Flagship 08.03.2023

www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

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IN THIS ISSUE

Rooted in maritime history: Stennis holds mast stepping ceremony

The crew of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and members of Newport News Shipbuilding marked a major milestone in the ship’s RCOH maintenance period with a mast stepping ceremony July 26. Page A3 VOL. 31, NO. 26, Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com

August 3-August 9, 2023

The 500th MH-60 Seahawk completed by Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic (FRCMA) stands ready for transport back to its parent squadron, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two, at Naval Station Norfolk, July 31, 2023. FRCMA is one of seven Fleet Readiness Centers devoted to the maintenance of naval aircraft and provides full-spectrum aircraft maintenance operations, possessing all of the key capabilities required to maintain high-performance tactical aircraft in support of warfighter readiness. (U.S. NAVY PHOTOS BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS JORDAN GRIMES)

FRC Mid-Atlantic completes 500th MH-60 Seahawk Planned Maintenance Interval MC2 Jordan Grimes NRMA Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. — Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic (FRCMA) held a celebration honoring the completion of their 500th MH-60 Seahawk helicopter to go through the Planned Maintenance Interval (PMI) process at Naval Station Norfolk, July 31.

The milestone achievement highlights the importance of FRCMA and the role they play in fostering innovation and advancement in naval aviation readiness.

Charles “Chip” Hatfield, a civilian employee of FRCMA, said the approximately 160 government civilians and contractors that work on the aircrafts are more than just mechanics. “[A PMI] is almost a full disassembly of the aircraft that is completed by some of the most talented artisans in the world,” said Hatfield. “Yes, we call the mechanics “artisans” because of the complex work involved in repairing and assembling an aircraft… The final product, an MH-60, looks like a work of art and is ready for operational use by the squadron.”

One such artisan is Steve Turack, an aircraft examiner for the Norfolk team. Turack said he thinks the maintenance work done on the MH-60s that come in holds a high level of importance to mission readiness.

“If you don’t do periodic maintenance on [the aircraft], corrosion can get much worse,” said Turack. “The saltwater environment that these operate in is very corrosive, so the changes that we do to them and the repairs we make to the wiring and the airframe are what keep these aircrafts flying.”

FRCMA’s completed MH-60 aircraft are returned to their squadrons to participate in operational missions around the world.

Hatfield says the team of artisans are very proud of the work they do and their contribution to the Navy’s ability to complete its mission. The Norfolk location has been performing PMIs on the MH-60 since 2003.

FRCMA is one of seven Fleet Readiness Centers devoted to the maintenance of naval aircraft and provides full-spectrum aircraft maintenance operations, possessing all of the key capabilities required to maintain high-performance tactical aircraft in support of warfighter readiness.

An MH-60 Seahawk undergoing a Planned Maintenance Interval performed by Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic (FRCMA) sits in a hangar at Naval Station Norfolk, July 31, 2023.

Navy christens future guided-missile destroyer Harvey C. Barnum Jr.

By Office of the Secretary of the Navy The Navy christened the future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) during a ceremony at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, July 29.

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro delivered the christening ceremony’s principal address.

“I have always looked to Harvey Barnum as a personal mentor, someone whose judgement I value in all of my decisions and considerations, including in my current role as Secretary of the Navy,” said SECNAV Del Toro. “This man is among the most distinguished and accomplished public servants alive today. May we all be a bit more like him—and may the future USS Harvey C. Barnum carry forth his spirit and his story forever.”

Retired Marine Corps Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr., received the Medal of Honor for heroism displayed during an action outside Ky Phu, Quang Tin Province, Vietnam. Serving with Company H, 2d Battalion, and 9th Marines, he assumed command after the rifle company commander was mortally

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wounded by a sudden enemy attack. Grabbing the radio off the dead operator, Barnum strapped it on his back, called the battalion commander, and declared, “The company commander is down. I have the fight.” Rallying his troops, Barnum organized the defeat of the enemy force and the successful evacuation of the dead and wounded.

“What strikes me as Harvey’s most remarkable character trait is his humility — all who know him know there isn’t an ounce of self-importance in him. He is kind. He is generous. He is down-to-earth. He is a true friend, a good man, and a Marine’s Marine.

His whole life, he “has had the fight.” And we are all better for it.

This is the first U.S. Navy ship to honor Barnum.

“I stand here before you today as a grateful American,” said the 83-year-old Barnum during the ceremony. “I’m grateful that I was born, grew up, and still live in the greatest country in the world. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to serve this great country and wear the cloth of a United States Marine Turn to USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr, Page 7

BATH, Maine (JULY 29, 2023) Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro attends the christening ceremony of USS Harvey C. Barnum (DDG 124) July 29. The ship’s namesake, Col Harvey C. Barnum Jr., USMC, (on the left) was a veteran of Vietnam and recipient of the Medal of Honor.

The ship was awarded on June 3, 2013, named in 2016, and the keel laid on May 21, 2021. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY CHIEF MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST SHANNON E. RENFROE)

Best in the Fleet: USS The Sullivans wins 2022 Battenberg Cup After Two Surge Deployments

The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) was named the best all-around ship in the Atlantic Fleet based on accumulation of achievements that included two successful surge deployments, July 27. Page A6

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The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 1 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

Chris Page, a volunteer docent at the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, interacts with visitors in the museum’s gallery. Page served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, and is pictured providing some meaningful interpretation to some of the museum’s artifacts in their exhibit“The Ten Thousand-Day War at Sea: The U.S. Navy in Vietnam, 1950-1975.” (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MAX LONZANIDA/RELEASED).

Hampton Roads Naval Museum receives highest national recognition: Reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums

By Max Lonzanida

Hampton Roads Naval Museum

NORFOLK, Va. — The Hampton Roads Naval Museum (HRNM) has achieved reaccreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The museum originally achieved accreditation in 2008.

Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the HRNM is one of 10 Navy museums operated by the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) open to the public across the country. The museum preserves and interprets the naval history of Hampton Roads dating from the colonial era to the present day.

AAM Accreditation brings national recognition to a museum for its commitment to excellence, accountability, high professional standards and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 50 years, the Alliance’s museum accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability.

It strengthens the museum profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources

wisely, and remain financially and ethically accountable in order to provide the best possible service to the public.

“For HRNM, AAM accreditation demonstrates the museum’s commitment to professional excellence and affirms our vision to make history a core component of a Sailor’s education and to bring the American people closer to their Navy. In preparation for the reaccreditation review, HRNM’s paid and unpaid staff, stakeholders, and leadership, worked together to critically assess the museum’s policies, procedures, and institutional culture in order to ensure that all activities meet the highest standards and best practices,” said John Pentangelo, Director of the HRNM. “The museum staff is so proud to hold this distinction and to serve our community here in the capital of the United States Navy.”

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 museums, only 1,102 (less than 4%) are currently accredited. HRNM is one of six official Department of the Navy museums that are currently accredited by AAM. “In layman’s terms, especially given NHHC’s limited resourcing, this 60% benchmark shows that we operate at the “Smithsonian” level of excellence in the stewardship of the collections in our care, service to the Fleet, and outreach to the American People, through all of our educational outreach and

programming,” said Naval History and Heritage Command’s Deputy Assistant Director, Navy Museums Division Jeff Barta.

Accreditation is a rigorous but rewarding process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of selfstudy, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The AAM Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, considers the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.

“This multi-year accreditation process ensures that we run our museums to the highest professional industry standards and best practices,” said Barta. “Nationwide, only around 3% of the nation’s museums meet the highly rigorous standards to be accredited. We’re very proud of the immense work and talent that went into the effort. HRNM’s educational programs are in steady demand, and the team has been asked by Fleet Forces Command to contribute to the history education curriculum for our Chiefs and Sailors. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

In 2019, HRNM opened a major new exhibit, “The Ten Thousand-Day War at Sea: The U.S. Navy in Vietnam.” The exhibit explores the role of the Navy during that conflict and shares the experiences of the

men and women who served during that turbulent era via oral history touchscreens.

HRNM is also the custodian of artifacts related to the Civil War shipwrecks of USS Cumberland and CSS Florida. Their robust educational outreach program serves the entire Navy family, including civilians, family members, and retirees. With 75 Navy and Military Sealift Command ships, 34 air squadrons, over 300 tenant commands and activities, and the largest concentration of flag officers outside of the Pentagon, Hampton Roads is truly the capital of the United States Navy.

NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC comprises many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, 10 museums, the USS Constitution repair facility, and the historic ship Nautilus.

Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA): Rear Adm Christopher“Scotty”Gray

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Military Editor | MC1 Maddelin Hamm 757-322-2853 | maddelin.v.hamm.mil@us.navy.mil Assistant Editor | MC2 Jordan Grimes 757-322-2853 | news@flagshipnews.com Graphic Designer | Teresa Walter teresa.walter@virginiamedia.com

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www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

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Rooted in maritime history: Stennis holds mast stepping ceremony

By MC3 Max Biesecker

USS John C. Stennis Public Affairs

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The crew of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and members of Newport News Shipbuilding marked a major milestone in the ship’s refueling, complex and overhaul (RCOH) maintenance period with a mast stepping ceremony July 26.

The event, held in accordance with almost a millennium of naval tradition, marked the placement of Stennis’ new main mast, not only giving the ship a part of its identity back, but also providing a platform for new combat system capabilities and a safer way for Sailors to climb the mast.

Speakers at the event included Capt. J Patrick Thompson, Commanding Officer of John C. Stennis, Lt. Cmdr. Marco Guidi, Combat Systems Officer, and guest speaker Ms. Jessica Gomez, Program Director for In-service Carrier Programs at Newport News Shipbuilding.

“This mast stepping allows us to acknowledge our past as we move into the future,” Said Thompson. “While the mast of the days of sail represented propulsion, the new mast you see here represents pure combat capability -the ability to guide an aircraft home on the darkest of stormy nights; the ability to communicate and share targeting data with other ships and aircraft via encrypted, jam resistant networks; or the ability to coordinate offensive action with our Navy and Joint partners via low probability of intercept communications. “ The new square and tapered mast, which replaced the smaller, round-shaped pole, provides a larger area to host state-of-theart defense and communications systems that will help carry the ship into the future.

“This team has put its heart and soul into USS John C. Stennis, and we’ll continue to give our all to prepare her for the second half of her life,” said Gomez. “When she leaves our shipyard to return to the call of duty, Stennis will be equipped with updated aircraft launch and recovery equipment to support the latest aircraft, cutting edge combat systems to protect the ship and the most advanced carrier IT network.”

The practice of mast stepping is not a new.

In fact, according to The Society for Nautical Research, the tradition is likely to be as old as shipbuilding itself. Dating back more that 2000 years ago, the ritual has evolved over time and led to Vikings and seafarers of the north who would place coins, amulets and

other offerings beneath the masts of their ship for good luck. Even the USS Constitution, one of the U.S. Navy’s six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794, had coins placed beneath her mast in conformity with this time-honored naval tradition.

The practice continued even after the advent of steel-hulled ships, commemorative time capsules containing coins and other remembrances of the current era welded to the mast “step” in lieu of coins being placed beneath a wooden main mast.

“Even a short ceremony like this means a lot to our Sailors and myself,” said Guidi. “So many aspects of our job go back thousands of years, and maintaining these maritime traditions and ceremonies remind us where we came from. Although I work with some of the most advanced systems on the ship, I still enjoy the historic traditions.”

Items placed in the capsule, which was welded to the Stennis’s mast step after the ceremony, included a full roster of the ship’s crew, a commanding officer’s coin and the ship’s mid-life coin.

Unlike other types of ships, modern carriers typically undergo mast stepping twice; once during initial construction, and then again when the ship goes through the RCOH process.

The Stennis, however, is unique that this will be the ship’s third mast stepping, the second installment taking place in 2005 during a planned maintenance availability.

Items retrieved from the last time capsule, placed nearly two decades ago, will be placed in the Stennis Room aboard the ship for Sailors to come observe and reflect upon a different time in the carrier’s history.

“I had the pleasure of serving as this ship’s executive officer during its most recent deployment and saw the capabilities of this warship,” reflected Thompson. “Today, we see the next step in its transformation into the most technologically advanced Nimitzclass carrier in the fleet. The amount of hours and dedication put into not only the mast, but revitalizing this ship as a whole is truly remarkable- the strength of our U.S. carrier force is a testament to each individual who has played a part in getting this ship back in the fight.”

The John C. Stennis entered RCOH at the Newport News Shipbuilding, May 2021, for its mid-life refurbishment, preparing the aircraft carrier for an additional 25 years of service.

NEWPORT NEWS, VA (July 26, 2023) – A newly placed mast sits above the island of the Nimitzclass aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), July 26, 2023. John C. Stennis is in Newport News Shipyardconducting Refueling and Complex Overhaul to prepare the ship for the second half of its 50-year service life. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 3RD CLASS DANIEL PEREZ)

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4 The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 1 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

(COURTESY PHOTO)

Coast Guard rescues 11 after boat capsizes west of Oregon Inlet, North Carolina

By U.S. Coast Guard PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard rescued 11 people from the water Wednesday after an airboat capsized near Oregon Inlet, in North Carolina.

A Dare County, North Carolina, dispatcher contacted watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina at about 10:15 a.m. Wednesday to relay that the OBX 1, a 20-foot airboat, capsized about half of a mile west of Oregon Inlet. The dispatcher

also said various degrees of injuries were reported and that all passengers were reported to be wearing life jackets.

Coast Guard watchstanders dispatched a 27-foot Shallow Water Response Boat and a 29-foot Response Boat from Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, also diverted from local training operations to provide oversight and on-scene communications.

The Oregon Inlet rescue boat crews arrived on scene and immediately retrieved one person from the water who had been pinned under the airboat and was suffering from a potential chest and head injury.

Watchstanders requested a Dare County Life Flight helicopter crew to assist with transporting the person to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital while the Coast Guard crews retrieved the remaining ten people from the water.

The survivors were all taken to Station

Oregon Inlet where their care was transferred to awaiting emergency medical services personnel. Two people were reported to have serious injuries.

Commercial salvage towed the OBX 1 to Pirates Cove Marina in Manteo, North Carolina.

The incident is under investigation by Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Nags Head.

