Flagship February 5, 2015

AWARD WINNING

JOURNALISM 2013 Russell Egnor Navy Media Awards has recognized in Civilian Enterprise News Publications: First Place:The Flagship

More than 20 years of serving the Hampton Roads Navy family

Vol. 23, No. 5 Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com | 02.05-02.11.15

U.S. Navy photo Vice Admiral Dixon R. Smith, Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) presents Air Traffic Controller 1st Class (AW/SW) Darren S. Johnson, from Naval Station (NAVSTA), Norfolk, under Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, with a plaque for selected as the 2014 CNIC Sailor of the Year.

MCSN Deven Leigh Ellis

LOCAL SCHOOL’S MASCOT RETURNS FROM DEPLOYMENT

By MCSN Deven Leigh Ellis Navy Public Affairs Support Element, East

VIRGINIA BEACH

Students at Point O’View Elementary School celebrated the homecoming of their stuffed panther mascot, Midnight, Jan. 29, who recently returned from a nearly ninemonth deployment with Sailors assigned to Tactical Air Squadron (TACRON) 21.

The visit was part of a decades-long tradition with the school. It included a presentation showcasing the stuffed panther partaking in day-to-day ship activities during

the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan’s (LHD 5) deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility.

Sailors from TACRON 21 took turns interacting with the children and sharing their personal experiences of Midnight from deployment.

“We hit a lot of ports; we went to Portugal, Bahrain, Spain, shopping in Turkey,” Operations Specialist 2nd Class Jaxon Marie Heuring said.

Students swayed and sang along to Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” as they watched photos and videos of Midnight flying

Cmdr. William C. Bushman, Commander of TACRON 21, talks to students from Point O’View Elementary School during a welcome-back ceremony for their mascot, Midnight.

CNIC names Sailor of the Year

By Sandra L. Niedzwiecki Navy Installations Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON

aboard an MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, playing golf on the flight deck and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Children even “oohed” and “aahed” with each successive dive and roll of the jet footage projected on-screen.

Before TACRON 21 deployed in February 2014, Sailors visited the school to pick up Midnight and prepare him for the upcoming journey, which meant the students got to see all the check-in processes for Sailors aboard a ship.

Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) announced the CNIC 2014 Sailor of the Year (SOY) during a ceremony held at CNIC headquarters at the historic Washington Navy Yard on Jan. 29.

Air Traffic Controller 1st Class (AW/SW) Darren S. Johnson, from Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk, under Navy Region Mid Atlantic, was selected from among 70 installation SOYs to earn the prestigious award.

» see MASCOT | A7

» see SOY | A7

International Tattoo announces 2015 events

By MCC(SW/AW) Molly Burgess

Now accepting nominations for the military spouse awards NORFOLK

The Flagship Newspaper, Military Newspapers of Virginia and our presenting sponsor, USA Living, are pleased to announce that The 2015 Heroes at Home Military Spouse Awards nomination period is now open. In its 11th year, this program recognizes deserving active duty military spouses from all branches for their strength, their many sacrifices and their service to our community.

Nominations are accepted from active duty personnel and the general public.

» see AWARDS | A7

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The Virginia International Tattoo, the largest military musical display in the U.S., announced this year’s theme, “A Tribute to Military Families,” during its annual press conference at the Robin Hixon Theater in Norfolk, Jan. 30.

The 2015 event, held April 23-26 at the Norfolk Scope Arena, is a multi-national event that showcases talent and tradition through military performances. With more than 900 performers from around the world in a display of military bands, massed pipes and drums, drill teams, Celtic dancers, cultural performers, choirs and more, the show is tailored to the whole family.

During the conference, some of the show’s events were highlighted, to include the international

online For more on the 2015 Virginia International Tattoo, visit www. vafest.org/2015/tattoo-main.

aspect of the event of the many participating nations, as well as some of the local bands that will participate in this year’s Tattoo.

“Some of the things you’ll see this year are the Norfolk public schools All-City High School Chorus, Virginia Children’s Chorus, an amazing obstacle race where the United States Marines will participate against the United States Coast Guard,” said J. Scott Jackson, Virginia International Tattoo producer/director. “And a special treat this year for the first time ever, from Virginia Tech, the Highty-Tighties Regimental Band.”

Returning to the Tattoo is the full scale student matinee perfor-

MCC Molly A. Burgess The U.S. Air Force Heritage Brass plays the nation anthem during the presentation of colors during the 2015 Virginia International Tattoo press conference.

mances that will each accommodate more than 600 students, totaling more than 18,000 students who will get to visit the Tattoo.

“One of the things I am especially proud of is working so closely with the school districts in the area to make sure there is broad participation,” said Jackson. “For example, in Norfolk, every single 6th grader in a public school in Norfolk, attends the tattoo every year. That means every child in Norfolk public schools will see the Tattoo at least

once in their school career.”

The student matinee performances are open only to students during school hours and similar matinee arrangements extend out to Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Williamsburg James City according to Jackson.

Other highlighted events will be the special audience night that will be open to special needs patrons to attend the Tattoo dress rehearsal; and the education out-

» see TATTOO | A7

NASA TOUCHESDOWN ON TR Sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt answered a longdistance phone call from the International Space Station (ISS), Jan. 26.

NAVSEA EMPLOYEES RETURN TO NAVY YARD One year, four months and seventeen days.That is a long time to be away from home, but that is how long employees from the NAVSEA have spent away from theirs, since the tragic shootings of Sept. 16, 2013.

SAND SOCCER Registration is now open for this summer’s North American Sand Soccer Championships, ready to rock the Virginia Beach oceanfront June 5-7 with its 22nd edition.

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» see B1

» see C1

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MCPON VISITS FRMCA OCEANA

Best of the Mess

MC2 Alysia R. Hernandez Culinary Specialist 2nd Class James Onuska (left) and Culinary Specialist 1st Class Niles Harper from Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana serve food to guests at the Chief Petty Officer Scholarship Fund’s (CPOSF) “Best of the Mess” culinary showdown, Jan. 23, at Founders Inn in Virginia Beach. Best of the Mess is a CPOSF fundraising event in which six teams of three CSs from local commands compete for the title “Best of the Mess.” Oceana’s team, also including Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Derrick Bates, took home the People’s Choice Award.

Safety seat round up

Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic Site Oceana (FRCMA) hosted Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike D. Stevens Jan. 16, for a tour of the command. Stevens is the U.S. Navy’s highest-ranking enlisted Sailor and senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations. “It’s always great to get out and visit with our Sailors.

Hearing what’s on their minds, meeting them, and speaking with them face to face is essential,” Stevens said. “As leaders, I believe it’s vital that we are engaged with our Sailors and have that over-the-shoulder mentorship on a regular basis.”

See the full story at http://bit.ly/18HVDCn.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN KICKS OFF CAPTAIN’S CUP BOWLING Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) participated in the Captain’s Cup bowling competition at Langley Lanes at Langley Air Force Base Jan. 27.

Abraham Lincoln Sailors began the four-week series of Captain’s Cup with bowling. The teams are comprised of Sailors by department and they compete for points throughout the tournament.

See the full story at http://bit.ly/1uRmpwD.

Drive Safe Hampton Roads

Spend a Little, Did you know that an old or broken safety seat could be putting a child in danger? To help keep young children as safe as possible, Drive Safe Hampton Roads, along with various partners, have teamed up to conduct the 26th annual “Old, Used, Borrowed and Abused Child Safety Seat Round-up.”

Many safety seats are old, have missing parts, have been recalled by the manufacturer, or are no longer crash-worthy. Drive Safe Hampton Roads and partners want to “round them up” and recycle them so they cannot be used again.

Throughout February, safety seats can be dropped off at select Walmart Super Centers or AAA offices in Hampton Roads for a $5 reward. For more information, call Drive Safe Hampton Roads at 498-2562, email dshr@drivesafehr.org or visit www. drivesafehr.org.

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NAVIDFOR hosts ceremony for Navy’s newest TYCOM

NMCPHC hosts radiation risk assessment workshop

Navy Information Dominance Forces Public Affairs

Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center Public Affairs

SUFFOLK

PORTSMOUTH

A ribbon cutting ceremony marking the establishment of Navy Information Dominance Forces (NAVIDFOR) Command, was held at the DOD complex in Suffolk, Jan. 28.

The ceremony commemorated the establishment of the Navy’s newest global Type Command (TYCOM) responsible for the man, train, equip and readiness mission for all Navy Information Dominance (ID) capabilities afloat and ashore.

“Much work has been done to prepare for NAVIDFOR’s establishment,” said Rear Adm. Matthew J. Kohler, Commander, Navy Information Dominance Forces Command, he said during his remarks. “I’d personally like to thank all of you who were essential in getting NAVIDFOR on its feet and underway.”

NAVIDFOR was established to improve the generation and sustainment of ID force readiness across the Navy under a single TYCOM. Since Oct. 1, 2014, NAVIDFOR has been consolidating and aligning missions, functions, and tasks previously managed by separate ID commands (specifically, Navy Cyber Forces Command, Fleet Cyber Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, and the Office of Naval Intelligence).

“NAVIDFOR’s mission is unique among the TYCOMs,” said Kohler. “While it has traditional man train and equip readiness responsibilities for afloat and expeditionary units, NAVIDFOR also supports the Information Dominance commands ashore [Fleet Cyber Command, Office of Naval Intelligence and Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command] as well as readiness of the Navy’s networks both afloat and ashore.”

The Navy doesn’t establish a

The Navy & Marine Corps Public Health Center (NMCPHC) hosted a Radiation Risk Assessment Workshop at the Renaissance PortsmouthNorfolk Waterfront Hotel, Jan. 27-28.

More than 40 participants, including professionals from the U.S. Navy’s Radiological Affairs Support Office (RASO), Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), and NMCPHC radiation health physicists, risk assessors, physicians, industrial hygienists, and risk communicators attended the workshop.

The workshop presentation team was from Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory and a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center, where “dream teams” of world-class researchers work alongside experts from industry, academia and other government laboratories to address vital national challenges in clean energy, environment, technology and national security.

Classes included both lecture and participant interactive computer demonstrations using laptops for attendees whose work involves understanding of human health radiological risk assessment.

The focus of this workshop was on specific approaches, methods, and tools when conducting risk-based and dose-based radiological assessments, which depend on the specific issue(s) being evaluated and regulatory agencies involved.

“This course demonstrates the modeling and regulatory complexities and issues that are present in conducting a radiological risk assessment,” said Joe Sevcik, a radiation health physicist from RASO. Workshop participants deal with radiation issues at varying frequencies from full time to periodically providing technical support that requires some knowledge of radiation principles and practices. For example, NMCPHC health physicists address radiation issues on a daily

By Hugh Cox

U.S. Navy photo An official ribbon cutting ceremony marking the establishment of Navy Information Dominance Forces (NAVIDFOR) Command was held Jan. 28, aboard the DOD complex in Suffolk.

TYCOM very often – the most recent being the U.S. Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) nine years ago.

“Navy Information Dominance Forces joins the ranks of the Navy’s other TYCOMs; Naval Surface Forces, Naval Submarine Forces, Naval Air Forces, Naval Special Warfare Command, Military Sealift Command and Naval Expeditionary Combat Command,” said Kohler. “Unlike other TYCOMs that are usually formed around “platforms” such as ships, submarines and aircraft, NAVIDFOR is the first TYCOM to be formed around a capability; Information Dominance.”

TYCOMs drive the business of the Navy as force-generating organizations, ensuring that deploying Navy units are ready for the full scope of warfighting missions. They ensure units are properly equipped and manned with the appropriately skilled personnel. TYCOMs ensure these forces are trained on the latest tactics, techniques and procedures, and are equipped with the best weapons and tools the Navy can provide.

“As warfighting has evolved over the years, so too has the United States Navy, always striving to meet the Nation’s needs,” said guest speaker Adm. Phil Davidson, Commander, U.S. Fleet

Forces Command. “Today the establishment of NAVIDFOR represents the next evolution in the Navy’s effort to keep the fleet ready to fight and win.”

Davidson highlighted the impact the new TYCOM will have on the Navy and Information Dominance Corps. "Our fleet and our tactical commanders must have information dominance capabilities to fight and win – especially in a contested battlespace,” said Davidson. "That's why NAVIDFOR has been established here in Hampton Roads with the fleet – bonding the ID forces and [other] fleet forces inextricably, closer than ever before."

NAVIDFOR is fully operational and already making improvements to advance warfighting capabilities. Since establishment of the command in October, it has begun capturing and standardizing readiness reporting and has improved cybersecurity capabilities through nearly a dozen man train and equip initiatives.

“While much work has been done, much more will be accomplished by NAVIDFOR to improve Navy warfighting readiness and mission success.” said Kohler. “We are excited about the opportunities to elevate the Navy’s and information dominance capabilities to the next level of warfighting.”

basis as part of the Navy’s Radiological Materials Permit Program.

Other NMCPHC public health professionals may periodically encounter radiation in support of issues involving:Drinking water, Risk assessments, Health and safety plan reviews, Risk communication and/or Occupational health.

NMCPHC medical staff routinely work with RASO on various radiological sites and issues. NMCPHC often involves others within the medical community such as our medical treatment facilities and our Navy Medicine Regional Offices (Navy Medicine East and Navy Medicine West) as issues arise at their command(s) or installations.

According to Dr. Paul Gillooly, NMCPHC health risk communication expert who gave a presentation on radiation risk communication, effectively communicating health risks to stakeholders from radiation exposure is a unique challenge.

