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Vol. 27 No. 13 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ March 26, 2015

By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Staff, patients and their lovedones are invited for a walk forTraumatic Brain Injury (TBI)Awareness Month, hosted bythe National Intrepid Center ofExcellence (NICoE) tomorrow,March 27, at noon.

The walk, which will begin atthe center, will take participantsaround the outside of WalterReed National Military Medi-cal Center (WRNMMC) and endback at the center at approxi-mately 12:45 p.m. Those who

attend are encouraged to weargreen, the color chosen to signifyMarch as National TBI Aware-ness Month, and to show solidar-ity for those in need of support.

“After considering how wecould get campus recognitionabout brain injury awareness,[we decided] organizing a cam-pus awareness walk would bea great way to spread knowl-edge about brain injury andthe excellent treatment wegive to patients and families atWRNMMC,” said Cmdr. KarenLivornese, service chief for Clin-ical Education and Outreach atNICoE. She hopes the event

will expand in years to come,she said, allowing staff membersto eventually walk into the cityof Bethesda to help raise TBIawareness.

Often referred to as an “in-visible wound,” a TBI is theresult of a blow or jolt to thehead, resulting in the disrup-tion of the brain’s normal func-tion. During March, the Mili-tary Health System is focusingon TBI awareness, by provid-ing tools and resources to helpeducate military members,their families, retirees and per-sonnel about prevention andtreatment. Each year, an esti-

mated 1.7 million people arediagnosed with a brain injury –the most common form being amild TBI, also known as a con-cussion, according to the Cen-ters for Disease Control andPrevention. Between 2000 and2014, more than 313,000 ser-vice members were diagnosedwith a TBI, most of which weremild, the Defense and VeteransBrain Injury Center reports.

The NICoE, part ofWRNMMC, opened its doors inJune 2010 to provide cutting-edge TBI evaluation, treatment,research and education for ser-vice members and their families

dealing with traumatic brain in-juries and psychological healthconditions. The center takesan interdisciplinary, patient-centered approach, using a caremodel that includes clinicalevaluation, patient and family-focused intervention, and indi-vidualized treatment planning,using care teams representingmore than 16 disciplines.

For more information aboutthe walk, email Cmdr. Livorneseat [email protected]. To learn more about theNICoE, and traumatic brain in-jury, visit nicoe.capmed.mil andhealth.mil/tbi.

NICoE to Host First Annual Walk for TBI Awareness Month

DOD photo illustration

2 Thursday, March 26, 2015 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, aprivate firm in no way con-nected with the U.S. Navy,under exclusive written con-tract with Naval Support ActivityBethesda, Md. This commercialenterprise newspaper is an autho-rized publication for members of themilitary services. Contents of The Journalare not necessarily the official views of, norendorsed by, the U.S. Government, theDepartment of Defense, or the Departmentof Navy. The appearance of advertising inthis publication, including inserts or supple-ments, does not constitute endorsement bythe Department of Defense or Comprint,Inc., of the products or services advertised.Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, useor patronage without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, national origin,age, marital status, physicalhandicap, political affiliationor any other non-merit fac-tor of the purchaser, user,or patron. Editorial contentis edited, prepared and pro-vided by the Public AffairsOffice, Naval Support Activ-

ity Bethesda, Md. News copyshould be submitted to the Pub-

lic Affairs Office, Building 17, first floor,across from PSD, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-295-1803. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by calling 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed bycalling 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiPublic Affairs Officer: Ronald D. InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffManaging Editor MC2BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Staff Writers MC1 Christopher KruckeMC3 Hank GettysAndrew DamstedtSarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerSharon Renee Taylor

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

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

NSAB Emergency Information Line 301-295-6246NSAB OmbudsmanMichelle Herrera 240-370-5421

NSAB Chaplain’s Office 301-319-4443/4706

Sexual Assault ResponseCoordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

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

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

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

Hooyah Shipmates!

