September-October 2017
ECO-CHALLENGE 2017 EDITION
The Beacon
Warfighting First, Operate Forward, Be Ready
Commanding Officer, NSA Souda Bay Capt. Brad J. Collins Executive Officer Cmdr. James R. Bird Command Master Chief CMDCM Neal T. Olds
Beacon Staff/Public Affairs Office Jacky Fisher
Public Affairs Officer, DSN: 266-1244
Joel Diller
Assistant Public Affairs Officer, DSN: 266-1392
Kostas Fantaousakis
Community Relations, DSN: 266-1348
MC2 Chase Martin
Public Affairs Specialist, DSN: 266-1642
Contact Email (All PAO personnel):
SoudaBayPAO@eu.navy.mil
The Beacon is the professional online newsletter of NSA Souda Bay Public Affairs. Information contained in The Beacon does not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Navy. Editorial content is prepared by the Public Affairs Office of NSA Souda Bay. Articles for publication in The Beacon should be submitted to SoudaBayPAO@eu.navy.mil Story submissions must be routed through tenant command or departmental senior leadership. Security and policy review must be completed before submissions can be considered for publication.
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Contents A photo of the team and individual awards for the 2017, NSA Souda Bay Eco-Chalenge awards ceremony that took place at the NAMFI Officer's club in Marathi, Chania. Photo by Fotis Angelidis, MWR
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Triad Corner
By Capt. Brad Collins
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9/11 Remembrance Day
Community Outreach
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by Kostas Fantaousakis
by MC2 Chase Martin
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Staying Safe: Back-Up Cameras
Eco-Challenge by Joel Diller
by Emergency Management Office
Emergency Kits
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by Jerry Hollenback
Natalie Stovall & the Drive
Chief's Pinning by MC2 Chase Martin
Awards Quarters by MC2 Chase Martin
by MC2 Chase Martin
ON THE COVER: Keimondre Turner, Team Misfits, prepares for the bike portion of the 2017 Eco-Challenge at Loutraki Beach September 9. Turner was presented with the Best Effort Award for the Bike event for pushing his mind and body beyond his capabilities. Full story on page 8. (Photo by MC2 Anaid Banuelos Rodriguez, AFN)
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Triad Corner
Team Souda, Emergency Preparedness is often one of those things talked about and so often neglected until it is too late. I want to share a sea story from my own experience so that hopefully you can learn from my mistakes instead of having to go through a similar type situation. Growing up in California, my largest concern in the realm of emergency preparedness was those steps we took for earthquakes or large fires. So as my wife, young child and I were preparing to leave Pensacola, FL to report to Jacksonville, the news of an impending hurricane did not worry me much. Since I had been through literally earthshattering events, the thought of a little rain and wind did not trouble me in the least. Calls to get gas, get cash, etc. fell on deaf ears…why did I need those things, we were only driving six hours from one end of the state to another in a little bad weather. Needless to say, the winds that last night as the hurricane hit were fairly devastating with trees and debris scattered around Whiting Field where we were preparing to check out from the Navy Lodge. Orders stamped, wife and baby in one car and me in the other, we set out into the hurricane and that “short” drive. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it that far, probably around ten miles before the low fuel light came on and I started looking for gas stations. Little did I consider that the electricity would be knocked out and there was only one gas station that, for whatever good reason, had power to their pumps. We joined the line of about fifty cars and settled in for a few hours of waiting, just the first of many delays along the way thanks to my lack of preparedness. Finally getting gas, we set out East on Highway 10, the wind still howling, the rain coming down in sheets, more trees laying all over the road, and my wife and I snaking our
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way slowly down the freeway with the other hapless travelers at very slow speeds. With the long delays came the onset of hunger as, of course, I didn’t pack any food because it was just going to be a short trip. While there are normally a plethora of places to stop, without the cash that I did not possess and power still out along the entire stretch of the road, after taking a few off ramps just to be disappointed, we decided to press on until we saw some lights in businesses which would indicate that we could use our credit card. Miles and miles later, the wind began to die, the rain slackened, and lights finally came back on along the side of the freeway. I’ll never forget, and to this day some 20 years later, we still comment about that Shoney’s restaurant along I-10 where we were finally able to settle in for a meal. While I doubt it was the best food ever, I’m sure at the time it seemed like the best meal we had ever had. As I hope you can see from this story, I managed to do absolutely nothing to prepare for the emergency at hand. Some of it was from ignorance, some from laziness, and a little bit of not listening to my wife who had grown up in Florida and experienced her share of hurricanes. Throw in a dose of not utilizing risk management in the stupid decision to get on the road in the first place, and you have a recipe for all sorts of much worse endings for my family. Whatever the emergency that you think you may encounter, my charge to you is to not follow the path I took. Think about the dangers. Plan mitigation strategies for those things that you are able to. And if nothing else, be prepared to keep you, your family and your shipmates safe. You never know when your smart decision-making might be the difference between life and death for you or others. Be safe and continue to excel in everything you do. BZ TEAM SOUDA!
