Waikulu housing residents will begin to move out of morethan 20 homes next month as renovations begin in neigh-borhoods around Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Base homes constructed more than 30 years ago are beingdemolished and upgraded by Forest City MilitaryCommunities Hawaii through the next six years. TheKapoho and Manana sections of the project are finished, andresidents near Lawrence Road as well as Moffett Place arenext.

“It’s gone really smoothly,” said Tatiana Blachfield-

Chang, relocations manager, Forest City. “We’ve had townhall meetings in the past to talk about previous phases.When Forest City completed the Manana neighborhood,about 168 homes for the junior enlisted and field grade offi-cers were built.”

Mass relocation will continue until March 2009 for the190 units planned at the Waikulu neighborhood. Homes inthe multi-acre area are designed to have 1,600 square feet ofliving space or more, and Waikulu will continue to be a jun-ior enlisted living area.

The relocations manager said they’ve decreased having to

Four Hawaii Marines fromEmbedded Training Teams 5-2 and 1-9,Coalition Joint Task Force Phoenix,Combined Security TransitionCommand Afghanistan, were presentedawards for actions during their nine-month deployment to Afghanistan insupport of Operation EnduringFreedom during a ceremony Oct. 15 at3rd Marine Regimental Headquarters.

Lt. Col. Patrick C. Byron and MasterGunnery Sgt. Douglas R. Thurston Jr.from ETT 5-2, and 1st Lt. James B.Parson from ETT 1-9, were presentedBronze Star Medals, and Staff Sgt. JasonJ. Sarabia from ETT 5-2 was presentedan Army Commendation Medal withcombat distinguishing device duringthe ceremony by Maj. Gen. Robert B.Neller, commanding general, 3rdMarine Division.

Their awards were presented fortheir superior performance of dutieswhile providing mentorship and train-ing to 2nd Kandak, 1st Brigade, 201stCorps, Afghan National Army.

Sarabia’s award was presented for hisdisplay of “valor and courage whileunder direct enemy fire” during anenemy assault in Afghanistan, accord-ing to his award citation.

The Marines said they were bothhonored and humble about theirawards, attributing their success not tothemselves, but to the actions of theirfellow ETT Marines and Sailors.

“Being awarded the Bronze Star is a

great privilege,” Parson said. “Thoughan individual award, it is a testament tothe sacrifice and efforts of all personsassigned to the ETT. Training, mentor-ing and advising the Afghan NationalArmy was a demanding and rewardingtask. Experiences garnered during thisassignment were unique and shared byfew.”

Sarabia attributes his ArmyCommendation Medal not to hisactions during a firefight with enemy

forces Sept. 27, 2007, but to the actionsof the ANA soldiers he helped train.

“I am indifferent to the award,”Sarabia said. “By this I mean I did notdo anything any other Marine wouldhave done that day. When my ANA andI were ambushed on that road that day,it was not something that I hadplanned out. The ANA and myselfimmediately went to work doing what

The energy outlook is sunny for workers at Marine CorpsBase Hawaii, as three solar energy roof projects are slatednext year to reduce electricity costs.

The MCBH Facilities Department is planning to reduceenergy consumption to 30 percent less than what it con-sumed in 2003 within the next seven years. Project coordina-tors will discuss scheduled plans during the department’sOct. 29 Energy Fair at Mokapu Mall.

“We’re using two different kinds of solar paneling,” saidJohn Dunbar, resource efficiency manager, Facilities Dept.“There’s amorphous, which are the flat-roof type we’vealready installed in some base buildings. We also have solartiles that are like shingles and can be stacked onto each otherwith a 20-degree pitch.”

The energy producing tiles work best for structures likeBuilding 268, the Base Communications Office. Havingsouthern sunlight exposure, the building has the best chanceof using solar power with a slanted roof that can absorb sun-rays at an angle. The solar shingles may produce as much as40 kilowatts of direct current, which is changed into usablealternate current with an inverter.

“Its the size [of how far the tiles spread] that is one of thedetermining factors for how much energy you may get frompaneling,” he said. “With direct sun, you can receive severalhours of steady energy. You get more energy at the peak ofthe day and less at other times.”

Ron Hochbrueckner, project engineer, FacilitiesDepartment, maintains the roofing sensors that are connect-ed to the Internet for monitoring. The project engineer saideventually his department plans to set up a kiosk at Mokapu

HawaiiHawaii

NBC TrainingA-3

HauntingB-1

FootballC-1

MM A R I N EA R I N EVOLUME 38, NUMBER 42 OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH OCTOBER 24, 2008

See HOUSING, A-5

See SOLAR, A-4

See MATTRESS, A-5See AWARDS, A-4

Solar technologyheating up on base

Construction workers make the final installations of solar roofingpanels on Building 1027 and later Building 1045. Three moresolar roofing projects are scheduled for next year, which may pro-duce as much energy as its workers use. The buildings are stillconnected to the main power grid and will run off of traditionalelectricity during cloudy days.

Christine CabaloPhotojournalist

Photo Courtesy of MCBH Facilities Department

Lance Cpl. Regina A. OchoaCombat Correspondent

ETT Marines awarded for service in Afghanistan

Maj. Gen. Robert B. Neller, commanding general, 3rd Marine Division, awards Bronze StarMedals to Lt. Col. Patrick C. Byron and Master Gunnery Sgt. Douglas R. Thurston Jr. ofEmbedded Training Team 5-2, and 1st Lt. James B. Parson from ETT 1-9, as well as an ArmyCommendation Medal wit hcombat distinguishing device to Staff Sgt. Jason J. Sarabia fromETT 5-2, at an awards ceremony Oct. 15 at 3rd Marine Regimental Headquarters. TheMarines were all awarded for their leadership and valor while serving with the AfghanNational Army in Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Alesha R. Guard

Marines go green, recyclebarracks mattresses

Old barracks mattresses from Marine Corps Base Hawaiiwere rerouted from landfills to a local recycling business Oct.16, in an effort to help preserve Hawaii’s environment.

Marines dropped off approximately 200 mattresses at theGreen Bed Factory where the mattress materials were recy-cled and used for other purposes.

“We’ve kept almost 5,000 mattresses from going to thelandfill,” said Jim Riggs, manager, Green Bed Factory. “Thelandfill doesn’t want them because they take up too muchspace. So we take them and strip them. The springs can bemelted down and be used to make things like refrigerators oreven cars, and the padded material can be burned down tomake fuel.”

When the mattresses arrive at the factory, workers strip offthe fabric and foam material and remove the springs, whichwill be melted down.

Originally the base was paying the Defense ReutilizationManagement Office to pick up the mattresses and dispose ofthem. Now the base pays The Green Bed Factory approxi-mately $10 to have each mattress recycled considerably lessthan the cost of normal disposal.

"Sustainable living is MCB’s ultimate goal," said Maj.David M. Hudock, MCB Hawaii Environmental Officer. "Partof sustainable living is reducing waste through reuse andrecycling. Partnering with The Green Bed Factory not onlyreduces waste in our landfills, but also gives this local busi-ness a boost. It's a win-win for everyone."

“Though it costs the base to recycle the mattresses, it cutsdown the amount of things the base takes to the dump,” saidJames Sibert, manager, MCB Hawaii Recycling Center.

The base has gone to the company in the past to recycleused appliances such as microwaves. It wasn’t until recently

Cpl. Chadwick deBreeCombat Correspondent

Construction workers install water pipes Wednesday for sprinkling systems near new homes in Waikulu neighborhood aboard Marine CorpsBase Hawaii. A total of 190 units in Waikulu will be replaced with upgraded homes with the help of Forest City Military Communities Hawaii.Other renovated areas include the Mololani area, with more than 690 older houses rebuilt.

Housing remodelcontinues past 2013

Christine CabaloPhotojournalist

Christine Cabalo

A-2 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

www.mcbh.usmc.mil

HHaawwaaii iiMMAARRIINNEE

MCBH Facilities DepartmentEnergy Fair

The Marine Corps Base Hawaii FacilitiesDepartment will host an Energy Fair Oct. 29 atMokapu Mall.

For more information, contact the FacilitiesDepartment at 257-2171.

Counterintelligence Looking for Marines

The Marine Corps needs intelligent, moti-vated, talented and ambitious first-term corpo-ra l s and sergeants to la te ra l move to theCounter-intelligence/HUMINT Specialist occu-pational specialty.

For more information on the field, contactthe CI/HUMINT Branch at 477-8447.

Base Chapel Hours

Catholic: Daily Mass is Mondays throughThursday, from 11:30 a.m. to noon. SaturdayMass is 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday Confessionstarts at 4 p.m. Preschool to 12th-grade studentSunday lessons are from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Protestant: Traditional services start Sundays at8 a.m. Sunday contemporary service withChildren’s Church begins at 11 a.m. Religiouseducation classes for children and adults are heldSundays at 9:30 a.m., beginning in the fall.

FOCUS Project Workshop“Large and in charge!”

FOCUS Project will be holding their monthlyworkshop Nov. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the FCCTraining Room in Building 3022.

Military Families are encouraged to attend theworkshop, which provides information andteaches skills for being a family in the military.

For more information you can contact FOCUSProject at 257-7774.

Reirement Transition Assistance Program

The RTAP Seminar is open to all hands withintwo years of retirement, but service members inattendance can be no later than 90 days awayfrom retirement.

The next class will be from Jan. 26 to 29, 2009,at building 279 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Reservations in advance are required.For more information, call your Unit

Transition Counselor.

Commissary Closure

The commissary will open later on Wednesday,due to a special inventory.

Shoppers may come in from 1 to 8 p.m..The commissary will resume normal hours

Oct. 30. For more information, call 257-1452 or 257-

1460.

Important Phone Numbers:

On-Base Emergencies 911Military Police 257-7114Child Protective Service 832-5300Fraud, Waste, Abuse & EEO 257-8852Pothole & Streetlight Repair 257-2380Base Information 449-7110MCBH Duty Chaplain 257-7700DEERS 257-2077

Commanding Officer Col. Robert RiceBase Sergeant Major Sgt. Maj. James SuttonPublic Affairs Officer Maj. Alan CrouchPublic Affairs Chief Gunnery Sgt. Demetrio J. EspinosaManaging Editor Sgt. Sara A. TaylorPress Chief Sgt. Brian A. TuthillPhotojournalist Christine CabaloPhotojournalist Kristen WongCombat Correspondent Cpl. Chadwick deBreeCombat Correspondent Lance Cpl. Regina A. OchoaCombat Correspondent Lance Cpl. Brian MarionCombat Correspondent Lance Cpl. Alesha R. GuardCombat Correspondent Lance Cpl. Achilles Tsantarliotis

Hawaii Marine is an authorized publication for membersof the Department of Defense.

Hawaii Marine is published by MidWeek Printing, Inc., aprivate firm in no way connected with the U.S. MarineCorps, under exclusive contract to the U.S. Marine Corps.

Contents of Hawaii Marine are not necessarily the officialviews of, or endorsed by, the United States Government, theDepartment of Defense or the U.S. Marine Corps.

The appearance of advertising in Hawaii Marine, includinginserts and supplements, does not constitute endorsement bythe DoD, Department of the Navy or the U.S. Marine Corpsof the products or services advertised.

Everything advertised in Hawaii Marine shall be madeavailable for purchase, use, or patronage without regard torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status,physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmer-it factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

Editorial content or public service announcements (i.e.,all content other than paid advertisements) is edited, pre-pared and provided by the Public Affairs Office aboardMarine Corps Base Hawaii. Opinions expressed are not to beconsidered an official expression of the DoD, DoN or the USMC.

Hawaii Marine is a free publication available at stands onMarine Corps Base Hawaii and neighboring businesses. If youare interested in obtaining copies by mail, please contactMidWeek Printing, Inc. at 235-5881.

Submit items for Hawaii Marine to the managing editor nolater than noon on the Friday prior to publication, using thefollowing address:

HAWAII MARINE, BOX 63062, BUILDING 216, MCB HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII 96863

E-MAIL: HMEDITOR@HAWAIIMARINE.COM

FAX: 257-2511, PHONE: 257-8836

NEWS BRIEFS

Today Saturday Sunday

Day — Scattered showers. Mostlycloudy, with a high near 83. East windaround 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is30 percent.

Night — Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy,with a low around 71. East wind around 10mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

High — 83Low — 71

Day — Scattered showers. Mostlycloudy, with a high near 83. East windbetween 10 and 13 mph. Chance of pre-cipitation is 30 percent.

Night — Scattered showers. Mostlycloudy, with a low around 72. East windaround 11 mph. Chance of precipitationis 40 percent.

High — 83Low — 72

Day — Scattered showers. Mostlycloudy, with a high near 83. East windbetween 11 and 14 mph. Chance of precip-itation is 30 percent.

Night — Scattered showers. Mostlycloudy, with a low around 71. East windaround 11 mph. Chance of precipitationis 40 percent.

High — 83Low — 71

Weekend weather outlook

There’s still a part of methat’s a little surprised that Iam a Chaplain. A lot of youwho know me likely sharethat sentiment, but my rea-sons are different. I was surethat I was destined to be amajor league baseball player(and still save a few days ofleave each October just in caseI get the call to provide someplayoff help). Forget the factthat I lacked talent; I made upfor that with sheer desire anddetermination.

I later found that formulamay work for Chaplains, butnot for big league ball players.Nevertheless, I practicedincessantly, pausing onlyoccasionally for necessitiessuch as meals and a fewoptional activities that mat-tered to my parents, likehomework. I constantlybugged my sister to pitch tome for batting practice.

I remember the last timemy sister and I played base-ball. I’m not sure that shedoes because she never men-tions it. Perhaps she’s repress-ing a traumatic memory, or itcould be that she cannot rec-ollect any of the events ofthat day. It could even beargued that she is one of themost forgiving people onearth and chooses not to holdit against me.

It was a meatball of a pitch(she throws like a girl). Idrove it right back up themiddle, a beautiful line drivethat got the whole ball in thesweet spot of the bat. Thecrack of the wood, however,was drowned out by thesound of the ball cracking herin the not so sweet spot onher forehead. She droppedlike the Dow Jones. Like anyloving brother, I reactedinstantly … and ran.

Occasionally, I emergedfrom underneath my bed andpeered out of the back win-dow of our house to check on

her progress, praying that ifmy Dad had the same view hewould think she was sun-bathing. Eventually she gotup and came inside for someice. The fact that she nevertold Dad was an act of puremercy; still speaking to me, anextension of grace.

