SOUTH POTOMAC PILOTSOUTH POTOMAC PILOTJuly 3, 2015

NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY SOUTH POTOMAC DEFENSE COMMUNITY

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FREE CLASSIFIED ADS FOR MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES E-mail nsasp_pao_dlgr@navy.mil or Call (540) 653-8153

By John Joyce,NSWCDD CorporateCommunications

The Navy’s Laser WeaponSystem (LaWS) engineeringteam received the 2014 Dr.Delores M. Etter Top Scien-tists and Engineers of theYear Award for groundbreak-ing research, Naval SurfaceWarfare Center DahlgrenDivision (NSWCDD) an-nounced June 19.

Sean Stackley, AssistantSecretary of the Navy forResearch, Developmentand Acquisition, presentedthe award to the NSWCDDteam that researched, de-veloped and installed theLaser Weapon System onUSS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15).

“These awards are a trib-ute to the exemplary scien-tists and engineers who ded-icate their energy and talentto making sure our warf-ighters have the scientificand technological edge theyneed at sea, in the air andon the battlefield,” said Of-fice of Naval Research (ONR)Executive Director Dr. Wal-ter Jones, after the Pentagonceremony last week.

The Delores M. Etter TopScientists and Engineers

Award recognizes Navy andMarine Corps civilian andmilitary personnel for ex-ceptional science and engi-neering achievements. Etter,

formerly an assistant secre-tary of the Navy for research,development and acquisi-tion, now presides over theCaruth Institute for Engi-

neering Education at South-ern Methodist University.

The NSWCDD LaWSTeam award recipients wereJoseph Barrasse, Ronald

Flatley, Theresa Gennaro,David McCormick, DavidNewton, Melissa Olson,Dr. Robert Pawlak, Gunen-dran Sivapragasam, andDavid Sullins. In addition,Lt. Cmdr. Michael Putnamfrom the Naval Sea SystemCommand (NAVSEA) ShipDesign & Engineering direc-torate received the award.

“We’re very proud ofour Laser Weapon SystemTeam,” said Capt. BrianDurant, NSWCDD com-manding officer. “This out-standing team worked longhours – many deployedaway from home and fam-ily – to advance technologyand enable the Navy’s firstdeployment of a high energylaser weapon. Their achieve-ments are the perfect ex-ample of NSWC DahlgrenDivision’s ability to design,develop, and install innova-tive and integrated solutionsaboard warships.”

Navy leaders have madedirected-energy weaponsa top priority to counterwhat they call asymmet-ric threats, including un-manned and light aircraftand small attack boats that

NSWC Dahlgren Laser Weapon System Team Wins2014 Top Navy Scientists and Engineers Award

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

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert gets a firsthandlook at the directed energy Laser Weapon System (LaWS) aboard the in-terim afloat forward staging base USS Ponce (AFSB(I) 15). Sean Stackley,assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition,recognized the LaWS engineering team from the Naval Surface WarfareCenter Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) during the 2014 Dr. Delores M. EtterTop Scientists and Engineers Awards ceremony at the Pentagon on June12, 2015. LaWS is a collaborative effort between ONR, Naval Sea SystemsCommand, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and NSWCDD.

Award winning countryartist Trace Adkins will playlive at Naval Support Facil-ity Dahlgren Parade Fieldon Saturday, October 10.Adkins, famous for hits like“You’re Gonna Miss This,”“Honkytonk Badonadonk,”and “Just Fishin’,” will fol-low local performers theVirginians and the Smithand Auer Band. The show isscheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

To purchase ticketsplease visit www.facebook.com/freedomlivendw. AVIP ticket pre-sale willbe held on July 8 and 9 atnoon. Purchasers mustvisit the Naval Support Ac-tivity South Potomac Face-book page on July 8 and ob-tain a promo code that willbe used to purchase tick-ets. On July 9, purchasers

must visit the Freedom LiveNDW Facebook page for apromo code. Each vehicleentering the base for theconcert must have at leastone DoD ID card holderand all others 16 and oldermust present a valid formof identification.

VIP Meet and Greettickets will be available for$149.99 and will include ameet and greet/photo op-

portunity with Trace Adkins,complimentary, all-inclu-sive food and beverage tent,preferred seating, preferredparking and VIP restrooms.There will be a limit of fourtickets per person. Thesetickets, if still available, willbe $159.99 on July 9.

VIP tickets will be avail-able for $89.99 and will in-clude complimentary foodand beverage tent with four

drink tickets, preferred seat-ing, preferred parking andVIP restrooms. These tick-ets, if still available, will be$99.99 on July 9.

Free general admissiontickets will be availablestarting July 13. Attendeesmay bring chair to the event.No alcohol, pets, coolers,glass, outside food or bever-age, firearms, weapons andbackpacks will be allowed.

At 46, Adkins remains thesame guy from Sarepta, Lou-isiana who, after singing in agospel group and attendingcollege and working on oilrigs in the Gulf of Mexico,moved to Nashville in the1990s and eventually madea name for himself in thecountrymusic business afterhis 1996 debut. There is noquestion, though, that since2008, when he appeared asa contestant on NBC’s ‘TheCelebrity Apprentice’ andwound up one of two final-ists, Adkins and his musichave become more widelyknown.

For more informationcontact the NSF DahlgrenCommunity Recreation/ITToffice at (540) 653-8785, orthe NSASP Public Affairs Of-fice at (866) 359-5540.

Trace Adkins to play concert at NSF Dahlgren

See Laser, Page 3

2 Friday, July 3, 2015The South Potomac Pilot

Richmond Navy League Tours NSF Dahlgren

U.S. Navy photo by Andrew Revelos

Members of the Richmond Navy League came to Naval Support Facility (NSF) Dahlgren on June 25 for a tour of the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s(NSWCDD’s) Human Systems Integration Branch, the Laser Weapons and Systems Branch and the Manned Platform and Systems Branch, as well as theAegis Training and Readiness Center. The group, which included distinguished veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, thankedthe Navy employees and Sailors for showing them such a great time.

