Team MILIUS,

Welcome to the March edition of our newsletter. Let me start by giving a big thanks to LT David Gardner for putting the past few newsletters out. I’d also like to thank all the contributors. We’ve taken an extra hard look at topics to discuss the past two issues and this edition provides GREAT information for planning and general awareness.

National Budget and Sequestration

Let me hit this topic first. I don’t know anything more than what’s been published in the news. As I mentioned on the Command Families Facebook Group, some of you may be impacted significantly and others not all. Those working in Government Service positions will certainly feel the impact of pending furloughs. I’m very eager to ensure we support our families the best we can and we need to know what challenges you’re facing as they come up. Our Ombudsman team is the best point of contact to share these challenges, but feel free to contact me directly, the XO or CMC.

The official word down through Navy channels is that we will know more in April – standby. Sequestration impacts may be significantly offset by an approved budget. If we continue with a continuing resolution, impacts will be more visible. The news talks of possible one-day-a-week commissary closures and many other things. The Ship’s yard pe-riod will be largely unaffected by budget issues. Our schedule in 2014 is entirely up in the air, but we are currently set to deploy in early Summer. We will communicate what we know when we know it.

Drydocking Schedule

We are now scheduled to drydock on the evening of 18 March. Much of the crew will be involved in the event, which will start the evening of the 18th and last all night in the morn-ing of the 19th. This is a big event in the yard period and the late night/early morning tim-ing will require most of us to adjust work on the 18th and 19th. We are finalizing the overall plan and will pass the details to the crew early next week.

Remember, daylight savings begins this weekend – set your clocks one hour ahead when you hit the rack (go to bed) Saturday night. We’ve got an excellent section below cover-ing tax preparations. I have used the Military OneSource H&R Block tax preparation tool for the last 6 years and I think it’s very easy to use. Don’t wait to the last minute when you have excellent resources available.

I also greatly appreciate all the hard work our spouses and family members do on the home front. It’s a great start to 2013.

CDR Steve Shedd

Commanding Officer

FROM THE CO’S DESK

MARCH 2013 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

CMC’s Call

Ccc news

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

OMBUDSMEN MEMOS

TAX RESOURCES

Crew photos

MILIUS frontline news

Hero’s Tribute

Bravo zulu!

RESOURCES

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day MILIUS Families! We have been home 6 months and time is quickly passing as we are finally in a groove of being home as well as being in the shipyard. We are continuing with our every day progress of repairing broken or degraded equipment, getting newly installed equipment and making changes to existing equipment with upgrades by your Sailors as well as contractors. Specifically, this month's challenges range from advancement exams for E-4 through E-6 to the crew making preparation to transition the ship into dry dock. It continues to be a challenge, but our Sailors are doing an exceptional job as each new challenge presents itself.

March 4th will mark our 10 week Physical Readiness Test (PRT) notification, so it is imperative that your Sailors continue to seek self improve-ment in physical fitness, as it is a key element to our personnel readiness. Additionally, MILIUS will be participating in this year's Coronado Bay Bridge Run on May 19, 2013. If you haven't heard about this run, it is a great opportunity for service members and families to run/walk across the bay bridge and observe the beautiful view. It's open to everyone, but has limited capacity so register early. All participates in the run/walk will receive free Padre Tickets provided by MWR.

As always, the success of MILIUS is based on Sailors who are focused on our mission, a focus that is made possible by all our families. So thanks you and take care! Sincerely, CMC

PAGE 2 USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

CMC’s CALL

FROM THE COMMAND CAREER COUNSELOR Greetings, MILUS Crew, Family & Friends, Last month several Sailors reenlisted at the USS Midway, Admiral Kidd Conference Center, and BAE Shipyard. Please take time to congratulate them, as they are transferring soon and will be missed. We encour-age all family and friends to attend reenlistments as it is a monumental milestone in our Sailors’ careers. During February, Sailor of the Quarter results were also announced. Congratulations to GM1 (SW/AW) Lawrence, FC2(SW) Skidmore, and ET3(SW) Reinke on their outstanding achievement! During March, eligible Sailors will take the Navy Wide Advancement Exams. Testing days are March 7th for E6 candidates, March 14th for E5 candidates, and March 21st for E4 candidates. Please make sure your Sailor gets a good night’s sleep and arrives on time! Best of luck to all candidates!

