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<strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong><br />
<strong>Association</strong><br />
<strong>NEWS</strong><br />
August 2004, Volume 51, No. 8<br />
Features:<br />
Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Forces Command<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
50 th Anniversary Year Conference<br />
The <strong>Association</strong> Voice of the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong>
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VISION OF THE NAVAL RESERVE ASSOCIATION<br />
The Premier Professional Organization for <strong>Naval</strong> Reservists,<br />
Committed to Supporting a Strong Navy and National Defense,<br />
While Providing Outstanding Service to Its Members.<br />
Contents<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong> August 2004, Volume 51, No. 8<br />
FEATURES<br />
11 COMMANDER, NAVAL RESERVE FORCES COMMAND<br />
“As we transform our service into ‘one Navy,’ everyone from<br />
our most junior Sailor to our most senior, stands ready to serve.<br />
Fully aligned with the active fleet, the Navy’s <strong>Reserve</strong> is more<br />
potent and capable than ever; and our Sailors’ honor, courage,<br />
and commitment will ensure our success abroad and at home.”<br />
–– RADM John P. Debbout, USNR<br />
24 NAVAL RESERVE ASSOCIATION 50 TH ANNIVERSARY<br />
YEAR CONFERENCE<br />
“We close out our 50 th year with our 51 st conference here<br />
in Alexandria, VA, exactly 50 years to the day of the first<br />
conference, Saturday, 18 September. You don’t want to miss<br />
this one.”<br />
–– RADM Steve Keith, USNR (Ret)<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
4 From the Editor<br />
6 President’s Message<br />
7 Legislative Update<br />
8 Retirees’ Corner<br />
10 Professional Development<br />
OTHERS<br />
30 Junior Officer Country<br />
31 Letters<br />
32 Health Affairs<br />
34 Info That You Can Use<br />
37 Reservists In Action<br />
5 Corporate Associates Program<br />
26 NRA Scholarship Winners for AY 2004-2005<br />
29 Christmas/Holiday Card Program<br />
33 Medical Documentation<br />
36 News Notes<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
RADM John P. Debbout, USNR, Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces<br />
Command.<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> <strong>NEWS</strong> (ISSN 0162-2129), authorized under PSM, Section 132.22,<br />
published monthly by the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, is a magazine devoted to the professional interests of the<br />
Officers of the United States <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong>. Editorial and Executive Offices, 1619 King Street,<br />
Alexandria, VA 22314. Telephone (703) 548-5800. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and<br />
other mailing offices. Articles and letters appearing the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> News do not necessarily<br />
reflect the opinions of the Executive Committee of the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> or the Editor, nor are<br />
they necessarily to be interpreted as official policy of the United States Navy or <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong>. Rates:<br />
The <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> News subscription is covered by membership in the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong>.<br />
Membership is open to all commissioned or warrant officers who are serving or have served honorably<br />
as members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Subscription price is $7.50 domestic. Single copy: 75 cents.<br />
Eligible non-members are not entitled to subscription rates. Photos or articles may be reproduced,<br />
providing credit is given to the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> News. Postmaster: Send change of address to the <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, 1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. Printed in USA.<br />
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS<br />
AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS<br />
NATIONAL OFFICERS<br />
NATIONAL PRESIDENT<br />
CAPT John Eric Lindell, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: johnl@portarthur.com<br />
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE VP<br />
RADM William J. Lynch, MC, USNR<br />
E-mail: radmwjl@comcast.net<br />
NATIONAL VP-SURFACE RESERVE<br />
PROGRAMS<br />
CAPT Thaddeus A. Peake III, USNR<br />
E-mail: dpeake@peakeeng.com<br />
NATIONAL VP-AIR RESERVE<br />
PROGRAMS<br />
CDR Bryan D. Quigley, USNR<br />
E-mail: Bryanquigley@comcast.net<br />
NATIONAL VP-BUDGET & FINANCE<br />
CAPT Haig Bodour, SC, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: hbodour@newmexico.com<br />
NATIONAL VP-LEGISLATION &<br />
EDUCATION<br />
LCDR James M. Gerlach, USNR<br />
E-mail: endzone@bluemoon.net<br />
NATIONAL VP-MEMBERSHIP<br />
LCDR Lawrence M. Miller, MSC, USNR<br />
E-mail: millernavy@verizon.net<br />
NATIONAL VP-MEMBER SERVICES<br />
LCDR Gail W. Holzworth, NC, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: Misslorton@aol.com<br />
NATIONAL VP-PROFESSIONAL<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
CAPT G. Mark Hardy III, USNR<br />
E-mail: gmhardy@usnr.org<br />
NATIONAL VP-ACTIVE DUTY<br />
PROGRAMS<br />
CDR Edward J. Nava, USNR<br />
E-mail: ejnava@lanl.gov<br />
NATIONAL VP-PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
LT Ian Mitchel King, USNR<br />
E-mail: ltianking@hotmail.com<br />
NATIONAL VP-LEGAL AFFAIRS<br />
LT Marc J. Soss, SC, USNR<br />
E-mail: SMSOSS@aol.com<br />
NATIONAL VP-HEALTH PROGRAMS<br />
RADM Peter L. Andrus, MC, USNR<br />
E-mail: captpla@aol.com<br />
NATIONAL VP-RETIRED PERSONNEL<br />
CDR Sharon K. Kleinschmidt, USNR (Ret)<br />
Tel: 619-429-4504<br />
NATIONAL VP-JUNIOR OFFICERS<br />
LCDR Phan Phan, USNR<br />
E-mail: phan_p@hq.cnrf.navy.mil<br />
NATIONAL TREASURER<br />
CAPT W. Stuart Colby, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: glendalefingrp@aol.com<br />
NATIONAL CHAPLAIN<br />
CAPT Horace A. Hamm, CHC, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: hhamm@worldnet.att.net<br />
NATIONAL HISTORIAN<br />
CAPT John C. Rice, Jr., USNR (Ret)<br />
Fax: 504-486-6040<br />
NATIONAL PARLIAMENTARIAN<br />
CDR Willard B. Stubbs, USNR<br />
E-mail: willstubbs@cox.net<br />
COMMITTEES<br />
ANCHORS PRESIDENT<br />
Dr. Maureen Lindell, Ph.D<br />
E-mail: maureenl@portarthur.com<br />
CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CDR Gary W. Barron, USNR<br />
E-mail: gary.r.barron@boeing.com<br />
RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
LCDR Andrew Scheerer, USNR<br />
E-mail: scheerer@bww.com<br />
AWARDS COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CAPT Larry R. Danielson, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: captlrd@yahoo.com<br />
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CDR Joseph Quaglino, Jr., USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: joseph.quaglino-jr@boeing.com<br />
CREDENTIALS & ELECTIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CDR ChisT. K. Kirstein-Blackburn, NC, USNR<br />
E-mail: bskts4u2@prodigy.net<br />
SITE SELECTION COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CDR Leo B. Hill, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: lbhtimwolf@aol.com<br />
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CAPT Timothy D. Moon, USNR<br />
E-mail: moontd@earthlink.net<br />
INVESTMENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CAPT William D. Loockerman, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: wloockerman@aol.com<br />
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR<br />
CAPT Richard Bowers, MSC, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: ah106sru@aol.com<br />
DISTRICT PRESIDENTS<br />
FIRST DISTRICT<br />
LCDR Paul R. Younes, USNR<br />
E-mail: p.younes@att.net<br />
THIRD DISTRICT<br />
CAPT Thomas J. Caulfield, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: clfield@canisius.edu<br />
FOURTH DISTRICT<br />
CDR John J. Thaler II, DC, USNR<br />
E-mail: jjthalerII@aol.com<br />
FIFTH DISTRICT<br />
CAPT Robin L. Graf, USNR<br />
E-mail: grafrl@earthlink.net<br />
SIXTH DISTRICT<br />
LT Louise M. Anderson, MSC, USNR<br />
E-mail: louise.anderson@flhosp.org<br />
EIGHTH DISTRICT<br />
CDR Michael C. Leskin, USNR<br />
E-mail: mleskin@sleh.com<br />
NINTH DISTRICT<br />
RADM Richard E. Young, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: dickyoung@4dv.net<br />
ELEVENTH DISTRICT<br />
CDR Joseph Quaglino, Jr., USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: joseph.quaglino-jr@boeing.com<br />
TWELFTH DISTRICT<br />
CDR William J. Mellish, CEC, USNR (Ret)<br />
H: 650-856-1998; FAX: 650-856-9037<br />
THIRTEENTH DISTRICT<br />
CAPT Marshall A. Hanson, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: pacnwmailbuoy@juno.com<br />
FOURTEENTH DISTRICT<br />
CAPT Gayle J. Lau, JAGC, USNR<br />
E-mail: laug004@hawaii.rr.com
4<br />
From the Editor<br />
Congress is back from their 4th of July recess and House, and Senate conferees<br />
are “arm wrestling” over provisions of the FY 05 Defense Authorization and<br />
Appropriation bills. A 3.5 percent pay raise and extended TRICARE coverage for<br />
those being mobilized/demobilized is certain. So is a reduction by 2,500 in the strength of<br />
the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong>. For retirees and future retirees, there is a chance that legislation<br />
will be enacted to phase out the 20 percent reduction in survivor benefit payments when<br />
the surviving spouse reaches age 62. Strong opposition from DoD, including threats of a<br />
Presidential veto, has pretty much diminished the possibility of getting an earlier than age<br />
60 retirement and medical insurance for inactive duty Reservists because it “costs too<br />
much.” We’re still working and hold out hope that a Commission on the Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
will be created (like the 911 Commission) to look carefully at the structure and employment<br />
of these forces as well as at the benefits and entitlements that should be afforded the twice<br />
citizens who comprise these vital forces. CAPT Ike Puzon has more on all this in his<br />
column.<br />
Speaking of vital forces, we’ve added extra pages to this issue to squeeze in a special<br />
feature on the <strong>Naval</strong> Forces <strong>Reserve</strong>. In this feature, RADM John Debbout tells us about<br />
the changes on his staff and has included several community updates as well. In reading<br />
this feature, I was reminded of how technology can better support our dedicated reservists.<br />
And, after reading about the accomplishments of so many, I have renewed admiration and<br />
respect for our citizen Sailors. They ask so little and give so much. My only hope is that<br />
it is truly valued and appreciated by our Navy.<br />
Another example of technology improving battle front medicine is covered in a very<br />
interesting article by CAPT Stevens in the “Health Affairs” column starting on page 32.<br />
A great article on mentoring appears in “Junior Officer Country,” and CAPT Hardy turns<br />
cub reporter and interviews the newly selected <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> flag officers.<br />
We’ve also included a very informative article by LT Soss on the Health Insurance<br />
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) and how it affects you. CAPT McAtee<br />
presents two informative and well-researched articles, “Unintended Medical Benefit<br />
Situations,” on page 33, and “Reservists Voting Absentee,” on page 35.<br />
If you are wondering about how the <strong>Association</strong> is doing, you want to read President<br />
Lindell’s column on page 6. Even if you weren’t wondering, I recommend reading it any<br />
way along with the rest of this information-packed issue. As always, enjoy the read.<br />
Looking Ahead<br />
Best regards,<br />
Steve Keith<br />
September. We will feature an interview with VADM John G. Cotton, USNR, Chief of <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong>.<br />
October. Our feature will be the New York <strong>Naval</strong> Militia.<br />
November: We will feature the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> 50th Anniversary Year Conference<br />
highlights.<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
<strong>NEWS</strong><br />
1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314<br />
Tel: 703-548-5800 • Fax: 703-683-3647<br />
Toll Free Voice: 1-866-NRA-4-YOU (672-4968)<br />
Toll Free Fax: 1-866-683-3647<br />
E-mail: nranews@navy-reserve.org<br />
Home Page: www.navy-reserve.org<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Editor: RADM Stephen T. Keith, USNR (Ret)<br />
Associate Editor: CAPT Thomas L. McAtee, USNR (Ret)<br />
Assistant Editor: Linda Bautista<br />
GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION<br />
Linda Bautista<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
Mr. Bob Lyman<br />
HEADQUARTERS STAFF<br />
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR<br />
RADM Steve Keith, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: execdir@navy-reserve.org<br />
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER<br />
Mr. Bob Lyman<br />
E-mail: cfo@navy-reserve.org<br />
DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATION<br />
CAPT Ike Puzon, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: legislat@navy-reserve.org<br />
DIRECTOR, PROFESSIONAL<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
CAPT Art Schultz, Jr., USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: record.review@navy-reserve.org<br />
DIRECTOR OF MEMBER<br />
SERVICES<br />
CAPT Tom McAtee, USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: stratcom@navy-reserve.org<br />
DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP<br />
CAPT Art Schultz, Jr., USNR (Ret)<br />
E-mail: memdir@navy-reserve.org<br />
MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANT<br />
Mark De Ville<br />
E-mail: membership@navy-reserve.org<br />
SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT<br />
Linda Bautista<br />
E-mail: nranews@navy-reserve.org<br />
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT<br />
Millie Pistolesi<br />
E-mail: admin@navy-reserve.org<br />
SUBMISSIONS<br />
Letters to the Editor - Will be considered for<br />
publication unless the writer requests otherwise.<br />
They may be edited for clarity and space. Mail to<br />
Letters To The Editor at NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>, or E-mail to<br />
. Include your name,<br />
address, and daytime telephone number.<br />
Articles – For guidelines on article submission,<br />
call or write NRA Headquarters, or E-mail<br />
.<br />
SUBSCRIPTIONS<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong> is part of membership in the <strong>Association</strong>.<br />
To join, renew your membership, or to report address<br />
changes, call or write NRA Headquarters, or E-mail<br />
.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/august 2004
N AVAL R ESERVE A SSOCIATION<br />
C ORPORATE<br />
A SSOCIATES<br />
Premier Corporate/<strong>Association</strong> Team Supporting<br />
the United States Navy and <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
PLATINUM (TEN-YEAR) PARTNERSHIP<br />
IBM Federal<br />
CHARTER MEMBERS<br />
Lockheed Martin<br />
The Boeing Company<br />
Gulfstream Aerospace<br />
Northrop Grumman Corporation<br />
Kaman Aerospace Corporation<br />
DRS Technologies<br />
BAE Systems<br />
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems<br />
USAA<br />
Raytheon Company<br />
Marsh Affinity Group Services<br />
MBNA America<br />
JOINED IN 1999 - 2004<br />
CES, a California Corporation<br />
Rosen Associates Management Corp.<br />
Aquila sm Group of Funds<br />
BB&T<br />
Apogen Technologies<br />
Military.com<br />
CACI International, Inc.<br />
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.<br />
Chevy Chase Trust<br />
Stratizon Corporation<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
6 President’s Message<br />
YOUR ASSOCIATION<br />
CAPT John Eric Lindell, USNR (Ret)<br />
National President<br />
PAST<br />
NATIONAL PRESIDENTS<br />
RADM Stephen S. Israel, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Richard W. Hendel, USNR (Ret)*<br />
CAPT Arthur C. Monson, USNR (Ret)<br />
RADM James J. Carey, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Robert Lamar Bell, JAGC, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT J. Robert Lunney, JAGC, USNR (Ret)<br />
RADM Lester R. Smith, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Kenneth J. Welch, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Pat R. Lucci, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT John C. Rice, Jr., USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Curtin R. Coleman II, USNR (Ret)<br />
RADM Philip W. Smith, USNR (Ret)*<br />
CAPT Fred D. Carl, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Robin W. Goodenough, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Morton Leavitt, USNR (Ret)*<br />
CAPT Leslie A. Willig, USNR (Ret)*<br />
RADM Ray Ackerman, USNR (Ret)<br />
CAPT Robert B. Bolt, USNR (Ret)*<br />
CAPT Robert I. Barto, USNR*<br />
CAPT Donald V. Osborne, USNR (Ret)*<br />
CAPT George A. O’Connell, Jr., USNR*<br />
CAPT A. Winfield Chapin, USNR*<br />
CDR Richard K. West, USNR*<br />
CWO Sidney Fields, USNR*<br />
CDR Clayton L. Burwell, USNR (Ret)*<br />
CAPT J. Mack Young, USNR*<br />
CAPT Blaney C. Turner, USNR*<br />
*Deceased<br />
First, don’t forget the upcoming anniversary<br />
conference in Alexandria from 16-19<br />
September 2004. Get registered NOW!!<br />
Second, the most frequently asked question<br />
when I am speaking to various groups is, “How<br />
is the <strong>Association</strong> doing” My answer is always<br />
a positive and upbeat, “VERY WELL!”<br />
Depending on the audience, I then share some or<br />
all of the following information.<br />
Membership. Most associations are<br />
experiencing a decline in membership, but<br />
we're holding our own. We have been hovering<br />
around the 22,000-member level since 1996.<br />
Our retention rate is about 82 percent.<br />
Financial. August is the month that we close<br />
out our fiscal year. We will do so this year about<br />
$90,000 in the black. Our investments are<br />
continuing to grow. We will award $25,000 in<br />
scholarships (see page 26) this fall. We own the<br />
building and have a capital equipment reserve to<br />
ensure that there is money to keep it in good<br />
repair.<br />
Member Services. Our back office data base<br />
and innovative technology permits us to reach<br />
out electronically in a timely fashion to more and<br />
more members. For example, within hours of<br />
release of a promotion message, we have an<br />
e-mail out to our members congratulating<br />
them on being promoted. The responses to<br />
these e-mails are incredibly positive. I am<br />
extremely proud of the knowledgeable, talented,<br />
and professional HQ staff that serves you and<br />
me.<br />
Legislative. We are as focused and engaged<br />
as I’ve ever seen the organization on the right<br />
legislative issues. We do well up on Capitol<br />
Hill on Navy-specific issues. We also have an<br />
incredible leveraging partnership and working<br />
relationship with The Military Coalition to bring<br />
4.5 million voting members to bear on any issue.<br />
Communication. Our monthly magazine is<br />
simply the finest. Its robust and informative<br />
nature is drawing great praise from all who<br />
receive it. Our periodic Legislative Updates are<br />
brief and focused. We’ll soon have a new<br />
Operations Manual on the street Members get a<br />
quick response to e-mails and telephone calls.<br />
We can transmit as well as receive!<br />
Elected Officers. I am blessed to be served<br />
and advised by this group of fine professionals.<br />
The current and future affairs of the <strong>Association</strong><br />
are in good hands.<br />
That hits the high points on why I tell everyone<br />
how well we are doing. If you think differently,<br />
I would very much like to hear from you. Please<br />
e-mail me at .<br />
Now back to my first point. Don’t forget the<br />
upcoming anniversary conference in Alexandria<br />
from 16-19 September 2004. More information<br />
can be found on pages 24-25 of this issue. Hope<br />
to see you there to celebrate and please bring<br />
your spouse because the Anchors have lined up<br />
an informative and entertaining program.<br />
John Eric Lindell<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> 2004-2005 Conferences<br />
Fall 2004 National Conference - Washington, DC; 16-19 September 2004<br />
Radisson Hotel; Old Town Alexandria, VA; Tel. (703) 683-6000<br />
Spring 2005 Conference - Kansas City, MO; 22-24 April 2005<br />
The Four Points by Sheraton; Tel. (816) 753-7400<br />
Fall 2005 Conference - Phoenix, AZ; 6-8 October 2005<br />
The Sheraton Crescent Hotel; Tel. (602) 943-8200<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/august 2004
L egislative Update<br />
7<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Issues for FY 05 National<br />
Defense Authorization Bills and Other Provisions<br />
Pending in Congress This Summer<br />
By CAPT Ike Puzon, USNR (Ret)<br />
At press time, Congress has completed individual house action on the National Defense Authorization Acts and the Defense<br />
Appropriations Bills. Conference on the differences in these defense bills is the next step. The below listed provisions are some<br />
of the differences that have to be solved in conference. These are just a few of the most important issues. It is imperative for<br />
you to fax a letter, call, or e-mail your representatives as soon as possible in support of the issues and suggested positions below.<br />
Since this is an election year, members will pay more close attention. Please note the issues that were not passed or addressed by<br />
either house members. These are important to address in your correspondence with your Congressional members!<br />
Your e-mail, call, faxed letter will and can make the difference in passage, since your Congressional representative will listen to<br />
mass opinions. For House members , for Senators .<br />
Issue<br />
House Bill (HR 4200)<br />
Senate Bill (S 2400)<br />
Position<br />
Survivor Benefit Plan (SPB)<br />
age-62 annuity<br />
2005 Military Pay Raise<br />
Special Commission on<br />
Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong>, and<br />
Yearly Guard and<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Review<br />
TRICARE Standard<br />
coverage for certain<br />
Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong> members<br />
Employer insurance<br />
options for Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
members<br />
Pharmacy cost shares for<br />
TFL-eligibles<br />
Commissary<br />
Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
civilian income<br />
replacement payment<br />
Service manpower<br />
levels<br />
JOBS Act (S.1637);<br />
Senator Landrieu<br />
Amendment – Tax Credit for<br />
Employers of Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
{not a part of NDAA}<br />
Raise minimum annuity to 40% of<br />
covered retired pay in OCT 2005,<br />
45% in APR 2006, 50% in APR<br />
2007, & 55% in APR 2008<br />
3.5% pay raise in JAN 2005 for all<br />
uniformed service members<br />
No provision<br />
Three-year test of fee-based TRICARE<br />
coverage at ten or more sites for<br />
Selected <strong>Reserve</strong> members who have<br />
no employer health coverage<br />
