63rd year, No. 24
Serving the NATO, Naples and Gaeta Military Community in Italy Russell Egnor Navy Media Awards – 2016 Best Newspaper in the Navy
Friday, June 22, 2018
18 as 1: JFC Team Earns Field Gun Endeavor Trophy By U.S. Air Force First Lieutenant Kylee Ashton
In true NATO fashion, a multinational team from Allied Joint Force Command Naples competed in the annual Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity Field Gun Competition at the HMS Collingwood Open Day in Portsmouth, United Kingdom on June 2. Often referred to as ”the toughest sport in the world,” Field Gun is a fastpaced competition which challenges teams to move, assemble, dismantle and fire a 100-year-old, antique, one ton Field Gun over a 170 yard course in the fastest time possible. The team, made up of eight different nations, earned the Endeavor Trophy for their efforts and achievements throughout the season including a fastest time of 1 minute, 35 seconds. With crew members from Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States, they became the
Navy Launches Pilot Program to Pair Senior Enlisted with Priority Billets From Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs
Crew members from Allied Joint Force Command Naples Field Gun team prepare for the first action of firing the gun during competition at HMS Collingwood in England on June 2. The competition hosted 23 teams with the JFC Naples team bringing home the Endeavor Trophy. Photo courtesy of Joint Force Field Gun Team
first team ever to have a non-Briton as the “Number One Trainer.” In his third year with the JFC Naples
Field Gun crew, German Army Master Sergeant Patrick Krainer was tasked to lead the crew in training
and leading the crew during the competition. JFC FIELD GUN TEAM
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USS Mt. Whitney Finishes BALTOPS 2018 The Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) approaches the German Berlin-class replenishment ship FGS Frankfurt A.M. (A1412) for a replenishment-at-sea in the Baltic Sea during exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2018. BALTOPS is the premier annual maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region and one of the largest exercises in Northern Europe that is designed to enhance the flexibility and interoperability among allied and partner nations. For the full story see Page 11. Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Justin Stumberg
CAPTAIN’S CORNER. . . . . . . . . 2 BASE NOTES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 FFSC CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . 5 SOUND OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MOVIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 JOBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2018 FESTA AMERICANA COMING SOON! . . . . . . . . . page 5
WATER SAFETY TIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 14
USO TOURS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 WORD SEARCH / COLOR ME 14
A new rating modernization initiative will provide active-duty, senior enlisted Sailors looking for their next billet the opportunity to get a jump on the process thanks to a new selection board pilot program, the Navy announced June 14. The Fiscal Year (FY)-19 Enlisted Advancement-toVacancy Selection Board, announced in http://www.public.navy.mil /bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/NAVADMINS/NAV2018/NAV1814 4.txt is a pilot program where active-duty, senior enlisted Sailors apply for specific priority billets listed in the NAVADMIN and, if selected, are temporarily advanced to the billet paygrade. This pilot will be limited to critical E8 and E9 billets only. Pending the outcome of the pilot, we expect to expand this program to other enlisted paygrades. To be permanently advanced, Sailors must be selected for advancement via the normal advancement process. “This program will give motivated Sailors an opportunity to take on positions of greater responsibility, while at the same time helping the Navy to better align our senior enlisted leaders to the places we need them to be,” Capt. Rick Cheeseman, director, Career Management Department, Navy Personnel Command, said. SENIOR ENLISTED PILOT PROGRAM Page 11