Vol. 26 No. 28 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ July 17, 2014

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

With the passing ofa seagoing Sailor’s cut-lass, Walter Reed Na-tional Military MedicalCenter’s (WRNMMC)senior enlisted leader-ship changed handsfrom Command Mas-ter Chief (CMC) Ter-ry J. Prince to Com-mand Master ChiefTyrone Willis duringa ceremony July 11 inWRNMMC’s MemorialAuditorium.

D i r e c t o r f o rWRNMMC, Brig. Gen.(Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clarksaluted Prince and Wil-lis, and welcomed theirfamilies and the entireWalter Reed Bethesda

community to the cer-emony. “There is nogreater patriot thanthe family of an Ameri-can service member,”the general said, as anAirman and Soldierpresented bouquets ofroses to Prince’s wife,Jennifer, and Willis’wife, Renee.

Clark called the se-nior enlisted leadershipposition at WRNMMC,“an immense privi-lege,” particularly be-cause of three thingsWalter Reed Bethesdadoes — “fulfill the mis-sion, take care of eachother, and take care offamilies.” To highlightthe role of the seniorenlisted leader, he thenread from four creedsand one oath of the

branches of the armedforces and civilian fed-eral service.

From the U.S. ArmyCreed of the Noncom-miss i oned Of f i c e r(NCO), Clark read: “Noone is more profession-al than I. My two basicresponsibilities will al-ways be uppermost inmy mind — the accom-plishment of my mis-sion and the welfare ofmy Soldiers.”

From the MarineCorps NCO Creed, thegeneral read: “I real-ize of Marine Corpsdiscipline, and I carrymyself with militarygrace, unbowed by theweight of command, un-flinching in the execu-tion of lawful orders,and unswerving in my

dedication to the mostcomplete success of myassigned mission.”

Summing up the U.S.Navy Chief Petty Offi-cer Creed, Clark stated:“Challenge is good; agreat and necessary re-ality which cannot maryou — which in fact,strengthens you. TheChief Petty Officer playsan integral role in thetraining, mentorshipand the development ofour people, executingthe mission while simul-taneously taking care ofour people.”

The general read fromthe Airman’s Creed, “Iam faithful to a proudheritage, a tradition ofhonor, and a legacy ofvalor. I will never falter,and I will not fail.”

From the oath ci-vilian personnel takeupon entering federalservice, Clark read: “Iwill support and defendthe Constitution of theUnited States againstall enemies, foreign anddomestic; that I willbear true faith and alle-giance to the same; thatI take this obligationfreely, without mentalreservation or with pur-pose of evasion; and thatI will well and faithfullydischarge the duties ofthe office of which I amabout to enter. So helpme God.” The generalalso pointed out this isthe same oath peopletake when entering theU.S. Armed Forces.

Clark continued,thanking Prince for

his “professionalism,dedication to mission,people and [personal]friendship.” The gener-al then welcomed Willisonboard WRNMMC, “toserve those who serve:the very best patientsin the world — servicemembers and their fam-ilies, retirees and theirfamilies. What we dotruly matters.”

P r i n c e b e c a m eWRNMMC’s first com-mand master chief andsenior enlisted leaderin the fall of 2011 whenthe new facility was re-named following the in-tegration of the formerWalter Reed Army Med-ical Center (WRAMC)and former Nation-

Photo by Bernard S. Little

From left, Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clark, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center(WRNMMC) director, departing WRNMMC Command Master Chief Terry J. Prince, andarriving WRNMMC Command Master Chief Tyrone Willis pay respect to the nation duringthe Command Senior Enlisted Leader’s Change of Charge Ceremony July 11 in MemorialAuditorium.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chris Krucke

From left, departing Walter Reed Nation-al Military Medical Center (WRNMMC)Command Master Chief Terry J. Prince,WRNMMC Director Brig. Gen. (Dr.) JeffreyB. Clark, and arriving WRNMMC CommandMaster Chief Tyrone Willis cut the cakecelebrating the Command Senior EnlistedLeader Change of Charge.

Senior Enlisted Leadership Changes Hands at Walter Reed Bethesda

See ENLISTED Page 9

2 Thursday, July 17, 2014 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appear-ance of advertising in this publication, in-cluding inserts or supplements, does notconstitute endorsement by the Departmentof Defense or Comprint, Inc., of the prod-ucts or services advertised. Everything ad-vertised in this publication shall be madeavailable for purchase, use or patronage

without regard to race, color, re-ligion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical handi-cap, political affiliation or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 17, firstfloor, across from PSD, by noon one weekpreceding the desired publication date.News items are welcomed from all instal-lation sources. Inquiries about news copywill be answered by calling 301-295-1803.Commercial advertising should be placedwith the publisher by calling 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. David A. BitontiPublic Affairs Officer: Ron InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2Ashante Hammons

MC2 Christopher KruckeSarah MarshallKatrina SkinnerJulie SmithSharon Renee Taylor

Managing Editor MC2BrandonWilliams-ChurchWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

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Michelle Herrera 240-370-5421

Sexual Assault Response

Coordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

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There is a story about a manwho was victim to a terrible storm.A torrential rain fell from the skyand filled the rivers to overflowing.As the streets turned into rivers,floodwaters soon reached the door-step of the man’s house. The watersurrounded the house and soonswallowed it, foot by foot. The mancrawled on the roof to get away fromthe rising water. He pleaded to Godto rescue him, waiting eagerly forhelp, but no one came. He sat thereon the roof as he watched a horseswim by and then it slowly disappeared towardtown. Not long after, a huge log floated by withinarm’s reach. The rising water slowly overtook theman’s house and he died. When he saw the Lord inheaven he said, “Lord, I prayed for you to save mebut you never came.” The Lord answered, “I sent ahorse so you could ride on his back to safety, then Isent a huge log for you to escape on, but you decidednot to choose either.” The point of the story? Makesound and timely decisions.

