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DISPATCH
Serving active duty and retired military personnel, veterans and civil service employees in Southern California
LONG BEACH/VENTURA
Sailors receive deployment pay in
mid-December
WASHINGTON - Eligible Sailors will begin receiving Hardship Duty Pay - Tempo (HDP-T) in their December midmonth
paycheck Navy officials announced Nov. 10.
The Department of the Navy HDP-T proposal, authorized by
the secretary of the Navy earlier this summer, was approved by
the Department of Defense, Sept. 17. It authorizes the pay for
Sailors and Marines, active duty and reserve, deployed beyond
220 consecutive days as of Sept. 17.
Sailors and Marines will receive HDP-T on a prorated daily
basis of $16.50, not to exceed a monthly rate of $495, when they
are operationally deployed beyond 220 consecutive days.
USS Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and USS George H. W.
Bush Strike Group were among the first units eligible to receive
HDP-T. Bataan returned to Norfolk, Virginia, Oct. 31, while Bush
is scheduled to return home in November.
Sailors and Marines on those platforms accrued the pay since
September and will see the full amount earned in their midmonth
December paycheck.
Navy christens littoral combat ship
Montgomery
MOBILE, Ala. - The Navy christened littoral combat ship
Montgomery Nov. 8 at the Austal USA shipyard here.
Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michelle Howard,
delivered the principal address during the ceremony. Mary Sessions, wife of Sen. Jeff Sessions (Alabama), serves as the ship’s
sponsor. The ceremony was highlighted by Sessions breaking a
bottle of sparkling wine across the bow to formally christen the
ship, which is a time-honored Navy tradition.
The selection of Montgomery honors the capital city of Alabama, and will be the second ship to bear the city’s name.
Designated LCS 8, Montgomery will operate in shallow water
environments to counter challenging threats in coastal regions,
specifically mines, subs and fast surface craft. The ship is capable
of speeds in excess of 40 knots and can operate in water less than
20 feet deep. Montgomery will address critical capability gaps
in the littorals. Carrying out the Navy’s mission, it will serve
to enhance maritime security by deterring hostility in troubled
waters, maintaining a forward presence, and by its ability to
maintain sea control.
A fast, agile, and high-technology surface combatant, Montgomery will be a platform for the launch and recovery of manned
and unmanned vehicles. To meet increased demand for missiontailored packages, its modular design will support interchangeable mission packages, allowing the ship to be reconfigured for
antisubmarine warfare, mine countermeasures, or surface warfare
missions on an as-needed basis.
The LCS will be able to swap out mission packages pier side
in a matter of days, adapting as the tactical situation demands.
The modular approach also allows it to incorporate new or improved systems into the fleet as advanced technologies mature,
providing flexibility and evolving capability. It will also feature
an advanced networking capability to share tactical information
with other Navy aircraft, ships, subs and joint units.
Montgomery will be manned by a core crew from LCS
Squadron 1 under the 3:2:1 crew rotation concept: three crews
rotate between two ships, one of which is forward deployed for
an extended period, while the other ship is stateside for workups
and training. These core crews will be augmented by one of
the three types of mission package crews as well as an aviation
detachment.
The prospective CO of Montgomery’s initial crew is Cmdr.
Troy Fendrick. Upon commissioning, Montgomery will be
homeported in San Diego.
Have a safe and happy
Thanksgiving!
NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014
www.navydispatch.com
CNRSW
celebrates
Native
American
Heritage
Month
CNO visits Simi Valley
by MC2 Chelsea Kennedy
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Commander, Navy Region Southwest
(CNRSW) held a cultural event
to celebrate National Native
American Heritage, Nov. 13.
Able Silvas, a ninth-generation Native American/Latino
from San Diego, served as guest
speaker for the event held in the
command’s conference room.
“Howka, howka is how we
say hello here in San Diego in
our Kumeyaay language,” said
Silvas.
Silvas took time to answer
specific questions participants
had about Native American
culture.
“People don’t really talk about
the history of Native Americans
in the military, they generalize
it,” said Silvas. “I was intrigued
by some of the questions that
were asked today because of
military actions and the discipline of the military.”
Silvas talked to Sailors and
civilians about his heritage, the
vibrant history of Native Americans in the San Diego region and
their ties to the military.
“My family’s service goes
back to the battle of San Pasqual,”
said Silvas. “My grandfather’s,
grandfather fought in that battle.
My brother served during Vietnam, and I have many nieces
and nephews who have been in
Afghanistan.”
Silvas has championed the
history and culture of his people. He is active in the Native
American community and was
appointed to the Tribal Council
of the Juaneño Band of Mission
Indians. He was also appointed
to the Mayor’s American Indian
Advisory Committee for the city
of San Diego and is committed
to historical research.
“I think you’re never too old
to learn something, anybody can
learn at any age,” said Francesca
Malone, a member of the command diversity team and civilian
See NATIVE page 3
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. Nov. 15, 2014--Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert visits AeroVironment Inc. for familiarization briefings and demonstrations of various unmanned aircraft systems in use and under development for
future potential integration. U.S. Navy photo by MCC Peter D. Lawlor
Fabrication begins on the Navy’s
first Ship to Shore Connector
NEW ORLEANS (NNS) -Textron, Inc. will began fabrication
of the Navy’s first Ship to Shore
Connector (SSC) at its New Orleans facility Nov. 17.
In October, the Navy approved
Textron to start production following the SSC Production Readiness
Review during which the Navy
evaluated the design maturity,
availability of materials, and industry’s ability to start and sustain
fabrication.
“It’s an exciting time,” said
Capt. Chris Mercer, program
executive office ships program
manager for amphibious warfare.
“Starting production on this next
generation Landing Craft, Air
Cushion (LCAC) is a significant
milestone for the Navy and Marine
Corps. The craft benefits from a
mature design and sound production process, paving the way for
many more craft to follow. Once
delivered, these craft will fill a
critical need to recapitalize the
Navy’s surface connectors.”
The SSC will serve as the evolutionary replacement for the existing fleet of LCAC vehicles, which
are nearing the end of their service
life. The SSC will use more corrosion-resistant aluminum in the hull
than LCAC as well as composites
in the propeller shroud assembly
and shafting to increase craft
availability and lower life-cycle
maintenance costs.
The SSC will be a high-speed,
fully-amphibious landing craft capable of carrying a 74-ton payload
traveling at speeds of more than
35 knots. An enclosed personnel
transport module can be loaded
aboard that can hold up to 145
combat-equipped Marines or 108
casualty personnel. The SSC will
incorporate an improved skirt
design, the advanced skirt, in place
of the LCAC’s deep skirt, reducing
drag and craft weight.
The SSC supports rapid movement of Marine Expeditionary
Forces from the sea base to shore
and can tactically deliver personnel
and heavy equipment to trafficable
terrain well beyond the beach, with
the built-in reliability to operate in
the harshest littoral environments.