“While radiation may be a familiar term to most people, the basic facts and science about radiation are much less familiar,” said Gillooly. “One of our goals when working on radiation issues is to address the psychological, sociological, and cultural factors that may create public misperceptions and misunderstandings about risks from radiation.”

While NMCPHC has traditionally provided risk assessment and risk communication support for nonradioactive chemicals to the NAVFAC environmental restoration program and other environmental programs such as drinking water, we periodically provide support for various radionuclides.

“The workshop provided an excellent overview of the models used to determine preliminary remediation goals for common radionuclides found at Department of the Navy CERCLA [e.g. Superfund] sites,” said Linda Cole, a remedial project manager (RPM) from NAVFACMIDLANT. “The instructors were experts in their fields. Working with the models was a lot of fun! I’d highly recommend this course for any RPM.”

O

N THE RADAR Operations Specialist 3rd Class

Brittiney Pollard

WEEKLY PHOTOS

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Mate (Handling) Aviation Boatswain’s Hawkins, left n mi za 3rd Class La Mate (Handling) Aviation Boatswain’s Airman Derek Kroffl h USS George H.W. Bus (CVN 77)

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JEBLCFS TAKES THE MILITARY SAVES PLEDGE

By MC3 Jared Aldape JEBLCFS Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH

DOD personnel and their family members gathered inside the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) auditorium at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS) to take financial responsibility at a leadership forum, Jan. 27.

The conference is part of an all-encompassing financial yearround saving program highlighted annually as the “Military Saves Campaign.”

The event kicked-off as Capt.

Frank Hughlett, Commander, JEBLCFS signed the Military Saves week proclamation ratifying the installations involvement in pledging to save. “Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story fully supports the Military Saves campaign and its commitment to assisting Military Families, including officers, Sailors, Airman, Soldiers,

Marines, Coast Guardsmen, family members, retirees, and civil servants in taking immediate financial action to build wealth, not debt,” said Hughlett.

This year’s campaign runs from Feb. 23 - 28, and is an annual opportunity for the Department of Defense to increase the knowledge of its service members and their families in establishing savings goals and creating good habits that set money aside for emergencies, future needs and retirement.

“Although the economy is improving slowly, the number of financial challenges facing our Sailors today has not declined,” said Mary Spear, a financial educator at Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) JEBLCFS. Spear also explains that unhealthy financial practices can hinder a service member’s career. “The Department of the Navy Central Adjudication Facility reported that 62 percent of all Sailors who had their security clearances revoked or denied had a

MC3 Jared Aldape Capt. Frank Hughlett, Commander, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLCFS) signs the Military Saves week proclamation ratifying the installations involvement in pledging to save during a command leadership forum event.

financial issue,” said Spear.

Peter Bielagus, a motivational financial educator, was the keynote speaker for the event. Bielagus has been called “Young America’s Financial Coach” whose strategies help put money back into service member’s pockets. “I’ve been helping service members since 2007.

Fiscal responsibility is so important and I would like to impress upon you all to take actions to secure your finances,” said Bielagus.

During the event Bielagus shared tips and strategies to build wealth, emergency savings, eliminate

debt, and increase personal net worth. “Start before you need to start, there’s never going to be an ideal time to save there will always be something in the way it starts today,” said Bielagus.

Attendees also had the opportunity to meet with finance experts, credit unions, non-profit institutions and community officials for information and assistance at the event. “This event was truly resourceful,” said Engineering Aide 1st Class Asdru Arana, an event participant. “It’s like an epiphany, that all of a sudden you realize that

you have the power to control your financial future.”

FFSC JEB Little Creek is offering a number of free events as part of the campaign to help DoD personnel and their families build wealth, not debt. Events include a children's financial fair hosted by Navy child and youth program (CYP) and a mobile shredding station where participants can eliminate hard to dispose of invoice and billing receipts that may contain accounting and personal information.

In addition, FFSC has prepared seminars and workshops to help educate all members of the military on how to improve their financial fitness throughout the month of February in consumer practices, credit cards, I.D. theft and how to identify financial scams. “The majority of service members seen by command financial specialists and FFSC financial counselors this past year have revealed a lack of basic saving, investing, and financial planning for the future,” said Spear. “The Military Saves Campaign seeks to reverse this persistent trend.”

Hampton Roads FFSCs will be spreading the savings message and urging the community to participate in Military Saves Week and take the Military Saves Pledge at www.militarysaves.org/take-the-pledge.

FFSC hosts federal employment class during career week

By MC3 Timothy Daughton NAS Oceana Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH

Whether preparing to transition from military service in the near future or planning for it someday, military members, DOD employees and eligible family members have the opportunity to take classes at Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) Oceana that will help them do just that.

Once a month, FFSC holds a career week consisting of classes that discuss federal employment, job search strategies, interview techniques and effective resume writing.

More than 15 people attended the Federal Employment Systems workshop Jan. 16, at Oceana. The class provided information and resources on applying for government jobs.

Among the group who attended the class, the majority were looking to crack the code on how to gain an advantage when applying for government jobs. Another common expectation for the class was to learn better networking skills.

“I have been to other classes and this is one of the best I have seen. I learned a lot about the federal job system and how to become organized and prepared for applying for different positions,” said retired Master Chief Dan Mittendorff.

One of the resources discussed during the class was USAJOBS.gov, a one-stop website resource for federal veteran employment information. It is designed to ensure veterans, transitioning service members and their families receive accurate and consistent information regarding veteran’s employment in the federal government.

Many of the attendees said they were familiar with the website but had become overwhelmed by the application process, which was discussed in-depth during the class.

“We know a lot of transitioning service members and spouses are looking for federal employment and the information they receive during these classes is crucial to their transition,” said Roslyn Williams, employment educator.

Williams, a retired senior chief, has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources and a master’s degree in Public Administration. As an employment educator, Williams conducts one-on-one resume reviews, plans job fairs and has been teaching classes for more than 18 months.

“This is the second course I have taken here at FFSC, the first being resume writing which was exceptional, and this really prepares you to be able to compete for federal positions,” said Cmdr. Jody Kite, air traffic control analyst at Naval Safety Center Norfolk.

Another resource discussed during the class was Mil2fedjobs.com, a website designed to provide information on federal jobs related to a member’s military experience. It also explains federal job characteristics, paygrades and qualifications. For more information on Mil2fedjobs, visit http://www.dllr.state. md.us/mil2fedjobs/.

“We do have several success stories from members who have attended this class. I have been a part of their application process and many have come back for mock interviews that allowed them to be better prepared. A lot of people are intimidated by the federal employment systems and we assist in taking away some of that anxiety,” added Williams.

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MC2 Chris Brown Capt. Daniel C. Grieco, commanding officer of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), gives a thumbs up to Capt. Barry “Butch” Wilmore, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, during a video teleconference aboard Theodore Roosevelt. Wilmore fielded questions from the Theodore Roosevelt crew during the event. Theodore Roosevelt is underway participating in a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), which tests the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group’s ability to effectively react to real-world scenarios and perform as an integrated unit.

NASA touches-down on USS Theodore Roosevelt

By MC3 John M. Drew USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), along with a distinguished visitor from NASA, answered a long-distance phone call from the International Space Station (ISS), Jan. 26.

NASA astronauts Navy Cmdr. Reid Wiseman, Air Force Col. Eric Boe, U.S. Marine Corps Col. Randy Bresnik, Serena Aunon, Michael Barratt along with NASA flight surgeons Air Force Maj. Anil Menon and Dr. Stephen Hart visited TR for a taste of life aboard an aircraft carrier and a chance to meet her Sailors. NASA flight director Gregory Whitney, and NASA military liaison Judy O’Connor also joined the group visiting TR. “It’s so great to be on an aircraft carrier again,” said Wiseman. “As soon as I stepped onboard I could feel the energy of the ship and her crew. It’s amazing.”

During their tour, the NASA guests joined TR Sailors for a video teleconference (VTC) with Navy Capt. Barry “Butch” Wilmore, a NASA astronaut, aboard ISS. Sailors asked Wilmore, currently on a five-month trip aboard ISS, questions about life in space.

“It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” said Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Anna Van Nuys, a native of Akron, Ohio. “You don’t get chances to talk to the International Space Station very often, so it’s a memory I’ll always cherish.”

The most prevalent question was how he had become an astronaut.

“My training started when I joined the Navy. Thanks to the Navy I had the opportunity to do this,” said Wilmore, gesturing to the space station around him.

“From TR, we thank [Capt. Wilmore] for taking the time to answer our Sailors’ questions,” said Capt. Daniel Grieco, commanding officer of TR. “We are all incredibly proud of all of the work you and NASA are doing, especially you and how well you represent the Navy.”

In the evening, Sailors packed into TR’s aft mess decks as each member of NASA took a turn to discuss not only their jobs, but what life in space is like. Afterward, Sailors lined up to take pictures with the astronauts and ask them questions. Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class Allison Brilla, a native of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was one Sailor lucky enough to meet the NASA team and took full advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“It was amazing – the best day of my life,” said Brilla. “I’ve always wanted to meet an astronaut since I was in the Young Astronomers Club when I was younger. It was a stellar opportunity.”

TR is underway participating in composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG), which tests the strike group’s ability to effectively react to real-world scenarios and perform as an integrated unit.

TRCSG is composed of Carrier Strike Group 12 staff, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, the guidedmissile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and the DESRON 2 ships; guided-missile destroyers USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), and USS Farragut (DDG 99).

Join the conversation with TR online at www.facebook.com/USSTheodoreRoosevelt and www.Twitter.com/TheRealCVN71. For more news from USS Theodore Roosevelt, visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn71/.

You don’t get chances to talk to the International Space Station very often, so it’s a memory I’ll always cherish.”

-Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Anna Van Nuys

FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | A5

DOD official describes transition program progress

By Terri Moon Cronk DOD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON

The redesigned Transition Assistance Program gives separating service members a “unique set of capabilities” as they enter the civilian workforce, Susan Kelly, defense transition to veterans program office director, told a House Veterans Affairs Committee panel.

In a review of the program before members of the economic opportunity subcommittee, Kelly outlined strides the Defense Department has made with the new TAP, in collaboration with several interagency partners, such as the veterans affairs and labor departments.

Kelly emphasized that the new program will help more than one million service members transition from active duty in the next four years.

Career-readiness Standards “The foundation of the redesigned TAP is a set of career-readiness standards that are verified for all transitioning service members no later than 90 days prior to their separation from the military,” she explained.

If civilian career readiness standards are not met, service members receive further training or a “warm hand-over” to interagency partners who ensure they receive post-separation assistance, Kelly added.

“Part of the redesign includes the robust ‘Transition GPS curriculum – Goals, Plans, Success.’

It builds the skills that transitioning service members need to meet in career-readiness standards and it is now fully implemented at 206 military sites in the United States and overseas,” she said,

Camp Lejeune to see energy upgrades

By Tom Kreidel NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK

MC3 Jared E. Walker Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Terence R. Taylor, right, assigned to Fleet Readiness Center Oceana, signs up for health benefits with Carvin Harmon, a social worker from Hampton veteran affairs during a transition assistance program (TAP) class at Norfolk Naval Station.

The foundation of the redesigned TAP is a set of career-readiness standards that are verified for all transitioning service members no later than 90 days prior to their separation from the military.” -Susan Kelly adding that three supplemental training tracks exist for those who want to pursue higher education, technical training or entrepreneurship.

The five-day program also is offered for service members around the world through DOD’s Joint Knowledge Online platform, Kelly said.

TAP Evaluation Strategy Progresses A strategy for evaluating and assessing TAP has shown substantial progress, Kelly told the House panel. Its three goals are accountability, customer satisfaction and program effectiveness, she said. Long-term measures also are being developed by VA, DoL and the Small Business Administration, she said.

“Outcome measures are a priority for the TAP evaluation strategy, beginning with [The

Vow to Hire Heroes Act of 2011] and careerreadiness compliance,” Kelly said.

DOD-verified data to date shows active-duty service members’ compliance across the services ranges from 91 percent to 97 percent, she said.

“These results account for three-quarters of the members who have separated from active duty,” Kelly added.

Work Remains to Be Done “We realize that we must work hard to close the remaining reporting gap,” she said.

A comprehensive communications campaign to inform service members about the redesigned TAP was put in place during fiscal year 2014, Kelly said. This year, she added, the goal is to implement the Military Life Cycle transition level of the program.

According to DOD’s TAP website, the MLC transition level is critical because it gives service members the chance to plan for their postseparation career and see how their military skills can be used in the civilian world; it enables DOD to show how the services prepare their members for transition, and it optimizes how these highly trained and adaptable people can rapidly contribute to civilian society.

“This marks a major cultural shift for the department,” Kelly said. “In December, the military services reported to the White House that Military Life Cycle transition preparation was fully implemented at their installations, which the new TAP interagency governance structure will continue to monitor and improve.”

Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic awarded a contract to reduce energy consumption Jan. 23 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The $24.4 million steam decentralization project was awarded to DRP Hardin ConstructionWGI Joint Venture Inc. and will save the base nearly $4 million annually in costs.

According to Elizabeth Smith, energy manager at Camp Lejeune, the base will save $1.3 million annually in utilities costs, with additional savings in operations and maintenance of almost $1.6 million per year.

“This is the third phase of a four phase steam decentralization program at Camp Lejeune,” said Scott Littlefield, a project manager at NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic’s Marine Corps Integrated Product Team. “The goal of the program is to remove all of Camp Lejeune’s more than 450 buildings from the central steam plants.”

