Navy Magazine - Winter 2016 by Association of the United States Navy

Navy WINTER 2016

VOLUME 63, NO. 1

On Duty Around the Clock and Around theWorld

Have You or a Loved One Been Diagnosed with Mesothelioma? Know Your Rights The sad reality is that Navy veterans exposed to asbestos while serving our country are more than 4x more likely than civilians to get mesothelioma. Anyone diagnosed with mesothelioma has the right to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages or pension beneďŹ ts, and for the pain and suďŹ&#x20AC;ering that comes with this fatal illness. Kazan Law is a nationally recognized asbestos law ďŹ rm, serving veterans and their families for over 40 years. Let us help you and your family get the compensation you deserve.

For a free consultation please call us at (888) 928-4369 or visit us at: KazanLaw.com/ausn

Jack London Market 55 Harrison Street, Suite 400 Oakland, CA 94607

Navy

WINTER 2016 Volume 63, No. 1

COVE R STORY

22 Over Land and Sea

caption to come Non restisc imolore aperiaectur alic te vellorem ius audicillorem faccupt iatur, core enit, aut arcimustium sae reseque

A Review of Navy Aviation Strength By Diana B. West

FE AT URE S

12 A Look Inside Deployment First of a Four Part Series By Author Name

19 The Tomcat Aviator

Rear Admiral Manazir By Diana B. West

30 Introducing the FORD SERIES Navyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Newest Aircraft Carriers By Author Name

35 Your Job Search ON THE COVER: TKTKTK; TKTKTKT; TKTKTKTK

The Role of Online Questionnaires By Jamie Libby Boyle

36 Act Now!

Two Social Security Strategies Will Be Eliminated By LCDR Marc Soss

Caption to come Fuga. Berehenest omnimus, occatur? ON THE COVER: A MH-60R from HSM-51 flies in front of Mt. Fuji. HSM-51 is one of the premier Forward Deployed Naval Forces HSM squadrons in the Pacific. The HSM-51 Warlords provide four combat ready MH-60R detachments to Forward Deployed Naval Forces Cruisers and Destroyers. COVER PHOTO CREDIT: TKTKTK

Association of the United States Navy

DEPA RTMEN TS

Vision and Mission The Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) is the leading voice for America’s Sailors and the premier advocate for a strong Navy. AUSN advances the interests of all members of the Navy community and supports the needs of the Navy as the principal voice for Sailors, a strong supporter of American naval power, a leading provider of professional career development and an acknowledged advocate for military benefits.

Letter to the Editor

Legislative Affairs By Michael Joseph Little

Membership Update

Editorial Staff

43 Region Updates

Clair S. Sassin, Editor clair.sassin@ausn.org Scott Dinkel, Advertising Director scott.dinkel@ausn.org Marlece Lusk, Art Director marlece.lusk@ausn.org Marilyn Pollow, Proofreader marilyn.pollow@ausn.org Lynnze English, Intern lynnze.english@ausn.org

11 Membership Service 44 Reunions COLUMN S

Navy (ISSN 0162-2129), authorized under PSM, Section 132.22, published quarterly by the Association of the United States Navy, is a magazine devoted to the professional interests of the members of the Association of the United States Navy. Editorial and Executive Offices;:1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Telephone: (703) 548-5800. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and other mailing offices. Articles and letters appearing in Navy do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Executive Committee of the Association of the United States Navy or the Editor nor are they necessarily to be interpreted as official policy of the United States Navy or the Association of the United States Navy. Rates: Subscription cost for Navy is covered by membership in the Association of the United States Navy. Membership is open to all dues paying individuals. Subscription price is $7.50 domestic. Single copy: 75 cents. Eligible non-members are not entitled to subscription rates. Photos or articles may be reproduced, providing credit is given to the Association of the United States Navy. Postmaster: Send change of address to the Association of the United States Navy, 1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Printed in USA.

Navy | Winter 2016

The Eight O’Clock Report By RADM Garry E. Hall, USN (Ret.)

From the Board: Flag Bridge

From the National President: View from the Bridge

AUSN Staff

RADM Garry E. Hall, National Executive Director Brian B. Bauman, Director of Membership Lynnze English, Communications Intern Leah Gibbs, Executive Assistant Michael Joseph Little, Director of Legislative Affairs Marilyn Pollow, Chief Financial Officer Clair S. Sassin, Director of Communications & Corporate Relations

By Brian B. Bauman

By VADM Lou Crenshaw, USN (Ret.)

By Aaron Bresnahan

10 Officer Affairs: Mobile Applications for Sailors By LCMD Kimberly A. Brubeck

15 USAA Advice: 5 Tax Tips 36 USNA: Congratulations Scholars By Lynnze English

38 Veterans Corner 40 Health Talk: How to Protect Your Health Information By CAPT Kathryn M. Serbin

S POTL I G HT ON E V EN TS

16 Call for Scholarship Applications By Lynzee English 18 SNA Symposium 32 National Veteran’s Day Poster Contest

FROM THE DESK OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Eight O’Clock Report

appy New Year Shipmates! 2016 is in full swing and brings new opportunities for AUSN. As we close out 2015 I am happy to report that our headquarters staff has settled in and is performing more like eight employees rather than the four we have. Together with help of our Board of Directors and regional leaders, AUSN has caught up on the publishing of our magazine, updated our website, responded to the backlog of benefit inquiries, put membership renewals back on track and refined our By-Laws and Constitution. Our staff has renegotiated every contract and reduced expenses in every category. We will build AUSN’s future on this solid groundwork. Expect more communications as we grow our membership, raise funds to support our mission and raise our voice on your behalf on Capitol Hill. Enjoy this edition of Navy magazine as we highlight naval aviation. Your naval aviation forces are deployed worldwide, responding to threats on every ocean and shore. Our carriers and their air wings are striking at the heart of ISIS in the Middle East, our Maritime Patrol aircraft are patrolling the troubling and challenging waters in the South China Sea and our Rotary Wing fleet supports all areas of strike, logistics and humanitarian and disaster relief.

Interviews with our naval aviation leaders will give you insight into the challenges our naval leaders face today. You — more than our civilian counter parts — realize the need for a strong naval aviation force, a force that needs recapitalization and budget support. The challenges and risks of naval aviation are highlighted by the recent mishap off of the coast of Hawaii and the loss of 12 tremendous heroes. I ask that when you put down this magazine you take a moment to pray for these Marines, their families and their squadron mates. This issue has part one of a four-part series of a real life story of the family of a Naval Reservist recalled to active duty and deployed for a year in Afghanistan, to harms way. This resilient family will inspire you with their spirit, strength and patriotism. We are working with USAA to bring you an educational series on personal finances. Our goal is to help our active duty Sailors as they face the challenges of deployment, the economy and evolving benefits. All the best to you and your Shipmates past and present as we move forward in 2016.

RADM Garry E. Hall, USN (Ret.) National Executive Director of AUSN

COURTESY OF AUSN; TKTKTKTKTKTK

S N A P S H OT LT Nicole Howard (center) receives the Association of the United States Navy’s (AUSN) SELRES Line Junior Officer of the Year (JOY) Award. With her are (l-r) CDR Guillermo Geary (NOSC North Island XO), CAPT Michael Joyner (NOSC North Island CO), CAPT Jonathan Blacker (NR TTGP CO) and CDR Kristin Brayman (NR TTGP XO). The JOY Awards were established to publicly recognize the energy and professionalism of junior officers. Howard was not able to attend the awards ceremony back in October.

Association of the United States Navy

You Are Cordially Invited … AUSN’s 2016 Annual Legislative Reception and Awards Ceremony Monday, March 14, 2016 Cannon Caucus Room (345) 6 – 8 p.m. Join AUSN along with Members of Congress and their staff for Capitol Hill’s premier legislative event concerning the key issues affecting all Sailors, past, present and future. With special presentations including ... CAPT Marshall Hanson Legislative Award & AUSN’s Legislative Advocacy Award

For more information visit:

http://ausn.org/capitol-hill-reception-2016 or call (703) 548-5800

FROM THE BOARD

Flag Bridge

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS MICHAEL J. LIEBERKNECHT

his issue of Navy able at http://goo.gl/ZKLJ0k — shows that today 70 magazine highlights ships are at sea, either on deployment or training, inthe importance and cluding the big decks USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) impact of our Navy and USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) deployed to the 5th Fleet. around the world with a parThe Navy also has more than 3,700 operational aircraft ticular focus on naval aviation. supporting operations at home and abroad. One need We will focus on many other only look at the details of the Omnibus Appropriations aspects of the Navy team over Act of 2016 to see the importance Congress has placed the next few issues. in maintaining our Navy as the world’s premier mariIt is mid-December as I write this column and the time force. breaking news is that President Obama has signed the At AUSN we strive hard to ensure that your elected Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2016, which will keep representatives and their staffs understand the relethe federal government funded for the remainder of FY vance of the Navy in today’s uncertain security environ2016. This is good news indeed for the Department of ment and the importance the Navy plays in stopping Defense and for our Navy as it includes a 1.3 percent threats long before they approach our shores. We also pay raise. take every opportuNaval aviation fared nity to make sure the well in the Omnibus voices of the 327,814 bill with $2.88 billion active duty Sailors and growth provided over the 108,457 Sailors 2015 aircraft procurein the Ready Reserve ment levels including are heard. We depend more F-18 Growlers, on our members to Super Hornets and highlight the issues Joint Strike Fighters. In they want us to take to addition, the Omnibus the Hill working closely Appropriations Act of with the Navy and 2016 includes funding other Veteran Service for several other key Organizations. Navy platforms includHowever, to be an ing two Virginia Class effective voice we need attack submarines, two to have a robust memAn MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Proud Warriors of Helicopter Maritime DDG-51 destroyers, bership representing all Strike Squadron (HSM) 72 takes off from the flight deck of the USS Bulkeley (DDG 84). three littoral combat aspects of Navy. Please ships, an LPD-28, a joint high speed vessel (JHV) and take the opportunity to pass this edition of the Navy an afloat forward staging base. magazine on to a Shipmate and invite them to become The Navy is busy these days around the globe a member of AUSN. We would also love to hear from protecting U.S. interests and strategic priorities. Along you. Visit our web site at AUSN.org or email your with the protection of the Sea Lines of CommunicaAssociation at info@ausn.org. tion (SLOCs), the Navy is providing ballistic missile protection to the homeland and our allies, maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, expanding partnerships in Asia and flying aircraft in support VADM Lou Crenshaw, USN (Ret.) of our forces around the world. Chair, Board of Directors, AUSN The daily “Snapshot” of Navy operations — avail-

Association of the United States Navy

VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

Surface Warfare: Distributed Lethality

s I wrote this message the Surface Navy Association’s Symposium (SNA) was about to kick off their annual event and my message emphasizes the potency of our surface naval forces. The maritime and littoral space provides our leaders with operational and strategic threats and mission sets. Traditional adversaries and new ones are influencing how to employ our naval forces in the most logical and optimized manner. Last year at SNA’s annual meeting, VADM Thomas Rowden, Commander of Naval Surface Forces, introduced a concept for an offensive-oriented footing. This concept is referred to as distributed lethality. RDML Peter Fanta, director of Surface Warfare (N96), went on to characterize the concept as a condition of “if it floats, it can fight.” Therefore, ‘lethality’ refers to offensive weapons capability and ‘distributed’ refers to having those weapons placed on more and diverse platforms. This shifts the playbook towards a more offensive order of the battle, providing the operational commander with more options to utilize combat power for a range of anti-access and/ or area-denial missions. Distributed lethality incorporates the reimagined offensive capabilities of destroyers, cruisers, frigates, littoral combat ships, amphibious ships and logistics vessels operating in dispersed formations with constructs similar to “hunter-killer Surface Action Groups (SAG).” Hunter-killer SAGs could be sub-units of three or four vessels operating independently of Carrier Strike Group formations yet operationally interconnected through global cyber networks. It sounds like a good idea. In an era of challenged budgets, it could be the one way to get more bang for the buck. To implement it properly, there needs to be broader acceptance and a culture shift from both the

acquisition community and by the forces that would employ it. Let’s see how this change process progresses. The Navy Reserve Force recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. During this time the Reserve Component has continuously adapted to the evolving global environment in order to closely align its combat capability with the needs of the active force. To that end, the Navy Reserve Surface Warfare community has fostered an operational support model consisting of five key pillars: Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), Surface Force (nonLCS), Military Sealift Command, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command and Operational Level of War. These focal points provide more intimate understanding of the tactics and operational needs within each area. It provides a one-to-one relationship with operational commanders and senior Active Component community leaders. It provides targeted Reserve Component leadership and command opportunities across all pay grades. Additionally, this has become a valuable way for Sailors within each community to network with colleagues and provides focused mentorship to those progressing through the pipeline. 2016 looks bright for the surface forces. It also looks bright for AUSN. Membership is increasing. Sponsorships are increasing. AUSN’s value offering is improving. However, we need your continued involvement. Please tell others about the great things AUSN is doing on behalf of our members, their families and the Navy. Get more engaged at the local and national level, we welcome your participation. Contact headquarters or your regional presidents to learn about the many volunteer opportunities available. Thank you for your continued support of AUSN. I wish you the greatest success throughout the year.