Direct General Accounting Office<br />
report by MAR 2005 about providing<br />
stipend to offset the cost of continuing<br />
private family health coverage while<br />
reserve member is mobilized<br />
Prohibit imposing higher pharmacy<br />
cost shares for Medicare-eligibles<br />
than for other beneficiaries<br />
Establish in law as DoD-operated<br />
military benefit<br />
Pay differential from civilian pay for<br />
involuntarily mobilized Reservists<br />
after 12 months on active duty (up to<br />
$3,000 a month); 18 months within<br />
five years; or if recalled again within<br />
six months<br />
Increase Army force levels by<br />
30,000 and Marine Corps levels by<br />
9,000<br />
Reduce Navy and <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
end strength by 7,900 for AC; 2,500<br />
for RC<br />
No bill passed<br />
Sen Landrieu amendment; allows for<br />
a ten-year phase in<br />
Similar Provision<br />
Establish commission to review Guard<br />
and <strong>Reserve</strong> roles and missions and<br />
to assess the need for compensation,<br />
benefits, and other issues, including<br />
use of RC<br />
Permanent nationwide fee-based<br />
TRICARE coverage for Selected<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> members who have no<br />
employer health coverage<br />
Allow Sel Res who have employerprovided<br />
coverage the option of<br />
having the government pay part of<br />
the premiums to continue family<br />
coverage during mobilization<br />
No provision<br />
No provision<br />
No provision<br />
Allows for 30,000 increase for Army.<br />
Reduces Navy AC by 7,900 and RC<br />
by 2,500<br />
This amendment to the JOBS Act<br />
Bill (S. 1637) could provide up to<br />
$15,000 for Employers of Guard and<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> members<br />
Strongly support the House provisions<br />
Support both provisions<br />
In light of demand & use of Guard<br />
and <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces, strongly support<br />
the Senate provision; recommend<br />
e-mail, write, or call Representatives,<br />
Senators in support of Senate provision<br />
Strongly support the Senate provision,<br />
the House version would not apply or<br />
affect all Selected <strong>Reserve</strong> members<br />
Strongly support Senate provision to<br />
ensure continuity of members’ family<br />
coverage when mobilized<br />
Support the House provision<br />
Support the House provision<br />
Support the House provision at this<br />
time<br />
Do not support the reductions in RC<br />
Navy. All the service components are<br />
overstressed – members and families.<br />
End strength reductions in RC and<br />
AC are untimely and should not be<br />
supported for budget purposes only<br />
We need to support strongly the<br />
Senate bill and encourage the House<br />
to act on their tax-related bill. Please<br />
watch this one closely. We have been<br />
trying to get tax credits for employers<br />
for many years<br />
Cont’d. on page 38<br />
NRA<strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
8<br />
Retirees’ Corner<br />
Reviewing Your<br />
Pharmacy Benefit<br />
By LCDR Joe Golding, USNR (Ret)<br />
CDR Sharon K. Kleinschmidt, USNR (Ret)<br />
National VP for Retired Personnel<br />
What’s New<br />
A new Uniform Formulary (UF) process<br />
creates a new third-tier co-pay of $22 per<br />
prescription, in both mail order and retail<br />
pharmacy services, for medications that<br />
are designated “non-formulary.” The UF<br />
also creates a new DoD Pharmacy &<br />
Therapeutics Committee and a new<br />
Beneficiary Advisory Panel. However,<br />
there will be no drugs in the third ($22)<br />
tier until the appropriate committees have<br />
met to evaluate drugs in accordance with<br />
the Uniform Formulary Rule and final<br />
approval has been made.<br />
A new TRICARE Retail Pharmacy<br />
(TRRx) contract implements a fully<br />
integrated pharmacy program that delivers<br />
patient care through a single manager<br />
of your retail pharmacy benefit. That<br />
manager is Express Scripts, Inc. (ESI).<br />
The new retail pharmacy program allows<br />
all beneficiaries to use network pharmacies<br />
outside of their regions without having to<br />
file claims.<br />
Existing TRICARE Pharmacy<br />
TRICARE Pharmacy provides options<br />
for having your prescriptions filled and is<br />
no longer regional.<br />
Option One: Prescriptions filled<br />
through a uniformed services medical<br />
treatment facility (MTF) is the most costeffective<br />
(no cost) method.<br />
Option Two: TRICARE Mail Order<br />
Pharmacy (TMOP) is the most convenient<br />
for prescriptions taken on a regular,<br />
ongoing basis. There is a co-payment<br />
associated with TMOP – $9 per prescription<br />
for brand name, $3 for a generic medication.<br />
Under TMOP, you may receive up to a<br />
90-day supply. TMOP details may be<br />
found at <br />
or . Voice<br />
contact may be made at 1-866-363-8667.<br />
Option Three: TRICARE Network<br />
Pharmacies are simply contracted retail<br />
pharmacies that will fill a 30-day supply<br />
for $9 for brand name or $3 for generic<br />
medications. For a listing of retail<br />
pharmacies nearest you, log on to<br />
or call 1-866-363-8779.<br />
Option Four: Non-Network Pharmacies<br />
is the most expensive option since<br />
reimbursement is only 80 per cent of the<br />
retail value. You must pay full retail price<br />
and then file a claim.<br />
Note: As mentioned above, UF will create a<br />
new $22 (third tier co-pay) when final<br />
approval of drugs is made.<br />
Existing TRICARE Senior<br />
Pharmacy Program<br />
The TRICARE Senior Pharmacy<br />
Program authorizes eligible beneficiaries<br />
to obtain low-cost prescription<br />
medications from the TRICARE Mail<br />
Order Pharmacy (TMOP) TRICARE<br />
network, and nonnetwork civilian<br />
pharmacies. Beneficiaries may also<br />
continue to use military hospital and<br />
clinic pharmacies. The TRICARE Senior<br />
Pharmacy Program replaces the Base<br />
Realignment and Closure pharmacy<br />
benefit and the Pharmacy Redesign Pilot<br />
Program with a very robust benefit.<br />
Note: If you have other health insurance,<br />
TRICARE is second payer after the<br />
other health insurance has paid a claim<br />
for covered drugs, or when the coverage<br />
under that plan is exhausted for the<br />
year.<br />
TAP INTO A VALUABLE MEMBER SERVICE:<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Component Survivor Benefit Plan<br />
(RCSBP) Guidance<br />
The <strong>Reserve</strong> Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) is the only <strong>Reserve</strong> program that lets you<br />
leave a percentage of your future retired pay as a monthly annuity to your beneficiaries. This decision<br />
is made when you receive your Notice of Eligibility for Retired Pay at Age 60 (NOE). Certain program<br />
elections are irrevocable and should only be made with knowledge of the RCSBP program. Should you<br />
desire information on the program, or want to understand completely a previous election you made,<br />
go to our Web site (members only), or call<br />
CAPT Tom McAtee at (703) 548-5800 or e-mail .<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
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how often brokerage firms actually met or improved on quoted sell or buy prices on NYSE and Nasdaq trades. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. For<br />
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A3294-0404 ©2004 USAA. All rights reserved.
10<br />
Professional Development<br />
The Right Stuff<br />
CAPT G. Mark Hardy III, USNR<br />
National VP for Professional Development<br />
The acme of achievement in a <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> career is making flag. Less than<br />
one percent of captains will ever reach<br />
this level. I am fortunate to know six of the<br />
ten officers selected this year for rear<br />
admiral. Shortly after the board results<br />
were announced, I asked them, “What’s it<br />
like being promoted to admiral” Five<br />
offered responses. I think you’ll find their<br />
stories interesting, insightful, and possibly<br />
entertaining.<br />
Greg Timberlake is this year’s new medical<br />
flag officer. Like most physicians, he has<br />
an answering service, which managed to<br />
garble the message: “Call Joe Cotton at<br />
the Pentagon.” Just as he was returning<br />
the call to VADM John Cotton, he<br />
received the e-mail from the Defense<br />
News Agency with the flag list, confirming<br />
his selection.<br />
RDML(Sel) Timberlake says that he’s<br />
tried to do three things over the years:<br />
train the mission, develop tomorrow’s<br />
leaders today, and leave it better than he<br />
found it. His response to being selected<br />
for flag was characteristically humble.<br />
“This is an incredible honor, and it’s hard<br />
to believe they selected me. It’s more of a<br />
reflection on my shipmates who helped<br />
me and challenged me and made me what<br />
I am today. They deserve the credit.”<br />
Norton Joerg is this year’s new JAG flag<br />
officer. He was at the Providence airport<br />
on his way home from attending the twoweek<br />
National Security Decision-Making<br />
course at the <strong>Naval</strong> War College when his<br />
cell phone rang. It was Admiral Cotton.<br />
He asked, “Are you standing at attention”<br />
RDML(Sel) Joerg stopped just short of<br />
security, came to full attention, and stood<br />
there while he received the message about<br />
his promotion. He got some curious looks<br />
from other passengers, but fortunately<br />
didn’t attract the attention of the TSA<br />
security staff.<br />
“As a flag officer, don’t become someone<br />
different,” he advised. “You were picked<br />
for who you are; it’s a mistake to become<br />
someone else.” He considers this opportunity<br />
a “matter of a solemn trust.” He went on<br />
to say, “the best use of our positions [as<br />
flag officers] is to get things out of the<br />
way for others, and then to stay out of the<br />
way ourselves.”<br />
Wendi Carpenter was on her way home<br />
from duty in Dam Neck, VA, when she<br />
pulled off the road to check her voice mail.<br />
There were several messages from VADM<br />
Cotton’s office, but her cell phone died<br />
before she could return them. Borrowing<br />
a phone, she was finally able to get<br />
through and receive the good news.<br />
Her favorite mantra is “think strategically<br />
and act deliberately.” A trusting and<br />
encouraging leader, she expressed gratitude<br />
to a number of parties – to the Sailors in<br />
her commands who made such great<br />
contributions, to her family who offered<br />
encouragement and sacrifices, and to<br />
mentors who have made an enormous<br />
impact on her life and career.<br />
Jamie Barnett is on recall as the Deputy<br />
Director of <strong>Naval</strong> Education and Training<br />
in the Pentagon, taking on a significant<br />
role in leading the Navy’s revolution in<br />
training. His feelings on being selected<br />
were those of elation, combined with true<br />
humility. He stated that living up to the<br />
expectations of a flag officer seemed<br />
particularly daunting, considering that<br />
we are a nation at war. He went on to<br />
emphasize, “the importance, as a leader,<br />
of really listening, really hearing what<br />
subordinates and peers are saying.”<br />
His words of wisdom: “Commit time<br />
and value to Navy responsibilities, and I<br />
mean really extraordinary time and value.<br />
Honor your spouse, family, and work by<br />
making them first; but find or make time<br />
for mission accomplishment.”<br />
Robin Watters was recalled to active<br />
duty last year to serve in Bahrain. During<br />
the first Gulf War, he was recalled to serve<br />
as the XO of a deployed minesweeper.<br />
Throughout his operationally-focused<br />
career, he has endeavored to “always make<br />
the active duty command my master.”<br />
That philosophy has served him, and the<br />
Navy, well.<br />
He, like each of the other officers I<br />
spoke with, share the credit with his<br />
Sailors. “People perform well for you, but<br />
you end up getting the credit for it.” As a<br />
result, he has worked hard to take care of<br />
his people by writing FITREPs carefully<br />
and providing appropriate awards and<br />
recognition.<br />
Each of these new flag officers felt that<br />
the greatest challenge we are facing is the<br />
total integration of the <strong>Reserve</strong> force with<br />
the Navy. It’s no longer Navy requirements<br />
and <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> requirements; it’s one<br />
Navy. There is no place for the old mindset<br />
of “us vs. them.” In the past, we may have<br />
been able to exist as a separate culture, but<br />
that must change as we become a total<br />
force. There is little doubt that each of<br />
these officers understands this objective,<br />
and it behooves each of us to work toward<br />
that goal as well.<br />
Few of us will ever get that special<br />
telephone call notifying us that we’ve been<br />
selected to flag rank. But my knowledge<br />
of the character, integrity, and professionalism<br />
of this year’s selectees reaffirms that our<br />
promotion system does work, that we do<br />
create great leaders from among our ranks,<br />
and that the Navy is putting the right men<br />
and women at the helm.<br />
Next month: How to write really great<br />
FITREPs.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/august 2004
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces Command<br />
”Providing Operational Support to the Fleet”<br />
11<br />
RADM John P. Debbout, USNR<br />
Our Navy is engaged throughout the world, and our Navy’s<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong>, “ready and fully integrated,” continues to<br />
demonstrate its relevance to the Navy and our nation’s<br />
warfighting wholeness. Today’s Navy Reservists are fullyintegrated<br />
members of the U.S. Navy. On any given day, nearly<br />
5,000 Selected Reservists are on some form of active-duty orders<br />
providing support to the fleet, while nearly 13,700 Full-Time<br />
Support (FTS) Reservists are embedded in critical fleet billets<br />
and serving in essential staff positions enabling <strong>Reserve</strong> programs.<br />
Delivering the right skill set, when and where it’s needed, is<br />
what it’s all about. To meet current and future requirements,<br />
Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces Command (CNRFC) has<br />
been working closely with the active fleet to align forces, improve<br />
processes, integrate leadership tools, and share knowledge. We’ve<br />
also challenged every echelon within the <strong>Reserve</strong> infrastructure<br />
to expedite their alignment efforts and seek innovative solutions<br />
wherever possible to enable better our Selected Reservists to “Re-<br />
Serve” our nation.<br />
I couldn’t be more proud of the effort put forth and the results<br />
achieved over the past year, and I’m looking forward to even<br />
greater success in supporting Navy as our alignment efforts take<br />
shape and initiatives solidify.<br />
To facilitate our alignment process, we established Commander,<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces Command (CNRFC), creating a single<br />
command for <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> budget, manpower, and training<br />
execution. CNRFC works closely with Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Force (CNRF) in getting our Sailors to the fleet, maximizing<br />
operational support to our Navy worldwide. We are Additional<br />
Duty (ADDU) to Commander, Fleet Forces Command (CFFC) and<br />
Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> Air Forces (CNAF) in our support to the fleet.<br />
We know there is a strong business case for having our<br />
Reservists take on a greater role in regional responsibilities, such<br />
as homeland security and recruiting. Simply, those Reservists<br />
who live in and know a geographical region should be involved in<br />
local Navy efforts. As a first step in shaping future integration,<br />
we have embedded RADM Bob Passmore, former Commander,<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Readiness Command North West (REDCOM NW)<br />
in the active duty Regional Commander’s staff as the Deputy<br />
Navy Region Northwest Commander. He’ll be responsible for<br />
working with the active regional staff to draft the way-ahead in<br />
this area.<br />
We are working closely with Fleet Forces Command (FFC) in<br />
a Zero-Based Review (ZBR) for total <strong>Reserve</strong> Force structure and<br />
alignment. The ZBR will be complete in late 2004. To ensure we<br />
are aligned with Navy, our Manpower and Personnel Directorate<br />
has worked aggressively with Operational Navy (OPNAV) to<br />
tailor the Navy manpower management tools to support our<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> component. The Navy’s “Skipper” program is used by<br />
Enlisted Community Managers to track their enlisted rating data;<br />
it provides a current community profile, accession and retention<br />
information, advancement data, etc. Skipper also forecasts “what<br />
if ” scenarios, showing how specific changes would impact the<br />
Navy. The <strong>Reserve</strong>-tailored portion of Skipper, and our adaptation<br />
of the Navy’s strength-planning tool will help support force-wide<br />
manpower modeling, something we’ve never been able to do before.<br />
Another highly successful manpower program was implemented<br />
by our aviation component, to attack aggressively shortfalls in<br />
critical enlisted aviation maintenance billets. The <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Operational Manning Inactive Duty Training/Travel Cross-<br />
Assignment Program allows Navy Reservists to receive funded<br />
travel orders to travel and drill with a <strong>Reserve</strong> squadron where<br />
these shortfalls would otherwise affect operational readiness. These<br />
shortfalls are simply a result of where our Reservists live and<br />
where they drill. Because most of our Reservists do not live in<br />
fleet concentration areas, we have to look beyond the pool of<br />
Reservists living near these bases or squadrons and offer an<br />
incentive to those with the necessary skill sets to travel and serve.<br />
Not only is this helping the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> maintain its optimum<br />
readiness and our number one priority of supporting fleet<br />
requirements, but also it keeps our Sailors’ valuable skills honed.<br />
This program has been so successful that we are now expanding<br />
it to encompass other warfare specialties.<br />
The <strong>Reserve</strong> Officer FY ’05 “Apply Board” was just convened<br />
in Millington, and the feedback and results continue to<br />
demonstrate what a valuable tool Apply really is. This program<br />
was developed over several years and implemented in its current<br />
form in 2003 as a centralized, competitive, force-wide officerdetailing<br />
tool. Apply helps quantify an officer’s performance and<br />
preference information, enabling the board to make metricallydriven<br />
decisions as to who the best national candidate for a<br />
specific billet is. Of particular note, both active and <strong>Reserve</strong> officers<br />
now currently serve on the board. The resounding feedback is<br />
that Apply is an extremely fair process, and most officers have<br />
been very happy with the results.<br />
The future detailing of our Reservists will also incorporate a<br />
Sea Warrior initiative called the “Career Management System”<br />
(CMS). As part of the Navy’s Enterprise Human Capital<br />
Management System (EHCMS), this self-serve, Web-based tool<br />
will provide every Sailor visibility of all available Navy billets. It<br />
will also provide the necessary details, including job description,<br />
required competencies, unit location, special requirements, etc.<br />
so that our Sailors can apply for jobs that best fit their career<br />
plans and meet the needs of the Navy.<br />
We began BETA testing CMS on 1 July with the <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Information Technology (IT) rating. To quality control this initial<br />
test, we review each CMS application and ensure applicant’s selfassessed<br />
proficiencies match the required competencies for the<br />
job. Lastly, we verify each applicant’s Five Vector Model (5VM)<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
12<br />
Human Capital Index (HCI), a feature that shows how the Sailor<br />
is performing against the average [normalized] score of those in<br />
the same rating and of the same rank.<br />
Everyone recognizes our Reservists bring more to the table<br />
than just their military training; they possess tremendous civilian<br />
skills that increase their ability to serve. As part of Sea Warrior,<br />
the Navy [and DoD] is interested in capturing this data and<br />
ultimately rewarding Sailors for these skills in their 5VM. Every<br />
Navy Drilling Reservist (Selected Reservist and Voluntary<br />
Training Unit member) is required by DoD to provide their<br />
civilian employment data and, most importantly, their actual<br />
civilian skill competencies.<br />
In July 2004, our Reservists began filling out an on-line<br />
questionnaire that assesses their competencies in a variety of<br />
skills. It incorporates a number of elements such as tasks<br />
performed, tools used, unique knowledge required, and resources.<br />
By FY ’06, all Navy personnel will have a résume, reflecting both<br />
Navy and civilian training/experience, displayed on their Sea<br />
Warrior 5VM and used for billet assignments, active-duty<br />
opportunities, rating/designator changes, and advancement.<br />
Everything we do is about support to the fleet; and one of the<br />
most critical functions we perform at <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces Command<br />
is a focus on customer service, which enables our Sailors to go<br />
forward and serve. We’re continuously working on improving our<br />
quality of service; so, last year, we stood up the Customer Service<br />
Directorate, led by Selected Reservists who are completely devoted<br />
to this mission. They issued an electronic survey this past spring<br />
to capture force-wide metrics on how our Reservists feel they are<br />
being supported by the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong>. The results will be collated,<br />
evaluated, and released in early August. From there, the Customer<br />
Service Directorate will work to develop an improvement plan,<br />
communicate the strategy back to the force, and conduct follow-up<br />
analysis.<br />
Our Financial Directorate is completing the development of<br />
two Activity Based Costing (ABC) models that will significantly<br />
enhance Navy leadership’s ability to make informed decisions<br />
about the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong>.<br />
The first model is a business tool which can be used to determine<br />
what activities, performed by each echelon, are necessary to produce<br />
the desired three Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> products:<br />
A Mission-Ready Sailor<br />
Mission-Ready Hardware<br />
Operational Support<br />
At the end of August 2004, we will have determined the unit<br />
cost for each of these products and will recommend ways to optimize<br />
