Don’t ruin 2012 by dying and or killing someone else because of a moronic, stupid mistake.

Don’t drink and drive.

Carry on, smartly.

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

View the 7 minute video, it is worth every bit of your time, and then some.

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

As you can see, I have Florida going all the way even though they did look horrible against Kentucky today.

Navy CyberSpace 2011 NCAA Basketball Bracket

Who do you have winning it all this year?

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

Mullet Wrapper is a term we used when I was a kid for print media – we would literally wrap our mullet in it. Before I joined the Navy, I was a commercial fisherman…

Anyway, lately, I have actually been cracking open the cover of “Proceedings”, and I must say, my perceptions have been wrong – if you want to know how your Navy is moving along, BOTH magazines should be readily available in your library, no matter if you hold your pinky finger out while drinking or not.

Today, I became a member of the Naval Institute.

Besides catching up on the numerous back issues of “Proceedings” I have yet to read, and the other available publications, my first order of business is to vote against a change that may very well sink the organization which I just reported aboard.

Steeljaw Scribe tells it like it is (bold emphasis is mine);

…the USNI Board of Directors is asking the membership to approve a new mission statement that changes “the Mission of the Naval Institute to ‘advocating the necessity of global seapower.’” because “The Board believes that the United States must support and maintain a strong, global naval capability and that a proper role for the Institute is to be a proactive advocate for that goal.” In essence, turning what had been a professional forum for the wide-ranging discussion of matters of naval import into another lobbying organization.

Galrahn at Information Dissemination brought up a another very good point;

The use of the phrase “Proactive advocate” suggests to me the organization would change into a political lobby. That seems to me to be the fastest way to get the USNI thrown off the campus at Annapolis.

I would like to add another concern. Over time, I’m afraid, publications that are a staple for new recruits at boot-camp like “A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy” and even “The Bluejackets’ Manual” may adopt political overtones. Can you envision a future without “The Bluejackets’ Manual”? I cannot. That potential alone is a good reason to join the Naval Institute and vote no on the measure.

I’ll close with the best advice of the day, CDR Salamander writes,

If you are a member of USNI – then don’t miss that ballot. If you are not a member – then join so you can have a say in this critically important organization. Examine the issue, and vote your conscience.

Joining the USNI is not difficult, and it isn’t expensive. Not only will USNI membership allow you to vote for the direction the organization may take, but you also get to read monthly publications like “Proceedings” – that alone is worth it! So get over there and come aboard, your brain cells will thank you.

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

Happy Holidays!

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

Ramp helps those confined to a wheelchair in entering the water.

The ramp is an example of a tool used to make life a little more accessible for our wounded warriors. Like the Shades of Green, you too can help our wounded with a donation to Project Valour-IT of Soldier’s Angels, a not for profit organization, which provides voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

I challenge you to donate to Soldier’s Angels, Project Valour-it, AT LEAST as much as you spent on your Halloween decorations, costumes and candy this year! Don’t Wait, DO IT NOW!

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Technology supplied includes:

• Voice-controlled Laptops – Operated by speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.
• Wii Video Game Systems – Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities).
• Personal GPS – Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

Soldiers Angel’s has been designated a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity by the IRS, so direct donations to Soldiers’ Angels are deductible to the extent allowed by law.

h/t Team Navy
USNI Blog
Boston Maggie
Steeljaw Scribe
CDR Salamander
XFormed

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

The newest NASCAR sponsor: the GI Bill
By Rick Maze – Staff writer

In an effort to bring more attention to veterans education benefits, the GI Bill will sponsor a car in a Sept. 11 NASCAR race in Richmond, Va., and is also one of the sponsors of the race itself.

The Air National Guard is the chief sponsor of that Sprint Cup Series 400 race, which will be called the Air Guard 400.

The idea, according to Veterans Affairs Department officials, is to get the GI Bill plastered on a racecar and frequently mentioned by broadcasters to spread the word about the availability of the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

With the Air Guard’s, and now the VA’s contribution, the American taxpayer should get free admission to the track. I wonder how big the sport would be without the injection of government funds?

Sponsoring the race and a car in the race is part of an outreach program aimed at getting more people to use the year-old GI Bill benefits program.

The combined cost of sponsoring a car and the race will be about $420,000, a significant part of a $1 million advertising campaign that also includes buying ads in college newspapers and in online publications to try to reach eligible service members and veterans, VA officials said.

Having a racecar painted with the GI Bill as its sole sponsor, having the pit crew dressed to match the car and doing some pre-race promotions will cost about $200,000, VA officials said. Serving as an official race sponsor will cost another $250,000. Sponsorship will result in frequent mentions of the GI Bill and its purpose during the nighttime race on the oval track, officials said.

NASCAR is a good way to reach service members and veterans, VA officials said, because marketing surveys show that one-third of NASCAR fans are veterans or personally know a veteran. The Defense Department also advertises at NASCAR events because of marketing surveys that show race fans have a greater interest in military service than people who don’t watch NASCAR events.

An added benefit of being a race sponsor is that NASCAR events are broadcast on military radio and television networks, VA officials said.

“We wanted to do more than just reach veterans and influencers that are thinking about school … we wanted to also reach those folks who could be going to school but may not be fully aware of the benefit,” VA spokesman Nathan Naylor said.

Thank goodness the Navy learned it’s lesson when a couple of years ago they put the brakes on NASCAR.

Seriously, if there is an eligible veteran who watches this NASCAR race and only then realizes, “Oh my gosh, I didn’t know I could use the GI-Bill!”; then, hopefully, they can transfer the benefit to someone who may be able to put it to good use.

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.

Today, my wife gave me a new lens for my camera; a 55-250mm lens, so I can take close up shots of the animals at the zoo, and as it turns out, the animals that happen to roam our back yard in the middle of the day. We named him “Ranger.”

Ranger the Raccoon

The approved 2012 Military Pay Chart for basic pay, effective January 1, 2012.
The 2013 Military Pay raise estimation based on ECI - Title 37, US Code.