Groundbreaking at Camp Pendleton...



(Left to right) Navy Capt. S. Keith Hamilton, commanding officer, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, Rick G. Tucker, project executive, Hensel Phelps Construction Inc., Col. Nicholas F. Marano (center), commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Maj. Brian O’Leary, operations officer, Public Works Department, MCB Camp Pendleton, and Brad Humphrey, vice president Harper Construction, break ground on a quarter-billion dollar barracks project at Camp Pendleton, Dec. 16. The unprecedented campus-like project will build eight new barracks, various activity centers and the base’s first four-level parking structure by July 2014. Expected amenities include furnished terraces, several fire pits and outdoor theatres. USMC photo by Lance Cpl. Daniel Boothe.

Make a Wish CORONADO, Calif. (Dec. 09, 2009) Parachute Rigger 3rd Class Donte Nickerson helps a little girl try on a survival vest while visiting with Navy Air Squadron (VR) 57 as part of the Make-a-Wish Foundation's visit to the Naval Air Station North Island. U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Shawn D. Torgerson

CPen Naval Hospital has H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccine
12/8/09
The H1N1 and Seasonal flu vaccine are available at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.
The Seasonal flu vaccine will be given to all beneficiaries enrolled to NHCP primary care clinics. Appointments are not needed. Vaccinations will be given on a “walk-in” basis from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at all primary care clinics.
H1N1 vaccinations will be given to all eligible TRICARE beneficiaries (military excluded), at the NHCP H1N1 Vaccination Clinic located in rooms 3007/3008 until supplies run out. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Fridays. Military members will receive the Seasonal and H1N1 vaccinations from their unit medical clinic or aid station.
For more information about the H1N1 or Seasonal flu please visit one of the below Web sites or call (760) 725-HELP (4357), option four.

Navy beats Army! PHILADELPHIA (Dec. 12, 2009) Navy quarterback Mike Stukel celebrates the U.S. Naval Academy 17 to 3 victory over the U.S. Military Academy after the 110th Army-Navy college football game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. U.S. Navy photo by Damon J. Moritz

New responsibilities....

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 10, 2009 - Newly-selected first class petty officers attend indoctrination training before their frocking ceremony to be held Dec. 11 at Naval Surface Forces headquarters. Senior Chief Yeoman (SW/AW) Raymond Walker instructs Yeoman 1st Class (SW/AW) select Valerie Elliott and Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) select Elena Pence during the eight-hour course designed to prepare selectees for their new roles and increased responsibilities in the chain of command. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Daniel J. Taylor

Veterans Village opens Veterans Winter Shelter
For the 13th consecutive year, Veterans Village of San Diego is opening the City of San Diego¹s Veterans Winter Shelter.
This year the shelter will open on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 6 a.m. It is located at 2801 Sports Arena Blvd., just south of Rosecrans, next to Goodwill, which is at Sports Arena and Rosecrans.
It's estimated that 30-40% of San Diego County¹s homeless are veterans. These men served their country, raising their right hand "to protect and defend the United States of America." They did not volunteer to be homeless.
The City pays about two-thirds of the operating costs of the shelter. The other third, about $90,000, VVSD must raise. We need $56,000 more to break even. In years past, VVSD was able to raise enough funds to operate the shelter, but this year, as with all non-profits it¹s tough. So, what do we do?
Some had suggested we provide shelter for only 100 veterans a night instead of the 150 we have housed each night since 1997. Not going to happen! We will not leave one-third of our men out in the cold.
We will do our best to raise the necessary funds, cut costs--do whatever we need to do to assist as many veterans as possible. One way or the other, the Veterans Winter Shelter will provide shelter for 150 male veterans a night.

At work in San Diego...

SAN DIEGO (Dec 8,2009) Electrician’ Mate 1st Class Ryan Macnail (left) uses a torch wrench to adjust the connecting rod cap on a Fairbanks Morse diesel generator trainer while Machinist’s Mate 1st Class David Donovan supervises at Point Loma Naval Base, Submarine Learning Center Det San Diego. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Eric Lopez.

NEXCOM provides free phone cards to military members forward
12/7/2009
by Kristine M. Sturkie
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) announced that for the eighth holiday season in a row, military members underway or forward deployed during the holiday season will be given free phone cards to call loved ones back home.
"I'm glad we are once again able to provide these free phone cards to military members who will be away from their loved ones during the holiday season," said Jennie Zack, NEXCOM personal telecommunications specialist. "Our military members do so much for us throughout the year and make huge sacrifices, such as being away from home over the holidays. These phone cards are our way of saying thank you."
Each Sailor, Marine and Coast Guard member who will be deployed or forward deployed during the December holiday season on board Navy ships or Coast Guard vessels equipped with AT&T Direct Ocean Service phones will receive a $10 prepaid phone card. In addition, Sailors who will be deployed on submarines will also be receiving a card. NEXCOM expects to distribute nearly 38,000 free phone cards during the holidays.
Ships receiving the free phone cards this year include the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), USS San Jacinto (CG 56), USS Hue City (CG 66), USS Carney (DDG 64), USS Winston S Churchill (DDG 81), USS Nimitz (CVN 68), USS Princeton (CG 59), USS Higgins (DDG 76), USS Chafee (DDG 90), USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), USS Cleveland (LPD 7), USS Rushmore (LSD 7), USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), USS George Washington (CVN 73), USS Cowpens (CG 63), USS Shiloh (CG 67), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS Lassen (DDG 82), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Stethem (DDG 63), USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Denver (LPD 9), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), USS Tortuga (LSD 46), USS Frank Cable (AS 40), USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20), USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Donald Cook (DDG 75).

