NAVY BASEBALL

[Number 1054]

[Features]

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

[Departments]Eye on History — 10

Focus on Service — 36

Eye on the Fleet — 38

The Final Word — 40

22 USS Halyburton’s War:Counter-Drug Operations

For Sailors aboard USS Halyburton (FFG 40), America’s war on illegal drugs just got personal. During her scheduled six-month deployment, the Mayport-based frigate is participating in Operation Caper Focus, a joint, interagency counter-narcotics mission,instead of more traditional missions like expeditionary strike group support.P h o t o b y J O 1 ( S C W / S S ) J a m e s G . P i n s k y

10 ExceptionalParenting

Dealing with a deployment and moving to a new area with achild with special needs can break you mentally if you do nothave help. The Navy’s Exceptional Family Member Program(EFMP), a mandatory enrollment program, is designed toassist Sailors by addressing the special needs of their familymember during the assignment process.

32 The RookieThe shortstop thinks it looks like an out. He breaks to his leftwith three quick strides and a belly-flop dive. He lands with ajersey full of dirt and a fistful of ball, and … a voice cries outfrom the crowd, “Wake up man! We need more trays and silverware up here!” With that, Seaman Apprentice FrankKuras knows his daydream is officially over. But for Kuras, this happens a lot after spending his first summer in the Navystationed on a baseball diamond.

1

[On the Front Cover]SN Jose Leon, (right) a member ofUSS Halyburton’s Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) team, works with U.S. Coast Guard LEDET 402 boardingmembers like GM3 Scott Luks duringcounter-drug operations mission.P h o t o b y J O 1 ( S C W / S W ) J a m e s G . P i n s k y

[Next Month]All Hands follows Navy legalmen on theirjourney from the front office to the frontlines in Baghdad as they help set up Iraq’s judicial system.

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U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Rebecca McClung, left, and Chief HospitalCorpsman Jim Jones, right, give medical attention to an injured Indonesian man after being medically evacuated from a coastal village on the island of Sumatra,Indonesia. Medical teams from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Carrier Air Wing Two(CVW-2) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) set-up a triage sitelocated on Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Force Base, in Banda Aceh, Sumatra. The twoteams worked together with members of the Australian Air Force to provide initialmedical care to victims of the Tsunami-stricken coastal regions. The Abraham LincolnCarrier Strike Group is currently operating in the Indian Ocean off the waters ofIndonesia and Thailand. P h o t o b y P h o t o g r a p h e r ' s M a t e A i r m a n J o r d o n R . B e e s l e y

Around the Fleet

4 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

exploit the maritime domain –the world’s oceans and the air-space above them – to bring jointcapabilities to bear that are capableof deterring or defeating currentand future threats.

“My view of the future is, we’vegot to be out and about,” Clarksaid. “We are and will continueto be able to bring the capabilityfrom the domain that allows usfreedom to maneuver. We are,fundamentally, a maneuverableforce. For this nation to have thekind of capability that it needs, itmust be able to exploit themaneuver space that we own.”

For more on the CNO, visitwww.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/cno/.

Story by JOC Walter T. Ham IV who isassigned to public affairs office,

Chief of Naval Operations.

Sailor Suggestionson Effectiveness,Efficiency Make aDifference

Sailors can make a differenceand create a more effectiveand efficient Navy by

finding more practical ways toaccomplish their missions, andreport them through the BeneficialSuggestions (BeneSugs) andMilitary Cash Awards Programs(MilCap).

During a recent Echelon IIvisit by Chief of Naval Operations(CNO) ADM Vern Clark,Commander, Navy Region North-east leaders pointed to a coupleexamples of how Sailors foundsignificant efficiencies in theirregion through the BeneSugs andMilCap programs.

“We have extraordinary peoplewith great skills in our Navy,”Clark said in an interview laterthat day. “What this all means tome is we can have the greatest

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S 5

Appearing together withMarine Corps CommandantGen. Michael Hagee and CoastGuard Commandant Adm.Thomas Collins, the CNO toldthe Marine Corps Associationand U.S. Naval Institute Forumthat the current global threat

environment is blurring the linesbetween the services, and theroles they play in the defense ofthe nation at home and aboard.

“People want to draw theworld up in perfect, finite pieces.My view is the world doesn’texist that way today and will

exist less that way in the future,”Clark said. “We speak to thisprinciple throughout our jointdiscussions, that we need to blurall of those lines because theworld does not exist with greatclarity to where I can say what’son this side of the line is mineand what’s on this side of the lineis (Coast Guard CommandantAdm. Thomas Collins). It justisn’t that kind of globe anymore.”

To more effectively employthe combined defense capabilitiesof the Navy and the Coast Guard,Clark said the two services areworking on Maritime DomainAwareness to protect the nation’sshores.

“That’s a big part of what ourdomain awareness is all about,”the CNO said. “Tom and I are nowworking on this effort (MaritimeDomain Awareness) that has nowgrown to the interagency level.”

Clark said the Navy is alsooperating more closely with itsnumber one joint partner, theMarine Corps, to go on offensein the littorals - the transitionarea between the sea and land.Clark added that the MaritimePre-Positioning Force (Future)would play a key role in the Navy/Marine Corps team’s ability tobase forces at sea.

“A key issue for us is what’sgoing on across that key transitionzone between sea and land,”Clark said.

The CNO said the Navy/Marine Corps team must better

CNO Praises PartnershipBetween Sea Services

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Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), ADM Vern Clark (right),addresses a discussion panel on the war on terror along withCommandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Thomas H. Collins andCommandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael Hagee. The sea servicechiefs were on hand to answer all questions during Forum 2004, hosted bythe Marine Corps Association and the U.S. Naval Institute.

The Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are

working together more closely today than they

ever have before to confront the myriad threats

America and its allies face around the world, Chief of

Naval Operations (CNO) ADM Vern Clark said during a

Fall panel of sea service leaders.

Number 1054 • February 2005www.navy.mil

Secretar y of the Navy

The Honorable Gordon R. England

Chief of Naval Operat ions

ADM Vern Clark

Chief o f In format ion

RADM T. L. McCreary

Commander, Naval Media Center

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Chief of Publ ishing

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Uniforms are not the only part of the Navy getting a face-lift.

Check out the all new U.S. Navy homepage at:

Have your family see what you’re doing by checking out the source of Navy news and information.

begins immediately followinginitial training and includes thebasics of banking management,budgeting, insurance, investing,and the types of credit and theiruses. Follow-on courses includeadvanced financial planning,investment instruments, retire-ment and estate planning, andreal estate transaction planning.

In March 2002, the Departmentof Defense recognized the Navy’sefforts to prepare Sailors to plan for the future and protectthemselves against sometimesunscrupulous business practices,and named the PFM program aDOD Best Practice.

“We are continuing to buildon that success, and are developingmore resources for Sailors andtheir families to take advantage

of,” said Kim Thompson, CPD/PFM program director. “Bybringing all these resourcestogether under one umbrellaprogram and delivering them inchunks along the PersonalDevelopment Vector, Sailors willhave access to the most relevantinformation at the most appro-priate times throughout theircareers.”

To learn more about the Navy’spersonal financial managementresources, visit the Center forPersonal Development page onNavy Knowledge Online atwww.nko.navy.mil.

Story courtesy of JO1 Jd Walter whois assigned to the public affairs

office, Naval Personnel DevelopmentCommand, Virginia Beach, Va.

technology in the world – whichwe do – but none of it matterswithout the genius of our people.”

As subject matter experts intheir respective fields, Sailorshave the unique experience andinsight into the processes thatkeep the Navy in motion. By takingtheir ideas on how to improveoperations, enhance safety orsave resources and putting themon the OPNAV 5305/1 form,Sailors can make money whilesaving the Navy money. In return,Sailors not only benefit from abetter Navy but can also earn upto $25,000 in awards, dependingon the safety or financial impactof their suggestion.

