Guantanamo Bay Vol. 57 No. 36 Friday, September 8, 2000 Department of Defense works to expand military child care By Linda D. Kozaryn care homes. Over the past six years, DoD has American Forces Press Service added substantial funding to child care programs (Partone of a two-part series) for subsidies and improvements to facilities. The Department of Defense's child care "All of the services are committed to ex- program may be hailed as the model for the panding the availability of quality care by shar- nation, but family policy officials are deter- ing best practices and exploring options such as mined to make the best even better. expanding home-based care for infants and tod- About half of all military families have one dlers," she said. or more children below school age, according to Home-based care is "the largest untapped DoD officials and in 60 percent of these fami- portion of our child care program," according to lies, both parents work. Bernard D. Rostker, undersecretary of defense Currently, DoD meets about 58 percent for personnel and readiness. of the need for child care. "We must put the same focus and creativity Individually, the Army is at 61 percent; Navy, in increasing the in-home care system as we have 55 percent; Air Force, 57 percent; and Marine done for our much-sought-after child care cen- Corps, 58 percent. ters," he said. "Right now, we need about 20,000 spaces to JonathanHieber washes his hands before Van Horn, Rostker and other DoD and ser- achieve our interim goal of 65 percent by 2003," he sitsfor story time in the GuantanamoBay vice officials discussed efforts to expand child ChildcareDevelopment Center. said Carolee Van Horn, a program analyst in care at the DoD Family Readiness Conference DoD's Office of Children and Youth. DoD's ul- Photo by YNI Marie Clemons in Phoenix, Ariz., Aug. 22 to 24. timate goal is to achieve 80 percent by 2005, she Family readiness is now recognized as vital Rostker was instrumental in improving the said. When people know their children are get- to military readiness, she said. Navy's child care program as a former assistant ting quality child care, "they're more apt to per- Today there are more than 800 military child secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve form better on the job, which then leads to mis- development centers worldwide, including school- affairs. sion readiness," she said. age care centers and more than 9,000 family child - continuedon pagefour Guantanamo Bay Post Office offers tips to base residents Courtesy of the Naval Station Post Office U.S. taxpayers' dollars. Questions? Call PCCM(SW) Lloyd Smethers at Mail is usually received via 727, C141 and DC8 aircraft on Tuesday, 2156/2369 or the Staff Judge Advocate Office at 4454. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Any Saturday that Naval Station Post Office receives mail, feel free to The following are suggestions: Due to our infrequent and sometimes stop by while the mail call window is open and check your "personal" mail. very late mail, please pay ahead on your bills due. Make out allotments and The mail call window hours vary, according to our incoming flights. Usu- have your bills paid automatically. ally, the mail call window will be open for about one hour. (Look for the Mail is usually dispatched via the same aircraft on the same days. If happy face yellow flag or listen to your local radio channel for the words you use the military post office to send letters and packages, please send "mail call". To pick-up personal mail, please have you identification card mail early in the week. ready. For example: Post a letter before the Tuesday outbound flight and To pick-up command/dept/div/business mail, please have your mail hopefully without any delays it takes a letter about three to five days orderly card ready. (usually) from this post office to a destination address in Flintstone, Md. When sending out parcels, the address only needs to be put on one side Post a letter to the same destination to go out on Friday and it takes the of the box. letter six to nine days. Mail early in the week. When filling out custom forms, you must write a detailed description Home Business: Per the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA), the of what is inside of the parcel. Clothes, parts and cooking utensils are not DoD has no problem with subsidizing individual mail transfer but does acceptable. Insure packages for what the item is worth. Items mailed to U. have a legal issue subsidizing merchandise transfer to home business (or S. must have no more than 70 pounds and 108 inches length and 8 girth. All cottage industry) coordinators. parcels must have a return address. Write returned U. S. merchandise on According to MPSA, individually addressed