By Andrew RevelosStaff Writer

Community and militaryleaders gathered Feb. 28 atJaycees Conference Centerin Waldorf , Md. for the quar-terly Naval Support Activ-ity South Potomac (NSASP)Civilian-Military Commu-nity Relations (COMREL)Council meeting. The coun-cil brings together Navyleaders from Naval SupportFaculties (NSFs) Dahlgrenand Indian Head and civil-ian leaders from Charles andKing George counties, andthe towns of Indian Headand Colonial Beach. Mem-bers and guests discussed adiverse variety of topics af-fecting the region, from thelooming sequester budgetcuts, to transportation andenvironmental issues. Allwere particularly impressedby a group of civic-mindedNorthpoint High School stu-dents dedicated to helpingmilitary kids make the transi-tion to new schools and newfriends.

“I’d like to thank everyonefor coming,” said Capt. PeteNette, commanding officerof NSASP. “We’re pleased tohave each and every one ofyou join with us.”

After the presentation ofthe Colors by members of theNavy Junior Reserve OfficerTraining Corps (JROTC) from

Westlake High School andrecitation of the pledge of al-legiance, Candice Quinn Kel-ly, president of the Charles

County Board of Commis-sioners, welcomed guests.“Good morning everyone andwelcome to Charles County,”

she said. “It’s always such an

SOUTH POTOMAC PILOTSOUTH POTOMAC PILOTMarch 8, 2013

NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUTH POTOMAC DEFENSE COMMUNITY

Link directly to theNSASP Facebookpage on yoursmart phone

INSIDE:

EnvironmentalRestorationPage 2

PRESORTSTD

USPOSTAGE

PAID

SO.MD.

NEWSPAPERS

PERMIT#1

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS FOR MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES E-mail nsasp_pao_dlgr@navy.mil or Call (540) 653-8153

U.S. Navy photo by Andrew Revelos

Alyssa Gonnela, a student at North Point High School, tells the South Potomac Community RelationsCouncil about the Student to Student Program, which helps new students adjust to school and makenew friends.

Students wow COMREL Council

See Students, Page 8

By Steven MooreJWAC Public Affairs

The Joint Warfare Analy-sis Center (JWAC) honoredmore than 60 employees atits annual Honorary Awardsceremony on February 21st,2013. The command’s Hon-orary Awards program, nowin its 12th year, recognizesemployees for their sus-tained superior contributionto both JWAC and the sur-rounding community duringthe past year.

Kenneth S. Menden-hall received the JWACWarfighter Support Award,which recognizes someonewhose dedication and excel-lence in support of the war-fighter made a significantcontribution by advancingJWAC’s operational goalsand objectives, improv-ing its support to the Waron Terror, and complet-ing JWAC’s charter mission

of dedicated support. Mr.Mendenhall worked on aproblem that had receivedvery little attention withinthe intelligence community.It required quickly analyz-ing large amounts of infor-mation from many differentsources for unique charac-teristics, which could thenbe used to help determinethe actual location of spe-cific facilities. To do this, he

worked with the command’sJ6 department to develop asoftware capable of review-ing the intelligence and find-ing specific identifiers. Theinformation he gleaned wasadded to intelligence data-bases. Mr. Mendenhall wasalso cited for his high workstandards, integrity, innova-tion, and customer focus.

Ronda K. Newton re-ceived the Individual Award

for Excellence in Servicein recognition of her dedi-cation, customer service,process streamlining, andexcellence in providing sup-port. As JWAC’s Time and At-tendance Program Managerhandling employees’ payand leave, she had one of themost important and visiblejobs in the command. Newto the job in 2012, she hadto learn about the payroll

system from scratch, whileproviding reports and analy-sis on various payroll issuesand constantly meeting withsupervisors and employeesabout payroll questions. Tocomplicate matters, JWACswitched from the Navy’spayroll system to the AirForce’s, an effort Ms. New-ton led. She worked closelywith higher Air Force head-quarters at U.S. StrategicCommand in Nebraska, AirForce District Washington,and the 11th Wing to ensurethe same level of payrollsupport to JWAC’s employ-ees. Her efforts ensured asmooth transition. She wascited for her excellent cus-tomer service and profes-sionalism.

Three employees - Chris-topher D. Brown, GordonE. Carter, and C. ThackerWashington - received the

AV Team Adams

JWAC presents annual awards for 2012

See Awards, Page 9

2 Friday, March 8, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

By Andrew RevelosStaff Writer

The Dahlgren School conducted alockdown drill Feb. 12 in coordinationwith the Naval Support Activity SouthPotomac (NSASP) Police Departmentand the Department of Defense Edu-cation Activity (DODEA). The goal wasto practice emergency procedures andensure all response elements are on the“same page.” Students, teachers andadministrators all participated in thedrill, which was monitored by RobertBrooks, chief of NSASP Police Depart-ment, and Leroy Brunson, contractperformance specialist for DODEA.

The unspeakable tragedies thathave afflicted American schools re-cently make it is imperative that alleducation facilities practice emer-gency response, even schools as quietand peaceful as the Dahlgren School.“It is important to practice drills [so]that we all, including students, teach-ers, school administration, parentsand police are prepared and practicedin the event that [security] challengeshappen here,” said Alice Herring, prin-cipal of the Dahlgren School. “We al-ways hope that they do not happen,but nowhere is immune.”

As with all drills, the differencebetween planning and practice of-fers lessons. “The general procedures[of the drill] can be applied to otherschool situations,” said Herring. “Wesee glitches that, if we’d drilled only onpaper, we would not see.”

The Dahlgren School will continuepracticing and improving its lock-down procedures, but Herring thinksthe school is off to a fine start. “Weconfirmed that we are prepared in the

event that we need to lockdown,” shesaid. “Our students responded well,following directions and remainingcalm. Having such a drill brings ques-tions and dialogue that is helpful ingetting better. We learned that clearcommunication is paramount. It isreassuring that we have such great po-lice support.”

Of course, the students, teach-ers and administrators of the Dahl-gren School were only one part of theemergency response plan. NSASP po-lice officers also played a key role andarrived on-scene shortly after the callwas made. A team of officers quicklycleared the school and after the drillwas concluded, Brooks debriefed theparticipating officers and emphasizedways the response could be improved.

Coordinating all the moving partsof an effective emergency responsestrategy is a top priority for DODEADomestic Dependent Elementary andSecondary Schools (DDESS) safetyand security personnel. Every year,the organization works with schoolprincipals to produce multi-hazard re-sponse plans for every DDESS school.The plans help schools conduct regu-lar fire drills, bomb threat, shelter-in-place and evacuation drills.

The schools coordinate with DO-DEA Domestic Dependent Elementaryand Secondary Schools (DDESS) Ser-vice Center each year for updates andchanges to the multi-hazard plans.“The [multi-hazard response] plansare also updated every year with thehost installation to ensure that thebase emergency plan is in sync withthe school’s emergency plan, so thatthe base can know how to respond atthe school in any kind of emergency,”

said Brunson.Lockdown drills are an important

tool to show emergency responders,school officials and students what theyare doing correctly and what needsimprovement. “The drill was conduct-ed within the timeframe we recom-mend, as far as the students gettingin their classrooms and the rooms be-ing secured,” said Brunson. “With anydrill, there is room for improvement.We can improve but overall the drillwent really well.”

Dahlgren School practices lockdown

U.S. Navy photo

In one environmental cleanup project at NSF Dahlgren, contaminated soil at a former chemical wasteevaporation pond was removed and the site was further excavated to expose the groundwater tableto allow application of a calcium polysulfide solution to assist in remediating groundwater contami-nated with elevated levels of hexavalent chromium.

Naval Support ActivitySouth Potomac and the Na-val Support Facility (NSF)Dahlgren Installation Res-toration Team are in theprocess of updating theNSF Dahlgren Environmen-tal Restoration Program’sCommunity InvolvementPlan (CIP). The CIP is a pub-lished guide for maintaininga community involvementprogram focusing on theenvironmental restorationprogram at NSF Dahlgren.

The purpose of the Com-munity Involvement Pro-gram is to maintain a highlevel of community under-standing and support for theenvironmental program atNSF Dahlgren. Communityinvolvement objectives arefocused on informing thecommunity about cleanupactions and providing op-portunities for the publicto offer input into the deci-sion-making process.

As part of the update tothe Community Involve-ment Plan, the Navy devel-oped a brief survey ques-tionnaire so that interested

community members mayprovide input. The surveyis intended to identify en-vironmental topics of inter-est and concerns within thecommunity regarding theenvironmental restorationprocess, and obtain sug-gestions on how the Navycan continue to promotecommunity involvement ina convenient and effectivemanner.