“Our goal is to enhance ourmission accomplishment anddeliver a combat-credible Navynow and in the future,” Clark saidin his 2004 Guidance. “It demandsenterprise-wide approaches andinnovation to achieve greatereffectiveness and efficiency inafloat and ashore operations,readiness and infrastructure.”

As a part of Sea Enterprise, anenabling initiative of Sea Power 21,the CNO has called for a culturethat rewards greater effectivenessand removes institutional hurdlesthat block innovation.

Giving the Sailor and the tax-payer the best possible return on

their investment in the Navy isthe CNO’s goal, and the BeneSugand MilCap programs are anotherway Sailors can help achieve it.

More information on theBeneficial Suggestions and MilitaryCash Awards Programs can befound in OPNAV Instruction1650.8C. For more informationon the CNO, go to www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/cno/.

Story by JOC Walter T. Ham IV who isassigned to public affairs office,

Chief of Naval Operations.

Sailors AllowedFlexibility for Exam Deadlines

Commanders may requestthe administration ofsubstitute exams through

Naval Education and TrainingProfessional Development andTechnology Center (NETPDTC)when mission requirements keepSailors from taking a test by thescheduled date.

NETPDTC will consider allrequests, even those submittedafter published deadlines, toensure all eligible Sailors have anopportunity to take their exam.

“Commanders have the latitude to administer substituteexams when operational tempolegitimately interferes with Sailorspreparing for or taking the examson the scheduled date,” said LCDRJuliet Cook, the Navy’s advance-ment planner for the Chief ofNaval Personnel. “NETPDTCconsiders all requests, even thosesubmitted after deadlines, toensure our Sailors have a fairopportunity to take an exam.”

Valid reasons for requestingsubstitute exams include emer-gency leave, sick in quarters orhospitalization, and operationalcommitments, especiallydeployed units in combat areas.

Cook spoke of a recent exampleof a forward-deployed hospitalcorpsman that had his exam forwarded from detachment todetachment for about six weeks.The Sailor was finally able to takethe exam in July, four monthsafter the scheduled March examdate.

If a Sailor, such as this corps-man, takes a delayed exam withcoordination and approval byNETPDTC, the answer sheet isscanned and scored for advance-ment and the Sailor, if eligible,will receive backdated pay andtime-in-rate.

For more information on

substitute exams, see NAVADMIN204/04 on the Web at:www.bupers.navy.mil/navadmin/nav04/nav04204.txt.

Story courtesy of the public affairsoffice, Chief of Naval Personnel.

CPD IntroducesPersonal FinancialManagementCurriculum

With the goal of makingfinancially savvy Sailors,and preparing them to

meet life’s growing financial chal-lenges, the Center for PersonalDevelopment (CPD) is developinga continuum of learning basedon its Personal FinancialManagement (PFM) program.

The continuum will populatethe Personal Development Vectorof the 5 Vector Model and willfeature Navy-required financiallearning events, as well asadvanced courses to be deliveredthrough Navy eLearning, andavailable on Navy KnowledgeOnline (NKO).

CPD has partnered with several Navy entities to developthe continuum of study, which

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

Around the Fleet

6 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l 7

Ricky’sTourBy JO1 Mike Jones www.rickystour.com

Master Chief Constructionman Martin Yingling,Chief Equipment Operator Darion Williams andSteelworker 3rd Class Justin Sasser (from left to right)received Purple Hearts in recognition of wounds sustained inaction while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Thethree were injured through indirect fire from a rocket attack lastSeptember while working in Camp Fallujah, Iraq. Commander,Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Chief of CivilEngineers RADM Michael Loose recently presented the awards.Steelworker 3rd Class Eric Knott, who was killed during the sameattack, was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart lastSeptember.

S h i p m a t e s

The shape you’re indoesn’t have to beearned by running.Push-ups aren’t theonly way to tone a chest.Flat stomachs don’t onlycome from sit-ups.There is something outthere that will make yourheart race.All you need to do is find it.So…

What’s your game?Contact your local MWR.

Around the Fleet

8 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

Top PerformersSought forPresident’s Mess

The Presidential Food ServiceDepartment is looking forthe Navy’s top culinary

specialists (CS) to work in theWhite House Presidential Mess.

Forty-nine Navy CulinarySpecialists (CS) work in the WhiteHouse, providing the nation’sleader with everything from mealsat the Presidential Mess to valetservices. Recently, members ofthe White House PresidentialMess traveled to San Diego andNaval Air Station Lemoore tolook for the elite members of theCS fraternity.

“We’re looking for the best ofthe best of the Navy,” said LT JonOringdulph, the director ofPresidential Food Service. “Weneed the people we place in chargeof taking care of the commanderin chief to have unprecedentedattention to detail. We need Sailorswho are willing to work extremelyhard, have a great attitude, andmaintain a very low profile.”

Culinary specialists at theWhite House work in a variety oftasks. The Logistics Departmentpurchases all of the food andbrings it onto the White Housegrounds. The Main Mess Facilityprovides between 250-325 gourmetmeals a day for the president andhis staff, including breakfast,lunch and carryout meals in theevening.

In addition, two senior enlistedculinary specialists are standingby at all times for the president toprovide valet services and ensureall travel needs are met. TheseCSs travel on Air Force One, toCamp David and the private residence. Long days are expectedof staff CSs during the six-dayworkweek.

“We are looking for peoplewith a lot of heart, people whodon’t have the words ‘I can’t,’ in

their vocabularies,” Oringdulphsaid.

According to CSCM (SS) GlenMaes, the deputy director andcommand master chief of thePresidential Food Service division,there is a need for top culinaryspecialists in the E-6 and E-5 paygrades (“hot-running” E-4s arealso encouraged to apply). To beconsidered for White Houseduty, Sailors must have a Letterof Recommendation from theircommanding officer; be able toobtain a Top Secret clearancewith Single Scope BackgroundInvestigation; a complete medicalscreening and copies of their lastfive personnel evaluations.

Due to the sensitive nature ofthese positions, an intensivesecurity background check isconducted on each applicantselected for the position. Back-ground checks take between nineto 18 months on average, so it’sbest to apply inside of two yearsaway from a projected rotationdate.

Maes added that the PresidentialMess is also working to raise thestandard of service in the fleet.

“It’s a win-win situation,” saidMaes. “It gives us the opportunityto have the best of the best outthere. We train these guys up inleadership, mentorship and givethem the best professionalknowledge, and then send themback to the fleet.”

While in San Diego, thePresidential Food Service teaminterviewed area candidates atthe Navy Food ManagementTeam San Diego (NFMT) offices,as well as aboard USS RonaldReagan (CVN 76). Maes said thePresidential Food Service teamwill be making a similar stop inNorfolk.

For information on programeligibility/requirements, contactthe White House PresidentialFood Service team at (202) 757-1285 or via email atgames@whmo.mil.

Story by Ron Flanders, who isassigned to the public affairs office,

Fleet and Industrial Supply Center,San Diego

Crater RepairProject No ProblemFor “Can Do!”Seabees In Iraq

In true “Can Do!” spirit,Seabees from Naval MobileConstruction Battalion

(NMCB) 23 have made permanentrepairs to 31 giant-size craters atthe Al Asad airfield – a militaryrunway critical to operations innorthern Iraq.

The airfield, once a militaryhub accommodating F/A-18Hornet fighters, C-130 Herculesand C-5 Galaxy cargo planes,had been out of service withbattle damage for more than ayear when the Seabees moved in.

According to LT DonaldPanthen, assistant operationsofficer, 1st Marine ExpeditionaryForce (MEF) Engineer Group,

the Seabees’ performance hasbeen outstanding despite anumber of project difficulties.

“The Seabees completed thisjob ahead of schedule and in spiteof material shortages, contractordelays and insurgent activity,”Panthen said.

When NMCB 23 officiallytook on the project in October,work was already behind scheduleby more than three weeks, andadditional existing craters hadbeen added to the project.

