Santa Barbara Navy League Attends PCU California (SSN 781) Christening

November 22, 2010 - The Santa Barbara Navy League (SBNL) attended the christening of the newest U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarine, the Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) CALIFORNIA (SSN 781) on November 6, 2010 in Newport News, Virginia. Lin Graf, President of the Santa Barbara Council plus Dan Branch, National President of the Navy League, United States (NLUS) and his wife, Kathleen; Doug Crawford, Senior Director Corporate Development, NLUS; Lynn Behrens, Vice President of Operations, SBNL; Patricia A. Westberg, Public Affairs Officer, SBNL and her husband Capt. Robert J. Westberg, Jr., CEC, USN (Ret.) participated in this significant event for the officers, crew, and shipbuilders of the PCU CALIFORNIA. Once this ship is commissioned in 2011, it will be referred to as the USS CALIFORNIA (SSN781).

The Santa Barbara Council members were treated to a variety of events beginning with a sponsor’s dinner in celebration of the christening on the evening of November 5th at the Newport News Marriott, followed by the pre-ceremony breakfast, christening and reception the next day at the Northrup Grumman Shipbuilding facility in Newport News, Virginia.

The submarine is the seventh Navy vessel (and the first submarine) to bear the name of the great state of California. The first was a screw sloop built in 1867. The most recent was a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser (CGN 36) that was in service from February 1974 to July 1999. The most famous USS CALIFORNIA was the Tennessee-class battleship (BB44) that was built at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California and it was sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The ship was salvaged, reconstructed and served again for the remainder of the war before being decommissioned in 1947. You can see this USS CALIFORNIA ship’s bell on display in Sacramento, at the California State Capitol Museum.

-- Patricia Westberg

Santa Barbara Navy League Promotes Operation Seabee Christmas

September 29, 2010 - Port Hueneme – The Santa Barbara Navy League presented a $5600.00 check to the Home Port Liaison Office of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion THREE and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) FORTY on November 17, 2010 at Heritage Park, Naval Base Ventura County. Kelsie Tiano Garin, wife of Cdr. Patrick Garin, CEC, USN, Commanding Officer of NMCB Three said, “We are so grateful for the SBNL’s support of our Seabees.”

In comments to the Home Ported Liaison Office staff and Seabees, Jerry Lomonaco, member of the SBNL Board of Directors and Committee Chair for Naval Base Ventura County, explained the Santa Barbara Council’s mission, and the military commands supported by his organization. After Lomonaco’s presentation, the SBNL received a very gracious thank you and hearty round of applause from NMCB THREE and NMCB FORTY.

Operation Seabee Christmas is a volunteer organization comprised of Navy spouses and home ported Seabees who prepare individual gift packages for the 1,630 Seabees from Port Hueneme who are deployed to Afghanistan. The program operates solely through the generous donations of private businesses, non-profit organizations and individual contributors. The donation from the SBNL will provide a variety of connections to home services for Seabees who are deployed in Afghanistan.

The Santa Barbara Council of the Navy League is dedicated to the support of US Navy service members and other services. The council has adopted 13 units from all communities of the armed forces, including the USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN76) and the USS STOCKDALE (DDG106).

-- Patricia Westberg

SBNL Officers
President: Lin Graf
First Vice President: Brenda Blalock
Second Vice President: Lynn Behrens
Third Vice President: Rick Reeves
Judge Advocate: Kevin McTague
Secretary: Robert Duncan
Treasurer: Steve Hicks
Executive Committee: Grant Ivey
Executive Committee: Jerry Lomonaco
Chief Executive Officer: Karen Crawford

SBNL Directors
Richard Aberle - Brady M. Bustany - Ed Carr - Col. Phil Conran (USAF, Ret.) - Jeff Cotter - Doug Crawford -Karen Crawford - Philip Hons - Debbie Neer - Sarah Reeves - LCDR Thomas Watson (USN, Ret.) - Patricia A. Westberg

Strike Team
Leslie Lund - Sarah Reeves

Interim Executive Director
Alexis Baker - 805.879.1775
SBNLDevelopment@gmail.com

Santa Barbara Navy League Visits Air Show

By Patricia Westberg, SBNL Public Affairs Officer

August 21, 2010 - Point Mugu, CA – The Santa Barbara Council of the Navy League and their guests were treated to a fabulous show of military skill and expertise at Naval Base Ventura County’s 10th Anniversary Air Show this month. They witnessed everything from Improvised Explosive Device (IED) training in a mock Middle-Eastern village to precision flight maneuvers by the US Air Force Thunderbirds in the F-16C Falcon fighter jets.

