Lighthouse Aug. 8, 2013

Vol. 13, No. 16 | Thursday, August 8, 2013www.thelighthousenews.com

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

Wendy Fontanilla

was looking forward to

staying in the Navy

Lodge at Naval Base

Ventura County

(NBVC) Port Huen-

eme.

Yes, it would feel a

bit cramped, what with

a husband, two boys

ages 9 and 6, a Pomer-

anian named Magnus

and a black Lab named

Yuki.

But it would bring

everyone closer, she fig-

ured. And besides,

there was a free break-

fast everymorning, the

kitchen or the outdoor

barbecue for dinner, a

swimming pool around

the corner and the

beach a short drive

away.

And maid service.

So on May 1, the

family moved in to

Room 118 for what

they thought would be

a couple of weeks a

month at the most

while their new home

in Port Hueneme was

being finished.

Fifty-six days later

they moved out.

Frayed nerves? Ill

2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs, 1 room, 56 days

NMCB 3 deploys

to Pacific region

Mom shares tips on staying

sane when a short hotel stay

goes into overtime

Photo by AndreA howry / Lighthouse

Wendy Fontanilla, shown here with black

Lab Yuki and Pomeranian Magnus,

recently finished up a 56-day stay at

the Navy Lodge at Naval Base Ventura

County, Port Hueneme.

See STAY, PAge 22

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel

announces that the number of

furlough days for civilian workers is

being reduced from 11 to six.

An old farmhouse that has been

converted into transitional living

quarters for women and children

gets a fresh coat of paint, courtesy

of volunteers from Naval Base

Ventura County (NBVC) and a visiting

ship, USS Cape St. George (CG-71).

These stories and more,

Aug. 22 Lighthouse

PS1 Brian Dejesus of Navy

Operational Support Center, Ventura

County, visits residents of a nearby

retirement home and thanks

veterans for their service. Page 20

WHATS INSIDE

WHATS AHEAD


ET2 Jesse Larson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 shares

a final moment with his son, Levi, before handing the 3-month-old

back to Sarah, his wife of eight years, and heading out Tuesday,

Aug. 6, for a deployment in the Pacific Command.

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

NavalMobile Construction Bat-

talion (NMCB) 3 began leaving

Tuesday, Aug. 6, for a six-month

deployment to 10 locations in the

Pacific Command from China

Lake just 200miles away to the tiny

island of Diego Garcia, halfway

around the world in the Indian

Ocean.

The first wave of Seabees 226

of the nearly 600 in the battalion

began gathering before dawn

next to NMCB 3s headquarters

building. The rest would leave over

the next few days.

This is an exciting day for

NMCB 3, said Cmdr. Gordon

Meek III, who became the battal-

ions commanding officer a month

ago.

Lt. Cmdr. Trey Johnson, opera-

tions officer, said that while a small

contingent would be heading to

China Lake, the main body will be

based at Okinawa, Japan. Civic

Construction Action Details

(CCADs) will work with the local

population to renovate schools and

clinics in Timor-Leste, Cambodia,

Tonga and the Philippines. Other

Seabees will head to Navy installa-

tions in Atsugi and Yokuska, Ja-

pan; Chinhae, South Korea; and

Diego Garcia.

All the departing Seabees were

required to report in by 5:30 a.m.,

then had about an hour with their

families in the parking lot before

shipping out.

Equipment Operator 3rd Class

AaronWilson was already looking

ahead, eager to get back to Port

Hueneme in time for his daughters

second birthday.

Im ready to get it over with,

agreed his wife, Sierra. Im sad.

Im sad, too,Wilson said. And

anxious.

The Post Office at Naval Base

Ventura County closes. Officials say

its only temporary, but no date is

given for its reopening. Page 3

By Captain Larry Vasquez

NBVC Commanding Officer

The LighThOuse is puBLished aT NO COsT TO The gOVerN-

meNT eVery OTher Thursday By The sTar, Of CamariLLO,

Ca. The sTar is a priVaTe firm iN NO way CONNeCTed wiTh

The deparTmeNT Of defeNse Or The uNiTed sTaTes NaVy,

uNder wriTTeN CONTraCT wiTh NaVaL Base VeNTura

COuNTy. The LighThOuse is The ONLy auThOrized CiViLiaN

eNTerprise Newspaper fOr memBers Of The u.s. NaVy,

CiViLiaN empLOyees, reTirees aNd Their famiLy memBers

iN The VeNTura COuNTy area. CONTeNTs Of The paper are

NOT NeCessariLy The OffiCiaL Views Of, NOr eNdOrsed By,

The u.s. gOVerNmeNT, aNd The deparTmeNT Of defeNse,

Or The deparTmeNT Of The NaVy aNd dO NOT impLy eN-

dOrsemeNT ThereOf. The appearaNCe Of adVerTisiNg iN

This puBLiCaTiON iNCLudiNg iNserTs aNd suppLemeNTs,

dOes NOT CONsTiTuTe eNdOrsemeNT Of The deparTmeNT

Of defeNse, The u.s. NaVy Or The sTar, Of The prOduCTs

Or serViCes adVerTised. eVeryThiNg adVerTised iN This

puBLiCaTiON shaLL Be made aVaiLaBLe fOr purChase, use

Or paTrONage wiThOuT regard TO raCe, COLOr, reLigiON,

sex, NaTiONaL OrigiN, age, mariTaL sTaTus, physiCaL

haNdiCap, pOLiTiCaL affiLiaTiON, Or aNy OTher NON-meriT

faCTOr Of The purChaser, use, Or paTrON. if a ViOLaTiON

Or rejeCTiON Of This equaL OppOrTuNiTy pOLiCy By aN ad-

VerTiser is CONfirmed, The puBLisher shaLL refuse TO

priNT adVerTisiNg frOm ThaT sOurCe uNTiL The ViOLaTiON

is COrreCTed. ediTOriaL CONTeNT is ediTed, prepared

aNd prOVided TO The puBLisher By The LOCaL iNsTaLLa-

TiON puBLiC affairs OffiCes uNder The auspiCes Of The

NaVaL Base VeNTura COuNTy puBLiC affairs OffiCe.

COmmaNdiNg OffiCer

Capt. LaRRY VaSQUEZ

Chief sTaff OffiCer

CmdR. SCott LoESChkE

COmmaNd masTer Chief

CmdCm pERCY tRENt

puBLiC affairs OffiCer

kImBERLY GEaRhaRt

LighThOuse ediTOr

aNdREa howRY

[email protected]

805-989-5281

fiNd us aT:

facebook.com/

NavalBaseVenturaCounty

puBLisher

maRGIE CoChRaNE

adVerTisiNg deparTmeNT

437-033

N aVa L B a s e V e N T u r a C O u N T y

please submit your questions or comments to Lighthouse editor andrea howry at [email protected]

800-221-sTar (7827)

Ask the

Captain

Thursday,August8,2013

TheLighthouse

www.TheLighthouseNews.com

Question: Who is responsible for patrolling

housing in Camarillo? Base security doesnt pa-

trol here. If we have break-ins or thefts, whom do

we report it to? Lincoln Housing? Base security?

Answer: Catalina Heights is a public-private

housing development managed by Lincoln Mili-

tary Housing. It is not patrolled by federal police

or military police because it is not federal land or

government-owned housing, and our jurisdiction

does not extend to that area outside the fence. If

there are specific military-legal issues, you may

see military or federal police on scene, just as you

would anywhere in town, but it is not within their

purview to patrol.

If you witness or need to report a crime or

theft, you should contact the Camarillo Police

Department, just as you would contact the Ox-

nard Police Department if you lived in Oxnard.

Lincoln Military Housing is responsible for your

property management needs, but law enforce-

ment should be left to law enforcement profes-

sionals.

Do you have questions or suggestions for

Capt. Vasquez? You can submit them via this

forum at [email protected], online using the

COs Suggestion Box at http://cnic.navy.mil/ven-

tura/index.htm or at www.Facebook.com/Naval-

BaseVenturaCounty. You can also follow us on

Twitter at www.twitter.com/NBVCCalifornia and

keep up on the latest news and events.

Who patrols Catalina Heights housing complex in Camarillo?


TheLighthouse


CommunityCalendar

MULTICULTURAL DAY:

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.,

Seabee Chapel, NBVC

Port Hueneme. Sample

ethnic foods from around the world

and learn about other cultures. Call

PS1 Rebecca Rook, 989-5165, for

a $6 food sample passport.

8

SUMMER 5K AND

OBSTACLE COURSE:

Registration at 11

a.m., run at 11:30

a.m., Family Beach, NBVC Point

Mugu. Free. Sponsored by

Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

Information: 989-7378.