~ CO
9/11 Rememberance Ceremony
Photos by MC2 Chase Martin, Public Affairs
Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay, and NSA Souda Bay tenant commands honor the fallen who lost their lives, and the heroes who saved many others in the 9/11 attacks that occured on September 11, 2001. Page 5
Community Outreach
by Kostas Fantaousakis, Public Affairs
September 15. Sailors from NSA Souda Bay and Airmen from the 5th Reconnaisance Squadron, volunteered for a beach cleanup at the scenic beach in Kalathas, Akrotiri.
September 08, Chania Greece. Volunteers from NSA Souda Bay delivered a significant amount of school supplies to the Chania Care Center for Children & Young Adults and the St. Nektarios Girs Care Center.
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Staying Safe: Back-up Cameras
Story by Jerry Hollenback, Safety Director
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he number one cause of vehicle mishaps is not drunk driving or speeding, but improper backing. Back-up cameras provide eyes from the rear of a vehicle. Unfortunately, too many drivers depend only on the back-up camera when backing their vehicles. The Washington Post printed an article last year that provided the following information: “Between 2008 and 2011 -- the most recent years for which data was made available by NHTSA -- back-up cameras more than doubled from 32 percent to 68 percent of all new cars sold. But injuries fell less than 8 percent, from about 13,000 down to 12,000. The improvement in safety has been very gradual from year to year.” The U.S. Army has thousands of trucks for hauling fuel, material and personnel. Army Field Manual (FM) 19-30, requires the use of a “ground guide” every time one of these trucks is backed up. The truck cannot back up until a ground guide is present and assisting. This has significantly reduced back-up mishaps, but has not eliminated them. Bottom line, ground guides or back-up cameras are great, but drivers still need to exercise extra vigilance when backing their vehicles. Technology works, but not without issues. Use your back-up camera, but also check before you back, or ask a buddy to spot you while you back your vehicle. Make your time in Crete mishap free.
Promoting confidence, cohesion communication and a sense of well-being by caring for our Souda Bay Family. #Sailors #Civilians #Dependents #Families #WeAreFamily
Monthly Meetings, 2nd Tuesday of every month Bldg. 49 @ 1800 Page 7
N S A S O U D A B AY ECO-CHALLENGE Eco-Challenge photo credits: Fotis Angelidis, MWR Joel Diller, Public Affairs Angelo Liapakis, MWR MC1 Chris Henry, AFN MC2 Anaid Banuelos Rodriguez, AFN
Supporting the Tip of the Spear Photos and story by Joel W. Diller, NSA Souda Bay Public Affairs
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Story by Joel Diller, Public Affairs
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he Souda Bay Eco-Challenge is an annual event held off base, involving teams of five who compete in five different timed activities, a 16K run, a 10K hike that includes 15 percent of the hiker’s body weight, a 40K bike race, a 6K kayak race, and a 2,000 meter swim. Each team strives to achieve the best overall team time to be crowned as event champions. It is a grueling event, intended for “highly fit” individuals, that tests both the mind and the body. This year 11 teams entered, five from NSA Souda Bay and six teams from our Host Nation Military in Greece. The participating teams for this year’s Eco-Challenge were: NSA Souda Bay (Command Admin), Misfits (Public Works Department), Sappers (Public Works Department), SEC Charlie 364, Fire Department, Greek Representatives Office, Optimus (115th Combat Wing), Primes (115th Combat Wing), Stars (115th Combat Wing), Hellenic Navy, NMIOTC (NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Center).