Navy | Winter 2016

Aaron Bresnahan National President of AUSN

WARTSILA

2016 looks bright for the surface forces. It also looks bright for AUSN.

Letter to the Editor A Reminder of the Vital Role Navy Reservists Played Unbeknownst to many is the critical role Navy Reservists played in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet/NATO arenas during the cold war and Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Had hostilities broken out between the allied forces and the Soviet Union, Commander Second Fleet would assume the duties as NATO Commander Striking Fleet Atlantic and would command aircraft carrier battle groups that would steam to the North Atlantic/ Norwegian Sea to bottle up the Soviet Fleet. This evolution required considerable logistics support, most of which was provided by Navy Reservists at Advanced Logistics Support Sites (ALSS) and Forward Logistics Sites (FLS) on the West Coast of Europe. Unlike the Pacific and Mediterrean Fleets, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet had limited overseas bases and had to rely on host nation support and Navy Reservists to provide logistics support for afloat forces deployed to the North Atlantic Theater. To offset this disparity, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet created the U.S. Commander Eastern Atlantic Command, which had a small staff of Reserve personnel in London, commingled with the CINCUSNAVEUR staff. This staff was augmented and fleshed out by a considerable number of Reservists that manned and commanded an ALSS. ALSSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission was to receive cargo from the U.S. by Air Mobility Command and deliver the critical cargo and personnel by COD/VOD or Navy supply ships to the ships at sea, provide on-site communications, arrange anchorages and port services, and coordinate prearranged host nation support. FLS is a smaller unit that moves as forward as possible to the battle group. This is the last stage in delivering cargo and personnel to fleet units. Navy Reservists augmented by a small staff from Commander Logistics Group Two manned the ALSS and FLS and provided the majority of logistics support to COMSTRIKFLTLANT battle groups and oversaw the repair of damaged ships in NATO shipyards. This would be accomplished by two specially created Reserve SUPSHIPS Detachment units. Reservists also manned a 40 van Mobile Maintenance Facility to support P-3 aircraft at bases in Europe. Navy Reserve C-9 aircraft played a vital role in transferring cargo and personnel from the ALSS to the FLS. Reserve C-9 aircraft were unable to deliver heavy cargo so the Navy Reserve borrowed a C-130 aircraft from the U.S. Air Force. This resulted in CINCLANTFLT requesting two C-130 Operational Support Aircraft. When a

CNAVRES representative and a Senator got in the act, Congress authorized and the Navy Reserve procured 20 C-130s. The AMCC van in use by the ALSS for command and control communications with the fleet, FLS and other shore activities manned primarily by Navy Reservists, was procured specifically by CINCLANTFLT for ALSS. It was used recently by Reserve personnel in New Jersey for onsite communications in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. During Operation Desert Shield, Atlantic Fleet Navy Reserve units scheduled to establish and operate an ALSS and FLS during the Atlantic Fleet Exercise Teamwork 82 were diverted into Sigonella and later to other sites in the European and Central Commands. Other Navy Reserve units also played key roles in the establishment of ALSS/ FLSs at Jedsah, Bahrain, Hurgahada, Masiarsh, Antely and Fujayrah. Navy Reserve Cargo Handling Battalion personnel manned ALSS/FLSs and handled cargo in Rota, Guam and Subic Bay. Reserve Overseas Air Cargo Terminal units, Forward Freight Terminal units and Supply Support units also provided support at ALSS in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. Atlantic Fleet had these critically needed Reserve units in the Presidential 200K Reserve call up and worked closely with the Chief of Navy Reserve to insure these Reservists were ready to fulfill these roles. After Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, it was clear that a command/unit was needed in theater to orchestrate logistic support between commands. As a result CINCLANTFLT established two Logistics Task Forces, one for the Atlantic Fleet and one for the Pacific Fleet, both are Reserve manned units. It was clear that additional supply ships were needed to augment the Combat Logistics Force resupply ships, so OPNAV outfitted commercial ships with Merchant Ship Naval Augmentation Program gear. Navy Reserve Cargo Rig Teams were formed and tested by CINCLANTFLT, trained by Logistics Group Two, tested during a fleet exercise and transferred cargo between merchant ships and combat logistics force ships at the same rate as skilled active personnel. Navy Reservist played a vital role in logistics support to fleet units in the North Atlantic/Norwegian Sea during the cold war and during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Doyle Quisenberry, CDR, USNR, TAR, (Ret.). Letters to the Editor are welcome and may be edited for length, style and clarity. Email submissions toÂ navymagazine@ausn.org; include your full name, address and phone number.

Association of the United States Navy

Legislative Affairs

A Great Year on Capitol Hill Keeping the Momentum Going in 2016

USN made great progress in the face of strong headwinds on Capitol Hill. We reinvigorated our advocacy and outreach by building strong bipartisan relationships. Thanks to member support, we were able to achieve tangible results for Sea Services veterans and we will continue to do in 2016. Gridlock has become accepted as standard operating procedure on Capitol Hill. However, AUSN, in partnership with other VSO’s, worked tirelessly to combat veteran suicide. Together we were able to win passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act. It was a good day for veterans when President Obama signed the Act into law last February. This legislation will help reduce military and veteran suicides by: • Increasing access to mental health care • Creating a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning service members • Creating a one-stop, interactive website of available resources • Meeting the demand for mental health care through a pilot program that will repay the loan debt of students in psychiatry making it easier to recruit them to work at the Veterans Administration (VA) • Boosting the accountability of mental health care

Senate Resolution 86

Recognizing March 3, 2015, as the Centennial of the Naval Reserve 8

Navy | Winter 2016

by requiring an annual evaluation of VA mental health and suicide-prevention programs AUSN worked with key members of Congress to secure a resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Naval Reserve on March 3, 2015 (see shadow box). As 2016 gets underway we will continue our efforts for VA/Tricare reform and passage of the Blue Water Navy Veterans Act of 2015, which has broad bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. We will also work on NDAA negotiations. AUSN’s Capitol Hill Reception is scheduled for Monday, March 14. We hope you will join us and take this opportunity to meet with your representatives and other members of Congress. The most important voice members of Congress can hear is yours. Keep an eye out for information on the Reception and related activities. AUSN’s legislative team looks forward to working with you in 2016 and achieving key victories on Capitol Hill on behalf of all Sailors. Michael Joseph Little, ABH2 (AW/SW), USN, is the Director of Legislative Affairs at AUSN. He can be reached at michael.little@ausn.org.

The resolution: •

“recognizes the indispensable and valuable contributions and sacrifices that individual members of the Navy Reserve have made throughout the history of the United States and continue to make in 2015;

•

celebrates the commitment and services of members of the Navy Reserve, their families and their employers; and

•

encourages communities to seize the opportunity to honor and support these patriots in 2015, the centennial of the Navy Reserve.”

Membership Update

Taking Solid Soundings and Plotting a Firm Course for the New Year

NATHAN BURKE

uring his second annual message to Congress on 2 December 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt said, “A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace.” We who serve in your Membership Department are inspired by these words, especially as our Sailors are called to defend our freedom in more demanding, farther reaching places. Pipping up from your Membership Department with the latest SITREP and brief on our goals for a successful 2016 and beyond. A big Bravo Zulu to all who jumped in at the end of the year to help us finish with an uptick in support. As you may know, the first six months of 2015 were challenging in member renewals and donations. With a clear “call to action” in the late summer months, your help has enabled us to realize positive member renewals and marked progress in our special donor campaigns. Thank you to all who have participated, and for those who haven’t, the potent words of our resident Master Chief come in handy, “… here’s your chance not to be volunteered!” The launch of AUSN’s new website in the fall enabled us to better understand what was important to you, how and where information is accessed and the complications that can occur when new systems are installed. We are grateful to those of you who have taken the time to let us know about your experiences and for your patience as we continue to tweak the system. For those who

have trouble logging in, please follow the instructions provided online and if problems persist, call us at (703) 548-5800 and a member of our team will work with you to resolve the matter. Often all it takes is a quick reset or data reentry to get you back up and running. Many of you have asked how you can help AUSN throughout the year rather than just the occasional contribution. We have discovered that many organizations are able to amplify their collective voice by enabling members to actively join in the process of reaching out during the year. That’s why in this new year you’ll see increases in AUSN’s legislative action alerts, responsive surveys so we will know your position on important topics and an exclusive “Admiral’s Club” full of special benefits enabling you and other members to participate in the process while ensuring AUSN is financially sustained to meet current and future obligations. We are well on our way to a pivotal new year that will require your direct assistance as we chart a solid course for AUSN with the ultimate goal of a stronger, safer and more effective Navy and protecting benefits for all Sailors, whether on active duty, in the reserves, retired or a veteran. We look forward to serving you! Brian B. Bauman is the Director of Membership at AUSN. He can be reached at brian.bauman@ausn.org.

Association of the United States Navy

OFFICER AFFAIRS

Mobile Applications Designed for Sailors

Navy | Winter 2016

COURTESY KIMBERLY A. BRUBECK; SANDRA NIEDZWIECKI

here have been a FMS Calculator— this tool calculates projected number of technofinal multiple scores for enlisted Sailors. It has a tutorial logical initiatives for those not familiar with how FMS is calculated, and over the past year to provides information on navigating the Navy Enlisted make it easier for Sailors to Advancement System (NEAS). assimilate into the Navy and To download any of these FREE mobile apps, go to complete their annual general your “App Store” and search “Tracen Technologies.” military training (GMT). One One last resource of interest is “Overdrive.” Oversuch initiative is the creation drive is a mobile app from Navy Knowledge Online of five mobile applications (NKO) that allows you to borrow up to 10 electronic (apps) that were commissioned through a partnership copies of popular book titles at a time for free through with Tracen Technologies. the Navy General New to the Navy— a Library Program. tool for both enlisted and The Overdrive app officers, it answers the can only be downmost common questions loaded from a link new Sailors have to ease on NKO that you their transition to a new receive after initial duty station or school. program registration. Topics include transfers, To download this app sponsor program, pay, log on to your NKO personnel and advanceaccount at https:// ment, marriage and wwww.nko.navy.mil family, new officers, Navy and click “reference” terms and emergency – “Navy E-Library” contacts. – “E-Library - Audio OPSEC— an all-in& EBooks” – “OverThe New to the Navy mobile application is designed for Sailors, enlisted and officers, one operations security drive - Audiobooks, who are fresh out of Boot Camp or Officer Candidate School. reference, training and Ebooks & More” and education tool for Navy follow the directions personnel and their families. Topics include policy/ to download books to your mobile phone or tablet. guidance, training, products and assessments. ComAlthough electronic, these copies are loaners with only pletion of the course training module will fulfill your a few copies available at a time, so don’t forget to check annual OPSEC GMT requirement. them back in once you’re done. Domestic Violence Prevention— a mobile training The above are just a few of the tools currently availand resource tool that provides access to informationable to Navy personnel. You can be sure that there will al resources, and a course training module that will be more to follow as the Navy moves forward to meet fulfill your annual domestic violence prevention GMT the training and technological needs of its tech savvy requirement. Sailors in our new mobile world. eDIVO— a mobile leadership and management tool that provides the most commonly used and referenced Kimberly A. Brubeck is a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy information and resources, and is a quick referU.S. Navy Reserve. She is currently serving at U.S. Navy ence management and education tool for leaders of all Reserve Forces Command and is AUSN’s National Vice ranks. Topics include division management, personnel President for Officer Affairs. management, my bridge team and emergency resources.