Permanent crater repairsrequire extensive measures, suchas cutting and removing thedamaged pavement adjacent tothe craters, excavating the soil,filling the hole and compactingwith structural fill material, andthen capping the craters withconcrete.

“It’s comparable to patchinggiant potholes, each five feetdeep and up to 80 feet across,”said LT Stephen Fichter, projectofficer. The crew produced morethan 3,600 cubic yards of concretefor the job, utilizing more than6,000 tons of patching material.“Operating in a war zone adds

another layer of difficulty to analready challenging project,”Fichter said.

According to Fichter, qualitysand and gravel are in shortsupply in the Al Anbar province,and there are only a few nearbyquarries for obtaining the scarceraw material.

“Getting stone and sand fromthe quarries is dangerous due tothe security situation in thatarea,” he said. “We can’t just orderup material and have it delivered.Here, we have to go and get ourown stone and sand.”

In addition, an explosive ordnance disposal team mustvisit supply sites prior to loadingmaterial to check for the presenceof improvised explosive devices

and supply convoys must travelat night with tight security.

In spite of these obstacles, theDesert Bees completed one runwaythree weeks ahead of schedule.

“From the start, we’veempowered our Seabees on theground to find what works andget the job done,” Fichter said.

The Seabees produced theirown formulas for concrete, con-sidering that the quality of sandand gravel vary widely fromsource to source.

“It’s like trying to make cookiesall taste the same, even thoughyour ingredients are different inevery batch,” Fichter said. “Wekeep adjusting our recipe,depending on what kind ofmaterial we have at the time.”

The Seabees produced concretefor the project using only two“crete-mobiles,” a major accom-plishment considering thediminutive mobile concretemixers are designed for a muchsmaller workload.

“This project has not beeneasy,” Fichter said. “I think ourpositive attitude has been a keyaspect of this project. We haveestablished good working rela-tionships with fellow Soldiersand Marines, so when we needrepair parts or additional equip-ment, they are glad to help out.Good will goes a long way and iseasily built using the diverse

skills found in ordinary Seabees.”For related news, visit the

Commander, 1st NavalConstruction Division NavyNewsStand page atwww.news.navy.mil/local/1ncd.

Story by JOC Suzanne Speight, whois assigned to public affairs with the

1st Marine Expeditionary ForceEngineer Group, Al Asad, Iraq

1944 ©

Dirigibles form a“V” over Naval Air

Station MoffettField, Calif.,

during trainingmaneuvers. The

dirigible shadowson the ground

resemble giantbombs.

Eye on History

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S 9

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VADM John G. Cotton, Commander Naval Reserve Force,views a Seabee project at the Al Asad airfield in western Iraq. ReserveSeabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 23 havetaken on this extensive project, which includes making permanent repairs to39 swimming pool-size impact craters on different sections of the airfield’srunways. The craters have left the airfield inoperable for more than a year.

11F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

“It was the most overwhelming experi-ence of my life,” Kaori said. “I spent most ofmy days lost, trying to find my way todifferent hospitals. I would try to ask fordirections but most people could not under-stand me. I asked myself, ‘is this what Kailigoes through every day?’ Dealing with adeployment and moving to a new area witha child with special needs can break youmentally if you do not have help.”

When he was four years old, Kaori’s son

Kaili was diagnosed with autism, acomplex neurological disorder that affectsthe functioning of the brain. Soon after,her family enrolled in the Navy’sExceptional Family Member Program(EFMP), a mandatory enrollment programdesigned to assist Sailors by addressing thespecial needs of their family memberduring the assignment process.

Navy detailers use the EFMP enrollmentdata to pinpoint assignments to locations

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S t o r y b y J O 2 C h e r i B o g g s ,

p h o t o s b y P H 3 A n t o i n e

T h e m i s t o c l e o u s

ExceptionalParenting

¶ There is always enough Mom to go around. Kaori helps Raymond with personal details like brushing his teeth and combing his hair. She makes it a point not to help Kaili with such issues because doing these things on his own will help him tobecome more independent and give him more confidence, tools he will need to survive in his autistic world.

When Kaori Tutewol first moved to America from Japan, she was completely

lost. She did not speak English fluently and navigating her way through Seattle’s

interstate highways seemed impossible. It was like being transferred to another

planet. With her husband, Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class James Tutewol,

deployed aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) on an extended deployment, for

the first time in her life, she had a glimpse of what her then-7-year-old autistic son

Kaili’s world must be like.

with appropriate resources that address theSailor or family member’s special need. Inthe Tutewols’ case, they must always receiveorders to a location with a major militarymedical treatment facility.

Soon after arriving at Naval StationBremerton, Kaori discovered that the area’smajor military treatment facility, EverettNaval Hospital, was nearly an hour’s driveaway. To make matters worse, there were nochild psychologists assigned to the hospital.She immediately contacted the hospital’sEFM coordinator, who provided her with alist of child psychologists and schoolprograms in the local area.

“The list was a mile long,” said Kaori. “Ittook weeks to find a doctor who wasaccepting TRICARE insurance. My son wasgoing without medical attention the entire

time. The situation was very frustratingbecause I also have my other children tolook after. I knew that if I was having such adifficult time, then there must be otherfamilies dealing with the same issues.

Soon after, Kaiori met Tracey Welsh,Abraham Lincoln’s Ombudsman and wife ofElectronics Technician 1st ClassTodd Welsh. Two of the Welshs’three children are assigned to theEFMP. Brendon, 4, diagnosed withWilliam’s Syndrome, a rare geneticcondition which causes medical and developmental problems, andRyan, 12, diagnosed with Tourrett’sSyndrome, a neurological disordercharacterized by multiple involun-tary movements and ncontrollablevocalizations called tics. According

13F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S12 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

Ä Although Raymond has notbeen diagnosed with autism or anyother developmental disability, hismother, Kaori, often notices manyautistic behaviors. Like his brother,Kaili, he often becomes preoccupiedwith putting things in order, or placingobjects like pennies in patterns.

© Thanks to the Tutewol, Welsh andShadden families, their weekly Exceptionalfamily member (EFM) support group providesEFM families with information about localmedical facilities, schools and other specialprograms in the area.

© Twelve-year-old Ryan Welsh is required to take eight pills each day.

¶ Tracey explains to Ryan,12, that hecan’t go outside because of his bad behavior.

© Thirteen-year-old Jake Welsh takes amoment before school to watch televisionwith his youngest brother Brendon, 5. Anexceptional student, Jake finds it hard to

shine under the spotlight of his two youngerbrothers who require so much attention.

15F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

to Tracey, the military treatment facility hadthe services that Brendon needed, but whenit came time to find a doctor for Ryan, sheexperienced the same difficulties as Kaori.

“It took six months to find a psychother-apist in the area who was acceptingTRICARE,” said Tracey. “Ryan went withouthis medication because his prescriptionscould only be given by a psychiatrist. Hismood controls the mood of the entire housebecause his medication helps control his“meltdowns.”

Meltdowns are something both familiesdeal with on a regular basis. They areperiods of uncontrollable rage brought onby their children’s medical conditions.

They include kicking, screaming, violentthreats and behavior. Ryan has punchedholes in walls and screamed obscenities,while Kaili is often sent home from school,or dismissed from the school bus for makingviolent threats.

“It’s so important that kids like Ryandon’t have a lapse in services because theirtherapy and their medication are importantto their development and the daily lives oftheir family,” Tracey explained. “I could onlyimagine how many other families experiencethe same difficulties.”

Kaori and Tracey got together to formNaval Station Bremerton’s first EFM supportgroup. During the weekly meetings, they

provide families with information aboutlocal medical facilities, schools, and specialprograms in the local area.

“We try to give the parents helpful infor-mation so they don’t keep running into thesame problems we did,” Kaori said. “We passout copies of The Americans with DisabilitiesAct and we keep an updated list of local-area

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The Exceptional Family Member (EFM) programrecently unveiled its new Web site. The site allowsfamilies, EFM sponsors and medical treatment facility

personnel access to EFM category information.Through the Internet, EFM officials said they have

improved a program designed to meet the needs of the Navymembers and their families by putting the “right person inthe right place at the right time.”

