journal 112113

Vol. 25 No. 45 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ November 21, 2013

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 3rd Class

BrandonWilliams-Church

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

On Oct. 29, Naval SupportActivity Bethesda (NSAB)selected its top candidatesfor Blue Jacket, Junior Sail-or, Senior Sailor and Sailorof the Year.

In its second running ofthe program, this year’s can-didates were selected fortheir sustained performancethroughout the year, goingabove and beyond the call ofduty.

After the selection processwas complete, the selectedindividuals credited theirsuccess to hard work, moti-vation, dedication to theirjob and helping other Sailorsreach their full potential.

Senior Sailor of the YearMaster-at-Arms 1st ClassMark L. Collins, operationschief and security depart-ment leading petty officersaid, “The only reason I amselected as senior Sailor ofthe Year is because of mySailors. They are the reasonI am here. I give them guid-ance, leadership, mentorshipand the tools that they needto be successful and in turnthey give me what I needto be successful. So, I makesure that I take care of mySailors to ensure they havewhat they need to be trium-phant in the end.”

Sailor of the Year Per-sonnel Specialist 2nd ClassDeMario J. Stackhouse con-sidered being selected a realhonor. “[This selection] notonly means I am doing whatI am supposed to be doing,but that individuals are see-ing and recognizing it,” saidStackhouse. “At the end ofthe day, I want to be a Sailorthat people can look up to orlook at my career and be in-spired by. My main drive is

to be that image that every-one comes across and saysthey want to be like. I neversettled for average. I did vol-unteer work, college coursesand Navy Knowledge On-line courses even when theyweren’t required. I did morethan what was required toshow how much of a dedi-cated worker I am. I am aSailor 24/7 and I think thateveryone around me knowsand sees that.”

Junior Sailor of the YearMaster-at-Arms 3rd ClassRobert Baker never consid-ered himself to be amongthe best of the best, just ahard worker. “It’s an unbe-lievable honor and a goodfeeling to be called thebest,” said Baker. “My workspeaks for itself. [Seeingwhat other Sailors were do-ing] pushed me to do morevolunteer time and droveme to want to get everyqualification above my paygrade. It made me want toout perform myself daily.”

Blue Jacket of the YearMaster-at-Arms SeamanEric F. Denver, assistantcommand fitness leader(ACFL) for NSAB, said hisselection as one of the topSailors for the command pro-vides motivation and driveto be as hard-working as hissenior enlisted leaders. “I fol-

lowed in my senior enlistedleaders’ shadows,” said Den-ver. “I saw how they got towhere they are and did whatI needed to do to achieve thesame things. I try to be a mo-tivator, get out there and dowhat I have to do to succeed.I try to come in and hustleand do my job so I can bethat stand out, that shiningstar that junior Sailors canalso look up to.”

All of the selected Sailorsof the Year accredited theirfriends and family as the in-spiration for pushing them-selves as far as they couldto be the best at what theydo. Not only was inspirationkey for each of these Sailors’success, but an unparalleledwork ethic and their will-ingness to donate time tovolunteer and give back tothe community helped makethese Sailors candidates fortheir selection.

“My family is a big im-pact on my life,” said Denver.“Seeing my younger brotherexcel gives me more motiva-tion because I am supposedto be his inspiration as hisbig brother. [Looking at]the amount of success mybrother achieved so early inhis career makes me go outand push for that extra mile.ACFL is usually an E-5, E-6billet. I tried to get as much

responsibility as I couldwithout the proper rank.”

Baker noted Master-at-Arms 1st Class Troy Felton,Master-at-Arms 1st ClassGeorge Sangriu and Master-at-Arms 2nd Class John Vau-tour had been there alongthe way pushing him.

Stackhouse credits hisco-workers, his mother andgrand-mother for givinghim encouragement. “Ms.Middleton has pushed meand has not allowed me tosettle. She has always toldme to keep pushing forwardand has been that person to[guide] me. My mother hasalso said never to give upand strive to do your best.Even as a child, my grand-mother embedded in methe desire to never settlefor average. I carry that inme in everything that I do.Sometimes I feel like I’m ona treadmill wanting to stopbut they all keep me going.”

Collins referenced hisleaderships in the past asinspiration but his familycertainly provides key in-spiration for him. His broth-er and father were retiredchiefs in the Navy, but hiswife and son are his motiva-tion every day, at work andat home.

Collins shows his com-mitment through volunteer

hours with the Navy MarineCorps Relief Society as thecommand representative forfund drives. He also volun-teered hours with the Spe-cial Olympics, BaltimoreFire and Police Departmentand with Morale, Welfareand Recreation on base. Col-lins is currently working onreceiving his MBA throughSouthern Illinois Univer-sity.

Denver gave his advice forany Sailor, junior or senior,who strives to be namedSailor of the Year.

“Everyone has their per-sonal lives, everyone hastheir work, but, if you canseparate the two and focuson your job, nothing shouldstop you from achieving yourgoals,” said Denver. “If youcan stay focused and put allyour effort, time and evenyour negative energy intoit, you can mold somethinggreat. Great poets, artistsand athletes, no matter whatthey all were going throughthey focused all their energyand had a goal they wantedto reach. Even if they didn’tland in the stars, they land-ed in the clouds. You have towant it; you have to be hun-gry so you can get what’syours.”

