FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
Eye on the Fleet
SINGAPORE
VOL. 26 NO. 19
WWW.CNIC.NAVY.MIL/KEYWEST NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST, FLORIDA
National appreciation day recognizes service, sacrifice of military spouses By Jolene Scholl Southernmost Flyer
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(May 1, 2015) DCC Andre Sutherland, attached to the U.S. 7th Fleet staff, volunteers at Willing Hearts, a charity organization that provides nearly 3,000 meals daily to Singaporeans in need. Blue Ridge is conducting a port visit in Singapore to build multilateral partnerships and volunteer through community service projects. U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Kevin Flinn
inside: RE ENLIST Bonus updates. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 APPRECIATION DAY Military Spouses. . . . . . . . . . 3 NOT CLEANING STATIONS Field Day Fun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 BE PREPARED Hurricane Season. . . . . . . . . 8 TOP OF PAGE ONE: An F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the Vampires of Fighter Attack Squadron (VX) 9 is launched from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
t one time, the commissary had brown paper bags that sported the slogan “Military Wife - Hardest
Job in the Navy.” Times have changed - if the bags carried the slogan today, it would begin with “Military Spouse.” It was several hundred years before recognition was given to the spouses
of military members who served in defense of the country. It was President Ronald Reagan who signed the first proclamation - 5184 - that established Military Spouse Appreciation Day. The intent was to recognize
Vet clinic to re-open
and honor the contributions and sacrifices of military spouses. In his proclamation, Reagan discussed why military spouses deserved special recognition: “Since the early days of
the Continental Army, the wives of our servicemen have made unselfish contributions to the spirit and well-being of their fighting men and the general welsee SPOUSES page 3
THE LINE UP
By Jolene Scholl Southernmost Flyer
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fter a three-year absence, military veterinary services are returning to Naval Air Station Key West. An Army veterinarian plans to offer quarterly clinic services beginning in early June, according to Staff Sgt. Trent Crews, with the Army Public Health Command. The scheduled dates for the first clinic are June 11 - 13 at a new site, 1509-A Spadefish Court on Sigsbee Park. Previously, the installation’s veterinary clinic was supported by Morale Welfare and Recreation in Bldg. V-932, which has since been demolished. In December 2011 the vet visits and medication sales were suspended after the see Clinic page 4
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U.S. Navy photo by Jolene Scholl
-130 Hercules from the 920th Rescue Group, Patrick Air Force Base, arrive Wednesday for search and rescue training in the Lower Keys area. Joining them in training are three HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, also from the 920th.
Special Forces anniversary to honor heroes From NAS Key West Public Affairs
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he Special Forces Underwater Operations School will celebrate its 50th anniversary Thursday by dedicating its headquarters building in honor of Col. Ola Mize, a Medal of Honor recipient who is credited with starting the
school on Fleming Key. “It is a privilege and honor to commemorate the SFUWO Headquarters Building after Col. Mize, who was the founding father of this remarkable training compound,” said Maj. Joshua Eaton, the school’s commander. “He is a distinguished member of the Special Forces,” Eaton said of
Mize, who received his MOH from action in Korea. “He is our hero.” Mize, who also served in Vietnam, initiated the training program on Fleming Key in 1964, where thousands have been trained over the past 50 years. Mize died March 12, 2014, at the age of 82. see HEROES page 8