TogetherWeServed.com
Navy.TogetherWeServed Newsletter - August, 2008 
 

A Pearl of Leadership Wisdom...

"A leader is a man who had the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do, and like it."
- Harry S. Truman, former US President and Army officer
FLEET HEADLINES



THE SIGN SAYS IT ALL - Naval Station Key West's sign shows the base in Condition of Readiness 1 (COR 1) as Tropical Storm Fay approached the Florida Keys on August 18. Fay packed maximum sustained winds near 60 miles per hour.
- Photo by James E. Brooks

- USS Firebolt Makes Port Visit to Iraq
- USNS Mercy Rescues Lost Aussie Hiker

- Medical Teams Begin Work in Nicaragua with CONTINUING PROMISE 2008
- Personnel Command Helps Educate Fleet on Wear of New Service Uniform

- Kiwis Lend Support to PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2008

- Sailors to Scale Mt. Fuji 4 Times in 24 Hours



LISTEN CLOSELY - Hospitalman Apprentice Brian Rumbles (center), from Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, listens to an interpreter as he examines a local Afghani at a temporary medical clinic outside of Bala Baluk's forward operating base in the Farah Province. Rumbles and his unit are from Marine Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA. 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment is a reinforced light infantry unit deployed to Afghanistan.
- USMC photo by Cpl. Jason T. Guiliano
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!
USEFUL MILITARY LINKS

UNIFORM REGULATIONS:
NAVY - NAVPERS 15665I

MARINE CORPS - MCO P1020.34G

ARMY - AR 670-1

AIR FORCE - AFI 36-2903

COAST GUARD - COMDTINST M1020.6E


Defenselink
-- The OFFICIAL source of news and information from the Department of Defense, related agencies and all military branches.
Multi-National Force - Iraq -- Official website of MNF-I.
Multi-National Corps - Iraq -- Official website of MNC-I, "Leading the transformation of Iraq."
International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF)
-- Official website for coalition forces in Afghanistan
The Pentagon Channel -- 24-hour broadcasts of official military news and information for members of the US Armed Forces through select stateside cable systems, and overseas via American Forces Network (AFN).
My AFN.mil -- American Forces Network (AFN) provides multi-channel, broadcast-quality radio and television services and expanded internal information products to all DoD members and their families stationed overseas, on contingency operations, and onboard Navy ships around the world. We Bring You Home.
Military Homefront -- A DoD Web portal for reliable Quality of Life information designed to help troops and their families, leaders and service providers. Whether you live the military lifestyle or support those who do, you'll find what you need!
Stars & Stripes
-- The DoD-authorized UNOFFICIAL daily newspaper for US Forces overseas, printed in European, Pacific and Mideast editions.
Department of Defense Educational
Activity (DoDEA)
-- DoDEA operates more than 218 public schools for grades K-12 in 14 districts located in seven U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Guam and 12 foreign countries to serve the children of military service members and Department of Defense civilian employees.
Army & Air Force Exchange Service
(AAFES)
-- The military's largest retailer. A mission-essential, and the premier quality of life provider for all DoD military members, civilians, contractors and their families worldwide.
Navy Exchange Service Command
(NEXCOM)
--
The Navy's Family Store providing quality goods and services at a savings and supporting the naval quality of life programs.
Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) -- Delivering the premier quality-of-life benefit to military members worldwide.
United Service Organizations (USO) -- The USO supports U.S. troops and their families wherever they serve. Across the United States and around the world, the American military knows that the USO is there for them. Until Every One Comes Home.
Space Avaliable Travel fact sheet -- Answers to the most common Space A travel questions, courtesy of the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Travis AFB, CA.

OFFICIAL SERVICE BRANCH MAGAZINES:
NAVY - All Hands

MARINE CORPS - Marines

ARMY - Soldiers

AIR FORCE - Airman

COAST GUARD - Coast Guard


Navy World Wide Locator
-- For locating individuals on active duty, those recently discharged, and current addresses for retired Navy service members.
Navy Retired Activities Branch -- Keeps the retired community informed of their benefits and provides customer service to Navy retirees and their families.
Shift Colors
-- The Magazine for Navy Retirees.
Place your Website Link on NTWS!

If you operate a Navy-orientated website and interested in trading links with NTWS, please contact our Links Manager at links@navy.togetherweserved.com. Include your URL, up to 100 words describing your website, and a 468x60 website banner in JPEG format, if available.

For information on posting an NTWS banner on your site, please click here.
NTWS JOB BOARD

Recently left the Navy? Looking for a new post-military career, or planning on going "in a different direction" from your present civilian job?

Welcome to the NTWS Job Board which is on the left hand Home Page just as you log into NTWS and contains hundreds of job positions!

All positions, described in detail, are posted by fellow NTWS Members who are familiar with the credentials and experience offered by former Shipmates.

Here is just a small sample of the many new jobs recently posted:

Position Offered: Master Tradesman (Shipboard/Industrial)
Location:
San Diego, CA
Salary Range: $14-$22 p/h

Position Offered: Special Operations Liaison
Location:
Coronado, CA (4); Little Creek, VA (3)
Salary Range: $80K+

Position Offered: Power Plant I&C Technician
Location:
Various locations USA
Salary Range: $20-$30 p/h, non-exempt

Position Offered: Corrections Officer
Location:
Doylestown, PA
Salary Range: $36K start, $51K after 4 years

Position Offered: Remediation Engineer
Location:
Alexandria, VA; Columbia, MD
Salary Range: TBD

Position Offered: Human Resources Officer
Location:
Flagstaff, AZ
Salary Range: $65K-$100K

Position Offered: TSM Technical Control Instructor
Location:
Okinawa, JA
Salary Range: TBD

Position Offered: Mechanic-Shipboard
Location:
Jacksonville, FL & Worldwide
Salary Range: $50K

Position Offered: Electrician
Location:
Seattle, WA; Portland, OR
Salary Range: $45K-$60K

Position Offered: Enhanced Security Team Officer
Location:
Boston, MA
Salary Range: $14 p/h


To view additional job postings, please check our new Job Board in the LEFT-HAND column of the NTWS Home Page.
Remembrance Profiles

NTWS is a place for all Sailors, living and deceased. You can post and maintain Remembrance Profiles for your Shipmates by clicking on Remember a Shipmate on the left-hand side of the Home Page. This allows you to remember a Fallen, Deceased, MIA/POW, Unlocated Sailor/Aviator or to create an Assisted Profile for a living Sailor/Aviator who is unable to post their own profile.
SERVICE NEWS ROUNDUP

GET A GRECO-ROMAN GRIP - Army SSG Dremiel Byers avoids getting lifted by Ukraine's Oleksandr Chernetskyi en route to a 1-1, 2-0 qualification victory in the Olympic Greco-Roman 120-Kg. wrestling tournament on Aug. 14 at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium in Beijing. Byers is a member of the Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).
- US Army photo by Tim Hipps

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

- Georgian Invasion Sends Message to World, Gates Says
- SECDEF: Russian Actions Will Have Long-Term Implications
- Military Develops New Sexual Assault Prevention Strategy
- Pentagon Memorial Dedication Draws Near
- OEF: Afghan Women Progress, Take On Community Issues
- OIF: New Police Station Opens In Baghdad

IT'S THE REAL DEAL! - Three-time Olympian, Army SPC Walton Glenn Eller III, bites his Olympic gold medal after winning the double trap event Aug. 12 at the Beijing Shooting Range. Eller set an Olympic double trap record with a 190 total. Eller is assigned to the US Army Marskmanship Unit at Fort Benning, GA.
- US Army photo by Tim Hipps


MEETING THE PRESS - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (left) and Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chariman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, brief reporters at the Pentagon on military humanitarian support efforts for Georgia.
- DoD photo by MC2 Molly A. Burgess

ARMY
- Army Olympic Wrestler Loses in Beijing, Sets Sights for London
- ArRES NCO Sets Olympics Age Record
- Language Bonus Offered to Army ROTC Cadets
- New Commander Takes Reins at USAG Vincenza
- OIF Soldiers Reunite With Families Through Reading
- Army Fields First Brigade Nonlethal Capability Set

A FLORAL WELCOME - Residents greet Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 with flowers as they march to Isivini Secondary School in Popondetta, Papua New Guinea. Members of NMCB-133 and the Papua New Guinea Defense Force Engineering Battalion worked side-by-side to construct and renovate one school building, two clinics and two water catchment systems as part of a Pacific Partnership 2008 civil engineering project.
- USN photo by MC3 John J. Mike

