Region 1

From left, Mike Beaumeir, vice president of Suffolk Construction Company, Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Fichter of Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast; SSC Atlantic Technical Director Christopher Miller; SPAWARSYSCOM Deputy Commander Rod Smith; SPAWARSYSCOM Commander Rear Adm. Michael Bachmann; SSC Atlantic Commanding Officer Capt. Bruce Urbon; North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey; and Peter Wertimer of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Military Policy Council turn the earth to make way for SSC Atlantic’s new Consolidated Engineering Facility.(Photo by Joe Bullinger)

The leaders of Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Command, SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic, local elected officials and military representatives gathered May 10 to break ground on a new, 20,220-square-foot Consolidated Engineering Laboratory.

Rear Adm. Michael Bachmann, commander of SPAWAR Systems Command; Rod Smith, deputy commander of SPAWAR Systems Command; SSC Atlantic Commanding Officer Capt. Bruce Urbon; SSC Atlantic Technical Director Christopher Miller and community leaders took shovels in hand as they broke ground for the new building during a brief ceremony held on the Southside of Naval Weapons Station, Charleston.

More than 100 people gathered for the groundbreaking at the site just north of SSC Atlantic’s existing main engineering center. Construction on the $9.49 million facility begins this fall and construction is expected to be complete by the summer of 2011.

The facility will be a hub for SSC Atlantic employees working with Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), server virtualization, cloud computing models, cyber security and defense, virtual storage, systems engineering and integration, and other state-of-the-art innovations that drive today’s information technology environment. The new facility will serve as a catalyst for the transformation of new, cutting-edge information sharing technologies that SSC Atlantic delivers to warfighters, giving them information superiority and saving lives.

“This engineering lab will provide yet another opportunity for SSC Atlantic to lead the way for change, innovation and deliver capability to our warfighters,” said Bachmann. “For Team SPAWAR, this lab represents another key element that will support the innovation we need to make best use of cyberspace for our forces,’ the admiral added.

Airmen load cargo onto a Charleson Air Force Base C-17 at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jan. 28. The cargo will be used to support humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Barry Loo)

Charleston families collect donations for Haitian children
by Capt. Nathan D. Broshear
Air Forces Southern Public Affairs

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFNS) -- Airmen and families from Joint Base Charleston and surrounding communities in South Carolina collected dozens of stuffed animals, coloring books and crayons for Haitian children recovering in the expeditionary medical squadron in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

"This was a combined effort between Airmen and the local community," said Lt. Col. Jesse Strickland, the 437th Operations Group chief of aircrew standardization and air component coordination element member at Joint Task Force-Haiti.

"These toys and coloring books are something a child can do while recovering in a hospital bed, interacting with nurses and staff to ensure they don't lose hope for the future," he said.

The donation drive began with a small group of Airmen at the 437th Operations Support Squadron, but once other squadrons, spouses, members of the 437th Airlift Wing, the 628th Air Base Wing and the local community found out about the opportunity, donations began to roll into the unit.

"I wasn't surprised at all by the outpouring of caring the community, the Air Force family and Joint Base Charleston have shown, that's their way. They take care of people," Colonel Strickland said.

Many of the patients seen at the Air Force medical facilities had life-threatening injuries, but due to the combined efforts of Navy doctors onboard the USNS Comfort hospital ship and Air Force medical teams on land, thousands of lives have been saved.

Once children arrive at the pediatric ward in Port-au-Prince, the coloring and activity books allow nurses and interpreters to interact with children during fun activities instead of focusing on their injuries. Stuffed animals and toys are gifts for the children, many of whom have lost their homes and family members.

"The compassion of the Charleston community has reached all the way to Haiti," Colonel Strickland added. "I know the children our Airmen treat appreciate every one of these small acts of kindness."

"So far, our team has seen more than 500 patients at the EMEDS facility," said Col. John Mansfield, the 24th EMEDS commander. "Donations like the ones we received from (Joint Base) Charleston (members) are an important part of a patient's recovery. The healing power of a smile and positive attitude is immeasurable."

Senior Airman Kourtney Long guards a C-17 at Aeroport International Toussaint Louverture in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 28. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Barry Loo)

Airman 1st Class Aaron Mealhow escorts evacuees Fritz Gabriel and his wife Mary to a C-17 at Aeroport International Toussaint Louverture in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 28. Airman Mealhow is a member of the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron from McChord Air Force Base, Wash. The Air Force flew the Gabriels and other evacuees to Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Barry Loo)

Photo by Leroy Burnell, courtesy of the Post & Courier

On Thursday, Mediterranean Shipping Company's (MSC) "Golden Gate Service" (GGS) made its inaugural call in the Port of Charleston, linking the Southeast's deepest seaport with China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Mediterranean Shipping Co.'s MSC Rita, the largest container carrier ever to call at the Port of Charleston, docked at the Wando Welch Terminal just before dawn. Measuring 1,063 long and with a breadth of 141 feet, the Rita brings with it a nearly 48-foot draft when fully loaded with cargo boxes.

"The Port of Charleston and the entire state of South Carolina are proud to welcome the GGS service and the Rita to our state," said Jim Newsome, president and CEO of the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA). "Importers and exporters across the U.S. Southeast and Gulf region will benefit from additional connections into China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and India through Charleston."

The crew of the 225-foot Coast Guard Cutter Oak, homeported in Charleston, returned this past Thursday following a 35-day deployment to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where it provided humanitarian relief and repairs to damaged aids-to-navigation following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in January.

The crew of the Oak departed Charleston January 13 and arrived in Port-au-Prince January 17. Crewmembers delivered 30-tons of bottled water, and medical supplies, marked hazards-to-navigation in the channel and replaced buoys, which established a safe channel into the harbor for additional maritime traffic assisting with humanitarian relief. In addition, the crew of the Oak supported and hosted the Marine Transportation System Recovery Assist Team who was deployed to assist the Haitian people with the restoration of the Maritime Transportation System.

"The earthquake in Haiti rocked the ports in the Bay of Port-au-Prince, destroyed much of the shore-side infrastructure, and significantly disrupted the government agencies with maritime transportation responsibilities," said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Shepard. "The MTSRAT would like to thank the Captain and crew of the Cutter OAK for their exceptional assistance with every aspect of living and working in Haiti...Their support and willingness to assist has been truly spectacular."

Also, the Cutter Oak sent a medical team to the Killick, Haiti, medical outpost where they reinforced other medical personnel in triaging and medically assisting injured Haitians.