Sincerely, NC1 (SW/AW) D. Gutierrez

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Sunday, March 10 Daylight Savings Time Begins! Don’t forget to set your clocks forward one hour! Thursday, March 14 E-5 Advancement Exams Sunday, March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Friday, March 18 MILIUS Enters BAE Drydock Wednesday, March 20 First Day of Spring Thursday, March 21 E-4 Advancement Exams Sunday, March 31 Easter Tuesday, April 9 Padres’ Home Opener MILIUS crew, family, and friends are invited to attend the Padres’ season opening game at Petco Park at 1540. MILIUS MWR is selling tickets now for $30 (originally $65) for right field lower box seats.

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NOTEWORTHY EVENTS

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MARCH MARCH

Tax Resources and Financial Tips Its tax time once again and as military families we have a few additional resources available, in addition to civilian services, to utilize for help with tax preparation and filing. It can definitely become confusing filling out the various tax forms so why not check out these great resources… Military OneSource http://www.militaryonesource.mil/pfm?content_id=268827 Military OneSource is once again offering a free, electronic tax filing service. If you are eligible under the Military OneSource program, you can complete, save, and file your 2012 federal and up to three state returns online free with the H&R Block At Home® tool. USAA https://www.usaa.com/inet/pages/advice_tax_center_main?wa_ref=lf_advice_taxcenter If you’re a member of USAA, you can use their free tax service for Active Duty Military. Click the drop down arrow on “Choose your discount” and select Active Duty Military Edition- Free. NBSD 32nd St Building 56 Tax preparation services are available! Hours are Monday-Friday 0800-1500. Walk-ins are fine. No appointment necessary! Call (619) 556-6848 for more information. Deadline to file your 2012 taxes is midnight on Monday, April 15 2013.

A Few Tips to Consider…

Getting that tax refund check can tempt you to splurge on "stuff" that you later find you really didn't want or need. In-stead of going on a shopping spree, think carefully about the best use of the money you get back. Perhaps follow these tips and put that money toward a carefully planned purchase, reducing your debt, or to give you a little extra financial cushion! •Retire your debts. Use your refund to pay down a high-interest credit card. •Start an emergency savings account. Financial experts recommend keeping a savings account with enough money to cover your expenses for three to six months. •Contribute to your Thrift Savings Plan. Saving for retirement is more important than ever. An extra contribution will help build savings for a secure future. •Roth TSP Investments. Traditionally, participants invest pre-tax dollars into their TSP accounts. With the Roth TSP, partici-pants have the option to make Roth contributions, which allow participants to invest after-tax dollars into their TSP accounts too. Check out our article on Roth TSP Investments for more information. •Save for a down payment on a home or vehicle. If home or vehicle ownership is in your long-term plans, a larger down pay-ment will lower your monthly payments and interest costs. •Do some preventive maintenance or improvements. Minor home or car repairs you make now could spare you a bigger fu-ture expense. •Save for college. If you have children, you can contribute to a college 529 savings plan for future college expenses. •Make an extra car or house payment. Just be sure there are no prepayment penalties and tell your lender to apply the extra funds to the principal balance, not the interest. •Consult with a financial planner. Make an appointment with an expert and do some long-range planning. Contact Military OneSource for information on free financial planning services. •Wait for your refund to arrive before spending it. If you can't fight the urge to splurge, don't spend the money in advance - pay cash after you receive your refund. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call or send an email to ombudsman69@gmail.com. We hope everyone enjoys the upcoming month with, hopefully, some much wanted warm weather! Your Command Ombudsman Team, Teresa Tillman and Jeri Nix

OMBUDSMAN MEMO

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INCOME TAX RESOURCES

Military OneSource Tax Filing Services H&R Block at Home Basic®, through the Military OneSource website and telephonic tax consulta-tions, provides free access to a customized version of the basic H&R Block at Home electronic tax-filing product. This customized product allows for free federal filing and state filing (up to three states). It’s provided by the Department of Defense, H&R Block At Home Basic is available to ac-tive-duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members and their families. Tax consultants are available seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Contact Military OneSource Tax Hotline at 1-800-730-3802 or go to Military OneSource Tax Filing Services at www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/FindInformation/Category/TaxFilingServices.aspx for more information. VITA More than 100 Navy Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Centers around the world are now open for business. On-site services are available to assist service members and their family members with free tax advice, tax preparation and return filing by IRS-trained volunteers. VITA ser-vices will remain available through April 15. NBSD VITA office is open by appointment only M – Th. from 0800-1500. They can be reached at 619-556-6848. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) For additional tax questions and/or combat zone information, call 1-800-829-1040 or go to IRS.gov for tax information for military members. Along with the filing extension, there are several new and existing tax laws military members and their spouses should keep in mind. Information on these laws can be found at http://www.defense.gov/News/ NewsArticle.aspx?ID=63252.

