Navy League of the United States

Stars and Stripes|by Leo Shane III

Will USS George Washington be chopped?

WASHINGTON — Could the USS George Washington be sunk by budget cuts?

A report in Defense News last week, citing anonymous sources, said naval officials are considering decommissioning the nuclear aircraft carrier decades before the end of its scheduled lifespan.

That’s the second time in a week the 25-year-old behemoth has been mentioned as a potential fiscal casualty. In budget analysis released Tuesday, officials from the Center for New American Security, a Washington, D.C., think tank with close ties to President Obama, listed the early decommissioning of the ship as a way to save up to $7 billion over the next decade.

Navy officials refused to directly comment on the idea.

“Until the 2013 president’s budget request is submitted to Congress in February 2012 … it would be inappropriate to discuss specific details,” Navy spokeswoman Lt. Courtney Hillson said.

The idea of shelving the ship, based in Yokosuka, Japan, has been mentioned by lawmakers and budget experts in the last few months, as Congress struggles to find billions in savings to help balance the federal budget.

In 2016, the George Washington is scheduled to begin a three-year refueling overhaul expected to cost more than $200 million. While decommissioning the carrier would also cost money, the CNAS report estimates that the overall savings would outweigh those short-term costs, and the associated risk to military readiness would be “significant but acceptable.”

NSCC Officer Corps makes a difference

Suffolk County, NY, August 3rd 2011 – Each summer over 3,000 young men and women, ages 14-17, found adventure and training through the Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

On shore and afloat, cadets explored possible careers in the Navy and Coast Guard through varied training programs and activities. Throughout this adventure, they developed a greater sense of citizenship, responsibility, leadership skills and self-discipline; the core objectives of the Sea Cadet program.

The core values aid these young people as they proceed in their educational careers, by teaching the discipline required to succeed in school. The Cadet program enforces this concept by requiring minimum grades of their Cadets. Failure to maintain these grades limits their continued participation in the program.

Sponsored by the U.S. Navy League, the Department of the Navy and Coast Guard, the Naval Sea Cadet Corps is a federally chartered youth training organization. The program is open to all young Americans regardless of race, color, creed or sex.

Sea Cadet training helps young people to make an intelligent decision about choosing a career, whether it is in the military or civilian life.

Should the Cadet decide the military life is the correct choice, advancement in the Naval Sea Cadet Corps can mean enlistment at advanced pay grades in the Navy or Coast Guard. Approximately 70 percent of all Navy Sea Cadets completing the Cadet program enter the armed forces.

The Naval Sea Cadet Corps program needs qualified adults to be role models and provide guidance and leadership to these young people so the program can continue to grow. If you would like to help or if you have a son or daughter that you feel may benefit from the program, contact:

LCDR Forrest Woodward
COMMANDING OFFICER
(646) 522-2917 (24-hr. cell)

Visit our local unit Web site at http://www.libertyagtr5div.org or the National Web site at http://www.seacadets.org/public

The NSCC is always looking for individual and corporate donors. Contributing to the Sea Cadets is making an investment in the youth and future of this country. As a non-profit charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, any contribution made to the Division through the Long Island counsel of the Navy League is tax deductible.

The USS LIBERTY AGTR-5 Division of the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps is currently stationed at the Navy Operations Support Center, Amityville, Long Island - New York

The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) is a nationwide organization dedicated to helping American youth realize personal success and achievement through a nautically oriented training program. Through Sea Cadet leadership, young Americans ages 13 through 17 develop interest and skill in basic seamanship and its naval adaptations, while learning the value of patriotism, courage, self reliance, teamwork and accountability, and the value of education. Continued success and participation in the NSCC is dependent on maintaining good grades in school.

Membership in the Sea Cadets allows teenagers to sample military life with no obligation to join any branch of the armed forces. Should cadets decide to enlist in the Navy or Coast Guard, their training may allow them entry at an advance paygrade. The Naval Sea Cadet Corps affords equal opportunity for participation to all young Americans regardless of race, color, religion or sex.

By Bradley Cantor, Defense Media Activity

BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) — National Naval Medical Center Bethesda held a ‘Day in the Life’ exercise July 26, exercising the facility’s capability to process patients and helping ensure staff are fully trained as part of final preparations to move patients, many of whom are Wounded Warriors, currently at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to NNMC.

