SEABEES - Navy.mil The Official Website of the United ... the Navy Sea Chanters chorus and a 1960s rock act, the Cruisers. [On the Front Cover] BUCN Josh Dibendenetto stands a protective

TAKING THE NEXT STEP

SEABEESSEABEES

[Number 1057]

[Features]

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M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

[Departments]Around the Fleet — 8

Focus on Service — 38

The Final Word — 40

22 Building Democracy in Iraq

Navy Seabees are working directly with coalition forces to help establish a democracy inIraq. They provide not only force protection and construction support, but also provide theIraqi people the knowledge to fend for themselves.P h o t o b y P H 3 T o d d F r a n t o m

14 The Fisher HouseAfter losing his leg in Iraq, Hospital Corpsman 3rd ClassJoseph “Doc” Worley, who had treated many Marines in combat, went from being a “doc” to be constantly treated by them. It’s a harsh reality for him that requires some adjustment. And with the help of Fisher House, that adjustment has already begun.

32 Live from…To celebrate their 80th anniversary, the Navy Band put togethera show they have never taken on tour before. For the first time,on their Southeastern U.S. tour, the concert band was joinedby the Navy Sea Chanters chorus and a 1960s rock act, theCruisers.

[On the Front Cover]BUCN Josh Dibendenetto stands a protective watch as a local Iraqi ICAP student peers cautiously at a Navy Seabee building his newschool. Seabees assigned to Naval MobileConstruction Battalion (NMCB) 7 are workingin partnership with residents of a smallbedouin village on the outskirts of Najaf,Iraq, to build the school and improve the village water, electricity and sanitation facilities.P h o t o b y P H 3 T o d d F r a n t o m

[Next Month]All Hands heads to the Norfolk waterfront to check out the Mid-Atlantic RegionalMaintenance Center, and to visit with the“Yellow Shirts.” aboard USS TheodoreRoosevelt (CVN 71).

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On a lonely strip of road outside a small bedouin villageon the outskirts of Najaf, Iraq, small children cheer apassing convoy in hopes of receiving gifts from theAmericans. The parents of these children are villagerswho work alongside Navy Seabees to improve the over-all quality of life in this desolate part of the country.Together they are building a school and improving thevillage’s water, electricity, sanitation and other facilities.P h o t o b y P H 3 T o d d F r a n t o m

4 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

Number 1057 • May 2005www.navy.mil

Secretar y of the Navy

The Honorable Gordon R. England

Chief of Naval Operat ions

ADM Vern Clark

Chief o f In format ion

RADM T. L. McCreary

Commander, Naval Media Center

CAPT Joseph F. Gradisher

Chief of Publ ishing

CDR Ed Austin

D e p u t y C h i e f o f P u b l i s h i n g + Pr int Media Coordinator

LT Bill Couch

E D I T O R I A L

Editor

Marie G. Johnston

Managing Edi tor

PHCS (AW/SW) Joseph E. Dorey

Assistant Edi tor

Stephanie N. Collins

Photo Edi tors

PH1 (AW) Shane T. McCoyPH3 Todd Frantom

Editor ia l Staf f

JO1 (SW) Monica DarbyJO1 (SW) Hendrick Dickson

JO1 Charles L. LudwigJO1 (SCW/SS) James Pinsky

JO2 Kimberly Rodgers

E D I T O R I A L& W E B D E S I G N

R + B Design Firm

Graphic Designers

Laura MuncyKevin Richards

Digi ta l Prepress Specia l is t

Lisa J. Smith

P R I N T I N G

Universal Printing Company

G PO Pr int ing Specia l is t

John Kennedy

Recipient of the following Awards of Magazine Excellence

for 2000-2004:

Speaking with SailorsMaster Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

MCPON (SS/AW) Terry D. Scott

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to fulfill

what I consider to be one of the most significant

responsibilities I have to Sailors as the Master

Chief Petty Officer of the Navy – testifying on their behalf

to the United States Congress. This year’s testimony was

before the House Appropriations Committee (HAC),

Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans’

Affairs.

The HAC has jurisdiction over discretionary spending,which is approximately one-third of the federal budget. Itconsists of thousands of programs controlled throughannual appropriations acts.

Highlighting accomplishments such as the successfuland continuing operations in the global war on terrorismas well as the outstanding efforts inhumanitarian missions and tsunamirelief, the statement to the subcommit-tee concentrated on the areas ofimprovement in housing for families andsingle Sailors, professional military education and providing support tofamily members stationed around the globe.

Providing for our families meansfunding our family support resources;Morale, Welfare and Recreation activi-ties; medical care; commissaries andexchanges; and housing. To me, thelatter is especially important.

The resources for adequate and comfortable living conditions ashore are the foundation ofthe support for Sailors and their families. I have spoken tothousands of Sailors during the past year and have concluded that while the quality of life they enjoy isimportant, the quality of their work life and the work theydo is just as crucial in electing whether to depart the Navyafter their first term or to devote a career to the service ofour country.

With the demands we have accepted as our duties

in the global war on terrorism, we must pay particularattention to these factors if we hope to retain the bestquality Sailors.

Operational demands of the global war on terrorismhave hindered some Sailors from using their accruedleave, causing some to lose leave because of policy andstatutory limitations on the amount of leave service mem-bers may carry over from the previous year. Those who donot have the opportunity to use leave due to operationalcommitments should have the ability to sell back morethan the current limit of 60 days over a career.

Advanced education will emphasize the developmentof a technical or analytical knowledge base, critical thinkingskills, an innovative mindset and competencies to leadthe Navy in the future. These education opportunities will

include certificates, degree programs,and courses and seminars tailored tomeet the professional requirements of allSailors. We are transforming the way ourNavy develops and equips our men andwomen. As our Navy becomes even moretechnologically advanced, our workforceis going to need critical thinkers andagile learners.

In addition, we are focusing effortson caring for the families of our deployedSailors. Navy OneSource seeks to expandits service to at least 15 percent of theforce through an aggressive campaign tomarket the services it offers. There is a

value for our Sailors and their families in a one-stop shop to request information on military life, deployments, separations, reunion adjustments, parenting challenges,relocation, emotional well-being, legal issues and parenting and child care, and a variety of personal financial issues such as home buying and consumer information.

Even as our mission continues to find us fighting theglobal war on terrorism, our Navy can be proud of the jobwe have done in the past year. The images and stories ofthe hopeful Iraqi people as they participated in theircountry’s first free election, the first tentative stepstoward freedom for that nation, are a reward for the sacrifices our service members have made in this effort.

A copy of my full testimony is available at the followingweb address: http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/mcpon/mcponpg.html

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Speaking with Sailors is a monthly column initiated by the Master Chief Petty Officer of theNavy as a way of reaching out to the men andwomen of the fleet, whether they are stationed justdown the road or halfway around the world.