NSAB Selects its Top Sailors of the Year

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd ClassBrandon Williams-Church

Master-at-Arms 1st ClassMark L. Collins

Personnel Specialist2nd Class DeMario J.

StackhouseMaster-at-Arms 3rdClass Robert Baker

Master-at-Arms SeamanEric F. Denver

2 Thursday, November 21, 2013 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appearanceof advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage without re-

gard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap,political affiliation, or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,

prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lowerlevel, Room 41, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-400-2488. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by telephoning 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiActing Public Affairs Officer NSAB: John EppersonPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-400-2488

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton

MC3 Brandon Williams-ChurchMASN April BeazerSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderRyan HunterKatie MolletKatrina Skinner

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan Parde

WRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087WRNMMC Ombudsman VacantNSAB OmbudsmanMichelle Herrera 240-370-5421

Sexual Assault ResponseCoordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Uniformed Services University of the HealthSciences page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Native American Heritage MonthThe Bethesda Multicultural Committee

will host the base National AmericanIndian Heritage Month celebration onWednesday at 11:30 a.m. in the AmericaBuilding atrium. For more informationcall Lt. Irina Roman at 301-319-0177 orHospital Corpsman 1st Class EmmanuelIlfraim at 301-295-2043.

Hearing Clinic HoursThe Hearing Conservation Walk-In

Clinic at Walter Reed Bethesda is openMonday through Thursday from 7 to 11a.m., and Friday from 7 to 10:45 a.m. Theclinic is open afternoons Monday throughWednesday from 1 to 3:30 p.m., and Fridayfrom 1 to 2 p.m. There are no afternoonhours on Thursday. The clinic is in Building7, on the second floor of the Liberty Zone,Room 2143, adjacent to the OccupationalHealth Clinic. The clinic is available toadult patients, active duty and civilian em-ployees in the Noise Medical SurveillanceProgram. Care includes routine hearing ex-ams such as annual PHA (Physical HealthAssessment), periodic, readiness, separa-tion, retirement, commissioning and otherservices. For more information, call 301-295-4665.

Base Parking ChangesThe Navy Exchange parking garage will

turn over to retail only Nov. 30. A newparking garage will open on Nov. 29 and beopen for several colors of parking passes.More information to follow.

Alcoholics Anonymous MeetingAlcoholics Anonymous (AA) meets

Mondays (except for the first Monday of themonth), Wednesdays and Fridays from noonto 12:50 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdaysfrom 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., in Building 8, Room2230 (Chaplain’s Conference Room). Formore information, call 301-503-1210.

Bethesda Notebook

This is the last issueof ‘The Journal’ prior tothe Thanksgiving holi-day. I wish you and yourfamily a very HappyThanksgiving. As wehead in to the holidayseason, please be carefulas you celebrate, travelsafely and have a rea-sonable travel plan. Wewant and need you allsafely back with us fol-lowing the holiday.With your holiday celebration,

please take the time to think aboutand keep in mind those members ofour armed forces, and the civilianswho work alongside to support them,who are deployed and in harm’s way.Remember them and their family inyour thoughts, prayers and celebra-tions. Be thankful for our country,the privileges we have as Americans,and those individuals, like yourself,protecting our right to continue tohave those privileges. As a nation,an armed forces, and individuals,we have very much for which we canand should give thanks. We live inthe greatest nation in the world, andcontinue to be the beacon for free-dom and democracy. This is truly agift, and I am very thankful for it.Our commands and installation

are constantly the center of inter-est because our military and civilianleaders care about our mission, ourtenants and those we serve. Theycare about the patients, our familymembers, the education mission andresearch efforts. Each and every oneof you that do your mission and/orsupport the missions of our tenantsis unique and special. Those outsidethis installation understand the sac-rifices you all make every day, andthey truly believe that you deservethe very best. I am thankful for each

and every one of you andwhat you do every day.I am grateful to you be-cause you do that mis-sion with regularity andcertainty, and you un-derstand the importanceof our mission, yourmission; that missionat hand. You are abouta greater good, and youstrive to provide morethan the minimum, more

than what is expected, more thanwhat is required. I truly appreciateall that you do, and you do amazingthings every day. This is truly a gift,and I am very thankful for it.Our service is inspired by, reliant

upon, and made possible becauseof our family. If our experience issimilar, I can’t imagine being able tofully devote myself to the importantwork we do without my family’s sup-port. We/I have professional prideand doing a good job matters, but ul-timately, I know I am being success-ful when my family tells me they areproud of what I do and that it makesa difference. That makes it all worthit to me.You and your family have made,

and continue to make, sacrificesevery day. For the inspiration andsense of purpose my family providesto me and yours provides to you,please accept my heartfelt gratitude.This is truly a gift, and I am verythankful for it.As you’ve read this column, I hope

that it has helped you think of some-thing of your own that is truly agift, and you are very thankful forit. Happy Thanksgiving! All aheadflank.All ahead flank,Capt. David BitontiNaval Support Activity BethesdaCommanding Officer

Commander’s Column

The Journal Thursday, November 21, 2013 3

By WalterReed Bethesda

Nutrition ServicesDepartment

Walter Reed Bethes-da’s Nutrition ServicesDepartment is pleasedto host the annualThanksgiving holidaymeal on Nov. 28 from11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Staff,visitors and all am-bulatory patients arewelcome to attend. Themeal will be held in thetemporary dining facil-ity in front of the Tower(Building 1) and will

kick off with a tradi-tional holiday blessingfrom the hospital chap-lain.The menu is priced a

la carte and will featureholiday favorites andflavors as follows:Starters: Shrimp

