The Signature | December 17, 2021

Vol. 38 No. 22

December 17, 2021

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

NAS SIGONELLA HOLIDAY PARTY

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THE SIGNATURE

U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA

Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Pickard Executive Officer Cmdr. Ronald Cappellini Command Master Chief CMDCM Anna Wood EDITORIAL Public Affairs Officer Lt. Drake Greer drake.greer@eu.navy.mil Assistant Public Affairs Officer Megan Mills megan.mills@eu.navy.mil Public Affairs Leading Petty Officer MC1 Kegan Kay kegan.kay@eu.navy.mil Community Relations Officer Dott. Alberto Lunetta alberto.lunetta.it@eu.navy.mil PAO Staff Writers \ Photographers MC2 Joshua Coté joshua.m.cote@eu.navy.mil MC3 Triniti Lersch triniti.lersch@eu.navy.mil CONTACT US

Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily thesig@eu.navy.mil DSN 624-5440; 095-86-5440 PSC 812 Box 7, FPO, AE 09627-0001

This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the military services overseas.

Contents of The Signature are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense (DoD), or the U.S. Navy.

Editorial submissions are welcomed from all Naval Air Station Sigonella departments, divisions and tenant commands. Editorial submissions should be sent to the Public Affairs Office via thesig@eu.navy.mil. All articles submitted by non-staff members will be considered contributing writers.

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

FLEET AND FAMILY SUPPORT CENTER t’s been another great year at the Fleet and Family Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, ISupport Center (FFSC) here in Sigonella. Now that where presentations were provided regarding the we’ve been living with COVID-19 for over a year and Navy’s SAPR program to a local high school. worked through many of the challenges initially faced in 2020, we were able to adjust and improve many of the programs offered in 2021 with safety and quality at the center of all enhancements.

This year, the New Parent Support Program held a number of classes tailored to the families of Sigonella.

Our Baby Bootcamp class in the past had been held quarterly, but due to increased demand in the community, classes have now been held every other month. Our Infant Toddler Playgroup has included many participants throughout the year. While the kids learn, play and create crafts, parents were able to build camaraderie with one another.

A new program that FFSC added this year is the Single Parent Forum. This group was created to better suit the needs of our single parent families—a group run by single parents, for single parents. It allowed single parents to hold discussions about what services and information are needed to assist in things like PCS, childcare, and community events specifically marketed to include single parent families.

The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) team executed SAAPM events in April 2021 through both in-person and virtual means. This allowed not only the Sigonella community to participate, but also those around the globe, including people from various states, Guantanamo Bay, Djibouti, and Bahrain! Some of the SAPR Community Relations events with Dr. Alberto Lunetta were still virtual, to include an international panel on sexual violence with more than 8,000 viewers from 18+ countries around the world. Others recently returned to the in-person format, such as International

This year, in coordination with Amy Pickard, the FFSC revamped the Spouse Orientation, adding an additional day for a Base Agency Orientation. This additional day includes a walking tour on NAS I and meeting with representatives from the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS), the Chapel, MWR Facilities, the hospital and more. Then, spouses load a bus and tour NAS II and eat lunch at the galley with installation Capt.

Pickard Amy Pickard and other leadership spouses. The first day ends with a tour of Marinai, which is helpful especially for those living in the economy. The second day of orientation includes Italian phrases, a trip to Catania using public transportation, and an opportunity to shop and practice Italian phrases with locals.

The Transition Assistance Program has been very busy. The Veterans Affairs Office (VA) Benefits and Services Advisors returned to in-person site visits in August 2021 after an extended absence due to COVID. These Advisors travel each month from Naples to provide the Benefits and Services Brief to transitioning service members as part of the Transition Assistance Program. They were also available to offer one-on-one appointments to service members, veterans, and their families to assist them in navigating VA and the benefits and services earned through their military career.

In addition, the Boots to Business workshop also returned to the in-person format in December. This “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” course provides participants with an introduction to the skills, knowledge, and resources they need to launch a business, including steps for developing business concepts, how to develop a business plan, and information on Small

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

Business Administration (SBA) resources. This twoday program is facilitated by subject matter experts from the SBA and their extensive network of skilled business advisors.

September was Ombudsman Appreciation Month, and Capt. Pickard hosted the annual Ombudsman Appreciation Dinner on Oct. 1. This event was held at a local restaurant and included a special gift, a certificate of appreciation signed by several NAS Sigonella triad leaders, a gift and pin from the Navy Exchange, an invocation by Chaplain Albano and a speech from the guest speaker, Fleet Readiness Director Courtney Silvestre. The role of the ombudsman first became an important part in the Navy’s history and mission over 50 years ago when former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Jr. created the program as a place for spouses to air grievances, make suggestions and become more involved. Since then, ombudsmen have been making a difference and continue to carry on that mission.

Our Like Skills Program really took off this year, with more to come in the near future. The Life Skills coordinator offered classes such as Stress Management 101, Communication for Couples, and Walk Away From Stress. Stress Management 101 helps learners measure the effect of stressors in their lives against the symptoms and behaviors of the Operational Stress Control (OSC) Continuum Model and provide opportunities to create work and life strategies to get into a healthier zone. Communication for Couples uses the power of communication to strengthen relationships at home by practicing skills that build effective two-way communication. Lastly, Walk Away From Stress helps improve mood, reduce stress, increase relaxation, and boost endorphins with a comfortable walk. Class participants briefly discussed their stressors for the week, walk for 20 minutes, and finish with a moment of focus on positive goals and intentions for the week

to come.

In addition to offering these classes in-house and in Marinai, workshops have also been delivered in command spaces, allowing for more accessibility for command-wide participation. The Life Skills Program also partnered with Health Promotions, CREDO and USO during guided meditation and Wellness Wednesdays. Be sure to keep an eye on what this program will bring in 2022!

Last, but certainly not least, the Counseling and Advocacy Program brought you the very first edition of their newsletter. This edition included a message from the Counseling and Advocacy Program Supervisor, articles on Conflict Resolution and ways to make ending domestic violence your business, an article on preventing adverse childhood experiences and a list of new Healthy Relationship Skills classes. The Counseling and Advocacy Program also held two campaigns this year, Child Abuse Prevention Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To promote Child Abuse Prevention Awareness, information was provided during an AFN radio spot, briefs, Facebook, tabling at the Commissary, and through the Public Affairs Office. Banner, signs, and pinwheels key chains, coloring books, and more were distributed throughout the community. To promote Domestic Violence Awareness, FFSC discussed the topic on AFN, provided classes on healthy relationships, communication, and stress management in relationships, and as mentioned above, distributed a base wide Family Advocacy Program Newsletter was distributed as well as multiple articles in The Signature.

