The chain of command aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) announced its newest Sailors of the quarter Sept. 17, 2014.

The ship’s Sailor of the Quarter program recognizes Sailor’s hard work and dedication.

The selected Sailors of this quarter are: IS1 Charles D. Kirby, IT2 Olivia M. Durrett, YN3 Brett M. Sapp, and ABFAN Cesar A. Madera. The program is divided into four levels, based on rank – Senior Sailor of the Quarter, Sailor of the Quarter, Junior Sailor of the Quarter and Blue Jacket of the Quarter.

“It’s a great program we have on board,” said Junior Sailor of the Quarter, Yeoman 3rd Class Brett Sapp from Alexander City, Ala. “It helps motivate Sailors to work hard and get their qualifications. It’s also

a good way to recognize Sailors who are doing an outstanding job.”

During the nomination process, each department chooses one of their many excelling Sailors and nominates them for the various Sailor of the quarter awards.

“Each department has a nomination,” said Sapp. “All 12 departments will go up against each other and there can only be one winner at each level. Everyone nominated is outstanding and phenomenal; it’s very difficult for the leadership to choose. For you to be chosen, that’s a really great honor.”

The program doesn’t just highlight a few individuals; it shows the support that is behind each Sailor.

“It’s all the hard work, your professionalism, training, and the mentoring you provide, not only your department or your division, but across

Each Chaplain assigned to USS Bataan and 22nd MEU serves with the endorsement of their faith group.

They bring a wealth of experience to the Navy having served in various ministry roles in civilian life.

Once assigned to Bataan or the 22nd MEU they follow the guidance of their commanding officer and their vision of their Command Religious Ministry Program.

The four guiding principles of Naval Chaplaincy are: Provide, Facilitate, Care, and Advise.

Chaplains provide religious ministry and support to those of their own faith.

They facilitate for all religious beliefs. Care for all Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and their families.

They advise commanders to ensure the free exercise of religion, and moral and ethical matters.

This Command Religious Program, owned by the commanding officer and carried out by Chaplains and Religious Program Specialists, first and foremost provides for ministry and support to those of the Chaplain’s faith group.

This can be done by a Protestant Minister, a Catholic Priest, a Jewish Rabbi or a Muslim Imam.

Each of these Chaplains is qualified by their respective endorser to act on behalf of their faith group within the military setting.

When a Chaplain is asked to assist a Sailor or Marine who may not be of that Chaplain’s faith group, the Chaplain will work to seek out a Chaplain of that person’s faith background. Chaplains regardless of their faith denomination give pastoral care to all those in need of it. This is sometimes

September 26, 2014Volume: 2 Issue: 19

Look Inside!New XO, Page 3 | Newest Chief Petty Officers, Pages 4 & 5 | Tire Flip, Page 6

SOQ cont. page 2

How Chaplains Serve Bataan, 22 MEU and the FleetBy LCDR William R. Dermott

Bataan Recognizes Newest Sailors of the QuarterBy MCSN Caleb Strong

Photo by MC3 Mark Hays

Chaplains cont. page 2Photo by MCSN Michael J. Lieberknecht

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The editorial content of this newspaper is prepared, edited and provided by Bataan’s Public Affairs Office. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of military services at sea. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy and do not imply endorsement thereof.

Commanding OfficerCaptain George J. Vassilakis

Executive OfficerCaptain John “J.C.” Carter

Command Master ChiefCMDCM(SW/AW) Kevin M. Goodrich

Public Affairs Officer MCC(SW/SCW) Dennis Herring

News Team 5MC1(AW/SW) RJ StratchkoMC1(AW) Julie MatyascikMC3(SW/AW) Mark Andrew HaysMC3(SW) Erik Foster MC3(SW/AW) Chase Hawley

MCSN(SW) Nicholas Frank CottoneMCSN(SW/AW) Michael J. LieberknechtMCSN(SW) Michael FiorilloMCSN Caleb Strong

Layout and Design MCSN(SW) Nicholas Frank CottoneEditor MC1(AW) Julie Matyascik

Chaplains from Front Page 1

SOQ from Front Page 1the board it’s just phenomenal and that’s the reason you are here,” said Captain George Vassilakis, commanding officer of Bataan.

The nominated Sailors were very thankful for recognition and some said they were not expecting it. One Sailor in particular expressed this after his name was announced.

“I’m actually shocked; I want to thank

everyone in here,” said Senior Sailor of the Quarter, Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Charles Kirby, from Wilson, N.C.

“I want to thank my chain of command for support,” said Kirby.

“I couldn’t of done it without the chiefs and the officers steering the way and giving me top cover to lead my team. I think we’ve all done a great job out here this deployment and I know we’re ready

to go home. I appreciate all your support, thank you.”

