7
RDML Charles Gaouette Commander, Task Force IA Since the recent release of the new Perform-to-Serve (PTS) Business Rules, PTS is once again a hot topic in the Navy. I want to take a moment to discuss the pro- gram and hopefully help clarify or answer any questions you may have as a result of the most recent changes. These rules be- came effective on Feb. 1, 2012, and will apply to the monthly quota management plan. The PTS program is a force-shaping tool. It is important that you understand this. Simply put, the program looks closely at over-manned ratings and either provides Sailors in those rates the opportu- nity to reenlist, convert to a different rate, when available, or prevents Sailors from being able to reenlist. Leaders and career counselors must focus on moving high-performing Sailors from over-manned to under-manned rat- ings to better meet Navy needs. If your main priority is to ‘Stay Navy’ and you are in an over-manned rating, you should look at the possibility of conversion. I know most Sailors love their jobs, but if you rat- ing is over-manned, you should consider this as a way to continue your career. Your performance will be a key factor as to whether you are approved or not, so it is imperative to sustain superior perform- CAPT Mark Steiner Fifth Fleet Chaplain Most of us have heard of the phrase, 7,000-mile screwdriver, that is, micro- management of a situation from afar. That phrase carries with it an unfavorable connotation. I have not known many who have thrived in a micromanagement con- text. In fact, I have listened to several individuals over the years, who have en- dured such situations at a tremendous cost to their health, their marriage and family. Permit me to reframe that phrase into the 7,000-mile friend. Since my arrival at FIFTH Fleet, I have been amazed at the outpouring of support from people I have never even met. A few days ago, I re- ceived a package from a lady representing the Military Project at Concordia Theo- logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN. The package was filled with all sorts of good- ies, CDs, books, and cards. Her kindness reminded me of The True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai (History Chan- nel – 2005). “Made famous by a Holly- wood movie, the bridges of the River Kwai emblematize one of the most mis- understood events in history. Contrary to the romanticized film version, the struc- tures represent a period of terror, despera- tion, and death for over 16,000 POW's.” Toward the end of the documentary, the survivors were interviewed and asked to what they credited their survival. One by one, the Australian survivors responded, “I had a mate.” They helped each other and watched over each other in their ad- versity. I know of no more powerful en- dorsement for camaraderie than that. In the busy-ness of operations, I hope you do not ignore the power of camarade- rie. Whether you have a 7000-mile friend or a friend who is 7 inches away, “I had a mate, I had a friend” are powerful words. These are words that can make all the difference between life and death. Here’s to friends and the friends yet to be made. ance, and stay out of trouble! Top- performing Sailors with critical skills remain the premier candidates for contin- ued service. As an IA Sailor, the PTS process can be a little more difficult. If the command you transferred from put an application in for you before you deployed, let your career counselor know once you get in country. If your quota is approved and you are eligible to reenlist, DO IT! Quo- tas expire if you fail to reenlist, so don’t think because you’re approved you can wait. I can’t stress this enough…reenlist if you have an approved quota! Do not fool yourself into thinking that you can “hold out” for that set of orders you want. This is not the time to play “PTS Rou- lette” with your detailer. I don’t know how else to say it except to be blunt. If you want to keep your job, you may have to make some concessions. You’ve got great career counselors and other Senior Navy Leadership in Afghani- stan and Kuwait who are there to help you. Make sure you are doing your part by being responsible for your career and being proactive when it comes to PTS. If you know or think that you should have an application in, talk to one of them and make sure it’s in. You’re only entitled to six “looks” starting 12 months and ending six months prior to your EAOS or PRD. Once you’ve reached the six month point, you are no longer eligible for PTS looks. This is not something that can be waived, so don’t be a Sailor who slipped through the cracks because you weren’t proactive in your career. The new PTS Quota Management Plan Business Rules are located at the follow- ing address: http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/ctf-ia/ documents/PTS%20Business% 20Rules.pdf CTF-IA Monthly Newsletter Issue 20, February 2012 CHAPLAIN’S CORNER CTF-IA COMMANDER’S CORNER

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RDML Charles Gaouette Commander, Task Force IA

