September 2nd, 2010 posted by tjohnson

Last week, we introduced you to our first regular contributor to the NavyLive blog, LT Higgins.  Today, we are pleased to introduce you to Rear Admiral Mark Guadagnini, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 9, and currently serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln!  Rear Adm. Guadagnini will be coming to you via video on the NavyLive blog each month starting next week, September 7, 2010.  We are so excited to have Rear Adm. Guadagnini join us at NavyLive and wanted to give you a chance to get to know him a little better, so we served him our NavyLive 5 question rapid fire interview:

CHINFO: Why did you decide to serve in the U.S. Navy?
Rear Adm. Guadagnini: A buddy of mine went to the U.S. Naval Academy right out of high school, while I was working my way through community college and trying to play on the baseball team. Anybody who’s tried to work their way through college knows working and playing sports at the same time is pretty difficult.

My friend sent me a letter one day, saying that the Navy paid people to go to the Naval Academy and everybody there was expected to play a sport.  Also, I could fly airplanes off aircraft carriers after graduation.  I knew right then that I wanted to try for that kind of opportunity, and then when I actually got into the Navy, rapidly realized that it was even better than my friend had advertised … because he forgot to mention serving the nation, travelling all around the world, and working with thousands of fabulous people.

CHINFO: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?
Rear Adm. Guadagnini: The most rewarding part of my service in the Navy has been the opportunity to work with the thousands of hard-working, talented, fun-loving, problem-solving, patriotic Maritime Warriors wearing the Navy uniform!  The best people that I know!

CHINFO: What advice would you give to the young men and women who have just
begun their career in the navy?
Rear Adm. Guadagnini: Have fun, take care of your shipmates, and be the best at everything you do.

CHINFO: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not underway?
Rear Adm. Guadagnini: When off duty, I enjoy spending time with my family.  I also like to cook, read, play any sport involving a ball, and grow vegetables in the garden.

CHINFO: What do you hope to share with those following this video blog?
Rear Adm. Guadagnini: Sometimes people get wrapped around the axle and think the Navy business is very complicated and difficult.  I hope to explain that it’s pretty easy to excel in this exciting, fun, and fulfilling life style.

Stay tuned for Rear Adm. Guadagnini’s first video blog post (AKA vlog) here on the NavyLive blog next week!

To learn more about the USS Abraham Lincoln, check out the USS Abraham Lincoln Facebook Page!   For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln, visit their local news page on navy.mil at http://www.navy.mil/local/cvn72/.

September 1st, 2010 posted by tjohnson

We wanted to make you aware of this important announcement affecting our Navy families.  Chuck Clymer, manager of the Navy’s Child and Youth Program at Commander, Navy Installations Command, has provided an update on child care fees for you below. Please let us know your thoughts.

Children jump rope with Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Stephanie Delano, Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Shannon Lanza and Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 1st Class James Kerr during a community relations project.

Under a new, DoD fee policy, families with a total income of $85,000 or less will see their child care cost rise by one dollar a week. Child care costs for families earning more than $85,000 will rise between $10 and $16 a week.

The Department of Defense establishes fee ranges for all military child development programs.  The Navy will implement the fee changes Oct. 1.  More details on the fees are available here, and you can contact your local Child and Youth staff if you have questions.

These revisions represent the first adjustments of child care costs in six years.  Why are fee ranges being revised? Primarily to account for inflation and increased incomes and increased caregiver salaries.  Competitive salaries help to recruit and retain quality staff.  Retaining high quality staff contributes to continuity of caregivers – stability that is very important to the young child’s emotional development.  We believe the fee policy revision represents a balanced solution to the issue of adjusting fees to pay caregiver salaries while limiting the financial impact to the family.

The fee adjustment is only a small part of a global effort to add value to the Navy’s Child and Youth Program.  We’re adding 7,000 child care spaces fleet wide for children ages 12 and under and 31 new Child Development Centers.  The expansion will reduce a child’s time spent on waiting lists to three months or less to meet 80 percent of the potential need across the Navy by the end of 2011.

