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Thursday, March 8, 2012
Tester
BEYA recognizes 18 at NAVAIR for STEM accomplishments By Emily Funderburk Total Force Strategy and Management Department
Photo courtesy of BEYA
NAVAIR senior leaders and awardees at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Global Competitiveness Conference in Philadelphia Feb. 16-18 included (from left) Leslie Taylor, Marla Singleton, Xavier Rose, Brittany Spellers, Walt Augustin, NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. David Architzel, James Carter, Tommy Sadler, LaTonya Bowles, Gabriel Ngounou, Rear Adm. (sel) CJ Jaynes, Wadson Felix, Clifford Laguerre, Bryant Craig, Larry Wilkerson, Lawrence Ames, NaShaune Simmons, Rear Adm. Randolph Mahr, Gernai Bledsoe, Larry E. Hollingsworth, Jackie Powell, Dr. Ronald Smiley, Petra Robinson and Michael Cohn.
Change in military sick call process
US Navy file photo
By Capt. Sandra Hearn Navy Counselor Effective Monday, March 26, Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River’s Military Medicine department will no longer offer sick call hours. This change is intended to improve access to care and eliminate unnecessary time spent in the sick call queue at military medicine waiting to be seen. Scheduled appointments will be available for active duty service members who have either a non-urgent (routine) or urgent(acute) health concern. Service members should call the appointment line at 301-342-1506 or Military Medicine Clinic
at 301-342-1429 to request an appointment. To schedule a Periodic Health Assessment/Birth Month Review, call the Deployment Health Clinic directly at 301-757-7025. All PHA's are performed in the Deployment Health Clinic for any service member not on flight status and not receiving flight pay. Overseas, Sea Duty and Individual Augmentee screenings are also seen in the Deployment Health Clinic. Screenings are performed on a walk-in basis every day except Wednesday between 7:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Wednesday hours are 7:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Individuals seeking this service must have their orders in hand to be screened. For information, call 757-7025.
PHILADELPHIA - Eighteen NAVAIR employees earned Special Recognition and Modern Day Technology Leadership Awards at the 26th National Black Engineer of the Year Awards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Global Competitiveness Conference here Feb. 16-18. "One of the most important assets we have is our corps of technical leaders," said NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. David Architzel. "They are the technical conscience of our organization, and our programs depend heavily on their expertise and experience to deliver new capabilities to fleet warfighters." A study by the National Science Board released in 2010 showed the average percentage of graduates earning STEM degrees in China was 47 percent; in South Korea, 38 percent and in Germany, 28 percent. The same study showed only 16 percent of graduates in the United States earned a STEM degree. The Navy put $54 million toward STEM initiatives in 2010 and will in-
crease its investment to $100 million by 2015. Kami Carter, a NAVAIR chemist, was one of two NAVAIR employees to receive a BEYA Special Recognition Award for most promising engineer. Based out of Jacksonville, Fla., Carter oversees a program that maintains quality and integrity of electroplating, cleaning and surface finishing processes used in military specifications. As lead analyst, she has helped find a suitable cleaning alternative for aviator breathing oxygen and has also worked on a solvent substitution Navy environmental sustainability project for replacing Freon, a known ozone-depleting substance. Growing up in a military family, Carter said she faced constant change and struggled in school in her early years. "I may not have been the smartest student, but I always worked hard," she said, later testing into advanced science and math classes. "Today, I'm making my mark in Navy aviation and in the Department of Defense." NewTechnology Insertion Engineer Ben Thompson also received a Special
See BEYA, Page 6
Ask the CO My question is about Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield, scheduled for March 19-24. If I'm not on the Mission Essential Personnel list and I come to work anyway on March 23, will I be prohibited from coming onto the base? Response by Capt. Ted Mills: The purpose of Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield is to test the effectiveness and response of Naval force protection and anti-terrorism efforts across the United States. This is a critically important mission, so we need everyone's help to not impede this task. If your supervisor has not identified you as Mission Essential Personnel, please make every effort to remain off the Naval Air Station on March 23 in accordance with arrangements made with your organization. Some employees have been pre-approved for telework or work from alternate locations, and I strongly urge them to take advantage of that opportunity. Many firstline supervisors are placing their employees on a Compressed Work Schedule day or other schedule that allows them to not be at work on Friday, March 23. While many aspects of the exercise will be transparent, enhanced security at the entry gates will be very evident. Those coming to work that day should expect significant delays at all gates during the period of enhanced force protection conditions. The more people who try to
enter the gates, the longer the delay will be for those who truly need to be on base. For those who are MEP and are required to be at work on March 23, my biggest piece of advice is: pack a lunch. There will be few if any onbase food options aboard base that day. Departing and trying to re-enter needlessly adds to the already significant delays expected that day. We will be publishing a list of limited services that will be available on that day. Please don't confuse MEP and mission importance. Everyone here at NAS Patuxent River is important to the Navy, regardless of your job. However there are times and situations that only certain people (e.g., security personnel, first responders, and other critical mission personnel) should be on base. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.