A sharp salute from all of us here at TWS to those who proudly serve -- or have served -- as Guardians.

Your humble editor recalls that the Coast Guard traces its founding to Aug. 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling, and protect the collection of federal revenue.

Responsibilities added over the years included humanitarian duties such as aiding mariners in distress.  The service received its present name in 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS)  merged with the US Life-Saving Service (USLSS) to form a single maritime agency dedicated to the safety of life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.

Joke if you will about Coasties being "shallow-water sailors" and "puddle pilots." But Guardians are tasked with responsibilities that aren't in the Navy's mandate. Guardians protect the environment, ensure the safety of recreational boaters and commercial shipping; maintain aids to navigation, they are on the frontlines in the war on illegal drugs and human trafficking. They perform search and rescue missions for the public and other agencies; and protect our vital commercial ports.

And the Coast Guard has the power to enforce federal maritime law -- something the other four branches of America's armed forces aren't equipped to do. They are only service branch with a humanitarian, military and protective mission.

Guardians have a glorious history to be proud of, with names ingrained in their legacy -- Adams, Hamilton, Bertholf, Munro, Stratton and Haley. Their service continually deserves the respect and support of not only the public, but our fellow military men and women and our federal lawmakers. And our continued thanks.

So, here's to you Guardians for 219 years of exemplary service to our Nation!

Semper Paratus!

Welcome Aboard to INCOMING!
Beginning in this issue we welcome the cartoon "INCOMING!" to The HOIST!

The product of the humor, imagination and pen of veteran John Sheppard -- who served in AF Blue from 1969-1974 (AFSC 461 "Ammo"), INCOMING! spotlights our military and honors currently serving troops and veterans of all services. "Without these men and women," John says, "our way of life would be much different."

He adds that there is no continuing plot or story line, but a series of single panel cartoons. Fun is poked at all branches with no harm intended. Combat troops as well as rear echelon types (REMFs) are highlighted and share the spotlight as well.

We hope you'll get a laugh every month in each issue of The HOIST!

Introducing...
We're also proud to announce TWS's association with the United States Naval Institute (USNI), the independent forum that produces thoughtful periodicals, scholarly books, and stimulating seminars, which contribute to the professionalism of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen and the Sea Services they serve, and in turn plays a unique and vital role in our national security.

In case you're still wondering who they are -- USNI's Naval Institute Press publishes the Bluejacket's Manual for Sailors and the Coast Guardsman's Manual for Guardians. The Press published the first editions of Tom Clancy's novel, "The Hunt For Red October" -- the first piece of fiction published by the organization.

Starting in this issue, The HOIST will feature article excerpts (with continuing links) from USNI's monthly publication, Proceedings, and photographs from their extensive archives.

We hope you'll enjoy this new feature to our newsletter, and -- if you're not a member -- consider joining the US Naval Institute.

We want to hear from you!!
This is YOUR newsletter, folks...

Jon Yim
Editor

Featured Updates

Post a TWS Banner on your Website
We now make it easy to put a TWS banner on your own website, MySpace page or elsewhere - just go to your profile and click Edit on the Account Details section (top left). Two banners are available - a general TWS one and a Navy specific one. Each has HTML code available for you to copy and paste:

Built into the HTML code is a referral ID so that if new members join the site as a result of seeing your banner you will be credited in the normal way, as our thanks for your endorsement.

New Search Tab Options
You will notice some new options on the search tab to allow you to search for Photos, Associations and Units directly. For quick searches you can also search for Units and Associations directly from the quicksearch field in the binder.

Assignment Months
We sort your Unit Assignments by date order, but where you had more than one assignment in a year they sometimes appear in the wrong order. You can now specify a month and year for more fine grained sorting if you have this problem.

More Association Chapters
We have been hard at work filling out our Military Association details including full details of all chapter where example. For example we have added the full list of VFW chapters (all 7900 or so) - luckily you can filter by state!

Obama: Health Care Reform Won't Affect VA, Tricare
Story by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- In ongoing discussions about health-care reform, President Barack Obama offered assurance to those receiving medical care through Tricare or the Department of Veterans Affairs: Your benefits are safe.

Eligibility for health care under VA or Tricare “will not be affected by our efforts at broader health-care reform,” Obama told military reporters at the White House earlier this month.

Obama said he also made that point clear after today’s meeting with the American Legion’s national commander, Dave Rehbein, and executive director, Peter Gaytan.

“I want to make sure that message gets out to our veterans,” the president said. “I think it’s very important to get the message out: If you are in the VA system and are happy with your care, great. We have no intention of changing your eligibility.”

While a new, national program won’t force anyone to change health-care systems, Obama said it could offer benefits or geographic convenience that might make some veterans elect to join it. A national program “will actually give them more choices, more flexibility,” he said.

