VOL.54 NO. 20 JULY 2, 2015
SERVING NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA, DAM NECK ANNEX, AND NALF FENTRESS
NSW holds recruiting brief on NAS Oceana
JET
INSIDE
BY MC2 (SW) ALYSIA HERNANDEZ NAS Oceana Public Affairs More than 20 Sailors gathered for a Navy Special Warfare (NSW) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program recruiting brief June 18 at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit auditorium at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana. Aviation Machinist’s Mate 1st Class (AW/ EXW) Luis Ventura, the leading petty officer of the NSW Special Reconnaissance Team 2 UAS troop, along with the officer in charge of his team, Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Fogarty, led the brief which included information on how to apply to join the NSW UAS community, the UAS mission and a description of the aircraft they fly, the training pipeline, who they are looking for and the program requirements. Ventura began the brief by explaining what the NSW UAS program is. He discussed each of the systems they operate and described all the training a Sailor would go through entering in the program. Sailors would start with ScanEagle, Raven and Puma operator schools and Federal Aviation Administration ground school. Next would be Expeditionary Combat Support — 4-weeks in Mississippi to learn basic combat skills followed by five weeks of Direct Support which is NSW training. “You need to get qualified in order to support the teams, so that’s why some people call it a little more high-speed — [Direct Support] is where you do your rucksack for 12 miles … close combat, a lot of shooting, and a lot of [physical training],”Ventura said. Who NSW is looking for “We need highly motivated, multitalented Sailors … an outside-the-box
— See NSW, page 6
NAVAL AVIATORS GET THEIR START AT OCEANA —Page 8
Rear Adm. Rick Williamson, commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, left, and NAS Oceana Commanding Officer Capt. Louis J. Schager, right, help children and staff members cut a ribbon during a ceremony at the new NAS Oceana Youth Center.
New, state-of-the-art youth center opens on NAS Oceana PHOTO/STORY BY MC2 TONY ROSA NAS Oceana Public Affairs Naval Air Station Oceana hosted a ribboncutting ceremony for the installations new $5.8 million Youth Center June 29. The center supports the military community with a state-of-the-art facility for children ages 5-18. The 16,684 square foot facility includes a vestibule, lobby, administrative offices, staff area, a snack prep area, large commons area, nine identified classrooms, a Teen Center, a closed circuit television system, child monitoring system, a rock wall and direct access to outdoor play areas. “This new facility gives children a wonderful place to learn and grow,” said NAS Oceana Commanding Officer Capt. Louis J. Schager.
“The place looks amazing and I can’t wait to get inside to see what it has to offer.” Schager, as well as the Commanding Officer of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Rear Adm. Rick Williamson and honored guests, were given a tour following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The tour included in-depth descriptions of each classroom and its function in the new center. “This is definitely something my daughters would love,” said Williamson.“There’s so much going on here and it seems like a great environment to learn and grow.” Some of the daily activities kids can participate in include computer games, drama, music---complete with a drum set and several
— See Youth Center, page 3
DAM NECK CELEBRATES FAMILY FEST —Page 10
SPECIAL FOURTH OF JULY MEAL Join the NAS Oceana Hornets Nest Galley for a special Fourth of July BBQ meal July 2. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy a meal featuring BBQ spareribs, grilled 8-piece chicken, the cheesiest mac & cheese, corn on the cobb, hamburgers, baked beans, asparagus, potato salad, fruit salad and a variety of chips.