Vol. 4 No. 21

November 21, 2007

Tips for Sailors to increase advancement

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U.S. Navy photo by AW2 Matthew Nikkel

EN1 Brian Riley was one of six PMRF Sailors promoted in the most recent enlisted advancement cycle.

Enlisted promotions from E4 - E6 are determined by a combination of factors including the Sailor’s individual

performance evaluations, their scores on job-specifi c exams and their awards. The ratio between the factors’

importance for promotion recently changed to give more value to performance on the job.

From Navy Personnel

Command Public Affairs

With advancement results re-

leased Nov. 16, many Sailors are

celebrating, while others look for

steps to increase their opportuni-

ties during the next advancement

cycle.

“Superior performance is still

the most important factor in get-

ting advanced,” according to

Vice Adm. J.C. Harvey, Chief of

Naval Personnel (CNP). “The

weight of the performance mark

average from a Sailor’s evalua-

tion promotion recommendation

has increased by seven percent.

The weight of service-in-pay grade

and pass-not-advanced points has

decreased by approximately one-

half,” Harvey said.

“It is extremely important for

commanding offi cers, executive of-

fi cers, and command master chiefs

to communicate with those who did

not get advanced this cycle,” Harvey

added.

According to CNP, one thing the

chain of command can do to assist

Sailors not selected for advance-

ment is schedule a career develop-

ment board (CDB). A CDB provides

personnel the opportunity to discuss

their career progression, the

health of their rating, and their

short and long-term goals for the

future.

It allows a Sailor and his or her

chain of command to review the

Sailor’s record and identify ways

to improve competitiveness in

future advancement cycles.

According to the Navy’s Center

for Career Development (CCD),

located at Navy Personnel Com-

mand, some questions a Sailor

should ask during the board in-

clude:

- What can I do to gain more

PROMOTE, Contd. on Page 3

Page 2

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Commanding Offi cer’s Hot Line: Ext. 4435

You can call the Captain with your question/concern too. Dial Ext 4435 any time, seven days a week! The pur-

pose of the hotline (record-a-phone) is to provide all PMRF military members, families, civil service and contractor

employees the opportunity to communicate directly with the CO. Some suggestions are:

· Safety suggestions/violations/unsafe practices, ideas to improve safety and promote safety awareness.

· Ways to improve morale, working or living conditions.

· Suggestions on how to save taypayer dollars, cut costs, save energy, reduce labor manhours, etc.

· Security violations and/or recommendations for strengthening physical security and safeguarding classifi ed

information.

· Any positive things (events, programs, policies, benefi ts, etc.) that you feel are particularly good.

· Any negative things you feel should have the CO’s attention.

· Suggestions for improving disaster preparedness (tsunamis, hurricanes, fi res, etc.)

You need not identify yourself to leave a message, but if you would like a staffed response, please do so. If

reporting a problem, please try to recommend a workable solution. Some of the questions or problems reported

will be answered in the Within Range.

A good point of contact for issues involving Navy families is the PMRF Ombudsman, Becca Denos,

who can be reached at .

P

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“What do you mean no one brought any coffee?”- Kauai’s westside Boy Scout Troop 203 spent aweekend at Anini beach with other Kauai
troops and participated in a Camporee event featuring a varietyof team-oriented games. Several PMRF fathers attended including Scoutmaster
MA2 John Denos and assistants Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky, Ens. Nathan Deunk, Charlie Fox and MC1 Johnny Michael.

Within Range is published bi-weekly by the Pacifi c Missile Range Facility Public Affairs Offi ce. Questions, concerns

and comments can be directed to the Editor at . All photos by MC1 Johnny Michael unless

noted otherwise.

Executive Offi cer: Cmdr. Bruce Peck

Editor: Tom Clements

Commanding Offi cer: Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky

Command Master Chief: STSCM (SS) Ronnie Spake

Staff: MC1 (SW/AW) Johnny Michael

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Page 3

PMRF participates in Veteran’s Day events

PMRF Sailors participated in two Veteran’s Day events this year, including a parade held in Kapaa and a

memorial held at the Kauai Veteran’s cemetary in Hanapepe. (Above left) Spectators lined the streets of

downtown Kapaa to witness the parade. (Above right) PMRF Commanding Offi cer, Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky,

Executive Offi cer, Cmdr. Bruce Peck and Command Master Chief STSCM (SS) Ronnie Spake rode a SEPTAR

boat during the parade. (Below right) Spake and his wife Vanessa delivered a speech the following day at the

memorial held in Hanapepe. (Below right) Flags were placed on each of the graves for the memorial.

PROMOTE, Contd. frm Page 11

authority and responsibility in my

current position to make me more

competitive for the next higher pay

grade?

- I passed but didn’t advance

the last advancement exam, what

changes can I make to improve

my chances next time?

- In order to make me more

competitive for advancement and

to round out my rating expertise,

what should my next assignment

or duty station be?

