Naval Base San Diego Commanding Officer Podcast - Episode 1

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

03.10.2017

Audio by Petty Officer 2nd Class Indra Beaufort, Senior Chief Petty Officer Terry L. Feeney and Christopher Tucker

Naval Base San Diego

EPISODE #1 – TRAFFIC, PARKING AND TRASH

PO2 BOSKO: HELLO, AND WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL PODCAST OF NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO. I’M PETTY OFFICER INDRA BOSKO AND WE’RE TALKING WITH THE NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO COMMANDING OFFICER, CAPTAIN ROY LOVE ABOUT ISSUES AFFECTING THE BASE. HELLO SIR, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

CAPT. LOVE: HELLO PETTY OFFICER BOSKO. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO START A CONTINUING DIALOGUE ON CHALLENGES AFFECTING NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, AND TALK TO OUR DIVERSE AUDIENCE OF SAILORS, FAMILY MEMBERS, CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND OUR VETERANS WHO I THINK SOMETIMES GET LEFT OUT, AND OF COURSE EVERYONE ELSE WHO DOES BUSINESS ON THIS BASE.

PO2 BOSKO: WELL SIR, IN THE SPIRIT OF KEEPING THIS PODCAST SHORT AND EASY FOR OUR AUDIENCE TO LISTEN TO, I’D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND KICK THIS OFF WITH TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION ON ISSUES THAT I KNOW YOU’RE ANXIOUS TO TALK ABOUT, AND THOSE ARE TRAFFIC, PARKING AND TRASH ON THE NAVAL BASE. LET’S START WITH THE FIRST ONE – TRAFFIC. I KNOW DURING RECENT ALL HAND’S CALLS WITH SAILORS, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN 30,000 PEOPLE DRIVING ON TO NAVAL BASE TO GO TO WORK OR DO BUSINESS WITH US. HOW DO WE HANDLE SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING AND GOING FROM OUR INSTALLATION?

CAPT. LOVE: THANK YOU PETTY OFFICER BOSKO. THAT’S, THAT’S RIGHT. I MEAN WE HAVE ABOUT THIRTY-FIVE TO FOURTHY-THOUSAND VEHICLES PROCESSED BY OUR SECURITY FORCES ON A DAILY BASIS. THAT’S A LOT OF CARS AND THAT’S A LOT OF ANGRY PEOPLE SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC AND BECAUSE OF THE BACK UPS THAT WE EXPERIENCE. SO, HUGE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC SPECIFICALLY MONDAY THRU FRIDAY DURING PEAK HOURS, AND WHAT I MEAN BY PEAK HOURS IS ABOUT FOUR-THIRTY TO EIGHT O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING. SO JUST FOR PERSPECTIVE ON THE WET SIDE ALONE, WE PROCESS ABOUT FOURTY-SEVEN HUNDRED VEHICLES IN THE MORNING COMING ON AND OFF THE GATES, IN BETWEEN THOSE HOURS …MORE LIKE BETWEEN FIVE AND SEVEN, SO THAT’S A LOT OF CARS FOR THEM TO PROCESS. ON THE DRY SIDE MAYBE ABOUT TWO THOUSAND AND THEN ON THE N-E-X GATE ABOUT SEVEN HUNDRED. THAT’S A TOTAL OF SEVENTY-FIVE HUNDRED VEHICLES IN ABOUT FOUR HOURS. SO…IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF GATES THAT WE HAVE OPEN, AT THAT TIME ABOUT FIVE GATES, SEVENTY-FIVE HUNDRED VEHICLES COMING THROUGH, THAT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS VERY EASY FOR OUR FORCE PROTECTION, OUR SECURITY FOLKS TO HANDLE. AND THEN, YOU DO HAVE THE OCCASIONAL ANGRY PERSON WHO COMES THROUGH AND BACKS UP TRAFFIC EVEN MORE. SO …WE DO IT WITH A LOT OF PATIENCE, AND WITH A LOT OF UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR PEOPLE COMING THROUGH THESE GATES ARE ACTUALLY, SOMETIMES, HELD UP FOR ABOUT FOURTHY-FIVE MINUTES AT A TIME. SO, WE TRIED TO EXPEDITE THESE PROCESSES AND MAKE IT FASTER AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT.

