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August 26, 2016

GOSPORT

When the Navy College office closes, how do I pursue my educational goals? By Ed Barker Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC) Public Affairs

With the announcement of theclosingsof16statesideNavy CollegeOfficesonOct.1ofthis year, and the remaining four (Norfolk,Virginia,SanDiego, California, Jacksonville, Fla., andKitsap,Wash.)closingby Oct.12017,manySailorsare asking how they will start or continuetheireducation. AfterOct.1,themajorityof Voluntary Education (VolEd) services in the Continental UnitedStateswillbeprovided bytheeducationcounselorsat the Navy College Program’s Virtual Education Center (VEC).  According to Ernest D’Antonio, Naval Education andTrainingProfessionalDevelopmentCenter’sVolEdprogram director, the goal of restructuringservicedeliveryis to provide Sailors the educational tools and information when and where they need it. TheVECcallcenterhoursare from5a.m.to8p.m.Monday Selects from page 1

theirchief’sanchors. “Wedependonourfleet SMEs to determine the contentoftheE-4– E-7 rating advancement exams,” said Hill. “They’ve been given the detailsoftheadvancement centerandprocesstodayin theirselecteetraining,but they can build on that knowledge by returning forafewweeksandplayingavitalroleintheexam constructionprocess–and alsotakingthatincreased knowledge back to the fleet.” NETPDC, located at Saufley Field Pensacola, provides products and services that enable and enhanceeducation,training, career development, and personnel advancementthroughouttheNavy. Primary elements of the command include the NavyAdvancementCenter,NavyVoluntaryEducationandtheResources ManagementDepartment. GetthelatestinformationonNavyenlistedadvancementbyvisitingthe NavyAdvancementCenter on Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/NavyAdvancement-Center213190711299 . Additionalinformation abouttheNavalEducation andTrainingProfessional Development Center can befoundviahttps://www. netc.navy.mil/netc/net-

through Friday and may be reachedbycalling:(877)8381659orDSN492-4684,orbyemailatVEC@navy.mil. “This new VolEd structurewillmake educationalprograms,includi n g counseling, tuitionassistance and testing servicesaccessible forallSailorsin the continental UnitedStatesthrough acombinationofself-serviceandvirtualservices,”said D’Antonio.  “The colleges themselveswillstillhaveaccess tobasesforteachingcoursesand counselingstudents.” ThePensacolaNavyCollege officewillcloseonOct.1,but academicinstitutionswithpartnership agreements will continuetoprovideservicesasthey haveinthepast.Currently,Pensacolaisservedby:Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Southern Illinois University; CoastlineCommunityCollege;

and Pensacola State College (WhitingField). ThefourNCOsstayingopen untilOctober2017willcontinue to provide full services,including counselingand testing, until theyclose. Most of the current steps in the V o l E d process will not change under the new delivery service model.  Sailors are expected,bothnowandinthefuture,totalkwiththeirchainof commandaboutpursinganeducationprogram;researcheducation programs via the Navy College Program website and theDefenseActivityforNonTraditional Education Support (DANTES)website,including completing information modules such as the DANTES Higher Education Preparatory Course and/orTA Decide; receivecounselingfromaNavy College Program education

counselor; work with an approvedacademicinstitutionto developaneducationanddegree plan;meetallNavyeligibilityrequirementstouseTA,including completion of Navy WebTA trainingandTAapplicationsthat willbeapprovedbytheSailor’s command; and successfully complete their academic courses. TheMyEducationportalon the Navy College website is available24/7forSailorstoestablish and monitor their accounts,ensuretheirdegreeplans arecurrentandverifytheyhave receivededucationcounseling. Academic institutions requestingaccesstoNavyinstal-

lations are required to use the U.S.AirForceAcademicInstitutionBaseAccessPortaltorequest visitation for student interaction, education fairs, Morale,WelfareandRecreation events,sponsorship,command visits, etc.  The portal can be foundontheinternetvia: https:// aiportal. acc.af.mil/aiportal/ . Additionalinformationmaybe foundontheNavyCollegeProgramwebsite’s“BaseAccess” pageat:https:// www. navy college. navy. mil/ base_ access_info.html . Formoreinformationonthe NavyCollegeProgramandthe Virtual Education Center visit https:// www. navy college. navy.mil/ . FollowNavyVoluntaryEducation on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Navy VoluntaryEducation/. Additionalinformationabout theNavalEducationandTraining Professional Development Center can be found via https://www.netc.navy.mil/netc/n etpdc/Default.htm . For more on Navy College closing, see Gosport page A5.

Names sought for NASP’s Gold Star program in September From staff reports

NAS Pensacola Fleet and Family SupportCenter(FFSC),incooperation withtheNationalNavalAviationMuseum(NNAM),willconducttheBells AcrossAmericaforFallenServiceMembersceremonySept. 22at11a.m.attheNNAM. The event is a national programthatremembersand celebratesthelivesoffallen service members. The ceremonyisbeingconductedsimultaneously across the nation and the namesofourfallenheroeswillberead aloud.Foreachname,abellisstruck onetime.FilmmakerJillHubbswill betheguestspeaker.Hubbsrecently produced the documentary “They Were Our Fathers,” in which she sharestheexperiencesofthosewhose fathersdiedinVietnamaswellasher personalexperienceoflosingherfather.