Since the recent release of the new Perform-to-Serve (PTS) Business Rules, PTS is once again a hot topic in the Navy. I want to take a moment to discuss the pro-gram and hopefully help clarify or answer any questions you may have as a result of the most recent changes. These rules be-came effective on Feb. 1, 2012, and will apply to the monthly quota management plan. The PTS program is a force-shaping tool. It is important that you understand this. Simply put, the program looks closely at over-manned ratings and either provides Sailors in those rates the opportu-nity to reenlist, convert to a different rate, when available, or prevents Sailors from being able to reenlist. Leaders and career counselors must focus on moving high-performing Sailors from over-manned to under-manned rat-ings to better meet Navy needs. If your main priority is to ‘Stay Navy’ and you are in an over-manned rating, you should look at the possibility of conversion. I know most Sailors love their jobs, but if you rat-ing is over-manned, you should consider this as a way to continue your career. Your performance will be a key factor as to whether you are approved or not, so it is imperative to sustain superior perform-

CAPT Mark Steiner Fifth Fleet Chaplain

Most of us have heard of the phrase, 7,000-mile screwdriver, that is, micro-management of a situation from afar. That phrase carries with it an unfavorable connotation. I have not known many who have thrived in a micromanagement con-text. In fact, I have listened to several individuals over the years, who have en-dured such situations at a tremendous cost to their health, their marriage and family. Permit me to reframe that phrase into the 7,000-mile friend. Since my arrival at FIFTH Fleet, I have been amazed at the outpouring of support from people I have never even met. A few days ago, I re-ceived a package from a lady representing the Military Project at Concordia Theo-logical Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN. The package was filled with all sorts of good-ies, CDs, books, and cards. Her kindness reminded me of The True Story of the Bridge on the River Kwai (History Chan-nel – 2005). “Made famous by a Holly-wood movie, the bridges of the River Kwai emblematize one of the most mis-understood events in history. Contrary to the romanticized film version, the struc-tures represent a period of terror, despera-tion, and death for over 16,000 POW's.” Toward the end of the documentary, the survivors were interviewed and asked to what they credited their survival. One by one, the Australian survivors responded, “I had a mate.” They helped each other and watched over each other in their ad-versity. I know of no more powerful en-dorsement for camaraderie than that. In the busy-ness of operations, I hope you do not ignore the power of camarade-rie. Whether you have a 7000-mile friend or a friend who is 7 inches away, “I had a mate, I had a friend” are powerful words. These are words that can make all the difference between life and death. Here’s to friends and the friends yet to be made.

ance, and stay out of trouble! Top-performing Sailors with critical skills remain the premier candidates for contin-ued service. As an IA Sailor, the PTS process can be a little more difficult. If the command you transferred from put an application in for you before you deployed, let your career counselor know once you get in country. If your quota is approved and you are eligible to reenlist, DO IT! Quo-tas expire if you fail to reenlist, so don’t think because you’re approved you can wait. I can’t stress this enough…reenlist if you have an approved quota! Do not fool yourself into thinking that you can “hold out” for that set of orders you want. This is not the time to play “PTS Rou-lette” with your detailer. I don’t know how else to say it except to be blunt. If you want to keep your job, you may have to make some concessions. You’ve got great career counselors and other Senior Navy Leadership in Afghani-stan and Kuwait who are there to help you. Make sure you are doing your part by being responsible for your career and being proactive when it comes to PTS. If you know or think that you should have an application in, talk to one of them and make sure it’s in. You’re only entitled to six “looks” starting 12 months and ending six months prior to your EAOS or PRD. Once you’ve reached the six month point, you are no longer eligible for PTS looks. This is not something that can be waived, so don’t be a Sailor who slipped through the cracks because you weren’t proactive in your career. The new PTS Quota Management Plan Business Rules are located at the follow-ing address: http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/ctf-ia/documents/PTS%20Business%20Rules.pdf

CTF-IA Monthly Newsletter Issue 20, February 2012

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER CTF-IA COMMANDER’S CORNER

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Kuwait & Bahrain

Taking Care of the Troops Naval Air Ambulance Detachment, Kuwait

Hospital Corpsman Second Class Mathew Hawkins is the 2515th Navy Air Ambulance Detachment (NAAD) Sailor in the Spotlight this month. As a Search and Rescue Medical Technician, he stands the alert duty as a flight medic cov-ering all of Kuwait. He has proven to be an active member of the 2515th NAAD for seven months, and will no doubt continue to play a vital role in the MEDEVAC unit for his remaining two months. Hawkins is currently stationed at China Lake, Cali. and has been on active duty for four and a half years. While sta-tioned at China Lake, he provides 24 hour MEDEVAC and SAR coverage for the local area to include technical rescue ca-pabilities. He is originally from West Jordan, Utah where he met his lovely wife, Stephanie; they have been happily married four and a half years. They have a beautiful daughter named Marley who is almost two years old. His hobbies include playing the guitar, drinking coffee, and of course playing X-box. His positive attitude and constant drive are paramount to the NAAD’s suc-cess. Hawkins’ dedication and passion for his job makes him instrumental to the 2515th team.

