THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 29, 1995 TAG: 9503290449
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICHARD GRIMES, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
I don't think you printed the correct information concerning the working uniforms. Is there a chance your information was wrong?
Actually, there's a good chance. The last hot line column had two errors - one concerning working uniforms and one concerning the B-58 Hustler.
The misinformation concerning the working uniforms occurred because there appear to be two different sets of regulations governing working uniforms.
The commander in chief of the Atlantic Fleet established the first set of regulations in July 1993, which state that service people in working uniforms may not stop at off-base civilian facilities except for emergencies.
In August 1993, the commander of Norfolk Naval Base added a ``situation update.'' This update authorized people in working uniforms to stop on the way to work for child care reasons.
The regulations get more intricate, too. Taxi passengers can wear working uniforms on the way to work, but bus passengers, motorcyclists and bycyclists cannot. Also, work uniforms may not be worn at Norfolk International Airport, the Navy Welcome Center or Naval health clinics.
Your rule of thumb should be, ``When in doubt, chicken out.'' If you have a question about the working uniform, call the command master chief hot line at 444-2273.
What about the B-58 Hustler?
There's nothing I love more than eating crow. The last hot line column stated that the B-58 Hustler bomber never went into production.
Wrong.
According to the Air Force Historical Support Office, the Hustler did go into production and served until 1970. Terry Albertson, a reader in Norfolk, pegs the date as Nov. 7, 1969. Albertson also believes that the Hustler had very little to do with the development of stealth technology, but that's a point for debate by stealth technology fans. Albertson deserves credit for his well-informed and polite correction letter.
I'm a retired Navy lieutenant and I'd like to be buried at sea. What do I have to do?
Your funeral home has all the forms required to request a burial at sea. The program is open to active-duty personnel, retirees, veterans and dependents of all the above.
The Decedent Affairs Office handles requests for burials at sea. The office receives the ashes or other remains from the funeral home and sends out requests for ships willing to perform the burial. Then, during the course of their normal operations, the ship will stop for about an hour, perform the ceremony and resume its mission.
The program is also open to some people who have provided a nonmilitary service to the government. For more information, call the Decedent Affairs Office at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, 398-5585. by CNB