April 10, 2015• VOL. 72 • NO.14• NAVY.MIL/LOCAL/GUANTANAMO • FACEBOOK.COM/NSGuantanamoBay
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA • PSC 1005 BOX 25 • FPO, AE 09593 • 011-5399-4090
MWR,FFSC Career Fair Enlightens Community
Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay youth enjoys the Marine display during the Career and College Fair held at W.T. Sampson High School, April 2. Kelly Wirfel NS Guantanamo Bay Public Affairs Officer
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aval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR), Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) and W.T. Sampson School joined forces to host a Career and College Fair, April 2. The event was open to the entire Guantanamo Bay community and was mainly geared towards W.T. Sampson high school students and transitioning service members. “FFSC participated in the career fair last year and after that event we had big dreams of getting more of our talented community involved,” said Sara Van Gorder, Fleet and Family Support Center Work and Family Life Specialist. “We have so many individuals on base who are passionate about their jobs and our goal was to get them involved along with alumni who are interested in sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge with students and young adults.” More than 40 volunteers represented numerous colleges, careers and every branch of the military. “We have heard a lot nice feed back from participants especially regarding he amount of colleges and career fields available,” said Van Gorder. “Overall it was a great event. Our event partners really enjoyed sharing their passion with the community and look forward to another
fair in the future.” According to Van Gorder the entire event was a joint effort between several organizations and individuals. “Our school Liaison Officer, Bill Mittenzwey was the central point of contact and Emily Kolenda (also with FFSC) and I coordinated the volunteers,” said Van Gorder. “MWR was a tremendous help with marketing and donations of tables and door prizes. Child and Youth Programs and the school provided great volunteers, along with the NEX who also donated a door prize. It was definitely a team effort and would not have been the success that it was without everyone’s help.” For more information about a future career fair or other services that Fleet and Family Support Center offer call 4141.
PAGE 2• THE GUANTANAMO BAY GAZETTE
MA2 DANA YUSTEN AND
MA3 LOGAN LEWIS
NS Guantanamo Bay Commanding Officer, Capt. Scott Gray congratulates MA2 Yusten and MA3 Lewis on their selection as Sailor of the Week.
Lt. Cmdr. Timothy Foster and Capt. Seth Leigh congratulate MA2 Yusten and MA3 Lewis on their selection as Sailor of the Week for helping them during their man overboard duress call. VOL. 72 • NO.14
COMMANDING OFFICER EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMMAND MASTER CHIEF
Congratulations to our Sailors of the Week MA2 Yusten and MA3 Lewis. Both Sailors recently responded to a Man Overboard duress call. As the section leader and lead coxswain, MA2 Yusten was instrumental in adhering to all prescribed tactics, techniques, and procedures representing herself and her crewmember in the highest professional manner. Her thorough knowledge of Harbor Patrol Unit’s pre-planned responses and her ability to make tactical decisions in time-critical situations is a testament to her ability and the confidence her chain of command has of her. MA3 Lewis used her sound judgment and experience while safely conducting an indirect pick up of one person. Her thorough knowledge of Harbor Patrol Unit’s pre-planned responses and her ability to make tactical decisions in time-critical situations is a testament to her ability and the confidence her chain of command has of her.
Guantanamo Bay Gazette
CAPT. SCOTT GRAY CMDR. AL ROSS CMDCM (SW) JEFFERY TIDWELL
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER GAZETTE EDITOR PHOTOJOURNALIST
NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA
KELLY WIRFEL MCC(SW/AW) KEITH BRYSKA MC2 KEGAN KAY
The Guantanamo Bay Gazette is an authorized publication for members of the military services and their families stationed at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Navy, and do not imply endorsement thereof. The editorial content is prepared, edited and provided by the Public Affairs Office of U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The Guantanamo Bay Gazette is printed by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Document Services with a circulation of 670.
