lighthouse may 22, 2014

Vol. 14, No. 10 | Thursday, May 22, 2014www.thelighthousenews.com

WHATS INSIDE

Photo by MC1 Charles Panter / nMCb 4

During a recent field training exercise (FTX) at Fort Hunter Liggett in Central California, CE3 Andrew Rexroad,

attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, digs out a fighting position pit to ensure that if

the personnel on watch are attacked, they will be protected. NMCB 4 is preparing to deploy to the Pacific

theater later this year. Story, photos, Pages 16-17.

EARTHMOVER

If you want to take part in

the upcoming Admirals Cup

triathlon, register now at one

of the gyms at Naval Base Ven-

tura County.

This event is advance regis-

tration only, and the cut-off day

Register now

for triathlon

Photo by andrea howry / lighthouse

Capt. Larry Vasquez, commanding officer of

Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), gets his first

look at the remodeled clubhouse at NBVC Port

Huenemes Seabee Golf Course.

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

The clubhouse at the SeabeeGolf Course,

Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Port

Hueneme has reopened after a 12-week re-

modeling project that visitors called awe-

someand said gives the base a much-need-

ed meeting space and a sense of commu-

nity.

Capt. LarryVasquez, commanding officer

of NBVC, helped cut the ribbon Thursday

morning, May 15, then walked in and saw

for the first time how the renovation had

created an open, lodge-type feel to the facil-

ity.

The clubhouse restaurant, called the 19th

HoleGrill, has an expandedmenu featuring

daily specials and Starbucks coffee.

Wewanted to bring something fresh and

new to the base, explainedNorman Verde-

prado, business activity manager for Navy

Region Southwest Dining Services.

Lt. Cmdr. Chris Casne of Naval Mobile

Construction Battalion 5 walked in shortly

Renovated clubhouse opens

It wins the coveted

Ney Award

See CLUBHOUSe, page 23

See TRIaTHLON, page 22

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

The galley atNaval BaseVen-

tura County (NBVC) Point

Mugu has been named the best

small shore galley in the U.S.

Navy.

Mugu galley

deemed best

See NeY, page 24

Kiare Moreno, the spouse of SW3

Patrick Moreno of Naval Mobile

Construction Battalion 5, hams it up

before walking into the photo booth

at the Military Spouse Appreciation

event Thursday, May 8. Page 4

A Seabee diver from Underwater

Construction Battalion (UCT) 2

guides a concrete pump during a

joint underwater concrete placement

with South Korean divers. Page 11

By Captain Larry Vasquez

NBVC Commanding Officer

The LighThOuse is puBLished aT NO COsT TO The gOVerN-

meNT eVery OTher Thursday By The sTar, Of CamariLLO,

Ca. The sTar is a priVaTe firm iN NO way CONNeCTed wiTh

The deparTmeNT Of defeNse Or The uNiTed sTaTes NaVy,

uNder wriTTeN CONTraCT wiTh NaVaL Base VeNTura

COuNTy. The LighThOuse is The ONLy auThOrized CiViLiaN

eNTerprise Newspaper fOr memBers Of The u.s. NaVy,

CiViLiaN empLOyees, reTirees aNd Their famiLy memBers

iN The VeNTura COuNTy area. CONTeNTs Of The paper are

NOT NeCessariLy The OffiCiaL Views Of, NOr eNdOrsed By,

The u.s. gOVerNmeNT, aNd The deparTmeNT Of defeNse,

Or The deparTmeNT Of The NaVy aNd dO NOT impLy eN-

dOrsemeNT ThereOf. The appearaNCe Of adVerTisiNg iN

This puBLiCaTiON iNCLudiNg iNserTs aNd suppLemeNTs,

dOes NOT CONsTiTuTe eNdOrsemeNT Of The deparTmeNT

Of defeNse, The u.s. NaVy Or The sTar, Of The prOduCTs

Or serViCes adVerTised. eVeryThiNg adVerTised iN This

puBLiCaTiON shaLL Be made aVaiLaBLe fOr purChase, use

Or paTrONage wiThOuT regard TO raCe, COLOr, reLigiON,

sex, NaTiONaL OrigiN, age, mariTaL sTaTus, physiCaL

haNdiCap, pOLiTiCaL affiLiaTiON, Or aNy OTher NON-meriT

faCTOr Of The purChaser, use, Or paTrON. if a ViOLaTiON

Or rejeCTiON Of This equaL OppOrTuNiTy pOLiCy By aN ad-

VerTiser is CONfirmed, The puBLisher shaLL refuse TO

priNT adVerTisiNg frOm ThaT sOurCe uNTiL The ViOLaTiON

is COrreCTed. ediTOriaL CONTeNT is ediTed, prepared

aNd prOVided TO The puBLisher By The LOCaL iNsTaLLa-

TiON puBLiC affairs OffiCes uNder The auspiCes Of The

NaVaL Base VeNTura COuNTy puBLiC affairs OffiCe.

COmmaNdiNg OffiCer

Capt. LaRRY VaSQUEZ

Chief sTaff OffiCer

Capt. SCott LoESChkE

COmmaNd masTer Chief

CMDCM pERCY tRENt

puBLiC affairs OffiCer

kIMBERLY GEaRhaRt

LighThOuse ediTOr

aNDREa howRY

[email protected]

805-989-5281

fiNd us aT:

facebook.com/

NavalBaseVenturaCounty

puBLisher

MaRGIE CoChRaNE

adVerTisiNg deparTmeNT

437-033

N aVa L B a s e V e N T u r a C O u N T y

please submit your questions or comments to Lighthouse editor andrea howry at [email protected]

800-221-sTar (7827)

Ask the

Captain

Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse

www.TheLighthouseNews.com

Question: Why arent the single-family homes at

Catalina Heights housing reserved for E7 and above

anymore? I believe this policy is contrary to the intent

behind the Navys fraternization policy, and it also

seems unfair that an E8, E9, O4 or O5 with a $2,500

to $3,000 BAH could be assigned a townhouse while

an E4 with an $1,800 BAH could be assigned a single-

family home. Thank you for your consideration.

Answer: Catalina Heights, managed by Lincoln

Military Housing as part of a public-private venture

(PPV), has always been an open community, accom-

modating all ranks of service members throughout

family housing in any home that is available. Homes

are filled as per Navy wait list policies and with

respect to the Navy/PPV operating agreement and

management plan.

Our PPV neighborhoods stay above 95 percent

capacity these days, and as we continue to grow we

are set to gain 700 to 900 personnel over the next

seven years this will continue to be the case. Hold-

ing single family homes open based on rank, rather

than filling homes with those who qualify as space is

available, is not feasible or recommended in such a

high-demand environment. Its not how we take care of

our Sailors.

As for the Navys fraternization policy, living in

a neighborhood with Sailors junior to you does not

constitute fraternization. Fraternization is inappropri-

ate behavior and relationships between you and junior

Sailors; your own actions are what are judged, not

your street address. We are all part of the Navy family,

and living side-by-side helps remind us of that.

Do you have questions or suggestions? You can

submit them via this forum at [email protected],

online using the COs Suggestion Box at http://cnic.

navy.mil/ventura/index.htm or at www.Facebook.com/

NavalBaseVenturaCounty. You can also follow NBVC

on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NBVCCalifornia and

keep up on the latest news and events.

Why cant Catalina Heights single-family homes be allocated according to rank?


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

CommunityCalendar

TEEN JOB FAIR: 4:30

to 6:30 p.m., Hueneme

Youth Center. Job

opportunities in Child

and Youth Programs for 16- to

18-year-old dependents of active

duty and Department of Defense

civilians. Info: 805-982-4218.

23

FUNDRAISER: Jakes

Wayback Burgers in

NEX Food Court will

donate 20 percent

of proceeds to NMCB 5s Family

Readiness Group all day May 30

and 31. Must show flier thats

available at restaurant. For more

information email NMCB5FRG@

gmail.com.

30

May

mUgU gAS STATION

clOSED: 7 a.m. to 5

p.m. for containment

testing.

29

lUNcHEON: Ventura

County Chapter of

Military Officers

of America, 11:30

a.m., Bard Mansion, NBVC Port

Hueneme. Speaker is Capt. Larry

Vasquez, base commanding

officer. Tickets $13 at the door.

Information: David Faul, 805-484-

3864.

5

cITIZENSHIP AND

ImmIgRATION

OUTREAcH: 10

a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,

second floor, Bldg. 1180, Region

Legal Service Office, NBVC Port

Hueneme. Sign-up required. Info:

805-982-4548.

19

June

PHOTO By cHUck kIRmAN / cOURTESy

VENTURA cOUNTy STAR

OS2 Bryon Simpson, left, of Range

Surveillance, and SW1 Jesse Hamblin,

a Seabee diver with the Ocean Facilities

Department of NAVFAC EXWC, celebrate

Naval Base Ventura Countys victory in the

tug-of-war competition.

Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)

started out the 2014 Ventura Corporate

Games in first place in its division.

It never budged.