There are 11 Principles of Naval Leadership list-ed in the Naval Leader Planning Guide for 2014.Before I share with you the elements of one of theseprinciples, I want to say how proud I am of our menand women who make up our military forces. Onecharacter trait that stands as a pillar of our strengthrests in the arms of leadership, which each of youhave a role to play in and support.

Every branch of service defines leadership differ-ently to meet the challenges of their unique culture.It is my intent to introduce to you my perspectiveon one of the established Navy leadership principlesand not to diminish the valuable leadership prin-ciples recognized within our sister services.

Naval leadership includes a diverse force of pro-fessionals who wear the military uniform and thosethat do not. In other words, Naval leadership is notdependent on title, rank or position but on initia-tive, decisiveness and commitment. In fact, the NavyEthos embraces Sailors and civilians as co-equalsin “exemplifying the highest standards of service toour Nation.”

The eighth Principle of Naval Leadership is“Make sound and timely decisions.” Its supportingelements introduce the concept of choice. The fivesimple elements to this principle are not all-inclu-

sive to effective leadership yet theyprovide a solid foundation to YOURgrowth as a leader.

• Develop a logical and orderlythought process by practicing objectiveestimates of the situation. Let’s face it,tough decisions are not always easy tomake. I find the best approach in ad-dressing tough decisions is to beginwith a thoughtful consideration of theend result in mind. Focus on the facts ofthe circumstance you are addressing inorder to aid your final decision.

• When time and situation permit,plan for every possible event that can reasonably beforeseen. You cannot foresee every possible outcome,all the time. Nevertheless, you can sure try! An ef-fective leader will contemplate all possible outcomesbefore making a decision.

• Consider the advice and suggestions of yoursubordinates before making decisions. Your employ-ees and co-workers will respect you when you hon-estly seek their advice on matters where you are theone making the final decision. After all, they are thesubject matter experts and you would be foolish notto seek their input.

• Make sure your people are familiar with yourpolicies and plans. If you are responsible for only oneperson who looks to you for guidance and direction,then you are a leader. If you fail in providing cleardirection and expectations, then your policies andplans will not be put into effect.

• Consider the effects of your decisions on allmembers of your unit. You may not be able to sat-isfy everyone with your decisions, but understandinghow your decisions can affect all those involved willhelp you make the best decisions that all will be ableto support.

It takes courage to make a decision. Like ourfriend in the opening story, he made the decisionnot to take responsibility. As leaders, YOU can makean impact on the choices you make. Remember, notmaking a decision is a decision. It’s your responsibil-ity to strive and make the best informed decisionsyou possibly can.

Capt. Phillip M. Sanchez, MSC, USNExecutive Officer,Navy Medicine ProfessionalDevelopment Center

Principles of Naval LeadershipDOD Enterprise Email Migration

Walter Reed National Military Medi-cal Center email users will transitionto a Department of Defense EnterpriseEmail service managed by the DefenseInformation Systems Agency. The mi-gration will take place Aug. 19 through22. There are pre and post migrationsteps users need to perform in order tomake email migration successful. Formore information, contact Luis Lopezat Luis.R.Lopez@health.mil.

Young Adults and CancerIf you are a young adult (age 18 to

39) affected by cancer and want to meetand talk with others your age whoare dealing with cancer, the John P.Murtha Cancer Center at Walter ReedBethesda is hosting meetings July 23at 12:30 p.m. in the America Building,third floor, Rm. 3558; Aug. 6 at noonin the same location and Aug. 20 at11:30 in the Physical Therapy Depart-ment, America Building, first floor,Rm. 1018. For more information andto RSVP, email Meghan Fitzgibbons atMeghan.k.fitzgibbons.ctr@health.mil.

Prostate Cancer Support GroupThe Prostate Cancer Support Group

meets at Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center the third Thursday ofevery month. The next meetings will betoday from 1 to 2 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30p.m. in the America Building, River Con-ference Room on the third floor. Spousesand partners are invited. For more in-formation, contact Dr. Jane Hudak at301-319-2918, or email jane.l.hudak.ctr@health.mil.

Pool ClosureThe pool in Building 17 on Naval Sup-

port Activity Bethesda will be closedtoday through Aug. 18 for mainte-nance and deep cleaning. For more in-formation, call the Fitness Center at301-295-2450.

Bethesda Notebook

The Journal Thursday, July 17, 2014 3

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

Noted for its highquality care, WalterReed National Mili-tary Medical Center(WRNMMC) continuesto broaden its focuswhile improving servic-es and making the en-tire patient experienceexceptional, WRNMMCDirector Brig. Gen. (Dr.)Jeffrey B. Clark ex-plained during a recenttown hall meeting at thefacility.

“Our focus has re-mained on high qualityhealth care and wound-ed warrior care, as itshould be, but havingsaid that, I believe thereare some things we cando better,” the generalsaid.

Clark stated that inaddition to continuingto deliver world-classpatient care, WRNMMCis focused on improvingadministratively, meet-ing its service goals ofexcellence, data qual-ity, safety and operatingroom utilization cam-paign initiatives.

“I can see us movingin a positive direction,”Clark said. “I believe wehave very good people,but I believe we stillneed to look for opportu-nities to lean forward toproactively create con-ditions positive for ourpatients,” he continued.

Navy Capt. (Dr.) Da-vid Larson, of the di-rectorate of clinicalsupport services andchampion for the serviceexcellence campaign,explained the campaignencompasses promotingpatient-friendly staffattitudes, improvingpatient-staff commu-nication and providingpatient and family-cen-tered care. He said it’simportant for all staff atWRNMMC to make thepatient experience ex-cellent, beginning withthe making of appoint-

ments, convenience inlocation to beneficia-ries, improving base ac-cess and parking for pa-tients, improving frontdesk courtesy, care andservices on the wardsand in clinics, as well asdischarge and follow-upcommunication. “It re-ally is the whole expe-rience of care, and thatinvolves everybody,” hecontinued.

