In This Issue...

GROWLTHE GATOR

Shaping the Fleet

Change of GuardMotorcycle Mentoring and Safety

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 5

The editorial content of this newspaper is prepared, edited and provided by Bataan’s Public Affairs Office. This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of military services at sea. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy and do not imply endorsement thereof.

Commanding OfficerCaptain John “J.C.” CarterExecutive OfficerCaptain Eric N. Pfister

Command Master ChiefCMDCM(SW/AW) Scott HarvillePublic Affairs Officer MCC(SW/SCW) Dennis Herring

News Team 5MCC(SW/SCW) Dennis HerringMC1(AW/SW) RJ StratchkoMC1(AW/SW) Julie Matyascik

MC1(AW/SW) Gary PrillMCSN Caleb StrongSN Raymond Minami

Layout and Design MCSN Caleb StrongEditor MC1(AW/SW) Gary Prill

2

The Keep What You’ve Earned campaign seeks to encourage responsible drinking among Sailors by celebrating the achievements in their Navy careers. Through recognition of their hard work and dedication, Sailors are reminded of their accomplishments—and how much they have to lose if they make poor choices regarding alcohol. The campaign actively engages Sailors as advocates for responsible drinking.

What You Can DoAs alcohol abuse prevention personnel, you are our frontline of defense against destructive drinking habits in the Navy. However, you can’t do it alone.

•Reach out to fellow ADCOs/DAPAs to get help answering your questions and share best practices.

•Engage local organizations and businesses to provide safe-ride programs, support alcohol-related policy enforcement and offer alcohol-free social, extracurricular and public service options as alternatives to drinking.

•Share ideas with local supporters on prevention programs, intervention strategies and other ways to promote responsible drinking habits and discourage excessive alcohol use.

Go to WWW.naDap.navY.mil•Learn how to engage Sailors in meaningful ways that respect their careers,

achievements and personal decisions.

•Download the implementation guide and suite of multimedia products for display on your base.

•Use the campaign resources to support all levels of Navy leadership.

key Tips To share wiTh sailors•Plan ahead for a safe

ride home.

•Don’t try to “keep up” with others.

•Know your limit before you get there.

Help our sailors Keep wHat tHey’ve earned

KEEP WHATYOU’VE EARNED

DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

YOU’VE EARNEDKEEP WHAT

YOU’VE EARNEDKEEP WHAT

KEEP WHATYOU’VE EARNED

DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

navy alcohol and Drug abuse prevention

For more information:

Visit www.nadap.navy.mil or call 1-866-U-ASK-NPC

Department of U.S. Navy Navy Personnel Command OPNAV/N135 5720 Millington, TN 38055

encourage our sailors to Drink responsibly.

Tips for navy alcohol abuse prevenTion personnel

They’ve earneD iT.help Them keep iT.

3

NORFOLK, VA — A decade as an avionics technician in the Marine Corps, time in the Army National Guard and now a Navy chaplain -- Lt. Gary Pepper from Jacksonville, Fla., has checked aboard and is one of Bataan’s newest chaplains.

“Serving the Sailors on this ship and helping them with the joys and crises in their life is really just a great opportunity and I’m thankful to share in that journey in life.” said Pepper.

Chaplain Pepper spoke of how he has always wanted to help others with whatever problems may come up. But he hasn’t always known what direction to take life has been.

“Over the period of 18 years I was trying to figure out what the Lord was doing in my life and how I could serve him,” Pepper said. “I joined the Marine Corps in 1996 to figure that out because I still wasn’t sure what to do.

“Those 10 years in the Marine Corps were really a telling time for me to mature as a person and to not forget what God was trying to teach me through that experience.”

In March 2003, Pepper was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. During that time, he worked occasionally with a Navy chaplain. He said that experience helped him figure out what he should do with his life.

Bataan is billeted with two chaplains. Bataan’s senior chaplain will soon depart the ship. Lt. Cmdr. William Dermott from Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania has been a chaplain for USS Bataan since he checked aboard in 2009 and has been on many deployments with the ship.

“I’ve had three major deployments with the ship along with a fourth deployment of 85 days to Haiti in 2010,” said Dermott.

Both talked about their experience working with both the Navy and the

Marine Corps. “On the Marine Corps side of the

house they have their own language,” said Dermott. “They have their own vernacular they have their own abbreviations like we do. Chaplain Pepper is learning the blue side now as they say, since he was already on the green side.”

Another unique aspect of their job – chaplains are always on call in the job.

“The hardest part of being a chaplain is we are always on call 24/7,” Dermott said. “Chaplains are staff officers like Medical; they’re always on call too. We always have the possibility to be called into the ship for something by the commanding officer or executive officer.”

Another aspect of the job is organizing volunteer opportunities, or COMRELs, in the community.

“I view COMRELs simply as an opportunity for anyone to serve the community and do things that would benefit them and the people they are serving,” Pepper said.

“Serving as a mentor, helping build a house, delivering food to people that don’t have the ability to do those things, or mowing someone’s grass, those

things give someone purpose, meaning and value,” Pepper said. “It gives them a passion, an inspiration to go do things so they can inspire other people. It’s really about perpetuating humility and love for mankind.”

One Chaplain has spent many years at sea and is ready to enjoy retirement. The other has hit the ground running, ready to tackle any challenges he may face. Both say they are excited about their future.

