journal 24 january

Vol. 25 No. 3 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ January 24, 2013

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Secretary of the Navy(SECNAV) the HonorableRay Mabus presented Con-gressman C.W. Bill Youngand his wife Beverly with theDistinguished Public ServiceAward at Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC) Friday.

Mabus stated it was ap-propriate to recognize thecouple in front of the “Un-spoken Bond” statue dedi-cated to Hospital Corpsmenwho served with the Ma-rines in the Pacific duringWorld War II. The statue islocated in Building 10. Dur-ing the SECNAV’s presenta-tion he cited the many yearsand, “contributions that theChairman and Beverly havemade not only at this facil-ity, but for the help and well-being of Sailors and Marinesall over the world.”

The 82-year-old Congress-man represents Florida’s13th congressional district,

and has served as a U.S.Representative since 1971.He is currently the longest-serving Republican memberof Congress, and serves asChairman of the House Ap-propriations Subcommitteeon Defense. His wife, BeverlyYoung, was acknowledged atthe ceremony for her person-al passion, along with “herattention, her persistenceon behalf of our Sailors andMarines, and those who havebeen wounded in the lineof duty,” said Mabus. “Sheknows everybody’s name.She knows their family…their stories, where they’refrom,” he added.

Mabus presented BeverlyYoung with the Departmentof the Navy DistinguishedPublic Service Award for ex-ceptional service. The awardcited her selfless service tothe nation’s Sailors and Ma-rines, especially woundedwarriors, to ensure they wereprovided with the resourcesnecessary to heal and reinte-grate into the military.

“This is a great hospital,”

she said. “And everybodythat’s been injured, every-body … if it wasn’t for them… I wouldn’t be standing

here. Whatever I can do tohelp them survive what’shappened to them, I will doit,” she explained.

Congressman Young’saward cited his “long, self-

SECNAV Honors Congressman, Wife at WRNMMC

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Congressman C.W. Bill Young shakes hands with Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, right, at the Jan.18 ceremony held at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Mabus presented Young andhis wife, Beverly, with the Distinguished Public Service Award.

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

John K. HamiltonNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

February 5 is the proposedstart date for the WalterReed National Military Med-ical Center’s (WRNMMC)Volunteer Income Tax As-sistance (VITA) program, aservice that assists servicemembers and their familieswith preparing and filingtheir personal taxes, free ofcharge scheduled to run un-til the end of April.

“This year [the tax cen-ter] is going to the self helpservice,” said Ashby Dyke,legal assistance attorneyat WRNMMC. “The way itworks is a service membercomes in [to the Jag Officelocated in Building 1 on theseventh floor] where we willhave computers and VITAtax helpers there and whathappens is the service mem-ber will get on the websiteand do their tax returnswith the VITA tax peoplethere to assist them withany questions that they may

have on how to do it or anyissues that they have.”

In order for the programto be a success it is impor-tant to train volunteers tobe qualified tax preparers.

“Anybody that wants tobe a volunteer can applyand they do not need anyprior tax handling experi-ence,” said Dyke. “We givethem training, because to bea VITA volunteer you haveto pass an exam and thenyou get a certificate say-ing that you’re a certifiedVITA trainer. The way you

get that training is throughan online course, but it doestake a long time and you’reprobably looking at a weekto do it.”

Hospital Corpsman 2ndClass Isaac Francois, aVITA volunteer, said thereare some websites that letyou file your taxes for free,but getting the assistancefrom a VITA tax agent canhelp avoid some of the head-aches of filing a return onyour own.

“I think the VITA programis outstanding and that ev-

ery service member shouldtake advantage of it,” saidFrancois. “One thing I wantto emphasize is that VITAis an IRS (Internal RevenueService) program, so we doeverything exactly how itis supposed to be done, andavoid the headaches thatcould follow a shady tax fill-ing.”

