FIRST CALL: Notes & Ramblings From The Pilothouse

 

Two Chief Petty Officers play "Acey-Deucy" on the deck of USS Baltimore
(circa 1904-1906)
- Photo courtesy Naval Historical Center archives

AN OPEN LETTER TO AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS:
Speaking from the sidelines as an alumni of the military public affairs field, didn't ANY ONE bother to raise the proverbial "red flag" and say, "Hey, shouldn't we look into this properly and confirm the information with the source?" Apparently not.

In recent weeks our sister website, AirForce.TogetherWeServed.com (AFTWS), which launched just before Christmas 2007 and had scampered-out of the gate, reaching 50,000 Members in just 4 weeks, has endured the consequences of one person's dissemination of mis-information and the Air Force's apparent willingness to embrace that mis-information, without question.

A PowerPoint OPSEC "training aid" was created by a field grade officer in a Special Operations Unit at Hurlburt Field, and e-mailed to OPSEC coordinators and PAO offices, throughout the Air Force, on January 30th. The problem with this document was that it was not properly researched, contained completely erroneous and misleading information, and entirely missed the point of what TWS is really all about.

Focused on AirForce.Togetherweserved.com, with screenshots and bullet point statements, this PowerPoint proceeded to state that AFTWS is German-owned and operates out of Nova Scotia - this is surprising as Togetherweserved.com is actually a California corporation, it's official address is in Chatsworth; and all TWS servers are located in Downtown Los Angeles as clearly stated in the About Us section on our Home Page!

The fact that all TWS websites are run entirely by former US Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen to the highest professional standards expected by its military personnel Members was mentioned nowhere in the brief. The PowerPoint appeared to convey the impression that TWS is run by faceless foreign nationals, and not Sgt.Maj. Joe Armstrong (USMC Retired), Maj. Wes Prater (USMC Retired), SCPO Anthony Costello (USN Retired), and SMSgt. Jim Franklin (USAF Retired), who head TWS's "sharp end."

It then proceeded to highlight that AFTWS is not endorsed by the DOD as if this was some kind of impediment. What appears to be misunderstood is that TWS websites are private, not government-created -- which are funded with taxpayer dollars, and all non-government websites which have a military focus or theme are required, by law, to display the disclaimer that they are not endorsed by, or affiliated with, the DOD. Even the U.S. Naval Institute website falls into this category.

The PowerPoint expounds further on other misgivings and suppositions, geared towards stirring discomfort and possibly even paranoia, but made no mention of the fact that TWS has operated successfully for over four years with its Marines and Navy sites, without one report of any OPSEC incident in that entire time concerning any of its 500,000 Members. Because of their military training, TWS Members do use the same common sense regarding posting operationally-sensitive information on their profile as they would in any other environment, particularly those deployed as boots on the ground in combat zones. Members appreciate the fact that TWS not only has effective information-protection mechanisms - member contact information is automatically hidden by default and members can privacy-protect any sensitive information, including photographs, by way of a simple check box - but TWS Members are also fellow GIs, and are diligent when it comes to "watching the backs" of their Shipmates, Brothers and Wingmen.

What's especially ironic about some of the claims made in this PowerPoint is that the information displayed on TWS Member profile pages is little different to what's prominently displayed in the biography pages of hundreds of senior commanding officers on the USAF's official website - www.af.mil - which are fully open to the general public. TWS simply provides additional means for Members to search for others they may have served with, along with dedicated forums and messaging facilities to enable Members to enjoy the camaraderie of other service personnel.

Had the officer made the slightest effort to contact TWS with any concerns and submitted helpful suggestions to address additional OPSEC considerations, important to him, which we could easily accommodate within our software, this unfortunate incident could have been entirely avoided and Airforce.Togetherweserved.com would continue to flourish in exactly the same secure and enjoyable manner as our own Navy.Togetherweserved.com.

A Navy TWS Member summarized the TWS spirit very succinctly in the following taken from one of our recent Forums:

"So why does NTWS perform? As I said, two reasons:

1. The site is safe. I have been a member for just over a year now (got my star on my ribbon last week!) and have not received one spam, one virus, one offer to help a Mongolian overlord reclaim his throne in exchange for $5000 of my hard earned dollars. And those who attempt to infiltrate this safe haven are quickly squashed like the insects they are. The members realize what a good thing we got here, and when something doesn't seem right, plenty of members report them. We police ourselves, and dammit, I like that.