It’s been a busy year with many successes. We’ve accomplished a lot alongside the community to include providing support during OAR and the recent flooding in October. We are extremely proud to support this community and can’t wait to continue bringing you the best programs and services in the New Year!

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

U.S. NAVY MEDICAL READINESS C

omprised of one hospital and three clinics stretching nearly 2,200 miles—from Sigonella in the west, via Souda Bay, to Bahrain in the east— U.S. Naval Medical Readiness Training Command (USNMRTC) Sigonella is one of three Navy European military hospitals supporting Commander, Naval Forces Europe/Africa in the U.S. Sixth Fleet Areas of Operation (AOR), and the large Bahrain clinic in the US Fifth Fleet AOR. Our mission is simple—force medical readiness!

Aside from maintaining the highest level of operational medical readiness for our active duty service members, we are also actively engaged with the ongoing global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since release of COVID-19 vaccine guidelines, our teams have inoculated thousands upon thousands of beneficiaries with first, second, and now booster vaccine doses.

Additionally, our professional staff provided our beneficiaries with routine and specialty care to promote overall good health & well-being. Keep reading to learn more about how our various departments continue to work tirelessly to provide exceptional care to our U.S. and NATO warfighters and their families.

Lt. Breanna Butler, Dietitian and Health Promotion & Wellness Center: The mission of the Health Promotion & Wellness (HPW) Center is to foster positive lifestyle activities that can reduce the toll of the most common diseases, improve the quality of life for active duty (AD) members and beneficiaries, and to help maintain mission readiness.

Although the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Operation Allies Refuge/Welcome (OAR/W) mission

changed our normal day-to-day operations, the HPW team was able to adapt and offer even more services to NAS Sigonella, Souda Bay, and Bahrain than ever before.

Through virtual health platforms, our base Dietitian Lt. Breanna Butler and Wellness Coach Giuseppe Licari, have totaled over 120 virtual patient encounters.

They continue to offer both individualized specialty appointments and group classes for ShipShape, Tobacco Cessation, and Stress Management.

In June 2021, the HPW and MWR centers hosted the annual Base Health & Wellness Fair and MWR Fitness Expo, which showcased services offered by 20 hospital and community organizations to 178 participants in person.

Also, after identifying a need for mental health outreach, HPW paired with the Chaplains, Mental Health Dept., and Fleet & Family Services to host a Suicide Prevention & Awareness Fair at the NAS II Galley on Sept. 15, which saw over 100 AD members from various branches of service.

Dr. Matthew R. Picerno, Clinical and Child Psychologist, Educational and Developmental intervention Services (EDIS) The Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) department serves our most precious beneficiaries each and every day. This department supports pediatric beneficiaries with a diverse team of providers including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, psychology, social work and early childhood special education. This year the department had four students successfully graduate

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

TRAINING COMMAND SIGONELLA after achieving their developmental goals for the program.

In addition, multiple EDIS staff members volunteered for, and participated in, world-wide collaborative sessions to identify and refine features of a new EDIS documentation system. This new system will ensure seamless transition from the previous electronic medical record system.

The EDIS Dept. early childhood special educator has established close working relationships with the Sigonella Child Development Center and the Fleet and Family Support Center’s Baby Bootcamp program to strengthen the Sigonella community’s access to collaboration across programs focused on supporting family needs while also increasing use of preventative strategies to promote childhood development.

In order to support the continuous process improvement initiatives, the department participated in the spring 2021 Command Performance Improvement Fair, submitting a two-stage screening process developed to mitigate the risk of in-clinic COVID-19 spread.

Notably, the EDIS Dept. was able to maintain full, uninterrupted services throughout the entirety of OAR/W while also coordinating the donation of a substantial number of toys, games, and interactive activities to the children and families arriving from Afghanistan.

Lt. Tabitha Atkinson, Nurse Case Manager/Referral Management The Referral Management Department serves as the go-to liaison for our beneficiaries and assists in the coordination of care for a multitude of referrals. The healthcare business team has been hard at work processing

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nearly 4,000 referrals, averaging a processing time of less than one business day and resulting in improved access to specialty care from 13 to 9 business days.

Beginning in September 2021, InternationalSoS inpatient medical management expanded contracting services to offer the MyCare Overseas interactive mobile app for Tricare Overseas Program (TOP) beneficiaries.

This allows patients to access teams of nurses, physicians, and translators when receiving care in host nation facilities. Additionally, the app allows our beneficiaries to access their medical records from their host nation facility to streamline continuity of care.

During OAR/W, our healthcare business team worked tirelessly to process and track over 4,300 Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants during the emergency evacuation of at-risk personnel from Afghanistan. Care coordination efforts provided critical medical evacuations for one pediatric patient and 11 obstetrical patients from our base to a higher echelon of care.

Lt. Cmdr. Brigid Maruszak, Anesthesiologist and Anesthesiology & Respiratory Department Head: The Anesthesiology and Respiratory Department continues to provide 24/7 care to our beneficiaries needing routine, urgent, or emergent surgical and obstetrical care. The team is dedicated to providing anesthesia services for both inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures.

Our whole team is active in training our hospital staff in advanced and basic lifesaving classes, emergency medical technician courses, and neonatal resuscitation courses.

Additionally, we successfully supported OAR/W on NAS

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

USNMRTC SIGONELLA CONTINUED

II while maintaining urgent and emergent care to our beneficiaries at NAS I, and our department provided medical support for COVID-19 and influenza vaccine administrations to our active duty and beneficiary population.

Lt. Cmdr. Shawn M. Wilhelm, Nurse and Head of the Flight Line Clinic: The Flight Line Clinic (FLC) had a very busy and productive year. We welcomed several new providers, nurses, and corps staff to our small but mighty FLC. We flexed to support base-wide flu SHOTEXs and COVID-19 SHOTEXs. We worked closely with our deployed Navy, Army, and Marine forces providing clinical support if and when needed.

One of FLC’s biggest successes was medical readiness of our warfighters. We started a virtual and phone based Periodic Health Assessment (PHA) clinic, making it easier and more convenient for active duty service members to complete their PHAs. In addition to the phone-based PHA visits, FLC hosted multiple two-day PHA rodeos. These efforts led to a base-wide, all-time high, medical readiness of 95% and a hospital-wide medical readiness of 97 %.

