August 21, 2020
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Interactive Customer Evaluation Response Regarding 24/7 Childcare: We have received several comments about 24/7 childcare. Worldwide, the Navy operates two 24/7 childcare centers at the high fleet concentration areas of Norfolk and San Diego. Currently, both centers see minimal enrollment and at times have expanded their services to drop in hourly care for command events and date nights in order to keep the centers afloat. For example, Norfolk serves 40,000 active duty members with only 18 families enrolled. A third 24/7 childcare center was built at NSA Bethesda in 2016 in order to support shift workers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The need for 24/7 care was brought up almost daily by hospital leadership and staff. When the center opened, only 12 eligible families came forward and only one signed up for care. After operating for a year with one full time enrolled child and multiple outreach initiatives, the center closed. We understand that there will always be some outstanding needs of child care for military families across the world but 24/7 centers have not proven to be the answer for the Navy. Their lack of success in high fleet concentration areas and at a large hospital command tell us that a 24/7 center at NAS Sigonella will not meet the needs of our community. If you feel that you are unable to meet your mission due to the childcare available on the installation, we encourage you to speak with your chain of command to find the best solution for yourself, your children and your family. Comment Regarding Commissary Hours: Those of us on twelve hour day shifts get out at 1800 at the earliest and have no opportunity to visit the Commissary. The switch from the original 1900 Commissary closing time to 1800 was implemented at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, presumably to fit in with the host countries nighttime curfew laws, but has since remained 1800 even after the lockdown lift. Its a huge inconvenience, especially for those working the 3 day weekend work sets. Response: Last month the commissary updated its hours to better accommodate the NAS Sigonella community and has restored their regular hours. Currently, the commissary is open Saturday and Sunday from 1000 to 1800, Tuesday through Friday from 1000 to 1900, and closed on Mondays. Early bird
hours are not yet available again. It appears that this change has not been adequately publicized, and we hope that these hours better serve your needs. Customer Comment Regarding Post Office: Hello. I’m not sure if this issue is with the actual post office here or not but we’ve had about 5-6 packages of mail that went missing/lost just in the last 2-3 months. Mostly Amazon purchased and some mail in envelopes. Also, it takes weeks to sometimes a month or two for the mail to get processed as “picked up”. I still have a bunch of Amazon items showing as “still on the way” but I received it weeks ago. It causes issues with trying to return items through the mail, etc. Thank you. Response from NAVSUP FLC: NAVSUP FLC Sigonella is committed to ensuring the secure and timely delivery of NASSIG postal customers’ important mail and packages to their intended destinations. We regret whenever any of our postal customers experience an interruption to the movement of their mail, as was the case for this customer. When mail that is moving in and out of our AOR does not reach its intended destination, listed below are the most common reasons why. Also included are actions a postal customer can take to locate and track their mail and packages. 1. One possible cause for disruptions to the movement of our customers’ mail and packages is that they are delayed in transit. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted NAVSUP’s normal mail movement routes leading in and out of our AOR. From the beginning of the pandemic through the present, NAVSUP’s postal managers have worked tirelessly to establish, and maintain, alternative mail routes so that our customers’ mail moves with minimal delay. Take action: If you have reason to believe your mail is delayed, contact the NASSIG postal officer who can assist in tracking it. If the mail item is a purchased product, track the delivery status on your electronic customer account with the vendor. Another way to track your delayed mail is using the tracking number provided to the sender. Or obtain it by contacting the vendor. 2. Another reason that customers’ mail may not reach its intended destination is the extremely rare occasion that the mail is mishandled at the post office. By the end "ICE" cont’d on page 11
THE SIGNATURE
U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA
Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Pickard Executive Officer Cmdr. Patrick J. Moran Command Master Chief CMDCM Anna Wood EDITORIAL Public Affairs Officer Lt. Karl Schonberg karl.schonberg@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 MCSA 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.
