Vol. 27 No. 1 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ January 8, 2015

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class

BrandonWilliams-Church

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

According to Federal Bureauof Investigation statistics, vio-lent crimes have been on a five-year decline. But the preven-tion or elimination of all typesof crime is a constant challenge.A world without crime, albeitfar-fetched, is can never be re-alized without participation byeveryone who doesn’t want tobe a victim.

To aid in the prevention ofcrimes, NSAB’s Security De-partment is spearheading theCrime Prevention Program onbase.

“The mission and the pur-pose of the NSAB Crime Pre-vention Program is to continuethe established relationshipwith the base police, local lawenforcement, Naval CriminalInvestigative Service and otherappropriate agencies to providea flow of crime prevention re-lated information to educate theNSAB community and tenantcommands on preventing crimein the future,” explained CrimePrevention Officer, Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Colleen Dibble.

With crimes including pettytheft happening anywhere in-cluding NSAB, it’s important tosee why information notifyingstaff and patrons of what theycan do to help stop crime, is es-sential to the mission.

“The Crime Prevention Pro-gram will benefit staff andpatrons at NSAB in a numberof ways,” said Dibble. “The es-tablished relationships withthe NSAB Crime PreventionProgram and local law enforce-ment including Maryland StatePolice, Department of Home-land Security and MontgomeryCounty will educate those re-siding in and around NSAB on

ways to prevent crime. Further-more, the staff at NSAB will begiven up-to-date information[regarding] base crime statis-tics and the ability to directlycontact NSAB police for crime-related issues.”

Through the Crime Preven-tion Program, “NSAB policewill demonstrate a proactive,rather than reactive approachto local, criminal activity,” saidMaster-at-Arms 2nd ClassCrystal Brown. “This programwill cut down the crime on-board the installation and willreduce the workload on patrol,

investigation and legal depart-ments, resulting in improvedquality of work.”

The Crime Prevention Pro-gram seeks to do more thanjust providing information tostop criminal activity. Workingside-by-side within the NSABcommunity in future endeavorsis the essence of the program.

“Awareness briefs will beconducted on a quarterly basisand upon request throughoutthe base,” said Dibble. “Thesebriefs will highlight specific ar-eas of crime prevention (lockingup office spaces, traffic safety,

neighborhood safety, etc.), andcontinue to educate the com-munity. Tentatively takingplace on base August 4th, 2015,National Night Out (NNO) isAmerica’s night out againstcrime. NSAB would like to sup-port the NNO mission whichbrings together communitiesand local law enforcement.Along with physical securitysurveys conducted throughoutbase facilities, the crime pre-vention staff will conduct crimeprevention surveys which willaddress any crime-related is-sues that may have occurred in

various spaces around base.”“Along with our other com-

munity involvement, theCrime Prevention Programwill also advise and consultwith individual departmentswithin NSAB in regards to ob-served criminal activity, iden-tify shortcomings throughoutthe NSAB jurisdiction, attendlocal functions and profession-ally promote the NSAB policedepartment,” said Brown. “Theprogram will also work withthe Child Development Centerto educate children about pre-venting crime.”

NSAB Launches Crime Prevention Program

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brandon Williams-Church

The Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) Crime Prevention Program and local law enforcement aim toeducate those residing in and around NSAB on ways to prevent crime.

2 Thursday, January 8, 2015 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, aprivate firm in no way con-nected with the U.S. Navy,under exclusive written con-tract with Naval Support ActivityBethesda, Md. This commercialenterprise newspaper is an autho-rized publication for members of themilitary services. Contents of The Journalare not necessarily the official views of, norendorsed by, the U.S. Government, theDepartment of Defense, or the Departmentof Navy. The appearance of advertising inthis publication, including inserts or supple-ments, does not constitute endorsement bythe Department of Defense or Comprint,Inc., of the products or services advertised.Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, useor patronage without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, national origin,age, marital status, physicalhandicap, political affiliationor any other non-merit fac-tor of the purchaser, user,or patron. Editorial contentis edited, prepared and pro-vided by the Public AffairsOffice, Naval Support Activ-

ity Bethesda, Md. News copyshould be submitted to the Pub-

lic Affairs Office, Building 17, first floor,across from PSD, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-295-1803. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by calling 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed bycalling 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiPublic Affairs Officer: Ronald D. InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2Ashante Hammons

