CHINFO Award Winner Vol. 56 • Issue 9 www.nsmayport.navy.mil www.mayportmirror.com THURSDAY, March 6, 2014 Exercise Exercise Exercise NS Mayport Tests Response Skills See Story Pages 4-5 TA Wants You To Spend Money Tuition Assistance Program Funds Awaiting Sailors’ Use By Susan D. Henson Center for Personal and Pro- “We think a variety fessional Development Public of things influenced Affairs our being below the TA The Center for budget right now,” said Personal and Profes- Wadsorth. “Our execu- -Photo by Paige Gnann sional Development tion rate dropped in Capt. Wyatt Chidester, left, shakes hands with Capt. Dan Uhls after relieving him as commanding officer (CPPD) is asking Sailors October with the gov- of USS Hué City during a change of command ceremony held aboard the ship on Feb. 28. Guest speaker to submit their Navy ernment shutdown and for the event was Rear Adm. Michael Gilday, Commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight pictured far right. Tuition Assistance (TA) that’s carried through Also pictured is CMDCM Jimmie Carter. requests – and now the year. The usage would be good – said rate steadily increased , the director of Navy in November and Voluntary Education December. But then it (VOLED) March 3. dropped back down in New CO For USS Hue City According to Ernest January, probably due From Staff D’Antonio, CPPD’s to uncertainty with the Capt. Wyatt Chidester relieved include Damage Control Effectiveness Awards on both VOLED program direc- federal budget. Although Capt. Dan Uhls as commanding Assistant and Machinery ships. Captain Uhls served tor, the expenditure rate we have funding now, officer of USS Hué City during a Officer in CG-26 Belknap (the as Air and Missile Defense for TA funding is cur- the usage rate hasn’t change of command ceremony SIXTHFLT Flagship, home- Commander to Commander rently below normal lev- increased significantly held aboard the ship on Feb. 28. ported in Gaeta Italy), Air United Kingdom Carrier Strike els, which means there’s since then. Sailors need Guest speaker for the event Defense Officer in CG-71 Capt Group (2008-2009) and more funding available to understand that their was Rear Adm. Michael Gilday, St. George, Operations Officer Commander Carrier Strike Group than usual at this time of education benefits reset Commander, Carrier Strike and Chief Engineer in DDG- EIGHT/IKESTRKGRU. He has the year. “We use histori- each year, and unused Group Eight. 58 LABOON, Executive Officer deployed to Central, European, cal ‘burn rates’ as a guide amounts don’t carry A native of Franklin, KY, Uhls in FFG-59 Kauffman, Chief and Southern Command Areas of for allocating TA funding over.” graduated from Ole Miss in 1988 Staff Officer to Commander, Operations 12 times. throughout the year,” he D’Antonio said, “We with a degree in history and was Destroyer Squadron SIX/ Ashore, he served as Reserve said. “We plan really well want Sailors to contin- commissioned via the NROTC FORTY, Commanding Officer Component community Manager for routine years. After ue to pursue their edu- program. in PC-11 Whirlwind and DDG- furloughs and a govern- cation and submit their His assignments at sea 57 MITSCHER earning Battle See CoC, Page 11 ment shutdown, Fiscal TA requests - we work Year 2014 (FY-14) hasn’t hard to allocate every TA been a routine year,” he dollar available to give said. Sailors the most oppor- Lt. Cmdr. Mark tunities to use their TA Make Plans For MWR Expo Wadsworth, direc- funding allotment for From Staff Mayport programs and services. the various information booths. tor of CPPD Support each fiscal year.” The annual MWR Expo and In addition to travel and recre- Giveaway items, to include hotel Site Saufley Field in He said more than Travel Show will be held on ation information booths, the stays, theme park tickets, recre- Pensacola, Fla., leads 25,000 Sailors have used March 13 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Expo will also have popular base ation equipment, gift cards and the team that monitors TA benefits so far this Ocean Breeze Conference and services on hand such as FFSC, baskets, will be available to those CPPD’s Navy TA spend- fiscal year and empha- Catering Center. Navy College, NEX, Commissary, attending. The MWR Expo and ing. He said FY-14 TA sized that a Sailor’s com- This free, yearly event fea- Navy Lodge, The Mirror and Travel Show is open to every- execution is currently mand is an important tures all the latest information Navy Federal Credit Union. one with access to Naval Station trailing FY-13’s execu- part of TA authorizations from regional travel destinations Event participants will enjoy Mayport. For more information, tion rate by just over $6 because they’re the first including resorts, hotels and free food and beverage sam- call MWR Customer Service at