By Barbara WagnerStaff writer

Since its initial discovery in 2006 on theshores of North America, White Nose Syn-drome (WNS) has devastated the populationof several species of bats including two thathave been identified locally. The preliminarydiscovery of the disease at Howe Caverns inNew York State has since spread to over 26states and Canada. Researchers are success-fully diagnosing the illness but are currentlystruggling to identify a treatment.

WNS is caused by Pseudogymnoascusdestructans, a type of psychrophilic or cold-loving fungus that thrives in the moist, darkand cold hibernation locations of the bats.The fungus breaks down collagen on the fur-less parts of the bat including its muzzle andwings, causing them to leave hibernationearly. It depletes their scarce body fat reservesas they go in search of more food during thewinter months.

Scientists have discovered that they candetect the presence of the fungus that causesWNS with an ultraviolet (U.V.) light. Unfortu-nately, if a bat fluoresces under the U.V. lightconfirming the presence of the fungus, is adeath sentence for the mammal. Currently

there is no known treatment to cure the ill-ness, though scientists involved are workingto find a solution.

The drastic reduction in the bat popula-tion nationwide is cause for grave concernas their value alone to the agricultural com-munity is estimated to be somewhere around

$23 billion. Their roles range from reducingthe insect pest population to pollination andtheir loss could be devastating to areas that

rely heavily on their seed-spreading capabili-ties.

NSF Dahlgren’s Own InvestigatesLocal Bat Population

WNS was first noted in Virginia in 2008along the western corridor of the state be-tween the Allegany and Blue Ridge region,where caves are prolific. Locally, Dr. Thomas“Doc” Wray, natural resources manager forNaval Support Facility (NSF) Dahlgren, isworking to identify local bat species and de-termine if our area has cause for concern, aswell as identify if we have any of the speciesthat have been listed as endangered. At pres-ent WNS has not been identified here in thecoastal plains area.

Currently there are several species of batsincluding the Northern long-eared bat andthe Indiana Bat that have been added to theendangered species list.

Anabat systems are passive acoustic bat-locating devices that are placed in areasknown to be frequented by a bat popula-tion. The system records the noises presentand the recording is then analyzed to deter-

Photo by U.S. Geological Survey

Light Showing White-Nose Syn-drome in Bat’s Wing Long-waveultraviolet (UV) and white-light illu-mination of lesions associated withwhite-nose syndrome. Wing fromdead eastern pipestrelle (Pipistrellussubflavus) lit from above with hand-held 51 LED 385-nm UV flashlightshows points of orange-yellow fluo-rescence.

Photo by Thomas Wray

The anabat system used at NavalSupport Facilities (NSFs) Dahlgrenand Indian Head monitors the ultra-sonic echolocation sounds of bats.The system allows Thomas ‘Doc’Wray, natural resources manager, toidentify the species of bats locatedon the facility.

Alert the Bat SignalNSASP Environmental Staff Remaining Vigilant in Face of Deadly Disease

See Bats, Page 7

could be used to deny U.S.forces access to certain ar-eas. High-energy lasers of-fer an affordable and safeway to target these threatsat the speed of light withextreme precision and anunlimited magazine, ex-perts say.

ONR officials announcedin a Dec. 10, 2014 news re-lease that LaWS - a cutting-edge weapon that bringssignificant new capabilitiesto America’s Sailors and Ma-rines - was for the first timesuccessfully deployed andoperated aboard a naval ves-sel in the Arabian Gulf.

The LaWS team workedwith Sailors aboard Ponce todemonstrate a laser weaponworking aboard a deployedU.S. Navy ship while operat-ing seamlessly with existingship defense systems.

During the tests, LaWS- a collaborative effortbetween ONR, NAVSEA,

Naval Research Labora-tory, NSWCDD, and in-dustry partners – hit tar-gets mounted aboard aspeeding oncoming smallboat, shot down a ScanEagle unmanned aerialvehicle (UAV), and de-stroyed other moving tar-gets at sea. Navy videoof the testing: https://w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=D0DbgNju2wE.

Ponce Sailors – trainedby the NSWCDD team onLaWS operation – reportedthe weapon performedflawlessly, including in ad-verse weather conditionsof high winds, heat andhumidity. They noted thesystem exceeded expecta-tions for both reliability andmaintainability.

The system is operatedby a video-game like con-

troller, and can addressmultiple threats using arange of escalating options,from non-lethal measuressuch as optical “dazzling”and disabling, to lethal de-struction if necessary. Itcould prove to be a pivotalasset against “asymmet-

ric threats,” which includesmall attack boats andUAVs.

NSWCDD, a NAVSEAwarfare center division,is a premier research anddevelopment center thatserves as a specialty site forweapon system integration.

The command’s uniqueability to rapidly introducenew technology into com-plex warfighting systems isbased on its longstandingcompetencies in scienceand technology, researchand development, and testand evaluation.

Friday, July 3, 2015 3The South Potomac Pilot

U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams

The Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USSPonce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational dem-onstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS) whiledeployed to the Arabian Gulf.

U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams

Sean J. Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, develop-ment, and acquisition, is joined by Dr. Delores M. Etter as he recognizes theLaser Weapon System (LaWS) engineering team from the Naval SurfaceWarfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) during the 2014 Dr. DeloresM. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers Awards ceremony at the Pentagon.LaWS is a collaborative effort between the Office of Naval Research, NavalSea Systems Command, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and NSWC-DD.The system deployed aboard USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf in 2014.

Laser:Continued from page 1

By Barbara Wagner, Staff Writer

Looking for a few good ideas on how tocelebrate this 4th of July locally? There aremany options depending on how far you arelooking to travel for the day as well as op-tions in your own back yard! With historicreenactments, theme parks, national monu-ments and the beauty of nature on both sidesof the bridge there are many choices and ofcourse what 4th of July celebration would becomplete without the ubiquitous fireworks tocommemorate the day! No matter your bud-get, there is something for everyone to par-ticipate in this holiday weekend!