Theater Field Confinement Facility Detachment, Kuwait The Theater Field Confinement Facil-ity (TFCF) provides a safe, disciplined, and secure military environment for unit commanders within CENTCOM AOR to send pre-trial/post-trial U.S. service mem-bers and DOD civilians. The facility is located at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait and serves as a deterrent and disciplinary tool for unit commanders. The facility falls under the operational and tactical control of Area Support Group, Kuwait (ASG-KU) and under the administrative control of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). TFCF Detachment Kilo is comprised of 39 U.S. Navy, both Active and Reserve Component, and three USAF personnel. The detachment is staffed with a cadre of sailors from various warfare specialties within the U.S Navy. Detachment Kilo completed the Navy Integrated Augmen-tation Combat Training (NIACT) at Fort Jackson, SC and U.S. Army corrections indoctrination training at Fort Lewis, Wash. prior to arriving into Kuwait in late Nov. 2011. Detachment Kilo is the 11th rotation of U.S. Navy personnel since taking over the TFCF mission from the U.S. Army in early 2006. While confined at the facility, all pris-oners are treated fairly with dignity and respect. The unit staff’s purpose is to act

as role models for prisoners to emulate while awaiting court martial, transfer to a long term CONUS-based confinement facility, or return to duty at their assigned units. The Navy’s Core Values of “Honor, Courage and Commitment” and the Sailor’s Creed is reinforced daily while conducting the TFCF mission in a primarily U.S. Army environment.

Career Management System/Interactive Detailing (CMS-ID) More than 16,000 Sailors up for orders will have an opportunity to apply for their next duty assignment during the Career Management System/Interactive Detailing (CMS-ID) active duty/full time support application phase which closes out at 5:00 a.m. (CST) on Feb. 21. Don’t forget that Feb. 20 is Presidents’ Day and a holiday, so get those applications in early! An ap-plication phase opens each month allow-ing enlisted Sailors in their permanent change-of-station (PCS) orders negotia-tion window to review and research jobs advertised in CMS/ID and consider avail-able career and training options.

CMS/ID provides Sailors an opportu-nity to have a say in selecting their next assignment. Proven sustained superior performance in difficult and challenging joint and in-service assignments is tradi-tionally a selection factor in enlisted se-lection boards. Proactive Sailors know their projected rotation date (PRD) and their negotiating window. Sailors can use the Detailing Countdown Guide to assist in the steps for career management. This user aid is located in the Sailor Career Toolbox on the Navy Personnel Com-mand (NPC) website (www.npc.navy.mil).

Camp Buehring Camp Arifjan

Bahrain

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Afghanistan

Afghan National Army officials in Farah Province worked with Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah and Explo-sive Ordnance Disposal Platoon 815 to hand over and dispose of more than 250 pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO), improvised explosive device (IED) mate-rials, mines and ammunition here Dec. 27. The weapons totaled more than 1,300 pounds of explosive material and more than 50 types of ordnance. The items were carefully transported from a secure location in Farah City and safely de-stroyed by EOD technicians on Forward Operating Base Farah. “Most of these items were emplaced (as weapons). The NDS got reports… and (we) came and got them,” said ANA Col. Abdul Razak, who organized the hand-over of the weapons. Razak, the director of the Demobiliza-tion of Illegal Groups program in Farah Province, said that the items were accu-mulated through ANA cooperation with officials from Farah’s National Director-ate of Security. The weapons were gath-ered through insurgent reintegration pro-grams, during ANSF patrols and some-times, after reports from local citizens. According to Razak, the weapons were a danger to the public and to ANSF and coalition forces. “Insurgents want to use these (weapons) against NATO, ANA and ANP,” said Razak. The weapons were collected through-out the vast Farah Province over the course of the last six months. The UXOs, IEDs and other materials were stored in a secure location until the hand over was arranged.