Obama cited problems in US health-care delivery systems, which he said cost more than other countries’ programs and too often deliver less.

The VA “has probably made more progress than most systems out there in increasing quality” during the past 25 years, and could help shed light on better ways of delivering health care, he said.

But the cost of delivering that care is high even at VA, and Tricare consumes a big piece of the Defense Department’s budget, he said.

With the fiscal 2010 budget reflecting the largest VA funding increase in 30 years, Obama told American Legion leaders he is committed to ensuring that VA provides America’s veterans the highest-quality health care possible.

Meanwhile, he told reporters VA will increase its outreach to more veterans to make sure they’re aware of their medical benefits and other entitlements.

“Although there are hundreds of thousands of veterans who are using our services, we know there are hundreds of thousands more who may not know that benefits are available,” he said.

“And we are working really hard to make sure that every single veteran – not just our active force, but also National Guard and reservists, are aware of the benefits that are available to them.

“Guiding them through that process, we think, is extraordinarily important.”

GI Bill transferability begins
Story by SFC Michael J. Carden

WASHINGTON -- With the Post-9/11 GI Bill's option to transfer unused educational benefits to eligible family members taking effect Aug. 1, it's no surprise that more than 25,000 servicemembers have pre-applied, a Pentagon official said recently.

The wave of applicants has far exceeded the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments' expectations, said Bob Clark, the Pentagon's assistant director for accessions policy.

What's even more impressive is that the Defense Department's Web site for requesting the benefit has been live only since June 29, he added.

"We've seen, roughly, a thousand applications a day for the past week or so, and we expect that to continue," Clark said. "Transferability of these educational benefits has been one of the most requested provisions by family support groups, family advocacy groups and the troops out in the field and fleet, and we're just happy that it starts on the first of August."

The site, https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB/, is accessible using a common access card, Defense Department self-service user identification or a Defense Finance and Accounting Service personal identification number.

Spouses and family members must be enrolled under their servicemember sponsor in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System, also known as DEERS, to be eligible for the transfer benefit. Military members also can link to the site through http://www.defenselink.mil/gibill.

With the Post-9/11GI Bill, servicemembers are eligible for 36 months of educational benefits -- the equivalent of four nine-month academic years. To qualify for the transfer benefit, servicemembers must have six years of service on active duty or in the Selected Reserve on or after Aug. 1 and commit to an additional four years of service.

Servicemembers have the option to use or transfer as much of their benefits as they want to, and they can revoke or redesignate who receives the benefit at any time, Clark said.

He added that servicemembers can add names only while on active duty, and not after separating or retiring from active-duty service.

The unused benefits can be transferred to a spouse, two children or any combination, he said. But children cannot start using the benefit until they're 18 or have a high school diploma or equivalent. Clark noted that children enrolled in DEERS lose their military benefits at age 21 unless they are full-time students.

Only eligible dependents' names will appear on the registration Web site, he explained. Once servicemembers register on the site and designate who the benefits will be transferred to, the application will be processed through their appropriate service branch.

After the service verifies eligibility to transfer the benefits, the application will be forwarded and processed again through VA. And finally, when the selected dependent decides to use the benefit, he or she must go to the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site and fill out an online application to request a certificate of eligibility, Clark said.

The certificate then can be taken to the school to be processed by its Veterans Affairs representative and used to request tuition, payment for books and the living stipend, which varies by institution and location, he continued.

Of the 25,000 who've already applied, more than 15,000 have been approved, and of those, 5,500 dependents already have requested certificates to start their education.

"It has been a very fast, long run-up to the first of August, which is upon us. I see this as a wonderful opportunity for our veterans, our servicemembers, in particular, the families of our career members to give them the opportunity to further their education and reach their dreams," Clark said.

Most servicemembers who have at least six years of military service as of Aug. 1, and agree to serve an additional four years qualify, he said. Department officials have proposed measures to support servicemembers who have at least 10 years of active service but can't serve the additional four because of service or department policy. They would, however, have to serve the maximum time allowed before separating from the military, he said.

Another provision will cover servicemembers who will reach the 20-year service mark, making them retirement-eligible, between now and Aug. 1, 2013.

Clark explained how servicemembers who complete 20 years of service will be able to transfer the benefits:
-- Those eligible for retirement on Aug. 1, 2009, will be eligible to transfer their benefits with no additional service requirement.

-- Those with an approved retirement date after Aug. 1, 2009, and before July 1, 2010, will qualify with no additional service.

-- Those eligible for retirement after Aug. 1, 2009, but before Aug. 1, 2010, will qualify with one additional year of service after approval to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.

-- Those eligible for retirement between Aug. 1, 2010, and July 31, 2011, will qualify with two additional years of service after approval to transfer.

