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Home of the Atlantic Fleet Seabees Gulfport, MississippiVol. 44 No. 7 April 5, 2007

Boy Scouts from sever-al South Miss. troopsarrived onboard NCBCMarch 17, armed withshovels, mulch andseveral species of treeswhich they planted inlocations throughoutthe Seabee Center.

See page 11

Detail X-Ray is a newNaval MobileConstruction BattalionSeventy Four detach-ment formed to carryout highly specializedmissions in support ofOperation EnduringFreedom.

See page 4

Col. John Alexander,Commander ArmySupport Group-Kuwaitand Col. KennethBeard, ASG-KU,Commander Zone Six,officially open theMWR Stage in CampArifjan, Kuwait whichwas constructed bySeabees from three dif-ferent battalions.

See page 9

http://cbcgulfport.navy.mil

Photo by MC1 Nicholas LingoFive servicemembers stationed at Camp Moreell, Kuwait attached to Naval Mobile ConstructionBattalion One Thirty Three were awarded the Army Commendation Medal for their efforts inproviding emergency medical assistance to a large number of civilian workers who were severelyinjured in an automobile accident. Pictured left to right, Gunnery Sgt. Tom McCarty, HM1Charlotte Bethea, UT2 Kelly Caponigro, BU2 Tyler Morgan and BUCN Nicholas Condon.Presenting the awards is Colonel John S. Alexander, Area Support Group – Kuwait, Commander.

See page 8

Courier5 April.qxd 4/5/2007 12:46 Page 1

This year marks the 20th anniver-sary of Women's History Month andon March 27 Naval ConstructionBattalion Center Gulfport held itscelebration in honor of this federalprogram.

Capt. Van Dobson welcomed theguests to the program with a fewfacts about Women's History Month.NCBC held their first FederalWomen's Day program in 1973, four-teen years before Congress estab-lished Women's History Month,which makes the Seabee Center atrailblazer in recognizing the strongroles women occupy in the federalgovernment.

Harrison County District FiveSupervisor, Connie Rockco was theguest speaker. In 2002, Rockco waselected as District Five Supervisorafter capturing 78 percent of thevotes. She stated she leads byexample in her effort to revitalizeand streamline Harrison County.Her leadership style led to her selec-tion as the first female President of

the Harrison County Board ofSupervisors and in the state ofMississippi.

During her remarks, SupervisorRockco had warm words of praisefor the Seabees and said that theirHurricane Katrina help was verymuch appreciated by the Gulf Coast.Ms. Rockco also acknowledged thewomen who served in the Civil War,World War I, and World War II.

"In the home front or on the frontlines, women are there," said Rockco,"Women in history have had a pas-sion to change. They [women] havecome a long way – moving in a dif-ferent way then past generations."

Ms. Rockco summed up the essenceof her speech by simply stating, "Ittakes a team and a team is made upof men and women."

At the conclusion of the formal por-tion of the celebration, light refresh-ments were served in the drill hall.The celebration was sponsored bythe NCBC Diversity Committee. Ifyou are interested in serving on thecommittee, contact BU1 NickHoffmann, 871-2144.

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The Seabee Courier is an authorized publi-cation for members of the military servicesand their families. Its contents do not neces-sarily reflect the official views of the U.S.Government, the DoD or the U.S. Navy anddo not imply endorsement thereof. Theappearance of advertising in this newspaper,including inserts or supplements, does notconstitute endorsement by the U. S.Government, DoD, the Navy, NCBCGulfport or Gulf Publishing Company of theproducts and services advertised. All con-tent in this newspaper shall be made avail-able for purchase, use or patronage withoutregard to race, color, religion, gender, nation-al origin, age, marital status, physical handi-cap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.If a violation or rejection of this equal oppor-tunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed,the publisher shall refuse to print advertis-ing from that source until the violation iscorrected.

The Seabee Courier is published 22 weeksa year by Gulf Publishing Company, a pri-vate firm in no way connected with the DoD, under an exclusive contract with the U. S.Navy. The Seabee Courier solicits news con-tributions from military and civilian sources,but the Public Affairs staff reserves the rightto edit and/or rewrite material selected forpublication to conform with journalism stan-dards. The deadline for material is close ofbusiness Wednesday the week prior to pub-lication. Your comments are always welcome.The Seabee Courier office is in Building 60,Room 250. The mailing address is 4902Marvin Shields Blvd., Code 15, Gulfport, MS39501. Phone: 228 871-3662, Fax: 228 871-2389.Email: [email protected].

Command Action LineBecause of limited IG resources throughout the Southeast Region, all Fraud, Waste and Abuse hotline work will

now be handled by the Region. To report Fraud, Waste and Abuse, contact the Region at:Toll Free 1-877-657-9851 Comm: (904) 542-4979 DSN 942-4979 FAX: (904) 542-5587

E-mail: [email protected]

NCBC/20SRGCommanding Officer

Capt. Van DobsonExecutive Officer

Cmdr. Bill FinnPublic Affairs Officer

Jean RemleyEditor

Bonnie L. McGerrMass Comm. Specialist

MC1 Sean Mulligan

22ND NCRCommander

Capt. Eric OdderstolPublic Affairs OfficerLt. Cmdr. Kyra Hawn

NMCB ONECommanding Officer Cmdr. Dean A. Tufts

Public Affairs Officer Lt.j.g. Chris Casne

Mass. Comm. SpecialistsMC2 Chad Runge

MC2 Demetrius KennonMC3 Ja'lon Rhinehart

NMCB SEVENCommanding Officer Cmdr. David J. Sasek

Public Affairs OfficerEnsign Russell Becker

Mass Comm. SpecialistsMCC Jeffrey J. Pierce

MC3 Paul D. Williams

NMCB SEVENTY FOURCommanding Officer

Cmdr. Craig S. PratherPublic Affairs Officer

Lt. Edsil L. LoganMass Comm. Specialist MC2 Gregory N. Juday

NMCB ONE THIRTY THREECommanding Officer Cmdr. Allan StratmanPublic Affairs Officer

Lt.j.g. Riley SmithMass Comm. Specialists

MC1 Nicholas LingoMC3 Jessica A. McIver

NCTC GulfportCommanding OfficerCmdr. Darius Banaji

Public Affairs OfficerBU1(SCW) James LePage

SAVI TrainingAn Initial Command SAVI Victim Advocate class is scheduled for April 16 - 19 at theFFSC, NCBC Gulfport. If you are interested in attending, contact Peggy Cuevas 871-3000, X7428 for an interview and return completed necessary paperwork prior toMarch 29. The class is limited to 25 participants, so please register early.

Gulf Coast community leader celebratesWomen's History Month with Seabees

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganConnie Rockco, Harrison County,Miss. District Five Supervisoraddresses the audience as NCBCmarks the 20th Annual Celebrationof Women's History Month with aceremony at the NOSC Drill HallMarch 27.

By Jean RemleyNCBC Public Affairs Officer

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganGulfport Mayor Brent Warrwelcomes Chamber membersto Breakfast with the Mayorhosted by NCBC, Gulfport inColmer Galley on March 21.The mayor spoke of ongoingimprovements to Gulfportwhile the crowd of 93 enjoyedtheir meal.

Breakfast with the Mayor

ABC's, Primary Survey,direct pressure to thewounds; Lt. Harrisoncalled for IV's to be placed,oxygen by non-rebreather,chest X-ray, medications,etc. The troops sprunginto action quickly, agilelyrushing through the crowdto reappear quickly withsupplies in-hand.

And so it went, patientafter patient, small, quick-ly self-assembled teams ofmedical and non-medicalprofessionals identifyingsurgical patients and pro-viding stabilizing care tothe dozens of unfortunatevictims. The translatornever left Lt. Harrison'sside; providing the criticallink of communicationwith the patients until allwere provided the proper

care or air-lifted to a high-er echelon of care.

At the end of that longday, 58 Iraqi casualtiesfrom the blast were treatedat "Charlie-Med." Medicalpersonnel from NMCB 74,501st Army MedicalCompany, attached NavySurgical team members,physicians and medicsfrom the Army's 1stArtillery Division TaskForce 1-37, NavyCorpsmen attached to the1-6 Marines, native transla-tors, as well as countlesstroops from many differ-ent units, all workedtogether to help our fellowhumans.

There were no inter-serv-ice politics that day, nopause given because thecasualties weren'tCoalition Forces, just peo-

ple helping their fellowhumans in need. The mul-titude of volunteers thatappeared to help did so,not because they wererequired to, but because itwas the right thing to do.

"I'm proud to servealongside my fellow dedi-cated service membersfrom all branches of themilitary contributing to thestruggle to win the heartsand minds of Iraqis byshowing compassion andcare to the injured," Lt.Harrison said. On thatcold, January morning, likeso many times before andsince, there was unityamidst the chaos; profes-sionals from all branchesof the military working asone team to provide thebest medical care possibleto those in need.

From Unity page 11

The Naval Officers Spouses Club presents

SELF DEFENSE TRAININGwith instructor Derek Pruitt of South Coast Martial Arts, along with guest speaker

Peggy Cuevas, Sexual Assault Rights CoordinatorApril 21, 9 a.m. in the Bubble Gym - Cost $5 registration fee

100 Percent of proceeds will benefit the Gulf Coast Women's Center for NonviolencePurchase tickets at the Fleet & Family Support Center or call Beverly Conrad, 871-3000

Dress comfortably - light refreshments will be served

No One Under the age of 12 will be admitted to the gym for safety reasons

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganAGC (SW) Michael J.Bradley received hisBachelor of Artsdegree in NaturalScience andMathematics fromThomas A. EdisonState College after 21years of active servicethanks to the greathelp he received fromNavy CollegeCounselor AlexCarter.

Academic Achievement


Rain falls on the city andsoon the clouds give wayto clear skies. Clear skies,but polluted water.

Trash, sediment, yarddebris, vehicle fluids, petwaste, fertilizers and pesti-cides have been picked upby the rain runoff and aretransported to local

streams, creeks, andgroundwater.No matter where we live

in Mississippi our dailyactivities contribute to pol-luted runoff. In fact, mostwater pollution inMississippi comes frompolluted runoff, not fromwastewater dischargepipes.

When performing lawnmaintenance, water and

fertilize wisely and usepesticides only whenabsolutely necessary.Wash your vehicle withlow-phosphate soap andkeep suds out of gutters.Recycle crankcase oil.Always sweep walkwaysand driveways rather thanhosing debris into stormdrains.

Protect our earth. ThinkGreen! 3

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Groundbreaking ceremony marks formal kick-offof Katrina Recapitalization Program

Rein in runoffRunoff pollution threatens water qualityProvided by Gary BroomCBC Environmental

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganKey stakeholders, includingsupported commanders andconstruction contract repre-sentatives, broke ground onMarch 16, 2007 for $124 mil-lion in combined construc-tion projects at NCBCGulfport. Pictured from left:Cmdr. Chris LaPlatney,OICC Katrina; Capt. VanDobson, NCBCCommanding Officer; TedKennedy, BE&KGovernment Group; RoyAnderson III, Roy AndersonCorporation; Tim Culp, TJCEngineering; Lt. Cmdr.James Tannahill; METOCExecutive Officer; and Cmdr.Darius Banaji, NCTCCommanding Officer. Construction for 13 militaryconstruction projects willbegin between now and theend of May 2007. Theseprojects represent nearly 40percent of NCBC Gulfport'stotal RecapitalizationProgram and will create 1500construction jobs in the localarea over the next two years.

Veterans Job Fair

April 10, MississippiCoast Coliseum &Convention Center8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Job seekers, register at:www.VetsJobs.net

Employers, register at:www.JobFairs.ms.gov

Sponsor: The Military Order of

the Purple Heart


A typical Naval MobileConstruction Battalion(NMCB) deploymentsends Seabees to variouslocations around the globe.Normally, these Bees willspend their six-monthdeployment in one geo-graphic location honingtheir construction skills

and developing as youngleaders. Rarely do they getthe chance to serve theircountry on multiple frontsduring the same deploy-ment. This uncommonopportunity arose for afew members of NMCB 74when the Battalion wastasked to support a newclassified mission threemonths into the deploy-ment called Detail X-Ray.

This highly energeticgroup is comprised ofFearless 74 Seabeesbrought together from allthree of its primarydeployment sites acrosstwo geographic areas ofoperations. The majorityof the detail originallydeployed to Guam andcontributed to projects insupport of PacificCommand. The remainingSeabees came from variousparts of Southwest Asiawhere they supported theMarine ExpeditionaryForce or U.S. SpecialOperations Command.

The journey of Detail X-Ray began in December forfour motivated Seabeesselected to venture back tothe United States and com-plete specialized trainingneeded to carry out themission of the new detail.These valuable team mem-bers knew the impact ofthis training and responsi-bility that came with it."We realized the impor-tance of passing on whatwe learned to the othertroops," stated BU1 (SCW)Erwin Hoffmann ofGulfport, Miss.

With this initial trainingcomplete the rest of DetailX-Ray was ready to mobi-lize and get to work. Thebattalion utilized CampMorrell in Kuwait as thearrival and assembly area.The Seabees from Guambegan arriving at KuwaitiInternational Airport inmid-January. For many ofthem, this was the firsttime they had flownthrough airports in foreigncountries.

Once all passengers fromGuam had arrived, theFearless Seabees from Iraqmade their voyage back toKuwait to join their DetailX-Ray comrades. Thedetail spent the next threeweeks at Camp Morrelltraining for their upcom-ing mission and workingon the team-building skillsthat would allow them tofunction flawlessly as oneteam. Upon completion oftheir training in CampMorrell, these Seabeesstepped on a plane des-tined for a ForwardOperating Base in anundisclosed location insupport of OperationEnduring Freedom.

Although the specifics oftheir mission are classified,each Seabee assigned toDetail X-Ray knows thevalue and importance ofthe work they are doing."What I have experiencedon this deployment hasbeen exciting and fulfill-ing," said CECN FeltonRandal, a native of Austin,Texas. "Being part of aproject that will help in theefforts against the GlobalWar on Terror means a lotto me and the other guys,"he continued.

These Seabees fromNMCB 74 assigned toDetail X-Ray have demon-strated that even thoughwe may leave homeport inseparate groups bound forextremely different cir-cumstances, we mustalways be prepared tocome back together for acommon goal. From theUnited States, Guam andIraq to Kuwait andAfghanistan, we arealways "One Command,One Team, One Family,Period."

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Photo by Lt.j.g. Chad MarshallEACR Jesse Bruenn crimps two panel sections of a K-span together prior to lifting them with a crane forplacement.

By Lt.j.g. Chad MarshallNMCB 74 Public Affairs

NMCB 74 'Bees create buzz with new Detachment

April is the month ofthe Military Child

Take your child tolunch at Colmer Galley

April 6Children's prices:

E-4 and below: $3:15E-5 and above: $3.65

Sponsored by the ColmerDining Facility and Fleet and

Family Support CenterSpecial Kids Menu!

Seabee Days 2007 - May 4, 1 - 8 p.m. & May 5, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Displays! Music! Rock Climbing Wall! Car Show! Food! Crafts! Games!

Tons of Fun for Everyone, Don't Miss It! (May 4, Special Day - Open to all Retired/Active Military & DoD personnel)

May 5, Gulf Coast Community Day


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Gulf Coast USO3001 6th Street, (Bldg 306), 228-575-5224

FREE SERVICES AVAILABLEFax - Send & Receive (228-575-5225), Copies (limited amount)

X-BoxSnacks & Drinks, Information and Referral

United through Reading ProgramComputers (4): with web cams, Internet Access, Email Access,Yahoo, Hotmail

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8a.m. - 5 p.m.Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.,Closed on Sunday

Photo by MC3 Ja'lon A. RhinehartFriends and family mourn theloss of Gunner's Mate 2ndClass Jared D. Krutke of NavalMobile Construction BattalionSeventy Four at a memorialceremony held in the basechapel at Naval ConstructionBattalion Center Gulfport,Miss., March 22, 2007.

