The Signature | February 16, 2018

Active Duty Fund Drive

Breaking Barriers Part II

CREDO

Kick Off Event

The Raye Montague Story

Learn How to Become an ASIST Trainer

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N A S SIG O N E L L A

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018

Vol. 35 No. 6

NAS Sigonella Hosts U.S. Ambassador to Italy

SIGONELLA, Sicily (February 8, 2018) – Col. Alessandro Amendola, Vice Commandant of the Italian Air Force 41st Air Wing and Sigonella Airport Command, left, and Capt. Brent Trickel, commanding officer of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, right, greet the Honorable Lewis M. Eisenberg, U.S. Ambassador to the Italian Republic, and the Republic of San Marino upon his arrival onboard the installation. NAS Sigonella is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed and when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Gordon/Released)

by MC2 Christopher Gordon NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

NAS SIGONELLA, Sicily – Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella hosted the U.S. Ambassador to the Italian Republic and the Republic of San Marino, the Honorable Lewis M. Eisenberg, and the U.S. Consul General in Naples, Ms. Mary Ellen Countryman, for a tour of the base and lunch, Feb. 8.

Sigonella marked Ambassador Eisenberg’s final stop of an Italy-wide tour of U.S.-Italian military bases.

This was the first trip to Sigonella for the Ambassador since he began his duties in October 2017.

“It is great to be here with U.S. and Italian Armed Forces together at one air station,” said Ambassador Eisenberg. “The Italian Air Force has been an excellent partner and a gracious host. Our continued partnership will lead to even greater productivity, teamwork, and interoperability.”

The Ambassador’s visit started with a lunch at Sigonella’s galley, Ristorante Bella Etna, and was followed by a tour of the base and its tenant commands.

“We are very excited to be able to host Ambassador Eisenberg at Sigonella and have the opportunity to show him the extremely important and strategic mission we perform,” said Capt. Brent Trickel, commanding officer of NAS Sigonella. “We work closely with our Italian counterparts to protect the vital interests of Italy, NATO, and the United States and are thankful for the opportunity to demonstrate the outstanding partnership we have with our Italian hosts.”

The trip concluded with a presentation of the P-8A Poseidon, where pilots from Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 explained the fundamentals of the aircraft and their mission. P-8A operations began in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in August 2016, maintaining the presence previously provided by the P-3C Orion. Following the conclusion of the presentation, instead of disembarking the aircraft, Ambassador Eisenberg strapped into a seat and

departed Sigonella for Rome.

The United States has maintained diplomatic representation in Italy in various forms since the late eighteenth century. The U.S. Mission to Italy is headed by the Embassy in Rome and includes three Consulates located in the cities of Naples, Milan, and Florence.

Ambassadors of the United States are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Their

terms typically last three years.

NAS Sigonella, “The Hub of the Med,” is a U.S. Navy installation and an Italian Air Force base in Sicily, Italy. NAS Sigonella is the Navy’s second largest security command after Naval Support Activity Bahrain. Because of its location near the center of the Mediterranean Sea, NASSIG is well placed to support operations by the U.S. 6th Fleet, other U.S. military units, and U.S. allies and coalition partners.

SIGONELLA, Sicily (February 8, 2018) – The Honorable Lewis Eisenberg, U.S. Ambassador to the Italian Republic, and the Republic of San Marino, and Mary Countryman, U.S. Consul General in Naples, board a P-8 Poseidon aircraft onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella to. NAS Sigonella is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed and when they are needed to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Gordon/Released)

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018

Direct Line

Niki McBain, Emergency Manager I don’t know about you, but I have become enthralled with this season’s breakout hit, “This is Us”. Each week the show has me literally on the edge of my couch cushions (there is no wonder the moving company marked the couch as “well loved!”). You can find me every Monday waiting to see what new conundrums the Pearsons find themselves in. This week though was heart wrenching. Let’s be honest, I knew what was coming- one of the hazards of living overseas is watching every television show the night after it airs in the U.S. and it is next to impossible to not see the gasps from social media when a plot twists- but I still couldn’t believe it. A faulty kitchen appliance is to blame for my favorite television drama family’s most heart wrenching moment. This could have been completely avoided. I admit it, I am not like most people when it comes to disaster, after all, I deal with emergencies every day- but I can’t help but

want to scream far and wide for everyone to hear - check your home now before it is too late!

In this case, the Pearson’s accepted a heartfelt gift from a wonderful neighbor of a crock-pot with a faulty switch.

Fast forward 17 years, where I applaud Jack for turning off the crock pot at night before everyone went to sleep, I would suggest instead that you unplug all unused appliances. Not only does this lower your energy use (and we know how much NASSIG is all about lowering our energy usage!), it also helps to alleviate any concern that a potentially faulty appliance may overheat and catch fire. When you know an appliance of any kind might have an electrical problem you should make sure that it is disposed of correctly and not continued to be used.

Unfortunately though, sometimes things happen, and when they do you want to make sure you are protected.

My heart ached when I realized there

were no working smoke detectors in the Pearson’s house (or at least not in the episode I watched- and please don’t spoil the next episode for me!) When I moved to Italy I was told that homes didn’t need smoke detectors because they weren’t made of wood like back in the states. I don’t know what your family is laying on at night, but I will tell you, my entire house is wall to wall comfortable furniture, and it is definitely not made of cinderblocks that won’t catch fire. Fires can happen anywhere, at any time. It is crucial you have working smoke detectors to alert you to an emergency. When your detectors start beeping a low battery sound you shouldn’t take them off the wall and forget about them- you should for the life safety of yourself and your loved ones have it taken care of immediately.

It is critical that everyone in your family have the NASSIG Emergency Dispatch number memorized. I know, I know, you are an excellent Sig’ Citi-

zen and have it pre-programmed in your phone. What happens when your phone is upstairs when the smoke detectors go off while you are downstairs, or if your phone was what started the fire in the first place? If your neighbors don’t know how to call 095-86-1911 precious minutes will be wasted finding the right number. What can you do if you are off base and experience an emergency? You can still call 095-861911 and one of NASSIG’s finest Emer-

"DIRECT LINE" cont’d on Page 15

Commanding Officer's Suggestion Box The ICE/CO Suggestion Box is for our community and Commanding Officer to discuss, with an eye toward constant improvement, how we are excelling* and how we can improve**. The community is strongly encouraged to leave contact information when submitting comments. This ensures that a response will come directly to you. The Signature and NASSIG Facebook Page typically publish comments and responses for the benefit of the Sigonella community. Comments/suggestions are useful when objective, constructive, and specific. ICE/CO Sug-

gestion Box is NOT a forum for mean-spirited attacks.

