Also in this issue

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Continued on pg. 7

A newspaper for Sailors and Marines of Boxer and 13th MEU October 11, 2013

Sailors Sleep Soundly, pg. 2Meet the Boxer Bread Czar, pg. 4EOD Teams up with Singapore Navy, pg. 6Happy Birthday Navy! pg. 8

Congrats to Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Dave Patterson, USS Boxer’s Sailor of the Week! Representing C5I Department, Patterson hails from Reno, Nev.

Sailor of the week

Sailors Learn How to Cope with Stress

Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert Sanchez

Launched early June, Operational Stress Control (OSC) training offers deployed Sailors effective tools to help them cope with stress aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4). “The training focuses on individual traits, but more importantly on the unit dynamics [of stress].” said Lt. Cmdr. Reynalda McBee, Boxer OSC coordinator. “Teaching coping mechanisms to anticipated challenges can better prepare Sailors [to deal with stress].” Boxer is paving the way when it comes to giving the OSC training on board a ship. Adopting a proactive strategy toward mental health and overall wellness involves educating the crew on steps they can take to decrease deployment stress and make the time at sea meaningful and productive. “TheUSSBoxeristhefirstshiptorollouttheOSCprogram,” said Lt. George Loeffler, psychiatrist aboardBoxer. “Not only is the USS Boxer setting the standard, it is charting a course for how operational stress will be

understood, prevented and treated. It is an honor to be a part of this [program].” The main goal of OSC is to reduce mental health issues related to stress by educating Sailors to use resiliency, recognize when they are being affected by stress, and eliminate the stigma associated with getting help. Boxer is taking the approach of training senior leadership first, so they know what signs to look forand how to deal with them. Several chiefs have already taught the OSC training to the junior Sailors. “Deployed Sailors are under a tremendous amount of stress,” said Loeffler. “Whether it’sworkingin the mess decks, working down in engineering, or up on the flight deck, the demands of themission canbeenormous.And justbecausewe’redeployeddoesn’tmean life stops. Things happen in our personal lives, things happen back home.” Deployments can bring family separation, long work hours and many uncertainties; for a first-timeSailor this may be a lot to deal with. OSC challenges Sailors to get involved when they see signs that a shipmate is having problems with stress. “Getting appropriate help early through their peers and chain of command is critical for prevention and mitigating most of the problems,” added McBee.

Sailors and Marines participate in Operational Stress Control training.

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Sailors add new accesory to their Slumber

Sailors display pillowcases, which they received from the Heads at Ease organization.

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Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman (SW) Veronica Mammina

Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) received a shipment of hand-madepillowcases from the Heads at Ease organization as a new accessory to brighten their living spaces Oct. 1. “I call them a permanent hug or a touch of home,” said SueLamberson,founderandchiefexecutiveofficerofHAE.“It’sto bring comfort to our deployed troops and to let them know that the people of the USA have their backs.” Lamberson said she began the organization in June 2008 as a way to show support for her son, who was in the Navy. Her plan was just to make a few. As of Sept. 30, HAE has made and mailed 36,443 pieces throughout all branches of the military. “It’snicetoknowothersaretakingthetimeouttoservethe armed forces while we do our part to serve our country,” said Cmdr. Joel S. Morton, chaplain aboard Boxer.For some Sailors, they were able to find a pillowcase thatreflectedtheirpersonality. “I spotted the pillowcase I wanted right away,” said AviationBoatswain’sMate3rdClass(AW)JamesVickers,whoreceived a pillowcase designed with tractor print. “It was really cool to see all the different designs we were able to choose from.” Lamberson said she is grateful for all of the volunteers who have donated money or have sewn pillowcases. “I really appreciated the gesture,” added Vickers. “Italsoliftsthespiritsofthepeoplewhodon’tusuallyreceivemailat all.” Once finished with Boxer, Lamberson said she isplanning on shipping pillowcases to the other deployed ships of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and continuing her projects as long as she has the help and deployed troops.

Boxer ProfileIntroduces

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Top: The sun sets in Singapore. Bottom Left: The Singapore skyline during a sunny day. Bottom Middle: Chinatown at night. Bottom Right: A buddha statue in Little India, Singapore.

Photo by MC2 Kenan O’Connor

Photo by MCSN (SW) Veronica MamminaPhoto by MC2 Kenan O’Connor

Photo by FC2 Anthony McAfee

Photo by MC2 Kenan O’Connor

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Raising Morethan Just Bread

Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd ClassKenanO’Connor

Napoleon Bonaparte, the former emperor of France, once said “an army marches on its stomach.” The same can be said about the Navy

and the Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4). One of the newest cooks, and arguably the best baker aboard the ship, has been doing his part to provide quality food for the crew to help keep the ship moving forward. From his soft, moist, delectable cookies to his warm, tasty, home-style bread rolls,Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Terry Morris has been creating quite a stir throughout the ship with the food that he bakes. Morris may have only started cooking and baking for Boxer in January when he first reported aboard, but he is far from unqualified in the kitchen. He has had experience in the culinary field since he was a small child.