the allocation of resources to achieve cost-effective, missionready<br />
Sailors, mission-ready hardware, and operational support to<br />
the Navy.<br />
The second model is sponsored by OPNAV and is designed to<br />
model the Operations and Maintenance, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> (O&M,<br />
NR) costs to the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong>. The “SELRES Support ABC<br />
Model,” as it’s called, will demonstrate how cuts in the O&M, NR<br />
budget would affect Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> readiness and performance.<br />
This is one of the few remaining budget items that isn’t modeled<br />
at another level, and it’s a shining example of Active/<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Integration, as we work with OPNAV and the<br />
Financial Management Branch (FMB) in this effort.<br />
Everything we do must lead towards improved readiness. In<br />
2003, our Operations Department began a tremendous initiative<br />
to enable Navy to view Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> readiness information<br />
through the TYCOM Readiness Management System (TRMS).<br />
We created an innovative module called the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Readiness Module (NRRM) that currently links to databases,<br />
such as <strong>Reserve</strong> Automated Medical Interim System (RAMIS);<br />
the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> Order Writing System (NROWS); the <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Headquarters System (RHS); and, soon, the Navy Marine Corps<br />
Processing System (NMCMPS), to name a few. Through the<br />
TRMS/NRRM viewer, Navy can see the following while a<br />
Reservist is performing most types of active-duty service<br />
(excluding ADSW and mobilizations):<br />
The cost associated with Reservist’s orders<br />
What SEAPOWER function the Reservist is supporting<br />
Where they are physically serving and details about their<br />
orders<br />
Where they are in the mobilization/demobilization process<br />
(once NMCMPS comes on-line)<br />
If the advertised billet and NEC/Designator code of the<br />
Reservist filling the billet are an appropriate match<br />
Numbers of people by types of orders or ratings serving in<br />
certain geographical regions<br />
More . . . .<br />
We are currently working with BUPERS to link ADSW and<br />
mobilization data to TRMS/NRRM and ultimately to transition to<br />
a single order-writing system that can be viewed through<br />
TRMS/NRRM.<br />
NMCMPS is the Navy version of the Marine Corps Mobilization<br />
Processing System, developed in partnership with BUPERS. It<br />
tracks each Reservist’s movement through the mobilization and<br />
demobilization process by using a Web-based electronic checklist.<br />
This system has been a huge success in managing these processes;<br />
and, once linked to TRMS/NRRM, it will afford decision makers<br />
visibility of this significant data.<br />
One of our greatest successes at <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces Command has<br />
been the development of the Web-based <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Order<br />
Writing System (NROWS). Both active-duty and <strong>Reserve</strong> personnel<br />
applaud this system because it allows the Reservist to process<br />
electronically their application expeditiously, and it offers a<br />
tracking mechanism. Each service member in the order-approval<br />
chain-of-command can see the application and endorse, hold, or<br />
reject the application. Once approved, the Reservist can simply<br />
print his/her orders from any PC, a great time-saver. NROWS<br />
also offers a financial function that projects the cost of each set<br />
of orders and tracks the execution of orders. This accounting tool<br />
affords the approving authority data critical to making decisions.<br />
Another major achievement and key database for the<br />
TRMS/NRRM viewer is our medical department’s <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Automated Medical Information System (RAMIS). This system<br />
was built in 2002 to capture and report detailed individual and<br />
unit level <strong>Reserve</strong> medical information. Far more robust than the<br />
active-duty SNAP {Shipboard ADP Program} Automated<br />
Medical System (SAMS), Web-based RAMIS enables active and<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> medical decision makers to coordinate personnel and<br />
supplies to ensure the completion of comprehensive medical care.<br />
It also affords real-time visibility to the chain of command on<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
13<br />
their personnel medical readiness. RAMIS replaced the antiquated<br />
medical <strong>Reserve</strong> Standard Training Administration and Readiness<br />
Support (RSTARS) system and has thrust the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Force into a leadership role in medical information management.<br />
As we link more databases to the TRMS viewer tool, it will<br />
provide Navy leadership the visibility and data necessary to make<br />
knowledgeable, timely decisions. DoD is also in the process of<br />
developing a modernized readiness reporting system called the<br />
Defense Readiness Reporting System (DRRS), and they are so<br />
impressed with the total-force viewing capability of TRMS/<br />
NRRM that they have adopted elements of it as a template for<br />
their initial DRRS development.<br />
Lastly, but so important to our alignment and quality of service, is<br />
communication. The timeliness and way in which information<br />
flows is one of every organization’s biggest challenges. And,<br />
the degree to which we effectively communicate significantly<br />
impacts our level of success. We have created several forums/<br />
mechanisms for communicating Navy priorities, key leadership<br />
messages, relevant news, and opportunities to and from the field;<br />
and they have proven to be very effective. We host a weekly<br />
briefing by Video Teleconference (VTC) to inform the force and<br />
solicit input from every echelon; everyone’s invited to dial in,<br />
including active-duty service members. We also established an<br />
e-mail communication protocol through the public affairs office,<br />
to distribute electronically information to more than 5,000 Navy<br />
Reservists and DoD personnel. Our award-winning magazine,<br />
The Navy Reservist, is mailed monthly to every Navy Reservist’s<br />
home (88,000 individuals and their families). One of the primary<br />
concerns we identified, in a focus group, was the lack of information<br />
available to the family members of Reservists who had been<br />
mobilized. So, this year we changed the magazine format to include<br />
a family-focused section in each issue and made it a year-round<br />
resource for both the Reservist and the family member. The<br />
feedback we have had from the field on all these communication<br />
forums has been very positive. The flow of information enables<br />
us to identify issues and opportunities and take action faster than<br />
ever before.<br />
Our goal at CNRFC is to provide the best service and tools<br />
possible to our three customers, the Navy, our Sailors, and our<br />
nation. Our staff has been working diligently up and down the<br />
chain of command, with our active-duty partners and even across<br />
services, to accelerate our alignment and integration efforts and<br />
enable our Sailors to go forward and serve. As we transform our<br />
service into “one Navy,” everyone from our most junior Sailor to<br />
our most senior, stands ready to serve. Our Commander-in-Chief<br />
said, “be ready;” well, the Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> is ready, more potent,<br />
and capable than ever before. The Navy’s <strong>Reserve</strong> force is<br />
comprised of the most skilled and committed professionals<br />
[Citizen Sailors] in the world; and their honor, courage, and<br />
commitment will ensure our success abroad and at home.<br />
CREST Program Trains, Integrates Chaplains and RPs<br />
By JO2 Joe Vermette, NR NPRTRU Clearwater, FL<br />
CAMP LEJEUNE, NC – Chaplain and Religious Program<br />
Specialist Expeditionary Skills Training (CREST) is an<br />
intense seven-week training course that provides<br />
operational readiness and mission capability for Religious<br />
Ministry Team (RMT) personnel each year.<br />
The RMT is comprised of an active or <strong>Reserve</strong> chaplain and an<br />
enlisted religious program specialist (RP). Simply put, this program<br />
prepares RMT personnel as to how to serve better the needs of<br />
their unit, under any condition, in the fleet marine environment.<br />
Chaplains do not bare arms and are specifically classified as<br />
noncombatants. While in the field during combat operations,<br />
chaplains may be exposed to enemy fire. In such events, chaplains<br />
must be protected by a combatant or a person who can bear arms.<br />
That person is a Navy RP.<br />
CREST has been in place since January 1997 and was created<br />
from lessons learned by those who served in the RMTs during<br />
Operation Desert Storm. In that conflict, it was evident the RMT<br />
would greatly benefit from a formal school environment that<br />
would better prepare the team for duty with the Marine Corps.<br />
“RPs could spend more than half of their careers with the<br />
Marines; and it is crucial our students, once they leave CREST,<br />
understand the difference in mentalities,” said Chaplain (CDR)<br />
John Franklin, who serves as director of CREST. “The Marines<br />
have a different mentality summarized by the slogan “steel on<br />
target” that most Navy personnel aren’t used to.”<br />
The role of RP in the battlefield is an important lesson in the<br />
CREST program.<br />
“The RP is in charge on the battlefield, and the chaplain must<br />
listen to his RP,” said RPC (SW/AW/FMF) Jonathan Vogal,<br />
assistant director of CREST. “It’s the RPs job to protect his<br />
chaplain no matter what.”<br />
Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> and active duty train side by side at CREST and<br />
that presents both challenges and benefits.<br />
“In this school, Reservists are usually a little older than their<br />
active-duty counterpart; and there is a very strenuous physical<br />
aspect throughout the program,” Vogal said. “What Reservists<br />
lose in a step, they gain in motivation and drive. They catch up<br />
quickly and do fine through the program and when activated.”<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
14<br />
Currently, the program is comprised of five blocks of training.<br />
About half is spent in the classroom, with the other half in various<br />
physical or specialized battlefield exercises. The first two weeks<br />
are heavy on Marine indoctrination focused on the many aspects<br />
of the Marine Corps uniform, rank, and structure. Participants<br />
endure various phases of physical qualification, which include<br />
conditioning hikes, combat water survival, a Marine fitness<br />
qualification, and martial arts training. Successful completion of<br />
the course awards the students a brown belt. RPs must also<br />
become familiar with handling and maintaining a weapon while<br />
preparing to qualify on the rifle range. Students are also sent<br />
through a series of specialized segments focused on the combat<br />
environment and training that is integral to field operations.<br />
All of the training culminates in a five-day field test. Chaplains<br />
and RPs conduct exercises to simulate mass casualties, field worship,<br />
patrolling, navigation, and moving to and from the battalion aid<br />
station. A good portion of that training is spent on how to cover<br />
and protect the chaplain during an ambush. It is at this point a<br />
bond is formed; and both members of this close, two-man team<br />
begin to understand what is at stake. This arduous training<br />
could very well save their lives one day. The objective is to<br />
assure the ministry team that it can provide its services during any<br />
condition. Once complete, students graduate and are then sent to<br />
their units.<br />
This year, six classes are scheduled, including one specifically<br />
for Reservists. Last year, about 160 students went through<br />
the training; roughly 10 percent were <strong>Reserve</strong> chaplains and RPs.<br />
“I’ve been deployed twice already and feel a little more safe out<br />
there with the exposure I’ve had in this program,” said Chaplain<br />
(LT) Terry Eddinger, a <strong>Naval</strong> Reservist who is going through the<br />
current CREST class. “The simulated battle scenarios have taught<br />
me a great deal and have increased the camaraderie between me<br />
and the religious program specialist.” Eddinger may be deployed<br />
to Iraq by year’s end.<br />
“I feel more comfortable now in my role as a chaplain in the<br />
RMT and will apply what I’ve learned here, if I’m deployed<br />
again,” Eddinger said.<br />
One course is established for chaplains and another for RPs.<br />
A special 21-day class has been established for Reservists, who<br />
prefer the shorter version instead of the full seven-week course.<br />
The chaplain four-week course overlaps a portion of the sevenweek<br />
period. Through each course, the emphasis is on the RPs’<br />
training.<br />
One graduate of the CREST course called upon his training in<br />
a skirmish just north of An Nasiriyia, Iraq, in March 2003.<br />
RP1(FMF) Robert Page and his chaplain were ambushed and<br />
fired upon for a number of hours.<br />
“I did what I was taught to do at CREST,” Page said. “I dug a<br />
hole to protect the chaplain, then moved to a safer location and<br />
returned fire.”<br />
Page served on active duty as a Marine prior to joining the<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong>.<br />
“As a Marine, you’re trained to engage or return fire immediately.<br />
The CREST program taught me to protect the ministry or<br />
chaplain first,” he said. “The chaplain is in charge of the spiritual<br />
welfare of the unit, and that’s very important for morale. We’re<br />
there to make sure he delivers.”<br />
For his efforts in Iraq, Page was honored with a Bronze Star.<br />
Training together, active and <strong>Reserve</strong> chaplains and RPs are<br />
proving to be a well-integrated and well-trained religious<br />
ministry team. They are able to provide support to the fleet<br />
Marine environment and address unit morale and the spiritual<br />
well-being of those serving on the front lines while being fully<br />
prepared for any contingency.<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> Coastal Warfare<br />
By LCDR David M. Herschel, COMNAVRESFORCOM N82B<br />
The roots of today’s <strong>Naval</strong> Coastal Warfare go back to<br />
Vietnam. Inshore Undersea Warfare Group ONE, as part<br />
of the Republic of Vietnam Coastal Surveillance Force,<br />
provided a Western Pacific detachment that operated in the harbors<br />
of Vung Tau, Cam Rahn Bay, Qui Nhon, and Nha Trang in the<br />
1960s. Their mission then was not much different than today<br />
as noted in their Meritorious Unit Commendation: “Although<br />
operating in an environment where the United States Navy had<br />
virtually no past experience, detachment personnel were<br />
instrumental in denying enemy forces freedom of movement<br />
within assigned harbors. Harbor Defense units detected, boarded,<br />
and searched large numbers of suspect junks and craft, contributing<br />
significantly to the curtailment of acts of sabotage and the flow<br />
of enemy supplies . . . .” As the program developed into one of the<br />
premier <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> programs in the last decade, the mission<br />
evolved “. . . to provide surface and subsurface surveillance in<br />
littoral areas throughout the world. Secondary mission capabilities<br />
include command, control, and communications functions. <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> MIUW units provide the sole capability for this mission<br />
within the United States Navy.”<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> Coastal Warfare Reservists have been so successful in<br />
proving their worth that the Navy is standing up eight active-duty<br />
NCW units to aid in force-protection missions. The new units,<br />
comprised of about 580 active-duty billets, will be organized into<br />
squadrons based in San Diego and Norfolk. Their overall mission,<br />
identical to what mobilized Reservists have been doing for the<br />
past 3 1/2 years, will be defending ships and shore installations<br />
in a port, mainly from terrorist attack. The new NCW units will<br />
complement the Mobile Security Force and report to Surface<br />
Force Atlantic and Pacific respectively. <strong>Reserve</strong> NCW forces<br />
total about 3,500 billets in 45 units.<br />
The primary mission of the <strong>Naval</strong> Coastal Warfare Squadron is to<br />
exercise operational control and training, readiness, and administrative<br />
oversight of their integral C4I Detachment and assigned Mobile<br />
Inshore Warfare Units (MIUWs) and Inshore Boat Units (IBUs).<br />
Operationally, these units provide seaward surveillance and security<br />
forces in amphibious objective areas, harbors, and other militarily<br />
significant coastal and inshore areas throughout the world.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
15<br />
NCWG-1 Future<br />
Organization<br />
All the units, and most of their assigned Reservists, have been<br />
mobilized at one time or another for force-protection missions all<br />
over the world since the October 2000 attack on the USS COLE.<br />
The <strong>Reserve</strong> NCW community is organized into three kinds of<br />
units – Harbor Defense Commands, Mobile Inshore Undersea<br />
Warfare Units, and Inshore Boat Units.<br />
A Harbor Defense Command is a command-and-control unit<br />
linked to theater commanders.<br />
MIUW Units use surveillance equipment to watch for intruders<br />
trying to slip into port by boat or swimmers lurking underwater.<br />
The new baseline system consists of an upgraded AN/TSQ-108A<br />
Radar Sonar Surveillance Center (RSSC) van with a Portable<br />
Sensor Platform (PSP), a Mobile Sensor Platform (MSP), and a<br />
lightweight, small-boat deployable, underwater sensor string. In<br />
addition, each van has a Readiness Trainer System.<br />
The MSP is a sensor platform built onto a HMMWV to permit<br />
rapid deployment and maximum site flexibility. The remote<br />
sensors consist of a Thermal Imaging Sensor (TIS) and a Visual<br />
Imaging Sensor (VIS) [co-located on a computer-controlled pan<br />
and tilt mechanism] and a Furuno X-Band surface search radar<br />
with a CEA radar track processor system. Telemetry of radar data<br />
and imagery is sent back to the van over a 10 Km line-of-sight<br />
distance by a microwave transceiver with capability for future<br />
upgrades to fiber-optic cable. A stand-alone controller provides<br />
on-site operation if needed.<br />
The RSSC van has been upgraded to a V3 configuration. The<br />
new RSSC contains sensor-processing hardware [including an<br />
upgraded AN/SQR-17A(V)3 acoustic processor, an ESM system,<br />
and a Furuno/CEA radar system] as well as upgrades to the<br />
communications suite including Global Command Control<br />
System – Maritime (GCCS-M) network access, Fleet Broadcast,<br />
and PC-Based message management. A trailer-based PSP<br />
permits remoting of most antennas and emitters up to 150 feet<br />
away from the van if needed.<br />
Information from all the sensors is displayed via the Graphical<br />
Data Fusion System (GDFS). The GDFS is a software program<br />
that correlates all sensor information and overlays it onto a<br />
digitized map. On a single 19” screen display, operators can see<br />
the geographic picture, their own location, the location of the<br />
sensors, and target tracks. There are two GDFS workstations in<br />
the upgraded van, each with its own set of video monitors for<br />
display of the TIS and VIS images transmitted from MSPs.<br />
The display is user friendly, with scaleable maps, pop-up<br />
windows for sensor control and calibration, target icons using<br />
NTDS symbology, and selectable zones of target acquisition and<br />
noninterest. If desired, the actual radar video from one or all of<br />
the radars can be underlaid onto the display. Target data can be<br />
stored, replayed, and selectively routed into case files or into<br />
GCCS-M.<br />
Set up on shore, the MIUW communicates with an IBU, a unit<br />
consisting of six heavily armed patrol boats that serve as an<br />
interdiction force for any identified threat. IBUs also coordinate<br />
their efforts with Coast Guard Port Security Units.<br />
Since the attack on the COLE, every unit within <strong>Naval</strong> Coastal<br />
Warfare Group ONE in San Diego and about 1,600 Reservists<br />
have been mobilized. About 250 of those drilling Reservists have<br />
been mobilized twice. Reservists from Group ONE first served<br />
overseas in Bahrain, then guarded West Coast ports after 11 Sept.<br />
2001. The buildup of forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom, in<br />
December 2002, brought a large presence of NCW units and<br />
Reservists to Kuwait and, then, to Iraq, a presence that continues.<br />
For the ongoing force rotation, the latest mobilizations sent 225<br />
Reservists from the Group’s HDC 111, MIUW 103, and MIUW<br />
104 to Kuwait, replacing 225 coming home. Mobilized from the<br />
East Coast, the Reservists of <strong>Naval</strong> Coastal Warfare Group TWO<br />
have been just as busy.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
16<br />
NSW Reshapes Its <strong>Reserve</strong> Force for the 21st Century<br />
By JOCS(SW/AW) Austin Mansfield, <strong>Naval</strong> Special Warfare Command Public Affairs<br />
NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS BASE, CORONADO, CA – <strong>Naval</strong><br />
Special Warfare has created a new paradigm for their<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> force, and its successful implementation is<br />
an example of the creative adaptability that’s historically been<br />
associated with the NSW community.<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> Special Warfare Operational Support Group (OSG) was<br />
commissioned 1 Oct. 2003, in Coronado, CA, to match NSW<br />
active-duty operational requirements with NSW Reservist skills<br />
and expertise, in order to provide a seamless integration of active<br />
and <strong>Reserve</strong> personnel. Two additional NSW commands were<br />
established under the oversight of the OSG: Operational Support<br />
Team 1 (OST-1), located in Coronado, and Operational Support<br />
Team 2 (OST-2), in Little Creek, VA. The creation of these new<br />
commands marked the beginning of the most significant change<br />
to the NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> community in its 30-year history.<br />
“We felt there was a better way of doing business – more adaptable,<br />
flexible, and innovative, having the active and <strong>Reserve</strong> sides<br />
coming together,” said CAPT Bill Wildrick, Commander, OSG,<br />
and Assistant Chief of Staff for <strong>Reserve</strong> Support, <strong>Naval</strong> Special<br />
Warfare Command (NSWC). “We have completely revamped the<br />
way we train and administer our <strong>Reserve</strong> Component.”<br />
The OSTs mission is to provide a ready force of Selected<br />