Members of the com-munity, to include NSFDahlgren military person-nel, civilian employees anddefense contractors areinvited to participate inthe survey, which is avail-able online at http://flu-idsurveys.com/surveys/navy2013envcomm/nsfd-environ-community-up-date-2013/?code=. The sur-vey will be available onlineuntil April 28, 2013. If youknow others who would beinterested, please be sure tolet them know of the link forthe online survey. All contri-butions to this effort will beappreciated.

Comment requested on Dahlgren Environmental Restoration Program

US Navy photo by Andrew Revelos

Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, right, commander of the14th Air Force and commander of Joint Func-tional Component Command for Space for U.S.Strategic Command, greets Tech Sgt. AshleyPond, left, superintendent for 614th AOC DetOne, during her visit to that organization and the2oth Space Control Squadron at Naval SupportFacility Dahlgren on Feb. 15. Helms has a sto-ried aviation career: after working as a test flightengineer, she became an astronaut for NASAand holds the world record for the longest spacewalk, just shy of nine hours.

Former astronautvisits 614th AOC DetOne and 20th SpaceControl Squadron

U.S. Navy photo by Andrew Revelos

Alice Herring, principal of theDahlgren School, announcesthe lock down training over theschool’s intercom Feb. 12.

On Thursday, Feb. 28, team members from NSFIndian Head’s branch of Navy Federal CreditUnion facilitated a Financial Readiness presenta-tion to approximately 250 Marines attached tothe Chemical Biological Instant Response Force(CBIRF) command. They explained the benefitsof saving for not only retirement, but the every-day emergencies that may arise on any givenday. The Marines were educated on promotionalsavings products available during the Military

Saves Campaign and the presenters had plentyof goodies to hand out during the presentation.The audience was very enthusiastic and en-gaged, several of them signing up for savingsproducts on the spot. The Navy Federal teamwas also joined by Carol Allison, Fleet and Fam-ily Support Center, who also provided handoutsto the Marines. Many of the Marines visited theNFCU branch throughout the day and comment-ed on the informative presentation.

Military Saves Week at NSF Indian Head

Friday, March 8, 2013 3The South Potomac Pilot

It seems like it was onlyyesterday that the governmentwas teetering on the verge offalling off another looming fis-cal cliff. Ultimately, the gov-ernment reached a temporaryresolution to the deficit crisis.Today, however, another cru-cial deadline has passed andfurloughs seem to be on thehorizon.

Hundreds of families in thisarea stand to be effected if thePresident and Congress can-not come up with a plan forresponding to the $1.2 trilliondollars in spending cuts sched-uled to take effect through thenext 10 years. Right now, mili-tary members’ pay is exemptbut most government employ-ees face furloughs that couldresult in losing one day of workper week, or 20 percent of theirpay for up to 22 weeks, likelystarting mid-April.

If you don’t live within aspending plan now, this is thetime to develop one and put itinto action. Since most of us

take out few cash withdrawalsanymore, the days of carryingaround a small book to recordour spending is now done forus with electronic records fromour debit and credits cards.Look back at least one month(or better yet three months toget a better average) at yourbank statements and recordyour spending habits. If youalready operate with a spend-ing plan and expect to takea 20-percent cut, determinewhat is in your spending planyou cannot live without.

I’ve listed a few ideas belowfinding temporarily areas toclose the 20 percent reductionin pay.

1. Monthly budgets need tobe first on this list; if you’re ina relationship where financesare shared, do this together,and keep the children (ageappropriate) informed to thetemporary changes. Make dis-tinctions of needs from wantswith every family member.

2. If you are expecting a

large tax refund, is it largeenough to cover the shortfall?

3. Change tax exemptionsto reflect your family’s size;you will get a lower refund nextyear, but more needed cashflow this year.

4. Make only minimumpayments on debts until short-fall is covered, then pay any ex-tra to highest interest debt.

5. Temporarily change yourTSP (401K if spouse partici-pates at their work) contribu-tions down to the percent ofcompany’s matching contri-bution until the pay shortageis filled (government matches5%).

6. Reduce or stop fundingchildren’s college fund.

7. Roth IRA? Contributionscould be a source, but as withany retirement funding adjust-ments, this step should be nearthe bottom of options. Same ifyou’re thinking about a TSPloan.

8. If all bills can’t be cov-ered by minimum payments,

contact creditors and ask fora temporary adjustment; theyare fully aware of what’s goingon and most-likely are willingto work with you, the key hereis to be pro-active.

9. Most of all, try not to takeon any new debt, this will onlycompound the problem.

If people don’t changetheir lifestyle, they will usetheir credit cards to fund theirshortfalls for expenses, and theeffect is that they will take onnew debt and remain in debtlonger. The real key is while weall feel the pinch of a tight bud-get from time to time, very fewof us are making the adjust-ments or living with the pinch!The Fleet & Family SupportCenter is available to assist youin developing a budget andlooking at ways in which youmight be able to stretch yourhard earned dollars. For a fi-nancial consultation, call (540)653-1839.

Financial fitness is critical, especially these days:

Don’t let federal budget troubles crash your party

CARPOOL/VANPOOL WANTED

Starting a Van Pool, A+ quality 7-pas-senger van, departs NLT 0635 fromFieldhouse/Courthouse Rd. commuterlot to Dahlgren, Mon-Thurs work hours(0715-1545) except Fri (0715-1515). CallCheng at 540-653-5909. A-Gate commuterwanted only.

Van or carpool desired from any rideshareparking area or Reston Town Center. De-part between 0600-0700, return from In-dian Head between 160-1700. Call Moses,(301) 743-4180.

Van or Car pool desired from Freder-icksburg or King George to Indian Head,Monday thru Friday with one RDO, prefer7-430, but hours can be negotiated. 703-909-3380.

Riders wanted to start a carpool from theNorthern Neck (Lively/Lancaster), passingthrough Warsaw at 0605 and Montross at0615, arriving at Dahlgren by 0700; leavingDahlgren at 1600. Call Lea at 540-653-6776 or 571-232-5412 (cell).

From the Ferry Farm area to DahlgrenBldg. 1500 area. Prefer early work hours.Call Mark, 540-653-2148.

Riders wanted for van pool. Leaves fromRichmond at Home Depot on Atlee-ElmontRd. (exit # 86B off I-95) to Dahlgren. CallDavid at (540) 653-9203.

Clinton, Md., to Dahlgren. Hours are flex-ible (0600 - 1700). Call Miranda at 703-692-9590.

Carpool/vanpool wanted from Montrossarea to Dahlgren. Can also take up to 3 or4 riders from here if they would prefer meto drive. Call Doc at 252-670-6686.

Want to start a carpool? Need riders?

“Commuter Clearinghouse” is a source forinformation on carpools or vanpools that al-ready exist and need passengers, as well asa place for employees to advertise to starta carpool or vanpool. Whether you alreadyoperate a carpool or vanpool and are opento accepting new riders or need drivers, orif you are looking for a carpool or vanpool,provide us with information that might helpyou find or start a commuter opportunity,such as, where you will need to commutefrom and to, preferred schedule and contactinformation. You can send your informationvia e-mail to nsasp_pao_dlgr@ navy.mil orcontact our office toll free at 866-359-5540,or DSN 249-8153, or 540-653-8153.

FREDERICKSBURG

RIDESHARING SERVICE

GWRideConnect is a free ridesharing ser-vice that assists persons who are seekingdaily transportation from Fredericksburg,Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and KingGeorge counties to employment locationsin Dahlgren among other employment sites.www.gwregion.org/gwride connect.html.

By Patrick Foughty,Commander NavyInstallations CommandPublic Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) --The service ‘Library Press Dis-play’ is now available throughthe Navy General Library Pro-gram (NGLP) and offers freeaccess to over 2,200 newspa-pers from 97 countries in 54languages.

By logging onto the NavyKnowledge Online (NKO), ei-ther through user name andpassword or their CommonAccess Card (CAC), all Depart-

ment of the Navy employees,Sailors (to include reservists),retirees and their dependentscan now have access to manyof the world’s newspapers - injust a few clicks.

“Whether you’re into worldpolitics and foreign affairs,fashion or just want to catchup on what’s happening inyour hometown, this serviceis another great resource tohelp you fill your informationneeds,” said Nilya Carrato,program assistant for NavyGeneral Library Program, “andyou don’t have to pay any sub-scription fees.”