L a r s o n a d d e dWRNMMC is also look-ing at starting theQ.U.E.S.T. (Quality,Excellence, Safety andTeamwork) programto celebrate militaryand civilian staff mem-bers who demonstrateoutstanding customerservice. The Q.U.E.S.T.program will seek toempower and encour-age a patient, familymember, supervisor, co-worker or WRNMMCvisitor to commend anindividual or staff mem-ber for customer ser-vice excellence. He alsomentioned the medi-cal center is looking atproviding valet parkingservices for its patients.

Following Larson,Walter Reed BethesdaChief of Staff NavyCapt. Sarah Martinexplained the medicalcenter’s initiatives inits quality and safetycampaign, being led byDr. Thomas Fitzpatrick,assistant chief of stafffor quality.

“Quality is really thecenter of what we do inall of our areas,” Martinsaid. She added as partof the quality campaign,WRNMMC is revital-izing its patient safetyreporting system andimplementing Team-STEPPS (Team Strate-gies and Tools to En-hance Performance andPatient and Safety), andimproving transition ofcare procedures.

Also during thetown hall, Army Col.(Dr.) Thomas Burklow,WRNMMC director of

health care operations,discussed the data qual-ity campaign. He echoedClark’s sentiments thatwhile the medical cen-ter delivers world-classcare, its administrationprocedures must alsofollow suit. He explainedthat efforts to bring themedical center’s admin-istration in line with itshigh quality care are fo-cused on improving itsDefense Medical HumanResources System – in-ternet efforts, identify-ing staff and where theywork, filled and vacantpositions, training re-cords and hours chargedto each work center, aswell as readiness infor-mation for medical assetvisibility.

In addition, Burk-low explained thatother data qualitycampaign lines of ef-fort include identifyingnon-WRNMMC costsattributed to the medi-cal center; improving in-processing and out-pro-cessing for personnel;ensuring the proper cod-ing of records; increas-ing productivity andthe capturing of work-load by standardizingambulatory procedurevisits processes; estab-lishing an automatedprocedure for dictationand transcription ofmedical reports into theelectronic health recordsystem; and increasingproductivity and captur-ing surgeons’ workloadsand other providers forinpatient surgeries andprocedures.

In line with the lat-ter, Navy Capt. (Dr.)Philip Perdue discussedoperating room optimi-zation, explaining thatWRNMMC surgeons areproviding care acrossthe National CapitalRegion enhanced Multi-Service Market network,primarily for the conve-nience of patients. “It’san exciting time andsurgery is leading thecharge forward in [pro-viding services] acrossthe entire region.”

Clark explained thisis part of WRNMMC’s

Walter Reed Bethesda Focusedon Improving Administrative EffortsWRNMMC Director Callson Staff to Create PositiveExperiences for Patients

See PATIENTS Page 10 1042129

By Julie SmithNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Balancing the de-mands of work and fam-ily isn’t always easy, butWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC) aboardNaval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB) has re-sources available to helpcivilian workers, fam-ily members and retireesthrough the Employee As-sistance Program (EAP)according to coordinator,Amanda Maher.Maher explained her

job is to offer short-termcounseling and commu-nity resource referrals tohelp workers address per-sonal or job-related issuesthat might interfere withtheir work performance,health or happiness.“Work-life balance is

a very frequent issue,”Maher said. “It’s one ofthose things that we talkabout a lot but it never re-ally gets put into action orpeople are confused abouthow to do it.”At the White House

Summit on WorkingFamilies held June 23,President Barack Obamaunderscored the contin-ued struggle Americanhouseholds face trying tobalance work and family

and signed a Presidentialmemorandum encourag-ing federal employers tooffer more flexible workschedules.Maher said the strug-

gle of work-life balancesometimes results fromindividuals not settingreasonable boundaries atwork because they wantto be successful profes-sionally.“I think a lot of people

are defined by their worklife because they’re afraidsomeone will take theirplace, and that’s a legiti-mate fear. We all want tosucceed and we don’t wantto get surpassed by ourcoworkers,” Maher said.“It really starts with giv-ing yourself permission tohave that boundary andrealizing that in orderto be happy at work andat home, you really needto have that boundary.That also means beingokay with the fact that acoworker might surpassyou.”Work-life balance is

made even tougher as aresult of technology, Ma-her stated. Text messag-ing and smartphones withemail access are limitingprivacy and family time,she said.“When you get a text

message your impulse isto check it. It doesn’t mat-

ter if your job ends at 5p.m. If your boss emailsyou at 8 p.m. about aproject the next morn-ing, there’s that unspokenexpectation that you’llrespond,” Maher said.“Technology is outrun-ning us and we have tolearn skills to be able toset boundaries.”In her experience,

Maher has worked withpeople who have difficultyeven turning off their mo-bile devices. She suggestssetting a goal to “tuneout” when the work dayis over.“For some people it

can be really tough, butonce you get to a placewhere it’s normal, thereis so much relief,” Mahersaid. “People have to say,‘There are eight hours ina work day. I’m going to bethe best worker I can bein those eight hours, butafter my shift is done, Ihave to be able to turn itoff. Everything after eighthours is my time for meand my family.’”Often time manage-

ment is an issue, andMaher said workers canimprove their time man-agement skills by readinga self-help book, taking aclass or talking to friendsto see how they managetheir time wisely. Makinga manageable to-do list orwriting worries and con-

cerns in a journal just toget it out is also helpful,she said.Another practical tip

to improving work-lifebalance is to take a fiveminute break severaltimes a day. An easy wayfor workers to do this isto restart their comput-ers, which usually takesseveral minutes to reboot.While the computer re-starts, Maher suggestsstretching or taking somedeep breaths.Eating right, exercising

and getting enough sleepare also essential to work-life balance, Maher said.“If you’re not doing any

of those things, you’re notgoing to be very good toanyone, so you have to begood to yourself first,” shesaid. “Self-care is the firstthing to go when we’restressed, but what wedon’t realize is self-carewill make us more pro-ductive.”To support work-life

balance, WRNMMC holdsquarterly ProsperityFairs where employeescan get help in attainingpersonal, professional andspiritual goals.“The Prosperity Fair is

a program encouragingall employees and familymembers to set goals inpersonal and professionalrelationships and spiri-tual realms, maximizing

the potential of our em-ployees,” Sgt. Maj. JeffreyZak,WRNMMC chief clin-ical NCO, said.In addition to the Pros-

perity Fair, Maher saidthere are many resourcesavailable at the NSABFleet and Family Sup-port Center to assist withwork-life balance, includ-ing classes and work-shops.Finally, Maher said it’s

important to communi-cate to people when mak-ing changes to enhancework-life balance.

