Tony

The Mustang Lariat newsletter

NORFOLK, Va. – Chief Naval Aircrewman (Mechanical) Select Kody Sims is a stickler for details. He has to be. In Sims’ world, it’s the little details that often mean the difference between success and failure — terms which, in the aviation community, can equate to life and death. That unwavering attention to detail is a major reason why Sims, a C-130 flight engineer assigned to Fleet Logistics Support Squadron Five Five (VR-55), Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California, was selected as the fiscal year 2020’s top Reserve enlisted Sailor. “If I’m not detail-oriented, I put the rest of the crew — and the aircraft — at risk,” said Sims. Operated by a crew of five — two officers and three enlisted aircrew personnel consisting of a pilot, copilot, radio operator-loadmaster, flight engineer, and flight attendant — the C-130 aircraft is used to provide rapid logistics support to operating forces. It can be configured to provide transportation of personnel or cargo by parachute, low level fly-by ground extraction, or landing, making it a key asset in the current era of strategic competition. Serving as leading petty officer for both VR-55’s quality assurance and maintenance departments, Sims’ primary focus is to ensure preflight, organizational, preventive and corrective maintenance is completed to ensure the aircraft is safe, reliable and mission ready around-the-clock. “My main job is to ensure that maintenance is being conducted safely and by the book,” said Sims. “It’s a huge responsibility.” Getting qualified as a flight engineer is a lengthy process. Once a command recommendation has been submitted on a Sailor’s behalf, the member goes to flight engineer initial training, beginning a qualification process that can take years to complete. Naval Aircrewman (Mechanical) First Class Colton Buchanan, now a C-130 loadmaster with Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 54 (VR-54), was a second class petty officer when he met Sims and the two formed an immediate and lasting bond. Buchanan credits Sims with pushing him to achieve his loadmaster certification, leading to a significant leadership role promotion. “He’s one of my mentors and someone who has helped me out my entire career,” said Buchanan. “I recently took over as the LPO here, and he was one of the first people who called me.” Buchanan said he models his current leadership role on the template Sims left behind. “Some of the most important advice he has given me is just to trust your people,” said Buchanan. “Be able to lean on them to be able to help you with any deficiency that you might have. Take care of them and always take care of them on the back end.” A native of Marianna, Fla., Sims’s family moved around a lot when he was young. He loves Florida Gators football, farm life, and the outdoors. As a teenager, he considered a career in agriculture or possibly even aeronautical engineering. “One day I heard the words ‘flight engineer,’ and I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” said Sims, who joined the Navy Reserve in 2011. For Sims, there’s no daylight between his civilian and Reserve occupations. On the civilian side, he is a C-130 flight engineer with Air test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 30 at the Naval Air Warfare Center, working less than four minutes away from the locker where he hangs his VR-55 Navy Reserve flight suit. In his civilian role, he trains Sailors to qualify as C-130 flight engineers. “Basically, I do the same thing in my civilian job and my Reserve job,” said Sims. “They go hand-in-hand and I definitely stay proficient and very current with what I do as a flight engineer. It makes things a lot easier and makes life pretty nice.” Submitted by his unit leadership as a Reserve Sailor of the Year (RSOY) candidate, Sims said the selection process could be summed up best by the rising degree of difficulty demonstrated by the questions posed to him at the various selection boards -- Commander, Fleet Logistics Support Wing (CFLSW), Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve (CNAFR), and Chief of Navy Reserve (CNR). “At the CFLSW level, they’d just ask point-blank: ‘What’s your opinion on this policy?’” said Sims. “At the CNAFR level, they’d say ‘This is the policy. How do you, as a leader, plan to implement this policy?’ and finally, at the CNR level, they said ‘Here’s a scenario — you know the policy already — how do you plan to use this as a leader?’” Habitually attuned to improving processes, procedures and workflow, Sims said he used the RSOY board questions as a personal diagnostic to assess and evaluate his own leadership growth. “The CNR-level questions were very thought-provoking,” said Sims. “They made me dig down deep and look at myself as a leader and evaluate how I look at things. It really made me think — even after the fact — ‘am I doing it the right way? Is there anything that I can improve on?’ And it ultimately made me better in the long run.” A team of senior enlisted leaders led by Reserve Force Master Chief Chris Kotz convened to hold the virtual RSOY board and ultimately made a recommendation to CNR Vice Adm. John Mustin, for the RSOY finalist. Sims was joined by Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Ronnie Heen, assigned to Force Headquarters Group, Marine Forces Reserve, during the 2020 RSOY week held virtually from May 3 to May 7, culminating in the winner’s selection during a virtual ceremony. According to Kotz, the selection was no easy task. “I cannot stress to you the difficulty it is to measure the absolute excellence of these two Sailors,” Kotz said as part of his remarks during the virtual ceremony. “I’m so proud of the professionalism, the tenacity, the dedication that our two boards put together to render the final recommendation.” The ceremony streamed live from the Navy Museum at the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard, where Mustin and Kotz were joined by the master of ceremonies, 2019 RSOY Chief Naval Aircrewman (Mechanical) Amanda Rodgers. The nominees and their families joined virtually from their homes to limit travel and crowds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following his remarks, Kotz introduced Mustin, who reemphasized the excellence of the two finalists, particularly compared to a pool of excellent and dedicated candidates. “What I want everyone to understand is that we have 12,000 first class petty officers in the Navy Reserve, and we’re selecting one,” Mustin said, minutes before announcing the winner. “We’ve already narrowed it down from a little over a dozen to two. And I can assure you that both of these Sailors have distinguished themselves from thousands of others who are also doing great work around the world, in every theater of the globe, in every moment in time.” Finally, Mustin announced Sims as the winner. Sims was stunned. “I did not expect to hear my name called,” he said. “It was a surreal experience.” After a virtual award presentation, Sims had the opportunity to present his own remarks. “Every Sailor that I have had an interaction with throughout my career, I’ve been able to pull a positive or constructive piece of insight from, which has ultimately helped me improve,” said Sims. “I feel that is what makes us great as a Navy, the diversity of our people … a diversity that introduces you to new and different ideas that can only guide you to improvement.” Sims said the meticulous habits he’s cultivated over the course of his 10-year dual civilian-military aviation career naturally translates to Sailorization, mentorship, and staying on top of both short and long-term individual, team and mission objectives. For him, it all comes back to doing the little things correctly. “If I’m not detail oriented, I put my career at risk, and I put my Sailors at risk,” he said. “So I think it’s very important to pay attention to those details, be able to account for those details and know how to deal with those details, no matter what situation you’re in.” Sims, who will be promoted to the rank of chief petty officer during the Chief of Naval Operations Sailor of the Year ceremony at a later date, said it’s not just his award. “This award is not for me. The RSOY is for the Sailors that have been around me throughout my career, because they are the reason I’m in this position. It’s their doing,” said Sims, who closed his remarks with advice for the next RSOY candidates. “Trust your instincts. Trust your gut. Your command has chosen you to represent them for a reason. Represent why you’re there by showing who you are.”

