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June 21, 2013
GOSPORT
SAPR from page 1
Grosso said. “Also we are focusing on prevention where in the past we focused on prevention and response.” With the focus of the training being prevention, NASP Executive Officer Cmdr. Dave Jasso reminded the group that prevention is not just about risk reduction on the part of the victim, but also intervention by leaders. Grosso agreed with Jasso’s statement, adding “It’s our responsibility from E-1 to O-10 to be bystanders, to be vigilant and to change our culture.” Approximately 30 Sailors and civilians attended the training. The SAPR instruction was in compliance with the nationwide SAPR standdown, scheduled to be completed by July 1. Mabus from page 1
alcohol abuse, because a large number of sexual assaults have had an alcohol component, the secretary said. Another area of focus zeroes in on what happens if an incident happens. “Is it reported? How quickly and how well do we respond?” Mabus said. “Is the command climate right for people to report?” Tied to this is victim assistance, he added. How local officials help the victims in these cases is important to him, Mabus said. Finally, investigation and prosecution is important to the Navy. Mabus has authorized more money to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for more investigators and more resources. “It was taking up to 180 days to investigate an incident,” he said. “Initially, we think we can get this down to 80 days.”
The Navy also is spending more to train its lawyers in these cases, the secretary said. Measuring what works and what doesn’t also is part of this effort, Mabus said. “Can we figure out what the best practices are?” he asked. “We’re beginning to make some headway there.” Mabus said he thinks taking away a commander’s right to overturn a conviction is long overdue. “Right now, if you are convicted of sexual assault, you are referred to a board of inquiry to see if you’ll be allowed to stay (in the service),” he said. The notion that “if you’re convicted, you’re out” is the way to go, he added. The secretary said he looks at sexual assault as an internal attack that must be dealt with. “We’re finding pretty dramatic results in places like Great Lakes, where we’ve rolled out these programs,” he said. “Our job is to get them fleetwide.”
VA from page 1
Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System. “I am proud of the hard work our staff has completed to bring these new staff members on board,” said GCVHCS Director Anthony L. Dawson. “We are not slowing our efforts however, and will continue to actively recruit for any vacant mental health positions for the future so veterans will get the care they need.” As of May 31, VA has hired a total of 1,607 mental health clinical providers to meet the goal of 1,600 new mental health professionals outlined in the executive order. Additionally, VA has hired 2,005 mental health clinical providers to fill existing vacancies. “Meeting this hiring milestone significantly enhances our ability to improve access to care for those veterans seeking mental health services and demonstrates our continued commitment to the health and well-being of the men and women who have served the nation,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Meeting this goal is an important achievement, but we recognize that we must continue to increase access to the quality mental health care veterans have earned and deserve.” VA provides a full range of comprehensive mental health services across the country. In Fiscal Year 2012, more than 1.3 million veterans received specialized mental health care from VA. In addition to hiring more mental health professionals, VA is expanding the use of innovative technology to serve veterans in rural or underserved areas. VA expects to increase the number of veterans receiving care from tele-mental health services in fiscal year 2013, and has increased the number of vet centers, which provide readjustment counseling and referral services from 233 in 2008 to 300 in 2012.
