilians pay $55 for be-
ginners and $65 for intermediate. Six par-
ticipants are needed for a session to be
held. Lessons will be taught from 9 to 11
a.m. at the PortHueneme and PointMugu
pools. Theyll also be taught from 2 to 4
p.m. at Port Hueneme only.
Beach movie nights: Free movies will
be shown at dusk at Family Beach at
NBVC Point Mugu June 27, July 18 and
Aug. 1. There will be a campfire, and
snacks will be sold; marshmallows will be
provided while supplies last.
Family dive-in: Movies will be shown
at 5:30 p.m. at the Port Hueneme pool
June 27, July 18 and Aug. 1. For $5, each
person will get entrance to the pool, a hot
dog, chips and a juice box.
Junior lifeguards: A four-week session
runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 7
throughAug. 1 at Family Beach at NBVC
Point Mugu. Cost is $150 for military
members and their families and $170 for
civilians. The program is designed to de-
velop confidence, mental and physical
fitness and a respect for one another and
the coastal environment.
Family Beach Day: Outdoor activities
and games are planned from 11 a.m. to 4
p.m. Aug. 23 at Family Beach, NBVC
Point Mugu.
For information on any of these activi-
ties or to sign up for classes, call the Port
Hueneme pool at 805-982-4752 or the
Point Mugu pool at 805-989-7788.
NBVCs Aquatics Program
expands schedule for summer
Swim lessons, junior
lifeguards, movies at the
beach and in the pool are
among the activities
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www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,June19,2014
11
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
A Seabee whos been in the Navy for
three years but producing music for eight
has formed a hip-hop band thats picking
up a fan base in Ventura County and in
Hollywood.
Called Roc*It Entertainment, the band
has performed at Bombay Bar & Grill in
Ventura and at Tru Hollywood and the
Federal Bar in Hollywood. On Armed
Forces DayMay 17, a performance at the
Golden China in Ventura drew about 50
people.
This summer, the band hopes to release
its first LP.
Roc*It is the brainchild of Construction
Electrician Constructionman Curtis Lee
of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion
(NMCB) 3.
We want to make this a positive name
in the community,Lee explains. A lot of
people see rap, and they think its not the
most positive music. With our group, we
feel we can make a difference.
The themes of violence, illegal drug use
and sexism that pervademuch of the genre
arent in Roc*Its music, Lee says.
We dont have that same mindset that
others put out there, he said. Were ser-
vice members, were married. But we have
previous lives weve lived, and Im able to
express that. Its like a diary a way for
us to express feelings.
While other band members have been
in flux, Equipment Operator 3rd Class
SimonCharumonta of NMCB 4 has been
a constant. He and his wife, Equipment
Operator 3rd Class Taylor Charumonta
of NMCB 5, are housemates of Lee and
his wife, Construction Electrician Con-
structionmanChelseaLee, aReservist with
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion
17.
The four spend hours each night discuss-
ing ideas for new songs and working out
arrangements on $5,000 of production
equipment in their home. Themen practice
in the garage and the women offer cri-
tiques; Taylors voice can be heard on one
track.
Lyrics are explicit, although clean ver-
sions are in the works. Asked to come up
with a song that could be reprinted in The
Lighthouse, the two give a long hesitation
beforeCharumonta asksLee, What about
Afraid?
Yes, thats perfect, Lee replies. Its a
love song to his wife.
Practicing rap songs in the garage of a
suburban neighborhood could have posed
a problem, but Lee and Charumonta
headed that off by visiting their neighbors
before they launched in.
We asked if there would be any conflict
and they said no, wewere good to go,Lee
said. One neighbor said his wife goes to
sleep early, so we dont practice too late.
Theyve also been welcomed by local
businesses that know theyre getting a band
whose members arent using illegal drugs
and, since theyre electricians, know how
to set up their own equipment safely.
They knowwewont do stupid things,
Lee said.
Roc*It hopes it can find a niche in a
genre that has evolved from urban voice
tomisogynistic gangsta rap toMacklemore
& Ryan Lewis Thrift Shop,which won
two Grammy Awards this year.
Lee started off playing brass instruments
in junior high school in his hometown of
SanAntonio, then began producingmusic
eight years ago. Hes seen and benefited
from a lot of equipment upgrades and
laughs asCharumonta talks about the time
he listened to one of Lees first attempts
at production.
I felt bad but I just started laughing it
was so bad, Charumonta says.
Theyve put three videos on YouTube,
but only one blewup,getting about 9,000
views. The rest stayed under 1,000.
Now,with another Seabee acting as their
manager, theyre looking to expand their
social media presence, produce some vid-
eo biographies and get intomerchandising.
Saturday, June 21, they will be performing
for free at the Relay for Life of Port Hue-
neme, and theyve booked upcoming dates
at two Oxnard restaurants.
