“Navigator”

May 22, 2015 www.cnic.navy.mil/hawaii www.hookelenews.com Volume 6 Issue 19

Summer safetySee page A-3, A-6

Joint service ceremony marksanniversary of West Loch DisasterSee page A-2

Memorial ceremony concludesJBPHH Police WeekSee page B-1

USS Chafee leaves ondeploymentSee page A-2

USS Michael Murphy returnshome after successful seven-month deployment See page A-4

MWR concert set forMemorial DaySee page B-4

Several events to ob-serve Memorial Day havebeen planned acrossOahu. They include:

• The Roll Call ofHonor in Remembranceceremony will be held

from 10 to 11 a.m. May24 at the National

Memorial Ceme-tery of the

P a c i f i c

(Punchbowl).• A Veterans Candle-

light Memorial Day cere-mony will be held from 4to 8 p.m. May 24 at Na-tional Memorial Ceme-tery of the Pacific(Punchbowl).

• A Friends of theNatatorium MemorialDay event will be heldfrom 10 to 11 a.m. May24 at the Waikiki WorldWar I Memorial Natato-rium.

• The mayor's annualMemorial Day ceremonywill be held from 8 to

10:30 a.m. May 25 at theNational MemorialCemetery of the Pacific(Punchbowl.)

• The Bowfin SubVetsMemorial Day ceremonywill begin at 11 a.m. May25 at the USS ParcheSubmarine MemorialPark.

• The governor’s an-nual Memorial Day cere-mony will be held from12:30 to 2:30 p.m. May 25at the Hawaii State Vet-erans Cemeteryat Kaneohe.

Memorial Day events announced

Ho`okele Staff

Leadership of two topHawaii-based militarycommands, U.S. PacificCommand (PACOM)and U.S. Pacific Fleet(PACFLT), will changehands May 27 at a dou-ble change of commandat Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam (JBPHH).

Adm. Scott H. Swift will as-sume command of U.S. Pa-cific Fleet from Adm.Harry B. Harris Jr. at 9a.m. at Kilo Pier atJBPHH.

Immediately follow-ing the U.S. PacificFleet ceremony, Harriswill assume commandof U.S. Pacific Com-mand, headquarters atCamp H.M. Smith fromAdm. Samuel J. Locklear III.

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter andChief of Naval Operations Adm.Jonathan Greenert will also be in at-tendance.

The ceremony will be covered real-time on U.S. Pacific Command socialmedia sites and streamed live atwww.defense.gov.

He took command of PACOM onMarch 9, 2012 and is retiring.

He previously served as director,Navy Staff as well as ashore assign-ments as executive assistant to the

vice chief of naval opera-tions. His career as a sur-face warfare officersincludes command as-signments as comman-der, U.S. 3rd Fleet;

commander, U.S.Naval Forces Europe;commander, U.S. NavalForces Africa; and Allied

Joint Force CommandNaples.

Harris was promoted to ad-miral and assumed com-

mand of the U.S. PacificFleet on Oct. 16, 2013.He is the 34th comman-der since the fleet wasestablished in Febru-ary 1941.

Harris is the highest-ranking Asian Ameri-

can in the history of theNavy and the first to attain

the rank of four-star admiral.His career assignments have

included assistant to the chairman ofthe JCS where he served as the chair-man’s direct representative to the sec-retary of state, chief speechwriter forthe chairman of the JCS, and threetours on the Navy Staff.

Swift comes to PACFLT from his po-sition as director, Navy Staff, Office ofthe Chief of Naval Operations at thePentagon where he has been assignedsince September 2013. He was previ-ously the commander of U.S. 7th Fleetin Yokosuka, Japan.

Leadership of two top militarycommands in Hawaii to change

Brandon Bosworth

Assistant Editor, Ho`okele

The Joint Base Pearl Har-bor-Hickam Safety Depart-ment held a safetystanddown at Sharkey The-ater on May 19, 20 and 21.The event featured presen-tations about subjects suchas water safety, personalsafety and recreational off-duty safety.

“Wewant to bring a safetyawareness to your everydayperson, so they can enjoywhatever festivities theyhave planned safely,” saidMelody Sale, JBPHH safetysupervisor.

Capt. Stanley Keeve,commander of Joint BasePearl Harbor-Hickam, of-fered opening comments. He

drew attention to the factthat over the past fewmonths, several members ofthe JBPHH communityhave been hurt off-duty,with one individual losinghis life.

“People don’t anticipatethe dangers,” he said. “It’simportant to pause andthink about what you’re do-ing. Even if you are in thebackyard barbecuing, youcan get in trouble.”

Keeve concluded his open-ing comments by encourag-ing those attending theevent to make good use ofthe opportunity to learnmore about safety.

“Make this time useful,”he said. “Learn at least onething you didn’t know beforeyou came in.”

During the standdown,

the winners of the JBPHHsafety slogan contest wereannounced.

The slogans offered waysto put an emphasis on goodsafety practices.

The third place prize wentto Master Sgt. OluseunAkande, 735th Air MobilitySquadron, whose slogan was“Cheat the Heat to Stay Fit.”

Kenneth Jones, PacificAir Forces, won second placewith “Safety is the Scene in2015. Be seen!”

The first place winnerwas Damage Controlman2nd Class Honolulu Mika,Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, with the entry, “Ifyou are hot and feeling slow,Drink H20... Got Hydration?#Hydrate!!!

(Additional safety infor-mation on pageA-6.)

JBPHH hosts safety standdown

Capt. Stanley Keeve, commander of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, offered opening commentsduring a safety standdown held May 19, 29 and 21 at Sharkey Theater.

U.S. Navy file photo

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele A-2

Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

The guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee(DDG 90) departed May 18 from Pearl Har-bor for on an independent deployment to theU.S. 7th and 4th Fleet areas of operations.

Chafee deployed with its crew of morethan 300 Sailors. The ship will conduct the-ater security cooperation and maritime pres-ence operations with partner nations as wellas participate in exercise Talisman Saberwithin the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.It is expected to play an integral part incounter-illicit trafficking mission OperationMartillo (Spanish for ‘hammer’) in the U.S.4th Fleet area of operations.

Along with the crew of Chafee, the druginterdiction team includes the ship’s organicvisit, board, search and seizure team, provid-ing support for the embarkedCoast Guard LawEnforcement De-tachment. Heli-copter MaritimeStrike Squadron 37,

Detachment 6 will provide embarked airsupport.

Chafee will also participate in the OceaniaMaritime Security Initiative (OMSI), a jointDepartment of Defense, Department ofHomeland Security and Department of Com-merce program. The ship will support mar-itime law enforcement operations toadminister U.S. and Pacific island nationsfisheries laws and the suppression of illicitactivities.

“This ship and crew are ready for any realworld operations,” said Cmdr. Shea Thomp-son, commanding officer. “There is no otherteam I would rather deploy with.”

(Below) Sailors, assigned to the guided-mis-sile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90), wavefarewell as the ship departs Joint Base PearlHarbor-Hickam.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Diana Quinlan

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Diana QuinlanLogistics Specialist 3rd Class Mark Manimtim, assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USSChafee (DDG 90), holds his child prior to the ship's departure from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for an independent deployment.

USS Chafee leaves on deployment

Story and photo byBrandon Bosworth

Assistant Editor, Ho`okele

Afloat Training Group(ATG) Middle Pacific (MID-PAC) and the 8th TheaterSustainment Commandheld a joint service cere-mony marking the 71st an-niversary of the West LochDisaster on May 21.

The event was heldaboard a U.S. Army Logis-tics Support Vessel (LSV)stationed at Joint BasePearl Harbor-Hickam,which sailed to the site ofthe tragedy.

The West Loch Disasteroccurred on May 21, 1944.Thirty-four ships were inPearl Harbor’s West Loch toload ammunition and sup-plies for the impending U.S.invasion of Saipan. TheLSTs (landing ship, tank),small ships designed to landbattle-ready tanks, wereclose together along sixberths. At 3:08 p.m., an ex-plosion occurred resultingin a chain reaction of explo-sions that sank six of theLSTs and severely damagedseveral others.

There were 163 men werekilled and 396 wounded.Nearly one-third of the ca-sualties came from theArmy’s segregated AfricanAmerican 29th ChemicalDecontamination Company.The West Loch Disasterwas Pearl Harbor’s secondgreatest disaster in terms ofcasualties. The exact causewas never determined.

Attending the ceremonywere service members fromthe Army, Air Force, Navy,Marines and Coast Guard,as well as personnel fromthe National Park Serviceand guests from theAfrican-American Diversity

Cultural Center Hawaii. Lt.Cmdr. Kenneth Brown,ATG MIDAC, served asmaster of ceremonies, andchaplain Maj. DouglasJohnson, 647th Air BaseGroup, provided the invoca-tion and benediction.