The site can now serve as a query tool that will enablesponsors to negotiate orders with detailers more efficientlyand effectively.

“The benefits to family members and sponsors will beapparent from the moment they access the Web page,” saidMarcia Hagood, senior EFM program analyst. “Of partic-ular value is an expansive section detailing the differencesin EFM categories.

“We have many resources available to the family memberson the site to help them understand which category they mayfall into,” Hagood added. “If they’ve had difficulty findingthat information, the site breaks it down for them.”

The EFM program was created in 1989 to provide servicemembers quality opportunities for assignment to locationswhere a family member’s special medical and/or educationalneeds could be met. Orders written for program members arereviewed by EFM program managers, who approve or disap-prove the move based on availability of facilities for thefamily member. More than 19,000 Navy families are currentlyenrolled in the program.

“We’re proud of the fact that the Navy is the only servicebranch with a program like EFM,” said Hagood. “No otherservice ensures their special needs families’ orders arereviewed by a specific agency prior to assignment.”

EFM program sponsors or spouses can register with thesite, complete a personal profile and obtain a password tofind more information regarding their category status. Onceregistered, the sponsor will be notified when they need totake action regarding their status and will receive generalinformation about the program itself. Additionally, EFMprogram coordinators at medical commands can view allEFM program enrollees assigned to their area.

“The Web site will provide the medical community thebenefit of being as prepared as possible for a special needsfamily well before they arrive at their next duty station,”Hagood said.

Hagood stressed that anonymity features have been builtinto the Web site to ensure privacy and confidentiality.Military or family members who have questions about theEFM program can visit the Web site at https://efm.persnet.navy.mil/EFM.

Story by JOC(SW/AW) Bill Houlihan who is assigned to NavyPersonnel Command Communications, Millington, Tenn.

§ Ryan Welsh sits quietly and listensto his mother as she attempts to diffuse ameltdown.

¶ Kaili Tutewol gives it his all during swimming lessons at the Naval Station Everettswimming pool. Although his autism does notallow him to swim at the level of a normal 11-year-old, he still enjoys taking lessons alongwith his 6-year-old brother, Raymond.

¶ Activities like baseball help challenged children have a sense of normalcy in their lives. The Tutewols’ as well as manyother Navy families in the Bremerton area participate in the organized league.

New

Web

Sit

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child advocates and doctors who acceptTRICARE.

While receiving helpful information isappreciated during the meetings, for mostparents the best part about the supportgroup is being able to talk to others whounderstand what they are going through.

“It really helps to be able to come here

and know that you are not alone,” saidAmanda Shadden, whose son Christopher,14, is enrolled in the EFMP. Her husband,Personnelman 1st Class (SW) JerryShadden, is also stationed aboard AbrahamLincoln. “I have to attend school with myson every day so that he can make it

through the day. I don’t think anyone elsebut the people in the support group wouldunderstand that.”

During the meetings, families not onlyshare problems, they also try to find solu-tions. Many parents find it difficult tounderstand medical forms and documents.

Kaori is always there, armed with her elec-tronic dictionary, to help translate medicalinformation into simple terms.

“I never go anywhere without mydictionary because I always want to knowwhat is going on,” said Kaori. “With chil-dren like ours, the best tool is to know andunderstand the law. You have to be able tospeak up for your children because theycan’t speak for themselves. There are somany laws and so many rules. It’s almost

like reading the Bible. Everything is opento interpretation.”

Naval Station Bremerton EFM coordi-nator, Chief Hospital Corpsman ReneeRigoroso, couldn’t agree more. According toRigoroso, the most important thing familiescan do to make their transition easier isunderstand the law.

“I always tell the parents that they arethe best advocate for their children,”Rigoroso said. “Many Sailors may not

understand exactly what the EFMP doesand does not do. The purpose of the EFMPcoordinator is to make sure that all quali-fied EFMP personnel are enrolled in theprogram and the information is sent to thedetailers. We also can help to point familiesin the right direction if they have ques-tions, but the rest is up to them. The mostimportant thing is to plan ahead andresearch the area,” he added.

The Welch family agrees.“You can never pick orders at the last

minute,” said Todd Welsh. “There is toomuch planning to be done. You have tomake sure the services you need are avail-able. You have to make sure your family istaken care of before you deploy.”

While it may seem difficult for mostparents to even imagine their children livingwith incurable medical conditions, that’s thereality for both the Tutewol and Welsh fami-lies, as well as many others. Days filled withmedication, medical appointments, schoolvisits and meltdowns along with theeveryday worries that parenting brings arealmost certain now and in the future. Andwhile knowing they have a long, bumpyroad ahead, they still find the time to makesomeone else’s exceptional journey throughparenthood a little smoother.

Boggs is a journalist and Themistocleous is aphotographer’s mate assigned to All Hands.

17F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S16 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

Website Exclusive

Find more photos online atwww.news.navy.mil/media/allhands/flash/ah200502/feature_1/

§ Weekday mornings are a busy time for the Tutewol household. A typical day starts at 6 a.m.Extra time must be included for those difficult mornings that often occur. A good morning start can help to create a good day at school for Kaili.

¶ Although Kaili's medical situationrequires a lot of attention, equal time must beshared with all members of the family. Here, six-year-old Raymond Tutewol tries to give his mom, Kaori, a wet hug following swimming class.

© Tracey Welsh listens to Amanda and Jerry Shadden during a support group meeting.Behavioral problems for the Shaddens’ 14-year-

old son, Christopher, have become such a problem at school, Amanda attends school with

him each day.

For Sailors aboard USS Halyburton(FFG 40), America’s war on illegal drugsjust got personal.

The Mayport-based fast frigate isparticipating in Operation Caper Focus, ajoint, interagency counter-narcotics mission,during her scheduled six-month deploy-ment instead of more traditional missionslike expeditionary strike group support.

“Stopping the flow of drugs onto ourstreets is enough reason for this mission,”said CDR Herbert M. Hadley, Halyburton’scommanding officer.

But for Halyburton’s crew, this trip meansmore to many of its Sailors than a typicalcruise because it gives parents, brothers andsisters, sons and daughters, a chance to stopan enemy that has haunted playgrounds,street corners and families lives for years.

“Chasing down drug smugglers matters.

It matters a lot to me,” said CulinarySpecialist 1st Class Christopher Jefferson,“because I have two little (children) whoone day might encounter drugs, and Idon’t want them to.”

Jefferson’s hope is one that has tran-scended several generations.

America has waged a war on drugssince former President Richard M. Nixonnamed drug abuse as “public enemy No. 1

in the United States,” in 1971.America has battled the drug cartels

ever since. Recently, when intelligencereports revealed that terrorists receivedsome of their funding through illegalnarcotics, and that the same tricks used tosmuggle cocaine were helping terroristoperatives sneak through U.S. borders, thefocus on hunting down drug smugglerstook on a new intensity.

19F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S18

Counter-Drug Operations

War:'

S t o r y a n d p h o t o s b y J O 1 ( S C W / S S ) J a m e s P i n s k y

§ U.S. Coast Guard BM3 Travis Katzeris a member of Law Enforcement Detachment(LEDET) 402 based out of Miami. The small unit is embarked on USS Halyburton to carry out lawenforcement actions related to the search andseizure of illegal narcotics trafficking.

§ U.S. Coast Guard LEDET personnelaboard USS Halyburton inventory a bale ofcocaine recovered by U.S. Coast Guard CutterRush (WHEC 723). The cocaine, fuel anddetainees were classified as evidence and transferred to USS Halyburton by Coast Guardpersonnel to allow Rush to make emergencyrepairs.

Now, more than 30 years later, Halyburton’screw is thrilled to get their chance to fightthe drug cartels – face to face.

