1. THE WINDSOCK
December 2011
January 2012 Fleet Weather Center, San Diego Newsletter
Congratulations to all the Advancement Selectees!! UPCOMING EVENTS
December/January
Dec
06 Naval Meteorology and
Oceanography Birthday
07 Attack on Pearl Harbor
11 Charger Game
14 All Hands Meeting
15 Holiday Party
16-27 First Holiday Period
18 Charger Game
28 Turnover Day
Jan
28-09 Second Holiday Period
16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
COMMANDING OFFICER COLUMN
Season’s Greetings Shipmates! As 2011 comes to a close and 2012 dawns, we all have much to remember, reflect upon, and look
forward to. IProfessionalism!proud to be associated with an extremely impressive and professional group of Americans at FWC-
Pride and for one am very
SD. You continue to represent your country, the Navy, the command, and yourselves very well. The numerous BZ’s and notes of
appreciation I consistently see from the Fleet regarding your exceptional support are a prime example of the outstanding
reputation you have established for the command. So too is the ironclad foundation for success you have laid for our command
over the first year since its establishment. You have truly taken ownership in the programs and processes enabling continuous
command improvement. I am excited about the future, and the many possibilities it brings for our new organization.
Some things on my mind during this season are:
-Dec. 6 marks the 181st anniversary of Naval Meteorology and Oceanography. On Dec. 6, 1830, the Naval Depot of Charts and
Instruments was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy John Branch. Over the years, the Depot underwent many name
and mission changes and is considered the beginning of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. We will mark
this event on Tuesday, 6 Dec. with a cookout and cake enjoyed in the command courtyard, this tradition will continue with annual
observances of the birth of Naval Meteorology Oceanography.
-Dec. 7 marks the 70th anniversary of the Japanese aircraft carrier attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
The Japanese success was overwhelming, but it was not complete. They failed to damage any of the American aircraft carriers,
which by a stroke of luck, had been absent from the harbor. They neglected to damage the shoreside facilities at the Pearl
Harbor Naval Base, which played an important role in the allied victory in World War II. American technological skill raised and
repaired all but three of the ships sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor. Most importantly, the shock and anger caused by the
surprise attack united our nation and was translated into a wholehearted commitment to victory in World War II.
-28 January 1986 - Space shuttle Challenger explodes killing CDR Michael Smith, USN, and 6 other astronauts. This was one of
those tragedies where you will always remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news. I
watched this news with my company-mates from First Company at the Naval Academy in our wardroom as we heard of those on
this mission who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
-16 January 1991 - Operation Desert Storm, liberation of Kuwait from Iraq, begins. What comes to mind for me is my time as a
SWO on my first ship, running the length of the Persian Gulf back and forth for the duration of Desert Storm. I was OOD and the
ship’s Navigator, my Conning Officer was then ENS Vince Tolbert, former Fresno State lineman, and well-liked by the crew. We
had several close calls with mines, and heart-pumping scenarios on the bridge together. Vince later paid the ultimate sacrifice
while working in the Pentagon on 9/11.
As the Holiday Season begins, I look forward to spending time at our Christmas Party together on the 15 th. To those deployed
around the world, forward at our Detachments and Components, and standing duty - thanks for keeping the watch for all of us.
Also, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a heartfelt thank you to all our families without whose enduring support true success
is not possible.
Enjoy the upcoming holidays with family and friends; rest, recharge and stay safe by making good choices. The New Year will
bring its own unique set of challenges and opportunities as each year does. We will get through them together, become a
stronger team, and continue to build a first class Fleet Weather Center in support of the Fleet.
Thank you all for the hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and patriotism you represent every day. Pride and Professionalism!
Page 1 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume 1, Issue 7 ● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271

2. CMC SOAPBOX AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Congratulations to all of our Sailors who advanced off the Cycle 212 Fall 2011 Navy wide
Sailors of the Year
Advancement Exam. Your hard work and great study habits have been rewarded. Please AG1 Lopez Shore SSOY 2011
mentor and share your proven habits with those that have not advanced. Chief Cardin AG1 Ho Sea SSOY 2011
and I are combing through all profile sheets to identify trends to discover how we can AG2 Hicks Shore JSOY 2011
modify training. N7 Leadership along with CCC and I will be performing Career AG2 Price Sea JSOY 2011
Development Boards on those of you not selected and are looking to make you successful Navy Achievement Medal
on the Spring 2012 Navy wide Advancement Exams. Congratulations are also in order for AG1 Snyder
AG2 McBride for becoming an IDC Warrior with her successful completion of all AG3 Dean
Flag Letter of Commendation
requirements for Enlisted Information Dominance Warfare Specialist qualification.