We’re also offering hourly child care, with reduced rates if you’re attending an event with a family readiness group, visiting a Fleet and Family Support Center or heading to a medical appointment.  We offer multi-child discounts, vacation discounts and reduced rates for children of Wounded Warriors.

The Navy supports our Service members and families by caring for nearly 52,000 children ages six weeks to 12 years, in 132 child development centers, 86 school-aged care programs and 3,115 on- and off-base licensed child development homes.

The Navy has a lifelong commitment to protecting the well-being of our Sailors and their families. Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of the military children entrusted to the Navy’s care is a number one priority.

August 31st, 2010 posted by tjohnson

The following post is by Tristan James Mabry, Ph.D.  Dr. Mabry is the Executive Director of the Joint Foreign Area Officer Skill Sustainment Pilot Program and a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of National Security Affairs, School of International Graduate Studies, at the Naval Postgraduate School.  Dr. Mabry came to the NPS in July 2009 from the Department of Government at Georgetown University.

In February, the Quadrennial Defense Review called on the Military Departments to prepare commissioned and noncommissioned officers “for the full range of complex missions that the future security environment will demand” by “building expertise in foreign language, regional, and cultural skills.”  With the assistance of outstanding colleagues at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), I’m doing just that!  We’re building the Joint Foreign Area Officer Skill Sustainment Pilot Program, JFSSPP for short, to provide resources and educational opportunities for the rapidly growing Foreign Area Officer (FAO) community.

Dr. Mabry teaching at one of the seminars

The JFSSP was my first experience in military education and was quite a culture shock from teaching international politics at Georgetown University (where I was for the past 2 years). For a civilian plunged into a military institution, there are some mistakes that are inevitable but that you quickly learn to never make twice.  When I arrived, how was I supposed to know that only pilots wear brown shoes, or that a captain in the Navy is a much higher rank than in the other Services?!  (If that seems pretty dumb, try to remember how much you had to learn in the first six weeks of your military career.)  But it is just this kind of mistake that can have grave consequences in other circumstances, especially when working to build trust with coalition partners overseas or trying to anticipate enemy behavior.  It’s a lot easier to know how someone will act if you know how they think.  This is why enhanced knowledge of languages, regions, and cultures – the acronym is LREC – has never been greater.  This is also why I came to NPS – to help support the spec ops of LREC: the Foreign Area Officers.

The JFSSPP coursework is vast.  It includes distance learning modules – on topics from security assistance to working with non-governmental organizations – as well as consolidated language resources, such as products from our neighboring institution here in Monterey, the Defense Language Institute, as well as the Joint Language University and the Critical Languages portal (CL-150).  There are also joint community resources, including a directory, calendar, discussion boards and even live desktop video conferencing available from any computer with a camera.

As I’ve learned over the past year, it’s the opportunity for officers from different services working in the same AOR to learn and travel together that brings the most remarkable professional benefits.  Not only do the FAOs share best practices and discover new thinking about old problems, but they also forge personal networks that can overcome institutional obstacles.  The in-residence courses include participants from all Services, but the content is tailored to the countries of each COCOM.  Each course includes a week in Monterey working with NPS professors and DLI experts, and a week overseas dedicated solely to regional affairs.

It is a great privilege to support the Navy FAOs: they are a dedicated group of specialists with a sincere passion for their work.  They are also an incredibly valuable resource with a rising profile in defense operations.  In my work for the Navy, I’ve learned a lot, but I’m most proud of my work contributing to this mission of building expertise in foreign language, regional, and cultural skills and am looking forward as we build the pilot program into a robust organization advancing the professional development of Foreign Area Officers.

August 27th, 2010 posted by lykinsl

This is the first blog post by NavyLive guest blogger, LT Sarah Higgins, currently deployed to Afghanistan.  LT Higgins will be contributing blog posts the 2nd and last Friday of every month. This post was written earlier this month as a note to family and friends.

