Sailors and Department of Defense (DOD) civilians gathered at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Navy Whidbey Recycle Center to kick off the start of Energy Awareness Week, Oct. 21.
Held every year during energy awareness month, the event is a chance to remind everyone how important it is to conserve energy.
Energy Awareness week will be held Oct. 25-29 and followed by America Recycles Day on Nov. 15.
Capt. Jay Johnston, commanding officer of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island kicked off the event and spoke to the attendees about the goals for NAS Whidbey Island, the energy saving upgrades and projects, and the impact of recycling.
October 28, 2010
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The Department of Defense Northwest Recycling Team, a group of program managers from bases all over Washington State got together at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island to tour Navy Whidbey Recycle and learn from each other. They do this about once a quarter and rotate visits from one base to another.
Solid waste program managers from Coast Guard Base Seattle, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Station Everett and senior program managers and staff from Naval Facilities Engineering Command Northwest are all very interested in what we do with our trash.
Paul Brewer, manager of the Integrated Solid Waste Program at Navy Whidbey Recycle, who has been leading the recycling program since 1990, began the tour at the Navy Recycling Center warehouse. Eighteen years ago, Brewer worked in a small building described as a dust bowl in the summer and a mud bowl in the winter. At that time, the Navy was not focused on recycling with only about 4 percent of materials being recycled.
October 28, 2010
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Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Whidbey Island’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. William A. Dodge, congratulated the first cadre of Information Dominance Warfare Officers (IDWO) and Enlisted Specialists (IDWS) in the region at a special pinning ceremony Oct. 22. Fourteen enlisted personnel and five officers are now authorized to wear the Navy’s newest warfare pin after completing their respective qualification programs.
NIOC Whidbey Island is one of the first commands in the Navy to have a qualified IDWS program after it was approved by its Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC), NIOC Norfolk, Va., in May this year.
For some personnel like Yeoman 1st Class Dana Banta the IDWS warfare pin represented their first opportunity to achieve a warfare qualification.
October 28, 2010
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Looking forward to three demanding weeks on board USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), the Cougars of VAQ-139 will leave Whidbey Island for Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is broken up into a variety of scripted unit-specific training and two integrated battle problems. The battle problems will test the Cougars as members of Carrier Air Wing 14 in their ability to react to unpredictable operational situations as a single force.
The first set of1 challenges the Cougars will have to overcome will be to keep all seasoned EA-6B Prowlers assigned to the squadron ready for shipboard operations. The dedicated squadron maintainers have been working around the clock fine tuning five EA-6B’s that the aircrew will fly.
Next, the aircrew will have to hone and perfect their tactics in order to take full advantage of the ICAP III’s advanced capabilities. ICAP III is the latest of five generations of EA-6 airborne electronic-attack systems designed to identify, degrade and destroy enemy radar-guided air defense and communication systems.
October 21, 2010
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The VAQ-135 “Black Ravens” recently scored a trio of “last” accomplishments when their skipper’s venerable EA-6B Prowler touched down at NAS Jacksonville, where it will be retired from service at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE).
Capt. Tom Slais, commander, Electronic Attack Wing Pacific, ticked off the accomplishments. “One –it was the last flight of Prowler 501, two –it was the last Prowler to depart VAQ-135, and three –it was the last flight of VAQ-135 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Hunter Ware, whose change of command ceremony takes place next week at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash.”
Ware explained, “About a year ago, we began executing our EA-6B divestiture and sundown plan as part of the Black Ravens’ transition to the EA-18G Growler, a new electronic countermeasures variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet. For the past two months, we’ve been flying our birds to their ‘final resting places’ around the country. My 501, born Sept. 19, 1972, has over 12,200 flight hours. Its usable parts will be harvested by FRCSE before it’s prepared for the scrap yard.”
October 21, 2010
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It’s got a Facebook page called “Frightville X” and ranked among the top “scary” places to go in Washington State during Halloween as noted on Hauntedhouse.com.
Frightville marks its 10th anniversary this year and much of the success goes to NAS Whidbey Island Sailors who volunteer annually with Oak Harbor community members to make this Boys & Girls Club haunted house a big draw.
“Last year over 1,500 people came through and $10,000 was raised for the Boys & Girls Club After-School Program,” said Master-at-Arms Chief Philip Sellers of NAS Security, who works closely with Yeoman Chief Brian Boyle of VAQ-129 to come up with new spooky ideas.
“We’re kind of sick and twisted,” laughed Sellers. “We start planning in November for the following year, and start the tear down and rebuild in March.” Sellers said about 45 Sailors from NAS Security, Personnel Support Detachment, VAQ-129 and Fleet Readiness Center Northwest are pitching in to make this house a screamer.
October 21, 2010
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A lot of old buildings are coming down on NAS Whidbey Island and that’s a good thing. Just as it is a good thing that a lot of old wood is finding new life once those buildings are torn down.
Take building 20, a 250-foot long by 54-foot wide wooden building built in 1942 for example.
It started out as a maintenance building during World War II. Public Works added a west end for carpenters in 1953, a furniture repair shop added an east end to the building in 1954 and since then, the Seabees and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit have been housed there.
Building 20 came down Oct. 1 as part of a measure to comply with Commander, Navy Installations Command Demolition Footprint Reduction plan to save maintenance and utility costs. It was one of 10 structures torn down so far of an overall 70 slated for demolition.
October 21, 2010
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In 1850, French economist Frederic Bastiat published an essay entitled “That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen.” In it, Bastiat addressed the common economic fallacy which focuses only on the short-term and most visible consequences of an action.
Bastiat encouraged his readers to also consider “that which is not seen,” i.e., the long-term consequences and less visible effects of an action. The same principle could also be stated, in more familiar terms that: there are two sides to every coin; every action has an equal and opposite reaction; and there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Having previously served as a legal assistance attorney and a defense attorney, I have repeatedly witnessed the consequences to Sailors who ignore this principle. Many continue to do so.
Sailors hastily enter relationships and marriages considering little more than their feelings of “love” and the promise of certain benefits (living off base, Bachelor Housing Allowance and medical care); without laying a proper foundation and without addressing important long-term questions regarding morality, finances, kids and life goals.
October 21, 2010
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Before she joined the Navy, Lt.j.g. Ellen T. Harper was a professional singer who performed as a high soprano with the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Lyric Opera.
Now she’s the new Food Service Officer at NAS Whidbey Island and she could not be happier.
One reason is because she always wanted to be in the Navy. Another, is because she loves her new command and the squared-away approach they take in the galley and elsewhere. And finally, she reported here when the galley she is in charge of is one step away from winning the Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award for outstanding large ashore general mess. So reporting aboard what could potentially be the best galley in the Continental United States is a pretty good thing.
October 14, 2010
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Strong winds, power outages, snow and black ice as well as the occasional earthquake are inherent to Whidbey Island. The four-day island power outage in December 1991 is proof of that.
With that in mind, the Fleet and Family Support Center hosted Operation Prepare Fair Sept. 30 at the Chief Petty Officers’ Club. People had the opportunity to speak with experts ranging from disaster relief and community response areas, to learning how their family can be better prepared.
Over 60 people showed up to the third annual Operation Prepare Fair as part of September’s National Preparedness Month. There were raffles and prizes, emergency prepared kits such as one which contained three days of food and water supply.
October 14, 2010
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