NAVFAC Commander visits Navy Region Southeast
April 10, 2015• PAGE 3
John Parker NAVFAC Southeast Public Affairs
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aval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Commander Rear Adm. Katherine Gregory visited Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) facilities in the Southeast region April 1 through 3. During this trip RADM Gregory visited Naval Submarine Base (NSB) Kings Bay, Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Naval Station (NS) Mayport and NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The purpose of the three-day visit was to get a first-hand look at the major projects that each base is working on, discuss issues that each might be experiencing, holding All Hands calls with the Public Works Departments, meeting with leadership, field personnel, Supported Commanders and the military Wardrooms. For three days she visited a number of project sites, toured the bases and utility production systems, received command briefs and recognized NAVFAC employees for their outstanding contributions to the mission. Capt. Lore Aguayo, NAVFAC Southeast Operations Officer accompanied the admiral and talked about the importance of her visit. “It’s important for the admiral to visit each of her commands as well as the Public Works Departments to see NAVFAC personnel executing the products and services and to see how her priorities are being communicated throughout the chain of command. It’s equally important to solicit feedback from those ‘in the trenches’ on what is and is not working,” said Aguayo. One of the major projects she was briefed on during her visit was the NAS Jacksonville $51 million dollar runway project that is due to begin this June. The Admiral was given
a tour of the current runway and was shown the repair work that has been done to keep it operational until the project begins. This trip was not all meetings and tours; during her stop the Admiral took time to recognize a few standouts at each of the installations, presenting several individuals with a coin and taking time to congratulate them for their hard work and dedication encouraging them to keep up the good work. “Understanding the importance of the hard work each of the NAVFAC, PW and other civilian employees do every day makes a huge difference. The admiral recognizes that many of the best ideas come from those in the field, and her visit served as an avenue to hear those ideas and meet the amazing people who turn them into reality,” Aguayo added.
Alcohol Awareness Month
USNH Guantanamo Bay
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ach April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) sponsors Alcohol Awareness Month to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. This year’s theme is “For the Health of It: Early Education on Alcoholism and Addiction,” which highlights the important public health issue of underage drinking, a problem with devastating individual, family and community consequences. Adolescence is a time of heightened risk taking and young people may not be fully prepared to anticipate all the consequences of drinking alcohol such as traffic fatalities, drowning, violence, suicide, alcohol overdose, unsafe sex and educational failure. Reducing underage drinking is essential to securing a healthy future for youth and requires a sustained and cooperative effort from everyone. Several national events in April aim toward raising awareness about the health and social problems caused by excessive drinking and offer people an opportunity to evaluate their own drinking and determine if they need to change their habits. Alcohol Free Weekend (April 3-5, 2015) is held to
raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, businesses and our communities. NCADD ask parents and other adults to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for a 72-hour period to demonstrate that alcohol isn’t necessary to have a good time. If participants find it difficult or experience discomfort going without alcohol during this period, are urged to contact their health care provider. National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) held April 10, 2015, is designed to inform, educate and raise awareness about the dangers of at-risk drinking through free, anonymous online self-assessment. It’s not easy to figure out if someone has a problem with alcohol, but this can be a good place to start. Anyone may take the self-assessment at www.drinkingIQ.org. Alcohol abuse can lead to numerous health problems. Don’t wait until your health, career, relationships are in jeopardy to get help. For active duty members, non-disciplinary self-referral process allows personnel to get education and treatment. Young or old, if anyone is concerned about their own use of alcohol or that of a friend, family member or child, contact a medical provider, fleet and family support center, Chaplain, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program manager or Drug and alcohol program advisor for more information.
The excited murmurs of children could be heard echoing throughout the Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay Chapel Annex and smell of hot dogs and burgers being grilled enticed not only the local iguanas but the NS Guantanamo Bay community to come to the Junior Enlisted Association’s (JEA) annual Easter Egg-stravaganza, April 5. “Today’s event is important because it gives the community a chance to come together,” said Personnel Support 3rd Class Lauren Hoy, JEA member. Members of the JEA set up tables with games, egg-dying and decorations of various pastel colors marking the Spring and Easter season.
