lighthouse aug. 8, 2013
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Vol. 13, No. 16 | Thursday, August 8, 2013www.thelighthousenews.com
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Wendy Fontanilla
was looking forward to
staying in the Navy
Lodge at Naval Base
Ventura County
(NBVC) Port Huen-
eme.
Yes, it would feel a
bit cramped, what with
a husband, two boys
ages 9 and 6, a Pomer-
anian named Magnus
and a black Lab named
Yuki.
But it would bring
everyone closer, she fig-
ured. And besides,
there was a free break-
fast everymorning, the
kitchen or the outdoor
barbecue for dinner, a
swimming pool around
the corner and the
beach a short drive
away.
And maid service.
So on May 1, the
family moved in to
Room 118 for what
they thought would be
a couple of weeks a
month at the most
while their new home
in Port Hueneme was
being finished.
Fifty-six days later
they moved out.
Frayed nerves? Ill
2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 1 room, 56 days
NMCB 3 deploys
to Pacific region
Mom shares tips on staying
sane when a short hotel stay
goes into overtime
Photo by AndreA howry / Lighthouse
Wendy Fontanilla, shown here with black
Lab Yuki and Pomeranian Magnus,
recently finished up a 56-day stay at
the Navy Lodge at Naval Base Ventura
County, Port Hueneme.
See STAY, PAge 22
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
announces that the number of
furlough days for civilian workers is
being reduced from 11 to six.
An old farmhouse that has been
converted into transitional living
quarters for women and children
gets a fresh coat of paint, courtesy
of volunteers from Naval Base
Ventura County (NBVC) and a visiting
ship, USS Cape St. George (CG-71).
These stories and more,
Aug. 22 Lighthouse
PS1 Brian Dejesus of Navy
Operational Support Center, Ventura
County, visits residents of a nearby
retirement home and thanks
veterans for their service. Page 20
WHATS INSIDE
WHATS AHEAD
Photo by AndreA howry / Lighthouse
ET2 Jesse Larson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 shares
a final moment with his son, Levi, before handing the 3-month-old
back to Sarah, his wife of eight years, and heading out Tuesday,
Aug. 6, for a deployment in the Pacific Command.
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
NavalMobile Construction Bat-
talion (NMCB) 3 began leaving
Tuesday, Aug. 6, for a six-month
deployment to 10 locations in the
Pacific Command from China
Lake just 200miles away to the tiny
island of Diego Garcia, halfway
around the world in the Indian
Ocean.
The first wave of Seabees 226
of the nearly 600 in the battalion
began gathering before dawn
next to NMCB 3s headquarters
building. The rest would leave over
the next few days.
This is an exciting day for
NMCB 3, said Cmdr. Gordon
Meek III, who became the battal-
ions commanding officer a month
ago.
Lt. Cmdr. Trey Johnson, opera-
tions officer, said that while a small
contingent would be heading to
China Lake, the main body will be
based at Okinawa, Japan. Civic
Construction Action Details
(CCADs) will work with the local
population to renovate schools and
clinics in Timor-Leste, Cambodia,
Tonga and the Philippines. Other
Seabees will head to Navy installa-
tions in Atsugi and Yokuska, Ja-
pan; Chinhae, South Korea; and
Diego Garcia.
All the departing Seabees were
required to report in by 5:30 a.m.,
then had about an hour with their
families in the parking lot before
shipping out.
Equipment Operator 3rd Class
AaronWilson was already looking
ahead, eager to get back to Port
Hueneme in time for his daughters
second birthday.
Im ready to get it over with,
agreed his wife, Sierra. Im sad.
Im sad, too,Wilson said. And
anxious.
The Post Office at Naval Base
Ventura County closes. Officials say
its only temporary, but no date is
given for its reopening. Page 3
-
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
CmdR. SCott LoESChkE
COmmaNd masTer Chief
CmdCm pERCY tRENt
puBLiC affairs OffiCer
kImBERLY GEaRhaRt
LighThOuse ediTOr
aNdREa howRY
lighthouse@navy.mil
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 lighthouse@navy.mil
800-221-sTar (7827)
Ask the
Captain
Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Question: Who is responsible for patrolling
housing in Camarillo? Base security doesnt pa-
trol here. If we have break-ins or thefts, whom do
we report it to? Lincoln Housing? Base security?
Answer: Catalina Heights is a public-private
housing development managed by Lincoln Mili-
tary Housing. It is not patrolled by federal police
or military police because it is not federal land or
government-owned housing, and our jurisdiction
does not extend to that area outside the fence. If
there are specific military-legal issues, you may
see military or federal police on scene, just as you
would anywhere in town, but it is not within their
purview to patrol.
If you witness or need to report a crime or
theft, you should contact the Camarillo Police
Department, just as you would contact the Ox-
nard Police Department if you lived in Oxnard.
Lincoln Military Housing is responsible for your
property management needs, but law enforce-
ment should be left to law enforcement profes-
sionals.
Do you have questions or suggestions for
Capt. Vasquez? You can submit them via this
forum at lighthouse@navy.mil, online using the
COs Suggestion Box at http://cnic.navy.mil/ven-
tura/index.htm or at www.Facebook.com/Naval-
BaseVenturaCounty. You can also follow us on
Twitter at www.twitter.com/NBVCCalifornia and
keep up on the latest news and events.
Who patrols Catalina Heights housing complex in Camarillo?
-
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,August8,2013
CommunityCalendar
MULTICULTURAL DAY:
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
Seabee Chapel, NBVC
Port Hueneme. Sample
ethnic foods from around the world
and learn about other cultures. Call
PS1 Rebecca Rook, 989-5165, for
a $6 food sample passport.
8
SUMMER 5K AND
OBSTACLE COURSE:
Registration at 11
a.m., run at 11:30
a.m., Family Beach, NBVC Point
Mugu. Free. Sponsored by
Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
Information: 989-7378.
15
August
BACK TO SChOOL
fAIR: 11 a.m. to
2 p.m., NEX Port
Hueneme. Giveaways,
product demos, hula hoop contest,
cake walk, face painting, free
eye exams, dance and drumline
performance. Information: 982-
6801.
15
MILITARY AND
VETERAN EXPO:
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Camarillo Parks and
Recreation Auditorium, 1605 E.
Burnley St., Camarillo. Free for all
military personnel, vets and their
loved ones. Learn about services,
benefits. Info: Military411.
24
Navy stays busy in dog days of summer
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Kia konked out.
The pit bull had tried to jog two miles
down Las Posas Road with Aviation Sup-
port Equipment Technician 2nd Class
Marco Carrillo, but shed stalled at the
side of the road. She plopped onto the
dirt, rolled over and begged for a tummy
rub.
Carrillo obliged, then, rest stop com-
plete, the two continued on their way to
the Camarillo Premium Outlets.
Carrillo, whos with Fleet Readiness
Center Southwest (FRCSW) PointMugu
Detachment, had organized this Jog for
Dogs Saturday morning, July 27, to pro-
mote the next days adopt-a-thon at the
Sailors jog with canines
along Las Posas Road to
promote adopt-a-thon ...
PhOTO BY ANDREA hOwRY / LIghThOUSE
AEAN Sam Sharp of the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, Point Mugu Detachment,
relaxes with Charlie, a pit bull, after their two-mile jog from the Ventura County animal
Shelter to the Camarillo Premium Outlets. The Jog for Dogs Saturday morning, July 27, was
to raise awareness for the next days adopt-a-thon at the shelter.
... and they volunteer at
Pooch Parade to support
rescue organization
Nearly two dozen volunteers from Na-
val Base Ventura County (NBVC) helped
set up and take down booths and audio
equipment for last months Pooch Parade,
an annual fund-raising event for the Ca-
nine Adoption and Rescue League (C.
A.R.L.) of Ventura County.
This is the first year the Navy has
helped with this event, and they made a
significant difference, Mary Saputo,
president of C.A.R.L., said about an hour
before the event officially opened. Nearly
See Jog, Page 21
See PooCH, Page 21
SENSORY-fRIENDLY
MOVIE: 2 p.m.,
Needham Theater,
NBVC Port Hueneme.