Lt. Col. Mohammad Nabi, chief of surgery at Kandahar Regional Military Hospital (KRMH), Camp Hero, Afghanistan, checks the little boy's grandmother's chart in the Intensive Care Unit after she was injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Maiwand district, Afghanistan August 1, 2010. KRMH received 12 women and children for medical treatment after the explosion destroyed their vehicle. (U.S Air Force photo by SSgt Taylor Worley)(Released)

Two days ago I visited the Afghan National Army base hospital about 400 meters from my office. Earlier in the day, an Afghan family driving home from a wedding celebration hit a roadside bomb. Their minibus was jammed full of family members, and it was blown sky high.

The victims were rushed to the army hospital. Two dead. 12 injured. All women and children.

When I heard the victims were so close by, I called my Afghan PAOs and suggested we visit and write a news release. Despite the horror of such an accident, I still have to do my job. Many Kandaharis don’t know their local army corps is capable of providing a high level of medical care. Many Kandaharis don’t know their army cares for civilian victims. So, off we went to cover the story.

It is not easy to see kids that have survived a IED strike. They were shell-shocked. They were on meds and wrapped in bandages. They were adorable despite cuts and scratches and burns. Thankfully, all still had their arms and legs, and were, all things considered, in really good shape.

One little boy had to go to the bathroom, but he didn’t want to be moved. I know that feeling when I’m sick – you are comfortable in bed and just don’t want to move for anything. But then you have to pee. This little boy had huge eyes, long eyelashes and crocodile tears pouring out as the doctors carried him to the toilet.

His older brother protectively followed him carrying the end of his IV.

Their little sister fell asleep holding a frog beanie baby and her juice box.

Their eldest sister curled protectively around the little girl on the same bed.

Another little brother sat upright on his bed with a bright, beaming smile. His arms and chest were wrapped in gauze, but he was feeling no pain.

Their grandmother lay unconscious, head wrapped in gauze.

Their mother lay a few doors away in the ICU: one leg amputated, the other broken, and a machine breathing for her.

Their father is dead. He never even made it to the hospital.

Damn terrorists and their bombs.

August 25th, 2010 posted by tjohnson

We are excited to introduce you to the newest member of our NavyLive blogging team, LT Sarah Higgins.  Originally from Kaneohe, HI, LT Higgins joined the Navy in 2001 and since March of this year has been deployed to Afghanistan as the director of the Public Affairs Advisory Team–South.  She leads a team of four U.S. public affairs personnel to increase the capabilities of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police public affairs staffs in southern Afghanistan.  In addition to that, LT Higgins has agreed to be a guest blogger here on NavyLive twice a month to share her experiences with YOU!

We conducted a quick interview with LT Higgins to help you get to know her a little better before her first blog post:

CHINFO: What led you to join the Navy?
LT Higgins: I wanted to go to a really expensive college and the Navy offered to pay. How patriotic of me! Once I joined NROTC though, the Navy just looked better and better. I couldn’t imagine any other job now.

CHINFO: What has been the most difficult part of this deployment?
LT Higgins: Without a doubt, indirect fire sirens are the worst part. I’m used to a lot of shipboard noises, but sirens followed by an Earth-shaking boom make me say a little prayer every time. I can’t get used to it.

CHINFO: What has been the most rewarding part of this deployment?
LT Higgins: The small victories have been best reward. Afghans and I will talk for hours with little real understanding – our cultures are so very different – and then I’ll see a small gleam in their eye. I know in that instant, they understand. I’m sure they feel the same way when I clumsily grasp a point they are making.

CHINFO: What have your experiences in the Navy taught you so far?
LT Higgins: Flexibility! I love that I don’t always know what will happen next.

CHINFO: Can you tell us one thing about you that is unique/different?
LT Higgins: I would sleep 12 hours a day if life would let me.