Its very competitive, Lee says of the
music business. Im passionate about this
and driven, and I would love to do this for
a living, but Im not going to drop every-
thing for it. I still have a responsibility to
the military and to my wife, which Ill
never ignore. None of us will.
Seabees form hip-hop band
With todays electronics, Roc*It doesnt
need any musical instruments to create hip-
hop music.
PhotoS by AndreA howry / LighthouSe
EO3 Simon Charumonta, left, of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, and CECN
Curtis Lee of NMCB 3, practice in their garage. Their hip-hop band, Roc*It, will be giving a
free performance at the Port Hueneme Relay for Life Saturday, June 21.
12
Thursday,June19,2014
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By CEC Terence Juergens
UCT 2
SANGLEY POINT, Philippines
Green Diver, back down the ladder until
your helmets awash!
Make it hot!
Switch off!
These were some of the phrases heard
during the month of May as divers from
the U.S. Navy and the Philippines worked
together on port/harbor recovery scenarios
during this years Exercise Balikatan.
Throughout nine grueling days of high
heat and periodic downpours, Underwater
Construction Team (UCT) 2 trained eight
PhilippineNavy (PN)UCTdivers on such
topics as surface supplied diving systems
and procedures, underwater cutting and
welding techniques and procedures, diving
casualtymanagement and neurological ex-
aminations.
From the makeshift classroom to under
water, all PNdivers received valuable train-
ing that goes hand in hand with the strate-
gic goals of Balikatan 2014.
The Filipino divers are outstanding,
resourceful and very attentive, said Build-
er 2nd Class (SCW/DV) Joseph Hophan,
the project supervisor for UCT 2s Con-
struction Diving Detachment Charlie
(CDD/C). We had to take a crawl-walk-
run approach to our mission here in the
Philippines. Diving is already very danger-
ous; when you add cutting and welding to
the equation, your focus shifts toward safe-
ty and the steps we take to mitigate risk.
They did great and learned at an impressive
rate.
ThePNdiverswere given projects so they
could practice various types of welds.Once
they felt comfortablewithwhat they learned
during topside (dry) welding, theywere put
to the test underwater. Fromproper termi-
nology to electrodeplacement to speed, they
were able to experience how hard it is to
weld underwater. I dont think they real-
ized how hard it was going to be, said
Construction Mechanic 2nd Class (SCW/
EXW/DV)NathanEmmett, leadwelder for
the detachment. Once you call for power,
it was lights out, the visibility goes to zero.
I was surprised at how fast they learned.
Along with cutting and welding under-
water for the first time, the PNUCTdivers
were able to gain valuable knowledge on
side scan sonar techniques and proce-
dures.
We were able to use their system and
train them on what they have, said Build-
er 2nd Class (SCW/DV) David Madmon,
hydrographic survey technician for the de
-
tachment. I think it resonates more when
youre able to train them on a piece of
equipment theyalreadyown.Whenwe leave
they cancontinue topracticewhatwe taught
them.
The Philippines was the fourth of seven
stops spanning six countries across the Pa-
cific for members of UCT 2s CDD/C. On
this deployment, thedetachment is conduct-
ing inspection, maintenance and repair of
various underwater andwaterfront facilities
and is participating in four Pacific Fleet
exercises.
UCT 2 divers teach their
counterparts in Philippines
Divers from the Philippines and Underwater Construction Team 2 prepare to execute a joint
dive to practice underwater cutting and welding.
SW1 Cody Oswald of Underwater
Construction Team 2 teaches a surface
supplied diving course to the Philippine
Underwater Construction Team during last
months Exercise Balikatan.
Photos by Eo1 ManuEl tErrEro / uCt 2
Divers from the Philippines and Underwater Construction Team 2 practice underwater
cutting techniques on dry land prior to applying this skill underwater during Exercise
Balikatan in Sangley Point, Philippines.
"
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www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,June19,2014
13
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Suits, ties and conservative dresses re-
placed school uniformsWednesday, June
11, as about 400 eighth-graders at E.O.
Green Junior High School in Oxnard
took part in Portfolio Day, showing their
poise and sharing their work with local
professionals, many from the areas larg-
est employer: Naval Base Ventura Coun-
ty.
Each year, just before school ends,
eighth-graders sit down one-on-one with
adult volunteers who rate the contents
of their school portfolio and critique
their personal presence confidence,
friendliness and eye contact included.
Carlos Boisselier, an engineer at Naval
Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme
Division (NSWC PHD), has been volun-
teering at this event since 2006.
I learn a lot from these kids, he said.
Some are very enthusiastic, some have
reservations because its their first time
doing this, but they all learn from the
experience.
He makes sure to explain that the days
lessons will carry over for years to come,
whether its a job interview or an aca-
demic interview.
A couple of these kids had excellent
interviewing skills, he said. Their an-
swers were well thought-out and articu-
lated.
