Serving the NATO, Naples and Gaeta Military Community in Italy
60th year, No. 8
Friday, February 27, 2015
LEAVE CNP: Use It or Lose It From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
Capt. James Aiken, Task Force 65 commander, speaks at the National Prayer Breakfast held on board Naval Support Activity Naples.
National Prayer Breakfast Held at Capodichino Story, photo by MC1 David R. Krigbaum
Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples Religious Ministries Team hosted a National Prayer Breakfast on board NSA Naples Capodichino, Feb. 19. The event’s guest speaker was Capt. James Aiken, commander, Task Force 65. Aiken spoke to the attendees about the value of character, illustrating his point with examples from the life of Jesus, personal stories and a touch of humor.
“I am sure many of us have heard the expression character counts. It certainly does, but in my journey over the last number of months I have come to view that phrase a bit differently especially in light of character development,” Aiken said at the podium. “There are no shortcuts in character development. Relating leads to relationships that allow our example to be observed;, what are we exemplifying? Coaching serves to prepare and execute; character is not
a destination but a journey make character count. ” Logistics Specialist 1st Class Germaine Sokpoh, one of the 30 attendees said the commodore’s message was “right on point.” “Character builds personality and character builds on endurance. Without character you cannot pursue your goals, if you’re not determined to go after what you’re looking for, you won’t be able to achieve it,” he said. “For me and from what the Commodore said,
character is the baseline for every achievement we have in life.” After Aiken spoke, Lt. Cmdr. Leroy Young, a Navy chaplain, led the attendees in a prayer for the nation, its leaders, families and military commands. The National Prayer Breakfast has been in annual event held on the first Thursday of February since 1953. Since its inception, every sitting American president has attended the event.
Tooth Fairy, not the only winner when it comes to children’s oral health By Cmdr. Sabina Yun, U.S. Naval Hospital Naples
They are questions as old as dentistry; are baby teeth really that important? Won’t they just fall out anyway? Do I really need to take care of them? The answers are just as old. Yes they are important. Yes they will fall out anyway. Yes it is important to take proper care of them from the very beginning.
Baby teeth are as important to children as permanent teeth are to adults. Adults and children alike need teeth for proper chewing and nutrition intake, speech development and to establish self assurance and confidence every time we smile. In addition to those basic functions, baby teeth serve as space savers for permanent teeth and help guide them into their proper alignment. A baby tooth normally re-
mains in a child’s mouth until a growing permanent tooth is ready to erupt through the gums. If a child loses a tooth prematurely due to an accident or extraction of a diseased tooth, it will lead to the loss of space and has the potential to cause the new permanent tooth to erupt out of alignment or fail to erupt completely. Improperly aligned CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH
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CAPTAIN’S CORNER. . . . . . . . . 2 BASE NOTES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 ITALIAN NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 NAVY HISTORY / SPOTLIGHT. . 4 FFSC CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . 5 SOUND OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MOVIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 USO TOURS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
ADM. FERgusOn TAlks TO ITAlIAn cADETs page 11
WORD SEARCH / COLOR ME 12
TRIP TO THE ZOO . . page 12
JOBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Military service members’ February leave and earning statement (LES) will carry a reminder that as of Oct. 1, any accrued leave more than 60 days will be lost. Since 2008 Sailors have been allowed to carryover up to 75 days of leave each fiscal year as authorized by Congress. That authorization will end at the end of fiscal year 2015 after which leave carryover will revert to 60 days. In general, any leave balance in excess of 60 days on Sept. 30, 2015 will be lost. Service members’ LES may have an incorrect use/lose leave balance. Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) is reprogramming pay systems to account for the return to the 60 day leave carryover by the June 2015 LES. Sailors should check their LES and talk with their Command Pass Coordinator (CPC) for help understanding their correct use/lose balance. There are some specific exceptions. Sailors with more leave days than the authorized carryover limit, who are also assigned to hostile fire or imminent danger pay areas or deployed on a ship or mobile unit for at least 60 continuous days, may apply for special leave accrual (SLA) to retain any excess leave days. This request is typically done at the command level. Instructions on how to apply for and administer SLA are outlined in MILPERSMAN 1050-070. Sailors are encouraged to work with their commands to manage their leave balances throughout FY15. Commands with questions on leave policies should contact their local Personnel Support Detachment (PSD) or call the NPC Customer Service Center at 1-866-UASK-NPC (1-866-827-5672).