Matt Hilburn

Copyright 2003 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

April 7, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 37

LENGTH: 456 words

HEADLINE: Frigate takes on unexpected passengers

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, Navy

BODY:
Cruising the Eastern Pacific a few weeks ago on a counterdrug deployment, the frigate Boone made an unexpected discovery that changed the lives of everyone on board for a few days.

The mysterious contact appeared on the Boone's radar in the predawn hours of Feb 4. At first, officer of the deck Fire Controlman 2nd Class Elton Evatt didn't know what to make of it.

"When I first picked it up, I thought it was a drug runner," he said. "They had no lights on and would not answer us on the bridge to bridge [radio]."

As dawn broke, it was apparent to the crew of the Mayport, Fla.-based Boone that they had come across a brewing disaster in waters near Costa Rica.

The contact was a foundering 60-foot fishing vessel, the F/V Challenger, packed with 160 Ecuadorean nationals. The Challenger had left the Ecuadorean port of Manta on Jan. 29 and was about 900 miles from home.

"People were sitting on top of each other," Evatt said. "You couldn't even see the deck."

Cmdr. W.L. Towns, the Boone's commanding officer, said that although it was likely the Ecuadoreans were trying to get to the United States, they seemed to be "receptive" to having been found: They started to eat. "I guess they were saving what food they had."

About 10 a.m., crew members of the Boone and Coast Guardsmen from the embarked Law Enforcement Detachment boarded an inflatable boat to investigate. Damage Controlman 1st Class Tennis Brandon described the conditions.

"The whole ship was trashed," Brandon said. "It was so grimy that you really could not stand up, and we witnessed people 'using the facilities' over the side of the boat."

Over the next seven hours, the Challenger's passengers and crew were brought over to the Boone in the inflatable boat.

Boone crew members, suddenly overcrowded, constructed a makeshift shelter of tarps and rope on the frigate's foc's'le, gave the refugees a hot meal and provided medical attention.

"We actually set up the Navy's first outdoor flushing commode," Brandon said.

Brandon and others then inspected the Challenger to determine its seaworthiness. The craft's wooden hull was rotting, and the ship was taking on water. Brandon estimated 4,000 gallons had leaked into the main engine room.

Realizing the ship was too damaged to tow, the decision was made to sink the Challenger.

The Boone's new passengers spent the next four days on the foredeck as the frigate headed to Manta.

The crew gave their guests three hot meals a day. But it was a voyage unlikely to end the way the passengers wanted.

"At first they were asking where we were going," Brandon said. "We really didn't tell them."

On Feb. 9, the Boone turned its charges over to Ecuadorean immigration officials for processing.

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

Copyright 2003 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

April 28, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 24

LENGTH: 836 words

HEADLINE: Wait and see, two-thirds applying to re-enlist told; New program leaves many sailors in overmanned ratings in limbo

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Two-thirds of the 6,000 first-term sailors who submitted re-enlistment applications in overmanned ratings last month will have to wait at least another 30 days before they can gain a clearer picture of their future in the Navy.

What is clear is that Perform to Serve - the Navy's ambitious personnel program to move sailors out of overmanned ratings and into undermanned jobs - is fundamentally changing the re-enlistment process.

"A lot of sailors wait to the last couple of months [to re-enlist]," said Connie Civiello, the policy department head at the Center for Career Development in Millington, Tenn. "Now with this, they're going to have to plan ahead."

Starting last month, sailors within six months to a year of ending their first term and serving in overmanned ratings - grouped under Career Re-Enlistment Objectives Group 3 - applied for the chance to re-enlist.

This first batch of applications, because it processes a wide swath of sailors nearing the end of their first term, is expected to be larger than what the Navy sees in future months.

Some 30 percent of sailors submitting applications scored high enough to stay in their current ratings, while 5 percent agreed to change their rating to stay in.

The remaining 65 percent are in limbo, meaning they will be "restacked," or re-evaluated, up to six times in the coming months, depending on space available in certain ratings or the sailors' desire to broaden their choices for conversion to a different rating. When applying, sailors are asked to identify three ratings to which they'd be willing to convert.

While the first round affected only those in overmanned ratings, this summer the program is expected to apply to all sailors completing their first enlistment. Navy officials expect the 65-30-5 breakdown to be about the same for the initial months, but it is unclear how those numbers might change once the process stabilizes.

The program's goal is not only to ensure the service more evenly spreads manpower to all ratings, but also to offer sailors who want to stay Navy the opportunity to switch to ratings with greater advancement opportunities.

A common example given by the Navy is the aviation technician/electronic technician switch. Surface warfare ETs, as of Dec. 31, were manned at 115.4 percent, while AT was manned at only 95 percent. As the two ratings share many of the same skills, converting from ET to AT seems logical, offering better chances for advancement for individual sailors and helping the Navy fully man an underpopulated rating. But some conversions may not be to closely related ratings.

"We hate to lose the experience and training the Navy has given these guys, but right now we have a huge demand for masters-at-arms, for example," Cmdr. Chris Arendt, director of enlisted plans and policy, said April 16. "Being sailorized is really 90 percent of what it takes, though - the desire, drive and interest."

One of the most dramatic changes in the new program is that personnel decisions are being centralized. No longer is it the commanding officer's prerogative whether to grant a re-enlistment, though command still will play a major role, particularly in counseling sailors about their chances to stay in their existing rating.

"At the command level, the CO doesn't have the vision" in terms of Navywide personnel needs, Arendt said.

Cmdr. Moises Del Toro, head of enlisted community managers, was quick to point out that commanding officers' recommendations are not being removed from consideration, but that the sailor's record now must back up the CO's recommendation.

"The big change is that people aren't able to execute their desires exactly when they want to," Del Toro said. "When someone suggests something different, it's a little hard.

"It just takes some planning - you can't just say I want to re-enlist tomorrow, Del Toro added.

"I don't see any long-term negative impact," Arendt said. "We've created an additional step in re-enlisting, which might be tough at the deckplate level, but if we can balance out these skills, it gives the sailors the best opportunity and the Navy the best opportunity."

For that 65 percent who still find themselves in limbo, Arendt offers some advice.

"If they see themselves in that stack for three months, then they probably need to starting thinking about a different career field," he said. "As for getting one of their top three choices, there's no guarantee, but we certainly hope they pick from CREO I [undermanned ratings]."

-----------------------------------------------

Crowded jobs

Top overmanned ratings as of March 31:

Rating Percent manned

Electrician's mate 116.8

Gunner's mate 115.9

Electronics technician (SW) 114.2

Aviation mechanic's mate 113.1

Fire controlman 112.5

Aviation electrician's mate 111.5

Engineman 110.3

Damage controlman 109.4

Aviation electronics technician 105.1

Aviation ordnanceman 105.2

Source: Navy Personnel Command

NOTES: FACT BOX AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 5, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 26

LENGTH: 320 words

HEADLINE: Re-up surge continues; But future rates could be affected by long deployments

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Shipping over continues to be the choice eight out of 10 first-term sailors make, as Navy re-enlistment rates for March rolled on at unprecedented levels.

First-termers re-upped at 80.5 percent, sailors with six to 10 years at 77.3 percent, and those with 10 to 14 years of service at 88.6 percent.

"The goal that [the chief of naval operations] set is for 56 percent for zone A [sailors with six years or less], and we're at 70 percent," said Capt. James Gigliotti, director of the Center for Career Development in Millington, Tenn. "Those are the guys we really want to target."

Gigliotti said most of the credit for the good numbers is due to increased educational opportunities offered by the Navy.

"A well-informed sailor comparing job opportunities in and out of the Navy will make better decisions, and we do this through education," he said.

The current economic situation also is a factor, Gigliotti admitted.

"It obviously helps that the economy is staggering along," he said. "We're looking for ways to keep this rate high when the economy picks up and we have more competition from the outside."

Gigliotti discounts the surge in patriotism as a factor for people shipping over.

"I don't think it has a great deal of impact compared to the education," he said. "I can't give you data, but we have surveyed sailors and, sure, there is a renewed sense of patriotism - that is a factor. But I think people realize the Navy is a pretty good deal, and they're opting to stay in."

Despite the good news, there are challenges on the horizon. The economy will pick up again, and Gigliotti said the long deployments the Navy has seen during the war on terrorism could have an effect on re-enlistment numbers.

"We're taking a business approach, and asking what can we do for our employees to keep them around," he said.

"It's going to be a long-term effort. We're not sitting back on our laurels."

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 5, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 26

LENGTH: 454 words

HEADLINE: Test aims to match sailors with jobs in line with their skills, experience

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Sailors wanting to stay Navy will get a new shot at an old test in an effort to find jobs sailors like and the Navy needs.

The Armed Forces Classification Test has become a fleetwide vehicle for improving individual sailors' Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery scores. The hope is that as the Navy's Perform to Serve policy - which moves re-enlisting sailors from overmanned to undermanned ratings - rolls out, sailors taking the AFCT will have a better chance of moving to a rating more in line with their skills and aptitudes.

Sailors wanting to switch to a rating in which they need a higher ASVAB score can take the AFCT, which is scored the same as the ASVAB, and have that score count.

The AFCT "has been around for some time," said Cmdr. Chris Arendt, director of enlisted plans and policy.

"We're making sailors more aware of it because of Perform to Serve and choosing different career paths. We want to give them the widest choice of career paths."

Research conducted by the Navy's Selection and Classification Office has demonstrated that test scores tend to increase based on three factors: maturity, exposure to a technical environment and improved language skills from naval service.

Officials at the Selection and Classification Office said sailors mature intellectually while serving in the Navy by going through Navy schools, working in their particular career field and watching what others do. These experiences can lead to higher test scores, and early data seems to bear this out.

"When we compared ASVAB to AFCT, it looked like there was a general trend in increasing scores based on those three reasons," said Dr. Lisa Mills, an advisor in research-and-development studies and analysis at the Selection and Classification Office.

"[The use of the AFCT] has been sporadic in the past, said Mills. "People have retested for a variety of reasons, but Perform to Serve gives them an opportunity to show their skills.'

In order to take the test, the sailor needs to have been in some kind of educational program such as GED classes or college courses since taking the initial ASVAB, but there is flexibility as to what can count toward that requirement.

"We had one sailor who was studying for a citizenship test, and we counted that for the English and math requirement," Arendt said.

According to Arendt, each deployed carrier strike group, amphibious ready group or shore-based facility has the capability to request testing authority, and testing can be accommodated to a sailor's own schedule.

Unlike the ASVAB, which is available in a computer version, the AFCT is a paper-and-pencil-only test.

Sailors interested in taking the AFCT should contact their career counselor.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 5, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 22

LENGTH: 416 words

HEADLINE: Backlog of PCS moves to clear up soon; High retention levels and war drove up costs

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Some 20,000 sailors affected by a temporary hold on PCS orders now can expect to be on the move.

The holdups began in January due to unprecedented high levels of retention and the high readiness levels necessitated by the global war on terrorism, the commander of Navy Personnel Command said. The amount of money budgeted for PCS moves in fiscal 2003 was $730 million, and Navy officials said that, given high readiness and retention, they projected a shortfall of about $80 million.

"We didn't run out of money," said Rear Adm. Steven Tomaszeski in Millington, Tenn. "We just looked at the moves, and the money wasn't going to be there.

"When you get increased retention, you have more people in the Navy and more move-eligible sailors," he said. "Then you had folks we had to get out there, and that had a cost to it."

The Navy is congressionally mandated to maintain a certain readiness level and the PCS budget for any given year is calculated to meet those levels, Tomaszeski said.

"This was an unusual year," he said. "The plan didn't include the war and the high levels of retention. We don't budget for a war every year. There has to be some readiness limit."

Personnel Command is working to unclog the backlog of PCS moves in a variety of ways, Tomaszeski said.

"We have a formula on the number of people who are going to retire and, with the war, we have lots of people who didn't want to retire," he said. "That saved us money, which we moved to readiness moves."

Also, the Navy focused on "low-cost/no-cost" moves, meaning, for example, that instead of moving a sailor from Norfolk, Va., to San Diego, it tried to match that sailor to a position either in Norfolk or somewhere closer. Tomaszeski also expects an influx of funds as part of the supplemental defense budget passed by Congress to help pay for the war in Iraq.

"We have not seen that money, but we expect to use it for the cost of war," Tomaszeski said.

As for the sailors affected by the hold, Tomaszeski said he's asking the fleet to be patient.

"We told them that if you're really not going to a place that benefits us, please be patient," he said. "If you're a typical sailor, and you get put on hold, it's frustrating. It's a morale factor, and we take that very seriously."

Despite the delays in moving some sailors, Tomaszeski is confident about the future.

"I fully expect every sailor who has a [Planned Rotation Date] in fiscal '03 to move at their planned date of rotation."

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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May 12, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 26

LENGTH: 671 words

HEADLINE: Navy exits Vieques to sound and fury; 'We have achieved our dream,' says Puerto Rico's governor

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, Associated Press

BODY:
Over six decades of acrimony over the Navy's use of the Vieques target range in Puerto Rico came to an end May 1, with dancing, prayers, some vandalism - and a fireworks display.

The former live-fire range on the eastern third of the island, some 15,587 acres, was turned over to the U.S. Department of the Interior and will serve as a national wildlife refuge. The Navy training previously done at Vieques has been relocated to facilities in Florida and North Carolina.

"We are here today to mark the beginning of a new era in peace and prosperity for Vieques," Puerto Rico Gov. Sila Calderon said at the island on April 30 to thunderous applause. "It is a moment of great joy, for we have achieved our dream."

Calderon announced she will ask Congress to put Vieques on the national priority list for cleanup of the bombing range.