- What can members of this

board do to assist me both profes-

sionally and personally in order to

help me achieve success?

- What is the status of my rating?

Advancement is extremely limited in

overmanned rates and Sailors may

want to consider a rating conversion

to increase advancement opportuni-

ties.

Every Sailor should have a men-

tor and should also look for oppor-

tunities to mentor other Sailors who

can benefi t from their diverse ex-

periences, according to Chief Navy

Counselor (AW) Kelly L. Strickland,

a career counselor at CCD. A mentor

is a trusted counselor or guide who

is looking out for the best interests

of his or her Sailor. This includes

advancement opportunities, but also

includes helping the Sailor reach

l

other personal and professional

goals.

“It is extremely important to

have a mentor,” added Strickland.

“It’s great to have that person in

your career to receive information

and points of view from.”

It’s never too early to start

planning for the next advance-

ment cycle.

“I suggest that Sailors who

did not advance this cycle start

studying again,” said Strickland.

“You should also realize perfor-

mance carries the most weight

in advancement. Look at your

last evaluation and improve in the

areas you scored less in.”

Page 4

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Bravo Zulu! Excellence abounds at PMRF

(From left) PMRF Commanding Offi cer,Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky, receives an award on behalf of PMRF

for mission success during the recent Japanese Self Defense Force operation;Lt. Robert Gilbert received

the Air Medal;Esther Estes received an on-the-spot cash award.

MA1 Patrick Walsh (Above left),MC1 Johnny Michael (Above right),MA2 Eric Munoz (Below left) andMA2

Jessica Boeckman (Below left) were frocked to the next highest pay grade during a recent award ceremony.

AM3 Chris Bostwick (Not pictured) will be frocked following completion of the Petty Offi cer Indoctrination

course.(Photos by AW2 Matt Nikkel)

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Page 5

Page 6

Announcements

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Domestic Har-

in this area today’. We

from the PMRF Public Af-

across the street on

mony Erupting want to encourage peo-

ple to know that harmony

across Hawai’i can erupt too and they

Island and Neigh-can reach out one to an-

fairs Offi ce. Look for more

Domestic Harmony infor-

mation in the near future.

the beach. Admission

is free.

Also, there is still

room for more craft

bor Islands

“ P l a n e t P u n a , ” i s

pleased to announce

for the first time in the

eight year history of

the Domestic Harmony

Awareness Initiative,

proclamations have

been secured from

the mayors of Hawai’I,

Maui, Kauai and O’ahu.

They can be seen on

O r g a n i z e r S t a r

Newland says, ‘We

are developing an out-

reach program around

the theme of ‘domestic

harmony erupting.’ We

speak of eruptions of

violence or war as in

‘more violence erupted

other to create more.

Officials from PMRF

met Star Newland during

EIS proceedings, and a

partnership for Domestic

Harmony was formed.

”When the United States

Navy gets behind Domes-

tic Harmony you know

we are on to something”

Newland said. “Our de-

sire is to see programs

made available across

the Navy and other types

of armed services to help

those who serve our

country.”

Neon green ribbons,

representing ‘new life

and new beginnings’ and

as a symbol for domestic

harmony, are available

Kekaha Town Cel-

ebration

A two-day event aimed

at bringing the Kekaha

community together with

music, food, crafts, sand

sculpture exhibit, and

star-gazing lecture from

the Polynesian Voyag-

ing Society. Through the

Mayor’s Ka Leo meet-

ings, PMRF is included

as the “Mana” portion of

the Kekaha community,

so organizers are hope-

ful that we will join in with

great numbers. Hours

are 5-10 p.m. Nov. 30,

and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

on Dec. 1, at the Kekaha

Community Center and

booths and one food

booth. Any organi-

zation interested in

hosting a booth can

call Lyndon Yamane

at 337-9286, or 635-

5892.

PMRF Christmas

Party

The annual Christ-

mas party for active

duty Navy and their

d e p e n d e n t s w i l b e

held at Shenanigans

on December 21. The

party will feature din-

ner and door prizes.

Look for details as the

event draws closer!

Ombudsman’s Corner

Thank you to everyone who attended our Active Duty Military Roundtable last night. We got to meet

our new MWR Director Craig Ulrich and hear about some great improvements that are in the works for

the programs here. Patti Huber, the NEX Manager, was able to answer questions about the NEX and

also enlighten us on current and upcoming events.

Since December is very busy, our next Roundtable will be postponed until January. Please mark your

calendar for the 3rd Monday of each month for this gathering.

Upcoming events: Thanksgiving potluck on the berm for any of our active duty families or single

sailors who don’t have plans already. Please RSVP with number attending and what you are bringing to

Terisa Peck at . Thanksgiving meal item donations for the Kauai

Battered Women’s Shelter need to be delivered to the NEX gas station at 8:00 on Thursday morning.

If you have questions feel free to call me. The Annual Military Christmas partywill be held at Shenani-

gan’s on Friday, Dec. 21.