I hope you’re enjoyingour weather transitionfrom winter to spring –get ready to rake, weed,and mow! Certainly awelcomed change! Aswe continue to provideextraordinary medicalcare and support to ourheroes and their fami-lies, some of our Sailorsare going aboard USNSComfort (T-AH 20) insupport of ContinuingPromise 2015 (CP-15).Specifically, we have 41 Sailors fromWalter Reed National Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC) and seven from FortBelvoir Community Hospital who willembark on Comfort in mid-March for ascheduled humanitarian assistance mis-sion to several Central American and Ca-ribbean island nations.

Due to our sequestration challengesin 2013, this will be the first Continu-ing Promise deployment since 2011. Thismakes CP-15 even more significant toour neighbors – for their health and live-lihood – but also for the peace and secu-rity of our friends in the region. The roleof our deploying Sailors will be challeng-ing, but is extremely rewarding.

Continuing Promise 2015’s mission isto provide medical care and educationto those who normally would not be of-fered the opportunity to see a provider.This medical team may treat upward of100,000 people, but the number of peoplewho will be impacted by this mission isvirtually incalculable. In past Continu-ing Promise missions, military and non-government organization medical teamsprovided surgery, neurology, emergencymedicine, orthopedics, anesthesiology,dentistry, family medicine, pediatrics,

preventive medicine,diagnostics and veteri-narian support to thelocal populations.

The conditions maybe austere, but theappreciation of thosereceiving care will beunforgettable. I amconfident that our ship-mates’ efforts duringthis mission will leavean everlasting imprintof goodwill to the peoplevisited. This is in directsupport of our Chief ofNaval Operations Ad-

miral Greenert’s strategic imperative ofa “Global Force for Good.”

For our deploying Sailors, CP-15 offersthe opportunity to not only continue tobe outstanding ambassadors to the NavyMedicine team, but the opportunity togain extraordinary operational experi-ence. I am confident they have beentrained exceptionally well by their lead-ers at WRNMMC and will take advan-tage of every mission, to improve not onlyas Sailors, but as compassionate humanbeings.

For those of us left here at home, pleasekeep these Sailors in your thoughts andreach out to them and their families overthe course of the deployment. Our Om-budsman and Naval Support Detach-ment personnel are resources to assistas well. We look to the ship’s safe returnand the memorable sea stories collected.

To our deploying shipmates, FairWinds and Following Seas!

J. L. VEDRAL-BARONCAPT, NC, U.S. NavyCommanding OfficerWRNMMC (Navy Element)Director, Fort BelvoirCommunity Hospital

Commander’s Column TeamSTEPPS Essential CourseA TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools

to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety)Essentials Course will be held on March 31 from8 to 9:30 a.m., and from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in ClarkAuditorium. A Common Access Card (CAC) is re-quired for sign in. The course is not a substitutefor the TeamSTEPPS Fundamentals Course, andis for Walter Reed Bethesda staff who do not en-gage in direct delivery of patient care, but whocontribute essential information with an impacton the ongoing delivery of safe care. For registra-tion, contact Hospital Education and Training(HEAT) Department at [email protected] or 301-319-5209.

Army Physical Fitness TestThe semi-annual Army Physical Fitness Test

(APFT) will be April 6-24, Monday, Wednesdayand Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and April 27through May 1, Monday through Friday from6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Uniformed ServicesUniversity track. Height and weight checks arebeing conducted in Troop Command, Bldg. 147,Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.,and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon. Checks mustbe accomplished prior to May 15. Soldiers witha permanent profile should bring a copy to theAPFT. Soldiers who bike and swim must makeappointments before the APFT, and those testingwill be conducted during the second and fourthweek. For more information, contact Staff Sgt.Jamie Jackson at 301-319-2509.

Employer Network EventAn Employer Network Event is held monthly on

the last Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Bldg.11 (lower level), Rm. 16. Attendees will be ableto meet with industry representatives, developprofessional connections and explore employmentopportunities at the event, open to all active duty,family members, veterans, reservists, non-medicalattendees, contractors and civilians. No registra-tion is required. For more information, contactFleet and Family Support Center at 301-319-4087or email [email protected].

