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Home of the Atlantic Fleet Seabees Gulfport, Mississippi

Vol. 44 No. 7

PG 24 COLOR

April 5, 2007

inside this edition
Detail X-Ray is a new
Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion
Seventy Four detachment formed to carry
out highly specialized
missions in support of
Operation Enduring
Freedom.

See page 4

April 5, 2007

Col. John Alexander,
Commander Army
Support Group-Kuwait
and Col. Kenneth
Beard, ASG-KU,
Commander Zone Six,
officially open the
MWR Stage in Camp
Arifjan, Kuwait which
was constructed by
Seabees from three different battalions.
See page 9

Seabee Courier

Boy Scouts from several South Miss. troops
arrived onboard NCBC
March 17, armed with
shovels, mulch and
several species of trees
which they planted in
locations throughout
the Seabee Center.
Photo by MC1 Nicholas Lingo

See page 11

http://cbcgulfport.navy.mil

Five servicemembers stationed at Camp Moreell, Kuwait attached to Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion One Thirty Three were awarded the Army Commendation Medal for their efforts in
providing emergency medical assistance to a large number of civilian workers who were severely
injured in an automobile accident. Pictured left to right, Gunnery Sgt. Tom McCarty, HM1
Charlotte Bethea, UT2 Kelly Caponigro, BU2 Tyler Morgan and BUCN Nicholas Condon.
Presenting the awards is Colonel John S. Alexander, Area Support Group – Kuwait, Commander.
See page 8

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CLEAN
NCBC/20SRG

Commanding Officer
Capt. Van Dobson
Executive Officer
Cmdr. Bill Finn
Public Affairs Officer
Jean Remley
Editor
Bonnie L. McGerr
Mass Comm. Specialist
MC1 Sean Mulligan

22ND NCR

Commander
Capt. Eric Odderstol
Lt. Cmdr. Kyra Hawn

NMCB ONE

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Dean A. Tufts
Lt.j.g. Chris Casne
Mass. Comm. Specialists
MC2 Chad Runge
MC2 Demetrius Kennon
MC3 Ja'lon Rhinehart

NMCB SEVEN

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. David J. Sasek
Ensign Russell Becker
Mass Comm. Specialists
MCC Jeffrey J. Pierce
MC3 Paul D. Williams

NMCB SEVENTY FOUR
Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Craig S. Prather
Lt. Edsil L. Logan
Mass Comm. Specialist
MC2 Gregory N. Juday

NMCB ONE THIRTY THREE
Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Allan Stratman
Lt.j.g. Riley Smith
Mass Comm. Specialists
MC1 Nicholas Lingo
MC3 Jessica A. McIver

PG 23 B&W

Gulf Coast community leader celebrates
Women's History Month with Seabees
By Jean Remley
NCBC Public Affairs Officer
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Women's History Month and
on March 27 Naval Construction
Battalion Center Gulfport held its
celebration in honor of this federal
program.
Capt. Van Dobson welcomed the
guests to the program with a few
facts about Women's History Month.
NCBC held their first Federal
Women's Day program in 1973, fourteen years before Congress established Women's History Month,
which makes the Seabee Center a
trailblazer in recognizing the strong
roles women occupy in the federal
government.
Harrison County District Five
Supervisor, Connie Rockco was the
guest speaker. In 2002, Rockco was
elected as District Five Supervisor
after capturing 78 percent of the
votes. She stated she leads by
example in her effort to revitalize
and streamline Harrison County.
Her leadership style led to her selection as the first female President of

the Harrison County Board of
Supervisors and in the state of
Mississippi.
During her remarks, Supervisor
Rockco had warm words of praise
for the Seabees and said that their
Hurricane Katrina help was very
much appreciated by the Gulf Coast.
Ms. Rockco also acknowledged the
women who served in the Civil War,
World War I, and World War II.
"In the home front or on the front
lines, women are there," said Rockco,
"Women in history have had a passion to change. They [women] have
come a long way – moving in a different way then past generations."
Ms. Rockco summed up the essence
of her speech by simply stating, "It
takes a team and a team is made up
of men and women."
At the conclusion of the formal portion of the celebration, light refreshments were served in the drill hall.
The celebration was sponsored by
the NCBC Diversity Committee. If
you are interested in serving on the
committee, contact BU1 Nick
Hoffmann, 871-2144.

Photo by MC1 Sean Mulligan

AGC (SW) Michael J.
Bradley received his
Bachelor of Arts
degree in Natural
Science and
Mathematics from
Thomas A. Edison
State College after 21
years of active service
thanks to the great
help he received from
Navy College
Counselor Alex
Carter.

From Unity page 11

Connie Rockco, Harrison County,
Miss. District Five Supervisor
addresses the audience as NCBC
marks the 20th Annual Celebration
of Women's History Month with a
ceremony at the NOSC Drill Hall
March 27.

Breakfast with the Mayor

NCTC Gulfport

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Darius Banaji
BU1(SCW) James LePage

2

The Seabee Courier is an authorized publication for members of the military services
and their families. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S.
Government, the DoD or the U.S. Navy and
do not imply endorsement thereof. The
appearance of advertising in this newspaper,
including inserts or supplements, does not
constitute endorsement by the U. S.
Government, DoD, the Navy, NCBC
Gulfport or Gulf Publishing Company of the
products and services advertised. All content in this newspaper shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without
regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.
If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed,
the publisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is
corrected.
The Seabee Courier is published 22 weeks
a year by Gulf Publishing Company, a private firm in no way connected with the DoD
, under an exclusive contract with the U. S.
Navy. The Seabee Courier solicits news contributions from military and civilian sources,
but the Public Affairs staff reserves the right
to edit and/or rewrite material selected for
publication to conform with journalism standards. The deadline for material is close of
business Wednesday the week prior to publication. Your comments are always welcome.
The Seabee Courier office is in Building 60,
Room 250. The mailing address is 4902
Marvin Shields Blvd., Code 15, Gulfport, MS
39501. Phone: 228 871-3662, Fax: 228 871-2389.
Email: seabeecourier@navy.mil.

Academic Achievement

ABC's, Primary Survey,
direct pressure to the
wounds; Lt. Harrison
called for IV's to be placed,
oxygen by non-rebreather,
chest X-ray, medications,
etc. The troops sprung
into action quickly, agilely
rushing through the crowd
to reappear quickly with
supplies in-hand.
And so it went, patient
after patient, small, quickly self-assembled teams of
medical and non-medical
professionals identifying
surgical patients and providing stabilizing care to
the dozens of unfortunate
victims. The translator
never left Lt. Harrison's
side; providing the critical
link of communication
with the patients until all
were provided the proper

care or air-lifted to a higher echelon of care.
At the end of that long
day, 58 Iraqi casualties
from the blast were treated
at "Charlie-Med." Medical
personnel from NMCB 74,
501st Army Medical
Company, attached Navy
Surgical team members,
physicians and medics
from the Army's 1st
Artillery Division Task
Force 1-37, Navy
Corpsmen attached to the
1-6 Marines, native translators, as well as countless
troops from many different units, all worked
together to help our fellow
humans.
There were no inter-service politics that day, no
pause given because the
casualties weren't
Coalition Forces, just peo-

ple helping their fellow
humans in need. The multitude of volunteers that
appeared to help did so,
not because they were
required to, but because it
was the right thing to do.
"I'm proud to serve
alongside my fellow dedicated service members
from all branches of the
military contributing to the
struggle to win the hearts
and minds of Iraqis by
showing compassion and
care to the injured," Lt.
Harrison said. On that
cold, January morning, like
so many times before and
since, there was unity
amidst the chaos; professionals from all branches
of the military working as
one team to provide the
best medical care possible
to those in need.

SAVI Training

Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr
welcomes Chamber members
to Breakfast with the Mayor
hosted by NCBC, Gulfport in
Colmer Galley on March 21.
The mayor spoke of ongoing
improvements to Gulfport
while the crowd of 93 enjoyed
their meal.

Command Action Line

Because of limited IG resources throughout the Southeast Region, all Fraud, Waste and Abuse hotline work will
now be handled by the Region. To report Fraud, Waste and Abuse, contact the Region at:
Toll Free 1-877-657-9851 Comm: (904) 542-4979 DSN 942-4979 FAX: (904) 542-5587
E-mail: CNRSE_HOTLINE@navy.mil

An Initial Command SAVI Victim Advocate class is scheduled for April 16 - 19 at the
FFSC, NCBC Gulfport. If you are interested in attending, contact Peggy Cuevas 8713000, X7428 for an interview and return completed necessary paperwork prior to
March 29. The class is limited to 25 participants, so please register early.

The Naval Officers Spouses Club presents

SELF DEFENSE TRAINING

with instructor Derek Pruitt of South Coast Martial Arts, along with guest speaker
Peggy Cuevas, Sexual Assault Rights Coordinator
April 21, 9 a.m. in the Bubble Gym - Cost $5 registration fee
100 Percent of proceeds will benefit the Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence
Purchase tickets at the Fleet & Family Support Center or call Beverly Conrad, 871-3000
Dress comfortably - light refreshments will be served
No One Under the age of 12 will be admitted to the gym for safety reasons

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22 COLORClassified

Groundbreaking ceremony marks formal kick-off
of Katrina Recapitalization Program

Rain falls on the city and
soon the clouds give way
to clear skies. Clear skies,
but polluted water.
Trash, sediment, yard
debris, vehicle fluids, pet
waste, fertilizers and pesticides have been picked up
by the rain runoff and are
transported to local

streams, creeks, and
groundwater.
No matter where we live
in Mississippi our daily
activities contribute to polluted runoff. In fact, most
water pollution in
Mississippi comes from
polluted runoff, not from
wastewater discharge
pipes.
When performing lawn
maintenance, water and

fertilize wisely and use
pesticides only when
absolutely necessary.
Wash your vehicle with
low-phosphate soap and
keep suds out of gutters.
Recycle crankcase oil.
Always sweep walkways
and driveways rather than
hosing debris into storm
drains.
Protect our earth. Think
Green!

April 10, Mississippi
Coast Coliseum &
Convention Center
8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Job seekers, register at:
www.VetsJobs.net
Employers, register at:
www.JobFairs.ms.gov
Sponsor:
The Military Order of
the Purple Heart

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Provided by Gary Broom
CBC Environmental

Veterans Job Fair

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007
Seabee Courier
3

Rein in runoff
Runoff pollution threatens water quality

April 5, 2007


Key stakeholders, including
supported commanders and
construction contract representatives, broke ground on
March 16, 2007 for $124 million in combined construction projects at NCBC
Gulfport. Pictured from left:
Cmdr. Chris LaPlatney,
OICC Katrina; Capt. Van
Dobson, NCBC
Commanding Officer; Ted
Kennedy, BE&K
Government Group; Roy
Anderson III, Roy Anderson
Corporation; Tim Culp, TJC
Engineering; Lt. Cmdr.
James Tannahill; METOC
Executive Officer; and Cmdr.
Darius Banaji, NCTC
Commanding Officer.
Construction for 13 military
construction projects will
begin between now and the
end of May 2007. These
projects represent nearly 40
percent of NCBC Gulfport's
total Recapitalization
Program and will create 1500
construction jobs in the local
area over the next two years.

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21 B&WChurch Page

NMCB 74 'Bees create buzz with new Detachment
A typical Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion
(NMCB) deployment
sends Seabees to various
locations around the globe.
Normally, these Bees will
spend their six-month
deployment in one geographic location honing
their construction skills

and developing as young
leaders. Rarely do they get
the chance to serve their
country on multiple fronts
during the same deployment. This uncommon
opportunity arose for a
few members of NMCB 74
when the Battalion was
tasked to support a new
classified mission three
months into the deployment called Detail X-Ray.