That she seems not to holdit against me today, either aninvoluntary neurologicalresult of my near perfectswing or the conscious deci-sion to forgive.

Why is it necessary to for-give again and again? In life,unfortunately, we’ll be hurtagain, and again. And often,these offenses bring pain withmore lasting implicationsthan a mild concussion.

True forgiveness brings ourpain a message of mercy thatsays, “Paid in full; your debt isforgiven.” This is reflected inthe prayer, “…forgive ourdebts as we forgive ourdebtors.”

Forgiveness acknowledgesthe mercy and grace we allwant for ourselves, but areoften slow to extend to anoth-er. While the pain is undoubt-edly real, the greater reality offorgiveness releases us fromits control over our lives.Unforgiveness holds us in theprison of that pain.

Most of us have internalbaggage we’d trade in a heart-beat for a knot on the fore-head. In a world filled withpain, the more difficult ques-tion often is not whether weshould let go and forgive, butrather, “How is this possible?”

Forgiveness is not a feelingon which we wait, but rather adecision on which we act.Or, as Martin Luther King, Jr.,said, it’s “not only an act, butan attitude.” We initiate thispower when we take personalresponsibility for forgivenessand reconciliation and findgrace to extend to others byfirst applying its healingpower in our own lives. Thisrequires us to forgive our-selves, often the most difficult

step. There is always a costassociated with forgiveness:we must give up our “right” toharbor our pain and nurtureour anger. Many of us chooseinstead to become stuck in therole of “spiritual bill collec-tor” when we say, “I can’tbelieve I was that stupid…”“But he owes me…” “She usedme…” “Look at what theydid!” The issue is really notthat we failed or that someoneelse hurt us, but rather whatwe are going to do with thathurt. Will we forgive or seekpayment? Canceling debtsand choosing grace: Is itworth it? What’s it worth toyou to be set free?

God entrusts this power offorgiveness and responsibilityof reconciliation to us.Perhaps the greatest truth isthat it’s neither dependent onthe cooperation of others, nordoes it excuse or condonehurtful actions or behaviors.

We don’t have to wait foran apology that may nevercome to realize the power offorgiveness that we hold;placing both the origin of theproblem and the source of thesolution in the same place is asure recipe for continued frus-tration and future disappoint-ment.

Forgiveness acknowledgesthat God is the source ofunconditional mercy, grace,and forgiveness that we allneed and God is in a betterposition to extract righteousjustice for the wrongs com-mitted against us than we are.Forgiveness doesn’t deny thatan offense occurred, butrather exchanges immediateconsequences for ultimatehealing and wholeness; agood trade.

Corrie Ten Boom was afifty-nine-year-old womanwhen she, her father, and sis-ter were arrested by the Nazisfor providing a hiding placefor persecuted Jews duringWorld War II. She would bethe only member of her fami-ly to survive.

Two years after the close ofthe war, she was confrontedwith this “impossible possibil-ity” of forgiveness.

Speaking at a church inMunich, she noticed a manstanding in the rear of theaudience and recognized himas a guard at the concentra-tion camp where she had beenheld and where her father andsister died.

The man approached herand extended his hand, “Iknow that God has forgivenme for the cruel things I didthere, but I would like to hearit from your lips as well.Fraulein, will you forgiveme?”

Ms. Ten Boom describedthis as the most difficult thingshe had ever been asked to do,remembering her sister as shethought, “could he erase herslow terrible death simply forthe asking?”

She recalled, “I prayedsilently .. .still I stood therewith coldness clutching myheart. I can lift my hand. Ican do that much. Healingwarmth seemed to flood mywhole being, bringing tears tomy eyes. ‘I forgive you!’ Icried. We grasped eachother's hands, the formerguard and former prisoner. Ihad never known God's loveas intensely as I did then.

Forgiveness is an act of thewill, and the will can functionregardless of the temperatureof the heart.”

Forgive, give and live ...Chaplains’ Corner

ROGERS

Lt. Alan RogersCommander, Patrol, Reconnaissance Wing 2

Col. Robert Rice, commanding officer, Marine Corps Base Hawaii and Sgt. Maj. James W. Sutton, base sergeant major, sign their absentee ballots Oct.23 here. Sutton said retrieving an absentee ballot is quick and easy process and hopes Marines exercise their right to vote, a freedom they are defend-ing. Contact your unit’s voting officer for information on obtaining your absentee ballot from your county registrar.

Do your part ...

Lance Cpl. Alesha R. Guard

HAWAII MARINE OCTOBER 24, 2008 • A-3

A Marine squad with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, stack themselves outside the gas chamber before storming the mock weapons manufacturing facility duringOperation Vulture's Nest Oct. 17.

Photos by Lance Cpl. Brian A. Marion

Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, listen during classes given by Marines at the3rd Marines Regimental Consolidated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Facility Oct. 17.

Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, conduct their annualtraining requirement for the gas chamber Oct. 17.

Marines with Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd MarineRegiment, cover each other while making their way to the gas cham-ber during Operation Vulture's Nest Oct. 17.

Can you feelthe burn?

Each year Marines are required to gothrough the gas chamber for trainingrequirements, but 2nd Battalion, 3rd MarineRegiment, added a twist to their gas chamberOct. 15 through Thursday.

They conducted Operation Vulture’s Nest,where they transformed the gas chamber atLanding Zone Boondocker into an enemychemical weapons facility for their Marinesto secure.

For the exercise, Marines wore various lev-els of Mission Oriented Protective Posturegear, or MOPP gear.

There are five levels, ranging from MOPPLevel 0 – digital camouflage utilities, toMOPP Level 4 – gas mask, overboots, glovesand overgarments.

“It lets us look at how our squads operatein MOPP gear,” said Capt. Bill Matory, com-manding officer, Weapons Company, 2/3.

For the exercise, Marines departed insquad-sized units from the 3rd MarinesRegimental Consolidated Chemical,Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Facility onCraig Avenue and patrolled down SeldenStreet to LZ Boondocker at MOPP level 2,overgarments and overboots.

Before they entered Boondocker, thesquads upgraded their MOPP level to Level 4for the impending assault on the facility.

“It’s exactly the kind of training a unitneeds,” said Motary, a Washington, D.C.,native. “It’s an evolution stressing individ-

ual and unit skills simultaneously. It’s tobuild confidence in Marines and their unitsabout their equipment and their personalMOPP gear.”

After the squads secured and cleared thegas chamber, they were exposed to o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile, morecommonly known as CS gas, for their annu-al training requirements.

“It’s definitely good stuff,” said Pfc. JoshFreeman, anti-tank missleman, Weapons Co,2/3, from Mukilteo, Wash. “I haven’t donemuch patrolling yet because I just got here, andthis will help me in the future.”

When they finished the gas chamber,Marines in the squad moved over to the rappeltower where they learned how to call in anuclear, biological, chemical “1 Report.”

During their patrol back to the CBRNFacility, each squad suffered a simulated casual-ty they had to evacuate from the contaminatedarea and treat using techniques learned duringearlier classes.

“We wanted to give the Marines a feel ofhow it could be when they deploy,” saidChief Warrant Officer 2 John Johnson, offi-cer-in-charge, 3rd Marine Regiment CBRNFacility. “We want to make them as preparedas we possibly can for their deployment.”

Once 2/3 Marines arrived back at theCBRN Facility, they learned how to decon-taminate themselves.

“It took a while to get things rolling for theexercise, but we had some great support fromboth the Regiment and [3rd Battalion, 3rdMarine Regiment,]” Johnson said.

2/3 conducts CS trainingLance Cpl.

Brian A. MarionCombat Correspondent

we had to do and that is why I feel an indif-ference to the award. Am I pleased mycommand recognized my efforts? I amextremely pleased, but I honestly think Idid what thousands of Marines have doneover the past couple of years.”

The ETT not only contributed to thetraining of ANA soldiers, but was involvedin more than 200 enemy engagements,conducted more than 1,000 combat patrolsand participated in numerous named oper-ations. They also provided humanitarianassistance to local populations.

“Winning the hearts and minds of thelocals is key to the fight in Afghanistan,and these efforts greatly contributedtoward that end,” said Maj. BartholomewBattista, officer-in-charge, ETT 5-2.“Working as an ETT can be the most chal-lenging and rewarding work a Marine willever do. The frustration of working with aculture that thinks differently and has dif-

ferent expectations of its military can drivea Marine crazy, but the opportunity to suc-ceed in a nearly autonomous environmentcan provide the most satisfying accom-plishments a Marine will ever feel.”

Thurston said his award meant a lot tohim because it represented the entire ETT,including Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark R.Cannon, hospital corpsman, andNiamatullah Aslam, interpreter, both killedin action, and Sgt. Ian S. Parrish, who wasseriously wounded in a firefight during thedeployment.

Thurston said he was also grateful forthe opportunity to deploy as the ETT’s staffnoncommissioned officer-in-charge, andthinks the ETT mission is important toimproving combat operations inAfghanistan.

“I sincerely believe the impact of thisETT mission will one day allowAfghanistan to have a stable national gov-ernment protected by a defendable nation-al army,” he said.

Mall. Sensors are already online for Building1027 along Mokapu Road, which was complet-ed after other infrastructure improvements.

“There’s a communication module thatupdates every 15 minutes,” he said. “It sendsdata to the server, so people looking at thecomputer in the kiosk will see each update.”

From his checks on energy production andusage in Building 1027, Hochbrueckner saidthere are times when solar roofing makes moreenergy than people working in the buildingneed. When that happens, the excess energyfeeds electricity into the main power grid thatprovides electricity to every building on base.

Base workers shouldn’t be worried duringcloudy days, Dunbar said, as those buildingswill use normal electricity when solar power islow.

The installation takes as much time asasphalt shingles would take, Hochbruecknersaid, and it’s made from materials similar toplastic or polyvinyl chloride.

Dunbar said buildings scheduled for roofreplacement are first in line for the paneling,since those structures are eligible for fundingfrom Headquarters Marine Corps.

The solar roofing construction is one of sev-eral energy reduction and renewable energyprojects the department is considering to saveon energy, Dunbar said.

Experimental projects that can harnesswaves for energy or air conditioning that uti-lizes cold deep seawater is also under consider-ation at the department.

For now, Hochbrueckner said solar energyoffers planners great flexibility to power work-spaces and heat water for temporary guestswho are staying at The Lodge.

“Our main area of concern is that whilewe’re boosting solar energy use we’re usingmore electricity in buildings that really requireair-conditioning,” he said. “We’re below thebaseline we set for 2003, but we’re not as low aswe should be. Workers and residents can helpus get there with smart energy usage.”

A-4 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

SOLAR, from A-1 AWARD, from A-1

Cpl. Brian Tibbets, Mt. Baldy, Calif., Cpl.Chris Lawson, Monroe, La. and Pfc. ChrisSilva, Oakland, Ore., field radio operatorswith Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rdMarine Regiment, stood by a radio, waitingfor the call from a helicopter.

Eventually, Silva heard the radio squawkand answered, giving terrain location, thetype of terrain and wind direction to thepilot receiving the transmission.

“We’re directing the helicopter in,”Tibbets said. “Right now, we can see what’shappening on the ground, but they can’tuntil they come closer.”

Soon after, the telltale thrumping of rotorblades was heard coming from the ocean,followed by the sight of a CH-53D SeaStallion helicopter flying close to shore.

As the helicopter came closer to landing,Silva, Tibbets and Lawson face away fromthe helicopter. The reason becomes apparentas the Sea Stallion’s rotor wash, the strongdownward column of air the helicopterblades create, blew a cloud of sand in theirdirection. The sand, which was innocentand harmless lying on the ground, turnedthe air into a sand blaster, stinging skin andscratching glass.

As the dirt settled, they turned around towatch the rear hatch of the Stallion open. Asquad from Echo Company emerged and setup a security parameter around it.

“It’s an experience riding in one of them,”said Lance Cpl. Connor Vaughn, rifleman,Echo Co., 2/3. “I rode in one last year, and

I’m excited to be back in one.”The helicopter ascended again, flying

back to Marine Corps Training Area Bellowsto pick up another squad while the Marineson the ground were blasted by sand oncemore.

A few seconds pass, and the signal is givento the Marines to get up and head back tothe barracks to clean up after two days oftraining at Bellows.

The company flew to the training areaand back in a CH-53D to get their Marinesused to flying.

“We are training for deployment operations,”said Gunnery Sgt. Johnny Vasquez, companygunnery sergeant, Echo Co., 2/3. “Every trainingarea we go to will be by helo, and we want totrain our Marines for anything.”

The training at Bellows focused on gettingyounger Marines up to speed on subjects likereconnaissance, patrolling and combat oper-ations.

“It’s getting the young Marines orientedand educated on how we do things,” saidCpl. Walter Krueger, squad leader, Echo Co.,2/3. “They did really well, and they have

squad and platoon leaders here to help themif they need it.”

The Marines with Echo Company contin-ue to train for future deployments, but forthe younger Marines, riding in the helicop-ter will be engraved in their minds.

“It was worth it seeing the smiles on theirfaces inside the helicopter,” Vaughn said.“They liked it and got a good glimpse ofBellows’ beach, which is beautiful, they alsosaw the ocean and parts of the island theyhaven’t seen before. It gives them a taste ofwhat the fleet is like.”

Flying into trainingEcho 2/3

trains withhelicopterexercise

Lance Cpl. Brian A. MarionCombat Correspondent

Pfc. Daniel Miller, rifleman, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, provides security for a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter from Marine HeavyHelicopter Squadron 463 after he egressed from it Oct. 17 at Landing Zone Eagle.

A CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter from Marine Heavy HelicopterSquadron 463 prepares to land at Landing Zone Eagle Oct. 17. The hel-icopter conducted more than 10 flights from Marine Corps TrainingArea Bellows to the landing zone to drop off Marines with EchoCompant, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

Cpl. Brian Tibbets, right, Cpl. Chris Lawson, middle, and Pfc. Chris Silva face away from the flying sand caused by the rotor wash of aCH-53D helicopter landing at Landing Zone Eagle Oct 17. The Marines are field radio operators with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rdMarine Regiment who guided the helicopter to the Landing Zone from the ground.

Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, are guided out the rear hatch of a CH-35D Sea Stallion helicopter bythe crew chief Oct 17 at Landing Zone Eagle after training at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows.

Photos by Lance Cpl. Brian A. Marion

move families frequently by continuallysecuring a pool of extra houses. Whenneighborhood sections are scheduled fordemolition, base residents can relocate tothose homes.