All Hands (USPS 372-970; ISSN 0002-5577) Number 1057 is published monthly by the Naval Media Center, Publishing Department, 2713 Mitscher Rd. S.W., Anacostia Annex, D.C. 20373-5819. Periodicals postage paid

at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402 or call 202/512-1800. Subscription prices

are: $36 (domestic) / $45 (foreign); $6 (single copy domestic) / $7.50 (single copy foreign). Postmaster: Send address changes to All Hands, Naval Media Center, Publishing Department 2713 Mitscher Rd., S.W., Anacostia

Annex, D.C. 20373-5819 Editorial Offices: Send submissions and correspondence to Naval Media Center Publishing Department, ATTN: Editor, 2713 Mitscher Rd., S.W., Anacostia Annex, D.C. 20373-5819 Tel: DSN

288-4171 or 202/433-4171 Fax: DSN 288-4747 or 202/433-4747 E-Mail: [email protected] Message: NAVMEDIACEN WASHINGTON DC //32// Authorization: The Secretary of the Navy has determined this

publication is necessary in the transaction of business required by law of the Department of the Navy. Funds for printing this publication have been approved by the Navy Publications and Printing Committee.

According to the American Lung Association, if current tobacco use patterns persist in the United States, an estimated 6.4 millionchildren will die prematurely from a smoking-related disease.

What kind of role model are you?

For more information about smoking, smoking-related health problems, and how you can quit smoking visit

www.lungusa.org or www.cancer.org

agreement to stay on active duty forat least an additional 12 months.

In addition to the new incen-tives, the military services willcontinue to offer SOF servicemembers Selective ReenlistmentBonuses as needed.

“Our investment in these pro-fessionals is great, and the expe-rience gained through years ofservice makes them invaluableassets to our nation’s defense,”said Army Lt.Col. Alex Findlay,USSOCOM personnel directorate.“Younger replacements can be trained, but experience is irreplaceable in the currentworldwide war on terrorism.”

“This retention incentivepackage is the result of widespreadquality-of-life studies, interviews,and town hall meetings with ourSOF operators and their families,”said U.S. Special OperationsCommand senior enlisted serviceadvisor, Command Chief MSgt.Bob Martens. “Our goal was tobetter understand what is mostimportant to our people and theirfamilies in order to determinewhat we can do to make us theemployer of choice for the longterm.”

Eligible service members cancontact their unit personnel cen-

ters for more details on the SOFretention incentive package.

Story courtesy of the public affairsoffice, U.S. Special Operations

Command.

Free AdvancementTips, AdviceAvailable Online

Active-duty and ReserveSailors can obtain answersto advancement questions

by going online to a variety ofNavy-sponsored Web sites.

Professional military knowl-edge and rating specific referencesand bibliographies for advance-ment (BIBs), along with otherinformation to help Sailors climbthe ladder to success, are just asimple click away.

“Virtually everything youhave to buy from the commercialsites is available for free from theNavy,” said ETC Shane Drinkwater,Electronics Technician (Sub-marines) examination writer,Naval Education and TrainingProfessional Development andTechnology Center (NETPDTC),Pensacola, Fla. “There are a lot of

tools out there to help you getadvanced, but the best tool wegenerate is the AdvancementExam Strategy Guide, which canbe accessed at https://www.advancement.cnet.navy.mil.

According to Drinkwater, theNavy Web site has a specific “howto take an advancement test”section, as well as information onexam strategies and examinationdevelopment. To help Sailors

understand what skills andknowledge exam developers areassessing, specific rating infor-mation is broken down by rankinto topic and subject areas.

“A Sailor can go to the examsection, look up their specialty,and we give them what referenceswe use for exam questions,” saidDrinkwater. “We give them prac-tice exam questions that they cantry and tell them if they are correct

This message updates the SRBmultiples the Navy released inNovember in NAVADMIN 260/04.

“The SRB program is anotherexample of our Human CapitalStrategy’s aim to ensure we havethe right Sailors with the rightskills in the right jobs, and thisprogram helps us achieve thatgoal,” said VADM Gerry Hoewing,Chief of Naval Personnel.

“It is a flexible incentive forthe Navy to encourage retentionin ratings where skilled Sailorsare needed and in turn providesthose Sailors with greater financialcompensation,” said Hoewing.

The multiples for 33 ratingsin both Zone A and B increasedover the previously publishedlevels. Sailors in Zone A have lessthan six years of service, whileSailors in Zone B have betweensix and 10 years of service.

In Zone C, Sailors who havebeen in the Navy between 10 and14 years, there were 37 ratingsthat showed an increase in awardlevels.

Several ratings now have anSRB in certain zones where pre-viously none existed: Quarter-masters, Zones A, B, C; CryptologicTechnician (Technical), Zones Band C.

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate

(Fuel), Aviation Boatswain’sMate (Handling), Engineman,Damage Controlman and HullTechnician now have SRBs inZone A, as well.

“The Navy will continue toclosely monitor retention amongour critical skill sets, and we willissue another SRB message asfleet requirements dictate,” saidRADM Jerry Talbot, director ofMilitary Personnel Plans andPolicy Division in Washington.

Sailors whose SRB levelsdecreased have a 30-day graceperiod to reenlist at the higherrate. Compared to the Novembermessage, there were 13 ratings inZone A that decreased, 15 ratingsin Zone B and three in Zone Cthat also decreased. The decreaseswent into effect March 3.

For more information, contactyour command career counseloror view the NAVADMIN online atwww.npc.navy.mil/ReferenceLibrary/Messages/NAVADMINs/MessageDetails/020_05.htm.

Story by LT Kyle Raines, who isassigned to the public affairs office,

Chief of Naval Personnel.

DOD ApprovesRetention Initiativesfor SpecialOperations Forces

DOD recently approved anew retention incentivepackage for Special

Operations Forces (SOF) aimedat maintaining combat readinessand keeping experienced operatorsin uniform.

The initiative uses existingDOD incentive programs, includ-ing Special Duty Assignment Pay,Critical Skills Retention Bonusand Assignment Incentive Pay toretain individuals who have yearsof experience, especially as theybecome retirement eligible andare at the peak of their value tothe armed services.

The following retentionincentives were approved for U.S.Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs

(Sea, Air, Land) and SpecialWarfare Combatant CraftCrewmen, Air Force CombatControllers and Pararescuemen:

n The ranks of E-4 to E-9 inidentified USSOCOM (U.S.Special Operations Command)billets will receive Special DutyAssignment Pay in the amountof $375 per month.

n A Critical Skills RetentionBonus will be available to seniorenlisted service members (paygrades E-6 to E-9) and warrantofficers. Contract amounts are asfollows: $150,000 for six years,$75,000 for five years, $50,000for four years, $30,000 for threeyears, $18,000 for two years and$8,000 for one year.

n Enlisted members and war-rant officers who have more than25 years of service will receiveAssignment Incentive Pay in theamount of $750 per month,provided the member signs an

M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

Around the Fleet

6 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l 7

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class BartholomewRodriquez and Hospital Corpsman 2nd ClassMonique Rodriquez, a married couple stationed inJacksonville, Fla., were recently honored as their commands’Sailors of the Year. Bartholomew was named Senior Sailor of theYear for Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity(NOSTRA), where he serves as director of NOSTRA’s OpticalDetachment Services. Monique was selected as Naval HospitalJacksonville’s Junior Sailor of the Year for 2004.

S h i p m a t e s

Navy Releases Updated SelectiveReenlistment Bonus Award Levels

The Navy released the latestSelective Reenlistment Bonus(SRB) award levels, effective

Feb. 1 for eligible Sailors reenlisting inZones A, B or C, in a naval message.

