Flagship 12.14.2023 by Military News

www.ﬂagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

COMNAVSURFLANT hosts annual Junior Officer Training Symposium The one-day symposium provided a venue for Rear Adm. Joe Cahill to bring JOs together to encourage discussion about transforming the culture of the Surface Force. PAGE A4 VOL. XX, 31, NO. NO.44, XX,Norfolk, Norfolk,VA VA| ﬂagshipnews.com | ﬂagshipnews.com

December 14-December 20, 2023

Navy wounded warriors participated in a seated volleyball game hosted by Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic’s Navy Wounded Warrior Program at Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 1. The program allows service members to focus on their recovery, while its team of experts resolves non-medical problems and prepares them for transition back to active duty or civilian life. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS MADDELIN HAMM)

Navy Wounded Warrior Program hosts seated volleyball game By MC1 Maddelin Hamm and MC2 Jordan Grimes CNRMA Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. — Navy wounded warriors participated in a seated volleyball game hosted by Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic’s Navy Wounded Warrior Program at Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 1. The event was held to culminate the month-long initiative of Warrior Care Month which was established in 2008. Ruth Freeman, a medically retired Infor-

mation Systems Technician 1st Class, said the Wounded Warrior Program gave her a family of other veterans who understood what she was going through. “I was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, and my Chief brought me to Navy Wounded Warrior, and they helped me and my family with everything,” said Freeman. “They introduced me to adaptive sports in November of 2018, and in 2019 I competed in six sports.” Freeman, who served in the Navy for 13 years, explained the speciﬁc rules of seated volleyball to the participants and coached

them during the event. “Every single athlete that I’ve met has become family, so when we need to vent we always have people to talk to. It’s that camaraderie that most of us think we wouldn’t have after getting out of the military,” Freeman shared. Marcie Slusher, a recovery care coordinator for the program and coordinator for the event, said events like this play an important part in the Navy Wounded Warrior Program and Warrior Care Month. “The events conducted during Warrior

Care Month are [held] to increase awareness of the Navy Wounded Warrior Program throughout the Navy and Coast Guard,” said Slusher. “Being aware of the program helps Sailors help their shipmates struggling with serious medical situations.” The program allows service members to focus on their recovery, while its team of experts resolves non-medical problems and prepares them for transition back to active duty or civilian life. The program offers Turn to Wounded Warrior, Page 2

JEBLCFS remembers Pearl Harbor By April Phillips

JEBLCFS Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS) paused to remember the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor with a ceremony held Dec. 7 on base. JEBLCFS’s ceremony was held 82 years after the surprise attack by Imperial Japanese ﬁghter planes that killed more than 2400 people and destroyed or damaged 20 ships and 300 aircraft. Little Creek is home to a Pearl Harbor memorial erected decades ago by survivors of the attack who settled in the Hampton Roads area. These survivors have now all passed away, but their family members still attend the ceremony every year to pay homage to those known as “the greatest generation.” “Even though they’re not here with us anymore, we need this ceremony. It keeps their spirit alive, and it reminds us that we need to tell their stories so they’re not lost,” said Ellen Burns, daughter of Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Chebetar. She attended the ceremony with her husband and daughter, as well as her brother Gerald and his family. Amanda Williams, museum director of the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, and guest speaker for the ceremony, echoed

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that sentiment. “We’re in the twilight of the World War II generation,” she said. “Those of us here today have been drafted to remember their sacriﬁce and tell the story.” JEBLCFS Commanding Officer, Capt. David Gray spoke to the young service members in attendance, noting families stateside also made sacriﬁces during World War II. “Folks back home were issued ration books. These books contained stamps that people exchanged for items like sugar, meat, cooking oil, and canned goods. When we go to the grocery store today, we just expect those items to be on the shelf, but that was a time when all Americans did their part for the war effort by making due with less.” He continued by making a comparison many in the audience were able to understand. “It was a somber day. It is also a day that fewer and fewer people among us were alive to remember. Just as everyone in my generation will remember where we were on 9/11, so it was with Pearl Harbor Day,” he said. Family members then placed a carnation in the memorial wreath to honor their loved ones. A Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman each also placed a carnation in the wreath to honor the members of each service who lost their lives in the attack. The ceremony then paused and moved from

Amanda Williams, museum director of the MacArthur Memorial, and Capt. David Gray, commanding officer of JEBLCFS, place a wreath at the installation’s Pearl Harbor memorial during a ceremony commemorating the attack 82 years ago. (PHOTO BY APRIL PHILLIPS, JEBLCFS PUBLIC AFFAIRS)

the base chapel to the memorial, where Gray and Williams placed the wreath. “Thank you to everyone who came out

today,” Gray said. “It’s important that we take time to learn, to remember, and to reﬂect.”

New Parent Support Group ends the year with holiday social

During the social, families sang songs, read books, ate holiday treats, and participated in a mittens and book exchange. In addition, presentations were given on managing holiday stress and staying within a budget, important topics for new parents and families. PAGE A3

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The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 1 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

Wounded Warrior from Page 1

individualized and proactive guidance on non-medical care including: pay and beneﬁts, caregiver resources, travel, job training, childcare, and adaptive reconditioning. Enrollment in Navy Wounded Warrior is voluntary. Service members may refer themselves to the program, or they may be referred by a family member or medical provider. For more information on the Navy’s Wounded Warrior Program, visit www. navywoundedwarrior.com.

Navy wounded warriors participated in a seated volleyball game hosted by Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic’s Navy Wounded Warrior Program at Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 1. The program allows service members to focus on their recovery, while its team of experts resolves nonmedical problems and prepares them for transition back to active duty or civilian life. (U.S. NAVY PHOTOS BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS MADDELIN HAMM)

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A few families participate in the New Parent Support Group program holiday social Dec. 6. The New Parent Support Group is a program for military families to connect, ﬁnd support and utilize resources. (PHOTO BY KATISHA DRAUGHN-FRAGUADA)

New Parent Support Group ends the year with holiday social By Katisha Draughn-Fraguada

Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads Public Affairs

The Fleet and Family Support Center’s (FFSC) New Parent Support Group ended their holiday social on Dec. 6 at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads-Portsmouth Annex with a holiday social event. During the social, families sang songs, read books, ate holiday treats, and participated in a mittens and book exchange. In addition, presentations were given on managing holiday stress and staying within a budget, important topics for new parents and families. “Military families are often away from family during the holiday,” said Veanna Pitts, new parent support home visitor. “I wanted to provide a positive outlet while connecting them with other families who may have similar dynamics.” Lt. Latriva Johnson from Supervisor Shipbuilding Newport News has been with the New Parent Support Program for three months and says she has enjoyed everything

Kim Bowen, an educator with Fleet and Family Support Center, gives families tips on how to manage holiday stress during the New Parent Support Group social. (PHOTO BY KATISHA DRAUGHN-FRAGUADA)

that has been offered to her and her daughter. “This program has shown me that I am not alone and the support is deﬁnitely there,” said Johnson. “They have provided care and support that I would not have received anywhere else.” Johnson is the youngest of four children and raised a few of her nieces and nephews,

and says she has always had that motherly instinct. She hopes to establish different holiday traditions and fun outings with her two-year-old daughter as she gets older. “I used to always love to go ice skating every Christmas Eve, so I hope to do that with her, and pick out cute holiday ornaments,” said Johnson. During the social, parents were able to talk about fun holiday events and activities and get to know other families with the same interests. “I am excited to drive through different areas and look at Christmas lights with my son,” said Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Michelle Ducezil from Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, whose son is 20-months-old. Ducezil has been an active participant in the New Parent Support Group since she was pregnant. “I enjoy the outings and events as it is always someplace fun and allows my son to use his senses,” said Ducezil. “It has been amazing and wonderful, and they provide so many resources. I love the warmth and care

that I feel with the program and staff here.” Pitts sent invites to all of the Navy New Parent Support Home Visitors within the Hampton Roads area requesting participation in the holiday social. “At Portsmouth Annex we have a strong history of connecting our families together,” said Pitts. “We offer a Parents Connection Playgroup where we partner with Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Aquatics Center for Aquatics, Gym for Stroller Strides and most popular, our Parent and Baby Yoga,” she said. “So I followed this format. As an educator, I am always looking for additional ways to equip our program participants with resources.” Information on those resources were also made available at the holiday social with a table ﬁlled with ﬂyers and educational handouts. “It is my hope that military families will gain strength by building healthy connections at this social,” said Pitts. “Military life can be challenging. It helps to know that you are not alone.”

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4 The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 1 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

NORFOLK, Va. (Dec. 06, 2023) Junior Naval Officers attend a training seminar held by Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic onboard Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 06, 2023. The annual training focuses on career growth and community development. (US NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS EMILY CASAVANT)

COMNAVSURFLANT hosts annual Junior Officer Training Symposium By Senior Chief Petty Officer Kori Melvin

Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic

NORFOLK, Va. — Commander, U.S. Naval Surface Force Atlantic hosted the second annual Junior Officer (JO) Training Symposium event in Norfolk, December 6, 2023. The event was held at the state-of-the-art Mariner Skills Training Center Atlantic on Naval Station Norfolk. The one-day symposium provided a venue for Rear Adm. Joe Cahill, Commander, U.S. Naval Surface Force Atlantic, to bring JOs together to encourage discussion about transforming the culture of the Surface Force. Ensign Cody Williams, assigned to USS Mahan (DDG 72), after only being onboard for two months explained how valuable this symposium was for him as he is just beginning his career as a Surface Warfare Officer. “The symposium was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about WTI [Weapons and Tactics Instructor] opportunities, the new frigate, and unmanned technologies,” said Williams. The event brought together over one hundred junior Surface Warfare Officers from ships across the waterfront to discuss various topics including the JO survey, team-building skills, and opportu-

nities that come from being a Weapons and Tactics Instructor. Junior Officers also had the chance to speak with representatives from Surface Warfare Officer Assignments to discuss professional development and career options. “The symposium was very helpful because it provided me with information on different career opportunities that are available,” said Ensign Darien Burley, assigned to USS Mahan. “I learned how easy it is to get in contact with your detailer and it was great having the detailers in the room to ask questions.” The symposium is a great opportunity for officers of all ranks to network and provide feedback up and down the chain of command. After the conclusion of the symposium, the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Surface Navy Association hosted a social for all participants to facilitate networking and mentorship. Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic mans, trains and equips assigned surface forces and shore activities, ensuring a capable force for conducting prompt and sustained operations in support of United States national interests. More than 70 ships and 34 shore commands make up the SURFLANT Force.

NORFOLK (December 6, 2023) Rear Adm. Joseph Cahill, commander, U.S. Naval Surface Force Atlantic, presents opening remarks during the second annual Junior Officer Training Symposium at Mariner Skills Training Center Atlantic. The annual training focuses on career growth and community development. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY LT. KATHLEEN M. BARRIOS)

Lisa McGurty named NAVFAC Atlantic Civilian Engineer of the Year

By Michael Morris

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic

In a recent announcement by the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic, Lisa McGurty, a distinguished Professional Engineer and Senior Structural Engineer, has been honored with the prestigious title of NAVFAC Atlantic’s Civilian Engineer of the Year. This recognition is a testament to her exceptional contributions to the NAVFAC Atlantic mission, as well as her unwavering commitment to excellence within the field of structural engineering. With a career marked by expertise, leadership, and dedication, McGurty has consistently demonstrated her ability to excel in the most demanding aspects of her work. One of her most remarkable achievements, among many, is her role as the Design Manager for the Containerized Long Weapons Storage (CLWS) project. In this capacity, she not only played a pivotal role in planning and analysis but also oversaw the intricate design process and final certification. The CLWS project was a critical undertaking, involving the development of two new Navy ammunition storage magazine standard designs. Her responsibilities extended beyond the technical aspects, as she skillfully managed a multitude of stakeholders and ensured the approval of multiple certification agencies. Her ability to navigate complex projects with precision and diligence has undoubtedly left an indelible mark

on the NAVFAC Atlantic team. However, McGurty’s impact goes beyond her outstanding technical achievements. She is known for her dedication to mentorship, serving as an invaluable resource and inspiration to others in the engineering community. Her commitment to fostering the growth and development of her peers underscores her status as a role model within NAVFAC Atlantic. Rear Adm. Lore Aguayo, Commander of NAVFAC Atlantic and Fleet Civil Engineer and Director, Fleet Installations and Environment, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF), praised McGurty’s accomplishments, stating, “The unwavering commitment of this year’s awardees to NAVFAC’s mission exemplifies the highest standards. Their achievements are nothing short of extraordinary, and their dedication to excellence is truly commendable. Their noteworthy contributions to NAVFAC are a testament to their dedication, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to responsible stewardship, and I couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments.” As Civilian Engineer of the Year, she stands as a shining example of the caliber of professionals within NAVFAC Atlantic. Her dedication, expertise, and commitment to advancing the field of structural engineering have not only earned her this prestigious award but also solidified her place as a respected leader within the organization. Her achievements are a source of inspiration to her colleagues and a source of pride for the entire NAVFAC Atlantic community.