Once reconstruction of the vacatedhomes is finished, other families move in.This cycle keeps developers on schedule,Blachfield-Chang said, and residents areable to move into upgraded housing.Forest City developers are also upgradingthe areas with new amenities and appli-ances.

“All of the homes will have new‘Energy Star’ appliances that are energyefficient,” she said. “Many units will havenew carpet and solar paneling for theirwater heaters.”

Waikulu will also see changes to thematerials of their roofs, as tiles areupgraded from asphalt to aluminum, saidIan Lange, director of construction, ForestCity.

The newer tiles handle the island seaair better, he said, with a lifetime warran-ty against major corrosion.

Forest City’s other project area,Mololani, spans 150 acres from LawrenceRoad to Conner Loop. Relocation in thearea began in April 2008 and will contin-ue through October 2011. A total of 690units, Mololani will have more than 8percent of homes in the project as futurehousing for the senior enlisted in theSouth Ulupau neighborhood.

Inside all units weather insulation willbe installed for better regulation ofindoor temperatures, Lange said. Theupgraded features will also include cen-tral air-conditioning that uses less energy.

The Mololani homes are single-plyhouses first constructed in the 1970s,with few units featuring vinyl siding.

“If you look at some of the olderhomes in Mololani you can see three tofive window units in just one home,” hesaid. “There might be one air conditionerin every room.”

Lange said the homes are a long-terminvestment for Forest City, and the com-pany works to ensure high standards.There will also be meeting spaces, like acommunity center for neighborhoodactivities. Each new neighborhood is

designed to include more green spacesand communal amenities like play-grounds. In addition to buying new appli-ances that reduce energy use, developersare set to recycle materials from the olderhomes.

“Workers take the concrete from thesidewalks and asphalt from the houses toreuse,” Lange said. “We save on gravel,ensure landfills are empty and keep costslow.”

Both projects have a combined cost of$400 million, with improvements to thesidewalks and utilities. Lange said thepatience of residents has been fantastic inthe face of road closures or blackouts tobring the new facilities online.

As families moved into Kapoho andManana housing, the relocations manag-er said it’s been a joy for her team to seepeople enjoy their new homes.

“We appreciate the sacrifices our menand women make for the country,”Blachfield-Chang said. “For all they do,they deserve great houses.”

For more information about MCBHhousing, log on to http://www.fcmarine-shawaii.com.

the base discovered the company was able to recy-cle and refurbish used mattresses.

The Green Bed Factory began its recycling pro-gram four months ago after thinking of a betterway to get rid of mattresses.

Previously, the company was billed by the cityfor dumping mattresses dropped off by individualusers.

This prompted the company to develop a betterway to dispose of mattresses. Riggs said they tooka trip to Los Angeles to visit different mattress fac-tories to learn first hand how to recycle andrebuild mattresses.

Though Riggs can rebuild mattresses, those hereceives from the military cannot be refurbisheddue to their odd size, but can still be recycled.

“I’m the recycling head on base, and I take itseriously,” Sibert said. “I look for different ways toeliminate anything from going into the trash.With this program not only are we stopping themfrom going in the trash, but we’re also puttingthem to good use by reusing them for differentthings.”

The base plans on recycling approximately 700mattresses every year through The Green BedFactory.

HAWAII MARINE OCTOBER 24, 2008 • A-5

MATTRESS, from A-1 HOUSING, from A-1

One shot, one kill Puuloa approved to open1,000-yard sniper range

Weary snipers relieve their sweaty, dirt-stained shoulders of heavy packs and riflesafter a long day of training at the rifle range.But they can rest easy, knowing a new rangeis in store for them at Puuloa.

The long-awaited 1,000-yard sniper range atPuuloa Rifle Range in Ewa Beach has beenapproved for completion around fiscal year 2010.

Dan Geltmacher, range manager, MarineCorps Base Hawaii said the range itself hasbeen around since the 1940s. Geltmacher, anEnon, Ohio, native, said however, in the1970s, safety regulations dictated the rangebe shut down due to the surface danger zonebetween firing points and targets beingunsafe.

The range, which will cost 5.5 million dol-lars to reinstate, will be open to the otherbranches of the military to use for snipertraining. Geltmacher said the new extensionto the range will save time and money forsnipers. Geltmacher said currently Marinesnipers usually need to travel to other basessuch as Camp Pendleton, Calif., or CampLeJeune, N.C., for sniper training and prac-tice.

"This gives us a capability we did not havebefore," Geltmacher said. "There is noadverse impact, we're just adding more dis-tance."

School of Infantry (West), DetachmentHawaii, Advanced Infantry TrainingBattalion, has approximately 30 sniper stu-

dents at any given time, although the num-ber can vary, said Staff Sgt. Michael Skinta,the staff non-commissioned officer-in-chargeof Detachment Hawaii. The South Park,Penn., native said the school graduatedabout 50 graduates last year. Skinta said nothaving a 1,000-yard range on Oahu makes itharder for students to qualify for graduation.

Geltmacher said currently there are twoknown distance rifle ranges, respectivelynamed A and B.

"They are adding a 700, 800, 900, and1,000-yard firing points to B range, which isthe eastern of the two ranges," Geltmachersaid. He also said there's going to be around10 firing points at the end of the targetrange.

"It'll finally give us a true sniper range,"Skinta said. "It'd be a great addition to basecapabilities."

Lance Cpl. Gerson Lindor Jr. is a riflemanfor 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, whohas been enrolled in the sniper school sinceOct. 13. The Miami native is scheduled tograduate Dec. 17, and said the new range willmake wind judgments easier.

Lance Cpl. Russell Injerd, also a riflemanfor 3/3, said at Scholfield Barracks, thesnipers currently learn to make difficult windcalls without flags when shooting at steel tar-gets at unknown distances. The Homewood,Ill., native said the new range will most like-ly improve graduation rates.

"[The new range] would help you get moresolid data for your rifle," Injerd said. "It is adeployment bonus."

After a day's training at the rifle range, Staff Sgt. Michael Skinta, staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge, School of Infantry (West), Detachment Hawaii, Advanced Infantry Training Branch, discussesstrategies for improving performance. Puuloa Range will complete a new 1,000-yard sniper range for itssniper school in 2010.

Kristen Wong

Kristen WongPhotojournalist

A-6 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

AROUND THE CORPS

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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —Since the war in Iraq began in 2003, more than1,700 of the nearly 4,200 U.S. fatalities havebeen caused by improvised explosive devicesemployed against troops in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom.

In an effort to counter enemy tactics andcombat the successful use of these lethalweapons, students at The Basic School aretaught to identify and react to devices in IEDlane training.

Lieutenants from Fox Company at TBS expe-rienced training Tuesday at Murphy’s DemoRange as they entered week 15 of the 26-weektraining cycle. After classroom training, the stu-dent-officers get up-close IED training from theMarines of Combat Engineer Platoon, part ofCombat Instructor Company.

‘‘The purpose of this training is to expose(the students) to currently used trends and IEDindicators,” said Sgt. Victor Magana, seniorinstructor at Combat Engineer Platoon.‘‘Insurgents have habits just like everyone else,and that creates these common trends.”

Magana said that much of what he teaches isbased on reports from deployed troops aroundthe world as well as his experiences inAfghanistan, where he saw several examples ofwhat he shows his classes.

After some instruction and a closer look atsome Marine-made versions of IEDs, the stu-

dents try their hand at identifying and reactingto employed devices in three themed IED lanetrails. The ‘‘Korean trail” contains devicesreported or suspected to be used in Korea. The‘‘Afghan trail” is themed toward desert opera-tions, the types of devices used and their meth-ods of employment. The ‘‘Vietnam trail” is setin the tree line and serves as a reminder thatnot all IEDs are roadside bombs.

‘‘(Combat) is not always in the desert,”Magana said. ‘‘Jungle warfare could come back,and as Marines, we have to be ready for any-thing. I want our students to be aware of theirsurroundings, understand the (intelligencereports) they receive and not be new to theconcept.”

Along the lanes, TBS students perform amock foot patrol in full combat gear to main-tain their combat mindset. Magana said, thesimulation devices they encounter range insize, complexity and employment. Some arevictim activated, while others may use com-mand wire, remote activation or multipleincorporated methods. Of course, if a lieu-tenant happens to step on a pressure plate onthe ‘‘Afghan trail,” he will not receive thePurple Heart, just a lot of white powder.

According to Capt. Donnie Fricks, CombatEngineer Platoon commander, the training ispart of a combat engineer field exercise, whichalso incorporates two more days of mobilityand counter-mobility demolition applications.During these drills, each student-officer gets tomake their own ‘‘bang” using C4 and TNT,

learning to employ it to remove or create obsta-cles in an effort to turn, fix, block or disrupt theenemy.

Some of the Fox Company lieutenants willget a chance to use the techniques they learnedthis week in their third field exercise by incor-

porating it into their battle plans. ContinuedIED detection and reaction training can makethe difference in Marine casualties when theseofficers lead their troops into battlefieldsaround the world.

TBS keeps IED training up to speed

Fox Company students at The Basic School try to identify simulated improvised explosive devices alongthe Afghan trail during IED lane training Oct. 14 instructed by Marines from MCB Quantico's CombatEngineer Platoon.

Cpl. Travis J. CrewdsonMarine Corps Base Quantico

Cpl. Travis J. Crewdson

LL IFESTYLESI FESTYLESMMARINEARINE

HAWAII MARINE B SECTION WWW.MCBH.USMC.MIL OCTOBER 24, 2008

Hawaii

Bone-chilling canoe rides

As the sun sets, the Polynesian Cultural Center becomes quieter as vendorsreturn home and close up shop for the day. A few lights are present on the wayto the canoe rides, which are still open. The dock is lined with thick cobwebs, asif the canoe ride had been abandoned for years.

Two dark figures in black beckon from the back of a canoe, each holding along staff with which to steer the vessel. The canoe bounces slightly in the wateras you step in and take a seat on the bench. The canoe slides through the water,a woman with a long, white dress appears, walking across the water with hardlya ripple beneath her feet. Her black hair pours down over her face, perhaps con-cealing bitter tears. A loud voice booms and welcomes you to the "HauntedLagoon."

As Halloween draws near, friends and families often plan a laidback eveningof candy duty at home, a cheery Halloween party, or maybe go on a ghost tour.For people who are still wracking their brains for a fun activity, the PCC is host-ing its Haunted Lagoon, Oct. 24 to 31 from 6:30 to 9 p.m, with the exception ofSunday.

Using strobe lights, smoke, screams and haunting sound effects, the staff ofPCC put their best rotting foot forward to scare the living daylights out of fam-ilies who come. The "Haunted Lagoon" is the first of its kind at the center. BiancaMordasini, a public relations representative for PCC from McNeil WilsonCommunications said this event is unique to the center, because the majority ofthe center's events cater to Polynesian culture.

"I hope everyone's real excited to get a good scare," Mordasini said. TheHonolulu resident also said most of the Halloween events tend to be in down-town Honolulu, so she's hoping local residents who live nearby will attend.

"There's a committee of folks who were trying to find something new thatwould appeal to the locals," said Amy Hennessey, a public affairs representativefor the PCC. "[It would] give them something cool on the North Shore, some-thing different."

There are two separate canoe rides, one for adults and the other for children.The children are in canoes marked by a glow-stick to signify to the creatures ofthe lagoon to go easy on the scares.

Hennessey said the "Laie Lady," the star of the Haunted Lagoon, is based on asupposed ghost that roams the area, whom she referred to as a "Kahuku Lady."

On Thursday, schools from Waialua to Kaneohe came to get an advanced tourof the Haunted Lagoon. Scores of students of all ages screamed and clutchedeach other as they were escorted through the lagoon.

"I like it over a haunted house," said Laie resident Anthony Cocco, whobrought his family to see the Haunted Lagoon special preview. "They definitelylook like they put a lot of effort into it." While Cocco's younger son, 5-year-oldEphraim, silently shook his head when asked if he was scared, his older son, 6-year-old Donovan, was a different story.

"Donovan had to cover his ears a couple times and close hiseyes," Cocco said.

Kahuku resident 11-year-old Kaimana Finau, who attendsKahuku Elementary School, called the ride "spooky." Finausaid his favorite part of the haunted lagoon was "on the endwhen the [ghost] came out."

The Haunted Lagoon is just one of the many activitiesavailable to residents and tourists alike at

the PCC. In addition to regular canoerides, and other events, the center has

several shops and eateries available.For more information, visit thePCC Web site athttp://www.polynesia.com.

LagoonHaunted

Guests and their families wait in line for thespecial preview of the center’s first uniqueHalloween event. Throughout the canoe ride,visitors will witness many surprises, includingzombies popping out from the trees and din-ing outdoors on severed appendages.

Kristen Wong

Photojournalist

Photos by Kristen Wong

The “Laie Lady”makes an appear-ance at theP o l y n e s i a nCultural Center’s“ H a u n t e dLagoon.” Thelagoon has multi-ple surprises instore for itsguests.

A scary old man plays an eerie tune on the organ near the lagoon.The first annual “Haunted Lagoon” premieres from Oct. 24 toOct. 31 (Except Sunday) from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are on sale for$8 for adults and $5 for children.

The New Kids On The Blockused to sing to me through mywalkman when I was around 10years old. When my best friendno longer cared for them Iscored all her cassette tapes formy birthday. I still have them tothis day, in addition to a CDversion of their greatest hits,which I play from time to timeto reminisce, as the thought oftheir handsome faces makes mesmile.

Then one day this summer, Iheard "Summertime." I did notknow who sang this song, but itwasn't bad. I remembersmiling at the lyrics, "don'tcall after 10 but you knowthat I did cause I couldn'tstop thinkin' 'bout you."That's dedication. That'sthe kind of attentionwomen want. It remindsme of the time when Itold my fiancee beforewe first went outnot to call untilafter finals weekduring graduateschool and hecalled earlierbecause he didn't want to wait.But I digress.

The New Kids on the Blockhave returned, and I couldn't behappier. I bought their newalbum "The Block," andalthough it's not perfect, it has afew shining tracks I will neverforget. In addition to"Summertime," the other twohighlights are "Sexify My Love"and "Single," featuring newartist Ne-Yo.