The VITA program isstaffed with service mem-bers, contractors and civil-ians who care and have a

VITA Helps Service Members Get Their Taxes Done RightSee SECNAV page 10

See TAXES page 6

2 Thursday, January 24, 2013 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appearanceof advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage without re-

gard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap,political affiliation, or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,

prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lowerlevel, Room 41, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301- 295-1803. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by telephoning 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass

Public Affairs Officer NSAB: Joseph MacriPublic Affairs Office NSAB: (301) 295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton

Sarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderDavid A. DickinsonJeremy Johnson

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan Parde

WRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

WRNMMC OmbudsmanJulie Bondar 443-854-5167

NSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector 703-901-6730

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Offsite Parking Contract EndThe contract for off-site parking located at

Rockledge Lot near Montgomery Mall, 6720Rockledge Drive, will terminate on Jan. 30.This contract included 100 parking spaces,and the contract end affects approximate-ly 60 staff members. On Feb. 1, the off-siteparking spaces will not be available. We areactively looking for other off-base parkingsites to address this situation.

National Children’s Dental Health MonthIn observance of National Children’s

Dental Health Month during February,the Pediatric Dental Clinic at Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center and NavalPostgraduate Dental School will performoral screenings and caries assessmentsfor children ages 6 months to 12 years onFeb. 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the AmericaBuilding, fourth floor, Pediatric Clinic. Theevent will also include face painting, story-telling, games and instructions for teachingchildren good oral hygiene habits.

Building 62 No Cover AreaService members in uniform are re-

minded that the area between Building 11and Building 62 at Naval Support ActivityBethesda is a cover-free area. Military coversshould not be worn, and military salutes arenot required while navigating this area.

Financial CounselingFree financial coaching for all service mem-

bers, federal employees, contractors, andfamily members is available at the Fleet andFamily Support Center (FFSC) in Building11. Assistance is available to analyze yourcredit report or credit scores, discuss retire-ment (Thrift Savings Plan) options, and cre-ate a budget. To schedule an appointment, orfor more information, call 301-319-4087, ore-mail [email protected].

Bethesda Notebook

Recently, asI’ve been out andabout around thebase in the morn-ings, I’ve noticedsomething that’sbeen getting un-der my skin –people failing tostop and show re-spect when theyplay the nationalanthem. I’ve seenthis from boththose in uniformand civil ians.If you’re one ofthem, here are acouple of reasonsI’d ask you to re-consider.

Customs andcourtesies – In the military, we ob-serve these. We salute, we addresspeople a certain way and we stop,stand at attention and salute whenthe national anthem is played. Wedo this because it sets us apart asan organization. It shows that wetake pride in who we are and whatwe stand for. And if you’re a civil-ian, it shows that you respect theculture of that organization justas you respect certain rules whenyou’re a guest in someone’s home.

Tradition – Morning colors issomething that is done at militaryinstallations across the world. Ithas been done for as long as mostcan remember. Tradition is notsomething we do because, “we’vealways done it that way.” It’s some-thing we do because it binds us tothose who have served before usand because it reminds us of what

we stand for.Finally, there

is the best andsimplest rea-son for stoppingfor those twominutes in themorning. It ’sthe right thingto do. WhenI’ve seen pa-tients come outof the hospitalin the morningto pay their re-spects, it’s theright thing todo. When yousee everyoneelse around youstopping, it ’sthe right thing

to do. And when we have peoplejust inside the doors that sit op-posite the flag pole who have sac-rificed so much for their country,it’s the right thing to do.

I’m not trying to preach to you.I’m just asking that you thinkabout why we carry out this sim-ple yet important tradition everymorning. I hope I’ve gotten youthinking about why we stop andpay our respects to the flag. And ifyou’re one of the people I’ve seen,one of those who keeps walking ordriving when everyone else hasstopped, take a moment to recon-sider.

Chief Master-at-ArmsMarty McQuaggeNaval Support ActivityBethesdaSenior Enlisted Leader

Leadership Perspective

The Journal Thursday, January 24, 2013 3

By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Journal staff writer

In the three years since retiredNavy corpsman Ed Bonfiglio waswounded in combat, his recovery hasbeen nothing short of a challenge,but with an innovative nerve graftsurgery at Walter Reed Bethesda, helooks to a brighter future.

“I thought I was either going tohave to amputate right away, ormove on to something different.Then this [surgery] came along. Thisis amazing. This is just like a mira-cle for me,” Bonfiglio said.