Reservists who would be available for mobilization to support<br />
NSW component commands as functional detachments or as<br />
individuals. In addition to the administrative support that NSW<br />
Reservists previously received from a <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Center, the<br />
OSTs provide the critical interface between the active and <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
components. The OST’s Operations and Training Department,<br />
which consists of active duty SEALs, SWCCs (Special Warfare<br />
Combatant-craft Crewmen), and NSW technicians, ensures that<br />
the training of the NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Force is meeting the needs of<br />
NSW operational commanders while providing the direct<br />
operational support that is critical to a wartime fighting force.<br />
“Our Operations and Training Department staff attend the<br />
operational briefs and planning sessions at each of our supported<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> Special Warfare Groups to identify proactively <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
support requirements and issues,” said CDR Lance Bach,<br />
Commanding Officer of OST-1. “We, then, identify the right<br />
Reservist and the proper funding source to meet these requirements.”<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004<br />
The timing for the establishment of this new <strong>Reserve</strong> organization<br />
could not have been better, in light of NSW’s ever-increasing<br />
role in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The volatile<br />
environment in regions such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere<br />
demands a flexible and responsive <strong>Reserve</strong> Force to accommodate<br />
the time-sensitive, proactive direct-action operations needed<br />
to combat terrorism.<br />
“Everyone feels its impact. It’s completely transformed the<br />
way we conduct our business. Reservists enjoy better support,<br />
better customer service, better training – which makes it easier to<br />
align with customer demands, pulse active-duty needs, and plug<br />
right into those needs. It was, from inception, a collaborative<br />
effort between active duty and <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces,” said Craig Janecek,<br />
NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Program Manager.<br />
Accompanying the establishment of the three commands was a<br />
complete reorganization of the structure of the NSW <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Force. The NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Alignment Project Team, headed by<br />
LCDR Greg Granieri, a NSW Reservist and former Mk V Special<br />
Operations Craft detachment commander, spent 18 months<br />
designing and building the new NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Force. The team<br />
began by conducting a six-month, in-depth analysis of active duty<br />
NSW requirements, existing <strong>Reserve</strong> capabilities, and the “best<br />
practices” of other Navy and Special Operations Forces <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Components. The recommendations developed from this analysis<br />
were presented to working groups composed of active duty and
17<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> NSW personnel from the various operational components<br />
within NSW. These working groups confirmed the gaps between<br />
active duty requirements and <strong>Reserve</strong> capabilities, designed a<br />
detailed architectural model for NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> units, and defined<br />
the new operational procedures and organizational structure for<br />
the NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Force.<br />
A key element of this new organization was the shift from gaining<br />
command, augmentation-based <strong>Reserve</strong> units to a capability-based<br />
structure. The NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Force is now organized into 17<br />
mission capabilities that were identified during the alignment<br />
project. “Aligning our <strong>Reserve</strong> personnel into units based on<br />
required mission capabilities, rather than a specific active duty<br />
command, dramatically increased the responsiveness of our<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Force to meet active-duty requirements. The flexibility of<br />
the capability-based system, combined with the centralized NSW<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> management under OSG, allows us to flow <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
personnel rapidly to wherever they are needed throughout the<br />
NSW community,” said CDR Ken Wright, Chief Staff Officer at<br />
OSG. “Under the old system, to fill a requirement – for example<br />
corpsmen to support a training exercise – one of our <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Liaison Officers might have had to comb through ten <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
units and coordinate with a half-dozen different <strong>Reserve</strong> centers<br />
to fill the requirement. Now, with a single phone call or e-mail,<br />
an OST can access every corpsman in our <strong>Reserve</strong> Component.”<br />
The new operating force structure, established in January,<br />
consists of 53 NSW Operational Support Units and 13 NSW<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Detachments across the United States, from Hawaii to<br />
Rhode Island.<br />
“The geographic spread of the NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Detachments<br />
allows us to utilize the talents and experience of <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
SEALs, SWCCs, and selected NSW technicians, regardless of<br />
their location,” Wright said. “The unique expertise and<br />
operational experience that resides in the NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Force<br />
has repeatedly proven its value since 9/11, in operations ranging<br />
from intelligence and logistical support to direct combat with<br />
enemy forces. The NSW Detachments allow us to continue<br />
to benefit from the established operational qualifications and<br />
professional knowledge of NSW personnel once they have<br />
transitioned from active duty to the <strong>Reserve</strong> Component, no<br />
matter where they choose to live.”<br />
The NSW <strong>Reserve</strong> Force alignment is much more than a<br />
change in <strong>Reserve</strong> units or a shifting of billets.<br />
“The bottom line is that we are providing increased, meaningful<br />
support to our operational commanders,” Wright said. “We are at<br />
war, and GWOT is calling on Special Warfare to do much more.<br />
Nothing was taken off our plate, but more is now expected of us.<br />
It certainly has put the spotlight on Reservists, because they<br />
represent nearly 20 percent of NSW’s manpower.”<br />
Explosive Ordnance Disposal<br />
One of the smallest and most specialized communities<br />
within the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> is that of the NRF Explosive<br />
Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units (EODMU). These<br />
highly skilled Reservists provide several niche capabilities,<br />
including force-protection diving and underwater ordnance<br />
location, mobile communications, side-scan sonar, and combat<br />
service support. Close management and oversight of the <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
EOD program by their active component counterparts have led to<br />
superb example of active-<strong>Reserve</strong> integration.<br />
The NRF EOD community is composed of four commissioned<br />
units, two on each coast. On the West Coast, and under the<br />
operational control of EOD Group ONE, are EODMU SEVEN<br />
and EODMU SEVENTEEN, located in San Diego, CA, and<br />
Whidbey Island, WA, respectively. The East Coast Units are<br />
EODMU TEN and EODMU TWELVE located at Fort Story, VA,<br />
and Charleston, SC, and fall under the operational control of<br />
EOD Group TWO.<br />
The NRF EODMUs are composed of a series of specialized<br />
detachments and provide the following capabilities:<br />
Ordnance Clearance Detachments: The heart of the NRF<br />
EODMUs, these detachments are composed of highly skilled<br />
members, competent in the areas of diving and handling of<br />
explosives. The primary mission is the location and disposal of<br />
hazardous ordnance, both on land and under water. These<br />
detachments operate in teams of one officer and seven enlisted<br />
ordnance clearance divers (NEC 5339). Recent deployments have<br />
involved supporting force protection operations in the Fifth and<br />
Sixth Fleet areas of operation. There, they searched the hulls of<br />
U.S. Navy ships for underwater ordnance.<br />
Area Search Detachments: Skilled in the operation of towed<br />
side-scan sonar on small craft and crafts of opportunity, this type<br />
of detachment’s primary mission is the location and reacquisition<br />
of underwater objects. Recently, the EODMUs and ASDs have<br />
been involved in the Navy’s development of an Unmanned<br />
Underwater Vehicle program to support force protection.<br />
Members of these detachments have been mobilized in support of<br />
Sixth Fleet force protection requirements after the events of 11<br />
September 2001.<br />
Mobile Communications Detachments: These detachments<br />
provide independently deployable field communications for<br />
integrated command post tactical and long-haul communications<br />
in support of EOD forces in the field. They are capable of secure<br />
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18<br />
radio/telephone, satellite, photo digital imagery, GCCS-M, and<br />
various clear-voice communications. Members of these detachments<br />
have supported Operation Iraqi Freedom.<br />
Total Force Intelligence<br />
The 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center<br />
and the Pentagon ushered in a new age of warfare. The<br />
demands and challenges facing <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence<br />
professionals have changed and evolved as the Global War on<br />
Terrorism continues, step by step, against an enemy that will<br />
respond and change tactics and strategies, perhaps for years to<br />
come.<br />
The paradigm of the monthly, two-day drill and yearly 12-day<br />
annual training was turned on its head long ago within the<br />
Intelligence <strong>Reserve</strong>. Today, the Global War on Terrorism means<br />
that <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence professionals are using drills and annual<br />
training, active duty for special work, plus mobilization to active<br />
duty, into active engagement against terrorism. This war, in a form<br />
unimagined as recently as Desert Storm 13 years ago, has placed<br />
enormous demands on the Intelligence community. Success can<br />
be measured in several ways.<br />
“More than 1,700 citizen/Sailors from the Navy’s Intelligence<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> have been mobilized since 9/11,” said RDML Ann Gilbride,<br />
Commander of the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence Command. “This<br />
figure represents 41 percent of the Intelligence force’s 4000-plus<br />
Reservists. Intelligence Reservists have mobilized to 117 Navy<br />
and Joint Commands in 150 different locations worldwide.”<br />
Their contributions have been wide-ranging:<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Targeting Officers have augmented every carrier air<br />
wing deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi<br />
Freedom since 9/11.<br />
“The concept of providing fully-trained <strong>Reserve</strong> professionals<br />
to augment and integrate with active-duty forces in time of crisis<br />
is what the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> is all about,” said RADM James Zortman,<br />
Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. “I recommend<br />
that the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> continue this outstanding battle-proven<br />
program.” Targeting officers, according to RADM Zortman,<br />
have earned the trust and confidence of active components.<br />
Interrogators at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere have<br />
obtained information leading to the breakup of al-Quaida cells<br />
globally.<br />
Combat Service Support Detachment: This detachment<br />
provides berthing, messing, logistical, and limited maintenance<br />
support to EOD forces in the field, operating outside of normal<br />
base support. This detachment is composed of one officer and<br />
twelve enlisted and is supported by four active staff members. It<br />
is the newest of the EODMU’s detachments, built as a response to<br />
much-needed capabilities within the EOD community.<br />
Mobilizations over the last three years have seen members of<br />
the NRF EODMUs deployed to Souda Bay, Crete; Sigonella,<br />
Sicily; Bahrain; and beyond. Through the unique skill sets that<br />
they bring to the fight, these Reservists have made significant<br />
impact on the GWOT. The EOD community has been a leader in<br />
integrating and shaping their <strong>Reserve</strong> Component over the last<br />
two decades, which has facilitated seamless integration during these<br />
challenging times. Continued emphasis on FP/AT capabilities<br />
and GWOT will likely keep this small but effective community<br />
busy for some time to come.<br />
Intelligence professionals have deployed with Navy SEAL<br />
teams in global theaters, augmented combat staffs aboard ships,<br />
stood counterterrorism watches, supported Joint Task Forces, and<br />
captured foreign materiel.<br />
And, the use of Joint <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence Centers since 9/11<br />
has added a new weapon to the warfighting paradigm against<br />
terrorism.<br />
While most mobilized Intelligence <strong>Reserve</strong> professionals have<br />
reported to their supported Joint and Navy Commands worldwide<br />
in the response to 9/11, 13.5 percent have been mobilized to Joint<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence Centers. These 27 centers which feature<br />
state-of-the-art intelligence capabilities, are located throughout<br />
the country. They are an example of intelligence reach-back<br />
capabilities that directly support forward operations.<br />
Also, use of the Joint <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence Centers for mobilization<br />
has saved significant travel and per diem costs. They have enabled<br />
citizen/Sailors to fulfill worldwide missions via the Joint<br />
Worldwide Intelligence Communications System while remaining<br />
close to home.<br />
BG John F. Kimmons, J2 Director of Intelligence for the U.S.<br />
Central Command, has recognized the impact Reservists are<br />
having through their Joint <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence Center work. In a<br />
congratulatory letter to the Joint <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence Center in<br />
Jacksonville, FL, BG Kimmons, wrote, “Well over half of the<br />
target materials provided to warfighters in 2002 were produced<br />
by JRIC personnel.”<br />
But the story of mobilization is only one of the significant<br />
ways that <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence professionals are<br />
contributing to winning the war on terror. Every single day,<br />
24/ 7, and 365 days a year, citizen/Sailors are contributing to the<br />
military’s intelligence mission via drills, annual training, and<br />
additional ADT and ADSW days.<br />
In fact, Intelligence Reservists averaged 110 days of active<br />
duty in 2002 and 80 days of active duty in 2003. This<br />
personnel tempo is among the highest in the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong>.<br />
Yet, even with this demand on <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence resources<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
19<br />
and capabilities, retention in the community is at an astounding<br />
high.<br />
The Intelligence <strong>Reserve</strong> is led by RDML Gilbride, who is<br />
dual-hatted as both Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence<br />
Command, and the CNO N2R on the OPNAV staff working<br />
directly for the Director of <strong>Naval</strong> Intelligence. Citizen/Sailors<br />
from the <strong>Reserve</strong> command are assigned to a total of 27 Navy,<br />
Joint, and Agency commands.<br />
“The small, yet powerful force-multiplier for the <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Intelligence community lies in its 77 Full-Time Support<br />
officers,” RDML Gilbride said. “These officers are fully<br />
embedded into the operational life of the community, with 69<br />
percent assigned to billets within supported commands, 21<br />
percent assigned to <strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence production areas<br />
throughout the country, 5 percent being trained, and 4 percent<br />
assigned to headquarters staff.”<br />
RDML Gilbride works constantly for seamless active/<strong>Reserve</strong><br />
integration with RADM Rick Porterfield, Director of <strong>Naval</strong><br />
Intelligence. RADM Porterfield continually highlights the<br />
need for his active-duty officers to seek <strong>Reserve</strong> management<br />
assignments. Already, by summer of 2004, the first active-duty<br />
1630 officer is scheduled to serve as an OIC at one of the 13<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Intelligence production areas across the country.<br />
Likewise, RADM Porterfield has detailed a <strong>Reserve</strong> 1637 officer<br />
to his front office.<br />
In the all-important area of training, RADM Porterfield’s<br />
vision is for Reservists to train to the same standards as<br />
active-duty Sailors. Thus, enlisted “C” schools, previously<br />
available only to active-duty personnel, have opened their doors<br />
to <strong>Reserve</strong> Sailors. Also, the Center for <strong>Naval</strong> Intelligence will<br />
use a mix of training solutions to provide equivalent training<br />
to <strong>Reserve</strong> members within the annual <strong>Reserve</strong> commitment of<br />
24 days of drill and 12 days of annual training per year.<br />
“This means that courses of the future for both the active and<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Component can be expected to include combinations of<br />
distance learning, computer-based training, mobile training<br />
teams, and schoolhouse courses,” said CAPT Guy Holliday, the<br />
center’s Commanding Officer.<br />
Finally, RDML Gilbride, as Commander of the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Intelligence community, is working as an integral part of the Fleet<br />
Forces Command team, striving to optimize Intelligence <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
alignment with fleet requirements.<br />
Underway to Seamless Integration<br />
By CAPT Randell Smith, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Security Group Command Information Officer<br />
The <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Security Group Command<br />
(NAVRESSECGRU) is currently underway and embarked<br />
on a course which will completely transform, overhaul,<br />
and reshape missions, resources, and organizational structure as<br />
it seamlessly integrates and aligns itself with it’s active component –<br />
the <strong>Naval</strong> Security Group Command. This unprecedented and<br />
revolutionary paradigm shift forecasts sweeping changes in both<br />
culture and command infrastructure. Upon final transformation,<br />
NAVRESSECGRU will provide a more ready and relevant force<br />
with a centralized, national mission management structure targeted<br />
toward supporting emergent, quick-response requests from fleet<br />
and national command authorities.<br />
Under the leadership of RADM William D. Masters, USNR,<br />
the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Security Group has a complement of<br />
approximately 1200 <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> cryptologists geographically<br />
located across the United States. NAVRESSECGRU is an<br />
active participant in supporting and sustaining the Maritime<br />
Cryptologic Architecture (MCA) and Network Centric<br />
Warfare (NCW) under FORCEnet. The MCA is a completely<br />
interoperable system for applying cryptologic information<br />
operations anytime and anywhere through out the world.<br />
Additionally, NAVRESSECGRU Sailors provide a critically<br />
important national crypto-linguistic resource in the fight in the<br />
Global War on Terrorism.<br />
To coin a phrase, as we move into the 21st century, our “cheese<br />
has moved.” The Navy no longer has the luxury, resource, or time<br />
to continue doing business the way we always have. VADM<br />
Arthur K. Cebrowski, Director, Force Transformation, Office of<br />
the Secretary of Defense, clearly articulates transformation as<br />
“rewarding unconventional thinking and promoting a culture<br />
where people have the freedom and flexibility to take risks and<br />
try new things . . . .”<br />
A plan for reorganizing and restructuring NAVRESSECGRU was<br />
proposed by RADM Masters in November 2003. The desired<br />
outcome of these changes is a more ready and relevant force.<br />
Upon completion of this plan, targeted for 1 Oct. 2004,<br />
NAVRESSECGRU will be positioned to react more quickly to<br />
both fleet and national command authorities mission needs and<br />
requirements. Additionally, alignment will have the added<br />
benefit of optimizing NAVRESSECGRU man, train, and equip<br />
resources as well as increasing active/<strong>Reserve</strong> integration,<br />
thereby creating a potential for savings.<br />
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20<br />
As of 15 Apr. 2004, an interim mission management staff<br />
consisting of drilling Reservists has stood up at COMNAVSEC-<br />
GRU to formulate day-to-day mission management plans, policies,<br />
tasking coordination, and metrics capture/reporting. The Center<br />
for Cryptology <strong>Reserve</strong> staff has been identified and is in the<br />
process of standing up. Upon final implementation, both of these<br />
staffs will consist of a combination of full-time support and<br />
drilling <strong>Reserve</strong> personnel who will focus on the professional<br />
development and mission employment of <strong>Reserve</strong> cryptologic<br />
personnel.<br />
The Sailors of the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Security Group Command, a<br />
true <strong>Reserve</strong> force multiplier, have weighed anchor and are<br />
rapidly steaming into the 21 st century, ready and relevant in an<br />
age of asymmetric warfare and global uncertainty.<br />
Seabees Work as an Integrated Team<br />
By JOC Siegfried Bruner, First Marine Expeditionary Force Engineer Group Public Affairs<br />
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Navy Seabees have deployed in<br />
support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi<br />
Freedom. Currently, more than 450 <strong>Reserve</strong> Seabees are<br />
mobilized for these operations – about 40 percent of the Seabees<br />
deployed in this area of operations. <strong>Naval</strong> construction forces rely<br />
heavily upon <strong>Reserve</strong> personnel because they are a force multiplier;<br />
they support the operational tempo for their active-duty<br />