A few of the tracks killed methough, leavingme screaming likeHomer Simpsonat a BachmanTurner Overdriveconcert: "No newcrap! Taking careof business!" Forthose of you whoperhaps didn't seethis episode, theband was aboutto play new songsthey had recentlywritten, butHomer knowswhat he likes and

refuses to listen otherwise. Ironically, one of the high-

lights, "Single," helps and hurtsthe album at the same time. AsI was browsing in Sam Goody's,the television screens above myhead were playing "Single." Theopening tune was the exacttune to "Viva La Vida," thenewest hit by Coldplay. Still,after clenching my teeth pastthe obvious rip-off, I enjoyedthe one-on-one attention theNew Kids tend to give theirfemale audience in their songs.

"I'll be your boyfriend till thesong goes out ... " is a comfortfor lonely girls out there, at leastfor a short time.

I did not need the quietechoing of "If you ain't

got no money," a lyricstraight from Fergie's"Glamorous," andeven though the

same guy, JamalJones, had ahand in writing"Single," thatlyric had noth-ing to do withthe song.

The kids canstill sing, thatwas never a

problem. Perfect harmony, andof course, you can still hearJordan Knight's high notes,though not as high as they usedto be. But perhaps someoneshould rewrite lyrics that betterutilize their talent. The fewtracks, with plain titles like"Lights, Camera, Action," and"Put it on my Tab," and"Officially Over."

"Lights, Camera, Action" wasan attempt at a song about anintimate moment on tape for acouple. I think those are betterleft behind closed doors, or per-haps rewritten, because listen-ing to the lyrics was more liketrying not to hear your loudneighbors through the wall.

I'm happy the five youngmen who made long driveslovely with old favorites like"Hangin' Tough" are doing wellas older gentlemen with wivesand children, and better hairstyles. I'm happy they tried. Butmy broken heart will be replay-ing "Summertime," until I per-haps warm up to the othersongs on the CD.

B-2 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

Failing to ignite audienceinterest, “Nights in Rodanthe”ends up dissolving into a stalefilm adaptation of theNicholas Sparks book.

Adrienne (Diane Lane) istemporarily running a friend’sNorth Carolina beach inn. Herestranged husband, Jack(Christopher Meloni) begs hernot to go, asking for rec-onciliation after his infi-delities. Unsure of herfeelings, she focuses onprotecting the old innfrom an oncomingstorm. When Paul(Richard Gere) checksin, having booked theinn all to himself, thetwo fall in love. Bothagree to tem-porarily sepa-rate so they candeal with theirfamily prob-lems. They write love let-ters detailing a plannedreunion, but tragedy strikesbefore their reunion can hap-pen.

It’s hard to believethat Gere and Lane teamedtogether twice before, yet haveno chemistry during “Nightsin Rodanthe.” Perhaps theirtime together in “Unfaithful”and “The Cotton Club”worked against them becausethey’re much too friendly andimpassionate this timearound. Neither digs verydeep for their characters, andtheir performances make themovie’s clunky dialogueworse. Convenient plotdevices, like the forced separa-tion of Paul and Adrienne, fur-ther sink the film’s alreadyshaky premise.

Few of the supporting castmembers put in a stellar per-formance save for Scott Glennas widower Robert Torrelson.Glenn tugs at viewer’s heart-strings, especially duringscenes where he urges Paul totake responsibility for his mis-takes. Meloni, who audiencesmay recognize better asDetective Eliot Stabler on“Law and Order: SpecialVictims Unit,” plays Jack asjust a desperate version of his

television character. “Nights in Rodanthe” fails

at being a sincere tearjerker inthe second-chance-romancemovie genre. It’s infinitelyinferior to other screen adap-tations of Sparks works like“The Notebook” or “Messagein a Bottle.” Besides beingtearjerkers, those movies had agood mix of intrigue and self-reflection audiences couldidentify with. Having the

right balance of comedyand drama makes all thedifference.

Similar films like“Same Time, NextYear,” successfullyforce its main char-acters to questionthemselves andtheir surroundingsdue to their isola-

tion. There’ssome attemptby writers andactors to makea statementabout their

world, but audiences neverreally get emotionallyinvolved in either character’sjourney.

The film’s best asset is itscinematography, as the actorsand their beachside settinglook as beautiful as possible.The blues of the sea and skyare prominent through outthe movie, especially as thecharacters take pensive walksalong the coast. Paul rents outthe inn’s “Blue Room” andAdrienne wears a periwinkledress for their big date. It’s avisually smart approach, asthe wide range of blue hueswould have complementedthe range of emotions thecharacters demon-strated.

“Nights inRodanthe" is nicelyhighlighted withquick scenes featur-ing the town’s fish-ing and farmingcommunities. Ifnothing else, atleast this moviemay inspire view-ers to make the trekto the coast fortheir own moreheated adventures.

WONG

CABALO

Kristen Wong is called “eclectic” byan old college friend. She dips into avariety of music collected over the courseof 27 years. Her CD’s range from LinkinPark to Keahiwai to Big Band Swing.Kristen very rarely drives her car withoutplaying a CD or the radio. She doesn’tclaim to be an expert by any means, just aperson who likes a little bit of manythings, if not everything..

Christine Cabalo is a firm believerthat a marriage of good lyrics andmelodies makes perfect music."Lyricists don't have to use obscure or aca-demic words," she said. "Musicians canrefrain from finger twisting chords." Greatmusic should definitely be fun to sing andhum.

Better KnowA Critic

TALK

*

*[tôk stôreï] Hawaiian slang for an informal, lengthy conversation. Often used as a method to bond, or a good way to kill time.

STOR

Y “I believe strange things happen. I’ve never seen a ghost before but

I’ve heard of them. There’re things the eyes can see that the brain

does not recognize. I believe there’s something out there.”

— Cpl. Christopher Tillman

“Yeah. Back at home in Virginia my grand-

parents had a washhouse in the back of their

house. We could see ghosts in the window.

We would never go in there.”

— Sara Waltson

“Oct. 24, 1926 was the lastperformance of magicianHarry Houdini. Before hepassed away he told his wifea word they would useshould they meet again inthe afterlife.

Do you believe in theparanormal? ”

“Yes. One time after I passed by Sea LifePark. There’s a lady [possibly a ghost]there stopping me at 4:00 in the morn-ing on the road to Hawaii Kai. Youcouldn’t see her face, it was like a sun.You could only see white clothes, andlong hair. She looked like she needed aride but I didn’t stop. It was too dark. Afriend told me that area was where theythrew dead bodies during World War II.

— Cathy Hoffman

Your weekly guide to all aspects

of entertainmentWelcome to the Pass In Review, your num-

ber one source for cinema, music,videogame and book reviews. The Pass InReview crew consists of more than 10 critics,each with their own idea of what makes amovie, album, game or book great. So be sureto take advantage of the Better Know A Criticsection, which spotlights this week’s critics tobetter help you choose the critic with opinionsmost like your own. Using our breakthroughfour point scale system you can quickly deci-pher what is worth your time and what isn’t, orread the full review for an in-depth analysisand explanation of the rating. The rating sys-tem uses ammunition and range terminology,so if you’re not familiar, here’s a quick break-down of the ratings ...

1/4 — No Impact, No IdeaHorrendous. Among the worst of theworst in its genre. Dedicating time to thisis not only wasteful, but unforgivable.Avoid at all costs.

2/4 — High And To The RightMediocrity at its best. Lacks a few thingsthat might have made it really good. Adecent time waster, partake only if youhave nothing better to do.

3/4 — On TargetPraiseworthy. A great endeavor, notquite an instant classic but still veryentertaining. This is a sound invest-ment of your time.

4/4 — Confirmed KillGenius. In the top 10 percent of itsgenre. This is the stuff legends aremade of. Missing out on it would bea disservice to yourself.

So, there you have it and we hope you enjoyour weekly reviews. Don’t forget, The HawaiiMarine accepts submissions from its readers soif you consider yourself a film buff, music afi-cionado, gaming geek or bookworm feel free tosubmit your own reviews. Or, if you disagreewith a review published and want fellow read-ers to know the real scoop, send in a condensedreview and we’ll run it as a second opinion.

New Kids on TheBlock CD “The

Block” a few blocksshort of success

Christine CabaloPhotojournalist

Richard Gere and Diane Lane team up again after much success in “Unfaithful” for a more

tame (and more romantic) “Nights in Rodanthe.” The movie was beautiful, containing every-

thing a love story should, from redemption and salvation to a beautiful location. Lane’s act-

ing shines to pull the audience though every emotion imaginable with her character. Gere, on

the other hand, reprises basically every romantic movie role he’s ever played as the sensitive,

hurt man who finds himself through finding love. The plot, like Gere’s typecast

role, is fairly predictable, but the tragic twist at the end is enough to leave even

the most hardened cynic crying. Though it’s based of a Nicholas Spark’s

novel, don’t go to this movie if you’re expecting something on the

same level as “The Notebook,” you’re bound to leave disappointed. I’d

recommend this movie to anyone woman looking for a good cry or any

man looking to woe is date. — Lance Cpl. Regina A. Ochoa

“Nights in Rodanthe”No sparks in new flick

Kristen WongPhotojournalist

“Nights in Rodanthe”3 out of 4 (On Target)

Second Opinion

Tricks and treats await visitors plan-ning to attend the 10th Annual BOO Festat Bellows Air Force Station starting todayfrom 6 to 10 p.m.

Sgt. Jeffrey McFarland, heavy equip-ment operator, Combat LogisticsCompany 35, is one of more than 10Marines and Sailors from Marine CorpsBase Hawaii volunteering this year. He’sconstructed sets and will do his best toscare passengers on the Trolley of Terrorride.

“It’s the first time I’ve gotten to dothis,” he said. “I heard about this throughmy wife who was reading the newspaperand saw the ad for volunteers. My wifeknows I love Halloween and scaring peo-ple, so she saved (the ad with contactinformation) for me to call in.”

He connected with Tech. Sgt. RobertWooderson, security operations non-commissioned officer, Detachment 2,18th Force Support Squadron, BellowsAFS, who’s worked the Halloween festivalsince 2002.

Wooderson and Air Force Master Sgt.Michael Dvorak, chief of security, DET 2,18th FSS, developed the overall theme“Carnival of Lost Souls,” then worked on

a story for the ride. It’s the last time bothwill organize “BOO Fest” before they per-manently change stations, and Dvoraksaid they’re pulling out all the stops.

“Last year we had a lot of scaryclowns,” Wooderson said. “So I thoughtthis year we should bring them back.When we thought about clowns, itseemed natural to do a carnival theme forthe whole event.”

Dvorak said he isn’t afraid of clowns,but he finds that visitors become animat-ed at seeing the unusual clowns. The two-mile trolley ride is one of several high-lights of “BOO Fest,” featuring ninestations for scaring visitors. Scenes thisyear are arranged to mimic an old carni-val, including monster elements like cir-cus sideshow acts.

More than 3,500 visitors came to theBellows festival last year, including fami-lies with small children.

“We have a haunted house, a costumecontest and many other attractionsbesides the trolley,” Wooderson said. “Alltypes of rides and sponsor booths are herefor any of the local military families toenjoy on a budget.”

Trolley volunteers will be improvisingtheir scenes for each ride to scare passen-gers. McFarland said he’s convinced thescenes will be scary, as many of the volun-teers have performed before and lovescaring people all the time. McFarlandsaid he’s gotten into the spirit of the sea-

son by buying a new mask to celebrate.“I’ve been practicing by scaring my

wife,” he said. “I’ve hid in closets oraround the house, and because I get up alot earlier than she does I can surpriseher.”

Dvorak said he’ll miss seeing teenagersand younger children having fun at nextyear’s “BOO Fest.”

In 2007, the airman played the gate-keeper as he watched people enter andleave the trolley ride. He remembers see-ing a 15-year-old girl who entered the ridelooking slightly depressed.

“She was quiet, lying against the rail-ing when she went in,” Dvorak said. “Bythe time she came out, she was laughingand having a great time. I’ll miss thatinteraction aspect of it and seeing every-one enjoy what we’ve worked hard for.”

Volunteers from several branches ofthe Armed Forces come together to make“BOO Fest” possible, he said. He’ll missthe fellowship he felt as all of the volun-teers work together to build stages orentertain crowds during the event.Dvorak is happy to say he has been partof a non-profit event that uses its admis-sion fees to pay for the costs of runningthe event.

“A family can come down and enjoythemselves without spending a lot ofmoney,” Wooderson said. “It’s our chanceto give back to the military community.”

HAWAII MARINE OCTOBER 24, 2008 • B-3

Christine CabaloPhotojournalist

MMOVIEOVIE TTIMEIME"The Woman""Traitor""Burn After Reading""Miracle at St. Anna""The Woman""Babylon A.D.""Bangkok Dangerous""The Family That Preys""Babylon A.D."

Prices: Friday and Saturday 7:15 p.m., shows are $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. Sunday matinee is shown at 2p.m. Shows are $2 for adults and $1 for children. Evening showings on Sunday and Wednesday are at 6:30 p.m. and lateshows are shown Friday and Saturday at 9:45 p.m. Cost is $2 for adults and $1.50 for children.

For ticket pricing, the Base Theater Box Office defines an adult as a patron 12 and older and defines a child as a patronfrom 6 to 11. Children 5 and younger are admitted free of charge. Parents must purchase tickets for R-rated movies in personat the box office for children 16 and younger. Patrons must present their military identification card when purchasing tickets.

Call 254-7642 for recorded information.Sneak Preview Policy: One hour and 45 minutes prior to the movie, tickets will be issued to first priority patrons wait-

ing in line, then second and third priority patrons. In an effort to prevent piracy, the following security measures will be enforced on base for sneak preview screenings: bag

checks, confiscation of cameras or cell phones with picture taking capability (items will be returned after screening), magne-tometer warning, audience scanning with night vision goggles during screening.

The Base Theater and film companies thank you in advance for your cooperation and hope you will enjoy the show. Forrecorded information, call the Base Theater at 254-7642.

Today at 7:15 p.m.Today at 9:45 p.m.Saturday at 7:15 p.m.Saturday at 9:45 p.m.Sunday at 2 p.m.Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.Friday at 7:15 p.m.Friday at 9:45 p.m.

Children can have their hair and faces made up today and tomorrowduring the “10th Annual BOO Fest” at Bellows AFS. This year'stheme is "Carnival of Lost Souls," with a trolley ride, haunted houseand several other spooky activities for $15 admission. Marines andSailors from Kaneohe Bay volunteered to make the event possible.

