Navy News Service for Friday, January 18, 2008

[kiwi]

Navy News Service for Friday, January 18, 2008

NNS080118-08. A Lifetime of Civil Rights
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34427

NNS080118-02. Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Set to Deploy
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34414

NNS080118-18. Destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, Army Reserve Center Stands
Tall
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34442

NNS080118-17. Navy Moving to Contract Weather Observers
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34441

NNS080118-16. Boxer Adopts GSA Detailing
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34429

NNS080118-15. BHR Conducts Successful Ammo Offload
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34438

NNS080118-14. U.S. Fleet Forces Band's Newest Musician
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34434

NNS080118-13. Boxer Sailors Get ULTRA Ready
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34430

NNS080118-12. "Military Saves" Week: Feb. 24 to March 2
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34431

NNS080118-11. Supply Corps Leadership Tackles Top Navy Issues
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34440

NNS080118-10. Coalition Efforts Build Lawful Maritime Order
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34439

NNS080118-06. Former Tuskegee Airman Speaks at Navy MLK Ceremony
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34426

NNS080118-05. CPR-6 CFC Contribution Tops 190 Percent of Goal
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34424

NNS080118-03. Civil Affairs Team, Seabees Making a Difference in Obock
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34401

NNS080118-01. Ike Receives Retention Excellence Award
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34409

NNS080118-09. Daily News Update for January 21, 2008
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=34433

NNS020108-08. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 19
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=575

NNS020108-09. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 20
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=576

NNS020108-10. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 21
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=577

NNS020108-11. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 22
-- http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=578

Eye on the Fleet - U.S. Navy Photo of The Day
-- http://www.navy.mil/list_single.asp?id=54670

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NNS080118-08. A Lifetime of Civil Rights

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Melissa Russell, Naval
Support Activity Mid-South Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- For a young black man growing up in Mississippi
during the heat of the civil rights movement, getting involved wasn't a
choice. It was just a part of life.

As Elvernice "Sonny" Davis approaches, he looks sleek and strong in an
unassuming black leather coat and black slacks, but I'm a little anxious
about our meeting. We've got a lot to cover, but Davis puts me at ease
within seconds because he exudes a quiet tranquility you can't help but
pick up on.

As soon as we begin to chat, I'm enthralled. Little did I know I was
about to receive an education that no book could ever teach me and that
money could never buy.

Our classroom is the National Civil Rights Museum in downtown Memphis.
The museum was built on the site of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968. The exhibits of the
museum tell the story of the struggle for black civil rights from the
arrival of the first Africans in the British colonies in 1619 to the
assassination of King in 1968. The museum is especially noteworthy for
the preserved portion of the Lorraine Motel where King was shot.

My teacher today is especially qualified to talk about the civil rights
movement because he was there. He lived it.

"I grew up at the edge of the black community and the beginning of the
white community," Davis said as he begins his story. There, in Winona,
Miss., Davis had the opportunity to grow up in an integrated setting. A
place where black children and white children intermingled in an era
bent on segregation.

Yet, he said, "Even though we went segregated black churches, segregated
black schools - my surroundings were integrated."

It was in those surroundings that Davis' father taught him to accept
people for their value as people, rather than by the color of their
skin.

"My father taught us that there was no difference between white and
black people. That a black person could be your worst enemy sometimes
and a white person could be your best friend," said Davis.

Davis, born in 1940, has lived the civil rights movement in its
entirety, and as we begin to stroll along the museum corridor, he
explained that, "With living in Mississippi, it's not a question of when
you got involved. You just kind of 'lived' involved all of your life."

And so with expressive hands and reflective eyes, he began to tell me
about his life during the civil rights movement.

"When I went to Rust College in Holly Springs, Miss., I became formally
a part of the civil rights movement as a pastor."

Davis was only 20 years old. He became an officer in his college's
chapter of the NAACP, marched in
one of the attempts demonstrators made to go from Selma to Montgomery,
took part in various meetings and conferences, and, above all tactics,
and believed that nonviolence and interracial communication were key.

He explained, "If people can sit down and talk, like a husband and wife,
it prevents a whole lot of problems. If communities get together and
churches talk to each other, it creates a harmony that you cannot have
when there's disjointedness and disagreement passing in the night with
ideas."

As we chatted, Davis runs through a list of highlights in his life. He
recalled episodes that involved learning to resist aggressors in
non-violent ways, attending freedom marches, desegregating public places
and transport, learning how to register people to vote, being part of
voter registration drives and even later registering for his vote to be
heard. It isn't long before Davis smiled slightly, and recalled the
white teacher who would invite white sociology students from the
University of Mississippi to come to Rust College under the cover of
darkness and discuss ways to make Mississippi a better state and a
better place to live.

Nevertheless, his smile is short lived as we come to an exhibit
commemorating a February 1960 sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter in
Greensboro, N.C. This turned our conversation to the time when he and a
friend desegregated a Greyhound bus station.

It was the morning of Oct. 1, 1961. Davis and Nathaniel Green were on
their way to a desegregated Methodist Student Movement Conference in
Atlanta via a Greyhound bus. At 5:30 in the morning, the bus pulled into
the station in Birmingham for a routine stop.

Davis said that because they were in college, the two young men knew
that the that the Interstate Commerce Committee's ruling to desegregate
the buses had gone into effect at one minute after midnight that
morning.

"So when we got to Birmingham, all the signs were still there. The
Negroes went to where the Negroes were supposed to go. We followed the
whites," Davis said.

It wasn't long before trouble found them. A police officer began
harassing them. He followed them, asking questions, and instructed them
not to leave the station, saying they were being investigated as
burglars the police were looking for. Davis and Green told the officer
that investigating them was fine, but that they were going to eat
breakfast in the cafeteria.

Davis slowed his story. "Boy he really got angry. His face flushed."

However, the young men went to eat anyway. The officer followed them,
asking more questions and again warning them not to leave until he had
cleared them. As the young men entered the cafeteria, a white patron
called out to them and said, "Hey fellas, what's Wyatt Earp trying to
prove out there?'"

This helped put them at ease. As they tried to look for seats two white
young soldiers in uniform called out to them, "Hey fellas, come over,
sit down and eat with us."

They did but Davis was starting to get nervous.

"To my imagination and feeling, it looked like every policeman from all
over the world descended upon the Greyhound bus station. They were
walking to and from all over the place by our table, but not saying
anything to us. Obviously, I lost my appetite."

The young men thanked the soldiers and excused themselves. Soon the
announcement to board their bus came and they told the police officer
they were leaving. He didn't reply, so Davis and Green went ahead and
got onto the bus.

Then they heard a ruckus and saw police officers carrying the soldiers
from the cafeteria over their heads and throwing them out.

"The cops had these two soldiers - uniformed soldiers - up over their
heads hauling them out of the cafeteria and they just dumped them like
garbage on the pavement," Davis said.

The soldiers shook themselves off and boarded the bus to Atlanta.

What happened next scared Davis. "The cop then came out to the bus and
started asking the bus driver, 'Hey, do you know those two niggers on
the bus?' The bus driver was trying to stay out of it, but the cop said,
'Well those are two smart niggers, but they won't get away with it. I
guarantee you that.'"

He continued slowly, "Nat and I then were afraid. We were afraid that,
as was customary in the South, that after the bus got out on the road,
they'd stop the bus and take us off."

However, that didn't happen and for the third time that morning, they
were relaxed by the words of a stranger.

