USS Boxer's October 2013 newsletter, "Bark of the Boxer."

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A newspaper for Sailors and Marines of Boxer and 13th MEU
October 11, 2013
Sailors Learn How to Cope with Stress
Sailors and Marines participate in Operational Stress Control training.
Launched early June, Operational Stress Control
(OSC) training offers deployed Sailors effective tools
to help them cope with stress aboard the amphibious
assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4).
“The training focuses on individual traits, but
more importantly on the unit dynamics [of stress].”
said Lt. Cmdr. Reynalda McBee, Boxer OSC coordinator.
“Teaching coping mechanisms to anticipated challenges
can better prepare Sailors [to deal with stress].”
Boxer is paving the way when it comes to giving
the OSC training on board a ship. Adopting a proactive
strategy toward mental health and overall wellness
involves educating the crew on steps they can take to
decrease deployment stress and make the time at sea
meaningful and productive.
“The USS Boxer is the first ship to roll out the OSC
program,” said Lt. George Loeffler, psychiatrist aboard
Boxer. “Not only is the USS Boxer setting the standard,
it is charting a course for how operational stress will be
Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Robert Sanchez
understood, prevented and treated. It is an honor to be a
part of this [program].”
The main goal of OSC is to reduce mental health
issues related to stress by educating Sailors to use
resiliency, recognize when they are being affected by
stress, and eliminate the stigma associated with getting
help.
Boxer is taking the approach of training senior
leadership first, so they know what signs to look for
and how to deal with them. Several chiefs have already
taught the OSC training to the junior Sailors.
“Deployed Sailors are under a tremendous
amount of stress,” said Loeffler. “Whether it’s working
in the mess decks, working down in engineering, or
up on the flight deck, the demands of the mission can
be enormous. And just because we’re deployed doesn’t
mean life stops. Things happen in our personal lives,
things happen back home.”
Deployments can bring family separation, long
work hours and many uncertainties; for a first-time
Sailor this may be a lot to deal with.
OSC challenges Sailors to get involved when they
see signs that a shipmate is having problems with stress.
“Getting appropriate help early through their
peers and chain of command is critical for prevention
and mitigating most of the problems,” added McBee.
Continued on pg. 7
Sailor of the week
Also in this issue
Sailors Sleep Soundly, pg. 2
Meet the Boxer Bread Czar, pg. 4
EOD Teams up with Singapore Navy, pg. 6
Happy Birthday Navy! pg. 8
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Congrats to Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Dave
Patterson, USS Boxer’s Sailor of the Week! Representing C5I Department,
Patterson hails from Reno, Nev.

2. Sailors add new accesory to
their Slumber
Boxer Profile
Introduces
Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman
(SW) Veronica Mammina
Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault
ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) received a shipment of hand-made
pillowcases from the Heads at Ease organization as a new
accessory to brighten their living spaces Oct. 1.
“I call them a permanent hug or a touch of home,” said
Sue Lamberson, founder and chief executive officer of HAE. “It’s
to bring comfort to our deployed troops and to let them know
that the people of the USA have their backs.”
Lamberson said she began the organization in June
2008 as a way to show support for her son, who was in the
Navy. Her plan was just to make a few. As of Sept. 30, HAE has
made and mailed 36,443 pieces throughout all branches of the
military.
“It’s nice to know others are taking the time out to serve
the armed forces while we do our part to serve our country,”
said Cmdr. Joel S. Morton, chaplain aboard Boxer.
For some Sailors, they were able to find a pillowcase that
reflected their personality.
“I spotted the pillowcase I wanted right away,” said
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class (AW) James Vickers, who
received a pillowcase designed with tractor print. “It was really
cool to see all the different designs we were able to choose
from.”
Lamberson said she is grateful for all of the volunteers
who have donated money or have sewn pillowcases.
“I really appreciated the gesture,” added Vickers. “It
also lifts the spirits of the people who don’t usually receive mail
at all.”
Once finished with Boxer, Lamberson said she is
planning on shipping pillowcases to the other deployed ships
of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and continuing her
projects as long as she has the help and deployed troops.
Sailors display pillowcases, which they received from the Heads at Ease organization.
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3. Photo by MC2 Kenan O’Connor
Photo by MC2 Kenan O’Connor
Photo by
MCSN (SW
onnor
MC2 Kenan O’C
Top: The sun sets in Singapore.
Bottom Left: The Singapore skyline during a sunny day.
Bottom Middle: Chinatown at night.
Bottom Right: A buddha statue in Little India, Singapore.
Photo by FC2 Anthony McAfee
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) Veronica
Photo by
Mammina

4. Raising
More
than Just
Bread
Story and photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd
Class Kenan O’Connor
N
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apoleon Bonaparte, the former emperor of
France, once said “an army marches on its
stomach.” The same can be said about the Navy
and the Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious
assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4).
One of the newest cooks, and arguably the
best baker aboard the ship, has been doing his part
to provide quality food for the crew to help keep the
ship moving forward. From his soft, moist, delectable
cookies to his warm, tasty, home-style bread rolls,
Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Terry Morris has been
creating quite a stir throughout the ship with the food
that he bakes.
Morris may have only started cooking and
baking for Boxer in January when he first reported
aboard, but he is far from unqualified in the kitchen.
He has had experience in the culinary field since he
was a small child.