I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE PUT IN PLACE TO HELP RELIEVE SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC TO CURB THAT TRAFFIC INCLUDING THE UNACCOMPANIED HOUSING VEHICLE POLICY. WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT UNACCOMPANIED HOUSING VEHICLES AND WHAT THAT MEANT, SO, WE HAVE ABOUT FIVE-THOUSAND SAILORS WHO LIVE ON THE BASE ON WHAT WE CALL THE DRY SIDE, THAT’S WHERE THE PACIFIC BEACON AND ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT HOUSING AND BUILDINGS ARE. FIVE THOUSAND SAILORS ON A DAILY BASIS AND ABOUT THREE THOUSAND WHO OWN CARS, DRIVING ON AND OFF THE BASE, IN THE MORNING, WHICH SOMETIMES …YOU KNOW ..IT’S A SHORT WALK ACROSS, MAYBE A MILE-AND-A-HALF TO GET OVER FROM THE DRY SIDE TO THE WET SIDE. SO WE IMPLEMENTED A POLICY THAT REQUIRES OUR SAILORS TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLES PARKED IN THEIR ASSIGNED PARKING ACROSS THE STREET AND WALK OVER TO THE WET SIDE TO THEIR COMMANDS, THEIR SHIPS, OR TO THEIR SHORE COMMANDS. THIS POLICY HAS HELPED US, TO DATE, REMOVE ABOUT TWO THOUSAND VEHICLES FROM THE ROAD WHICH HAS SIGNIFICANTLY HELPED OUR SECURITY FOLKS MANAGE THE TRAFFIC THAT IS COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN, FROM PARTS FAR WAY. THAT HOUSING POLICY IS IN EFFECT, FOR NOW, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN UNACCOMPANIED HOUSING TO REGISTER THEIR VEHICLES SO THAT WE CAN GET THE OTHER THOUSAND VEHICLES WHO HAVE YET TO REGISTER PROPERLY IDENTIFIED AND RELIEVE THAT TRAFFIC EVEN FURTHER. OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING ARE ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO WALK, OR RIDE A BIKE. I MYSELF RIDE MY BICYCLE FROM THE HOSPITAL EVERY SO OFTEN, WHICH IS ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY, AND I DO THIS AT LEAST TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK. I AM TRYING TO SET THE EXAMPLE BUT I AM ALSO TRYING TO SAVE A LITTLE BIT ON GAS …RIGHT…AND THAT I THINK IS A GREAT WAY TO ALSO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT, NOT POLLUTING, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. SO EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL PART OF THE SOLUTION, WE ARE ALL PART OF THE TEAM. EVERYBODY WHO COMES TO WORK AT NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO IS A MEMBER OF NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO. SO LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED.

PO2 BOSKO: THANK YOU SIR. I KNOW YOU ALSO WANT TO DISCUSS PARKING, WHICH CAN BE A HEADACHE FOR MANY PEOPLE ON BASE, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU WORK AND WHAT PARKING IS AVAILABLE NEAR YOUR COMMAND. SIR, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO ADDRESS PARKING PROBLEMS ON BASE?

CAPT. LOVE: ABSOLUTELY. TRAFFIC AND PARKING GO HAND-IN-HAND, RIGHT? SOMETIMES, I LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS WE DON’T HAVE A TRAFFIC PROBLEM, WE HAVE A PARKING PROBLEM; AND WHEN IT COMES TO PARKING IT IS REALLY A WALKING PROBLEM, RIGHT? WE WANT TO PARK AS CLOSEST POSSIBLE TO OUR WORKSITE, WHICH SOMETIMES MEANS PARKING OUTSIDE THE QUAY WALLS, PARKING ALONGSIDE THE FENCES THAT ARE NEXT TO WHERE THE SHIP IS. WE HAVE TO START THINKING …A LITTLE BIT MORE HEALTHY… PARK A LITTLE FURTHER, WALK THAT MILE, RIGHT? THERE’S NOT ENOUGH PARKING ON THE BASE FOR EVERYBODY. AGAIN, WE PROCESS THIRTY-FIVE TO FOURTHY THOUSAND VEHICLES ON A DAILY BASIS. IF YOU ADD UP ALL THE PARKING SPACES ON THE BASE …ABOUT SEVENTEEN THOUSAND PARKING SPOTS, I KNOW WE DON’T ALWAYS HAVE SEVENTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE ON THE BASE, BUT SOMETIMES IT GETS VERY BUSY ESPECIALLY WITH THREE LARGE DECK SHIPS HERE …THEY TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE. THERE’S A LOT OF PERSONNEL ON THERE AND SO, WE FOCUS ON TRYING TO IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS WHERE WE CAN BETTER ARRANGE PARKING. WE WANT YOU TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES OF THE BASE HANDBOOK WHICH TELLS EACH COMMAND WHERE THEY SHOULD PARK, HOW MANY ASSIGNED PARKING SPOTS ARE. ..WE WANT EVERYBODY TO FOLLOW THAT. SOMETIMES, WE HAVE SHIPS THAT WOULD PUT OUT TWENTY PARKING SIGNS. IF YOU ARE ONLY ALLOCATED FOURTEEN, YOU ARE ONLY ALLOCATED FOURTEEN. SO LET’S FOLLOW THE RULES, LET’S FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES.