MC1 Christopher KruckeAndrew DamstedtSarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerSharon Renee Taylor

Managing Editor MC2BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727NSAB Emergency Information Line 301-295-6246

NSAB OmbudsmanMichelle Herrera 240-370-5421

NSAB Chaplain’s Office 301-319-4443/4706

Sexual Assault ResponseCoordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Uniformed Services University of the HealthSciences page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Commissary TourOutpatient Nutrition Services will

host a free dietitian-led commissary touron Jan. 14 at 9:15 a.m. Shuttle pickup isat 8:05 a.m. outside of the America Bldg.(Bldg. 19). To RSVP, call 301-400-1975.

TeamSTEPPS ClassesTeamSTEPPS classes at Walter Reed

Bethesda will be Jan. 15 (four-hour funda-mentals course) and Jan. 27-28 (two-daytrain-the-trainer course). TeamSTEPPS(Team Strategies & Tools to EnhancePerformance & Patient Safety) is de-signed to improve patient outcomes byimproving communication and team-work skills. For registration, times andlocation, contact the Hospital Educationand Training (HEAT) Department atclassregistration@health.mil or 301-319-5209.

NSAB & SHARP Winter Coat DriveNaval Support Activity Bethesda’s

(NSAB) Religious Ministries Departmentalong with Army Troop Command’sSHARP (Sexual Harassment and RapePrevention Program) are sponsor-ing a winter coat drive through Jan.31. All donated cold-weather-winter-gear will be distributed to various lo-cal charities. NSAB drop-off boxes arelocated in Buildings 11 and 17 (nearentrances). SHARP drop off boxes arelocated in Building 19 (near the pianoarea); Building 9 (near the escalators);Building 10 (near entrance); Building2, Main Street and Troop Command,Building 147, Command Suite. Formore information, contact NSAB POCReligious Program Specialist 2nd ClassJohn Leitzinger by 301-319-5058/4706 oremail John.Leitzinger@med.navy.mil orcontact SHARP POC Rosemary Galvanby 301-319-3844, or email rosemary.gal-van2.civ@mail.mil.

Bethesda Notebook

Happy New Year! Welcomeback everyone. I hope that you allhad a wonderful and joyous holi-day season. As is often the customin the new year, folks think aboutresolutions and things they wantto do or accomplish.

A New Year’s resolution is a tra-dition, most common in the West-ern Hemisphere but also found inthe Eastern Hemisphere, in whicha person makes a promise or com-mitment to do an act of self-improvement,something nice for others, something healthyor a commitment to a cause or an effort.Each January, roughly one in three Ameri-cans resolve to better themselves in someway. A much smaller percentage of people ac-tually make good on those resolutions. Whileapproximately 75 percent of people stick totheir goals for at least one week, some studiessuggest less than half (46 percent) are still ontarget six months later. It’s hard to keep upthe enthusiasm months in to the year. Thetop ten resolutions include losing weight,staying in touch with friends and family, quit-ting smoking, saving money, reducing stress,volunteering, working on one’s education,reducing alcohol consumption, traveling andgetting more rest.

What if we were to decide to do somethingwe already do better, instead of coming upwith a completely new effort? We could moreeasily apply that within our lives. What if wemade it even simpler and decided to applyour improvement efforts to only one part ofour lives? Would our potential success ratebe higher? Could we stick with it longer? Howbig of an impact could we make? Let’s con-sider some facets of our life that take placehere on the installation.

Suppose as an educator, you decided toeducate better.What impact could that have?Our staff would be better prepared to do theirjobs more efficiently and effectively. Staffcould have better job satisfaction. Studentsand residents would be better trained andhave a better educational experience. Pa-tients would get better care, and have a bet-ter patient experience.

Suppose as a student or resi-dent, you decided to study better.What impact could that have?Think how much your backgroundwould expand and how muchmore comfortable you might feelin unexpected circumstances. Youwould have more free time or timewith your family; because youcould be more efficient in yourpreparation. Think of the thingsyour expanded knowledge would

allow you to bring to your patients and howthey could be better served.

Suppose as someone who provides a cus-tomer service, you decided to serve better.What impact could that have? Think howmuch your customer’s experience would im-prove. You would be happier; because, thecustomers would be happier. A pleasantgreeting, whether at the gate or at the frontdesk goes a long way to making the day bet-ter, and what an impact. A smile in the foodservice line, at the gym, or in the barrackscan brighten the day for a person who mightbe a little down or concerned.