Holding a large binder filled with
schoolwork, including a brochure shed
made for a Spanish class marketing a
make-believe resort in Spain, eighth-
grader Jacquelin Sanchez said the day
requires a lot of preparation.
I was really nervous, but in reality, it
was all worth it all that hard work,
she said.
Gil Cajala, the Exceptional Family
Member liaison at the Fleet & Family
Support Center (FFSC), said some
youngsters had strong charisma but a
weak portfolio; others had outstanding
work but no confidence.
When you have both is when you can
really succeed, he explained.
For Lori Steinhauer, a work and fam-
ily life consultant with the FFSC, there
was one girl among the many students
she interviewed that day who will be hard
to forget.
She had such good eye contact, and
I asked her about it, Steinhauer said.
She said her momwas looking for work,
and shed been coaching her on job in-
terviews.
In addition, she said, All the practic-
ing shed been doing at home for Portfo-
lio Day had given her mom some confi-
dence, too.
Steinhauer, who was volunteering for
a third year, said she wished all schools
had an event like this.
Shy or confident, these students have
all these gems they discover in themselves
that we get to see, she said.
Diane Gomez, the school counselor
who helped organize the event, agreed.
This is a rite of passage for these kids,
she said. We see them blossom before
our eyes.
Added Carol Short, chair of the lan-
guage arts department, This is my fa-
vorite day of the year.
Its a tradition, she explained.
They know all year that its coming
up, she said, and they rise to the occa-
sion.
Cajala summed up the day:
The future, he said, does seem pret-
ty bright.
Base workers judge students portfolios, professionalism
Photos by AndreA howry / Lighthouse
Gil Cajala, left, the Exceptional Family Member liaison at the Naval Base Ventura County
(NBVC) Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC), critiques George Romeros portfolio at E.O.
Green Junior High School Wednesday, June 11.
Carlos Boisselier, an engineer with the
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port
Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) fills out
the Interviewers Rating Form that judges
students on whether they are appropriately
dressed, articulate, enthusiastic and
friendly, well-groomed and self-confident
and whether they have good eye contact and
a strong voice. Their portfolio is judged on
organization, quality of work, originality and
creativity, style, grammar, neatness and
overall effort.
14
Thursday,June19,2014
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By YNC Ryan Arnoldussen
NOSC Ventura County
Navy Operational Support Center
(NOSC)Ventura County held a time-hon-
ored change of command ceremony June
7 aboard Naval Base Ventura County
(NBVC) Port Hueneme.
During the ceremony, Capt. Thomas
A. Long relieved Capt. Ron G. Oswald
as commanding officer.
Guests included Rear Adm. Russell E.
Allen, deputy commander of the U.S. 7th
Fleet, who spoke to the crowd of more
than 120 military service members, retir-
ees, civilians, families and friends. Allen
said NOSC Ventura County has been
fortunate to have a leader such as Os-
wald.
Allen presentedOswald with the Legion
of Merit Award for his distinguished per-
formance of duty and achieving the high-
est levels of personnel and operational
readiness while serving as commanding
officer. Part of the award citation lauded
his inspiring leadership of 33 staff, 39
assigned units and 1,200 selected reserv-
ists for the flawless mobilization and de-
mobilization of 400 Sailors.
That mobilization provided 70,000man
days in support of overseas contingency
operations.
We have come a long way since the
merger of NOSC PointMugu andNOSC
Port Hueneme to NOSC Ventura Coun-
ty,Oswald said. As I thought about my
time here, there are a couple of events
that stick out in my mind. I remember
hiking the Chumash Trail and taking a
command photo with every Sailor that
helped the NOSC win the 2011 and 2013
NOSC of the Year achievement.
NOSCVenturas Sailors have excelled
in everything theyve done, he added.
Their work ethic, resiliency and com-
mitment to excellence have made NOSC
Ventura County what it is today. Im
humbled by their selfless dedication and
feel privileged to have been a part of this
command.
Long thanked Oswald for turning over
an incredible command and an even
greater crew.
The NOSC crew embodies the honor,
courage, and commitment that has made
our Navy Reserve force, our Navy and
our country great, Long said. I assure
you, our future is bright.
Oswald will report for duty to Com-
mander, U.S. 7th Fleet, in Yokosuka, Ja-
pan.
Long relieves Oswald as CO of NOSC Ventura County
Photo by yN2 PaulyN SaNtiago / NoSC VeNtura CouNty
As Rear Adm. Russell Allen, deputy commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, looks on, Capt.
Ronald Oswald, left, is relieved by Capt. Thomas Long as the commanding officer of Navy
Operational Support Center (NOSC) Ventura County during a June 7 ceremony.
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,June19,2014
15
PhotoS by Delaney RoDRiguez / nSWC PhD
The Ka Hale Hula O Pilialohaokalani O Hilo dance group performs a traditional Hawaiian
hula dance as a conclusion to the May 29 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month event
at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD). The dancers are,
from left, Kathy Magallanes of St. Johns Hospital, Josephine Rodriguez and Elvin Spencer
of NSWC PHD, and Jill Cupal.