-- Those eligible to retire between Aug. 1, 2011, and July 31, 2012, will qualify with three additional years of service after approval to transfer.

LINKS:

DoD Post 9/11/ GI Bill Website
http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2009/0409_gibill/

VA GI Bill Website
http://www.gibill.va.gov/

Sailors' Online Records Key for Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer
Story by Pam Warnken
Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, TN -- With the gate opened as of  Aug. 1 for eligible Sailors to transfer their GI Bill benefits to spouses or children, the Navy has processed about 7,500 applications with priority given to family members attending college this fall.

"We've taken care of approving the transferring of benefits for students attending classes right away so our doors are open to those attending in the near or distant future," said Kathy Wardlaw, GI Bill program manager at Navy Personnel Command. NPC added temporary staff for a few months to handle the influx.

Transferability requires an additional service obligation unless the Sailor is leaving due to a normal retirement or high year tenure limits, Wardlaw said, citing NAVADMIN 203/09. Otherwise, Sailors generally must have served at least six years in the Armed Forces and agree to an additional four years. See the NAVADMIN for exceptions.

Those who retired on or before Aug. 1 of this year are not eligible for the transfer benefit.

"The transferability benefit was designed as a recruiting and retention tool," Wardlaw said. Another important requirement to note, is that Sailors who want to transfer must do so while they're still affiliated with the armed forces.

Before submitting their transferability requests, their obligation requirement must reflect in their electronic service record (ESR), according to Wardlaw, or the request will be rejected until corrected. Sailors can review their ESR at https://nsips.nmci.navy.mil/.

Qualified active and Reserve Sailors may elect to transfer benefits to a spouse or children, with some or all benefits allocated to those named. In addition to the ESR, the Defense Eligibility Enrollment System (DEERS) is used to validate a Sailor's eligibility to transfer.

Family members must be in DEERS and eligible for benefits in DEERS before a Sailor can request transferability. This means those dual-military members whose children are reflecting under only one sponsor's record, must reflect under both sponsors. For example, to establish a child as a family member under both military parents, the children be enrolled in DEERS under one parent for benefits and under the other parent as a child "drawing benefits from another military sponsor."

Wardlaw said the most common error is Sailors failing to choose the number of months to transfer to each family member or not annotating the dates the transfer entitlement is to be used.

"If you have young children and are just guessing at what you will want to transfer to each, it's okay to put one month for each. Registration is what's important here," said Wardlaw.

The months transferred to each person or the dates of use can be changed later. More importantly, a Sailor cannot add a new dependent after separation or retirement from the Service. Distributing the benefit among the children enables the Sailor to move the months of entitlement between children after separation.

"Remember, if you did not transfer entitlement to that child while in the armed forces, you can't add the child when you get out," Wardlaw explained.

Information Systems Technician 1st Class Vicky Gallagher, a drilling Reservist with the Office of Naval Intelligence unit in Millington, TN, "cracked the code" and is drawing nearly $10,000 for her daughter.

"My daughter is attending Mississippi State University. Seventy percent of her entire tuition and fees of nearly $10,000 will be paid for by the VA.

Because she is going more than half time, she receives 70 percent of the basic allowance for housing rate for an E-5 living in that area - more than enough to cover her monthly housing costs."

Because her daughter hopes to go on to veterinary school, Gallagher is ecstatic about the financial help.

"At first I wasn't sure I'd qualify, but the more I read the fine print, the more excited I became," she said.

The percentage of benefit is based on time on active duty after September 10, 2001. Gallagher advises people to pay close attention to the program rules and instructions as they fill out the online forms.

"And once you get your notice of eligibility and transfer benefits using the Transferability of Education Benefits (TEB) Web site, your work isn't yet done. Make sure the student contacts the [Department of Veterans Affairs] rep[representative] at the school and presents a copy of the TEB and their filled-out 'Application for Transfer of Entitlement,' VA Form 22-1990E, available on the VA Web site," she said.

Sailors can request eligibility determinations for the Post 9/11 GI Bill at the VA Web site, https://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp and sign up for transferability of benefits at www.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB/. Visit the NPC Web site for all rules.

...word on the street
Getting Your Reunion Notice (and noticed)
in The HOIST
Story by Jon Yim
Editor, TWS Newsletters

SAN DIEGO -- Sooooo...your reunion group just tapped you to get the word out on the street about your upcoming get-together shindig. And you want your announcement to appear in our monthly newsletter.

Pull up a seat...Welcome to "How To Submit A Reunion Announcement to The HOIST!"

We keep it simple over here at the NTWS Newsletter, folks...all you have to do is shoot us an email following this simple format:

Information WE WANT:
- WHAT is the name of the unit/organization organizing the event?
To avoid confusion or mis-identification, please SPELL OUT the name of your reunion group, such as "USS Neversail (TFFG-1)," "H Co., 1st Bn., 135th Armor Bde" or "152nd School Training Squadron"

- WHEN is it happening?
Unless the event is in 2010 or 2011, just send us the month and the days of the event and omit the year.