The Navy has pledged $2 million in fiscal 2003 to clean up its former property, but the total cleanup cost remains unclear.

The celebration was not without incident, as some of the hundreds of revelers stormed through the gate at Camp Garcia, stole Navy vehicles, drove them to the gate of the range and smashed the headlights and windows. They also turned over a Humvee towing a boat and set it ablaze. Protesters also attacked workers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, slightly injuring one.

With the transfer, opponents of the training range achieved the first of the "four Ds" they sought: demilitarization, decontamination, devolution and development.

A spokesman for Todo Puerto Rico con Vieques [All of Puerto Rico with Vieques], Jose Paraliticci, told El Nuevo Dia newspaper, "We understand that it has been a victory to stop the bombing. But we have to [ensure] the land is decontaminated and returned to the community, and now we're starting on this part of the struggle."

The Navy began acquiring land on the island in 1941, resulting in the displacement of some residents. Training began in 1947.

The beginning of the end of the Navy's presence on Vieques came in April 1999 when a Marine Corps Hornet pilot flying off the carrier John F. Kennedy accidentally dropped a bomb on a target range observation tower, killing David Sanes Rodriguez, a civilian guard. After the incident, the Navy used only inert rounds on the range, and in June 2001, President Bush announced the Navy would withdraw from Vieques in May 2003.

For years, local residents blamed the range for crippling the local economy and making people sick.

But it was the death of Rodriguez that polarized opposition to the Navy's presence on Vieques, and more than 1,000 protesters have been arrested in recent years as each round of naval exercises was met with increasingly heated manifestations, including occupation of the range by protesters for nearly a year in 2001.

Some better-known protesters included Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton, who was arrested two years ago during a protest and served 90 days in jail, was on hand at the celebration marking the transfer of the range.

Although many Puerto Ricans opposed the Navy's presence on Vieques, support persisted for nearby Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, which exists largely to support the former Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility centered on Vieques. The Navy has said the naval station pumps some $300 million annually into the local economy. But with Vieques gone, the Navy people who supported activities from Roosevelt Roads are being sent elsewhere.

Adm Robert Natter, commander of Atlantic Fleet and Fleet Forces Command, ordered many of the reassignments. He told Navy Times earlier this year that if the Vieques range closed in May, he saw no need to continue operations at Roosevelt Roads.

Calderon has said her government will work to keep Roosevelt Roads from closing.

Although operations at "Rosie Roads" are severely curtailed, the base remains Navy property. Its future will be determined under the next round of the Base Realignment and Closure Act, due in 2005.

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 26, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 28

LENGTH: 243 words

HEADLINE: Corpsmen free to leave after FMF stop-loss lifted

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Navy corpsmen assigned to Marine units are free to retire or separate now that the Navy lifted its stop-loss policy May 15.

The policy was put in place in early April in anticipation of a longer war in Iraq.

"The Navy implemented a targeted stop-loss for some of our field corpsmen to bolster combat readiness and preserve unit integrity in frontline Marine Corps units," Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Gerry Hoewing said. "With combat operations in Iraq now coming to a close, there is simply no longer a need to maintain that stop-loss."

Sailors with Navy Enlisted Classification 8404 who were held beyond their separation dates and do not desire to re-enlist will be released from stop-loss no earlier than June 1 and no later than Sept. 15.

Personnel previously approved for transfer to the Fleet Reserve whose requests were canceled may resubmit requests.

Sailors involuntarily held beyond their separation dates who wish to stay must re-enlist.

Personnel officials said in April only a few hundred sailors would be affected by the order.

"We truly appreciate the sacrifices our sailors and their families have made to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terror," Hoewing added. "My heartfelt thanks go out to all of them and, of course, to those brave corpsmen who contributed so much to the effort and who may be leaving the service as a result of this change in policy."

For more information, see NavAdmin 121/03.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Army Times

May 26, 2003 Monday

SECTION: LIFELINES; Pg. 40

LENGTH: 590 words

HEADLINE: Personal account highlights grim reality of Khe Sanh

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times Staff writer

BODY:
One could fill a small library with books on the Vietnam War, and no doubt a section could be stocked with books on what was perhaps the most symbolic and well-known battle of the entire conflict, Khe Sanh.

"West Dickens Avenue: A Marine at Khe Sanh," while not as definitive as Eric Hamme's "Khe Sanh: Siege in the Clouds: An Oral History," deepens understanding of the battle through a simple, yet grim, personal account. It is through the prism of John Corbett's experience that the failed American strategy in Vietnam comes into a frighteningly stark focus.

As a private first class "ammo humper" for a mortar platoon in the 26th Marine Regiment, Corbett arrived at Khe Sanh in early January 1968, after a barroom dare changed his mind from fleeing to Canada to avoid the draft to enlisting in the Marine Corps.

After the whirlwind of boot camp, then deployment, Corbett found himself in a place the name of which he barely could pronounce. The first instruction he received on arrival at the American combat base at Khe Sanh was to dig in and prepare for an imminent onslaught from the enemy. Oddly enough, the book's title comes from a discarded street sign Corbett found while digging his fighting hole, which he named "West Dickens Avenue."

Ominous news whirled around Corbett and his fellow Marines. Even the green Corbett knew it did not bode well. The remote firebase near the Vietnamese border with Laos slowly was being encircled by elements of three divisions of North Vietnamese Army troops under the leadership of General Vo Nguyen Giap, the architect of the French humiliation at Dien Bien Phu. Giap hoped to repeat his earlier victory and deliver a crushing blow to the United States.

The 77-day siege that ensued tested the mettle of the 6,000 Marines who denied Giap his victory. They die or are wounded on every page of Corbett's account. Potable water, decent food and sleep were rare commodities. Corbett himself nearly was picked off by a sniper and came close to being blown to bits by artillery.

Perhaps the most intense passages occur when the NVA scored a direct hit and ignited the ammo depot on the base. The explosion immediately killed 18 and wounded scores over the next 48 hours as nearly the whole supply of ammo cooked off. Descriptions of the incoming rockets, mortars and gunfire combined with the periodic eruptions from the ammo depot give a shocking sense of what sitting ducks the Marines at Khe Sanh were.

"West Dickens" is a gripping tale of personal bravery and suffering in the face of staggering odds and a relentless assault. The book attempts to make no broader political statement about the war than to portray the 6,000 Marines involved in the siege as brave individuals carrying out their duty under the most hellish conditions.

Corbett's no-nonsense style sounds dispassionate at times, but the short, rapid-fire sentences are lively enough to convey a sense of desperation and make the book a page-turner. While each page pulses with the adrenaline of battle, what is most striking is how many leaders knew a siege was coming yet did little but wait for the enemy to bring the battle to them.

Corbett notes that Army Gen. William C. Westmoreland, commander of American forces in Vietnam, acknowledged that a commander wins no battles by sitting back and waiting for the enemy to come to him.

Yet this was precisely the role he assigned to the Marines at Khe Sanh.

"West Dickens Avenue: A Marine at Khe Sanh" by John Corbett. Presidio Press. 205 pages, $24.95.

NOTES: 1 color photo OF BOOK COVER; THIS ARTICLE ALSO APPEARS ON PAGE 38 IN NAVY TIMES, AIR FORCE TIMES & MARINE CORPS TIMES

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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July 7, 2003 Monday

SECTION: Pg. 8

LENGTH: 429 words

HEADLINE: Lawmakers target DD(X), subs for cuts while boosting LPD-17

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, Northrop Grumman

BODY:
The Navy got what it wanted, for the most part, from the House Appropriations Committee's spending bill recommendations, including $11.5 billion earmarked for shipbuilding.

There were some recommended cuts, however.

The committee deemed "premature" the Navy's request to enter into a multi-year procurement contract for seven submarines through fiscal 2008.

Citing the current status of the nuclear attack submarine Virginia, which likely won't be delivered until late 2004, the committee was "concerned that the estimated cost savings anticipated with the multi-year acquisition strategy appear insufficient given the size of the program" and cut $275 million from the $1.5 billion the Navy wanted.

"I'm not convinced the Virginia-class is ready," said Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., chairman of the appropriations committee's subcommittee on defense. "They haven't put the first ship in the water yet." Four SSN 774 Virginia-class submarines currently are under construction.

The DD(X) destroyer program was slashed by $110 million down to $928 million because of "delays in design and obligation of previously appropriated funds."

The LHA(R) program to replace amphibious assault ships was cut by $64.9 million and terminated because "there is not a valid requirement" for the ship. The committee said the program could be resurrected, however, if the Navy further justifies it under Seapower 21 objectives.

On the other hand, the committee recommended increased funding for the LPD-17 San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks, upping the ante by $175 million to nearly $1.4 billion and funding LSD 23, the seventh ship in the class.

Most items were in line with the Navy's requests, including $3.2 billion to procure three more DDG 51 destroyers, $1.5 billion for the CVN 21 aircraft carrier, $355 million for the LHD 8 amphibious assault ship and $168 million for the Littoral Combat Ship program.

The committee agreed with the Navy's request for nearly $3 billion for 42 F/A-18E/F fighters, as well as $833 million for nine V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. There now are 141 planes of all types on order.

The 2004 budget would support a total force of 292 ships, including 18 strategic submarines, 12 aircraft carriers and 227 other battle force ships, plus 1,626 Navy-Marine Corps tactical aircraft, 313 fleet air support aircraft, 385 Reserve aircraft and more than 1,000 training aircraft.

Lewis said he expects the bill to be considered by the full House shortly after the July 4th recess.

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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July 14, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 8

LENGTH: 468 words

HEADLINE: House bill appears to seal Roosevelt Roads' fate

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, John Bretschneider, Times staff

BODY:
The fate of Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico appears close to being sealed. For the first time, details of when and how the Navy would close the base have surfaced in the 2004 defense appropriations bill, which is working its way through Congress.

According to the House bill, the Navy would close Rosie Roads six months after the bill becomes law.

If Congress passes the proposed legislation, the Navy will have no trouble meeting a six-month deadline to comply with the law as it's written, said a senior Navy official familiar with the issue.

The House Appropriations Committee on June 26 approved the appropriations bill, which funds programs Congress authorizes in the defense authorization bill, and sent it to the full House. The Senate did not act on its version of the appropriations bill before the July 4 recess.

The House bill authorizes the Navy to "dispose of the real property and associated personal property at the former naval station by public sale" and authorizes the disposal of surplus property. Funds to initiate the closure can be drawn from the Department of Defense Base Closure Account under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990. Proceeds from the sale of property are to be deposited back into the account "for the benefit of the Department of the Navy."

Rosie Roads' future has been in question since the Navy announced it would stop using the nearby Vieques testing range for live-fire exercises, which ended permanently April 30.

Although many Puerto Ricans opposed the Navy's presence on Vieques, support persisted for Roosevelt Roads, which exists largely to support the former Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility on Vieques.

Puerto Rico Gov. Sila Calderon, a Vieques range opponent who has been vocal about keeping Roosevelt Roads open, did not return calls for comment.

The Navy said the naval station pumps some $300 million annually into the local economy. But with Vieques gone, Navy people who supported activities from Roosevelt Roads are being sent elsewhere.

Adm. Robert Natter, commander of Atlantic Fleet and Fleet Forces Command, ordered many of the reassignments. He told Navy Times in December that if the Vieques range closed, he saw no need to continue operations at Roosevelt Roads. What seemed to be jumping the gun then now appears prescient.

"Without Vieques, there is no way I need the Navy facilities at Roosevelt Roads - none," Natter said in a written statement to Navy Times on July 2. "It's a drain on the Defense Department and taxpayer dollars. Every dollar I spend operating and maintaining an unnecessary facility is money I don't have to train and prepare ships and aircraft for deployment."

While Natter can curtail operations severely, the fate of Roosevelt Roads remains with Congress.

NOTES: 1 COLOR MAP. MAP HED: Closing

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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July 28, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 10

LENGTH: 559 words

HEADLINE: Funding bill keeps sub buys treading water; Senate OKs 5 through '08, but Navy wants 7; SEAL minisub at risk

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, Ron Stern, Defense Department

BODY:
The full Senate passed its version of the fiscal 2004 defense appropriations bill July 17 by a vote of 95-0. The move leaves the fate of several Navy programs up in the air until the bill is reconciled later this summer with the House.

Among the questions is how the Navy will buy its next submarines. The Senate version of the bill resuscitates the Navy's plan for a multiyear procurement contract for several Virginia-class attack submarines.

While the House version would strip $275 million from the $1.5 billion the Navy wanted in 2004, effectively limiting the number of subs the Navy could buy to one, the Senate bill grants the Navy authority to purchase five submarines, or one per year from 2004 through 2008. But it reduces the amounts by $59 million for the 2005 sub and $65 million from both the 2007 and the 2008 subs. The Navy wants authorization for seven new subs.

The Senate also dealt a blow to the Advanced SEAL Delivery System, saying in an appropriations committee report that "the resources requested for procurement would be more effectively used to further the ongoing research and development efforts." A proposed cut of $23.6 million could delay the delivery of a second boat by at least a year or kill the program.

"This is what is going to kill the program," said an industry supporter of the minisub. "We thought we had this thing won. And the Senate Appropriations Committee just surprised us."

The Senate recommended $450 million the Navy didn't request for engineered refueling overhauls for the attack submarines Jacksonville and Portsmouth. The Navy had wanted to decommission Jacksonville and delay ERO for Portsmouth.

Construction of the LHD 8 amphibious assault ship was funded to the tune of $236.3 million compared with the $355 million the House authorized.

The cruiser conversion program, intended to upgrade 22 Ticonderoga-class ships, was delayed because the committee questioned why the Navy sought to start the program with the Cape St. George, one of the newest cruisers in the fleet, and one already equipped with many of the upgrades that cruiser conversion is supposed to provide. The committee also was not satisfied with the Navy's proposed acquisition and funding strategy.

