Journal 040314

Vol. 26 No. 13 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ April 3, 2014

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 3rd Class

BrandonWilliams-Church

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

The month of April is na-tionally known as SexualAssault Awareness Monthand its aim is to raise con-sciousness about sexual vio-lence and educate communi-ties and individuals on howto prevent it.

Naval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB) kicked offSexual Assault AwarenessMonth (SAAM) with a smallceremony sponsored by theSexual Assault Preventionand Response (SAPR) officeTuesday.

This year’s theme forSAMM is “Live Our Values,Step Up and Stop SexualAssault.”

“’Live Our Values’ meansevery service member atevery level in our militarymust adhere to and inter-nalize core service valuesand higher standards ofbehavior,” said Chief of theMaternal Child NursingDepartment Lt. Col. EdithaD. Ruiz. Ruiz also stated,“we continue to strive foran environment where pro-fessional values, team com-mitment and respect definehow we treat one another atevery command, workplace,and throughout our militarycommunity.”

NSAB’s SAPR office andthe U.S. Army’s Sexual Ha-rassment/Assault Response

and Prevention (SHARP)Programs work together tochallenge all service mem-bers to reinforce personaland unit commitments toeliminate the crime of sexu-al assault at NSA Bethesda.

“We provide preventionand training to everyone as-signed to the installation toinclude initial response andadvocacy support services

to active duty service andfamily members (18 yearsor older), retirees, DoD Ci-vilians, and contractors,”explained NSAB Sexual As-sault Response Program Co-ordinator Kimberley Agnew.“Our policy is to turn no oneaway and to have the re-sources to properly assistwith obtaining immediatesupport.”

NSAB’s SAPR office is fo-cusing its attention on theimportant part the commu-nity plays in preventing andstopping sexual assault.

“Bystander interventionis a part of step up to stopsexual violence,” said NSABSAPR Representative Mi-chelle Herrera. “Educationand bystander interven-tion are key components in

helping to prevent or stopsexual assault. Bystanderintervention gives the com-munity specific roles thatthey can use in preventingsexual assault before it oc-curs. By being a bystander,you can intervene in situa-tions that may lead to a sex-ual assault, step in during

NSAB Kicks Off Sexual Assault Awareness Month

U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Hannah Wilhide

Sailors and Marines gather on the flight deck of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD5) to form a teal ribbon in support of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

See MONTH page 9

2 Thursday, April 3, 2014 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appearanceof advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage without re-

gard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap,political affiliation, or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lowerlevel, Room 41, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-400-1381. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by telephoning 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiActing Public Affairs Officer NSAB: John EppersonPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-400-2488

Journal StaffStaff Writers Cat DeBinder

Sarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerJulie SmithSharon Renee Taylor

Managing Editor MC3BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

NSAB Ombudsman

Michelle Herrera 240-370-5421

Sexual Assault Response

Coordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:

https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-

National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Uniformed Services University of the Health

Sciences page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/

Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-

Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Walter Reed BethesdaTown HallsWalter Reed Bethesda’s next town

halls are scheduled for April 8 at 7a.m., noon and 3:30 p.m. in the Me-morial Auditorium. All staff mem-bers are encouraged to attend one ofthe meetings.

TRICARE Service CenterGoes OnlineThe TRICARE Service Center, in

Building 9 at Walter Reed Bethesda,transitioned to a 24/7 online serviceand phone assistance operationTuesday. Although walk-in serviceended, beneficiaries are still ableto receive the same assistance viaonline support at www.tricare.mil,or by calling 1-877-TRICARE (1-877-874-2273). Assistance is alsoavailable through Health Net Fed-eral Services, LLC, the TRICAREregional contractor, at www.hnfs.com. For more information, call 301-295-5143.

Stages of HealingWalter Reed Bethesda’s Stages

of Healing is offering the followingprograms this month: today at noonin the Healing Garden in front ofthe America Building, the El Ran-cho High School Marching Bandis scheduled to perform (in case ofrain, the band will perform in theMemorial Auditorium); on April 24,the blues, classic rock and rhythmand blues band Standing 8 per-forms at noon in the America Build-ing lobby; and on April 30 at noon, ahumor workshop will be held in theAmerica Building River ConferenceRoom (3558). For more information,call Lt. Cmdr. Micah Sickel at 301-295-2492.