Photo by Lt.j.g. Chad Marshall

EACR Jesse Bruenn crimps two panel sections of a Kspan together prior to lifting them with a crane for
placement.

April 5, 2007

April is the month of
the Military Child
Take your child to
lunch at Colmer Galley
April 6
Children's prices:
E-4 and below: $3:15
E-5 and above: $3.65

Sponsored by the Colmer
Dining Facility and Fleet and
Family Support Center

This highly energetic
group is comprised of
Fearless 74 Seabees
brought together from all
three of its primary
deployment sites across
two geographic areas of
operations. The majority
of the detail originally
deployed to Guam and
contributed to projects in
support of Pacific
Command. The remaining
Seabees came from various
parts of Southwest Asia
where they supported the
Marine Expeditionary
Force or U.S. Special
Operations Command.
The journey of Detail XRay began in December for
four motivated Seabees
selected to venture back to
the United States and complete specialized training
needed to carry out the
mission of the new detail.
These valuable team members knew the impact of
this training and responsibility that came with it.
"We realized the importance of passing on what
we learned to the other
troops," stated BU1 (SCW)
Erwin Hoffmann of
Gulfport, Miss.

With this initial training
complete the rest of Detail
X-Ray was ready to mobilize and get to work. The
battalion utilized Camp
Morrell in Kuwait as the
arrival and assembly area.
The Seabees from Guam
began arriving at Kuwaiti
International Airport in
mid-January. For many of
them, this was the first
time they had flown
through airports in foreign
countries.
Once all passengers from
Guam had arrived, the
Fearless Seabees from Iraq
made their voyage back to
Kuwait to join their Detail
X-Ray comrades. The
detail spent the next three
weeks at Camp Morrell
training for their upcoming mission and working
on the team-building skills
that would allow them to
function flawlessly as one
team. Upon completion of
their training in Camp
Morrell, these Seabees
stepped on a plane destined for a Forward
Operating Base in an
undisclosed location in
support of Operation
Enduring Freedom.

Although the specifics of
their mission are classified,
each Seabee assigned to
Detail X-Ray knows the
value and importance of
the work they are doing.
"What I have experienced
on this deployment has
been exciting and fulfilling," said CECN Felton
Randal, a native of Austin,
Texas. "Being part of a
project that will help in the
efforts against the Global
War on Terror means a lot
to me and the other guys,"
he continued.
These Seabees from
NMCB 74 assigned to
Detail X-Ray have demonstrated that even though
we may leave homeport in
separate groups bound for
extremely different circumstances, we must
always be prepared to
come back together for a
common goal. From the
United States, Guam and
Iraq to Kuwait and
Afghanistan, we are
always "One Command,
One Team, One Family,
Period."

Seabee Days 2007 - May 4, 1 - 8 p.m. & May 5, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Displays! Music! Rock Climbing Wall! Car Show! Food! Crafts! Games!
Tons of Fun for Everyone, Don't Miss It!
(May 4, Special Day - Open to all Retired/Active Military & DoD personnel)
May 5, Gulf Coast Community Day

April 5, 2007

By Lt.j.g. Chad Marshall
NMCB 74 Public Affairs

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Seabee Courier

Special Kids Menu!

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PG 5 Color

Church Page 20 Color
Gulf Coast USO

NCBC Honors Fallen Shipmate

3001 6th Street, (Bldg 306), 228-575-5224
FREE SERVICES AVAILABLE
Fax - Send & Receive (228-575-5225), Copies (limited amount)
X-Box
Snacks & Drinks, Information and Referral
United through Reading Program
Computers (4): with web cams, Internet Access, Email Access,Yahoo, Hotmail
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8a.m. - 5 p.m.Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.,
Closed on Sunday

Photo by MC3 Ja'lon A. Rhinehart

5

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Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

Friends and family mourn the
loss of Gunner's Mate 2nd
Class Jared D. Krutke of Naval
Mobile Construction Battalion
Seventy Four at a memorial
ceremony held in the base
chapel at Naval Construction
Battalion Center Gulfport,
Miss., March 22, 2007.

PG 6 B&W CLEAN
NMCB 7 Seabee builds
Long Beach playground

Fort Leonard Wood Seabee selected as
2006 Joint Service NCO of the Year
By EQCM(SCW) Tom Kirkle
CSFE, Det Fort Leonard Wood

April 5, 2007

Photo by MC3 Paul D. Williams

EA2 (SCW/SW) Michael Urban from Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion Seven hand mixes concrete for a
46' X 76' play area at the West Railroad Park in Long
Beach, Miss. Petty Officer Urban took special liberty to
volunteer his time and skills to the project. "I like to be
involved in my community," Urban said. "I live in Long
Beach and it will be a great place where my wife and I can
take our four children to play." In addition to the West
Railroad Park in Long Beach, Kaboom, with the help of
over 3,000 volunteers, which included over sixty volunteers from NMCB 7, helped transform 10 playgrounds in
seven Gulf Coast communities last August to mark the
one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Fleet & Family Support Center
April Classes

Seabee Courier

Please call Fleet and Family Support Center at 871-3000 to preregister. Pre-registration is not required for FastTrack classes.

6

Anger Management, Tuesdays, 10 - noon
Babysitting Class for Ages 11 & Up, April 6, 8 - noon
Command Financial Specialist , April 23-27, 8 a.m. daily
Consumer Awareness, April 19, 10 - 11 a.m.
Credit Management, April 9, 10 - 11 a.m.
Employment Workshop, April 13, 9 -11 a.m.
Ind. Aug. Family Member Meeting, April 25, 4 - 5 p.m.
Recovering Myself, Wednesdays 10 - 11 a.m.
SAVI Advocate Inservice, April 24, 1030-noon
SAVI Advocate Training, April 16-18, 8 a.m. daily
SAVI Liaison, Data Collection Coord., April 30, 8 - noon
Suicide Prevention, April 5, 9 - 10 a.m.
Transition Assistance Program, April 2-6, 8 a.m. daily

PG 19 B&W 2 Col. Cln

On March 9, 2007,
Builder First Class Jeffrey
E. Owens, assigned to the
Center for Seabees and
Facilities Engineering
(CSFE), Detachment Fort
Leonard Wood, Missouri,
was selected as the Fort
Leonard Wood Joint
Service NonCommissioned Officer of
the Year. Major General
William McCoy, Jr., the
Commanding General of
Fort Leonard Wood,
awarded the Army
Commendation Medal to
Owens for his exemplary
performance before the
Joint Service NCO board.
Petty Officer Owens, a
native of nearby Lebanon,
Missouri, is the first Sailor
to win this recognition
since the Navy
Detachment was established in 1995.
Petty Officer Owens had
previously competed
against Soldiers, Airmen,
and Marines to win the
first quarter 2006 Joint

Service NCO board. To
compete, a service member
must be recommended by
his or her chain of command and had been selected as their respective service's quarterly board winner. During these challenging boards service
members are asked military related questions
related to flags and honors, leadership, military
justice, first aid, chemical
and biological warfare,
current events, and the
code of conduct. The
boards are chaired by the
Fort Leonard Wood
Command Sergeant Major
with Senior Enlisted
Leaders from the other
three service detachments
as members.
While assigned to CSFE
Detachment Fort Leonard
Wood, Petty Officer
Owens has been an
instructor for the Disaster
Preparedness Operations
Specialist course and is
currently serving as a
Sailor Development
Continuum (SDC) Leading
Petty Officer for the

Engineering Aid and
Equipment Operator "A"
Schools. The SDC program provides basic military training and administrative support to "A"
School students destined
to be the Naval
Construction Force's future
Seabees. SDC leaders are
handpicked for this challenging role and are
expected to exhibit outstanding military bearing
and knowledge. This
Seabee has clearly exceeded these expectations.

Fleet and Family Support Center's
Jeff Isabell briefs Atlanta executives
By FFSC, Gulfport
Fleet and Family
Support Center (FFSC)
Work and Family Life
Specialist Jeff Isabell
briefed the eleven-member
Military Advisory Team
Meeting of the Southern
Company in Atlanta,
Georgia on Friday, March
23. His 90-minute presentation on the Transition
Assistance Program (TAP)
and the Family
Employment Readiness
Program (FERP) covered
the military transition
process, military rates and
how they translate into
civilian jobs, and best
strategies for announcing
job vacancies to both mili-

tary spouses and to service
members making the transition to civilian life.
Mr. Isabell was invited by
the Southern Company
because of its ongoing
interest in hiring military
spouses and former military personnel. "Southern
Company has traditionally
been a strong employer of
our spouses, separatees,
and retirees," said Mr.
Isabell. "Speaking to this
forum promoted even
more visibility for our customers."
Southern Company
employs 26,000 personnel
who provide electrical
service to four million customers in the Southeast. It
is projected to have 12,000
job openings in the next

Jeff Isabell
three to five years.
For more information
about the TAP and FERP
programs, contact Jeff
Isabell at Fleet and Family
Support Center, 871-3000.

Safety habits are free. Have you picked up any lately?

Seabee Community Notes
NMCB 1 FRG
We would like to invite all
friends and family of NMCB 1
Seabees to join us on the first
Thursday of every month at 6:30
p.m. at the CBC Chapel in
Fellowship Hall. Bring the kids,
babysitting is available and free.
The NMCB 1 FRG offers fun
activities including movies, picnics, bonfires, holiday parties
and lots more for the whole
family. During homeport and
during the deployment we are
available to help support all of
our NMCB 1 families and
friends. If you have any questions please call the FRG
President, Monica Ortega at
(210) 421-7810 or email her at
mluvsden@yahoo.com or
Ombudsman, Kathy Thomas
at 392-8464 or email
seabeezac@bellsouth.net. We
hope to see you there.
NMCB 1 FRG also has a new
website that will keep you up
to date on what is happening
within our military family.
The new website is
http://hub.cinchouse.com/n
mcb1seabees.
NMCB 133 FRG
We would like to invite all
friends and family members of
NMCB 133 to join us on the first
Wednesday of every month at
6:00 p.m. in the base chapel. We
also do many activities such as
holiday parties, fun trips, movie

outings and more. During
homeport we share in each others excitement and during
deployments we lean on each
other for support. We offer battalion information and welcome
those with children, those without, wives, husbands and other
loved ones.
NMCB 7 FRG
Come join our growing family.
We are here to promote and
grow social relationships and
encourage interaction of spouses
and family members during
often trying and difficult times
during the deployment of our
NMCB 7 men and women. We
have lots of fundraisers and
activities planned for the whole
family.
There are games and crafts for
the kids and speakers on different topics for the adults. We
will also have drawdowns for
door prizes and refreshments
each month. We meet the 3rd
Wednesday of each month at
6:30 p.m. with a potluck dinner
at the start. Come and get
together with us and meet your
fellow family members. For
more information on NMCB 7's
FRG, contact Kathleen
Whisenhunt, FRG president at
kwhisenhunt@gmail.com. You
can also check out
nmcb7fsg@cinchouse.com and
http://hub.cinchouse.com/nmcb7
fsg/for more information.

NMCB 74 FRG
The NMCB 74 Family
Readiness Group welcomes
friends and families of NMCB
74 personnel. We encourage
and promote friendly and
sympathetic relationships
among our family members.
We have a new Careline
number for battalion updates,
it is 1-866-531-1101 (toll free),
or 871-3650 (local).
Family Readiness Group
meetings are held every third
Monday of the month at the
CBC Chapel in Fellowship
Hall at 6:30 p.m. Free baby-sitting and activities for the children are provided. For information contact FRG
President, Helen Walker at
(228) 586-0114; or Secretary,
Robyn Baca at (228) 539-9059.
The FRG Advisor is Susan
Prather, (228) 392-5945.
NCTC TRI-SERVICE FRG
We invite all spouses and
loved ones of NCTC to join us
on the fourth Monday of each
month at 6:30pm in the
Fellowship Hall of CBC Chapel.
We are offering fun activities for
the family, girls night out, and
fellowship among the NCTC
Command. For more information, please contact our FRG
President Tessa Grimes @ 8654364 or email her at
tgrimes730@hotmail.com.

Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society
The Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society (NMCRS) Thrift
Shop is located at the far north
end of McKinney Ave,
Building 16. The Thrift Shop
is staffed entirely by volunteers. The retail hours of operation are Monday - Thursday,
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and Friday, 9
a.m. - 1 p.m.
New volunteers are always
welcome. Visit the NavyMarine Corps Relief Society
offices at the Fleet and Family
Support Center, Building 30,
Suite 103, or call (228) 871-2610
to obtain information about
becoming a part of the NMCRS
volunteer team! Childcare and
mileage are reimbursed.
Mississippi Gulf Coast First
Class Association
MGCFCA is seeking new members. Meetings are every Weds
at 2 p.m at CBC's Beehive,
Bldg. 352. Call BU1 Reyes or
CE1 Johnson at 871-2145 for
more information.
VFW Post 3937
VFW Post 3937 Long Beach is
open every Friday from 6 - 8
p.m. for a seafood, steak, of
pork chop dinner. Weekend
breakfasts are served from 7 10 a.m. on Saturday and from
9 - noon on Sunday. VFW
meetings are held the 2nd
Wednesday of each month at
7:30 p.m. New members are
always welcome. Point of
contact for more information
is Post Commander, Mike
Hanko at 228 863-8602.
Retired Activities Office
The Retired Activities Office
(RAO) is located in the Fleet
and Family Support Center
and staffed entirely by volunteers for the retired military
community. A wide range of
services are offered to retirees
and surviving spouses of military members that includes
pay issues, the Survivor
Benefit Program, and dealing
with the Department of
Veterans Affairs to obtain benefits. RAO volunteers act as a
liaison to guide the customer
through all aspects of the
above programs. RAO's services are free and intended to
assist the customer to obtain
their entitled rights, benefits,
and privileges as a retiree,
dependent, or survivor of a
military service member.
Customers from other RAO's
are welcome to visit the
NCBC, Gulfport Retired
Activity Office. The hours of
operation are Monday –
Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Call for an appointment at
871-3000 ext. 35 or just drop
in. Customers and volunteers
are welcome.
Navy College Test Prep
The Navy College Learning
Center Facilitators have
announced the spring schedule of test preparation classes.
The two-week classes can be
taken by those who want to
prepare for the ASVAB, ACT,
SAT, GED, or CLEP Exams.
The class dates are April 9-19
and April 23 - May 3.
To enroll, select dates, verify availability with the NCLC,
submit a chit, and see your
command career counselor to
secure a slot.
For additional information
and reservations contact Anna
or Bonnie in the Navy College
Learning Center, located in
Building 60 on the second
deck, Room 234, call 871-2508,
or send an email to: gulfportnclc@plato.com.
1st Annual VFW District 1
Golf Tournament
VFW District 1 will hold a golf
tournament at Great Southern
Club on April 14. Lineup is a
4-person scramble, 8 a.m. shotgun start. Deadline for sign
up is April 1. Contact Rick
(228) 818-9404 or Pete (228)
324-5149 for information.
COMPASS
COMPASS is a team of trained
seasoned military spouses
mentoring other navy
spouses. Classes are intimate
and informative. Our 12 hour3 day course is
offered the last week of the
month(Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday)from
9am-1pm at the Chapel
Fellowship Hall CBC Gulfport.
The course AND child
care are FREE! Please R.S.V.P.
228-871-3000 ext. 7444 Ask for
COMPASS!

New Colmer Dining
Facility Hours
Until further notice...
Breakfast 5:45 - 8 a.m.
Lunch
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Dinner
4:30 - 6 p.m.
Both lines in the galley will
run for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner to enable our
patrons to get food faster
and easier.

19

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4/5/2007

Seabee Courier

Courier5 April.qxd

PG 7 B&W CLEAN

PG 18 B&W 5X11.5

Aspiring for success
Fearless Seabee earns fourth warfare qualification
By MC2 Gregory N. Juday
It is not uncommon for Seabees
to study hard and dedicate their
time to qualify as a Seabee
Combat Warfare Specialist during
a deployment cycle or to possibly
even work to earn their Fleet
Marine Force qualification, but it
is an extraordinary accomplishment for someone to earn four
warfare qualifications during his
or her 12-year career in the Navy.
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class
(Seabee Combat Warfare, Fleet
Marine Force, Enlisted Surface
Warfare, Air Warfare) Danny L.
Hawkins Jr. of Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74
exhibits the pride and professionalism for which many young
sailors strive. While he credits his
parents' support and nurturing for
his accomplishments, some of the
credit is due to his own steadfast

dedication and commitment to
excellence.
"I have never been one to seek
out recognition," said Hawkins, "I
started my career to make my parents proud but now I accomplish
the things I do out of my own
sense of pride."
HM1 Hawkins' father retired
from the Navy after 21 years of
service, and has been an inspiration for Danny throughout his
career.
"I have always looked up to my
father, and all he has accomplished throughout his career,"
said Hawkins, "now that I know I
have made both of my parents
proud, I now strive towards aspirations of my own. I know I will
make something of myself in the
Navy. One day I would like to
serve as the Master Chief Petty
Officer of the Navy."
HM1 Hawkins earned his first
two warfare devices onboard the
USS Enterprise as an

E-3 and earned the second two in
a period of five months while
deployed to Iraq with NMCB 74.
"During my 22 years serving the
Navy, HM1 Hawkins is the first
person I have ever met or known
with four warfare qualifications.
Not only is this an awesome personal achievement, but it truly
sends a strong message to all
Sailors and Seabees that our skies
have no limits. I am really proud
of HM1 Hawkins and his family,"
remarked Commanding Officer
Craig Prather.
Petty Officer Hawkins' tour with
NMCB 74 is coming to a close. He
has accepted orders to Naval
Hospital Jacksonville, Fla. so he
can be closer to his parents. He
plans on moving down there and
beginning his own family with his
fiancé Chantel Babb and carry on
the family tradition bestowed
upon him by his father.

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

Many Sailors returning from an
Individual Augmentee (IA)
assignment, such as the Middle
East and Afghanistan, have a hard
time readjusting to a normal life
style and some even suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) due to physiological and
psychological stressors experienced while deployed. Military
members go through a series of
health screenings before and after
deployment to identify any mental or physical problems that may
have been caused by their deployment and treatment is issued
accordingly. However, until
recently, the families of those
deployed have had little in the
way of education on what to
expect from their spouse or parent
after they return from the war
zone.
Commander, Navy Region
Southeast's (CNRSE) family support program, in conjunction with
a directive from the Chief of
Naval Operations, Adm. Mike
Mullen, is ensuring that all bases
implement an IA support group
to help families after loved ones
deploy.
7 Olivia O'Neal, the regional fleet

and family support program coordinator for CNRSE as well as the
working family life coordinator
described how these programs
will develop.
"One of my responsibilities is
being the individual augmentee
point of contact," she said. "Here
at CNRSE we've been working on
the subject of IAs and reaching
out to IA families for more than a
year now. Many months ago, our
installations began outreach programs to the families of IAs and
we realized that we had a major
obstacle which was identifying
who the IA member and their
families were."
According to O'Neal, they have
started to receive that information
from the Expeditionary Combat
Readiness Command (ECRC)
based in Norfolk, Va. The ECRC
has established a hotline, 1-877364-4302, for families of active
duty and reserve Sailors who are
deploying as IAs. They will provide information that will allow
the Fleet and Family Support
Center (FFSC) to contact family
members and offer services such
as the IA support group, counseling, financial planning, etc.
Lt. Cmdr. Shawn Oxendine, from
CNRSE, who was deployed as an

IA to Afghanistan for six months
and returned last August, elaborated on some of the challenges
she and her family faced while
she was gone and after she got
back.
"Some of the problems we faced
were based on my husband having to take over the role of mother
as well as a father. I know he
took good care of our daughter,
but there were some things he
didn't know how to handle," she
said. "I also had to worry about
them worrying about me because
I wasn't always able to tell them
what I was doing and wasn't
always able to call."
Oxendine continued on to talk
about readjusting to normal life.
"It was very difficult because
when I got home I wanted to just
take over everything, but before
we got back they briefed us that
we would have to let our families
carry on in their routines and
gradually readjust. I think it
would be helpful if they had
something on the family end
about how to readjust when their
spouse or parent get home."
O'Neal and the FFSC are working hard to do just that. "We're
now in the midst of incorporating
as many spouses as we can into

FFSC IA coordinator to
make referrals for those
who are having a particularly hard time and need
more individual assistance.
Some may need help with
things such as parenting
skills or just help going on
From Poison page 14

Photo by MC2 Gregory Juday

HM1 Danny L. Hawkins of
NMCB 74 receives the Fleet
Marine Force Device; his fourth
warfare qualification during his
12-year Navy career.

CNRSE implements family IA support program
By MC2(SW/AW) Rebecca Kruck
CNRSE

From IA page 7

the IA support program. By
March 23, all of our installations
will be mandated by CNRSE to
start a program targeted towards
the families of IAs. We felt it necessary to designate a program for
IA families because they are under
different stressors than those who
go on routine deployments on
ships," she continued.
Some of the installations under
CNRSE, which covers a radius
spanning from mid-Eastern Texas
to South Carolina, also including
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have
already began IA support programs. These programs, as well
as those that will begin shortly,
will introduce families to the services that the fleet and family support programs offer and educate
families on PTSD, other stressors
their spouse will experience overseas and help them prepare for
the transition that will occur when
they return home.
"We provide the bases with
guidance and suggestions and
we'll be getting information back
from them on how successful their
groups have been," she said. "It
will also be the responsibility of
See IA page 17

always safe. Children will
climb to reach medicines.
5. Do not take medications
in front of small children
and never refer to medications as candy. Many of the
flavored over-the-counter
medications contain high
levels of alcohol and are
especially attractive to children. Always buy alcoholfree products when possible.
6. Keep a bottle of syrup
of ipecac in your house to
induce vomiting – use it
only when directed by the
poison control center.
7. Keep cosmetics/beauty
products out of the reach of
children. Permanents, dyes,
relaxers, perfumes, hairsprays, nail polishes, and
polish removers are toxic.
8. Store cleaning products
in high cabinets with safety
latches. Never store them
under the sink.
9. Keep gardening items
(fertilizers, pesticides, etc.)
From Cute page 14
monthly Budget for Baby
Class given by Navy-Marine
Corps Relief Society
Gulfport. Along with basic
budget training and valuable resource information
attendees receive a free
"Junior Sea Bag" and layette.
The "Junior Sea Bag" is a
From Retire page 15
England; chief of the merchandising branch and later
chief of the operations division for DeCA's European
Region, Kapaun Air Station,
Germany; zone manager for
Zone 29, Seymour Johnson
Air Force Base, N.C.; and
deputy director, Eastern
Region, Virginia Beach, Va.
Kanitz received numerous
distinguished awards

with their lives. Many of
these families have spouses who haven't been married very long, have very
young children and are at
their first station away
from home so they need
someone to rely on. If they
don't have that then people can quickly start falling

apart."
O'Neal also stated that
the FFSC's will be working
with MWR to assist with
childcare to influence maximum participation.
The concept of an IA children's support group has
also been undertaken by
FFSC and is already in

in a locked area.
10. Be careful of using decorative lamps/candles containing lamp oils. Lamp oils
can be extremely toxic if
ingested.
11. Always read medication labels and dose instructions twice. Never give children medications intended
for adult consumption or for
which there is no child dose
listed. Your pharmacist is
an excellent resource for
information on drugs and
drug interactions. Always
ask about effects and side
effects before starting on a
medication.
12. If you take vitamin
supplements, be careful of
interactions with over-thecounter and prescription
drugs. Ask the pharmacist.
Many have interactions with
drugs that can be life threatening (ginkgo enhances the
effects of the anticoagulant
drug warfarin and may
cause fatal bleeding).
Remember, supplements are
not regulated and have no

good labels or warnings.
Using supplements is "buyer
beware."
13. Know which common
household and yard plants
may be toxic to children and
animals. Several common
plants found in homes can
be toxic. These include
dumb cane, caladiums,
hydrangea, oleander, wisteria, holly, and mistletoe.
Check with your garden
shop or county extension
office for more information.
14. Other common
household items that pose a
poisoning threat include
adhesives/glues,
arts/crafts/office supplies,
batteries, deodorizers, polishes and waxes, and tobacco products.
Using these simple precautions and other common
sense care can prevent a poisoning tragedy at your
home. Poison-proofing
your home should be a priority for every parent.