- WHERE is it being held?
Just give us the CITY and STATE; if it will be overseas, the CITY and COUNTRY; or the name of the CRUISE SHIP and its departure date from port. We do not publish the names of resorts, lodges, inns, restaurants, theme parks, entertainment venues or hotels.

- WHO is/are the point(s) of contact for this?
The name(s), contact email address (if available), and a phone number in this format example: (890) 123-4567. You can also include a website address (URL) if your group has one.
 
Also, to be fair with space and to protect privacy, WE DO NOT PUBLISH POSTAL ADDRESSES unless it is the only way of contact.

You can see examples of how announcements are formatted in the left-hand column of the REUNION ANNOUNCEMENTS section.

You only need submit your announcement details once. That's right -- ONCE.

Your submitted example to us should look like this:
"USS NEVERSAIL (TFFG-1), Dec. 23-27; Anytown, USA. Contact: Rick Recruit, (619) 555-1212, or reunion@neversail.org; website URL: www.neversail.org

As it's received, it will be published in the following issue of The HOIST, and repeated up to the month before your event. That's plenty of time to get the word out on the street.

On the other hand, information WE DON'T NEED:

• "LOOKING FOR" POSTINGS
• SCANS OF ANNOUNCEMENT FLYERS
• ACCOMMODATION RATES, PACKAGES & TARIFFS
• POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS & PDFs
• REUNION COSTS
• BANQUET/CATERING MENUS
• PLANNED EVENTS, TRIPS, GOLF TOURNAMENTS, MEMORIALS, SHOPPING EXCURSIONS, TOURS
• PHOTOS
• COMMAND CRESTS, SHIELDS, LOGOS
• LINKS TO HOTELS, RESORTS AND ATTRACTIONS

Save all that for our REUNIONS AND GET-TOGETHERS FORUM on the NTWS board. You can post expanded reunion details with all the stuff we've listed above...and we give you lots of room to do that!

Any questions? Drop us an email, and we'll be happy to assist you.

REMEMBER: THE FURTHER IN-ADVANCE YOU SUBMIT YOUR REUNION DETAILS, THE MORE "FACE-TIME" IT GETS IN THE HOIST!

Class dismissed...

DFAS announces changes to Retiree Recall Tours
Defense Finance and Accounting Service

LONDON, KY -- Due to the US Army achieving its "Grow the Army" End Strength, Army leadership is implementing various tools to shape the force. Accordingly, the service is implementing revised management guidelines under 10 USC 688 for Retiree Recall Tours. They are as follows:

1. Voluntary recall of Retired soldiers serving 10 USC 688 is suspended. Limited exceptions will be approved on a case-by-case basis (i.e. AMEDD, linguists, Catholic chaplains and aviation).

2. Any retiree recall order that expires before 31 May 09 will be automatically extended to 31 May 09 by HRC and additional extensions will not be granted.

3. Serving 10 USC 688 retiree recalls can remain on Active duty until their current orders expire and commands can request consideration IAW item (1).

At this time, DFAS' Retired Pay Operations keeps record of an estimated 900 retirees that have been recalled to Active Duty. Additionally, we currently experience between 40 and 60 Army service members transferring between Active Duty and Retired status on a monthly basis. Due to the change in policy, in the coming months we anticipate an additional 60-70 Retiree Recalls leaving Active Duty to return to the Retired list each month. By September 30 a total of about 400 should have returned to the Retired list.

Because normal transition processing for finance and other issues are not standard in these cases, this category of Soldier is unique. Retired Pay Operations has an effort planned to fully support the Army's team approach and has designated a team with the requisite skills to work with the Army HRC team to ensure that these soldiers' transition to retirement is smooth.

The checklist below shows the essential list of paperwork needed in Recall-to-Active Duty/Reversion to the Retired rolls cases.

Retired/Retained (Navy and Marine Corps only
*Retirement Orders
*Modification orders indicating retention on active duty
*Statement of Service
*DD2656
*Verification of release (DOS posted to active duty or reserve system)

If you are or will be involved with any of the above 10 USC 688 recall action, please have these materials available and ready to make available to us either by fax to 1-800-469-6559 or by mail to:

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
US Military Retirement Pay
P.O. Box 7130
London, KY 40742-7130

Notification approximately 30 days prior to retirement date or reversion date on all account types is requested.

----------

DFAS suspends VSI/SSB recoupment

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Recoupment of military retirees' Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI), Special Separation Benefit (SSB) and separation payments by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has been temporarily suspended pending a formal policy and legal review by the Department of Defense (DoD).