AIR FORCE
- Schwartz in as 19th CSAF
- Baghdad native returns as US Airman
- WWII ammo finds new life in war on terror
- AFPC officials testing fix for electronic forms
- Travel regulation change protects military renters when landlords default
- 'Perfect' shape commander sets PT example for Airmen
- Test satellite to provide warfighters an 'eye in the sky'



NEW CSAF WELCOMED - Acting Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley (left) prepares to pass the ceremonial Air Force flag to Gen. Norton A. Schwartz during a welcoming ceremony earlier this month at Bolling AFB, DC, in honor of General Schwartz. The general is the 19th Air Force chief of staff.
- DoD photo by Cherie Cullen


IT STARTS WITH A SPARK... - Marine SSgt. Benjamin Luna, chief instructor at the Jungle Warfare Training Center (JWTC), demonstrates to students how to kindle a small fire once it has been started by using dried wood or wood shavings aboard Camp Gonsalves, Okinawa.
- USMC photo by LCpl. Joseph A. Cabrera

MARINE CORPS
- Staying Fit for Combat at Camp Fallujah

- Marine Support Vital to Afghan Police Progress
- Voting Assistance Officers Stress State Registration
- Former Rwandan Refugee Serves Proudly As A Marine, A Debt Repaid
- Brothers Stick Together Through All
- Marine Gives Iraqi Child the Gift of Mobility

GOING MY WAY? - A donkey stands in front of a Mine Resistant Armor Protected (MRAP)  vehicle near a rapid refueling point in the Jazirah Desert, Iraq. The Marines are assigned to the Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 and are securing the area as a part of Operation Defeat Al Qaeda in the North.
- USMC photo by LCpl. Andrew C. Fellows

SAFETY FIRST, SAFETY ALWAYS - Coast Guard CWO Keith Raisch (standing, center), ship's Boatswain aboard the USCG Cutter Eagle, delivers a safety brief to academy cadets (known as "swabs") and guests from other service branches. During ?swab summer?, USCGA cadets report to the Eagle -- the only active commissioned sailing ship in federal service -- to learn seamanship, navigation, teamwork and shipboard engineering.
- USCG photo by PA3 Jetta H. Disco
Stay Connected -- Keep Your E-mail Addresses Current!

There are two ways in which an old friends and Shipmates can contact you via the NTWS website: the first is via your "public" e-mail address displayed in your Personal Details on your Profile Page; and the other is by leaving a message in your Message Center Inbox. The latter triggers an advisory e-mail, sent to your "private" e-mail address to inform you that you have received a message and who it's from.

Your "private" e-mail address, which is the one that TWS uses, is contained in your Account Details at the top of your Profile Page which you can modify at any time. NTWS Members' "private" and "public" e-mail addresses are usually the same. So, please regularly log-in and update any changes to your e-mail addresses both in the Account Detail and Personal Detail sections of your Profile.
BEIJING 2008: Soldier Wins Gold in Skeet

Story and photo by Tim Hipps
Special to The HOIST


BEIJING -
US Army Marksmanship Unit shotgun shooter, PFC Vincent Hancock, set two Olympic records and prevailed in a four-target shoot-off against Norway's Tore Brovold to win the gold medal in men?s skeet on the Beijing Shooting Range.

'Hooah,' Hancock said after receiving several congratulatory hugs from coaches and teammates after the Aug. 16 event. ?This is the best feeling in the world. It's awesome.?

Hancock, 19, of Eatonton, GA, shot an Olympic record 121 of a possible 125 targets in five qualification rounds and took a one-target lead into the final.

During the final, Hancock missed his 20th shot and finished regulation tied at 145 with Brovold, who shot a perfect round to force the shoot-off.

'It made me more determined,' Hancock said of missing the low target flying out of the sixth station. ?Sometimes I need something to boost my determination to get to that next level, and that's what happened. I would have liked to have shot 25 and won the gold outright, but I couldn't have asked for a better shoot-off.?

Brovold drew from a hat to determine who would shoot first in the extra session and aligned the stars for Hancock.

'I actually like going last,' said Hancock, who got his wish. ?I was hoping that he was going to draw first in the shoot-off. I like shooting second just so I can have the pressure on myself and not have to put the pressure on anybody else. I like to deal with the pressure, and this time it paid off.?

Both of the co-world record-holders hit their first two targets in the extra session, but Brovold missed one of his next pair.

Hancock then stepped up and knocked down two targets to clinch the gold with a final score of 145 (+4). Brovold finished at 145 (+3) to win the silver medal.

'I was hoping that he wouldn?t miss, because Tore and I are really good friends, but when it comes down to it, I'm glad I got the gold medal,' Hancock said. ?I wasn?t expecting him to miss that soon. It just panned out for me. I saw the targets really well those two pairs, and I crushed them.'

Hancock said he couldn?t have asked ?to shoot against a better shooter.'

'He's right there among the best in the world. It was just which one of us had the better day today, and it turned out to be me,? Hancock said.

Likewise, Brovold tipped his cap to Hancock.

It was a very close final,' Brovold said. 'I knew that if I was going to have a chance for the gold, I needed to hit 25, maybe 26. Vincent is a great shooter and a great friend, but I don?t see the silver as a failure. I won the silver.?

France's Anthony Terras 144 (+3) prevailed in a shoot-off against Cyprus? Antonis Nikolaidis 144 (+2) to win the bronze.

Hancock stayed poised on the mission throughout the two-day event.

?I was trying to keep everything out of my mind, actually,? he said. ?I was just trying to keep it focused on the gold medal and seeing myself up on the podium in the first place. Just visualizing perfection ? and I almost had it. I missed the low six again, but it doesn?t matter, I still won.

?I could feel the nervousness building up inside of me, so I hoped it wasn?t taking too much longer,? added Hancock, who couldn?t wait to celebrate with his wife, mother and father, who all made the trip to China. ?I?m obviously a very nervous person. I can?t sit still very often. I pace around when I?m shooting. That helps me calm down. I try to take the anxiousness and nervousness and turn it around into energy that I can focus on my shooting.?

In skeet, shooters move through a semicircular range featuring eight shooting stations. At each station, targets are thrown at least 65 meters from the high (10 feet) or low (3 feet) house on either side of the range at 55 miles per hour. Competitors hold their 12-gauge shotguns at hip level until the target appears and can fire only one shot per target.

?My game plan was just to break every target,? he said. ?I can?t ask for anything more than perfection. I try to be a perfectionist as much as possible, because my motto is, ?If you?re perfect, nobody can beat you,? so perfection rules.

?It?s swirling around in my head right now still," he continued. "It won?t sink in for a couple of days probably, but once it does, it's going to be.?

Hancock was born in Port Charlotte, FL., and began shooting at age 8. Before his 11th birthday, he was shooting competitively. At age 16, he began rewriting the skeet record books.

Before graduating in 2006 from Gatewood High School in Georgia, Hancock joined the Army and completed Army basic training at Fort Sill, OK. Later that year, he was named International Sports Federation Shooter of the Year and Shooter of the Year by USA Shooting, the sport?s governing body in the United States.

Hancock, who was assigned to the USAMU in November of 2007, established the skeet world record with a perfect score of 150 at a World Cup event in Lonato, Italy, in June 2007. He also won the bronze medal at the 2007 world championships, and was named Shotgun Shooter of the Year by USA Shooting.

?This is a dream come true,? Hancock said. ?All those things were just stepping stones to this point right now.'

Brovold equaled Hancock?s world record last month at a World Cup event in Nicosia, Cyprus. Hancock saluted the USAMU for preparing him to compete with the world?s best skeet shooters.

'I couldn't have done it without the Army Marksmanship Unit,' Hancock said. 'They help me define my abilities and my training methods by allowing me to train with the best in the United States. I couldn't ask for anything better. They provide me with everything I need: shells, targets and time. They?ve really let me move along in my game.'

USAMU soldiers conduct train-the-trainer events at Fort Benning, GA, where they train sergeants and noncommissioned officers to better prepare their units for deployments.

?We?re helping save American lives by teaching the soldiers what to do in situations that they may need experience with,? said Hancock, who has no intention of resting on his Olympic laurels.

'I'll just go back home and start training again,? he said. ?I?ve got a few more matches left this year. I?ll try to come out on top of those and hit it back hard training for next season. It?s not over. I want more medals.

