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Vol. 65 No. 13 Wednesday, April 1, 2009

MCPON Visits NAS Whiting Field Sailors
SBy Jay Cope, NAS Whiting Field Public Affairs
Naval Air Station Whiting Field Sailors (NASWF) were surprised
and excited Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick
West visited the base. The March 31 visit was part of a tour of Gulf
Coast Navy installations he was visiting to familiarize himself with
those commands.
West visited with NASWF command leadership, held a short
breakfast meeting with the Chiefs' Mess, met with some civilians for
the base, and most importantly, held an all-hands call in the base au-
ditorium.
"It was really pretty cool," said Air Traffic Controller First Class
(AS/SW) Aritha Gregory. "It's nice that he took time out of his busy
schedule to come here, and it was awesome how often he emphasized
AC1 Aritha Gregory gets a high-five from Master Chief Petty that people matter."
Officer of the Navy Rick West. Gregory and other Sailors of The MCPON said several times that he was there to represent the
the Year from NAS Whiting Field and its tenant commands Sailors and wanted to hear their questions and concerns.
met the MCPON before the all-hands call during his March
31 visit. U. S. Navy photo by Jay Cope. (Cont. on Page 8)

Whiting Field Celebrates Women's History


By Jay Cope, NAS Whiting Field Public Affairs
Beginning in 1978 and every year after, our coun-
try has recognized the advances and accomplishments of
women in our society. Since that time, we have seen women
break barriers and achieve new heights in every facet of life
including government, the sciences, the military services,
education and so many more.
Women's history celebrations pay tribute to those
who pave the way while recognizing that the women of to-
day are not only the beneficiaries of those trail blazers but
those who must carry the torch for future generations.
Naval Air Station Whiting Field celebrated Women's
History Month with a luncheon event March 25. The event,
coordinated by the First Class Petty Officers' Association,
featured musical entertainment, introductory and closing re-
marks by the base Command Master Chief CMDCM Hari
Singh, and special comments by the guest speaker, Cmdr.
Lynne Chapman, Whiting Field's executive officer.
While Chapman disputes prominence or importance
to give such a presentation, her career of Naval service and
time spent as an aviator give a unique insight on the removal
of barriers to women's service in the military overtime.
Chapman was a member of the 10th Naval Acad-
emy class to include women. She began her career during


cmar. Lynne cnapman, INaval Air Ntation writing iela hxecutve
Officer, serves as the guest speaker for the base's Women's History
Month celebration. She reminded women of the achievements of
women in the military and that they can achieve their dreams. U.S
SNavy photo by Ens. Andrew Stephenson.
a time when women were pushed to assume restricted line
positions and were not able to assume combat roles. She has
since been the officer-in-charge of an operational detach-
ment flying missions in combat areas supporting Operations
Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Her message throughout the speech was, "Yes, you
(Cont. on Page 5)