Before the Air Show, Andy Martens, the IED training facility tour guide and Site Supervisor, gave a brief history on the evolution of this compound and then allowed the Santa Barbara Navy League (SBNL) members and their guests to tour the village. The main street of the village was created by a Hollywood set designer to look exactly like a bazaar in Iraq or Afghanistan complete with vegetable, electronic, pottery and clothing peddler carts lining the building fronts with IEDs innocuously integrated into the market place atmosphere. The buildings in this village were designed to imitate living conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan with box style, cinder block, multi-level construction; complete with furniture, window treatments and mattresses. Seabees, Marines and Soldiers are trained to secure these buildings while inhabited. Many of the SBNL guests were amazed at the recreated village. Karen Crawford, VP for Education and Public Affairs for the Navy League of the United States remarked, “even the vegetables in the cart looked real. I would never have thought to look for an IED strapped to a light pole in the middle of a bazaar.”

After walking through the buildings and market place, the SBNL guests were given a demonstration of multiple IEDs, including those that are buried in the ground and can be triggered by gentle pressure from a passerby on foot, to others that can be activated by a mobile phone or two-way radio. This IED facility is one of five that exist in the United States, and is the most advanced of all for this type of training. Since the IED village opened in 2009 at Naval Base Ventura County, it has trained over 4300 sailors, soldiers and Marines to detect and disarm these types of devices, preparing them for service in areas with this threat.

At the Air Show, the SBNL guests were treated to front row seats in a flight line chalet sponsored by the Santa Barbara council. They witnessed parachutists, aerial wing walkers and civilian stunt pilots. The military flight demonstrations included the FA-18C Hornet, A-10A Thunderbolt, C-17 Globemaster and the C-130 Super Hercules. Thankfully, the coastal marine layer broke around 12pm each day at Point Mugu, allowing the stars of the show, the US Air Force Thunderbirds precision flight demonstration team to take to the air in their F-16C Falcon fighter jets. Prior to the Thunderbird’s flight demonstration, many of the pilots, their crew, and families joined the SBNL guests in the flight line chalet to sign autographs and meet their audience. Council members and guests were thrilled with this opportunity and were awe struck during the precision flight demonstration by these exceptional young men and women representing the US armed forces.

Many veterans were guests in the SBNL chalet, and were asked if they yearned for past days when serving in the military. Captain Jim Rainwater, USN, (Ret.), the first commanding officer of Naval Base Ventura County, a Top Gun graduate and a F14 test pilot said with respectful admiration for his younger brethren in the sky, “yeah…I miss it a lot.”

Military Ball of Santa Barbara : A Very Special Evening

By Rick Reeves, SBNL Education Vice President

Each December, Santa Barbara celebrates its citizens who have served in the Armed Forces at the Military Ball of Santa Barbara, co-hosted by the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans' Museum and the Santa Barbara Navy League at Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort.

On December 10, more than 650 fortunate citizens from the Tri-Counties attended the 2010 Military Ball, which honored veterans from past military conflicts ranging from World War II to Operation Desert Storm. Of the 650, more than 100 of the attendees were active duty military members who were the special 'scholarship' guests of the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans' Museum. Per tradition, all veterans and current service members dress in their military uniforms; the decorations on each uniform provide civilians with knowledge of military history a summary of the wearer's military career.

SBNL Board members in attendance included SBNL Interim Executive Director Alexis Baker, Lynn Behrens, Brenda Blalock, Lin Graf, Grant Ivey, Sarah and Rick Reeves, and Patricia Westberg. SBNL Chief Executive Officer and Navy League National Vice President for Public Affairs and Education Karen Crawford also attended the Ball.

This year's keynote speaker was Dr. William Perry, United States Secretary of Defense (1994 - 1997) and currently a professor at Stanford University. Dr. Perry's talk focused on his view of the near-and long-term future of the United States Military's evolving relationship with emerging world powers.

The evening's formal presentation began with the presentation of the American flag by the Color Guard, and Megan Wilson sang the Star Spangled Banner. Following dinner, Dr. Perry, who served in the Clinton Administration, spoke about current and future trends in the United States global military commitments.

The highlight of the evening was (as always) saved for last: Presentation of the Greatest Generation Award. This award goes to a Santa Barbara resident who served in the Armed Forces during World War II, and then returned to Santa Barbara to assume leadership in local civic affairs.