5. “My grandma taught me how to bake and cook
when I was really little,” explained Morris. “And I have been
baking and cooking ever since. It’s just something that I
really enjoy doing.”
After high school, Morris went on to further hone
his culinary skills by receiving a degree in baking and
pastry arts at the Pinellas Technical Education Center in St.
Petersburg, Fla.
“I’ve been very impressed with the products that
Morris creates,” said Chief Culinary Specialist Virgilio
Ibarra, one of Morris’s supervisors. “It is his passion to
produce great baked goods.”
Morris spent his years before joining the Navy
working at a bakery in a Publix grocery store, the kitchen
of a children’s hospital, Panera Bread, and at a couple mom
and pop bakeries. At one point he even owned his own
bakery.
When Morris made the decision to join the Navy, he
knew with absolute certainty that he wanted to continue
cooking and baking while he was serving.
“The recruiter looked at me like I was crazy when I
walked in and told him that I willingly wanted to be a cook,”
said Morris. “But I knew that I wanted to continue cooking
while carrying on my family tradition of military service.”
“My dad is retired Navy, and he told me that you
can always tell when you have a really good baker on a
ship,” continued Morris. “Because he would always train
the junior cooks and pass on his knowledge, which in turn
would bring up the quality of baked goods throughout the
ship and make everybody happier.”
Morris has cooked in several kitchens while
onboard Boxer, from the main mess decks to the wardroom
to the bakeshop; yet wherever Morris goes, the legacy of his
delicious baked goods and bread follow him.
Capt. John E. Gumbleton, commanding officer of
Boxer, has said himself that Morris is “improving morale
with each tray of rolls that he makes.”
Morris has maintained a deep passion throughout
his life for baking and cooking.
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It has been that love of culinary art that drives
Morris to want to pass on his skills and knowledge to
those around him.
Helping those around him improve their
baking skills is only one of Morris’ goals while in the
Navy.
“I would love to eventually revamp the
culinary system in the Navy,” added Morris. “I want
to bring a fresher, new look into everything. I want to
bring my own touch to it.”

6. EOD Conducts Professional Exchange with
Singapore Navy
U.S. Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians
with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary
Unit, welcomed Cmdr. K.H. Chew, Singapore Navy EOD officer
in charge, and 15 Singapore Navy EOD technicians and divers
aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, Oct.
4.
“It was a distinct pleasure to meet the Singapore Navy
EOD Divers and their Commanding Officer LTC Chew,” said Staff
Sgt. Anthony Delmont, explosive ordnance disposal technician
with CLB-13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. “Explosive
Ordnance Disposal is a community, which regardless of country or
government, will actively seek out opportunities to communicate
and learn from other bomb disposal experts.”
The visit provided an opportunity for U.S. Marines and
Singapore Navy to conduct an exchange of greetings and build
interoperable, professional relationships. As Marines guided
the group from the USS Boxer lover V to the flight deck, they
exchanged knowledge about EOD roles and responsibilities
aboard the ship.
The tour culminated in the ship’s flag mess for a brief on
the Marines’ experiences encountering Operation Iraqi Freedom
and Operation Enduring Freedom improvised explosive device
tactics, techniques, procedures and how they adapted to an
evolving battlefield quickly.
EOD technicians and divers from the Singapore Navy also
discussed their operations and their overwhelming responsibility
they have ensuring the safety of the maritime traffic and the
difficulties occasionally encountered in some of their responses,
Delmont said.
Story and photo by Sgt. Jennifer J. Pirante
“It is incumbent upon us to share our lessons learned with
our EOD brothers and sisters and we look forward to furthering
the relationship between the United States Marine and Singapore
EOD technicians,” Delmont said.
EOD Marines recently showcased their broad field
experience during Operation Tropic Thunder in Hawaii and
Amphibious Landing Exercise 14.1 in the Philippines. Both
exercises aimed to sustain operability and readiness to respond
to any crisis throughout the Western Pacific.
Marine Staff Sgt. Anthony Delmont, explosive ordnance disposal technician with CLB
13, 13th MEU, escorts Cmdr. K.H. Chew, Singapore Navy EOD officer in charge, and
15 Singapore Navy EOD technicians aboard Boxer at Changi Naval base, Singapore.
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7. Boxer Profile
Profile
Introduces
Introduces
Stress Control (cont.)
“Complex cases will be referred to chaplains
and medical, however, we expect those to be far
fewer with this training.”
Sailors also learn to detect stress at an early
stage and to prevent it from becoming a serious
issue by using positivism, behavior control, flexible
thinking, resiliency and exercise as a stress reducer.
“It was good to know that ways to reduce
stress were things I like doing,” said Airman Brody
Verona. “Exercising and reading are two things that
I enjoy and if it helps reduce stress, that’s even
better.”
Ultimately, OSC strives to improve the overall
welfare of all Sailors.
“Everyone needs to learn how to adapt and
cope with stress because stress is part of our lives,”
said McBee. “This is a basic life skill requirement to
succeed, not just in the Navy but in life in general.
Stress is not the enemy; growth and character are
developed through stressful situations. Adaptive
coping skills are needed to preserve the confidence
and self-esteem of Sailors and thus making them
more resilient in the face of challenges.”
Bark of the boxer is...
Public Affairs Officer
MCC(SW/AW) Steve Zurell
Editorial Staff
MC1(SW) Brian Biller
MC1(SW/AW/EXW) Jessica Vargas
MC1(SW) Jennifer Gold
Managing Editor
MC2 Kenan O’Connor
Layout and Design
MCSN (SW) Veronica Mammina
Media Staff
MC2 Kenan O’Connor
MC3(SW/AW) Brian Jeffries
MC3(EXW/SW) Jarrod Schwartz
MC3 Joseph Bishop
MC3 Mark El-Rayes
MC3 Mayra Knight
MC3 Robert R. Sanchez
MCSN(SW) Veronica Mammina
MCSN Conor Minto
Contributors
Sgt. Jennifer Pirante
This newspaper is an authorized publication
for military members aboard USS Boxer
(LHD 4). Contents of Bark of the Boxer
are not the official views of, or endorsed by
the U.S. Government, the Department of
Defense or the United States Navy.
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