According to DFAS officials, the suspension of recoupment actions is being taken for military retirees in an active pay status effective for the May 2009 retired pay entitlements. Military retired pay for these members received on June 1, 2009, will not be reduced by any recoupment amounts.

VSI, SSB and certain other separation payments, such as severance pay, were offered to active duty military members in an effort to reduce manpower in certain career fields, primarily during the 1990s. Those receiving these payments were also required to maintain an affiliation with the Ready Reserve of a military Reserve component. Provisions of these programs also included repayment should an individual remain with the Ready Reserve and earn status as a military retiree

The federal statutes governing these programs do not allow the Department of Defense or DFAS to alter repayment ratios or provide alternative repayment plans for these military retirees regardless of the financial hardships a retiree many be experiencing.

The policy and legal review will allow DoD and DFAS to determine what options, if any, may be available to allow DoD to meet its statutory responsibilities while providing relief to military retirees impacted by recoupment actions.

Letters to military retirees in a SSB, VSI and Separation Payment recoupment status will soon be mailed advising them of the suspension of recoupment payments. Upon completion of the review, these members will receive a letter prior to recommencement of repayment reductions to their retired pay advising them of the review conclusions.

To view a sample of the letter being sent to military retirees affected by this action, click here.

News from our allied military partners

No more beards for seagoing Canadian Navy sailors
Story by Darlene Blakeley
Department of National Defence Public Affairs
Photo by MCpl Robin Mugridge, CF

OTTAWA -- Seagoing sailors and beards -- they just seem to go together like salt and pepper, rum and coke, burgers and fries -- but no more.

On July 14 the Navy announced that effective immediately all persons serving in HMC ships and submarines are to be clean shaven. The decision was made for operational reasons -- to ensure the safety of sailors using respiratory protection systems employed onboard naval vessels.

“I know this decision may be difficult to accept, but it was not made lightly,” says Command Chief Petty Officer (CCPO) Robert Cleroux. “It was absolutely necessary for operational reasons. Facial hair, beards in particular, prevent a proper face-to-face-piece seal when wearing respiratory protection systems. When the argument boils down to safety versus tradition, the safety of our sailors must remain paramount in all of our decisions.”

The practise of sailors wearing beards at sea dates back to the era of wooden ships when there wasn’t enough fresh water for sailors to shave properly, CCPO Cleroux explains. “On modern warships there are almost always sufficient quantities of fresh water for sailors to shave, and our sailors wear beards mostly for the sake of tradition. For hundreds of years sailors wore beards and put tar in their hair to keep it together -- those days are long gone.”

“This decision doesn’t affect all Navy personnel,” CCPO Cleroux stresses, “but it does affect seagoing billets where sailors are expected to participate in ship borne firefighting duties that necessitate the use of a self-contained breathing apparatus. A sailor must be able to wear the apparatus to protect themselves and others.”

This decision only affects the wearing of beards; moustaches and sideburns can still be worn in accordance with CF dress regulations. Reasonable accommodation will also be made for personnel with religious and medical exemptions.

Other navies, including the British and US navies, already have this policy in place.

CCPO Cleroux admits that for those who have worn beards for most of their naval careers, the new policy will be difficult. But he is leading by example -- he recently shaved off the beard he has been wearing for over 25 years. “I did it in support of sailors at sea, but also because it is getting very grey!”

His wife, who is currently away tending to their daughter and a newborn baby, has not seen his newly shorn face yet. “She’s going to be surprised,” CCPO Cleroux laughs.

So will many of the other wives and girlfriends who may be seeing their sailors’ clean shaven faces for the first time. However, as CCPO Cleroux notes, “safety must come first.”

Download Iraq and Afghanistan maps here.

VOICES
Your responses in the Navy TWS forums

THE SUBJECT: "Are Petty Officers NCOs?"
What was posted:
Service differences aside, as POs we ARE NCOs, too. There are concepts and ideas we can all borrow from the sister services. 

As the US Army has designated 2009 as the 'Year of the NCO," are Navy petty officers up to par as their Army, Air Force and Marine Corps NCO counterparts?

YOUR RESPONSES:
UNFORTUNATELY...
Being a prior Marine, I can vouch for the fact that the Navy does not instill the kind of training and mentorship that the Army and Marine Corps do for their NCOs.  I had more responsibility as a Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps than I did as an MA2 in the Navy...and why?  Because the Navy does not look at you somewhat seriously until you are E-6 or above.  There are many times where I have been the subject matter expert as an MA2 but I got overlooked because the only thing the Navy looked at was the rank on my collar...not the experience and dedication I had.

