june 2011 examiner

THE EXAMINER

Volume 19, No. 6 June 2011C

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Did you know?...

Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital

“Serving with Pride and Professionalism since 1993”

You have the right toexpress your concerns

about patient safety and qual-ity of care.

There are several avenuesopen to you:

* Through the ICE web-site.

* Through the NavalHospital Customer CommentCards.

* The Hospital’s CustomerRelations Officer at 760-830-2475, or any of the CustomerRelations representatives inthe hospital’s clinics.

Or Directly to the JointCommission via:

E-mail [email protected]

Fax:Office of Quality Monitoring630-792-5636

Mail:Office of Quality MonitoringThe Joint CommissionOak Renaissance BoulevardOakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nhtp/pages/default.aspx

An Award Winning Publication

Patients seen in April -- 13,558Appointment No Shows in April -- 939

The staff of the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital would like tothank those who have helped reduce the number of appoint-ment no-shows down to nearly 6 percent from an average of 10percent each month. By maintaining this downward trend,more appointments will be available to those who need to beseen by one of the hospital’s providers.

To make an appointment call -- 760-830-2752To cancel an appointment call -- 760-830-2369

Hospital Tests Itself During Mass Casualty Drill

The staff of the Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital practiced and polishedtheir skills during the recent Combat Center’s mass casualty drill. Topleft, Lt. Cmdr. Raul Carrillo, left, Dept. Head of the EmergencyMedicine Department and Lt. Rebecca Ensley, right, an InternalMedicine physician, tend to a simulated injured patient on the Multi-Service Ward. In the photo to the left, HM1 Loren Lumberio andHM3 Dominique Lemons, put their Physical Therapy skills aside totriage a patient in the Physical Therapy Department, which was con-verted to a Triage site during the drill. In the photo above, staff mem-bers practice their litter carrying skills down the winding stairway ofthe hospital while under the careful supervision of the hospital’sSafety Manager Gary Thomas.

(Official U

.S. Navy Photos by H

M2 R

achel Prince OPI D

epartment)

2 -- The Examiner -- June 2011

Published by Hi-Desert Publishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of Defense, the UnitedStates Marine Corps, United States Navy or Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms under exclusive written contract withthe Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command. The appearance of advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the United States MarineCorps, the United States Navy or Hi-Desert Publishing of the products or services advertised. Everything advertisedin 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 pur-chaser, user or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, thepublisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. Editorial content is preparedby the Public Affairs Office, Naval Hospital, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Commanding OfficerCaptain Ann Bobeck, MSC, USN

Executive OfficerCaptain Cynthia Gantt, NC, USN

Command Master ChiefHMCM (SW/FMF) Rodney Ruth, USN

Public Affairs Officer/EditorDan Barber

Command OmbudsmanValatina Ruth

Care Line 830-2716Cell Phone (760) 910-2050

The Examiner welcomes your comments and suggestions concerning the publication. Deadline for submission ofarticles is the 15th of each month for the following month’s edition. Any format is welcome, however, the preferredmethod of submission is by e-mail or by computer disk.

How to reach us...Commanding Officer Naval HospitalPublic Affairs OfficeBox 788250 MAGTFTCTwentynine Palms, CA 92278-8250Com: (760) 830-2362DSN: 230-2362FAX: (760) 830-2385E-mail: [email protected] Publishing Company56445 Twentynine Palms HighwayYucca Valley, CA 92284Com: (760) 365-3315FAX: (760) 365-8686

Navy Spouses, thank you for supporting your Sailor

As the Robert E. Bush Naval HospitalTwentynine Palms Commanding Officer, Iwould like to take the time to acknowledge

that in many ways, our military spouses have reallycarried the load for our Sailors.

Without asking for support or recognition, youhave carried out your duties to your family andcountry with the quiet courage and strength thathas always exemplified the American spirit.

When your Sailor was asked to report to thisremote location, you supported them and even pro-ceeded to blossom in this desert environment.When your Sailor was deployed, your entire familywas called to serve. I know that readiness of yourSailor depended on the readiness of you, the mili-tary spouse, your children, and loved ones’ sacri-fice as well.

I am convinced that your military spouse knowsthat without your support, they could not effective-ly do their job. Non-military spouses will neverknow the challenge you face that any moment,your spouse may be called upon by the govern-ment to report for duty and leave you and yourfamily behind to assist with a crisis somewhere inthe world, while you are left to keep home life‘normal’ for everyone.

I warmly express my deep appreciation for yoursupport of your Sailor.