PRT Farah leadership enlisted the support of the explosive ordnance disposal team due to their expertise with these situations. The situation, while dangerous, was kept under control by EOD’s methodical ap-proach to handling the items. “The amount of things that were in moderate to unstable configuration was significant, so it was definitely a ‘take it slow’ approach and triage the explosive threats and make sure that we have a safe workspace,” said Chief Petty Officer Sam Crumbaugh, EOD Platoon 815’s team leader. “With regard to… moving it to a range… you still want to ensure that during transport you’re safe and that’s what we did.” PRT Farah Commander, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Shane Voudren, said the ANA lead-ership and EOD experts were in the lead throughout the mission.

“This was an ANA and EOD show. As the PRT, we act as enablers a lot of the time. We ask ourselves, ‘How can we en-able better security or governance,’ and this was a way to do that,” said Voudren. That the ANA and ANSF were able to re-move these items from the battlefield illus-trates their improved capacity, said Voudren. “They’ve got some solid leadership. They’re a formidable security force. And most importantly, they’re keeping Farah City secure and making some strides in some key districts in the province,” said Voudren. Voudren added that the PRT and other Coalition Forces at FOB Farah have devel-oped a rapport with provincial government officials and security forces that led to this event. “He (Col. Razak) approached us re-cently and asked for our assistance. Be-

cause we’ve developed a strong relation-ship over the course of the PRT’s history, things like this are possible,” said Voudren.

Military Working Dog (MWD) Teams are often seen around a naval base state-side or at overseas duty stations at gates conducting vehicle inspections, training in a field or even walking the post, but what is not always seen by the average Sailor is the amount of time and training that go into their deployments to dangerous areas in Afghanistan. MASN Jones, a pipeline handler, which is a Sailor who starts his or her career in the Military Working Dog field, has only been in the Navy for a short time but has already contributed tremendously to the U. S. Navy by volun-teering himself to deploy with his MWD partner Barry to Afghanistan. Coming from NAS Sigonella, Italy, Jones is eager to integrate himself and MWD with his U. S. Army counterparts, along with other allied forces in the Masum Ghar area in the Kandahar Province, and get into the fight. This is Jones and MWD Barry’s first combat deployment, and in the MWD career field, it will not be their last. Jones is from Tucson, Arizona and has a proud family back home sending support. By becoming the Blue Jacket of the Year from Sigonella, and also volunteering to deploy at the beginning of his career, Jones has shown that the Navy will con-tinue to move Full Speed Ahead.

FARAH:

KANDAHAR:

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Afghanistan

Afghan National Army soldiers clap after receiving their graduation certificates at the Kabul Military Training Cen-ter.The graduates were the first to complete the Afghan National Army Re-contracting class aimed to help the ANA build a core of professionally trained career counselors that will assist with retaining the best and brightest soldiers.

First Afghan National Army Re-contracting class graduates 45

Forty-five Afghan National Army (ANA) non-commissioned officers were the first to graduate from the Afghan Na-tional Army Re-contracting Class Dec. 21, 2011, at the Kabul Military Training Center. The eight-week course was put together by a team of NATO Training Mission–Afghanistan advisors to help the ANA build a core of professionally trained career counselors that will assist with retaining the best and brightest ANA soldiers.

“The soldiers chosen for this class are themselves the best and brightest so they will be able to pass that onto the follow-ing classes, helping the ANA sustain its force,” said U.S. Navy Commander and Chief of Afghan National Security Forces Recruiting and Retention Advisory Team, Tim Baker. The focus of this program concentrates on retaining valuable soldiers to combat a high attrition rate within the ANA. “Retention helps stabilizes forces and also builds the senior NCO ranks and enables the force to build as a whole,” said U.S. Navy Chief Alex Roque. “As you continue to bring people into the

army, the more you can actually retain and the better experience you can keep around, the better the senior NCOs with the knowl-edge and expertise you have; and that’s what actually helps the force as a whole continue to grow and sustain itself.” The key points taught throughout the course are to train the retention NCOs on identifying which soldiers are eligible to re-enlist and providing examples of how to conduct interviews with these soldiers, address any issues and needs they might have, while also helping them make the decision to stay or separate. U.S. and coalition forces helped the ANA by building the course, providing the trainers and purchasing books and materi-als, so they can run the program them-selves. “Seeing all the hard work come together today with this first graduating class is a great sense of accomplishment,” said Baker. As with anything being done for the first time, there were certain challenges to work through to ensure the success of the course. “The language barrier and providing enough sufficient equipment was tough,” said U.S. Army Career Counselor Advisor Staff Sgt. Merle Judd. “But we worked through the challenges and I am very con-fident that these soldiers will continue to apply what they learned to support the re-tention mission within the ANA.” Security Transition Team Six (STT6) is

