[navy] Digest (10/27/2001 18:01) (#2001-52)

[Veterans News & Information Service]

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(#2001-52) - Topics This Issue:

1) Navy News

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Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 11:18:01 -0700

Subject: Navy News

NAVAL MEDIA CENTER NavNews by e-mail:
NavNews (NNS) is the official newsletter of the U.S.
Navy, and is a product of the Naval Media Center, 2713
Mitscher Rd. SW, Anacostia Annex, D.C., 20373-5819. Reprints
should be credited to NNS.
Contact the NavNews editor, Mr. Jerome Mapp, at
mailto:ma...@mediacen.navy.mil or Lt. Brook DeWalt at DSN 288-
4380, (202) 433-4380 or mailto:dew...@mediacen.navy.mil for
further NavNews information.
For all other Navy information-related questions, call
the Navy News Desk at (703) 692-6704/5/6/7.
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Table of contents for Navy News
NNS7201. Joint Strike Fighter Contractor Awarded
NNS7202. Special Leave Accrual for Fiscal Year 2001
NNS7203. Navy Announces Stockdale Awards
NNS7204. Thrift Savings Plan: Sign Up Now
NNS7205. New Pay and Personnel System Phasing to Include
Active Duty
NNS7206. Naval Station Great Lakes Established to Improve
Training Efficiency, Effectiveness
NNS7207. NMCB 1, NMCB 21 Earn Battle "E"
NNS7208. Squadron Exercise to Test Mine Warfare Training
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NNS7201. Joint Strike Fighter Contractor Awarded
From the United States Department of Defense
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Undersecretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Edward C. "Pete"
Aldridge Jr. announced this afternoon the decision to proceed
with the Joint Strike Fighter program. This approval will
move the program to the next phase, the System Development
and Demonstration phase.
Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche announced the
selection of Lockheed Martin teamed with Northrop Grumman and
BAE to develop and then produce the Joint Strike Fighter
(JSF) aircraft. The contract, for $18,981,928,201, will
produce aircraft to be used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and
Marines, as well as the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and
Navy.
Also, Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford,
Conn., has been awarded a contract for more than $4 billion
to develop the F135 propulsion system. This contract will
cover ground and flight testing and production qualification
of the Pratt & Whitney propulsion system.
The Joint Strike Fighter acquisition strategy also calls
for the development of two propulsion systems. The Pratt &
Whitney system will compete, in production, with one
developed by the team of General Electric and Rolls Royce.
General Electric and Rolls Royce are expected to receive a
contract for the next phase of development of that system in
the next few weeks. The Pratt & Whitney and General Electric/
Rolls Royce engines will be physically and functionally
interchangeable in both the aircraft and support systems. All
JSF aircraft variants will be able to use either engine. The
competition starts in fiscal 2011 and continues through the
life of the program to reduce risks.
The Joint Strike Fighter is a multi-Service/international
cooperation warplane. The cornerstone of the program is
affordability based on a next-generation, multi-role strike
fighter aircraft that will have a 70 to 90 percent
commonality factor for all the variants, significantly
reducing manufacturing, support and training costs. First
delivery of operational aircraft is anticipated in fiscal
2008.
During this Systems Development and Demonstration phase,
the program will focus on developing a family of strike
aircraft that significantly reduces life-cycle cost, while
meeting the operational requirements for the Services. The
requirements represent a balanced approach to affordability,
lethality, survivability and supportability. The program will
use a phased block approach that addresses aircraft and
weapons integration and provides a validated and verified air
system for the Service Initial Operational Capability
requirements. Also during this phase of the contract Lockheed
Martin, teamed with Northrop Grumman and BAE, will implement
innovative management and business practices focusing on
achieving affordable unit flyaway costs and reduced life-
cycle cost for future production of the Joint Strike Fighter.
The source selection culminates a highly successful joint
process with the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and United
Kingdom Ministry of Defence. A number of agreements between
the U.S. and foreign governments are in place for this phase
of the program.
The United Kingdom became a full collaborative partner in
the program in 1995. Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands, Canada
and Italy subsequently joined the program as cooperative
partners. Singapore, Turkey and Israel are foreign military
sales participants for this phase. The United Kingdom has
signed an agreement to participate in the System Development
and Demonstration (SDD) phase of the program. Agreements with
additional countries for SDD participation are in progress.