BethesdaNotebookWe do three things atWRNMMC:

Accomplish our Mission; Take careof each other; Take care of our Fam-ilies. MISSION/PEOPLE -- goodleaders do both.Apr. 1 was much more than April

Fool’s Day this year - it was causefor celebration!Apr. 1 was the 121st birthday

of our Chief Petty Officers. MasterChief Fernandez led a special Col-ors ceremony on Tuesday morningas we gathered to recognize ourChief Petty Officers and their dedi-cated, invaluable service. Please take a momentto thank our Chiefs and all of our Senior EnlistedLeaders and non-commissioned officers for all theydo for our MISSION/PEOPLE.Tuesday was the grand opening of the USO

Warrior and Family Center. This much-anticipat-ed facility is a wonderful place for service mem-bers, their families and for our staff to gather,relax, learn, unwind and rejuvenate. We are trulyblessed to have the USO providing a “home awayfrom home” for those we are privileged to serveand for our staff. If you have not done so, pleasedrop by - you will be amazed by what the centerhas to offer. Spend a moment viewing the portrait-in-the-round of Prescott Bush (Father of our 41stPresident; Grandfather of our 43rd President) -truly a great American who did much for the USO,service members, their families, and our nation.On Apr. 1 WRNMMC kicked off our Army Emer-

gency Relief/Navy-Marine Corps Relief Campaign.As with all we do, this is a joint effort. Each of uscan donate to both or either of these nonprofit or-ganizations whose mission is to provide emergencyassistance to service members and their families.I ask that you consider joining me in donating tothese great organizations.Tuesday we re-committed ourselves to prevent-

ing sexual assault and sexual harassment. April isSexual Assault Awareness Month; for us it is a 365day a year, 24/7 commitment to treating all withdignity and respect.We cut the ribbon on the NEX Prescription Re-

fill Pick-Up Point on Wednesday. Our patients cannow park, shop and pick up their refill prescrip-tions in one convenient location. This patient-

centered partnership with the NEXprovides a tremendous service forthose we are privileged to serve.Walking around chatting with our

staff is the best part of my job. AsI visit our outpatient clinics and ser-vices, I always thank those servingat our front desks -- they greet eachpatient with a smile; check each inand ensure they are seen regardlessof how late they may arrive; answerquestions; make follow-up appoint-ments. These unsung heroes anchorour proactively patient-friendly com-

mitment. Please say ‘thank you!’ to these good folks.Our parking policy is simple: patient parking is

only for patients; staff, with appropriate parkingplacard, park only in staff parking.We are makinga change to our designated staff parking. Our ser-vice member, civilian, and volunteer of the quarteraward winners will soon have a designated spotin front of Building 1. WRNMMC leaders, includ-ing the Director (me), have traditionally parked infront of Building 1, will park on the 9th deck of theMUPS. This will free up a few more staff parkingspaces, but more importantly, will recognize ourbest and brightest staff with convenient parking.Next week is the 40th anniversary of National

Volunteer Week - a reminder to consider volun-teering in our communities. The USO is a greatplace to volunteer! On Apr. 17 we will celebrate ourRed Cross volunteers in our quarterly recognitionceremony. We have over 400 Red Cross volunteersserving over 4,000 hours each month in numerousareas of our hospital. We could not do what we dowithout these great members of our team. Comejoin us and say ‘thank you!’WRNMMC Town Halls are Apr. 8: 7 to 8 a.m.;

noon to 1 p.m.; and 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. OurTown Halls are great opportunities for updates onour way ahead, sharing of information and to askquestions. I hope to see you there..I ask that you be as proud of who we are, what

we do, and most importantly, how we do it, as I amto serve with you. As always, thank you and mayGod bless.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey B. Clark MC, USADirector, Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center

Commander’s Column

The Journal Thursday, April 3, 2014 3

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

Chief Petty Officers(CPO) from commandsonboard Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda(NSAB) celebrated the121st birthday of U.S.Navy Chief Petty OfficersTuesday.

On March 13, 1893 U.S. Navy Regulation Cir-cular No. 1 authorizedthe rate of Chief PettyOfficer to take effect onor after April 1, 1893.The word “Chief ” desig-nates the rate’s seniorposition among Navy en-listed personnel.

According to the De-partment of the Navy,the entire Chief com-munity accounts for nomore than 10 percent ofthe Navy’s approximate300,000 service mem-bers. Master Chiefs ac-count for only 1 percentof Navy personnel, andSenior/Master Chiefcombined cannot exceed3 percent.

