Category: Defense

Source: United States Navy

“This award is a huge accomplishment. It means that we are making scholarly activity more feasible and accessible,” said U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Joanne Gbenjo, staff physician and faculty research coordinator for the residency program.

The USAFP analyzes all research submitted to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education from all Department of Defense residency training programs. This “Outstanding Achievement in Scholarly Activity Award” is given to the program with the most scholarly activity recorded in correlation to the number of residents for the past year. Scholarly activity is achieved through lectures, presentations, and quality and process improvement projects.

“Research gets our residents actively engaged and thinking through what they see presented to them,” explained U.S. Navy Captain Elizabeth Leonard, program director. “Residents learn critical thinking, instead of just using medication or a diagnostic tool.”

Scholarly activity from NMCCL residents culminates in the annual Research Symposium which was recently held on April 7. The symposium featured 28 poster and eight podium presentations. According to Leonard, size of the symposium participation has doubled since its establishment, but staff members are eager for continued growth.

“My role as the faculty research coordinator is to facilitate and encourage interdepartmental research and scholarly activity within the residency. I work closely with the hospital’s Clinical Investigations Department to provide access, support and resources for those wishing to pursue research,” said Gbenjo. “Our residents are very motivated to learn and are expanding their curiosity in medicine through research; I’m excited to continue to expand and grow the program in the coming years.

NMCCL’s Family Residency program, which was established in 2003, has celebrated a 100% pass rate on the American Academy of Family Physicians board certification exams of all graduating residents each year since 2012. The program currently has 31 residents and is expected to graduate its next class in June of this year.

Source: United States Navy

This was the first Professional Apprenticeship Career Track team event in Japan since before the coronavirus pandemic began. After overcoming challenges due to international travel restrictions, the team forged ahead to deliver a full-service detailing process for the forward-deployed Sailors.

The team, consisting of enlisted community managers, rating specialists and detailers, traveled from Millington, Tennessee, to set up shop at four locations: aboard the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76); Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka; Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni; and Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo.

As part of the engagements, Commander Navy Personnel Command, Rear Adm. Alvin Holsey, met virtually with PACT Sailors in each location via video teleconference to discuss their time in the program and congratulate them on their milestones.

“This speaks to your determination to stay the course. It’s a testament to where you are in your careers and how you achieve your goals,” Holsey said during his call with Sailors in Sasebo. “I’m very proud of all of you and I’d love to hear from you in the future when you’ve settled into your new careers.”

In preparation for the visits, colloquially coined “PACT Rodeos,” the team coordinated with the 7th Fleet staff and command career counselors at each location, ensuring eligible PACT Sailors were prepared and available to attend. 

 “When we do these rodeos, they’re able to sit down with someone, get a CDB [career development board] done, talk to the ECM [enlisted community manager], and if they require a waiver – depending on how much of a waiver they need – we’re able to grant that waiver on the spot,” Command Senior Chief Shanika Jones, a rating detailer, said. “Then they’re able to walk over to the next table and talk to the detailers and get a location and duty station locked in along with their rating, all before reporting back to their ship or command.”

Randy Miller, PACT team lead, said nearly every Sailor earned a requested rating and a desired duty station. 

 “The ability to go face to face with our PACT Sailors is priceless,” said Miller, a retired Master Chief Navy Counselor. “It’s their first opportunity to engage with MyNavy HR and fully understand how our process works in being rated and detailed to a new assignment. Building that trust between our fleet Sailors and our team in Millington is critical. It’s the foundation of our success.”

Command career counselors and command leadership were also key to the success of the five-day event.

“It starts with the command career counselor,” Jones said. “We don’t want to just bring them [PACT] in for a little bit and let them leave out of the Navy with a salty taste. Whether they turn it into four years or 20 years, whatever the case may be – we want to see these Sailors succeed.”

The PACT program directs Sailors to begin their rating designation process 12 months prior to their projected rotation date. From then they remain eligible until selected for a rated requisition or until their soft end of active obligated service. While in the program, these Sailors are able to gain on-the-job training (OJT) at their duty stations.