“That’s where the EAPcan really help,” she said.“You need to have thatdifficult conversation withyour boss or your cowork-ers and let them knowyou’re making an effortto improve your work-lifebalance.”The EAP operates

at WRNMMC Mondaythrough Thursday from 7a.m. to 4 p.m. by appoint-ment only. All services arefree of charge. For moreinformation, call 301-400-0077.

4 Thursday, July 17, 2014 The Journal

Courtesy photo

Resources Available to Support Work-Life Balance

1042123

$2 OFFAny Order of $10 or More

$5 OFFAny Order of $20 or More 1041991

By Mass CommunicationSpecialist 1st Class Elliott Fabrizio

Chief of Naval Personnel,Public Affairs

For many Sailors, ball caps are more than justa cover; they’re pride.

At the conclusion of battle stations-the finaltest in boot camp-new Sailors remove their re-cruit ball cap, having earned the right to don anew cover: a ball cap emblazoned with the word‘Navy.’

When these young Sailors join the Fleet, theirgeneric Navy ball cap is set aside for a commandball cap, identifying them as a proud member oftheir new command.

So during all hands calls when senior leaderscandidly ask Sailors what changes they want,many ask for more opportunity to wear theircommand ball caps, specifically the option towear it with the Navy Working Uniform (NWU).

Now it’s happening.Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus and senior

leadership took that request to heart, and onJuly 11 the Office of the Chief of Naval Person-nel (CNP) announced they are changing the uni-form regulations to give individual commandsthe ability authorize command ball caps withthe NWU Type I, II and III.

“A lot of Sailors look at command ball caps asa source of command pride and espirit de corps,”said Fleet Master Chief April Beldo, senior en-listed advisor to CNP. “This is something theFleet asked us for, and we believe this is some-thing the commands should be able to decide forthemselves. So all we’re doing is opening up thatoption to the command triads, the CO, XO andCMC.”

Under the new policy, commanding officers,working with regional commanders, have theoption to authorize command ball caps for Sail-ors in NWUs, anywhere that uniform could nor-mally be worn, including transiting to and fromwork.

“It’s not our intent to tell COs how to do this,”said Vice Adm. Bill Moran, CNP. “We’re leavingit up to COs to use their best judgment. That’swhat they’re there to do and they are the onesbest suited to make those decisions for theircommand.”

The NAVADMIN outlining the official policywill be released in the next few weeks, and thenew policy is scheduled to go into effect Sept. 1,giving commands some lead time to prepare.

Under current policy, ball caps can only beworn with coveralls, flight suits and the physi-cal training uniform.

This change will not eliminate the eight-pointNWU cover, which will remain part of the stan-dard sea bag.

In an informal poll, Sailors aboard the for-ward-deployed USS George H. W. Bush (CVN77) shared their opinions, which diverged bothin support of command ball caps and the eight-point cover.

“I like the idea of changing to the ball caps,”said Master Chief Machinist’s Mate Milton Mc-Donald. “They are much easier to maintain. Theeight-point covers do not always have the bestfit, and it would be much easier to correct a Sail-or who is wearing an adjustable ball cap.”

“I think we should keep the traditional eight-point covers,” said Culinary Specialist 3rd ClassClyde Scott. “Sailors look so much sharper andsquared away in those covers.”

In the new policy, individual commands willmake the decision on whether their Sailors wearcommand ball caps, eight-point covers or somecombination based on local requirements.

Sailors can provide feedback on uniforms toumo_cmc@navy.mil or usnpeople@gmail.com.

Command Ball Caps are BackCOs to Have Authority to Allow Ball Caps with NWUs

The Journal Thursday, July 17, 2014 5

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Declan Barnes

Quartermaster 2nd Class Jacques Chenet,from New York, assigned to the ArleighBurke-class guided-missile destroyer USSKidd, stands watch on the bridge as the shipenters port in Hong Kong. Kidd is currentlyon patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of re-sponsibility supporting regional security andstability in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.

1042061

6 Thursday, July 17, 2014 The Journal

By Kalila FlemingWRNMMC Public

Affairs staff writer

“I’ve always wanted tovolunteer at a hospital,…I want to be an anesthe-siologist, so I want to seewhat it’s like actually tolive in a hospital, be in ahospital 24/7, do surger-ies and get that wholeenvironment down,” NigelSmith, 17, of Bethesda,Md., said regarding hisVolunTeen position in theOral and Maxillofacial de-partment at the nationalmedical center.

Smith was one of the59 high school studentsselected for this sum-mer’s American Red CrossVolunTeen Program atWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC).

The American RedCross VolunTeen Pro-gram is a competitiveprogram, geared towardshigh school students ages14 through 18, interestedin military medicine orworking in a hospital.The program runs for sixweeks, July 1 to August15, and the students willbe volunteering anywherefrom three to five days perweek.

Marin Reynes, seniorstation manager for theWRNMMC Red Cross,said that students have towrite an essay, and sendin a student or coach rec-ommendation letter thatwill be graded and rankedby Cassie Corbyons, theVolunTeen Coordinator.