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ECO-CHALLENGE
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his year’s Souda Bay Eco-Challenge event was a blast, a huge morale booster and it brought the entire NSA Souda Bay community together. Most important, it built camaraderie and enriched our relations with our Host Nation. The awards given were as follows: OVERALL (To include Host Nation's Teams) 1. Fire Department: 4:53:26 2. NMIOTC: 5:12:11 3. Optimus: 5:30:21 4. Stars: 5:47:12 5. Hellenic Navy: 6:01:09 6. SEC Charlie 364: 6:03:11 7. Primes: 6:06:48 8. NSA Souda Bay: 6:15:46 9. Greek Representatives Office: 6:19:24 10. Misfits: 8:20:19 11. Sappers: 8:37:46 CAPTAIN’S CUP (Only NSA Souda Bay teams) 1. Fire Department: 4:53:26 2. SEC Charlie 364: 6:03:11 3. NSA Souda Bay: 6:15:46 4. Misfits: 8:20:19 5. Sappers: 8:37:46
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Results
OVERALL FASTEST INDIVIDUAL TIMES (To include Host Nation teams) 1. Overall Fastest Hike Time: Manolis Prasakis from team Fire Department. Time: 1:13:41 2. Overall Fastest Run Time: Theodoros Tsolakis from Team 115 CW (Optimus). Time: 1:02:55 3. Overall Fastest Bike Time: Ioannis Zentelis from Team 115 CW (Optimus). Time: 1:19:26 Dimitrios Bofilios from Team Fire Department. Time: 1:19:26 4. Overall Fastest Kayak Time: Alex Tsaltas from Team NMIOTC. Time: 0:38:24 5. Overall Fastest Swim Time: Kostas Tsopanikos from Team Fire Department. Time: 0:28:3 CAPTAIN’S CUP FASTEST INDIVIDUAL TIMES (Only NSA Souda Bay Teams) 1. Captain’s Cup Fastest Hike Time: Manolis Prasakis from Team Fire Department. Time: 1:14:41 2. Captain’s Cup Fastest Run Time:Andreas Markakis from Team Fire Department. Time: 1:05:00 3. Captain’s Cup Fastest Bike Time: Dimitrios Bofilios from Team: Fire Department. Time: 1:19:26 4. Captain’s Cup Fastest Kayak Time: Artelle Fragher from Team SEC Charlie. Time: 0:44:22 5. Captain’s Cup Fastest Swim Time: Kostas Tsopanikos from Team Fire Department. Time: 0:28:36
The MWR Fitness Center also awarded its volunteers who were the most important key people in ensuring the safety of all the Eco-Challenge participants. The awardees were: 1. Boat Drivers for the kayak and swim Joshua Stuckert Brett Lizotte Nicolas Twisselman Linda Gronstedt Tiffany Hodges Jacob Peasley Christopher Menedez Michael Schroeder 2. Volunteers Matthew McQuaig Caleb McQuaig Bob Beck Mike Grambolini 3. Lifeguards for the kayak and swim Margarita Karakatsani Efthimios Kranasos Maria Dagounaki Stylianios Sfirakis Christos Benevidis 4. Rescue Divers Vassalis Fragos, Hellenic Navy Giorgos Liapis, Hellenic Navy 5. Medical Enias Vogos, 115th CW Ioannis Anastasiou, 115th CW
6. Providing the bikes Christina Vrettou, Antonis Bikes 7. Providing the venue Giorgos Britzakis, Marathi Restaurant
The Eco-Challenge is about testing your mind and body and going beyond your capabilities. The MWR Fitness Center in cooperation with the Military Auto Source handed out a $25 gift certificate to the person that gave his best effort and went beyond his capabilities in the event they participated in. These awards went to: 1. Hike: Rebekah McPherson, PWD (Sappers) 2. Run: Dimitrius Kirios, 115CW Primes 3. Bike: Keimondre Turner, PWD Misfits 4. Kayak: Giorgos Dervisis, 115CW 5. Swim: Alkis Alexakis The event started at 0730 and concluded with the Award Ceremony at 1430. The 2017 Eco-Challenge came to a close and it is events like this that bring an entire installation together working hand-in-hand to ensure the safety and success of such a challenging event. Congratulations to all the teams. The MWR Fitness Center looks forward to hosting the event again next year and raising the bar to keep the Eco-Challenge as one of the best - if not THE best- fitness events in the entire U.S. Navy!