counterparts, bringing additional traits and experience to the<br />
deployed environment.<br />
In the Al Anbar province of Iraq, major elements of two battalions,<br />
one active duty and one <strong>Reserve</strong>, work in conjunction with a<br />
command element, the First Marine Expeditionary Force<br />
Engineer Group (I MEG). Both of these battalions, <strong>Naval</strong> Mobile<br />
Construction Battalion 74 (NMCB-74) and NMCB-14, operate in<br />
different areas; but the scope and type of work they perform are<br />
similar. “The only difference in the nature of the work performed<br />
by these two battalions is dictated by the location of their work<br />
sites and specific project requirements,” said CAPT Mark<br />
Kistner, I MEG chief of staff.<br />
CDR Lewis Hurst, I MEG operations officer, said Reservists<br />
are doing the exact same jobs as their active-duty counterparts.<br />
“If I have work to be done, it is going to the unit at that location,<br />
no questions.” Hurst said. “As the operations officer, I can’t afford<br />
to treat anyone differently – it’s all about mission accomplishment<br />
and they get the same great jobs the active [duty] personnel get.”<br />
There are some differences between the active duty and<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> personnel, though, Kistner and Hurst agree. Procedural<br />
issues, such as which forms to fill out and what instructions to<br />
refer to, tend to be a little more elusive for Reservists. However,<br />
Reservists also tend to have more experience in a trade because<br />
of their related civilian work experience. “Individuals can be<br />
more capable. Many are journeymen in their trades; they’ve been<br />
doing this [kind of work] for 10 to 20 years. They are older, and<br />
there’s a maturity factor,” said Kistner.<br />
“Reservists also possess skills that might be unrelated to their<br />
rating or military function,” Hurst added. “One of the first things<br />
I do when I know that we are getting assigned Reservists is to ask<br />
for a listing of their civilian occupations. You can’t imagine how<br />
often (Seabees) get asked to do special projects that require skills<br />
that we don’t even have in our battalions. They come to the<br />
Seabees because we are a ‘Can Do!’ organization, and they<br />
understand that we are going to find a way to make it happen. I<br />
often utilize the Reservists to make that ‘Seabee Magic,’ whether<br />
it is finding someone who knows how to evaluate a specialized<br />
piece of equipment or develop a computer program. It’s likely<br />
that someone will have the knowledge,” he said.<br />
One downside to mobilizing large numbers of Reservists for an<br />
operation, Hurst explained, is the need to allow adequate time for<br />
Reservists to prepare their families and employers for the change,<br />
and to prepare themselves for a fast-paced operational environment.<br />
Additionally, necessary training for an operation is included in<br />
the mobilization.<br />
“We also have specific training for the Tactics/Techniques and<br />
Procedures (TTPs) specific to the area [to which] they are<br />
deploying. We generally do this and all the other mobilization<br />
requirements over a one-to-two month period,” said Hurst.<br />
Seabees are ideally organized and employed to incorporate<br />
Reservists. Kistner explained the ground-campaign nature of<br />
current operations creates an opportunity to include Reservists.<br />
“If you’re going to have a <strong>Reserve</strong> element to rely on, you have<br />
to use them,” Kistner said. “If you only use them for the worstcase<br />
scenario, are you truly preparing them Are you missing out<br />
on using an effective resource”<br />
In fact, at I MEG, Reservists are integral to the command element<br />
here, performing in various positions and at various levels. “I<br />
would say you would be hard pressed to come into our organization<br />
and determine who is a Reservist or active (duty),” Hurst said.<br />
“From our command master chief and our communications officer<br />
to our petty officer of the watch, all Reservists.”<br />
Seabees are currently involved in OIF in a variety of ways in<br />
support of the I MEF. They provide force protection construction<br />
and civil-military operations, which include the clearing of<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
21<br />
rubble and rebuilding of infrastructure. The MEG’s officer in<br />
charge of construction has managed and/or awarded more than<br />
$100 million in contracts for rebuilding and improving water<br />
treatment plants, city infrastructure, roads, and various other<br />
structures (soccer stadiums, schools, hospitals, etc.) to improve<br />
stability and quality of life for the Iraqi people. These contracts,<br />
in turn, provide employment for hundreds of Iraqis.<br />
Seabees are also providing training to young Iraqis, through an<br />
innovative program called Iraqi Construction Apprentice<br />
Program (ICAP), which teaches them construction skills that they<br />
can bring back to their communities to foster self-sufficiency and<br />
a more prosperous future.<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> Expeditionary Logistics Support Force<br />
Delivers Joint Combat Capability<br />
“Cargo Transfer Company,” “Petroleum, Oil, Lubricant<br />
(POL),” and “Army Post Offices (APOs)” are key trade phrases<br />
in Army combat service support/logistics circles. But wait, this<br />
is a Navy association publication and is written for those with an<br />
interest in Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> issues – so why the Army jargon<br />
Because over 525 Navy <strong>Reserve</strong> cargo handlers (stevedores,<br />
fuels, and mail) from the <strong>Naval</strong> Expeditionary Logistics Support<br />
Force (NAVELSF) are working with the Army to provide critical<br />
combat logistics support to Soldiers and Marines in Iraq and<br />
Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).<br />
In January 2004, NAVELSF mobilized over 525 Sailors from<br />
four of its Cargo Handling and Supply Support Battalions for<br />
port stevedore and marshalling yard work, fuel farm (depot)<br />
operations, mail operations, and air cargo handling in Iraq and<br />
Kuwait. These Sailors relieved and augmented a variety of Army<br />
and Marine Corps logistics units. “This is the single largest recall<br />
and deployment in NAVELSF history. We first had the challenge<br />
to integrate ourselves; four battalions had to become one group,<br />
NAVELSF Forward Alpha,” explains the Group Commander,<br />
CAPT Ray English, SC, USNR. “Then, we had to integrate into<br />
the Army TACON chains of command.”<br />
So in a predominantly Army green environment, how is the<br />
Navy blue and gold doing “Everywhere I go I see magnificent men<br />
and women who are totally integrated into the Army’s forces,”<br />
said Major Gen. Stephen Speakes, the Coalition Forces Land<br />
Component Commander’s (CFLCC) logistics chief at Camp<br />
Arifjan in Kuwait. Regardless of the specific tactical mission,<br />
Sailors are working in a joint environment supporting Army<br />
logisticians.<br />
Port Cargo Handling Operations<br />
The 350 Sailors of NAVELSF FWD(A)’s Port Element have<br />
been working for CFLCC on the deployment and redeployment<br />
of over 240,000 Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, and<br />
equipment since February of this year at the Port of Ash<br />
Shuaybah, Kuwait. This location, 45 miles south of Kuwait City,<br />
has been the seaport of debarkation/embarkation for the AOR and<br />
is the key civilian port for all of Kuwait. Port element responsibilities<br />
are broken down into shipboard stevedoring and managing<br />
marshalling yards.<br />
Combat Stevedores<br />
Sailors work the piers that service numerous types of Military<br />
Sealift Command (MSC) ships – the largest are LMSRs. If you<br />
asked anyone what LMSR stands for, they might not know; but it<br />
is one of the latest and most capable MSC ships. It is officially a<br />
“Large, Medium Speed, Roll-on/Roll-off Ship,” and at 950 feet<br />
the LMSR is almost as long as an aircraft carrier.<br />
The Sailors work 24/7 in two section watches during surge<br />
operations. While detailed to the port, these Sailors have handled,<br />
directed traffic, and managed securing of roll-on/roll-off and<br />
lift-on/lift-off cargo for over 40 deployment/redeployment vessel<br />
operations. “This is exactly what we’ve trained for. It’s tough,<br />
but I like it so much I’m thinking of going active duty,” said Petty<br />
Officer 2nd Class Harold Milles, 33, of Chicago, IL. At home,<br />
Milles, a stevedore cargo handler, commutes to California once a<br />
month to drill with his unit.<br />
In any operation, optempo and morale are not always in sync.<br />
“I love it,” Chief Petty Officer Clark Lindner said, as he oversaw<br />
the loading of 700 tanks, trucks, Humvees, and helicopters of the<br />
Army’s 4th Infantry Division onto the decks and into the holds of<br />
the MV CAPE HORN at the docks of Ash Shuaybah. “I love being<br />
on ships; the people, the camaraderie you have with everybody.”<br />
“You can’t be out here without a sense of patriotism,” said<br />
Lindner, 40, of Donnelsville, OH. He works for a welding materials<br />
manufacturer but likes his military job better.<br />
Marshalling Yard<br />
Much of what the Sailors are in charge of are vehicles, or<br />
“rolling stock,” as they enter and leave their dusty, rock-strewn<br />
yards hundreds of acres in size. Since mobilized, these Sailors<br />
have moved 244,874 vehicles and containers in and out of the<br />
yards.<br />
“The Army and Navy are working together,” said LCDR Bruce<br />
Weidner, Officer-in-Charge of the yards. Weidner indicated<br />
that simple changes like tying a colored ribbon to each vehicle to<br />
indicate what ship it is destined for makes the job much easier.<br />
“We provide a valet parking service,” he said. “We can find any<br />
piece of equipment in these vast yards in 15 minutes,” he says<br />
proudly.<br />
At one point during the surge in April, over 4,000 vehicles were<br />
in the yards awaiting the return trip home. Simultaneously,<br />
Sailors were busy managing the flow of vehicles and containers<br />
off the ships to the marshalling yards where the rightful owner<br />
could claim them for movement to Iraq for their one-year bootson-ground<br />
deployment. Several combat units, both coming and<br />
going, have praised the efficiency and service of the Sailors<br />
operating these marshalling yards.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
22<br />
Fuel Farm Operations<br />
Navy Reservists also serve a critical logistics role north of the<br />
border in Iraq where they operate fuel farms. NAVELSF<br />
FWD(A) Fuels, 528USNPOL as Army calls them, has a mission<br />
to build, retrofit, and maintain bulk fuel storage facilities at Camp<br />
Anaconda, a massive logistics hub 65 miles north of Baghdad.<br />
The safe and successful operation of the fuel farm with over<br />
eighty 50,000-gallon rubber bladders that look like oversized<br />
waterbeds, provides critical fuel for the movement of personnel<br />
and supplies to other sites throughout the country. This fuel farm,<br />
the largest in Iraq, frequently comes under mortar and rocket<br />
attack from insurgents. In addition, FWD(A) Fuels has assisted in<br />
the operation of two other expeditionary fuel farms in Iraq.<br />
At Anaconda, the insurgents appear to have a strategy with<br />
their attacks. In May, a rocket or mortar hit one of the bladders<br />
and punched a hole into one of the fuel bags; but it didn’t blow<br />
up – it was a dud. None of the Reservists were injured.<br />
While attacks are not a surprise anymore, the Navy’s taking<br />
over the Army’s job at the fuel farm was for Army Spc. Jaimie<br />
Cruz of Orlando, FL. “It was a shock,” Cruz said. “But I am<br />
happy the Navy came in. I think they are doing a good job.”<br />
“We’re just trying to improve on what the Army has done<br />
here so that when we turn it over to the next unit, it will be<br />
better,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Mike Miller, a Reservist from<br />
Los Angeles, CA, as his fellow citizen Seabee, Petty Officer<br />
1st Class Jody White, operated the bulldozer.<br />
Once again, the NAVELSF FWD(A) delivers – but instead<br />
of vehicles and cargo containers as at the port, in Iraq the<br />
NAVELSF FWD(A) is fueling a free Iraq. Navy Reservists at<br />
Camp Anaconda have added an additional 1,000,000-gallons of<br />
fuel to the capacity at the camp. Through Navy ingenuity, they<br />
developed a way to repair and renovate nine large fuel bunkers<br />
that are remnants of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The hardened<br />
bunkers provide an extra safety net for fuel capacity in country if<br />
needed – as in April when the insurgents stopped many convoys.<br />
Postal Operations<br />
Part of the Navy combat logistics mission in the AOR includes<br />
delivering the mail. The 33 NAVELSF FWD(A) Sailors providing<br />
postal service operations at five different locations in the AOR<br />
have rung-up over one million dollars in sales and handled over a<br />
million pounds of mail since arriving. The post office is a huge<br />
morale builder, allowing mail from loved ones to arrive in a timely<br />
fashion to Soldiers fighting the war.<br />
Army Sgt. Brandon Fletcher of Gilt Edge, TN, is one of the<br />
beneficiaries of the Navy’s postal ops. “Actually, the post office<br />
seems to be running a little more efficiently, a little<br />
smoother since the Navy’s taken over,” he said.<br />
Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mate Albert Diaz, 48,<br />
of Jacksonville, FL, was postmaster at Camp<br />
Wolverine, just outside the gate of Kuwait City<br />
International Airport, prior to the Army’s moving<br />
the location elsewhere in Kuwait. In his civilian<br />
life, Diaz manages the night shift at a U.S.<br />
Postal Service processing center in northern<br />
Florida.<br />
Diaz put his civilian experience to work numerous ways during<br />
his deployment at Camp Wolverine, where he and his postal<br />
clerks took over for an Army postal detachment. A truck delivers<br />
the mail every morning, backing up to one end of the tent.<br />
Before, the Army postal clerks would climb up into the back of<br />
the truck and toss the bags of mail, some weighing as much as 70<br />
pounds, down to the ground. Once they were done, they’d have<br />
to climb back down, or jump several feet onto the stony ground.<br />
“I looked at that as a safety hazard,” Diaz said. So, Diaz had a<br />
platform built, level with the truck bed. Now, the bags of mail<br />
slide down gravity rollers onto a chest-high wheeled platform<br />
into the office. “Being fresh, we probably saw opportunities for<br />
improvement that they just didn’t see,” he said. “We are always<br />
looking for ways to do things better.”<br />
Mobile Air Cargo Handling Team<br />
Twenty-one Sailors from the Omaha, Neb., area work side-byside<br />
with their sea service counterparts to expedite critical<br />
Marine Air supplies and parts. They work for the 3rd Marine Air<br />
Wing (3rd MAW) at eight locations in Iraq and Kuwait.<br />
“The knothole has always been the last mile,” said LTCOL<br />
Rich Coleman, a supply liaison officer with the 3rd MAW.<br />
“The work and dedication of these Sailors is outstanding. These<br />
parts are critical for us to keep flying. Prior to them arriving, nobody<br />
had the specific job of looking out for Marine Air Wing shipments<br />
within Iraq and Kuwait. As a result, no one took responsibility<br />
for making sure shipments reached their final destination,”<br />
Coleman said.<br />
Once cargo comes in on a transport plane, if it is not claimed<br />
within the first four hours of being on the ground, it is moved to<br />
a yard, where it waits to be claimed. The Mobile Air Cargo<br />
Handling (MACH) team members ensure the cargo never makes<br />
it to the yard, but rather is expedited to the air wing.<br />
Senior Chief Storekeeper (SCW) Debby Schouten from Pleasant<br />
Hill, MO, is the MACH Team noncommissioned officer-in-charge<br />
at the hangar at Balad Air Base, Camp Anaconda. Within days of<br />
their arrival, the team identified and forwarded numerous critical<br />
parts. “Unfortunately because we didn’t have visibility of the parts, they<br />
were getting backlogged in places. Since March, we have shipped<br />
out about 1,400 pieces of cargo. We’ve been shoving things to<br />
them as fast as we can,” Schouten said. The NAVELSF MACH<br />
Team delivers for the Marines.<br />
Summary<br />
Early last December, if you were to ask any of the 525 Navy<br />
Reservists from the <strong>Naval</strong> Expeditionary Logistics Support Force<br />
where they would be spending the summer of ’04, the last<br />
place most would have guessed was Kuwait or Iraq. Their<br />
sense of service, patriotism, and pride keeps them<br />
focused in conditions that exceed 115 degrees every day.<br />
They move cargo at the port, manage vast marshalling<br />
yards, provide fuel services in Iraq, sort care packages<br />
for Soldiers at the post office, and expedite Marine<br />
Air parts and supplies to Marine aviators. All this is<br />
a testimony to the fact that NAVELSF delivers combat<br />
capability through logistics to the joint warfighter!<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
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24<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
50th Anniversary Year Conference<br />
Washington, DC – 16-19 September 2004<br />
Confirmed Guest Speakers<br />
Invited Guest Speakers<br />
The Hon.. Anthony J.<br />
Principi<br />
Secretary of Veterans Affairs<br />
RADM Robert M. Clark, USNR<br />
Commander, Amphibious Forces,<br />
Second Fleet Deputy Commander<br />
RADM John P. Debbout, USNR<br />
Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Forces Command<br />
RADM David O. Anderson, USNR<br />
Director of Force Integration<br />
Fleet Forces Command<br />
The Hon.. Gordon R. England<br />
Secretary of the Navy<br />
ADM Vernon E. Clark, USN<br />
Chief of <strong>Naval</strong> Operations<br />
Thursday, 16 September<br />
1300-1630 Registration<br />
1630 Buses depart hotel for the Navy Memorial<br />
1700-1900 President's Reception at the Navy Memorial<br />
1915 Buses depart reception for hotel<br />
1945 Arrive hotel, evening free<br />
Friday, 17 September<br />
Conference Schedule<br />
1800-1900 Anniversary Ball Reception<br />
1900-2300 Anniversary Ball<br />
Secretary of the Navy and Chief of <strong>Naval</strong><br />
Operations invited<br />
Sunday, 19 September<br />
0800 Continental Breakfast<br />
0830-1030 General session<br />
1100 Conference adjourns<br />
0800-1000 Award breakfast<br />
Guest of honor: The Honorable Anthony Principi<br />
Secretary of Veterans Affairs<br />
1015-1100 General Session<br />
Speaker: Mr. Tom Kimmel, Grandson of<br />
Admiral Kimmel<br />
1115-1700 Tours<br />
Buses will take interested registrants sight seeing.<br />
A survey of interest will be sent to all registrants<br />
to determine attractions to see.<br />
1730 Hospitality Suites, evening free<br />
Saturday, 18 September<br />
0700-0800 Continental breakfast for delegates<br />
0800-1700 Committee breakouts<br />
0800-1400 Professional Development Symposium<br />
Theme: The <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong>, past, present and<br />
future.<br />
Speakers: RADM John Debbout, RADM Dave<br />
Anderson, RADM Bob Clark<br />
0900-1100 Anchors Breakfast Program<br />
CONFERENCE UNIFORMS:<br />
Meetings and Luncheons – Service Khaki, or Appropriate<br />
Civilian Attire.<br />
Saturday Gala Banquet – Dinner Dress Blue Jacket/Black tie.<br />
Anchors Committee Activities<br />
Delegates, members of the Anchors and spouses attending the<br />
conference will be together Thursday evening, all day Friday and for<br />
the Ball on Saturday night. From 0900 -1100 on Saturday morning,<br />
the Anchors will meet for a breakfast to enjoy the fellowship and<br />
recognize the many who have made the Anchors what they are today.<br />
Throughout the conference,<br />
the Anchors will be engaged in<br />
fundraising activities that support<br />
the spouses of the Junior Officers<br />
of the Year and other programs.<br />
They will raffle sets of <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> Chinaware.<br />
Individual place setting will be<br />
available for purchase at a reduced<br />
price. Each place setting includes five pieces of dinnerware and an<br />
attractive Charger plate.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
25<br />
The Radisson Hotel Old Town<br />
is pleased to welcome:<br />
The <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
16-19 September 2004<br />
The Radisson Hotel Old Town welcomes you to Alexandria, Virginia.<br />
Situated just off the George Washington Parkway, we are located<br />
minutes from the historic sites of Washington, DC, Mount Vernon,<br />
and all major attractions in our nation’s capital. Courtesy transportation is<br />
available from Reagan National Airport and its metro station, making<br />
connections convenient.<br />
Area attractions include:<br />
● Historic Old Town Alexandria,<br />
4 blocks<br />
● Gadsby’s Tavern, 6 blocks<br />
● Carlyle House Historic Park,<br />
6 blocks<br />
● The Torpedo Factory Art Center,<br />
10 blocks<br />
● Washington, DC, monuments<br />
and museums<br />
● Arlington National Cemetery<br />
● Mount Vernon<br />
● Pentagon City Mall<br />
253 spacious and newly renovated<br />
guest rooms, most with spectacular<br />
river views. All rooms include: coffee<br />
maker, iron and ironing board, voice<br />
mail and dataports, hairdryer, cable<br />
TV and pay per view movies, and<br />
complimentary USA TODAY delivered<br />
weekdays.<br />
Shuttle service to and from Reagan<br />
National Airport every 30 minutes.<br />
Newly installed business center.<br />
Chequers features an extensive<br />
breakfast and luncheon buffet, as well<br />
as fresh seafood, salads, and traditional<br />
favorites, such as Maryland crabcakes,<br />
from the region. Enjoy in-room dining<br />
from room service, offering breakfast,<br />
dinner, all-day selections,children’s<br />
menu and a wide array of beverages.<br />
Chequers Lounge serves light fare throughout the day. Daily happy hour<br />
from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with complimentary appetizers.<br />
Room Service: 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily<br />
Reservations: Call 1-800-333-3333. Make sure you tell them you are with<br />
the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> to get the group rate.<br />
Rate: $135.00 per night plus $1.00 occupancy tax and 10% state tax for<br />
king or double/double.<br />
Rooms are limited. Reservations received after August 24, 2004, are<br />
subject to availability and may not qualify for the group rate.<br />
Cancellations less than 24 hours prior to arrival date will be assessed one<br />
night’s room plus taxes.<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
Fall National Conference<br />
The Radisson Hotel Old Town<br />
Alexandria, VA<br />
16-19 September 2004<br />
REGISTRATION<br />
NAME/<br />
RANK____________________________________<br />
(AS DESIRED ON NAME TAG)<br />
LIFE<br />
MEMBER: YES _____ NO _____<br />
MAILING<br />
ADDRESS______________________________________________________________<br />
CITY____________________ STATE_____ ZIP________ PHONE: (<br />
