TAX ASSISTANCE CENTER OPEN ON OCEANA PAGE 9 VOLUME 52 NO. 4
JANUARY 31, 2013
SERVING NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA
INSIDEJET
•
DAM NECK ANNEX
•
NALF FENTRESS
CNO, MCPON hold all-hands call at Naval Station Norfolk
Stacking the deck
OFFICER LEADERSHIP TRAINING AT CPPD
PAGE 4
BY MC3 GREGORY WHITE Naval Station Norfolk Public Affairs UNIQUE PATH FOR DAM NECK OIC’S CAREER
PAGE 6 NAS Oceana and CNATTU are hosting the Montford Point Marines and Tuskegee Airmen Feb. 8 for a prayer breakfast at 8 a.m. at the Oceana Galley and an 11 a.m. presentation at CNATTU. The events are open to all hands. For more information, call Master Sgt. Curt Clarke at 433-3209.
Photo by MC3 Sabrina Fine
The 555-metric ton island for the future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is lifted into position on the ship’s flight deck during an “island landing ceremony” at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. The island-landing ceremony marks the final super-lift in the construction process for the ship. The Gerald R. Ford is the first in a new class of aircraft carriers, and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2015. — Story, more photos, page 3
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) (AW/NAC) Mike D. Stevens addressed Sailors all over the world during an all-hands call at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk, Jan. 25. The event took place in the C-9 auditorium on base and was streamed live via the Navy’s official website and the Pentagon Channel. The all-hands call began with a reenlistment ceremony.The CNO took the time to acknowledge and reenlist 36 servicemen and women, representing several commands — both ship and shore — from — See CNO visit, Page 8
Defense Department rescinds direct combat exclusion rule BY CLAUDETTE ROULO American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON — Following a unanimous recommendation by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Jan. 24, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced the end of the direct ground combat exclusion rule for female service members. Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs chairman, joined Panetta at a Pentagon news conference in announcing the policy change. The secretary also announced that the service branches will continue to move forward with a plan to eliminate all unnecessary gender-based
barriers to service. The change is intended to ensure that the best qualified and most capable service members, regardless of gender, are available to carry out the mission, Panetta said. “If members of our military can meet the qualifications for a job, then they should have the right to serve,regardless of creed,color,gender or sexual orientation,” he said. In a statement released following the announcement, President Barack Obama praised the decision. “This milestone reflects the courageous and patriotic service of women through more than two
centuries of American history and the indispensable role of women in today’s military,” the president said. The decision opens up about 237,000 positions to women — 184,000 in combat arms professions and 53,000 assignments that were closed based on unit type. Women are an integral part of DOD’s ability to fulfill its mission, Panetta said.“Over more than a decade of war, they have demonstrated courage, skill and patriotism, and 152 women in uniform have died serving this nation in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. — See Policy change Page 9