Membership Service: Record Review AUSN’s Record Review:

Pathway to Advancement

‘T

is the promotion board season, and with it, • Recommendations for corrective action the opportunity for you to put your best foot • Annotated Performance Summary Record forward and be recognized for your hard • Contact information of the reviewer for discussion work. AUSN’s Record Review Service is avail• Fitness Continuity Report able to all members seeking a promotion who want to • OSR/ESR/PSR Report make sure their paperwork is squared away and ready To get your review underway, go to http://ausn. org/membership/record-review-request/ to download to present to the next promotion board. AUSN’s Record Review Service will and complete the application. In addihelp you prepare for Statutory Promotion, download the Officer or Enlisted tion Boards, Administrative Command Summary Record and the Performance Information is Screening Boards, Command — Non Summary Record from BUPERS, http:// often omitted, Command (Apply) Boards and Officer bolnavy.com/. We need PSR Part 1, PSR entered incorrectCommissioning Programs or E7/8/9 Part 2, PSR Part III, Fitness Report or ly, not updated or Selection Boards. Information is often Evaluation Continuity Report and your omitted, entered incorrectly, not upAnnual Retirement Point Summary in lost, particularly dated or lost, particularly from duty PDF format. We also need your Contifrom duty station station to duty station. AUSN’s Record nuity Report in HTML. It is critical we to duty station. Review Service provides members the receive the files in their proper format. confidence to go into their next board You may email your signed appliknowing that their records are squared cation and your files to recordreview@ away. ausn.org or send by snail mail with your check to: For all ranks, AUSN will conduct a review of a member’s record and provide a thorough report anaAssociation of the United States Navy lyzed by experts familiar with Navy selection boards’ Attn: Record Review processes. Once a record is reviewed, members receive 1619 King Street a complete analysis and information including: Alexandria, VA 22314 • Identification of missing or unreadable documents Questions — email recordreview@ausn.org. important to the board

MATTHEW RIGGS

Inside the Navy Aviation Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Cameron Haynesdaniel installs a capacitor on a generator convertor unit for an F/A-18 Super Hornet in the generator electric avionic shop aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forwarddeployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Association of the United States Navy

A Look Inside Deployment

Danielle

Obviously the emotional toll is great when a spouse is deployed, what has been the hardest part for you from an emotional perspective? ealing with difficult things on my own and feeling like my husband doesn’t understand what I’m going through is the hardest part, emotionally-speaking, of his deployment. For instance, two weeks after my husband left our cat became ill and died, literally, in my arms. It was extremely stressful for me to deal with the death of our cat, the children’s emotions related to their dad leaving and their pet dying, plus the day-to-day stresses of life, which also included an illness and a gas leak, all on my own. I didn’t feel like my husband was able to offer much support because he didn’t really understand what all I was going through.

What has been the hardest part for you from a day-to-day perspective? here’s just never enough time to get everything done. I have two children at different schools, including one who started a language-immersion school this year and needs extra support to catch up. I’ve stopped working and volunteering this year to make sure I have the

T 12

Navy | Winter 2016

and spent nine years on active duty before separating and joining the Reserves. He is a project manager. Danielle spent eight years working in broadcasting. Her contract was up five months prior to her husband’s deployment and she made a conscious decision not to secure additional work in preparation for his mobilization. She did, however, a significant amount of volunteer work related to her career but stopped once Ryan was deployed.

time I need to take care of myself and the kids, but still there just aren’t enough hours in the day… It has now been 4½ months since your spouse was deployed, how have your emotions changed from when your spouse was first deployed? t has taken me this long to feel like I’m on top of things most days. For the first three months it felt like I was running uphill every single day, then the holidays hit and that added an additional layer of stress. Only now have I begun to feel a bit more in control.

The holidays must be particularly challenging when a spouse is deployed, what did you do to keep your spirits up and that of your children? e traveled to see family. I’ve learned it’s depressing to be home over long stretches without my husband, so I made plans to make sure we were out of the house. Otherwise, I tried to keep the holiday traditions more or less the same. Plus my husband and family members sent the kids lots and lots of presents, so there were plenty of distractions for them.

ISTOCKPHOTO

his is the first of a four-part series that focuses on the trials, tribulations and emotional toll deployment places on families. Danielle and Ryan (their names have been changed to protect their privacy) have been married for 10 years and have two young children, ages five and three. Ryan, a lieutenant commander, has been in the Navy for 14 years. He was commissioned in Officer Candidate School

As the non-deployed spouse, you must take on additional responsibilities be it financial, house maintenance, carpools, even taking the garbage out, what has been the biggest challenge? ’m very low-tech, so updating and maintaining all of our devices has been a challenge. It took me four days on the phone with Norton to update virus software on all of our gadgets. Four days! And that was after my husband had already spent hours with me on the phone from Afghanistan trying to resolve the problems.

What are the top three things you worry about the most? 1. My kids’ emotional well-being. 2. My husband’s safety. 3. My health. What do you think your spouse worries about the most? y mental state :)

Has your spouse’s deployment had a financial impact on your family on a day-to-day basis? If so, please explain? feel like we’re bleeding money right now as we pay for things related to helping everyone survive the year…. babysitters, special experiences for the kids, travel to see family, etc.

Ryan

Obviously the emotional toll is great when a spouse is deployed, what has been the hardest part for you from an emotional perspective? he hardest part has been staying close to my family back home. The time difference makes it challenging in particular to spend time with the kids, between their school, activities and bedtime. It’s a challenge to balance two important parts of keeping them emotionally well — their staying busy and engaged in their normal routine, and creating quality time over video-chatting or phone calls to interact with them and stay close.

What do you think has been the hardest part for your spouse from a day-to-day perspective? think the hardest part for my wife is having to take care of everything on her own, and never having a break. Part of this is the actual work she has to do, but I think more of the challenge is that she doesn’t have me there to talk to, vent, get breaks from watching the kids

from time to time, etc. That said, even with the kids at school during the day, she doesn’t really have any discretionary time for herself, because of all the chores/ tasks that have to be done in order to keep the house running smoothly. It has now been 4 ½ months since you’ve been deployed, have your emotions changed from when you were first deployed? ot really. I definitely miss my family a lot, but that was expected.

Being away from your family during the holidays must be challenging, what did you do to keep your spirits up? worked a lot and spent as much time talking to the family as I could. It’s certainly not fun, but having been deployed before, where there was less opportunity for being in touch with family, I just made the best of it.

Your physical environment has changed; you are surrounded by other Sailors and everyone has specific responsibilities to fulfill. While you think about your family you have also been trained to focus on the task at hand as lives depend on it. Your spouse’s setting hasn’t changed and life as you both knew it before your deployment has to continue so you keep the same routine for the kids. What kind of additional pressure or emotional toll, if any, do you think this puts on your spouse? Do you think there is any resentment? think this puts huge pressure on Danielle to keep everything around the house normal, but without the same support network (i.e., me) that she’s used to relying on. Support networks are something that the military does pretty well on active duty, but it’s much less defined or reliable in the Reserves. Regarding resentment - I’m sure there’s resentment when she’s particularly stressed out, or dealing with a given crisis. Hopefully, though, in the long run (i.e., once the crisis has passed and the routine is back to ‘normal’) she and I are on the same page that this is the right thing for me to be doing at this time.

What are the top three things you worry about the most? 1. My wife managing her stress and being able to take good care of herself and the kids 2. My kids’ emotional health and happiness 3. The rest of our family (parents, siblings, etc…) staying healthy n

Association of the United States Navy

THE PLATFORM

MATTERS

Special missions call for special aircraft. Gulfstreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s military service record stretches nearly a half-century and is marked by versatility, reliability and performance. Gulfstream aircraft perform as trainers and transports, intelligence gatherers and medevac platforms. Our aircraft have always ranked among the top in dispatch and reliability for the military. An efficient business-jet platform means crews fly high and fast for extended periods. Whatever your mission, Gulfstream delivers.

BOB RANCK | +1 703 276 9500 | GULFSTREAM.COM/SPECIALMISSIONS

USAA FINANCIAL ADVICE

5 Tax Tips for Service Members and Their Families

s tax time approaches, military members and their families should take time to understand the special advantages the IRS extends to them. Here are some of the benefits that could apply to you:

For deployed service members

Many service members know combat pay isn’t taxable. This benefit can save thousands of dollars, and it’s already reflected on tax forms. Deployed members also may request extensions for filing tax returns, paying taxes and contributing to IRAs. But be aware of the potential downside — a delay in filing can delay a refund too, if the IRS owes you money.

For members of the Reserve and National Guard 2

When your Reserve or Guard duties take place more than 100 miles away from home, you may be able to deduct unreimbursed travel expenses. What’s more, the cost to purchase and maintain uniforms can be tax-deductible if off-duty wear is prohibited — as is usually the case. Just make sure to factor in any uniform allowance or reimbursement.

ISTOCKPHOTO

For military spouses

Since 2009, the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act has allowed spouses to keep an established state of residency when accompanying a service member relocating on orders. That means those married to service

members don’t necessarily pay state income taxes in the state where they’ve relocated.

For home sellers

Taxpayers selling homes may avoid paying capital gains taxes if they’ve lived in the home for two of the five years before the sale. Uniformed members may get relief from this rule if orders require them to move — though the details can be complex. Additionally, if you take a trip to search for a new home because of a military-directed move, those costs can be tax-deductible.

Free assistance

Don’t forget that free tax assistance is available at most military installations. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, known as VITA, offers free advice and tax preparation help to military families. The program’s volunteers are certified by the IRS. Learn more about tax benefits for service members on the IRS website. As always, USAA recommends seeking the advice of a professional tax advisor.

Helpful Links

https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Free-Tax-ReturnPreparation-for-You-by-Volunteers https://www.irs.gov This article was provided by USAA.

Association of the United States Navy

Call for Scholarship Applications By Lynnze English, AUSN Communications Intern

hinking about going back to school or have a child or grandchild heading off to college in the fall? If so, now is the time to apply for a scholarship from the Association of the United States (AUSN). AUSN’s Scholarship Program awards $1,000 to $2,000 scholarships to each recipient. Selection is based on financial need and/ or scholastic achievement and all applications are reviewed by AUSN’s Scholarship Committee. Recipients may receive up to two scholarships while attending college. AUSN is now accepting applications for the 2016-2017 school year, applications must be received by 6 May 2016. AUSN provides $25,000 in scholarships to undergraduate students who are members, children and grandchildren of AUSN members and surviving spouses of deceased members on an annual basis. Our goal – to help our members and those they love earn a college degree. Scholarships are for undergraduate studies and apply to students who are accepted or enrolled in college or an accredited technical institution. Applicants may apply during their senior year of high school and up to their senior year in college. Scholarships are school-year specific and must be applied for annually. To learn more about AUSN’s Scholarship Program visit us online at http://ausn.org/ausn-scholarship-program/. To make a tax deductible donation to the Scholarship Fund, visit www.ausn.org/donate.