With 73 craft planned, the SSC
will significantly enhance the capability of Navy and Marine Corps
teams to execute a broad spectrum
of missions, from humanitarian
assistance and disaster response
to multidimensional amphibious
assault.
As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition
organizations, PEO Ships, a
Naval Sea Systems Command affiliated program executive office,
is responsible for executing the
development and procurement
of all major surface combatants,
amphibious ships, special mission ships, support ships, and
special warfare craft. Currently,
the majority of shipbuilding programs managed by PEO Ships are
benefiting from serial production
efficiencies, which are critical
to delivering ships on cost and
schedule.
E-4 - E-6 advancement results to
be released on line on Nov. 25
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The approved quotas for the fall active
duty and full time support (FTS) Petty Officer advancements will be
posted on Navy’s All Hands Magazine at www.ah.mil, Nov. 19.
Results for command triad only are scheduled to be posted to
commands’ BUPERS Online (BOL) account, Nov. 24, at 9 a.m. EST
providing commanding officers the opportunity to notify Sailors of
the results 24 hours prior to public release.
Individual results are expected to be released via BOL and the
full list of those advanced posted on All Hands Magazine, Nov. 25
at 9 a.m.
Troops establish air bridge for Ebola response
by Air Force Maj. Dale
DAKAR, Senegal - More than
35 airmen and two Air Force
C-130 Hercules aircraft from
Dyess Air Force Base, Texas,
arrived here recently to establish
the 787th Air Expeditionary
Squadron and fly humanitarian
cargo into Liberia as part of
Operation United Assistance,
the mission to fight Ebola in
West Africa.
The Dyess airmen, all from
the 317th Airlift Group and 7th
Bomb Wing, joined forces with
more than 70 airmen from the
Kentucky Air National Guard’s
123rd Contingency Response
Group, who have been operating
a cargo hub at Léopold Sédar
Senghor International Airport in
Dakar since Oct. 5.
The 787th flew its first sortie
into Liberia Nov. 4, airlifting
more than eight tons of medical
equipment, stretchers, blood,
bleach and other supplies, according to Lt. Col. Michael
Brock, a C-130 pilot and the
squadron’s commander.
N.J. - have coordinated flights
for 128 military and civiliancontract aircraft, processed 336
passengers and handled more
than 600 tons of cargo.
“Our airlift mission here is extremely important, particularly
as the number of deployed U.S.
forces continues to increase,”
Brock said. “We will be flying
daily sorties into the affected
areas to deliver supplies and
equipment that are mission-essential, both to the sustainment
of troops and to ongoing efforts
to contain and eliminate the
Ebola outbreak.
“The 787th is executing a
noble mission,” he continued.
“I’m very proud of the team and
their professionalism as we’ve
stood up our squadron here.
We’re excited to work with the
123rd CRG and build on the
foundation they’ve established
in Dakar.”
capacity for its 120-day mission
by the end of the month.
Two more C-130 aircraft and
about 90 additional airmen are
expected to arrive from Dyess
and Little Rock Air Force Base,
Ark., in the coming weeks, bringing the 787th to full operational
The 787th’s airmen are working in close partnership with
their Kentucky Air Guard colleagues, whose primary task
is to offload cargo arriving in
Senegal by 747 aircraft, stage it
Aerial porters from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s
123rd Contingency Response Group load eight tons
of humanitarian aid and military supplies onto a C130 aircraft at Léopold Sédar Senghor International
Airport in Dakar, Senegal. photo by Maj. Dale Greer
for forward movement, and load
it on Dyess C-130s for delivery
to Liberia.
Since Oct. 5, the Kentucky
troops - augmented by six active-duty airmen from Travis
Air Force Base, Calif., and Joint
Base Maguire-Dix-Lakehurst,
“I couldn’t be more pleased
by what our airmen have accomplished in such a short period
of time,” said Air Force Col.
David Mounkes, commander
of the 123rd Contingency Response Group and Joint Task
Force-Port Opening Senegal.
“It is especially gratifying to
know that we’re part of a much
larger, global effort to render
assistance to people who need
our help fighting a horrible disease that has claimed more than
4,000 lives.
“Our unit was created to respond to contingencies of all
kinds, from wartime taskings
to natural disasters,” Mounkes
continued. “Every airman in
the group volunteered to join
because he or she wanted to
be a part of something that can
deliver aid where it’s needed,
when it’s needed, as efficiently
as possible. This is what we do,
and we feel privileged to be able
to do it.”
Air Force operations in Senegal are part of a massive wholeof-government approach to
Operation United Assistance,
directed by the U.S. Agency
for International Development
and incorporating a broad array
of federal agencies from the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to the DoD.
The U.S. military has committed approximately 3,900 troops
to support the mission. They
will staff medical laboratories,
provide training to local health
care workers, and build up to 17
100-bed Ebola treatment units
and a 25-bed hospital. More
than 1,600 soldiers, sailors,
airmen, Marines, Department
of Defense civilian employees
and contractors are currently
deployed to Senegal and Liberia
in support of Operation United
Assistance.
DoD advances information technology to lower costs
by Cheryl Pellerin
WASHINGTON - The Defense
Department is pushing forward
on information technology such
as cloud computing, smartphones
and apps, the Joint Information
Environment, and data access
to improve the mission and re-
duce costs, the Pentagon’s acting
chief information officer said last
week.
Terry Halvorsen gave a keynote
speech here at FedTalks, an annual gathering of leaders in the
technology and government IT
President to request additional
contingency funds to stop ISIL
by Claudette Roulo
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama plans to submit an
updated request for fiscal year 2015 overseas contingency operations funds as the effort to defeat terrorists from the Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant moves into its next phase, White House
officials announced earlier this month.
In a statement, the administration announced plans to request
$5.6 billion for activities to degrade and ultimately defeat
ISIL. The amended request includes resources for operations
and activities that were not anticipated when the White House
submitted the initial OCO budget request in June, the statement
said.
2 • DISPATCH • NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014
“ISIL poses an immediate threat to Iraq, Syria and American
allies and partners throughout the region, as it seeks to overthrow
governments, control territory, terrorize local populations, and
implement an oppressive and intolerant interpretation of sharia
law,” the statement said.
The request includes $5 billion for DoD to conduct a range of
military operations against ISIL in the Middle East. That amount
includes $1.6 billion for an Iraqi train-and-equip fund, the Pentagon press secretary said Nov. 4.
Iraq’s government and coalition nations also are expected to
contribute funding to this effort, which aims to train a total of
12 brigades - nine Iraqi army brigades and three brigades of
Kurdish Peshmerga forces, said Rear Adm. John Kirby.
The train-and-equip fund may be used toward training Sunni
tribes who are operating under the auspices of the Iraqi Defense
Ministry, Kirby said. “Ultimately, we expect that we’ll be able to
conduct some of that training at the same locations where we will
train Iraqi army and peshmerga brigades,” he added.