The base won the tug-of-war on May

10, the last day of the six-week competi-

tion, capping its first-place finish. Amgen,

which at one point had been three points

behind the base, closed in third place, with

the County of Ventura coming in sec-

ond.

NBVC placed in 16 of the 23 Corporate

Games events, said Robert Bonner, who

has organized the bases involvement in

the event for the last several years. Bonner

is an engineer with Naval Facilities Engi-

neering and ExpeditionaryWarfare Cen-

ter (NAVFAC EXWC).

The final tally was seven first-place gold

medals, five second-place silver medals

and four third-place bronze medals.

Bonner posted photos of the events to

https://www.facebook.com/pages/NBVC-

Corporate-Games/729146580451819.

NBVC wins

Corporate

Games 2014

PHOTO By cHUck kIRmAN / cOURTESy VENTURA cOUNTy STAR

CMC Elisia Correa, a Seabee diver and lead chief petty officer in the Ocean Facilities

Department of Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (EXWC), and

Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Wall of EXWC compete for Naval Base Ventura County in the tug-of-war

competition on the last day of the Corporate Games Saturday, May 10, at Harbor Cove

Beach in Ventura. NBVC won its division thanks to the outcome of the tug-of-war.

It all comes down to tug-of-war on last day of 6-week countywide competition

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

Charles Peters life was turned around

by a beautiful Beagle named Bailey.

In the depths of depression after his wife

of 62 years passed away last year, Peters,

at his daughters urging, went to the ani-

mal control shelter in Camarillo to look

for a companion.

But it was Bailey who chose the 86-year-

old Navy retiree not the other way

around.

She came right up to me and stayed

right by me, Peters recalls. I told my

daughter, Mothers still with us and look-

ing out for us.

So last month, when Bailey spotting

some squirrels or birds or whatever it was

that caught her fancy broke free from

her harness and took off, Peters was dev-

astated.

We were down by 20th and Beach

Road, recalled Peters, who enjoys bring-

ing Bailey to Naval Base Ventura County,

PointMugu, where he finds it quieter and

safer than his Oxnard neighborhood. She

was gone like a lightning bolt, and I went

to pieces. I had a total meltdown.

Not knowing what else to do, he made

his way to the fire station.

Base personnel reunite best friends

PHOTO By ANDREA HOwRy / lIgHTHOUSE

Charles Peters, 86, holds tight to his therapy

dog, Bailey.

Man rescues dog, dog

rescues man, base helps

keep them together

See BASe, pAGe 23

RED cROSS BlOOD

DRIVE: 8 a.m. to 8:15

p.m., Bee Hive Gym,

NBVC Port Hueneme.

ID required. Info: 1-800-733-2767.

12

Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse


By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

Free makeovers and a fashion

showwere among the attractions

that drew more than 500 people

to theMilitary Spouse Apprecia-

tion event Thursday, May 8, at

the Bee Hive Gym at Naval Base

Ventura County (NBVC) Port

Hueneme.

Spouses, many with children in

tow, had their hair and makeup

done and took advantage of a

free photo booth during the

three-hour event put on by the

Fleet & Family Support Center.

A line had begun forming be-

fore the doors opened at 10

a.m.

I came last year and it was

pretty fun, Rebekah Sandridge

said as a stylist from Alejandro

Salon in Ventura curled her hair.

Sandridges spouse is Utilities-

man 3rd Class David Sandridge

with NavalMobile Construction

Battalion (NMCB) 3.

A fashion show halfway

through the event featured spous-

es and base workers modeling

clothes from the Navy Ex-

change.

Free food was served.

Builder 2ndClassNathanDar-

nell of NMCB4 accompanied his

wife, Callie, and the two left with

a new coffeemaker, one of 45

prizes given away.

Callie said she was still making

new friends after arriving on base

in September. She takes her 16-

month-old son, Henry, to a play

group sponsoredbyher husbands

battalion, and that has helped her

meet more people.

Making new friends, finding a

new job basically picking up

and starting over again every few

years its all part of the reason

the FFSC put on the event, ex-

plained CoreyKendrick, the om-

budsman coordinator for FFSC

and one of the event organiz-

ers.

Amilitary spouse herself her

husband is Chief Aviation Elec-

tronics Technician Mickey Ken-

drick with Carrier Airborne

EarlyWarning Squadron (VAW)

116 Kendrick remembers an

especially painful move to Nor-

folk, Va.

We were going to be there for

only eight months, and I knew

it, she recalls. It was hard to

meet people when you knew you

were going to be gone soon. Find-

ing work was hard. And he was

gone 50 percent of the time.

Military Spouse Appreciation

events are designed to honor the

people who have to cope with is-

sues like this, she said.

Isolation, being separated

from family, finding volunteer

work to pull you out of the house

these are all challenges, she

said. We know military spous-

es face other unique challenges

as well, and thats why we want

to take a moment to thank

them.

Spotlight shines on spouses at annual appreciation event

Photos by AndreA howry / Lighthouse

Carlotta Pope, the spouse of CECN Sean Pope of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, has moisturizer

applied to her face by Melodie Mendoza, the Estee Lauder counter manager at the Navy Exchange, Naval

Base Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme, during a Military Spouse Appreciation event Thursday, May 8, in

the Bee Hive Gym at NBVC Port Hueneme.

Kasia Robinson, whose spouse, Michael, is taking classes at the Naval

Construction Training Center at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)

Port Hueneme, gets her hair curled by Becca Yates of Alejandro Salon

in Ventura as 4-month-old Michael Robinson III tags along. Free hair

stylings and five-minute makeovers were among the amenities offered

to spouses during the annual event.

Lian Fiore, a department manager

at the Navy Exchange at Naval

Base Ventura County (NBVC) Port

Hueneme, models fashions from

her store.

Rosie Flores of the Fleet & Family

Support Center at Naval Base


Hueneme models fashions from

the Navy Exchange at NBVC Port

Hueneme during the fashion show

segment of the Military Spouse

Appreciation event.

In less than a month, most local stu-

dents will be finishing their school year.

As exciting as summer is for students,

the significance of the end of the school

year should not be overlooked. With fi-

nals, graduations, parties and special field

trips, it is easy to forget some of the es-

sential items that should be considered at

this time of the year.

Formany students, the end of the school

year means saying goodbye to friends and

teachers. Although some of those friends

may be able to reconnect the next school

year, some may not. Even if your family

is not moving this summer, your childs

friends family might be. If your student

is transitioning to a higher level school

moving from elementary school to

middle school, for examplesome friends

may not be transitioning to the same

school. It is important to talk to your chil-

dren about goodbyes and ways to connect

with friends they may not see again in the

fall.

Parents can encourage their children to

talk about their friendships and saying

goodbye by asking them what theyll re-

member about the school year and what

theyll miss. If theyre old enough, ask

them to write about their school year.

Younger ones can talk about it and draw

pictures. It might also be nice to take pic-

tures of your child with some of his or her

favorite friends.

Another key person at your childs

school who they will be saying goodbye

to is their teacher. Teachers spend every

day with the students and build strong

relationships with them.Unfortunately, in

these days of school budget cuts, there is

no guarantee that a childs current teach-

er will be on campus next school year.

Make sure that your children are able to

say a proper goodbye to their teachers and

that they share their (and your) apprecia-

tion for a successful school year.

If your family happens to be one of the

manymilitary families whowill bemoving

this summer, a few more tasks must be

considered. If you havent already done

so, please notify your childs teacher and

school office that your child will not be

returning next school year. Schools staff

teachers according to the number of stu-

dents they expect to have the next school

year. Its important that they know if your

family will not returning.

Also, before the last day of school, make

sure you have the schools contact infor-

mation and the name of the person that

should be contacted by the new school to

request your students records. You will

not be carrying your students file to the

next school. Once registered at the next

school, the new school will request files

from the previous school. It will be wise

to hold on to a copy of the final report

card and a copy of the most current In-

dividualized Education Plan (IEP) if your

student is receiving special education ser-

vices.

As the school year winds down, it is

important that parents with older children

check in to make sure their student is pro-

gressing to end the school year success-

fully. It is an unfortunate situation when

report cards arrive a few weeks into sum-

mer with disappointing grades. It is even

more disappointing when those poor

grades could have been prevented by com-

pletingmissed assignments. Some teachers

will accept late work. Parents and students

should not be caught off guard, but in-

stead should be monitoring grades before

the school year ends.

Summer is exciting, and it is just around

the corner. Before we turn that corner, its

important to make sure all is taken care

of before leaving this school year be-

hind.

For any education-related information,

please visit http://navylifesw.com/ventura/

families/cyp/slo/.

The Naval Base Ventura County school

liaison officer can be contacted at 805-989-

5211 or at [email protected] for any K-12

education-related issues.