The other thing too is that the Army and Marine Corps have NCO academies...the Navy's version is NKO.  Leaders need other leaders to grow and mentor under...not a frickin' computer.  That is why there have been so many leadership FUBAR's over on the different IA assignments.  You cannot take the standard Navy chief and send him to a combat zone to lead other sailors...talk about taking a fish out of water.  Especially if he/she has never been on an operational platform before.  You can however take a Sergeant of Marines and put him in this position and he will be quite comfortable...

So therefore I disagree with you...there is a HUGE difference between NCO's and Petty Officers ...one is trained to go into combat and negotiate it somewhat successfully and the other is trained to manage a group of people.
- MA1 Mick Kruger

POs are NCOS...
I would have to disagree with MA1 on this one.  Although he may be correct in regards to many commands, this is not completely true. 

I am an HM2 attached to 2d Battalion, 9th Marines of the 2d Marine Division.  I have been around the FMF for 5 years now and Marine infantry for 3 of those years.  The other 2 were with Drill Instructors on Parris Island. Although he is correct that a Lance Corporal (LCpl.- E3) has far more responsibilities than most E3s in the Navy, I don't agree with the statement made about POs. 

As Corpsmen of Marines and more importantly as Petty Officers, we are held to the same standard as NCOs in the Marine Corps. Although unlike the "blue side" Navy, PO1s are held to the same standards and respect as SNCOs (this normally doesnt happen until E7 in the blue side Navy). I know several HM3s who can lead a fireteam of Marines into combat or a HM2 who can do the same with a squad (whether they should or not). I know this is mostly due to the FMF training and Marine influence, but it proves that the leadership dilemmas the Navy may have is not representative of the entire Navy. 

The main problem I see on the blue side is that the CPO community just may not always put enough faith or responsibility into the hands of their POs.  If it were entirely true, why would we have PO2s as RDCs?  It takes an extraordinary amount of leadership for any Sailor to push recruits as a RDC. Either way, I think (former MCPON) Joe Campa was on the right track.  He said that CPOs need to return the authority back to the 1st Class mess like it was in the old days.  There is no reason why PO1s should not receive the same amount of respect and responsibility as Staff/Technical Sergeants do in the other services. 

And the "glorified Seaman" status of a PO3 needs to go away...they are PO3s! It starts with the higher ups.  If they give junior POs the chance, they WILL succeed!
- HM2 Michael Schaffer

A matter of stepping-up...
It's just a matter of that Petty Officer stepping up and filling those shoes of the NCO.  I'm currently serving in Afghanistan as an Explosive MWD handler.  I have and continue to see plenty of combat in Korengal Valley and a lot of the other sh**** places on the Pakistani border.

Recently a fellow E5, an Army SGT, fell in the middle of a firefight. I was attached to his team since we were clearing for caches, I took over his position and started directing Joes out of the town and where to direct fire and ensuring my FO (forward observer) was getting grids in for indirects (for artillery fire missions). 

Why and how? Because as a GOOD petty officer and NCO when I got in-country, I found a GOOD infantry SSG (staff sergeant - E6) and learned every damn thing I could from him.  In addition, I currently supervise an outlying kennel with one MA3, one SGT (E5), and two SPCs (Specialists - E4).  I'm currently helping my SPCs make points and prepare for their SGT boards.

And NO, I have never served in the Army.

So yes, POs can be great NCOs.  But it starts with pride.  Too many POs want to be "friends" and not leaders with the seamen.  It's sad because what I expect from my guys in my deparment equals "a-hole"; that same demeanor and attitude here, though, just shows strength.

I "demand" and take charge until a chief tells me to back-off.  But that is just that I have great chiefs and MA1s.  Chiefs at my command know they need to stay in their office and do chief stuff, and should only come out when s*** hits the fan. My MA1s know their place is at the desk and on the road if only needed.

What needs to happen, now, is for PO3s and PO2s to step up; and at the same time PO1s and chiefs need to step back and observe, as much as they want they fingers in the system and "do it their way." They need to let their "frontline leaders" -- their "NCOs" -- do their job and let them do it their way. No one likes to be told to get it done, but you have to always do it "my way," it undermines, ingenuity and motivation.

I think (the Army's) Year of the NCO is awesome, and A LOT of E4s -- all the way to master chief -- should take a look at this and realize power, trust, and responsibility must be relenquished to those junior to them.

Or else, how will they ever learn?
- MA2 Reuben Davis

New Community Vet Centers to be Added
VA's Shinseki Announces Counseling Expansion for Combat Veterans

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced that combat Veterans will receive readjustment counseling and other assistance in 28 additional communities across the country where the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will establish Vet Centers in 2010.

“VA is committed to providing high-quality outreach and readjustment counseling to all combat Veterans,” Secretary Shinseki said. “These 28 new Vet Centers will address the growing need for those services.”

The community-based Vet Centers -- already in all 50 states -- are a key component of VA’s mental health program, providing Veterans with mental health screening and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling.