For the U.S. Navy, the JSF will be used in a "first day"
of war, as a survivable strike fighter aircraft to complement
the F/A-18E/F.
The U.S. Air Force will employ it as a multi-role
aircraft, primary-air-to-ground, which will replace the F-16
and A-10 and to complement the F-22. The Marine Corps will
use the Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant of
the aircraft to replace the AV-8B and F/A-18A/C/D. The United
Kingdom's Royal Navy and Royal Air Force multi-role aircraft
will replace the Sea Harrier and GR7.
Additional information on the Joint Strike Fighter
Program can be found on the Web at http://www.jast.mil.
For more information about the Department of Defense
today, go to http://www.defenselink.mil/today.
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NNS7202. Special Leave Accrual for Fiscal Year 2001
By Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- A special leave accrual has been
authorized that permits Sailors and officers, who might
otherwise have lost annual leave on Oct. 1, to carry over as
many as 90 days of leave into the next fiscal year.
The authorization was made based on emergency operational
commitments resulting from the Sept. 11 attacks, and enables
affected personnel to use excess leave until the end of
FY2004.
"This action directly supports the CNO's priority of
mission accomplishment," said Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., Chief
of Naval Personnel. "We are committed to reducing
administrative burdens so our Sailors and officers in the
fleet can focus on mission readiness and respond to national
tasking."
Those authorized to carry over leave include all active-
duty members of the Navy who would otherwise have lost annual
leave on Oct. 1, and those with other specific criteria:
- Personnel continuously entitled to hostile-fire or
imminent-danger pay for at least 120 continuous days.
- Sailors and officers serving in a deployable ship or
mobile unit. This includes Fleet Marine Force units or
similar duty that, because of operational mission
requirements, deploy or operate away from their designated
homeport or home base for a continuous period of at least
60 days and prevents normal use of earned leave before it
is lost at the end of the fiscal year.
- Members serving in a deployable ship or mobile unit
(including Fleet Marine Force units or similar duty) that are
permanently homeported outside of the United States, required
to maintain a higher than normal condition of readiness
inport or at home base and has deployed or operated away from
homeport more than 50 percent of the time, preventing normal
use of earned leave before it is lost at the end of the
fiscal year.
The leave that is carried over is considered special
leave accrual and any amount in excess of 60 days must be
used before the end of the third fiscal year after the year
in which it is earned. In this instance, the time limit
expires Sept. 30, 2004.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will
systematically account for all affected personnel. Individual
service members, commands, disbursing offices or personnel
support detachments are not required to take any action.
Personnel should not expect to see this action appear in
their October leave and earnings statements (LES). The action
should be posted to all affected accounts by November, which
would show on the LES received in December. However, some
accounts may take longer to adjust.
"Leadership's role in implementing this policy is
essential," added Ryan. "This policy gives commands
flexibility to manage leave while maintaining our high level
of readiness. Supporting leave requests, consistent with
mission requirements, helps ensure our Sailors and officers
are mentally and physically ready to respond to any mission
requirement."
For more information on the special leave accrual policy,
go to http://www.bupers.navy.mil, select "Messages," followed
by "NAVADMINS," "2001 NAVADMINS," and "NAVADMIN 264/01."
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NNS7203. Navy Announces Stockdale Awards
By Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Cmdr. Jeffrey S. Jones and Cmdr.
John M. Richardson are this year's recipients of the Vice
Admiral James Bond Stockdale Leadership Award. The award
was presented Oct. 23 by retired Vice Adm. Stockdale and
Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Fallon, during
a Pentagon ceremony before officers, friends and family
members.
The Stockdale awards are different from most Navy awards
in that an individual must have command of a ship, submarine
or squadron; be a frocked captain or commander; and must be
nominated by his or her peers, who are also eligible for the
award. An awardee is selected from both the Atlantic and
Pacific fleets.
"It is a great honor just to be nominated, especially by
your peers, but it represents the people (on my ship) and
they deserve the recognition," said Jones. "I just happen to
be lucky enough to serve with a bunch of great people."
The Coral Gables, Fla., native enlisted in the Navy in
1974 and was commissioned from Officer Candidate School in
1982. Jones served in various staff assignments before
commanding USS Guardian (MCM 5), USS Devastator (MCM 6) and
USS Hawes (FFG 53).
It was for his leadership in Hawes, as part of the
Atlantic Fleet, that he was nominated by Cmdr. Kevin Sweeney,
commanding officer, USS Cole (DDG 67), for his efforts in
helping the Cole crew save their ship.
The soft-spoken father of two, married to the former
Catherine Gnann, realizes he is in an elite company of
Sailors.
"You feel somewhat humbled when you are associated with
some of them, especially Vice Adm. Stockdale," said Jones.
"He is a legend in the Navy and has essentially set the
standard for leadership, personal example and military
bearing, and I will do my best to try to live up to those
traditions which he has set."
Richardson, the Pacific Fleet winner, is a native of
Petersburg, Va., and a 1982 graduate of the United States
Naval Academy. He was nominated by Cmdr. C.K. Merkel for his
leadership of USS Honolulu (SSN 718) during a deployment with
the 7th Fleet, winning the Battle Efficiency award for 2000.
"It's quiet an honor to win an award with Admiral
Stockdale's name on it," said Richardson. "I am the recipient
of an award given for inspirational leadership, but I'm sure
I have received more inspiration than I have given and it's a
privilege to share this moment with so many people who have
inspired me.
"The most significant thing, and the biggest honor, is to
be nominated by your peers," Richardson added. "There's no
better `Well Done' than from the guys that are serving with
you and it is something that I will cherish for the rest of
my life."
Married to the former Dana Silva, Richardson is the
father of four children with a fifth on the way. He is a
former naval aide to the President.
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NNS7204. Thrift Savings Plan: Sign Up Now
By Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Smart investors know the first step
to achieving financial independence is by following a basic
rule for using your money: "Pay yourself first." That's
where the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) can work for you.
The Thrift Savings Plan is a great resource to make your
plan for financial independence a reality. But you have to
sign up now for that first investment to come out of your pay
in January 2002. What a great New Year's resolution --
Planning today for a secure tomorrow.
"Pay yourself first" means putting a specific amount of
money away in a savings or investment plan each pay period
and leaving that money there to grow. The investment or
savings can range from a small amount to whatever your budget
allows. The important part is that you save consistently.
"The TSP has great benefits for investors," said Michele
Viola-Hudak, financial educator at the Family Services
Center, at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia. "Your
investment is tax deferred and so are your earnings.
"I look at the TSP as one leg of a three-legged stool:
Sailors can look to their military retirement, Social
Security and the TSP retirement fund for their financial
stability when they reach age 65," said Viola-Hudak. "Our
audiences are generally young Sailors and they are often not
thinking that far ahead."
Viola-Hudak added that TSP training is running at a high
level with five to 15 one-hour sessions per week being taught
at various commands.
Benefits of "paying yourself first" are also seen at tax
time, when less of your annual pay is taxed because you've
been smart enough to use TSP to lower your tax base.
For example, an E-6 with a base pay of $1,969.80 per
month can contribute 7 percent in 2002. That 7 percent
amounts to $137.88 a month going into the investment fund of
their choice. Over a one-year period, that Sailor can save
$1,654.00 and lower his or her taxable income. It's a win-win
situation.
If you're thinking that is just too much money out of
your budget, start out slowly and invest 1 percent, which
would be approximately $20.00 a month or $240.00 a year. Most
of us spend $20.00 a month on sodas or snacks. That's money
that could be working for you. When invested, that $240.00
could be growing in one of the available funds.
If you're unsure which fund to invest your money in, or
if you are risk-adverse, take a look at the government
securities investment or G-Fund, which is where your money
will go automatically until you decide which funds you
prefer.
The G-Fund is invested in short-term non-marketable U.S.
Treasury securities especially issued to the TSP G-Fund
investments. It earns interest at a rate that is equal to the
current annual applied percent, or to the average rate of
return on outstanding U.S. Treasury marketable securities
with four or more years of maturity. The maturity of the
securities in the G-Fund currently ranges from one day (on
business days) to four days (over holiday weekends). There is
no credit risk, which is risk that principal or interest will
not be paid, for Treasury securities in the G-Fund. The U.S.
government guarantees Treasury securities in the G-Fund.
So why are you hesitating?
All the information on TSP is at your fingertips. Go to
http://www.bupers.navy.mil and open the "Uniformed Services
Thrift Savings Plan" option. Once that page is open, select
http://www.tsp.gov and scroll down the page to select "forms"
and "publications." Go to "forms" and select "TSP-U-1
Election Form." Print that two-page form, fill it out and
submit it to your local personal support detachment or ship's
office, keeping a copy for your own records.
If the election form is submitted by Dec. 8, the first
investment will be taken out of the first payday of January
2002. Best of all, since the military may be getting a pay
raise next year you won't even miss the money you've
invested.
For more information on TSP, go to
http://www.bupers.navy.mil and access the TSP information on
the Web page.
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NNS7205. New Pay and Personnel System Phasing to Include
Active Duty
By Eric T. Mazzacone, Program Executive Office for
Information Technology Public Affairs
ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- Recognizing that pay and
personnel matters are a crucial element to quality of life
for every Sailor, the Navy has implemented the third phase of
the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS). NSIPS
will enhance the Navy's ability to track personnel and
decrease personnel pay errors.
NSIPS has already been released for both the pay and
personnel systems for the Reserves, and on Sept. 28, the
active-duty personnel component was released to Personnel
Support Activity Jacksonville (PSA JAX), Fla.
According to Lt. Cmdr. Beth Hankins, executive officer
for PSA JAX, the system's implementation so far has been a
blessing to personnelmen who are responsible for accurate
personnel records for thousands of Sailors. PSA JAX was
chosen initially to be the first site for the new NSIPS
Release because it maintained the most expensive pay and
personnel system in the Navy.
Hankins commented that the NSIPS program is both more
efficient and more user friendly.
"Under the old system, personnelmen had to learn and use
DOS-based coding, which took years to become well versed in,"
Hankins said. "And, only the most experienced personnelmen
were able to generate some of the reports necessary for Navy
functions. With NSIPS, it is easier to navigate because it
uses pull-down menus that most people today are accustomed
to. This makes generating reports much easier."
Capt. Peggy Feldmann, NSIPS program manager, noted
another reason that NSIPS is so important.
Following the attack on USS Cole (DDG 67), the Navy
realized a major discrepancy in its current personnel system
-- the Navy did not possess in many cases current telephone
numbers and next-of-kin information in a handy, easy-to-use
format.
"The entire Navy is in the process of conducting a Page 2
update. (A Page 2 is the page in a service member's personnel
record where current address, telephone number and next-of-
kin information are listed). With NSIPS, there will be a
single point of entry where anyone who needs to can access
and update this information. All records throughout the Navy
will be standardized and current for each individual,"
explained Feldmann.
NSIPS, which is designed to replace four costly legacy
personnel and pay systems and interact with 13 other DoD
personnel systems, will be a user-friendly system that will
allow commands to transfer data with a few clicks of a mouse.
Gone will be the days of Sailors hand-carrying their
personnel records with their orders to a new command. If the
paper service records were lost, it would take months to be
put back together, if ever.
Feldmann explained that NSIPS will run on the Navy Marine
Corps Intranet (NMCI), and may even allow Sailors to update
their own Page 2 information. The goal of NSIPS is to host an
entirely electronic service record for all Sailors by the end
of 2003. And, ultimately, NSIPS is structured to blend with
the Defense Integrated Military Human Resource Systems
(DIMHRS), a DoD-wide personnel and pay program still being
developed.
For more information about NSIPS, NMCI, and the Program
Executive Office for Information Technology, contact Mr. Eric
Mazzacone at mailto:mazz...@spawar.navy.mil.
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NNS7206. Naval Station Great Lakes Established to Improve
Training Efficiency, Effectiveness
By Naval Training Center Great Lakes Public Affairs
GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- To improve training efficiency
and better align base operating functions, Naval Station
(NAVSTA) Great Lakes was commissioned Oct. 19. Naval Station
is a shore activity reporting to commander, Naval Training
Center (NTC) Great Lakes. Capt. Gerald Hart has been named
its first commanding officer.
"We're here today to mark a milestone in the history of
Great Lakes," said Rear Adm. Daniel L. Kloeppel, commander,
NTC Great Lakes. "What we acknowledge today is a new and
better way to accomplish the Great Lakes mission."
The reorganization removes the day-to-day base operation
management responsibilities from NTC, allowing the admiral
and his staff to provide greater emphasis on their primary
mission: improving the efficiency and efficacy of the
training provided at Great Lakes. Base operating support
requirements have increased significantly since all recruit
training was consolidated at Great Lakes in 1993.
"Great Lakes has a unique place in the Navy. This is an
enormous institution which requires and deserves the very
best support to allow it to do its job -- that of molding
America's most precious asset into Navy Sailors," Hart said.