?I love shooting and I just want to keep competing," he said. "Being out here shooting with my friends from all the different countries, you can?t beat that. With the camaraderie of all the people that shoot here, it?s one of the best sports in the world.'

Hancock also saluted deployed servicembers everywhere.

'To all the soldiers around the world doing their job, I hope that I can just keep doing mine, and do it to the best of my ability,' he said.
- Hipps works for the US Army's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command public affairs office
Help NTWS Grow!

For every five Sailors who join NTWS from your invitation, you'll be rewarded with 6 months FREE Full Membership allowing you special access to all the premium areas of the TWS website!

Your support will also be recognized by a special "Recruiting Ribbon" placed on your LH Profile Page -- and a bronze star for every five new members you invite!

By inviting other Shipmates to join this site you not only greatly increase the chances for Members to find others with whom they served, but the site becomes even more enjoyable through the increased interaction between Sailors from all eras and Navy communities.

Inviting a Shipmate is simple: Click on the Invite tab at the top of your Profile Page, enter the name and e-mail address of the Sailor you wish to invite and a formal invitation, in your name, is instantly e-mailed to the recipient with full instructions on how to join. Also, all Sailors you invite will have your name on their Profile Page as being invited by you! 
REUNION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Email your command/club/association reunion announcement as early as possible to:
editor@navy.togetherweserved.com or ntws.editor@gmail.com.

FLEET TRANSPORT SQUADRON 22 (VR-22) 19th annual reunion, Oct. 1-4, 2008, Virginia Beach, VA. Contact Gene Shonkwiler: (863) 969-3850, e-mail: GShonkwile@aol.com

USS MOUNT KATMAI (AE-16), Oct. 1-4, 2008, Dayton, OH. Contact: Mickey Ganitch: mbganitch@earthlink.net, or (510) 352-1257.

USS POCONO (AGC-16/LCC-16) 2008 Reunion, Virginia Beach, VA; Oct. 1-5, 2008. For details, visit
www.usspocono.org

USS CHIVO (SS-341) 2008 Mini-Reunion, Oct. 2-5, 2008, Mt. Pleasant SC. Contact Bart Lockwood: (941) 379-4470 or
glockwood2@comcast.net

USS GREENWICH BAY (AVP-41) 14th Annual Reunion, Oct. 2-5, 2008. All hands of the "Little White Fleet" are encouraged to attend. Contact Martin Brown: (910) 582-3791, or AVP-41@comcast.net

USS YANCEY (AKA-93)
, Oct. 2-5, 2008, Seattle, WA. Contact: George Clifton (708) 425-8531 or clifs@ameritech.net

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FLEET TUG SAILORS (NAFTS) 2008 annual reunion, Oct. 2-6, 2008; Providence, RI. See www.NAFTS.com for details or contact Rodger Dana: RDana@NAFTS.com

USS BENJAMIN STODDERT (DDG-22)
Oct. 2-6, 2008; Washington DC area. Website: www.ddg22.com, or contact Herm Chambers: ddg22etcm@hotmail.com

USS NOXUBEE (AOG-56)
reunion, Oct. 5-8, 2008, Moline, IL. Contact: dicbarber@aol.com or (706) 540-3494

USS KIRK (DE/FF 1087) Oct. 5-9, 2008, Laughlin, NV. Contact Thomas Dixon: (928) 763-4219; or bigdsd@frontiernet.net

FIGHTER SQUADRON 54 (VF-54)
"Our Last Hoorah!", Oct. 8-11, 2008, San Diego, CA. Contact: Jack L. Hatchitt: vf-54_cag-5@sbcglobqal.net,  (816) 525-2472.

USS CANBERRA (CA-70/CAG-2)
1943-70, Oct. 8-12, 2008; San Diego, CA. Contact Ken Minick: crewservices@usscanberra.com or (740) 423-8976

USS EDMONDS (DE-406)
Oct. 8-11, 2008, Galveston, TX. Contact Bob Hawkins, rhawk1933@nc.rr.com, or Ken Poggenburg, jkp135@att.net.

USS WILL ROGERS (SSBN-659)
reunion, Oct. 8-12, 2008; Ramada Charleston, SC. For information, visit www.ussWillRogers.org, or Jim Morano (513) 825-6827, snipessn@fuse.net

CVSG-57 VETERANS
, including: HS-2, VS-35, VS-37; VAW-11, Det. N; and H&MS 15 Det. N., USS HORNET (CVS-12). Oct. 9 -12, 2008; Corpus Christi, TX. Contact: Jack Carson: Vs37aircrew@charter.net.

MOBILE CONSTRUCTION BATTALION 1 (MCB 1)
all eras reunion, Washington DC, Oct. 10-12, 2008. Contact Peter Dowd (781) 837-0393, or email mcb1reunion@verizon.com.

LIGHT ATTACK SQUADRON 4 (VAL-4), Oct. 10-12, 2008, Arlington, VA. Contact Marty Schuman: (757) 481-7919, email:
sschuman@peoplepc.com; web: www.blackpony.org.

USS CURRENT (ARS 22)
Oct. 10-12, 2008, Brownsburg, IN. Contact Jerry Spickler: brickletter@ccrtc.com or (317) 996-2759 or (317) 908-6886.

USS MILLS (DE/DER 383)
Oct. 12-16, 2008; Myrtle Beach, SC. WWII thru Cold War era crews. Contact Roger Garner: roger43@accnorwalk.com, or visit www.ussmills.net

CORPSMEN UNITED annual reunion, Oct. 13-16, 2008, Corpus Christi, TX. Contact: James D. Bishop (904) 321-0410.

USS BASILONE (DDE/DD-824)
Reunion, Oct. 13-19, 2008; San Antonio, TX. Contact Philp E. Poplaski: Pepumkc@aol.com or website www.uss-basilone-dde-dd824.org/forums

USS JOHN R. CRAIG (DD-885), 18th reunion, Oct. 15-19, 2008; Oklahoma City, OK. Contact: Jerry Chwalek (734) 525-1469, or jermail@ameritech.net; or Henry Lehtola: zerooneniner@chartermi.net.

USS IWO JIMA CLASS ASSOCIATION
reunion Oct. 15-19, 2008, Chesapeake, VA. Shipmates from USS IWO JIMA (LPH-2/LPH-7), USS OKINAWA (LPH-3), USS TRIPOLI (LPH-10/CVE-64) & USS NEW ORLEANS (LPH-11) are invited. Contact Robert McAnally: (866) 237-3137.

USS L.Y. SPEAR (AS-36) 3rd reunion, Oct. 16-20, 2008; Herndon, VA. Contact: Bill Bernard:
billbarnard@usslyspear.org, web: www.usslyspear.org

USS CLAMAGORE (SS-343)
2008 reunion, Oct. 18-23, 2008, Chattanooga, TN. Contact: George Bass, (352) 332 7953; or geobass@hughes.net

USS BEGOR (APD-127)
19th annual reunion, Oct. 21-25, 2008; Pensacola Beach, FL. Contact Gene Combs: gwcombs@cfl.rr.com.

USS KIMBERLY (DD-521)
, Oct. 20-23, 2008; Myrtle Beach, SC. Contact: George Scott: (321) 676 2307, or ggs33@aol.com.

NAVSTA/NAS GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba/GITMO
Oct. 22-25, 2008; St. Augustine, FL. 2nd annual all hands reunion. Contact Shiela Evans: (573) 322-5396, or email Mike Warman: mike@gitmobay.org. Visit gitmobay.org for info.

USS CHOPPER (SS-342)
reunion Oct. 22-26, 2008; Branson, MO. Contact: James Murphree (352) 753-0751 or Jfmurphree@aol.com

USS WALTON (DE 361),
Oct. 23-25, 2008, Branson, MO. Contact: (800) 542-6768, or marjer67@earthlink.net.

USS ALTAIR (AKS-32), Oct. 24-26, 2008, Myrtle Beach, SC. (843) 361-1730.

USS CONSTELLATION (CVA/CV-64)
, Annual reunion Oct. 26-31, 2008, Corpus Christi, TX. Contact: Jack Klicrease (210) 590-9190 or jackkilcrease@yahoo.com

USS MARKAB (AD-21/AR-23), Oct. 30-Nov. 2, 2008, Colorado Springs, CO. Contact:
iamccollum@aol.com or (330) 337-8873.

