Vol. 78, No. 11
VISIT GOSPORT ONLINE: www.gosportpensacola.com
March 21, 2014
NHP corpsman receives Silver Star Story, photo by Jason J. Bortz NHP PAO
“I didn’t think, I just reacted,” said HM3 Zackery Penner, a corpsman with Naval Hospital Pensacola (NHP), when recalling the events of June 22 and 23, 2012, while serving with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, in Afghanistan. For his actions on those two days, Penner was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest military decoration for valor, March 19 at a ceremony at NHP. On June 22, 2012, with approximately 30 days left in country, Penner’s platoon encountered Afghan insurgents on the first day of a seven-day operation, and a Marine was severely wounded on a nearby rooftop. Without hesitation, Penner ran to the Marine while exposing himself to enemy fire that was only 50 meters away. With rounds impacting
all around him, he treated and evacuated the Marine. Though the Marine did not survive from the wounds he sustained, Penner’s actions reflected the relationship and camaraderie shared between Marines and corpsmen. “Marines love their corpsmen, and I love being with Marines,” said Penner, who enlisted in the Navy immediately after graduating high school in Sacramento, Calif. “I wanted to be a corpsman because I wanted to help Marines.” Penner got to help a Marine again the very next day. While on a partnered patrol with Afghan soldiers, insur- HM3 Zackery Penner, a corpsman with Naval Hospital Pensacola (NHP), was awarded the Silver Star March 19 gents attacked his squad for actions while serving with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, in Afghanistan in the summer of 2012. Maj. Gen. Raymond with machine guns and Fox, commanding general, II Marine Expeditionary Force, presented the medal to Penner at the hospital. precision-fire weapons. When two members of sualty collection point rived. Both casualties hurt,” said Penner. “It’s tacted his wife. “I couldn’t tell her the patrol sustained in- behind a wall. When the would ultimately not sur- actually hard to rememjuries, a Marine and an squad began receiving vive, but Penner again ber the events of those what happened because Afghan soldier, Penner enemy fire from the rear, sustained no injuries de- two days in detail now of (operational security), but I wanted her to know ran more than 100 meters Penner shielded the casu- spite putting himself in because I just reacted.” After returning from I was OK,” said Penner, through enemy fire to alties from enemy fire harm’s way. “It never crossed my the seven-day operation, reach the casualties and with his own body until See Star on page 2 quickly established a ca- the evacuation aircraft ar- mind that I wouldn’t be Penner immediately con-
BP completes dune restoration at NASP Story, photo by Janet Thomas Gosport Staff Writer
A section of Barrancas Beach aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP) got an extreme makeover March 1112 courtesy of BP. The dune restoration project focused on a stretch of beach west of the Lighthouse Point CPO Club, said Mark Gibson, the natural resources manager for NASP. The area was used to access the beachfront for cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill from the summer of 2010 to the spring of 2013, and dune damage was identified as needing repair during a BP closeout inspection in August 2013,
Gibson said. This is expected to be the “last work by BP” on NAS Pensacola “of its kind,” said Danny Trosclair, the onsite representative for BP for the project. Trosclair estimated the cost of the work at $10,000 to $15,000. Trosclair said the work at NAS is separate from the funds that BP has committed to Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) projects along the Gulf Coast. He said it was part of BP’s lease agreement with NASP to remedy any damage to the area. “We took it seriously,” Trosclair said. A team from Wetland Sciences, a Pensacola-based environmental consulting firm,
Destiny McKee of Wetland Sciences of Pensacola picks up buckets filled with sea oats for a planting project on a western section of Barrancas Beach aboard NAS Pensacola. The planting was part of a BP project to rebuild sand dunes damaged during oil spill cleanup efforts. As the sea oats take root, they will help stabilize newly deposited sand.
completed the work. Workers transported 120 cubic yards of sand to the area
from a stockpile aboard NASP to fill in hollow areas and rebuild the dunes. Dune fencing
was replaced to protect the area and plugs of sea oats were planted to help stabilize the sand. Craig Martin, president and senior scientist for Wetland Sciences, was happy with the results. “For a little project it turned out well,” Martin said. “With all the rain, I’m sure the newly installed sea oats are loving it. Now if we can just get some warmer weather to get the growth, we will really have something.” He said he expects to see improvements within one growing season. The next challenge will be to keep people out of the area so
See Dunes on page 2
‘Kiss,’ SAPR race, open house at FFSC From NASP Fleet and Family Support Center
Blues return to the skies ... The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, jet pilots – wearing “throwback” gold flight suits – commence their preflight walkdown at the first Blue Angel flight demonstration of the 2014 air show season at Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif., March 15. Historically, the gold flight suit has been worn to commemorate special milestones for the Navy and Marine Corps’ flight demonstration squadron. The Blues resume practices at NASP March 26 at a new time of 11:30 a.m. Photo by MC2 Andrea Perez
Can I Kiss You? The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) team at NAS Pensacola will welcome Mike Domitrz from the Date Safe Project to NAS Pensacola in April. Domitrz will be educating and entertaining military members in two presentations of a program, “Can I Kiss You,” April 3 at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Both presentations will take place in the NASC theater, Bldg. 633. This innovative training approach shifts the focus from a “don’t” perspective to a “how-to” and gives skills anyone can use, regardless of age, rank, gender or marital status. In addition to talking about consent, communication,
and bystander intervention, Domitrz also engages his audiences in discussions of appropriately supporting survivors of sexual assault, potentially making it easier for them to come forward and seek help. Interested military members should contact their command SAPR POC. Civilians, with their supervisor’s permission, may secure a seat by contacting the Civilian Victim Advocate, Anne Ballensinger, at FFSC (452-9017) or anne.ballensinger@navy.mil. Open House at Fleet and Family Support Center April 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the FFSC will host an Open House. Join the FFSC staff and experience a sampling of
See FFSC on page 2
Published by Ballinger Publishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Navy. Opinions contained herein are not official expressions of the Department of the Navy nor do the advertisements constitute Department of the Navy, NAS Pensacola or Ballinger Publishing’s endorsement of products or services advertised.