Despite being "disappointed" with the Navy's procurement strategy for LPD 17 amphibious transport dock ships, the Senate recommended $75 million in advance procurement funding for materials for LPD 23. The remainder of LPD 23's funding will come from the 2005 budget. The House version would give $175 million to the program in 2004.

The Senate expressed concerns over the Navy's desire to buy the first versions of the DD(X) destroyer and the Littoral Combat Ship from research and development money, saying "if these ships - the DD(X) and LCS - are funded in research and development, all research and development acquisition rules apply, including technology readiness reviews, milestone decisions, and tests and evaluation before these ships may enter shipbuilding and conversion for procurement."

The Senate saw eye to eye with the House in fully funding the acquisition of 42 F-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters at a cost of nearly $3 billion as well as authorizing $833 million for the acquisition of nine V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft for the Marine Corps.

NOTES: 1 color photo

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

August 4, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 23

LENGTH: 425 words

HEADLINE: A ribbon of light could save firefighters' lives; Illuminating fire hose uses fiber optics to lead the way to safety

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
The idea seems so simple, you wonder why it wasn't thought of before.

The Moonlight is an illuminating fire hose that assists a lost or disoriented firefighter to quickly locate the hose and find a lifeline out of danger, and it should help allow firefighters to more easily find a trapped or incapacitated colleague. It is estimated that nearly 40 percent of firefighter fatalities are caused by firefighters losing contact with the hose and running out of air.

"Right now we follow the hose out, but we follow it blind," said Paul Iannizzotto of the New York City Fire Department.

Sometimes, Iannizzotto said, there are so many hoses at a fire that "it's like wet spaghetti" to try to follow them out since "you don't know where they lead."

The moonlight hose could solve this problem because the fiber-optic light colors can be changed easily, allowing for quick communication.

According to one of the hose's inventors, Fire Chief Richard Strasser of Naval Air Systems Command Lakehurst, N.J., "This hose would be ideal for use aboard ships and boats due to their maze-like configurations in very dark and close quarters. It would be very useful in guiding firefighters in and out of the danger zone."

An idea is born

The idea came to Strasser while rolling up normal fire hose, which usually has a red stripe running down its length. Strasser and co-inventor Roger Brown, also of NAVAIR Lakehurst, thought it would be great if the red stripe was illuminated.

The prototype works on a 50-foot hose, the standard length used by most fire departments. It's basically a sleeve with a fiber-optic tube that wraps around existing hose.

The sleeve can then be plugged into the firetruck's power system to illuminate the tube.

Strasser and Brown secured a patent for their product and hope it can be produced commercially in six months to a year. Future versions will have the fiber optics sewn into the hose.

A great idea?

Iannizzotto, who had not heard of the hose but said it sounded like a great idea, had some questions about how it worked. One of his main concerns is how the power is conducted across numerous 50-foot lengths of hose hooked together.

"My concern is that you might add an extra step in there. I don't know how conducive that is to a quick attack," he said. "If it adds weight to the hose or you lose maneuverability, that might be a problem."

According to Strasser, interest is high in the new invention.

"We've heard from a lot of fire chiefs who think it's a wonderful idea that will save lives," he said.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

Copyright 2003 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Marine Corps Times

August 4, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 28

LENGTH: 900 words

HEADLINE: Ukrainian's dream sunk by Navy 'rescue'

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Whether it was a "rescue" - as characterized by the Navy - or an international misunderstanding, a 35-year-old Ukrainian's dreams of becoming the third person ever to row back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean came to an end July 10 aboard a Navy frigate.

When Theodore Rezvoy set out from New York in a 23-foot custom-built rowboat on July 2, bound for Brest, France, he expected to be at sea for about two months. The ocean rower already had crossed the Atlantic in 2001 via the southern route from Spain to Barbados.

But eight days after casting off from the Manhattan Sailing Club pier and 250 miles out, Rezvoy's hopes began to sink. In high seas and low visibility, the boat he had built with his father had capsized and righted twice, he was having rudder problems and was experiencing some pain in his liver. Prevailing winds actually were blowing him back toward New York.

Interviewed by phone on July 18 and speaking through an interpreter, Rezvoy recounted his tale.

On July 10, an alarm notified Rezvoy of an approaching ship, the frigate Doyle, on its way to Salem, Mass., for a maritime festival.

According to Rezvoy's stepfather, Kenneth Crutchlow, the executive director of the London-based Ocean Rowing Society, Rezvoy heard an alarm on his Sea-Me radar that a ship was within eight miles of his craft. Rezvoy fired a white flare to make sure the ship saw him.

"He contacted them, gave his position, his name and that he was heading to France," Crutchlow said. "He didn't know it was a Navy ship."

According to Rezvoy's mother, Tatiana Rezva-Crutchlow, Rezvoy may not have known it was a Navy ship because his English is poor. She added it might have appeared odd to the Doyle that even though Rezvoy said he was heading to France, he actually was moving back toward New York.

According to Rezva-Crutchlow, the radio contact between Rezvoy and the Doyle "was very joking" but, "when they actually came, they were very serious."

Rezvoy described the demeanor of the Doyle sailors as "firm."

Rezvoy was hoping for some medicine for his liver and, if possible, someone who could lift the boat out of the water so he could access the rudder.

But he maintains it was not an emergency situation and that he told the Doyle if help could be offered he would take it but, if not, he would continue.

Rezvoy said he did not activate his Argus emergency position-indicating satellite beacon, typically used in dire straits.

The Doyle sent over a rigid-hull inflatable boat and, as it approached the rowboat, the sailors on the RHIB told Rezvoy to undo his jacket and asked if he had any weapons or explosives.

Doyle sailors then boarded the rowboat, searched the cabins and confiscated a flare gun and a knife, while a diver searched underneath. The boat then was towed to the lee side of the Doyle.

Rezvoy was taken on board the Doyle, where he was frisked "like the police do in movies," he said. Rezvoy then watched as the Doyle attempted to lift the rowboat on board.

"They tried very hard to lift the boat," Rezvoy said.

The Doyle then attempted to tow the rowboat but, according to the Navy, was having a hard time making way while towing the 23-foot boat.

It is here where the accounts by the Navy and Rezvoy and his family begin to diverge.

Disputed story

After watching the failed attempt to lift his boat, Rezvoy was taken for medical treatment, a hot shower and a meal.

According to the Navy, the boat was in "poor condition," with one of the oar housing cases broken, making it impossible for Rezvoy to propel himself. While Rezvoy was getting medical attention, the crew of the Doyle cast the rowboat adrift.

Rezvoy claims the boat still was in working order.

Lt. Cmdr. Bradley Fagan, a Navy spokesman at the Doyle's home port of Mayport, Fla., said the frigate's crew informed Rezvoy of their plans to cut his boat loose and that he was fine with the decision. But according to Rezvoy, he was informed only after the fact.

The Navy also said it gave Rezvoy a chance to go back onto his boat to collect personal belongings. Rezvoy said the only things he took from the boat were an Iridium satellite phone and a digital camera and that he had grabbed them when first leaving his ship for the Doyle.

After being told his boat had been cast off, Rezvoy said he had hopes the craft could be salvaged.

The Coast Guard sent out a safety broadcast notice to mariners advising that the boat was adrift and asking for volunteers to recover the boat. As of July 18, there were no reports that the boat had been recovered.

On July 11, the Doyle pulled into Salem and handed Rezvoy over to police, who checked his immigration status, which was in order.

The Navy then gave Rezvoy his oars and, as a final blow to his hopes of recovering the craft, the Argus satellite beacon, which had been removed, ending any chance the boat's emergency system would send out a mayday call.

Despite having spent nearly $100,000 on the venture, Crutchlow and Rezvoy don't hold a grudge over what happened.

Rezvoy is taking full responsibility and thanked the Doyle for helping. He and his family want to get on with planning the next trans-Atlantic attempt. But Crutchlow did want the incident to reassure Americans about their safety.

"We'd like to say that the guys on the Doyle are seen as doing such a good job that not even a rowboat can get through," he said.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Army Times

September 29, 2003 Monday

SECTION: LIFELINES; Pg. 28

LENGTH: 596 words

HEADLINE: Defense of Wake Island revisited

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Marine Corps Pfc. Wiley Sloman manned a 5-inch gun battery on Wake Island during the Japanese onslaught and while the gun crew was credited with sinking the first major Japanese warship of the war, Sloman paid what appeared to be the ultimate price for his intrepidity.

He took a bullet to the head and, for three days, lay among the dead until a Japanese burial detail found him still clinging to life.

Sloman's story of grit, tenacity and survival against all odds serves as the inspiration for author Bill Sloan's highly readable history of the battle at Wake Island. It's also a metaphor for one of the burning questions about the battle: Was Wake given up for dead when it could have been saved?

The story of Wake is not a new one, but it has been largely overshadowed by the attack on Pearl Harbor, which took place just five hours before the first Japanese sorties bombed Wake. Still, many books have recounted the battle. Sloan, however, is a veteran reporter, not a historian, and "Given Up For Dead: America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island," while exhaustively reported and researched, moves at a pace that screams "future screenplay."

There's a brief treatment of Wake's role in prewar military strategy, but the meat of the book is the blow-by-blow recounting of how 385 Marines, along with a handful of other service members and about a thousand civilians, fought for two weeks - and at one point appeared to have beaten a much stronger Japanese force.

Throughout the course of the narrative, we meet the men who defended Wake and some of the Japanese who wrested the atoll from the Americans. Most memorable is Sloman, whose injury and subsequent recuperation on Wake, under the care of a Japanese doctor, is told in stomach-churning detail.

The tales of heroism on the battlefield are gripping and the intrigue surrounding American and Japanese tactics, or lack thereof, is engaging, but the final chapters of the book are the most interesting. The voyage of the prisoner ship Nitta Maru from Wake to Shanghai, with more than a thousand prisoners on board, is a gut-wrenching tale, as are the passages about the more than three years most Wake veterans spent in Japanese prison camps. After the battle, 1,593 Americans and Guamanians were taken prisoner, and 244 of them died in captivity.

Could Wake have been saved? Sloan tackles this whopper of a question only in the afterword. Very briefly, he covers the gamut of views, including Marine Col. Omar Pfeiffer's suggestion that the surrender at Wake was "the blackest day in the history of the U.S. Navy," blaming Adms. William Pye and Frank Fletcher for indecisiveness when presented with a chance to strike the Japanese fleet and give the United States a much-needed victory.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there was the island's top Marine, Maj. James Devereux, a hero of the battle who spent 31/2 years as a prisoner of war. He believed Pye made the right choice in not risking his ships for Wake.

A substantial amount of blame is given to Cmdr. Winfield S. Cunningham, the senior officer on Wake. Cunningham's opaque radio transmission of Dec. 23, 1941, "Enemy on island. Issue in doubt," may have been the decisive piece of information that led to Pye ordering Task Force 14, led by the carrier Saratoga, and Task Force 11, led by the carrier Lexington, to retreat. Whether that was a smart move or a fumbled opportunity, the ultimate effect was to leave Wake for dead.

Given Up For Dead: America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island by Bill Sloan. Bantam Books. 432 pages, $24.95.

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO OF BOOK COVER

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

November 10, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 10

LENGTH: 577 words

HEADLINE: 'Carelessness' cited as academy professor punished for plagiarism

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Brian VanDeMark, a Naval Academy history professor accused of plagiarism, was stripped of tenure and had his pay cut after a board of peers concluded he committed acts of "gross carelessness" in his book "Pandora's Keepers: Nine Men and the Atomic Bomb."

On Oct. 28, the three-member board found that VanDeMark's book, published earlier this year, contained "a number of instances of improper borrowing and inadequate paraphrasing, and that these improprieties constituted plagiarism." The board also concluded the plagiarism occurred because of carelessness and was not deliberate.

VanDeMark, a professor at the academy since 1990, declined to comment on the findings but issued a statement through the academy, saying " 'Pandora's Keepers' was a big undertaking - a 399-page biography of nine men with 676 footnotes and a bibliography including all the sources used - and I became overconfident about paraphrasing a lot of secondary sources," adding "I reiterate my personal responsibility and accept accountability for my unintentional mistakes."

Accountability will come in the form of losing the tenure he received in 1998, three years of academic probation after which he may reapply for tenure, a demotion from associate professor to entry-level assistant professor and a reduction of over $10,000 in annual salary from $73,317 to $63,043.

Problems with the book were spotted in May by atomic-bomb historians who had been asked to review it for the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. The historians, Gregg Herken and Robert S. Norris, compiled a list of more than 50 passages that closely resembled those in their books and others about the bomb.

These revelations sparked an investigation by VanDeMark's fellow history professors at the academy and his being pulled from teaching duties.

Among the authors from whom VanDeMark borrowed, opinion was split about the suitability of his punishment. Herken, author of "The Winning Weapon: The Atomic Bomb in the Cold War, 1945-1950," told The Washington Post he was "relieved" VanDeMark was not fired. William Lanuoette, author of "Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard, the Man Behind the Bomb," thought the punishment was light.

"They all seem to be in denial over there," he said. Academy Dean William C. Miller "called it plagiarism, but won't seem to go ahead with an appropriate punishment, and Mr. VanDeMark will not call it plagiarism."

Robert S. Norris, author of "Racing for the Bomb," another book from which VanDeMark borrowed, said VanDeMark should have been fired.

"You either uphold standards or you don't. In my opinion, the Naval Academy failed its responsibility to abide by its own stated principles and has condoned an egregious case of plagiarism. This is not the academy's proudest moment, and it may come back to haunt them," he wrote on the History News Network Web site.