By Delaney Rodriguez
NSWC PHD
As Asian Pacific American Heritage
Month, May is the time to acknowledge
themany contributions, achievements and
cultural enrichments brought to the Unit-
ed States by Asian Pacific Americans.
This years theme, Diverse Leadership
and Expanding Opportunity: an Impera-
tive for America,was celebrated at Naval
Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme
Division (NSWC PHD), May 29.
Capt. Burt Espe, NSWC PHD com-
mander, spoke to those in attendance
about the importance of diverse ideas,
experiences, expertise and backgrounds.
We are particularly pleased,Espe said,
to have employees of Asian Pacific de-
scent throughout our workforce. Yet, its
important that we take time to remember
all the different cultures that make Port
Hueneme Division so unique. Without
diversity, we would not be the successful
and creative command that we are today.
As commander, I personally feel it is im-
portant to promote inclusiveness and di-
versity throughout the workforce.
The event included Polynesian/Hawai-
ian food, live music, Polynesian dancers
and hula dancing, all sponsored byNSWC
PHDs CivilianMorale, Welfare and Rec-
reationCommittee in conjunctionwith the
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Asian Pacific Islander focus group.
NSWCPHD honors Asian
Pacific American heritage
Elvin Spencer of Naval Surface Warfare
Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC
PHD) presents Capt. Burt Espe, NSWC
PHD commander, with a lei during the May
29 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
event.
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Tell combat photographers theyre headed out on assignment and you can imagine what theyll want to bring on the plane: lenses, bigger lenses and as much camera gear as they can pack.
Not Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Chris Fahey.
I dont want a telephoto lens, says Fahey, whos assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3. I want the widest lens and the smallest cam-era and as much safety equipment as possible.
His need to get as close to the action as he can is one of the traits that won Fahey the titles of Navy Journalist of the Year and MC of the Year (Sea) for 2013.
NMCB 3 was deployed to the Pacific for much of the year. Week after week, Fahey sent packages of stories and photos from Seabees playing with youngsters in the Philippines to construction shots taken in the mud.
Before he deployed, he covered the Springs Fire, which burned more than 24,000 acres in Ventura County.
Fahey, 34, has been in the Navy for 12 years.
When you get to tell someones story, he says, its an honor.
Heres a look at some of Faheys work over the past year and his stories from behind the lens.
NMCB 3 Seabee namedJournalist of the Year
In the Russell Egnor Navy Media Awards for calendar year 2013, MC1 Chris Fahey of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 was named Navy Journalist of the Year and MC of the Year (Sea).
April 4: In Zambales, Philippines, Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) Surgeon U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Jennifer Almy listens to the heartbeat of 2-year old Jude Freduluces during a medical community relations project at the Natividad Health Clinic in support of Exercise Balikatan 2013, an annual Philippine-U.S. bilateral exercise. Behind the lens: Its hard not making yourself part of your own story. I waited on my belly with my camera up for what felt like an eternity for one of the many children given free check-ups that day to look back at me. Finally, this little boy did and all I wanted to do was hold his hand or give him a hug.
May 3: From back, Navy Aviation Warfare Systems Operators Chief Jay Okonek and 1st Class Petty Officer Jason Blase, aircrewmen from the Merlins of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3, drop water from a 360-gallon Bambi bucket on the Springs Fire near Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu.
Behind the lens: I remember cursing my arms for not being long enough during this photo. I was able to capture the action (water releasing) and the scorched ground the water was dousing during the 2013 Ventura County wildfires, but just barely. Im leaning out of the side window with the camera strap fighting against me thanks to the rotary blades above. It felt like someone was physically trying to rip my camera from my hand. So much fun.
Nov. 11: EO1 Peter Izarra of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 gives an exuberant high-five to a youngster in Okinawa, Japan.
Behind the lens: This image makes me happy every time I look at it. We were at a volunteer project working with local children in an Okinawan district. Its the most amazing high-five that has or will ever be given.
Sept. 22: In Okinawa, Japan, CE2 Dwayne Watson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 uses his weapon to push Constantine wire away from his face while running a six-hour endurance course at the Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC).
Behind the lens: I used a wide, wide lens that allowed me to get within just a few inches of this Seabees face. It looks like Im about a foot away, but in reality, our feet are pretty much tied together. Thats the only way I know to shoot. If my subject is underneath five feet of mud water, then I am too. Long lenses rob you from feeling what your subject is feeling. If I didnt know what it was like to have nasty jungle water in my underwear, I wouldnt be able to write about how it made my subject feel not as well, anyway.