"One of the white passengers, who was talking loud, he said, 'You know,
I did my dissertation on the stupidity of the South in continuing these
battles against trying to keep racial segregation in place because we
lost that battle years ago.'"

And what he was doing, according to Davis, without trying to say
anything was to say, "Hey fellas, we're with you."

To the relief of Davis and Green, the bus never stopped they made it
safely to the conference, where they received a hero's welcome. Davis
said, "It made the national news as two students desegregated the
Greyhound bus station this morning without incident."

I can't imagine what that must have been like to live in those times,
and I and can't help but ask how that experience impacted Davis. "It
confirmed my convictions all along that not all white people are in this
thing, that not all white people are like that. There are good white
people, there are good black people; there are bad black people and
there are bad white people. And others, all over the world. That was my
conviction then, and all of those confirmations make it my conviction
today."

We continue to descend into the museum where displays showed photographs
with faces familiar to Davis. He pointed them out easily. James
Meredith, Medgar (Mega) Evers, A. D. Williams King, Andy Young, James
Bevel, Jesse Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Faces and acquaintances from decades past line the walls. Davis has
stories that involve most of them. He continued with his accounts,
gently sweeping his hands through the air every now and then as if
dusting cobwebs or hurt away from some memories, and shining others
until they glow.

"And so these were my times," he said.

Davis explained there were two divergent philosophies of the civil
rights movements. One theory, which was endorsed by a leader of Rust
College's Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, said students
should leave school and join the marches.

However, "Mega Evers was coming to Rust College telling us, 'Stay in
school. We need somebody who's qualified to walk through the doors when
the doors open.' And so you had those diverging opinions of students who
were encouraged to leave school and you had others who were saying stay
in school so you can help us when the war is over."

In his quiet steady voice he looked at me and said, "They both made
sense. It took all of them."

We approach a troubling video display. Policemen with fire hoses blast
water at demonstrators.

"I wasn't there but this is always emotional for me to see," Davis said
as we move along. He explained that to him the civil rights movement was
a mixture of feelings because he knew that not all white people hated
black people, but that it was often presented that way.

"For me the white people who got picked up by the media doing (criminal)
things did not represent all white people. They represented a criminal
element of white people. That not all white people were members of the
Klan. All white people were not members of the White Citizens Council,"
he said.

[kiwi]

My teacher smoothly points to a picture of blacks and whites with
interlinked arms.

"And this is what I really was inspired by, the integration. The
integrated effort, black and white together. Even in Mississippi, there
was black and white together, so how could you say that all white folks
were against black folks when white people were dying in the movement
just like black folk were dying?" said Davis.

Davis talked about the importance of having an open communication. He
recalled when he was appointed in Aberdeen, Miss., when another pastor
recognized him from a conference they'd both attended while in seminary.
The pastor asked Davis to help desegregate the strict ministerial
association. To do so, they had to hold meetings with prominent
political leaders, members of churches, pastors that were political
leaders, and members of the chamber of commerce. All of the groups had
to work together to figure out how to keep Aberdeen from becoming
socially explosive.

"So just like that, we desegregated the police force. We hired two
policemen for the first time in history, black policemen. Then merchants
started hiring students in their stores and retail, and we began
interracial dialog. Those things today don't seem significant, but that
was pivotal," explained Davis.

Yet, he makes it seem so simple. We continue to stroll and chat. Peering
at displays and exhibits. I can't help but think I'm seeing the world
through a different set of eyes, and that I can hardly believe my
vision. I've never really experienced racism before.

Not like this. Not while growing up in a post-civil rights movement
America with my mixed neighborhood and my mixed schools in my little
middle-class Southern California household. Mom, dad, 2.4 kids.

I can't hold back any longer. I want to know about his involvement with
Martin Luther King.

"His first speech that I heard was recorded by my brother. In 1961, he
came to Clarksdale, Miss. I couldn't go there, so my brother taped his
sermon and I've almost memorized it. Because it was so powerful, so
moving," recalled Davis.

I'm astounded he can remember King's words all these years later. "Will
anyone remember mine next month?" But not only that, Davis still
remembers the first time he ever heard King in person.

"The first time I personally heard King was at the University of
Nebraska. I was at a World Student Christian Federation conference when
he spoke," Davis said. "You could not, not be moved when you heard Dr.
King speak."

The conversation rolled as we moved along. We approached the preserved
portion of the Lorraine Motel where King was assassinated so many years
ago, and we
began to discuss that fateful day. Firstly, as a former guest of the
Lorraine Motel, Davis can attest to the authenticity of the rooms'
preservation. He explained, "This is identical. I remember this set-up."

Davis motioned around pointing through glass and gently gestured toward
the outside of the museum.

"This is where Dr. King was. He was just like any other normal person.
He was 39 years of age and he'd come here for a noble cause. Then just
decided to go out and get some air on the balcony. It was here that he
was shot down in cold blood," recalled Davis.

But weren't you worried how his loss would affect the movement? Davis
replied, "I knew that the movement would not die. I knew that the civil
rights movement was not embodied in one person."

Nevertheless, Davis was sad.

"I regretted it for Dr. King and I was angry, very angry, at whoever did
it. And none of us ever believed that (assassin James Earl) Ray was the
only perpetrator who killed Dr. King. We knew it was an organized
effort, or we believed it was an organized effort. It was a very, very
terrible time when Dr. King was killed," said Davis.

In fact, that was the most challenging time for Davis in the movement.
He was stationed at Fort Bliss for training when he heard the news. He
and his comrades were told to get their gear and get ready to leave. He
rushed home, got his gear and said goodbye to his wife, who was about
six months pregnant at the time. Davis didn't know where he was going
and he didn't know when he was coming back. It turned out they sat on
the tarmac for somewhere between six and 12 hours; the group never
deployed.

Davis simply said, "That was an emotionally wracking experience."

Davis wondered if I've ever heard the song "Abraham, Martin and John" by
Mahalia Jackson, a very popular civil rights movement song. I hadn't. So
right there, in
the alcove of the museum near the place where King was killed, Davis
sang it to me, soft and low as other museum-goers look around.

"Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin? Can you tell me where he's
gone? He freed a lotta people, but it seems the good, they die young.
You know, I just looked around, and he's gone."

When he is finished, I find myself deeply and surprisingly moved. I can
see why it was popular.

He explained, "We went through three murders at the same time that were
of people who were very, very important to the black community and the
American community. John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King."


Yet, with the lyrics still resonating, we move on. As if perhaps to
distance ourselves from old hurt, we move on.

As we continue about the museum, Davis told me about the first time he
ever felt American. "How does one remember the first time they ever felt
like an American?" But Davis recalled it vividly.

Davis said it was September of 1957. He was 17 years old, sitting on a
stool in Walgreen's Drug Store in Chicago.

"I looked up at the TV and saw on the news Eisenhower had ordered the
desegregation of the high school in Little Rock and ordered federal
marshals in to protect the students, black students," recalled Davis.

Right then Davis felt his government had finally taken a step to do
something for him. He felt recognized. Although he had formerly made a
conscious decision to dodge the draft if he was ever called, that single
event made him change his mind.

"I said that I would never fight for our country because my rights were
not respected. After that event I said, 'Ok, I'll answer the draft now,
if I'm called,'" said Davis.

It's hard for me to imagine not wanting to serve our great nation, but I
realize that things were
different then and I don't blame him for his feelings.

I was a little surprised at what he told me next. Although he was a
pastor and therefore exempt from the draft, Davis later ended up joining
the Army as a chaplain.