Things to do before another school year comes to an end

School

connection

withMonica

James

&&6$ .&3 3, ),';+ !/ (6. /3 .3 (. 3.%/ 6* 3( 4%(&3/ (& &8 & 6/ 63(/13.6#/1

7&/1%(3(.:$/1/ %($ :. 5;;0 (. &8. !&$6!& .&&!& ( 9!/3!& &(& 7!$ $(&/, :%&3

9%*$ 5',4' *. );;; (..(8, (&. 3.%/ . 7!$$ (. !. .3/, 3/ 7.: 8!3 %(6&3 &&

3.% & :(6. .!3 !/3(.: & . /6"3 3( &8!3(63 &(3!,

(. 3!#3 (. (( 6&3!$ 66/3 4) 5;) (. 8!$ /6**$!/ $/3, 63( $(&

7$6 %6/3 9 );;;; 3( -6$!: (. 3!#3/, !#3/ . $(3 (& 3

( 7$ 3 (. 3!6% & &&(3 .% (. / 3 ,

%. .7! *./&33!7 (. /*! % 3!$/,

$ $ $) $ $ $ *% (%*"

&!$ !$ !

t ' !

t ( !

t !

t !) $ !!

$ $$ "!!

# !


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

5

6Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse


Seabee Chapel

Port Hueneme, Bldg. 1433

Phone: (805) 982-4358

Protestant

Sunday worship service: 9 a.m.

Choir rehearsal: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.

Catholic Mass

Sunday: 11:15 a.m.

Confession by prior appt.: 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday: 11:30 a.m.

Confession by prior appt.: 11 a.m.

Womens Bible Studies

Tuesday: 10 a.m., Book of I Samuel.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m., Esther: Its

Tough Being a Woman. Childcare

provided.

Mens Bible Studies

Thursday: 11:30 a.m., The Gospel of

Luke from the Inside Out. Lunch

provided.

Soup Fellowship Study

Sunday: 5 p.m., Foundations of

Apologetics. Potluck.

Catholic Religious Education

Pre-K through high school

Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Chaplains serving NBVC

Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Han

Command Chaplain

Lt. Lesa Welliver

Staff Chaplain

Father Antony Berchmanz

Catholic Priest

Volunteer opportunities

Casa Pacifica event

First shift 7:45 a.m. to noon, second

shift 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 29,

30, 31 setup, and June 2 breakdown,

CSU Channel Islands. Info: CM3

Angelica Kapsis, 516-655-8697.

Vacation Bible School

9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday,

July 14-18, Seabee Chapel. Info: (805)

982-4358.

Ventura County Stand Down

July 25-27. Donations needed for

homeless vets; drop off at chapel.

Info: SW1 Shawn Herr, 419-789-0293.

Worship schedule

I was blessed to receive an invite from

a friend and fellow baseball fan to hear

legendary Dodgers Coach Tommy Las-

orda speak at the Ronald Reagan Library

in Simi Valley.

As an added bonus, the library also

hosted a special exhibition of some of

the rarest items from the history of base-

ball. Among the many priceless items

there: Babe Ruths bat, a Hank Aaron

home run ball and other iconic artifacts

important to both our national pastime

as well as the history of our country.

It was an absolute pleasure to see old-

er men and women beaming like little

kids as they strolled downMemory Lane

to revisit ball players and teams from

their childhood. I also enjoyed seeing the

interaction between the younger and the

older generations. Though separated by

decades, they bonded through their com-

mon love of a favorite player or home

team.

One of the wisest men who ever lived

on the face of the Earth penned these

amazing words for living. It is from the

book Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3: A time to

give birth and a time to die; A time to

plant and a time to uproot what is plant-

ed. A time to kill and a time to heal; A

time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A

time to mourn and a time to dance.

There is an appropriate time and season

for everything in life. Because we serve

or support those who serve in uniform,

weve probably had more than our fair

share of tears and heartaches along the

way. There are many hidden sacrifices

military folks and their loved ones make

for our nation that most will never know

about. For that very reason alone we

should always make time to do something

that makes us giddy with laughter or joy

in our lives.

For me, that happens to be baseball.

For someone else, it may be taking your

kids to Comic-Con so they canmeet their

childhood heroes like Captain America

or Superman in person. For the outdoors

type, you can always take your family on

a local deep sea fishing trip and catch

some nice fish to take home for supper.

Every time we deploy from our loved

ones, we in essence are putting our job

or mission ahead of them. There is a time

and a season for that. But when you are

back home from deployment, make sure

you put your family and loved ones right

back at the very top of your lifes prior-

ity list.

One of the ways you can show your

love and appreciation for them is by tak-

ing time to do something fun and joyous

for them. There is a time for work and

there is a time for play. May God bless

you and your loved ones greatly!

Hit one out of the park: Put family first

Chaplains

corner

withLt.Cmdr.

JeffreyHan

Registration begins Monday, June

2, for Vacation Bible School.

Sporting a Western theme, this

years event will run 9 a.m. to noon

Monday through Friday, July 14-18,

at the Seabee Chapel, Naval Base Ven-

tura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme.

Its for youngsters 5 to 12 years old;

older children and adults are invited

to volunteer to help run the pro-

gram.

Put on yer boots, grab yer hat and

yall get ready for this rip roarin

roundup in the Wild West! said Lt.

Lesa Welliver, staff chaplain.

Child care is being provided to vol-

unteers who have children too young

to attend the event.

Anyone interested in volunteering

is asked to call the Seabee Chapel at

982-4358.

Registration for Vacation Bible School begins June 2

Lectures, workshops and

the openings of a new gallery

and a new exhibit are among

the upcoming events planned

at the U.S. Navy Seabee Mu-

seum, located at Naval Base


Hueneme.

Heres a look at whats

coming up:

Saturday, May 24: The

CommonCore: The Civil En-

gineer Corps Prior to World

War II is the topic of a 1

p.m. talk by museum histo-

rianDr. FrankBlazich. Look-

ing at the careers of five

Civil Engineering Corps of-

ficers, Blazich will discuss

how interpersonal relation-

ships and career opportuni-

ties shaped the development

of the corps over its first 100

years. Its an accompanying

discussion for the museums

newest exhibit, The Century

Before Seabees: The Bureau

of Yards and Docks, 1842-

1942.

Thursday, June 5: Sea-

bees andCivil Engineer Corps

Officers: Overlooked Heroes

at the Invasion of Norman-

dy is the topic of a 7 p.m.

presentation by museum di-

rector Dr. Lara Godbille.

Friday, June 6: A new gal-

lery opens, titled From Ci-

vilian to Seabee: Seabee

Training During World War

II and Seabees in the At-

lantic Theater in World War

II.

Saturday, July 19: A new

exhibit opens, titled WeDive

the World Over: Underwater

Construction Teams.

Saturday, July 26: Mili-

tary Uniforms and Keeping

the Seabee Can-Do Attitude

is the topic of a 1 p.m. inter-

pretive workshop presented

by museum curator Kim

Crowell.

Saturday, Sept. 13: In-

troduction to Digital Preser-

vation is the topic of a 1

p.m. archive workshop pre-

sented by museum archivist

Gina Nichols.

These events are free, as is

admission to the museum.

Base access is not required.

The museum is open from

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday

through Saturday. It is closed

Sundays and federal holi-

days.

For more information, call

805-982-5167, or check the

web at www.usnavyseabeemu-

seum.com.

SeabeeMuseum plans talks, new exhibits, galleries


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

By Lt. Theresa Donnelly

30th NCR

Nearly 40 medical, communi-

cation and support staff from

service commands across the

United States are joining the 30th

Naval Construction Regiment

(30thNCR), based at Naval Base

Ventura County, in support of

humanitarian mission Pacific

Partnership 2014 (PP14).

At the invitation of host na-

tions, PP14 unifies the efforts of

partner nationmilitaries, host na-

tion civilian agencies and non-

governmental organizations

(NGOs) to strengthen the collec-

tive ability of the international

community to operate as a team

in delivering foreign humanitar-

ian aid in times of natural disas-

ter or crisis.

In its ninth iteration, PP14 is

the largest annual multilateral

humanitarian assistance and di-

saster relief preparednessmission

conducted in Asia-Pacific re-

gion.

Seabees from 30th NCR left

recently for Indonesia and East

Timor to join up with teams of

medical and engineering person-

nel, veterinarians, logisticians,

militarymusicians, dental techni-

cians, electronic communication

specialists, U.S. Army civil affairs

representatives, partner nations

and NGOs in an effort to build

capacity, strengthen relationships,

improve interoperability and bet-

ter prepare teams to respond to

natural disasters or crisis.

It is an incredible honor to

work with such a diverse group

of people, said Capt. Rodney

Moore, commodore of 30th

NCR. Were all fortunate to em-

bark on a mission focused on

helping people in need while

working in close collaboration

with our partners. I am proud of

everyone were taking on this

project, and I look forward to

what workwell be able to accom-

plish as a joint, multinational

group.

Moore said hewas also looking

forward to exchanging exper-

tise with allies and partner na-

tions.

Preparing and training in a

peacetime state gives us a unique

opportunity to leverage resourc-

es and work together to make

communities safer and increase

our ability to assist the local

populace should a natural disas-

ter of crisis arise,Moore said.

