Tester 040215

Page 1

TESTER Naval Air Station Patuxent River

Gold Star Wives Day April 5 Vol. 72, No. 13

Navy Chiefs 122 Years Strong Page 2

VX-23 Soars Over Pax Page 3

Accolades Around the Air Station Page 4

Celebrating 72 Years of Community Partnership

April 2, 2015

U.S. Navy photo

Motorcycle safety courses are provided to help protect motorcycle riders by raising their awareness of their bikes and their surroundings. Courses include: Basic Rider Courses 1 and 2, the Advanced Rider Course, and Motorcycle Sport bike Rider Course.

Motorcycle Safety Course aimed at protecting Sailors By Shawn Graham, NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs

W

ith summer rapidly approaching, NAS Patuxent River leadership is supporting the Navy’s motorcycle safety campaign in hopes of preventing motorcycle deaths and injuries. “We need everyone to ride smart and safe this summer,” said Kordeen Kor, NAS Patuxent River occupational safety and health program director. “Every rider should be familiar with their command’s motorcycle safety program.” “Motorcycle safety training is mandatory for all military personnel in accordance with the Navy Traffic

Safety Program,” Kor said. The Basic Rider Course (BRC) is required prior to operating their motorcycle. BRC 1 is a prerequisite for riding motorcycles on any naval station. During the summer, regularly scheduled classes are offered, but instructors try to meet an increase in demand for the basic rider’s course. Classroom time is spent watching safety videos, reading the course book, and discussing the information covered in open discussion. The first topic covered is basic safety and strategies for riding a motorcycle. BRC 2 is required for all

See Motorcycle, Page 4

Building 409 road work Roadwork, sidewalk and curb repair at Building 409 has closed the front parking lot and the side drive between buildings 409 and 460. To minimize impact, work will be done in three phases and should be completed in May. Only two entrance doors will be open at a time. All work is dependent on weather and the schedule could change.

Pax health clinic Sailors underway Courtesy photo

Ten percent of all the Sailors assigned to Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River recently deployed on the Navy hospital ship, USNS Comfort (A-TH-20), bound for South America on a humanitarian mission. By Donna Cipolloni NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs

F

ourteen Sailors from Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River (NHCPR) recently deployed with USNS Comfort (A-TH-20), a Navy hospital ship whose mission is to provide mobile medical support for wartime operations, disaster relief and humanitarian operations. “This deployment is a humanitarian mission called Operation Continuing Promise 2015,” explained Chief Hospital Corpsman Sharon Raymond, NHCPR’s plans, operations and medical intelligence officer. “They’ll be providing assistance to various countries throughout South America.” The deployed Sailors included a logistics specialist, a personnel specialist and mostly aviation boatswain’s mates. All had been assigned to clinic platform billets attached to the Comfort.

About USNS Comfort

• Former oil super tanker; converted in 1987 • 894 ft. long by 106 ft. wide • Displacement: 69,360 tons • 12 operating rooms • 1,000 hospital beds • Speed: 17 knots U.S. Navy photo • Onboard helicopter pad • About 560 people aboard for this mission • Last year moved home port from Baltimore Harbor to NS Norfolk, Va. • Other recent humanitarian missions have included post-9/11 terrorist attack, 2001; Hurricane Katrina, 2005; Partnership for the Americas (Central and South America), 2007; Haiti Earthquake, 2010; Continuing Promise 2011 (Caribbean and Latin America) “[The clinic] is shore duty for the [aviation boatswain’s mates],” Raymond said. “They’re mostly stationed in our facilities department when they’re here — and they do a wonderful job.” Recently, NHCPR successfully passed a Joint Commission accreditation survey and medi-

cal staff gave kudos to the ABs for their role in making the facility look outstanding. “They’re a real asset to this command and we’re going to miss them,” said Capt. Elizabeth Myhre, NHCPR

See Comfort, Page 5


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.