USS SAM RAYBURN (SSBN-635), April 26-30, 2009, Fredricksburg, TX. For reunion details go to: www.ssbn635.org, click on "Reunion Information."

USS BUSHNELL (AS-15), May 3-6, 2009, Raleigh, NC. Contacts: Ben Supowitz: (215) 676-3585, or
benel24@comcast.net; Mike Wentzel: (610) 985-6641, or wenfab@1usa.com.

NAVAL WEATHER SERVICE ASSOCIATION REUNION #35, May 20-24, 2009, Jacksonville FL. Open to all former & current USN, USMC, USCG and federal civilians. Contact Bob Johnson: (904) 777-4443, or e-mail bcjohjax@aol.com.

MINESWEEPER REUNION (all ship classes), June 27, 2009, Ft. Worth, TX. $50 per person, fee covers room rental, meal and social event before dinner. RSVP with payment by Dec. 1, 2008. Contact Allan Fitzwater:
afitzwater@charter.net.

USS WHITE PLAINS (AFS-4)
, May 2010, Washington DC. Contact: USS White Plains Association: (801) 985-3665, or email AFS-4@comcast.net

USS RANGER (CVA/CV-61), Valley Forge, PA., All former crew members, squadrons, MARDET & TADs welcome. Contact George Meoli: (203)453-4279,
uss.ranger@yahoo.com, or Frank Thoma: gmcthoma@yahoo.com.
Profile Assistance

The NTWS profile pages are very detailed, so we've created a list of tips and pointers to help you navigate and use the features of the site more easily.

You may visit the "Member Assistance" section at the bottom left of the Home Page under the "Home" tab or e-mail profilehelp@navy.togetherweserved.com for assistance.
ALLIED NAVY WEBSITES

Canadian Navy (CN) - www.navy.forces.gc.ca/
Royal Australian Navy (RAN) - www.navy.gov.au/
Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) - www.navy.mil.nz/
Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) - www.mindef.gov.sg/
Philippine Navy (PN) - www.navy.mil.ph/
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) - www.mod.go.jp
Royal Thai Navy (RTN) - www.navy.mi.th/
Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) - www.navy.mil.kr
UK Royal Navy (RN) - www.royal-navy.mod.uk/
Israel Navy (IN) - www1.idf.il/
Federal German Navy (Bundesmarine) - www.marine.de/ (German only)
Irish Naval Service (Seirbhís Chabhlaigh na hÉireann) - www.military.ie
French Navy (Marine Nationale) - www.defense.gouv.fr
Italian Navy (Marina Militare) - www.marina.difesa.it/ (Italian only)
Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola) - www.armada.mde.es/
Swedish Armed Forces/Navy (Marinen) - www.mil.se/
Indian Navy (Bharatiya Nau Sena) - indiannavy.nic.in/
Maps of Iraq & Afghanistan

Free, downloadable full color maps of Iraq and Afghanistan in Adobe PDF format, courtesy of the military's only UNOFFICIAL daily newspaper, Stars and Stripes.

You must have Adobe Reader 8.0 to view the document. If you need to download Reader, get it here.
VET TOPICS

VA Announces New Nursing Academy Sites

WASHINGTON - To provide compassionate, highly-trained nurses to serve the health care needs of the nation?s veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is establishing new partnerships with seven of the country?s finest nursing schools. The partnerships will bring to 10 the number of collaborations between the Department and nursing schools under the VA Nursing Academy.

?The expanded role of VA in the education of nurses will ensure the Department has the nurses needed to continue our world-class health care for veterans,? said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. ?The VA Nursing Academy expands our teaching faculty, improves recruitment and retention, and creates new educational and research opportunities.?

The VA Nursing Academy is a virtual organization with central administration in Washington. It expands learning opportunities for nursing students at VA facilities, funds additional faculty positions so competitively selected nursing school partners will accept additional baccalaureate-level students, and increases recruitment and retention of VA nurses. The five-year, $40 million program began in 2007.

Seven nursing schools will form new partnerships with nine VA medical centers and join the VA Nursing Academy this year.

Partnerships already in the VA Nursing Academy include the VA medical center in Gainesville, Fla., with the University of Florida; the VA medical center in San Diego with San Diego State University; the VA medical center in Salt Lake City with the University of Utah; and the VA medical center in West Haven, Conn., with Fairfield University in Connecticut.

VA expects to add several more nursing-school partnerships.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has reported that in 2006 more than 38,000 qualified applicants were turned away from entry-level baccalaureate degree programs in nursing schools because of insufficient numbers of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space and clinical mentors. VA currently provides clinical education for approximately 100,000 health professional trainees annually, including students from more than 600 schools of nursing.

VA?s ?Enhancing Academic Partnerships? pilot program enables competitively selected VA-nursing school partnerships to expand the number of nursing faculty, enhance the professional and scholarly development of nurses, increase student enrollment by about 1,000 students and promote innovations in nursing education.

Further information about the pilot program can be obtained from VA?s Office of Academic Affiliations web site at www.va.gov/oaa.
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FIRST CALL: Notes & Ramblings From The Pilothouse


Fireworks light the night sky above the National Stadium, nicknamed The Birds' Nest, at the opening ceremonies of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China. Some 15 military athletes, trainers and coaches are part of the US Olympic Team.
- US Army photo by Tim Hipps

The more things change...
When I enlisted in the summer of 1976, the Navy was the envy of the other service branches. Males were allowed to grow beards, goatees, have longer hair and sideburns. Three years before, the Navy had gone from the dress blue uniform jumper to a CPO-style coat and tie rig and combination cap for all PO1s and below.

In retrospect, some might say we abandoned the blue jumper to create a single uniformed appearance thought to better reflect a modern Navy; as we were the only military branch with two separate uniforms for its enlisteds.

Sure, I was disappointed I didn't get issued a set of jumpers when I went through RTC San Diego; but I was just as proud of being a Sailor in the coat-and-tie uniform (I eventually bought my blue and white jumpers in 1981 through -- of all places -- an AAFES' military clothing sales store when I was stationed at Yokota Air Base).

And having been assigned to joint-service commands over the course of my career, I got the regular razzing from my co-workers in the other branches ranging from "doorman" to "fireman," and "ice cream man" -- in the case of the Tropical White Long summer uniform. 

Yours truly (right), in 1977 along with recruit company shipmates Dan Mackey (left) and Dave Grathwohl on graduation liberty near the Ocean Beach Pier, San Diego, CA. Stylin' and profilin' in our coat and tie dress uniforms.
- Photo courtesy of DM2(ret.) Dave Grathwohl


Our service uniform at the time was called "Enlisted Summer Blue" -- known affectionately as "Salt & Pepper." White short-sleeved convertible collar shirt with sleeve rating mark, Navy Blue (actually black) trousers with fore-and-aft creases, and black web belt with closed silver buckle and belt tip.

Comfy? Oh yeah. Easy to care for? Yup, if you bought permanent-press shirts and trousers. If you opted for the Navy-issue stuff, you were spending a lot of time in line at the dry cleaners.

The bottom line was the 1970s-era enlisted suit and associated uniform combinations broke tradition in favor of current style. And by 1981, we had returned to a "new" enlisted dress blue jumper, white jumper, and ditched Salt & Pepper in-favor of Summer White (formerly Tropical White Long).

Did it affect my pride in service? Hardly. The uniform is a symbol of your position of rank and the service branch. I wore whatever uniforms I was told to wear with pride, and did my best to keep all of the components clean, ready and serviceable.

Now it's 2008. It's certainly a much different Navy than what I served in the mid 1970s through the early 1990s. And now a new enlisted service uniform has hit the streets for year-round wear, eliminating the need for winter and summer service uniform combinations (a smart move, in my opinion). 

With that, I'd like to hear from you PO1s and below who are wearing it. Pros and cons. Rants and raves. Drop me a line at ntws.editor@gmail.com. We'll publish your comments, good, bad, and otherwise in a future edition of The HOIST.

Overheard in conversation...

"The Olympics embody two things Americans hate about the Games: Foreigners...and skills they couldn't master in high school gym class."

Until next time...

Jon Yim
Editor

-30-


Navy Humanitarian Relief Efforts to Georgia

Skytrain Makes 1st Navy Delivery of Relief Supplies

Story by LCDR Corey Barker
US European Command Public Affairs


TBILISI -
A Navy C-9 jet carrying humanitarian assistance arrived here on August 18, marking the Sea Service's first humanitarian assistance mission to the region.
 