SPOUSE’S NAME<br />
(IF ATTENDING)____________________________<br />
(AS DESIRED ON NAME TAG)<br />
) __<br />
LIFE<br />
MEMBER: YES_____ NO_____<br />
HOTEL ARRIVAL DATE____________________ DEPARTURE DATE_______________<br />
REGISTRATION FEES: MEMBER: $135.00 SPOUSE/ANCHORS: $135.00<br />
AFTER 24 AUG. 2004: MEMBER: $145.00 SPOUSE/ANCHORS: $145.00<br />
TOTAL FORWARDED: $_________<br />
REGISTRATION FEES INCLUDE:<br />
Thursday night President’s reception;<br />
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday morning<br />
breakfast; and the 50th Anniversary<br />
Gala Banquet on Saturday night.<br />
Credit card type: (AMEX, VISA, Master Card, Discover)<br />
_____________________________<br />
FINANCE CHAIRMAN<br />
DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE, FOR<br />
CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE ONLY<br />
____________ Delegate NRA Chapter____________<br />
____________ Certified Delegate<br />
Authorized Signature:___________________________________________<br />
Credit card number:_____________________________ Exp. Date:______<br />
Make checks payable to: NRA 2004 Fall National Conference<br />
Mail this form to:<br />
NRA 2004 Fall National Conference<br />
c/o Chief Financial Officer<br />
1619 King Street<br />
Alexandria, VA 22314<br />
Fax: 703-683-3647 ● E-mail: cfo@navy-reserve.org<br />
✂<br />
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORMS<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
26<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> Awards<br />
The Committee and the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> would<br />
Mr. Kevin C. Cossel<br />
Idaho Falls, ID<br />
Mellish/Weeks Scholarship<br />
Kevin Cossel, a resident of<br />
Idaho, is a sophomore this fall<br />
at the California Institute of<br />
Technology in Pasadena, CA.<br />
This is the second NRA<br />
scholarship he has been<br />
awarded. He has achieved<br />
outstanding grades in the<br />
demanding field of chemistry.<br />
In addition to working on a<br />
research project in chemistry,<br />
he has found time to play on<br />
the school baseball team and organize pranks around the campus.<br />
Outside of school, he enjoys the outdoors – hunting, fishing,<br />
camping, and playing his guitar. His ambition is great. After he<br />
graduates from CALTECH, he plans to get a PhD in chemical<br />
physics. He would like to work in a research position at a<br />
university or in the military. He would like to use his education<br />
to develop something that would benefit society in some way.<br />
Mr. Ryan P. Dobbertien<br />
Orange Park, FL<br />
USAA Scholarship<br />
Ryan Dobbertien, the eldest<br />
of four boys, has been accepted<br />
at Duke University and is<br />
pursuing a major in Biomedical<br />
Engineering. Ryan’s father<br />
reentered the military in June<br />
2003, leaving a solo surgical<br />
practice. As a result of working<br />
with handicapped children,<br />
Ryan plans on the possibility<br />
of using applied math and<br />
science to help others. New<br />
technology will be able to improve the quality of life for ill and<br />
injured people. Mechanical and biomedical advances have the<br />
potential to solve many of the problems of human frailty. Ryan<br />
hopes to be able to contribute to this effort. In addition to being<br />
a first-rate scholar, he was a varsity sports athlete and was selected<br />
for the state all-star team for high school soccer.<br />
Ms. Brittany K. Hughlett<br />
Santa Paula, CA<br />
Hendel Scholarship<br />
Brittany Hughlett has<br />
completed her sophomore<br />
year as a zoology major at<br />
Ventura Community College.<br />
She has been accepted at<br />
the University of Hawaii<br />
for further study. After<br />
high school, she worked<br />
long hours at a coffee shop.<br />
Her grades suffered as a result<br />
of 36-hour work weeks. In<br />
need of money, she began<br />
working part-time as a lifeguard. She plays saxophone,<br />
bass guitar, drums and was given an award for outstanding<br />
musicianship. With or without help, Brittany is determined to<br />
pursue a B.S. in Zoology. She feels she has the willpower and<br />
determination to pursue her interests under the most trying<br />
circumstances.<br />
Mr. William S. Koscielny<br />
Raymond, ME<br />
Hamilton Scholarship<br />
William Koscielny, from<br />
Maine, will attend Northeastern<br />
University in Boston. His<br />
baccalaureate major is in<br />
Psychology. His childhood<br />
has been shaped by the many<br />
moves his Navy parents made<br />
while he was growing up.<br />
Living in Maine has had the<br />
most profound impact on his<br />
life. There, he was introduced<br />
to the Boy Singers of Maine.<br />
This led to participation in choir festivals at the state level.<br />
Another interest is Latin. As a member of the Latin club, he has<br />
won numerous awards on the national level. A major hobby is<br />
computers. He assists his hometown, family, and friends in<br />
solving their computer problems. His long-term goal is to<br />
practice clinical psychology.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
27<br />
Eleven Scholarships for AY 2004-2005<br />
like to congratulate these recipients of the scholarship awards:<br />
Ms. Rachel E. Lowen<br />
Ashburn, VA<br />
Mellish/Weeks Scholarship<br />
Rachel Lowen is now a<br />
sophomore at Grove City<br />
College. As a resident of<br />
Virginia, she was nervous and<br />
slightly frightened as she set<br />
forth for the first time on the<br />
campus. She had never been<br />
away from home permanently<br />
before. But she made good<br />
friends and kept up with the<br />
school’s academic vigor. She<br />
is now acclimated to college<br />
life and has formed good study habits. As a recipient of a<br />
major scholarship, we wish her well. As an English major, she<br />
continues to pursue her passion as a screenwriter. Her desire is<br />
to adapt classic literature with characters who have inspired<br />
their subjects with courage, patriotism, selflessness, and purity.<br />
It will be a hard business to get into, but having already met some<br />
writers who have major productions – the doors will open.<br />
Paul E. Morrow<br />
Crystal River, FL<br />
Schultz Scholarship<br />
Paul Morrow, from Florida,<br />
has been accepted at the<br />
Maine Maritime Academy<br />
and the Florida Institute<br />
of Technology. As an Eagle<br />
Scout, he has over 520 hours<br />
of community service to his<br />
credit at a local hospital, a<br />
national wildlife refuge, and<br />
church work. He was<br />
involved in the <strong>Naval</strong> Junior<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Officers Training<br />
Corps. Awards included the Governor’s High School All-Star<br />
Award, member of the National Honor Society, and treasurer of<br />
the Key Club. His hobbies are piano and computer design and<br />
assembly. With this background, he plans to receive a double<br />
major in computer and electrical engineering. The challenge will<br />
be great; but with patience and perseverance, he is certain he can<br />
achieve his goal. A science instructor at Central Florida<br />
Community College writes, “His commendable strength of<br />
character, extraordinary work ethic and proven scholarship<br />
distinguish Mr. Morrow as an outstanding young man and<br />
student who will thrive as a full-time college student.”<br />
Mr. Erik S. Paulson<br />
Sun Prairie, WI<br />
Mellish/Weeks Scholarship<br />
Erik Paulson plans on<br />
studying engineering or<br />
chemistry at Wheaton College<br />
in Illinois. He hails from Sun<br />
Prairie, WI. In high school,<br />
his mentors say he sets high<br />
personal, scholastic, and<br />
athletic goals and excels in all<br />
of them. A vigorous course<br />
of study in high school has<br />
prepared him well for a<br />
college career. His athletic<br />
skills have resulted in his being awarded five varsity track and<br />
football letters. As a result of community service, he was<br />
awarded the Madison Area Elks student-of-the-year award. His<br />
long-range goal is to be in a profession which utilizes his talents,<br />
allows him to make a positive impact on society, encourages<br />
lifelong learning, and demands high standards of character.<br />
Jacqueline D. Perez<br />
Jacksonville, FL<br />
Mellish/Weeks Scholarship<br />
Jacqueline Perez has<br />
finally realized a childhood<br />
ambition and will be attending<br />
the Massachusetts Institute<br />
of Technology this fall.<br />
During her high school<br />
years, she developed the<br />
skills of disciplined study<br />
habits, communications,<br />
leadership, perseverance, and<br />
community involvement. Her<br />
home is in Jacksonville, FL.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
28<br />
Throughout her four years of high school, she was on the school<br />
honor roll. She was senior class treasurer, math club vice<br />
president, National Honor Society secretary and active in the<br />
science club, Spanish honor society, and the junior engineering<br />
technical society. Her long-range goal is to complete a masters<br />
degree in mechanical engineering or physics and make a<br />
meaningful contribution to society.<br />
Mr. Thomas M. Schwedhelm<br />
Carson City, NV<br />
NRA Scholarship<br />
Thomas Schwedhelm is an<br />
Eagle Scout who intends to<br />
major in Chemistry at the<br />
University of Nevada, Reno.<br />
Through the Boy Scouts, he<br />
has learned the value of<br />
loyalty, helpfulness, obedience,<br />
and bravery that has shaped<br />
his life. Through sports, he<br />
has learned team work and<br />
perseverance. He is justifiably<br />
proud of his high school<br />
scholastic achievements. As a straight “A” student, he was always<br />
on the Dean’s List. He is committed to keeping his school<br />
work at this level for the remainder of his school years. His goal<br />
is to get a PhD in Chemistry and go into research. He is thinking<br />
about pharmacology and maybe finding a cure for some illness.<br />
Mr. Lucas S. Slominski<br />
Liverpool, NY<br />
NRA Scholarship<br />
Lucas Slominski is the<br />
oldest of a family of four<br />
boys. He is a sophomore<br />
at Syracuse, studying<br />
illustrations. Aside from<br />
art, his dream job upon<br />
graduation would be as a<br />
continuity artist for a major<br />
special effects company.<br />
Breaking into this career<br />
field is a difficult task. His<br />
major is the undergraduate<br />
curriculum of multiple continuity artists, working for companies<br />
such as Industrial Light and Magic, Esc, and Paramount. He<br />
also plans to enroll in several film-related electives as well as<br />
advertising classes. Our best wishes to a struggling artist. In<br />
addition to art, the other factor shaping his life has been the Boy<br />
Scouts. After six years of work, he was awarded the rank of Eagle<br />
Scout. The prestige of this honor he considers his greatest<br />
achievement to date. It illustrates his devotion to the values of<br />
Scouting. Lucas has always been employed part-time. His<br />
employer at Chase-Pitkin says, “His work ethic and ability to<br />
perform his job duties go beyond those who have twice as many<br />
years in the workplace.”<br />
Ms. Kristle A. White<br />
Panama City, FL<br />
Hendel Scholarship<br />
Kristle White, from Panama<br />
City, FL, is planning on<br />
attending the University of<br />
Florida with a prospective<br />
major in engineering. As a<br />
competitive swimmer on the<br />
Panama City swim team for<br />
four years, she learned the<br />
benefits of hard work and<br />
strong leadership. This led<br />
her to become involved in<br />
community work and being<br />
named as Valedictorian of her high school class of 2004. With<br />
parental guidance providing a proper foundation for her<br />
character and as a four-year straight “A” student, she looks<br />
forward to continued success at the university level. She intends to<br />
earn a masters degree and become a successful member of the<br />
workforce and society.<br />
Editor’s Note:<br />
The <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> awards scholarships for<br />
the sons and daughters of its members. We are pleased to<br />
present eleven scholarships totaling $25,000 for the<br />
2004-2005 academic year. This year’s scholarship program<br />
received support from CAPT Rolland Hamilton, the CAPT<br />
Dick Hendel Memorial Fund, CAPT Lucille W. Mellish,<br />
CDR William J. Mellish, CAPT Blanche B. Schultz, The<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Fund, and USAA.<br />
If you wish to contribute to the scholarship program,<br />
please make your checks payable to the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Fund. The fund is exempt from Federal income tax under<br />
the provisions of IRS Code Section 501(c)3. Scholarship<br />
applications for the next academic year (2005-2006) will be<br />
available this fall. Announcements will appear in the NRA<br />
<strong>NEWS</strong>.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
29<br />
The <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
Christmas/Holiday Card Assortment<br />
The <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> is proud to present the 2004 Christmas/Holiday<br />
Cards. This program provides you with unique, historic-naval-oriented<br />
holiday greeting cards unavailable anywhere else, and helps us to raise the<br />
funds necessary to further our <strong>Association</strong>’s goals and projects in support of the<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> and our nation. This year’s Christmas/Holiday Card Package will<br />
consist of 16 cards, four each of four distinctive designs based on original artwork<br />
commissioned exclusively for our use. This Christmas/Holiday Card Package, our<br />
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NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
30 Junior Officer Country<br />
Mentoring Is Synonymous<br />
with Good Leadership<br />
LCDR Phan Phan, USNR<br />
National VP for Junior Officers<br />
The following article has been published<br />
with permission from its author, CAPT<br />
Billy Martin, Commanding Officer, NRC<br />
Memphis. Thank you, CAPT Martin.<br />
The Navy has directed that every<br />
command establish a mentorship<br />
program along with a governing<br />
instruction. This instruction is in the<br />
works, as we speak, and is spearheaded<br />
by two talented officers (CAPT Jack<br />
Crockett, the CO of PERS-6 Unit and<br />
CAPT Dave Gates, the former CO of<br />
Recruiting Support Unit). You will be<br />
hearing more about this program in the<br />
coming months. Nevertheless, it gives me<br />
an opportunity to say a few words about<br />
the tradition of mentorship, which is<br />
essential and necessary to good leadership<br />
and must be present in any command that<br />
has any expectation of being successful.<br />
To the Ancient Greeks a “mentor” was a<br />
“loyal friend or wise advisor – a trusted<br />
guardian and teacher.” We find the first<br />
mentor in the story of the Odyssey, a book<br />
written by an author named Homer. In<br />
this book, Homer imparts the story of<br />
Mentor (a wise and trusted friend) who<br />
was asked to guard the household of<br />
Odysseus, who must leave his family to<br />
fight in the Trojan Wars. Mentor meets<br />
her obligations by successfully watching<br />
over the kingdom and becomes a trusted<br />
guardian and teacher to Odysseus’ son.<br />
(In actuality, Mentor was the Goddess<br />
Athena, in disguise.)<br />
Like Mentor, ALL of us are called to<br />
serve as an example and a guardian to<br />
those we serve and with whom we work. I<br />
do not know what guiding principles<br />
CAPT Gates and CAPT Crockett have in<br />
mind for our Mentoring Instruction.<br />
However, I do not have to try very hard to<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004<br />
conjure up what it would entail to serve as a<br />
successful mentor and the benefits derived<br />
for all concerned in any given command.<br />
A mentor should be concerned with his/her<br />
“apprentice’s” professional development,<br />
training, personal welfare, and individual<br />
readiness. In definitive terms, a mentor would<br />
ensure that evaluations and fitness reports<br />
were submitted on time, that individuals<br />
were appropriately recognized when warranted<br />
and deserved, were suitably trained with the<br />
proper schooling, were provided time<br />
and access to Professional Development<br />
Boards (PDBs) and subject to the wisdom<br />
of its members, and were accurately<br />
considered to take advancement exams<br />
when expected. Regardless of what our<br />
final instruction asserts, good mentorship<br />
is indistinguishable from good leadership.<br />
Our nation’s defenders (our personnel)<br />
deserve our very best leadership and<br />
mentorship. You may recall my past<br />
comments on the CNO’s notion of covenant<br />
leadership . . . leaders and their subordinates<br />
make promises to each other – we promise<br />
(to each other) a personal commitment to<br />
mission accomplishment – in turn, leaders<br />
promise their personal commitment to the<br />
growth and development of those they<br />
mentor. We must always remember that<br />
we are answerable to each other – but more<br />
importantly (and this is a characteristic of<br />
leadership, and sound mentorship, that<br />
is forgotten the most often by many in<br />
leadership positions) – we are accountable<br />
to those WE SERVE.<br />
Our lives frequently lack the conscientious<br />
discrimination required to decide and act<br />
properly. Our own personal motivations are<br />
often obscured, complicating our decisionmaking.<br />
We are often not our own best<br />
judges regarding professional and personal<br />
courses of action. Consequently, telling<br />
the truth, to others and to ourselves is one<br />
of the cornerstones of sound mentoring<br />
and the foundation of good leadership.<br />
Furthermore, we cannot “go it alone.”<br />
Accordingly, we need to serve as a mentor<br />
and be mentored to, in order to discuss and<br />
explore personal and professional issues<br />
effectively.<br />
Narrative ethics tells us that values are<br />
transmitted through the telling of stories<br />
and is most effective when we (or the others<br />
for whom we are mentoring) see ourselves<br />
as an integral part of the story. Does our<br />
life story reflect the behavior of someone<br />
committed to improving the lives of<br />
those we lead What kind of environment<br />
do we create that promotes or nurtures<br />
positive mentoring and leadership In<br />
order to be truly effective, we need to<br />
model the behavior we want inculcated<br />
and demonstrated in our sphere of<br />
influence. More people than you can<br />
imagine look up to you and follow your<br />
example. In other words, we ALL serve<br />
as a mentor – good or bad – for someone<br />
(whether we intend to or not). Therefore,<br />
wouldn’t we prefer they point to us as<br />
the person whose qualities they most<br />
admire and want to emulate At all times,<br />
remember that there is always someone<br />
watching you who wants to be just like you.<br />
Finally, great leaders make other great<br />
leaders (or, expressed another way – great<br />
mentors make other great mentors). This<br />
is the most important part of leadership<br />
and mentorship – If I am not creating other<br />
leaders (future mentors), then my leadership<br />
(mentorship) offers little lasting value.<br />
Consequently, what legacy will you leave<br />
with your mentorship You can measure<br />
part of your success as a mentor right now<br />
– how many of your enlisted evaluations<br />
and officer fitness reports were submitted<br />
on time How many of your personnel<br />
were provided access to a PDB and the<br />
insight of its board members How<br />
many of your personnel were able to<br />
take the most recent advancement exam<br />
How well did you do<br />
If you are reading this and think that my<br />
words apply only to COs, XOs, and Senior<br />
Enlisted Advisors, then you have missed<br />
the point. We all, at some level, have a<br />
leadership role to play and an obligation to<br />
share our wisdom, experience, and insight<br />
with those who may not have had the same<br />
advantages. Leadership, at any level, can<br />
always make a difference through engaged<br />
mentoring. You can improve the lives of<br />
Cont’d. on next page
Letters<br />
31<br />
Dear Captain McAtee,<br />
When I joined the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> and<br />
then went on Active Duty, I figured that<br />
it was forever. I knew that there was<br />
something as retirement; however, it was<br />
never my goal. Retainer pay, to me, meant<br />
that I could very well be on-call as long as<br />
I was an American citizen.<br />
After I completed 30 years of<br />
commissioned service in 1985 I, like all<br />
other officers, accepted retired status.<br />
However, I opted to continue in a non-pay<br />
non-point status on Permissive Orders. I<br />
did so until 2003 at which time the<br />
then current commander of REDCOM-<br />
SOUTHWEST could not think of<br />
anything for a retired officer to do. As a<br />
matter of fact, in 2002 he had difficulty<br />
finding much for his reserve member staff<br />
to do. He wrote them a memo telling them<br />
to find something to employ themselves at<br />
their local <strong>Reserve</strong> Centers, write, and<br />
submit a plan for him to approve. Until<br />
that time I had drilled consistently for 17+<br />
years in a “permissive status” offering<br />
aid, assistance, and wisdom wherever it<br />
was accepted. And, indeed, it was accepted<br />
by many on the Staff of REDCOM19/<br />
SW. I found it quite enjoyable to travel to<br />
San Diego from my home in Oxnard, CA,<br />
each month at my own expense. I felt<br />
that I was paying back for some of<br />
the wonderful life that the Navy had<br />
afforded to me. And perhaps, even inspiring<br />
some of the present members to “stay with<br />
the program.”<br />
However, after 2000, I noticed a<br />
metamorphosis occurring. It appeared<br />
to me that the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> that many of<br />
us had worked so long and hard to build<br />
up was merely “being used.” It appeared<br />
to me that the reserve program in general<br />
was being “spent” much as an heir who<br />
inherited the family business might<br />
do just for the fun of it. It was after<br />
reading several recent issues of the <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong> Newsletter that I<br />
came to see that others had somewhat<br />
the same feeling(s).<br />
Regardless, consider mine an input from<br />
the field.<br />
Robert W. Canon<br />
Captain, USNR (Ret)<br />
Dear Admiral Keith,<br />
Thank you for your letter. I do<br />
appreciate all the support the NRA<br />
provides to members. With 31 years in<br />
July, starting at E1 – I must agree it has<br />
been hard work, but all very much worth<br />
it in looking at my naval career.<br />
I wanted to contact your department to<br />
give my e-mail address. Again, thanks for<br />
all the support the NRA provides.<br />
Susan Cowley<br />
Commander (Sel), NC, USNR<br />
Dear Admiral Keith,<br />
I wish to thank you and your staff for the<br />
warm wishes in your recent e-mail noting<br />
my selection to 0-6. As a <strong>Reserve</strong> LDO<br />
Line Officer this promotion is very<br />
special to me and I am honored to have<br />