Sailors of each Quarter will compete later to become Sailors of the Year. The ship’s chain of command have all agreed that individuals in this quarter have shown excellence and dedication. Those Sailors nominated or selected as Sailor of the Quarter or Sailor of the Year, they all have clearly done an outstanding job.

done by being a good listener, offering counseling when asked, or giving words of encouragement when that need arises.

Chaplains by their very nature are caring individuals.

Within the sea services they usually can be found in numerous spaces visiting Sailors and Marines where they work and socialize.

This presents the opportunity of positive encounters with the Chaplain and can be a springboard to helping anyone with any concerns they may have.

Within the command, Chaplains can be effective teachers of diverse subjects such as: Bible & Religious Studies, Anger Management, Communication, Marriage Preparation, and Financial Management.

Many times a Chaplain is sought out for individual counseling or advice. Here is one of the hallmarks of military Chaplaincy.

By mandate of the UCMJ only a military Chaplain has “confidential and privileged” communication between a service member and their family members.

During each indoctrination class Chaplain Owens and Chaplain Dermott give a presentation on the Command Religious Ministries Department, its function, personnel, and the services we provide to the crew.

We also give a Suicide Awareness &

Prevention brief so that all new Sailors have up to date information about this important topic in today’s Navy.

Chaplains also offer teaching for Sailors or Marines interested in lay leader certification.

Enlisted persons E-5 or above and officers may receive this training.

Bataan currently has two lay leaders; one for our Jewish community, and one for the Latter Day Saints members.

Sailors and Marines aboard USS Bataan participate in outreach events called Community Relations Projects or COMRELs.

These may occur in a foreign port and consist of helping out in a school or nursing home visitation, work projects to

paint or restore buildings, or landscaping public areas.

All of these projects seek to foster and build positive relations between American military volunteers and citizens of the host nation.

After a deployment when Bataan returns home to Naval Station Norfolk, COMRELs such as visits to Campostella Elementary School, and Habitat for Humanity, and a monthly Breakfast with Veterans are scheduled.

Chaplains provide a variety of services whether deployed or ashore.

Bataan and the 22nd MEU Chaplains stand ready for worship, to teach and counsel all those who fall under our spiritual care.

Photo by MC3 Chase Hawley

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What to know about the XOThe MC’s walked around the ship asking people what they wanted to know about our new XO. Here is the first interview aboard Bataan with Captain Pfister.

How long have you been in the Navy? I’ve been in for 23 years.Do you have any family back home? I have a wife and 9 year-old twins back home.What are you looking forward to most about Bataan? Being able to go back to sea after being at the Pentagon.What day do your like better, burger day or pizza night? That is a challenge, I’m gonna have to go with the pizza night though.What’s your pet peeve while walking around the ship? People being blatantly unsafe and not caring. Everything from eye pro to not putting away tools.Are you a dog or cat person? Definitely a dog person.College football or pro? College for sure.Whats your NCAA team? First would be Navy then USC because I grew up in Southern California.If you could have any meal onboard what would it be? A nice big steak with a baked potato and some chocolate chip cookies.

BMC(SW/AW)Kelly Hawkins

ASC(AW/SW)Brauny Agudieztavarez

FCC(SW/AW)Keith Krum

CTRC(SW/IDW/AW)Warren Martin

ABFC(AW/SW)Kendrick Armstrong

CTNC(IDW/SW)Andrew Nguyen

AMC(AW)Jarred Bishop

MRC(SW/AW)Thomas Chaney

CTNC(IDW/SW)Andrew Nguyen

MMC(SW/AW)Karl Rozell

SHC(SW)Marvin Compton

ITC(IDW/SW/AW)Joseph White

CTRC(IDW/EXW)Randall Delk

MMC(SW/AW)Daniel Wilch

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The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, left a scar on the face of our country. Sailors and Marines from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) honored those who perished by holding an all-day ship-wide workout that everyone could participate in.

Lt. Karsten Hain, from Reed City, Mich., the dental officer for 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, has been organizing and participating in the Hero Workout of the Day (WOD) Series at the Bat Box, to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. The Bat Box is a steel workout rig welded together with built in squat racks and pull up bars, complete with plenty of space to toss around rubber plates and perform high intensity training,

“Generally our workouts are individual events where people compete against one another to see who can finish first,” said Hain. “Remembering how everyone came together during the attacks in 2001, we wanted to embody that spirit with a cooperative challenge.”

