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By Donna CipolloniTester staff writer

If you’re a kid who gets ex-cited about science, tech-nology, engineering and

mathematics (STEM), theonly thing cooler than attend-ing a STEM event would behovering 5 inches above it.

Thanks to a team of Na-val Air Systems Command(NAVAIR) engineers and theirhand-built hovercraft, that’sexactly what some of theyoung attendees were ableto do at STEM Day on March15 at the College of SouthernMaryland.

Students in grades 5-8 whoparticipated in the event expe-rienced six hands-on, fun andengaging demonstrations aswell asparticipate in theSTEMcarnival,which consistedof 10different activities—includingthe hovercraft.

“Hands-on activities likethe hovercraft let kids see thescience they learn about [suchas air currents and friction] inaction,” explained Chris Mc-Daniel, crashworthy systemsengineer with NAVAIR’s Hu-man Systems Department(AIR 4.6.6.4).

NAVAIR leadership iden-tified the University of Mary-land Mechanical EngineerCo-op Partnership and itsgraduates working at NavalAir Station Patuxent River asa resource to build the hov-ercraft; and McDaniel, alongwithCoreyGolladay andDan-iel Bonnet answered the call.Todd Jackson, a University ofArizona aerospace engineer,joined shortly thereafter toround out the team.

Beginning with a kit con-taining not much more thanan engine, a propeller and

some screws, the team setabout redesigning and modi-fying the hovercraft to meet

their specific needs.“Sinceweknewkidswould

be riding it, wewanted it to be

very safe,” said Golladay, withNAVAIR’s RangeDepartment,Air Vehicle Modification and

Pax People:Brian JordanPage 2

Women’s HistoryMonthPage 8

NAVFAC EnergyChecklist0

VOLUME 71, No. 12 Celebrating 70 Years of Community Partnership March 27, 2014

TESTERNaval Air Station Patuxent River

Courtesy photo

A student is about to pilot a hovercraft during a STEM (science, technology, engineering andmathematics) Day eventMarch 15 at the College of SouthernMaryland. Built by volunteer NavalAir SystemsCommand engineers, the hovercraft was a popular demonstration with the 5th- to8th-grade event participants.

Visual Learning: Participants see science in action with hands-on activities

HovercraftspecificationsPayload:Up to 125 poundswithout a ballastSpeed:5-10 mphHover height:5 inchesLength:5 feetWidth:3 feetEngine:6 horsepower (gas)Construction:Fiberglass,high-density foamand plywood

See Students, Page 11

U.S. Navy photo/ MC2 Kenneth Abbate

Yeoman 1st Class Rollis Talalemotu, Naval Air Station Patuxent River command administrationoffice, joins students in grades 3-5 during the “Read with a Hero” event March 20 at Lexington ParkElementary School. Talalemotu was one of dozens of volunteers who participated in the event,sponsored by the installation’s Personal Excellence Partnership program, known as PEP,and St. Mary’s County Public Schools.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The Navy’s Personal Excellence Partnership (PEP) program fosters a col-laborative partnership with nationwide organizations to assist schools andyouth-related groups in strengthening educational opportunities.

So far this year, PEP volunteers from Naval Air Station Patuxent Riverhave logged nearly 100 hours in tri-county area schools participating in andjudging science fairs, reading to students and attending lunch with studentsas a mentor or role model.

GET INVOLVED

The most common requests from schools are for large-event participationwhere additional staff is needed, such as science fairs or career days. There arealso smaller, more regular requests, for reading, such as “Read with a Hero,”book fairs and lunch buddies.

Requests are normally sent to the air station’s School Liaison Officer, DawnSimpson, or the PEP Coordinator, Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey Bucklin. Eventinformation is then passed to the workforce via emails and flyers.

Contact Bucklin at 301-342-3201 or Simpson at 301-757-1871.

NAVAIR engineers have kids floating on air

STUDENTS ‘READ WITH A HERO’Pax River volunteers strive to develop youth to their fullest potential with PEP


Beginning Tuesday, in-person walk-in services atthe TRICARE Service Cen-ter in the Patuxent RiverNaval Health Clinic, alongwith all other stateside lo-cations, are no longer pro-vided.

The closure of these of-fices, 189 in all, was an-nounced by Pentagon offi-cials in January.

“The change will not —let me repeat that — willnot affect any TRICAREmedical benefit or healthcare service,” said Penta-gon spokesman Army Col.

Steve Warren during a newsconference earlier this year.

Not only will this changesave the Defense Depart-ment about $50 million ayear, which Warren said al-lows TRICARE to invest intoother services.

Health Net reports thatthe TRICARE Service Cen-ter at Pax River assistsroughly 800 walk-ins permonth who have mainlyadministrative questionssuch as in- and out-pro-

cessing, requests to changeprimary care providers andbilling.

“Everything that pa-tients do right now in per-son will be available on-line,” said Cmdr. Alison

Faith, director for health-care business at the PaxRiver clinic. “They can

enroll, file a claim, checka claim, view referrals andfind or change a doctor.”


Brian Jordan wants tohelp people suffering

from digital amputation orbirth defects, and he wantsto do it for free.

Not long ago, Jordanlost a few fingers of his ownin an unfortunate encoun-ter with a table saw.

“My son and I werebuilding a boat and, appar-ently, the saw had a short,”said Jordan, a former E-6Mercury aviator, currentlyworking as a contractorwith Air Test and Evalu-ation Squadron (VX) 1 atNaval Air Station Patux-ent River. “I picked it up;it startled me when it wenton and it cut my fingersoff.”

Gone were the tips of hisindex and middle fingers,as well as his thumb.

“They used the tip of theindex finger to attach to mymiddle finger because thatis the more important fin-ger for gripping, but move-ment is still limited,” heexplained.

Even with physical ther-apy, Jordan found simplethings difficult to accom-plish.

“The toughest thing wasbuttoning my own shirtand jacket,” he said. “Andgoing to an ATM machinewas difficult because Icouldn’t properly grip thecard to insert it. I wantedto be able to type on mycomputer and pick thingsup. I wanted to be dexter-ous, but I wasn’t.”

Jordan soon learnedthat companies offering

prosthetics are few and farbetween and those that doexist are expensive.

His lack of dexteritywasn’t acceptable to him,so his wife, Donna, toldhim to design his own pros-thetic finger.

Her suggestion wasn’tall that far-fetched, as Jor-dan — an engineer by tradewith a degree in physicsand mathematics — hasbeen developing productsfor more than 30 years andholds 13 different patents.

A few of his inven-tions include a new ma-

terial used to secure rib-bons, name tags and collardevices to uniforms andclothing; a nontoxic, mul-tisurface kitchen and airsanitizer; a bullet-, flame-and shock-proof plasticthat can be molded intovarious shapes and thick-nesses; and a fun gun thatshoots blasts of air over adistance of 40 feet.

“I started to think abouthow to copy the movementof a finger,” he said.

In the garage that dou-bles as his laboratory, Jor-dan got to work using ma-

terials he had around thehouse and soon had a roughworkable prototype thathe’s able to wear himself.

“The finger top is foamcovered with resin,” hesaid, “and the other piece isPVC piping. The metal thatholds it on is actually froma coat hanger.”

This simple device givesJordan the dexterity need-ed to work buttons, typeand pick things up. He cangrasp items, including a

2 Thursday, March 27, 2014Tester

Hometown:Newport News, Va.Years in Navy:12 years active duty, five years ReserveYears with Air Test andEvaluation Squadron (VX) 1:ThreeMost successful invention:The Airzooka with thousands per year inworldwide sales.Future endeavors:A flying platform — imagine a hoveringSegway — and a bullet- and flame-proofplastic; currently being tested.Philosophy:“Do as much as you can with no regrets, youdon’t want to be up in age wondering aboutthe things you could have done.”