Littlefield, who will oversee this project, adds that once this project is complete an additional 86 buildings will be heated by high-efficiency gas systems. He says the project will kick off in a couple of weeks with the design phase. From there, the installation should begin later this year.

“This project will assist in enhancing the overall energy efficiency of Camp Lejeune, reducing energy usage and mitigating carbon emissions,” he added.

For more from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.

Snapshot The Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | A6

■ online For more photos, go to www.flagshipnews.com/multimedia

USS Elrod is decommissioned

Photos by MC3 Ellen Hilkowski Brig. Gen. Raymond Descheneaux serves as the guest speaker at a decommissioning ceremony for the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) at Naval Station Norfolk. Elrod is being decommissioned after 30 years of naval service.

■ 30 years of service Elrod was named after U.S. Marine Corps aviator, Maj. Henry T. Elrod. He was the first aviator to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War II, awarded posthumously for his heroism in the defense of Wake Island on Dec. 11, 1941.

Below: Sailors assigned to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) pose for a photo in front of the ship before her decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk. Elrod is being decommissioned after 30 years of naval service.

By Ensign Mary C. Senoyuit USS Elrod Public Affairs

NORFOLK

Placed into commission nearly 30 years ago, the guided-missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) was decommissioned during a Naval Station Norfolk ceremony, Jan. 30, led by Cmdr. Brad Stallings, commanding officer.

Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Raymond Descheneaux, delivered remarks as the guest speaker while Capt. John Wade, Destroyer Squadron 28 Commodore, presided over the event. Three members of namesake Maj. Henry T. Elrod’s family were also in attendance: William, Kelly, and Mark Elrod.

“I’m proud of this ship and its legacy of service, especially her performance in the last year of her life,” said Stallings. “It’s a somber occasion to decommission her, but an honor to be part of her final crew.”

Elrod last deployed in 2014, to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to advance national security interests in Europe and Africa, conduct maritime and theater security operations and participate in partner-building exercises.

The ship and her crew patrolled the Central Mediterranean in support of Operation Active Endeavor, provided support for the safe passage of M/V Morning Glory, and assisted USS Bataan (LHD 5)

in the rescue of 282 persons in distress.

“Up until her last day, ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ and her crew accomplished the mission and did so with pride,” said Command Senior Chief Nathaniel Griffin.

“That sort of consistent performance is generally not seen on a 30 year-old ship. Frigate Sailors set the standard by working hard and making things work when the odds are against them. I’m not speaking alone when I say I’m proud to have served on Elrod.”

The ship was christened and launched on May 12, 1984 in Bath, Maine, the 45th Oliver Hazard Perry-Class frigate.

Elrod was commissioned on May 18, 1985 and originally homeported in Charleston, S.C. before shifting to Norfolk in 1995. The ship completed five deployments to the Persian Gulf, the third one following Operation Desert Storm.

In the 1990’s, Elrod participated in numerous exercises with NATO allies and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2004, the crew conducted maritime interdiction operations as part of Operation Active Endeavor. Elrod deployed again in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Her 2012 Caribbean deployment resulted in the confiscation of record amounts of illegal narcotics. Her final deployment was in 2014, and it took her back to the Mediterranean to conduct Maritime Security Operations with the MQ-8B Fire Scout.

The ship is slated to be offered in foreign military sales. Her decommissioning leaves six active frigates in the Navy, the last of which is scheduled to be decommissioned this fall.

Sailors assigned to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) present the commanding officer with the ensign during the ship’s decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk.

Up until her last day, ‘Hammerin’ Hank’ and her crew accomplished the mission and did so with pride.

That sort of consistent performance is generally not seen on a 30 year-old ship.” -Command Senior Chief Nathaniel Griffin

Brig. Gen. Raymond Descheneaux salutes the side boys during the arrival of the official party at a decommissioning ceremony for the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) at Naval Station Norfolk.

FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | A7

TATTOO

Robert W. Cross, Virginia Arts Festival, Perry Artistic director, delivers remarks during the 2015 Virginia International Tattoo press conference.

| 2015

theme: Tribute to Military Families Continued from front reach events in which performers go into area schools to provide a more intimate experience for students.

Also returning to the Tattoo this year is Hullabaloo, an Edinburgh Festival inspired event, a free festive celebration on Scope Plaza three hours prior to each performance.

“I always think it’s nice when someone’s had a great time at the hullabaloo,” said Jackson. “They sit in their seat for the Tattoo, and they’ve already had a good time and it makes our job a lot easier.”

In keeping with this year’s theme “A Tribute to Military Families,” the guest speaker for the event was Mike Gooding, an award winning military reporter for WVEC-TV since 1985, who has traveled the world reporting on military affairs, has visited 19 countries and has reported from war zones.

“This is going to be the 19th Tattoo, and I’m pretty sure I have attended about 15 of them, and multiple times during those 15, as

SOY

MCC Molly A. Burgess

an emcee, as a television news photographer and as a spectator sitting in the audience with my children from the time they were younger,” said Gooding, “and while working for channel 13 covering the military has been my pleasure – my honor, for many years, I’m here to talk about the other side as a former Navy brat.”

Gooding went on to speak about his childhood experiences and growing up with his late father, who he spoke in detail on his service during two tours in Vietnam as a Navy pilot and earning a Silver Star medal for actions during war.

| Johnson native of Portsmouth

Continued from front Johnson was among three finalists who went before the SOY board conducted by a panel of senior enlisted leaders. Each Sailor’s service record was scrutinized carefully, evaluating the Sailor on educational accomplishments, physical fitness standards, academic test scores and participation in civic and community activities.

The other two candidates who competed for the award were Electronics Technician 1st Class Tracy Rico (SW), NAVSTA Everett, Washington, and Master-at-Arms 1st Class Christie Kunkel (SW), Naval Support Activities Naples, Italy. “Having the chance to talk to these three humble individuals, who put their Sailors first, who put their jobs first, made me reflect back a little bit on my first days in the Navy,” said Vice Adm. Dixon R. Smith, Commander, Navy Installations Command. “It’s our petty officers who get the job

done. These three individuals, every one of us can be proud of them.”

Force Master Chief Nancy Hollingsworth, assigned to CNIC, added, “It wasn’t hard to convince them that no matter what the outcome of the board, they are all already winners,” she said. Recognizing the nominee’s leadership who attended the ceremony with them, “I had both their installation and region master chiefs here today and I think it’s been important for the Sailors to look out into the audience and not just see their Navy family, but faces they recognize and those who support them back home.”

A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, Johnson has served in the Navy for more than 14 years.

He began his career by attending Air Traffic Control “A” school in Pensacola, Florida; followed by assignments at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia; Carrier Air Traffic Control Center “C” school in Pensacola, Florida; the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.

Countries participating in the 2015 Tattoo will include Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

At the conclusion of the event, six-time world champion bagpiper and Tattoo Pipe Major Andrew Carlisle, played a solo as photos of military families scrolled through an overhead screen.

“Many of the people here today were generous enough to provide us with photos of their military family, to remind us just how personal it is for us to be here,” Jackson said. “During the Tattoo this year, we will be inviting all of our audience to participate in the same way and we look forward to celebrating our military families together.”

Eisenhower (CVN 69); and Naval Air Technical Training Center Pensacola, Florida.

As the leading petty officer for his division at NAVSTA Norfolk, Johnson leads 56 Sailors. As a qualified facility watch supervisor (FWS), he and his team produced seven FWS and earned qualifications in 256 positions.

Among the 93 petty officers in command, Johnson is ranked number one.

“I wouldn’t be here without the people who have been there for me,” said Johnson, “especially my junior Sailors. There aren’t many words I can use to describe this feeling right now...it feels good that hard work pays off.”

Johnson has served as the leading petty officer and Radar chief at the Naval Station in Norfolk, and has completed his associate’s degree from Coastline Community College in supervision and management as well as his Professional Military Education requirements.

Johnson will now compete for the Navy Shore Activities SOY competition next month where he’ll compete against 30 other shore activity Sailor nominees.

MASCOT

|

Midnight to deploy with Kearsarge Continued from front “I took him (Midnight) to dental, medical, made sure he was up-todate on his vaccines and that his sea bag was ready to go,” said Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Rachel M. Finks, Midnight’s “handler” for the first half of his deployment.

Deploying with the school’s mascot is one of many ongoing community relations programs between the squadron and the school, said Cmdr. William C. Bushman, commanding officer of TACRON 21.

“We’ve worked with Point O’View for many years,” Bushman said. “The Sailors participate in a weekly reading program, and they also do a ‘lunch buddies’ program where they have lunch with the same kids every week.”

After the presentation, Bushman held a “Q & A” session with the children, fielding earnest questions regarding job descriptions (“Are you a police man?”) and tactical operations (“Who drives the boat?”).

As part of the ceremony, Bushman promoted Midnight to master chief petty officer and awarded him the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal.

Midnight is slated to join the crew of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) on their scheduled 2015 deployment.

MCSN Deven Leigh Ellis Commander William C. Bushman, commander of TACRON 21, pins Midnight, Point O’View Elementary School’s mascot, as a master chief.

fromFFSC

Navy Gold Star Program supports loved ones of fallen troops

By Melissa Black FFSC Norfolk Navy Gold Star Coordinator

The Department of Navy launched the Navy Gold Star (NGS) Program on 1 October 2014 to offer support and assistance to loved ones of deceased service members. NGS is an inclusive program – regardless of military branch, location, or manner of death.

The Navy currently has six Regional Gold Star Coordinators and 12 Installation Gold Star Coordinators throughout CONUS. NGS coordinators provide dedicated long-term casualty assistance support to surviving members for

AWARDS

as long as desired. They facilitate support groups, coordinate life skills education opportunities, and connect survivors with a variety of resources and to other survivors. The Coordinators use an all-inclusive approach by delivering services through a combination of both government and non-government programs and organizations.

Melissa Black (FFSC Norfolk) and Samantha Blackwell (FFSC Oceana) are the Installation Navy Gold Star Coordinators in the Hampton Roads area. Upcoming events and activities will be marketed through The Flagship,

■ Turn to pages A4 and B2 to see more from FFSC. FFSC Hampton Roads Facebook page, and direct correspondence. Melissa Black can be reached at 444-2102 and Samantha Blackwell can be reached at 492-8282. Feel free to contact the coordinators with any questions.

To locate a Navy Gold Star Coordinator outside of the Hampton Roads area, please visit www.navygoldstar.com.

The Navy Gold Star Facebook page is ww.facebook. com/navygoldstar.

One cowhide can produce 10 footballs.

| Nominate a deserving

military spouse; deadline March 29 Continued from front Visit www.heroesathomeva.com for details and to submit a nomination.

The nomination deadline is Sunday, March 29, at midnight.

While the active duty service member is rewarded for superior job performance with medals, promotions and ceremonies, the military spouse generally only receives a kiss and a “thank you” from their significant other.

That changed when The Flagship Newspaper launched Heroes at Home Military Spouse Awards™.

Since 2005, The Heroes at Home program has honored thousands of local military spouses. They are unsung

heroes who maintain the home-front during lengthy deployments, selflessly give back to their communities though volunteer work, provide moral support for their loved serving both at home and in harm’s way as well as for other military families.

These spouses deserve recognition for everything they do behind the scenes and for the challenges they overcome every day.

This May, the Hampton Roads community will come together to recognize spouses of service members from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps. The Military Spouse Awards give the military and civilian communities an opportunity to say “thank you” and to recognize our military

spouses for their ongoing efforts and their impact on the local community. This recognition program was the first of its kind and is still the only regional event in the country that honors military spouses from all branches of the Armed Services.

A judging panel consisting of members of the Hampton Roads business and military community will review the nominations and select 10 finalists, one of whom will be named the 2014 Heroes at Home Military Spouse of the Year. ALL NOMINEES will be honored at the Heroes at Home Spouse Appreciation and Awards Luncheon on May 7. The finalists and the Heroes at Home Military Spouse of the Year will be announced at this luncheon.

Learn even more at National University.

Service members are eligible for reduced tuition. Online. Non-profit.

Don’t think you have time to learn something new?

You just did.

Online Information Center 337 Potomac Ave. in Quantico Town (703) 630-3800

Keep learning at nu.edu/quantico © 2015 National University OIC14_1878-2

A8 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM

DOD launches child care website As military families move frequently and face a host of concerns, finding child care can be one of the greatest challenges, Barbara Thompson, director of military community and policy’s office of family policy/children and youth/ special needs, said. » see B2

S E C T I O N B | F L AG S H I P N E W S . C O M | 0 2 . 0 5 . 15

NAVSEA employees return to Navy Yard home

U.S., KOREAN PARTNERSHIP

By Brian Leshak NAVSEA Public Affairs

WASHINGTON

U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy Cmdr. Joseph A. Torres Jr., commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89), is greeted by the daughter of a Republic of Korea sailor as the ship arrives in Busan for a port visit.

Mustin, John S. McCain Sailors strengthen partnerships in Korea through bilateral training, port visit

By MCC Wendy Wyman Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea Public Affairs

BUSAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Sailors from the Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyers USS Mustin (DDG 89) and USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) strengthened partnerships with the Republic of Korea navy during a port visit to Busan, Jan. 29 - Feb. 2.

During the port visit, crew members plan to conduct warfighting skills engagements and

Lt. j.g. Alexander Perrien U.S. Navy Sailors and American and Romanian contractors construct a U.S. Aegis Ashore missile defense system at Naval Support Faculty Deveselu, Romania.

exchanges with their ROK Navy counterparts and visit local sites in the Busan community.