The existing 232 centers conduct community outreach to offer counseling on employment, family issues and education to combat Veterans and family members, as well as bereavement counseling for families of servicemembers killed on active duty and counseling for Veterans who were sexually harassed on active duty.

Vet Center services are earned through service in a combat zone or area of hostility and are provided at no cost to Veterans or their families.  They are staffed by small multi-disciplinary teams, which may include social workers, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, master’s-level counselors and outreach specialists.  Over 70 percent of Vet Center employees are Veterans themselves, a majority of whom served in combat zones.

The Vet Center program was established in 1979 by Congress, recognizing that many Vietnam Veterans were still having readjustment problems.  In 2008, the Vet Center program provided over 1.1 million visits to over 167,000 Veterans, including over 53,000 visits by more than 14,500 Veteran families.  More information about Vet Centers can be found at www.vetcenter.va.gov/index.asp.

Communities Receiving New VA Vet Centers:

American Samoa
Arizona -- Mohave and Yuma Counties
California -- San Luis Obispo County
Delaware – Sussex County
Florida -- Marion, Lake, Collier, Okaloosa and Bay Counties
Georgia -- Muscogee and Richmond Counties
Hawaii -- Western Oahu
Indiana -- St. Joseph County
Louisiana -- Rapides Parish
Michigan -- Grand Traverse County, also serving Wexford County
Missouri -- Boone County
Montana -- Cascade and Flathead Counties
Ohio -- Stark County
Oregon -- Deschutes County
Pennsylvania -- Lancaster County
South Carolina -- Horry County
Texas -- Jefferson and Taylor Counties
Utah -- Washington County
Washington -- Walla Walla County, also serving Umatilla County, Oregon
Wisconsin -- LaCrosse County, also serving Monroe County

On August 18, 1976 during a routine tree trimming operation within the DMZ, North Korean border guards bludgeoned two American officers to death in a melee in the Joint Security Area (Panmunjom), what resulted is known as Operation PAUL BUNYAN.  Killed in the attack were company commander CPT Arthur Bonifas, and platoon leader, 1LT Mark Barrett.

The "Ax Murder Incident" led to one of the largest military build-ups on the peninsula by the United States since the end of the Korean War in 1953, and brought the peninsula to the brink of another war.

In the days that followed, the United States sent the aircraft carrier USS Midway to the waters off the Koreas, fighter jets and bombers were sent to South Korea from bases in Okinawa and the United States, and troops throughout the region were put on alert.

The United States retaliated on August 21 with Operation Paul Bunyan, when US Army engineers, flanked by a company of infantrymen and protected by AH-1 Cobra helicopters, F-111 fighters and B-52 bombers in the air and nearby field artillery units on the ground, went back and cut down the tree.

This month, American and South Korean military officials and civilian dignitaries commemorated the 33rd anniversary of the "Axe Murder Incident" in ceremonies at the Joint Security Area.

A ROK Marine renders a salute to the plaque erected in the exact location where the poplar tree stood during the North Korean attack on a joint US and ROK Army work crew in 1976.

Main gate of Camp Bonifas, Korea -- formerly Camp Kitty Hawk. The camp, situated some 400 meters from the southern boundary of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) was renamed on August 18, 1986 in honor of CPT Arthur Bonifas; killed while supervising a tree-cutting crew at the Joint Security Area.

A rusted sign and blue road stanchion denote the Military Demarcation Line on the South Korean side of the infamous "Bridge of No Return."

- Photos courtesy US Army: Wayne Johnson, Edward N. Johnson, Dan Thompson

From the archives of the US Naval Institute

OFF DUTY:
Soldiers add authenticity, expertise to 'GI Joe' movie
Story by Gary Sheftick and Grafton Pritchartt

WASHINGTON -- One of the Soldiers in the opening scene of "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra," wasn't able to see the film's debut when it hit theater screens earlier this month.

CWO John "Buzz" Covington was with the 21st Cavalry Brigade when he helped film an Apache attack helicopter scene at Fort Hood, TX. He's now in Iraq with the 4227th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and is scheduled to be there until May.

"I unfortunately won't be able to see the movie for some time," Covington said, but he added that his wife, MAJ Darcy Saint-Amant, was excited about going to the film's opening.

Covington, an AH-64D Apache pilot, said he actually appears on screen with a few lines in the movie. He and other members of the 21st Cavalry Brigade helped film the Apache scene in an empty hanger the unit was maintaining at Hood.

The Army provided director Stephen Sommers and his crew with an Apache helicopter, extras and help with uniforms and the script.

"I was asked to look over the script and the director was very receptive to all of the changes I suggested to ensure a more authentic portrayal of an Apache combat flight," Covington said.