NCBC Honors Fallen Shipmate


NMCB 1 FRG We would like to invite all

friends and family of NMCB 1Seabees to join us on the firstThursday of every month at 6:30p.m. at the CBC Chapel inFellowship Hall. Bring the kids,babysitting is available and free.The NMCB 1 FRG offers funactivities including movies, pic-nics, bonfires, holiday partiesand lots more for the wholefamily. During homeport andduring the deployment we areavailable to help support all ofour NMCB 1 families andfriends. If you have any ques-tions please call the FRGPresident, Monica Ortega at(210) 421-7810 or email her [email protected] orOmbudsman, Kathy Thomasat 392-8464 or [email protected]. Wehope to see you there.

NMCB 1 FRG also has a newwebsite that will keep you upto date on what is happeningwithin our military family.The new website ishttp://hub.cinchouse.com/nmcb1seabees.

NMCB 133 FRGWe would like to invite all

friends and family members ofNMCB 133 to join us on the firstWednesday of every month at6:00 p.m. in the base chapel. Wealso do many activities such asholiday parties, fun trips, movie

outings and more. Duringhomeport we share in each oth-ers excitement and duringdeployments we lean on eachother for support. We offer bat-talion information and welcomethose with children, those with-out, wives, husbands and otherloved ones.

NMCB 7 FRGCome join our growing family.

We are here to promote andgrow social relationships andencourage interaction of spousesand family members duringoften trying and difficult timesduring the deployment of ourNMCB 7 men and women. Wehave lots of fundraisers andactivities planned for the wholefamily.

There are games and crafts forthe kids and speakers on differ-ent topics for the adults. Wewill also have drawdowns fordoor prizes and refreshmentseach month. We meet the 3rdWednesday of each month at6:30 p.m. with a potluck dinnerat the start. Come and gettogether with us and meet yourfellow family members. Formore information on NMCB 7'sFRG, contact KathleenWhisenhunt, FRG president [email protected]. Youcan also check [email protected] andhttp://hub.cinchouse.com/nmcb7fsg/for more information.

NMCB 74 FRGThe NMCB 74 Family

Readiness Group welcomesfriends and families of NMCB74 personnel. We encourageand promote friendly andsympathetic relationshipsamong our family members.

We have a new Carelinenumber for battalion updates,it is 1-866-531-1101 (toll free),or 871-3650 (local).

Family Readiness Groupmeetings are held every thirdMonday of the month at theCBC Chapel in FellowshipHall at 6:30 p.m. Free baby-sit-ting and activities for the chil-dren are provided. For infor-mation contact FRGPresident, Helen Walker at(228) 586-0114; or Secretary,Robyn Baca at (228) 539-9059.The FRG Advisor is SusanPrather, (228) 392-5945.

NCTC TRI-SERVICE FRGWe invite all spouses and

loved ones of NCTC to join uson the fourth Monday of eachmonth at 6:30pm in theFellowship Hall of CBC Chapel.We are offering fun activities forthe family, girls night out, andfellowship among the NCTCCommand. For more informa-tion, please contact our FRGPresident Tessa Grimes @ 865-4364 or email her [email protected].

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

The Navy-Marine CorpsRelief Society (NMCRS) ThriftShop is located at the far northend of McKinney Ave,Building 16. The Thrift Shopis staffed entirely by volun-teers. The retail hours of oper-ation are Monday - Thursday,11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Friday, 9a.m. - 1 p.m.

New volunteers are alwayswelcome. Visit the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Societyoffices at the Fleet and FamilySupport Center, Building 30,Suite 103, or call (228) 871-2610to obtain information aboutbecoming a part of the NMCRSvolunteer team! Childcare andmileage are reimbursed.

Mississippi Gulf Coast FirstClass Association

MGCFCA is seeking new mem-bers. Meetings are every Wedsat 2 p.m at CBC's Beehive,Bldg. 352. Call BU1 Reyes orCE1 Johnson at 871-2145 formore information.

VFW Post 3937VFW Post 3937 Long Beach isopen every Friday from 6 - 8p.m. for a seafood, steak, ofpork chop dinner. Weekendbreakfasts are served from 7 -10 a.m. on Saturday and from9 - noon on Sunday. VFWmeetings are held the 2ndWednesday of each month at7:30 p.m. New members arealways welcome. Point ofcontact for more informationis Post Commander, MikeHanko at 228 863-8602.Retired Activities OfficeThe Retired Activities Office

(RAO) is located in the Fleetand Family Support Centerand staffed entirely by volun-teers for the retired militarycommunity. A wide range ofservices are offered to retireesand surviving spouses of mili-tary members that includespay issues, the SurvivorBenefit Program, and dealingwith the Department ofVeterans Affairs to obtain ben-efits. RAO volunteers act as aliaison to guide the customerthrough all aspects of theabove programs. RAO's serv-ices are free and intended toassist the customer to obtaintheir entitled rights, benefits,and privileges as a retiree,dependent, or survivor of amilitary service member.

Customers from other RAO'sare welcome to visit theNCBC, Gulfport RetiredActivity Office. The hours ofoperation are Monday –Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Call for an appointment at871-3000 ext. 35 or just dropin. Customers and volunteersare welcome.

Navy College Test Prep The Navy College Learning

Center Facilitators haveannounced the spring sched-ule of test preparation classes.The two-week classes can betaken by those who want toprepare for the ASVAB, ACT,SAT, GED, or CLEP Exams.The class dates are April 9-19and April 23 - May 3.

To enroll, select dates, veri-fy availability with the NCLC,submit a chit, and see yourcommand career counselor tosecure a slot.

For additional informationand reservations contact Annaor Bonnie in the Navy CollegeLearning Center, located inBuilding 60 on the seconddeck, Room 234, call 871-2508,or send an email to: [email protected].

1st Annual VFW District 1Golf Tournament

VFW District 1 will hold a golftournament at Great SouthernClub on April 14. Lineup is a4-person scramble, 8 a.m. shot-gun start. Deadline for signup is April 1. Contact Rick(228) 818-9404 or Pete (228)324-5149 for information.

COMPASSCOMPASS is a team of trainedseasoned military spousesmentoring other navyspouses. Classes are intimateand informative. Our 12 hour-3 day course isoffered the last week of themonth(Tuesday, Wednesdayand Thursday)from9am-1pm at the ChapelFellowship Hall CBC Gulfport.The course AND childcare are FREE! Please R.S.V.P.228-871-3000 ext. 7444 Ask forCOMPASS!

On March 9, 2007,Builder First Class JeffreyE. Owens, assigned to theCenter for Seabees andFacilities Engineering(CSFE), Detachment FortLeonard Wood, Missouri,was selected as the FortLeonard Wood JointService Non-Commissioned Officer ofthe Year. Major GeneralWilliam McCoy, Jr., theCommanding General ofFort Leonard Wood,awarded the ArmyCommendation Medal toOwens for his exemplaryperformance before theJoint Service NCO board.Petty Officer Owens, anative of nearby Lebanon,Missouri, is the first Sailorto win this recognitionsince the NavyDetachment was estab-lished in 1995.

Petty Officer Owens hadpreviously competedagainst Soldiers, Airmen,and Marines to win thefirst quarter 2006 Joint

Service NCO board. Tocompete, a service membermust be recommended byhis or her chain of com-mand and had been select-ed as their respective ser-vice's quarterly board win-ner. During these chal-lenging boards servicemembers are asked mili-tary related questionsrelated to flags and hon-ors, leadership, militaryjustice, first aid, chemicaland biological warfare,current events, and thecode of conduct. Theboards are chaired by theFort Leonard WoodCommand Sergeant Majorwith Senior EnlistedLeaders from the otherthree service detachmentsas members.

While assigned to CSFEDetachment Fort LeonardWood, Petty OfficerOwens has been aninstructor for the DisasterPreparedness OperationsSpecialist course and iscurrently serving as aSailor DevelopmentContinuum (SDC) LeadingPetty Officer for the

Engineering Aid andEquipment Operator "A"Schools. The SDC pro-gram provides basic mili-tary training and adminis-trative support to "A"School students destinedto be the NavalConstruction Force's futureSeabees. SDC leaders arehandpicked for this chal-lenging role and areexpected to exhibit out-standing military bearingand knowledge. ThisSeabee has clearly exceed-ed these expectations.

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Seabee Community NotesSeabee Community Notes

New Colmer Dining Facility Hours

Until further notice...

Breakfast 5:45 - 8 a.m.Lunch 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.Dinner 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Both lines in the galley willrun for breakfast, lunch,and dinner to enable ourpatrons to get food fasterand easier.

Photo by MC3 Paul D. WilliamsEA2 (SCW/SW) Michael Urban from Naval MobileConstruction Battalion Seven hand mixes concrete for a46' X 76' play area at the West Railroad Park in LongBeach, Miss. Petty Officer Urban took special liberty tovolunteer his time and skills to the project. "I like to beinvolved in my community," Urban said. "I live in LongBeach and it will be a great place where my wife and I cantake our four children to play." In addition to the WestRailroad Park in Long Beach, Kaboom, with the help ofover 3,000 volunteers, which included over sixty volun-teers from NMCB 7, helped transform 10 playgrounds inseven Gulf Coast communities last August to mark theone year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

NMCB 7 Seabee buildsLong Beach playground

Fort Leonard Wood Seabee selected as2006 Joint Service NCO of the YearBy EQCM(SCW) Tom KirkleCSFE, Det Fort Leonard Wood

Fleet and FamilySupport Center (FFSC)Work and Family LifeSpecialist Jeff Isabellbriefed the eleven-memberMilitary Advisory TeamMeeting of the SouthernCompany in Atlanta,Georgia on Friday, March23. His 90-minute presen-tation on the TransitionAssistance Program (TAP)and the FamilyEmployment ReadinessProgram (FERP) coveredthe military transitionprocess, military rates andhow they translate intocivilian jobs, and beststrategies for announcingjob vacancies to both mili-

tary spouses and to servicemembers making the tran-sition to civilian life.

Mr. Isabell was invited bythe Southern Companybecause of its ongoinginterest in hiring militaryspouses and former mili-tary personnel. "SouthernCompany has traditionallybeen a strong employer ofour spouses, separatees,and retirees," said Mr.Isabell. "Speaking to thisforum promoted evenmore visibility for our cus-tomers."

Southern Companyemploys 26,000 personnelwho provide electricalservice to four million cus-tomers in the Southeast. Itis projected to have 12,000job openings in the next

three to five years.For more information

about the TAP and FERPprograms, contact JeffIsabell at Fleet and FamilySupport Center, 871-3000.

Fleet and Family Support Center'sJeff Isabell briefs Atlanta executivesBy FFSC, Gulfport

Jeff Isabell

Safety habits are free. Have you picked up any lately?

Please call Fleet and Family Support Center at 871-3000 to pre-register. Pre-registration is not required for FastTrack classes.

Anger Management, Tuesdays, 10 - noon Babysitting Class for Ages 11 & Up, April 6, 8 - noonCommand Financial Specialist , April 23-27, 8 a.m. dailyConsumer Awareness, April 19, 10 - 11 a.m.Credit Management, April 9, 10 - 11 a.m.Employment Workshop, April 13, 9 -11 a.m. Ind. Aug. Family Member Meeting, April 25, 4 - 5 p.m.Recovering Myself, Wednesdays 10 - 11 a.m. SAVI Advocate Inservice, April 24, 1030-noonSAVI Advocate Training, April 16-18, 8 a.m. daily SAVI Liaison, Data Collection Coord., April 30, 8 - noonSuicide Prevention, April 5, 9 - 10 a.m.Transition Assistance Program, April 2-6, 8 a.m. daily

Fleet & Family Support Center April Classes


FFSC IA coordinator tomake referrals for thosewho are having a particu-larly hard time and needmore individual assistance.Some may need help withthings such as parentingskills or just help going on

with their lives. Many ofthese families have spous-es who haven't been mar-ried very long, have veryyoung children and are attheir first station awayfrom home so they needsomeone to rely on. If theydon't have that then peo-ple can quickly start falling

apart."O'Neal also stated that

the FFSC's will be workingwith MWR to assist withchildcare to influence max-imum participation.

The concept of an IA chil-dren's support group hasalso been undertaken byFFSC and is already in

place on some installa-tions.

O'Neal added one laststatement regarding theimportance of these sup-port programs. "Theemphasis on these supportgroups is coming straightfrom the CNO. He isadamant in seeing that

these families are takencare of, and it falls uponour leadership to make ithappen."

Many Sailors returning from anIndividual Augmentee (IA)assignment, such as the MiddleEast and Afghanistan, have a hardtime readjusting to a normal lifestyle and some even suffer frompost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) due to physiological andpsychological stressors experi-enced while deployed. Militarymembers go through a series ofhealth screenings before and afterdeployment to identify any men-tal or physical problems that mayhave been caused by their deploy-ment and treatment is issuedaccordingly. However, untilrecently, the families of thosedeployed have had little in theway of education on what toexpect from their spouse or parentafter they return from the warzone.

Commander, Navy RegionSoutheast's (CNRSE) family sup-port program, in conjunction witha directive from the Chief ofNaval Operations, Adm. MikeMullen, is ensuring that all basesimplement an IA support groupto help families after loved onesdeploy.

Olivia O'Neal, the regional fleet

and family support program coor-dinator for CNRSE as well as theworking family life coordinatordescribed how these programswill develop.

"One of my responsibilities isbeing the individual augmenteepoint of contact," she said. "Hereat CNRSE we've been working onthe subject of IAs and reachingout to IA families for more than ayear now. Many months ago, ourinstallations began outreach pro-grams to the families of IAs andwe realized that we had a majorobstacle which was identifyingwho the IA member and theirfamilies were."

According to O'Neal, they havestarted to receive that informationfrom the Expeditionary CombatReadiness Command (ECRC)based in Norfolk, Va. The ECRChas established a hotline, 1-877-364-4302, for families of activeduty and reserve Sailors who aredeploying as IAs. They will pro-vide information that will allowthe Fleet and Family SupportCenter (FFSC) to contact familymembers and offer services suchas the IA support group, counsel-ing, financial planning, etc.

Lt. Cmdr. Shawn Oxendine, fromCNRSE, who was deployed as an

IA to Afghanistan for six monthsand returned last August, elabo-rated on some of the challengesshe and her family faced whileshe was gone and after she gotback.

"Some of the problems we facedwere based on my husband hav-ing to take over the role of motheras well as a father. I know hetook good care of our daughter,but there were some things hedidn't know how to handle," shesaid. "I also had to worry aboutthem worrying about me becauseI wasn't always able to tell themwhat I was doing and wasn'talways able to call."

Oxendine continued on to talkabout readjusting to normal life."It was very difficult becausewhen I got home I wanted to justtake over everything, but beforewe got back they briefed us thatwe would have to let our familiescarry on in their routines andgradually readjust. I think itwould be helpful if they hadsomething on the family endabout how to readjust when theirspouse or parent get home."

O'Neal and the FFSC are work-ing hard to do just that. "We'renow in the midst of incorporatingas many spouses as we can into

the IA support program. ByMarch 23, all of our installationswill be mandated by CNRSE tostart a program targeted towardsthe families of IAs. We felt it nec-essary to designate a program forIA families because they are underdifferent stressors than those whogo on routine deployments onships," she continued.