Maj. Gen. Edward F. Dor-man, commanding generalof the 8th Theater Sustain-ment Command, offered re-marks at the event. Withthe wreckage of one of thesunken ships, LST 480, inthe background, he stressedthe valuable lessons learnedfrom that fiery day at WestLoch.

“The West Loch Disasterforced systematic changesin explosive safety,” he said.“Having been in combat, Ican attest to the rigorous re-quirements for handling

ammunition, explosives,and fuel.”

Jim Neuman, Navy Re-gion Hawaii historian,talked a bit about PearlHarbor’s history and thespecifics of what happenedat West Loch. He empha-sized the actions of thoseresponding to the disaster.

“There was a very quickresponse,” he said. “Like onDec. 7, the responderswere very professional andwill-trained.”

The ceremony concludedwith a rifle salute and theplaying of “Taps.” Theyoungest service membersin attendance than placeda floral wreath in the wa-ters of Pearl Harbor inhonor of those who losttheir life at West Loch 71years ago.

Joint service ceremony marksanniversary of West Loch Disaster

Young service members place a memorial wreath into thewaters of Pearl Harbor at the conclusion of a ceremonywhich marked the 71st anniversary of the West Loch dis-aster.

OnlineOnline

Commentary

Don’t make this Memorial Day become your memorialRear Adm. RickWilliams

Commander, Navy RegionHawaii and Naval SurfaceGroup Middle Pacific

How will you be spend-ing Memorial Day? Most ofus will be paying tribute tofallen heroes in some way,even in quiet momentsalone.

One way to honor themen and women who gavetheir lives for our prosper-ity and ability to live freeis to protect the gift theygave us and not put our-selves in unnecessary dan-ger when off duty.

When we think of Memo-rial Day, we think of liveslost due to combat. Thefact is for many peopleMemorial Day weekend isa time of sorrow because ofoff-duty mishaps.

Liberty is a mission. Youhave a responsibility tosafeguard yourself andyour shipmates—throughgood decision making on

and off duty. Practice oper-ational risk management(ORM) at all times. ORMshould be at the forefrontin planning hikes, oceansports, motorcycle ridesand any situation wherealcohol is involved.

A few facts to considerduring the critical weeksbetween Memorial Dayand Labor Day:

• Nearly 90 percent offatalities last summer

were from E-3 to E-5.• In eight of nine fatal

motorcycle accidents, rid-ers were at fault.

• Trip planning reducesrisk: Access TRiPS athttps://trips.safety.army.mil/

• A l c o h o l - r e l a t e dmishaps kill and injureSailors and Marines everysummer.

• Knowing your limitsand respecting the oceancan keep you alive.

• Active bystanders cansave lives—and careers—of their shipmates.

There are more facts andfigures to consider duringthe critical days and weeksahead. Everyone in uni-form should be getting thetraining and getting the

message: Safeguardingyourself and your ship-mates is a proper tribute tothose who sacrificed to giveus “life, liberty and thepursuit of happiness.”

Safety is a leadership re-sponsibility, and it’s up toall leaders to ensure goodORM is considered on andoff duty. It’s a shipmate’srole to be an active by-

stander and speak up orspeak out when you seedangerous behavior thatmay put someone’s life indanger.

The Navy Safety Centerreports that we lost 13Sailors and nine Marineslast summer in the Depart-ment of the Navy. That’s22 young trained andready warfighters nolonger with us—and hun-dreds of shipmates, friendsand families they left be-hind.

Those who were lost, in-cluding here in Hawaii,were in the same age rangeas the young men killed inPearl Harbor on Dec. 7,1941.

On this Memorial Day,as we remember those whodied, we should commitourselves to protect ourSailors from needless fatal-ities and injuries.

To all service membersin our region, I ask foryour self-discipline thissummer. Be a good leaderand take care of your ship-mates and yourself.

Please be safe this sum-mer and let’s not make thisMemorial Day your memo-rial day.

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele A-3

SSttaaffff SSggtt.. SShhaammeekkaa RRiisscchh647th Force Support Squadron

“When engaging in physical activitiesoutside, I make sure to wear sunblockand have plenty of water available. Ialways have a buddy with me or some-one with experience in the activities

I’m about to do.”

BBMMCCSS NNaatthhaann MMccQQuuoowwnnJoint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

“The Navy teaches us to always useoperational risk management in andout of work, so I apply it to outsidephysical activities.”

CCTTRR22 DDmmiittrriiaannaa HHeennrryyNIOC Hawaii

“I make sure I am prepared to do theactivity I have planned, make surethat I am hydrated for the activity andthat I am aware of my surroundings.”

MMaasstteerr SSggtt.. JJaassoonn ZZaarruuddnnyy690th Cyberspace OperationsSquadron

“I stay safe by knowing the dangers ofthe activities I participate in. I use allproper PPE, and I don’t exceed my per-sonal physical limitations.”

LLSS33 JJoosshhuuaa WWiilllliiaammssNaval Supply Command FleetLogistics Center Pearl Harbor

“I am always aware of my surround-ings while conducting any kind of phys-ical activities so I don’t get hurt and Imake sure to look out for my ship-mates to help ensure their safety.”

EENNSS MMaarrccuuss HHaayyeessUSS Chosin (CG 65)

“I make sure the location of my physi-cal activity is a safe location, that nospecial advisories have been issuedfor the area of the activity and to useoperational risk management whileconducting the activity.”

TTeecchh.. SSggtt.. SSaammuueell DDyykkeessDefense Information Systems AgencyPacific

“I stay safe when participating in physi-cal activities by first, staying hydrated.Secondly, I research the dangers asso-ciated with any new activity I engage

in. Third, I always wear any protective gear needed forthe activity. Lastly, I use common sense. If I think Icould get hurt by doing something unsafe while engag-ing in an activity, I choose not to do it rather than riskgetting hurt and endangering my career.”

TTeecchh.. SSggtt.. BBrreett TTaallbbootttt613th Air and Space Operations Center

“I always ensure my equipment isproperly functioning and I am properlyhydrated.”

Want to see your command featured in Diverse Views?Got opinions to share?

Drop us a line at editor@hookelenews.com or karen.spangler@navy.mil

Provided by Lt. Damall Martinand David D. Underwood Jr.

How do you stay safe when engaging in physical activities outside of work?

DiverseViews

Ho‘okele is a free unofficial paperpublished every Friday by The Hon-olulu Star Advertiser 500 Ala MoanaBoulevard Suite 7-500 HonoluluHawaii 96813, a private firm in noway connected with DoD, the U. S. Navy, Air Force or MarineCorps, under exclusive contract withCommander, Navy Region Hawaii.All editorial content is prepared,edited, provided and approved bythe staff of the Commander, NavyRegion Hawaii Public Affairs Office: 850 Ticonderoga, Suite 110, PearlHarbor, Hawaii, 96860-4884. Tele-phone: (808) 473-2888; fax (808)473-2876; e-mail address: editor@hookelenews.com WorldWide Web address: https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Hawaii/ or www.hookelenews.com. This civilian enterprise newspaper isan authorized publication primarilyfor members of the Navy, Air Forceand Marine Corps military servicesand their families in Hawaii. Its con-tents do not necessarily reflect theofficial views of the U. S. Govern-ment, the Department of Defense,the U.S. Navy, Air Force or MarineCorps and do not imply endorse-

ment thereof.The civilian publisher, The HonoluluStar Advertiser, is responsible forcommercial advertising, which maybe purchased by calling (808) 521-9111.The appearance of advertising inthis newspaper, including inserts orsupplements, does not constituteendorsement of the products andservices advertised by the Depart-ment of Defense, the U.S. Navy, AirForce or Marine Corps, Commander,Navy Region Hawaii or The HonoluluStar Advertiser.Everything advertised in this papershall be made available for pur-chase, use or patronage without re-gard to race, color, religion, gender,national origin, age, marital status,physical handicap, political affiliationor any other non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user or patron.A confirmed violation of this policy ofequal opportunity by an advertiserwill result in the refusal to print ad-vertising from that source.Ho‘okele is delivered weekly to Navy& Air Force housing units and Navyand Air Force installations through-out Oahu.

Director, Navy Region Hawaii Public AffairsAgnes Tauyan

Deputy Director, Public AffairsBill Doughty

Director, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

Public AffairsGrace Hew Len

Managing EditorKaren Spangler

EditorDon Robbins

Assistant EditorBrandon Bosworth

Sports EditorRandy Dela Cruz

Sr. Graphic ArtistAntonio Verceluz

Graphic ArtistBlair Martin

Commander, Navy Region Hawaii

Rear Adm. Rick Williams

Chief of StaffCapt. Mark Manfredi

Commander, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam

Capt. Stanley Keeve Jr.