the newest addition to the SFAT team in Wardak Province, Afghanistan. STT6 is an embedded Combat Advisor team men-toring the 1st Brigade, 7th Kandak of the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) based in Wardak. The 7th Kan-dak (battalion) has responsibility for op-erations throughout Wardak Province but can be deployed for missions throughout Afghanistan. STT6 was formed specifically to ad-vise, mentor, and train the members of the 7/1 Kandak in advanced police tactics and operations. Comprised of U.S. Navy and U.S. Army officers along with U.S. Army MP’s and two civilian embedded police SWAT mentors, this team has extensive knowledge and experience to share with its Afghan counterparts. Working on a 17-person team requires every member of the team to perform above their usual pay grade across a varied mission set. The team’s primary objective is to teach the ANCOP both the tactical skills they need to succeed in battle and the personnel, logistics, communications and operations skills to sustain them once the Interna-tional Security Assistance Force (ISAF) leaves Afghanistan. Providing a higher level of police ca-pability to the people of Afghanistan is the ultimate goal of the 7th Kandak leader-ship and their STT6 mentors. As Team Chief LCDR Scott Palumbo explains, “The ANCOP represent the elite of the Afghan National Security Forces. Our goal is to ensure that our Kandak is not only the most capable SWAT unit in Af-ghanistan but to develop their image as a fair and competent police organization capable of enforcing Rule of Law and protecting the Afghan people.” Members of STT6 include LCDR Scott Palumbo, Major Pete Cruz, Capt Jeremiah Hunt, LTJG Jeff Strong, 1LT Ben North, SSG Stephen Ricciardelli, SGT Brian Hoffman, SGT Aaron Du-hachek, SGT Gregory Mack, SGT Mi-chael Bennett, SPC Mark Booe, SPC Tony Zukowski, SPC Dustin May, SPC Dustin Dunse, EPM Brian Daily, and EPM Jeff Hunter.

KABUL:

WARDAK:

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CTF-IA Monthly Newsletter Page 5

While on a primary mission to validate Kandahar Military Regional Hospital (KMRH) advisors CDR Rhonda Byars, NC, USN and HM1 Liria Gonzales, USN of the NATO Training Mission Medical Training Advisory Group (NTM-A MTAG) embarked upon a unique training endeavor. KMRH is located in the southern region of Afghanistan where limited access to basic health services exists for women and children. KMRH sponsored a Family Clinic Day for Afghan National Security Forces fam-ily members. Due to communal norms

regarding maternal services many conser-vative boundaries have been placed on Afghan women limiting their mobility, education and access to healthcare. The women and children are allowed to attend the sick call poly clinic at KMRH to be seen by a female Afghan Midwife and coalition staff. The family clinic is managed by the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) Midwife at KMRH who sees women and their children for minor ailments and sick call checkups. With resources being scarce in many Afghan regions Camp Eggers MTAG mentors have partnered with nurses from Kandahar Air Field (KAF) Role 3 hospital to provide health promotion, clinical support and MWR donations to KMRH Afghan National Army (ANA) & Police families. The joint venture between MTAG advising and Role 3 clinicians will bring health services, education and stability to the deprived ANA community. CDR Byars believes “Impacting the nucleus is one way we as mentors can facilitate growth, development and overall permanence of ANSF. Treating the Afghan soldier, po-

Staff at the NATO Role III Multina-tional Medical Unit, Kandahar Afghani-stan take pictures and enjoy the K9 train-ing show on Feb. 2, 2012, as Hospital Corpsmen Huriel Riveraaponte, Surgical Technician, wears the bite suit and is at-tacked by CWD Anouska , a Belgium Milionis and Patrol Explosive Protector dog.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Maida Ferraes, corpsman from El Sentro, Calif., assigned to Provincial Reconstruc-tion Team Ghazni, Task Force White Ea-gle, inspects her medical equipment Jan. 28, in the Qara Bagh District, Afghanistan.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan

U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Lynn Chaplin, corpsman from St. Peters-burg, Fla., assigned to Provincial Recon-struction Team Ghazni, Task Force White Eagle, greets villagers during an assess-ment of the vocational school Jan. 25, in the Ghazni District, Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

