‘Save a Life Tour’ comes to Whidbey Island

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Sailors receive the chance to learn and experience how drinking and driving don’t mix during a “Save a Life Tour” June 19. The Save a Life Tour is an alcohol-awareness program designed to educate people about the dangers associated with drinking and driving. The presentation starts with a video showing real life tragedies. Sailors then get a chance to sit in a drunk-driving simulator, which attempts to replicate the sensation of being intoxicated behind the wheel. During the event Brian Beldyga, Save A Life Tour senior manager, spoke to Sailors about his experiences and the loss of his 19-year-old fiancé to a drunk driver.
July 1, 2009
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Whidbey Sailor represents Navy in volleyball tourne

A Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Sailor recently participated in the 2009 Armed Forces Men’s Volleyball Championship at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C. The All-Navy sports program fields Sailors from all over the fleet to participate in tournaments against other branches of the service in a wide variety of competitions. The winning branch of service then goes on to play against international opponents in various tournaments around the world. Naval Aircrewman (Avionics) 2nd Class Joe Koh, Fleet Air Reconnaissance (VQ) 2, started playing competitive volleyball in high school.
July 1, 2009
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Command of EODMU-11 changes

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 11 held its final change of command ceremony on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, June 26. Cmdr. Joseph DiGuardo was relieved after two years of command by Cmdr. Richard Hayes. Capt. Theodore Lucas, commander, Explosive Ordnance Group 1, was the keynote speaker at the event. “During (DiGuardo’s) time in command he has far surpassed all expectations and made an enormous impact on this command and community. Mobile Unit 11 is the gold standard for EOD commands,” said Lucas. “His leadership, attention to detail, and commitment to all those who work for him has clearly shown in the success of Mobile Unit 11.”
July 1, 2009
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WING 10 Fleet Support Unit gets new leader

In a ceremony June 12, the charge of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 Detachment Fleet Support Unit changed as Cmdr. Daniel B. Morio relieved Cmdr. Michael T. Scarry as officer in charge of the Fleet Support Unit. Under the charge of Scarry, FSU deployed teams to 5th Fleet and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility and safely conducted more than 1,700 sorties for a total of over 12,000 flight hours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Morio is a 1991 U.S. Naval Academy graduate from Springhill, Fla. He began his naval career flying the P-3C Orion for Patrol Squadron 46 here at NAS Whidbey Island. Subsequent tours saw Morio as Task Group Watch Officer for Tactical Support Center, Sigonella, Sicily and catapult and arresting gear officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) homeported in Everett.
July 1, 2009
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Yellow Jackets returning from deployment

The 2009 Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment marked the final EA-6B Prowler deployment for the Yellow Jackets of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 138. The squadron is scheduled to transition to the EA-18G Growler in early 2010. Their 33-year history with the Grumman tactical jamming platform has encompassed many deployments, exercises, and combat operations all over the world. Recently, as members of Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW 9) and Carrier Strike Group Three (CSG 3) aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), the Yellow Jackets were integral in the employment of electronic attack support for exercises conducted during their six-month tour of the western Pacific. Before returning home, the Yellow Jackets participated in exercise Northern Edge off the coast of Alaska. The annual joint exercise included a vast array of U.S. Navy and Air Force assets and proved that the carrier air wing could integrate with their fellow aviation brethren.
June 25, 2009
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Another ‘Golden Wrench’ for Gauntlets

The Gauntlets of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 have received the coveted Attack Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 Golden Wrench award for the second consecutive year. Golden Wrench awards are presented to squadrons that best exemplify the maintenance excellence and teamwork required to maintain uninterrupted combat readiness in the forward deployed naval forces. This year, the Gauntlet Maintenance Department sailed through a simultaneous Material Condition Inspection (MCI), Conventional Weapons Technical Proficiency Inspection (CWTPI), and transition to the NALCOMIS Optimized Operational Maintenance Activity (OOMA) software system. In March, the Gauntlets scored a record 157.5 out of 160 possible points on the CWTPI, completed a flawless MCI, transitioned to NALCOMIS OOMA, and executed 17 sorties without a hiccup.
June 25, 2009
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NAS Whidbey opens new family housing area

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and Forest City Military Communities, LCC celebrated the completion of three residential neighborhoods with a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 15. Navy Region Northwest and Forest City Military Communities, LCC have been partners for one and a half years completing 359 houses for NAS Whidbey Island ahead of schedule. In addition to the 359 single-family homes built for NAS Whidbey Island Sailors, Forest City also built playgrounds, dog parks, trails and added fences to yards to make it feel more like a community.
June 25, 2009
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Electronic Attack Weapons School graduates six instructors

The Electronic Attack Weapons School (EAWS) graduated six new Prowler Tactics Instructors (PTIs) during a ceremony at the NAS Whidbey Island Officer’s Club June 12. “I’m very proud of these six,” said Cmdr. Carden Warner, EAWS commanding officer. “As the first class under my command I’ll always have a special affinity for these fine young men. They’ve done exceptionally well.” The PTI course is an 11-week curriculum that includes academics, simulators, and flights, with the goal of creating professional instructors that have a complete tactical understanding of airborne electronic attack. During the course the students took several trips throughout the country. At NAS Fallon, Nev. they practiced maneuvering against F/A-18 Hornets and F-5 Tiger IIs, a training opportunity not often encountered in the fleet, but important in case a Prowler crew finds themselves up against a more maneuverable adversary.
June 25, 2009
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Whidbey Officers’ Spouses’ Club celebrates successful fund drive

The Officers’ Spouses’ Club of Whidbey Island (OSCWI) recently awarded more than $11,000 at an awards reception to local non-profit organizations and military family members attending college in the coming year. The reception wrapped up a year-long fundraising effort in which the OSCWI raised more than $20,000 for non-profits, scholarships and individual command spouses groups. The OSCWI is a non-profit social group dedicated to promoting and preserving interest in the Navy, Marine Corps and other branches of the military assigned to NAS Whidbey Island, and to foster good community relations.
June 25, 2009
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NAS Whidbey security gets STAAT trained

Sailors received advanced security training from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s (NCIS) Security Training Assessment and Assistance Team (STAAT) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Security, June 9. The five day course consisted of security and auxiliary security force (ASF) personnel getting hands-on training on tactical building searches, field interviews, high risk vehicle stops, inspect vehicles and responding to domestic violence calls.
June 18, 2009
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