Her journey to becoming Civilian Engineer of the Year reflects the dedication and resilience required to excel in the demanding world of engineering, particularly within the framework of the NAVFAC. Her exceptional contributions underscore the importance of the civilian workforce in supporting the mission of the U.S. Navy and ensuring the operational readiness of its facilities. In addition to her pivotal role in the CLWS project, McGurty’s career at NAVFAC Atlantic has been marked by a consistent commitment to finding innovative solutions to complex structural challenges. Her expertise and leadership have not only benefited the organization but also contributed to the safety and efficiency of Navy operations. As a senior structural engineer, McGurty’s work involves critical decisions that directly impact the structural integrity and safety of Navy facilities. Her meticulous attention to detail and rigorous approach to problem-solving have made her a trusted figure in the field of structural engineering. Colleagues and superiors alike recognize her as an individual who consistently goes above and beyond in her duties. Her dedication extends beyond the confines of her immediate responsibilities. She has shown a remarkable commitment to mentorship, helping to nurture the next generation of engineers within the organization. Her willingness to share knowledge, offer guidance, and provide support to her peers exemplifies the collaborative spirit that is essential for the continued success of NAVFAC Atlantic.

In the words of Rear Adm. Aguayo, McGurty’s accomplishments are indeed extraordinary and commendable. They highlight not only her individual achievements but also the collective commitment of NAVFAC Atlantic to excellence and responsible stewardship of resources. As the Civilian Engineer of the Year, she serves as an inspiration to engineers and professionals in her ﬁeld. Her recognition is a testament to her unwavering dedication to the NAVFAC Atlantic mission and the broader goal of ensuring the Navy’s infrastructure is maintained to the highest standards. It is individuals like McGurty who play a crucial role in the continued success of the U.S. Navy, and her contributions will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the organization and the nation’s defense capabilities. Her achievement as Civilian Engineer of the Year stands as a beacon of excellence within the NAVFAC Atlantic community. Her exceptional skills, leadership, and commitment to mentorship embody the values and principles that drive the organization’s success. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, McGurty will go on to compete for the NAVFAC Engineer of the Year award and potentially for higher honors in the National Society of Professional Engineer’s Federal Engineer of the Year award program. This further underscores her dedication to excellence and positions her as a contender for prestigious national recognition in the ﬁeld.

www.ﬂagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

From left to right, Rear Adm. Walter Brafford, Chief of the Navy Dental Corps, commander of Naval Medical Forces Support Command (NMFSC), Rear Adm. Darin Via, Navy Surgeon General, Chief of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), Rear Adm. Rick Freedman, Deputy Surgeon General, Deputy Chief of BUMED, and Rear Adm. Robert Hawkins, Director of the Navy Nurse Corps poses for a photo after a group promotion ceremony at BUMED headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, on December 6, 2023. Brafford, a native of Lebanon, Missouri; Via, a native of Sullivan, Illinois; Freedman, a native of Philadelphia; and Hawkins a native of Liverpool, New York, received U.S. Senate conﬁrmation in their respective ranks and roles on December 5, 2023. (PHOTO BY CHIEF PETTY OFFICER JOHN GRANDIN)

Senate conﬁrms Rear Adm. Darin Via as next Navy Surgeon General By Bumed Pao

U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Rear Adm. Darin Via received U.S. Senate confirmation to become the Navy’s 40th Surgeon General. “I am humbled and honored to lead a team of more than 40,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals who provide enduring expeditionary medical support to Sailors and Marines on, below, and above the sea, and ashore,” Via said. “The work we do across the entire Naval Medical enterprise is vital to our national defense. We directly support warfighter readiness by optimizing the most important weapon system in our arsenal — the human weapon system that fights and wins our nation’s wars. We are integral to a successful military health system working closely with the Defense Health Agency and our sister services to ensure every Sailor, Marine and their families are healthy, ready, and on the job receiving high-quality healthcare in a timely fashion - no matter where they are around the world.” The Naval Medicine Enterprise is led by the Surgeon General of the Navy to fulfill assigned

and delegated duties as the Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery prescribed by Title 10 of the United States Code to include recruiting, organizing, training, and equipping medical personnel of the Department of the Navy (DON). As Navy Surgeon General, Via serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Marine Corps on all health and medical matters, including strategic planning and policy development relating to such matters, directing Risk Management and Clinical Quality Management Programs, exercising DON corporate privileging, and oversight for the Navy and Marine Corps operational medical forces. Via also leads the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, which manages Navy and Marine healthcare policy and global Navy medical research and development, which studies infectious diseases, biodefense, battlefield medicine, and warfighter performance, to increase warfighter medical readiness and survivability. Via is the first anesthesiologist and the first enlisted Corpsman to rise to the position of U.S. Navy Surgeon General.

Via is a qualified Undersea and Diving Medical Officer who served as the department head for Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit Two in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He deployed aboard USNS Comfort (TAH-20) during Operation Noble Eagle and was the department head for Fleet Hospital Three, 1st Force Service Support Group (1st FSSG), at Camp Viper, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was the first commanding officer at NATO’s Role Three, Multinational Medical Unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Additionally, Via served as U.S. Pacific Fleet’s command surgeon, and he was the first Navy medical officer to become command surgeon for U.S. Central Command. Via’s Flag tours include serving as deputy chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for Operations, Plans and Readiness. He was appointed as the first medical flag officer to stand up Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) N44 as the single resource sponsor for expeditionary medical capabilities. He additionally served concurrently as commander of Naval Medical Forces Atlantic and as the senior market manager of the Tidewater Military Health System. Prior to Senate confirmation, Via was the

Navy’s deputy surgeon general and deputy chief of Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. His professional activities include being a certified physician executive and clinical professor of Anesthesiology at Uniformed Services University. He has prior service as an American Board of Anesthesiology Oral Board examiner and has held numerous leadership positions within the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Uniformed Services Society of Anesthesiologists. Via is a native of Sullivan, Illinois. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Millikin University. Via enlisted in the U. S. Navy Reserve in 1985 as a Hospital Corpsman. In 1987 he entered active duty as an Ensign at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Science, where he earned a Doctor of Medicine in 1991. Via completed a Master of Health Care Delivery Science from Dartmouth College in 2014. More information about Navy Medicine and the U.S. Navy Surgeon General is available on the Navy Medicine website at https://www.med. navy.mil or on the command’s Facebook, Instagram, X platform, formerly known as Twitter, or LinkedIn accounts.

Jonathan Rau awarded Architect/ Landscape Architect/Interior Designer of the Year by NAVFAC Atlantic By Michael Morris

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic

In a significant acknowledgment of excellence within Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic, Jonathan Rau, a Registered Architect with Planning, Design and Construction Directorate (PDC) Architecture, has been designated the Architect/Landscape Architect/ Interior Designer of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes Rau’s exceptional contributions and commitment to the NAVFAC mission, reflecting his outstanding expertise and leadership in the field. Rau, who earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech in 2001, has undertaken a professional journey marked by a deep appreciation for design excellence and sustainability. With over fourteen years of experience at NAVFAC, he has demonstrated a profound dedication to projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for service members and their families. Responding to this honor, Rau stated, “The significance of this bestowed honor is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire NAVFAC team. It reflects the support and mentorship I have received over the years and reaffirms my commitment to strive for design excellence on

every project.” Currently overseeing several signiﬁcant projects within the Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central (EURAFCENT) region with a combined program cost of $174 million, Rau’s involvement in the design and management of communication facilities, operations, and maintenance facilities highlights his capability in handling complex and high-value projects. Notably, his early work on the Marine Corps Unaccompanied Housing projects at Marine Corps Installations East (MCI EAST) in his NAVFAC career demonstrates his skill in incorporating quality-of-life design enhancements. Rau’s guiding philosophy in architecture centers on promoting collaboration, innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to the highest standards of quality, functionality, and aesthetics. This approach has played a pivotal role in his successful career, earning him the respect and admiration of his peers and superiors. Rear Adm. Lore Aguayo, Commander of NAVFAC Atlantic and Fleet Civil Engineer and Director, Fleet Installations and Environment, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, commended the awardees, stating, “The unwavering commitment of this year’s awardees to NAVFAC’s mission exempliﬁes the highest standards. Their achievements are nothing short of extraordinary,

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and their dedication to excellence is truly commendable.” Residing in the Hampton Roads area, Rau continues to make a significant impact through his work at NAVFAC, contributing to the development and enhancement of facilities crucial to the U.S. Navy’s mission. His achievements not only highlight his individual prowess but also underscore the collective excellence of the NAVFAC Atlantic team. As a testament to his expertise, Rau holds professional registration as an architect in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This certification, coupled with his wealth of experience and innovative approach to architectural design, has been pivotal in advancing his career and contributing significantly to NAVFAC’s mission. Rau’s commitment extends beyond project work. He serves as the Tri-Service Architectural Criteria Representative, engaging in criteria projects, architectural training, and mentorship across various NAVFAC commands. His efforts in these areas have been instrumental in shaping the future of architectural practices within the organization, demonstrating his dedication to the growth and development of his peers and the broader architectural community. Reflecting on his award, Rau’s humble acknowledgment of the collective effort

behind his success is a hallmark of his leadership style. His belief in collaboration and shared achievement resonates through his work, reinforcing the importance of teamwork in accomplishing complex and impactful projects. As Rau continues to make his mark in the architectural field, his story serves as an inspiration to aspiring architects and designers. His journey from a Virginia Tech graduate to an award-winning architect embodies a relentless pursuit of excellence and a deep commitment to service. Rau’s achievements at NAVFAC Atlantic are not only a personal milestone but also a reflection of the high standards and aspirational goals that the organization upholds in its pursuit of excellence in engineering, architecture, and design. This recognition from NAVFAC Atlantic places Rau among a distinguished group of professionals who have demonstrated exceptional skill, dedication, and innovation in their respective fields. His work continues to have a lasting impact on the built environment, and his recognition as Architect/ Landscape Architect/Interior Designer of the Year stands as a fitting tribute to his remarkable contributions to NAVFAC and the broader architectural community.

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6 The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 1 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

COAMPS® 27-hour forecast, July 5, 2023, over The Yellow Sea of the horizontal visibility at the surface in kilometers (top left figure). Red colors are for fog (less than 1 km, green for mist (between 1 and 2km), blue for haze (between 2 and 10km). Some of the most important factors that affect the visibility are the surface temperature (top right figure), dew point depression (bottom left figure), and difference between the air and water temperature (bottom right figure). Areas of low visibility coincide with cooler water temperature (patches of blue in top right), air being closer to humidity saturation (patches of dark green in bottom left), and air being warmer than the water (patches of red in bottom right). Yellow triangles represent waypoints of a research vessel during the ONR-sponsored FATIMA project field campaign over the Yellow Sea in the June and July 2023, for which NRL Marine Meteorology Division provided COAMPS forecasts. (U.S. NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY/MARINE METEOROLOGY DIVISION)

NRL scientists present latest research ﬁndings at American Geophysical Fall Meeting By Mary Hamisevicz

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

WASHINGTON — U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) scientist, Sasa Gabersek, Ph.D., will present ﬁndings from the Air-Sea Interaction Affecting Fog Formation experiment over the Yellow Sea at this year’s American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco, California, December 11-15. Marine fog affects land, air, and waterbased transportation in coastal regions: reduced visibility makes it challenging to navigate safely and increases risk of collision, traffic congestion, and accidents. Speciﬁcally, military operations related to reduced visibility such as visual observation and target acquisition, logistics and resup-

ply, surveillance and reconnaissance are disrupted. “This project explores fog and turbulence interaction in the atmospheric layer closest to the ocean,” said Gabersek. “The goal is to enhance visibility forecasts for the Navy by identifying current shortcomings and implement improvements by using the measurements gathered during the field experiment.” Dr. Gabersek will deliver the recent results of his experiment to a larger audience and meet in-person with co-investigators for the first time after the field campaign that took place in June and July of 2023 over the Yellow Sea. “The life cycle of the marine fog over the Yellow Sea is a very complex process, where

both oceanic and atmospheric phenomena play important roles,” said Gabersek. He will discuss essential processes at the sea-surface and their effects on fog life-cycle. The next step in the research is to select various fog cases, evaluate forecasts, identify and implement possible improvements, and test them. Over forty NRL scientists and engineers will showcase their research on a wide variety of topics focusing on machine learning, geospace dynamics, and optical gas sensing and ocean predictions systems. This annual event is the most inﬂuential event in the world dedicated to the advancement of Earth and space science to better understand our planet and environment, and our role in preserving its future. It is a results-oriented gathering rooted in cele-

brating and advancing positive individual and collective outcomes. About the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory NRL is a scientific and engineering command dedicated to research that drives innovative advances for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from the seaﬂoor to space and in the information domain. NRL is located in Washington, D.C. with major ﬁeld sites in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Key West, Florida; Monterey, California, and employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers and support personnel. For more information, contact NRL Corporate Communications at (202) 480-3746 or nrlpao@nrl.navy.mil.

NAVFAC MIDLANT awards contract for new NOAA facility onboard Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island By Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic (NAVFAC MIDLANT) awarded SKANSKA USA Civil Northeast Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, a $146,778,932 firm-fixed-price contract for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Marine and Aviation Operations Ship and Support Facility relocation, onboard Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island.

The base contract and four options will be awarded in the amount of $146,778,932. This contract includes nine additional options which, if exercised, would increase the value to $149,950,000. Work will be performed in Newport, Rhode Island, and is expected to be completed by July 2027. Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 operation and maintenance (Navy); FY 2022 Inﬂation Reduction Act (NOAA); and procurement, acquisition, and construction (NOAA) funds in the amount of $146,778,932, will be obligated at

time of award, and $1.2 million expiring at end of current FY. This contract was competitively procured via the www.sam.gov website, with two offers received. NAVFAC MIDLANT is the contracting activity (N40085-24-C-0002). NAVFAC MIDLANT provides facilities engineering, public works and environmental products and services across an area of responsibility that spans from South Carolina to Maine, as far west as Illinois, and down to Indiana. As an integral member of

the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic team, NAVFAC MIDLANT provides leadership through the Regional Engineer organization to ensure the region’s facilities and infrastructure are managed efficiently and effectively. For additional information about NAVFAC MIDLANT on social media, follow our activities on Facebook at www.facebook. com/navfacmidatlantic and on Instagram @ navfacmidatlantic.