"The primary reason I went into the military was to be a pastor to
soldiers. That's just simple," said Davis. Yet, he told me how going to
Vietnam and joining the Army only served to reinforce his convictions.

"As a chaplain, I had an opportunity to sit and talk with guys who said
back in the states, they had been members of the Ku Klux Klan all of
their lives, and said they'd just never had time, never had an
opportunity to just sit down and talk to folks of another race and see
that they want the same things that you want. They're just like you
are," said Davis.

Davis' military experience also gave him the chance to see what life
could be like when anti-discrimination rules were both laid down and
enforced.

"There were people who attempted to discriminate because of race, but
since 1948 - the desegregation of the armed forces by Truman - there
were laws to protect, and so it was easier to force justice than in
communities where the laws were not rigid and courts were not in their
favor," said Davis.

We strolled on and he began another story. When he was in Vietnam, he
received a letter from his mother asking for guidance. She was upset
because she'd received a letter saying she'd won some land in
Mississippi. However, at the bottom of the letter were two requirements
she had to fill in order to be able to claim her prize. One, she had to
be white, and two, she had to have blue eyes. The letter sounded as
outrageous to me as I'm sure it did to Davis and his mother all those
years ago.

"You're there fighting for democracy, and you're looking at what's going
on at home to keep you from being a full citizen. You're fighting for
people to have freedom and then you're seeing that your freedoms in your
own home country are being squashed. That doesn't feel very good," Davis
said.

I can't imagine that it would. I find myself thinking about how strong
people had to be just to survive in those days. Let alone to be so far
away without modern forms of instant gratification communication systems
like the Internet, cell phones and web cams.

We've circled back through the museum by this time and are heading
outside to get a better look at the balcony King stood on when he was
shot. I can't help but mention
that it's been almost exactly 30 years since King's assassination.

"It's hard to believe, but life goes on, it really does."

Perhaps the most trying times have come and gone. Davis said he is happy
with the changes that have been made but that he feels there are still
those people who would like to hold others down. From there we head next
door to see where Earl fired from and get an idea of the
scene from his perspective. As we cross the empty street, I ask why
nonviolence was such an important standard during the movement.

"As Dr. King said, the white community had all the power. The southern
law enforcements, the National Guard armories. If we had tried to fight,
we'd have been fighting with sticks. We could not have prevailed against
the powers that be," Davis said.

We enter the second building of the museum and see a photo gallery. Here
Davis takes the chance to impress upon me that although blacks started
the civil rights movement, it was not just their movement.

"In just about every one of these portraits, you will see some whites
scattered among all of the blacks. It was an American movement and not a
racial movement," said Davis.

I can't recall ever hearing this idea before today, but I like it. I
like to think that I'd have been in some of those photographs if I'd
been born into that time. That I'd have had the strength and the bravery
to stand with others and make a difference.

We move upstairs to get an idea of the view Ray would have had the day
he shot King, but along the way, we stop to watch a video about that
day.

King is speaking: "A long life, longevity has its place, but I'm not
concerned about that now. I'm just gonna do God's will. And he's allowed
me to go up the mountain. And I have looked over and I have seen the
Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know
tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So I am happy
tonight. I am not worried about anything. I am not fearing anything.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

Davis and I just sort of look at one another. "What is there to say?"
After a second he said, "That's what I was saying. You can't hear Dr.
Martin Luther King and not be motivated. Very powerful."

Very powerful indeed. As we approach the little jetty and the end of our
conversation, we look down and see something similar to what was there
the day Ray shot King. I think we're both feeling pretty amazed by the
gravity of the situation, past and present. From here, we can look down
and see the side of the Lorraine Motel. It looks the same now as it did
in photos we saw in the museum. We are transported back in time, and yet
we are not, because as the mid-afternoon sun pours through the glass, we
stand united; a young white woman and an old black man, looking out over
space and time
observing lessons in patience, strength, acceptance and success.

As we depart, Davis sums things up in the simple silver-lining sort of
way I've come to appreciate from him in the short time we've spent
together.

"I think the bottom line really is ... George Wallace used to say
there's not a dime's worth of difference between a Republican and a
Democrat because he was
running on an independent ticket. I say there's not a dime's worth of
difference between white and black folks. Or red and blue and brown.
People are just people. I learned that in Vietnam, I leaned that in
Germany, I learned that in Korea. People are just people," Davis said.

And so even though there is no test at the end of our session and no big
graduation party or presents, I leave my lesson at the museum with a new
sense of understanding. And trust me, the civil rights movement I was
taught about in school did my knowledge base no justice in comparison to
the living history that was shared with me that day. My hat's off to
you, Sonny Davis, for playing your part in teaching the world lessons we
will surely never forget.

[kiwi]

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NNS080118-02. Nimitz Carrier Strike Group Set to Deploy

From Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG), with more than
7,000 Sailors and Marines, will deploy Jan. 24 while the
forward-deployed USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) undergoes scheduled maintenance
in Yokosuka, Japan.

Nimitz CSG is deploying under the Navy's fleet response plan (FRP) and
will operate in the Western Pacific in support of U.S. commitments in
the region.

The FRP provides the United States with the ability to respond to any
global commitment with flexible and sustainable forces and the ability
to rapidly respond to a range of situations on short notice.

The Nimitz CSG, commanded by Rear Adm. Terry Blake, is comprised of
Commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11,
Destroyer Squadron 23, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz
(CVN 68), the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), the
guided-missile destroyers USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), USS Higgins (DDG
76), and USS Chafee (DDG 90), the "Scorpions" of Helicopter
Anti-submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 49, the "Easy Riders" of HSL-37 and
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11.

The squadrons of CVW-11 include the "Tophatters" of Strike Fighter
Squadron (VFA) 14, the "Black Aces" of VFA-41, the "Sunliners" of
VFA-81, the "Wallbangers" of Airborne Early Warning Squadron 117, the
"Red Devils" of Marine Corps Strike Fighter Squadron 232, the "Black
Ravens" of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 135, the "Providers" of
Carrier Logistics Support 30, and the "Indians" of Helicopter
Anti-submarine Squadron 6.

During the past few months, the Nimitz CSG has conducted several
training exercises off the coast of California and is fully prepared to
deploy.

In September 2007, the Nimitz CSG returned from a six-month deployment
to the Persian Gulf and the Western Pacific. During its 2007 deployment,
the Nimitz CSG supported Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom,
conducted Maritime Security Operations, and participated in joint and
coalition military exercises and operations with many countries.

Commanded by Capt. Mike Manazir, Nimitz was commissioned in 1975, making
it the first Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The ship is
named for World War II Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Third Fleet, visit
www.navy.mil/local/c3f/.

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NNS080118-18. Destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, Army Reserve Center Stands
Tall

By Gary Nichols, Center for Information Dominance Corry Station Public
Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- Corry Station welcomed its newest resident -
350th Civil Affairs Command (CACOM) Headquarters - at a ribbon cutting
and welcome aboard ceremony Jan. 12.

Built in the 1950s the Army Reserve building located near Pensacola
Junior College and Pensacola Regional Airport had become a familiar
landmark to area residents. Sadly, the building was yet another victim
left in the wake of Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

In a cooperative effort between the 81st Regional Readiness Command from
Birmingham, Ala., the 350th CACOM, Center for Information Dominance
(CID) Corry Station and Naval Air Station Pensacola, construction began
two years ago at Corry Station.