Deputy CommanderCol. David Kirkendall

U.S. Air Force photo Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman aviator, was also the first Chinese American woman to flyfor the United States military. She joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots and was trained to ferry aircraft.She delivered transport aircraft, but she also flew more powerful fighters, such as the P-63 Kingcobra, to theirdestinations. She was killed in the line of duty ferrying the P-63, the last WASP to die in service to her coun-try. May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Hazel Ying Lee flew for U.S. military

Rear Adm. Rick Williams

Naval Safety Center

Sailors and Marines are involved inmore fatalities between Memorial Dayand Labor Day than any other time ofthe year, according to the NavalSafety Center.

During that time period in 2014,the safety center reported that 13Sailors and nine Marines lost theirlives.

The center said that alcohol-relatedmishaps kill and injure Sailors andMarines every summer. The safetycenter urges military members neverto drink and drive.

According to information from

www.thatguy.com, absorption of alco-hol depends on a person’s size, weight,body fat and gender. Other factors in-clude the amount of alcohol con-sumed, the amount of food in aperson’s stomach and use of medica-tions.

Here are some questions the centersuggests military members ask them-selves to see if they need help.

• Have you ever felt you should cutback on your drinking?

• Does your drinking ever make youlate for work?

• Do you ever forget what you didwhile you were drinking?

• Do you ever drink after telling

yourself you won’t?• Have people annoyed you by criti-

cizing your drinking?• Do you ever need a drink first

thing in the morning, to steady yournerves, or get rid of a hangover?

Those who answered yes, even toone question, may have a problem withalcohol.

TRICARE has information atwww.tricare.mil/ProviderDirectory/http://www.tricare.mil/mtf and theCenter for Substance Abuse Treatmentat 1-800-662-HELP can help find a lo-cal resource.

For more information on safety, visitwww.public.navy.mil/comnavsafecen.

Naval Safety Center cautions against drinking and driving

U.S. Air Force photoAn Airman salutes a grave site at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in 2012.

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele A-4

Ensign Kelly Lorentson

USS Michael Murphy(DDG 112) Public Affairs

After a successful seven-month deployment, USSMichael Murphy (DDG 112)returned Thursday to JointBase Pearl Harbor-Hickam(JBPHH)

Friends, families and fel-low service members linedthe harbor and gathered onthe pier to welcome the shiphome as it finished the lastleg of its maiden deployment.

While deployed to the U.S.7th Fleet area of responsibil-ity (AOR), Michael Murphypromoted security and sta-bility throughout the west-ern Pacific region. In total,the ship spent nearly 200days underway and con-ducted more than 800 flighthours with the ship’s at-tached helicopter squadron,Helicopter Maritime StrikeSquadron (HSM) 37, Detach-ment 4.

“Although time away fromfamily and friends is hard,the most rewarding time in aSailor’s career is deploymentwhen they have the opportu-nity to see the result of theirhard work, from boot camp,to ‘A’ and ‘C’ schools, throughthe ship’s training cycle,”said Cmdr. Todd Hutchison,Michael Murphy’s com-manding officer.

“The crew performed mag-nificently and also had the

opportunity to enjoy someliberty in places like Thai-land, Singapore and HongKong. We were proud to rep-resent our nation and ourNavy on deployment and arevery thankful to be home,”Hutchison said.

Michael Murphy begandeployment by patroling thewestern Pacific Ocean for il-legal fishing and othercrimes during a joint opera-tion with the U.S. CoastGuard known as the OceaniaMaritime Security Initiative(OMSI). From there, the shipcontinued operations in theIndo-Asia-Pacific region, con-ducting security patrols and

normalizing U.S. presence inthe region.

Focusing on building rela-tions and strengthening al-liances with foreign navies,Michael Murphy conductedseveral military exchangeswith ships from the JapanMaritime Self-Defense Force(JMSDF), the Republic ofKorea (ROK) navy and theFrench navy.

While operating in watersnear the Korean Peninsula,Michael Murphy partici-pated in Foal Eagle 2015, anannual defense-orientedtraining exercise with theROK navy, designed to in-crease readiness and main-

tain stability in the KoreanPeninsula as well as promoteROK-U.S. interoperability.

One of the more memo-rable events of Michael Mur-phy’s maiden deploymentwas the successful executionof Multi-Sail 2015, a multi-day training exercise nearGuam involving several U.S.7th Fleet assets and specialoperations forces (SOF)working alongside severalJMSDF ships.

While embarked aboardMichael Murphy, SOF com-bined efforts with the crew toconduct advanced maritimeinterdiction operations andvisit, board, search and

seizure training to exercisethe dynamic and far-reach-ing capabilities of U.S. 7thFleet and SOF assets and op-erations.

In addition to underwayoperations, Michael Murphymade many port calls to for-eign countries and cities, in-cluding Malaysia, Japan,Thailand, Singapore, SouthKorea and Hong Kong.While visiting these ports,Sailors enjoyed local attrac-tions and activities throughMorale, Welfare and Recre-ation (MWR) sponsoredtours and events.

Some of the more populartours included white waterrafting and elephant ridingin Thailand, hiking MountKinabalu in Malaysia, tripsto Disneyland and Macauwhile in Hong Kong, a rideon the Singapore flyer andvisit to the night zoo in Sin-gapore, and trips to Na-gasaki while in Japan.

“Hitting a new port can beoverwhelming because of allthe places to see and activi-ties to do. It’s nice to knowMWR already has toursfilled with great places tovisit, so I can get the mostout of my liberty,” said FireControlman 2nd ClassJonathan Carrillo.

“Some of my best memo-ries from deployment werefrom tours that provided aneasy way to experience thelocal culture,” he said.

Many Sailors also volun-

teered to participate in com-munity relations (COM-REL) projects coordinatedprior to each port visit be-tween the ship and the hostcountry. Sailors cleaned alocal beach in Malaysia,painted and landscaped fortwo local orphanages inThailand, played sportswith children at St. George’sGirls home, and preparedmeals at a soup kitchen inSingapore. They also visitedwith residents of the KoreanRehabilitation Center inSouth Korea and Po LeungKuk Wong Chuk Hanghome for the elderly in HongKong.

“For me, coordinating andparticipating in the COM-RELs was a way to help pro-ject a positive image for ourNavy and our country,” saidFire Controlman ChiefRyan York, Michael Mur-phy’s community relationscoordinator.

“The best part of it wasseeing all the smiling facesand appreciation from thosethat we interacted with andhelped throughout the de-ployment,” York said.

Michael Murphy is namedfor Lt. (SEAL) Michael P.Murphy, a New York nativewho was posthumouslyawarded the Medal of Honorfor his heroic actions duringOperation Red Wings inAfghanistan in 2005.

The ship is homeported atJBPHH, Hawaii.

USS Michael Murphy returns home after successful seven-month deployment

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Diana QuinlanThe guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) returns to Joint Base PearlHarbor-Hickam May 21 from its maiden deployment. (See additional photos on page A-5.)

Commissaries announceMemorial Day hours

In observance ofMemorial Day, May 25,the Pearl HarborCommissary will open at9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m.

The HickamCommissary’s hours on

Memorial Day will befrom 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information,call the Pearl HarborCommissary at 471-8402,ext. 101 or the HickamCommissary at 449-1363.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) per-sonnel and volunteers from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickamhelp return a honu (sea turtle) to the wild at Keehi Lagoon onMay 14. The turtle was found entangled in fishing gear by aHickam marina staffer, who called the JBPHH "turtle phone" toreport a sea animal in distress. NOAA’s turtle research pro-gram determined the turtle was a 185-pound healthy male butin need of surgery. His flipper was severely damaged and wassurgically removed. The turtle was cared for and spent timerehabilitating in a pool before being returned to the wild. Foroff-base sighting of marine species in need of assistance, callNOAA during business hours at 725-5730 or after hours at288-5685. A story on the turtle rescue appeared on page 1 ofthe May 8 issue of Ho’okele.

Giving honu a helping hand

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele A-5

(Right) Fire Controlman 2nd Class James Masterson of theguided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) pro-poses to his girlfriend Tiani as the ship returns to JBPHH.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Jeff Troutman

(Right) Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Charles Beebe,assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG90), says goodbye to his dog prior to the ship's departurefrom Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for an independentdeployment.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Diana Quinlan

(Left) Cmdr. Patrick Friedman, right, passes command of the LosAngeles-class fast attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) to Cmdr.David Edgerton at a ceremony held May 15. It was overseen by Capt.Craig Blakely, commander of Submarine Squadron 7.