million year-to-date. See Tuition, Page 11 theme parks, along with MWR ples from vendors as they visit 270-5228. Check us out Online! USS New York USS Simpson Phil Sea, Roosevelt Judges Invention Convention Makes Stop in Spain Transit the Straits Page 6 Page 7 Page 10 mayportmirror.com 2 THE MIRROR, NS MAYPORT, Thursday, March 6, 2014 15-April 15. I highly encourage every- Southeast Region. This is your chance one to find out more about this non- to talk to the Admiral about your con- profit organization and donate if you cerns. I highly encourage you to take feel compelled. For more information advantage of this opportunity. about receiving help from the NMCRS, Another event to put on your cal- CAPTAIN’S call (904) 270-5418 or visit their Web endar is the annual MWR Expo and CORNER site at www.nmcrsmayport.org. For Travel Show scheduled for March 14 more information about the fund drive, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Ocean Breeze contact RPC Hector Feliciano at 270- Conference Center. Although I have Solid Curtain portion of the exercise. 5212 or [email protected]. not had the opportunity to attend Capt. Wesley McCall Their participation was the highlight of I want to welcome Captain Wyatt this event, I have heard from many NS Mayport this nation-wide exercise. N. Chidester and Commander Oscar reliable sources that this is an event Commanding Officer On Tuesday, I joined Navy-Marine Toledo to the Naval Station Mayport you don’t want to miss. It features all Corps Relief Society Director Bill leadership team and wish fair winds the latest information from regional Kennedy and fund drive coordina- and following seas to Captain Dan travel destinations including resorts, Shipmates tors from around the base to kick off Uhls and Commander William Maske hotels and theme parks, along with First off, I want to congratu- the 2014 NMCRS Fund Drive. This as they take on new assignments and MWR Mayport programs and ser- late everyone involved in this year’s amazing organization and its vol- responsibilities. Captain Chidester is vices. In addition to travel and rec- Exercise Citadel Shield/Solid Curtain. unteers have dedicated the past 110 returning to Mayport after serving as reation information booths, the Expo These exercises are designed to eval- years assisting our Navy and Marine Director, Maritime Warfighting and will also have popular base services uate installation-level responses to a Corps family with no interest loans Department Head Training (N73) and on hand such as FFSC, Navy College, wide range of force protection situa- and grants, financial counseling, visit- Director, Command-at-Sea Training NEX, Commissary, Navy Lodge, The tions. Over the past two weeks, rep- ing nurse programs, Baby Boot Camps (N75), Surface Warfare Officer’s Mirror and Navy Federal Credit Union. resentatives from on and off base and many other services. Last year, School, Newport, Rhode Island. Event participants will enjoy free food have worked together to create real- Mayport’s active duty service mem- Welcome back to warmer weather! and beverage samples as they visit the life emergency scenarios to assess bers raised $215,000 to help their Commander Toledo served as HSL- various information booths. Giveaway our responses. It takes considerable shipmates in need. That is a great 60’s executive officer before assuming items, to include hotel stays, theme coordination and planning to bring amount, but nowhere near the more command and I look forward to the park tickets, recreation equipment, this together and we certainly learned than $837,000 loans and grants squadron’s continued excellence under gift cards and baskets, will be available a lot throughout the process. I want NMCRS Mayport distributed to 1,500 his leadership. to those attending. The MWR Expo to thank the Security Department, local families. The Navy-Marine Corps The Chief of Naval Operations, and Travel Show is free and open to Personnel Support Detachment, Fire Relief Society offers hope, a chance for Admiral Jonathan Greenert will be vis- everyone with access to Naval Station and Emergency Services and our Naval a rebound, and a solution to a dire situ- iting Naval Station Mayport on March Mayport. For more information, call Branch Health Clinic for their partici- ation without repercussions. NMCRS 18 to hold an all-hands call. The CNO MWR at 270-5228. pation in these exercises. And….special uses 100 percent of incoming dona- is visiting to discuss the DoD bud- Please continue sending your sug- thanks to USS Vicksburg and Afloat tions for the benefit of its clients. The get, reinforce ethics and get a sense gestions to the CO’s suggestion box or Training Group for their help with the fund drive will be held between March of morale and fleet concerns in the email them to [email protected].