2. We all have more than one common bond. Yes, being Navy is obvious, but it goes beyond that. I mean, Maxie is what, 172 years old? And he is one of the more popular people on this site, young and old and in between. I find things in common with the Master Chief who retired 15-20 years ago along with the SN who just reported to her first ship, or the person who decided to get out after their first enlistment. I think if you joined this site,and are active on it, then the Navy meant something to you. Loved it or hated it, it meant something, and we can reconnect with whatever it was. There are times when I actually feel like I'm still in uniform. And when people PM me for advice, even though I'm retired and I never met them, well damn, what is that in my eye?

For those military branches that block this site because they see it as a threat, I think they need to do a little more research. I don't think you'll find a more closely guarded group in the public domain."

After being contacted by TWS's Senior Military Advisor, the officer, in question, realized his error and attempted an immediate clarification of his presentation to his distribution list, but to no avail - the damage was done. This PowerPoint had already started to make its rounds, and the Air Force began to systematically block access to the Airforce.Togetherweserved.com's website from most of its bases and installations. Unit commanders, fueled with the Powerpoint mis-information forwarded by their PAO offices and OPSEC managers, commenced issuing notices to their Airmen, demanding that they avoid joining AirForce.Togetherweserved.com at all costs and any that had already joined to clear out their profiles immediately.

The following, one of several different examples forwarded to AFTWS, was distributed by the commander of a USAF Medical Operations Squadron:

"The attached slide show and the message string below highlight a significant Operations Security (OPSEC) threat that has recently surfaced on the Web. This "Together We Served" website has no DoD affiliation and is, in fact, based in Canada, with the parent company in Germany......"

Even their own criminal investigative agency, AFOSI, also bought into the faulty gouge. This lead to a video news package being produced by an AFN outlet in Incirlik, Turkey, which was then installed on every official USAF command website urging airmen to avoid joining the Air Force "My Space" owned by a "German company operating out of Nova Scotia!" It took several days and many phone calls to get this video removed from these websites.

In spite of all attempts to undermine the site, AirForce.Togetherweserved.com is alive and well and Members have shown their full support of the site with less than 1% of Members canceling their accounts or clearing their profiles. But, I'm deeply troubled and saddened. You guys went through the very same public affairs school as I did and fully understand the dangers of widespread dissemination of mis-information of any kind.

You should KNOW BETTER!

 

OK...OFF THE BIG SOAPBOX...
A big thanks to NTWS Member Carl Christiansen for his great multi-part story beginning this month on OPERATION CROSSROADS. Carl was a newly-minted Electronics Technician 3rd Class right after WW2 when he volunteered to take part in America's atomic bomb testing in the Bikini Atoll. I think you'll find his first-person account an interesting read!

WHILE I'M AT IT...
Two phrases that should NEVER appear together ANYWHERE: "Major motion picture event" and "Larry The Cable Guy."

Until next time...

Jon Yim
Editor

Navy Missile Scores Hit on Disabled Satellite

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON - The missile fired from a U.S. Navy ship in the

USS Lake Erie launches a Standard Missile-3 at a dead National Reconnaissance Office satellite. The objective was to rupture the satellite's fuel tank to dissipate some 1,000 pounds of hydrazine, a toxic fuel, before it re-entered into the Earth's atmosphere. - US Navy photo

Pacific Ocean that hit a malfunctioning U.S. reconnaissance satellite likely accomplished its goal of destroying the satellite's toxic fuel tank, a senior U.S. military officer said.

Preliminary reports indicate the SM-3 missile struck its primary target, which was a tank full of toxic hydrazine rocket fuel carried aboard the 5,000-pound satellite, Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a recent Pentagon news conference.

"The intercept occurred. We're very confident that we hit the satellite," Cartwright said. "We also have a high degree of confidence that we got the tank."

Video shown to reporters depicts the satellite exploding at the point of contact with the missile. Cartwright said the visible fireball and the vapor cloud or plume around it suggest that the fuel tank was hit and the hydrazine had burned up.

"The high-definition imagery that we have indicates that we hit the spacecraft right in the area of the tank," Cartwright said.

However, he added, it probably would take another 24 to 48 hours of sifting through data "to get to a point where we are very comfortable with our analysis that we indeed breached the tank."

Radar sweeps of the satellite's debris field thus far show that no parts larger than a football survived the strike, Cartwright said. Post-strike surveillance shows satellite debris falling into the atmosphere above the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, he said. Small remnants are likely to burn up in the atmosphere, never making it to the Earth's surface.

The U.S. State Department has provided updates on the situation to its embassies around the world, Cartwright noted. There are no reports of debris reaching the Earth, he said, adding that consequence-management crews are on standby to respond to such a circumstance, if required.

The SM-3 missile was launched by the USS Lake Erie, positioned northwest of Hawaii, at 10:26 p.m. EST, Cartwright said. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, was on an overseas trip at the time, gave the go-ahead to fire, Cartwright said.

The missile intercepted the satellite about 153 nautical miles above the Earth, just before it began to enter the atmosphere, Cartwright said. Joint Space Operations Center technicians at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., confirmed the satelitte's breakup about 24 minutes later.

The National Reconnaissance Office-managed satellite malfunctioned soon after it was launched in 2006, making it unresponsive to ground control. The satellite, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes or so, was expected to fall to Earth in February or March with its tank of hydrazine intact, possibly endangering human populations.

President Bush directed the Defense Department to engage the satellite just before it entered the atmosphere. U.S. officials decided to shoot down the satellite because of the danger posed by the hazardous hydrazine, Cartwright explained, noting the goal was for the missile to hit and rupture the tank of rocket fuel, causing the hydrazine to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere, along with debris from the stricken satellite.

"So, you can imagine at the point of intercept...there were a few cheers from people who have spent many days working on this project," Cartwright said.

Lake Erie Crew Describes Satellite Shot

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

PEARL HARBOR - The crewmembers of the USS Lake Erie were calm as they fired the latest shot heard round the world. The Aegis-class cruiser fired the missile Feb. 21 that destroyed a dead spy satellite that posed a threat to humans.

Captain Randall M. Hendrickson, commanding officer USS Lake Erie, describes the successful launch of a Standard Missile-3 at a dead US reconnaissance satellite over the Pacific Ocean. - DoD photo by MC1 Chad J. McNeeley

Navy Capt. Randall M. Hendrickson, the Lake Erie's commanding officer, spoke to reporters recently aboard the ship, which just returned from the mission. The visiting reporters are traveling with Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who visited the ship.

The captain said the crew worked intensively for a month and a half before the shootdown. "We kept working up with a team of government experts and technicians, as well as industry partners," Hendrickson said.

The group worked to gather information and modify the Standard Missile 3 and the Aegis weapon system, he said. They started tracking the satellite at different times to get radar cross-section data, which helped build the program software, Hendrickson said.

"Obviously there was a lot of anticipation building up each time we practiced, each time we tracked," he said.

The ship's weapons systems officer, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Drew Bates, said the rehearsals really helped when push came to shove. "By the time we did this, we had seen it a hundred times," he said. "We were practicing what to do in case things go wrong. Fortunately nothing went wrong. This went just the way it was designed to happen, and hats off to the industry team for giving the nation a system that was able to have the excess capability to do this."

The satellite was unlike any target the system was designed to go after, the captain said. The satellite was in orbit rather than on a ballistic trajectory. Also, the satellite was traveling at incredible speeds.

The Lake Erie left here the day officials announced President Bush's decision to try to shoot down the satellite. Hendrickson said the ship was in position when the shuttle Atlantis returned from its mission.

The ship received the order that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had OK?d the mission at mid-morning on Feb. 21. "From that point on, the ship was very calm," Hendrickson said. "Obviously, the closer we got, there was a lot of anticipation. The firing team was very calm when we did it and, with the exception of the 'whoosh' when it went out of the launcher, it was just as scripted."

He said that when the missile's seeker opened its eyes it had the satellite 'right dead center.'

When the missile hit the satellite, 'there was a lot of cheering' aboard the ship, he said.

The crew knew from the kinetic warhead imagery in the nose of the missile that it was a good hit, the captain said.

"The radar scope went wild," he said. "At that point, there was a lot of debris, a lot of pieces and, at that point, we thought we had a pretty good impact. Then that was confirmed by the aircraft that were airborne, the radars ashore and some other sensors that it was pretty much obliterated. Over the next three to four hours, a lot of it was burning up as it was coming down, which was the whole point of it."

Civilian experts from the Navy facility in Dahlgren, Va., and contractors from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon helped the crew prepare for the shot. But Navy sailors manned the consoles for the mission.

Everyone on the USS Lake Erie contributed, the captain said. "Whatever the task is, there's no small task on a ship," he said.

The reaction of the crew is unbelievable, said Command Master Chief Petty Officer Mack Ellis, the highest-ranking enlisted sailor on the Lake Erie. "Even the youngest sailor who didn't understand it at first, every time they walk somewhere and people know they are from Lake Erie, they say congratulations. It puts a smile of their face and makes their day."

Featured Upgrades this Month

Cross Site Invites
From the invite tab you can now invite your contacts from the Marine Corps and US Air Force to join their sister sites at TogetherWeServed.com - and be credited for their joining towards your own complimentary Full Membership upgrades on this site! To indicate how many members have joined other sites from your invitations you will see an extra number in your 'Invites' button (profile left page) like this:



Which means that 6 have joined on this site and 2 on cross site invites.

Add a World Map to your Profile
We have teamed up with WorldMapMaker.com to give you a streamlined way to add world maps to your profile. Just click the Add button on the left page section marked 'World Map' to start making your own custom map like this one:

Combined Service Chat
This month we took a new initiative with online chat and merged the online chatrooms we run for each of the TogetherWeServed sites. Now when you visit the chat room you will land in the Navy chat room by default but you can move to the combined service lobby if you prefer (or one of the other service rooms if you have served in multiple branches of the armed services).

DECK LOG: Countdown To CROSSROADS

By ETM3/c Carl Christiansen, USN
Special to The HOIST

In the summer of 1946, the US Army and Navy conducted "Operation Crossroads", the first peacetime tests of the atom bomb at Bikini Atoll in the Western Pacific.

This is the account of NTWS Member, Carl Christiansen's recollection of those events. His mother made a scrapbook collection including letters he wrote home and newspaper clippings of the time. Civilians among those present on the USS Avery Island (AG-76) compiled a yearbook-like collection of photographs that was published and presented to each member of the ship's crew. These items are the sources from which these recollections are taken. - Editor

Getting The Word
Class 103 at the Navy Radio Material School on Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay was nearing the end of its electronics training in April, 1946. Since World War II had ended some six months earlier, a frequent question was, "What's next for us?" Most were looking forward to early discharges and resumption of civilian life. For some, the answer came in the form of an announcement seeking volunteers for a forthcoming series of atomic bomb tests to be held in the Marshall Islands. For those who felt a Navy hitch would be incomplete without sea duty, this seemed to provide a unique and adventurous opportunity. They signed up and were sent to the electronics supply ship Avery Island, then tied up at the Navy base across the bay in nearby Alameda.


AG-76, USS Avery Island
The Avery Island was a Liberty-class cargo ship converted to become the floating electronics equipment, installation and maintenance facility for both the active and target ships of Joint Task Force 1, the official name given to the ships and crews of Operation Crossroads. She was somewhat unique in that, in addition to the usual compliment of deck and engineering personnel, she had an entire division of Army, Navy and civilian electronics specialists.

She departed from Alameda on May 6, 1946 and since many of her civilian and military crew had never been to sea before, (or if they had, but not on a Liberty ship), the rails were soon populated by dozens of men who had been unable to find pails, wastebaskets or whatever in which to deposit what their stomachs refused to keep down -- and this was while the ship was still traversing San Francisco Bay!


San Francisco to Pearl Harbor
Soon, Treasure Island, the Golden Gate and the Farallon Islands faded below the eastern horizon and Pearl Harbor lay some 2100 miles and eight days ahead. Those who had not seen the Pacific except from the shoreline, wondered at the rich blueness of it, at its nighttime phosphorescence and at the flying fish and albatross that soon began to accompany the ship.

The eight-day trip to Pearl Harbor found the crew of the Electronics Division storing equipment, learning about the ship, shipboard routine and the assignments that lay ahead. One assignment for the Avery Island was to serve as a telemetry ship for the Task Force. This would require the installation of television cameras and other remote sensing instruments on shore at Bikini and other equipment for receiving, monitoring and recording information on the AG-76.

Upon arrival at Pearl Harbor, the Avery Island was tied up next to the venerable battleship Nevada, the only ship of her class to get underway during the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

She had been designated as the aiming point for the B-29 that would drop the atom bomb for the first test. She was stripped of her secondary armament and painted a bright, gaudy red as an aid for the B-29 bombardier. Her deck was covered with Army tanks, guns, weasels (a tracked vehicle), airplanes, parts, etc., also painted bright red.

Anchored nearby were the battleships Arkansas, New York and Pennsylvania, the cruisers Pensacola and Salt Lake City and the famous aircraft carrier Saratoga, all of which were destined to be part of the target fleet at Bikini.

The Avery Island stayed a week at Pearl Harbor, while more supplies and equipment were loaded, and during which her crew was given a few days liberty to enjoy Honolulu and Waikiki beach. Some of the Army men on the ship were able to borrow a truck and they invited a few Navy buddies to join them on a tour of Oahu.

Just before the Avery Island hoisted anchor to depart for Bikini, the former German battle cruiser Prinz Eugen entered Pearl Harbor. This was the ship that accompanied the battleship Bismark on the voyage that resulted in the sinking of the HMS Hood and her own ultimate loss to the British in the mid-Atlantic. She too would become part of the target fleet.


Pearl Harbor to Bikini
During the ten day voyage to the Marshall Islands, the Electronic Technicians permanently assigned to the AG-76 resumed installation of the specialized TV and telemetry equipment and the related myriad of antennas. Antenna installation was a bit adventurous on a ship rolling in the mid-Pacific. Those so engaged on the masts soon learned to practice the old adage, "one hand for the ship, one for yourself".

Civilian scientists aboard the ship gave evening lectures on nuclear physics and the structure of the atomic bomb to all who were interested -- and there were many. The information they imparted helped allay concerns about possible danger from chain reactions and radiation. It also made easier the task of reassuring loved ones in letters home.

The 2,200 mile stretch from Pearl Harbor to Bikini was covered in approximately nine and a half days.

The June 1, 1946 arrival at Bikini was described as follows in the "Crossroads Crosstalk", a newspaper published sporadically aboard the Avery Island:

"Early 1 June five ships off the starboard bow. Reduced speed all morning and then at about 1430 a faint smudge on the horizon, more ships faintly seen. Looking through glasses. A low strip of green against the sky, a line of white underneath. Sure, it's an island and those are palm trees. And what a lot of ships. Getting closer all the time. Bringing up the rear of a convoy of five ships. Finally inside the lagoon. Ships, ships everywhere. And then an official greeting to Bikini .... a curtain of rain blotting out ships and islands, rain slanting down peppering the blue water .. The rain stops and there's the Nevada, red among the gray. Little boats skittering around the lagoon tossing up spray.

The anchor goes down. Ships all around .. islands dotting the whole circumference of the horizon with white and blue surf in between. Yep, a real Pacific atoll."

At Bikini
There were some 75 ships in the target fleet. Many were over-aged U.S. Navy ships that had played important and historic roles in the recently-ended Second World War. Among them were the carriers Saratoga and Independence, battleships Arkansas, Nevada, New York, and Pennsylvania, the cruisers Pensacola and Salt Lake City, and numerous destroyers, troop transports, landing craft and auxiliaries of all kinds.

Others were captured German and Japanese ships. Perhaps most famous was the Prinz Eugen. Japanese ships included the battleship Nagato, the cruiser Sakawa and a submarine. It was an impressive and ill-fated armada.

The first test, "ABLE", was scheduled for July 1, just a month away. Crews of the task force became busily-engaged in preparing both target ships and the Crossroads fleet for the big day.

The Electronic Technicians aboard the Avery Island had a twofold responsibility. First, the installation and testing of the telemetry instrumentation on the ship and on the island had to be completed. Second, the electronic gear on the target ships had to be inspected and, if possible, put into working order.

Since I had had machine shop experience, I was placed in charge of the Avery Island's shop where I did a miscellany of odd jobs Somewhere in so doing, I acquired an infected left index finger that was treated by the ship's doctor. He cut it open and drained it, wrapped it in gauze, soaked it in a penicillin solution and covered it with a condom ? to keep the thing moist and clean. Penicillin had just been introduced and I guess doctors weren't sure about how best to apply it. In my case, it was applied as above, administered orally, and injected into my backside!