canvas tote loaded with
brand new Gerber baby
items that can help families
get started on setting up
their new nurseries. The
layette is a delicately knitted
or crocheted afghan and
sweater set that have been
made and donated by
NMCRS Volunteers.
According to Charlie

Gibson, "Navy-Marine
Corps Relief Society
Gulfport issued 74 free
"Junior Sea Bags" in 2006
and would like to double
that number in 2007.
To register for or receive
more information about the
Budget for Baby Class, call
228-871-2601, and speak to a
NMCRS representative.

throughout her career, including Equal Employment
Opportunity awards from the
Air Force, DeCA and several
states for her work in selective
placement and leadership. In
2005, she received the
American Logistics
Association's annual Women
in the Military Resale
Industry Award.
Kanitz said that while she
feels honored to be DeCA's
first female member of the

Senior Executive Service, the
accomplishment is a tribute to
the agency's commissary
career program, which offers
and encourages career broadening assignments and recognizes individual accomplishments and achievements.
"It's been a great career," she
said, "and I encourage everyone to pursue their dreams
because dreams do come true,
albeit with a little hard work."

place on some installations.
O'Neal added one last
statement regarding the
importance of these support programs. "The
emphasis on these support
groups is coming straight
from the CNO. He is
adamant in seeing that

these families are taken
care of, and it falls upon
our leadership to make it
happen."

18

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PG16 B&W Clean

PG 9 B&W
Tragedy Turns NMCB 133 Trainers into Heroes
By MC3 Jessica A. McIver
NMCB 133
At approximately 5:30 on
the morning of March 14,
2007, five members of
Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion One Thirty Three
(NMCB 133) were en route
to the Udari range in
Kuwait for a training exercise when they came upon
the scene of a horrific traffic accident. The accident,
which involved two 20passenger vans and a fourdoor Nissan truck, happened only moments
before the Seabees' arrival.
"The accident occurred
within just a few minutes
as the air was still full of
dust," said Gunnery Sgt.
Tom McCarty, Military
Advisor to NMCB 133.
Led by McCarty, NMCB
133 personnel responded
immediately with medical
care and on-scene organization. McCarty proudly
stated, "Everywhere you
looked, One Thirty Three

guys were there. They
were cutting bandages,
hooking up IV's and bringing in MEDEVAC choppers to get the seriously
injured to the hospitals."
While McCarty ensured
emergency services were
contacted, HM1 Charlotte
Bethea immediately began
assessing casualties and
creating a Casualty
Collection Point. With
assistance from UT2 Kelly
Caponigro, Bethea began
bandaging the injured and
administering intravenous
fluids (IV) as needed. "I
was helping Doc [Bethea]
as best I could with bandages and helping cut clothing away from the injured.
We were moving from
body to body so fast, that I
had to go back and
retrieve supplies we may
have left at the last
[patient]. I was trying to
stay busy so I couldn't
react to what was truly
going on," said Caponigro.
The number of casualties

was beyond the medical
supply capabilities of the
five responders, but as
Seabees "Can-Do," they
adapted to the situation,
and assisted as best they
could.
Bethea recalls how appreciative the injured were of
her efforts. "I remember
one of the men saying,
'Thank you, Soldier, thank
you, Soldier.' Even with
my lack of supplies, he
was thankful that I was
doing what I could for
him," said Bethea.
When McCarty discovered two men pinned
beneath one of the passenger vans, he worked with
BU2 Tyler Morgan and
BUCN Nicholas Condon to
rescue the men.
Overcoming the language
barrier, the rescuers successfully organized the
uninjured survivors to lift
the van, thus allowing
Morgan, Condon and
McCarty to pull the two
severely injured men to

safety. Once the victims
were clear of the wreckage,
Bethea and Caponigro
immediately began applying bandages and tourniquets.
At this point, a third victim was discovered
trapped inside the overturned van. After
McCarty found that he
could not safely move the
victim through the front
window of the van,
Morgan and Condon
smashed the rear window,
crawled in, and carried the
third man from the vehicle.
As the sun rose, a Nissan
truck was discovered a
short distance away with
seven men still trapped
inside. By this point, 20-30
civilians arrived on the
scene and endeavored to
assist the rescuers in freeing the men from the
truck. McCarty found a
steel pipe and unsuccessfully attempted to lever
apart the twisted wreck-

Community Calendar April 2007
Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

2

8 Easter

9 Seabee Days
10 All Cmdr's Mtg, 11 Lunchtime Bible 12
Mtg, Bldg 1, 1 p.m. Bldg. 1, Conf.
Study, Bldg 1 Conf. All Khaki Social,
Room, 10 a.m.
Room, 11:30 - 12:30 A&E, 3 p.m

age. The men were eventually freed using the Jaws
of Life.
After a number of minutes
with McCarty and the four
Seabees as the only care
providers on the scene,
members of Camp
Beuhring's Emergency Fire
and Medical Rescue Team
arrived. Even with the rescue team present, Bethea,
Caponigro and McCarty
continued to assist, directly treating the injured as

15

16 Federal Income 17

See Heroes page 15

22 Earth Day

April 5, 2007

Friday

Saturday

6 Holy
Week/Easter
Services, Chapel,
Protestant, Noon
Catholic, 3 p.m.

7 Month of Mil.

13

14

20

CBC Blood Drive,
Chapel, 8 - 12:45
CPOA Car Wash,
A&E, 11a.m. - 1 p.m.
All Khaki Social,
A&E, 3 p.m
Holy Week/Easter
Services Chapel,
Protestant, 5 p.m.
Catholic 7 p.m.

21

Basewide Hail &
Farewell, Sponsored
by NMCB 7, A&E.,
CBC/20SRG PRT
makeup

Child Easter Egg
Hunt/Carnival, 10
a.m. - Noon, Youth
Center Sports Field
Holy Week Easter
Vigil, Chapel,
Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

23 CNRSE

Taxes due

18 Spring info
19
Fitness 5K run,
6:30 a.m.
Lunchtime Bible
Study, Bldg 1 Conf.
Room, 11:30 - 12:30

24 CNRSE
25 Lunchtime Bible 26 CNRSE
27 CNRSE
28
Hurricane Exercise Hurricane Exercise Study, Bldg 1 Conf. Hurricane Exercise Hurricane Exercise
April 23 - May 4
April 23 - May 4
Room, 11:30 - 12:30 April 23 - May 4
April 23 - May 4
CNRSE Hurricane
Exercise April 23 May 4

COMPASS

Seabee Courier

5

CBC/20SRG PRT

Compass Gulfport

Spouse Teams Mentoring Spouses
Make New Friends, Learn about the Navy lifestyle,
Acquire Knowledge and Skills, Develop Realistic
expectations and a positive attitude
What is COMPASS?
Spouse-to-Spouse Mentoring Program
12 Hour Session Presented Over Three Days
Taught by Experienced Volunteer Navy Spouses
Upcoming Sessions:
The Course Curriculum
Benefits and Services
Anchors Aweigh
April 24, 25, & 26
Local Insights
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Personal Finance
Moving in the Navy
Getting along with others
Naval History and
Traditions

All Navy Spouses are
welcome.

8

4

Thursday

1

Commissary
closed
Catholic Easter
Mass, Chapel 9:30
a.m. ;Protestant
Easter service,
Chapel, 11 a.m.

3

Wednesday

Need babysitting? Inquire during registration.

From Heroes page 9
well as providing medical
supplies to the Rescue
Team. "When they [Rescue
Team] showed up, they
were kind of standing
aside because they thought
all of us were medics. This
was because all our guys
were so calm and collected. I was really proud of
them," said McCarty.
When the Rescue Team
called in medical evacuation helicopters (MEDEVAC), Morgan stopped

traffic before directing the
MEDEVAC choppers to
the landing zone. As the
three helicopters flew in,
Condon marked the landing area with signal flares.
Upon MEDEVAC's
arrival, One Thirty Three
coordinated with the crew
chiefs and rescue team to
load nine of the most seriously injured victims into
the helicopters. Numerous
other victims were treated
at the scene by the Seabees
and the Buehring Rescue
Team.
In response to this

tragedy, the members of
One Thirty Three once
again demonstrated the
importance of their skills
and training. Reflecting on
Seabee readiness and the
team effort so evident during the rescue, Bethea commented, "More than anything else, I am so proud
of the Seabees that were
there with me. They
stepped up and did whatever was asked of them
without a second thought
or hesitation."

To register call:
(228) 871-3000, X 7444

Force Condition Awareness

COMPASS will be held at
CBC Chapel Fellowship
Hall. For directions call:
(228) 871-3000, X7444.

Provided by
NCBC Public Safety

COMPASS is presented
by experienced Navy
spouses.

The Naval Construction Battalion Center commanding officer can authorize the elevation of Force Protection Conditions locally. The Crisis Management Team determines
the nature and extent of threats and makes recommendations to the commanding officer. Plans are evaluated for implementing higher Force Protection Conditions. All
personnel are reminded to report all suspicious or unusual incidents to NCBC Security
at X2361.
16

CB PG 09-16

12:49

April 5, 2007

4/5/2007

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Courier5 April.qxd

PG 10 Color
NMCB 1 earns spot
on Navy's Retention
Honor Roll

'Bees build
stage for MWR

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007


9

The Seabees of Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalions (NMCB) Twenty
Six and One Thirty Three
completed construction on
a Morale, Welfare and
Recreation stage which
was constructed for use as
an entertaining venue for
the Sailors, Soldiers,
Marines, and Airmen stationed on the Camp.
The Buffalo Bills' cheerleaders opened the stage at
the ribbon-cutting ceremony this week. The stage
has also featured such
names as actor/comedian
Jamie Kennedy and rapper
Paul Wall during Jamie
Kennedy's Hip Hop
Comedy Tour.
NMCB 5 began the project in late January. NMCB
26 took the lead in early
February upon their departure. In a joint effort, 133
helped tackle its completion. The project was completed 11 days earlier than
the projected deadline.
The stage was an important project for the crew, as
well as the troops stationed at Arifjan.
BU1 Steve Hansen
(NMCB 26), comments on
the contribution the stage
will make to the welfare of
the camp. "The project is
important because it
allows Arifjan to get some
higher priority shows,
which helps with the
troops' morale," said
Hansen.
Constructed near the
community center, the
stage affected morale
before construction began,
according to Colonel
Kenneth Beard,
Commander, Zone Six at
Camp Arifjan, who spoke
at the opening ceremony.
"It was a fishbowl project," said Beard. "The
troops got to see it change
almost daily."
The 'Bees stand ready to
put their skill sets to use in
order to improve the quality of life all over the
See Stage page 14

PG 15 color

4TH ANNUAL SEABEE DAYS

CAR, TRUCK & MOTORCYCLE SHOW
Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, MS 39501
Show will be in the Base Theater parking lot to the Navy Exchange---RAIN OR SHINE
next