"DOD has realized there is some advantage to combining facilities,"
Commanding General U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations
Command (Airborne) Maj. Gen. David A. Morris said. "It's a little unique
having an Army Reserve unit onboard a naval base, but if you look at how
we work in the field, we conduct joint operations all the time."

The new 38,500-square foot, $8.7 million facility, located at the west
end of Chiefs' Way on board Corry Station and within sight of the new
Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense's Joint Ambulatory Care Clinic,
is designed to service a robust and growing 200-member Army Reserve
Civil Affairs command to meet the changing demands of a nation at war.

"It's a great day for the Army Reserve to have the headquarters building
completed," Lonnie Hawkins, district representative for Rep. Jeff
Miller, said. "Were also looking forward to being back soon (at Corry
Station) for the grand opening of the VA Super Clinic."

Featured speaker and 350th Civil Affairs Command Commander Brig. Gen.
Jeffrey A. Jacobs noted that 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the
Army Reserve and that completion of the new facility is particularly
meaningful as the Army is transforming and adapting to overcome a new
enemy for a new century.

"Our 50-year-old former reserve center on College Boulevard, home though
it was for all those years, represented the Cold War, Strategic Army
Reserve that no longer exists," Jacobs said. "I can't think of a more
appropriate way for us to mark the beginning of the Army Reserve's
second century, or a more fitting way to symbolize the transformation of
the Army Reserve, or a more apt recognition of our great Army Reserve
Soldiers, than to open this new center."

Since the majority of the Civil Affair (CA) forces are in the Reserves,
these civilian/Soldiers have unique skills and education not typically
associated with regular war-fighters.

CA units include Soldiers with training and experience in public
administration, public safety, public health, legal systems, labor
management, public welfare, public finance, public education, civil
defense, public works and utilities, public communications, public
transportation, logistics, food and agricultural services, economics,
property control, cultural affairs, civil information and managing
dislocated persons.

The overall mission of these CA Soldiers is far reaching.

Civil affairs units like the 350th help military commanders attain their
mission objectives during peace, contingency operations and declared
war. They support activities of both conventional and special operations
forces.

CA Soldiers also help to reduce civilian interference with Coalition
operations, minimize military disruption of civilian activities and
assist in the restoration of public services and peaceful activities to
affected areas as quickly as possible.

CA Soldiers have been trained to identify critical requirements needed
by local citizens in war or natural disaster situations, such as
Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina.

They can also locate civil resources to support military operations,
help minimize civilian interference with operations, support national
assistance activities and establish and maintain liaison or dialogue
with civilian aid agencies and other non-governmental organizations.

The 350th's new home on Corry Station is the long-time home of the
Center for Information Dominance, which has recently opened the Navy's
Center for Language, Regional Expertise and Culture. Focused primarily
on developing training solutions to help Sailors develop language and
culture expertise.

"Having the Army's Civil Affairs professionals on board Corry Station
located with the Navy's language and culture professionals is
phenomenal," CID Corry Station Commanding Officer, Capt. Connie Frizzell
said. "We have already begun a joint dialogue to leverage each others
expertise and capabilities."

The Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Command
(Airborne), stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., is the headquarters of the
350th CACOM. USACAPOC(A) is a multi-component command comprised of
nearly 10,000 Soldiers in 67 units across 27 states. USACAPOC(A) is home
to 94 percent of the Department of Defense's CA capability and 71
percent of Department of Defense's PSYOP capability.

CID Corry Station oversees career management and training for officer
and enlisted students of the United States military and allied forces in
the fields of Information Warfare, Information Professional, Cryptologic
and Information Technology.

CID's mission is to deliver the right training, at the right time, in
the right place, utilizing technology, innovation and science of
learning, to provide the fleet with optimally trained information
professionals who will create a tactical advantage for mission success
in the information domain. CID oversees training for approximately
16,000 students annually at 17 detachments and learning sites throughout
the United States and in Japan.

For more news from Center for Information Dominance, visit
www.navy.mil/local/corry/.

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NNS080118-17. Navy Moving to Contract Weather Observers

By George Lammons, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Public
Affairs

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. (NNS) -- Military weather observers at all
25 U.S Navy continental United States air fields will be replaced by
civilian contracted observers this year, in response to a Navy
efficiency study.

The turnover began this month at five air fields - Naval Air Station
Lemoore, Naval Air Station North Island (including San Clemente and
Imperial Beach) and Naval Air Station Meridian. The other 22 Navy air
fields will change in a phased approach to accommodate Sailors'
scheduled transfers and reenlistments.

The contracted weather observers also will have a one-month turnover
with the military observers to ensure a smooth transition. The majority
of the transition will take place this year and should be complete by
January 2009.

"We're still going to have qualified (weather) observers at our air
fields, the only difference is they will be civilians," said Capt. Grant
Cooper, Director of Operations for Aviation Weather at the Naval
Oceanography Operations Command (NOOC).

NOOC is a subordinate of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
(NMOC), based at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

The services provided by the civilian contracted observers will remain
the same as the services that had been provided by the military
observers. The weather observations are used in formulation of weather
forecasts and weather models.

This year's change is another step in the NMOC effort to streamline its
aviation weather directorate.

The Naval Aviation Forecast Center (NAFC) was established January 2005
in Norfolk to centralize Continental United States aviation weather
forecasting services as a key part of the comprehensive transformation
in the Naval Oceanography Program. Manning at 25 naval air stations and
outlying fields drew down as the Flight Weather Briefer program was
established as an automated tool to request and receive a pre-flight
weather brief via the web.

Two master jet bases (NAS Oceana and NAS Lemoore) as well as four large
training air fields (Corpus Christi, Pensacola, Whiting Field and
Whidbey Island) retained weekday, on-site forecasting services because
of their operational tempo and to provide an extra level of risk
mitigation. Off-hour requests are supported by NAFC.

Naval Aviation Forecast Detachment (NAFD) San Diego will be established
in summer, as a forecasting hub for the western naval air fields and
Texas air stations (Corpus Christi, Fort Worth and Kingsville).
Additionally, the consolidation of forecasting services has occurred in
Asia and Europe and is supported by the Naval Aviation Forecast
Detachment in Atsugi, Japan, and the Naval Aviation Forecast Detachment
in Sembach, Germany.

For more news from Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, visit
www.news.navy.mil/local/cnmoc/.

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NNS080118-16. Boxer Adopts GSA Detailing

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tiffani Paredes, USS Boxer
Public Affairs

USS BOXER, At Sea (NNS) -- As of Jan. 18, USS Boxer (LHD 4) has sent 14
Sailors around the world to fill individual augmentee (IA) assignments
since returning from its Western Pacific deployment.

Sending Sailors overseas to fill these assignments often creates
vacancies in key positions throughout the ship. The Navy has responded
to this fleet-wide concern by implementing the Global War on Terrorism
Support Assignment (GSA) detailing system.

Under GSA, a Sailor in their transfer window can choose an IA position
online. In the past, Sailors had to interrupt their tours on short
notice in order to fill a predetermined IA position.

"If IA now has to be what we're going to accept as a norm for the Navy,
it's better if people have a choice of where they're going to go," said
Chief Navy Counselor (SW/AW) Andre Brown.

Brown will soon serve as a career counselor at Expeditionary Combat
Readiness Center in Norfolk. Brown will support Sailors who are serving
in locations such as Iraq, Djibouti and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On Boxer,
he regularly informs personnel on IA benefits such as extra pay and
advancement exam points for E-5 and below.

