october 12 newsletter

FROM THE CO’S DESK

OCTOBER 2012 VOLUME 3 ISSUE 10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

CMC’s Call

Ccc news

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4

Bravo Zulu

Calendar of events

OMBUDSMEN MEMOS

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6

7

Resource spotlight

frg

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10

RESOURCES 11

USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

MILIUS just returned from an eight month deployment to the Western Pa-cific and Arabian Gulf.

The Sailors on MILIUS worked together as a team to accomplish the mission of forward presence, with day to day operations including approach and as-sist visits to fishing dhows in the Arabian Gulf, helicopter operations with Army, Navy, and Air Force units, participation in theater ballistic missile de-fense exercises, and theater security cooperation events with other na-tions. We were ready every day for any task because of the tremendous team work and operational competence displayed by my Sailors.

We finished the deployment by pulling into home port on September 11, looking even better then when we left due to the hard work of all hands. We also displayed a wonderful lei made for us by our Family Readiness Group.

This month, MILIUS is taking a well earned post deployment stand down spending time with friends and family before we begin the whole process of getting ready and deploying again. But even during operational pauses like now, we continue to train, lead, and prepare for the next time we are called.

The friends and families of each and every MILIUS Sailor can be proud of your Sailor and what they accomplished, our success is a direct result of how everyone worked together every day to get the job done!

BRAVO ZULU’S

~Bravo Zulu from C3F, "Well Done to MILIUS on your outstanding deploy-ment to the Fifth and Seventh Fleet Areas of Responsibility. Throughout your deployment you accomplished each and every mission with consum-mate professionalism and skill and your successful execution of Maritime Ballistic Missile Defense directly supported our Nation's Maritime Strat-egy. In addition to your success at sea, your team served as outstanding am-bassadors and represented our Navy well through your port visits and com-munity relation projects. Bravo Zulu and Welcome Home.!

Keep 'em Safe!

Welcome Home from COMDESRON 21,

1. As is customary amongst destroyer Sailors, it is with a happy heart that I offer a sincere welcome home to the good ship MIIUS!

2. Each and every MILIUS sailor has justifiable reason to be proud of what you have accomplished. The herculean effort to ready yourselves to sail, the phenomenal performance you exhibited while on station during the brutal heat of the middle-eastern summer is clear to fleet and combatant commanders alike. You have proven that nothing is impossible to well led and motivated sailors. Around the world both afloat and ashore you represented yourselves, your ship, our Navy, and our nation with class, dignity and professionalism.

3. Sailors returning home from sea share a special bond with one another that only those who have en-dured the privations of life in a tin-can can truly appreciate. It is upon that shared experience that I offer a fervent prayer that the joy which will animate MILIUS tomorrow will be seared into your collective memories for a lifetime. Beginning with your first sight of Point Loma, followed by the view of the sky-line of our beloved homeport, the bridge, the pier, and finally the first embrace of your loved ones - I hope that this special day will provide you with some share of satisfaction that your service has been meri-torious.

4. On behalf of the entire squadron - welcome home, well done, and our best wishes for a joyous home-coming and a restful stand down!

Sincerely,

Commodore Beaver

Bravo Zulu From COMNAVSURFPAC,

1. Congratulations and welcome home to the crew of USS MILIUS. It is with great pleasure and pride that I extend a Bravo Zulu for your superior Ballistic Missile Defense deployment to the 5th and 7th fleet AORs.

2. Your superior preparations and steadfast commitment to operational excellence and safety resulted in your designation as the "go-to" Ballistic Missile Defense ship in the 5th Fleet. Additionally, you superbly conducted maritime security operations and provided security for civilian mariners in international wa-ters. During civic projects in Thailand and Bahrain your flawless performance and exceptional moral fi-ber expanded beyond the lifelines as you strengthened relations and cultivated theater security in critical regions of interest.

3. As you return home, I commend you and your families for unyielding commitments to our nation, and sincerely thank you for a job well done.

Sincerely,

VADM Copeman

FROM THE CO’S DESK CONT .

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 10 PAGE 2


FROM THE CO’S DESK CONT .

MILIUS' Commanding Officer, CDR Nikki Bufkin, watches behind the ship as the ship conducts a "crash back" going from all ahead full to all back full in just seconds.

MILIUS 2012 Homecoming to Naval Base San Diego

Sincerely,

CDR Nikki Bufkin


Hello MILIUS Families! We are so happy to be home. Now we are busy preparing for an extended yard period, our Family Day Cruise and Halloween. Please mark your calendars for the last Family Day Cruise on October 26th, 2012 before we en-ter an extended yard period. You can ride a bus from Naval Station San Diego to Seal Beach where you will em-bark on the ship to travel back to San Diego. We will have many demonstrations, food and fun! Then in mid November we will enter a maintenance period where MILIUS will get many upgrades to our systems. Many people think that the yards mean more time off and earlier hours but that is not the case. We will be sending many Sailors to schools and there will be more opportunity to have picnics and other command functions but we must stay engaged on OUR SHIP to ensure the job is done right. We will be supervising many projects to ensure a successful outcome. Finally Halloween is right around the corner and Naval Base San Diego will be having sev-eral holiday activities this year such as Haunted Ship. Look for fliers as the time gets closer but it look very inter-esting and will be a great time! As you can see from the long list below your Sailors were really busy during the deployment and worked very hard. Again, we are glad to be home with you and take care! Sincerely, CMC