The amended request must be approved by Congress before the
1,500 additional U.S. troops authorized by the president today can
deploy, the admiral said.
communities nationwide.
Speaking on culture and technology change, the acting CIO said
that for those in the IT business,
the biggest change is not technical,
but cultural.
“How do you get people to
start thinking differently about IT,
which means thinking differently
about data, the ways you do business, the processes that have to
[change], and things that might
have to change in your personal
environment or your company
climate?” he asked.
In about two weeks, Halvorsen
said, DoD plans to release a new
policy on cloud computing.
“When I say ‘the cloud,’ I really
[mean] distributed data solutions,”
he said, “which are a better answer
for us in terms of solving our business problems, lowering cost and,
if not improving, keeping security
at least at the same level and then
moving it forward.”
Without taking the Defense Information Systems Agency totally
out of the policy, the CIO added,
the new policy will let the military
departments and larger agencies
procure cloud services through
their own contract offices.
“That’s simply because we can
go faster. ... We’ve got to go faster,
and that just means I’ve got to increase the number of people who
can do the contracting, so we’re
going to do that,” Halvorsen said.
“We are in a fiscal crisis,” he
added. “We’ve got to figure out
how to do better with all of our
dollars. I think the cloud [will
help].”
Normally, DISA provides, operates and assures command and
control and information-sharing
capabilities and a globally accessible enterprise information infrastructure in direct support to joint
warfighters, national-level leaders,
and other mission and coalition
partners across the spectrum of
military operations.
Halvorsen said that, as DoD IT
goes more commercial, the agency
will have a role in making sure
the department meets all security
requirements in the cloud policy
and implementation.
“We’ve spent a lot of time over
the last 90 days figuring out what
we need from a security standpoint, for what levels of data,” the
CIO explained, “working in many
cases not just internally, but with
some of the companies who will
provide these services. That’s the
technical piece.”
The second piece, he said, involves changing the way people
think.
“In my business there are people
who believe their data needs to be
right on the table next to them so
they can touch it, see it and watch
their servers blink,” Halvorsen
quipped. “We can’t operate that
way anymore.”
Handling data this way is inefficient, costly and ultimately less
secure, he said, “so we’ve got to
have a discussion now with owners
of that data about why it’s good
to let go.”
The CIO and his team also are
moving forward on what they call
mobility, or making smartphones
available to the Defense Department’s global workforce.
“We’ve got to think about mobility too, and I think the cloud
enables us from a mobility standpoint,” the CIO said. “I could do
a lot more if that data’s sitting in
a distributed environment that is
more accessible to our employee
set or other users of our data.”
Another culture change needed
on the business side at DoD in-
volves customers, he said.
“Many of the customers who
need to use our data -- guess what?
They’re not in DoD,” Halvorsen
added. “This is particularly true
in a couple of what I call our key
business areas.”
With a $235 billion investment
in health care, DoD is in the medical business, he said, and serving
all those clients is challenging,
because many of the medical
transactions are not internal to the
DoD network structure -- they’re
out in the business world, and they
involve doctors, medical insurance
companies, private laboratories
and others.
The commercial entities “have
to be able to play too,” the CIO
said, “and just because somebody
else may be touching the data, that
has not limited our responsibility
to make sure that data’s secure and
follows all the rules.”
Halvorsen held up his BlackBerry smartphone.
“We’re just about ready to tell
everybody they can have one of
these. This is still a BlackBerry,
still a government-provided device, but now I have personal
space on this. I actually have my
personal email and personal apps,”
he told the audience. “That is a big
breakthrough for us.”
Integrating a business device
with a personal space is an admission, the CIO said, “that our
workforce, civilian and military
--particularly the younger part
of our workforce -- is demanding different things from their
lives, different experiences, and
we’ve got to accommodate that
somewhat.”
The department puts mission
and security first, but those considerations are not incompatible with
personal life, Halvorsen said.
“We’ve got that now,” he added.
“That’s not a technology leap. That
was a cultural leap to say, ‘Yeah,
you can do this. It works, and the
risk is OK.’”
DoD also is making smartphone
apps more available, he said, and
will release a new secure mobile phone that is in big demand
by combatant commanders. “So
that’s another big breakthrough,”
he added.
Halvorsen said the department’s
Joint Information Environment is
a concept, rather than a thing. The
first piece, called the Joint Regional Security Stacks, enables DoD to
get to a more coherent and singular
security architecture, he said.
“But what it really does when
we’re done, coupled with the
software we’re going to put with
it, is let all the services, U.S. Cyber
Command, DISA -- all the people
who need to see the network -- it
will let them see the entire picture
better. And I really do mean everybody,” Halvorsen said.
It was a little bit of a change
that the CIO and his team put in
the software, he explained, so
that everybody will be able to see
the data.
“Some restrictions will exist
on who can act on that data,” he
added, “but the situational awareness ought to be out there for
everybody to see. That’s the most
powerful piece that will happen as
we field the Joint Regional Security Stacks.”
The first stacks were initialized
in September at Joint Base San
Antonio, Halvorsen said. The
goal is to have all stacks, both in
the continental United States and
elsewhere, in place by the end of
2016, to field the new software by
the end of 2016, and to have the
system operational in the first part
of 2017.
National Military
Navy invites public input on the Miramar pipeline Native America Heritage
underway
repair and relocation environmental assessment Month celebration
honor the rich history of Native
SAN DIEGO - The Navy has
prepared a draft environmental
assessment (EA) to evaluate
the potential environmental
impacts associated with the
proposed repair and relocation
of approximately 5 miles to the
southern end of the Navy’s Miramar fuel pipeline in the Point
Loma area.
The Navy welcomes public
input on the Draft EA. A 30-day
public comment period will be
Navy demonstrates new autonomous ground
vehicle with modular mission capability
by Dan Broadstreet
PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama
City Division and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command
(SPAWAR) Systems Center Pacific Reconnaissance and Detection Expendable Rover (RaDER) team recently demonstrated the
autonomous operation of the first RaDER prototype.
The successful demonstration was conducted at SPAWAR’s Point
Loma Test Facility in San Diego.
“This was our first opportunity to show all the stakeholders what
we’ve been working on for the past two years,” said NSWC PCD RaDER Project Engineer Jeff Dinges. “It’s extremely exciting to see a concept
demonstrated two years after the project was conceptualized.”
The RaDER concept was developed at NSWC PCD and initially
funded as a Naval Innovative Science and Engineering effort for
2013. The RaDER is designed to provide a low-cost, autonomous,
modular-vehicle capability for fielding numerous explosive hazard defeat and counter-tactical surveillance and targeting mission
packages.
“I believe this is what the NSWC PCD NISE efforts are all about,”
said Dinges. “The RaDER analysis team performed the research to
identify gaps in the Marine Corps’ strategic objectives and developed
the RaDER concept to fill a gap. The NISE committee believed in our
concept and funded us to develop it into a functional prototype.”
open now through Dec. 6.