U.S.Navy photo/Donna Cipolloni

Brian Jordan, former E-6 Mercury aviator who currently works at Air Test and Evaluation Squad-ron (VX) 1, grasps a single piece of paper with the rough prototype of the prosthetic finger hedesigned for himself. Jordan plans to further develop the finger and offer the product free to indi-viduals living with digital amputation or birth defects.

Pax People: Brian Jordan‘Necessity is the mother of invention’

U.S. Navy photo/Connie Hempel

With in-person services set to end Tuesday, beneficiaries canturn to its other sources to conduct business, such as the TRI-CARE website, www.tricare.mil.

TRICARE services go virtual next weekWalk-in centers becomea thing of the past

STAY CONNECTEDOnline: www.tricare.milWeb enrollment:www.tricare.mil/bwe.Telephone assistance:877-TRICARE (874-2273).

See Jordan, Page 13

On base:Mandatory CounterintelligenceAwareness Briefs

9 a.m. to 1 p.m., MondayBuilding 2109Eagle’s Nest Conference Room

These NCIS briefs are man-datory annual training for allDepartment of Navy militaryand civilian personnel. Each briefis 50 minutes in duration andbegins every hour on the hour.

NFAAS Information UpdateDeadline Monday

Every Sailor, active andReserve, is required to updatetheir personal informationin the Navy Family Account-ability and Assessment System(NFAAS) twice a year. Thiscycle of information update endsMonday. Although this require-ment is only mandatory for Navymilitary personnel, all Navycivilians are encouraged to dothe same. The Navy uses NFAASto account for personnel andtheir families during widespreadnatural and manmade disasters.Log on to NFAAS by Monday toupdate your personal informa-tion. Visit https://navyfamily.navy.mil, click on “My Info” tabat the top, “Contact Information”

on the left, and then select either“Verify info as current” or “Editcontact info.” If all information iscorrect, you must select “Verifyinfo as current.”

Navy Patuxent Sail ClubOpen House

Noon to 3 p.m., April 12NAS Patuxent River West BasinMarina

Navy Patuxent Sail ClubAnnual Open House is open toanyone with base access. Noprior sailing experience required.Sponsored by the Morale, Welfareand Recreation program, theevent provides participants anopportunity to become a member,register for American Sailing As-sociation certified sailboat lessonsand to meet old and new sailorsalike. Free hamburgers, hot dogsand sailboat excursions are alsoavailable. Those interested canregister now for club membershipat www.navypaxsail.com.

Beth Israel AnnualPassover Seder

6 p.m., April 15River’s Edge Conference Center

The price is $36 for synagoguemembers, $42 for nonmembers,and $10 for children ages 11 and

younger. For ticket information,email [email protected] April 2.

Where’s Gnorman?Somewhere in this issue we’ve

hidden Gnorman the gnome.Anyone spotting Gnorman canemail [email protected] orphone 301-342-4163 now through5 p.m. Friday, and include a briefdescription of where he’s located.All correct answers are enteredinto a drawing and one nameis chosen to win a Center StageTheater movie ticket. The sameperson cannot win more than onceper month. Last week’s winner wasLisa Smith who found Gnormanon the front page in the Lepre-chaun Leap photo.

Off base:Prekindergarten/Head StartOpen Registration

10 a.m. to 2 p.m., weekdaysMonday through April 11St. Mary’s County Public Schools

This open registration deter-mines Prekindergarten/HeadStart eligibility for school year2014-2015. A child must be 4years old on or before Sept. 1,2014, and come from a familywith an economically disad-

vantaged background. Parentsof children who are 3 yearsold by Sept. 1, 2014, and areeligible for placement into theHead Start Program should alsoregister at the school assignedto their physical address duringthe open enrollment period.For more information aboutthe program and registration,contact Cynthia Kilcoyne at301-475-5511, ext. 32218.

Defense Acquisition UniversitySymposium

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 8Scott Hall, Building 226DAU Ft. Belvoir Campus

Achieving Better AcquisitionOutcomes in Austere Times —Improved Processes, ReducedOverhead.The event offerstraining sessions tied to the BetterBuying Power 2.0 initiatives — thelatest USD(AT&L) policy, prac-tices and techniques that attendeescan take back to the workplace andapply.The training symposiumalso will be available via VTC atmany DAU regional campuses.The forum provides four Continu-ous Learning Points (CLP) forcontinued DOD acquisition certi-fication. For more information andto register, go to www.dauaa.organd click on “Training Events.”

Thursday, March 27, 2014 3Tester

St. Nicholas ChapelService ScheduleCatholic ServicesMass: Sundays at 9 a.m. and

5 p.m. Weekdays at 11:35 a.m.

Continuing Catholic Development (CCD):

Sundays from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Protestant ServicesWorship: Sundays at 11 a.m.

Men’s Discipleship: Sunday, 6-7:30

p.m. at the Religious

Programming Center

Women’s Study: Tuesday,

6:30-8 p.m. and Thursday,

10-11:30 a.m. at the Religious

Programming Center


Susan Zebedies spends about twoweeks a month on the road, but she

wouldn’t have it any other way.As a registered nurse working for

the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’sCombat Casualty Assistance VisitingNurseProgram,Zebedies provides con-fidential, free, in-home visits to SailorsandMarines dealing with life-changinginjuries and conditions related to theircombat service.

“I don’t think I could’ve done any-thing better with my life,” she said.“It’s a calling and I find it personallysatisfying.”

One Nurse Covering Five StatesThe only visiting nurse at Naval Air

Station Patuxent River, Zebedies cov-ers five states — Michigan, Pennsylva-nia, Delaware, New Jersey and parts ofMaryland, including the Pax River area— and has approximately 100 patientsin her care.

“They can become frustrated withtheir lives and their condition and Ihelp them cope with the issues,” she

explained. “I can give them resourceinformation and referrals and try toconnect them with the help they need;teach them the correct way to take theirmedications; answer their questions;organize their meds and discuss theirtreatment plan. I’m not the caregiver,but I can coordinate their care.Thedoc-tor spendsfiveminuteswith them; I canspend hours— and I do, frequently.”

Zebedies either flies or drives to herdestinations and schedules about 10to 12 patient visits within a one weekperiod.

Care Beyond the Service MemberIn addition to the care and health

education Zebedies provides her pa-tients, she also offers emotional supportto their familymembers and caregivers.

“Caretakers can also become frus-trated and overwhelmed,” she said.“Some people lose their jobs becausethey must stay home and care for theirinjured family member. I teach themmethods for relaxing and coping, or Ican tell them about resources availableto them, like a caretaker retreat offeredthrough the Wounded Warrior pro-gram.”

As long as her patients want to con-tinue seeing her, Zebedies will comply.Although she’s beenwithNMCRS since2001, she started with the combat ca-sualty program four years ago and stillhas most of her original patients. She’sin contact with them even if she doesn’tsee themoften.

“I’ll keep them as for as long as theyfeel they need me and I’m able to dosomething about their issues,” she said.

Double DutySince there are not as many veterans

at Pax River, Zebedies does double dutyby serving in the traditional VisitingNurse Program, answering questionsand providing education on a widerangeofhealth topics to Sailors andMa-rines living within a 25-mile radius ofthe installation.

Through that program, Zebediesworks with families to ensure new par-

ents understand the basics of newborncare, check babies’ weights and screenmoms for postpartum depression. Shecan also assist individuals and familiesin adapting to noncombat related in-juries or illness; help retirees maintainindependence or find assistive services;and aid individuals with understandingtheir medications and follow-up careinstructions.

“With traditional visiting nurse, careextends from pregnancy through 105years,” she said.

Earning ConfidenceZebedies has been a nurse for 20

years. She’s a well-educated, highlytrained professional who knows she

must earn the confidence of every pa-tient she sees.

“No matter what has happened tothem, I realize they’ve served theircountry and I always take that respect-ful nature into their homewithme,” shesaid. “And anything I see or discuss iskept in the strictest confidence.”