A vast majority of thisyear’s VolunTeens have aparent or relative in the

military; however, thatis not a requirement forentrance into the pro-gram, Kathleen Kelly,WRNMMC American RedCross assistant coordina-tor said.

Once students are se-lected into the programthey all partake in anorientation, “where stu-dents who aren’t a part ofthe military culture andaren’t a dependent learnwhat the military is allabout,” Reynes said.

Students placed in se-lected departments alsoget to observe procedureson patients.

Smith, a VolunTeenin the Oral and Maxil-lofacial department, haswitnessed a few surgeriessince he began his tenure.

Smith said, “My firstsurgery was a tiny one.

I was watching someoneget their wisdom teethpulled. The second onewas a person getting anose job done, that waspretty interesting … I sawan implant with anesthe-sia, that was pretty gross.[The surgeon] taught me alot about anesthesia.” Hesaid, “I learned the basicsand it was a really inter-esting time, it was fourhours watching somethinglike that.”

The 59 VolunTeenstudents are in 36 de-partments and clinicsthroughout the medicalcenter. Those clinics anddepartments range fromExecutive Medicine andOrthopaedics to the JudgeAdvocate General Of-fice, Oral and Maxillofa-cial Surgery and WarriorTransition Brigade.

Kelly added the Volun-Teen program has grownexponentially since it wasestablished three yearsago. Since Corbyons be-came the program coor-dinator last year, she hastaken the program to anew level, Kelly contin-ued, and with her efforts,Kelly believes the pro-gram will continue thriv-ing.

“This is my third year

here, this is my third teenprogram, and in the lastthree years it’s grownsignificantly,” Kelly said.“Last year when Cassietook over as the volun-teer lead, she completelyre-vamped the program,re-vamped how we do theapplication process, howwe choose the kids, andthis year was the first

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center‘VolunTeen’ Program Offers Unique Opportunity

Photo by Bernard S. Little

American Red Cross VolunTeen Joshua Kimprovides support in the John P. Murtha CancerCenter at Walter Reed Bethesda, performinga variety of administrative duties.

By SharonRenee Taylor

WRNMMC PublicAffairs staff writer

In December 2012,during the middle of herdeployment to the Ara-bian Gulf on the Nimitz-class, nuclear-poweredaircraft carrier U.S.S.John C. Stennis, ShipServiceman 3rd ClassShannon Shepherd feltsick with flu-like symp-toms. The petty officerreceived antibiotics,which she took, and feltfine. She was 22.

In January 2013, shebegan to notice bruising.“‘Maybe it’s from work,’”she thought, consideringher job in supply.

“I put it on the back-burner but they startedto get bigger, the size ofbaseballs, and they start-ed going down my leg,”Shepherd said.

She began losing herappetite and as the dayswent on, the Sailor feltfatigued — constantlysleeping, unmotivated todo anything — just theopposite of her active, al-ways-moving self, Shep-herd explained.

A blood test indicatedher platelets were belownormal; her hemoglo-bin and her white bloodcount were low as well.Shepherd was told shehad cancer.

“My whole body justwent into a funk, and Icried. The only thing Icould think about was,‘Am I going to die? WillI be able to see my fam-ily again, be able to tellthem what’s going on?’”Shepherd recalled.

She explained she waskept in medical aboardthe ship for 24 hoursuntil she was medevac-ed to Bahrain, and latertransferred to Al UdeidAir Base in Qatar whereshe remained for threedays. There she receivedblood transfusions untilshe was stable enoughto travel to LandstuhlRegional Medical Cen-ter in Germany, whereshe was diagnosed withleukemia — one of themost common cancertypes in adolescentsand young adults (AYA),according to the Na-tional Cancer Institute(NCI). Leukemia startsin blood-forming tissue,

like bone marrow, andcauses a large numberof abnormal blood cellsto be produced and enterthe bloodstream, NCI of-ficials explained.

February 19, 2013,Shepherd arrived atWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center(WRNMMC) and wasadmitted directly to theintensive care unit. Diag-nosed with T-Cell AcuteLymphoblastic Leuke-mia, she’s received che-motherapy, bone marrowaspirations, spinal tapsand a protocol of cranialradiation.

Currently in the main-tenance phase of her dis-ease, Shepherd and hermother Sharon Ramp-ertab recently met otheryoung adults betweenthe ages of 18 and 39dealing with cancer andtheir loved ones July 9,during a gathering host-ed by the John P. MurthaCancer Center at WalterReed Bethesda. Shep-herd said she liked thegroup. Rampertab indi-cated she “got good vibes”from the gathering, andwants more people to at-tend the next event July

23. Shepherd also metwith Young Adult Pa-tient Navigator MeghanFitzgibbons, a new addi-tion to the cancer centeron staff to assist patientsin the Sailor’s age group.

Fitzgibbons said herrole as AYA patient navi-gator is to help with thespecial concerns andneeds of being a young

adult dealing with can-cer, including issues re-lated to school and work,educational scholarships,financial assistance, fos-tering one-on-one con-nections between youngadult survivors, as wellas helping address rela-tionships with loved onesand providing fertilitypreservation assistance.

“There’s hope. [Thereare] resources. There’scamaraderie,” Ramp-ertab said about WalterReed Bethesda’s effort toprovide additional sup-port to meet the chal-lenges of adolescents andyoung adults with cancer.

Nearly 70,000 people

Group Offers Support for Young Adults with Cancer

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Army Spc. Devyn Wilcox, a medic, checks the blood sugar of ShipServiceman 3rd Class Shannon Shepherd. The 24-year-old Sailor wasdiagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in February 2013.

See VOLUNTEEN Page 10

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The Journal Thursday, July 17, 2014 7

From DefenseMedia Activity

The United StatesNavy promoted MichelleJanine Howard to therank of four-star admiralJuly 1 during a ceremonyat the Women in MilitaryService for America Me-morial at Arlington Na-tional Cemetery.