Brown said predictability will be a major GSA detailing incentive
because the IA Sailor, their current command and their family all get
time to prepare. It starts when a Sailor volunteers to go IA and then
gets first choice of the duty station they will go to after completing
IA duty. They then receive their orders, transfer and the command brings
in a replacement. While the Sailor completes IA duty, their family can
settle in at the next duty station early.

In Boxer's case, GSA detailing may prove to be especially valuable
because the ship's manning and qualifications will no longer be affected
by temporarily vacated billets.

"It's going to help because IA [assignments] will no longer pull key
people who are accounted for in our [current] training cycle," explained
Brown.

Machinist's Mate 3rd Class (SW) Andres Baron is one of Boxer's first
Sailors to go IA under GSA detailing and is waiting for official
permission to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. He appreciates how GSA
detailing keeps IA Sailors from working for two commands simultaneously.
He also likes the advantages IA duty provides.

"It's an adventure, something you can tell your grandkids about," he
said.

Boxer leadership is developing training on GSA detailing for its
division and department career counselors so that the crew is fully
informed of this opportunity.

Boxer is currently preparing for its Unit Level Training Assessment
scheduled for February.

For more news from USS Boxer, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/lhd4/.

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NNS080118-15. BHR Conducts Successful Ammo Offload

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mark Patterson II, USS
Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) (BHR) returned to its
homeport of San Diego Jan. 18 after conducting a post-deployment
ammunition offload off the coast of Southern California Jan. 14-17.

The four-day offload evolution consisted of removing more than 1 million
pounds of missiles, demolition material and small and large caliber
munitions. MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat
Squadron 23 were used to lift and transport the ammunition to transport
trucks.

Those trucks, according to Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW/SW/FMF)
Derrick J. Smith, were used to transfer the loads to Naval Weapons
Station, Fallbrook, Calif.

"This particular ammunition offload was different," said Smith, G-3
division leading petty officer. "Normally the ammunition would be
transferred via helicopter and (landing craft unit) to another ship that
is getting ready for deployment."

However, since there was no other ship preparing for deployment and in
need of the ammunition, it was instead transferred to Fallbrook via
transport trucks, said Smith.

According to Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW/SW) Jaime Juarez, before
the offload could begin, the ammunition was moved to large areas on the
flight deck and hangar bay then separated. It was then pre-staged in
sequence determined by the receiving shore command in order to
facilitate the loading of the trucks ashore and to meet shipment
criteria.

"The overall weight, the explosive weight and the compatibility between
the different kinds of explosives all had to be considered before
shipping," said Juarez. "Once separated, the ammunition was then staged
at the forward and aft ends of the flight deck."

Once ammunition arrives in Fallbrook, it is refreshed and prepared for
distribution to the next ship being deployed, said Chief Aviation
Ordnanceman (AW) Daniel J. Kramer.

"When ammunition is transferred from ship-to-ship, it goes as-is," said
Kramer, "but the personnel at Fallbrook are capable of re-palletizing
and re-marking all of the ammunition. That way the next ship to receive
the ammo will receive (fresh) supplies."

Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (AW) David P. McGinty, G-3 Division
leading chief petty officer, was pleased with the performance of all the
Sailors involved.

"The offload was a great success," said McGinty. "It was professionally
staged and executed. All personnel involved did an outstanding job. They
made my job easy."

The ammo offload represented the final stage of the BHR's 2007 Western
Pacific deployment and the start of the post-deployment maintenance
period.

"We had this ammo for over a year now," said Smith, "and I know that we
were all happy to see it go. This evolution truly signified the end of a
successful deployment."

For more news from USS Bonhomme Richard, visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd6/.


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NNS080118-14. U.S. Fleet Forces Band's Newest Musician

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman John Suits, Fleet Public Affairs
Center, Atlantic

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The title of musician has various meanings to different
people and many people might associate the word "musician" with today's
bands aired on popular radio stations.

Not for Musician Seaman Frederick Vaughan, who views his musical talents
with high regard. Assigned to U.S. Fleet Forces Band, Vaughan plays his
clarinet to represent the Navy and himself.

"Vaughan stood out as an exemplary Sailor to his superiors," said Senior
Chief Musician David Wiley, U.S. Fleet Forces Band leading chief petty
officer. "To me, he's a representative of the quality Sailor and
musician we're training today. He's the example of what I expect out of
our junior Sailors."

Vaughan picked up the clarinet from father, who used to play it in high
school. As Vaughan grew older, so did his passion for the clarinet.
Eventually, Vaughan heard about the Navy music program.

"I went to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) for an audition,
which lasted about 20 minutes, and it was a piece of cake for me. I got
a letter a few days later letting me know that I got accepted," said
Vaughan.

Vaughan attended basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., then
headed to the Navy School of Music at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
in Virginia Beach, Va.

Vaughan's next assignment sent him to the U.S. Fleet Forces Band at
Naval Station Norfolk.

U.S. Fleet Forces Band Command Master Chief Jon Pasch feels Vaughan has
the right tools to succeed in the band.

"When he got here, he sat down and played great," said Pasch. "He's a
totally squared away and mature guy."

Wiley added that the biggest step to becoming part of the band is
playing in front of your shipmates.

"The hardest audition you'll ever play in your life is in front of your
shipmates because we're all our own critics," said Wiley. "The first
impressions are the lasting impressions. You have a room full of
musicians and they all say, 'Okay, impress me.' That's initiation for
the new guys that come in. Vaughan played great for his first
performance that he was assigned to."

Vaughan's first performance was during the School of Music change of
command and retirement ceremony. Since then, his career has taken off.

"I've performed in several ceremonies almost every day," said Vaughan.

Vaughan's music career in the Navy might be starting, but his plans for
the future remain the same.

"I've devoted much of my life to making music and I'm not going to stop
anytime soon," said Vaughan. "In my opinion, playing clarinet takes a
minute to learn and a lifetime to master," said Vaughan. "When I'm
playing, anything less than perfect is unacceptable."

For more news from Naval Station Norfolk, visit www.navy.mil/local/nsn/.


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NNS080118-13. Boxer Sailors Get ULTRA Ready

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jon Rasmussen, USS
Boxer Public Affairs

ABOARD USS BOXER (NNS) -- USS Boxer (LHD 4) was back at sea off the
southern California coast Jan. 10-16 preparing for its upcoming series
of Unit Level Training Assessments (ULTRA).

The ULTRA series, administered by Afloat Training Group Pacific, is the
first challenge Boxer Sailors face in ensuring the ship is ready for
operational tasking.

"This is important because if Boxer doesn't successfully complete the
ULTRA cycle then Boxer will not be available for higher level tasking in
support of the global war on terrorism, Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi freedom," said Lt. Cmdr. Waymon Jackson, Boxer
operations officer.

In order to prime themselves for upcoming assessments, the Boxer crew is
using this time at sea to hone Sailors' skills in emergency scenarios
for damage control, mass casualties, ship's defense, as well as routine
operations like underway replenishments and amphibious operations with
various landing crafts.

"The challenge we have to face is having only a short period of underway
time to effectively get a lot of evolutions and drills in," said Lt.
Cmdr. Jeremy Clauze, Boxer training officer. "We have to maximize the
time we're underway to practice perfect and make sure we're ready to
enter the ULTRA scenario."

These evolutions will also help to familiarize new Boxer Sailors with
how the ship operates at sea.

"We have a lot of new people," said Jackson. "Some of them have limited
amphibious experience. Some have their own way of doing things and now
we have to train them to do business the way Boxer does business and how
to operate in the amphibious community."

According to Jackson, getting new Boxer Sailors experienced and
integrated into established teams and routines is important to preparing
them for the future operations they will conduct as a part of the Boxer
team.

"At the end of the ULTRA series we want to do is achieve all the
certifications that we need to effectively be ready to deploy at anytime
to anywhere the Navy needs us to go," said Clauze.

Boxer is scheduled to begin the ULTRA Series in February.

For more news from USS Boxer, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/lhd4/.

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NNS080118-12. "Military Saves" Week: Feb. 24 to March 2

By Bruce Moody, Commander, Navy Installations Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- "Military Saves" Week will be observed throughout
the Fleet from Feb. 24 to March 2.

The campaign is a week of intense focus on taking financial action and
making a commitment to save money. In 2008, the Navy will focus
specifically on saving for emergencies, reducing debt to improve
personal financial readiness and promoting youth financial
responsibility.

This initiative is part of the Military Saves Campaign, a year-round
social marketing campaign to persuade, motivate and encourage Department
of Defense employees to save money and reduce consumer debt. The
campaign reaches out to Service members, spouses, youth and civilian
employees.

"We're stepping up our efforts to increase individual and family
financial fitness by providing additional educational programs at our
Fleet and Family Support Centers and by working directly with command
financial specialists to provide information and personalized assistance
in addressing unit financial readiness," David DuBois, of Commander,
Navy Installation Command, said. DuBois is CNIC's Deputy Manager for
Fleet and Family Support Programs, delivering military and family
readiness services.

"We have increased the number of Accredited Financial Counselors in the
Fleet and Family Support Centers available to provide one-on-one help in
developing realistic and achievable financial plans," DuBois said.
"We're increasing the involvement of our partner agencies, on-base
financial institutions, consumer awareness experts and nationwide
industry leaders to help improve your financial fitness."

As part of Military Saves Week, installation leadership and will focus
on encouraging Sailors to take action and make a commitment to save
money. They will work with a variety of installation resources to
motivate military members and their families to make a commitment to
save by offering special events, classes and resources that focus on
individual financial fitness.

The campaign is a command initiative in which leadership can work to
create a culture that encourages savings and financial readiness.
Through the campaign, leadership will promote wealth-building messages
for military members, encouraging them to set savings goals, open
savings accounts, make regular contributions to household savings,
increase debt payments and participate in financial education programs.

Participants in Military Saves Week include: Command Financial
Specialists, Fleet & Family Support Centers, Public Affairs Offices,
installation banks and credit unions, Child & Youth Programs, Morale,
Welfare, & Recreation, commissary, schools and more.

Sailors should contact their Command Financial Specialist to seek
assistance regarding their current financial readiness. Sailor and
family members can also contact their local Fleet and Family Support
Center for financial counseling, referrals and a description of
financial classes offered such as savings and investing, debt reduction,
car buying, home buying and more.

Nobody starts with the intention of becoming deeply in debt. Everyone
can use help with finding additional ways to more effectively manage
money. Emergencies can happen to anyone at anytime. The real focus is
preparing for the unexpected by having funds to meet those unexpected
requirements. By establishing goals, maximizing the savings of personal
income and reducing debt, our Sailors and families can enjoy the
freedoms of financial independence.

To learn more about Military Saves and to enroll as a Saver, visit
www.militarysaves.org .

For more news from Commander, Navy Installations Command
www.navy.mil/local/cni/.

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NNS080118-11. Supply Corps Leadership Tackles Top Navy Issues

By Debbie Dortch, Naval Supply Systems Command Office of Corporate
Communications

NORFOLK (NNS) -- All Navy Supply Corps admirals and captains gathered
Jan. 15-17 in Norfolk to share insights from December's Navy Flag
Officer and Senior Executive Service Training Symposium (NFOSES) and
align the Supply Corps community with the Chief of Naval Operation's
intentions to build the future force, maintain warfighting readiness,
and develop and support Sailors and Navy civilians.

Rear Adm. Alan S. Thompson, SC, USN, commander, Naval Supply Systems
Command (NAVSUP) and Chief of Supply Corps opened the symposium stating,
"As a community, we need to ensure we are aligned with where the Chief
of Naval Operations, Adm. Roughead, is taking our Navy. We need to be
powerful contributors to the success of this vision."

In addition to a focus on CNO's Guidance and our Maritime Strategy, the
agenda included updates on the fiscal environment, the evolution of the
Navy Enterprise construct, Navy Supply Corps engagement in joint
logistics at several combatant commands, and a wide-ranging update and
discussion of community issues.

Brig. Gen. David G. Reist, USMC, Assistant Deputy Commandant for
Installations and Logistics said, "The world is changing. We have to be
willing to change. We have to be willing to challenge," as he referenced
tactical, operational and strategic logistics elements.

Several flag officer and captains serving in joint and combatant
commander staff assignments shared their perspectives.

Vice Adm. Melvin G. Williams Jr., Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces
Command (USFF) spoke about the evolution, structure, and mission of USFF
and how the Supply Corps can contribute to its mission success.

"The Supply Corps can continue to add value in Fleet Forces Command by
providing a high-level of material support for our equipment and
ensuring quality of life initiatives for our Sailors and their family
members remain in the forefront," he emphasized. "Shifting to a healthy
menu afloat and ashore is one example of this. It's important and we
appreciate it."

Former U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Deployment and Distribution
Operations Center Director Rear Adm. Mark D. Harnitchek, SC, USN, shared
his experiences while in theater in Kuwait.

"This has been a great learning opportunity and a great opportunity for
us to make a difference," he said, referencing the logistics knowledge
he's gained controlling distribution and transportation of material
throughout the CENTCOM area of operations.

"The symposium proved to be a valuable gathering and a great opportunity
for learning and camaraderie," Thompson said. "I believe everybody
walked away with new knowledge, clarification on the Supply Corps' road
ahead, and a better understanding of joint operations among the forces.
I'm confident the energy our senior leadership team takes back to their
commands will go a long way in ensuring success of the CNO's vision. I
couldn't have asked for a better outcome."

NAVSUP's primary mission is to provide U.S. naval forces with quality
supplies and services. With headquarters in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and
employing a worldwide workforce of more than 25,500 military and
civilian personnel, NAVSUP oversees logistics programs in the areas of
supply operations, conventional ordnance, contracting, resale, fuel,
transportation, and security assistance. In addition, NAVSUP is
responsible for quality of life issues for our naval forces, including
food service, postal services, Navy Exchanges, and movement of household
goods.

For more news from Naval Supply Systems, visit
www.navy.mil/local/navsup/.

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NNS080118-10. Coalition Efforts Build Lawful Maritime Order

From Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs

BAHRAIN (NNS) -- Coalition forces recently completed a coordinated
operation in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa to deter and disrupt
activities and incidents that affect maritime security and stability.

"Coalition efforts build a lawful maritime order for regional security,"
said Commodore Keith Winstanley, Royal Navy, Deputy Combined Maritime
Forces. "When we work as a coalition with regional partners, we are able
to complement regional countries efforts and really make a difference."

Units from coalition forces included HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339), a
Canadian Halifax class frigate; RFA Argus (A 135), a Royal Navy Aviation
training ship; and USS Carney (DDG 64), an American Arleigh Burke Class
Destroyer, as well as air assets.

