TESTER Naval Air Station Patuxent River
The Navy Hospital Corps Birthday June 17 Celebrating 117 years Vol. 72, No. 24
Test Pilot School Graduation Page 2
Accolades Around The Air Station Page 4
How-tos For Father’s Day Page 8
Celebrating 72 Years of Community Partnership
June 18, 2015
Food for the table Feds Feed Families ready to launch here By Connie Hempel NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs ore than 14 percent of households in the United States have experienced food insecurity for the past few years, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture reports — there simply wasn’t enough food for everyone in the home. Recognizing this continual need, the federal government, and NAS Patuxent River, is poised to launch the sixth year of Feds Feed Families, a campaign encouraging government agencies to unite and work toward ensuring no one goes hungry, according to the campaign website. “Feds Feed Families is a way for Pax River to reach out and help people in our local community, not just service members, by providing food to local food banks and pantries,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Augustin, the NAS Patuxent River Command chaplain. While the chapel collects food year round for the local food bank, Augustin said they usually combine that with food collected during the an-
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nual campaign. The Chaplain is working alongside the installation’s Feds Feed Families coordinator, Chief Electronics Technician (SW/AW/SCW/FMF) Travis Linzmeyer, to surpass last year’s donation. They expect the two-month long campaign to run from July through August at NAS Pax River. During the 2014 campaign, the base rallied to collect 3,000 pounds in just two months; this year’s goal, “as much as possible,” Linzmeyer said. “I want to help the local food bank as much as we can to help all the families in our community who are in need,” he noted. While people can still bring items to the Religious Programs Center in Building 401, an added convenience to encourage participation are the drop off collection sites Linzmeyer said he looks forward to establishing at the larger work centers across the base, and at the commissary. Feds Feed Families is
See Food, Page 11
Road work updates Lane closures on Tate Road June 22- July 23 Tate Road will have lane closures; traffic will be flagged. Road work will be conducted on Tate Road from Cuddihy Rd intersection to Rivers Edge. This construction will include repaving the road, which involves sectional closures of a single lane at a time. Traffic will be flagged through this area and access to Lovell Cove neighborhood will be limited to one entrance/exit at times. A detour sign will be placed within the neighborhood to help occupants navigate to the appropriate entrance/exit. All work is pending good weather, and will take place during normal working hours.
Webster Beachville Road Gate
The back gate at Webster Outlying Field, off Beachville Road, is closed during lunch June 22-24 for modifications.
U.S. Navy graphic by Shawn Graham
Hurricane Sandy made landfall north of Maryland Oct. 29, 2012. However, due to the tremendous size of the storm, its effects were felt all over the state. During the peak of the storm, 60 mph sustained winds were felt from Frederick, Maryland, eastward. Hurricane Sandy is the deadliest hurricane to affect the state, causing 11 deaths.
Hurricane preparedness underscores need for readiness By Shawn Graham NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs
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he 2015 Atlantic Hurricane Season is underway. The hurricane season started June 1 and runs until Nov. 30. It only takes one hurricane or tropical storm to change your life and inflict irreparable damage to your community. If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, you need to be prepared. Even areas far away from the coastline can be threatened by dangerous flooding, destructive winds and tornadoes from these storms. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issues watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather.
Hurricane hazards The primary hazards from hurricanes are storm surge
flooding, inland flooding from heavy rains, destructive winds, tornadoes, and high surf and rip currents. While hurricanes pose the greatest threat to life and property, tropical storms and depressions can also be devastating. Flooding from heavy rains can cause extensive damage and loss of life. According to NHC, Tropical Storm Allison produced more than 40 inches of rain in the Houston area in 2001, causing nearly $5 billion in damage and taking the lives of 41 people. Storm surge has the potential to cause the largest loss of life in hurricanes. Since 1963, storm surge has caused nearly half of the deaths in the United States in tropical cyclones. Water, not wind, has accounted for nearly 90 percent of all tropical cyclone deaths in the U.S. during that time.
Vital resources to help you prepare include:
• Ready.Navy.mil • Hurricanes.gov, which provides critical hurricane advisories and marine forecasts • Weather.gov for the latest forecasts for your part of the country • Ready.gov for additional preparedness information • National Hurricane Center Outreach Resources • Weather-Ready Nation Kids Storm surge is dangerous because a mere six inches of fastmoving flood water can knock over an adult. It takes only two feet of rushing water to carry away most vehicles-including large pickup trucks and SUVs. The strong winds of a hurricane can cause widespread destruction. Hurricane Hugo was a fast-moving, Category 4 storm that made landfall near Charleston, South Carolina. Hugo
See Hurricane, Page 10