Secretary of the NavyRay Mabus presided overthe ceremony and admin-istered the oath of office.

Adm. Howard is thefirst female four-star inthe 238 year history ofthe United States Navy.

“Michelle Howard’spromotion to the rank ofadmiral is the result ofa brilliant naval career,one I fully expect to con-tinue when she assumesher new role as vice chiefof naval operations, butalso it is a historic first,an event to be celebratedas she becomes the firstfemale to achieve thisposition,” said Mabus.“Her accomplishment

is a direct example of aNavy that now, more thanever, reflects the nation itserves — a nation wheresuccess is not borne ofrace, gender or religion,but of skill and ability.”

“Michelle’s many trail-blazing accomplishmentsin her 32 years of navalservice are evidence ofboth her fortitude andcommitment to excel-lence and integrity,” saidChief of Naval OperationsAdm. Jonathan Greenert.“I look forward to manygreat things to come fromthe Navy’s newest 4-starAdmiral!”

Howard, the DeputyCNO for Operations,Plans, and Strategy, willrelieve Adm. Mark Fer-guson III as the 38th ViceChief of Naval Opera-tions.

Howard is a 1978graduate of GatewayHigh School in Aurora,Colo. She graduated fromthe United States NavalAcademy in 1982 andfrom the Army’s Com-

mand and General StaffCollege in 1998, with aMasters in Military Artsand Sciences.

Howard’s initial seatours were aboard USSHunley (AS 31) and USS

Lexington (AVT 16).While serving on boardLexington, she receivedthe Secretary of the Navy/Navy League CaptainWinifred Collins award inMay 1987. This award is

given to one woman offi-cer a year for outstandingleadership. She reportedto USS Mount Hood (AE29) as chief engineer in1990 and served in Op-erations Desert Shieldand Desert Storm. Sheassumed duties as firstlieutenant on board theUSS Flint (AE 32) in July1992. In January 1996,she became the executiveofficer of USS Tortuga(LSD 46) and deployed tothe Adriatic in support ofOperation Joint Endeav-or, a peacekeeping effortin the former Republicof Yugoslavia. Sixty daysafter returning from theMediterranean deploy-ment, Tortuga departedon a West African train-ing cruise, where theship’s Sailors, with em-barked Marines and U.S.Coast Guard detachment,operated with the navalservices of seven Africannations.

She then took com-mand of USS Rushmore(LSD 47) on March 12,

1999, becoming the firstAfrican American wom-an to command a ship inthe U.S. Navy. Howardwas the commander ofAmphibious SquadronSeven from May 2004to September 2005. De-ploying with Expedition-ary Strike Group (ESG)5, operations includedtsunami relief efforts inIndonesia and maritimesecurity operations inthe North Arabian Gulf.She commanded Expe-ditionary Strike GroupTwo from April 2009 toJuly 2010. In 2009, shedeployed to CENTCOMtheater, where she com-manded Task Force 151,Multi-national Counter-piracy effort and TaskForce 51, ExpeditionaryForces. In 2010, she wasthe Maritime Task Forcecommander for BAL-TOPS, under 6th Fleet.

She was the 2011USO Military Woman ofthe Year, and the 2013NAACP Chairman’s Im-age Award recipient.

United States Navy Promotes Michelle Howard to 4-Star Admiral

U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Peter D. Lawlor

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, left, andWayne Cowles, husband of Adm. MichelleHoward, put four-star shoulder boards onHoward’s service white uniform during herpromotion ceremony at the Women in Mili-tary Service for America Memorial. Howardis the first woman to be promoted to therank of admiral in the history of the Navyand will assume the duties and responsibili-ties as the 38th Vice Chief of Naval Opera-tions from Adm. Mark Ferguson.

By MassCommunication

Specialist 2nd ClassAshanté HammonsNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

Imagine a world filledwith schools of fish, seaturtles, sharks, coralreefs and other amazingsights around you. It isa breathtaking and ab-solute change from walk-ing on shore. Instead ofwondering what lives inthe ocean, you are in theocean, among these crea-tures. How can you visitthis wondrous place inperson? By learning howto scuba dive with theMorale, Welfare and Rec-reation (MWR) programat Naval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB).

“After my initial train-

ing in 1979, the firsttime I got to really scubadive was down in KeyWest,” said Joe Lodmell,MWR scuba instructorat NSAB. “To jump in thewater, and see the schoolsof fish in every imagin-able color was incred-ible! We spent 45 minutesswimming between thecoral heads, [and I was]absolutely amazed at thecolor and variety of sealife. There were lobsters,nurse sharks, anemonesand all kinds of critters[in the ocean]!”

That enthusiasm fordiving inspired BryanJackson, NSAB MWRaquatic fitness managerand fitness trainer, to askLodmell to be an MWRscuba instructor. Jacksondescribed Lodmell as a‘dive master’ since “he’s

been teaching scuba for15 years.”

Jackson said he wantedan instructor who wouldteach a longer course forthree weeks instead ofweekend courses, off base.

“All the classes off basewere weekend classes,”said Jackson. “The in-structors sent the stu-dents books for the courseand they studied allweek. On Saturday, thestudents showed up to doclassroom [work] for eighthours. Then, on Sunday,they went to the pool foreight hours and they’redone. That was it.”

“I didn’t learn that wayand I have never been afan of that way of teach-ing,” Jackson explained.“I mean, that’s not reallymy idea of learning.WhenJoe came in to teach the

class, people just lovedit,” said Jackson, smiling.“I said to Joe, ‘As long asyou are willing to teachhere, let’s continue [scubacourses].’”

For the past threeyears, Lodmell has taughtscuba diving at NSAB foractive duty, dependents,Department of Defenseemployees and contrac-tors every Tuesday andThursday evening start-ing at 6 p.m. Studentshear about the coursethrough Jackson, MWRevents or emails.

“I got information from

him,” said Air Force 2ndLt. Logan Clemons, Uni-formed Services Universi-ty of the Health Sciences(USU), pointing to Army2nd Lt. Dean Miller, whowas with Clemons. “Weare getting stationed inHawaii.”

“That’s how I found outabout this course, too,”said Air Force 2nd Lt.Armando Aguilera, USUstudent. “I’m also get-ting stationed in Hawaii.I thought this would be agood time to learn scubabefore I go.” Aguilera andMiller agreed.

While in class, stu-dents ask questions aboutassigned reading or thescuba experience. Lod-mell even reviews infor-mation not covered in thebook.

“You go down to Ha-waii and you sign upwith a scuba shop andyou want to go on a divetrip,” said Lodmell. “Youask yourself, ‘What’smy experience going tobe like? What should Ithink about when I goon my first dive trip?

Just Dive In!MWR Scuba Program IntroducesFirst-Time Divers to Ocean Wonders

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ashanté Hammons

Air Force 2nd Lt. Armando Aguilera, left, dives into the pool asArmy 2nd Lt. Dean Miller waits his turn to dive in the Building 17Fitness Center pool.

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8 Thursday, July 17, 2014 The Journal

between the ages of 15 and39 are diagnosed with cancereach year, according to NCI,which also reports that can-cer kills more people in theAYA age group than any oth-er disease. The agency statesthat, while survival rates havesteadily improved for childrenand adults who have cancer,improvements in survivalhave lagged behind for AYAsbecause of a variety of reasonsincluding delayed diagnoses,limited understanding of can-cers in this population, lowaccess to and participation inclinical trials, and the uniquepsychosocial and supportivecare needs of these patientslike isolation, employment, fi-nancial concerns and fertility.

Many young adults in their20s and 30s, which includethe majority of the active dutypopulation, develop cancersthat are similar to the typesof cancers young children de-velop, particularly leukemias,lymphomas and soft tissue(muscle) or bone cancers, ex-plained Air Force Col. ThomasC. Newton, chief of Pediatric

Hematology/Oncology at theMurtha Cancer Center, whoalso serves as a clinical associ-ate professor of pediatrics, andassociate program director forthe pediatric hematology/on-cology fellowship at the Uni-formed Services University.

“The cure rate is higher forthese patients when their can-cers are treated on protocolsdesigned for children ratherthan older adults. Pediatriconcologists who are the mostfamiliar with these treatmentregimens are often called uponto care for these patients, asin the case of Walter Reed[Bethesda] where severalyoung active duty membersare receiving their cancercare,” Newton said.

Shepherd said she’s grate-ful for the pediatric oncologyteam that provides her care,including pediatric oncologysocial worker Stacee Spring-er, who initiated the sup-port group the Sailor and hermother look forward to attend-ing again next week.

“It is important for the AYAcancer patient and their fam-ily to have an opportunity tonetwork with [other] patientsand family members that areor have experienced similari-ties with their cancer journey,”

Springer explained. The socialworker said she hopes the newgroup will provide them with asense of emotional peace andrecognition that they are im-portant, and that their needsas well as issues will be heardwithin a larger community.The group of peers can discussside effects, communicatingwith their command, or how toadjust to their new “normal,”Springer said.

Sheppard, now 24, said shere-enlisted prior to her deploy-ment to the Arabian Gulf andsubsequent diagnosis. Sheplanned to make the Navy hercareer and aspired to becomea chief. Although her appetiteis returning and she is gain-ing strength during her recov-ery, she indicated it’s unlikelyshe’ll remain in the same job,and seeks a different rating.She also hopes to earn a col-lege degree.

The next AYA group willmeet July 23 from 12:30 to 1:30p.m, on the third floor of theAmerica Building, Room 3558.To RSVP for the July 23 event,or direct questions to theAYA patient navigator, pleaseemail Meghan Fitzgibbons atMeghan.K.Fitzgibbons.ctr@health.mil.

CANCERContinued from pg. 6

How should I prepare? Whatshould I pack?’”

Lodwell added that stu-dents and instructors oftendiscus these questions andother necessities for a divetrip. He emphasized that div-ers should be rested, nour-ished and hydrated beforegoing on a dive trip. Diversshould also be aware of seasickness because a boat rideto some dive spots could takea couple of hours.

“Once we’re done with classtime, we go to the pool and dothe real stuff,” said Lodmell.“The first week of class is forswim evaluation and somesnorkeling skills. After that,students move right into scu-ba: tanks, regulators, buoy-ancy compensator and all theway through.”

Before the students diveinto the water, each personchecks their gear severaltimes. Then, students andinstructors check each oth-er’s gear. One by one, theystep off the diving board anddive into the pool. They sur-face and face the instructors

standing on the deck. As eachdiver takes one arm to forma half circle in order to placetheir fingertips on the crown,they signal that they’re okayand submerge deeper into thewater. Finally, the instructorsjoin them in the water. Theyhave joined the ranks of scubadivers worldwide.

“Being a scuba instructoris fantastic!” said Lodmell. “Itell my students on the firstnight about how excited I amfor them, because they stillget to see their first sea turtle!They still get to see their firstshark! How exciting is that? Ilove to share those firsts withmy students.”

According to Jackson, scu-ba diving can change your lifeas well as your travel plans.It is not just another hobby;rather, it becomes a lifestyle.

“When you become scubacertified, every vacation afterthat becomes a dive vacation,”said Jackson. “You realizeyou spent the time, the effort[and] the money to have theequipment. Now you get to ex-plore this new world and youwant to take advantage of itas much as you can.”

For more information aboutMWR scuba courses, contactBryan Jackson at Bryan.jack-son2@med.navy.mil.

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al Naval Medical Center(NNMC). He became the firstsenior enlisted advisor forthe Defense Health Agency(DHA) in Falls Church, Va.,in February. Master ChiefMaria Fernandez served asWRNMMC’s acting seniorenlisted leader during thetransition from Prince toWillis.

