TESTER Naval Air Station Patuxent River
Vol. 72, No. 32
Transition Goals, Plans, Success Page 2
PMA-208 gets new leader Page 3
Commandant’s Corner Page 3
Celebrating 72 Years of Community Partnership
August 13, 2015
‘Movin’ on up’:
17 selected for chief petty officer By Shawn Graham NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs
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he Navy has released the names of the roughly 4,200 first class petty officers Navywide who have been selected for chief petty officer. The announcement launches CPO 365 Phase Two, as the CPO selects receive training for their future responsibilities and traditions of the chief’s mess. In the Navy, promotion to the rank of chief requires a Sailor to take on the dual role of technical expert and designated leader. The title of “The Chief” carries with it a tradition of knowledge, teamwork and the ability to take charge that began when the Navy first created the rank on April 1, 1893.
See Movin’ on Up’, Page 3
U.S. Navy photo by Shawn Graham
Chief petty officer (CPO) selects assigned to NAS Patuxent River area commands just kicked off CPO 365 Phase Two. CPO 365 is a yearround training initiative that Chief’s Messes throughout the Navy take on to prepare first class petty officers to become chiefs. Phase Two of CPO 365 begins when CPO Selection Board results are released, which occurred Aug. 5 this year.
Studying Pax River’s Diamondback Terrapins By Donna Cipolloni NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs
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either sand, nor heat, nor biting insects can prevent a dedicated group of volunteers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds, surveying the nests of Diamondback Terrapins aboard NAS Patuxent River. For more than two months, the group—comprised of Sailors, civilians, contractors and retirees— has scoured Pax River’s beaches looking to first locate terrapin nests, and now to follow them closely through hatching. “During nesting season, which starts in midMay, we’re out there once per day usually between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. looking for as many nests as we
can find,” explained biologist Sarah Funck, who first led the terrapin study as a student intern when it began three years ago. “The females seem to nest during the earlier part of the day, and if we give them that time undisturbed, we can go through later looking for nests and probably won’t miss much. During hatching season, now through early October, we’ll be out there twice per day.” Funck, who went on to earn a master’s degree and land a full-time job, continues to coordinate the Pax study as a volunteer. “I do it because I love it; it’s my passion,” she noted. “In my current job, I sit in front of a computer or am in the lab. This takes care of that side of me that needs to be out in the field, getting
dirty and doing the work.”
A species of concern
The terrapin project is being conducted under the guidance of Pax River’s Natural Resources Department. “Chesapeake Bay terrapin populations have been plummeting at an alarming rate for years, yet Pax River’s habitat seems to support one of the largest breeding populations in this part of the Chesapeake Bay,” explained Kyle Rambo, conservation director. “And since our population is one of the most intensely studied, it’s important for the Navy to contribute to the ongoing research of this species, which is an important resource, both ecologically and economically.” Research goals include determining and docu-
Courtesy photo by Capt. Ben Shevchuk
NAS Patuxent River Diamondback Terrapin Study volunteers Lizzy Jenny, Atlantic Test Ranges Sustainability Office, prepares a scale for weighing eggs; Hospitalman Timothy Maxey dons gloves for safe egg handling; and biologist Sarah Funck, study coordinator, excavates the eggs from a turtle nest. Data collected from the ongoing study is reported to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This year, volunteers documented around 110 nests. menting breeding success, local population demographics, hatchling and adult survival and mortality rates, and longevity—in addition to simply helping to sustain healthy popula-
tions of terrapins in this region, Rambo said. When volunteers find a nest, they’ll cage it for protection from predators and to contain the eventual newborn turtles in order to
obtain measurements and collect data. Afterward, they’ll remove the cage, releasing the hatchlings into the wild.
See Terrapin, Page 4