Have a great Holiday weekend!

Becca Denos PMRF Ombudsman

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Page 7

Safety Corner

The Friday Funnies

(a.k.a.) Summary of

Mishaps

Warning Sign of a Bad

c o m i n g . I d o u b t t h e

length of the flag pole

is based on the size

of the local dunes or

hills. If anyone knows better, let

us know.

Our AM3 can provide a tes-

technique is much more ef-

fective when you don’t start

hopping up and down and

yelling, “Ouch!” afterward.

He was treated by the

ship’s corpsman, and then,

when the ship pulled into

M e e t i n g : S o m e b o d y timonial for the buggy’s safety

port the following day, he

Passes Out

1. Welcome to the latest

edition of the Friday Fun-

nies. This week we exam-

ine the design parameters

of dune-buggy flag poles,

dangerous meetings, anger-

management techniques, and

whether it is possible to hold

onto a wall.

A. Have you ever seen

dune buggies racing around

and wondered what those

little flags on the top of those

harness, by the way. Without it,

her week of LIMPDU might have

been a month.

B. A GS-11 office worker in

California went to a meeting

one morning. When it was over,

the report says, he got up to

leave and “lost his balance.” he

banged his head on the deck and

scraped his knee on the floor.

The report doesn’t say what the

precise physiologic cause was,

but I can sympathize. I’ve been

to some meetings where I felt

got to visit the local hospital

instead of going on liberty.

Three weeks of light duty

and some anger-manage-

ment classes ensued. Ev-

eryone is always in a great

mood when they show up

for those.

D . S o m e w h e r e i n t h e

bowels of a Supply Center

in the Pacific, a GS-7 sup-

ply clerk makes her way

up a stairwell. She carries

some classified paperwork

f l e x i b l e p o l e s w e r e f o r ? like banging my head on the

and a record book in her

There’s an AM3 in California

who can explain. She was

roaring around somewhere

in California. Topping a hill,

she saw another dune buggy

heading straight for her. In

the best tradition of “After

you, Alphonse,” she turned

left and the other guy turned

right. One head-on collision

later, she found herself briefly

airborne, rolling over twice,

and then spinning around on

all four wheels. During this

spectacular display, she had

broken her foot on the other

buggy’s roll bar.

Here’s where we get to

those flag poles, because,

according to the report, she

“claims the flag poles should

have been taller.” not that

she shouldn’t have been rac-

ing blindly up a hill. Rather,

if there is a 20-foot hill, the

other dune buggies ought to

have 30-foot flag poles on

them, so you can see them

deck during them. The meetings

usually took too long, and I felt

myself getting woozy toward the

end, too.

C. On a ship en route to a

port of call, an E-7 was standing

engineering-officer-of-the-watch

during some drills. Things were

not going well, for some unspeci-

fied reason. Personally, I can’t

think of anything that might go

wrong during underway drills

on a ship, but something was

a m i s s . F r u s t r a t e d , o u r c h i e f

progressed from concerned to

peeved to annoyed and beyond.

Wisps of steam were just begin-

ning to seep from his ears when

he slammed his hand down on

the table in the central control

station.

This got everyone’s attention,

which might have been his goal,

but he found himself unable to

capitalize on this dramatic mo-

ment, due to the fact that he had

broken his hand.

Note to hand-slammers: This

left hand. According to the

report, she is “holding on to

the right side wall” with her

right hand.

Not sure if you’ve ever

tried holding onto a wall.

Unless your nickname is

“Spidey,” it is easier said

than done. Her nickname

wasn’t. Directly, she was

sprawling on the deck, scat-

tering documents and bruis-

i n g h e r k n e e s . S h e h a d

“tripped over the safety slat

at the top step,” she says.

If a so-called “safety slat”

is installed so that someone

can trip over it, isn’t the

word “safety” a misnomer?

I n q u i r i n g m i n d s w a n t t o

know.

2. That’s all for now, ami-

gos. Until we meet again,

take care, take five minutes

to read the instructions, and

take a deep breath if you

start feeling frustrated. See

you next time.

Page 8

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Wish you were here - Photos from the Fleet

U.S. Navy Photo by MC22Drae Parker

(Above)ABF2 Marwin D. Aquino supervises fueling stations ensuring aircraft are fueled aboard the

amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). Essex is the lead ship of the only permanently forward-deployed

U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the fl agship for Commander, Task Force 76.(Below left)HM1

Sean Ehrsam, a medical laboratory technician aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry

S. Truman (CVN 75), reads the Disney/Pixar book “Monsters, Inc.” to his 3-year old son George and

4-week old daughter Sasha.(Below right)Construction Mechanic 1st Class Jerry Jump, an individual

augmentee Sailor attached to Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Khost, secures the perimeter during

a groundbreaking for one of more than 50 schools funded by PRT Khost this year.

U.S. Navy photo by MC33Patrick Grieco

U.S. Navy photo by MC11William Hamb