Cock ta i l ( $1 . 75 )and Pumpkin Soup(1.45/$2.00)Entrees: Herb Roast-

ed Turkey with sea-soned gravy ($2.50),Honey Glazed Ham($2.00), and CarvedBeef Top Round ($3.25)Accompaniments :

Autumn Roasted Veg-etables, Green Beanswith Sundried Toma-toes, Whipped SweetPotatoes, Mashed Po-tatoes with Gravy, andHoliday CornbreadDressing all priced at$.70 per serving.Sweet Endings: Pe-

can Pie, Chocolate Lay-er Cake and PumpkinPie each priced at $1.15per serving. Homemadepumpkin cheesecake isavailable for $2.00 perserving.Guest trays will be

available for family

and friends who wishto have Thanksgivinglunch with their inpa-tient loved ones. OnThanksgiving morning,guest trays can be pur-chased and menu selec-tions made for deliveryto the ward at a cost of$7.00 per meal. Pay-ments will be taken atCafé 8901 Express (ki-osk) from 8 to 10 a.m.Meals will be deliveredwith their family mem-bers’ tray through roomservice ambassadors.

Café 8901 Rings in the Holiday Season

Courtesy photo

Christmas Tree, Carols BrightenHoliday Spirit

Photo by Ryan Hunter

Members of the Public Health Service Chorus Ensemble singcarols in the Navy Exchange after the first annual lighting ofthe Christmas tree Tuesday.

1040993


By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

It’s Army versusNavy again, but not onthe gridiron. Instead,this challenge is takingplace in blood donationcenters across the Na-tional Capital Region,as Soldiers and Sailorsvie for bragging rightsin who can donate themost blood units to theArmed Services BloodProgram (ASBP).

“The challenge is allabout fun and good,clean competition,”explained VictoriaFernette, ASBP pub-lic affairs specialist/recruiter. “It is donein conjunction withthe much-anticipated

Army-Navy Footballgame on Dec. 14 inPhiladelphia. Hav-ing fun and compet-ing for bragging rightsand the trophy setsthe ground work forthe real reason — col-lecting enough bloodto meet the needs ofour military members,their dependents andveterans. Over the hol-idays when collectionstend to drop off, theneed is just as strong.”

This is the thirdyear for the friendlycompetition, dubbedArmy-Navy Blood Do-nor Challenge, TheTradition of ChallengeMeets the Challengeof Life. “The Navy haswon the first two years.

However, the Army lo-cations such as JointBase Myer-Henderson

Hall (Va.) have directorders from their com-mand to bring homethat trophy this year,”Fernette said. She add-ed, the first year, a to-tal of 700 units of bloodwas collected, and lastyear, 1,100 units werecollected.

In addition to WalterReed National Mili-tary Medical Center(WRNMMC) and JointBase Myer-HendersonHall, other participat-ing units include FortBelvoir CommunityHospital; the Washing-ton Navy Yard, D.C.;Fort George G. Meade,Md.; Aberdeen ProvingGround, Aberdeen, Md.;and Army EdgewoodChemical BiologicalCenter, Edgewood, Md.

“The overall winneris awarded the crystalblood drop trophy dur-ing the football game,on the field, viewed byall,” Fernette said. Asecond level trophy isawarded to the Navylocation and Army lo-cation that has the

greatest participation.Those who can par-

ticipate in the chal-lenge include per-sonnel on militarybases and on federalproperties around theGreater WashingtonD.C. area, Fernette ex-plained.

“Donations are ac-cepted by military, de-pendents, civilian andcontract workers. Any-one who has the properidentification to gainaccess to the facilitycan donate.” She addedcivilians and servicesmembers who aren’tArmy or Navy, maychoose which “team”they want their dona-tion to go to during thefriendly competition.

“There are two op-portunities to donatehere at [Naval Sup-port Activity Bethes-da] — Friday, Nov. 22,from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.at the Uniformed Ser-vices University ofthe Health Sciences(USU), and Tuesday,Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. to

2 p.m. in the hospi-tal (Building 9), mainlevel.”

“The ASBP is veryproud to sponsor thisannual event,” Fern-ette said. “The chal-lenge creates aware-ness of our programand our mission. With-out the support frommil i tary membersand civilians alike wewould not be able totake care of your ser-vice members downrange and in recovery.”

She added all donorswill receive the choiceof a 2013 Army-NavyBlood Donor Chal-lenge t-shirt or eventmug.

Appointments canbe made on ASBP web-site at www.military-donor.com, search forthe location by dateor sponsor code. TheWRNMMC code isNNMC. For more in-formation, people cancontact Fernette [email protected], or call 301-295-2019.

Services in Friendly Competition to ‘Meet the Challenge of Life’

Photo courtesy of Armed Services Blood Program

Marine Cpl. Garrett J. Carnes from the Wounded Warrior Battalion East accepts the tro-phy for the 2012 Army-Navy Blood Donor Challenge on behalf of the U.S. Navy from AirForce Col. Richard McBride, director of the Armed Services Blood Program, during theArmy-Navy football game last year.