Better Together: NAVIFOR summit links warfighter resilience to operational readiness

By Joshua Rodriguez

Navifor Public Affairs Office

SUFFOLK, Va. — Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) hosted the inaugural Warfighting Resiliency Summit July 25-27, 2023, in Suffolk, Va. More than 150 Sailors and civilians participated in the event, representing Navy Information Warfare commands from around the globe. The summit is specifically aimed for IW leaders to engage with subject matter experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing IW Sailors in order to build strong cultures, drive performance and promote readiness.

The theme for the summit, “Better Together,” emphasizes the connections between command leadership teams and Sailors in enhancing overall mental health and wellness. During the summit, participants learned strategies to improve inclusion, promote mental and spiritual wellness, and enhance unity and connection within commands.

NAVIFOR Commander Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach stressed the importance of active participation in the event to attending leaders.

“This summit is a critical way to encourage leaders at all levels to share how they deal with mental health challenges, what they’re doing to build resilience, and how they’re developing connectedness in their commands to support their Sailors and build strong teams,” said Aeschbach.

Aeschbach also put out a call to action to all participants to engage in thoughtful discussions and assess themselves and their teams.

“Your participation here is a key signal that you take very seriously our responsibility to build connected, resilient teams,” said Aeschbach. “What matters most is how you bring these tools and these conversations back to your commands and have authentic, necessary discussions with your deckplate leaders and Sailors.”

The summit featured interactive workshops, peer-to-peer program discussions and several panel sessions for senior leaders and triads, in which junior officers and enlisted Sailors were encouraged to participate. Discussion panels on mental health challenges, inclusion, and leadership and family issues empowered attendees to give direct feedback on issues and challenges directly related to operational readiness.

NAVIFOR Force Master Chief Laura Nunley affirmed the importance of this in-person, two-way communication.

Sailors engage in an ice-breaker challenge at Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) inaugural Warfighter Resiliencey Summit July 25-27, 2023, in Suffolk, Va. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY JASON RODMAN/RELEASED)

“As the IW force master chief, I take very seriously my role, and the role of all our IW leaders, in meeting with our IW Sailors around the Fleet and learning what barriers they have to performing to their full potential,” said Nunley. “This summit is meant to address these concerns head-on, with subject matter experts on hand to provide IW leaders valuable tools and resources on Sailor mental health, wellness, and resilience.”

“The discussions over these last three days are absolutely essential to ensuring our IW Sailors, from our leaders down to the deck plates, are ready for any operation,” said Nunley.

Mental health promotion was a critical component of the summit, with experts on hand to discuss sleep hygiene, the Interper-

sonal Theory of Suicide, spiritual readiness, and community identity. The NAVIFOR force medical team also provided updates on watchfloor studies and various NAVIFOR mental health programs.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Robert Torrison, NAVIFOR’s force mental health provider, the summit combined the topics of past mental health and diversity, equity and inclusion summits into one overall tool for an IW Sailor’s leadership toolbox. With the growing demand for IW professionals in the Fleet, the summit promoted access to critical resources that ensure every IW Sailor is ready to meet the mission, in a climate that enables every Sailor and civilian to mentally and physically thrive.

“This summit puts real action behind the tenet that our people are our most valuable

resource — and this is the responsibility of every leader,” said Torrison. “We must all work to create an environment that is open and conducive to having sometimes difficult and uncomfortable discussions with our people and that encourages them to come forward when they need help.”

NAVIFOR’s mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN. For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at Https:// Www.Facebook.Com/NavalInformationForces/ or the public web page at Https:// Www.Navifor.Usff.Navy.Mil.

www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

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Navigating the depths of information warfare: A journey with U.S. Navy midshipmen

By NAVIFOR Public Affairs Office SUFFOLK, Va. — Midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) and the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) embarked on a unique educational journey this summer as they toured various afloat and ashore commands focused on Navy Information Warfare (IW).

The third annual Midshipmen IW Summer Cruise, sponsored by Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), aims to both educate these future naval leaders on the critical role of IW to Naval operations, and prepare them for service selection week, when they select what designator they want to serve in upon commissioning.

The IW Summer Cruise also gives unique opportunities for IW leaders to connect and communicate with the midshipmen on how IW underpins all other warfighting operations and the pivotal role IW plays in support of strategic competition, fleet design and distributed maritime operations.

The IW Cruise is in the midst of its third block, with nearly 80 Midshipmen taking advantage of this first-hand look at the Navy’s IW community — the largest group so far. This summer, for the first time, this group included NROTC Midshipmen, and is the first IW cruise that serves as an official midshipman qualification cruise, required for commissioning.

Midshipman Cole Ellis, a Florida native currently attending Vanderbilt University, has Cyber Warfare Engineer (CWE) in his sights.

“I recognize the diverse array of opportunities the Navy provides that no other branch can: the opportunity to work in a fleet that is capable in the air, on the surface of the sea, below the surface, in cyberspace, and in special warfare,” said Ellis. “I’m excited to be working in a realistic environment to further my abilities in the pillar areas of cybersecurity.

As a very new field within the Navy, I am interested in speaking to more CWE officers about their experiences throughout their respective careers and the opportunities they’ve had.”

During “Core Week”, the first week of the cruise, midshipmen spent their time in the Hampton Roads area visiting local IW commands and platforms to learn how IW as a whole contributes to the overall mission of the Fleet. With the growing field of IW designators, the various opportunities provided during the IW cruise give these midshipmen an understanding of IW capabilities, afloat and ashore, and how the different IW designators support the overall mission and other warfare commanders.

Following Core Week, the midshipmen broke out into individual “strands” where for next two weeks they gained a more in-depth understanding of individual warfare areas, including CWE, Intelligence, Cryptology, Meteorology and Oceanography, and Information Professional communities.

In each interaction, Day One of Core Week included the “Welcome” introduction. Block One was covered by Capt. Bryan Braswell, commander, Naval Information Warfighting Development Center (NIWDC), where he outlined NIWDC’s mission and the importance of IW to the Fleet.

Afterwards, the group toured the two co-located IW commands, Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) and Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM) in Suffolk, Va. At NETWARCOM, the Midshipmen delved into the world of Assured Command and Control (AC2). There the Midshipmen discussed mission priorities including mission

Suffolk, Va. - Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander, Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), conducted the welcome brief for midshipmen attending the 2023 NAVIFOR Information Warfare Summer Cruise at the Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command / Naval Network Warfare Command building. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY ROBERT FLUEGEL/RELEASED)

assurance, cyberspace maneuver and communications resiliency. At NCDOC they explored the intricacies of Defensive Cyber Operations, or DCO, learning about the continuous battle against sophisticated adversaries seeking to infiltrate and disrupt naval systems.

The tour included a stop on the joint NETWARCOM / NCDOC watch floor, charged with ensuring secure and reliable operations of all Navy networks. The would-be IW officers learned how the two commands shared a cooperative working relationship to support the Fleet in exercises, operations, and monitoring and mitigating network compromises or casualties.

Commander, Naval Information Forces, Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach was on deck to greet the arriving Midshipmen, setting the pace by explaining how NAVIFOR is unique among all Navy Type Commands (TYCOMs).

“NAVIFOR — and Navy Information Warfare — is not about platforms. We are about people — teams of people. IW is critical to operations and integrated throughout the Navy on every platform, and is embedded in all warfighting areas the Navy has to offer,” said Aeschbach. “A career in IW is such a unique vocation because it allows you to take part in nearly every aspect of naval and joint operations and reinvent yourself between billets.”

Aeschbach also discussed the three pillars of IW: AC2, Battlespace Awareness, and Integrated Fires, and how these three pillars support all the TYCOMs, as well as the Combatant Commanders.

“No one in the Navy can effectively execute their mission without Information Warfare,” said Aeschbach. “In this dense and complex environment, our mission set is at its prime.

No warfare area, anywhere in the world, can operate or succeed without the capabilities we provide.”

To get a sense of how IW is integrated in afloat commands, midshipmen from Block One visited USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and USS New York (LPD-21).

While on board IKE, the midshipmen interacted with ship’s company Sailors and officers as they toured the communications depart-

ment, RADIO, and the aircraft carrier’s intelligence center, known as CVIC. Midshipmen also met with Carrier Strike Group Two’s Information Warfare Commander (IWC), Capt. Mitchell H. Finke. He is charged with creating the ability to influence, deny, degrade or disrupt the decision-making abilities of adversaries and potential adversaries while protecting friendly forces, as well as assessing the information environment to support warfare commanders’ objectives within the Composite Warfare Commander construct. The Carrier Strike Group IWC is a senior IW leadership position junior IW officers can aspire to when looking ahead at potential career path options.

Midshipman Madison Schaefer from Youngstown, Ohio, is aiming at commissioning in the intelligence community.

“The IW Cruise has given me new perspectives on different routes I can take as an intelligence officer. We were exposed to many different career opportunities and command locations within each community during this cruise,” said Schaefer. “Because everyone takes their own path and chooses different routes within the intelligence community, it makes for a more wellrounded and diverse group of people with so much knowledge.”

The summer cruise didn’t just offer classified briefings on a watch floor, in a conference room or an inport cabin. The future IW officers got to experience the type of operations they may support in the Fleet by trying their hand at the Navy Expeditionary Intelligence Command (NEIC) Visit Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) Climbing Trainer, which Schaefer successfully navigated.

“The VBSS trainer was super cool. It’s not every day that you get to try to climb the same type of ladder that we use on our missions,” Schaefer said. “I will tell you, that trying to climb a thin ladder that is swinging, is extremely difficult.”

The midshipmen also visited Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic (NCTAMS LANT) in Norfolk, where they were taught about the

scope of responsibility for the Joint Fleet Telecommunications Operations Center Watch Officer and the variety of services NCTAMS LANT provides to the fleet, to include telecommunications support, IP services, naval messaging services, and troubleshooting support.

As the midshipmen explored the Fleet Weather Center Norfolk, they learned how meteorology plays a critical role in naval operations. The importance of accurate weather forecasts for mission planning and execution became apparent as the Midshipmen engaged with meteorologists, both officer and enlisted, and discussed data analysis.

Midshipmen also learned about the role of IW at other Hampton Roads commands, including Naval Information Warfare Training Group Norfolk, Theater Undersea Surveillance Command Atlantic, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Special Reconnaissance Team Two, and various afloat commands.

“The Information Warfare Cruise occurs everyyearinHamptonRoadsandtheNational Capital Region during three summer training blocks. The goal of this cruise is to provide 1/C Midshipmen the opportunity to explore which IW designator they wish to select during service selection,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jillian Homola, Instructor, Department of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, U.S. Naval Academy. “Due to the broad scope of commands in these locations, no two cruises are the same and the midshipmen have opportunities to learn about IW’s role in Fleet operations, both afloat and ashore. Every command in the Navy employs Information Warfare and we want midshipmen to learn both the breadth and the depth of the IW community and job opportunities available to them.”

NAVIFOR’s mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN. For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/navalinformationforces/ or the public web page at https://www.navifor.usff. navy.mil.

Our Yard History: 10 Norfolk Navy Yard landing ships went to Normandy

By Marcus Robbins

Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Norfolk Navy Yard (NNY), as Norfolk Naval Shipyard was then known, was an industrial powerhouse both repairing and constructing warships during World War II. This story highlights ten specific tank landing ships (LST) that were built at NNY and participated in the D-Day landings in Normandy, France 79 years ago last month.

Of the 20 total LSTs that NNY built, 12 were constructed and launched in Dry Dock 8 while eight others were launched from the building ways structure.

First, some background on how our yard contributed to the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II (1939-1945).

During the war, 6,850 ships underwent repair, overhaul, alteration, modification, or conversion at NNY. This yard also supported the repair of six major British warships along with other Allied vessels. The Norfolk shipyard also saw the commissioning and final outfitting of 85 vessels that were built at other yards as well as the construction of another 101 vessels in its own yard.

Of the ships that arrived in Normandy, NNY was involved in the construction of two destroyers, three minesweepers, 50 landing craft mechanized (LCM), and ten tank landing ships (LST) that enabled the employees of Norfolk “to take the fight over there.”

The local shipyard workforce, in excess of 43,000 employees, worked around the clock to produce vessels such as the Gleavesclass destroyers USS Herndon (DD-638) and USS Shubrick (DD-639), Raven-class minesweeper USS Osprey (AM-56), and the Auk-class minesweeper USS Auk (AM-57), along with a multitude of other LCMs and LSTs. Each ship contributed in its own way to the success of the invasion on June 6, 1944.

NNSY laid the keel for the first of 20 LSTs on July 17, 1942, and launched its final group on February 7, 1943. Each keel was 1,625 tons and they were numbered LST 333 through LST 352. The keels were among the more than 1,000 built during World War II whose designs met the demand for a draft deep enough for ocean travel and shallow enough for beaching troops and equipment. These LST’s collectively took part in the full range

LST 337-342 launching at Dry Dock 8 on Nov. 7, 1942. (COURTESY PHOTO, NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD)

of amphibious operations in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. In the NNY periodical, Speed Victory, dated July 5, 1944, a photo of NNY’s LST 347 referred to the ship as an “Ugly Duckling” highlighting how she completed her mission “somewhere in Europe.” The story goes on

to discuss how shipyard workers studied daily news pictures in order to find information about the ships they had worked on. No matter what part they played in the building of each ship, they took pride in knowing that their ships were “over there” as a vital part of the invading force.

For those who would like to do more research, the ten NNY LST’s that directly participated in the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France were NNY built - tank landing ships (LST): LST 335, LST 345, LST 336, LST 346, LST 337, LST 347, LST 338, LST 350, LST 344, LST 351

6 The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 1 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

NORFOLK, Va. (July 21, 2023)- Rear Adm. John Meier, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, center, speaks to midshipmen aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). Every summer, midshipmen from the Naval Academy and NROTC programs around the country are assigned to different Navy commands to participate in drills, stand watch, and get further acquainted with the different platforms the Navy operates and with the Navy way of life. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS TATYANA FREEMAN)

Commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic engages with Midshipmen aboard USS George Washington

By Petty Officer 2nd Class Bonnie Lindsay

Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic

Rear Adm. John F. Meier, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, spoke with Midshipmen participating in summer training aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).

“This summer you’re just learning what area you might want to go into,” said Meier.

“I encourage you to follow people around.