Day in the Life exercises provide staff with hands-on experience dealing with several different patient scenarios. This particular exercise began with a 20-year-old mock patient who checked in with abdominal pain.

Upon the mock patient’s arrival, staff and trainees determined that the patient needed surgical admission. As they escorted the patient through the standard systems and processes associated with treatment including admissions paperwork, radiology and lab tests. The exercise concluded with the mock patient’s admission to a surgical unit for treatment.

Although this exercise began with a patient walking into the Emergency Room with a specific issue, sometimes the patients can’t walk through the front door. Additionally, their ailments might not be as apparent. Day in the Life training prepares staff for any and all contingencies.

As Capt. Wanda Richards the Assistant Deputy Commander for and Nursing Integration at National Naval Medical Center points out, not all admissions are as straight forward. “Some of them start in the emergency room department. One starts in the garage where a patient gets out of her car and has some problems, so we had to retrieve her from there.”

Additionally, these Day in the Life scenarios are provided to train staff in a variety of different medical fields. Richards explains, “We have our Wounded Warriors scenario, pediatric scenario, medicine scenario, surgical scenario which we are following right now an orthopedic scenario and we also have a hema-oncology scenario.”

She continued by explaining that each of these scenarios gives trainees an opportunity to work in different departments within the medical center. This she feels will all contribute to a more robust training experience.

Additionally, Capt. Richards said that there are no details too small to go over in training. Best routes in the hospital, how to navigate the gurney and familiarization with differences in rank structure between Army and Navy all ensure the success of the overarching mission: patient and staff safety.

“Patient and staff safety are priority and making sure every bit is covered will ensure that,” said Richards.

In the end, Richard emphasized that although the Army and the Navy are coming together under one roof with this new medical center, “We are one team, one fight and one mission.”

For more news, visit www.navy.mil.

From Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) — The Navy, working with the University of Memphis Department of Health and Sport Sciences, began a beta test of nine physical fitness exercises July 11.

Bill Moore, director, Navy Physical Readiness Program,
said there are currently no plans to change the Navy’s physical readiness test, but the study will examine viability other options that may have greater operational relevance.

“The purpose of the beta test is for research purposes only and is intended to collect data,” said Moore.

“The results of this beta test could be used to develop a physical readiness test that incorporates more functional movements which better mimic Navy job-specific tasks,” said Moore.

He said Navy officials will need to analyze the results after the test concludes later this month.

The beta test examines Sailors participation in nine exercises. Cadence push-ups, single-leg plank and single-leg wall squats are used to measure muscular endurance. The leg-hip dynamometer, hand-grip dynamometer and standing long jump measure muscular strength. The pro-agility shuttle, 300-yard shuttle, five kilometer bike test and two kilometer rower measure anaerobic capacity.

The test exercises were selected to allow researchers to examine two major components of physical fitness: health and skill related. They feature common movements practiced both in sports and on the job.

“Health-related components include cardiovascular fitness, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, and muscular endurance,” said Lt. Cmdr. David Peterson, Navy Physical Readiness Program exercise physiologist. “Skill related components include speed, agility, balance, coordination, reaction time and power.”

More than 180 Sailors, male and female, representing a full spectrum of age and fitness levels are participating to allows researchers to examine applicability for the Navy demographic.

Personnel Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Joshua Sickles, assigned to Navy Recruiting Command, said he typically scores excellent on his semi-annual physical readiness test. During the beta test, Sickles performed the single-leg plank, standing long jump and two-kilometer rower during his first test session.

“It was different than what we do now and harder” said Sickles.

Sailors in the beta test will participate in a total of six sessions.

“This is an exciting opportunity to participate in a state-of-the-art research study,” Moore said. “However, I need to reemphasize that this is for research purposes only and that there are currently no plans to change the Navy PRT.”

For more information about the Physical Readiness Program, visit http://www.npc.navy.mil/support/physical.

For more news from Navy Personnel Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/npc/

 By MC1(SW) Dustin Q. Diaz, Defense Media Activity-Navy

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) — The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus and other civilian and military leaders honored pioneering service members during the Department of the Navy Tribute to African-American Leadership at the Pentagon July 13.

