Career Advice AutoMaters & More What’s Going On This Weekend This week, Interpersonal Edge dispenses December Nights 2018 in San Diego’s Discover all that San Diego County has to advice on how to avoid the miserable- Balboa Park. offer. Get out, and into some fun. List of bubble people. See page 4 See page 11 events here. See page 14 Navy Marine Corps Coast Guard Army Air Force We recognize Dec. 13 as the birthday of the National Guard. On this date in 1636, the first militia regi- ments in North America were ARMED FORCES organized in Massachusetts. San Diego Navy/Marine Corps Dispatch www.armedforcesdispatch.com 619.280.2985 FIFTY EIGHTH YEAR NO. 28 Serving active duty and retired military personnel, veterans and civil service employees THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2018 Pentagon begins withdrawing troops from U.S.-Mexico border The U.S. this week will begin withdrawing many of the active duty troops sent to the border with Mexico by President Donald Trump just before the midterm election in response to a caravan of Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Michael Monsoor Central American migrants, (DDG 1001) arrives in homeport of San Diego. Fu- U.S. officials said Monday,” ture USS Michael Monsoor is the second ship in the via The Associated Press. No cover sold Zumwalt-class of guided-missile destroyers and will undergo a combat availability and test period. Navy On Nov. 30, Defence Sec- Wreaths Across America San Diego welcomes 5th cemetery! photo by MCSA Nicholas Huynh retary James Mattis ap- proved the Department of Second Zumwalt destroyer arrives in Homeland Security’s request Wreath laying set for Sat., Dec. 15 to extend the deployment of San Diego; Third launches in Maine en veterans arose from humble troops currently stationed Wreaths Across America – San children the value of freedom.” by Megan Eckstein beginnings. In December 1992, along the US-Mexico border Diego supports Ft. Rosecrans and (USNI ) - The Navy’s second Zumwalt-class guided-missile Morrell Worcester of Maine, In 2008, Congress decreed Miramar National Cemeteries, destroyer arrived in San Diego ahead of its planned commissioning through the end of January. the owner of Worcester Wreath that a specific Saturday of De- Greenwood Memorial Park and ceremony next month, and the third and final ship of the class was The original request was set Company, found himself with cember to be Wreaths Across Valley Center Cemetery to carry launched over the weekend. to expire on Dec. 15. a surplus of wreaths. Arrange- America Day. The Worcester out the mission to “remember, The future Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) arrived at its new ments were then made to place Wreath Company continues to honor, and teach.” WAA San homeport on Dec. 7, after a month-long voyage from builder Bath About 2,200 of the active the extra 5,000 wreaths in one of produce the wreaths, which are Diego partners with individuals, Iron Works in Maine. duty troops will be pulled the older sections of Arlington then trucked all over the nation groups, businesses, organiza- A request from News for additional information on Monsoor’s out before the holidays, the National Cemetery. Morrell and by volunteer trucking companies tions, and corporations to spon- voyage was not immediately answered by Naval Sea Systems officials said, shrinking an his family continued the practice and drivers. sor wreaths through fundraising. Command. unusual domestic deploy- each year, and it became a quiet Additional wreaths are brought to WAA of San Diego teams with Monsoor’s journey to San Diego comes two years after the difficult ment. family tradition. In 2005, a Pen- San Diego to cover every site at individuals, groups, organiza- voyage by first-in-class USS Zumwalt from Maine to California. tagon photographer published a participating cemeteries. tions, businesses and corpora- Zumwalt took three months to make the trip and suffered multiple That will leave about 3,000 now-iconic picture of rows of tions to sponsor wreaths. Vol- engineering casualties along the way, including having to stop in active duty troops in Tex- wreaths against the headstones Added this year is Oak Hill unteers are hoping that this year Virginia and then Florida for propulsion-related problems and then as, Arizona and California, surrounded by snow and every- Cemetery in Escondido, with more people will sponsor wreaths losing propulsion during its transit through the Panama Canal. mainly comprised of military 4,000 veterans laid to rest. Carrie thing changed. in order to accomplish the goal police and helicopter trans- Monsoor will be commissioned in Coronado on Jan. 26. Foster, President of VFW Auxil- of about 113,000 wreath for On Dec. 9, the future Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002) was port crews who are assisting The Worcesters and their busi- iary 1513 is excited to lead the every veteran headstone. More launched in a multi-day process to move the ship hull from the land border patrol agents. ness were soon overwhelmed ceremony to remember and honor information about the wreath into a drydock and then into the water. with many media inquiries and these veterans. We look forward laying, including how to sponsor “It’s important for the DDG 1000 program and shipyard to reach There also will still be displays of public support, that to seeing the Escondido com- wreaths, can be found on the San this major milestone,” said Capt. Kevin Smith of the Program Ex- about 2,300 members of the two years later the national non- munity come out and participate, Diego WAA website http://www. ecutive Office for Ships. National Guard who were they support our veterans along profit organization, Wreaths waasandiego.com/. sent to the border region as with many active veteran services Across Amer- U.S. military identifies Marines who part of a separate deploy- organizations. ica, became a ment that started in April. reality. Its goal died in air collision off Japan Wreaths Across America is of providing The U.S. military has identified five Marines who were declared The bulk of the active a national organization on a wreaths for dead after their refueling plane collided with a fighter jet last week duty troops in California mission to REMEMBER those ceremonies off Japan’s southern coast. are Marines based at Camp who’ve served in the military, across the Search and recovery operations have ended after finding only one Pendleton. HONOR their service and sacri- country was survivor, who was aboard the fighter jet. fice, and TEACH others to do the part of the The five crew members identified Wednesday were on a KC-130 The active duty military same. Each December, wreaths group’s mis- Hercules refueling aircraft that collided with an F/A-18 Hornet personnel were deployed to are laid upon the gravesites at sion to “Re- during regular training. The warplanes crashed into the sea south of the US southwest border in National Cemeteries across all member our Japan’s Shikoku island. October to assist the Cus- 50 states. U.S. fallen The Marine Corps identified the crew members as Lt. Col. Kevin toms and Border Protection veterans, re- R. Herrmann, 38, of New Bern, N.C.; Maj. James M. Brophy, 36, (CBP) upon the arrival of mi- History of Wreaths Across member those of Staatsburg, N.Y.; Staff Sgt. Maximo A. Flores, 27, of Surprise, grant caravans from Central America who serve and Ariz.; Cpl. Daniel E. Baker, 21, of Tremont, Ill.; and Cpl. William America. This national honoring of fall- teach your C. Ross, 21, of Hendersonville, Tenn. DOD spokesman: As U.S. provides aid to B-21 program holds weapons Central, South America, Russia sends bombers system critical design review WASHINGTON - The Air Force successfully held a critical by David Vergun “This is medical aid that design review of the B-21 weapon system recently. The event WASHINGTON - Medical civilians would not otherwise served as a multi-disciplined technical review that ensured the personnel aboard hospital ship have access to,” he added. Air Force’s newest bomber has a stable and mature design as the USNS Comfort have thus far program moves forward into manufacturing and flight test. treated more than 20,000 ci- “Their presence speaks to vilians, and performed more how we see being a neighbor According to Air Force leadership, the review highlights the than 600 surgeries in several in the Western Hemisphere and significant progress that has been made on the B-21 since the Central and South American how we see the importance of engineering and manufacturing development phase began nearly nations, Army Col. Rob Man- providing humanitarian assis- three years ago. ning, a Pentagon spokesman, tance to those that otherwise told reporters Dec. 10. would not have it.” “The Air Force is pleased with how the program is moving forward,” said Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. “The B-21 Comfort is currently treating The Venezuelan health care Raider program is on the right track to make continued progress patients in Honduras. system is all but collapsed over the next few years as it now transitions from the design phase and can’t provide aid to its into a robust manufacturing phase that will ultimately produce our A number of people who were citizens, Manning said. first B-21 test aircraft.” treated are refugees from Ven- ezuela who fled to neighboring Navy Lt. Eric Sulava, from Leechburg, Pa., holds a “We stand with the Venezu- The B-21 Program is run by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities nations, Manning said. young patient at Trujillo, Honduras, Dec. 6, 2018. elan citizen during their time Office, and its program executive officer, Randall Walden, is Sulava is serving aboard the hospital ship USNS of need,” he told reporters.