“I’ve enjoyed it so much and I know I am going to miss it and I’ve been thinking about that almost everyday as it gets closer,” said Dermott. “You have no idea how much paper work is involved when retiring and I am in the middle of it. It has been a wonderful tour, I have enjoyed it here, and I wish everybody well.

“It’s a pleasure to join the command team here and serve everyone from entry level to the most senior level. It’s not very often that you get to serve people that can do anything else in their life but they choose to put on this uniform, serve this great nation and they serve to do things for their family that no one else has been able to do.”

Change of the GuardStory and Photos By MCSN Strong

8

BATAAN Sailors Host Integrated Drill

9

BATAAN Sailors Host Integrated Drill

4

Photos By MC1 Stratchko

Motorcycle Mentors step Up

NORFOLK, Va. – Have you recently purchased a motorcycle? Or, are you still thinking about getting that two-wheeler. Stop and visualize engines rumbling and the morning dew dripping off the leaves. Think about that early morning ride with friends.

A group of Bataan Sailors want to help you make the right decision. And it’s not just about the purchase. It’s about learning how to safely ride that new bike. This is what you can expect after becoming part of Bataan’s Motorcycle Mentorship Program.

Bataan’s chain of command highly encourages those who are thinking about their first bike to participate in the ship’s new Motorcycle Mentorship Program. The program provides Sailors who have recently purchased a motorcycle, or are interested in riding one, an opportunity to choose a more experienced shipmate as a mentor for all things related to motorcycles and riding.

The program was formed first to provide mentors to those interested in buying their first bike. The mentors step in to help make the buying process easier and to make sure the Sailors purchase is right for the their skill level and budget.

For those new to the motorcycle world, the mentors remind them that to be authorized to ride a motorcycle in the Navy, they are required to go to the Navy’s motorcycle safety course first, even if they’ve had riding experience

in the past.The mentors say one of the more

popular things they offer are group rides

“One of the great things about riding with people is you can only teach yourself so much, before you have to learn something new from someone else,” said Cryptologic Technician

Maintenance 2nd Class Joel Meka. “It’s great. You learn new things to watch for. Having a mentor there to teach you new thing to look out for, new techniques in riding, Makes you think about things you never thought about before.”

“Learning how to group-ride, just the experience of riding with everyone, builds a bond and helps beginners learn to ride,” said Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class Michael Smith.

“Experience wise, for a person like myself, I have never ridden in a group before,” said Machinery Repairman Fireman Dorian Brooks from Richmond, Virg. “For people who have never ridden in a group, it’s a learning experience”

For those interested in becoming a mentor, the program asks that those involved stay consistent with participation and attending meetings.

Chief Culinary Specialist Stephan Smith shed light on the program. To become a mentor, Sailors don’t need to be a specific rank. They just have to have riding experience, no matter what kind of motorcycle they ride or style of riding. Once a Sailor becomes a mentor, they agree to be responsible and to give their free time to encourage new riders to be safe when they ride.

“The motorcycle mentoring program was introduced Navy-wide in 2013,” said Smith. “USS Bataan adopted it in 2015, and the ship already has 20 mentors ready to teach and encourage Sailors in all aspects”

To become part of this program, whether to be a mentor or mentee, or if you just have questions, just keep an eye on your emails for all hands messages from the group on event and meeting times and locations.

Story By SN Minami

5

neXcoM shapes the FleetStory and Photos By MC1 Matyascik

NORFOLK, Va. – More than 600 USS Bataan (LHD 5) Sailors volunteered to assist Naval Supply Systems Command’s Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility (NCTRF) in an anthropometric study to update data on body composition relative to clothing during a Navy sizing correlation study.

According to Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), the U.S. Navy’s last surveyed body dimensions of female Sailors was 1988 and male Sailors in 1997. Since then the shape of Sailors has changed considerably, which notably impacts the fit of Navy uniforms developed from old data.

“The average height, weight and dimensions of service men and women have changed over the past 20 years,” said James Robinson, NCTRF management analyst. “There are more women, as well as, many different ethnicities in today’s Navy. Updating sizing information will help improve and develop uniforms that provide a better fit and make you look sharp.”

The measurements were performed by the uniform experts from NCTRF from Natick, Mass. NCTRF collected

25 noninvasive body dimensions from each Sailor within an eight day period.

“The study is being compared to a recent U.S. Army study of the physical size and shape of Soldiers,” said Donna Zlotnick, NCTRF team member. “This comparison analysis we are conducting, combined with the Army’s study will help give us a broader base of the measurements, providing us with a

good data base to start with.” In total, NCTRF will gather the

measurements of 2,000 men and 2,000 women throughout the Hampton Roads area through the spring of 2015.

Information Specialist 2nd Class Amy Novak, from Rosemont, Minn., participated in the sizing study. “I like the idea of better fitting uniforms,” said Novak. “I didn’t think the measurements would be this thorough, but I’m glad it was. I look forward to better fitting uniforms, especially across the hips.”

Once the study is complete, the data will be analyzed by the NCTRF team to develop size prediction charts for the Navy to improve patterns and develop uniforms that provide a better fit, utility and comfort for dress and protective clothing.

“It is time to re-evaluate the physical size and shape of today’s Sailors,” said USS Bataan Command Master Chief Scott Harville. “Your military uniform marks you as a professional, it is a symbol of pride and commitment. We have participated in the sizing study to provide valuable information for the rest of the fleet.”

SAFETYSTANDDOWN

PICNIC