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8 The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 1 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

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TO QUALIFY FOR THE REBATE, AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE OR LEASE YOU MUST BE (1) IN CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY STATUS IN THE U.S. MILITARY (NAVY, ARMY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, NATIONAL GUARD, COAST GUARD AND ACTIVE RESERVE) OR A U.S. MILITARY INACTIVE RESERVE (I.E., READY RESERVE) THAT IS PART OF THE INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE, SELECTED RESERVE AND INACTIVE NATIONAL GUARD; OR A RETIREE OF THE U.S. MILITARY, OR A MILITARY VETERAN WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THEIR DISCHARGE DATE; OR A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER OF AN ELIGIBLE U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL, INCLUDING GOLD STAR FAMILY MEMBERS; AND (2) PROVIDE VERIFIABLE PROOF OF MILITARY STATUS OR ACTIVE SERVICE; (3) RECEIVE A SALARY SUFFICIENT TO COVER ORDINARY LIVING EXPENSES AND PAYMENT FOR YOUR NEW VEHICLE; AND (4) RECEIVE CREDIT APPROVAL FROM AND EXECUTE A FINANCE OR LEASE CONTRACT THROUGH A PARTICIPATING TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. NOT ALL APPLICANTS WILL QUALIFY. ON LEASE CONTRACTS, REBATE MUST BE APPLIED TOWARD THE AMOUNT DUE AT LEASE SIGNING OR TOWARD THE CAPITALIZED COST REDUCTION. ON FINANCE CONTRACTS, REBATE MUST BE APPLIED TOWARD THE DOWN PAYMENT. LIMIT ONE REBATE PER FINANCE OR LEASE TRANSACTION PER ELIGIBLE U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL OR ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD MEMBER. OFFER NOT COMBINABLE WITH THE COLLEGE GRADUATE REBATE PROGRAM, AND THE LEASE-END REFI PROGRAM. VEHICLE MUST BE TAKEN OUT OF DEALER STOCK. TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. PROGRAM IS NOT AVAILABLE IN AL, FL, GA, HI, NC, AND SC. REBATE TERMS MAY BE MORE GENEROUS IN YOUR LOCAL AREA. ASK YOUR PARTICIPATING DEALER ABOUT THE MILITARY REBATE TERMS IN YOUR AREA. MUST PAY SALES TAX. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. NOT REDEEMABLE FOR CASH. ©2023 TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES IS A SERVICE MARK USED BY TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT CORPORATION (TMCC). RETAIL INSTALLMENT ACCOUNTS MAY BE OWNED BY TMCC OR ITS SECURITIZATION AFFILIATES AND LEASE ACCOUNTS MAY BE OWNED BY TOYOTA LEASE TRUST (TLT) OR ITS SECURITIZATION AFFILIATES. TMCC IS THE SERVICER FOR ACCOUNTS OWNED BY TMCC, TLT, AND THEIR SECURITIZATION AFFILIATES. YOU MUST MEET ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS: BE IN CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY STATUS IN THE U.S. MILITARY (NAVY, ARMY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, NATIONAL GUARD, COAST GUARD AND ACTIVE RESERVE) OR A U.S. MILITARY INACTIVE RESERVES (I.E., READY RESERVES) THAT ARE PART OF THE INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE, SELECTED RESERVE AND INACTIVE NATIONAL GUARD; OR A MILITARY RETIREE WITHIN TWO YEARS OF RETIREMENT OR HONORABLY DISCHARGED VETERAN OF THE U.S. MILITARY WITHIN TWO YEAR OF THEIR HONORABLE DISCHARGE DATE; OR A HOUSEHOLD MEMBER* OF AN ELIGIBLE U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL; AND PROVIDE VERIFIABLE PROOF OF MILITARY STATUS OR ACTIVE SERVICE AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IN THE FORM OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTATIONS: LEAVE AND EARNING STATEMENT MILITARY IDENTIFICATION CARD VETERANS/RETIREES DD FORM-214 RECEIVE A SALARY SUFFICIENT TO COVER ORDINARY LIVING EXPENSES AND PAYMENTS FOR YOUR TOYOTA BE CREDIT APPROVED BY TFS. *HOUSEHOLD MEMBER(S):- HOUSEHOLD AND/OR FAMILY MEMBER OF THE QUALIFIED MILITARY PERSONNEL LIVING AT THE SAME ADDRESS AS THE QUALIFIED MILITARY PERSONNEL. AN ELIGIBLE SERVICE MEMBER AND HIS OR HER HOUSEHOLD MAY RESIDE IN PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY HOUSING.- GOLD STAR FAMILY MEMBERS ARE FAMILY MEMBERS OF A FALLEN HERO(S) AND ARE ALSO CONSIDERED AS HOUSEHOLD AND/OR FAMILY MEMBER AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM. MUST PROVIDE VERIFIABLE PROOF OF MILITARY STATUS OR ACTIVE SERVICE; OR RETIRED VIA AN ID.ME ACCOUNT AND COMPLETE THE VERIFICATION PROCESS AT A PARTICIPATING TOYOTA DEALER. 23.99% APR FINANCING UP TO 72 MONTHS AVAILABLE TO WELL QUALIFIED BUYERS THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. 72 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $15.64 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY. 3EXCLUDES HYBRIDS. 2.99% APR FINANCING UP TO 72 MONTHS ON FRONT WHEEL DRIVE MODELS AND UP TO 60 MONTHS ON AWD MODELS, AVAILABLE TO WELL QUALIFIED BUYERS THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. 72 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $15.19 AND 60 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $17.96 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY. 42024 CAMRY (EXCLUDES HYBRIDS), 2024 COROLLA (EXCLUDES HYBRIDS & COROLLA CROSS), 2024 GRAND HIGHLANDER (EXCLUDES HYBRIDS), 2024 HIGHLANDER (EXCLUDES HYBRIDS), 2024 RAV4 (EXCLUDES HYBRIDS), 2024 TUNDRA (INCLUDES GAS SR, SR5 AND LIMITED ONLY) ON APPROVED CREDIT, QUALIFIED BUYERS CAN RECEIVE A $1,000 FINANCE INCENTIVE FROM TOYOTA IF VEHICLE IS PURCHASED AND FINANCED THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. INCENTIVE WILL BE APPLIED TO THE DOWN PAYMENT. ONE INCENTIVE PER TRANSACTION. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY. TAKE RETAIL DELIVERY FROM NEW DEALER STOCK BY 1/2/24; SUBJECT TO VEHICLE AVAILABILITY. DEALER FEES ARE EXTRA AND VARY BY DEALER. DEALER SETS FINAL PRICE. OFFER MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH OTHER OFFERS UNLESS SPECIFIED OTHERWISE. VEHICLE SHOWN MAY BE PROTOTYPE AND/OR SHOWN WITH OPTIONS. SEE PARTICIPATING CENTRAL ATLANTIC TOYOTA DEALER FOR DETAILS. OFFERS END 1/2/24. 5TOYOTACARE COVERS NORMAL FACTORY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE FOR TWO YEARS OR 25,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. 24-HOUR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE IS ALSO INCLUDED FOR TWO YEARS AND UNLIMITED MILES. THE NEW VEHICLE CANNOT BE PART OF A RENTAL OR COMMERCIAL FLEET, OR A LIVERY/TAXI VEHICLE. SEE TOYOTA DEALER FOR DETAILS AND EXCLUSIONS. VALID ONLY IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. AND ALASKA. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DOES NOT INCLUDE PARTS AND FLUIDS, EXCEPT EMERGENCY FUEL DELIVERY. 1

www.ﬂagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 2 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

uarterdeck

USS Ronald Reagan frocks 410 Sailors 34 ﬁrst class, 136 second class, and 240 third class petty officers crossed the stage to receive congratulations and frocking letter from Capt. Daryle Cardone. Page B3

WASHINGTON D.C. (December 7, 2023) – Cmdr. Thomas Digan, center left, commanding officer of the future USS Arizona (SSN 803), and ship’s sponsor Nikki Stratton, center right, pose with Arizona submariners during a Pearl Harbor Day ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C., Dec. 7, 2023. Digan and a group of ﬁve Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Arizona submariners traveled from Groton, Connecticut to honor the former USS Arizona (BB 39) on the 82nd anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941. PCU Arizona and crew operate under Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 12 and its primary mission is to provide fast-attack submarines that are ready, willing, and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY CHIEF PETTY OFFICER JOSHUA KARSTEN)

Future submarine USS Arizona honors WWII battleship USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor Day ceremony in D.C. By Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten Submarine Readiness Squadron 32

GROTON, Connecticut — Crewmembers from the future USS Arizona (SSN 803) traveled from Groton, Connecticut, Dec. 7, to the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. and Arlington National Cemetary to honor the former USS Arizona (BB 39) on the 82nd anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Cmdr. Thomas Digan, commanding officer of the pre-commissioning unit (PCU) Arizona, and crew marked their official formation during an establishment-of-command ceremony in October 2023. “We are all very proud to be a part of the next warship named after the Grand Canyon state and look forward to completing this new construction process and eventually take Arizona out to sea to defend America for decades to come,” said Digan during the ceremony. “I look forward to continuing to build Arizona and for us all to take part in Arizona’s ongoing success.” The USS Arizona Legacy Foundation, PCU Arizona’s namesake committee from the state of Arizona, jointly hosted the two-day event with the Navy Memorial

non-profit organization, including an official meet-and-greet with Arizona and D.C. leadership, a screening of an upcoming WWII documentary, a panel discussion, and three wreath-laying ceremonies at the memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. “It’s an honor to be at the Navy Memorial today to help commemorate Pearl Harbor Day,” Digan said. “We’re going to lay a wreath here at the Navy memorial to honor Pearl Harbor Day, and later today, we’re going to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - definitely a special day for us and we’re honored to be taking part both of those events.” PCU Arizona will be the fourth U.S. Navy ship named for the state of Arizona and the first since the battleship Arizona sank in 1941 during the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor remains submerged as the final resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed that day while serving onboard the battleship. “PCU Arizona is the first warship named after the state of Arizona since December 7th, 1941,” Digan added. “It’s been 82 years and we just manned up in July. it’s an honor to just continue that heritage and legacy onboard our submarine.”

Digan’s establishment of command is an integral step in the road to commissioning. The establishment of command followed a keel laying ceremony which took place in December 2022 at Electric Boat’s hull fabrication facility in Quonset Point, RI. The crew ended their U.S. capital visit with a ceremonial wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor the remains of at least 85 Arizona crew members who were recovered but not identified. They were buried as “Unknowns” at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, also known as the Punchbowl Cemetery. Petty Officer 2nd Class Thomas Arbaugh, a nuclear machinist assigned to PCU Arizona, expressed his excitement to participate in the ceremonies, calling a it “tremendous opportunity.” “We are at Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice on December 7th 1941 on the battleship BB39 USS Arizona, Arbaugh said. “I am honored to be here to carry on the legacy of the USS Arizona by serving aboard the PCU Arizona and carrying on the memory and the traditions of BB39.” Nikki Stratton, PCU Arizona’s spon-

sor and granddaughter of the late Donald Stratton, one of the last surviving members of Battleship Arizona, praised the crew for traveling from Groton, saying their presence “adds life to the story of PCU Arizona and BB 39.” “It gives this entire day full meaning knowing that there is now a USS Arizona crew,” Stratton explained. “It shows that we have gone full circle, and the fact that USS Arizona has a crew again after 82 years, is just unbelievable.” The newest Arizona submarine will hold a crew of 135. Digan said the ship is currently manning and training the crew, and are on track to begin nuclear propulsion training next. PCU Arizona is currently being constructed at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Quonset Point, RI. The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine will ultimately join SUBRON 12, one of two submarine squadrons based out of Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn. SUBRON 12’s primary mission is to provide attack submarines that are ready, willing, and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe.