The Navy proposes to repair
and relocate approximately 5
miles of the southern end of the
pipeline to maintain the safe,
consistent, and continuous use
of the pipeline to provide for
the continued fueling needs of
existing and future Navy ships,
as well as to allow the Navy to
maintain readiness.
Specifically, the Navy proposes to repair and relocate approximately 3.5 miles of pipeline
from the La Playa waterfront
area (Naval Base Point Loma to
Lytton Street) to the Rosecrans
Street right-of-way to address
pipeline anomalies, such as
dents, corrosion and metal loss.
To alleviate seismic/geohazard
concerns identified, the Navy
also proposes to relocate approximately one mile of the
pipeline in the vicinity of the
San Diego River, and install five
isolation valve stations.
To inform the public and
obtain public input, the Navy
is holding an open house public
meeting on Dec. 3 from 5 to 8
p.m. at Portuguese Hall, 2818
Avenida de Portugal, in San
Diego.
The public may arrive at any
time during the meeting. Navy
representatives will be available to provide information
about the project and answer
questions.
Public comments will be accepted throughout the 30-day
comment period, now through
Dec. 6. Comments may be
submitted at the open house
information session, online
at www.navyregionsouthwest.
com/go/doc/4275/1996890/,
or mailed to: NBPL Miramar
Pipeline EA Project Manager,
Naval Facilities Engineering
Command Southwest, Attention:
(RUE20.TB), 2730 McKean St.,
Building 291, San Diego, CA
92136-5198.
All comments must be postmarked or received online by
Dec. 6 to be considered in the
official record.
The Miramar Pipeline is a
Navy-owned and operated fuel
pipeline extending approximately 17 miles between Naval
Base Point Loma and Marine
Corps Air Station Miramar in
San Diego. The pipeline was
built in 1954 and provides fuel
for Navy ships and aircraft.
Continued from page 1
employee at CNRSW. “There are
things that I have learned since
I’ve been a part of the diversity
team that I never knew before.
Every year we do the same diversity events, but I always learn
something new and we achieve
that by bringing different people
to the command.”
National Native American
Heritage month is celebrated in
November and this year’s theme
is “Native Pride and Spirit: Yesterday, Today and Forever,” to
Americans.
“You open people’s eyes to
things that they never thought
about with celebrations like
this,” said Malone. “You look
at a person and you don’t know
anything about their background.
It’s nice to know that you’re not
just a number, you’re a person
that has a background and everybody has one so learning
as much about other people as
you can, I think is a benefit to
everybody.”
Dispatch newspaper
(619) 280-2985
Published twice a month by Western States Weeklies, Inc.
P.O. Box 600600, San Diego, CA, 92160
email: editor@navydispatch.com
Publisher.........................Sarah Hagerty
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NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014 • DISPATCH • 3
Career & Education
Navy’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault
by Rear Adm. Rick Snyder
In three months serving as director of the 21st Century Sailor
Office, I’ve seen our united, Navywide efforts to prevent and respond
to sexual assault.
We’ve always known that this is
a tough problem requiring concentrated focus and resources. There
are no simple answers, no quick
fixes, no easy solutions. Together
we’ve made important strides, and
as a team, we’ll continue to change
the Navy’s culture to one that is
intolerant of crimes like sexual
assault and other destructive behaviors that hurt our readiness for
warfighting.
Here’s what we’ve learned so
far, and what we’re planning for
this year:
1) Our prevention efforts continue to mature and improve.
• Based on survey responses,
less than 10% of Sailors observe
high-risk situations. When they
do see something wrong, across
all ranks and gender, more than 85
percent step up and take action.
• In the barracks, Sailors are
standing additional watches and
implementing roving patrols to
help their shipmates and reduce
destructive behaviors.
• Because we know there is a
link between abuse of alcohol and
destructive behavior, we continue
our efforts to deglamorize alcohol
and diminish its role.
2) Our ability to respond has
improved thanks to new resources available to the Fleet.
• In the last year, we grew our
capacity to respond with 82 Sexual
Assault Response Coordinators,
67 dedicated Sexual Assault Victim Advocates, 29 Victims Legal
Counsel and 18 Deployment
Resilience Counselors. They team
with more than 5,000 collateral
duty Victim Advocates to support
our shipmates.
• Victims are sharing positive perceptions of this increased
support, but we know we can do
better. Survey data from victims
and response teams suggests that
some victims still experience
social retaliation, an unacceptable
outcome we must continue to address together.
• Sailor feedback on training
was heard loud and clear: ‘Stop
the slides,’ ‘Reduce the size of
the groups,’ and ‘Stop duplicative
training.’ Our new Bystander
Intervention to the Fleet training,
beginning this fall for all active
and reserve Sailors, was created
expressly with this feedback in
mind. This new training will provide realistic, peer-led, interactive
instruction to help Sailors recognize potentially harmful situations
and how to safely intervene.
3) Timely and reliable num-
Navy Federal
Credit Union
adds jobs in
Pensacola
Navy Federal Credit Union
announced it will continue expanding its operations in Pensacola, Fla.
bringing 5,000 new jobs and $350
in capital investment to the region
by 2026.
“This is our largest expansion in
Pensacola thus far. Navy Federal is
a growth story in Pensacola, beginning in 2003 with 60 employees. In
2014, Navy Federal has added 530
jobs, bringing its current total in
the region to over 3,800 employees
with an annual payroll of $160M.
In January 2014, FORTUNE
Magazine named Navy Federal on
its list of the “100 Best Companies
to Work For.” This marked Navy
Federal’s fourth appearance on the
list, having first been recognized in
2008, 2012 and 2013.
bers are still a problem.
• Survey data still indicates more
assaults than are being reported are
actually occurring. This reporting
gap must be closed. We must
reduce sexual assault in the Navy
and increase the reporting of those
assaults when they occur – this
demands our united resolve.
• As Sailors learned more and
trusted our system to respond,
investigate, and hold offenders
appropriately accountable, we saw
Rear Adm. Rick Snyder, then commander of Task
Force 162, shakes hands with Capt. Craig A. Clapperton, commanding officer of the U.S. 6th Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), following a
plaque exchange during Baltic Operations (BALTOPS)
2014. Navy photo
sexual assault reporting increase
46 percent from FY12 to FY13.
Sexual assault reports increased
in FY14 at a lesser rate. The lower
rate of increase in reporting is encouraging, but long term progress
will ultimately be indicated by a
decrease in sexual assaults.
• We are committed to stopping
sexual assaults, but if they do occur, our earned trust and proven
See SEXUAL ASSAULT page 7
on the wrong wall, I recommend
that they make a list of all hobbies they have ever day dreamed
about exploring. Then I urge
them to sign up to find out what
they think of these daydreams in
their waking worlds.
Many of us ignore our daydreams as flights of fancy without
realizing that these recurrent
fantasies always contain themes
about experiences that would
feed our souls. What we would
be really good at usually has an
enormous draw for us. We often
end up discarding these ideas as
silly when they are be exactly
what would be both lucrative and
emotionally rewarding for us.