Little, Brown and Co., the book's publisher, recalled 15,000 copies of the book soon after the allegations were made public. The company plans to republish the book in paperback once VanDeMark has made the "necessary corrections."

VanDeMark reached notoriety through his work as co-author on Robert S. McNamara's best-selling book "In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam."

After his probation, VanDeMark could regain his tenured status by meeting the academy's standards for teaching and research as well as publishing his work in academic journals.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

Copyright 2003 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

November 17, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 24

LENGTH: 581 words

HEADLINE: Trader Jon's closes after 50 years

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn and Vivienne Heines; Times staff writers, Photos by The Associated Press

BODY:
It was a mecca for naval aviators, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who got their wings in the past 50 years who hadn't been there. But after more than five decades, Trader Jon's bar is closed for good.

To a newcomer, the first view of the Pensacola, Fla., bar could be overwhelming. Dark and overrun with memorabilia, it had concrete floors, high ceilings draped with flags, a heavy wooden bar surrounded by stools, and walls covered with every possible type of aviation paraphernalia, from photos to plaques to flight suits and helmets. Hundreds of model aircraft dangled from the ceiling, giving it the quality of a crowded, eccentric and informal museum.

The core clientele was sailors and Marines, but the famed bar also attracted astronauts, politicians, royalty and movie stars, including John Wayne, Bob Hope, Elizabeth Taylor, Prince Andrew and Brooke Shields.

Martin "Trader Jon" Weissman, an Army veteran who founded the bar in 1952, had a passion for flying and created a naval-aviation theme for his bar. Aviators who came donated equipment and other items to the decorations. Weissman's own eccentricities added to the appeal: His favorite attire was walking shorts and mismatched socks, and he used to offer $100,000 to anyone who caught him wearing a matching pair of socks. He claimed he never paid up.

"The first time I went there was when I was in flight school in the mid-'70s," said retired Capt. Rob Stumpf, a former Blue Angels leader and one-time co-founder of the Trader Jon's Preservation Squadron. "Then at various times we'd be back in Pensacola for carrier quals, and we'd go back. When I was in the Blues, I got to know Trader, and that really made the place special. He was a special and captivating man."

When "Trader" died in 2000, the fate of his bar went into limbo until Matt Heckemeyer, a 15-year Navy veteran and H-60 helicopter pilot, fended off Stumpf's group - which wanted to make the bar a reunion center - and bought the bar for $464,000.

"It's heartbreaking," Heckemeyer said a couple of days before Trader's went dark. "I've had more people thank me for trying to take it into the new millennium.

"I can't begin to tell you how many people I've had come by. I even had someone in Seattle call me to ask me to stay open until Sunday so they could fly down and see it one last time."

While Heckemeyer says it's hard to name just one reason why the bar finally went under, many feel alcohol's declining status in the Navy played a part.

"That whole business of a commanding officer leading his whole squadron to Trader Jon's - nobody left until the commanding officer left - that was the good old days," said retired Vice Adm. Jack Fetterman, president and chief executive officer of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. "Now, that same commanding officer will have somebody up on a [driving while intoxicated] charge and drum them out of the Navy."

Stumpf was quick to point out that drinking was not the main reason aviators went to Trader Jon's.

"It was not so much a place to drink, but a place to reconnect with old friends," he said.

Once the final last call was made on Nov. 8 - after a party to mark the end of the Blue Angels' season - the bulk of the treasure trove of aviation artifacts was to be donated to the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation.

"I could have put all the stuff on eBay, but that's just not the way to handle this piece of history," Heckemeyer said. "That's a taboo thought."

NOTES: 2 COLOR PHOTOS

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

Copyright 2003 Army Times Publishing Co.
All Rights Reserved
Marine Corps Times

November 17, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 38

LENGTH: 583 words

HEADLINE: Academy professor loses pay, tenure in plagiarism case

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, Amazon.com

BODY:
Brian VanDeMark, a Naval Academy history professor accused of plagiarism, was stripped of tenure and had his pay cut after a board of peers concluded he committed acts of "gross carelessness" in his book "Pandora's Keepers: Nine Men and the Atomic Bomb."

On Oct. 28, the three-member board found that VanDeMark's book, published earlier this year, contained "a number of instances of improper borrowing and inadequate paraphrasing, and that these improprieties constituted plagiarism." The board also concluded the plagiarism occurred because of carelessness and was not deliberate.

VanDeMark, a professor at the academy since 1990, declined to comment on the findings but issued a statement through the academy, saying "'Pandora's Keepers' was a big undertaking - a 399-page biography of nine men with 676 footnotes and a bibliography including all the sources used - and I became overconfident about paraphrasing a lot of secondary sources," adding, "I reiterate my personal responsibility and accept accountability for my unintentional mistakes."

Accountability will come in the form of losing the tenure he received in 1998, three years of academic probation after which he may reapply for tenure, a demotion from associate professor to entry-level assistant professor and a reduction of over $10,000 in annual salary from $73,317 to $63,043.

Problems with the book were spotted in May by atomic-bomb historians who had been asked to review it for the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. The historians, Gregg Herken and Robert S. Norris, compiled a list of more than 50 passages that closely resembled those in their books and others about the bomb.

These revelations sparked an investigation by VanDeMark's fellow history professors at the academy and his being pulled from teaching duties at the school in Annapolis, Md.

Among the authors from whom VanDeMark borrowed, opinion was split about the suitability of his punishment. Herken, author of "The Winning Weapon: The Atomic Bomb in the Cold War, 1945-1950," told The Washington Post he was "relieved" that VanDeMark was not fired.

William Lanuoette, author of "Genius in the Shadows: A Biography of Leo Szilard, the Man Behind the Bomb," thought the punishment was light.

"They all seem to be in denial over there," he said. Academy Dean William C. Miller "called it plagiarism, but won't seem to go ahead with an appropriate punishment, and Mr. VanDeMark will not call it plagiarism."

Robert S. Norris, author of "Racing for the Bomb," another book from which VanDeMark borrowed, said VanDeMark should have been fired.

"You either uphold standards or you don't. In my opinion, the Naval Academy failed its responsibility to abide by its own stated principles and has condoned an egregious case of plagiarism. This is not the academy's proudest moment, and it may come back to haunt them," he wrote on the History News Network Web site.

Little, Brown and Co., the book's publisher, recalled 15,000 copies of the book soon after the allegations were made public. The company plans to republish the book in paperback once VanDeMark has made the "necessary corrections."

VanDeMark reached notoriety through his work as co-author on Robert S. McNamara's best-selling book "In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam."

After his probation, VanDeMark could regain his tenured status by meeting the academy's standards for teaching and research, as well as publishing his work in academic journals.

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

Copyright 2003 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Army Times

November 24, 2003 Monday

SECTION: LIFELINES; Pg. 38

LENGTH: 904 words

HEADLINE: Costly fumble for former Marine?; NFL running back seeks recovery from tarnished image

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, Photos by Mark D. Faram, Times staff

BODY:
Mike Anderson has had a lot of luck with the choices he's made in life, but now he may need a little more.

Anderson, a former enlisted Marine who is a running back for the Denver Broncos, was suspended Nov. 10, accused of violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

Anderson overcame a lot to get where he is, but the recent violation may tarnish his image permanently.

Reared in what former coach Robert Turley called a "destitute environment" in South Carolina, Anderson didn't play football in high school.

His high school coach wanted him to be a lineman, said Turley, who recruited Anderson from a Marine intramural squad to play for Mount San Jacinto Community College in Oceanside, Calif. But in high school, Anderson wasn't interested in playing in the trenches, so he played drums in the marching band instead.

Then came the Marine Corps. Anderson served as a radioman with Battery G, 11th Marine Regiment, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He played his first organized football game in the rough-and-tumble world of Marine Corps intramural football, a ferocious training ground for those with NFL aspirations or those just looking to lay down the wood.

"I lost more teeth playing Marine Corps football than I did in high school or college," said Turley, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who works as an assistant coach at Mount San Jacinto. "Marines are Marines, number one," he said. "It doesn't matter what your background is. They have this attitude that you have to put me down. The head-knocking is pretty serious."

Anderson was named base player of the year in 1994 and, after he finished his four-year enlistment, he signed on with Mount San Jacinto before receiving a full scholarship at the University of Utah. He played well enough to get the attention of the Broncos in 2000, when the team selected him in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

Despite the obstacles, and following his dreamlike emergence from gladiator-style Marine football, Anderson not only made it to the NFL, he was named rookie of the year in 2000, gaining 1,487 yards as he took over the starting position from an injured Olandis Gary. A year later, he signed a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract.

But on Nov. 10, Anderson was "suspended without pay for the team's next four regular-season games for violating the NFL Substance Abuse Policy," according to a statement issued by the league.

Anderson told The Denver Post he tested positive for marijuana but said he only inhaled secondhand smoke. He said he presented such evidence from a toxicologist in an appeal to the NFL.

"I'm very saddened by the decision made by the NFL," Anderson told the newspaper. "I know this has a tremendous negative impact on my team, my coaches, my family and fans."

Under NFL policy, a suspension doesn't come until after at least one positive test and the player has entered a confidential drug-testing program.

Anderson's lawyer, Harvey Steinberg, said his client will consider legal action against the NFL.

"We're looking at all possibilities in this situation, including trying to get the NFL to take a more serious look at the impacts of its policy and how it affects players who are not involved in any type of improper drug usage," Steinberg told the Post.

Turley said he was surprised by the news.

"With the Marine Corps, there's a thing called moral turpitude and not putting yourself in situations," he said. "I think he's a good guy and all that, but he just can't put himself in a situation like that."

The suspension may require the former Marine to fall back on the toughness he learned during boot camp, a Western Pacific cruise and a peacekeeping mission to Somalia.

The 'desire to succeed'

An interview with Anderson before the suspension may give insight into his resilience.

He wasn't in the mood to talk after a lopsided loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 26, but the former Marine displayed a poise and maturity in defeat that reflects his background in the Marine Corps.

"A lot of people look at me like I'm some kind of freak - a different breed," he said after silently reflecting on the loss before speaking with Army Times. "It seems like a long time ago, but I think [the Marine Corps] gave me the mental toughness and desire to succeed no matter what."

Since his stellar rookie year, Anderson, who once contemplated making a career of the Marine Corps, has settled into more of a supporting role, blocking for burgeoning superstar Clinton Portis and playing special teams. Despite this, Anderson has scored four times and filled in admirably when Portis was sidelined with an injury.

"I'm on my fourth year now, and I really never thought I'd play one year," Anderson said. "I think it's the team mentality I learned at Parris Island that allows me to play at this level."

Denver head coach Mike Shanahan agreed with Anderson's self-assessment. In a statement issued to Army Times before the suspension, he said, "Mike Anderson is an outstanding player. Some of the qualities that make him an outstanding player could be attributed to his time in the Marines. He is a tremendous team player. He works very hard for the common good. His work ethic is excellent, and he will do anything he is asked to do to help the team win."

It's probable that Anderson will be able to play at an NFL level when he is allowed to take the field again Dec. 14, but he may have to be tougher than ever.

NOTES: 2 COLOR PHOTOS

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

December 22, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 18

LENGTH: 206 words

HEADLINE: Goodbye, TARs, hello, FTSs

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
You're not going to be hearing the word TAR much around the Navy anymore. When Vice Adm. John Cotton took over command of the Naval Reserve Force on Oct. 18, he wanted to retire the Training and Administration of the Reserve moniker and bring the Navy more in line with other services by renaming TARs "full-time support," or FTS.

"Adm. Cotton made it be known that it was a better terminology to characterize those individuals," said Chief Cleve Hardman, a public affairs spokesman at Naval Reserve Force, New Orleans.

Cotton, in a policy memorandum circulated among active-duty admirals Nov. 18, wrote, "This is the term used by congressional staffers for all the Reserve components and better describes what they do ... full-time support to the Navy and full-time enabling of selected reservists to support the Navy. It's not just about training and administration of reserves, which I'm told is actually a term used for the pay accounting of enlisted personnel only."

According to Hardman, there is "no change in mission."

Chief Information Systems Technician Glynn Romagosa from the Naval Reserve Center in Worcester, Mass., agreed with the change.

"As I see it, a title is a title," he said. "We're all one Navy."

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

December 29, 2003 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 13

LENGTH: 333 words

HEADLINE: Commander relieved from frigate Gary

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
The commanding officer of the Japan-based frigate Gary was relieved of command Dec. 12, according to 7th Fleet.

Cmdr. Tito Dua, who assumed command of the frigate in July 2002, was relieved by Capt. Samuel Perez, commander of Destroyer Squadron 15, for a "loss of confidence" in Dua's ability to command.

Dua was not relieved as a result of personal conduct, according to Cmdr. Mike Brown, a spokesman for Carrier Group 5, based in Yokosuka, Japan. The Gary operates from Japan as part of the Navy's Forward-Deployed Naval Forces, and routinely operates with the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk.

"The loss of confidence was due to a failure to meet standards regarding readiness and material programs," he said. "That was a factor of diminishing quality-of-life issues aboard the ship."

Brown said that during a routine inspection and survey procedure, it was determined the Gary could not be deployed quickly enough.

"FDNF is on a shorter tether," he said. "We typically have a 48- or 96-hour turnaround when we get that call [to deploy]. That ship was just not meeting those standards."

According to Brown, Dua, who had been scheduled to be relieved in January, already had received orders to report to the staff of the chief of naval operations at the Pentagon. Brown said those orders still will be executed, but added he "didn't think it was ever a good thing to be relieved of command."

Cmdr. Henry D. Derbes assumed command of Gary after Dua's departure. In a previously scheduled change of command, Derbes will be relieved the week of Jan. 12 by Cmdr. Robert G. Marin.