AGC Beverly
Another shameless plug for the FWC-SD Holiday Party. Please see anyone from the MWR AGC Koehn
Committee for tickets. Please exercise ORM on this event and all your Holiday Season AGC Gibson
activities, this means having a detailed plan, briefing the plan then executing the plan. Of LS1 Winnett
course part of this includes contingencies if you have to deviate from your plan. Shelter AG3 Smith
Island where the Kona Kai Hotel is located is a known DUI and speed trap, numerous Letter of Appreciation
speed bumps along with a heavy SDPD presence. AG3 Perfetti
The December/January timeframe can be a stressful time for those separated from family IDWO
LCDR Smith
and not just the young Sailor on their first enlistment either. Please look out for our
LTJG Frye
shipmates and include them in your liberty/holiday festivities if they would otherwise sit LTJG Mitchell
home alone in their apartment or barracks room. Looking forward to everyone returning EIDWS
from leave and liberty over the New Year safely with the batteries recharged ready to AG2 McBride
tackle the challenges ahead of us. Advancement Selectees
Very Respectfully, AGCM Matt White-DFIU AG1 Madore
AG1 Beacham
OMBUDSMAN CORNER AG1 MulliClementss
AG1 Sink
What are we always trying to do at this time of the year? Save some money, get a good
AG1 Vohs
deal, and have a little fun. Well, I have something for you, the Wave-Winds. It’s a bi- AG1 Ponce
monthly publication of the Navy Region Southwest, produced for military members and AG1 Swartz
their families to enhance their quality of life. It has everything from aquatics to massage AG1 Gee
therapy to wood hobby shops. Free to low cost deals. Every issue has the phone numbers, AG2 Clark
locations, and hours of operations for all the MWR offices and Liberty facilities for all bases. AG2 Mahoney
You can pick one up at any MWR office or you can request one be sent to your home. AG2 Woosley
Here are a few things you can expect to find: AG2 Osborne
AG2 Jaraczeski
- Military discounts, tickets, classes and travel offers
AG2 St Michel
- Wondering what to do on Christmas or New Years Eve? AG2 Barzon
- Have Children? Want them to have something to do over winter break? A kid’s night out, AG2 Graham
volunteer options, maybe sports? What about some free child care to finish some holiday AG2 Schoonver
shopping? AG2 Beers
If you are interested in getting a copy View it online at AG3 Mitchell
www.mwrtoday.com/sandiego/about/nltw or call 619-556-2334 or Email AG3 Leonhardt
wanda.riggs@navy.mil. AG3 Florent
AG3 Bigby
Current events
AG3 Waring
*Jungle Bells @ the San Diego Zoo AG3 Williams, A.
*Holiday of Lights @ the DelMar Fairgrounds AG3 Walker
*Don’t forget to use your, free Sea World tickets (active duty member +3). Just show an AG3 Williams B.
active military ID at the ticket window and you’re in. AG3 Rouston
AG3 Cobos
AG3 Weisgerber
HOLIDAY PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT AG3 Atkinson
AG3 Long
This year’s Command Holiday Party will be on December 15th, 2011 at the Kona Kai AG3 Debona
Resort on Shelter Island AG3 Venable
AG3 Bro
AG3 Davis
Ticket are on sale now!
AG3 Sullivan
AG3 Killion
E-1 to E-3: $25 AG3 Gower
E-4 to E-5: $30 AG3 Tucker
E-6 to E-7: $40 (GS-5 to GS-9) AG3 Springsteen
E-8 to O-6: $50 (GS-10 to GS-13) AG3 Lundy
AG3 Pauley
This years prizes include: 2 Big Screen TV's, 2 IPads, IPod Docks, Coffee Makers, X-Box Connect, AG Ellett
DJ Hero, Various San Diego Adventures to include, Massage for 2, Fishing Charter for 2, Dinner on AG3 Hicks
the Hornblower for 2, Kayaking for 2, 2 tickets for the Catalina Express, Paddle Boating at Mission AG3 Hartman
Bay, White Water Rafting Adventure, and various comedy shows, movie tickets and K-1 Speed AG3 Losier
show tickets, as well as 2 Michael Jackson tickets - Cirque Du Soleil AG3 Rodriguez
AG3 Chalmers
AG3 Warn
Page 2 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume 1, Issue 7 ● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271

3. DEPARTMENT FOCUS: SGOT
The Strike Group Oceanography Team (SGOT) consists of 90 Sailors
who deploy in support of Carrier Strike Group (CSG), Expeditionary
Strike Group (ESG), and Mobile Environmental Team (MET)
missions. The typical detachment for CSG and ESG support
consists of a team LCPO, three Forecasters and four Apprentice
Forecasters, while MET missions are normally comprised of a
Forecaster and an Apprentice Forecaster.