Navy Federal Credit Union is
the world’s largest credit union
with $60 billion in assets, 5 million members, 257 branches, and a
workforce of over 13,000 employees worldwide. The credit union
serves all Department of Defense
and Coast Guard Active Duty,
civilian, and contractor personnel
and their families. For additional
information about Navy Federal,
visitwww.navyfederal.org.
Interpersonal Edge: Want a new career? Explore new hobbies
by Dr. Daneen Skube
Q. I’m in my 40s and wondering if I picked the wrong career
track. I don’t know what else I
might want to do, but I feel bored
and irritated more often than I
ever did when I was young and
idealistic. What should I do?
A. When I advise clients in
a midlife crisis who think they
have climbed the wrong ladder
4 ways to hire, get the most from a financial professional
4 • DISPATCH • NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014
As the United States approaches an unprecedented point in its
history – what many are calling
a retirement crisis – attention
for retirement planning is at an
all-time high.
“The baby boomers are retiring, about 10,000 every day
for the next several years, and
their greatest fear is that they’ll
outlive their retirement funding;
of course, money is an issue for
just about everyone else, too,”
says Rodger Alan Friedman,
author of “Forging Bonds of
Steel,” (www.forgingbondsofsteel.com/).
“Most people have a sense that
they could be doing more with
their money – more savings,
better investments, etc. – much
the same way that they know that
they could be healthier. But on
both accounts, taking action is a
different story.”
As with health, failure to take
action on your finances will,
over time, cost you, he says.
While educating yourself on
money matters has tremendous
benefits, you’ll ultimately want
a certified and experienced professional who manages money
for a living.
A strong client-advisor relationship is fundamental for success, says Friedman, who offers
the following tips for hiring an
advisor you can trust and building a strong relationship:
• Ask a would-be planner
what he or she is reading. Would
you trust an advisor who doesn’t
read? While experience is valuable, the most reliable form of
knowledge usually comes from
reading books and trade publications. The former deals in wellestablished information, while
the latter explore new directions
in the industry.
“I would want to know that an
advisor reads books on the best
thinking on wealth management,
economics, investment and
retirement planning,” Friedman
says. “Ideally, your advisor
would also attend, participate
and learn from others at seminars. In other words, good advisors are engaged in continual
learning, not resting on what
they learned 10 years ago.”
• Advisors should take copious notes and repeat back to
you your concerns. How do you
know your advisor is listening
to you, and is he or she getting
crucial information, rather than
simply sounding good with data
points? Taking notes is a good
sign. And, when she repeats back
to you something you’ve just
said, it indicates she is actively
listening. You feel understood,
and that’s when the “I get it”
look passes between both of
you. This moment is a link in the
chain of trust and understanding
that’s so important.
• Be forthright with your
advisor. This is essential. Some
folks, for example, are “bighat-and-skinny-cattle” people,
which means they have a high
standard of living – expensive
vacations, BMWs, Rolexes, etc.
– but little in the way of investment accounts, bonds, equities,
commercial operations or real
estate. This balance sheet does
not spell success, despite the outward signs. Seasoned advisors
need to see that balance sheet
– they need to see what’s under
that big hat. Whether there are
fat or skinny cattle underneath
a wealthy image, you and your
advisor need to collaborate and
agree on a common purpose. To
achieve it, you need to be forthright from the outset.
• Accountability flows both
ways; do your homework. Advisors need personal documents
that are crucial for a comprehensive review. Upon the agreement of a full financial plan, the
advisor will want to review and
analyze the following items:
a copy of the most recent tax
return, including a W2 or 1099
info; a copy of all bank, CD
and money market account
statements; mutual fund, investment; IRA accounts, 401(K)
accounts and corporate benefit
statements; pension or annuity
arrangements; long-term-care
and life-insurance statements;
disability, liability umbrella,
car- and home-insurance statements. Without these, it’s nearly
impossible to create a baseline
of where you are now and to
chart a course to where you
want to be.
Even if you decide not to
change careers completely, exploring hobbies that have always
fascinated you will infuse your
current career with new appeal and skills. Everything from
singing opera or taking acting
classes to trying your hand at
water colors will develop talents
you will definitely use in your
workplace.
If you do find a hobby that
rocks your world, you have
plenty of time to consider ways to
make money at doing something
in that world. Most of the career
inventory tests are actually based
on the idea of thinking about who
you would want to hang out with
at a party. What research has
demonstrated is that interest is
more important than initial ability or skills.
At a party, would talk to the
artists, the scientists, or some
other career group? The best way
to find out is to get involved with
those people as a hobby. In our
exceptionally connected world,
it is relatively easy to find places
and ways to connect to people
doing almost anything you can
conceive of learning about.
Since it sounds like you cur-
rently have a stable job, you have
the luxury of taking your time to
leisurely walk down the paths of
many hobbies. Don’t get stuck
worrying if you don’t like some
of the hobbies you first select.
Sometimes the daydream is better
than the reality.
With each hobby you explore
you are learning about yourself
and your abilities. Even if you
don’t finish a class or make a
career out of something you try,
you are getting out into the world
and discovering new aspects of
yourself.A wonderful aspect of
turning a daydream into a plan is
that you will have more energy
for everything else you are currently doing. Ironically, in all
the listening classes I have ever
taught to executives, the most
common deficiency is not failing
to listen to others but rather failing to listen to ourselves. When
you give yourself permission
to go after a hobby you have
always craved, you support the
most important person to listen
to: yourself.
Q. My boss says I don’t listen
to him. I listen to him but I don’t
agree with him. Can’t I point out
to him that there is a difference
between listening and agreeing?
A. Yes, but only if you can immediately show him results that
he will care about greatly. He is
paying you to do things his way
even if you disagree - unless you
can shower him with benefits
he wants.
Los Angeles/Long Beach
Navy officer’s son treated for a
rare brain tumor at St. Jude
Memorial plaza
dedicated at
Norco
In August 2012, when Elizabeth emailed her husband,
Scott, she needed him to respond quickly. Their young
son, Aaron, had just been found to suffer from a brain
tumor and he needed to undergo brain surgery immediately. Elizabeth’s email
to Scott was simple:
Call me.
NORCO, Calif. (Nov. 11,
2014) A riderless horse
is led past a memorial wall inscribed with
names of war dead during the George A. Ingalls Veterans Memorial Plaza dedication. The
1.5-acre site is named
for Ingalls, a Norco resident killed in 1967 in
Vietnam when he threw
himself on a grenade
to save his squad. Ingalls was posthumously
awarded the Medal of
Honor. U.S. Navy photo
by Greg Vojtko
When Scott received
Elizabeth’s email, he
was stationed on the
USS Enterprise in the
middle of the Persian
Gulf. A lieutenant
commander in the US
Navy, Scott had been in
the military for 23 years. Being separated from family
was routine. But this situation was not.