“My grandma taught me how to bake and cook when I was really little,” explained Morris. “And I have been baking and cooking ever since. It’s just something that Ireally enjoy doing.” After high school, Morris went on to further hone his culinary skills by receiving a degree in baking and pastry arts at the Pinellas Technical Education Center in St. Petersburg, Fla. “I’ve been very impressed with the products thatMorris creates,” said Chief Culinary Specialist VirgilioIbarra, one of Morris’s supervisors. “It is his passion toproduce great baked goods.” Morris spent his years before joining the Navy working at a bakery in a Publix grocery store, the kitchen ofachildren’shospital,PaneraBread,andatacouplemomand pop bakeries. At one point he even owned his own bakery. WhenMorrismadethedecisiontojointheNavy,heknew with absolute certainty that he wanted to continue cooking and baking while he was serving. “The recruiter looked at me like I was crazy when I walked in and told him that I willingly wanted to be a cook,” said Morris. “But I knew that I wanted to continue cooking while carrying on my family tradition of military service.” “My dad is retired Navy, and he told me that you can always tell when you have a really good baker on a ship,” continued Morris. “Because he would always train the junior cooks and pass on his knowledge, which in turn would bring up the quality of baked goods throughout the ship and make everybody happier.” Morris has cooked in several kitchens while onboard Boxer, from the main mess decks to the wardroom to the bakeshop; yet wherever Morris goes, the legacy of his delicious baked goods and bread follow him. Capt. John E. Gumbleton, commanding officer ofBoxer, has said himself that Morris is “improving morale with each tray of rolls that he makes.” Morris has maintained a deep passion throughout his life for baking and cooking.

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It has been that love of culinary art that drives Morris to want to pass on his skills and knowledge to those around him. Helping those around him improve their bakingskillsisonlyoneofMorris’goalswhileintheNavy. “I would love to eventually revamp the culinary system in the Navy,” added Morris. “I want to bring a fresher, new look into everything. I want to bring my own touch to it.”

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U.S. Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit,welcomed Cmdr. K.H. Chew, SingaporeNavy EOD officerin charge, and 15 Singapore Navy EOD technicians and divers aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, Oct. 4. “It was a distinct pleasure to meet the Singapore Navy EODDiversandtheirCommandingOfficerLTCChew,”saidStaffSgt. Anthony Delmont, explosive ordnance disposal technician with CLB-13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. “ExplosiveOrdnance Disposal is a community, which regardless of country or government, will actively seek out opportunities to communicate and learn from other bomb disposal experts.” The visit provided an opportunity for U.S. Marines and Singapore Navy to conduct an exchange of greetings and build interoperable, professional relationships. As Marines guided the group from theUSSBoxer loverV to the flight deck, theyexchanged knowledge about EOD roles and responsibilities aboard the ship. Thetourculminatedintheship’sflagmessforabriefontheMarines’experiencesencounteringOperationIraqiFreedomand Operation Enduring Freedom improvised explosive device tactics, techniques, procedures and how they adapted to an evolvingbattlefieldquickly. EOD technicians and divers from the Singapore Navy also discussed their operations and their overwhelming responsibility they have ensuring the safety of themaritime traffic and thedifficultiesoccasionallyencounteredinsomeoftheirresponses,Delmont said.

Marine Staff Sgt. Anthony Delmont, explosive ordnance disposal technician with CLB 13, 13th MEU, escorts Cmdr. K.H. Chew, Singapore Navy EOD officer in charge, and 15 Singapore Navy EOD technicians aboard Boxer at Changi Naval base, Singapore.

“It is incumbent upon us to share our lessons learned with our EOD brothers and sisters and we look forward to furthering the relationship between the United States Marine and Singapore EOD technicians,” Delmont said. EOD Marines recently showcased their broad fieldexperience during Operation Tropic Thunder in Hawaii and Amphibious Landing Exercise 14.1 in the Philippines. Both exercises aimed to sustain operability and readiness to respond toanycrisisthroughouttheWesternPacific.

Story and photo by Sgt. Jennifer J. Pirante

EOD Conducts Professional Exchange with Singapore Navy

Bark of the boxer is...

Public Affairs OfficerMCC(SW/AW) Steve Zurell

Editorial StaffMC1(SW) Brian Biller

MC1(SW/AW/EXW) Jessica VargasMC1(SW) Jennifer Gold

Managing EditorMC2 Kenan O’Connor

Layout and DesignMCSN (SW) Veronica Mammina

Media StaffMC2 Kenan O’Connor

MC3(SW/AW) Brian JeffriesMC3(EXW/SW) Jarrod Schwartz

MC3 Joseph BishopMC3 Mark El-RayesMC3 Mayra Knight

MC3 Robert R. SanchezMCSN(SW) Veronica Mammina

MCSN Conor MintoContributors

Sgt. Jennifer Pirante

This newspaper is an authorized publication for military members aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4). Contents of Bark of the Boxer are not the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the United States Navy.

Stress Control (cont.) “Complex cases will be referred to chaplains and medical, however, we expect those to be far fewer with this training.” Sailors also learn to detect stress at an early stage and to prevent it from becoming a serious issuebyusingpositivism,behaviorcontrol,flexiblethinking, resiliency and exercise as a stress reducer. “It was good to know that ways to reduce stress were things I like doing,” said Airman Brody Verona.“ExercisingandreadingaretwothingsthatI enjoy and if it helps reduce stress, that’s evenbetter.” Ultimately, OSC strives to improve the overall welfare of all Sailors. “Everyone needs to learn how to adapt and cope with stress because stress is part of our lives,” said McBee. “This is a basic life skill requirement to succeed, not just in the Navy but in life in general. Stress is not the enemy; growth and character are developed through stressful situations. Adaptive copingskillsareneededtopreservetheconfidenceand self-esteem of Sailors and thusmaking themmore resilient in the face of challenges.”

Boxer ProfileIntroduces

Boxer ProfileIntroduces

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