Graphic courtesy of Armed Services Blood Program

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.01040182




Researchers fromacross the NationalCapital Region (NCR)gave an overview oftheir ongoing studiesduring the Fall 2013Research Summit atWalter Reed Bethesdarecently.Pro jects ranged

from the physiologicalmeasures of traumaticbrain injury (TBI) toassessing the safetyand function of sen-sors implanted in theupper extremities ofamputees for prosthet-ic control, all intent onimproving health carefor wounded warriorsand others.The research sum-

mit at Walter Reed Na-tional Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC)is held every fall andspring to present anddiscuss investigativework, as well as pro-vide opportunities forcollaboration amongresearchers, explainedArmy Lt. Col. MollyKlote, chief of the De-partment of ResearchPrograms (DRP) atWRNMMC, whichsponsors the summit.“There’s a lot of re-

search going on in theNational Capital Re-gion. We want to tapinto it to make oppor-tunities available toboth researchers atthis institution, andfor external research-ers to come in andsee some of the workwe’re doing in orderto develop synergiesand piggyback off ofone another’s efforts,”Klote said.“Our main mission

is to advance researchwithin this institutionand within the NCR,”Klote continued. “Wehave great partner-ships with Fort BelvoirCommunity Hospital(FBCH) and the JointPathology Center.” Sheadded there’s also a“state-of-the-art” bio-medical research labo-ratory at WRNMMC,

which enhances in-vestigative efforts ofWalter Reed Bethesdastaff and collaborators.Dr. Dominic Nathan

kicked off the summitdiscussing his workwith physiologicalmeasures of TBI andthe Integrated Neu-ropsychiatric Assess-ment System (INAS).As a research biomedi-cal engineer with theTBI Research Programin the Department ofMilitary and Emer-gency Medicine at theUniformed ServicesUniversity (USU), Na-than oversees the dataanalysis proceduresand all data handlingfor the program.“The goal of [INAS]

is not just to diagnoseor identify individu-als who have mild TBI,but also identify thoseindividuals who areat risk of developingsymptoms and lateronset [of mild TBI],”Nathan said.Another program in-

volved in TBI research,the Center for Neuro-science and Regenera-tive Medicine (CNRM),is a collaborative ef-fort between USU, theNational Institutes ofHealth and WRNMMC.CNRM Director, Dr.Regina Armstrong, dis-cussed the work of the

program, which puts“special focus on mili-tary relevant injuriesto maximize recovery.”“We have more than

200 different projectsongoing or completed,”Armstrong said. Sheexplained studies in-volve “diagnostic torecovery and repair”of TBI. She added be-cause of the complexi-ties of TBI, includingthe extent of injuriesand predictors of whowill fully recover andwho will have chronicchallenges, the CNRMis involved in the re-search of “novel treat-ments and regenera-tive strategies.” Sheexplained the programis also working withthe National FootballLeague in TBI re-search with focus onprevention and treat-ment.Dr. Sarah de la

Motte, assistant re-search professor inthe Injury PreventionResearch Laboratoryat USU, also discussedher work at the sum-mit. The certified ath-letic trainer explainedthe lab’s research fo-cuses on the predic-tion and preventionof musculoskeletalinjuries for trainingand deployed troops.“Failure of physical

resiliency” is how shedefined musculoskel-etal injury, and “ev-ery war fighter needsphysical resiliency. We

would like to prevent[its failure].”“Muscu l o ske l e ta l

injury is the largestcause of lost duty andone of the most expen-sive problems that ourwar fighters face,” dela Motte said. “In 2010alone, there were 1.6million medical en-counters [because ofmusculoskeletal inju-ries] each costing morethan $100,000. Mostof that is preventable,and we’re focused onthings that we can lookto change to preventthese kinds of injuriesfrom happening.”In line with that,

Army Captains (Doc-tors) Bradley Havinsand Donald Chaffee,third year familymedicine residents atFBCH, gave an over-view of their ongoingresearch concerningminimalist footwear

in runners. Chaffee, anavid runner who hascompleted multiplemarathons in minimal-ist shoes, explained themedical relevance oftheir study, saying, “Inprimary care for a lotof different conditions,we’re constantly tell-ing our patients to bemore active. Figuringout the best way forthem to be more ac-tive and avoid injury isvery important in ourclinical study.”Also at the summit,

Army Capt. (Dr.) Mat-thew W. Miller gavean overview of the re-search he is co-inves-tigating with a medi-cal team that includesretired Army Col. (Dr.)Paul Pasquina, assess-ing “safety and func-tionality of implant-able myoelectric sen-

Warrior Care MonthResearch Summit Highlights Ongoing Projects Benefitting Patient Care

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Army Captains (Doctors) Bradley Havins and Donald Chaffee pres-ent their ongoing research project concerning minimalist footwearduring the Department of Research Programs Fall 2013 ResearchSummit on Oct. 29 at Walter Reed Bethesda.