15

August

BACK TO SChOOL

fAIR: 11 a.m. to

2 p.m., NEX Port

Hueneme. Giveaways,

product demos, hula hoop contest,

cake walk, face painting, free

eye exams, dance and drumline

performance. Information: 982-

6801.

15

MILITARY AND

VETERAN EXPO:

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,

Camarillo Parks and

Recreation Auditorium, 1605 E.

Burnley St., Camarillo. Free for all

military personnel, vets and their

loved ones. Learn about services,

benefits. Info: Military411.

24

Navy stays busy in dog days of summer

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

Kia konked out.

The pit bull had tried to jog two miles

down Las Posas Road with Aviation Sup-

port Equipment Technician 2nd Class

Marco Carrillo, but shed stalled at the

side of the road. She plopped onto the

dirt, rolled over and begged for a tummy

rub.

Carrillo obliged, then, rest stop com-

plete, the two continued on their way to

the Camarillo Premium Outlets.

Carrillo, whos with Fleet Readiness

Center Southwest (FRCSW) PointMugu

Detachment, had organized this Jog for

Dogs Saturday morning, July 27, to pro-

mote the next days adopt-a-thon at the

Sailors jog with canines

along Las Posas Road to

promote adopt-a-thon ...

PhOTO BY ANDREA hOwRY / LIghThOUSE

AEAN Sam Sharp of the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, Point Mugu Detachment,

relaxes with Charlie, a pit bull, after their two-mile jog from the Ventura County animal

Shelter to the Camarillo Premium Outlets. The Jog for Dogs Saturday morning, July 27, was

to raise awareness for the next days adopt-a-thon at the shelter.

... and they volunteer at

Pooch Parade to support

rescue organization

Nearly two dozen volunteers from Na-

val Base Ventura County (NBVC) helped

set up and take down booths and audio

equipment for last months Pooch Parade,

an annual fund-raising event for the Ca-

nine Adoption and Rescue League (C.

A.R.L.) of Ventura County.

This is the first year the Navy has

helped with this event, and they made a

significant difference, Mary Saputo,

president of C.A.R.L., said about an hour

before the event officially opened. Nearly

See Jog, Page 21

See PooCH, Page 21

SENSORY-fRIENDLY

MOVIE: 2 p.m.,

Needham Theater,

NBVC Port Hueneme.

Monsters University will be

shown with lights on and sound

down. Free. Information: Page 19.

10

CUSTOMER

APPRECIATION

EVENT: 3 to 6 p.m.,

NEX Point Mugu. Meet

a UFC martial arts fighter and

enjoy a karaoke contest, raffles,

jolly jumper, arts and crafts and

face painting. Info: 488-6333.

16

The Post Office at Naval Base Ventura

County, PortHueneme, closed temporarily

beginning Aug. 5.

At this time, the closure is not permanent,

but the Post Office does not have an esti-

mated time of when the facility is expected

to reopen, according to Adrian Perez, the

supervisor at PortHuenemesmainPostOf-

fice.

The facility on base was operated under

contract, andaproblemwith thepaperwork

arose in July.Thedecision to close the doors

came Monday, after 30 days of trying to

resolve the problem without success.

Those with P.O. boxes will continue to

receive theirmail regularly, butpackageswill

need to be picked up at the main office,

Perez said. The blue drop-off mail box at

thebase locationwill continue tobe serviced

during the closure.

The main Port Hueneme Post Office is

located at 560E. PleasantValleyRoad, less

than a block from the intersection of Ven-

turaRoadandPleasantValleyRoad.Office

hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday

through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Satur-

day.

NBVC Port Hueneme Post office closes

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TheLighthouse


By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

Panda Express opened Tuesday, July 30, at the Naval Base

Ventura County (NBVC) Port Hueneme Navy Exchange,

bringing life back to a food court that had been closed for

renovation since Dec. 14.

This is a wonderful presentation, very welcoming, NEX

General Manager Anna Esguerra said, noting the restaurants

sleek fixtures and brightly lit electronic menu board. Cus-

tomers have responded favorably. Panda Express has a re-

ally fresh product.

She said service is indeed express.

They are particularly adept at moving people through in

a timely fashion, she said. That helps when you have a short

lunch break.

Esguerra said that with Panda Express being so popular,

the food court will stay open for the time being until 7 p.m.

on weekdays, rather than 6 p.m.

Its pretty clear by the turnout that the food court plays

an important role on this base, she said.

Panda Express opens in NEX Port Hueneme food court


Panda Express is now open in the food court at the Navy Exchange, Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme.

The School Connection column by School Liaison

Officer Monica James will return in the August 22 edi-

tion of The Lighthouse.

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TheLighthouse


Seabee Chapel

Port Hueneme

Building 1433

Phone: (805) 982-4358

Protestant

Sunday worship service: 9 a.m.

Choir rehearsal: Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Catholic Mass

Sunday: 11:15 a.m.

Confession by prior appt.: 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday: 11:30 a.m.

Confession by prior appt.: 11 a.m.

Christian Bible Studies

Womens Bible Study: Tuesday,

10 a.m., Book of I Samuel;

Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Sacred

Parenting. Childcare provided.

Mens Bible Study: Thursday, 11:30

a.m., Walking with God in the

Desert. Lunch provided.

Soup Fellowship Study: Sunday, 5

p.m., Behold Your God. Potluck.

Catholic Religious Education

Pre-K through high school

Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Chapel of Faith

Point Mugu

Building 121

Phone: (805) 989-7967

Protestant

Episcopal service: 11 a.m.

Catholic Mass

Sunday: 9 a.m.

Confession by prior appt.: 8:15 a.m.

Thursday: 11:30 a.m.

Confession by prior appt.: 11 a.m.

Chaplains serving NBVC

Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Han

Command Chaplain

Lt. Lesa Welliver

Staff Chaplain

Father Antony Berchmanz

Catholic Priest

Worship schedule

Since checking on board in April, I have

had the distinct pleasure of being the chap-

lain for Naval Mobile Construction Bat-

talion (NMCB) 4.

I met the battalion in Rota, Spain, a

couple of weeks before the halfway point

of our current deployment. While only

about a third of the battalion is withmain

body in Rota, I was able to meet most of

the people in the battalionbecause the com-

manding officer sent me on visits to sev-

eral other detachment sites.

It has been a lot of fun getting to know

many of the people I will be serving as a

chaplain over the next couple of years. I

must admit, when I was enlisted as an

aviation electronics technician, Seabees

were always a bit of amystery tome.How-

ever, I can say with confidence nowwhat I

always suspected then: The Seabees are

among the hardest working people in the

Navy.

In my travels, and here in Rota, I have

met many outstanding Seabees within the

ranks of NMCB 4. The work they have

done this deployment is truly impressive.

They run 24-hour operations seven days a

week for a sustained period to accomplish

a massive undertaking in Africa. Theyre

building a latrine facility from the ground

up for theGeorgianArmy. Theyre accom-

plishing numerousand needed camp

maintenance projects throughoutAfghan-

istan. And theyre helping repair and reno-

vate a 15th century monastery in Spain as

a community relations project.

The Seabees of NMCB4have left behind

them that which is tangible, lasting and

beneficial for others. What these Seabees

may take with them is pleasure in having

labored well.

Awiseman, long agoKing Solomon,

about 3,000 years ago, to be more precise

once wrote:

What gain has the worker fromhis toil? I have seen the business that God has giv-

en to the children of man to be busy with.

He has made everything beautiful in its

time. Also, he has put eternity into mans

heart, yet so that he cannot find out what

God has done from the beginning to the

end. I perceived that there is nothing better

for them than to be joyful and to do good

as long as they live; also that everyone

should eat and drink and take pleasure in

all his toil this isGods gift toman(Eccl

3:913, ESV).

My prayer for the Seabees of NMCB 4

is that they will bring home with them the

satisfaction and pleasure of havingworked

hard and accomplishedmuch; not only so,

but that they would rightly see that such

satisfaction and pleasure in ones labor is

a gift from God that is theirs to enjoy.

Deployed with NMCB 4, chaplain sees value of hard work

Photo by RP2 Lifei Zheng / nMCb 4

Lt. j.g. Kenneth Stiles, chaplain for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, meets with

representatives of Victory Villa, a Christian outreach center in Rota, Spain, about work that

still needs to be completed on a community relations project.

Photo by CeCn DanieLLe fReesMeieR / nMCb 4

Lt. j.g. Kenneth Stiles, the chaplain for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, talks with

Seabees as their deployment nears its end about the difficulties and stresses associated

with the transition back to homeport and their families.