Mabus and his official party unveiled a miniature version of an exhibit honoring the first African-American commissioned officers in the Navy and the Marine Corps � the Golden 13 and the Path Breakers, respectively � in the building’s courtyard before an audience of Sailors, Marines, officers and civilians.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, Commandant of the Marine Corps Marine Gen. James F. Amos, Under Secretary of the Navy Robert O. Work and retired Assistant Secretary of the Navy B.J. Penn comprised the ceremony’s official party.

“I was commissioned in 1974 as a second lieutenant in the Marines, and my first tour was in Okinawa,” said the Under Secretary of the Navy Robert Work. “I was shocked to find race riots and an enormous amount of racial turmoil inside the United States Marine Corps.”

“But over the years, Marines, Sailors, and our Department leadership have truly recognized the great benefit of a diverse force and the contributions of our African-American officers, staff non-commissioned officers, enlisted and civilians.” He added, “On this day, 66 years in the making, we honor all those African-American patriots who have served in our department as a civilian, an officer or as an enlisted service member.”

Work then introduced Mabus, who also discussed the progress made since these first officers received their commissions in the 1940s.

“Perhaps to those of us here today, it seems a celebration of the ordinary, because every day we work with and for black leaders. They wear suits and uniforms. They may have the stars of a general or an admiral on their shoulders, or the stars of a master chief petty officer or sergeant major on their sleeves. It’s something thankfully we don’t think about much today,” Mabus said.

“But those leaders contributing every day to our success, not so long ago, were barred from serving their country or limited to jobs deemed acceptable. The qualities of leadership don’t come in predetermined packages and they are not defined by color or gender or belief. We are here today to acknowledge those here before us who broke through those barriers, pushed the boundaries and dared to be first.”

Penn gave the ceremony’s closing remarks and used them to ask the audience for their help to continue moving forward.

“By virtue of your presence today, you have made a difference. I ask you to re-engage and mentor someone,” Penn said. “I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants – mentors. They always had my back. I know many of you have had similar experiences.

“Sometimes a sea story or a parable goes a long way toward educating and motivating someone to greatness. You all wear the banner of diversity in so many ways. I’m certain if you can mentor someone you will not only enhance our sea services, you will also make the department and our country stronger and better.”

The senior African-American flag officer in the Marine Corps, Lt. Gen. Willie Williams, praised the exhibit, saying it comes at a critical time for the military.

“We are seeing fewer African-Americans serving today, and I believe one reason is that they don’t know their proud history in the service,” said Williams, Marine Corps staff director. “So it’s important that we acknowledge and discuss this history.

“I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 37 years. We’ve come a long way since that time. We have further to go still, but we are talking less about discrimination and more about the quality of our service. That’s something we can be proud of.”

After the ceremony, guests visited the official exhibit inside the Pentagon. It commemorates these original officers and highlights leaders who have served as flag and general officers and members of the Senior Executive Service.

National Harbor, MD – Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead, received the Navy League’s highest honor, the Admiral Arleigh Burke Leadership Award, on June 25 at the Navy League’s annual Board of Director’s dinner. The award was presented by Navy League National President Dan Branch on behalf of the entire organization to recognize Adm. Roughead’s leadership and 38 years of dedicated service to his country and his Navy. Adm. Roughead gave the keynote speech after being honored with the award.

Adm. Burke gained worldwide fame as the Commander of Destroyer Squadron 23 during World War II where he earned the nickname “31-knot” Burke for his aggressive tactics against the Japanese in the Pacific. He went on to serve an unprecedented three terms as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations before retiring in 1961.

The Admiral Arleigh Burke Leadership Award recognizes Admiral Roughead’s outstanding professionalism while leading the Navy as the 29th Chief of Naval Operations during a time of strategic mission growth and accomplishment for the service.

The award cites many of Admiral Roughead’s military accomplishments. During his 38 years of service, Admiral Roughead has led Sailors and Marines in upholding vital national interests. He has significantly contributed to the modernization of the Navy to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The impact of Admiral Roughead’s vision, initiatives and decision making will continue to echo for years to come.

In accepting the award, Adm. Roughead thanked the many flag and general officers in the audience for their support and hard work during his four years as Chief of Naval Operations. He spoke fondly of Adm. Burke as well, who he had idolized as a young officer and had the opportunity to meet while serving as Commanding Officer of USS Barry (DDG 52). “I had read a lot of books and articles about Adm. Burke, but once you met the man you realized that he was so much more than you could ever put on paper.”