Anonymous comments will be published only if they benefit the greater community at large. * If you submit a "BZ" about a specific person or department, PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR NAME in order to ensure comment authenticity and therefore publicly recognize employees or organizations. ** The Commanding Officer will ensure a response to all signed comments/suggestions and the vast majority of anonymous ones but reserves the right to disregard

those comments/suggestions disinterested in the spirit of the program!

There are two ways to submit; go to: 1) Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE) home page on a One-Net computer at: http://ice.disa.mil, All Sigonella services are found under the Navy Europe Listing in the scroll-down menu.

– or – 2) NAS Sigonella's website www.cnic.navy.mil/Sigonella, go to the "About" drop down menu and click on "CO Suggestion Box".

Interactive Customer Evaluation Comment regarding “base shuttle service”:

I am very grateful that there is a shuttle service to take us between bases and housing. This has allowed our family to only need one car. We live in Marinai. My children go to school and work on NAS 1. My husband works on NAS 2. I volunteer with various organizations on both bases. Every day, I am greeted with a warm smile from the drivers.

However, I have a growing concern. More and more often we miss scheduled events due to the bus not having available seats. Obviously, this service is a wonderful hit for people living on our base. Thank you for having it. Yet, as more and more people move on to the base, might it be possible to increase the frequency of the buses? Last week, members of my family were stuck at a stop four times. Today, again, there were no seats available.

I realize this is not a mission essential service, but it is one we are very grateful you provide. Thank you.

Sincerely, Tara Fall

Response:

Thank you for your comment and letting us know how much your family values the shuttle service between the various base locations. The base shuttle service is funded by Commander, Navy Installation Command and its primary mission is to transport military service members from living quarters to work locations. As you noted, family members are able to also ride the shuttle on a space available provision.

Although the shuttle ridership has increased, it has yet to reach a saturation point.

Based on the program’s primary mission, there is still available space for military service personnel. Another option you may like to consider is the unofficial ride-

sharing program. Depending on your destination hold up one, two, or three fingers while waiting at the designated ride sharing pick-up point located near the front gate, and if someone is headed to the same destination and has the room in their vehicle, they can offer a ride. If you have additional questions or would like to discuss this issue further please do not hesitate to contact Jonpaul Thomasseau, Deputy Public Works Officer, at DSN 624-2905 or at JonPaul.Thomasseau@eu.navy.mil.

Comment regarding “Bravo Zulu for Housing”:

Antonella Amore was so helpful throughout my move in process. She was always easy to get a hold of. Even when on leave she ensured I was taken care of.

I had issues with personal property and Antonella put me in contact with Tony Bruno in furniture. He helped fix the problem, providing the loaner furniture as soon as possible. That helped make a hard day a lot easier. I am very thankful for both of them.

Sincerely, Sharifa

Response:

Thank you for your comment. The Family Housing program has been very proactive in customer service training, and has also streamlined all Housing processing in order to provide the best possible customer service to the Sigonella Community. By doing this it gives housing managers like Antonella Amore more time to provide personalized service to housing residents rather than passing the case along to another manager. Our goal is that a customer has the same manager from check-in to check-out. Mrs. Amore, Mr. Bruno and the entire housing staff are

"ICE" continued on Page 3

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018

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THE SIGNATURE U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA

Name: Aviation Support Equipment

Technician 2nd Class Jessyca Bellinger Hometown: Miami, Florida Department: AIMD

Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) is in charge of all of the maintenance and well being of the aircraft on Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, and Aviation Support Equipment Technician 2nd Class Jessyca Bellinger is the Sailor in charge of making sure everyone is properly trained on all of the related equipment.

“In general, I love teaching, I love training; it’s kind of a niche of mine,” said Bellinger. “I see the purpose in what I do and I have had a direct impact on important missions around base, so it’s very rewarding.”

On top of being the Training Petty Officer for all of AIMD, along with any other command that uses the flight line, Bellinger works as an Assistant Command Fitness Leader (ACFL), Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Victim Advocate (VA), and was just recently elected as AIMD’s Junior Enlisted Mess Vice President.

“I’m heavily involved with all those things because I like them, I’m passionate about them, and I definitely get the most out of whatever it is that I’m doing,” said Bellinger. “I just want to put a dent in everything I do and have

an impact somewhere.”

As part of her initiative to help wherever she can, Bellinger thought of a Community Relations event in conjunction with AIMD’s Junior Enlisted Mess: a senior prom. Not the kind of senior prom most people are familiar with, but a senior citizen prom.

“I wanted to make them feel that they are appreciated, because at that age some can be easily forgotten, especially at a nursing home,” said Bellinger. “I’m still trying to process it because it went better than I ever could have dreamed.”

During the dance, Bellinger said

there were multiple times where her and the other volunteers felt like crying. One moment in particular was when an older gentleman who wasn’t having a good day attended the dance.

He was having financial issues, felt down on his luck, and needed something positive in his life.

“At the end of the night we had a prom king and queen crowning, where the crowd chose the winner, and he ended up being the king,” said Bellinger. “To see how his day started so rough then ended so spectacularly really made my night and made all the effort that was put into it worth it.”

committed to ensuring all residents living in the economy are taken care of. If you have any further questions or issues you would like to discuss please contact Peter Faulk, Installation Housing Director, at peter.faulk@eu.navy.mil or 624-4070.

Comment regarding “Animals Posted for Sale on Facebook”:

Response:

Thank you for your comment regarding your pleasant experience with the Motor Vehicle Registration Office (MVRO).