FOR THE UNACCOMPANIED HOUSING PARKING AND VEHICLE STICKER EFFORT, AGAIN, THERE’S SEVERAL THOUSAND SAILORS AT LEAST WHO HAVEN’T REGISTERED THEIR VEHICLES. SO, THERE’S A TOWING POLICY IN PLACE. WE HATE TO TOW CARS BECAUSE IT COSTS OUR SAILORS AN AVERAGE ABOUT THREE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS EVERY TIME YOUR CAR IS TOWED. YOU PARK ILLEGALLY ON THE BASE, YOU’RE SUBJECT TO TOWING, IT’S VERY EXPENSIVE. WE DON’T WANT TO DO THAT. SO, WHAT I’D ASKED IS EVERYONE FOLLOW THE RULES, PLEASE. WE ARE LOOKING AT PARKING INITIATIVES, BETTER ARRANGEMENTS OF PARKING, OPENING UP MORE PARKING WHEREVER WE CAN. SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR IDEAS. WE ARE LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS. IF YOU KNOW THERE IS AN AREA ON THE BASE THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE PERFECT FOR PARKING, WHILE WE CAN’T BUILD NEW PARKING STRUCTURES, WE CAN LOOK AT MAKING MORE PARKING ON AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY EMPTY OR OPEN. AGAIN, THERE IS SO MANY ALTERNATIVES AS TO DRIVING. THERE IS THE TIP PROGRAM, THERE ARE RIDE SHARING PROGRAMS, BIKING TO WORK, WALKING TO WORK, IF YOU LIVE CLOSE BY AND ALL OF OUR SAILORS LIVE IN NATIONAL CITY …GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE, EITHER ON A BIKE OR BY RUNNING OR WALKING TO THE BASE. THE TIP PROGRAM IS A TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE, INCENTIVE PROGRAM. IF YOU CAN …TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. THEY BASICALLY PAY FOR YOUR TRANSPORTATION COST. AND IT IS A GREAT WAY TO SAVE MILEAGE ON YOUR CAR AND WEAR AND TEAR ON YOUR OWN VEHICLE.

PO2 BOSKO: THANK YOU SIR. LET’S ALSO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER TOPIC NEAR AND DEAR TO YOU, AND THAT IS …TRASH OR MORE SPECIFICALLY HOW ALL OF US CAN HELP KEEP THE BASE CLEAN. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW ALL OF US CAN CONTRIBUTE TO KEEPING NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO CLEAN AND LITTER FREE?

CAPT. LOVE: MS. BOSKO, THAT BASICALLY STARTS WITH ONE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE ALL A PART OF THE BASE. THE BASE DOES’NT HAVE A STAFF THAT GOES AROUND AND CLEANS UP TRASH FOR EVERYONE. WE CAN’T AFFORD TO HAVE OUR SAILORS WHO ARE HERE TO DO OTHER WORK TO CONTINUE TO WALK AROUND THE BASE PICKING UP TRASH FOR EVERYBODY. SO, IT IS ON EACH AND EVERYONE OF US, FIRST NOT TO LITTER, RIGHT, TO BE CONSCIOUS, THIS IS MY HOUSE, THIS IS YOUR HOUSE, IT IS OUR HOUSE, NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO IS OUR HOME. THIS IS WHERE WE COME TO WORK ON A DAILY BASIS. A LOT OF US LIVE HERE. WHAT DO WE WANT OUR HOUSE TO LOOK LIKE? DO WE WANT IT CLEAN …OR DO WE WANT IT DIRTY. AND SO WHEN SOMEONE DRIVES OVER THE BASE AND LOOKS AROUND AND SEES TRASH IT’S A REFLECTION ON ALL OF US. EVERY PERSON IN UNIFORM, EVERY CIVILIAN THAT WORKS HERE, RIGHT, WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE. I WALK AROUND A LOT, I GET OUT MY CAR TO PICK UP TRASH, YOU KNOW, WHO’S TRASH IS IT? WELL IT IS OUR TRASH. WE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE DUMPING IT ON THE GROUNDS. WE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO PICK IT UP FOR OURSELVES. TENANTS ARE ASSIGNED A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPACE THERE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR. I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ALL THE TENANTS POLICE THEIR AREAS LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO. THAT WAY OUR FIRST DIVISION DOES NOT HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND SPEND VALUABLE TIME THAT THEY COULD BE DOING SERVICING THE FLEET, PICKING UP OUR TRASH. SO, LET’S ALL WORK TOGETHER. LET’S ALL PICK IT UP. IF I WALK BY A PIECE OF TRASH, I BEND OVER, I PICK IT UP, I FIND THE CLOSEST GARBAGE CAN AND I DUMP IT. WHY DON’T WE ALL DO THAT? LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO GET THE BASE CLEAN.