How to HelpNMCRS is a nonprofit whose ser-

vices depend entirely on donated funds.Anyone wishing to donate to NMCRScan do so online at www.nmcrsfund-drive.org/paxriver; service memberscan donate via allotment.

NMCRS programs provide free in-home health education

NEWS BRIEFS

Combat Casualty Visiting Nurse eligibility:Active-duty, discharged or retired Sailors and Marines who served inIraq or Afghanistan or in a combat zone since 2001.

Traditional Visiting Nurse eligibility:Any active-duty or retired Sailor or Marine, or their family member.Society nurses visit clients of all ages and with any health condition.

FOR MORE INFO:Online: www.nmcrs.org/vnEmail: [email protected] Susan Zebedies at 301-342-4636 office; 760-585-6327 cell;

or email [email protected].

I don’t think I could’ve doneanything better with mylife. It’s a calling and I findit personally satisfying.

Susan Zebedies

Visiting nurse

By offering emotional support to familymembers and caregivers, nurses ensure Sailorsand Marines continue receiving quality care

Commentary byVice Adm.Bill FrenchCommander, NavyInstallations Command

Shipmates, I need your helpand your engagement.

Simply put, we’re using toomuch energy throughout theshore enterprise and we needto make reducing energy one ofour top priorities.

Make no mistake: Energy us-age reduction is a strategic im-perative. Why? Every dollar wespend keeping lights on, pow-ering personal coffee pots andrefrigerators, or putting gas ingovernment vehicles is a dollarthat we can’t spend elsewhereon the shore — pier and runwaymaintenance, [child develop-ment center], base security —or, far more urgently, return tothe fleet for operations — flying,steaming, and training.

We’ve made progress — inthe shore enterprise, we used alot less energy in 2013 than wedid in 2003. We’re also makingprogress in where we get ourenergy; in 2013, we were ableto make or buy a lot of the en-

ergy we used in facilities fromrenewable sources.

That’s encouraging, but westill have more work to do tomeet the SECNAV and CNO’sgoals for reducing energy con-sumption by 2020.

Although we’ve made prog-ress, we have a long way to goand I need your help. This is anall hands effort: Sailor, civilianand contractor; flag officer andseaman alike; spouses and fami-lies — everyone plays a part.

What are we doing?Commander, Naval Installa-

tions Command, in partnershipwith Naval Facilities Command,has invested in highly efficientheating and cooling systems,designing and building energyefficient facilities, special train-ing for energy and facility man-agers, and advanced energymanagement systems. Thosesystems, coupled with smartmeters, give us a snapshot ofhow much energy gets used in agiven building and lets us moni-tor energy use in real time.

Monitoring energy helps us

see whether we’re meeting ourenergy goals, but actually meet-ing those goals is going to takehard work and a significantchange in culture. It’s on bothfronts where we need you ac-tively engaged.

What can you do?We need to turn thermostats

down in the winter and up inthe summer. We need to chargeour personal phones and tabletsat home. We need to unplug allthe personal appliances in of-fices throughout the Navy.

Just like we employ opera-tional risk management whenwe embark on missions, weneed to employ energy risk

management before we plug itin or turn it on.

Another big part of our cul-ture change is engaged leadersand supervisors and a lot of en-gaged innovation at all levels.

Everyone needs to think of— and then implement — theirbest practices and new ideas toreduce energy usage.

Thanks for what you’re doing,stay safe, and remember to thinkabout it before you turn it on!

All classes are heldat the Fleet and Fam-ily Support Centerin Building 2090 offBundy Road unlessotherwise noted.Classes are open toactive-duty, retiredand reserve military.Reservations arenecessary and can bemade at FFSC or bycalling 301-342-4911.

Play Group: 10-11 a.m. Thursdays at Glenn ForestCommunity CenterStress Management: 9-10:30 a.m. todaySAPR Refresher Training: 1-3 p.m. April 31-2-3 Magic: noon to 2 p.m. April 8, 15 and 22Ombudsman Assembly: 6-7:30 p.m. April 8Are You Properly Insured for Life’s Stages:11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 9Suicide Awareness/Prevention: 2:30-3:30 p.m.April 9Infant Massage at Glenn Forest Community Cen-ter: 9-9:45 a.m. April 10 and 17Return and Reunion: 1-4 p.m. April 10

Ready Navy/Operation PrepareGet a free information packet on how to prepare

for any destructive weather and other emergencies atthe Fleet and Family Support Center.

Clinical Counseling ServicesClinical counseling services can directly im-

prove the quality of life of service members andtheir family by addressing the stressors facing to-day’s military: family hardships, marital conflicts,parent/child issues, money concerns, frequentmoves, health and environmental factors, etc.Call 301-342-4911 or 202-685-6019.

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)EFMP is a DOD program that addresses the

special needs of military families. Sailors with anexceptional family member — a family memberwith special needs such as a medical or educationaldisability — are encouraged to enroll in the EFMPso the Navy can do its part in caring for EFM needs.Email James Lettner at [email protected].

Financial Counseling ServicesThe Personal Financial Educator can help indi-

viduals and families in managing their finances,resolving financial problems and to reach long-term goals. Take control of your finances andmake an appointment with a counselor by calling301-342-5442.


Stay up to datewith us onFacebook

Naval Air Station Patuxent River • [email protected] • www.facebook.com/NASPaxRiverThe name Tester is a registered mark in the

state of Maryland.This paper is published by Comprint, Inc., 9030

Comprint Ct., Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, (301) 948-1520, a private firm in no way connected with theU.S. Navy, under exclusive written contract withNaval District Washington.

This commercial enterprise newspaper isan authorized publication for members of themilitary services. Contents of the Tester are notnecessarily the official views of, nor endorsedby the U.S. Government, the Department ofDefense, or the Department of the Navy. Theappearance of advertising in this publication,including inserts or supplements, does not con-stitute endorsement by the Department of De-fense or Southern Maryland Newspapers andPrinting of the products or services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall

be made available for purchase, use, or patron-age without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status, physical handi-cap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit fac-tor of the purchaser, user, or patron. If a violationor rejection of this equal opportunity policy by anadvertiser is confirmed, the publisher shall refuseto print advertising from that source until the viola-tion is corrected.

Editorial content is edited, prepared, andprovided by the Public Affairs Office. News copyshould be submitted by Friday to be consideredfor the following week’s edition. All material is ed-ited for accuracy, brevity, clarity, and conformity toregulations. To inquire about news copy, call 301-342-4163 or fax the Tester at 301-863-9296.

Commercial advertising may be placedwith the publisher by calling 301-862-2111.

Capt. Ben ShevchukCommandingOfficer

Capt. Heidi FlemingExecutive Officer

Cmd. Master ChiefWilliam Lloyd-Owen

CommandMaster Chief

Connie HempelPublic Affairs Officer

Donna CipolloniStaff Writer

Frederick C. FairVolunteer

Breton Helseland

Deirdre ParryCopy/layout editors

See more FFSC classeson Facebook.

FFSC

Make no mistake:Energy usagereduction is astrategic imperative.

Vice Adm. Bill French

Commander,

Navy Installations Command

Reaching energy conservation goalsstarts with leadership, culture change

Watch the video at

http://navylive.dodlive.mil/

?p=25620.

For all MWR news, visit www.cnic.navy.mil/Patuxent and clickon the Fleet and Family Readi-ness tab.

Phone directoryEnergy Zone - 301-995-3869Liberty Center - 301-342-3565River’s Edge - 301-342-3656Customized Creations - 301-342-6293Rassieur Youth Center - 301-342-1694Information,TicketsandTravelOffice-

301-342-3648

NRC SolomonsLearn to Swim Registration

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.April 4: Military only - active,

retired, ReservesApril 5: Military and DODApril 12: Make up and late

registration

Easter Eggstravaganza1-3 p.m. April 19

Come early for the egg hunt andthen join the festivities of bubblemaking, arts and craft activities,picture time with Peter Rabbit,

music and dancing and more.