Dua, who was born in Bareilly, India, immigrated at age 2 to the United States and graduated from a high school in northern Virginia. He is a 1984 graduate of the Naval Academy.

Under Dua, the Gary deployed in January to the Persian Gulf with the Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group and took part in the Iraq war. Dua received widespread publicity in India during July when the Gary paid a visit to Cochin.

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Air Force Times

March 8, 2004 Monday

SECTION: LIFELINES; Pg. 36

LENGTH: 342 words

HEADLINE: WWII-era athletes sacrificed much

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Today's athletes often are worshipped as heroes for their on-field accomplishments, but stratospheric salaries, questionable behavior and hyperinflated egos have tarnished sports for many, especially those who remember another era when athletes, no matter how famous or unsung, were truly heroes.

"Duty, Honor, Victory: America's Athletes in World War II" reminds us that it wasn't that long ago when athletes from all walks of life, whether superstar or local hero, were willing to sacrifice, and did, for something bigger than themselves.

Gary Bloomfield's book is organized chronologically, starting with the intrepid black athletes who participated in the Nazi-hijacked 1936 Olympics and concluding with Allied victory in Europe and the Pacific. Along this journey to nearly every theater of the war, we meet Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Pee Wee Reese, Yogi Berra, Tom Landry and countless others from almost every sport. In fact, so many athletes served that the ranks of professional sports were decimated.

While the stories of well-known athletes are interesting, lesser-known characters' stories are more poignant.

For example, there's Maurice "Footsie" Britt, a rising football star for the Detroit Lions in 1941. Britt received the Medal of Honor for his valiant fighting at Mount Rotundo in Italy during 1943, where he was wounded by shell fragments. In later fighting, Britt was wounded again, this time so severely he never would play football again.

Another career cut short by war injuries was Washington Senators slugger Cecil Travis, whose frostbite injuries during the Battle of the Bulge prevented him from regaining his prewar form, which matched that of DiMaggio and Williams.

These stories just scratch the surface of Bloomfield's extensively researched book. It's a must-have for any sports-history fan. It's encyclopedic in scope and richly illustrated with fascinating photos.

Duty, Honor, Victory: America's Athletes in World War II by Gary Bloomfield. The Lyons Press. 394 pages, $29.95.

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO OF BOOK COVER.

LOAD-DATE: January 21, 2006

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Navy Times

April 26, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 27

LENGTH: 194 words

HEADLINE: E-8 advancement opportunity drops

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn Times staff writer

BODY:
For chiefs looking to add a star, things are going to be a little tighter than last year.

Opportunity for advancement to E-8 slipped from 11.37 percent last year to 10.17 percent, with 14,963 sailors vying for 1,521 slots.

Cmdr. Matt Wisniewski, head of enlisted plans and policies, said more E-7s - 1,712 - are vying for only slightly fewer spots.

"As we've been growing the Top Six [ranks], E-7 has been growing and accumulating," said Lt. Cmdr. Tony Oropeza, advancement planner. "Now they're reaching E-8."

Continuing high retention rates are another factor.

"People are basically sticking around," Wisniewski said.

Overall, 34 ratings saw opportunities increase, while 47 decreased. Of those that dropped, 19 stayed above average.

Ratings surging in opportunity this year were electrician's mate (others), cryptologic technician administrative, and construction mechanic. Sonar technician submarine remained one of the best places to advance.

Master-at-arms, Aegis fire controlman and cryptologic technician (maintenance), three of the ratings with the highest opportunity last year, were among those showing the largest dropoff this year.

NOTES: 1 FACT BOX. FACT BOX HED: E-8 QUOTAS

LOAD-DATE: June 24, 2004

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Navy Times

May 17, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 10

LENGTH: 1421 words

HEADLINE: Pulling the plug on video voyeurs; Peeping cameras found aboard ships reflect disturbing technical trend

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times Staff Writer, PH1 Lance Kirk, Navy, PH1 Novia E. Harrington, Navy

BODY:
Two recent incidents of hidden, wireless mini-cameras found in women's shipboard showers may not be cause for a sexual-harassment standdown, but Navy officials must protect their sailors from a growing nationwide plague of video voyeurism.

That's what many experts and sailors are saying in the wake of the discoveries on board the command ship Coronado and cruiser Monterey. Left unchecked, they contend, video voyeurism could become the Navy's next serious health and welfare problem.

When a female petty officer found a camera in the enlisted women's showers onboard the 7th Fleet command ship Coronado while it was docked in Yokosuka, Japan, on April 14, it was the second incident in as many months. In early March, a female officer found a wireless camera mounted in the changing area of the women's showers onboard the Norfolk, Va.-based cruiser Monterey. Neither camera was operational at the time of its discovery.

Navy officials at both commands say they take the incidents very seriously and are conducting internal reviews and investigations.

But it's not just a Navy problem. Many states are starting to pass laws that specifically address video voyeurism, and Congress currently is considering the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004, making such acts a federal crime.

"My bill addresses some major concerns about privacy concerning the advanced technology available today," said Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, a sponsor of the bill. "The high quality and concealability of modern cameras, along with advances on the Internet, make cyber-peeping an underground industry."

Dewine said current laws do not criminalize peeping in public places.

"Only in our homes are we legally protected," he said. "The older 'peeping tom' legislation needs to be updated to protect the privacy of a person whether at home, in a bathroom, at a park or any other public place."

The National Center for Victims of Crime, the nation's leading resource and advocacy organization for crime victims, reports a marked increase in the recent number of video voyeurism complaints when just two years ago there were none.

Technology is abundant

If the Navy's experience with Monterey, Coronado, and a similar case on the destroyer Briscoe in 2002 are any indication, the Navy, too, will have to come to grips with the forces which appear to be driving this growing problem.

First, the technology already is here and it's cheap and readily available. For about $100, a would-be voyeur can purchase a camera from any of numerous Web sites, and installation requires about the same level of technical expertise as hooking up a VCR.

Second, and perhaps more troubling, experts say, is the widespread availability and consumption of pornography over the Internet, including countless "voyeur cam" Web sites where users can watch a wide variety of sexual content anonymously.

"What the research has clearly demonstrated [is] that exposure to standard-fare porn does really stimulate sexual callousness," said James Weaver, Ph.D., a professor of communications and psychology at Virginia Tech University, who has researched and published reports on the effects of pornography on society.

Weaver said porn can lead some people to think the behavior they're viewing is acceptable and that there could be a thrill associated with trying to emulate what they're seeing.

The harm caused to victims of secret videotaping can be severe. Take the story of Susan Wilson, a Louisiana woman who was videotaped by a neighbor and subsequently became an advocate in getting that state to pass a law making video voyeurism a crime. Wilson, whose story was featured in a made-for-television movie, was so disturbed by her experience that she would shower with her clothes on for fear she was being watched.

"It's the same kind of thing stalking victims feel," said Isle Knecht, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the National Center for Victims of Crime, who works on stalking and sexual-assault issues. "It's a real sense [of] never being safe in your own house."

On a ship, such a crime can have a more sweeping impact on crew morale, for both men and women, said retired Lt. Cmdr. Kim Moreira, who recently retired after nine years as an enlisted sailor and 14 as an officer.

"We have to trust each other at sea," she said. "If someone is doing that, they can't be trusted. Just like if there's a thief on board."

A swift command response

Preventive action was swift on the Monterey in the wake of the camera's discovery, according to Cmdr. Terrence Sutherland, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force Atlantic.

The ship's CO met with all crew members, and off-ship counseling was offered for anyone who wanted it. There were no takers, Sutherland said. In addition, all cypher locks to staterooms were changed, staterooms were swept for devices and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service immediately began an investigation, Sutherland said.

For the Coronado, a Navy spokesman said the camera's nine-volt battery was dead and a search of nearby compartments didn't turn up its receiver. The NCIS and 7th Fleet officials have interviewed several sailors and civilians aboard the ship.

In the Briscoe incident, the camera was fully operational and installed in a junction box above a women's restroom and cabled to a TV in an adjacent workshop.

A first class sailor was found guilty of the crime and was reduced in rank and paygrade.

"As long as the ship and the Navy are pursuing the case, I would be satisfied with the actions the ship took," said Moreira. "I think it's more of an anomaly. I've been on six ships, and it never happened."

Another retired female sailor disagreed.

"I think I'd have a standdown, and I think I'd have a refresher course on Navy rights and responsibilities," said Sheila Stone, who spent 20 years as a Navy photographer. "You need to do the refresher course en masse. The CO needs to jam it in their heads, the rights and responsibilities they have. The CO is not going to be able to say 'anyone need counseling?' and have anyone take it. No one wants to ruffle feathers."

The Navy has methodical annual training programs aimed at preventing sexual harassment and sexual assault. That training is given at commands, as well as at various accession points in a sailor's career. As in many workplaces, the training seeks to raise awareness of what forms sexual harassment can take.

"I'm sure it will be that as different types of sexual harassment come to light, then we do address them in training," said Cmdr. Leanne Braddock, director of Navy Equal Opportunity in Millington, Tenn. "We make them a part of the list of things that are not acceptable."

This is something that Knecht agrees with.

"I think sexual harassment training should include the new forms it can take," she said.

Some experts also believe the Navy can use the latest incidents to also try and ward off potential gender harassment.

Gender harassment, which can take the form of seemingly innocuous comments like "women don't belong in the Navy," but are not sexual in nature, can set a tone for how female sailors are treated.

"I don't believe enough attention has been paid to gender harassment," said Mady Segal, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland who conducted research on women in the military for the past 30 years.

"When something like this happens, it's important to look at what the leadership climate is like on the ship and what kind of behaviors are condoned," she said. "The leaders on the ship set the tone for how women are treated. Leaders sometimes don't realize the effect they have by the things they say or do. The Navy had a lot of exposure from Tailhook, but the younger sailors have come in post-Tailhook, maybe weren't exposed to that type of training."

That said, the connection between voyeurism and more serious forms of sexual assault is unclear.

"Generally a voyeur does not escalate to a rapist, but those that do sexual assaults started with voyeurism," said Stephen Thompson, who is the sexual-assaults services coordinator at Central Michigan University and has 27 years of experience in studying sexual aggression. "It's not to say that a voyeur is a rapist, but rapists frequently start off with voyeurism."

Commander Scott Gureck, a 7th Fleet spokesman, said the Coronado case has been closed, but that no suspects were identified and no arrests were made. The case will be reopened if further evidence is discovered. The Monterey case is ongoing.

NOTES: 2 COLOR PHOTOS.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 17, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 13

LENGTH: 368 words

HEADLINE: $15,000 bonus for FTS aviators on the table

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times Staff Writer

BODY:
For Full Time Support aviators, the incentive to stay Navy will come in the form of a $15,000 Aviation Career Continuation Pay bonus, which will be available to applicants through Sept. 30.

"ACCP is an excellent force-shaping tool that encourages FTS aviation officers to consider naval aviation as their primary career choice," said Cmdr. Paul Mattingly, FTS aviation placement officer at Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tenn.

ACCP contracts are available in 24-, 30- and 36-month lengths at various types of tours:

** 30-month department head ACCP contract for squadron department-head tour.

** 36-month aviation (initial O-5) command executive officer/commanding-officer tour ACCP contract.

** 36-month aviation captain (O-6) major command (ashore or afloat) ACCP contract up to 25 years aviation service.

** 24-month Reserve Force Squadron Officer In Charge ACCP contract.

To be eligible, aviators must have completed their initial obligation when accepting redesignation to FTS. This obligation is two years for officers who transfer from the active duty and three years for Selected Reserve officers recalled to FTS. Mobilized and temporarily recalled reserve officers are not eligible for ACCP.

ACCP contracts may not extend beyond 25 years of aviation service and must be at least 12 months in length. Therefore, aviators must not have exceeded 24 years at the time of ACCP approval.

Commanding officers must approve all ACCP requests.

While FTS aviators compose just 5 percent of the flying force, the $15,000 bonus clearly indicates the Navy's need for their skills. It also furthers active-reserve integration, officials said.

"ACCP advances active reserve integration by retaining experienced Full Time Support aviators in deployable squadrons," said Mattingly. "Reserve squadrons are currently deployed worldwide, providing mission support to the fleet in the areas of airlift, adversary support, counterdrug operations and helicopter special operations mission support, just to name a few."

For more details, eligibility, administrative procedures and application forms, visit the FTS aviation detailer Web site at www.persnet.navy.mil/pers4417/aviation.htm.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 24, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 24

LENGTH: 489 words

HEADLINE: 342 captains, a few surprises

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
The Navy's 2005 O-6 promotion list was released May 12 with the names of 342 commanders who were selected for captain. Surprisingly, that list included the names of two commanders who recently were relieved of command.

Cmdr. David J. Bartholomew, who commanded Pre-Commissioning Unit Jimmy Carter, was relieved Jan. 24 - just four days after the board adjourned - for "loss of confidence." Cmdr. George Bonsall, former CO of the destroyer Stout, was relieved for unspecified misconduct Feb. 28 following a nonjudicial captain's mast. Both men's names appeared on the list.

According to Cmdr. John Kirby, spokesman for the chief of naval personnel, Bartholomew retired from the Navy April 30, so his promotion will not proceed. According to Mike McLellan, a spokesman at Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tenn., there will be no vacancy created by Bartholomew's retirement. It's less clear what will happen with Bonsall.

"When adverse information comes to light, the Navy does conduct a review to determine whether or not that promotion will go forward," Kirby said May 14. In cases like Bonsall's, an officer will be informed that a review is being conducted, and he'll be given the opportunity to comment, Kirby said. Once the review is complete, and the officer's input has been considered, a final recommendation would be made to the secretary of the Navy as to whether the promotion should proceed. Kirby said there is no deadline for that process.