“We’re not just doing training missionsin the Jacksonville, Fla., ops area,” saidQuartermaster 2nd Class Steven Schulwolf.“People are excited to come up on the bridgebecause we’re doing real missions andeveryone wants to be the ones on watchwhen we make a big bust.”

Schulwolf found himself caught up inthe excitement of counter-drug operationsas well.

“I used to never want to stand watch,”said Schulwolf, “and now the only reasonI’m ever happy to leave the bridge is becauseI’m exhausted, not bored.”

But the excitement of actually catchinga drug smuggler burns on a slow fusebecause hunting them is a long, tediousprocess.

“Before our first bust,” said Schulwolf,“everyone thought counter-drug operationswere boring. It seemed like we were justgoing from one end of the ocean to theother to see if the water was still blue.”

Halyburton’s mission is simple: to inter-cept and provide boarding opportunities

of suspected drug traffickers and theirsupport vessels for the U.S. Coast GuardLaw Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 402,Miami, embarked on the 20-year old ship.

But, wait. The Coast Guard?To facilitate counter-drug operations,

Halyburton has a Coast Guard LawEnforcement Detachment embarked andboth fall under tactical control of the JointInteragency Task Force (JIATF) South, KeyWest, Fla., while the ship remains underthe operational control of Commander,U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command(COMUSNAVSO), Mayport, Fla.

If Sailors, like Schulwolf, thought sailingthe open ocean was tedious, an actualboarding process might not raise their pulseright away. Any one phase of the four-stagelaw enforcement process can take a matterof minutes or countless hours to complete.

The need for patience comes from theprocess of hunting the vessels themselves.JIATF South and the operational chain ofcommand take no liberties with details tomake sure any ship Halyburton targets isworth all of the Sailor’s efforts. After all,going through all the work of catching avessel and not yielding evidence ruins

everyone’s day.According to LT Brian Diebold,

Halyburton’s combat systems officer, “Themost frustrating part of counter-drugoperations is “putting the pieces together,taking down the target and not finding anydrugs.”

For weeks, many near-miss boardingopportunities eroded the crew’s eagerness.But, everything changed once the first bustcame.

“After our first bust,” said Schulwolf,“the next time we set law enforcementPhase 1, I heard cheers erupt from thegalley. Everyone knew what was going on.”

During any U.S. Coast Guard boardingopportunity one of the busiest teams onthe ship becomes Halyburton’s own VisitBoard Search and Seizure (VBSS) team.The specially trained unit supplements theU.S. Coast Guard’s boarding team byproviding security during boardings andpost-seizure watches.

“Being a part of Halyburton’s VBSS teamhas definitely been a unique experience,”said Seaman Jose Leon, VBSS team member.“My first real boarding opened my eyes towhat doing this is all about. It helped

21COUNTER-DRUG OPERATIONS20 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

¶ USS Halyburton (FFG 40) transits the Panama Canal en routeto her SOUTHCOM area of operations to conduct counter-drug operationswith Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) South and COMUSNAVSO.

Ä U.S. Coast Guard BM3 Travis Katzer, LEDET 402,leaves an SH-60B after conducting counter-narcotics flight operations.The Coast Guard embarked a law enforcement detachment aboard USS Halyburton (FFG 40) to carry out boardings of suspected drugsmuggling and drug smuggling support vessels.

© U.S. CoastGuard GM3 Scott

Luks wears a patchhonoring fallen Coast

Guard boarding team member PO3

Nathan Bruckenthall.Bruckenthall wasassigned to Law

EnforcementDetachment 403 from

Tactical LawEnforcement Team

South in Miami, Fla. Hewas killed in an attack

that began when suicidebombers in boats

attacked pumping stations in the Persian

Gulf. Bruckenthal was the first Coast

Guardsman to die incombat since Vietnam.

23COUNTER-DRUG OPERATIONS

having the Coast Guard on board becausethey are experts at what they do, and theyhelped train us during the deployment forthe kinds of situations they knew we wouldencounter.”

During the Coast Guard LEDET’s firstboarding of Halyburton’s deployment,investigations revealed the small fishingvessel suspected by JIATF South to be arefueler for smaller “go-fast” drug smugglingboats. Consequently, evidence and the vessel’screw were detained by the Coast Guardand handed over to proper authorities.

That first bust brought plenty of excite-ment, and a little too much carbonmonoxide, for two Halyburton Sailors,Damage Controlmen 3rd Class DannySullivan and Cameron Lair, Halyburton’srescue and salvage team, who were calledupon by the Coast Guard to save the suspectvessel from sinking.

“During our first boarding, the ship wasnot seaworthy,” said U.S. Coast GuardMachinery Technician 3rd Class JohnnyRidad, LEDET 402, Miami. “So we calledfor the ship’s rescue and assistance team tostop the flooding. They dewatered the vesselwith a P-100 pump. Halyburton’s engineerswere a lot more experienced and knowl-edgeable, so they were able to stabilize thevessel quickly so we could conduct oursearch.”

“When we got over there,” said Sullivan,“the water seemed to be coming in andgoing out, but it was taking on more waterthan what was going out so we used ourpump to overcome the flooding rate. It washard to get suction because our pump isdesigned for dewatering something on ourship, not a little boat like this. We made itwork though.”

While the Sailors battled the flooding inthe engine room, the poorly maintainedengines and living conditions producedfumes that made the boarding team nause-ated, requiring oxygen from the corpsmanback aboard Halyburton.

In addition to a compliment of U.S.Coast Guard LEDET boarding personnel,Halyburton brought an air detachment fromHelicopter Anti-Submarine Light (HSL) 48,Det. 7 and an SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS III

22

§ USS Halyburton’s (FFG 40) Commanding Officer, CDRHerbert Hadley and U.S. Coast Guard LEDET 402 Officer-in-Charge LTJGRoger Onenhieser discuss a suspected drug smuggling support ship offHalyburton’s starboard bow. The Navy and Coast Guard worked togetherin a counter narcotics operation called Caper Focus which is designed todecrease the influx of illegal narcotics to America’s streets.

Ä DC3 Danny Sullivan receives oxygen from HMC EdwinHanson to recover from carbon monoxide exposure while conductingrescue and salvage operations aboard a detained suspected drug smuggling vessel. Sullivan and his rescue and salvage teammate, DC3Cameron Lair, helped stop flooding of the vessel so U.S. Coast GuardLEDET personnel could safely search it for evidence.

ÄÄ During counter-drug operations, USS Halyburton’s combatinformation center (CIC) stays busy conducting ship’s operations and coordinating JIATF South tasking through the embarked Coast GuardLEDET on board.

helicopter, stationed in Mayport, Fla., toenhance the ability to find, track and catchdrug smuggling vessels.

“Our helicopter is the No. 1 ‘bad guycatcher,’” said Diebold, “because it allowsus to see over the horizon with its radar.

But Halyburton’s helicopter is just oneof many assets on board this “small boy,”that make frigates quintessential forcounter-drug operations.

“Halyburton is ideal for counter-drugoperations because she’s fast, maneuverableand very good in littoral waters,” saidDiebold” He specifically noted thatHalyburton’s fire control system, the MK 92,seemed tailor-made for the small vesselssmugglers use. “It’s ideal for tracking smallcontacts, and its over-the-horizon trackingallows us to remain covert during counter-drug operations.”

Even the ship’s engine room caters tocounter-narcotics missions with a variablepitch propeller and gas turbine engines.The ship can go from ahead flank to back

full in a drug smuggler’s heartbeat. In fact,Halyburton can come to a complete stop inonly two lengths of the ship, all maneuveringcharacteristics which are useful when thevessels you’re trying to catch are typically nobigger than the helicopter bird-dogging it.

Engineering aside, it’s the crew that ultimately makes the difference betweensuccess and failure and conducting counter-narcotics operations successfully is at thevery heart of being a Sailor.

According to LCDR Steven Glover,Halyburton executive officer, “Conductingcounter-drug operations is deck seamanshipand small boat handling at its very finest.”

