TSSOM CRUISE UPDATE: June 4, 2014 Location: N 41 38.4 W 009 50.5 Course: 002 Speed 13.1 kt Weather: Partly Cloudy Wind: NE 8 kt Seas: Mod NW Swell Today we operated on a holiday routine, where students not on watch were given time to read, play basketball, board games etc... 2/C Kurt Borkman took the opportunity to set up organized board games an karaoke on the mess decks in the evening as well. I want to take a few minutes to publicly recognize how lucky we were this year to have added a new person to our training family. Normally we scramble to find local medical professionals who have the free time to sail with us and provide medical services to the students and staff. This year we tried something new and we asked the US Naval Reserve if we could work out a partnership. The results have been better than we ever imagined when we started that conversation. The Naval Reserve Forces Command sent out a notice that there was an opportunity to sail with us and a number of Naval Reserve nurses volunteered. The Navy then selected LT KimberLee Tyner and nominated her to us as a potential fill for the first portion of the training cruise. Based on her credentials, it was an easy decision for us to say yes and shortly there after, LT Tyner showed up in Castine. The rest, as they say, is history. In a matter of days, LT Tyner was establishing a connection with our students. Not content to spend her days simply patching up the normal bumps and bruises that come with life at sea, she immediately went to work scheduling assessments for the students to test for hypertension and entered into dialogue about healthy eating and exercise options. If that wasnt enough, she instituted a number of challenges for the students including a modified triathlon and an MMA version of The Biggest Loser. Her dedication to the students well-being can best be summed up in the following two facts: 1. To date, our competitors have lost a total of over 100 pounds. 2. LT Tyner personally funded prizes tied to her programs before any of us knew that she was doing it. Although she is leaving us in Iceland, her impact on the student body will carry forward and I expect will have a lasting impact on all who got the opportunity to know her this year. So, LT Tyner, thank you for setting the bar extremely high as our first experience using the US Naval Reserves and I hope we have the pleasure of working with you in the future. DISCLAIMER: Due to the Training Ship’s limited connectivity to the Internet, blog postings are delayed and are not intended for real-time communication. Students and crew members will be unable to see any posted comments and will not be able to respond. To communicate with your student, please send messages to his or her issued e-mail address.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 18:13:17 +0000