The coalition forces also worked alongside Yemen Coast Guard forces and
representatives from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees,
studying maritime traffic patterns to better understand the smuggling
activity. Coalition forces also assisted Yemeni Coast Guard units in
apprehending three human smuggling vessels during the operation that
went from Jan. 6-14.

"Illegal activities in the maritime domain have the potential to impact
many people and countries," said Commodore Winstanley. "Once unlawful
and criminal activity takes root, the impact and scope can grow to have
significant impact on security and stability."

The flexibility and capability of U.S. and Coalition countries make them
well-positioned to respond to any potential emergent situation.

"This was a successful operation - we learned important information
about smuggling and trafficking activity," said Commodore Winstanley.
"We can now focus on other areas to better understand the local and
regional issues."

Operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations are focused on reassuring
regional partners of the Coalition's commitment to help set conditions
for security and stability. Coalition forces maintain a naval and air
presence in the region that deters destabilizing activities, while
safeguarding the region's vital links to the global economy.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central
Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/cusnc/.

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NNS080118-06. Former Tuskegee Airman Speaks at Navy MLK Ceremony

By George Lammons, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command Public
Affairs

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. (NNS) -- A standing-room-only crowd gathered
on Jan. 17 to hear Robert A. Decatur, one of the 130 remaining Tuskegee
Airmen, tell his story of duty, service and perseverance in a Martin
Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day program.

Decatur joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943 and became one the 966
Tuskegee Airmen. He flew missions in Europe in World War II and in
Korea. He became an attorney, judge, professor and an author after his
military service. He was the attorney to Martin Luther King Jr., and
represented civil rights workers across the South in the 1960s.

Rear Adm. (Sel.) David Titley, commander of the Stennis-based Naval
Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC), called Decatur "a true
hero" and a "living American legend."

Decatur told the group the story of the Tuskegee Airmen - their service
and the discrimination that stalked them. He pointed out that Tuskegee
Airmen-escorted U.S. bombers who flew 1,500 missions in Europe without
loss, while the Tuskegee Airmen were not allowed to land in England.

His said his slogan, "Through adversity to the stars," was fitting for
the Tuskegee Airmen.

"That says it all about the Tuskegee Airmen because God knows we went
through adversity," Decatur said. "At Keesler Air Field for basic
training, we were treated like lepers, but we were determined to
succeed. We had to succeed."

Commercial airlines would only hire the war-decorated Tuskegee Airmen to
be Sky Caps.

"There was more respect given us by the Germans than we received from
our white pilots," he said.

The Tuskegee Airmen were named for Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, the
black college where they trained and received their wings. The project
was considered an experiment because there were no black military
pilots.

However, the students demonstrated that, given proper training and the
opportunity, they were just as capable as anyone else in the Armed
Forces. Their success as combat pilots led directly to the desegregation
of the U.S. military in 1948.

"Tuskegee Airmen were in the forefront of the fight for human rights,
human dignity," Decatur said. "I'm hoping people will remember what we
did and how we did it."

Apparently people remembered.

Decatur said that in a tribute for the Tuskegee Airmen, Gen. Colin Powel
said: "Upon your backs, I have risen to be the first African-American
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

NMOC sponsored the event and invited Decatur, and Titley introduced him.
The Naval Oceanographic Office MLK Program Committee organized the
event.

For more news from Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, visit
www.news.navy.mil/local/cnmoc/.

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NNS080118-05. CPR-6 CFC Contribution Tops 190 Percent of Goal

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Cory Rose, Nassau Strike Group
Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Commander, Amphibious Squadron (CPR) 6, currently
attached to the Nassau Strike Group (NASSG), recently completed its
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) for fiscal year 2008 and surpassed its
outlined goal by 190 percent.

"Through our generosity, we are able to help others that may not be as
fortunate as ourselves," said CPR-6 CFC coordinator Culinary Specialist
1st Class (SW/AW) Tanya Johnson. "I know that there's always someone
less fortunate or in a situation where they can use a helping hand."

First established in 1961, the CFC is an annual charity drive that runs
from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15 allowing federal employees to support the
international, national, and local charities that they care about.

According to the National CFC Committee Web site at www.cfctoday.org,
the campaign is the largest workplace charity campaign in the country
and is the only campaign authorized to solicit and collect contributions
from federal employees in the workplace. More than 1,400 national and
international federations, charities and some 40,000 local charities
qualify for the CFC each year.

"I feel that the CFC was definitely a success this year because our goal
was $1,639 and we raised a total of $3,121 which was almost double of
what we aimed for," said Operations Specialist 3rd Class Terrence
Bellock, CPR-6 member and a CFC contributor.

Echoing Bellock's sentiments, Capt. Robert G. Lineberry, commanding
officer, CPR-6 and commander, NASSG, knew that his team was up to the
challenge.

"I'm pleased, but not surprised that our Sailors and Marines have opened
up their hearts and their pockets for this very worthy cause," he said.

Also characterizing the overall campaign as a "success," Johnson added,
"I think it's important (to contribute) because at some point in our
lives, good or bad, one of the charity organizations has affected us.
Whether it's the scholarship our sibling received or the humane society
where we got our first dog, we can appreciate what they do."

For more news from Nassau Strike Group, visit
www.news.navy.mil/local/esg8/.

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NNS080118-03. Civil Affairs Team, Seabees Making a Difference in Obock

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mary Popejoy, Combined Joint
Task Force - Horn of Africa Public Affairs

OBOCK, Djibouti (NNS) -- A team of Seabees from Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 and Soldiers from Charlie Company 486th
Civil Affairs Battalion (CA BN) Team 13 are working together in Obock to
rebuild a slaughter house and the Waddi Primary School to promote
stability in the region.

During their recent visit on Jan. 12, the Seabees were busy measuring
the length of the projected wall so they could begin building the
framework.

"The previous civil affairs team did an assessment of the original
slaughter house and deemed it unsanitary, so they submitted a project
request to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa and received
approval," said Army Maj. Francisco Olivencia, 486th CA BN team leader,
a native of Puerto Rico. "This new facility will allow the people of
Obock to have a sanitary place for their meat. This project will improve
the health, economy and stability in this area."

The Seabees started the project Nov. 27, 2007 and will turn over the
project to their replacements NMCB-74 in February. Before that happens,
the Obock Seabees are busy putting up the framework, window spaces and
starting the cement block exterior.

"This is an opportunity for us to make a difference, make friends and
support the [Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa] four P's:
prevent conflict, promote regional stability, protect coalition
interests and prevail against extremism with just one project," said
Builder 2nd Class Johan Sanchez, NMCB-40 Obock Detachment officer in
charge.

According to Equipment Operator 2nd Class Brian Becker, Obock crew
leader, projects like this improves Djiboutian's perception of the U.S.
military.

"It lets them know we're people, too, and we do care about people of
other countries and we want to help Africans help Africa and improve
stability here," said Becker.

The Waddi Primary School, which is about an hour-and-a-half away from
Obock, receives regular attention as well as the slaughter house.

"This project started when we assessed the village to determine what
they needed and what we're able to do to assist them," said Army Staff
Sgt. Cynthia Ramirez, 486th CA BN Team 13 team sergeant.

To help the civil affairs team, the Seabees started repairing the school
and cantina roofs Jan. 13 that were blown away by heavy wind. The CA
team is adding pipe to the cistern, so water can flow into their clinic.

"Repairing the cantina roof will help the women who cook food in the
heat and rain, and fixing the school roof will allow the students to use
the classroom and continue their education," said Ramirez.