Hometown CelebrationsFredericksburg Heritage Festival

Fredericksburg, Va.5k Race at 7:45 a.m. (registration at Fred-

ericksburg Visitors Center) Parade begins at9:30. Downtown Festival 10 a.m. Classic carshow, raft racing and family fun including amoon bounce. Fireworks at Pratt Park: Gatesopening at 4:30 p.m. Bring a picnic and seat-ing or grab dinner at one of the food vendorson site for the event Fireworks at Pratt Park:Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Fireworks 9:30 p.m.The Quantico Marine Corps Rock and RollBand will be on hand from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.and the Quantico Marine Corps Band from 8- 9:30 p.m. to accompany the light show.

Cost: Free

Colonial Beach 4th CelebrationColonial Beach VirginiaColonial Beach plans to have many ac-

tivates around the town in honor of Inde-pendence Day including auto racing at theColonial Beach Drag way, picnicking andparade at the Ebb Tide Beach, The ColonialBeach Volunteer Fire Department is hostingan all you can eat steamed shrimp feast from3-7 P.M. on the 4th (visit www.CBVFD.netfor more information and tickets) and cap-ping the evening off with Fireworks on theBoardwalk. St. Elizabeth of Hungary CatholicChurch is hosting their annual 4th of July Ba-

zaar with food, shopping and fun for the kids.The town trolley will have extended hours forthe holiday running from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00P.M. The town advises to special attention totraffic and parking signs in town as HawthornStreet is often closed to vehicle traffic for thebig celebration. Parking fees in the publiclots will be doubled so they will be $2.00 perhour and the lots will fill up quickly. Also beaware if you are parking in private lots suchas a church parking lot there may be otherparking fees.

Cost: Free (parking extra)

Stratford HallWestmoreland County, Va.9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (gristmill from 10:30)

A miniature animal farm, colonial dress-up,a scavenger hunt and Treakle’s Train - a bar-rel train ride around the festival site - alongwith hands on geocaching and free caricaturesketches from local artist Phil McKenney. Pic-nic tables are provided and dining room openfrom 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost: FreeInfo: http://www.stratfordhall.org/event/

lees-and-independence-family-fun-festival/

Ferry FarmFredericksburg, Va.10 a.m. - 5 p.m.Special games and activities as well as an

opportunity to volunteer for the day. Dig intohistory at the farm archeological site, partici-pate in a patriotic flag retiring ceremony, seeColonial and Civil War reenactors, and par-ticipate in family friendly games, crafts andactivities.

Cost: $1 for adults, children two and un-der free

Info: www.kenmore.org/events.html

Port Royal Market FairPort Royal, Va.9 a.m. - 7 p.m.The day’s activities will include demon-

strations of 18th century dancing by the Rap-pahannock Colonial Heritage Society, black-smithing, spinning and weaving and lots of

kid’s games. The event will also include aliving history encampment with Civil War re-enactors from the 13th Virginia Regiment and23rd United States Colored Troops (USCT),with plenty of food and fun for the whole fam-ily at the Port Royal Market Fair.

Cost: FreeInfo: http://www.historicportroyal.net/

events/

MarylandIndian Head 4th of July Celebration

Event begins at 3:30 p.m., fireworks at 9:30p.m. Where: Village Green Pavilion

D.J. Rockin’ Roger and the Sara Gray Band.Vendors, amusement rides and fireworks. Formore information call 301-743-5511 or 240-375-4061.

Cost: Free

Charles CountyCelebrate Charles

When: 4:30 p.m., Fireworks 9:30 p.m.Where: Regency StadiumSam Grow and the British Invasion Trib-

ute, Vendors, Games, Fireworks.Cost: Admission and parking are free.

Additional parking located at the La Plataand St. Charles High Schools with freeshuttle transportation to the stadium. $5for wristband if you are going to the FunZone.

Info: http://www.charlescountymd.gov/coadmin/tourism/celebrate-charles

La PlataWatermelon Bash

10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.Free hot dogs, watermelon and ice cream

while it lasts, games, wet fun, and watermelonactivities. Watermelon-eating contest, water-melon balloon and watermelon toss competi-tion. Water slides and face painting.

Cost: FreeInfo: http://www.townoflaplata.org/in-

dex.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={199ACCAE-FA78-4763-97C5-3F32AB9D9B91}

Theme ParksKing Dominion

Ashland, Va.There will be a postcard mailing station

at the park where you can send letters to thetroops overseas and a performance by theUSO. There will also be live music on Sundayfrom the Army TRADOC band as well.

Cost: July 4th-5th Free admission for ac-tive duty military and 6 additional tickets $41each. For season passes, visit your local ITToffice ( $78.)

Info: https://www.kingsdominion.com/events/things-to-do/special-events/Military-Days

Busch GardensWilliamsburg, Va.All Sea World theme parks including

Busch Gardens and Water County will onceagain honor active duty service memberswith their Waves of Honor program that pro-vides a free daily pass for active duty servicemembers and up to three of their family. Ifyou require more than three additional tick-ets be sure to visit your local ITT office formore discount tickets.

Info: http://seaworldparks.com/en/bus-chgardens-williamsburg/waves-of-honor

Six FlagsBowie/Mitchellville, Md.Military members and family tickets for

28.25 from July 1st through 6th Visit your In-dian Head ITT office in the recently reopenedCommunity Recreation Center -located inbuilding 620 - and get the deal before head-ing to the park.

Finally, through the Blue Star Museumprogram, over 2000 of the nation’s publicmuseums offer free admission to active dutyincluding National Guard from MemorialDay to Labor Day so perhaps you might wantto spend a more cultural weekend museumhopping. Check out http://arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums to find out if your favoritemuseum is on the list.

Lots of 4th of July Fun Available for Any Budget

4 Friday, July 3, 2015The South Potomac Pilot

The South Potomac Pilot Newspaperis published weekly by Southern Mary-land Newspapers and Printing, 7 IndustrialPark Drive, Waldorf, Md. 20602, a privatecompany in no way connected with theU.S. Navy, under exclusive written con-tract with Naval District Washington.

This commercial enterprise newspa-per is an authorized publication for mem-

bers of the military services. Contents ofThe South Potomac Pilot are not neces-sarily the official views of, nor endorsed bythe U.S. Government, the Department ofDefense, or the Department of the Navy.The appearance of advertising in this pub-lication, including inserts or supplements,does not constitute endorsement by theDepartment of Defense or Southern Mary-

land Newspapers and Printing of the prod-ucts or services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publica-tion shall be made available for purchase,use, or patronage without regard to race,color, religion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical handicap, politicalaffiliation, or any other non-merit factor ofthe purchaser, user, or patron. If a viola-

tion or rejection of this equal opportunitypolicy by an advertiser is confirmed, thepublisher shall refuse to print advertisingfrom that source until the violation is cor-rected.

Editorial content is edited, prepared,and provided by the Public Affairs Office,NSA South Potomac. News copy shouldbe submitted by noon on Friday to be

considered for the following week’s edi-tion. All material is edited for accuracy,brevity, clarity, and conformity to regula-tions. To inquire about news copy, call540-653-8153 or fax The South PotomacPilot at 540-653-4269. Commercial ad-vertising may be placed with the pub-lisher by calling 301-645-9480.

Capt. Mary FeinbergCommanding Officer,NSA South Potomac

Jeron HayesPublic Affairs Officer,NSA South Potomac

Andrew RevelosEditor

Barbara WagnerStaff writer

Breton HelselLayout designer

www.dcmilitary.com/dahlgrenNSA South Potomac • Office: 540-653-8153 • 540-284-0129

DahlgrenChick-Fil-A Breakfast Sale July 8

The NSASP Navy Ball Committee willhold a Chick-Fil-A breakfast sale on July 8from 0730 - 0900 at NSWC Federal Cred-it Union. Purchase chicken mini’s andbreakfast burritos! All proceeds benefit theNSASP Navy Ball Committee.

Second Tour Thrift StoreSecond Tour Thrift Store, a Dahlgren

Officers’ SpousesClubvolunteer-runorga-nization, offers free uniforms (gently used)foractivedutymilitarymembersarealwaysavailableon theporch. Storeprofits aredo-natedback to thecommunity in the formofscholarships formilitary familieswhohaveserved at Naval Support Facility Dahlgrenand support for local charities servingKingGeorge County. The store is located at 722Sampson Rd. and is open on Thursdaysfrom12:30 - 3 p.m.

Indian HeadChick-Fil-A Lunch Sale July 9

The NSASP Navy Ball Committee willhold a Chick-Fil-A lunch sale on July from1100 - 1300 at the Community Rec Center.Purchase a chicken sandwich and sauce for$5 or a sandwich combo (with chips and adrink) for $7. Sweet tea and lemonade willbe available for $2 per cup. All proceedsbenefit the NSASP Navy Ball Committee.

“Treasures” Thrift StoreDonations

“Treasures” is open on Tuesdays from10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The store is located at12 Strauss Ave. next door to the USO. Do-nations of gently used items are currentlybeing accepted.

Barbeque truck at IH, StumpNeck

Enjoy delicious T&J Barbeque atNSF Indian Head on Wednesdays andThursdays, from approximately 11 a.m.to 1 p.m., next to the library, and at theNSF Indian Head Stump Neck Annex onTuesday, from approximately 11 a.m. to1 p.m., next to Building 2195.

To publish information on your eventor program under “Base Happenings,”contact Andrew Revelos at 540-653-6012or email andrew.revelos1@navy.mil

Base Happenings

By Barbara WagnerStaff Writer

After serving Naval Support Facility(NSF) Dahlgren for nearly five years,the United Services Organization(USO) facility will no longer providea permanent location on base. JohnFalin, USO Metro Director of CenterOperations, offered thoughts concern-ing the closure of the Dahlgren Center.

“During the past five years, the USOMetro Center at Dahlgren has proudlyserved over 26,000 service membersand their families. In a concerted effortbetween the South Potomac commandand USO Metro, we will be closing ourcurrent location as of July 1. This isa long term strategy that will open amyriad of exciting programs and sig-nature events to better support thisincredible community.”

Some of the services previously pro-vided by the USO will now be providedat the Chapel Annex, Building 431.One of the programs, the Little Pa-triots weekly play group for toddlers,will continue with the start of the newschool year and will be held on Thurs-days from 10-11 a.m.

The Chapel Annex will also be host-ing the weekly bread and pastry dis-tribution previously held at the USOin partnership with the Dahlgren WalMart and will begin delivery to the an-nex on July 7.

The Bible study that was previouslyheld at the USO outpost will also moveto the Chapel Annex on Wednesdaysfrom 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

As far as the future of the USO onDahlgren, spokesperson Shalyn Bar-telt, Programs & Services Manager atUSO Metropolitan Washington, saidthe USO isn’t done at Dahlgren. “Ourfield team is looking forward to work-ing with NSF Dahlgren and sub (ten-ant) commands to hit the road andbring USO signature services (and fun)to the Dahlgren corridor at many ofyour morale events, special trainings,service branch birthday celebrationsand recreational and family fun days,with both our mobile unit and for unitsupport requests,” said Bartelt.

In light of the closure, Capt. MaryFeinberg, Naval Support ActivitySouth Potomac commanding officerexpressed sentiment regarding the lossto NSF Dahlgren. “NSF Dahlgren andall of our service members and theirfamilies are so grateful for the supportthat the USO has provided in the past.Their presence here has made a differ-ence in the day-to-day lives of our ac-tive duty and their families. The USOorganization has been a tremendousasset to our facility and I look forwardto a continued relationship with themin the future - the organization is trulyan American original and they will cer-tainly be missed.”

Valerie Burstion, the departing USOPrograms and Services Manager, want-ed to remind service members aboutthe other services that the USO con-tinues to offer outside of a dedicatedlocation.

“Even though the USO will no lon-ger have a dedicated building on NSFDahlgren, service members can re-main connected by going online towww.usometro.org. Members can reg-ister for tickets on EventBrite for op-portunities to win tickets to the manyawesome USO events! Additionally, wewould like to encour age the servicemembers to continue utilizing USOMetro on a larger scale. Be sure to likeus on your favorite social media out-lets.” Burstion enjoyed her time at theUSO and expressed her thanks to USOpatrons for their support.

The USO’s mission for the last 70years has been to uplift the spirits ofthe troops and their families both over-seas and stateside. With 160 locationsin 27 states and 14 countries, the USOvolunteers have created a “home awayfrom home” in airports, military instal-lations and communities for militaryand their families around the world.The USO also offers transition servicesto service members who are departingmilitary service by partnering with or-ganizations that assist in the transitionto civilian life for the active duty ser-vice member and their families.

NSF Dahlgren USO Closes Facility

U.S. Navy photo by Andrew Revelos

Students, parents, teachers and administrators gathered June 11 at Dahlgren School to mark the endof the school year and recognize the outstanding performance of the young people there. The recipi-ents of the Tiger Awards, seen here, were selected by teachers for contributing to their classes andfor their conscientious behavior. Have a nice summer, Dahlgren School!

End of Year Awards at Dahlgren School

Aquatics Center540-653-8088

Fourth of July CelebrationJuly 4 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eligible patrons include all

with base access. Celebrate Independence Day with an af-ternoon of open rec swim!

Junior Lifeguard ProgramJuly 13-17 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eligible patrons in-

cludes all children, ages 10-14, with base access. Find outif you have what it takes to be a lifeguard! Learn the basiclifeguard skills and shadow guards while they work. Be pre-pared to swim every day! There is a class participant mini-mum of 3 and a maximum of 10. Register at the AquaticsCenter by July 7, 2015. Cost: $150.00.

American Red Cross Lifeguard TrainingJuly 20-24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Eligible patrons in-

clude all with base access 15 years and older. All are invitedto take Lifeguard, First Aid and CPR/AED training. Therewill be a pretest on Monday, July 20, 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Par-ticipants MUST pass a pretest to be eligible for class. Pretestinclude: Swim 300 yards non-stop and show proper strokes(freestyle and breaststroke). Swim 500 yards with face abovewater in 1 minute 40 seconds or less. Tread water for 2 min-utes without using hands. Cost: $250.00. Please register atthe Dahlgren Aquatics Center by Monday, July 13th.

Cannonball Lanes540-653-7327

All-U-Can Bowl FridaysEvery Friday from 7 p.m. to midnight. Enjoy two hours

of all you can bowl! Rates for all you can bowl are: Military$6.95/person & Civilian $7.95/person. Both rates includeshoe rental.

Youth Learn to BowlJuly 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. Eligible patrons include all chil-

dren, ages 5 to 12, with base access. Cost: $7.50 per child,which includes two games and shoes. Bowling instructionwill be provides for those learning to bowl!

9-Pin TournamentJuly 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. Eligible patrons include all with

base access. Join Cannonball Lanes on the third Saturday ofevery other month for a 9-pin tournament. 9 pins count asstrikes. The highest scratch wins. A prize will be awarded tothe first place finisher. Please register no later than July 15.Cost: $10.00/person.

Fitness Center540-653-8580

BodyGemPersonalize your health and fitness program by finding

out your unique metabolism, which is the number of calo-ries your body burns each day. A simple and accurate me-tabolismmeasurement can help you reach your goals fasterthan ever. Call the fitness center to set-up an appointment.Cost: Active Duty/Reservist, $15.00; Military Retirees andDependents, $25.00; All Others, $35.00.

Indoor Rowing CompetitionJuly. Every Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eligible pa-

trons include all with base access. Athletes will row a 2000msprint at damper setting 4-7. Prizes awarded to top Male/Female and Active Duty. Cost: FREE.

Tour de DahlgrenJuly 2015. Eligible patrons include all with base access.

Accumulate 400 miles during the month of July by cycling

around Dahlgren or attending an indoor spin cycle class.Record your miles with a Dahlgren Fitness Center staffmember and by the cyclist with the highest overall mileageto win a prize! Register at the Dahlgren Fitness Center byJuly 1st. Cost: FREE.

20,000 Pound ClubJuly 20-24. Eligible patrons include all with base access.

Lift a total of 20,000 pounds by performing bench press,dead lift, military press and squat. T-shirts will be given tothe participants with the highest cumulative weight lifted ineach category and overall male and female participant withthemaximumweight lifted. Register at the Dahlgren FitnessCenter. Cost: FREE.

General Library540-653-7474

Summer Reading ActivityEvery Thursday in July at Noon. Join us at Dahlgren Gen-

eral Library every Thursday in July for a fun filled SummerReading Activity! July 9 – DIY Piano Wall Hanger. July 23– DIY Drums. July 30 – DIY Headphones – Join us for ourSTEM event and learn about electronics and wiring whilebuilding your very own working set of headphones. Regis-tration required by July 30th.

ITT540-653-8785

Quicken Loans National Tickets – PGA TourJuly 28 – August 2. The Tiger Woods Foundation in coop-

eration with the OSD/JSWelfare and Recreation Associationwill once again be distributing free tickets to military per-sonnel this year for the Quicken Loans National. This year’sevent will take place Tuesday July 28-Sunday August 2, 2015at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Prince William County,Virginia. Active Duty, Reserve, Retired, National Guard, De-pendents and Civilians) Limit is 4 tickets per member. Mili-tary tickets are good for any one day of your choice Tuesday,July 28th - Sunday, August 2nd.

Liberty Center540-653-7277

Lunch with LibertyJuly 7 at 11 a.m. Liberty Center Patrons Only: E1- E6

Single/Unaccompanied Active Duty Military. Enjoy lunchon Liberty! While at the Liberty Center be sure to ask abouttrips and let the staff know what YOU want to do.