Monsters University will be
shown with lights on and sound
down. Free. Information: Page 19.
10
CUSTOMER
APPRECIATION
EVENT: 3 to 6 p.m.,
NEX Point Mugu. Meet
a UFC martial arts fighter and
enjoy a karaoke contest, raffles,
jolly jumper, arts and crafts and
face painting. Info: 488-6333.
16
The Post Office at Naval Base Ventura
County, PortHueneme, closed temporarily
beginning Aug. 5.
At this time, the closure is not permanent,
but the Post Office does not have an esti-
mated time of when the facility is expected
to reopen, according to Adrian Perez, the
supervisor at PortHuenemesmainPostOf-
fice.
The facility on base was operated under
contract, andaproblemwith thepaperwork
arose in July.Thedecision to close the doors
came Monday, after 30 days of trying to
resolve the problem without success.
Those with P.O. boxes will continue to
receive theirmail regularly, butpackageswill
need to be picked up at the main office,
Perez said. The blue drop-off mail box at
thebase locationwill continue tobe serviced
during the closure.
The main Port Hueneme Post Office is
located at 560E. PleasantValleyRoad, less
than a block from the intersection of Ven-
turaRoadandPleasantValleyRoad.Office
hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday
through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Satur-
day.
NBVC Port Hueneme Post office closes
-
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Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Panda Express opened Tuesday, July 30, at the Naval Base
Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme Navy Exchange,
bringing life back to a food court that had been closed for
renovation since Dec. 14.
This is a wonderful presentation, very welcoming, NEX
General Manager Anna Esguerra said, noting the restaurants
sleek fixtures and brightly lit electronic menu board. Cus-
tomers have responded favorably. Panda Express has a re-
ally fresh product.
She said service is indeed express.
They are particularly adept at moving people through in
a timely fashion, she said. That helps when you have a short
lunch break.
Esguerra said that with Panda Express being so popular,
the food court will stay open for the time being until 7 p.m.
on weekdays, rather than 6 p.m.
Its pretty clear by the turnout that the food court plays
an important role on this base, she said.
Panda Express opens in NEX Port Hueneme food court
Photo by AndreA howry / Lighthouse
Panda Express is now open in the food court at the Navy Exchange, Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme.
The School Connection column by School Liaison
Officer Monica James will return in the August 22 edi-
tion of The Lighthouse.
-
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Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Seabee Chapel
Port Hueneme
Building 1433
Phone: (805) 982-4358
Protestant
Sunday worship service: 9 a.m.
Choir rehearsal: Tuesday, 6 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.
Christian Bible Studies
Womens Bible Study: Tuesday,
10 a.m., Book of I Samuel;
Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Sacred
Parenting. Childcare provided.
Mens Bible Study: Thursday, 11:30
a.m., Walking with God in the
Desert. Lunch provided.
Soup Fellowship Study: Sunday, 5
p.m., Behold Your God. Potluck.
Catholic Religious Education
Pre-K through high school
Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Chapel of Faith
Point Mugu
Building 121
Phone: (805) 989-7967
Protestant
Episcopal service: 11 a.m.
Catholic Mass
Sunday: 9 a.m.
Confession by prior appt.: 8:15 a.m.
Thursday: 11:30 a.m.
Confession by prior appt.: 11 a.m.
Chaplains serving NBVC
Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Han
Command Chaplain
Lt. Lesa Welliver
Staff Chaplain
Father Antony Berchmanz
Catholic Priest
Worship schedule
Since checking on board in April, I have
had the distinct pleasure of being the chap-
lain for Naval Mobile Construction Bat-
talion (NMCB) 4.
I met the battalion in Rota, Spain, a
couple of weeks before the halfway point
of our current deployment. While only
about a third of the battalion is withmain
body in Rota, I was able to meet most of
the people in the battalionbecause the com-
manding officer sent me on visits to sev-
eral other detachment sites.
It has been a lot of fun getting to know
many of the people I will be serving as a
chaplain over the next couple of years. I
must admit, when I was enlisted as an
aviation electronics technician, Seabees
were always a bit of amystery tome.How-
ever, I can say with confidence nowwhat I
always suspected then: The Seabees are
among the hardest working people in the
Navy.
In my travels, and here in Rota, I have
met many outstanding Seabees within the
ranks of NMCB 4. The work they have
done this deployment is truly impressive.
They run 24-hour operations seven days a
week for a sustained period to accomplish
a massive undertaking in Africa. Theyre
building a latrine facility from the ground
up for theGeorgianArmy. Theyre accom-
plishing numerousand needed camp
maintenance projects throughoutAfghan-
istan. And theyre helping repair and reno-
vate a 15th century monastery in Spain as
a community relations project.
The Seabees of NMCB4have left behind
them that which is tangible, lasting and
beneficial for others. What these Seabees
may take with them is pleasure in having
labored well.
Awiseman, long agoKing Solomon,
about 3,000 years ago, to be more precise
once wrote:
What gain has the worker fromhis toil? I have seen the business that God has giv-
en to the children of man to be busy with.
He has made everything beautiful in its
time. Also, he has put eternity into mans
heart, yet so that he cannot find out what
God has done from the beginning to the
end. I perceived that there is nothing better
for them than to be joyful and to do good
as long as they live; also that everyone
should eat and drink and take pleasure in
all his toil this isGods gift toman(Eccl
3:913, ESV).
My prayer for the Seabees of NMCB 4
is that they will bring home with them the
satisfaction and pleasure of havingworked
hard and accomplishedmuch; not only so,
but that they would rightly see that such
satisfaction and pleasure in ones labor is
a gift from God that is theirs to enjoy.
Deployed with NMCB 4, chaplain sees value of hard work
Photo by RP2 Lifei Zheng / nMCb 4
Lt. j.g. Kenneth Stiles, chaplain for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, meets with
representatives of Victory Villa, a Christian outreach center in Rota, Spain, about work that
still needs to be completed on a community relations project.
Photo by CeCn DanieLLe fReesMeieR / nMCb 4
Lt. j.g. Kenneth Stiles, the chaplain for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, talks with
Seabees as their deployment nears its end about the difficulties and stresses associated
with the transition back to homeport and their families.
Chaplains
corner
withLt. j.g.
KennethStiles
NMCB 4
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Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
After having volunteered at the organi-
zation for nearly a decade, Jeanne Billiot
has been named the director of the Navy-
Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
at Naval Base Ventura County,
Billiot officially took over the post July
22, succeeding Oscar Ramos, who left af-
ter less than a year on the job. His prede-
cessor, Nadine Gamble, had held the post
for nine years.
Billiot said she has two key priorities
for the society: recruiting and retaining
volunteers, and increasing the societys
availability for service memberswheth-
er that means changing office hours or
getting the word out to commands about
what the society does and how it helps
Sailors and their families.
I think my experience as a volunteer
with the society will be an advantage in
not only recruiting volunteers, but also in
retaining them and enhancing their role
within the society, she said.
Volunteers are critical to the organiza-
tion, which has only two paid positions.
Shed like to see a contingent of about 50;
right now, fewer than three dozen are
fully on board.
Billiot is also looking forward to con-
ducting a client contact survey to see how
the society can better serve the base.
Right now were open from 9 a.m. to
3 p.m. on weekdays, she said. Those
hours dont mesh well with the duty day
of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its just not easy for
someone to come in without the knowl-
edge of command leadership, which ne-
gates a service members possible desire
for that interaction to be confidential.
Formed more than century ago by a
small group that wanted to help the wid-
ows and orphans of fallen Sailors and
Marines, the NMCRS has since evolved
into a worldwide organization that offers
emergency financial assistance to active
duty and retiredmembers of theNavy and
Marine Corps and their eligible family
members.
In 1904, its first year of operation, the
society awarded $9,500 in financial assis-
tance to the families of 20 Sailors who
suffered financially due to illness or
death.
So far this year, the NMCRS on this
base alone has given out $250,000 in loans
35 percent more than this time last year
and helped 440 families, up 7 percent
from last year.
Fifty percent of those loans go to ba-
sic living expenses utilities, rent, food
and gas, Billiot said.
The next big chunk goes to emergency
vehicle repairs.
We need to get the word out about the
importance of investing in preventive
maintenance, Billiot said.