In addition to leadership pro-

vided by 30th NCR, the team

includes a deputy phase com-

mander and military teams from

New Zealand and Australia.

Currently, an Indonesia ad-

vance team, with help from local

contractors and members of the

Indonesian National Armed

Forces, is making repairs to a

school roof, building a medical

facility and installing solar pumps

for two wells.

Building on the lessons learned

in prior missions, PP14 not only

enables new friendships and ce-

ments existing ones, but the ap-

proach this year is to work with

localproviders to improve theirown

skills that they can then implement

locally.Thismoresustainabletrain-

the-trainer approach empowers

leaders to better serve the needs of

the people by giving them the

knowledge necessary to make a

positive difference in their commu-

nities.

Ive never been on deployment

before, and this ismy first duty sta-

tion, said Electronics Technician

Seaman Lyrissa Tuyin. I volun-

teered for this mission because I

want to go overseas, see another

country and help other people. I

already do a lot of community ser-

vice volunteer work, so getting the

chance todothis inanothercountry

is such a valuable opportunity.

Pacific Partnership missions to

date have providedmedical care to

approximately 250,000 patients,

veterinary services to more than

37,000animals, accomplishedmore

than 170 engineering projects, and

enabledcritical infrastructuredevel-

opment in Cambodia, Federated

States of Micronesia, Indonesia,

Kiribati, Palau, PapuaNewGuin-

ea, Republic of the Philippines,

Republic of Marshall Islands, Sa-

moa, Solomon Islands, Timor-

Leste, Tonga, Vanuatu and Viet-

nam.

30th NCR taking part in annual humanitarian exercise

In Kupang, Indonesia, May 16, SW1 Bryan Long of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1

participates in a physical fitness session at a weekly boys and girls club meeting during

Pacific Partnership 2014 (PP14), the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance

and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Asia-Pacific region.

In Rote, Indonesia, May 15, a member of the Indonesian National

Armed Forces teaches BU3 Charles Cummings words in Bahasa during

a break from work on a solar pump engineering project. Members of

the 30th Naval Construction Regiment are working with local partners

during Pacific Partnership 2014 (PP14).

Pacific Partnership

2014 brings nations

together to practice

disaster response

Photos by Lt. JuLianne hoLLand / u.s. navy

In Kupang, Indonesia, May 16, ITCS Charmain R. Mokiao signs school notebooks during

an advance party engagement with members of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment in

cooperation with local partners of Pacific Partnership 2014 (PP14).

Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse


The Navys Voluntary

Education (VOLED) pro-

gram celebrates its 40th an-

niversary thismonth.

Inrecognitionof thatmile-

stone, the Navy College at

NavalBaseVenturaCounty

(NBVC)heldanopenhouse

Thursday,May8,initshead-

quarters,knownastheWhite

House, atNBVCPortHue-

neme.

We consider it an honor

todowhatwedo,saidBry-

an Burdick, education ser-

vicesspecialistandsitedirec-

tor for the Navy College at

NBVC.

Here are some statistics

about the VOLED pro-

gram:

Since1974,theNavyTu-

itionAssistanceprogramhas

accounted for 4,951,730

courseenrollmentsandfund-

edmore than $1.4 billion to

help Sailors reach their edu-

cational goals.

About 15 percent of

Navy personnel 45,000

Sailors are using the Tu-

ition Assistance program at

anygiven time.

Since 1985, Sailors have

reportedearning132,130col-

legedegrees,and11,324Sail-

ors have earned their high

school/GEDdiploma.

There are 33 Navy Col-

legeoffices.

Whenitlaunchedin1974,

the Navy Campus for

Achievement had seven col-

leges participating. In 1975,

thatnumbermorethandou-

bledto16.Today,4,041edu-

cational institutions partici-

pate in a Navy VOLED

program.

USS Midway (CV 41)

wasthefirstaircraftcarrierto

holdagraduationceremony.

The event occurred in 1975,

duringwhich 10 crewmem-

bers received their associate

degree fromChapmanCol-

legethroughtheProgramfor

AfloatCollegeEducation.

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

It has taken 16 years nearly half her

lifebut Builder 2ndClassMarieMataia

Tauai of Naval Construction Group

(NCG) 1 is finally getting her bachelors

degree.

OnMay 31, the Seabees family, friends

andmentors will celebrate at Dukes Place

at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)

Port Hueneme, honoring a woman who

came to the United States from Western

Samoa in 1999, determined to go to col-

lege.

I came for school for college, she

recalls. And I tried, but I found out that

nothing is free over here.

Today, at 35, Tauai has seven years of

military service under her belt. Shes been

deployed three times, including one 11-

month stint in Afghanistan, the longest

period when she wasnt enrolled in a

class.

She also has a husband and a daughter

and soon, a bachelor of science degree

in criminology from the University of La

Verne.

The degree wouldnt have been possible,

she says, without the Navy College. She

knows because shed tried.

Tauai estimates her degree cost $50,000

over the 16 years. The Navys Tuition As-

sistance programpaid $16,000 of that, and

the Navy College helped set her up in a

solid program that kept her on track. A

class or two at one community college, a

fewmore at another, somemore at an on-

line school all of that was replaced by

a focused curriculum leading to one goal:

a degree.

Stories like hers make my job fulfill-

ing, says Rochelle Goitia, an education

services specialist at the Navy College at


Hueneme. She faced somany challenges,

and her dreams were realized.

Tauai is the eldest of eight siblings. She

didnt learn English until the sixth grade

British English but she loved

school.

When I came to the United States, it

was a real culture shock, she recalls. I

had a hard time writing papers. Wed be

assigned a five- or six-page paper, and Id

go home, pour all my thoughts out in Sa-

moan, then wait two or three days and

start translating.

I did that for a long time.

Her first stop was Seattle, where he at-

tended community college. She took Eng-

Seabee earns her bachelors degree after 16-year effort

lish as a SecondLanguage classes and crim-

inology. She alsoworked full-time for a cur-

rency exchange firm, which eventually of-

fered her a marketing position in

Philadelphia.

On the East Coast, she enrolled at the

University of Phoenix, located right across

the street fromwhere sheworkeddowntown.

Shed get off work at 4 p.m., cross the street

and go to class until 10 p.m.

In 2003, the company transferred her to

Atlanta,but shortlyafter shemade themove,

shewas laid off. By then, she hadmet fellow

SamoanEseraTauai, and theymarried and

moved to Augusta. Marie was determined

to continue school, so in 2007 she joined the

Navy, planning to stay for four years so she

could get the benefits of the G.I. Bill. She

came toNavalBaseVenturaCounty in2008

asaSeabeewithNavalMobileConstruction

Battalion (NMCB) 40, enrolled in the Uni-

versity of LaVerne, then started deploying.

Okinawa, Japan;Afghanistan;Sasebo, Japan

she stayed focused even through the

downtime, through thedecommissioningof

NMCB 40, through the adoption of a

daughter and through a transfer to NCG

1.

And here I am! she says with pride.

More than 100 people are expected at the

May 31 celebration, including two siblings

who now live in the United States. Her

daughter, now 3, will be there, as will her

husband.

One special guest will be Dr. Michael

Webb, a University of La Verne professor

who taught three of her classes and whom

she considers amentor.Hell be speaking at

the celebration.

Alsoattendingwill be severalwomen from

a rehabilitation center where Tauai volun-

teers.

Tauai hopes her storywill motivate other

Sailors to pursue a degree.

Its a challenge, she said, but I defi-

nitely recommend it.

So after 16 years of classes, what are her

plans?

To start a 17th.

Shell be taking online classes to pursue a

masters degree in community organization,

planning and administration through the

University of SouthernCalifornia, focusing

on the reasons why young people get into

the juvenile justice system and what deter-

rence efforts work.

And she doesnt plan to stop there. She

hopes to eventually earnadoctorate anduse

her education to fight the human trafficking

and drug abuse that plague her homeland.

Photo by AndreA howry / Lighthouse

BU2 Marie Tauai of Naval Construction Group 1 works with Rochelle Goitia, an education

services specialist at the Navy College, Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. Sixteen

years ago Tauai began taking classes toward a bachelors degree; she is finishing up this

month and will soon begin work on a masters.

40 years of voluntary education in the Navy

Photo by AndreA howry /

Lighthouse

Bryan Burdick, education

services specialist and

site director of Navy

College at Naval Base

Ventura County (NBVC),

cuts a 40th anniversary

Navy College cake as

Rochelle Goitia, education

services specialist at the

Navy College, NBVC Port

Hueneme, looks on. The

Navy College held the open

house Thursday, May 8.


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

Despite temperatures in the 80s, about

30 runners and walkers took part in the

Spring Fling 5K Thursday, May 15, at


Hueneme.

The freemonthly lunchtime 3.1-mile run

put on byMorale,Welfare andRecreation

(MWR) included a special admonition by

Athletic Manager Kevin Ludwig for run-

ners to stay hydrated and slow down or

stop if they felt overheated.