Once formed, each team goes through a robust training
program that includes tailored Meteorology and Oceanography
Page 2
(METOC) support courses provided by the Naval Meteorology and
Oceanography Professional Development Detachment Pacific to
satisfy Fleet Readiness Training Plan requirements. The training
culminates in basic, intermediate, and advanced team trainers
which render the teams “Deployment Ready”.
The SGOT administrative personnel are the unsung heroes,
TOP: FWC-SD Welcomes home the USS RONALD REAGAN Strike
constantly monitor ever changing ship schedules and ensuring
Group Oceanography Team upon return from a successful 7 month
each team is manned properly based on current manning models deployment in September 2011.
and availability of personnel. In addition to manning, careful BOTTOM: AG3 Beranek conducts PQS training in the SGOT briefing
attention is given to ensure each team is also trained and room.
equipped to meet mission demands.
Since its inception, SGOT has garnered a high degree of success
despite the challenges of a high operational tempo (OPTEMPO).
This past year was no exception as highlighted by the successful
deployments of USS PELELIU, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, USS CARL
VINSON, USS RONALD REAGAN and USS BOXER. Teams are
currently deployed with USS JOHN C STENNIS, USS MAKIN ISLAND,
USS CARL VINSON and USS ABRAHAM LINCLON. With a cadre of
dedicated and highly motivated sea-going professionals, SGOT is
on track for another successful year of providing first-rate METOC
support to the fleet.
TEAMMATE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
AG3 (AW/SW) Matthew Mannila is an Apprentice Forecaster stationed at Fleet Weather Center-San Diego since 2009.
Coming from a legacy of Naval service, both of his grandfathers were Bluejackets. At a young age AG3 dreamed of
becoming a sailor, but didn’t enlist until he turned 23 years old. After high school, he attended college full time and worked
a string of jobs in Georgia, his home state. It wasn’t until he moved out west to Arizona that he finally decided to pick up the
phone and dialed 411 - asking for a recruiter.
At MEPS, the idea of becoming a weatherman sounded like the quintessential Sailor job and an excuse to get topside. So he
chose AG and the rest was history.
AG3 Mannila checked onboard Fleet Weather Center San Diego and hit the deckplates running. He has
already served on three different platforms. His first ship ride was the USS JOHN C STENNIS (CVN 74) during an
exercise off the coast of Mexico. Then he was assigned to the USS BOXER (LHD 4) team where he completed
a deployment, earned dual warfare qualifications (EAWS and ESWS), advanced to Petty Officer Third Class,
and visited three different continents. More recently, AG3 Mannila returned from a three week exercise
aboard IX-524 in support of Pacific Missile Range Facility. The barge out of Hawaii served as a platform for
Hypersonic Weapon System testing. Although fishing Mahi Mahi and Skipjack off the stern was considered
one of the perks on his recent travel, his main mission as Upper Air Technician was to launch weather
balloons.
AG3 Mannila is working on his second college degree and will be attending Oregon State University online in
January. In addition, he is well on the path of completing his EIDWS qualification. “I’m a great believer in
luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it,” cited by AG3 Mannila as an influential writing of
Thomas Jefferson.
AG3 Mannila aspires to continue serving his country in the National Park Service or U.S. Forest Service. He
doesn’t have many pet peeves, but says micromanagement is one of them. His hobbies include hiking,
snowboarding, skating, stand-up paddle boarding, reading, and driving.
CNMOC Facebook Website
http://www.facebook.com/NavalOceanography
FWC-SD Ombudsman:
fwcsdombudsman@gmail.com
Victoria Mitchell: (619)-207-9510
Teri Garza: (619)-207-9634
Page 3 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume 1, Issue 7● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271

4. For the second straight year, Chief Petty Officers from various commands
around the COMTHIRDFLT Area of Responsibility (AOR) assembled for a four-day
FWC-SD CHIEFS VISITS RTC GREAT LAKES
trip to Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, IL, Nov. 15-18. At the
request of the fleet, their objective was to gain experience of how today’s
Recruits are being trained and to provide feedback. Headed by
CMDCM(SW/AW) Joann Ortloff of COMTHIRDFLT, the team of 65 chartered a
Navy Air Logistics Office (NALO) flight from NAS North Island to RTC.
AGC(SW) Ruel Lacno of FWC-SD SGOT was one of the lucky members from
FWC-SD to attend . “I was very excited before we left and was glad that I
volunteeed for this trip. I went through RTC Great Lakes from Apr. to Jun. 1996
and haven’t been back since. I was interested to see how today’s Recruits are
being trained and what RTC Great Lakes looks like today. I can’t believe how
much has changed (physically) at RTC. Nothing looked familiar! I was also
fortunate enough to have some face-time with several Recruits,” said Lacno .