Some of the installations underCNRSE, which covers a radiusspanning from mid-Eastern Texasto South Carolina, also includingGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, havealready began IA support pro-grams. These programs, as wellas those that will begin shortly,will introduce families to the serv-ices that the fleet and family sup-port programs offer and educatefamilies on PTSD, other stressorstheir spouse will experience over-seas and help them prepare forthe transition that will occur whenthey return home.

"We provide the bases withguidance and suggestions andwe'll be getting information backfrom them on how successful theirgroups have been," she said. "Itwill also be the responsibility of

always safe. Children willclimb to reach medicines.

5. Do not take medicationsin front of small childrenand never refer to medica-tions as candy. Many of theflavored over-the-countermedications contain highlevels of alcohol and areespecially attractive to chil-dren. Always buy alcohol-free products when possible.

6. Keep a bottle of syrupof ipecac in your house toinduce vomiting – use itonly when directed by thepoison control center.

7. Keep cosmetics/beautyproducts out of the reach ofchildren. Permanents, dyes,relaxers, perfumes, hair-sprays, nail polishes, andpolish removers are toxic.

8. Store cleaning productsin high cabinets with safetylatches. Never store themunder the sink.

9. Keep gardening items(fertilizers, pesticides, etc.)

in a locked area. 10. Be careful of using dec-

orative lamps/candles con-taining lamp oils. Lamp oilscan be extremely toxic ifingested.

11. Always read medica-tion labels and dose instruc-tions twice. Never give chil-dren medications intendedfor adult consumption or forwhich there is no child doselisted. Your pharmacist isan excellent resource forinformation on drugs anddrug interactions. Alwaysask about effects and sideeffects before starting on amedication.

12. If you take vitaminsupplements, be careful ofinteractions with over-the-counter and prescriptiondrugs. Ask the pharmacist.Many have interactions withdrugs that can be life threat-ening (ginkgo enhances theeffects of the anticoagulantdrug warfarin and maycause fatal bleeding).Remember, supplements arenot regulated and have no

good labels or warnings.Using supplements is "buyerbeware."

13. Know which commonhousehold and yard plantsmay be toxic to children andanimals. Several commonplants found in homes canbe toxic. These includedumb cane, caladiums,hydrangea, oleander, wiste-ria, holly, and mistletoe.Check with your gardenshop or county extensionoffice for more information.

14. Other commonhousehold items that pose apoisoning threat includeadhesives/glues,arts/crafts/office supplies,batteries, deodorizers, pol-ishes and waxes, and tobac-co products.

Using these simple precau-tions and other commonsense care can prevent a poi-soning tragedy at yourhome. Poison-proofingyour home should be a pri-ority for every parent.

It is not uncommon for Seabeesto study hard and dedicate theirtime to qualify as a SeabeeCombat Warfare Specialist duringa deployment cycle or to possiblyeven work to earn their FleetMarine Force qualification, but itis an extraordinary accomplish-ment for someone to earn fourwarfare qualifications during hisor her 12-year career in the Navy.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class(Seabee Combat Warfare, FleetMarine Force, Enlisted SurfaceWarfare, Air Warfare) Danny L.Hawkins Jr. of Naval MobileConstruction Battalion (NMCB) 74exhibits the pride and profession-alism for which many youngsailors strive. While he credits hisparents' support and nurturing forhis accomplishments, some of thecredit is due to his own steadfast

dedication and commitment toexcellence.

"I have never been one to seekout recognition," said Hawkins, "Istarted my career to make my par-ents proud but now I accomplishthe things I do out of my ownsense of pride."

HM1 Hawkins' father retiredfrom the Navy after 21 years ofservice, and has been an inspira-tion for Danny throughout hiscareer.

"I have always looked up to myfather, and all he has accom-plished throughout his career,"said Hawkins, "now that I know Ihave made both of my parentsproud, I now strive towards aspi-rations of my own. I know I willmake something of myself in theNavy. One day I would like toserve as the Master Chief PettyOfficer of the Navy."HM1 Hawkins earned his firsttwo warfare devices onboard theUSS Enterprise as an

E-3 and earned the second two ina period of five months whiledeployed to Iraq with NMCB 74.

"During my 22 years serving theNavy, HM1 Hawkins is the firstperson I have ever met or knownwith four warfare qualifications.Not only is this an awesome per-sonal achievement, but it trulysends a strong message to allSailors and Seabees that our skieshave no limits. I am really proudof HM1 Hawkins and his family,"remarked Commanding OfficerCraig Prather.

Petty Officer Hawkins' tour withNMCB 74 is coming to a close. Hehas accepted orders to NavalHospital Jacksonville, Fla. so hecan be closer to his parents. Heplans on moving down there andbeginning his own family with hisfiancé Chantel Babb and carry onthe family tradition bestowedupon him by his father.

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Aspiring for successFearless Seabee earns fourth warfare qualification

Photo by MC2 Gregory JudayHM1 Danny L. Hawkins ofNMCB 74 receives the FleetMarine Force Device; his fourthwarfare qualification during his12-year Navy career.

By MC2 Gregory N. JudayNMCB 74 Public Affairs

From Poison page 14

monthly Budget for BabyClass given by Navy-MarineCorps Relief SocietyGulfport. Along with basicbudget training and valu-able resource informationattendees receive a free"Junior Sea Bag" and layette.The "Junior Sea Bag" is a

canvas tote loaded withbrand new Gerber babyitems that can help familiesget started on setting uptheir new nurseries. Thelayette is a delicately knittedor crocheted afghan andsweater set that have beenmade and donated byNMCRS Volunteers. According to Charlie

Gibson, "Navy-MarineCorps Relief SocietyGulfport issued 74 free"Junior Sea Bags" in 2006and would like to doublethat number in 2007.

To register for or receivemore information about theBudget for Baby Class, call228-871-2601, and speak to aNMCRS representative.

From Cute page 14

CNRSE implements family IA support programBy MC2(SW/AW) Rebecca KruckCNRSE

See IA page 17

From IA page 7

England; chief of the mer-chandising branch and laterchief of the operations divi-sion for DeCA's EuropeanRegion, Kapaun Air Station,Germany; zone manager forZone 29, Seymour JohnsonAir Force Base, N.C.; anddeputy director, EasternRegion, Virginia Beach, Va.

Kanitz received numerousdistinguished awards

throughout her career, includ-ing Equal EmploymentOpportunity awards from theAir Force, DeCA and severalstates for her work in selectiveplacement and leadership. In2005, she received theAmerican LogisticsAssociation's annual Womenin the Military ResaleIndustry Award.

Kanitz said that while shefeels honored to be DeCA'sfirst female member of the

Senior Executive Service, theaccomplishment is a tribute tothe agency's commissarycareer program, which offersand encourages career broad-ening assignments and recog-nizes individual accomplish-ments and achievements.

"It's been a great career," shesaid, "and I encourage every-one to pursue their dreamsbecause dreams do come true,albeit with a little hard work."

From Retire page 15


At approximately 5:30 onthe morning of March 14,2007, five members ofNaval Mobile ConstructionBattalion One Thirty Three(NMCB 133) were en routeto the Udari range inKuwait for a training exer-cise when they came uponthe scene of a horrific traf-fic accident. The accident,which involved two 20-passenger vans and a four-door Nissan truck, hap-pened only momentsbefore the Seabees' arrival.

"The accident occurredwithin just a few minutesas the air was still full ofdust," said Gunnery Sgt.Tom McCarty, MilitaryAdvisor to NMCB 133.

Led by McCarty, NMCB133 personnel respondedimmediately with medicalcare and on-scene organi-zation. McCarty proudlystated, "Everywhere youlooked, One Thirty Three

guys were there. Theywere cutting bandages,hooking up IV's and bring-ing in MEDEVAC chop-pers to get the seriouslyinjured to the hospitals."

While McCarty ensuredemergency services werecontacted, HM1 CharlotteBethea immediately beganassessing casualties andcreating a CasualtyCollection Point. Withassistance from UT2 KellyCaponigro, Bethea beganbandaging the injured andadministering intravenousfluids (IV) as needed. "Iwas helping Doc [Bethea]as best I could with band-ages and helping cut cloth-ing away from the injured.We were moving frombody to body so fast, that Ihad to go back andretrieve supplies we mayhave left at the last[patient]. I was trying tostay busy so I couldn'treact to what was trulygoing on," said Caponigro.

The number of casualties

was beyond the medicalsupply capabilities of thefive responders, but asSeabees "Can-Do," theyadapted to the situation,and assisted as best theycould.

Bethea recalls how appre-ciative the injured were ofher efforts. "I rememberone of the men saying,'Thank you, Soldier, thankyou, Soldier.' Even withmy lack of supplies, hewas thankful that I wasdoing what I could forhim," said Bethea.

When McCarty discov-ered two men pinnedbeneath one of the passen-ger vans, he worked withBU2 Tyler Morgan andBUCN Nicholas Condon torescue the men.Overcoming the languagebarrier, the rescuers suc-cessfully organized theuninjured survivors to liftthe van, thus allowingMorgan, Condon andMcCarty to pull the twoseverely injured men to

safety. Once the victimswere clear of the wreckage,Bethea and Caponigroimmediately began apply-ing bandages and tourni-quets.

At this point, a third vic-tim was discoveredtrapped inside the over-turned van. AfterMcCarty found that hecould not safely move thevictim through the frontwindow of the van,Morgan and Condonsmashed the rear window,crawled in, and carried thethird man from the vehi-cle.

As the sun rose, a Nissantruck was discovered ashort distance away withseven men still trappedinside. By this point, 20-30civilians arrived on thescene and endeavored toassist the rescuers in free-ing the men from thetruck. McCarty found asteel pipe and unsuccess-fully attempted to leverapart the twisted wreck-

age. The men were even-tually freed using the Jawsof Life. After a number of minuteswith McCarty and the fourSeabees as the only careproviders on the scene,members of CampBeuhring's Emergency Fireand Medical Rescue Teamarrived. Even with the res-cue team present, Bethea,Caponigro and McCartycontinued to assist, direct-ly treating the injured as

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Community Calendar April 2007

Compass GulfportCOMPASS

Spouse Teams Mentoring SpousesMake New Friends, Learn about the Navy lifestyle,

Acquire Knowledge and Skills, Develop Realisticexpectations and a positive attitude

What is COMPASS?Spouse-to-Spouse Mentoring Program

12 Hour Session Presented Over Three Days Taught by Experienced Volunteer Navy Spouses

Upcoming Sessions:

April 24, 25, & 269 a.m. - 1 p.m.

To register call:(228) 871-3000, X 7444

COMPASS will be held atCBC Chapel FellowshipHall. For directions call:(228) 871-3000, X7444.

COMPASS is presentedby experienced Navyspouses.

All Navy Spouses arewelcome.

Need babysitting? -Inquire during registra-tion.

The Course CurriculumBenefits and ServicesAnchors AweighLocal InsightsPersonal FinanceMoving in the NavyGetting along with othersNaval History andTraditions

1 2 3 4 5 CBC Blood Drive,Chapel, 8 - 12:45

CPOA Car Wash,A&E, 11a.m. - 1 p.m.

All Khaki Social,A&E, 3 p.m

Holy Week/EasterServices Chapel,Protestant, 5 p.m.Catholic 7 p.m.

6 HolyWeek/EasterServices, Chapel,Protestant, NoonCatholic, 3 p.m.

7 Month of Mil.Child Easter EggHunt/Carnival, 10a.m. - Noon, YouthCenter Sports Field

Holy Week EasterVigil, Chapel,Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

8 EasterCommissary

closedCatholic Easter

Mass, Chapel 9:30a.m. ;ProtestantEaster service,Chapel, 11 a.m.

9 Seabee DaysMtg, Bldg 1, 1 p.m.

10 All Cmdr's Mtg,Bldg. 1, Conf.Room, 10 a.m.

11 Lunchtime BibleStudy, Bldg 1 Conf.Room, 11:30 - 12:30

CBC/20SRG PRT

12 All Khaki Social,

A&E, 3 p.m

13 Basewide Hail &

Farewell, Sponsoredby NMCB 7, A&E.,CBC/20SRG PRTmakeup

14

15 16 Federal IncomeTaxes due

17 18 Spring infoFitness 5K run,6:30 a.m.Lunchtime Bible

Study, Bldg 1 Conf.Room, 11:30 - 12:30

19 20 21

22 Earth Day 23 CNRSEHurricane ExerciseApril 23 - May 4

24 CNRSEHurricane ExerciseApril 23 - May 4


CNRSE HurricaneExercise April 23 -May 4



28

Tragedy Turns NMCB 133 Trainers into Heroes By MC3 Jessica A. McIverNMCB 133

See Heroes page 15

well as providing medicalsupplies to the RescueTeam. "When they [RescueTeam] showed up, theywere kind of standingaside because they thoughtall of us were medics. Thiswas because all our guyswere so calm and collect-ed. I was really proud ofthem," said McCarty.

When the Rescue Teamcalled in medical evacua-tion helicopters (MEDE-VAC), Morgan stopped

traffic before directing theMEDEVAC choppers tothe landing zone. As thethree helicopters flew in,Condon marked the land-ing area with signal flares.

Upon MEDEVAC'sarrival, One Thirty Threecoordinated with the crewchiefs and rescue team toload nine of the most seri-ously injured victims intothe helicopters. Numerousother victims were treatedat the scene by the Seabeesand the Buehring RescueTeam.

In response to this

tragedy, the members ofOne Thirty Three onceagain demonstrated theimportance of their skillsand training. Reflecting onSeabee readiness and theteam effort so evident dur-ing the rescue, Bethea com-mented, "More than any-thing else, I am so proudof the Seabees that werethere with me. Theystepped up and did what-ever was asked of themwithout a second thoughtor hesitation."

From Heroes page 9

Provided byNCBC Public Safety

The Naval Construction Battalion Center commanding officer can authorize the eleva-tion of Force Protection Conditions locally. The Crisis Management Team determinesthe nature and extent of threats and makes recommendations to the commanding offi-cer. Plans are evaluated for implementing higher Force Protection Conditions. Allpersonnel are reminded to report all suspicious or unusual incidents to NCBC Securityat X2361.

Force Condition Awareness


Bonnie Kanitz, director of DeCA Eastand the first woman in DeCA appoint-ed to the Senior Executive Service, willretire from federal service in August.

Kanitz, whose career spans 32 years,leaves a legacy as a pioneer not onlyfor women in the federal workforce,but for anyone who strives for excel-lence on the job, said Patrick B. Nixon,DeCA's director and chief executiveofficer.

"I've watched Bonnie move up theleadership chain during our yearstogether at DeCA, and I can't think ofa more dedicated leader who deliv-ered results that improved the com-missary benefit wherever she served.She accomplished some significant'firsts' as a woman in the workforceand her work ethic, determination,leadership and concern for the com-missary benefit are great examples foreveryone to follow. She'll be missed,but she's going on to a well-deservedretirement and we all wish her thebest," Nixon said.

Kanitz said she plans to return toMichigan where she grew up and herfamily lives. She made agency history

in February 2002 when she became thefirst woman in DeCA to become aSenior Executive Service member andlead a region – the former MidwestRegion. She went on to lead DeCA'sEuropean Region during the startupof Operation Iraqi Freedom beforetaking the reins of DeCA East in July2004.

"It's been a privilege to be part ofproviding such a great benefit to the

deserving men and women of ournation's military – the best in theworld. I've always had a great passionfor this benefit and for our stores,where commitment, dedication andselflessness is overwhelming. Thereare so many in our stores who domore than asked, who are heroes ingoing the extra mile to add to thequality of life for our military andtheir families. I'm extremely proud tohave been a part of it all and privi-leged to be their leader! I'll miss thepeople in DeCA and industry partnersI've worked with over the years –many have become my friends – but Iknow the great work will continueand the benefit will only get strongerbecause of the dedication people havefor it," Kanitz said.