Capt. Brad Collins kicks off the 2017 Eco-Challenge awards ceremony at the NAMFI Officer’s Beach Club. Page 11
ECO-CHALLENGE
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16K RUN
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ECO-CHALLENGE
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10K Hike
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ECO-CHALLENGE
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40K Bike Race
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ECO-CHALLENGE
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6K Kayak Race
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ECO-CHALLENGE
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2000m Swim
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ECO-CHALLENGE Awards Ceremony Photos by Fotis Angelidis, MWR Souda Bay
Capt. Brad Collins (left) cuts the 2017 event cake with Byron Gale, MWR Athletics & Fitness Director. Page 22
Capt. Brad Collins (right) presents an award at the 2017 Eco Challenge awards ceremony at the NAMFI Officer’s Beach Club.
Team NSA Souda Bay stands with their Captain’s Cup 3rd place trophies (from left to right): Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Jones, Cmdr. James Bird, Stephen Roe, Capt. Brad Collins and Lt. Nick Cade. Page 23
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Natalie Stovall & the Drive
Photos by MC2 Chase Martin, Public Affairs.
Natalie Stovall & The Drive played a military appreciation concert in Graffiti's Diner on board Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on Wednesday, 20 September 2017. Stovall and her band have traveled the world the past few years playing shows entertaining forward deployed personnel. Page 26
Photos by MC2 Chase Martin, Public Affairs.
Chiefs Pinning
Congratulations to Chief Master at Arms Casey Austin, Chief Master at Arms Jason Bott and Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Justin Roach. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay Chief 's Mess welcomes you! Page 27
Photo by MC2 Chase Martin
AWARDS QUARTERS LSC LIN
RP2 JOSEP
MA1 SMITH
MA2 SAEN
MA1 STEELE
AC3 BOYD
HM1 KING
MAC POLAND MAC ROTEN MA2
BOWER
MA1 GALL
MA1 KA
SPE MA3MA1 ELLE
MA2 HANDLIN SWC SERMONS
MA3 MA1 RIDER YAN
MA2 PENNEY MA2 CABRERA
MT3 MA2 GREE ADA
MM2 HALL
MA2 HERR
MA2 ZELAYA
MA2 SM
Congratulations Awa Page 28
S SEPTEMBER 2017
PH
LEGOS
MASN CITTEL
MA2 WATSON
NZ
MASN SINGSON
D
MR. CHATZIDAKIS
EARS EDGE
MASN WHITE MR. MATZORAKIS
AIWI
R NNI
EN AMS
RERA
MITH
MASN GATEWOOD
MS. CHALI
MM3 PEASLEY
MR. CLINTON CORNWELL MR. DARICK FISHER MRS. GEORGIA VALIRAKI MRS. IRINI PETRAKI
ardees and Frockies! Page 29