Military Life

Scholarships Available

2008-01-14T22:40:25Z

Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan or Operation Iraqi Freedom are encouraged to apply for Horatio Alger Military Scholarships.
2008 applications are available until April 15, 2008 at www.horatioalger.org/scholarships_military/
Scholarship recipients will each be awarded $5,000 to support their undergraduate education. Applicants must have served in one of the operations after Sept. 11, 2001, have an honorable military service record, critical financial need, be pursuing a bachelor's degree, carry a minimum GPA of 2.0, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have no more than 60 credit hours and have shown integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity.
Scholarships are available for 416 veterans. Since 2005, the association has awarded 1,880 scholarships.

USS Ohio Moving to Guam?

2008-01-08T00:01:38Z

That's what the commodore of Submarine Squadron 15 was quoted as saying in the Saipan Times on Monday, but don't count on it happening.
Nobody at Pacific Submarine Force in Pearl Harbor had heard such a thing, nor had Lt. Kyle Raines, the public affairs guy for submarines at Naval Base Kitsap.
Raines said the Ohio and USS Michigan, both of which have been converted from ballistic weapons to cruise missiles, will remain homeported here.
They'll be forward deployed for up to 15 months, and Guam is one of the places where they can exchange crews, Raines said.
The Navy is in the middle of shifting its forces to put 60 percent in the Pacific and 40 in the Atlantic. It used to be 50-50. Part of that shift is to put subs at Guam, Raines said, "but at no point have I been aware of the Ohio being one of those submarines."
"In terms of Ohio having a permanent homeport change, that is not accurate."
In the Saipan daily newspaper, Commodore Phillip Sawyer was quoted as saying the upcoming buildup of forces in Guam is being preceded by a buildup of submarines, which started in 2001.
There are now three subs based there — the USS Buffalo, USS Corpus Christi and the USS Houston.
"This means that there are some 2,000 submariners that are permanently stationed in Guam," he was quoted as saying. Then the reporter stated that Sawyer said the USS Ohio will soon be joining the three in Guam.

Trident II D5 Missile Achieves Record 120

2007-11-29T20:52:33Z

Here's a press release from Lockheed Martin bragging up its D5 missile:

]]> SILVERDALE
The U.S. Navy conducted a
successful test launch today of a Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile
(FBM) built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT). The Navy launched the unarmed
missile from the submerged submarine USS HENRY M JACKSON (SSBN 730) in the
Pacific Ocean.
The Trident II D5 missile now has achieved 120 consecutive successful test
launches since 1989 -- a record unmatched by any other large ballistic
missile or space launch vehicle.
"What does it take to succeed in 120 tests in nearly two decades? It takes
the well-known vision of our Navy Strategic Systems Programs customer, who
focuses on partnership and mission success," said Tory Bruno, vice president
and general manager of Strategic Missile Programs, Lockheed Martin Space
Systems Company, the Navy's Trident Missile prime contractor. "It also
takes the discipline of the Navy crews responsible for D5 operation and the
talent of the Lockheed Martin personnel who designed, produced and support
this missile."
The missile launch was part of the Demonstration and Shakedown Operation
(DASO) to certify USS HENRY M JACKSON for deployment, following a shipyard
overhaul period and conversion from Trident I C4 to Trident II D5
configuration.
The Navy performs tests to assure the safety, reliability, readiness and
performance of the Trident II D5 Strategic Weapon System, as required by the
Department of Defense's National Command Authority and conducted under the
testing guidelines of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. For the tests, operational
missiles are converted into inert configurations using test missile kits
produced by Lockheed Martin that contain range safety devices and flight
telemetry instrumentation.
First deployed in 1990, the D5 missile is currently aboard 12 Trident II
Ohio-class submarines and four British Trident II Vanguard-class submarines.
The three-stage, solid-propellant, inertial-guided ballistic missile can
travel a nominal range of 4,000 nautical miles and carries multiple
independently targeted reentry vehicles.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the prime
contractor and program manager for the U.S. Navy's Trident Missile.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems employees, principally in California, Georgia,
Florida, Washington and Utah, support the design, development, production,
test and operation of the Trident strategic weapon system. Lockheed Martin
Space Systems has been the Navy's prime strategic missile contractor since
the inception of the program more than 50 years ago.
The test also involved the Lockheed Martin-built Navigation Subsystem that
continuously and covertly provides the highly-accurate and reliable
navigation data required to support today's stringent Trident Weapon System
performance requirements. An Electrostatically Supported Gyro Navigator and
a Navigation Sonar System together provide the initial navigation inputs to
the Fire Control Subsystem in support of the Weapon System missile launch.
Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors Undersea Systems business unit,
Mitchel Field, N.Y., has been the Navy's prime contractor for the Navigation
Subsystem aboard FBM submarines since 1955.
Altogether, nearly 3,000 employees throughout the Lockheed Martin
corporation support the Navy's Fleet Ballistic Missile program.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people
worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems,
products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