Robert E. "Bob" Kallman received this year's Greatest Generation award. Mr. Kallman served with the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War, and in Naval Reserve from 1943 through 1978. He has also served the citizens of Santa Barbara in many capacities, including as a County Supervisor. A dozen members of Mr. Kallman's family were in attendance to honor him as he received the award.

A memorable evening, attended by unforgettable people.

“Salute the Troops” Postcard Campaign Thrives at Goleta's Ellwood Elementary School

December 1, 2010 - Santa Barbara – The Santa Barbara Navy League’s (SBNL) “Salute the Troops” postcard campaign is alive and well at Ellwood Elementary School where over 300 postcards have been delivered to the students and staff to draw pictures and write sincere messages of encouragement and thanks to our service members deployed all over the world. Alice Robles-Richter, a third grade teacher at Ellwood Elementary School said, “the children write messages such as ‘it must be hard being so far away from family and friends and places like McDonald’s and Rusty’s Pizza Parlor’!”

Robles-Richter participated in this campaign last year and because of its success, she recently requested over 300 “Salute the Troops” postcards from the SBNL as the whole school will be participating in this project. When asked if the younger children understand what our military does in places like Afghanistan, Robles-Richter responded with a very exuberant, “Yes!” She also stated “We have veterans come into the classroom and educate our students on the different military services, help them learn how to identify the different classifications and ranks on military uniforms, and explain to the children what an honor it is to serve their country.” The students will be writing their messages to our service members this week and return the postcards to the SBNL for mailing. Robles-Richter is very grateful for the SBNL’s “Salute the Troops” postcard campaign and willingness to share this program with her students because it so nicely ties in with the school’s educational plan on caring.

One of the best morale-boosters for service members is to receive mail from home. The SBNL “Salute the Troops” campaign encourages community members throughout the year to write postcards of appreciation to service members who are deployed. Earlier this year, the SBNL’s Salute the Troops” campaign has been engaged with the State Street Flags event in Santa Barbara and the Naval Base Ventura County 10th Anniversary Air Show at Point Mugu. For those who are interested in the “Salute the Troops” campaign and are in need of pre-addressed postcards, please call the SBNL at 805-879-1775.

-- Patricia Westberg

Santa Barbara Navy League Supports Air Force Families

November 29, 2010 - Santa Barbara Navy League members Phil and Margaret Conran presented TSGT Molly Dzitko, USAF, Space Command, Vandenberg AFB with a $2500 donation to support the Airman and Family Readiness programs at her command. TSGT Dzitko was thrilled with the donation and stated, “at any given time 300 of our 5000 service members are deployed. This generous donation will help us keep the Airman and Family Readiness programs operating.”

Prior to receiving the donation, TSGT Molly Dzitko, USAF shared with the Santa Barbara Navy League many of the programs offered by the Golden Hearts Group at Vandenberg AFB which is run by their Chaplain services and squadrons. The Buddy Bear program provides children of active duty members who are deployed with a stuffed, soft teddy bear that has a recorded message from Mom and/or Dad. Operation Sweet Dreams provides family members with a picture stamped pillow case of their loved ones.

Operation Kudos helps children of service members understand what their parents do on deployment by offering camps in which the kids go through a very mild version of the active duty training; they don air filtering masks and learn how to carry a hose from a fire engine. They are also given back packs filled with hats, shirts, letter writing kits, and receive dog tags with their parent’s name and the child's finger prints embossed on tag.

-- Patricia Westberg

The Bridge

The Bridge is a publication of the United States Navy League, Santa Barbara Council

Editor: Rick Reeves

Public Affairs Officer: Patricia Westberg

Questions? Comments? Story Ideas?
Please email us at Newsletter@sbnl.org

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SBNL

402 E. Guiterrez Street, P.O. Box 4007
Stnta Barbara, CA 93140

The SBNL is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Charitable contributions are tax deductable. Federal Tax ID: 77-0553915

To join the NLUS Santa Barbara Council or to learn more about unique ways you can help: Call 805.879.1598.
Visit www.SBNL.org or e-mail SBNLdevelopment@gmail.com

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Presidents' Advisory Committee
Karen Crawford - Lin Graf

Honorary Board
John Barletta - Sr. Christine Bowman - Fred Brander - CDR Alan Brown, MD - Earnest Cowell - George Krebs - Connie Los - Stan Los - John McGowan - Kathleen Yabsley