Essential Comms: Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Region Spotlight: 21st Century Sailor

Around the Region: Sailor Devoted to Shared Values in Djibouti

Big Navy News: DOD, DOE Partnership in Energy Innovation

21st Century Sailor: Prepared to Face All Challenges

REGION STANDARD Apr 2012 Issue 16

The Region Standard Pg.2

E s s e n t i a l C o m m s

OHA Utility and MIHA Survey Open in April for Eligible U.S.

Service Members in Italy

Hello. I’m Com-mander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Command Master Chief Richard Hatton. I recently arrived in Naples and can’t tell you how ex-

cited and happy I am to be here working with all of you across the Region. I am originally from Heathsville, Virginia where I graduated from Northum-berland High School in 1982 and enlisted in the Navy as a cryptologic technician. I have been through a variety of techni-cal schools, numerous deployments and many overseas tours in the 30 years since my first enlistment. I am a graduate of the Navy’s Senior Enlisted Academy and have earned my associate’s degree in industrial management technology as well as a bachelor’s degree focused on management. Most recently I served as the installation Command Master Chief at Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan. As the Region’s Command Master Chief, I am dedicated to providing effi-cient and effective shore service support to U.S. and allied forces in the Region. I fully support and look forward to interact-ing with our total force including military members, GS employees, contract em-ployees, local nationals and their families. The work you do is vital to our continued success and I am excited to be a part of the team.

Greetings from RegionCommand Master Chief

The triennial Overseas Housing Allow-ance (OHA) Utility and Move-In Housing Allowance (MIHA) survey is open during all of April for personnel stationed in Italy. The voluntary survey is for military personnel who reside in privately leased quarters and receive an overseas hous-ing allowance. Survey results will be used to update OHA utility and MIHA allowance rates for Italy. Click HERE to take part in the survey.

Sexual Assault Awareness MonthApril is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and presents an opportunity to focus attention on the importance of elimination this crime. Sexual assault is a crime that devestates victims, undermines teamwork, threatens unit cohesivenessand ulti-mates reduces fleet readiness. Awareness through education training and leadership is vital to the success of the Navy’s prevention and response program.

Sexual Assault Will Not Be Tolerated

• The Navy’s “zero tolerance” sexual assault policy requires support from all Sailors to successfully eliminate sexual assaults in the Navy.

• Sexual Assault is a crime that is detrimental to readines, retention and morale. It attacks the human dignity of our people and is inconsistent with the Navy Ethos and Core Values.

Eliminating Sexual Assault is an All Hands Effort

• The Navy is dedicated to establishing a culture and work enviornment that is safe and sexual assault free.

• Sailors should understand and recog-nize when when a situation may lead to sexual assault.

• Shipmates should look out for one another and intervene before as-saults occur.

Facts & Figures

• Navy sexual assault victims and per-petrators come in all ranks, ages and genders. 65 percentof Navy cases were Sailor-on-Sailor attacks. Most victims knew their attackers.

• The largest victim and known of-fender demographic is E1-E4, 20-24 years old.

• Alcohol is associated with many sexual assault cases, as offenders often victimize and target individu-als who are under the influence of alcohol.

• In fiscal year 2010, the Navy aver-aged 37 reported sexual assaults every month - the actual number of assaults is thought to be higher.

R e g i o n S p o t l i g h tThe Region Standard Pg.3

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti -- Navy leaders focused on the 21st Century Sailor and Marine area of physical fitness and nutrition during the second day of their visit to Camp Lemonnier, March 17, beginning the day with pre-dawn physical training. Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, the honorable Juan M. Garcia, and Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Admiral Dirk J. Deb-bink, met with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 Detail Horn of Africa (HOA) Seabees at Camp Lemonnier’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation turf field for

Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa Public Affairs

21st Century Sailors and Marines Focus on Fitness, Nutrition in Djibouti

calisthenics, “ammo” can carry drills and more. Engineering Aid 1st Class (SCW) Edward J. Brock, NMCB 3 Detachment HOA command fitness leader, said Sea-bees take their fitness seriously. “Because we train as a command six times per week, I’ve seen a vast improve-ment in our overall level of fitness,” Brock said. “We have more energy, with many inches and pounds lost.” Vice Adm. Debbink also sees the positive impact fitness can have on Sail-ors and their work. “The 21st Century Sailor and Marine initiative is all about helping our Sailors and Marines be the best that they can

Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs the Honorable Juan M. Garcia performs weighted lunges during an early morning physical training session, March 17. Photo by MC3 Christopher Carson.

be,” explained Debbink. “To be a healthy and fit Sailor helps us do our jobs better.”