She believes the NMCRS is becoming
more successful in getting word out about
its services, and she thinks the application
process has become more streamlined,
making it easier to serve more clients.
At the same time, she said, the rising
costs of food and gasoline have made the
need greater.
Billiot has spent much of her life as an
Air Force spouse.Married 23 years to her
high school sweetheart, she and her hus-
band spent time in San Antonio, Alaska
and South Carolina before settling in Ox-
nard, where they decided to stay after
retirement.
We picked a spot where we wouldnt
need an air conditioner or a snowblower,
Billiot says, laughing.
The couple has a 14-year-old daughter
who attends Rio Mesa High School.
Billiot is a native of New Orleans, and
her French name, Jeanne, rhymes with
Shawn.
She has a strong background in finance
and education, two fields that she believes
will serve her well at the NMCRS, where
she already has more than a year of expe-
rience as casework lead.
Ive been blessed to be able to develop
skills in multiple disciplines, she said. I
think this will be a perfect fit.
Longtime volunteer named director of Relief Society
Photo by AndreA howry / LIghthouse
Jeanne Billiot is the new director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.
TheNMCRSoffice is open from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through
Friday. It is located in the NBVC
Port Hueneme Welcome Center,
2600 Dodson St., Suite 1. Informa-
tion: 982-4409.
The NMCRS Thrift Shop is
open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mon-
days andWednesdays and is located
in Bldg. 829, at the corner of Harris
Street and 15thAvenue, NBVCPort
Hueneme. The shop accepts dona-
tions of clothes, household items,
sporting goods, books, toys, movies
and certain uniform items. No fur-
niture or used baby car seats can be
accepted.
AnNMCRS base beautification
event is set for 10 a.m. Thursday,
Aug. 8. Call the office for details
and to sign up.
A Budget 4 Baby class is sched-
uled for 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug.
13, at the NMCRS office.
Check out the new NMCRS
Facebook page at www.facebook.
com/NMCRSVentura.
Calendar of events
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9
0
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,August8,2013
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Chiefs and first-class petty of-
ficers from theNavalConstruction
Training Center (NCTC) volun-
teered their time over two week-
ends to repair a leaky roof on the
building that houses theNavy-Ma-
rine Corps Relief Society
(NMCRS) Thrift Shop at Naval
BaseVenturaCounty, PortHuen-
eme.
This is an awesome project
seriously, said theNCTCs Chief
Builder Eric Chamberlin, who or-
ganized the work crews. It gives
us the opportunity to help the
people here who help us.
The thrift shop is in Bldg. 829,
near the corner of Harris Street
and 15th Avenue. It is staffed by
volunteerswhocleanand sort hun-
dredsof donated itemseachmonth
toys, baby strollers, clothing,
housewares, sportinggoods,books,
furniture andall kindsof odds and
ends and resell them for a frac-
tion of their original price, as little
as 25 cents in some cases.
Its an invaluable service that
the thrift shopprovides,saidPub-
lic Works Production Manager
Glenn Brunelle, a former com-
mand master chief at the base.
Added Dave Rich, a construc-
tion management technician at
PublicWorks and a former build-
ing instructor at theNCTC, This
is truly heartfelt labor.
The roof is believed to be near-
ly four decades old. Brunelle and
Chamberlin were inspecting it re-
cently when a shopper came up
and introducedhimself, sayinghed
been the leading chief petty officer
of theNavalMobileConstruction
Battalion 3 crew that had built the
structure back in 1974. The man
confirmed that it was the original
roof.
Thirty-eight years out of a tar
and gravel roof is pretty good,
Chamberlin said.
Brunelle knew that in this age of
budget-tightening and the Navys
Mission Dependency Index,
chances were slim that funding
would come through to fix a leak-
ing roof ona thrift shop.Hebrain-
stormed with Rich, and together
they contacted Chamberlin.
The project became a commu-
nity relations project for the
NCTCs chief petty officers and
potential CPOs.
Its outside the normal work
environment away to build re-
lationships and the bonds between
us,Chamberlin explained. Were
saving money, were working to-
gether and its a great cause.
In the end, the two dozen chiefs
and first-class petty officers who
volunteered their time to complete
this community relations project
saved theNavy $70,000 and,more
importantly, got the job done.
They finished the project on two
Saturdays and one Sunday, work-
ing from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July
13 and 14 and finishing up July
20.
Chief Construction Mechanic
Tony Moreno said he was proud
to have worked on the project.
Its a rare opportunity to do
this, he said. Most of the time
work like this always goes to con-
tractors. So for us to have the skills
and be able to use them on some-
thing thats good for theNavycom-
munity, thats a good bonus.
NCTC volunteers fix leaky roof on NMCRS Thrift Shop
Photo by bUC EriC ChambErlin / nCtC
Volunteering their time to repair the roof of the Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society Thrift Shop are, from left, EO1 (SCW) Bradley Adams,
UTCS (SCW) Gabe Vazquez, and Vazquez dependent, Dakota Brooks,
who would leave a few days later for Marine boot camp. The volunteers
are from the Naval Construction Training Center at Naval Base Ventura
County, Port Hueneme.
-
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10
Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By CECN Christopher Porta
and BUCN Laine Pulfer
NMCB 3
More than 20 years ago, Ventura
County resident Claire L. Hope visited
a veterans aid event in Long Beach,
where she was inspired by the degree of
free help local legal and health care
professionals were happy to give our
nations homeless heroes.
The next year, 1993, Hope both
founded and organized the first Ven-
tura County Stand Down where, for two
decades, her organization has provided
meals and critical services to hundreds
of veterans from across Ventura, Santa
Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Los An-
geles counties.
More than 20 Seabees from Naval
Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB)
3 helped with this years event, provid-
ing, setting up and breaking down 13
large tents, each able to house 12 home-
less veterans.
The Seabees are always willing to
help, Hope said Wednesday, July 24,
during the first day of set-up. They
are a wonderful group of profession-
als.
For two nights and three days, hun-
dreds of former service members from
all military branches came to receive
free health and life management ser-
vices and a break from the environ-
ment.
The Army changed my life, said
Korean War veteran and six-year Amer-
ican Red Cross volunteer Carl Bohm-
ing. The Ventura Stand Down, he add-
ed, is a little something you can do to
give back.
Since the start of the Ventura Coun-
ty Stand Down, civilian and veteran
volunteers have dedicated their time to
help those in need. More than 300 vol-
unteers provided meals, safety, security,
optometry, dental, physical rehabilita-
tion, legal services, showers and even
haircuts to veterans who would other-
wise go without. Donations, such as
clothes and toiletries, were provided by
local businesses and private citizens.
Connie Biggers of the American Le-
gion Auxiliary has been a volunteer at
the Ventura County Stand Down for 10
years. Her volunteer service is defined
by a personal acronym, PASS, for
pride, attitude, service and support.
Biggers said she was honored to be a
part of such an experience among men
and women who gave their time in the
service.
They are very polite, very gracious
and it is an honor to be with them,
Biggers said while looking out over the
crowd. We owe them eternally.
NMCB 3 helps with Stand Down
Photo by MSgt DaviD buttner / air national guarD 146th airlift Wing
Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 set up tents at the National
Guard Armory in Ventura in preparation for the annual Stand Down that brings shelter and
services to homeless veterans. This years weekend event began Friday, July 26. More
than a dozen Seabees worked for two days prior to the event, setting up 13 tents with 12
cots in each.
Photo by CeCn ChriStoPher Porta / nMCb 3
BUCN Michael Dorsey and CECN Raven Hill, both with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion
3, assemble the main support stanchions of a large tent July 24 for use during the Ventura
County Stand Down.
-
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www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,August8,2013
11
By Lt. Neil Wahlgren
VR-55
The Minutemen of VR-55, Fleet Lo-
gistics Support Wing, are about halfway
through their nine-month detachment to
Naval Support Activity (NSA)Manama,
Bahrain.
VR-55 is based out of Naval Base Ven-
tura County, Point Mugu.
With two sets of C-130 aircrew and a
complete maintenance support team, the
Minutemen and a C-130T Hercules have
been supporting U.S. Navy operations
in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility.