Scott contacted his commanding officer immediately,
and things happened quickly after that. Within 41 hours
of learning Aaron had a brain tumor, Scott was at his
bedside in a Virginia hospital. He hadn’t seen Aaron for
six months. “He was hooked up to tubes and his face was
swollen,” Scott recalled. “He couldn’t walk, he couldn’t
talk.” But the moment Scott said his name, Aaron opened
his eyes.
George A. Ingalls Veterans
Memorial Plaza
A biopsy of the tumor revealed it to be a medulloblastoma, a rare brain tumor. Aaron’s family turned to
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for his treatment
and care. St. Jude has the largest pediatric brain tumor
research program in the country and the world’s best
survival rates.
Aaron and his family arrived at St. Jude in September
2012. Aaron’s treatment included a second brain surgery,
31 rounds of radiation therapy and four rounds of chemotherapy. Scott and Elizabeth are grateful for everything
St. Jude has done for their son. Families never receive a
bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food
- because all a family should worry about is helping their
child live.
“Our doctors and nurses are amazing. There’s so much
love and care here,” Scott said. “You can’t put the amount
of thanks we have for St. Jude into words. It’s the very
best of the best.”
NORCO, Calif. Nov. 11, 2014--The George A. Ingalls Veterans Memorial Plaza is dedicated during a ceremony in Norco, Calif. The 1.5-acre site is named for Ingalls, a Norco resident killed in 1967 in Vietnam
when he threw himself on a grenade to save his squad. Ingalls was posthumously awarded the Medal of
Honor. U.S. Navy photo by Greg Vojtko
NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014 • DISPATCH • 5
About Your Health
Wounded Warrior Care Month recognition ceremony held at Navy Installations Command
by MC1 John Belanger
Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), Vice
Adm. Dixon Smith, hosted a
Warrior Care Month recognition
ceremony at the command headquarters atrium, Washington
Navy Yard, Nov. 3.
Command employees attended the event, which included
a video presentation about the
Navy’s wounded warrior care
program along with special
remarks from guest speakers
including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Office of
Warrior Care Policy, James
Rodriguez, and Chief Logistics
Specialist Averill Malone.
Capt. Brent Breining, Navy
Installations Command’s Navy
Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor
program director welcomed
guests and gave remarks about
the importance of the program.
“This year’s theme ‘a show of
strength’ recognizes the fortitude
and resiliency wounded warriors
exhibit on their journey towards
recovery,” said Breining. “It
is our hope that this event will
instill a greater appreciation
for the lifetime of support that
Wounded Warrior-Safe Harbor
provides.”
Following the national anthem
sung by Naomi Howell, a civilian employee with the command,
and invocation by command
chaplain, Cmdr. Phillip King,
Smith spoke briefly about the
relevance of having programs
like this and the benefits of
spreading the word.
“This month serves as an opportunity to recognize wounded
warriors in all services, as well
as those who care for them,
for their service, sacrifices and
achievements,” said Smith. “We
have a responsibility to take
care of our Sailors and Coast
Guardsmen and get them back
to fighting form.”
Rodriguez expressed his gratitude for those who support the
program, the benefits the program provides, and how anyone
can be affected regardless of age
or length of service.
“This program is
not just for the
young or inexperienced,” Rodriguez
shared. “I want
to highlight Chief
Malone, one of the
Navy’s senior leaders, who has actually stood up and
said ‘I need help.
I need assistance,”
said
Rodriguez.
“We have the programs to help him
and that’s what’s
important.”
Malone, the keynote speaker
for the event, suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
from deployments to Iraq in
2007 and 2008. He has been in
the Navy for more than 20 years
and following his deployments
struggled with his symptoms
alone because he did not know
where else to turn. After a violent
family event he decided to get
treatment from the Wounded
Warrior-Safe Harbor program.
“I was having nightmares
and was afraid of loud noises
and I kept asking for help,” said
Malone. “They said I could have
PTSD but back then I didn’t
know what PTSD was.”
Malone brought his daughter
with him to the ceremony and
said he owed his success in the
struggle with PTSD to her and
his wife.
“They played referee between
me and the world,” said Malone.
“They made sure I didn’t watch
certain movies and kept people
who came to the house from
slamming doors and things like
that. It’s because of her and my
wife that I’m still here.”
Malone’s comments about his
family and their support helping
him through his darkest times
roused applause from the more
than 75 attendees.
In 2013 Malone checked
himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in
Bethesda, Maryland, and joined
the Wounded Warrior adaptive
sports program, which offered
a variety of activities. Shortly
after, he fell in love with archery
and painting.
“I was looking at the other
guys and saying that I couldn’t
compete with them,” said Malone. “I told a friend of mine that I
didn’t think I could do it and he
said, ‘it’s not about winning, it’s
about recovery,’ and that became
my mantra.”
Malone competed in the 2014
Warrior Games at Colorado
Springs, Colorado, and won a
bronze medal in archery, which
was neatly displayed on an easel
with his art work during his
presentation.
The event concluded with
a cake cutting ceremony and
poster-signing opportunity.
In 2008, then-Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates designated November as Warrior Care
Month in order to inform members of the military and their
families and communities about
the programs and initiatives currently being provided through
the Warrior Care system and the
forthcoming improvements.
Throughout the month of
November in Washington, D.C.,
and throughout the Department of Defense, The Office of
Warrior Care and all services’
wounded warrior regiments will
highlight a variety of wounded
warrior programs and activities,
including stories of recovery,
and personal triumphs. Warrior
Care Month is not only about
what is being done for our
nation’s wounded, ill and injured
service members, but also about
what they do for us, how they
continually give back to our
communities, their families, and
our nation that they have sacrificed so much to protect.
Veterans News
Senate to consider NDAA, floor amendments
The Senate version National Defense Authorization Act (NDAAS. 2410) has been approved by committee and is awaiting action on
the Senate floor. The Senate started work on the bill this week, when
they returned from their recess. Hundreds of Senate floor amendments have been filed, but only a few
impact pay and benefits. The House
F.R.A.
has already passed its version of the
NEWSBYTES
bill. Once the Senate approves its
version, a conference committee will
be appointed to resolve the differences between the House bill (H.R.
4435) and the Senate bill (S. 2410). The conference committee report
will be voted on by both chambers. If approved by the House and the
Senate it will then be sent to the president to be signed into law or to
be vetoed. Members are urged use the FRA Action Center (action.fra.
org/action-center) to urge their support for key Senate amendments
that include: Eliminating the TRICARE pharmacy co-pay increase;
Restoring the active duty/reserve pay increase from 1 percent to 1.8
percent; Expanding concurrent receipt for disabled service members;
Eliminating the BAH cut for active duty; and Improving VA claims
processing.