Several minutes after the run began,

Ludwig drove the course to make sure no

one was falling victim to the heat.

Lt. Cmdr. Rob Allen, executive officer

of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 14,

came in first with a time of 19 minutes, 37

seconds.

It was a little warm, he said as he

sipped water at the finish line.

The next lunchtime run is the June 19

June Gloom 5K at NBVC Point Mugu.

Registration starts at 11 a.m. and the run

starts at 11:30 a.m. at Family Beach.

80-degree day doesnt stop 5K runners

Photos by AndreA howry / Lighthouse

Above, CWO4 Chris Lehner with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), left, helps

ND1 Aaron Scrimager, also of NRL, stay hydrated before the start of the Spring Fling 5K

Thursday, May 15, at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme. Temperatures

were in the 80s during the lunchtime run. At left, runners take off after being admonished

to stay hydrated and to slow down or stop if they feel overheated. Lt. Cmdr. Rob Allen,

executive officer of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 14, wearing bib number 245, would win

with a time of 19 minutes, 37 seconds.

"

#!"

"

# #

$3ULYDWH1RQSURW8QLYHUVLW\ 6HUYLQJ WKH 3XEOLF *RRG

10

Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse


By MC1 John P. Curtis

NMCB 5

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion

(NMCB) 5 recently hosted Bernd Simon

to talk about his experiences as a survivor

of a concentration camp during World

War II.

National Holocaust RemembranceDay

was April 28, and more than 400 Seabees

filled the Bee Hive Gym at Naval Base

Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme

that day to listen to Simons story and

message.

Legalman 1st Class Stacey Langford,

one of the organizers of the event, said

the battalion wanted to do something that

would have impact and also honor the

remarkable man and what he had en-

dured.

We wanted to educate everyone about

what it was like during the Holocaust and

educate the members of the battalion

about what [Simon] went through during

the Holocaust and why we cant let it hap-

pen again, Langford said.

Simon, 93, was imprisoned at the

Dachau concentration camp in Germany

in the early 1940s. Simon said he was re-

leased after two years when his mother

provided forged documentation.

After his release, Simon escaped Nazi-

controlled Germany through Cuba and

came to the United States. He served in

the ArmyAir Corps, flying B-24 bombers

over Europe. After the war he went on

serving as a civilian, working in Army

intelligence as a Nazi hunter.

He is a sweet, preciousman,said Con-

struction Electrician Constructionman

Lesly Herrerapelayo. It was an honor to

speak to aHolocaust survivor and to learn

about those who have survived those

struggles from the past.

After speaking to the crowd, Simon had

a finalmessage before he saluted the crowd

of Seabees.

It doesnt matter what color your skin

or your religion, do right by everybody

and be fair to everyone, said Simon.

Love your country. Its free.

Holocaust survivor visits NMCB 5

Photos by MC1 John P. Curtis / nMCb 5

Bernd Simon answers a question from CECN Lesly Herrerapelayo of Naval Mobile

Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor in World

War II. Simon was invited to speak to the battalion April 28 in observation of National

Holocaust Remembrance Day.

EO3 Damion Canales of Naval Mobile

Construction Battalion 5 shakes the hand

of Bernd Simon near a display of Simons

history and life stories.


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

11

By CEC Terence Juergens

UCT 2

Fresh from the warm deep waters of

Guam, Seabee divers from Underwater

Construction Team (UCT) 2 arrived in

Chinhae, SouthKorea, last month to par-

ticipate in Exercise Foal Eagle 2014

(FE14).

Over a period of seven days, UCT 2 and

South Korean Sea Salvage and Rescue

Unit (SSU) divers worked hand in hand

in support of harbor clearance and port

recovery scenarios, with emphasis on the

placement of underwater concrete.

UCT 2s knowledge of waterfront struc-

tures helped facilitate the first underwater

concrete placement in SSU history. From

the classroom to the field, both nations

worked long hours to complete construc-

tion of formwork and successfully place

more than 5 cubic meters of concrete un-

der water.

The SSU divers are experts in salvage

they dive the same rigs and use the same

dive manual as we do. What were trying

to do is provide them a taste of UCT ca-

pabilities, said Construction Electrician

1st Class Daniel Luberto, the leading

petty officer (LPO) for ConstructionDiv-

ing Detachment Charlie.

The SSU divers, he said, have very

little underwater construction experience,

but their motivation to learn, and strong

work ethic helped us overcomemany chal-

lenges to complete a successful training

evolution.

Along with constructing training forms

to practice different techniques of under-

water concrete placement, UCT 2 devel-

oped a comprehensive training plan to

further the understanding of how concrete

can be used to repair damaged sections

of piers.

Both teams worked together to use

wooden and steel formwork to encase a

steel pier pile in concrete to enhance struc-

tural integrity. Using a surface supplied

diving system and underwater hydraulic

tools, divers prepped the steel pile by

cleaning loose scale, rust and marine

growth. Once the pile was clean, the divers

took precisemeasurements to fabricate the

necessary forms.

The biggest barrier with training was

language, said Builder 2nd Class Joseph

Hophan, project supervisor. But once we

got in the water and started working, ev-

erything fell into place and worked out

great. We were able to complete so much

in such a short time, and I couldnt be

more happy how things unfolded.

Once all formwork was complete and

lowered in the water, UCT 2 divers used

two topside forms to demonstrate the

proper procedures of how to place under-

water concrete.

Theres a big difference to placing con-

crete on surface versus underwater, said

Hophan. The ability to rehearse and

show them topside was invaluable and

definitely set us up doing the same thing

underwater.

While working in cold water with poor

visibility, safety was amain concern. UCT

divers instructed the SSU divers on the

proper use of personal protective equip-

ment while constructing forms.

The SSU divers gained indispensible

insight of what the UCTs do on a daily

basis, said Luberto. They realized the

great importance of waterfront construc-

tion while using ingenuity and teamwork

to get the job done.

UCT 2 teaches

concrete skills

to S. Koreans

Photos by Eo1 ManuEl tErrEro / uCt 2

Seabee divers from Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2 and South Korean Navy divers conduct a joint underwater concrete placement

a first for the South Koreans as part of Exercise Foal Eagle 2014.

BU2 Joseph Hophan of Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2 describes how to place

underwater formwork before conducting underwater concrete placement with South

Korean Navy divers.

12

Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse


By Lt. j.g. Tim Steiner

VAW-117

The Wallbangers of Carrier Airborne

Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 117 ex-

ecuted a change of command May 1 in

Hangar 553 at Naval Base Ventura Coun-

ty (NBVC) Point Mugu.

Cmdr. Richard W. Carnicky relieved

Cmdr. William R. Reed as commanding

officer of the squadron. Carnicky becomes

the 32nd commander to take charge of

the Wallbangers.

From December 2012 until his change

of command, Reed led the Wallbangers

with the command philosophy of Fam-

ily, Integrity, Excellence. While in com-

mand, his Wallbangers completed a de-

ployment of more than eight months,

earning the Battle E Award as well as

Carrier Air Wing 11s Golden Wrench

Award.

The Wallbangers were also honored

with the coveted Rear Adm. FrankAkers

award, given to the top carrier airborne

early warning squadron in the fleet.

Reeds last words as the Wallbangers

commanding officer centered on thanking

his family, the community and the squad-

ron. At the end of his speech, he passed

his charge to Carnicky: When in doubt,

serve serve the carrier strike group,

serve Carrier Air Wing 11, but most im-

portantly, serve the incredible men and

women of VAW-117.

As the new commanding officer of the

Wallbangers, Carnicky addressed the

squadron, emphasizing Family, Pride and

Professionalism.

We treat each other with dignity and

respect, compassion and tolerance, he

said. We celebrate our differences and

capitalize on those aspects which make

each one of us unique.

He stressed the importance of striving

to be better each day.

We show pride in our work, in our ac-

complishments, and in ourselves,he said.

What we do is important, and we mat-

ter.

Carnicky welcomed the new executive

officer, Cmdr. Randy Cruz, to the Wall-

banger family and said he looked forward

to the work ahead.

The guest speaker for the ceremony was

Capt. KevinMannix, commanding officer

of Carrier Air Wing 11.

Change of command at VAW-117

Cmdr. William R. Reed addresses the Wallbangers one last time as their commander.

Photos by Lt. j.g. tim steiner / VAW-117

With guest speaker Capt. KevinMannix looking on, Cmdr.WilliamR. Reed, left, congratulates

Cmdr. Richard W. Carnicky on becoming the 32nd commanding officer of Carrier Airborne

Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 117.

In the shadow of an

E-2C aircraft, guests,

family and friends

are welcomed to

the Carrier Airborne

Early Warning

Squadron (VAW) 117

change of command

ceremony May 1 in

Hawkeye Countrys

cavernous hangar at

Naval Base Ventura

County (NBVC) Point

Mugu.


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

13

By Theresa Goldstrand

NAWCWD Public Affairs

Navy officers and identical

twin sisters Lt. Allie Cameron

and Lt. Jess Cameron were the

guest speakers at last months

Administrative Professionals

Day luncheon at theBardMan-

sion, Naval Base Ventura

County (NBVC) Port Huen-

eme.