In the first twomonths alone, theMin-
utemen delivered thousands of pounds
of mission-essential equipment.
Our first priority has always been sup-
porting the U.S. Naval forces in and
around the Arabian Gulf, said Cmdr.
Todd Faurot, a recent detachment offi-
cer-in-charge. If cargo arrives at Bah-
rain International Airport via commer-
cial air carrier, we take it to a port in
United Arab Emirates. And if the ship
needs to send cargo or personnel back
to Central Command, we deliver them
to Bahrain.
In addition to ship support, the Min-
utemen recently supported Eager Lion,
a multinational exercise conducted in
Jordan and involving U.S. service mem-
bers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and
Marines and the Jordanian military.
The Minutemen moved more than
20,000 pounds of mission essential cargo
to U.S. Marines in preparation for the
exercise.
The C-130 is a versatile and essential
tool for our troops in the Arabian Gulf,
said Lt. Cmdr. Brian Legan, a staff of-
ficer with CTF-53 and the liaison be-
tween theMinutemen and the Navys 5th
Fleet. Reservists or not, these men and
women work hard every day to get the
job done.
As a Reserve logistics squadron, VR-55
has a combination of full-time support
active duty members and part-time Se-
lected Reservists working to support the
U.S. Navy at the tip of the spear.
Many of the Reservists make excep-
tional sacrifices in balancing work and
family during these detachments.
Having a supportive employer is so
valuable in letting me continue my service
through the Navy Reserves, said Cmdr.
John Gehle, a FedEx pilot. I love it!
The detachment to NSA Bahrain is
expected to end in late January 2014.
Minutemen of VR-55 shuttle equipment in, out of Bahrain
Several tons of military supplies are loaded
onto the C-130T in Bahrain.
PhotoS by Lt. NeiL WahLgreN / Vr-55
The Minutemens C-130T sits on the tarmac in Bahrain. The Minutemen of VR-55 are about halfway through their deployment.
The C-130 is a
versatile and essential
tool for our troops
in the Arabian Gulf.
Reservists or not,
these men and women
work hard every day
to get the job done.
Lt. Cmdr. Brian Legan
Liaison, VR-55 and 5th Fleet
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12
Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)
has implemented a Gold Star Family
reserved parking plan at various high-
traffic facilities around the installa-
tion.
Gold Star Families are the immediate
surviving family members of service
members killed in combat. There are
more than 32,000 Gold Star Families in
California alone.
We want to be sure the families of
those who have given their lives in de-
fense of their country are both recog-
nized and provided for, said Capt.
Larry Vasquez, commanding officer of
NBVC. By providing them this small
token of recognition, we honor the sac-
rifice theyve made and make trips to
our installation just a little bit easier.
Parking can be a challenge, and reserv-
ing prime parking for our Gold Star
Families will hopefully make support
services easier to access.
Across the Navy, installations have
stepped up efforts to recognize Gold
Star Families. The parking spaces were
created this summer as one practical,
visible way to extend that recognition.
At NBVC, the spaces are located near
other reserved parking areas such as
officer or expectant mother spots at
high traffic areas at both Port Hueneme
and Point Mugu. The Fleet & Family
Support Center, Navy Exchange, com-
missary and the health clinics all have
designated Gold Star Family spaces.
The term Gold Star Families comes
from the lapel pin, known as the Gold
Star Lapel Button, that was established
by Congress in 1965 to identify the wid-
ows, parents and next of kin of active
duty service members who lost their
lives in combat, retroactive to World
War I.
Prime parking spots reserved for Gold Star Families
By Andrea Howry
Lighthouse
Dozens of workers at Naval Base Ven-
tura County (NBVC) Point Mugu, got
their blood pressure, cholesterol, glu-
cose, vision and bodymass index checked
during a wellness fair Wednesday, July
24.
Then dozens more did the same thing
the next day at NBVC Port Hueneme.
Sixteen companies joined Kaiser Per-
manentes mobile clinic to promote their
services over the two-day period. They
ranged from health insurance companies
to chiropractors to eye doctors to Red
Wing Shoes, which was promoting its
line of safety footwear.
A lot of divisions are requiring safe-
ty shoes now, said Kathy Sahagun, a
sales representative from Red Wing.
Weve gotten a lot more business from
the Navy lately.
Among those stopping by the Point
Mugu event was Rear Adm. Paul Sohl,
commander of the Naval Air Warfare
Center Weapons Division, who was at
the base for a town hall meeting. Clear-
ly fit, he got his body mass index checked
and was told it was well within
range.
Dr. Ron Smiley, director of Electron-
ic Warfare/Combat Systems and the
Avionics Department at NAWCWD,
had his posture checked by Denise Per-
ez, a chiropractic assistant with Bolt
Chiropractic Family Wellness.
Weve had several wellness events
that I have not been able to attend, Smi-
ley said. Now that Im not traveling as
much, Im glad I was able to come and
support the event. Wellness is being em-
phasized right now in our environment,
and I want to lead by example.
Sean Donnelly, a business financial
manager at NAWCWD, enjoyed a mas-
sage.
That felt great, he said after Mary
Ragis, a massage therapist with Bolt
Chiropractic, worked her magic.
A line formed outside the mobile clin-
ic, where each person was undergoing
$200 worth of free testing to find out
their cholesterol and glucose levels and
their blood pressure. Many had come in
years past and were checking to see if
their levels had changed.
But for Rhonda Brooks, this was her
first visit.
I want to see how Im doing on my
personal goals for fitness and health,
the Range Support branch head said as
Liz Ruelas, a licensed vocational nurse
with Kaiser Permanente, took her
blood.
The human resources department on
base puts on four health fairs a year. The
next two are during the federal employ-
ee benefits open season and are sched-
uled for Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Point
Mugu and Thursday, Nov. 7, at Port
Hueneme.
Health fairs offer free tests for biometrics, posture, vision
Photos by AndreA howry / Lighthouse
Dr. Ron Smiley, director of electronic
warfare combat systems and the Avionics
Department at the Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division, located at Naval Base
Ventura County, Point Mugu, has his posture
checked by Denise Perez, a chiropractic
assistant with Bolt Chiropractic Family
Wellness, during a health fair Wednesday,
July 24.
Bolt massage therapist Mary Ragis works
her magic on Sean Donnelly, a business
financial manager with the Naval Air Warfare
Center Weapons Division.
-
90
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www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,August8,2013
13
Photo by yNC VaNessa Gutierrez / NosC VeNtura CouNty
YNC Ryan Arnoldussen of Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Ventura County
presents 145 pounds of peanut butter to Lt. Manuel Gaytan and Lt. Daisy Gaytan of the
Salvation Army in support of the Feds Feed Families annual food drive.
By YNC Ryan Arnoldussen
NOSC Ventura County
In support of the fifth annual Feds Feed
Families food drive, the Navy Operation-
al Support Center (NOSC) Ventura
Countys Chief Petty Officer Association
and the NOSC/Construction Battalion
Maintenance Unit 303 First Class Asso-
ciation donated more than 145 pounds
of peanut butter to the Salvation Army
July 19.
Lt. Manuel Gaytan, commanding of-
ficer of the Salvation Armys Oxnard and
Port Hueneme Corps, said the organiza-
tion will give out some of the peanut but-
ter to families and the homeless and will
use the rest to make sandwiches for chil-
dren in the Salvation Armys Dream
Makers after-school program.
When speaking with local community
leaders and families in the community,
they said they were in desperate need of
peanut butter,Gaytan said. Peanut but-
ter is expensive compared to other non-
perishable food items, which makes it
difficult for them to keep in stock. He
called peanut butter multifunctional.
You can eat it for breakfast, lunch and
dinner, he explained. It is high in pro-
tein, fats, calories; it is an essential staple
of a diet if you are hungry and down on
your luck.
Gaytan said he was thankful for the
donation and expressed optimism for the
upcoming holiday food drives.
Aviation Electricians Mate 1st Class
Michael Burkett, the operations depart-
ment head atNOSCVentura County, said
the donation was an opportunity to show
future Sailors and associations how im-
portant community service is in the
Navy.