Kanitz is known as an approachable,engaged leader who especially rel-ished visits to commissaries where shewas quick to share insights for successand seek employee and customerinput on how to improve the commis-sary benefit. She knows what it takesto run a commissary. Her career beganin 1975 when she became the storemanager at Calumet Radar Site, Mich.,after earning her bachelor's degreefrom Michigan Technological

University, Houghton, Mich. She wasselected into the first four-year internclass in the Air Force CommissaryService in 1979 and received an earlyplacement after her first year of interntraining.

She went on to earn a master'sdegree in management and served asa store director in over seven commis-saries in the United States and Europe.

While store director at the PetersonAir Force Base Commissary, Colo., in1985, the store took best commissaryand best overall commissary awards,and she received the Air Force SeniorCivilian Service Manager of the YearAward while there. Over the years,she served as operations divisiondirector for the AFCOMS' UnitedKingdom Complex, RAF Lakenheath,

Naval MobileConstruction Battalion One(NMCB 1) started the FiscalYear off right by recentlybeing named to the FirstQuarter All-NavyRetention Honor Roll.

During the three monthtime period, NMCB 1 reen-listed 25 of its troops, whoaccumulated over $99,000in selective reenlistmentbonuses.

"We've had the benefit ofa truly engaged chain ofcommand," said NCC (SW)Jake Brady, NMCB 1'sCommand CareerCounselor. "That plays ahuge role in having a betterinformed battalion."

Chief Brady hasn't done italone however.

"Our 29-person CareerDevelopment Team fullyengages with each andevery person in theBattalion," he added. "Oneperson cannot raise reten-tion, but a great chain ofcommand can."

NMCB 1 is currently onpace to repeat theirachievement for the nextquarter.

The Seabees of NavalMobile ConstructionBattalions (NMCB) TwentySix and One Thirty Threecompleted construction ona Morale, Welfare andRecreation stage whichwas constructed for use asan entertaining venue forthe Sailors, Soldiers,Marines, and Airmen sta-tioned on the Camp.

The Buffalo Bills' cheer-leaders opened the stage atthe ribbon-cutting ceremo-ny this week. The stagehas also featured suchnames as actor/comedianJamie Kennedy and rapperPaul Wall during JamieKennedy's Hip HopComedy Tour.

NMCB 5 began the proj-ect in late January. NMCB26 took the lead in earlyFebruary upon their depar-ture. In a joint effort, 133helped tackle its comple-tion. The project was com-pleted 11 days earlier thanthe projected deadline.

The stage was an impor-tant project for the crew, aswell as the troops sta-tioned at Arifjan.

BU1 Steve Hansen(NMCB 26), comments onthe contribution the stagewill make to the welfare ofthe camp. "The project isimportant because itallows Arifjan to get somehigher priority shows,which helps with thetroops' morale," saidHansen.

Constructed near thecommunity center, thestage affected moralebefore construction began,according to ColonelKenneth Beard,Commander, Zone Six atCamp Arifjan, who spokeat the opening ceremony.

"It was a fishbowl proj-ect," said Beard. "Thetroops got to see it changealmost daily."

The 'Bees stand ready toput their skill sets to use inorder to improve the quali-ty of life all over the

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'Bees buildstage for MWRBy MC3 Jessica A. McIverNMCB 133 Public Affairs

See Stage page 14

4TH ANNUAL SEABEE DAYS 4TH ANNUAL SEABEE DAYS

CAR, TRUCK & MOTORCYCLE SHOW CAR, TRUCK & MOTORCYCLE SHOW Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, MS 39501

Show will be in the Base Theater parking lot next to the Navy Exchange---RAIN OR SHINE

ENTER THROUGH THE PASS ROAD GATE- MUST HAVE ID AND PROOF OF INSURANCE

Saturday May 5, 2007 Open to All Military & CiviliansOpen to All Military & Civilians

OVER 30 CLASSES FOR SHOW ANTIQUE(VINTAGE), IMPORT, DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN CLASSES—WE HAVE A CLASS FOR EVERYONE

KANDYLAND KUSTOMLAND KUSTOMS IS DONATING A CUSTS IS DONATING A CUSTOM POM PAINT JOB JOB TO A LUCK TO A LUCKY P PARTICIPANT! !!!!BEST OF SHOW, BEST INTERIOR, BEST ENGINE & CLUB PARTICIPATION TROPHIES!!!!

$$$$$$$$$$$THOUSANDS IN PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS FROM LOCAL SPONSORS $$$$$$$$$$$ COME OUT AND HELP SUPPORT THE SEABEE BALL!

1ST AND 2ND place Trophies will be awarded in all Mild & Wild Categories7:00 am-11:00 am Registration

11:00 am-1:00 pm Judging 2:00 pm Award Presentation

**GULFPORT DRAGWAY & TY & TIRE KINGDOM IS SPONSORING A $10 BURNOUT CONTEST AT THE SHBURNOUT CONTEST AT THE SHOW!**

SPL CONTEST: SPONSORED BY SOUND SOLUTIONS--$20--1ST, 2ND & 3RD PLACE For questions contact: David Fulcher (228)365-1611 or Brian Harrison (228)343-9891

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SPONSORED BY:

DELTA WORLD TIRE SOUND SOLUTIONS KLEIN MUFFLER O’REILLY’S AUTO PARTS NAPA SUZUKI CITY HARLEY DAVIDSON OF BILOXI GULFPORT DRAGWAY EMPRESS AUDIO AUTO ZONE DUNAWAY GLASS HEADLINERS PLUS ADVANCE AUTO TOPPER WORLD XTREME CONVERSIONS FIRESTONE 5 MINUTE OIL CHANGE TIRE KINGDOM GOODYEAR KANDYLAND KUSTOMS PRECISION GLASS TINTING COAST CYCLE WORLD SPEEDEE OIL CHANGE RED ARROW CAR WASH GULF COAST RHINO LININGS

Early Registration fee is $20. Must be received by April 25th. The registration fee the day of the event will be $25. ALL SPECTATORS ARE FREE!!!

Pre-Registration Form: Mail to: Seabee Ball Committee, ATTENTION: David Fulcher, P.O. Box 3641, Gulfport, MS 39505

Money Order Only Please! Name:________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Number:________________________________________________________________________________ Vehicle Make and Model:_________________________________________________________________________ Vehicle Year:____________________________________ Club Name:____________________________________

NMCB 1 earns spoton Navy's RetentionHonor RollBy MC2 Chad RungeNMCB 1 Public Affairs

Kanitz to retire from DeCA in AugustBy Rick Brink,[email protected] "Ms. Kanitz will truly be missed

by all in DeCA. She is a grassroots manager that cares greatly,not only for those that work for her,but also for our military membersand their families that we are hereto support. She left her personalmark at Gulfport while visiting inearly September 2001, by initiatingthe placement of a deli in the store,a step that has been realized andenjoyed by our patrons since wereopened following Katrina inMay, 2006. I hate to see her go,but wish her the best for an enjoyable and long retirement!"

Walt Taylor, Store DirectorGulfport NCBC Commissary

See Retire page 18


No one will argue thatbabies are cute and cud-dly. Their chubby faces,cooing sounds and inno-cence can't help but makeus smile. It's the cost ofraising them that shocks usand without proper plan-ning can throw a familyinto a financial tailspin.

The Navy-Marine CorpsRelief Society Budget forBaby Class teaches expec-tant parents that theyshould be financially pre-pared and plan for theupcoming birth of a newbaby along with the addedcosts to the household thatcan be anticipated.

Charlie and Betty Gibson,NMCRS Volunteers, teachthe local Budget for BabyClass and state that, "themain component of thefree two-hour course isteaching expectant parentsgeneral budgeting tips."

The most common mis-take expectant parentsmake is going financially

overboard when they aresetting up their home forthe arrival of a new baby.

Charlie and Betty coverthe importance of planningfor the added expenses ofpreparing for the newbaby and recommend pur-chasing secondhand itemssuch as cribs, high chairs,and baby clothing.

Secondhand items can cutthe setup costs almost inhalf and most people willfind that secondhand workjust fine.

Charlie and Betty alsorecommend that attendeeskeep a spending log for 30days to track their miscel-laneous expenses andobtain a better idea whereloose change and "hole in

the pocket" money is beingspent. They warn atten-dees about being targetedby costly photographyplans, children's bookclubs or insurance scamsfor children. Charliereminds parents thatdependent children arecovered, at no cost, underthe Servicemen's GroupLife Insurance. The onlyrequirement is that themilitary service member becovered under the plan.

Even parents expectingtheir second or third childcan find benefits to attend-ing the Budget for BabyClass. Although the addi-tion of a second or thirdchild may not be as costlyor significant, householdexpenses can be expectedto increase with the newestfamily member.

All Navy and MarineCorps service members,active duty and retired,and their eligible familymembers can attend the

Millions of poisoning expo-sures occur each year in theUnited States, resulting innearly 900,000 visits toemergency rooms andapproximately 21,183 fatali-ties. About 90 percent ofpoisonings happen in thehome, and common house-hold products are usuallythe cause. The poisons mostoften involved are cleaningproducts, pain relievers, cos-metics, personal care prod-ucts, plants and cold/coughmedications. Children –especially those under agesix – are at the highest riskfor unintentional poison-ings. However, adolescentsand adults contribute a sig-nificant portion of poisoningincidents. Many poisoningscan be prevented if safetyprecautions are takenaround the home. The pre-cautions are easy to imple-ment and may save the life

of someone you love. 1. Post the toll-free poison-

control number (800-222-1222), family physician'snumber, and parent's worknumbers next to the phone.

2. Remove all non-essen-tial drugs and householdproducts from your home.

3. Avoid keeping highlytoxic products, such as draincleaners, metal polishes,oven cleaners, in an areawhere children can accessthem. Substitute less toxic

products when possible.Store these items in lockableareas. Use safety latches oncabinets.

4. Buy medicines andhousehold products inchild-resistant packagingand be sure that caps are ontightly. Keep these items ina locked area. Keepingthem in high areas isn't

A garbled messagepierced the cold, dusty airover the din of noisy tankengines and helicopterblades churning overhead."All medical personnel andlitter bearers please reportto Charlie Medical imme-diately." The messagerepeated over and overfrom Camp Ramadi's pub-lic address system, as thosewho recognized the callsprung into action.

One of Fearless 74'sIndependent DutyCorpsmen, HM1 RichardPoole, and Medical Officer,Lt. James Harrison rushedto their HUMMVEE ambu-lance and rumbled downthe dusty, crater-filledroad; making their wayacross Camp Ramadi toarrive on a scene so fre-quently played out at basesthroughout the Al Anbarprovince of Iraq. Crowdsof people were amassed ina dusty parking lot; dozensof field stretchers erectedand occupied, everyonemoving with urgency anda purpose. Scores ofinjured cried out in Arabic;and their cries fell on theears of the understandingmedical community.While very few under-stood the words, everyoneunderstood the meaning…"Please help me, I'm hurt-ing." Lt. Harrison askedthe first person heapproached, "Quickly,what happened?" The per-son's reply spoke volumes,"Suicide vehicle borne IED(Improvised ExplosiveDevice)—dump truck."

The civilian casualtieshad been brought toCharlie Medical Companyhoused in a facility resem-bling an abandoned blockwarehouse building youmight pass by in the States.However, inside this flat-roofed one-story structureheld the best chance forIraqis and Coalition Forcesalike to receive life-savingmedical care in the AlAnbar province.

There were so manyinjured, for a moment itwas hard to know where

to start, but a quick surveyof the scene showed mosthad been triaged alreadyand separated accordingly.

HM1 Poole and Lt.Harrison immediatelymade their way toward thepriority category wherescores lay wounded withjust a handful of medics

attending them. Lt. Harrison began assess-

ing the first patient andfound a young man, whoappeared to be in his thir-ties, with numerous shrap-nel wounds covering hisbody. Lt. Harrison beganto talk to him, but hiswords didn't register.

Suddenly, a thin man ofArabic descent and eagereyes appeared at his side."Doctor?" he asked. Lt.Harrison acknowledged,"Yes." The Arabic man whowas a translator, beganassisting Lt. Harrison inassessing the patient.

Several unfamiliar faces ofuniformed soldiers, sailorsand Marines began toappear around the man asthey conducted their exam.

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Unity amidst chaos: Teamwork essential in crisisBy Lt. James HarrisonMedical Officer, NMCB 74

Official U.S. Navy photoMembers of NMCB 74's medical team provide treat-ment to a 4-year-old Iraqi child (center). Left to rightare team members: HM1 Danny Hawkins, Lt. JamesHarrison, HM3 Jaclyn Place and HM1 Richard Poole.

See Unity page 20

Kuwaiti are of operation.The Seabees have made

many improvements onand off base, said Beard."Seabees' skills, abilities,and equipment have beenused for almost every partof base operations here atArifjan, and throughoutthe Kuwaiti Theater ofOperations," said Beard.

The Seabees continue to

make their mark in theircontribution to the war onterrorism. "They havealways been a part, oftenthe first part, of manyefforts to defeat terrorism,"said Beard. "The associa-tion with the Seabee ele-ments here in Zone Six willbe one that I will takeaway from this deploy-ment as one of my highesthonors."

From Stage page 10What's under your kitchen sink?Provided by NCBC Safety

Cute! Cuddly! Costly! NMCRS Class helps parents plan for new expenses

See Poison page 18

By Alice HuffmanNMCRS

BUCKLE UP EVERY TIME YOU GET INTO AVEHICLE... IT'S A HABIT YOU CAN'T

AFFORD TO BREAK!

See Cute page 18


Naval MobileConstruction Battalion One(NMCB 1) recently tookadvantage of training heldby the First NavalConstruction Division's (1NCD) Medical Departmentin Port Hueneme, Calif.The course, designed forjunior Corpsman, focusedon Tactical Casualty Careand highlighted recentmedical advances in thecombat arena. NMCB 1sent three Corpsmen toparticipate; HM1 ScottGervasi, HM2 ShannonRodriguez and HM2Tiffany Little. In thefuture, this course willbecome the "gold stan-dard" for all Field MedicalCorpsmen.

Topics covered duringthe four day conferenceincluded: movement ofpatients under hostile fire,hemorrhage control forinjured warriors, and

introduction to advancedmedical equipment cur-rently being used on thefront lines in Iraq andAfghanistan.This course enabled theNMCB 1 MedicalDepartment to have themost up-to-date informa-tion currently available tothe Naval MobileConstruction Battalions.

"Focused training like thisis exactly what we need forour junior Corpsmen," saidLt. Anthony O'Daniel,M.D, NMCB 1's BattalionMedical Officer. "Theyneed this training themost, because they are theones that will be providingmedical coverage for ourConvoy Security Teamsthis fall."

HMC Michael Haggertyadded, "This trainingallows my Corpsmen toteach our Combat LifeSavers the newest tech-niques and train them onthe latest equipment. Thistraining could potentiallysave lives when we deploy

this October." Discussing this training

opportunity, HM1 Gervasisaid, "1 NCD did a greatjob of getting this vitaltraining for our juniorCorpsmen on the deckplates."In an effort to better pre-pare their MedicalDepartment for theupcoming deployment,NMCB 1 Medical hasscheduled numerous train-ing events throughout thecountry for their key per-sonnel. This proactiveapproach will pay hugedividends upon deploy-ment.

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Clean Clean

Arbor Day Comes Early to Seabee Center

With the arrival ofSpring, the Boy Scoutsfrom South Mississippicame to help replantnew life on the Seabeebase in the form of 42new trees. The treeswere donated throughthe efforts of JudySteckler using theHurricane Katrina GrantProgram. The grantprogram was set up bythe U.S. ForestryCommission to helpreplace lost trees due toHurricane Katrina. Mrs.Steckler who overseesthe Land Trust for theMississippi CoastalPlain was instrumental

in providing replace-ment trees. This is partof a partnershipbetween Land Trust andthe Sun Herald in aneffort to "Replant SouthMississippi".

On Saturday morning,March 17 approximately30 Boy Scouts and theirLeaders came out toplant the trees. RetiredNavy Capt. FrankDiGeorge, former com-manding officer ofNCBC Gulfport, alongwith the Public Worksdepartment helpedorganize and coordinatethe replanting efforts.The Boy Scouts wererepresented by Troops190, 205 and 209. Thosewho helped included:

Paul Krass, Pat Gibson,Mike Young, DonnaGibson, Josh Crowe,Glen East, Steve Hymeland daughter, DylonCooke, Colby Cowart,Jon Hagwood, BrendenPhillips, Bryan Mogler,Calvin Perrone, KaneKeith, Patrick Stovall,Christian Hymel, andKevin Peters.

As with the Seabees,the Boy Scouts came outwith the "Can Do" spiritand completed the taskby hand. The trees werea variety of oaks andmaples and can be seenin several locationsaround the base. Iwould like to give a spe-cial "thank you" to allwho made this possible.

By Ben P. BarkerPublic Works Dept., Gpt

SouthMississippiBoy Scoutsplanted treesat severallocationsonboardNCBCGulfport.

Photos byBonnie McGerr

Boy ScoutSpring Planting Seabee greets VIP on job site

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganUT1 (SCW) John West met withMississippi Governor Haley Barbourduring his visit to the Kaboom play-ground build at West Railroad Park inLong Beach March 14, 2007. West wasone of the Seabees to volunteer as aTeam Leader for the project. The Longeach Civic Club hosted 250 volunteersfrom across the country to participate inthe build. The Gulf Coast First ClassAssociation provided facilities to thevolunteers for a makeshift galley andshelter.

By Lt. Anthony O'Daniel, MDNMCB 1 Medical Officer

NMCB One Corpsman train in Port Hueneme

Photo by MC3 (SCW) Ja'lon Rhinehart HM2 Tiffany Littledemonstrates how to usethe new compressionbandage that will befound in the Navy's firstaid and first responderskits.


Naval MobileConstruction Battalion One(NMCB 1) recently tookadvantage of training heldby the First NavalConstruction Division's (1NCD) Medical Departmentin Port Hueneme, Calif.The course, designed forjunior Corpsman, focusedon Tactical Casualty Careand highlighted recentmedical advances in thecombat arena. NMCB 1sent three Corpsmen toparticipate; HM1 ScottGervasi, HM2 ShannonRodriguez and HM2Tiffany Little. In thefuture, this course willbecome the "gold stan-dard" for all Field MedicalCorpsmen.

Topics covered duringthe four day conferenceincluded: movement ofpatients under hostile fire,hemorrhage control forinjured warriors, and

introduction to advancedmedical equipment cur-rently being used on thefront lines in Iraq andAfghanistan.This course enabled theNMCB 1 MedicalDepartment to have themost up-to-date informa-tion currently available tothe Naval MobileConstruction Battalions.

"Focused training like thisis exactly what we need forour junior Corpsmen," saidLt. Anthony O'Daniel,M.D, NMCB 1's BattalionMedical Officer. "Theyneed this training themost, because they are theones that will be providingmedical coverage for ourConvoy Security Teamsthis fall."

HMC Michael Haggertyadded, "This trainingallows my Corpsmen toteach our Combat LifeSavers the newest tech-niques and train them onthe latest equipment. Thistraining could potentiallysave lives when we deploy

this October." Discussing this training

opportunity, HM1 Gervasisaid, "1 NCD did a greatjob of getting this vitaltraining for our juniorCorpsmen on the deckplates."In an effort to better pre-pare their MedicalDepartment for theupcoming deployment,NMCB 1 Medical hasscheduled numerous train-ing events throughout thecountry for their key per-sonnel. This proactiveapproach will pay hugedividends upon deploy-ment.

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Clean Clean

Arbor Day Comes Early to Seabee Center

With the arrival ofSpring, the Boy Scoutsfrom South Mississippicame to help replantnew life on the Seabeebase in the form of 42new trees. The treeswere donated throughthe efforts of JudySteckler using theHurricane Katrina GrantProgram. The grantprogram was set up bythe U.S. ForestryCommission to helpreplace lost trees due toHurricane Katrina. Mrs.Steckler who overseesthe Land Trust for theMississippi CoastalPlain was instrumental

in providing replace-ment trees. This is partof a partnershipbetween Land Trust andthe Sun Herald in aneffort to "Replant SouthMississippi".

On Saturday morning,March 17 approximately30 Boy Scouts and theirLeaders came out toplant the trees. RetiredNavy Capt. FrankDiGeorge, former com-manding officer ofNCBC Gulfport, alongwith the Public Worksdepartment helpedorganize and coordinatethe replanting efforts.The Boy Scouts wererepresented by Troops190, 205 and 209. Thosewho helped included:

Paul Krass, Pat Gibson,Mike Young, DonnaGibson, Josh Crowe,Glen East, Steve Hymeland daughter, DylonCooke, Colby Cowart,Jon Hagwood, BrendenPhillips, Bryan Mogler,Calvin Perrone, KaneKeith, Patrick Stovall,Christian Hymel, andKevin Peters.

As with the Seabees,the Boy Scouts came outwith the "Can Do" spiritand completed the taskby hand. The trees werea variety of oaks andmaples and can be seenin several locationsaround the base. Iwould like to give a spe-cial "thank you" to allwho made this possible.

By Ben P. BarkerPublic Works Dept., Gpt

SouthMississippiBoy Scoutsplanted treesat severallocationsonboardNCBCGulfport.

Photos byBonnie McGerr

Boy ScoutSpring Planting Seabee greets VIP on job site

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganUT1 (SCW) John West met withMississippi Governor Haley Barbourduring his visit to the Kaboom play-ground build at West Railroad Park inLong Beach March 14, 2007. West wasone of the Seabees to volunteer as aTeam Leader for the project. The Longeach Civic Club hosted 250 volunteersfrom across the country to participate inthe build. The Gulf Coast First ClassAssociation provided facilities to thevolunteers for a makeshift galley andshelter.

By Lt. Anthony O'Daniel, MDNMCB 1 Medical Officer

NMCB One Corpsman train in Port Hueneme

Photo by MC3 (SCW) Ja'lon Rhinehart HM2 Tiffany Littledemonstrates how to usethe new compressionbandage that will befound in the Navy's firstaid and first responderskits.


No one will argue thatbabies are cute and cud-dly. Their chubby faces,cooing sounds and inno-cence can't help but makeus smile. It's the cost ofraising them that shocks usand without proper plan-ning can throw a familyinto a financial tailspin.

The Navy-Marine CorpsRelief Society Budget forBaby Class teaches expec-tant parents that theyshould be financially pre-pared and plan for theupcoming birth of a newbaby along with the addedcosts to the household thatcan be anticipated.

Charlie and Betty Gibson,NMCRS Volunteers, teachthe local Budget for BabyClass and state that, "themain component of thefree two-hour course isteaching expectant parentsgeneral budgeting tips."

The most common mis-take expectant parentsmake is going financially

overboard when they aresetting up their home forthe arrival of a new baby.

Charlie and Betty coverthe importance of planningfor the added expenses ofpreparing for the newbaby and recommend pur-chasing secondhand itemssuch as cribs, high chairs,and baby clothing.

Secondhand items can cutthe setup costs almost inhalf and most people willfind that secondhand workjust fine.

Charlie and Betty alsorecommend that attendeeskeep a spending log for 30days to track their miscel-laneous expenses andobtain a better idea whereloose change and "hole in

the pocket" money is beingspent. They warn atten-dees about being targetedby costly photographyplans, children's bookclubs or insurance scamsfor children. Charliereminds parents thatdependent children arecovered, at no cost, underthe Servicemen's GroupLife Insurance. The onlyrequirement is that themilitary service member becovered under the plan.

Even parents expectingtheir second or third childcan find benefits to attend-ing the Budget for BabyClass. Although the addi-tion of a second or thirdchild may not be as costlyor significant, householdexpenses can be expectedto increase with the newestfamily member.

All Navy and MarineCorps service members,active duty and retired,and their eligible familymembers can attend the

Millions of poisoning expo-sures occur each year in theUnited States, resulting innearly 900,000 visits toemergency rooms andapproximately 21,183 fatali-ties. About 90 percent ofpoisonings happen in thehome, and common house-hold products are usuallythe cause. The poisons mostoften involved are cleaningproducts, pain relievers, cos-metics, personal care prod-ucts, plants and cold/coughmedications. Children –especially those under agesix – are at the highest riskfor unintentional poison-ings. However, adolescentsand adults contribute a sig-nificant portion of poisoningincidents. Many poisoningscan be prevented if safetyprecautions are takenaround the home. The pre-cautions are easy to imple-ment and may save the life

of someone you love. 1. Post the toll-free poison-

control number (800-222-1222), family physician'snumber, and parent's worknumbers next to the phone.

2. Remove all non-essen-tial drugs and householdproducts from your home.

3. Avoid keeping highlytoxic products, such as draincleaners, metal polishes,oven cleaners, in an areawhere children can accessthem. Substitute less toxic

products when possible.Store these items in lockableareas. Use safety latches oncabinets.

4. Buy medicines andhousehold products inchild-resistant packagingand be sure that caps are ontightly. Keep these items ina locked area. Keepingthem in high areas isn't

A garbled messagepierced the cold, dusty airover the din of noisy tankengines and helicopterblades churning overhead."All medical personnel andlitter bearers please reportto Charlie Medical imme-diately." The messagerepeated over and overfrom Camp Ramadi's pub-lic address system, as thosewho recognized the callsprung into action.

One of Fearless 74'sIndependent DutyCorpsmen, HM1 RichardPoole, and Medical Officer,Lt. James Harrison rushedto their HUMMVEE ambu-lance and rumbled downthe dusty, crater-filledroad; making their wayacross Camp Ramadi toarrive on a scene so fre-quently played out at basesthroughout the Al Anbarprovince of Iraq. Crowdsof people were amassed ina dusty parking lot; dozensof field stretchers erectedand occupied, everyonemoving with urgency anda purpose. Scores ofinjured cried out in Arabic;and their cries fell on theears of the understandingmedical community.While very few under-stood the words, everyoneunderstood the meaning…"Please help me, I'm hurt-ing." Lt. Harrison askedthe first person heapproached, "Quickly,what happened?" The per-son's reply spoke volumes,"Suicide vehicle borne IED(Improvised ExplosiveDevice)—dump truck."

The civilian casualtieshad been brought toCharlie Medical Companyhoused in a facility resem-bling an abandoned blockwarehouse building youmight pass by in the States.However, inside this flat-roofed one-story structureheld the best chance forIraqis and Coalition Forcesalike to receive life-savingmedical care in the AlAnbar province.

There were so manyinjured, for a moment itwas hard to know where

to start, but a quick surveyof the scene showed mosthad been triaged alreadyand separated accordingly.

HM1 Poole and Lt.Harrison immediatelymade their way toward thepriority category wherescores lay wounded withjust a handful of medics

attending them. Lt. Harrison began assess-

ing the first patient andfound a young man, whoappeared to be in his thir-ties, with numerous shrap-nel wounds covering hisbody. Lt. Harrison beganto talk to him, but hiswords didn't register.

Suddenly, a thin man ofArabic descent and eagereyes appeared at his side."Doctor?" he asked. Lt.Harrison acknowledged,"Yes." The Arabic man whowas a translator, beganassisting Lt. Harrison inassessing the patient.

Several unfamiliar faces ofuniformed soldiers, sailorsand Marines began toappear around the man asthey conducted their exam.

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Unity amidst chaos: Teamwork essential in crisisBy Lt. James HarrisonMedical Officer, NMCB 74

Official U.S. Navy photoMembers of NMCB 74's medical team provide treat-ment to a 4-year-old Iraqi child (center). Left to rightare team members: HM1 Danny Hawkins, Lt. JamesHarrison, HM3 Jaclyn Place and HM1 Richard Poole.

See Unity page 23

Kuwaiti are of operation.The Seabees have made

many improvements onand off base, said Beard."Seabees' skills, abilities,and equipment have beenused for almost every partof base operations here atArifjan, and throughoutthe Kuwaiti Theater ofOperations," said Beard.

The Seabees continue to

make their mark in theircontribution to the war onterrorism. "They havealways been a part, oftenthe first part, of manyefforts to defeat terrorism,"said Beard. "The associa-tion with the Seabee ele-ments here in Zone Six willbe one that I will takeaway from this deploy-ment as one of my highesthonors."

From Stage page 10What's under your kitchen sink?Provided by NCBC Safety

Cute! Cuddly! Costly! NMCRS Class helps parents plan for new expenses

See Poison page 17

By Alice HuffmanNMCRS

BUCKLE UP EVERY TIME YOU GET INTO AVEHICLE... IT'S A HABIT YOU CAN'T

AFFORD TO BREAK!

See Cute page 17


Bonnie Kanitz, director of DeCA Eastand the first woman in DeCA appoint-ed to the Senior Executive Service, willretire from federal service in August.

Kanitz, whose career spans 32 years,leaves a legacy as a pioneer not onlyfor women in the federal workforce,but for anyone who strives for excel-lence on the job, said Patrick B. Nixon,DeCA's director and chief executiveofficer.

"I've watched Bonnie move up theleadership chain during our yearstogether at DeCA, and I can't think ofa more dedicated leader who deliv-ered results that improved the com-missary benefit wherever she served.She accomplished some significant'firsts' as a woman in the workforceand her work ethic, determination,leadership and concern for the com-missary benefit are great examples foreveryone to follow. She'll be missed,but she's going on to a well-deservedretirement and we all wish her thebest," Nixon said.

Kanitz said she plans to return toMichigan where she grew up and herfamily lives. She made agency history

in February 2002 when she became thefirst woman in DeCA to become aSenior Executive Service member andlead a region – the former MidwestRegion. She went on to lead DeCA'sEuropean Region during the startupof Operation Iraqi Freedom beforetaking the reins of DeCA East in July2004.

"It's been a privilege to be part ofproviding such a great benefit to the

deserving men and women of ournation's military – the best in theworld. I've always had a great passionfor this benefit and for our stores,where commitment, dedication andselflessness is overwhelming. Thereare so many in our stores who domore than asked, who are heroes ingoing the extra mile to add to thequality of life for our military andtheir families. I'm extremely proud tohave been a part of it all and privi-leged to be their leader! I'll miss thepeople in DeCA and industry partnersI've worked with over the years –many have become my friends – but Iknow the great work will continueand the benefit will only get strongerbecause of the dedication people havefor it," Kanitz said.

Kanitz is known as an approachable,engaged leader who especially rel-ished visits to commissaries where shewas quick to share insights for successand seek employee and customerinput on how to improve the commis-sary benefit. She knows what it takesto run a commissary. Her career beganin 1975 when she became the storemanager at Calumet Radar Site, Mich.,after earning her bachelor's degreefrom Michigan Technological

University, Houghton, Mich. She wasselected into the first four-year internclass in the Air Force CommissaryService in 1979 and received an earlyplacement after her first year of interntraining.

She went on to earn a master'sdegree in management and served asa store director in over seven commis-saries in the United States and Europe.