River’s Edge now Open for lunch11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays

Bald Eagle Pub is now open3-9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday

Happy Hour Specials: 3-6 p.m.Wednesdays and Thursdays

Comics on Dutyat the Flight Deck Lounge

April 3: Appetizer buffet startsat 5:30 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets on sale at the River’sEdge and ITT Office.

ITTHours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays

Location: Building 2655, infront of the drill hall.

Garden PlotsHave you always wanted to

have your own garden but eitherdon’t have the room or the rightconditions at home? Now is yourchance to have your very owngarden plot at Naval Air Station

Patuxent River. Register throughITT Office.

N.Y. City Day TripApril 5

Enjoy New York City inspringtime. Cost: $65; includesbus transportation and snacksonboard.

Call 301-342-3648.

Downton Abbey andWinterthur Mansion Day Trip

April 26Cost: $70.25; includes bus trans-portation and snacks onboard.

Please reserve your seats byApril 16.

Great Wolf Lodge AdventureJune 13-14Order by May 15Sell price: $468

Join the fun at GreatWolf Lodge, featuring a67,000-square-foot, indoorentertainment area with its owngigantic water park. Price in-cludes a suite that sleeps six, six

passes to the water park and $8worth of arcade tokens. Avail-able to all Pax River-eligiblepatrons. Call 301-342-3648.

Drill HallEarth Day 5K in support of SAPR

10 a.m. check-in April 24Register at the Sports and

Fitness Office in the Drill Hall.Everyone registered by April

4 receives a T-shirt on race day;a limited amount of additionalT-shirts are available on therace day.

Energy ZoneBelly Dancing

Register by Monday7-8 p.m. Tuesdays beginningin AprilCost: $60 for eight-week session

Ballroom DancingRegister by Friday6-8 p.m. Thursdays in AprilCost: $48 per person

Zumba KidsRegister by April 145:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays in April

Cost: $40 per child; $20 foradditional sibling of friend

Customized Creations

Third Annual Spring Fling Artsand Crafts Show

April 26Free and open to the public.

Buses are available for thosewithout base access boarding atthe Frank Knox building. Call301-342-6293.


Commentary by Al KanissGuest Contributor

One of the questionssome teachers ask at the be-ginning of a class is: “Are youa learner, a vacationer or aprisoner?” Their intent, ofcourse, is to identify people’smotivation for — and gaugepeople’s interest in — takingthe class.

Some people are thereto learn, some just want tobe away from their job, andothers are there just becausethey have to be.

It’s a shame when peopleanswer anything other than“learner.” Spending time andmoney for a class in whichthe participant doesn’t in-tend to learn anything is usu-ally just a waste of time.

This reminds me of some-thing one of my college pro-fessors told our class: “educa-tion is the only thing that wetry to get as little as we can forour money.”

Indeed, how many stu-dents lament over gettingout early from a class, orhaving it canceled entirely,versus how many rejoice?I think most of the time it’sthe latter. This winter, par-ticularly harsh, would be agood gauge since school wascanceled many days due tobad weather. Certainly, be-

ing interested in the classcan increase learning.

Steve Jobs dropped out ofcollege because he didn’t liketaking the required courseshe wasn’t interested in. Afterhe dropped out, he actuallyhung around the campus andaudited the classes he wasinterested in. One was cal-ligraphy. Jobs credited whathe learned in that class forhaving a major impact on thelarge number of computerfonts we routinely use today.

Making a class interest-ing to the student has manyfacets. First, is the coursesubject. We all just naturallyhave varying interests. Forexample, history is fascinatingto some and boring to others.

Second, is the presenta-tion skill of the instructor.A monotone lecture from amotionless teacher, as well asa teacher who merely readsthe slides, is just not con-ducive to learning. Studentsexpect vocal variety, bodymovement and gestures, andthe use of visual aids.

And third, regular breaksare needed. People’s atten-tion spans aren’t that great,even when the material is in-teresting. Some classes noweven take frequent breaks forstudents to check Facebook.

I often wonder how ef-

fective the critique formsare that are turned in afterthe class. Do they really givean indication of how wellthe material was learned, ormore of the entertainmentability of the speaker?

It would be interestingto survey the students sixmonths or a year later to seewhat from the class they ac-tually remembered and putinto practice.

I heard a statistic that 70percent of what we learn is“on the job,” not via formaleducation. This doesn’t sur-prise me for a few reasons.

First, mentoring is apowerful tool for teaching.Second, when someone isstuck trying to accomplishsomething at work, they arenever more open to learning.Third, you get to apply whatyou learned right away; that’snot always the case when tak-ing a class.

I hope we can use ourtraining resources and peo-ple’s time as effectively as pos-sible, since both are very lim-ited and valuable. We need tomake sure people understandwhy they need to learn some-thing, and not because “it’srequired by statute.”

We also need to makeour training as efficient aspossible. People can readpresentation slides on theirown. What they’re lookingfor are stories and illustra-tions to make the materialunderstandable and “sticky”so they don’t forget it as soonas they leave the class.

As we get busier and bus-ier, and life gets more andmore complicated, we canreally embrace continuous,lifelong learning.

“Mandatory training”should be considered aworthwhile use of our time,not just a duty.

Are you a learner, a vacationer or a prisoner?Naval Air Station Patuxent River leaders present

employees who receive positive feedback and com-ments through the Interactive Customer Evaluationsystem and for going above their normal duty with aBravo Zulu (BZ) award as a token of appreciation fora job well done.

Here is a BZ presented by the Naval Air StationPatuxent River Commanding Officer, Capt. BenShevchuk.

Bravo Zulu award

Courtesy photo

Mark Kalendek, left, Drill Hall; presented March 20.

MWR

Scan to seemore MWR eventson Facebook.

We need to make surepeople understandwhy they need to learnsomething, and notbecause ‘it’s required’ ...

Al Kaniss

Thursday, March 276:30 p.m.,About Last Night

Amodern reimagin-ing of the classic romanticcomedy, this contemporaryversion closely follows newlove for two couples as theyjourney from the bar to thebedroom and are eventu-ally put to the test in thereal world.

(Rated: R; 100 mins.)

Friday, March 286:30 p.m., Non-Stop

During a transatlanticflight from New YorkCity to London, U.S. AirMarshal Bill Marks re-ceives a series of cryptictext messages demand-

ing that he instruct theairline to transfer $150million into an off-shoreaccount. Until he securesthe money, a passengeron his flight will be killedevery 20 minutes.

(Rated PG-13; 107mins.)

9 p.m., Pompeii (3D)Milo, a slave turned

invincible gladiator,finds himself in a raceagainst time to save histrue love Cassia, thebeautiful daughter of awealthy merchant who

has been unwillinglybetrothed to a corruptRoman Senator. AsMount Vesuvius eruptsin a torrent of blazinglava, Milo must fight hisway out of the arena inorder to save his belovedas the once magnifi-cent Pompeii crumblesaround him.

(Rated PG-13; 102mins.)

Saturday, March 294 p.m., The LEGO Movie

The original 3-D com-

puter animated story fol-lows Emmet, an ordinary,rules-following, perfectlyaverage LEGO mini-figure who is mistakenlyidentified as the mostextraordinary personand the key to saving theworld. He is drafted intoa fellowship of strangerson an epic quest to stopan evil tyrant, a jour-ney for which Emmet ishopelessly and hilari-ously underprepared.

(Rated: PG; 94 mins.)6:30 p.m., Pompeii9 p.m., Non-Stop

Sunday, March 302p.m., Free Sneak Preview:Captain America (3D)

First come, firstserve. E-1 to E-4 active-duty military only willhave head of the lineprivileges. devices, in-cluding cell phones, areallowed in the screen-ing. Patrons must leavetheir phones at home orin their car. 3-D glassesare $1 per person. Toavoid this charge, bringyour own 3-D glasses.