HT3 Ryan Rousseau, brazes a plug assembled for a salt water flushing system in the pipe shop aboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

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Ricky’sTourBy JO1 Mike Jones www.rickystour.com

continued on page 9

To be considered for the “Around the Fleet” section, forward your high resolution (5” x 7” at 300 dpi) images with full credit and

cutline information, including full name, rank and duty station to:

[email protected]

Mail your submissions to:Navy Visual News Service

1200 Navy Pentagon, Rm. 4B514Washington, D.C. 20350-1200

Click on the Navy’s home page, www.navy.mil, for fresh images of your shipmates in action.

© Crash and salvage team memberssimulate rescuing AW3 David Ruiz froman SH-60 Seahawk helicopter assignedto Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron

(HS) 7, during General Quarters drills onthe flight deck of USS Harry S. Truman

(CVN 75). P h o t o b y P H 3 C r a i g R . S p i e r i n g

¶ A crew chief assigned to the Blue Angelssignals to start the engines of an F/A-18AHornet for a daily preventative mainte-nance check during annual winter trainingaboard Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif.

P h o t o b y P H 2 J o h a n s e n L a u r e l

§ HMC Santy Shirley leads crew membersin Tae Bo exercises aboard the hospitalship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). P h o t o b y P H 2 T i m o t h y S m i t h

¶ ENS Stephen Andros, dive officer aboard USS Grapple (ARS 53), has his suit checked prior to a dive. Andros is a member of the salvage and rescue ship tasked with recovering an MH-53E Sea Dragonhelicopter from the ocean floor near the coast of Virginia. P h o t o b y S N D a v i s A n d e r s o n

Around the Fleet


or not. And if they’re wrong, wetell them where they need tolook to find that answer.”

JOCS Tom Updike, Journalistexamination writer at NETPDTC,explained that there are manyother Navy-sponsored Web sitesSailors can visit to help withtheir advancement needs.

“Since just about everythinghas gone electronic, any OPNAV,SECNAV or DOD instruction isavailable through the Web,” saidUpdike. “These people on theother side of the fence that runadvancement information sitesnot sponsored by the Navy justaren’t in the know like the examwriters. Why pay for that outdatedinformation when we give Sailorsan updated list of reference materialused to develop the very examthey are about to take–for free?”

Drinkwater and Updike bothagree that the advancement examstrategy guides available onNETPDTC’s Web site are a greatstudy tool for Sailors. This pro-fessionally developed onlineadvancement guide gives detailedinformation on exam preparation,how to take an exam, backgroundon the Navy enlisted advancementsystem, professional militaryknowledge and rating-specificmaster reference lists, as well assample and practice exams foreach pay grade.

“Sailors can also use our siteto access profile sheets, exam statistics by rating, non-residenttraining courses, final multiplecomputations charts, and manyother helpful tools to better pre-pare for upcoming exams,” saidUpdike.

Sailors seeking additionaladvancement and career infor-mation can visit Navy KnowledgeOnline at https://wwwa.nko.navy.mil. This site allows Sailorsto work with their respective 5 Vector Models (5VM).

The 5VM breaks down intofive categories the skills andknowledge that Sailors need to

be successful: professional devel-opment, personal development,military education and leadership,certifications and qualifications,and performance. More sitesavailable for information include:Navy Electronic Directive Systemat http://neds.daps.dla.mil,Defense Technology InformationCenter at http://www.dtic.mil andNETPDTC’s https://www.advancement.cnet.navy.mil/.

Sailors without access to acomputer may see theirEducation Services Officer orCommand Career Counselor forordering instructions or infor-mation they will need for theirnext advancement exam.

Story by Dean Persons, who isassigned to the public affairs office,

Naval Education and TrainingCommand.

Keystone CourseForms JointWarfightingFoundation forCommand SeniorEnlisted Leaders

U.S. Joint Forces Command(USJFCOM) and NationalDefense University

(NDU) continue to take stridestoward their goal of creating alarger Keystone program forcommand senior enlisted leaders(CSEL) with their KeystoneCSEL Joint Operations Module(JOM), at USJFCOM’s JointWarfighting Center (JWFC) inSuffolk, Va.

The four-day course providesArmy command sergeants major,Marine Corps sergeants major,Navy and Coast Guard commandmaster chiefs and Air Force com-mand chief master sergeantswith tools they need to work inthe joint environment.

“If we are to achieve the

M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S 9

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Around the Fleet

10 11A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

Department of Defense’s top priorities, then we must alsotransform how we train, educateand employ our CSELs,” saidArmy Command Sgt. Maj. MarkRipka, USJFCOM commandsergeant major. “Strengtheningcombined and joint warfightingcapabilities will require us to bringjointness down to the lowestappropriate level. Transformingthe joint force requires creating amilitary culture that rewardsinnovation and risk-taking.”

The idea for Keystone grewout of USJFCOM and NDU’s co-sponsored Capstone programthat provides joint warfightingfoundations for general and staffofficers.

“Our first course was a pilotcourse that lasted only two days,but feedback from the pilot courseshowed we need more time, andour second course is a full four-day JOM,” said Ripka. “It’s theonly really joint professional military education that enlistedleaders get right now at that level.”

The first version of Keystonetook shape in April 2004, whenenlisted leaders participated inthe two-day CSEL CapstoneJOM at USJFCOM’s JWFC.

“Up to that point, we hadn’tdone anything to provide CSELswith any joint education,” saidRipka. “The joint operationsmodule, which will be incorpo-rated into a larger Keystone program, creates an opportunityfor the CSEL to be an immediateimpact player to the joint force staffand the joint force commander.

Ripka said the course givesCSELs confidence to build teamsin a joint, multinational, andinteragency force integrationenvironment, and provides theman understanding of base operatingsupport capabilities and require-ments in those environments.

Participants for the latest JOMtotal more than 40 commandsenior enlisted leaders. Studentsare coming from all services and

coalition partners, includingCanada and the United Kingdom.

Keystone JOM learning objec-tives include forming/organizingthe Joint Task Force (JTF) andjoint manning document devel-opment; operational level plan-ning; joint command and control;joint deployment planning; lead-ership challenges of building andmaintaining an integrating envi-ronment; maintaining disciplineand standards in the joint envi-ronment; and Special OperationsForces integration.

Other course topics includeoperational level joint lessonslearned, the JTF and public affairs,coalition perspectives, logisticsand base operations, joint infor-mation operations and rules ofengagement, and legal issues.

The Keystone CSEL JOM,which runs twice a year, will beoffered again in July 2005. Byearly 2006, USJFCOM and NDUofficials said the course will beincorporated into a largerKeystone program, lasting 15days with an “aggressive” travelschedule that includes visits toseveral combatant commands.

Story by Army Sgt. Jon Cupp, who isassigned to the public affairs office,

U.S. Joint Forces Command.

JCMS Spiral 2 Rollsto Fleet

Sailors across the Navybegan using the latest in aseries of Job Advertising

and Selection System CareerManagement System (JCMS)‘Spirals,’ or upgrades, recently.

The spirals bring additionalfunctions and capabilities toSailors’ fingertips with a singleclick of a mouse.