U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Steven Khor

(Left) Electronics Technician 1st Class Roel Cabales greets his daughter as the guid-ed-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) returns May 21 to Joint BasePearl Harbor-Hickam from its maiden deployment.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Jeff Troutman

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele A-6

Pearl Harbor Colors salute keeping fleet ‘fit to fight’(Left) The Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Honors and Ceremonies Guard renders honors to the U.S. flag duringthe playing of the national anthem during the Pearl Harbor Colors ceremony held May 21 at the World War II Valorin the Pacific National Monument. The theme for this month's event was "Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard: 107 Yearsof Keeping the fleet 'fit to fight.'"

Photo by David Tomiyama

(Below) Sailors from Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY&IMF) pay theirrespects to the national anthem during the Pearl Harbor Colors Ceremony at the World War II Valor in the PacificNational Monument, May 21. More than 300 Shipyard Sailors participated in the monthly ceremony and nearly1,700 civilian visitors viewed or attended the ceremony.

Photo by Danielle Jones

Don Robbins

Editor, Ho‘okele

As the summer season begins,Sailors, Airmen and their fami-lies will gear up to celebrate theMemorial Day holiday this week-end.

Here are some tips on ways tokeep safe throughout the entireyear, including during the up-coming holiday weekend (whichbegins the Critical Days of Sum-mer campaign).Driving

• Are you careful at intersec-tions? It may not be safe to as-sume that others are going to dothe right thing.

• Are you focused when oper-ating a vehicle? Staying focused(not distracted), keeping youreyes on the road, and beingaware of other drivers, can helpprevent accidents.

• Do you ever drink and drive?It is wise to plan your transporta-tion in advance, if you drink. Andif you drink, don’t drive!

• Do you drive if you are tired?It is advisable to drive when youare well-rested instead.

• Do you use your turn signalsto avoid making any suddenmoves?Beach safety

• Do you protect your skin? Doyou limit the amount of directsunlight you receive between 10

a.m. and 2 p.m. and, wear a sun-screen with a sun protection fac-tor containing a high rating suchas 15?

• Do you drink plenty of waterregularly and often even if youdo not feel thirsty? Your bodyneeds water to keep cool.

• Do you watch for signs ofheat stroke? Heat stroke is life-threatening. Signs include hot,red, and dry skin; changes inconsciousness, rapid, weakpulse, and rapid, shallow breath-ing.Grilling food

• Do you keep your grill atleast three feet away from yourhouse, porch, shed, trees orbushes?

• Do you use starter fluid thatis made especially for barbecuegrills? Do you follow the instruc-tions about how to apply andlight it?

• If you have a gas grill, doyou make sure you read and fol-low the instructions about howto use and store it and remembernever to leave lit grills unat-tended?Swimming pools and kids

• If you’re at a pool with chil-dren who are either very young orwho can’t swim, do you make surethey are never left alone, even ifthey aren’t in the water?

• If you are taking care of an in-fant or toddler, do you make sureto keep them within arm’s reach?

• Have you learned about res-cue swimming and taken a CPRcourse? You never know whenyou might have to rescue some-one.

• Do you make sure you havelife preservers handy?

Boating• Have you learned to swim?• Do you make sure you are

not drinking while boating?• Do you wear an approved life

jacket, and make sure your pas-sengers do, too?

(For more information onsafety, visit Naval Safety Centerat http:/ / www.safetycenter.navy.mil or the Air Force SafetyCenter at http:/ / www.afsec.af.mil/ index.asp.)

Safety centers offer Memorial Day holiday tips for Sailors, Airmen

Online http://www.hookelenews.com/ or visit

https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Hawaii/index.htm

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele A-8

U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO—The hospi-tal ship USNS Mercy (T-AH19) departed May 17 for afour-month deployment insupport of the Navy’s Pa-cific Partnership 2015.

The 10th iteration of theU.S. Pacific Fleet’s annualPacific Partnership missionwill take place in the South-east Asia and Oceania re-gions over a four-monthperiod beginning in lateMay.

Host nations will includeFiji, Kiribati, Papua NewGuinea, Federated States ofMicronesia, Republic of thePhilippines, Solomon Is-lands and Vietnam.

Working at the invitationof each host nation, U.S.Navy forces will be joinedby non-governmental orga-nizations (NGOs) and re-gional partners that include

Australia, New Zealand,Japan, Republic of Korea,Malaysia, Canada, TimorLeste, Fiji and France toimprove maritime security,conduct humanitarian as-sistance, and strengthendisaster response prepared-ness.

Born out of the devasta-tion wrought by the 2004tsunami that swept throughparts of Southeast Asia, Pa-cific Partnership began as amilitary-led humanitarianresponse to one of theworld’s most catastrophicnatural disasters. Buildingon the success and goodwillof this operation, the hospi-tal ship USNS Mercy re-turned to the region in 2006for the inaugural PacificPartnership mission.

The mission staff ex-panded to include partnernation militaries and NGOsworking to increase the dis-aster relief capabilities of

Bangladesh, Indonesia, thePhilippines and EastTimor. Since then, PacificPartnership has grown inscope and size.

Navy Capt. ChristopherEngdahl, commander of theEverett, Washington-basedDestroyer Squadron 9, willlead this year’s missionfrom Mercy. Also deployingfor the Pacific Partner-ship mission for the first time will be the JointHigh Speed Vessel USNSMillinocket (JHSV 3), withembarked elements of the30th Naval ConstructionRegiment.

Partner nation militariesand government agencies,NGOs and host nation plan-ning efforts have focused oncollaborative efforts withprofessionals in the fields ofmedicine, dentistry, veteri-nary, public health services,engineering and disaster re-sponse.

USNS Mercy departs for Pacific Partnership

U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Charles E. WhiteThe Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) visits Pearl Harbor in 2014.

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele B-1

Tech. Sgt. Terri Paden

15th Wing Public Affairs

In the spirit of commemorat-ing Peace Officers’ MemorialDay, Col. Michael Florio, U.S.Pacific Command anti-terror-ism/critical infrastructure pro-tection division chief andceremony guest speaker, spokeMay 15 in detail about what itmeans to be a peace officer.

“There is no greater love thanthis, to lay down one’s life for hisfriend,” he said.

In 1962, President Kennedydeclared May 15 as NationalPeace Officers’ Memorial Dayand the calendar week in whichMay 15 falls as National PoliceWeek. Since then, Police Weekhas served as a time to pay spe-cial recognition to law enforce-

ment officers who lost their livesin the line of duty for the safetyand protection of others.

“Your presence today paystribute to those who made the ul-timate sacrifice,” Florio told thecrowd of 15th Wing and JointBase leadership, joint law en-forcement officers and Airmen,Sailors and Coast Guardsmen inattendance.

Florio said it’s both a greatprivilege and responsibility toserve and protect and encour-aged the group of law enforce-ment officers to never becomecomplacent.

“We are called to mourn thosewho gave their lives in the line ofduty,” he said.

In addition to the closing cere-mony, the 647th Security ForcesSquadron defenders hosted sev-eral community events through-

out the week, which began May11 with a 5K ruck march. A pa-rade through Hickam Communi-ties and a police fair at the PearlHarbor Navy Exchange alsogave the defenders an opportu-nity to interact with the localcommunity while demonstratingsome of their unique capabilities.

“This is about building rela-tionships in the community,”said Tech. Sgt. Burt Tagaloa,647th SFS police services NCOin charge.

“We’re out there for them ev-ery day, but a lot of times peopledon’t know that because theydon’t see us. We wanted to cele-brate the state and federal offi-cers who wear the badge andwho have worn the badge, raise

awareness, and thank the com-munity for their support,” hesaid.

Lt. Col. Juan Silva Jr., 647thSFS commander, said there aremore than 900,000 law enforce-ment officers within the UnitedStates, each serving within theirown communities and through-out the nation, and police weekis about honoring their heritage.

“We take time out to thankour communities as the relation-ship between a citizen and a lawenforcement officer is critical,”he said.

“We know that we police ourcommunities together. At theend of police week, we recognizePeace Officer’s Memorial Day asa day we pay tribute and honor

those law enforcement officersacross the nation who lost theirlives in the line of duty as we re-member them for their braveryand wiliness to protect and servethe innocent.”

Silva said though law enforce-ment can at times be a thanklessprofession, those who wear thebadge understand that it’s notabout the recognition, but theservice.

“Let us not forget, we have lostsecurity department Navy civil-ians, Navy master-of-arms andUSAF defenders in the line ofduty, and we offer our deepestsympathy and respect to theirfamilies and friends,” he said.“They will always be remem-bered.”