"I undertake this challenge with the awareness that much is
expected of me. I take comfort in knowing Great Lakes has a
tradition of excellence, for 90 years it has always given the
Navy its very best."
Under the previous organization, functions such as
security and fire, recreation, dining hall operation,
facilities management and housing -- functions that are
traditionally managed by a station commanding officer -- were
managed by the commander of NTC Great Lakes. Under the new
organization, these functions will be managed by the naval
station commanding officer.
The reorganization is of negligible cost, as all existing
manpower and facilities will be realigned from existing staff
and physical plant resources.
The official mission of the commanding officer of NAVSTA
Great Lakes, who reports to commander, NTC Great Lakes, will
be to maintain and operate facilities, provide administrative
and logistic support to tenant organizations and perform such
other functions and tasks as directed by higher authority.
NAVSTA Great Lakes will be staffed with 403 civilian
positions and 198 military billets, which includes 10
officers and 188 enlisted Sailors. These positions have been
reassigned from existing assets of NTC Great Lakes.
For more information on NTC Great Lakes, go to
http://www.ntcgl.navy.mil.
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NNS7207. NMCB 1, NMCB 21 Earn Battle "E"
By 2nd Naval Construction Brigade Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The 2nd Naval Construction Brigade
recently announced the selection of the Fiscal Year 2001
Atlantic Fleet Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB)
Battle Efficiency "E" -- NMCB 1 as the active-duty recipient,
and NMCB 21 as the Reserve recipient.
"The Battle `E' competition this year was extremely
close. All battalions are performing superbly," said Rear
Adm. Robert L. Phillips, commander of the 2nd Naval
Construction Brigade. "FY 2001 was a year filled with unique
challenges. Navy Seabees around the globe showcased
tremendous `can-do' spirit and initiative."
Homeported in Gulfport, Miss., NMCB 1 completed a very
successful deployment to Guam, with detachment sites from Las
Vegas, Nev., to Kenya in Africa. The battalion also
demonstrated excellence during exercises in Australia,
Thailand, Egypt, Indonesia, the Philippines and the Kwajalein
Atoll in the South Pacific. NMCB 1's homeport mount-out
exercises (tests the ability of the unit to mobilize and
move) were also noted for setting the standard for future
battalions.
Based in Lakehurst, N.J., NMCB 21 had a very successful
technical training year, achieving an overall 90 percent
skills attainment, including 21 naval enlisted
classifications. The battalion was noted for its success on
three construction projects in Earle, N.J. NMCB 21 also
undertook a large gymnasium project in Charleston, S.C.,
while supporting base security operations.
For information on the NMCB 1, go
http://www.seabee.navy.mil/nmcb1. For information on NMCB
21, go to http://www.seabee.navy.mil/nmcb21/history.htm.
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NNS7208. Squadron Exercise to Test Mine Warfare Training
By Mine Warfare Command Public Affairs
INGLESIDE, Texas (NNS) -- The ships of Mine Warfare
Readiness Group 1 are participating in Squadron Exercise 02-1
(RONEX) in the Gulf of Mexico near Corpus Christi, Texas. The
exercise is slated to take place from late October through
early November.
The mine countermeasures ships USS Defender (MCM 2) and
USS Sentry (MCM 3) will join the coastal minehunters USS
Robin (MHC 54), USS Kingfisher (MHC 56) and USS Black Hawk
(MHC 58) for the exercise.
RONEX is designed to provide intermediate phase training
in mine-sweeping, mine-hunting and mine-neutralization
capabilities in a multi-ship environment.
The exercise is the second training phase of a three-part
series designed to give ships' crews the skills needed for
effective mine countermeasures capability. The first phase
includes individual ship training. Once that is complete,
squadron ships participate in RONEX for coordinated multi-
ship mine countermeasures training. The final phase includes
other mine countermeasures methods, including explosive
ordnance disposal divers and aviation mine countermeasures
systems.
Mine Countermeasures Squadron 2, commanded by Capt.
Richard C. Rush, is conducting the exercise.
"RONEX is an important phase of the inter-deployment
training cycle," Rush explained. "It is a good opportunity
to review the basics and hone our skills in the mission of
mine countermeasures."
For more information on the Mine Warfare Command, go to
http://www.cnsl.spear.navy.mil/cmwc.
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