USS Wayne E. Meyer homeports in San Diego
SAN DIEGO – USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, arrived in San Diego Dec. 4 where the ship will be homeported after transiting from the Bath Iron Works Shipyard in Bath, Maine. Story and photos

NORTH ARABIAN SEA (Dec. 6, 2009) Lt. j.g. Kyle Terwilliger assigned to the Black Aces of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41 briefs Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog, Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander, U.S. Central Command, on the F/A-18F Super Hornet aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). U.S. Navy photo by MC3 John Phillip Wagner Jr.

Navy announces contract award values for LCS 3 and 4
12/3/2009
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- As a result of the Navy's change in acquisition strategy for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, the Navy can now release the pricing for LCS 3 and LCS 4 awarded contracts.
The total value of the LCS 3 contract, awarded to Lockheed Martin Corporation on March 23, was $470,854,144 which includes ship construction, non-recurring construction and additional engineering effort, configuration management services, additional crew and shore support, special studies and post delivery support.
The total value of the LCS 4 contract, awarded to General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works on May 1, was $433,686,769 which includes ship construction, non-recurring construction and additional engineering effort, configuration management services, additional crew and shore support, special studies and post delivery support.
The contract values do not include government costs which include government furnished equipment, change orders, and program management support costs. The contract values do not include the cost of continuation work and material used from the terminated original contract options for LCS 3 and 4. The value of the continuation work and material from the terminated LCS 3 was $78 million for Lockheed Martin Corporation and $114 million from the terminated LCS 4 for General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works.
The dollar value of the fixed-price-type contracts awarded to each LCS prime contractor to procure two LCS seaframes in FY 2009 was previously considered source-selection sensitive information because the price of the FY 2009 ships was to be linked to the competitive solicitation for the FY 2010 ships. That solicitation was cancelled and a new acquisition strategy does not link the FY 2009 prices with the FYs 2010-2014 source selection, thereby allowing normal release of this contract data.
The Navy remains committed to the LCS program and the requirement for 55 of these ships to provide combatant commanders with the capability to defeat anti-access threats in the littorals, including fast surface craft, quiet submarines and various types of mines. The Navy's acquisition strategy will be guided by cost and performance of the respective designs as well as options for sustaining competition throughout the life of the program.

BUMED Web site gets new look
12/3/2009
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) unveiled a revised Web site with a new look Dec. 3, designed to improve the look and utility of the previous Web site.
The site, www.med.navy.mil, includes news and information from BUMED headquarters, including the latest guidance and public statements by the Navy Surgeon General, Vice Adm. Adam Robinson.
The new BUMED Web site has an updated look, with the goal of making it more user-friendly. Information from Navy Medicine Online was moved to the BUMED Web site to make it more accessible to the public and easier for a user to find information. The new site also includes a centralized list of links to the Navy's medical facilities around the world.
"BUMED recently initiated a consolidated effort to decrease the number of public facing Web sites as mandated by Defense Information Systems Agency. This enhanced capability will not only bring into compliance Department of Defense and Federal standards, but also provide a high-speed highway for the publication of BUMED notices and health care updates to Navy personnel and external customers," said Verlin Hardin, Chief Information Officer, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
The overall shift to the new Web site aligns the Navy medicine regions, giving their respective Web sites a similar look and feel.
For related news, visit the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Navy Web site at www.med.navy.mil.

NRL sensor observes first light
12/3/2009
by Daniel Parry
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI) developed by Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Spacecraft Engineering Department and Space Science Division, launched Oct. 18 on the U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F18 (flight 18) satellite, observed first light on Dec. 1.
In a sample airglow profile, the spectral emission features in the data are clean and show no anomalies.
"The SSULI team is very excited to continue with early orbit testing and begin the calibration and validation process with this instrument," said Andrew Nicholas, SSULI principal investigator, NRL Space Science division.
Offering global observations that yield near real-time altitude profiles of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere over an extended period of time, SSULI makes measurements from the extreme ultraviolet to the far ultraviolet over the wavelength range of 80 nanometers (nm) to 170 nm with 1.5 nm resolution.
SSULI data products, once calibrated and validated, will be used operationally at the Air Force Weather Agency as standalone operational data products and also as inputs into operational Space Weather models.
NRL is the Department of the Navy's corporate laboratory. NRL conducts a broad program of scientific research, technology, and advanced development. The Laboratory, with a total complement of nearly 2,500 personnel, is located in Washington D.C. , with other major sites at the Stennis Space Center, Miss.; and Monterey, Calif.
For more news from Naval Research Laboratory, visit www.navy.mil/local/nrl/.