Navy’s humanitarian operations highlighted in new NHHC publication

By Clifford Davis

Naval History and Heritage Command

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD — Recognizing a gap in the modern literature of the U.S. Navy regarding the importance of humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) operations, one Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) historian ﬁlls the void with his latest publication “A Global Force for Good: Sea Services Humanitarian Operations in the Twenty-First Century.” Marking the seventh naval history publication by Dr. John Darrell Sherwood, this new book analyzes the responses of the U.S. Navy and its partners to three of the most destructive disasters in recent history: the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Japan’s triple disaster in 2011. Based on original oral histories with service personnel who participated in these HADR operations through numerous interviews conducted by Dr. Sherwood and a team of naval reservists, studies of humanitarian operations authored by the staff of Center for Naval Analyses, and documents held by NHHC’s archives, Sherwood has crafted a vivid and compelling narrative of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard’s willingness and ability to help civilians in severe distress. “I had contemplated writing a book on humanitarian operations for many years. The initial inspiration came out of my research on the U.S. Navy in Vietnam,” said Sherwood. “During that war, the Navy and its sister sea services conducted numerous humanitarian operations ranging from providing medical support for civilians to massive non-combat evacuation operations.” As many Navy ships are within a few days of steaming distance from areas of the world that are highly prone to natural disasters, the sea services are often a crucial ﬁrst

responder when an ally or partner nation suffers a catastrophic natural disaster — one too big for local authorities to effectively respond to and manage. Sherwood’s first example highlights the third largest earthquake since instrument recording began in 1900: the 9.1 magnitude Indonesian earthquake and tsunami that struck the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, and other countries on Dec. 26, 2004. The effects of the tsunami caused widespread death and destruction, with over 167,000 people killed in Sumatra, Indonesia alone. Waves reached up to 98 feet (30 meters) in areas, destroying entire villages and towns. To provide HADR support to stricken areas, the U.S. launched ‘Operation Unified Assistance.’ Within days of the disaster, Carrier Strike Group Nine (CGS 9), which included the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), was dispatched to the providence of Aceh in northern Sumatra. Just two days behind CSG Nine was an expeditionary strike group led by USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). A special Marine Air Ground Task Force and the hospital ship USNS Mercy rendered medical and engineering support, subsistence, and extensive debris removal. “Forward presence in the Western Pacific was a key enabler for the U.S. Navy’s response during the critical early days of the crisis when such basic needs as food, water, and emergency medical support were in critical demand,” said Turn to New NHHC Publication, Page 4 Cover image: Sailors assigned to Carrier Air Wing 2 and Abraham Lincoln carry rice sacks to a waiting MH-60SSeahawk helicopter at Meulaboh, Indonesia, in support of Operation Unified Assistance. (PHOTOGRAPHER’S MATE AIRMAN JORDON R. BEESLEY, USN)

The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 2 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

Q: What types of family housing are available? A: There are three types of housing available to families:

Hon. Nickolas H. Guertin speaks about his experience in community college during an interview with U.S. Naval Community College. The United States Naval Community College is the official community college for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. To get more information about USNCC, visit www.usncc.edu. (U.S. NAVY GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SENIOR CHIEF MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST XANDER GAMBLE)

USNCC interviews Honorable Nickolas H. Guertin about community college experience By Senior Chief Petty Officer Alexander Gamble U.S. Naval Community College

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Honorable Nickolas H. Guertin, director of Operational Test and Evaluation for the Department of Defense, started his educational career as an enlisted Sailor in the submarine force. “I realized that, for me, I was going to be writing a lot as part of my future profession, whatever it was going to be, and that having a better handle on being able to write would be important to my future,” said Guertin during a sit-down interview in the Pentagon. He also said he needed to work on his math skills, so he took Calculus as well while his ship was undergoing decommissioning. When he initially applied to a four-year degree program, “honestly, my high school transcript wasn’t all that great,” he said, “and so I didn’t get accepted into the college of my choice.” Having taken some classes at community college and seeing how they had a pre-established pathway to a four-year degree, Guertin decided he would ﬁnish his associate degree at community college. As with Guertin’s experience of having a two-year school with an agreement to go into a four-year degree, U.S. Naval Community College also has pre-established pathways to four-year degrees with its partner institutions. USNCC operates in consortium with partner institutions like Arizona State University, Western Governors University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and University of Maryland Global Campus that offer follow-on bachelor’s degrees with little to no loss of credit. In addition to these schools, USNCC also partners with two-year schools like Alexandria Technical & Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Tidewater Community College that have agreements with other universities for pathways to four-year degrees with little to no loss of credit. This allows today’s Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen the same opportunity for lifelong learning Guertin experienced when he was younger. Part of Guertin’s inspiration to go to college was his father. “He enlisted during the Korean War,” said Guertin. “It was an aspect of his evolution as a person that I held in high esteem, and so I wanted to do that, too.” His other inspiration was to have the practical

needs met for employment as he projected himself into a new future. “Because I was an older student, sometimes the younger kids would look to some of the older students for a little bit of help,” Guertin said as he recounts positive experiences from his community college days. Much like Guertin was able to interact with students of varying backgrounds, the Naval Community College offers degree programs to students E-1 to E-9. This means that lance corporals and third class petty officers are in class with senior chief petty officers and sergeants major, providing a cross-cut of military experience and understanding while discussing naval-relevant topics such as naval ethics and leadership or naval force design. This shared naval experience allows everyone the opportunity to learn from each other in an open-dialogue environment with small class sizes. While Guertin had a positive experience in community college, there were challenges he had to overcome as well. “I enlisted in the Carter administration,” he said. “The education beneﬁts weren’t what they are today, so self-funding college was not a straight-forward thing to do.” Halfway through his education, he said he ran out of money and took a job at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard where he was able to take his naval experience and apply it to some of the ships he had worked on as a Sailor. This helped him raise the money he needed to get back to school. While the academics are still challenging as they were for Guertin, USNCC fully funds its students to take courses. This means that USNCC students will have their tuition, books, and course fees covered so that the students can focus on advancing their education. “When, when I was in the ﬂeet, I was very interested in this big, complicated machinery called a submarine and I wanted to learn a lot,” he said. When he was the engineering department log yeoman as a second class petty officer, he self-studied and came to the realization that he could take a shot at qualifying engineering watch supervisor, a senior watchstanding position. “The study skills I got out of just the formal training part before getting to sea, and then the extra effort I did in order to improve my skills, my ability to support the crew in a different leadership position in the powerplant was something

else that I think was helpful to being successful when it actually came to going to college.” After he finished his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Guertin pursued a Masters of Business Administration. “As I progressed as a professional, it became clear that the technical part of it was really only half the problem,” Guertin said. “As a budding acquisition professional, I wanted to be a part of the other half of the conversation.” This let him marry up the technical knowledge of equipment with the people skills of business to become more effective in all aspects of his profession. He said he couldn’t have gotten through all of that without his first successful experience with community college. “I realized I could do it.” When asked about Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen attending USNCC, Guertin said, “First of all, the way I went through it was the hard way.” This is because he was attending courses in person at night, doing correspondence courses while at sea, and was self-funding his educational journey which required taking time off to rebuild his finances in the middle. He did join the Navy reserves after his time on active duty, and he said, “The benefits are fantastic!” However, he said, “If that resource is available, and you’re already in uniform, taking advantage of it to prepare yourself for the next phase of your career, it, again, is a no-brainer.” USNCC offers several degree options for Sailors and Marines looking to advance their own naval careers. These degrees include embedded professional credentials and the Naval Studies Certificate as the core of each degree program. The Naval Studies Certificate is a five-course, 15-credit program that develops the critical thinking, analytical inquiry, and other 21st-century skills that make for more agile, innovative, and adaptable enlisted leaders. Guertin encourages Sailors and Marines to pursue their education because it makes the Department of the Navy stronger. He said, “The nation gets stronger when our Sailors and Marines get stronger — mentally and emotionally.” The United States Naval Community College is the official community college for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. To get more information about USNCC, visit www.usncc.edu.

Great Lakes Gold Star event commemorates fallen service members

By Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Montemarano

Naval Station Great Lakes Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill. — Maura Bradshaw, Navy Gold Star coordinator, coordinated an event with Chris Ponchak, Great Lakes Navy Exchange manager, to recognize Navy Gold Star families in the Midwest with a Holiday Memorial Tree in the front entrance of the Navy Exchange at Burkey Mall on Dec. 7. Cmdr. Terry Traweek, Naval Station Great Lakes executive officer, spoke at a short ceremony on Thursday during which Sailors decorated the tree with photos memorializing Sailors who died on active duty.

“The holiday season can be can be rough for Gold Star Families,” said Traweek. “Oftentimes, holiday family traditions stop or feel incomplete. This event offers an opportunity for families to create a tradition to honor the memory of their service members.” Bradshaw works with approximately 600 Gold Star family members. After the remarks, ﬁve Sailors from Naval Station Great Lakes decorated the tree to honor their shipmates who had passed on. One by one, the Sailors read the names of the fallen on each ornament and solemnly hung them on the tree. The tree will be on display throughout the holiday season. The Navy Gold Star program was estab-

YOUR PERFECT

JOB IS WAITING

lished to help provide continuing support for surviving family members of fallen service members. The program honors Gold Star Families throughout the year by hosting events that pay tribute to their lost loved ones, providing resources and opportunities to connect with one another and to their greater Navy family. For more about the program, go to https:// www.navygoldstar.com/. For more news from Naval Station Great Lakes, visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/ NSGLPA or www.facebook.com/NavalStationGreatLakes.

Search jobs. Post your resume. Stand out from the crowd.

careers.tribpub.com

Public/Private Venture (PPV) Housing is also referred to as privatized housing in the Navy. The Navy partnered with different private management companies to provide housing to Service Members. These companies are responsible for the construction, renovation, maintenance and day-to-day management of the housing. PPV housing may be located on or off government property and in most cases will be former military housing. Government Owned (also known as Military Housing or Navy Managed Housing is what was formerly called on-base housing. While only available in limited quantities CONUS, Government Owned Housing is still widely available OCONUS. Community Housing is any housing that a Service Member may choose that is not PPV or government operated. This is housing outside of the base that is privately owned and operated.

NAVY HOUSING

Norfolk: 757.445.2832 JEBLCFS: 757.462.2792 Oceana/Dam Neck: 757.433.3268 Yorktown: 757.847.7806

Mid-Atlantic Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSC) programs and services are designed to help you make the most of your military experience, and they’re all available to you at no cost. FUNCTIONS AND/OR SERVICES FFSC PROVIDES: ClinicalCounseling – Individual, Couples and Child Counseling Personal Financial Management Information & Referral Family Employment Assistance Transition Assistance Family Advocacy Program Deployment and Mobilization Support Ombudsman Support Relocation Assistance Parenting Programs Stress and Anger Management Command Support Crisis Support Suicide Prevention SAPR Support

www.ﬂagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 2 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

Junior Sailor of the Quarter: Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Johnson By Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Montemarano

Naval Station Great Lakes Public Affairs

GREAT LAKES, Ill. — Naval Station Great Lakes announced their Sailors of the Quarter for fourth quarter FY23. Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Johnson, from Cleveland, Ohio, was named Junior Sailor of the Quarter for Great Lakes. Johnson is Great Lakes’ religious ministries department leading petty officer. He has been in the Navy for 12 years and aboard Great Lakes for one year. “It is quite an honor to be recognized as Naval Station Great Lake’s Junior Sailor of the Quarter,” said Johnson. “It shows the selﬂess work and dedication that you put in throughout the command to get the mission accomplished. It’s a reﬂection of your leadership and unwavering support to your fellow Sailors to perform your job day in and day out with sheer professionalism.” Johnson’s day to day job as a religious program specialist is to provide morale, welfare, and support to Navy Chaplains in developing programs to meet the needs of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel and their families. Religious program specialists also provide physical security for the Chaplains in combat environments. “My favorite part of the job is the lives you touch and the connections you make through networking being a religious program specialist as our rate is one of the smallest in the Navy, but it is the fellowship among your peers that creates a bond that is shared throughout the United States Navy and beyond,” said Johnson. For more news from Naval Station Great Lakes, visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/NSGLPA or www.facebook.com/ NavalStationGreatLakes. GREAT LAKES, Il. (Nov. 29, 2023) Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Johnson-Gholson was selected as the Naval Station Great Lakes Junior Sailor of the Quarter, 4th Quarter. Opened in 1911, NSGL is the Navy’s largest training installation and the home of the Navy’s only Boot Camp. Located on over 1600 acres overlooking Lake Michigan, the installation includes 1,153 buildings with 39 on the National Register of Historic Places. NSGL supports over 50 tenant commands and elements as well as over 20,000 Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and DoD civilians who live and work on the installation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joseph E. MONTEMARANO)

USS Ronald Reagan frocks 410 Sailors

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Dec. 8, 2023) Sailors stand in formation during a frocking ceremony in the hangar bay of the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), while in-port Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Dec. 8. Ronald Reagan promoted 410 petty officers from the September 2023 Navy-wide Advancement Exam. Ronald Reagan, the ﬂagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the United States, and supports alliances, partnerships and collective maritime interests in the Indo-Paciﬁc region. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 3RD CLASS HEATHER MCGEE)

By Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Brown USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)

YOKOSUKA, Japan — Four-hundred ten Sailors assigned to the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), were frocked to the next rank during a promotion ceremony in the ship’s hangar bay, Dec. 8. Thirty-four first class, 136 second class, and 240 third class petty officers crossed the stage to receive congratulations and frocking letter from Capt. Daryle Cardone, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer. “We had the most advancements of any aircraft carrier,” Cardone said. “I just want to say thank you to every Sailor in this room who led trainings, studied hard and put the time in and did the work. Today is evidence that those things pay off.” Frocking ceremonies authorize Sailors selected for promotion to assume the title and insignia of the next rank before their official advancement, and along with them, a higher level of responsibility. “I’m excited to lead Sailors the way I wanted to be led,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Aircraft Handling) 2nd Class Hunter Rose, who was frocked at the ceremony. “I plan to lead by example and treat my shipmates with respect in order to get respect back.” Frocking originates from the Age of Sail, when news of promotions would take months to arrive to ships at sea. Newly-promoted petty officers would often depart to their new duty station, creating a vacancy. Captains would then recommend a remaining officer for promotion, giving them their predecessor’s frock coat, along with the duties and responsibilities of their rank before the advancement was official. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations with 35 maritime nations in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates.