Of the 65 Chiefs, Senior Chiefs, and Master Chiefs, only about five or six did not
go through RTC Great Lakes when they were young Recruits. Just like Chief
Lacno, most of the ones who graduated from Great Lakes have never been
back. The only exceptions were the few who served as Recruit Division
Commanders (RDC). But even for those folks, it was a surprise to see the
latest changes, some of which were only completed July of 2010.
Some of the notable changes of today’s Boot Camp are:
-Newly designed barracks (called “ships”) that house internal Galleys (cafeterias).
-A $31 million, 183,000 square foot physical fitness training facility, “Freedom Hall”. The facility has four, six-lane, 1/8 of a mile tracks.
440 Recruits can simultaneously use all four tracks.
-A 210ft Arleigh Burke class destroyer simulator named USS Trayer (BST-21) in honor of LCDR James Trayer, company commander of
RTC Great Lakes’ first Recruit company to successfully complete Boot Camp. This partial replica integrates the simulated aftermath
of destruction onboard USS Cole (DDG-67) (terrorist bombing), USS Tripoli (LPH-10) (mine damage), and USS Stark (FFG-31) (missile
attack). Lessons learned from these catastrophes are readily applied to a training evolution known as Battle Stations 21 which
serves as the Rites of Passage, the
transition from Recruit to Sailor.
Successful completion of this NEWS FROM THE FRONTIER
evolution is required before a Recruit
graduates. FWC AVN Det Pearl Harbor:
“I was highly impressed with the - On November 4th, the FWC Pearl Harbor Navy detachment hosted the 17th
changes made at Great Lakes,” said Operational Weather Squadron Commander’s Cup. The 17 th OWS Commander’s
AGC(SW) Lacno. The COMTHIRDFLT Cup is a multi-service quarterly gathering where service members, as well as family,
Chiefs were briefed that the internal come together for food and friendly sports competitions. Events included volleyball,
Galleys saved about two days’ worth basketball, ultimate football, kickball, corn hole, and Polish horseshoes. There were
of marching time. “Back when I was a seventy-five people in attendance to make up five teams. After feasting upon a
Recruit at Great Lakes, we had to smorgasbord of barbeque, the games began! While the fun and games are a
march to chow. At first I thought that great way to break up the day to day routine, the key purpose of the event is to
the less frequent marching of today’s foster teamwork. The race for the trophy was tight, and in the end the training flight
Recruits would hamper marching and rain victorious among the teams. It should be noted, however, that the Navy
formation skills. But after what I’ve dominated at Volleyball!
seen, they’re just as good as ever,”
said AGC(SW) Lacno.
AGC(AW/SW) Glenn Kleiner of FWC-
FWC AVN Det Atsugi:
-Site Visit with CDR Hinz on 16 November 2011: OPSO met with base CO and P-CO
SD Aviation was among the group. “I
discussed the future plans for Atsugi and heard the CO's concerns.
actually went through Boot Camp at
-AGC Deshotel, AG3 Phelps and AGAN Albert awarded an LOC from CAPT Monroe
RTC Orlando; however, I really
for outstanding PFA scores in the Spring 2011 PFA. The detachment commended on
enjoyed this trip because of the one –
a job well done for Operation Tomodachi and for the dedication the Sailors have for
on-one sessions we had with the
our mission.
Recruits. We actually had time to visit
Transfers:
an entire Division within their
AG1 (Sel) Madore Transferred to FWC-SD on 12 November
compartment to mentor and answer
AG1 Erickson Transferring to NOAC Yokosuka on 15 December
questions they had. The one thing
****Have a safe and wonderful Holiday from Atsugi Detachment!!!****
that really struck me was the USS
Trayer. At first I thought we were in
Universal Studios with all of the state- STK Det Fallon:
of-the-art special effects!” said - AG1 Stephanie Reynolds and AG2 Glen Soucie deployed this month, just in time to
AGC(AW/SW) Kleiner. be underway for the holidays. We wish them a rewarding and successful
Present day RTC Great Lakes is a 12- deployment.
year $770 million project, completed Fair winds and following seas to AG1 Aaron Carr and family who transferred to
in the middle of 2010. Since the Professional Development Detachment Pacific. They will be missed in Fallon and
closure of RTC Orlando in 1995, RTC make a wonderful addition to the San Diego METOC team.
Great Lakes has been the Navy’s only
Boot Camp. CDR Mike Kuypers
Executive Officer
Page 4 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume 1, Issue 7 ● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271