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TheLighthouse


By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

After having volunteered at the organi-

zation for nearly a decade, Jeanne Billiot

has been named the director of the Navy-

Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)

at Naval Base Ventura County,

Billiot officially took over the post July

22, succeeding Oscar Ramos, who left af-

ter less than a year on the job. His prede-

cessor, Nadine Gamble, had held the post

for nine years.

Billiot said she has two key priorities

for the society: recruiting and retaining

volunteers, and increasing the societys

availability for service memberswheth-

er that means changing office hours or

getting the word out to commands about

what the society does and how it helps

Sailors and their families.

I think my experience as a volunteer

with the society will be an advantage in

not only recruiting volunteers, but also in

retaining them and enhancing their role

within the society, she said.

Volunteers are critical to the organiza-

tion, which has only two paid positions.

Shed like to see a contingent of about 50;

right now, fewer than three dozen are

fully on board.

Billiot is also looking forward to con-

ducting a client contact survey to see how

the society can better serve the base.

Right now were open from 9 a.m. to

3 p.m. on weekdays, she said. Those

hours dont mesh well with the duty day

of 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its just not easy for

someone to come in without the knowl-

edge of command leadership, which ne-

gates a service members possible desire

for that interaction to be confidential.

Formed more than century ago by a

small group that wanted to help the wid-

ows and orphans of fallen Sailors and

Marines, the NMCRS has since evolved

into a worldwide organization that offers

emergency financial assistance to active

duty and retiredmembers of theNavy and

Marine Corps and their eligible family

members.

In 1904, its first year of operation, the

society awarded $9,500 in financial assis-

tance to the families of 20 Sailors who

suffered financially due to illness or

death.

So far this year, the NMCRS on this

base alone has given out $250,000 in loans

35 percent more than this time last year

and helped 440 families, up 7 percent

from last year.

Fifty percent of those loans go to ba-

sic living expenses utilities, rent, food

and gas, Billiot said.

The next big chunk goes to emergency

vehicle repairs.

We need to get the word out about the

importance of investing in preventive

maintenance, Billiot said.

She believes the NMCRS is becoming

more successful in getting word out about

its services, and she thinks the application

process has become more streamlined,

making it easier to serve more clients.

At the same time, she said, the rising

costs of food and gasoline have made the

need greater.

Billiot has spent much of her life as an

Air Force spouse.Married 23 years to her

high school sweetheart, she and her hus-

band spent time in San Antonio, Alaska

and South Carolina before settling in Ox-

nard, where they decided to stay after

retirement.

We picked a spot where we wouldnt

need an air conditioner or a snowblower,

Billiot says, laughing.

The couple has a 14-year-old daughter

who attends Rio Mesa High School.

Billiot is a native of New Orleans, and

her French name, Jeanne, rhymes with

Shawn.

She has a strong background in finance

and education, two fields that she believes

will serve her well at the NMCRS, where

she already has more than a year of expe-

rience as casework lead.

Ive been blessed to be able to develop

skills in multiple disciplines, she said. I

think this will be a perfect fit.

Longtime volunteer named director of Relief Society

Photo by AndreA howry / LIghthouse

Jeanne Billiot is the new director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.

TheNMCRSoffice is open from

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through

Friday. It is located in the NBVC

Port Hueneme Welcome Center,

2600 Dodson St., Suite 1. Informa-

tion: 982-4409.

The NMCRS Thrift Shop is

open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mon-

days andWednesdays and is located

in Bldg. 829, at the corner of Harris

Street and 15thAvenue, NBVCPort

Hueneme. The shop accepts dona-

tions of clothes, household items,

sporting goods, books, toys, movies

and certain uniform items. No fur-

niture or used baby car seats can be

accepted.

AnNMCRS base beautification

event is set for 10 a.m. Thursday,

Aug. 8. Call the office for details

and to sign up.

A Budget 4 Baby class is sched-

uled for 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday, Aug.

13, at the NMCRS office.

Check out the new NMCRS

Facebook page at www.facebook.

com/NMCRSVentura.

Calendar of events

9

0


TheLighthouse


By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

Chiefs and first-class petty of-

ficers from theNavalConstruction

Training Center (NCTC) volun-

teered their time over two week-

ends to repair a leaky roof on the

building that houses theNavy-Ma-

rine Corps Relief Society

(NMCRS) Thrift Shop at Naval

BaseVenturaCounty, PortHuen-

eme.

This is an awesome project

seriously, said theNCTCs Chief

Builder Eric Chamberlin, who or-

ganized the work crews. It gives

us the opportunity to help the

people here who help us.

The thrift shop is in Bldg. 829,

near the corner of Harris Street

and 15th Avenue. It is staffed by

volunteerswhocleanand sort hun-

dredsof donated itemseachmonth

toys, baby strollers, clothing,

housewares, sportinggoods,books,

furniture andall kindsof odds and

ends and resell them for a frac-

tion of their original price, as little

as 25 cents in some cases.

Its an invaluable service that

the thrift shopprovides,saidPub-

lic Works Production Manager

Glenn Brunelle, a former com-

mand master chief at the base.

Added Dave Rich, a construc-

tion management technician at

PublicWorks and a former build-

ing instructor at theNCTC, This

is truly heartfelt labor.

The roof is believed to be near-

ly four decades old. Brunelle and

Chamberlin were inspecting it re-

cently when a shopper came up

and introducedhimself, sayinghed

been the leading chief petty officer

of theNavalMobileConstruction

Battalion 3 crew that had built the

structure back in 1974. The man

confirmed that it was the original

roof.

Thirty-eight years out of a tar

and gravel roof is pretty good,

Chamberlin said.

Brunelle knew that in this age of

budget-tightening and the Navys

Mission Dependency Index,

chances were slim that funding

would come through to fix a leak-

ing roof ona thrift shop.Hebrain-

stormed with Rich, and together

they contacted Chamberlin.

The project became a commu-

nity relations project for the

NCTCs chief petty officers and

potential CPOs.

Its outside the normal work

environment away to build re-

lationships and the bonds between

us,Chamberlin explained. Were

saving money, were working to-

gether and its a great cause.

In the end, the two dozen chiefs

and first-class petty officers who

volunteered their time to complete

this community relations project

saved theNavy $70,000 and,more

importantly, got the job done.

They finished the project on two

Saturdays and one Sunday, work-

ing from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. July

13 and 14 and finishing up July

20.

Chief Construction Mechanic

Tony Moreno said he was proud

to have worked on the project.

Its a rare opportunity to do

this, he said. Most of the time

work like this always goes to con-

tractors. So for us to have the skills

and be able to use them on some-

thing thats good for theNavycom-

munity, thats a good bonus.

NCTC volunteers fix leaky roof on NMCRS Thrift Shop

Photo by bUC EriC ChambErlin / nCtC

Volunteering their time to repair the roof of the Navy-Marine Corps

Relief Society Thrift Shop are, from left, EO1 (SCW) Bradley Adams,

UTCS (SCW) Gabe Vazquez, and Vazquez dependent, Dakota Brooks,

who would leave a few days later for Marine boot camp. The volunteers

are from the Naval Construction Training Center at Naval Base Ventura

County, Port Hueneme.

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10


TheLighthouse


By CECN Christopher Porta

and BUCN Laine Pulfer

NMCB 3

More than 20 years ago, Ventura

County resident Claire L. Hope visited

a veterans aid event in Long Beach,

where she was inspired by the degree of

free help local legal and health care

professionals were happy to give our

nations homeless heroes.

The next year, 1993, Hope both

founded and organized the first Ven-

tura County Stand Down where, for two

decades, her organization has provided

meals and critical services to hundreds

of veterans from across Ventura, Santa

Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Los An-

geles counties.

More than 20 Seabees from Naval

Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB)

3 helped with this years event, provid-

ing, setting up and breaking down 13

large tents, each able to house 12 home-

less veterans.

The Seabees are always willing to

help, Hope said Wednesday, July 24,

during the first day of set-up. They

are a wonderful group of profession-

als.

For two nights and three days, hun-

dreds of former service members from

all military branches came to receive

free health and life management ser-

vices and a break from the environ-

ment.

The Army changed my life, said

Korean War veteran and six-year Amer-

ican Red Cross volunteer Carl Bohm-

ing. The Ventura Stand Down, he add-

ed, is a little something you can do to

give back.

