November 2022 — MHCE Newsletter

News from MHCE 

NOVEMBER 2022 EDITION 

Former Navy Football Star 

Malcolm Perry Retires 

from the NFL to Resume 

Military Career 

See page 22 

Monthly Newsletter 

WWW.MHCE.US 

announcement that it 

will end its deal with 

the pharmacy benefits 

manager at the end of 

the year unless a more 

"equitable" agreement is 

offered. 

Express Scripts Invites Independent 

Pharmacies to Rejoin Tricare in What Critics 

Call 'Empty Gesture' 

The company that 

manages 

pharmacy 

Tricare's 

benefits 

will give thousands 

of independent and 

community pharmacies 

that left the network last 

month an opportunity to 

rejoin -- but it's unclear 

whether the terms of 

the contract will be any 

different than those that 

caused them to leave in 

the first place. 

At the end of last week, 

Express Scripts started 

informing 

pharmacies 

that it will send out 

another 

contract 

solicitation in December. 

If the pharmacies accept 

the contract, they will be 

back in Tricare's network 

on Jan. 15. 

The move could mean 

some of the 14,963 retail 

pharmacies that left the 

network in October will 

come back. But advocates 

for those pharmacies 

were pessimistic the 

contract would prove 

more favorable this time 

around. 

Despite the outcry from 

veterans, advocates and 

members of Congress 

over the independent 

pharmacies that left, 

Express Scripts said 

the main impetus for 

reoffering a contract 

was 

supermarket 

giant Kroger's recent 

"We constantly evaluate 

ways to improve access 

and choice for those we 

serve, so as a result of 

Kroger's recent notice 

that they will no longer 

participate in the Tricare 

pharmacy network, 

independent pharmacies 

that declined our previous 

invitation will be given 

another chance to 

consider participating," 

Tom Jenkins, Express 

Scripts vice president of 

account management for 

DoD Programs, said in a 

written statement. 

The independent 

pharmacies were dropped 

from the network Oct. 

24. Many declined the 

Continued on page 12

2 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us NOVEMBER 2022 EDITION

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 3 

— From our family to yours — 

Happy 

Thanksgiving!



Focus on Oversight a Key for Success at 

CoreCivic 

In the corrections industry, maintaining high standards of 

operation is imperative to meeting the needs of the individuals 

in our care. That's why CoreCivic adheres to a stringent set of 

guidelines set forth by our own standards, as well as those of our 

government partners and the American Correctional Association 

(ACA). 

Founded in 1870, the ACA is considered the national benchmark 

for the effective operation of correctional systems throughout 

the United States. To become accredited, a facility must achieve 

compliance with ACA mandatory standards and a minimum of 

90 percent non-mandatory standards. CoreCivic facilities adhere 

to ACA standards, and in 2020, CoreCivic earned an average 

ACA audit score of 99.6 percent across all facilities. 

Key ACA audit areas include facility personnel, resident reentry 

programs, resident safety, health care, and more. 

holds our facilities and staff to a high standard. To be able to 

represent our facility and receive reaccreditation in person is an 

honor." 

Adhering to ACA standards is only one part of CoreCivic's 

commitment to robust oversight. When government partners 

utilize CoreCivic's services, we are held not only to our own 

high standards and those of the ACA, but we are often held to 

the same or higher accountability of our public counterparts 

through stringent government contracts, unfettered access to 

our facilities for our partners, and hundreds of on-site quality 

assurance monitors. 

We provide access to our government partners, with most of 

our facilities having government agency employees known as 

contract monitors who are physically on-site to ensure we are 

operating in line with partner guidelines. 