New roles, such as Commandand Career Policy Administrators(CPA), were introduced to providekey career management personnel


continued on page 13

Ä A young Indonesian girl in respiratory distress and her fatherarrive aboard hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) for treatment byNavy medical personnel and volunteers from “Project HOPE.”

P h o t o b y P H 3 R e b e c c a J . M o a t

§ Sailors assigned to the airdepartment aboard USS Harry S.Truman (CVN 75) use push bars toguide the arresting wire back intoposition after recovering an F/A-18C Hornet.P h o t o b y P H A N P h i l i p V . M o r r i l l

© MM1 Jonah Brixey loads an M-16clip in anticipation of an upcoming

live-fire training exercise aboard the submarine tender

USS Emory S. Land (AS 39). Brixeyis a member of Explosive Ordnance

Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8,Det. 20, stationed at

Sigonella, Sicily.P h o t o b y P H 2 J o n a t h a n K u l p

¶ BU2 Richard Flaws salvages tile from a schoolhouse in Koggala, Sri Lanka, that was destroyed by the tsunami that hit the region, Dec. 26, 2004. P h o t o b y J O S N S . C . I r w i n

13

critical information concerningnot only the individual Sailor,but also the billet the Sailor fills.Commands can now see multipleapplicant profile summaries inorder to compare and rate applicants.

“CPAs, such as RatingAssignment Officers, establishand monitor qualificationweights reflected in the indicatorlights displayed to Sailors,” saidABCM(AW) Bill Place, EnlistedAssignments leading chief pettyofficer at Navy PersonnelCommand in Millington.

The indicator light systemcompares three critical areas utilized during a normal negotia-tion window for Sailors: skills,preferences and permanentchange of station (PCS) costs.

“When a Sailor logs onto thesystem and applies for jobs, thesystem takes a snapshot [of thethree areas, helping] to decide onthe best matches for that Sailor,”continued Place. “Job skills arealready in the system, and eachjob already has the desired skillset requirements attached. Whena Sailor pulls up their JCMShomepage, it will show the Navy’sfirst five jobs, the first five jobsmatching the Sailor’s preferencesand the first five jobs with incen-tives. Each Sailor has a light indicator to help determine bestmatches based on their resumeof skills,” he said.

“Commands have access tosee the status of their jobs andare able to anonymously view anapplicant’s pay grade, rate, NECs(Navy Enlisted Classification Code),school and platform history,”said OSCM (SW/AW) Pat Lumley,PERS-4 senior enlisted advisor atNavy Personnel Command. “Thisaccess allows commands a real-time capability to track commandmanning and view potential gains.”

Sailors receive alerts through-out the negotiation process tokeep them abreast of their currentstatus and the status of any jobs

they have applied for.“The first time they log into

JCMS upon entering their nine-month negotiation window, theyare required to fill out their dutypreference sheet to ensure thesystem captures the latest choicesof the Sailor,” said Lumley. “It isvery important for Sailors toensure their duty preference sheetsare updated with the most accu-rate information, as one of theprimary indicator lights extractsdata to formulate an indicator,”he said.

Sailors who have a Five VectorModel will be able to look athow a specific job would affecttheir career if they were selectedfor it. Being able to see how vari-ous jobs impact their careers givesSailors insight before applyingfor a job.

To access JCMS, log on towww.nko.navy.mil orwww.npc.navy.mil.

More information on JCMS isavailable at www.npc.navy.mil orcall 1-866-U-ASK-NPC.

Story by JOCS(SW) Katie Suich, whois assigned to the public affairs

office, Navy Personnel Command.



© Family members wave goodbyeto their loved ones aboard

USS O’Kane (DDG 77) as she leaves Pearl Harbor on a

scheduled deployment. P h o t o b y P H 3 R y a n C . M c G i n l e y

Ä BM3 Tony Layton directs a Landing Craft AirCushion, assigned to Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 4,as it enters the well deck aboard the amphibiousassault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). Bataan iscompleting its final certifications to ensure theship is ready for deployment.P h o t o b y P H A N J e r e m y L . G r i s h a m

© Deputy Commander, First Naval Construction Division, RADM RaymondK. Alexander (right), arrives to visit with the Seabees of Naval Mobile

Construction Battalion (NMCB) 23 at work sites near Fallujah, one dayprior to Iraq’s historic democratic elections.

P h o t o b y P H 3 T o d d F r a n t o m

The court of Neptune Rex, Ruler of the Raging Main, convenes on thedeck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier as part of a “Shellback Ceremony”while crossing the Equator.

P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f t h e U . S . N a v y H i s t o r i c a l C e n t e r .

Around the Fleet

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Ä October 15, 1942

¶ AM2 Jerry Grueser, left, and AM2 Edward Lapushchik, both assignedto Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 7, perform maintenance inthe cabin of an HH-60H Seahawk in the hangar bay aboard USS HarryS. Truman (CVN 75). P h o t o b y P H A N R i c a r d o J . R e y e s

M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S


For residents of the Fisher House near Walter Reed Army Medical Center, home is

truly where the military sends them.

AHome

HomeAwayFrom

S t o r y a n d p h o t o s b y J O 1 C h a r l e s L . L u d w i g

AHome

HomeAwayFrom

At the big, nondescript house nearthe 16th Street gate of Walter ReedArmy Medical Center (WRAMC),

life is as normal as anyone could imagine.Just ask Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class

(FMF) Joseph “Doc” Worley. For Doc,every morning is as routine as any othermarried father in America.

Nearly every day at the Fisher House,just before 7 a.m., he rises from his bed,checks on his seven-month old baby, andgets a shave and a shower. Then he amblesdown the hallway of his home to the kitchenand fixes himself a considerable bowl ofchocolate-flavored cereal. After puttingaway the bowl and grabbing a quick cup of“joe,” Worley takes in some of the localnews telecast before he glances at the clockbeside him.

Everything is just like anyone wouldexpect.

Well, not quite everything.“I feel like I am like everyone else, with

one exception,” said Doc. “Fact is, I have noleft leg. And until I can get up on a pros-thetic, I have to somehow deal with that.”

Dealing with it is something Doclearned to do very quickly after a firefighton Iraqi soil in September 2004.

It was in that circumstance that he wasinjured in Fallujah, Iraq while serving aspart of a Marine expeditionary force. As aresult of the battle, Worley, the unit’s leadcorpsman, lost his left leg and had his rightleg reduced to shambles.

“We were in a rough spot and had avehicle in the front of our convoy attackedby an IED (improvised explosive device).So I jumped out of our vehicle and tried toget to the [damaged] vehicle to treat myguys,” Doc said. “But I never got there.”

With about 50 meters to go until he

reached the damaged vehicle, Worley fellvictim to a rocket-propelled grenade(RPG), which blasted through his left kneeand knocked him to the ground within 25 feet of a second IED. “That’s what tookmy leg off,” he said. “At that point, I had achoice. I could have lain there, and I wouldhave been with my Maker. But I thoughtabout my wife and [daughter] Abby anddecided I owed it to them to at least try to live.”

While he lay there on the bridge, theIED went off, but not before Worleymanaged to move a few feet away from theblast. It still peppered him with shrapnel

16 17A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

© Help is neededas Doc Worley

stands on his prosthetic leg for thefirst time. This point

of a leg amputee’srecovery is typically

an emotional one, with tears shed by

patients, families and sometimes, doctors.

