Commentaries - Page 12

Government employee gift restrictions
March 31, 2017 — Government employees are often approached by contractors or community leaders with gift offers; some modest and some not so modest. As a government employee, you may not accept gifts from someone who does or who is seeking to do business with the federal government. Nor are you allowed to accept gifts given because of your official position. Both...

Why I serve
March 15, 2017 — I recently surpassed 28 years of military service and I'm often asked, "What has kept you in the service this long?" or "Why do you continue to serve?" I've pondered these questions on numerous occasions and my response often revolves around the annual Personal Statement of Military Compensation we all receive on myPay. This statement outlines...

JB Charleston coworkers feeling the heat
March 1, 2017 — This past Presidents Day I watched from the entrance of my garage while my wife and son drove away to a doctor’s appointment. As I turned back to finish the project I had been working on, my Mom, who was visiting for the weekend, called out, “Ethan is getting out and running back. He must have forgotten something.” Then I heard him shouting,...

Never give in
March 1, 2017 — In the last few weeks, most high school wrestling seasons concluded with an individual state wrestling tournament to determine the best wrestler in each weight class and school classification. In my hometown of Cary, North Carolina, a young man named Kobe Early, a wrestler in the 106 pound class, had one of the best seasons a Cary High School...

NHCC reaching for NBM goals
March 1, 2017 — Naval Health Clinic Charleston takes great pride in delivering the safest and highest quality healthcare to service members, retirees, family members and veterans. Since the beginning of the new year, NHCC has already made great strides in providing more and better services than ever before in our history. Our hard working and dedicated staff is...

Leadership through experience
February 14, 2017 — I was a twelve year old on a drizzly overcast morning in Southern California looking out the window of the family car, listening with anticipation as my parents spoke about my upcoming experience at the Naval Sea Cadet Basic Training Program. Being a “Navy Brat,” I was well versed in sea service lingo, tradition and culture. However nothing could...

Contracts contribute to SPAWAR mission
February 1, 2017 — Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic provides Information Warfare solutions for our Navy/Marine Corps team. These solutions ensure command and control, logistics, intelligence, medical support, air traffic control, satellite and terrestrial communications, networks, air traffic control and cyber offensive and...

A Junior Officer’s reflection on leadership
January 26, 2017 — While professional organizations require structure and the appointment of leaders within a tiered system to properly function, the daily demonstration of leadership by all personnel is a necessity for success. The first lesson I learned in my short career as a naval officer is: whether you know it, believe it or see it, we are all leaders. The...

Making memories of a lifetime
January 18, 2017 — I recently celebrated my 30-year anniversary in the United States Navy. It doesn’t seem that long ago when I reported to my first duty station and started this journey. Over the past couple months I took some time to reflect on my service and how it shaped my life. Of course there’s been a lot of moves, deployments and new learning experiences...

Proud Heritage of Commander’s Coin
January 18, 2017 — Our profession of arms has a rich history of symbolism, from our rank insignia, to our badges, to individual medals and decorations. That symbolism is sometimes at its most creative in unit and commander coins. What many may not realize, however, is just how integrated with our military history military coins are.In recent decades, coins have...