While store director at the PetersonAir Force Base Commissary, Colo., in1985, the store took best commissaryand best overall commissary awards,and she received the Air Force SeniorCivilian Service Manager of the YearAward while there. Over the years,she served as operations divisiondirector for the AFCOMS' UnitedKingdom Complex, RAF Lakenheath,

Naval MobileConstruction Battalion One(NMCB 1) started the FiscalYear off right by recentlybeing named to the FirstQuarter All-NavyRetention Honor Roll.

During the three monthtime period, NMCB 1 reen-listed 25 of its troops, whoaccumulated over $99,000in selective reenlistmentbonuses.

"We've had the benefit ofa truly engaged chain ofcommand," said NCC (SW)Jake Brady, NMCB 1'sCommand CareerCounselor. "That plays ahuge role in having a betterinformed battalion."

Chief Brady hasn't done italone however.

"Our 29-person CareerDevelopment Team fullyengages with each andevery person in theBattalion," he added. "Oneperson cannot raise reten-tion, but a great chain ofcommand can."

NMCB 1 is currently onpace to repeat theirachievement for the nextquarter.

The Seabees of NavalMobile ConstructionBattalions (NMCB) TwentySix and One Thirty Threecompleted construction ona Morale, Welfare andRecreation stage whichwas constructed for use asan entertaining venue forthe Sailors, Soldiers,Marines, and Airmen sta-tioned on the Camp.

The Buffalo Bills' cheer-leaders opened the stage atthe ribbon-cutting ceremo-ny this week. The stagehas also featured suchnames as actor/comedianJamie Kennedy and rapperPaul Wall during JamieKennedy's Hip HopComedy Tour.

NMCB 5 began the proj-ect in late January. NMCB26 took the lead in earlyFebruary upon their depar-ture. In a joint effort, 133helped tackle its comple-tion. The project was com-pleted 11 days earlier thanthe projected deadline.

The stage was an impor-tant project for the crew, aswell as the troops sta-tioned at Arifjan.

BU1 Steve Hansen(NMCB 26), comments onthe contribution the stagewill make to the welfare ofthe camp. "The project isimportant because itallows Arifjan to get somehigher priority shows,which helps with thetroops' morale," saidHansen.

Constructed near thecommunity center, thestage affected moralebefore construction began,according to ColonelKenneth Beard,Commander, Zone Six atCamp Arifjan, who spokeat the opening ceremony.

"It was a fishbowl proj-ect," said Beard. "Thetroops got to see it changealmost daily."

The 'Bees stand ready toput their skill sets to use inorder to improve the quali-ty of life all over the

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'Bees buildstage for MWRBy MC3 Jessica A. McIverNMCB 133 Public Affairs

See Stage page 14

4TH ANNUAL SEABEE DAYS 4TH ANNUAL SEABEE DAYS

CAR, TRUCK & MOTORCYCLE SHOW CAR, TRUCK & MOTORCYCLE SHOW Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, MS 39501

Show will be in the Base Theater parking lot next to the Navy Exchange---RAIN OR SHINE

ENTER THROUGH THE PASS ROAD GATE- MUST HAVE ID AND PROOF OF INSURANCE

Saturday May 5, 2007 Open to All Military & CiviliansOpen to All Military & Civilians

OVER 30 CLASSES FOR SHOW ANTIQUE(VINTAGE), IMPORT, DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN CLASSES—WE HAVE A CLASS FOR EVERYONE

KANDYLAND KUSTOMLAND KUSTOMS IS DONATING A CUSTS IS DONATING A CUSTOM POM PAINT JOB JOB TO A LUCK TO A LUCKY P PARTICIPANT! !!!!BEST OF SHOW, BEST INTERIOR, BEST ENGINE & CLUB PARTICIPATION TROPHIES!!!!

$$$$$$$$$$$THOUSANDS IN PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS FROM LOCAL SPONSORS $$$$$$$$$$$ COME OUT AND HELP SUPPORT THE SEABEE BALL!

1ST AND 2ND place Trophies will be awarded in all Mild & Wild Categories7:00 am-11:00 am Registration

11:00 am-1:00 pm Judging 2:00 pm Award Presentation

**GULFPORT DRAGWAY & TY & TIRE KINGDOM IS SPONSORING A $10 BURNOUT CONTEST AT THE SHBURNOUT CONTEST AT THE SHOW!**

SPL CONTEST: SPONSORED BY SOUND SOLUTIONS--$20--1ST, 2ND & 3RD PLACE For questions contact: David Fulcher (228)365-1611 or Brian Harrison (228)343-9891

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHOW SPONSORED BY:

DELTA WORLD TIRE SOUND SOLUTIONS KLEIN MUFFLER O’REILLY’S AUTO PARTS NAPA SUZUKI CITY HARLEY DAVIDSON OF BILOXI GULFPORT DRAGWAY EMPRESS AUDIO AUTO ZONE DUNAWAY GLASS HEADLINERS PLUS ADVANCE AUTO TOPPER WORLD XTREME CONVERSIONS FIRESTONE 5 MINUTE OIL CHANGE TIRE KINGDOM GOODYEAR KANDYLAND KUSTOMS PRECISION GLASS TINTING COAST CYCLE WORLD SPEEDEE OIL CHANGE RED ARROW CAR WASH GULF COAST RHINO LININGS

Early Registration fee is $20. Must be received by April 25th. The registration fee the day of the event will be $25. ALL SPECTATORS ARE FREE!!!

Pre-Registration Form: Mail to: Seabee Ball Committee, ATTENTION: David Fulcher, P.O. Box 3641, Gulfport, MS 39505

Money Order Only Please! Name:________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Number:________________________________________________________________________________ Vehicle Make and Model:_________________________________________________________________________ Vehicle Year:____________________________________ Club Name:____________________________________

NMCB 1 earns spoton Navy's RetentionHonor RollBy MC2 Chad RungeNMCB 1 Public Affairs

Kanitz to retire from DeCA in AugustBy Rick Brink,[email protected] "Ms. Kanitz will truly be missed

by all in DeCA. She is a grassroots manager that cares greatly,not only for those that work for her,but also for our military membersand their families that we are hereto support. She left her personalmark at Gulfport while visiting inearly September 2001, by initiatingthe placement of a deli in the store,a step that has been realized andenjoyed by our patrons since wereopened following Katrina inMay, 2006. I hate to see her go,but wish her the best for an enjoyable and long retirement!"

Walt Taylor, Store DirectorGulfport NCBC Commissary

See Retire page 17


At approximately 5:30 onthe morning of March 14,2007, five members ofNaval Mobile ConstructionBattalion One Thirty Three(NMCB 133) were en routeto the Udari range inKuwait for a training exer-cise when they came uponthe scene of a horrific traf-fic accident. The accident,which involved two 20-passenger vans and a four-door Nissan truck, hap-pened only momentsbefore the Seabees' arrival.

"The accident occurredwithin just a few minutesas the air was still full ofdust," said Gunnery Sgt.Tom McCarty, MilitaryAdvisor to NMCB 133.

Led by McCarty, NMCB133 personnel respondedimmediately with medicalcare and on-scene organi-zation. McCarty proudlystated, "Everywhere youlooked, One Thirty Three

guys were there. Theywere cutting bandages,hooking up IV's and bring-ing in MEDEVAC chop-pers to get the seriouslyinjured to the hospitals."

While McCarty ensuredemergency services werecontacted, HM1 CharlotteBethea immediately beganassessing casualties andcreating a CasualtyCollection Point. Withassistance from UT2 KellyCaponigro, Bethea beganbandaging the injured andadministering intravenousfluids (IV) as needed. "Iwas helping Doc [Bethea]as best I could with band-ages and helping cut cloth-ing away from the injured.We were moving frombody to body so fast, that Ihad to go back andretrieve supplies we mayhave left at the last[patient]. I was trying tostay busy so I couldn'treact to what was trulygoing on," said Caponigro.

The number of casualties

was beyond the medicalsupply capabilities of thefive responders, but asSeabees "Can-Do," theyadapted to the situation,and assisted as best theycould.

Bethea recalls how appre-ciative the injured were ofher efforts. "I rememberone of the men saying,'Thank you, Soldier, thankyou, Soldier.' Even withmy lack of supplies, hewas thankful that I wasdoing what I could forhim," said Bethea.

When McCarty discov-ered two men pinnedbeneath one of the passen-ger vans, he worked withBU2 Tyler Morgan andBUCN Nicholas Condon torescue the men.Overcoming the languagebarrier, the rescuers suc-cessfully organized theuninjured survivors to liftthe van, thus allowingMorgan, Condon andMcCarty to pull the twoseverely injured men to

safety. Once the victimswere clear of the wreckage,Bethea and Caponigroimmediately began apply-ing bandages and tourni-quets.

At this point, a third vic-tim was discoveredtrapped inside the over-turned van. AfterMcCarty found that hecould not safely move thevictim through the frontwindow of the van,Morgan and Condonsmashed the rear window,crawled in, and carried thethird man from the vehi-cle.

As the sun rose, a Nissantruck was discovered ashort distance away withseven men still trappedinside. By this point, 20-30civilians arrived on thescene and endeavored toassist the rescuers in free-ing the men from thetruck. McCarty found asteel pipe and unsuccess-fully attempted to leverapart the twisted wreck-

age. The men were even-tually freed using the Jawsof Life. After a number of minuteswith McCarty and the fourSeabees as the only careproviders on the scene,members of CampBeuhring's Emergency Fireand Medical Rescue Teamarrived. Even with the res-cue team present, Bethea,Caponigro and McCartycontinued to assist, direct-ly treating the injured as

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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Community Calendar April 2007

Compass GulfportCOMPASS

Spouse Teams Mentoring SpousesMake New Friends, Learn about the Navy lifestyle,

Acquire Knowledge and Skills, Develop Realisticexpectations and a positive attitude

What is COMPASS?Spouse-to-Spouse Mentoring Program

12 Hour Session Presented Over Three Days Taught by Experienced Volunteer Navy Spouses

Upcoming Sessions:

April 24, 25, & 269 a.m. - 1 p.m.

To register call:(228) 871-3000, X 7444

COMPASS will be held atCBC Chapel FellowshipHall. For directions call:(228) 871-3000, X7444.

COMPASS is presentedby experienced Navyspouses.

All Navy Spouses arewelcome.

Need babysitting? -Inquire during registra-tion.

The Course CurriculumBenefits and ServicesAnchors AweighLocal InsightsPersonal FinanceMoving in the NavyGetting along with othersNaval History andTraditions

1 2 3 4 5 CBC Blood Drive,Chapel, 8 - 12:45

CPOA Car Wash,A&E, 11a.m. - 1 p.m.

All Khaki Social,A&E, 3 p.m

Holy Week/EasterServices Chapel,Protestant, 5 p.m.Catholic 7 p.m.

6 HolyWeek/EasterServices, Chapel,Protestant, NoonCatholic, 3 p.m.

7 Month of Mil.Child Easter EggHunt/Carnival, 10a.m. - Noon, YouthCenter Sports Field

Holy Week EasterVigil, Chapel,Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

8 EasterCommissary

closedCatholic Easter

Mass, Chapel 9:30a.m. ;ProtestantEaster service,Chapel, 11 a.m.

9 Seabee DaysMtg, Bldg 1, 1 p.m.

10 All Cmdr's Mtg,Bldg. 1, Conf.Room, 10 a.m.


CBC/20SRG PRT

12 All Khaki Social,

A&E, 3 p.m

13 Basewide Hail &

Farewell, Sponsoredby NMCB 7, A&E.,CBC/20SRG PRTmakeup

14

15 16 Federal IncomeTaxes due

17 18 Spring infoFitness 5K run,6:30 a.m.Lunchtime Bible

Study, Bldg 1 Conf.Room, 11:30 - 12:30

19 20 21

22 Earth Day 23 CNRSEHurricane ExerciseApril 23 - May 4



CNRSE HurricaneExercise April 23 -May 4



28

Tragedy Turns NMCB 133 Trainers into Heroes By MC3 Jessica A. McIverNMCB 133

See Heroes page 16

well as providing medicalsupplies to the RescueTeam. "When they [RescueTeam] showed up, theywere kind of standingaside because they thoughtall of us were medics. Thiswas because all our guyswere so calm and collect-ed. I was really proud ofthem," said McCarty.

When the Rescue Teamcalled in medical evacua-tion helicopters (MEDE-VAC), Morgan stopped

traffic before directing theMEDEVAC choppers tothe landing zone. As thethree helicopters flew in,Condon marked the land-ing area with signal flares.

Upon MEDEVAC'sarrival, One Thirty Threecoordinated with the crewchiefs and rescue team toload nine of the most seri-ously injured victims intothe helicopters. Numerousother victims were treatedat the scene by the Seabeesand the Buehring RescueTeam.

In response to this

tragedy, the members ofOne Thirty Three onceagain demonstrated theimportance of their skillsand training. Reflecting onSeabee readiness and theteam effort so evident dur-ing the rescue, Bethea com-mented, "More than any-thing else, I am so proudof the Seabees that werethere with me. Theystepped up and did what-ever was asked of themwithout a second thoughtor hesitation."

From Heroes page 8

Provided byNCBC Public Safety

The Naval Construction Battalion Center commanding officer can authorize the eleva-tion of Force Protection Conditions locally. The Crisis Management Team determinesthe nature and extent of threats and makes recommendations to the commanding offi-cer. Plans are evaluated for implementing higher Force Protection Conditions. Allpersonnel are reminded to report all suspicious or unusual incidents to NCBC Securityat X2361.

Force Condition Awareness


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Youth Activities Center

April 3, 5:30-8:30 Teens Only Keystone Club MeetingApril 4, 5:30-8:30 Smart Moves & Indoor gamesApril 5, 5:30-8:30 Easter egg coloring, and Easter craftsApril 6, 6:00-9:00 Movies on the Big Screen Snacks Included!April 7, 10:00-noon FREE Easter Egg Hunt 4 Youths ages 3-12April 10, 5:30-8:30 Youth Only Torch Club MeetingApril 11, 5:30-8:30 Boys Vs Girls Game Night Prizes AwardedApril 12, 5:30-8:30 Art Club & Phase 10 tournamentApril 13, 6:00-10:00 CiCi Pizza & Mall Trip 12-up! April 14, 11:00-3:00 Pepsi Pitch, Hit & Run Local CompetitionApril 17, 5:30-8:30 Backwards DayApril 18, 5:30-8:30 Jr Olympic USTA Rapid Rally CompactionApril 19, 5:30-8:30 Spelling Bee, Prizes, Parents WelcomeApril 20, 6:00-9:00 Dress Up Movie Night, Limit 50-$1/Person April 21, 9:00-4:00 Bellingrath Gardens and Cruise! April 24, 5:30-8:30 Tie Dye T-Shirt, Bring Your Own White T-ShirtApril 25, 5:30-8:30 Dragonfly Quest & Outdoor games


16

FFSC IA coordinator tomake referrals for thosewho are having a particu-larly hard time and needmore individual assistance.Some may need help withthings such as parentingskills or just help going on

with their lives. Many ofthese families have spous-es who haven't been mar-ried very long, have veryyoung children and are attheir first station awayfrom home so they needsomeone to rely on. If theydon't have that then peo-ple can quickly start falling

apart."O'Neal also stated that

the FFSC's will be workingwith MWR to assist withchildcare to influence max-imum participation.

The concept of an IA chil-dren's support group hasalso been undertaken byFFSC and is already in

place on some installa-tions.

O'Neal added one laststatement regarding theimportance of these sup-port programs. "Theemphasis on these supportgroups is coming straightfrom the CNO. He isadamant in seeing that

these families are takencare of, and it falls uponour leadership to make ithappen."