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday said he will seek President Joe Biden’s permission by mid-September to require all troops receive the coronavirus vaccine regardless whether the shots obtain full federal approval. “I want you to know that I will seek the president's approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug [Administration] licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote in his message. “Public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.— USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully conducted a third explosive event off the coast of Jacksonville, FL, on 8 Aug., marking the completion of the ship’s Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST). Shock Trials validate a ship’s shock hardness and ability to sustain operations in a simulated combat environment using live ordnance. During the four-month testing evolution, the first-in-class aircraft carrier withstood the impact of three 40,000-pound underwater blasts, released at distances progressively closer to the ship.

As any regular reader of Task & Purpose knows, we have a soft spot for Navy battle flags, whether they’re steeped in history like the USS Paul Hamilton’s ‘Moultrie Flag’ or just belligerently awesome like the USS Kidd’s Jolly Roger. So when we spotted a brand new banner festooning one of the Navy’s newest vessels, we had to stop and take notice.

There is no date to this article but I thought I'd post it this interesting Advancement Calculator.

In this day and age, a warship's electronic warfare suite can be even more important than its kinetic capabilities—missiles and guns—when it comes to protecting it from enemy attacks. With America's foes working harder than ever to create weapons that can put the U.S. Navy's most prized vessels, its supercarriers, at risk, electronic warfare "soft kill" defenses are being rapidly enhanced. We have seen multiple new systems, which remain highly ambiguous in terms of their capabilities, appear on American destroyers and cruisers in recent years. Now a new system has emerged on two west coast-based supercarriers, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Abraham Lincoln, which both recently headed out into the Pacific.

UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 061336Z AUG 21 MID200001043954U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 170/21 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/AUG// SUBJ/POST-9/11 GI BILL POLICY UPDATE// REF/A/DOC/DVA/5JAN21// REF/B/DOC/USD P AND R/9APR21// REF/C/DOC/DOD/31MAY13// NARR/REF A IS THE JOHNNY ISAKSON AND DAVID P. ROE, M.D. VETERANS HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2020. REF B IS UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS MEMORANDUM, UPDATE ON THE DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE DEPENDANTS FOR THE TRANSFER OF POST- 9/11 GI BILL EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR FOSTER CHILDREN AND LEGAL WARDS. REF C IS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INSTRUCTION 1341.13 CHANGE 1, POST-9/11 GI BILL.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces the addition of foster children and legal wards to the definition of an eligible dependent for the purposes of Post- 9/11 GI Bill transfer of education benefits (TEB), as directed in reference (a) and implemented in reference (b). 2. Effective date of this change is 5 January 2021. The Department of Veterans Affairs will only pay benefits effective this date or the date the service approves the TEB, whichever is later. 3. Service Members currently serving on Active Duty (AD) or in the Selected Reserve (SELRES) who have been approved for TEB, may transfer benefits to foster children or legal wards who have been residing with the Service Member, pursuant to a court order, for at least 12 consecutive months. 4. For AD and SELRES previously approved for TEB and who have foster children or legal wards listed in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) made these dependents available to receive transferred benefits but did not assign them any months. Service Members should take action described in paragraph 5c to allocate benefits as desired. 5. AD and SELRES not yet approved for TEB must follow paragraphs 5a-5c to transfer benefits to eligible foster children and legal wards. a. On initial application in DMDC milConnect, allocate at least one month of benefits to an eligible spouse or child. b. After approval of initial TEB application, DMDC will manually make foster children and legal wards eligible to receive benefits, but will not assign them any months. There will be no notification that DMDC has taken this action. c. While continuing to serve on AD or in the SELRES, log in to DMDC milConnect and allocate any unused benefits among eligible dependents, including foster children or legal wards, without additional service obligation. d. A future DMDC update will display foster children and legal wards as eligible transferees during the initial application. 6. After transfer of benefits to a foster child or legal ward, termination of the foster child/legal ward relationship does not rescind the transferred benefits. The former foster child or legal ward will remain eligible until they reach 26 years of age, or the transferor revokes the TEB. 7. Children who are no longer in a foster or legal ward status, or who had their association with the Service Member terminated in DEERS, without having at least one month of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits allocated to them by the Service Member prior to termination of their status, are not eligible to receive transferred education benefits. 8. All other Post-9/11 GI Bill and TEB policies remain in effect. An update to reference (c) will incorporate this definition change. 9. For Post-9/11 GI Bill and TEB questions, contact the following: a. Mr. Jim Johnson, Education Policy Branch, via e-mail at james.p.johnson(at)navy.mil. b. AD and Full-Time Support may submit inquiries to MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) at 1-833-330-6622 or via e-mail at askmncc(at)navy.mil. c. SELRES may submit inquiries to Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command (CNRFC), Post-9/11 GI Bill Manager, at 1-800-621-8853 or via e-mail at cnrfc_post911gib.fct(at)navy.mil. 10. This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, whichever occurs first. 11. Released by VADM John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//

Sailors trying to use NSIPS may be experiencing some technical difficulties. Navy Enlisted System (NES) and Officer Personnel Information System (OPINS) capabilities are being integrated to streamline usage and the migration is impacting operations temporarily. We apologize for the technical difficulties and we hope to have the system moving smoothly as soon as possible. Please contact MNCC with any issue needing immediate attention.

UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 051619Z AUG 21 MID200001040013U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 169/21 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/AUG// SUBJ/2021 MERITORIOUS ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM SEASON TWO// REF/A/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/112237ZFEB21// REF/B/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/161157ZJUL20// REF/C/DOC/BUPERS/19SEP18// NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 035/21, 2021 MERITORIOUS ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM SEASON ONE. REF B IS NAVADMIN 201/20, PROFESSIONAL MILITARY KNOWLEDGE ELIGIBILITY EXAM REVISED BUSINESS RULES. REF C IS BUPERSINST 1430.16G, ADVANCEMENT MANUAL FOR ENLISTED PERSONNEL OF THE U.S. NAVY AND U.S. NAVY RESERVE.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN replaces reference (a) and announces the policy and guidance for Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Season Two (S2) Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) for Active and Full-Time Support Sailors, which will run from 1 September through 15 October 2021. 2. In order to preserve advancement opportunity via the navy wide advancement exam (NWAE) and control over-advancing a particular rating and paygrade, MAP advancement to the ABF3, ABF2, ABF1, ABH3, ABH2, BM3, BM2, BM1, and RS3 rates will be controlled as outlined in paragraph 5. The decision to control these rates was made based on a variety of factors, to include low NWAE advancement opportunity and proportionality of total MAP advancements in each rate. 3. MAP will account for approximately 20 percent of total advancements in CY21 with roughly half of the available MAP quotas allocated for each season. All unused quotas will be factored into the NWAE cycle. We are maintaining the two-season framework that aligns MAP with the NWAE to emphasize the intent of MAP in selecting and rewarding our most talented Sailors. 4. Commands are required to submit their MAP advancement(s) through Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS). NSIPS Web Afloat users and commands without access to NSIPS should refer to paragraph 4a for instructions on submitting their MAP advancements. The system will use authoritative data to determine eligibility. However, commands are still required to locally validate that MAP candidates have successfully completed the professional military knowledge eligibility examination (PMK-EE) requirement prior to the first day of the MAP season, as outlined in reference (b). a. NSIPS Web Afloat users and commands without access to NSIPS must submit a MAP nomination request via e-mail directly to their immediate superior in charge (ISIC), type commander (TYCOM) or budget submitting office (BSO)/echelon II command using the meritorious certification letter (MCL). The letter must be signed by the commanding officer and should address any exceptions to policy (ETP) and/or additional quotas requested. Sample MCLs and detailed information regarding the offline process can be found via MyNavy Portal (MNP) at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/advancement-and-promotion/a-enlisted-advancement-resources-and-links, then select the *Websites* tab in the blue banner, and then select the MAP homepage. b. Quota usage, modifications and distribution will be managed within the NSIPS environment. BSO and command quotas will be uploaded into NSIPS on 15 August 2021 and can be found under the quota summary report tab. Quotas can also be found via MNP at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/advancement-and-promotion/a-enlisted-advancement-resources-and-links, then select the *Websites* tab in the blue banner, and then select the MAP homepage. c. Additional quotas can be requested using the quota request option. Commands must contact their BSO to determine timeline for additional quota requests. Whether or not command quotas are authorized, all commands are authorized to request quotas from their BSO/echelon II command, via their ISIC and TYCOM. d. The system will automatically determine if an ETP is required using predetermined criteria. Service Members in ratings requiring security clearances and rates/pay grades requiring time in rate (TIR) waivers will be automatically routed for adjudication. The request will be routed through the ISIC, TYCOM, and BSO/echelon II command using a hierarchical workflow. e. NSIPS will not automatically generate an ETP for Nuclear- trained Service Members. Commands desiring to advance a nuclear- trained Service Member not meeting the TIR requirement must request an ETP to Director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy (OPNAV N13) via Nuclear Program Manager (OPNAV N133). E-5s require a TIR date of 1 July 2019 or earlier to be eligible for advancement to E-6. 5. MAP Advancements in Controlled Rates. Commands desiring to MAP advance a Sailor to ABF3, ABF2, ABF1, ABH3, ABH2, BM3, BM2, BM1, or RS3 must submit a request to their BSO, via their ISIC and TYCOM, using the quota request option in NSIPS. If the command does not have access to NSIPS, they should follow the procedures in paragraph 4a. BSOs will be granted MAP quotas for each rate based on the proportion of the billets authorized (BA) at the lower paygrade of that rate under that BSO. If there are not enough quotas for all BSOs, the quotas will be allocated to the BSOs with the largest amount of BA. BSOs will be contacted by Enlisted Community Management Division (BUPERS-32) to inform them of assigned quotas for controlled rates. Commands will submit requests to the BSOs using the template provided on the MAP homepage via MNP at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/advancement-and-promotion/a-enlisted- advancement-resources-and-links, then select the *Websites* tab in the blue banner, and then select the MAP homepage. 6. MAP Website. MAP Quotas by unit identification code (UIC), forms and frequently asked questions can be found on MNP at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/advancement-and-promotion/a-enlisted- advancement-resources-and-links, then select the *Websites* tab in the blue banner and then select the MAP homepage. The list of points of contact for each BSO/echelon II command and list of parent and subordinate UICs can also be found on the above website. More detailed information on the MAP program can be found in Chapter 10 of reference (c). 7. Contact MyNavy Career Center (MNCC) at (833) 330-6622 or email at askmncc(at)navy.mil. 8. This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled, whichever comes first. 9. Released by Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED// https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/NAVADMIN/NAV2021/NAV21169.txt?ver=idec5ceBv-3jdK54qDUufg%3d%3d

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to seek authorization to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for all active duty troops as soon as this week, following President Joe Biden's directive that the military examine how and when it could make that happen. Austin's "inclination is towards making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory" for active duty troops, a defense official told CNN. If the secretary makes that final recommendation, he could seek a presidential waiver to allow the vaccine to be administered to troops before full approval by the Food and Drug Administration. A Pentagon decision and recommendation on how to proceed could come this week, several officials say.