CMC’s CALL

FROM THE COMMAND CAREER COUNSELOR Aloha, MILUS Crew, Family & Friends, This month finds us back home with family & friends and yes…We could not wait for this day to come. NAVADMIN 270/12 was recently released and discusses an update to the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS) Personnel Contact Information. It announces the semi-annual update/verification of personal information in the NFAAS system by all military personnel. All Navy civilian personnel are highly encouraged to do the same. This message applies to all Navy person-nel, uniformed (Active and Reserve) and civilian, all dependents, and OCONUS contractors. NFAAS is the system utilized by the Navy to account for personnel and their families during widespread natural or manmade disasters. It is imperative to have accurate contact information of personnel and family members to facilitate a quick and accurate muster of per-sonnel in affected areas. Point of contact: NFAAS Help Desk/SPAWAR @ 1-866-946-9183 Or via email at [email protected] At the beginning of October, I will be getting ready to retire from the Navy and taking over the Command Career Counselor duties onboard will be NC1 (SW/AW) Denise Gutierrez. It’s been great pleasure serving with all of you! I wish you “Fair Winds and Following Seas”.

If you have any questions, please ask your Sailor. Sincerely, NC1 Baridion

http://[email protected]/

A big BRAVO ZULU to the following Sailors on their recent Reenlistments, Advancement, and Awards:

USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER PAGE 5

BRAVO ZULU

Reenlistments OSCS Suders Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal LCDR David Hudson LT John Fallon Navy Achievement Medal LTJG Robert Coslick LTJG Matthew Kirby FC1 (SW) Jason Harris IT1 (SW) Cory Allen HM1 (SW) Kristilynn Badillo GM1 (SW) Jeremy Ion ET2 (SW) Wesley Bonner GSE2 (SW) Ting Hu EM2 (SW) Ruben Guzman FC2 (SW) Zhihong Lin GM2 (SW) Latisha Magee GM2 (SW) Tiffany Montoya STG2 (SW) Evelyn Perez FC2 (SW) Zebadiah Schwendeman FC2 (SW) Lacey Skidmore IC2 Lucas Dadlez QM3 (SW) Robert Barnett CTM3 (SW) Adam Fadley GSM3 (SW) Charles Gustafson GSE3 (SW) Shannon Oleary ET3 (SW) Bryanna Reinke HT3 (SW) Louie Trevino BM3 David Zavala EN3 Daniel Cafferky EM3 Kristopher Abshire SN Joseph Gonzalez

Officer Promotions LTJG Jeremy Mcintyre Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) ET2 (SW) Wesley Bonner IT2 (SW) Joseph Brinkman STG2 (SW) Iunona Croitor STG2 (SW) Adam Zanini OS2 (SW) Daryl Rey Martinez STG3 (SW) Justin Merrit STG3 (SW) Won Noh HT3 (SW) Louie Trevino CTR3 (SW) Lacretia Rocker FC3 (SW) Curtis Sirois ET3 (SW) Veronica Bordelon ET3 (SW) Douglas Wurtzel FC3 (SW) Mark Delmendo YN3 (SW) Sharmesha Jackson GMSN (SW) Vykesha Smith DCFN (SW) Angelica Stampshurtado OSSN (SW) Korrenzo Moore SN (SW) Taylor Wright

Happy Birthday and Anniversary to all!!

October 5 - 7 Oktoberfest in El Cajon, 1017 S Mollison Ave... AWESOME KIDS ZONE

October 8 - Coronado Chili– Cookout and Per Parade 11:30 - 3pm

October 11 & 12 Boot camp Workout on the USS Midway Flight Deck 7 - 8:30am

October 11 - Navy Movie Night showing “Battleship” USS Midway Hangar 6:30 to 10pm $10 each

October 13 - 2nd Annual Fall Festival ...9am to 1pm FFSC NBSD

October 13 - 237th Navy Ball 6pm to midnight

October 26& 27 - MWR Ghost ship Maiden Voyage ...Mariner Park 32nd St...6 to 10pm

October 31 - Happy Halloween

* Annotates in-port, away from home port

—Blue highlighted boxes annotate underway periods

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OCTOBER

HAPPY 237TH BIRTHDAY NAVY!!!!

October 2012

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POM ENDS

FAMILY DAY CRUISE

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Happy Homecoming, How effective are you communicating with your Spouse?

We hope all families and friends had a great homecoming and are enjoying time with their sailors!

With deployment just behind us, we wanted to touch on effective communication. During deployment, com-munication can sometimes be a challenge i.e. email going down, those precious phone calls, tone of email being taken out of context or any life changes among the many other long list of things that can make communication difficult. Now with our sailors safely home, communication is still just as important!