Ask questions. Be curious. Whatever your purpose is, the Navy has a way for you to serve.”

Every summer, rising 3rd and 2nd Class Midshipmen from Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) units from colleges across the country participate in a four-week career orientation training (CORTRAMID) that acquaints them with the Navy way of life across several different

communities by showcasing them exclusively for one week over the course of the four weeks.

Midshipmen are introduced to the Navy surface community, submarine community, aviation community, and Marine Corps community. During the week of July 17-21, 90 midshipmen were introduced to the naval aviation community.

“I don’t come from a military family, and I mostly just wanted a challenge when I first started applying [for the NROTC program],” said Midshipman 3rd Class Drew Diguglielmo, a Midshipman from Notre Dame NROTC. “I’ve always wanted to feel like I was part of a big community and to do something that helps more people than just myself, so I figured this might be a route that I might find that. So far I’ve had an awesome time learning about everything and meeting new people.”

During their naval aviation week, the

Midshipmen visited several helicopter and strike fighter squadrons, attended briefs, visited the Landing Signal Officer School, experienced flight simulators, and were able to experience some actual flights on an MH-60 helicopter and a T-34 plane. They wrapped up their week onboard the George Washington, listening to Meier speak, then exploring the carrier in small groups.

During Meier’s speech, he touched on his career in naval aviation, the challenges he faced as a leader, and shared some of the wisdom he gained along the way.

“You’ve had the opportunity to see a lot this week pertaining to naval aviation, but first and foremost, you’re going to be an officer,” said Meier. “Never lose sight of that.

Never lose sight of the standard you set, your behavior, how you uphold others, or how you treat people with respect and dignity. Those attributes of being an officer are the foundation. That has to be the foundation for every-

thing. Then your chosen field, whatever it is, whatever it is that you do, do it to the utmost of your ability. Pursue perfection. Be harder on yourself than an instructor will ever be.”

“I think it was an incredible opportunity to hear [Meier], and not something that a lot of people get to experience,” said Diguglielmo. “Even if I wasn’t going to be going into the Navy, he’s is someone with a lot of knowledge and someone who can teach me a lot even if I decide it’s not my career path.”

Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (COMNAVAIRLANT) is responsible for seven nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, 54 aircraft squadrons, 1,200 aircraft and 43,000 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel based on the East Coast of the United States.

It provides combat ready, sustainable naval air forces with the right personnel, properly trained and equipped, with a focus on readiness, operational excellence, interoperability, safety, and efficient resourcing.

Best in the Fleet: USS The Sullivans wins 2022 Battenberg Cup after two surge deployments

By Chief Petty Officer Lauren Howes Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command

YORKTOWN, Va. — The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) was named the best all-around ship in the Atlantic Fleet based on accumulation of achievements that included two successful surge deployments, July 27.

Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, presented the 2022 Battenberg Cup award to the crew of The Sullivans during a ceremony held aboard the ship at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.

“The motto: ‘We stick together’ is embodied every day onboard this highly lethal, ready, and effective warship,” said Caudle.

“The Sullivans’ exceptional achievements as a front-line combat ship in the Atlantic Fleet are a direct tribute to the steadfast leadership, dedication, and consistently high performance of the wardroom, the chief petty officers, and the entire crew.”

Since 1977, the Battenberg Cup award is presented annually to a ship or submarine selected by the fleet commander as the best all-around in the Atlantic Fleet, based on accumulation of crew achievements.

The Sullivans met the demanding requirements of a carrier strike group deployment to the U.S. Fifth and Sixth Fleet areas of operations. Supporting multiple combatant commanders, The Sullivans supported multi-national exercises, operating seamlessly with Allied and Coalition Navies and Joint U.S. services.

While in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, The Sullivans deployed as part of the Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group 21 in response to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and navigated over 20,000 nautical miles, operating in the Irish, North, and Baltic Seas. In the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations, The Sullivans was instrumental in the seizure of 170 tons of explosive material and contraband en route from

Iran to Yemen, provided robust support to a merchant tanker hit by an attack drone, and provided air and missile defense for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “The pride and professionalism of this crew is what makes this warship so special,” said Cmdr. A. C. Wood, commanding officer, USS The Sullivans (DDG 68). “This crew continues to perform above and beyond, demonstrating that we are ready to fight and win war at sea.”

In addition to two impactful deployments, The Sullivans was recognized for her operational performance with the 2022 Battle Effectiveness award, four Command Excellence awards, the Force Health and Wellness (Green H) award, the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award, and multiple Command and individual unit level awards.

Two other commands were nominated for the 2022 Battenberg Cup; USS Newport News (SSN 750) and USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77).

In 1905, British Rear Adm. Prince Louis of Battenberg gifted the silver-plated trophy to North Atlantic Fleet Commander Rear Adm. Robley D. Evans to serve as a challenge cup in athletic competitions among the men of the North Atlantic Fleet. The USS West Virginia (BB 48) won the last challenge cup in a cutter race before both the ship and trophy sank during the Pearl Harbor bombings on Dec. 7, 1941. After the ship’s restoration, the trophy was held by the USS West Virginia until its decommissioning in 1947.

Later, in 1978, a new competition was established to honor the operational efficiency and fighting spirit of U.S. Navy ships and submarines in the Atlantic Fleet.

The Sullivans (DDG 68) is the second U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of the five Sullivan brothers who perished in 1942 during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal when their ship, USS Juneau (CL-52), was sunk by a Japanese Submarine.

YORKTOWN, Va. (July 27, 2023) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) leadership and Blue Jacket of the Year accept the Battenberg Cup from Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, during a ceremony held aboard the ship at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, July 27, 2023. The Battenberg Cup has been awarded annually since 1977 to the ship or submarine selected by the fleet commander as the best all-around in the Atlantic Fleet, based on accumulation of crew achievements. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST CHIEF LAUREN HOWES)

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USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr from Page 1

as an officer of Marines.”

The ship’s sponsor is Barnum’s wife, Martha Hill, who, in the time-honored Navy tradition, christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Before christening the ship, Hill welcomed and thanked the current members of the ship’s crew, known as the plank owners.

“We will rest well at night protected by the security that you will provide while you’re Sailing the seas of the world,” said Hill.

Service to DDG-124 is a family affair. Along with Hill serving as the ship’s sponsor, her daughter, Lisa Hill-Godin, is the Matron of Honor. Additionally, the Maids of Honor are their two granddaughters, Jessica Godin-Cenzalli and Hope Hill, and great-granddaughter, Mackenzie Godin.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet, providing protection to America around the globe. These highly capable, multi-mission ships conduct various operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface, and subsurface domains. These elements of seapower enable the Navy to defend American prosperity and prevent future conflict abroad.

More information Arleigh Burke-class destroyers can be found here: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/ Display-FactFiles/Article/2169871/destroyers-ddg-51/

BATH, Maine (JULY 29, 2023) BATH, Maine (JULY 29, 2023) Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro attends the christening ceremony of USS Harvey C. Barnum (DDG 124) July 29. The ship’s namesake, Col Harvey C. Barnum Jr., USMC, was a veteran of Vietnam and recipient of the Medal of Honor. The ship was awarded on June 3, 2013, named in 2016, and the keel laid on May 21, 2021.

(U.S. NAVY PHOTO

BY CHIEF MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST SHANNON E. RENFROE)

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Working Group Updates Fall Protection Program Representatives from across the warfare communities and Marine Corps comprise the Navy’s Fall Protection Working Group, which met at the Naval Safety Command July 18-20 to review current policies. Page B4

NAS Sigonella becomes first overseas base to implement USO Canine Therapy Program

By Petty Officer 3rd Class Samayaah Smith Naval Air Station Sigonella

NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy — This summer, Naval Air Station Sigonella had the distinct honor of becoming the first installation outside of the U.S. to introduce the USO (United Service Organizations) Canine Therapy Program.

“With emotional and mental health listed as some of the top issues that face activeduty military families today, utilizing therapy dogs to help service members struggling with the challenges of military life is just another creative way in which the USO is supporting the military community,” said Danielle DeSimone, USO content marketing manager.

Although the NAS Sigonella USO is the first to institute the USO Canine Therapy Program overseas, the organization’s already well-established, successful program framework in the U.S. put the USO team here at ease.

“I think it could be extremely successful overseas, because this is where service members are most often separated from their pets and families,” said Margaret McCullough, USO center manager, NAS Sigonella.

The USO team at NAS Sigonella believes the new program will help fill the void many service members face when it comes to permanent change of station moves and other life stressors.

“There will be more canine therapy programs throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Africa region,” said Sabrina Pulido, USO Area Director, NAS Sigonella.

“The benefits of pet therapy have proven to be so beneficial to service members that the USO wants it to be accessible wherever we are.”

Therapy dogs are known to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and release oxytocin and phenyl ethylamine, an anti-depressant. The USO started the program as a way to assist service members with navigating the stresses of military service. The Canine Therapy Program falls within the USO’s mission to support service members and military families.

“Dogs bring happiness, they bring joy and they connect you to things you love,” said Luisa Mazzella, Area Manager, USO Italy & Spain. “People are going to have that connection when they come into the USO, being able to pet the dogs will provide that time away from the stressors. Allowing them to recharge, reconnect and regroup!”

NAS Sigonella’s Canine Program will be open to service members, military families and anyone who has access to the USO. The plan is to keep this program running for as long as possible, and open the opportunity for individuals to get their animals certified and volunteer for the program.

“My personal goal is to make the program as successful as possible in terms of it bringing a lot of joy,” said McCullough. “I want this program to exist long past its start.”

Canine Therapy will be advertised via NAS Sigonella USO’s calendar, and there will be weekly meet and greets with the pups.

Service members should refer to the USO’s monthly program flyers, banners and AFN radio announcements for more information on Canine Therapy.

NAS Sigonella’s strategic location enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to deploy and respond as required, ensuring security and stability in Europe, Africa and Central Command. For more news and information from NAS Sigonella, visit https://cnreurafcent.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAS-Sigonella/ or https://www.facebook.com/nassigonella/.

LEFT: NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Italy (July 21, 2023) - Margaret McCullough, USO center manager, poses for a photo with Oliver and Morgan, therapy dogs for Naval Air Station Sigonella’s USO. ABOVE: Oliver and Morgan pose for a photo at the USO terminal. NAS Sigonella’s strategic location enables U.S. allied, and partner nation forces to deploy and respond as required to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa and Central Command.

(U.S. NAVY PHOTOS BY MASS COMMUNICATION 2ND CLASS KELSEY S. CULBERTSON)

USS Winston S. Churchill holds change of command ceremony

By Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic Capt. Ryan O’Loughlin relieved Cmdr.

Brian S. Anthony as command officer of USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), July 28, during a ceremony held aboard the ship.

Rear Adm. James Aiken, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, served as the time-honored ceremony’s presiding officer, witnessing the ceremonial transfer of command leadership from Anthony to O’Loughlin.

Anthony served as the commanding officer since November 2021. He was fully responsible for ensuring the Winston S. Churchill was manned, trained, equipped and ready to fight. “In War: Resolution. In Peace: Goodwill” the Command’s motto was a guiding light throughout his tour.

Anthony highlighted the hard work and dedication of his command, emphasizing waterfront leadership and expertise in goodwill.

“To be great in the Navy, requires great sacrifice,” said Anthony. “As you move through your career, you will be met with many hard decisions. When you reach that point, it will be up to you to decide where your priorities lie. You must consider your goals, family life, and the Navy’s mission. You should be able to look back on your Naval career and know that you made the right sacrifices.”

Anthony recounts his tour onboard Churchill in terms of pushing forward the philosophical ideals of former U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

“Some of the defining moments during my time in command was our ability to work with the resources we had and maximize them to get things done,” said Anthony. “As Mattis said, ‘Focus on training the young Marines we had, not worry about the ones we didn’t have…I would make do with what I had, and not waste time whining about what I didn’t have.’ Working through adversity allowed Churchill to be successful, leading the crew to rally together for mission readiness.”

O’Loughlin most recently served as Division Chief, Western Europe & Balkans, Joint Staff J5 Strategy, Plans and Policy Deputy Directorate for Europe-NATO-Russia.

O’Loughlin’s previous sea duty commands

MAYPORT, Fla. (July 28, 2023) - Cmdr. Brian Anthony (center) salutes Rear Adm. James Aiken, Commander, U.S. Navy Forces Southern Command, U.S. 4th Fleet, during a change of command ceremony where he was relieved by Capt. Ryan O’Loughlin as the Commanding Officer of the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), July 28, 2023. USS Winston S. Churchill is the 31st Arleigh Burke Class destroyer to be built for the U.S. Navy and the fifth U.S. warship to be named in honor of an English subject. The ship is capable of fighting air, surface, and subsurface battles simultaneously. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS BRANDON J. VINSON)

include USS O’Kane (DDG 77) as the Damage Control Assistant and USS Russell (DDG 59) as the Fire Control Officer. He served as Operations Officer of USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Monterey (CG 61), making her maiden Ballistic Missile Defense deployment.

He was the Executive Officer of and commanded USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), where he was awarded the 2019 Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award for Inspirational Leadership. While commanding Forrest Sherman, his crew earned the

Battle “E.” He has deployed to Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Fleets, including operations in the Arctic Circle.

Unique to the fleet, Churchill is the only U.S. Navy ship to have a Royal Navy officer assigned permanently to ship’s company as a symbol of the partnership between the British and American navies. It is also the only U.S. Naval vessel to fly a foreign ensign - the Royal Navy’s White Ensign is flown alongside the Stars and Stripes. Churchill is the fifth U.S. warship to be named in honor of an English subject.

SURFLANT mans, trains and equips assigned surface forces and shore activities, ensuring a capable force for conducting prompt and sustained operations in support of United States national interests.

The SURFLANT force is composed of nearly 80 ships, 17 pre-commissioning units, and more than 30 shore commands.

For more SURFLANT news and photos, visit facebook.com/SURFLANT, www. surflant.usff.navy.mil, and Twitter - @ surflant.

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Q: What types of family housing are available?

A: There are three types of housing available to families: Public/Private Venture (PPV) Housing is also referred to as privatized housing in the Navy.

The Navy partnered with different private management companies to provide housing to Service Members. These companies are responsible for the construction, renovation, maintenance and day-to-day management of the housing. PPV housing may be located on or off government property and in most cases will be former military housing.

Government Owned (also known as Military Housing or Navy Managed Housing is what was formerly called on-base housing.

While only available in limited quantities CONUS, Government Owned Housing is still widely available OCONUS. Community Housing is any housing that a Service Member may choose that is not PPV or government operated. This is housing outside of the base that is privately owned and operated.

Officials discuss layout of the Marine Barracks at Klamath Falls, 1944. Cmdr. Lowell Coggeshall, the Chief Medical Officer of the“Barracks,” is standing on the right. From 1944 to 1946, the Marine Barracks served as a rehabilitation facilities for Pacific War veterans with filariasis and relapsing malaria.

Courtesy of Oregon Historical Society. (PHOTO BY ANDRÉ SOBOCINSKI)

LIFE IN THE “BARRACKS”: Klamath Falls and the Navy’s forgotten Filariasis problem

By André Sobocinski

U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

“Filariasis in the personnel of our Armed Forces is a problem which has arisen since operations were started in the South and Central Pacific area.” ~Vice Adm. Ross McIntire, Navy Surgeon General, to Hon. William Stigler (D-OK), June 20, 1944. ***** Tutuila Island, Samoa, 1880. After conducting a thorough medical survey of the island, USS Alaska’s medical officer Thomas Hiland reported that four-fifths of the population over the age of 45 suffered from a condition marked—in severe cases—by skin/tissue thickening, swelling of limbs (elephantiasis) and scrotal swelling (hydrocele).

Decades away from the discovery of the actual cause, Hiland attributed the condition to the “warm, moist climate” of Tutuila and advised use of quinine, rest and purging. In six cases of hydrocele, he and fellow physician Asst. Surgeon S.H. Griffith surgically removed a hypertrophied mass weighing 40 pounds!

Today, we know this horrifying disease by the name lymphatic filariasis. A potentially chronic condition, filariasis is caused by parasitic roundworms that can be transmitted by Aedes, Anopheles and Culex species of mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Wucheria bancrofti parasite is responsible for 90 percent of lymphatic filariasis cases worldwide.

When injected into a host’s bloodstream, the microfilariae (larval stage worms) can grow up to four inches in length and lodge in the lymph glands where they continually reproduce over a lifespan of 5 to 7 years.

These blockages can lead to an accumulation of lymph fluid leading to elephantoid enlargement of limbs and body parts.

Most individuals who contract filariasis, however, remain asymptomatic and diagnosis is usually only made through identification of microfilariae in blood smears. Less than 10 percent of cases actually manifest in elephantiasis.

Although the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps has never been overrun with the disease it has not been immune to it either. Remarkably, between 1915 and 1945, there were only two years in which Sailors and Marines were not diagnosed with filariasis. In World War II—

with the swell of deployed military populations in areas endemic with filariasis—Navy physicians diagnosed some 12,040 cases. Of these, over 90 percent were Marines.

Filariasis not only comprised an individual’s lymphatic system and ultimately their wartime readiness, it posed a serious psychological threat for service personnel who feared manifestations of elephantiasis, spreading the infection and subsequent social stigma. Navy doctors also reported an overwhelming, yet unfounded fear of sterility among afflicted personnel.

Although there was no cure for the disease, Navy medical researchers noted that the cooler climates at higher altitudes made for amenable conditions in the recovery process.

In April 1944, the Navy—in conjunction with the Marine Corps—established a special rehabilitation and research facility in Klamath Falls, Oregon, specifically for filariasis patients.

Located 4,200 above sea level and along the Southern Pacific Railroad line in Southern Oregon, the 800 acre-facility was composed of 80 buildings and could accommodate up to 5,000 patients at one time. Due in part to the sensitivities of infected personnel, the medical facility was dubbed a “Marine Barracks” rather than a hospital or rehabilitation center.

Between April 1944 and November 1945, the Marine Barracks at Klamath Falls averaged 2,110 patients, the overwhelming majority being Pacific War veterans with filariasis, although relapsing malaria cases were also admitted.

Typically, patients underwent a threemonth “supervised reconditioning” program to strengthen immune systems that would be fighting the parasite. For Cmdr. Lowell Coggeshall, the Chief Medical Officer of the “Barracks,” it was imperative to keep the patients active and their minds occupied.

As he remarked, “. . .they must be kept busy enough to eat well, and tired enough to sleep well. The stronger they are, the better they can combat any ailments.”

Most patients were ambulatory and were required to perform normal garrison activities and close-order drills under medical supervision. There were endurance hikes up Mount Shasta, construction work on base and vocational therapy—some patients even served the nearby community as auxiliary firemen and harvested crops in local farms.

Under Coggeshall’s direction, Klamath Falls also took part in cooperative efforts with

YOUR PERFECT

JOB IS WAITING

the National Research Council and Public Health Service in evaluating chemotherapeutic and other treatments for the disease.

Filariasis was never considered grounds for automatic discharge from the service and most patients were returned to active duty.

Special notations would be placed in their health records requesting their return to Klamath Falls should relapse occur. Starting in October 1944, Klamath Falls admissions were added to a first of its kind, a “Filariasis Registry” in order to keep them under surveillance while on active duty.

With post-war demobilization, a rapidly dwindling patient population and a minimal risk of relapse, military officials determined that Klamath Falls was no longer needed. On February 28, 1946, the Marine Barracks at Klamath Falls was disestablished.

Although no longer a concern facing the U.S. Navy, filariasis remains a serious public health issue world-wide. According to the World Health Organization, as of 2023, lymphatic filariasis is endemic in 44 countries and over 882 million people remain threatened by the disease. Preventive chemotherapy remains the leading intervention against filariasis. Even though there is still no cure, infected individuals can take the drugs albendazole and diethylcarbamazine (DEC) which can eradicate microfilariae in the bloodstream and prevent transmission.

Sources: Coggeshall, L.T. (1946). “Filariasis in Servicemen; Retrospect and Prospect,” Journal of the American Medical Association 13(1), 8-12.

Glauser, F. (1945). “Filariasis in Returning Marines,” United States Naval Medical Bulletin 44 (1), 21-36.

Hiland, T. (1882) “Medical Topography and Sanitary Reports.” Sanitary and Statistical Report of the Surgeon-General of the Navy for the Year 1880. Washington: Government Printing Office, 263-265.

Lymphatic filariasis fact sheet (1 June 2023). World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/ fact-sheets/detail/lymphatic-filariasis Matthews, R.P.(1992-1993). “Taking care of their own: The Marine Barracks at Klamath Falls, Oregon, 1944-1946.” The Oregon Historical Quarterly 93(4), 342-367.

Thomas, G.C. (1945). “Successful rehabilitation of filariasis patients.” BUMED News Letter 5(11), 10-11.

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Four NUWC Division Newport employees share their career inspiration during speaker series presentation

By Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport Public Affairs Office NEWPORT, R.I. — During the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s July 12 presentation of the storytelling series “The Knot: Stories from the Workforce,” four employees shared what influenced them at a young age to pursue their career path.

With the theme “Born to Do This” as the premise, Dr. Lauren Freeman, a senior oceanographer in Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department; Activity Chief Information Officer (ACIO) Steve Masterson, head of the Corporate Operations Department’s Information Technology Division; and Sensors and Sonar Systems Department employees, Chris Carr, a technical project manager, and Dr. Christin Murphy, head of the Signal Processing Algorithm Development Branch, revealed their original sources of inspiration.

‘The ocean has always been my favorite place’ Dr. Lauren Freeman, a resident of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, has been fascinated by the ocean since she was very young. Growing up in Southern Virginia near the Chesapeake Bay, much of her childhood was spent at the beach, she said.

“That’s when I fell in love with the ocean,” Freeman said. “I explored the sandy shorelines every day. I watched how the water moved the sand and how the barrier islands were being reshaped. I loved how the fish would align into a current and try to make different pathways through the sand and mud so the water would flow certain ways.”

Freeman excelled at Lafayette High School in Williamsburg, Virginia, where she graduated as valedictorian. After applying to a dozen colleges, she accepted a scholarship from the University of Miami to study marine biology.

“Having never traveled outside of Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia, it was mind-blowing to be in a big city and see palm trees everywhere,” Freeman said. “And unlike the Chesapeake Bay, the water was clear. You could actually see what was under the surface.”

At the University of Miami, Freeman met people who were just as excited to learn about the ocean as she was. In her junior year, she studied in New Zealand and immediately joined the scuba diving club, which became her favorite hobby in Miami. That’s how she met her future husband, Simon Freeman.

“He was the most passionate person I ever met about the ocean,” Freeman recalled.

“We would stay up until 3 or 4 in the morning talking about sea slugs and fish behavior and how you catch different kinds of fish if you’re on a certain side of an eddy.”

Throughout her senior year in Miami, Lauren remained in touch with Simon, despite living on opposite sides of the globe.

When it was time to decide where to pursue her doctorate degree, Lauren received offers from prestigious colleges. Meanwhile, she wished to reunite with Simon, who also aspired to earn a doctorate. When one of the schools, Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, agreed to accept Simon as well, the decision became an easy one.

During their studies, the couple spent a month on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel doing scientific diving and data collection, followed by shore-based research on the main Hawaiian Islands. That data allowed Lauren to publish some of her first peer-reviewed research papers on coral reef soundscapes.

“While I was doing my post-doctorate research, I realized that there were some cool features in the sound that told you whether or not the coral was healthy,” Freeman said.

After their studies, the couple accepted positions at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and a few years later, the Freemans looked for opportunities elsewhere. They considered a return to San Diego, but ultimately decided to work at Division Newport.

Shortly after starting her job, Lauren wrote an 80-page proposal to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to study how marine biology can be used to detect unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).

Within six months of being hired, funding for the five-year Passive Acoustic Detection through Reef Ecological Soundscapes project was approved and her research was underway.

“We do a lot of passive sensing and ambient biological soundscapes,” Freeman said.

“The key is understanding how the biology responds to UUVs and how we can use that data to track UUVs.” Freeman now leads a soundscape team for Taskforce Ocean, which is funded by the Office of Naval Research.

“The 10-year-old Lauren would be pleasantly surprised to know where her curiosity has led her,” Freeman said. “It’s exciting to be on the edge of discovery of what’s happening in the ocean, which has always been my favorite place to be.”

‘The medium changed. And we had to change with it’ When Steve Masterson, a resident of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, first was approached to speak at “The Knot” under the “Born to Do This” theme, he wasn’t quite sure his story fit the bill. Raised in Richmond, Rhode Island, he originally wanted to be an architect or go into graphic design.

“Being a CIO (chief information officer), being a computer engineer, they just weren’t mainstream professions,” he said.

“They were professions, they just weren’t mainstream.”

A child of the 1980s, Masterson fell squarely between two generations — Generation X and the Millennials — and this mini-generation, those born between 1977 and 1983, came with its own moniker coined

Four Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport employees shared their life stories during“The Knot: Stories from the Workforce,” with the theme“Born to Do This”on July 12, 2023. The speakers are Steven Masterson (from left), head of the Corporate Operations Department’s Information Technology Division and activity chief information officer; Dr. Lauren Freeman, a senior oceanographer in the Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department; and Sensors and Sonar Systems Department employees, Chris Carr, a technical project manager, and Dr. Christin Murphy, head of the Signal Processing Algorithm Development Branch. (PHOTO BY DAVID STOEHR)

by author Sarah Stankorb in 2014: Xennials.

“We’re described as having an analog childhood and a digital adulthood, and we had to transition that at arguably the worst time of our lives,” Masterson said. “We’re already transitioning a lot of stuff as teenagers. We grew up with rotary phones and we had cellphones in high school and college.”

Video games were a big part of Masterson’s childhood, and as the computer age ramped up in the early 1990s, his interest was piqued. He created web pages and web content, did some coding and admittedly downloaded video games illegally to his stepfather’s expensive PC. “It was for education, so it was really OK,” Masterson joked. “But I had to learn how to cover my tracks.”

When it came time to go to college, Masterson, a member of a family with humble means, knew he was a “state school kid” and chose University of Rhode Island, where he initially majored in civil engineering. That educational goal lasted all the way until orientation, when it “poured buckets” over the course of those few days in the summer of 1998.

At that orientation, an instructor explained to the incoming students the benefits of being a civil engineer, including field work and facing the elements. For Masterson, those comments really hit home, though not in a good way.

“I know for a fact I don’t like that, because I’m experiencing that right now. That’s not for me,” Masterson said. “I immediately went to the Bursar’s Office and changed my major.”

After speaking with a friend, he settled on computer engineering.

“A very well-thought decision to change my major during orientation, but it worked out,” joked Masterson, who celebrated 21 years at Division Newport in June.

His career started in the Combat Systems Department before a brief stint as a deputy department head in the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department. In 2021, he became the head of Information Technology Division and the ACIO for the command.

Masterson served as the project manager responsible for the development and launch of Division Newport’s Rapid Innovation Center. “We architected it, and we built it,” he said of the space that opened in 2014.

“I wanted to be an architect and a different medium emerged, and that’s my story, that’s the Xennial’s story. The medium changed.

And we had to change with it.”

‘You know what? I want to work for the Department of Defense’ Chris Carr, a resident of Newport, Rhode Island, grew up in a small Southern California desert town nestled between two U.S. Air Force bases, and both of his parents served in that branch of the military. His mother was an air traffic controller, his father a member of the special weapons recovery team.

“I was born living the military life,” Carr said.

The porch of his boyhood home provided a front-row seat to view the testing of aircraft or missile defense systems. While that provided a level of entertainment, there wasn’t much else to do in the community of Acton, which then had a population of roughly 5,000 people. So Carr spent much of his youth playing video games (and still does).

By the time he finished high school and began to chart a career path, he wanted to bring together his two passions — video games and the military.

“I’m going to go to school and I want to make MILSIM (military simulation) video games for the U.S. military,” Carr said.

He attended a community college and knocked out a number of his core classes, though when he reached his first coding course, Carr ran into trouble, struggling to figure out how to get a certain program to work. A friend arrived to help just before the assignment was due and, after examining it

for just five minutes, solved the issue. That’s when Carr knew computer programming wasn’t in his future.

He changed his major to mechanical engineering and was accepted to 11 schools.