“JEA hosts outstanding events for families,” remarked Katie Ramsey, mother of Madelyn and Caroline attending the festivities. “They are very supportive of the community. We appreciate their hard work.” Every game such as the ring toss, or bean bag toss provided the kids with a ticket in which to spend on various prizes such as blow up animals like lions and giraffes. “You find joy seeing children at their brightest, having fun carelessly, laughing and playing,” explained Damage Controlman 3rd Class Alexander Winkler. “It gives you a feeling your still a kid and can enjoy the little things.” Between the three-legged races, egg spoon races and sack races
the annex grounds provided competitions with lots of laughter and hijinks from the parents and children. Taking control of the three-legged races, Winkler as remarked his favorite part of the day was “Seeing the children smile and having fun.” No Easter event would be complete without a visit from the Easter bunny and the children of NS Guantanamo Bay had an opportunity to not only see and high-five the bunny but a chance to sit on his lap and have their photo taken. The voices of kids quickly increased in volume as the JEA members brought out three Easter egg piñatas for the kids to break open. Dividing into the three groups the children each took turns swinging a bat the piñatas but when they finally broke apart it is was a mad dash scramble for the candy, with kids running back and forth to their parents handing off the treats before running back into the huddle to grab more. Parents even joined the huddle taking photos and laughing at the
excitement of the children trying to grab as much sugary treats as their small hands could carry. Of course with Easter and event called Easter Egg-stravaganza the day could not be complete without an egg hunt. Letting the younger kids go first with their parents to find eggs and then releasing the older kids to hunt themselves provided an chaotic movement of children dashing around scouting for as many eggs as possible. One lucky kid even found a golden egg with five dollars inside. The day wrapped up with the younger children passed out from their fun in the sun and the JEA members packing up the games and tables. “We should do a lot more family oriented events to bring the community together,” concluded Winkler. “Everyone has fun when we all come together.” “I have participated in this event every year since I PSC’d here,” agreed Hoy. “I always enjoy myself and seeing everyone enjoy themselves.”
PAGE 6• THE GUANTANAMO BAY GAZETTE
Chaplain’s Corner
ACT CDR Daniel Mode
NS Guantanamo Bay Command Chaplain
ACT: Ask, Care, Treat. Everyone in uniform should know this acronym and that it is the frontline defense for suicide prevention. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to be ever vigilant to watch for signs that friends, family members, or coworkers could be exhibiting verbal and physical clues that they are depressed or contemplating suicide. If you see signs such as giving away possessions, impulsive and/or angry behavior, increased drinking, financial problems, preoccupation with death, episodes of crying or sadness, lessened productivity, increase or decrease in appetite or weight, difficulty with sleep, and a sense of hopelessness these should lead you to ASK. Don’t be afraid to ask if someone is suicidal or depressed. If they are immediately CARE for them, listen, offer hope, but do not judge them. Finally, the goal is to TREAT them. Take action to offer them professional assistance. On Guantanamo Bay we have an enormous amount of resources to assist people in their time of emotional or
psychological need. Call the chaplains, there are eight NAVSTA/JTF chaplains: JTF: 2218, NAVSTA 2323. Call counselors or Behavior Health: JSMART: 2321, Behavior Health: 72650, Fleet and Family Service Center: 4141. The NAVSTA Chaplains office offers Suicide Prevention and Awareness classes on a monthly basis. This coming Monday, 13 April, we will be offering ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). This 2-day training is opened to all E-5s and above or supervisors. The ASIST Training provides the necessary skills to “talk a person off the bridge”. This training could benefit managers, leadership, supervisors, first responders, law enforcement, teachers, or anyone that has immediate access to the general public. This training is only offered a few times a year. From the training the participants will learn or receive the following: Certificate of Completion from Livingworks a leader in Suicide; Awareness or Suicide Intervention Training; Participants will learn how to emotionally connect with the person considering suicide; Participants will learn how to develop a safe plan; Participants will learn how to keep the person safe for “right now”; Participants will earn 16 hours in Suicide Intervention or 3 hours in Suicide Awareness. We also provide a three hour Suicide Awareness course called SafeTalk. The next SafeTalk class will be offered 20 May. For more information about these classes please contact Mr. Bobby Hinton, CREDO Director, at 2373. Remember we can all ACT.