"It's important to remember that the selection list does not mean they've been promoted yet," he added. "That list still has to go to the Congress."

Kirby also noted that promotion board members made their selections based on available information.

All the officers "were selected on the strength of their records and their sustained superior performance at that time," he said.

For the other 340 commanders who, over the coming year, will get to sew on another stripe and add an eagle to their collars, the news was more positive. Their biggest concern: the tardiness of the announcement. This year's list was released some two weeks later than the one in 2003.

The community breakdown:

** There were 248 unrestricted line officers selected for promotion, as opposed to 239 last year. Promotion opportunity was 56 percent, down two percentage points from last year.

** Human resources: seven, one more than last year.

** Engineering duty officer: 19, two less than last year.

** Aerospace engineering duty officer (engineering): 14, one more than last year.

** Aerospace engineering duty officer (maintenance): five, the same as last year.

** Information professional: eight, two more than last year.

** Cryptology: eight, one more than last year.

** Intelligence: 19, up nine from last year.

** Public affairs: six, three more than last year.

** Oceanography: six, two less than last year.

** Limited-duty officer: four, down three from last year.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 24, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 8

LENGTH: 700 words

HEADLINE: Report: Sailor 'knew his duties'; Dog handler 'refused to participate in improper interrogations'

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
In a scathing 53-page investigative report detailing abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq - a report replete with names of military wrongdoers - the name of one Navy sailor stood out.

And that was a very good thing.

Master-at-Arms 1st Class William J. Kimbro, 34, a dog handler who worked at the prison alongside the Army's 800th Military Police Brigade, was cited on Page 49 of what's become known as the "Taguba report." Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba conducted the Article 15-6 investigation of the now-infamous military prison.

The paragraph preceding Kimbro's citation issued a damning conclusion: Poor leadership and the refusal of Army commanders to both "establish and enforce basic standards and principles among its soldiers" led to many of the problems at Abu Ghraib.

That blistering indictment was followed by this passage:

"Throughout the investigation, we observed many individual soldiers and some subordinate units under the 800th MP Brigade that overcame significant obstacles, persevered in extremely poor conditions, and upheld the Army values. We discovered numerous examples of Soldiers and Sailors taking the initiative in the absence of leadership and accomplishing their assigned tasks."

And then Kimbro's name rose to the top:

"The individual Soldiers and Sailors that we observed and believe should be favorably noted include ... Master-at-Arms First Class William J. Kimbro, U.S. Navy Dog Handler, knew his duties and refused to participate in improper interrogations despite significant pressure from the MI personnel at Abu Ghraib."

While short on specifics - nowhere in the report does it say exactly what Kimbro did or did not do - the inference was clear: Kimbro did it right. The Navy could be proud.

"He was deployed to Iraq to do his job, and from what we can tell, he did it very well," said Lt. Steven Curry, a spokesman for Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, where Kimbro is based.

As senior military leaders from the secretary of defense to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs continue to reel from the shock, Curry's response may well be the understatement of the year.

Dogs used to intimidate

Kimbro, now back at Sigonella, declined an interview request with Navy Times. Navy officials were reluctant to discuss his involvement - albeit positive - in the prison affair.

It's not clear whether Kimbro could be called to testify in ongoing or upcoming criminal investigations. In the meantime, Navy officials remain mum.

Some of allegations of abuse include using military working dogs - without muzzles - to intimidate and frighten detainees, and, in at least one case, a dog bit and severely injured a detainee, according to the Taguba report.

Standing orders clearly stated that should military working dogs be present during interrogations, "they will be muzzled and under control of a handler at all times to ensure safety."

According to retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles A. Hines, a former commander of the Army's Military Police School, the use of dogs to extract information from prisoners was not standard operating procedure.

"There could have been some classified circumstances [in which dogs are used to extract information], but in terms of what I know, and what we wrote doctrine for, and how we employed them, I don't know of any situation where the dogs were used in obtaining information," Hines said.

'Top performer'

Kimbro is from Canyon Country, Calif., and has been stationed at Sigonella since late 2001. He enlisted in the Reserve in 1993 and became an active-duty sailor in 1998. He has served at a variety of duty stations, including aboard the carrier Kitty Hawk and two stints at the Naval Technical Training Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where all military working dogs and their handlers are trained.

Over his career, Kimbro has been awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation, Good Conduct Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

Curry called Kimbro a "top performer" in a "large" military dog unit stationed at Sigonella.

Kimbro deployed to Iraq along with Nikki, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois.

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

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Navy Times

May 31, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 8

LENGTH: 1712 words

HEADLINE: 'Shock wave'; Seabees recount deadly mortar attack

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer, Courtesy James Nappier Jr.

BODY:
The mortar round came without warning and hit with deadly accuracy.

It landed with a killing, concussive blast, spraying death and destruction in all directions.

"I felt, like, a shock wave come across. It knocked me down, and when I stood up, I was on fire."

That's how Equipment Operator 2nd Class James Nappier Jr., 46, of Loxahatchee, Fla., remembers the May 2 attack in Iraq that took the lives of five of his fellow Seabees and wounded 28 others, including himself.

It was the Navy's bloodiest day thus far during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In what seemed like seconds, and without the characteristic whistle of an incoming round, a six-month Iraq deployment ended for some Reserve Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 14. Tragically, it ended in a grisly scene of shrapnel, smoke, blood and cries of "I'M HURT! I'M HURT!"

As chunks of white-hot shrapnel sizzled into Nappier's legs, hand and arm, Steelworker 1st Class Lindon Haworth, 44, of Augusta, Ga., crumpled to the ground under the massive concussion.

"When the mortar went off, I didn't feel like I fell down," he said. "I slowly went to the ground.

"I looked at my right arm and thought that it didn't look right. 'That don't look good at all,' I thought. Then I looked down at my leg and blood was shooting out," Haworth said. "I knew I was going to 'bleed out' if I didn't do something quick."

Haworth jammed his right hand, the hand that's now paralyzed, into the gaping wound as he tried to control the bleeding. He dragged himself behind a nearby Humvee to await help.

As uninjured Seabees and Marines rushed through the smoke, carnage and chaos to help the wounded, Builder 2nd Class William Neil Rightsell Jr., 31, of West Palm Beach, Fla., wasn't about to move. He'd been in motorcycle accidents before and knew the best thing to do was to sit still. What he didn't know was a 2-inch by 2-inch piece of hot shrapnel had burrowed into his left thigh. Other pieces pierced the rest of his body.

"Next thing I know, my feet went out from under me, and I heard a bunch of screaming - 'I'M HURT! I'M HURT!' I saw a whole bunch of legs and feet around me. I felt some blood in my mouth. I didn't know if it was coming into my mouth or out of my mouth, so I was trying spit up to see. It was coming from a little fragment that hit me above my eye."

A historic deployment

The three wounded men spoke to Navy Times just weeks after deploying to Iraq full of the "we build, we fight" spirit for which the Seabees are known. Nappier and Rightsell are home in Florida recuperating, while Haworth still is hospitalized at Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland.

NMCB-14, a Reserve unit out of Jacksonville, Fla., arrived April 17 at the hot and dusty Ramadi camp, an old Iraqi military base that serves as an operating post for American military forces.

Camp life was pretty routine by military standards. When the Seabees weren't making convoy runs, they were training for them.

"Everyday life was kind of like a 9-to-5 job; you had the heat, you had to carry your weapons with you all the time and be alert," said Nappier. "The dust storms weren't the greatest things. You're always coughing up sand and trying to keep it out of your eyes and nose."

But it wasn't all bad.

"You know how you get the 'I'm a Marine, you're in the Navy' stuff? That wasn't there," Rightsell said. "Not with the Army guys, either. It was a great feeling. You felt really good that everyone banded together for the greater good."

Living conditions weren't so bad, either, considering they were at war. The Seabees lived in concrete boxes - 20 to a building - with tarp roofs. Nappier said they ate hot chow and had regular showers, though "they weren't always hot."

Still, the camp constantly was at the mercy of the convoys.

"At one point we nearly ran out of food because no convoys could get through," Nappier said. "We thought we were going to have to eat C-rations."

Regardless of creature comforts, the Seabees knew they were in combat.

Nappier and Haworth first got a sense of the dangers they soon would face on their initial convoy run from Kuwait to Ramadi.

"I remember seeing the tankers, the vehicles that had been destroyed and lots of bridges that had been hit" with rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices, Nappier said. "That really opened up our eyes that this was real."

For Haworth, it was the tales he heard from other "TMT" guys who met their convoy shortly before they arrived at Ramadi.

TMT is military-speak for Tactical Movement Team duty, a Seabee assignment in Iraq. It entails armed security escorts for supply and troop convoys.

"I don't think anyone thought about getting hurt until that last night before we got there when another TMT unit told us what the real deal was, that this is really bad stuff."

This was NMCB-14's first deployment since World War II, and they already had tasted war's bitterness.

Just two days before the mortar shattered their unit, two fellow Seabees died and six more were wounded on a TMT run.

Hull Maintenance Technician 2nd Class Jason B. Dwelley, 31, of Apopka, Fla., and Equipment Operator 3rd Class Christopher M. Dickerson, 33, of Eastman, Ga., were killed when an IED hit the convoy they were escorting.

Ironically, it was that incident that was being discussed when NMCB-14 again would make the ultimate sacrifice.

'I hurt real bad...'

NMCB-14 Seabees had just escorted an important "package" to their camp the afternoon of May 2, according to Nappier, Haworth and Rightsell. The package was Rear Adm. Charles Kubic, commander, First Naval Construction Division. The top Seabee admiral came to camp to meet with the men of NMCB-14.

At 2:30 p.m., about 40 sailors gathered in "alpha yard," a vehicle parking and maintenance area. Kubic wanted to eyeball damaged vehicles and talk to the troops. Seabees kept busy disassembling their weapons and passing word about what they'd be doing later that afternoon.

"We had just pulled into the alpha yard and lined up our vehicles," Haworth said. "We were standing beside the vehicles and the admiral went to inspect the ones that were hit the Friday night before. That's when the mortar came in."

Mortars constantly had pinged Ramadi, but until May 2, it was "very inaccurate," Haworth said.

"They were doing good to get within 300 yards of a building," he said of the insurgent attackers. "This time they had a lot better equipment and a lot better intel. You'll never convince me it was a lucky shot."

The mortar hit with deadly accuracy.

"It was about 15 feet away from us," Rightsell said. Because it hit so close to the men, much of the shrapnel hit targets from the waist down because it didn't have far to travel and elevate.

Nappier and Haworth floated in an out of consciousness and don't remember much about what happened immediately after the blast.

However, they recall fellow Seabees and Marines trying to keep them awake and alert.

In each case, it was a mad dash from the alpha yard to Charlie Med, the camp's medical station for initial triage. Then they were taken by medevac helicopters to Fallujah, where more sophisticated medical facilities were in place.

"If I wasn't on the first truck I was on one of the first ones to the Army medevac," Haworth said. "They couldn't get the bleeding stopped. They cut my [clothes] off and marked me for a tourniquet. I wasn't there for but a few minutes when they loaded me on a helo.

"I don't know who the boy on the helo was, but I owe him my life. Even with the tourniquet, I was bleeding a lot. I'm on the second or third rack, high up on his chest. And he's got to reach across to get to my leg. He was putting direct pressure on it. I remember that. I remember landing again and going into the hospital.

"I remember getting to the hospital and telling them that I hurt real bad. I remember telling them that I believed in Jesus."

Haworth said the next thing he remembers was waking up in Bethesda.

Nappier recalled regaining consciousness at Charlie Med, again at Fallujah and later at Balad, in northern Iraq, before being shipped off to Germany and later Bethesda. He said at one point he looked down at his boot, and instead of it being sand colored, it was stained red. His wife tells him he called her a couple of days after the attack, but he doesn't remember it.

"My first surgery was in Fallujah," said Rightsell, who remembers being loaded onto the helo at Ramadi. "That's where they took out the fragments. That whole time was kind of fuzzy. I was in a lot of pain and they gave me a lot of morphine."

While Nappier, Rightsell, Haworth and other wounded sailors were whisked away for medical treatment, five of their colleagues were killed in the attack.

They are: Steelworker 3rd Class Ronald A. Ginther, 37, of Auburndale, Fla.; Builder 2nd Class Robert B. Jenkins, 35, of Stuart, Fla.; Equipment Operator 2nd Class Trace W. Dossett, 37, of Orlando, Fla.; Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Scott R. McHugh, 33, of Boca Raton, Fla.; and Builder 2nd Class Michael C. Anderson, 36, of Daytona Beach, Fla.

The loss was a heavy blow. Kubic later said the best tribute to the fallen would be to finish the mission.

"We'll honor the courage and sacrifice of our fallen Seabees with our work," he told Navy Times. "Their resolve is like steel."

Nappier and Rightsell expect to recover fully.

"I heal fast," said Nappier, who drills wells in civilian life.

Rightsell, who owns his own remodeling company, said he's getting some feeling back in his right leg. He still suffers nerve damage in his left leg, where the only feeling he has is a burning sensation.

For Haworth, a sheriff's deputy, the prognosis is unclear. He's still in the hospital with the main artery in his right leg severed and suffering paralysis on his right side.

"I'm getting some movement back, but they don't know how much I'll get back or how long that will take," he said.

What's certain, however, is that these men have each other to lean on as the mental and physical scars heal.

"We're very tight," Nappier said. "It's like one big family. It's like we've been brothers all our lives. There isn't anything we don't do for each other in the military and in the civilian world."