Environmental Division Works to Reduce Risk of Wild Fires
By Carrie Gindl, Environmental Division Intern
Naval Air Station Whiting Field's Public Works department has been con-
ducting prescribed bums on base property and outlying fields since November.
The reasons for these controlled bums vary with each location, but all help
reduce the chance that wild fires caused by other means will occur or get out of con-
trol. Some of the other primary reasons are to reduce fuel loads, ensure the continu-
ation of fire-dependent plant and animal species in the area, and to enhance habitat
for rare, threatened and endangered species such as the gopher tortoise, reticulated
flatwoods salamander, white-top pitcher plant, parrot pitcher plant, and the longleaf
pine ecosystem.
The Natural Resources division of Public Works consists of Natural Re- Environmental Division Intern Carrie Gindl
sources manager, Ron Cherry, and Student Conservation Association (SCA) associ- starts a controlled fire of underbrush at Navy
ate, Carrie Gindl. Additional support and equipment were provided by Naval Air Outlying Field Holley. Photo courtesy of Envi-
Station Pensacola Public Works department foresters Mark Gibson and Michael ronmental Division.
Hardy. Pensacola's SCA associate Chris Herbst is also a member of the Navy prescribed bum team.
This team spent long hours, months in advance, planning and training for these prescribed bums. Preparation for these
bums began back in June and July with bush-hogging, Gyrotrac work, and firebreak establishment with a forestry crawler trac-
tor and disk. In addition to firebreaks, bum plans were written specifically for each bum. Each plan included maps of the area,
reasons for the burn, acceptable weather conditions, lists of equipment, and important contacts to include fire departments, Florida
(Cont. on Page 6)
EMS Team Audits Environmental Needs at NASWF
All Navy installations are required to implement an Envi- to-day management decision making;
ronmental Management System (EMS) by Sept. 30, 2009. Consistently address environmental issues before
This mandate is directed by Executive Order 13423 and OP- they become problems; and
NAVINST 5090.1C. Establish measurable environmental objectives that
An effective EMS encompasses several key component ac- lead to continual improvement.
tions. It must: In real-world terminology, state what you are going to do,
Integrate key environmental considerations related and do what you said you would do..
to the work that we do here at NAS Whiting Field into day- The NASWF implementation team has determined that the
significant environmental aspects that need to be addressed
first are:
Hazardous material usage/tracking;
Solid waste management/recycling; and
Hazardous material spill prevention.
Future articles will expand on the progress of all three as-
pects. Since EMS is a continual improvement process, once
objectives for these aspects are achieved, additional aspects
will be examined. Any ideas for environmental improve-
ment on Station can be brought to the attention of the Public
Works Environmental Manager (Mike Pattison, 623-7268
ext 3018).
In order to provide the most functional EMS, knowledge of
the NASWF Environmental Policy (see insert) and how your
job may impact the environment is required by all military,
civilian, and contractor personnel on the Station. A manda-
tory EMS General Awareness Training is a requirement of
all NASWF personnel. This training is a web-based (www.
cnrse-ems.org/env-whitingfield/) PowerPoint presentation
that should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Certificates of training completion must be printed and re-
tained. An external audit of our EMS program is scheduled
for the week of May 18 and auditors will be asking random
personnel questions regarding our EMS and Environmental
Policy.







News and Notes
Softball Tournament NAS Whiting Field Military Appre-
ciation Softball Tournament. $150.00 entry fee per team. T-shirts
for first place team. Don't miss out on the Home-Run Derby.
Teams must be registered by Monday, April 20th for gate access.
Attached is the flier. Call or e-mail Todd Mooneyham (MWR,
Sports Coordinator) at 850-623-7502 ext.23 / todd.mooneyham@
navy.mil for all of the details (home-runs, bats, cleats,...etc.) This
Tournament is open to everyone including civilian teams.
Universal and Disneyworld Ticktes ITT now has the
free universal tickets & Disneyland tickets free tickets for active
duty, reservist, or retirees, and we also have the family and friends
tickets. For more information contact: 623-7032 Monday-Friday
9-5 and Saturday 9-12.
Sesame Street Special "Coming Home: Military Fami-
lies Cope with Change" will air nationwide on PBS at 8 pm. This
primetime special, presented by Sesame Workshop and featuring
Queen Latifah and John Mayer, tells the stories of service mem-
bers returning home with injuries-both visible and invisible-and
explores the heroic struggles their families face on the path to
finding a "new normal." With help from Elmo, Rosita and their
Sesame Street friends, "Coming Home" gives voice to the children
as they play a central role in the family's adjustment process, and
encourages them to be what they are: kids. Check out "Coming
Home" on April 1st, 2009 on PBS at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 7
p.m. Central and Mountain Time (check your local listings).
Golf Tournament The NASWF Leadership Council Golf
Tournament will be held on Fri, 24 Apr 09, at the NAS Whiting
Field Golf Course. Tee-off time will be at 1000. This is a 4-man
scramble, $120.00/team. Prizes for will be given to the top 3 teams,
longest drive and closest to the pin. Mulligans 3 for $5.00 per
person. Tee-Buster $3.00 per person. Fee includes green fees,
cart and light lunch. Pre-pay or pay the day of the tournment.
Contact LTJG Sirjoo, (850) 449-0360, or ABHC Perry, (850) 623-
7220, for reservations. Pre-pay or pay the day of the tournament.
Animal Adopt-A-Thon Santa Rosa County Animal Ser-
vices with sponsors Mediacom, Soft Rock 94.1 and WXBM 102.7
will hold its 5th annual adopt-a-thon on Saturday, April 18 from