Are you excited to hear from LT Higgins?  What would you like to ask her?  Provide your questions in the comment section and watch for her first blog which will run Friday, August 27.

August 18th, 2010 posted by lykinsl

An MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter like this one are assisting in the Pakistan relief efforts.

Two pilots from U.S. Navy Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squardron (HM-15) Detachment 2, who fly the MH-53E “Sea Dragon” will discuss their participation in the Pakistan relief effort Thursday, August 19 at 9:00 a.m. EDT live on DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable.

The United States has responded immediately and generously to Pakistan’s call for assistance following the tragic and devastating floods that began July 29. To date, the U.S. has pledged to provide approximately $76 million in assistance to flood-affected populations in Pakistan.

There currently are 22 U.S. military and civilian aircraft in Pakistan in support of flood relief operations.  U.S. helicopters have evacuated more than 4600 people and delivered more than 500,000 pounds of relief supplies. In addition, U.S. military cargo aircraft based in Afghanistan have transported more than 194,000 pounds of international aid from the Pakistan Air Force’s Central Flood Relief Cell in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, to required locations throughout the country in support of Government of Pakistan airlift support requests.

August 18th, 2010 posted by tjohnson

We traveled to Cameroon to deliver security training to the Cameroon navy, but left with 16 new friends and a few tokens of tribal appreciation.

Chief Master at Arms Jerry Mosley (front center in blue polo shirt) and fellow service members assigned to Maritime Civil Affairs Security Training (MCAST) Security Forces Assistance (SFA) and members of the Cameroon Navy at Douala Naval Base.

I’m Chief Master-at-Arms, Jerry Mosley—officer in charge of the MCAST command’s Security Force Assistance (SFA) team.  Upon request of the Cameroon navy, I took a small three-person team to the Douala navy base on Africa’s Atlantic coast to provide a physical security course.  The course included training on anti-terrorism/force protection measures, personnel and vehicle security inspections and proper security checkpoint procedures.  It’s just one of many courses our MCAST international security cooperation initiative holds with partner nations to strengthen global maritime partnerships.

For five days (July 19-12, 2010), we worked with 16 members of the Cameroon navy—not only improving methods for guarding their security checkpoints, but experiencing each others’ cultures and learning from our respective military styles.

Lt. Moudio Hervé, a company commander in the Cameroon navy and a student in the Security Force Assistance physical security course, told me that training is important because the Cameroon navy needs to improve their method for guarding security checkpoints at the Douala base and because “we have an open barrier around our base” where intruders can present a significant threat.

Another leader in the Cameroon navy, Sgt. Nshom Peter, mentioned that, “the most important thing that I can say I’ve learned has been the exchange of cultures.”  That to me was a sign that our efforts in the region have been worthwhile. .

One of my instructors, Master-at-Arms First Class Paul Francois, noted that “interacting with the students here and learning their traditions and military customs helps to build that partnership because we are understanding each other better.”

Upon completion of the five-day course, all 16 representatives of the Cameroon security force were recognized with certificates of completion, while the other instructors and I were presented with wooden Cameroonian tribal masks as a token of appreciation and friendship—something I know I will treasure for years to come.

About MCAST SFA Mobile training teams:
SFA mobile training teams from the MCAST command deliver maritime expeditionary core instruction to foreign militaries in support of security cooperation and foreign internal defense missions.  Subject areas include small boat operations and tactics, maritime combat operations, weapons handling, anti-terrorism/force protection, maintenance and construction, and officer and non-commissioned officer professional development and leadership.For more information on the MCAST command, visit www.mcast.navy.mil or www.facebook.com/pages/Maritime-Civil-Affairs-and-Security-Training-MCAST-Command/165833618708?ref=nf

Chief Master at Arms Jerry Mosley of Maritime Civil Affairs Security Training (MCAST) Security Forces Assistance (SFA) answers questions on anti-terrorism and force protection from members of the Cameroon Navy at Douala Naval Base.