Many Sailors returning from anIndividual Augmentee (IA)assignment, such as the MiddleEast and Afghanistan, have a hardtime readjusting to a normal lifestyle and some even suffer frompost-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD) due to physiological andpsychological stressors experi-enced while deployed. Militarymembers go through a series ofhealth screenings before and afterdeployment to identify any men-tal or physical problems that mayhave been caused by their deploy-ment and treatment is issuedaccordingly. However, untilrecently, the families of thosedeployed have had little in theway of education on what toexpect from their spouse or parentafter they return from the warzone.

Commander, Navy RegionSoutheast's (CNRSE) family sup-port program, in conjunction witha directive from the Chief ofNaval Operations, Adm. MikeMullen, is ensuring that all basesimplement an IA support groupto help families after loved onesdeploy.

Olivia O'Neal, the regional fleet

and family support program coor-dinator for CNRSE as well as theworking family life coordinatordescribed how these programswill develop.

"One of my responsibilities isbeing the individual augmenteepoint of contact," she said. "Hereat CNRSE we've been working onthe subject of IAs and reachingout to IA families for more than ayear now. Many months ago, ourinstallations began outreach pro-grams to the families of IAs andwe realized that we had a majorobstacle which was identifyingwho the IA member and theirfamilies were."

According to O'Neal, they havestarted to receive that informationfrom the Expeditionary CombatReadiness Command (ECRC)based in Norfolk, Va. The ECRChas established a hotline, 1-877-364-4302, for families of activeduty and reserve Sailors who aredeploying as IAs. They will pro-vide information that will allowthe Fleet and Family SupportCenter (FFSC) to contact familymembers and offer services suchas the IA support group, counsel-ing, financial planning, etc.

Lt. Cmdr. Shawn Oxendine, fromCNRSE, who was deployed as an

IA to Afghanistan for six monthsand returned last August, elabo-rated on some of the challengesshe and her family faced whileshe was gone and after she gotback.

"Some of the problems we facedwere based on my husband hav-ing to take over the role of motheras well as a father. I know hetook good care of our daughter,but there were some things hedidn't know how to handle," shesaid. "I also had to worry aboutthem worrying about me becauseI wasn't always able to tell themwhat I was doing and wasn'talways able to call."

Oxendine continued on to talkabout readjusting to normal life."It was very difficult becausewhen I got home I wanted to justtake over everything, but beforewe got back they briefed us thatwe would have to let our familiescarry on in their routines andgradually readjust. I think itwould be helpful if they hadsomething on the family endabout how to readjust when theirspouse or parent get home."

O'Neal and the FFSC are work-ing hard to do just that. "We'renow in the midst of incorporatingas many spouses as we can into

the IA support program. ByMarch 23, all of our installationswill be mandated by CNRSE tostart a program targeted towardsthe families of IAs. We felt it nec-essary to designate a program forIA families because they are underdifferent stressors than those whogo on routine deployments onships," she continued.

Some of the installations underCNRSE, which covers a radiusspanning from mid-Eastern Texasto South Carolina, also includingGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, havealready began IA support pro-grams. These programs, as wellas those that will begin shortly,will introduce families to the serv-ices that the fleet and family sup-port programs offer and educatefamilies on PTSD, other stressorstheir spouse will experience over-seas and help them prepare forthe transition that will occur whenthey return home.

"We provide the bases withguidance and suggestions andwe'll be getting information backfrom them on how successful theirgroups have been," she said. "Itwill also be the responsibility of

always safe. Children willclimb to reach medicines.

5. Do not take medicationsin front of small childrenand never refer to medica-tions as candy. Many of theflavored over-the-countermedications contain highlevels of alcohol and areespecially attractive to chil-dren. Always buy alcohol-free products when possible.

6. Keep a bottle of syrupof ipecac in your house toinduce vomiting – use itonly when directed by thepoison control center.

7. Keep cosmetics/beautyproducts out of the reach ofchildren. Permanents, dyes,relaxers, perfumes, hair-sprays, nail polishes, andpolish removers are toxic.

8. Store cleaning productsin high cabinets with safetylatches. Never store themunder the sink.

9. Keep gardening items(fertilizers, pesticides, etc.)

in a locked area. 10. Be careful of using dec-

orative lamps/candles con-taining lamp oils. Lamp oilscan be extremely toxic ifingested.

11. Always read medica-tion labels and dose instruc-tions twice. Never give chil-dren medications intendedfor adult consumption or forwhich there is no child doselisted. Your pharmacist isan excellent resource forinformation on drugs anddrug interactions. Alwaysask about effects and sideeffects before starting on amedication.

12. If you take vitaminsupplements, be careful ofinteractions with over-the-counter and prescriptiondrugs. Ask the pharmacist.Many have interactions withdrugs that can be life threat-ening (ginkgo enhances theeffects of the anticoagulantdrug warfarin and maycause fatal bleeding).Remember, supplements arenot regulated and have no

good labels or warnings.Using supplements is "buyerbeware."

13. Know which commonhousehold and yard plantsmay be toxic to children andanimals. Several commonplants found in homes canbe toxic. These includedumb cane, caladiums,hydrangea, oleander, wiste-ria, holly, and mistletoe.Check with your gardenshop or county extensionoffice for more information.

14. Other commonhousehold items that pose apoisoning threat includeadhesives/glues,arts/crafts/office supplies,batteries, deodorizers, pol-ishes and waxes, and tobac-co products.

Using these simple precau-tions and other commonsense care can prevent a poi-soning tragedy at yourhome. Poison-proofingyour home should be a pri-ority for every parent.

It is not uncommon for Seabeesto study hard and dedicate theirtime to qualify as a SeabeeCombat Warfare Specialist duringa deployment cycle or to possiblyeven work to earn their FleetMarine Force qualification, but itis an extraordinary accomplish-ment for someone to earn fourwarfare qualifications during hisor her 12-year career in the Navy.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class(Seabee Combat Warfare, FleetMarine Force, Enlisted SurfaceWarfare, Air Warfare) Danny L.Hawkins Jr. of Naval MobileConstruction Battalion (NMCB) 74exhibits the pride and profession-alism for which many youngsailors strive. While he credits hisparents' support and nurturing forhis accomplishments, some of thecredit is due to his own steadfast

dedication and commitment toexcellence.

"I have never been one to seekout recognition," said Hawkins, "Istarted my career to make my par-ents proud but now I accomplishthe things I do out of my ownsense of pride."

HM1 Hawkins' father retiredfrom the Navy after 21 years ofservice, and has been an inspira-tion for Danny throughout hiscareer.

"I have always looked up to myfather, and all he has accom-plished throughout his career,"said Hawkins, "now that I know Ihave made both of my parentsproud, I now strive towards aspi-rations of my own. I know I willmake something of myself in theNavy. One day I would like toserve as the Master Chief PettyOfficer of the Navy."HM1 Hawkins earned his firsttwo warfare devices onboard theUSS Enterprise as an

E-3 and earned the second two ina period of five months whiledeployed to Iraq with NMCB 74.

"During my 22 years serving theNavy, HM1 Hawkins is the firstperson I have ever met or knownwith four warfare qualifications.Not only is this an awesome per-sonal achievement, but it trulysends a strong message to allSailors and Seabees that our skieshave no limits. I am really proudof HM1 Hawkins and his family,"remarked Commanding OfficerCraig Prather.

Petty Officer Hawkins' tour withNMCB 74 is coming to a close. Hehas accepted orders to NavalHospital Jacksonville, Fla. so hecan be closer to his parents. Heplans on moving down there andbeginning his own family with hisfiancé Chantel Babb and carry onthe family tradition bestowedupon him by his father.

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Aspiring for successFearless Seabee earns fourth warfare qualification

Photo by MC2 Gregory JudayHM1 Danny L. Hawkins ofNMCB 74 receives the FleetMarine Force Device; his fourthwarfare qualification during his12-year Navy career.

By MC2 Gregory N. JudayNMCB 74 Public Affairs

From Poison page 13

monthly Budget for BabyClass given by Navy-MarineCorps Relief SocietyGulfport. Along with basicbudget training and valu-able resource informationattendees receive a free"Junior Sea Bag" and layette.The "Junior Sea Bag" is a

canvas tote loaded withbrand new Gerber babyitems that can help familiesget started on setting uptheir new nurseries. Thelayette is a delicately knittedor crocheted afghan andsweater set that have beenmade and donated byNMCRS Volunteers. According to Charlie

Gibson, "Navy-MarineCorps Relief SocietyGulfport issued 74 free"Junior Sea Bags" in 2006and would like to doublethat number in 2007.

To register for or receivemore information about theBudget for Baby Class, call228-871-2601, and speak to aNMCRS representative.

From Cute page 13

CNRSE implements family IA support programBy MC2(SW/AW) Rebecca KruckCNRSE

See IA page 18

From IA page 7

England; chief of the mer-chandising branch and laterchief of the operations divi-sion for DeCA's EuropeanRegion, Kapaun Air Station,Germany; zone manager forZone 29, Seymour JohnsonAir Force Base, N.C.; anddeputy director, EasternRegion, Virginia Beach, Va.

Kanitz received numerousdistinguished awards

throughout her career, includ-ing Equal EmploymentOpportunity awards from theAir Force, DeCA and severalstates for her work in selectiveplacement and leadership. In2005, she received theAmerican LogisticsAssociation's annual Womenin the Military ResaleIndustry Award.

Kanitz said that while shefeels honored to be DeCA'sfirst female member of the

Senior Executive Service, theaccomplishment is a tribute tothe agency's commissarycareer program, which offersand encourages career broad-ening assignments and recog-nizes individual accomplish-ments and achievements.

"It's been a great career," shesaid, "and I encourage every-one to pursue their dreamsbecause dreams do come true,albeit with a little hard work."

From Retire page 14


NMCB 1 FRG We would like to invite all

friends and family of NMCB 1Seabees to join us on the firstThursday of every month at 6:30p.m. at the CBC Chapel inFellowship Hall. Bring the kids,babysitting is available and free.The NMCB 1 FRG offers funactivities including movies, pic-nics, bonfires, holiday partiesand lots more for the wholefamily. During homeport andduring the deployment we areavailable to help support all ofour NMCB 1 families andfriends. If you have any ques-tions please call the FRGPresident, Monica Ortega at(210) 421-7810 or email her [email protected] orOmbudsman, Kathy Thomasat 392-8464 or [email protected]. Wehope to see you there.

NMCB 1 FRG also has a newwebsite that will keep you upto date on what is happeningwithin our military family.The new website ishttp://hub.cinchouse.com/nmcb1seabees.

NMCB 133 FRGWe would like to invite all

friends and family members ofNMCB 133 to join us on the firstWednesday of every month at6:00 p.m. in the base chapel. Wealso do many activities such asholiday parties, fun trips, movie

outings and more. Duringhomeport we share in each oth-ers excitement and duringdeployments we lean on eachother for support. We offer bat-talion information and welcomethose with children, those with-out, wives, husbands and otherloved ones.

NMCB 7 FRGCome join our growing family.

We are here to promote andgrow social relationships andencourage interaction of spousesand family members duringoften trying and difficult timesduring the deployment of ourNMCB 7 men and women. Wehave lots of fundraisers andactivities planned for the wholefamily.

There are games and crafts forthe kids and speakers on differ-ent topics for the adults. Wewill also have drawdowns fordoor prizes and refreshmentseach month. We meet the 3rdWednesday of each month at6:30 p.m. with a potluck dinnerat the start. Come and gettogether with us and meet yourfellow family members. Formore information on NMCB 7'sFRG, contact KathleenWhisenhunt, FRG president [email protected]. Youcan also check [email protected] andhttp://hub.cinchouse.com/nmcb7fsg/for more information.

NMCB 74 FRGThe NMCB 74 Family

Readiness Group welcomesfriends and families of NMCB74 personnel. We encourageand promote friendly andsympathetic relationshipsamong our family members.

We have a new Carelinenumber for battalion updates,it is 1-866-531-1101 (toll free),or 871-3650 (local).

Family Readiness Groupmeetings are held every thirdMonday of the month at theCBC Chapel in FellowshipHall at 6:30 p.m. Free baby-sit-ting and activities for the chil-dren are provided. For infor-mation contact FRGPresident, Helen Walker at(228) 586-0114; or Secretary,Robyn Baca at (228) 539-9059.The FRG Advisor is SusanPrather, (228) 392-5945.

NCTC TRI-SERVICE FRGWe invite all spouses and

loved ones of NCTC to join uson the fourth Monday of eachmonth at 6:30pm in theFellowship Hall of CBC Chapel.We are offering fun activities forthe family, girls night out, andfellowship among the NCTCCommand. For more informa-tion, please contact our FRGPresident Tessa Grimes @ 865-4364 or email her [email protected].

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

The Navy-Marine CorpsRelief Society (NMCRS) ThriftShop is located at the far northend of McKinney Ave,Building 16. The Thrift Shopis staffed entirely by volun-teers. The retail hours of oper-ation are Monday - Thursday,11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Friday, 9a.m. - 1 p.m.

New volunteers are alwayswelcome. Visit the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Societyoffices at the Fleet and FamilySupport Center, Building 30,Suite 103, or call (228) 871-2610to obtain information aboutbecoming a part of the NMCRSvolunteer team! Childcare andmileage are reimbursed.

Mississippi Gulf Coast FirstClass Association

MGCFCA is seeking new mem-bers. Meetings are every Wedsat 2 p.m at CBC's Beehive,Bldg. 352. Call BU1 Reyes orCE1 Johnson at 871-2145 formore information.

VFW Post 3937VFW Post 3937 Long Beach isopen every Friday from 6 - 8p.m. for a seafood, steak, ofpork chop dinner. Weekendbreakfasts are served from 7 -10 a.m. on Saturday and from9 - noon on Sunday. VFWmeetings are held the 2ndWednesday of each month at7:30 p.m. New members arealways welcome. Point ofcontact for more informationis Post Commander, MikeHanko at 228 863-8602.Retired Activities OfficeThe Retired Activities Office

(RAO) is located in the Fleetand Family Support Centerand staffed entirely by volun-teers for the retired militarycommunity. A wide range ofservices are offered to retireesand surviving spouses of mili-tary members that includespay issues, the SurvivorBenefit Program, and dealingwith the Department ofVeterans Affairs to obtain ben-efits. RAO volunteers act as aliaison to guide the customerthrough all aspects of theabove programs. RAO's serv-ices are free and intended toassist the customer to obtaintheir entitled rights, benefits,and privileges as a retiree,dependent, or survivor of amilitary service member.

Customers from other RAO'sare welcome to visit theNCBC, Gulfport RetiredActivity Office. The hours ofoperation are Monday –Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Call for an appointment at871-3000 ext. 35 or just dropin. Customers and volunteersare welcome.

Navy College Test Prep The Navy College Learning

Center Facilitators haveannounced the spring sched-ule of test preparation classes.The two-week classes can betaken by those who want toprepare for the ASVAB, ACT,SAT, GED, or CLEP Exams.The class dates are April 9-19and April 23 - May 3.

To enroll, select dates, veri-fy availability with the NCLC,submit a chit, and see yourcommand career counselor tosecure a slot.

For additional informationand reservations contact Annaor Bonnie in the Navy CollegeLearning Center, located inBuilding 60 on the seconddeck, Room 234, call 871-2508,or send an email to: [email protected].

1st Annual VFW District 1Golf Tournament

VFW District 1 will hold a golftournament at Great SouthernClub on April 14. Lineup is a4-person scramble, 8 a.m. shot-gun start. Deadline for signup is April 1. Contact Rick(228) 818-9404 or Pete (228)324-5149 for information.