6 • DISPATCH • NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014
VA advanced funding
Both the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees have
approved the “Putting Veterans Funding First Act” (H.R. 813/S. 932
respectively). These bills are now on the floor in their chambers of
origin. One or both of them may be voted on in the upcoming (lame
duck) session. America’s veterans should not be held responsible for
Washington’s inability to reach an agreement on how to cut spending.
Our veterans were there for us when we needed them the most, and the
“Putting Veterans Funding First Act” will ensure they have our support during their time of need. Currently, Congress provides advanced
funding for the VA’s health care programs as a result of FRA supported
legislation enacted in 2009 (P. L. 81-111). Providing the remainder of
the discretionary budget - roughly $8 billion - up front would make it
easier for the VA to plan for key investments in information technology, claims processing and construction projects.
Senate majority shift
The Republicans gained majority control of the Senate last week,
and increased their majority in the House. Both the House and Senate
Armed Services Committee Chairmen (Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon
(Calif.) and Sen. Carl Levin (Mich.) respectively) are retiring and are
expected to be replaced Senator John MCain (Ariz.) in the Senate and
Mac Thornberry (Tex.) in the House.The current (113th) Congress
will be back in session next week with a full agenda of important issues to be addressed before the end of the year, including the FY2015
National Defense Authorization and the FY 2015 budget.
Dempsey highlights importance of hiring veterans
by Lisa Ferdinando
WASHINGTON - Veterans
are brave and selfless, and they
bring the best traits to employers, the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff said last week.
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey
spoke in New York at a symposium of Veterans on Wall Street,
a group that helps veterans find
business and career opportunities in the financial services
industry.
He thanked the employers in
the room who have hired veterans, and said their employees
who have served in the military
will “make you a better organization.”
Veterans are “incredibly
adaptable” and take on challenging assignments around the
globe in service to the nation, the
chairman said.
“They put themselves in
harm’s way for the people of the
United States and for people they
never even met before, and that’s
quite a remarkable trait,” he
added. “You don’t know you’re
courageous until you’re tested.
What I’m telling all of you who
are veterans and all of you who
would think about hiring them
[is that] they’re courageous.”
The people of the United
States do understand the importance of the military and recognize the service and sacrifice of
veterans, Dempsey said. “It’s an
honor to serve. It’s a challenging
time to serve,” he added.
Dempsey also highlighted
“Commitment to Service,”
a collaboration between the
N a t i o n a l B a s k etball Association and the Defense Department. He encouraged similar
partnerships that showcase veterans and the importance of
selfless service.
Looking ahead, the general
predicted an environment in
which the military will have
a sustained role, “whether it’s
against Ebola, or ISIL, or in
support of our NATO allies, or
in support of our allies in the
Pacific.”
Because of these challenges,
he said, veterans will continue to
be “part of the fabric of America
for a very long time.”
VA secretary updates employees on reorganization plans
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert
McDonald reached out to all VA
employees Nov. 10 with his plan
for reorganization.
Based on meetings with employees and vets during the
year, McDonald mapped out a
plan for the way for the VA to
do business.
“Our shared goals are to ensure that vets have a clear understanding of VA and where to go
for what they need within any of
our facilities,” said McDonald.
Planned changes are:
• Establish a new VA-wide
customer service organization
to ensure top-level customer
service to veterans.
• Establishing a single regional framework that will simplify
internal coordination, facilitate
partnering and enhance customer service.
• Working with our partners
to establish a national network
of Community Veteran Advisory
Councils to coordinate better
service delivery with local, state
and community partners.
• Identifying opportunities for
VA to realign its internal business
processes into a shared services
model in which organizations
across VA leverage the same
support services, to improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase
productivity across VA.
He said, “As we work together
to design an employee-led, veteran-centric VA, we have a great
opportunity to make significant
progress toward our goals in the
near term.”
United States Navy
1-800-USA-NAVY
www.navyjobs.com
Ventura County
Ventura County Leadership Academy visits NBVC
On Friday, Nov. 14, Naval
Base Ventura County Point
Mugu hosted more than 30
members of the Ventura County
Leadership Academy for a wet
lands tour. Valerie Vartanian,
Natural Resources Manager,
NAVFAC South West lead the
tour and gave them an overview
of the wet lands.
The Ventura County Leadership Academy tour group
was made of Ventura-Planning
Division, Goodwill Industries,
VCCCD-Moorpark College,
CSU Channel Islands, California
Lutheran University and Ventura
County Transportation Commission just to name a few spending
a couple of hours at NBVC.
Right: Valerie Vartanian,
Natural Resources Manager, NAVFAC South West
lead shows the Ventura
County Leadership Academy a photo of the SNI
fox during her brief at
NBVC Point Mugu on Friday, Nov. 14. Official U.S.
Navy photos by Vance
Vasquez
ARABIAN GULF (Oct. 31, 2014) An E-2C Hawkeye
from the Sun Kings of Carrier Airborne Early Warning
Squadron (VAW) 116 prepares to land on the flight
deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson is deployed in the U.S. 5th
Fleet area of responsibility supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as
directed, maritime security operations, and theater
security cooperation efforts in the region. U.S. Navy
photo by MC2 John Philip Wagner Jr
Below:
Members of the Ventura
County Leadership Academy locate the replica
egg of a Snowy Plover
as left by Valerie Vartanian, Natural Resources
Manager, NAVFAC South
West as a part of the tour
to show the group how
difficult it is to locate the
small egg.
Visit us on the
web at
navydispatch.com
From Left to Right: VAW 116’s AT3 Huntoon, AME3
Perrin, AT1 Crawford, Lt. Meehan, and ADC Sykes after a successful launch of aircraft 603.
Where planning for life
after the military meets
“I could be deployed
at any time.”
Sexual assault prevention: No simple answer
Continued from page 4
response systems create conditions
for victims to report them. Reporting is the key to supporting the
victim and holding the perpetrator
appropriately accountable.
5) Future efforts. Continued
• Continued focus on victim
support. We will continue to
mature and improve the healthcare, legal, and overall support
services we provide to victims of
sexual assault – all based on Sailor
feedback.
Our goal is straightforward: a
Navy in which every Sailor understands what sexual assault is,
how to play a role in prevention,
and how to report it; a Navy in
which victims know they will be
supported and everyone knows
that perpetrators will be held appropriately accountable.
Beginning next month, I’ll
travel to Fleet concentration areas
to continue this vital conversation
– listening, answering your questions, and sharing your feedback
with your shipmates.
As with every challenge we’ve
faced for more than 239 years, we
are successful only when we pull
together as one team. We need
every voice and every Sailor’s effort to help prevent sexual assault
in our Navy.
started on my degree in
information technology
management.”
~ Carlos, Bachelor of Science
in IT Management
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NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014 • DISPATCH • 7
4) Sailor involvement and
willingness to address the problem is growing.
• The regular release of courtsmartial results provides transparency of our accountability process.
Final results are posted on the
public Navy website monthly.
Sexual assault is a topic we will
continue to address openly.