Once onto the Library PressService site, which is found onthe Navy e-Library News sec-tion of NKO, users are thenable to navigate through vari-ous subject headings or geo-graphical locations. From therethey find the newspaper or pe-riodical they’re interested inreading and read it as thoughthey’re reading a traditionalhardcopy newspaper.

“The newspapers even havehyperlinks embedded that al-low the user to jump throughthem with ease,” Carrato ex-plained.

The service can be used on

all forms of digital devices, toinclude personal computers,tablets and smartphones, allthat’s needed is an internetconnection and authorized ac-cess.

Navy Library patrons mayregister for this and many ofNGLP’s services by logginginto NKO (https://wwwa.nko.navy.mil) clicking on the “Ref-erence” heading in the upperright part of the screen. Thenclick on “e-Library - news”.Once on this NKO page Sail-

Newspapers from around the globe available on NKO

See Newspaper, Page 4

4 Friday, March 8, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

The South Potomac Pilot Newspaper is published weekly by SouthernMaryland Newspapers and Printing, 7 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf, Md.20602, a private company in no way connected with the U.S. Navy, underexclusive written contract with Naval District Washington.

This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publicationfor members of the military services. Contents of The South Potomac Pilotare not necessarily the official views of, nor endorsed by the U.S. Gov-ernment, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Navy. Theappearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supple-

ments, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense orSouthern Maryland Newspapers and Printing of the products or servicesadvertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available forpurchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, orany other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. If a violation orrejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, thepublisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation

is corrected.Editorial content is edited, prepared, and provided by the Public Affairs

Office, NSA South Potomac. News copy should be submitted by noon onFriday to be considered for the following week’s edition. All material is ed-ited for accuracy, brevity, clarity, and conformity to regulations. To inquireabout news copy, call 540-653-8153 or fax The South Potomac Pilot at540-653-4269. Commercial advertising may be placed with the publisherby calling 301-645-9480.

Capt. Peter NetteCommanding Officer, NSA South Potomac

Gary R. WagnerPublic Affairs Officer, NSA South Potomac

Jeron HayesNSA South Potomac

Managing Editor

Andrew RevelosStaff Reporter

Breton Helsel andDeirdre Parry

Copy/layout editors, The Gazette/Comprint Military Publications

www.dcmilitary.com/dahlgrenNSA South Potomac • Office: 540-653-8153 • 540-284-0129

DahlgrenWomen’s History Observance

NSF Dahlgren will hold an observance in honor ofWomen’s History Month - “ Women Inspiring Inno-vation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women inScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics”on March 13 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the DahlgrenBase Theater. Guests panelists from NSWC DahlgrenDivision will include Ms. Ann Swope (C Dept.), Ms.Tiffany Owens (G Dept.), Ms. Megan Hart (K Dept.),Ms. Margaret Neel (Q Dept.), Ms. Jane Bachman (WDept.), and Ms. Dena Kota (Z Dept.). The event is freeand open to all with base access.

VITA Tax PrepIt’s not too late to get a VITA tax prep appointment!

If you are active duty or retired military or a reservist,call (540) 653-1839 to secure an appointment for yourfree tax return preparation today!

DOSC Accepting Scholarship AppsThe Dahlgren Officers’ Spouses Club (DOSC) is

currently accepting scholarship applications. All ap-plications must be in writing and received by April 15.For an application and more information, visit www.dahlgrenosc.webs.com.

DOSC Charitable DistributionThe Dahlgren Officers’ Spouses Club is currently

accepting written requests from non-profit organiza-tions for their annual charity distribution. DOSC re-turns profits from their Second Tour Thrift Store in theform of donations to local charities. Submit a writtenrequest to DOSC explaining how your organizationbenefits the community and/or the local militarypopulation and how a DOSC donation would benefityour organization. All requests must be in writing andsubmitted via USPS by April 15. Include organizationname and purpose, desired amount and how fundswill be utilized and POC with telephone and email ad-dress. Mail to Dahlgren Officers’ Spouses Club, attn:Charities Committee, 722 Sampson Road, Dahlgren,VA 22448. For more info, visit www.dahlgrenosc.webs.com, or call (540) 413-1079.

DMV2Go at NSF DahlgrenThe DMV2Go van will be at NSF Dahlgren on

March 21 and May 20 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Pa-rade Field Pavilion. The Navy Ball committee will beselling lunch from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. both days. Withthe latest technology, the DMV2Go offers multipleservices including state ID applications and renew-als, driver’s license applications and renewals, ve-hicle titles, license plates, decals, transcripts, copiesof driving records, applications for disabled parkingplacards, and many more!

To publish information on your event or programunder “Base Happenings,” contact NSASP Public Af-fairs at 540-653-8153 or email jeron.hayes@navy.mil.

Base Happenings

Officials announced this week that on March 17, theGame Time Sports Grill operation located inside theCannonball Lanes Bowling Center will permanentlyclose and renovations will begin to accommodate anew Subway franchise.

Subway management hopes to be able to open the

franchise by June 1. During the renovation, patrons ofthe bowling alley may bring in their own food items orhave food delivered. The bowling center will sell bev-erages including soda, water, beer and provide snacksduring the interim.

Subway franchise comingsoon to NSF Dahlgren

ors and their families can

explore the vast array ofnewspapers. Interested pa-trons are also encouragedto visit the YouTube youtu.be/nKer1nyh_kk and Slide-

share www.slideshare.net/NGLP/library-pressdisplay-on-nko/ tutorials for moreinformation on how to findand use the service on NKO.

The Navy General Li-brary Program has existedfor nearly a century and is aservice of Commander, NavyInstallations Command.

Newspapers:Continued from page 3

By CherieHuntingtonDeCA publicaffairs specialist

FORT LEE, Va. - For the11th consecutive year, theDefense Commissary Agen-cy has earned an unquali-fied opinion for its financialstatements, as certified byindependent auditors.

In accounting language,“unquali f ied opinion”means that DeCA’s financialstatements are fairly repre-sented in accordance withgenerally accepted account-ing principles.

Ultimately, this meansthat every dollar appropriat-ed to deliver the commissarybenefit and every dollar gen-erated in sales is accountedfor, said agency Director andCEO Joseph H. Jeu.

“Meeting the higheststandards in managing ourfinancial resources remains

a source of pride for us,” Jeusaid. “We want Americantaxpayers and all our cus-tomers to know that theirdollars are accounted for,the commissary benefit re-mains financially sound,and we remain vigilant stew-ards of our appropriations.”

DeCA’s financial state-ments reflect the agency’suse of appropriated fundsto deliver the commissarybenefit. While the agencyreceives nearly $1.4 billionin appropriated funding andgenerates more than $6 bil-lion in annual sales, DeCAprocessed nearly 98 milliontransactions in its stores - anall-time high - and deliverednearly $2.7 billion in savingsto its customers in fiscal year2012. The agency also gener-ated more than $312 millionin surcharge funds, used tofund new stores and equip-ment, and renovate existingfacilities.

“This report representsthe culmination of anotheryear of hard work from theentire DeCA team,” saidLarry Bands, DeCA’s chief fi-nancial executive. “What wedo is important because itcontributes to the enduringstrength of the commissarybenefit, and that contributesto our national defense.”

During quarterly re-porting periods, agencyaccountants prepared forthe annual audit by collect-ing financial data. Auditorsfrom Clifton Larson Allen,one of the 10 largest certi-fied public accountant firmsin the country, reviewed theagency’s fiscal 2012 finan-cial statements, along withinternal controls over finan-cial processes.

They checked DeCA’sreports for efficiency andaccuracy in areas such astime and attendance, an-nual inventories of resale

stocks, equipment invento-ries, property accountabilityand information technol-ogy controls over financialsystems. The audit also ex-amined DeCA’s financialconnection to organizationssuch as the Defense Financeand Accounting Service andthe Defense Logistics Agen-cy, both located in Colum-bus, Ohio.

“We’re intensely focusedon excellence in financialreporting,” said CynthiaMorgan, DeCA’s director ofaccounting. “We’re hard atwork behind the scenes socommissary customers canenjoy their shopping expe-rience, knowing that theirbenefit rests on rock-solidfinancial ground.”

DeCA’s finances meet highestaccountability standards

Aquatics Center540-653-8088

Family Float NightMarch 8, 5 - 7 p.m. FREEEligible patrons include all with base ac-

cess. Cost: Regular Admission. Pre-regis-tration takes place at the Dahlgren AquaticsCenter. This event includes fun for the en-tire family! Bring your float (a limited num-ber will be available at the pool). Play gamesor just relax! For more information, pleasecontact Liz Kwasniak at 540-653-6213.