Hain explained that flipping a giant 436-pound tire was a natural fit for the event. Participants strong enough to handle the tire on their own would be able to satisfy their daily workout craving, while others at various stages of fitness could work together and flip the mammoth mound of circular rubber. The goal was to flip the tire once for each of the 2,977

people lost in the attacks.“We were initially planning to run it for

a few hours,” said Hain. “As word spread, we realized we might have trouble finding time for everyone to participate. “

With more than 200 participants, the evolution began at 5 a.m., and when the tire final flip flopped onto the deck it was 7:30 p.m.. When the tally was compiled, the final flip count was 9,625. Participants had tripled the goal.

Damage Controlman 2nd Class Brittany Medlock, from Tulsa, Okla., a member of the flying squad explained that she participated because of the role firefighters played during the attacks. The

flying squad is the ship’s rapid response team that responds to casualties and is capable of performing emergency repair to the ship.

“We’re the ship’s firefighters and we could relate to the responsibility they felt during the attacks,” said Medlock. “We had to show our support. It’s why the whole flying squad decided to sign up as a team.“

Damage Controlman 1st Class Anthony Ryder, from Baldwyn, Miss., participated in the event as part of a team building evolution for the Damage Control department and support fellow firefighters.

“It’s what firefighters do,” said Ryder.

Throughout the 14-hour evolution, teams of all sizes gathered in the hangar bay to participate. Some teams wore costumes and hats while others shouted words of encouragement. Everyone who participated left their handprints and sweat on the tire.

Hain went on to explain that throughout the deployment, he had always been impressed with the spirit of the Sailors and Marines that have come out for the workouts, but was absolutely blown away by the response and enthusiasm of the people during the latest challenge.

“It shows that 9/11 is still in fresh in everyone’s mind and it has made a permanent impression in all of their lives,” said Hain.

Sailors and Marines Come Together to Commerate the FallenBy MCSN Michael Fiorillo

Photo by MCSN Caleb Strong

Photos by MC1 Julie Matyascik

Photo by MCSN Caleb Strong

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This month is Suicide Prevention Month, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has said preventing military suicides is one of the Defense Department’s highest priorities.

“As we observe Suicide Prevention Month,” he said in a message to the department’s workforce, “we must rededicate ourselves to actively working not only every month, but every day to fulfill our collective responsibility to watch out for each other and take care of each other.”

This is the second article in a four-part series about a Navy petty officer who came close to taking his own life but did not do so, thanks to the intervention of his leadership and the use of support networks, and how he continues to brave his battle with alcoholism and depression.

Due to emotional and physical abuse as a child, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jason Thompson, an instructor at a joint command in Maryland, grew up with suicidal ideations and attempted suicide as early as age 9. He joined the Navy in 1998 and became a mass communication specialist. He said he battled with his depression throughout his Navy career.

His supervisor and mentor of 11 years said he was a superior performer, but would slip up now and again.

“He was always a phenomenal worker,” said Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer

Misty Hubbard, the Navy element senior enlisted advisor at the joint command, who has known Thompson for 11 years. “Anything that needed to be done well and quickly went to him, because he could perform like a champ in a pinch. He was always an incredible worker. Ninety-five percent of the time, he was No. 1, on fire, with a bullet -- just an incredible sailor [and] worker. But you could guarantee that about once a quarter, Thompson was going to do something stupid.”

In 2012, while Thompson was working at the same joint command as an instructor, Hubbard said three events in Thompson’s life were the warning signs for her: he wasn’t selected for promotion to chief petty officer, he had a bad break-up in a relationship, and he missed a duty day.

“He didn’t get promoted; the relationship ended; those were two big things that happened within a few month’s span,” she said. “He started oversleeping, showing up unshaven with his uniform not looking its best and then he missed a duty day. He was behaving out of character. These are the sort of things you see from a junior sailor who is struggling to adapt to Navy life. This is not what you see all of a sudden from this senior E-6 who’s been in the Navy for 14 years. It went from a slip every three or four months to a screw-up every other week or every week.”

Another Navy chief, who was an

instructor and drug and alcohol prevention advisor at the joint command in 2012, also noticed signs.

“My first impression of him was that he always displayed himself as an extremely professional, intelligent, charismatic guy, but he started habitually coming to work late,” said Navy Chief Mass Petty Officer Herb Banks, now the leading chief for the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s media department. “I knew something was wrong, so I fell back and observed him and waited for him to make another mistake or to show another sign or symptom that was inconsistent with his normal behavior.”

Banks said he pulled Thompson into his office to ask him what was going on and used his training to ask certain questions to hit hot buttons to make an assessment of him.

“He started off the conversation by telling me things that were not wrong with him, and that, to me, is a telltale sign that there was something wrong with him,” Banks said. “That was a red flag for me.”