See SUMMIT page 10

01040828


By Ryan HunterNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Construction sites may bea common occurrence at Na-val Support Activity Bethes-da (NSAB), but soon base res-idents will reap the rewardsof their patience as the NSABRecreational Facility opens tothe public this winter.The new park, located on

the east side of campus alongPerimeter Road, will offer avariety of outdoor activitiesavailable free of charge tobase residents and staff.“The biggest attraction of

the park is the multipurposesports field,” said Cmdr. BurrVogel, public works officer forNaval Facilities EngineeringCommand.The 64,000 squarefoot area is lined with artifi-cial turf and built with natu-ral drainage to a nearby wa-ter reservoir; this makes thefield ideal for use in all sea-sons and types of weather. Al-though there are soccer goalsat both ends of the field, thearea is also marked for foot-ball and lacrosse.Before the redesign, the

original softball field locatednear the Uniformed ServicesUniversity of the Health Sci-

ences was, “hilly and choppy,”said Vogel. This is not thecase with the brand new soft-ball field, which is smoothand covered with natural sod.The playing field also benefitsfrom new bleachers and fenc-es, as well as an electronicscoreboard.Exercise equipment will

be plentiful in the park,said Project Manager andConstruction Manager, Ens.Hadi Mirsadeghi. “Therewill be five small exercisestations and a larger work-out area. These areas willhave many pieces of athleticequipment, including: a par-allel bar, leg press, chin lift,vertical press, chest press,rowing machine, recline bike,horizontal ladder, twist sta-tion, sit up benches, weightlift station, spring balancebeam,” and many more.The entire park will be ac-

cessible by a trail, approxi-mately 3.5 miles in length.The paved path is designedfor cyclists and runners but,like every other path in thepark, will also be handi-capped accessible in compli-ance with the American Dis-ability Act.Some of the other facili-

ties available in the park will

include: a concession stand,additional parking spaces,an enclosed basketball court,an all sand volleyball court,horseshoe pit, playground andtwo picnic pavilions equippedwith brick barbecue pits.The project is part of the

Base Realignment and Clo-sure (BRAC) initiative, thesame 2005 law that closedthe former Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center. Of the $20million reserved from the ini-tiative designated to increaserecreational opportunities,accessibility and safety atNSAB, $5 million was usedin construction of the NSABrecreational facility.“Before BRAC we didn’t

really have anyone that livedhere,” said Vogel. “[It cre-ated] this huge populationof people on base and wehad no community activitiesand limited recreational ac-tivities, besides the gym andthe pool. So, we really put abig push through the projectplanning, design and con-struction effort to make theplace feel a little bit morelike a home.”According to Mirsadeghi,

base residents and staff havebeen anticipating the park’sopening for quite some time.“We occasionally see peopletrying to sneak onto the fieldand go for a run. They’re justso excited to see this project

completed. We can’t wait tofinish up and turn it over. It’llbe a great place for everyone.”As the park reaches its

tentative completion date onDec. 1, Vogel hinted at otherbase projects near comple-tion at NSAB. “Just wait un-til the spring when we finishthe new barracks (Sanctu-ary Hall). The USO facilitiesare also scheduled to finisharound the same time, sinceMar. 31 is their grand open-ing. The character of thatside of the campus will reallytransform from being a lostcorner of the base, to beingcentral for the communityand recreation.”

Installation Recreational Facility Nears Completion


“In the spring the sod will grow to look lush andgreen,” said Project Manager and Construction Man-ager, Ens. Hadi Mirsadeghi as he stands near the newrecreational facility’s softball field.


Although there are soccer goalposts situated on ei-ther end of the artificial turf field, it was designedand marked to be used for multiple sports. The whitelines are yard marks for football, the yellow lines forsoccer and the blue lines are for lacrosse.

Courtesy Graphic

The concept plans for the new recreation facility. This map is not accurate to thefinished design of the area, but shows the accurate location of the softball field,multipurpose field, basketball court and many other park attractions.


By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 2nd ClassJohn K. Hamilton

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

Started in 1904, the Navy MarineCorps Relief Society (NMCRS) wasestablished to provide assistance towidows and orphans of fallen Sail-ors and Marines.

However, over the years, it hasbecome an institution that helps ac-tive duty service members, retireesand their families in times of finan-cial need.

“The mission, vision and guidingprinciples of the society include ed-ucating Sailors and Marines finan-cially,” said Gillian Connon, NavalSupport Activity Bethesda NMCRSdirector. “We want service membersto walk out of here with a workablespending plan so that they knowwhat’s coming in and what’s go-ing out. If we are able to create amore fiscally responsible Sailor orMarine, then we add to force readi-ness. This helps the service mem-ber when he or she is deployed sothey aren’t worried about the homefront, because they know they leftthe financial part of their life onfirm grounding.”

The NMCRS can provide emer-gency loans, and sometimes grants,

for basic living expenses. This in-cludes rent, gas to get to and fromwork, food and utilities. They alsoprovide assistance for emergencyleave, car repairs and much more.

“We offer a ‘Budget for Baby’class and the nice thing about doingthat here at Naval Support Activ-ity Bethesda is because we offer itto every service,” said Connon. “Aslong as you are active duty or re-tired, you can come and learn how ababy is going to affect your budget.

“Getting assistance is prettyeasy,” Connon added. “We takewalk-ins and nine times out of ten

we can see [the service member]right away. We also take phone ap-pointments, which makes it easierto set up a time for them when Iknow there is a certain case work-er available to handle their case.For emergency leave, people canwalk right in and we will put otherthings on the back burner to putthem on a plane that same day andget them home for that emergency,if possible.”

While the society can’t provideloans for holiday spending they canpoint service members in the rightdirection.

“Christmas presents, Christmastravel, regular leave, buying wantsand needs is not in our policy, butwe can sit down and show you howyou can afford these things in yourbudget,” said Connon. “We can also[suggest] other options to help youwith your spending.”

Chris Tatum, NMCRS volunteerand prior service member, said hewished he knew about the programwhen he was in the military. Ta-tum said, “It’s a great program thathelps a lot of people and does greatthings for the community as well.”