Navy | Winter 2016

Requirements: •

Be a U.S. citizen

•

Have a GPA of 2.5 or above

•

Have registered with the draft (if eligible)

•

Be enrolled in or accepted for full-time enrollment at an accredited college, university or a fully accredited technical school

•

Remain a full time student-defined as maintaining an average course load of 15 credit hours, with a minimum of 12 credit hours in any semester or quarter throughout the year

To apply for a scholarship, go to http://ausn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ scholarship-application.pdf Applications may be submitted online to scholarship@ausn.org or by snail mail to: Association of the United States Navy ATTN: Scholarship Program 1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

2016 NATIONAL MARITIME AWARDS DINNER JOIN THE NATIONAL MARITIME HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE NAVAL HISTORICAL FOUNDATION AT A GALA CELEBRATION:

Thursday, 21 April 2016 at The National Press Club Washington, DC as we honor Stephen B. Phillips, Phillips Foods Charles A. Robertson, American Cruise Lines, Pearl Seas Cruises, Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp. and Andrew C. Taylor, Enterprise Holdings Former Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Sandy Winnefeld USN (Ret.) will present the Naval Historical Foundation Distinguished Service Award to Andrew C. Taylor, Executive Chairman of Enterprise Holdings, Inc., the largest car rental service provider in the world. Longstanding involvement in U.S. Navy heritage by Mr. Taylor and his father, company founder Jack Taylor, has been amply demonstrated through their support for the two aircraft carriers named Enterprise, after which they have named their company. They have funded and participated in events honoring USS Enterprise (CV 6)—the ship from which Jack Taylor flew his World War II combat missions—and Andrew Taylor’s corporate commitment to hiring military veterans, and offering Enterprise vehicles as a resource of choice at Navy bases worldwide, has made the “Enterprise” name a byword for excellence. The National Maritime Historical Society will present its Distinguished Service Award to Stephen B. Phillips, owner of Phillips Foods and Phillips Seafood Restaurants. Mr. Phillips is a Chesapeake Bay business icon, global aquaculturalist, restaurant operator, seafood producer and sustainable world fishing industry advocate. Steve Phillips is an ardent conservationist and a leader in seafood sustainability. The National Maritime Historical Society’s Distinguished Service Award will also honor Charles A. Robertson, chief executive officer of American Cruise Lines (ACL), Chesapeake Shipbuilding Corp., and Pearl Seas Cruises. ACL is the leading small cruise line in the United States, operating seven river boats and paddle wheelers along the Eastern Seaboard, Western Seaboard and America’s rivers. The line has a strong focus on history-oriented cruises. Charles Robertson is a former NMHS trustee, a governor of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and a winning competitive sailor. Gary Jobson, world-class sailor, sailing television commentator and author, President of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, Vice President of the International Sailing Federation, Past President of U.S. Sailing, and NMHS overseer, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Entertainment will be provided by the United States Merchant Marine Academy Midshipmen Mariners Chorus, directed by Dr. Katherine Meloan. Proceeds from the National Maritime Awards Dinner will go to support a broad range of education initiatives carried out by both the National Maritime Awards Dinner’s organizing partners. We invite your participation in the 2016 National Maritime Awards Dinner. For more information, visit www.seahistory.org. You may also contact NMHS President Burchenal Green at 914-737-7878, ext. 223, or by email at burchenalgreen@seahistory.org, or NMHS Vice President Wendy Paggiotta at 914-737-7878, ext. 235, or by email at advertising@seahistory.org.

SNA Symposium 2016

he Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) was out in full force at the Surface Navy Association’s (SNA) annual Symposium. This year the theme was “The Surface Warfare Strategy: A View Beyond the Horizon.” We met with Sailors, who took the time to give us their input on a variety of issues, and we forged new relationships with industry and other organizations serving Sailors. n Brian Bauman, AUSN’s director of membership, and Clair Sassin, director of communications and corporate relations, show off their Wärtsilä bags at SNA’s Symposium.

Connect with AUSN Through Social Media

@AUSNTweets

Association of the United States Navy

Stay up-to-date with breaking news on Capitol Hill and around the country when you connect with the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) through our social media outlets. Help us grow our networks by connecting with us.

Navy | Winter 2016

COURTESY AUSN

facebook.com/AUSN1

An F-14 from VF-31 approaches at high speed with wings swept.

The Tomcat Aviator

An Interview with Rear Admiral Manazir About the Future of Naval Aviation By Diana B. West resourcing and manpower. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Navy is always innovating, and some of the biggest developments recently have been follow-on aircraft to legacy platforms and new sensor technologies for the current Carrier Strike Group. What can you tell us about that?

Courtesy of the U.S. Navy

ear Admiral Michael C. Manazir recently talked with Navy magazine to discuss the latest developments in naval aviation technology and training. RADM Manazir is the Director of Air Warfare for the Chief of Naval Operations and is responsible for the development, programming and budgeting of all U.S. naval aviation warfighting requirements,

The future of United States Navy and Marine aviation is directly in my wheelhouse. I think about how we would project American power now and what naval aviation looks like in 2035. We have recapitalized — or will recapitalize by the end of the decade — every single type model series that we currently fly. Some examples are the F-35B/C that will replace the Navy and Marine Corps F/A-18 series and the AV-8B. We’re replacing P-3’s with the P-8’s, which look like 737's, just painted gray.

Our helicopter transition plan has come to fruition, we’ve reduced seven helicopter airframe types to two, and we will replace our carrier onboard delivery aircraft with a V-22 instead of the C-2. Also, our venerable EA-6B Prowler has been replaced in the Navy by the EA-18G Growler and the Marine Corps will sundown the Prowler this year. On top of those transitions to new platforms the real technology development is in mission systems, which connects those platforms. So the “secret sauce” is that we bought some new platforms because of the enhanced capabilities, but our technology is allowing us to link those platforms so you get something greater than the sum of those parts. When we use high-end data links to link aircraft together, you don’t have to have a single aircraft with a single aircrew and a single weapon to attack a single target. You can

Association of the United States Navy

service more targets — air and surface — using a combination of all those platforms. The real magic is moving information around on those data links to make the sensor target and weapon pairing happen.

That all sounds very impressive, it also sounds very expensive. America’s military budget has been shrinking over the last few years and is unlikely to increase in the near future. Since your office is responsible for the budgeting of naval aviation, tell us about some of the changes that have come with this new fiscal reality and how you’re applying them to these programs?

We benefited from the replacement of all those type-model series over the last 15 years of increasing budgets and were able to build programs that were accommodated by that increased top line. With the reduced top line in ’14, ’15 and now ’16 and ’17, budgets that we projected into the future require me to change plans. What I look for is the optimization of the platforms we have and the systems in them. Where I get the most bang for the budget dollar is through key investments and trading between procurement of new platforms, like the F-35C, and then upgrading the mission systems on an F/A-18E/F EA-18G. By upgrading those systems I can improve the capability of what I have instead of buying a more expensive weapon system to put on the F-35. Where you can find a secret in affordability is taking the things you have and doing a spiral development to make them better. You can add what we call an Engineering Change Proposal to a current

Navy | Winter 2016

system and upgrade it. Oftentimes, because it is a non-developmental system, you don’t have to spend research and development dollars. You can come up with a less expensive option to increase your capability. As we move from platformbased thinking to capability-based thinking, I can now think about what parts of this big mesh of capability can be linked together, how do I get a “greater than the sum of its parts.” So that’s where affordability can be induced into our change in plans. The good news is that we’re kind of at the apogee of the spending on platforms… so now our expensive production lines are primarily the F-35B/C. Most of our transitions have already taken place in the numbers we need. So our timing is okay, but to make the naval aviation of the future affordable, we have to think about how we modernize what we have to make it a better capability rather than just reaching out to buy new platforms.

How do you think this “smaller but smarter” approach has affected the warfighting capacity of the Navy?

It’s smarter, but it isn’t necessarily smaller because we’re still maintaining force structure. Our wargames and analysis have shown that our current force structure, as underpinned by the 2015 Force Structure Assessment, is about the right number. So we haven’t gotten necessarily smaller yet. To your question, the warfighting capacity is a very important concept. If we have the right capability in our forces, you have the right capacity to be in all the

places you need to be — to be where it matters when it matters and to advance the interests of the U.S. — because that’s really what the Navy is for.

Can you tell us a little bit about how training has become more efficient?

Training in naval aviation generally becomes more efficient when you optimize the number of flight hours spent inside a cockpit. However, there is a certain amount of time that an aviator needs to spend flying to be able to operate that weapon system in the physiological environment that they operate in. In a jetfighter you’re working your weapon systems under heavy G at high air speeds at different physi-ological environments. It’s too ex-pensive to do all our training in the cockpit, so we have embarked on a concept of training called Live Vir-tual Constructive training or LVC. We’ve designed our programs to reduce the number of flight hours required to enhance the proficiency of our aviators by using these high-end, immersive simulators. If you think about the “LVC” letters, “L” is Live, which means you’re in a cockpit and flying the airplane. “Virtual” training means you’re in a simulator at a shore base someplace; we even have simulators that can be deployed aboard ships. For the “constructive” piece we build an environment that has constructive aspects to it. For example, you could constructively put weather into the scenario, put in “bad guys”— surface-to-air threats, air-to-air threats, put in “blue forces” that are on your side and project those constructive entities into a live cockpit.

An F-35C lands on the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as part of a development test.

We are currently doing that in Pensacola. We do it in the back seat of a T-45. The T-45 is not equipped with radar or sensing systems, but through this constructive input into the back end of their instruments, I can now train a prospective fleet naval flight officer who is going to go fly in the back of an F/A-18F or EA-18G with displays and scenarios in his airplane that are not actually there in real life. I only pay for the flight hours, the fuel they use to put those two guys into the T-45’s and the instructors. That’s how we’re making it more efficient.

US NAVY

Lastly, where do you see the most potential growth in the Navy? As the Navy continues to innovate, where are the most exciting changes happening?

Watching the leading edge of technology in the commercial world and being able to take advantage of the ability to move greater amounts of information across data links. Being able to move more information at a faster rate allows us to make decisions faster than our adversaries, getting inside of John Boyd’s OODA loop (observe, orient, decide and act). We talk about our weapon systems killer apps —

while the piece of equipment we’re operating might or might not be some kind of a portable tablet or smartphone — the idea that you can put apps onto an open architecture system is very much what we’re going after in building our future systems and in connecting the systems we already have in a better way. We’re using more and more gaming technology in our simulation environments to train against situations that you only see in combat — like when someone is shooting at you — or to train to high-end capabilities that we will only use if we go to war. We can do those in a simulation piece and we can do it more and more effectively. Trying to get closer and closer to that reality piece in a simulated environment, that’s where a lot of the innovation is happening. I’m a Tomcat aviator, I grew up flying F-14A’s and have been lucky enough to fly a Hornet and an F/A-18E/F. The technology in these airplanes is eye watering — you manage the computers in the airplanes. Aviators from years ago think flying is easier these days. That’s true, but what’s gotten a lot harder is managing the weapon systems inside the airplanes.

