The Nimitz Five Star Report June 2011
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1
From the Captain’s Cabin
“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.”
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The American Red Cross ; A Message from CMDCM
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Ombudsman Information; Useful Information; From the Office of Military Community & Family Policy ;
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
Items of Interest
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Websites, Tricare Young Adult Program, June Special Events , Update NFAAS, NBK Word to the Wise
From the Captain’s Cabin A Message from the CO Captain Paul Monger Commanding Officer, USS Nimitz
Greetings to all our family and friends, It has been another great month of getting things done on the ship and making progress toward getting out of the shipyard and back to doing the things Sailors are supposed to be doing.
Capt. Paul Monger Commanding Officer
If you want to see what your Sailors have been up to while at work, I encourage you to Continued on page 2 1
From the Captain’s Cabin
Continued from page 1
From the Command Master Chief
check out the “Drydock” video on our Facebook page. Our Media Department has done a tremendous job of putting together a documentary of every phase of the shipyard period so far, and episode four has just been posted. It is a quality product and I guarantee you will find it interesting and informative.
NIMITZ Family, Congratulations to all our new Master Chief, Senior Chief, First, Second & Third Class Petty Officers! It’s good to see their hard work and dedication rewarded.
As you are fresh off of celebrating Memorial Day, I hope you had a chance to remember those who came before us and sacrificed so that we can enjoy the freedom and liberty we cherish. It is a powerful holiday and it is even more meaningful for the families of those in uniform. Thanks for what you do to enable your Sailor to so ably serve on this great warship. It is a privilege to watch their exceptional performance every day and we are blessed to have them on our team.
This has been an eventful month! It started out with the USS NIMITZ’s 36th birthday celebration, where the crew got to sign their names on the side of the ship. Our new Strike Group Commander, RADM Rowden stopped by for a visit; the XO and 4 other lucky individuals each got a pie in the face! Seventeen NIMITZ Sailors became Naturalized U.S. Citizens along with 30 other military members in a ceremony held on base; we made three new Master Chiefs, seven new Senior Chiefs, 26 First Class, 61 Second Class & 94 Third Class Petty Officers; then we ended the month with a special meal to celebrate Asian Pacific month! Oh and somewhere amongst all this, we did some work on the ship!
Best wishes and have a great summer, CAPT Paul O. Monger Commanding Officer USS NIMITZ (CVN 68)
A Special Message from the American Red Cross Family members have expressed concern about how to contact their family during an emergency or crisis situation, for a status check. As part of an ongoing effort to better serve the military community, the American Red Cross announced that it will move to a single telephone number for its emergency communication services.
Life in the shipyard is more than just grinding and painting; know that your Sailors continue to great things both on and off duty. Respectfully, CMDCM William "Aussie" Lloyd-Owen Command Master Chief USS NIMITZ (CVN-68)
Beginning June 13, 2011, at 8:00 a.m. EDT, all military members and their families can use one number- 877-272-7337 (U.S. Toll Free) to send an urgent message to a service member. The change means that all military members and their families can use this single number to initiate an emergency communication, regardless of where they live. Sherri Brown, Senior Vice President for Service to the Armed Forces said "U.S. military personnel and their families can remain confident that the Red Cross will be there to keep them connected when there is a crisis at home."
USS Nimitz Mailing Address: Your Sailor’s Rate and Name Sailor’s Dept/Division USS NIMITZ (CVN68) FPO AP 96620-2820
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American Red Cross continued from page 2
Ask an Ombudsman
A call to 877-272-7337 allows Red Cross emergency communications services to put military personnel in touch with their families following the death or serious illness of an immediate family member, the birth of a service member's child or grandchild or when a family faces other emergencies. Additional Red Cross services such as case management and emergency financial assistance also are available.
Selected by the commanding officer (CO), your Navy Family ombudsman is a spouse of a command member who voluntarily serves as the official liaison between the command and its families. The ombudsman is a vital resource to assist the command in discharging the CO’s responsibilities for the morale and welfare of the command’s families. The ombudsman is the link between the command and the Navy family. This is especially true in deploying commands, where the ombudsman is the primary point of contact between the families at home and the command during deployment. As a spouse, it is important to get acquainted with your local ombudsman. The ombudsman is not a counselor or a social worker, but can show you a direct route to getting the assistance you need to find solutions and resources.
For those stationed overseas, the three options for calling will remain the same: calling 877-272-7337 direct, accessing the number through a military operator, or calling the local Red Cross station.