The society provides assistancewith the help of a large volunteerpresence.

“For every one staff memberthere are four volunteers [here atNSAB],” said Tatum. “I became avolunteer when I got injured onthe job. There was a program calledRight Care Day One, which allowedme to work while I was recoveringat a non-profit organization. SinceI’m prior military, they offered meeither the American Red Cross orNMCRS and I chose NMCRS. Now,that I’m finished with my recovery,I still volunteer.”

For more information about theNMCRS or if you are in need of as-sistance, contact Connon at 301-295-1207.

NMCRS: Educating Sailors and Marines to be Financially Fit

By Cat DeBinderWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Congratulations go out to Da-vid Rohrbaugh, a pharmacist atWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC) forwinning the 2013 Janet B. HunterAward.

The Hunter Award is an Armyhonor earned by a civilian phar-macist and awarded at the AnnualJoint Forces Pharmacy Seminar.Nearly 700 civilian pharmacistsworking at military treatment fa-cilities worldwide are eligible tobe considered for the award.

Rohrbaugh, who is also theelected WRNMMC civilian repre-sentative to the board of directors,said the award is given to thosewho “are not sitting back andwaiting, but seeing challenges andembracing opportunities to createsolutions.”

“It was definitely unexpectedand I’m greatly appreciative of thehonor,” he added.

Army Col. Laurel Fields, headof the pharmacy department atWRNMMC, nominated Rohrbaughfor the award. She said Rohrbaugh,a 10-year Department of Defensecivilian employee, “has continuedto excel and accept positions withincreasing responsibility.”

“David is a consummate profes-sional and leader who serves as arole model for others to emulate,”Fields continued. “His dedicationand professionalism are unparal-leled and he is an integral memberof the pharmacy team,” she said.

Fields said Rohrbaugh has beenresponsible for evaluating andimproving the Sole Provider Pro-gram, creating templates, a train-ing program, and user-friendly or-ganized files.

“Additionally, he has been cham-pioning the enhancement and de-velopment of a share point site asthe base of operation to ensurebetter documentation, tracking,and efficiency within the pharma-cy,” Fields said.

“David has also had the oppor-

tunity to be a lead pharmacist,and intricately involved in phar-macy’s strategic planning groups,”Fields continued. “[He] is dedi-cated to ensuring the success ofthis program and to providing thebest management of care for ourwarriors and their families,” sheadded.

Army Col. John Spain, the for-mer WRNMMC deputy commanderfor clinical support and currentlythe pharmacy program managerand consultant to the Army Sur-geon General, said of Rohrbaugh,“This award is due recognition ofmany years of dedicated service.”

The colonel said Rohrbaugh al-ways impressed him as an “infor-mal leader who eagerly sought outopportunities to improve the ser-vice we provided our patients.

“He serves as a great examplethat demonstrates each individu-al in the organization can makea difference,” Spain said. “His ac-tions reflect the very meaning be-hind the phrase, ‘What I do Mat-ters,’” he added.

WRB Pharmacist Receives Distinguished Award

Photo by Katrina Skinner

David Rohrbaugh, a pharmacistat Walter Reed Bethesda, re-cently earned the 2013 Janet B.Hunter Award, an Army honorearned by a civilian pharmacistawarded at the Annual JointForces Pharmacy Seminar.

Courtesy Graphic


By Ryan HunterNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Healing is a fulltime job, and for manywounded warriors atNaval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB) pre-paring for a civilian ca-reer while in recoverycan be tough. However,Jennifer Anderson, ateam leader for Opera-tion Warfighter (OWF)believes “you can pre-pare for a career withour help.”

On Nov. 13, OWF, aliaison between federalagencies and wounded,ill or injured servicemembers looking totransition into the civil-ian job market, held theOWF outreach eventcareer fair. More thana dozen federal govern-ment agencies look-ing to provide servicemembers with on sitejob training through in-ternship positions ap-peared at the event.

Many of the intern-ships are “custom tai-lored to meet woundedwarrior interests,”

said Chris Durachka,associate chief of thesoftware division atNASA’s Goddard Space

Flight Center. “If aservice member wantsto look into computersecurity, we’ll talk toour security team anddevelop an internshipspecifically for them.The point of it is to seewhat they really wantto pursue and bridgethat gap.”

According to An-derson, unlike mostprivate business in-ternships, these posi-tions are flexible anddesigned to meet thedemanding needs of aservice member’s re-covery. “It might justbe a 10 hour a weekpart-time position, orit could be up to 40hours if their medi-cal appointments arefewer and further be-tween. Every case isdifferent. It’s not acookie cutter type ofopportunity.”

“Once someone com-pletes [their intern-ship with] OWF and iswithin approximately90 days of separating[from the military,] Iget their resume,” saidEd Cody, the nationalcapital region coordi-nator for The Office ofWarrior Care Policy’sEducation and Em-ployment Initiative(E2I).

“I connect them toorganizations thatI know are lookingfor people with theirskills.”

E2I works directlywith OWF and many ofthe federal agencies tosecure jobs for servicemembers, often at thesame location wherethey are completingtheir internship. Po-sitions aren’t guaran-teed, but are favorableif agencies have vacan-cies and are looking tofill them. “[Employ-ers] who have alreadyhad the opportunityto work with our guysthrough this intern-ship for six months ormore know what theycan do,” said Cody.