Since the start of the Ventura Coun-

ty Stand Down, civilian and veteran

volunteers have dedicated their time to

help those in need. More than 300 vol-

unteers provided meals, safety, security,

optometry, dental, physical rehabilita-

tion, legal services, showers and even

haircuts to veterans who would other-

wise go without. Donations, such as

clothes and toiletries, were provided by

local businesses and private citizens.

Connie Biggers of the American Le-

gion Auxiliary has been a volunteer at

the Ventura County Stand Down for 10

years. Her volunteer service is defined

by a personal acronym, PASS, for

pride, attitude, service and support.

Biggers said she was honored to be a

part of such an experience among men

and women who gave their time in the

service.

They are very polite, very gracious

and it is an honor to be with them,

Biggers said while looking out over the

crowd. We owe them eternally.

NMCB 3 helps with Stand Down

Photo by MSgt DaviD buttner / air national guarD 146th airlift Wing

Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 set up tents at the National

Guard Armory in Ventura in preparation for the annual Stand Down that brings shelter and

services to homeless veterans. This years weekend event began Friday, July 26. More

than a dozen Seabees worked for two days prior to the event, setting up 13 tents with 12

cots in each.

Photo by CeCn ChriStoPher Porta / nMCb 3

BUCN Michael Dorsey and CECN Raven Hill, both with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion

3, assemble the main support stanchions of a large tent July 24 for use during the Ventura

County Stand Down.

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TheLighthouse


11

By Lt. Neil Wahlgren

VR-55

The Minutemen of VR-55, Fleet Lo-

gistics Support Wing, are about halfway

through their nine-month detachment to

Naval Support Activity (NSA)Manama,

Bahrain.

VR-55 is based out of Naval Base Ven-

tura County, Point Mugu.

With two sets of C-130 aircrew and a

complete maintenance support team, the

Minutemen and a C-130T Hercules have

been supporting U.S. Navy operations

in the 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility.

In the first twomonths alone, theMin-

utemen delivered thousands of pounds

of mission-essential equipment.

Our first priority has always been sup-

porting the U.S. Naval forces in and

around the Arabian Gulf, said Cmdr.

Todd Faurot, a recent detachment offi-

cer-in-charge. If cargo arrives at Bah-

rain International Airport via commer-

cial air carrier, we take it to a port in

United Arab Emirates. And if the ship

needs to send cargo or personnel back

to Central Command, we deliver them

to Bahrain.

In addition to ship support, the Min-

utemen recently supported Eager Lion,

a multinational exercise conducted in

Jordan and involving U.S. service mem-

bers from the Army, Navy, Air Force and

Marines and the Jordanian military.

The Minutemen moved more than

20,000 pounds of mission essential cargo

to U.S. Marines in preparation for the

exercise.

The C-130 is a versatile and essential

tool for our troops in the Arabian Gulf,

said Lt. Cmdr. Brian Legan, a staff of-

ficer with CTF-53 and the liaison be-

tween theMinutemen and the Navys 5th

Fleet. Reservists or not, these men and

women work hard every day to get the

job done.

As a Reserve logistics squadron, VR-55

has a combination of full-time support

active duty members and part-time Se-

lected Reservists working to support the

U.S. Navy at the tip of the spear.

Many of the Reservists make excep-

tional sacrifices in balancing work and

family during these detachments.

Having a supportive employer is so

valuable in letting me continue my service

through the Navy Reserves, said Cmdr.

John Gehle, a FedEx pilot. I love it!

The detachment to NSA Bahrain is

expected to end in late January 2014.

Minutemen of VR-55 shuttle equipment in, out of Bahrain

Several tons of military supplies are loaded

onto the C-130T in Bahrain.

PhotoS by Lt. NeiL WahLgreN / Vr-55

The Minutemens C-130T sits on the tarmac in Bahrain. The Minutemen of VR-55 are about halfway through their deployment.

The C-130 is a

versatile and essential

tool for our troops

in the Arabian Gulf.

Reservists or not,

these men and women

work hard every day

to get the job done.

Lt. Cmdr. Brian Legan

Liaison, VR-55 and 5th Fleet

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12


TheLighthouse


Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC)

has implemented a Gold Star Family

reserved parking plan at various high-

traffic facilities around the installa-

tion.

Gold Star Families are the immediate

surviving family members of service

members killed in combat. There are

more than 32,000 Gold Star Families in

California alone.

We want to be sure the families of

those who have given their lives in de-

fense of their country are both recog-

nized and provided for, said Capt.

Larry Vasquez, commanding officer of

NBVC. By providing them this small

token of recognition, we honor the sac-

rifice theyve made and make trips to

our installation just a little bit easier.

Parking can be a challenge, and reserv-

ing prime parking for our Gold Star

Families will hopefully make support

services easier to access.

Across the Navy, installations have

stepped up efforts to recognize Gold

Star Families. The parking spaces were

created this summer as one practical,

visible way to extend that recognition.

At NBVC, the spaces are located near

other reserved parking areas such as

officer or expectant mother spots at

high traffic areas at both Port Hueneme

and Point Mugu. The Fleet & Family

Support Center, Navy Exchange, com-

missary and the health clinics all have

designated Gold Star Family spaces.

The term Gold Star Families comes

from the lapel pin, known as the Gold

Star Lapel Button, that was established

by Congress in 1965 to identify the wid-

ows, parents and next of kin of active

duty service members who lost their

lives in combat, retroactive to World

War I.

Prime parking spots reserved for Gold Star Families

By Andrea Howry

Lighthouse

Dozens of workers at Naval Base Ven-

tura County (NBVC) Point Mugu, got

their blood pressure, cholesterol, glu-

cose, vision and bodymass index checked

during a wellness fair Wednesday, July

24.

Then dozens more did the same thing

the next day at NBVC Port Hueneme.

Sixteen companies joined Kaiser Per-

manentes mobile clinic to promote their

services over the two-day period. They

ranged from health insurance companies

to chiropractors to eye doctors to Red

Wing Shoes, which was promoting its

line of safety footwear.

A lot of divisions are requiring safe-

ty shoes now, said Kathy Sahagun, a

sales representative from Red Wing.

Weve gotten a lot more business from

the Navy lately.

Among those stopping by the Point

Mugu event was Rear Adm. Paul Sohl,

commander of the Naval Air Warfare

Center Weapons Division, who was at

the base for a town hall meeting. Clear-

ly fit, he got his body mass index checked

and was told it was well within

range.

Dr. Ron Smiley, director of Electron-

ic Warfare/Combat Systems and the

Avionics Department at NAWCWD,

had his posture checked by Denise Per-

ez, a chiropractic assistant with Bolt

Chiropractic Family Wellness.

Weve had several wellness events

that I have not been able to attend, Smi-

ley said. Now that Im not traveling as

much, Im glad I was able to come and

support the event. Wellness is being em-

phasized right now in our environment,

and I want to lead by example.

Sean Donnelly, a business financial

manager at NAWCWD, enjoyed a mas-

sage.

That felt great, he said after Mary

Ragis, a massage therapist with Bolt

Chiropractic, worked her magic.

A line formed outside the mobile clin-

ic, where each person was undergoing

$200 worth of free testing to find out

their cholesterol and glucose levels and

their blood pressure. Many had come in

years past and were checking to see if

their levels had changed.

But for Rhonda Brooks, this was her

first visit.

I want to see how Im doing on my

personal goals for fitness and health,

the Range Support branch head said as

Liz Ruelas, a licensed vocational nurse

with Kaiser Permanente, took her

blood.

The human resources department on

base puts on four health fairs a year. The

next two are during the federal employ-

ee benefits open season and are sched-

uled for Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Point

Mugu and Thursday, Nov. 7, at Port

Hueneme.

Health fairs offer free tests for biometrics, posture, vision

Photos by AndreA howry / Lighthouse

Dr. Ron Smiley, director of electronic

warfare combat systems and the Avionics

Department at the Naval Air Warfare Center

Weapons Division, located at Naval Base

Ventura County, Point Mugu, has his posture

checked by Denise Perez, a chiropractic

assistant with Bolt Chiropractic Family

Wellness, during a health fair Wednesday,

July 24.

Bolt massage therapist Mary Ragis works

her magic on Sean Donnelly, a business

financial manager with the Naval Air Warfare

Center Weapons Division.

90

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TheLighthouse


13

Photo by yNC VaNessa Gutierrez / NosC VeNtura CouNty

YNC Ryan Arnoldussen of Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Ventura County

presents 145 pounds of peanut butter to Lt. Manuel Gaytan and Lt. Daisy Gaytan of the

Salvation Army in support of the Feds Feed Families annual food drive.

