Serving the NATO, Naples and Gaeta Military Community in Italy Russell Egnor Navy Media Awards – 2016 Best Newspaper in the Navy
62nd year, No. 45
Friday, December 1, 2017
Celebrating the Holidays Neapolitan-Style Attack in Egypt Highlights Need for U.S. Involvement in Region, Official Says By Jim Garamone DoD News
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The November 24 attack on an Egyptian mosque in northern Sinai that killed at least 305 men, women and children is an example of why the United States must remain involved in the Middle East, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Rob Manning said November 27, 2017. The United States must help partner nations build their own defense and police capacity to “ensure [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria], al-Qaida and likeminded groups cannot plan and carry out attacks,” he said. Manning gave an overview of the area during his weekly press gaggle with Pentagon reporters. He said there are roughly 500 U.S. forces in Syria and around 5,000 in Iraq. Defense Department officials are working on providing a better run-down of U.S. forces in the countries as security considerations permit, the colonel said. Iraqi forces are working to improve security in areas they have retaken from ISIS control, Manning said. This includes going into areas to clear them of improvised explosive devices, clearing out weapons caches, disarm booby traps and rooting out ISIS hold-outs. “In Syria, in the last 24 hours, the [Syrian Democratic Forces] has reinforced positions near the Iraq-Syria border, repelling an ISIS reconnaissance element,” he said. Coalition forces aided the SDF as it advanced along the southern bank of the Euphrates River. “Also coalition forces provided counter-IED training to Raqqa internal security force soldiers,” he said.
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ATTACK IN EGYPT Page 13
A merry holiday celebration scene from “The Nutcracker” ballet to be presented at the San Carlo Theater December 23-30. Photo courtesy of the San Carlo Theater By Lou Freed
Italians will kick off their yuletide season December 8 to commemorate “L’Immacolata,” also known as “Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception.” Thus, in preparing for the joyous period, our host city and neighboring towns are busily
sprucing up their churches, homes, tourist areas and shopping malls (similar to getting the “antipasto” ready before the main dinner course). To rev up loads of holiday cheer, umpteen magical, crystal-like illuminations set up in well-known districts and city streets will soon be turned on (if not
on already) to cast light on myriad “presepe” (crib) and nativity displays besides alluring gift items. What’s more, scads of their sweet bread, “panettone” (cupolashaped with raisins) and “pandoro” (starshaped with eggs and butter), are now elbowing out each other for space in food ARE CHRISTMAS EVENTS Page 11
Sailors Should Submit Tuition Assistance/NCPACE DL Requests Now for January Term From Navy College Program Public Affairs
If you are working toward a certificate, associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s degree, or haven’t yet started down the collegiate path, but want to attend college, Naples is a great place to start or continue your college career. Sailors planning to take college courses in 2018
can get a head-start on the process and beat the holiday rush by selecting courses and applying now for Tuition Assistance (TA)/Navy College Program for Afloat College Education (NCPACE) Distance Learning (DL) funding. “The Navy College Office Naples can assist you in
getting started and navigating through a program even at the professional level,” Navy College Office Counselor Larry Daley said. “We realize that juggling work, duty, deployments, and family responsibilities can be difficult when you add college work, but it is achievable.”
A great tool to help you achieve your educational goal is the Navy’s Tuition Assistance program, which can pay up to $250 per semester hour, $166.67 per quarter hour and $16.67 per clock hour. Tuition assistance pays for 16 semester hours, 24 quarter hours or 240 clock hours per fiscal year. TUITION ASSISTANCE
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CAPTAIN’S CORNER. . . . . . . . . 2 BASE NOTES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 FFSC CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . 5
90%
SOUND OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 MOVIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 JOBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
50% NCT PRESENTS ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ DEC. 6-9 . . . . . . . . page 5
GET READY FOR COLD WEATHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 14