The artificial intelligence that’s going into the new Google car — the alphabet car and the driverless cars — we’re paralleling that effort, thinking about ways to make the vehicle control itself while you’re using substantial brain power to figure out the environment around you. When I talked about being able to move greater amounts of information, the task is to make sure the aviator is not overwhelmed by the amount of information they have coming to them. We want the machine, which is the innovation piece, to learn what to do with all this information and fuse it together into a target track or a conclusion that the aviator can take advantage of. Not only is the machine doing that, but it’s also flying that person’s airplane a little more so the aviator can pay more attention to the mission systems. That’s what technology has brought us — you don’t have to focus as much on just flying the airplane and landing at the end of a sortie, you can focus more on mission systems. The explosion of technology that we see from electronics, smaller processors, the things that industry is using to build smartphones and things like that — we’re using those in our weapon systems to make the aviator a lot more effective, to make the weapon system a lot more effec-tive with less weight and then we’re trying to control the cost. So I think the technology is there, and my biggest challenge is while we build that future of naval aviation inside the future of the Navy, we’ve got to control the cost while we stay on the leading edge of technology that American commercial industry is giving us. n

Association of the United States Navy

Over Land and Sea A Look at Naval Aviation Strength

By Diana B. West

round the world and across the seven seas, the U.S. Navy is on duty. Around the Horn of Africa, we are part of a coalition of counter-piracy operations. Four guided-missile destroyers are forward based to Rota, Spain. We maintain a presence near the Panama Canal to help fight illegal trafficking.

Navy | Winter 2016

ÂŤ

“Most of us, most of the time, live in blissful ignorance of what a small, elite, heroic group of Americans are doing for us night and day. All over the globe, American Sailors are doing something very dangerous. Somewhere around the world, young men and women are landing naval aircraft on the pitching decks of aircraft carriers, living on the edge of danger so the rest of us need not think about, let alone experience, danger.”

– George Will, Newspaper columnist and Pulitzer Prize–winner

An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to the Swordsmen of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 32 is directed to the catapult on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Harry S. Truman, flagship for the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conPHOTO BY MC3 KARL ANDERSON

Whether monitoring Chinese subs, providing assistance in Nepal or launching airstrikes against ISIS, naval aviation is operating worldwide around the clock. Does this mean that the Navy’s resources are sometimes stretched thin? Yes. Maintenance schedules, the replacement of obsolescent infrastructure and frequent deployments have meant the Navy has had to do more with less more often than it would like. On the positive side, the current force structure is close For more to what the 2015 Force on this, Structure Assessment see the interview says we ought to have. with Additionally, the money RADM invested in defense proManazir grams over the past 15 on pg. 19. years means that many older type-model series in the Navy and Marine Corps have been or are currently being replaced. So as our naval and marine forces stretch to meet challenges around the world, they are increasingly equipped with the most sophisticated weaponry and resources the world has ever seen.

Navy | Winter 2016

F-35 Progress

In strike warfare, one of the biggest developments is the arrival of the new F-35 fighters. Led by Lockheed Martin, the F-35’s will replace the F-18’s. The F-35 is a fifth-generation descendent from the X-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program and has three main variants: the F-35A for conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL), the F-35B for short takeoff and landing (STOVL) and the carrier-based F-35C for Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR). The F-35B achieved initial operational capability (IOC) last July, the F-35A is expected to arrive in Q3 2016 for the Air Force and the F-35C is currently in developmental testing with a projected IOC in 2018. The United States expects to buy 2,457 of the combat fighters, with final deliveries in 2037. For aviators, the F-35 has the potential to be a dream come true — combining stealth capabilities with advanced avionics that give the pilot an unprecedented amount of battle space information. Pilots will have, in essence, X-ray vision as they survey battle conditions. Also, the

information collected by the fighter’s sensors can be immediately shared with others, providing an extremely accurate picture of the operation to colleagues on the ground, in the air or at sea. The F-35 is a technological breakthrough on many levels. The program has not escaped criticism, however. The cost overruns have been enormous, there have been complaints that the plane is riddled with design flaws and some have been critical of a procurement process that allowed Lockheed Martin “to design, test and produce the F-35 all at the same time.” The list of complaints goes on. As recently as 2013 the plane couldn’t fly in bad weather or at night, it was prohibited from dropping live ordnance or flying at supersonic speeds, and the sophisticated helmets that were supposed to provide the pilot with 360-degree X-ray vision had numerous technical problems. Lt. General Christopher Bogdan, the Program Executive Officer of the Joint Strike Fighter Program, has been an especially candid critic, citing inexact specifications, cost and technical risks borne solely by the government

COREY T. JONES

A U.S. Navy rescue swimmer jumps from an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the “Warlords” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 51 during a search and rescue exercise off the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82).

and a too-cozy relationship between senior leadership and the contractor as some of the primary flaws in the development program. Lately, however, even Bogdan has been sounding more optimistic. Over the past two years, Lockheed Martin has been working at a breakneck pace to fix the flaws, and going forward they will assume an increasingly larger share of both cost overruns and the cost of fixing planes already delivered. While there are still problems with modifications, the logistics systems and the pace with which software can be reprogrammed to keep the aircraft updated, “we’re seeing problems long in advance…so we don’t get surprised as much,” says Bogdan. Just as important, the pilots who have been testing and flying the plane have reported positive experiences overall, seeming to accept the flaws as an inevitable part of creating a plane that is light-years ahead of previous technology. Captain Rick “Slash” Crecelius, who flew the F-35C for two years out of Eglin AFB, told Navy,

“The F-35C is an incredibly pilot-friendly aircraft. The designers carefully thought about how the pilot-vehicle-interface (PVI) needs to work, and the result is really impressive. That said, we are still almost two years out from IOC on an airframe that represents a full-spectrum technological leap in capability, so we’re not surprised by the challenges we’ve seen in software development and other areas. Similar to every other airframe we’ve introduced to the fleet, we’re going to have growing pains, and it’ll take time to realize the full potential that the F-35C will bring to the Carrier Strike Group.”

In short, the F-35 has critics, but it also has its fans. Over time, assuming that the growing pains can be overcome, this fighter plane could become legendary.

FORD Series Aircraft Carrier

Another major project that has not been without controversy is the new Ford-series aircraft carrier. The first ship of the series, the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), is scheduled to be commissioned in March of this year. The Ford-class carriers will be significantly more energy-efficient than their predecessors, require fewer personnel to operate and have decreased maintenance requirements. Notably, the Ford class will also require far less fresh water, which significantly reduces the need for energy-intensive desalinization. Other new features include a slightly larger deck space that will allow for a higher sortie rate, the ability to launch heavier and lighter aircraft and an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), which uses a linear motor drive instead of a conventional steam-piston drive. By

Association of the United States Navy

eliminating the need to produce and store steam, significant square footage below decks can be used for other purposes. The EMALS also enables the Ford-class to perform 25 percent more aircraft launches a day than the Nimitz-class, while requiring 25 percent fewer personnel to do it. When the Ford joins the fleet, the Navy will once again have 11 aircraft carriers, alleviating some stress in the system caused by the 2012 retirement of the

Navy | Winter 2016

USS Enterprise (CVN 65). On the less-positive side, several critical ship systems — including the EMALS — were found to be unreliable during Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E) in 2013, and radar and weapons elevator failure rates were high. Before entering service the Ford will have to pass OT&E, and it is not expected to be fully operational until 2021. Additionally, cost overruns for

the Ford total approximately $2 billion and construction costs for the second carrier of the series, the John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), have increased by $370 million already according to the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office (CAPE). Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that “the CVN 79 is now $590 million over the Navy’s estimate.” Whichever number

M. J. LIEBERKNECHT

Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class K. Butler signals an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the “Proud Warriors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 72, as it refuels aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84).

Whatever the costs, there is no arguing that the Navy is in need of more aircraft carriers — and sooner rather than later. After years of deferred maintenance due to backto-back deployments and sequestration-related budget cuts, half of the Navy’s carriers are currently unavailable for tasking. Last November the Navy’s leadership told the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee that they cannot meet carrier readiness levels mandated by Congress. In fact, right now there is no aircraft carrier task force in the Middle East despite the increased threat from the Islamic State, and later this year there will be a period of time when there will be no carriers in the Pacific Ocean. The consequences of this “carrier gap” could be severe if a crisis erupts somewhere in the world and a carrier strike group cannot be promptly deployed.

“Romeo” and “Sierra”

is more accurate, the Ford series is costing far more than originally estimated, and while cost overruns are hardly unusual in defense procurement, the amounts are eye-watering in this time of fiscal restraint. A total of 10 Ford-class carriers are planned, with construction continuing until 2058. Over time, the program should become more cost-effective, but clearly costs are still a challenge at this time.

The focus of the rotary-wing aircraft division of naval aviation is on the MH-60R “Romeo.” The Romeo, and its sibling, the MH-60S “Sierra,” is deployed globally by the U.S. Navy, but is also used by Australian and Danish forces. The helicopter is a member of the Sikorsky S-70 group, based on the Army Black Hawk, but features an airframe modification of a hinged tail that allows it to reduce its footprint aboard ship. The beauty of the Romeo, however, lies in its anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities. Together, they have shifted the advantage from the submarine to the helicopter. The Romeo’s mission systems and sensors are able to detect subs in both littoral and open ocean

scenarios, alone or in concert with other MH-60’s. The helicopter also features something called “Common CockpitTM,” which is a digital, all-glass cockpit with four flat-panel color displays that are night-vision compatible and manage all incoming communications and data. The three-person crew is then presented with actionable information at the same time that their situational awareness has been dramatically increased, which should lead to better decision-making and effective action during warfare.

Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon

Speaking of sub-hunting, Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon is attracting attention due to its recent deployment in December in the South China Sea. China claims nearly all of the sea as its own — an area which is not only incredibly rich in energy reserves, but sees more than half of the world’s maritime trade pass through annually. Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims in the South China Sea, so political tensions run high. The P-8 searches for submarines and surface vessels, seeking out potential threats and relaying information, so any aggressive activity by Chinese subs or ships could be easily monitored and lead to action by the U.S. or its allies in the region. In addition to the P-8A, the United States has used American B-52s and the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) carrier battlegroup in the sea recently, sending a clear message to China and the rest of the world regarding the United States’ position on the security of international waters.

Association of the United States Navy

The aircraft is commercial-sized, holds a crew of nine and can deploy 4500 miles from its base without refueling. Armed with torpedoes, missiles, and one of the world’s most advanced radar system, the Poseidon can also communicate with drones and relay mission-critical data across the military fleet. Since its initial flight in 2009, the Poseidon has quickly become the “go-to” vehicle for surveillance activities. As of January, 2016, 33 P-8A’s have been delivered to the Fleet, but since the Navy plans to replace its entire P-3C fleet with P-8’s, over time the plan is to purchase 117 of these aircrafts. This program, too, has not been without criticism, but this time from within the Navy. In January, 2014, the Department of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) issued a report indicating that the P-8A was deficient in “wide area anti-submarine search.” Frank Kendall, the undersecretary for Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics, responded that while the report was factually correct, “the plan was to develop a certain set [of capabilities], then field a certain set of initial capabilities for local anti-submarine warfare capabilities, then add capabilities to it in

Navy | Winter 2016

MICHAEL J. LIEBERKNECHT

An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to the “Proud Warriors” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 72, takes off from the flight deck of guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84).

An F-35C Lightning II carrier variant joint strike fighters conducts the first catapult launches aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).

OURTESY OF LOCKHEED MARTIN BY ANDY WOLFE

increments.” Just before press time, Commander Chris Flaherty provided an update to Navy via email, saying,

“Since the completion of initial Developmental and Operational test in 2013, the Navy has been methodically incorporating fixes for known DOT&E concerns into its overall pre-planned product improvement plan. Continuous, incremental mission system upgrades and capability improvements have been a fundamental tenant of the P-8A acquisition strategy since program inception. The P-8A Poseidon continues to receive accolades from the aircrews that employ it and from the Fleet commanders they support.”

