Vol. 27 No. 22 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ June 4, 2015

By AndrewDamstedt

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

With shouts of “Go,Mom!” and “Good job!”and “This is your mo-ment,” 10 graduates fromSouthern Illinois Univer-sity (SIU) took the Wal-ter Reed National Mili-tary Medical Center Me-morial Auditorium stageFriday to receive theirdiplomas.

“This is one of the bestdays of my life,” said grad-uate Jacqueline Thomas,a Navy retiree who is thesecretary for Brig. Gen.Jeffrey B. Clark, medicalcenter director. “The cer-emony was fantastic. Itwas great.”

The graduation washosted by Navy College-Bethesda, which housesan SIU extended campusin its offices in Building17. Navy College assistsservice members withprograms such as tu-ition assistance, on-basecourses and with generaladvice about continuingeducation.

Navy College-BethesdaDirector Elizabeth Bakersaid while the graduatesutilized those services,the students themselveswere the most respon-sible for completing theirschooling.

“Their own initiativeand drive has really got-ten them to where theyare today,” she said.

Graduate Sonya Ben-lizar, also a Navy retiree,said Navy College providedexcellent support in help-ing her finish her degree.

“I’m just happy andexcited,” she said. “I’mhappy that not just theNavy but the militaryhas a way of helping usgrow; not just here in

the military serving thecountry, but to grow per-sonally.”

Naval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB) Execu-tive Director Bill Meekinscongratulated the gradu-ates and thanked theirfamily members for sup-porting them in their con-tinuing education.

“There should be no

doubt in your mindsabout the value of yourdegree and how the edu-cation you received herewill help you pursue yourcareer and dreams,” saidcommencement speakerScott Collins, SIU Schoolof Allied Health direc-tor. “Think for a momentabout how different youare today; how different

your lives are comparedto when you began yourstudies. You have grownacademically, personally,professionally and so-cially.”

Graduate StephanieTaylor, who started pur-suing her degree in 2010,said the time she spentaway from her familywas difficult but that she

was happy to have finallycompleted her degree.

“It feels very, very, veryrefreshing and awesome,”said Taylor, an Armyretiree who worked atNSAB until recently. “I’vebeen working on it for along time and I’m very ex-cited about it.”

Benlizar, Taylor andThomas all received the

health care managementbachelor’s degree at Fri-day’s ceremony alongwith Demaris Gomez,Santonio Sanders, DanaSledge, James Wilcherand John Wilcher. JohnElchert and HumbertoFerriera received theworkforce education anddevelopment bachelor’sdegree.

Graduates Receive Diplomas in Ceremony Onboard NSAB

Photo by MC3 Hank Gettys

New graduates of Southern Illinois University turn their tassels in a ceremony at Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center May 29, signifying their new status as college graduates.

2 Thursday, June 4, 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, the De-partment of Defense, or the Department ofthe 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 StaffManaging Editor MC3 Hank GettysWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Staff Writers MC1 Christopher KruckeAndrew DamstedtSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorJoseph Nieves

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

NSAB Emergency Information Line 301-295-6246NSAB 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

LGBT Pride FairThe Bethesda Multicultur-

al Committee and Gay, Lesbianand Supportive Service Members(G.L.A.S.S.) will host a Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual and TransgenderPride Fair June 12 from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. in the Bldg. 9 mezzanine. Theevent is being held in conjunctionwith Pride Week, June 8-12. Every-one is invited to attend. Cake andrefreshment will be served at noon.For more information, contact HM3Kayla Watson at kayla.m.watson18.mil@mail.mil.

Leadership AcademyThe next Walter Reed Bethesda

Leadership Academy is scheduledfor June 8-12 in the Heroes Zone,Bldg. 5, Rm. 3028. The academy isfor anyone in a middle managerrole or aspiring to a middle man-ager role. The academy includesdiscussions on leadership and de-velopment, resources, quality im-provement, personnel management,21st century health care, businessmanagement and the Patient Expe-rience. To register or for more in-formation, visit http://tinyurl.com/WRNMMC-LSA-RBCT.

Prostate Cancer Support GroupThe Prostate Cancer Support

Group meets at Walter Reed Na-tional Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) on the third Thursdayof every month. The next meetingwill be June 18 from 1 to 2 p.m. andfrom 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Amer-ica Building, River ConferenceRoom, third floor. Spouses/partnersare invited. Military ID is requiredfor base access. For those without amilitary ID, call the Prostate Cen-ter at 301-319-2900 at least fourbusiness days prior to the event forbase access. For more informationcontact retired Col. Jane Hudak at301-319-2918 or jane.l.hudak.ctr@mail.mil.

Bethesda NotebookJune 14,wewill celebrate FlagDay. I

think it’s important to reflect on the sig-nificance of the flag of our Nation, andI would like to share some informationand thoughts with you in advance of theobservance later this month.

