USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLET TER

V OLUME 2 I SSUE 9 S EPTEMBER 2011

F ROM THE CO S D ESK

On Monday, August 29th we had a great time during the Friends and Family Day Cruise, with close to 200 guests onboard. We showed off our ship by operating guns, damage control equipment, boats and more. It was a beautiful, though hot day, out at sea. Our next big Family focused event is Friday, September 9th with the command family picnic, see the article by our MWR Officer in this newsletter. We will be restarting our Family Readiness Group (FRG) this fall, we need volunteers to run the group and events, if youre interested please let Master Chief Thomas know (cmc@ddg69.navy.mil). Through the FRG we will be conducting pre-deployment and other briefs, any topic is open if theres something youd like to hear let us know. We are also looking for a second Command Ombudsman, though Shannon has been doing a fantastic job for us she and her husband will be moving on soon. Both now and definitely before deployment it would be great to have two Ombudsmen, so if youre interested please email or call CMC. This fall we have a busy schedule, with both basic phase and intermediate phase training events, as well as port visits to San Francisco and Santa Barbara. We have a lot of events to get through and your continuing support is deeply appreciated. Ask your spouse what our schedule is, they can tell you but its not something that should ever be put into social media or other public forums. Please practice the same Operational Security measures now with our schedule that we must follow when we are deployed this is for the safety of your MILIUS Sailor. We will be home the last two months before deployment, with standdown time over the holidays. This month our schedule is packed with training events, first inport and then later out at sea. Since we deploy alone, its important that we train in all warfare areas with a full Carrier Strike group now (the intermediate training I mentioned) so that we are ready for any operation were assigned and so we can easily integrate while were deployed. This is required and highly complex training that spans all MILIUS mission capabilities. Anticipate it will also involve times when we cannot email or communicate home when the ship exercises communications security. These silent periods are a normal part of this type of training the Ombudsman is our link to let you know if there is anything to be concerned about (no news is good news). I hope to meet many of you at the command picnic, please join us for this fun time!

I NSIDE ISSUE :

THIS

CMCs Call

Ombudsman Memo OMB 411

Sincerely, CDR Nikki Bufkin Commanding Officer

MILIUS frontline 5 news

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USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

CMCs CALL
Hello MILIUS Families! Another month has gone by in a flash. I am SO HAPPY we are done with INSURV. I am sure you all feel the same. MILIUS is still very busy and our days are packed full but all of the hard work and determination shows in how beautiful the ship is right now. Below is a partial list of the awards for INSURV. Some awards are required to be approved off the ship so those take a little longer. I will post them in next months newsletter. The Command Friends and Family day cruise was very fun and action packed. We always enjoy showing our family how life is underway. Now we have a little time off and the Command Picnic on the 9th of September. I hope to see you all there. Bring plenty of sunscreen and prepare to have some fun! Sincerely, CMDCM(SW/AW) Lisa Thomas

A big BRAVO ZULU to the following Sailors on their recent reenlistments and awards: Reenlistments DCCS (SW) David Mayfield QM3 (SW) Kendall Mabon GMC (SW) Eugene Amarrador Navy /Marine Corps Commendation Medal LT Micah Sybor Navy Achievement Medal CTT2 (SW) Gary Grigsby Navy Achievement Medal (INSURV) LTJG Alexander Smith LTJG Jeremy Mears ENS Lisa Snoh ENS Robert Coslick ENS Bryan Legault ENCS (SW) Matthew Ballard BMC (SW) Garry Badio FCC (SW) Christopher Allen GSEC (SW) Steve York ITC (SW) David Levin FCC (SW/AW) Irvin Hay BM1 (SW) Francis Manalo FC1(SW) Timothy Jones FC1 (SW) Bryan Gaa ET1 (SW) Shawn Kelly IT1 (SW) Eric Burton IT1 Timothy McCarthy IC1 (SW) Joshua Herald HT1 (SW) Michael Ribeiro MR1 (SW) Bernardo Rivera EM1 (SW/AW) Florentino Magboo EM1 (SW) Garneo Weay GSE1 (SW) Hutch Delrosario GSM1 (SW) Joesph Hubbard GSM1 (SW) Brian Iffert GSM1 (SW) Guadalupe Saldivar GSM1 (SW) Joel Sammons GM1 (SW) Louis Swetlik MA1 (SW/SCW) Keith Sloan Navy Achievement Medal (INSURV) BM2 (SW) Lucky Hughes CTT2 Everett Brower FC2 Warren Bowman FC2 (SW) William Tanner FC2 (SW) Steven Dominick GM2 (SW) Brian Ashcroft STG2 (SW) David Levesque STG2 (SW) Jonathan Santiago LS2 (SW) Maria Salinas IC2 (SW) James Bryant DC2 (SW/AW) Matthew Lesage HT2 (SW) William Willen MR2 (SW) Danilo Fernandez FC2 (SW) James Sigler FC2 (SW) Mark Steyer FC2 (SW) Michael Warford CS2 (SW/AW) Corey Mace EN2 (SW) Tomeaka Magallon GSM2 (SW) Jorge Corrales EM2 (SW) Ruben Guzman QM2 (SW) Rosa Potts BM3 Phillip Brooks BM3 (SW)Led Mahoney FC3 Paul Lycan FC3 Brenton Delong FC3 Murray Wilson FC3 Joshua Ortiz LS3 Julius Okeyo CS3 (SW) Cheikh Sow SH3 (SW) Brian Richards SH3 (SW) Glynn Baltazar ET3 Zachary Shaw IT3 Joseph Brinkman IT3 Anthony Pisciotto EM3 (SW) Jose Garzasalinas EM3 Komi Ketemepi STG3 Luke Miner STG3 (SW) Jerrica Johnson GSM3 Morgan Castle GSM3 John Garcia GSM3 Adam McDougall Navy Achievement Medal (INSURV) GSE3 Melanie Montique GSE3 Norma Ramos GSM3 Januar Soepangat GSE3 Jeramy Thompson GSM3 Robert Whitaker QM3 (SW) Kendall Mabon QM3 James Pannell BMSN Jesus Lara ITSN Marches Armstrong ENFN Hugo Tapia EMFN Roberto BatailleAquino GSMFN Andrew Jones DCFN Joshua Merkelbach CSSN Taylor Brown LSSN Nicholas Acosta

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S EPTEMBER 2011
Sun Mon Tue Wed
1 4 11 18 25
Family Festival

Thu
2
E-5 Exam

Fri
3
Command Picnic

Sat

5 12 19 26
Speed Festival

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

10 17 24
Family Festival

15 22 29

E-4 Exam

16 23 30
Air Show Starts

OMBUDSMAN MEMO
Happy September MILIUS Crew and Families,

The fall season is rapidly approaching as we head into September. It is a busy month for the MILIUS and for many of you as your children head back to school. There are a host of activities in San Diego this month, including the San Diego Fleet week at the end of the month. The Miramar Air Show, a famous San Diego attraction, also happens in conjunction with Fleet Week, for more details see the OMB 411 section. Check on the Command Families page for weekly and monthly updates not included in the monthly newsletter. With the fall comes a busy MILIUS schedule, up to and including San Francisco Fleet Week and Santa Barbara Fleet Week appearances. Included in this busy schedule will be a pre-deployment brief. Keep an eye out for more information as to dates, times, and locations of this important briefing(s) for crew and family members. Lastly, I would like to say thank you to the MILIUS crew and families for the opportunity to serve you as your Command Ombudsman. I will be doing turnover before the next newsletter and I would like to take this opportunity now to extend my thanks to each and every one of you . It has been a pleasure for me to volunteer in this position and I hope that you will stay safe during the upcoming deployment. Thank you for your well wishes and thoughts for my family as we transition out of the Navy.
Ombudsman Info:

Sincerely, Shannon Rivera Your USS MILIUS Ombudsman

ombudsman69@gmail.com assistantombudsman69@ gmail.com OMB Phone 619.417.9980 Careline 619.338.1754

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USS MILIUS COMMAND NEWSLETTER

Operation Bigs: Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County

Military mentoring program that serves children of military families with deployable parents. Big Brother and Big Sister volunteers meet with their Little Brothers and Little Sisters once a week for one hour (same day and time each week) at the childs school site or a nearby community center. The focus is for the match to develop a oneon-one friendship and for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters to provide the children with positive role models and mentors. The children who are referred to Operation Bigs have a parent who is currently deployed, has been deployed in the past, or will be deploying in the near future. These children are in need of another adult in their life to provide encouragement and companionship during these stressful times. The individual attention that the mentors provide in this program also enhances the childrens academic and social development. There are four Operation Bigs sites in San Diego. They are listed below with the meeting days and times during the school year: -MCAS Miramar, Mondays from 3:30pm - 4:30pm -Point Loma, Tuesdays from 3:35pm 4:35pm -Coronado, Wednesdays from 1:05pm 2:05pm or 1:40pm 2:40pm -Serra Mesa, Thursdays from 4:00pm 5:00pm For more information, please contact Jannette Kutchins at 619.674.0483 or jannettek@sdbigs.org

OMB411
SOAR to San Diego (Spouse Orientation & Area Resources)
Friday, September 23, from 10am-3pm All spouses are invited to join us for a tour of beautiful San Diego and the surrounding military bases. Learn about or rediscover your local community and military resources.