In August 2009, Bonfiglio wasattached to a Marine Corps unitin Afghanistan. While conductingcombat operations, their unit wasambushed, and he was shot throughhis left leg – a pain unlike any hehad ever experienced, he said. Hisleg quickly went numb, went outfrom under him, and he collapsedto the ground. As his fellow Marinesrushed to his aide, he immediatelysuspected a sciatic nerve injury.

After being flown to the now Wal-ter Reed National Military Medi-cal Center (WRNMMC), Bonfigliosoon learned his medical instinctwas right – his sciatic nerve wassevered. The longest, largest singlenerve in the body, the sciatic nerveextends from the lower back down tothe ankle and foot.

“There was a four to five centime-ter gap in the nerve,” explained Lt.Cmdr. (Dr.) Patrick Basile, assistantchief of Plastic Surgery and directorof Microsurgery at WRNMMC.

Although Bonfiglio’s entire legappeared otherwise normal, theinjury essentially left him withoutany feeling or function below his leftknee.

“I lost all movement in the bottomof my leg. I was unable to squeezeany muscles, my toes, feel anything,mostly,” said Bonfiglio.

Basile went on to note the injurywas unusual, given where the nervewas severed, on his upper thigh, andthat such a considerable amount ofnerve was missing.

The plastic surgeon explained, be-fore Bonfiglio, no one had been pre-sented with this type of injury at themedical center.

Typically, surgeons can restoredamage to peripheral nerves, whichcarry information to and from thebrain, by creating a nerve graft.This is done by harvesting periph-eral nerves from other areas of thepatient’s own body, he explained.Peripheral nerves are foundthroughout the body, unlike the sci-atic nerve; therefore, surgeons didnot have the option of harvesting asciatic nerve graft from Bonfiglio’sbody.

Basile recalled both he and hispatient were adamant about explor-ing every option. They consideredkeeping the leg, knowing it may

never work again, and even consid-ered amputation. The surgeon saidhe consulted other colleagues andspecialists, as well as researchedthe possibility of trying a newersurgery being used on peripheralnerves, known as an allograft.

An allograft – an organized, scaf-folding structure – is used to main-tain the linear anatomy of the nerveand can be customized to fit a nerve,supporting the body’s own regener-ation process. Basile explained theground-breaking operation also al-lows patients to avoid incisions inother parts of the body. The decisionwas made to insert an allograft inBonfiglio’s sciatic nerve, somethingthat had not been done at the medi-cal center. About two weeks afterBonfiglio was injured, the formerpetty officer underwent the single-stage surgery, which lasted roughlytwo hours.

In the following months, Bonfigliounderwent physical therapy almostevery day, and soon went from awheelchair to crutches, but it wasnot easy. He struggled to regaincomplete use of his leg and at times,he admitted he wanted to quit, buthis therapists and Basile encour-aged him to persevere.

About six months into his recov-ery, he could move his left foot whenhis therapist asked him to do so.

“I saw my foot actually move uptowards me, and that was a big mo-ment for me,” he said. Little by little,he began regaining most of the feel-ing and movement in his leg, thougha few parts are still numb, he added.

Today, the 27-year-old said hecontinues to improve. He once be-lieved he would have to rely on acane to walk, but can now walklong distances without any aid forseveral hours at a time, pain free,he said. He has even started doingsome light jogging – something henever thought he would be able todo again.

Now enrolled at East CarolinaUniversity, in Greenville, N.C., Bon-figlio hopes to earn a degree in ki-nesiology, the study of human move-ment. He plans to transfer to PennState University, in Pennsylvania,where he hopes to join their Para-lympic team, and compete in shotput, discus throwing and power lift-ing. That will require a lot of legstrength, he said, but he’s confidenthe can do it.

Bonfiglio recalled what helpedhim make it through his journey— the staff rooting for him. Basileechoed the same sentiment, thank-ful for the support from his col-leagues, noting that since Bonfiglio’sprocedure, more than 20 have beenconducted at WRNMMC.

“I’m happy to be part of a group ofdoctors who are highly trained in anumber of different disciplines, andto be able to offer this type of careto our nation’s bravest,” said Basile.