Fire Pit FunJuly 11 & 25 at 7 p.m. Liberty Center Patrons Only: E1- E6

Single/Unaccompanied Active DutyMilitary. Bring your gui-tar or enjoy themusic. The Liberty Center will provide chairs,roasting forks, s’mores, hotdogs and drinks. Cost: FREE.

Aquatics Center301-744-4616

Dive In MovieJuly 8 at 7:30 p.m. Join us for a dive-in movie at the

Aquatics Center! All movies are family friendly and begin atdusk! Cost: Military, FREE. All others, $4.00.

Child & YouthCDC 301-744-4458

AladdinJuly 6-10 at 9:30 a.m. at the Youth Center Gymnasium.

Missoula Children’s theater will bring two professional ac-tors/directors to NSF Indian Head Youth Center to stage anoriginal, full scale musical production with local cast mem-

bers in grade k-12 in only ONEWEEK. Roles of all sizes avail-able for up to 50 children in grades k-12. Assistant Directorpositions available for older students. Rehearsals scheduledMonday - Friday 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. to 2:30p.m. One performance will be on Friday, July 10th at 3:30p.m. at the Youth Center. All youth of base eligible patronswelcome to try out for this production. Parents must ac-company youth under the age of 13 to auditions.

Community Recreation Center301-744-4850

Summer Midway Reading PartyJuly 15 at 2 p.m. You’re halfway there! Take a break at

the Midway party where Reggie Rice will be performing achildren’s magic show! All with base access are invited totake part in the Summer Reading Program.

Sip and Paint EventJuly 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m Register at the Community

House Recreation Center by July 10th for the Sip and PaintEvent which includes painting and two drink tickets for$20.00. There will be activities available for children ages 2to 12 years old. Open to all base-eligible patrons. Must be 21years and older to drinks.

Weight House Fitness Center301-744-4661

Golf ClinicJuly 10 at 10 a.m. The clinic will provide an understand-

ing of the fundamentals to improve your skills and knowl-edge for the game, such as general rules and scoring. Timeslots are limited to six people per session on a first come firstserved basis. Register at the Weight House Fitness Cener byJuly 6, 2015. Open to all patrons, 10 years and older, withbase access. Cost: $25.00.

Beginner (never played and want to learn) - 10 a.m. to11:30 a.m. Intermediate (understands basic fundamentalsand wants to improve) - Noon to 1:30 p.m. Advanced (finetune their swing technique) - 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Friday, July 3, 2015 5The South Potomac Pilot

540-653-7336Civilians - $5; AD, Retired, Reserve, FamilyMembers(E7 - above) $4; AD, Reserve, FamilyMembers (E6 -below) - $2.50; Child (6-11) - $2; Child (5 andunder)- Free; Tickets for amovie shown in 3-Dare an addi-tional $1

Friday, July3rd 7p.m.,Spy,R

Saturday, July4thHappy IndependenceDay!Weare closed for theholiday.

Friday, July10th, 7p.m.Entourage,R

Saturday, July11th 4p.m.InsidiousChapter2FREEADMISSION,PG-13

Saturday, July11th, 7p.m.InsidiousChapter3,PG-13

Formovie listingsonline, visitwww.navymwr.org/moviesand select theDahlgrenTheater.

DahlgrenMovie Theater

MWR Highlights

6 Friday, July 3, 2015The South Potomac Pilot

DahlgrenFredericksburg Heritage Event

The city of Fredericksburg is hosting aday of 4th of July fun starting with a 5k Raceat 7:45 A.M. (registration at Fredericks-burg Visitors Center) and a parade that willstart the downtown activities at 9:30 A.M.Fireworks will be held at Pratt Park. Gatesopening at 4:30 P.M. with fireworks slatedto begin at 9:30 P.M. The Quantico MarineCorps Rock and Roll Band will be on handfrom 6:30 to 730 P.M. and the Quantico Ma-rine Corps Band from 8 to 9:30 P.M. to ac-company the light show.

Colonial Beach Volunteer FireDepartment 2nd AnnualSteamed Shrimp Feast

July 4th from 3 to 7 P.M. the volunteerfire department is hosting an all you can eatsteamed shrimp feast. Cost is 35 dollars inadvance, 40 dollars at the door. Tickets canbe purchased online or from any CBVFDFirefighter. Food will be served from 3 to7pm. Ticket includes food, beverages (beerfor 21 and up, must have ID), and entertain-ment from the Trey Schneider Band from 6to 9pm. Parking for the fireworks is includedwith the ticket as well. Proceeds are for theFirehouse Roof Replacement Fund.

Caledon State Park Geocaching 101On Sunday July 5th at 2 P.M. you can

check out the sport of Geocaching, a globalscavenger hunt. With over 2 million cacheshidden worldwide you can begin an ad-venture that could take you anywhere. GPSunits supplied. Cost is $3/person or $8/fam-ily Reservations required by contacting thepark at 540-663-3861.

Belle Grove Amazing Race EventBelle Grove is hosting their 2015 Great

Race on Saturday July 18 from 9 A.M. to 10P.M. with a wild and wacky fun team raceevent. Get together a group of two three

or four and race from location to locationto complete challenges. This is not a footrace - you will be traveling by automobilefrom sites around the area. Be prepared forlots of the unexpected! Fee is $25 per teammember and includes a commemorativeevent T-shirt, the event, bragging rightsand an after party. Local businesses invit-ed to host a team or a location for the race.Have fun and support your local communi-ty! For more information visit http://www.bellegroveplantation.com/the-amazing-race or call Belle Grove Plantation at 540-621-7340

Caledon State ParkSpies on the Potomac

On July 3rd at 4 P.M. the park will hoststorytelling from the American Civil Warfeaturing stories from “two local citizens”.Personal convictions and the will to survivedrove ordinary people to do extraordinarythings and these two citizens will make theirway through the war enduring hardshipsand exhibiting heroics.