COMPASSCOMPASS is a team of trainedseasoned military spousesmentoring other navyspouses. Classes are intimateand informative. Our 12 hour-3 day course isoffered the last week of themonth(Tuesday, Wednesdayand Thursday)from9am-1pm at the ChapelFellowship Hall CBC Gulfport.The course AND childcare are FREE! Please R.S.V.P.228-871-3000 ext. 7444 Ask forCOMPASS!

On March 9, 2007,Builder First Class JeffreyE. Owens, assigned to theCenter for Seabees andFacilities Engineering(CSFE), Detachment FortLeonard Wood, Missouri,was selected as the FortLeonard Wood JointService Non-Commissioned Officer ofthe Year. Major GeneralWilliam McCoy, Jr., theCommanding General ofFort Leonard Wood,awarded the ArmyCommendation Medal toOwens for his exemplaryperformance before theJoint Service NCO board.Petty Officer Owens, anative of nearby Lebanon,Missouri, is the first Sailorto win this recognitionsince the NavyDetachment was estab-lished in 1995.

Petty Officer Owens hadpreviously competedagainst Soldiers, Airmen,and Marines to win thefirst quarter 2006 Joint

Service NCO board. Tocompete, a service membermust be recommended byhis or her chain of com-mand and had been select-ed as their respective ser-vice's quarterly board win-ner. During these chal-lenging boards servicemembers are asked mili-tary related questionsrelated to flags and hon-ors, leadership, militaryjustice, first aid, chemicaland biological warfare,current events, and thecode of conduct. Theboards are chaired by theFort Leonard WoodCommand Sergeant Majorwith Senior EnlistedLeaders from the otherthree service detachmentsas members.

While assigned to CSFEDetachment Fort LeonardWood, Petty OfficerOwens has been aninstructor for the DisasterPreparedness OperationsSpecialist course and iscurrently serving as aSailor DevelopmentContinuum (SDC) LeadingPetty Officer for the

Engineering Aid andEquipment Operator "A"Schools. The SDC pro-gram provides basic mili-tary training and adminis-trative support to "A"School students destinedto be the NavalConstruction Force's futureSeabees. SDC leaders arehandpicked for this chal-lenging role and areexpected to exhibit out-standing military bearingand knowledge. ThisSeabee has clearly exceed-ed these expectations.

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Seabee Community NotesSeabee Community Notes

New Colmer Dining Facility Hours

Until further notice...

Breakfast 5:45 - 8 a.m.Lunch 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.Dinner 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Both lines in the galley willrun for breakfast, lunch,and dinner to enable ourpatrons to get food fasterand easier.

Photo by MC3 Paul D. WilliamsEA2 (SCW/SW) Michael Urban from Naval MobileConstruction Battalion Seven hand mixes concrete for a46' X 76' play area at the West Railroad Park in LongBeach, Miss. Petty Officer Urban took special liberty tovolunteer his time and skills to the project. "I like to beinvolved in my community," Urban said. "I live in LongBeach and it will be a great place where my wife and I cantake our four children to play." In addition to the WestRailroad Park in Long Beach, Kaboom, with the help ofover 3,000 volunteers, which included over sixty volun-teers from NMCB 7, helped transform 10 playgrounds inseven Gulf Coast communities last August to mark theone year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

NMCB 7 Seabee buildsLong Beach playground

Fort Leonard Wood Seabee selected as2006 Joint Service NCO of the YearBy EQCM(SCW) Tom KirkleCSFE, Det Fort Leonard Wood

Fleet and FamilySupport Center (FFSC)Work and Family LifeSpecialist Jeff Isabellbriefed the eleven-memberMilitary Advisory TeamMeeting of the SouthernCompany in Atlanta,Georgia on Friday, March23. His 90-minute presen-tation on the TransitionAssistance Program (TAP)and the FamilyEmployment ReadinessProgram (FERP) coveredthe military transitionprocess, military rates andhow they translate intocivilian jobs, and beststrategies for announcingjob vacancies to both mili-

tary spouses and to servicemembers making the tran-sition to civilian life.

Mr. Isabell was invited bythe Southern Companybecause of its ongoinginterest in hiring militaryspouses and former mili-tary personnel. "SouthernCompany has traditionallybeen a strong employer ofour spouses, separatees,and retirees," said Mr.Isabell. "Speaking to thisforum promoted evenmore visibility for our cus-tomers."

Southern Companyemploys 26,000 personnelwho provide electricalservice to four million cus-tomers in the Southeast. Itis projected to have 12,000job openings in the next

three to five years.For more information

about the TAP and FERPprograms, contact JeffIsabell at Fleet and FamilySupport Center, 871-3000.

Fleet and Family Support Center'sJeff Isabell briefs Atlanta executivesBy FFSC, Gulfport

Jeff Isabell

Safety habits are free. Have you picked up any lately?

Please call Fleet and Family Support Center at 871-3000 to pre-register. Pre-registration is not required for FastTrack classes.

Anger Management, Tuesdays, 10 - noon Babysitting Class for Ages 11 & Up, April 6, 8 - noonCommand Financial Specialist , April 23-27, 8 a.m. dailyConsumer Awareness, April 19, 10 - 11 a.m.Credit Management, April 9, 10 - 11 a.m.Employment Workshop, April 13, 9 -11 a.m. Ind. Aug. Family Member Meeting, April 25, 4 - 5 p.m.Recovering Myself, Wednesdays 10 - 11 a.m. SAVI Advocate Inservice, April 24, 1030-noonSAVI Advocate Training, April 16-18, 8 a.m. daily SAVI Liaison, Data Collection Coord., April 30, 8 - noonSuicide Prevention, April 5, 9 - 10 a.m.Transition Assistance Program, April 2-6, 8 a.m. daily

Fleet & Family Support Center April Classes


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Gulf Coast USO3001 6th Street, (Bldg 306), 228-575-5224

FREE SERVICES AVAILABLEFax - Send & Receive (228-575-5225), Copies (limited amount)

X-BoxSnacks & Drinks, Information and Referral

United through Reading ProgramComputers (4): with web cams, Internet Access, Email Access,Yahoo, Hotmail

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8a.m. - 5 p.m.Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Closed on Sunday

Seabee Classic Golf Fundraiser

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganThe 3rd Annual Seabee Classic Golf Tournament was held atWindance Country Club January 26. The tournament is amajor fundraiser for the annual Naval Construction BattalionCenter Seabee Ball which is March 17. Over $11,000 was raisedto help fund the Ball. Thirty-eight teams of 4 players compet-ed in morning and afternoon rounds.

Tickets Now on Sale

E1-E4: $15E5-E6: $20E7-03: $3004&Above: $35Civilians: $35

Contact your command repfor tickets & prepare to

party!

Uniform: Dinner Dress BluesCivilian: Formal

2007 Seabee Ball2007 Seabee Ball

March 17, 6 p.m.IP Resort Hotel, Biloxi

Guest Speaker: Lt. Gen. James F. Amos, USMC

Entertainment: Navy Band New Orleans

Seabee Memorial Chapel

For more information concerning otherfaith groups, call the chapel office at

871-2454.

Center ChaplainsCmdr. John Lyle, Catholic Chaplain

Lt. Cmdr. Dedra Bell, Senior ProtestantChaplain

Lt. David Cullen, Protestant Chaplain

ServicesProtestant Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. Divine Worship

CatholicSunday 9:30 a.m.

Family Choir MassSunday 10:40 a.m. Religion Education

Monday - Friday, 11:35 a.m. Daily Mass

sparechapelpage.qxd 2/8/2007 11:15 Page 1

This year marks the 20th anniver-sary of Women's History Month andon March 27 Naval ConstructionBattalion Center Gulfport held itscelebration in honor of this federalprogram.

Capt. Van Dobson welcomed theguests to the program with a fewfacts about Women's History Month.NCBC held their first FederalWomen's Day program in 1973, four-teen years before Congress estab-lished Women's History Month,which makes the Seabee Center atrailblazer in recognizing the strongroles women occupy in the federalgovernment.

Harrison County District FiveSupervisor, Connie Rockco was theguest speaker. In 2002, Rockco waselected as District Five Supervisorafter capturing 78 percent of thevotes. She stated she leads byexample in her effort to revitalizeand streamline Harrison County.Her leadership style led to her selec-tion as the first female President of

the Harrison County Board ofSupervisors and in the state ofMississippi.

During her remarks, SupervisorRockco had warm words of praisefor the Seabees and said that theirHurricane Katrina help was verymuch appreciated by the Gulf Coast.Ms. Rockco also acknowledged thewomen who served in the Civil War,World War I, and World War II.

"In the home front or on the frontlines, women are there," said Rockco,"Women in history have had a pas-sion to change. They [women] havecome a long way – moving in a dif-ferent way then past generations."

Ms. Rockco summed up the essenceof her speech by simply stating, "Ittakes a team and a team is made upof men and women."

At the conclusion of the formal por-tion of the celebration, light refresh-ments were served in the drill hall.The celebration was sponsored bythe NCBC Diversity Committee. Ifyou are interested in serving on thecommittee, contact BU1 NickHoffmann, 871-2144.

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The Seabee Courier is an authorized publi-cation for members of the military servicesand their families. Its contents do not neces-sarily reflect the official views of the U.S.Government, the DoD or the U.S. Navy anddo not imply endorsement thereof. Theappearance of advertising in this newspaper,including inserts or supplements, does notconstitute endorsement by the U. S.Government, DoD, the Navy, NCBCGulfport or Gulf Publishing Company of theproducts and services advertised. All con-tent in this newspaper shall be made avail-able for purchase, use or patronage withoutregard to race, color, religion, gender, nation-al origin, age, marital status, physical handi-cap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.If a violation or rejection of this equal oppor-tunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed,the publisher shall refuse to print advertis-ing from that source until the violation iscorrected.

The Seabee Courier is published 22 weeksa year by Gulf Publishing Company, a pri-vate firm in no way connected with the DoD, under an exclusive contract with the U. S.Navy. The Seabee Courier solicits news con-tributions from military and civilian sources,but the Public Affairs staff reserves the rightto edit and/or rewrite material selected forpublication to conform with journalism stan-dards. The deadline for material is close ofbusiness Wednesday the week prior to pub-lication. Your comments are always welcome.The Seabee Courier office is in Building 60,Room 250. The mailing address is 4902Marvin Shields Blvd., Code 15, Gulfport, MS39501. Phone: 228 871-3662, Fax: 228 871-2389.Email: [email protected].

Command Action LineBecause of limited IG resources throughout the Southeast Region, all Fraud, Waste and Abuse hotline work will

now be handled by the Region. To report Fraud, Waste and Abuse, contact the Region at:Toll Free 1-877-657-9851 Comm: (904) 542-4979 DSN 942-4979 FAX: (904) 542-5587

E-mail: [email protected]

NCBC/20SRGCommanding Officer

Capt. Van DobsonExecutive Officer

Cmdr. Bill FinnPublic Affairs Officer

Jean RemleyEditor

Bonnie L. McGerrMass Comm. Specialist

MC1 Sean Mulligan

22ND NCRCommander

Capt. Eric OdderstolPublic Affairs OfficerLt. Cmdr. Kyra Hawn

NMCB ONECommanding Officer Cmdr. Dean A. Tufts

Public Affairs Officer Lt.j.g. Chris Casne

Mass. Comm. SpecialistsMC2 Chad Runge

MC2 Demetrius KennonMC3 Ja'lon Rhinehart

NMCB SEVENCommanding Officer Cmdr. David J. Sasek

Public Affairs OfficerEnsign Russell Becker

Mass Comm. SpecialistsMCC Jeffrey J. Pierce

MC3 Paul D. Williams

NMCB SEVENTY FOURCommanding Officer

Cmdr. Craig S. PratherPublic Affairs Officer

Lt. Edsil L. LoganMass Comm. Specialist MC2 Gregory N. Juday

NMCB ONE THIRTY THREECommanding Officer Cmdr. Allan StratmanPublic Affairs Officer

Lt.j.g. Riley SmithMass Comm. Specialists

MC1 Nicholas LingoMC3 Jessica A. McIver

NCTC GulfportCommanding OfficerCmdr. Darius Banaji

Public Affairs OfficerBU1(SCW) James LePage

SAVI TrainingAn Initial Command SAVI Victim Advocate class is scheduled for April 16 - 19 at theFFSC, NCBC Gulfport. If you are interested in attending, contact Peggy Cuevas 871-3000, X7428 for an interview and return completed necessary paperwork prior toMarch 29. The class is limited to 25 participants, so please register early.

Gulf Coast community leader celebratesWomen's History Month with Seabees

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganConnie Rockco, Harrison County,Miss. District Five Supervisoraddresses the audience as NCBCmarks the 20th Annual Celebrationof Women's History Month with aceremony at the NOSC Drill HallMarch 27.

By Jean RemleyNCBC Public Affairs Officer

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganGulfport Mayor Brent Warrwelcomes Chamber membersto Breakfast with the Mayorhosted by NCBC, Gulfport inColmer Galley on March 21.The mayor spoke of ongoingimprovements to Gulfportwhile the crowd of 93 enjoyedtheir meal.

Breakfast with the Mayor

ABC's, Primary Survey,direct pressure to thewounds; Lt. Harrisoncalled for IV's to be placed,oxygen by non-rebreather,chest X-ray, medications,etc. The troops sprunginto action quickly, agilelyrushing through the crowdto reappear quickly withsupplies in-hand.

And so it went, patientafter patient, small, quick-ly self-assembled teams ofmedical and non-medicalprofessionals identifyingsurgical patients and pro-viding stabilizing care tothe dozens of unfortunatevictims. The translatornever left Lt. Harrison'sside; providing the criticallink of communicationwith the patients until allwere provided the proper

care or air-lifted to a high-er echelon of care.

At the end of that longday, 58 Iraqi casualtiesfrom the blast were treatedat "Charlie-Med." Medicalpersonnel from NMCB 74,501st Army MedicalCompany, attached NavySurgical team members,physicians and medicsfrom the Army's 1stArtillery Division TaskForce 1-37, NavyCorpsmen attached to the1-6 Marines, native transla-tors, as well as countlesstroops from many differ-ent units, all workedtogether to help our fellowhumans.

There were no inter-serv-ice politics that day, nopause given because thecasualties weren'tCoalition Forces, just peo-

ple helping their fellowhumans in need. The mul-titude of volunteers thatappeared to help did so,not because they wererequired to, but because itwas the right thing to do.

"I'm proud to servealongside my fellow dedi-cated service membersfrom all branches of themilitary contributing to thestruggle to win the heartsand minds of Iraqis byshowing compassion andcare to the injured," Lt.Harrison said. On thatcold, January morning, likeso many times before andsince, there was unityamidst the chaos; profes-sionals from all branchesof the military working asone team to provide thebest medical care possibleto those in need.

From Unity page 10

The Naval Officers Spouses Club presents

SELF DEFENSE TRAININGwith instructor Derek Pruitt of South Coast Martial Arts, along with guest speaker

Peggy Cuevas, Sexual Assault Rights CoordinatorApril 21, 9 a.m. in the Bubble Gym - Cost $5 registration fee

100 Percent of proceeds will benefit the Gulf Coast Women's Center for NonviolencePurchase tickets at the Fleet & Family Support Center or call Beverly Conrad, 871-3000

Dress comfortably - light refreshments will be served

No One Under the age of 12 will be admitted to the gym for safety reasons

Photo by MC1 Sean MulliganAGC (SW) Michael J.Bradley received hisBachelor of Artsdegree in NaturalScience andMathematics fromThomas A. EdisonState College after 21years of active servicethanks to the greathelp he received fromNavy CollegeCounselor AlexCarter.

Academic Achievement


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