This installation and the tenants have along history of making a difference to and forthe people, patients, staff and visitors theyencounter. What an impact we could makeif each of us just resolved to do it just a bitbetter. You can make a difference; we all canmake a difference just by doing what we do alittle bit better.

2014 was another year of success, happi-ness and hard work for the installation andthe tenants. A New Year’s wish for you iswhen you are lonely, I wish you friendship.When you are down, I wish you joy.When youare troubled, I wish you peace. When thingsseem empty, I wish you hope. When you areshaken, I wish you courage. May you have agreat and a wonderful year ahead filled withsuccess, prosperity, and health.

Have A Happy New Year in 2015.

All Ahead Flank,David A. Bitonti, Capt., DC, USNCommanding OfficerNaval Support Activity Bethesda

Commander’s Column

The Journal Thursday, January 8, 2015 3

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 1st Class (AW)

Chris KruckeWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Sailors and Soldiers battledit out in a competition at WalterReed Bethesda (WRB) in the re-cent fourth annual Blood DonorChallenge (BDC).The WRB Blood Donor Chal-

lenge is a yearly competitionbetween WRB’s Army and Navypersonnel and others to seewhich service can collect themostblood donations or votes. TheWRB competition is part of thelarger Army-Navy Blood DonorChallenge,which took place at 14installations throughout the Na-tional Capital Region. The chal-lenge is held in conjunction withthe annual Army-Navy footballgame in December.The Navy won the 2014 BDC

with 723 votes, while the Armyhad 632 votes. In total, 1,004units of blood were donated dur-ing the challenge.At WRB, a total of 96 votes

were collected. Two votes heldthe Army in the lead when thefinal pint was drawn, with 49votes for Army and 47 votesfor Navy. A total of 70 units

were donated from WRB.Navy Capt. Roland L. Fahie,

director, Armed Services BloodProgram (ASBP) said the Army-Navy Blood Donor Challenge wasdesigned around the Army-Navyfootball game because during thewinter, donations and inventoryis low.“The passion engendered by

this rivalry encourages people todonate for their service and ulti-mately ensures blood is availablefor ill or injured service membersand their families, worldwide,”Fahie said.Navy Lt. Mike Collins, direc-

tor, WRB Armed Services BloodBank Center, explained a declinein winter blood donations can beattributed to a number of factors,including people taking time offof work, travelling during theholidays and an increase in viralrelated illnesses like the cold andflu.Blood collected during the an-

nual Blood Donor Challenge isused to support active military,locally and abroad. The ArmedServices Blood Program is the of-ficial blood supplier for the mili-tary, their dependents and veter-ans who receive ongoing medicalcare.Red blood cells can only be

stored for 42 days, and fresh fro-zen plasma is only stored for oneyear, Collins said explaining whyit is important to have regulardonors. “We need to routinely col-lect blood so we can have bloodproducts for any trauma or di-saster that could happen in thefuture.”Collins said, “This challenge

really is ‘The Tradition of Chal-lenge Meets the Challenge ofLife.’ The Army and Navy havea long-standing tradition of bat-tling it out on the football fieldevery year, but in theArmy-NavyBlood Donor Challenge, the ser-vices battle it out for braggingrights — to see who can donatethe most units of blood for theArmed Services Blood Program.”Collins also said the BDC is a

friendly competition that saveslives of ill or injured servicemem-bers, retirees and their familiesworldwide.Fahie said BDC coordinators

plan to bring in theAir Force andhave all three branches competein the BDC for 2015.To find out more about the

ASBP or to schedule an appoint-ment to donate, please visit www.militaryblood.dod.mil or call theWRB Blood Bank at 301-295-1737.

Blood Donor Challenge

Navy, Army Battled It Out for a Good Cause

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Krucke

Sailors and Soldiers donated blood for the fourth an-nual Walter Reed Bethesda’s Blood Battle resultingin 70 units of blood being collected.

By Andrew DamstedtNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Naval Support ActivityBethesda Employment and Edu-cation Fair organizers had onerequest for employers to attendthe Jan. 23 event, to come with ajob opening.

“Folks show up to fairs withthe mindset that they can passalong a resume and have an in-terview on the spot and be con-tacted by a recruiter, and that’snot necessarily the case,” saidRoselee Atangana, Soldier forLife transition manager. “Wewant to make sure that employ-ers present at this fair have tohave jobs. So, service members,family members and veteransthat are attending can actuallyfeel like this is worthwhile.”At other job fairs she’s attend-

ed, Atangana received feedbackthat not enough employers havehad actual jobs available, andfinding a job isn’t always easy for

military members transitioninginto civilian life.The unemployment rate for

veterans who joined the militaryafter Sept. 11, 2001 was 9 percentin 2013, a higher average thanthe jobless rate for all veteransat 6.6 percent, according to theU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.Both those rates are higher thanthe national unemployment rateof 5.8 percent as of November.“We’re trying to link these

people directly as possible withpotential employers or educationprograms,” said Lindsey Ross,Fleet and Family Support Centerwork and family life consultant.“All of the employers that willbe attending have been asked tocome with job openings to collectresumes and talk with people aspotential candidates for specificpositions.”Atangana said with the mili-

tary downsizing, there has been agreater need for veteran-friendlyemployers.“What I’ve experienced over

the last two years, beginning

with the drawdown, are in-creased numbers of folks who aretransitioning,” Atangana said.“Some people have their net-works already built in – they’vebeen with the military for sometime in fields that allow themto network easily – and othersaren’t necessarily. So we at leastprovide comfort in assisting folkswith getting their resume togeth-er and indirectly linking them upwith employers who are lookingfor them.”According to Ross, this is the

base’s biggest education and em-ployment fair of the year and isset for Jan. 23 from 10 a.m. to2 p.m. in the Bethesda FitnessCenter Gymnasium. There aresmaller networking events thelast Thursday of each month,sponsored by Fleet and FamilySupport Center.“Another reason why we do

this event as well as other small-er events throughout the year isthat the best way to find employ-ment is by networking and bybuilding that professional net-

work,” Ross said. “Even if they’renot retiring or separating for an-other year or two, this is anotheropportunity to come in,meet withemployers and continue that re-lationship.”The employment side of the

fair will be in the gymnasium,while the education fair will bein Building 17 atrium. There areapproximately 35 to 40 schoolsattending, including area schoolsand Navy College distance learn-ing schools.Elizabeth Baker, Navy College

Bethesda director, said all arewelcome to come and see whatthe schools have to offer, but ad-vised those coming to be preparedwith questions to ask the schoolrecruiters. She also advised at-tendees bring their Joint ServicesTranscript and transcripts fromany other schools previously at-tended.“The schools are very enthu-

siastic about recruiting militaryonboard NSA Bethesda,” Bakersaid.Navy College counseling ser-

vices will not be available the dayof the fair, she said.There are classes to help pre-

pare for the fair in the weeksleading up to the event, such asresume writing, interviewingskills and job searching strate-gies. On Jan. 22 from 1 p.m. to3 p.m. there is a class on how toprepare to successfully navigatea job fair.The organizers are asking peo-

ple to register for the fair by Jan.19 at the following website, Em-ployment-Education-Fair-NSAB-Jan2015.eventbrite.com. Peopleare welcome to show up to thefree event without registering aswell. Approximately 300 peopleare expected to attend the fair.

The fair will feature employ-ers from the government andprivate sectors in a broad arrayof industries, including medical,administrative, financial and in-formation technology. A listing ofall the employers attending thefair can be found at the event’sregistration page.

Fair Scheduled to Help Military Members Find Employment, Education Opportunities

4 Thursday, January 8, 2015 The Journal

By MassCommunicationSpecialist 1st Class(AW) Chris KruckeWRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

To increase awarenessfor lung cancer treat-ment, and research, andto stimulate new ideasand collaboration to fur-ther enhance lung can-cer care, the Walter ReedBethesda (WRB) John P.Murtha Cancer Center(MCC) recently held itssecond annual Lung Can-cer Summit in the Nation-al Intrepid Center of Ex-cellence main auditorium.

“Our main goal is to getour researchers togetherand share informationabout what is the latestin lung cancer as far ascutting edge research andtreatment,” said retiredArmy Lt. Col. WilliamMahr, deputy chief ad-ministrative officer for theMCC. “We want to providea venue where they cantalk and that’s why webrought in speakers fromoutside the [Departmentof Defense] (DOD) familyto help with the collabora-tion of sharing of informa-tion,” he added.