From Around the AOR

lice and his family is crucial to the sus-tainment of ANSF”. CDR Wendy Mccraw, NC, USN and CAPT Kathleen Stayman, NC, USN take part in the coali-tion partnership by disseminating educa-tion material and providing clinical sup-port in the region. Byars and Gonzales are program direc-tors providing care packages from non-profit organizations and Reserve units. Donations are packaged along with health and hygiene teaching aids translated in both Dari and Pashto and sent to Forward Operating Bases (FOB) throughout the region. Stayman, a med/surg nurse at KAF expressed the significance of sup-porting the Women and Children’s clinic, “There is so much we have to offer as female mentors, clinicians and advisors”. Providing education training and con-tributory support by the Medical Embed-ded Training Team METT is second na-ture to the western culture however a for-gotten premise in the rural provinces and regions of Afghanistan. MTAGs’ impact on this underserved population is a small piece of the big picture for ANA & ANP and a pivotal role in the transition of ANSF.

GHAZNI, Afghanistan PAKTIKA, Afghanistan

Farah, Afghanistan

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CTF-IA Monthly Newsletter Page 6

SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BO-NUS UPDATE 013/12 THIS NAVAD-MIN ANNOUNCES REVISED SELEC-TIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS (SRB) AWARD LEVELS FOR ACTIVE COM-PONENT (AC) AND RESERVE COM-PONENT FULL TIME SUPPORT (FTS), AND SUPERSEDES NAVADMIN 253/11. THE SRB PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EARLY RE-ENLISTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOP PERFORMING SAILORS. IN-CREASED AWARD LEVELS ARE EF-FECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND DE-CREASED LEVELS ARE EFFECTIVE 30 DAYS AFTER THE RELEASE OF THIS NAVADMIN.

CALENDAR FOR AMERICA 2012 023/12 THIS SETS FORTH THE 2012 CALENDAR FOR AMERICA (CFA12), DETAILING THE NAVY'S LARGE-SCALE OUTREACH EVENTS FOR THE COMING YEAR. EVENTS IN-CLUDE NAVY WEEKS, FLEET WEEKS, DIVERSITY EVENTS, WAR OF 1812 BICENTENNIAL COM-MEMORATIVE EVENTS, BLUE AN-GEL AIR SHOWS, SHIP COMMIS-SIONING CEREMONIES AND KEY RECRUITING EVOLUTIONS AMONG OTHERS.

FY-12 TEMPORARY EARLY RE-TIREMENT AUTHORITY (TERA) POLICY 025/12 THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES IMPLEMENTATION OF EARLY RETIREMENT POLICY FOR SAILORS WITH AT LEAST 15 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE AS OF 1 SEP-TEMBER 2012 WHO WERE NOT SE-LECTED FOR RETENTION BY THE ENLISTED RETENTION BOARD (ERB). FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE, THE TERM "RETIREMENT" IS SYNONYMOUS WITH "TRANSFER TO FLEET RE-SERVE."

OBSERVANCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2012 026/12 THIS NAVAD-MIN ANNOUNCES THE NATIONAL OBSERVANCE OF AFRICAN AMERI-CAN/BLACK HISTORY MONTH, 1-29 FEBRUARY 2012. THE NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSER-VANCE IS "BLACK WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CUL-TURE."

ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO TAKE ADVAN-TAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO IN-CREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF THE CONTRIBU-TIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NAVY.

MEMBER-DESIGNATED BENEFITS 028/12 THIS NAVADMIN PROVIDES AMPLIFICATION ON DOD PRESS RELEASE DATED 28OCT11. THROUGH THE ONGOING REVIEW OF MILITARY BENEFITS, DEPART-MENT OF DEFENSE OFFICIALS HAVE IDENTIFIED 15 BENEFITS WHERE MEMBERS MAY DESIG-NATE BENEFICIARIES OF THEIR CHOOSING. THESE BENEFIT PRO-GRAMS ALLOW SERVICEMEMBERS (SM) TO DESIGNATE ANYONE TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS AFFORDED SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS NOTED IN THIS NAVADMIN.

ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW POL-ICY FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) 029/12 THIS NAVADMIN MODI-FIES POLICIES AS IMPLEMENTED IN VOLUNTARY EDUCATION FOR NAVY SAILORS. NAVY LEADER-SHIP REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO SAIL-ORS AS THEY PURSUE THEIR EDU-CATIONAL GOALS. HOWEVER, THE NEED FOR GREATER QUALITY CONTROL OF COURSES TAKEN BY OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THE FISCAL PRESSURE TO REDUCE SPENDING ACROSS THE DEPART-MENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) RE-QUIRES IMPLEMENTATION OF AD-DITIONAL POLICY CHANGE. SAIL-ORS PLANNING ON TA SUPPORTED EDUCATION SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF RECENT CHANGES OUT-LINED IN THIS NAVADMIN THAT INCLUDE A FUTURE REQUIREMENT FOR INSTITUTIONS TO HAVE A SIGNED MEMORANDUM OF AGREE-

MENT WITH DOD IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR TA AND TA NO LONGER BEING AUTHORIZED FOR NEW PROGRAM STARTS ABOVE MASTER'S DEGREE LEVEL. AMPLI-FYING INFORMATION IS AVAIL-ABLE ON THE NAVY COLLEGE WEBSITE AT :

HTTPS://WWW.NAVYCOLLEGE.NAVY.MIL/.

OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HIS-TORY MONTH 2012 051/12 THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES THE NA-TIONAL OBSERVANCE OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, 1-31 MARCH 2012. THE NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S OBSERVANCE IS "WOMEN'S EDUCATION - WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT."

ALL COMMANDS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO INCREASE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO OUR NAVY AND NATION BY CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH THROUGH PROGRAMS, EX-HIBITS, PUBLICATIONS AND PAR-TICIPATION IN MILITARY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS.

.

New Policy/Guidance

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COMMAND HOTLINE INFORMATION The mission of the DON/NAVCENT Hotline is to provide a method to receive and investigate reports of fraud, waste, mis-management and other related improprieties, when the chain of command cannot, or will not, take appropriate action. Below are ways to contact the hotline: Telephone: (DSN) 318-439-3574 (COM) 011-973-1785-3574 Fax: (DSN) 318-439-9116 (COM) 011-973-1785-9116 Email: [email protected]

SAPR—Sexual Assault Prevention Response Cell Phone: 011-973-3940-3906

Important Phone Numbers

CTF-IA Monthly Newsletter Page 7

Mission and Vision

We are a forward deployed Echelon IV Naval Component Command/Fleet Command of Naval Forces conducting Maritime Secu-rity Operations in support of OEF/OND; Partnership-Strength-Presence; and Struggle Against Violent Extremists within the COMUSNAVCENT Campaign Plan. We continue to provide a dedicated service component support to all IA Sailors Boots on Ground (BOG) in the COMUSCENTCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR) in order to optimize mission readiness and to manage mis-sion risk during deployment.

About CTF-IA

We are located on NSA Bahrain in the COMUSNAVCENT Building, and we can be contacted at the following email address: [email protected]. Visit our website at http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/ctf-ia/

Contact information for NAVCENT FWD HQs

NAVCENT FWD HQS AFGHANISTAN: [email protected] OIC: CAPT Dan Forney [email protected] DSN 318-421-6205 CMDCM: CMDCM Mark Rudes [email protected] DSN 318-421-7498 CAREER COUNSELOR: NCC Corey McCarter [email protected] DSN 318-431-0158

NAVCENT FWD HQS KUWAIT: [email protected] OIC: CAPT Adrian Garcia [email protected] DSN 318-430-7809 CMDCM: CMDCM Cheryl Cloud [email protected] DSN 318-430-7939 CAREER COUNSELOR: NCC Angela Keen [email protected] DSN 318-832-2146

CTF-IA is looking for ways to tell your story. If you have a story and photographs you want published in next month’s newsletter, please send your inputs to TF-IA STAFF, BAHRAIN: [email protected] no later than the 1st of each month. There is no better way to share your experiences with fellow IA’s than through your IA Newsletter.

We highly encourage you to share these newsletters with your friends, spouse, or significant others. NOTES: 1) The usage of your Government Travel Credit Cards (GTCC) is strictly prohibited while on R&R. 2) As you prepare to redeploy, ensure that you are in contact with your ECRC to arrange follow-on travel to your PCS destination. 3) Effective 01 FEB 2012, the rules for Hostile Fire and Imminent Danger Pay have changed. Service members will now receive

imminent danger pay only for days they actually spend in hazardous areas. (http://www.military.com/benefits/content/military-pay/special-pay/hostile-fire-and-imminent-danger-pay.html)

Command Information