Civilian employees with the US Army's 405th Field Support Brigade at Camp Darby, Italy assist Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR) 46 crewmembers loading humanitarian supplies onto a Navy C-9B Skytrain. The aircraft, based at Marietta, GA, represents the Navy's first efforts in providing humanitarian assistance to the Republic of Georgia.
- Photo by MC2 Jason T. Poplin

This flight is part of ongoing large-scale humanitarian relief operations to assist the estimated 118,000 displaced persons as a result of armed conflicts between Georgian and Russian forces last week.

Logistical support for humanitarian efforts is coordinated with the State Department, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and US European Command (EUCOM).

According to Navy officials, the service stands ready to assist, as required, to save lives and alleviate human suffering during this humanitarian crisis.

"This is the beginning of an ongoing Navy airlift that will initially deliver about seven tons of humanitarian aid," said Navy Lieutenant Pat Foughty.

The cargo included 2,256 personal hygiene kits, supplied by USAID, to be distributed to displaced persons in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.


Vessels Deploy For Georgia Relief Mission

NAPLES - Two Navy ships and a Coast Guard cutter are transporting humanitarian relief supplies to Georgia.


PO1 Jeff Weaver (left) and PO2 Gary Smith rig a pallet of humanitarian aid supplies for loading aboard USS McFaul (DDG 74) at Souda Bay, Crete. Nearly 55 tons of relief supplies were loaded for distribution to displaced persons in the former Soviet republic of Georgia..
- Photo by MC3 Eddie Harrison   
United States response to the government of Georgia request for humanitarian assistance, US Sixth Fleet officials said.

USS McFaul departed from Souda Bay, Crete, and the US Coast Guard Cutter Dallas will leave later this week. McFaul and Dallas are scheduled to transit into the Black Sea and arrive in Georgia within a week.

The crew of the command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) is loading humanitarian relief materials in the ship?s homeport of Gaeta, Italy, and will proceed to Georgia later this month, officials said.

The ships will deliver thousands of blankets, hygiene kits, baby food and infant-care supplies to save lives and alleviate human suffering, officials said.

These surface ships represent the first from the United States to participate in the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Georgia. Both USS McFaul, based in Norfolk, VA, and USCGC Dallas, based in Charleston, SC, are on regularly scheduled deployments in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility.
- Combined US Naval Forces Europe/US 6th Fleet news releases


The Sedative Sound of Liquid Mind

By Jon Yim
Editor, TWS Newsletters

SAN DIEGO - It's called Liquid Mind.

It is ultra-slow music that soothes -- much to the point that some listeners completely relax and fall asleep.

And it's the greatest compliment to its composer and producer -- and former Vietnam-era naval officer, Chuck Wild. The Los Angeles-based keyboardist/composer has a collection of nine CDs, all designed to relax and transport the listener to a different level of consciousness, relieving stress or anxieties ? or just send them off to restful sleep.

All, of which, are good things.

His musical experience spans three decades, including writing 125 songs and compositions used in TV, motion pictures and albums. Some of the artists that have recorded his songs include The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Rush, Thelma Houston, Glen Medeiros and Philip Bailey.

Chuck was also a member of the 1980's new wave band, ?Missing Persons,? which topped the charts, and garnered major radio airplay with their hits ?Destination Unknown? and ?Walking In L.A.?

So why did he decide to "apply the brakes" in his new approach to music?

Chuck created his slow, rhythm-free music as a response to anxiety and panic attacks caused by sleep deprivation while working on the ABC-TV series ?Max Headroom.?

?The show got way behind schedule,? he recalls. ?Normally, we'd have two to three weeks to write and record the music for the show. It's about 42 minutes of music to compose for a one hour program. Instead, we had four days ? the network courier was literally standing outside waiting for us (himself and co-composer Michael Hoenig) to finish the music so they could dub it in.?

The closest experience to that, he added, was his time in the military.

Chuck Wild served from 1968 to 1972 as a commissioned officer in the US Naval Reserve during Vietnam; first as communications officer aboard the destroyer USS Ozbourn (DD-846) and the staff of Destroyer Squadron Nine. Later, he served as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Group Seventh Fleet (Western Pacific), under Rear Admirals Arthur Esch; and later, Rembrandt Robinson.

During his time in-uniform, Chuck received the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal.

The constant crush of the TV show's brutal work schedule and other factors started to wear him down ? badly. So much that for a while, Chuck refused to leave his home, and had his assistant run errands for him.

?My concept, as part of my own healing, was to record albums of sedative music,? he said. ?In my own case, I found that sedative music that I wrote was most helpful, because the music I was listening to wasn't really that relaxing.?

With that in-mind, Chuck went into the studio, and in 1995 created ?Ambience Minimus,? a collection of sustained chords, soothing harmonic progressions, sensuous textures and non-rhythmic, non-repetitive structures. More albums followed, each with its unique approach in sedative music under the artist name of Liquid Mind.

His music is also helping those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Chuck cited a veteran's hospital in Waco, Texas that uses his music. Though the hospital's music therapist, they help servicemembers returning from combat zones with PTSD.

?They also treat a lot of Vietnam veterans that have PTSD issues,? he added. ?They find that my music, or just soothing music in-general, helps them through their anxieties.?

Chuck's also donates copies of his music to programs that help veterans and their families deal with stress, anxiety and PTSD.

So, what does he remember most about his time in-uniform

?I think it was seeing the camaraderie, and the fact that we were working toward one goal really stands-out in my mind,? Chuck recalls. ?I think there was also a bit more clarity then, as well as strict six-month deployment rule. But I know today people serve much longer tours.?

?Being in the Navy gave me a very high set of standards,? he said. ?The personal discipline I learned helped me in the music industry, and that's pretty rare in this business.?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Liquid Mind CDs can be purchased online at liquidmindmusic.com or downloaded through iTunes. Veterans groups and other military support organizations that wish to use Liquid Mind music can contact Chuck Wild at:

Post Office Box 93036
Los Angeles, CA 90093
(800) 818-5848
CWRecords@aol.com
www.chuckwild.com

- Photo courtesy Chuck Wild
- Cover art courtesy realmusic.com


Featured Upgrades

Military Association Support
There is a new section available for the right hand page of your profile - Military Association Memberships. Using this section you can proudly display your membership of any associations you belong to, as well as track down other members who may also be members. We display the patch of each of your associations where available and have space to display full website and contact data for your chapter to aid in recruitment. Please let us know if the data for your chapters needs updating.




Printable Invite Cards

There is a new option on the Home Tab that will allow you to print personalised TWS invite cards. These cards have your name, rank and critically your TWS ID number on them so that when a new member joins from your card he/she can properly credit you for the invitation, extending your membership:



Trial Members
We now distinguish between new members who are still enjoying their complimentary period of free full membershp and those more serious long term members who have actually paid for their full membership, or been upgraded due to their member invites. You can tell the trial members by their new completion gauge color - a grey thermometer compared to green for full members and red for free:





Coast Guardsmen to Attend BUD/S, Join SEAL Teams

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -
Coast Guardsmen soon will be training to join Navy SEAL teams, a senior Coast Guard officer said this month.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Thomas F. Atkin, commander of the Coast Guard?s deployable operations group, said four Coast Guardsmen -- two officers and two enlisteds -- will be selected to begin basic underwater demolition school (BUD/S) later this year.

If they graduate, the admiral said, they will become full-fledged members of Navy SEAL teams and deploy with those teams worldwide.

Atkins called the development the beginning of an exciting new era in the Coast Guard.

"Certainly this is historic, it?s different, but it?s very consistent with the long partnership we?ve had with the United States Navy," he said during a conference call with bloggers.

SEAL teams are among the most elite military units in the world, he noted. "We understand that, and we will strive to find the best and the brightest here in the Coast Guard to support that program," the admiral said.

The Coast Guard will get a capability it does not have right now, he said. "We will get a great skill set and experience set from what they will learn,? the admiral said. ?We think this program will bring a lot of experience back to the deployable operations group and the Coast Guard as a whole."

The service will accept applications through the middle of next month. At that point, the service -- in coordination with the Navy Special Warfare Command -- will select the Coast Guard candidates.

The Coast Guard has "a military mission; we have a counterterrorism mission; we have an anti-terrorism mission; and we also have a mission to conduct high-end specialized law enforcement in the Caribbean, the Eastern Pacific and around the homeland," Atkins said.

SEAL training provides the service with increased capabilities and more experience, and it also will help Coast Guard?s relationship with the Navy and the US Special Operations Command.