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PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Sailors from one of Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola’s tenant commands observe a moment of silence during the Pensacola-area Chief Petty Officer Association (PACPOA)-led Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony Dec. 7 at Barrancas National Cemetery. More than 2,400 Sailors, Soldiers and civilians were killed and an estimated 1,000 wounded during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. (OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTOS BY GARRETT DIPUMA)

NAS Pensacola-area Chief Petty Officers host Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony By Naval Air Station Pensacola PENSACOLA, Fla. — More than 150 service members, civilian employees and retirees participated in a Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremony Dec. 7 onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola designed to acknowledge and pay respect to the men and women killed and injured during the attack at Pearl Harbor. Pensacola-area Chief Petty Officer Association (PACPOA) along with members from the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) and American Legion, led attendees in acknowledging the more than 2,400 Sailors, Soldiers and civilians killed and the estimated 1,000 wounded during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. The ambush also damaged or destroyed 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes while also destroying dry docks and airﬁelds. “Less and less survivors are alive today from the attack 82 years ago,” said Chief Navy Counselor (ret.) Gordon Daly,

the guest speaker at the event. “Our goal for these annual Pearl Harbor Remembrance ceremonies is now to teach our currently serving men and women our history. The legacy of those who came before us is what needs to propel our traditions and keep those men and women in our hearts and minds.” The ceremony, held immediately following morning colors, included a prayer and two-bell ceremony, as well as a poem describing the National Ensign, ‘A Toast to the Flag,’ penned by journalist John Jay Daly, was read by a PACPOA representative. NAS Pensacola, referred to as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center (NATTC), Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and is the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Chief Petty Officers observe a moment of silence during the Pensacola-area Chief Petty Officer Association (PACPOA)-led Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony Dec. 7 at Barrancas National Cemetery.

and even the Superdome, which had the ongoing JSDF efforts, which lead to the of water and 17 million pounds of food, New NHHC Publication streets, become a makeshift shelter for thousands of largest combined operation in the modern performed 1,000 surgeries, treated more from Page 1

Sherwood. “We had no military relationship with Indonesia and yet the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) quickly linked up and executed a complex, combined operation.” The Navy’s accomplishments in the Indonesian incident are numerous as ‘Operation Unified Assistance’ was a model of HADR; the Navy delivered over 5.8 million pounds of food, water, and other urgently needed supplies to disaster victims. The effectiveness of the relief provided by the Navy and its partners in the other services would set the two countries on a path towards reconciliation, improving diplomatic and military ties that extends to present day. “Operation Unified Assistance greatly improved diplomatic as well as military-to-military relations between the United States and Indonesia,” continued Sherwood. “It became the inspiration for the Navy’s recruitment slogan in 2009 and also the title of this book.” The next example Sherwood discusses is Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest and most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history. Making landfall on the Gulf Coast in the early hours of Aug. 29, 2005, it devastated the city of New Orleans and surrounding communities with storm surges breaching levees, and flooding much of the city. It left thousands of people trapped and stranded, killed over 1,800 people, and caused an estimated $125 billion in damages. In response, the U.S. government launched Joint Task Force (JTF) Katrina, one of the most extensive HADR operations in its history, directly coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but also involving many other government and state entities such as the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban. Development, National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Navy. The Navy played a vital role in the Federal military response to Hurricane Katrina. Within days of the storm, 12 Navy warships, nine logistic ships from Military Sealift Command (MSC), 68 naval aircraft, and 10,000 Sailors responded to the disaster to focus on three main areas: search and rescue, medical assistance, and logistical support. The warships included the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), the amphibious assault ships USS Bataan (LHD 5) and USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), landing platform dock ship USS Shreveport (LPD 12), landing dock ships USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46). These ship’s and aircrews helped deliver approximately 2.2 million pounds of food, water, and other essential supplies, medically evacuate or rescue over 1,700 people, and transported another 8,512 people from rooftops, flooded

people displaced by the storm. history for the JSDF. Other ships like the mine countermeaThe Navy’s response to the operation sures ships USS Defender (MCM 2) and was swift and comprehensive. The Ronald USS Gladiator (MCM 11), coaster mine- Regan Carrier Strike Group (CSG 5) — led hunter USS Falcon (MCH 59), and rescue by the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan and salvage ship USS Grapple (ARS 53), (CVN 76), cruiser USS Chancellorsville conducted survey operations and removed (CG 62), guided missile destroyer USS debris from shipping channels and major Preble (DDG 88), and fast combat support waterways. Naval ships also served as ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) — was on floating hotels and logistics providers for routine deployment when the strike group other first responders, while naval shore changed course in the Western Pacific Ocean facilities served as bases for many of the and arrived on the Japanese coast the next 2,600 Marines and other service members day. Other ships like the aircraft carrier USS deployed to the region — federal, state, and George Washington (CVN 73), amphibious local responders and government person- assault ships USS Essex (LHD 2) and USS nel. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), landing heli(NAS JRB) New Orleans served as one of copter assault ship USS America (LHA 6), the most significant staging bases for Coast and amphibious command ship USS Blue Guard search and rescue operations, while Ridge (LCC 19) came to assist in the HADR Seabee’s from Naval Construction Battalion operations. Shore-based aircraft from NAS Center Gulfport, Mississippi, cleared 750 Atsugi and Naval Air Facility Misawa, along miles of roadway, removing 20,000 tons of with Seabee’s and salvage units also assisted. debris and obstrucThese forces assisted tions, rebuilt 130 with the JSDF, which schools and public deployed 106,000 buildings, and personnel, 60 ships, erected tent camps and 500 aircraft for for displaced resithe operation, named dents. Overall, the ‘JTF-Tohoku’ by the Navy’s response to JSDF. Hurricane Katrina The overall U.S. was a success story support, on behalf of and a testament to the Navy’s response to its capabilities and ‘Operation Tomodacommitment to chi,’ was also impresserving the Amersive. At the peak of ican people. the operation, over The last human24,000 Sailors, 24 itarian mission ships, and 190 aircraft S h e r w o o d participated in delivexplores in the Download a copy of this book by using your ering over 260 tons of book discusses the smart devise’s camera to scan the QR code. supplies to the Japaevents of March nese people, including 11, 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake 189 tons of food, 2 million gallons of water, struck off the northeast coast of Honshu, and ample supplies of medicine. The Navy’s Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami that missions also included search and rescue/ ravaged a 200 square-mile swath of Japan’s recovery, logistical support, ocean and port eastern coastline within 30 minutes. With surveys, salvage operations, and infrastrucwaves reaching over 130 feet, the tsunami ture restoration. swept ashore, engulfing entire towns and “Operation Tomodachi demonstrated the cities, leaving a trail of destruction in its enduring value of the American presence wake, killing over 19,000 people, displac- in Japan to a citizenry often skeptical of the ing over 500,000 more, and causing an esti- military,” said Sherwood. “It also validated mated $234 billion in damages. Japan’s own armed forces, which led the In response, the U.S. Armed Forces and combined operation and contributed the Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF) launched most personnel to the effort.” ‘Operation Tomodachi’ (translated as ‘OperOne instance of HADR operations that ation Friend’). With forward-deployed Sherwood notes he regrets not including in Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force person- this book due to the vast amount of infornel at sea and stationed at various shore- mation is, “Operation Unified Response,” a based commands throughout Japan, the massive, multi-agency joint response to a 7.0 U.S. military immediately volunteered its magnitude earthquake that struck the island resources to the JSDF. The United States nation of Haiti in January 2010. Together, served as coordinating entity for much of with support from the other services, the the operation, striving to provide unique Navy and the Marine Corps evacuated 16,412 capabilities to enhance and compliment U.S. citizens, delivered over 2.6 million liters

than 9,000 patients, and reopened the international airport and port facilities. The U.S. Navy’s successful response to the natural disasters and humanitarian crises in Indonesia, New Orleans and surrounding areas, and Japan highlighted the sea service’s unique and extraordinary ability to carry out such operations in the 21st twenty-first century. Operations Unified Assistance and Operation Tomodachi, along with the Navy’s participation in JTF Katrina, saved countless lives and alleviated mass human suffering. They restored vital infrastructure in disaster-affected regions, mitigated negative consequences of these disasters, showcased unique naval capabilities, and underscored the value of the sea services for citizens, policymakers, and foreign partners. For the Navy itself, the dedication and professionalism of its personnel to assist those in need, raised morale throughout the ranks and provided invaluable training in a range of military-related missions and skillsets. “I want to encourage Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen to read this book not only to learn about humanitarian operations but to hear the stories of the service personnel who participated in these operations,” said Sherwood. “For me, the highlight of this project was interviewing those who served and hearing their amazing stories…these stories breathe life into the narrative, making it a true story and not simply a dry study.” To download a 508-compliant PDF format of the book, visit https://www.history. navy.mil/research/publications/publications-by-subject/global-force-for-good.html or scan the QR code below. To check out other digital publications from NHHC, visit https://www.history. navy.mil/research/publications.html. Additionally, many of these publications can be purchased as hardbound copies via the Government Publishing Office Bookstore by visiting https://bookstore.gpo.gov. The Naval History and Heritage Command, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. Naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus. For more news from Naval History and Heritage Command, visit www.history. navy.mil.

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CAVELLOSIM, India - (Nov. 7, 2023) – A West-Coast based Naval Special Warfare Operator conducts aerial sniper training with an Indian Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) Operator from a CH-3 Sea King assigned to the Indian Marine Commando Flight during a joint training exercise. Naval Special Warfare is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conﬂict. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS CHELSEA D. MEILLER) ABOVE RIGHT: U.S. Naval Special Warfare operators and an Indian Marine Commando Force Operator conduct demolition exercises during a joint training exercise. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Indian MARCOS, U.S. Navy SEALS conduct joint training exchange By Petty Officer 1st Class Chelsea Meiller

Naval Special Warfare Group One

A U.S. Navy SEAL Team conducted a joint training exchange with the Indian Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) from Oct. 20 to Nov. 11, 2023. The combined tactical training, which built upon the partner nation’s collective maritime capabilities and long-standing partnership, included a focus on maritime interdiction operations, close quarters

combat training, tactical combat casualty care and casualty evacuation procedures. “Working with our partners in the Indian MARCOS was an enlightening experience,” said a U.S. Naval Special warfare operator. “Strengthening partnerships and being able to connect operator to operator is always our focus, and we were able to do just that throughout this exercise.” The exercise helped to strengthen the U.S. and India’s strong strategic partnership and highlighted both countries commitment to a free and open Indo-Paciﬁc.

CAVELLOSIM, India - (Nov. 7, 2023) – U.S. Naval Special Warfare operators conduct fast rope training with a CH-3 Sea King assigned to the Indian Marine Commando Flight during a joint training exercise. Naval Special Warfare is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conﬂict. (COURTESY PHOTO)

As part of the training, the partner forces conducted multiple target assault iterations and maritime interdiction operations. The joint exchange culminated in two full-mission profiles -¬ one direct-action raid and one maritime-interdiction operation. U.S. special operations forces provide flexible response to contingencies in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. Integral to this capability is a forward-deployed posture and continuous engagement with partner and ally forces, furthering mutual interoperability and expanding regional expertise.

The U.S. and India have a rich history of cooperation on a wide range of diplomatic issues, including defense, non-proliferation, counterterrorism, peace-keeping, agriculture, education and more. Naval Special Warfare is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conﬂict.

CAVELLOSIM, India - (Nov. 7, 2023) – U.S. Naval Special Warfare operators conduct medical evacuation training with a CH-3 Sea King assigned to the Indian Marine Commando Flight during a joint training exercise. Naval Special Warfare is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conﬂict. (COURTESY PHOTO)

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PHILIPPINE SEA (Nov. 8, 2023) A CMV-22B Osprey, attached to VRM-30 Titans, lands on the ﬂight deck aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), during ﬂight operations in support of the Multi-Large Deck Event (MLDE) with the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) First-in-class helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga (DDH 181), in the Philippine Sea, Nov. 8. CMV-22B Osprey squadrons were established to begin the Navy’s transition from the C-2A Greyhound as the aircraft for providing logistics support to aircraft carriers. Ronald Reagan is participating in the bilateral MLDE, which features the ships and aircraft of JMSDF Escort Flotilla 3, as well as the U.S. Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 1 and Carrier Strike Group 5. MLDE is a multi-domain event that grows the already strong partnership and interoperability that exists between the JMSDF and U.S. Navy today. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS KEYLY SANTIZO)

Pentagon, Services coordinating on operational stand-down of Osprey ﬂeet By Joseph Clark DOD News

The Defense Department office that oversees the military’s tiltrotor aircraft program is coordinating with the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps as they conduct an operational standdown of all CV-22 Osprey variants, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said today. Singh said the decision by the services to ground their platforms was taken out of an abundance of caution as the Air Force continues its investigation following last

week’s CV-22A Osprey mishap off the shore of Yakushima Island, Japan that killed eight airmen. She added that the decision by each of the services to conduct the operational standdown reﬂects the priority Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has placed on operational safety. “The secretary fully supports the services and their [decision], out of an abundance of caution, to stand these aircraft down,” she said. Singh added that while there “will always be an inherent risk in military aviation,” DOD

consistently strives to mitigate that risk. “We will continue to maintain a high level of operational standardization for all of our pilots and all of our crew,” she said. She said each service will determine guidelines for resuming ﬂight operations in coordination with the DOD’s V-22 joint program office after conducting operational safety investigations within their ﬂeets. The Air Force Special Operations Command is leading the investigation into last week’s mishap. Singh echoed Austin’s condolences for the family and loved ones of the service

members who were lost in the crash. “The entire Department of Defense mourns alongside the families and the loved ones of those who lost their lives today in the service of their country,” Austin said in a statement this week. “My heart also goes out to those who were serving alongside these brave men and women in Japan.” Singh added that the department is grateful to the Japanese government for their assistance in the search and recovery efforts. “We will continue to work with them on sharing information and safety procedures during the investigation,” she said.