August 10th, 2010 posted by lykinsl

A little over five years ago the hospital ship USNS Mercy deployed to Southeast Asia as part of the United States’ response to the 2004 Tsunami.  In 2006 U.S. Pacific Fleet sent Mercy back to the region building on the success and goodwill of the previous operation while demonstrating the United States’ commitment to the region.  In 2007, U.S. Pacific Fleet prepared another humanitarian assistance deployment designed to continue to build the relationships upon which security and stability in the region depend. It was given the title Pacific Partnership.

This summer USNS Mercy has again visited countries around Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, with a stop in Timor-Leste just around the corner, as part of Pacific Partnership 2010. Amazingly, a number of the same crew members were aboard USNS Mercy when the ship responded to the devastation following the 2004 Tsunami!

We asked them for their reflections on that period as well as what they see this year as they continue to strengthen alliances, improve U.S. and partner capacity to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and improve security cooperation among partner nations.

Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia (Jan. 14, 2004) - An Indonesian Woman searches through debris in the rain, where her house once stood, in the city of Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia.

“I served as Deputy Surgeon, US Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor during the 2004 Tsunami disaster. The Indonesian government was very reluctant to accept our help since military relations had been minimal for the preceding decade and the Iraq War had strained relations with the entire Muslim world.  All this changed when our aid and that of the entire world responded. The Indonesian government decided to accept outside assistance.  Staged humanitarian and stabilization operations including the USNS Mercy along with NGOs, partner nations, Indonesian government forces and civilians made a tremendous impact on the recovery in the involved areas. Thus was born, In the face of overwhelming devastation, a great success for international cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief with hope for the future. It is directly from this experience and its impact on global stability and welfare that ongoing operations such as Pacific Partnership take place.” – RDML (Ret.) Marshall E. Cusic, M.D. Project HOPE Medical Director (Rotation-1)

“(I remember) — a father standing in the CASREC on Mercy holding the limp very lifeless body of his daughter. The translator explained to me that the man was asking for the doctors to save his daughter. She was all he had.  His wife and other children had been killed…  Mercy saved his daughter.” – Joseph M. Watts, Military Sealift Command civil service mariner

“We returned to Banda Ache in 2006. Seeing many of the past Mercy patients was a terrific feeling. One young boy had his scrap book with his collection of photographs he got from Mercy.” – Joseph M. Watts, Military Sealift Command civil service mariner

TERNATE, Indonesia (July 19, 2010) Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eddie Harrison, embarked with the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), plays table tennis with an Indonesian boy at Kalumpang Kota Orphanage and School during a community service event.

“The most important thing we take away from the 2010 Partnership is the desire and will of humanity to help each other without regard to race or religion.” – Dan Zelenka, Military Sealift Command civil service mariner

“Operations like Pacific Partnership 2010 are exactly what our country and its Navy should be doing in these times. The world is a smaller place and those who live on the other side of the world are literally our neighbors… ” – RDML (Ret.) Marshall E. Cusic, M.D. Project HOPE Medical Director (Rotation-1)

“I have had the distinct privilege to have served on Mercy for the tsunami response, 2006 return, Pacific Partnership 2008 and now Pacific Partnership 2010.  The MSC motto “We Deliver” is in this case “We Deliver Hope.” —  Joseph M. Watts, Military Sealift Command civil service mariner

August 9th, 2010 posted by lykinsl

Let’s take a look back to when the H1N1 virus appeared in the U.S last year.  Were you and your family ready, or were you caught by surprise and fearing infection?  America’s families experienced a double dose of stress last flu season; having to worry about the virus as well as the availability of the vaccine. The good news this year is that we’re on track to have sufficient stocks to provide the total force and our families with the vaccine.

Immunization is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of seasonal influenza.  Therefore, DoD is taking a proactive approach to the upcoming flu season by requiring all healthcare workers, active duty personnel, and selected reserves to be vaccinated.  Additionally, the novel H1N1 flu vaccine has been combined with the seasonal flu vaccine this year so you will need only one shot will protect against both H1N1 and seasonal flu.  This would have occurred last year but H1N1 appeared on the scene after the seasonal flu vaccine production process had already begun.

Our supply of injections is expected to arrive in late September based on delivery from the supplier.  We are not anticipating any availability issues like those experienced last fall.   We’ll be following HHS guidance to ensure that we provide the vaccine to high risk populations first, but the vaccination will be available to all family members who would like to receive one as well.

 Let me assure you that the vaccine is safe, effective, and will be widely available beginning next month.  The H1N1 vaccine has been tested and approved by the FDA in exactly the same manner as the seasonal flu vaccines are every year, which have a very good safety track record.  Remember to only trust information and supplies from reliable sources and never order a vaccine over the internet.

Some would ask why we go to all this effort over the flu.  My answer is that influenza is not the common cold.  It can be a severe to life-threatening disease and getting an annual flu vaccine immunization (either the traditional shot in the arm or the nasal spray vaccine) protects us from getting the disease or becoming severely ill.  Immunization remains the primary method of reducing seasonal flu illness and its complications.  The seasonal flu vaccine not only helps protect vaccinated individuals, but also helps protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of the disease.

We’ll be monitoring the seasonal flu virus carefully over the coming weeks and months and will be proactive in developing contingency plans to address any public health issues if required.

Force Health Protection is the responsibility of every commander and service member and it is important for all of us to take the proper actions to protect our personnel, beneficiaries, coworkers and family members.

In addition to getting the vaccine this year, here are some other things you can do to limit the effects of the seasonal and H1N1 flu that I would encourage you to adopt:

• Cover your mouth when you cough.  Covering your mouth with a tissue is best in order to reduce the spread of germs.
• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• If possible, stay home from work, school and errands when you are sick.

Following these simple good practices will help us all stay healthy during this flu season.

July 29th, 2010 posted by tjohnson

The following blog post was written by LT Justin Wiesen and LT John Sokol.

We are excited to announce the rollout of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.   While this new aircraft looks similar to the older version from the outside, it contains many innovative technological design changes that set it apart.  These advancements improve the aircraft’s ability to scan a larger area, detect smaller targets, process data about those targets faster, and link all of that information into systems that provide improved situational awareness during the multiple different mission types it can be called to support.  We are very proud to be at the forefront of naval aviation and flying one of the most technologically advanced aircraft on the flight deck.  The innovation and improved capability in detecting and tracking targets and the ability to share this information thru our linked systems set a new standard for command and control aircraft.

The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye supports the same types of mission as its predecessor, but the improvement in capabilities provided is a game changer for an evolving and technologically advanced battlespace.  Although the quintessential mission of the Hawkeye, Airborne Early Warning, will not change, the Advanced Hawkeye’s long range sensors are network enabled, serving a critical role in the missile defense network, while detecting and tracking various targets and transmitting this information across an integrated air defense network. The E-2D has improved detection and tracking of all sea surface contacts promoting seamless information flow among aircraft, ships, soldiers, civilians and command authorities getting that information to the assets that needs it faster than ever before.  With a radar and IFF system that can detect targets in excess of 300 nautical miles, operational warfare commanders are able to maintain an accurate picture of what is happening, across a large area.  Upgraded radios provide the clear and reliable communications necessary to successfully integrate these warfare commanders into the battlespace.

The Advanced Hawkeye is a critical part of search and rescue operations, coordinating the movement of rescuers and guiding them as they link up with survivors, as well as coordinating and overseeing small boat search and seizure operations.  The same capabilities that allow the Advanced Hawkeye to support the military mission will allow it to assist civil authorities with surveillance, command, control and communication support when needed, like the E-2C aircraft that supported the Haiti relief effort not too long ago.

For detailed specs, visit the E-2D on the Naval Air Systems Command website.