From CNIC’s Family Connection 2011
The Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces program provides assistance to more than 2 million service members and many of the nation's 24 million veterans. The Red Cross provides emergency communications linking service members with their families during time of crisis; comfort and care in military and veterans medical facilities; access to financial assistance in partnership with the military aid societies; information and referral and assistance to veterans.
The USS Nimitz Ombudsman Team Kristin Crow La’Del Cassidy Jeanine Neiman Lindsay Baldwin Amy Cleghon Email: uussssnniim miittzzoom mbbuuddssm maann@ @yyaahhoooo..ccoom m Direct: 360-340-2515 Careline: 1-877-600-NAVY (6289) #3
Useful Information Naval Base Kitsap Fleet and Family Support Center (NBK FFSC): 1.866.854.0638
Here are a few examples of when to call your Ombudsman Team:
San Diego Area Fleet and Family Support Center (SD FFSC): 1.866.923.6478
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Resource & Referral Financial Difficulties Marital Difficulties Death in the Family Childbirth or At Risk Pregnancy General Information on the Nimitz 7. Kitsap or San Diego County Activities
Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS): www.nmcrs.org Navy Legal Service (NLSO):
www.jag.navy.mil Military One Source:www.militaryonesource.com American American Safe Ride Safe Ride Safe Ride
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Red Cross – National: (877) 272-7337 Red Cross – Bremerton: (360) 377-3761 Taxi - BDCC Bremerton: (360) 782-2378 Taxi - Yellow Cab: (206) 622-6500 San Diego: Dial 511
From the Office of Military Community & Family Policy (MC&FP):
NAVAL HOSPITAL BREMERTON AFTER HOURS ACCESS LINE AVAILABLE FOR URGENT ISSUES & ADVICE
Blue Star Museums: Free Admission from Memorial Day to Labor Day! For more, visit the blog post of Robert L. Gordon III, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy) With the last day of school right around the corner, now is the time to start planning your family’s summer vacation. Blue Star Museums is a program offering free admission to museums for all military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, through Labor Day, Sept. 5, 2011.
An after-hours access line is available to beneficiaries enrolled to Naval Hospital Bremerton (or one of our health clinics) with questions, concerns and/or wanting to contact a provider. The access line is staffed 24 hours a day, however, during working hours patients are asked to call their clinic directly. After working hours the access line will provide information or contact a provider to assist patients (if needed).
Joining Forces Taking action to serve America's military families Joining Forces is a national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Learn more about MC&FP's support for Joining Forces. FEATURE: Better Business Bureau (BBB) Military Line
The purpose of this service is to allow direct access to providers for urgent issues or urgent advice. It is not designed for routine matter such as medication refills or laboratory result follow up. The access line can be reached by calling: 360-475-5700 (for Bremerton, Bangor, PSNS) or 425-304-4060 (for Everett).
MC&FP Weekly Tips From tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle for the whole family, to increasing financial fitness through smart fiscal decisions, the Military OneSource and MC&FP Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth tips of the week can help service and family members achieve their goals. Tip: Finding the Right College for Your Teen
Important Contact Information Naval Hospital Bremerton Tricare Regional Appointment Center: 1-800-404-4506 Hospital Information Desk: 360-475-4000 Pharmacy Refills: 360-475-4217
Websites of Interest:
Primary Care Clinics: Family Medicine: 360-475-4379 Internal Medicine: 360-475-4206 Pediatrics: 360-475-4216 Website:
LOOKING FOR A NEW SCHOOL? Do you want to see how your current school measures up? Start your search for a great school at SchoolDigger.com. They have test scores, rankings, district boundaries, student/teacher ratios, ethnic makeup, and scores of other useful metrics and information for over 120,000 elementary, middle, and high schools in the United States! Visit www.schooldigger.com
http://nhbremerton.org
USS Nimitz Family Readiness Group (FRG)