GULF OF OMAN (Nov. 26, 2009) Rainbow side boys render honors to Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 are currently deployed to the Central Command area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Robert Winn. More...

Navy cargo handlers celebrate 60th anniversary
12/2/2009
by Lt. j.g. Michael A. Leach
CHEATHAM ANNEX, Va. (NNS) -- When one thinks of cargo handlers, the U.S. Navy is not the first that comes to mind. But cargo handling is a very real mission for the Navy, and for the past 60 years, the Navy's only active component cargo handling battalion, NCHB-1, has been accomplishing worldwide missions. From the war in the Pacific during World War II to Vietnam, from the deserts of Iraq, to the sub-zero deep freeze of Antarctica, cargo handlers have played a critical role in our nation's history.
NCHB-1 was established on Oct. 1, 1949 at the Seabee base in Danville, R.I., and relocated to Cheatham Annex, Williamsburg, Virginia in 1953 where they continue to operate and train. The battalion has assisted in the training of over 5100 reservists who have been forward-deployed in the Global War on Terrorism.
NCHB-1 is a rapidly deployable operating unit of the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group (NAVELSG) capable of loading/discharging ships and aircraft under all-climatic and threat conditions. Their current commander, Cmdr. Michael Stiglitz, articulated that NCHB-1 is "very proud of its heritage, and is ready for another 60 years."
The celebration brought together former commanding officers of NCHB-1, and even a light-hearted competition of "Cargo Olympics" where the men and women of NCHB-1 competed in various tasks related to their jobs within the command. "This was an absolutely fantastic way to celebrate -- we used team work and built morale. This was really a lot of fun," said Information Specialist 1st Class Walter Ortiz.
NCHB 1 is the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group's (NAVELSG) only active duty cargo handling battalion. NAVELSG delivers expeditionary logistics and equipment to theater commanders in support of the national military strategy. As an expeditionary command, NAVELSG is under the new Echelon III type command, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC). NECC was established in January 2006 as the Navy's expeditionary type commander for the readiness, manning, training and equipping of expeditionary Sailors. NCHB-1's versatility and unique capabilities make it a critical asset in solving the challenge of expeditionary logistics support to the U.S. operating forces around the world.

SWOS graduates 56 from Department Head Course
12/2/2009
by Lt. Cmdr. Bradley Hawksworth
NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) -- Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS) graduated 56 students from its Department Head Course during a ceremony in Weakley Hall Auditorium on board Naval Station Newport, R.I., Nov. 24.
During the next few months, the graduates will report to the fleet to complete their tours as department heads aboard ships throughout the Navy.
Naval War College President, Rear Adm. James P. "Phil" Wisecup, was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony. He reflected on his department head graduation and how the course prepared him to be ready for every opportunity. Wisecup then challenged the new department heads to make the most of each opportunity and to reflect on those opportunities as they continue on their path to becoming a commanding officer.
Lt. Donald Paulson received the Arleigh Burke Award as the graduate recognized by his classmates as the individual possessing the strongest leadership, industry and perseverance. The award is presented to the graduate who best exemplifies the fighting spirit of Adm. Arleigh Burke's famous squadron - "The Little Beavers," Destroyer Squadron 23.
After Paulson's acceptance of the award, several of his classmates were recognized for their academic achievement.
Lt. George Messner was recognized as Top Gunner for having the highest grade in warfighting during the tactical action officer portion of the course. Messner received the Newport County Navy League Award for graduating at the top of his class.
Lt. Barry McCulloch was honored as Top Snipe for having the highest grade in engineering.
Lt. Jonathon Griffin received the City of Newport Award for demonstrating the highest qualities of professionalism and leadership, as reflected by his overall contribution to Department Head Class 204.
In addition, Lt. Frank Azzarello, Lt. Charles Birchfield, Lt. Kenneth Bruan, Lt. Bethany Busch, Lt. Joseph Caldwell, Lt. Joseph Davis, Lt. Neil Gabriel, Lt. Andrew Marks and Lt. Michael Root attained distinguished graduate status for their superior academic performance and received a one-year membership to the Surface Navy Association.

USS Rentz Sailor dies in UAE
Jebel Ali, UAE – Petty Officer Third Class David Michael Mudge, 22, of Sutherlin, Ore. assigned to USS Rentz (FFG 46) sustained fatal injuries due to electric shock while conducting repairs in an auxiliary machinery space at approximately 5:47 p.m. Saturday. Medical responders immediately began attempts to resuscitate the service member and continued to render aid until an ambulance arrived. The service member was transported to Ceders - Jebel Ali International hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:20 p.m. The incident is currently under investigation.
Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, commanded by Rear Adm. John W. Miller, is comprised of USS Nimitz (CVN 68), embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW 11), embarked Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23, and the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65). Ships assigned to DESRON 23 include the destroyers USS Pinckney (DDG 91), USS Sampson (DDG 102) and the frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46).