Statement from Sgt. Walls' family

2007-11-28T20:55:03Z

I received this from Sgt. First Class Johnny C. Walls family at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

]]> Our hope was that the few protesters who planned to dishonor Johnny and his memorial service would not receive any publicity. However, since it is now well known by the media our only response would be to say thank you to the overall support of our great military community. Johnny gave his life in defense of his team, the Afghan soldiers whom he mentored, and for peace and freedom of our nation and the nation of Afghanistan. Our family's standard is based on King Solomon's wisdom of Proverbs, "Let kindness be the rule for everything you say."

Hope Memorial Doesn't Become Circus

2007-11-27T22:52:18Z

These Westboro folks are really crazy or really smart. I'd hate to think that they're smart and duping all of us, including me, to justify their cause. I get the feeling they thrive on all the hate directed at them, and any publicity no matter how bad it is. They think it justifies their cause.
I'm sure the Walls family doesn't want a big circus, even one tipped 100 percent in support of them. They'd prefer to just celebrate their family member in private. I think we all would.
Unfortunately, I didn't think I could hide the fact that the Westboro people said they would be coming to picket. The word was getting out long before it got to me. Now there are dozens of comments from people saying they'll be there to counter-demonstrate. Some comments are mean, and I understand that, but I hope nobody stoops to hurting these picketers because that's just what they want you to do.
The best outcome would be if they just didn't show up like happened in Poulsbo in 2003. We'll get a heads-up if they aren't at Fort Lewis the day before.
Please always keep in mind that the Walls family should be first in everybody's minds. Don't do anything stupid to take away from that and inadvertently be fodder for the picketers.

Crazy Eric's Thanks Vets

2007-11-19T23:52:12Z

An unofficial theme emerged from the big Veterans Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 12, at the Fairgrounds. It was along the lines of, "Have you done enough for a veteran today?"
A perfect example of somebody who did, and does, was Darryl Erickson, who along with two sons runs Crazy Eric's drive-ins in Navy Yard City and Belfair.
For the second year, Crazy Eric's fed the whole crowd, for free. Last year about 700 people came through the lines. More than 1,000 people attended this year's event.
"We're just trying to repay them for our freedoms which we enjoy every day," said Erickson, 66. "We're very thankful and blessed by many people."

He Can See Again

2007-11-19T22:51:10Z

I wrote up a little item a few weeks ago. Almost decided against even mentioning it because it was happening over in Renton. It was about Clearly LASIK Eye Center of Puget Sound providing free LASIK surgery to 20 active and retired military personnel on Veterans Day to thank men and women of the armed forces.
Several dozen signed up for the procedure, which would normally cost about $3,000. The winners were picked by lottery. I got an e-mail saying one of the guys was from Bremerton and they would see if I could interview him.
A little while later, one of the IT guys here at the Kitsap Sun, Steve Harman, walked over to me and said he's the guy.
I saw him the day after the operation and, though there was some blood in his eyes, he said he now had 20-10 vision. It was a little creepy, he said, but it didn't hurt at all.