The Chief ’s 121stbirthday celebration atNSAB began with theraising of the colorsby Chiefs, followed bythe singing of “AnchorsAweigh.” Command Mas-ter Chief (CMC) ClintA. Garrett, for the NavyMedicine ProfessionalDevelopment Center atNSAB, then spoke to theformation assembled infront of the historic Tow-er on base.

Garrett explained be-ing a Chief requires lead-ership and service. Hesaid to be a Chief means“becoming all things toSailors in order to winsome for the higher pur-pose for which we arecalled, accomplishing themission [and] to do sowith dignity, respect, dis-cipline and without com-promising morals, valuesand ethics we learn andare charged to exempli-fy.”

The CMC said whathe finds most reward-ing about being a chief isserving as the “inspira-tion or catalyst for oth-ers to reach their goals.”Garrett said he was moti-vated to join the Navy bya Chief he met as part of

his high school’s Navy Jr.ROTC program growingup in Detroit. He addedhe had no intentions ofremaining in the Navyafter his initial enlist-ment, but remained infor nearly three decadesbecause of the “greatpeople, fascinating plac-es and the opportunitiesto learn, lead and defendour great nation. [It’s a]way of life.”

Navy Capt. David A.Bitonti, NSAB command-ing officer, also salutedthe Chiefs. “We couldn’taccomplish the things wedo every day in our mili-tary without the leader-ship of Chief Petty Offi-cers,” he said. “For whatyou do every day, for thepeople who you are, whoyou lead and for the dif-ference you make. Thankyou very much.”

Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical CenterDirector Army Brig. Gen.Jeffrey B. Clark said it’sgood for all service mem-bers, the civilian, con-tract and volunteer work-force on base to gatherand celebrate “somethingthat is special about oneof us.” He added celebrat-ing the birthday of Chiefs“as one family” is appro-priate because it takesall services, civilians,contractors and volun-teers working together toaccomplish the mission.

“It is an honor andpleasure to be a Chief,”said Senior Chief DerekL. Eaton, senior enlistedleader at the NationalIntrepid Center of Ex-cellence. In the Navy formore than two decades,Eaton added, “A Chief isconsidered the corner-stone of the Navy. Yourbest Sailors, enlisted andofficers, would not be assuccessful if it wasn’t fora Chief mentoring them.”

As a Chief, Eaton saidhis top priority is men-torship. “I am chargedwith guiding Sailors.When you are selectedto be a Chief Petty Of-ficer, it’s not about you,it’s about the Sailors youwork for and providingthem the tools of leader-ship and lessons learnedyou have received fromChiefs who helped you tobecome one. Every morn-

ing I don my anchors, I’mmotivated to work for mySailors. If it wasn’t formy Sailors, I wouldn’t behere or even selected tobe a Chief. A wise Chieftold me, ‘If your Sailorsaren’t successful, youwon’t be successful. Ifyou don’t care about yourSailors, motivate the bestout of them, appreciateyour Sailors, lead themor be an example, youwon’t, or even deserve, tobe a Chief.’”

Eaton added to be agood Chief takes “beingan active listener, giv-ing credit where it’s due,[and] getting away fromthe computer and walk-ing around. You can learna lot by talking with yourSailors, Soldiers, Ma-rines, Airmen and civil-ian personnel. Appreciat-ing your staff goes a longway, especially in front oftheir peers and leader-ship.”

According to the De-partment of the Navy,Chief of Naval Trainingand Education, ChiefPetty Officer Indoctrina-tion, Document 38202,Part One, Chief Petty Of-ficers are enlisted mem-bers in pay grades E-7through E-9, who leadand manage the Sailorresources of the Navythey serve. They are re-sponsible for, have theauthority to accomplishand are held accountablefor: leading Sailors andapplying their skills totasks that enable mis-sion accomplishment forthe U.S. Navy; develop-ing enlisted and juniorofficer Sailors; and com-municating the core val-ues, standards and infor-mation of our Navy thatempower Sailors to besuccessful in all they at-tempt.

The fouled anchor isthe emblem of the rateof CPO of the U. S. Navy.Attached to the anchor isa length of chain and theletters U.S.N.

In the book “Ask theChief, Backbone of theNavy” published in 2004,J. F. Leahy writes, “To thenovice, the anchor, chainand letters only identifya Chief Petty Officer ofthe United States Navy,but, to a Chief, these

have a more noble andglorious meaning. The ‘U’stands for Unity, whichreminds us of coopera-tion, maintaining harmo-ny and continuity of pur-pose and action. The ‘S’stands for Service, whichreminds us of service toour God, our fellow manand our Navy. The ‘N’stands for Navigation,which reminds us tokeep ourselves on a truecourse so that we maywalk upright before God

Chiefs Celebrate 121 Years of Leadership, Service

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Chief Petty Officers at Naval Support Activ-ity Bethesda carry the colors to the flagpole infront of the historic Tower on base as part of aceremony celebrating the 121st birthday of U.S.Navy Petty Officers Tuesday.See CHIEFS page 8

01041287


By Sarah E. Marshalland Bernard S. Little

WRNMMC Public Affairsstaff writers

To continue supporting warfighters,past, present and their families, a newprescription refill pick-up point openedin the Navy Exchange (NEX) on NavalSupport Activity Bethesda (NSAB)Wednesday, providing optimal care toall beneficiaries.

Walter Reed National Military Med-ical Center (WRNMMC), NSAB andNEX officials cut the ribbon to openthe prescription refill pick-up point.Hours are Monday through Saturdayfrom 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundayfrom 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The location ison the lower level of the NEX, next tothe Customer Service kiosk.

To expedite prescription refill servic-es, beneficiaries are encouraged to call-in or request refills online at least fivedays in advance of pick-up. The call-in

number is 1-800-377-1723, and refillrequests can be made online at www.wrnmmc.capmed.mil/Pharmacy.

Walter Reed Bethesda also fills pre-scriptions of beneficiaries even if theprescription was written by a civiliandoctor, according to Army Col. LaurelFields, pharmacy chief at WRNMMC.Regardless of whether beneficiarieswere seen by TRICARE network pro-viders outside Walter Reed Bethesda,beneficiaries can have their prescrip-tions filled at a WRNMMC pharmacyand refilled at the pick-up point in theNEX, she said. They can also have theirexisting prescriptions transferred tothe pharmacy.

At Walter Reed Bethesda, there areno co-pays, 90-day supplies of mostmedications and lower costs than atretail pharmacies.

WRNMMC, NSAB and NEX officialsalso tout the convenience of parking inthe NEX garage as another advantageto using the new prescription refill

pick-up point in the store. The two-lev-el parking facility has approximately500 spaces for patrons. Also, beneficia-ries can shop, and dine, in the 150,000square-foot, two-tier store while havingtheir prescriptions refilled.

In addition to the new prescriptionrefill pick-up point in the NEX, otherpharmacy services located at WalterReed Bethesda include:

• Arrowhead Full-Service Pharmacy(in Building 9), open Monday throughFriday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. andSaturday from 8 a.m. to noon;

• America Full-Service Pharmacy(Building 19), open Monday throughFriday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.;

• Drive-Thru Refill Pick-Up Point(Building 98, behind the Bowling Al-ley, in parking lot H), open Mondaythrough Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fields explained the WRNMMCpharmacies use cutting-edge technolo-gy and a bar code system which screensfor drug interactions, ensuring patient

safety. The pharmacies also have thebenefit of being able to look into a pa-tient’s electronic medical records, un-like if they receive their prescriptionsoutside the network, and they featurea high-tech security system, she add-ed. WRNMMC is also the only militarymedical facility in the National Capi-tal Region offering weekend pharmacyservices.

The pharmacy chief said the newNEX prescription refill pick-up pointhas been an ongoing process and couldnot have been done without the sup-port they’ve had from command lead-ership and the pharmacy team.

“The staff has done a yeoman’s ef-fort in getting this pharmacy up andrunning,” Fields said. “I’m excited. It’sa new opportunity to provide servicesto patients. This truly gets to the coreof patient and family-centered care.”

For more information, call theWRNMMC pharmacy team at 301-295-2123.

New Prescription Refill Pick-Up Point Opens in NEX

1041813

By 2nd Lt.Elizabeth TankovichWRNMMC NutritionServices Department

This article is the first ar-ticle of a three part seriesprovided by Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) Nutrition ServicesDepartment dietetic interns fo-cused on this year’s NationalNutrition Month theme, “Enjoythe Taste of Eating Right.”

“Eat your veggies!” We haveprobably all heard this whenwe were children, and for goodreason. Diets rich in fruits andvegetables provide an abun-dance of nutrients, promote ahealthy body weight and helpto lower blood pressure.

Unfortunately, many peoplethink vegetables do not tastegood, but here are three tipson how to enjoy nutritious veg-etables without adding excesssodium and fat.

One, choose veggies that arein season. Not only will in-sea-son veggies have more flavor,they also contain more nutri-ents. Local farmer’s marketsare usually a sure way to get

veggies which are in season.Many grocery stores have alsostarted to stock local produce.Find out which vegetables arein season at http://www.fruit-sandveggiesmorematters.org/.

Two, become familiar withherbs, spices, citrus and fla-vored vinegars. These season-ings can decrease the need forsodium and fat while providingadditional health benefits.

Three, don’t shy away fromfrozen and canned veggies,which are often packed at peakfreshness when their nutrientvalue is highest. In order toavoid excess sodium and fat,choose “low-sodium” canneditems and choose frozen itemswithout added sauces or salt.Rinsing canned vegetables canhelp lower the sodium content.

Here are some pairing sug-gestions for spring vegetables:

• Greens and spinach pairwell with garlic, onion, nutmegand thyme. Try adding choppedapple to your greens dish for asweet and tart twist.

• With beets, add white winevinegar (or a vinegar you haveon hand), dill, parsley, blackpepper, and a drizzle of extravirgin olive oil to oven-roasted

beets for a flavorful dish.• Steamed broccoli pairs with

lemon juice, lemon pepper, gar-lic or red pepper flakes.

• Try roasting parsnips withcarrots, rosemary, sage andblack pepper.

• Potatoes pair well with dill,garlic, onion, paprika, parsleyand sage.

• Add cinnamon, ginger, nut-meg, and onion to liven up win-ter squash.

• Try “spicing up” tomato and

vegetable soup by adding a turnip.For more information about

eating right, contact the Out-patient Nutrition Clinic at301-295-4065 to schedule anappointment with a registereddietitian.


Courtesy photo

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables provide an abundance of nutrients, promote ahealthy body weight and help to lower blood pressure.

Enjoy the Taste of Vegetables Without Adding Salt, Fat

1041664

By Sarah E.Marshall

WRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

Walter Reed Bethes-da’s Decontamination(DECON) Team racedagainst the clock onMarch 26, suiting up intheir chemical-resistantsuits, fastening their airpurifying respirators andsetting up a portable de-contamination shelter.

Their mission: to befully dressed in personalprotective equipment(PPE) and deploy a fullyoperational decontami-nation shelter within 15minutes. The team fin-ished with time to spare,completing the missionin less than eight and ahalf minutes.

The timed exercisewas part of an annualFirst Receiver Opera-tional Training course,required by the Occupa-tional Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA),according to Chris Gil-lette, emergency man-ager for Walter Reed Na-tional Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC).

“The training testedand ensured all DECONequipment is operation-al, while enhancing themedical center’s pre-paredness,” Gillette said.

OSHA requires the na-tion’s hospitals, militaryand civilian, to estab-lish plans in the eventof a hazmat situation,such as a chlorine spill,or an incident involvinga chemical, biological,radiological or nuclearagent, also referred toas a CBRN incident, Gil-lette explained. Accord-ing to OSHA standards,the hospital’s DECONprogram must fulfill 16hours of decontamina-tion training per year, hesaid, and at WRNMMC,the DECON team goesabove and beyond, train-ing monthly, to honetheir skills.

For the fourth consec-utive year, WRNMMC’sDECON team complet-ed the OSHA-requiredtraining. The three-daycourse consists of class-work, preparing the teamto recognize symptomsof hazmat or CBRN ex-posure, and culminates

with the timed exercise,allowing them to re-en-force their skills, Gillettesaid.

“The quicker the teamcan retrieve the portableequipment, the portableshelter, get it set up, andhave everything run-ning operationally, be intheir personal protectiveequipment, the betterchance we have to starttaking care of the great-est number of casualtiesin the shortest period oftime,” Gillette said.

He went on to note theDECON team’s enthusi-asm, and how well theywork together duringtraining.

Staffed by volunteers,the team includes mili-tary and civilian stafffrom various clinics anddepartments throughoutthe medical center, saidJohn Skelly, patient de-contamination programmanager and NationalDisaster Medical System(NDMS) program man-ager.

“They’re really thelife-line in a CBRN or

hazmat incident, andthey take their responsi-bilities seriously,” Skellysaid.

That goes for ArmyStaff Sgt. Daniel Burke,non-commissioned of-ficer in charge (NCOIC)instructor for Emergencyand Tactical Medicine inHospital Education andTraining at WRNMMC.A member of the DE-CON team since Janu-ary, Burke is a medic bytraining. He said he ap-preciates the opportunityto learn a new aspect ofmedicine.

“To be able to knowwhat to do [in a CBRNincident], and to activelydo something in a situa-tion like that, instead offeeling helpless, is prob-ably the best part,” saidBurke, who joined theteam about two monthsago. Last week’s trainingwas his first full “dressrehearsal,” he said, and itwas “awesome.” He addedbeing involved with theteam is a valuable op-portunity, especially forthose who transition to

a new duty station, andcan be that “go-to” per-son.

“This training willstick with you for yourentire military career, es-pecially for medical per-sonnel,” Burke said.

Hospital Corpsman 1stClass Marksteven Mene-ses, NCOIC/leading pettyofficer for WRNMMC’sRespiratory Therapy De-partment, echoed similarsentiments. He bringsrelevant experience fromhis previous commandsto the team.

“On my last two carri-ers (CVN 72 - USS Abra-ham Lincoln and CVN 74- USS John C. Stennis),I was one of two medical

personnel trained andqualified in radiologi-cal decontamination,”Meneses said. “My pre-vious experience helpedme grasp knowledge wewere given, and makesme feel like a much moreseasoned team member.”

A member of the teamsince December 2013,Meneses expressed hisappreciation for theadvanced technology,including the state-of-the-art equipment, andthe highly in-depth andhands-on training.

“What I enjoy most isthat I know I’m now partof a highly specializedteam, that I know willperform superbly, if there

ever was a real-world re-sponse,” said Meneses.

In addition to the DE-CON team, WRNMMCEmergency Departmentstaff members are alsotrained to respond to aCBRN or hazmat inci-dent, Skelly added. Theywill likely be the oneswhere patients arrive ina real-life situation, andthey are equipped witha fixed decontamina-tion facility, within thedepartment, where theycan begin decontamina-tion efforts. Meanwhile,the DECON team woulddeploy to accommodatean even larger volume ofcasualties, he explained.

Skelly noted the medi-cal center is recognizedas one of the best trainedand best equipped for ahazmat or CBRN inci-dent, and other hospitalsin the region often lookto WRNMMC when de-veloping their programs.

“We’re doing things theright way,” Skelly said.“We’re well equipped todeal with a broad spec-trum of hazmat typeevents.”

Staff members whoare interested in joiningthe DECON team maycontact Chris Gillette at301-295-3115, or JohnSkelly at 301-295-5202.


Walter Reed National Military Medical Cen-ter’s decontamination team is made up ofabout 60 staff members from throughout themedical center. During an annual Occupation-al Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)required training on March 26, the team wastimed to see how fast they could put on theirpersonal protective equipment and set up aportable decontamination shelter.

Time! The team finished setting up theshelter and suiting up in less than eight anda half minutes, well under the 15 minuterequirement.

Photos by Sarah E. Marshall

The decontamination team trains monthly. March 26, they con-ducted an annual OSHA required training, and successfully com-pleting a timed exercise.

WRNMMC’s DECON Team Trains, Continues Enhancing Preparedness

By Sharon ReneeTaylor WRNMMC

Public Affairsstaff writer

For more than 40years, Doug Grove hasstepped inside a labora-tory nearly every workday. The Walter ReedNational Military Medi-cal Center (WRNMMC)medical technologistmeasures antibodies inpatient serum for diseas-es like measles, mumps,rubella and syphilis.During an expansive

career that began as aSoldier in 1966, Grovehas seen and worked inmany different labs. Onceserving as a staff chemistfor a kidney preservationstudy, his work now isstrictly clinical and auto-mated.“[Now] you just put

serum samples in, themachine mixes it up,does all the chemical re-actions, it reaches the re-sults, prints it out on thecomputer [and] we sendit out to the mainframe,”Grove said. “When I firstjoined the Army, duringVietnam, most of our[work] was manual.”Despite his years in

the laboratory, he ex-plained it’s never too lateto brush-up on old skillsand learn something new.In March, Grove and 14other civilian and mili-tary students “refreshed”their laboratory skillsand learned new ones ina three-week MolecularBiology Lab Course of-fered for a second yearby the Department of Re-search Programs at Wal-ter Reed Bethesda.Scientists and tech-

nicians of the Biomedi-cal Research Labora-tory (BRL) at WRNMMCtaught the lab-basedshort course designed toprovide hands-on experi-ence in commonly usedtechniques in molecularbiology research, accord-ing to Navy Cmdr. Ja-nine Danko, who servesas chief of the BRL anddeveloped the class withCourse Director Dr. Yal-ing Zhou.“The students learn

the theoretical basis forand practice some basic

molecular biology tech-niques such as nucleicacid purification andquantification, and gelelectrophoresis,” saidDanko.She explained stu-

dents also learned andpracticed cutting-edgetechnologies like poly-merase chain reaction(PCR), reverse transcrip-tion, and real-time quan-titative PCR.“Our goal is to expose

the students to thesetechniques, practicaluses of these techniquesin clinical research and

introduce them to themany capabilities [that]the [Walter Reed Bethes-da] BRL and staff have tooffer,” Danko said.The state-of-the art

biomedical laboratorywhere the course tookplace supports clinicalresearch studies in thedisciplines of biochem-istry, molecular and cel-lular biology, as well asimmunology. There arecurrently nine activelaboratory research stud-ies currently underwayat the BRL, the largest ofsuch research labs across

the military healthcaresystem, according toDanko.Zhou said the short

course was condensed tomaximize the students’time, and best utilizeBRL staffers who servedas instructors for thethree-part course, packedinto one hour of lectureand three hours of labpractice in a single af-ternoon each week fromMar. 12-26.“Most of them come to

BRL to use the moleculartechniques so this coursehelps them better under-

stand when they readliterature, and formulateplans to use these tech-niques in their future re-search,” said Zhou, whoexplained the studentssubsequently return tothe lab after the coursewith research protocols-actively using the re-sources provided by theBRL they were exposedto during the course.Army Maj. Shahrooz

Shayegan, a WRNMMCallergist who participat-

ed in the March course,said he hasn’t conductedany bench research yetbut may begin a researchproject in the future.“That’s one of the

main reasons why we’reencouraged to take thisclass,” he said. “For mewith a background in cellbiology, it’s a good reviewof some of the thingsI’ve forgotten on thebench side of science.”


Photos by Sharon Renee Taylor

Medical technologist Doug Grove, brushesup on his lab skills during the course.

Elena Morris, a medical technician with theBiomedical Research Lab at Walter ReedBethesda, instructs physician assistant Maj.Scott Baumgartner during the course.

Students in the three-week Molecular Biology Lab Course practicewhat they learn. From (left), allergist Capt. (Dr.) Yuliya A. Ogai,and (right) neurologist Lt. Col. (Dr.) Nathan Tagg, students in thecourse get hands-on experience in the lab.

Short Course ‘Refreshes’ Lab Skills

See COURSE page 10


and man in our transac-tions with all mankind,but especially with ourfellow Chiefs. The chainis symbolic of flexibil-ity and reminds us ofthe chain of life that weforge day by day, link bylink and may it be forgedwith honor, morality andvirtue.”Leahy, who has writ-

ten on a number of navaltopics and is a formerNavy radioman whoseactive duty included acombat tour with Mo-bile Construction Bat-talion One at Phu Baiand Da Nang Vietnamin 1969-70, also wrote:“every chief petty officerpractices leadership, de-velopment, communica-tion and support everytime he or she crossesthe quarterdeck of aship or station. That’swhat chiefs do; that’swhat chiefs have always

done.”The United States

Navy is distinct amongthe U.S. Armed Forces inthat promotion to Chieftraditionally involvesspecialized activitiesknown as CPO 365, ayear-round program forFirst Class Petty Of-ficers (FCPOs) testingtheir mental, physicaland professional capa-bilities for becomingCPOs.Master Chief Petty

Officer of the Navy Mi-chael D. Stevens stated

on Jan. 7, 2013, “CPO365 and the developmentof our FCPOs to becomeCPOs is not about a mo-ment in time. It’s about acontinuous time. This issomething we’re going todo every day, 365 days ayear, and so we want tomake sure the term weare using is matchingwhat we are doing.”Unlike Petty Officer

First Class and lowerrates, advancement to

CPO not only carriesrequirements of time inservice, superior evalu-ation scores, and spe-cialty examinations, butalso carries an addedrequirement of peer re-view. A CPO can onlyadvance after reviewby a selection board ofserving Senior and Mas-ter Chief Petty OfficersUpon completion of CPO365, the new Chiefs re-ceive their anchors dur-

ing a frocking ceremony,a tradition unique tothe Navy. During thisceremony, family mem-bers and friends pin thegold-foiled anchor insig-nia onto the uniform ofeach new Chief. In theNavy, CPOs’ uniformchanges to reflect theirincreased responsibil-ity, becoming identicalto that of an officer’suniform except with dif-ferent insignia.

Photos by Sharon Renee Taylor

Senior Chief Derek L. Eaton, senior enlisted leader at the NationalIntrepid Center of Excellence, leads the formation for colors, Tues-day morning in celebration of the 121st birthday of the U.S. NavyChief Petty Officer.

Chief Petty Officers (CPOs) onboard Naval Support ActivityBethesda sing “Anchors Aweigh” as part of a ceremony celebrat-ing the 121st birthday of U.S. Navy CPOs Tuesday.

CHIEFSContinued from 3

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an incident or speakout against gender-focused jokes, sexualcomments and vulgarpictures.”

At the SAAM kickoffceremony, NSAB Com-manding Officer Capt.David A. Bitonti stat-ed, “This is a criticaltime, not only in ourNavy but in our coun-try and we have theopportunity to affectchange.” Bitonti alsostated, “we have theopportunity to makea difference by simplystepping up and sayingsomething. This monthis about focusing onraising awareness forsexual assault and theprevention efforts togo along with it. Youall can make a differ-ence; you all can bringabout that change.”

During April, sev-eral activities areplanned at NSAB andWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Cen-ter to educate of thegoals of SAAM.

In addition to thedemonstration of sup-port for victims andadvocates, the dis-play of teal ribbonsthroughout the com-munity conveys a pow-erful message thatthere’s no place for as-sault in homes, neigh-borhoods, schools orworkplaces.

Events for themonth include infor-mation tables, a bowl-ing event, Denim DayUSA and a defenseclass. Join the base to‘strike out’ Sexual As-

sault and bowl for agood cause. To honorDenim Day, people areencouraged to wearjeans to work in orderto promote awareness.The R.A.D. basic selfdefense class will beheld on Friday April25 from 8:30 a.m. to4 p.m. in Building11. Space is limited;please call 301-319-4087 to register.

For more informa-tion on how to preventsexual assault contactthe SAPR office at301-319-4087.

MONTHContinued from 1

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brandon Williams-Church

Naval Support Activity Bethesda Command-ing Officer Capt. David A. Bitonti signs theSexual Assault Awareness Month Proclama-tion at the kickoff ceremony Tuesday.

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Shayegan earned his undergraduatedegree in 1998. “That’s probably thelast time I’ve been in a bench research-type setting.”

Army Neurologist Lt. Col. NathanTagg, a student alongside the aller-gist in the BRL Molecular Biology LabCourse, said he hopes to implementsome of the lab techniques he learnedin the course doing research he plansto conduct in a neurology/immunol-ogy fellowship at National Instituesof Heath next year. The neurologistexplained what he believed to be thebest part of the lab short course atWRNMMC.

“I think just learning about the new-est techniques that are being used isvery interesting, and the hands-onhelp to solidify what they’re teachingus,” he said. “Most of this stuff didn’texist in its present form when I hadmy last course in lab research so it’snice to get updates,” explained Tagg,who completed his residency nearlyten years ago.

Gervon Harris, a lab technician atWalter Reed Bethesda activity in-volved in vaccine research, said thecourse instructors were very helpful,and complimented the laboratory facil-

ity. “[The lab] covers everything: chem-istry, immunology, microbiology-I thinkit’s well-suited for doing any kind ofprocedure you might need and I thinkit really is a great facility to help sup-port research,” she said.

Fred Gage, a senior research coordi-nator at Walter Reed Bethesda, agreedwith his classmate for the lab course. “Iappreciate the opportunity that [Wal-ter Reed Bethesda] allows for us tolearn on modern research equipment,”he said. With 32 years of experience,Gage has conducted studies in the ar-eas of dialysis, transplant and woundresearch.

The Biomedical Research Lab con-tains advanced equipment availablefor use by clinical staff and researchersat WRNMMC along with the militarymedical community, according to ArmyCapt. Raymond Casteline, deputy chiefof the BRL. Walter Reed Bethesda rec-ognized its research heroes in their“Aware for All” annual education andawareness event, April 1. The researchand innovation event honored volun-teer research participants, and cele-brated extraordinary research current-ly underway at WRNMMC. Researchteams offered information about theirstudies and resources at the table meetand greet.

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