NS Guantanamo Bay Commanding Officer, Capt. Scott Gray signs the Proclamation announcing April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month as members of the SAPR team look on.
GTMO SHOPPER
MOVIES
E-mail classified ad submissions to
PAO-CLASSIFIEDADS@ USNBGTMO.NAVY.MIL If sent to any other e-mail, it may not be published. Submit your ad NLT noon Wednesdays for that week’s Gazette. Ads are removed after two weeks. Re-submit the ad to re-publish. The Gazette staff and NS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, page. The Public Affairs Office has final editorial discretion on all content. Call MCC Keith Bryska at 4520 with your questions or concerns. Please keep ads to a minimum of 5 items.
VEHICLE 1996 Dodge Dakota Pickup truck, $1400, Call John or Julie at 75806 1998 Ford Escort, AC works, powered windows and locks, $2,500 OBO call John or Julie at 75806
ELECTRONICS Lowrance Elite-7X, With fish ID, New in box, has all cables and new transducer. Has never been installed in boat. $550.00 Call Tim (#84613) Like new LG 32in. HDTV $150.00, call Ginger at 78205
MISC
39 one foot paving stones $20, Girls 26 inch bicycle and helmet $35, call John or Julie at 75806 Akebono ACT537 ProACT ultrapremium Ceramic Brake Pad set $41.95 brand new with receipt, wrong set for Honda, Call 77234
YARD SALE
Garage sale VL80, Saturday, April 11 from 0730-1100 Yard sale Sun 0700-1100, Villamar 8C
The
Scoop
FACILITIES Need to place a trouble call? Facilities has changed their number. It is now 3694 for all trouble calls. FERRY LANDING In order to support improvements to the Leeward Ferry Landing the following changes will go into effect next Tuesday, April 14. •Leeward Ferry Landing will shift to the alternate landing located just east of the existing landing. •No lane three or “non-official” traffic will be permitted on the ferry. •Flight bus and Leeward bus service will continue to pickup and drop off at the alternate landing site. •U-Boat service will not be impacted and will continue to operate as scheduled. •The estimated completion date of the project is June 15, 2015. Please see the roller for a map and additional information.
HOUSING The Housing Department has a couple important reminders to everyone. First lawn watering hours are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1800 to 1900. Watering outside of these hours is prohibited per the Energy and Water Management Program. Secondly, family housing spent $536,298 in utility costs for the month of February. This was an increase in $6,000 from January. All residents are need to assist in conserving our energy and resources. Money saved on utilities can assist other projects to enhance our residential areas. For more information call 4174. CI FIELD OFFICE The bases CI Field Office wants to remind everyone that they need to be cautious of counterintelligence awareness. If someone has been acting suspicious, are over curious about your job, are disregarding security practices and are working unusual hour or are just displaying unusual behavior in and around the workplace please call the CI Field Office at 3690 or 3691.
April 10, 2015• PAGE 7
DOWNTOWN LYCEUM
FRIDAY April 10 The Second Best Exotic 8 p.m.: Marigold Hotel
10 p.m.:
PG
Unfinished Business R
SATURDAY 8 p.m.: Furious 7
April 11
PG13
10:30 p.m.: Divergent Series: Insurgent PG13
SUNDAY April 12 Kingsman: The Secret 8 p.m.: Service R
MONDAY The DUFF 8 p.m.:
April 13
TUESDAY Focus 8 p.m.:
April 14
PG13
R
WEDNESDAY 8 p.m.: Chappie
April 15
THURSDAY 8 p.m.: Cinderella
April 16
R
PG
CALL THE MOVIE HOTLINE @ 4880
Guantanamo Bay welcomes Emily Paige. Emily is the daughter of Jennifer and Aaron Stringer. She was born April 5 at 4:24 p.m., weighing 8 lbs.7 oz. and was 20-1/2 inches. She has two siblings Mason and Olive.
April 10, 2015• PAGE 7