ENTER THROUGH THE PASS ROAD GATE- MUST HAVE ID AND PROOF OF INSURANCE

Saturday May 5, 2007
Open to All Military & Civilians
OVER 30 CLASSES FOR SHOW
ANTIQUE(VINTAGE), IMPORT, DOMESTIC AND FORE
IGN CLASSES—WE HAVE A CLASS FOR EVERYONE

KANDYLAND KUSTOMS IS DONATING A CUSTOM PAINT JOB TO A LUCK PARTICIPANT!
LAND KUSTOMS
CUSTOM P
LUCKY P
!!!!BEST OF SHOW, BEST INTERIOR, BEST E
NGINE & CLUB PARTICIPATION TROPHIES!!!!
$$$$$$$$$$$THOUSANDS IN PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS FROM LOCAL SPONSORS $$$$$$$$$$$
COME OUT AND HELP SUPPORT THE SEABEE BALL!
1ST AND 2ND place Trophies will be awarded in all Mild & Wild Categories
7:00 am-11:00 am Registration
11:00 am-1:00 pm Judging
2:00 pm Award Presentation
**GULFPORT DRAGWAY & T
Y TIRE KINGDOM IS SPONSORING A $10 BURNOUT CONTEST AT THE SHOW!**
SH

SPL CONTEST: SPONSORED BY SOUND SOLUTIONS--$20--1ST, 2ND & 3RD PLACE
For questions contact:
David Fulcher (228)365-1611 or
Brian Harrison (228)343-9891

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DELTA WORLD TIRE
O’REILLY’S AUTO PARTS
HARLEY DAVIDSON OF BILOXI
AUTO ZONE
ADVANCE AUTO
FIRESTONE
GOODYEAR
COAST CYCLE WORLD
GULF COAST RHINO LININGS

SHOW SPONSORED BY:
SOUND SOLUTIONS
NA
PA
GULFPORT DRAGWAY
DUNAWAY GLASS
TOPPER WORLD
5 MINUTE OIL CHANGE
KANDYLAND KUSTOMS
SPEEDEE OI CHANGE
L

KLEIN MUFFLER
SUZUKI CITY
EMPRESS AUDIO
HEADLINERS PLUS
XTREME CONVERSIONS
TIRE KINGDOM
PRECISION GLASS TINTING
RED ARROW CAR WASH

Early Registration fee is $20. Must received by April 25th.
be
The registration fee the day the event will be $25.
of
ALL SPECTATORS ARE FREE!!!
Pre-Registration Form:
Mail to: Seabee Ball Committee, ATTENTION: Davi
d Fulcher, P.O. Box 3641, Gulfport, MS 39505
Money Order Only Please!
Name:________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Number:________________________________________________________________________________
Vehicle Make and Model:_________________________________________________________________________
Vehicle Year:____________________________________ Club Name:____________________________________

By MC2 Chad Runge
Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion One
(NMCB 1) started the Fiscal
Year off right by recently
being named to the First
Quarter All-Navy
Retention Honor Roll.
During the three month
time period, NMCB 1 reenlisted 25 of its troops, who
accumulated over $99,000
in selective reenlistment
bonuses.
"We've had the benefit of
a truly engaged chain of
command," said NCC (SW)
Jake Brady, NMCB 1's
Command Career
Counselor. "That plays a
huge role in having a better
informed battalion."
Chief Brady hasn't done it
alone however.
"Our 29-person Career
Development Team fully
engages with each and
every person in the
Battalion," he added. "One
person cannot raise retention, but a great chain of
command can."
NMCB 1 is currently on
pace to repeat their
achievement for the next
quarter.

Kanitz to retire from DeCA in August
By Rick Brink,
richard.brink@deca.mil

Bonnie Kanitz, director of DeCA East
and the first woman in DeCA appointed to the Senior Executive Service, will
retire from federal service in August.
Kanitz, whose career spans 32 years,
leaves a legacy as a pioneer not only
for women in the federal workforce,
but for anyone who strives for excellence on the job, said Patrick B. Nixon,
DeCA's director and chief executive
officer.
"I've watched Bonnie move up the
leadership chain during our years
together at DeCA, and I can't think of
a more dedicated leader who delivered results that improved the commissary benefit wherever she served.
She accomplished some significant
'firsts' as a woman in the workforce
and her work ethic, determination,
leadership and concern for the commissary benefit are great examples for
everyone to follow. She'll be missed,
but she's going on to a well-deserved
retirement and we all wish her the
best," Nixon said.
Kanitz said she plans to return to
Michigan where she grew up and her
family lives. She made agency history

"Ms. Kanitz will truly be missed
by all in DeCA. She is a grass
roots manager that cares greatly,
not only for those that work for her,
but also for our military members
and their families that we are here
to support. She left her personal
mark at Gulfport while visiting in
early September 2001, by initiating
the placement of a deli in the store,
a step that has been realized and
enjoyed by our patrons since we
reopened following Katrina in
May, 2006. I hate to see her go,
but wish her the best for an
enjoyable and long retirement!"
Walt Taylor, Store Director
Gulfport NCBC Commissary

in February 2002 when she became the
first woman in DeCA to become a
Senior Executive Service member and
lead a region – the former Midwest
Region. She went on to lead DeCA's
European Region during the startup
of Operation Iraqi Freedom before
taking the reins of DeCA East in July
2004.
"It's been a privilege to be part of
providing such a great benefit to the

deserving men and women of our
nation's military – the best in the
world. I've always had a great passion
for this benefit and for our stores,
where commitment, dedication and
selflessness is overwhelming. There
are so many in our stores who do
more than asked, who are heroes in
going the extra mile to add to the
quality of life for our military and
their families. I'm extremely proud to
have been a part of it all and privileged to be their leader! I'll miss the
people in DeCA and industry partners
I've worked with over the years –
many have become my friends – but I
know the great work will continue
and the benefit will only get stronger
because of the dedication people have
for it," Kanitz said.
Kanitz is known as an approachable,
engaged leader who especially relished visits to commissaries where she
was quick to share insights for success
and seek employee and customer
input on how to improve the commissary benefit. She knows what it takes
to run a commissary. Her career began
in 1975 when she became the store
manager at Calumet Radar Site, Mich.,
after earning her bachelor's degree
from Michigan Technological

University, Houghton, Mich. She was
selected into the first four-year intern
class in the Air Force Commissary
Service in 1979 and received an early
placement after her first year of intern
training.
She went on to earn a master's
degree in management and served as
a store director in over seven commissaries in the United States and Europe.
While store director at the Peterson
Air Force Base Commissary, Colo., in
1985, the store took best commissary
and best overall commissary awards,
and she received the Air Force Senior
Civilian Service Manager of the Year
Award while there. Over the years,
she served as operations division
director for the AFCOMS' United
Kingdom Complex, RAF Lakenheath,
See Retire page 18

15

CB PG 10-15 COLOR

12:49

April 5, 2007

4/5/2007

Seabee Courier

Courier5 April.qxd

PG14B&W

PG 11 B&W
Unity amidst chaos: Teamwork essential in crisis

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

By Lt. James Harrison
Medical Officer, NMCB 74

10

A garbled message
pierced the cold, dusty air
over the din of noisy tank
engines and helicopter
blades churning overhead.
"All medical personnel and
litter bearers please report
to Charlie Medical immediately." The message
repeated over and over
from Camp Ramadi's public address system, as those
who recognized the call
sprung into action.
One of Fearless 74's
Independent Duty
Corpsmen, HM1 Richard
Poole, and Medical Officer,
Lt. James Harrison rushed
to their HUMMVEE ambulance and rumbled down
the dusty, crater-filled
road; making their way
across Camp Ramadi to
arrive on a scene so frequently played out at bases
throughout the Al Anbar
province of Iraq. Crowds
of people were amassed in
a dusty parking lot; dozens
of field stretchers erected
and occupied, everyone
moving with urgency and
a purpose. Scores of
injured cried out in Arabic;
and their cries fell on the
ears of the understanding
medical community.
While very few understood the words, everyone
understood the meaning…
"Please help me, I'm hurting." Lt. Harrison asked
the first person he
approached, "Quickly,
what happened?" The person's reply spoke volumes,
"Suicide vehicle borne IED
(Improvised Explosive
Device)—dump truck."
The civilian casualties
had been brought to
Charlie Medical Company
housed in a facility resembling an abandoned block
warehouse building you
might pass by in the States.
However, inside this flatroofed one-story structure
held the best chance for
Iraqis and Coalition Forces
alike to receive life-saving
medical care in the Al
Anbar province.
There were so many
injured, for a moment it
was hard to know where

to start, but a quick survey
of the scene showed most
had been triaged already
and separated accordingly.
HM1 Poole and Lt.
Harrison immediately
made their way toward the
priority category where
scores lay wounded with
just a handful of medics

attending them.
Lt. Harrison began assessing the first patient and
found a young man, who
appeared to be in his thirties, with numerous shrapnel wounds covering his
body. Lt. Harrison began
to talk to him, but his
words didn't register.

Suddenly, a thin man of
Arabic descent and eager
eyes appeared at his side.
"Doctor?" he asked. Lt.
Harrison acknowledged,
"Yes." The Arabic man who
was a translator, began
assisting Lt. Harrison in
assessing the patient.

Several unfamiliar faces of
uniformed soldiers, sailors
and Marines began to
appear around the man as
they conducted their exam.
See Unity page 20

What's under your kitchen sink?

From Stage page 10

Provided by NCBC Safety

Kuwaiti are of operation.
The Seabees have made
many improvements on
and off base, said Beard.
"Seabees' skills, abilities,
and equipment have been
used for almost every part
of base operations here at
Arifjan, and throughout
the Kuwaiti Theater of
Operations," said Beard.
The Seabees continue to

Millions of poisoning exposures occur each year in the
United States, resulting in
nearly 900,000 visits to
emergency rooms and
approximately 21,183 fatalities. About 90 percent of
poisonings happen in the
home, and common household products are usually
the cause. The poisons most
often involved are cleaning
products, pain relievers, cosmetics, personal care products, plants and cold/cough
medications. Children –
especially those under age
six – are at the highest risk
for unintentional poisonings. However, adolescents
and adults contribute a significant portion of poisoning
incidents. Many poisonings
can be prevented if safety
precautions are taken
around the home. The precautions are easy to implement and may save the life

of someone you love.
1. Post the toll-free poisoncontrol number (800-2221222), family physician's
number, and parent's work
numbers next to the phone.
2. Remove all non-essential drugs and household
products from your home.
3. Avoid keeping highly
toxic products, such as drain
cleaners, metal polishes,
oven cleaners, in an area
where children can access
them. Substitute less toxic

products when possible.
Store these items in lockable
areas. Use safety latches on
cabinets.
4. Buy medicines and
household products in
child-resistant packaging
and be sure that caps are on
tightly. Keep these items in
a locked area. Keeping
them in high areas isn't

make their mark in their
contribution to the war on
terrorism. "They have
always been a part, often
the first part, of many
efforts to defeat terrorism,"
said Beard. "The association with the Seabee elements here in Zone Six will
be one that I will take
away from this deployment as one of my highest
honors."

BUCKLE UP EVERY TIME YOU GET INTO A
VEHICLE... IT'S A HABIT YOU CAN'T
AFFORD TO BREAK!

See Poison page 18

Cute! Cuddly! Costly!

NMCRS Class helps parents plan for new expenses
By Alice Huffman
NMCRS
Official U.S. Navy photo

Members of NMCB 74's medical team provide treatment to a 4-year-old Iraqi child (center). Left to right
are team members: HM1 Danny Hawkins, Lt. James
Harrison, HM3 Jaclyn Place and HM1 Richard Poole.