Volunteers raise spirits at “BOO Fest”Clowning around makes

for chilling thrills

Ghost stories in Hawaii are nothing new. Every Halloweenpeople take haunted tours, the "ghost books" come to the frontcounters of bookstores, and tales such as those of a facelesswoman, ghostly night marchers, and the fire goddess, Pele,come back to the dinner table.

But as service members and their families retire to theirrespective base this evening, perhaps the haunting has justbegun. Spirits are said to appear in several military installationsfrom time to time, frightening service members, causing trou-ble, or simply amazing witnesses.

USS Arizona MemorialTourist Thomas N. Colbath writes about the sorrowful ghosts

of the USS Arizona who drove him to tears, asking him wherethey were and how they could return home. Author RickCarroll's book "The Best of Hawaii's Best Spooky Tales," includesColbath's written account, which tells about he and his wife'svisit to the USS Arizona Memorial, where Colbath encounteredthree despairing Sailors’ spirits.

Author Richard Senate, featured in the "Encyclopedia ofHaunted Places" by Jeff Belanger, writes about the ghost of thedeck officer from World War II on the memorial. Senate writesthat the deck officer was killed on Dec. 7, 1941 while he hadstepped away from his post, and his soul supposedly can't restbecause he feels responsible for not being where he should havebeen that day.

Barber's Point Coast Guard Ensign William French was patrolling for the

first time on the beach at Barber's Point when he encounteredan unauthorized Volkswagen Beetle on the military grounds.Inside the car, a young Filipino woman was sleeping with anArmy jacket on. French warned her that she must leave becauseshe had no valid military decals, but she begged for a few moreminutes because she was tired. French decided to let the womansleep for a bit while he finished his rounds, and said he wouldreturn and escort her to the gate. Later, after finding her gone,French questioned the guards at the gate as to why they let herthrough. One of the guards described the lady in detail, sayingthat every new guy patrolling keeps seeing her appear, but when

they go back to where the van was parked, there aren't any tiretracks. Grant writes in the story that this woman was actuallyshot to death by her husband on the base, and now her ghostsleeps in that car on the beach. In author Glen Grant's book"Chicken Skin Tales," Grant retells French's story.

Hickam Air Force BaseWithin Hickam's gates, the Headquarters Pacific Air Forces

building is said to house a ghost named Charlie, unsolvedmys-teries.com reports. Upon further investigation, the employees ofthe building have more to tell.

Lea Arakaki, a historian for the 15th Airlift Wing HistoryOffice in the 1980s, wrote a feature story in the then HickamFalcon (now the Hickam Kukini newspaper) about possibleghost activity on the base. According to Arakaki's account, peo-ple have witnessed faucets begin running on their own accord,a radio dial choosing its own stations and doors moving with-out wind or human intervention.

George Elwood, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel fromDayton, Ohio, had a personal experience with a ghost duringhis years stationed at Hickam Air Force Base around 1981.Elwood, now a senior system engineer at Science ApplicationsInternational Corporation, said he was working late in thePACAF building around 11 p.m. As he walked up the steps to hiscommand post, Elwood said he heard footsteps behind him.

"When I looked around, no one was there," Elwood said. Because of Charlie's many infamous sightings, a plaque now

hangs on an office wall in the building entitled "A Tribute toCharlie," written by Andi Grosshuesch. The plaque describesseveral sightings, and a historical background of the building. According to Grosshuesch's account, on Dec. 7, 1941, Army AirForce Pvt. Charles L. Hrusecky's squadron resided in the build-ing that used to be barracks known as '"Hale Makai."

"We do not know if Pvt. Hrusecky was one of the 35 personskilled by that 500 pound bomb that morning;" wroteGrosshuesch. "However, we do know that 'Charlie' does makefor interesting conversation."

Pearl Harbor The Feb. 23, 1913, issue of The New York Times reported that

Congress spent more money on the Pearl Harbor dry docks thanany other at the time. The news article attributes the dock col-lapse to loose, unstable mud. There may be, however, a super-

Haunted Military Bases

natural explanation, according to a first-hand account on theUS Navy's Web site, by a man named David K. Richards.

Richards was commissioned to help build the dry docks onPearl Harbor Naval Shipyard around 1909. Richards writes abouta warning he received from an elderly man named KupunaKanakeawe. Kupuna Kanakeawe came to him and said theywere building the dry docks over the entrance to a shark god-dess's home. According to Grant's account in "Obake Files:Ghostly Encounters in Supernatural Hawaii," a Hawaiian sharkgod transformed a woman named Ka'aupahau into a shark.Ka'aupahau ensured that humans were safe in her corner of theocean.

"At the end of four days, the instruments indicated to Mr.Ross (an assistant construction worker) that the bottom wasstarting to rise," Richards wrote. "He immediately ordered allmen to come up from the bottom, also all divers from the out-side. Just as the last diver got up and removed his helmet by thetender, section two let go its bottom, and sections one and threecaved in."

In addition to the shark goddess, Pearl Harbor perhaps seemsto house other ghosts.

Blaise Atabay, the co-founder and lead investigator ofHawaiian Island Ghost Hunters, used to work as captain watchcommander for Hana Engineering, a firm contracted with PearlHarbor for security. Atabay's security officers guard BorchersGate, which is part of Makalapa Compound near Pearl Harbor.Atabay said the gate was named after a Marine with the lastname Borcher, who was shot to death by an unknown assailant.

Atabay said often, the military officers would have parties,and share food with the guard on duty. Atabay said each timethe officers would mistakenly bring two plates to the guard, for"you and your friend," even though there is only one guard onduty at a time. Perhaps the officers saw Borcher's ghost, keepingthe guard company.

Schofield BarracksA retired Army service member writes that while his con-

struction team was building a road on base around the 1950s,they found an extremely large rock in their way. After severaltries to remove the rock, the team decided to halt productionfor the day and destroy it the following day with explosives. Theman reported that the rock, which had been too heavy and "toodeep" to move with forklifts and chains, had been moved out oftheir way by morning, with no signs as to how it was moved.Grant tells us the unnamed man's story in "Obake Files."

Another Army tale comes from a man known to Grant onlyas C. Taylor, who relayed a story about "choking ghosts" in the1940s at an airfield in Kahuku. Taylor wrote that the barrackswere unknowingly built over a night marcher trail. The nightmarchers, spirits of ancient Ali'i (Hawaiian royalty), Hawaiianwarriors, and others, have special trails they walk each night onthe island. According to other stories Grant collected, theycould allegedly kill, assault, or cause illness to those who slept,sat, or stood on their path when they were marching.

Ford IslandAtabay said he'd heard a story about a master chief petty offi-

cer who walks aboard the pier on Ford Island with an old-stylepaper military ID. Atabay said the guards check the ID, and it isvalid.

"He walks onto the pier," Atabay said. "And shortly after that,he's gone in the blink of an eye."

As for MCB Hawaii, little is known about unconfirmed ghostrumors that circulate here. Building 216, also known as theGeneral's Building, was a dispensary in its earlier days. Perhapsone night, while you are on duty or working late at the office,stick around, and maybe you'll see a ghost.

Haunted Military Bases

Kristen WongPhotojournalist

A look into supernatural events occuring on local basesA look into supernatural events occuring on local basesPhoto illustration by Kristen Wong

Courtesy of Hickam Kukini

B-4 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

Spotlight On Base

Friday

LunchMinestrone soup Chicken noodle soup Veal parmesanCajun meatloafSteamed rice Roasted pepper potatoesSimmered mixed

vegetables Simmered asparagus Tomato gravy Strawberry glazed

cream pie Sugar cookies Yellow cakeChocolate butter cream frosting Lime gelatin Cherry gelatin Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream

pudding

DinnerMinestrone soup Chicken noodle soup Cantonese spareribsBeef pot pie Mashed potatoes Buttered egg noodles Calico cornSimmered broccoliBrown gravyDesserts: same as lunch

Saturday

DinnerCream of chicken soupBeef barley soupSzechwan chicken breast Tempura shrimpPork fried riceNoodles JeffersonVegetable stir frySimmered broccoliChinese egg rollsSweet and sour sauceChow mein noodlesApple pieBrowniesCarrot cakeCream cheese frostingLemon gelatinRaspberry gelatin Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream pudding

Sunday

Dinner Cream of potato chowderVegetable soup Barbecued beef cubesBombay chicken breastBoiled egg noodlesSteamed rice Creole green beans

Fried cabbageChicken gravyKey lime piePeanut butter cookiesEasy chocolate cakeCaramel frostingStrawberry gelatin Orange gelatin Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream pudding

Monday

LunchBeef noodle soup Cream of broccoli soup MeatloafBarbecued pork chopsTossed green riceMashed potatoesSimmered peas and

carrotsFrench fried cauliflowerBrown gravyChocolate cream pieChewy nut barsStrawberry filled cakeChocolate chip cheese cakeLime gelatin Cherry gelatin Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream pudding

DinnerBeef noodle soup Cream of broccoli soup Beef brogulBaked Cajun salmon

steaksPotatoes O’BrienNoodles Jefferson Club spinachSimmered mixed

vegetablesCream gravyTarter sauceDesserts: same as lunch

Tuesday

LunchCream of mushroom

soup Bean with bacon soup Apple glazed corned beef Honey glazed Cornish

hensParsley buttered potatoesRice pilafFried cabbage w/baconSimmered carrotsChicken gravy Mustard sauceBlueberry pieCongo bars Lemon pound cakeBread puddingLemon gelatin Raspberry gelatin

Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream pudding

DinnerCream of mushroom

soup Bean with bacon soup Spicy baked fishTempura sweet and sour porkPork fried rice Cajun oven friesSimmered broccoli Simmered pinto beansCream gravy Chow mein noodles Sweet and sour sauce Tarter sauceDesserts: same as lunch

Wednesday

LunchManhattan clam chowderSplit pea & ham soup New England boiled

dinnerJaeger schnitzelGarlic cheese mashed

potatoesTossed green rice Fried cabbage Simmered asparagusMustard sauce Brown gravy Peach pieRaisin nut barsGerman chocolate cakeCoconut pecan frostingStrawberry gelatin Orange gelatin Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream pudding

DinnerManhattan clam chowderSplit pea & ham soup Tropical pork chopsBaked mahi mahiMashed potatoes Wild riceSouthern style green

beansFrench fried okraCream onions gravyTarter sauce Desserts: same as lunch

Thursday

LunchTomato soup Chicken and rice soup Santa fe glazed chicken breastSalisbury steakSteamed rice Boiled egg noodles Simmered peas and

carrots

Simmered mixed vegetables

Brown gravy Chocolate cream pie Chocolate chip cookiesMarble cakeButter cream frostingCheese cake w/blueberry toppingCherry gelatin Lime gelatin Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream pudding

DinnerTomato soup Chicken and rice soup Braised liver & onionsRoast turkeyChili macaroniGrilled cheese sandwichRice pilaf Corn bread dressingLyonnais carrotsClub spinach Chicken gravy Cranberry sauceDesserts: same as lunch

Friday

LunchMinestrone soup Chicken noodle soup Chinese five spice

chickenBeef yakisobaShrimp fried riceVegetable stir fryCorn O’BrienChicken gravy Chinese egg rolls Sweet and sour sauce Chow mein noodles Pumpkin pieCoconut raisin cookiesGinger bread cakeBanana breadRaspberry gelatin Lemon gelatin Vanilla cream puddingChocolate cream pudding

DinnerMinestrone soup Chicken noodle soup Roast pork loin Chicken tetrazziniMashed potatoes Wild rice Simmered broccoli Simmered cornApple sauceChicken gravy Desserts: same as lunch

ON THE MENUAT ANDERSON HALL

OktoberfestTonight

Sponsored by the Officersand Staff NCOs of HQBN,Oktoberfest will be held atthe Officers’ Club poolsidenext to the Rocker Roomfrom 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy free German pupusand specials on Germandrinks.

Open to E6 & above andsponsored guests. Formore information callDon Figueira at 254-7650.

Halloween Dance atTeen Center

TonightDance to the sounds ofdeejay Uniteddjs at theTeen Center. Costumesencouraged. The dance for10 to 13 year olds is from5 to 7:15 p.m. The dancefor 14 to 17 year olds isfrom 7:15 to 10 p.m. Costis $1 for CYTP members.Guests pay $3 (two guestmaximum per member).Drinks available for 50cents. For more informa-tion Youth Activities: 254-7610.

Kaneohe Officers’Spouses’ Club

wine tasting eventOct. 25

The Kaneohe Officers’Spouses’ Club will be host-ing a wine tasting event atthe Paul Mitchell Estate inLanikai Oct. 25. For moreinformation or to purchasetickets emailkoscinfo@gmail.com orcall Dianne Sanchez at744-6538.

The Marine CorpsLeague meeting

Oct. 25The Marine Corps Leagueperpetuates the traditionsand spirit of ALL Marinesand Navy FMF Corpsmen,who proudly wear or whohave worn the eagle, globeand anchor of the Corps.

The Aloha Detachment ofthe Marine Corps Leaguewill meet Oct. 25 from 9 to11 a.m. at Anderson HallDining Facility, MarineCorps Base, Kaneohe.

This is an organizationalmeeting and those whojoin at this meeting will beconsidered charter mem-

bers of the Detachment.For further informationplease contact John AhChick at 227-9115 or BillHaney at 230-9728.

Spooky tales andtreats Halloween

programOct. 25

Join us for spooky stories,fun craft activities andtasty treats in the BaseLibrary (Building 219)from 10 to 11 a.m. Opento all military families,sponsored guests and DoDcivilians.For more information callMerri Fernandez, at 254-7624.

Operation Homefront:Halloween costumes &pumpkin decorating

Oct. 26This event is for spousesand dependents ofMarines/Sailors who arecurrently deployed in sup-port of OIF/OEF. It is schd-uled from 2 to 5 p.m. atTiki Island. Pumpkins willbe provided for decoratingand there will be a cos-tume contest. Unlimitedputt-putt, bumper boats,

candy and prizes duringthis time only. Please con-tact your unit FamilyReadiness Officer for moredetails. For more informa-tion call Meghan Brophyor Bobbie Brock at 257-2654.

Halloween Party atTiki Island

Oct. 31Children 12 years andunder in costume willreceive a free round ofminiature golf between 5and 7 p.m. Tiki Island’shours of operation arefrom 3 to 9 p.m. For moreinformation call LynnColville at 254-1601.

