Navy.TogetherWeServed Newsletter - August, 2009 In This Issue GROWING STRONG FIRST CALL: Notes & Ramblings From The Pilothouse UM ADVERTISEMENT Featured Updates Did You Know? Obama: Health Care Reform Won't Affect VA, Tricare GI Bill transferability begins Sailors' Online Records Key for Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer Getting Your Reunion Notice (and noticed) in The HOIST VET TOPICS OUR ALLIES IN-ARMS TWS Coins, Coffee & More - the TWS Cafe! OIF & OEF Maps VOICES TO YOUR HEALTH! Remembering Operation PAUL BUNYAN Got discounts for Sailors? AMERICANS AT WAR OFF DUTY: INCOMING! AT EASE! Happy 219th Birthday, USCG! A sharp salute from all of us here at TWS to those who proudly serve -- or have served -- as Guardians. Notable Quotes Your humble editor recalls that the Coast Guard traces its founding to Aug. 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 vessels to People ask the difference enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling, and protect the collection of between a leader and a federal revenue. boss...The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. Responsibilities added over the years included The leader leads, and the boss humanitarian duties such as aiding mariners in drives. distress. The service received its present name in -Theodore Roosevelt 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS) merged with the US Life-Saving Service (USLSS) to form a single maritime agency dedicated to the safety of life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws. Joke if you will about Coasties being "shallow-water sailors" and "puddle pilots." But Guardians are tasked with responsibilities that aren't in the Navy's mandate. Guardians protect the environment, ensure the safety of recreational boaters and commercial shipping; maintain aids to navigation, they are on the frontlines in the war on illegal drugs and human trafficking. They perform search and rescue missions for the public and other agencies; and protect our vital commercial ports. And the Coast Guard has the power to enforce federal maritime law -- something the other four branches of America's armed forces aren't equipped to do. They A CAPTAIN'S RETURN HOME - Honor guard Sailors are only service branch with a humanitarian, military and protective mission. carry the remains of Navy CAPT Michael Scott Speicher to All Saints Chapel aboard NAS Jacksonville, FL. Guardians have a glorious history to be proud of, with names ingrained in their Speicher was killed when his F/A-18 Hornet was shot legacy -- Adams, Hamilton, Bertholf, Munro, Stratton and Haley. Their service down over Anbar province, Iraq, on the first day of continually deserves the respect and support of not only the public, but our offensive operations during Desert Storm on Jan. 17, fellow military men and women and our federal lawmakers. And our continued 1991. thanks. - Photo by MC1 Leah Stiles So, here's to you Guardians for 219 years of exemplary service to our Nation! - MCPON Urges Sailors to Look out for Shipmates - Naval Chaplains School to Hold Last Graduation in Semper Paratus! Newport - Summer Safety Campaign Successful So Far Welcome Aboard to INCOMING! - Orders Negotiation Window Shrinking Beginning in this issue we welcome the cartoon "INCOMING!" to The HOIST! - SECNAV Remembers, Tours Iwo Jima - Future USNS Wally Schirra Completes Acceptance The product of the humor, imagination and pen of veteran John Sheppard -- who Trials served in AF Blue from 1969-1974 (AFSC 461 "Ammo"), INCOMING! spotlights - Proposed DoD Civ Leave Rule Would Provide for our military and honors currently serving troops and veterans of all services. Warrior Care "Without these men and women," John says, "our way of life would be much different." He adds that there is no continuing plot or story line, but a series of single panel cartoons. Fun is poked at all branches with no harm intended. Combat troops as well as rear echelon types (REMFs) are highlighted and share the spotlight as well. We hope you'll get a laugh every month in each issue of The HOIST! Introducing... We're also proud to announce TWS's association with the United States Naval Institute (USNI), the independent forum that produces thoughtful periodicals, scholarly books, and stimulating seminars, which contribute to the FLAG HOIST DRILL - Quartermaster 3rd Class Alex professionalism of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen and the Sea Services Davis lowers a signal flag aboard the aircraft carrier they serve, and in turn plays a unique and vital role in our national security. USS George Washington (CVN 73) during a flag hoist In case you're still wondering who they are -- USNI's Naval Institute Press exercise on the ship's signal bridge. - photo by MCSA Marcos Vazquez publishes the Bluejacket's Manual for Sailors and the Coast Guardsman's Manual for Guardians. The Press published the first editions of Tom Clancy's novel, "The Hunt For Red October" -- the first piece of fiction published by the organization. Starting in this issue, The HOIST will feature article excerpts (with continuing links) from USNI's monthly publication, Proceedings, and photographs from their extensive archives. We hope you'll enjoy this new feature to our newsletter, and -- if you're not a member -- consider joining the US Naval Institute. We want to hear from you!! This is YOUR newsletter, folks... Got an interesting story to share? Had a brush with a historic figure in Navy history? Want to tell us about an assignment that beat all others? Do you have photos of what life was like when WITH MCPON - MCPON Rick West speaks with CPO you served in Navy Blue? selectees before a heritage training formal dinner aboard USS Constitution. Every year some 300 chief Why not share it with your buddies through The HOIST? petty officer candidates are chosen to spend a week living and training aboard Constitution. Drop us an email any time to [email protected]. We'll be glad to hear from you! - Photo by MC1 Jennifer A. Villalovos Until next time... Jon Yim Editor TWS on the Radio TWS on the Radio ADVERTISEMENT VFW's National Defense Radio Interview with Major Wes Prater TWS is proud to announce the introduction of the new TWS Associations Support Program. This is a unique feature that provides specially constructed Association Profile pages that present a unique set of tools available for free to any Military Association to use for member/roster management, outreach to the TWS Community, and to publish news and information about the Association. Of particular note, TWS is extremely proud of a growing partnership with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The VFW hosts The National Defense radio program and was kind enough to interview Maj. Wes Prater, TWS co- ADVERTISEMENT founder/administrator recently about the growth of TWS and the unique services provided. Click here to listen Featured Updates to the interview. Post a TWS Banner on your Website We now make it easy to put a TWS banner on your own website, MySpace page or elsewhere - just go to your profile and click Edit on the Account Details section (top left). Two banners are available - a general TWS one and a Navy specific one. Each has HTML code available for you to copy and paste: Navy.Togetherweserved is your website - please help secure its future by upgrading to Full Membership. There is no charge to join NTWS and remain a Free Member, however there are considerable benefits to becoming a Full Member. By upgrading to Full Membership, which is modestly priced and very simple to do, you not only have access to premium areas of the website but, in so doing, you also help support the ongoing development, maintenance and promotion of Navy.TogetherWeServed.com and keep it advertisement free. Please invite a Shipmate and help more NTWS Members reconnect! Built into the HTML code is a referral ID so that if new members join the site as a result of seeing your banner you will be credited in the normal way, as our If every NTWS Member invites one or more active, thanks for your endorsement. reserve or retired Shipmate to join NTWS, this New Search Tab Options dramatically increases the chances of Members being You will notice some new options on the search tab to allow you to search for able to locate other Shipmates they served with. Photos, Associations and Units directly. For quick searches you can also search for Units and Associations directly from the quicksearch field in the binder. As a way of saying thank you, for every 5 (five) new Members who join from your personal invitations, we will Members who join from your personal invitations, we will extend your Full Membership by 6 months. Click here to invite an Shipmate. Assignment Months We sort your Unit Assignments by date order, but where you had more than one Zone B PTS Results Due Out assignment in a year they sometimes appear in the wrong order. You can now Navy Personnel Command Public Affairs specify a month and year for more fine grained sorting if you have this problem. More Association Chapters MILLINGTON, TN -- Commands of the first group of We have been hard at work filling out our Military Association details including Zone B Sailors selected for retention through Perform- full details of all chapter where example. For example we have added the full list to-Serve (PTS) will receive results by Aug. 28. of VFW chapters (all 7900 or so) - luckily you can filter by state! Based on the PTS results, some 11,000 Sailors will be retained in their current ratings and over 300 will be converted to other more critical ratings.