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Terri PadenAirmen from 647th Security Forces Squadron and Sailors began their Police onPatrol Parade before making their way through Hickam Communities to kick offPolice Week, May 11, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron OelrichPersonnel from 15th Wing and Joint Base leadership, enforcement officers from JBPHHand local community as well as Airmen, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and civilians, look onas members of the honor guard raise the flag to half-staff in honor of National PeaceOfficers’ Memorial Day at JBPHH on May 15.

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Terri PadenAirmen from 647th Security Forces Squadron hand out candy during their Police on PatrolParade through Hickam Communities at JBPHH.

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron OelrichAirmen from the 647th Security Forces Squadron participate in a 2.5-mile ruckmarch May 11 to kick off Police Week.

U.S. Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Terri PadenAirmen from 647th Security Forces Squadron took to the streets of Earhart Villagefor their Police on Patrol Parade through Hickam Communities to kick off PoliceWeek, May 11 at JBPHH.

U.S Air Force photo by Tech Sgt. Aaron OelrichStaff Sgt. Matthew Zantene, 647th Security Forces Squadron military working dog handler,dressed in a dog training personnel protective outfit, runs from a 647th Security ForcesSquadron military working dog during a National Police Week fair demonstration May 13 atthe Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange.

Photo Illustration

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele B-2

Story and photos byRandy Dela Cruz

Sports Editor, Ho‘okele

The showdown between the top twoteams in the White Division turned out tobe a one-sided affair as 647th SecurityForces Squadron Pound Town scored thefirst 11 runs and then cruised to a 15-2victory over the 15th Maintenance Group(15 MXG) on May 19 at Millican Field,Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Pound Town, the defending intramuralsoftball champions, raised their currentrecord to a perfect 6-0 while the 15 MXGlost only for the second time against fourwins.

“We thought this would be a toughergame, but we jumped on them early,” saidPound Town pitcher Eddie Silva. “Wescored the first 11 runs and then put thepressure on them.”

There was nothing fancy about PoundTown’s decisive victory as the team wentto basics to build up a huge lead.

In the top of the first inning, PoundTown led off with three straight singles toscore the first run of the game.

The RBI single came off the bat ofMaster-at-Arms 3rd Class CameronBowman, who laced a liner to center fieldfor the first run.

Then singles by Master-at-Arms 2nd

Class Dennis Lewis and Senior AirmanJoe Szczech plated runs two and threebefore Senior Airman Jace Henry blasteda triple to drive in two more runs andtake a 5-0 lead after the top of the firstinning.

In their next turn at-bat, Pound Townpicked up right where they left off bymarching eight batters to the plate toscore three more runs.

The big hit in the inning was a shot byStaff Sgt. Jordan Locke that handcuffedthe second baseman and allowed tworuns to score.

“When I step up to the plate, my num-ber one priority is to hit the ball hard,”Locke said. “I’m not looking to do any-thing crazy with it. If you hit the ballhard, you’re going to get hits.”

Master-at-Arms 2nd Class DevynMcNeil made it 9-0 with an RBI single inthe top of the third, and in the nextinning Locke picked up RBI numberthree with a single en route to a three-run fourth and a 12-0 lead.

The MXG finally got on board with tworuns in the bottom of the fourth, butPound Town, behind two more RBIs byLocke, scored three times in the top of thefifth to put the game away for good.

Although the game was played withfirst place at stake, Locke said that nomatter who they play, Pound Town justcomes to win.

“We approached this game like anyother game,” Locke said. “It doesn’t mat-ter if they’re 0-5 or 5-0, we approach thegame the same way. We come out here towin. Our number one goal is base hits.Base hits win games and defense aswell.”

Silva, who has been a part of the PoundTown’s amazing four-year run that sawthe team win two intramural champi-onships and reach the finals three out offour seasons, said that although there aremany new players on this year’s squad,the team is just as competitive as in pre-vious seasons.

“I want to say that we’re just reloading,but I don’t want to sound too cocky,” Silvasaid. “We’re very loose. It’s a very goodbunch of guys. I think we’ve got the mostspeed that we’ve ever had and good cama-raderie.”

Locke agreed with Silva and addedthat if Pound Town just does what theyknow they can do, then the team shouldbe in for another stellar season.

“We just come out here and do ourthing,” said Locke, who also remarkedthat the team doesn’t mind playing witha bulls-eye on their backs. “Hit after hit,that stuff is contagious. After a couple ofhits, we all get in the groove and thosehits turn into runs.”

Division-leading Pound Town thumps 15th MXG

Pound Town second baseman Senior Airman Brian Jurek catches 1st Lt. James Johnson ina rundown for an out.

Staff Sgt. Jordan Locke lines a single to drive in two of his five RBIs to help Pound Towndefeat the 15th MXG.

Contact theHo‘okele editorfor guidelines

and story/photo submission

requirements

or email:editor@hookelenews.com

Story and photo byRandy Dela Cruz

Sports Editor, Ho‘okele

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard(PHNSY) fell behind late in thesecond half, but ultimately pre-vailed over a tough 15thMaintenance Group (15 MXG)“B” squad, 4-2, on May 16 in anintramural soccer semifinalplayoff game at Quick Field,Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The win ushered thedefending Summer SoccerLeague and current RedDivision champs into the intra-mural championship againstBlue Division title-holder PacificCommand/ Joint IntelligenceOperation Center/Pacific Fleet(PACOM JIOC/PACFLT) whichwill be May 23 at Earhart Fieldstarting at 9 a.m.

“We’re going to take advan-tage of this, and we’re going tocome strong next week,” saidPHNSY team captain MoussaNiang, who is a Department ofDefense civilian. “Hopefully,we’ll take the trophy homeagain.”

To win it all, PHNSHY willhave to bring their “A” game

against a very loaded and talent-ed PACOM JIOC/PACFLT team.

While Shipyard was able toovercome a slow start againstthe 15th MXG, things might notturn out so well if they falter outof the gates next time around.

“Shipyard does not play wellwhen we’re down,” Niang admit-ted. “We just have to get out andplay our game.”

Although Shipyard got thefirst goal on a penalty kick byGas Turbine Systems(Electrical) 3rd Class TerryGross, the team struggled in thefirst half to maintain a consis-tent press on offense.

Then, after a scoreless firsthalf by the MXG, the team final-ly broke through early in the sec-ond half on a goal by Staff Sgt.Jason White to tie the score at 1-1.

“I don’t think the goalie wasexpecting a shot,” White said. “Itook a quick peek, and I think Imight have caught him offguard.”

The score remained tied forthe next few minutes, but thenWhite struck again to put theMXG ahead at 2-1.

“That one was just good posi-tioning,” said White about hissecond kick for goal. “I just hap-

pened to be in the right place atthe right time.”

White’s second goal seemed toput the MXG in a prime positionto defeat Shipyard, as the teamseemed to be controlling mostthe action.

Just when things looked to begoing all of the MXG’s way,Shipyard managed to finallybreak through to the top of thebox for a shot at goal.

Although the first shot missedthe mark and ricocheted off theright upright, FireControl Technician 2nd ClassChristopher Pesantes followedthe caromed ball and booted itinto the net for the tie.

“I was just trying to get it tothe goal,” Pesantes said. “I justtook the rebound after it (theball) bounced off.”

With approximately threeminutes remaining on the clock,it appeared that the game washeaded for a shootout, but Grosshad other things on his mind.

Chasing down a free ball,Gross caught up with the balland made an incredible off-bal-ance header for a goal and a 3-2lead.

Moments later, Gross put thegame away for good by complet-ing a fast break with a goal on a

one-on-one opportunity againstthe goalkeeper.

“That guy is selfless,” saidNiang about Gross. “If there is away to score a goal, he can do it.Any way he can score a goal,he’ll get it for us. I don’t knowhow he does it, but he’s amaz-ing.”

With everything on the linenext week, Niang said that hehopes that Shipyard will be ableto field a full lineup and that

defense will be the key.Another factor in the game,

Niang admitted, will be the newturf that was installed atEarhart Field.

“It’s been a long time sinceI’ve played on an artificial field,so yeah, it will make a differ-ence,” he noted, “If we see we’restruggling, we’ll make adjust-ments. But again, we’re justgoing to come out hard and playto win.”

Gas Turbine Systems (Electrical) 3rd Class Terry Gross sneaks the ballpast the reach of goalkeeper Senior Airman Trevor Gibbins on a penaltykick.