Unique Surgery Restores Quality of Life for Wounded Troops

Photo by Sarah Marshall

Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Patrick Basile, assistant chief of Plastic Surgery anddirector of Microsurgery at Walter Reed Bethesda, assesses theprogress of Ed Bonfiglio’s leg. Bonfiglio, now retired, was shot inthe left leg during combat in August 2009, while serving as a corps-man with a Marine unit.

103325

6



Nathan PardeNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Naval Support Activity Bethesda(NSAB) recently added contribu-tions from the NSAB Morale, Wel-fare, and Recreation (MWR) Face-book page to its own to create oneunified site for the command.

“The purpose of the page is basi-cally to share information with thosewho interact with Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda,” said NSAB PublicAffairs Officer Joseph Macri. “Thiscould be people who work on thebase, people who visit the base forMWR or shopping needs, or peoplewho visit for medical appointments.”

The page, which can be found bysearching ‘Naval Support ActivityBethesda” on Facebook, is mostlymeant to pass information internal-ly, though any visitors to the pageare welcome, said Macri.

“Whether it’s information fromthe commander, MWR, emergencymanagement, information on weath-er or closings – it’s all here in oneplace for them to find it,” he said.“We also post articles from the basepaper and we can see what pulls a

greater amount of interest. We usu-ally receive very positive feedback,but we welcome any kind of feed-back, whether positive or negative.”

The feedback that Facebook fos-ters is one of its best features, mak-ing the social media site a great re-source for the command, said Macri.

“Facebook is a useful tool becauseof its immediacy. I can post andget information in very short orderand receive direct feedback on ourpostings. This allows us to respondquickly and answer any questions

that the community might have.”The new NSAB Facebook page is

meant to be a one-stop source of in-formation for the base and all ten-ant commands, including the Wal-ter Reed National Military MedicalCenter, which has its own activeFacebook following, said Macri.

Naval Support Activity Bethes-da’s MWR Marketing Director Jen-ny Charlson said she hopes postingMWR content will bring more fun tothe NSAB Facebook page.

“We have already begun to put

up information on current events,including a Valentine’s Day murdermystery dinner show and Valentineballoon bouquet,” said Charlson.

She agrees that Facebook is auseful tool that can benefit the localcommunity.

“Facebook is a great way to getthe word out there about what ishappening and what benefits areavailable for military families andDOD (Department of Defense) civil-ians on base.”

In addition to the Facebook posts,NSAB MWR plans on continuing tospread information through otherelectronic means, said Charlson.

“We are in the process of puttingtogether a regular email newsletter,which will show what is happeningin the next few weeks and providelinks to information about theseevents, similar to the hospital’sPostmaster,” she said.

For more information about up-coming MWR events or to sign upfor the upcoming newsletter, con-tact Charlson at [email protected] or 301-295-1046. Forany inquiries or further informationabout the NSAB Facebook page,contact Macri at [email protected] or 301-295-1803.

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By Donna MilesAmerican Forces

Press Service

President Barack Obamaopened the first inauguralball Monday night extending“extraordinary gratitude” tothe men and women in uni-form and promised to ensurethey have everything theyneed as they defend Ameri-cans’ freedoms every day.

Speaking to hundreds ofservice members, includingwounded warriors and Med-al of Honor recipients, GoldStar families and veteransgathered at the Commanderin Chief ’s Ball, and via a tele-vised webcast with troopsdeployed to Afghanistan, thepresident said it’s impossibleto say “thank you” enough tothose who serve.

“Thank you for volunteer-ing. Thank you for steppingup. Thank you for keeping usstrong. Thank you for alwaysmaking us proud,” he toldthe gathering.

“I have no greater honorthan being your commander

in chief,” he said, drawingenthusiastic applause.

Obama ticked off some ofthe accomplishments made

possible during the past fouryears, and vowed to ensurethe military has what itneeds for continued success.

“It’s because of you thatwith honor we were able toend the war in Iraq. Becauseof you that we delivered jus-

tice to Osama bin Laden.Because of you that it’s evenpossible to give Afghans achance to determine theirown destiny,” he said. “Weare going forward, and we’llkeep our military the finestfighting force the world hasever known.”