Captain Ann BobeckCommanding OfficerRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Sleep and Safety-What’s The Link?By Martha Hunt, MA CAMFHealth Promotion and WellnessRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Researchers have found that 19.5 percent of U.S. adults aresuffering from moderate to severe excessive daytimesleepiness. These results raise public safety concerns,

particularly regarding the risk of workplace injuries and drowsydriving accidents.

For example, the Institutes of Medicine estimates that drowsydriving is responsible for fully 20 percent of all motor vehiclecrashes. That would mean that drowsy driving causes approxi-mately 1 million crashes, 500,000 injuries, and 8,000 deathseach year in the U.S. Sleep deprivation negatively impacts ourmood, our ability to focus, and our ability to think and reason.In addition a night without sleep damages our concentration,memory, mathematical ability and logical reasoning.

One of the primary causes of excessive sleepiness amongAmericans is self-imposed sleep deprivation. People skimp onsleep in hopes of getting more done and addiction to technologysuch as computers and video games. People now sleep about 20percent less than they did a century ago.

Working at night and sleeping during the day can also causeexcessive sleepiness. Some people are able to adjust to such aschedule while others may never overcome the body’s naturalneed to be awake during the day and asleep at night.

Excessive sleepiness is also linked with a number of sleep dis-orders. For example, sleep disordered breathing (SDB), whichincludes snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is oftenassociated with excessive sleepiness. Because SDB causesrepeated interruptions in your sleep, it can lead to abnormalsleepiness during waking hours no matter how many hours youactually spent in bed.

Insomnia is another main cause of daytime sleepiness.Insomnia symptoms may include difficulty falling asleep, diffi-culty staying asleep, waking up still tired, as well as daytimeproblems such as excessive sleepiness, concentration and memo-ry problems, tiredness, and irritability.

Narcolepsy is a brain disorder where you are sometimes unableto stay awake no matter what you do. Narcolepsy symptomsalso include insomnia at bedtime, sudden sleep attacks, suddenmuscular weakness, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. Restlesslegs syndrome (RLS) is also a brain disorder characterized bystrange sensations in the legs and a strong urge to move them.

The good news is that these sleep disorders can be easily diag-nosed and effectively treated. If you have excessive daytimesleepiness or feel you may suffer from a sleep disorder, talk to ahealthcare professional about the problem as soon as possible.

How can you better cope with problem sleepiness and live asafer life? Here are some habits that can help you to get bettersleep.

They include:* Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, even on the week-

ends can help you feel better during the day. * Developing a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as a

warm bath or simply taking time by yourself to relax.* Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. This will strength-

en the link between bed and sleep. * Create a sleep environment for yourself that is dark, quiet,

comfortable and slightly cool. * Removing all work materials, televisions, phones, and other

distractions from the bedroom. * Avoid caffeine after 3 p.m., and if you are still having prob-

lems falling asleep, cut back your caffeine around noon. * Limit alcohol as it can disturb sleep.

By Martha Hunt, MA CAMFHealth Promotion and WellnessRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital

“Recognizing and pre-venting men’s healthproblems is not just

a man’s issue. Because of itsimpact on wives, mothers,daughters, and sisters, men’shealth is truly a family issue.”Congressman Bill Richardson(Congressional Record, H3905-H3906, May 24, 1994).

This statement and resultinglegislation led to the beginningof Men’s Health Awareness.

There is a silent crisis in men’shealth due to a lack of aware-ness, poor health education, andculturally induced behavior pat-terns in men’s work and person-al lives. As a result, men are notseeking and getting the preven-tive health care that they need.

As a consequence of this, menare living approximately fiveyears less than women.

Improving men’s health is notlimited to the doctor’s office orhospital - it starts at home withmen taking steps to live saferand healthier lives. In fact, theleading causes of death for menin the United States are -- inorder - diseases of the heart,cancer, accidents (unintentionalinjuries), chronic lower respira-tory diseases, cerebrovasculardiseases, diabetes mellitus,intentional self-harm (suicide),influenza and pneumonia, kid-ney diseases, and Alzheimer’sdisease.

Learn your family health histo-ry. Are there any new conditionsor diseases that have occurred inyour close blood relatives sinceyour last visit to your primarycare provider? If so, let yourdoctor or nurse know. Family

history might influence yourrisk of developing heart disease,stroke, diabetes, or cancer.

Know and understand yournumbers. You may know yourfavorite team’s stats, but whatabout your own health numbers?Keep track of your numbers forblood pressure, blood sugar,cholesterol, and body massindex (BMI). These numberscan provide a glimpse of yourhealth status and risk for certaindiseases and conditions, includ-ing heart disease, diabetes, obe-sity, and more.

Work safely. An estimated11,500 workers have a nonfatalwork-related injury or illnessevery day in the US and as aresult, more than half require ajob transfer, work restrictions,or time away from their jobs.

Get check-ups. Just becauseyou may feel fine, that doesn’tmean you don’t need your annu-

al check-ups. Unfortunately, there are certain

diseases and conditions that aresilent and may not have symp-toms. See your doctor or nursefor regular check-ups, and gomore often if needed.

Get Vaccinated. Some adultsassume that the vaccines theyreceived as children will protectthem for the rest of their lives.Immunity can begin to fade overtime and as we age, we becomemore susceptible to serious dis-ease caused by common infec-tions (e.g., flu, pneumococcus).

Far too many adults becomeill, are disabled, and die eachyear from diseases that couldeasily have been prevented byvaccines.

Pay attention to signs andsymptoms such as any dis-charge, excessive thirst, rash orsore on the skin, problems withurination or shortness of breathas these are only a few of thesymptoms that males should payattention to and see a doctorabout if they occur. It could be asymptom for a sexually trans-mitted disease, diabetes, heartdisease, cancer, or other condi-tions or diseases. If you havesymptoms, be sure to see yourdoctor right away.

Get enough sleep. Lack ofsleep is associated with a num-ber of chronic diseases and con-ditions, such as diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, obesity, anddepression. Moreover, insuffi-cient sleep is responsible formotor vehicle and machinery-related accidents, causing injuryand disability each year. Drowsydriving can be as dangerous -and preventable - as drivingwhile intoxicated. Adults should

get 7-9 hours of sleep per nightaccording to the National SleepFoundation.

Gear up properly. When play-ing active sports or riding amotorcycle or bike, make sureyou and your family wear pro-tective gear, such as helmets,eye protection, wrist guards, andknee and elbow pads. Also,wear seat belts as a driver and apassenger each and every timeyou are in a vehicle.

Eat what counts. Eat a varietyof fruits and vegetables everyday. Limit foods and drinks highin calories, sugar, salt, fat, andalcohol and choose healthysnacks.

Get physical activity. Be activefor at least two and a half hoursa week. Include activities thatraise your breathing and heartrates and that strengthen yourmuscles. You don’t have to do itall at once. Spread your activityout during the week, and breakit into smaller chunks of timeduring the day.

Be tobacco-free. Avoid allforms of tobacco and second-hand smoke. Inhaling other peo-ple’s smoke causes health prob-lems similar to those of smok-ers. There is no safe form oftobacco. Tobacco use is theleading detractor of combat fit-ness.

Call Health Promotion andWellness at 760-830-2814 if youare interested in quitting tobac-co.

For more information onmen’s health go to Men’s checklist for healthhttp://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm or Get dad to the dochttp://www.dadtothedoc.org/.

The Examiner -- June 2011-- 3

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June is Men’s Health Month... But it isn’t just a Man’s Issue

By Shari LopatinTriWest Healthcare Alliance

Nearly 12 million Americans are livingtoday, after being told they have cancer,according to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s as many people who live in the state of

Ohio. Due to medical advances, the word ‘cancer’ is no

longer a death sentence. More and more people aresurviving because of early detection methods.However, this fact remains true: If you choose notto get your TRICARE-covered screenings, cancercan kill.

TRICARE covers a variety of preventive screen-ings to help catch cancer early...at no cost to you.

Here are four ways (a.k.a. screenings) you cancatch cancer early and save your life, for you andyour family:

1. Breast cancer screening: TRICARE covers onemammogram every 12 months for women olderthan 39. If a woman is considered high-risk forbreast cancer, she can begin receiving mammo-

grams at 35 years old. 2. Cervical cancer screening: You can test for cer-

vical cancer by getting regular Pap tests. TRI-CARE covers both pelvic exams and Pap teststogether when necessary, or every year beginningat age 18. Once a woman has three consecutivenormal Pap tests, TRICARE will cover screeningsonce every three years, unless a doctor recom-mends otherwise.

3. Colon cancer screening: Several testing optionsare available under TRICARE. The CDC recom-mends one colonoscopy every 10 years for peopleages 50 and older. If you have a history of coloncancer in your family, talk with your doctor aboutwhen and how often to have screening tests.