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele B-3

Shipyard comes from behind to oust 15th MXG ‘B’

Story and photo byRandy Dela Cruz

Sports Editor, Ho‘okele

Down by a score of 3-0, NavalSea Systems Command (NSSC)Longshots overtook U.S. CoastGuard Base Honolulu in thebottom of the fourth inning andthen hung on to a 13-10 win onMay 18 in a Red Division intra-mural softball game at WardField, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The win drew the Longhornsone game closer to .500 at 3-4while the Coast Guard lost foronly the second time, now twoin a row, to fall to 4-2.

“I knew they (Coast Guard)were good,” said ChiefCryptologic Technician(Maintenance) K.C. Knopik. “Ithink it’s just staying confi-dent. Just thinking base hitsmainly because if you go outthere and try and kill it, you’rejust going to pop up or some-thing.”

While NSSC was thinkingsmall ball, Coast Guard, with alineup stocked with power hit-ters, including All-ArmedForces player Storekeeper 2ndClass Niko Langas, put theirmuscle on display in their veryfirst at-bat.

In the top of the first inning,with one out, Yeoman 3rd ClassTaylor Femmer stepped intothe batter’s box and put thehammer on a pitch.

The ball continued to riseand finally descended past theleft-field fence and droppedonto North Road for a 1-0 lead.

Femmer’s blast traveledapproximately 340 feet and isone of the few softballs everparked outside of the spaciousWard Field.

“I knew it was gone rightwhen I hit it,” Femmer said.“The wind helped me a littleand it just kept going.”

Teammate Electrician’s Mate

1st Class Micah Curimaotopped off the first inning witha two-run single to take a 3-0lead.

The Longshots got a run backin the bottom of the second onan error that allowedElectronics Technician 1stClass Kyle Longnecker to roundthe bases, but the Coast Guardgot it back in the top of thethird on an RBI single fromMachinery Technician 3rdClass Rocky Recio.

Back down by three runs, theLongshots got out to a greatstart in the bottom of the thirdby loading up the bases with noouts.

A run came home on aninfield hit by Longnecker andthen Chief Electrician’s MateMike Reuss lofted a fly ball fora sacrifice fly to drive in anoth-er run, but a throwing errorback into the infield allowedthe Longshots to clear thebases and take their first lead

of the game at 6-4.The Coast Guard came back

in the top of the fourth toretake the lead with a three-run inning, but that would betheir final advantage of thegame.

In the bottom of the fourth,the Longshots scored six timesto go up by a score of 12-7.

The big hit in the inningcame off Knopik, who smasheda drive over the top and rolledto the outfield fence for a three-run inside-the-park homer.

“I was just thinking basehit,” Knopik said about his longdrive. “I was trying to get it offthe ground, like a line driveover second base. I started toburn it, when I saw it (the ball)go over him (the outfielder).”

The fourth-inning rallyproved to be big enough to holdoff the Coast Guard and raisethe Longshots to victory.

While the Longshots havebeen on a rollercoaster ridethroughout the first sevengames of the season, the winover a tough Coast Guard teamseems to bode well for thesquad’s fortunes in the secondhalf of the year.

Knopik said that if theLongshots show up with a fulllineup each time they take thefield, the team should be hardto beat.

“We got a good squad,”Knopik pointed out. “If we allshow up and play like we knowwe can, that’s the main thing.”

NSSC picks up third win with rally over Coast Guard

Story and photos byTech. Sgt.Aaron Oelrich

15th Wing Public Affairs

Oahu’s high schoolseniors planning to jointhe U.S. Armed Forceswere honored by the localcommunity during theOur Community Salutes(OCS) recognition ceremo-ny May 17 at theBattleship MissouriMemorial.

Our Community Salutesis a community-based ini-tiative to recognize andhonor graduating highschool seniors who plan tojoin the Armed Forces

after graduation. OurCommunity Salutes ismade up of military mem-bers, veterans, communityleaders, educators andbusinesspersons whovalue the importance ofthe young men and womenwho have volunteered toserve their country.

Enlistees joining theU.S. Army, Marine Corps,Navy, Coast Guard, AirForce and Air NationalGuard were recognizedduring the ceremony.Each enlistee received acertificate of appreciationand an OCS coin for theirdedication to the country.

U.S. Army CommandSgt. Maj. Finis A. Dodson,

94th Army Air MissileDefense Command, pro-vided the enlistees withhis advice as a militarymember and guest speak-er at the event.

“Lead from the front.Don't expect your Soldiersto do something thatyou are not willing todo yourself,” Dodson said.“Remain mentally andphysically fit. Executeorders in your own name,”he said.

“Become the expert inwhatever you are doing.Trust but verify. Takecare of Soldiers by makingsure they are ready tofight. Dream big, but focussmall. It's not time toreach for the senior gradeyet. Most of all have fun.”

Hawaii State Sen. FredHemmings also addressedthe enlistees, sharingthese thoughts.

“I want you to leavehere optimistic and know-ing that you have the fullsupport of this nation,”Hemmings said. “Youhave great men andwomen who have gonebefore you who will reachback and help you along.Your officers, sergeantmajors, and all those inthe military are eager tohave you become a part oftheir band of brothers andsisters.”

Many of the enlisteeshad different reasons forjoining the military.

Theodore Hayashi, aU.S. Navy enlistee fromKailua High School, saidhe had an interest in themilitary from a youngage.

“I have wanted to jointhe ROTC since I was lit-tle, so when I got into highschool, I tried it out andliked it,” said Hayashi. “Iclimbed through the ranksof cadet, lieutenantcolonel, group commander.

It gave me many experi-ences and shaped what Iwas going to do after highschool to serve the coun-try.”

For Curtis Colipano, aU.S. Air Force NationalGuard enlistee fromDamien Memorial School,military runs in the fami-ly.

“I chose the Air ForceNational Guard becausemy dad is in the Air ForceNational Guard,” saidColipano. “I grew upwatching him and knew

that is what I wanted todo.”

This was the secondyear the OCS recognitionceremony has been held inHawaii. The OCS ceremo-ny started in southernNew Jersey in 2009 andhas now spread across thenation.

“I think the event iscool,” said AuggierayAlvarez a U.S. Army enlis-tee from Farrington Highschool. “It is nice that theyare recognizing us for join-ing the military.”

Our Community Salutes recognizes U.S. Armed Forces enlistees

A U.S. Navy enlistee and high school graduate is recognizedby Senior Chief Aerographer’s Mate Enrique Acosta, seniorenlisted advisor Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), andCapt. Ashley Evans, commanding officer of JTWC, during theOur Community Salutes recognition ceremony held May 17at the Battleship Missouri Memorial on Ford Island.

Machinist’s Mate 1st Class Adam Zimmer makes contact for a hit. Zimmer and his teammates scored sixtimes in the bottom of the fourth to help the NSSC Longshots defeat the Coast Guard.

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Finis A. Dodson, 94th Army Air Missile Defense Command,speaks during the Our Community Salutes recognition ceremony.

Reid Tokeshi

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-HickamMorale, Welfare and Recreation

Morale, Welfare and Recre-ation’s Memorial Day concert,featuring Kristian Bush, willbe held Monday at Ward Field,Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The outdoor concert isscheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.and gates wil l open at 3:30p.m.

Admission is free and isopen to all of those with baseaccess and their guests.

Country music fans knowKristian Bush as half of themusical duo Sugarland. Thegroup garnered multipleGrammy, Academy of CountryMusic and Country Music As-sociation awards over the lastdecade.

Bush released his first soloeffort, “Southern Gravity” lastmonth, and Monday’s concertwill feature songs from his al-bum, including the hit song“Trailer Hitch.”

DJ Bryan Gray will enter-tain the crowd from 3:30 to

5:30 p.m. with music, prizegiveaways and more.

For the safety and securityof patrons, the following guide-lines have been established.Authorized items includesmall clutches, blankets andfolding chairs. All items aresubject to search. Outside foodand beverage, pets, backpacks,bags/totes, purses, umbrellas,video/audio recorders andtents are not authorized.

For a complete list of autho-rized and unauthorized items,go to www.greatl i fehawaii .com.

MWR concert set for Memorial DayJustin Hirai

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-HickamMorale, Welfare and Recreation

The Department of Defenseand Joint Base Morale, Wel-fare and Recreation 2015 Sum-mer Reading Program will beheld from May 27 through July18 at the Joint Base Pearl Har-bor-Hickam Library.

The program will begin withthe summer reading kickofffrom 10 a.m. to noon May 27 atthe library. Attendees can re-ceive online registration helpand a goody bag. Those whoare unable to attend the kick-off event can stop by the li-brary during normal businesshours and ask for registrationassistance

The theme this year is “Readto the Rhythm,” which encour-ages participants to exploremusic via reading, hands-oncrafts, activities and entertain-ment.

Those who participate in thereading program can earnprizes by completing readinggoals and logging them duringthe allotted time frame.