The Navy also benefits from the Coast Guardsmen becoming SEALs, the admiral said.


"The Coast Guardsmen will bring their knowledge base on maritime operations, law enforcement operations, port security and homeland security to the SEAL teams," Atkins said. "These are experiences these folks don?t have."

The more diverse an operational group is, the better off it is, he said.

"It doesn?t mean the SEAL teams are going to conduct law enforcement operations, but understanding how law enforcement operations work and understanding the experiences a new person brings to the team will only make them better," he said.
- Top left: Photo by MC2 Marcos T. Hernandez
- Bottom right: USN file photo by PHC Johnny R. Wilson


Personnel Command Gives Guidance on New Service Uniform Wear

Story by Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON -
Sailors transitioning to the new service uniform (SU) can get smart about its proper wear at Navy Personnel Command's (NPC) homepage, www.npc.navy.mil. NPC added a training video to its homepage this month to help educate the fleet about the Navy's newest uniform.

Personnel Specialist 1st Class Howard Williams models the new E-6 and below Service Uniform. The uniform is for year-round wear and replaces summer white and winter blue uniforms.
-Photo by MC3 Jhi Scott


"We are in the initial process of the new E1-E6 service uniform rollout. These videos are designed to ensure Sailors and leadership know the standards associated with the service uniform. This is great for training and getting Sailors ready to wear the new uniform," said Force Master Chief (AW/SW) Daryl Charles, assigned to NPC.

Additional guidance on wear of the service uniform can be found in NAVADMIN 190/08, also available on the NPC website.

Service uniform sales began July 31 at Navy Exchange uniform shops in Great Lakes and California. Sailors stationed in these regions may also order the new service uniform by calling the toll-free uniform support line at 1-800-368-4088.

"I like it a lot. People tell me it looks sharp. It feels cooler than the whites," said Operations Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Heather Smith, assigned to Naval Base Coronado.

Smith purchased her service uniform the first day it was available and guessed on the placement of her ribbons and name tag based on the placement from her summer whites.

"My master chief and I reviewed the video and my guess was pretty close. I just needed to adjust my ribbons a little bit," said Smith, who has been getting a lot of comments about her new threads.

Sailors have up to 24 months to purchase the new uniform, depending on their duty station location. The mandatory wear date for all E1-E6 personnel is July 2010. Clothing replacement allowances for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 were increased to cover the purchasing of two sets of new uniforms by July 2010.

The service uniform will be available for purchase via Navy Exchange uniform centers as follows:

  • July 2008 - Great Lakes and California
  • Oct 2008 - Northwest and Hawaii
  • Jan 2009 - Gulf region and Millington, TN
  • April 2009 - Naval District Washington
  • July 2009 - Tidewater
  • Oct 2009 - Southeast
  • Jan 2010 - Northeast
  • April 2010 - Europe/Japan/Guam
For more information on uniforms and uniforms policy, visit the uniform matters Web site at www.npc.navy.mil/commandsupport/usnavyuniforms/.


Sailor Pursues Gold at 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games

By LT Jennifer Cragg
Special to The HOIST


WASHINGTON -
Four years after he became the first active-duty servicemember to compete for the United States at the Paralympic Games, a sailor assigned to Naval Medical Center San Diego will compete again next month for gold in track and field.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Casey Tibbs, an interpretive cryptologic technician, competed in 2004 at Athens, Greece, and soon will be heading to Beijing for this year's Paralympic Games.



"I'm just ready to go there and have fun, and that's what I'm going to do, Tibbs said during an Aug. 13 teleconference with bloggers. ?And, I really can't wait to go out there and represent the United States, the United States Navy, as well, and the whole military."

Tibbs -- who lost his right leg in a 2001 motorcycle accident -- will compete in the track and field pentathlon, 200-meter race, 400-meter race, and long jump. To prepare for the 2008 Paralympic Games, Tibbs said, he has spent an average of 30 to 35 hours per week training at the ARCO/US Olympic Center near his duty station.

Sitting in the medical center's prosthetics lab during the teleconference, Tibbs explained that, as a peer mentor there, he advises wounded servicemembers to take one day at a time, cautions them not to overdo their rehabilitation in the beginning, and helps them realize that things are going to get better.

And that's what I tell them at the beginning, because sometimes they can hear it from a doctor, they can hear it from their family, but when they hear it from somebody who has actually sat in a hospital bed and gone from a hospital bed to an Olympic podium, it gives them a lot more hope, Tibbs said.

Tibbs had been in the Navy for nearly two years before he lost his leg. Just two and a half months later, he ran 400 meters in two and a half minutes, he said.

I remember doing it, and it was probably the hardest run I've ever done in my life, he admitted. But after that day, I was able to progress a lot more. And now I can run 400 meters in 53 seconds.

Three years later, his hard work and training paid off, earning him a trip to compete in Athens.

I stayed on active duty [and] went to the games in 2004. I won a gold medal and a silver medal -- a gold medal in the 4 x 100 relay, and a silver in the men's pentathlon, setting a new American record, Tibbs said. [I] then went to 2006 world championships. I ? won my first gold medal in the individual pentathlon, and now I've qualified for the 2008 games, where I'm going to be competing in the pentathlon, the 200 meters, the long jump and the 400 meters, and, hopefully, the relay again.

Tibbs said that before he lost his leg, he never imagined he would participate in the Olympics.

The whole Olympic...dream really didn't start until after I lost my leg,? he said. ?I was 22 years old, or 23, when I started thinking, ?Hey, I could go to the Paralympic Games.? That's really when my dream started.

As Tibbs prepares for his departure for the 2008 Paralympics he reflected on the hero who helped him attain his Olympic dream: his coach, Joaquim Cruz, an Olympian from Brazil. Cruz won the gold medal in 1984 in the 800 meters as his country?s only gold medalist in track and field.

He ran 1:41 in the 800 meters, and he's one of three people to ever do that in history of all sports, period,? Tibbs noted. ?And he's definitely an inspiration to me, so he's definitely one of my Olympic heroes.?

Tibbs added that competing in the 2008 Paralympics is not about winning a gold medal or being the first-place finisher. ?It's about just getting back to your life and competing in sports and just playing sports,? he said. ?It's a huge part of rehabilitation.?

The opening ceremonies for the 2008 Paralympic Games are scheduled for Sept. 6, with competition officially starting Sept. 9.
- PO1 Casey Tibbs file photo courtesy DoD
- LT Cragg works in the New Media Directorate of the Defense Media Activity


Military Olympians at the 2008 Games

ARMY
SSG Basheer Abdullah (ret.)
Boxing Technical Advisor

MAJ Michael E. Anti
Smallbore Prone Rifle

SSG Dremiel Byers
Greco-Roman Wrestling

SSG Libby Callahan (ArRES)
Women's Pistol

PFC Walton "Glenn" Eller III
Double Trap

SFC Bret E. Erickson (ret.)
Trap

PFC Vincent C. Hancock
Skeet

SPC Jeffrey G. Holguin
Double Trap

MAJ David Johnson
Rifle Coach

SFC Jason Parker
Air Rifle and Smallbore
Three-position Rifle

SSG Keith Sanderson
Rapid Fire Pistol

CDT Stephen Scherer (USMA)
Air Rifle

SFC Daryl L. Szarenski
Free Pistol

SSG Mark Weeks
Shotgun Assistant Coach
AIR FORCE
Capt. Eli Bremer
Modern Pentathlon

Capt. Kevin Eastler
20-kilometer Race Walk

MSgt. Richard Estrella (ret.)
Greco-Roman Wrestling

Lt. Col. Dominic Grazioli
Trap

Capt. Seth Kelsey
Epee Fencing

CMSgt. Lloyd Woodhouse (ret.)
Shotgun Coach


DID YOU KNOW?

At 56, Army Reserve SSG
Elizabeth ?Libby? Callahan is
the oldest woman competitor
in US Olympic history.

MARINES
Maj. Jay Antonelli
Greco-Roman Wrestling Coach



YOUR SHOTS! Reader-submitted pictures

Got a great picture that you took and want to share it with your shipmates? Give us your best shot! Attach your JPEG or PNG picture files (at least 800x460 pixels) to an email to ntws.editor@gmail.com.