Even if it’s not pos-sible for a disabledservice member to findpaid employment atthe same place wherethey’ve worked as anintern, the E2I canhelp turn their expe-rience into a sustain-able career.

“We’re connectedwith all the federalagencies, major cor-porations and a lot ofother smaller corpora-tions who are intentupon hiring veteransand understand thevalue of having veter-

ans on their staff,” saidCody.

“Disabled veteransare high on the list ofa lot of organizationsand there is a lot ofsupport to find oppor-tunities for them in ca-reer oriented jobs, notjust stocking cans atyour local store.”

Many of the wound-ed warriors involvedin the internship andemployment programsare at least 30 per-cent disabled and thisfactor does not workagainst them. All ofthe federal agenciesand private companiesattending the OWFoutreach event havefacilities designed tomeet the Americanswith Disabilities Actguidelines. Accordingto Cody, these organi-zations also, “use pref-erential hiring author-ities to bring [disabled]individuals on the pay-roll without competi-tion.”

“We’ve had probably30 interns over the last3 or 4 years [at God-dard],” said Durachka.“Our [career employ-ment] placement re-cord [for interns] isabout 10 percent, butwe easily offer morethan 30 percent of ourinterns jobs. A lot ofthem go back to schoolusing their G.I. Bill ordecide to go into a dif-ferent area.”

Staff Sgt. AlejandroJauregui, supports theprogram and believesit, “provides a great op-portunity,” for him andhis fellow woundedwarriors.

“It’ll get you set upfor your future. I’vebeen in the militarysince high school andI know it will, at thevery least, help buildup my resume,” saidJauregui.

The next OWF out-reach event is tenta-tively scheduled forJan. 15 in the Build-ing 17 lobby. To findout more informationabout the program con-tact Jennifer Andersonat 703-428-7517 or viaemail at [email protected]

Outreach Event Prepares Wounded Warriors for Civilian Careers


Sgt. Franz Walkup and his wife speak to representatives from the Selective Services Sys-tem during the Operation Warfighter outreach event. The next career fair is scheduledfor Dec. 5.

01040183




Walter Reed Bethes-da Chief of Staff, NavyCapt. Sarah Martin,briefed medical centerstaff members last week“on the way ahead” forthe nation’s largest jointmilitary medical center,discussing the StrategicPlan and issues leader-ship will be focusing onin the coming months.

She said the visionand mission for WalterReed National Mili-tary Medical Center(WRNMMC) have notchanged since they wereestablished not longafter the former Wal-ter Reed Army MedicalCenter and former Na-tional Naval MedicalCenter integrated inSeptember 2011, form-ing WRNMMC.

The vision statesWRNMMC “creates ex-traordinary experiencesfor patients, familiesand staff while driv-ing tomorrow’s health-care advances.” TheWRNMMC mission is to“lead military medicinethrough outstandingpatient-centered care,innovation and excel-lence in education andresearch,” [and] “providecomprehensive care toprevent disease, restore

health and maximizereadiness, [and being]accountable to patientsand staff, preferred forperformance and ad-mired for service.”

The foundation andpillars upon which thevision and mission arebuilt, “apply to the ini-tiatives we are workingthis coming year,” Mar-tin added.

The foundation of theStrategic Plan are peo-ple and resources, whilethe pillars are serviceexcellence, quality ofcare, research, readi-ness, education and thebusiness of health care.

Discussing the peoplefoundation, Martin saidpriorities will focus on akickoff for a prosperityplan and improved rec-ognition for staff. Shesaid the resources foun-dation priorities includea review of contracts,improving supply/logis-

tics systems and con-tracting processing, andfunding utilization.

The service of excel-lence pillar prioritieswill focus on enhancingcustomer service train-ing, patient and family-centered care, and park-ing concerns for patientsand staff.

Priorities for thequality-of-care pillarinclude expanding onTEAMSTEPPS, an evi-dence-based teamworksystem to improve com-

munication and team-work skills throughoutWRNMMC. In addition,the Clinical LearningEnvironment Review(CLER) program, whichseeks to improve train-ing and quality for thehouse staff, will receiveincreased emphasis.There will also be multi-disciplinary care at thepatient’s bedside, andimproving patient safe-ty reporting, Martin ex-plained.

Regarding the re-

search pillar, Martinsaid priorities will be onthe topic-based scientificreview committee, stra-tegic research plan andthe infrastructure sup-port cell.

Focus within thereadiness pillar will beon the Fit and HealthyForce initiative, and ef-forts will be made to pro-mote worksite wellness,Martin said. “We wantto make sure we are allhealthy, both physicallyand mentally,” she con-

tinued. The Navy cap-tain added WRNMMCwill continue to pursueand strengthen relation-ships with other agen-cies, such as VeteransAffairs and NationalInstitutes of Health, toenhance WRNMMC’sreadiness stature.