No one will argue that
babies are cute and cuddly. Their chubby faces,
cooing sounds and innocence can't help but make
us smile. It's the cost of
raising them that shocks us
and without proper planning can throw a family
into a financial tailspin.
Relief Society Budget for
Baby Class teaches expectant parents that they
should be financially prepared and plan for the
upcoming birth of a new
baby along with the added
costs to the household that
can be anticipated.
Charlie and Betty Gibson,
NMCRS Volunteers, teach
the local Budget for Baby
Class and state that, "the
main component of the
free two-hour course is
teaching expectant parents
general budgeting tips."
The most common mistake expectant parents
make is going financially

overboard when they are
setting up their home for
the arrival of a new baby.
Charlie and Betty cover
the importance of planning
for the added expenses of
preparing for the new
baby and recommend purchasing secondhand items
such as cribs, high chairs,
and baby clothing.
Secondhand items can cut
the setup costs almost in
half and most people will
find that secondhand work
just fine.
Charlie and Betty also
recommend that attendees
keep a spending log for 30
days to track their miscellaneous expenses and
obtain a better idea where
loose change and "hole in

the pocket" money is being
spent. They warn attendees about being targeted
by costly photography
plans, children's book
clubs or insurance scams
for children. Charlie
reminds parents that
dependent children are
covered, at no cost, under
the Servicemen's Group
Life Insurance. The only
requirement is that the
military service member be
covered under the plan.
Even parents expecting
their second or third child
can find benefits to attending the Budget for Baby
Class. Although the addition of a second or third
child may not be as costly
or significant, household
expenses can be expected
to increase with the newest
family member.
All Navy and Marine
Corps service members,
active duty and retired,
and their eligible family
members can attend the
See Cute page 18

14

CB PG 11-14

12:50

April 5, 2007

4/5/2007

Seabee Courier

Courier5 April.qxd

Courier5 April.qxd

4/5/2007

12:51

Page 12

Pg12

Clean

Clean
Pg13

Boy Scout
Spring Planting

Seabee greets VIP on job site


11

With the arrival of

Spring, the Boy Scouts
from South Mississippi
came to help replant
new life on the Seabee
base in the form of 42
new trees. The trees
were donated through
the efforts of Judy
Steckler using the
Hurricane Katrina Grant
Program. The grant
program was set up by
the U.S. Forestry
Commission to help
replace lost trees due to
Hurricane Katrina. Mrs.
Steckler who oversees
the Land Trust for the
Mississippi Coastal
Plain was instrumental

in providing replacement trees. This is part
of a partnership
between Land Trust and
the Sun Herald in an
effort to "Replant South
Mississippi".
On Saturday morning,
March 17 approximately
30 Boy Scouts and their
Leaders came out to
plant the trees. Retired
Navy Capt. Frank
DiGeorge, former commanding officer of
NCBC Gulfport, along
with the Public Works
department helped
organize and coordinate
the replanting efforts.
The Boy Scouts were
represented by Troops
190, 205 and 209. Those
who helped included:

Paul Krass, Pat Gibson,
Mike Young, Donna
Gibson, Josh Crowe,
Glen East, Steve Hymel
and daughter, Dylon
Cooke, Colby Cowart,
Jon Hagwood, Brenden
Phillips, Bryan Mogler,
Calvin Perrone, Kane
Keith, Patrick Stovall,
Christian Hymel, and
Kevin Peters.
As with the Seabees,
the Boy Scouts came out
with the "Can Do" spirit
and completed the task
by hand. The trees were
a variety of oaks and
maples and can be seen
in several locations
around the base. I
would like to give a special "thank you" to all
who made this possible.

NMCB One Corpsman train in Port Hueneme
By Lt. Anthony O'Daniel, MD
NMCB 1 Medical Officer
Naval Mobile
(NMCB 1) recently took
advantage of training held
by the First Naval
Construction Division's (1
NCD) Medical Department
in Port Hueneme, Calif.
The course, designed for
junior Corpsman, focused
on Tactical Casualty Care
and highlighted recent
medical advances in the
combat arena. NMCB 1
sent three Corpsmen to
participate; HM1 Scott
Gervasi, HM2 Shannon
Rodriguez and HM2
Tiffany Little. In the
future, this course will
become the "gold standard" for all Field Medical
Corpsmen.
Topics covered during
the four day conference
included: movement of
patients under hostile fire,
hemorrhage control for
injured warriors, and

introduction to advanced
medical equipment currently being used on the
front lines in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
This course enabled the
NMCB 1 Medical
Department to have the
most up-to-date information currently available to
the Naval Mobile
Construction Battalions.
"Focused training like this
is exactly what we need for
our junior Corpsmen," said
Lt. Anthony O'Daniel,
M.D, NMCB 1's Battalion
Medical Officer. "They
need this training the
most, because they are the
ones that will be providing
medical coverage for our
Convoy Security Teams
this fall."
HMC Michael Haggerty
added, "This training
allows my Corpsmen to
teach our Combat Life
Savers the newest techniques and train them on
the latest equipment. This
training could potentially
save lives when we deploy

this October."
Discussing this training
opportunity, HM1 Gervasi
said, "1 NCD did a great
job of getting this vital
training for our junior
Corpsmen on the deck
plates."
In an effort to better prepare their Medical
Department for the
upcoming deployment,
NMCB 1 Medical has
scheduled numerous training events throughout the
country for their key personnel. This proactive
approach will pay huge
dividends upon deployment.

Photo by MC3 (SCW) Ja'lon Rhinehart

HM2 Tiffany Little
demonstrates how to use
the new compression
bandage that will be
found in the Navy's first
aid and first responders
kits.

April 5, 2007

By Ben P. Barker
Public Works Dept., Gpt

13

CB PG 12-13 COLOR

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

Photos by
Bonnie McGerr

Arbor Day Comes Early to Seabee Center

Seabee Courier

South
Mississippi
Boy Scouts
planted trees
at several
locations
onboard
NCBC
Gulfport.

UT1 (SCW) John West met with
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
during his visit to the Kaboom playground build at West Railroad Park in
Long Beach March 14, 2007. West was
one of the Seabees to volunteer as a
Team Leader for the project. The Long
each Civic Club hosted 250 volunteers
from across the country to participate in
the build. The Gulf Coast First Class
Association provided facilities to the
volunteers for a makeshift galley and
shelter.

Courier5 April.qxd

4/5/2007

12:51

Page 12

Pg12

Clean

Clean
Pg13

Boy Scout
Spring Planting

Seabee greets VIP on job site


12

With the arrival of

Spring, the Boy Scouts
from South Mississippi
came to help replant
new life on the Seabee
base in the form of 42
new trees. The trees
were donated through
the efforts of Judy
Steckler using the
Hurricane Katrina Grant
Program. The grant
program was set up by
the U.S. Forestry
Commission to help
replace lost trees due to
Hurricane Katrina. Mrs.
Steckler who oversees
the Land Trust for the
Mississippi Coastal
Plain was instrumental

in providing replacement trees. This is part
of a partnership
between Land Trust and
the Sun Herald in an
effort to "Replant South
Mississippi".
On Saturday morning,
March 17 approximately
30 Boy Scouts and their
Leaders came out to
plant the trees. Retired
Navy Capt. Frank
DiGeorge, former commanding officer of
NCBC Gulfport, along
with the Public Works
department helped
organize and coordinate
the replanting efforts.
The Boy Scouts were
represented by Troops
190, 205 and 209. Those
who helped included:

Paul Krass, Pat Gibson,
Mike Young, Donna
Gibson, Josh Crowe,
Glen East, Steve Hymel
and daughter, Dylon
Cooke, Colby Cowart,
Jon Hagwood, Brenden
Phillips, Bryan Mogler,
Calvin Perrone, Kane
Keith, Patrick Stovall,
Christian Hymel, and
Kevin Peters.
As with the Seabees,
the Boy Scouts came out
with the "Can Do" spirit
and completed the task
by hand. The trees were
a variety of oaks and
maples and can be seen
in several locations
around the base. I
would like to give a special "thank you" to all
who made this possible.

NMCB One Corpsman train in Port Hueneme
By Lt. Anthony O'Daniel, MD
NMCB 1 Medical Officer
Naval Mobile
(NMCB 1) recently took
advantage of training held
by the First Naval
Construction Division's (1
NCD) Medical Department
in Port Hueneme, Calif.
The course, designed for
junior Corpsman, focused
on Tactical Casualty Care
and highlighted recent
medical advances in the
combat arena. NMCB 1
sent three Corpsmen to
participate; HM1 Scott
Gervasi, HM2 Shannon
Rodriguez and HM2
Tiffany Little. In the
future, this course will
become the "gold standard" for all Field Medical
Corpsmen.
Topics covered during
the four day conference
included: movement of
patients under hostile fire,
hemorrhage control for
injured warriors, and

introduction to advanced
medical equipment currently being used on the
front lines in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
This course enabled the
NMCB 1 Medical
Department to have the
most up-to-date information currently available to
the Naval Mobile
Construction Battalions.
"Focused training like this
is exactly what we need for
our junior Corpsmen," said
Lt. Anthony O'Daniel,
M.D, NMCB 1's Battalion
Medical Officer. "They
need this training the
most, because they are the
ones that will be providing
medical coverage for our
Convoy Security Teams
this fall."
HMC Michael Haggerty
added, "This training
allows my Corpsmen to
teach our Combat Life
Savers the newest techniques and train them on
the latest equipment. This
training could potentially
save lives when we deploy

this October."
Discussing this training
opportunity, HM1 Gervasi
said, "1 NCD did a great
job of getting this vital
training for our junior
Corpsmen on the deck
plates."
In an effort to better prepare their Medical
Department for the
upcoming deployment,
NMCB 1 Medical has
scheduled numerous training events throughout the
country for their key personnel. This proactive
approach will pay huge
dividends upon deployment.

Photo by MC3 (SCW) Ja'lon Rhinehart

HM2 Tiffany Little
demonstrates how to use
the new compression
bandage that will be
found in the Navy's first
aid and first responders
kits.

April 5, 2007

By Ben P. Barker
Public Works Dept., Gpt

12

CB PG 12-13 COLOR

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

Photos by
Bonnie McGerr

Arbor Day Comes Early to Seabee Center

Seabee Courier

South
Mississippi
Boy Scouts
planted trees
at several
locations
onboard
NCBC
Gulfport.

UT1 (SCW) John West met with
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour
during his visit to the Kaboom playground build at West Railroad Park in
Long Beach March 14, 2007. West was
one of the Seabees to volunteer as a
Team Leader for the project. The Long
each Civic Club hosted 250 volunteers
from across the country to participate in
the build. The Gulf Coast First Class
Association provided facilities to the
volunteers for a makeshift galley and
shelter.

PG14B&W

PG 11 B&W
Unity amidst chaos: Teamwork essential in crisis

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007

By Lt. James Harrison
Medical Officer, NMCB 74

11

A garbled message
pierced the cold, dusty air
over the din of noisy tank
engines and helicopter
blades churning overhead.
"All medical personnel and
litter bearers please report
to Charlie Medical immediately." The message
repeated over and over
from Camp Ramadi's public address system, as those
who recognized the call
sprung into action.
One of Fearless 74's
Independent Duty
Corpsmen, HM1 Richard
Poole, and Medical Officer,
Lt. James Harrison rushed
to their HUMMVEE ambulance and rumbled down
the dusty, crater-filled
road; making their way
across Camp Ramadi to
arrive on a scene so frequently played out at bases
throughout the Al Anbar
province of Iraq. Crowds
of people were amassed in
a dusty parking lot; dozens
of field stretchers erected
and occupied, everyone
moving with urgency and
a purpose. Scores of
injured cried out in Arabic;
and their cries fell on the
ears of the understanding
medical community.
While very few understood the words, everyone
understood the meaning…
"Please help me, I'm hurting." Lt. Harrison asked
the first person he
approached, "Quickly,
what happened?" The person's reply spoke volumes,
"Suicide vehicle borne IED
(Improvised Explosive
Device)—dump truck."
The civilian casualties
had been brought to
Charlie Medical Company
housed in a facility resembling an abandoned block
warehouse building you
might pass by in the States.
However, inside this flatroofed one-story structure
held the best chance for
Iraqis and Coalition Forces
alike to receive life-saving
medical care in the Al
Anbar province.
There were so many
injured, for a moment it
was hard to know where

to start, but a quick survey
of the scene showed most
had been triaged already
and separated accordingly.
HM1 Poole and Lt.
Harrison immediately
made their way toward the
priority category where
scores lay wounded with
just a handful of medics

attending them.
Lt. Harrison began assessing the first patient and
found a young man, who
appeared to be in his thirties, with numerous shrapnel wounds covering his
body. Lt. Harrison began
to talk to him, but his
words didn't register.