To choose, he created an NCAA Tournament-style bracket and flipped a coin, eliminating one school at a time.

“I eventually landed on Cal State Northridge,” he said.

Luck must have been on Carr’s side, because he was presented a career-defining opportunity. He was part of a team that designed from the ground up a working unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The Carnard-style aircraft could identify targets on the ground and communicate that information back to a ground station, allowing it to be actionable intelligence for the U.S. military.

The Cal State Northridge students took their aerial project to a competition at a Navy air base to see how it stacked up against UAVs from other schools.

“It was really cool, and that was one of the points where I was like, ‘You know what? I want to work for the Department of Defense,’ ” Carr said.

That didn’t happen initially as Carr’s first job out of college was performing engineering tasks for a recreation vehicle company.

But he was persistent, sending out 400 resumes over the course of six months, and one of those landed in the hands of Al Armstrong, head of Division Newport’s Surface and Aviation Systems Engineering Branch.

Carr was offered a job and made the move from Southern California to Southern New England. One of his first big assignments was performing human system integration work for the Littoral Combat Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Package in 2014.

He showed the audience a picture of himself sitting in a kiddie pool on the deck of the USS Freedom (LCS-1) smoking a cigar.

“That was the moment I decided this job is pretty cool,” Carr said. “I think I’m going to stick around.”

‘For a little girl with a plastic bucket, it was a treasure trove’ Dr. Christin Murphy, a resident of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, doesn’t remember how old she was when she fell in love with the ocean, but she remembers where it happened — on a small, rocky, seaweed-covered beach on the edge of Long Island Sound, near where she grew up in East Northport, New York.

“For a little girl with a plastic bucket, it was a treasure trove,” Murphy said. “I wanted to discover every organism along the shore. I remember flipping over rocks to find hermit crabs, picking up periwinkle snails and poking their little trap doors, plucking the thistle threads on mussels and picking up barnacles that would close themselves up tight until you put them in a bucket of water and could coax them out.”

Murphy recognized patterns on the beach.

She learned that the organisms that seal themselves up were found further from the water and more mobile animals appeared close to the water. She also discovered egg cases, bones, and shell fragments of animals that lived in deeper waters. Those animals remained out of reach until Murphy earned her diving certification at age 14.

On a high school trip to Costa Rica, Murphy conducted field research for the first time. Since it wasn’t part of the class she was taking, she begged her teachers to allow her to count fish on a coral reef.

“I had no idea how to do a reef survey, but I thought if I read enough books I would figure it out,” Murphy said.

Murphy knew she wanted to be a marine biologist since she was 5 years old, so her main consideration when choosing a college was getting to conduct hands-on field research.

“New College of Florida was the perfect place for me,” Murphy said. “Their under-

graduate educational philosophy was built upon independent research.”

The best advice Murphy received in college was from her undergraduate advisor, whom she assisted on a study of manatees.

“I was so enamored with his work that I told him that I wanted to do what he does,” Murphy said.

“He told me I need to find my own line of questioning and I need to find a field that is expanding, not closing.”

In writing her thesis on spatial navigation in coral reef fish, Murphy referenced a laboratory in Spain that was known for its research on fish brains. After receiving a Fulbright Scholarship, she joined the Laboratory of Psychobiology at the University of Seville for a year. Murphy learned a lot about neuroscience, but she also learned that she didn’t want to dissect brains for the rest of her life.

Murphy returned to her roots. She became a teacher on a schooner for the Ocean Classroom Foundation for two years, traveling back and forth from Maine to the Caribbean two to four months at a time. Integrating the environment into her lessons, she taught high school students how to think like a marine biologist.

While she felt at home on the ocean, Murphy decided to dive back into research by attending graduate school at the University of South Florida. A National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship enabled Murphy to conduct doctoral research with a seal named Sprouts at the Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory in Santa Cruz, California.

Having accomplished everything she envisioned when she was 5 years old, Murphy wasn’t sure what to do next, until she was presenting her research at a conference in New Zealand and met Division Newport biologist and oceanographer Dr. Joy Lapseritis, a scientist and head of the Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department’s Undersea Modeling Branch.

When Murphy realized that Lapseritis was working on similar research, she wrote a proposal to conduct post-doctoral research at Division Newport. A decade later, Murphy heads up the Bio-Inspired Research and Development Lab at Division Newport, where she leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers.

“The point of wanting to become a marine biologist when you’re a kid isn’t to become one, it’s the cultivation of ‘awe,’ ” Murphy said. “It’s being excited about something.”

A video from the event can be viewed here: https://www.dvidshub.net/ video/891744/four-nuwc-division-newport-employees-share-their-career-inspiration-during-speaker-series-presentation NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869.

Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher’s Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.

Join our team! NUWC Division Newport, one of the 20 largest employers in Rhode Island, employs a diverse, highly trained, educated, and skilled workforce. We are continuously looking for engineers, scientists, and other STEM professionals, as well as talented business, finance, logistics and other support experts who wish to be at the forefront of undersea research and development. Please connect with NUWC Division Newport Recruiting at this site- https:// www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Career-Opportunities/ and follow us on LinkedIn @ NUWC-Newport and on Facebook @ NUWCNewport.

4 The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 2 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

Working group updates Fall Protection Program

By Rebecca Coleman Naval Safety Command

NORFOLK, Va. — Representatives from across the warfare communities and Marine Corps comprise the Navy’s Fall Protection Working Group, which met at the Naval Safety Command July 18-20 to review current policies in place for the Fall Protection Program and propose updates to Chapter 13 of OPNAV M-5100.23. Additionally, the working group reviewed and updated the Department of the Navy’s Fall Protection Guide.

Falls from height are the second-leading unintentional fatal workplace event, according to the National Safety Council. Workers in the construction industry are most at risk, with the most nonfatal cases involving days away from work and 20% of all nonfatal fallfrom-height cases each year.

In its first year, NAVSAFECOM’s local area assessments noted 168 fall protection discrepancies, ranging from poorly maintained handrails to a lack of a unit fall protection program. Since 2017, the Navy has incurred four fatal falls, of which three could have been mitigated under the Fall Protection Program, based on data from the Risk Management Information safety reporting system.

These statistics underscore the importance of the working group’s purpose.

During the first two days, the working group conducted a comprehensive review of OPNAV M-5100.23, Chapter 13, and OPNAVINST 5100.19F, Chapter 13 in an effort to update the chapters to reflect changes in regulatory requirements.

“The intent is to eventually merge these two chapters into one cohesive chapter that encompasses all fall protection requirements for all warfare areas, providing the end user a singular document for all fall protection requirements,” said Charles Gum, Shore Directorate deputy director, NAVSAFECOM. Requirements that are specific to a particular warfare area or community will be added as an addendum to the singular chapter.

Forming one, cohesive fall protection chapter across all warfare communities will make it easier to understand and allow people to access just one place to find policy, said Gum. Before the group got started, Gum provided a quick refresher of the current safety and occupational health hierarchy: Department of Defense Instruction (6055.01-SOH) DoN Safety Program (SECNAVINST 5100.10) Navy Safety Program Manual (5100.23) Community-Specific Safety Guidance (OPNAVINST 5100.19, 3750, etc.)

Headquarters/Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC) Guidance, Local Standard Operating Procedures and Instructions Gum noted OPNAV M-5100.23 provides

NORFOLK (May 11, 2023) Operations Specialist Senior Chief Petty Officer Luke Mckenzie, assigned to the Naval Safety Command and Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Ashley Leachman, assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 12, demonstrate a fall-arrest rescue as part of the Competent Person for Fall Protection Course. The Naval Safety and Environmental Training Center holds the Competent Person for Fall Protection Course to train and equip Navy personnel with the knowledge and skills needed to prepare and implement fall protection and prevention plans, and fallarrest rescue plans and procedures. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS (SW/AW) WESTON A. MOHR)

the “what” in the regulatory requirements.

The instruction outlines the Echelon 1 perspective and is specific in some areas only to ensure consistency and uniformity.

The Headquarters, ISIC and local instructions describe the “how, what and who” performs the requirements spelled out in the OPNAV instruction. Every organization executes its processes a bit differently.

These local instructions allow organizations to tailor their processes in a way that works best for them, as long as they meet the requirements, said Gum. “The 5100.23 is the Navy’s top-tier instruction,” said Gum. “One of the reasons we’re merging is to alleviate the end user from having to find multiple instructions; 5100.23 will be the one instruction. No longer will people say, ‘I’m from the afloat community, so I’m only going to read the afloat instruction.’ ” Gum noted there was a time when 5100.23 was named the ashore manual. It no longer says that in order to reinforce it is the Navy’s

overarching Occupational Safety and Health Manual that all other safety manuals across all warfare areas should align to.

The working group also focused on removing duplicative or obsolete information from the instructions. Proposals were made to clarify and remove ambiguous phrasing and ensure processes were up to date and aligned with current policy.

For example, the working group removed the mandatory minimum cumulative training-hour requirements for various positions within the fall protection program and replaced them with training syllabus topics required for the position to allow commands more flexibility in training their personnel.

The last two days of the meeting were spent revising the Fall Protection Guide, which was last updated three years ago.

“There’s been a misunderstanding that the guide is actually policy, and it is not,” said Gum. “There is guidance in the front of the guide that leads people to believe it is policy.

It was intended to be designed as a guide —

not to mimic policy. That understanding has been blurred.”

To correct this perception, the group updated the glossary and removed obsolete and duplicate definitions. Proposed comments were made throughout the document to remove any language that was directive in nature.

The group also clarified sections and terminology throughout, tightening the verbiage and ensuring consistency.

“The guide is an important asset for Sailors and Marines, and we believe the updates will enhance their fall protection programs and serve as a complement to the OPNAV policy,” said Gum. The updated Fall Protection Guide is expected to be released to the naval enterprise in late September 2023. The updated Chapter 13 of OPNAV M-5100.23 will be released next year due to the time it takes for all stakeholders to concur on content.

USS Gravely returns to homeport in Norfolk following COMPTUEX

By Ensign Camillia Nguyen

Carrier Strike Group Two

NORFOLK, Va. — The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) returned home to their families and friends on July 25, 2023 after completing their composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX).

COMPTUEX is an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test their ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea. Successful completion of COMPTUEX certified Gravely for deployment along with the Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) Carrier Strike Group (CSG).

During this underway, the USS Gravely was tested, evaluated and critiqued through a series of exercises that progressively increased in complexity. The crew worked to build resilience, technical competence and tactical confidence. From air defense to electronic warfare to helicopter operations, Gravely Sailors worked diligently to become a part of the IKE CSG team.

“Thishas beena challenging andrewarding experience for the Gravely crew,” said Cmdr.

Brian Sanchez, USS Gravely’s commanding officer. “Day in and day out, the team continues honing skills and training. Whether we’re running a general quarters drill, practicing medical emergency responses, or exercising any of our several warfare capabilities, the team has given their best effort and is better every day because of it.”

IKE CSG is comprised of the Nimitzclass aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), one guided-missile cruiser and four guided-missile destroyers. These units operated together to build cohesion, demonstrate their abilities to operate at sea, and defend the country’s assets and allies.

Gravely provides support in a multi-domain capacity across surface warfare areas to ensure the strike group can effectively carry out its missions.

With COMPTUEX complete, Sailors can reflect on the hard work they put forth and lessons learned along the way. They will have a chance to enjoy their family, friends and loved ones before heading out for deployment.

“There is no doubt in my mind that our crew is ready for the challenges that deployment will bring,” said Sanchez. “Their enthusiasm and professionalism are what continue to drive the success of this team.”

A MH-60R Sea Hawk, attached to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 74, prepares to land aboard the USS Gravely July 2, 2023. The ship is underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in the Carrier Strike Group Four Composite Training Unit Exercise. COMPTUEX is an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test their ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea.

(U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 3RD CLASS RAY MCCANN)

ABOVE: ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 7, 2023) U.S. Navy Machinist Mate 2nd Class Edward Walter, left, and Information System Technician 3rd Class Rein Farenbach participate in a general quarters drill aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) July 7, 2023.

(U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 3RD CLASS RAY MCCANN)

www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 2 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 12, 2023) U.S. Navy Boatswains Mate 3rd Class Jerron Johnson, from New Orleans, signals to an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, attached to the“Swamp Foxes”of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74, aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) July 12, 2023. The ship, as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, is underway in the Atlantic Ocean participating in the Carrier Strike Group Four Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test their ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS JACOB HILGENDORF)

USS Laboon returns to homeport following COMPTUEX

By Ensign Shane Marczak

Carrier Strike Group Two

NORFOLK, Va. — USS Laboon (DDG 58) returned to its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk July 25, 2023 after completing its composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) Carrier Strike Group (CSG).

COMPTUEX is an intense, multi-week exercise designed to fully integrate a carrier strike group as a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force and to test their ability to carry out sustained combat operations from the sea and is the final deployment certification exercise for CSGs. Laboon combined operations with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight

D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Carney (DDG 64), USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Gravely (DDG 107), and the Italian Navy Carlo Bergamini-class frigate ITS Virginio Fasan (F 591) to complete the CSG. “COMPTUEX was an excellent opportunity to practice high-end warfighting against a dynamic adversary,” said Cmdr. Henry Eshenour, Laboon’s commanding officer.

“This enabled us to demonstrate meaningful skill-growth over the past month.”

COMPTUEX tested the crew’s ability and flexibility through simulated combat environments that represented potential realworld scenarios. Through a series of live-fire exercises, Laboon practiced engagement of

its onboard weapons systems, which help prepare the ship to protect itself and friendly assets.

The crew also completed eight days of flight operations supported by the “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 and the “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3. This coordination and practice is crucial to fleet logistics, replenishments and supporting the aviation warfare area.

Additionally, Laboon conducted seven replenishment-at-sea evolutions with USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) and Military Sealift Command’s fleet-replenishment oiler USNS John Lenthall (T-AO 189). These evolutions allow the ship to refuel and resupply at sea and are critical to prolonging time in theater

and properly equipping the ship to conduct the mission.

“The high-end warfighting training during COMPTUEX challenged the team to work together, think critically and build on the lessons learned during the last year,” said Cmdr. Eric Blomberg, executive officer of Laboon. “Complex scenarios tested our ability to fight through casualties, protect the ship and strike group, and work together with our allies and partners to ensure we are ready for our upcoming deployment and ready to accomplish any mission assigned.”

With the end of COMPTUEX, the hard work and dedication of the crew indicate that Laboon Sailors are ready for the upcoming deployment.

Naval Oceanography prepares fleet leadership with ‘O-4 Milestone At-Sea Seminar’

By Jonathan Holloway

Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. — Recently, U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (Naval Oceanography) hosted its bi-annual ‘O-4 Milestone At-Sea Seminar’ for Lieutenant Commanders in the Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) Officer community who will hold key leadership-positions throughout the U.S. Navy’s Fleet of Ships and Submarines.

The two-day seminar was designed by Rear Admiral Ron J. Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and staff to develop METOC Lieutenant Commanders who will be assigned to: Aircraft Carriers; Amphibious Warfare Ships; and Strike Group Flag Staff.

“We [Naval Oceanography] understand value in the professional development of our next-generation of METOC Officers, who will ultimately shape and maintain Naval Oceanography’s role within the Navy’s greater mission,” said CAPT Erin Acosta Naval Oceanography Chief of Staff.

The 11 board-selected METOC Lieutenant Commanders were able to meet directly with Piret, and other key leadership, engaging in open-discussion about expectations of METOC leadership at-sea and grasp the total warfighting ability of Naval Oceanography.

“It is important to our Navy’s mission success that the core of our [METOC] leadership understands the full gamut of Naval Oceanography’s technical capabilities… which is why the seminar itself is so important,” said Acosta.

Lieutenant Commanders attending the seminar toured Naval Oceanography’s subordinate commands at Stennis Space Center, and were given in-depth briefs of unmanned systems and high-performance computers used in actual operations.

“Among other useful resources we have made accessible, the seminar offers a chance for METOC leaders to become more familiar with the processes and procedures of how the Navy’s Fleet engages with Naval Oceanography,” Acosta said.

Below are names of the 11 board-selected METOC Lieutenant Commanders who attended the seminar, and their prospective ship platforms: LT Lauren Baguley (Breuer) (CVN 73 — USS George Washington) LCDR James Griffin (LHD 2 — USS Essex) LCDR Casey Burgener (ESG-7)

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - Recently, U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (Naval Oceanography) hosted its bi-annual ‘O-4 Milestone At-Sea Seminar’ for Lieutenant Commanders in the Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) Officer community who will hold key leadership-positions throughout the U.S. Navy’s Fleet of Ships and Submarines. The two-day seminar was designed by Rear Admiral Ron J. Piret, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and staff to develop METOC Lieutenant Commanders who will be assigned to: Aircraft Carriers; Amphibious Warfare Ships; and Strike Group Flag Staff. (PHOTO BY LT. BILLY PETKOVSKI)

LCDR Cynthia Williamson (CVN 72 — USS Abraham Lincoln) LCDR Jessica Wasserman (LHD 1 — USS Wasp) LCDR Jeremy Bullard (CSG-11) LCDR Melissa JonMoore (CVN 76 — USS Ronald Reagan)

LCDR Erika Fee (CVN 68 — USS Nimitz) LCDR Kelsey Rowe (CSG-8) LCDR Stephanie Geant (CVN 69 — USS Dwight D. Eisenhower) LCDR Heather Pickett (LHD 3 — USS KEARSHARGE)

Naval Oceanography has approximately 2,500 globally distributed military and civilian personnel, who collect, process and exploit environmental information to assist Fleet and Joint Commanders in all warfare areas to guarantee the U.S. Navy’s freedom of action in the physical battlespace from the depths of the ocean to the stars.

6 The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 2 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

NMFSC Commander visits NAMRU San Antonio

By Burrell Parmer

Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON — Capt. William Brafford, commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command (NMFSC), joined by Command Master Chief Veronica Brittenum, visited and toured facilities of Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) San Antonio at the Battlefield Health and Trauma Research Institute and Tri-Service Research Laboratory.

In April 2023, Brafford was appointed as the 40th Chief of the Navy Dental Corps and assumed duties as NMFSC commander on May 25, 2023.

NAMRU San Antonio’s mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of Department of Defense (DoD) personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations.

It is one of the leading research and development laboratories for the U.S. Navy under the DoD and is one of eight subordinate research commands in the global network of laboratories operating under Naval Medical Research Command in Silver Spring, Md. JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON – (July 25, 2023) – Cmdr. Drew Havard, deputy director, Craniofacial Health and Restorative Medicine (CHRM), Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) San Antonio, joined by Dr. Luis Martinez, a research microbiologist assigned to the NAMRU San Antonio’s Biomaterials Department, briefs research on Electrospun Alveolar Ridge Grafts to Capt. William Brafford, commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command (NMFSC). In April 2023, Brafford was appointed as the 40th Chief of the Navy Dental Corps and assumed duties as NMFSC commander on May 25, 2023. NAMRU San Antonio’s mission is to conduct gap driven combat casualty care, craniofacial, and directed energy research to improve survival, operational readiness, and safety of Department of Defense (DoD) personnel engaged in routine and expeditionary operations. It is one of the leading research and development laboratories for the U.S. Navy under the DoD and is one of eight subordinate research commands in the global network of laboratories operating under Naval Medical Research Command in Silver Spring, Md. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO

BY BURRELL PARMER, NAMRU SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC AFFAIRS/RELEASED)

USS Normandy arrives in Rijeka, Croatia

By Carrier Strike Group 12 Public Affairs RIJEKA, Croatia — The USS Normandy (CG 60), a part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, arrived in Rijeka, Croatia for a regularly scheduled port visit and mid-deployment voyage repair (MDVR), July 26, 2023.

The port visit to Rijeka provides an opportunity to strengthen the United States and Croatia’s relationship, and offers a chance to further demonstrate the United States’ commitment to its European regional allies and partners, while also allowing Normandy to begin her scheduled mid-deployment maintenance availability.

“It is an honor to choose Croatia as Normandy’s mid-deployment maintenance availability port,” said Capt. Errol A. Robinson, commanding officer, USS Normandy.

“Porting in Rijeka enables us to make the necessary repairs during deployment periods and to continue to demonstrate the interoperability we have with our Croatian partners. Moreover, the officers and crew are extremely excited to explore Rijeka and its wonderful culture.”

While in Rijeka, Normandy’s Sailors will have the opportunity to tour the city and surrounding areas and to experience the rich history and culture of Croatia. They will also be able to participate in a community relations project while in-country, organized by the ship’s Religious Ministry Team, comprised of Lt. Brandy Brown and Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class Carrie Caton.

The last U.S. Navy vessel to visit Croatia was the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), flagship of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. Ford hosted a reception for distinguished visitors while anchored off the coast of Split, Croatia, June 27, 2023.

CSG-12, Gerald R. Ford CSG, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of operations, employed

by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

Normandy is a part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG).

The GRFCSG is comprised of Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Carrier Air Wing (CVW)

ADRIATIC SEA (July 11, 2023) The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) breaks formation following a photo exercise, July 11, 2023. Normandy is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. GRFCSG is currently participating in Neptune Strike, a multiyear effort focused on harmonizing U.S. and NATO planning teams to transfer command and control of Allied naval and amphibious forces to STRIKFORNATO, in order to provide assurance, deterrence, and collective defense for the Alliance. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS MALACHI LAKEY)

8, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, the Information Warfare Commander, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60).

The ships of DESRON-2 within the GRFCSG are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS McFaul (DDG 74), and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116).

The squadrons of CVW-8 embarked aboard Gerald R. Ford are the “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC)

9, the “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70, the “Bear Aces” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW 124), the “Ragin’ Bulls” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37, the “Blacklions” of (VFA-213), the “Golden Warriors” of (VFA-87), the “Tomcatters” of (VFA-31), the “Gray Wolves” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142, and the “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40.

For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-

NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEURNAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 2 | Thursday, August 3, 2023 7

Local Sailors recognized at Hampton Roads Chamber reception

NORFOLK, Va. – U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Coastguardsmen, assigned to various military commands in Hampton Roads, were recognized by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce during a reception held at the Waterside Marriott Hotel July 26 in Norfolk. Naval Station Norfolk’s Commanding Officer Capt. Janet Days was a guest speaker at the event, which recognized military personnel from local commands who have excelled in the performance of their duties. (U.S. NAVY PHOTOS BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS MADDELIN HAMM)

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www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 3 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

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Elevate summer recipes with the enjoyable crunch of pecans Iconic for their flavor versatility, pecans are a tasty addition to summertime recipes. Try these Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Pecan Salsa & Spiced Pecan Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese for a nutty crunch. Page C4

Attucks Jazz Club Returns for 2023-2024 Season Presented by Virginia Arts Festival and SevenVenues featuring top jazz artists in an intimate club setting at Norfolk’s historic Attucks Theatre Press Release The Attucks Jazz Club Returns! Presented by the Virginia Arts Festival and SevenVenues, the Attucks Jazz Club transforms an intimate, upstairs space at the historic Attucks Theatre and brings some of the genre’s most talented players to Norfolk.

With comfortable open table seating, and the Club bar, the Attucks Jazz Club is the perfect way to enjoy a Saturday night — it’s the way jazz was meant to be heard!

The series is curated by pianist and educator John Toomey, a legend among local jazz fans, whose namesake trio performs with the featured artist in each Attucks Jazz Club show. When he’s not making history himself, Toomey teaches Jazz History and Jazz Improvisation at Old Dominion University, where he also directs the Jazz Combo and Jazz Choir. Before settling down at ODU, Toomey toured with jazz trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson as well as vocalists Mark Murphy and Rene Marie. Regular players in the trio include bassist Jimmy Masters, who has enlivened the region’s jazz scene for more than three decades, and drummer Tony Martucci out of Washington D.C. All performances begin at 7:30 pm. The Attucks Theatre is located at 1010 Church St., Norfolk. For more information and to buy tickets visit www.vafest.org.

Tickets for Attucks Jazz Club are just $25 and may be purchased online at www.vafest. org, by phone at 757-282-2822 or by visiting the Virginia Arts Festival box office located at 440 Bank Street in Norfolk between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday-Friday; also available at Ticketmaster.com.

Additional Attucks Jazz Club performances will be announced soon. The 20232024 Attucks Jazz Club line-up includes:

Alex McArthur, vocalist Feat. The John Toomey Trio Saturday, September 30, 2023, 7:30 pm “Alex McArthur is the real deal…the ‘sizzle’… and the ability to smoothly glide from note to note. A treasure.” (Buffalo Rising) With a passion for finding the story in every song, this Buffalo-based vocalist has shared her rich, soulful sound in clubs and festivals throughout New York, including a star turn as Billie Holiday in a production of the heralded play Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Hanging on every note, audiences follow her as she weaves an irresistible trail through melodies in repertoire that

spans the standards. Hear this extraordinary singer in her Attucks Jazz Club debut!

Dominique Eade, vocalist Feat. The John Toomey Trio Saturday, October 21, 2023, 7:30 pm “Dynamic, mesmerizing…easily one of the finest vocalists on the contemporary jazz scene.” (The Washington Post) Poetic and passionate, this singer, composer and improviser blends vocal virtuosity with a songwriter’s straightforward emotional sensibility, creating music that has garnered critical acclaim, inspired audiences, and served as a creative signpost for generations of singers. The New York Times called Eade “an exceptional singer… who weighs a chanteuse’s coolness against a jazz musician’s exploratory instincts.”

The Atlantic Monthly recognized Eade for her “rich voice and effortless delivery” while the Boston Phoenix called her music “sublime and daring.” She has performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals through-

out the U.S., Latin America and Europe, and her recordings have made the top ten lists at Billboard, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, DownBeat magazine and more. Catch this star at the Attucks Jazz Club!

Chris Whiteman, guitar Feat. The John Toomey Trio Saturday, November 11, 2023, 7:30 pm “Gorgeous…with an ‘old school’ attitude that harkens back to a possibly simpler time when tone and taste were king.” (TheJazzGuitarLife.com) New Jersey-born but Richmond, Virginia-bred, Chris Whiteman has been described many times as an old soul, a devotee of classic jazz who finds new depth and delight in the Great American Songbook, the standards that have defined jazz for generations. A performer and educator, soloist and sought-after sideman, Whiteman has played venues across the U.S. including New York’s famed Blue Note, Birdland, the Hollywood Bowl, Monterey Jazz Festival and more.

Warm up a November night with the mellow sound of this extraordinarily gifted guitarist!

About Attucks Theatre: Located on Norfolk’s historic Church Street, one of the oldest thoroughfares in the city, the Attucks Theatre was originally known as the “Apollo of the South.”

Designed by African-American architect Harvey Johnson, the theatre opened in 1919, and showcased a host of legendary performers such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Mamie Smith, Nat King Cole, and Redd Foxx.

The Attucks Theatre is named in honor of African-American Crispus Attucks, the first American patriot to lose his life in the 1770 Boston Massacre. For 34 years, the theatre remained a vibrant performing arts facility, but ceased functioning in 1953. In 1977, the United States Congress deemed The Attucks Theatre a National Historic Landmark, and after a restoration period of three years, the theatre was reopened in 2004 by a partnership between the City of Norfolk’s Department of Cultural Facilities and the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center, Inc.

The Gathering IV brings together wrestling legends and fans this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, David Crockett shares wrestling stories Interview By Yiorgo Wrestling fans rejoice. The Gathering IV is taking place this weekend August 3rd-6th at the Hilton University Place. A who’s who of wrestling legends and royalty will be there. From Kurt Angle to Ricky Steamboat, from Jim Ross to David Crockett, from Diamond Dallas Page to Gerald Brisco, from JJ Dillon to Tully Blanchard and so many more. This is your opportunity to mingle, talk, get photo ops and autographs, see great wrestling, take part in amazing panel discussions, and do much, much more. For all the info go to https://www.crowbarpress. com/tmartpromotions/?fbclid=IwAR0TKZiHt2X2anzKMT6YU5rOxXnMV39YhQndfTQgwlLCln9uOlhk7x0YVGQ Yiorgo: With us today to tell us all about it is legendary promoter and TV host David Crockett, of the famed Jim Crockett Promotions. David, why did you agree to do Gathering IV? David Crockett: It’s all about our great, loyal fans and giving back to them. They supported us back then and now still. I love meeting, listening and answering their questions as they remember moments like Nikita giving me the Russian Sickle or Ric Flair’s incredible interviews, or the many interviews that Bob Caudle and I or Tony Schiavone and I did with so many of our great wrestlers.