“This opportunity for bilateral engagement allows us to foster existing friendships while emphasizing shared tactics and technology between the U.S. and ROK navies,” said Lt. Richard Ray, operations officer aboard USS John S. McCain.

The ships just concluded a series of bilateral training exercises with the ROK navy in international waters east and west of the

By Lt. j.g. Alexander Perrien Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Public Affairs

By Amaani Lyle

MCC Julianne F. Metzger Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert, center left, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

WASHINGTON

Presence remains the mandate of the Navy and the service must operate forward “when and where it matters,” the chief naval officer testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jan. 29.

However, sequestration in 2013 not only whittled the Navy’s contingency response force to one third, but forced reductions in afloat and ashore operations, generated ship and aircraft maintenance backlogs, and compelled the Navy

DEVESELU, ROMANIA

» see TIES | B7

to extend unit deployments, Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert said.

“Sequestration resulted in a $9 billion shortfall in 2013, below our budget submission ... degraded fleet readiness and created consequences from which we are still recovering,” the admiral said.

» see CNO | B7

SECNAV completes visit to Paraguay Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs

Since the ground breaking of Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu, the daily interaction between Romanian and U.S. contractors, and military personnel has provided a platform for multi-cultural exchange and understanding.

» see KOREA | B7

CNO Greenert explains value of presence, danger of cuts DOD News, Defense Media Activity

A new base leads to deeper U.S. ties in Romania

Korean peninsula. The routine exercises focused on reinforcing teamwork and interoperability between the U.S. and ROK navies while giving Sailors the opportunity to sharpen their tactical skills. The exercises covered a full spectrum of scenarios including antisubmarine warfare training, communication drills, ship maneuvers, and naval liaison officer exchanges.

PARAGUAY

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus completed a visit to Paraguay Jan. 29, during which he met with Republic of Paraguay President Horacio Cartes to discuss the relationship between the Department of the Navy and

Paraguay’s military.

“We look forward to future opportunities for our forces to work together to strengthen our relations, build interoperability and increase regional security,” said Mabus.

Mabus also met with Paraguay’s Minister of Defense Bernadino Soto to explore possible opportunities to increase

the partnership between the U.S. military and Paraguay and to discuss security cooperation issues.

“We appreciate and value our militaries’ work together and hope to solidify the strength of our partnership in the future,” Mabus said.

» see SECNAV | B7

Forty-three million seconds, 725,000 minutes, 12,000 hours, 504 days, 72 weeks or one year, four months and 17 days. However the time is interpreted, it is a long time to be away from home, but that is how long employees from the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) have spent away from theirs, since the tragic shootings of Sept. 16, 2013 at the Washington Navy Yard (WNY).

NAVSEA Commander Vice Adm. William Hilarides officially opened the doors to the command’s newly renovated workplace during a christening ceremony held Feb. 2, on the steps of the Humphreys Building, Bldg. 197.

“Seventeen months ago we got knocked down. But, we didn’t stay down. We returned to work, kept NAVSEA going, supported the fleet, the Navy and each other,” said Hilarides during the christening ceremony.

“We did so thanks to numerous people both at the Navy Yard and in the neighborhood. Though today is about looking forward and getting back to where we belong, we’ll never forget those we lost that terrible day. They will always remain a part of us, the Navy, and NAVSEA.” Following Sept. 16, employees were displaced across the Washington D.C. metro area as authorities conducted a multimonth investigation inside Building 197. A decision was quickly made to renovate the building upon conclusion of the investigation, but it would be more than a year before the workforce could return.

With employees working in borrowed workspaces in neighboring commands or teleworking from home, NAVSEA leadership worked feverishly to find a way to bring the workforce back together under one roof until the Humphreys Building could be repaired and renovated.

Coincidentally, just a few blocks away, at Buzzard Point in Southwest Washington, D.C., members of the U.S. Coast Guard were vacating their headquarters building and moving to a new location.

NAVSEA leadership worked with the General Services Administration to put together an occupancy agreement allowing NAVSEA to temporarily move into the building. The 850,000square foot building, dubbed by employees as “NAVSEA West,” would serve as a temporary workplace for nearly 2,800 employees until renovations were completed. “The building really fell into our laps and it could not have come at a better time,” said Hilarides.

» see WNY | B7 ■ 17 months later The event marks the first time employees are returning to work in the building nearly 17 months since the tragic events of Sept. 16, 2013.

B2 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM

HeroesatHome The Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | B2

DOD launches child care website to ease moving transitions

By Terri Moon Cronk DOD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON

As military families move frequently and face a host of concerns, finding child care can be one of the greatest challenges, Barbara Thompson, director of military community and policy’s office of family policy/children and youth/ special needs, said.

To streamline and standardize what can be a daunting search, the Defense Department unveiled MilitaryChildCare.com, an online resource to help military, DOD civilian and contractor families find an array of military-operated and military-subsidized child care options for children between the ages of 4 weeks and 12 years, Thompson said.

Child Care Affects the Force “Child care is a workforce issue that impacts the readiness and retention of the force,” Thompson said. “As families relocate to other areas, it’s really challenging to make sure your child care needs are being met, and this tool gives parents an opportunity in advance

to find those child care spots that will work for the family.”

MilitaryChildCare.com is a “single gateway” for families to enter as they request child care, she noted.

Of the 200,000 children DOD serves in child care, more than 50 percent are younger than age 3, Thompson said.

“It’s very difficult to find infant and toddler care in the civilian community,” she said. “[DOD has] young families with young children and we really feel that we’re providing a high-quality environment for those babies and toddlers [with the website].”

Families can customize their search, put their children on waiting lists and monitor requests for placement, Thompson said.

“The idea is that you have choices, and you see the array pictorially of what’s available at those locations,” she noted.

A help desk online and at (855) 696-2934, toll-free, is also available to help personalize families’ searches, she added.

Pilot Program Expanding The website initiative used

Know your resources with your local FFSC Courtesy photo MilitaryChildCare.com is a “single gateway” for families to request child care.

focus groups comprising child care staff and parents, with a goal of making the website functional and intuitive to make sure families can easily navigate the system, Thompson said.

A pilot program was also conducted in the study at numerous installations over the past 18 months at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for the Air Force, Hawaii for the Army, Hawaii and San Diego for the Marine Corps, and Hawaii, San Diego, Key West, Bahrain, Meridian and Singapore for the Navy, she said.

Recently, 13 more installations were added to the website in addition to the pilots.

They are Naval Air Facility El Centro, California; Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada; Naval Air

Station Joint Readiness Base Fort Worth, Texas; Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas; Naval Air Station Joint Readiness Base, New Orleans, Louisiana; Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California; Naval Air Station Lemoore, California; Naval Support Activity Monterey, California; Naval Base Ventura County, California; Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; Naval Station Everett, Washington; Naval Base Kitsap, Washington; and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.

The child care website is expected to be fully functional worldwide in September 2016, Thompson said, adding that it will remain a work in progress as it takes in feedback from parents for improvements.

Flagshipexclusive

Why didn’t you tell me – All FRGs are not alike!

By Sara Jane Arnett Military Spouse Contributor

MCC Molly A. Burgess The 2013 Heroes at Home Military Spouse of the Year, Christina Lara at The Founders Inn in Virginia Beach, May 9, 2013.

NOMINATE A SPOUSE FOR HEROES AT HOME AWARD The Flagship Newspaper, Military Newspapers of Virginia and our presenting sponsor, USA Living, are pleased to announce that The 2015 Heroes at Home Military Spouse Awards nomination period is now open.

In its 11th year, this program recognizes deserving active duty military spouses from all branches for their strength, their many sacrifices and their service to our community.

Nominations are accepted from active duty personnel and the general public.

Visit www.heroesathomeva.com for details and to submit a nomination.

The nomination deadline is Sunday, March 29 at midnight.

» see FRONT PAGE

I don’t get it. It always frustrates me when I hear the infamous words from new families joining our unit: “I would get involved with the FRG, but I had a bad experience in the one we just came from...”

I just don’t get it. I doubt I am the only one that has ever heard this (excuse or reason) not to serve or contribute as a Spouse. Because with every PCS, one of my main goals is to seek out and get involved with our new FRG (Family Readiness Group)!

I guess this is because my very first experience with an FRG was positive.

Our first duty station took us an ocean away from family and friends in Kaiserslautern, Germany. My husband’s battalion commander encouraged the importance of the FRG to service members and their families. His leadership philosophy proved that FRGs contribute to bridged gaps in communication and strengthened relationships among families.

It didn’t hurt that the commander and his beautiful wife made a great military duo. Bev served as FRG leader and set the standard high about what to expect from an FRG and FRG leader. A week before my husband deployed, we received the news we were expecting our first child! This came as quite a shock especially since we were told we would not be able to conceive…however, our FRG leader was the first to show empathy and compassion to our situation and even accompanied me to my first ultrasound appointment! I no longer felt alienated from family living stateside because I belonged to a bigger military family OCONUS.

Visit The Flagship’s online calendar

Likewise, both my husband and I see the value in having a solid, selfsustaining, and drama-free FRG as these organizations have the potential to carry the entire mission (i.e. positive service members coupled with an increase in family morale equals healthy work and home environments).

Since I love to write, I have served as newsletter editor in every unit we have been attached to for the past eight years among other vacant FRG positions that needed to be filled, but the most rewarding job was FRG leader as this was my chance to step up to the plate alongside my husband during his time in that unit. I feel that direct communication should be laid out at the inaugural FRG meeting providing clear-cut expectations and goals from the leadership that way interpretation does not rule the roost!

I urge the unwilling not to focus on a past negative experience, but to take a chance – get involved and give back. I believe that our military families carry the brunt of the daily, notso-glamorous work on their backs, but feel it out and let the FRGs carry out their mission to lighten your load.

Take a breath and realize what the FRG was designed to do: provide guidance and assistance to families, not host gossip groups. Sort through your personal hang-ups and get to work – step up and fill a need in your FRG…you just might make a lifelong friend and find inspiration to do more!

Sara Jane Arnett is an active Army spouse, mother of three boys and military children’s author of “My Daddy’s a Soldier.” In 2011, she was selected as the “Heroes At Home” Military Spouse of the Year and also received the Military Police Corps “Order of the Vivandiere” award.

Mid-Atlantic Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSC) programs and services are designed to help you make the most of your military experience... and they're all available to you at no cost.

Functions and/or services FFSC provides: ■ Clinical Counseling(Individual, Couples, and Child Counseling ) ■ Personal Financial Management ■ Information & Referral ■ Family Employment Assistance ■ Transition Assistance ■ Family Advocacy Program ■ Deployment and Mobilization Support ■ Ombudsman Support ■ Relocation Assistance ■ Parenting Programs ■ Stress and Anger Management ■ Command Support ■ Crisis Support ■ Suicide Prevention ■ Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Support

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FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | B3

USNA CLASS OF 2015 CHOOSE FIRST SHIPS

By MC3 Nathan Wilkes U.S. Naval Academy Public Affairs

ANNAPOLIS, MD.

Two hundred and forty-three U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) midshipmen selected the ships that they will serve on after graduation and commissioning during Ship Selection Night in Mahan Hall, Jan. 29.

Ship Selection is the culmination of the service assignment process for Naval Academy midshipmen assigned to serve as Navy Surface Warfare Officers. Upon reporting to their first ship after graduation, they will be in charge of any number of shipboard operations and activities while at sea.

Vice Adm. Thomas S. Rowden, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, and 1982 graduate of USNA, welcomed the future surface warfare officers to the community and offered his insight into the future of the Navy and what the class can expect to experience in the fleet.

“There is a world of opportunity out there,” said Rowden.

“In the very near future all of you will be walking across that brow for the very first time, reporting to your ships, and leading the finest men and women that our country has to offer. The energy that I feel in this room tonight leaves me monumentally hopeful, not only for our Navy, but for our nation.”

Midshipmen prepared to choose their ships according to their order of merit, which takes into account their academic performance, physical fitness and professionalism throughout their four years at the Naval Academy.

Midshipman 1st Class Kyle Cregge, an Alpharetta, Georgia native, chose the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Cregge is an English major and an offensive guard for the Midshipmen football team.

“There were a lot of great options up on the board,” said Cregge. “I feel that my classmates and I are going to be fine no matter where we go. We are a really great class and I’m looking forward to hitting the fleet and serving my country.”

After selecting a ship, each midshipman was greeted

by Capt. Bill Byrne, Commandant of Midshipman, senior leaders from around the fleet, ship commanding officers, executive officers and command master chiefs. The lead-

Above: Rear Adm. Cynthia M. Thebaud, Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, presents her Surface Warfare Officer pin to U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman 1st Class Lily Van Steenberg during Ship Selection Night in Mahan Hall.

Left: Vice Adm. Thomas S. Rowden, Commander of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, presents his Surface Warfare Officer pin to U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman 1st Class Michael Lemonick.

Photos by MC3 Nathan Wilkes

ers offered warm welcomes, advice, and words of encouragement to the future ensigns.

Ship Selection Night was especially exciting for Midshipman 1st Class Adrianna Ayala. Born in El Salvador, Ayala moved to the U.S. when she was seven and wanted to enlist in the Navy to avoid gang related violence. One of her high school teachers, a USNA grad and surface warfare officer, persuaded her to apply to USNA instead.

“This moment has been a long time coming so I’m still a little nervous, but so excited,” said Ayala. “After choosing the guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), I

had the opportunity to meet the commanding officer and the CMC, which was great. I can’t wait to call my family and share the excitement with them.”