Community service is a vital part of
your time in the Navy,he told the Sailors
who donated. Wherever you go, you will
be volunteering in the communities you
live in. It is very important for us all to
get involved, volunteer, and represent the
Navys core values of honor, courage and
commitment in all our lives outside of
the Navy as well.
The Department of Defense has been
asked to support Feds Feed Families as
a direct response to the UnitedWe Serve
Act signed by President Obama in April
2009. The annual food drive is designed
to help replenish the shelves of food banks
across the country, which often run low
as school gets out and summer begins.
Yellow collection bins are scattered
across Naval Base Ventura County so
Navy families can contribute non-perish-
able food. The drive continues through
Aug. 31.
Feds Feed Families gets 145 pounds
of peanut butter, thanks to NOSC
-
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Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By Susan Lester
CSFE Public Affairs
Students and staff from the
255th Civil Engineer Corps Offi-
cersSchool (CECOS)BasicCourse
participated in a five-day field
training exercise (FTX), held for
the first time at Naval Base Ven-
tura County, Point Mugu.
Historically, the class FTX has
been conducted atCentralCalifor-
nias Fort Hunter Liggett, where
scenarios leverage the sameArmy
training ranges and navigation
courses used by Naval Mobile
ConstructionBattalions (NMCBs)
for field training.
The FTX is the culminating
practical event during the two-
week Expeditionary Phase in a
17-week course designed to give
newly selected Civil Engineer
Corps (CEC) officers an in-depth
look at what it takes to become
leaders in a contingency environ-
ment.
The change in location, driven
by budgetary reductions, forced
CECOS staff to redesign each sce-
nario and seek creative training
alternatives.
The CECOS staff was able to
execute all of the required learning
objectives for Basic Class 255 at
PointMugu,while saving theNavy
$25K in travel and support costs,
said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Jordan, CE-
COS Seabee Readiness Division
director. While the initial field
trainingwas successfully executed,
we will continue tomake every ef-
fort to improveour tactical realism
in order to enhance each students
training.
Thirty-nineCECofficers, includ-
ing two Saudi Arabian officers,
participated in the FTX, support-
edbya cast of CECOSBasicClass
instructors, Marines and NMCB
3 Seabees. Students were trained
in expeditionaryoperations during
the five-day FTX. They set up
camp and lived in a self-sufficient
environment for the duration of
the exercise.
Having theurban training facil-
ity at Point Mugu made doing
patrols in a real-time environment
more realistic,saidCECOSBasic
Class student, Chief Warrant Of-
ficer John Desarro. The training
obtained at Point Mugu gives the
newofficers a realistic viewof what
NMCBs deal with in urban envi-
ronments.
The FTX is strategically placed
within the CECOS curriculum to
give newly commissionedCECof-
ficers and lateral transfers the
chance to perform and execute
skills learned in the classroom,
such as establishing camp, con-
ducting patrols, leading convoys,
operating the combat operations
center, and mission planning to
execute engineer reconnaissance
operations.
I feel fortunate the CECOS
staff was able to find away to keep
theFTXinourcourse curriculum,
said EnsignMichael Krestos.
Theclass is split into four squads;
each squad includes aMarine, se-
nior enlisted, andCECofficer ad-
visor.With thehelpof their squads
advisory team, the students learn
how to deal with the pressure of
making quick decisions under
stressful conditions, as well as the
debrief procedures after the mis-
sion is completed.
Basic Class 255 is scheduled to
graduate from the 17-week course
Sept. 20.
CECOS field training exercise held at Mugu for first time
Photo by Colleen tarnutzer / CeCoS
A staff sergeant demonstrates proper weapons handling procedures for
Civil Engineer Corps Officers School (CECOS) Basic Class 255. Weapons
handling was taught in preparation for the field training exercise (FTX)
held at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu.
-
90
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
TheLighthouse
Thursday,August8,2013
15
By Darrell Waller
NAVFAC EXWC
The Naval Facilities Engineering and
Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAV-
FACEXWC) held a change of command
ceremony July 26 at Naval Base Ven-
tura County.
Capt. Mark K. Edelson relieved Capt.
Brant D. Pickrell as commanding offi-
cer.
Rear Adm. Katherine L. Gregory,
commander, NAVFAC and Chief of
Civil Engineers, gave the keynote address
and presented Pickrell with the Legion
of Merit for his exemplary service and
exceptional leadership.
This award is truly recognition of the
efforts of the more than 1,300 men and
women that make up the Engineering
and ExpeditionaryWarfare Center, said
Pickrell. I am humbled to have been
their commanding officer for the past
two years. It is my highest honor to have
been part of your team and your lega-
cy.
Pickrell, a native of Redding, Calif.,
has been the commanding officer of
NAVFAC EXWC since September 2012,
following the merging of his dual com-
mands, the Naval Facilities Engineering
Service Center and the Naval Facilities
Expeditionary Logistics Center. He is
assuming new duties as the fleet engineer
for the U.S. 6th Fleet in Naples, Italy.
Under Pickrells leadership, EXWC
continued the strong and successful
legacy of its predecessor commands.
EXWC has expanded its global leader-
ship position in strategic innovations,
specialized expertise and centralized
program management for NAVFAC
while maintaining its capability to re-
spond to the evolving requirements of
Navy, Marine Corps and Department
of Defense commands around the
world.
A graduate of the Massachusetts In-
stitute of Technology and Stanford Uni-
versity, Edelson assumed command of
NAVFAC EXWC following his last tour
of duty as operations officer for NAV-
FAC Southeast.
To the command of EXWC, your
intellect, your inquisitiveness, your de-
sire to serve and work together to solve
the problems of the Navys shore and
expeditionary forces make this command
an invaluable part of NAVFAC, said
Edelson. It is a great honor to be serv-
ing with you.
Edelson began his naval career with
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5
as assistant Alfa Company commander
during Operations Desert Shield/Storm,
then as the Detail Korea officer in charge
for his second deployment.
Change of command at EXWC
Photo by EA1 DAvE MillEr / NAvFAC EXWC
Capt. Mark K. Edelson, incoming commanding officer of the Naval Facilities Engineering
and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC), speaks during the change of command
ceremony. Edelson will lead 1,300 men and women in providing specialized facilities
engineering, technology solutions and life-cycle management of expeditionary equipment
to the Navy, Marines Corps, federal agencies and other Department of Defense supported
commands.
-
16
Seabees wrapping up projectsin Croatia, Republic of Georgia
By Lt. j.g. Thomas R. StockNMCB 4
UDBINA, Croatia Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 are nearing completion of a 120-by-48-foot Type II K-Span, a steel-paneled structure being built in support of the joint training exercise Jackal Stone.Since the annual exercise began
in 2007, it has served primarily as an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Croatia. Coordinated by the U.S., the exercise provides the opportunity for joint training and sharing of training concepts, tactics, techniques and procedures. Since arriving in mid-June, Detail
Croatia has followed a strict con-struction schedule in order to com-plete the project by the end of de-ployment.
I think this project really tests our skills as Seabees, said Builder
1st Class Michael Bettencourt. The crews are working great together to
finish the project, and were all moving towards the same goal. Builder 1st Class Reno Perry-
man, project operations, said the Seabees are working hard to finish the project. When were finished, everyone
will be able to take pride in the finished product, knowing all the effort that was put in, he said.As important as the actual build-
ing is to the mission, the larger goal is to strengthen relationships with regional allies. Recently, U.S. Army Reserve Of-
ficer Training Corps (ROTC) ca-dets visited the project to learn more about Seabees and their Can Do spirit. Led by Lt. Col. Rich-ard Smith, professor of military science from Iowa State Univer-sity, the ROTC cadets asked ques-tions about Seabee heritage, proj-ects and how the Naval
Construction Force mission oper-ates with the other armed forces.Perhaps the most exciting part
of the visit for the cadets was lunch. They were given Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, so they could have a taste of what its like in a contingency environment. Shouts of I cant wait to try one of these! and Ive heard so much about them! were heard amont the cadets.Unfortunately their visit was cut
short, as they were already late for their visit to Plitvicka Jezera, an-other site on their training tour in Croatia. The official ribbon cutting of the
K-Span is scheduled for this month. At that time, representa-tives from the Croatian military and the U.S. embassy will meet to celebrate the accomplishments of the Naval Construction Force.