During interaction with a suspecteddrug smuggling or drug smuggling supportvessel, nearly all facets of the ship’s creware used. From the ship’s navigation partywho must drive the 453 foot-long shipwithin hundreds of yards of a vessel the sizeof a life raft, to the small boat-handlingcrew that raises, lowers, transfers andmaintains the ship’s rigid hull inflatable

25F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S COUNTER-DRUG OPERATIONS24 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

§ AT3 Samuel Haysworks in the close confines of USS Halyburton’s port hangar bay to prepare their SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS III helicopter for counter-drug flight operations the followingday. “The helicopter is our best ‘bad guy’ catcher,” said LT Brian Diebold, Halyburton’scombat systems officer,“because it allows the ship tosee over the horizon through its radar and the HAWKLINKsystem.”

© CTT3 Mark Arroyocalls out to USS

Halyburton’s bridge that oneof the suspects on board a

vessel is wielding a knife.Lookouts man the ship’s

weather deck around theclock, but double and triple

their surveillance duringboarding operations to helpkeep U.S. Coast Guard and

Navy personnel safe.

LAW ENFORCEMENT PHASES OF DRUG OPERATIONS

PHASE 1 – Halyburton arrives on sceneof a suspected drug smuggling vessel.

PHASE 2 – Tactical control ofHalyburton shifts to U.S. Coast GuardDistrict 11, and Halyburton raises theU.S. Coast Guard flag under theAmerican flag. The LEDET begins itsboarding process.

PHASE 3 – Indication is given thatseizure of evidence and detaining ofpersonnel will take place.

PHASE 4 –The evolution ends with theoffloading of the detainees andevidence.

NOTE: Throughout Phases 1 through 3 thesmall boat handling team will load andunload countless LEDET and ship’s ownVBSS team members, detainees andevidence.

boat (RHIB) throughout a boarding,everyone participates.

Halyburton’s first boarding lasted 27 hours,and her Sailors got plenty of operationalexperience that pushed them well beyondfamiliarity and into instinct.

Throughout the operation, U.S. CoastGuardsmen and Halyburton Sailors workedseamlessly for a successful mission. It’s apartnership that has yielded promisingresults. Last year the narcotics interdictionindustry quietly posted their best year everfor seizures.

“This is one of the best crews we’veworked with,” said Coast Guard Boatswain’sMate 1st Class Triado Gustavo, U.S. CoastGuard LEDET 402 Assistant Officer inCharge. “From the day we stepped aboardHalyburton, we were treated like one of the

crew, and we won’t forget them.”With each success for Halyburton’s joint

CoastGuard/Navy team, Sailor’s like CS1Christopher Jefferson take satisfaction inknowing the battles they win at sea have apositive impact on the streets back home.

Pinsky is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands.

27F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S COUNTER-DRUG OPERATIONS26

Ä U.S. Coast Guard Gunner’s Mate3rd Class Scott Luks escorts a detaineeaboard USS Halyburton (FFG40) during counter-drug operations.

§ Counter-drug opera-tions are tediousprocedures. Here,U.S. Coast GuardBoatswain’s Mate3rd Class TravisKatzer rests hishead waiting forpermission toboard a suspecteddrug smugglingvessel.

Ä GSM3 Kenon Samuel, a member of USS Halyburton’sVisit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) team climbs back aboardthe ship after providing security support for U.S. Coast GuardLEDET 402 personnel searching a suspected drug smuggling support vessel.

¶ An SH-60B Seahawk LAMPS III helicopterkeeps a close eye on a suspected drug smuggling vessel duringcounter-drug operations. The helicopter and its support personnelare assigned to HSL-48, Det. 7 homeported in Mayport, Fla.

Website Exclusive

Find more photos online atwww.news.navy.mil/media/allhands/flash/ah200502/feature_2/

Barely out of boot camp, a brand-newSailor plays his way onto

the all-Navy baseball squadS t o r y a n d p h o t o s b y J O 1 C h a r l e s L . L u d w i g

28 29A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

© SA Frank Kuras, a deck seaman aboard USS Ashland(LSD 48), prepares for an at-bat during the All-Navy baseball team’s game against the Marine Corps at PETCO Park in San Diego.

ROOKIE

Barely out of boot camp, a brand-newSailor plays his way onto

the all-Navy baseball squad

T

Boston accent. “But I wouldn’t call itdaydreaming; it’s more like replaying. Ireplay stuff that happened in my ballgamesall the time.”

Sounds like your typical athlete-turned-Sailor. But Kuras’ athletic memories areanything but typical. His recollections high-light a path that led him from boot camp toshortstop for the All-Navy baseball team inless than a month.

“It all happened so quick,” Kuras said. “Iwent from [joining the Navy and] believing

that my baseball days were a thing of thepast to being right back in the thick ofthings. It was really just a matter of megetting to Ashland at the right time.”

For Kuras, the right time came literallywithin days of what would have been thewrong time. If he had arrived a mere threedays later, he would have missed his chancealtogether.

“When he was checking in here, I askedhim what he liked to do for fun, and he toldme that he played baseball all of his life,” said

LTJG Matt Lebasci, Kuras’ original divisionofficer. “So I told him he ought to go to thetryouts that weekend. I thought it would bea good experience for him to meet some

31F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

hey’re the kind of moments that makebaseball fans stand in admiration.A scoreless game, top of the second,

nobody on and nobody out. A ball is rippedup the middle. It looks like a rally-starter,zipping over the infield grass with eyes oncenter field, but the shortstop thinks it lookslike an out. He breaks to his left with threequick strides and a belly-flop dive. He landswith a jersey full of dirt and a fistful of ball,and, before you can blink, he twists up andwings it to first for an out. One down, andthe crowd gathered for the game is buzzing.

But little do they know the shortstop isnowhere near done. Fourth inning, now it’s1-0. A bouncer slowly rolls to the left of thepitcher’s mound. The shortstop dashes inwith his bare hand, looking …

“Hey Kuras!” a voice cries out from thecrowd. “Wake up man! We need more traysand silverware up here!” With that, SeamanApprentice Frank Kuras, a deck seamanserving his time as a food service attendantaboard USS Ashland (LSD 48), knows hisdaydream is officially over.

These reality-stained interruptionsoccur often for Kuras, a native of RhodeIsland with plenty of reasons to daydream.That happens when you spend your firstsummer in the Navy stationed on a base-ball diamond.

Kuras, the starting shortstop for the All-Navy baseball team, has lived that life; and itaffects him to this day.

“Playing baseball has really given me a lotto think about during slow times at work,”Kuras said with a slightly watered-down

30 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

¶ Like their professional peers,Kuras and his teammates spend a large portion of their pre- and post-practice timesigning baseballs and bats. The team thenuses the autographed memorabilia to help promote their season at commandsthroughout the San Diego area.

© Kuras’ memory of lost family members is never far away when he takes

the field. On the bill of his baseball cap, hepens a small tribute to his brother, who

was killed in a car accident in 1997.

¶ Emotions can run low during games. Here, Kuras sits in the visitors’ dugout

at PETCO Park after the Marine Corps scoredthe game-winning run in a 6-5 loss in the

team’s biggest game of the season.

§ Kuras and his teammates relaxbefore taking the field at PETCO Park in SanDiego, the home of Major League Baseball’sPadres. The team was waiting for the finish of a Padres-Dodgers duel prior to playing theall-Marine Corps squad.

¶ Almost as important to the playersas practice is the promotion of the team and

their games throughout the season. Here,Kuras, with teammate Jameek Long at his side,

gives a handful of fliers to a PETCO Park attendant outside the stadium the day beforethe Marine Corps game. She would later pass

the fliers out to spectators as they entered thepark for that day’s San Diego Padre’s game.

new people and get involved with somethingearly in his time here.”

Lebasci didn’t know Kuras had differentthoughts in mind, though. For him, it wasn’tabout getting out and meeting new people.“When I heard about the tryouts, I knew Iwas going to make [the team],” Kuras saidcracking a half-smile. “There was no way Iwasn’t going to make it. Baseball alwayscame really easy for me.”

As a teenager growing up in RhodeIsland, Kuras had a reputation as an excep-tional baseball talent. It all started in Little

League and expanded when he reachedCoventry High School. There, Kuras culti-vated his skills, becoming known as asupreme threat at the plate (he has two four-home run games to his credit), and a slickfielder on the diamond.

He took home All-State accolades atshortstop for Coventry before moving on toRhode Island College in Providence, wherehe played two seasons before leaving college.His baseball education didn’t end there, ashe continued playing with a semi-professional team while working for a NewEngland-based construction company.

“So altogether I played every year fromthe time I was 5 or 6,” Kuras said. “I’ve had alot of experience in all kinds of situations.”

That experience showed at the teamtryouts, according to Navy Baseballdirector LCDR Terry Allvord. “The thingthat struck us was that it was obvious hehad played at a high level recently,” he said.“He had the talent, and he was a good findfor us in Norfolk.”

So, after residing aboard Ashland forapproximately 96 hours, the kid who hadn’teven completed half of his check-in sheetwas getting a quick lesson in some of thethings NOT taught in recruit training.“When I found out I was going to the nextround [of tryouts], I was told I needed toroute a chit to get permission. But first I hadto figure out what a chit was,” Kuras saidwith a chuckle. “Man, I was totally lost.”

Kuras was in San Diego one month later,and, after shining in another tryout, itbecame obvious that his “temporary” orderswould not be so temporary. It was some-thing that even surprised his supporters.

“Making the team meant he was goingto be out there for several months playingwith the team,” Lebasci said. “Not bad for a guy that I really never imagined would be able to make an impression [at theNorfolk tryout].”

While making the team seemed easy toKuras, the transition from the boot camp tothe baseball Navy wasn’t as smooth. “I had alittle bit of trouble adjusting at first, withconstantly calling some of my officer team-mates ‘Sir.’ That didn’t sit too well with themat first,” Kuras said.

On the Navy baseball team, there is nodiscrimination between officer and enlistedpersonnel. They all add up to make oneteam with one goal – winning baseballgames. To that end, the Navy baseball teamspends a month after tryouts practicingand setting their player rotations beforeplaying a summer schedule that includesupward of 50 games.

Kuras and his teammates, including someformer college and professional minorleague players, played most of their games inthe San Diego area, matching up with localsemi-pro, professional scout and area All-Star teams. When not playing games, theywere keeping up their practice routine, withdaily workouts punctuating off days.

“This is a competitive team,” Allvordsaid. “We recognize this team’s public rela-tions impact, but first and foremost, wewant to show that we have some goodballplayers. Winning games is the mostimportant thing.”

Every game on the schedule, though,takes a back seat to the one at the end of theseason. Every year, the Navy baseball slateculminates in an all-military clash with theMarine Corps active-duty team.

During Kuras’ rookie season, the Navylost a 6-5 heartbreaker at PETCO Park, thebrand-new home of the San Diego Padres.“It was my first time ever playing in a majorleague park,” Kuras said of the experience.“It was probably my biggest thrill with theteam, even though we lost the game. That’ssomething that is still hard to think about.”

With the team’s constant game-relatedtraveling and practicing, it’s easy to under-stand how some things get lost in theshuffle. But one thing not lost on Kuras ishis relationship with his wife, Nicole.

Since Kuras was on the Navy team ontemporary orders, Nicole was not able tojoin him in San Diego. “It wasn’t always theeasiest thing to go through,” Nicole said oftheir separation. “The trick was to go outand find something to do. The first thing Idid was go out and find a job that wouldtake my attention.”

But even with a job, there was a lot oftime to fill during Kuras’ four-month foraywith the team. “There were some lonely

33F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S32 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

¶ Batting practice, as one would imagine, takes up a large part of Kuras’ time

when the team isn’t playing games. “I do it so much, I could probably do it with my eyes

closed,” he said.

§ The Navy baseball squad provided Kuras with a constant schedule of practices and games to fill his time.Practices consisted of the usual baseball fare, including tracking down ground balls.

Sleeping in his own bed isn’t the onlydifference between Kuras’ time in San Diegoand his life in Norfolk, though. Uponreturning to Ashland, the starting shortstopfor the All-Navy baseball team traded in hisglove and time on the baseball diamond fordishes and work in the scullery when hebegan work as a food service attendant.

He had gone from spraying base hits allover the field to spraying down dishes onthe mess deck. The Sailor who had tounlearn many of the things he learned inboot camp to play ball, now had to learnthem again.

“It wasn’t as hard a transition as youwould think,” he said of his return to thesea-going Navy. “It’s not as if I didn’t know itwas coming. I just had to put that stuff aside

and pick it up again when I needed it.”And unlike many a Sailor, Kuras insists

he enjoys his new job. “It really isn’t bad,” hesaid. “It doesn’t compare to playing baseballfor a living, but what does? I make the mostout of it.”

The big question in his head now iswhether he’ll be back for another season onthe diamond. If schedules hold as they looknow, Ashland will be deploying during whatwould be Kuras’ second baseball season. “Itstill could happen,” Kuras said. “I’ll have todrop a chit and see if my command will letme go, but other people [on the team] havedone it before.”

But Kuras isn’t trying to get his hopesup quite yet. “I know it’s going to beharder to let me go this time around, so

I’m not looking forward to it yet. I’ll justkeep working and do what the Navy tellsme to do.”

And if he ends up not returning foranother season, he’ll still have thosedaydreams. …

Ludwig is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands.

35F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D S

times, sure,” Nicole said with tears beginningto well up in her eyes. “But we had plenty ofphone calls, and I was even able to go out onone trip to see him play in Las Vegas. Theway I see it, I would rather have him gonefor a few months playing baseball thandeployed to God-knows-where.”

It wasn’t the first time she had helpedhim get by, either.

After Kuras’ two-year stint at RhodeIsland College, Nicole supported his decisionto continue playing baseball, even if therewasn’t big league success to look forward to.“I knew he loved the game,” she said. “Afterplaying as long as he had, I knew it would behard for him to even imagine not playing.The decision on my part was pretty simple.”

In those days, Kuras’ baseball seasonmeant long days of construction workfollowed by time-consuming practices andgames in front of crowds numbering in theteens. It wasn’t exactly playing in front ofsellout crowds at Fenway Park, but it wasbetter than being an “ex”-ballplayer.

“She’s right, I couldn’t have just quitplaying altogether,” Kuras said. “Even if Iwasn’t working to become a major-leaguer, Ijust wanted to play. I had to play.”

But, all athletes know that their glorydays must end sometime, whether it’s WillieMays and Mickey Mantle or a kid playinghis heart out because he loves the game. Inthis respect, Kuras is no different.

He thought the end occurred inDecember 2003, when he decided to join theNavy. “I told my wife that joining the Navymeant baseball was over for me. I figured Ihad no option for it,” he said. “And believe itor not, I was okay with that. I just wanted tobe able to support her and improve our lifetogether. The Navy was the way for me.”

That made Kuras’ decision to try out forthe Navy team all the more surprising toNicole. “I thought baseball was over, but Ishould have known better,” she said,throwing her head back with a giggle. “Thatweekend, we had family coming in to helpus settle in, so they had a surprise, too, whenthey saw he wasn’t here.”

For now, though, Nicole has no need toworry about Frank playing baseball games.After the team’s season ended with the lossto the Marine Corps, Frank drove cross-country to their Virginia apartment, and,besides the occasional underway period withAshland, he has been home every night.

34 A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l

Website Exclusive

Find more photos online atwww.news.navy.mil/media/allhands/flash/ah200502/feature_3/

¶ The baseball spirit is evident even inKuras’s free time, as he plays umpire duringan impromptu game of wiffle ball that broke

out just outside the team’s barracks at the32nd Street Naval Base. The team was

waiting for the arrival of vans that would takethem to PETCO Park for their grudge match

with the Marine Corps.