The age group the readerfalls into determines their spe-

cific reading goals and prizes.There are four age groups:“read-to-me and beginner”readers from birth to age 7; “Ican read chapter book readers”from ages 8 to 12; teens fromages 13 to 18; and adults ages19 and older.

“The core purpose of thesummer reading program is tointroduce very young childrento the library and reading, tokeep school age kids and ‘adultkids’ of all ages engaged in alifetime love of reading,” saidPhyllis Frenzel, JBPHH Li-brary director.

“The main programmingpurpose is to achieve an opti-mal blend of independentlearning via reading, hands oncraft activities and even enter-

tainment to create happy read-ing memories,” she said.

Weekly activities like thehands-on crafts and entertain-ment take place throughoutthe duration of the program.

Making playable instru-ments with recycled materialsand a family or group raprecital are a few examples ofwhat is scheduled. A perfor-mance and instrument demon-stration by the Pacific Fleetjazz and pop combo is alsoplanned.

Patrons who would like toself-register online cando so at EVANCED:https://usaf.evanced.info/hickam/sr/homepage.asp beginningMay 27. They can also call thelibrary at 449-8299.

‘Read to the Rhythm’ at libraryLive the Great LifeLiveLivee the Ge the GGreat LGreat LLifeLife

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele B-4

Your Weekly Fun with MWR Visit www.greatlifehawaii.com or subscribe toMWR’s digital magazine Great Life Hawaii.

MMeemmoorriiaall DDaayy SSooffttbbaallll TToouurrnnaammeennttwill be held today through May 25at various fields. There is no ad-mission fee for spectators. FMI:473-2494, 473-2437.

FFrreeee GGoollff CClliinniicc will begin at 9 a.m.Saturday at Mamala Bay GolfCourse. FMI: 449-2304.

PPeeeeWWeeee FF llaagg FFoooottbbaallll RReegg iissttrraa--tt iioonn period opens May 25 andcloses June 19 for youth ages 3 to5 years old. The season runs July11 through Sept. 29. The registra-t ion fee is $35, and registration is available atwww.greatlifehawaii.com. FMI: 473-0789.

PPrreesscchhooooll SSttoorryy TTiimmee will begin at9 a.m. May 27 at the Joint BasePearl Harbor-Hickam Library. Thetheme will be “rhythm band.” FMI:449-8299.

IInntt rraammuurraall VVoolllleeyybbaallll CCooaacchheessMMeeeettiinngg will begin at 1 p.m. May27 at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Fitness Center. The leagueruns June 24 through Septemberand is limited to commands fromJBPHH. Any additional active-dutymembers not belonging to a com-mand team will come from a play-ers’ pool. There is no registrationfee. FMI: 473-2494, 473-2437. MMoonnggooll iiaann BBBBQQ will be offeredfrom 5:30 to 8 p.m. May 28 on the

lanai of the Historic Hickam Offi-cers’ Club. A variety of meats, veg-etables and sauces wil l beavailable. Rice, noodles, soup, bev-erages and fortune cookies are in-cluded. FMI: 448-4608.

AAllll--MMiilliittaarryy SSuurrff CCllaassssiicc RReeggiissttrraa--ttiioonn deadline is May 30 for a meetto be held June 6 at White PlainsBeach, Kalaeloa (Barbers Point).The meet is open to active-duty,Reservists, retired, Department ofDefense civilians and family mem-bers only. “Sponsoring” someoneinto the event is not allowed. Par-ticipants may enter one divisiononly, with the exception of active-duty members, who may enter two

divisions. The rules and entry form are available atwww.greatlifehawaii.com. Entryfees are to be determined. FMI:682-4925.

SSppeeaarrffiisshhiinngg EExxccuurrssiioonn will beginat 9 a.m. May 30 at the MWR Out-door Recreation-Hickam Harbor of-fice. Participants need to havetaken MWR’s “Learn to Spearfish”course, as the skills needed forthis activity are moderate to diffi-cult. The cost is $20. Sign-up dead-line is May 28. FMI: 449-5215.

BBiikkiinngg tthhee NNoorrtthh SShhoorree eexxccuurrssiioonnwill begin at 9 a.m. May 30. MWROutdoor Adventure Center staff will

lead participants on a seven-mileround-trip ride on level terrain fromWaimea Bay to Sunset Beach. Thecost is $25 including a bicycle or$20 without. The sign-up deadlineis May 28. FMI: 473-1198.

CChhuucckk MMiilllliiggaann CCoommeeddyy HHyyppnnoossiissSShhoowwss will be held May 30-31 atSharkey Theater. The adult-themedshow (18 years and older) will beheld May 30 at 7 p.m. The all -hands show will be held May 31 at5 p.m. Participation on stage is lim-ited to those ages 14 years andolder, and seating is limited to thefirst 300 patrons. The show is free,and no tickets are needed. FMI:www.greatlifehawaii.com.

Courtesy of Kristian BushCountry music performer KristianBush will take the stage onMemorial Day at Ward Field, JointBase Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

MWR Marketing photoThe annual summer reading program from the Department ofDefense and JBPHH Morale, Welfare and Recreation is designed toencourage reading from a very young age up to adulthood.

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele B-5

Community C

alendar

Movie S

howtimes

CULTURAL SHOWCASE29 — A cultural showcase for Asian American and Pa-cific Islander Heritage Month will be held from 9:30 to11:30 a.m. at Sharkey Theater on the Pearl Harbor sideof the base, followed by a special lunch until 12:30 p.m. atthe Silver Dolphin Bistro galley. The cost of the lunch is$5.55 per person. FMI: kon.lee@us.af.mil or 449-3639.

COLOR YOUR SUMMER30 — A Color Your Summer 2.0 event will be held from 4to 8 p.m. at the JBPHH Teen Center, building 1859. Theevent for teens ages 13 to 18 will include a variety of“color games,” so teens should wear white or black andbe ready to get dirty. The colors are similar to what areused in 5K color runs. The cost is $5. Food will be pro-vided. Shuttle service will be provided from HickamMemorial Theatre leaving at 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. toSharkey Theatre. It will leave Sharkey Theatre at 11:30a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1 p.m. FMI: 448-0418 orwww.greatlifehawaii.com.

CHUCK MILLIGAN COMEDY HYPNOSIS30, 31 — Chuck Milligan will perform a free adult-themed comedy hypnosis show for patrons ages 18 andolder from 7 to 9 p.m. May 30 at building 628, Moore St.In addition, Milligan will perform a show for teens from 5to 7 p.m. May 31 at 1859 McChord St. Shows are open tomilitary-affiliated personnel, Department of Defense card-holders and their sponsored guests. FMI:www.greatlifehawaii.com.

JUNEBATTLE OF MIDWAY COMMEMORATIONS 4,6 — Marking the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Mid-way, two special programs will be held at Pacific AviationMuseum Pearl Harbor. The events will feature Craig L.Symonds, one of America’s leading naval historians andan award-winning author. A free presentation for militaryfamilies will begin at 3 p.m. June 4 in the museum the-ater, followed by a reception and book signing by the au-thor in the museum gallery of hangar 37. In addition, apresentation for the public will begin at 1:30 p.m. June 6in the museum theater, followed by a book signing in themuseum gallery of hangar 37. FMI: 441-1000, orwww.PacificAviationMuseum.org.

After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman has lived a solitaryexistence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chanceencounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones reignites her passion for life and romance. When aweekend with his parents threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change herlife forever.

THE AGE OF ADALINE (PG 13)

SHARKEY THEATERTODAY 5/227:00 PM Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (PG)

SATURDAY 5/232:30 PM Little Boy (PG 13)4:40 PM The Age of Adaline (PG 13)7:00 PM Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (PG)

SUNDAY 5/242:30 PM Little Boy (PG 13)4:40 PM Furious 7 (PG 13)7:20 PM Unfriended (R)

THURSDAY 5/287:00 PM The Age of Adaline (PG 13)

HICKAM MEMORIAL THEATERTODAY 5/226:00 PM Home 3-D (PG)

SATURDAY 5/234:00 PM Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (PG)7:00 PM Furious 7 (PG 13)

SUNDAY 5/242:00 PM Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (PG)

THURSDAY 5/287:00 PM Unfriended (R)

MAYMFSC VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITYNOW — The JBPHH Military and Family Support Cen-ter is seeking volunteers. FMI: Susan Hodge at 474-1999.

KEIKI ID EVENTSATURDAY — A free keiki (child) ID event for autho-rized patrons will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at thePearl Harbor Navy Exchange mall children’s depart-ment. The Honolulu Police Department will providephotos for the children’s IDs. FMI: 423-3287.

