Date:
To: Distribution List
NEWS-01: Quick Bytes
NEWS-02: Heading 'Down Under' at the end of May?
NEWS-03: WESTERN REGION ALERT: Albuquerque SubVet Conference
Cancelled
NEWS-04: Take a virtual tour of USS Albacore
NEWS-05: New Planning for replacing boomers
NEWS-06: Finding Submariner Shipmates
NEWS-07: SubVet Computer School: Protect thyself!
NEWS-08: USS James K Polk to resurface in New Mexico... with your
help
NEWS-09: Boat Reunion Tracking
NEWS-10: 105 yr old Floyd 'Skipper' Matthews, Departing!
VET-01: PTSD victims no longer need to prove trauma
VET-02: The 'Posties' now offer flat-rate package discounts for
APO/FPO Addresses
VET-03: Working for the Feds
VET-04: Need a copy of your DD-214?
CHARITABLE-01: CORRECTION: Scholarship deadline CORRECTION
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NEWS-01: Quick Bytes
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 2/18/2008
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1) The U.S. Navy has awarded Electric Boat a $25.4 million contract to perform
routine maintenance and modernization work on the USS San Juan -- SSN-751--Work
to be completed this year.
2)USS Boston Reunion-USS Boston SSN-703 will hold a reunion July 10-13 in
3)During tests in late 2007, a U.S. Navy attack submarine launched the AN/BLQ-11 from one of the vessel's torpedo tubes. AN/BLQ-11, formerly the
Long-term Mine Reconnaissance System, returned to the submarine, where the
system's robotic arm retrieved the probe into the mother vessel.
4)USS Dallas (SSN 700) All-time
5)U.S.S. Ohio arrived in
6)Captain Mazzone (CO Portsmouth Naval Shipyard) will
oversee the shipyard's transition to handling Virginia-class submarine upgrades
and repairs. He may also oversee another historic
change involving the defunct 100-year-old, 265,000-square-foot Navy prison,
which closed in 1974. The Navy is expected to put out
requests for proposals for the reuse of that property.
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NEWS-02: Heading 'Down Under' at the end of May?
Submitted by: Pat Householder on
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"I wish to bring to your attention the annual US Submariner Memorial
Service hosted here in
We are keen to publicise this event and indeed raise
the profile which in turn will raise awareness.
The City of
If you know of anyone headed our way or require additional detail for inclusion
on your website please let me know."
Please contact Karen Cooper at karenc@albany.wa.gov.au
for more information.
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NEWS-03: WESTERN REGION ALERT: Albuquerque SubVet
Conference Cancelled
Submitted by: Pat Householder on
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The combined SVWWII & USSVI Western Region
conference in
A special thank you to Charlie Brown and Bobby Reed for working so hard to make
it happen. The bar was apparently just too high, but
all should know they worked their 'butts off' to make it happen.
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NEWS-04: Take a virtual tour of USS Albacore
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 2/19/2008
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The Albacore was a one-of-a-kind submarine built, home ported and maintained by
the skilled craftsmen of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine,
across the way from her permanent berth at Albacore Park in Portsmouth, NH.
The first submarine named Albacore was lost in the Pacific during World War II.
Click on the link for the virtual tour...
http://www.ussalbacore.org/html/virtual_tour.html
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NEWS-05: New Planning for replacing boomers
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on 2/19/2008
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Design Work On New SSBN To Begin Soon
Navy, DARPA Want $35 Million To Develop Tango Bravo,
Next-Gen Sub
By Dan Taylor, Inside the Navy, February 18, 2008
The Navy and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have asked for more
than $35 million in the proposed fiscal year 2009 budget to begin concept work
on the next-generation submarine to replace the service's aging Ohio-class
ballistic missile subs, according to budget documents.
Central to that effort is Tango Bravo, a DARPA
project to introduce quieter shaftless propulsion,
external stowing and launching of torpedoes to save
space and the use of electric actuators to replace the sub's hydraulics and
pneumatics.
The Navy must complete concept work soon in order for design to commence in the
decade. Ohio-class submarines begin retiring in FY-27,
“requiring construction of a replacement SSBN beginning in [FY-19],” according to the recently released 30-year
shipbuilding plan.
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NEWS-06: Finding Submariner Shipmates
Submitted by: Pat Householder on
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Are you interested in locating past shipmates you served with on the USS “Ustafish?”
Do you know you can reconnect with shipmates through the USSVI online
directory?
Click on the link below for a step by step easy instruction to see if they
belong to USSVI.
http://www.ussvi.org/Documents/Online_Manuals_Reconnecting_with_your_Shipmates.pdf
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NEWS-07:
Submitted by: Ronald L Martini on
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The first group in this series of computer tips is some virus, phishing, spam, and spyware tips
from Tim VeArd.
BUT BEFORE YOU GO TO THE LINK BELOW FOR THEM, REMEMBER THAT FIREFOX
DOES NOT RENDER THINGS CORRECTLY ON USSVI PAGES. ALWAYS
USE IE/INTERNET EXPLORER INSIDE USSVI.
I would hope that some of these find their way into your Web sites and
Newsletters.
All Bases using the Free USSVI Base websites have a COMPUTER TIPS BUTTON on the
left side.