Ä The Navy baseball team is made upof only the very best of those who tried out.That’s reflected in the team’s private T-shirt,which shows the ratio of players who madethe team versus those who weren’t quitegood enough.

© No longer are therelate-afternoon workouts forKuras on USS Ashland. Takingout mess deck trash is now hismain priority before goinghome in the evenings.

37F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 5 • A L L H A N D SA L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l36

Focus onService

“Pictures are important; however, coming home in one

piece is most important,” said 17-year Gunner’s Mate

1st Class (SW) Don R. Montgomery, the only gunner

stationed at Fleet Combat Camera, Atlantic.

Most gunner’s mates around the Navy teach

basic gun handling for watch standing. But,

Montgomery’s primary job is to train combat

camera personnel in small arms and

ammunition for combat. Sailors

assigned to Fleet Combat Camera often

deploy rapidly to hostile locations

around the world where historic

events are taking place. They

integrate with Marines, Navy SEALS

and other special warfare units on a

moment’s notice, so their knowledge

of weapons could mean the difference

between life and death.

“When videographers and photog-

raphers are on assignment, what will be their

first reaction when they come under fire?” said

Montgomery. “Weapons familiarization is primary for

these guys to have what it takes to survive in the real world, and

come home with their photographs.”

Montgomery is a competition shooter on the Atlantic Ordnance

Command Shooting team, a member of the International Defense

Pistol Association. He trains the Sailors at least once a month on

the range in the proper use of the 9mm pistol, and the M-16 and

M-60 rifles.

“I don’t just teach the basics,” Montgomery said.

“Being able to transition from a 9mm, camera or

M-16 and doing that safely as well as taking

cover are part of the training I hold on the

range. This is unique, advanced training

necessary for the nature of the job of

being a combat photographer. I take

pride in my training of these Sailors

especially when their level of knowl-

edge reassures me that I have

been successful in teaching the fun-

damentals of safe and proper

weapons handling.”

Not only do these combat camera

Sailors know how to protect themselves

while documenting naval activities around the

world, they also return safely back to their com-

mand thanks to the effort and professional training by

one of the most unique gunners in the Navy, Don Montgomery.

Frantom is a photojournalist assigned to All Hands.

S t o r y a n d p h o t o b y P H 3 T o d d F r a n t o m

ONTARGET

Eye on the Fleet is a monthly photo feature sponsored by the Chief of Information

Navy Visual News Service. We are looking for high impact, quality photography

from Sailors in the fleet to showcase the American Sailor in action.

39

Eye on the Fleet

38

To be considered, forward your high resolution (5"x 7" at 300 dpi) images with full credit and cutline information, including full name, rank and duty station. Name all identifiable people within the photo and

include important information about what is happening, where the photo was taken and the date.Commands with digital photo capability can send attached .jpg files to: navyvisualnews@navy.mil

Mail your submissions to:Navy Visual News Service

1200 Navy Pentagon, Rm. 4B 514, Washington, D.C. 20350-1200

For a new Eye on the Fleet every day, click on the Navy’s home page, www.navy.mil, for fresh images of your shipmates in action.

© Aviation boatswain’s mates make anassault on a large-scale mock aircraft

fire during their final evaluation in theFire Protection Apprentice Course at the

Louis F. Garland DOD Fire Academy.

P h o t o b y C T 1 P a t r i c k D . W o r m s l e y

Ä Seabees of Naval Mobile ConstructionBattalion 1 prepare for convoy training

during the battalion’s field exercise at CampShelby, Miss.

P h o t o b y J O 1 D e n n i s H e r r i n g

§ SN Danielle Hopper paints a rat guardused for mooring lines aboard USSGeorge Washington (CVN 73).

P h o t o b y P H A N M i c h a e l B l a c k w e l l I I

§ Personnel assigned to Explosive Ordnance DisposalMobile Unit (EODMU) 11, Det. 1, Naval Air StationWhidbey Island, Wash., fast rope from an SH-60FSeahawk onto the flight deck of USS Abraham Lincoln(CVN 72).

P h o t o b y P H 3 G a b r i e l P i p e r

Ä Air department personnel assemble prior to a night flightdeck fire drill aboardUSS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

P h o t o b y P H 2 C h a d M c N e e l e y

Ä Search and Rescue Swimmer, PN3 Gerardo Arbulu, givesthe signal to be raised out of the water after rescuing thesimulated victim, named “Oscar,” during a man overboarddrill aboard USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49).

P h o t o b y J O 2 B r i a n B i l l e r

A L L H A N D S • w w w . n a v y . m i l40

The Final Word

Portsmouth’s Special DeliveryS t o r y b y J O 1 C h a r l e s L . L u d w i g

This time of year, I become a pretty tired guy.

No need to cry for me though; it’s just something that

comes with having four children at home. Between all of

their normal daily needs, my wife and I shuttle them back-and-

forth to school, Tiger Cubs meetings, Daisy Scouts get-togethers,

dance classes, and various sports (soccer, baseball, T-ball) games

and practices.

The February sports schedule clouds things

even more for me. As a guy who openly

admits to planning his entire life

around ESPN (just ask my wife),

I have loads of NBA and college

basketball, baseball’s spring

training and the occasional

hockey score to keep up with.

It makes for some late nights,

and that’s before I feel the

physical ills that ravage me

with the end of the NFL football

season.

Oh, and don’t let me forget I have

two kids’ birthday parties to plan, so I

usually feel as tired as a marathon runner after

crossing the finish line inside Central Park.

But with all that going on, I still have nothing on the men and

women who worked for Naval Medical Center Portsmouth’s Labor

and Delivery department last September. After what they went

through, I wouldn’t be against giving their staff an early retirement

with full pay.

You see, at Portsmouth, their cadre of Navy-style Cliff Huxtables

delivered a record-breaking 424 babies during the month ironically

known for Labor Day.

Now, don’t fool yourselves. That’s a big number, 424. With the

424 births, Portsmouth set a record for all Army, Navy and Air

Force hospitals. That’s more than the number of days in a year. A

number that big makes the athletes I worship nightly green with

envy. Dollar green, that is.

Confused? Think about it. During Portsmouth’s “laborious”

month, 14 babies were delivered each day on average at the newly-

christened Navy Baby Factory Portsmouth.

In the NBA, 14 points per day puts you at par with players such

as Antawn Jamison. Jamison, with his 14.1 points per game last

season, raked in $12.6 million for his efforts. Ray Lewis, hailed in

many circles as the NFL’s best player, averaged 11.43 tackles a

game in his best season, 1997. On that scale, Portsmouth’s

14 average would get a salary at least equal to

Lewis’ $10 million.

And on the extreme end of our 14s

is baseball. Fourteen strikeouts a day

would easily top Randy Johnson,

MLB’s overriding pitching

force, who averaged a measly

10.62 strikeouts for every nine

innings pitched. He made

$16.5 million last season, one

of the top salaries in the game.

So what did 14-a-day get the

Labor and Delivery staff? Nothing

but more work! It seems several selfless

nurses allowed themselves to be called in

for extra work on their days off. Good luck

getting your favorite overpaid athlete to do that, even if it

did mean a few extra dollars.

On the busiest day of the month, the hospital brought 22 new

lives into the world. That’s 22 newborns who got to meet their

parents for the very first time. In all seriousness, even a sports-

crazed lunatic like me cannot make sports comparisons to

something like that. I can’t imagine the pressure of playing a

game, even with the world as a captive audience, being anywhere

close to the anxiety that comes with making sure a baby is able to

breathe on its own outside the womb.

As someone who has experienced the joys (and pains) that

come with child rearing, I tip my cap to you.

You’re all millionaires in my book.

Ludwig is a photojournalist for All Hands.

Just because it’s convenient does not make it right.

The choice is yours.

How much weight do you want to carry on your next PFA?

When you drive drunk,

you take more than just “your” life in your hands.

http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil