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More than 20 years of serving the Hampton Roads Navy family
Vol. 22, No. 01 Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com | 01.09-01.15.14
MONTEREY RETURNS TO NORFOLK » see HOMECOMING | A7
Chief Personnel Specialist Rafael R. Belarmino greets his family after returning to Naval Station Norfolk aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61). MC2 Sabrina Fine
UNIFORM CHANGES: Uniformity, fit, functionality Chief of Naval Personnel PublicAffairs WASHINGTON
U.S. Navy file photo The Criminal Investigative Division at Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, displays examples of seized evidences of synthetic drugs, commonly known as “Spice.”
Random Synthetic Marijuana Added to Drug Screening Press Release
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus announced, Dec. 22, plans to evaluate and redesign elements of the female service dress uniform for both officers and enlisted beginning no later than May 2014. SECNAV approved a proposal by Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Bill Moran to redesign the Service Dress Blue (SDB) uniform worn by female Sailors E1-E6 and to redesign the female combination cover for E7 and above. “These changes ensure greater uniformity in our service and ceremonial dress, but more importantly, they send a clear signal that we are one in dress, one in standard and one in team. As you look out across a group of Sailors, you ought to see, not female and male Sailors, but
Sailors,” said Mabus. “I asked the Chief of Naval Personnel to present me a plan that balanced the importance for uniformity with cost and functionality – and he did just that. It’s now over to his team to do the necessary testing and get these uniforms rolled out to the Fleet as soon practical.” The new E1-E6 service dress blue female uniform blends uniformity and tradition. The jumper and dixie cup, tailored for female form and functionality, will match the recently redesigned (but not yet issued) male jumper – closely resembling the iconic image of the “Lone Sailor.” Following completion of a fit evaluation on the female jumper style uniform and dixie cup, there will be a combined fleet introduction of the new female uniform and the previously approved male redesigned SDB uniform.
MC1 Elliott Fabrizio Lt. Heidi Boettger and Chief Yeoman Brianne Dentson model a prototype for the female E-7 and above combination cover, redesigned to more closely resemble the male version.
The female combination cover for E-7 and above will be redesigned to more closely resemble the male version, but will fit a woman’s head in size and proportion. It was clear in the feedback from the recent test that simply issuing a male cover to females did not result in satisfactory fit or appearance. Similarly, lessons learned from the fit evaluation will be used to inform the design of the female cover.
» see UNIFORM | A7
Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs
MILLINGTON, TENN.
As part of a new Department of Defense (DOD) policy, the Navy began testing for synthetic marijuana compounds during random urinalysis, officials announced, Dec. 31. According to NAVADMIN 334/13, testing for synthetic marijuana compounds will be randomly conducted on samples submitted to all drug screening laboratories, and positive results will subject members to disciplinary action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Navy expects to test more than 1.1 million samples this year, and a portion of them will be screened for synthetic marijuana. Those that test potentially positive will be forwarded to the Air Force Drug Testing Laboratory at Lackland, Texas for confirmation. “We are testing synthetic cannabinoids – also known as Spice, K2, Herbal Essence and other names – within the standard testing panel conducted for urinalysis samples,” said Lanorfeia Parker, deputy director, Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Office (NADAP).
» see TESTING | A7
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WHILE YOU WERE OUT Check out stories and photos from over the holidays.
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GOT A QUESTION? CALL NAVY 311 PMW 240 Sea Warrior Program Public Affairs WASHINGTON
It was midnight in the Indian Ocean with a storm bearing down; poor timing to lose access to the carrier’s Intelink Web site. An information systems technician 3rd class petty officer (IT3) called NAVY 311 to find an expert who could quickly troubleshoot the problem. The NAVY 311 call center representative immediately documented the issue and referred the IT3’s request to the Regional Maintenance Center (RMC) and Intelink Services Management Center (ISMC) help desk. In less than an hour, the ISMC responded directly to the IT3 and resolved the Web site access issue. On the other side of the world, the father of a deployed Marine heard on a Sunday news show that
his son’s unit had taken casualties. He immediately called NAVY 311 to investigate the report. Within 45 minutes, NAVY 311 engaged ChaplainCare, who in turn located the unit’s Chaplain. The Marine was fine, and he was put in contact with his dad. Thousands of stories like these characterize NAVY 311. Whether you’re afloat or ashore, on duty or off duty, NAVY 311 is there for you 24/7. It’s also there for your family. What exactly is NAVY 311? Quite simply, it’s the single entry point into hundreds of help desks, call centers, and support organizations across the Navy. Ask any question about any topic, anytime, from anywhere. Or, call to voice any concerns you might have.
» see NAVY 311 | A7
CNO, MCPON TALK ISSUES The top admiral and top enlisted man in the Navy released another installment, Dec. 19, of the internet video series, “Conversation with a Shipmate.”
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IN REVIEW The Flagship’s “Year in Review 2013” special section features brief summaries from last year’s top stories.
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