Thompson said he kept a ‘Do Not Do’ list of all the signs of someone with suicidal intent and would follow it, but he knew he had slipped up with his conversation with Banks.

“I don’t know if that was my subconscious letting it leak, but I know it wasn’t intentional on my part,” Thompson said. “But I said something to him. And

Part 2 of a Series: Navy Petty Officer Considers SuicideBy Shannon Collins, DoD News Features

overboard

for whatever reason, it stuck, mostly because Chief Petty Officer Banks is not just a good chief, he’s a good man. So he caught on.”

During this time, Thompson, at age 32, had every intention of jumping off the Duke Ellington Bridge in Washington.

Banks said that after his conversation with Thompson and after Thompson had missed the duty day, seven Navy chiefs assigned to the joint command discussed during their weekly meeting how best to handle the situation.

“We were hesitant to bring him in, fearing that we didn’t want to do anything that could negatively impact his career,” he said. “But at the end of the day, us being chiefs, we put our personal feelings to the side, and we did what we had to do. It wasn’t an easy conversation to have with each other, let alone with the individual, but when we say, ‘Chief up,’ we did, and did what we did for the sake of the sailor. We were going to do whatever we could to keep this guy alive.”

“We could have handled it strictly from a discipline standpoint but we would not have resolved this issue,” Hubbard said. “We wouldn’t have figured out what was causing him to behave this way if we just handled it with paperwork and consequences. So we found a conference room where we could talk with him and not be interrupted.”

On Dec. 7, 2012, the seven chiefs sat on one side of a long oval-shaped wooden table and had Thompson report in on the other side to what they had called a professional development board. Thompson called it an intervention.

“I didn’t want an intervention; I wanted to die,” he said. “I had every intention of saying whatever I had to say to leave that room, because that night, I was going to kill myself.”

Hubbard said the setup was intentional, because “Thompson is ridiculously intelligent, and usually the smartest person in the room. One-on-one, he can fool you. If he’s talking to two people, he can still do a good job of selling you whatever he thinks you want to hear. But there were seven chiefs in that room. It was the most unfair game of ping-pong you’ve ever seen. One person would try to come at him from one direction, and he

would swing and focus on that chief. Then another chief would come in with, ‘Well, what about this?’”

Thompson held his own in the beginning, Hubbard said, and started with apologies and accepting responsibility for his actions. But then the chiefs broke through his wall.

“The end of it happened very quickly,” Hubbard said with tears running down her cheeks. “You could see him starting to get frustrated. One chief asked him, ‘Petty Officer Thompson, is there anything you actually do care about?’ and another chief asked him, ‘Are you thinking about hurting yourself?’ He looked like a cornered animal, with his shoulders slumped. He said, ‘Every night, I sit at home, and I think about putting a gun in my mouth.’

“We had talked among ourselves about what was going to happen and what direction we thought this thing was going to go,” she continued. “One of the chiefs thought there were going to be alcohol-related issues. One chief mentioned we need to be prepared to ask him if he’s thinking of hurting himself. I said to the chiefs in the room, ‘I’ve known him for 10 years. If Petty Officer Thompson is going to kill himself, he’s not going to tell us. He’s just going to do it, and none of us will know.’ So when that happened, it [would cause us to say], ‘I was wrong.’ How could you know somebody for so long and be so wrong?”

The breakthrough was bittersweet, Banks said. “OK, he admitted it. Now,

I just need him to say, ‘I need some help.’ But it was also crushing, too,” he explained. “How does someone get to this point in their life? It’s hard to imagine that what he had planned almost happened. Had we not done what we needed to do for that sailor, unfortunately, he would have been successful in his attempt.”

Thompson said he cried and finally admitted he needed help.

“The chiefs gave me my life back, and I’m just now learning how to live it, really live it, with purpose and clarity, possibility and hope,” he said.

The intervention didn’t save Thompson’s life, Banks said. What saved him, he added, was his admission that he needed help.

“I’m thankful that Thompson was courageous enough on the day of that conversation that he had with us chiefs to admit that he really did have a problem,” Banks said. “That is what saved his life. It wasn’t what any of us did. He let his wall down at that moment and said, ‘Yes, I need some help.’ That was one hell of a display of courage, in my opinion. As sharp as he was, as professional as he was, as smart as he was, and as squared-away as he was on the job, at that moment, he needed to take that wall down and ask for help, and he stepped up. And for that, he will have my respect until the day I die.”

Thompson agreed. “I saved my life that day,” he said. “I had a car ride to Bethesda, and that’s when it really started. I was relieved. There was no reason to lie to myself or anybody else anymore.”

Suicide from Page 7

Graphic by MC1 Gary Prill