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The Lighthouse
Thursday, June 1
9, 2
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April 4: In Zambales, Philippines, Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) Surgeon U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Jennifer Almy listens to the heartbeat of 2-year old Jude Freduluces during a medical community relations project at the Natividad Health Clinic in support of Exercise Balikatan 2013, an annual Philippine-U.S. bilateral exercise. Behind the lens: Its hard not making yourself part of your own story. I waited on my belly with my camera up for what felt like an eternity for one of the many children given free check-ups that day to look back at me. Finally, this little boy did and all I wanted to do was hold his hand or give him a hug.
April 1: In this photo taken during exercise Balikatan 2013, what looks to be a roadside cross in the Philippines is actually something else entirely.
Behind the lens: This image probably had the most dramatic effect on me than any other image I shot in 2013. At first, I thought it was just a memorial cross, similar to those found alongside highways in the U.S. The blue cross was actually the top of a Catholic church that was instantly buried in ash and mud during the early 1990s eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. Inside remain the bodies of several families who were caught in the eruption and couldnt make it out before the ground swallowed them whole. I probably looked at this cross 50 times, and out of all the things I thought it could be, I never imagined it to be the top of a buried church filled with ghosts. Blew my mind.
April 13: In Zambales, Philippines, three resident girls at the Shepherd of the Hills Childrens Home make jewelry in their room. During a nap or bed time, up to six girls will lay on thin padded mats on the floor. A group of Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) volunteers installed 30 fans in three dormitories while in Zambales for Balikatan 2013.
Behind the lens: Some of my friends who look at this photo always comment on how bare the room is and despite being in the Philippines, how cold the floor looks. Its sad to them. I hate that. These girls were having a great day, and despite being orphans from different displaced families, they loved each other very much. They dont know or care that the room wasnt filled with electronics or furniture. They dont need such things to be happy. They sit close to each other and just play. Its a very happy photo.
Nov. 11: EO1 Peter Izarra of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 gives an exuberant high-five to a youngster in Okinawa, Japan.
Behind the lens: This image makes me happy every time I look at it. We were at a volunteer project working with local children in an Okinawan district. Its the most amazing high-five that has or will ever be given.
Oct. 25: In Metinaro, Timor-Leste, BU3 Morgan Rego, left, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3s Timor-Leste Construction Civic Action Detail (CCAD), and William Nesbitt, assigned to the Australian Defence Forces 1st Combat Engineering Regiment, place the lid on a new seven-foot septic tank during Sapper 13, which lasted 28 days and involved construction of a new school, outside bathroom facility, kitchenette and playground for the local neighborhood.
Behind the lens: When the Aussie engineers and Seabees were building this septic tank, I knew the only photo worth capturing would be of them sealing it up from the inside. I was squatting in a few inches of standing water and genuinely worried the Australian Royal engineer would make good on his joke to trap the camera guy in until lunch.
Oct. 26: In Metinaro, Timor-Leste, U.S. Marine Corps Combat Engineer Lance Cpl. Jose Diaz, assigned to 1st Platoon, 9th Engineering Support Battalion, Engineering Company A, spot welds the top of a fence post during the final days of Sapper 13, a joint exercise involving Royal Australian engineers, U.S. Navy Seabees, Marine Corps engineers and the Timor-Leste Defense Force (F-FDTL).
Behind the lens: This photo is the most technically complex image Ive ever captured. The welding sparks are in focus while everything less than an eighth of an inch around that specific area is out of focus. Thats like finding winning lottery numbers in a bowl of alphabet soup. To achieve this, I used a very, very difficult technique sought after by every photographer complete and utter luck. Ill never be able to reproduce this image because I honestly have no idea how I did it to begin with, but I love the way it looks.
Thur
sday
, Jun
e 1
9, 2
01
4
The
Ligh
thou
se
ww
w.T
heLi
ghth
ouse
New
s.co
m
16
Tell combat photographers theyre headed out on assignment and you can imagine what theyll want to bring on the plane: lenses, bigger lenses and as much camera gear as they can pack.
Not Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Chris Fahey.
I dont want a telephoto lens, says Fahey, whos assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3. I want the widest lens and the smallest cam-era and as much safety equipment as possible.
His need to get as close to the action as he can is one of the traits that won Fahey the titles of Navy Journalist of the Year and MC of the Year (Sea) for 2013.
NMCB 3 was deployed to the Pacific for much of the year. Week after week, Fahey sent packages of stories and photos from Seabees playing with youngsters in the Philippines to construction shots taken in the mud.
Before he deployed, he covered the Springs Fire, which burned more than 24,000 acres in Ventura County.
Fahey, 34, has been in the Navy for 12 years.
When you get to tell someones story, he says, its an honor.
Heres a look at some of Faheys work over the past year and his stories from behind the lens.
NMCB 3 Seabee namedJournalist of the Year
In the Russell Egnor Navy Media Awards for calendar year 2013, MC1 Chris Fahey of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 was named Navy Journalist of the Year and MC of the Year (Sea).