The education pillarpriorities will includebirth month trainingupdate, multi-service

WRNMMC Chief of Staff Discusses ‘Way Ahead’ With Staff

Official Navy photo

Capt. Sarah Martin

See AHEAD page 10

1038156

01041150


sors for upper extremity prostheticcontrol in transradial amputees.”He describes the research as “ex-citing and promising,” possiblycapable of benefitting numerouswounded warriors.Miller, a physical medicine physi-

cian, said major limb amputationsas a result of the current conflicts inIraq and Afghanistan has exceeded1,600, with 27 percent being below-the-knee amputations (transtibial),29 percent transfemoral (above-the-knee), 17 percent upper extremityloss, and 26 percent multiple limbloss. He said one of the goals of theirstudy is “optimizing” functions forthose who suffer amputations. Headded while Walter Reed Bethesdahas “the most advanced prostheticdevices in the world, they can stillbe improved.”Miller showed video of a wounded

warrior with an implanted myoelec-tric sensor in his amputated limbwho was able to control his prosthet-ic performing a series of accuracytests, and able to pronate, supinate,flex and extend his fingers, and movehis thumb.

“I’m thankful to have a young, mo-tivated group of patients who are go-ing to return to a high level of func-tion, some in military service, andwho are accepting of the technology,”Miller said. “They are really the onespushing the envelope and allowingus to do these studies.”Explaining another project, USU

associate professor Dr. Teodor-D.Brumeanu, discussed his work withDr. Sofia Casares focusing on devel-opment of fully human antibody-based vaccines.Casares, an investigator at the

Naval Medical Research Center/Wal-ter Reed Army Institute of Researchat Forest Glen, Md., and Brumeanuhave generated humanized mousemodels to develop a “human immunesystem,” with the rationale to over-come the limitation of pre-clinicalanimal models in vaccine study tri-als. The goal is for the “humanizedmice” to develop “a fully functionalhuman immune system able to re-spond upon immunization with hu-man vaccines.”In total, 12 presentations were re-

viewed at the fall research summit.For more information concerning

the Department of Research Pro-grams at Walter Reed Bethesda, callDeborah Murphy at 301-295-8231or email [email protected].

SUMMITContinued from 5

integration of licensed practicalnurses and dialysis courses, localmedical community outreach, Grad-uate Medical Education challengemitigation action and simulationcenter certification.The business of healthcare pillar

initiatives include improving the pa-tient appointment metrics, marketingWRNMMC specialty care throughoutthe region, and placing check-in ki-osks in all clinics. Martin explainedthe initiatives WRNMMC will pur-sue in 2014 were recently discussedamong the medical center’s leadersduring an off-site meeting, wherethe Board of Directors Charter wasreviewed and signed. “We lookedat items and initiatives which willmove the organization forward,” sheexplained, adding a Fiscal Year 2014Mission/People Performance Planwas established. “We also developeda standard methodology for trackingand holding ourselves accountable.”This includes “being good stewards ofthe dollar and of people’s time,” sheadded.The way ahead for Walter Reed

Bethesda in 2014 and beyond, isaligned with the Military HealthSystem (MHS) Quadruple Aim of in-creased readiness, better care, betterhealth and lower cost, Martin said.She added readiness not only

encompasses the ability of ser-vice members to deploy, but alsoWRNMMC’s readiness for patients,

“to make sure they are absolutely inthe best place they can be in order toaccommodate for better care, betterhealth and lower cost.”“Readiness remains our core,” said

Rear Adm. (Dr.) Raquel Bono, direc-tor of the Defense Health Agency’s(DHA) National Capital RegionMedical Directorate (NCR-MD), inexplaining the quadruple aim toWRNMMC staff last month dur-ing a town hall. NCR-MD has au-thority, direction and control overWRNMMC, Fort Belvoir CommunityHospital, the Joint Pathology Centerand other military treatment facili-ties in the area.Bono explained the intent behind

the transforming MHS is “to achievegreater integration of our direct andpurchased healthcare delivery sys-tem to accomplish the quadrupleaim. We will also lead the way inpatient safety and quality manage-ment, and design the NCR market sothat each patient has access to carein the market, regardless of enroll-ment site,” the rear admiral added.Closing out the town hall, Walter

Reed Bethesda Command MasterChief Terry Prince said the Prosper-ity Plan will include a booklet for allWRNMMC staff members “to helpthem set goals for themselves, pro-fessionally, spiritually and in termsof relationships, for the coming year.Hopefully, we get some traction fromthis and it makes the work experi-ence that much better for all of us.“At the end of the day, [WRNMMC

Director] Brig. Gen. Jeffrey B. Clark,really wants us to help each other,”said the command master chief.

AHEADContinued from 9

01041143

RentalTownhomes

Less than 3 miles to WRNMMC

01040921

Featuring: Oversized 2 & 3 Story Townhomes21/2 & 31/2 Baths

3, 4 & 5 Bedrooms . 1,400 to 2,100 Sq. Feet

q Pre-wired for FIOS cable &high-speed internet

q Newly redesigned kitchen& appliances

q Hardwood floors w/inlayq Ceramic tiled bathq 2" Plantation blindsq Cherry finish kitchen cabinetryq Self-cleaning ranges

Included Amenitiesq Side-by-side refrigerator/freezerq Garbage disposalq Stainless steel sinksq Built in Microwaveq Dishwasherq Full-size washer & dryerq Private entry patio w/additional

storage

11300 - 11476 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895 . www.rcptownhomes.com301-949-4466

OneOne MonthMonthOne MonthFREEFREEFREE

Rent on all 4 BR!Rent on all 4 BR!Rent on all 4 BR!Call for Details.Call for Details.Call for Details.

1036301

01040463


journal 112113

Documents

senior sailor ofthe

year accredited theirfriends

arms seamaneric

senior enlistedleaders

selected fortheir

amongthe best

selected sailorsof

junior sailors canalso