Unmanned Missions

Although less attention is generally paid to unmanned missions Rear Admiral Michael C. Manazir, dDrector, Air Warfare (OPNAV N98), told Navy that the Navy is “more and more into unmanned integration.” He talked about how an unmanned Fire Scout helicopter has been flying off a littoral combat ship “in concert with our MH-60 Romeo aviation detachments.” In addition, RADM Manazir indicated the Navy is building an “unmanned platform for high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, called a Triton. It’s about as big as a 737 and it’s…designed to sense the battle space by using its long-dwell flight time.” Lastly, by the end of the decade, “we’re going to field an unmanned system on the aircraft carrier. We’ve already experimented with the X-47B, we know how to land it and take it off from the carrier, and we know how to get fuel into it from an airborne tanker, but now we’re going to learn more about how to actually integrate manned and unmanned systems. The chief of naval operations is very interested in manned-unmanned teaming…that will enable our operations to be a lot better and

more advanced,” he continued.

The Future

As always, the Navy has its hands full. Almost anywhere you put your finger on a globe, the Navy has interests, ships, planes or personnel close by. In recent years, the Navy has invested billions of dollars in new weapons programs and infrastructure to meet the ever-changing threats around the world. Within naval aviation, some of the most significant new programs have been the F-35, the Ford-class carrier, the MH-60 Romeo and the P-8A Poseidon. These systems have faced their challenges but if the Navy is going to continue its mission of protecting American interests, it must continue to develop weapon systems that will give us every advantage possible. Only then will the Navy be able to continue to live “on the edge of danger so that the rest of us need not think about, let alone experience, danger.” n Diana B. West was raised in Glenview, Ill. Her father was a second class petty officer and her brother was a LT JG. She has taught high school civics and at a community college. She is working on a novel for young adults.

Association of the United States Navy

Introducing the FORD SERIES: Navy’s Newest Aircraft Carriers By Lynzee English

included structure, equipment, piping system, machinery, electrical, wire ways, gauges, pumps, berths, medical areas and galleys. The new aircraft carrier will house up to 4,660 Sailors and was designed to improve the quality of life for those aboard. This class series has quieter berthing areas that sleep no more than 86 Sailors compared to existing carriers that sleep up to 200 in each berth. In addition, each berthing area has an attached washroom and Sailors will

Sailors practice proper tourniquet techniques during a basic first aid training aboard the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). Ford’s Medical department provides first aid training daily while the ship is under construction.

Navy | Winter 2016

ELIZABETH THOMPSON

he United States Navy will soon commission its first new aircraft carrier, the Fordclass series, in nearly 50 years. The first of these future-generation aircraft carriers is ironically named after our 38th president, Gerald R. Ford. Once commissioned, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) will be the first new design for an aircraft carrier since the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in 1968. This carrier will replace the USS Enterprise (CVN 65), which entered service in 1961. The Ford has required years of planning and construction, 5,000 ship builders and thousands of suppliers. The Gerald R. Ford is near its completion with a planned commission in March 2016. The Gerald R. Ford is the first aircraft carrier designed using a three-dimensional product model; every part was created in a 3-D model at full scale. The design

NEED High Rez file name: Ford_Option_J.jpg

have access to multiple gyms, separate recreation areas and more air conditioning. The Ford-class series made new strides in electrical power as it is furnished with two newly-designed reactors. The carrier’s electrical power replaces steam powered systems and produces 250 percent more electrical capacity. This will allow for a faster load of weapons and launch of aircraft. Rolf Bartschi, Newport News’ vice president of CVN 78 carrier construction says, “The Ford-class aircraft carrier establishes the most capable, lethal and flexible platform for the Navy to incorporate the latest technologies. This platform equips the warfighter with the best weaponry, communications and operating systems that our nation has today. Electrical systems take less manpower to operate and maintain, so in terms of costs, the shift toward electrical not only improves the flexibility of the ship’s technologies, it also

reduces operating and maintenance costs during the carrier’s 50-year service life.” The Ford is the first of the next-generation class of nuclear powered aircrafts to use EMALS. EMALS is intended to replace the current steam catapults used on Nimitz-class carriers. CVN 78 also features new modernizations in the anchor handling system; the anchor is much lighter than Nimitz-class anchors and the links are made from high-strength steel. The construction of the Gerald R. Ford began in August 2005. The second carrier in the Ford-series, the John F. Kennedy, has a planned commission date in 2020. After that, additional carriers will enter the fleet at five year intervals. There are currently 10 Ford-class carriers planned for construction that will continue into 2058. Hungtinton Ingalls Industries is the shipbuilders. n

Association of the United States Navy

Calling All Artists!

Poster guidelines, submissions must: • Be 18” x 24” at 300 dots per inch, scale down submissions to 9”x12.” • Represent Veterans from all branches of service. The Committee may select a particular

•

submission but ask the artist to make modifications to the original design. Additional changes may be required prior to printing. Reflect the diversity of our Veteran and military population in terms of race, gender and disability status. Include sufficient information to demonstrate that the image is the work of the artist and is not copyrighted material (i.e. photos and concepts).

Submit electronic versions as jpg images or PDF files to vetsday@va.gov or send artwork on a CD to: Veterans Day National Committee Department of Veterans Affairs ATTN: Micheal Migliara (002D) 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20420 Submissions are not restricted to “human centric” presentations, such as a joint color guard. Imagery of American icons, monuments or scenery can qualify, for example, the American flag. To view examples of past winning submissions visit http://www.va.gov/opa/ vetsday/gallery.asp.

Deadline:

The deadline for submissions is 15 April 2016. A selection committee will convene in May 2016 to review submissions and make a final selection. n

Questions? Contact the Veterans Day Coordinator at vetsday@va.gov. 32

Navy | Winter 2016

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

he 2016 National Veterans Day Poster Contest is underway. Every year the Veterans Affairs National Veterans Outreach Office, in conjunction with the Veterans Day National Committee, publishes a commemorative Veterans Day poster selected from artwork submitted by U.S. citizens nationwide. Distributed to VA facilities and military installations around the world, it is the cover of the official program for the Veterans Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery. Over the years these posters have illustrated the history of our country’s protectors, and remind all who see them of the accomplishments and struggles of our Veterans. From Revolutionary War battles to an Old Guard soldier, the artwork in these posters cause us to pause and reflect in homage to those who paved the way for our freedom.

change bag color to navy blue

hop Thru the Heart takes online social action to a new level. Established for the purpose of providing new, ongoing revenue streams for foundations and non-profit organizations, Shop Thru The Heart provides a way for shoppers to generate revenue to their favorite non-profit organization simply by shopping online. Similar to Amazon Smile, a portion of your purchase goes back to an organization you select. What makes Shop Thru The Heart

How to Register at Shop Thru the Heart

ISTOCKPHOTO

Registering at Shop Thru The Heart is easy and secure. To register and have AUSN benefit from your online purchases go to: 1 AUSN.shopthrutheheart. com and create a user id and password 2 Log in 3 Shop at your favorite stores

Shop Online & Benefit AUSN different is the percentage of money that organizations receive. The average donation is approximately one percent. Shop Thru The Heart returns on average three percent or more of online purchases when you go through their portal. Shop Thru The Heart is lead by CEO Bob Pikna, a successful business development and sales executive. He saw the tough economic times non-profit organizations were facing and the reality of diminishing funds from traditional sources. The Shop Thru The Heart model was specifically designed to create and increase perpetual streams of income for non-profits. Here’s how it works – shoppers register once and select the organization they want to support. Every time a shopper goes to make an online purchase they simply go to shopthrutheheart.com and start shopping. The Shop Thru The Heart virtual mall has over 120 stores including online favorites

such as Amazon, Target, Home Depot, Staples and Barnes & Noble. Currently 200 million consumers regularly purchase products and services online. The Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) has teamed with Shop Thru the Heart and will begin a member outreach program to encourage all members and their families who shop online to register AUSN as their organization of choice. “We are excited to partner with Shop Thru The Heart,” said RADM Garry E. Hall, national executive director of AUSN. “If every AUSN member who shops online registered at Shop Thru the Heart we would see a new revenue stream.” Every time you go to shop online, simply go to AUSN. shopthrutheheart.com, log in and start shopping. It’s easy and AUSN will benefit. All purchases remain confidential; AUSN will simply receive a percentage. n

Shop Thru The Heart. We’re Changing How America Gives

Association of the United States Navy

October 21-22, 2016

ABM ‘16 AUSN Annual Business and Board Meeting

AUSN Headquarters Building in Historic Old Town Alexandria, Virginia Join with your shipmates for this very important annual meeting and help set AUSN’s course for years to come.

Featuring AUSN’s Annual …

Junior Officer of the Year Awards

Please call for more information: 703-548-5800

Your Job Search:

The Role of Online Questionnaires

By Jamie Libby Boyle, PhD

ISTOCKPHOTO

s the cost of hiring new employees continues to climb, businesses are investing more efforts in ensuring that candidates applying for vacancies have what it takes to make it in their company’s culture. What used to be a straight sprint to the finish line of landing your new job now resembles more of a triathlon, with requirement after requirement to get to that final stage of hearing “you are hired.” In addition to the standard submission of your resume, employers are turning to online questionnaires. These questionnaires, often in the form of personality and individual skills assessments, determine your understanding of the required skills and how you feel you rate in accomplishing these tasks. An online questionnaire can make or break your chances and it is essential to understand how it correlates with your resume and overall application package. So why do companies include an online questionnaire in their application process? An online questionnaire assists employers in gathering information that normally isn’t part of an online application or your resume. How you answer a questionnaire can speak to how you may fit into a company’s culture. Your responses show your character and work ethic and give employers a more detailed picture of who you are. Questionnaires also give companies the chance to have you rate your skills and qualifications before they consider interviewing you. If you rate yourself as an “expert” in a particular skill, make sure your resume

adequately quantifies the results you claim. These types of assessments can be hard in two ways: 1. those who feel there’s always room for growth can underrepresent themselves and valuable experiences 2. others may overrate their experience feeling they don’t need to elaborate further on skills or accomplishments It can be overwhelming to think the company is assessing your fit before you ever speak to the hiring manager but this is what often happens. When completing online questionnaires it is important to be honest and don’t be thrown off by thinking you are being “tested.” Just like the company wants to make sure you are a good fit for them, you need to make sure the company is a good fit for you. Online questionnaires can help you get a feel for the company during the application process. Although questionnaires can be long and sometimes seem irrelevant to the position you’re applying for, remember to take your time when responding, answer questions honestly, and make sure your responses match the qualifications detailed on your resume. How you complete an online questionnaire can help you get an interview that can lead you to hear the words “you are hired.” n Jamie Libby Boyle, PhD, is assistant editor of the Military Service Employment Journal at the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN), www.msccn.org.