April 4: In Zambales, Philippines, Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) Surgeon U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Jennifer Almy listens to the heartbeat of 2-year old Jude Freduluces during a medical community relations project at the Natividad Health Clinic in support of Exercise Balikatan 2013, an annual Philippine-U.S. bilateral exercise. Behind the lens: Its hard not making yourself part of your own story. I waited on my belly with my camera up for what felt like an eternity for one of the many children given free check-ups that day to look back at me. Finally, this little boy did and all I wanted to do was hold his hand or give him a hug.
May 3: From back, Navy Aviation Warfare Systems Operators Chief Jay Okonek and 1st Class Petty Officer Jason Blase, aircrewmen from the Merlins of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3, drop water from a 360-gallon Bambi bucket on the Springs Fire near Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Point Mugu.
Behind the lens: I remember cursing my arms for not being long enough during this photo. I was able to capture the action (water releasing) and the scorched ground the water was dousing during the 2013 Ventura County wildfires, but just barely. Im leaning out of the side window with the camera strap fighting against me thanks to the rotary blades above. It felt like someone was physically trying to rip my camera from my hand. So much fun.
Nov. 11: EO1 Peter Izarra of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 gives an exuberant high-five to a youngster in Okinawa, Japan.
Behind the lens: This image makes me happy every time I look at it. We were at a volunteer project working with local children in an Okinawan district. Its the most amazing high-five that has or will ever be given.
Sept. 22: In Okinawa, Japan, CE2 Dwayne Watson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 uses his weapon to push Constantine wire away from his face while running a six-hour endurance course at the Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC).
Behind the lens: I used a wide, wide lens that allowed me to get within just a few inches of this Seabees face. It looks like Im about a foot away, but in reality, our feet are pretty much tied together. Thats the only way I know to shoot. If my subject is underneath five feet of mud water, then I am too. Long lenses rob you from feeling what your subject is feeling. If I didnt know what it was like to have nasty jungle water in my underwear, I wouldnt be able to write about how it made my subject feel not as well, anyway.
ww
w.TheLighthouseN
ews.com
The Lighthouse
Thursday, June 1
9, 2
01
4
17
April 4: In Zambales, Philippines, Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) Surgeon U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Jennifer Almy listens to the heartbeat of 2-year old Jude Freduluces during a medical community relations project at the Natividad Health Clinic in support of Exercise Balikatan 2013, an annual Philippine-U.S. bilateral exercise. Behind the lens: Its hard not making yourself part of your own story. I waited on my belly with my camera up for what felt like an eternity for one of the many children given free check-ups that day to look back at me. Finally, this little boy did and all I wanted to do was hold his hand or give him a hug.
April 1: In this photo taken during exercise Balikatan 2013, what looks to be a roadside cross in the Philippines is actually something else entirely.
Behind the lens: This image probably had the most dramatic effect on me than any other image I shot in 2013. At first, I thought it was just a memorial cross, similar to those found alongside highways in the U.S. The blue cross was actually the top of a Catholic church that was instantly buried in ash and mud during the early 1990s eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. Inside remain the bodies of several families who were caught in the eruption and couldnt make it out before the ground swallowed them whole. I probably looked at this cross 50 times, and out of all the things I thought it could be, I never imagined it to be the top of a buried church filled with ghosts. Blew my mind.
April 13: In Zambales, Philippines, three resident girls at the Shepherd of the Hills Childrens Home make jewelry in their room. During a nap or bed time, up to six girls will lay on thin padded mats on the floor. A group of Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) volunteers installed 30 fans in three dormitories while in Zambales for Balikatan 2013.
Behind the lens: Some of my friends who look at this photo always comment on how bare the room is and despite being in the Philippines, how cold the floor looks. Its sad to them. I hate that. These girls were having a great day, and despite being orphans from different displaced families, they loved each other very much. They dont know or care that the room wasnt filled with electronics or furniture. They dont need such things to be happy. They sit close to each other and just play. Its a very happy photo.
Nov. 11: EO1 Peter Izarra of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 gives an exuberant high-five to a youngster in Okinawa, Japan.
Behind the lens: This image makes me happy every time I look at it. We were at a volunteer project working with local children in an Okinawan district. Its the most amazing high-five that has or will ever be given.
Oct. 25: In Metinaro, Timor-Leste, BU3 Morgan Rego, left, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3s Timor-Leste Construction Civic Action Detail (CCAD), and William Nesbitt, assigned to the Australian Defence Forces 1st Combat Engineering Regiment, place the lid on a new seven-foot septic tank during Sapper 13, which lasted 28 days and involved construction of a new school, outside bathroom facility, kitchenette and playground for the local neighborhood.
Behind the lens: When the Aussie engineers and Seabees were building this septic tank, I knew the only photo worth capturing would be of them sealing it up from the inside. I was squatting in a few inches of standing water and genuinely worried the Australian Royal engineer would make good on his joke to trap the camera guy in until lunch.