The summit consistedof 10 key speakers fromacross the country, andtopics ranged from target-ed and immunotherapy, tointervention pulmonology.

“Our goal is to bringone huge federal efforttogether to fight cancer,”Mahr explained “You willsee all sorts of topics at

the seminar; it covers thewhole spectrum of lungcancer.

“It’s really a multi-disciplinary approach tofight cancer,” Mahr con-tinued, comparing theirefforts to the military’scombined munitions efforton one target, this targetbeing cancer. “That’s what

we are doing, bringing allthe specialties togetherto work together, talk to-gether and coordinate.”

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Rob-ert Browning, chief of In-terventional Pulmonologyat WRB, said for him, thecancer summit was es-pecially exciting becauseit offered a forum to dis-

cuss and learn about newbreakthroughs in lungcancer screening, detec-tion and treatment. “A lothas happened in a yearand it is inspiring to thinkthat this rate of changeand progress could con-tinue or even accelerateover the coming years,”he said.

Browning, who wasalso one of the key notespeakers, discussed therole of an emerging newfield of InterventionalPulmonology and its vitalrole in the diagnosis andtreatment of lung cancer.This sub-specialized fieldof pulmonary medicinefocuses on minimally in-vasive bronchoscopic andpleuroscopic techniquesto treat large airway ob-struction often caused bylung cancers, as well asadvanced diagnostic tech-niques to biopsy and stagelung cancers.

Summits like this of-fer a rare opportunity forresearchers to discusstheir field of study withother researchers, Brown-ing said. “The interactionbetween speakers andattendees was wonder-ful. The ideas that weregenerated and enriched

by such a wide array ofperspectives were reallyspecial,” he added.

Browning also notedwithin DOD, summits andmeetings are often diffi-cult to put on and he wasglad to see the topic oflung cancer has reached alevel of awareness in thedefense department thatit supported hosting thissummit. “It’s exciting tobe a part of the MurthaCancer Center and Wal-ter Reed Bethesda as wemake a meaningful andsignificant engagement inthe fight against lung can-cer,” he added.

New this year was aposter session. Duringbreaks and lunch time,attendees had a chanceto look at the posters andask questions about theresearch.

More than 20 posterswere submitted.

“What’s happeninghere is there is a groupof people who discoveredthat they really love sci-ence and they really wantto take it to the nextlevel,” said Dr. HenryStevenson-Perez, whowas part of the Research

2nd Annual Lung Cancer Research Summit

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Krucke

Dr. Henry Stevenson-Perez (center) discusses with two other judg-es the impact a poster has during the recent Lung Cancer SummitPoster Contest at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence mainauditorium.

NSA Bethesda: From The DeckplatesWhat is Your New Year’s Resolution

“My New Year’s Res-olution is to be bet-ter caring and nicertoward people.”- Master-at-Arms 2ndClass Colleen Dibble,Naval Support ActivityBethesda Security, CrimePrevention Officer

“... is to pray moreand to pray more outloud.”- Lt. Cmdr. Gloria Garner,Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center,Assistant Supervisor Inpa-tient Pharmacy

“... is to try and findways to relax moreout of work and todo more things toenjoy my life.”- Brian Pampuro, Fleet andFamily Services SupportCenter, Personal FinancialCoach (ret. HMCM (SW/FMF)

“Mine would be to bea better father to myson than I was lastyear.”- Delante Jackson, Admin-istrative Assistant, DEERSOffice

“... is to be more pa-tient with people. Ifpeople are more pa-tient it will decreasea lot of stress in thework environment.”- Lisa Oh, Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter, Medical SafetyPharmacist

“... is to work on cut-ting toxic situations inmy life and be morechoosy in my friendsand relationships.”- Carrie Bidus, Naval Sup-port Activity Bethesda’sMorale, Welfare and Rec-reation, Group Fitness Co-ordinator

See LUNG page 7

The Journal Thursday, January 8, 2015 5

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd Class (SW/

AW/IDW) Ashante N.Hammons

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

Different programs at Na-val Support Activity Bethesda(NSAB) offer a plethora of re-sources to patients, staff andvisitors. As part of the Occu-pational Therapy Department-Department of Rehab, locatedinside Walter Reed Nation-al Military Medical Center(WRNMMC), Jessica Shipmanand her colleagues offer a re-habilitation program knownas art therapy.