It’s also an opportunity for me to see a lot of my old friends that with some, I have not seen for many many years. Father time also continues to take so many great wrestlers away from us and we never know if this is the last time we will see each other. The promoter for the Gathering Martin Damato does an excellent job year after year with this great event. I encourage all wrestling fans to come out to The Gathering IV, you will definitely see and interact with many great wrestlers from your youth.

Y: When will you be there and what will you be doing at The Gathering?

DC: I am very grateful to Highspots, the premier go to company for everything wrestling related items, for bringing me in. I will be at the Highspots table on and off from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. During that time I will be doing a co-photo op with Jim Ross that starts at 11:25 and when we finish I will

go back to the Highspots table. Then at 3:00 PM I will be doing a virtual signing with Highspots for fans throughout the world that cannot be there.

Y: Speaking of reminiscing with the fans, let’s dive right into it. I enjoyed watching you David, because you were like one of us. You would get so excited.

DC: Through it all, I am a fan. I cannot not be a fan. I didn’t want to know then and I don’t want to know the outcome now. Jim Ross is another one like me. Don’t tell me anything, I don’t want to know. We always had fun with the interviews that we did.

Many times I felt like I was a human mic stand holding the mic there, and you know, especially the ones we taped at TBS Saturday morning and aired at 6:05PM, Oh, Lord, that was just out of this world, out of this world!

You never knew what was gonna come out of the wrestler’s mouth. You just didn’t know.

Like the time when the Mulkeys won, and they thought they screwed up, and they were afraid they were gonna get fired. You had Abdulah the Butcher, eating raw liver.

And of course Ric and Roddy Piper on the mike was pure gold. And the Four Horsemen were incredible. They would pick up on each other, and it was truly entertaining.

They were not regurgitating words, they all had meaning. I could go back and watch and laugh and smile, and sometimes try to keep a straight face. With Ric, we were promoting for the girls where he’s going to be, and what hotel he is staying at, and when the party’s going to be, that’s Ric. The Four Horsemen, they didn’t have a time limit. Gene Anderson for the longest time was keeping time and it was like trying to pull the bike away from when they were clicking so to speak when they were on a roll, I could just just let them go, loved it.

Y: One of my favorite Ric lines was, “Don’t wrap me up, David.” (Laughter) DC: (Laughter) Yup, because he could see the stage manager you know given him the rap.

Y: How about a favorite story or two about you and Ric? DC: We were in New York City, it was my birthday and Ric and Arn and Tully held me down at the Hard Rock Cafe and poured, Turn to The Gathering, Page 3 (POSTER COURTESY OF MARTIN TMART DAMATO)

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Elf brings holiday magic to Norfolk with a sparkling live film concert celebrating the 20th anniversary Press Release NORFOLK, Va. — The spirit of the holidays is coming to Norfolk in a big way! This holiday season, CineConcerts and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, in partnership with Innovation Arts and Entertainment, are bringing Elf in Concert to Chrysler Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8. This event is part of a festive tour across 31 cities worldwide, featuring the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performing John Debney’s heartwarming score live to picture, projected onto a 40-foot movie screen.

Elf in Concert embarks on a magical jour-

ney in 31 cities starting from November 17 and culminates in a grand finale on December 29. Performances will take place at iconic venues nationwide, with Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall being a significant part of this holiday cheer tour. For a complete performance schedule and location details, visit the official website.

Elf is consistently ranked among the top holiday movies. Debney, who has worked on some of the most successful films of all time including The Passion of the Christ, Iron Man 2, The Jungle Book, and Hocus Pocus, expresses his enthusiasm: “I’m so thrilled to be working with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and Cine-

Concerts on the upcoming Elf in Concert.

Writing the score was a true highlight of my career. Seeing the joy that the music and film brings to audiences each year is truly wonderful. Elf has really become a modern classic and bringing this into concert halls worldwide is an absolute honor. I very much look forward to presenting this unforgettable concert experience to live audiences worldwide!”

Elf tells the heartwarming story of Buddy, a human raised among Santa’s elves. As an adult, he embarks on a journey to New York in search of his real father, bringing with him an infectious holiday spirit. Get ready, Norfolk, to welcome the magic of Buddy the

Elf at Chrysler Hall on Friday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m.!

Tickets for Chrysler Hall’s Elf in Concert on Friday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. can be purchased at the Scope Arena Box Office and at Ticketmaster.com. For more information visit SevenVenues.com.

For ticketing and further information, visit the official website.

Facebook: facebook.com/ElfinConcert Twitter: @CineConcertsLLC Instagram: @CineConcerts Hashtag: #ElfInConcert

Whisper Concerts presents the 20th Annual Patriotic Festival Country Weekend featuring performances

by Zac Brown Band, HARDY and Bailey Zimmerman Single and Three-Day Tickets On Sale Friday, August 4 at 10 a.m.!

Press Release NORFOLK, Va. — Whisper Concerts and SevenVenues are delighted to announce the 20th Annual Patriotic Festival Country Weekend featuring performances by country music sensations Zac Brown Band, HARDY and Bailey Zimmerman. Performances will take place Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26 at the Scope Arena in downtown Norfolk. Three-day tickets and single show tickets for all concerts go on sale Friday, August 4 at 10 a.m. at the Scope Arena box office, Ticketmaster.com and PatrioticFestival.com.

The 2024 Patriotic Festival Country Weekend schedule is as follows: Bailey Zimmerman Friday, May 24, 2024 at 7p.m.

HARDY Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 7 p.m.

Zac Brown Band Sunday, May 26, 2024 at 7 p.m.

In addition to three nights of concerts, the Scope Arena Plaza and upper concourse will feature military exhibits and corporate displays throughout the weekend. The times for these pre-show activities are: Scope Arena Plaza 5 p.m. — 9 p.m. | May 24-26, 2024 Scope Arena Upper Concourse 5 p.m. — 9 p.m. | May 24-26, 2024 For more information on military exhibits, corporate displays and pre-show activities, visit https://patrioticfestival.com/ military-zone.html Zac Brown Band is a multi-platinum, GRAMMY Award-winning, Southern rock group led by front man, Zac Brown.

Throughout their career spanning more than a decade, Zac Brown Band has had six consecutive albums reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and five consecutive albums debut at #1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. To date, the group has won three GRAMMY Awards, including Best New Artist in 2010, sold more than 30 million singles, nine million albums, amassed over ten billion catalog streams, achieved 16 #1 radio singles and are the second act to top

both the Country and Active Rock formats.

Zac Brown Band has headlined nine North American Tours and currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows at the iconic Fenway Park. Symbolic of their massive success at the ballpark, in July 2022, Zac Brown Band was inducted into the Fenway Music Hall of Fame, joining music icons Paul McCartney and Billy Joel. Since their debut, Zac Brown Band has developed a reputation with critics and fans alike as one of the most dynamic live performers, marked by strong musicianship that defies genre boundaries. Zac Brown Band Official Website

recipient, HARDY is the reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year, the 2022 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, and a two-time AIMP Songwriter of the Year. HARDY has written 12 #1 singles since 2018, including his own double platinum #1 single “ONE BEER” feat. Lauren Alaina + Devin Dawson, and chart-topping, platinum Dierks Bentley + BRELAND collaboration, “Beers On Me.” He has previously toured with Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell, and more, and is headlining a 19-date, nationwide, sold-out run now on the mockingbird & THE CROW Tour. HARDY Official Website

Big Loud Records’ heavy-hitter HARDY has never been just one thing. Uncaging a new chapter, HARDY soared to new heights with the release of the mockingbird & THE CROW, his critically acclaimed half-country, half-rock sophomore album, adding to over two billion career streams. The dichotomous, 17-track effort debuted top five all genre on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and kinged seven additional Billboard charts in its first week, including Top Country Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Album Sales. A three-time CMA Triple Play award

Bailey Zimmerman has surged to the forefront of 21st century country music with the release of Religiously. The Album., arriving as not only the biggest all-genre streaming debut since 2021, but also the biggest streaming country debut of all time.

Deriving its name from his rapidly rising current country radio single, “Religiously,” the LP entered at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 7 on their all-genre Billboard 200 chart. The project also features his multi-Platinum, No. 1 debut single, “Fall In Love,” as well as his

most recent multi-Platinum hit, “Rock And A Hard Place,” which spent a whopping six consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart. Both tracks were also included on his record-shattering debut EP, Leave The Light On, and their success propelled the breakout superstar to close out 2022 as the year’s only country artist to receive two Platinum certifications from the RIAA and prompted Billboard to name him as their No. 2 Top New Country Artist and No. 4 Top New Artist Overall. The 2023 ACM Awards New Male Artist of the Year nominee and CMT Music Awards multi-nominee has ignited television audiences across the country with show-stopping performances on Good Morning America, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! and the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards, and incited critical applause from Forbes, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Billboard, American Songwriter and many more. With more than two billion streams to date, Bailey Zimmerman is out on the road now with Morgan Wallen as part of his monumental 2023 One Night At A Time Tour, and already selling out football stadiums coast-to-coast including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston. Bailey Zimmerman Official Website For more information about the 2024 Patriotic Festival Country Weekend, visit SevenVenues.com and PatrioticFestival.com.

About the Patriotic Festival: The Patriotic Festival is an annual military celebration to honor our armed forces personnel and their families with three days of military exhibits, corporate displays and concerts by national country touring artists. Founded in 2004, the event is one of the region’s largest military celebrations and Hampton Roads highest attended summer music festival.

In 2022, the Patriotic Festival relocated to Norfolk, Virginia, which is also home to the world’s largest naval station, Naval Station Norfolk. The three-day festival has hosted some of the nation’s top entertainers including Morgan Wallen, Sam Hunt, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs and Kane Brown. For more information and a complete weekend schedule, visit PatrioticFestival.com.

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Chilean sail training vessel Esmeralda to visit downtown Norfolk waterfront Sunday, Aug 6-10 Press Release NORFOLK, VA — The Chilean Navy’s sail training tall ship ESMERALDA returns to Norfolk, Virginia, Sunday, August 6 through Thursday, August 10, 2023. This will be the ship’s only U.S. port stop during it’s 2023 sail training cruise.

Arriving at 10AM on Sunday, August 6, 2023, the 372’ vessel will dock at Otter Berth next to the Waterside District at 333 Waterside Drive, on the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront.

The ESMERALDA will be open to the public for free tours: Sunday, August 6, 2023 2PM — 6PM Tuesday, August 8, 2023 2PM — 6PM Wednesday, August 9, 2023 2PM — 6PM The ship will depart Norfolk at 4PM, Thursday, August 10, 2023.

The ESMERALDA was launched in 1953 and serves as the training ship for the Chilean Navy. During her visit to Norfolk, she will carry a crew of nearly 300 midshipmen, enlisted sailors, and officers. She has visited more than 300 ports worldwide, acting as a floating embassy for Chile. The ship has participated in numerous international maritime festivals, including OpSail 1964, 1976 and 1986. ESMERALDA has been a frequent visitor to Norfolk, with its last visit being in June, 2017 as part of Norfolk Harborfest.

For more information about the ESMERALDA tall ship visit, as well as additional events throughout the year, including hours, park regulations and parking, please visit Festevents.org or call 757-441-2345.

ESMERALDA’s visit is sponsored by Norfolk Festevents, Ltd., and the City of

The Gathering from Page 1

it must have been a whole bottle of scotch into me because I was so drunk, the next day too. It was horrible, horrible. He did that to me. Also, with the plane crash in 1975, afterwards, Ric and I were in the same hospital room. With his back broken the way it was, he would ask my wife Valerie to move the sheet just to get to a different position.

Y: I’m gonna get a little bittersweet here.

It’s sad that your brother Jim Crockett, God Rest his Soul, is not with us anymore. God bless you for convincing him to do Conrad Thompson’s Starrcast IV event a few years ago. How did he react when he saw all the love and support from the fans?

DC: He was totally amazed and when the fans started asking him questions, talking to him asking for autographs and pictures, he said, “I don’t believe this. I always thought that we failed.” and I said, Well, in some ways we did, but treating the fans the right way, we did the very best job. The fans love us.

They loved what we did. They wish that we had kept it up, but we did not, and he just couldn’t get over how the fans treated us in Baltimore. I said, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you for years. I miss him and wish that we’d work together instead against each other. Again, that’s in the past, I can’t live in the past.

Y: And thanks to your and Conrad’s kindness, Jimmy’s willingness and Conrad bringing both of you in, you guys did have the happy ending there at the end.

DC: Yes we did. And I pushed Jimmy because he didn’t want to do it. And he did that great interview with Conrad. I was with Jimmy his last day, up until they gave him the morphine, and he went to sleep and never woke up.

Y: Your dad Jim Crockett Senior, God Rest his Soul, started Jim Crockett Promotions back in 1931. Did you always wanted to be an announcer ?

DC: Oh no, I didn’t start out to be an announcer. I wanted to be behind the camera. We were taping our shows at the WRAL TV studio in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jim Goodman, who at that time was Executive Vice President, came to us and said, “You guys need to start your own television production. You’re taking up a good 3 days of all of our tape machines, personnel, and so forth, and they could make a lot more money on having what they call one offs.”

I took that as sort of marching orders and I started learning about behind the camera and the TV camera itself, audio, lighting and how to run the graphic machines. I learned from Wayne Daniel who was a master in the tape room, how to do replays on the tape machines. He would put up a dot and it would rewind back to that dot and that’s how he created the ins and outs of our program, going into commercial break, going into an end que. Eventually we found a truck in eastern North Carolina that was for sale. It belonged to an evangelist. We bought it, tore everything out, put tape machines, and then really one inch, half inch, 3 quarter inch Attachi, Panasonic and Sony. And then we had about five, two inch mpex machines back at our building, and several other three quarter machines. When we came back at night, we had like an umbilical cord from the truck that would go in. We hooked it up to all the machines and spent the night dubbing. We would then put interviews into the tapes for the different cities and send them out by 4 o’clock that afternoon. It was something.

Y: What interested you the most about what you were doing?