Top DOD Acquisition Official: Forged partnerships provide momentum for bolstering Ukraine industrial base By Joseph Clark DOD News

The partnerships forged among allies and partners have paved the path toward bolstering Ukraine’s defense industrial base for the long term, the Pentagon’s top acquisition official said this week. William A. LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, met with industry and government officials from the U.S., Ukraine and other allies during the two-day Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Conference co-hosted by the White House, and the departments of Commerce and Defense in Washington. As he kicked off a series of panel discussions, LaPlante said U.S. and Ukrainian allies and partners could draw from previous success in rallying together as they look to shore up Ukraine’s ability to produce critical military equipment domestically. Key among those accomplishments has been the establishment of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which LaPlante noted has rallied a coalition of close to 50 allies since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The coalition has helped guide nearly $80 billion in combined security assistance. LaPlante also noted the formation of National Armaments Directors under the auspices of the contact group, which aims to synchronize international efforts to overcome industrial base and sustainment challenges in support of Ukraine. “To date, the group’s efforts have helped increase production of critical munitions and interceptors around the globe, establish repair facilities, translate technical manuals, deliver spare parts, and most importantly, get contracts awarded to our partners in industry,” LaPlante said. He said those efforts have increasingly focused on Ukraine’s long-term success, including efforts to increase its domestic production of munitions and development of a sustainment strategy. That strategy will cover a range of issues including maintenance, repair and overhaul of equipment; expansion of, and training for, logistics information technology systems; and availability of technical data packages for spare parts. “As we look toward the future, the lessons learned from the NAD [National Armaments Directors] forum can serve [as] a blueprint for what comes next after the discussions here this week,” he said. Among those lessons is the need to unite around concrete, practical objectives for Ukraine’s domestic industrial base, LaPlante said. “That means establishing speciﬁc targets for production numbers. It means awarding contracts. And it means thinking creatively

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III delivers remarks at the Ukraine Defense Industrial Base Summit, Dec. 6, 2023. The conference is part of the U.S. government’s efforts to signiﬁcantly increase weapons production to support Ukraine’s ﬁght for freedom and security. (DOD PHOTO BY CHAD J. MCNEELEY)

and collaboratively to enable successful execution,” he said. “Whether working through intellectual property access, export control regulations, or mechanisms for greater co-development, co-production and co-sustainment, we have to dive into the hard conversations and ﬁnd a way forward together,” he added. This week’s conference provided a critical forum for stakeholders to begin plotting a path forward to reach those objectives. On Wednesday, U.S. and Ukrainian officials signed a statement of intent on exploring the co-production of critical weapons and on prioritizing technical and data exchange to address the urgent needs of Ukraine’s armed forces. Other discussions at the conference included areas of potential collaboration among the U.S. and Ukrainian governments and industry partners on ways to advance best practices that can lead to long-term success, as well as increased investments in Ukraine’s defense sector. Speaking during the opening session, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin

underscored the importance of bolstering Ukraine’s ability to produce critical military equipment domestically in order to maintain lasting freedom and sovereignty within its borders. “Together with our allies and partners, we must continue working to help Ukraine repel Russian forces today and build a future force for Ukraine that can deter Russian aggression in the years to come,” he said. “That will mean strengthening Ukraine’s defense industrial base, both to maintain Ukraine’s current war effort and to bolster Ukraine’s national strength and deterrence long into the future.” LaPlante said the conference is an important step in working toward an “end-state of [the] Ukrainian industrial base that can meet immediate operational needs, foster the strengthening and expansion of Ukraine’s future force, and contribute signiﬁcantly to the growth of Ukraine’s economy.” In the coming weeks, LaPlante said he looks forward to further discussions and to partnering with government agencies and industry to accomplish those goals.

Among the interagency pathways is a newly announced Ukraine Deal Team comprising representatives from the Defense, Commerce and State departments focused on helping U.S. companies access Ukrainian markets. “This deal team will deploy all available U.S. government tools, including resources and expertise, to help U.S. companies compete and succeed in the Ukrainian defense industry,” said Penny Pritzker, the U.S. special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery. LaPlante said it was critical that the allies and partners continue the progress in helping Ukraine. “Just as the National Armaments Directors have demonstrated a unique ability to drive meaningful action through the UDCG, the group gathered here today must do the same through collaboration and cooperation,” he said. “Our support to the brave people of Ukraine remains unwavering, and I hope we are all ready to roll up our sleeves and maintain this momentum,” he said.

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On iberty

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OVO — a buzzing Cirque du Soleil spectacular — is coming to Norfolk! Press Release NORFOLK, Va. — Cirque du Soleil is thrilled to announce its return to Norfolk with its newly revisited high-energy and high-acrobatic production OVO. An exciting Cirque du Soleil experience, OVO is a colorful intrusion into a new day in the life of insects; a non-stop riot of energy and movement. Through show-stopping acrobatics highlighting the unique personalities and abilities of selected insect species, OVO explores the beauty of biodiversity in all its contrasts and vibrancy. For its relaunch in 2022, three new acts and new characters were incorporated to the joyful OVO colony to delight audiences of all ages. OVO will perform in Norfolk from June 13 — 16 at Scope Arena. Tickets on sale now at The Scope Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.The Scope Arena box office is located in the Scope parking garage at 201 E. Brambleton Ave, Norfolk, VA 23510. It is currently open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit sevenvenues.com/events or call 757.664.6464. Performance Schedule 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 13 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 15 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 15 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 16

(PHOTO BY VLAD LORENZO)

About OVO: From mighty crickets bouncing off trampolines to a hypnotic spider contorting inside her web, OVO exudes extraordinary showmanship to

tickle the imagination. Funny and chaotic, yet adorable and wonderful, OVO charms our inner child with its sweet exuberance. Comprised of 100 people from 25 different

countries, including 52 artists, OVO (“egg” in Portuguese) brings to the stage highlevel acrobatic acts redeﬁning the limits of the human body. Since its opening in Montreal in 2009, OVO has thrilled more than 7 million people in over 160 cities and close to 30 different countries. About Cirque Du Soleil Entertainment Group: Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is a world leader in live entertainment. In addition to producing world-renowned circus arts shows, the Company brings its creative approach to a large variety of entertainment forms, such as multimedia productions, immersive experiences, and special events. Going beyond its various creations, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group aims to positively impact people, communities and the planet with its most important tools: creativity and art. Since its creation in 1984, more than 378 million people have been inspired on 6 continents and 86 countries. The Canadian company now employs more than 4000 employees, including 1200 artists from 80 different nationalities. For more information about Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, please visit CDSentertainmentgroup.com. Follow #OVOCirque and #cirquedusoleil on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok

Bring your pup to Barks & Bulbs every Sunday in December at Norfolk Botanical Garden

Press Release

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Botanical Garden’s (NBG) Dominion Energy Garden of Lights: Walk the Garden Aglow is open now through December 31 beginning at 5:00 p.m. nightly. With more Value Nights than ever before, enjoy a leisurely walk through the award-winning lights. Back by popular demand this holiday season, bring your canine best friend to enjoy the lights for Barks & Bulbs every Sunday in December! For those with mobility issues, NBG also is offering more mobility options with its Mobility Shu2le through the month of December. Shuttles depart behind the Visitor Center at 5PM on Value and select Premium Nights for those who need assistance exploring the lights. Call guest services at (757) 441-5830 ext. 0 for more information and to reserve a ticket. This is NBG’s 29th year lighting up your holiday season! Immerse yourself in more than 1.5 million twinkling lights — a magical experience like no other in Coastal Virginia. There are more lights and more surprises! Look for illuminating color-changing trees, the sparkling Conifer Garden and NBG’s historical NATO tower drenched in lights. Plus, walk through the Mega Tree - a great place to take a holiday selfie #NBGLights. Complement your magical experience by purchasing a cup of hot cocoa or a holiday treat to enjoy during your walk from our food trucks on site, Bear House Coffee Roasters and Duck Donuts. Over 100,000 guests enjoyed the NBG holiday light extravaganza in 2022, voted one of the Best Botanical Garden Lights Displays in the country by USA/Today 10Best Contest. NBG was recently recognized by simplemost as one of the 12 magical Christmas destinations to add to your holiday bucket list. Keep the good times glowing, become an NBG member and save the most on tickets and enjoy the Garden in every season. All proceeds help NBG fulfill their mission as a non-profit organization. About Norfolk Botanical Garden: Norfolk Botanical Garden, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit suppor5ng our community, represents an oasis of more than 65 themed gardens encompassing 175 beautiful acres. From stunning plant collections to WOW - World of Wonders: A Children’s Adventure Garden, this diverse natural beauty can be explored by tram, boat, or walking tours. The Garden is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, recognized as a Virginia Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Virginia Green attraction. It is managed by Norfolk Botanical Garden, Inc. in partnership with the City of Norfolk. The mission of Norfolk Botanical Garden is to immerse visitors in a world of beauty, lead through environmental action, and inspire through education and connection to nature. For more information, visit www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org

(PHOTOS COURTESY NORFOLK BOTANICAL GARDEN)

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The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 3 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

Community SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS, NEWS AND PHOTOS

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Pictured (L - R): Britney Coleman (Barbara), Will Burton (Adam), Isabella Esler (Lydia) and Justin Collette (Beetlejuice). (PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY, 2022)

BEETLEJUICE The Broadway National Tour, has taken over Chrysler Hall now through Dec. 17, Bella Esler playing Lydia tells us all about it Interview By Yiorgo It’s showtime at Chrysler Hall December 12th-17th as SevenVenues Broadway in Norfolk series proudly presents Broadway’s National Tour of Beetlejuice The Musical, The Musical, The Musical. The ghost-with-the-most is in Norfolk now through Sunday. Based on Tim Burton’s much beloved ﬁlm,this very hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a much alive goth teenager, a devilish demon named Beetlejuice, the Maitlands, a recently deceased married couple and the still alive Deetz family. What ensues is a thrill a minute, from this world to the Netherworld as well as a beautifully touching show about family, love, life and death. IMPORTANT EVENT INFO: This show contains strong language, mature references, and a lot of the crazy, inappropriate stuff you would expect from a deranged demon. The running time is approx. 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission and it is recommended for ages 13 and up. Also, a limited number of BEETLEJUICE lottery tickets will be made available for each performance. The digital lottery is open for entries the day prior to each performance, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Lottery winners will be randomly selected and contacted via email to process their payment; tickets will be available at Will Call for pickup 1 hr prior to showtime. Lottery tickets are $25 each plus fees. Maximum of 2 per person. https://lottery.broadwaydirect. com/show/beetlejuice-norfolk/ For tickets, times, dates and more info, go to https:// www.sevenvenues.com/events/detail/beetlejuice Yiorgo: With us today to tell us all about this incredible show is Isabella “Bella” Esler, a Colombian-American singer and actress who plays Lydia Deetz. Welcome Bella, tell us why should people come to see Beetlejuice? What will they see, hear and experience? Bella Esler: Thank you for having me. People will really enjoy seeing it. It is such a fun show, especially if you are a fan of the movie. It’s a little bit different from the movie but it has the fun aspects of the movie that people love. There are a lot of fun easter eggs references that people will appreciate who have seen the movie. For those who have not seen the movie it’s still fun to follow. Each character in the show has their own style of music, like different genre music and it makes the show very unique and so much fun. Y: Without giving too much away, what is the story about and how is it different from the movie? BE: If you are familiar with the movie, the basic storyline is the same. The Maitlands couple are recently deceased and haunting their own house that has been taken over by my father and step mom, the Deetz. The play follows all the crazy things that happen. I would say the main difference is that in the movie it focused on the Maitlands journey and our musical follows more on Lydia and Beetlejuice’s story and journey. I don’t think Beetlejuice is in the movie that much. In our musical he is there the most time. I think it’s interesting the shifting of perspective in each story. You get to see the relationship between Beetlejuice and Lydia. They are so different yet so much fun. Y: Did you see the movie growing up, what did you think of it and how surreal is it that you’re in it playing Lydia? BE: It’s pretty crazy. My parents are big Tim Burton fans. I loved the movie and the Broadway show and it’s so much fun playing Lydia. It’s amazing and indeed very surreal I must say, especially with all the Beetlejuice fans that are out there worldwide. It is quite an honor to play her. I am very humbled. Y: Can you tell us about the character of Lydia Deetz? You as a recent high school graduate yourself, would you be friends with her in high school? BE: Oh that’s such a great question. I love her character. She is so intricate and complicated but she has so much heart. From the outside she has the goth look with black hair and everything. Overtime throughout the show she opens up and has a lot of heart. She opens up to people. She is funny and sarcastic and clever and she is trying to ﬁnd her mom. That is her journey throughout the show. She is really sweet and cares a lot. Yes, I would actually be her

Isabella“Bella”Esler, a Colombian-American singer and actress who plays Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice. (COURTESY PHOTO)

friend in high school. I also believe that I really bring a lot of myself to the Lydia character and sometimes I feel like I am playing to myself. Y: What are some of your favorite scenes that you are in, can’t wait to play and hear the audience reactions to? BE: My favorite scenes that I am in definitely change all the time but currently I really love the opening scene of act two, “Beautiful Sound.” It is a huge dance number with a bunch of Beetlejuice clones, the most chaotic number ever in a musical I think and it’s really interesting to see how the audience reacts since it’s right after intermission. Now on the opposite side of the spectrum, I also really love “Home” , a musical number where Lydia goes to the underworld and all the chaos, the crazy things happening stops and I get a little bit of a breather and the audience gets a breather as well. I always think it’s really interesting to see how the audience takes in those two numbers: one so high energy and one that goes 180 degrees a little bit. Y: As an actor what are some of your favorite scenes that you are not in and you enjoy watching from the sides? BE: Oh my God, I love the opening number in act one. I’m not in it but I love watching it. It’s such a cool introduction to the show. It’s like a great essay. You need that hook to draw people in. With that first number, we are at a funeral with people dancing around in their funeral outfits, very eerie and everyone does such a great job introducing that spooky atmosphere that the show offers that I love watching it, it’s so cool and it draws the audience in. I also want to say how amazing the whole cast and crew have been especially since this is my very first Broadway National Tour show. It was a little nerve racking at first and I have met so many amazing people. I am so very thankful and grateful. A lot of them are very experienced, seasoned actors and I try to understand and study their acting process. Being able to work with such amazing directors and choreographers, knowing that they have been in the Broadway world, I have been starstruck and it’s cool seeing them be so laid back, because I’m still new at this.