For one formerly undesignated Sailor in Sasebo, his OJT time solidified his desired rating, and the moment of earning it could not have come soon enough.

“I’ve been wanting to be an OS [operations specialist] since I first got here, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to get my rate,” Operations Specialist Seaman Blake MartinezPompa said. “A lot of us PACT Sailors wanted this to happen and it’s one of the good things that the Navy did a really good job on. I hope that this continues forward.”

MartinezPompa, currently assigned to USS New Orleans (LPD 18), received orders for the Pre-Commissioning Unit of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), expected to be homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During the event, he also had the chance to interact with Holsey one-on-one, which he said was a special highlight to an already “wonderful experience.”

“It’s not just orders to them,” Jones said. “Sometimes this set of orders could be the difference between parents or partners being collocated, or this set of orders could be the difference between families being able to celebrate birthdays like they normally do.”

Another Sailor who engaged with Holsey was newly-rated Yeoman Seaman Rory Black.

After receiving her orders to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), she said, “I instantly told my mom. I’m just happy and I’m excited to go do my job.”

Fleet Engagement Team visits promote greater transparency of the orders negotiation process, as well as hands-on training for career counselors and PACT Sailors alike. The team looks forward to conducting more visits like these to fleet concentrated areas.

PACT Sailors interested in expanding their available conversion opportunities should contact their command career counselor for information about additional Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) testing opportunities.

For more information on PACT, visit: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Detailing/Enlisted/Shore-Special/PACT/

For more news from Navy Personnel Command or Chief of Naval Personnel, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mynavyhr, Instagram at www.instagram.com/mynavyhr/, Twitter at www.twitter.com/mynavyhr or visit www.navy.mil/cnp.

Source: United States Navy

Navy Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti for appointment to the grade of admiral, and assignment as vice chief of naval operations, Washington, D.C.  Franchetti is currently serving as director for Strategy, Plans and Policy, J5, Joint Staff; and senior member, U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Military Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Navy Vice Adm. Stephen T. Koehler for reappointment to the grade of vice admiral, and assignment as director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff; and for appointment as senior member of the Military Staff Committee of the United Nations, Washington, D.C.  Koehler is currently serving as commander, Third Fleet, San Diego, California. 

Navy Rear Adm. Sara A. Joyner for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, and assignment as director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, J-8, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.  Joyner is currently serving as chief of legislative affairs, Washington, D.C. 

Navy Rear Adm. Craig A. Clapperton for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, and assignment as commander, Fleet Cyber Command; and commander, Tenth Fleet, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.  Clapperton is currently serving as commander, Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber, Tenth Fleet, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. 

Navy Rear Adm. (Select) Richard J. Cheeseman Jr. for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, and assignment as deputy chief of naval operations for personnel, manpower, and training, N1, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; and chief of naval personnel, Washington, D.C.  Cheeseman most recently served as commander, Carrier Strike Group Ten. 

Source: United States Navy

Legalmen work under the supervision of attorneys, preparing and processing legal documents in the areas of military justice, legal assistance, and administrative, civil, and operational law. This includes providing assistance to Sailors and family members, conducting research, and preparing official accounts of investigations and courts-martial.  Therefore, interested Sailors must possess excellent problem solving and oral expression skills, maturity, personable, have character, neat personal appearance and have military bearing.  Legalmen community leadership asses these skills and determine which candidates join the rating after careful review of their application package and the completion of their oral board.
 
Once selected for the legalman rating, Sailors will attend an intense 13-week training course at Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island.  This is followed by a condensed 8-week semester of college through Roger Williams University as part of the Paralegal Education Program (LPEP) program.  LPEP allows members to continue working towards the Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies without having to apply for Tuition Assistance.
 