Books and cookieswith Wally “Famous”

AmosOct. 29

Enjoy wonderful storiesand yummy cookies withthis very famous story-teller at the base libraryfrom 3 to 3:45 p.m. Opento all military families,sponsored guests and DoDcivilions.For more information callMerri Fernandez at 254-7624.

Word to Pass

Honolulu Community ActionProgram

The Honolulu Community ActionProgram is looking for volunteers to assistin clearing low-income agriculture landwhich will be used to build low-incomehousing. For more information call 447-5403.

Special Olympics WindwardArea

Special Olympics Windward Area is inneed of volunteers for their upcomingbowling events, held at the K-Bay Lanes.The events will be Nov. 1, and at least 25volunteers will be needed. For moreinformation, call Mark Sterlacci at 225-8336.

All Enlisted Spouses Club ThriftShop

The AESC Thrift Shop, located in Bldg212 (Pless Hall) is in need of volunteers toassist with Thrift Shop related tasks suchas sorting and hanging clothing items,cleaning, gardening, and other misc.tasks. Thrift Store hours are 9 a.m. to 1:30p.m. Monday-Friday and on paydaySaturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thestore is closed on Wednesdays Please call254-0841 or email mcbhaesc@yahoo.comfor more details. All profits from theThrift Store go towards charitable organi-zations associated with Kaneohe MarineCorps Base Hawaii.

VolunteerOpportunities

HAWAII MARINE OCTOBER 24, 2008 • B-5

Red Ribbon WeekRed Ribbon Week is Oct. 23-31.The week focuses on helping kidssay no to drugs, bullying andother harmful activities.

The PTA is sponsoring a posterand poetry contest for kids in allgrades, based on the theme“What Does Red Ribbon WeekMean to you?” Submissionsshould be turned in to the officeby Today.

One poster winner and one poet-ry winner will be chosen fromeach grade. For more information,contact the PTA atmokapu_pta@yahoo.com.

Make a Difference DayMake a Difference Day isSaturday, Oct. 25. This day is setaside for volunteers to help makea difference in the local school byhelping with projects to spruce upthe campus.

Volunteers are needed between 8a.m. and 4 p.m. to help with easygardening, painting and litterpick-up. People are also welcometo donate food for the day. Itshould be dropped off in theschool cafeteria after 7:30 a.m.Volunteers should report to thecafeteria for breakfast and assign-ments at 8 a.m.

For more information, contact thePCNC office in room P-6, or call254-7964.

Windward Mall GiftCertificates

The PTA is selling Festival ofGiving coupons for WindwardMall for $5 each. The couponsentitle the holder to discountsand free items at a wide variety ofstores in the mall the weekend ofNov. 15-16. Please support yourmilitary kids and contact the PTAat mokapu_pta@yahoo.com topurchase the coupons.

Save Box TopsThe Mokapu PTA collects BoxTops, Campbell’s Labels forEducation, and Tyson labels allyear long. Please save them andturn them in to the school’s frontoffice or children’s teachers. A col-lection box is also available at thecommissary entrance.

Pizza NightsPapa John’s Pizza on base is part-nering with the Mokapu PTA tooffer pizza nights as a fundraiserfor the school. Once a month peo-ple can order pizza and have aportion of the cost go toward theschool. People must submit thefundraiser form with their order.

Forms can be obtained from the

school or at Papa John’s on thefundraiser nights. Dates for thefundraiser are the followingThursdays: Nov. 20, Dec. 18, Jan.15, Feb. 19, March 19, April 16,May 21 and June 4.

Anyone for Chess?If you like to play chess, Mokapuwants you! A new chess club isforming at Mokapu ElementarySchool, and participants are look-ing for a few adult chess players tohelp. Anyone willing to spendone hour per week playing chesswith kids should contact the PTAat mokapu_pta@yahoo.com, orleave a message at the school at254-7964.

Recycle at MokapuAll are encouraged to use the newrecycle bin in the side parking lotat Mokapu. The white bin takesmixed recyclables, includingnewspaper and cardboard, alu-minum cans, glass and #1 and #2plastics. Items labeled HI-5 shouldalso be put in this container.

The school will also take otheritems at the front office, includingcell phones, ink cartridges, DVDand VCR machines, printers andfax machines. Proceeds from therecycled items benefit MokapuElementary School and theParent-Teacher Association.

Mokapu BeatNews from Mokapu Elementary

Students will participate in a Halloween costumeparade the morning of Oct. 31. Students will start from their classrooms and walkaround the school grounds to the cafeteria.Once at the cafeteria, the student’s costumes will bejudged by volunteer judges from units aboard MarineCorps Base Hawaii. Winners will receive a prize thathas yet to be determined. Students may wear their costume to school or may

change into their costumes beforethe start of the parade.Parents are welcome to attend thisevent. Parent volunteers are needed to help withthis event.

For more information call Shelley or Heidi at254-7964.

Halloween Costume Parade

CommunityEvents

Kailua Town Halloween treat street

Kailua Town will once hold its annual Halloween Treat Streetevent on Oct. 25 from 4 to 9 p.m. Everyone is invited to attendedthis FREE community event which provides costumed revelers witha host of free activities including picking over 300 pumpkins fromthe mini-pumpkin patch, keiki crafts and games, face painting, bal-loon sculptures, live entertainment, food booths and a costume con-test with thousands of dollars worth of prizes. The event will also fea-ture a safe trick-or-treat costume parade throughout Kailua Town.Registration for the costume contest will take place at the parkinggarage stage beginning at 4:30 p.m. For additional information,please contact Amy Hammond of Special Events Hawaii at 234-0404or http://www.kaneoheranch.com.

Bellows AFS’s “10th Annual BOO Fest celebration”

Bellows Air Force Station is having their 10th Annual BOO FestCelebration Oct. 24-25 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. This event is open toall active duty military, spouses, dependents, military retirees andcurrent Department of Defense employees and all sponsored guests.Free Entertainment including: face painting, colored hair spraying,Haunted House and Costume Contest.

Other attractions, which cost $13, include the "Trolley of TerrorRide" which takes you into the Haunted back wooded areas ofBellows AFS, the Rockwall of Doom and the Boogedy Bungee Jump.Presale tickets are now on sale at most MWR, ITT and ITR offices. Thecost of the tickets include the trolley ride, rockwall and bungee.Tickets will be on sale the day of the event as well for $15.

The Marine Corps Forces Pacific Band is scheduled to perform atthis two day event from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information contact Master Sgt. Michael Dvorak at 259-4204 or Tech Sgt. Robert Wodderson at 259-4208.

Cat Show

A cat show will be held at McCoy Pavilion, Ala Moana Beach Park,Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cats in costume contest will beheld from 12 to 12:45 p.m. Come help select the top Halloween catand the best decorated cage. Mainland judges will be brought in andfood will be on sale for both humans and cats. Admission is $4 foradults, $2 for seniors and children.

Downtown Honolulu Halloween Hallowbaloo

On October 31, Downtown Honolulu will be the site of a uniqueHalloween celebration: a Halloween Hallowbaloo with world-classentertainment on six stages, a Trick or Treat Gallery Walk, Jack-o-Lantern Contest, a Costume Contest and the kind of raucousHalloween revelry that can only happen once a year.

Free Street Festival : The Street Festival on Nuuanu Avenue willshowcase three stages of entertainment and run from 5:30 p.m. to10:30 p.m. Highlights include free performances by Brett Dennenand Papa Mali , both of whom regularly headline many of America’slargest music festivals.

Concerts : Closing out the night will be three, euphoric concerts(separate tickets to be sold for each show). Headliners include MaceoParker, the James Brown alumnus and legendary King of the SoulSaxophone; reggae dub master Mad Professor; and The HelioSequence.

For more information visit the Hallowbaloo website athttp://www.hallowbaloo.com.

B-6 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

AROUND THE CORPS

TREBIL, Iraq — Marines and Sailors from the TrebilPort of Entry Transition Team worked with their Iraqicounterparts Oct. 11 to develop fundamental first aidskills for the Iraqi troops manning the border porthere.

The students were a mix of Iraqi firemen, comman-dos and customs police. As representatives of theirrespective agency, they will take back the skills theylearned to serve as instructors themselves in the clas-sic “train the trainer” concept that is being imple-mented by Coalition forces throughout Iraq.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Uldarico Apan, 29, ofBremerton, Wash., is the POETT’s, corpsman. Apanexplained that the bandaging, wrapping and splintingtechniques he taught are most relevant to the kinds ofemergencies that the Iraqi border personnel may facedue to realistic occupational hazards here.

“There is always the possibility of an insurgentattack here, but we’re most worried about accidentssuch as people falling from trucks or having their footrun over by warehouse or commercial vehicles duringinspections,” said Apan, who plans to conduct follow-on training on the treatment of burns and headwounds.

Sgt. Victor F. Virgen, the 24-year-old POETT main-tenance chief and native of Solvang, Calif., assistedApan with the hands-on practical application portionof the training.

Virgen, who is beginning his third tour in Iraq,explained that the real focus of the training is givingthe Iraqis the mental preparedness and knowledge tobe able to act quickly and take necessary steps to keeptheir injured comrades alive until they can get to ahospital.

“They picked it up a lot faster than most Marinesdo going through first aid training the first time,”remarked Virgen. “These are just simple things theycan do to help their friends, family and co-workerssurvive an accident. They were really on the ball withwraps, splinting and positioning of bandages. Theseguys just really enjoy learning.”

Warrant Officer Sarmad Laiek Saleah, an Iraqi firedepartment supervisor, expressed the vital impor-tance of this training for first responders like the menhe leads.

“Because (firemen) are so very few, we need moreknowledge about first aid to help the people we evac-uate from accident scenes. I can be both a practition-er and a supervisor,” said Saleah through an inter-preter.

Saleah’s main challenge, at present, revolvesaround his lack of vital equipment, which he submit-ted a request to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior for lastyear. With only one antiquated fire truck and noambulances, heavy machinery or fire retardant pro-tective equipment, he is doing the best thing he canwith the resources he has. He is training his people.

“Our job as firemen is simple,” said Saleah. “It is tohelp human beings and save lives.”

Trebil Transition Team trains the trainers

An Iraqi fireman practices utilizing the fireman’s carry technique he’d just learned duringa first aid class taught by Coaltion forces from the Trebil Port of Entry Transition Team Oct.11. Trebil is located in western al-Anbar province on Iraq’s border with Jordan.

Capt. Paul GreenbergRegimental Combat Team 5

Capt. Paul Greenberg

Marines, Sailors helpdevelop Iraqi troops

first aid skills

SS P O RP O R T ST SHAWAII MARINE C SECTION WWW.MCBH.USMC.MIL OCTOBER 24, 2008

HawaiiMM A R I N EA R I N E

Malike Ellis, Marine Corps Air Facility Renegades' offensive running back, sprints down the field before getting tackled by the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 Bandits' defense Tuesday during an IntramuralFootball League regular season game at Pop Warner Field. The Bandits won 32-0 despite a well-matched battled from the Renegades.

Lance Cpl. Alesha R. Guard

Bandits pillage Renegades, 32-0The Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24

Bandits shut out the Marine Corps Air FacilityRenegades 32-0 Tuesday during an IntramuralFootball League regular season game at PopWarner Field.

Both teams had their share of turnovers, butit was the Bandits who capitalized on theturnovers more efficiently.

Before the game, Andrew Cece, Renegades'head coach, felt his team would give theBandits a tough game if they could play fourquarters of solid football.

"We are extremely prepared for the game,but we are short on people," Cece said. "Ournumbers have been our battle since the begin-ning of the season. Half my players are shiftworkers so we usually end up with a differenthalf of the team each game. MALS is a goodteam with a great coaching staff, and I canonly expect so much from my players."

Terry Choi, Bandits' head coach, tried tosqueeze in practices for his players any time hecould between their regular duties.

"We are as prepared as we can be," Choisaid. "These games are for the Marines to comeout here and relive the glory days from highschool."

The game started with the Renegades receiv-ing the ball and blasting down the field, but aninterception and a 65-yard return from DavisDaray, Bandits safety, slung them to the leadwith 10 minutes, 29 seconds left in the firstquarter.

The Bandits kicked off to the Renegadesonce again, and they bulldozed their waydown field with the help of fullback FernandoCamacho.

With just over five minutes left in the firstquarter, it seemed like the Bandits would getthe ball back, but Camacho drove the defenseand was finally brought down 24 yards pastthe line of scrimmage after driving throughfive defenders.

Their drive didn't hold though, as they wereunable to score when the first quarter endedwith the score, 6-0.

The Renegades tried to continue their drivein the beginning of the second quarter, but theBandits defense held.

The Bandits then drove down the field andwith 9:23 left in the half, Dominique Cook,tight end, caught a pass in the end zone, bring-ing his team's score to 12. Their extra pointattempt was unsuccessful.

Both teams continued to battle back andforth for the remainder of the half, but theBandits managed one last score with 14 sec-onds left in the half. Detric Causey, Banditsquarterback, slipped through the defense andran in 15 yards to score the third touchdownof the game, and a pass to Cook earned thema two-point conversion.

The second half kicked off with the Banditsleading, 20-0.

The Bandits continued their drives in thethird quarter when they battled their way intothe end zone with 9:59 left in the third quar-ter.

The Renegades battled back, plowingthrough the defense, but a recovered fumbleby Chris Peterson, Bandits linebacker, gave theBandits offense another chance to score with8:23 left in the third.

It looked like the Renegades might get theball back with six minutes left in the quarter,

but a 20-yard pass to Ryan Bailey, Bandits’wide receiver, breathed new life into theoffense, and with 5:50 left in the quarter, theBandits drove in another touchdown whenPeterson caught a screen pass in the end zone,making the score 32-0.

Defense was turned up by both teams in thefourth quarter, causing several turnovers,interceptions and fumbles.

The Bandits tried to score one more runwith 3:31 left in the game, but Adrian Arreola,Renegades defensive end, recovered a fumbleand gave his team one last chance to get onthe scoreboard.

The Renegade weren't able to capitalize onthe opportunity, and with 30 seconds left inthe game, the Bandits kneed the ball. After let-ting the time run out, the Bandits won thegame, 32-0.

"We played a good game, but we were slowout there," Choi said. "Our offensive executionwas really bad, and we need to work on ourfundamentals. We saw a revamped MCAF teamtoday who can compete against us. They are avery competitive team and I look forward toplaying them in the playoffs."