“What I miss most about[WRNMMC] having beenat DHA, is the day-to-dayinteraction with just thesheer number of young menand women I had a chanceto meet with directly everyday,” Prince said. “Time wentby so quickly, and it feels likewe just started this mission.”

He added despite the chal-lenges of integration, staffat WRNMMC, “Soldiered,Sailored, Airmaned, and ci-vilianed on. What you didmattered. I saw the pride inyour eyes as you cementedthe integration of two world-class facilities that wereNNMC and WRAMC intoone at Bethesda, now known

as the Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center atBethesda.”

The command master chiefcontinued, adding the legacyof WRNMMC is “forged inthe blood, sweat and tearsof the men and women whomade [the world-renownedfacility] what it is today,”and it is the responsibilityof those who are now here, tocarry on that legacy, “you area shining example of excel-lence,” he said.

Prince said his succes-sor will find “amazingand incredible talent at[WRNMMC] in the staff.People make this place work.[They] are its lifeblood.They’re awe-inspiring, andthere was never a more chal-lenging and rewarding placeto serve,” he concluded.

Willis, a native of Mem-phis, Tenn., comes toWRNMMC after serving ascommand master chief atNaval Hospital Beaufort,S.C. He also served as CMConboard the USS Ross (DDG71) Norfolk, Va. He is desig-nated as a national emergen-cy medical technician andhas completed a number offleet and shore assignments.He participated in Opera-

tion Desert Shield/DesertStorm — 1st Battalion 8thMarines, Second Marine Di-vision, Camp LeJeune, N.C.;Strong Resolve — USS Wasp(LHD 1); Enduring Freedomand Iraqi Freedom — USSJuneau (LPD 10).

He praised the efforts ofhis predecessor, saying toPrince, “You’ve done a re-markable thing here, and if Iaccomplish just half of whatyou accomplished, then I willhave been a success.” He alsocalled Walter Reed Bethesda“a family which he is here tosupport and serve.”

The new WRNMMC seniorenlisted leader said he is apatient’s advocate, and “pa-tients are our number onepriority, bar none.”

“We are Walter ReedBethesda [and] there is nonebetter,” Willis said. “What wedo matters, but more impor-tantly, you matter,” he added.

The ceremony concludedwith the U.S. Naval Acad-emy Brass Quintet playingthe services’ songs and thecutting of a cake by Clark,Prince and Willis.

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initiative to provide“patient-friendly accessto high quality care forall we are privileged toserve” and going to oth-er military treatmentfacilities (MTFs) withinthe region to providecare where it is mostconvenient for benefi-ciaries. “We should part-ner [with other MTFs]to think about the en-tire market as opposedto Walter Reed Bethes-da or Fort Belvoir Com-munity Hospital [Va.]working independently.We will continue to domore and more of that,”the general added.

Also during the townhall, Lt. Cmdr. Pando-ra Liptrot, WRNMMCequal opportunity of-ficer, called on staffmembers to volunteerand participate onthe command assess-ment team (CAT). Sheexplained the teammeets monthly to as-sess command climate,

morale and quality oflife on base, and taketheir findings to theWRNMMC directorand chief of staff “totry and make the com-mand a better place.”The team needs rep-resentation from allmembers of the WalterReed Bethesda com-munity, including ac-tive duty and reservemilitary, civilian andcontract employees,volunteers and benefi-ciaries. For more infor-mation about the CAT,call 301-295-2178.

The new WRNMMCsenior enlisted lead-er, Command MasterChief Tyrone Willisconcluded the townhall stating, “WalterReed Bethesda is afamily with a purpose.”He said in addition totaking care of patients,it’s important we takecare of one another. “Noperson can do every-thing [alone]; it takesa village.” He addedkeying in on internalcustomer service hasimpact externally.

“Walter Reed Bethes-da’s purpose is patient-

centered care; passionis taking care of pa-tients; and profession isdoing the very best jobwe can do in everythingthat we do,” Willis said.

The next WRNMMC

leadership forum isscheduled for Aug. 5at 3:30 p.m., and townhalls are Aug. 12 at 7a.m., noon and 3:30 p.m.in Memorial Audito-rium.

PATIENTSContinued from pg. 3

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterDirector Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clark ex-plained during last week’s town hall at WalterReed Bethesda, while themedical center’s focusremains on providing high quality and woundedwarrior care, “as it should be,” more empha-sis will be placed on improving administrationwithin the facility.

year that we had moreapplicants than we didjobs so we created thewait list, I have a sneak-ing suspicion that nextyear, there are folks thatjust won’t get into theprogram.”

With the growing rateof the program, studentsshared their storiesabout how they foundout about the VolunTeenprogram and what ad-vice they would give toother teens that are in-terested.

Sebastian Renda, 17,of McLean, Va., and aVolunTeen in the Ex-ecutive Medicine Clinicfound out after his fa-ther, who recently re-tired from the Army, hadsurgery at WRNMMC ayear ago. He said, “whenI was here I saw the RedCross people that werehelping out and latermy dad went and figuredout that there was a pro-gram I could join overthe summer so I wentand signed up.”

Rockville native andvolunteer in the Execu-tive Medicine depart-ment, Darren Danaie,15, knew that this wouldbe a great opportunityfor his future endeavors.

Danaie said, “Mymom actually workshere [at WRNMMC], inthe allergy clinic [and]she saw some of theVolunTeens that wentto her clinic and shethought this would be agood chance.”

Smith admitted that,“any person that wantsto get into this programfor next year, on the ap-plication and the essay,actually just show thema little about yourselfand don’t be shy. Justopen up.”

Smith added, “Don’tjust do it for communi-ty service hours so youcan graduate, [I mean]what’s the point in do-ing it? Just know whatyou want to do and beconfident.”

For more informationabout the American RedCross at Walter ReedBethesda, call MarinReynes at 301-295-1583.

VOLUNTEENContinued from pg. 6

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