By YNC Ryan Arnoldussen

NOSC Ventura County

In support of the fifth annual Feds Feed

Families food drive, the Navy Operation-

al Support Center (NOSC) Ventura

Countys Chief Petty Officer Association

and the NOSC/Construction Battalion

Maintenance Unit 303 First Class Asso-

ciation donated more than 145 pounds

of peanut butter to the Salvation Army

July 19.

Lt. Manuel Gaytan, commanding of-

ficer of the Salvation Armys Oxnard and

Port Hueneme Corps, said the organiza-

tion will give out some of the peanut but-

ter to families and the homeless and will

use the rest to make sandwiches for chil-

dren in the Salvation Armys Dream

Makers after-school program.

When speaking with local community

leaders and families in the community,

they said they were in desperate need of

peanut butter,Gaytan said. Peanut but-

ter is expensive compared to other non-

perishable food items, which makes it

difficult for them to keep in stock. He

called peanut butter multifunctional.

You can eat it for breakfast, lunch and

dinner, he explained. It is high in pro-

tein, fats, calories; it is an essential staple

of a diet if you are hungry and down on

your luck.

Gaytan said he was thankful for the

donation and expressed optimism for the

upcoming holiday food drives.

Aviation Electricians Mate 1st Class

Michael Burkett, the operations depart-

ment head atNOSCVentura County, said

the donation was an opportunity to show

future Sailors and associations how im-

portant community service is in the

Navy.

Community service is a vital part of

your time in the Navy,he told the Sailors

who donated. Wherever you go, you will

be volunteering in the communities you

live in. It is very important for us all to

get involved, volunteer, and represent the

Navys core values of honor, courage and

commitment in all our lives outside of

the Navy as well.

The Department of Defense has been

asked to support Feds Feed Families as

a direct response to the UnitedWe Serve

Act signed by President Obama in April

2009. The annual food drive is designed

to help replenish the shelves of food banks

across the country, which often run low

as school gets out and summer begins.

Yellow collection bins are scattered

across Naval Base Ventura County so

Navy families can contribute non-perish-

able food. The drive continues through

Aug. 31.

Feds Feed Families gets 145 pounds

of peanut butter, thanks to NOSC

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14


TheLighthouse


By Susan Lester

CSFE Public Affairs

Students and staff from the

255th Civil Engineer Corps Offi-

cersSchool (CECOS)BasicCourse

participated in a five-day field

training exercise (FTX), held for

the first time at Naval Base Ven-

tura County, Point Mugu.

Historically, the class FTX has

been conducted atCentralCalifor-

nias Fort Hunter Liggett, where

scenarios leverage the sameArmy

training ranges and navigation

courses used by Naval Mobile

ConstructionBattalions (NMCBs)

for field training.

The FTX is the culminating

practical event during the two-

week Expeditionary Phase in a

17-week course designed to give

newly selected Civil Engineer

Corps (CEC) officers an in-depth

look at what it takes to become

leaders in a contingency environ-

ment.

The change in location, driven

by budgetary reductions, forced

CECOS staff to redesign each sce-

nario and seek creative training

alternatives.

The CECOS staff was able to

execute all of the required learning

objectives for Basic Class 255 at

PointMugu,while saving theNavy

$25K in travel and support costs,

said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Jordan, CE-

COS Seabee Readiness Division

director. While the initial field

trainingwas successfully executed,

we will continue tomake every ef-

fort to improveour tactical realism

in order to enhance each students

training.

Thirty-nineCECofficers, includ-

ing two Saudi Arabian officers,

participated in the FTX, support-

edbya cast of CECOSBasicClass

instructors, Marines and NMCB

3 Seabees. Students were trained

in expeditionaryoperations during

the five-day FTX. They set up

camp and lived in a self-sufficient

environment for the duration of

the exercise.

Having theurban training facil-

ity at Point Mugu made doing

patrols in a real-time environment

more realistic,saidCECOSBasic

Class student, Chief Warrant Of-

ficer John Desarro. The training

obtained at Point Mugu gives the

newofficers a realistic viewof what

NMCBs deal with in urban envi-

ronments.

The FTX is strategically placed

within the CECOS curriculum to

give newly commissionedCECof-

ficers and lateral transfers the

chance to perform and execute

skills learned in the classroom,

such as establishing camp, con-

ducting patrols, leading convoys,

operating the combat operations

center, and mission planning to

execute engineer reconnaissance

operations.

I feel fortunate the CECOS

staff was able to find away to keep

theFTXinourcourse curriculum,

said EnsignMichael Krestos.

Theclass is split into four squads;

each squad includes aMarine, se-

nior enlisted, andCECofficer ad-

visor.With thehelpof their squads

advisory team, the students learn

how to deal with the pressure of

making quick decisions under

stressful conditions, as well as the

debrief procedures after the mis-

sion is completed.

Basic Class 255 is scheduled to

graduate from the 17-week course

Sept. 20.

CECOS field training exercise held at Mugu for first time

Photo by Colleen tarnutzer / CeCoS

A staff sergeant demonstrates proper weapons handling procedures for

Civil Engineer Corps Officers School (CECOS) Basic Class 255. Weapons

handling was taught in preparation for the field training exercise (FTX)

held at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu.

90


TheLighthouse


15

By Darrell Waller

NAVFAC EXWC

The Naval Facilities Engineering and

Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAV-

FACEXWC) held a change of command

ceremony July 26 at Naval Base Ven-

tura County.

Capt. Mark K. Edelson relieved Capt.

Brant D. Pickrell as commanding offi-

cer.

Rear Adm. Katherine L. Gregory,

commander, NAVFAC and Chief of

Civil Engineers, gave the keynote address

and presented Pickrell with the Legion

of Merit for his exemplary service and

exceptional leadership.

This award is truly recognition of the

efforts of the more than 1,300 men and

women that make up the Engineering

and ExpeditionaryWarfare Center, said

Pickrell. I am humbled to have been

their commanding officer for the past

two years. It is my highest honor to have

been part of your team and your lega-

cy.

Pickrell, a native of Redding, Calif.,

has been the commanding officer of

NAVFAC EXWC since September 2012,

following the merging of his dual com-

mands, the Naval Facilities Engineering

Service Center and the Naval Facilities

Expeditionary Logistics Center. He is

assuming new duties as the fleet engineer

for the U.S. 6th Fleet in Naples, Italy.

Under Pickrells leadership, EXWC

continued the strong and successful

legacy of its predecessor commands.

EXWC has expanded its global leader-

ship position in strategic innovations,

specialized expertise and centralized

program management for NAVFAC

while maintaining its capability to re-

spond to the evolving requirements of

Navy, Marine Corps and Department

of Defense commands around the

world.

A graduate of the Massachusetts In-

stitute of Technology and Stanford Uni-

versity, Edelson assumed command of

NAVFAC EXWC following his last tour

of duty as operations officer for NAV-

FAC Southeast.

To the command of EXWC, your

intellect, your inquisitiveness, your de-

sire to serve and work together to solve

the problems of the Navys shore and

expeditionary forces make this command

an invaluable part of NAVFAC, said

Edelson. It is a great honor to be serv-

ing with you.

Edelson began his naval career with

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5

as assistant Alfa Company commander

during Operations Desert Shield/Storm,

then as the Detail Korea officer in charge

for his second deployment.

Change of command at EXWC

Photo by EA1 DAvE MillEr / NAvFAC EXWC

Capt. Mark K. Edelson, incoming commanding officer of the Naval Facilities Engineering

and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC), speaks during the change of command

ceremony. Edelson will lead 1,300 men and women in providing specialized facilities

engineering, technology solutions and life-cycle management of expeditionary equipment

to the Navy, Marines Corps, federal agencies and other Department of Defense supported

commands.

16

Seabees wrapping up projectsin Croatia, Republic of Georgia

By Lt. j.g. Thomas R. StockNMCB 4

UDBINA, Croatia Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 are nearing completion of a 120-by-48-foot Type II K-Span, a steel-paneled structure being built in support of the joint training exercise Jackal Stone.Since the annual exercise began

in 2007, it has served primarily as an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Croatia. Coordinated by the U.S., the exercise provides the opportunity for joint training and sharing of training concepts, tactics, techniques and procedures. Since arriving in mid-June, Detail

Croatia has followed a strict con-struction schedule in order to com-plete the project by the end of de-ployment.