mail orders are OK. DoD custom forms if item is of U.S. origin. identified unsanctioned merchandise mailings as Fraud, Waste and Abuse of See information on holiday mailing deadlines on page five. GTMO Recycle this @,A. EWW Hispanic Heritage Month to be observed Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 to our By Richard Danzig Cortez, and Pizarro. Present day DoN Hispanic Our respect for one another is essential Secretary of the Navy leaders like RADM Alberto Diaz, Jr. and success. our focus In order to commemorate the importance of MGEN(select) Christopher Cortez and this year's As we enter this new millennium. and Marine Hispanic culture and heritage and to recognize National Image, Inc. Meritorious Service Award is clearly to remain the best Navy accomplish the many contributions Hispanics have made in winners CAPT Henry Gonzales, Jr. and IT2(SW) Corps the world has known. To building our great nation, Sept. 15 through Oct. Maria Campos from the Navy and CAPT this, we must focus on our future leaders, the 15, 2000, is designated National Hispanic Heri- Guillermo Mezaortega and GySgt Carlos Rivera children. Let us not forget that the youth of tage Month. from the Marine Corps continue the tradition of today will be the leaders of tomorrow and the fastest grow- Hispanic Americans have served with great service to country. We in the Department of the Hispanic demographic group is the distinction and extraordinary courage in the De- Navy capitalize on the strength of our diversity. ing in our country. partment of the Navy, reflecting unsurpassed dedication to our core values of honor, courage, CNO announces Hispanic Heritage Month and commitment. This year's theme, "Children: Today our Hispanic community includes over Our hope for the future" encourages us to look at By ADM Vern Clark We are proud to include children not only as future citizens, but also as Chief ofNaval Operations 31 million Americans. men and women in the U.S. future members of the military. Hispanics have "Children: Our hope for the future" is the over 38,000 of these duty and reserve components. enjoyed a rich military heritage in defense of this national theme for Hispanic Heritage Month, Navy active this year's youthful theme and cel- nation, and we are proud to say that today's force which will be observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Embrace our past but also our future. continues to follow in the historic footsteps of Hispanic Americans have been a strong influ- ebrate not only interaction with our children today the early Hispanic explorers, such as Coronado, ence in the ever-developing fabric of our nation. Meaningful rI This fabric is replete with the monumental con- will enrich their "past" and empower them to tributions of a diverse people that history will celebrate and continue a rich American heritage. only recall as "Americans." Hispanic Heritage As the next generation of leaders, including those Month allows us to reflect and celebrate an im- destined to guide tomorrow's Navy, children portant segment of our American heritage. truly are our hope for the future. Hospital warns residents about 'sauna suits' U.S. Naval Base By LT Jon Champine letes. The use of these or similar suits on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba US. Naval HospitalDietitian GTMO or elsewhere is highly discouraged by "Sauna suits" and similar vapor impermeable the hospital staff. Commander, Naval Base (no or slow water loss) athletic suits can be ex- Please direct any questions you have regard- CAPT Robert A. Buehn tremely harmful. ing this issue to LT Jon Champine at 72270. The suit's main function is to slow the loss Chief Staff Officer of heat from the body by decreasing evaporative New Arrivals CDR Jack H. Van Zandt heat loss. This leads to an increased rate of sweat- LCDR Joseph Werner - U.S. Naval Hospital ing causing dehydration which can increase body Command Master Chief LCDR Scott Cota - U.S. Naval Hospital temperature (hyperthermia) to dangerous levels. PCCM(SW) Lloyd E. Smethers HN Tiffany Chavis - U.S. Naval Hospital The climate on base is hot and, at times, hu- Public Affairs Officer mid. These conditions, when coupled with the JOC Walter T. Ham IV suit's heat retention, can make it easy to get de- Energy conservation tip hydrated and hyperthermic in a very short amount leave your Staff Writer/Editorial Assistant of time. This is especially a concern if someone If you go away on vacation and YN1 Marie Clemons is exercising while wearing the suit. lights on for security reasons, use timers and the day. Mild dehydration can cause heat cramps, set them to turn the lights off during Assistant Editorial headaches, low blood pressure and disori- They'll give you house a more lived-in Mi-Ok R.