The president offered spe-cial recognition to membersof the 3rd Infantry Divisionand Regional CommandSouth, who are deployedto Kandahar, Afghanistan.He spoke via teleconferencewith Army Sgt. 1st Class Or-lando Jackson and Army Sgt.1st Class David Wood fromthe 3rd Infantry Division’sFalcon Brigade, Task ForceLight Horse; and Air ForceMaster Sgt. Robert Skow-ronski and Air Force Mas-ter Sgt. James Godlewski ofthe 807th Expeditionary AirSupport Operations Squad-ron.

“We know it’s tough beingaway from your families. Weknow the incredible sacri-

President Promises Continued Support at Inaugural Ball

DOD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sun L. Vega

Vice President Joe Biden dances with Army Staff Sgt. Keesha Dentino at theCommander in Chief’s Ball in Washington, D.C., Monday night. His wife, Dr. JillBiden, dances with Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Patrick R. Figueroa. Figueroa isassigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a manpower trans-fer clerk.

See BALL page 10

1033260


By Jeremy K. JohnsonNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

In a ceremony held Jan.17 at Naval Support Ac-tivity Bethesda, NationalCapital Region WarriorTransition Brigade (WTB)welcomed their new brigadecommander, Col. MichelleFraley.

The assumption of com-mand took place in the gym-nasium of Building 17 andgave Soldiers assigned tothe brigade a chance to hearwords of support from theiroutgoing commander, Col.Jean Whalen, one last time.

“To the staff, as I reflectback from my first day here,I asked you for your team-work, acceptance, compas-sion, tolerance and, mostimportantly, I asked for yourleadership, as I saw each ofyou as a leader,” she said. “Istand here today to say, ‘Youdelivered!’”

The mission of WTB is toheal, educate and conditionSoldiers who are woundedor injured, transitioningthem back to the force or ci-vilian society.

Col. Whalen assumedcommand of the brigade inOctober 2012, when the pre-vious brigade commanderrelinquished the positionfor health reasons. Duringher four month tenure, sheimproved several aspects ofWTB operations, includingthe “One Stop” in-process-ing of wounded warriorsand their families, reducingthe average completion timefrom 45 days to five.

Whalen, an Army reserv-ist, will be returning to ci-vilian life to resume her po-sition as the director of theWarrior Transition Office atNorthern Regional MedicalCommand Headquarters,

where she has promised tocontinue her support of theunit.

“I will continue to workwith Brigadier GeneralBishop of Warrior Transi-tion Command and Ma-jor General Jones and histeam,” she explained, “withour collective aimed at ef-forts improving warrior careand the transition program.”

As the new brigade com-

mander, Fraley offered afew brief but encouragingremarks about the futureof the brigade, with a focuson possible budget cuts forthe Department of Defense(DOD) in the near future.

“Our nation’s commitmentto take care of our wounded,ill and injured service mem-bers remains loud and clear.As recently as January 10of this year, Deputy Secre-

tary Ashton Carter issuedguidance to address DOD’scurrent uncertain budget-ary situation. His guidancedirects full protection of theWounded Warrior programs;one of only three programsthat are currently fully pro-tected against possible DODfunding cuts,” Fraley said.“January 16, the Secretaryof the Army and the Chiefof Staff of the Army also is-

sued specific Army guidancethat protects funding ofthe Wounded Warrior pro-grams.”

She ended with a simplepromise to continue thework of the brigade, “Know-ing the challenges and op-portunities ahead, as yournew brigade commander, Iremain committed to ‘Car-ing for Soldiers ... Heal, Ed-ucate and Transition.’”

NCR Warrior Transition Brigade Welcomes New Commander

Photo by Jeremy Johnson

Col. Michelle Fraley prepares to receive the brigade colors from Col. Jean Whalen during an assumption ofcommand ceremony for National Capital Region Warrior Transition Brigade held Jan.17 at Naval SupportActivity Bethesda. The passing of the brigade colors is a symbolic transfer of responsibilities from one com-manding officer to the next.

desire to produce completeand efficient returns forservice members and theirfamilies.