Case of the Missing Entries

2007-11-19T22:19:05Z

I get a notification in my e-mail when a new entry is posted on this blog. Normally I can just click on a link in the e-mail and give the OK to accept the item. I got one over the weekend but I clicked on it and couldn't get access. I tried to access it straight from my blog page and it wasn't there. So if you don't see your comment, that was probably it. Sorry.
That happened all the time a few months ago. Let's hope that's the end of it.

DUI Costs Hornet Çommander His Job

2007-11-19T22:13:59Z

This is another one of those stories that don't have enough local interest to get in our paper but might be interesting to the military folks.

]]> SAN DIEGO
The commander of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet training squadron was fired Wednesday, four days after he was jailed on suspicion of driving under the influence at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. Navy officials said Cmdr. Thomas O’Dowd, 44, was relieved of command for “a loss of confidence in his ability to lead his squadron,” according to a statement issued by Naval Air Forces in Coronado. Officials provided no other details on the reason.

The decision to fire O’Dowd, who had taken command of Strike Fighter Squadron 122 in July, was made by Capt. Hal Murdock, who commands Strike Fighter Wing-Pacific.

At about 3 a.m. on Nov. 10, according to the Kings County Sheriff’s Department, a Navy uniformed security officer stopped O’Dowd, who was driving a gray Lexus RX300 SUV near a bachelor’s quarters. The security guard spotted O’Dowd driving erratically and called for the sheriff’s department, which has jurisdiction over the naval station in the Central California Valley. “He was driving and showing an erratic driving pattern, and that’s what caused the security guard to pull over the vehicle,” Assistant Sheriff Brian Wheat said Friday.

A sheriff’s deputy arrived “and did a field sobriety test,” which prompted the deputy to arrest Commander O’Dowd, Wheat said. O’Dowd was taken to the Kings County jail, where he was processed, administered an alcohol blood test and placed into a “sobering tank” for six hours before he was released with a citation to appear in Kings County Superior Court, Wheat said. It wasn’t clear what O’Dowd’s blood-alcohol content was, and it usually takes several weeks to get the results, he added. A DUI infraction is considered a criminal misdemeanor offense.

O’Dowd was reassigned temporarily to Murdock’s command, based at Lemoore, “pending further review,” Navy officials said in the statement. Captain Murdock assigned Capt. Stephen Foley, the wing’s deputy commander, as the acting commander for VFA-122, which is the Navy’s fleet replacement squadron for its Super Hornets.

O’Dowd entered the Navy in 1987 and became an F-14 Tomcat naval flight officer, according to his official biography. He’s tallied more than 2,000 hours in the Tomcat and 650 hours in the Super Hornet and made 750 arrested landings on aircraft carriers. He deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1990 and 1991 and took part in the Persian Gulf War. He also participated in operations in Somalia from the aircraft carrier Ranger. After several fleet and staff tours, he served as executive officer of VFA-103 as the squadron transitioned to the Super Hornet, taking command of that squadron in May 2006. The squadron received a Battle “E” award for efficiency while O’Dowd was in command.

Washington Man Killed Handing Out Toys?

2007-11-19T21:55:38Z

A story on the Associated Press wire today implies that a Rochester man might have been killed while he was handing out toys to children.

]]> CENTRALIA, Wash. — An Army soldier from Rochester in southwest Washington has reportedly been killed in Iraq.
The family of Spc. Christopher J. Nelson tells The Chronicle in Centralia that he was killed Sunday.
Family members say the 22-year-old was a 2003 graduate of Rochester High School and deployed this summer from Fort Lewis.
Nelson's father, John Nelson, says his son was on his second tour in Iraq.
Christoper Nelson married Angela Marquez about two years ago, and her father, Leo Marquez, says the family was notified of his death Sunday afternoon.
Specifics of his death are not immediately available. The military has said three Army soldiers were killed in Baqouba, Iraq, on Sunday while handing out toys to children.