SPECIAL NEEDS FAMILIES: The DoD's new Education Directory for Children with Special Needs provides useful, practical information for families of military dependents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and assignment personnel when considering assignment locations in California, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. For Details, Please Visit: http://cs.mhf.dod.mil/content/dav/mhf/QOLLibrary/MHF/260593.html
Being a part of your FRG is a great way to make friends, support our sailors and their families, and have Fun! See how you can be part of The Action! To subscribe to their Monthly Newsletter email: teamnimitz@yahoo.com 4
Navy Region Northwest Fleet & Family Support Center
JUNE 2011 SPECIAL EVENTS
Here is a link to the navylifepnw website with a list of upcoming webinars for many months to come. You can see that the staff at Fleet and Family is trying to make a wide variety of classes easily available to all. Visit them at: www.navylifepnw.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/kitsapffr
SSaann D Diieeggoo A Arreeaa FFlleeeett & & FFaam miillyy SSuuppppoorrtt C Ceenntteerr Naval Base San Diego https://www.cnic.navy.mil/SanDiego/BaseSupport/index.htm
Naval Base Coronado https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Coronado/BaseSupport/index.htm
JUNE 7 – WEBINAR 10:30 - 11:30
AM
I HAVE A PHONE INTERVIEW! WHAT DO I WEAR? MANY BUSI NESSES ARE S AVI NG M ONEY AND TIME BY SCREE NI NG PR OSPEC TI VE EMPLOYEES VIA THE PHONE. SOM E EVEN GO SO FAR TO DO ALL OF THEIR INTER VI EW S BY PHONE. IS IT OKAY TO W EAR YOUR PAJAMAS DURING A PHONE INTER VIEW ? W HAT ABOUT EATING A SNACK AND HAVI NG A CUP OF COFFEE? DO YOU REALLY NEED TO DO ANY RESEARC H ABOUT THE POSITI ON OR COM PANY YOU HAVE YOUR COMPUTER IN FRONT OF YOU, RIGHT? YOU W ILL W ANT TO JOIN THIS W EBINAR IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSW ERS TO THESE QUESTIONS OR THINK I T IS OKAY TO DO THESE THINGS. LEARN HOW TO BLOW THEIR SOCKS OFF IN A PHONE INTER VIEW SO YOU CAN MEET YOUR NEW EMPLOYER! ,
Naval Base Point Loma JUNE 15 – WEBINAR 9:30 - 10:30
https://www.cnic.navy.mil/PointLoma/BaseSupport/index.htm
AM
FUN THINGS TO DO IN YOUR AREA SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER! W OW , IS IT THAT TIME ALREADY? SO, W HAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS SUMMER ? HOW ABOUT THE KIDS? IN THIS ONE HOUR CLASS W E'LL EXPLORE ALL OF THE F UN AC TI VI TIES , EVENTS AND THINGS TO DO. N O MATTER W HERE YOU LI VE, KIDS OR NO KIDS, COM E ON BOARD AND PL AN F OR AN E XCITING (AND I NEXPENSI VE ) SUMMER!
TRICARE Young Adult Program Available for Purchase INFORMATION: The TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) Program is available to all eligible adult-age dependents of an eligible uniform service sponsor for TRICARE Standard coverage. This program is an open enrollment for those that qualify to purchase at any time. Those that are eligible are beneficiaries that are: <~> Unmarried <~> At least 21 or 23 if enrolled in school full time, but have not reached the age of 26 <~> Not eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored health plan defined by TYA regulations <~> Not otherwise eligible for TRICARE program Coverage. If your dependent meets the eligibilities you must go to http://tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/overview/Enrollment/T RICAREYoungAdult to download the application. Once completed the member may bring the application to the TRICARE Service Center at the Naval Hospital Bremerton with the first three months of premium payment.
JUNE 19 @ BANGOR PLAZA,
9 AM - 2PM
FATHER'S DAY BRUNCH FEATURING OVER 25 MENU ITEMS! RESER VATIONS RECOMMENDED , CALL (360) 535-5928 LEARN MORE →
JUNE 19 @OLYMPIC LANES, FATHER'S DAY BOWLING:
NOON -6 PM
DADS BOW L FOR
FREE W HEN ACCOMPANIED BY CHILD
LEARN MORE →
JUNE 19 @ BANGOR CINEMA FATHER'S DAY MOVIE SPECIAL FREE ADMISSION FOR DADS W HEN ACCOMPANIED BY CHILD
LEARN MORE →
VISIT
HTT P:// WWW. NAVY LIFEPNW. COM
OR WWW.FACEBOOK.COM /KIT SAPFFR FOR MORE EVENTS AND DETAILS
For more information go to www.tricare.mil or call 1-888874-9378 / 1-888-TRIWEST.
TO
*** You may also ask questions at the TRIWEST Service Center (Naval Hospital Bremerton), or the TRIWEST Service Center (Naval Station Everett).
WEBI1-866-854-0638! ATTEND
REGISTER FOR ANY OF THE
NARS, CALL:
LIVE W ORKSHOPS FROM THE COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE OF YOUR HOME FOR FREE! ALL YOU NEED IS A COMPUTER AND A PHONE!
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N F A A S
U P D A T E
T O D A Y
Y O U R
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