This is well above the military’s goal.

FLC continues to provide daily administration of COVID-19 vaccinations and flu vaccinations, COVID-19 antigen testing for official travel, other routine vaccines and lab testing all while providing top-notch patient care to our active duty and TRICARE beneficiaries.

Capt. Denise M. Gechas, US NMRTC Sigonella commanding officer: 2021 was a notable year because our command and units in Bahrain and Souda Bay were able to display our medical, dental, administrative, and support skills during several unprecedented events.

Besides navigating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we successfully displayed the power of Navy medicine during support to OAR/W both here and in Bahrain. Thanks to our strong partnership with NAS Sigonella leadership and staff, our amazing teams, both local and augmented, creatively designed and constructed nine medical aid stations. Within 36 hours, we were positioned to sustain a possible population of up to 7000 Afghan travelers for an unspecified period of time. Meanwhile, USNMRTU Bahrain came to CENTCOM’s rescue by sending several members of their medical/dental team to support operations on Isa Air Base. If that wasn’t enough, only weeks later, we were supporting the medical needs of our NAS Sigonella community as a near-historic weather event unfolded over several days.

Although these major events underscore our banner year, our teams’ daily displays of professionalism, competency, innovation, and grit make me so proud to be part of this high performing command. Well done, team, and I can’t wait to see what opportunities 2022 brings for us to continue demonstrating our value to the military medical mission!

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

RELIGIOUS MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT he Naval Air Station Sigonella Religious comfort goods and distributed them to the travelers T Ministries Department (RMD) hosted the with the help of NMCRS, American Red Cross, USO command chaplain’s turnover between Chaplains and NAVSUP. Leftover comfort items were donated to Steven Hervey and Jin Choi in early February. The RMD is actively involved in the community and supports all 43-tenant units at NAS Sigonella in religious and spiritual needs.

Unlike the first year, in the second year of pandemic, the lockdown was more relaxed; in-person services resumed at the chapel with continued livestreams and strong engagement on the chapel’s Facebook page.

A new Protestant Liturgical service for the Sailors at NAS 2 started on Palm Sunday (end of March) and in late September, merged into a ‘hybrid’ service with the previous Contemporary service at NAS 1 Chapel.

On the Catholic community side, there have been five children’s baptisms, five confirmations, three children’s first communions. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes began in September, running through April 2022, with approximately 27 students. There are also a collection of Christmas charity drives for Caritas (food) and Little Sisters of the Poor in Acireale (toiletries, decorated Christmas bags by children) by Knights of Columbus.

The RMD also supported a joint-interagency response, Operation Allies Refuge (OAR), with a team comprised of five chaplains (three stationed at Sigonella, one from Naval Support Activity Naples (NSAN), one Reservist from California) and five Religious Program Specialists (four of Sigonella team and one from NSAN). This fully activated team supported the OAR mission and travelers with five prayer tents, two prayer rooms, four dozen prayer rugs, and a local community’s Islam religious leader (Imam) to lead six Friday prayers (Jummah) for 150 Muslims.

The RMD also organized and received 50 tri-walls of

two local charity groups in Catania, Italy.

In addition to supporting the many mission sets assigned to NAS Sigonella, Chaplain Albano served as the Chaplain for Marine Corps Embassy Security Group – Region 8 comprised of twenty-two embassies throughout central Europe. Chaplain Albano provided 24/7 virtual counseling for 180 Marine Embassy Security Guards, supported the Region 8 Force Preservation Council and taught sixteen online classes on resilience, suicide prevention, anger management and communication. He also conducted a site visit to the Marines assigned to the US Embassy in Austria and had the opportunity to meet with the Chargés d’Affaires (acting Ambassador) for the US Embassy in Austria, and the Chargés d’Affaires for the US Mission to the United Nations.

Chaplains Albano and Martinez also supported Naval Support Facility Deveselu and the Sailors assigned U.S. Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (AAMDS) in Romania. They conducted three site visits and subsequently, Chaplain Albano was sent to Romania on short notice after the sudden death of an AAMDS Sailor, where he provided 21 counseling sessions, visited with 168 Sailors and supported the Command’s Memorial Service to honor their fallen shipmate.

Sicily, in the year of 2021, was with several unforeseen natural events, such as more frequent volcano eruptions in the spring, historical heat waves in the summer and the floods in the fall which damaged many base housing units. But, the mission of NAS Sigonella gets accomplished and the support of RMD to all military and the family members never ends.

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

N92- RISTORANTE BELLA istorante Bella Etna (RBE) Galley: R RBE continually sets the bar high for Navy dining experience. Known as the “Jewel of the Med,” RBE supports over 4,000 uniformed personnel across 37 tenant and deployed commands. The installation’s operational success stems from its world-class food service support that enables high level of morale for troops.

RBE received a score of 97% during the 2021 Five Star accreditation, achieving its CNIC Five Star Accreditation Award for the 13th consecutive year. We were also selected as the Capt. Edward F. Ney memorial award winner for the fourth year running, setting the Navy record as the first galley to receive the prestigious award for four consecutive years.

In addition, RBE hosted 13 special themed meals and 45 VIP luncheons for civilian distinguished visitors and high-ranking military officers, including five U.S. senators, EUCOM, AFRICOM, CNE/CNA, and numerous ambassadors from U.S. foreign allies. These luncheons enabled senior officials to have faceto-face engagement with NAS Sigonella service members and senior leadership.

In order to help protect our population from COVID-19, RBE provided 165,000 restriction of movement (ROM) meals. We also provided subsistence support to 265 deployed U.S.

Marines from North and West Africa Response Forces enabling tenant commands, aiding in the continuity of operations, warfighting and maritime capabilities.

During Operation Allies Refuge, RBE flawlessly supported the integrated joint-interagency response team comprised of 1,800 personnel from across the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and State. RBE’s support was critical to the immediate shelter, sustainment and processing of over 4,300 at-risk U.S. and Afghan civilian and other prospective special immigrant visa applicants during the emergency evacuation of Afghanistan. Upon the completion of the OAR efforts, the galley was able to manage and facilitated the food distribution across three remote feeding stations totaling $1,642,000 of contracted meals.

Navy Gateway Inns and Suites (NGIS): NGIS effortlessly supported OAR by effectively managing their beds. We have not gone through a full accreditation cycle since 2018, but scored well on their recent administrative review.