Photo by CECS AriEl riCASAtA / NMCb 4 SW3 David McClure and SW2 Joseph Hamilton, both with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, cut rebar in preparation for a concrete pour. NMCB 4 is currently deployed over the European Command, African Command and Central Command areas of responsibility in support of infrastructural construction operations.
Thursd
ay, A
ugus
t 8, 2
013
The Ligh
thou
se
www.The
Ligh
thou
seNew
s.co
m
By Lt. Douglas PanNMCB 4
TBILISI, Georgia The gradually clos-ing ramp of the C-130 seals off the cool dry air of the aircraft cabin from the hot humid air of a Caucasus summer and marks the successful completion of Naval Mobile Con-struction Battalion (NMCB) 4s mission in the Republic of Georgia. The Seabees arrived in April and worked
closely with soldiers from the Republic of Georgias 4th Infantry Brigade to complete construction of a 30-person restroom facil-ity in an austere training area located in the crumbling debris of an abandoned air base. This project marks the first time Seabees
have set foot in the Republic of Georgia, a former member of the Soviet Union. Since its independence in 1991, Georgia
has been an ally of the United States. It sup-ported the U.S. in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is currently the largest non-NATO con-tributor to the Afghanistan mission, with
two full battalions serving in the volatile Musa Qala and Now Zad regions.U.S. Marines and Georgian soldiers fre-
quently train together. The construction of permanent restrooms in their joint training area not only improves hygiene during field exercises but also symbolizes commitment to continued cooperation and partnership.Seabees from NMCB 4s Detail Georgia
were enthusiastic about the project and eager to work on something they could call their own.Its rare to be able to do a project from
start to finish like this these days, said Con-struction Electrican 2nd Class Bradford Mahoney. Usually, youre going into a building to do maintenance. Weve gotten to do a little bit of everything so far. Its going to be an excellent facility when were finished with it.Chief Builder Jonathan Eisfelder called
the deployment an excellent opportunity for junior sailors to get the chance to see a project from start to finish. Theyre able to dig the first hole and place the last light bulb. Builder Constructionman Stormie Schau-
er said the group has worked well together.Even when were working, were commu-
nicating and having fun, Schauer said. It
feels good to be out here, putting our skills to use and doing what weve been trained to do. Despite working from dawn to dusk,
bumpy rides over pot-holed cracking roads and gale force winds strong enough to uproot trees, the Seabees completed the project in
high spirits, proud of what they have accom-plished. The Seabees showed Georgia and the rest
of the world some of the many great things we can do at a moments notice during com-bat or peace time, said Construction Me-chanic 2nd Class Timothy Ryan.
NMCB 4s Detail Croatia finishing K-Span as part of training exercise Jackal Stone
Photo by CECN lAurA SMith / NMCb 4BUCN Vivienne Wilson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 cuts rough lumber to size with a chop saw in the Seabee warehouse as part of a latrine-building project in the Republic of Georgia.
Its the first time Seabees have worked in Georgia, formerly part of USSR
-
17
By Lt. j.g. Thomas R. StockNMCB 4
UDBINA, Croatia Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 are nearing completion of a 120-by-48-foot Type II K-Span, a steel-paneled structure being built in support of the joint training exercise Jackal Stone.Since the annual exercise began
in 2007, it has served primarily as an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Croatia. Coordinated by the U.S., the exercise provides the opportunity for joint training and sharing of training concepts, tactics, techniques and procedures. Since arriving in mid-June, Detail
Croatia has followed a strict con-struction schedule in order to com-plete the project by the end of de-ployment.
I think this project really tests our skills as Seabees, said Builder
1st Class Michael Bettencourt. The crews are working great together to
finish the project, and were all moving towards the same goal. Builder 1st Class Reno Perry-
man, project operations, said the Seabees are working hard to finish the project. When were finished, everyone
will be able to take pride in the finished product, knowing all the effort that was put in, he said.As important as the actual build-
ing is to the mission, the larger goal is to strengthen relationships with regional allies. Recently, U.S. Army Reserve Of-
ficer Training Corps (ROTC) ca-dets visited the project to learn more about Seabees and their Can Do spirit. Led by Lt. Col. Rich-ard Smith, professor of military science from Iowa State Univer-sity, the ROTC cadets asked ques-tions about Seabee heritage, proj-ects and how the Naval
Construction Force mission oper-ates with the other armed forces.Perhaps the most exciting part
of the visit for the cadets was lunch. They were given Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, so they could have a taste of what its like in a contingency environment. Shouts of I cant wait to try one of these! and Ive heard so much about them! were heard amont the cadets.Unfortunately their visit was cut
short, as they were already late for their visit to Plitvicka Jezera, an-other site on their training tour in Croatia. The official ribbon cutting of the
K-Span is scheduled for this month. At that time, representa-tives from the Croatian military and the U.S. embassy will meet to celebrate the accomplishments of the Naval Construction Force.
www.TheLighthouseN
ews.com
The Lighthouse
Thursday, A
ugust 8, 2
013
By Lt. Douglas PanNMCB 4
TBILISI, Georgia The gradually clos-ing ramp of the C-130 seals off the cool dry air of the aircraft cabin from the hot humid air of a Caucasus summer and marks the successful completion of Naval Mobile Con-struction Battalion (NMCB) 4s mission in the Republic of Georgia. The Seabees arrived in April and worked
closely with soldiers from the Republic of Georgias 4th Infantry Brigade to complete construction of a 30-person restroom facil-ity in an austere training area located in the crumbling debris of an abandoned air base. This project marks the first time Seabees
have set foot in the Republic of Georgia, a former member of the Soviet Union. Since its independence in 1991, Georgia
has been an ally of the United States. It sup-ported the U.S. in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is currently the largest non-NATO con-tributor to the Afghanistan mission, with
two full battalions serving in the volatile Musa Qala and Now Zad regions.U.S. Marines and Georgian soldiers fre-
quently train together. The construction of permanent restrooms in their joint training area not only improves hygiene during field exercises but also symbolizes commitment to continued cooperation and partnership.Seabees from NMCB 4s Detail Georgia
were enthusiastic about the project and eager to work on something they could call their own.Its rare to be able to do a project from
start to finish like this these days, said Con-struction Electrican 2nd Class Bradford Mahoney. Usually, youre going into a building to do maintenance. Weve gotten to do a little bit of everything so far. Its going to be an excellent facility when were finished with it.Chief Builder Jonathan Eisfelder called
the deployment an excellent opportunity for junior sailors to get the chance to see a project from start to finish. Theyre able to dig the first hole and place the last light bulb. Builder Constructionman Stormie Schau-
er said the group has worked well together.Even when were working, were commu-
nicating and having fun, Schauer said. It
feels good to be out here, putting our skills to use and doing what weve been trained to do. Despite working from dawn to dusk,
bumpy rides over pot-holed cracking roads and gale force winds strong enough to uproot trees, the Seabees completed the project in
high spirits, proud of what they have accom-plished. The Seabees showed Georgia and the rest
of the world some of the many great things we can do at a moments notice during com-bat or peace time, said Construction Me-chanic 2nd Class Timothy Ryan.
NMCB 4s Detail Croatia finishing K-Span as part of training exercise Jackal Stone
Photo by CECN lAurA SMith / NMCb 4BUCN Vivienne Wilson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 cuts rough lumber to size with a chop saw in the Seabee warehouse as part of a latrine-building project in the Republic of Georgia.