I think this project really tests our skills as Seabees, said Builder

1st Class Michael Bettencourt. The crews are working great together to

finish the project, and were all moving towards the same goal. Builder 1st Class Reno Perry-

man, project operations, said the Seabees are working hard to finish the project. When were finished, everyone

will be able to take pride in the finished product, knowing all the effort that was put in, he said.As important as the actual build-

ing is to the mission, the larger goal is to strengthen relationships with regional allies. Recently, U.S. Army Reserve Of-

ficer Training Corps (ROTC) ca-dets visited the project to learn more about Seabees and their Can Do spirit. Led by Lt. Col. Rich-ard Smith, professor of military science from Iowa State Univer-sity, the ROTC cadets asked ques-tions about Seabee heritage, proj-ects and how the Naval

Construction Force mission oper-ates with the other armed forces.Perhaps the most exciting part

of the visit for the cadets was lunch. They were given Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, so they could have a taste of what its like in a contingency environment. Shouts of I cant wait to try one of these! and Ive heard so much about them! were heard amont the cadets.Unfortunately their visit was cut

short, as they were already late for their visit to Plitvicka Jezera, an-other site on their training tour in Croatia. The official ribbon cutting of the

K-Span is scheduled for this month. At that time, representa-tives from the Croatian military and the U.S. embassy will meet to celebrate the accomplishments of the Naval Construction Force.

Photo by CECS AriEl riCASAtA / NMCb 4 SW3 David McClure and SW2 Joseph Hamilton, both with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, cut rebar in preparation for a concrete pour. NMCB 4 is currently deployed over the European Command, African Command and Central Command areas of responsibility in support of infrastructural construction operations.

Thursd

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By Lt. Douglas PanNMCB 4

TBILISI, Georgia The gradually clos-ing ramp of the C-130 seals off the cool dry air of the aircraft cabin from the hot humid air of a Caucasus summer and marks the successful completion of Naval Mobile Con-struction Battalion (NMCB) 4s mission in the Republic of Georgia. The Seabees arrived in April and worked

closely with soldiers from the Republic of Georgias 4th Infantry Brigade to complete construction of a 30-person restroom facil-ity in an austere training area located in the crumbling debris of an abandoned air base. This project marks the first time Seabees

have set foot in the Republic of Georgia, a former member of the Soviet Union. Since its independence in 1991, Georgia

has been an ally of the United States. It sup-ported the U.S. in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is currently the largest non-NATO con-tributor to the Afghanistan mission, with

two full battalions serving in the volatile Musa Qala and Now Zad regions.U.S. Marines and Georgian soldiers fre-

quently train together. The construction of permanent restrooms in their joint training area not only improves hygiene during field exercises but also symbolizes commitment to continued cooperation and partnership.Seabees from NMCB 4s Detail Georgia

were enthusiastic about the project and eager to work on something they could call their own.Its rare to be able to do a project from

start to finish like this these days, said Con-struction Electrican 2nd Class Bradford Mahoney. Usually, youre going into a building to do maintenance. Weve gotten to do a little bit of everything so far. Its going to be an excellent facility when were finished with it.Chief Builder Jonathan Eisfelder called

the deployment an excellent opportunity for junior sailors to get the chance to see a project from start to finish. Theyre able to dig the first hole and place the last light bulb. Builder Constructionman Stormie Schau-

er said the group has worked well together.Even when were working, were commu-

nicating and having fun, Schauer said. It

feels good to be out here, putting our skills to use and doing what weve been trained to do. Despite working from dawn to dusk,

bumpy rides over pot-holed cracking roads and gale force winds strong enough to uproot trees, the Seabees completed the project in

high spirits, proud of what they have accom-plished. The Seabees showed Georgia and the rest

of the world some of the many great things we can do at a moments notice during com-bat or peace time, said Construction Me-chanic 2nd Class Timothy Ryan.

NMCB 4s Detail Croatia finishing K-Span as part of training exercise Jackal Stone

Photo by CECN lAurA SMith / NMCb 4BUCN Vivienne Wilson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 cuts rough lumber to size with a chop saw in the Seabee warehouse as part of a latrine-building project in the Republic of Georgia.

Its the first time Seabees have worked in Georgia, formerly part of USSR

17

By Lt. j.g. Thomas R. StockNMCB 4

UDBINA, Croatia Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 are nearing completion of a 120-by-48-foot Type II K-Span, a steel-paneled structure being built in support of the joint training exercise Jackal Stone.Since the annual exercise began

in 2007, it has served primarily as an opportunity to strengthen the partnership between the United States and Croatia. Coordinated by the U.S., the exercise provides the opportunity for joint training and sharing of training concepts, tactics, techniques and procedures. Since arriving in mid-June, Detail

Croatia has followed a strict con-struction schedule in order to com-plete the project by the end of de-ployment.

I think this project really tests our skills as Seabees, said Builder

1st Class Michael Bettencourt. The crews are working great together to

finish the project, and were all moving towards the same goal. Builder 1st Class Reno Perry-

man, project operations, said the Seabees are working hard to finish the project. When were finished, everyone

will be able to take pride in the finished product, knowing all the effort that was put in, he said.As important as the actual build-

ing is to the mission, the larger goal is to strengthen relationships with regional allies. Recently, U.S. Army Reserve Of-

ficer Training Corps (ROTC) ca-dets visited the project to learn more about Seabees and their Can Do spirit. Led by Lt. Col. Rich-ard Smith, professor of military science from Iowa State Univer-sity, the ROTC cadets asked ques-tions about Seabee heritage, proj-ects and how the Naval

Construction Force mission oper-ates with the other armed forces.Perhaps the most exciting part

of the visit for the cadets was lunch. They were given Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, so they could have a taste of what its like in a contingency environment. Shouts of I cant wait to try one of these! and Ive heard so much about them! were heard amont the cadets.Unfortunately their visit was cut

short, as they were already late for their visit to Plitvicka Jezera, an-other site on their training tour in Croatia. The official ribbon cutting of the

K-Span is scheduled for this month. At that time, representa-tives from the Croatian military and the U.S. embassy will meet to celebrate the accomplishments of the Naval Construction Force.

www.TheLighthouseN

ews.com

The Lighthouse

Thursday, A

ugust 8, 2

013

By Lt. Douglas PanNMCB 4

TBILISI, Georgia The gradually clos-ing ramp of the C-130 seals off the cool dry air of the aircraft cabin from the hot humid air of a Caucasus summer and marks the successful completion of Naval Mobile Con-struction Battalion (NMCB) 4s mission in the Republic of Georgia. The Seabees arrived in April and worked

closely with soldiers from the Republic of Georgias 4th Infantry Brigade to complete construction of a 30-person restroom facil-ity in an austere training area located in the crumbling debris of an abandoned air base. This project marks the first time Seabees

have set foot in the Republic of Georgia, a former member of the Soviet Union. Since its independence in 1991, Georgia

has been an ally of the United States. It sup-ported the U.S. in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is currently the largest non-NATO con-tributor to the Afghanistan mission, with

two full battalions serving in the volatile Musa Qala and Now Zad regions.U.S. Marines and Georgian soldiers fre-

quently train together. The construction of permanent restrooms in their joint training area not only improves hygiene during field exercises but also symbolizes commitment to continued cooperation and partnership.Seabees from NMCB 4s Detail Georgia

were enthusiastic about the project and eager to work on something they could call their own.Its rare to be able to do a project from

start to finish like this these days, said Con-struction Electrican 2nd Class Bradford Mahoney. Usually, youre going into a building to do maintenance. Weve gotten to do a little bit of everything so far. Its going to be an excellent facility when were finished with it.Chief Builder Jonathan Eisfelder called

the deployment an excellent opportunity for junior sailors to get the chance to see a project from start to finish. Theyre able to dig the first hole and place the last light bulb. Builder Constructionman Stormie Schau-

er said the group has worked well together.Even when were working, were commu-

nicating and having fun, Schauer said. It

feels good to be out here, putting our skills to use and doing what weve been trained to do. Despite working from dawn to dusk,

bumpy rides over pot-holed cracking roads and gale force winds strong enough to uproot trees, the Seabees completed the project in

high spirits, proud of what they have accom-plished. The Seabees showed Georgia and the rest

of the world some of the many great things we can do at a moments notice during com-bat or peace time, said Construction Me-chanic 2nd Class Timothy Ryan.

NMCB 4s Detail Croatia finishing K-Span as part of training exercise Jackal Stone

Photo by CECN lAurA SMith / NMCb 4BUCN Vivienne Wilson of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 cuts rough lumber to size with a chop saw in the Seabee warehouse as part of a latrine-building project in the Republic of Georgia.