“The mission of the Depart-ment of Rehab’s WRNMMCArts Program is to incorpo-rate the arts into the sup-

port of veterans, wounded, illand injured warriors, activeduty service members and thepeople who care for them,” ex-plains Shipman, a recreationarts activities coordinator.“The program seeks to engagewith patients and family mem-bers here in the hospital tobuild community, discover newabilities and interests andpromote socialization throughexperiences in the arts.”

According to the AmericanArt Therapy Association, “Thegoal of art therapy is to im-prove or restore a client’s func-tioning and his or her sense ofpersonal well-being.” The re-hab program offers weekly arttherapy classes that include avariety of visual arts, such asdrawing, painting and journal-ing.

A number of specializedworkshops like the bookmak-ing workshop and Combat Pa-per workshop are held for twodays sponsored by the NSABUSO Warrior and Family Cen-ter art classroom.

The paper used for book-making comes from the Com-bat Paper workshop. CombatPaper uses the traditional wayof making paper from clothes,by using uniforms.. FacilitatorNate Lewis from Combat Pa-per Project, and Iraq veteran,has taught the bookmakingcourse for two years. and said,paper making out of clothingis the oldest form.

“What we do in the work-shop is cut the uniforms intostrips and turn them intopulp,” explains Lewis. “Then,

Expressing Yourself Through Art Therapy

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ashante Hammons

Nate Lewis, Combat Paper workshop instructior,shows examples of journals during a bookmakingworkshop at the Naval Support Activity BethesdaUSO Warrior and Family Center. See ART page 7

From the DefenseMedia Activity

The Department of Defenserecently announced the 2015military pay and compensationrates for service members, withmost service members receiv-ing a one percent increase inbasic pay.

The new rates for basic pay,basic allowance for housing, ba-sic allowance for subsistence,and the cost of living allowancerates for the contiguous UnitedStates took effect Jan. 1, 2015.

Basic pay for service mem-bers will increase one percent,except for general and flag of-ficers who will not see an in-crease in 2015. For example, anE-4 with 3 years of service willsee an increase in basic payof $22.20 per month, while anO-3 with 6 years of service willreceive a basic pay increase of$54.30 per month in 2015.

Basic allowance for housing(BAH) rates for service mem-bers in 2015 will increase onaverage $17 per month, or 0.5percent. Rates are calculatedusing median current mar-ket rent and average utilities(including electricity, heat,and water/sewer) for each paygrade, both with and withoutdependents. Two changes weremade to BAH rate computa-tions for 2015: renter’s insur-ance, which contributed anaverage of one percent to rates,was eliminated, and the fiscalyear 2015 National DefenseAuthorization Act reduced

housing rates on average onepercent for service members.

However, individual rateprotection for service membersremains an integral part of theBAH program. This means thateven if BAH rates decline - in-cluding through the elimina-tion of renter’s insurance andthe reduction in the calculatedrate - a service member who

maintains uninterrupted BAHeligibility in a given locationwill not see a rate decrease.This ensures that service mem-bers who have made long-termcommitments in the form of alease or contract are not penal-ized if local housing costs de-crease.

Service members can cal-culate their BAH payment by

using the basic allowance forhousing calculator at the web-site http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahcalc.cfm.

The 2015 basic allowance forsubsistence rates for militarymembers will increase by 2.9percent over last year. The newrates are:

* $367.92 per month for en-listed members

* $253.38 per month for of-ficers

The annual adjustments tobasic allowance for subsistence-- a monthly nontaxable cashpayment to military membersintended to be used to buy food-- are linked to changes in foodprices as measured by the an-nual change in the U.S. De-partment of Agriculture Costof Food at Home Index. Fromthe beginning of October 2013through the end of September2014, the index rose by 2.9 per-cent, forming the basis for theincreased basic allowance forsubstances rates.

The Defense Department alsoreleased its 2015 contiguousUnited States (CONUS) cost ofliving allowance rates (COLA).Roughly 12,000 members willsee a decrease in their CONUSCOLA payments, while some7,000 members will see an in-crease or no change, and 4,000members will no longer receivea CONUS COLA payment.

CONUS COLA is a taxablesupplemental allowance de-signed to help offset higherprices in high-cost locations,and rates vary based on loca-tion, pay grade, years of serviceand dependent status. Ratescan increase or decrease de-pending on the prices in a spe-cific duty location compared toprices in an average CONUSlocation. Service members cancalculate their CONUS COLArate at the website http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/conuscalc.cfm.

DOD Releases 2015 Military Pay and Compensation Rates

Official U.S. Navy file photo

6 Thursday, January 8, 2015 The Journal

By Katrina Skinner andSharon Renee Taylor

WRNMMC Public Affairsstaff writers

Two nurses at Walter Reed Bethes-da were recently recognized for the“extraordinary care” they provide pa-tients at the nation’s medical center.

Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Honeycutt andArmy Lt. Paul Willms received Wal-ter Reed Bethesda’s DAISY Awardfor October and November respec-tively. The accolade salutes the careof nursing team members at WalterReed National Military Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC) monthly. WRNMMCis among the nearly 1,800 health-carefacilities nationwide and in 13 coun-tries to honor nursing team memberswith the award, according to DAISYcoordinators.

The family of J. Patrick Barnes es-tablished the DAISY Foundation andAward in 1999 following his death atthe age of 33 from complications of Id-iopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura(ITP), an auto-immune disease. DAISYis an acronym for Disease Attackingthe Immune System. Touched by thenursing care Patrick received during

his hospitalization, the Barnes familystarted the foundation and award asa way of thanking nursing team mem-bers “for what they do every single daywithout giving it a second thought,”explained Col. Ray Antoine, director ofNursing Services at WRNMMC.

Patients, their family members andcolleagues can nominate nursing teammembers for the DAISY Award, whichAntoine and other WRNMMC nursing

team members present to the winnerson their floors and among their col-leagues monthly.

A recovering patient, who wishes toremain anonymous, nominated Hon-eycutt for the October DAISY Award.“Though all of the nurses were won-derful, this nurse went above and be-yond duties several times to ensure mycomfort and well-being. This nursingteam member was very professionaland always an advocate for me. Shedisplayed confidence and professional-ism while exuding compassion for [my]comfort after a complicated surgery,”the patient stated.

“I think the best thing about 4 Cen-ter is our teamwork,” said Honeycuttabout the unit to which she is assignedat Walter Reed Bethesda. “We’re alldedicated to taking care of everybodyand helping each other, so thank you tomy teammates,” she added.

“It’s been awesome, a great firstcommand with lots to learn,” Honeyc-utt continued. “I’m really grateful tobe [stationed] here…the environmentfosters lots of learning.”

Willms, the recipient of the Novem-ber DAISY Award, was selected for thehonor among more than 60 nomina-tions for the award —the most everreceived in a single month since theprogram began at WRNMMC nearlythree years ago, according to JoanLoepker-Duncan, a cardiology serviceclinical nurse who serves on the awardselection committee.

“[The selection] was very hard be-

cause there were so many [nomina-tions],” Loepker-Duncan said. She add-ed the nomination of Willms, from thedaughter of a retired Navy nurse whowas a patient at WRNMMC, “was thebest.” The daughter stated Willms’ hu-mor, positivity and helpfulness raisedher mother’s morale.

“This nurse made my mother feelas though she had a say in her care,and had control,” the daughter stated.“Not only did this team member assistme to be a better advocate, and informme of information I needed to know tohelp her, but he helped me learn howto take care of my mom’s needs.”

“I just treat everyone like I’d like tobe treated if I was in that bed, and howI would want my family to be treatedif they were in that room,” said Willms,assigned to 4 East at WRNMMC. “I ap-preciate this [award], thank you.”

Honeycutt and Willms each receiveda hand-crafted Healer’s Touch sculp-ture carved in Zimbabwe, for beingDAISY Award winners. The serpen-tine stone sculptures are made by art-ists of the Shona tribe and representthe care and safety of the healer, guid-ing principles of nurses and the DAISYFoundation.

Since the DAISY Award began atWRNMMC in February 2012, patients,their family members, and fellow med-ical center staffers have submittedmore than 900 nominations recogniz-ing the care provided by nursing teammembers at Walter Reed Bethesda, ac-cording to Loepker-Duncan.

DAISY Award Nurses: Caring is the Essence of Nursing

Photo by Katrina Skinner

Navy Lt. j.g. Lauren Honeycutt,a nurse on 4 Center at WalterReed Bethesda and the OctoberDAISY Award winner, creditsteamwork for the exceptionalcare provided by nursing teammembers at the medical center.

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

“I just treat everyone like I’d like to be treated if I was in that bed,and how I would want my family to be treated if they were in thatroom,” said Army Lt. Paul Willms, a nurse on 4 East at WalterReed Bethesda and the November DAISY Award winner.

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.T6619010

Rockville

The Journal Thursday, January 8, 2015 7

it is formed into sheetsof paper. We use this pa-per to tell our story.”During the bookmak-

ing class, participantsused traditional paperas pages for their books.The paper is folded inhalf and sized with abone folder, which is atool used in bookmak-ing to crease paper.Next, participants cov-ered the pages with theuniform paper for a dis-tinguished look. Afterpiercing holes throughthe papers, they arebound together withthick thread. Once com-pleted, the books canbe used to tell personalstories, show art work,write in it as a journalor to use for pictures.“The book-making

process is about bind-ing the pages togetherto make it a functioning

book that you can writein,” says Lewis. “It is away for you to tell yourstory and to share yourexperience.”Army Sgt. Danielle

Washington found theexperience interestingand enjoyable.“This was my first

time taking this class,”said Washington. “I likethe idea of making some-thing with my handsthat I can use to share

my story. I plan to designthe outside of my bookwith some drawings tomake it more personal.”Shipman encouraged

people to reapt the ben-efits of art therapy byattending a course.“I hope that when peo-

ple come to these work-shops [like bookmaking],they’re able to learn anew skill and a new wayto express themselves,”stated Shipman.

ARTContinued from pg. 5

Poster Committee.Stevenson-Perez said

last year’s summit wasthe first attempt afterthe integration of Wal-ter Reed Army MedicalCenter and the NationalNaval Medical Center,to identify “who are theplayers in this game.”“It was very success-

ful to get to know eachother and realize that wecan work together andstart organizing our re-

sources in a way that isintelligent, cost effective,friendly to the patientand made sense to themas well,” said Stevenson-Perez.Stevenson-Perez said

his goal for the summitwas to find ways to treatlung cancer patients inthe safest mode possibleand in a cost effectiveway. “Additionally, wewant patients with lungcancer, who can be cured,to be cured. We want toget them in a program toprevent the cancer fromreturning, by gettingsmokers to stop smoking,and develop a treatment

based program for thosewho do have lung cancerto improve their longevityand improve their qualityof life.”At the next summit

Browning said he wouldlike to see, “More speak-ers, more discussion. Iespecially enjoy hearingfrom advocacy groups.It’s very motivating forall to know that we areall fighting together.”“One last thing we

would like to get out tothe public and patients isthat if you participate inlung cancer screening wecan catch these types ofthings early,” said Mahr.

LUNGContinued from pg. 4

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Martha Haywood Cox (Age 51)Martha died of triple negativebreast cancer in Kensington,Maryland on December 12, 2014.Raised in Wytheville, Virginia Ms.Cox loved life and particularlychildren, her friends and family,animals and travel. After

completing training in social work at the Universities ofGeorgia and South Carolina she helped others throughcharity and in clinical practice at Walter Reed andSuburban hospitals. She was a member of Saint Paul’sUnited Methodist Church and the co-leader of a Girl Scouttroop for over 14 years. Many friends from childhood,college, work, the Montgomery County Road RunnersClub and her Garrett Park book club fondly recall her trulysweet disposition. She is preceded in death by her motherand father, Mildred Scott Meek and David Breece Cox.Survivors include her husband of 25 years Sean Altekruse,their children William and Leah, her sister Lynn Cox Altof Camp Hill, PA, brothers Scott (Evelyn) and Steve Coxof Richmond, VA, extended family, neighbors and friends.A memorial service will be held at Saint Paul UnitedMethodist Church in Kensington, Maryland on SaturdayJanuary 17 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers donations may bemade to charities such as Stephen’s Place of Bethlehem,PA http://stephens-place.org (a residential drug rehabfacility run by her colleague, Sister Virginia Longcope,MSW) or MobileMed of Montgomery Countyhttp://mobilemedicalcare.org.

Obituary