MOVIE NIGHTSATURDAY — The movie “Big Hero 6” will beshown at the Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange lower park-ing lot. Patrons can pick up their admission tickets fromthe NEX aloha center concierge desk prior to movienight. Seating is limited to the first 150 authorized pa-trons who should be prepared to present an authorizedpatronage ID. Seating starts at 6:30 p.m. and the moviestarts at 7 p.m. FMI: 423-3287.

STAR WARS CHARACTERS SUNDAY — Star Wars characters Luke Skywalker, aJedi knight and Storm Troopers will make an appear-ance and greet fans at the Pearl Harbor Navy Ex-change mall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free forauthorized patrons. FMI: 423-3287.

FINANCIAL SEMINAR27 — A financial seminar titled Financially Savvy Re-tirees will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Military andFamily Support Center Pearl Harbor. Financial expertswill discuss topics such as estate planning, wills andtrusts, protection against fraud and long-term care.Visit www.greatlifehawaii.com to register. FMI: 474-1999.

HICKAM RADIOLOGY CLOSURE28 — The Hickam radiology department will be closedfrom May 28 to July 15 for major construction andequipment upgrades. The closest military radiology fa-cility is Naval Health Clinic Hawaii Makalapa clinic,JBPHH. FMI: 473-1880, ext. 2200.

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele B-6

A special meal in honor of Asian Amer-ican Pacific Islander Heritage Month willbe offered from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May29 at the Silver Dolphin Bistro.

The price is $5.55 and the meal is opento active duty military, Department ofDefense civilians, retirees and familymembers of active duty military withvalid ID cards.

The meal will include pork sinigang

soup, lechon roast pork, huli hulichicken, beef and broccoli, shrimp pancitmiki, vegetable fried rice, steamed jas-mine rice, stir-fried vegetables, seasonedgreen peas, fried lumpia with sweet soursauce, hot pandesal, pan de coco, Asianstyle macaroni salad, haupia cream pie,chocolate chip cookies, coconut breadpudding and assorted ice cream. Formore information, call 473-2519.

Heritage month luncheon setCombined Military Band Concert honors military serviceStory and photo byMC2 Jeff Troutman

Navy Public AffairsSupport Element West,Det. Hawaii

The 30th Annual Com-bined Military Band Con-cert kicked off MilitaryAppreciation Month andArmed Forces Day as mili-tary musicians played afree concert May 16 at thehistoric Hawaii Theatre inHonolulu.

The Navy League of theUnited States HonoluluCouncil sponsored the freeconcert, which featured 60musicians from all fourbranches of the U.S. mili-tary including the ArmyNational Guard.

Commander, U.S. PacificFleet Admiral Harry B.Harris, Jr. opened the con-cert with remarks about theimportant tradition of mu-sicians serve in the militaryand their role in helpingmaintain peace and pros-perity.

“It’s most fitting thatwe’re here tonight to cele-brate National Military Ap-preciation Month, as wehonor both current and for-mer members of the U.S.armed forces who have de-fended our honor and free-dom for the past 239 years,”said Harris.

“For as long as there’sbeen a U.S. military, there’s

been a military band.Tonight’s concert is a trib-ute to those who haveserved, who currentlyserve, and to the loved oneswho support us while weserve.”

The performance lastedmore than two hours andfeatured an array of bothtraditional music and popu-lar jazz and country songsof the past 50 years.

Navy Lt. PatrickSweeten, a conductor of theCombined Military Band,said the performance signi-fied not just a group of mu-sicians sharing a stagetogether, but a symbol ofunity across our country’smilitary branches.

“What you saw on stagetonight, collectively, isnearly 900 years of militaryservice to our great nation,”said Sweeten. “All fivebands who came togetherfor this show feature out-standing musicians, and itwas evident in their perfor-mance here tonight.”

Many of the audiencemembers routinely at-tended the annual perfor-mance each year, andseveral spoke of both theprofessionalism and theproficiency of the musi-cians’ performance.

“I make it a point to comeevery year to support theseyoung men and women, andI’m never disappointed,”said Ann Ruby, an Army

veteran currently living inHonolulu.

“The music, combinedwith the historical videosand photos displayed on theprojector screen behind themusicians, makes for an in-credibly moving experience.I’m already looking forwardto next year’s show.”

One of the highlights ofthe evening’s performancebelonged to the U.S. PacificFleet Band Pacific Partner-ship acoustic trio, led byMusician 3rd Class StevenLaMonica, who performedan acoustic cover of 2012American Idol winnerPhillip Phillips’ hit song“Home.”

“That young man’s per-formance of that song wasunbelievable,” said DonaldBloss, an attendee from Ka-neohe. “I looked around af-ter that last note rang outand the people around me— including myself — hadtears in their eyes. It wasan awesome performanceand such an honor for thesemilitary members to sharetheir talents with us heretonight.”

National Military Appre-ciation Month encouragesU.S. citizens to observe Mayas a symbol of patrioticunity, to honor current andformer members of the U.S.armed forces, as well asthose who have died in thepursuit of freedom andpeace.

U.S. Navy Lt. Patrick Sweeten, conductor for the 2015Combined Military Band, leads musicians during aperformance at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu.

May 22, 2015 Ho‘okele B-8

Story and photo byBrandon Bosworth

Assistant Editor, Ho’okele

The Joint Base PearlHarbor-Hickam Libraryhosted a presentationabout the history, construc-tion, terminology and eti-quette of traditionalJapanese swords as part ofAsian American Pacific Is-lander Heritage Month onMay 16. Sword collectorMike Nii was the guestspeaker at the event, andseveral examples from hisown collection were on dis-play.

Nii, a retired U.S. ArmySoldier who served in Viet-nam and the first GulfWar, began collectingJapanese swords in 1985.His father was a Nisei (first generation JapaneseAmerican) who served inthe famed 442nd InfantryRegiment, and as he gotolder Nii started gettingmore interested in his fam-ily’s Japanese history.

As part of that growinginterest, he started lookinginto swords that could have belonged to his grandfather as well tradi-tional Japanese swords ingeneral. Nii has been col-lecting and learning aboutswords ever since.

One of the first thingsNii spoke about was swordterminology, specifically“samurai sword” versus“Japanese sword.”

“People use the term‘samurai sword’ a lot be-cause of movies,” he said.“But the samurai prettymuch ceased to exist dur-ing the Meiji Restoration[1868]. Nowadays,Japanese swords are essen-tially works of art.”

Nii also spoke at length about maintaining

Japanese swords. Polishingswords is a highly refinedskill, requiring years ofpractice. Certified polishershave to undergo a 10-yearapprenticeship, versus afive-year apprenticeship forswordmakers. They oftenuse natural whetstones for sharpening, and apetroleum-free clove-basedvegetable oil for polishing.It can be a slow process,and dangerous, he said.

“I ususally cut myselfabout three times whenpolishing a sword,” saidNii.

Polishing is importantfor the upkeep of theswords, which can pick uprust quite easily. To pre-vent rust, swords need tobe oiled at least once amonth.

Japanese sword craftdates back more than 1,500 years. Nii said it is pos-sible to estimate the age ofan antique sword based onits shape and metal compo-sition. The oldest sword inhis collection dates from1436, and still looks new.

Swords are still made inJapan using authentic, tra-ditional methods. Theirmanufacture and sales arestrictly regulated, andswordmakers are limited tomaking three swords amonth. New swords caneasily sell for $40,000 ormore.

When asked why he re-mains fascinated byJapanese swords, Nii said,“It’s in my blood. I want tokeep the family traditionsalive.”

Nii has noticed thatmany people who don’thave roots in Japan arealso interested in theseswords.

“It’s the word ‘samurai,’”he said. “It has a big appealto people.”

JBPHH Libraryhosts swords event

Traditional Japanese swords were on display at JBPHHLibrary on May 16.

• May 26, 11 a.m. to 3p.m., NEX, Tripler ArmyMedical Center.

• May 28, 9 a.m. to 1p.m., Club 14, U.S. CoastGuard Sector Honolulu,Sand Island.

• June 1, 8 a.m. to noon,Marine Aviation LogisticsSquadron 24, building 375,Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

• June 9, 9 a.m. to 1p.m., SEAL Division Team-1 SDVT-1 classrooms.

• June 10, 9 a.m. to 1

p.m., Naval SubmarineSupport Command, 822Clark St. suite 400,JBPHH.

• June 15, 9 a.m. to 1p.m., Camp Smith PollackTheatre, Camp Smith.

• June 16, 9 a.m. to 1p.m., Makalapa Clinic,Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. For more informa-tion, call 433-6699 or433-6148 or emailmichelle.lele@amedd.army.mil.

Blood drives announced