The Waterline April 5, 2012
Vol. XXIX No. 14
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NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
NDW is ready to weather any storm Benjamin Christensen, NDW Waterline writer Every season has its own share of destructive weather possibilities, and Naval District Washington (NDW) must constantly be aware of these possible threats, the responsibility to be always prepared, and the ability of the region’s resources to properly deal with that threat. Although one often hopes for the best, the Navy is a military organization, and one does not always fight battles in the best conditions. Therefore, preparation for any possible contingency is vital for NDW so the region can endure and recover from adverse weather conditions. As the weather changes, the potential for disruption or disaster due to destructive weather still remains ever present. Winter provides its own challenges with the potential for snow and ice damage and loss of productivity, but recent years have provided far too many examples of
the destructive power of the hurricane season, which runs roughly from June to November. "From past experience, we know the damage that [natural disasters] can cause," said Timothy Stoessel with Training and Readiness (N7). "All you have to do is look at the flood of the Naval Academy [during Hurricane Isabel in 2003] to realize the kind of damage 'All-Hazards' can inflict". Over the last two centuries, tropical cyclones have claimed the lives of approximately 1.9 million people. The United States have had its own costly reminders of the strength of hurricanes, notably in 2005 with the storm surge of Hurricane Katrina, which killed nearly two-thousand and caused 108 billion dollars worth of damage, the costliest in American history. NDW, and the Navy as a whole, considers the safety of its Sailors and their families to be the highest possible priority, especially during violent weather. Therefore, there is
a large emphasis in all Navy commands on security and accountability before, during, and after destructive weather. The Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS) is a key part of this accountability. The Navy uses NFAAS to account for Sailors and Navy families, as well as to identify disaster-related needs of Navy families. Sailors and their families should ensure their information is up to date in NFAAS. (NFAAS Website http://navyfamily.navy.mil) "Prudent steps taken by all hands tobepreparedfordestructiveweather phenomena that our region experiences greatly minimizes mission degradationandthepossibilityofloss of life and damage to government andpersonalproperty,"saidThompson Gerke, with NDW Operations (N3). The Navy has its own way of preparing for the possibility of the massive power of tropical cyclones: a
See Storm, Page 6
U.S. Navy photo
A GOES-13 infrared satellite image provided by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Monterey, Calif., showing the status of Hurricane Irene at approximately 1 a.m. EST Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011.
Bridge and sewer construction traffic info Sexual Assault: Hurts One, Affects All
Naval Support Activity Washington's (NSAW) Community Planning Liaison Officer (CPLO) and PublicWorks Department have kept in close contact with the managers of the 11th St. Bridge Project and the DC Water Clean Rivers Project Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program, clearly communicating both the needs of theYard's commuters and NSAW's operational requirements. These efforts have minimized impacts to the installation by consolidating individual construction evolutions. However, there will still be inconveniences for our commuters. There will be further impacts to vehicular and pedestrian traffic as the construction projects progress throughout the summer. We will continue to actively engage the project managers and pass information to help your employees plan their commutes. Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation in helping us manage this issue.
by Benjamin Christensen, NDW Waterline writer With a single act a life might never be the same. Sexual assault is being brought to light as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) begins in April. SAAM has been observed annually since 2001, and President Barack Obama first proclaimed April as SAAM in 2009. The teal ribbon is traditionally observed as the symbol for the movement. In the United States, approximately 3.7 million women are sexually assaulted each year. The Navy, along with other military branches, also suffers from unusually high prevalence of sexual assault as over 600 individuals were sexually assaulted in fiscal year 2010 alone. "To alert you to the scale of the problem, statistics indicate sexual assaults occur in our Navy on average three times a day," said Rear Adm. Denny Moynihan, Chief of Information. "This is simply unacceptable."
See Assault, Page 7
Inside Link directly to the NDW Facebook page on your smart phone
Around the Yard, Page 2
AFPAK Blog, Page 6