ON THAT NOTE, THAT REQUEST THAT WE ALL TOGETHER PICK UP TRASH, WE HAVE A FEW UPCOMING EVENTS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP US BASICALLY GET THE BASE CLEANER. THE FIRST CLASS PETTY OFFICERS NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO ARE COORDINATING WITH THE WATERFRONT AND OUR TENANT COMMANDS TO HAVE A BASE WIDE CLEANUP ON APRIL THE 12TH FROM NINE TO TWELVE. THAT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT EVENT. WE ARE GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THIS BASE LOOK GOOD. SO I ASK LEADERSHIP TO GET INVOLVED, DEVELOP PLANS, PICK UP TRASH AROUND THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS. LET’S GET TOGETHER WITH THE FIRST CLASS PETTY OFFICERS AND LET’S MAKE THIS BASE GREAT.

PO2 BOSKO: WELL, THANK YOU SIR. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND SHARING WITH US YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW TO ADDRESS COMMON ISSUES ON BASE.

CAPT. LOVE: WELL THANK YOU PETTY OFFICER BOSKO. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DIALOGUE, ALTHOUGH I’VE DONE MOST OF THE TALKING, I APPRECIATE IT. I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU AGAIN, AND ALSO HEARING FROM OUR AUDIENCE. ONE MORE ISSUE I’D LIKE TO DISCUSS BEFORE WE WRAP UP. I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT SECURITY ON BASE IS EVERYBODY’S RESPONSIBILITY. WE’VE GOT SOME GREAT PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN SECURITY DEPARTMENT, OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN COMING OUT DOING A SECURITY JOB, SOMETIMES IT CAN BE THANKLESS, BUT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF WHAT THEY DO. THEY WORK 10 HOURS A DAY, THEY STAND ON THESE POSTS, RAIN, SUNSHINE, HEAT, COLD, RIGHT? I NEED EVERY SAILOR, EVERY CIVILIAN, EVERY FAMILY MEMBER, CONTRACTOR TO BE VIGILANT ABOUT SECURITY ON OUR BASE.

ON THING IN PARTICULAR I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS ESCORTING PERSONNEL ON BOARD THE BASE. IF YOU ARE ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO ESCORT SOMEONE ON BOARD THE INSTALLATION BUT YOU GOT TO STAY WITH THEM. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHO YOU BRING ON BOARD THIS BASE. YOU NEED TO KNOW THESE PEOPLE. YOU’VE GOT TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND WHY THEY ARE ON THIS BASE. WE RELY ON YOU …TO KEEP THEM WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES SO THEY ARE NOT WONDERING AROUND THE BASE. WE HAVE FOUND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ESCORTED ON BOARD AND THEN ASKED TO FIND THEIR OWN WAY OUT OF THE BASE RUNNING AROUND THE BASE UNESCORTED. IF YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW SOMEONE AND CAN’T SAY WHETHER THEY ARE NOT THEY ARE TRUSTWORTHY DON’T PUT YOURSELF IN A POSTION TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM, DON’T ESCORT THEM ON THE BASE IF YOU CAN’T ESCORT THEM OFF. IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

NONE OF US CLAIM TO HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS AND HOW TO MAKE THE BASE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK. I’D ENCOURAGE OUR COLLECTIVE WORKFORCE AND FAMILIES TO SHARE IDEAS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BASE. LEAVE US A NOTE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OF THIS PODCAST, SEND OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER AN EMAIL IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA OR A QUESTION, AND WE WILL LOOK AT ANSWERING THOSE ON OUR NEXT PODCAST.

SO BEFORE WE WRAP UP, I WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT OUR TEAM PERFORMS ON A DAILY BASIS. FROM OUR ACTIVE DUTY FORCE, TO OUR GOVERNMENT CIVILIANS AND CONTRACTORS, OUR FAMILIES WHO SUPPORT US IN SO MANY WAYS – NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK AND A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE BECAUSE OF THE COLLECTIVE TEAM. ONE TEAM, ONE FIGHT. REMEMBER, IT DOESN’T MEAN WE CAN’T MAKE IT BETTER. THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO EVERY DAY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND WE SHOULD BE BACK SOON FOR ANOTHER EPISODE.

PO2 BOSKO: THANK YOU AGAIN CAPTAIN. WE LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU AGAIN SOON. FOR OUR AUDIENCE, PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF THE NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO PODCAST SOON. THANKS FOR LISTENING AND WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

• Date Taken: 03.10.2017
• Date Posted: 03.22.2017 17:39
• Category: Newscasts
• Audio ID: 47262
• Filename: 1703/DOD_104193225.mp3
• Length: 00:12:41
• Year: 2017
• Genre: Podcast
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US