Midshipman 1st Class Kevin Lee, from Gainesville, Virginia, chose the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) out of Yokosuka, Japan.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to be stationed in Japan and am anxious to make the most of my first tour, said Lee. “I’m happy that my parents were here tonight to celebrate this opportunity with me and I’m ready to hit the ground running on my first assignment.”

B4 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM

New study will help researchers change face of military training

By Eric Beidel Office of Naval Research Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, VA.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently launched a study that could lead to breakthroughs in creating the next-generation of avatars, robots and other human surrogates for military training.

The study is being carried out at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where a human surrogate will greet and interact with people passing through the lobby of the university’s Institute for Simulation and Training. The human surrogate will be controlled by a human operator in another location.

The “lobby greeter” study at UCF will last for several weeks. When it is over, researchers will use what they have learned to demonstrate the use of surrogates in more complex situations that require a greater amount of interaction.

The experiment is part of ONR’s Human Surrogate Interaction program, a three-year investigation into how humans interact with virtual (avatars), physical (animatronics), and other types of surrogates.

Findings will help officials determine how best to use these surrogates in military training systems, such as the Infantry Immersion Trainer, a former tomato-packing

plant that ONR and the Marine Corps transformed into a state-ofthe-art urban training facility at Camp Pendleton, California.

The program underscores the commitment of the Marine Corps to training and education as described in the service’s Science and Technology Strategic Plan. Training and education also are at the heart of research to enhance warfighter performance, one of ONR’s key technology focus areas.

“Marine Corps training concepts continue to merge virtual and live components to create the most realistic, effective and affordable training for Marines,” said Dr. Peter Squire, ONR program officer. “The way people react to and interact with the different surrogates in this study is crucial to understanding how we can improve our military training systems.”

As part of this research ONR is supporting the development of a system called AMITIES (Avatar Mediated Interactive Training and Individualized Experience System) a framework that enables actors to “inhabit” and control various types of surrogates. A combination of voice modulation, artificial intelligence, network protocols and human control opens up a world of training possibilities, researchers say.

Marine Corps training concepts continue to merge virtual and live components to create the most realistic, effective and affordable training for Marines.”

-Dr. Peter Squire, ONR program officer

With AMITIES, multiple surrogates can be controlled by a single human using a specialized handheld user interface and head-tracking software. The human controller can be anywhere, and can rapidly switch between characters and training sites as needed.

The technology helps reduce the cost and logistics burden of finding and hiring human actors to fill each individual role in training scenarios.

“If human role players are not available because of cost or other reasons, this research will help us understand the type of surrogate to replace them with so that the level of training is not diminished,” Squire said.

One example of a human surrogate is a humanoid robot. These types of surrogates can change facial appearance and behavior to represent people of different races, genders and personalities.

During a recent demonstration, an actor used a robot with AMITIES to play the part of a local villager in Afghanistan seeking compensation for goats that had been killed.

ONR’s technology has also been demonstrated in Sexual Assault Prevention and Response training scenarios, with a virtual surrogate taking on the characteristics of a

Office of Naval Research has launched a study using human surrogates.

The study is being carried out at Universal of Central Florida and is part of a three year investigation into how humans interact with virtual, physical and other types of surrogates.

Courtesy of Universal of Central Florida

victim or aggressor.

Experts will be on hand to discuss a range of ONR training technologies at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4-5.

The EXPO is the Navy’s premier event to share information, discuss research opportunities and build science and technology partner-

ships between the Navy and Marine Corps, industry and academia. Formerly titled the Science and Technology Partnership Conference, the biennial event draws thousands of attendees from around the world.

For more information about the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO and to register, visit http://bit.ly/1tFXmkR.

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FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | B5 Information Systems Technician 1st Class Kyle Gosser, an instructor at the Center for Information Dominance Unit Corry Station, mentors a local high school student participating in the inaugural Cyberthon competition Jan. 23-25.

GAME ON Virtual trainer takes serious approach to electronic warfare Office of Naval Research Public Affairs ARLINGTON, VA.

Ed Barker

CID Sailors help inspire next generation of information warriors

By Ed Barker Naval Education and Training Command Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, FLA.

Center for Information Dominance (CID) Sailors mentored local high school students in the inaugural Cyberthon competition, Jan. 23-25, at the National Flight Academy onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.

Hosted by the Blue Angels Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications Association (AFCEA), agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, businesses and organizations joined forces in a competition designed to test the students on their abilities to use computer skills they learned in their classrooms to defend and defeat cyberattacks on websites.

Greg Touhill, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Department of Homeland Security Office of Cybersecurity Operations and Programs, said the goal of the competition is to leverage classes in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and energize the next generation of information warriors.

“Cyberthon is designed to put steam into STEM, and inspire these high school students to further develop their skills in information technology,” said Touhill. “The competition also helps develop teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and communications skills; all things they can use as they continue their education and move into the workforce.”

Sailors from the CID Unit

at Corry Station volunteered to assist the Cyberthon Blue Teams (good guys) with defeating the Red Team (bad guys) attacks on the Blue Teams’ websites.

“Mentoring the Cyberthon kids was a great experience for both us and the students,” said Information Systems Technician (IT) 1st Class (SW) Carlos Garcia, IT ‘A’ School instructor at CIDU Corry Station. “These kids are the future of information warfare, and they were surprised to find out that the Navy is a significant player in the world of information dominance.”

Randy Ramos, president of the local AFCEA chapter, was one of the main organizers for the event.

“We gathered a team of information technology experts to support the competition as Red Team members, and also as mentors for the students,” said Ramos. “The volunteers from CID were invaluable in helping keep the competition going. It’s also great to show the kids that there are a lot of future cybersecurity and IT job opportunities – ranging from businesses and education to the Department of Defense.”

Angelo Mayorga, a Pine Forest High School freshman, said the competition helped him understand the broad range of talents and

coordination needed to run an effective cybersecurity program.

“Before coming to Cyberthon, I thought it took only one person to combat a hacker intrusion,” said Mayorga. “Now I know that it takes a team to monitor your website and defeat the attacks. I’m starting to think seriously about going to college to study computer technology and hopefully get a job in the field.”

Capt. Maureen Fox, commanding officer of CID, commended her Sailors for volunteering their weekend time to help with the competition.

“It’s great to not only partner with the community for such a significant learning event, but at the same time be able to share our professional expertise with the Cyberthon participants,” said Fox. “To see these kids totally immersed in core STEM activities with mentorship from CID Sailors is very gratifying.”

At the ceremony concluding the competition, the two Blue Teams were commended for successfully defending the weekend’s constant barrage of cyber-attacks from the Red Team’s industry professionals. All student participants in the competition were declared cyber warriors, received recognition certificates and Cyberthon challenge coins.

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Missiles are launched at a Navy ship, and Sailors must decide in a matter of seconds how to keep from getting hit. A serious game sponsored by the Office of Naval Research is receiving accolades for preparing Sailors for exactly this scenario.

Strike Group Defender: The Missile Matrix prepares Sailors for exactly this scenario, and was named “Best Government-Developed Serious Game” in the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge at the simulation and training industry’s premier event last month: the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Florida.

Strike Group Defender is a virtual “demo space” developed as part of the Office of Naval Research Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Future Naval Capabilities (FNC) portfolio managed by PMR-51.

It exposes Navy planners, tacticians and operators to different missiles and the best ways to counter them, either through electronic means (soft kill) or with traditional firepower (hard kill). It is the Navy’s first multiplayer, game-based training program to test and evaluate personnel in surface electronic warfare.

“Strike Group Defender is an affordable, realistic way for personnel to understand and emulate the capabilities being developed in the IAMD FNC’s and learn how those improvements enhance the means to respond to threats Navy ships face around the world,” said Scott Orosz, ONR program manager. “But beyond that application, this technology will allow Sailors and Marines to plan, experiment and train whenever they want, whether they are at sea or in a classroom.”

More than ever, Navy and Marine Corps leaders are treating the electromagnetic spectrum like a true battle domain, as important as land, sea, air and space. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert’s Navigation Plan spe-

cifically calls for improving the ability of forces to detect and defeat adversary radars and anti-ship missiles-tasks at the heart of Strike Group Defender.

ONR worked with MIT Lincoln Laboratory and serious games experts Metateq and PipeWorks Studios to develop the game and has received assistance from the Naval Postgraduate School and ONR’s own TechSolutions Program, among others.

“While the current content focuses on anti-ship missile defense tactics and training, the larger value of Strike Group Defender is an underlying ‘ecosystem’ of technologies that we have not yet seen in the Navy,” said Perry McDowell, research associate at the Naval Postgraduate School.

This includes a powerful combination of analytics, crowdsourcing, social media and cloud technology that are attractive to the current generation of Sailors and Marines. This allows for easy collaboration across the Navy and for an even more engaging playing experience.

That experience may begin with a screen depicting incoming threats. In one example, a warning states a missile is 20 seconds from impact.

The “missile matrix” gives users a rundown of different missiles, their locations and how best to defeat them. It then gives specific recommendations, such as using decoy flares to distract an infrared-tracking missile that is not succeptible to radar jamming.

At the end of a session, the game shows them the missiles they hit and the ones they missed.

The game already has received high marks in tests, with nearly 30 units aboard ships. The Naval Postgraduate School and MIT are now studying players’ analytic data to make improvements.

Meanwhile, various U.S. Navy fleets and commands are continuting to test and evaluate Strike Group Defender.

Experts will be on hand to discuss a range of ONR training technologies at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4-5.

The EXPO is the Navy’s premier event to share information, discuss research opportunities and build science and technology partnerships between the Navy and Marine Corps, industry and academia.

For information on the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO or to register, visit: www.onr.navy.mil/expo.

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B6 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM Kam Chancellor, a defensive back for the National Football League’s defending champion Seattle Seahawks, talks to members of the media during Super Bowl Week in Glendale, Ariz., Jan. 26.

E F I L Y ENJO

Chancellor gave a shoutout to U.S. troops serving abroad who may watch the NFL’s championship game.

DOD photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

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The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, the two teams that were preparing to square off Feb. 1 in Super Bowl XLIX, shared their appreciation for U.S. service members serving overseas during media availabilities Jan. 27.

Pete Carroll, head coach of the defending champion Seahawks, assured troops the team understands the sacrifice they are making.

“We want to make sure that you understand that the Seahawks know the work that you’re doing,” he said. “We just want to be more like you guys – we herald the work that you do and the attitude that you bring. I know that the Super Bowl is really exciting to watch. It’s extremely exciting for us too, but if we could be a little bit more like you guys, we have a chance to win this thing.”

Carroll promised his team’s best effort.

“So enjoy the heck out of it, and we’ll be thinking about you, and I hope you guys really enjoy the game,” he said.

Several players from both Super Bowl teams also joined in expressing their appreciation.

Kam Chancellor, a strong safety for the defending champs, offered not only his thanks, but also the gratitude of the team’s fans, who have a moniker that reflects their contribution to the efforts of the 11 Se-

ahawks who are on the field at any given time.

“All the love from the Seahawks, [and] from the [12th man],” he said. “Kam Chancellor right here, man, wishing you the best.”

K.J. Wright, a Seahawks linebacker, said the team plans to “come out there Sunday and put on a good performance for you guys. Stay safe out there.”

His teammate, defensive end Cliff Avril, offered a “big” shoutout on behalf of the team and said the Seahawks hope to put on a show for the troops during the Super Bowl in appreciation of everything they do.

Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty also said his team hopes to put on a good show and thanked service members for everything they do. Matthew Slater, a wide receiver and special teams player for the American Football Conference champions, shared his gratitude for being able to play football for a living.

“Just want to give you guys a big hello,” he said. “And [we] appreciate all that you do for us, allowing us the freedom to play this great game of football that we love so much. You guys are the real heroes; we tip our hats to you. God bless you guys, and stay safe over there.”

Vince Wilfork, a Patriots defensive tackle, said U.S. troops are the “true patriots.”

“Thank you for everything you guys do for us,” he said. “You guys are the true patriots. You are everything we want [to be], so thank you for all the service you guys provide for us.”

FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | B7 Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus receives honors from members of the Republic of Paraguay armed forces.

SECNAV

| Mabus

visits Sailors in Paraguay

Mabus is in the region to meet with Sailors, Marines, and civilian and military officials to discuss the ongoing partnership and cooperation between the U.S. and Paraguay armed forces

Continued from B1 During the stop, Mabus also met with Marines assigned to protect the U.S. Embassy in Paraguay and lay a wreath at the Pantheon of the Heroes, honoring those lost in war.

Mabus’ stop in Paraguay is part of a multi-nation visit to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility focused on reinforcing existing partnerships and visiting Sailors and Marines forward deployed.

For more news from the Secretary of the Navy, visit www.navy.mil/local/secnav or visit www.facebook.com/ SecretaryoftheNavy.

MCC Sam Shavers

CNO | Greenert: Navy’s fleet readiness

may not recover from blacklogs until 2018 [to] those missions requiring us to deter and defeat aggression and ... project power Long deployments Greenert also described despite an anti-access, areacarrier strike groups, am- denial challenge.” phibious-ready groups and destroyers experiencing Forward presence eight- to 10-month, or longer, provides value Still, recent events speak deployments. “This comes at a cost of our Sailors’ and to the value of forward presour families’ resiliency; it re- ence, Greenert asserts.

“When tasked in August, duces the performance of the equipment and it will reduce the George H.W. Bush Strike the service lives of our ships,” Group relocated from the Arabian Sea to the North Arahe said.