Oct. 26: In Metinaro, Timor-Leste, U.S. Marine Corps Combat Engineer Lance Cpl. Jose Diaz, assigned to 1st Platoon, 9th Engineering Support Battalion, Engineering Company A, spot welds the top of a fence post during the final days of Sapper 13, a joint exercise involving Royal Australian engineers, U.S. Navy Seabees, Marine Corps engineers and the Timor-Leste Defense Force (F-FDTL).
Behind the lens: This photo is the most technically complex image Ive ever captured. The welding sparks are in focus while everything less than an eighth of an inch around that specific area is out of focus. Thats like finding winning lottery numbers in a bowl of alphabet soup. To achieve this, I used a very, very difficult technique sought after by every photographer complete and utter luck. Ill never be able to reproduce this image because I honestly have no idea how I did it to begin with, but I love the way it looks.
18
Thursday,June19,2014
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Photos by MA1 terri torgerson / nAVFAC eXWC
ET1 Joseph Ballard and LS2 Jeremy Fratella, both with Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare
Center, volunteer with Jakob Lemos and Erik Torgerson to help clean up the Ventura River bottom so trash
doesnt make its way to the ocean.
By MC1 Charles Panter
NMCB 4
Seabees from Naval Mobile Construc-
tion Battalion (NMCB) 4 participated in
lastmonthsNaval Expeditionary Combat
Command (NECC) Integrated Exercise,
or NIEX, at Naval Base Ventura County
(NBVC) Port Hueneme.
The purpose of the NIEX, said Lt.
Cmdr. Michael Guzzi, operations officer
for NMCB 4, is to get the NECC units
to work together as one adaptive force
package, under the umbrella of a naval
expeditionary force.
NMCB 4 participated in theMay 12-23
table topexercise as a construction force
providing humanitarian aid to a nation
devastated by natural disasters. No con-
struction operations were performed, but
the planning was completed as would have
been done in an actual disaster.
The most challenging part of the ex-
ercise was the coordinate piece,saidChief
Engineering Aid Alwin Lau, one of the
watchstanders during the exercise. It can
be a challenge contacting the correct peo-
ple when they are spread over multiple
time zones.
Guzzi called the teams performance
outstanding.
The challenge was working in a simu-
lated crisis environment with 12 other
units from across NECC, he said. We
gained valuable experience.
It helped that we just came back from
our field training exercise,Lau said. We
actually had all of the training first, and
then had the exercise after.
NMCB 4 is making its final prepara-
tions for an August deployment.
NMCB 4 works with other commands during pre-deployment exercise
CSC Eddie Hernandez of the Naval Facilities Engineering and
Expeditionary Warfare Center at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Port
Hueneme picks up trash in the Ventura River bottom during a volunteer
project last month.
By EA2 Atit Gurung
NAVFAC EXWC
On a recent spring morning, 14 Seabees from
Naval Facilities Expeditionary andWarfare Center
(NAVFAC EXWC) gathered at the Ventura River
bottom and met with Derek Poultney, the protec-
tion coordinator for the Ventura Hillsides Conser-
vancy, and California State Parks Ranger Geno
Lucich.
The Seabees were answering a call for volunteers
from the conservancy, a land trust that aims to
protect and conserve open space by acquiring land,
maintaining protected lands and educating the
public about local natural resources.
After a short introduction to the program and
an update on the status of the river bottom from
the Main Street bridge to the ocean, the Seabees
put on their protective gloves, picked up tools and
started clearing and removing trash that had col-
lected from the previous months rains.
MA2 (SCW)Gerald Baker, volunteer coordina-
tor for NAVFAC EXWC, said habitat restoration
projects like this one help maintain the integrity
and safety of the Earths resources by preventing
trash frombeingwashed out to the ocean andwind-
ing up on local beaches.
During the three-hour cleanup Saturday, May
17, the group collectedmore than 10 bags of trash,
two bicycles and a mini motorcycle.
The Seabees also removed a makeshift raft that
had been floating on the river for more than a
year.
Seabees help clean up river bottom
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,June19,2014
19
Help when you need it.
The Fleet & Family
Support Center
Were moving!
Its challenging, exciting, frustrating.
Here we go, again!
I dont want to leave my friendsmy
school!
Dad/Mom just got home from de-
ployment, and now were leaving!
I finally have a BFF!
Moving brings about a lot of feelings,
stresses and new experiences. Research
shows that military children who move
frequently:
Average four times more moves than
an average child in the United States.
Often have no long-term negative
effects.
Often participate in more social ac-
tivities because they have more oppor-
tunities to do so.
As teenagers, can be more likely to
show depression and can be more upset
because of loss of friendships.
May have a decline in academic per-
formance right after the move.
Adjusted better when they were pre-
pared for the move ahead of time.
The most important factor that helps
kids adjust well to a move is the relation-
ship they have with their parents. So,
how do we make a move easier on our
military kids?