been selected. I certainly understand the<br />
importance of this rank and the trust that<br />
will come with the promotion.<br />
Many of the people that helped me<br />
along the way remain friends today and I<br />
certainly could not have achieved such a<br />
high honor without the sacrifices of all<br />
those that have gone before me. This<br />
coupled with great outstanding sailors of<br />
all ranks and rates that have supported me<br />
along my journey in many of my efforts<br />
make this achievement as much theirs as<br />
it is mine.<br />
I also wish to thank the NRA (<strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Association</strong>) for the assistance<br />
and guidance provided on what needs to<br />
be looked at and done to ensure that my<br />
opportunities were better than average<br />
to make all of my promotions. The guidance<br />
and information given is always timely,<br />
well presented and extremely accurate.<br />
Admiral, I salute you and your staff for<br />
making my experience in the <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> extremely pleasant and positive.<br />
Terry L. Swinney<br />
Captain (Sel), USNR<br />
NRA Life Member #251818<br />
Dear CAPT McAtee,<br />
Thanks very much for your kind letter<br />
on the occasion of my 64th. I have been<br />
harboring several questions on the subject<br />
of TRICARE For Life, and your letter<br />
answered most of them. The balance was<br />
checked out using the references you<br />
provided. I appreciate this service and in<br />
all likelihood will re-up as a lifetime member<br />
at my next membership anniversary.<br />
Bravo Zulu!<br />
Rick Goodrich<br />
Captain, USNR (Ret)<br />
Dear Admiral Keith,<br />
Thanks for the kind note. I’m truly<br />
impressed by the features and extra support<br />
offered to-date in the short period I’ve<br />
been a member of the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
<strong>Association</strong>. Enjoy the holidays.<br />
David Dietz<br />
Commander, USNR<br />
Junior Officer Country – Cont’d. from page 30<br />
others, which otherwise might not occur, through your thoughtful<br />
mentorship. Each of us inevitably grows with the help of a<br />
mentor. In fact, we are more apt to arrive at good decisions<br />
(personal and professional) with the aid of a mentor upon whose<br />
advice and judgment we trust. To reiterate, mentors serve as<br />
honest advisors who tell us the truth . . . , “and telling the truth,<br />
to others, and ourselves, is one of the cornerstones of sound<br />
mentoring and the foundation of good leadership.”<br />
Take care of yourselves and each other. (. . . and again –<br />
remember – the contents of my remarks that you read each<br />
month in the POM are my own personal views and are NOT<br />
necessarily endorsed by the Department of the Navy. I<br />
encourage all of you to explore independently and critically<br />
these issues on your own.)<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
32 Health Affairs<br />
The Forward Resuscitative<br />
Surgical System<br />
RADM Peter L. Andrus, MC, USNR<br />
National VP for Health Programs<br />
The Forward Resuscitative Surgical<br />
System (FRSS), staffed by both<br />
active and <strong>Reserve</strong> <strong>Naval</strong> medical<br />
personnel, was first deployed in combat in<br />
March 2003, in southern Iraq, in support<br />
of I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF).<br />
Before the end of “major combat operations”<br />
on 1 May 2003, six FRSS teams, moving<br />
with forward elements of I MEF from the<br />
Kuwaiti border to Baghdad and Tikrit, had<br />
operated on 34 U.S. Marine casualties and<br />
62 Iraqi military and civilian casualties.<br />
No wounded Marine who arrived alive at a<br />
FRSS subsequently died of wounds. This<br />
is remarkable in that the FRSS had been<br />
on the drawing board since the mid-1990s<br />
but existed only in prototype prior to<br />
January 2003.<br />
After Operation Desert Shield/Desert<br />
Storm, the Army developed a Forward<br />
Surgical Team, designed to provide<br />
battlefield general anesthesia and surgery<br />
capability forward of the Combat Support<br />
Hospital. The Navy and Marine Corps<br />
began development of a similar concept,<br />
designed to be more mobile than a<br />
medical battalion’s surgical company. The<br />
Operational Requirements Document for<br />
the FRSS required this new system to be<br />
able to treat up to 18 “typical” trauma<br />
patients over at least 48 hours without<br />
resupply or personnel relief. The FRSS<br />
was required to be able to move using<br />
organic lift (one HMMVW 997 and one<br />
HMMVW 998, each towing an M-101<br />
trailer), using the eight organic <strong>Naval</strong><br />
medical personnel to drive the tactical<br />
vehicles, and to be ready to receive<br />
casualties within one hour of reaching a<br />
new location. Thus, the FRSS offered the<br />
capability of providing Echelon II medical<br />
care anywhere on the battlefield that the<br />
tactical situation permitted.<br />
The FRSS was designed to augment a<br />
Battalion Aid Station, a Shock Trauma<br />
Platoon, or to be set up on a <strong>Naval</strong> vessel<br />
when surgical capability is required (e.g.,<br />
during split-Amphibious Ready Group<br />
operations). The FRSS can move using its<br />
own organic tactical vehicles, via a C-130,<br />
via Landing Craft, Air-Cushioned, or via a<br />
sling-load under a CH-53 helicopter. Total<br />
weight of an FRSS is 6,400 lbs, including<br />
water and fuel for the two 3 kW generators.<br />
The system can be set up using the two<br />
BASE-X tents provided or in a shelter of<br />
opportunity by its eight assigned personnel.<br />
One key element to this mobility is the<br />
portable oxygen generating system which<br />
works as a molecular sieve, separating<br />
oxygen from air, resulting in 95-98 percent<br />
pure oxygen. The ability to generate its own<br />
oxygen frees the FRSS from dependence<br />
upon bulky and heavy oxygen cylinders<br />
and provides the FRSS with the ability to<br />
operate independently of the parent surgical<br />
company. General anesthesia is provided<br />
using a light, robust, easy-to-use draw-over<br />
vaporizer which has few moving parts.<br />
This system is similar to that used by<br />
British anesthesiologists during the<br />
Falklands War. Regional anesthesia is<br />
also available. The FRSS is light, mobile,<br />
and quickly setup and taken down, thus<br />
allowing <strong>Naval</strong> Medicine to keep up with<br />
the MEF’s fast-moving combat elements.<br />
No system is better than the personnel<br />
who operate it. Each FRSS is manned<br />
by eight <strong>Naval</strong> medical personnel: two<br />
surgeons (one general surgeon and one<br />
orthopaedist), one anesthesiologist, one<br />
critical care nurse, one independent duty<br />
corpsman, two operating room technicians,<br />
and one general duty field medical<br />
technician. For OIF I, an additional critical<br />
care or emergency nurse was added to the<br />
team to transport critically wounded patients<br />
to the next echelon of medical care.<br />
Training of these personnel is crucial. Each<br />
person on this small team must be able to<br />
perform his/her medical functions;<br />
participate in setup and breakdown of the<br />
system; be qualified in small arms, land<br />
navigation, convoy security procedures,<br />
and Marine Corps communications<br />
equipment; and have a well-developed<br />
sense of humor to thrive while practicing<br />
good medicine in bad places.<br />
The FRSS is not designed to perform<br />
definitive surgery. Because of the nature<br />
of battlefield surgery, the operating<br />
environment is often dirty. The system is<br />
designed to be put up and taken down<br />
rapidly, giving the medical personnel the<br />
ability to move rapidly with the MEF. By<br />
necessity, this means that the system has<br />
limited medical capabilities. The FRSS is<br />
designed to treat life- or limb-threatening<br />
surgical conditions, to stabilize the patient,<br />
and to transport rapidly the patient to a<br />
higher echelon of medical care. This<br />
requires dedicated medical evacuation<br />
capabilities, usually rotary wing assets, as<br />
well as good communications with the<br />
Patient Evacuation Team and the Direct<br />
Air Support Center. During OIF I, this<br />
patient evacuation system did not work well<br />
until a flight surgeon, CAPT Tom Merry,<br />
MC, USNR, was assigned to coordinate<br />
bringing wounded patients to the FRSS<br />
teams and evacuating patients requiring<br />
further medical treatment to the hospital<br />
ship, an Expeditionary Medical Facility, or<br />
to an Army CSH. Additionally, a critical<br />
care or emergency nurse trained in the<br />
aero-medical evacuation of critical patients<br />
is crucial to the smooth functioning of the<br />
FRSS. Without the ability to evacuate<br />
rapidly the critically wounded patients, the<br />
FRSS would quickly be depleted of supplies<br />
and energy, severely impairing its ability<br />
to treat additional wounded patients.<br />
Prior to January 2003, only two FRSS<br />
teams existed. The west coast team was<br />
led by CAPT H.R. Bohman, MC, USN,<br />
the “father” of the FRSS concept. The east<br />
coast team was led by CDR Robert<br />
Hincks, MC, USNR. During the run-up to<br />
hostilities in February and March 2003,<br />
CAPT Bohman, CDR Hincks, and their<br />
teams trained four additional teams. Thus,<br />
when hostilities began on 21 March 2003,<br />
six FRSS teams were in place in Kuwait,<br />
ready to race north towards Baghdad in<br />
support of I MEF. In April and May of<br />
Cont’d. on page 35<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
Unintended Medical Benefit Situations –<br />
Prevention through Advocacy,<br />
Knowledge, and Documentation<br />
By CAPT Tom McAtee, USNR (Ret)<br />
33<br />
Ionce wrote the words, “The potential for something bad to<br />
happen to a participating Reservist is always present. If a<br />
Reservist is incapacitated by an injury, aggravation of an<br />
injury, or disease during periods of inactive duty or active duty,<br />
they are eligible for specific benefits.”<br />
I now write the words, “Benefits will come only if you have the<br />
knowledge of such benefits, the proper documentation, and an<br />
advocate who will stand up for you.” Why the straight talk<br />
Because more Reservists serving on active duty has created a<br />
situation where some are released from active duty with known<br />
medical conditions and without certain incapacitation benefits.<br />
However, I can say that, over time, most situations are remedied.<br />
Most situations are preventable through:<br />
Advocacy. There is a leadership responsibility, promulgated in<br />
SECNAV Instruction 1770.3C, to advise Reservists of their benefits<br />
in the event of incapacitation and to require the commanding<br />
officer to be an advocate to ensure that a Reservist is afforded the<br />
rights and benefits to which entitled. Similarly, the individual<br />
Reservist has a responsibility to report, and have documented,<br />
any injury, illness, or disease incurred during periods of duty.<br />
Knowledge. Review of Incapacitation Benefits Available to<br />
Reservists:<br />
*Medical or Dental Care, as authorized, can be provided by<br />
a military treatment facility, a TRICARE provider, or a<br />
Department of Veterans Affairs medical center. With prior<br />
approval, civilian medical care may be provided. If authorized<br />
medical or dental care, entitlement to a travel and transportation<br />
allowance is normally authorized to receive such care.<br />
Note: Nothing precludes immediate medical or surgical<br />
treatment of a Reservist during any period of duty.<br />
*Hospitalization to the extent necessary for treatment.<br />
*Incapacitation Pay is the payment of basic pay and<br />
allowances for a period of no more than six months.<br />
Incapacitation pay can be reduced by other earned income during<br />
the period covered by a Notice of Eligibility (NOE). While<br />
receiving incapacitation pay, credit for drills or active duty is not<br />
authorized. Satisfactory participation may be maintained through<br />
correspondence courses.<br />
Disability retirement, as determined by Physical Evaluation<br />
Board process, could result from an incapacitation suffered by a<br />
Reservist.<br />
Separation pay may be entitled if a Reservist is involuntarily<br />
separated from active duty after having served at least five years<br />
of continuous active duty immediately prior to separation.<br />
The benefits with asterisks (*) are issued through either a<br />
Notice of Eligibility (NOE) or placement (or continuation) on<br />
active duty. The Notice of Eligibility is a document issued by<br />
Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces Command (CNRFC) to a<br />
Reservist when a determination is made that an injury or disease<br />
incurred as aggravated in line of duty and incapacitation benefits, as<br />
specified, are authorized. Requesting a NOE is normally the<br />
responsibility of the local <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Activity following the<br />
procedures of COMNAVRESFOR 1770.5B. Release from<br />
duty status, yes or no, is a common question and often<br />
misunderstood. If a Reservist incurs an injury, illness, or disease<br />
while on inactive duty (IDT), under portal-to-portal coverage, or<br />
on active-duty orders specifying a period of 30 days or less, the<br />
Reservist must be released from duty status at the end of the duty<br />
period. However, if CNRF determines continuation or placement<br />
on active duty is in the best interest of the Reservist, orders will<br />
be issued with the member’s consent. If on active-duty orders<br />
specifying a period of greater than 30 days, the Reservist is<br />
continued on active duty with the member’s consent. Those<br />
who decline active duty, and those benefits associated with<br />
active duty, will be issued a NOE with specified incapacitation<br />
benefits as determined by CNRFC.<br />
Documentation. Currently, whether on a set of voluntary ADSW<br />
orders or mobilization orders, there are health or deployment<br />
assessment requirements specified either on the orders or in Navy<br />
Mobilization/Demobilization Policy Guidance. These assessments<br />
are required by DoD for mob/demob orders and include:<br />
A predeployment related health assessment (DD Form 2795)<br />
and blood specimen is required for all <strong>Reserve</strong> personnel being<br />
called to active duty for 30 days or more. This requirement<br />
applies whether or not the Reservist is being deployed outside the<br />
US. The Reservist’s signature is required.<br />
A postdeployment health assessment (DD Form 2796) must<br />
be completed and a face-to-face health assessment with a health care<br />
provider done within 30 days of returning to your demobilization<br />
site or home duty station. The health care provider’s signature is<br />
required.<br />
Completion of DD Form 2697 prior to release from active<br />
duty. The Reservist’s signature is required.<br />
What does each form have in common Each gives the<br />
Reservist the opportunity to write down (on DD Forms 2795 and<br />
2697) or to tell a health care provider so he/she may document on<br />
DD Form 279 any questions or concerns you have about your<br />
health. Documentation is your best ally in gaining incapacitation<br />
benefits. Don’t be released from active duty until you have<br />
completed these forms; it’s a requirement! If others don’t know<br />
it’s a requirement, tell them.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
34 Info That You Can Use<br />
HIPAA and How It Affects You<br />
On 14 April 2003, the Health Insurance Portability and<br />
Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was amended to<br />
include standards to protect the privacy of patient medical<br />
records and health information. The new standards provide individuals<br />
with greater access to their medical records and control over how<br />
their personal health information is used and disclosed. Anyone who<br />
has visited a doctor within the last year is aware of these new standards<br />
and additional forms they have been asked to execute.<br />
The Act’s regulations are designed to provide privacy protection<br />
for patients by limiting the ways that entities and individuals can use<br />
your personal medical information. The regulations also protect<br />
medical records and individually identifiable health information<br />
(past, present, or future medical or mental health condition) including<br />
diagnosis and treatment of diseases, mental illness, and drug or<br />
alcohol abuse.<br />
Standards<br />
The Act includes standards covering confidential communications<br />
and public responsibilities. These standards insure that an individual<br />
can request his/her doctor, health plan, and other covered entities<br />
take reasonable steps to ensure confidentiality in their communications.<br />
They also insure, in limited circumstances, that entities can disclose<br />
health information for specific public responsibilities (emergency<br />
circumstances; identification of the body of a deceased person,<br />
or the cause of death; or public health needs). In addition, the Act<br />
requires covered entities (health plans and providers) to inform<br />
individuals of their right to inspect and obtain a copy of their<br />
records.<br />
Estate Planning Documents<br />
The Act has necessitated a revision to estate planning documents<br />
(trusts, health care surrogate forms [for both adults and minor<br />
children], powers of attorney, and living wills). Previously drafted<br />
documents did not include specific language authorizing a surrogate<br />
or trustee access to medical records or health information. Although<br />
the Act does not specifically restrict the ability of doctors, nurses,<br />
and other providers to share patient information, when necessary for<br />
treatment, it does restrict the release of information not related to<br />
health care.<br />
It is recommended that all documents include specific language<br />
designating your surrogate as your “Personal Representative,” under<br />
the statute, and authorizing them access to any and all medical<br />
records and information pertaining to you. Proposed language may<br />
include the following: “I designate my surrogate as my Personal<br />
Representative under the Health Insurance Portability and<br />
Accountability Act of 1996, as amended, for all medical records,<br />
billing information, and health care-related decisions. This authority<br />
includes the authority to demand, obtain, review, and release to<br />
others medical records or other documents including all records<br />
subject to, and protected by, the Health Insurance Portability and<br />
Accountability Act of 1996, as amended.”<br />
Guardianships<br />
The issue has arisen whether an attorney appointed by a court, to<br />
represent an alleged incapacitated person, and members of a courtappointed<br />
examining committee are subject to the Act’s restrictions.<br />
In order to prevent any disclosure problems, it is recommended that<br />
By: LT Marc J. Soss, SC, USNR<br />
you include language in the applicable court orders that appoint<br />
the attorney and examination committee members, granting them<br />
access to the alleged incapacitated person’s medical records and<br />
history. Access to this information may be beneficial to those<br />
representing and examining the individual.<br />
Access to a Child(s) or Family Member Information<br />
The Act provides parents access to their minor child’s medical<br />
records. There are exceptions to the rule: “(1) when the minor is the<br />
one who consents to care and the consent of the parent is not<br />
required under state or other applicable law; (2) when the minor<br />
obtains care at the direction of a court or a person appointed by the<br />
court; and (3) when, and to the extent that, the parent agrees that the<br />
minor and the health care provider may have a confidential relationship.”<br />
However, even under these exceptional situations, a parent<br />
may have access to medical records of a minor when state or other<br />
applicable law requires or permits such parental access. If state or<br />
other applicable law is silent on a parent’s right, the licensed health<br />
care provider may exercise his or her professional judgment, to<br />
the extent allowed by law, to grant or deny access to the medical<br />
information. In addition, a provider may not treat a parent as a<br />
Personal Representative when they believe, in his or her professional<br />
judgment, the child has been or may be subjected to domestic<br />
violence, abuse or neglect, or could be endangered.<br />
Access to a family member’s medical information depends upon<br />
whether the inquiring individual is the caregiver and, in the physician<br />
professional judgment, the release of information is in the patient’s<br />
interest and relates his/her care. The Privacy Rules allow a physician<br />
to share information with family or friends if the information is<br />
limited directly to their involvement in the individual’s care.<br />
However, a physician may not share information with family or<br />
friends if specifically asked not to or if the physician believes, in<br />
his/her professional judgment, a disclosure would be inappropriate.<br />
Violations of the Act<br />
Both civil and criminal penalties may be incurred by entities that<br />
misuse personal health information or violate the Act. For civil<br />
violations, a monetary penalty can be up to $100 per violation, or up<br />
to $25,000 per year, for each requirement or prohibition violated.<br />
For criminal penalties, “the penalty can range up to $50,000 and one<br />
year in prison for certain offenses; up to $100,000 and up to five<br />
years in prison if the offenses are committed under ‘false pretenses;’<br />
and up to $250,000 and up to 10 years in prison if the offenses are<br />
committed with the intent to sell, transfer or use protected health.”<br />
Conclusion<br />
It is important to review your documents and insure that they<br />
contain specific language granting your surrogates access to any<br />
necessary medical information. You may also specifically deny<br />
others access to your medical information to prevent an unauthorized<br />
disclosure of information.<br />
LT Soss is a tax, estate planning, guardianship, and<br />
corporate attorney in Sarasota, FL. He can be reached<br />
at .<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
35<br />
Reservists Voting<br />
Absentee<br />
By CAPT Tom McAtee, USNR (Ret)<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> Reservists and active duty alike are subject<br />
to short-notice military orders that take them away<br />
from their voting residences for days, weeks, or<br />
months at a time. If these time periods coincide with election<br />
days, the members should take steps to exercise their right<br />
to participate in the electoral process. Following is guidance<br />
for Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong> members to ensure they are enfranchised<br />
during an election while they are away from their homes<br />
(legal voting residence).<br />
There are two main circumstances under which a <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
member may be unable to vote in person at his/her local<br />