The Stars and Stripes originated as aresult of a resolution adopted by theMa-rine Committee of the SecondContinen-tal Congress at Philadelphia on June 14,1777. The resolution read: “Resolvedthat the flag of the United States bethirteen stripes,alternate red andwhite;that the union be thirteen stars,white ina blue field representing a new constel-lation.” The first celebration of the U.S.Flag’s birthday was held in 1877 on the100th anniversary of the Flag Resolu-tion of 1777. However, it is believed thatthe first annual recognition of the flag’sbirthday dates back to 1885when schoolteacher, B. J. Cigrand, first organized agroup of Wisconsin school children toobserve June 14, the 108th anniversaryof the official adoption of The Stars andStripes, as the Flag’s Birthday. There issome discussion as to the ‘Father of FlagDay,’ both Cigrand and William T. Kerr,from Pittsburgh, PA and the founder ofthe American Flag Day Association in1888, have been given this designation.

Just a few years later the efforts ofanother school teacher, George Balch,led to the formal observance of ‘FlagDay’ on June 14 by the New York StateBoard of Education. Over the follow-ing years as many as 36 state and localgovernments began adopting the annualobservance. For over 30 years, Flag Dayremained a state and local celebration.

In 1916, the anniversary of the FlagResolution of 1777 became a nationallyobserved event by a proclamation byPresidentWoodrowWilson, as did Presi-dent Calvin Coolidge in 1927. However,it was not designated as National FlagDay untilAugust 3rd,1949,when anActof Congress signed in to law by Presi-dent Harry Truman designated June14th of each year as National Flag Day.Today, Flag Day is celebrated in variousways, but the goal should be to preserve

the traditions,history, pride, and respectthat the nation’s symbol, Old Glory, de-serves.

One of the highlights of many retire-ment ceremonies is the reading of “OldGlory” and the flag presentation. Thefollowing is a Navy version of the textthat is read.

I am the flag of the United States ofAmerica.My name is Old Glory.

I fly atop theworld’s tallest buildings.I stand watch in America’s halls of jus-tice.

I fly majestically over great institu-tions of learning.

I stand guard with the greatest mili-tary power in the world.

Look up and see me!I stand for peace, honor, truth, and

justice. I stand for freedom.I am confident…I am arrogant. I am

proud.When I amflownwithmy fellow ban-

ners,my head is held a little higher - mycolors a little truer.

I bow to no one.I am recognized all over the world.I am worshipped. I am saluted. I am

respected. I am revered. I am loved.AndI am feared.

For more than 200 years, I havefought in every battle of every war;

Gettysburg, Shiloh,Appomattox, SanJuan Hill, the Trenches of France, theArgonne Forest,Anzio,Rome, the beach-es of Normandy, the deserts of Africa,the cane fields of the Philippines.

The rice paddies and jungles ofGuam, Okinawa, Tarawa, Korea, Viet-

nam and in the heat of the Persian Gulfand a score of other places long forgottenby all but those who were with me.

I was there!I led my Sailors and Marines.I followed them. I watch over them.

They love me.I was on a small hill on Iwo Jima.I was dirty, battle-worn and tired, but

my Sailors and Marines cheered me,and I was proud.

I have been soiled, burned, torn andtrampled on the streets of countries Ihave helped set free.

It does not hurt…for I am invincible.I have been soiled, burned, torn and

trampled on the streets of my countryand when it is by those with whom Ihave served in battle…it hurts.

But I shall overcome… for I amstrong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earthand stand watch over the new frontiersof space from my vantage point on themoon.

I have been a silent witness to all ofAmerica’s finest hours.

But my finest hour comes when I amtorn into strips to be used for bandagesformywounded comrades on the field ofbattle, when I fly at half-mast to honormy Sailors and Marines… and when Ilie in the trembling arms of a grievingmother at the graveside of her fallen sonor daughter. I am proud.

My Name is Old Glory.Dear God…Long may I wave. Long

may I wave!During Flag Day, please remember

to honor and remember our flag. Mostimportantly, remember what the flagrepresents to our Nation and the world.It is the banner for freedom and democ-racy. Maintaining that banner has comeat great cost to our country and its Ser-viceMembers. Longmay it wave…DearGod, long may it wave.All Ahead Flank,David A. Bitonti, Capt., DC, USNCommanding OfficerNaval Support Activity Bethesda

Commander’s Column

The Journal Thursday, June 4, 2015 3

By MC1 (AW)Chris Krucke

WRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

“They might not re-member our name, butthey will never forgetthe way we treatedthem,” poet and authorMaya Angelou oncesaid.Maj. Gen. Dorothy

A. Hogg, director ofMedical Operations Re-search and chief of the

Air Force Nurse Corps,delivered the quote dur-ing a recent programcelebrating nurses atWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC). Theprogram not only cel-ebrated Nurses Week(May 6-12) with thetheme “Ethical Prac-tice, Quality Care,” butalso recognized a longtradition within thenursing profession ofcontinuous education.