MVRO’s primary mission is to service the NAS Sigonella community and tenant commands in various aspects of vehicle registration, customs, and AFI translations. I take pride in providing quality customer service and am elated to hear of your positive experiences. With the dramatic increase in personnel numbers since 2013, MVRO averages close to 70 appointments and walkins a day. To drive that point home, MVRO registered 1,183 vehicles last year as opposed to 348 in 2014. With minimal staff onboard to service US and NATO members, it is great to know that the Sailors and civilians providing services to the community are doing so in a highly professional and courteous manner. Thank you again for taking the time to send positive feedback on your

Community Relations Officer Dott. Alberto Lunetta alberto.lunetta.it@eu.navy.mil Editor MCC Jessica Vargas Jessica.Vargas@eu.navy.mil PAO Staff Writer \ Photographer MC2 Christopher Gordon Christopher.Gordon@eu.navy.mil

PUBLISHER Stampa Generale S.r.l., Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher, Naval Support Activity Capodichino (Naples), Italy stampagenerale@tin.it Tel. 081-568-7884 Fax 081-568-7887

experiences at MVRO. For any further questions or concerns, please contact the Security Officer, LCDR Richmond at 624-6036.

I went to MVRO to receive my license and buy a car previously owned by an American. Both times I came in near the end of the day and both times they were so helpful and made a stressful process very easy. I appreciate both the military and civilian employees who work there.

Sincerely, Sharifa

EDITORIAL Public Affairs Officer Lt. Andriana Genualdi andriana.genualdi@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

"ICE" continued from Page 2

Comment regarding “Bravo Zulu for MVRO”:

Commanding Officer Capt. Brent Trickel Executive Officer Cmdr. Patrick J. Moran Command Master Chief CMDCM Nancy Estrada

Under Facebook Commerce Policy #5, animals are prohibited to be posted for sale. I see many people advertise animals for sale.

As a result of casual pet purchases many people abandon their prize specific breed dogs when it comes time to PCS. This practice also is encouraging breeders to make more litters. Of these litters, those not sold are most likely set free as strays. I ask Sigonella to not allow the sale of animals on base related pages. It is already a ruling by Facebook, can we please uphold it?? The local population and our host country will have a better view of our presence here. Not allowing the sale of animals will help reduce the stray animal population and assist the rescue groups in their efforts to resolve the problem.

Sincerely, Amy Parker

Response:

Thank you for your comment and concern. Unfortunately I have zero control over any of the unofficial Sigonella Facebook groups. In the future should you witness a violation of this or any other Facebook policy I would recommend that you reach out to that particular group's admin and request that they take down the post due to the violation of Facebook policy. Another option is to "Flag" the post which will alert Facebook staff about the inappropriate content. For any further questions or concerns regarding social media conduct please contact Lt. Andriana Genualdi at andriana.genualdi@eu.navy.mil or by phone at 624-5440.

This civilian enterprise (CE) 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. The appearance of advertising in this newspaper, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the DoD or Stampa Generale S.r.l., of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factorof the purchaser, user or patron.

A confirmed violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser will result in the refusal to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected.

The Signature is published weekly by Stampa Generale S.r.l., Sig. Bruno Brandi, Publisher, Naval Support Activity, Capodichino (Naples), Italy.

Tel. 081-568-7884. Fax 081-568-7887.

E-mail: stampagenerale@tin.it.

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, guard mail stop #68 or hand-delivered to our office no later than the close of business on the Friday proceeding the expected publication date. All articles submitted by non-staff members will be considered contributing writers.

The Signature will not publish any anonymous articles. All advertisements in this publication are the property of Stampa Generale S.r.l. Any reproduction of advertisements in The Signature is unauthorized without the written consent of the publisher.

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THE SIGNATURE

Patrol Squadron FIVE Volunteers at a Catania Church

SIGONELLA, Sicily--The Chiefs Mess and First Class Petty Officers of Patrol Squadron (VP) FIVE volunteer at a church revitalization project in Catania. (U.S. Navy photo by Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Livinisitone Aseta)

By Lt.j.g. Mary Carter Jordan

SIGONELLA, Sicily — The Chiefs Mess and First Class Petty Officers (FCPOs) of Patrol Squadron (VP) FIVE volunteered for a church revitalization project in Catania, near their deployment site of Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella.

This volunteer opportunity, organized by Dr. Alberto Lunetta, NAS Sigonella’s Community Relations Director, provided an excellent opportunity to build-on relations between the base and the local community.

The volunteers met with Father Venerando of Parrocchia Immaculate Concezoine Catholic Church, which is located along the beautiful seafront of the northern area of Catania. After careful planning, the crew purchased paint and construction materials for the project and started the day by scraping old paint off the railing outside the church.

“It was a lot of manual work but at the end of

the day, we were all very satisfied with the work we were able to complete and are happy to see how appreciative the church congregation was,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Livinisitone Aseta. “Father Venerando was overjoyed to have us there helping and welcomed us with a wonderful meal.”

Upon completion of removing the old paint, the volunteers from VP-5 repainted all of the walls and railings surrounding the church. The group also aided the church by assisting in renovating rooms inside and hauling heavy objects out of the church. The Chiefs and FCPOs have already volunteered in the local community but continue to look for ways to give back to those in need. The VP-5 ‘Mad Foxes’ returned back to base with the satisfaction that the church now has cleaner and newly refurbished rooms.

VP-5 is currently operating out of Sigonella, Italy in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

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NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella’s Innovative Planning Improves Postal Operations in Europe and Africa

Sgt. Ryan Deason, LS1 Frank Cetrano, and LSSN lizzle Gomez of NAVSUP FLC Sigonella’s Fleet Mail Center unload the commercial mail truck and send the mail to be x-rayed. The NAVSUP FLC Sigonella Fleet Mail Center currently x-rays 100% of incoming and outgoing mail to ensure no dangerous packages are delivered in Sigonella.

(Photo by Lt. Joseph Green)

By Tia Nichole McMillen Public Affairs Officer

You’ve got mail! It doesn’t take a deployment to know that mail call is a highlight of most Sailors’ days. As the Navy’s postal professionals, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Sigonella vastly improved postal operations in Europe and Africa within the last year.