DC: I was more interested in the hands-on portion of it, then the theory behind it and learning what the machine can do, what the

The Chilean Navy’s sail training tall ship ESMERALDA will dock in downtown Norfolk, August 6-10. (COURTESY PHOTO)

Norfolk, with support from the US Navy, USCG, Virginia Pilot Association, Robins Marine LLC, W.F. Magann Corporation, Waterside Marina, and City Cruises Norfolk Norfolk Festevents, Ltd., based in Norfolk, Virginia, is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating the most dynamic

camera can do. I even started working with an Attachi handheld. And you’re expected to have your right hand up working on the lens. It was a job, And we started with four cameras and eventually we had five.

At one point we just used light zones on Jenny Towers to light the ring and we were producing these shows in high school Gyms, Rec. Centers, small arenas to get our audience. We also wanted the fans to leave happy, so we had main events for them besides what we taped. We did our interviews down at ringside. Keeping an audience became a problem. I had a motive, because part of the company was mine, so I had to figure out the quickest and best way to do it, and it was baptism under fire.

Y: Where were you born and what are some of your early recollections working with your father in the family business?

DC: I was born here in Charlotte, and baptized by my grandfather. He and my grandmother were missionaries in Korea.

My mother was born in Robins, North Carolina but grew up in Korea with them. Eventually they went to Bristol, Tennessee and that’s where my father was from and that’s how they met. What I remember is that my parents would run restaurants along with wrestling and other entertainment. When school was out, I would get to go with my father to the restaurant early in the morning and help buss tables. I remember the first time I was bussing and picked up this money that was on the table. He slapped my hand, oh my word. He said, “That’s not your money, that’s for the waitress.” I was five at the time and the highlight for me for wrestling was on Saturdays we would go to Lexington, South Carolina at the YMCA. I was a fan so I was yelling and screaming at the wrestlers in the ring. Coming back home, we would stop at a barbecue place, get some food, and I would be asleep before we got back to Charlotte, never able to stay awake.

Y: You actually wrestled for a bit. How did your parents feel about it, who trained you, and what was that like? Did the boys take care of you or did you have to “pay your dues”?

DC: I was trained by Gene Anderson, Ole some, Johnny Heidemann, and Rip Hawk did some, not a whole lot. People don’t realize how hard that ring is. Those ropes with the steel cables in them, wow. I was just a preliminary guy and the boys beat on me.

Daddy said that nobody in our family was on the other side of this. I was an amateur wrestler, I was not married so I was around Thunderbolt Patterson, Jerry and Jack Brisco and that group. I wrestled Johnny Heidemann, Gene and Ole Anderson, Rip Hawk, Swede Hanson. Wrestling Swede was something. He would say, “slam me, slam me,” he tried to get me to slam him five or six times, I was blowing up. I was at High Point for TV, it was Brute Bernard and Skull Murphy and I was one of the job guys for their match and Brute Bernard said to me, “No one has ever done a better job for me.” I took that as a complement.

Y: After your dad’s passing, how was it decided who would handle the many responsibilities of Jim Crockett Promotions and what were those responsibilities for each one?

DC: Jimmy was the boss. He was the President of the company. You need a dictatorship. That’s the way dad had it. You can’t have many bosses. Sometimes in a family you don’t listen well to each other so there were times that you would go out to the back of the building and settle it.

Y: You mean to tell me that you and Jimmy and Jackie would have some shoot matches?

DC: I wouldn’t call them matches. Lol. Y: On a serious note, later on, during and after the sale of JCP to Turner, there was a period of time when you and Jimmy were

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David Crockett (left) and Yiorgo. (COURTESY PHOTO BY YIORGO)

not the best of terms. What brought the two of you back together again?

DC: Life is just too short, that’s why. He is my brother and I love him. I don’t see how people can hold grudges the way they do.

Everyone knows, I fought tooth and nail, not to sell to Turner and yes, I always had a bad taste in my mouth. I just didn’t like it, and it further split the family. That’s another conversation.

Y: Would you mind expanding on that?

DC: The family was split before that.

Dusty Rhodes and my brother Jimmy went to Texas, when Jimmy bought the Mid-South territory from Bill Watts. That just opened a can of worms as far as the debt that Bill had. We didn’t do our good diligence and then people would start doing crazy things like at some of our events we would have David Allen Coe, Wayland Jennings and Hank Williams Junior. Why are you doing this? It’s a wrestling event and you’re paying them $100,000 more plus production, for just one or 2 songs. If that’s what you want, then do a concert and separate the two out.

Y: How did that concept even start?

DC: It started with the Rock and Roll Express. We did the Rock and Roll Express Tour. They were on a bus, we went to high

school stadiums and wrestled, we had the cheerleaders ride on the bus with chaperones and the radio station sponsor and it was a hit. So they said, why can’t we do this for our big event “The Great American Bash.” It was in the spring and the summer and it really was good. Of course we didn’t go national with it but in the Carolinas and Virginia, it really worked. But when you take it to high cost cities your cost triples. And outside is risky business, you know, in the spring and summer, because of the weather.

And when Jimmy purchased the second plane, he named it Stardust and I think you could only seat six. So who’s gonna suck up to whom to get on the jet. Now, I’d rather fly commercial unless I really had something to do. But yeah, that really started it and it split the family, it split the wrestlers. Who gets to ride and who doesn’t. It wasn’t right.

You know that’s why I decided last year at this time to do Ric Flair’s Last Match event with Conrad, so we can go out in a fitting way.

Y: What an event it was and we will cover that in our next interview.

Yiorgo is an arts, entertainment and sports writer. A stage, TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist.

Listen to our top news stories for free.

Start now at PlayOurNews.com

4 The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 3 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

Food

Elevate summer recipes with the enjoyable crunch of pecans

By Family Features & American Pecan Promotion Board As families and friends gather on patios and decks to enjoy the warmth of summer and meals fresh off the grill, many are searching for that perfect ingredient that can complement salads, appetizers, main courses, desserts and more.

This year, you can turn to pecans to elevate meals and give your guests something to rave about. Iconic for their flavor versatility - shining in a wide range of profiles from sweet and spicy to salty, smoky and savory - they’re a tasty addition for favorite summertime recipes.

From an enjoyable crunch to comforting creaminess and a satisfying chew, pecans deliver a perfect bite and texture. These Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Pecan Salsa, for example, are loaded with fresh flavors for an easy, nutritious warm-weather meal.

Taste is just the beginning - pecans also pack a nutritious punch with a unique mix of health-promoting nutrients and bioactive compounds. Known for their rich, buttery consistency and naturally sweet taste, pecans have a longstanding tradition as a nut topping.

They’re sprinkled atop this Spiced Pecan Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese for a refreshing seasonal salad with a nutty crunch.

To find more recipes that take summer entertaining to the next level, visit EatPecans.com.

Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Pecan Salsa

Spiced Pecan Grilled Peach Salad with Goat Cheese

Cook time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 50 minutes | Servings: 4

4 boneless pork loin chops (each 1-inch thick) ¾ teaspoon, plus ⅛ teaspoon, kosher salt, divided freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 medium peaches, diced ⅔ cup raw pecan pieces 2 tablespoons red onion, diced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper 2 teaspoons lime juice

Spiced Pecans: 1 large egg white 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups pecan halves Salad: ¼ cup, plus 2 teaspoons, extra-virgin olive oil or pecan oil, divided ¼ cup white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt pepper, to taste 2 large peaches, halved and pits removed 6 cups mixed baby greens (such as arugula, spring mix and spinach) 4 ounces soft goat cheese

Season pork chops with ¾ teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste.

Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Grill pork chops until browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 5-6 minutes until food thermometer inserted in center registers 135 F. Transfer to plate and rest at least 5 minutes until internal temperature rises to 145-160 F. Gently stir peaches, pecans, onion, basil, jalapeno, lime juice and remaining salt.

Add salsa on top of each pork chop with remaining salsa on side.

To make spiced pecans: Preheat oven to 275 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk egg white, brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt until well combined. Fold in pecans and mix until evenly coated in mixture. Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally until pecans are fragrant and golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

To make salad: Heat grill to medium-high heat.

In small bowl, whisk ¼ cup olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Brush cut sides of peach halves with remaining olive oil and grill until grill lines appear and peaches become tender, 3-5 minutes. Remove peaches and cut into slices.

Divide greens among four plates. Top with grilled peach slices and goat cheese.

Divide 1 cup spiced pecans evenly among salads and reserve remaining cup for snacking. Drizzle each salad with vinaigrette.

www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 3 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

5

Health

Beat the back-to-school rush: TRICARE preventive health checks for kids

By TRICARE Communications FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Summer is a great time to take care of health checkups for your kids. Your child’s school likely requires students to get an annual health exam and be up to date on vaccines. With a new school year around the corner, don’t delay medical appointments for your kids.

“Most schools have mandatory health standards children must meet each school year,” said Jeannine Pickrell, RN, nurse consultant for Disease Management & Population Health at the Defense Health Agency. “It helps to get required back-toschool health checks before the last minute.

Summer vacation is also a perfect time to get other health care services for your kids, like dental and eye exams.”

Whether your child needs a school physical or you want to check on their development, TRICARE covers many preventive health services at no cost to your family.

Below is important information about backto-school checkups for your kids.

Follow school health care requirements Check with your child’s school for their health policy. Depending on these requirements, you may need to schedule more than one office visit for your child.

For the youngest children, TRICARE covers well-child exams from birth until age 6. Starting at age 6, TRICARE covers physicals required for school enrollment. TRICARE doesn’t cover annual sports physicals, which are separate from school physicals.

Even if your child’s school doesn’t require a physical, kids can still get preventive checkups. Annual Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HP&DP) exams are available to any TRICARE enrollee over age 6.

TRICARE also covers routine immunizations, also known as vaccinations. Your provider will review your child’s immunization records to confirm your child is up to date and meets school requirements.

You can get covered vaccines from any TRICARE-authorized provider at no cost.

However, you may have to pay copayments or cost-shares for other services received during the same office visit. You can also get some covered vaccines at no cost at TRICARE retail network pharmacies.

Whether your child needs a school physical or you want to check on their development, TRICARE covers many preventive health services at no cost to your family.

At retail network pharmacies, make sure a pharmacist gives the vaccines to avoid potential out-of-pocket costs.

Get additional wellness checkups There’s more to your child’s wellness than a routine physical can detect. Use this extra time to check all aspects of their health.

For example, you can schedule an appointment with your child’s dentist.

Your TRICARE health plan doesn’t include dental coverage. However, active duty family members and National Guard and Reserve family members can purchase dental coverage through the TRICARE Dental Program

(TDP). TDP covers two routine dental cleanings in a consecutive 12-month period for children ages 1 and older, as described in the TRICARE Dental Program Handbook. You can enroll in TDP at any time.

Your child may also be able to get a routine eye exam. This depends on their beneficiary status, health plan, and age. Children of active duty service members can get annual eye exams. Children of retired service members with TRICARE Prime can get routine eye exams every two years.

Some children are also eligible for dental or vision coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). If your child has FEDVIP coverage, be sure to follow the rules of that plan.

Find a provider Do you need to find a new doctor or dentist for your kids? TRICARE’s Find a Doctor tool can help you find nearby providers. If you have TDP, you can use the Find a Dentist tool to search for local TDP network dentists.

When you visit the provider, make sure to mention any concerns about your children’s health. By taking time this summer to focus on your children’s health, you can help them get off to a good start this school year.

Would you like the latest TRICARE news sent to you by email? Visit TRICARE Subscriptions, and create your personalized profile to get benefit updates, news, and more.

Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack

By American Heart Association News/ cpr.heart.org People often use these terms interchangeably, but they are not the same.

What is Cardiac Arrest?

CARDIAC ARREST occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly. Cardiac arrest is an “ELECTRICAL” problem. Cardiac arrest is triggered by an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

With its pumping action disrupted, the heart cannot pump blood to the brain, lungs and other organs.

What Happens? Seconds later, a person becomes unresponsive, is not breathing or is only gasping. Death occurs within minutes if the victim does not receive treatment.

What to Do? Cardiac arrest can be reversible in some victims if it’s treated within a few minutes.

First, call your local emergency number and start CPR right away.

Then, if an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available, use it as soon as possible.

If two people are available to help, one should begin CPR immediately while the other calls your local emergency number and finds an AED. Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death.

Cardiac arrest affects thousands of people annually with about three quarters of them occurring in the home.

What is a Heart Attack?

A HEART ATTACK occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. A heart attack is a “CIRCULATION” problem. A blocked artery prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching a section of the heart. If the blocked artery is not reopened quickly, the part of the heart normally nourished by that artery begins to die.

What Happens? Symptoms of a heart attack may be immediate and may include intense discomfort in the chest or other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, cold sweats, and/or nausea/vomiting. More often, though, symptoms start slowly and persist for hours, days or weeks before a heart attack. Unlike with cardiac arrest, the heart usually does not stop beating during a heart attack. The longer the person goes without treatment, the greater the damage.

The heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men (shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain).

What to Do? Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, call your local emergency number. Every minute matters! It’s best to call your local emergency number to get to the emergency room right away. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour

(COURTESY OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION NEWS/CPR.HEART.ORG)

sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff are also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too.

What is the Link? Most heart attacks do not lead to cardiac arrest. But when cardiac arrest occurs, heart attack is a common cause. Other conditions may also disrupt the heart’s rhythm and lead to cardiac arrest.

Fast action can save lives. For more information on American Heart Association CPR training classes in your area go to heart. org/cpr. Follow us: facebook.com/AHACPR twitter.com/HeartCPR #CPRsaveslives

6 The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 3 | Thursday, August 3, 2023

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94,000 miles cold AC,power windows, sunroof 3950.00 757-237-5757

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Good Things To Eat CRABS #1-$130, #2-$80 and jumbo’s $180 a bushel. 30 minutes from Great Bridge or Pungo. Call 252-455-5279

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Dogs, Cats, Other Pets AKC REGISTERED LAB PUPPIES Champion bloodlines. Yellows and blacks. First shots and dewormed.

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Pick a pet in the CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE.

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Call: 252-333-7801 to discuss / make offer

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www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 3 | Thursday, August 3, 2023 7

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8 The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com | Section 3 | Thursday, August 3, 2023