Children and Youth Programs (CYP): CYP continued to provide excellent care and opportunities to Sigonella’s youth in 2021 despite the ongoing pandemic. We maintained our accreditation standards for both the Child Development Center (CDC) and School Age

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

ETNA, NGIS AND MWR Care (SAC) program. Youth sports were restored this year after COVID-19 closures, and we were awarded the BGCA (Boys and Girls Club of America) Play Ball Grant for our baseball league. We were also recognized by BGCA/ CNIC for innovative Virtual Programming and best practices for youth during COVID-19.

Our Teen Program chartered a BGCA Keystone Club. Finally, our Youth Program hosted 2021 BGCA Local Art Exhibit, with five participants recognized as Europe winners in various art categories.

Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR): MWR persevered through many challenges this year in order to provide entertaining and enriching programs and events to our community.

We offered 100 trips and tours for over 2,000 participants, even with COVID restrictions in place and program closures. We also executed 50 customized Create-A-Trips serving 800 participants. Summer reading had 130 registered readers with over 130,000 minutes read. We received 15 CNIC grants for more than $40K to enhance recreation, fitness, and CYP programs and events.

This year, we hosted large, base wide special events while adhering to host nation decrees.

This included our Red, White & Boom (4th of July Celebration) event, a Halloween Candy

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Parade through Marinai Housing, and an Easter scavenger hunt spread out over all three installations, attended by more than 5,000 individuals. MWR also supported over 80 command events with more than 3,500 pieces of recreational equipment MWR Fitness held ten in-person events using modifications to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and five virtual events in which participants who chose not to gather in person could submit their times for swim and run competitions. MWR certified 25 new Command Fitness Leaders: 12 CFLs in PRT 101: Train for Life (a custom designed comprehensive nutrition, exercise and behavior change class) and 15 Sailors in Mission Nutrition.

To support OAR, a CYP-Lead team of 2-4 people implemented an organized learning time for two hours, twice per day in the travelers’ housing area. This included writing, math, origami, and a variety of other pre-planned activities, and they were an enormous success. At the same time, we had a completely separate team built that included staff from MWR programs leading organized sports activities and supplied a variety of sports equipment to the turf field for two hours at a time, twice per day.

In 2022, we look forward to continuing to serve the Sigonella community!

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

NAVAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE

he Sigonella Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) office had an eventful 2021, marked by T periods of increased operational tempo and personnel transition. As always, we remained faithful to our guiding principles of agility, integration and impact, with a focus on providing support to Naval Air

Station Sigonella operations and countering threats to our local community posed by terrorism, adversarial intelligence services, and criminal networks. COVID-19 continued to pose challenges for us, but we have always sought to embrace the same adaptable, team-focused attitude that has made NAS Sigonella successful over the past year.

Beginning in July 2021, we experienced a 100% turnover of Special Agent personnel. We said farewell to SAs Dan Slimer, Doug Robinson, and Steve Martinez; we welcomed Thomas Kenney, Rob Echols, and Jason Boswell. Thomas, Rob, and Jason each bring unique skill sets to our mission and will no doubt be valued members of the Sigonella community.

NCIS is only successful when we are integrated with our DoD and host nation counterparts, and 2021 was an example of how important multi-disciplinary collaboration is to our mission. We are lucky to have great teammates at the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) and Victim Legal Counsel (VLC) offices, who provide critical support to victims during the course of our investigations. We also worked closely with the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) team to address several issues in the community. Probably our most impactful partnership was with the NAS Sigonella Security Officer and his folks at Criminal Investigation Division and Security. They are at the front lines of protecting our installation and personnel and were key to so many NCIS investigations and operations in 2021, whether it was providing protection to high-ranking officials or securing evidence at the onset of an investigation.

Despite the pandemic, our office has continued to foster and expand our relationships with Italian law enforcement agencies in order to stay informed of issues impacting our community. We engaged frequently with the Polizia di Stato in Siracusa on matters involving the NATO pier at Augusta Bay. We also assisted the base Carabinieri on multiple investigations and continue to meet with them and Carabinieri leadership in Catania regularly to discuss local crime trends.

A review of 2021 would not be complete without mentioning Operation Allies Refuge (OAR). At the onset, NCIS was responsible for resourcing and coordinating a short-fused, large-scale vetting and biometrics enrollment operation that was without precedent. We started with six of us on four biometrics devices, and eventually we had approximately 70 personnel on 30 devices working around the clock. This effort involved multiple agencies and departments, including NCIS, security, the U.S. Army, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, and the Department of State, among others. It was amazing to be a part of something like OAR working alongside such a dedicated group of people.

This past year presented NCIS with new challenges, but also unique experiences and opportunities. I have no doubt that 2022 will be the same.

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT 2

021 was an eventful year for the Naval Air Station Sigonella operations department.

Throughout the year, the Transient Line, Ground Electronics Maintenance Division, Air Traffic Control, the Air Terminal, and the Air Cargo Division worked tirelessly to maintain a robust operational tempo here at the “Hub of the Med”, the only United States overseas naval air station.

For five months, Gruppo Aerei Imbarcati “The Wolves,” an AV-8B Harrier squadron from Grottaglie, operated out of NAS Sigonella while their home station runway was under construction.

We supported the annual NATO exercise known as Dynamic Manta in February. Air Traffic Control, Airfield Management, Transient Line and Air Cargo divisions did an incredible job handling hundreds of aircraft, thousands of passengers and millions of pounds of cargo throughout the year in support of normal operations as well as during Operation Allies Refuge.

During Operation Allies Refuge, every division came together to support the travelers and those who assisted them. The Airfield Management office creatively developed parking plans to fit Boeing 777s, C-17s, and C-130s. The Transient Line Division transported miscellaneous goods from multiple buildings to the “Village” and Hangar 510 to provide support for the evacuees.

Throughout the year, each division continued their excellent performance.

• The Transient Line responded to three emergency landings and two fuel/ oil spills. They also moved 201 aircraft and coordinated in the loading and

unloading of 18,000 lbs of logistical cargo.

• Air Traffic Control’s efforts provided safe transport of 8,300 passengers this year, to include over 4,300 at-risk U.S. and Afghan civilians, and other prospective special immigrant visa applicants, in direct response to the 1,800% increase in air missions rerouted through NAS Sigonella during the integrated joint-interagency response in support of the operation.

• Multiple Sailors at Ground Electronics Maintenance Division earned Sailor of the Quarter and Junior Sailor of the Quarter, and many more volunteered their time providing outreach and mentorship to local adolescents playing soccer.