The Apache scenes were filmed in August 2008 at Fort Hood. The crew filmed an Apache helicopter behind a green screen and filmed two other Apaches taking off for an actual training mission.

"It was a VERY long day, and most of us ended up working about 18 hours that day," Covington said.

Chief Warrant Officer Santiago Torres helped ensure that all of the support elements from the 21st Cavalry Brigade were in the right place at the right time to keep the shooting schedule on track.

In the movie, the elite GI Joe team uses not only the latest in military equipment, but also "next generation" weapons. The film stars Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Dennis Quaid and Sienna Miller among others. They battle the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the rising Cobra organization.

"The Army is the good guy in this movie," said Army Film Liaison Officer LTC Gregory Bishop. "It shows a fantasy version of the Army, but it captures the Army's values of duty, honor and country."

Bishop and other members of Army Public Affairs' film and TV liaison unit in Los Angeles provided technical advice as scenes were being filmed at Fort Hood and at various locations in California.

Technical advisor LTC Paul Sinor, a retiree who was recalled to active duty last year, worked extensively with the GI Joe cast in Simi Valley, a location about 30 miles from Hollywood occasionally used by the film industry because it appears remote.

Sinor previously served as Department of Defense military advisor or project officer to the box office hits "I Am Legend," and both "Transformers" movies; the HBO movie, "Taking Chance"; and the CBS TV series from the late 1980s, "Tour Of Duty."

Among other things, Sinor helped teach the GI Joe actors how Soldiers handle weapons.

"I don't want somebody who has just gotten out of the Army to look at this film and say 'Oh, that's just another actor,'" Sinor told Paramount Pictures for their production notes.

"We (DoD) might request changes, say to dialogue, when there might be an exchange between a sergeant and officer that isn't exactly correct," Sinor said. "Or there might be a reference to jeeps. Everybody thinks the Army still drives jeeps, but we haven't driven them since the mid-1970s. So we have it changed to the appropriate vehicle."

When a Humvee rolled over in Simi Valley and actor Chatham Tatum was filmed carrying a "wounded buddy" away from the vehicle, MSG Kanessa Trent intervened to fix the scene. She showed Tatum how to do a correct fireman's carry. She even let Tatum to practice carrying her until he got it right.

Trent, though, won't be viewing the results of her work on the film for some time, either. She's currently serving in Kabul, Afghanistan.

- John Sheppard

'Full Metal Jacket's' Ermey Discusses Career, Technology
Story by Judith Snyderman
Special to The BAYONET

WASHINGTON -- Retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. R. Lee Ermey -- a Vietnam veteran, film actor and TV host -- shared observations about modern military technology and his visits with American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq during a “DoDLive” bloggers roundtable recently.

“They’re just as ready to eat their own guts out today as they ever were back in my time,” he said. “The only difference is we’ve got better equipment, better gear, better toys, and I spend as much time as I can with them.”

Ermey said he’s surprised by the enduring popularity of his 1987 acting role as a quintessential drill sergeant in the film “Full Metal Jacket.”

“When I go to the military bases and make an appearance, I just go hang out with the guys and give them a good talking-to and tell them my corny jokes, and then I’ll sit down and sign autographs,” he said. “And every time, thousands of copies of “Full Metal Jacket” pop up from somewhere – they’re still selling these damned things.”

Though Ermey retired from the military in 1971, he’s continued to work with fighting forces as a member of the Marine Corps Drill Instructor’s Association. He also appears in films, and is widely known as the exuberant host of cable television’s ‘Lock N Load,’ a documentary about robotic equipment, and the former host of ‘Mail Call.’

“I have some of these future weapons on the show ‘Lock N Load,’” he said. “We just did a non-line-of-sight canon; it’s a 155 mm howitzer, and you can push a button and 27 miles away an enemy tank disappears,” Ermey said.

Another show features a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle that has the potential to stop pirates operating off the coast of Somalia. “We highlight this helicopter, and we talk about the fact that it doesn’t require a pilot to put his life on the line and take risks,” he said. “It can go out 100 miles from a ship and land on a bow of a ship.”

But so far, technology hasn’t made war casualty-free, Ermey acknowledged. “It’s always going to be dangerous; there’s no question about it,” he said. “But the objective is to make it as safe as we possibly can for the young people.”

Ermey said his television shows aim to build public appreciation for the military.

“It kind of wakes people up as to who the military is,” he said. “They are very honorable, upstanding young American citizens out there, doing the dirty job that nobody else seems like they want to do in America.”

The actor adopted his drill sergeant-style movie persona to make another point. “People need to wake up, pull their heads out of their posteriors and get with the program!” he barked. “Support the troops!”

Ermey has been to Iraq four times and to Afghanistan twice, and said he plans to return to Afghanistan in December. His television program, “Lock N’ Load With R. Lee Ermey,” airs on the History Channel.

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