Vol. 77, No. 25
Wearing new ranks: NATTC frocking ... Capt. Jim Daniels, commanding officer of Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), reads comments written by the late Adm. Arliegh Burke concerning his standards for petty officers during a frocking ceremony June 3 in which 28 petty officers were promoted to their new ranks. Photo by Lt. Jonathan Bacon
ROKN from page 1
Capt. Jim Daniels, commanding officer, Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), took Koo and his staff on a tour of the training center, explaining how NATTC uses a blended learning solution of instructor led classrooms, simulation and hands-on training labs to efficiently train Sailors and Marines who enter the service with little or no experience to become aviation mechanics and technicians. “It’s a privilege whenever we have the opportunity to show off our training facilities,” said Daniels. “More importantly, to be able to tour our facilities with our ROKN partners and give Decals from page 1
cards without the added distraction of having to verify the decal,” said Capt. Brett Calkins, Navy Region Southeast operations and plans officer. In addition to enhancing security at the gate, the new policy will also work to protect Department of Defense personnel when they are off the base, Calkins said. “You really never know where or when you are going to encounter terrorism,” he said. “Vehicle decals can be easily recognizable to those out there that would like to do our service members harm, so not having them on vehicles off base will help to lower visibility and, in essence, help protect our people from potential harm.” The new policy will also have a major impact on installation budgets, resulting in an estimated $750,000 in annual savings Navywide, as well as a drastic reduction in administrative tasks. Those savings will be diverted to critical AT/FP programs, reported Navy Times. “First and foremost, this policy change is going to help us better protect personnel, but the financial benefits to not having stickers are obvious,” said Bruce Toth, NRSE regional security officer. “Sticker costs can add up, especially when families have multiple vehicles and people are constantly buying and selling used vehicles – not to mention the manpower it takes to supply them. Our goal is to take those funds and reinvest them back into our force protection efforts.” According to Toth, the original purpose of the DoD
June 21, 2013
Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.: A Bicentennial Defense Community Commanding Officer — Capt. Keith Hoskins Public Affairs Officer — Harry C. White The Gosport nameplate pays homage to the 100th anniversary of naval aviation in 2011: the Centennial of Naval Aviation, or CONA. The image on the left side of the nameplate depicts Eugene Ely taking off in a Curtiss pusher bi-plane from the USS Pennsylvania Jan. 18, 1911. While Ely had taken off from the USS Birmingham two months earlier after his plane had been loaded on the ship, the USS Pennsylvania event was the first time a plane landed on and then took off from a U.S. warship.
them a look at the quality training we provide in support of the Naval Aviation Enterprise and our international allies makes an event like this even more worthy of the effort." During their tour of NATTC the ROKN delegation saw Sailors and Marines training to become aviation ordnancemen, aviation machinists mates, and aviation structural mechanics. John Semaan, NATTC’s international military student officer, accompanied the group said hosting Koo and his staff, is important to maintain good relations with our allies. “These visits give us the opportunity to continue to build goodwill on a person-to-person
The image on the right side is the Navy’s most modern fighter aircraft, the F-18 Super Hornet. Established in 1921 as the Air Station News, the name Gosport was adopted in 1936. A gosport was a voice tube used by flight instructors in the early days of naval aviation to give instructions and directions to their students. The name “Gosport” was derived from Gosport, England (originally God’s Port), where the voice tube was invented. Gosport is an authorized newspaper published every Friday by Ballinger Publishing,
level. They also provide our allies the opportunity to see the high quality training that we provide to their service members,” Semaan said. “Seeing firsthand the importance we place on quality training helps assure our allies that should they ever need our assistance, the U.S. personnel who come to their aid will have received the best training available.” At the end of the visit, Koo spoke with the ROKN service members, asking questions about the training they were receiving. For more information about Naval Air Technical Training Center, visit their website at https:// www. netc. navy.mil/ centers/ cnatt/ nattc/ Default.aspx
decal was to not only for base access, but also to ensure that drivers on installations possessed a valid driver’s license, proof of adequate insurance and a current state vehicle registration. While the decals are set for elimination next month, the requirement for vehicles to be registered with the installation security departments will continue. Personnel and residents that are permanently assigned to a Navy installation will in-process and out-process at the installation Pass and Identification Office. According to the new CNIC policy, motorcycle operators safety requirements, barment control and enforcement of state licensing, registration, insurance and safety requirements will be enforced through random vehicle inspections and routine traffic enforcement. “Our requirements will not change. Anyone operating a motor vehicle on base will still be required to carry proof of insurance and registration in accordance with their respective state law,” Toth said. The policy change will take effect on board every CNIC installation July 1. Drivers who still need access to other service’s installations that may still require a decal will be permitted to display the decal until it expires. Under the new policy, base visitors will continue to use the normal visitor procedures established by the installation commanding officer. For more information, contact your local installation security department or Pass and ID office. Onboard NASP, police non-emergency is 452-8378; Pass Decal and ID is 452-4153.
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Gosport Editor
Scott Hallford 452-4466 scott.hallford@navy.mil Gosport Associate Editor
Mike O’Connor 452-2165 michael.f.oʼconnor.ctr@navy.mil Gosport Staff Writer
Janet Thomas 452-4419 janet.thomas.ctr@navy.mil