The Navy’s fleet readiness bian Gulf and was on station likely will not recover from within 30 hours, ready for the ship and aircraft mainte- combat operations in Iraq and nance backlogs until about Syria,” Greenert said.

Additionally, Navy and 2018, five years after the first round of sequestration, ac- Marine Corps strike fighters from the carrier genercording to Greenert.

“We reduced procurement ated 20-30 combat sorties of advanced weapons and per day and for 54 days repaircraft, [and] we delayed resented the only coalition upgrades to all but the most strike option to project power critical shore infrastructure,” against the Islamic State of the admiral said. “The end Iraq and the Levant, the adresult has been higher risk miral said.

Continued from B1

Scott Adam Webb Beverly Hilarides, in the time-honored tradition of Navy shipbuilders, christens the Humphreys Building, Building 197, during a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard.

WNY

| Last wave of Navy Yard

employees to return in March Continued from B1 With employees back together under one roof, the temporary move to NAVSEA West was symbolic of the workforce collectively taking their first step forward together. The year that followed would prove difficult for many, both emotionally and logistically.

“We’ve been here for a little more than a year now and we’ve obviously had our challenges, coming and going, but it’s been a good year, a year to prepare ourselves, both spiritually or emotionally to go back,” said Capt. Karin Vernazza, director, NAVSEA Total Force Management, one of the NAVSEA employees who returns to the NavyYard this week. “I believe we’re stronger and better prepared to handle the challenges ahead. Over the past year we have grown closer as a result of the incident and we are committed to our mission to get the job done. That’s what we’re all about, supporting the fleet, so now it is about going to go back to where we belong – in the Navy Yard.”

NAVSEA’s workforce will continue to transition back to the Navy Yard in the

TIES

coming weeks. The last wave of employees is scheduled to return by the end of March. While it won’t be the first time many employees have been in the building, it will have a new look and feel.

In addition to repairing the damage, building renovations were also made.

They include a new main entrance, a remembrance area and redesigned atriums.

NAVSEA’s renovation team also made a concerted effort to maintain the historical facade of the building.

Hilarides explained that among his priorities of helping to restore normalcy, he wanted to ensure the building had a new sense of space, felt safer and brighter for employees and also had a space for employees to reflect.

“The Remembrance Area inside the building is the physical manifestation of that truth. It’s also a place where those of us who were physically and emotionally affected by the 16th, can go for quiet reflection and healing,” said Hilarides.

“Getting to this day hasn’t been easy. It’s been a long road – physically, mentally and emotionally – but we’re back. Our work home is complete.”

KOREA

Greenert highlighted the USS Truxtun, which arrived in the Black Sea to establish a U.S. presence and reassure allies within a week after Russia invaded Crimea. He recounted the USS George Washington Strike Group’s dozen ships that provided disaster relief to the Philippines in the wake of super typhoon Haiyan just over a year ago.

Overall, he said, a return to sequestration further delays critical warfighting capabilities, further reduces contingency response force readiness and jeopardizes ship and submarine procurement.

“Unless naval forces are properly sized, modernized at the right pace ... ready to deploy ... and capable to respond in the numbers and at the speed required by the combatant commanders, they won’t be able to answer the call,” Greenert said.

| Mustin, John S. McCain

deployed to Japan as part of 7th Fleet Continued from B1 While in Busan, Sailors from both ships will also have the opportunity to conduct community relations engagements in the local Busan community. Fostering enduring relationships through community relations with local citizens, teambuilding activities with the ROK Navy, and regular bilateral training is part of the U.S. Navy’s contribution to sustaining a strong

alliance between the U.S. and the ROK. “Through bi-lateral training, we can improve our proficiency and integration with U.S. Navy ships,” said Cmdr.

Lee, Jong-Sik, of the Republic of Korea Fleet Headquarters in Busan. “However, it is through port visits like in Busan, that we can truly share our Korean culture and heritage as Sailors with our U.S. Navy counterparts.”

Mustin and John S. McCain are forward deployed to Yo-

kosuka, Japan as part of the U.S. 7th Fleet, which maintains an enduring presence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

As multi-mission platforms, the ships can carry out independent operations or operate in conjunction with a carrier strike group or other partner navies to conduct maritime security and stability operations across the region.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, visit www.navy.mil/ local/cnfk/.

| Base helps employment in community

Continued from B1 NSF Deveselu is part of NATO’s ballistic missile defense (BMD) system. With the Forward Deployed Naval Forces ships in Rota, NSF Deveselu will increase the level of protection for Europe and U.S. allies. The support from the Romanian government, military and locals, during the early construction phase, has left an impression on the installation’s leadership.

“Since arriving in August, I’ve been thrilled with the level of support from the Romanian government,” said Cmdr. Rod Tribble, NSF Deveselu executive officer. “Our Romanian allies have done everything in their power to make us feel welcomed. They have been great partners in every aspect of construction and support for this base.”

Many Romanians who work

on the installation come from the nearby towns of Craiova or Caracal. The installation has provided a significant number of employment opportunities to local citizens allowing the formation of new bonds between the two countries.

“I worked for Hotel Plaza in Craiova before coming to work at NSF Deveselu in May of 2014,” said NSF Deveselu Housing Manager Sorina Obrcea. “I have learned a lot about American culture and feel respected by the people I work with.”

The only struggle in the workplace is the language barrier which is overcome through the use of translators and by team members committed to excellence.

“I have an excellent staff,” said NSF Deveselu Galley Manager, Donald Douglas. “They are very dependable, hard workers, who enjoy coming to work every day.”

Sailors temporarily assigned to NSF Deveselu, have the unique opportunity to travel a part of the world that has been seen by relatively few Americans.

“I’ve been stationed overseas before, but just on deployments.

I have been to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bujara, and Jebel Ali,” said Masterat-Arms 1st Class (EXW) Billy Young. “In those places they see a lot of Americans. Here, there were virtually no Americans before this base opened.”

As NATO Allies, Romania and the U.S. have served together in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan and routinely participate in military exercises and engagements. With the eventual completion of NSF Deveselu, Americans and Romanian’s will have ample opportunity to interact and multiply the strong bonds of partnership and goodwill

Lt. j.g. Alexander Perrie U.S. Navy Sailors and American and Romanian contractors construct a U.S. Aegis Ashore missile defense system at Naval Support Faculty Deveselu, Romania.

already being created.

“When you really like what you are doing,” said Obrcea. “You never work.”

NSF Deveselu sits on about 430 acres. The site will consist of a firecontrol radar deckhouse with an associated Aegis command, control

and communications suite. Separately, it will house several launch modules containing SM-3 missiles and be manned by about 200 U.S. military personnel, government civilians and support contractors.

Construction is expected to be complete on NSF Deveselu late 2015.

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**The Mattress Firm credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. Special terms of 5 years (60 months) valid on purchases of $2998 and above, 4 years (48 months) valid on purchases of $2498 and above, 3 years (36 months) valid on purchases of $1998 and above, 2 years (24 months) valid on purchases of $1498 and above. The special terms APR will continue to apply until all qualifying purchases are paid in full. The monthly payment for this purchase will be the amount that will pay for the purchase in full in equal payments during the promotional (special terms) period. The APR for Purchases will apply to certain fees such as a late payment fee or if you use the card for other transactions. For newly opened accounts, the APR for Purchases is 27.99%. This APR may vary with the market based on the U.S. Prime Rate and is given as of 10/1/14. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. Offer valid 2/11/15-2/16/15. *LIMIT ONE COUPON PER MATTRESS SET PER ORDER. APPLIES TO ADVERTISED SET PRICE AND MUST BE PRESENTED PRIOR TO FINALIZED SALE. MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER DISCOUNT, COUPON, GROUPON OR SPECIAL OFFER, NONREFUNDABLE, MAY NOT BE USED ON PREVIOUS PURCHASES, AND HAS NO CASH VALUE. OFFERS EXPIRE 2/16/15. †††BONUS COUPON VALID ON PRESELECTED MATTRESS SETS ONLY AND CANNOT BE TRANSFERRED TO ANY OTHER MATTRESS SETS. BONUS COUPON NOT VALID ON TWIN MATTRESS SETS. SALE PRICE ADVERTISED REFLECTS COUPON SAVINGS PLUS BONUS COUPON SAVINGS AND CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER COUPONS AND/OR OFFERS. ***TO UNLOCK COUPON ON INSTAGRAM/TWITTER TURN PRIVACY SETTINGS PUBLIC OR VISIT #SLEEPHAPPY SIGN-UP TAB ON FACEBOOK AND ENTER EMAIL ADDRESS TO UNLOCK COUPON. #SLEEPHAPPY COUPON IS REDEEMABLE FOR FREE DELIVERY ON PURCHASES OF $498.99 AND ABOVE. VALID FOR AVAILABLE PRODUCTS IN LOCAL DELIVERY AREAS. †*BUY NOW, BEFORE 2015 PRICING INCREASES TAKE EFFECT AND SAVE UP TO $200 ON SELECT TEMPURPEDIC® MATTRESS SETS (MATTRESS + FOUNDATION, MATTRESS + TEMPUR-UP™ FOUNDATION OR MATTRESS + TEMPUR-ERGO® COLLECTION BASE). MAXIMUM SAVINGS OF $200 REQUIRES PURCHASE OF A TEMPUR-CONTOUR™ RHAPSODY BREEZE OR TEMPUR-CONTOUR™ ELITE MATTRESS SET. SAVE $100 ON TEMPUR-CONTOUR ™ RHAPSODY LUXE, TEMPUR-CONTOUR™ SUPREME, TEMPUR-CLOUD® ELITE AND TEMPUR-CLOUD® SUPREME MATTRESS SETS. 2015 PRICING STARTS 3/3/15. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. OFFERS VALID 2/11/15-2/16/15 OR WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. *†SEE STORE FOR MF2_FLAGSHIP_2.12_VA COMPLETE DETAILS.

Military Appreciation Night with the Admirals ■ when and where Friday, Feb. 13 at the Norfolk Scope Watch the Norfolk Admirals compete against the Syracuse Crunch at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information, visit http://www.norfolkadmirals.com/tickets.php.

For more information or to buy tickets, contact Sami at Sami@norfolkadmirals.com or call 640-1212 ext. 24.

S E C T I O N C | F L AG S H I P N E W S . C O M | 0 2 . 0 5 . 15

Register for this summer’s North American Sand Soccer Championships

Courtesy photo The North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC) is first come-first in by date of receipt of online application and entry fee.

familyevent

Chill out at the 2015 Winter Wildlife Festival News Release Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation

VIRGINIA BEACH

Follow fascinating bird activity and explore the natural areas of our community at the 2015 Winter Wildlife Festival presented by Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation in partnership with Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This annual event teaches what it takes to properly observe and identify wildlife in their natural settings.

The 2015 Winter Wildlife Festival takes place Feb. 5-8, and also has a new home base location: Great Neck Recreation Center, located at 2512 Shorehaven Drive.

Winter Wildlife Festival includes educational workshops and engaging excursions that are sure to captivate outdoor enthusiasts, both novice and expert for a nominal fee. Registration is required to attend workshops and excursions (unless otherwise noted). Space is limited for the excursions and workshops, so register early to secure your spot! You can register online (with

your client barcode and pin), in person at any recreation center, or by using the mail in registration form. Download a registration form at www.VBgov.com/winterwildlife Join us for the Festival Keynote on Friday, Feb. 6 at the MEO Central Library featuring veteran wildlife photographer, tour leader and accomplished birder Kevin Karlson.

New Jersey-based Karlson discusses his latest project, “Visions: Earth’s Elements in Bird and Nature Photography,” a book set by the elements of the planet (earth, fire, air, and water) and includes an assortment of nature photographs, from exciting action and moody contemplation, that are connected to these elements. The festival keynote event is sponsored by Back Bay Restoration Foundation and Lynnhaven River NOW. Also, be sure to stop by the Exhibit Hall on Saturday, Feb. 7 and speak with Winter Wildlife Festival partners and other exhibitors, including the Virginia Aquarium, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia State Parks, Lynnhaven River NOW, and the Virginia Beach Audubon Society. Learn ways to get involved with local efforts, and

find out what the environmental groups and businesses are up to. Observe skilled decoy carvers from the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum working. Tour fascinating oyster castles constructed by Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation’s Project Green Teens.

This year’s Walk-Up Workshops include topics “Black Bears 101,” “Fisheries in Back Bay,” and “Harbor Seals in Virginia Beach.”

The Exhibit Hall and Walk-Up Workshops are free and open to the public, starting at 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Great Neck Recreation Center. Enjoy food truck eats plus special children’s activities by the Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

For a full list of workshops and excursions and to download a registration form, visit http://www.VBgov.com/winterwildlife.

To register for the keynote event call 3850426 or email outdoors@VBgov.com.

For more information about the event, contact Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Outdoor Programs at 385-4461 or outdoors@VBgov.com

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK ARE COMING TO NORFOLK; TICKETS NOW ON SALE NEW YORK CITY

New Kids On The Block are stepping into the ring for 2015! The pop phenoms stopped by Good Morning America earlier this month to announce THE MAIN EVENT, a summer headlining tour featuring very special guests, Grammy Awardwinning and multi-platinum selling artists TLC and Nelly. NKOTB surprised viewers with a special reveal of TLC and a personal message from Nelly (who is currently overseas with the Armed Forces). The groups hinted at possible collaborations and other exciting possibilities while on the road this summer, sending fans into a frenzy across social media. The tour, promoted by Live Nation, kicks-off on May 1 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will stop in over 30 cities across North America. Tickets can be purchased starting at livenation.com.