4. Prostate cancer screening: TRICARE coversprostate screening tests for men who are:

* older than 50* older than 40 and had a vasectomy* ages 40-49 with a family history of prostate

cancerFor more cancer prevention information, visit

www.triwest.com/prevention.

What if You Were Diagnosed? Four Ways to Survive Cancer

By Brian P. SmithTriWest Healthcare Alliance

You’re watching thephone, waiting to hear ifyou got that job. You’re

sitting in the audience as yourdaughter starts her first pianorecital. You’re waiting for thedaily email from your deployed

spouse.You’re walking through the

mall, still trying to get used tocrowds after deployment.

These can all be stressful situ-ations. Stress is a part of every-day life for Service members,veterans and families dealingwith multiple deployments,homecomings and all the otherdemands of a military life.

Take a deep breath...When you are stressed, do you

ever focus on your breathing? Most of the time, it’s an auto-

matic process. Slowing downand concentrating on yourbreathing can help you react instressful situations. Duringstress and times of anger, thebody’s first reaction is to inhale

Stressed Out? Breathe Out

Continued on page 7


Super Stars...

Lt. Carrie Beaty, a physician inthe Internal Medicine Dept.,receives a Navy and MarineCorps Achievement Medal forher work while deployed toKuwait.

Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Gomez,Department Head, AdultMedical Care Clinic receives aNavy and Marine CorpsCommendation Medal, and wasselected as the command’sOfficer of the Quarter for theperiod from January 1 throughApril 30.

HN Nathan Dufoe, EmergencyMedicine, receives a Navy andMarine Corps AchievementMedal for his work whiledeployed to Kandahar,Afghanistan.

Lt.j.g. Kimberly Burnes, anurse on the hospital’s Multi-Service Ward, receives a Navyand Marine CorpsAchievement Medal for herwork at her previous commandat Naval Medical CenterPortsmouth, Virginia.

HMCM (SW/FMF) Rodney Ruth, is frocked to his current rank in a special ceremony in front of theRobert E. Bush Naval Hospital. Ruth has been acting as the commands senior enlisted advisor sinceearly December. He will now take over as the Command Master Chief. Captain Ann Bobeck presentsRuth with his frocking citation.

HM3 Noah Sloan, EmergencyMedicine was promoted to hiscurrent rank.

Captain Michael Moeller, MC, left, Executive Officer of the Naval Hospital receives a MeritoriousService Medal from Captain Ann Bobeck, Commanding Officer, for his work while assigned to this com-mand. Moeller is the prospective Commanding Officer of the Naval Health Clinic at Annapolis,Maryland.

The Examiner -- June 2011 -- 5

HM1 Brian McMahill, Materials Management Department, is pipedashore after honorably serving 20 years in the United StatesNavy...Fair Winds and Following Seas shipmate.

Lt. Cmdr. Brian Parton, NurseCorps Officer in the MainOperating Room, receives agold star in lieu of his thirdNavy and Marine CorpsCommendation Medal.

HM2 Ashley Groke, with theDirectorate of MedicalServices, receives a Navy andMarine Corps CommendationMedal for her work at theRobert E. Bush NavalHospital.

Susan Lasell, RN,Occupational Health Nurse atBranch Health Clinic ChinaLake was selected by her peersfor the Senior Civilian NursingExcellence Award.

Tisha Lueken, LVN, InternalMedicine, was selected for theJunior Civilian NursingExcellence Award.

Lt. Cmdr. Frederick French, General Surgeon in the hospital’sGeneral Surgery/Orthopedics Department, receives a Navy andMarine Corps Achievement Medal from Captain Ann Bobeck,Commanding Officer, Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms.

Lt. Karl Kruger, Nurse CorpsOfficer in the EmergencyMedicine Department, receivesa gold star in lieu of his thirdaward of a Navy and MarineCorps Achievement Medal.

Lt.j.g. Christopher Redden,Mental Health Department wasselected by his peers for theNursing Excellence Award.Redden was also the recipientof a Navy and Marine CorpsAchievement Medal from hisprevious command at NavalMedical Center, San Diego.

HM1 Jeremy Walton, MaterialManagement, is promoted tohis current rank.

HMC Thomas Tennison, Staff Education and Training takes theoath at his recent reenlistment ceremony.


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By March 1942, JapaneseNavy strategists hadachieved their initial war

goals much more easily thanexpected. They had thereforeabandoned the prewar plan tothen transition to a strategicdefensive posture, but there wasstill dispute on how to maintainthe offensive.

