FRIDAY, OCT. 13, 2017
Eye on the Fleet
Happy birthday, U.S. Navy
VOL. 17 NO. 38
WWW.CNIC.NAVY.MIL/KEYWEST NAVAL AIR STATION KEY WEST, FLORIDA
MWR provides update on programs, facilities Timothy Campbell
Director, Morale, Wefare & Recreation
H The Navcy celebrates its 242nd birthday Oct. 13, with the theme “Seapower to Protect and Promote,” to honor the brave men and women who conduct combat training, humanitarian, rescue and other missions worldwide, protecting our interests, promoting our security and helping to shape our nation’s history.
inside: BE THE CHANGE Proclamation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 THEY’RE SPARKED Firefighters visit CDC . . . . . 4 FRIGHT NIGHT Haunted Clinic. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 TOP OF PAGE ONE: An MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter assigned to the ‘Vanguards’ of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM-14) takes off from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp is assisting with relief efforts in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
urricane Irma came ashore in the Florida Keys with winds ranging from Category 1 - 4, and brought storm surge in some areas up to six feet deep. Homes, businesses and utility infrastructures from Florida City to Key West sustained damage.
Each of Naval Air Station Key West’s annexes - Boca Chica Field, Naval Branch Health Clinic, Sigsbee Park, Trumbo Point, Fleming Key and Truman Annex - was impacted. Because there is only one roadway in and out of the Keys, debris is piled along streets and U.S. 1. Hundreds of hauling companies work every day to move the debris to mass
collection sites for transport to the mainland. We remind our patrons who visit us each year that although much has been done, it will take months, and in some cases years, to get back to our ‘new’ normal. Some of our friends and patrons who have lived through the impacts of a natural disaster will understand. Those who haven’t should consider themselves
fortunate. As the MWR director, I have been asked numerous times how we deal with the destruction and where do we even start with this much widespread damage. My answer is with our leadership. Commanding Officer Capt. Bobby Baker has set two priorities for the next 90 days: • Take care of the families stationed in Key West.
• Restore the base to mission-capable status so we can resume training our warfighters. With that as our focus, MWR has gone about the business of digging out (literally in same cases) from the devastation. Thanks to a great team of active duty, DOD civilians and contractors, we have been able to see update page 5
Salvage operations underway From Naval Air Station Key West Public Affairs
M
ore than 80 vessels are aground in and on Naval Air Station Key West annexes and waterways as a result of Hurricane Irma, which impacted the Florida Keys Sept. 10. Commander, Navy Region Southeast has determined that the vessels are a hazard to the environment and adversely impact the mission of the installation, so salvage operations U.S. Navy photo to move the vessels has Contractors hoist a boat onto a pier at Truman Annex this week as part of salvaging operations. Eighty boats have been identified as having either washed onto or sank on Navy property during Hurricane Wilma. Installation officials are now going through the see Salvage page 3 process of identifying and contacting owners. In the meantime, boats will sit on stands on a secured Navy dock.