Vol. 27 No. 24
June 18, 2010
The Signature Online - www.cnic.navy.mil/sigonella
Active Reserves Offers Flexibility and Benefits Story By MCSN Palmer NPASE East Det.
SIGONELLA, Sicily – Active duty is not for everyone. Long deployments can be mentally and physically challenging and can cause strain on personal relationships and marriages. Many Sailors and service members simply don’t want to pack up their lives and move to a new locale every few years. Besides the personal satisfaction that comes from serving one’s country, many people are drawn to the military for the wide range of benefits that the military offers, from medical benefits to tuition assistance. Others enjoy the camaraderie that military life seems to build. The Active Reserve offers present active duty service members whose enlistment is ending to continue serving their country and retain some of the other benefits granted to them while giving them the opportunity to form some stability and
Photo by MCSN Palmer
balance in their lives and relationships. New recruits often forgo active duty altogether and pursue their military career through the Active Reserve. Another reason a Sailor might choose the reserves is the dreaded high year tenure. Certain rates are simply backed up and advancement is difficult. Time catches up and eventually some Sailors who want to stay in the Navy save their careers by entering the Reserves.
Logistics Support 2nd Class Jarman Kilgore, a former Marine, re-enlisted in the Navy in 2003 after leaving the Marine Corps. He completed two tours of duty and faced a similar situation “I had a lot of opportunities in the Navy, but as a former Personnel Specialist I was unable to advance,” said Kilgore. “There were more personal goals I wanted to attain and the active Reserve offered me a way.”
Kilgore says that while on active duty; the demands on his time from being in a small command left him little chance to pursue his education and a personal life. “I was on duty a lot,” said Kilgore. “As a Reservist, I have time to go to school, I’m married, and there’s a baby on the way.” Kilgore, who holds a civilian job as a leads technician for Naval Recruitment District Michigan, like most reservists drills for a weekend each month and two weeks each year. “Drill time consists of a lot of training,” says Kilgore. “We do our general military training (GMT), basic military requirements and we get qualifications required for certification. Oh, and of course we PT (physical training)” There is also Active Duty for Special Work (ADSW), where servReserves, continued on page12
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Sun Screen
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NavyNews
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Italian News:
Cherry festival in Sant’Alfio
NAS Sigonella Tests Emergency Response with Exercise Reliant Star Story By MCSN Palmer NPASE East Det.
SIGONELLA, Sicily – Commander Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia completed Exercise Reliant Star at Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella last week.
“The purpose of the exercise was to integrate emergency services and to teach them to work as a unit in response to emergency situations,” said Rich Zbikowski, a Commander Navy Installations Command training observer for the exercise. The exercise involved an earthquake scenario with a parking
garage collapse, a bridge collapse, sinkholes both on and off base, along with multiple other scenarios. Commands from around the base participated including U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella, NAS Sigonella Security, and NAS Sigonella Fire and Emergency Services. “The training went smoothly,” said
Chief Gunner’s Mate (SW/AW) Jeremy Elmore, a training team leader for the exercise. “There is always room for improvement.” The exercise spanned three days and was also conducted at Naval Station Rota, Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, and Naval Support Activity Naples.
SECNAV Discusses Future of Alternative Energy Sources
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Stones Throw
When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!”
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Youth Splashn-Dash
Naval Air Station(NAS) Sigonella’s Fire and Rescue team prepare to raise a tele-squirt 65 from the back of a fire engine in order to perform a high angle rope rescue of simulated victims during operation Reliant Star.
During a base exercise, Naval Air Station(NAS) Sigonella’s Security Forces Department was forced to close the gates to the military housing compound, Marinae to prevent rioters from entering the compound.
Traffic Numbers
Keep Your BBQ From Going Boom By April Phillips, Naval Safety Center Public Affairs Summer is prime season for backyard barbeques. Warm weather, good friends, and grilled meat combine to form a perfect afternoon for many Sailors, Marines and their families. Unfortunately, every year casual afternoons are ruined by fires resulting from improper use of barbeque grills. The National Fire Protection Association reports that from 2003 – 2006, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 7,900 home fires involving grills, hibachis, or barbe-
Weather update
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ques per year. These fires cause an estimated $80 million in direct property damage. They also kill 10 people and seriously injure 120 every year. A third class petty officer found this out the hard way when he was preparing to cook on a propane grill. He tried to use the button that provides a spark to light the grill, but it didn’t work. He kept trying for about 30 seconds, which allowed 30 seconds worth of gas to flow. When he pulled out his cigarette lighter, he ignited the gas and ended up with burns to his hand and four days of light duty. The Naval Safety Center sees reports of similar June 19 H:82F L:62F
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mishaps
each
summer.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there are routine checks that can easily be performed on gas grills and significantly reduce the risk of a fire. Check the tubes that lead into the burner for blockage; check hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, or leaks. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any building. Don’t use it in a garage, breezeway, carport, or under any surface that could catch fire. While charcoal grills cause less fires annually than gas grills, the biggest June 21 H:81F L:63F
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safety concern is lighter fluid – or the various substitutes Sailors and Marines often use to try and light the grill. Only use lighter fluid that is meant for charcoal, never gasoline, kerosene or other volatile fluids, and, never add lighter fluid to coals that are already warm. No matter what type of grill is used, the most important thing is to keep an eye on it. Never leave it unattended and watch out for children. Ultimately, common sense is the secret ingredient that will keep cookouts from leaving a bad taste in your mouth. June 23 H:82F L:62F
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Jan. 10May 10 Accidents Injuries
Jan. 09May 09
122 15
102 8
DUIs
2
0
Traffic Deaths
0
0
Please, don’t become a statistic!