Moving further south in thePacific would isolate Australia,and possibly remove that nationas a threat to the freshly-expanded Japanese Empire.

However, the American islandbase at Midway was also anattractive target, and theDoolittle Raid on Japan prompt-ed a decision to attack there asthe next major offensive goal.Midway was a vital ‘sentry for

Hawaii,’ and a serious assaulton it would almost certainlyproduce a major naval battle, abattle that the Japanese confi-dently expected to win. Thatvictory would eliminate the U.S.Pacific fleet as an importantthreat, perhaps leading to thenegotiated peace that wasJapan’s ‘exit strategy.’

The Japanese planned a three-pronged attack to captureMidway in early June, plus asimultaneous operation in theNorth Pacific’s Aleutian Islandsthat might provide a usefulstrategic diversion. In the van ofthe assault would be ViceAdmiral Chuichi Nagumo's air-craft carrier force, which wouldapproach from the northwest,suppress Midway’s defenses and

provide long-range strikingpower for dealing withAmerican warships. A few hun-dred miles behind Nagumowould come a battleship forceunder Admiral IsorokuYamamoto that would containmost of the operation’s heavygun power. Coming in from theWest and Southwest, forcesunder Vice Admiral NobutakeKondo would actually captureMidway. Kondo’s battleshipsand cruisers represented addi-tional capabilities for fighting asurface action.

Unfortunately for theJapanese, two things wentwrong even before the Midwayoperation began. Two ofNagumo’s six carriers were senton a mission that resulted in theBattle of Coral Sea. One wasbadly damaged, and the othersuffered heavy casualties to herair group. Neither would beavailable for Midway.

Even more importantly, thanksto an historic feat of radio com-munications interception andcode-breaking, the United Statesknew its enemy’s plans indetail: his target, his order ofbattle and his schedule. Whenthe battle opened, the U.S.Pacific fleet would have threecarriers waiting, plus a strongair force and reinforced grounddefenses at the Midway Base.

The Battle of Midway, fought over and near the tiny U.S. mid-Pacific base at Midway atoll, represents the strategic high watermark of Japan’s Pacific Ocean war. Prior to this action, Japan

possessed general naval superiority over the United States and couldusually choose where and when to attack. After Midway, the twoopposing fleets were essentially equals, and the United States soontook the offensive.

Japanese Combined Fleet commander Admiral Isoroku Yamamotomoved on Midway in an effort to draw out and destroy the U.S.Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carrier striking forces, which had embarrassedthe Japanese Navy in the mid-April Doolittle Raid on Japan’s homeislands and at the Battle of Coral Sea in early May. He planned toquickly knock down Midway’s defenses, follow up with an invasionof the atoll’s two small islands and establish a Japanese air base there.He expected the U.S. carriers to come out and fight, but to arrive toolate to save Midway and in insufficient strength to avoid defeat by hisown well-tested carrier air power.

Yamamoto’s intended surprise was thwarted by superior Americancommunications intelligence, which deduced his scheme well beforebattle was joined. This allowed Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the U.S.Pacific Fleet commander, to establish an ambush by having his carri-ers ready and waiting for the Japanese. On 4 June 1942, in the secondof the Pacific War’s great carrier battles, the trap was sprung.

The perseverance, sacrifice and skill of U.S. Navy aviators, plus agreat deal of good luck on the American side, cost Japan four irre-placeable fleet carriers, while only one of the three U.S. carriers pres-ent was lost. The base at Midway, though damaged by Japanese airattack, remained operational and later became a vital component inthe American trans-Pacific offensive.

Battle of Midway -- Overview

Japanese Air Attack on Midway, 4 June

At 0430 in the morning of 4 June 1942, while 240 miles north-west of Midway, Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo’s four carri-ers began launching 108 planes to attack the U.S. base there.

Unknown to the Japanese, three U.S. carriers were steaming 215miles to the east. The two opposing fleets sent out search planes, theAmericans to locate an enemy they knew was there and the Japaneseas a matter of operational prudence. Seaplanes from Midway werealso patrolling along the expected enemy course. One of these spot-ted, and reported, the Japanese carrier striking force at about 0530.

That seaplane also reported the incoming Japanese planes, and radarconfirmed the approaching attack shortly thereafter. Midwaylaunched its own planes. Navy, Marine and Army bombers headed offto attack the Japanese fleet. Midway's Marine Corps FightingSquadron 221 (VMF-221) intercepted the enemy formation at about0615. However, the Marines were immediately engaged by an over-whelming force of the very superior Japanese ‘Zero’ fighters andwere able to shoot down only a few of the enemy bombers, while suf-fering great losses themselves.