Ä Whether he is at the Fisher Houseor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for therapy, Worley’s wife and daughter are neverfar away. That’s one of the benefits many FisherHouse residents say they would not want to bewithout.

all over his body. From there, Worleymanaged to tie a tourniquet on his legwhile the firefight raged on around him.

Within minutes, the firefight ended, butDoc had taken four bullets in the torsobefore it was done.

Once the battle was over, the combinedmilitary forces in Iraq were quick to act onhis behalf.

“Within three days I was out of Iraqand in Germany,” Doc said. “A few daysafter that, I arrived at [National NavalMedical Center] Bethesda, [Md.]. I wastaken care of almost immediately.”

Then, after spending several weeks as apatient at Bethesda, Worley was transferredto WRAMC in Silver Spring, Md.

With that, Doc, who had treated manyMarines in combat, had gone from being a“doc” to being constantly treated by them.It’s a harsh reality for him that requiressome adjustment.

And that adjustment has already begunat Fisher House.

Fisher House is a non-profit organizationthat runs a group of homes across Americawhere severely injured troops live whilegoing through their rehabilitative process.

The houses themselves, while large, don’tnecessarily look any different from normalhomes on the outside.

Once inside, however, it doesn’t takelong to realize this isn’t a typical home.With eight guest rooms to go along withan extra-large kitchen and dining room,the Fisher House has everything needed tomake someone feel at home, even if theyare thousands of miles away from home.

“That’s what we strive to do for these

[people],” said Fisher House ManagerVivian Wilson. “We take injured servicemembers from around the world and tryto make them forget about the fact thattheir house and other worldly belongingsare far away. It’s something that helps intheir recoveries.”

Making everyone feel like Fisher Houseis a home away from home is an ongoingprocess. Since the injuries suffered bytroops staying there are severe, a servicemember’s time at the house could go onfor several years.

For the Worley family, that meansrelying on family and friends in their homestate of Georgia to take care of things backhome.

“That’s what gets a little tough for themsometimes,” Wilson said. “These peoplehave lives, have homes and possessionsback in Georgia or California or Germany.Leaving that for years at a time can berough. We have to make them feel like it isall right.”

Those kinds of feelings can be persistent,but Fisher House does what it can to makesure a service member is as close to homeas possible.

As part of the house’s operation, a servicemember’s wife and children may stay withhim. Having family there makes a hugedifference to the injured, according to Doc.

“This little girl is the best kind of inspi-ration I can possibly have here,” he saidwhile playing peek-a-boo with his onlychild, Abigail. “Any time I even think aboutthis being too tough, I look at her and I geta second wind.”

Together, Doc, his wife Angel and Abigaillive in a room large enough to hold aqueen-sized bed flanked by nightstands, atelevision entertainment center and a fewrecliner chairs. For Abigail, there is also acrib and playpen on either side of the bed.

Also, the house has a fireplace, livingroom and laundry room for the residentsto share. It’s in these areas that they all useeach other for informal group counseling.

“The families here are all good friends,”Wilson said. “They all know to a degreewhat each other is going through, and theylean on each other for support when theyneed it.”

Between having Angel and Abigail withhim and being surrounded with the supportof other amputees at the house, Worley

19M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S A HOME AWAY FROM HOME18 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

¶ One of thehigh points ofWorley’s recoverywas the day he was fitted with hisprosthetic leg. Each leg is testedto make sure it can hold thepatient’s weightand equalize apatient’s height.

“I’ve never quit on anything before, and I couldn’t imagine

letting all these people down now.”

“I’ve never quit on anything before, and I couldn’t imagine

letting all these people down now.”

§ Despite the assistance Worleyreceives at Fisher House, there can still berough days, days where pain from his injuriesovertakes the relief the foundation helps himfeel. “On those days, I sometimes feel like Ishould just lay in bed and do nothing,” Worleysaid. “But I know that sooner or later, I need toget up and get back to work.”

says he is living a fairly comfortable life.“I love what this place has been able to

do for me. You know, all in all, everything Ido with my rehab is pretty much impossiblewithout the support that Fisher Houseprovides.”

It was there that he began to learn tohandle his daily activities from the black,cushioned seat of his hand-poweredwheelchair. And he did it all with his wifeat his side.

“Being here with Joe has helped me aswell as him,” said Angel. “As a wife, youwant to know that your husband is in goodhands. And even though you know themilitary is taking care of him, it’s good tosee it for yourself.”

For Angel, that includes overseeing nearlyevery step of her husband’s recovery process.

Every morning, Doc goes through aroutine that is intended to keep him inshape and prepare his body for walkingagain. “I wheel the half-mile to the hospitalevery day and PT,” he said of his dailyschedule. “Everything builds for the daythat I get up on my leg.”

Five months after losing his leg, Doc’sbig day finally arrived, and he stood usinga prosthetic leg provided by WRAMC.

It was an emotional and refreshing dayfor the Worley family. “I was just so proudof him,” Angel said. “It’s been a very longcouple of months for us, and to see himstanding again, even for a short time, wasworth it.”

Doc Worley, while understanding theemotional effect the moment held, alsohada more light-hearted reaction to standingagain.

“Well, I still didn’t walk since my leg isstill messed up, but at least I got to be 6-foot-4 again,” he said. “Being a little persongets old when you are used to being a giant.”

Worley explained that’s what has provento be the hardest adjustment to make.

“I do try and reach for things when[Angel] isn’t looking,” Worley said. “I knowmy limits, and I will ask for help when Ineed it. But I will give it my best shot first.”

It’s that attitude, along with the supportFisher House provides, that keeps Worleygoing full bore in rehab when so many

others may be inclined to lay off or evengive up.

“I can’t quit. Not now,” Worley explained.“I’ve never quit on anything before, and Icouldn’t imagine letting all these peopledown now. Between my family, the hospitalstaff, the Fisher House and everyone I’vemet over here, I have a lot of people in mycorner.”

And so life goes on for the Worleyfamily, with every day serving as anotherstep in the healing process that began fivemonths earlier.

Every morning, he still wakes up, checkson his daughter, fixes a big bowl of cerealand watches the news. It’s all part of thenormal life at the big, nondescript housenear WRAMC’s 16th Street gate.

And after everything Doc and the otherFisher House residents have been through,normal sounds just right.

Ludwig is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands

21M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S20 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

¶ A big part of Worley’s day is dedicated to keeping himself in top physical shape. That jobhas gotten harder since the 6-foot-4, 240-pound corpsman was injured in Iraq.

§ Living from the seat of a wheelchaircan make some of life’s most routine tasks alittle more troublesome. Now instead of gettinghis face close to the wall mirror while shaving,Worley uses a handheld mirror to make sure heis within regulations.

Ä As they feed their daughterAbigail in the dining room at Fisher House, itbecomes apparent that life will go on for Worleyand his wife, Angel.

Website Exclusive

Find more photos online atwww.news.navy.mil/media/allhands/flash/ah200504/feature_1/


S t o r y a n d P h o t o s b y P H 3 T o d d F r a n t o m

¶ Early morning checks are an important part of the maintenance process for theSeabees of NMCB 4. These Sailors work in the hostile terrain of Iraq and deal with the elements on a daily basis. On top of the fact that nature can wreak havoc on equipment, the threat of incoming rockets is always there.