Lance Cpl. Brian A. MarionCombat Correspondent

Patrol Squadron 47’s Team Havocmatched bats against 3rd Battalion,3rd Marine Regiment at Riseley FieldTuesday night for another game inthe regular season of the IntramuralSoftball League.

Although the first few innings ofthe game were close, Team Havocbroke away and kept their lead untiltime expired, pinning the score at15-10.

Through the first and secondinnings, both 3/3 and Team Havochit solid baseline drives past infield-ers but also hit deep fly balls whichslipped through outfielder’s handsearly on. Two runners passed homeplate for 3/3 and three scored forTeam Havoc before the third inning,bringing the score to 3-2.

After one out at the top of thethird, 3/3 took the lead with five runsscored. But it was at the bottom ofthis inning that Team Havoc began

to pull ahead, scoring six runs beforetaking the field again.

“The first few innings we werereally feeling them out and gettingourselves warmed up,” said DanNicks, Team Havoc pitcher and cap-tain. “As soon as we got in our stridewe took off and never looked back.”

And took off they did, keeping 3/3from scoring runs during both thefourth and fifth innings while TeamHavoc put three on the board eachinning, including a fence-hugginghomerun by third baseman SabinoVelazco in the fourth, raising theirlead to 15-7.

As the sixth inning began, all eyeswere on the clock as the game’s timelimit loomed only minutes away.Jason Meyers, 3/3 second baseman,said his team just needed more timeto make their stand.

The first cracks of the bat at the top ofthe sixth were solid drives for 3/3, send-ing runners to second and third base oneach hit. They managed to bring inthree runs before the first two outs.

With two runners on bases andtwo outs, 3/3’s final out signaled theend of the game for time with a finalscore of 15-10.

“We started off strong and we fin-ished strong, but we just didn’t haveenough time to make the comeback,”Meyers said. “Time was a big factor.”

Meyers also noted an improve-ment in his team’s performance over-all during the game, but especially intheir batting and defense.

For Team Havoc, their goal was tocome out and play their hardest nomatter what team they were facingduring the game, Nicks said.

“There was nothing really that Isaw in 3/3 that was a downfall,”Nicks complemented. “They are agood team, they came out here andplayed well.

“We only worried about us,though, we didn’t care if they put upone run or 10 runs,” Nicks contin-ued. “We were worried about goodfielding and doing a good job behindthe plate.”

Team Havoc swings past 3/3 for victory

Patrick S. Allen, outfielder for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, hits a singleTuesday night again Patrol Squadron 47.

Sgt. Brian A. TuthillPress Chief

Sgt. Brian A. Tuthill

C-2 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

Eighty-seven teenage cadets from the HawaiiNational Guard Youth Challenge AcademyClass 29 took on Marine Corps Base Hawaii’sconfidence course, leadership reaction courseand rappel tower at Landing Zone BoondockerSaturday.

The time spent at MCB Hawaii is one of theKapolei-based Youth Challenge’s confidencebuilding and leadership/followership exercisesduring their five-month curriculum.

The cadets, currently in their third month ofthe program, broke into three platoons duringthe evolution and were assisted by Marineinstructors volunteering from the StaffNoncommissioned Officer Academy on theconfidence course and helicopter rope suspen-sion training (HRST) masters from the Schoolof Infantry’s Hawaii detachment and 4th ForceReconnaissance Company on the rappel tower.

The cadet platoon conducting the leadershipreaction course, which involves problem-solv-ing scenarios using given supplies, directionsand obstacles, broke into smaller teams eachwith a cadet leader.

Although the Youth Challenge may seemlike any other Junior Reserve Officer TrainingCorps or Young Marines unit wearing tri-colorcamouflage utility trousers and shined blackboots, they are no ordinary collection of teens.These young men and women, 16 to 19 yearsold, hail from all of the Hawaiian Islands andone from Guam who have come together totake control of their lives. The Hawaii NationalGuard and the State of Hawaii provide a staff toeducate and train them 24 hours a day in ahighly-structured and disciplined environmentwhich includes drill, schoolwork and personalhygiene.

For some cadets, this “quasi-military” pro-gram is a last hope to turn their lives aroundfrom violence, crime, drugs or alcohol. For

others, it’s a way to complete their generalequivalency degree and move on from a roughlife they were born into. Sometimes it’s simplyacquiring the discipline they need to make iton their own not only as adults but as produc-tive citizens. Whatever their reasons, they arehere now and they are together, said GailFujimoto, academy case manager.

“The main goal is they want to get their edu-cation,” Fujimoto said. “We get them theirGED but also teach them skills they can use likehow to write checks and life-coping skills suchas anger management. There is also a leader-ship aspect to it like today, but we also have ourstudent body where they vote on pollingmachines like they would in an actual electionand elect their president and secretaries.”

Cadets are initially volunteers screened intothe program. Class 29 began three months agowith 127 cadets. Upon graduating, the remain-ing cadets return home and are assigned tomentors, someone they choose from their com-munity, who will guide them for the following12 months. Fujimoto said they also want tomake sure cadets continue moving forwardwith their lives by either finding a job, going toschool or joining the military.

“We have had a number of our cadets jointhe Marine Corps and other services becausethey like this environment so much,” saidTunu I. Tupuola, the Youth ChallengeAcademy’s commandant and himself a retiredMarine sergeant major. “We used to go to theArmy for this kind of training, but coming to aMarine base is good exposure for them, too, Ithink.”

While running the confidence course, somecadets adopted a “leave no man behind” mind-set and sacrificed their resting time to circleback and help some of the struggling cadetsover logs, poles and other obstacles.

At the rappel tower they fought fear andencouraged each other as they leaned back atunfamiliar angles on the rope and scaled down

the 45-foot wall, most cheering loudly on theway down.

It was during the leadership reaction coursewhen many cadets noticed the change takingplace in themselves and those around thembecause of the Youth Challenge, said CadetDanavan Decoipo, a 17-year-old Pearl City res-ident recently selected as the academy’s “Cadetof the Month.”

“At the beginning, there was no way anycadets would listen to each other, so taking onthe leadership reaction course they worked as ateam to get the task done. It was great to see,”he said. “The obstacle course showed us thatall the [physical training] we’ve been doing thepast couple of months has really paid off. A lotof the cadets at the beginning of the programwere not physically fit and could barely run,but now they are able to jump the logs and doeverything.”

Of the Marines who donated their time to

assist the Youth Challenge’s instructor cadreduring the training, many come from similarbackgrounds, said 1st Sgt. James D. Vealey,director of MCB Hawaii’s Staff NCO Academy.

“It’s not hard to get volunteers for eventslike this,” Vealey said. “Some of them havesimilar backgrounds growing up and this is thekind of program they wish they had gotteninvolved in when they were misguided youths.We want these young men and women toknow that somebody really cares about them.”

These cadets could be the future of theMarine Corps or any branch of service, said 1stJames S. Brown, first sergeant of the inspectorand instructor staff of 4th ForceReconnaissance Company, 4th MarineDivision.

“I was one of them once and I hope theylearn something from this and come out of theprogram as productive citizens,” Brown said.

Hawaii National Guard Youth Challengecadets gain confidence at MCB Hawaii

At-risk teens take on rappel tower, confidence course, leadership exercises

Cadet Jonathan Koa, a 17-year-old Kapolei resident, receives directions from Staff Sgt. Jens J. Orsen, helicopter rope suspension training master, 4th Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Marine Division, at theLanding Zone Boondocker rappel tower Saturday.

Cadets of 2nd Platoon from the Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Academy work as a small teamto pass gear over and through obstacles without touching the ground at the Leadership Reaction Courseat Landing Zone Boondocker.

Sgt. Brian A. TuthillPress Chief

Cadet Gabriel Brown, 17, from Kapaa, Kuwai, has his rappel ropesecured by Staff Sgt. Jens J. Orsen, helicopter rope suspension train-ing master, 4th Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th MarineDivision, at the top of the 45-foot-tall rappel tower Saturday.

Marine instructors from the Staff Noncommissioned OfficerAcademy guide Cadet Michael Siliga over the double bars of theconfidence course as he is helped over by fellow cadets Saturday atLanding Zone Boondocker.

Staff Sgt. Jens J. Orsen, helicopter rope suspension training master,4th Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Marine Division, instructscadets of the Hawaii National Guard Youth Challenge Academy howto properly fasten a rope harness.

Photos by Sgt. Brian A. Tuthill

LOCATION/DATE/TIME TEAM VS TEAM

Pop WarnerOct. 286:30 p.m. HQBN MCAF

Pop WarnerOct. 296:30 p.m. MAG-24 CAMP

SMITH

Pop WarnerNov. 46:30 p.m. CLC-3 CAMP

SMITH

Pop WarnerNov. 56:30 p.m. MAG-24 HQBN

PLAYOFFS First round: Nov. 12

Semi Finals: Nov. 18 & 19Championships: Nov. 25

HAWAII MARINE OCTOBER 24, 2008 • C-3

Intramural Sports update

TEAM WIN LOSS

CAMP SMITH 5 0CLB-3 5 1HQBN 3 2MAG-24 1 5MCAF 0 6

Current as of Oct. 15

2008 TACKLE FOOTBALL STANDINGS

Tackle FootballSchedule

TEAM WIN LOSS

WARRIOR BLUE 5 0HMH-463 6 2VP-47 5 22-2 4 43RD RADIO BN 3 4LAW DAWGS 2 43RD MARINES 2 43/3 2 4MALS-24 0 6

Current as of Oct. 15

2008 Intramural FallSoftball League standings

2008 Intramural FallSoftball League schedule

Tonight6 p.m. 3RD RADIO BN VS. LAW DAWGS7 p.m. 3D MAR REG VS. VP-478 p.m. HMH-463 VS. MALS-24

Oct. 276 p.m. VP-47 VS. LAW DAWGS7 p.m. MALS-24 VS. 2-28 p.m. 3RD RADIO BN VS. WARRIOR BLUE

Oct. 286 p.m. 3D MAR REG VS. HMH-3637 p.m. VP-47 VS. 2-28 p.m. 3RD RADIO BN VS. 3/3

Oct. 296 p.m. VP-47 VS. HMH-3637 p.m. 3D MAR REG VS. 2-28 p.m. WARRIOR BLUE VS. 3/3

Nov. 36 p.m. LAW DAWGS VS. WARRIOR BLUE 7 p.m. MALS-24 VS. 3/38 p.m. HMH-363 VS. 2-2

Nov. 46 p.m. MALS-24 VS. 3RD RADIO BN7 p.m. 3RD RADIO BN VS. 3D MAR REG8 p.m. LAW DAWGS VS. 3/3

Nov. 56 p.m. HMH-363 VS. LAW DAWGS7 p.m. MALS-24 VS. WARRIOR BLUE “HQBN”8 p.m. VP-47 VS. 3RD RADIO BN

For more informationabout Intramual

Sports Leagues, contact Joe Au at 254-7597.

A challenge for youth to complete:

300300 sit-ups,

300300 pushups

3030 Mile walk/run

Open to Children Youth and Teen Program members.

Participants must pre-register at the Teen Center.(Building 1090)

For more information call Youth Activities at 254-7610.

Fitness ChallengeSept. 2 through Oct. 3033

3333

Cover the worldin paint!

Aim for a fun time withfriends! Open Saturdays and

Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information

call 265-4283

C-4 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

Soccer Tryouts

MCB Hawaii soccer tryouts have begun for all those interest-ed in participating. There is still room on the team for moreplayers to sign up.

For more information contact Toure Boubacar at 257-1867 orCWO3 Randall Martinez at 257-1582.

Beginner Outrigger Canoe Paddlers Wanted

Windward Kai Canoe Club practices at Kailua Beach and wel-comes active duty and family members (18 and older) to partic-ipate in this Hawaiian sport and culture.

The club is especially seeking to field a beginner women’screw. No experience is necessary and all training and equipmentare provided.

WKCC in Kailua recently provided beginner outrigger canoepaddling classes for Marines from Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

For more information, call Derrel at 383-0400 or Greg at 255-9977.

Parents for Fitness

The Parents for Fitness Program is a cooperative babysittingeffort available at the Semper Fit Center here for all active dutyservice members and their families.

The PFFP participants are required to volunteer babysit threetimes per month and is open for parents with children 6 weeksand older.

For more information, call Allison at 744-5977 orMCBHcoop@hotmail.com.

Paintball Hawaii

Nestled behind the Lemon Lot stands Paintball Hawaii. Shootover for great deals and have a blast with your friends.

Cost is $25 per person and includes one air refill, equipmentand the field fee. The field is open weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 265-4283.

K-Bay Lanes

K-Bay Lanes offers economical entertainment, Mondaysthrough Thursdays. All E-1s to E-5s can pay $1.75 for games and$.50 for shoe rentals.

For more information, call K-Bay Lanes at 254-7693.

K-Bay Lanes Color Pin Special

Every Thursday, when you roll a strike with a colored pin as theheadpin, you can win up to three free games of bowling. Allpatrons are welcome to take advantage of this deal. If you makethe play, you win!

For more information, contact K-Bay Lanes at 254-7693.

Personal Trainers Available at Semper Fit

For those looking to get into a tailored exercise regimen, or justlooking for good advice on weight management and weight con-trol, the Semper Fit Center offers free personal training consulta-tion.

You can schedule an appointment with a trainer who willtake body-fat measurements, blood-pressure and heart-rate read-ings.

They will do all this and tailor a program, based on yourphysical needs and ambitions.

For only $5 per workout, a professional trainer will actuallywork with you to ensure maximum efficiency.

Pick up a personal training appointment card at the SemperFit Center now.

For more information, contact the Semper Fit Center at 254-7597.

Youth Activities Coaches Needed

Youth Activities is looking for volunteer coaches for threeupcoming sports seasons: in-line hockey, flag football and cheer-leading.

If you are interested in coaching please call today!For more information contact Clark Abbey at 254-7611.

Fishing Charters Available at MCB Hawaii

Spend the day aboard one of the Base Marina’s fishing char-ter boats.

For more information, stop by the Base Marina located inBuilding 1698, across from Hangar 101, or call 254-7666 or 254-7667.

Semper Fit Offers New Array of Aerobics

The Semper Fit Center announces a new and expanded aero-bics program. These new classes now being offered include avariety of workouts. Call 254-7597 for more information.

Sports Briefs

Spotlight On Sports

Need a flexibleworkout?

Sign up for Semper Fit’s PiYO class! Each ses-sion fuses Yoga and Pilates exercises for a well-balanced fitness regimen. Classes are Mondaysfrom 10 to 11 a.m.