First to speak was Allie, who

is assigned to the Air Test and

Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30

Bloodhounds,where she is an

instructor pilot, aircraft com-

mander and mission com-

mander on the P-3 aircraft.

She was followed by Jess,

who is a weapons and tactics

instructor on the E-2C Hawk-

eye at NBVC PointMugu. Jess

instructs and trains all Hawk-

eye squadrons on the West

Coast and Japan.

Allie admitted that when she

took over collateral duties as

VX-30s administrative division

officer and public affairs offi-

cer, she gained a new apprecia-

tion for those administrative

professionals who keep the

squadrons running.

You have made our lives

easier, much more organized

and efficient, with the support

weve been provided through-

out our Navy careers, Allie

said.

She then shared how she and

her twin came to be naval of-

ficers. They were raised in a

non-military family inMiddle-

boro, Mass. Their father was a

high schoolmathematics teach-

er and theirmother taught high

school German and Latin.

Their older brother, Erik, was

their mentor and eventually

became a chemical engineer.

When they were in high

school, they said, their parents

encouraged them to look into

ROTC as they considered pro-

spective colleges.

We were a little unsure

about committing to theROTC

at first, Allie said. But then

we decided, why not? Why not

get out of our comfort zone

and challenge ourselves to be

more thanwe thought we could

be? We thought wed give it a

try.

Our parents always encour-

aged us to follow our interests.

They never told us we couldnt

do something. I would regret

not trying and always wonder-

ing if I could have done it,

rather than attempting it and

realizing it didnt work out.

We both applied to flight

school and got in.

The Cameron sisters gradu-

ated fromBostonUniversity in

2007 with bachelors degrees in

biology. They were commis-

sioned as ensigns onUSSCon-

stitution in Boston, the worlds

oldest commissioned naval ves-

sel afloat. Initial flight school

training began in Pensacola,

Fla., where they learned to fly

a Cessna 172 and Piper Toma-

hawk. That screening was fol-

lowed by aviation preflight

indoctrination.

Their paths veered after flight

school when Allie transferred

to Enid, Oklahoma, for pri-

mary flight training on the T-6

Texan II, a two-seater ejection

seat propeller aircraft. She then

completed advanced training

on the T-44 Pegasus in Corpus

Christi, Texas, earned her

wings of gold as a naval

aviator and was promoted to

the rank of lieutenant junior

grade.

Jess remained in Pensacola

for primary flight training in

the T-6 Texan II and took in-

termediate training in the T-1

Jayhawk. She completed ad-

vanced training in her fleet

aircraft, the E-2C Hawkeye,

with Carrier Airborne Early

Warning Squadron (VAW) 120

Fleet Replacement Squadron

at Naval Base Norfolk, Vir-

ginia. She earned her wings

of goldas a naval flight officer

and was promoted to the rank

of lieutenant junior grade.

The Camerons have been de-

ployed and stationed all over

the world. Jess was stationed at

Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Ja-

pan, and routinely flew around

Mount Fuji and looked down

upon Fujisan the stratovol-

cano (12,389 feet) that she had

also climbed. She stood on top

of Mount Suribachi on Iwo To

for fellow officer promotions

and military re-enlistments.

Allie was deployed to Italy

and happened to be in Sicily

when Mount Etna, Europes

tallest active stratovolcano

(10,922 feet) blew up.

There are no statistics on

how many twins grow up to

become naval aviators. but as

identical twin sisters, the Cam-

erons are unique. They realized

they would always be a minor-

ity in a male-dominated field,

but that has not deterred them

from advancing and becoming

experts and leaders at a young

age. Allie has flown more than

1,200 hours in six different air-

craft and has collectively logged

more than 1,600 airborne

hours. Jess has flownmore than

1,100 hours in the E-2CHawk-

eye and has logged more than

250 hours as mission com-

mander. At 28 years old, both

Camerons manage significant

responsibilities and roles in the

squadrons they support.

The twins are currently pur-

suing their masters degrees in

global leadership through the

University of SanDiegoSchool

of Business Administration.

The April 24 luncheon was

hosted by the Naval Air War-

fare Center Weapons Division

(NAWCWD) Corporate Sup-

port Board, PointMuguChap-

ter.

Identical twin Navy officers share their story

Photo by theresa Goldstrand / naWCWd

Naval officers and identical twin sisters Lt. Allie Cameron and Lt. Jess Cameron share their experiences

with about 100 Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division employees at the 2014 Administrative

Professionals Day luncheon at the Bard Mansion.

Because of the Memorial Day holi-

day, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief

Society office in the Naval Base Ven-

tura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme

WelcomeCenter will be closedMonday,

May 26, and will have reduced hours

of 9 a.m. to noon Friday, May 23.

Regular office hours are 9 a.m. to 3

p.m. Monday through Friday.

NMCRS closes for

Memorial Day holiday

With only 31 players in the field, the


Golf Championship event was held

Saturday, April 26, at the Seabee Golf

Course, NBVC Port Hueneme.

Severe wind with gusts up to 45 mph

took a toll on scores; nobody shot low-

er than 80.

The overall low gross winner andBase

Champion for 2014 ended up being

JohnAmaki, whoworks in information

technology for Naval Surface Warfare

Center, Port Hueneme Division. Ama-

ki, who scored an 80, has played on base

for more than three decades and is an

eight-time winner of the Seabee Mens

Club Championship.

The event was organized by Efren

Bautista of Morale, Welfare and Rec-

reation (MWR).

Wind plagues base

golf tournament

Photo Courtesy MWr

John Amaki shows the trophy he received

for winning the Naval Base Ventura County

Championship Golf Tournament Saturday,

April 26.

14

Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse


By Theresa Goldstrand

NAWCWD Public Affairs

Naval AirWarfare CenterWeaponsDi-

vision (NAWCWD) teamed with Califor-

nia State University Channel Islands (CI)

in Camarillo to bring the Great Inventors

Program toHuenemeHigh School in Ox-

nard.

NAWCWDvolunteerKimberly Schrock

supervised CI mentors at the high school

laboratory to teach Mathematics, Engi-

neering and Science Academy (MESA)

students during an eight-week period end-

ing May 2.

The students learned 3-D design and

printing in a hands-on, project-oriented

learning environment. The program was

designed in fall 2013, and the pilot pro-

gramwas implemented at HuenemeHigh

over the spring 2014 semester.

MESA students are sophomores who

have completed basic programming course

work.

CIs Great Inventors 3-D printing pro-

gram was made available through a grant

from Achieving a Cooperative College

Education through Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Opportunities (ACCESO).

CI students developed two different

projects for the MESA students: One

group created a catapult, and the other

experimented with an egg drop capsule.

Dr. CindyWyels, a mathematics faculty

member whos currently CIs director of

Project ACCESO, and Sandra Birming-

ham, STEM pipeline outreach coordina-

tor, worked closely with Trish Gresham,

NAWCWDs former education outreach

coordinator, to bring the Great Inventors

program to the school.

NAWCWD supports STEM activities

throughout Kern and Ventura counties

during the school year and actively recruits

the talents of NAWCWD employees and

Engineer and Scientist Development Pro-

gram (ESDP) volunteers to spend time

with youngsters to stimulate their interest

in STEM careers.

With the help of the NAWCWD engi-

neers, our outreach programs have been

incredibly successful and impactful on the

students we serve, said Birmingham.

She had special praise for Schrock.

Schrock played the crucial role of the

STEMexpert tomentor the CI volunteers,

going over the daily goals for each group,

ensuring that they are on-task and follow-

ing the steps of the engineering design

process and considering critical design

questions, she said.

Schrock coordinated with Birmingham

and CI mentors who are majoring in

STEM fields.

The first few meetings we had with CI

in the fall covered the engineering design

process, Schrock said. We then worked

with the students using a basic solid mod-

eling program called Cubify in conjunc-

tion with their 3-D printer. The students

started using Scratch, a website that

introduces users to basic coding concepts.

There was a module about each of these

elements. Then they completed a module

on designing something.

This is simply a framework, Schrock

added. The program design is what we

worked on this semester.

NAWCWD volunteer supervises

university mentors at high school lab

Photo by Martin Wright / naWCWD

Kimberly Schrock, right, a mechanical engineer at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons

Division (NAWCWD) at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, confers with California

State University Channel Islands mentors for the Great Inventors program at Hueneme

High School in Oxnard. Schrock volunteered to assist the mentors as they guided the

Hueneme students in the after-school program. The Great Inventors program teaches

students engineering basics through competitive construction projects like building a

small catapult.

U.S. Third Fleet Public Affairs

Twenty-three nations, 47 ships, six

submarines, more than 200 aircraft and

25,000 personnel will participate in the

biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC)

exercise scheduled June 26 to Aug. 1 in

and around the Hawaiian Islands.

From Naval Base Ventura County

(NBVC) Point Mugu, Carrier Airborne

Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113,

The World Famous Black Eagles, will

be taking part.

The worlds largest international mar-

itime exercise, RIMPAC provides a

unique training opportunity that helps

participants foster and sustain the co-

operative relationships that are critical

to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and

security on the worlds oceans. RIMPAC

2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that

began in 1971.

Hosted by U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC

2014 will be led by U.S. Vice Adm. Ken-

neth Floyd, commander of the U.S.

Third Fleet (C3F), who will serve as the

Combined Task Force (CTF) command-

er.

Royal Australian Navy Rear Adm.

Simon Cullen will serve as deputy com-

mander of the CTF, with Japan Mari-

time Self Defense Force Rear Adm.

Yasuki Nakahata serving as the vice

commander.

Other key leaders of the multination-

al force will include Rear Adm. Gilles

Couturier of the Royal Canadian Navy,

who will command the maritime com-

ponent; Air Commodore Chris West-

wood of the Royal Australian Air Force,

who will command the air component;

and Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Richard

Simcock, who will lead the land compo-

nent.

RIMPAC 2014 will also include for

the first time a special operations com-

ponent, to be led by U.S. Navy Capt.

William Stevens.

Two nations, Brunei and the Peoples

Republic of China, will participate in

RIMPAC for the first time in 2014.

Also for the first time at RIMPAC this

year, two hospital ships, USNS Mercy

and PLA (N) Peace Ark, will participate

in the exercise.

The theme of RIMPAC 2014 is Ca-

pable, Adaptive, Partners.

The participating nations and forces

will exercise a wide range of capabilities

and demonstrate the inherent flexibility

of maritime forces. These capabilities

range from disaster relief and maritime

security operations to sea control and

complex warfighting. The relevant, re-

alistic training syllabus includes am-

phibious operations, gunnery, missile,

anti-submarine and air defense exer-

cises as well as counter-piracy, mine

clearance operations, explosive ordnance

disposal and diving and salvage opera-

tions.

This years exercise includes forces

from Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile,

Colombia, France, India, Indonesia,

Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands,

New Zealand, Norway, Peoples Repub-

lic of China, Peru, the Republic of Ko-

rea, the Republic of the Philippines,

Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, the United

Kingdom and the United States.

VAW-113 will head to Hawaii for RIMPAC exercise

25,000 personnel from

23 nations plan to

participate in monthlong

maritime exercise this

summer


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

15

By Ensign Elizabeth Olokode

CECOS Public Affairs

Rear Adm. Katherine Grego-

ry, Commander Naval Facilities

Engineering Command (NAV-

FAC) and chief of civil engi-

neers, addressed 66 graduates

and their friends, families, men-

tors and coworkers from the

Civil Engineer Corps Officers

School (CECOS) during a cer-

emonyMay 9 at Naval Base Ven-

tura County (NBVC) Port Hue-

neme.

Gregory talked about the im-

portance of the military in the

changing global environment,

noting that the members of CE-

COS Basic Class 256 are part

of the greatest military the world

has ever known.

I will try and embody the

Can Do spirit of the Seabees as

I manage construction projects

at Camp Lejeune, said graduate

Ensign Bradform Garrigues. I

suspect Ill continue to lean heav-

ily on my fellow junior offi-

cers.

The new graduates were as-

signed to NAVFAC positions in

the U.S. and abroad, Naval Mo-

bile Construction Battalions

(NMCBs) at NBVC Port Huen-

eme and in Gulfport, Miss., and

Amphibious Construction Bat-

talions in Little Creek, Virginia,

and Coronado.

I will remember the field

training exercise (FTX) the

most, said graduate Ensign

Matthew Karny. It was great to

get out of the classroom and ap-

ply the skills that we were learn-

ing. We also had great advisers.

Their willingness to help and the

real world experiences that they

brought to the exercise were very

valuable. The class had some

funny moments as well an

overall great experience.

The FTX is strategically placed

within the CECOS curriculum

to give newly commissioned

CEC officers and lateral trans-

fers the chance to perform and

execute skills learned in the

classroom, such as establishing

camp, conducting patrols, lead-

ing convoys, operating the com-

bat operations center and mis-

sion planning to execute engineer

reconnaissance operations.

When asked what advice he

would give to incoming students

for the next CECOS Basic Class,

Ensign Chanhan Lee said, I

would advise them to be open to

ideas. Everyone they are about

to meet comes from different

walks of life, and all of the ma-

terials they are about to learn are

actually useful when they reach

their ultimate duty stations. But

at the same time, dont be too

caught up with classes. Get out

and meet everyone in the class

and get to know your advisers

as well, because knowing them

now will help you out in the fu-

ture.

Garrigues advised incoming

junior CEC officers to do some-

thing memorable.

Take a trip to Las Vegas, see

a concert at the Majestic Ven-

tura Theater, eat at a food truck

and swim in the Pacific Ocean,

he said. Ill always remember

hiking in the mountains above

Santa Barbara while the East

Coast endured a polar vortex.

Chief of civil engineers addresses 66 CECOS graduates

Photo by EddiE Pribnow / CECoS

Rear Adm. Katherine Gregory, Commander Naval Facilities Engineering

Command (NAVFAC) and chief of civil engineers, and Capt. Kevin Brown,

commanding officer of the Center for Seabees and Facilities Engineering,

congratulate Ensign Shona Mosites on her May 9 graduation with honors

from Civil Engineer Corps Officers School Basic Class 256.

Thur

sday

, May

22

, 20

14

Th

e Li

ghth

ouse

w

ww

.The

Ligh

thou

seN

ews.

com

16

By MC1 Charles PanterNMCB 4

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT Pop! Pop! Pop! The sound of small arms fire erupts all around. Bang! Bang! Explosions from simulated mortar rounds send every-one in the camp running for cover. Hearts race as the adrenaline rush puts everyone on edge. This is it, the finale, the last hoo-rah that marks the end of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4s field training exercise (FTX).

The FTX was a two-week event that started April 12 and evaluated the building skills and tactical proficiency of the Seabees of NMCB 4.

The actual purpose of a field training exercise is to assess deployment capabili-ties, said Senior Chief Builder Alec Ca-ligagan, the battalions operations chief and veteran of more than 30 FTXs on both the battalion side and evaluator side. It dem-onstrates that the battalion is ready for operations in a given theater and lets the higher echelon grade us.

Its the equivalent to all the battle sta-tions and work-ups that ships do before they are deemed deployable and mission ready, he added.

NMCB 4 is deploying to the Pacific the-ater of operations later this year, and this FTX tested skills in areas that the battalion will use during the deployment. Skills such as convoy security, erecting structures and repairing roads have been taught and per-fected over the last eight months of the homeport period.

For the construction part of the exercise, NMCB 4 built a forward operating base, SWA (Southwest Asia) huts simultane-ously at multiple locations and a bunker. The Seabees repaired roads and de-launched a medium girder bridge that was erected by NMCB 17, the accompanying reserve battalion. They also performed multiple convoys, all while being aggressed by role players assigned by Naval Construction Group (NCG) 1.

Other graded events during FTX in-cluded a mass casualty exercise, a CBR (chemical, biological and radiological) ex-ercise, various aggressions on the forward operating base and the ability of NMCB 4s Air Detachment to deploy and operate independently of the main battalion.

Does everybody understand that we are finishing FTX a day and a half early? Cmdr. Jeff Kilian, the commanding officer of NMCB 4, asked the Seabees during an address to the battalion at the conclusion of the exercise. Every event [NCG 1] has

thrown at us you guys knocked out of the park. You have done a fantastic job, and I could not be happier or prouder of what you have accomplished. This battalion was magnificent.

Caligagan said that while there is always something to work on, we have built a new baseline for what is a perfect/good FTX.

Caligagan said good communication was the key.

The Sailors were well informed, he said. From the skipper on down to the most junior troop, everybody communi-cated well, which I believe is what made this a very successful and relatively stress-free FTX. But the motivation of the troops is something that you cant force on them. It just goes show how motivated, energized and well-trained the Sailors of NMCB 4 are.

Kilian told the Seabees they should walk away from this FTX with a sense of satis-faction.

Youve earned it, he said.

NMCB 4 completes FTX, deemed ready for deployment

BUCN Jennifer Casey, left, and BUCN Brandon James, both from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, dress out in Joint Service Light Weight Integrated Suit Technology chemical suits and man an L-type machine gun pit during a simulated chemical, biological, radiological attack, part of the battalions field training exercise last month.

BU3 Sterling Williamson, attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, conducts a ground security brief to ensure the safety of all personnel while dismounted from their vehicles during the battalions field training exercise last month.

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 build an SWA hut as part of graded training evolution to show the battalions capabilities during a field training exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett last month.

Photos by MC1 Charles Panter / nMCb 4Capt. Dean Tufts, left, the commodore of Naval Construction Group 1, speaks with CM3 Nicholas Stockwell about his range card for his pits position during last months field training exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett. NMCB 4 will be deploying to the Pacific theater later this year.

ww

w.TheLighthouseN

ews.com

The Lighthouse

Thursday, M

ay 22

, 20

14

17

BU3 Sterling Williamson, attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, conducts a ground security brief to ensure the safety of all personnel while dismounted from their vehicles during the battalions field training exercise last month.