• The NAS Sigonella Air Terminal transported 5,829 tons of cargo and mail, along with 19,100 passengers on 2,079 aircraft. Air Traffic Controllers filed over 2,500 flight plans and executed 1,250 mission sorties. They also volunteered approximately 300 hours of their personal time.

• The Air Cargo division received a score of “outstanding” during the fiscal year 2021 USDA customs inspection by clearing 120,000 pounds of cargo.

The Operations Department is proud of the accomplishments of NAS Sigonella in 2021 and can’t wait to attack 2022

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NAVSUP FLEET MAIL CENTER G

reeting Sigonella Family, I’m Mr. Ajaka (AJ) Chesterfield, and I have the pleasure of being your Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Sigonella Postal Manager. Our Fleet Mail Center Sigonella team provides support to Naval Air Station Sigonella and deployed units in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).

For mail destined to deployed units in the AOR, we work very closely with NAVSUP Navy Mail Routers, 6th Fleet and Commander, Task Force 63 in particular to ensure the mail can be delivered to the customer once it arrives in Europe. That teamwork and cooperation is displayed in the incredible amount of mail we move on a daily basis. During the last year, we’ve processed over one million pounds of mail! This includes over 1 million pounds of mail incoming mail and over 217,338 pounds of outgoing mail.

Operational units are critically important; however, the military and civilian members stationed in Sigonella who support the warfighter are equally important. To that end, we strive to provide a level of service equal to or greater than a United States Postal Office that you would find back home.

Sigonella receives a large portion of our mail from the Rome Mail Control Activity (MCA).

MCA Rome dispatches Sigonella mail via commercial air flights on a daily basis. Although we receive mail from Catania airport daily, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted NAVSUP’s normal mail movement routes leading in and out of our AOR. As a result, we receive the bulk of our mail via weekly mail trucks from MCA Rome due to commercial airline restrictions and cargo limitations. Once onboard, all incoming mail is processed and prepared for delivery to you, our Sigonella family.

We value each and everyone one of our customers and cannot express our gratitude enough for your ongoing support. Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season from the NAVSUP Fleet Mail Center Team.

BY THE NUMBERS: Prograde Sigonella- 74,746 inbound pcs. of mail Retrograde Sigonella- 15,156 pcs. outbound of mail Retrograde Sigonella- 98,582.9 Kgs/ 217,338 lbs. of outbound mail Prograde Sigonella- 457,057.2 Kgs./1.1 million lbs. of inbound mail

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

SIGONELLA SCHOOLS

he Sigonella schools are on a mission! We T strive to educate, engage, and empower each and every military-connected student who enters the

building. Of course, increasing student achievement is a top priority, but we also aim to educate the whole child to nurture creativity, resiliency, curiosity, and empathy. Our steadfast commitment to ensuring an excellent education for all proved to be the foundation for what was a tricky year.

We started 2021 engaged in meaningful learning in our school building. The community’s support of our COVID-19 mitigations ensured the children stayed healthy and learned in person with their friends and teachers. While our school bubble remained small, children excelled.

As June approached, we all marveled at the benefits socialization and peer interactions had on our developing learners. The friendships made throughout the year would carry many children into the summer at the pool, riding bikes on Marinai, or just hanging out with friends. The summer months also brought many of us hope... hope that we would be able to gather in more traditional manners.

However, the summer also brought scorching temperatures that caused significant damage to our school building.

Days before teachers would return, ready for an amazing start to the school year, a fire knocked out our power and prevented us from starting on time.

However, teachers, students, and parents rose to the occasion to begin meeting teachers online, learning

about the classroom routines, and starting school remotely. While not the start to the school year we expected, once again our mission was unwavering.

Teachers needed to be with their students. Students needed to be with the teachers. Children needed to see their friends.

Two weeks later, we were back in the building.

Teaching and learning picked up and classes stirred with wonder, laughter, and challenge. The Middle High School began fall sports and planned a successful homecoming for students. How wonderful to have a home football game after ten years without a team! The homecoming theme of The Enchanted Garden was a memory maker for all in attendance.

Both are really an essential part of high school.

And then the rains came. Late October was met with heavy rains leaving widespread devastation across the island. Our schools were again closed, but it was necessary for the safety of our precious children.

The school closure was another setback, but one that we knew we could overcome. We were able to bring in November with meaningful parent conferences and a very fun Storybook Character Parade at the Elementary School. In addition, we showed gratitude for our health, families, and community.

The school year has certainly presented hurdles, but the Sigonella Community School spirit is strong and we remain determined to educate, engage, and empower our military-connected students. We look forward to 2022 and pledge our complete devotion to serving our students, families, and community.

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

NAVFAC / PWD

021 was an extremely wild year – one full of challenges 2 and achievements. Public Works Department (PWD) Sigonella provided support to the installation through response

efforts to flooding, Operation Allies Refuge, power issues and significant rain events. Like the rest of the installation, our local nationals, GS civilians, and Seabees rose to the challenge, gave their all, and provided critical support to our tenant commands.

PWD Sigonella is the primary logistical support element for U.S. Sixth Fleet operations, with 257 total billets overseeing a plant replacement value of $1,67B dollars.

PWD executed a disciplined and momentous year for construction projects and facility repairs in support of multiple missions and tenant commands. Our team completed over 145 contract actions valued at $26.2M, these included mechanical repairs to a critical chiller at Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF) Niscemi, emergency fence repairs to support force protection needs, natural gas distribution repairs, and fire suppression system repairs to protect life and property. We completed 20 active construction projects and awarded 32 construction projects totaling over $7M in future construction supporting airfield operations, water treatment operations, fire suppression efforts and other modernization efforts. Some of these projects include the P-8A and Triton hangars; a hydrant refueling system; planned repairs and upgrades to the tactical operations center, a $28M energy savings performance contract, and natural gas system upgrades.

In a major step forward to improve the power infrastructure for NAS II, we awarded and oversaw a high-voltage testing and verification contract valued at $1.1M to test and verify the highvoltage power distribution equipment of NAS II. PWD Sigonella completed nearly 200 outages and maintained continued communication with tenant commands, ultimately, ensuring 100% maintenance of all equipment and the identification of potential future electrical issues. This contract has allowed our team to award critical repair projects that are already making a difference in the number of outages we, as an installation,

receive.

In August, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools experienced a complete power loss to their facilities when an electrical substation caught fire due to an overload in the electrical system. With the school facility closed until power could be restored, PWD Sigonella quickly sprang into action to award a $250K contract for two large capacity generators shipped from the Netherlands in under a week to power the entire school facility as well as air conditioner units. To minimize any additional costs, PWD monitored and coordinated generator refueling efforts. This quick short-term solution allowed for the DoDEA schools to resume normal operations, while the PWD team continued the momentum in completing a full repair of shore power to these facilities within 45 days of the initial loss of the substation, an incredible pace for these technical repairs.