Association of the United States Navy

UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

Congratulations to the USNA Scholars

wo Midshipmen — Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Megan Musilli and Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Allyson Strachan — have been named a Rhodes Scholar and Mitchell Scholar, respectively. Both scholarship programs are highly competitive and offer international postgraduate opportunities. Musilli was chosen as the 49th Rhodes Scholar from the United States Naval Academy (USNA). Musilli, an honors mathematics major, plans to obtain a Master of Science in medical anthropology at the University of Oxford. She then plans on attending medical school to become a Navy physician. Musilli has conducted research on state machines in data compression, genetic algorithms, traumatic brain injury, satellite tracking and CT scanning techniques. At USNA Musilli has served as a platoon leader, squad leader and regimental commander. She studied at Koç University in Istanbul for one semester during her 2nd Class (junior) year and served on the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort during the 2015 humanitarian deployment to Panama and El Salvador. USNA Academic Dean and Provost Dr. Andrew Phillips said, “Midshipman 1st Class (senior) Megan Musilli has excelled in every way in a very demanding academic and military environment…Megan will be an exceptional Rhodes Scholar and an exceptional leader in the Fleet, and we’re pleased that the Academy has had a part in preparing her for both roles.” Rhodes Scholars receive two to three years of study at University of Oxford in England. The Rhodes Trust funds all college and university fees, and provides a stipend to cover necessary expenses while living in Oxford, during vacations and transportation to and from England. Rhodes Scholars are chosen based on academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of

Navy | Winter 2016

unselfishness, respect for others, potential for leadership and physical vigor. Strachan was named USNA’s 6th Mitchell Scholar. Strachan is an honors systems engineering major, captain of the Women’s Ice Hockey team and served as the battalion commander for USNA’s STEM camp. She has an interest in prosthetics and spent the last two summers working on projects involving phantom limb stimulation and neurologically controlled prosthetics as an intern at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in the Research and Exploratory Development Department. After receiving a Master of Science degree in Biomedical, Audio and Image Signal Processing at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Strachan will train as a Navy pilot. “The Naval Academy is proud that Midshipman 1st Class Ally Strachan has been selected for the Mitchell Scholarship,” said Dr. Andrew Phillips. “She has excelled in every way in a demanding academic and military environment, and this achievement is well-deserved…and I look forward to following her career in the Fleet.” The Mitchell Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance and is named to honor former U.S. Senator George Mitchell’s pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process. The scholarship is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership and a commitment to public service and community. Mitchell Scholars are chosen for one year of post-graduate study in any area offered by institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholars Program provides tuition, housing, a living expenses stipend and a travel stipend. n Lynnze English is a senior at Howard University studying legal communications. She is an intern at AUSN.

he federal budget agreement, signed into the effective date of the law, may still utilize the file and law on November 2, 2015, will eliminate two suspend strategy to trigger benefits for their spouse. Social Security strategies which had been In addition, the new law revises the rule that allows utilized by spouses to maximize lifetime a spouse, who takes benefits at full retirement age, to benefits. The strategies will be eliminated effective on elect whether to take spousal benefits or benefits on his 30 April 2016. The elimination of these strategies may or her own record. This strategy allowed a higher-earnrequire social security beneficiaries to act now before ing spouse to claim a spousal benefit at full retirement the impending changes take effect or reconsider their age. Then at age 70, the higher-earning spouse would retirement plans. claim the maximum Under the curamount of his or her rent rules, the spouse retirement benefit of a working spouse and stop receiving cannot claim a spouthe spousal benefit. sal benefit unless the Individuals, who working spouse has turned 62 or older applied for Social by the end of 2015, Security benefits. are still able to elect However, a working which benefit they spouse is able to file want at full retirefor Social Security ment age. benefits at their full However, under By Kimberly Brubeck retirement age, which the new law, when is 66 years old today, a working spouse and then suspend the who did not turn 62 benefits. This strategy by the end of 2015 allowed the spouse to applies for spousal begin receiving spoubenefits, the Social sal benefits while Security Administrathe working spouse tion will assume it is postponed the receipt also an application of their benefits. The for benefits on the longer the working working spouse’s spouse delayed rerecord. The working ceipt of their benefits spouse is eligible for the more retirement the higher benefit, credits they were able but they can’t elect to to accumulate up take just their spousto age 70, the result es benefits and allow being a larger Social their own benefits to Security check. continue accruing Under the new until age 70. This law, a spouse cannot begin receiving benefits until the new rule will not apply to survivor’s benefits. A survivworking spouse actually receives benefits. A working ing spouse will still be able to choose to take survivor’s spouse can still file and then suspend Social Security benefits first and then switch to retirement benefits later benefits, but their spouse — or other dependents inif the retirement benefit is larger. n cluding minor and disabled children — cannot receive benefits during the suspension. This eliminates the use LCDR Marc Soss, SC, USN is a Florida attorney whose of the suspension strategy for the working spouse who practice focuses on estate planning; probate and trust also wants their spouse to receive benefits immediately. administration and elder law in Southwest Florida. Soss, The new law will not impact working spouses who have an AUSN member, is a frequent contributor to national already filed and suspended their benefits. A working publications. He may be reached at smsoss@aol.com. spouse, who will turn at least 66 or will turn 66 before

Act Now!

ISTOCKPHOTO

Two Social Security Strategies Will Be Eliminated on April 30, 2016

Association of the United States Navy

Veterans Corner

Diabetes & the Military

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 26 million people, or about eight percent of the population, have diabetes. That includes approximately 11 million persons 65 and older or 27 percent of senior citizens. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), nearly one in four veterans has diabetes, which is significantly higher than the percent of all Americans who have the disease. This is partly due to the older average age of veterans compared with the general population in our country. In the U.S., about one in four persons with diabetes is not aware

that they have the condition. It is likely that this number is lower for veterans receiving regular care. Veterans also have a higher rate of overweight and obesity than the general population — more than 70 percent of VA patients are overweight or obese. According to Linda Kinsinger, MD, MPH, chief consultant for preventive medicine at the Veterans Health Administration’s National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, “veterans tend…to have lower incomes and have limited access to high-quality, healthy food — social disparities that can lead to greater diabetes risk.”

How do formerly physically fit military members get diabetes?

• • •

Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome History of gestational diabetes mellitus History of delivering babies weighing more than nine pounds Very low physical activity

It seems that military service members with Type 2 diabetes generally are older, have a higher body-mass • index and are more likely to be African-American, Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Hispanic. Based on a study conducted by the American Diabetes AssoDiabetes is a group of diseases ciation (ADA), post-traumatic that result in too much sugar stress disorder or exposure to in the blood or high blood herbicides, such as Agent Orglucose. There are two main ange, may be associated with a types of diabetes: higher risk for diabetes. Other high risks for diabetes include: Type 1: a chronic condition in • History of Type 1 or Type 2 which the pancreas produces little disease in your or no insulin, usually something immediate family that precludes military service as it • Pre-diabetes often begins in childhood • Hypertension, i.e., high Type 2: a chronic condition that blood pressure affects the way the body processes • Low “good cholesterol,” blood sugar/glucose known as HDL and high triglycerides Prediabetes is a condition where • Presence of heart or other one’s blood sugar is high, but not vascular disease high enough to be classified as • Overweight or obesity Type 2 diabetes. • Abdominal obesity

What is diabetes?

Navy | Winter 2016

In the military, where overall health and fitness is essential, unmanaged diabetes may mean a permanent departure from the service. While serving, whether selected Reserve or active duty, military members who develop diabetes must maintain an HbA1c level, also called A1c, below seven percent without medication or they are referred to a medical evaluation board for follow-up care recommendations. For the patient population in veterans’ hospitals, an A1c level below seven percent is acceptable. Five percent of diabetic veterans have “acceptable” blood sugar control, defined by the VA as an A1C level below nine percent. This means that 15 percent or approximately 217,500 veterans have dangerously high A1c levels.

Veterans Corner

If you are a diabetic: now what?

Control of blood pressure and lipids is emphasized during veterans’ care for diabetes, as are recommendations for foot checks for nerve damage and ulceration, flu shots, kidney and vision checks and other medical exams and prophylaxis. It is vitally important that diabetic patients be aware of their disease and its symptoms. Once diagnosed, diabetics are shown how to monitor low and high blood sugar. It is essential that individuals with diabetes wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace so that should something occur and they are incapacitated, quick and appropriate action may be taken. If one has low blood sugar or if low blood sugar is suspected, an individual needs about 15 grams of carbohydrates or a simple sugar. This can be half a can of regular soda, half a cup of regular fruit juice, three to four glucose tablets, six pieces of hard candy or eight ounces of skim milk. If high blood sugar is suspected and the individual is responsive, they need to check their blood sugar. Encourage them to drink water and take their insulin, if appropriate. If they are not responsive, call 911. ADA has an online test, http://www.diabetes.org/ are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/, where you can see if you have the risks for diabetes before you visit your health care provider. It is important to note that this is just a guide, not an examination.

How to ensure your diabetes doesn’t rule your life

Symptoms of Diabetes Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar can often appear as though you are drunk. Diabetic incidents have occurred while individuals are driving or walking. These symptoms, harbingers of physical states that can incapacitate diabetics, often occur with a rapid onset. These may include: Shakiness Sweating Dizziness Anxiousness

Weakness Fatigue Irritableness Headaches

Hunger Fast heartbeat Impaired vision

If one has severe high blood sugar, also referred to as hyperglycemia, an individual can become seriously ill and may require lifesaving treatment or hospitalization. Symptoms of severe high blood sugar may include: Extreme thirst Heavy breathing Fruity breath odor Confusion Flushed skin

Drowsiness Vomiting Urinating frequently Eventual unconsciousness

important to regulate salt and sugar in your diet and control carbohydrate intake whether on insulin or not. Finally, do not use tobacco products. If you are still in the military or using the veterans’ health care system, there are good tobacco cessation programs to help you. Maintaining a healthy weight for your height and age, regulating your blood sugar and taking insulin, if needed, will ensure you can serve as a military member or be a successful ‘veteran’ of this all too common disease.

Diet, exercise and medication are the three main ways you can control your diabetes. In addition, it is

ISTOCKPHOTO

The Beneﬁts Team at AUSN includes Michael Niblack MMCM (SS/AW), USN (Ret.) and CAPT Marylynn Marrese, Ph.D. MSC, USN (Ret.), both are volunteers. If you have a question, email beneﬁts@ausn.org. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the publishers or advertisers. The information provided in this magazine should not be construed as medical instruction. Consult appropriate health-care professionals before taking action based on this information.

Association of the United States Navy

HEALTH TALK

ir travel has become a highly accepted mode of transportation for leisure and business, but there is negative health effects associated with flight. If you are a frequent flyer or your occupation is a pilot or crew member you are more susceptible to a host of health problems that arise from the cabin environment; but health risks are present for folks who travel infrequently too. Careful planning along with simple precautions can ensure your air travel is enjoyable. During takeoff and landing, the air pressure in the cabin changes rapidly. You can help prevent or lessen the discomfort from the changing air pressure by swallowing, yawning or chewing gum. Another option is to purchase pressure-regulating earplugs to help reduce discomfort often associated with air travel; they can also help to reduce the risk of hearing loss for frequent flyers. The more you fly, the greater your risk of noise-induced hearing loss. The occupational safety limit set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is 88 decibels for four hours and 85 decibels for eight hours. The airplane cabin ranges from about 75 decibels in the front to 85 decibels or higher in the back, where the plane’s engine is located. Some back rows clock in at 100 decibels. The passenger stuck in the back is actually at greater risk for hearing loss than the flight attendant, who has the freedom to move around. Noise cancelling head phones can cut noise by up to 40 decibels. Low cabin humidity and dry air are believed to be major contributors to dehydration and jet-lag fatigue. Our bodies are more comfortable with around 50 percent humidity, and the usual humidity in airline cabins can run as low as three percent during flights so it should not be a surprise that it feels as dry as a desert. It

Navy | Winter 2016

is important to hydrate by drinking plenty of water before and during the flight. Airlines usually don’t turn on the cooling or air circulation system until the airplane begins to move, so cabin air can change from warm to dry and stuffy in a relatively short period of time. Artificial tears for dry eyes, lip moisturizer for your lips and chewing gum or lozenges for your dry mouth will help make your flight experience more comfortable. Remember to purchase a bottle of water before you board and avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages as they have diuretic properties and can dehydrate you even more. Other troubles of air travel include airsickness, jet lag and blood clots. While anyone can get airsick, some people are more susceptible to it and have problems nearly every time they fly. Airsickness is a type of motion sickness caused by conflicting signals your senses tell your brain. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to avoid getting sick on an airplane. These include avoiding fatty, greasy foods at least 24 hours before you fly, eating a couple of hours before boarding the plane and avoiding alcohol, which can be a trigger for airsickness. Also, try to secure a seat over the wing, near the front of the plane or by a window as seats over the wings and in the front of the plane feel the least amount of motion and sitting by a window can help you focus on a fixed object in the distance. There are also medications available to help with airsickness, talk with your physician about what is best for you. Jet lag or flight fatigue can occur as a result of air travel across time zones. The cause of jet lag is the inability of your body to readily adjust to the time in a different zone. When you travel from one time to another, your body struggles to cope with the new schedule; which results in fatigue, irritability and an impaired ability to concentrate. To decrease jet lag get plenty of rest before you begin your trip, walk the aisle during the flight and rest if possible on the plane. Not all experts agree on the association between deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and air travel. Prolonged