By CE2 Paul LeRayNMCB 5

OECUSSI, Timor Leste Odds are that if you havent deployed to the Pa-cific region recently, you might not have even heard about the newest sovereign na-tion in the world called East Timor, or Timor Leste. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion

(NMCB) 5s Civic Construction Action Detail (CCAD) Timor Leste, based out of the capital of Dili, is the largest foreign military presence in the country. Its mis-sion while deployed there is to provide humanitarian and engineering support to Timor Leste while building community and national relations. Reeling from an Indonesian occupation

lasting until 1999, Timor Leste still suffers from major infrastructure and sanitation problems leading to malnutrition, illness-es and one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. Timor Leste is a country divided into

two parts: the larger Eastern portion, and a smaller enclave to the West called Oecus-si, which is surrounded by the neighboring country of Indonesia. The Seabees have been in Timor Leste since 2009, but the recent push to Oecussi is the first time the Seabees have shown a presence in the Western enclave.This July, the Seabees sent a convoy to

Oecussi, making it the most remote loca-tion NMCB 5 has touched this deploy-ment. Upon arrival, they were met with stares from the locals. The detail was in-formed by local drivers that many locals had never personally seen a foreigner, or Malai, before. Its a great thing were doing, but the

logistics are a nightmare, said Utilities-man 2nd Class Ethan Merrill, project supervisor. The cross through Indonesia, getting all of the equipment and materials out here, coordination with the [Timorese Army] and of course theres the issue of physical safety. Medical evacuation here is extremely limited, so staying safe on and off the job site is paramount.Alongside engineers from the Falintil-

Foras de Defesa de Timor Leste, the Seabees began installing rainwater collec-tion systems, repairing solar electricity systems and leaking roofs, replacing win-dows and doors and repainting struc-tures.At the Usitaco Medical Clinic, a new

kitchen was built outside to keep cook-ing-fire smoke out of the clinic.At the Oecussi Referral Hospital, triple

power redundancy was enabled by repair-ing four generators and installing a solar array. These additions will ensure power supply to the emergency room during the daily power blackout from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For the first time in three years, the

hospitals two ambulances were repaired to full working order. A total of nine buildings were reno-

vated or repaired, including two that were beyond the original scope of work. The projects took 19 workdays, seven days ahead of schedule, despite it being the most challenging mission the Seabees in Timor Leste have undertaken this deploy-ment. Its absolutely amazing to see the great

amount of work that a small number of Seabees made in such a short time, U.S. Ambassador Judith Fergin, ambassador

to Timor Leste, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Oecussi July 24. You may not realize, but the impact you have made here is beyond words.Along with Fergin, guests at the ribbon-

cutting ceremony included Dr. Sergio Lobo, the Timor Leste minister of health; Jorge Teme, district representative of the Secretary of State of local development; Paul Randolph, U.S. Agency for Interna-tional Development mission director; and more than 200 people from the commu-nity. You simply cannot have good health-

care without clean running water. It was impossible before, but you have made it possible, said Dr. Reginald Gipson, chief of USAID Health Improvement Project (HADIAK) when he spoke about the work performed by the Seabees. Ensign Heidi Lawrenz, the officer-in-

charge of NMCB 5s Timor Leste detail, called the mission a great success and said Oecussi is an example of how much im-pact Seabees can make in Timor Leste. We were able to showcase what Seabees

do best, making high-impact improve-ments and assisting communities in the most remote and austere locations, said Lawrenz. The mission not only improved the health and living conditions of local communities in extremely remote environ-ments but also highlighted the relation-ships we have built with the Ministry of Health and HADIAK. The Oecussi mission was the final task-

ing for NMCB 5 Detail Timor Leste prior to returning home to Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. At the completion of their eight-month deploy-ment, they will turn over the small detail site and missions to NMCB 3.

NMCB 5 repairs buildings in remote area of Timor Leste

u.S. NAvy PhotoTwo men from Timor Leste watch as Petty Officer 3rd Class Keith Wrenn of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 paints the Bobocase Community Center. NMCB 5s Civic Construction Action Detail (CCAD) Timor Leste is working to demonstrate U.S. commitment, develop enduring relationships and improve public infrastructure.

18


TheLighthouse


Help when you need it.

The Fleet & Family

Support Center

LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) is the

largest professional networking site in the

world. With more than 225 million mem-

bers and around 173,000 individuals join-

ing each day, its almost considered un-

professional not to be on LinkedIn. It is

a wonderful tool for not only keeping in

touch with existing professional connec-

tions, but for making new ones as well.

Here are 10 reasons you should be on

LinkedIn:

Its a fast, easy and effective way to

network.

Recruiters use LinkedIn. Ninety-three

percent of recruiters surveyed in 2012

stated they use LinkedIn when looking

for talent. That included recruiters for

Microsoft, eBbay, Netflix and Target.

Employers use LinkedIn to post jobs

and updates. You can search and save jobs

youre interested in.

Think of it as Professional Face-

book. It is perfect for connecting with

former colleagues, supervisors and others

you wouldnt necessarily want to connect

to on Facebook. Updates are all profes-

sional, not personal.

Its a great way to keep your profes-

sional network informed aboutwhat youre

up to, what youre looking for, etc.

You can post your resume, awards,

volunteer experience, education, affilia-

tions and examples of workmuchmore

information than you could fit in a simple

two-page resume.

Its great for recommendations. Not

only can you recommend others, but col-

leagues, friends, supervisors and clients

can write recommendations for you as

well.

Job seekers can review the profiles of

hiring managers and companies to dis-

cover which of their existing contacts can

introduce them.

Although a Basic LinkedIn account is

free, veterans can get an upgrade to a pre-

mium account free of charge for five

years.

Its been around since 2003. What are

you waiting for?

You can learn how to build an effective

LinkedIn profile andmake LinkedInwork

for you by attending the course, Are you

LinkedIn? Using LinkedIn for Your Job

Search,offered at the Fleet&Family Sup-

port Center. The next one is scheduled for

Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

Call 805-982-5037 to register.

Kelly Coughlan is a work and family life

consultant for the Fleet & Family Support

Center.

Learn the importance of staying connected with LinkedIn

Getting

hired

withKelly

Coughlan

FFSC

Toll-free appointment scheduling ser-

vice: 1-866-923-6478, call 24 hours a day,

seven days a week. Personal, marital, fam-

ily counseling; financial management;

spouse employment; transition assistance;

relocation assistance; life skills workshops

are available at the Fleet and Family Sup-

port Center. NBVC Point Mugu, Bldg.

225 next to the chapel, 989-8146; NBVC

Port Hueneme, Bldg. 1169 behind NEX,

982-5037.

All classes at Port Hueneme unless oth-

erwise noted. Call 982-5037 for more in-

formation. Child care option available

with prior registration.

Career Support and Retention

(Register for TAP classes with your

Command Career Counselor)

Transition Assistance Program

GPS: Mondays-Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 4

p.m. daily, Aug. 12-16, Sept. 9-13, Sept.

16-20. Register via Command Career

Counselor.

Capstone: Higher education optional

track. Verify completion of GPS and

achieve career readiness standards. Thurs.,

Aug. 15, 8 a.m. to noon.

Excel Basics: Learn how to use Mi-

crosoft Office Excel 2007 software for

both personal and professional use.

Thurs., Aug. 8, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Interview Skills: Prepare for your job

interview, learn about the interview pro-

cess, conduct a mock interview andmore.

Tues., Aug. 13, 9 to 11 a.m.

Are you LinkedIn?: Using LinkedIn

for your job search. Great networking!

Wed., Aug. 14, 8:30 to 10 a.m.

Advancement Preparation: Do you

need help preparing for the enlisted ad-

vancement exam?We teach you test-tak-

ing tips and study skills to improve your

chances of success. Thurs., Aug. 15, 9 to

11 a.m.

Writing the Perfect Resume & Cover

Letter: Learn cutting-edge resume and

cover letter techniques to successfully

present your skills. Thurs., Aug. 15, 1 to

3 p.m.

VA Paperwork Assistance: Hands-on

assistance in filing, reopening or appealing

your VA claim. Active duty, veterans,

widows, walk-ins welcome! Call for de-

tails. Wed,, Aug. 21, 9 a.m. to noon.

Excel Intermediate: Learn advanced

shortcuts, formulas, charts, referencing

and more using Microsoft Office Excel

2007. Thurs., Aug 29, 9 to 11 a.m.

Career Fair Prep Classes: Thurs, Aug.

29, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Port Hueneme; Wed.,

Sept. 4, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Port Hueneme;

Wed., Sept. 11, 1 to 3:30 p.m., Point

Mugu.

Career Fair:Meet employers and learn

about educational opportunities. Wed.,

Sept. 18, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dukes Place,

Port Hueneme.