The 21sT CenTury sailor and Marine iniTiaTive puTs TogeTher a seT of objeCTives and poliCies, new and exisTing, To MaxiMize eaCh sailor’s and Marine’s personal readiness. sailors, Marines, and Their faMilies MusT be equipped To ConTinue To MeeT boTh The physiCal and MenTal Challenges of a MiliTary Career. This iniTiaTive will advanCe progress by leveraging prograMs under The following five areas.

Readiness*Reduce suicides and manage stress by providing Sailors with the support network, health care, and skills needed.* Curb alcohol abuse and bring down the number of alcohol related incidents which can end careers and sometimes end lives.* Reinforce the Navy’s zero tolerance policy on synthetic chemical compounds like Spice.

safety* Aggressively prevent sexual assaults from occurring, support sexual assault victims, and hold offenders accountable.*Improve motorcycle safety by closing the training gap with the Military Sportbike Rider Course (MSRC).

Physical fitness*Move from a “culture of testing” to a culture of physical readiness .

inclusion* Increase the diversity of ideas, experi-ences, areas of expertise, and back-grounds necessary for the Navy to fulfill the variety of missions asked of us.

continuum of seRvice* Recruit Sailors once and retain them for life through flexible service options that provide opportunities for meaningful and valued work across a career.* Provide tools for life after the Navy to Wounded Warriors and those impacted by force-management actions.

The Region Standard Pg.4

A r o u n d T h e R e g i o n

Click to Download

the 2012

Region Calendar

Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Public Affairs

BAHRAIN - Carolyn McCorvey, director of Fleet and Family Sup-port Center, Bahrain speaks with Commander, Navy Installations Command, Vice Adm. William French, right, as Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, Rear Adm. Tony Gaiani looks on. Photo by MC2 Timothy Wilson.

NAPLES, Italy -- Installations in Navy Region Europe, Af-rica, Southwest Asia (EURAF-SWA) participated in Exercise Reliant Defense 2012 (RD-12) March 19-21, one of several annual Navy security training exercises taking place world-wide. The exercise stressed areas of the Navy’s anti-ter-rorism program to train Navy security forces and refine force protection responses to potential threats to installa-tions and units. “We’re testing our ability to respond, coordinate, and manage events that effect base security, personnel, and other assets ashore,” said Navy Region EURAFSWA Op-erations Officer Capt. Rodney DeWalt. All six Navy installations throughout Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia executed the exercise in collaboration with Region headquarters in Naples, Italy.

“The focus is really at the installation level, the funda-mental building block for Navy security ashore,” said DeWalt. Participants include Navy Region EURAFSWA; Naval Support Activity (NSA) Na-ples, Italy; Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy; NSA Bahrain; NSA Souda Bay, Greece; Na-val Station Rota, Spain; and Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. “RD-12 is an excellent opportunity for all programs to practice teamwork for a coordinated response,” said Tracey Murdock, Region’s acting program director for Training and Readiness.

Navy EURAFSWA Installations Participate in Reliant Defense 2012 Naval Mobile Construction Bat-

talion 3 Public Affairs

GULF OF LA SPEZIA, Italy - Members of the Italian navy Operational Raider Group fast-rope aboard the commercial ferry Excelsior from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28, March 15. HSC-28, based out of Naples, Italy, is par-ticipating in bilateral training with the Italian naval special forces. U.S. Navy photo.

Service members serve the

community in Djibouti (VIDEO)

SIGONELLA, Italy -- Sea-bees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3, Detail Sigonella, provided emergency as-sistance to Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella that helped minimize flooding damage caused by heavy rains on Feb. 22. The Seabees received the call that day from Public Works Department (PWD) Sigonella requesting their help to protect some of the build-ings and assist with driving security through flood waters. “It was great helping out and doing my part,” said Equipment Operator Con-structionman Kenneth Men-zies, one of the MTVR drivers.

NMCB 3 helps air station in Italy battle waist-high flooding

PS1 Boubacar Djibo assists U.S. Army CPL Nylan Ross with paperwork during an in-brief for new personnel, March 1.