Communication is defined as “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.” After deployment, it can be difficult to “be on the same page” or see “eye to eye” with your sailor because of having been apart for so long. Some suggestions would be to keep an open mind, try not to judge and have patience. For some people, life goes back to normal right after deployment and for others it’s a different process. Everyone readjusts differently and that’s okay! It’s part of the reintegration process.

Listening is a fundamental step in effective communication. If there is one person trying to convey informa-tion, the other party has to be receptive to what is being expressed. This does not mean the person has to agree, but rather, they should at least try to understand. When communication involves the exchange of ideas among two or more people, each person involved needs to listen to and understand what the other party is trying to communicate. If there isn't listening among all parties involved, each person will just be expressing themselves in vain.

Attempts at communication can be frustrating from time to time. If one or more parties feel like their message is not being understood or respected, tension can arise. Sometimes it is necessary to have a mediator to help both parties fairly see the others' point of view. If you would be interested in obtaining some form of mediator, please send us an email or give us a call and we can point you in the right direction with some available resources.

It was great to see so many of you on the pier at homecoming and we hope you are hav-ing fun enjoying time back with your sailor!

Your Command Ombudsman Team,

Teresa and Jeri

Navy Ombudsman are Lighthouses for Navy Families!!

Do you know your MILIUS Ombudsman?

OMBUDSMAN MEMO


Ombudsman Info:

[email protected]

OMB Phone– 619.417.9980

Careline– 619.338.1754

PAGE 7

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

TAKE A STAND AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic Violence can happen to anyone , anywhere, at anytime regardless of their military service, race, ethnicity, education level, religion, gender or age. Although stress is common for service members and their families, it is never an excuse to explain or justify domestic violence.

It is important that all military families need to be aware of the valuable resources available to anyone, including service members, spouses, parents, siblings, or other care givers.

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic Violence is a CRIME and it should never be a part of a loving relationship. It is not normal or accepted as a by-product of military life. Every family should know how to identify domestic violence in all its forms: (1) Physical (2) Sexual (3) Threats of either of the previously mentioned, (4) Psychologi-cal or emotional abuse and (5) Stalking.

If any of these occur, it is extremely important that you protect yourself and get help immediately. The following or some FREE TOOLS for anyone in need to help:

Call 911 if you feel your life is in danger.

Call 211 if you fell threatened.

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE ( 7233)

Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647

Defense Centers of Excellence ( DCoE) Out-reach Center at 1-866-966-1020 to talk to a trained health resource consultant.

Have the strength to say “NO” to Domestic Violence. Service Members may experience common stress-ors before, during or after reintegration. However, this does not excuse the violence towards loved ones!!

When family members have the strength to come forward and seek assistance, RESOURCES ARE AVAIL-ABLE and waiting for you!!

The Chain of Command and your Ombudsman team are committed to helping our MILUS Family ad-dress Domestic Violence!

Let us know if we can help you or someone you know!

Your Ombudsman Team,

Jeri and Teresa

TIPS FOR A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Before allowing children to set off for trick-or-treating, be sure to review basic safety pre-cautions:

* Young children should always be accompanied by an adult

* NO child should go trick-or-treating alone.

* Go over the exact route your child will follow.

* IF children are going trick-or-treating without an adult. Remind them to only go to houses of people they know.

* Stay away from neighbors with outside pets even if they are tied up.

* Make sure your child knows to only accept candy in the doorways of houses — never—

under any circumstances should children enter a house.

* Set a reasonable time for your child to return home.

* Review safety rules for crossing the street

* Remind your child that a simple “thank you” will be appreciated.

* Remind your child to only go to houses where the porch light is on...if the light is off they are not offering candy.,

PAGE 9

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is also Brest Cancer Awareness Month. Early detection is key to a suc-cessful breast cancer treatment. Honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month by mak-ing sure your loved ones know about screening methods.

Visit www.militaryonesource.com for articles related to and on Breast Cancer !!

Additional Resources:

American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org

Cancer Care : http://www.cancercare.org/

RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT CONT.


FRG NEWS AND NOTES

We want you to sail with the USS Milius on its Family Day Cruise! Put on your sea shoes and sail away with the USS Milius on its Family Day Cruise Friday, Oct. 26th.

The command is calling for all able-bodied family members and friends to journey along with the Milius on an upcoming trip back to San Diego. The ship will be coming home from Seal Beach, on one of its remaining underway periods before it heads to the yards.

Participants will be bused from San Diego up to meet the ship for the cruise. In order to meet the Milius on time, those attending will meet the buses early that morning at 5 a.m. at Naval Base San Diego. Further details will follow soon!

Children who are eight-years-old or older are invited to join along!

If you’d like to ride along — and your sailor hasn’t RSVP’d for you already — please let us know as soon as you can. You can do so by replying to our post, or emailing us at [email protected].

Please plan on joining us for this unique opportunity to spend a day at sea with our sailors!

We can’t wait to sail with you!

Your FRG Team!

mailto:[email protected]


Resources & Information

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

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

Afterdeployment.com

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.

RESOURCE Page

http://www.triwest.com

http://www.TRICAREdentalprogram.com

http://www.usosandiego.org

october 12 newsletter

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