WIXLIB

2The Skyline May 28, 2020A Day in Naval HistoryPhoto of Week May 28, 1980 55 women become the firstfemale graduates of theU.S. Naval Academy. May 29, 1844 Photo by MC3 Cameron PinskeNavy Capt. Bradford Smith serves the Navy Medical Center staff during astaff appreciation luncheon in San Diego to support the team’s response toCOVID-19.The Navy Marine Corps Relief Society ActiveDuty Fund Drive has extended their deadlinesto June 30 for cash, check and online donations.If you would like to add your donations to thefight, please do so now!! Your contributions areassisting military personnel through some toughtimes right now during COVID-19 and otherfamily/personal crisis’. You can donate at nmcrs.org and then clicking on DONATE. If you haveany questions, please get with your local NMCRSrepresentative listed below.Meridian Site Coordinator: AC1 WheelerNAS Meridian: MA1 Goodman, LS1 Davis,ABH2 JohnsonNTTC: Petty Officer BoyetteMATSS-1: Sgt. T FloresNHBC: HM2 GallowTW-1: Lt. Cmdr. MattinglyVT-7 and 9: Lt. Alvirde, Lt. LawrenceThe frigate Constitution,commanded by John Percival, sailsfrom New York to depart on her52,370-mile around-the-world cruise.Heading eastward, she visits placessuch as Brazil, Borneo, China, thePhilippines, Hawaii, and Mexicobefore returning to Boston on Sept.27, 1846.Navy News BriefsUSS Blue Ridge sails throughunderway recordThe crew of the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) andembarked 7th Fleet staff hit a 48-yearhistoric landmark by surpassing theship’s underway record, marking 65days of continuous underway operations, May 17.Blue Ridge’s previous record of 64days was set during the Vietnam Warwhen she left port April 5, 1972 andstayed at sea in and around the Gulfof Tonkin until June 2, 1972, when shemoored in the Philippines.The 2020 Blue Ridge patrol changedwith the outbreak of COVID-19. Theship and crew have spent 65 consecutive days underway, and counting, anunusual length of time for a ship wellknown for its frequent port visits.“This is an amazing accomplishment for the Blue Ridge, especially being the Navy’s oldest operational warship and approaching her 50th year ofservice,” said Blue Ridge commandingofficer, Capt. Craig C. Sicola, from Dallas. “As I told the crew, the record isonly a number, but their hard workand resiliency has been truly impressive and that’s what really matters.These times are uniquely challengingfor the entire world, but it takes anextremely dedicated crew to maintainthis old of a ship at sea for this long.”While not a normal Blue Ridge patrol, the ship and her crew have remained at sea conducting operationsduring this challenging pandemic,including supporting 7th commandand control of the fleet and supportingpartners and allies across the region,as opposed to a physical visit.“From the beginning of this pandemic and our extended underwayperiod, our focus has been on how toadapt to this new enemy and maintainour ability to stay in the fight,” said Sicola. “It is that mental focus that haskept our Sailors engaged, even withgreat personal sacrifice and stress.Blue Ridge and 7th Fleet staff havebonded together to ensure the fleet remains operationally ready.”To stay operationally ready BlueRidge’s crew has utilized the extendedtime at sea to maintain training, operational standards and capability andeven hit some major milestones for thecrew throughout the patrol.--By MCSN Matthew Hall,USS Blue Ridge Public AffairsNavy Reserve extends drill postponementuntil June 30In a new message to all Navy Reservists, Commander, Navy Reserve Force(CNRF) is extending the current postponement of on-site Reserve drill weekendsuntil June 30, and providing additionalguidance resulting from the effects of theCOVID-19 pandemic.ALNAVRESFOR 012/20, released today, provides guidance for the followingtopics: drill weekends, teleworking, Annual Training (AT) waivers, Navy Operational Support Centers (NOSC) re-opening, selection boards, the Direct CommissioningProgram, High Year Tenure (HYT), andcivilian personnel. Here are some of thehighlights (the full message can be readat https://www.public.navy.mil/nrh/Pages/library messages.aspx):June drill weekends will be conductedvirtually. Regular on-site drill weekendsremain postponed until June 30.Telework for drills remains authorized until further notice.All Reservists should strive to obtaintheir AT requirements without a waiver,but the deadline remains June 30 forthose Sailors who have a hardship. Sailorswith concerns about achieving a “Qualifying Year” for retirement and a “Satisfactory Year” for annual participation shouldreview the latest brief from the ReserveForce Career Counselor ).The Skyline Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.Command StaffCommanding Officer Capt. Brian S. HorstmanExecutive Officer Cmdr. J.P. FalardeauCommand Master Chief CMDCM Maurice SutherlandEditorial StaffPublic Affairs Officer Penny RandallPublic Affairs Specialist Adam PrinceHotlines & Helpful NumbersSAPR Victim Assistance: 601-604-3037SAPR Civilian Victim Assistance: 601-486-3122SARC: 601-481-4274SAFE Helpline: 877-995-5247Suicide Hotline: 800-273-8255Military OneSource: 800-342-9647CEAP (DoN Civilian): 844-366-2327EAP (NAF Civilian): 800-932-0034FFSC Meridian: 601-679-2360Chaplain: 601-604-2015NMCRS Duty Cell: 601-604-2206EEO (NAF): 866-295-0328EEO (GS): 904-542-2802The National Command/Senior Officer (O5/O6) Non-Command Billet Screening and Assignment Board (APPLY) isscheduled for 7-19 Dec. Expect an updatedCOMNAVRESFORNOTE 5400 in thecoming weeks.Officer Development School (ODS)classes will be restricted to 100-110 seatsto accommodate social distancing requirements; FY21 ODS classes will also be limited to 100-110 seats until further notice.There are new waiver processes for FullTime Support (FTS) and Selected Reserve(SELRES) Sailors within High Year Tenure (HYT).“Extending our COVID-19 mitigationpolicies for another month protects ourSailors and provides stability for themselves, their careers, and their families,”said Rear Adm. John Schommer, deputycommander, Navy Reserve Force. “Virtualdrills via Commercial Virtual Remote isworking, and we continue to see our Reserve leaders take innovative approachesto ensuring our Reservists complete drillsand earn points for a satisfactory andqualifying year.”Although in-person drills are postponedfor another month, Reservists should anticipate some Navy Reserve Activities(NRAs) to begin conducting regular drillslater this summer.--From Commander, Navy Reserve ForceThis DoD newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense.Contents of The Skyline are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense, or NAS Meridian, Mississippi. The Skyline is published every other Thursday by The Meridian Star, a private firm in no way connected with theU.S. Navy, under exclusive written contract with the commanding officer of Naval Air Station,Meridian, Mississippi. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the NASMeridian Public Affairs Office. The Skyline solicits news contributions from military and civiliansources. It reserves the right to edit material selected for publication. The deadline for materialis 4:30 p.m. the Thursday before publication. Send submissions to: The Skyline, 255 Rosenbaum Ave., Suite 163, Public Affairs Office, Naval Air Station, Meridian, MS 39309-5003 ore-mail: penny.randall@navy.mil or adam.prince@navy.mil. For more information, call (601) 6792318 or (601) 679-2809. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts orsupplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense orThe Meridian Star of products or services advertised. Everything advertised in thispublication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

The Skyline May 28, 20203NAS Meridian Civilians of the QuarterKeith CreelDoris HudsonFire and Emergency ServicesSenior Civilian of the QuarterMWR/LibraryJunior Civilian of the QuarterDOD officials unveil COVID-related personnel, move guidanceBy Jim GaramoneDoD News, Defense Media ActivityDefense Department officials outlined aconditions-based approach to relaxing thestop-movement order that has been in effect since early March due to the coronavirus pandemic.Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esperissued the order in early March, and inApril, he extended the ban through June30.At a Pentagon news conference recently, Matthew P. Donovan, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said Esper signed a memo lifting theJune 30 travel restrictions and transitioning to a conditions-based phased approachfor personnel movement and travel.“While the COVID-19 pandemic stillpresents an overall risk to our servicemembers, civilians and their families,varying conditions across the nation warrant this transition to a tailored approach,”Donovan told reporters.The conditions to resume travel will bebased on two overarching factors, Donovansaid. First, the resumption of unrestrictedtravel must align with state and regionalcriteria based on the guidelines of theWhite House’s Opening Up America guidance. DOD and base officials also will adhere to guidance from the Department ofHealth and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,Donovan said.U.S. Navy photo by Kambra BlackmonNAVSUP FLC Bahrain’s transportation service providers carried a heavy box tothe truck during a household goods move amid the COVID-19 crisis.