Hurry! Space is limited and registration for SOAR is mandatory to attend. Please call 858.277.4259 to register or find out more information. Free Childcare is available with two weeks advanced registration.

San Diego Area Career Fairs 2011

WHEN WHERE WHAT 20 Sep San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina Career Fair 11:00 2:00 333 West Harbor Dr Freedom Career Fair Services http://www.freedomcareerfairs.com/career_fairs/details/CA/San_Diego/July/25/2011/ 27 Sep MCRD San Diego Career and Education Fair 10:00-1:00 Semper Fit Fieldhouse, Bldg 650 (Mina.threat@usmc.mil) http://www.usmc-mccs.org/tamp/career_jobfairs.cfm?sid=ml&smid=5 28 Sep Scottish Rite CenterMissionValley NAVY FFSC Job Fair 10:00 2:00 1895 Camino del Rio South, 92108 ** How to Work a Job Fair at 0900 and again at 0930 this location For more information, please contact Bob at 619-556-0089 or robert.miley@navy.mil

La Mesa Oktoberfest
Friday & Saturday, September 30 & October 1 from 11am-11:30pm on both days and Sunday October 2 from noon 5pm The most popular event in La Mesa Village each year is the annual Oktoberfest celebration. Now in its 38th year, it has become the oldest and largest celebration in East County, with more than 200,000 visitors during the three days of the event. 7 city blocks will have over 400 arts, crafts and commercial booths, 5 food courts, a huge dance floor and a childrens carnival. For more information, please visit http:// www.lmvma.com/SeasonalEvents/Default.aspx

FOCUS Children's Workshop: Little Kids Can Keep Cool!

WHAT: In this group, you and your young child will learn to identify basic feelings, play with other children and their parents, practice "cool-down" techniques, and develop tools for thriving as a military family. Please RSVP Space is limited! WHEN: THU, 29 SEPT from 10am - 11am WHERE: FOCUS San Diego Office Naval Base San Diego, Bldg. 265, Dolphin Alley San Diego, CA 92136 To sign up or for more info, please call (619) 556-6075 or send an email to sandiego@focusproject.org.

Fleet Week San Diego and Miramar Air Show

Fleet Week San Diego honors and celebrates the men and women of the military through public events that entertain and alliances that thank and support these heroes. Join in thanking our Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen for their services to our country by participating in 2011 Fleet Week San Diego events. Events include: Fleet Week Big Bay Family Festival, September 17-18, Coronado Speed Festival, September 26, and Miramar Air Show Friday - Saturday, September 30 to October 2 with the first of shows starting at 9am. There will be both civilian and military aerobatic performers and static displays, vendor and sponsor booths, an Air Show Expo and a Kid Fun Zone. FREE parking and admission! For more information, please visit www.miramarairshow.com and www.fleetweeksandiego.org/events.html

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MILIUS FRONTLINE NEWS

Command Picnic at Breakers Beach
BREAKERS BEACH - NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND CORONADO Bldg. 764 Midway Landing NASNI Coronado, CA 92155 On September 9th we will have a Command Picnic at Breakers Beach from 1200 to 1500, to foster the competitive spirit and unit cohesiveness in MILIUS crew. Departments will pick there best warriors to participate in Flag Football, Gladiator, Relay Race, Volleyball, and Tug of War to see who has the best athletes onboard USS MILIUS. Friends and family of the crew are invited to join in on the fun and cheer their loved ones on to victory. During the sports events we will have bouncy houses for children to play in and rock wall climbing for the more adventurous types. The Chiefs mess has offered their services to grill the hamburgers, hotdogs and chicken at the Command Picnic. We will also have chips and soda to give the warriors vying for the Departmental Trophy the extra energy they need to take on the best of the best. MWR plans to have everyone meet at 1200 to eat and socialize and then at 1330 have the Olympics begin. Around 1445 the Olympics will end and family and friends are all invited to cheer the champions on as they receive the Departmental Trophy. We hope to see everyone come out to enjoy the sunshine, food and company. MILIUS MWR Officer ENS Kirby

career counselors corner

MILIUS Crew, Family & Friends, Aloha once again! No significant changes in regards to Navy Career Programs within the last month but a great website to get information on Navy Career related topics is www.NPC.navy.mil. Information is updated daily. Just some of the great information on the website range from Perform-to-Serve to Retirements and many more. For MILIUS Sailors eligible to take their next paygrade advancement exam, its right around the corner! The advancement exam will be held on the following dates:

E6 Exam: 1 September 2011 E5 Exam: 8 September 2011 E4 Exam: 15 September 2011

Studying is HIGHLY encouraged! If you have any questions, please ask your Sailor. Sincerely, NC1 (SW/AW) B. Baraoidan