Suddenly, a thin man of
Arabic descent and eager
eyes appeared at his side.
"Doctor?" he asked. Lt.
Harrison acknowledged,
"Yes." The Arabic man who
was a translator, began
assisting Lt. Harrison in
assessing the patient.

Several unfamiliar faces of
uniformed soldiers, sailors
and Marines began to
appear around the man as
they conducted their exam.
See Unity page 23

What's under your kitchen sink?

From Stage page 10

Provided by NCBC Safety

Kuwaiti are of operation.
The Seabees have made
many improvements on
and off base, said Beard.
"Seabees' skills, abilities,
and equipment have been
used for almost every part
of base operations here at
Arifjan, and throughout
the Kuwaiti Theater of
Operations," said Beard.
The Seabees continue to

Millions of poisoning exposures occur each year in the
United States, resulting in
nearly 900,000 visits to
emergency rooms and
approximately 21,183 fatalities. About 90 percent of
poisonings happen in the
home, and common household products are usually
the cause. The poisons most
often involved are cleaning
products, pain relievers, cosmetics, personal care products, plants and cold/cough
medications. Children –
especially those under age
six – are at the highest risk
for unintentional poisonings. However, adolescents
and adults contribute a significant portion of poisoning
incidents. Many poisonings
can be prevented if safety
precautions are taken
around the home. The precautions are easy to implement and may save the life

of someone you love.
1. Post the toll-free poisoncontrol number (800-2221222), family physician's
number, and parent's work
numbers next to the phone.
2. Remove all non-essential drugs and household
products from your home.
3. Avoid keeping highly
toxic products, such as drain
cleaners, metal polishes,
oven cleaners, in an area
where children can access
them. Substitute less toxic

products when possible.
Store these items in lockable
areas. Use safety latches on
cabinets.
4. Buy medicines and
household products in
child-resistant packaging
and be sure that caps are on
tightly. Keep these items in
a locked area. Keeping
them in high areas isn't

make their mark in their
contribution to the war on
terrorism. "They have
always been a part, often
the first part, of many
efforts to defeat terrorism,"
said Beard. "The association with the Seabee elements here in Zone Six will
be one that I will take
away from this deployment as one of my highest
honors."

BUCKLE UP EVERY TIME YOU GET INTO A
VEHICLE... IT'S A HABIT YOU CAN'T
AFFORD TO BREAK!

See Poison page 17

Cute! Cuddly! Costly!

NMCRS Class helps parents plan for new expenses
By Alice Huffman
NMCRS
Official U.S. Navy photo

Members of NMCB 74's medical team provide treatment to a 4-year-old Iraqi child (center). Left to right
are team members: HM1 Danny Hawkins, Lt. James
Harrison, HM3 Jaclyn Place and HM1 Richard Poole.

No one will argue that
babies are cute and cuddly. Their chubby faces,
cooing sounds and innocence can't help but make
us smile. It's the cost of
raising them that shocks us
and without proper planning can throw a family
into a financial tailspin.
Relief Society Budget for
Baby Class teaches expectant parents that they
should be financially prepared and plan for the
upcoming birth of a new
baby along with the added
costs to the household that
can be anticipated.
Charlie and Betty Gibson,
NMCRS Volunteers, teach
the local Budget for Baby
Class and state that, "the
main component of the
free two-hour course is
teaching expectant parents
general budgeting tips."
The most common mistake expectant parents
make is going financially

overboard when they are
setting up their home for
the arrival of a new baby.
Charlie and Betty cover
the importance of planning
for the added expenses of
preparing for the new
baby and recommend purchasing secondhand items
such as cribs, high chairs,
and baby clothing.
Secondhand items can cut
the setup costs almost in
half and most people will
find that secondhand work
just fine.
Charlie and Betty also
recommend that attendees
keep a spending log for 30
days to track their miscellaneous expenses and
obtain a better idea where
loose change and "hole in

the pocket" money is being
spent. They warn attendees about being targeted
by costly photography
plans, children's book
clubs or insurance scams
for children. Charlie
reminds parents that
dependent children are
covered, at no cost, under
the Servicemen's Group
Life Insurance. The only
requirement is that the
military service member be
covered under the plan.
Even parents expecting
their second or third child
can find benefits to attending the Budget for Baby
Class. Although the addition of a second or third
child may not be as costly
or significant, household
expenses can be expected
to increase with the newest
family member.
All Navy and Marine
Corps service members,
active duty and retired,
and their eligible family
members can attend the
See Cute page 17

13

CB PG 11-14

12:50

April 5, 2007

4/5/2007

Seabee Courier

Courier5 April.qxd

PG 10 Color
NMCB 1 earns spot
on Navy's Retention
Honor Roll

'Bees build
stage for MWR

Seabee Courier

April 5, 2007


10

The Seabees of Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalions (NMCB) Twenty
Six and One Thirty Three
completed construction on
a Morale, Welfare and
Recreation stage which
was constructed for use as
an entertaining venue for
the Sailors, Soldiers,
Marines, and Airmen stationed on the Camp.
The Buffalo Bills' cheerleaders opened the stage at
the ribbon-cutting ceremony this week. The stage
has also featured such
names as actor/comedian
Jamie Kennedy and rapper
Paul Wall during Jamie
Kennedy's Hip Hop
Comedy Tour.
NMCB 5 began the project in late January. NMCB
26 took the lead in early
February upon their departure. In a joint effort, 133
helped tackle its completion. The project was completed 11 days earlier than
the projected deadline.
The stage was an important project for the crew, as
well as the troops stationed at Arifjan.
BU1 Steve Hansen
(NMCB 26), comments on
the contribution the stage
will make to the welfare of
the camp. "The project is
important because it
allows Arifjan to get some
higher priority shows,
which helps with the
troops' morale," said
Hansen.
Constructed near the
community center, the
stage affected morale
before construction began,
according to Colonel
Kenneth Beard,
Commander, Zone Six at
Camp Arifjan, who spoke
at the opening ceremony.
"It was a fishbowl project," said Beard. "The
troops got to see it change
almost daily."
The 'Bees stand ready to
put their skill sets to use in
order to improve the quality of life all over the
See Stage page 14

PG 15 color

4TH ANNUAL SEABEE DAYS

CAR, TRUCK & MOTORCYCLE SHOW
Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, MS 39501
Show will be in the Base Theater parking lot to the Navy Exchange---RAIN OR SHINE
next

ENTER THROUGH THE PASS ROAD GATE- MUST HAVE ID AND PROOF OF INSURANCE

Saturday May 5, 2007
Open to All Military & Civilians
OVER 30 CLASSES FOR SHOW
ANTIQUE(VINTAGE), IMPORT, DOMESTIC AND FORE
IGN CLASSES—WE HAVE A CLASS FOR EVERYONE

KANDYLAND KUSTOMS IS DONATING A CUSTOM PAINT JOB TO A LUCK PARTICIPANT!
LAND KUSTOMS
CUSTOM P
LUCKY P
!!!!BEST OF SHOW, BEST INTERIOR, BEST E
NGINE & CLUB PARTICIPATION TROPHIES!!!!
$$$$$$$$$$$THOUSANDS IN PRIZES & GIVEAWAYS FROM LOCAL SPONSORS $$$$$$$$$$$
COME OUT AND HELP SUPPORT THE SEABEE BALL!
1ST AND 2ND place Trophies will be awarded in all Mild & Wild Categories
7:00 am-11:00 am Registration
11:00 am-1:00 pm Judging
2:00 pm Award Presentation
**GULFPORT DRAGWAY & T
Y TIRE KINGDOM IS SPONSORING A $10 BURNOUT CONTEST AT THE SHOW!**
SH

SPL CONTEST: SPONSORED BY SOUND SOLUTIONS--$20--1ST, 2ND & 3RD PLACE
For questions contact:
David Fulcher (228)365-1611 or
Brian Harrison (228)343-9891

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DELTA WORLD TIRE
O’REILLY’S AUTO PARTS
HARLEY DAVIDSON OF BILOXI
AUTO ZONE
ADVANCE AUTO
FIRESTONE
GOODYEAR
COAST CYCLE WORLD
GULF COAST RHINO LININGS

SHOW SPONSORED BY:
SOUND SOLUTIONS
NA
PA
GULFPORT DRAGWAY
DUNAWAY GLASS
TOPPER WORLD
5 MINUTE OIL CHANGE
KANDYLAND KUSTOMS
SPEEDEE OI CHANGE
L

KLEIN MUFFLER
SUZUKI CITY
EMPRESS AUDIO
HEADLINERS PLUS
XTREME CONVERSIONS
TIRE KINGDOM
PRECISION GLASS TINTING
RED ARROW CAR WASH

Early Registration fee is $20. Must received by April 25th.
be
The registration fee the day the event will be $25.
of
ALL SPECTATORS ARE FREE!!!
Pre-Registration Form:
Mail to: Seabee Ball Committee, ATTENTION: Davi
d Fulcher, P.O. Box 3641, Gulfport, MS 39505
Money Order Only Please!
Name:________________________________________________________________________________________
Contact Number:________________________________________________________________________________
Vehicle Make and Model:_________________________________________________________________________
Vehicle Year:____________________________________ Club Name:____________________________________

By MC2 Chad Runge
Naval Mobile
(NMCB 1) started the Fiscal
Year off right by recently
being named to the First
Quarter All-Navy
Retention Honor Roll.
During the three month
time period, NMCB 1 reenlisted 25 of its troops, who
accumulated over $99,000
in selective reenlistment
bonuses.
"We've had the benefit of
a truly engaged chain of
command," said NCC (SW)
Jake Brady, NMCB 1's
Command Career
Counselor. "That plays a
huge role in having a better
informed battalion."
Chief Brady hasn't done it
alone however.
"Our 29-person Career
Development Team fully
engages with each and
every person in the
Battalion," he added. "One
person cannot raise retention, but a great chain of
command can."
NMCB 1 is currently on
pace to repeat their
achievement for the next
quarter.