PHOTO BY: AFCM(AW/NAC) Bill "Red Dogg" Moss, USN (ret.)
LOCATION:
Luther Pass area, CA
DATE TAKEN:
1982
PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTE:
Me (then with NAS Fallon's Inland SAR crew) rappelling with "Thunder" a mountain search and rescue dog. This was the first time a Navy SAR crew ever rappelled with a trained search canine.  The harness the dog is wearing was designed and constructed by PR2 Bill Case.  To test the harness, we used Bill's dog -- putting it on him, and hoisting him with a block and tackle in the PR Shop.  A variant of the harness is being used today by many search dog teams throughout the world

PHOTO BY: RMCM(SS) Roger R. Collins, USN (ret.)
LOCATION: Unicoi, TN
DATE TAKEN: December 2007
DESCRIPTION: This was a Christmas present from my family. My five year old grandson is interested in all things Navy and Submarines in particular, so my daughter made a 8X10 picture of him in my old uniform.


OUR ALLIES IN-ARMS

The HOIST's spotlight on our allied military partners.

New Zealand -- RNZN's Sailor of the Year Visits Hawaii
Story courtesy New Zealand Defence Force Public Relations

Dannevirke resident Chris Henricksen, now a Leading Marine Technician in the Navy, was chosen as the Royal New Zealand Navy Sailor of the Year in 2007. Part of his award was a trip to Hawaii.

From left: RNZN LMT(P) Chris Henricksen and Leading Chef Michael Dudson, pose with their Hawaii hosts, USN Pacific Fleet Master Chief Tom Howard, RNZN Warrant Officer Neil Roberts, and USN Pacific Fleet Sailors of the Year - 1st Class Petty Officers Latoyna Grace and Chad Baiden.
-USN photo
"I?ve been given the great honour and privilege of being named the Royal New Zealand Navy Sailor of the year 2007," said Chris. "This award has given me the opportunity to represent our Navy for five days in Hawaii, hosted by the United States Navy Pacific Fleet's Sailors of the Year."

Accompanied by the Royal New Zealand Navy Sailor of the Year 2006, Leading Chef Michael Dudson, the group stayed in Waikiki for five nights, visiting the massive Pearl Harbour Naval Base, the solemn USS Arizona Memorial and the mighty USS Missouri battleship on which the Japanese signed their surrender in WWII.

Also included was a visit to one of the US military's most patriotic places - the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) - where all American personnel missing in conflicts as far back as WWII were researched, found, identified and returned to their families, providing the families with a sense of closure after losing their loved ones.

Chris described the Hawaiian people as very friendly and the US Navy personnel as patriotic, very hospitable and as having a good appreciation of their military history.

Chris was raised in a small community of Pongoroa, just south of Dannevirke on the family sheep and beef farm. Educated at Napier Boy?s High School from 1995 ? 1999, he joined the Navy in January 2000 as a Marine Technician. Today Chris is completing his Petty Officers Professional Course and expects to be promoted to Petty Officer in July before posting onto HMNZS Te Kaha for an overseas deployment.

Of his naval career, Chris says "I have thoroughly enjoyed my naval career to date.  Each experience rolls on to another, providing more opportunities to learn new skills, travel, and be part of a close community. I?m continuously meeting new people from all over the country and the world. If you?re looking for the chance to get qualified in a skill, test yourself, travel  the world, have a good time and make new friends, then I recommend the Navy as a great option for you".

Australia -- Operation SLIPPER, Afghanistan
Story & photo courtesy Australian Defence Forces

Australia has deployed an ADF Reconstruction Task Force (RTF), consisting of a combined arms team, to the Oruzgan Province in Southern Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper. The

FIRE MISSION! Australian Reconstruction Task Force mortars fire on Taliban extremist positions after a rocket attack in Baluchi, Afghanistan.
-Australian Defence Force photo

RTF is in partnership with the Netherlands Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) and forms part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The RTF has a clearly defined role to work on reconstruction, improvement of provincial infrastructure and community based projects. The RTF also provides trade training to the local population and military engineering training to the Afghan National Army. This type of assistance is designed to benefit the people of Oruzgan Province well into the future and form building blocks of a stable and prosperous community.

The RTF contains around 400 ADF personnel from predominately Brisbane and Sydney based units. It includes elements to provide command, security, engineering, and administrative support and is equipped with Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles (IMV), Australian Light Armoured Vehicles (ASLAVs) and armoured engineer plant equipment. Australia's contribution to ISAF is an important component of the Australian Government's commitment to assist Afghanistan achieve a stable and secure future.


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 (Choose from 2000 Ships)
"My husband and I were very pleased with the service and the quality of the items that we purchased. The website is very nice and easy to navigate. - Asalei Giles"

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.


Social Security Announces Earnings For Military Service

WASHINGTON - In January 2002, Public Law 107-117, the Defense Appropriations Act, stopped the special extra earnings that have been credited to military service personnel.

If you earned military pay while on active duty since 1957 (including active duty time for training), Social Security taxes were paid on those earnings. And since 1988, inactive duty service in the reserves (such as weekend drills) has also been covered by Social Security.

Under certain circumstances, special extra earnings for your military service from 1957 through 2001 can be credited to your record for Social Security purposes. These extra earnings credits may help you qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of your Social Security benefit.

Special extra earnings credits are granted for periods of active duty or active duty for training, but not for inactive (reserve) duty training.
 
If you served on active duty...

  • From 1957 through 1967, the Social Security Administration will add the extra credits to your record when you apply for Social Security benefits.

  • From 1968 through 2001, you do not need to do anything to receive these extra credits. The credits were automatically added to your record.

  • After 2001, there are no special extra earnings credits for military service.
How You Get Credit For Special Extra Earnings
The information that follows applies only to active duty military service earnings from 1957 through 2001. Here's how the special extra earnings are credited on your record:

Service from 1957 through 1977:
You are credited with $300 in additional earnings for each calendar quarter in which you received active duty basic pay.

Service from 1978 through 2001:
For every $300 in active duty basic pay, you are credited with an additional $100 in earnings up to a maximum of $1,200 a year. If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, and didn't complete at least 24 months of active duty or your full tour, you may not be able to receive the additional earnings. Check with Social Security for details.

For more information visit the Social Security Administration's website.


PHOTO LOG: Views Around The Fleet This Month

 
HANDLING LINES - Boatswain's Mate Seaman Bobby Kidd releases the bits after tensioning a mooring line on the fantail of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). The Reagan recently made a scheduled port visit to Port Kalang, Malaysia.
- Photo by MC3 Gary Prill


AND...ACTION! - A group of West Coast-based Navy SEALs get ready for the director's cue in a scene for an upcoming episode of the hit Fox television series "24" shot at Camarillo (CA) Airport. The show's producer requested Navy assistance to add realism to the episode's storyline. The SEALs were filmed fast-roping from helicopters and "assaulting" a "terrorist cell". The episode is slated to air on Fox in January 2009.
- Photo by MC2 Dominique M. Lasco


"BEAR"-ING SMILES - Kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago show off their Navy "Blue Bears" given to them during a recent visit by Vice Adm. David J. Venlet of Naval Air Systems Command, and Sailors from the fast-attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721). Venlet and the Sailors were in town to promote Chicago Navy Week, one of 20 Navy Weeks planned across America in 2008 in cities without a significant Navy presence.
- Photo by MCCS Gary Ward

A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME MEETING - The Jonas Brothers (from left: Joe, Nick and Kevin) shake hands with lucky teenage fans during a recent meet and greet photo event at Naval Air Station Oceana's Navy Exchange. Some 150 fans got the opportunity to meet the group up-close and personal through an NEX-sponsored contest. The pop music trio, one of the hottest acts signed to Disney's Hollywood Records label, are on a 46-date North American tour.
- Photo by MC3 Kenneth R. Hendrix

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SMILES ARE FREE - Religious Program Specialist 1st Class Brenda Dwiggins, a chaplain's assistant with 1st Marine Logistics Group, shares a smile with a local boy in Anbar Province, Iraq. Marines and Sailors are conducting a cooperative medical engagement for Iraqi families that cannot afford medical attention.
- USMC photo by LCpl. Gabriela Garcia

KIWI COUNTERPARTS - Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brett Morton (right), of Atlanta, GA, explains life aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) to Able Writer Candice Kauta (left) and Able Chef Sam Fergus (center) from the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate, HMNZS Te Mana (F111) during an exchange while steaming the North Arabian Sea.
- Photo by MCSN Kathleen A. Corona


A GOLDEN KNIGHT RUSH - Command Master Chief John D. Port (bottom), of PCU George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), skydives with Sergeant 1st Class Michael Elliott, tandem instructor for the US Army's parachute team, The Golden Knights. SFC Elliot was also the tandem partner for former President George H.W. Bush during his 2007 jump marking the reopening of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum at College Station, TX.
- US Army photo by SFC Bryan Schnell


OPEN WIDE... - Canadian Air Force PVT Tabitha Beynen, embarked with a multi-national medical team aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), gives de-worming medication from a syringe to a Nicaraguan child at a medical clinic in Betania. Kearsarge is the platform for the Caribbean phase of Continuing Promise, a partnership mission involving the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana.
- Photo by MC3 Christopher Lange

BACK IN BLACK - Brunei Special Forces team members ready themselves for a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83). Howard is a participant in the South East Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercises with units of Brunei's air force and navy.
- Photo by MC3 Joshua Scott


NTWS Membership Growth

Since its launch on Navy Day, October 27, 2006, Sailors from WWII to the present-day, have joined this website. As a result, many Members have reported reconnecting with Shipmates from the past; and as the site continues to grow beyond 300,000 Members by the end of the year, this will be an increasingly common occurrence.