25M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ

Under the dictatorship of SaddamHussein, Iraqis had no experiencewith democracy, no control over

public services and viewed the government asa predator. They lived in fear of a knock onthe door at night, possibly leading to prison,torture and murder. Now, however, the Iraqipeople have a chance to build a country oftheir own, rebuilding hope from the ruinsof oppression with a good deal of help fromthe United States. Navy Seabees now leadthe way with relief and reconstruction inwar-torn Iraq.

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion(NMCB) 4 and NMCB 23, both units ofthe 1st Marine Expeditionary ForceEngineering Group Task Force (I MEG),are working directly with coalition forcesto help establish a democracy in Iraq. Theyprovide not only force protection andconstruction support, but also provide theIraqi people the knowledge to fend forthemselves.

“The Seabees are involved in a three-partmission in Iraq–military support, contractsupport and municipal support,” said CDRAlan Flenner, officer in charge of the FallujahReconstruction Cell. “We recognize thepeople’s needs and are putting forth alleffort to give the Iraqi people ownership oftheir municipal facilities.”

For the first time in history, Seabeesmoved more than 400 miles during


§ Two small girls take time away fromplaying on the desolate land where their futureschool is being built by Navy Seabees. It will bethe first school for the children of around 500bedouin tribesmen who settled in the desertnear Najaf, Iraq, to escape the dangers of war.

§ Seabees maintaina temporary pumpstation on the banks ofthe Euphrates River. Thestation was destroyed bymortar fire duringOperation Phantom Fury.

¶ BUC Eric Tucker prepares his Sailors for the day's convoy into the hostile city ofFallujah, Iraq. Seabees have installed a temporary pump allowing the water to once again be drained out of the city and back into the Euphrates River.

sewage in the street. The Seabees solved theproblem by hooking up one of their portablepumps at the station.

“The pump station is a good examplewhere Seabees and the MEG as a wholefind a quick solution to a problem, andstabilize the situation until civil engineerscan follow with a contract to rebuild,” saidFlenner.

Everything the Seabees and coalitionforces do in Iraq is focused on stabilizingthe country, to allow the people of Iraq totake full control of their own affairs andrebuild their country. To help make this areality, the Seabees have cleared the streets ofdebris, built troop facilities and barricadesand supplied water to the citizens ofFallujah.

“There never seems to be just onefocused job over here; we could be buildinga small shelter one day, then doing forceprotection in a convoy the next,” said

27M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ

Operation Iraqi Freedom with Marine forces,contributing to the campaign’s success.Later, as part of Operation Phantom Fury inFallujah, Iraq, Seabees provided support toMarines during night offensives whilesimultaneously completing constructionprojects. Throughout the theater of opera-tions, NMCB 14 and NMCB 74 Seabeesbuilt troop facilities and camps andimproved roads, living up to their “buildand fight” motto.

“During the course of Phantom Fury,

Marine Engineer Group, Seabees and Armyengineers followed the offensive operation,and assessed the damage–within hourssometimes–so there was a clear picture ofwhat needed to be done,” said Flenner.

After the fall of Fallujah, Seabees beganwork to reconstruct and repair the infra-structure of the city. One of their first tasksinvolved the city’s pump stations. Onestation was completely destroyed, leavingthe Marines with flooded base camps and


¶ BU1 Kevin Green communicates as best he can with an Iraqi ICAP student.The Seabees and students work welltogether, even sharing a laugh from timeto time.

¶ The skills the Iraqi civilians havelearned from the Seabees are instrumental ingiving them a sense of ownership and pride asthey rebuild their own country. Soon, many localcommunities will see the benefits of increasedstabilization because of what the Seabees aredoing.

Ä An Iraqi prepares mortar the old fashioned way. Americans and Iraqis are working together to build a schoolhouse on the outskirts of Najaf, Iraq.

© With the success of the IraqiConstruction ApprenticeshipProgram (ICAP), members of Naval

Construction Battalions began additionalrounds of teaching construction skills to

Iraqi civilians. The goal is to give the Iraqisthe know-how to rebuild their own country.

continued on pg. 29

Explosive Ordnanceman 3rd Class ToddDickison.

Force protection is not limited to convoys.For the Seabees of the MEG, it is routineand necessary for survival.

“We are in Condition 1 every time weleave the secured compound,” said ChiefBuilder Eric Tucker. “We also wear fullbody armor, helmet and vest.”

Everything the Seabees do in Iraq represents the Bees’ ability to adapt to their

environment and take on any task. Nearthe outskirts of Najaf, Iraq, within a smallfarm community, Seabees are helping localIraqis stake a claim to the future of Iraq.Along a lonely strip of blacktop, Seabees ofNMCB 7 are constructing a six-classroomschool for 250 poor Iraqi children.

“We are giving back to the Iraqi commu-nity by teaching the people the skills andthe know-how, but most important, we area good presence in the area,” said ENS

28 29A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ

§ ENS Majid Awab, supervising projectmanager of the school project near Najaf, Iraq,grew up in Bahrain and is fluent in Arabic. Hisability to communicate with the children sent apositive message that the Americans are here tohelp. The children of the war-stricken communityaccept this more readily than anyone.

Ä Seabees assigned to Naval MobileConstruction Battalion (NMCB) 7 handout cookies to local Iraqi children. TheseSeabees are working with the residents of asmall bedouin village on the outskirts of Najaf,Iraq, to build a school and improve the villagewater, electricity and sanitation facilities.

continued from pg. 27

Majid Awab, supervising project manager.“What we are doing at the school sends outa message that America is here to help.”

Iraqi civilians are involved in the IraqiCivilian Apprentice Program (ICAP). Newapprentices learn basic construction skillscritical to developing a solid foundationfor constant, quality construction practices.The program was created to increase thenumber of skilled construction workers inIraq, help reduce unemployment andprovide a new way for Iraqi youth to enterthe workforce with the skills to rebuildtheir own country.

“We teach them what we know andthen build from there. They also teach usin the process. We are able to apply theircustom of construction with our practices,”said BU1 Jason Smith.

“We really work well together, and theyhave a lot of enthusiasm and are proud of

their work,” said Construction Mechanic2nd Class Albert B. Johnson. “You can alsotell that they gain confidence in their workas the project progresses.”

What may be the most importantmessage of all is what the children aregetting out of their experiences withAmerican service members. When a convoyrolls in, small children swarm the vehicles.Their excitement about the Americans isoverwhelming, and the Seabees enjoy theirpresence, as well.

“We all love the kids here and bringthem whatever we can muster up from ourcamp to give them as gifts. Cookies, candy,power-bars, even things to help them outlike toothpaste and baby wipes,” said Smith.

“Our hearts pour out to these children,”Smith added. “They are so adorable, andtheir smiles are heart warming. They giveus high hope that what we are doing out

here is well worth it.”“I love America,” one boy exclaimed as a

convoy arrived. “I am happy Navy is here.”This sentiment is just one example of

the overall appreciation for Seabees’ role inconstructing a foundation for democracyin this war-torn country.