polling place due to his/her military status:<br />
The member may be assigned temporarily away from<br />
his or her legal residence or in a situation where he or she<br />
cannot leave the duty station in order to vote in person on<br />
election day.<br />
The member may be activated or mobilized and be away<br />
from his or her residence on a more permanent basis.<br />
Assigned Temporarily: As soon as a Reservist knows that<br />
he or she will be temporarily absent and unable to vote in<br />
person at his or her polling place on election day, the<br />
member should contact the local election official (LEO),<br />
usually the town or county clerk, to determine the local<br />
process for requesting an absentee ballot covered under<br />
state laws. Contact information for the LEO is available on<br />
the FVAP Web site at . Select “State<br />
Elections Site,” and then select the state of voting residence.<br />
Activated or Mobilized: A Reservist who has been<br />
activated or mobilized and will be away from home station<br />
during election day will follow absentee voting procedures<br />
covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen<br />
Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). Refer, also, to the DoD<br />
Voting Action Plan and DoD Directive 100.4 for the support<br />
to be provided to active and <strong>Reserve</strong> Component members<br />
while deployed. These documents are available on the<br />
FVAP Web site . Select “Voting Assistance<br />
Information.” The member should submit a Federal Post Card<br />
Application (FPCA) (SF-76), which serves simultaneously<br />
as registration and absentee ballot request, to his/her local<br />
election official.<br />
Compiled from an article written by Joseph Logan,<br />
Fort Dix, NJ.<br />
CORRECTION - July issue NRA <strong>NEWS</strong><br />
In “Reservists in Action,” page 29, ‘White Hats<br />
to Eagle,’ we incorrectly stated that CAPT Jeff<br />
Johnson had been mobilized. He has informed<br />
us that he was not mobilized but served as the<br />
Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer.<br />
Health Affairs – Cont’d. from page 32<br />
2003, four additional teams from the 4th Medical Battalion (Marine<br />
Forces <strong>Reserve</strong>) were trained and deployed to southern Iraq to<br />
replace active duty medical personnel who were rotated home.<br />
What are the implications of the Navy/Marine Corps experience<br />
during OIF I for future combat health service support operations<br />
FRSS teams need to be trained during peacetime. This training must<br />
include experience caring for traumatized patients, such as that<br />
available for active duty teams at the Navy Trauma Training Center<br />
at Los Angeles County Medical Center. <strong>Reserve</strong> trauma surgeons,<br />
anesthesiologists, and nurses already care for trauma patients in<br />
their civilian practices. All <strong>Naval</strong> medical personnel assigned to an<br />
FRSS team must be current in warfighting skills: land navigation,<br />
use of Marine Corps communications equipment, tactical vehicle<br />
licenses, small arms qualifications, convoy security procedures, and<br />
training on the FRSS platform. As is well known, the demands of<br />
providing medical care in garrison as well as meeting administrative<br />
requirements make it quite difficult to accomplish warfighting<br />
training necessary for <strong>Naval</strong> medical personnel to survive and to<br />
thrive in a combat situation.<br />
Because of these conflicting demands on time and resources,<br />
the leaders of <strong>Naval</strong> Medicine, as well as Marine and Navy line<br />
commanders, must recognize the absolute necessity for this training<br />
if we wish our forward deployed medical teams to function<br />
effectively under conditions they are likely to encounter during the<br />
Global War on Terrorism.<br />
One might legitimately ask: “Is placing surgeons far forward on<br />
the battlefield worth the additional risk to the medical team from<br />
enemy attack” This question cannot be answered from the data<br />
generated during OIF I, because the number of casualties treated<br />
was relatively small (n=96) and the conflict was short (six weeks).<br />
During OIF I, there were no combat casualties to any members of<br />
the FRSS teams. The availability of a small, mobile surgical team<br />
provides the combatant commander with additional flexibility<br />
should this asset be required to support Marines and Sailors operating<br />
in remote areas where air evacuation may not always be immediately<br />
available. In the end, it will be the line commander who decides<br />
whether the risk to his/her surgical team will be worth the benefits<br />
to his/her combat force.<br />
Currently, the Marine Corps has four FRSS teams, three active<br />
and one <strong>Reserve</strong>. The personnel for each FRSS team are drawn from<br />
a surgical company of the medical battalion, which is an integral<br />
part of a MEF’s logistical arm, the Force Service Support Group.<br />
One FRSS team from the 1st Medical Battalion is currently forward<br />
deployed to Iraq. The other three, including the <strong>Reserve</strong> team from<br />
the 4th Medical Battalion, are training hard in the event that they<br />
again are called to support the Marine Corps during combat operations.<br />
(This month’s article was written by CAPT Rom Stevens, MC,<br />
USNR, Commanding Officer of 4th Medical Battalion, 4th FSSG,<br />
FMF. He is an academic anesthesiologist in civilian life and served<br />
with a FRSS during OIF I in Iraq. The author would like to give<br />
tribute to those members of the Navy/Marine Corps medical teams<br />
supporting Marine Corps combat operations throughout the<br />
Central Command’s area of responsibility today.)<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
36<br />
News Notes<br />
CHIEF OF NAVAL RESERVE GIVES<br />
PERSPECTIVE ON RESERVE<br />
INTEGRATION<br />
The Navy is currently restructuring its<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> and active-duty forces to support<br />
the Chief of <strong>Naval</strong> Operations – directed<br />
Fleet Response Plan. Active <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Integration (ARI) will fully integrate the<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Force with the active force in<br />
an effort to create a more cohesive, ready<br />
force.<br />
“We are looking from a ‘one fleet’<br />
perspective,” said Chief of <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
VADM John Cotton, USNR. “It’s the most<br />
effective, efficient use of our resources.<br />
Active <strong>Reserve</strong> Integration is the integrating<br />
of the capabilities of both components, putting<br />
them together, then best utilizing them.”<br />
Under ARI, the Commander, U.S. Fleet<br />
Forces Command (CFFC) and Commander,<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Forces Command now make<br />
up an additional duty relationship, which<br />
encompasses Force Integration. Force<br />
Integration is actively engaged in a<br />
comprehensive zero-based review of<br />
capabilities that can be fulfilled by the<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Component, a first step in achieving<br />
a more effective total force.<br />
“They’re taking a look at every <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
billet, every <strong>Reserve</strong> unit, and asking, “Is it<br />
value added to the Navy” VADM Cotton<br />
explained. According to the admiral, as<br />
more progress is made toward ARI, the role<br />
and need for large <strong>Reserve</strong> infrastructure<br />
will decrease significantly, as manpower<br />
functions will switch to the Navy Bureau of<br />
Personnel Command, and training and<br />
readiness requirements will shift to active<br />
commands.<br />
With 87,000 Selected Reservists, constituting<br />
roughly 20 percent of the Navy’s total force,<br />
VADM Cotton maintains that these decisions<br />
will help the Navy to reduce the funding<br />
needed for infrastructure and redistribute<br />
much of it for readiness and modernization.<br />
“We can do this if we start sitting<br />
together . . . making sure we buy the best<br />
warfighting value for the dollar,” VADM<br />
Cotton added.<br />
“The future is very bright for the Navy<br />
and its <strong>Reserve</strong> Force. We have the greatest<br />
Navy ever. Sailors have done a wonderful<br />
job,” VADM Cotton continued. “We have<br />
Sailors in action around the globe, and<br />
we’re very proud of the contributions the<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Components are making to the<br />
Navy and to the coalition forces around the<br />
world.”<br />
“USA CARES” HELPS MILITARY<br />
FAMILIES IN FINANCIAL NEED<br />
Deployments can put unexpected<br />
financial hardships on military families.<br />
USA Cares, a nonprofit organization run<br />
entirely by volunteers, is committed to<br />
helping families who have run into<br />
financial troubles while their family<br />
member serves the country.<br />
While helping military families put<br />
food on the table and keep a roof over their<br />
heads when there is seemingly nowhere<br />
else to turn, USA Cares offers helpful<br />
information as well, referring families in<br />
need to existing support networks.<br />
For more information, call 800-773-0387<br />
toll-free.<br />
DOD’S MILITARY PHONE CARD<br />
DONATION PROGRAM GOES PUBLIC<br />
The Defense Department has announced<br />
that armed services exchanges may now sell<br />
prepaid phone cards to the general public for<br />
donation to service members taking part in<br />
Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi<br />
Freedom.<br />
By law, only patrons with military<br />
exchange privileges can shop at military<br />
exchange stores, but officials have<br />
announced that the exchange service would<br />
begin selling phone cards to normally<br />
ineligible people and organizations on its<br />
Web site.<br />
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES<br />
NEW MEMBERS OF DACOWITS<br />
Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld<br />
has announced the selection of the FY 2004<br />
appointees to the Defense Department<br />
Advisory Committee on Women in the<br />
Services (DACOWITS).<br />
The incoming members are Margaret M.<br />
Hoffman from McLean, VA; Mary Nelson,<br />
from Lafayette, CO; and Ellen R. Sauerbrey,<br />
from Baldwin, MD.<br />
The committee provides the Secretary of<br />
Defense with advice and recommendations<br />
on matters and policies relating to the<br />
recruitment and retention, treatment,<br />
employment, integration, and well-being of<br />
highly qualified professional women in the<br />
military services.<br />
DACOWITS members perform a variety<br />
of duties, including visiting at least two<br />
military installations each year, conducting<br />
a review and evaluation of current research<br />
on military women and family issues,<br />
and developing an annual report with<br />
recommendations on these issues to service<br />
leaders and the Secretary of Defense.<br />
BURIED VETERANS RECORDS<br />
ARE NOW LOCATED ON WEB<br />
The Department of Veterans Affairs has<br />
made it easier and faster for the public to<br />
get answers about family history, old<br />
war buddies, or famous war heroes.<br />
The agency has put on the Web 3.2 million<br />
records for veterans buried at 120 national<br />
cemeteries since the Civil War. The VA’s<br />
Nationwide Gravesite Locator also has<br />
records for some state veterans’ cemeteries<br />
and burials in Arlington National Cemetery<br />
since 1999.<br />
The locator includes names, dates of birth<br />
and death, military service dates, service branch<br />
and rank if known, cemetery information, and<br />
grave location in the cemetery.<br />
The VA will withhold some information,<br />
such as next of kin, for privacy purposes.<br />
DOD IS WORKING TO SPEED UP<br />
THE MILITARY MAIL SYSTEM<br />
The Defense Department, acknowledging<br />
that problems persist in the military mail<br />
system, said it is taking steps to improve the<br />
process.<br />
A report by the General Accounting<br />
Office (GAO) said long-standing problems<br />
with military mail delivery need to be<br />
resolved.<br />
DoD is aware of the problem and is working<br />
to remedy it, said Charles S. Abell, Principal<br />
Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for<br />
Personnel and Readiness.<br />
“Mail is very important to our service<br />
members and their families; and, thus, it’s<br />
very important to the Department of Defense<br />
and the leadership,” Secretary Abell said.<br />
“Every time we identify a glitch in the<br />
process, we move immediately to fix it.”<br />
“It takes a lot of logistical support to get<br />
the mail from ‘Mr. and Mrs. America’ to our<br />
units on the ground,” Secretary Abell said.<br />
“We’re working on it; we’re watching the<br />
flow; and every time we can find a way to<br />
decrease the transit time, we act on it.”<br />
Sec. Abell said, “Stability in Iraq will help<br />
to ease some mail delivery problems,<br />
because units aren’t moving around as much<br />
– we know where they are and the logistical<br />
links to them to provide the mail.” The<br />
Defense Department also increased the<br />
number and size of military postal units in<br />
Kuwait and Bahrain, the Secretary said, which<br />
has helped to reduce transit times.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
Reservists in Action<br />
Bronx <strong>Reserve</strong> Center Welcomes New CO<br />
By JOSN Ron Kuzlik, NR NAVINFO East 102<br />
Outgoing CO and Bronx Sailors Praised by Commander, <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Readiness<br />
Command Northeast for Contributions to GWOT<br />
<br />
37<br />
BRONX, NY, 5 Jun. ‘04 –<br />
Command of <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Center, Bronx changed hands<br />
this past weekend when CDR Dorothy<br />
Jo Reed relieved CDR Michael<br />
Merwin during a change-of-command<br />
ceremony held on the drill deck of one<br />
of the nation’s largest <strong>Reserve</strong> centers.<br />
The ceremony was highlighted by<br />
RADM Frank F. Rennie IV, Commander,<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Readiness Command<br />
Northeast, whose remarks praised<br />
CDR Merwin’s leadership and summed<br />
up his service not only to this <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
center but to the entire Northeast<br />
Region.<br />
“CDR Merwin has been a shining<br />
star here in the Northeast, putting in a<br />
truly heroic effort over the past<br />
several years – serving as the chief of<br />
staff for the REDCOM and also doing<br />
not only one but two tours here in the<br />
Bronx as CO, one of them while serving<br />
concurrently as the commanding<br />
officer of <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Center Syracuse up until a few weeks<br />
ago,” said Admiral Rennie.<br />
The admiral was quick to put in perspective what the Bronx<br />
Sailors have done with Merwin at the helm. “While I have<br />
plenty of good things to say about CDR Merwin, I also have<br />
to remark on the tremendous efforts of the Sailors here from<br />
the Bronx,” said the admiral. “You have made extraordinary<br />
RADM Frank F. Rennie, (left) Commander <strong>Naval</strong><br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> Readiness Command Northeast, was the<br />
guest speaker at the change-of-command ceremony<br />
held on 5 June at NRC Bronx. CDR Michael Merwin<br />
(right) was relieved as CO of NRC Bronx by CDR<br />
Dorothy Jo Reed (center). RADM Rennie praised<br />
CDR Merwin for his many years of leadership and<br />
service not just to NRC Bronx but to the entire<br />
Northeast REDCOM.<br />
contributions to operations Enduring<br />
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and the<br />
Global War on Terrorism . . . Thank you<br />
for an outstanding job well done.”<br />
In bidding farewell to his full-time<br />
support staff and drilling Reservists,<br />
CDR Merwin offered these words of<br />
advice, “Take care of your people and<br />
they will take care of you . . . .You took<br />
care of me; you never failed me; and I<br />
thank you.”<br />
Before CDR Merwin was relieved,<br />
he received the Meritorious Service<br />
Medal in recognition of his leadership,<br />
integrity, and initiative that have<br />
made NRC Bronx the premier <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
center in the nation.<br />
CDR Merwin, who hails from<br />
Montana, will report to Commander,<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Readiness Command<br />
Northeast in Newport, RI, until his<br />
planned retirement in November<br />
2004.<br />
Reed, a Groton, CT, native, was<br />
previously attached to <strong>Naval</strong> Personnel Command in Millington,<br />
TN, where she served as a detailer.<br />
<strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong> Center, Bronx is the largest <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Center in the Northeast with more than 900 drilling Reservists. It<br />
is responsible for providing mission-capable units and individuals<br />
for mobilization to the Navy and Marine Corps teams throughout<br />
the full range of operations from peace to war.<br />
Father Commissions Daughter<br />
On 4 June 2004, CAPT Norman J. Haussmann, USNR<br />
(Ret), commissioned his daughter, Kathleen Buss, a<br />
LT, USNR. Shortly thereafter, she received her DDS<br />
degree during a formal graduation ceremony from the University<br />
of Iowa. LT Kathleen Buss is a 1993 graduate of Marquette<br />
University.<br />
LT Kathleen Buss’s husband, LCDR Jeff Buss, is the <strong>Reserve</strong><br />
Officer Programs Manager stationed at NAS Pt.. Mugu, CA.<br />
After completion of Officer Indoctrination School, LT Kathleen<br />
Buss will report to the Dental Clinic at NAS Pt.. Mugu.<br />
In May 1993, CAPT Haussmann also commissioned LCDR<br />
Jeff Buss upon his graduation from Marquette University.<br />
In addition to father/daughter <strong>Naval</strong> officers, CAPT<br />
Haussmann’s family has a vast history of Navy affiliation.<br />
His brother, nephew, and another daughter boast of <strong>Naval</strong><br />
service.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
38<br />
Reservists in Action<br />
Battle Creek <strong>Reserve</strong> Center Presents<br />
Medals to Trailblazing Woman,<br />
WWII and Korean War Veteran<br />
By LCDR T. R. Shaw, USNR, PAO, NMCRC Battle Creek, MI<br />
<br />
Battle Creek, MI –<br />
Petty Officer Mary<br />
Jo McMorrow has<br />
led a fulfilling life in her<br />
89 years. She has been an<br />
educator; served the Navy<br />
as a WAVE in World War<br />
II; served with the Secret<br />
Service as a communications<br />
and intelligence petty<br />
officer during the Korean<br />
War; and has been an outspoken<br />
advocate and role<br />
model for women in the<br />
military.<br />
Until now, she was never<br />
formally awarded her<br />
World War II Victory<br />
Medal; it was handed to<br />
her by a clerk as she<br />
mustered out. Later, she<br />
never received her National<br />
Defense Service Medal<br />
after mustering out after Korean War.<br />
With the help of close friend, retired Marine Corps COL Robert<br />
Petty Officer Second Class Mary Jo McMorrow receives her National<br />
Defense Service Medal and is re-presented her World War II Victory Medal<br />
by LT Jeannette Krawczyk, Commanding Officer NMCRC Battle Creek.<br />
(Photo by LCDR T. R. Shaw, USNR)<br />
McInnis, the National<br />
Defense Service Medal<br />
was obtained and formally<br />
awarded at morning<br />
muster by commanding<br />
officer, LT Jeannette<br />
Krawczyk, NRA member,<br />
who also pinned on Ms.<br />
McMorrow’s World War<br />
II Victory medal.<br />
“It is the happiest day<br />
of my life; thank you so<br />
much,” Ms. McMorrow<br />
proudly proclaimed.<br />
Ms. McMorrow has<br />
been very active in the<br />
Michigan Chapter of<br />
WAVES, Unit 32, and<br />
is a life member of<br />
White Caps of WAVES<br />
National. She is also a<br />
Charter Member of the<br />
Women’s Memorial<br />
Building at Arlington National Cemetery and has been a<br />
vocal advocate for women in the military.<br />
7<br />
Legislative Update – Cont’d. from page 7<br />
Some of the provisions and issues that<br />
did not pass in either house:<br />
Retirement at 55. This issue did not<br />
make it into either Congressional bill and<br />
will not be included in this year’s FY 05<br />
NDAA. Senator Corzine (NJ) did offer an<br />
amendment regarding this issue, which<br />
was defeated 49-49. Please review the<br />
link to see how your Senator voted! Let<br />
them know what you think. We have made<br />
progress this year and will address this<br />
issue again next year. Many organizations<br />
and associations have supported this issue,<br />
and we are hopeful and encouraged for<br />
next year’s effort. Senator Miller’s (GA)<br />
bill on Retirement at 55 did not get<br />
addressed in committee.<br />
Funding for VA Health Care. Sen.<br />
Tom Daschle’s (D-SD) amendment to<br />
provide mandatory (vs discretionary) funding<br />
for all veterans enrolled in VA health care<br />
was defeated when it failed to muster 60<br />
votes to waive a budget point of order.<br />
Selected <strong>Reserve</strong> MGIB. Many<br />
Congressional representatives supported<br />
this initiative. However, the lack of<br />
resources defeated this very important<br />
provision. We hope to get this addressed<br />
again, as soon as possible. Your support<br />
on this issue that benefits our military<br />
members and all <strong>Reserve</strong> Components is<br />
critical for passage in the future.<br />
I understand that it may be difficult for<br />
some of you to address these issues. It is<br />
important to our National Security<br />
Strategy, and National Military Strategy,<br />
that you get involved in resolution of<br />
these. If you follow the involvement of<br />
the Guard and <strong>Reserve</strong> in OIFI, OIFII, and<br />
others events, then you know that there is<br />
not a decrease in use, nor will there be.<br />
DoD and the Services are not supportive<br />
of several initiatives that improve the<br />
benefits and conditions of Guard and<br />
<strong>Reserve</strong> because; “it costs too much.”<br />
Shouldn’t you decide what the cost is and<br />
what really costs too much!<br />
Note: Fall conference in Washington,<br />
DC; please plan to visit your<br />
Congressional representatives. I will<br />
assist in making appointments and<br />
provide some visitation kits, but I<br />
must know that you wish to visit<br />
prior to the end of August! My e-mail<br />
.<br />
NRA <strong>NEWS</strong>/AUGUST 2004
Want to Know More<br />
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Want to Know More<br />
Call today for details.<br />
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NAME<br />
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CITY STATE ZIP<br />
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88145 PRAD NRA 08/2004
You will succeed.<br />
You believe success comes from testing yourself and meeting challenges<br />
head on. When you join the <strong>Naval</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong>, your part-time service will result<br />
in many character building opportunities. You will also experience benefits<br />
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