VA will begin processing disability claims Aug. 2 for asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis on a presumptive basis based on presumed particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas – if these conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying period of military service. VA conducted the first iteration of a newly formed internal VA process to review scientific evidence to support rulemaking, resulting in the recommendation to consider creation of new presumptions of service connection for respiratory conditions based on VA’s evaluation of a National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report and other evidence.

A 20-year-old sailor with a grudge against the U.S. Navy and a failed attempt at becoming a Navy SEAL under his belt is accused of setting an amphibious assault ship ablaze and singlehandedly costing the Navy $30 million in damage.

FY22 CPO Selection Board: Cycle 108 SelRes E7 Quotas Cycle 250 FTS E7 Quotas

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — At least six ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates broadcast warnings Tuesday that they had lost control of their steering under unclear circumstances as British authorities reported “a potential hijack” was underway in the area.

Last month, a major milestone in the repair efforts of the World War II "fast battleship" USS North Carolina (BB-55), which has been undergoing the most significant restoration work in more than five decades. Last week, the floodgates to the cofferdam were opened, and for the first time since May 2018 the majestic warship is back in the water of the Cape Fear River. The $11 million project to preserve the ship included the construction of the cofferdam, which began in August 2016 to allow work crews to drain the water from around the hull and address repairs.

An officer died after being stabbed Tuesday during a burst of violence at a transit station outside the Pentagon, law enforcement officials told NBC News. A suspect was shot by law enforcement and died at the scene, the Associated Press reported. The Pentagon, the headquarters of the U.S. military, was temporarily placed on lockdown after gunshots were fired Tuesday morning near the entrance of the building.

A US Navy carrier strike group deployed Monday, the Navy said in a press release, revealing that the carrier is deploying with the service's most advanced fighter jets. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson departed San Diego carrying the Navy's first F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron, the "Argonauts" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147. The deployment is a first for the carrier-based variant of the fifth-generation stealth fighter.

Bibs are now available for Reserves February exam. BIBs for: Aug - E7 for Reserves Feb exam Aug - E4~E6 for Reserves Feb exam Bibliography for Advancement in Rate (BIBs)

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday directed the Pentagon to consider how and when they will require troops to receive the coronavirus vaccine but stopped short of mandating the shots as the vaccines remain under emergency-use authorization by the Federal Drug Administration. Though the military requires troops to receive many vaccinations, federal law prohibits the Pentagon from mandating those without full FDA approval. The president has the authority to bypass the restriction and require troops to get the shot, but Biden has not done so.

UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 292140Z JUL 21 MID200001011412U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 162/21 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JUL// SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2022 ENLISTED TO MEDICAL DEGREE PREPARATORY PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT// REF/A/DOC/BUMED/7MAY15// REF/B/MSG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/171350ZJUL17// NARR/REF A IS BUMEDINST 1500.31, UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES ENLISTED TO MEDICAL DEGREE PREPARATORY PROGRAM. REF B IS NAVADMIN 177/17, NUCLEAR TRAINED SAILOR APPLICATIONS TO OFFICER COMMISSIONING PROGRAMS AND MODIFICATION TO FY-19 NUCLEAR LIMITED DUTY OFFICER IN-SERVICE PROCUREMENT BOARD PROCESS.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN solicits applications and provides guidance for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program (EMDP2). 2. The EMDP2 is a 2-year undergraduate education program open to Sailors of all ratings who meet eligibility requirements in line with reference (a) and the EMDP2 website at https://medschool.usuhs.edu/academics/emdp2. The EMDP2 is a partnership between the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) and the Military Services to provide an opportunity for highly motivated, academically promising enlisted Service Members. The EMDP2 consists of intensive coursework, preparation, and mentoring to prepare students for application to medical school. Upon completion of the program, successful students will be competitive for acceptance to medical schools in the United States. 3. Selectees are assigned to the USUHS in Bethesda, MD, for two years. Individuals selected for the EMDP2 program will remain on Active Duty while completing coursework and will receive pay, allowances, benefits and privileges of their current paygrade. Selectees will receive permanent change of station orders to USUHS for the entire length of the course. USUHS will pay all school expenses (books, tuition, labs, etc.) for the entire length of the course. 4. Deadline for submission of applications for FY-22 enrollment is 2359 Eastern Time on 30 September 2021. Application packages must be received on or before the deadline date. No additional documents or packages will be accepted after this date. Application requirements are specified on the EMDP2 website at https://medschool.usuhs.edu/academics/emdp2. 5. Strict adherence to package submission requirements will be a primary factor for selection. Applicants must review their package in its entirety before submitting. A minimum score of *Good* on the latest physical fitness assessment and qualifying Scholastic Assessment Test/American College Test scores are required. 6. This NAVADMIN does not modify any previous guidance contained in reference (a), regarding selective reenlistment bonus. 7. Applicants assigned to a nuclear training command or who hold a nuclear Navy enlisted classification (N13O, N13S, N14O, N14S, N15O, N15S, N16O, N16S, N23O, N23S, N24O, N24S, N25O, N25S, N26O, N26S, N59X and N89X) must obtain a conditional release from their nuclear field duty before submitting an EMDP2 application for consideration for the FY-22 board, in line with reference (b). To obtain a conditional release, applicants must submit an Enlisted Personnel Action Request (NAVPERS 1306/7) to the Nuclear Propulsion Program Manager (OPNAV N133) via the detailer at Enlisted Nuclear Power/Submarine assignments (PERS-403). The FY-22 board will only consider nuclear enlisted candidates who have a conditional release included in their EMDP2 application. 8. Completed electronic applications and supporting documents should be submitted via DoD Safe https://safe.apps.mil/ to the following e-mail address: EMDP2-application(at)usuhs.edu. If documents are encrypted, e-mail the passphrase to EMDP2- application(at)usuhs.edu. Use the following naming convention for e-mails and document file names: LAST NAME (all caps), matriculation year, and last four digits of SSN, plus any other identifier you choose. Applicants can verify receipt of documents by phone (301)319- 0590 or e-mail EMDP2-application(at)usuhs.edu. 9. General questions on the EMDP2 should be sent to EMDP2(at)usuhs.edu. Point of contact for Navy service-specific inquiries is HMCS John W. Huckleberry II, Office of the Hospital Corps, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, at (703) 681-8923 or via e-mail at john.w.huckleberry.mil(at)mail.mil. 10. Released by Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//

UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 292217Z JUL 21 MID200001011550U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 161/21 MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/CNO/JUL// SUBJ/UPDATED MASK GUIDANCE FOR ALL DOD INSTALLATIONS AND OTHER FACILITIES// REF/A/NAVADMIN/141556ZMAY21// REF/B/DEPSECDEF MEMO/28JUL21// NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 095/21, INTERIM UPDATE ON DOD MASK GUIDANCE. REF B IS DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEMORANDUM UPDATED MASK GUIDANCE FOR ALL DOD INSTALLATIONS AND OTHER FACILITIES. RMKS/1. Reference (a) is cancelled and replaced by reference (b). 2. OPNAV N3/N5 POC: CAPT Craig Mattingly, craig.t.mattingly.mil@us.navy.mil. 3. Released by VADM P. G. Sawyer, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy, OPNAV N3/N5.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The U.S. Navy said Thursday that it's charged a sailor with starting a fire last year that destroyed a warship docked off San Diego. The USS Bonhomme Richard burned for more than four days and was the Navy’s worst U.S. warship fire outside of combat in recent memory. The amphibious assault ship was left with extensive structural, electrical and mechanical damage and was later scrapped, costing the Navy billions of dollars.

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Defense Department schools overseas will continue to offer free meals to students through June 2022, school officials said Thursday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted the extension, said Stephen Smith, a spokesman for Department of Defense Education Activity–Europe. Officials with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which provides meals at 76 school cafeterias throughout Europe and the Pacific, said breakfast and lunch will be free at the DODEA schools. The meals are also available to students learning virtually, said Chris Ward, an AAFES spokesman.

The Pentagon on Wednesday announced it would once again require all individuals to wear face coverings when indoors at Defense Department facilities in locations deemed high risk by federal health officials for the spread of coronavirus. The directive from Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Wednesday walks back guidance issued in May that allowed service members and others who had been fully vaccinated against the virus to forgo mask-wearing at Defense Department facilities worldwide. It comes one day after the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance encouraging vaccinated Americans to don masks indoors in certain locations where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly.