USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLET TER

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2
FEBRUARY 2013

F ROM THE CO S D ESK

Dear MILIUS Families, I hope this edition of the newsletter finds all of you and your family well! Weve got a lot of good information in this edition of the including advancement exam advice and health promotion tips. The health promotion is very important as weve had several Sailors and family members come down with serious colds and the flu over the last several weeks. Our yard period is progressing very well. Weve included a few pictures of the ship in an attempt to give you an appreciation for how much work is happening. I dont think the pictures properly show the scope of the work aboard. IT IS EXTENSIVE!! From vent ducting to temporary lighting to access cuts in bulkheads, our ship is torn up. We were scheduled to enter drydock the evening of 28 February, but that may be delayed due to ongoing work on another ship. It looks like 15 March might be the earliest we would enter the drydock. The date we enter drydock is important to us since the completion date of our yard period is linked to entering the dock. Delays in our drydock could result in an extension of our yard period, currently scheduled to end 21 August. Most of you have undoubtedly been following some or all of the media reports surrounding potential cuts in the Defense Department Budget and impacts to our Navy. I want to make it clear our Navy Leadership and the Department of Defense have been very clear about pay and benefits being untouched. However, Big Navy has already curtailed TAD travel to help stem spending. Additionally, there are many other measures under consideration that may be implemented in April if a budget is not passed and if sequestration becomes a reality. What else does this mean to MILIUS? Well.we dont fully know. Our current maintenance period will largely be unaffected. Worst case, we could see a reduction in our ships operating budget and possibly schedule changes in the Fall and Winter. I was recently asked by a few Sailors if these budget issues would result in a PCS freeze. This is a very good question, but we dont know. The last PCS freeze occurred in 2009 during a time when the overall number of Sailors in the Navy exceeded the number authorized by Congress. In order to fund paychecks, the Navy froze PCS orders for several months. This year is different. The Navy is not over-manned and sequestration may have no impact to PCS season. We will communicate to all you as Senior Navy Leadership publishes policy. I am extremely proud of the hard work our Sailors display every day onboard MILIUS, and I am especially thankful for all of the support we receive from the families. Keep up the great work! CDR Steve Shedd Commanding Officer

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THIS ISSUE :

CMCs Call Ccc news CALENDAR OF EVENTS OMBUDSMEN MEMOS TAX RESOURCES Crew photos Crew photos MILIUS frontline news DOCTORS NOTE RESOURCES

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USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

CMCs CALL
Happy Presidents Day, MILIUS Families! As the year progresses this is the time when your Sailors should be working on qualifications and making sure their medical and dental check ups are up to date. Although we are still very busy, we are in port and able to take care of personal business we normally have to put off to another time. Your Sailors can look into Navy College and many should be studying for the upcoming advancement exams in March. Many of our MILIUS Sailors are getting underway for short periods with other ships for two reasons. One is for their own personal growth to accomplish qualifications that can only be gained at sea and another reason is to support ships which have manning shortfalls and cannot meet their operational commitment without our support. As always our MILIUS Sailors are shinning bright and representing us and you, the families, well. I am very proud of them. You are a very important part in the success of MILIUS with your support of your Sailor to complete the Navys mission. Thank you! Sincerely, CMC

A big BRAVO ZULU to the following Sailors on their recent Reenlistments, Advancement, and Awards:

FROM THE COMMAND CAREER COUNSELOR Greetings, MILUS Crew, Family & Friends, Navy Wide Advancement Exams for E4-E6 are fast approaching. You should be reviewing your service records now to ensure all awards, evaluations, and college degree points are accounted for. It is essential that you review your record prior to taking the exam to make sure any discrepancies are indentified, this will alleviate any issues in the future. As March approaches exact dates, times, and Sailors taking the exams will be published. E6 Sailors that recently took the Chief Petty Officer exam should also be ordering their official military personnel record on CD from BUPERS and reviewing for errors, consistency in evaluations, awards, etc. Reviewing now will give you ample time for corrections and submittal of supporting documentation to BUPERS to rectify. I hope you enjoy time with your significant other this Valentines Day! Sincerely, NC1 (SW/AW) D. Gutierrez

Reenlistments FC2 Wilson SH2 Baltazar Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal LTJG Lewis FC1 Chen Senior Sailor of the Year ET1 Kelly Junior Sailor of the Year LS2 Salinas Blue Jacket Sailor of the Year DC2 Merkelbach

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February 2013
Sun
3 10 17 24

Mon
4 11 18 25

Tue
5 12 19 26

Wed
6 13 20 27

Thu
7 14 21 28

Fri
1 8 15 22

Sat
2 9 16 23

FEBRUARY
Saturday, February 2 Groundhog Day Friday, February 8 19th Annual Polar Bear Swim 500-yard cold water ocean swim. 10 a.m. registration, 11 a.m. race. Naval Base Point Loma, Main Base Smugglers Cove. 619-553-0931 for more information. Thursday, February 14 Valentines Day Monday, February 11 - Friday, February 15 Military Saves Week Learn how to achieve your financial goals by developing a savings plan and making your money work for you! Visit the Military Saves Resource Fair on February 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Naval Base San Diego NEX. Every Sunday Ballroom Dancing Classes Group ballroom dancing classes at Admiral Robinson Bowling Center. 6 p.m. for beginners, 7 p.m. for intermediate. $5 per person per class Monday, February 18 Presidents Day Duty section only!

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USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

OMBUDSMAN MEMO
Tax Resources and Financial Tips Tax season is here once again! Deadline to file your 2012 taxes is midnight; Monday April 15th. Financial readiness is a critical component of family readiness. Personal financial readiness of sailors and their family is essential to the overall readiness of the military. Todays complex financial environment presents challenges to any family, but can be especially difficult for military families. To lessen the load you already have, sailors and their families can receive free tax advice, tax preparation, and related assistance on-site, online or by phone from the following resources. With our deployment over, there is no doubt were all expecting a nice tax return and an infusion of cash in our wallets. Before the check arrives, think about how you might use that money to put yourself on track to meet your financial goals. Military One Source offers help with personal financial management issues, free, 24 hours a day, call 1-800-342-9647 or go to www.militaryonesource.com Read on for some ideas for using that money wisely. Start planning now how youll use your tax refund. If you already have that money earmarked, youll be less tempted to splurge when the check comes in the mail. Here are some ways they suggest to spend your refund: Pay off debt. Use your refund to pay off the balance on high-interest credit cards. Fund an emergency savings account. If you dont have enough money to cover 3 to 6 months of expenses, use your refund to seed an emergency savings account now. Put your refund toward a down payment on a home or vehicle. If youre saving for a home or a vehicle, put your refund toward the down payment. A high down payment will lower your monthly payments and interest costs, saving you money in the long run. Make an extra car or house payment. If you already own a home or a vehicle, your refund can be applied toward your loan. Just be sure there are no prepayment penalties and tell your lender to apply the extra funds to the principal balance, not the interest. Do some preventive maintenance or improvements. Have you been putting off minor home or car repairs? Use your refund to pay for those to avoid a bigger expense in the future. Wait for your refund to arrive before spending it. If you do plan on splurging, don't spend it in advance -- pay cash after you receive your refund. Meet with a military personal financial planner. The Navy offers a personal financial management program through which trained and accredited counselors can help you come up with a plan to pay down debt and save money. They can talk with you about investments and give you information about joining the Thrift Savings Program, which allows you to invest pay before taxes into retirement plan. As Ombudsman we have plenty of resources on taxes, financial planning and much more, please contact us and we will more than happy to help you. Your Ombudsman Team, Jeri and Teresa

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Ombudsman Info:

INCOME TAX RESOURCES

ombudsman69@gmail.com OMB Phone 619.417.9980 Careline 619.338.1754

Military OneSource Tax Filing Services H&R Block at Home Basic, through the Military OneSource website and telephonic tax consultations, provides free access to a customized version of the basic H&R Block at Home electronic taxfiling product. This customized product allows for free federal filing and state filing (up to three states). Its provided by the Department of Defense, H&R Block At Home Basic is available to active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members and their families. Tax consultants are available seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Contact Military OneSource Tax Hotline at 1-800-730-3802 or go to Military OneSource Tax Filing Services at www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/FindInformation/Category/TaxFilingServices.aspx for more information. VITA More than 100 Navy Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Centers around the world are now open for business. On-site services are available to assist service members and their family members with free tax advice, tax preparation and return filing by IRS-trained volunteers. VITA ser-vices will remain available through April 15. NBSD VITA office is open by appointment only M Th. from 0800-1500. They can be reached at 619-556-6848. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) For additional tax questions and/or combat zone information, call 1-800-829-1040 or go to IRS.gov for tax information for military members. Along with the filing extension, there are several new and existing tax laws military members and their spouses should keep in mind. Information on these laws can be found at http:// www.defense.gov/News/ NewsArticle.aspx?ID=63252. Websites: www.turbotax.com www.taxslayer.com www.militarysaves.org
(online military version E1 to E5 is FREE)

