Culinary Specialist 3rd
Class Matthew P. Julian,
assigned to USS San
Francisco (SSN 711), never
expected his tour to include
a rotation in the mountains
of
Afghanistan as an
Individual Augmentee.
Pulled
from his normal job to
directly support Operation
Enduring Freedom, more than
8,000 feet above sea level
and half a world away from
his boat's homeport of
Bremerton, Wash.,
Julian found that out of
sight doesn't mean out of
mind.
Early this summer, Julian
was selected for the Command
Advancement Program (CAP) by
CDR Dave Ogburn, the
commanding officer of USS
San Francisco, and was
promoted to CS2.
Upon learning about his CAP
advancement, Julian said,
"It's an honor to be the
only submariner CAP-ed in
Afghanistan and
recognized at such a high
level. I am ecstatic about
the promotion ... and
grateful for the crew of
San Francisco."
According to Ogburn, "When
we sat down and reviewed his
performance onboard, we saw
that he was the right
choice. "He's a Sailor who
takes responsibility and
takes charge. When I talked
with CDR Varney in
Afghanistan, that
confirmed his performance is
continuing out there."
CDR
Michael Varney, commanding
officer of the Sharana
Provincial Reconstruction
Team in the
Paktika Province of
Afghanistan,
performed the ceremony and
pinned on Julian's second
class petty officer crows.
I
think it is fantastic that
San Francisco
recognized the importance of
the job CS2 Julian is doing
for his country, a job
completely outside a normal
submariner's lane, "Varney
said. "That [his CO] is
willing to use a
CAP-in-absentia sends a
strong message to the rest
of the force and the Navy."
Julian is the first Sailor
to be meritoriously promoted
through the Command
Advancement Program while
serving in a
boots-on-the-ground billet
away from his home ship.
Since August 2005, 50
Sailors have been
meritoriously promoted under
the Combat Meritorious
Advancement Program for
their leadership and heroism
during combat.
At
a recent all hands call with
Sailors stationed at NAS
Whidbey Island, Chief of
Naval Operations
ADM Mike Mullen said
he wanted all Navy leaders
to make sure good
performance as an IA was
properly reflected and
recognized in a Sailor's
career. "This is very vital
work our IAs are doing at an
incredibly critical time in
our nation's history, and I
am committed to making sure
the Navy gets it right when
it comes to recognizing that
fact," said Mullen.
Sailors who would like to
serve in an augmented billet
can indicate their desire
through the Navy Knowledge
Online website at
https://www.nko.navy.mil,
and should contact their
chain of command.
Story by LT Trey Brown, Navy
Office of Information,
Washington, D.C.
COPYRIGHT 2006
U.S. Navy
COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group
