NNS080624-07. Navy RDA Establishes Principal Civilian Deputy Position for Acquisition Workforce
By Lt. Cmdr. John T. Schofield, Research, Development and Acquisition Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, John S. Thackrah, announced June 24, the establishment of the position of Principal Civilian Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Acquisition Workforce (PCDASN) (AW).
The PCDASN oversees all acquisition workforce programs and functions under the cognizance of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RDA).
James E. Thomsen assumed the duties of the PCDASN (AW) effective immediately. Thomsen moves over from his current assignment as the Program Executive Officer for Littoral and Mine Warfare (PEO LMW).
The establishment of the new position marks another step in the overall investment strategy in the workforce taken on by the Secretary of the Navy and naval acquisition leadership. Last summer, the secretary announced the nomination of a vice admiral to serve as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for RD&A. Vice Adm. David Architzel is currently serving in that role.
"The secretary recognizes the need for a strong investment into our acquisition workforce," said Thackrah.
"As part of that investment strategy, we recognized the need to bolster the acquisition workforce leadership. The establishment of the PCDASN (AW) position is indeed another critical step in the right direction."
The focus on improving and reinvigorating the acquisition workforce is a major facet of the Department of the Navy's new Acquisition Governance initiative. Acquisition Governance is a key component in a continual process to identify and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of acquiring weapons systems.
The Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter, publicly introduced the initiative during his keynote address at the annual Sea Air and Space Exposition in March.
"The overriding objective of Acquisition Governance is to implement changes that will facilitate our ability to make better decisions early in the acquisition process," said Winter in that keynote address.
Those changes are already happening in the acquisition workforce. The Department of the Navy has initiated an aggressive examination of the acquisition workforce, with a view to understanding short-term and long-term staffing shortfalls and capability gaps, organizationally and enterprise-wide.
That effort will ensure that the Navy and Marine Corps maintain a healthy technical authority within the various systems commands.
The Department of the Navy is also aggressively developing solid career tracks for both civilian and uniformed personnel within the acquisition workforce and will seek and recruit the best talent from America's universities and trade schools.
"Improvement and investment in our workforce is critical," said Thackrah. "I am very confident that Jim Thomsen will provide the leadership and creativity necessary to get our workforce where it needs to be now and in the future."
As part of this personnel move, Anne Sandel has been selected to replace Thomsen as the Program Executive Officer, Littoral and Mine Warfare (PEO LMW).
For more news from Secretary of the Navy, visit
www.navy.mil/local/secnav/.
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NNS080624-04. PATRON SIG Sailors Bring Smiles To Children in Italy
By Lt. j.g. Kevin Harrington, Patrol Squadron Sigonella Public Affairs
SIGONELLA, Sicily (NNS) -- Patrol Squadron Sigonella (PATRON SIG) based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, bolstered its longstanding relationship with the Pecorino Institute, an orphanage and school, located in San Giovanni La Punta during two goodwill visits June 11 and 18.
The visits provided an opportunity for PATRON SIG Sailors to spend time with children and present them clothing and toys donated by the NAS Sigonella Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society Thrift Shop.
PATRON SIG's relationship with the institute, which serves as an orphanage and school for handicapped children, began in 1962. Over the span of 45 years, PATRON SIG Sailors have donated labor, materials, clothing, and toys.
"Throughout the years, we have been doing a lot of projects like building a playground for the children and furnishing their rooms with TV's, CD players and toys like the Etch-a-Sketch, so the children can play, and to help their therapy," said retired Italian Air Force, Chief Master Sgt. Litterio Pappalardo, who acted as liaison and translator for PATRON SIG.
He helps maintain the enduring relationship between the institute and various squadrons.
Volunteers from PATRON SIG enjoyed the hospitality of the Pecorino staff, according to Yeoman 1st Class Djuanvonda Williams.
"It was amazing to see the faces of the children light up with joy when we arrived. It's not only about the gifts we bring; it's about giving back to those in need," she said.
For more news from Naval Air Station Sigonella, visit
www.navy.mil/local/nassig/.
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NNS080624-02. Fleet Forces Commander Visits Sailors in Pacific Northwest
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tucker M. Yates, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Det. Northwest
OAK HARBOR, Wash. (NNS) -- Adm. Jonathan Greenert, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) Command visited Navy Region Northwest, making stops at Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, June 19-20, to gain a better understanding of operations in the region.
During his visit to NAS Whidbey Island, Greenert visited the base's most frequently deployed components. He met with Sailors from Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11.
These units provide critical support to troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"They are communities we need to pay particular attention to," said Greenert. "They are very much in high demand and in low supply compared to their demand.
"They serve a very important area, in not only IAs (individual augmentees), because they have very significant and high demand skill sets for the ground forces support in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Noble Eagle, but also we need to look at the health of their communities because we're adding an extra burden to them," he said.
"I received good input from them and learned more about what they do. Nothing beats being there talking to folks, getting a three-dimensional look at what they do and where they live."
Greenert also spent time with IAs from the bases. He hoped to learn how to improve the existing IA program for Sailors and their family members.