This year, 2017, marked the first year that there were not any backlogs in mail inbound from the continental United States (CONUS) or outbound to CONUS from the Europe and Africa area of operations. Commanding Officer of NAVSUP FLC Sigonella, Capt. Dion English said, “Postal operations have a direct impact on morale and need to run seamlessly. My team conducted research, employed innovative thinking, and built authentic partnerships to quickly and effectively improve operations in Italy and across Europe and Africa.”

In order to make improvements, the team first decided on a problem set. Traditionally, holiday mail is delayed either as a result of customs delays or because of airline capacity. From 2015 to 2016, the team noted mail delays or stoppage due to Italian customs; directly relating to 125 kilograms of daily backlog during the peak holiday season. The solution was clear: improve relationships with Italian customs and secure more space on carrier generated routes.

“We function in a time where you have to do more with less—you have to learn from the past and use innovative measures to plan for the future. Our business is constantly changing and growing, and NAVSUP FLC Sigonella is at the helm of providing quality of life support through programs such as postal delivery to support the warfighter in Europe and Africa,” said Tommie Tate, NAVSUP FLC Sigonella regional postal manager.

In August, the NAVSUP FLC Sigonella postal team started negotiations with the local airlines to increase the amount of space allocated for inbound and outbound mail during the peak holiday periods. By partnering with Navy Region Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA), the postal team engaged with the Rome customs team to ensure solid relationships and sound business practices existed to prevent customs delays of holiday mail. Specifically, the NAVSUP FLC Sigonella postal team worked di-

rectly with the EURAFSWA legal office to fully implement a customs clearance program at the Rome Mail Control Activity, increasing trust between our Italian hosts, and resulting in zero delays inbound to Naples and to Sigonella.

The postal team, with support from the Rome Mail Control Activity director, met with airline leads from Chicago, Atlanta, and New York to secure an additional 2,000 kilograms on carrier generated routes. So, instead of a daily 125 kilograms backlog, there was excess space to keep the mail moving during the holiday surge.

Moreover, leadership from United States Postal Service agreed to expand warehouse space dedicated to military mail movement, with a new focus and prioritized movement of military mail.

This forward-thinking meant that the additional cost of using trucks for transportation was no longer necessary.

“Because of the outstanding partnership we have with our host nation, Italy, we were able to establish innovative internal controls and business practices to ensure a unified approach to postal operations,” said Tate. “But the power of partnerships doesn’t end there. On the other side of the world, the Joint Military Postal Activity, Chicago International Military Service Center (CISMC) said that in conjunction with our innovative thinking and support, it had its most successful peak mailing season in 2017, better than the past five years since consolidating mail at the Chicago O'Hare facility,” said Tate.

Lastly, and perhaps most simply, the NAVSUP FLC Sigonella postal team adjusted hours at all postal outlets to facilitate the increased holiday traffic. This allowed customers to receive their mail at a convenient time and place during the holiday surge.

NAVSUP FLC Sigonella stands ready to fulfill logistic responsibilities and serves as a vital link to enable mission success across Europe and Africa. NAVSUP FLC Sigonella is one of eight fleet logistics centers under NAVSUP, which provides global logistics, business and support services to fleet, shore and industrial commands of the Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army and allied forces. Services include contracting, regional transportation, fuel, material management, household goods movement support, postal and consolidated mail, warehousing, global logistics and husbanding, hazardous material management, and integrated logistics support.

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Italy protests: Thousands in demonstrations after shooting spree just days before election

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

200 Roman, Etruscan vases seized from collector’s house

Story by Expres.co.uk

More than 15,000 people protested in the Italian town of Macerata against fascism after a migrant shooting has highlighted growing tensions three weeks before the country’s elections.

The anti-racism demonstrators protested on Saturday, one week after a far-right activist shot and wounded six African migrants in the same town.

Luca Traini said he carried out the shooting in response to the murder of an 18-year-old Italian girl after police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer in connection with the case.

Immigration is a hot topic in the campaign trail of the election after more than 600,000 migrants have arrived on Italy’s shored from the North Africa in the last four years.

Economic hardships, poverty and unemployment have been growing in Italy and some blame the sheer number of migrants for the situation.

The protesters, who were standing in solidarity with the victims, were from a mixture of NGOs, anti-fascist organizations, unions and leftwing political groups.

The organizers of the march said the intention was to have a peaceful demonstration to reaffirm the value of anti-fascism and anti-racism.

They chanted: “If there is unemployment, blame the government, not the migrants”.

Some people held banners calling Matteo Salvini, the leader of the right-wing Northern League party which campaigns strongly against illegal immigrants, a fascist.

Five police officers were injured and forced to receive treatment in hospital in the demonstrations in the Italian town.

Mayor of Macerata Romano Carancini had asked for the demonstration to be cancelled to maintain calm in the town but it still went head after the police gave it the green light.

A pensioner from Florence, Mafalda Quartu, said: “The atmosphere is tense in Italy at the moment and in recent years we have allowed to the right to flourish. I have always demonstrated but now we need to do so more than ever.”

Far-right parties are expected to make gains in the Italian elections on March 4th.

If the center-right bloc gets a majority in the elections, either the Forza Italia of the Northern League will choose the country’s next prime minister depending on which of the two parties get more votes.

Italian mafia: How crime families went global Story by BBC Italian police have carried out a spate of anti-mafia raids, arresting dozens of suspects near Naples, Rome and Agrigento in Sicily. Illegal drugs, arms trafficking, extortion, contract killings, political bribery, prostitution, art thefts... the list of crimes is long.

So who are the Italian mafia?

Cosa Nostra earned notoriety in the US, where it became the Italian "Mob", feuding and racketeering in Chicago, New York and some other cities. It accumulated power by controlling illicit alcohol in the 1920s Prohibition era.

America's FBI says the US crime syndicate is largely separate from the clans in Italy. Heroin trafficking remains a core business for Cosa Nostra.

Say "mafia" now and many people will think of Marlon Brando in The Godfather. The Sicilian word actually implies "manly", and the label is often applied loosely - and inaccurately - to organized crime gangs.

Some Italian mafia clans operate globally, competing with similarly ruthless "mafia" gangs from Russia, China, Albania and several other countries. Sometimes gangs co-ordinate their crimes and share out the loot.

"ITALIAN NEWS" continued on Page 14

Photo story by ANSA/ADNKRONOS (ANSA) – Turin, Italy - Italian police recently seized over 200 Roman and Etruscan vases from the home of a noted Turin collector who died in January of natural causes.