True to their heritage, Seabees aresupporting the Iraqi people in achievingthat goal, ensuring that the new, free Iraqwill remain an ongoing constructiveprocess in the hands of its own people.

Frantom is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands

30 31A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ

Website Exclusive


¶ Amidst the destruction of the city ofFallujah, Iraq, children emerge to greet AmericanSeabee convoys. More than 147,000 residents ofthe city recently returned to their homes aftercoalition forces drove out insurgents duringOperation Phantom Fury.

§ Navy Seabees set up a perimeteron the banks of the Euphrates River so that apump site can be safely surveyed. Fallujah,Iraq, has a high water table and floods easily,so pumping stations are necessary to dewaterthe city.


S t o r y a n d p h o t o s b y J O 1 C h a r l e s L . L u d w i g

Celebrating their 80th anniversary, the U.S. Navy Band showcases talent on a Southeastern U.S. tour

© One of the tour’s show stealers wasthe Navy Band’s newest performing group, theCruisers. Led by vocalist MUC John Fisher, theydazzled audiences with high-energy renditions ofMotown hits of the 1960s, including “Sugar Pie,Honey Bunch,” “My Girl” and “Shout.”

thrown out of whack,” said MU1 AndrewOppenheim, one of the band’s tuba players.“I would imagine that it’s like going on adeployment. Your body gets used to eatingat different times and just everythingchanges for your daily routine.”

Instead of waking and arriving for workearly in the morning, on tour most NavyBand members wake, eat breakfast andprepare for an hours-long bus ride to thenext city.

There, after checking in and unpackingthe few things they have the time to unpack,

Most deployed Sailors couldhave related to Petty Officer

1st Class Andy Wheeler as he spoketo his master chief, Bob Snider, earlyone sun-drenched but windySunday morning.

“So,” Wheeler said while taking abreak from his morning routine, “it’sTuesday. I guess we’ll be in …”

“No, it’s Sunday,” Snider interrupted with a chuckle. “You’re way off.Jacksonville was yesterday …”

“And Sumter is today, right?” Wheelerjumped in, trying to finish Snider’s thought.

“Nooo, you’re still thinking of Tuesday,”Snider quipped. “Savannah is today. Didyou lose track of what day it is again?”

“Yeah, that’s the third time in a week Ithink,” Wheeler sheepishly answered.

Losing track of what day of the week itis has been a time-honored tradition in theNavy, but what made Wheeler’s conversationunique was the setting.

If someone didn’t know much about

the Navy, they may have thought these twoSailors were talking about their ship hittingforeign ports. But instead, these two musicians were talking about the nextseveral stops of the Navy Band’s three-week,20-performance 80th anniversary tour.

For the tour, the band put on a showthat they have never taken on tour before.For the first time, the concert band wasjoined on stage by the Navy Sea Chanterschorus and a 1960s rock act, the Cruisers,for a series of shows.

In all, the tour took the band throughfive states, with performances in high schooland college auditoriums, convention centersand outdoor band shells. Fans in Virginia,North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgiaand Florida turned out to see the free 90-minute live show.

Performing those 20 shows in 20 differentcities over 21 days makes some members alittle worse for wear when it comes to thecalendar, Musician 1st Class Wheelerobserved. “That’s something that happensa lot with some of the guys here,” he saidafter his conversation with MUCM Snider.“You get out on the road and you get sointo the routine of traveling that you forgeteverything else–even what day it is. [That]seems to happen to everyone at least once.”

It may not be so bad to the band’sperformers if that was the worst thingabout the tour. But performing a show anight is really just the easy part.

“If performing was the hard part, we’dalways be happy,” said Navy Band LeaderCAPT Ralph Gambone. “But it’s the otherthings that go into a tour that wear peopleout. Everything from scheduling the tourto traveling can be a pain.”

A Navy Band tour, especially one withthe prominence of an 80th anniversary, isan ordeal to arrange, explained Snider, theband’s tour coordinator.

“Some of the appearances are easy totake care of, since you know the sponsorsand have worked with them before,” he said.“But even then, you still have to make sureeverything else on the tour is ready to go.”

To do that, Snider heads out to thevarious tour stops and surveys the cities,including the hotels they may stay in,

the surrounding areas and potentialperformance halls.

Everything must be up to the NavyBand’s standard before a tour is officiallyset. “We’ve had to move shows to othercities before for a variety of reasons,”Snider said. “But we check everything outbefore we go. We even send people out todrive the actual tour route to make surethe rides aren’t too tough.”

Once the plans are set and the tourbegins, that’s when the headaches start forband members. “On a tour, everything gets

35M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S LIVE FROM…34

Ä Members of the band serve as theirown road crew, with a rotating set of musiciansworking to set up and break down all of theirequipment. They then transport the gear fromcity to city.

Ä Camaraderie was always evidentamong the band’s three performing groups on tour. Here, MU1 Andrae Alexander and MU1 Benjamin Grant discuss jazz fusion during a sound check in Jacksonville, Fla.

& © Touring can prove to be an exhaustingexperience. During their daily bus rides from cityto city, many band members, including MU1 SueAppel, choose to use the rides as a chance tocatch up on much-needed sleep.

Broadway show tunes and Motown hits ofthe 1960s. It wasn’t quite what everyonewas expecting.

“I never thought it was going to be thisbig of a deal when I first heard about it,”said Jessica Watkins, a resident of SouthCarolina who caught the show in Sumter.“You know what to expect at a band concert,but it is so much more than that. I knowI’ll remember this show for a long time.”

One of the biggest show-stealers was theover-the-top performance turned in by theNavy Band’s newest act, the Cruisers. Fortheir nightly appearance, the group, led bysinger MUC John Fisher, whipped thecrowd into a frenzy with renditions ofMotown classics such as “Soul Man,” “MyGirl” and “Shout.”

In performing Shout, Fisher garneredattention by running into the crowd todance and sing directly to audiencemembers. “Unbelievable. He was absolutelyunbelievable,” said Charles Davis, a retiredNavy veteran and resident of Jacksonville,

Fla. “He really got everyone into it.”And, according to Snider, the Sea

Chanters and the Cruisers added somethingelse to their show.

“They brought a younger crowd into it,”he said. “Our organization is already bigwith the retirement community. That’s not

going to change. But bringing in a youngercrowd and entertaining them was somethingwe had hoped we could accomplish.”

In doing so, Gambone says the bandmay already be molding future Navy Bandmembers. “You never know who is outthere watching and saying, ‘Hey, I’d like todo that one day too,’” he said. “Those arethe people who will help the Navy Bandcontinue for 80 years past this.”

So despite some hiccups due to sicknessand forgotten city names, the tour will beremembered as a success. “We had a goodtour overall,” said MU1 Jen Bowerman, amember of the Sea Chanters chorus. “Wehad some good crowds, some great crowdsand some that we would have liked to seebigger. But I know we entertained people,and that’s what matters most.”

Ludwig is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands

37M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S LIVE FROM…

it’s time for lunch, usually around 2 p.m.“That can be seen as a positive and a negativeof life on the road,” Wheeler said. “Forsome people, eating in restaurants andgetting served is pretty cool, but for thoseof us who may have some trouble keepingoff weight, constantly eating out can betrouble. I usually gain about 10 pounds on the road.”