After announcing the tour on Good

Morning America, NKOTB took over the LIVE! with Kelly and Michael set to step in and play a mix of super hits and new fan favorites throughout the entire hour on air.

The morning TV whirlwind was followed up with an NKOTB/TLC media blitz. The groups shut down Chase Plaza at Madison Square Garden for a press conference filled with media and ecstatic fans, talking with outlets like Access Hollywood, E!, Entertainment Tonight, EXTRA, Associated Pressand BuzzFeed. Social media has been abuzz ever since the official reveal with no signs of slowing down.

“We always have something special up our sleeves,” said NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg. “Our fans keep asking us to come back out on the road, and we want to keep giving them what they want! We wanted to make sure it was something new and fresh and fun and totally worthwhile

Courtesy photo The MAIN EVENT will come to the Norfolk Scope Tuesday, June 9. Tickets are now on sale.

for all of our supporters year after year.

This year, we are making it THE MAIN EVENT. And we promise, it will be THE TICKET of the summer.”

The North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC) is back and ready to rock the Virginia Beach oceanfront June 5-7 when the 22nd edition of the Championships returns to one of the nation’s top resort cities.

NASSC 2015 anticipates over 1,000 teams, including 10,000 youth/adult players, plus 100,000 weekend visitors/ spectators, based on weather; 16 states and several countries; NASSC has hosted over 137,000 players since inception in 1994.

Back again this year, you’ll find colorful international teams parading to the sound on conga drums enroute incredible U.S. OPEN Pro/Am matches, with cash prizes at stake; hundreds of youth teams aged 9 thru 19 battling on the beaches, men’s and women’s single gender squads, college teams, and ever-increasing “corporate-coed” competitors from businesses and military organizations promoting health and fitness. The game, played on 25-35 or 30-40 yard grids, is 5v5 and fast-paced, with limited dribblin’ and an average of 60 shots on goal. Never fear, however, as over 80 brackets are seeded to support all levels of play – from the beginner to the most professional. Much like beach volleyball, sand soccer‘s rules are easy to pick up. Uniforms for this beach bash are “anything-goes.”

This “World Cup” equivalent of international amateur beach soccer events is hard to miss and attracts teams from all over, including nearly 20 states and as far away as Africa, Portugal, Germany, Brazil, Norway’s rocky seacoasts, the Caribbean, and the wilds of Canada’s Northwest Territories.

The Championships are staged over 22 full City blocks of prime oceanfront real estate, on over mile and a half of white sand – against a backdrop of diving gulls, banners waving in stiff ocean breezes, thousands of Boardwalk bedazzled spectators, live music and great food. Meanwhile, surf’s up just a few steps from the soccer action and, when day is done, most participants and fans head out to the area’s unbelievable lineup of region entertainment.

The Hampton Roads Soccer Council (HRSC) is your host for the tournament weekend and plan year-round to ensure a guaranteed sand-blast. Consisting of the Virginia Rush, the Southeastern Virginia Women’s Soccer Association, the Over Thirty Men’s League, and Beach FC travel soccer organizations, HRSC has staged the Championships since 1994 to generate revenues for its premier 75-acre Soccer Complex. Led by the McDonald’s Corporation, over 100 national and regional sponsors and advertisers graciously support the festival. New corporate teammates are always welcomed and may view our sponsors page or contact us for more information.

Conventional outdoor soccer enthusiasts make up the bulk of competition.

Once you’ve experienced soccer in the sand, you’re hooked big-time and a huge percentage of 93 percent players and families return year after year to make the North American Sand Soccer Championships their “Summer Kickoff,” or a reward for a just-completed school year or Spring soccer campaign.

The tournament is first come-first in by date of receipt of online application and entry fee. The single exception is the Pro/ Am division where entry is based on team composition and history and additional entry material is forwarded by the tournament to those Pro/Am teams showing interest in entering the men’s “U.S. OPEN.” For information and photos, including coverage of the nearly two million dollars of new high-end lighted turf fields made possible through NASSC charity revenues, visit www.soccercomplex.org.

INSIDE: Check out Flagship Values, your source for automobiles, employment, real estate and more! Pages C6-7

C2 | THE FLAGSHIP | FEB 5, 2015 | FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM

See the Winter Orchid Display

Calendar For a complete list of events in Hampton Roads or to submit your own, visit www.flagshipnews.com/calendar

Paws for the Arts Gala ■ When: Feb. 7, 7-10 p.m.

■ Where: Hilton Garden Inn,

100 E. Constance Rd., Suffolk ■ Cost: $50 ■ For more information, call: 538-3030 or visit www.SuffolkHumaneSociety.com This semi-formal event will feature heavy hors d’oeurves, adult beverages, a silent auction, a live auction, and musical entertainment by local artists.

Tickets can be purchased online at suffolkhumanesociety.com, or at Mike Duman Auto Sales, 2300 Godwin Blvd., Suffolk, or the Suffolk Humane Society office, 4300 Nansemond Parkway, Suffolk. All proceeds benefit Suffolk Humane Society.

At the Movies with the Music of John Williams ■ When: Feb. 6 and 7, 8 p.m.

■ Where: Ferguson Center, Newport

News and Chrysler Hall, Norfolk ■ Cost: Prices range from $25 - $93, and $10 student tickets are available with Student ID. ■ For more information, visit: www. virginiasymphony.org

joined by international guest Choreographer David Keener and acclaimed premiere dancer Kirk Henning to perform in a night of classical and contemporary ballet you won’t soon forget.

There will also be a post-performance Saturday, Feb. 14 for dancing to the tunes of a live band, Karnival. The event will have delicious Hors D’Oeuvres provided by Cuisine & CO. Enjoy pictures with your sweetheart at the photo booth and raffles!

A perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day!

A dynamo of the silver screen, John Williams has been considered the most successful and well-known film music com‘First Lady Of The Flute’ Bobbi poser of all time. The performance will feature selections from Jaws, Harry Potter Humphrey and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Schindler’s List, ■ When: Feb. 14, doors open 6 p.m., ET, Star Wars, and more in brilliant sound, show begins 7 p.m. powerfully performed live by the Virginia ■ Where: Historic Attucks Theatre, Church Street, Norfolk Symphony Orchestra and featuring the ■ Cost: $35 - $60 plus applicable fees vocal talents of the Virginia Symphony ■ For more information, call: Attucks Chorus.

Theatre at 664-6464.

Virginia Ballet Theatre Sweetheart Concert / Ball

A Valentine treat for lovers of her special brand of soulful Jazz. She has been performing for more than three decades ■ When: Feb. 13 and 14, 7:30 p.m. to audiences around the world, Bobbi ■ Where: Tidewater Community College Humphrey is a talent to be reckoned with.

Roper Performing Arts Center Her accomplishments include perfor■ Cost: $5 - $30. For ticket prices, visit mances at the Montreux International http://bit.ly/1zF1BOW. Music Festival, working on the Bill Cosby ■ For more information, visit: http:// Show, performing with such greats as www.tccropercenter.org.

Duke Ellington, Lee Morgan and Stevie, while selling more than five million units.

Bring your sweetheart to the 3rd annual Sweetheart Concert Series this Valentine’s Also appearing will be the Forte Band, a Tidewater favorite. Forte Jazz Band is an Day weekend. Virginia Ballet Theatre eight-piece ensemble that has performed presents three beautiful and romantic as a unit for over 20 years. works. VBT professional company is

Tired of the cold weather?

Visit Norfolk Botanical Garden’s (NBG) warm tropical house and feel like you have traveled to the tropics. The Garden has a special visitor – Orchids! The Second Annual Winter Orchid Display is now open through March 29, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Many of the orchids were provided by the Tidewater Orchid Society and Old Dominion University (ODU) – Arthur and Phyllis Kaplan Orchid Conservatory and Research Greenhouse. These blooming beauties are nestled throughout the tropical display house.

Bring your camera and take time to explore! There are more than 150 blooming plants – beautiful colors and varieties of orchids you won’t want to miss!

The NBG Director of Horticulture Brian O’Neill says he doesn’t have just one favorite.

“I especially love the hybrid varieties with all of the stunning color and unique detail,” he said. “This is a special exhibit and we are thrilled to have a special partnership with ODU and the Tidewater Orchid Society.”

Discover the warmth of the NBG Tropical Display

House and enjoy the beauty of winter orchids. The House also features a wide variety of interesting plants including begonias, gingers, palms and a large number of bromeliads. Though most of these plants are not hardy to this region, they thrive in the tropical rainforests around the world.

This winter exhibit is free with paid Garden admission.

Mark your calendar for the upcoming Tidewater Orchid Society Show & Sale beginning Friday, March 27 - 29.

For more information, visit http://norfolkbotanicalgarden.org.

African-American folk tales, songs take center stage at Jamestown settlement “African-American Musical Imprint Weekend,” Feb. 14 and 15 at Jamestown Settlement, will showcase performances by “The Storyteller” Dylan Pritchett, the Northern Neck Chantey Singers and Legacy of Weyanoke.

The music and storytelling weekend is a highlight of “From Africa to Virginia” month at the state-operated living-history museum, with gallery exhibits and daily interpretive programs highlighting the culture of the first recorded Africans in Virginia and the experience of people of African descent in colonial America.

Dylan Pritchett, “The Storyteller,” will present tales of Africa and African-American heritage at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. both days.

A professional storyteller since 1990 and member of the National Association of Black Storytellers, Pritchett has taken his folktales to schools across the country and, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, performs and leads workshops for teachers on using storytelling in the classroom. In addition to recording several albums of folktales, he has re-created the voices of historical characters for museum exhibits and served as a performer and consultant for historical documentaries.

The Northern Neck Chantey Singers will perform, at noon and 2 p.m. on both days, examples of work songs that coordinated the efforts of African-American watermen

Courtesy photo

of eastern Virginia as they hauled in nets filled with their catch. The group of retired watermen, all residents of Virginia’s Northern Neck peninsula, has been featured on the National Public Radio program “All Things Considered” and CBS News.

Legacy of Weyanoke, at 3 p.m. on both days, will take the audience on a musical journey that pays tribute to African ancestors and their history.

Admission to the performances is included with Jamestown Settlement general admission of $16.75 for adults, $7.75 for ages 6-12. Children under 6 are free. A combination ticket with the Yorktown Victory Center, where interpretive programming in February also has a “From Africa to Virginia” theme, is $21.00 for adults, $10.50 for ages 6 through 12.

For more information about the museum and “From Africa to Virginia” theme month, call (888) 593-4682 toll-free or 253-4838, or visit www.historyisfun.org.

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FLAGSHIPNEWS.COM | FEB 5, 2015 | THE FLAGSHIP | C3

Valentines | part 2 of 3

Citrus adds avor to these sugar cookies

By Janet Tharpe Just A Pinch

Courtesy of Brandpoint

TOP WAYS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY FOR ANY RELATIONSHIP STAGE

Honeymooners You're recently married and still in the honeymoon phase. Planning your life together is an exciting journey and your one-of-a-kind love should be honored on Valentine's Day. When shopping, look for gifts that can be used long after the day is complete. Check out Personal Creations for personalized items you won't ďŹ nd anywhere else. Show your cheeky side with a fun canvas print perfect for the kitchen

The endless ame You've been with your partner for many years, but just because you've hit your stride doesn't mean you're any less infatuated with him or her than when you ďŹ rst fell in love. Keep your ame burning bright by planning an extra-special night at home for just the two of you.

Get some snacks that pair well with your favorite bottle of wine and prepare for an intimate evening. Instead of running from store to store, order the Best With Wine gift basket from Cherry Moon Farms. It features carefully curated items infused with or that complement wine, like fresh Gold and Crimson pears, award-winning cheese and decadent chocolate.

Then, spend a few hours doing something that reminds you of why you are together. You might watch your wedding video or maybe the ďŹ rst movie you ever saw together when you were dating. Go through old photos and have fun reminiscing. These reminders of special moments demonstrate why your love is endless and are sure to make for a very special Valentine's Day.

PREGNANT? Gotta Eat Right!

Go The Virginia Beach WIC Program offers nutritious foods, education and breastfeeding support. For more information about locations and income eligibility, call 518-2789 or visit www.healthyvb.com.

Directions ■In a food processor, combine our, baking powder and salt. Pulse to mix. ■Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. ■Add sugar, eggs and lemon zest. Process until mixture resembles wet sand. ■Turn mixture out onto a lightly oured surface; knead several times until dough comes together. ■Divide into 3 portions; atten each into a disk. ■Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. ■Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes. ■Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. ■Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save for baking). ■With lightly oured cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and arrange, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets (re-roll scraps, if desired). ■Bake until cookies are set but still pale, 7 to 9 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. ■Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. ■Using a pastry bag and tip, frost cookies with icing and decorate with sugar!

Courtesy of Just A Pinch

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Pregnant Women New Moms (up to six months after delivery) Breastfeeding moms (up to one year after delivery) Infants Children under the age of five You must live in Virginia and meet income guidelines

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Copyright Š 2014 Grantham University • All rights reserved • grantham.edu • DETC accredited For program information federal disclosures, visit grantham.edu/disclosure. 1409.048p

The smitten kitten You're infatuated with your new relationship and every time you go on a date, you get butteries in your stomach. You just started dating a few weeks or months ago, but you want to make sure the day is extra special.

Classic Valentine's Day gestures are time-tested ways to show you care.