VIA2 Eric Lutz receives the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement
Vedal from Capt. Enrique Sadsad, commanding officer NAS Whit-
ng Field. Lutz received the award in the conference room for the
:ommand and was accompanied by his wife Shelley. U. S. Navy photo
)y Ens. Andrew Stephenson.


kJirI rli Xuvaalu Lil% Xup JkJpuL
Bill Lawson, NAS Whiting Field Fleet and Family Support Center
(FFSC) director, awards Kathy and Larry Mizak a prize package
for their winning entry in the contest to name the FFSC Newsletter.
Their entry "The FFSC Compass" was chosen by a select panel o
judges out of more than one hundred entries. The prize package was
provided by the NAS Whiting Field Morale, Welfare and Recreatio
office.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shelter located at 4451 Pine Forest Roac
in Milton. For this special event, the adoption fee is $15 for cats
and $20 for dogs with a spay/neuter voucher provided at no cost
for any unaltered animal. Pets on leashes are welcome to attend.
Free food, local rescue organizations, vendors, children's activi-
ties, contests and drawings will be offered during the adopt-a-thon.
For more information call (850) 983-4680.
Sunset Stampede The Zoo at Northwest Florida's 1st An-
nual Sunset Stampede 5K Run/Walk will be held on Sat, May 21
at Navarre Beach. The race begins at 6 p.m. with a Kids Fun Run
beginning at 5 p.m. The first 500 people to sign up get a t-shirt.
Cost: $20.00 thru 4 Apr, $25.00 after. See www.zoosunsetstam-
pede.org online for more information.
Country Fest WXBM's Country Fest will serve as the Na-
tional Military Appreciation Month kick off event! for the Pensac-
ola Area. Come spend the day with Your Country 102.7 WXBM as
we bring Country Fest to life in Pensacola at Five Flags Speedway.
This all day family fun music festival features great music, ven-
dors, activities, attractions and so much more! Gates open at 9am
- show starts at 10am. Tickets are only $25.00 for adults, children
12 are admitted free. Featuring Artisits Craig Morgan, James Otto
and Whitney Duncan. For details call studios: 850-994-5357.
2009 Handbooks The 2009 Consumer Action Handbooks Are
In! This Handbook contains information on but not limited to: Be-
ing a Smarter Consumer, Filing a Consumer Complaint, Corporate
Office Contact info of Automobile Manufacturers, Better Business
Bureau Contacts, Corporate Consumer Contacts and much, much,
more. Visit the Fleet & Family Support Center to pick up your free
copy. Supplies are limited so pick up yours today.
Santa Rosa County Fair The fair runs from Tuesday
March 31 through Sunday April 5, with a theme of "A bounty of
Treasures." It will feature local and national enternainers, contests,
a "Forever Land" child area, a car show, and tons of food, animals,
and a full seven-event professional rodeo. East Milton Recreation-
al Park, 8604 Bobby Brown Road, Milton. For detailed daily event
lists and additional information call (850)-623-1115 or visit
www.santarosafair.org.