In September, the entire world watched as the largest airlift in history began during Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) in order to evacuate thousands of people out of Afghanistan. NAS Sigonella received the call to support this operation, and the PWD responded in kind. Over the course of a month, PWD awarded over $400K in services for Afghan travelers while concurrently preparing $740K in critical infrastructure to support 5000 Afghan travelers. With a team of over 150 Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, PWD Naples and PWD Sigonella, as well as GS civilians and local nationals, we prepared to house travelers in under 10 days while maintaining focus on cultural differences, security, hygiene, and sanitation.

Over the course of the year, PWD Sigonella utilities energy management (UEM) team has operated two water treatment plants and two waste water treatment plants, maintained numerous pumps, lift stations, tanks and miles of water lines in support of NAS Sigonella and its tenant commands. This team has repaired over $80K in leaking pipes (some severe enough to threaten the supply of water to our installation), saving hundreds of thousands in water costs. The UEM team, in

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

close coordination with our acquisition branch, awarded urgent contracts to replace two water well pumps and then worked hand-in-hand with the base operating support contractor to test, install, and operate these new pumps, ultimately, ensuring that NAS Sigonella water supply levels remained constant.

PWD maintains and repairs fire and emergency management vehicles, which are critical to maintaining flight line operations as well as ensuring a rapid life-saving response in the event of a fire. In collaboration with our NAS Sigonella fire department and installations throughout the Europe, Africa, and Central regions, PWD Sigonella received several new structural and crash vehicles ensuring proper coverage of all facilities and air operations. Our technicians have worked relentlessly to diagnosis and correct over 120 deficiencies, bringing two structural engines and three crash trucks back to full mission capability. Additionally, our acquisition branch awarded a critical contract to bring onboard a licensed emergency vehicle technician in an effort to mitigate future deficiencies within these vehicles and decrease the rate that these vehicles go out of service. These actions combined to increase readiness and maintain capabilities which allow flight operations to continue at NAS Sigonella.

This year NAS Sigonella was sandwiched in by two heavy weather events – one in September of 2020 and one in October of 2021. We developed a roofing tiger team to quickly assess and repair roofs all over the installation, while our acquisition branch awarded over $800K in roofing contracts supporting 17 of our most damaged roofs throughout the installation. In October, a fierce rain storm hit NAS Sigonella, resulting in severe flooding to NAS II and Marinai housing. PWD mobilized on all fronts to mitigate impact to residents and maintain operations for supported commands. Seabees, civilians, and local nationals worked to reduce roof leaks, clean up storm debris, prepare mitigations for additional rain and high winds, clear roof drains and clogged lines, secure power, fill and place sand bags to prevent water infiltration, and repair damaged electrical systems.

One exceptional example of these efforts can be seen when three Seabees within the utilities team responded in the height of the storm to provide and operate a water pump to the Marinai Water Treatment Plant throughout the night, allowing Pizzarotti to rapidly restore potable water to the residents of Marinai. Another

example is when our local national high-voltage technicians quickly responded to a main power outage, restored power, and remained at the installation for the night only to be back at it the next day as they coordinated with ENEL making repairs to its system. Our team continues to oversee recovery efforts to over 100 homes in Marinai and is coordinating with CNIC in order to award $1M in additional storm damage repair contracts.

The overwhelming majority of work done by the department is done without any fanfare, but 365 days a year the PWD Sigonella team are planning, building, leasing and sustaining the facilities and providing essential base operating services.

Spotlighting some of the individuals in the department doing some of the perhaps not-so-glamorous work that makes a difference: • Back in July, Steelworker 3rd Class Keilman, Steelworker Constructionman Peters and Steelworker Constructionman Recruit Ricker spearheaded the restoration of the Emergency Operation Center main entrance door – helping to keep us ready.

• Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Allaire assisted the generator shop in the troubleshooting of the galley generator during and emergency trouble call – helping to keep us fed • Utilitiesman Constructionman McFarland and Utilitiesman 2nd Class Wells identified low chlorine levels in a distribution system and immediately began troubleshooting. They identified a malfunction and setup a bypass to use another pump in order to continue production. – helping to keep the water flowing • Builder 2nd Class Tribble, Builder 3rd Class Gelineau, Construction Electrician 3rd Class Taylor and Utilitiesman Constructionman Reiter successfully completed demolition and repair of a large area of taxiway on the airfield. The crew sawcut and removed concrete then poured new rapid setting, high strength concrete to repair the area. The crew helped to reduce foreign object debris and tire damage risk to all of the aircraft that operate at NAS Sigonella – helping to keep the planes ready to fly safely This year showcased another year defined by a dynamic range of accomplishments and challenges for the installation.

The Public Works Department takes pride in the continued excellence of this installation through the essential teamwork between all who call NAS Sigonella their home.

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

COMMUNITY RELATIONS n 2021, the NAS Sigonella PAO Community I Relations (COMREL) program continued to maintain a high standard despite the COVID-19

pandemic, which slowed down some activities. The COMREL program’s mission is to foster positive “good neighbor” relationships and give back to our local Sicilian communities who have hosted American service members and their families since 1959.

The COMREL program of Sigonella is only made possible by the gracious volunteer efforts from all commands and departments across the installation.

These projects are extremely helpful to our host nation communities and the volunteer efforts go a long way in forging positive community relations with the Sicilians who live outside the NASSIG fence-line.

This year, base volunteers contributed thousands of hours of their time through 130 events, to include environmental cleanups at parks, beaches, charities, churches, and historic sites; language interaction and painting projects at Sicilian schools and parishes; and participation in WW2 commemoration events, as well as ceremonies and social events. The volunteer efforts attracted the interest of local media, which praised them in several articles and segments aired during the daily television news across Sicily. The positive impact of their efforts also reached thousands of people in Sicily and abroad, through numerous social media posts and shares.

Among this year’s COMREL highlights is a social initiative conducted by Sigonella volunteers from VP46 Squadron returned to the town of Chiaramonte Gulfi, where other base volunteers helped out with an archaeological dig last year, to meet a group of juvenile offenders from the Nostra Signora di Gulfi Foster Care Home in order to talk to them about the importance of being a good citizen and upholding the law.

