NAS Jacksonville honors individual augmentees

A special presentation was also made as NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. presented PS1William Hamb of Personnel Support Detachment Jacksonville with a Purple Heart Medal for injuries sustained while on a convoy mission to Jaji Maiden, Afghanistan on Oct. 24, 2007. Hamb and members of his unit, the Provincial Reconstruction Team Khost were returning from a school groundbreaking ceremony when their convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device. Hamb suffered a severe concussion and was evacuated to Bagram Air Field Hospital in Northern Afghanistan to recover.

"We were just driving down the road when we were hit. I was over there for a year and it happened a couple times. It is just a dangerous place to be. We were always vigilant but on that day, it was just our turn," said Hamb.

HM1 Fred Turner of Naval Hospital Jacksonville talks about how important it is to have family members and the command supporting individuals augmentees (IAs) when they deploy. Turner was one of the guest speakers at the IA Luncheon Sept. 10.

The event continued as Scorby gave his opening remarks. "Thank you all for being part of this very important event as we honor and salute our individual augmentees and their families who supported them while they were thousands of miles away from home," said Scorby. "These courageous military men and women stood tall in defense of our country and contributed their unique skills and perspectives to the fight against a savage enemy. They answered the call and they headed to foreign lands - places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, Djibouti and Gitmo - and they completed unexpected deployments with honor, courage and commitment."

"But above all, they embodied a positive attitude backed by purpose. They lived up to the Navy's mission of deterring aggression,

preserving freedom of the seas and promoting peace and security throughout the world, and in the process, they made us all proud," continued Scorby. "I would also like to thank our sponsor for the event, the Northeast Florida Navy League. Their commitment to ensuring that the NAS Jacksonville IAs are properly recognized is unmatched."

HM1 Fred Turner of Naval Hospital who recently returned from an IA tour in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, also gave some remarks. "Individual augmentees can come from any branch of the military service. In my experience as an IA, I had the opportunity to work side-by-side with fellow Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Coast Guard units and Airmen. This type of mission assignment has been used extensively since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. However, it's been used even more since we've been engaged in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom," said Turner.

Guest speaker Bill Dudley, president of the Northeast Florida Navy League, talks about how important it is to recognize individual augmentees and their families for their service to our country.

"During my IA tour, I witnessed Sailors from a multitude of different rates perform their duties expertly and it was different from anything they had ever done from their normal rate duties," he added.

"I would like to personally extend my appreciation to every spouse, child, friend and every significant person who allowed us to do our job as service members in the United States Navy and all the other services. Without you, we could not have done our jobs. Duty as an IA is not easy, but it is an honor to serve the greatest country in the world and it is made possible by the support of our families, our God, our country and our Navy."

The guest speaker for the appreciation luncheon was Bill Dudley, president of the Northeast Florida Navy League. "It gives me a great deal of pride to be here today and to sponsor this event. We host this event to honor those for what they've done for our country. They've been pulled out of their operating units, they've been trained and sent over 'boots on the ground' in harms way. They deploy as an individual and come back as an individual and get little recognition for that service that they've given to their country," he stated.

Bill Dudley, president of the Northeast Florida Navy League, center, and NAS Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. congratulate HM2 Thomas Bolsega of Naval Hospital Jacksonville as his wife, Allison and son, Gavin look on.

"Tomorrow, we mark the seventh anniversary of the attack on our country by those who would bring harm to our nation. Today, we honor those men and women who have helped keep us safe. Your service to our country has not gone unnoticed at the highest levels, nor has the efforts of the Navy League to honor your service," said Dudley, who then read a letter from the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead thanking the Northeast Navy League for recognizing Jacksonville Sailors and their families.

"We will always be indebted to you for your service and as I look around, I see a group of heroes who have done their duty when they were called upon to serve as an IA. Thank you for your service, your sacrifice and may God bless each and every one of the men and women in our armed services," he told the Sailors being honored.

AS2(AW) Eric McLane of Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, one of the 98 IAs at the event said, "This is really an honor to be here today and it's so nice to be recognized for our IA service." McLane recently spent six months in Bagdad, Iraq providing perimeter security for the troops there.

NAS Jax Commanding Officer Capt. Jack Scorby Jr. pins the Purple Heart Medal on PS1 William Hamb of Personnel Support Detachment Jacksonville during the Individual Augmentee Luncheon at the NAS Jax Officers' Club Sept. 10. Photos by Kaylee LaRocque

After all the speeches, each IA was presented with a special plaque and coin from the Northeast Navy League Council and thank-you letters from Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. and Congressman Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla. Each spouse was also presented with a letter of appreciation and a rose.

As the IAs gathered for the luncheon, a special slide show displayed photos of them on their IA assignments bringing back many memories as they reminisced about their time in the war zone.