One way is to be as upfront about the
move as we can be. As soon as children
learn about a move, they begin to adjust,
even if it sounds like complaining. The
more time they have to adjust, the eas-
ier the relocation becomes.
Another approach we can take is to
find out as much as we can about the
new location. Google it. Scope it out.
Have the children research what the new
area is known for, nearby activities, in-
teresting stories or history about the
area.
Since one of the difficulties about
moving is a sense of the unknown, allow
your child or teen to make a special box
just for moving-day essentials. Give them
choices about what items to keep with
them while in transition. A favorite book
or toy or game can be comforting.
Give them an opportunity to plan
their new room. Ask them to sort out
their things and plan to have packing
dateswhere you pack together and have
some family time at the end of the day.
Not every member of the family ex-
periences the move in the same way.
Coping skills may also differ. One may
want to listen to music, while another
wants to shoot hoops, paint or keep a
journal or dairy. Encourage your child
to stay in touch Facebook and email
can be important ways to maintain
friendships and family contact, as long
as parents can monitor use, time and
content.
Find support to deal with your own
stress about the move away from the
kids, but dont be reluctant to share feel-
ings, apprehensions and anticipations
about the move in a positive and open
manner. Make a list together of those
things that will be missed, but also those
things that can be exciting to discover
and try. Help your child plan their good-
byes not only to their friends and ex-
tended family, but to favorite places
youve come to appreciate over time.
With supportive parenting, military
kids are strong and able to deal with
many challenges. They gain confidence
as they realize they have the ability to
survive new experiences. Family ties can
become even closer as family members
realize they can rely on one another.
Pat White is a counseling and advocacy
supervisor at Naval Base Ventura Countys
Fleet & Family Support Center.
How to prepare your child for the words Were moving!
On the
move
withPatWhite
FFSC
Toll-free appointment scheduling ser-
vice: 1-866-923-6478, call 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Confidential clinical
counseling, relocation assistance, resume
assistance, financial consultations, deploy-
ment support, new parent support, career
services and many other support services
are available at the Fleet and Family Sup-
port Center. NBVC Point Mugu, Bldg.
225 next to the chapel, 989-8146; NBVC
Port Hueneme, Bldg. 1169 behind NEX,
982-5037.
All classes at Port Hueneme unless oth-
erwise noted. Call 982-5037 for more in-
formation. Child care option available
with prior registration.
Career Support and Retention
Transition Assistance Program
Mondays-Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
daily. XGPS for retirees E7 and above is
July 7-11 andAug. 4-8; GPS is July 14-18.
Register via Command Career Counsel-
or.
CapstoneWorkshop/Individual Tran-
sition Plan Review: For those who have
completed Transition GPS to ensure Ca-
reer Readiness Standards have been met.
Tues., June 24, noon to 3 p.m. No walk-
ins. Register with command career coun-
selor.
Higher Education Optional Track: A
two-day optional track for thosewho have
completed Transition GPS and are inter-
ested in pursuing higher education.
Wednesday and Thursday, June 25 and
26, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
VARepOffice: Assistance with claims
and medical records at the FFSC office;
walk-ins welcome. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tues-
days. Information: 424-901-9006.
VA Paperwork Assistance: Hands on
assistance in filing, reopening or appealing
your VA claim. Active duty, veterans,
widows, walk-ins welcome! Call for sched-
ule at 805-982-5037.
Writing the Perfect Resume & Cover
Letter: Learn cutting-edge resume and
cover letter techniques to successfully
present your skills. Thurs., June 19, 3:30
to 5:30 p.m.
Federal Employment & Resume:
Learn about federal resumes, relevant
websites and the application process for
federal jobs. Tues., June 24, 2 to 4 p.m.;
Thurs., July 10, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., FFSC
Point Mugu; Thurs., July 28, noon to 2
p.m.
Interview Skills: Prepare for your job
interview, learn about the interview pro-
cess, conduct a mock interview andmore.
Thurs., June 26, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Advancement Preparation: Do you
need help preparing for the enlisted ad-
vancement exam?We teach you test-tak-
ing tips and study skills to improve your
chances of success. Thurs., July 10, 9 to
11 a.m.; Wed., July 16, 9 to 11 a.m.; sec-
ond workshop at FFSC Point Mugu.
EXcel Basics: Learn how to use Mi-
crosoft Office Excel 2007 software for
both personal and professional use.Wed.,
July 16, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Excel Intermediate: Learn advanced
shortcuts, formulas, charts, referencing
and more using Microsoft Office Excel
2007. Wed., July 23, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Power Point Tips&Tricks: Learn how
to create basic presentations usingMicro-
soft Office PowerPoint 2007. Thurs., July
24, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Life Skills
General information: 982-3102.
Stress Management 101: Learn to
tackle stress and build your stress stamina.
Develop the skills and tools to more ef-
fectively manage your response to stress-
ors. Thurs., June 26, 1 to 2 p.m.
Relocation Assistance
General information: 982-3726.
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