Y: Let’s learn a little about you. Where were you born and what made you fall in love with singing, acting and the performing arts? BE: I was born in Oregon but I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area of California. We moved to California when I was five and I love it there. I am Colombian on my mom’s side and I have a lot of family there. My grandparents live in Bogota, Colombia. That is something I love about myself. I appreciate where I come from. I love being Colombian, I love the food, the culture, I love it all. I fell in love with the performing arts because I grew up in a really huge theatre and arts community and I met many, many artistic people that I am so thankful for. I was able to take a lot of classes and do a lot of community and high school performances as well so I was very involved with theatre, always loved singing and acting. My family has always been super supportive and I am so very thankful for them. Y: Continuing with your journey, tell us about the audition process for Beetlejuice, how did you find out, the actual audition process itself, etc. BE: It was a crazy process actually. It was at the beginning of my senior year of high school, everything was starting to open up after covid. I was getting ready to apply for colleges for theatre or acting and I saw on line at Playbill. com that they were reopening Beetlejuice on Broadway and they were doing an open casting call. The due date was like in a day, so I sang a Lydia song “Dead Mom” from the show. They had a couple of options to pick from if you didn’t have a song ready. They had an accompaniment so I literally sang from the show. So I sent in a video of me singing. Honestly, I did not think anyone would see it. I didn’t hear anything for six months. Again this was for Beetlejuice on Broadway after covid. Suddenly, in the second semester of my senior year they were like, can you do a callback? And I was like, suuuuure, this is crazy! So I did that and it transitioned to me doing callbacks for the national tour. I flew to New York that summer after I graduated high school in 2022 to do callbacks for the tour. I got the call that I got it a week later. It was just such a surreal experience that I sent in this self tape for an open call that I thought no one would look at but they did and it got me so many opportunities that I am so thankful for. So anyone that thinks these casting directors don’t see these tapes, they do, they have them for a reason and it’s very important to put yourself out there. Y: What have been a couple wow, pinch me moments that you can’t believe this little Colombian-American girl from Cali got to experience? BE: Oh my gosh, it was definitely when we opened in San Francisco. It was crazy because it was our very first stop, our first performance was in San Francisco, right by where I grew up so my entire family, all my friends came to my first Broadway National Tour show. I was also performing on a stage where I had watched so many touring productions, I grew up seeing so many shows there and now I was on the performing side, on the stage, it was a really cool experience and being able to see all the support of my family and friends after, it really was such a surreal experience. Y: What are a couple of things that you are grateful for? BE: I am so grateful for my family, my parents who are so supportive and loving. That’s number one. I am grateful to be alive and be able to experience what I love. I don’t take it for granted ever. I am very happy to be here and experience what life has to offer. Yiorgo is an arts, entertainment and sports writer. A stage, TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist.

www.ﬂagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 3 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

Local author Barbara Murphy’s children books about autism, The Adventures of Little Buddy and The First Day of the First Grade, on sale just in time for Christmas Interview By Yiorgo Yiorgo: Welcome Barbara, I am very excited to be talking to a local children’s book author. Thank you so much for writing these two great children’s books, The Adventures of Little Buddy and The First Day of the First Grade that deal with autism. Let’s talk about each one individually. Why should people buy and read The Adventures of Little Buddy? What will they learn from it? Barbara Murphy: People should read it because today there are more and more cases of children being born with Asperger’s or Autism or a trait of one or both. I wrote this book to help parents and grandparents understand some of the characteristics of someone who has autism because they have social issues to deal with. They don’t always have physical signs but they do have a special need and social signs are everywhere. My wish, my desire is to help parents and grandparents recognise those signs because then, they can help that child have a normal life. And to also get them the help they need to learn to socialize and mingle into society so they can carry on with a normal lifestyle and not standout in the crowd. Y: Who is Little Buddy in the story, is that his name or nickname? Who does he represent? BM: It doesn’t say it in the first book because I left it out on purpose. Little Buddy gets his name because he becomes that little buddy to the autistic puppy. So most people who buy the book ask, well which puppy is the autistic puppy? I don’t tell them because it is revealed in the second book, The First Day of the First Grade. Y: Without giving too much away, what is the story in the first book The Adventures of Little Buddy about? BM: The story is about a puppy that is going to school for his first day, and he spends that whole day in the wrong class but he makes friends along the way who help him carry out his day. At the end of the day, he is not upset that he was in the wrong class all day because he felt like he learned so much. He got new friends and he learned how to share, and the teacher made sure he got on the right bus and got home and set him up to go to the real class and that is in the second book. Y: Can you tell us about the second book? BM: The second book is called, “The First Day of the First Grade” and Little Buddy gets a chance to go to his real classroom and real grade. In this book, he meets the autistic puppy and becomes his Little Buddy. Y: What prompted you to write these books? BM: What prompted me to write them is that I have one

Local author Barbara Murphy and her children books about autism, The Adventures of Little Buddy and The First Day of the First Grade. (PHOTOS COURTESY BARBARA MURPHY)

grandchild at the moment, his name is Jaiden Reynolds and at the age of two I started to notice that he was always clinging to me and not to other people. I have a degree in early childhood and I was able to notice some things that were just not right. By the time he was four years old, he was still not talking. We tested him and we were told that he had autism. We got him the help he needed and I kept thinking that I need to do something to help parents and grandparents recognise early that something is not right. As a matter of fact some of the drawings in the book are by Jaiden and some by my son Roy, Jaiden’s dad. We sat at the table and the three of us drew by hand every picture that is in both books. Also, one of my brothers, Reginald Reynolds is mentally challenged and I watched my mom go through years and years of trying to help him mingle into society. She made sure he stayed in school. He went all the way through 12th grade. He was not able to talk, but he went through every grade and she made sure that he could take care of himself. He is now in his 50’s and he does everything for himself except for cooking. My other brother Tony Reynolds is his main caretaker now. Y: How did you wind up getting the ﬁrst book published? BM: You know when I wrote the ﬁrst book, I wrote it just for fun to give it to Jaiden. There was a puppy that I

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bought him when Jaiden was not talking, and Little Buddy had a microphone in him so everything you say, Little Buddy would say. As I was writing Jaiden would come over wanting to read it, so I just kept writing and writing. When I finished it, my sister encouraged me to get it published. I called Barnes and Nobles and they were impressed because this was the first book with a puppy that has autism. We sat down like I said earlier and we drew the pictures and sent them to them. It took about three months and we got it published. Y: Can you tell us a little more about Jaiden today? BM: Yes, Jaiden is 24 now and is in the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services program called DARS. It is set up to help children who are autistic and have Asperger’s to get a job. He is going on interviews, writing resumes and they give him a job coach. Y: What age range are they geared for? BM: I would say K-5th grade. Y: Let’s learn about you. Where were you born and what or who made you fall in love with writing? BM: I was born in Norfolk, VA, but I was raised in Chesapeake, Virginia and we moved back to Norfolk when I was 13. What inspired me to write is that I worked in just about every library in Norfolk. I love books. I would say, one day I’m going to write a book and my grandson Jaiden and my desire to help others, motivated me to become an author. Y: What advice would you give aspiring authors? BM: Write about what you know and not what you just love. You need to do the research on your topic so you not only have the storyline but also important, accurate information to include. Let that story tell a story. Y: How about a pinch me moment or two? BM: One is definitely that I can’t believe that I actually wrote a book and is in stores for sale. Another one would be that I can’t believe I had twins. That was a challenge. Also I still can’t believe that I am being interviewed by you for writing my book. God is good everyday and I count my blessings. (Editor’s note: The Adventures of Little Buddy can be purchased here https://www.barnesandnoble. com/w/the-adventures-of-little-buddy-barbara-murphy/1138897696 and all Barnes and Noble locations. The second book, The Adventures of Little Buddy First Day of the First Grade, will be available soon, just in time for Christmas at all Barnes and Noble stores and websites.) Yiorgo is an arts, entertainment and sports writer. A stage, TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist.

4 The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 3 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

Food

GO NUTS

with sweet and savory dishes this holiday celebrations Family Features & The American Pecan Promotion Board ‘Tis the season for sweet and savory favorites - from the mouthwatering desserts you crave each year to starters and snacks that hold over hungry guests. Elevate your holiday entertaining with the right combination of appetizers, main courses, sides, sweets and beyond that start with the same seasonal staple: pecans. As a versatile nut that can be used throughout the holidays, pecans have you covered so you can cook and enjoy a myriad of dishes, add festive ﬂair to decor, or provide a nutritious snack in the midst of seasonlong indulgences. This year, pick up an extra bag of pecans to create nutritious, delicious dishes to enjoy on-the-go or serve to guests. To help celebrate the holiday season, the American Pecan Promotion Board introduced a digital Pe-Calendar to highlight the many ways pecans can be enjoyed in and beyond a traditional pie. From Dec. 7-18, the interactive calendar will unveil tasty recipes for pecan fans to enjoy, along with fun games that can enter you in to win exciting prizes each day. From delicious Baked Brie with Pecans and Cranberry Orange Chutney to nutritious Pecan Snack Mix with Cranberries and Chocolate, along with prizes, the calendar provides an ultimate way to shellebrate with the must-have holiday nut. To sign up for daily email reminders to open a new door for chances to win nutty prizes, or to ﬁnd additional holiday recipes, visit EatPecans.com.

Baked Brie with Pecans and Cranberry Orange Chutney Cook time: 24 minutes Servings: 8 Ingredients 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries

½ cup maple syrup, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish, divided ½ cup water 1 orange, zest and juice only 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme, plus additional for garnish, divided 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional) 1 round brie (13.4 ounces) ½ cup roasted pecan pieces crackers toasted bread apple slices Directions Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cranberries (reserving some for garnish), ½ cup maple syrup and water to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries pop and mixture thickens, 8-10 minutes. Remove cranberry mixture from heat and stir in orange zest, orange juice, 1 teaspoon thyme, rosemary and bourbon, if desired. Place brie on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 5-7 minutes, or until inside of cheese softens while outside remains intact. Transfer brie to serving platter and top with chutney and toasted pecans. Drizzle remaining maple syrup over brie and garnish with remaining fresh thyme and reserved cranberries. Serve with crackers, toasted bread and apple slices.

Pecan Snack Mix with Cranberries and Chocolate Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 5 minutes, plus 10 minutes cooling time Ingredients 1 cup pecan halves 1 cup rice squares cereal (wheat or cinnamon)

½ cup pretzels 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup dried cranberries ½ cup dark chocolate chips Directions In large, microwave-safe bowl, add pecans, rice squares cereal and pretzels. In small, microwave-safe bowl, add butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt and nutmeg. Microwave butter mixture 1-2 minutes until melted then pour over dry mix. Toss well to combine. Microwave snack mix in 45-second intervals, about 4-5 intervals total, until mix is fragrant, golden and toasty. Cool mix completely then stir in cranberries and dark chocolate chips.

Butter Pecan Cookies Butter pecan cookies are a classic fan favorite. Whip up two-ingredient pecan butter and combine with this vegan cookie recipe for a pecan-filled, delicious dessert. Serving Size: 12 Cook Time: 62 Mins Ingredients Pecan Butter 2 ½ cups raw pecan pieces Pinch of sea salt Cookies 1 tablespoon ground flax 3 tablespoons plain plant milk or pecan milk (see recipe note below) ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pecan butter ½ cup coconut sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup sifted spelt flour (white) ½ cup oat flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt ⅓ cup chopped pecan pieces Extra pecan halves and pieces for topping Directions Make the pecan butter: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the raw pecan pieces on the sheet, careful not to crowd them too much. Toast in the oven for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Once cooled, add them to the bowl of a food processor along with a pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Use in recipe below, and store leftover pecan butter in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Make the cookie dough: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine the ground flax with the plant milk then set aside and allow to thicken for 5 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the pecan butter, coconut sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add the thickened flax mixture and stir to combine. Add the spelt flour, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, sea salt, and pecan pieces on top of the wet ingredients. Using a sturdy spoon, incorporate the dry into the wet ingredients. The mixture will seem stiff, but keep mixing until a gooey cookie dough forms. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop the cookie dough into 12 equal balls. Roll each ball so that it is smooth, place on sheet, then press down slightly on each ball to flatten it slightly. Press a single pecan half, or a teaspoon of chopped pecan pieces, into the center of each cookie (pressing down well). Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, let cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy warm off the rack, and store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter or chilled in the refrigerator. Best if enjoyed within 3 days.

www.ﬂagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 3 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

Health

Holiday Resilience: How TRICARE supports your mental health By TRICARE Communications FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. This resource connects you with trained counselors who can help you get the help you need, 24/7. For many people, the holiday season brings expectations of joy. But for some, the holidays may be a time of stress, sadness, or isolation. Life events like the deployment of a spouse, the loss of a loved one, and complex family dynamics can affect how we feel during the holiday season. “The holidays can affect us in ways that aren’t aligned with how we think we’re ‘supposed’ to feel,” said Dr. Krystyna Bienia, senior policy analyst at the Defense Health Agency. “This can lead to what some people call the ‘holiday blues.’ But the holiday blues may also indicate that your mental health needs attention. It’s important to seek help as soon as you notice you aren’t feeling like yourself.” TRICARE encourages you to focus on your mental health during the holidays and throughout the year. There are steps you can take and resources you can use to manage the holidays. Remember, you’re not alone, and help is close at hand.