Monday and TuesdayNo Movies

Wednesday, April 26:30 p.m., Pompeii


l Movie Line: 301-342-5033l Reservations: 301-342-3648l Ticket Prices: E-1 to E-5 category:adults, $3.50 and youths ages 6-11,$2.50. All others: adults, $4.50;youths ages 6-11, $3.50.

l 3-D glasses: $1

l Authorized ID required for admis-sion

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By Jamie CosgroveProgram Executive OfficeUnmanned Aviationand Strike WeaponsPublic Affairs (PEO(U&W))

The Navy’s MQ-4C Tritoncompleted its initial flight

test phase atNorthropGrum-man’s Palmdale, Calif., facil-ity March 13, bringing theunmanned air system onestep closer to introduction tothe fleet in 2017.

The flight testing, calledInitial Envelope Expansion,is designed to measure theair vehicle’s performanceunder a variety of speedsand altitudes. The com-bined Navy and NorthropGrumman team completedthis phase of testing in 13 ofthe 14 scheduled flights forthe test.

“The system performedexceptionally well dur-ing flight test, which is a

reflection of years of hardwork and dedication by ourteam,” said Capt. Jim Hoke,Triton UAS program man-ager. “Our job is far fromover with fleet deliverystill a few years away, buteach of our team membersshould reflect on how far wehave come and be proud ofthis accomplishment.”

During IEE, the MQ-4C flew a total of 81 hours,reached a maximum alti-tude of 59,950 feet and ex-ecuted 568 data points.

The Triton’s softwareand sensor systems are be-ing tested separately on asurrogate aircraft. This in-cludes a multi-function ar-ray sensor (MFAS), config-ured to function in a mari-time environment.

After testing comple-tion at Palmdale, the teamhas a planned maintenanceperiod to prepare for thesystem’s transition to Na-val Air Station PatuxentRiver. The MQ-4C will takeits first cross-country flightin the June/July timeframe,followed by the second testaircraft shortly after. Sen-sors will be integrated ontoboth aircraft before resum-

ing flight test this summer.As an adjunct to the

manned P-8A aircraft, theTriton will cover more than2.7 million square miles in asingle mission. Its ability toperform 24/7 intelligence,surveillance and reconnais-

sance with a range of 2,000nautical miles will allowP-8A, P-3C and EP-3E air-craft to focus on their coremissions, adding the capa-bility the Navy’s MaritimePatrol and ReconnaissanceForce.

Courtesy photo/ Northrop Grumman

The Navy’s unmanned MQ-4C Triton approaches Northrop Grumman’s flight test facility inPalmdale, Calif., on March 13. This flight completed Triton’s initial flight test phase bringing theunmanned air system one step closer to introduction to the fleet in 2017.

Triton Unmanned Air System completes initial flight test phase

Triton’s mission snapshotAs an adjunct to the P-8A, the MQ-4C Triton willprovide combat information to operational and tacti-cal users such as the Expeditionary Strike Group,Carrier Strike Group and the Joint Forces MaritimeComponent Commander.

MQ-4C Triton will provide intelligence preparationof the environment by providing a more continuoussource of information to maintain the Common Op-erational and Tactical Picture of the maritime battlespace.

Additionally, MQ-4C Triton-collected data posted tothe Global Information Grid will support a variety ofintelligence activities and nodes. In a secondary role,the MQ-4C Triton will also be used alone or in con-junction with other assets to respond to theater-leveloperational or national strategic tasking.

Facts and figuresPrimary Function: Persistent Maritime ISRPropulsion: Rolls-Royce AE3007HEndurance: 30 hoursLength: 47.6 feetWingspan: 130.9 feetHeight: 15.3 feet (4.7 meters)Airspeed: 310 knots (approximately 357 miles perhour)Ceiling: 60,000 feet (18,288 meters)Range: 9,950 nautical miles (18,427 kilometers) maxunrefueled rangeCrew: Four per ground station — air vehicle operator,mission commander/communications, two sensoroperatorsPayloads: Communications relay capability, beyondline of sight and line of sight communications andthe following 360-degree field of regard sensors:Multi-Function Active Sensor Maritime Radar,Electro-Optical/Infrared sensor, AutomaticIdentification System receiver and ElectronicSupport Measures

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By Paula A. PaigeAcquisition ProgramManagement (AIR 1.0)Public Affairs

Calling Susan Whitley alifesaver is more than hy-

perbole.For Whitley, saving lives

and turning around near-ter-minal acquisition programsis part of the job.

As the integrated productteam lead for the MilitaryFlight Operations QualityAssurance (MFOQA) system,a software application thatprovides analysis and visual-ization of flight data, Whitleyis responsible for the overalldesign, development andexecution of the program de-signed to identify potentialhuman error and other fac-tors before they lead to air-craft mishaps.

In 2011, Whitley led theinitiative to create a newbaseline for the challengedMFOQA program when itsgrowth was imposing unac-ceptable life-cycle costs. Sheembraced a new methodol-ogy for the software develop-ment and got “buy-in” fromall stakeholders in the navalaviation community. Nowback on track, MFOQA isscheduled forMilestoneCap-proval this spring, which willpave the way for limited pro-duction and installationof thesoftware on naval computers.

Assistant Commander for

Acquisition Keith Sanders,who oversees the Air CombatElectronics Program Office(PMA-209), where Whitley isassigned, called her perfor-mance the “most impressiveprogram turnaround that Ihave ever seen in my career.She resurrected a programthat was behind schedule,over cost and headed for ter-mination. The Navy will savemillions of dollars that wouldhave been lost if the programhad been canceled.”

Whitley was recentlyhonored with a CopernicusAward for her leadership onthe MFOQA program. Shewill be recognized at a cer-emony May 7 in Chantilly,Va. Managed by the ArmedForces Communications andElectronics Association (AF-CEA) and theU.S. Naval Insti-tute, the award honors indi-vidual contributions to navalwarfare in the disciplines ofcommand, control, com-munications, computers andintelligence (C4I), informa-tion systems and informationwarfare.

Whitley said she is pas-sionate about “breaking thelink” before a naval aircraftmishap or maintenance fail-ure occurs.

“I spent nine years on theGround Proximity WarningSystem/Terrain AwarenessWarning System team in PMA-209 providing a product that

wasproventosave lives. IknowMFOQA is going tomakeasbiga difference as GPWSdid. I likea challenge, and MFOQA hasprovided that in spades. WhenItookover theprogramin2009,thefleetstakeholderswereveryunhappywith the product thatwasbeingdeveloped. Itwasnotmeeting their needs, and I ledthe teamthroughthechallengeof two re-baselines to set therequirements and get the pro-gramona strong foundation.”

As for the award, Whitleysaid it surprised her.

“I certainly did not expectthis,” she said. “My team sub-mitted me, and it is an honorto be recognized by my team,the AFCEA and the U.S. Na-

val Institute for my efforts inturning around the MFOQAprogram. I have read the ac-complishments of some ofthe other winners and amamazed that I am among thisgroup.”

About MFOQA

Initiated in 2005 by theSecretary of Defense to re-duce aircraft mishaps, Mili-tary Flight Operations Qual-ity Assurance (MFOQA) is asoftware application that pro-vides analysis and visualiza-tion of flight data. MFOQA isdesigned to identify potentialhuman error and other causalfactors before they lead to air-

craftmishaps. The tool identi-fies predictive indicators andtrends by analyzing existingflight data on a regular ba-sis, not just after a mishap orincident. It provides timely,tangible information on air-

crew and aircraft system per-formance after flight andputs that information intothe hands of the people whocan most directly make a dif-ference — squadron aircrew,maintainers and leadership.


Women’s History Month:Team lead’s work keeps naval aviators on the safe side

Susan WhitleyPosition: Programmanager, integrated product teamlead forMilitary Flight OperationsQuality Assurance(MFOQA) system in the Air Combat Electronics Pro-gramOffice (PMA-209).

Education: Bachelor of Science degree in aerospaceand ocean engineering fromVirginia Polytechnic In-stitute and State University; master’s in engineeringmanagement from Florida Institute of Technology.

WhyMFOQA is important to Naval Aviation: “This product is agame-changer. It is going to save lives. Some peoplerefer to it as “big brother” and do not want any part ofit, but I believe when they actually start using it, andsee the kind of feedbackMFOQA can provide theywill start to see it more as ‘Your Big Brother’ and notGeorgeOrwell’s ‘Big Brother.’

Hometown: Kings Park, N.Y.

By the end ofWorldWar II, more than

80,000women servedin theWAVES in secre-tarial and clerical jobs,aviationmechanics,

photographers, controltower operators and

intelligence.U.S. Navy photo

In this photo from the July 29, 1948, issue of the NavalAir Station Patuxent River Tester, NAS Pax River Com-mandingOfficer Capt. A.B. Vosseller swears in CharlotteP. Moultrie, the firstWomenAccepted for VolunteerEmergency Service, orWAVE, aboard the air station toenlist in the regular Navy on July 22, 1948. After the war,Congress passed theWomen’s Armed Services Inte-gration Act allowingwomen to gain permanent status inall military branches of the United States, which put theWAVES program into obsolescence. The passage of theWomen’s Armed Services Integration Act, July 7, 1948,brought six women into the U.S. Navy. Today,more than50,000women serve in the Navy.

Today, womenserve in nearlyevery facet of

the Navy.

Then and now

Courtesy graphic

Graphic/AC3 Samuel Rocco

MFOQA will affect four areas of naval aviation:Maintenance: Augments existing platformmaintenancesystems; providesmaintainers a tool for troubleshooting,especially gripes that are hard to duplicate or require visu-alization of flight data.Operations: Presents a dynamic simulation of aircraft data toinclude single andmulti-ship visualization with 3-D anima-tion, event detection, trend analysis, reporting, etc.Safety: Aircrew debrief, flight safety, data trendingTraining: Reporting, policymonitoring and performancetrending.

Pax History

U.S. Navy photo/MC2 Kenneth Abbate

ByValerie DosterTactical Airlift, Adversaryand Support AircraftProgram Office (PMA-207)

Transitioning a squad-ron to a new aircraft requiresthorough planning, logisticsand knowledge. Deliveringthis transition a year earlierthan scheduled requires rap-id response and flawless teamcoordination.

The Tactical Airlift, Ad-versary and Support AircraftProgram Office (PMA-207)at Naval Air Station PatuxentRiver successfully completedan accelerated aircraft transi-tion with the delivery of a KC-130J to Marine Aerial RefuelerTransport Squadron (VMGR)234 on March 18.

“This KC-130J is the 47thdelivered to the fleet and thefirst to the Marine Reservefleet, replacing the aging KC-130T and providing a much-needed advance in capa-bilities,” said Capt. MichelleGuidry, PMA-207 programmanager.

A multi-agency effort wentinto expediting the transitionfrom the KC-130T to the KC-130J. It was accomplishedthrough coordination andsupport from the C-130 Sup-port Equipment and FleetSupport Teams, PMA-207,Naval Air Warfare CenterTraining Support Division,and Headquarters MarineCorps.

Rapid Response is an inte-gral part of Speed to the Fleet

directed by Naval Air SystemsCommand (NAVAIR) Com-mander’s Guidance for 2013-2018 to achieve near-termoutcomes most vital to ouroperating forces. The guid-ance asksNAVAIR teams todotheir part to increase speed,drive out cost, and ensure theproducts we deliver are inte-grated and effective.

“The delivery of the air-craft is just a small part of theeffort that it takes for a squad-

ron to transition to a new air-craft,” said Chuck Gill, the KC-130J integrated product teamlead for PMA-207.

“The acceleration requiredadditional funding in multiplebudget line items and accel-erated contracting timelinesfor dozens of spare parts andsupport equipment items,two major training devices, aperformance based logisticssupport contract for the en-gines, and a contractor logis-

tics support contract to be inplace prior to the KC-130J’sarrival,” Gill said.

In a ceremony attendedby Texas Governor Rick Perryand other dignitaries, Marine

Corps Lt. Col. Patrick Tiernan,VMGR-234 commanding offi-cer, accepted the KC-130J.

“The KC-130J takes MarineForces Reserve into a new eraof interoperability with theactive component that willsave money, reduce perstem-po, and provide more deploy-ment options to combatantcommanders,” Tiernan said.

VMGR-234 is part of Ma-rine Aircraft Group 41, 4thMarine Aircraft Wing and pro-vides fixed-wing, rotary-wing,and tilt-rotor air-to-air refu-eling capabilities to supportMarine Forces Reserve airoperations and other assaultsupport missions. The squad-ron, known as the “Rangers”is stationed at Naval Air Sta-tion Joint Reserve Base, FortWorth, Texas.


Courtesy photo/Angel Delcueto, Lockheed Martin

The Tactical Airlift, Adversary and Support Aircraft ProgramOffice (PMA-207) at Naval Air Station Patuxent River successfullycompleted an accelerated aircraft transition with the delivery of a KC-130J toMarine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR)234 onMarch 18.

Speed to the fleet:PMA-207 completes accelerated KC-130J transition to Marine Reserve

SnapshotThe KC-130J supportsMarine Corps andNavalReserve 21st centuryexpeditionary operationsby providing rapid refuel-ing and logistic support tooperating forces and canbe configured to providetransport of personnelor cargo. KC-130Js arecurrently being used intheatre for battlefield illu-mination,medical evacu-ation, air delivery of cargo,air-land supply, aerial refu-eling and offensive air sup-port for groundMarines.

The delivery of the aircraft is just a smallpart of the effort that it takes for a squadronto transition to a new aircraft.

Chuck Gill

Tactical Airlift, Adversary and Support Aircraft

Program Office (PMA-207)

KC-130J integrated product team lead

By Marcia HartProgram Executive Office forTactical Aircraft (PEO(T))Public Affairs

Skies are becoming a lit-tle friendlier for our servicemembers, thanks to a littlegrey box.

This month, the 10,000thMark XIIA IdentificationFriend or Foe (IFF) system,or Mode 5 capable CommonDigital Transponder, rolledoff the production line inpreparation for installationon nearly every surface,subsurface and airborne,manned and unmanned,platform of the Navy, Army,Coast Guard and MilitarySealift Command.

Mode 5, a product of theNaval Air Traffic Manage-

ment Systems Program Of-fice (PMA-213) at Naval AirStation Patuxent River, is acooperative identificationsystem that uses installed in-terrogators and transpondersto send, receive and processfriendly identification of tar-gets.

“Mode 5 provides thewarfighter with positive, se-cure and reliable line-of-sightidentification of friendly airand surface platforms,” saidCapt. Darrell Lack, PMA-213program manager. “It im-proves situational awareness,reduces fratricide, reducesenemy disruption of IFF func-tions and ensures the safe re-turn of friendly aircraft.”

The Mode 5 system full-rate production decision was

reached in 2012; it is a modi-fication to the existing Mode4 system in use by the UnitedStates and its allies for morethan 45 years.

Since 2006, productionmaturity was demonstratedthrough low-rate initial pro-duction deliveries and in 2012the system was determinedto be “Effective and Suitable”during IntegratedOperationalTest and Evaluation (IOT&E).

“Mode 5 IOT&E was atruly integrated test effort,”said Tracy Wathen, assistantProgram Executive Officerfor Tactical Aircraft (PEO(T))for test and evaluation. “Theintegrated test team showedgreat planning and facilitateddata sharing with Command-er Operational Test Forces

(COTF) to supplement theirtest points.”