Bethesda Notebook

The Journal Thursday, March 26, 2015 3

By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

“Behind every great manis a great woman.” This Eng-lish proverb dates back nearlyeight decades, but more than200 years of U.S. military his-tory shows women servingfront and center on Ameri-can shores. Today, womenstand shoulder-to-shoulderwith their male counterpartsabroad — in war.

After more than a yearfighting in the ContinentalArmy disguised as a man dur-ing the American Revolution-ary War, Deborah Sampsonwas discovered to be a womanafter she was wounded. She re-ceived an honorable dischargeand a military pension fromthe Continental Congress.

Sampson wasn’t the onlywoman to conceal her genderfor her right to fight. Dur-ing the Mexican War in 1846,Elizabeth Newcom enlistedin the Missouri Volunteer In-fantry as Bill Newcom, andmarched and participated in

the conquest of South Americaaccording to the Departmentof Veteran Affairs. She wasdiscovered and discharged in1848.

Harriet Tubman workedas a key advisor and guide toUnion Army Col. James Mont-gomery during the Civil War,according to American historyprofessor and scholar Cath-erine Clinton. The Libraryof Congress cited Tubman asjoining Montgomery and morethan a hundred black soldierson a gunboat raid on the Com-bahee River in South Caro-lina. Tubman also served asa Union spy, scout and nurse.She served Union Army officerCol. Robert Gould Shaw hislast meal on July 19, 1863, atFort Wagner where the UnionArmy suffered horrific lossesfor the all-black Massachu-setts Fifty-Fourth Regimenthe led, according to Americanhistorian Kate Larson.

More than a thousand civil-ian women served as nursesduring the Spanish-Ameri-can War and hundreds moreserved as support staff and

spies along with non-combatroles. During World War I,women were allowed to jointhe military as support staff ornurses, numbering more than30,000. Four hundred nursesdied in the line of duty, cited ina concurrent resolution of the110th Congressional Bill. Withmore than 400,000 serving innon-combat roles, the numberof women in war reached anall-time high by World War II,according to a National ParkService report. The NationalWomen’s History Museumcited the conflict resulted in88 women held as prisoners ofwar.

In 1948, Congress grantedwomen permanent status inthe military, entitling themto veterans’ benefits — morethan 30 years after nearly halfa million women served in thetwo world wars.

During the Korean War,women worked in combatzones as Army nurses, oraboard hospital ships in theNavy. By the Vietnam War,

Women’s History Month: Women at War

U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Peter D. Lawlor

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, left, and WayneCowles, husband of Adm. Michelle Howard, put four-star shoulder boards on Howard’s service white uni-form during her promotion ceremony at the Wom-en in Military Service for America Memorial, July 1,2014. Howard was the first woman to be promoted tothe rank of 4-star admiral in the history of the Navy. SeeWOMEN page 6

By Andrew DamstedtNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

For more than 10 years, theAmerican Red Cross has pro-vided volunteers as part of theteam greeting each MEDE-VAC arriving at Walter ReedNational Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC), and for-merly at Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center (WRAMC),and National Naval MedicalCenter (NNMC) to providesupport to wounded, injuredand ill service members andtheir families who are travel-ing from around the globe toreceive care.

Marin Reynes, Ameri-can Red Cross Bethesda se-nior station manager, said avolunteer team meets eachMEDEVAC patient arrivingat WRNMMC via their flightorigination point, LandstuhlRegional Medical Center, Ger-many, with a welcome bagfilled with toiletries, maga-zines, blankets, bottled water,snacks and local informationfor patients and families. In2014, volunteers distributedmore than 450 welcome bags

to patients and families, shesaid.

The MEDEVAC programbegan at Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center just afterOperation Iraqi Freedombegan, Reynes said. Today,the MEDEVAC program atWRNMMC meets the needs ofall wounded, ill or injured pa-tients and their families, shesaid.

Victoria Brown heads upthe 13 volunteers who greeteach MEDEVAC when theambulance pulls up to thehospital’s emergency room.Now, MEDEVACs arrive twodays per week, but when theprogram started they arrivedthree days per week and a RedCross volunteer has been ateach arrival, providing sup-port even when the ambulancecame at midnight or 5 a.m.,Brown said.