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 stand guard over wounded aggressors to ensure the security of the battalions forward operating base during last months field training exercise (FTX) at Fort Hunter Liggett. The FTX is the final qualification that a battalion needs to be ready for deployment.

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 build an SWA hut as part of graded training evolution to show the battalions capabilities during a field training exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett last month.

Photos by MC1 Charles Panter / nMCb 4BU3 Rachel Eddleman of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 patrols the lines outside the battalions forward operating base to ensure the enemy does not have easy access during last months field training exercise.

You have done a fantastic job, and I could not be happier or prouder of what you have accomplished. This battalion was magnificent.

Cmdr. Jeff Kilian

Commanding officer, NMCB 4

#

"

"

!

"

~ : 0yy

~ y :A

" y /Ak

!

$Ak 0 ^A y

^y /y Ak y :A

O yy^ ^A: Ak !A 0yy AAy kyA

90

90

W ^

^

/

^

/ [

9

0

-

e

0

n

$

!

A

n

:

A

18

Thursday,May22,2014

TheLighthouse



is home to rattlesnakes. If you see one

in the occupied areas, call 911. If you

are out in natural areas and see one,

leave it alone and go a safe distance

around it. You can also call NBVC En-

vironmental at 805-989-3803 to report

it.

Though uncommon, rattlesnake bites

do occur. The first thing to do if bitten

is to stay calm. Generally, the most se-

rious effect of a rattlesnake bite to an

adult is local tissue damage that needs

to be treated.

Get to a doctor as soon as possible,

but stay calm. Frenetic, high-speed

driving places the victim at greater risk

of an accident and increased heart rate.

If the doctor is more than 30 minutes

away, elevate the bite and then try to

get to the doctor as quickly as possi-

ble.

If someone youre with is bitten by a

poisonous snake, take off constricting

items on the victim, such as rings or

other jewelry, which could cut off blood

flow if the bite area swells. Immobilize

the bitten area and get the victim to a

hospital as quickly as possible. If it will

take several hours before you can trans-

port the victim, you may do the follow-

ing procedures:

Gently rinse the bitten area with soap

and water and pat or air dry. If the bite

is on an extremity, wrap a wide constric-

tion bandage not a tourniquet two

to four inches upstream of the bitten

area so long as the pressure is not too

tight; one or two fingers should be able

to slide under the band. The goal is to

slow surface blood flow, not stop arte-

rial blood flow. Stopping blood flow to

a limb will result in the loss of the

limb.

Cutting and suctioning the bite area

or use of a venom extractor should

never be used. A 2004 study of mock

venom extraction using a suction device

questioned the validity of venom ex-

tractors and suggested that their use is

unlikely to be effective.

Ice or cooling packs should never be

applied to the area as these may result

in greater harm. Do not use alcohol.

Alcohol may deaden the pain, but it

also makes the local blood vessels big-

ger, which can increase venom absorp-

tion.

Most importantly, any victim of a

venomous snake bite should be evalu-

ated in an emergency medical care facil-

ity as soon as possible.

And remember: The only good snake

is one that is alive and well. Snakes,

even rattlesnakes, provide humans with

a tremendous service: They eat rodents,

other reptiles and insects and are in

turn eaten by other predators.

This information was provided by Valerie

Vartanian, natural resources manager for the

Public Works Environmental Division, and Dan

Jaquez, site safety manager for the Public

Works Safety Office. Some information was

provided by the Department of Fish & Game.

Rattlesnakes are out: What to do if one bites

Myth:Baby rattlesnakes are dead-

lier than the adults.

Fact: Baby rattlesnake venom has

the same concentration and formula-

tion as the venom in adults. The truth

is it doesnt take very much venom to

create a full reaction in an adult hu-

man. So even the smaller amount

injected by a young rattlesnake will

cause a full reaction, giving people

the impression they must be more

deadly.

Myth: Rattlesnakes can control

the amount of venom they inject.

Fact:Rattlesnakes have a complex

system for injecting venom. It is

shown that when they strike a prey

species for food, more venom is in-

jected than when they strike in de-

fense. There are some studies that

show the position of the fangs (fully

extended or partially retracted) play

a role in the flow of venom. The

muscles that surround the venom

glandwill force venomout, but it does

not appear to be the case that the

rattlesnake makes a conscious, pre-

meditated decision as to the amount

it plans on injecting.

Myth: Rattlesnakes can jump.

Fact: Rattlesnakes, when fully

coiled (like a hose) can strike half the

total length of their body. For ex-

ample, a striking distance for a 3-foot

rattlesnake (the most common size

seen in this area, regardless of the

big fish stories) can only strike 1.5

feet away. The lower half of the body

will propel the upper half forward in

a full strike. However, the lower half

of the body never leaves the ground.

Myths and facts

about rattlesnakes

Get to a doctor right

away, remove whatever

can cut off blood flow,

dont use tourniquet or

venom extractor


TheLighthouse

Thursday,May22,2014

19

Help when you need it.

The Fleet & Family

Support Center

If you have some free time on your

hands and would like to give a little

something back, feel free to come on

over to the Fleet & Family Support Cen-

ter (FFSC) and see about becoming one

of our valued Retired Activities Office

(RAO) volunteers.

This is a great opportunity to work in

the heart of the primary support center

for Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)

personnel and their families.

The RAO is fully staffed by an all-

volunteer team of retired military per-

sonnel who still have more to offer their

fellow patriots. With a dedicated team

of volunteers, we have established a

critical component for assisting local

retirees and their spouses sometimes

during their most sensitive times. You

might be surprised how much of an im-

pact you could have on someone who

might be at their most vulnerable.

Once you decide to take the next step,

come on over and fill out the paperwork.

After a basic background check and an

interview with the center director, you

can start your training process. Once you

have a couple of meetings with the RAO

manager under your belt and you have

gone over office procedures and policies,

youll be ready to sign up for the watch

bill. The great thing is that you get to

select your times and days. It is obvi-

ously a first come, first served type of

thing, and you can donate as much or

as little time as you wish.

If you were fortunate to be a part of

the March 29 NBVC Retiree Town Hall

event, you witnessed the sheer energy

felt by all of the attendees, as well as the

numerous vendors. The feedback was

overwhelmingly positive, and people

were extremely grateful for the festive

event.

If you decide to become a part of the

RAO team, you could play a critical part

in planning next years gala! If you have

any questions on how to proceed with

volunteering, or if you have any ques-

tions about services offered by the RAO,

please call 805-982-1023. We look for-

ward to hearing from you and welcom-

ing you to the team!

Jim Ramey recently retired as the Work

and Family Life supervisor at the Fleet &

Family Support Center, Naval Base Ventura

County. He plans to volunteer at the RAO later

this summer.

Got time? Retired Activities Office could use your help

Retired

Activities

Office

withJim

Ramey

Toll-free appointment scheduling ser-

vice: 1-866-923-6478, call 24 hours a day,

seven days a week. Confidential clinical

counseling, relocation assistance, resume

assistance, financial consultations, deploy-

ment support, new parent support, career

services and many other support services

are available at the Fleet and Family Sup-

port Center. NBVC Point Mugu, Bldg.

225 next to the chapel, 989-8146; NBVC

Port Hueneme, Bldg. 1169 behind NEX,

982-5037.

All classes at Port Hueneme unless oth-

erwise noted. Call 982-5037 for more in-

formation. Child care option available

with prior registration.

Career Support and Retention

Transition Assistance Program

Mondays-Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

daily. XGPS for retirees E7 and above is

June 2-6;GPS is June 9-13 and June 16-20.

Register via Command Career Counsel-

or.

CapstoneWorkshop/Individual Tran-

sition Plan Review: For those who have

completed Transition GPS to ensure Ca-

reer Readiness Standards have been met.

Tues., May 27, noon to 3 p.m. No walk-

ins. Register with command career coun-

selor.

VARepOffice: Assistance with claims

and medical records at the FFSC office;

walk-ins welcome. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tues-

days. Information: 424-901-9006.

VA Paperwork Assistance: Hands on

assistance in filing, reopening or appealing

your VA claim. Active duty, veterans,

widows, walk-ins welcome! Call for sched-

ule at 805-982-5037.

Interview Skills: Prepare for your job

interview, learn about the interview pro-

cess, conduct a mock interview andmore.

Thurs., May 22, 9 to 11 a.m.

Excel Intermediate: Learn advanced

shortcuts, formulas, charts, referencing

and more using Microsoft Office Excel

2007. Wed., May 28, 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Excel Basics: Learn how to use Mi-

crosoft Office Excel 2007 software for

both personal and professional use.Wed.,

June 4, 2 to 4:30 p.m., FFSC Point

Mugu.

Writing the Perfect Resume &a

lighthouse may 22, 2014

Documents