While Mode 5 is a militaryasset, it is compatible with ci-vilian IFF systems to ensureinteroperability of militaryand civilian aircraft. This ca-pability will be a part of theCombat Identification (CID)Family-of-Systems strategyemployed by U.S. and NorthAtlantic Treaty Organization(NATO)/Allied forces.

“The Mode 5 capabilitybrings an order of magnitudeincrease in confidence of se-cure identification and levelof situational awareness tothe warfighter,” Lack said.“High confidence in identify-ing contacts and bringing ourmen and women home safelymakes the system worth more

than its weight in gold.”Once fielded, the Mode

5 capability will be a key en-

abler for both surface andairborne advanced warfarestrategies.

Navy marks milestone for friend, foe identification systemMode 5’s Integrated OperationalTest and EvaluationTests were conducted on multiple shipand airborne platforms, including:GuidedMissile DestroyersCruisersU.S. Air force F-15C/E’sE-3AirborneWarning andControl SystemF/A-18CMH-60R/SAH-1ZUH-1YP-3CArmyUH-60L andAH-64Dhelicopters

By Shawn MillerNaval District WashingtonPublic Affairs

As each of the five pillarsof the Naval District Wash-ington (NDW) energy policybuild upon one another intoa comprehensive strategy, ef-ficiency becomes a keystonein the hierarchy.

Energy leaders within Na-valFacilitiesEngineeringCom-mand (NAVFAC) and otherNDW commands are team-ing up in an effort to improvebuilding and utility infrastruc-ture and vehicles by incorpo-rating technology and man-agementpractices in thehopesof saving power andmoney.

One of themain areas be-ing looked at is renovationand construction of highperformance and sustain-able buildings through theNDW-NAVFAC Capital Im-provements Energy Check-list and the U.S. Green Build-ing Council’s Leadership inEnergy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED) Green Build-ing Rating System.

The energy checklist is atool to help bridge the gapbetweenmore than 40 energymandates and the end prod-ucts and services, explainedNAVFAC architect Mike Gala,the checklist leader.

Working with the check-list becomes a collaborativeprocess across many disci-plines, and people from ar-chitects and policy makersdown to individual installa-tion energymanagers (IEMs)in the field implementingthe projects.

The checklist is not auto-matically used in every energyproject, however. Dependingon the scope and scale of an

energy project, the checklistmay not always be necessary,Gala explained.

Some smaller projectsmight only need to renovatecertain key componentswith-in a building or system with-out necessitating the broaderstrokes of the checklist.

The true power of thechecklist, Gala said, is whenarchitects and energy person-nel are able to affect a broaderrangeof projects, such as con-structing all new infrastruc-ture that incorporates LEEDcertifications.

“All buildings and majorrenovations in design areconsidered for LEED require-

ments and strive for Silver asminimum certification,” saidKarl Bryan Naval Air StationPatuxent River installationenergymanager.

LEED certification comesin four tiers: Certified, Silver,Gold and Platinum. The levelof certification is attainedaccording to the number of

points a project earns. Thesepoints are given based on acombination of credit catego-ries, such as energy andatmo-sphere, sustainability, waterefficiency and innovation toname a few.

Gala said the energychecklist expands beyondsimply building the frame-

work and systems, it delvesinto the monitoring of thebuilding’s performance tohelp evaluate processes andadapt if necessary.

Whilemany of the smartersystems may cost more upfront during construction,having the data to prove theeventual energy savings helpsto justify the extra initial fund-ing, Gala said.

“It’s a very cyclical rela-tionship,” he noted.

While implementationoften poses the biggest chal-lenge, the checklist helps fo-cus efforts and work towardthe ultimate goal of buildingthe NDW energy strategy.

(Connie Hempel, NavalAir Station Patuxent RiverPublic Affairs, contributed tothis article.)


Courtesy graphic

Courtesy graphic/U.S. Green Council

NAVFAC energy checklisthelps increase efficiency

Pax River LEED Buildings:Gold certified: 2895, Aircraft Flight Testand Evaluation facilitySilver certified: 2813Child Development CenterCertified: Hangar110,U.S.Naval Test Pilot SchoolCurrent Projects in design for Silver certification:Military construction projects P561, theAircraft Prototype Facility, and P140,Special Communications RequirementsEngineering Facility

1033645


Instrumentation (AIR 5.2)“We added a pressure plateto the back of the seat thatwould shut off the engine ifsomeone leaned forward andweattachedakill switch to theback of the craft with cable soif therewas an emergency, wecould pull on it and the hov-ercraft would shutoff, deflateand lower to the ground.”

Although the craft traveled100 feet along a designated

track, the team elaborated onthe steering system by addinganold helicopter joy stick thatallowed the student pilots tomanipulate the vehicle slight-ly and experience the sensa-tion of steering.

“They felt like they werecontrolling it,” Golladay said,“butwewere really in full con-trol at all times.”

Working before and af-ter their normal office hours,most of the team’s membersvolunteered 20-30 hourseach during the project; whileGolladay racked up nearly 60.

One of the most time con-suming tasks was applyingfiberglass to the hovercraft,which served as an outsidelayer covering the inner ply-wood construction.

“Fiberglass makes it rigidand provides structure andfinished coating all in one,”Golladay said, “but it mustharden for eight hours beforeyou can do anything else, andit’s very labor intensive.”

As their STEM Day dead-line drew nearer, an addi-tional eight engineers steppedin to assist with various lastminute tasks, and the teamlearned a valuable lesson.

“We had to fabricate just

about everything but the pro-peller,” McDaniel said. “Wecould’ve spent more time inthe beginning figuring outwhat we had to do and howmanypeopleweneeded to doit. Themoreyoucan frontloadaproject in termsof engineer-ing; the better off you are.”

The team worked the Sat-urday STEM event for fourhours and assisted the steadystream of students anxiousto take their turn aboard thehovercraft.

“After the event, another10 adult volunteers also rodeit,” Golladay said.

The hovercraft will be putinto storage and brought out

again for future demonstra-tions, and there is talk thatnext year’s STEM Day buildmight involve aCO2-poweredGoKart.

Triton Mission SystemsAirspace Integration IPT LeadJohann Soto, who acted asthe team’s project manager,praised them for their will-ingness to support NAVAIR’sSTEMoutreach.

“Through their interest[to inspire students], they areensuring that NAVAIR willcontinue to have talented anddriven STEM professionalsready to successfully executeour futureendeavors,”hesaid.“Given the way this team of

ESDPs [Engineer andScientistDevelopmentProgram]ralliedaround the project to meettechnical and schedule goals,I would love to see them ro-tate throughout our programsto expand their own abilitiesand become empowered toevolve the capabilities of theorganization.”

STUDENTSContinued from 1

Registration now openfor STEM-ing event6th- to 8th-grade girlsMay 3, St. Mary’s College

$10 per studentVisit: www.STEM-ING.orgContact:

[email protected]

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By Connie HempelNaval Air Station PatuxentRiver Public Affairs

Service members planningto retire or separate from

military servicewithin thenextyear should hurry and regis-ter for the Transition GPS —Goals, Plan, Succeed—class.

Held at the Fleet and Fam-ily Support Center, TransitionGPS, formerly known as theTransitionAssistanceProgram(TAP), provides separatingand retiring service membersand their families with the

skills, tools and confidencenecessary to successfully re-enter into the civilian workforce, according to the NavyPersonnel Commandwebsite.

What is it

Transition GPS, a coop-erative effort between theNavy and the departments ofVeterans Affairs and Labor,standardizes transition sup-port Navywide and makesSailors as employment readyas possible by providing pro-

fessional career developmentresources.

In accordance with theOPNAV Instruction 1900.2series, and the Veterans Op-portunity toWork to Hire He-roes Act of 2011, every servicemember is eligible for andhasfull access to transition servic-es, and he or she must meetCareer Readiness Standardsprior to separation.