“At the very beginning, I’mtalking years ago, there wereflights coming in at two andthree in the morning and I wasdetermined that somebody’sgot to be there to greet them,”Brown said. “I’d be downstairs

American Red Cross Volunteers Greet Each MEDEVAC Arrival

Photo by Andrew Damstedt

Victoria Brown, left, and Dr. Joan Gordon, two of the 13 volunteers for the Amer-ican Red Cross Bethesda’s MEDEVAC team, pose for a picture after recountingsome stories from their years of experience with the program, which is designedto have a Red Cross volunteer greet each MEDEVAC that arrives at Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center to provide support to wounded, ill and injuredservice members and their families.See RED CROSS page 5


By Hospital Corpsman3rd Class Charla Watson

LPN Class 14-04

The Army Medical Corpsand the Navy Hospital Corpscan look upon their historieswith pride and awe for the ac-complishments achieved bytheir forerunners, who haveproven themselves ready tosupport Soldiers, Marines,Sailors, Airmen and all whoare in need of care whenever,and wherever necessary. Thecorps’ level of dedication intraining their members toprovide world-class care con-tinues today.One recent achievement of

the corps is establishing theArmy/Navy 68 Charlie/Li-censed Practical Nurse Course.The first class of the program,Class 14-04, graduates fromthe course tomorrow at 10 a.m.in Memorial Auditorium atWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC).The class includes 22 Soldiersand four Sailors.

The foundation of the Army/Navy 68C LPN Course canbe traced to the first practi-cal nurse course, started atthe former Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center in October1950 with the graduation of21 enlisted Army medical non-commissioned officers (NCOs).U.S. Army medical NCOs

first served during the out-break of the RevolutionaryWar. “Hospital stewards”were the forerunners of theArmy Medical Department(AMEDD) NCO Corps, whichwouldn’t be officially recog-nized until July 27, 1775,now the anniversary of theAMEDD.In the U.S. Navy, loblolly

boys, or assistants to ship’ssurgeons, can also be tracedback to vessels captained byJohn Paul Jones and JohnBarry in the ContinentalNavy, but it was on June 17,1898 when the U.S. Navy Hos-pital Corps was established asthe enlisted medical corps toserve Sailors and Marines.The graduates of the Army/

Navy 68C/LPN course, includ-ing this writer, hope to followin this long tradition of ser-vice to the nation and careof service members and theirfamilies, practicing what welearned during the intensivenearly year-long program.Our recent instruction in

the 68C LPN course spanned51 weeks and began withPhase I at the Academy ofHealth Sciences, Army Medi-cal Department Center andSchool at Fort Sam Houston,Texas. There, we were chal-lenged with 11 weeks of di-dactic study, consisting of 10examinations covering humananatomy and physiology, aswell as base medical terminol-ogy and concepts.Walter Reed Bethesda

hosted Phase II of the course,where we had 18 more writ-ten examinations, in addi-tion to having the oppor-tunity to demonstrate ournursing proficiency with 22

A Graduate’s PerspectiveSoldiers, Sailors Set to Complete Army/Navy 68C LPN Course March 27

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Soldiers and Sailors learn nasogastric medication ad-ministration techniques during Phase II of the inau-gural Army/Navy 68 Charlie/Licensed Practical NurseCourse at Walter Reed Bethesda. Twenty-six stu-dents graduate from the intensive year-long coursegraduate tomorrow.See LPN page 6

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Lt. Gen. Bostick Awards Army Hero

Photo by Staff Sgt. Julio Larrea, WTB NCO

The 53rd Chief of Engineers ofthe United States Army andCommanding General of theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers,Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick,pins Army Spc. William A.Hoover with the Purple Heart,Meritorious Service Medal,Army Commendation Medal,Afghanistan Campaign Medaland Non-Article 5 NATO Med-al during an award ceremonyMarch 9 in the Soldier and Fam-ily Assistance Center, locatedin Building 62 onboard NavalSupport Activity Bethesda.

in the emergency room waiting and somebody had tonudge me because I was asleep with the (care) bags… I think all of us that are in the MEDEVAC (team),we just really want to be there.”