“This is actually my sec-ond time volunteering asa VITA tax agent, but I’vebeen doing my own taxessince 2006 and I’ve always

done a good job so I decidedto help others get their re-turns done,” said Francois.“My first year as a VITA taxagent was while stationedat Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.It was a very exciting expe-rience, and I loved it when aservice member walked outof the office happy.

“As a VITA tax preparer,one must be certified to theappropriate level in orderto prepare taxes,” he added.“As of now, I’m certified all

the way up to the advancedand military level, so I canpretty much prepare and filefor anybody who’s within theVITA scope. I’ll mainly beconducting interviews, col-lecting required documents,preparing and filing taxes,and I hope to put a smile onevery client’s face.”

Individuals interested inbecoming a VITA volunteercan contact Dyke at 301-319-7827 or Deborah Clark-Burnside at 301-319-7828.

TAXESContinued from 1


By Jeremy K. JohnsonNSAB Public Affairs staff writer

Navy Medicine Professional DevelopmentCenter (NMPDC) recently announced selectionsfor the Sailors of the Year, including Sailor ofthe Year, Junior Sailor of the Year and Bluejack-et of the Year.

Master Chief Hospital Corpsman Clint Gar-rett said this year’s selection highlights Sailorswho are taking the lead and doing great thingsfor the Navy.

“It’s always great to know that the future ofour great nation, the Navy and Navy Medicineis being passed on to individuals of such char-acter and high caliber professionalism,” he said.

Leading petty officer (LPO) for the Director-ate of Administration and Directorate of Re-sources Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Shaun L.Kestner was named NMPDC Sailor of the Year.He said he was surprised, but glad for the op-portunity to recognize others.

“I couldn’t have done this without my team,”he said. “The biggest reward here is bringinglight to the quality of Sailors that I have, whowork with me every day.”

Kestner said his views on leadership includebeing able to recognize and balance both theneeds of the Navy and the needs of the Sailor.

“Today’s Navy isn’t like my grandfather’sNavy when he served in World War II. The needsare different. We’re more family centric now,” heexplained. “You have to take into consideration- especially at a shore billet - you’re going tohave exceptional family members, you’re goingto have persons that are going through a di-vorce, you’re going to have humanitarian ordersthat are cut for people to come in, you’re goingto have individuals with limited duty, light dutyand med boards. You have to figure out how tomake them a viable part of the team, but at thesame time, give them the opportunity to get totheir appointments, to go meet with lawyers, togo meet with doctors, to go meet with childcarerepresentatives and all those different circum-stances.”

Leading petty officer isn’t the only hat Kest-ner wears, however. He’s volunteered on NMP-DC’s Command Color Guard, served as a com-mand fitness leader, and served as president ofthe First Class Petty Officer association. He’salso a certified emergency medical technicianand trained officer in charge, volunteering withthe Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Acad-emy.

With all of that, it may not be surprising tolearn that this isn’t the first time he’s been rec-ognized. In 2009, he was selected as the JuniorSailor of the Year for 3rd Marine Division inOkinawa, Japan.

Kestner has been with NMPDC for two years.Naval Postgraduate Dental School Director-

ate Periodontics Clinic LPO Hospital Corpsman2nd Class Andre Delaine was selected NMPDCJunior Sailor of the Year. According to his nomi-nation package, Delaine served as an assistantcommand casualty calls officer, performing du-ties normally assigned to an officer or chief inthe Navy, and provided more than 160 hours of

“timely and compassionate care to a family intheir time of need.”

He said in his leadership moments, he’slearned to listen better. “It’s 80 percent com-munication and 20 percent real work. I wouldwonder, some days, why I would leave and notreally get too much work done. Coming to thisposition of leadership, I learned the communica-tion aspect is key to any successful enterprise. Ialways have an open door. People tell me every-thing about themselves. No matter what’s go-ing on, people always want to talk. If you listento everyone and learn to be empathetic aboutit, then they know they can trust you and theywork harder for you.”

The one thing Delaine said he’d like to sharewith people who want to succeed is the idea ofselflessness. “Never be selfish. It’s never aboutyou,” he said. “When you take care of everyoneelse, you’re still taking care of yourself, butyou’re giving selflessly.”

Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Shawn Mar-shall also works in the Naval Postgraduate Den-tal School Directorate and was selected NMPDCBluejacket Sailor of the Year.

Marshall works as the supply petty officer forthe Endodontic Department and was recognizedfor his success when called upon to serve as theLPO in his department. He was also recognizedfor his multiple volunteer and collateral duties,including serving as the public affairs officerfor the Coalition of Sailors Against DestructiveDecisions.

“I was in shock when I won,” he said. “I washappy. Being selected said to me that they sawall the hard work I’ve done. Coming in fromfield medicine to what I’m doing now was a bigchange for me. I was excited that my hard workpaid off.”

His advice to other young Sailors starting outis to be assertive, “Stay focused, be dedicated.If opportunity knocks, open the door. Take theinitiative. We are in control of our careers.”

Marshall has been with NMPDC for two yearsand is headed to San Diego for his next assign-ment.

NMPDC Names Sailors of the Year

NMPDC Sailor of the Year HospitalCorpsman 1st Class Shaun L. Kestner

NMPDC Junior Sailor of the Year HospitalCorpsman 2nd Class Andre Delaine

NMPDC Bluejacket Sailor of the Year Hos-pital Corpsman 3rd Class Shawn Marshall


By David A. DickinsonWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Grammy Award winningrock and roll legend JoeWalsh visited Walter ReedBethesda on Jan. 4, not topromote an upcoming al-bum, reality show or tour,but to support the militarypersonnel he deeply caresabout, he explained.

Walsh lost his birth fa-ther, an Army Air Corps-man who served in Okina-wa, during the Korean War.Although exempt from thedraft during the Vietnamera, Walsh, the former Ea-gles’ front man said, “I stillhave a lot of buddies whoserved there and I stay incontact with.

“My personal project isto raise awareness for thewarriors [at Walter ReedBethesda] this year,” saidthe Rock and Roll Hall ofFamer. “I figured that I

could start by coming to-day to see what they are upagainst,” he added.

While in the MilitaryAdvanced Training Cen-ter (MATC) at WRNMMCvisiting wounded warriors,Walsh took time to giveimpromptu guitar lessons.Army Sgt. Lucas Oppeltsaid about his lesson, “Itwas a real treat and he’s awonderful guy. I know he’sknowledgeable about theguitar, so one thing I want-ed to do is get a little lessonfrom him,” added the Sol-dier, injured in Afghanistanin May 2012.

“I saw what they were do-ing and I gave them sometips to make practicingfun,” Walsh explained abouthis guitar instructions tothe troops. “I showed themsome blues licks and somethings they hadn’t thoughtof so they could work onthem.”

Walsh said some of his

friends who fought in Viet-nam had a hard time whenthey reintegrated back intosociety after they returnedfrom the war. “That’s an-other reason I’m here today-- to make sure that doesn’thappen again, at least asmuch as I can help,” saidthe guitarist, songwriterand singer.

“I would visit the old fa-cility [Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center] anytimethe Eagles played in Wash-ington, D.C.,” Walsh con-tinued. “My heart is reallylifted by seeing this [new]facility. This place is thebest,” he added.

Walsh joined the Eaglesin 1975 and was featuredprominently on their multi-million selling album “Ho-tel California,” co-writingthe Top 20 hit “Life in theFast Lane” with fellow Ea-gles, Don Henley and GlennFrey.

Music Legend Joe Walsh Visits Walter Reed Bethesda

Courtesy photo

Army Sgt. Lucas Oppelt (left) receives an impromptuguitar lesson from music legend Joe Walsh in the Mili-tary Advanced Training Center (MATC) at WalterReed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)recently.

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John K. HamiltonNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Lt. Christopher Hurt, employedat Naval Support Activity Bethesda(NSAB) until the end of 2012, wasrecently named the Naval FacilitiesEngineering Command (NAVFAC)Washington 2013 Engineer of theYear.