“Consideration of factors such as removal of shelter-in-place orders and adownward trend of new COVID-19 casesover the preceding 14 days will be used tomake a determination for the resumptionof movement between states, regions andnations,” the undersecretary said.The second set of factors incorporatesthe evaluation of installation-level conditions. “This includes items such aswhether there are local travel restrictions,sufficient capacity of medical treatmentfacilities or local hospitals, testing capability and capacity and the availabilityof essential services such as schools andchild care,” he said. “These factors will becarefully considered before movement decisions are made.”The Pentagon reservation — the building and many leased spaces in the national capital region — has made tremendousprogress and officials have seen a downward trend in coronavirus cases for 10days, DOD Chief Management Officer LisaW. Hershman said.“We’ve been able to isolate, trace andmitigate any spread,” she said. “To date,our teams have cleaned and sanitized over1 million square feet of office space on thePentagon reservation to CDC standards.”The telework effort has enabled morethan two-thirds of the Pentagon reservation workforce to continue to deliver themission at alternate work locations, theCMO noted.Hershman said the “resilience plan” isbased on local conditions and is not set toany specific date. The plan builds on theWhite House Opening Up America planand has five phases leading to full opening,she said. As the plan moves along, she added, if there is a resurgence in the spreadof coronavirus, DOD officials will reassessthe department’s protection measures andworkforce phase and respond appropriately.“The plan provides phase-by-phaseguidance to commanders, supervisors andemployees to safely and effectively returnto Pentagon reservation offices, along withguidelines for in office and telework targets,” Hershman said.U.S. Navy photoTwo Russian Su-35 aircraft unsafely intercept a P-8A Poseidon patrolaircraft assigned to U.S. 6th Fleet over the Mediterranean Sea May 26.The intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional dueto the Russian pilots taking close station on each wing of the P-8Asimultaneously, restricting the P-8A s ability to safely maneuver, andlasted a total of 64 minutes. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy,conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concertwith allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. nationalinterests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.Third unsafe intercept by Russiain U.S. Sixth Fleet in two monthsFor the third time in twomonths, Russian pilots flew in anunsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S.Navy P-8A Maritime Patrol andReconnaissance Aircraft in U.S.Sixth Fleet.On May 26, a U.S. Navy P-8Aaircraft was flying in the EasternMediterranean over internationalwaters and was intercepted bytwo Russian Su-35 aircraft over aperiod of 65 minutes.The intercept was determinedto be unsafe and unprofessionaldue to the Russian pilots takingclose station on each wing of theP-8A simultaneously, restrictingthe P-8A’s ability to safely maneuver.The unnecessary actions of theRussian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship andinternational flight rules, andjeopardized the safety of flight ofboth aircraft.While the Russian aircraft wasoperating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible.We expect them to operatewithin international standardsset to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972Agreement for the Prevention ofIncidents On and Over the HighSeas (INCSEA). Actions like theseincrease the potential for midaircollisions.This incident follows two unsafe interactions in April, over thesame waters.In all cases, the U.S. aircraftwere operating in internationalairspace, consistent with international law, with due regard forsafety of flight, and did not provoke this Russian activity.--From U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