Nevertheless, my walking around the ship, sporting a condom on my finger in mid-ocean, raised a few eyebrows and was cause for much comment. More about that bandaged finger later on.

Some of the civilians aboard set up a broadcast radio station with the call letters of WAG-76. Its antenna shared a mast with many of the telemetry antennae and I once had the 'thrill' of coming in contact with it while working up on that mast while they were broadcasting.

TO BE CONTINUED IN NEXT MONTH'S HOIST

Supply Corps Celebrates 213 Years of Service

MECHANICSBURG, PA -- In a series of events around the globe, the U.S. Navy Supply Corps celebrates its 213th birthday throughout the month of February.

"Our history is rich with stories of how our officer and enlisted community has superbly supported our Navy, Marine Corps and more recently our joint and coalition partners around the clock, around the world," said Rear Adm. Alan S. Thompson, commander, Naval Supply Systems Command and chief of supply corps.

The Supply Corps recognizes Feb. 23 as the official date of their birthday.

"We are positioned throughout our Navy's operating forces, whether afloat, in an expeditionary role ashore, with Naval Special Warfare forces, or embedded within the joint force. We currently provide substantial support to our nation's ground forces deployed in the United States Central Command area of operations. This proven track record of superior logistics support directly contributes to the Supply Corps being in even greater demand today than in the past," said Thompson.

Members of the Navy Supply Corps serve in critical acquisition positions focused on building the Navy of the future and in a wide array of logistics roles supporting today's Fleet readiness, as well as Sailors and their families.

"We truly deliver combat capability through logistics to our nation's warfighters," Thompson added.

Such work requires its more than 3,900 active and reserve component Supply Corps officers and 25,000 members of the supply enlisted community to be skilled in a wide array of disciplines such as supply chain management, contracting, information system management, fuels management, transportation, physical distribution, ordnance inventory management, and retail sales operations.

In February 1795 the Supply Corps was assigned the task of supporting six frigates. By 1845, the shift from sail to steam propulsion prompted the supply system to respond successfully with coaling stations, coal procurement and distribution. During World War II, the Supply Corps expanded dramatically and stepped up to meet the challenge of a global war by providing a wide-range of logistics and acquisition capabilities. By the 1960s, the Supply Corps had introduced cutting-edge technologies such as automation of Navy supply functions afloat and ashore.

The U.S. Navy supply community around the world will celebrate this special anniversary with commemorative balls from Norfolk to San Diego and from Tokyo to Naples, Italy along with cake-cutting ceremonies on nearly every Navy ship worldwide.

NTWS Ships Store - For All Your Navy Shipmate Swag!

Visit to our online NTWS Ships Store for all your cool Navy swag - Shirts, Jackets, Hats, Jewelry, Footwear, Medals, Patches and much, much more!

(The Ships Store can also be found under the "Navy Store" tab or on the left hand Home Page just as you log into NTWS)

Over 9,000 quality Items at the lowest prices...and a 30-day, money-back guarantee! Here's some new items that just arrived in our store:

• Navy Golf Shirts (Various logos and colors)
  
• Belleville US Army Insulated Combat Boot
• Jostens Classic Men's U.S. Navy Ring - Rectangle Stone
• US Navy Ship Art Prints (2000 ships to choose from)
  

Thank you for your support of the NTWS Ships Store. All Store proceeds go towards promoting the NTWS website, bringing more Sailors to the TWS Community.

PHOTO LOG: Views Around The Fleet This Month

 

DEPARTURE HONORS - Following a brief tour of the Pearl Harbor-based guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59), a Sailor salutes as the Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates departs the ship. Gates was recently in Hawaii, enroute to a conference with Australian defense officials in Canberra this month.
- Photo by MCC David Rush

KEEPING IT CLEAN - Aviation Electrician's Mate Airman Sarah Shook, assigned to the "Indians" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 6, cleans and wipes down a SH-60F Seahawk on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

- Photo by MC2 Sandra M. Palumbo

IN GOOD HANDS - LT Todd E. Gregory speaks to a mother through an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) translator to help diagnose her child's medical needs at a recent civic action program as part of Balikatan 2008. Gregory is attached to Health Services Support, Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
- Photo by MC2 Joshua J. Wahl

-

CHECKING OUT THE BEARS - MCPON Joe R. Campa Jr. (left), his oldest son, 3rd Class Cadet Ryan Campa, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) Charles Bowen cheer on the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's men's basketball team against Johnson & Wales during the last home game of the season.