If your base does not, click on the link for the info.
http://www.lockwoodbase.com/tips.asp
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NEWS-08: USS James K Polk to resurface in New Mexico... with your
help
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 2/24/2008
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The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in New Mexico has acquired the
USS James K. Polk sail for incorporation into a display on its museum grounds.
The museum, a congressionally charted Smithsonian Institute affiliate, has
asked the help of the USS James K. Polk Veterans Association in raising the
money necessary to transport and refurbish the sail and develop this memorial. We have agreed.
To this end we have begun collecting tax-deductible contributions for the
project. We are acting as the primary collection point
for these contributions. 100% of the collected funds
will be disbursed to the museum for this specific project.
Click on the link for all the details...
http://www.ussjameskpolk.com:80/polk_sail-ck.htm
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NEWS-09: Boat Reunion Tracking
Submitted by: Pat Householder on
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Did you know that USSVI maintains a Boat Reunion roster for all US Submarine
Reunions?
Please keep our USSVI members and your shipmates 'in the loop' on your own Boat
reunion plans.
Please send updated reunion information to both Gil Shaddock (to update the
reunions information at www.ussvi.org and at www.decklog.com, and to Mike Bircumshaw,
Editor, American Submariner Magazine.
Gil's email address is gil@ssbn601.com
Mike's email address is SubVetsEditor@yahoo.com
To keep it current, we need to know the "who,
what, where, when, why" info for your Boat's reunion.
Click on the link below for all the details
Thanks, Shipmates
http://www.ussvi.org/Documents/Online_Manuals_Finding_&_Updating_Boat_Reunion_Information.pdf
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NEWS-10: 105 yr old Floyd 'Skipper' Matthews, Departing!
Submitted by: Ken Henry on
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Drum Base & SVWWII member Floyd Matthews of
Floyd qualified on the USS S-44 (SS-155) in 1925. He
was the oldest member of USSVI and celebrated his 105th birthday on February
3rd.
Arrangements are being made for Floyd to be buried at
Although Floyd joined the Navy in WWI to fight the Hun, he was too late to get
to
Although eligible for retirement prior to the out break of hostilities in
During WWII, among other assignments, he served as Commanding Officer of USS
Chickasaw ATF-83 and USS Diver ARS-5. Floyd attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander prior to
his retirement in 1949.
Floyd is preceded in death by two wives and is survived, among others, by his
son John and Daughter Priscilla.
Bill Matthews asked me to "thank all your fellow submariners for all
they've done for "Skipper" over the past many years.
The family will never forget their kindness."
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in rememberance
of 'Skipper' to the US Submarine Veterans Charitable Foundation,
http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?npoId=1156727&partner=justgive
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VET-01: PTSD victims no longer need to prove trauma
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 2/19/2008
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The Veterans Affairs Department has dumped a policy requiring combat vets to
verify in writing that they have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event
before filing a claim for post-traumatic stress disorder, said the chairman of
the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“This change provides a fairer process for veterans with service-connected
PTSD,” Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, said in a
written statement. It “leaves claim adjudicators
more time to devote to reducing the staggering backlog of veterans’
claims.”
Click on the link for the rest of the article
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/military_ptsdproof_080218w/
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VET-02: The 'Posties' now offer flat-rate package discounts for APO/FPO Addresses
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 2/19/2008
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If you send a package to a servicemember after March
3, 2008, you can take advantage of the new flat-rate box from the Postal
Service that is 50 percent larger and delivered for $10.95 to any APO/FPO address, which is $2 less than for domestic
destinations.
The new priority mail large flat-rate box (12" x 12" x 5-1/2" or
800 cubic inches) will be available in post offices nationwide beginning March
3, 2008, but customers can begin ordering them Feb. 20, 2008 at the United
States Postal Service website at usps.com/supplies or by calling
800-610-8734.
http://www.usps.com/supplies
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VET-03: Working for the Feds
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 2/19/2008
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Looking for federal employment can be confusing, but given that the US
government typically advertises between 15,000 and 20,000 jobs a day, it's
worth taking the time to learn the difference between a GS-0493 and a WG-2810.
There are 442 white-collar and 410 blue-collar occupations listed in the Office
of Personnel Management's (OPM's) Occupations of
Federal White-Collar and Blue-Collar Workers report.
Each job title is identified by a unique job series number, and each job series
is listed in a specific occupational group.
Click on the link for more information...
http://www.usajobs.gov/
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VET-04: Need a copy of your DD-214?
Submitted by: Woodrow Reed on 2/22/2008
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The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has
provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214's
online:
The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these
requests by eliminating the records centers mailroom and processing time.
Click on the link for the rest of the details...
http://vetrecs.archives.gov/
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CHARITABLE-01: CORRECTION: Scholarship deadline CORRECTION
Submitted by: Pat Householder on 2/19/2008
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Your USSVCF National Scholarship Committee invites sponsors of all
eligible high school seniors and attending college students to request a USSVCF Scholarship application.
Applications will be accepted by Paul Orstad, Scholarship Chairman, up till
Helpful Hints for College level applicants
http://www.ussvi.org/Documents/Scholarship_Notes_College_Level.pdf
Helpful Hints for High School level applicants
http://www.ussvi.org/Documents/Scholarship_Notes_High_School.pdf
To download the Application, click on the link
http://www.ussvi.org/Documents/Scholarship_Application_2008_Scholarship_Application.pdf