That tradition contin-ues at WRNMMC withthe Clinical NurseTransition Program(CNTP).CNTP is designed to

orient recent graduatesand registered nurseswith minimal clinicalexperience to the pro-fession of nursing andthe U.S. military. Theprogram consists ofcomputer-based train-ing, classroom lectures,seminars and hands-onclinical experience.Thirteen Army and

Navy nurses completedthe 25-week CNTP onMay 7. “These novicenurses managed pro-gressive assignmentsto care for patientswith complex nursingneeds on the medicalsurgical units. Many ofthem have already beennominated by patientsand family members forthe prestigious DAISYAward for extraordi-nary nursing,” saidArmy Lt. Col. CindyGoldberg, CNTP direc-tor.2nd Lt. Elizabeth

Marlyne Rozell, 5E staff

nurse, WRNMMC, at-tended the CNTP. Shesaid she appreciates theorientation, explainingthere may be approxi-mately six months fromwhen a nursing schoolstudent graduates towhen the nurse actuallymakes it onto the floorto use their skills. “The[CNTP] gave me the op-portunity to gain theconfidence necessary tobe a good, competentnurse. I was given manyopportunities to honemy nursing skills andthink critically. Also, Ienjoyed the structureof the program. Theprogram not only givesus the opportunity [tobe] hands-on but alsoincorporates seminarsand classes to help usbetter understand themilitary.”The CNTP is divided

into three phases. Thefirst 12 weeks are witha preceptor who helpsorient the new nurseto the floor, the workenvironment, policies,the workflow and loadof the staff. The nexteight weeks, the new

nurse is working in-dependently as a reg-istered nurse withina team of other RNs,LPNs, and techs/CNAs/corpsmen/ medics. Thelast phase is when thenew nurses participatein “mini-rotations.”This is an opportunityto gain other skill setsand see how other de-partments work withinthe hospital.Rozell said she has

rotated between theneonatal intensivecare unit (ICU), medi-cal ICU, mother-infantcare center, Peripher-ally Inserted CentralCatheter, and will alsobe rotating to work onPediatrics, Wound CareTeam, and in the Emer-gency Department.Other nurse training

courses are availablehere at WRNMMC.The longest course

is the Phase II Practi-cal Nurse Course (PNC)led by Lt. Col. ChristineLudwig, director of thePractical Nurse Course,and Army Sgt. 1st ClassSteven Brown, thecourse’s non-commis-

sioned officer-in-charge.According to Ludwig,

the PNC is a 54-weekInitial Entry TrainingCourse which takesnew Soldiers, and nowSailors, and educatesthem to become prac-ticing nurses. “Thestudents who success-fully graduate from thecourse are able to takethe National CouncilLicensure Examination(NCLEX-PN) for Practi-cal Nurses. In 2014, thishistorically Army nurs-ing program opened upto Navy Corpsmen atWRNMMC.In March of 2015,

the first combined classof Army Soldiers andNavy Corpsmen gradu-ated. The second class isdue to graduate in Au-gust 2015.Other shorter courses

of a few days to a weekcovering leadership andmanagement are alsooffered through suchcourses as the ChargeNurse Course and theLeadership Academy.Offering a variety of

Nurses Put Focus on ‘Ethical Practice, Quality Care’

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Krucke

Graduates of the Clinical Nurse TransitionProgram stand proud during the NurseWeek kick-off in the Memorial Auditoriumat Walter Reed National Military Medi-cal Center. This year’s theme was “EthicalPractice. Quality Care.”

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

Celebrating with food,dance and speakers,Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) observedAsian American andPacific Islander (AAPI)Heritage Month duringa program May 28 in theAmerica Building.Master Chief Petty

Officer Alma Robin-son, guest speaker atthe program, focusedon this year’s theme forthe observance, “ManyCultures, One Voice:Promote Equality andInclusion,” during herpresentation. She tracesher cultural heritage tothe Philippines.Robinson explained

Asian American and Pa-cific Islander HeritageMonth originated in

June 1977 when Reps.Frank Horton of NewYork and Norman Y. Mi-neta of California intro-duced a resolution in theU.S. House of Represen-tatives to proclaim thefirst 10 days of May asAsian-Pacific HeritageWeek. The followingmonth, Senators DanielInouye and Spark Mat-sunaga, both of Hawaii,introduced a similar billin the Senate. Both actswere passed, and on Oct.5, 1978, President Jim-my Carter signed a jointresolution for the cel-ebration. Twelve yearslater, President GeorgeH.W. Bush signed a billpassed by Congress toextend Asian-Ameri-can Heritage Week to amonth-long observance.The month of May

was chosen for the cel-ebration to commemo-rate the immigration

of the first Japaneseto the United Stateson May 7, 1843, and tomark the anniversaryof the completion of theTranscontinental Rail-road on May 10, 1869.Most of the workers wholaid the tracks for therailroad were Chineseimmigrants, accordingto Library of Congressofficials who host thewebsite http://asianpaci-ficheritage.gov/about.html.Robinson added that

more than 56 ethnicgroups who speak over100 languages fall underthe Asian American andPacific Islander heritageumbrella.“In May 1988, I joined

the U.S. Navy,” saidRobinson, from Oahu,Hawaii. She recentlyreturned to the states

Asian American, Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Photos by Bernard S. Little

Students from the Natananjali School of Dance perform duringWalter Reed National Military Medical Center’s Asian Americanand Pacific Islander Heritage Month program May 28. The BethesdaMulti-Cultural Committee coordinated the event.