By CE2 Paul LeRayNMCB 5
OECUSSI, Timor Leste Odds are that if you havent deployed to the Pa-cific region recently, you might not have even heard about the newest sovereign na-tion in the world called East Timor, or Timor Leste. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion
(NMCB) 5s Civic Construction Action Detail (CCAD) Timor Leste, based out of the capital of Dili, is the largest foreign military presence in the country. Its mis-sion while deployed there is to provide humanitarian and engineering support to Timor Leste while building community and national relations. Reeling from an Indonesian occupation
lasting until 1999, Timor Leste still suffers from major infrastructure and sanitation problems leading to malnutrition, illness-es and one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Timor Leste is a country divided into
two parts: the larger Eastern portion, and a smaller enclave to the West called Oecus-si, which is surrounded by the neighboring country of Indonesia. The Seabees have been in Timor Leste since 2009, but the recent push to Oecussi is the first time the Seabees have shown a presence in the Western enclave.This July, the Seabees sent a convoy to
Oecussi, making it the most remote loca-tion NMCB 5 has touched this deploy-ment. Upon arrival, they were met with stares from the locals. The detail was in-formed by local drivers that many locals had never personally seen a foreigner, or Malai, before. Its a great thing were doing, but the
logistics are a nightmare, said Utilities-man 2nd Class Ethan Merrill, project supervisor. The cross through Indonesia, getting all of the equipment and materials out here, coordination with the [Timorese Army] and of course theres the issue of physical safety. Medical evacuation here is extremely limited, so staying safe on and off the job site is paramount.Alongside engineers from the Falintil-
Foras de Defesa de Timor Leste, the Seabees began installing rainwater collec-tion systems, repairing solar electricity systems and leaking roofs, replacing win-dows and doors and repainting struc-tures.At the Usitaco Medical Clinic, a new
kitchen was built outside to keep cook-ing-fire smoke out of the clinic.At the Oecussi Referral Hospital, triple
power redundancy was enabled by repair-ing four generators and installing a solar array. These additions will ensure power supply to the emergency room during the daily power blackout from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For the first time in three years, the
hospitals two ambulances were repaired to full working order. A total of nine buildings were reno-
vated or repaired, including two that were beyond the original scope of work. The projects took 19 workdays, seven days ahead of schedule, despite it being the most challenging mission the Seabees in Timor Leste have undertaken this deploy-ment. Its absolutely amazing to see the great
amount of work that a small number of Seabees made in such a short time, U.S. Ambassador Judith Fergin, ambassador
to Timor Leste, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Oecussi July 24. You may not realize, but the impact you have made here is beyond words.Along with Fergin, guests at the ribbon-
cutting ceremony included Dr. Sergio Lobo, the Timor Leste minister of health; Jorge Teme, district representative of the Secretary of State of local development; Paul Randolph, U.S. Agency for Interna-tional Development mission director; and more than 200 people from the commu-nity. You simply cannot have good health-
care without clean running water. It was impossible before, but you have made it possible, said Dr. Reginald Gipson, chief of USAID Health Improvement Project (HADIAK) when he spoke about the work performed by the Seabees. Ensign Heidi Lawrenz, the officer-in-
charge of NMCB 5s Timor Leste detail, called the mission a great success and said Oecussi is an example of how much im-pact Seabees can make in Timor Leste. We were able to showcase what Seabees
do best, making high-impact improve-ments and assisting communities in the most remote and austere locations, said Lawrenz. The mission not only improved the health and living conditions of local communities in extremely remote environ-ments but also highlighted the relation-ships we have built with the Ministry of Health and HADIAK. The Oecussi mission was the final task-
ing for NMCB 5 Detail Timor Leste prior to returning home to Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. At the completion of their eight-month deploy-ment, they will turn over the small detail site and missions to NMCB 3.
NMCB 5 repairs buildings in remote area of Timor Leste
u.S. NAvy PhotoTwo men from Timor Leste watch as Petty Officer 3rd Class Keith Wrenn of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 paints the Bobocase Community Center. NMCB 5s Civic Construction Action Detail (CCAD) Timor Leste is working to demonstrate U.S. commitment, develop enduring relationships and improve public infrastructure.
-
18
Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Help when you need it.
The Fleet & Family
Support Center
LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) is the
largest professional networking site in the
world. With more than 225 million mem-
bers and around 173,000 individuals join-
ing each day, its almost considered un-
professional not to be on LinkedIn. It is
a wonderful tool for not only keeping in
touch with existing professional connec-
tions, but for making new ones as well.
Here are 10 reasons you should be on
LinkedIn:
Its a fast, easy and effective way to
network.
Recruiters use LinkedIn. Ninety-three
percent of recruiters surveyed in 2012
stated they use LinkedIn when looking
for talent. That included recruiters for
Microsoft, eBbay, Netflix and Target.
Employers use LinkedIn to post jobs
and updates. You can search and save jobs
youre interested in.
Think of it as Professional Face-
book. It is perfect for connecting with
former colleagues, supervisors and others
you wouldnt necessarily want to connect
to on Facebook. Updates are all profes-
sional, not personal.
Its a great way to keep your profes-
sional network informed aboutwhat youre
up to, what youre looking for, etc.
You can post your resume, awards,
volunteer experience, education, affilia-
tions and examples of workmuchmore
information than you could fit in a simple
two-page resume.
Its great for recommendations. Not
only can you recommend others, but col-
leagues, friends, supervisors and clients
can write recommendations for you as
well.
Job seekers can review the profiles of
hiring managers and companies to dis-
cover which of their existing contacts can
introduce them.
Although a Basic LinkedIn account is
free, veterans can get an upgrade to a pre-
mium account free of charge for five
years.
Its been around since 2003. What are
you waiting for?
You can learn how to build an effective
LinkedIn profile andmake LinkedInwork
for you by attending the course, Are you
LinkedIn? Using LinkedIn for Your Job
Search,offered at the Fleet&Family Sup-
port Center. The next one is scheduled for
Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Call 805-982-5037 to register.
Kelly Coughlan is a work and family life
consultant for the Fleet & Family Support
Center.
Learn the importance of staying connected with LinkedIn
Getting
hired
withKelly
Coughlan
FFSC
Toll-free appointment scheduling ser-
vice: 1-866-923-6478, call 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Personal, marital, fam-
ily counseling; financial management;
spouse employment; transition assistance;
relocation assistance; life skills workshops
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
(Register for TAP classes with your
Command Career Counselor)
Transition Assistance Program
GPS: Mondays-Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. daily, Aug. 12-16, Sept. 9-13, Sept.
16-20. Register via Command Career
Counselor.
Capstone: Higher education optional
track. Verify completion of GPS and
achieve career readiness standards. Thurs.,
Aug. 15, 8 a.m. to noon.
Excel Basics: Learn how to use Mi-
crosoft Office Excel 2007 software for
both personal and professional use.
Thurs., Aug. 8, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Interview Skills: Prepare for your job
interview, learn about the interview pro-
cess, conduct a mock interview andmore.
Tues., Aug. 13, 9 to 11 a.m.
Are you LinkedIn?: Using LinkedIn
for your job search. Great networking!
Wed., Aug. 14, 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Advancement Preparation: Do you
need help preparing for the enlisted ad-
vancement exam?We teach you test-tak-
ing tips and study skills to improve your
chances of success. Thurs., Aug. 15, 9 to
11 a.m.
Writing the Perfect Resume & Cover
Letter: Learn cutting-edge resume and
cover letter techniques to successfully
present your skills. Thurs., Aug. 15, 1 to
3 p.m.
VA Paperwork Assistance: Hands-on
assistance in filing, reopening or appealing
your VA claim. Active duty, veterans,
widows, walk-ins welcome! Call for de-
tails. Wed,, Aug. 21, 9 a.m. to noon.
Excel Intermediate: Learn advanced
shortcuts, formulas, charts, referencing
and more using Microsoft Office Excel
2007. Thurs., Aug 29, 9 to 11 a.m.
Career Fair Prep Classes: Thurs, Aug.
29, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Port Hueneme; Wed.,
Sept. 4, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Port Hueneme;
Wed., Sept. 11, 1 to 3:30 p.m., Point
Mugu.
Career Fair:Meet employers and learn
about educational opportunities. Wed.,
Sept. 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dukes Place,
Port Hueneme.
Deployment Readiness
IA Family Connection: Whether this
is your first or 21st experience with de-
ployments or Individual Augmentees, join
others andmeet with spouses of deployed
service members. Share your knowledge
of how to thrive during this experience.
Thurs., Aug. 8, noon to 1 p.m.
DeploymentReadiness: Are you ready
for your spouses deployment? Join others
to learn what it is all about and how to
do more than just survive deployment.
Wed., Aug. 14, 2 to 3 p.m.