Websites:

www.turbotax.com (online military version E1 to E5 is FREE)

www.taxslayer.com

www.militarysaves.org

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3

Ombudsman Info:

ombudsman69@gmail.com

OMB Phone– 619.417.9980

Careline– 619.338.1754

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CREW PHOTOS

USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

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CREW PHOTOS

Last month, MILIUS reached 25% completion of her Extended Drydock Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA). The ship entered the mainte-nance phase on December 17, 2012, and has been pier side at BAE ship-yard since that time. EDSRA is a vital part of the DDG Modernization program, and focuses on mid-life upgrades to allow the 16 year old ship to meet her 35 year ex-pected service life. The first quarter of EDSRA has been crucial in preparing the ship for nu-merous upgrades and modifications. MILIUS has already undergone sig-nificant changes in almost every space as contractors remove legacy equipment, install temporary services, and make access cuts in bulkheads throughout the ship. Scaffolding envelops much of the external area of the ship, and many of the decks have been turned into staging areas for contrac-tor supplies and equipment. Commanding Officer, CDR Stephen Shedd, explained “the level of effort and amount of production that has been accomplished so far is fantastic.” “The schedule leaves little room for setbacks in this environment, and I’ve been very pleased with the way MILIUS’ crew and contractors have worked together to handle challenges,” he said. MILIUS will receive upgrades including the Integrated Bridge System, Single Central Control Station, Gigabit Ethernet Data Mul-tiplex System and a bow-strengthening modification among several others. MILIUS will also be the first ship to receive the Con-solidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) network, the follow-on to the current Integrated Shipboard Network System (ISNS) aboard ships today. The amount of work being done onboard, and the advancements it represents for the Navy, has triggered high level interest in MILIUS. RDML Gale, Commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Command; and VADM Copeman, Commander, Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, recently visited MILIUS to tour the deckplates and observe the progress first hand.

“A lot of work still remains, but we’ve really made huge strides towards our end goal, which is to give this fine warship the overhaul she deserves, and get her ready for the next phase of her life,” commented CDR Shedd. MILIUS is scheduled to come out of the water and into the BAE drydock on March 15th, where she will receive further upgrades to her hull and propulsion plant. She is scheduled to complete EDSRA in August, 2013.

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MILIUS FRONTLINE NEWS

If you have questions, comments or suggestions for MILIUS FRONTLINE NEWS, please email the Public Affairs Officer at PAO@ddg69.navy.mil. Also, please check the Facebook

USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

MILIUS’ SPY radar received a facelift last week, when contractors repaired and resurfaced two of the radar’s array faces.

CDR Shedd gives VADM Copeman, Commander, Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, a tour of the work in MILIUS’ Central Control Station.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3 PAGE 9

On February 27, 1968, Captain Paul Milius, Aircraft Commander in Ob-servation Squadron SIXTY SEVEN (VO-67), courageously piloted his fatally damaged OP-2E reconnaissance aircraft over Laos, allowing the escape and rescue of seven crew members. Last week, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of Captain Milius’ selfless devotion to duty, USS MILIUS Sailors celebrated the dedicated service and heroic actions of their ship’s namesake. The ship's motto, "Alii Prae Me," meaning "Others Be-fore Self," serves as an enduring reminder of Captain Milius' sacrifice and inspiring efforts. Ten years after his heroic actions, Captain [then Commander] Paul Milius was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross and the following citation: The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Captain [then Commander] Paul Lloyd Milius, United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism on 27 February 1968 as an Aircraft Commander in Observation Squadron SIXTY SEVEN (VO-67). During a combat mission in Southeast Asia, Captain Milius' air-craft received multiple hits from 37-mm. anti-aircraft-artillery fire during a run over the assigned target. Immediately, the aircraft burst into flames, several members of the crew received inju-ries, and dense smoke and fumes filled the fuselage. Remaining at the controls to insure stable flight, Captain Mil-ius ordered his crew members to bail out. As a result of his action, seven of his nine crewmen were rescued within three hours of bail-out. Rescue flights, however, were unable to locate Captain Milius. His heroic efforts and inspir-ing devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

TRIBUTE TO A HERO

With MILIUS Sailors doing such great things this month, we had to expand our BZ section to an entire page! Congratulations to all on your terrific efforts and accomplishments!