Kanitz to retire from DeCA in August
By Rick Brink,
richard.brink@deca.mil

Bonnie Kanitz, director of DeCA East
and the first woman in DeCA appointed to the Senior Executive Service, will
retire from federal service in August.
Kanitz, whose career spans 32 years,
leaves a legacy as a pioneer not only
for women in the federal workforce,
but for anyone who strives for excellence on the job, said Patrick B. Nixon,
DeCA's director and chief executive
officer.
"I've watched Bonnie move up the
leadership chain during our years
together at DeCA, and I can't think of
a more dedicated leader who delivered results that improved the commissary benefit wherever she served.
She accomplished some significant
'firsts' as a woman in the workforce
and her work ethic, determination,
leadership and concern for the commissary benefit are great examples for
everyone to follow. She'll be missed,
but she's going on to a well-deserved
retirement and we all wish her the
best," Nixon said.
Kanitz said she plans to return to
Michigan where she grew up and her
family lives. She made agency history

"Ms. Kanitz will truly be missed
by all in DeCA. She is a grass
roots manager that cares greatly,
not only for those that work for her,
but also for our military members
and their families that we are here
to support. She left her personal
mark at Gulfport while visiting in
early September 2001, by initiating
the placement of a deli in the store,
a step that has been realized and
enjoyed by our patrons since we
reopened following Katrina in
May, 2006. I hate to see her go,
but wish her the best for an
enjoyable and long retirement!"
Walt Taylor, Store Director
Gulfport NCBC Commissary

in February 2002 when she became the
first woman in DeCA to become a
Senior Executive Service member and
lead a region – the former Midwest
Region. She went on to lead DeCA's
European Region during the startup
of Operation Iraqi Freedom before
taking the reins of DeCA East in July
2004.
"It's been a privilege to be part of
providing such a great benefit to the

deserving men and women of our
nation's military – the best in the
world. I've always had a great passion
for this benefit and for our stores,
where commitment, dedication and
selflessness is overwhelming. There
are so many in our stores who do
more than asked, who are heroes in
going the extra mile to add to the
quality of life for our military and
their families. I'm extremely proud to
have been a part of it all and privileged to be their leader! I'll miss the
people in DeCA and industry partners
I've worked with over the years –
many have become my friends – but I
know the great work will continue
and the benefit will only get stronger
because of the dedication people have
for it," Kanitz said.
Kanitz is known as an approachable,
engaged leader who especially relished visits to commissaries where she
was quick to share insights for success
and seek employee and customer
input on how to improve the commissary benefit. She knows what it takes
to run a commissary. Her career began
in 1975 when she became the store
manager at Calumet Radar Site, Mich.,
after earning her bachelor's degree
from Michigan Technological

University, Houghton, Mich. She was
selected into the first four-year intern
class in the Air Force Commissary
Service in 1979 and received an early
placement after her first year of intern
training.
She went on to earn a master's
degree in management and served as
a store director in over seven commissaries in the United States and Europe.
While store director at the Peterson
Air Force Base Commissary, Colo., in
1985, the store took best commissary
and best overall commissary awards,
and she received the Air Force Senior
Civilian Service Manager of the Year
Award while there. Over the years,
she served as operations division
director for the AFCOMS' United
Kingdom Complex, RAF Lakenheath,
See Retire page 17

14

CB PG 10-15 COLOR

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April 5, 2007

4/5/2007

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Courier5 April.qxd

PG16 B&W Clean

PG 9 B&W
Tragedy Turns NMCB 133 Trainers into Heroes
NMCB 133
At approximately 5:30 on
the morning of March 14,
2007, five members of
Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion One Thirty Three
(NMCB 133) were en route
to the Udari range in
Kuwait for a training exercise when they came upon
the scene of a horrific traffic accident. The accident,
which involved two 20passenger vans and a fourdoor Nissan truck, happened only moments
before the Seabees' arrival.
"The accident occurred
within just a few minutes
as the air was still full of
dust," said Gunnery Sgt.
Tom McCarty, Military
Advisor to NMCB 133.
Led by McCarty, NMCB
133 personnel responded
immediately with medical
care and on-scene organization. McCarty proudly
stated, "Everywhere you
looked, One Thirty Three

guys were there. They
were cutting bandages,
hooking up IV's and bringing in MEDEVAC choppers to get the seriously
injured to the hospitals."
While McCarty ensured
emergency services were
contacted, HM1 Charlotte
Bethea immediately began
assessing casualties and
creating a Casualty
Collection Point. With
assistance from UT2 Kelly
Caponigro, Bethea began
bandaging the injured and
administering intravenous
fluids (IV) as needed. "I
was helping Doc [Bethea]
as best I could with bandages and helping cut clothing away from the injured.
We were moving from
body to body so fast, that I
had to go back and
retrieve supplies we may
have left at the last
[patient]. I was trying to
stay busy so I couldn't
react to what was truly
going on," said Caponigro.
The number of casualties

was beyond the medical
supply capabilities of the
five responders, but as
Seabees "Can-Do," they
adapted to the situation,
and assisted as best they
could.
Bethea recalls how appreciative the injured were of
her efforts. "I remember
one of the men saying,
'Thank you, Soldier, thank
you, Soldier.' Even with
my lack of supplies, he
was thankful that I was
doing what I could for
him," said Bethea.
When McCarty discovered two men pinned
beneath one of the passenger vans, he worked with
BU2 Tyler Morgan and
BUCN Nicholas Condon to
rescue the men.
Overcoming the language
barrier, the rescuers successfully organized the
uninjured survivors to lift
the van, thus allowing
Morgan, Condon and
McCarty to pull the two
severely injured men to

safety. Once the victims
were clear of the wreckage,
Bethea and Caponigro
immediately began applying bandages and tourniquets.
At this point, a third victim was discovered
trapped inside the overturned van. After
McCarty found that he
could not safely move the
victim through the front
window of the van,
Morgan and Condon
smashed the rear window,
crawled in, and carried the
third man from the vehicle.
As the sun rose, a Nissan
truck was discovered a
short distance away with
seven men still trapped
inside. By this point, 20-30
civilians arrived on the
scene and endeavored to
assist the rescuers in freeing the men from the
truck. McCarty found a
steel pipe and unsuccessfully attempted to lever
apart the twisted wreck-

Community Calendar April 2007
Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

2

8 Easter

9 Seabee Days
10 All Cmdr's Mtg, 11 Lunchtime Bible 12
Mtg, Bldg 1, 1 p.m. Bldg. 1, Conf.
Study, Bldg 1 Conf. All Khaki Social,
Room, 10 a.m.
Room, 11:30 - 12:30 A&E, 3 p.m

age. The men were eventually freed using the Jaws
of Life.
After a number of minutes
with McCarty and the four
Seabees as the only care
providers on the scene,
members of Camp
Beuhring's Emergency Fire
and Medical Rescue Team
arrived. Even with the rescue team present, Bethea,
Caponigro and McCarty
continued to assist, directly treating the injured as

15

16 Federal Income 17

See Heroes page 16

22 Earth Day

April 5, 2007

Friday

Saturday

6 Holy
Week/Easter
Services, Chapel,
Protestant, Noon
Catholic, 3 p.m.

7 Month of Mil.

13

14

20

CBC Blood Drive,
Chapel, 8 - 12:45
CPOA Car Wash,
A&E, 11a.m. - 1 p.m.
All Khaki Social,
A&E, 3 p.m
Holy Week/Easter
Services Chapel,
Protestant, 5 p.m.
Catholic 7 p.m.

21

Basewide Hail &
Farewell, Sponsored
by NMCB 7, A&E.,
CBC/20SRG PRT
makeup

Child Easter Egg
Hunt/Carnival, 10
a.m. - Noon, Youth
Center Sports Field
Holy Week Easter
Vigil, Chapel,
Catholic, 7:30 p.m.

23 CNRSE

Taxes due

18 Spring info
19
Fitness 5K run,
6:30 a.m.
Lunchtime Bible
Study, Bldg 1 Conf.
Room, 11:30 - 12:30

24 CNRSE
25 Lunchtime Bible 26 CNRSE
27 CNRSE
28
Hurricane Exercise Hurricane Exercise Study, Bldg 1 Conf. Hurricane Exercise Hurricane Exercise
April 23 - May 4
April 23 - May 4
Room, 11:30 - 12:30 April 23 - May 4
April 23 - May 4
CNRSE Hurricane
Exercise April 23 May 4

COMPASS

Seabee Courier

5

CBC/20SRG PRT

Compass Gulfport

Spouse Teams Mentoring Spouses
Make New Friends, Learn about the Navy lifestyle,
Acquire Knowledge and Skills, Develop Realistic
expectations and a positive attitude
What is COMPASS?
Spouse-to-Spouse Mentoring Program
12 Hour Session Presented Over Three Days
Taught by Experienced Volunteer Navy Spouses
Upcoming Sessions:
The Course Curriculum
Benefits and Services
Anchors Aweigh
April 24, 25, & 26
Local Insights
9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Personal Finance
Moving in the Navy
Getting along with others
Naval History and
Traditions

All Navy Spouses are
welcome.

9

4

Thursday

1

Commissary
closed
Catholic Easter
Mass, Chapel 9:30
a.m. ;Protestant
Easter service,
Chapel, 11 a.m.

3

Wednesday

Need babysitting? Inquire during registration.

From Heroes page 8
well as providing medical
supplies to the Rescue
Team. "When they [Rescue
Team] showed up, they
were kind of standing
aside because they thought
all of us were medics. This
was because all our guys
were so calm and collected. I was really proud of
them," said McCarty.
When the Rescue Team
called in medical evacuation helicopters (MEDEVAC), Morgan stopped

traffic before directing the
MEDEVAC choppers to
the landing zone. As the
three helicopters flew in,
Condon marked the landing area with signal flares.
Upon MEDEVAC's
arrival, One Thirty Three
coordinated with the crew
chiefs and rescue team to
load nine of the most seriously injured victims into
the helicopters. Numerous
other victims were treated
at the scene by the Seabees
and the Buehring Rescue
Team.
In response to this

tragedy, the members of
One Thirty Three once
again demonstrated the
importance of their skills
and training. Reflecting on
Seabee readiness and the
team effort so evident during the rescue, Bethea commented, "More than anything else, I am so proud
of the Seabees that were
there with me. They
stepped up and did whatever was asked of them
without a second thought
or hesitation."

To register call:
(228) 871-3000, X 7444

Force Condition Awareness

COMPASS will be held at
CBC Chapel Fellowship
Hall. For directions call:
(228) 871-3000, X7444.

Provided by
NCBC Public Safety

COMPASS is presented
by experienced Navy
spouses.

The Naval Construction Battalion Center commanding officer can authorize the elevation of Force Protection Conditions locally. The Crisis Management Team determines
the nature and extent of threats and makes recommendations to the commanding officer. Plans are evaluated for implementing higher Force Protection Conditions. All
personnel are reminded to report all suspicious or unusual incidents to NCBC Security
at X2361.
15

CB PG 09-16

12:49

April 5, 2007

4/5/2007

Seabee Courier

Courier5 April.qxd

Courier5 April.qxd

4/5/2007

12:49

Page 8

PG 17 Color CLEAN

PG 8 COLOR ADS

Youth Activities
Center

1April 5, 2007
Seabee Courier

8

16

CB PG 08-17 COLOR

April 5, 2007

3, 5:30-8:30 Teens Only Keystone Club Meeting
4, 5:30-8:30 Smart Moves & Indoor games
5, 5:30-8:30 Easter egg coloring, and Easter crafts
6, 6:00-9:00 Movies on the Big Screen Snacks Included!
7, 10:00-noon FREE Easter Egg Hunt 4 Youths ages 3-12
10, 5:30-8:30 Youth Only Torch Club Meeting
11, 5:30-8:30 Boys Vs Girls Game Night Prizes Awarded
12, 5:30-8:30 Art Club & Phase 10 tournament
13, 6:00-10:00 CiCi Pizza & Mall Trip 12-up!
14, 11:00-3:00 Pepsi Pitch, Hit & Run Local Competition
17, 5:30-8:30 Backwards Day
18, 5:30-8:30 Jr Olympic USTA Rapid Rally Compaction
19, 5:30-8:30 Spelling Bee, Prizes, Parents Welcome
20, 6:00-9:00 Dress Up Movie Night, Limit 50-$1/Person
21, 9:00-4:00 Bellingrath Gardens and Cruise!
24, 5:30-8:30 Tie Dye T-Shirt, Bring Your Own White T-Shirt
25, 5:30-8:30 Dragonfly Quest & Outdoor games

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