After the late lunch, buses start rollingfrom the hotel several hours before a showto begin shuttling musicians to the concerthall. Then, after warm-ups and the actualshow, band members return to their hotelrooms around 10 p.m., leaving time for alate dinner and sleep.

Also in the mix is a rotating set of bandmembers who serve as the “crew.” Theytake off from the hotel earlier than theother band members to take two movingtrucks worth of equipment to the concertsite to be set up.

“The crew is as important a group ofpeople as we have,” Snider said. “They are

always ahead of everyone else to make sureall the groundwork is set up. Without themvolunteering to get there early and haveeverything together, we’d have a heck of atime doing a quality show.”

All in all, it makes for a full schedule,according to MU1 Benjamin Grant. “Itworks out to not leave a lot of time foranything but music,” said Grant, the bassplayer for the Cruisers. “But it’s not bad,because everything is pretty much scheduledout for you.”

But sometimes even the best schedulescan have things go awry. Just ask MU1David Malvaso.

Malvaso, the usual lead guitar player forthe band’s Commodores jazz ensemble,was sitting at home when the tour began inFebruary. Several days into it, though, hewas called to replace the Cruisers guitarplayer, who had to leave the tour forpersonal reasons.

Within a day, Malvaso found himselfflying out to meet the band. Once there, he

learned the music on the fly and wasperforming nightly with the Cruisersduring their 20-minute Motown set.

Having backups readily available is arequirement before going on tour, Gambonesaid. “We make sure everyone has a backupbefore we leave,” he said. “It adds to theworkload for everyone, but it comes inhandy. We had people miss a show everytime out this tour.”

That included having nearly half theband catching either the flu or severe headcolds while passing through their variousstops. “It seems like everyone has gottensick this time around,” said euphoniumplayer MUCM Dave Miles. “About halfwaythrough, I think every person [on theconcert band bus] had something. We wereall feeling it.”

But as the saying goes, the show mustgo on. And it did, much to the delight ofthose in attendance for concerts.

Those fans were treated with the never-before-toured mix of concert marches,


Website Exclusive


§ The tour served as a spotlight forthe Navy’s Sea Chanters chorus. One of theshow's themes was a salute to Broadway hits of the past, including a performance by MU1 Christina Phillips and MU1 Adam Tyler.

§ MU1 Andrew Oppenheim warms upbefore a show in Sumter, S.C. The show was partof the U.S. Navy Band’s 80th anniversary tour.

Ä Band members warm up on stagebefore a performance in Sumter, S.C. Audiencemembers who showed up early enough wereable to watch the band prepare for the concert.

© When on tour, band members, such as guitar player MU1 David Malvaso, keep their

uniforms in near-immaculate condition.

39M A Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D SA L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l38

Focus onService

When a Navy pilot takes off, he always has a hidden source of safety. Out of the

limelight, Aircrew Survival Equipmentman (PR) 2nd Class Brian K. Nick is the last to let

the pilot down.

“Our job is to keep them alive. From ejection until they’re recovered, we make sure

[the pilots are] in the best condition we can keep them in,” said Nick, one of the head

supervisors at the Intermediate Aviation Maintenance Department, Naval Air Station

Oceana, Virginia Beach, Va.

PRs are responsible for inspecting and maintaining parachutes, life rafts, personal

flight gear and other survival aviation equipment that pilots use in emergency situations.

“We work on any system that supports life after the pilot ejects,” said Nick.

When something happens in the air, the pilots rely on equipment to keep them alive,

whether it’s a backup oxygen regulator or a parachute. Nick, along with all PRs, puts

many hours and tedious attention to detail into his work, because if something goes

wrong with the equipment, lives could be lost.

“When I hear about one of our pilots going down, the first thing I want to know is if

the pilot is all right,” said Nick. “Second, I want know if my stuff worked.”

Behind the scenes, PRs are saving lives. Every time a pilot takes off, he can rest

assured that there are Sailors like Nick who are making sure pilots are coming back in

one piece.

“When you haven’t heard anything about a PR, that’s when we know we did a good job.”

Armato is a journalist assigned to Navy/Marine Corps News, Washington, D.C.

P h o t o a n d s t o r y b y J O 2 ( S W ) B r o o k e A r m a t o

KeepingPilots

SafeKeeping

PilotsSafe

A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l40

The Final Word

Brothers in ArmsS t o r y a n d p h o t o b y P H 3 T o d d F r a n t o m

Ijoined the Navy to be a Sailor.

I wanted to go aboard ships, sail to exotic foreign

ports and witness the awesome power of jet engines

aboard an aircraft carrier. Thoughts of walking up the brow,

wearing my dress blues and becoming a “Shellback” all

sounded good to me because I wanted to be different, and I

knew no other service did things quite like the Navy. Little

did I know that I’d learn what it means to be a Sailor and a

service member in the desert

of Iraq, hundreds of miles

from the closest ship.

In the sand, only the well-

trained eye can pick out a

Sailor from a Marine, Airman

or Soldier. We all wore the

same uniform, literally.

Hidden beneath a thin,

universal coat of desert sand,

we all wore the same vests,

gloves, boots and Kevlar

helmets. In fact, the only way

to tell that I was a Sailor was

the crows on my collar.

But, that’s where the

differences ended.

My level of respect quickly

grew for the men and women of our Armed Forces because

I ended up spending time with members of each branch

during my journey through Iraq.

The Air Force and Marines got me to and from my desig-

nated locations with their aircraft. Once on the ground, the

Army was extremely accommodating when I needed a place

to stay. And, when air travel became fruitless, it was the

Marines who welcomed me on one of their convoys.

Nobody cared that I wasn’t an Airman, Soldier or

Marine. And thankfully, I was learning it didn’t matter if

they weren’t Sailors. For the first time in my career, I saw

our military as one unit, and it’s a beautiful sight.

Iraq is a work in progress. For people to go from a life

where every thought and need was dictated by Saddam

Hussein to a state of personal freedom is a frightening

evolution. And it makes sense to me that we are still there to

help the Iraqis walk before

they run. But it takes a lot of

work, and that leaves little

time for petty inter-service

differences. What the

combined military forces are

accomplishing through joint

service cooperation is nothing

short of spectacular.

I’ve discovered that in Iraq

there is no segregation

between the Armed Forces

when it comes down to serving

our country. What I witnessed

was complete unity for one

mission. The lessons I learned

and the realization of the good

we are doing over there will

stay with me forever. The Navy is my home, but my

appreciation for the other branches has grown by leaps and

bounds.

Throughout my travels, it didn’t matter that I was in the

Navy. I wasn’t a “shipmate” or “petty officer,” and they

weren’t “Marines” or “Airmen” or “Soldiers”. We were all

brothers-in-arms.

Frantom is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands.

It’s like carrot cake… only without the cake.

And only 93% Less calories

Download your favorite, healthy recipe at:

www-nehc.med.navy.mil/hp/nutrit/recipes/index.htm

“We can do everything we do whilerespecting the environment…”

— CAPT Mark S. Boensel, DirectorCNO Environmental Readiness Division (N45)

For examples of environmental stewardship around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/n45, and click on ‘View Story Archive,”

www.nelp.mil and CURRENTS website at www.enviro-navair.navy.mil