Indian HeadCelebrate Charles:A Fun Filled Fourth

On Saturday, July 4, 2015 from 4:30 P.M.- 9:30 P.M. at the Regency Furniture Sta-dium located at 11765 St. Linus Drive, Wal-dorf Charles County will host a fantastic 4thevent. Come out and enjoy live music fromSam Grow and THE British Invasion Trib-ute. Shopping, food and artisan crafts galoreand there will be lots of fun for everyone atthe Celebrate Charles Family Fun Zone withan all you can play wristband available forpurchase for $5 (Cash only). Admission andparking are free and visitors are encour-aged to bring along their own blankets andchairs. A spectacular fireworks display willtake place at 9:30 P.M. For more informa-tion: 1-800-766-3386

Summer Concert Series Continuesat La Plata Town Hall

On July 3rd the Summer Concert Seriescontinues at the La Plata Town Hall withPaul Thomas and the MWB Band playing50’s and 60’s Rock and Roll. Concert kicksoff at 7 P.M. Bring your own blanket, chairsand coolers but remember no alcohol ispermitted. Concessions and an Ice CreamTruck will also be available as well as a playarea for the kids allowing parents to keep aneye on the kids while enjoying the concert.Visit http://www.townoflaplata.org for acomplete summer line up. Concert seasonruns through September 22.

Science Story TimeThe town of La Plata will also host Tues-

day, July 7th: 10 AM Science Tellers - SuperHeroes This summer, come along with us onan epic, laughter-filled journey that proves‘super’ heroes really DO exist! Throughoutthe tale, volunteers from the audience helpconduct exciting experiments that make thecharacters’ super powers and heroic deedscome to life! See how science can makethe ordinary. extraordinary! The shows aregeared towards preschool and elementaryage children and are approximately 45 min-utes long. The shows are free and open tothe public. Shows will be held outdoorson the West lawn where the Friday nightconcerts take place (weather permitting -shows will not be moved indoors). Attend-ees are encouraged to bring blankets andlawn chairs for sitting. No concessions willbe available, but you are welcome to bringdrinks and snacks along.

Indian Head 4th FestivitiesThe Town of Indian Head will host a day

of fun for the 4th with the festivities begin-ning at 3:30 P.M. at the Village Green park.D.J. Rockin’ Roger and the Sara Gray Bandwill provide entertainment along with ven-dors, amusement rides followed by fire-works that will begin at 9:30. For more infor-mation call 301-743-5511 or 240-375-4061.

Free Fishing Classes Offeredat Gilbert Run

Are you between the ages of eight and15 and interested in learning how to fish?The Charles County Parks Division and theMaryland Department of Natural Resourcesare hosting free fishing classes at GilbertRun Park (13140 Charles Street, CharlotteHall). Classes are 10 a.m. to noon on Thurs-days: July 16, July 23, Aug. 6, and Aug. 13.This is a great opportunity for children tolearn the basics of fishing and have fun.Prior fishing experience is not needed. Baitand tackle will be provided. Pre-registrationis required. To register, call the Gilbert RunPark office at 301-932-1083. Citizens withspecial needs may contact the MarylandRelay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD:800-735-2258.

Yard Sale, Open House July 11 toBenefit Tri-County Animal Shelter

The Tri-County shelter is still accept-ing new or gently-used items (no clothing)at the Tri-County Animal Shelter (6707Animal Shelter Road, Hughesville) to beused at the shelter yard sale on Saturday,July 11 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition tothe yard sale, the shelter will also featurean open house during the day. Tour theshelter facility, meet animals available foradoption, and enjoy light refreshments.This event is held rain or shine. All pro-ceeds benefit the Tri-County Animal Shel-ter. For more information about the yardsale and open house, or the Tri-CountyAnimal Shelter, call the shelter at 301-932-1713 or 1-800-903-1992.

Adoption hours are Monday throughFriday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10a.m. to 3 p.m. To view animals availablefor adoption, visit www.CharlesCoun-tyMD.gov/es/animalshelter/tri-county-animal-shelter or www.petfinder.com/shelters/MD112.html, and find your“purr-fect” pet.

Community Notes

British Royal Navy’s Second Sea Lord Visits NSWC Dahlgren Division

U.S. Navy Photo by Barbara Wagner

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) and British military officials pause in front of the Potomac River Test Range metal map duringthe UK delegation’s tour June 10. Dahlgren scientists and engineers briefed the delegation on the command’s testing facilities and technologies rang-ing from the electromagnetic railgun to the hypervelocity projectile. Briefings on directed energy programs included a high energy laser demonstration.“NSWCDD has a rich history of collaboration with the UK that includes many topics from short term tasks all the way to a missile agreement establishedin 1963 that we continue to support here today,” said Jed Ryan, NSWCDD International Partnering Office lead. “Working together with our allies duringthe science and technology as well as the RDT&E (research, development, test and evaluation) phases can lead to many benefits such as program im-provements, cost and time savings plus enhanced interoperability.” Standing (l. to r.) are NSWCDD Commanding Officer Capt. Brian Durant; UK DefenseAttaché to the US, Maj. Gen. Richard Cripwell; UK Royal Navy Second Sea Lord Vice Adm. Jonathan Woodcock; Ryan; Lt Col. Carl Harris, staff officer tosecond sea lord; Cmdr. Ned Kelly, UK assistant naval attaché to the US; Lt. Cmdr. Mick Deakin, Personnel Exchange Program U.K. naval officer assignedto NSWCDD; and Steve Waterworth, British defense staff officer.

Friday, July 3, 2015 7The South Potomac Pilot

mine what species of bats are present by thesounds they make.

Locally Wray places the systems fromaround 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., which are peakfeeding hours for the small mammals in thehopes of catching a bit of good “bat chatter.”

“Sometimes you get a lot of frogs croak-ing and not much useful, but more oftenthan not when placed in the right areas weget good data,” Wray said. “Ideally we will besampling frommid-May tomid-September -when the bats are most active-three to fournights a month, but with a limited numberof anabat systems that are shared betweenDahlgren, Indian Head and Pax River, thatmight be a challenge.”