WRNMMC Celebrates ‘Many Cultures, One Voice’

See HERITAGE page 10

See NURSES page 4

4 Thursday, June 4, 2015 The Journal

By Soldiers’ MedicalEvaluation Board Counsel

Soldiers in transition at WalterReed National Military Medical Cen-ter are provided legal counsel at nopersonal expense while undergoingthe Integrated Disability EvaluationSystem (IDES) process, more common-ly known as the Medical EvaluationBoard (MEB). A qualified and trainedattorney and paralegal are availableto assist Soldiers throughout the en-tire process, which includes the MEBand Physical Evaluation Board (PEB)stages.Whether you have questions orconcerns prior to being referred intothe process or you are nearing the endof the process and pending retirement/transition, the Office of the SMEBC isavailable to assist you. Our offices areon the second floor of Bldg. 62, whichis located across the street from theAmerica Garage and the medical cen-ter.

The SMEBC is independently as-signed and rated and does not ad-vise the MEB, PEB, Warrior Tran-sition Battalion, or your chain ofcommand. Information you provideto the SMEBC is confidential. Theirsole function is to advise and repre-sent you, the Soldier. They will workdiligently to ensure you make fully in-formed decisions, and then assist youin every way possible to achieve thedesired outcome. The SMEBC is avail-able to ALL Soldiers – Active Duty,Reserve, and National Guard. TheSMEBC will ensure you are aware ofyour rights, options and potential out-comes to assist you with making somevery important decisions throughoutthe process – decisions that could havesignificant, long-term implications foryou, your family and your future. TheSMEBC is specifically trained to rec-ognize and identify critical issues andadvise you of the options. Bottom line:The SMEBC is your advocate in theIDES process and works for you.

Although legal advice and represen-tation is available to you throughoutthe entire process, there are three key

points in the process where we highlyencourage you to reach out to our of-fice for assistance:

• The first is immediately upon re-ferral (or notification of pending refer-ral) into the MEB process. Most often,laying the groundwork for successstarts early. The SMEBC can help youexplore and understand the optionsand potential benefits, and can alsoassist with formulating a specific planto work toward the desired outcome.

• The second important point occursonce you receive your Narrative Sum-mary (NARSUM), which signifies theend of the MEB phase. At this pointin the process, you have numerouselection options to consider and yourtime to do so is very limited (initiallyfive calendar days). Contacting theSMEBC as soon as possible will en-sure adequate time to review, receiveadvice, and respond accordingly to theMEB.

• The third and final critically im-portant point in the process is onceyou receive the findings of the Infor-mal PEB (IPEB) and your proposedVeterans Affairs (VA) disability rat-ings. At this stage, you will have mul-tiple election options to consider andmust choose how to best respond tothe IPEB and VA. Again, there is anarrow timeline in which to respond(initially ten calendar days). TheSMEBC will review both the IPEBand VA documents along with you, en-suring the IPEB has documented yourconditions accurately and the VA hasassigned appropriate disability rat-ings to those conditions in accordancewith the law and relevant regulations.

In summary, Soldiers undergoingthe IDES/MEB process are entitled toand have legal representation avail-able to them at no personal expense.We encourage you to take advantageof our service. The OSMEBC standsready and willing to provide diligentadvocacy and representation to eachindividual Soldier and case. Con-tact us today at (301) 400-0167/0168.Thank you for your service.

Legal Counsel Available for Soldiers inthe Medical Evaluation Board Process

short courses allows the enlisted andjunior officers nurses to gain teach-ing experience as they hone theirinstructor skills without needing tobecome certified through the Instruc-tor Training Course.

Rozell said Nurses Week is achance to celebrate all the hard worknurses do. “Nurses, in my definition,who should be celebrated not onlyare registered nurses, but also in-

clude LPNs, nursing students, andCNAs/ techs/ corpsmen and medics.These people spend (usually) morethan 12 hours a day on the floor withpatients who are in need not onlyphysically, but also emotionally andspiritually.

“At the end of the day or week,it’s all worth it when someone says,‘Thank you for what you did. Itmeans a lot to me.’ Then you knowyou touched someone’s life. They maynot remember your name, but theywill always remember the way youmade them feel. Then you can say,‘What I do matters,’” Rozell conclud-ed.

NURSESContinued from pg. 3

1050717

The Journal Thursday, June 4, 2015 5

Photo by Andrew Damstedt

Naval Support Activity Bethesda Commanding Officer Capt. DavidA. Bitonti and his wife, Lisa Bitonti, lead a group of Rolling Thundermotorcyclists around the installation May 22. Motorcyclists from allacross the country came to Washington, D.C. for the annual RollingThunder ride over Memorial Day weekend.

Bitonti Leads Motorcycle Ride

Photo by MC3 Hank Gettys

Capt. David A. Bitonti (center), Naval Support Activity Bethesda(NSAB) commanding officer, along with Noel Dysart (left), theNSAB Bowling Center manager, and Bill O’Donnell, Spinz manag-er, cut the ribbon, announcing the grand opening of the new Spinzrestaurant at the NSAB Bowling Center.

Spinz Grand Opening

1051177

6 Thursday, June 4, 2015 The Journal

Photos by Karen Carbone

The Warrior Café on Naval Support Activity Bethesda was filled to capacityMay 30 as delighted guests visited with their favorite cartoon personalities atMorale, Welfare and Recreation’s 3rd Annual Character Brunch. Dedicated vol-unteers from the Maryland Patriotic Guard, American Red Cross and the WalterReed National Military Medical Center Junior Enlisted Mess in addition to help-ers from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the Warrior FamilyCoordination Cell and Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions/BetterOpportunities for Single Soldiers helped make the event a success. Diners enjoyeda themed buffet menu including Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes, an omelet barand a make-your-own sundae station. In addition to their meal and interactionswith much-loved characters, the children received wands, tiaras, superhero brace-lets and personalized photo keepsakes.

MWR’s 3rd Annual Character Brunch

By Andrew DamstedtNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

They’re the greeters, thecleanup crew, the mainte-nance workers and laundrystaff of Navy Lodge Bethes-da – and now 10 of NavyLodge Bethesda’s employeeshave received professionalcertifications after complet-ing courses through theAmerican Hotel & LodgingEducational Institute.

Naval Support Activ-ity Bethesda (NSAB) Com-manding Officer Capt. Da-vid A. Bitonti handed outthe certificates to the 10 em-ployees May 21 in a ceremo-ny at Navy Lodge Bethesda.

“I appreciate and ap-plaud your efforts in tryingto get those certificationsand also thank you for do-

ing that because that allowsus to provide better serviceto our guests who come onthe installation for what-ever reason they’re going tobe here to visit with us,” Bi-tonti said. “Congratulations.We’re very proud of you.”

Ana Herrera-Ruiz, NavyLodge Bethesda generalmanager, said to completethe certificates requireseach candidate to score atleast 75 percent on boththe written exam and skill-validation test, which wascompleted on site.

She said shewas proud ofher employees who complet-ed the certificates and saidit showed that “we are mov-ing in the right direction ofproviding excellent serviceto our military and theirfamilies by empowering ourassociates through training

and development.”Navy Lodge Bethesda

front desk employee AngelMartinez received four dif-ferent certifications as acertified concierge, laundryattendant,maintenance em-

ployee and guestroom atten-dant. He said it “feels awe-some” to get the certificates,but he enjoyed learning howto help out in various jobs atNavy Lodge Bethesda more.

Navy Lodge Bethesda

Housekeeping SupervisorDelfina Fuentes, a 13-yearNavy Lodge Bethesda em-ployee, said she was happyto receive her certificationas a certified public spacecleaner because the courses

helped her become a betterhospitality professional.

Her colleague, NavyLodge Bethesda House-keeping Supervisor RosaReyes said she was excitedto receive the certificationas a certified public spacecleaner.

“I’m happy to work atthe Navy Lodge Bethesda,”said Reyes, a 19-year NavyLodge Bethesda employee.

Dorris Arriaga, MartaCotom, Santos Iraheta,Adrina Titus and JuanaVelasquez all received cer-tified public space cleanercertifications; Roberto C.Huamantumba, certifiedmaintenance employee; andSteven T. Kelley, certifiedconcierge, maintenance em-ployee, laundry attendantand guestroom attendant.

Navy Lodge Bethesda Employees Receive Professional Certifications

Navy Lodge Bethesda’s employees pose for a photo along with Capt.David A. Bitonti, Naval Support Activity Bethesda commanding offi-cer, after receiving professional certifications for completing coursesthrough the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.

The Journal Thursday, June 4, 2015 7

ByMC1(AW)Chris Krucke

WRNMMCPublic Affairsstaff writer

Both the Navy and theArmy are conducting theirindividual spring 2015 phys-ical readiness tests (PRT)known as theNavy PhysicalFitness Assessment (PFA)and the Army Physical Fit-ness Test (APFT).

“The same standardsof performance remain astrict regulation for bothservices,” said Navy Hos-pital Corpsman 1st ClassAnnie Martin, the new com-mand fitness leader (CFL)for Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC).

“It is a performance testthat indicates a Soldier’sability to perform physicallyand handle his or her ownbodyweight,” saidArmySgt.Maj. Jeffrey M. Zak, chiefclinical non-commissionedofficer,WRNMMC.

Every branch in theU.S. military has their ownversion of the fitness test.The tests are all based onthe same principles of corestrength, endurance andcardiovascular respiratoryfitness.

According to age group,participants have two min-

utes to score as many push-ups and sit/curl-ups as pos-sible and complete a cardioevent as fast as they can.

Martin said participat-ing members are proctoredby trained individuals whoaccount for proper form andadherence to rules.

Although every fitnesstest is based on the samecore principles, each ser-vice’s test has unique char-acteristics.

According to Martin, thebiggest difference betweenArmy and Navy PRT is thatthe Army tests Body Com-position Assessment (BCA)and the PRT separately. If aNavymember fails the BCA,they are not authorized toparticipate in the PRT; how-ever,Armymembers can faileither/or both componentsbecause if an Army memberfails their BCA, they are stillauthorized to participate inthe physical portion.

“Another difference tonote is the Navy run is oneand a half miles, whereasthe Army run is two miles,”Martin said.

Martin said WRNMMCoffers Navy members fivecardio options: an outdoorrun, treadmill, bike, ellipti-cal machine, or swim.

According to Zak, unlikethe Navy, “the Army doesnot break down points in

each category as excellentthrough satisfactory andfailure.” He said a Soldiermust score aminimum of 60points on an event to passthat event. Not scoring atleast 60 points in any eventconstitutes a failure for thatevent and a failure for theentire APFT.

Zak continued, “A Sol-dier’s APFT score is the ac-cumulated score of all threeevents. A score of over 270with at least 90 points ineach event will earn a Sol-dier the Physical FitnessBadge.”

The badge is a patch thatis sewn on the physical fit-

ness uniform.Unlike the Navy PFA,

Soldiers do not get to choosewhich cardio event they canperform. Participants canonly do the twomile run un-less the Soldier has a per-manent medical profile thatprecludes them from thetwo mile run. In this casethey can take an alternateaerobic event.

Zak said, “The most com-mon is the 2.5 mile walkbut some Soldiers may takethe 800 yard swim, 6.2 milebike, or 6.2 mile stationary-cycle ergometer test.”

Martin, who just tookover as CFL this winter, said

taking the positionwas a bigdeal for her.

A year and a half agoMartin said she weighed200 pounds, could barelydo 20 pushups and runningwas a struggle because ofher weight and asthma.“My wakeup call was whenI could not climb a flightof stairs and I would haveshortness of breath,” shesaid. “I actually wanted towork in the PRT Office lastyear but I was slated to gowork in the hospital in-stead.”

After choosing healthiermeal choices and makingtime towork out daily “a pri-

ority,” Martin said she cur-rently weighs 156 pounds,can do more than 50 push-ups, and her run time hasimproved dramatically.

“After I made E6, I wastold that I would be theCFL. At first I was in dis-belief until my predecessorcontacted me and told me Ihad the job,” said Martin.

As CFL one of the thingsMartin is in charge of is theFitness Enhancement Pro-gram (FEP).

“We alternate our FEPsessions to cover a varietyof exercises,” Martin said.“We construct a workoutof the day that is followedfor all three sessions thatday. Workouts encompassstrength training, cardio,plyometric, and calisthenics.In addition, every Tuesdayand Thursday at 11 a.m. weoffer a swim workout.”

If you are looking to im-prove your fitness level, theFEP sessions are open toanyone who would like tojoin. FEP sessions are avail-able Monday through Fri-day at 6 a.m., 11 a.m. and3 p.m. Each session is onehour long and consists of awarm-up, workout, and cooldown. The muster locationis Bldg. 17’s Atrium. To con-tactWRNMMC’s CommandFitness Office, call 310-295-5502.

New WRNMMC CFL Takes the Reigns

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Krucke

With the blast of a whistle, Navy personnel burst off the startingline to compete against the clock during the Spring 2015 PhysicalReadiness Test at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation sports com-plex on Naval Support Activity Bethesda.

8 Thursday, June 4, 2015 The Journal

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

Anumber of the athleteswho will participate in theDepartment of Defense(DOD) Warrior Games, setfor June 19-28 at MarineCorps Base Quantico, Va.,credit their ability to com-pete in the Olympic-stylecompetition to the care

and rehabilitation theyreceived at Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC), themilitary’s flagship health-care facility.

Held annually, theWar-rior Games brings togeth-er wounded, ill or injuredathletes from across thecountry for a weeklongevent in adaptive sports.Created by DOD and U.S.Paralympics in 2010, the

Warrior Games consist ofeight sports – track, field,sitting volleyball, cycling,wheelchair basketball,swimming, archery andair rifle/pistol shooting.The United Kingdom’sPrince Harry began theInvictus Games, an in-ternational version of theWarrior Games, last yearafter he’d been to the 2013Warrior Games.

This year’s Warrior

Games will be the first forArmy Staff Sgt. Monica E.Martinez, attached to theWarrior Transition Battal-ion at WRNMMC. She willcompete in hand cycling,track and field (wheelchairracing, seated shot-putand discus), sitting volley-ball and swimming, as wellas be an alternate on theArmy team for the archerycompetition. Hand-cyclingis the competition the staff

sergeant said she is mostlooking forward to in theGames.

“It was the first adap-tive sport I got into at[WRNMMC], and I used tobe a rower in high school;[hand-cycling] remindsme a lot of that, plus I lovethe feeling of just ridingthrough the woods, thewind in my face,” Martinezexplained.

In preparation for theGames, the Soldier partici-pates in a cycling programat WRNMMC, in additionto working out regularlyon her own, swimming andlifting weights. She alsoattends archery clinics atFort Belvoir, Va.

An intelligence analyst,Martinez began receivingcare at WRNMMC Augustof last year after being shotin the foot on July 29, 2014while deployed to Afghani-stan.

“The bullet wentthrough my foot [and] myright heel bone was shat-tered,” the staff sergeantrecalled of the July 29,2014 injury. “I had my firstsurgery in Bagram, mysecond in Landstuhl, Ger-many, then I was flown to[WRNMMC].

“I had four surgeries tofixmy heel andmay ormaynot need another. I was un-able to walk until late No-vember, six months aftermy last surgery, and thenit was slowly in a boot andcane. I was in physical ther-apy until April and theypushed me to get as muchfunction back [as possible].I am used to being activeand not needing help sofor me, moving slowly andneeding assistance to dobasic things was frustrat-ing. I also missed workingand being with my unit;knowing they were stilldeployed and I couldn’t bewith them was incrediblyhard,” Martinez said.

“I find out [this month]if I need another surgery ornot,” she continued. “Fullrecovery is expected totake 12 to 18 months, butat 10 months in, I am do-ing better than my doctorexpected.”

“My medical care at[WRNMMC] has been out-standing, and they havedone an amazing job re-pairing my heel and joint

to allow me to return tomy previous levels of activ-ity,” the Soldier continued.“Adaptive sports have beeninstrumental in giving methat focus and push to getback to where I want to bephysically, but the senseof camaraderie and teamhas given me the mentaledge to stay focused anddriven. The Army team isan amazing group of ath-letes who have all sufferedin some way, but we arestill very capable of doingincredible things.”

Sgt. Blake Johnson isproof of that. During theWarrior Games Army Tri-als at Fort Bliss, Texas inMarch, he earned bronzemedals in 50-meter free-style, 50-meter backstrokeand 100-meter freestyle,ensuring his place in theWarrior Games later thismonth.

AnApacheAH-64 arma-ment/electrical/avionic sys-tems repairman, Johnson,of the WTB at WRNMMC,will also compete in airrifle, shot put, discus,wheelchair track, sittingvolleyball and wheelchairbasketball, in addition toswimming.

Like Martinez, Johnsonexplained participating inadaptive sports helps himwith his rehabilitation.While stationed in Ger-many, he was injured in amotor vehicle accident in2012. He fractured his fe-mur and tibia, shatteredhis patella, ripped his pa-tella ligament, ripped car-tilage and had knee recon-struction. He had a partialknee replacement in Octo-ber 2014, and has had fivesurgeries.

Like Martinez, Johnsonbrings an athletic back-ground prior to his injurieswith him to the WarriorGames. He ran track, inaddition to playing foot-ball and baseball in highschool. He also playedbasketball recreationallyin high school. Again likeMartinez, he explainedadaptive sports refueledhis competitive fire.

“Adaptive sports havebeen a really big moraleboost for me,” Johnsonsaid. “Just getting back toplaying with a team, being

WRNMMC Helps Prepare Athletes for Warriors GamesRehab, Adaptive Sports Program Enable Participants to Compete, Excel in Life, Athletic Venues

See GAMES page 101050451

1051213

The Journal Thursday, June 4, 2015 9

10 Thursday, June 4, 2015 The Journal

from a two-year tourin Bahrain where shewas the senior enlistedleader (SEL) of her unit.She also served with theMarines on two toursin Iraq, in addition toa number of other as-signments during hernearly three-decademilitary career. She iscurrently the SEL forthe National IntrepidCenter of Excellence atWRNMMC.

“In 27 years, I’ve seenthe transformation notonly in our Navy, but inthe military,” Robinsonsaid. “Asian Americansand Pacific Islandershave played a crucialrole in shaping our mili-tary. They have servedon all levels, from E-1to O-10. Despite racialdiscrimination, hatred,violence, bigotry andeven internment, AsianAmericans and PacificIslanders have served

this country with honorand patriotism. Timeand time again, theyproved that, as Presi-dent Franklin Rooseveltsaid, ‘Americanism isnot, and never was, amatter of race or ances-try.’”

Robinson addedmore work is neededwithin the military andworkforce in general,towards better diver-sity and equal opportu-nity for not only AsianAmericans and PacificIslanders, but for oth-er diverse groups andwomen as well.

Following Robinson’sspeech, students fromthe Natananjali Schoolof Dance performedBharatanatyam, apopular form of clas-sical dance from thesouthern part of India.Originating as a templedance, Bharatanatyamhas been performed formore than 2000 years.The Natananjali stu-dents, in colorful at-tire, used various handsgestures, intricate foot-

work, body movementsand dramatic facial ex-pressions in their inter-pretive Bharatanatyamdance routines.

Afterwards, those inattendance were treatedto chicken tikka masala,a traditional South Asiadish of roasted chunks(tikka) of chicken ina creamy, spiced andorange-colored sauce.The meal was served bymembers of the Multi-Cultural Committee,sponsor of the programand other culturalawareness activities atWRNMMC.