TheNavyGoldStarProgramserves thefamiliesofallwhodiedonactive duty,regardlessofbranchofserviceor cause of death. The program serves survivorsbyprovidingsupport,informationandservicesaslongasthey desire. FFSC is asking all Gold StarSurvivorstoparticipate inthiseventandisactively solicitingnamesofthosein the local area whose survivorswishthemtoberecognized during the ceremony. Anyone whose family member died whileonactivedutyisaskedtocontact Kathy Sims at 452-4277 or Kathy.sims@navy.mil.Providename, rankanddateofdeathofthedecedent andtheGoldStarfamilyrelationship. Aphotographwillalsoberequestedto be respectfully displayed during the event. Forfurtherinformation,callSimsat 452-4277.

Volunteers from page 1

aftercommunicatedwithMcArthur,which ledtoabase-widecallformilitaryvolunteers. Inherpresentation,McArthurnotedEscambiaCountyhasalargeschooldistrict, about42,000students,andarelativelyhigh povertyrate.Sheofferedthemilitarymembersahostofvolunteeringpossibilities,such asmentoring,adoptingaschooltoprovide support,actingas“lunchbuddies,”helping with reading, STEM studies, book clubs, mathandmore. “Yourepresentthatconsistentrolemodel, perhapsforthefirsttimeformanyofthese students,”McArthursaid.“Ifwegetyou

Vol. 80, No. 34

Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Christopher Martin threw out the first pitch at a Pensacola Blue Wahoos game Aug. 22. The Wahoos went on to win 8-5 over the Mobile Bay Bears. Photo from Blue Wahoos

pairedupone-on-onewithastudent,whata differencethatcanmake.” The need for mentors in the county’s Youth Motivator Mentoring Program is strong.“Researchshowsthatiftheyhavea responsibleadultintheirlife,ithelpsthem long-termintheirbehaviorandalltheway around,”sheadded. Volunteerhelpforschoolchildrencantake manyforms.“It’snotnecessarilyteachingor tutoring,” Bergosh said. “Sometimes they needafriend;someonetotalktoandshare. Someonetoask,‘Whatdoyouwanttobe when you grow up?’ Or ‘What are your goals?’...Youcanbringalottothetable.” Notingthattransportationcanbeanissue, McArthurprovidedalistofsevenschoolslo-

August 26, 2016

Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla.: A Bicentennial Defense Community Commanding Officer — Capt. Christopher T. Martin Public Affairs Officer — Patrick J. Nichols 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.

NASP CO throws out first pitch... NAS

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,

catedwithinfivemilesofthebase,andseveralothersjustslightlyfurther.“Wewantto makeiteasyforyoutovolunteer;wecanreallyuseyourhelp.Youhaveagreatresource here,andweneedyou,”shesaid.“Thereare lotsofwaysyoucanhelp.” NASPpersonnelhavebeeninvolvedwith theschoolprogramsinthepast.QM1Angel Herrera,whoattendedthemeeting,worked withastudentfromJimC.BaileyMiddle Schoollastyear.Hesaiditwasapositiveexperienceandhebelievedthestudentbenefitedfromtheinteraction. For more information on volunteering withlocalschools,callNASPCommunity Outreach at 452-2532 or e-mail NASP_ Comm_Outreach@navy.mil.

314 N. Spring St.- Suite A, Pensacola, Fl. 32501, in the interest of military and civilian personnel and their families aboard the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Saufley Field and Corry Station. Editorial and news material is compiled by the Public Affairs Office, 150 Hase Road, Ste.-A, NAS Pensacola, FL 32508-1051. All news releases and related materials should be mailed to that address, e-mailed to scott.hallford@navy.mil. National news sources are American Forces Press Service (AFPS), Navy News Service (NNS), Air Force News Service (AFNS), News USA and North American Precis Syndicate (NAPS). Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Defense, United States Navy, officials of the Naval Air Station Pensacola, or Ballinger Publishing. All advertising, including classified ads, is arranged through Ballinger Publishing. Minimum weekly circulation is 25,000. Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to rank, rate, race, creed, color, national origin or sex of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed rejection of this policy of equal opportunities by an advertiser will result in the refusal of future advertising from that source.

For classified ads, call: (850) 433-1166, ext. 29

For commercial advertising: Becky Hildebrand (850) 433-1166, ext. 3 Becky@ballingerpublishing.com Visit Us On The Web At: Ballinger Publishing.Com Mail To: Gosport, NAS Pensacola, 150 Hase Road, Ste.-A, Pensacola, FL 32508-1051

Gosport Editor

Scott Hallford 452-4466 scott.hallford@navy.mil Gosport Associate Editor

Mike O Connor 452-2165 michael.f.o’connor.ctr@navy.mil Gosport Staff Writer

Janet Thomas 452-4419 janet.thomas.ctr@navy.mil