According to Wray one of the locationson Dahlgren to record the “bat signal” is be-hind Building 1700, a “prime area to find thebats and particularly the Northern long earbat. They like to feed along open areas withforests nearby, so we are concentrating ourefforts sampling in areas that we might bemore likely to find them than the other ar-eas.”

From last year’s survey, Wray was able toidentify seven of the 17 species known to in-habit Virginia, including the Eastern Red Bat,the Tri-Colored Bat, Silver-Haired Bat and ina few of the targeted areas, they identified theless common Eastern Small-Footed Bat, theHoary Bat and Little Brown Bat. It was withan anabat system that another local militaryfacility- Fort A.P. Hill-was able to discover thepresence of the Northern long eared bat onthat installation.

Another popular way to track bat popula-tions is mist netting. This technique involveshumanely catching the bats in a loose, light-

weight net that allows researchers to exam-ine them and release them unharmed.

“Currently we don’t do mist netting,however later this month Pax River will beconducting amist netting exercise,”Wray ex-plained. It was throughmist netting that FortA.P. Hill personnel were able to confirm thepresence of the Indiana Bat at their facility.

“It is unusual to find the Indiana Batthis far east,” Wray continued. “They aretypically cave nesting bats that are foundmore in the western part of the state. Thedifference between A.P. Hill and Dahlgrenis that A.P. Hill is considered the piedmontregion of the state and Dahlgren the coastalplains; perhaps they are migrating here forfeeding season and then returning west tohibernate?”

What makes the survey of the bat popula-tion locally so important is not only to remainmindful of the potential threat ofWNS, but toalso identify any endangered population. Ifthe base’s natural resources experts identifybats that are listed on the endangered specieslist, they can take steps to protect the popula-tion.

“Case in point - the Northern Long earedbat being a forest dweller - during the sum-mer time their presence here might limitwhat we can do course wise,” Wray said. “Wewant to bemindful and conserve the resourc-es. Anythingwe can do to help these guys outwe want to do.”

More Constructive - Less CreepySome might not be so concerned about

a decline in the bat population, as bats arecommonly parceled in with other “creepy”things such as snakes and spiders. But a steepdecline could carry grave environmental andeconomic consequences.

One of the ways that the tremendousshortage of bats may cause problems closerto home is through the loss of their pollina-

tion “services,” which in turn could causeshortage in many food items includingfruits and nuts. Over 500 different varietiesof fruits and other plants, such as peaches,bananas, cocoa, mangos, along with succu-lents like agave and the saguaro cactus, arepollinated by bats. A shortage of availablecrops due to lack of pollination could resultin a rise at the local grocery store in the costof these foods.

Bats play a dramatic role in pest controlas well. One small brown bat can eat a littlemore than 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour andabout 4,500 insects a night. Bats also eat bit-ing flies, flying ants, moths and other nightflying insects. These are insects that most ofus could do without and not just for the an-noyance factor. Mosquitoes carry diseasesincluding malaria, West Nile virus, varioustypes of human and equine encephalitis andheartworms that affect dogs and cats. Withfewer predators to eliminate them, it standsto reason that the transmission of these andother diseases could rise.

What Can You Do?Transmission of WNS to North America

is assumed to have come from spelunkersand hikers who visited European caves andforests and carried the fungus back on cloth-ing and equipment. Therefore many stateand national parks in the U.S. have closedoff their caves to the public. Respect thoserules and do not enter caves known to bebat hibernation and breeding locations. Ifyou do go caving at approved sites, be sureto decontaminate your clothing, shoes andequipment.

Another way that you can help scientiststrack and better understand WNS is to bemore observant of the bats in your region.Report any unusual sightings or activity tomembers of the state or local wildlife agency.Do not touch or handle the bat. At NSFDahl-

gren, unusual bat activity should be reportedto Wray at (540) 653-4186; at NSF IndianHead, call Seth Barry, natural resource man-ager, at (301) 744-2273.

Unusual sightings would include seeingbats out during the day or when sunlight ispresent, as well as bats that are struggling tofly. Bats are generally more active from Aprilto September so it is more common to seethem out during those months. However,during hibernation season - roughly Octoberto March, a bat sighting should be very rare.If you do come in contact with a bat, do notattempt to pick it up - contact the authoritiesand let them take care of the animal.

As Wray and his team continue to trackthe bat population locally and remain vigi-lant for any signs of the disease here, thework continues around the country to finda cure. Locally efforts continue to keep ac-count of species location, when and wherethe disease has struck and track its spread.

Interestingly enough, the same fungusthat causes WNS appears to have come fromEurope, where the bats seem to have im-munity to the disease. One possibility forthe North American Bats is that perhaps thebat population will eventually build up a re-sistance to the fungus and also be immuneto the disease. Bats generally live around 20years and produce one offspring a year. Atthat pace it will take many years to bring thepopulation back to previous levels once theyhave established immunity. Some specieshowever will not survive without a concertedeffort on the part of folks like Wray.

So the next time you sip amargarita, havea piece of fruit or a chocolate bar, have athought for the unsung heroes of the ecosys-tem - the lowly bat-and do what you can tohelp keep these winged crusaders on the job.

Bats:Continued from page 2

These guides are distributed by the base/post to all visitors and those moving tothe area when they arrive and sometimes even before then!

Get your advertising message out to these bases/posts andbring in new customers:

* National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD* Patuxent Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, MD* Fort Detrick, MD* Joint Base Andrews, MD* Fort Meade, MD* Indian Head NSF, MD* Naval District of Washington, DC* Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, DC* Walter Reed Army Medical Center, DC

HOW WILL YOU REACH MILITARYNEW TO THE AREA?

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* Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall & Army at Pentagon, Arlington, VA* MCB Quantico, VA* Dahlgren NSF, VA* Fort Belvoir, VA

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No.VA/DC/Montgomery & Frederick, MD – (301) 921-2800Prince George’s, MD – (301) 731-2120Southern MD – (301) 866-6403Calvert County, MD – (301) 764-2800

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8 Friday, July 3, 2015The South Potomac Pilot