• Members of our Coalitions of
Sailors Against Destructive Decisions highlight the responsible
use of alcohol, healthy lifestyle
choices and the importance of
bystander intervention. Their
leadership is critical to our united
efforts in defeating destructive
behaviors and truly represents our
core values of honor, COURAGE,
and commitment.
attention. Looking ahead to
the next year, we will keep the
press on.
• Make it easier to understand
and comply with sexual assault
prevention and response resources,
policies, and requirements. We
will publish one easy to use document so Sailors and leadership
no longer need to sort through
numerous messages and instructions to understand and comply
with prevention and response
requirements.
• Improve our ability to identify data trends early so we can
take appropriate action. We will
continue to assess surveys/polls
to determine suitability for providing more real-time or continuous
information.
• Empower command leadership at all levels. Over the next
year, we will enhance the ability of
leaders to tailor their approach to
prevention and response program
education and awareness to better
fit individual Sailor and unit needs
while still meeting Navy-wide
standards and requirements.
“I wanted to get a jump
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I was earning, so I took
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Navy housing annual housing Resident Satisfaction Survey underway
Sailors living in Navy unaccompanied housing can provide
feedback through the Navy’s annual Resident Satisfaction Surveys (RSS) beginning Nov. 5.
This is the second of two
surveys designed to evaluate
housing matters; the previous
survey, for those in accompanied housing, was released in
October.
The RSS is an annual survey
that residents will receive from
their building managers to allow
them to provide feedback on
their Navy Housing experience.
Participation in the survey allows for valuable feedback that
helps sustain and improve Navy
Housing services.
interests than those with families
and these surveys allow us to
identify those areas.”
“Navy Housing is committed to ensuring our Sailors and
their families are receiving the
services they deserve,” said Greg
Wright, Navy Housing program
director. “We know that single
Sailors have different needs and
“One of the best ways to
capture the needs of our Sailors
is through direct feedback, and
this survey allows us to do that,”
he said.
Wright emphasized the need
for feedback in order to make
improvements.
The RSS measures all aspects
of customer satisfaction with
Navy Housing, including staff
services, the condition and maintenance of housing units, and
other provided amenities such as
furnishings and common areas.
Navy Housing encourages all
residents to not only answer the
survey, but to provide comments
on areas where improvements
can be made.
“Service members who live
in unaccompanied housing can
help us to direct project priorities, which we base, in part,
on resident satisfaction,” said
Wright.
This year, service members
living in unaccompanied housing may return their surveys
either by mail or online. The
surveys will be delivered to
The survey is also used to
target funding for facility and
amenity improvements.
Pendleton residents save
energy in housing
DoD Savings Deposit Program helps build nest egg
The DoD Savings Deposit Program (SDP) was established to provide
members of the uniformed services serving in designated combat zones
the opportunity to build their financial savings.
If you are serving in an SDP-eligible combat zone, you can start your
SDP account once you’ve been deployed for a minimum of 30 consecutive days or at least one day in each of three consecutive months, and
you must be receiving Hostile Fire Pay. Any military finance office in
theater can help you establish an account and assist you in setting up the
deposit method most convenient for you.
A total of $10,000 may be deposited during each deployment and will
earn 10% interest annually. You cannot close your account until you
have left the combat zone, although your money will continue to draw
interest for 90 days once you’ve returned home or to your permanent
duty station.
Deposits may be made in cash, by check or through allotment. Once
started, allotments may be increased or decreased as your financial
situation changes. Your allotment will stop upon your departure from
the combat zone.
While your account will be closed and all funds returned to you via
direct deposit 120 days after leaving the combat zone, there are some
guidelines regarding earlier withdrawal you need to know: •Once your
account reaches a $10,000 balance, you may withdraw funds over
$10,000 on a quarterly basis.
•Emergency withdrawal must be approved by your commanding officer who must determine that it is necessary for the health and welfare
of you or your family.
• If you want your funds before the 120-day
period ends, your myPay account provides an
automated request option for Savings Deposit
Program participants.
• You can also send a request including
your name, Social Security number and date
of departure from the combat zone… •… via
e-mail to CCL-SDP@dfas.mil
•…via fax to (216) 522-5060 “Attention: SDP”
•…or by mail to DFAS-Cleveland Center (DFAS-CL), ATTN: SDP,
Special Claims, 1240 East 9th St., Cleveland , OH 44199-2055
• Funds will be transferred electronically to the direct deposit account
on record, but may be deposited in another account you identify or via
hard copy check. You must identify how you want funds returned to
you. For banking/credit union accounts, provide the bank name, routing
number, account number and account type (savings or checking). For
hard copy checks, provide a complete mailing address.
• Be sure your allotment has been stopped before requesting withdrawal.
Need help with your SDP account? Our staff is ready to help, just
contact us at:
Toll Free (Stateside Only): 1-888-332-7411
Commercial: 216-522-5096
DSN: 580-5096
Fax: (Attention SDP): 216-522-5060
E-mail: CCL-SDP@dfas.mil
For more information visit www.dfas.mil and search for DoD Savings
Deposit Program.
all service members living in
government unaccompanied
quarters by Nov. 14.
For more information about
Navy Housing programs or to
find contact information for your
local Navy Housing Service
Center, visit the Navy Housing website at www.cnic.navy.
mil/Housing.
by Sgt. Valerie C. Eppler
The Department of Defense
has made energy conservation a
main focus over the last several
years, with one program specifically affecting the residents
on Camp Pendleton called the
Resident Energy Conservation
Program
billed for excess energy use.
“The first half of homes
aboard the Base entered ‘live
billing’ in May of 2013, and the
second half began live billing
in March 2014,” said Andrew
N. Killion, National RECP
manager for Lincoln Military
Housing here.
This program’s goal is to
encourage energy conservation
and reduce electricity costs in
more than 7,500 housing units
in 20 areas on base.
According to Killion, more
families have received rebates
than those who have incurred
charges. The average monthly
charge is generally less than
$30.00. Conversely, there
are many families at Camp
Pendleton that are earning over
$100.00 per month in rebates.
RECP is designed to encourage energy saving by rewarding
residents who use less than the
average amount of energy for
their type housing or to bill residents who exceed the average
energy usage.
Base residents who are within
10% of the average usage for
their type home will have no cost
impact. Residents using less energy than the 10% average will
be rewarded with cash/credit.
Residents using more energy
than the 10% average will be
“Since the program’s implementation a few months ago,
we have incurred nearly $85 in
credit to our account because
of our energy conservation,”
said Ashley Peracca, a Pacific
Views housing resident. “I think
the program is phenomenal.
Whether you have to pay a
small bill or receive a credit,
it is like having a discounted
electric bill each month.”
Disposing of your oil
correctly has benefited us all.
8 • DISPATCH • NOVEMBER 16-30, 2014
Do some more good by
recycling your oil filter too.
Funded by a grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
CLIENT:
OIL/DPW
JOB #:
09-OIL-2092