The Japanese planes hit Midway’s two inhabited islands at 0630.Twenty minutes of bombing and strafing knocked out some facilitieson Eastern Island, but did not disable the airfield there. Sand Island’soil tanks, seaplane hangar and other buildings were set afire or other-wise damaged. As the Japanese flew back toward their carriers theattack commander, Lieutenant Joichi Tomonaga, radioed ahead thatanother air strike was required to adequately soften up Midway’sdefenses for invasion.

Preparations for Battle, March to June 1942

Continued on page 7

The Examiner -- June 2011 -- 7

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U.S. Attacks on the Japanese Carrier Striking Force

While their aviators flew back from Midway, the Japanese carriers received several counterstrikesfrom Midway’s own planes. Faced with overwhelming fighter opposition, these uncoordinatedefforts suffered severe losses and hit nothing but sea water. Shortly after 0700, torpedo attacks

were made by six Navy TBF-1s and four Army Air Force B-26s. Between 0755 and 0820, two groups ofMarine Corps bombers and a formation of Army B-17s came in. The only positive results were photographsof three Japanese carriers taken by the high-flying B-17s, the sole surviving photos of the day’s attacks onthe Japanese carriers.

Meanwhile, a tardy Japanese scout plane had spotted the U.S. fleet and, just as Midway’s counterattackswere ending, reported the presence of a carrier. Japanese commander Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo hadbegun rearming his second group of planes for another strike on Midway. He now had to reorganize that,recover the planes returning from Midway and respot his flight decks to launch an attack on the U.S. ships.Nagumo’s force barely missed having enough time.

In the hour after about 0930, U.S. Navy planes from the carriers Hornet (CV-8), Enterprise (CV-6) andYorktown (CV-5) made a series of attacks, initially by three squadrons of TBD torpedo planes that, despitenearly total losses, made no hits.The sacrifice of the TBDs didslow Japanese preparations fortheir own strike and disorgan-ized the defending fighters.Then, at about 1025, everythingchanged. Three squadrons ofSBD scout bombers, two fromEnterprise and one fromYorktown, almost simultaneous-ly dove on three of the fourJapanese carriers, whose deckswere crowded with fully armedand fueled planes that were juststarting to take off. In a fewminutes, Akagi, Kaga and Soryuwere ablaze and out of action.

Of the once-overwhelmingJapanese carrier force, onlyHiryu remained operational. Afew hours later, her planes crip-pled USS Yorktown. By the endof the day, though, U.S. carrierplanes found and bombedHiryu. Deprived of useful aircover, and after several hours ofshocked indecision, CombinedFleet commander AdmiralIsoroku Yamamoto called offthe Midway operation andretreated. Six months after itbegan, the great JapanesePacific War offensive was over.

Continued from page 6

Happy 113th BirthdayHospital CorpsEst. June 17, 1898

Note: The photographs and information for the above article were obtained from theU.S. Navy’s History and Heritage Command at the Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

and hold your breath. Breathing out slowly helpstake the body out of the ‘fight or flight’ mode.

The Defense Centers of Excellence forPsychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury(DcoE, www.dcoe.health.mil) work to promote theresilience and recovery of military members andtheir families. Their research shows that breathingexercises can help decrease the body’s ‘fight orflight’ response to stress. Certain types of breathingexercises can also help control anger and anxiety.

There’s an app for thatYour smartphone can help you learn these exer-

cises and improve control over your body’s reac-tions to stress. The National Center for Telehealthand Technology is a part of the DCoE that devel-

ops technology. They’ve created tools to help youto manage your breathing (along with handy phoneapps to track your mood and teach you about post-traumatic stress). Visit www.t2health.org/apps tolearn more about their tools and apps.

Pace yourselfFind more tips just like this on triwest.com. The

Behavioral Health Resource Center(triwest.com/BH) is an online library with articlesabout stress, parenting, relationships and otherissues. You can read articles on a wide range oftopics, find links to the latest relevant informationand take self-assessments when it’s convenient foryou.

Stressed Out? Breathe Out...Continued from page 3


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Color

Asian Pacific Heritage Celebration...

The Naval Hospital celebrated Asian-PacificHeritage Month with a beautiful montage offashion, music, dance and food which was pro-vided by hospital staff members, friends andfamilies. Asian-Pacific Heritage Month is cele-brated every May to commemorate the contribu-tions of Asian and Pacific Island people to theculture of the United States.

june 2011 examiner

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