Recently, Navy leadership designated USFF as the IA Executive Agent. According to Greenert, the executive agent program has three phases. The first is the process of the program itself, preparing an IA and their command for deployment, deploying them and ensuring their return upon completion. The second includes support for family members of deployed IA Sailors. The third focuses on the well being of the individual and ensuring their upward mobility and career progression in their specialties.
"When you take each individual and you back up and look at it, how well in that community are we enabling them to progress? That's what I'm looking for, that's why I travel around and talk to the IAs," said Greenert. "I have some very good, tangible input here. We are making progress, especially in support of the person and the family members."
Members of NAS Whidbey Island believe that notable progress has been made since the implementation of the IA program.
"I think the Navy has done an admirable job in making sure that IA members and their families are getting more adequately cared for during the time of their tour and also for providing benefits for those who have gone on an IA," said Cmdr. Jon Baca, Wing 10 chief staff officer. "The Navy has definitely revamped the system to take care of the IAs in that respect."
Greenert was impressed with the Sailors from the Pacific Northwest.
"What you have here are some amazing patriots and great Sailors, Marines and Airmen in the area that are doing a wonderful job and sometimes don't quite get the credit for what they do, but I learned a lot about them and what they do and it's extraordinary," said Greenert.
For more news from U.S. Fleet Forces Command, visit
www.cffc.navy.mil.
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NNS080624-01. Northwest Region Conducts Inaugural Sport Bike Safety Course
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW/NAC) Eric J. Rowley, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Det. Northwest
KEYPORT, Wash. (NNS) -- Navy Region Northwest offered its first sport motorcycle safety course June 18 to six students in an effort to help increase motorcycle safety awareness.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation designed the course
specifically for military sport-bike riders.
"This course is a totally revamped program from the basic rider course and the experienced rider course," said Dudley McNutt, Navy Region Northwest MSF chief rider coach and trainer at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
"It's designed strictly for sport-bike riders. We do a higher speed evolution, higher speed evasive maneuvers and cornering exercises."
Topics included advanced maneuvering and evasive techniques and incorporated classroom and actual riding instruction. The program aimed to teach riders how to handle higher performance motorcycles.
"We are putting these guys through a lot more extreme handling maneuvers than the Basic Rider Course," said Todd Greenwood, Navy Region Northwest traffic safety coordinator.
"The goal is to make the riders a lot more confident and competent while riding their motorcycles. Most injuries and accidents occur when a rider is cornering and they are going into it too fast or too slow and they are not using proper technique."
According to the Naval Safety Center, this year the Navy and Marine Corps suffered a total of 32 motorcycle-related fatalities, 30 of which involved high-performance sport-motorcycles.
Greenwood said safety is their main concern. If instructors feel a rider can't complete the course safely, they will ask the rider to repeat either the Basic Rider Course or the Experienced Rider Course. Then riders can come back to the Military Sport Bike Course.
"I think this is a very good course," said Chief Machinist's Mate (SS) Barry Woodson, USS Nevada (SSBN 733). "It goes back to some of the basic stuff that's required in order to maintain proficiency on the street dealing with evasive maneuvering and stopping. It brings back a lot of key elements that are needed on the street."
"I'm getting a lot more experience on the bike," said Machinist's Mate 2nd Class (SS) Luke Gossard, also of USS Nevada.
"I haven't been riding very long, so any experience I can get is helpful. I learned a lot more about control and braking; the more I can control the bike, the better."
For more information, visit
www.safetycenter.navy.mil/ashore/motorvehicle/motorcycle.
For related news, visit the Fleet Public Affairs Center, Det. Northwest Navy NewsStand page at
www.news.navy.mil/local/nwpacen/.
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NNS080624-10. Daily News Update for June 24, 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-
- The Marine Corps demonstrates the capabilities of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
http://www.navy.mil/dnu.asp?id=11145First one-minute newscast-
- Headlines from around the fleet: The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear how the Navy is balancing the need for effective training and protecting the environment; USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) provides humanitarian assistance to Vietnam.
http://www.navy.mil/dnu.asp?id=11146Second one-minute newscast-
- Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa personnel provide medical care to local livestock.
http://www.navy.mil/dnu.asp?id=11147Third one-minute newscast-
- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) participates in exercise Operation Stake Net.
http://www.navy.mil/dnu.asp?id=11148Fourth one-minute newscast-
- The voter's assistance program helps Sailors in obtaining an absentee ballot.
http://www.navy.mil/dnu.asp?id=11149Fifth one-minute newscast-
- The band Shades performs at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
http://www.navy.mil/dnu.asp?id=11150Naval 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.
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NNS020418-33. This Day in Naval History - June 25
From the Navy News Service
1917 - Navy convoy of troopships carrying American Expeditionary Forces arrives in France.
1950 - North Korea invades South Korea beginning Korean Conflict.
For more information on naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at
www.history.navy.mil.
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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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Very Respectfully,
Marie Tillery
Navy.mil News Editor
Naval Media Center