NTWS does not permit public access, and therefore has one of the highest percentages of Navy Members of any Navy community website - as most have been invited by existing NTWS Members. Please help our unique Navy Community continue its strong growth and invite other Sailors that you know.

To go directly to the Navy.Together WeServed.com website click on the hypertext.


It's YOUR Money! with Suze Orman

Personal finance expert and motivational speaker Suze Orman created her brand of mega-success by bringing financial planning out of the echelons of millionaires clubs and delivering it to every day people.

Orman frequently takes calls from servicemembers on CNBC?s ?The Suze Orman Show,? and has reached out to troops by making speaking appearances at bases and by being involved in the www.militarysaves.com campaign.

Each month, The HOIST will feature a money tip from Orman to help stretch your hard-earned military dollar every payday.

Q: Should you pay off debt or save money?

A: That?s no different for military members than anyone else. Debt is bondage and you will never, ever experience financial freedom if you have bondage. If you have credit card debt at maybe 18 percent and money in savings that earns about 2 percent and is taxable, you are seriously losing money when you [put money in savings rather than pay down the credit card]. You always want to attack your financial future knowing that your feet are on solid financial foundation. Enemies to money are debt. If you would retire that debt, it would be like a guaranteed 18 percent return on your money.

Q: As you hear from servicemembers, what are some of the most common personal finance concerns they face?

A: What those in the military need to be very, very careful of is that, because you?ve been trained to follow orders and because you are incredibly honorable, you?re an incredibly trusting group of people. And because you are so trusting, you are the perfect people to be taken advantage of from unscrupulous people [including financial advisors]. You trust that what they are telling you is true. You, more than anybody, must be very, very careful.

The most prevalent thing military members say to me is, ?I got into trouble because I trusted a person who told me to do X, Y and Z, and it wasn?t right.? That is one of the main dangers for military people.


TWS Coins, Coffee & More - the TWSCafe!

We're proud to announce the opening of the new "TWS Cafe!"

In partnership with our friends at Devil Dog Brew, we've created the TWS Cafe where you can purchase custom coffee blends of "Devil Dog Brew" and "Snipers Brew" at a discounted price especially for TWS Members.

In addition to coffee, initial product offerings include the Marines and Navy TWS Challenge Coins shown below.
(more products are coming soon, i.e,. custom TWS logo bumper stickers and coffee mugs!)

The coins are solid metal, 1 5/8" with an epoxy covering over the image.

Coins and coffee can be ordered directly from the TWSCafe page with payments accepted via credit card.

Coin prices are a flat $10 each, which includes shipping.

Coins may also still be ordered via PayPal or by check/money order.

For PayPal, send an email payment (from within your PayPal account) to:
merchandise@tws-advisor.com

Check/Money Orders: Make checks payable to: TWS Events; PO Box 50, Bryantsville, KY 40410

BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS AND SPECIFY WHICH COIN YOU WANT with your check or PayPal order!

Customer Comments:
" Major, I want to say that I am very impressed with the coins that I bought from TWS. I want to thank you for having them so that they can be bought by us Marines. They are very hard corps (sic) coins that I will sure show off to my family and friends. Thanks again for having them and anytime something like this comes around, if you think of it, please let me know so that I can buy them. Thanks, Nathan."
LCpl Nathan Blevins, MTWS member

Special thanks to MTWS Member LtCol Pat Riley of Lexington Metal Products Inc. for his design assistance and production of these coins.


OFF DUTY: 'D-Lister' Griffin Proves Laughter Is Best Medicine

Story and photo by Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON -
As summer ends, so goes the summer TV season, which means many favorite shows will go into hibernation for the winter.

Comedian Kathy Griffin, Bravo network's somewhat saucier answer to Lucille Ball, has
Click photo for screen-resolution image
Comedian Kathy Griffin, star of Bravo's "My Life on the D List," chats with Army CPL Joseph McCauley, who is at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering from a traumatic brain injury he suffered March 23 while serving in Iraq. Griffin visited troops and their families in both the Fisher Houses and the hospital before performing a show for the troops in the evening.
ensured the fourth season finale of 'Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List,' affects its audience when it airs on the cable network, Bravo.

Don't expect the funny lady to reel it in just because she?s visiting with servicemembers recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here.

?I know our show isn?t exactly 'Frontline,' but we definitely tried to weed as much comedy into the situation as possible, because these men and women let me know very quickly that when you?re dealing with these kinds of injuries, you just gotta laugh,? Griffin said. ?What I?m proud of with [this] show is that it shows how people use humor to cope with a traumatic situation.?

Griffin found laughs razzing a corporal about his questionable tattoo while touring the Fisher House Foundation's two housing facilities where outpatients and their families stay while receiving treatment at Walter Reed. She found laughs while talking with troops during a visit to the hospital. Even George the therapy dog provided amusement when Griffin stopped by the hospital?s physical therapy room.

In fact, Griffin and Walter Reed's residents and employees didn't stop laughing from the moment she arrived until she walked off the stage after performing a stand-up routine in the evening.

The little show, as she described it, was well attended until Griffin started her more-than-PG routine and some members of the audience opted to call it a night.

"To me, tha's the sign of a good show," Griffin said. You always need a couple of [ticked-off] chaplains combined with some laughing soldiers and a couple ER nurses.?

Supporting servicemembers has long been a cause near and dear to Griffin, whose father, a World War II soldier, died last year. It wasn?t that military legacy, however, that led her to first performance for deployed troops.

What really got me involved was when a friend of mine, Kerri Turner from the television series JAG,? talked me into my first [United Service Organizations] trip to Afghanistan in 2002,? Griffin said. ?She told me that the trip would change my life, and she was right. It did.?

Last year?s season of ?Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List? included her visit to Iraq to entertain troops. Her positive experience and the overwhelmingly positive response from the audience was a catalyst to feature the military again this season, she said.

My goal this year with the Walter Reed episode is to have these men and women seen for the heroes they are and their families for the human beings they are,? Griffin said. ?This experience shows us what happens to these brave men and women when they come home and deal with the injuries they have sustained while at war. I saw the bravery from the moment I walked into Fisher House to the rehab facility to the little show I put on that night.?

Griffin said she?s open to featuring the military in another episode, but isn?t sure that will happen.

At this point, I have basically put the Army through hell. I believe they call my crew ?the insurgency, but I won?t stop,? she said. I visit with returning soldiers before each show I do on the road. I am so happy to be involved with performing for the armed forces [and] meeting them; whatever I can do.

The season finale of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which was filmed at Walter Reed in April, will air on the Bravo cable network. Check local listings for times.


THE HOIST - NTWS Newsletter


A monthly online publication of Navy.TogetherWeServed.com, a commercial entity in no way affiliated, authorized or endorsed by the US Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, or any of its agencies.

Opinions and views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Navy.TogetherWeServed.com, the U.S. Government, Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

The HOIST - NTWS Newsletter is published and distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered official Navy policy, regulation or doctrine. Contact your command's administration section concerning all current Navy policy, regulation and doctrine issues.

All photos used in this online publication are official US Navy/Department of Defense imagery and cleared for public release, unless otherwise indicated.

Please send any comments, quality improvement suggestions or story ideas to:

editor@navy.togetherweserved.com or ntws.editor@gmail.com.

Jon Yim -
Editor


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


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