Fort Lewis Captain Accused of Taking Bribes

2007-11-19T20:18:00Z

You might have seen this, but I don't think it ran in our paper. So here's the Associated Press version from the weekend.
Sounds like the guy's downfall was bringing his pregnant girlfriend home to meet his wife. Ouch!

]]> An Army captain based at Fort Lewis is facing charges of conspiracy to accept bribes while serving in Iraq, according to a complaint filed against him in U.S. District Court. Capt. Cedar Lanmon, 30, has also been charged with importing antiquities and laundering bribe money. He made his first appearance in court on Friday and released on his own recognizance, said assistant U.S. Attorney David Resse Jennings.

Lanmon has not entered a plea and is expected in court Dec. 6 for a preliminary hearing. Court papers say Lanmon accepted as much as $40,000 in bribes to help Iraqi citizens win U.S. government contracts in Iraq and stole an artifact from an archaeological dig in the city of Ur, reputed to be the home of the biblical figure, Abraham.

The officer also was ordered to stay away from his estranged wife while he awaits the outcome of his case. The case against Lanmon began in September, when his wife contacted Army criminal investigators with information about her husband’s alleged bribe-taking in Iraq. The women told authorities the couple used the proceeds for home-improvement projects, laser eye surgery for her and investments. She said her husbands accepted bribes during his two deployments in Iraq, according to court documents.

Their relationship soured in May 2007, when he returned home from his second tour in Iraq with “one or two handmade area rugs, a necklace valued at approximately $700 and a new girlfriend,” who was pregnant, court records said. She told investigators her husband told her he married the second woman in Iraq and he wanted them all to live together in a polygamous relationship.

Front Page Or Not?

2007-11-08T01:08:21Z

Just got a call from a lady complaining that my story about a former Bremerton man dying in Afghanistan shouldn't have been on the front page. She said she wasn't being cold-hearted but that the man, Johnny C. Walls, wasn't a resident. He grew up here and graduated from Bremerton High but left for the Army right after that and has been gone for 22 years. Much of his family still lives in Port Orchard.
I can't say that I agree with her. We've had seven guys killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, including a contractor, and some of them had skinnier ties to the area. It's not something that happens very often, and I don't think the person needs to live his whole life here to get his due.
She had a good point, but I don't agree with it. Judging by the comments at the bottom of the story, it appears several people remember growing up with him.
Johnny's brother and sister, Harvey and Roxana, were great to talk to and I wish them the best.

Tell Your Story on Vets Day

2007-11-08T01:03:04Z

"Saluting America's Veteran" is calling for veterans to tell their stories on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Launched last month in conjunction with Kin Burns' documentary series on World War II, the Web site has attracted dozens of personal accounts, each one putting a human face on America's 20th-century conflicts. Friends, family and colleagues are invited to share their memories, appreciation and recognition of veterans, and veterans are invited to share their own stories.
To participate in the living museum, go to www.americanprofile.com/veterans.

Military Divorce Book

2007-11-08T00:46:07Z

Michael JR Schindler has written a book that came out Nov. 5 entitled "Operation Military Family: How to Strengthen Your Military Marriage and Save Your Family." I haven't read it or even seen it, so can't make a recommendation.
You can check him out at www.operationmilitaryfamily.org.
Navy guys I would think get more used to coming and going because they do it whether there's a war or not. During a war, it's probably harder on soldiers and Marines because those deployments seem to be longer and they have bullets flying at them.
Let me know if you'd be interested in me putting together a local story about the relationship probelms that can come with deployments.

Whidbey Sailor Killed

2007-11-08T00:32:36Z

Don't know if we got this in the paper, since it's not in our circulation area, but thought some of you might be interested.
Explosive Ordnance Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin R. Bewley, 27, of Hector Ark., died Monday in Salah ad Din Province in Iraq. He was permanently assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 in Oak Harbor.
Anybody who wants to make a donation for the family can do so at any Navy Federal Credit Union. Use this information: EODMUU-11 Memorial Fund ICO Kevin Bewley, access number 478693.