Start by sending gorgeous blooms to her – such as the Hugs and Kisses bouquet from ProFlowers that contains one dozen tulips and one dozen irises.

For him, go for something more masculine he can put on his desk, like the Chinese Elm Bonsai from ProPlants.

Complete the gesture by wrapping up a classic rom-com movie and plan an evening in to view it together. Give the gift along with a hand-written card when you see your new love in person – it's sure to leave a lasting impression.

that says "You are the eggs to my bacon" with both your names in beautiful script.

For him, a customized leather watch box with his initials is a sophisticated gift – pair it with his favorite cologne or candy and he'll grin from ear to ear. Personalized gifts will serve as a reminder of your love every day of the year!

&"

Whether you're smitten after dating for only a month or your relationship has a soothing rhythm after many years of marriage, your affections deserve to be celebrated this Valentine's Day. Finding the perfect way to say you care, however, is often easier said than done. Stop stressing and consider these top trends and unique gift ideas, all custom-ďŹ tted to the length of your relationship.

Over-the-moon in love Lazy afternoons together, inside jokes and nicknames – you're head over heels in love. This might be the person who you want to spend the rest of your life with, so you want to do something unique on Valentine's Day. Show your love how sweet you think he or she is with some decadent treats and a fun scavenger hunt. Plan it out at your house or another special location, writing hints for each step along the way on heart-shaped paper. This is a fun activity for both men and women. You can opt to have one big sweet gift at the end or hide small treats along the way with each clue. The top trends for decadent Valentine's Day sweets can be found at Shari's Berries. From Handmade Valentine's Love Bug Brownie Pops to unforgettable gourmet dipped strawberries, Shari's Berries will have your love smiling and swooning over the delicious treats.

Ingredients ■4 c our ■1 tsp baking powder ■3/4 tsp salt ■2 1/2 sticks butter, cut in pieces ■3/4 c sugar ■1 large egg, plus one egg white ■2 tsp lemon, lime or orange zest

Brandpoint

Add a zing to your Valentine’s Day with Malinda Coletta’s citrusy-sweet Valentine Sugar Cookies! We used orange zest in our test batch and were thrilled with the refreshingly light avor. Add your favorite icing, or maybe drizzle with some chocolate, and you have a special treat!

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Arts& Entertainment The Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | C4

basetheaters

$3 Movies

JEB Little Creek, Gator Theater – 462-7534

NAS Oceana, Aerotheater – 433-2495

Thursday - February 05 6p.m. Unbroken (PG-13)

Friday - February 06 6p.m. American Sniper (R) 9p.m. The Gambler (R)

Friday - February 06 6p.m. Big Eyes (PG-13) 9p.m. American Sniper (R) Saturday - February 07 1p.m. Night at the Museum: Secret of theTomb (PG) 4p.m. SNEAK PREVIEW McFarland, USA (PG) Courtesy of Warner Bros

Sunday - February 08 1p.m. Big Hero 6 (NDVD Free Admission) (PG) 4p.m. American Sniper (R) 7p.m. The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies (3-D) (PG-13)

American Sniper: Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle’s pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to family after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

Saturday - February 07 12p.m. Night at the Museum: Secret of theTomb (PG) 3p.m. Big Eyes (PG-13) 6p.m. Unbroken (PG-13) 9p.m. The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies (3-D) (PG-13) Sunday - February 08 1p.m. Exodus: Gods and Kings (PG-13) 4p.m. The Imitation Game (PG-13) 7p.m. American Sniper (R)

Admission to all movies is only $3 per person at both Aerotheater and Gator Theater. Children ages two and younger are admitted free.

Patrons 17 years of age or younger must be accompanied by a paying adult to attend all R rated movies. Doors open approximately one hour before showtimes. Both theaters are now accepting credit cards for admission and snacks.

Schedule is subject to change. For your weekly movie showtimes and more, check out the Navy MidAtlantic Region MWR website at discovermwr.com.

intheatersnow

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water SpongeBob goes on a quest to discover a stolen recipe that takes him to our dimension, our world, where he tangles with a pirate.

SpongeBob SquarePants and pals come to the real world in this sequel from director Paul Tibbitt (who previously worked as a screenwriter on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie).

Seventh Son A powerful knight trains his young apprentice to do battle against a diabolical witch who is gathering an army to wage supernatural war on all of mankind in this adaptation of author Joseph Delaney's young-adult novel Courtesy of Paramount The Spook's Apprentice.

Animation / Nickelodeon Years ago, brave Master Movies Gregory (Jeff Bridges) succeeded in capturing evil enchantress Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), and locking her away to rot in prison. Now Mother Malkin has escaped, and she's hungry for revenge. As her followers gather power, Digital Projection, Surround Sound & 3-D the dreaded witch reveals her infernal intentions to 2QO\ IRU ' 8SJUDGH the noble knight who once )HEUXDU\ WK )HEUXDU\ WK imprisoned her, and who 6HYHQWK 6RQ 3*

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1:00, 3:45, 6:45, 9:20 Movies & Times Subject to Change

Jupiter Ascending Mila Kunis stars as Jupiter Jones, an everyday girl in the future whose life takes an unexpected turn when an ex-soldier (Channing Tatum) comes looking for her in hopes that she can live up to her destiny as the savior of the universe. Andy and Lana Wachowski once again dip their feet into sci-fi territory with this sprawling Warner Bros. epic.

Courtesy of Village Roadshow Pictures / Warner Bros.

Sports

The Flagship | flagshipnews.com | 02.05.15 | C5

Flagshipexclusive

DOUBLE MAIN EVENTS TO HEADLINE VCW EVENT THIS WEEKEND

Left: Damien Wayne with the top rope elbow drop to Chris Escobar.

By Jonathan McLarty Contributing Writer

Vanguard Championship Wrestling (VCW) will return to Norfolk Masonic Temple on Saturday, Febr. 7. This event will be headlined by two main event title matches. “Mr. Mid Atlantic” Damien Wayne will be defending his VCW United States Liberty Championship against The Reason, and VCW Heavyweight Champion Dirty Money will defend his title against the returning Rhett Titus.

If you missed VCW’s event in December, you missed several noteworthy happenings. Steve Corino used some questionable tactics to defeat “Mr. Xcellence” Brandon Scott in a match to determine the Number One Contender to the VCW Heavyweight Championship. Steve Corino will be unable to attend the Feb. 7 event, but I’m sure fans of VCW will be able to yell at him at a future event. The Reason (with Jerry Stephanitsis) defeated Country Kidd after a devastating back senton from the top rope. VCW’s resident French mime Jean Jean Lebon was defeated by “The Homeless Luchador” Chatch. Jean Jean introduced tables and chairs into the match, but Chatch was able to get the upper hand. Following the match, Big MC 123 and Benjamin “Money” Banks (collectively known as Quarter Pound and Ground) stormed the ring and attacked Jean Jean and Chatch. Despite Jean Jean and Chatch’s storied history, the masked competitors will team up to take on Quarter Pound and Ground on Feb. 7.

The VCW Commonwealth Heritage Championship was on the line as RH3 (with Jerry Stephanitsis) defended against his brother James Dallas Hall. Both men pulled out all the stops in this contest. RH3 attempted a top rope crossbody to Hall, but got caught in the single-leg Boston crab submission hold. RH3 tapped out and is no longer the Commonwealth Heritage Champion. Post-match, The Reason entered the ring and looked on, disappointingly, at RH3. As Reason assisted RH3 to his feet, Reason delivered a powerful back breaker to RH3.

Stephanitsis and his crew no longer want to be associated with RH3 after the title loss. Putting family first, James Dallas Hall returned to ring to fend off any further attack from Reason.

Careers were on the line as Mugabi went up against Idol X. The loser of the match had to leave VCW. There were no rules in this match as both men brawled around ringside and Idol delivered multiple chairshots to Mugabi.

Idol X pulled out the victory and Mugabi is now gone from VCW. Despite a competitive effort, Mr. Class defeated Devin Lopez. VCW Tag Team Champions The Platinum Enforcers (Phil Brown and C.W. Anderson) defended their titles against Lance and Harlem – The Bravado Brothers.

This was an exciting contest between four talented tag-team competitors.

A double-team move by the Bravados tweaked the Platinum Icon’s knee, causing Brown to scream in pain. With Brown on the sidelines, Anderson delivered a spinebuster to Harlem Bravado for the victory. As Anderson and referee Dustin Pruitt tended to Brown’s injury, The Geordie Bulldogs (Sean and Mark Denny) made their way out to ringside. The mood quickly changed as The Bulldogs made it known that they no longer listen to what the VCW fans think. Sean Denny demanded that he cash-in his Liberty Lottery title shot right away for the Tag Team Championships. The match began and CW Anderson was able to deliver a superkick right away to Sean, almost derailing The Bulldog’s title aspirations. However, the numbers game took over and Mark Denny delivered a crushing blow to Anderson to get the three count. The Geordie Builldogs are now the new VCW Tag Team Champions.

In the night’s main event, VCW United States Liberty Champion Damien Wayne defended his title against Chris Escobar. Earlier in the evening, Escobar addressed the fans to inform them that he would be moving to Boston to be with his son, so his last VCW match would take place that evening. He hoped to leave the area while holding the United States Liberty title. Both men have had many memorable battles in this past and this match held up with the rest of them. Following a piledriver and a top rope elbow drop by Wayne, Escobar stayed down for the three count. Escobar was given a sendoff by the VCW locker room and the fans in attendance.

Also signed for the Feb. 7 event: Former United States Liberty Champion Jay Steel will return from his injuries and will take on Krotch. For more information and to purchase advance tickets, visit VCW-Wrestling.com.

Jonathan McLarty is a contributing writer for The Flagship, as well as a local sports and event photographer. Connect with him on Twitter (@JonathanMcLarty) and view his photography at McLartyPhoto.Zenfolio.com.

Above: Chris Escobar with a back senton splash to Damien Wayne.

Photos by Jonathan McLarty.

mixedmartialarts

Woodley wins, but other UFC 183 main carders steal show

By Thomas Gerbasi UFC.com

Much of the drama around the UFC 183 co-main event between welterweight contenders Tyron Woodley and Kelvin Gastelum centered around Gastelum weighing in at 180 pounds for the 170pound bout on Friday. Unfortunately, that remained the extent of the drama on Saturday night, as Woodley won a close, but uninspiring, split decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29.

There was little notable action in the opening round, with the crowd refusing to be shy about letting the fighters know their displeasure.

After more circling in the opening stages of round two, Woodley stunned Gastelum with a right hand and a fight finally broke out, both fighters becoming more aggressive. Woodley’s right was the most effective weapon, and Gastelum didn’t have anything in his arsenal close to matching it.

Gastelum got more aggressive in the third, knowing that he needed a big round to turn things around, and while he got cut over the left eye, the Arizonan was landing his share of shots. It wasn’t enough to hurt or finish Woodley though, leaving “The Chosen One” to pick up the victory and keep himself in the title race. With the win, Woodley improves to 15-3; Gastelum falls to 11-1.

IAQUINTA vs. LAUZON Long Island lightweight Al Ia-

quinta made his case for a move from prospect to contender, as he collected his second big name victim, following up his November win over Ross Pearson with a second-round stoppage of Joe Lauzon.

Iaquinta began the fight looking for takedowns, but came up short twice. Lauzon’s response was a series of hard shots to the head, drawing a rise from the crowd.

Iaquinta bounced back nicely, throwing combinations and landing hard leg kicks. In the final minute, the bout went to the mat, with Lauzon going for a guillotine choke briefly, but after standing, Iaquinta ripped off more combinations before getting stuffed on a takedown before the horn.

The back and forth action continued in round two, but midway through the frame, Iaquinta drilled Lauzon with a straight right and wobbled him. The right hands kept coming as Lauzon staggered but wouldn’t go down. But after several more hard shots, referee Marc Goddard wisely stepped in at the 3:34 mark. With the win, Iaquinta ups his record to 11-3-1; Lauzon falls to 24-11.

LEITES vs. BOETSCH Thales Leites had to dig deep to get his eighth straight victory, but the middleweight contender finished in style for the third consecutive bout, submitting Tim Boetsch in the second round of an exciting 185-pound battle.

There was plenty of good back and forth action in the opening frame, and even though both fight-

ers had their moments, Boetsch’s punches had more weight behind them, and he had Leites hurt late in the round. Boetsch (18-8) kept landing bombs in the second, and he looked to be close to finishing the Brazilian in the third minute. But the resilient Leites (25-4) was able to get a takedown, and moments later, he sunk in an arm triangle choke. Boetsch was in deep trouble, but he escaped.

The second time Leites sunk it in though, it was lights out for “The Barbarian,” with the end coming at 3:45 of round two.

ALVES vs. MEIN Longtime welterweight contender Thiago Alves looked like he was in for a rough night against Canada’s Jordan Mein in the main card opener, but after landing a devastating body kick in the second round, the “Pitbull” finished his opponent for the victory in his first bout since last April.

The first round could not have gone much better for Mein, as he tagged Alves almost at will while barely getting touched in return.

Mein nearly finished the bout in the final minute as well, jarring the Brazilian with vicious elbows at close range.

The second round was an entirely different story though, as Alves caught Mein with a right kick to the body that dropped Mein hard to the mat. Alves pounced, and after a blitz of strikes, referee Herb Dean halted the bout at the 39-second mark.

With the win, Alves ups his record to 26-9; Mein falls to 29-10.

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If the puppet Howdy Doody were to wed actress Funicello, would a marionette marry Annette?

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