The Red Cross volunteers also follow-up with fam-ily members throughout the week to ensure theyhave everything necessary while their service mem-ber is receiving treatment, Reynes said.

Terry Melo, who has volunteered with the pro-gram since 2010, said one experience that stands outfor her happened when an injured Soldier, who wasbeing wheeled into the emergency room, asked herto call his local Red Cross office to tell them thanksfor donating blood for him.

“I called on Monday morning and they said ‘Thankyou for letting us know he’s okay,’” Melo said. “Thatwas a real personal connection to me — to help him,and relay that message to his community.”

Dr. Joan Gordon, a Red Cross volunteer, said help-ing family members is a critical part of what the RedCross MEDEVAC team does “because to see theirSoldier, their Sailor, their Marine, in a certain way(can be) very distressful.”

She said helping out with the small things pro-vides a big support to the family members. She re-called a time when she located tweezers for a moth-er of an injured service member and another timewhen she helped a patient find out where to order asmoothie after his appetite returned.

Another time, Gordon said she helped a mother ofan injured Marine park her car.

“When she got here, the MEDEVAC team was tak-ing her son off of the MEDEVAC and she recognizedhis nose, his profile — her car was running — herdoor flung open and she screamed ‘That’s my son!’”Gordon said. “And I’m out there … and she ran tohim and I ran to get her and he said ‘Mom, let themdo their job.’”

Gordon explained she helped calm the motherby telling her it was a good sign her son was wellenough to talk and be a little bit embarrassed byher actions in front of the other Marines. She helpedthe mother find a parking spot and then took her toher son’s room.

“I had to do everything to keep from crying,” Gor-don said, telling herself to pull it together so shecould help this woman.

Another story Melo shared involved staying in thewaiting room with a spouse who had flown to thehospital from Nebraska by herself.

“There was no one with her and I was on my wayhome; I had already delivered the welcome bag withthe blankets and toothpaste and magazines and wel-come letters,” Melo said. “I had handed it all to herand was driving off the base, when I thought, ‘Whatam I doing?’ So I turned the car around and she’s sit-ting all by herself in the waiting room. She was gladthat I came back. She was really alone. That’s whatthe Red Cross is there for.”

Brown shared a story of a mother who was holdinga yellow balloon waiting to greet her son. When shesaw her son pull up in the ambulance, Brown saidshe asked whether she should approach.

“And I said, ‘He’s looking for you.’ You could tell,you could tell he wanted his mother,” Brown said.“We’re there for them; we’re sort of like a shadow inthe background, but ready to spring to action.”

All three volunteers said this volunteer experi-ence has greatly enriched their lives.

“Working with the wounded warriors has changedmy life, my perspective,” Gordon said. “Things thatused to bother me, no longer do. You realize you don’thave any issues by comparison. They have blessedme.”

RED CROSSContinued from pg. 3

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thousands of women volunteered toserve in the U.S. military, as Soldiers,Sailors, Marines, Airmen and CoastGuards.In 1991, Congress authorized women

to fly in combat missions, and to serve oncombat ships in 1993. More than 41,000women deployed to the combat zone dur-ing the Persian Gulf War, according to a1993 report to the Secretary of Defense.By 1998, women fighter pilots took

off from an aircraft carrier for combatmissions during Operation Desert Fox,in Iraq. Navy Capt. Kathleen McGrathbecame the first woman to command aU.S. Navy warship in 2000. The ship wasassigned to the Persian Gulf.In 2002, Marine Sgt. Jeannette L.