Fitness Center540-653-8580

St. Paddy’s Day 5K Poker Run/WalkMarch 13, 11 a.m.Eligible patrons include all with base ac-

cess. Cost: $5. Register at the Fitness Cen-ter. T-shirts will be given to the first 25 whoregister. Awards for overall male and femalefinishers and best poker hand. For more in-formation, please contact the Fitness Centerat 540-653-8580 or Ira Seth, Fitness Directorat 540-653-2215. Sponsored by Carroll’s Au-tomotive and NSWC Federal Credit Union

Craftech/Hobby Center540-653-1730

Framing and MattingMarch 13 & 20, 4:30 p.m.Eligible patrons include all with base ac-

cess. Cost: $35, plus materials. In this two-day Wednesday evening workshop learn howto mat and frame a piece of artwork. No larg-er than 16x20, no oils or cross stitch. Maxi-mum class size is four. For more information,please contact Craftech at 540-653-1730.

Stoneware ClassMarch 14 - 28, 4:30 p.m.Eligible patrons include all with base ac-

cess. Cost: $35 (includes all materials). In thisthree-week Thursday evening class learn howto make hand built stoneware. Maximumclass size is six. For more information, pleasecontact Craftech at 540-653-1730.

Youth Activities Center540-653-8009

Easter Egg Hunt EggstravaganzaMarch 16, 11 a.m.Our annual Egg Hunt is for ages 1-3, 4-6,

7-9 and 10 and up. Prizes will be awardedin each age group. Be sure to bring a basketor bag to carry your eggs. Come early! Eventstarts on time. Please register at the ParadeField. For more details and information,please contact the Youth Activities Centerat 540-653-8009. All are welcome! Come jointhe fun! This event is free and sponsored byNSWC Federal Credit Union and LincolnMilitary Housing.

Bowling Center540-653-7327

Wear Green and Bowl-A-Game,Get-A-Game, for FREE!

March 17, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.Eligible patrons include all with base ac-

cess. Cost: First game at regular pricing,second game FREE. Wear green and getyour second game for free on St. Patrick’sDay! Please register at Cannonball Lanes.For more information, please contact Can-nonball Lanes at 540-653-7327.

Indian Head

Weight HouseFitness Center

10 lb. Challenge Part 2March 22 - May 31Ten weeks to lose 10 lbs. or more! Weekly

challenges and newsletters will be providedto help you stay on track. $10 each to partic-ipate, money will be distributed to all thosewho lose ten or more pounds and keep it offto the end of the challenge. Register at theWHFC front desk. For more informationcontact megan.eicholtz@navy.mil.

St Patrick’s Day 5kMarch 14 - Rain Date: March 15Race starts at 11 a.m. Use the luck of

the Irish to predict your time. Prizes willbe awarded to the 1st and 2nd place maleand female with the closest predicted timeand to the 1st place male and female withthe fastest time. Register at the WHFC be-

fore the start of the race. $5 for civilians andFREE for Military. For more informationcontact megan.eicholtz@navy.mil.

Auto Hobby ShopSelf Help Classes

March 11 Engine Diagnostics ChecksInformation and demonstration classes

will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on thesecond Monday of each month. Theseclasses are FREE and open to all eligible pa-trons. For more information contact larry.shanks@navy.mil.

Stars and StrikesBowling Center

Bunny BowlMarch 16Join us from Noon - 2 p.m. for an af-

ternoon of family bowling with the EasterBunny. $6 per person includes bowling andshoe rental. For more information contactjuan.gray@navy.mil.

General Library

Easter Break Fun DayApril 1, 1 - 3 p.m. at the General LibraryCelebrate the beginning of Spring with a

day of fun at the Library. Make crafts, visitthe petting zoo, take a pony ride and more!This event is FREE and open to all eligiblepatrons.

Friday, March 8, 2013 5The South Potomac Pilot

Dahlgren MWR Highlights

540-653-7336Hours of OperationFriday and Saturday: 7 p.m. Showings

Price of ShowsCivilians - $5AD, Retired, Reserve, Family Members(E7 - above) $4AD, Reserve, Family Members (E6 - be-low) - $2.50Child (6-11) - $2Child (5 and under) - FreeTickets for a movie shown in 3-D arean additional $1

Fri, March 8th, 7 p.m.Gangster Squad - R

Sat, March 9th, 7 p.m.Mama - PG-13

Fri, March 15th, 7 p.m.Last Stand - R

Sat, March 16th, 7 p.m.The Impossible - PG-13

MovieTheater

The Dahlgren Navy Ball Committee willbe selling Krispy Kreme donuts on March 15outside main gate at NSF Dahlgren and alsobetween ATRC (bldg. 1520) and Aegis BMD(bldg. 1705). Donations will be accepted viacash at the main gate and cash or credit cardvia the Square card reader at ATRC. StartingWednesday, 20 March, the Navy Ball Com-mittee will begin a weekly Burger Burn atthe ATRC gazebo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Dahlgren Navy Ball Committee will beselling lunch on Thursday, March 21st, nextto the DMV 2 Go van at the Parade Field.Burgers, hot dogs, brats and sides will beavailable. Buy lunch from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Want to learn more about this year’sDahlgren Navy Ball? Visit us on Facebookat www.facebook.com/pages/NSASP-Navy-Ball/267070586638023, or follow us on Twit-ter, www.twitter.com/NSASPNavyBall .

Dahlgren Navy Ball Committee 2013

6 Friday, March 8, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

DahlgrenKGHS Talent Show this weekend

King George High School will showcase the amazing tal-ent of their students at their annual KGHS Variety Show,March 8 and 9 in the KGHS auditorium. Tickets are $7 atthe door. Don’t miss the chance to be entertained by someof King George’s most talented students!

Boat Course March 16A Virginia DGIF Boat Virginia course is being held on

Saturday, March 16, in Colonial Beach, Va. The USCG Aux-iliary will be teaching this class at the Colonial Beach TownCenter, next to the library, at 22 Washington Ave. from 8:45to about 5:00. There is no cost to the student. While cur-rently anyone who operates a PWC and anyone aged 30 andyounger operating a motorboat in Virginia are required tohave taken a NASBLA-approved safe boating course, begin-ning this coming July 1st, the regulation will expand to coverthose aged 30 through 40 years old. Successful completionof this course will provide you with the certificate needed tomeet the Virginia regulation.

Register for the class at the Virginia Department of Gameand Inland Fisheries (DGIF) web site: http://www.dgif.vir-ginia.gov/boating.

National Security Lecture Series at UMWDThe Spring 2013 National Security Lecture Series is a col-

laborative effort of the Joint Warfare Analysis Center, theUMW Dahlgren Campus, UMW faculty members and theFredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce’s MilitaryAffairs Council. Join us March 19 for “Superpower Competi-tion in Post Soviet Central Asia: The “Great Game” Redux”presented by John (Jack) M. Kramer, Ph.D., DistinguishedProfessor, UMW Political Science and International AffairsDepartment.

The lectures are held at the UMW Dahlgren Campus inUniversity Hall and also are video teleconferenced to theStafford Technology and Research (STAR) Center at Quan-tico located at 800 Corporate Drive, Suite 315 in the Quan-tico Corporate Center. Refreshments are available at 8 a.m.at the Dahlgren Campus. Lectures start promptly at 8:30a.m. and end at 10 a.m. at the Dahlgren Campus. To registerfor the lecture, visit http://dahlgren.umw.edu/upcoming-events/national-security-lecture-series/. Reservation formsfor subsequent lectures will be posted the day after the pre-ceding lecture. The lectures are open to all free of charge.

Free Tax Prep AssistanceTax season is here and Rappahannock United Way and

the Financial Stability Coalition are offering free tax assis-tance. Working individuals and families in the area whoearned $51,000 or less in 2012 are eligible for assistance.IRS-certified, trained volunteers will be on-hand at 13 sitesthroughout the area to help those who qualify. All servic-es are provided by IRS-certified staff and volunteers. Lastyear, volunteers filed 1,066 tax returns in Planning District16, refunding over $1.5 million and saving those taxpayers$223,000 in preparation fees - on average saving each filer$209 in fees.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programis one of the largest anti-poverty programs in the country.Providing this service helps achieve our goal at Rappahan-nock United Way, which is “more households emerge frompoverty and achieve greater financial stability.” Empower-ing individuals and families with tools and resources, suchas providing free tax preparation, can help them achievefinancial stability. It saves these hard-working individualsand families the out-of-pocket cost of paying someone toprepare their taxes, and the volunteers are trained to helpthem get the maximum refund.

Tax assistance services continue through Monday, April15. Visit www.RUWFreeTaxes.org for more information.

RBBBS Bowling FundraiserThe Rappahannock Big Brothers/Big Sisters Society will

hold its annual Bowl For Kids’ Sake on Saturday, March 9that noon and 2 p.m. and Sunday March 10 at 1 p.m. at Lib-erty Lanes. Get together a team of four co-workers, familyor friends and solicit donations online. If you cannot attendthe event, you can register as a virtual bowler. Each bowlershould raise $100. Bowlers who raise $200 or more will beeligible to win a $200 Best Buy gift card. RBBBS will providerefreshments, t-shirts and two games of bowling. This sig-nature fundraising event raises money to help area youth.You can register online for the event, www.rbbbs.org.

Love Thy Neighbor Food Pantry Needs DonationsThe Love They Neighbor Food Pantry in King George

is in need of your help! We need food items donated forthose in the county in need, and to supplement the newly-opened Soup Kitchen in the county. All donations can betaken to one of the following businesses: Descending Dove,Rocky Top, Unique House, Keller Williams, The Journal,KG Citizens Center, Hopyard Farm, Simply Bliss, VirginiaPiano Gallery, Exit Realty or American Business Card Co.Items needed include oatmeal and pop tarts, breakfast bars,peanut butter and jelly, soup, canned tuna, salmon andchicken, canned fruits and vegetables, rice, beans, Tuna orChicken Helper, pasta and sauce and personal items such astoilet paper, deodorant, soap and shampoo, laundry deter-gent, all purpose cleaner, diapers, and feminine products.

Indian HeadShamrock Shenanigans: The Sequel

The Chesapeake Choral Arts Society invites you to cel-ebrate St. Patrick’s Day by attending its concert, “ShamrockShenanigans: The Sequel,” featuring music of the BritishIsles with a focus on the songs of Ireland. The concert willbe performed in the College of Southern Maryland’s FineArts Center Theatre (FA Building) located at 8730 MitchellRoad, La Plata, MD. Performances will be held Saturday,March 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 17 at 3:30 p.m.Each concert will feature a bagpiper, and the Sunday after-noon performance will also include some Irish dances.

Nanjemoy Community Center to Host AnnualBluegrass Music and Dinner Event

Jay Armsworthy & Eastern Tradition Band will delightmusic lovers with their “hard-driving” bluegrass sound atthe annual Bluegrass Concert and Spaghetti Dinner on Sat-urday, March 16. The event will be at the Nanjemoy Com-munity Center (4375 Port Tobacco Rd., Port Tobacco), from5:30 - 9 p.m. A delicious spaghetti dinner will be served be-fore the show starts, courtesy of the Nanjemoy CommunityCenter Council. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Dinner will beserved from 5:30 - 6:45 p.m. The concert will begin at 7 p.m.Charles County residents may purchase tickets for $15 inadvance or $20 at the door. Tickets for non-residents cost$20 in advance and $25 at the door. For more information,contact the Nanjemoy Community Center at 301-246-9612.Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland RelayService at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.

Charles County 2013 Spring/Summer Tripsand Tours Announced

The Charles County Department of Community Ser-vices offers many trips and tours throughout the calen-dar year-bus trips, overnight trips, and “Fly Away” trips inwhich you travel to far away destinations such as the Brit-ish landscapes. Upcoming trips and tours include a day inNew York City, Pennsylvania Dutch Country, a visit to West-moreland County, Va., and a Tangier Island Cruise. Seniorcitizens age 60+ will enjoy a trip to the Sight & Sound Din-ner Theater and Infinity Theater in Annapolis, Lighthousesof the Chesapeake, and “South Pacific” at the Dutch AppleDinner Theater.

Online registration is available at www.CharlesCoun-tyParks.com. Registrations for senior trips are accepted atthe Department of Community Services (8190 Port TobaccoRoad, Port Tobacco) and the Richard R. Clark Senior Center(1210 Charles Street, La Plata). For more information on thetrips and tours listed above, call 301-934-9305 or 301-870-3388 ext. 5159.

For more information other events offered by the De-partment of Community Services, visit www.CharlesCoun-tyParks.com or call 301-934-9305 or 301-870-3388. Citizenswith special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Serviceat 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.

CSM Cause Theatre Announces Cast for ‘StopKiss,’ March 14 - April 13

The College of Southern Maryland’s Theatre Companyannounces the touring show “Stop Kiss” at the Cause The-atre, a play by Diana Son and presented with special ar-rangement by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

After Callie meets Sara the two unexpectedly fall in love.Their first kiss provokes a violent attack that transformstheir lives in a way they could never anticipate. “A poignant

and funny play about the ways, both sudden and slow, thatlives can change irrevocably,” says Variety.

CSM’s Cause Theatre offers several touring shows persemester, each bringing to light a different social issue, de-signed to be informative and challenging. Each is followedby a facilitated discussion. “Stop Kiss,” presents the issueof homophobia.

Performances are March 14-16 on the La Plata Campus,Black Box Theatre, Room FA-143; April 5 on the Prince Fred-erick Campus, Flagship Building, Room 119; April 11-13on the Leonardtown Campus, Building A, Auditorium, allshowing at 8 p.m. Not suitable for younger audiences. Adultthemes and content. Tickets are $5. For information contactbxoffc@csmd.edu, 301-934-7828, 240-725-5499, 443-550-6199, 301-870-2309, Ext. 7828 or www.csmd.edu/Arts.

Wounded Veterans 5KSign up today for the Wounded Veterans 5K, hosted by

Charles County Sheriff’s Department, Charles County Fra-ternal Order of Police and Charles County Correctional Of-ficers, to be held March 24 at Laurel Springs Park in La Plata.Event starts at 9 a.m. and will include a timed 5k race and afamily friendly 5k walk. Cost is $30 for adults, $15 for ages12-17, participants under age 12 are free. Register by March10 to receive commemorative t-shirt. Event includes lunch,entertainment and a chance to visit with wounded warriorsand thank them for their service. Register by visiting www.woundedveterans5krun.eventbrite.com. All proceeds ben-efit the Wounded Warrior Project.

Town of Indian Head Easter EventCome to the Town of Indian Head Children’s Spring

Party and Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday, March 10 from 2 - 4p.m. at the Indian Head Village Green Pavilion. Don’t forgetto bring your

Easter Basket! Ages birth to 12 years accompanied byadult, cost is $2 for all ages at the door. Cost includes lunch,carnival and guessing games, petting zoo, children’s crafts,door prizes and Easter Egg Hunt (12 yrs. and under). Photoswith the Easter Bunny available for $1 each. For more info,call (240)375-4061.

CSM Call for Renaissance Festival VendorsCollege of Southern Maryland is holding a call for Re-

naissance Festival Vendors. 9 a.m.- 9 p.m., April 19-20, atthe La Plata Campus, Fine Arts Center, 8730 Mitchell Road.The college is presenting a Renaissance Festival which willfeature theatre and music of the renaissance period. Toround out the festival atmosphere, the college is seekingvendors including period foods, arts, crafts, games, jug-glers, magicians to participate. Complete details for vendorparticipation and a registration form are available at www.csmd.edu/renfest. Registration deadline is March 15, 2013,but spaces are filled on an approved first come, first servedbasis. For more info, visit BxOffc@csmd.edu, 301-934-7828or www.csmd.edu/Arts.

Spring Sports League Registration AnnouncedThe Charles County Department of Public Works will

hold registration for the upcoming spring adult softballleague, men’s soccer league, an “over-35” soccer league,women’s soccer league, and for the first time, an adult co-ed kickball league, from Monday, Feb. 25, through Friday,March 15. League play will start the week of April 21 at Lau-rel Springs Park and White Plains Park. Teams may regis-ter at the Department of Public Works (1001 Radio StationRoad, La Plata) weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Formore information, interested teams should call 301-932-3470 or 301-870-2778 weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4p.m. or visit www.charlescountyparks.com.

White Plains Golf Course Women’s Golf ClinicsLearn the basic skills needed to become a confident golf-

er. White Plains Golf Course is offering two women’s golfclinics in April and May. Each four-day session runs from 5p.m. - 6:30 p.m. and costs $75. Sessions include proper golfcourse etiquette, safety, rules, grip, stance, posture, chip-ping, putting, irons, woods, and on-the-course instruction.