Still in April, a group of NAVSUP volunteers promoted a significant domestic violence awareness event in the Sicilian community. It was a donation of jeans to a shelter for women who have been victims of violence. The initiative was called: “Denim Day” against sexual assault and honored the annual Denim Day, the internationally recognized day aimed at raising awareness about rape and sexual assault. Volunteers, who also belong to the base SAPR victim advocacy team, donated jeans and later clothing and toys to the Catania Cooperativa Sociale Villa Santa Maria degli Angeli, a women’s shelter for women which hosts victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

Language interaction volunteering at Sicilian schools continued full speed ahead with the support of many base commands, even through distance learning activities, to help Sicilian students improving their English and even Spanish conversational skills. This type of volunteer language tutoring is highly requested

by Sicilian schools because they typically don’t have native speakers among their staff.

In November, Sigonella chief selectees made base COMREL history as they moved 15,000 books that were stored in the Church of San Domenico in Acireale to the city’s Seminary. Thanks to their efforts, the Library of Bioethics will now be available to the general public.

Still in the fall, NCTS volunteers supported FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), Italy’s non-profit foundation whose goal is to protect Italian historic places promoting their knowledge, care and conservation, by taking part in the cleanup of the abandoned Chapel of the Santa Marta Hospital in Catania which was reopened for a temporary exhibit of “ex-voto,” small paintings of religious images offered by devotees to the church to give thanks for a miracle or favor received.

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

Once again, the Navy showed care for the preservation of the Sicilian cultural heritage. COMRELs at Sicilian historic sites have been indeed conducted for years in the island.

As it happens every year, Sigonella volunteers received an official thank-you award for the outstanding volunteer support. On September 15, the NAVHOSP XO was presented with a thank you award by the President of the Bellini Catania Lions Club in the presence of Sicily’s Lions District 108 Yb Governor for several COMRELs conducted at Sicilian schools by Hospital volunteers.

In June, Sigonella Hospital doctors, nurses and corpsmen were presented with the “Silver Rose

Award,” hosted by a local association of Catholic women (Convegni di Marina Cristina di Savoia) , for demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to patient safety and care amidst the COVID-19 crisis Besides the annual summer WWII memorial ceremonies in Gela and Cassibile honoring the heroes of WWII, Sigonella uniformed delegations attended the December celebrations honoring Saint Barbara in Paternò and Saint Lucia where they were greeted by Hon. Nello Musumeci, the President of the Region of Sicily.

Sigonella volunteers continued make a big difference in the lives of our local Sicilian community neighbors.

We look forward to many more projects in 2021!

SECURITY DEPARTMENT 2

021 has been a very busy year for all of us, and the Naval Air Station Sigonella Security Department is no exception. Our team performed flawlessly during a variety of unexpected missions, including protests outside the installation, a major evacuation and natural disasters.

Early in 2021, our Masters-at-Arms fought fires in our Niscemi installation while maintaining security of the perimeter and keeping watch on the “No MUOS” organization protesting outside our gates.

In August of this year, our security forces ran point on a joint security response team comprised of Army, Air Force and Marine security forces on our installation.

They were tasked with receiving, processing, tracking, sheltering, sustaining and transporting over 4,300 atrisk Afghan evacuees for over 45 days. This mission was not an easy one, and we received praise from the higher levels of government. Once again, we set the bar high when it comes to establishing and maintaining security.

Our military working dog division supported three United States Secret service missions to Switzerland,

Rome and Bari. MA2 Grizzard and MA2 Marrufo successfully completed IA deployments to Djibouti, while three others remained deployed and three others advanced to the next paygrade.

Our anti-terrorism division completed 25 special event anti-terrorism plans, 33 on/off base event and base threat assessments, critically assessments, and vulnerability assessments. They also created and facilitated 192 joint service, installation, and divisional level exercises throughout the year.

Our training, physical security and anti-terrorism divisions saw a score increase of 36% during our most recent Regional Training Assist Visit; and during the month of October, we were surprised with unprecedented weather that caused massive flooding all over the area and resulted in the evacuation of dozens of families from our main housing site.

During all of these events, one certain thing was that our Security Department was always ready and on call. Our security experts worked countless hours in support of our installation and I couldn’t be more proud of them!

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The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

HOUSING OFFICE D

uring the continuation COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the Housing Department has continued to push forward.

Our Sigonella community, whether in unaccompanied housing, economy housing, or Marinai government housing, has been phenomenal in understanding and being patient in getting issues resolved. Our staff strives to provide the best customer service and to improve everyone’s quality of life while stationed here.

As the communities started to unlock, the housing office began to provide more normal services once again, including check in and check outs, walk-in services, home inspections, and room inspections in the unaccompanied barracks.

In the economy, the housing department was able to work through maintenance issues, utility contracts difficulties, internet issues, loaner furniture delivery issues and still provided great customer service. We have actually seen an increase in services as more personnel were assigned to Sigonella.

The unaccompanied housing team, which includes 16 military staff and seven civilian staff, were also on top of their game. Throughout 2021, staff prepared housing for over 300 contingency personnel to support the mission. The staff’s responsibilities included ensuring rooms were clean, providing linen and room keys, and being on station after hours. Capt. Kevin Pickard, the NAS Sigonella commanding officer, worked continuously throughout the year with housing staff to improve the quality of life in the barracks and held many town hall forums to provide information and updates.

With the help of Pizzarotti, Marinai housing won a property and customer service award for the second year in a row with a score of 87%, the highest across the region.

This year, Marinai flooded in October due to unanticipated rains, and the community as a whole came together helping each other. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) was on site providing assessment of infrastructure; housing staff rehoused families, set up hotels, and worked continuously with Pizzarotti; Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) provided transportation to local hotels for families displaced; and the USO provided food and coffee. This is just one of the many examples of the team and community spirit throughout the housing and NASSIG community.

What’s in stored for Marinai in 2022? Next year, we have plans for two playground renovations, a new skateboard park, and replacement of 175 A/C units all approved ready to go. Future projects also include storage sheds, a club house, a Splash Park and perimeter fencing, thanks to the push by Capt. Pickard and Public Works Officer Cmdr.

Jason Christian.

The housing office is currently open for business, and the housing staff has been and continues to be dedicated to providing a high level of customer service and maintaining a high quality of life standard. All of this year’s successes were indeed a team effort.

The entire housing program staff wishes the entire community a NAS Sigonella Happy Holidays!

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LEGAL SERVICE OFFICE SIGONELLA Region Legal Service Office Europe, Africa, Central (RLSO EURAFCENT) Detachment Sigonella provided legal support services to Naval Air Station Sigonella’s tenant commands and associated personnel throughout 2021.