For more information, call 254-7597.

Cardio KickIf you’re trying to get rid of pent up frustration or just lookingfor an awesome workout, this is the class for you! This high-energy class incorporates punches and kick combos to improveendurance, speed and agility while burning calories andincreasing muscle tone.

Boot CampThis class is an extremely intense cardio workout with a toughstrengthening portion that is sometimes held in the basketballcourt for a more intense workout.

Stretch/Flexibility TrainingReach for those toes. Tired of having someone else scratchyour back? Time to limber up. A class working on getting backthe flexibility you once had or just stretching out those over-worked muscles. Stretch is a great way to reduce your chancesof getting injured from tight muscles.

Core ConditioningEver wanted a stronger core? This 30-minute abdominal andback class will help you to develop a stronger core through var-ious ab and back exercises.

CyclingTired of those boring 3-mile runs? Well, come for a ride withus. This class uses specialized stationary bikes that help youburn a large amount of calories and tone up while improvingyour core strength. Set to specialized music as you peddle offthe pounds.

Cycle ExpressFor a high-intensity workout, try this one-hour class. It is sureto challenge your endurance levels through the use of variousinterval trainings while riding on a bike.

Gut CutYou’ve heard the stories. Come experience it for yourself – orare you scared? This 30-minute abdominal class is designed tostrengthen your core muscles.

PilatesThis amazing class uses a powerful series of non-impact exercis-es for total body sculpting. This class will help developstrength, flexibility, balance, and weight loss to sculpt lean,long muscles and reshape your body from head to toe.

Muscle ConditioningNot coordinated for a traditional aerobics class? This class hasminimal choreography so this is safe. A muscular enduranceworkout using hand weights and bands to work all musclegroups.

StepThis is a tried and true classic. Fads come and go, but stependures all. This fundamental class focuses on getting a greatworkout on the steps with basic choreography — nothingfancy — just hard work and a ton of sweat.

Step it UpStep it up is a challenging 45-minute to one-hour step classincorporates one, two, or multiple steps with fun and choreog-raphy.

Step ChallengeTo step it up even more. This class is for the seasoned stepperor for those just looking for a challenge. This class is a full hourof fun and challenging choreography.

Semper Fit Group classes

For more information on group classes call 254-7597

Hours of operation:Monday-Friday, 0430-2230

Saturday, 0700-2200 Sunday & Holidays, 0700-1800

Military members receive somebuffers from hard times through bene-fits like housing and meal allowances,commissaries and a strong support net-work. But they feel the crunch ofincreasing prices like everyone else.

Finance professionals who workdirectly with service members say theyare seeing more requests for help fromsoldiers, Sailors, airmen and Marines.

“We’re really seeing a lot of peopleasking for assistance,” said KellyStewart, a community readiness con-sultant who counsels airmen abouttheir finances on Andrews Air ForceBase, Md. “It just seems to get worsewith the economy.”

On Camp Pendleton, Calif., “We’reseeing the military folks cut back onfood,” said Mike Hire, director of theNavy/Marine Corps Relief Societythere. “Just like with other Americans,folks are looking for bargains and storebrands, and they’re buying things thatgo further. Maybe you haven’t eatenrice or spaghetti as much as you donow.”

The pinch has been especially hardon young servicemembers who aren’told enough to remember the last eco-nomic slowdown, let alone have neverjuggled finances through a recession,financial advisors say.

“You have a number of folks whocome into the military and are makingmore money than they ever thoughtthey would,” Hire said. “The problemis, they don’t understand how much itis going to cost. They don’t think interms of hard economic times; theythink in terms of how much moneythey have.”

Where people tend to make mistakesis in not having enough savings tocover unexpected costs, Hire said.When people put pen to paper and cre-ate a budget, most draw a fixed incomeline and fixed expense line. That’s amistake, Hire said. “Expenses are neversolid. They move up and down all thetime. That’s where people get into trou-ble,” he said.

Lynn Olavarria, manager of thefinancial readiness program on FortBragg, N.C., agreed that education andself control on spending are key to

keeping finances in check. “What I’mseeing is young people coming out oftheir parents’ home and they have nokind of background for dealing withfinances,” she said. “Everybody wantseverything now. I’m seeing that changemore all the time. It’s the instant-grati-fication generation. They incur debtquickly because we all know how easyit is to get credit.”

Financial readiness programs arewidespread to educate military mem-bers about their personal finances andclasses are mandatory at first-duty sta-tions, Olavarria said. The services offerfinancial counselors free of charge, aswell as outreach programs, because ofits impact on military readiness.

“When financial problems are intro-duced into an airmen’s life, their mindmight be other places and it can affectthe mission,” Stewart said.

Servicemembers go to financialcounselors for basic budgeting, refer-rals for interest-free loans, and some-times because they are in danger of los-ing their security clearances due tofinancial problems, Stewart said.“Some clients I see have hundreds ofthousands of dollars in debt -- creditcard debt, judgments, it varies,” shesaid.

Finance experts have this advice formilitary members to improve theirfinancial shape: Take advantage of yourbenefits and support network; makesmart spending choices; and savemore.

There are many programs set up formilitary members to save money. TheMilitary Savings Deposit Programallows those deployed to combat zonesto have money automatically taken outof their paychecks and placed into asavings account. Servicemembers earn10 percent on the balance of the sav-ings up to three months after theirdeployment ends, said Maj. BurkeBeaumont, comptroller of the 316thMission Support Squadron at AndrewsAir Force Base, Md.

Contributing to an interest-bearingsavings account and also to the govern-ment’s Thrift Savings Plan for retire-ment “is a no-brainer,” Beaumont said.The challenge is in making those con-tributions rather than spending addi-tional money, such as those made fromcombat deployments, on things like

expensive vehicles, iPhones and otherstatus symbols, he said.

“You need to put that money tosomething you could use in thefuture,” Beaumont said. “I’m seeing alot of really nice cars on base:corvettes, brand new Mustangs,Hummers. That’s money you could beinvesting.”

Military members also must be care-ful not to use predatory lenders thatcharge very high interest, solicitaround military bases, and make it sim-ple to get a loan, Beaumont and otherfinancial advisors said. The problemhas gotten so bad that Congress lastyear passed a law that caps the interestrate on loans to military members at 36percent.

“But 36 percent is still a lot, andthey really reach out to military mem-bers,” Stewart said. People get them-selves in trouble with loans by not con-sidering the impact of paying off thefull amount with interest, she said.“People say, ‘I can afford to pay $115 amonth. What they’re not looking at isthat they are going to pay back $5,000on a $3,000 loan.”

Predatory or “payday” lenders havegotten so common around bases thatmost financial readiness programs offerfree classes on base to teach about theirdangers, the financial advisors said.Also, Army Emergency Relief has start-ed a new program that soldiers can usein place of private lenders. Under theCommanders’ Referral Plan, a soldiercan receive interest-free loans of up to$1,000 twice per year with a comman-der’s referral, Olavarria said.

In fact, all four services have reliefsocieties represented at most bases thatgive interest-free loans and, occasionally,grants. If a service member has to choosebetween paying a bill late -- and possiblymessing up his credit rating for years --or getting an interest-free loan from therelief society, then they should choosethe society’s help, advisors say.

“Military members are lucky becausethey have relief societies like ours,”Hire said.

The Navy/Marine Corps society atCamp Pendleton doled out $3.8 mil-lion in emergency aid in 4,668 cases in2007, he said. Those numbers will besimilar for this year and are up from $2million in 2005 and 2006, he said.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

HAWAII MARINE OCTOBER 24, 2008 • C-5

Managing your Thrift Savings PlanFor many Navy and Marine Corps families

their only retirement programs are their mili-tary retirement and the Military Thrift SavingsPlan (TSP).

With all the volatility in the financial mar-kets (more than $2 trillion in retirement invest-ments lost in the third quarter of 2008) it isimperative that service members know whattheir Thrift Savings Plan is doing.

A cottage industry has developed around theThrift Savings Plan with several organizationsthat are tracking the funds.

These organizations include everythingfrom bloggers who are watching the activity ofthe TSP Board to companies that are usingsophisticated market analysis programs to

advise users about which funds they should beinvesting in and what percentage of theirinvestments should be allocated to the funds.

The Military TSP is the equivalent of a 401Kprogram for military families.

Contributions to the plan are tax-deferred,or deducted off-the-top of your pay-check,before your state and federal taxes are deduct-ed. TSP funds are not taxed until they arepulled out at retirement when families are in alower tax bracket.

The following are the choices of where userscan put their money:

G Fund – Government securities

F Fund – Fixed income index

C Fund – The common stock index

S Fund – The small cap stock index

I Fund – The international stock index

L Fund – The life cycle fund

The L Funds are the new offering from theTSP Board to provide users with a convenientway to diversify their account among the G, F,C, S, and I Funds, using professionally deter-mined investment mixes that are tailored todifferent time horizons.

Your “time horizon” is the date (after youleave Federal service) that you think you willneed the money in your TSP account.

Because it is important for each L Fund tomaintain its target investment mix, the TSPwill automatically rebalance each L Fund daily.

Then, each quarter, the investments in each

L Fund will shift to a slightly more conservativemix. In addition, experts will review the invest-ment mixes periodically to be sure they are stillappropriate.

“TSP advisors are saying, “If you are in theThrift Savings Plan and tempted to jump out tothe safety of the G-Fund remember that histor-ically, the stock and bond markets have alwaysrebounded over time.

So if you keep your money in the market, itwill eventually recover and continue to grow.

But if you jump out of the stock or bondfunds into the G Fund, you lock in your losses— and you aren’t poised to reap the rewardswhen waning markets go back up.

As always, LIFELines cannot offer financialadvice, but managing your Thrift SavingsAccount is absolutely critical in these tumul-tuous times.

LifelinesOffice of the Secretary of the Navy

Despite the bad news on the financial front the nation’s cred-it unions, and, in particular the several military credit unionsare reporting strength and security. Part of the reason is thatcredit unions are insured by the National Credit Union ShareInsurance Fund and no money in the fund has ever been lost.

The world’s largest credit union is a military credit unionwith $35 billion in assets. That credit union announced in thesecond quarter of 2008 that members of all services active andreserve, as well as defense department employees are now eligi-ble for membership.

Loan rates for mortgages, cars and personal lines of credit aretraditionally lower at military credit unions. Active and retiredservice members often receive preferred rates and premiums forbanking at credit unions.

As a policy, credit unions customarily do not criticize otherfinancial institutions. They let their performance speak for theirstability and security.

When the deposit insurance rate was increased to $250,000in the so-called bailout bill for traditional banks and thrifts,credit union deposits were included. This, in spite of the factthat the credit union insurance fund has never been, and is notnow facing any pressure.

While stressed civilians are seeking payday loans to meettheir day-to-day needs, military families are discovering creditunion “stretch loans.” These alternative loans, offered as theDepartment of Defense leadership declared war on pay-dayloans, are reasonably priced and include credit counseling.

Todd Hatfield, a credit union mortgage development officersaid in the midst of the financial crisis, "It has pretty much beenbusiness as usual for us, as we are welcoming first-time buyersand have been able to get them into a conventional loan withas low as 5% down." That credit union is not facing difficultybecause it has not been out there buying mortgage-backed secu-rities as investments or making subprime mortgage loans, butfollowing conservative, sound lending practices," said ToddHatfield

Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director at the U.S.Public Interest Research Group, plugged credit unions in anonline story in late October 2008. He said, "In general, my rec-ommendation is to bank at a credit union, not at a bank.”

One credit union in the Pacific Northwest in proximity tomilitary families opened 34% more new checking accounts inOctober 2008 compared with September 2007 because of whatofficials termed the “economic crisis.”

The LIFELines Services Network cannot and will not offerfinancial advice or endorse one financial service institution overanother. Nevertheless, the facts on credit unions are very posi-tive and certainly worth investigation.

Credit unionsunfazed by banking

industry turmoilLifelines

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

Service members employ recession buffers, still seek helpLifelines

Office of the Secretary of the Navy

C-6 • OCTOBER 24, 2008 HAWAII MARINE

AROUND THE CORPS

HIT, Iraq — The American Gladiators paid a visit tothe Marines of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment,Regimental Combat Team 5 to show their supportand have some fun Oct. 8.

Titan, Militia, Panther, Phoenix and Venom, starsfrom the television show “American Gladiators,” trav-eled here to sign autographs and take pictures withthe Marines.

The gladiators arrived early in the day and startedby spending time visiting the Marines and Sailorswith the battalion. One of the gladiators, Venom,even stopped to help Marines fill sand bags. After sit-ting down for lunch and talking to the Marines, thegladiators tested their strength against some of theMarines with some tug-of-war and a few rounds of“Bull in the Ring.”

“I really didn’t expect them to come out and actu-ally do (events),” said Lance Cpl. Dillon J. Bob, 21, asquad automatic weapon gunner with LimaCompany, 3rd Bn., 7th Marines. “For them to actual-ly come out here, it makes us feel like they actuallycare.”

Alex Castro, a former Marine who plays Militia on“American Gladiators,” was the first to get thingsstarted, jumping in line with some of the largerMarines to take on Lima Co.’s machine gunners in amatch of tug-of-war. After a failed attempt byMilitia’s team to take the win, Titan ran up to givethem a hand during the second round.

Despite their best efforts, the machine gunnerswon again.

After the tug-of-war, the ground fighting beganwith a game called “Bull in the Ring,” which is a con-test to see who the last man standing is.

Two Marines stepped up to take on Militia at onceand were tossed beyond the sand bags lining theperimeter of the ring in a matter of seconds.

“It was a good time,” said Cpl. Kyle D. Dringman,who stepped into the ring with Militia during theevent. “I’m glad we got to do a little tug-of-war andground fighting. I’m glad they did something with usinstead of just coming and taking pictures because weactually got involved with them a little.”

After leaving Hit, the American Gladiators traveled toCamp Rawah to visit more Marines with the battalion.

American Gladiators in IraqLance Cpl. Shawn Cummins

Regimental Combat Team 5

Alex Castro, better known as Militia from the TV show "American Gladiators," stares down the competition after tossing two Marines out of the ringduring a round of "Bull in the Ring" with members of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 5 at Camp Hit, Iraq, Sept. 8. Aftersitting down for lunch and talking to the Marines, the gladiators tested their strength against some of the Marines with some tug-of-war and a fewrounds of "Bull in the Ring."

Lance Cpl. Shawn Cummins