Deployment Readiness

IA Family Connection: Whether this

is your first or 21st experience with de-

ployments or Individual Augmentees, join

others andmeet with spouses of deployed

service members. Share your knowledge

of how to thrive during this experience.

Thurs., Aug. 8, noon to 1 p.m.

DeploymentReadiness: Are you ready

for your spouses deployment? Join others

to learn what it is all about and how to

do more than just survive deployment.

Wed., Aug. 14, 2 to 3 p.m.

Exceptional Family Member

General information: 982-2646.

Sensory-FriendlyMovie: All lights will

stay on and the sound will be lowered to

respect the differing senses of all children

with special needs. All are welcome! Call

805-982-2646 with questions. 2 p.m. Sat-

urday,Aug. 10,NeedhamTheater,NBVC

Port Hueneme.

EFM Overview: The Exceptional

FamilyMember Program (EFMP) serves

military families with special needs, in-

cluding medical, dental, mental health,

developmental or educational issues. The

program ensures families are assigned to

areas where they can access necessary re-

sources. Mon., Aug. 12, 10 a.m. to noon,

Point Mugu.

EFMPPoint of Contact Training: As-

sist each command in developing mission

readiness for Sailors who support a loved

one with special needs. Tues., Aug. 13, 10

a.m. to noon, Point Mugu.

EFMP Special Needs Network: Get

together with other EFMP members to

share information and support. Wed.,

Aug. 14, 10 a.m. to noon, Point Mugu.

Relocation Assistance

General information: 982-3726.

Welcome Aboard: For incoming ser-

vice members and their family. Receive

information on military and community

resources on and nearNBVC.Wed., Aug.

21, 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Married to the Military: Newly mar-

ried to the Navy? Learn about military

benefits, family programs, Navy jargon

and customs.Wed., Aug. 28, 9 to 11 a.m.,

Point Mugu.

SmoothMove:Make your PCSmove

easy, simple, smooth. Learn about your

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TheLighthouse


By YNC Ryan Arnoldussen

NOSC Ventura County

Sailors from the Navy Operational Sup-

port Center (NOSC)VenturaCounty trav-

eled to ShermanOaks lastmonth to honor

veterans at an assisted living facility.

Capt. RonOswald, commanding officer,

and NOSCs chief petty officers and first

class petty officers volunteered for the In-

dependenceDayHonorEvent at theVillage

at Sherman Oaks.

Sailors participated in the event as part

of Chief Petty Officer 365 (CPO 365), a

yearlong training programdesigned to pre-

pare first class petty officers for the rank of

chief.

Were honoring those who have gone

before us, said Chief Personnel Specialist

Miguel Alderete. At the same time, this

forms a connectionpoint to our history and

the next generation of service members.

He called chief petty officers the keepers

of tradition in the Navy.

That is one of the main things we do,

having that sense of heritage,he said. We

have anobligation to theNavy, to the future

Sailors and chief petty officers, to mentor

and lead them.

The Sailors shared experiences with the

residents andmore than 40 visiting veterans

fromtheArmy,AirForce andNavyfrom

WorldWar II to the Gulf War.

I enjoyedmeeting several veterans from

all of the different branches of the service,

said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Brian

Dejesus of NOSC Ventura County. The

highlight of my day was listening to anAir

Force veteran as he discussed loading and

dropping bombs during his time in the war

giving me a chance to get to know him

and learning about his past while he was in

theAirForce. Itwas an honoring andhum-

bling feeling at the end of the event when

you get a moment to thank them for their

exceptional service, knowing you helped

brighten their day.

Chief Construction Electrician Rodney

Chiles said the wartime memories are still

vivid in the veteransminds.

Even though its beenover 68 years since

Americas involvement inWorldWar II, the

memories of the war are still very evident

with the veterans here, he said. Im glad

to do what I can to help give these people

an enjoyable day, while listening to their

stories and letting them know that they are

still very much on our minds.

NOSCVentura County assists in the ex-

ecution of NavyReserve policy and admin-

istration through indirect support of mobi-

lization and active Navy support

requirements.NOSCVenturaCountys sup-

port function includes 42Reserve units and

approximately 1,150 Selected Reservists.

Veterans in retirement home visit with todays Sailors

Photo by yN2 PaulyN SaNtiago / NoSC VeNtura CouNty

Capt. Ron Oswald, commanding officer of Navy Operational Support Center, Ventura

County, thanks veterans who live at the Village at Sherman Oaks assisted living facility.

All persons eligible to hunt waterfowl

alone aboard Naval Base Ventura

County (NBVC) Point Mugu are in-

vited to participate in the annual repair

of hunting blinds. Personnel eligible

to hunt waterfowl include active duty,

reserve and retired military personnel;

current and retired NBVC Department

of Defense civil service personnel; and

NBVC contractor personnel with an

NBVC ID badge. Blind repair will take

place during the month of September,

with specific dates still to be deter-

mined.

Volunteers may email their name,

phone number preferably two num-

bers and eligibility status to Vern at

[email protected].

You may not sign up someone else,

and you may not sign up earlier than

Aug. 1 unless you will be TAD or out

of town that date.

All requests are due no later than

Friday, Aug 23.

Volunteers will be notified of their

assignments in early September.

There are a limited number of blinds

in need of repair; therefore, volunteers

will be taken on a first come, first served

basis.

Volunteers earn six priority chits to

be used during the hunting season to

increase their chances of getting a de-

sired blind assignment.

Hunting blinds in need of repair

The highlight of my

day was listening to

an Air Force veteran

as he discussed

loading and dropping

bombs during his

time in the war .... It

was an honoring and

humbling feeling...

PS1 Brian Dejesus

NOSC Ventura County

21


TheLighthouse


Jog For Dogs promotes fitness as well as adopt-a-thon

VenturaCountyanimal shelter in

Camarillo. He, six others from

Naval Base Ventura County,

Point Mugu, and one Sailors

girlfriend each jogged the two

miles fromtheshelter to theshop-

pingmall with a dogwearing an

AdoptMeharness. Then they

cruised around the mall, letting

peopleknowabout theupcoming

event.

Thenext day, 73dogswere ad-

opted from the shelter along

with 34 cats, seven rabbits and

one parakeet.

We had several visitors at

Sundays adopt-a-thon who at-

tendedtheeventaftermeeting the

Navyvolunteers and their canine

companions at the Camarillo

PremiumOutlets thedaybefore,

DonnaGillesby, interimdirector

of Ventura County Animal Ser-

vices, said the following week.

Ventura County Animal Ser-

vices is very grateful to theNavy

volunteers for serving as ambas-

sadors for the shelter andhelping

to increase the visibility of the

hundreds of beautiful dogs we

have available for adoption.

Carrillo had called the shelter

to find out if volunteers were

neededat thekennels. Shelter of-

ficials suggested the Jog forDogs

instead,andCarrillo realized that

would serve adual purpose: pro-

mote the adopt-a-thon and en-

courage fitness.

You get a good dog for jog-

ging and its going to keep you

motivated,he said.

AviationMachinistsMate2nd

Class Nick Manrique of FRC-

SW said dogs are a great way to

stay in shape.

I likehangingoutwith them,

he said, petting a black pit bull,

Starling. And this is a goodway

to give back to the community. I

hope it will help a family find a

dog.

Aviation Support Equipment

Technician Airman Apprentice

AndrewBrownfieldusedtobreed

pugs back at his home in Savan-

nah. He jogged with Cadillac, a

white Catahoula mix with blue

eyes.

I likehelpingout theanimals,

hesaid.Plus, it looksgoodwhen

theNavy volunteers.

The event enabled someof the

Sailors to get the animal fix

theyvemissed since theyvebeen

in theNavy. Two years ago, Avi-

ation ElectriciansMateAirman

Sam Sharp was at his home in

Medford, Ore., surrounded by

cats and rabbits. Then he joined

theNavyand thatwas the endof

that.

Saturday morning he got to

run with Charlie, a pit bull, then

relax with him at the shopping

mall.Charliebasked in theatten-

tionasSharp scratchedhis back.

Itwas hard to tell whichonewas

happier.

I love animals,Sharp said.

continueD From 3

all vendor tables and displays were set

up, and pet owners had started meander-

ing onto the grounds at the San Bue-

naventura State Beach in Ventura. More

than 250 would stop by before the day

was over.

Weve never been set up this early,

she said. This is great!Were so apprecia-

tive of the Navy doing this.

Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Jer-

maine Whitley of NBVC Air Operations

had organized the sign-ups of 10 volun-

te

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