4The Skyline May 28, 2020Resident satisfaction and participationincrease in Fall 2019 PPV surveyNavy Public Private Venture (PPV)housing residents expressed a marked improvement in housing satisfaction according to survey results from the annual Resident Satisfaction Survey (RSS) conductedin the fall of 2019. Even with the upwardtrend, Commander, Navy InstallationsCommand (CNIC) continues to focus onimproving the PPV housing program.“We remain committed to providingeach PPV housing resident what theyneed, even during the uncertainty causedby COVID-19,” said Vice Adm. Mary M.Jackson, commander CNIC. “While an increase in average overall scores indicatesthat our corrective actions have contributed towards addressing our deficiencies, itis each and every family’s experience thatmatters most. We welcome candid feedbackfrom our warfighters and their families aswe seek to improve our culture of excellence and accountability.”Resident Participation is KeyThe Fall 2019 response rate of 35.8percent increased to near the historicalaverage response rate for the annual RSS,which is 10 percent higher than the “outof cycle” RSS administered by the Navy inApril-May 2019. The 35.8 percent responserate is higher than what is required tomeet statistical significance for multifamily housing, and serves as a reflection ofresidents’ willingness to express opinions.“I encourage every resident to taketheir housing surveys and give us feedback whenever your RSS is scheduled,”said Greg Wright, CNIC housing director.“With increased resident participation, wegain better insight into where CNIC andour housing partners are getting it rightand where we need continued focus. The 10percent increase in response rate is reallythe best news out from the survey becauseit means we have a clearer picture of wherewe are at with improvements to PPV housing.”In addition to the annual RSS, PPVhousing residents also have the opportunity to provide feedback about theirsatisfaction with move-in, move-out, andmaintenance work orders by using thePPV online portal or smart phone app atany time throughout the year. The NavyCNIC graphicmonitors these responses to measure project performance and to be aware of issuesto which the Navy can respond. Residentparticipation in these surveys is extremelyvaluable because the information is usedto help improve the overall performanceof the project – we depend on residents tolet us know what is working well or whatneeds improvement.“Work order survey responses provideNavy Housing service centers, installationcommanding officers, and PPV propertymanagers immediate data on quality andtimeliness so they can identify and solveissues as soon as possible,” said Wright.“The RSS is valuable, but residents havemultiple ways to provide actionable feedback throughout the year.”Fall 2019 RSSThe annual RSS, independently conducted by CEL & Associates, focuses onthree satisfaction indexes – Overall Satisfaction, Property Satisfaction and ServiceSatisfaction. These indices provide CNICwith a snapshot of the PPV residents’opinions about the condition of the homes,neighborhoods and the quality of the services provided.Pandemic ramps up PCS move rivalriesIt’s summer PCS season, when40% of the 400,000 military and DoDcivilian movestake place eachyear. This timebrings backmemories of ourfamily’s finalmilitary move inMay of 2017. Itwas our eleventhin 23 years ofmarriage, andit was prettymuch like all therest — a stressful experienceMolinariinvolving tedious planning,unexpectedcrises, broken and lost belongings, andphysical exhaustion.Like most military spouses, I’ve toldstories of PCS moves gone by to myfriends, around kitchen islands, buncotables, and backyard patios. Like thetime the movers snapped the leg offour dining room buffet, or when theyneglected to put our crib back togetherwhen I had a newborn baby and a toddler, or that move when my husband’sentire collection of military challengecoins disappeared. Within militaryspouse culture, telling tales of movingmishaps is a sort of competitive sport.Kind of like talking about childbirth.The spouse who has endured the mostmisery wins.It’s hard to imagine the PCS experience getting worse for military families, but thanks to the coronavirus,moving hassles have reached epic newlevels. The Stop Movement Order announced by Secretary of Defense MarkEsper in April has been extended toJune 30th, causing delays that couldlast until the end of the year.Two thirds of PCS moves havebeen delayed, causing a massive backup. Some military families who hadalready started the moving process,got trapped in limbo between two locations, paying double housing costs dueto leases or mortgages executed beforethe Stop Movement Order. Othersshipped household goods and movedinto temporary housing, then got stuckwithout their belongings. Parents can’tregister their children for the 20202021 school year because they don’tknow where they will be living. Kidswho planned to enter new schools atthe end of summer, may have to enrollmid-school-year, making it more difficult for them to adjust socially andacademically. While Congress is working to pass legislation which wouldCOLUMNprovide financial relief to many of theaffected