Construction Electrician 3rd Class Jay Zimmerman is excited to be a part
of project from start to finish and see the impact it will have on the
students and staff of Waddi Primary School.

"I am really enjoying helping out the CA team because unlike the
slaughter house we'll be able to finish this project and see the impact
it has on the community," said Zimmerman. "It's nice to see that
education has its importance even in places like Djibouti."

And for one civil affairs team member, the most rewarding part about the
job is the impact it has on the community.

"It's breathtaking to see smiles on their faces, and the satisfaction
they get from a small gesture," said Ramirez. "They're very
appreciative, and that makes us feel good."

Mohamed Ismael Dimbiyo, Waddi Primary School director, is grateful to
the U.S. military for all their help.

"It is a dream come true for us to have the U.S. military here to repair
the roofs and make life better for our students and teachers," said
Dimbiyo. "Without their help, we may not have been able to fix the roofs
and piping for the cistern as quickly as they did. We appreciate
everything they do for us."

The NMCB-40 Seabees and 486th CA BN are part of the Combined Joint Task
Force-Horn of Africa mission to prevent conflict, promote regional
stability, protect Coalition interests, and prevail against extremism in
east Africa and Yemen through humanitarian assistance, disaster relief,
consequence management, military-to-military training, civic action
programs to include medical and veterinary care, school and medical
clinic construction and water development projects.

For more news from Combined Joint Task Force -- Horn of Africa, visit
www.news.navy.mil/local/cjtfhoa/.

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NNS080118-01. Ike Receives Retention Excellence Award

By Airman Daniel Arizpe, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public Affairs

ABOARD USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (NNS) -- The Nimitz class aircraft
carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) has been awarded the
Fleet Forces Command Retention Excellence Award for fiscal year 2007.

This is the ninth consecutive year that the Ike has received the award.
The award recognizes commands with a proven record of retaining the
Navy's best Sailors.

"This accomplishment has raised the bar for the entire waterfront," said
Senior Chief Navy Counselor (SW/AW) Matthew Ambrose.

All Retention Excellence Award winners are required to win a minimum of
two out of the four quarterly honor rolls. Each command has to meet or
exceed specific percentages for reenlistment zones A, B and C or meet an
attrition rate of 6.2 percent or lower.

"The retention program fosters competition and creates an inclusive
program level of excellence across the fleet," said Senior Chief Navy
Counselor (SW/AW) John Wise.

Retention of Sailors begins with the development of their career goals.
Creating ideal programs and making a favorable assessment of a Sailor's
goals lies in the hands of the command's senior leadership.

"Upper level chain of command and the climate that they create will
determine the level of success," said Wise.

Many programs such as Perform to Serve and mentorship along with Career
Development Boards are fundamental for successfully retaining Sailors.
These programs are designed not only to help junior Sailors build strong
leadership skills, but also provide the opportunity for leadership to
practice the same skills they teach.

"The credit for the program goes to the career counselors," said Wise.
"The credit for the success of the program goes to the command. We are
successful because the programs are supported by the command and
leadership. More importantly to me, is that USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has
a reputation for being the ship you want to serve on. That means more to
me than all the nine retention awards put together."

Ship Command Retention Excellence awardees are recognized by their
gold-painted anchors. Ike is the only ship in the fleet to have golden
anchors for nine consecutive years.

For news from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, visit
www.news.navy.mil/local/cvn69/.

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NNS080118-09. Daily News Update for January 21, 2008

From the Navy News Service

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Daily News Update features six newscasts each day -
one two-minute newscast and five one-minute newscasts.

Two-minute newscast-
- Headlines from around the fleet: Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel Rear
Adm. Sonny Masso discusses GWOT support assignments; Marines can receive
a bonus for extending in the Central Command area of responsibility; the
Department of Defense updates the Blue to Green program.

First one-minute newscast-
- USS Boxer (LHD 4) prepares for a series of unit level training
assessments.

Second one-minute newscast-
- The Washington Navy Yard conducts a commemorative walk to honor Martin
Luther King.

Third one-minute newscast-
- Naval Hospital Yokosuka gives tips on healthy eating.

Fourth one-minute newscast-
- USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conducts an ammunition onload.

Fifth one-minute newscast-
- The Task Force Life/Work Roadshow visits Sailors in Yokosuka, Japan.

Naval Media Center produces six Daily News Update (DNU) newscasts: a
two-minute newscast and five one-minute newscasts. DNU can be seen
throughout the day and evening on the Direct-to-Sailor (DTS) satellite
television service available aboard 160 ships of the fleet and via the
Navy Web site at www.navy.mil. Check your local DTS program schedule for
air times. DNU can also be seen throughout the world on the Armed Forces
Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).

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NNS020108-08. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 19

From the Navy News Service

1840 - Lt. Charles Wilkes, aboard the sloop Vincennes, is the first
American to discover the Antarctic coast.
1929 - The 3rd Marine Corps Brigade is disbanded at Tientsin, China, and
all units, except the 4th Marines and the Peking legation guard, are
withdrawn from the country.
1972 - A Navy F-4 Phantom from USS Constellation (CVA 64) downs a
Vietnamese MiG-21. This is the first aerial victory since March 1970.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy
Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

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NNS020108-09. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 20

From Navy News Service

1783 - Hostilities cease between Great Britain and the United States.
1903 - Theordore Roosevelt issues Executive Order placing Midway Islands
under jurisdiction of the Navy Department.
1914 - School for naval air training opens in Pensacola, Fla.
1948 - Establishment of U.S. Persian Gulf Area Command.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy
Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

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NNS020108-10. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 21

From Navy News Service

1821 - The schooner, Lynx, sails from St. Mary's, Ga. for the West Indes
and disappears en route.
1954 - Launching of USS Nautilus (SSN 571), first nuclear submarine, at
Groton, Conn.
1961 - USS George Washington completes first operational voyage of fleet
ballistic missile submarine staying submerged 66 days.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy
Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

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NNS020108-11. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 22

From the Navy News Service

1800 - Capt. Thomas Tingey is ordered to duty as the first
superintendent of the Washington Navy Yard.
1870 - Cmdr. Thomas Selfridge sails the gunboat Nipsic on an expedition
to ascertain the best location for an interoceaniccanal across the
Isthmus of Darien.
1944 - During Operation Shingle, Amphibious Task Force 81, under the
command of Rear Adm. F.J. Lowry, lands the Army's VI Corps at Anzio,
Italy.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy
Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

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Navy News Service is the official news wire service of the U.S. Navy,
containing stories recently posted to the Navy Web site at www.navy.mil.
It is a product of the Naval Media Center, 2713 Mitscher Rd. SW,
Anacostia Annex, D.C., 20373-5819. Reprints should be credited to the
Navy News Service (NNS).

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Navy News Service, visit
http://www.news.navy.mil/tools/subscribe_navnews.asp.

Stories for publication consideration should be submitted by e-mail to
navynewsservice@navy.mil or be submitted online at
www.news.navy.mil/submit/.

For the latest in Navy news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.

For all Navy-related questions, review the FAQs posted at www.navy.mil
or visit the Naval Historical Center's Web site at www.history.navy.mil.


Media queries should be directed to the Navy News Desk at (703)
697-5342.

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V/r,
LT Jennifer Cragg
Naval Media Center
2713 Mitscher Rd.
Building 168
Anacostia Annex, DC 20373-5819
(202) 433-0574
Jennifer.cragg@navy.mil