Winters and six others were killed ina Pakistan plane crash. A 2004 MarineCorps report cites Winters as the firstmilitary woman to die in the Afghani-stan war. Three years later, the Armyplaced women in support units on Iraq’sfront lines.Three Army women became prisoners

of war and one of them was killed dur-ing the first week of the 2003 invasionof Iraq. Army Spec. Lori Piestewa diedon the Iraqi battlefield. The 23-year-oldmother of two became the first of nineservicewomen killed in action duringOperation Iraqi Freedom. The 2004 Ma-rine Corps report also cited Piestewa asthe first Native American servicewomankilled in combat on foreign soil.Air National Guard Col. Linda Mc-

Tague became the first woman com-mander of an Air Force fighter squad-ron in 2004. In 2005 a National Guardnon-commissioned officer, Sgt. Leigh AnnHester, became the first woman sinceWorld War II to be awarded the SilverStar for combat action in the “War onTer-ror.” After the supply convoy she and hersquad were shadowing was ambushed,Hester entered into the “kill zone,” lead-ing her team and eventually assaultinga trench line with grenades and M203grenade-launcher rounds. The sergeantkilled three insurgents with her rifle.By 2008, 16,000 women were serving

in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Germanyand Japan, according to the Departmentof Defense (DOD). In 2011, a congressio-nal commission made a recommendationto end gender restrictions for all mili-tary career fields and combat exclusionpolicies. The Pentagon began a review ofwomen in service.Two separate federal lawsuits by mili-

tary women in 2012 sought to overturnthe Pentagon’s restrictions on women incombat. That same year, the DOD an-nounced 14,000 positions would open towomen on an experimental basis, includ-ing jobs in artillery, tank and combatengineer units. In 2013, then-DefenseSecretary Leon Panetta rescinded theground combat exclusion policy and or-dered services to open all assignments towomen by Jan. 1, 2016.The Marine Corps conducted research

on women in ground combat, accordingto a 2014 Center for Military Readinessinterim special report.In 2014, the Army selected 31 women

who passed the Ranger prep course toserve as observers and advisors at ArmyRanger School. In the same year, theMarine Corps created an experimentalground combat task force that includedwomen in infantry, armor, tanks and ar-tillery. In January 2015, the Army de-cided to allow women to attend Rangerschool in the spring.From the country’s fight for indepen-

dence until now, the stride for more op-portunities on the battlefield will likelycontinue for women, for years to come.At a 2009 White House tea for militarywomen, First Lady Michelle Obama toldthe servicewomen their legacy is morethan just their service.“Because of you, when young women

wonder how high they can rise in ourmilitary, they can look at General AnnDunwoody and her four hard-earnedstars. They can see that it’s real,” theFirst Lady said. “When they ask whatkind of jobs they can do, they can lookto women like all of you who’ve playedjust about every kind of role imaginable.And when they ask whether they can cutit — whether they have what it takes tosucceed— all they have to do is to look atyour lives, to look into your lives and tolook at the careers that you’ve developedthat inspire us all.”

WOMENContinued from pg. 3

practical exercises and skills labs for atotal of 1,921 didactic hours.We finished our classroom experience

with 800 hours of clinical nursing precep-torship and 80 hours of on-the-job train-ing. Our commitment to excellence canbe credited to our nursing triumvirate offederal civilians, contractors, NCOs andofficer instructors at WRNMMC.I’ve learned more about patient care

than I ever thought possible through theintegration of Navy corpsmen into the68C/LPN. The Army 68C practical nursecourse has a rich history with traditionsand honors, much like our Navy Corps-man history.To be a part of a merger that

connects our cultures only allows us tofeel closer to our sister branches and thefuture in military medicine. Speaking onbehalf of my shipmates, It has been anhonor for we four Navy corpsmen to beselected to be the first to go through theArmy/Navy 68C LPN Course.Walter Reed Bethesda leads military

medicine through outstanding patient-centered care, innovation and excellencein education and research, providingcomprehensive care to prevent diseaseand restore health. The graduates of theArmy/Navy 68C LPN Course Class 14-04hope to continue in this tradition. Withthis graduation of 68C LPN students,medical officers will be able to proudlywelcome the first Army/Navy practicalnurses to the bedside and continue toprovide maximal readiness to all weserve.

LPNContinued from pg. 4

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From Chief of NavalPersonnel Public

Affairs

Navy leaders an-nounced March 20 anupdate to the instructiongoverning the Post-9/11GI Bill Educational As-sistance Program whichoutlines specific steps forSailors to follow to prop-erly transfer their ben-efits to family members.