families, uncertainty andstress abounds.To make matters worse, the back upis further complicated by the militarybranches’ efforts to offer incentives todelay retirements and separations,and to reenlist those who had alreadyretired or separated. They hope thesestrategies will balance the drop inrecruits caused by the COVID-19 shutdown, and provide medical personneland troops who can deploy immediately so that readiness is not further compromised. However, moving prioritywill go to those who can deploy or fillmedical billets, while waiting familieswill be pushed back in the line.The Pentagon says that it will allow30,000 waiting families to be grantedwaivers to move before June 30th.However, those who are able to movewill be required to follow mandatorycoronavirus prevention guidelines thatcould further delay the process. Nomatter which way you cut it, militaryfamilies will endure major PCS hardships this year.One day, when life returns to someform of normalcy, military spouseswill inevitably gather together likethey always have, to chat around firepits, bunco tables, kitchen islands,base housing patios, backyard barbecues and coffee shops. They will sharebottles of wine and pots of coffee, theywill laugh, and they will tell miserabletales about child birth, deployments,and PCS moves — just like militaryspouses have for decades. The onlything that remains to be seen is, nowthat the pandemic has upped the ante,who will win the unspoken competition over who has endured the mosthardship?I, for one, will resist the urge to offerup my often-told PCS stories — aboutour buffet leg being snapped off, ourtelevision being stolen, my favoriteceramic Christmas tree showing up inchards, the missing hardware neededto put our disassembled bicycles backtogether, etc. — while in the companyof anyone who has endured a PCSmove during the pandemic. Out of respect, I will graciously concede defeat.But there’s no guarantee I won’t tryto get back in the game with a goodlabor and delivery story. Our first bornweighed over nine pounds, so it’s adoozy.Score.Lisa Smith Molinari’s self syndicated columns appear on her blog, www.themeatandpotatoesoflife.com and she recently co-authored Stories Aroundthe Table: Laughter, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life Follow Lisa@MolinariWrites.The average scores (on a 100-point scale)across the Navy’s 39,000-plus family PPVhomes are: Overall Satisfaction Index Results: 80.2 Property Index Results: 76.5 Service Index Results: 82.5These scores reflect satisfaction withPPV housing experience for residents.CNIC uses these satisfaction scores to compare PPV performance to comparable properties in the commercial sector. This canbe a useful measure, and is one of severalused to evaluate military privatized housing performance and the residents’ experience.The PPV partner property managersare required to work with every installation housing office to develop action plansto address any neighborhood survey results that scored less than 75 points on theFall 2019 RSS. Navy leadership overseesthe implementation of the action plans,which are designed to address specific localissues.Program-wide UpdatesThe Navy is making program-wide improvements to regain resident trust, reinforce Navy oversight, and exercise activeleadership, which include:CNIC and Naval Facilities EngineeringCommand (NAVFAC) hired 129 of the 183newly authorized housing managementspecialists, housing inspectors, quality assurance specialists, and project oversightspecialists as of April 10th.The Secretary of Defense and MilitaryDepartment Secretaries all signed the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights.Navy and Marine Corps leaders metwith privatized housing company executives at Joint Base Anacostia Bolling onFeb. 5th, 2020, the fifth periodic sessionin the last 12 months, as part of the Department of the Navy’s strategy to developlong-term improvements across the enterprise.The Navy developed and continues toexpand an electronic data warehouse andreporting system to monitor project performance in near real-time. The systemenables the Navy to monitor project performance in key areas including healthand safety issues, timeliness of work-orderservice calls, and monitoring maintenanceperformance for new residents at change ofoccupancy.Recent Efforts to C

Philippines, Hawaii, and Mexico before returning to Boston on Sept. 27, 1846. May 28, 1980 55 women become the first female graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy. In a new message to all Navy Reserv-ists, Commander, Navy Reserve Force (CNRF) is extending the current postpone-ment of on-site Reserve drill weekends