After more than a year of heavily modified operations, the RLSO’s civil law department returned to normal business, reopening to walk-in notary, sojourner’s permit, and power of attorney services. The RLSO’s local national language specialists rose to the occasion, processing roughly 1,350 Sojourner’s Permits for SOFA-status civilians assigned to NAS Sigonella - an increase of more than 40% from last year. Paralegal staff provided more than 700 notary services to the community at no cost, and Sigonella’s legal assistance attorney provided legal advice to 177 clients on issues ranging from consumer fraud, to family law, to estate planning and pre-deployment readiness.

The claims office also investigated and adjudicated 46 claims cases under a range of Federal claims statutes.

In July, RLSO EURAFCENT welcomed Lt. Alexis Moore, JAGC, USN, as the installation’s Victim’s Legal Counsel. Lt. Moore has thus far provided 11 clients with comprehensive legal services and representation through all phases of the Navy’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program.

The command services attorney also provided responsive and actionable guidance to the installation and its tenant commands through both usual and highly unusual evens.

The RLSO supported 33 non-federal entities and resolved 73 disciplinary matters from investigation through final disposition. More than that, however, in August, Sigonella’s command services attorneys supported the installation’s all-hands-on-deck effort for Operation Allies Refuge, providing legal analyses on issues including procurement, use-of-force, force-protection, donations, and volunteer coordination.

As always, RLSO EURAFCENT Det. Sigonella is proud to serve our clients, Navy, and nation in this and the coming year. Happy holidays!

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

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AIRCRAFT INTERMEDIATE

021 was a busy and productive year for Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Detachment (AIMD) Sigonella. Consisting of six officers and 150 enlisted Sailors across 10 different ratings, AIMD is one of the largest tenant commands aboard Naval Air Station Sigonella with detachments in Souda Bay, Greece, and Rota, Spain. AIMD Rota was established this year to support the homeport shift of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 79 from San Diego, California. By 2024, the Rota detachment is expected to become a standalone AIMD and self-sufficient.

As the only intermediate-level maintenance facility within the Sixth Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR), AIMD provides support to all deployed and transient aircraft throughout the theater.

The team’s production efforts supported seven forward deployed Navy and Marine Squadrons across six locations throughout the Fifth and Sixth Fleet AORs. In the past year, 12,233 maintenance actions were completed, to include 13 high priority repairs, expending in excess of 150,000 maintenance-hours to maintain aircraft parts availability and to preposition aviation ground support equipment to meet the operational needs of the Navy and Marine squadrons.

The Power Plants Division managed and maintained a pool of engines, auxiliary power units, and propellers supporting the P-8A Poseidon, EP-3E Aeries, C-130 Hercules, and MH-60 Seahawk aircrafts. As need increased,

they coordinate the receipt and transport of seven engines to various locations throughout the AOR. The Airframes Division went above and beyond in support of NATO aircraft during Operation Allied Refuge; manufacturing two hydraulic lines and suppling 200 gallons of hydraulic fluid to a transient C-17 Globemaster III aircraft while providing the quick repair and return of the aircraft to its crucial mission transporting Special Interest Visa applicants from Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Avionics & Armament Divisions increased their ability to support nine forward deployed squadrons by establishing capability to repair night vision goggles. They are also crucial in the repair of Nickel Cadmium and Lead acid batteries. This team is the only Navy Metrology and Calibration Laboratories in the AOR, and for their exceptional performance, the Calibration Lab was recognized as the 4th best Navy and Marine Corps lab ranked worldwide.

The Armament Division repairs M-299 Longbow Hellfire Launchers and bomb rack units enabling deployed squadrons to safely and effectively employ ordnance when called upon.

Sailors assigned to the Oxygen and Nitrogen Generating Facility installed the only operationally-employed Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Nitrogen generator system in the Navy. This saved the Navy $75,000 on LOX procurement by generating 7,500 gallons of LOX for use at four detachment sites.

The Signature: 2021 Year In Review

MAINTENANCE DETACHMENT The Paraloft builds and supports aviation lifesupport equipment for the increasing presence of aircraft in the AOR. Still manned to support the deployed patrol and reconnaissance squadrons in Sigonella and Souda Bay, their workload has quadrupled with the presence of an additional patrol and reconnaissance squadron, two additional Seahawk squadrons, and the Marine Corps Osprey squadron that arrived late this year.

The Ground Support Equipment Division manages and maintains a pool of ground support equipment that, when called upon, have been sent all over Europe and Africa. To support this requirement, the Sailors within this division have been sent as far north as Iceland and as far south as Djibouti. A lot to ask from a Sailor on their shore duty, these hard working individuals have also been sent on repair detachments to 17 different location to include Greece, Africa, Iceland, Spain, Italy and Scotland.

The Quality Assurance (QA) Division ensures proper maintenance of the procedural compliance within AIMD. They also drill, train, and qualify the Sailors and inspectors, certifying 61 inspectors this year alone. QA liaises with governing naval echelons in the compliance of the Navy Aviation Maintenance Programs. These efforts ensured that squadrons within the AOR receive quality products and readied AIMD Sailors for the 2021 Maintenance Program Assessment (MAP) inspection conducted by Commander, Fleet Air Western Pacific and for the upcoming MAP

inspection taking place in February 2022.

AIMD’s Administration Department ensures the well-being of Sailors and their families through processing correspondence, transfer & gain packages, and personnel movements while managing a budget of $200,000 and disbursed over $350,000 in entitlements. Their efforts resulted being ranking 2nd of 43 tenant commands aboard NAS Sigonella in Administration processing.

The Command Career Counselor managed five subordinates in support of the 150 AIMD Sailors – regardless of where they were in the AOR. The AIMD AIRSpeed team trains Sailors on the Navy’s Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) program. Their role is to teach Sailors to work efficiently and find value streams that save the command time and money. Their tutelage streamlined the procedures and processes within the Oxygen and Nitrogen Generating Facility and how ground support equipment is tracked and checked out for use at the squadrons.

AIMD Sigonella is in the business of producing aircraft parts, providing reliable equipment, and caring for its Sailors. The Sailors, under their own initiative, have jump-started special training sessions and invited member of the Sigonella base services to speak at the command. Guests such as Morale, Welfare and Recreation, Navy College Office, and United Services Organization have given presentations, equipping AIMD Sailors with knowledge. All Sailors at AIMD Sigonella look forward to challenges that 2022 will bring!

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