1. Practice self-care Don’t ignore self-care during the busy holiday season. Be intentional about making time for yourself. Try to: Get enough sleep. Eat healthy meals. Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs. Add more movement or exercise to your daily routine. Engage in hobbies or activities you enjoy. Spend time with people who will offer emotional support. Volunteer at an organization that’s meaningful to you.

2. Be proactive If your go-to stress relievers aren’t working, you may need to seek extra support. The Brandon Act is one entry point for active duty service members (ADSMs) seeking help. This law enables service members to request a referral for a mental health evaluation through a supervisor or commanding officer. Additionally, Department of Defense (DOD) DOD Instruction 6490.08 puts procedures in place to maintain conﬁdentiality for

TRICARE encourages you to focus on your mental health during the holidays and throughout the year. There are steps you can take and resources you can use to manage the holidays. Remember, you’re not alone, and help is close at hand.

those who seek mental health or substance use disorder treatment. This instruction aims to balance patient conﬁdentiality with a commander’s need to know certain information. If you aren’t an ADSM, you can make an appointment with a mental health provider without a referral. Need help finding a provider? Use the Find a Doctor tool (online at https://www.tricare.mil/ﬁndadoctor). You can also call your TRICARE regional contractor. Learn more about getting mental health care with your TRICARE plan.

3. Know your mental health resources

Call the resource center at 866-966-1020. Military OneSource provides non-medical counseling at no cost. Call 800-342-9647 to talk to someone confidentially. Military Family Life Counselors support service members, family members, and survivors with confidential non-medical counseling. Contact the Military and Family Support Center to get started. The Military Health System Nurse Advice Line can help you with mental health concerns. Call 800-874-2273 and choose option 1 to speak to a nurse Chaplain services may be available at your military hospital or clinic. If you’re a veteran, you can find out how to access VA mental health services.

DOD and the Military Health System offer many resources for you and your family: The Psychological Health Resource Center can help you ﬁnd resources near you.

TRICARE covered mental health services

You and your provider may decide that you could beneﬁt from regular mental health visits. If you have TRICARE Prime and go to a network provider, you don’t need a referral or pre-authorization for outpatient mental health (except psychoanalysis) and substance use disorder care. Depending on your needs, many treatment levels may be available to you: Office-based outpatient treatment Partial hospitalization programs Psychiatric residential treatment centers Inpatient treatment Telemental health services are also part of your TRICARE beneﬁt. You can connect securely with your provider using your computer or phone. Go to TRICARE Mental Health Resources (https://tricare.mil/ CoveredServices/Mental) to learn more.

Complications from flu largely preventable with annual flu vaccine By The American Heart Association ARLINGTON, Va., BETHESDA, Md., CHICAGO and DALLAS — During National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 4-8, 2023), leading public health organizations are encouraging everyone to get a flu shot if they have not already done so. The flu is more than an inconvenience: it can lead to hospitalization, worsening of chronic medical conditions or even death. An annual flu vaccine is the best way to help prevent complications from the flu. [1] The American Heart Association®, the American Lung Association,® the American Diabetes Association® and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases are teaming up to reach those who have not yet received a flu vaccine this season with an important message: it’s not too late to protect yourself and others by getting your flu shot. Even if you are not at higher risk for a serious case of the flu, getting vaccinated helps protect those around you who are more vulnerable, like people age 65 and older and people with chronic conditions like heart disease or stroke, diabetes or lung disease. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in recent years, about 9 out of every 10 people who were in the hospital due to the flu had at least one underlying medical condition.[2] Although the best time to get vaccinated in the U.S. is in the fall, before flu viruses begin spreading in your community,[3] experts say those who haven’t gotten a flu vaccine yet should do so as soon as possible. “Virtually everyone can benefit from a flu shot, and that’s especially true for people with chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes who have weakened immune systems and have worse flu if they get it,” said Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, the American Heart Association’s chief medical officer for prevention. “Even if you feel well now or think you can fight off the flu if you get it, it is important to get vaccinated to protect the loved ones around you who may be at higher risk for dangerous complications.” “Last fall, we saw cases of the flu increase earlier than typical years. Thankfully, flu vaccination provided substantial protection for people across the U.S.,” said Albert Rizzo, M.D., chief medical officer for the American Lung Association. “We know that getting a flu shot is the best way to help protect

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Leading public health organizations say it’s not too late to help protect yourself and others by getting a ﬂu shot. (AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION)

yourself, your family and your community against flu and severe illness from the flu. And this protection is especially important for certain people at increased risk for developing serious complications such as those living with chronic medical conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other chronic lung diseases.” If you are over 65, you should ask about getting one of the three flu vaccines that are specifically recommended for your age, because studies have shown they trigger a better immune response in older adults than standard flu vaccines. However, if one of the specific vaccines is not available, you should still get whatever vaccine is available, as they all provide some protection and can lessen complications from flu. Additionally, it is safe to get the flu shot at the same time as an updated COVID-19 vaccine or booster for COVID-19. “In recent years, almost a third of the people hospitalized due to the flu had diabetes,”[4] said Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, the ADA’s chief scientific and medical officer.

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“The threat of flu and COVID is particularly high to someone with diabetes, especially considering many people who live with diabetes have other complications like heart disease and kidney disease. Staying up to date on all annual vaccines and the COVID19 vaccine is recommended for everyone who is eligible, especially those living with diabetes and other chronic illness.” According to a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) survey, more than 1 in 4 US adults (28%) who are at higher risk for flu-related complications, including older adults and people with chronic health conditions, said they were not planning to get vaccinated this season. “This is concerning because this season is likely to be more complex, as in addition to flu and COVID19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is also circulating,” said NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., MD. “Fortunately, we now have vaccines to help protect against all 3 of these viruses. Getting vaccinated is critical to help protect yourself, your family, and your community from serious disease and potential complications.”

The American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the American Diabetes Association and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases all offer educational resources on their websites about the burden of flu and the importance of vaccination for people with chronic health conditions. Sources: [1] https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/ flu/index.html [2] Xu X, Blanton L, Elal AIA, et al. Update: Influenza Activity in the United States During the 2018-19 Season and Composition of the 2019-20 Influenza Vaccine. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019;68(24):544551. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6824a3. [3] CDC Flu Season webpage, accessed Nov. 8, 2023 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/ season/index.html [4] CDC online article, “A Chronic Health Condition Can Increase Your Risk” accessed Jan. 25, 2023: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/ highrisk/chronic-conditions/index.htm

6 The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 3 | Thursday, December 14, 2023

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Raised in home. Health tested parents. Vet checked, wormed, shots & microchipped. Non shedding. $1000 757-288-3757 AKC Golden Retriever Pups. English cream style. Hips, elbows, eyes clear. 1 & 2 shots. Wormed. Chipped. 3m/1f. $2250 757-681-2932 FRENCH BULLDOG

Available one male merle puppy for sale AKC Registered shots are up to date. $2000 call or text @ 757-5597607

CLASSIC & COLLECTIBLE

Shop smart. Save big! Sunday (and every day).

757-617-4043

www.raymondsantiques.com

Fully-furnished beach homes and condos avail thru April. $1,600-$3,000 includes phone & internet. 3 month min. lease. Online application/photos at siebert-realty.com or call 757-4266200 EXT. 701.

Boats & Watercraft

Autos for Sale

BMW 2007 650

Early home delivery. 757-446-9000 or PilotOnline.com

2007 BMW 650 Convertible $8,000 - 253K highway miles for plastic surgery practice. One owner - excellent condition. 757-477-5626

Subscribe to The Virginian-Pilot today.

Call 757-446-9000 or go to PilotOnline.com

Wanted Automotive

ACQUIRING A VEHICLE Looking to purchase a LOW Mileage Town & Country or Pacifica Van Ted (757) 287-3075

LABRADOR RETRIEVER Lab pups, AKC, Chocolate, 2M, 1st & 2nd shots/worming health guarantee, $400, 252-883-6148

YORKIE, POODLES & MALTESE Pure NOT mixed, located in VA, $1200 . TEXT Marie @(210)584-8896

Autos. We will purchase your collectible, classic, late model autos, we will come to you. Call 757-675-0288 ABSOLUTELY ABLY ACQUIRING AUTOS All Makes & Models, Best Price Paid!! FREE TOWING. 757-749-8035

ITALIAN YORKIES 3 MALES ALL SHOTS/WORMED HEALTH GUARANTEED WE CAN BE REACHED AT (804)598-3577 $600.

PUG PUPPY Female Pug Puppy, ready to go December 13th. First shots given. ACA registered. $800.00 firm. Call or text 757.621.6983.

AIRCRAFT 1981 Cessna 340 RAM VI Pressurized and air-conditioned. Fresh annual - $159,000 757-6159504

Classic, Antique Cars

AKC ENGLISH CREAM GOLDEN RETRIEVER

AMERICAN ANTIQUE BUYER

CHEVROLET 1999 TAHOE

BLUE 1999 CHEVROLET TAHOE LS W/ TINTED WINDOWS, LIKE NEW TIRES, NEW FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS, CD/CASSETTE PLAYER, VERY RELIABLE, 2 OWNERS, 5.7L V8 FWD, SUV 4D, 230K MILES, EXPERIAN AUTO REPORT, $6,000 727-560-2791

HONDA 2021 PILOT

IRISH DOODLE

AntiquesSales & Collectibles Estate

Boats & Watercraft

7 pass, loaded, AWD, 11,000 mis., $32,900. Snyder’s RV 499-8000.

German Shepherd puppies. 1 Male and 1 Female. Purebred. Both parents are on premises. Ready to go on December 19th. $500 757-714-5505

Misc. Merchandise For Sale

Autos for Sale

Call 757-446-9000 or go to PilotOnline.com

ABANDONED WATERCRAFT Notice hereby given that following watercraft has been abandoned more than 60 days on the property of: Mike Scibelli at 200 E39th Street Norfolk , 413-427-3121. Description watercraft: 1978 Spirit 21’ VA 3990TT HIN CEC21050M78E with trailer. Application for Watercraft Registration/Title will be made in accordance with Section 29.1-733.25 of the Code of Virginia if this watercraft is not claimed and removed within 30 days of first publication of this notice. Contact the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources with questions.

Don’t pay full price! With The Virginian-Pilot’s coupons and sales inserts, shop smart and save big every week!

757.622.1455 | placeanad.pilotonline.com

Subscribe to The Pilot today. 757-446-9000 PilotOnline.com Early home delivery. 757-446-9000 or PilotOnline.com

Concrete/Asphalt Estate Sales

Fencing

DRIVEWAY & MASONRY WORK Landscaping, Grading, Top Soil, Yard Clean Up & Tree Removal. 757-714-4848

ACTION ONE FENCE & DECK Custom wood, aluminum, chain link, vinyl. Quality work, great prices. Free Estimates. 40 Yrs. Exp. Call 757-438-7057.

Early home delivery.

757-446-9000 or PilotOnline.com

Hauling / Moving (A) FAMILY TRASH MAN-HOUSEHOLD, Demo inside & out, construction sites, dumpster drop off, backhoe work. We haul it all! 20 yrs. exp., lic & ins. 485-1414

YOUR PERFECT

HIRE

IS WAITING

B & J MOVING Reasonable Rates, Licensed & Insured. bandjmoving.com 757-576-1290

Home Improvements AIR DUCT CLEANING UNIVERSAL DUCT CLEANING FREE INSPECTIONS MEMBER BBB. 757-502-0200 BEST PRICE EXTERIORS Siding, Windows, Roofing, Soffit, Trim, Gutters. Licensed. & Insured. A+ BBB. Call 757-639-4692.

FENCES, DECKS & FOUNDATION REPAIR Moisture Control, 20+ Year’s Experience. FREE ESTIMATES. Call Office at (757) 995-5445. HOME INSULATION UNIVERSAL INSULATION DOCTOR Attic Insulation, Crawl Space Insulation FREE Inspections. 757-502-0200 S & H ENTERPRISE 20 YRS. We demo concrete, garages, small buildings, etc. We also do driveways & more. Credit cards accepted. 757-652-4050. www.shabazznva.com

Lawn and Tree Service ★AFFORDABLE TREE SERVICE★ Josh 757-998-5327 Theo 757-515-6933 Tree Trimming & Complete Tree Removal CLEANUP Leaf Raking, Trimming, Planting & Transplanting. 25yrs exp. 918-4152

Roofing ROOFING Repair, shingles, rubber, tar, flashings, asbestos removal, metal. 757-718-1072

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Crossword

LOVE OF SOLVING

Sudoku

CryptoQuip

LAST WEEKS & THIS WEEKS CRYPTOQUIP ANSWER: Why do the inhabitants of a certain Southeast Asian island always seem so fearful? Because they’re Timor-ous.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

Religious Serivices For your installation’s religious service times visit www.ﬂagshipnews.com⁄ base_information⁄ religious_services

8 The Flagship | www.ﬂagshipnews.com | Section 3 | Thursday, December 14, 2023