January 10, 2009 • 9:05 pm
By Andrew Scutro – Staff writer
NORFOLK, Va. — On Friday in the late afternoon winter light, former President George H.W. Bush walked from his guest quarters on Admiral’s Row to the waterfront on Naval Station Norfolk. He said he wanted one last look at the brand new aircraft carrier bearing his name.
At age 84, he was bundled into a thick overcoat. He wore running shoes but ambled along with a cane. Capt. Kevin O’Flaherty, commander of the ship’s pre-commissioning unit, hustled down the pier to greet a fellow naval aviator.
“Very excited. Very emotional,” Bush said standing on the pier with the giant hull rising behind him. “Very proud of the kids on this ship.”
The next day he was sitting on aircraft elevator 2, with his son, President George W. Bush; Vice President Dick Cheney; Defense Secretary Robert Gates; Navy Secretary Donald Winter; and Navy brass, spouses and family for the ship’s commissioning ceremony. In the coming weeks, the modern warship will undergo sea trials, more shipyard time, and finally preparations for its maiden voyage, a deployment planned for fall 2010.
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Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Mooi, a 22-year-old from Boeing Berk, Ill., is awarded the Navy Cross by Col. Robert G. Oltman during an awards ceremony aboard Camp Pendleton Jan. 8. Three Marines and a sailor were also awarded the Silver Star during the ceremony.
By Lance Cpl. John M. McCall , 1st Marine Division
Four Marines and one Navy corpsman were awarded for their acts of bravery with a Navy Cross and four Silver Stars Jan. 8 aboard Camp Pendleton.
Lance Cpl. Joshua R. Mooi was awarded the Navy Cross during the ceremony. Second Lt. Donald R. McGlothlin, Gunnery Sgt. Robert W. Homer, Cpl. Javier Alvarez and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jesse P. Hickey, were all awarded the Silver Star during the ceremony. McGlothlin was awarded the medal posthumously.
The Navy Cross is the second highest medal a Marine or sailor can receive and the Silver Star is the third highest. Both can only be awarded for acts of heroism during combat.
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Seaman Apprentice Maxwell Antonucci, the religous program specialist for the chaplain of 2nd Maintenance Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, stands next to an art piece of a Marine in full combat gear, here, Jan. 9. Antonucci's job as an RP is to ensure the command's chaplain is always safe.
by Cpl. Aaron Rooks , 2nd Marine Logistics Group
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 9, 2009) MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 9, 2009) —If you search across the landscape of any battlefield where Marines fight, you’re bound to find a Navy chaplain nearby.
If you search a little closer, you will notice an armed enlisted sailor standing close to him, always keeping a watchful eye and standing ready to defend the chaplain’s life at all costs.
“It’s my job to ensure the chaplain’s always safe,” said Seaman Apprentice Maxwell Antonucci, the religious program specialist for the chaplain of 2nd Maintenance Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. “The chaplain’s a noncombatant. There’s a lot of responsibility involved because he places his life in my hands.”
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Former president George H.W. Bush salutes the side boys as he is piped aboard the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) at Naval Station Norfolk. Bush, the ship's namesake, is aboard to participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the official opening of the George H.W. Bush Tribute Room aboard the carrier. George H.W. Bush will be commissioned Saturday. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan A. Bailey/Released)
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Barrie Barber, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Public Affairs NORFOLK (NNS)
Former President George H.W. Bush took an emotional journey into his past with an eye to the future as he toured his namesake aircraft carrier Jan. 8, two days before it’s commissioned in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.
The World War II naval aviator took a first tour of a tribute room aboard the Nimitz-class Pre-Commissioning Unit George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and he addressed hundreds of Sailors in the hangar bay as he stood near a giant bronze statue of him running in flight gear.
“It is very amazing to me, it’s wonderful and it’s a highlight of my life,” he told the Sailors and an entourage of about 50 who accompanied the former commander-in-chief, including former first lady Barbara Bush.
In an interview aboard the carrier, the former president tearfully said it was “very emotional” to have the massive nuclear-powered warship carry his name.
“It’s a great honor,” he said. “It’s incredible technology, so different than what I flew on years and years ago. It’s just amazing.”
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NORFOLK (Jan. 10, 2009) President of the United States George W. Bush speaks at the commissioning of ceremony for the aircraft carier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). Present at the ceremony are his parents, former first lady Barbara Bush and the ship's namesake, former President George H.W. Bush. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Eric S. Garst/Released)
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Diversity has made our Nation and Navy stronger. To derive the most from that diversity, every individual, military or civilian, must be encouraged and enabled to reach his or her full potential. They must be inspired and empowered to attain the most senior levels of leadership. That empowerment today is unleashed by involved, thoughtful, proactive, and enlightened leaders. As leaders, we are all entrusted with the duty and responsibility to set and live the example by creating an environment where every individual’s contribution is valued and respected. Future empowerment is cultivated by that same leadership and mentorship and an active commitment to attracting and recruiting the very best. We will foster an environment that respects the individual’s worth based on his or her performance regardless of race, gender, or creed.
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