The vases and ceramics, dating to between the VI and the III centuries BC and worth over 300,000 euros, will shortly be put on public display, authorities said. The man's living room was dotted with them, police said.

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

THE SIGNATURE

CNO to San Diego Surface Force - "Earn it Everyday"

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Working to Fix Travel Claim Backlog From Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson delivers remarks and holds a question-andanswer session during an all hands call at Naval Base San Diego. The CNO is a on a multi-day trip to San Diego to visit various commands and to meet with military, civic, and industry leadership to discuss their roles in "The Navy the Nation Needs." (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Laird/Released) From Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- During a visit to Southern California, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson held an all-hands call with Surface Warfare Sailors at Naval Base San Diego to discuss today's security environment and what the Navy needs to do to remain the preeminent maritime force.

The CNO gathered with approximately 1,000 Sailors for over an hour where he answered more than 25 questions and asked for feedback on the changes being made to the surface Navy.

"You took an oath, you raised your right hand time and time again. A commitment like that deserves the utmost respect, and you have my total respect," said Richardson. "Every decision I make starts with all of you in mind, what can we do to help you achieve your full potential, how can we make this the safest Navy for our Sailors, be the best partner for our friends and allies and the most lethal Navy for our enemies."

Sailors asked questions that ranged from uniforms and limited duty status to new operational standards and the training cycle of surface ships.

"There are a lot of changes going on in our surface Navy and Vice Admiral Brown has the helm, he is driving that. I could not ask for a better thinker or a better leader to help us take care of that." Richardson said.

Vice Adm. Richard Brown, commander, Naval Surface Forces, was in attendance to listen to the CNO and the feedback he received from the audience.

"It was an honor and privilege to have the CNO engage with our Surface Warriors on the waterfront," said Brown. "We are the finest Navy in the world and we are going to get better, get smarter, faster, and more lethal. I am appreciative of the CNO's support and the time he spent today with the surface Navy."

The CNO focused on training and raising the standard, saying "We want an excellence based Navy.

We want to get away from just achieving the minimum standard, but instead strive for excellence in everything we do, every single day."

When asked about standardizing the surface warfare qualification process fleet wide, the CNO answered "absolutely yes" and sited both the Comprehensive Review and the Strategic Readiness Review.

"No matter what ships we bring online, how we maintain them, how many people we have, at the end of the day we have to make sure they are properly trained. We will not waiver from that," said Richardson. "We're doing a lot of thinking in terms of how we can improve training across the Navy, but particularly the surface Navy, to make sure we're getting the training we need so we can get out there to sea."

Following the all hands call, the CNO met commanding and executive officers of littoral combat ships (LCS) stationed in San Diego and toured the LCS training facility.

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- The Navy's Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Travel Processing Center (TPC) Memphis is currently experiencing a significant backlog in processing travel claims, Navy leaders said Feb. 7.

Currently, TPC Memphis is processing a backlog of 7,500 claims with a settlement time between 60 and 70 days. A series of events, including IT system failures, increased travel claim volume due to the large number of PCS orders released at the end of the fiscal year, natural disaster evacuations, inclement weather base closures and a furlough caused claims processing timeliness to exceed the mandated 30 day processing time required by the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). The JTR requires travel claims to be processed within 30 days of the end of a service member's travel.

"This is not the kind of customer service that we want to provide our Sailors. We appreciate your patience as we work to improve this situation, and expedite processing your travel claims. Ultimately we are working towards improving our personnel processes and systems through our transformation efforts, and these lessons learned will help us shape our future customer service practices," said Rear Adm. John Nowell, Commander, Navy Personnel Command.

Navy Personnel Command's (NPC) Pay and Personnel Department has taken a number of steps to eliminate the backlog, including distributing a portion of the backlog to other personnel support detachments that have travel support personnel to expedite travel claim processing.

Travel claims specialists from Personnel Support Detachments across the Navy rotated through TPC Memphis from August - December 2017 assisting in processing claims. Tiger teams are on station in Ballston Spa and Great Lakes, and some work has been shared across other PSDs. The Navy has surged additional military and civilian personnel to resolve this backlog, including the stand-up of a second shift to assist with the backlog until processing times are within standards.

"We understand how stressful it is for families in transition and how important it is to get travel claims settled and money back in Sailors' hands," said Ann Stewart, director, Pay and Personnel Department, NPC. "We are committed to getting this fixed quickly. Our Sailors and their families are important to us and we are dedicated to providing superior customer service. One of our main transformation initiatives is the stand-up of My Navy Call Center, slated to open this fall, which will help mitigate occurrences such as this in the future."

Currently, TPC Memphis is processing claims from mid-November, and anticipates returning to the 30-day processing requirement by mid-March.

TPC Memphis has been operational since August 2016 on Naval Support Activity (NSA) Mid-South and processed more than 10,000 travel claims in the first quarter of 2018.

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018

The Raye M Raye Montague revolutionized the way the Navy designs ships and submarines, and became the first female Program Director of Ships.

Breaking Barriers, Part 2

By Elizabeth M. Collins Defense Media Activity

Raye Jordan Montague was breaking the rules.

She wasn't supposed to use the computer.

She had been hired as a clerk-typist, GS 3, only two weeks earlier. She had a college degree in business, but that didn't matter much in 1956. As a woman, especially a black woman, she couldn't expect much more than a glorified secretarial job.

Still, it was a start, better than any opportunity Montague would have found back home in segregated Arkansas. She had never even seen a computer before, barely even heard of one, but now her duties included reading and comparing metallic data tapes from the cockpit-sized UNIVAC 1 computer at the Da-

vid Taylor Model Basin in Carderock, Maryland, one of the largest ship model basins in the world.

A would-be engineer, Montague was fascinated by the computer, but she wasn't allowed to actually touch it. "'Teach me how to use the computer,'" she asked the engineer who ran it. "He said, 'No. If I taught you how to operate the computer, you'd have my job.'

"Well," she said, "you can't let me stand there and watch somebody do something for a couple of weeks and think I'm not going to catch on to what they're doing."

When all of the engineers called in sick a couple of weeks after she started, Montague seized her chance.

"I mounted my tapes and I sat there and read them," she remembered. "I walked over to the computer and slowly but surely started to flip the switches. ... Slowly but surely I started to do my type ins and the tapes moved off.

I could see my coworkers ... peeping around the corner. They went back and told my manager and he came out and I kept doing what I was doing."

"Raye," he said, "I didn't know you knew how to operate the computer."

"I don't," she answered.

"Well, what are you doing?"

"Well, I know how to do enough to get my job done."

"Fine. You know more than any of the rest of us here, so from now on, this is your job."

Glass Ceilings "I created every job I had after that," she laughed, explaining that she then had to teach the other civilians to work the computer. She quickly realized, however, that the men were suddenly making more money. When she asked her boss why she too hadn't been given a raise, he explained that her male colleagues had cars and could work the night shift. "He thought that was the end of it. He didn't know me that well."

Montague technically didn't have a driver's license, but she wasn't going to let a little technicality like that stop her. The next day, she bought a 1949 Pontiac for $375, then volunteered for the night shift.

"I'd leave home about 10:00 and I'd drive

no-mile-an-hour," she the midnight shift and go in and work all nig morning, people thou because I would hang mount their tapes and and laugh and talk wi that I was just being so until about 9:30 for the Montague eventua and then another and ued to work hard and skills, eventually going Sea Engineering Cente "My new boss came and he said, 'Hi. I've guy,'" she recalled, exp used a title and most p a man. "I said, 'Hi. I'm you always extend tha dead in the eye. ... I alw tended to force peopl me. ... His attitude was got this black woman a am I going to get rid o

Doing the Impossible Her boss decided to possible task: The Navy velop a computerized s six years with little suc have six months.

"She had to keep and over that she cou took that with a smile to rise above those typ orker Trenita Russell s America."

It all came down to

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

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PAGE 9

Montague Story

e said. "I'd get there for nd I'd go 'phew' and I'd ght. And then, the next ught I was being so nice g around and help them d do the different things ith them. They thought o kind. I'd hang around e traffic to let up." ally got her promotion, d another as she contind develop her computer g to work for the Naval er. e about three days later, come to meet the new plaining that she never people assumed she was m Raye Montague,' and at hand and look them ways kept that hand exle to shake hands with s, 'Oh my God. Here I've and didn't know it. How of her?'"

e o give Montague an imy had been trying to deship design program for ccess. Montague would

p proving herself over uld do the job, but she e too and she was able pes of things," her cowsaid on "Good Morning

o hard work and deter-

mination. Montague met with the contractors responsible for the program, then "I'd work all day and come back at 7:30 at night and fire up the system, tear it apart," she remembered.

"You can't do that during the day when people are waiting to get on the computer. I'd work until midnight and then go home and go to sleep and come back and work the next day. I never charged them a dime extra."

A couple of weeks later, Montague's boss caught wind of her nighttime activities, telling her, "Raye, you're not allowed to come in here and work alone at night."

It was just one more barrier to the woman who had been forbidden to attend the only engineering program in her home state of Arkansas and then became an engineer anyway. She started bringing her 3-year-old son, David, and her mother, Flossie, in with her at night. While her mother sat in the corner and worked on crosswords, Montague taught her son how to program the computer.

"Raye, why are you bringing your mother and son in here?" her boss asked a week later.

"You said I couldn't work alone at night," she answered. "I'm not alone."

Her boss gave in. He gave her a staff, and she got the ship specification system to work on schedule. Then he told her not to worry about ever using it. No one had ever expected her to succeed and no one had any idea what to actually do with it. "It was supposed to be an impossible task," she said. "I go back to my desk and I'm mad as all get out."

She didn't let her disappointment and anger show, however. She never did.

"You must be able to withstand a lot of the ridicule, the negative stuff that you run into," she advised. "You never let them know when

they've got you down. I would come into work every morning, and they'd say, 'Raye, how are you today?' And I'd say, 'I'm great.' ... Sometimes I used to go down to my car and cry like a baby, but they never knew it. I'd come back, smile sweetly. ... My attitude was, 'I'll get you.

I'll make you realize that I'm strong, I'm knowledgeable and I can run circles around you, and you don't have to give me a chance. I'll make my own chance.'"

A New Design That chance came just a few weeks later.

President Richard Nixon wanted the Navy to design a new ship, and he wanted it fast.

"The admirals came to me and said, 'Young lady, we understand you have a system to design ships," Montague explained. "It normally takes two years to do the rough draft.

The president has given the Navy two months.

We can give you a month. Can you do it?' ... I brought that rascal in in 18 hours and 26 minutes," showing him the first-ever computergenerated rough draft of a U.S. naval ship.

That ship would become USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG-7), the first guided-missile frigate in its class. Montague added jet engines to make it go extra fast. In the process, she changed Navy shipbuilding forever. She received the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award, and "after that, my career just took off." The boss who had once tried to get

rid of her sat her down and taught her everything he knew about shipbuilding.

Her other designs include the first landing craft helicopter assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA-1), the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) the Nimitz-class carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and the submarine USS Seawolf (SSN-21).

The Seawolf, her last design, was particularly poignant: The first time someone told her she couldn't be an engineer had been on a submarine when she was just 7 years old.

Still Fighting Although Montague retired in 1990, many of her ships are still in the fleet today, still serving, still protecting freedom around the world, and she feels "so good" about it. "I'm still fighting for my country. ... I am still out there. ... We've got a great country and I'm very proud of it. I had to fight like the devil to get in there and do what I needed to do, but look at what I've done and look at how our guys

"Raye Montague " cont'd on Page 15

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018

NAS SIGONELLA COMMUNITY PAGE All Hands News Bulletin:

2018 CNO NAVAL HISTORY ESSAY CONTEST

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is announcing the 2018 CNO Naval History Essay Contest and calling for submission of papers by 30 June 2018.

The Challenge: The Sea Services have a rich history. History informs our modern understanding on multiple fronts to include: people, battles, strategy, tactics, leadership, values, and traditions. The CNO invites you to write on a naval history topic of your choice that relates a lesson(s) from history that applies to establishing and maintaining maritime superiority in today's environment.

CNO's Intent: Inspire, insight, and dialog from across the widest spectrum of academic, operational, military, and civilian personnel both from within the Sea Services and among those with a sincere interest in the history of the Sea Services.

Two categories of entrants may participate in the CNO Naval History Essay Contests: Professional Category: History curators, history archivists, historians, history professors, and persons with history-related doctoral degrees.

Rising Category: U.S. Sea-Service active, reserve, retired, and civilian personnel not included in the above criteria.

The following requirements apply to 2018 CNO Naval History Essay Contest: Word count: 3,500-word maximum (excludes footnotes/endnotes/sources)

Submit essays via email to: cnoessaycontest@usni.org Submission deadline: 30 June 2018 Include your essay's title in the subject line of email.

All essays will be judged in the blind. Include word count on title page of essay, but do not include your name on title page or within essay.

Provide a separate attachment that includes biography, phone number, and mailing address.

For more details about this contest, please visit https://www.history.navy.mil/get-involved/ essay-contest.html, or email jday@usni.org.

POST OFFICE PRESIDENTS’ DAY WEEKEND HOURS Command, Department or Organization: NAVSUPFLC Sigonella/Fleet Mail Center Location of Event: Post Office Bldg. 318/628- NAS 1/NAS 2 Point of Contact Name: LT Joseph Green Fleet Mail Center Point of Contact Phone Number: 624-2203 Point of Contact Email Address: joseph.green@eu.navy.mil Additional Information: The NAS I and NAS II Post Offices will be open on Friday 16 February 2018 from 0900-1200.

In observance of the Presidents Day federal holiday, NAS I and NAS II Post Offices will be closed on Monday 19 February 2018.

Sigonella Religious Ministries Department Worship Services NAS 1 Mondays AA Meeting:

1800-1900

Tuesdays Protestant Women of the Chapel: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0900-1100 Daily Mass: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1130-1230 AWANA: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1645-1900 Youth for Christ (YFC) Youth Meeting: . . . . . . . . . . . 1200-1430 Wednesdays Protestant Men of the Chapel: .0600-0700

Daily Mass: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1130-1230 Catholic Ladies' Guild (3rd Wednesday): . . . . . . . . . . 1600-1800 Thursdays Daily Mass: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1130-1230 Youth for Christ (YFC) Youth Meeting: . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1200-1530 Choir Practice: . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1630-1800 The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1800-2030

Phone Numbers: NAS I 095-56-3975, NAS II 095-86-9049, Chaplain Duty: 335-831-4493, RP Duty: 335-786-1950.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Naval Air Station Sigonella Chapel

Saturdays First Saturday Rosary and Mass: . . . . . . . . . . 1100-1200 Liturgical Protestant Service NAS I Chapel - . . . . . . . . . . . 1800 Sundays Catholic Mass: . . . . 0900-1000 Catholic Religious Education (DoDDS):.

1045-1200

Fridays Daily Mass: . . . . . . . . . . 1130-1230 First Friday Mass and Holy Hour:. . . . . . . . 1700-1830

Protestant Service: . . . . . . . 1100-1200 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1330-1600

NAS 2

Wednesdays Knights of Columbus (1st Wednesdays): . . . . . . . . . . . 1700-1800 Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1800-2100 Thursdays AA Meeting: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1800-1900 Sundays Protestant Service and Fellowship: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1800-2000

Weekly Traffic Report: Feb. 5 - Feb. 12, 2018

As a reminder to everyone: There are no PTUs allowed at the Galley. Appropriate athletic gear is authorized at the discretion of the Galley staff. Please remember that for sanitation purposes and for the consideration of other customers, if you have been out for PT, been working out at the gym, or have just been engaged in any physical activity where you and or your clothing has become soiled or sweaty you will be asked to turn around.

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018

GAMEZONE Astronomy

PULSARS QUASARS RED GIANT SATELLITE SOLAR SYSTEM SOLAR WIND SPACE SHUTTLE SPACECRAFT STARS SUN SUPERNOVA TELESCOPE TIDES UNIVERSE WHITE DWARF

MEDIUM

GALILEO GRAVITY HUBBLE KEPLER LIGHT YEAR METEOR MILKY WAY MOON NEBULA ORBIT PARSEC PERIGEE POLARIS PROXIMA CENTAURI

EASY

ANDROMEDA GALAXY APOGEE ASTEROID ASTRONOMER ATMOSPHERE AURORA BINARY STAR BLACK HOLE CONSTELLATION CORONA CRATER DEEP SPACE ECLIPSE EQUINOX GALAXIES

DIFFICULT

Find and circle all of the Astronomy related words that are hidden in the grid.

The remaining letters spell a secret message.

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"ITALIAN NEWS" continued from Page 6 Cosa Nostra infiltrated local and national politics not only in Italy but also in the US. The Christian Science Monitor and others documented the Mafia's power in Italian society in the 1980s. But not all big Italian corruption cases involve the Mafia. Rome's "Mafia Capital" trial exposed huge municipal corruption, but not "mafia association".

Today Cosa Nostra and the three other main Italian mafia groups - the Camorra, 'Ndrangheta and Sacra Corona Unita - have an estimated 25,000 members in total, with 250,000 affiliates worldwide, the FBI says.

Cosa Nostra was essentially at war with the Italian state during the reign of "godfather" Salvatore "Toto" Riina. In May 1992, Riina's men detonated a bomb that killed prosecutor Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three bodyguards just outside Palermo. Two months later they killed his replacement Paolo Borsellino and five bodyguards in Palermo, with a car bomb.

Riina died in prison in November 2017, aged 87, while serving 26 life sentences for murder.

Sicilian Mafia - Cosa Nostra The Sicilian gangs established the model for other mafias. They meted out local justice in the 1800s, then grew in power and sophistication.

Cosa Nostra means "our thing" - it is the original Mafia, with a capital M, based on family clans.

It is famous for the "omertĂ " - a code of silence demanding extreme loyalty. Turncoats risk torture and death, or punishment of their relatives.

Even today they settle some business disputes and retrieve stolen goods in Sicily, undermining the slow-moving Italian courts. But many despise them for the "pizzo" - protection money - that they extort from businesses.

Cosa Nostra has muscled into some EUfunded projects in Sicily, intimidating local contractors. A BBC investigation in 2010 found that wind farms were among the businesses targeted.

Sicilian society has fought back. An antiMafia group called Libera Terra runs new businesses, including hotels, with cash and property seized from the Mafia.

Prof Federico Varese, an Oxford University expert on the Mafia, says Cosa Nostra is now extorting "pizzo" from some state-funded migrant shelters in Sicily.

But some migrant gangs are competing with the Mafia, in local prostitution for example, he told the BBC. Italian police have also put the Mafia under "huge pressure" in Sicily, Prof Varese said.

Naples mafia – Camorra An estimated 4,500 people are in the Camorra clans in Naples and Caserta, just north of the port city. Their main business is drugs - they are often extremely brutal. They also extort money from construction firms, toxic waste disposal and garment businesses.

Their targets include Chinese-run sweatshops making copies of Italian fashions.

Vicious Camorra feuding was documented

by Italian undercover reporter Roberto Saviano, whose 2006 book Gomorrah became a bestseller.

Saviano has police bodyguards and lives a life of secrecy after receiving Camorra death threats.

In an interview with US public broadcaster PBS, Saviano said the Camorra and 'Ndrangheta were less hierarchical than Cosa Nostra and more powerful, with younger leaders and "much more blood". They are also less involved in politics than Cosa Nostra, he said.

Camorra drugs crime has spread to Spain, but the syndicate remains rooted in poor suburbs of Naples, such as Scampia and Secondigliano.

Mafia violence in Ostia, a poor suburb of Rome, has also been linked to the Camorra.

Italians were outraged when a Spada clan member there was filmed headbutting a TV journalist.

Women in the tight-knit Camorra family

clans often play important roles as messengers and accountants, paying clan members, Prof Varese says.

Calabrian mafia - 'Ndrangheta Calabria, the "toe" of the Italian boot, lies near Sicily and the 'Ndrangheta was originally an offshoot of Cosa Nostra. The name comes from the Greek "andragathia", meaning courage or loyalty. The FBI estimates 'Ndrangheta membership at about 6,000. They are based in one of Italy's poorest regions.

The group specializes in cocaine trafficking, and Prof Varese says it has direct links to crime gangs in Mexico and Colombia. It is reckoned to control as much as 80% of Europe's cocaine trade.

It is also entrenched in the crime scene in and around Turin in northern Italy.

'Ndrangheta brutality was demonstrated in the German city of Duisburg in 2007, where six Italian men linked to the crime syndicate were shot dead, their bodies left in vehicles near an Italian restaurant. The 'Ndrangheta is also accused of siphoning off state funds intended for destitute migrants in Calabria.

Puglia mafia - Sacra Corona Unita The smallest of Italy's main mafia syndicates, Sacra Corona Unita ("United Sacred Crown") is based in Puglia, in the far southeast. The FBI says it has about 2,000 members and specializes in smuggling cigarettes, arms, drugs and people. Puglia is a natural gateway for smuggling from the Balkans. Puglia clans are believed to have strong links to Eastern European crime gangs.

FEBRUARY 16, 2018

FEBRUARY 16, 2018 "Raye Montague " cont'd from Page 9 and gals are using this stuff and defending our country, and they're defending so many other countries. Think of where we would be if we didn't have those ships and the people aboard the fleet. I'm just so proud of it."

In fact, when the Arleigh Burke fired Tomahawk missiles against terrorist targets in 2014, Montague was practically giddy. "I was listening when we attacked. ... My son came running in and he said, 'Mom, that's your ship!' and I said, 'I'm still fighting for my country. ... Can you imagine, after all of this time?' It's wonderful. ... I said, 'Thank you, God, for letting me see this.'"

Opening Doors The little girl from Arkansas who couldn't even sit at a lunch counter eventually became the Navy's first female program manager of ships, a GS 15 position that made her the highest ranking African-American woman in the department. The young woman who wasn't allowed to study engineering became a licensed engineer in both the U.S. and Canada and sat on more boards than she could count.

She wasn't always welcome, and was, in fact, usually looked upon as the help when she walked in. One man was even so bold as to tell her he wanted a cup of coffee. "I said, 'So would I. Be sure mine has cream and sugar in it.'"

"I really started to understand how much of a pioneer she was when I was in college and she was about to retire," remembered her son, David, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

"Here's a person who raised me on her own ... never complained and just did it, and was excelling in her career. ... It helped me to understand the importance of due diligence, just

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hard work generally, caring for other people, not getting so caught up in the objective that you forget that you're supposed to have fun at it too and understand that you can't control everything. I learned a lot of valuable lessons from her. ... Seeing her go through what she went through and still feel a need to help other people, rather than just survive is, I think, one of the biggest lessons for me."

Montague, who is still active in several service organizations and talks to prisoners about her experiences, never forgot where she came from, her son said. In fact, she's gone out of her way to promote people: "If you're not doing something to help others, what's the point of you being successful?" David asked, saying his mother taught him to bring people up in life.

"I had a sense of responsibility because if I failed on any step along the way," Montague explained, "it could always be said, 'Oh, we tried a black person in this role' or 'We tried a female in this role and we don't have to try again because she couldn't do it.' So I was responsible. I carried the weight, I felt, of women and minorities. ... When you climb the ladder, you open doors for other people and you reach back and you pull them up and you teach them and you let them know what's required to do these things. That's my role in life now. It's my responsibility.

"Open doors for other people," Montague said. "Don't be selfish. Try as hard as you can to encourage other people. Become a master of the game. That's one of the critical things.

People change the rules of the game. When you think you've gone far enough to do things the right way, they change the rules so you still can't achieve. The secret to that is to become a master of the game and get inside the system so you can help change the rules.

You have to change the rules so you can open the doors."

PAGE 15 "DIRECT LINE" cont’d from Page 2 gency Dispatchers will get the to you by being prepared. right first responders to you For more information on no matter where you are. how you can prepare your Emergencies happen. Un- family for all kinds of disasfortunately disasters are a ters, email our Emergency way of life, but you lessen the Preparedness Coordinator at chance that they will happen joshua.neal@eu.navy.mil.

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FEBRUARY 16, 2018