Ship's Store Adds Lapel Pin

Following on the footsteps of our fabulous USS Galveston Command Coin, we have just added a new item to help you show your pride of being a Galveston shipmate. The USS Galveston Lapel Pin is pictured above and available now at the ship's store for only $6, including mailing costs. This was a project taken on by Stan Shock and he did a great job.

Hand Salute Authorized for Veterans

Iraq War Veteran Brian Fontaine salutes the flag

Veterans and service members not in uniform can now render the military-style hand salute during the playing of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took effect in October.

"The military salute is a unique gesture of respect that marks those who have served in our nation's armed forces," said Dr. James B. Peake, secretary of Veterans Affairs. "This provision allows the application of that honor in all events involving our nation's flag.

"The new provision improves upon a little known change in federal law last year that authorized veterans to render the military-style hand salute during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag, but it did not address salutes during the national anthem.

Last year's provision also applied to service members while not in uniform. Traditionally, members of the nation's veterans service organizations (like the VFW) have rendered the hand-salute during the national anthem and at events involving the national flag while wearing their organization's official head-gear.

The most recent change, authorizing hand-salutes during the national anthem by veterans and out-of-uniform military personnel, was sponsored by Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, an Army veteran. It was included in the Defense Authorization Act of 2009, which President Bush signed Oct. 14.

The earlier provision authorizing hand-salutes for veterans and out-of-uniform service members during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag, was contained in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which took effect Jan. 28, 2008. (reprinted from VA News 10/31/2008)

Thanks to shipmate Mike Michalski for notifying us of this news.

New Navy Service Uniform

The new E1-E6 Service Uniform (SU) became available for purchase in Great Lakes and California Navy Exchanges starting July 31, 2008.

The SU is for year-round wear and replaces the summer white and winter blue uniforms. Sailors will have up to 24 months to purchase the new uniform, depending on their duty station location.

The mandatory wear date for all E1-E6 personnel is July 2010. Clothing replacement allowances for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 were increased to cover the purchasing of two sets of new uniforms by July 2010.

Basic SU components include a short-sleeved khaki shirt for males and a short sleeved khaki overblouse for females; black trousers with black belt and silver buckle for males and black beltless slacks for females. Collar insignia consists of miniature silver anodized metal rank insignia for E2-E6. Petty officers will wear large silver anodized metal rank insignia on their garrison cap. Males must wear a white undershirt.

Optional components include a black, Eisenhower-style jacket with epaulets, black pullover v-neck sweater and black skirt, beret and handbag for females Existing E1-E6 summer white and winter blue uniforms will continue to be authorized for wear until the July 2010 mandatory wear date.

(mouse clicking on pictures may enlarge image)

Memorial Plaque Design Approved

This is the approved design of the USS Galveston commemorative plaque that will be placed on Commemorative Wall at the Navy Memorial in Washington DC during a ceremony ---date to be announced.

For more information on the Plaque donated by shipmate Ralph Batson at the last reunion, read the October 4 article posted in this blog. To order your own exact replica of the Plaque, go to the Ship's Store page.

Navy says goodbye to dungarees

This uniform will be the standard working uniform both afloat and ashore for the Navy. It will replace:
• E-6 and below utilities (dungarees)
• E-7 and above wash khakis
• Tropical working uniforms
• Winter working blues
• Aviation working greens

The new Navy Working Uniform will debut around the fleet Dec. 15, when senior leadership, commanding officers and command master chiefs will be allowed to wear the digital camouflage uniform, which will become required gear for everyone on Dec. 31, 2010.

But don’t expect to see anyone wearing the uniform in an off-base grocery store, which is allowed in the Army and Air Force. Navy officials have instead decided to stick with the restrictions in effect for the existing utility and wash khaki uniforms, which the NWU replaces. Sailors can wear the uniform to and from work, either in an automobile or by public transportation, but they cannot make any stops along the way. The only exception to the rule is for emergencies, although it is not clear what qualifies as an emergency at this point.

Information and photos compiled from various military websites.

Next month, we will show the new year-round E1-E6 dress uniform that will replace the cracker-jack blues and whites.

Galveston Shipmate Honored

The USS Wayne E. Meyer DDG-108 was christened last month in Bath, Maine and we had several USS Galveston shipmates in attendance (in the photo directly above it's the Meyer crew, with USS Galvestion and USS Goodrich association shipmates). One of our shipmates in attendance was RADM Wayne Meyer (retired) whose rare and distinct honor it was to have a US Navy warship named after him while he’s still alive. He's in the top photo with his family.

Just to put this in perspective, since WWII there have been only 10 ships besides DDG-108 named after living persons! That list includes Hyman Rickover, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr., and Bob Hope. Pretty impressive company.

The day before the christening there was a traditional mast-stepping ceremony where coins and mementos were placed inside the base of the mast and welded shut. One of those items (center photo) was the new USS Galveston command coin to commemorate when Admiral Meyer was a crewmember on our ship.

If you would like to follow the progress of the USS Wayne E. Meyer, or see addiotional photos of the ship and the recent ceremonies, just point your browser to http://www.meyer.navy.mil/

Burial at Sea – still an option

FYI

While surfing the internet, I found that the US Navy permits veterans with an honorable discharge to be buried at sea from a US Navy vessel. They can handle both cremated and casketed remains, however the casketed handling seems pretty complicated and expensive. But for someone like me who has already decided on cremation and loves a good deal, this is a real find. All my wife has to do is mail my burial urn, a returnable burial flag, and a filled out form to a special address listed on the website.

One down side to the program is that family members are not allowed to attend the burial service. Still, I find the idea of going to sea one last time alone appealing, and my wife says she expects to be busy interviewing gardeners and handy-men, so even this works for us.

To find out more click on following link:
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/navy_legacy_hr.asp?id=204

Bob Rank
BM2 66-68