OPNAV Instruction1780.4 was updatedMarch 2 and consolidatespolicy detailed in NAV-ADMINs 187/09, 203/09,354/09, and 235/11. A na-val message is plannedannouncing the instruc-tion update and cancel-ling those NAVADMINs.

Qualified active dutyand Reserve Sailors mayelect to transfer benefitsto a spouse or children,with some or all benefitsallocated to those named.

The instruction in-cludes the Transfer ofBenefits (TEB) steps inorder to create a simplechecklist that Sailors can

follow to ensure they suc-cessfully complete theprocess.

It outlines everythingfrom verifying their fam-ily members are enrolledin the Defense Eligibil-ity Enrollment System(DEERS) to eligibilityrequirements, service ob-ligations and what to do ifa request is rejected.

The instruction can

be found at this link,http://doni.document-services.dla.mil/Direc-t i v e s/01000%20Mi l i -tary%20Personnel%20Support/01-700%20Mo-rale,%20Community%20and%20Rel ig ious%20Services/1780.4.pdf

For more news fromChief of Naval Personnel,visit www.navy.mil/lo-cal/cnp/.

Post-9/11 GI Bill Instruction Updated,Gives Easy Steps to Transfer Benefits

Official U.S. Navy file photo

By 2nd Lt.Kelly Schmitz

Nutrition ServicesDepartment

Dietetic Intern

March is NationalNutrition Month and agood time to start get-ting healthier and eatingsmarter.

A good place to startis by making S.M.A.R.T.goals, an acronym forspecific, measurable, at-tainable, realistic andtime-bound. Authors,management consultants,life coaches and othershave used S.M.A.R.T.goals to achieve variousobjectives and outcomesfor projects, performanceand personal develop-ment. Here’s how thosegoals may be used for ahealthier you.

Be specific. Manypeople make the mistakeof making goals too broad,

such as, “I’m going to cutall sweets out of my diet.”You may be able to stickto this for a few days,but eventually you mayfall back into old habits.Making a more specificgoal, which answers thequestions who, what,when, where, which, andwhy, helps narrow downthe goal. For instance,“For the next two weeks,I will only have dessertafter dinner every otherday. I will replace my des-sert with a piece of fruit.”

Set measurablegoals. Find a way tomeasure your progressthrough something con-crete. If your goal is tolose weight by eatinghealthier, a measure-able outcome is weight.Using the goal statedabove, weigh yourselfonce a week to see if eat-ing fruit is helping you tolose weight. Seeing this

progress may give youthe motivation neededto continue to meet yourgoals.

Make the goal at-tainable. What are yougoing to do to successfullymeet your goals? In orderto meet your goals, youmust have the appropri-ate knowledge and skills.If you know that yousnack from the bowl ofcandy at work, overcomethis by moving the bowlto a place where you can’tsee it. By taking steps tosupport achieving yourgoals, you are makingthem more attainable.

Be realistic. Almosteveryone has a big goalthey want to reach atsome point, such as get-ting a perfect score onyour physical fitnesstest, but that’s not goingto come quickly or easilyfor most people. Settingrealistic goals will help

you build a solid founda-tion to meet those biggergoals. For example, a bet-ter goal might be, “I willincrease at least one ofmy event scores by fivepoints,” rather than “I

will get a perfect score onthe PT test.”

Make goals time-bound. Goals need tohave an end date to pro-mote a sense of urgency.Without a specific end

date, a goal may fall bythe wayside. If your goalis to increase the num-ber of times you go tothe gym, make your goalmore specific, such as,“For the month of March,I will go to the gym threetimes each week for atleast 30 minutes.”

Now that you have thebasic building blocks togoal-setting, it’s time foryou to personalize yourgoals. These goal settingtools don’t only applyto nutrition and health,they can also be appliedto nearly any aspect ofyour life. Stay commit-ted to your goals andenjoy your success and ahealthier you.

For more informa-tion about eating right,contact the OutpatientNutrition Clinic at 301-295-4065 to schedule anappointment with a reg-istered dietitian.

Setting Goals for a Healthier You

Courtesy graphic

T6617460

Rockville


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2014 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 Sport Utility

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