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USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

CREW PHOTOS

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CREW PHOTOS

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USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

MILIUS FRONTLINE NEWS

Since returning from a much deserved holiday leave period on January 7th, Milius sailors have been hard at work managing the alterations and maintenance occurring during the shipyard period. With MILIUS having been pier side at BAE shipyard since December 17th, Sailors are beginning to settle into the routine of the shipyard and are learning to deal with the new set of challenges it presents. The ship looks vastly different than normal. Scaffolding covers most of the outer surface, and a tangle of cables, hoses, and ducting runs through almost every space inside to support contractor work. Contractors work day and night to meet crucial deadlines and keep the MILIUS on track to leave the shipyards mid-August.
MILIUS focsle has become a staging area for bales of wire, racks of scaffolding, various shipyard equipment and contractor supplies.

Because MILIUS will remain pier side for an extended period of time, many Sailors are taking advantage of a slightly more regular schedule. Whether enrolling in college classes, attending service schools, studying for advancement exams or new qualifications, many Sailors are capitalizing on the unique opportunity the shipyards present. It is also a time when the crew needs to drill continuously to keep their skills sharp and ensure they are prepared for sea when the ship leaves the yards.
The pilot house (above) is barely recognizable as preparations are made to receive the Integrated Bridge System upgrade.

On January 23rd, MILIUS was awarded the Fleet Forces Command Retention Excellence Award, formerly known as the Golden Anchor Award, for achieving outstanding retention in the fiscal year 2012. The Retention Excellence Award is presented annually to commands that meet or exceed the retention expectations and criteria set forth by the Chief of Naval Operations. As a result of achieving this milestone, MILIUS is allowed to paint her anchors gold.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions for MILIUS FRONTLINE NEWS, please email the Public Affairs Officer at PAO@ddg69.navy.mil. Also, please check the Facebook page and contact our Ombudsmen for more information! Complex networks of hoses and ventilation ducting snake through passageways and ladder wells to support contractor work throughout MILIUS.

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A note From the doctor

The flu season is upon us once again. Although it is mandatory for all active duty members to receive the influenza immunization annually, here is still the probability that we can still come down with the flu. This year is proving just that. There is no way of knowing who will be stricken, but there are precautions that should be taken to lessen the likelihood of coming down with influenza or spreading it to others. -Get Vaccinated Annually -WASH YOUR HANDS!!! (Soap and water or alcohol based sanitizers) -Cover your cough/sneeze (Preferably with a tissue, but either way wash your hands after!) -If you come down with the flu (or any ailment) isolate yourself from others, especially during the time you have a fever. -Do no share drinks, cups, utensils, refrain from kissing and close contact while sick. -If you have flu like symptoms (fever, headache, malaise, nausea, body aches, etc) make an appt with your provider to be treated accordingly. -Get plenty of rest and consume plenty of clear fluids to keep hydrated!

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RESOURCES
Naval Base San Diego FFSC (619) 556-7404 or (866) 923-6478 American Red Cross (877) 272-7337 www.redcross.org Military OneSource (800) 342-9647 www.militaryonesource.com FOCUS (619) 556-6075 www.focusproject.org NBSD Legal (619) 556-2211 www.jag.navy.mil/legal_services/nlso/nlso_southwest.htm Tri-West Healthcare Alliance (888) 874-9378 www.triwest.com TRICARE Dental Program (800) 866-8499 www.TRICAREdentalprogram.com NMCRS (619) 238-1587/88 www.nmcrs.org USO Downtown Center (619) 235-6503 www.usosandiego.org Naval Base Chapel (619) 556-2658 www.chaplincare.navy.mil Armed Services YMCA (858) 751-5755 www.militaryymca.org Child Development Center (619) 556-8491 Operation Home front (866) 424-5210 www.operationhomefront.net 211 www.211sandiego.org Sitter city www.sittercity.com/dod Women, Infant, & Children (WIC ) Program (800) 500-6411 www.sandiegowic.org Monthly Bread Ministries & Monthly FREE Food Ministries (858)688-5015 Bring your ID card, bags to carry food items. Please contact them for locations and times. We have plenty of other resources for you from Healthy Military Families and Toddler Time to Furniture and Used Items to Websites and Re Sale Goods Items. Call the Ombudsman for more details.