Hurt’s selection as Engineer ofthe Year was due in large part to hismanagement of major constructionprojects at Walter Reed National Mil-itary Medical Center (WRNMMC)where he was stationed for much ofthe last two years. Hurt is currentlya construction manager at ResidentOfficer in Charge of ConstructionAndrews working on a fuel line andpumphouse replacement project andalso on the replacement of the An-drews Ambulatory Care Center andDental Clinic.

“Lt. Hurt distinguished himselfas an extremely talented engineerand leader whose complete dedica-tion and hard work ensured that

NAVFAC delivered excellent sup-port to our wounded warriors andother WRNMMC patients,” saidLt. Cmdr. Kent Simodynes, PublicWorks Department Bethesda. “He iswell-deserving of this award.”

Humbled by the receipt of thisaward, Hurt said he would neverhave been picked if it weren’t forthe commanding officers, publicworks officers and Chief ’s Messmentorship.

“I’m very appreciative to receivethe award, knowing that there aremany deserving candidates,” saidHurt. “Truly, I wouldn’t be success-ful without others taking the timeto answer my questions, mentor meand challenge me to improve.”

Hurt shared his account of whyhe thought he was selected as En-gineer of the Year.

“I reported to Bethesda in De-cember 2010, and spent the nextsix to nine months focusing on un-derstanding the role of a construc-tion manager – paying attention toNAVFAC processes, base require-

ments, local contacts, constructionmethods and building relation-ships,” said Hurt. “When I felt com-fortable with that knowledge andmy workload, I focused on sharingwhat I knew, trying to make theFEAD (Facilities Engineering &Acquisition Division) department amore cohesive team, valuing every-one’s contributions, providing guid-ance and solutions where possible,and finding others to help with an-swers I couldn’t provide. Ratherthan simply performing daily as-signed tasks, I encourage everyoneto think about how they can im-prove their workplace.

“It’s always a pleasure to providea well constructed end product toanyone,” he added. “I think every-one involved, whether governmentor contractor, takes great pride intheir work, and we would gladlysupport NSA Bethesda and theirmission for as long as we can.”

NAVFAC Washington Names 2013 Engineer of the Year

Courtesy photo

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fices and challenges that you make every day,”Obama said. “But I can tell you that you’ve got aroom full of patriots here.

“And although I’ve got to admit that they’re alittle spiffied up right now,” he continued, draw-ing laughter and applause, “their heart and soul,their dedication, their sense of duty is at one with

every single one of the folks who are in Kandaharright now.”

Reflecting on his swearing-in on the steps ofthe U.S. Capitol earlier in the day, Obama said hebiggest cheer he received was as he spoke about“the extraordinary men and women in uniformthat preserve our freedom and keep our countrystrong.”

He offered assurance that the nation will con-tinue to stand by them and give them the toolsand support they and their families require.

“We’re going to make sure that you’ve got theequipment, the strategy [and] the mission that

allows you to succeed and keep our country safe,”he said. “Know that we are going to be looking af-ter and thinking about your families every singleday -- and that when you get back home, you’regoing to be greeted by a grateful nation.”

Four service members were selected for honor-ary dances during the ball.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Bria D. Nelson of the 579thMedical Operations Squadron, Joint Base Ana-costia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., danced withthe president.

Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Timothy D. East-erling, assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington,D.C., as a distance learning instructor, dancedwith First Lady Michelle Obama.

Army Staff Sgt. Keesha N. Dentino, assigned tothe 947th Military Police Detachment, Fort Myer,Va., as a patrol explosives detection dog handler,danced with Vice President Joe Biden.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick R.Figueroa, assigned to Walter Reed National Mili-tary Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., as a man-power transfer clerk, danced with Dr. Jill Biden.


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less service to the nation’s Sailors and Marines,[ensuring] they were provided the resources nec-essary to defend America’s interest around theglobe.” The Navy secretary noted Young’s tirelessadvocacy for the nation’s wounded warriors. Ma-bus said the congressman’s support exemplifieshis commitment to the men and women in ourarmed forces.

“This is a real honor,” Young said, as he ac-cepted his award. “The biggest honor is to be ableto come to visit someone who has been hurt bad,recovered here and seeing them on the way outin good shape, in good health, and in fact, manytimes going back to the battle.”

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