Exceptional Family Member
General information: 982-2646.
Sensory-FriendlyMovie: All lights will
stay on and the sound will be lowered to
respect the differing senses of all children
with special needs. All are welcome! Call
805-982-2646 with questions. 2 p.m. Sat-
urday,Aug. 10,NeedhamTheater,NBVC
Port Hueneme.
EFM Overview: The Exceptional
FamilyMember Program (EFMP) serves
military families with special needs, in-
cluding medical, dental, mental health,
developmental or educational issues. The
program ensures families are assigned to
areas where they can access necessary re-
sources. Mon., Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to noon,
Point Mugu.
EFMPPoint of Contact Training: As-
sist each command in developing mission
readiness for Sailors who support a loved
one with special needs. Tues., Aug. 13, 10
a.m. to noon, Point Mugu.
EFMP Special Needs Network: Get
together with other EFMP members to
share information and support. Wed.,
Aug. 14, 10 a.m. to noon, Point Mugu.
Relocation Assistance
General information: 982-3726.
Welcome Aboard: For incoming ser-
vice members and their family. Receive
information on military and community
resources on and nearNBVC.Wed., Aug.
21, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Married to the Military: Newly mar-
ried to the Navy? Learn about military
benefits, family programs, Navy jargon
and customs.Wed., Aug. 28, 9 to 11 a.m.,
Point Mugu.
SmoothMove:Make your PCSmove
easy, simple, smooth. Learn about your
ContInuED on 19
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20
Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
By YNC Ryan Arnoldussen
NOSC Ventura County
Sailors from the Navy Operational Sup-
port Center (NOSC)VenturaCounty trav-
eled to ShermanOaks lastmonth to honor
veterans at an assisted living facility.
Capt. RonOswald, commanding officer,
and NOSCs chief petty officers and first
class petty officers volunteered for the In-
dependenceDayHonorEvent at theVillage
at Sherman Oaks.
Sailors participated in the event as part
of Chief Petty Officer 365 (CPO 365), a
yearlong training programdesigned to pre-
pare first class petty officers for the rank of
chief.
Were honoring those who have gone
before us, said Chief Personnel Specialist
Miguel Alderete. At the same time, this
forms a connectionpoint to our history and
the next generation of service members.
He called chief petty officers the keepers
of tradition in the Navy.
That is one of the main things we do,
having that sense of heritage,he said. We
have anobligation to theNavy, to the future
Sailors and chief petty officers, to mentor
and lead them.
The Sailors shared experiences with the
residents andmore than 40 visiting veterans
fromtheArmy,AirForce andNavyfrom
WorldWar II to the Gulf War.
I enjoyedmeeting several veterans from
all of the different branches of the service,
said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Brian
Dejesus of NOSC Ventura County. The
highlight of my day was listening to anAir
Force veteran as he discussed loading and
dropping bombs during his time in the war
giving me a chance to get to know him
and learning about his past while he was in
theAirForce. Itwas an honoring andhum-
bling feeling at the end of the event when
you get a moment to thank them for their
exceptional service, knowing you helped
brighten their day.
Chief Construction Electrician Rodney
Chiles said the wartime memories are still
vivid in the veteransminds.
Even though its beenover 68 years since
Americas involvement inWorldWar II, the
memories of the war are still very evident
with the veterans here, he said. Im glad
to do what I can to help give these people
an enjoyable day, while listening to their
stories and letting them know that they are
still very much on our minds.
NOSCVentura County assists in the ex-
ecution of NavyReserve policy and admin-
istration through indirect support of mobi-
lization and active Navy support
requirements.NOSCVenturaCountys sup-
port function includes 42Reserve units and
approximately 1,150 Selected Reservists.
Veterans in retirement home visit with todays Sailors
Photo by yN2 PaulyN SaNtiago / NoSC VeNtura CouNty
Capt. Ron Oswald, commanding officer of Navy Operational Support Center, Ventura
County, thanks veterans who live at the Village at Sherman Oaks assisted living facility.
All persons eligible to hunt waterfowl
alone aboard Naval Base Ventura
County (NBVC) Point Mugu are in-
vited to participate in the annual repair
of hunting blinds. Personnel eligible
to hunt waterfowl include active duty,
reserve and retired military personnel;
current and retired NBVC Department
of Defense civil service personnel; and
NBVC contractor personnel with an
NBVC ID badge. Blind repair will take
place during the month of September,
with specific dates still to be deter-
mined.
Volunteers may email their name,
phone number preferably two num-
bers and eligibility status to Vern at
NBVChunting@verizon.net.
You may not sign up someone else,
and you may not sign up earlier than
Aug. 1 unless you will be TAD or out
of town that date.
All requests are due no later than
Friday, Aug 23.
Volunteers will be notified of their
assignments in early September.
There are a limited number of blinds
in need of repair; therefore, volunteers
will be taken on a first come, first served
basis.
Volunteers earn six priority chits to
be used during the hunting season to
increase their chances of getting a de-
sired blind assignment.
Hunting blinds in need of repair
The highlight of my
day was listening to
an Air Force veteran
as he discussed
loading and dropping
bombs during his
time in the war .... It
was an honoring and
humbling feeling...
PS1 Brian Dejesus
NOSC Ventura County
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21
Thursday,August8,2013
TheLighthouse
www.TheLighthouseNews.com
Jog For Dogs promotes fitness as well as adopt-a-thon
VenturaCountyanimal shelter in
Camarillo. He, six others from
Naval Base Ventura County,
Point Mugu, and one Sailors
girlfriend each jogged the two
miles fromtheshelter to theshop-
pingmall with a dogwearing an
AdoptMeharness. Then they
cruised around the mall, letting
peopleknowabout theupcoming
event.
Thenext day, 73dogswere ad-
opted from the shelter along
with 34 cats, seven rabbits and
one parakeet.
We had several visitors at
Sundays adopt-a-thon who at-
tendedtheeventaftermeeting the
Navyvolunteers and their canine
companions at the Camarillo
PremiumOutlets thedaybefore,
DonnaGillesby, interimdirector
of Ventura County Animal Ser-
vices, said the following week.
Ventura County Animal Ser-
vices is very grateful to theNavy
volunteers for serving as ambas-
sadors for the shelter andhelping
to increase the visibility of the
hundreds of beautiful dogs we
have available for adoption.
Carrillo had called the shelter
to find out if volunteers were
neededat thekennels. Shelter of-
ficials suggested the Jog forDogs
instead,andCarrillo realized that
would serve adual purpose: pro-
mote the adopt-a-thon and en-
courage fitness.
You get a good dog for jog-
ging and its going to keep you
motivated,he said.
AviationMachinistsMate2nd
Class Nick Manrique of FRC-
SW said dogs are a great way to
stay in shape.
I likehangingoutwith them,
he said, petting a black pit bull,
Starling. And this is a goodway
to give back to the community. I
hope it will help a family find a
dog.
Aviation Support Equipment
Technician Airman Apprentice
AndrewBrownfieldusedtobreed
pugs back at his home in Savan-
nah. He jogged with Cadillac, a
white Catahoula mix with blue
eyes.
I likehelpingout theanimals,
hesaid.Plus, it looksgoodwhen
theNavy volunteers.
The event enabled someof the
Sailors to get the animal fix
theyvemissed since theyvebeen
in theNavy. Two years ago, Avi-
ation ElectriciansMateAirman
Sam Sharp was at his home in
Medford, Ore., surrounded by
cats and rabbits. Then he joined
theNavyand thatwas the endof
that.
Saturday morning he got to
run with Charlie, a pit bull, then
relax with him at the shopping
mall.Charliebasked in theatten-
tionasSharp scratchedhis back.
Itwas hard to tell whichonewas
happier.
I love animals,Sharp said.
continueD From 3
all vendor tables and displays were set
up, and pet owners had started meander-
ing onto the grounds at the San Bue-
naventura State Beach in Ventura. More
than 250 would stop by before the day
was over.
Weve never been set up this early,
she said. This is great!Were so apprecia-
tive of the Navy doing this.
Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Jer-
maine Whitley of NBVC Air Operations
had organized the sign-ups of 10 volun-
te
top related