Session I - April 29, 30, May 1 & 2Session II - May 6, 7, 8 & 9Pre-registration is required. Maximum class size is eight

participants. Golf clinic participants will receive a compli-mentary round of golf. For additional information or to reg-ister, call White Plains Golf Course at 301-645-1300. WhitePlains Golf Course is located at 1015 St. Charles Parkway,south of DeMarr Road, in White Plains.

Community Notes

1037739A

Friday, March 8, 2013 7The South Potomac Pilot

The change of season from win-ter to spring brings lots of new lifeand beauty, but also the threat ofdanger. As the temperature slowlyrises, so does the potential for dev-astating tornadoes.

The state of Virginia will hold astatewide tornado drill in prepara-tion on March 12. Businesses andorganizations, schools and col-leges, and families and individu-als can practice taking cover fromtornadoes by participating in thisannual safety exercise, set for 9:45a.m.

“During the past two years,62 twisters hit Virginia,” said Mi-chael Cline, state coordinator foremergency management. “In fact,in 2011 we had the second high-est number on record. Ten peoplewere killed and more than 100 wereinjured. More than 210 homes weredestroyed. It’s critically importantthat everyone know what to dowhen a tornado warning is issued.”

A look back at tornadoes inVirginia during 2012:

11 tornadoes were recorded (8EFO and 3 EF1).

There were no deaths, but sixpeople were injured.

Property damage totaled $3million.

The highest number of torna-does occurred in June (6).

During 2011:51 tornadoes hit, the second

highest number on record (87struck in 2004).

In April, 10 people died andmore than 100 were injured.

Most tornadoes occurred dur-ing April, but tornadoes also wererecorded in March, May, August,September, October and Novem-ber.

In April, 212 homes and 17businesses were destroyed; morethan 1,050 homes and businesseswere damaged.

Nearly every part of Virginiaexperienced tornadoes, includingmountain areas.

One-third of the tornadoesstruck at night when people wereasleep.

“Tornadoes are the most violentstorms nature can develop,” saidTim Bennett, emergency manage-ment director for Naval SupportActivity South Potomac. “They areformed from large thunderstormsthat begin rotating. When theybegin their rotation they typicallybecome a funnel shaped cloud ex-tending from the sky to the ground.The most violent aspect is the windspeeds that can reach up to 300miles per hour. As we have recentlyand tragically seen, they can anni-hilate entire towns and cause manyfatalities and injuries.”

“Unfortunately [tornadoes] de-

velop so rapidly that little to noadvance warning is possible,” saidBennett. “If you do receive a warn-ing, go immediately to an interiorroom or a basement, as you nor-mally have less than five minutesto take precautionary actions. Themost important tip is to be awareof the surrounding weather and theclues you can see.”

When it comes to tornadoes,there’s no such thing as a “torna-do season.” Tornadoes can strikeanywhere, anytime, and you needto know the drill. They can ap-pear suddenly without warningand can be invisible until dust anddebris are picked up or a funnelcloud appears. Be prepared to actquickly. Learn more about tor-nado safety, at www.vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia/stayinformed/tornadoes or http://www.emer-gencyemail.org/wx/us/MD/24017.asp?src=dwx&day=Monday.

Know the SignsStrong, persistent rotation in

the base of a cloudWhirling dust or debris on the

ground under a cloud base - tor-nadoes sometimes have no visiblefunnel

Hail or heavy rain followed bydead calm or a fast, intense windshift. Many tornadoes, especially inVirginia, are wrapped in heavy pre-cipitation and can’t be seen.

Loud, continuous roar or rum-ble, which doesn’t fade in a few sec-onds like thunder does

If it’s night, look for small,bright, blue-green to white flashesat ground level (as opposed to sil-very lightning up in the clouds).These lights are power lines beingsnapped by very strong wind, per-haps a tornado.

Persistent lowering of the cloudbase

Watches and WarningsLearn the terms that are used to

identify a tornadoTornado Watch: a tornado is

possible in your area. You shouldmonitor weather-alert radios andlocal radio and TV stations for in-formation

Tornado Warning: a tornadohas been sighted in the area or hasbeen indicated by National Weath-er Service Doppler radar. When a

warning is issued, take cover imme-diately

Preparing for TornadoesAt NSF Dahlgren and NSF Indi-

an Head in the event of a tornado,base personnel would here the Gi-ant Voice notification system soundtelling all of those that are outsideto get inside and get informed. In-formation would also be sharedthrough all hands emails, KGAlertand the Computer Desktop Notifi-cation System.

BeforeGet a NOAA Weather Radio

with warning alarm tone and bat-tery backup to get information di-rectly from the National WeatherService. This is the quickest way tolearn that a tornado is heading your

Almost spring? Time for tornadoes

See Tornado, Page 8

8 Friday, March 8, 2013The South Potomac Pilot

honor to have you with us.”Kelly announced some

great financial news forCharles County: the countyimproved its credit scoreand now holds a Double APlus rating from Standardand Poors. The county is alsoparticipating in two JointLand Use Studies (JLUS) withNSASP installations at NavalSupport Facilities (NSFs)Dahlgren and Indian Head.The studies are primarilyfunded by the Departmentof Defense, but they are ad-ministered by local govern-ments. The goal for JLUS isto provide a forum for themilitary and local communi-ties to plan future develop-ments in a way that benefitsboth parties. Charles Countyis also participating in a thirdJLUS for Naval Air StationPatuxent River, said Kelly.

“To see all three of thesebases move forward withthese studies is going to bean important impact on ourregion, in terms understand-ing all the benefits we derive[from the installations] andtheir economic importance,”Kelly added.

Kelly expressed concernabout how the sequestermight affect Charles County,noting that the cuts will hitlocal schools as well as mili-tary bases. Still, Kelly said thecounty is “prepared to dealwith what comes our wayand [we] feel have adequatesafeguards in place.”

Despite the ongoing bud-get stress, Kelly was pleasedto announce that groundhas been broken for theconstruction of the new St.Charles High School. The269,000 square foot state ofthe art facility will featuredigital classrooms, telep-resence and a planetarium.“This is going to be the firstof its kind school in the na-tion,” said Kelly.

Nette returned to the po-dium to introduce NSASP’s

new community planningand liaison officer, WilliamRau. “We’ll be seeing him atboard and economic advi-sory meetings involving thecommunity, especially withthe Joint Land Use Studies,”said Nette.

Nette also thanked thecommunity for its support ofthis year’s Citadel Shield ex-ercises at Dahlgren and Indi-an Head, which fortunatelysaw little impact outside thebases. “We had a lot of sup-port from the communityfrom law enforcement andmutual aid type of services.”

A survey about commu-nity involvement in the NSFDahlgren EnvironmentalRestoration Program, thefirst survey of its kind since2004, is being offered at Netteencouraged all members ofthe COMREL to participate.The survey can be accessedonline at http://fluidsurveys.com/navy2013envcomm/nsfd-environ-community-update-2013/

Nette addressed the on-going budget uncertaintyand how it might affectNSASP and local communi-ties. “What we can expect atour installations are, we willprobably see a reduction in

services, such as reducing afacility’s availability for a fewhours per week.”

While Nette could notspeak for the tenant com-mands hosted by NSASP,he said that all Navy orga-nizations were planning forbudget actions in accor-dance with their respectiveheadquarters. “A lot of thesethings may be left to the dis-cretion of local command-ers,” he said.

Student to StudentProgram

Maryanne Quirk, schoolcounselor at North PointHigh School, briefed theCOMREL about a compel-ling program intended tohelp the children of servicemembers who are new tothe school fit in and makefriends. Students who partic-ipate in the program, manyof whom are themselves thechildren of military servicemembers, accompany newstudents during their schooltransition.

North Point High Schoolbegan the program in 2009at the invitation of the Mili-tary Child Coalition, whichprovided Quirk and two stu-dents training to get the pro-gram started. “We know thatNorth Point was selected be-cause of its proximity to mili-tary bases and we also knowthat out of our population ofmore than 2,200 students,353 are either military de-pendents or have parent thatword for DoD,” said Quirk.“The purpose of Student toStudent is to ease the tran-sition of a new student to anew school, whether theyare military or not. We bringthe new students necessaryand relevant informationfrom a credible and relatablesource: another student.”

The peer relationshipprovides benefits to both thenew student and the Studentto Student member, saidQuirk. “This is just a greatsituation. It’s win-win.”

Alyssa Gonnella, a x stu-dent and participant in theStudent to Student Program,explained her participationto the COMREL. “Studentto Student has been a re-ally great experience forme. I know when I first gotto North Point-my father isa military civilian and mymother is in the reserves-soI’ve never moved, but I’vebeen around a lot of peoplewho have moved and I’vebeen around a lot of peoplewho have left. So I had asense of how it felt to be thenew one, to not know any-body.”

Gonnella was herself thenew student when she lefta private school in La Platafor North Point High School.Through cheerleading andother school activities, Gon-nella successfully made thetransition, though she want-ed to help others. “Studentto Student helped me realizethat not everybody has thatopportunity,” she said. “Myfirst time showing somebodyaround, I realized how shyshe was. So I told her abouthow I could relate to her andtold her I understood how shefelt. She opened up to me.”

After her first interactionwith a new student in theprogram, Gonnella foundthat helping others was ad-dictive. “It really made mefeel good that I could helpsomebody else out, that Icould show here that thereare people who are going toaccept you.”

Quirk, Gonnella and therest of the young womenwho presented the Studentto Student Program to COM-REL received a rousing ap-plause for their efforts.

Potomac CommuterFerry update

Mark Gibb, executive di-rector of the Northern Vir-ginia Regional Commission,briefed the COMREL aboutthe progress of plans thatwould bring commuter ferry

service to the Potomac River.“I’m pleased to have sucha large and distinguishedgroup to speak with today,”Gibb told the COMREL.

The proposed ferry ser-vice would link several busyhubs within the Washingtonregion by water, a transpor-tation idea that only exists ina few other American cities,such as Seattle. The goal isto ease traffic congestion onregional roadways.

Several local communitieshave expressed support for astudy of the proposal. Whileno federal funding has yetbeen allocated to the study,Gibb noted that the fundingsituation could change. “Noone has ever designated theirriver as a transportationsnode,” he said.

The Northern VirginiaRegional Commission isconducting phone surveysto assess to project’s viabil-ity. “We’re hoping the mili-tary personnel [in the region]will support this study,” saidGibb.

Shoreline restorationsummary

Cmdr. Jeff Brancheau,Naval Facilities CommandWashington (NAVFAC-WASH) public works offi-cer for NSASP, briefed theCOMREL about the success-ful effort to restore nearlytwo miles of environmen-tally-sensitive and mission-critical shoreline. The $20million project protects $54million of base infrastruc-ture and added 12 acres ofwetland to the installation.

The wetlands create a“living” shoreline that pre-vents erosion and providesexcellent habitat for aquaticlife. Before the project com-menced, the shoreline waseroding at the rate of 1.5 feetper year, said Brancheau.

The Navy completed allfunded phases of the projectwith the help of the NationalAquarium’s ConservationTeam, which coordinated

planting more than 50,000native trees and shrubs atthe shoreline with a diversegroup of local, state and na-tional conservation organi-zations.

That coordinated efforthelped the project controlcosts and the expertise of theparticipating conservationorganizations helped the ini-tiative become a model forthe Chesapeake Bay region.

“This [cooperation] isreally the takeaway,” saidBrancheau. “We appreci-ate the support of the com-munity. It was a really greatpartnership.”

NSF Indian Head SteamDistribution System update

Brancheau continuedwith a brief about plansto upgrade Indian Head’ssteam distribution system,known as military construc-tion (MILCON) project 222(P222). The current steamsystem, though antiquated,is vital for the productionand development of energet-ic material on the base. “Asyou know, the infrastructureis very old in Indian Head,”Brancheau told the COM-REL.

The Goddard SteamPlant, built in 1950s, is slatedto be demolished along with30 miles of old steam lines.In its place, two smaller pri-mary plants and nine nodalplants will be constructed.The plants will use naturalgas instead of coal and fueloil.

The $62 million projectwill cut down on air pollu-tion, improve the overallefficiency of the steam sys-tem and provide power re-dundancy for the base. “Weexpect to see shovels in theground around the May orJune timeframe,” said Bran-cheau.

An existing utility ease-ment along Route 210 willprovide the space for theexpansion of the gas line toIndian Head. The new plantis expected to be up and run-ning by the summer of 2016.

U.S. Navy photo by Andrew Revelos

Candice Quinn Kel-ly, president of theCharles County Boardof Commissioners,addressed the SouthPotomac CommunityRelations Council onFeb. 28.

way. Many models are available.Know what tornado watch and tornado warning mean.Determine in advance where you will take cover in case

of a tornado warning. Keep this safe location uncluttered.Storm cellars or basements provide the best protection.If underground shelter is not available, go into a window-

less interior room, closet or hallway on the lowest floor pos-sible.

Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls. Go tothe center of the room. Stay away from corners because theyattract debris.

If you are in a high-rise building, you may not haveenough time to go to the lowest floor. Pick a place in a hall-way in the center of the building.

A vehicle, trailer or mobile home does not provide goodprotection. Plan to go quickly to a building with a strongfoundation, if possible.

Get a kit of emergency supplies. Store it in your shelter

location.Practice tornado drills at least once a year

DuringWhen a tornado watch is issued, stay tuned to local radio,

TV and NOAA weather radio for further information and pos-sible warnings. Be prepared to take cover.

AfterStay out of damaged buildings and stay clear of downed

power linesHelp injured or trapped people. Check on those who

might need special assistance, such the elderly, children andpeople with disabilities.

When a tornado warning is issued, take cover in yoursafe location immediately or on the lowest level of the near-est substantial building. Protect your body from flying debriswith a heavy blanket, pillows, sofa cushions or mattress.

If you can’t get to your safe location or the lowest level ofa substantial building:

Open buildings: (shopping mall, gym or civic center): Tryto get into a restroom or interior hallway. If there is no time,get up against something that will support or deflect falling

debris. Protect your head by covering it with your arms.Cars and trucks: Get out of your vehicle and try to find

shelter inside a sturdy building. A culvert or ditch can provideshelter if a substantial building is not nearby. Lie down flatand cover your head with your hands. Do not get under anoverpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.

Outdoors: Try to find shelter immediately in the nearestsubstantial building. If no buildings are close, lie down flat ina ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands.

Mobile homes: Do not stay in mobile homes. Leave im-mediately and seek shelter inside a nearby sturdy building,or lie down in a ditch away from your home, covering yourhead with your hands. Mobile homes are extremely unsafeduring tornadoes.

Stay in your safe location until the danger has passed.

Tornadoes: Stay InformedPay attention to weather announcements during severe

thunderstorms.Listen to weather-alert radios to stay informed of tornado

watches and warnings.Also monitor commercial radio, television and the Inter-

net.

Tornado:Continued from page 7

Students: Explaining the Student to Student program to COMRELContinued from page 1

Friday, March 8, 2013 9The South Potomac Pilot

Group Award for Excellencein Service, which recognizesa support group whose ded-ication, customer service,and process streamliningmade a significant contri-bution to JWAC during theyear. Forming the com-mand’s audio-visual team,they showed high levels ofcustomer service, profes-sionalism, and teamworkin providing superb audio-visual service. They sup-ported many services andevents, including video tele-conferences, video stream-ing, video recording andediting, special ceremonies,sound cover system, andmany equipment instilla-tions. Despite the exper-tise they brought to theirwork, they were recognizedfor their willingness to ac-cept customer suggestionsfor improving their service.Also, due to the demands oftheir work, they often hadto change their scheduleto meet shifting prioritieswithin the command andforego their own participa-tion in command events.

Amanda J. Cornwell re-ceived the Spirit of JWACAward, which honors some-one who consistently dem-onstrates the command’score values of integrity,courage, and service at workand within the local commu-nity. A member of JWAC’sInformation Assuranceteam, she worked closelywith analysts, developers,and outside organizations tomeet the command’s needs.Her technical knowledgeand expertise were relied onby many of her co-workers.She also volunteered as acheerleading coach at KingGeorge High School and theKing George Youth AthleticAssociation. Five cheerlead-ers were recognized as Uni-versal Cheerleaders Asso-ciation All-American Cheer-leaders and the team scoredsecond in district and eighthin regional competition. Asa mentor and role model,she encouraged team mem-bers to choose positive al-ternatives to peer pressure,body image, alcohol anddrug abuse, bullying, andacademic performance. Shealso volunteered with lo-cal non-profits like Win forWesley and Relay for Life toraise money for the Ameri-can Cancer Society. Forexample, she planned andcoordinated an annual golftournament for the last fiveyears that raised more than$40,000.

The Award of Merit forGroup Achievement wentto a computer reaccredi-tation team of nearly 40people from eight branch-es and two departments.