To be eligible for PACT or lateral conversion, interested candidates must meet the following requirements:
 

• Have less than 10 years of active service, and currently be serving at a paygrade of E-3 – E-6 (E-3 personnel must be eligible for advancement to E-4);
• Type at a speed of at least 35 words per minute;
• Possess the general administrative knowledge and skills required for an E-4 serving in the Yeoman rating through completion of YN Basic NAVEDTRA 1500.9B;
• No speech or hearing impairments;
• No record of Non-judicial punishment or court-martial within 36 months of the date of application;
• No record of alcohol or drug abuse within 36 months of the date of application;
• Be eligible for a Secret security clearance;
• Prepare a typewritten statement within 60 minutes;
• Be within physical readiness standards and have passed or properly waived from the last three consecutive physical readiness assessments;
• Be worldwide assignable;
• Have an ASVAB score of VE + MK = 105 OR combined VE + MK + CS = 157. Minimum VE of 52 (PAY 97) or 54 (PAY 80); and
• Incur a minimum of 36 months of obligated service as part of the LPEP program.

“The legalman community continues to recruit Sailors with diverse backgrounds,” said Master Chief Legalman Brook L. Larkins, senior enlisted advisor for the Judge Advocate General. “Their fleet experience provides valuable perspectives for our attorney’s and warfighting mission. Bottom line:  as we continue to grow as a Judge Advocate General Corps and we want the best and brightest in the community,” she added.
 
All in all, if you have a passion for justice, then the legalman rating is for you! As Legalman 1st Class David Schneider, a PACT Sailor who was selected for the legalman rating in 2017, states, “Justice Never Rests!”
 
For more information about the legalman conversion process, read JAGINST 1440.1F, visit the Navy JAG community website at www.jag.navy.mil talk with your command career counselor, and contact the senior enlisted leader of your nearest Region Legal Service Office or Defense Service Office. 

Source: United States Navy

The exercise included the transfer of a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) inert training shape. Moored alongside Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Springfield (SSN 761), Sailors and civil service mariners with Military Sealift Command (MSC) worked together to complete the exercise safely and efficiently.

“This exercise was instrumental to advancing the expeditionary combat capabilities that our submarine tenders and submarines bring to the Pacific Theater,” said Capt. Albert Alarcon, Frank Cable’s commanding officer. “Every training opportunity helps assure our readiness for any contingency.”

Sailors first transferred the capsule launch system platform and all associated missile handling gear to Springfield via crane, where it was attached and assembled on the submarine before transferring the inert shape.

“Both Springfield and Frank Cable weapons handling teams executed exceptionally well in a new environment,” said Lt. Brandon Shellenberger, Frank Cable’s weapons officer. “This operation has strengthened partnerships with allied forces and further validates a full range of submarine tender rearm capabilities. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work side-by-side a group of excellent members in the Royal Australian Navy and Joint Explosive Ordnance Support, Western Australia. Frank Cable’s weapons department continues to prove we are ready to execute any task, anywhere!”

For some, it was their first weapons handling evolution working with two different platforms and the crews worked seamlessly with each other. Royal Australian Navy sailors also observed the evolution, learning about the process from the subject matter experts onboard both Frank Cable and Springfield.

“Working with Frank Cable’s crew of Navy Sailors and MSC civil service mariners in exercises like today’s always serves as a fantastic opportunity to hone both crews’ valuable expeditionary logistics skills,” said Cmdr. Andy Domina, Springfield’s commanding officer. “Incorporating our friends from the Royal Australian Navy in this evolution was an added bonus, as this level of engagement allows us the opportunity to strengthen our interoperability with allies in the region and learn from one another.”

This is the second such exercise Frank Cable has conducted since turning over lead maintenance activity responsibilities with her sister ship, USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), in September 2021. She conducted a similar exercise with Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Hampton (SSN 767) while pier side in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, in October 2021.

Frank Cable, forward-deployed to the island of Guam, rearms, repairs, and re-provisions submarines and surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region. Frank Cable is on patrol conducting expeditionary maintenance and logistics in support of national security in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

For more information about Frank Cable visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/FrankCableAS40.