Asian-Pacific is abroad term used to de-scribe all people whooriginated from theAsian continent andthe Pacific islands ofMelanesia (New Guin-ea, New Caledonia,Vanuatu, Fiji, and theSolomon Islands), Mi-cronesia (Marianas,Guam,Wake Island, Pa-lau, Marshall Islands,Kiribati, Nauru, andthe Federated States ofMicronesia), and Poly-

nesia (New Zealand,Hawaiian Islands, Ro-tuma, Midway Islands,Samoa, American Sa-moa, Tonga, Tuvalu,Cook Islands, FrenchPolynesia, and EasterIsland).

In his 2015 proclama-tion for Asian Americanand Pacific IslanderHeritage Month, Presi-dent Barack Obamastated, “This year alsomarks the 40th anni-versary of the end ofthe Vietnam War, whichbrought new Vietnam-ese, Cambodian, Hmong,and Laotian commu-

nities to this country.But as we recognizethe enormous progressAmerica has made, wemust also acknowledgethe many strugglesAAPIs continue to ex-perience in the face ofpersistent inequalityand bigotry, includingbarriers to equal accessto education, employ-ment, and health care.South Asian Americans- especially those whoare Muslim, Hindu, orSikh - too often facesenseless violence andharassment due only tothe color of their skin or

the tenets of their faith.“As we commemorate

Asian American andPacific Islander Heri-tage Month, we paytribute to all those inthe AAPI communitywho have striven for abrighter future for thenext generation. To-gether, let us recommitto embracing the diver-sity that enriches ourNation and to ensuringall our people have anequal chance to succeedin the country we love,”the president’s procla-mation concludes.

HERITAGEContinued from pg. 3

able to compete again andhave that normal feeling,it’s really helped. It’s prob-ably been the best moralebooster anyone can have,at least for me.

“I had big plans before Igot injured,” Johnson con-tinued. “It happened, andyou may have that self-pity in the beginning, butyou have to push to recre-ate yourself to be the per-son you want to be, to takeevery obstacle and chal-lenge you have and makeit a plus.

“When you do findyourself sitting there anddoubting yourself, youneed to regroup and may-be not fix it, but find a newpath, because the path youhad is not there anymore.I was a runner, and now Iswim a lot. I enjoy compet-ing. I’m where I want tobe.”

Johnson, who’s been inthe Army five years, saidhe will continue to servebecause it is a family tra-dition; his father is a com-mand sergeant major sta-tioned at Fort Hood,Texas.

“My dad has served 24years,” he added. “Afterhe did his deployments, Ijoined the Army because Ifelt I needed to domy time,too -- to serve my country.”

Martinez’s patrioticsentiments are similar.

“As the child of two im-migrant parents, I havehad no family serve in theU.S. military,” Martinezsaid. “My parents immi-grated to ensure better op-portunities for themselvesand their children. I hadan outstanding education,but I felt I could do moreand wanted to give back to

the country that has givenmy family so many oppor-tunities. I enlisted in June2008 as an intelligenceanalyst, two years aftergraduating from the Uni-versity of Virginia with a[bachelor’s degree] in psy-chology. I am still the onlyperson in my family whohas chosen to serve andI wear the uniform withpride.”

This is the first yearDOD is organizing theWarrior Games, whichwere previously run by theU.S. Olympic Committeeand held at the OlympicTraining Center in Colora-do Springs, Colo., accord-ing to DOD officials.

Adaptive sports andathletic reconditioningactivities play a funda-mental role in recovery,rehabilitation and reinte-gration of servicemembersback to their units, or asthey transition into the ci-vilian environment, DODofficials add.

“The courage, strengthand skill of our warriorathletes and their familiesinspire their fellow ser-

vicemen and women, andAmericans everywhere,”Undersecretary of Defensefor Personnel and Readi-ness Jessica Wright said.“Everyone in the Depart-ment of Defense looksforward to celebrating theathletes’ accomplishmentsbefore, during and afterJune’s competition.”

Since its inception,the Military AdaptiveSports Program has as-sisted more than 158,000wounded, ill and injuredservice members at 325structured camps and clin-ics for activities, includingbasketball, cycling, track,field, swimming, golf, sit-ting volleyball, yoga andgardening, according toDOD officials.

The 2015 DOD WarriorGames will feature ap-proximately 200 athletesrepresenting teams fromthe U.S. Army, Navy, Ma-rine Corps, Air Force, Spe-cial Operations Commandand British Armed Forces.

GAMESContinued from pg. 8

Photo by Spc. Jamill Ford

Army Staff Sgt. Monica Martinez reachesthe halfway point of the 30-kilometer cyclingevent during the Army Trials on Fort Bliss inEl Paso, Texas, March 29, 2015.

T6617480

Rockville

The Journal Thursday, June 4, 2015 11

1051178

2014 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 Sport Utility

12 Thursday, June 4, 2015 The Journal