Fleet and Family Support Center Classes
Ten Steps to a Federal Job Monday, April 6, from 8:00 10:00 a.m.
"Is it worth your while to invest your time and effort in searching and applying for a Federal Job?" If your answer is "yes", then you
need to attend this class in order to learn how to prepare the best application possible. You will learn how to read an announcement,
analyze core competencies for language, analyze vacancy listings for keywords, and how to apply for jobs. Class will be held at the
FFSC conference room. For more information, contact a Work and Family Life Specialist at 623-7177
Your Insurance Needs Tuesday, April 7, from 1:00 3:00 p.m.
A 60 90 minute interactive program suitable for all audiences, designed to develop knowledge and skills that will enable participants
to make informed consumer decisions on the basic types of insurance, and to determine their personal need for life insurance. Class will
be held in the FFSC conference room. For more information, contact a Work and Family Life Specialist at 623-7177.
Anger Management Wednesday, April 8, from 1:-00 2:00 p.m.
Is anger affecting your health, your relationships or your work performance? Learn to understand the causes and effects of unhealthy
anger and how to express and release that anger in a healthy way! Class will be held at the FFSC conference room. For more information,
contact a Work and Family Life Specialist at 623-7177.
Credit Management Tuesday, April 14, from 9:-00 11:00 a.m.
The average American family has nine credit cards (1996 American Express Survey); three or four of those are used regularly; the aver-
age total balance on those cards is $3,900 at the interest rate of 18%. Attend this class to find out ways to better manage your credit.
Class will be held in the FFSC conference room. For more information, contact a Work and Family Life Specialist at 623-7177.
Job Search Strategies Monday, April 20, from 9:00 11:00 a.m.
Are you new to the area and having a hard time finding employment in this tough economy? In this informative class, we will give you
several techniques and resources that will help you with yourjob. Bring a copy of your resume for review.
Developing Your Spending Plan Tuesday, April 21, from 9:00 11:00 a.m.
This class is not designed to tell you what to do with your money; this class will challenge you to think before you spend. There is no
patent on the "right" way to handle your money, but there are better ways to get your dollar's worth. Class will be held at the FFSC
conference room. For more information, contact a Work and Family Life Specialist at 623-7177.

BBB Warns of Phony Letters Scam in Florida
Pensacola, Fla. (April 2, 2009) Your Better ing House representative. Victims are told that
Business Bureau has received reports of letters they must cash the check and then wire approxi-
showing up in northwest Florida mailboxes that mately $4,000 to Publishers Clearing House in
are supposedly from Publishers Clearing House, order to receive their prize. However, the check
claiming that they have won a grand prize draw- is fraudulent and money wired to the scammers
ing of $1 million. Although the letters and checks cannot be recovered.
look official, the recipient is the target of a scam Since early March, reports of the Publish-
making a sudden resurgence nationwide. B ers Clearing House scam have come in from 20
"Not surprisingly, the revival of this scam BB states including Florida. Some have also reported
comes on the heels of the real Publishers Clearing receiving phone calls from scammers pretending
House awarding a New Jersey woman $5,000 a Sart W h Trua to be with Publishers Clearing House.
week for the rest of her life," said Norman Wright, While this scam predominantly takes advan-
president and CEO of your BBB serving northwest Florida. tage of individuals, business owners also need to be aware
"Scammers often take advantage of events in the news, such that their company's name could potentially be used by
as Publishers Clearing House giving out a prize, knowing fraudsters. The fraudulent checks sent to the supposed prize
it'll be on top of people's minds." winners with the letter are copies of checks from legitimate
Victims receive a letter supposedly from Publishers businesses which have been stolen by the scammers. Busi-
Clearing House claiming that they've won $1 million as the nesses located in Alabama, California, Kansas, Washington
second place winner of a drawing sponsored by Reader's Di- and West Virginia have discovered that their checks-which
gest Magazine. The letter is accompanied by a check for as included their name, address and even account number-
much as $5,900 with instructions to call a Publishers Clear- were reproduced as part of the scam.







President Releases Women's History Proclamation


With passion and cour- natural environment. In 1900,
age, women have taught us that Maria Sanford led the Min-
when we band together to advocate nesota Federation of Women's
for our highest ideals, we can ad- Groups in their efforts to protect
vance our common well-being and forestland near the Mississippi
strengthen the fabric of our Nation. River, which eventually became
Each year during Women's History the Chippewa National Forest,
Month, we remember and celebrate the first Congressionally man-
women from all walks of life who dated national forest. Marjory
have shaped this great Nation. This President Stoneman Douglas dedicated
year, in accordance with the theme, Barack Obama her life to protecting and restor-
"Women Taking the Lead to Save ing the Florida Everglades. Her
our Planet," we pay particular tribute to the book, The Everglades: Rivers of Grass,
efforts of women in preserving and protect- published in 1947, led to the preservation
ing the environment for present and future of the Everglades as a National Park. She
generations. was awarded the Presidential Medal of
Ellen Swallow Richards is known Freedom in 1993.
to have been the first woman in the United Rachel Carson brought even
States to be accepted at a scientific school. greater attention to the environment by ex-
She graduated from the Massachusetts In- posing the dangers of certain pesticides to
stitute of Technology in 1873 and went on the environment and to human health. Her
to become a prominent chemist. In 1887, landmark 1962 book, Silent Spring, was
she conducted a survey of water quality in fiercely criticized for its unconventional
Massachusetts. This study, the first of its perspective. As early as 1963, however,
kind in America, led to the Nation's first President Kennedy acknowledged its im-
state water-quality standards. portance and appointed a panel to investi-
Women have also taken the lead gate the book's findings. Silent Spring has
throughout our history in preserving our emerged as a seminal work in environmen-


tal studies. Carson was awarded the Presi-
dential Medal of Freedom posthumously in
1980.
Grace Thorpe, another leading
environmental advocate, also connected
environmental protection with human well-
being by emphasizing the vulnerability of
certain populations to environmental haz-
ards. In 1992, she launched a successful
campaign to organize Native Americans t o
oppose the storage of nuclear waste on their
reservations, which she said contradicted
Native American principles of stewardship
of the earth. She also proposed that Ameri-
ca invest in alternative energy sources such
as hydroelectricity, solar power, and wind
power.
These women helped protect our environ-
ment and our people while challenging the
status quo and breaking social barriers.
Their achievements inspired generations of
American women and men not only to save
our planet, but also to overcome obstacles
and pursue their interests and talents. They
join a long and proud history of American
women leaders, and this month we honor
the contributions of all women to our Na-
tion.


Women's History
(Cont. from Page 1)


can!"
"I've been in the Navy for almost
23 years including my time at the Naval
Academy. I look around at the advances
that women have made in that time and
I am amazed and excited at how fare
we've come. But I think that the greatest
advance is in our vocabulary. Folks, I'm
here to tell you that the word, can't, no
longer exists," she said.
Chapman told a story about
how the primary influence on her join-
ing the Navy was not her pilot father, but
her "sweet, quiet, unassuming" mother.
When she was 13 years old, her mother
stated that if she had it to do over again
that she would have joined the military.
This astounded the teen-aged Chapman
and when she asked why, her mother
said it was the only place where a woman
could get equal pay for equal work.
This opened her eyes to the ex-
istence of gender inequality, and while
her mother had her dreams stifled, she
was determined not to let it happen to her


daughter, and so constantly supporter her
dreams of flying.
"The history of women is be-
ing written every day. My mom was
told 'No, you can't' and she listened. I
was told 'No, you can't,' and I didn't lis-
ten. Today, women no longer hear 'You
can't.' You can! You know you can. We
can! We can serve. We can fight. We can
run for the presidency! We are changing
the vocabulary and in doing so, we are
changing the world."
Her personal story, however,
wasn't the only one she told. She also re-
minded the audience of Paratrooper Kel-
lie McCoy. McCoy was 29 and it was
only her third day in Iraq when her con-
voy ran into an ambush. She earned the
Bronze Star with Combat "V" decoration
for her role in breaking through the am-
bush and rescuing other trapped soldiers.
And she spoke of Sgt. Leigh Ann
Hester, who received the Silver Star, the
first ever presented to a woman for com-
bat in close quarters. She and her squad


leader cleared two trenches of enemy
combatants with grenades and assault ri-
fles during an ambush near Salman Pak,
Iraq.
And finally, she talked about
medic Monica Lin Brown who saved
the lives of fellow soldiers by running
through insurgent gunfire to fallen com-
rades and using her own body to shield
wounded soldiers. She also earned the
Silver Star.
"The point of it all is that the his-
tory of women has been written by folks
just like you and me. Women who did
not think they were special or impor-
tant or inspirational. Women who were
just doing their job, and who pushed
the boundaries just a little bit and made
it just a little easier for those that came
after them," she said. "In such a short
time, women have gone from being told
'No, you can't' to saying 'Yes, I can' -
and from there to not saying anything at
all -just doing it."







Chiefs Charged to Lead the Way in Motorcycle Safety
By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/
AW) Bill Houlihan, MCPON Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The master chief petty officer of
the Navy (MCPON) outlined his expectations regarding mo-
torcycle safety and training in a P4", or "personal for", Navy
Administrative Message to the Navy's Chief Petty Officer
Mess March 16.
The message, NAVADMIN 079/09 -- intended for
all command master chiefs, chiefs of the boat, command
senior chiefs and senior enlisted leaders -- lays out Master
Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) (SS/SW) Rick
West's concerns and expectations of senior enlisted leader-
ship.
"Our highways are a battle zone that unnecessarily
accounted for thirty-three motorcycle casualties last year,
while many others suffered life-long injuries. I'm calling on
the CPO mess and the first class petty officers to engage
the deckplate and ensure our Sailors get the proper required
training," West wrote in his message.
"Having been a motorcycle rider, I'm concerned for
(Cont. on Page 8)

Prescribed Burns
(Cont. from Page 2)
SThe Great highway patrol, Division of Forestry, and hospi-
The Great tals.
KEEP American Clean- Up These small, controlled fires bum signifi-
I o'At p cant acres of underbrush without killing the native
Ready to pitch in and help your trees which are so vital to local animal habitats.
Ready to pitch in and help your Safety is the primary concern and due to the po-
Community? tential of a larger fire, other agencies including:
Saturday, April 18, 2009 Navy Fire & Emergency Services Gulf Coast, The
OSosA Nature Conservancy (TNC), Jackson Guard from
8 am through Noon Eglin Air Force Base, and the US Forest Service
Prescribed Fire Training Center (PFTC) are on
Meeting Spots hand to help with the effort and are prepared to
Milton Milton High School extinguish any fire should it escape the designated
Pace Pace Assembly of God areas. These groups of professionals successfully
Navarre NatureWalk Park conducted five prescribed bums since November
accounting for more than 450 acres of property
Avalon Christian Life Church w n
with no accidents or injuries.
Munson Blackwater Baptist Church Although the days were long, all partners
Floridale Bliss Way involved worked hard to get the job done. As a
Bagdad-Bagdad Museum (Church St) result of everyone's hard work, the majority of the
For more information call 623-1930 understory has died back allowing for new growth
to take place and for fire-dependent plants and ani-
Corporate Sponsor mals to prosper.
Due to weather conditions and fuel mois-
ture, March signals the end of the burn season
for the Natural Resources team at Whiting Field.
ALLIED WASTE Planning for next year's burn season, however,
will be starting soon!







Navy Earns Award for Efforts to

Find Right People for Total Force
By Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Zimmermann, Navy Diversity Directorate
ATLANTA (NNS) -- The Navy's Strategic Diversity Working Group
(SDWG) was honored at the 10th annual Summit on Leading Diversity
March 17 for its vision and contribution to the Navy's ability to effec-
tively support the nation's maritime strategy.
Recognized as one of the top 15 organizational diversity coun-
cils in the country, the Navy SDWG has made strides in improving re-
cruitment and retention of a diverse total force.
"The work of these top councils elevates the overall significance
and value of all councils," said Janice Bowman, president of the Asso-
ciation of Diversity Councils. "The strategies, tactics, activities, com-
mitments, results and achievements they have identified help to set the
standard of excellence for diversity and inclusion councils on a national
level and provide inspiration for all who are on the front lines of diversity
and inclusion every day."
"The Strategic Diversity Working Group's efforts result in im-
proved communications amongst enterprises and communities, enabling
synergy of effort and sharing of best practices," said Capt. Ken Barrett,
director, Navy Diversity. "Working together ensures a coherent, compel-
ling, consistent message throughout and external to the Navy, and our
efforts have resulted in exponentially increasing awareness and outreach
across our diverse Nation."
The SDWG's mission is to support the recruiting, development
(Cont. on Page 8)















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MCPON Visit
(Cont. from Page 1)
He spoke on several topics such as personnel manning, the new Navy
uniforms, motorcycle safety, and suicide awareness before opening
the floor for questions. Issues ranged from concerns about selective
reenlistment bonuses, tuition assistance, retention through the Per-
form to Serve program and more.
He praised the Sailors for their hard work, and singled out
those who had performed individual augmentee (IA) tours, and re-
minded them how important their work is to the fight.
"I am grateful for what you all do, every day especially the
lAs. The Sailors we have on the ground do terrific jobs. They are in
demand because they are capable and flexible. Our Sailors improve
every process they touch," he said. MCPON Rick West speaks to an audience of NAS Whit-
The MCPON's visit comes just three months after assuming ing Field Sailors during his March 31 visit to the base. The
the title, and if he was trying to make an impression about the Sailors' MCPON covered topics like: the new uniform, Perform to
value to the Navy, it worked for Gregory. Serve, the future of SRBs, and more. U. S. Navy photo by
"Just his dedication to the Sailors it reaffirms that we do Jay Cope.
matter," she said. "It's not just about the mission, but it is about people too. That's always a positive and motivating thing
to hear."


Motorcycle Rider Expectations

(Cont. from Page 6)
all riders, but we need to focus immediately on those who are in the
highest risk group," said West.
MCPON stated in his message that the groups he's most
concerned with are sport bike riders, Sailors E-5 and below and
those with little to no experience as many mishaps occur soon after
the purchase of the motorcycle.
"Most of the casualties," said West, "have been on sport
bikes operated by untrained riders."
West said that he hopes his use of a P4 will emphasize the
importance of sport bike safety, especially with the summer months
approaching.
"I'm going to use every means at my disposal to get this
word out. We have young men and women dying on our freeways
and less than half of the Sailors who should have attended the man-
datory training have showed up.
"Our concern as senior enlisted leaders should be to give
our Sailors the training and tools that could help them survive on
the highways."
P4's have traditionally been reserved for the flag commu-
nity, a method of communication admirals have used for decades
to get word quickly and privately to other senior and commanding
officers.
West said it's not an approach he intends to use frequently,
but he felt the gravity of this particular subject warranted it.
"We have more than 7,500 Sailors who still haven't attend-
ed the Sport Bike rider course. We've got to do better than that. It's
a matter of life and death."
The unprecedented P4 specifically directs chief petty offi-
cers to "personally involve yourself in obtaining a [class] quota and
ensuring your Sailors attend."


Navy Earns Award
(Cont. from Page 7)
and retention of the best and brightest personnel the na-
tion has to offer in order to maintain an effective Navy
Total Force. Its members work together to coordinate
flag officer and senior executive participation in diversi-
ty-related outreach events across the nation as well as the
attendance and outreach efforts of other Navy members.
Much of this work includes developing partnerships
with affinity groups that focus on STEM (science, tech-
nology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines both to
provide personal and professional development options
for Sailors and Navy civilians but also to create aware-
ness of the opportunities available in naval service.
"Diversity of the Navy Total Force is essen-
tial for mission readiness," said Capt. Wayne Radloff,
professor of naval science, and head of the Atlanta-area
consortium of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
(NROTC) program. He noted the Navy's progress in
managing the need to be an attractive, competitive op-
tion for a diverse talent pool but cautioned that even
more effort is necessary.
Radloff went on to say that being concerned
about the diversity of the Navy Total Force is both the
right thing to do and absolutely necessary if the Navy is
to remain competitive well into the 21st century.
The Navy SDWG was part of an elite group
receiving awards for 'seeing the big picture,' includ-
ing diversity councils from American Airlines, Bayer,
Cargill, CSX, FedEx and Gannett Co. Recipient groups
were evaluated on: demonstrated council results; dem-
onstrated management commitment; measurement and
accountability; and communication and education.