Gosport - December 07, 2012

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Operation Homefront ... There will be a “Santa Workshop” Dec. 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Balfour Beatty Community Center (located on NASP in Lighthouse Housing). Work with Operation Homefront and Dollar Tree to provide free toys to enlisted military families from NASP and NASP Corry Station. Military families must register on the Operation Homefront website prior to attending event (www.operationhomefront.net/florida/EventRegistrationForm.aspx?ID=22212). Balfour Beatty Communities will provide wrapping paper (while supplies last). For more information, call 455-6112.

Vol. 76, No. 49

VISIT GOSPORT ONLINE: www.gosportpensacola.com

December 7, 2012

NATTC celebrates 70th anniversary by honoring pioneers and selfless acts By Lt. Johnathan Bacon NATTC PAO

Santa arrives at NAS Pensacola in Otto the Helicopter ... To kick off the holiday season, NASP MWR held a Holiday Tree Lighting and Trees For Troops event Nov. 30 at the Radford Fitness Center. Hundreds of service members and their families came to enjoy hot cocoa, cookies, games and, of course, meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. Children lined up patiently to give the jolly old elf their wish lists and service members went home with free Christmas trees, courtesy of the Spirit of Christmas Foundation and FedEx. Photo by Gretchen DeVuyst For story and more photos, see page 4

Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) model arrives at NNAM Story, photo by Mike O’Connor Gosport Associate Editor

A full-scale model of the space program’s Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) used to land NASA astronauts on the moon arrived and was being assembled at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) Dec. 4. The model, built by Digital Design LLC (Arizona Models), will be unveiled during the museum’s Salute to the Pioneers of Space Dec. 15. The event will feature former astronauts Sen. John Glenn, Eugene A. Cernan, James Workers assemble the A. Lovell and Fred W. National Naval Aviation Haise. Museum’s new Lunar Glenn was first Excursion Module. American to orbit the Earth; Cernan was the commander of Apollo 17 and was the last man to walk on the moon in 1972. Lovell is best known as the commander of Apollo 13 who brought his crippled

See LEM on page 2

Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Pensacola recently celebrated 70 years of excellence in aviation technical training. Established in 1942 in Millington, Tenn., as Naval Training School Aviation Maintenance, NATTC continues today, as it did then, to train the naval aviation maintenance and support personnel for the U.S. Navy and its allies. To celebrate this significant milestone, several spaces in Chevalier Hall were renamed after pioneers of aviation and those

Lt. John Finn

whose lives were marked by their selfless devotion to duty. Those honored were Charles E. Taylor, a mechanic for the Wright brothers; Lt. John Finn, Medal of Honor recipient and aviation ordnanceman; Chief Francis Ormsbee,

enlisted pilot; MCPON Thomas Crow, the fourth MCPON and a metalsmith by trade; and Chaplain Henry Alden, Medal of Honor recipient who died while ministering to victims during a yellow fever epidemic onboard NASP in the 1800s. Aviation ordnanceman Finn recieved his Medal of Honor for valorous actions during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack at Pearl Harbor. Finn was wounded as he manned a machine gun defending NAS Kaneohe Bay. Though hit and hit again from gunfire, he stubbornly stayed at his

See NATTC on page 2

‘Tree City’ planting at Corry Station By Mike O’Connor Gosport Associate Editor

A live oak tree was planted Nov. 30 onboard NASP Corry Station, near the west side of Bldg. 501, to mark the 18th annual Tree City USA planting ceremony. NAS Pensacola’s urban forestry accomplishments for the base include a budget of $48,700. Contractor Regal Select Services Inc. (RSSI) provides grounds maintenance, which includes urban forestry management and projects such as the pruning of street trees, hazard tree removals and cultural practices for young trees. Special emphasis is placed on mulching and watering of newly planted trees by RSSI, who has acquired maintenance responsibilities for 2,500 newly planted trees. A proclamation for “Tree Awareness Week,” Dec. 37, was declared by NASP Commanding Officer Capt. Christopher Plummer.

Lachone Dock and Sabrina Williams lay the foundation for the new tree while representatives from across the community watch. The Center for Information Dominance Corry Station was designated the 18th annual participant of “Tree City USA” tree planting ceremony. Photo by CTR1Joshua Pugh

ECAT expanding routes for bases By Janet Thomas Gosport Staff Writer

There is good news for military students from local bases who do not have cars. Just in time for the holidays, the Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) has revamped its bus routes to give students from Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) and Corry Station later weekend hours and additional places to visit.

Two ECAT bus routes, 59A and 59 Express, have been enhanced with later hours on Friday and Saturdays as well as better connections to the airport and Pensacola Beach. More stops and additional trips also offer: • Access to events at the Blue Wahoo Stadium. • A stop at Wal-Mart Center on Navy Boulevard. • A stop at Navy Federal Credit

Union on Navy Boulevard. • Access to the downtown Pensacola transfer center. • Access to Pensacola Beach on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. • Access to the Carmike Rave movie theater on Bayou Boulevard, which also provides easy access to Starbucks, Buffalo Wings and Mellow Mushroom. • Access to the stores and restaurants at Cordova Mall with a stop at

See ECAT on page 2

NAS Pensacola holiday hours ... The NASP west gate and Corry Gate 7 hours will be modified during the holiday season as follows: • Closing Dec. 21, 9:30 p.m. • Opening Jan. 2, 5:30 a.m.

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.


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