Hurry in, they fill up fast

The Transition GPS retiree

class at the Fleet and FamilySupporthere isalreadybookedthrough July with only a fewseats remaining in the Augustand September classes.

Seats for the TransitionGPS separatee class are stillavailable forMay, July, Augustand September.

While both types of classesare available beyond Septem-ber, registration for them willnot be accepted until nextweek. Call FFSC at 301-342-4911 or stop by Building 2090off Bundy Road.

Transition GPS:Navy helps prepare Sailors for civilian life

Top 10 reasons to attend10. Learn how to translate your militaryexperience to civilian equivalent jobs.9. Learn to be resilient during transition.8. Learn to write a résumé.7. Learn interviewing techniques.6. Learn about the federal job process.5. Learn about employment resourcesavailable to veterans.4. Learn how to negotiate an offer andwhat is negotiable.3. Learn how to financially prepare for asuccessful transition.2. Learn about the Veterans Affairs andwhat they can offer you.1. It’s MANDATORY.

Courtesy of Fleet and Family Support Center

Courtesy graphic

1041618

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 1st ClassElliott FabrizioChief of Naval PersonnelPublic Affairs

TheChief ofNaval Person-nel (CNP) testified before theHouse Armed Services Mili-tary Personnel Subcommitteeto provide a personnel over-view and contextualize thepeople side of the president’sproposed fiscal 2015 budget,Tuesday.

Vice Adm. Bill Moran,CNP, testified on Capitol Hillalongside personnel repre-sentatives from the Depart-ment of Defense and the oth-er services.

In his opening statementprovided for the record, Mo-ran reminded the subcom-mittee that the capabilities ofthe men and women servingin the U.S. Navy are in highdemand around the world,citing the Navy’s recent con-tributions to the search forMalaysian Airlines Flight 370,two forward-deployed strikegroups, and ongoing partner-

ship operations in the BlackSea.

“Today, more than onethird of ourNavy is underway,a significant accomplishmentgiven the fiscal challenges wefaced in 2013,” Moran said inhis statement.

He cautioned that if se-questration continued, theNavy would face long-term

consequences to combatreadiness.

The Navy’s budget sub-mission prioritizes fundingfor forwardpresence andcon-tinues to make critical invest-ments in people and futurecapabilities.

“As we took on this bud-get, certainly we understoodthe imperative of reducing

national debt in order to in-crease national security,”said Moran. “But, many ofthe levers we pulled last yearto mitigate operational im-pacts were simply no longeravailable.”

The proposed $148 billionbudget is a $15 billion de-crease from the level forecastin last year’s budget submis-sion and is a $38 billion re-duction over the Future YearDefense Plan from the FY14Presidential Budget.

The tough choices madein the FY 15 budget maintainquality of service for Sailors,Moran said, adding that thefocus is improving manningat sea, retaining the Navy’sbest and brightest and in-creasing the readiness of Sail-ors and their families.

“All of what American seapowermeans today, andwhatitmight become, lies squarelyupon the shoulders of thepeople who make it so,” saidMoran. “And those peoplestand directly at the center ofthe budget now before you.”


single sheet of paper andthat troublesome ATM card— but he’s still perfectingthe design.

“People don’t realizethe force that’s requiredto clasp onto somethingand lift it up,” he said. “Istill need to improve thestrength [of the finger].”

Jordan plans to hire anengineer and purchase a3D printer so they can de-sign and produce the pros-thetic finger out of onesolid, hinged piece of func-tional plastic.

“With the 3D printer,we can design it exactly theway we want it,” he said.“For anyone missing a dig-it, we can print it based ontheir specific needs.”

Having encounteredothers like him along theway, Jordan has noticeda difference between thesexes, especially betweenboys and girls.

“Boys think it’s cool tobe ‘part robot’ but girlsjust want to be ‘normal’,”

he said. “Girls want a func-tional finger, but with thelook of a normal finger. Iwant to do life casting bymaking a duplicate of an-other finger pigmented tomatch skin tone. At firstglance, you wouldn’t evennotice. It’d be functional,but also cosmetic. I wantto take an individual’smeasurements, print [thefinger] out, slide it on theirhand a half hour later andhave it work.”

With all of that in mind,Jordan created a not-for-profit company called Ro-biotech Corporation andwill offer cosmetic and/orfunctional digits for thosein need, at no charge.

“With rapid prototyp-ing, there’s not a lot ofwork going into it and thatallows us to offer the ser-vice and product free tothose who would otherwisenot be able to afford it,” hesaid. “That’s where I’mgoing with it. I like to helppeople.”

To learn more aboutJordan, his prosthetic fin-ger and Robiotech, visitwww.robiotech.net.

JORDANContinued from 2

U.S. navy photo/Joy Samsel

Vice Adm. William Moran, Chief of Naval Personnel,delivers remarks during the Naval Education andTraining Command change of command ceremonyat the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NavalAir Atation Pensacola. Rear Adm. Don Quinn retiredafter nearly 35 years of service and turned overcommand to Rear Adm. Michael White.

CNP testifies on Sailor and family readiness

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St. Mary’s County:

Introduction to Genealogy5:30-7:30 p.m. todayLexington Park LibraryAdults will explore websites to start their

genealogy search, the library’s online data-bases, U.S. Census, Social Security Deathindex and more. Knowledge of the Internetrequired. Free, but registration required at301-863-8188.

Introduction to Grant Writing10 a.m. to noon SaturdayLexington Park LibraryAn overview of researching grant oppor-

tunities and the grant writing process pre-sented by staff from the library and Collegeof Southern Maryland Nonprofit Institute.Focuses on the strategy for applying for

grants, with hands-on practice in writinga needs statement and an evaluation/sus-tainability section. Free, but registrationrequired at 301-863-8188.

Calvert County:

Pub Quiz6:30-10 p.m. FridayCalvert Library, Prince FrederickFor one night only, the library won’t help

you find the answers. But that won’t stop usfrom asking plenty of tough questions. $60per team up to 6 adults; $300 prize to thewinning team! Limited space, register earlyat any Calvert Library location.

Free Shredding Day8 a.m. to 2 p.m. SaturdayAppeal Landfill, 401 Sweetwater Rd., Lusby

TheCalvert County Division of SolidWaste free shredding event allows residents todestroy unwanted paper documents, helpingto prevent identity theft. Rain or shine.

Courageous Women of Maryland:A Living History

2-3 p.m. SaturdayCalvert Library, Prince FrederickLiving history production of Courageous

Women of Maryland featuring studentsfrom Out Lady Star of the Sea. Contentbased on a book by the same title.

Taste of Solomons11 a.m. to 4 p.m. SaturdayVarious locations throughoutSolomons IslandOne day food festival showcasing the

many wonderful places to eat in this lovelywaterfront community. Proceeds benefitthe Solomons Business Association’s annualJuly 4th fireworks display. Food and drinktickets are $4 each and are available forpurchase at participating restaurants.

Rascal Flatts Tickets Go On Sale10 a.m. TuesdayPurchase tickets for the May 29 live

performance of award-winning countrygroup Rascal Flatts on the Calvert MarineMuseum’s PNCWaterslide Pavilion. Ticketsare $68 for premium, $58 for reserved,and $48 for standing room only and canbe purchased by phone at 1-800-787-9454,in person at Prince Frederick Ford/Dodge(cash or check only), or online at www.calvertmarinemuseum.com.

AROUND TOWN

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OPEN TO EVERYONE ON BASEActive, Retired, Civil Service, Contractor, Other

If you are on base you can take advantage of these prices

Liberty Tax at the Navy Exchangeannounces FLAT FEE pricing on your state

and federal tax returns$120 Federal 1040

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Visit our Kiosk in the Navy Exchange Food Courtor call (301) 373-0838

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866-871-1040 LibertyTax.comValid at participating locations. Cannot be combined with other offers or used toward

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