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO.; 1 COLOR ILLUSTRATION OF NAVAL LOGO.; COVER HED: May 2, Anbar, Iraq / 'I stood up, and I was on fire' / A combat story of death, devotion and survival.; Cover design by Lisa Zilka Chavez, Times staff. Main cover photo by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, Army. SEE NT-Cover 5/31.; SEE

LOAD-DATE: June 18, 2004

Copyright 2004 Army Times Publishing Co.
All Rights Reserved
Navy Times

July 26, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 8

LENGTH: 316 words

HEADLINE: Mine ships to implement new crew swap concept

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
While a recent Center for Naval Analyses study dubbed "Sea Swap" a concept of operations that's easy to implement, it's anyone's guess how it will ultimately affect Navy ships and deployments.

Aircraft carriers and expeditionary strike groups, for example, would require much more extensive rotations. Navy officials have yet to officially test those platforms.

Next March, however, officials intend to swap crews on three East Coast-based DDGs.

And, a form of Sea Swap is coming to Bahrain-based mine ships, but details are still being worked out.

Rear Adm. Michael Nowakowski, who commands Mine Warfare Command, wants to make some form of Sea Swap happen, said Lt. j.g. Herlinda Rojas, Nowakowski's spokesman.

"Should it be two crews or three?" she said. "They really have no idea."

Regardless, the mine ship requirements will be different.

"It's a lot different from the destroyers," Rojas said. "Those ships were being decommissioned, and these aren't. It's not like we can take that model."

The four ships currently deployed to Bahrain are the mine countermeasure ships Ardent and Dextrous and the coastal minehunters Raven and Cardinal.

Crew rotation is nothing new to the mine ship community. From 1996 to 2000, eight crews pulled 24-month rotations on the Ardent and Dextrous, with four other minesweepers designated as training ships in Ingleside. The Navy canceled the program for efficiency and cost reasons.

Rojas added that whatever form the planned mine ship sea swap program took, the Navy would "always be keeping the blue shirt in mind, making sure he's not getting the short end of the stick."

Rojas said the program was not being emphasized as a cost-savings measure but was aimed at improving on-station time, forward presence and operational availability. The two forward-deployed mine ships in Japan are not currently a part of the discussion, Rojas said.

LOAD-DATE: August 3, 2004

Copyright 2004 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

June 7, 2004 Monday


SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 24

LENGTH: 362 words

HEADLINE: Web site to help break logjam in awards process; Sailors soon will be able to check service jackets online

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Sailors wanting to add awards or check the accuracy of their service record soon will no longer have to work through a centralized awards board.

They'll be able to do it online, through the Navy Department Awards Web Service, at www.awards.navy.mil. And they won't need to wait months for awards to be added to their jackets, either.

"Ideally we want to take [the process of adding awards] from months to days," said Cmdr. Anne-marie Hartlaub, who has been involved in NDAWS since July of last year. Hartlaub is the director of management services in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

The system, which began rollout in early April, now encompasses 17 commands, with the goal of every awarding authority having access by the end of the year.

Also by the end of the year, sailors should be able to log on and check their records to make sure their awards are accounted for.

"A lot of the questions we get are, 'What awards do I have?' So that would alleviate that," Hartlaub said. "It would include unit awards as well."

According to Hartlaub, NDAWS will "push down" data entry to the command level so commands no longer need to mail awards forms to Washington, where they often get backlogged.

"The minute that CO signs that 1650 [Personal Award Recommendation Form], that office can go on the Web and enter that approved award into the system," Hartlaub said.

Awards coordinators at each command will work with sailors wanting to add awards.

Yeoman 1st Class Russell Sprinkle, the awards coordinator at Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said entering an awards form into the new system takes just a few minutes.

"That helps out a lot for people who are going up for promotion," he said. "So when they go in for boards, the board can look at updated information."

Commands that do not yet have access to NDAWS should e-mail award forms up the chain to an NDAWS entry point, Hartlaub said. The form can be downloaded at the Web site.

Hartlaub said the Navy also is working on a function on the site that would allow easy tracking of awards by month, what awards are being made and how many of them are being awarded and the awarding authority.



LOAD-DATE: July 7, 2004

Copyright 2004 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

September 6, 2004 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 10

LENGTH: 796 words

HEADLINE: New uniform regs; Proposed changes loosen restrictions, reflect new technologies

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
The Navy is poised to loosen and update some uniform regulations to reflect changing times and sailor's desires.

The changes being considered are a direct result of last year's Web-based uniform survey in which 43,000 sailors sounded off on what they liked and didn't like about their uniforms and the Navy's rules for wearing them.

The proposed changes -- which are expected to become official within days or weeks -- were outlined in an e-mail sent by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Terry D. Scott to command master chiefs around the fleet soliciting their comments. Navy Times obtained a copy of that e-mail.

If approved, some of the changes could take effect immediately, or as soon as Oct. 1.

A spokeswoman for Scott had no official comment on the proposed changes.

"That e-mail that's been floating around is [a] pre-decisional document that CMCs were given to provide feedback to [Task Force Uniform]," said Chief Journalist Lisa Mikoliczyk. "The final NavAdmin is currently being reviewed."

What's likely to happen:

. Bags and backpacks worn on the shoulder.

You can soon give your left hand a rest. The new regs allow sailors to carry gym bags, backpacks, computer bags and briefcases strapped over the left shoulder while in service or working uniforms. Current rules require sailors to carry them in their left hand only. In addition, a backpack could be worn over both shoulders when sailors are in the working uniform. The proposal states that all bags must conceal their contents and be either black or navy blue. No ornamentation on the bags would be allowed, but manufacturer's logos, providing they are small and do not distract from the uniform, would be permitted. Any bag used while a sailor is in dress uniform would still have to be hand carried. This would be effective upon the release of the NavAdmin.

. Civilian-style purses.

Women will no longer be forced to buy and carry purses sold in Navy uniform stores. So long as the civilian purse meets certain standards, female sailors can buy and carry whatever they please. Rules require them to be plain black, brown or white natural grain leather or synthetic leather, and rectangular in shape. Dimensions would have to be 7 1/2 to 12 inches in width, 5 1/2 to 8 inches in height and 2 to 3 1/2 inches deep. No visible ornamentation, decorative stitching, large embossed designs, or a large manufacturer's logo would be allowed. The closure would have to be brass-plated or gold-colored. A purse flap closure would have to be a clasp, with no buckles, zippers or string ties, and the strap would have to be of the same material as the purse. This would be effective upon release of the NavAdmin.

. Cell phones, PDAs allowed.

It's been 10 years since the last guidance was given regarding wearing pagers, and the technological times have certainly changed. The new regs spell out when and where sailors can wear pagers, cell phones, personal digital assistants, or PDAs, and Blackberrys while in uniform. These devices could be worn by sailors and officers in uniform, but only one at a time and only if they are issued for official business. For the working and service uniforms, the device could be worn on the belt on either side but behind the elbow so as not to be visible from the front. For service dress uniforms and above, the devices should not be visible or cause protrusions or bulges and should not interfere with the proper rendering of military courtesies and honors. The use of hands-free devices would be required when entering, departing and while driving on military and government installations.

. Skirts are optional.

No longer would a skirt be a required uniform item for female sailors for both service and dress uniforms. This would be effective Oct. 1.

. New CMC pins.

Big changes could be in store for the Command Master Chief insignia. The regular-size insignia, which is now worn on the left shirt pocket on all uniforms except the formal and dinner dress uniforms, will only be used with the full dress uniform. The Navy is now considering having sailors qualified to wear the CMC insignia to don a miniature version of the device one-quarter inch above the right shirt pocket, the same location as an officer's Command at Sea insignia. As with the Command at Sea insignia, the CMC insignia would be worn on the left side post tour.

. No more mismatched breast insignias.

Both shiny and matted breast insignias would be allowed, but if multiple insignias are worn, they would have to be of the same finish.

While Mikoliczyk could not say when the new regulations would receive final approval, she left open the possibility of further modifications.

"There's no way to tell about changes," she said. "There may be some modifications."

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO OF BACKPACK.

LOAD-DATE: September 28, 2004

Copyright 2004
All Rights Reserved
Navy Times

September 20, 2004 Monday

SECTION: FRONTLINES; Pg. 4

LENGTH: 318 words

HEADLINE: Raising the bar; Strongman sailor sets world record in weightlifting

BYLINE: - Matt Hilburn, Photos by PH1(SW) G. Wade McKinnon, Navy

BODY:
Around the office, Navy Counselor 1st Class James Burdette is simply known as the guy who lifts weights.

And boy can he lift.

The unassuming sailor set a new world bench press record for the 181-pound weight class Aug. 14 at the American Powerlifting Association-sanctioned Panhandle Open in Mobile, Ala., pushing nearly three times his own weight - 540 pounds - off his chest. Burdette, who competes in the drug-tested category, shattered the previous record by 15 pounds and beat his personal best by 20.

"I thought I'd be happy when I hit 500," said the 11-year veteran, who is attached to Patrol Squadron 94 at Naval Air Station New Orleans. "But when I hit that, I was like, 'I can do anything.' "

At the same competition, Burdette also lifted 500 pounds in the squat competition and 505 pounds in the deadlift event for a competition total of 1,545 pounds. His event total was second only to a lifter competing in the 308-pound weight class.

For Burdette, working out used to be just something he did to stay in shape -until one day someone suggested he enter a local competition.

"I went, and I got my butt kicked," he said. "But it was fun, so I stuck with it."

That was five years ago. After getting some tips and coaching from powerlifting legend Jesse Kellum, Burdette said "it all started to click," and his bench shot up 80 pounds in a year.

Burdette works out on his own time five days a week at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans physical fitness center, including a three-mile jog each morning and an average of 2 1/2 to three hours of lifting in the afternoons.

Burdette doesn't plan on resting on his laurels.

"Now the goal is 600 by the end of next year," he said. "If I hit that, I may just put on some more muscle and aim for 700 at the 198-pound class."

Burdette's next competition is Sept. 18 in Houston, where he is hoping to break his new record.

NOTES: 2 COLOR PHOTOS.

LOAD-DATE: October 1, 2004

Copyright 2005 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

February 14, 2005 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 20

LENGTH: 1282 words

HEADLINE: Closing the door on an old problem; Watertight Mafos improve safety, reduce maintenance man-hours

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
A new quick-acting, watertight door that is starting to appear on destroyers and amphibious transport docks could be coming to your ship, revolutionizing shipboard life by virtually eliminating door maintenance and increasing shipboard safety.

How can a door be revolutionary? By the Navy's estimate, the watertight doors will reduce the man-hours of maintenance from 1,280 per year per door to 80, and even that may be high.

The doors, designed by Netherlands-based Mafo Holtkamp, promise to make a huge difference in sailors' lives, especially sailors who have spent tedious hours of maintenance cajoling those temperamental standard Navy doors into working order.

It's a common refrain in the Navy that if your ship takes a hit, one watertight door can make the difference between life and death. According to the Navy, approximately 20 percent of the standard watertight doors aboard DDG 51s require adjustment to achieve complete watertight integrity, based on data from the Board of Inspection and Survey.

"The Navy standard door works, but we wanted to make it a lot easier on the sailors to maintain," said Capt. David Lewis, formerly the DDG 51 program manager. "The Mafo door is the convergence of frustration [with the old doors] and the maturation of the Mafo design."

Different outside and in

The Mafo doors look different at first glance. As opposed to the often overpainted Navy standard door, the Mafo doors are sleek stainless steel, which is resistant to corrosion. The doors sit flush against the bulkhead and don't have the visible bushings that outline the Navy standard door.

The dogging system is on the inside of the door frame beneath a protective covering, making for only one bulkhead penetration - the door handle - as opposed to the multiple bulkhead penetrations of the Navy standard door.

The dogging system uses rollers, which prevents wear on the wedges. As the dogging system is engaged, the door is pulled into the gasket, achieving watertight integrity.

The materials used for the Mafos are state-of-the-art. All moving parts are made with self-lubricating materials.

Unlike standard doors, Mafos can be installed in warped bulkhead and require no adjusting to achieve watertight integrity.

"Installation is like putting in a prehung door in your home," Lewis said. "There's less precision required during installation."

Picture trying to seal your bathtub drain by either plugging it, which is what the Mafo door does, or trying to put a watertight seal over it like the Navy standard door, and you get the idea of how a Mafo fits into the bulkhead rather than over or on it.

"They had to adjust each dog to fit with the warping," Henk Oomen, a consultant for Mafo Holtkamp, said of the old doors. "So some of the wedges were under more pressure than others."

Another advantage to the Mafo door is that it has a very low radar signature - one of the reasons it's being installed on the LPD-17, albeit with some slight variations, Oomen said.

"They're basically flush against the bulkhead," he said.

Rave reviews

Mafo doors have been around since the 1980s, with versions being used by the German, Turkish, Irish and Israeli navies. The U.S. Navy first got a look at them in the mid-1990s on Israeli Sa'ar corvettes, which were built at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.

"During the construction of these [Israeli] ships at Ingalls, the Navy saw the doors, and right at that moment, they were looking for a new door," Oomen said. "They gave us a call and asked to send two doors for testing. These doors were tested, and failed at certain points, but they still had a lot of confidence.

"The DDGs have a crew of about 320 people, and there's a very high usage - much higher than we had ever seen at Mafo, so a lot of redesign had to be done to allow these doors to be able to be moved thousands of times a day with little maintenance."

In fact, a System Engineering Report the Navy made on the destroyer O'Kane's first set of doors in August 2000 describes "rapid wear and operational problems occurring on eight of the 10 Mafo Holtkamp watertight test doors."

Due to the high amount of traffic, the lubricant - general purpose grease - was being squeezed out, causing metal-to-metal contact. The report then details how self-lubricating KAron liner materials were added to alleviate the problem.