U.S. Navy Sailor Devoted to Shared Values in DjiboutiStory and photo by U.S. Air Force Tsgt Ryan Labadens, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti -- People join the military and remain in for various reasons. For U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Boubacar Djibo, enlisting initially meant an opportunity for better educa-tion, but it ultimately provided him some-thing more—a sense of community. In his birthplace of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, community was every-thing, said Djibo, a personnel specialist and strength management leading petty officer at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. “People are very close-knit—there is a great sense of solidarity,” said Djibo. “Everybody’s problem is everybody else’s

problem.” One similarity Djibo noticed between his life in Burkina Faso and the Navy was the sense of community he experienced. “I love the Navy, and I know it helps people,” said Djibo. One way Djibo likes to help is by par-ticipating in the various assistance pro-grams and community service opportuni-ties like the English Discussion Group, Camp Lemonnier’s mortuary affairs pro-gram and the U.S. Navy Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program. “One of the attributes I really admire about Djibo is his desire to include every-one in the community we’ve established here,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Paul Matheny, administrative department

leading chief petty officer and Djibo’s supervisor here. “He doesn’t just get himself involved—he tries to get others involved. With him, it’s really all about inclusion. It’s not just about what he can do, it’s about what we can do.”

The Region Standard Pg.5

B i g N a v y N e w sSECNAV Announces DoD, DOE Partnership in Energy Innovation

National Harbor, Md. -- The secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) announced a partnership between the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-En-ergy (ARPA-e), March 2, that is intended to improve national security by innovating the way the military uses energy. The gathering of key players in the nation’s energy innovation community lis-tened as SECNAV Ray Mabus explained two ways the joint venture between DoD and ARPA-e will improve the energy se-curity of the United States military. The first is the development of hybrid energy storage modules. This technology can be applied to store the energy Ma-rines need to power equipment currently being run on solar power. The benefit of switching from solar power is the ability to store energy for later use when the equipment is not in use. Hybrid energy storage modules may also be the answer to the huge amounts of energy required by electrical weapons which must discharge quickly to function. “Hybrid energy storage modules will provide efficient and stable power for our weapons systems,” Mabus said.

Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs

CHARLESTOWN, Mass. - Sailors place the sail on the yard of the mizzen mast aboard USS Constitution, March 14. Photo by ST2 Thomas Rooney.

PEARL HARBOR - Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club hug at the USS Arizona Memorial, March 13. Photo by MC3 Sean Furey.

IWO TO, Japan - Sailors and Marines from the forward-deployed amphibious dock land-ing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) and guests render honors as the honor guard pa-rades the colors during the Reunion of Honor Ceremony at a memorial commemorating the battle of Iwo Jima, March 14. The ceremony marked the 67th anniversary of the battle. Photo by MC1 Johnie Hickmon.

Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2012 Tests Security of InstallationsCommander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Public AffairsNORFOLK, Va. -- Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2012 (SCCS 2012) began in the Hampton Roads area, March 19. For one week during March, bases fluctuate security conditions and begin random antiterrorism measures in re-sponse to simulated threats. This annual exercise is designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security forces to respond to threats to installa-tions and units throughout the U.S. “Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield is the largest force protection exercise that the Navy, or any service, does in the United States of America,” said Capt. John Fris-tachi, director of operations for Navy Re-gion Mid-Atlantic’s Regional Operations Center. “This is at all of our installations throughout the entire nation. The objec-tive is to train our personnel to under-stand and respond to terrorist events, or any event, that might target our bases. It combines the installation security forces, first responders, police, safety person-nel and emergency management; they respond to the incidents at our gates and on our installations.”

SECNAV Kicks off War of 1812 Bicentennial

(VIDEO)

USS Enterprise Departs on Final Deployment

(VIDEO)

Career Intermission Pilot Program Renewed for Three YearsDiversity and Inclusion Public Affairs

WASHINGTON -- The chief of naval per-sonnel announced in NAVADMIN 089/12, the Career Intermission Pilot Program (CIPP) has been extended for three more years as part of FY12 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), March 16. CIPP presents a unique opportunity for members to take a career intermis-sion without penalty and return to active duty to complete a successful Navy career. During their time in CIPP, participants retain their full medical and dental ben-efits for themselves and their depend-ents, as well as exchange and commis-sary benefits. Participants also receive a small monthly stipend equal to two times 1/30th of their basic pay. “This program was created for top performers who have the desire to ‘Stay Navy,’ but need some time off,” said Vice Adm. Scott Van Buskirk, chief of naval personnel. “These are great Sailors, and through CIPP, we are able to meet the short-term needs of our Sailors, while en-suring they stay Navy for the long term.”