-BZ to OSC Trevino and ET1 Kelley: For their selection as Limited Duty Officers. Both will be commissioned in 2014.

-BZ to PS3 Rodriguez for graduating at the top of his class in the PS Fiscal Procedures Course.

-BZ to YN3 Creamer for nearly doubling her ASVAB score after taking the academic skills/ASVAB improvement course and dedicating herself to im-provement.

-BZ to LTJG Mcintyre and ENS Kwiatkoski for earning their Surface War-fare Officer pins.

-BZ to SH2 Baltazar graduating as honor student in the Resale Operation Management II Course.

-BZ to our BMD Team: Several members of our BMD team participated in a BMD exercise called BMDEX 2013. This BMDEX was an enormous event world-wide funded by the Missile Defense Agency and centered in the FIFTH Fleet AOR. LTJG Coleman, FCCS Allen, FCC Salcedo, OS2 Perussi, FC3 Litzenberger and OS3 Maniscalco worked from 2000-0600 for 10 straight nights manning consoles at SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific Point Loma facility. FCC Salcedo was specifically recognized by the exercise director for his contributions. WELL DONE!

-BZ to CF Division for assisting contractors performing resurfacing on the aft SPY arrays. The contractors called for assistance from CF Division on short notice to complete preservation work discovered during the resurfacing project. CF Sailors responded and did a very professional job completing the work to keep the resurfacing project on time.

-BZ to CC Division: CC Division implemented numerous security control measures on our LAN in support of a major computer security operation directed by TENTH Fleet and U.S. Cyber Command. This was not an exercise. On short notice, CC Sailors took action and executed TENTH Fleet direction to implement various security protocols to protect our networks.

-BZ to our Sailors of the Quarter for the 4th quarter of Calendar year 2012:

SOQ: GM1 Lawrence JSOQ: FC2 Skidmore BJOQ: ET3 Reinke

-BZ to A Division (A-gang) for unexpectedly working Saturday. February 9, to replace hoses in aft steering. Your hard work and dedication allowed aft steering to be certified for hot work and aid the contractors in meeting important milestones. Your selfless actions are the kind of team work I love seeing on the deck plates and are an example for others to follow! Thank you all for your hard work and fast acting support to help OUR avail stay on track and meet deadlines!

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BRAVO ZULU!

USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

CDR Shedd recognizes MILIUS’ new Sailors of the Quarter: GM1 Lawrence (right), ET3 Reinke (left), and FC2 Skidmore (not pictured).

February Reenlistments IC2(SW) Bryant GSEC(SW) DelRosario PS2(SW) Fuentebella DC2(SW) Horton OS1(SW/AW) Tillman

February Awardees Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal BMC Badio

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3 PAGE 11

Naval Base San Diego FFSC (619) 556-7404 or (866) 923-6478

American Red Cross (877) 272-7337 www.redcross.org

Military OneSource (800) 342-9647 www.militaryonesource.com

FOCUS (619) 556-6075 www.focusproject.org

NBSD Legal (619) 556-2211 www.jag.navy.mil/legal_services/nlso/nlso_southwest.htm

Tri-West Healthcare Alliance (888) 874-9378 www.triwest.com

TRICARE Dental Program (800) 866-8499 www.TRICAREdentalprogram.com

NMCRS (619) 238-1587/88 www.nmcrs.org

USO Downtown Center (619) 235-6503 www.usosandiego.org

Naval Base Chapel (619) 556-2658 www.chaplincare.navy.mil

Armed Services YMCA (858) 751-5755 www.militaryymca.org

Child Development Center (619) 556-8491

Operation Home front (866) 424-5210 www.operationhomefront.net

211 www.211sandiego.org

Sitter city www.sittercity.com/dod

Women, Infant, & Children (WIC ) Program (800) 500-6411 www.sandiegowic.org

Monthly Bread Ministries & Monthly FREE Food Ministries (858)688-5015

Bring your ID card, bags to carry food items. Please contact them for locations and times.

We have plenty of other resources for you from Healthy Military Families and Toddler Time to Furniture and Used Items to Websites and Re Sale Goods Items.

Call the Ombudsman for more details.

RESOURCES