Awardees were: Michelle D.Banks, Stephen E. Barnum,Stephen W. Bennett, KevinJ. Biondi, Brian E. Blevins,Bryan E. Browe, Robert D.Cannon, Adam S. Carlson,Jon M. Childress, Scott A.Cogil, Amanda J. Cornwell,Elvin E. DeLoach, Navy ITCGregory Dobson, May Y.Downum, Wanda L. Green,Jeffrey P. Harris, WilliamHuffman, Francisca M.Jackson, Natarsha D. Johns,Chad M. Mason, Jeffrey P.Mason, Nancy M. Mullen,Hoa N. Nguyen, Donna L.Nuckols, Marjorie G. Par-ish, Lisa M. Perkey, RichardA. Pierce, David L. Rich-ardson, James F. Ridgway,Wayra I. Sanchez-Rivera,John H. Schmidt, Bonita E.Simpson, Derek E. Tracy,Timothy VanHuss, Todd N.Wilbourne, Kaden P. Yealy.Working together, theyfaced and overcame manychallenges involved in reac-crediting JWAC’s computernetworks, including lack ofdocumentation, inconsis-tent and outdated patchingof computer systems, andchanges in the command’ssecurity staff. Despite this,they had to keep the com-puters working while pro-ceeding with their work.Among some of the team’sspecific accomplishments,they categorized and justi-fied more than 84,000 Se-curity Technical Implemen-tation Guide results andnearly 1,700 InformationAssurance VulnerabilityAlerts; created more than20 documents to supportwaiver and implementa-tion delay decisions; and in-stalled hundreds of patchesand configuration settingson hundreds of computersystems. Their efforts led

to a 33 percent reduction invulnerability alerts on onenetwork and 78 percent onanother. Throughout, teammembers displayed flexibil-ity, foresight, and creativityin identifying and establish-ing new processes.

Charles A. Bohannonreceived the Junior Civilianof the Year Award, whichrecognizes an employee atthe GS-1 through GS-8 levelwhose performance andcontributions were clearlyabove and beyond their ex-pected job performance.Mr. Bohannan becameJWAC’s antiterrorism/forcelead following a vacancy inthat position. Among his ac-complishments, he devel-oped the command’s anti-terrorism/force protectionplan, which was adopted byJWAC’s parent command,U.S. Strategic Command;ensured compliance, ac-countability, and report-ing during JWAC’s annualclassified holdings inven-tory and recommendedimprovements to the pro-cess; reduced the resourcerequirements for destroyingclassified material; estab-lished a two-person reviewprocess of classified ma-terial; and worked closelywith others in the commandto destroy classified infor-mation. Mr. Bohannon wascited for his dedication andprofessionalism in the per-formance of his duties thatoftentimes exceeded hisgrade level.

Christina M. Byrd re-ceived the Senior Civilianof the Year Award, whichrecognizes a non-supervi-sory employee at the GS-9through GS-13 level whoseperformance and contri-butions were clearly above

and beyond their expectedjob performance. As headof JWAC’s security office,Ms. Byrd served as the com-mand’s chief security advi-sor, earning a reputation fortact and diplomacy. Her ap-proach and handling of sen-sitive matters was creditedwith helping change JWAC’ssecurity culture. Some of heraccomplishments includedidentifying and correctingmany program problems;coordinating the distribu-tion of Common AccessCards to more than 300 em-ployees; and overseeing thecommand’s transition fromthe Navy to the Air Force.Despite staff changes dur-ing the year, morale in thecommand’s security officeimproved under her leader-ship.

Air Force Technical Sgt.Veronica J. Babauta receivedthe Military Member of theYear Award for the mid-tier level in recognition ofher work as an intelligenceanalyst. She served as thelead analyst on two com-batant command projectteams, leading both militaryand civilian members andguided the work; providedintelligence briefs that wascredited with increasingcollaboration with severalother federal agencies; andmentored other intelligenceanalysts on research andbriefing techniques. Sgt. Ba-bauta also completed sever-al training courses on coun-try familiarization, predic-tive battle space awareness,and Air Force Space Com-mand to improve her tech-nical and analytical skills. Inaddition, she volunteered 40hours as a school mentor,teaching 13 math and sci-ence sessions and helping

prepare students for futuresuccess.

Air Force Master Sgt.Lakisha Adams received theMilitary Member of the YearAward for the senior levelfor her professionalism,technical skills, and self-improvement. As JWAC’ssenior enlisted leader, shemanaged more than 20 ser-vice programs in supportof the command’s 42 mili-tary members. She oversawthe professional develop-ment of enlisted memberswho earned three degrees,four promotions, and eightawards. She chaired theJoint Duty Assignment List-ing revalidation communi-cation to defend 21 billets,highlighting joint mattersand organizational interac-tion for the Joint Staff. Sheused the Electronic JointManpower and PersonnelSystem to combine fourmanpower documents, re-ducing the time to providereports by 75 percent. Sheserved on the Quality of LifeAdvisory Council for Dahl-gren and was a coordinatorwith Exceptional FamilyMember Program. Sgt. Ad-ams also finished four grad-uate courses and received amaster’s degree in humanresource management witha 3.8 grade point averageand earned ProfessionalManager Certification.

J. Curtis Badgett receivedthe Executive Civilian of theYear Award for his techni-cal competence, excellence,dedication, and selfless de-votion to duty. The awardrecognizes an employeeat the GS-14 or GS-15 levelwhose performance andcontributions were clearlyabove and beyond their ex-pected duties. A technicaldivision head, Mr. Badgettprovided outstanding lead-ership and clear guidanceduring a time of depart-mental transition. He andhis division regularly ledcross-command techni-cal issues resulting in thor-ough and complete staffingfor informed decisions bycommand leadership. Onesuch effort, the command’sCapabilities Framework, re-sulted in JWAC’s ability todefine what a capability is,identify skills and resourcesneeded to execute the ca-pability, and when thoseskills are required based onthe emergence of future ca-pabilities. The Frameworkbenefited human capitalplanning, command capa-bilities briefing, workforcedevelopment, executiveprogress reviews, and long-range planning. Mr. Badgettconsistently demonstratedoutstanding performancein both capability develop-ments with multi-milliondollar budget and capabil-

ity advancement, ensuringtechnical direction for out-years documented and fol-lowed.

Gary L. Geisler receivedthe Robert L. Hudson Lead-ership Award, named forJWAC’s first Executive Di-rector. It honors someonewhose ongoing leadershipand vision assures JWACwill continue to serve theneeds of national decisionmakers and war-fightersinto the 21st century. A se-nior engineer, Mr. Geislerserved as the command’smain representative to itsindustry and Department ofDefense partners. He main-tained technical awarenessin emerging operationalrequirements and researchand development initia-tives, trends, architectures,analytical tools and tech-niques. He served to inte-grate and develop the visionfor partnerships capabili-ties, and he developed en-gagement option conceptsthat were fully adopted byJWAC teams and trusted tohandle all aspects of sys-tems engineering. Throughhis understanding and cor-porate knowledge of analy-sis and technical knowledgeof external emerging initia-tives, Mr. Geisler helpedJWAC’s senior leaders de-termine strategic directionto ensure the command’srelevance and contributionto the nation’s most chal-lenging problems. He wasrecognized both inside andoutside the command as ateam player with a passionto create unique approach-es and technical solutionsto the war-fighter’s currentand future problems. Heconsistently displayed anamazing ability to handlemany technical challeng-es, address organizationalchallenges, and communi-cate to senior and executivelevel leaders in a clear, con-cise, and relevant manner.Based on command priori-ties, he identified emergingR&D areas and analyticalrequirements and devel-oped and delivered initialcapabilities assessmentsand plans for emerging ca-pabilities, which were tiedto specific command capa-bility gaps that supportedmodeling and analysis. Heestablished, fostered, andmaintained more than 15new mission critical R&Dpartnerships, resulting inthe command’s ability toleverage external subjectmatter experts, funding tai-lored analytical productsand analytical studies thatsupported JWAC combatantcommand tasks and R&Dinitiatives.

Awards: Honoring contributions and dedicated serviceContinued from page 1

Bohannon

Geisler

Badgett

Mendenhall Newton

Babauta

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Applications accepted via SU’s OnlineEmployment Application System. Visit

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See the FAQs of the Online Employment Appli-cation System for more information and instruc-tions.

Applications received by March 31, 2013 willbe given first consideration. Position will re-main open until filled.

SU is an EEO employer and is strongly commit-ted to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty,staff and student body.

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