"As we did these first installs, there were some growing pains," said Todd Hellman, DDG 51 class lead yard manager at Naval Sea Systems Command. "I think we got any problems licked and probably did so on the second hull," the destroyer Higgins.

Since those initial problems, Hellman points out that four upgraded doors on the O'Kane, which have logged 1,629,000 cycles (opening and shutting) since February 2000, have needed only two minor repairs.

Sailors' comments on the doors back up the repair record.

"These doors are the best things the Navy could possibly get, and it's the best thing we've gotten so far," said Damage Controlman 1st Class Walter Barnes of the destroyer Mustin, which has had eight doors installed.

Despite the rave reviews, the Navy has not been installing the doors at a rapid pace, following the mantra of the DDG 51 program: "Build a little, test a little, learn a lot."

"Doors are so critical, we wanted to make sure they work," Lewis said.

So far, there have been 78 of the high-tech doors installed on the DDGs, starting with O'Kane, which got 10 doors in February 2000. Since then, between two and 12 doors have been installed in high-traffic areas aboard the Higgins, Lassen, Howard, McCampbell, Mason, Preble, Mustin and Chafee. For DDGs 91 through 101, eight to 10 doors are planned for post-shakedown availability. DDG 102 will receive eight doors during its construction this year. When DDG 103 is built, it will be the first to be outfitted with 163 Mafo doors. The same will hold true for DDGs 104 through 112.

Additionally, the amphibious transport dock San Antonio has had 55 Mafo exterior doors installed.

Saving time, money

In a time of Navywide belt tightening, Mafos aren't cheap, costing about $7,000 more per door than the Navy standard door. However, the savings could be huge.

"There's never a nonmaintenance day on [Navy standard] doors," said Chief Damage Controlman James Theriault, formerly on the destroyer Chafee and now with Afloat Training Group in San Diego. "They're a maintenance nightmare - the bushings, the washers, the dogs. They're not maintenance friends."

The Navy estimates that for DDG 51 class ships, maintenance and repair costs for standard doors average $44,000 per ship per year.

Barnes described maintenance on the old doors as a "never-ending task."

"These [new] doors are incredible," Barnes said. "They require little to no maintenance. In one year, we will spend, I would say, probably 30 hours."

That's much lower than the 80 hours of maintenance the Navy said the Mafos require. Terry Silampa, vice president of ADI Technologies, the U.S. representative for Mafo Holtkamp, said he thinks those hours are for inspecting.

Spending less time to maintain doors is in line with the Navy's move to smaller crews.

"In the '50s, we didn't care how many sailors we had - they were free," Lewis said. "Now we realize sailors aren't free, and [they] should be spending their time doing things that are more important."

The doors might be installed on the new Littoral Combat Ship and the next-generation DD(X), said Randall Fortune, former deputy program manager for DDG 51.

"This is no silver bullet to reduce manning by half," Fortune said. "But there are ways to take a few people off, and this is one of them."

NOTES: 1 COLOR PHOTO.; 1 COLOR GRAPH. GRAPH HED: Comparing old and new. SEE: NT-Comparing Old and New 02/07/05.

LOAD-DATE: February 22, 2005

Copyright 2005 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

March 28, 2005 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 15

LENGTH: 360 words

HEADLINE: Varied opinions

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Navy Times readers have spoken, and the feedback on the new uniforms is decidedly mixed.

During polls run on Navytimes.com after the Navy released the working and service test uniforms, readers had an opportunity to voice their opinion on the Navy's future look.

In the service uniform category, in which 3,672 people responded between Dec. 20 and Jan. 5, sailors rejected the Marine-style khaki, opting instead for gray by 58 percent to 39 percent. But only 30 percent of those polled said they "loved" either one of the new looks.

Other clear-cut favorites included the black belt over the khaki and the closed buckle over the open one.

It was less clear how sailors wanted to display their rank insignia, with collar insignia edging out patches 52 percent to 46 percent.

Three out of four sailors liked the "Ike" jacket, and nearly 64 percent thought the garrison cap looked sharp.

With the working uniform poll, which ran from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30, the voting was generally tighter among the four versions.

Nearly 6,800 sailors voted, with 54 percent choosing the woodland pattern over the digital. By the same margin, sailors preferred the predominantly gray color over the mainly blue look.

Sailors were a bit happier with the overall concept, with 55 percent of respondents saying they "loved" the cammie style.

The standard blouse was the overwhelming choice for sailors, drubbing the tapered blouse 74 percent to 26 percent.

Pointed collars won out over the rounded ones, 65 percent to 35 percent, but voting on the boot type was less clear-cut, with no-polish suede topping polished leather 53 percent to 47 percent.

For headgear, sailors said they wanted the eight-point cover as opposed to the rounded top, by nearly 3-to-1.

Sailors also seem to want to have more pockets, selecting the four-pocket version over the two-pocket version 78 percent to 22 percent.

Under those blouses, sailors slightly preferred the cotton undershirt to the performance one, 54 percent to 46 percent.

All versions of the uniforms are being tested in the fleet, but it will be at least a year before a formal decision is made on the new-look Navy.

NOTES: 1 COLOR GRAPH. GRAPH HED: The uniforms you voted for. SEE: NT-The Uniforms You Voted For 3/28.

LOAD-DATE: April 5, 2005

Copyright 2005 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

June 6, 2005 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 18

LENGTH: 578 words

HEADLINE: A line worth its weight; As ships get new Spectra fiber, 'doubling up' becomes history

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Soon the command "single up all lines" could become a part of Navy history, and on some ships, it already is.

That's because the Navy is outfitting ships with new, high-tech mooring lines to replace the current Aramid lines, and the new ones don't need to be doubled up.

For now, the new rope, made with Spectra fiber, a bright-white, lightweight polyethylene fiber, is predominately on destroyers with hull numbers 79 and up, as well as a few other ships.

According to Jim Fries, a mechanical engineer with Naval Sea Systems Command in Philadelphia, the Navy expects to equip all ships with the new rope by the end of the year.

The advantages of Spectra fiber rope are many, advocates say.

. They're stronger, requiring approximately one-third the amount of rope to moor up than Aramid lines. This means they require only a single-up mooring. The Spectra fibers themselves are 40 percent stronger than the Kevlar fibers of Aramid lines, and destroyer mooring lines made of Spectra have a 2 1/4 -inch diameter as opposed to the 1 5/16-inch Aramid. According to the Navy, one line of Spectra has a breaking strength of 300,000 pounds, while one line of Aramid holds only 96,000 pounds.

. Single-line mooring means less exposed line, typically 200 feet as opposed to 600 feet. That means there's less line for sailors to snag or get tangled up in.

"The lines are a lot shorter so you don't have the hazard of people stepping into the bite of the line," said Chief Boatswain's Mate Paul Ross in a phone interview with Navy Times. Ross is stationed on the destroyer Ross, which got the new lines early this year.

. The rope also floats, thus preventing it from bearing its own weight underwater.

. They're likely to be safer than current lines. Fewer sailors working sea and anchor detail means fewer exposed to potential risk. While accidents involving mooring lines aren't everyday occurrences in the Navy, they're not unheard of, either. According to Naval Safety Center records, there have been 26 injuries, mostly fractures and sprains, as a result of working with mooring lines since 2000.

But lastly and perhaps most importantly in a downsizing Navy, the new lines require fewer sailors to work special sea and anchor detail.

"I get it jammed down my throat all the time to reduce manpower," said Fries, adding that manpower reduction was the main impetus for the Navy to procure the new ropes.

Even for sailors not on special sea and anchor detail, Spectra lines promise to improve shipboard life. That's because there should be much less time spent waiting for the ship to tie up before they're able to hit the town.

"Every time we pull in it's like five minutes and everybody's going on liberty," said Chief Boatswain's Mate (SW) Wesley Dew in a phone interview. "With the old lines, [tying up] took about an hour."

Dew is stationed aboard the destroyer Pinckney, which has had Spectra lines since its commissioning in 2004.

Spectra lines aren't perfect, however. For one thing, they don't give any hints when they're under stress like the Aramid ropes do.

"Other lines smoke and chafe and make a lot of noise, Dew said. "You don't get that with these lines."

Spectra is more expensive than Aramid - $21.50 per foot compared to just $8 for Aramid, Fries said. But he added that since the Navy's only buying 200-foot lines as opposed to the 600-foot Aramid lines, Spectra costs less.

"Overall they're a great deal," Ross said.

NOTES: 1 PHOTO.

LOAD-DATE: June 14, 2005

Copyright 2005 Army Times Publishing Co.
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Navy Times

July 11, 2005 Monday

SECTION: NEWSLINES; Pg. 16

LENGTH: 1009 words

HEADLINE: Becoming part of the solution; Web site lets sailors introduce, follow up improvement ideas

BYLINE: By Matt Hilburn; Times staff writer

BODY:
Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling) Marco Estrada may soon become a hero to anyone who's ever scrubbed a flight deck.

Credit a Zamboni-like flight deck scrubber - which Estrada helped develop - and which soon could save exhausted aircrews hours of back-straining work.

The contraption, called the Mobile Cleaning Recycle Recovery System, took shape after Estrada suggested the idea to the Office of Naval Research's Tech Solutions Web site, www.techsolutions.navy.mil.

"It's definitely something the Navy needs," said Estrada, who works for Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic. "It's an easy and fast way to get the funding for a good idea."

Since it debuted in 2000, the Tech Solutions Web site has has fielded 300 ideas or improvement requests from sailors and Marines around the fleet. ONR wants to hear more.

"We have enough team members and enough funds to handle the problems, provided it has a science or technology angle," said Lt. Al Gonzalez, project manager for Tech Solutions. "If you have an idea, we want to hear it."

Having your voice heard is relatively easy, Estrada said. All sailors have to do it log onto the Web site and answer a few brief questions. They can then raise concerns about existing problems or offer potential solutions for others.

The Tech Solutions team reviews the request or idea and determines if there's a viable scientific or technological angle. If there is, Gonzalez says the goal is to have the project kicked off within a month.

"The chance of the person making the request still being at the same command are good, so the chances they'll see results are pretty good," he said. "Your typical Navy method can take three or more years to see results."

Part of the solution

Approved requests are vetted out to warfare centers and program managers' offices. If all parties agree to move forward, the Tech team funds the project usually up to $500,000. The best part: the sailor or Marine who made the suggestion or complaint becomes part of the creative process.

"We fund the research and development and the first prototypes," Gonzalez said.

"We will invest in science and tech research and development for a solution."

Problems that can be solved using existing technology are rejected, he said.

Of the 300 requests submitted to date, 26 have yielded solutions.

Lighting the way

In addition to the flight deck scrubber suggested by Estrada, Gonzalez is particularly proud of battle lantern improvements.

His team received a request from a sailor complaining about the seemingly endless amount of time spent changing batteries or light bulbs in the Navy battle lantern.

That sailor's request yielded a battle lantern with rechargeable batteries and an LED bulb, both of which can be fit into the current battle lantern's structure. The total cost of the project, Gonzales said: $98,000.

Once the Navy refits the existing stock of battle lanterns, "you're looking at saving millions," Gonzalez said.

His team outfitted a small minesweeper, the Defender, as a test ship. The sailor who requested the change was a Defender crew member. The test was a resounding success.

The simple solution will save the Navy $4.5 million in batteries and bulbs and 25,000 man-hours each year, according to ONR.

And it's not just sailors who are invited to participate.

A Marine, tired of having to wash every vehicle after a deployment, suggested a mobile car wash.

The solution: a deployable car wash that fits inside a shipping container.

According to Gonzalez, the car wash has already been tested at Camp Pendleton and could be seen in the fleet "pretty soon."

Another project in the works could make flight deck blue shirts very happy.

A request was made for a lighter chain to secure aircraft on the flight deck.

"ABMs out there work 12-14 hours a day, and they're lugging these 12-pound chains around, Gonzalez said. "You need about six of those chains to secure a Hornet."

According to Gonzalez, NAVAIR Lakehurst is developing a fiber-based chain that will weigh only five pounds.

"Imagine the quality of life improvement," he said.

More benefits of ingenuity

Unlike the more well-known Beneficial Suggestions program, Tech Solutions doesn't offer any monetary reward for solutions that are actually fielded, but there are perks.

The sailor who helped with the battle lantern idea was awarded a Navy/Marine Corps Commendation medal for his initiative.

Tech Solutions will also support a sailor or Marine's application for cash under the Beneficial Suggestions program.

"We'll provide them with the documentation, and then they can go up their chain of command and apply for money," Gonzalez said.

Estrada said the flight deck scrubber, which is now in a prototype phase, has been tested on the carriers George Washington, Enterprise, Harry S. Truman, John C. Stennis and Abraham Lincoln. It could be deployed in late 2006 or early 2007.

Not only does the scrubber save sailors from arduous work, it's environmentally friendly. Waste picked up by the scrubber is deposited into a disposable container, and all water used is recycled. Because the scrubber uses high-pressure water, no more soaps or detergents will be used.

"Tech Solutions is definitely going to save so many man hours," Estrada said. "I send my sailors out there to clean at night. Those 50 sailors, after a full day of flight ops, have to change boots and start cleaning. Then, after two hours of cleaning, they go to bed. We're going to improve the quality of life for the sailors."

Estrada, who said he spent the better part of a year shopping his idea around and trying to get funding, is satisfied that Tech Solutions was able to get his idea off the ground so quickly, and he's proud of the results he's seen so far.

"The air boss on the Truman said he would take the prototype on deployment and that he would give up an aircraft spot to take it," said Estrada.

"That's a pretty bold statement. When they see the difference in the cleaning, it's night and day."

NOTES: 1 PHOTO.

LOAD-DATE: July 19, 2005