- Photo by MC1 Jennifer A. Villalovos

...AND THE LIVING IS EASY - Chief Musician Tia F. Wortham sings "Summertime" from the classic American musical, Porgy and Bess during a concert presented at Great Mills High School, MD. The Navy Band and its specialty groups perform at local high schools and other auditoriums from March through May throughout the entire national capital region.
- Photo by MUC Stephen Hassay

BATHED IN BLUE LIGHT - Security patrol boats from Inshore Boat Units (IBU) 21 & 22 sit moored in the well deck of the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Cardigan Bay (L 3009). IBU-21 & 22 conduct security sweeps and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations in the northern Persian Gulf from the British dock landing ship.
- Photo by MC2 Kirk Worley

WORKING IT OUT - Sailors from 3rd Platoon, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EOD) 11, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), conduct a Tactical Combat Casualty Care overview with members of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) during a recent training exercise at Fleet Activities Sasebo.
- Photo by MC2 Alexander Ameen

BEAR A HAND: Causes Worth Supporting!

No Greater Sacrifice (NGS) Foundation
NGS is a not-for-profit charity established to raise funds from "Wall Street to K Street" to help educate and professionally mentor the children of those who have lost their lives in service to the Nation. The charity was created to support to the most precious assets of these heroes - their children and families - by providing educational scholarships on their behalf. NGS Foundation is partnering with several charities, including the Navy SEAL Fund, the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Fund, and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation to accomplish this mission.
www.nogreatersacrifice.org

Adams Class Veterans Association (ACVA)
The ACVA is a non-profit charitable organization with a mission dedicated to work with all Adams-class groups and organizations to save, restore and preserve the USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2); educate the public on the rich naval heritage of the Adams-class DDG ships; document the roles of Adams-class DDG ships in United States history; and show the importance of preserving historic naval vessels and memorabilia for future generations to appreciate. The ships of this class were, in the tradition of the Navy, named for famous men; from Revolutionary War heroes and Civil War admirals, to former statesmen. It is our dream and goal to save the last of this proud class of ships.
www.adamsclassddgvets.org

Operation Ward 57
Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington DC is the Army's flagship hospital and first base for America's returning warriors fresh from the battlefield. Ward 57 at the hospital is known as "the amputee ward". The painful sacrifice of losing one or more limbs is the new battle these service members and their families now fight. Operation Ward 57 is a grass-roots, volunteer effort for individuals to show support for amputee service members, and an expedient system to raise funds for items needed on Ward 57. The program is run through pro-football player Kerry Carter's THINK BIG FOUNDATION, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit, in partnership with Atmosphere Artist Management LLC.
www.thinkbigfoundation.org

NTWS Forums - Your Sounding Board!

What was your best duty station or shipboard assignment and why? What is the recipe for that wonderful dish you make for a holiday or other occasions? Do you have any tips about keeping healthy, or things to watch out for if you have a disease? These are but a few of the topics that are covered by the many Forums on NTWS. These forums provide you, the members, a variety of places to discuss with other members the many topics we have in common.

Those members still on active duty would probably like to know about good assignments when they make out their "dream sheets" or talk to their detailers at BUPERS. Those who have worked as detailers might want to provide a few tips for members in preparing to talk about their next assignment.

If you have a disease like diabetes, what tips can you give others about the disease and things to watch out for with diabetes? Encourage a shipmate on NTWS to keep on top of a health problem so he stays with us for a long time.

These are but a couple of topics that are available for you to offer advice, warn others about, discuss with other NTWS members, or just vent your frustrations about. So check out the many Forums and start a lively discussion about a topic that interests you!

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Please forward this link to other Sailors you know, and your friends and family!

http://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/newsletter2/16

As NTWS continues to grow, so does its potential to find old Shipmates and new friends; as well as creating a vibrant and enjoyable Naval Community representing all eras, from WWII to present-day.

Sincerely,
The NTWS Administration Team
http://navy.togetherweserved.com