COURTESY OF KATHRYN SERBIN; ISTOCKPHOTO

Flying High: Tips for Air Travel

inactivity slows circulation, which allows clots to form in your legs and feet. Dry cabin air may also increase the risk of DVT. The risk of DVT can be reduced by wearing loose fitting clothes and comfortable shoes, walking down the aisle at least once an hour and using the space under the seat in front of you to exercise your ankles and feet. If you have any risk factors for DVT — heart disease, cancer, infections, pregnancy and obesity — your physician may suggest support stockings and taking a baby aspirin. Finally, bring cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer with you when traveling. The first thing to do — wipe down the armrest and tray table because that’s where your arms will be and you need to decontaminate where you’re spending time and eating. The cabin air is fine as aircrafts are outfitted with HEPA filters to clean it. The real problems are on the chair upholstery, the tray table, the armrests and the toilet handle. These are all the places where bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli, can live for up to a week on airplanes that aren’t properly cleaned. Tray tables have been reported to have the highest levels of bacteria and seat belts and armrests were also singled out as places where bacteria can survive. MRSA can last up to 168 hours on the back pocket of an airplane chair, while E. coli can remain active for 96 hours on an armrest. Other places where germs lurk are on the window shade and the door handles of bathrooms. Use a tissue or paper towel to open bathroom doors and flush toilets. The most vulnerable area on your body is your eyes, so try to avoid going anywhere near your eyes with your hands, as tear ducts are a fast route for germs to the nose and throat. You can protect yourself from other traveler’s germs by washing your hands often, steering clear of the most crowded areas of airports and getting a flu shot before hitting the road during the flu season. Air travel can be stressful even when we are excited about traveling to our destination, but careful planning can help you avoid preventable problems and keep you happy and healthy in 2016.

PROMOTE YOURSELF!

AUSN’s Record Reviews An investment in your career.

Go into your next Promotion Board with complete confidence having your official records reviewed by one of AUSN’s seasoned experts. AUSN’s Record Review process provides you with the tools you’ll need to review and fix discrepancies and emphasize the positive in your Official Military Personnel File. This member-exclusive benefit will enable you to confidently promote yourself and ensure that every asset you offer the Navy is considered. We got you covered: • Chief/Senior Chief/Master Chief • Command Senior/ master Chief • Limited Duty Officer/Chief Warrant Officer • Command Screenings • Statutory Promotions

Visit ausn.org or call 1-877-NAVY-411

Kathryn M. Serbin, DNP, MS, BSN, CCM, is a Captain in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.

Association of the United States Navy

Region Updates

Burke Chapter Photo above: The Burke Chapter of AUSN held its 28th Annual Mess Night at the historic Larchmont Yacht Club. The chapter was named in honor of Ensign James F. Burke, Jr. a naval aviator killed in action in Vietnam in 1967. The president of the Burke Chapter Mess CAPT Tom Dufficy, USN (Ret.) was assisted at the dinner by CAPT Liam Murphy, New York Naval Militia (Ret.).

DC Chapter

Keep Us Updated

We want to report on all the good things you and your chapters are doing in the field. Send pictures and information to navymagazine@ausn.org.

Navy | Winter 2016

AUSNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s LT Kenyon Anderson DC Chapter President Anthony A. Wallis, a Wisconsin native, at the commissioning and formal acceptance of the USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) into the fleet. The littoral combat ship (LCS) is the first of a new family of surface ships for the U.S. Navy. Others in attendance included Admiral Michelle Howard, vice chief of naval operations, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and both senators from Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin (D) and Ron Johnson (R).

CDR K.C. CHOI, USN; MARV WALLIS

The program featured an address by RADM Michael A. Alfultis, PhD, president of SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, NY. He discussed the importance of the maritime service to the United States and the world. RADM Robert A. Rosen, NYNM (Ret.) reported on the work being done by the Florence and Robert A. Rosen Wellness Center for Law Enforcement & Military Personnel and Their Families at Northwell Health. The Center is dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of law enforcement and military personnel and their families living on Long Island and in the New York metropolitan region.

Reunions WHAT: USS Litchfield County (LST 901) WHERE: San Diego, CA WHEN: 3-7 March 2016 POC: Don Lerche at 309-928-3395, donlerche@yahoo.com

WHAT: USS McCain (DL-3/DDG-36) WHERE: Kissimmee, FL WHEN: 10-18 September 2016 POC: Peter Peterson at 321-952-2066, peteusna@aol.com

WHAT: USS Park County (LST 1077) WHERE: San Diego, CA WHEN: 3-7 March 2016 POC: Mike Kempf at 317-490-4229, m.w.kempf@sbcglobal.net

WHAT: USS Willis A Lee (DL-4) WHERE: Kissimmee, FL WHEN: 10-18 September 2016 POC: Frank Graham at 718-934-6410, frankdl4@optonline.net

WHAT: USS Sutter County (LST 1150) WHERE: San Diego, CA WHEN: 3-7 March 2016 POC: Guy Simmons at 978-476-3895, guysimmons@aol.com

WHAT: USS Wilkinson (DL-5) WHERE: Kissimmee, FL WHEN: 10-18 September 2016 POC: John Lair at 619-479-7387, hobocamp@aol.com

WHAT: Old Salts & Assorted Spies WHERE: Boston, MA WHEN: 17-21 March 2016 POC: Bill Anderson at 843-559-4775, andersonwd3@gmail.com

WHAT: USS Wilhoite (DE/DER 397) WHERE: New Orleans, LA WHEN: 12-15 September 2016 POC: Elisabeth Kimball at 479-968-1236 or 479-280-2776; canerday@centurytel.net

WHAT: USS Taylor (DD/DDE - 468) Reunion WHEN: 14-18 August 2016 WHERE: Nashville, TN POC: James G. O’Neill at 804-212-8911, oneillfalm@aol.com WHAT: Destroyer Leader Association (DL-1, DL-2/DDG-35, DL-3/DDG-36, DL-4, DL-5) WHERE: Kissimmee, FL WHEN: 10-18 September 2016 POC: Mike Bugara at 401-635-8860, mjbugara@hotmail.com WHAT: USS Norfolk (DL-1) WHERE: Kissimmee, FL WHEN: 10-18 September 2016 POC: Bob Godas at 516-293-4115, bobg190@verizon.net WHAT: USS Mitscher (DL-2/DDG-35) WHERE: Kissimmee, FL WHEN: 10-18 September 2016 POC: Gary Marchido at 231-206-1665, garymarchido@aol.com

WHAT: USS Hornet (CV-8, CV, CVA, CVS-12) WHERE: Portland, OR WHEN: 13-18 September 2016 POC: Sandy Burket at 814-224-5063, hornetcva@aol.com WHAT: USS Turner Joy (DD951) WHERE: Virginia Beach, VA WHEN: 21-25 September 2016 POC: Richard D. Haight at 703-489-5021, rickh20136@verizon.net; registration information may be found at http://www.ussturnerjoy.com WHAT: USS McMorris (DE1036) WHERE: Lewisville, TX WHEN: 22-25 September 2016 POC: Jules or Lorraine Galbreth at 972-219-9674, julorgal@yahoo.com

Association of the United States Navy

NAVY MAGAZINE ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES Contact: Scott Dinkel, scott.dinkel@ausn.org Office: 718-715-1361 Cell: 917-838-9602

SUBMISSIONS Letters to the Editor are encouraged. They may be edited for length, style and clarity. Send mail to “Letters to the Editor” at AUSN or email to navymagazine@ausn.org; include your full name, address and daytime phone number for verification. Name may be withheld upon request. For guidelines on article submission, visit www.ausn.org

SUBSCRIPTIONS Navy is part of membership in AUSN. To join, renew your membership or to report an address change, call or write AUSN or email us at membership@ausn.org

CONTACT US Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) 1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 703-548-5800 or Toll Free: 1-877-NAVY-411 (628-9411) Fax: 703-683-3647 or Toll Free Fax: 1-866-683-3647 www.ausn.org

Association of the United States Navy BOARD OF DIRECTORS

VADM Lewis Crenshaw, USN (Ret), chair MCPON (SS/SW/AW) James (Jim) L. Herdt, USN (Ret), Vice Chair CAPT John F. Farr, Jr., USN (Ret) RADM Daniel P. Holloway, USN (Ret) FLTCM Bradley LeVault, USN (Ret) CMDCM Linda Lopez, USN (Ret) CAPT Dale Lumme, USN (Ret) CCM Pollyanna Neely, USN (Ret) CDR Joseph Quaglino, Jr., USN (Ret) VADM Ann E. Rondeau, USN (Ret) RADM Paul Shebalin, USN (Ret) Mrs. Claudia Mansfield Sutton, CAE CMDCM Veronica Tutt, USN (Ret)

ELECTED OFFICERS

Aaron G. Bresnahan, President* LCDR David Bradley, USN (Ret), Vice President* ISCS Jon Altmann, USN (Ret), V.P., Budget & Finance

VOLUNTEER OFFICERS

DCKM Charles E. Bradley, USN (Ret), Treasurer* LCDR Kimberly Brubeck, USN, VP, Officer Affairs CAPT James R. Custer, USN (Ret) VP, Reserve Affairs CMDCM Bryan Exum, USN, VP, Enlisted Affairs CAPT. Paul S. Glandt, USN (Ret), VP, Retired Affairs ABH2 (AW/SW) Michael J. Little, USN, Librarian CDR William L. “Bill” Manofsky, Jr. USN (Ret), VP, Government Relations Chaplain St. Elmo Nauman, Jr. USN (Ret) CAPT Loren H. Page, USN (Ret), VP, Membership CAPT John Lynn Shanton, USN (Ret), VP, Communications CAPT David L. Woods, USNR (Ret), Historian

REGIONAL PRESIDENTS

CMDCM Jerry Featherstone, USN (Ret)Oconus CAPT Allen C. Hansen, USN (Ret), Northwest Region CAPT William Joransen, USN (Ret), Southeast Region CDR Joseph Quaglino, Jr. USN (Ret), Southwest Region CAPT Timothy E. Tyre, USN (Ret), Midwest Region *Also serves on the Board of Directors

Navy | Winter 2016

It protected your head. Unfortunately, it didn’t protect

your lungs

Are you or a loved one a former construction or industrial worker (all trades) who suffers or has died from Mesothelioma or Lung Cancer ? Know your rights, and know what you’re entitled to from the asbestos companies. Few firms have the track record of Weitz & Luxenberg in securing over $17 Billion in verdicts and settlements for asbestos victims and their families. For a free consultation with the law firm to which other lawyers refer their asbestos cases, call the Weitz & Luxenberg client relations department at 1-888-411-LAWS (5297) today. Many other trades and work environments gave many workers significant occupational exposure to asbestos products, such as: Shipyards, Factories, Powerhouses, Navy On-Ship Service, Boiler Rooms, and Building Maintenance. If you feel that you are experiencing breathing problems as a result of asbestos poisoning, please see a medical professional immediately.

WEITZ

LUXENBERG

700 B ROADWAY | N EW Y ORK , NY 10003 BRANCH OFFICES IN NEW JERSEY & CALIFORNIA

888-411-LAWS (5297) www.WeitzLux.com Prior results do not guarantee a future outcome. We may associate with local firms in states wherein we do not maintain an office.