Recently, the ACA held in Nashville, Tennessee, its 151st 

Congress of Corrections, an annual convention that brings 

together corrections professionals from across the country. In 

addition to various workshops and events at the convention, the 

ACA Commission on Accreditation also held panel hearings to 

award accreditation to correctional facilities that meet the ACA's 

rigorous requirements. Listed below are the seven CoreCivic 

facilities that earned reaccreditation this year, with mandatory/ 

non-mandatory scores: 

• Bent County Correctional Facility - 100/99.0 

• Citrus County Detention Facility - 100/100 

• Eloy Detention Center - 100/100 

• Lake Erie Correctional Institution - 100/99.3 

• Saguaro Correctional Center - 100/99.8 

• Stewart Detention Center - 100/100 

• Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility - 100/100 

"The accreditation process is very important," said Warden 

Fred Figueroa from Eloy Detention Center, one of the seven 

CoreCivic facilities that was awarded reaccreditation. "ACA 

To maintain our own high standards, annual on-site audits covering 

all operational areas are administered to ensure compliance with 

contractual and regulatory obligations and corporate-mandated 

requirements. Each CoreCivic Safety facility is audited by our 

internal quality assurance division, which is independent from 

our operations division. Facilities are expected to be audit-ready 

year-round, maintaining continuous compliance with numerous 

applicable standards. 

CoreCivic employs 75 staff members dedicated to quality 

assurance, including several subject matter experts with extensive 

experience from all major disciplines within our institutional 

operations. 

"A lot of hard work goes into preparing for these audits," 

Figueroa said. "Once they're complete, the staff can see their 

accomplishments and feel proud." 

Having multiple levels of oversight helps CoreCivic maintain 

a safe environment for those in our care. By holding ourselves 

accountable to our own high standards, along with our 

government partners' and ACA's standards, CoreCivic continues 

to be a trusted partner working to better the public good.


WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 7

8 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us NOVEMBER 2022 EDITION 

US, allies pledge more air defense weapons for 

Ukraine after Russia launches largest missile 

assault of war 

Russia’s barrage of dozens of missiles into Ukrainian 

territory Tuesday marked its largest air assault on 

Ukraine since launching its unprovoked invasion 

of the country in February, the top U.S. general said 

Wednesday. 

Army Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint 

Chiefs of Staff, said Russia’s bombardment of civilian 

targets across Ukraine, including strikes on dozens of 

critical power infrastructure facilities, was illegal and 

unnecessary. He estimated 60 to 100 Russian missiles 

— mostly air- and sea-launched cruise missiles — were 

fired during the assault, which U.S. and NATO officials 

have blamed for leading to a deadly blast in Polish 

territory that killed two civilians. 

“They [the Russians] are striking the Ukrainian civilian 

infrastructure, and it has little or no military purpose,” 

Milley told reporters at the Pentagon. “The deliberate 

targeting of the civilian power grid, causing excessive 

collateral damage and unnecessary suffering on the 

civilian population is a war crime.” 

Milley estimated more than 25% of Ukraine’s civilian 

population was without power after Russia’s latest 

attacks. He said the assault was especially cruel as 

temperatures drop in Ukraine with winter's approach. 

Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met 

Wednesday with defense leaders from 50 partner nations 

and Ukraine in their seventh monthly Ukraine Defense 

Contact Group session to discuss the latest battlefield 

needs of Ukrainian forces. Several nations — including 

the United States, Spain, Sweden, Germany and Poland 

— pledged new air defense capabilities for Ukraine, 

which defense officials have labeled the most critical 

need now. 

That need grew starker Tuesday when an explosion in 

Poland near its border with Ukraine killed two civilians. 

Top Polish and NATO officials said Wednesday that a


preliminary probe of the incident showed the errant 

missiles were likely a Russian-made S-300 air defense 

round fired by Ukraine during the Russian assault. 

Echoing a statement from the White House’s National 

Security Council issued earlier Wednesday, Austin said 

the Pentagon had no information to contradict the initial 

Polish findings. He said he was confident in the Poles’ 

ongoing probe, which included the help of U.S. officials 

on the ground at the blast site. 

“Whatever the final conclusions may be, the world 

knows that Russia bears ultimate responsibility for this 

incident,” Austin warned. “This tragic and troubling 

incident is yet another reminder of the recklessness of 

Russia's war of choice. And Ukraine has a bedrock right 

to defend itself.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, 

denied Wednesday that his country’s air defense 

weapons were responsible for the incident. He asked 

for evidence to support Poland’s initial findings and 

demanded his officials be involved in the investigation. 

Austin appeared to welcome Ukrainian assistance in the 

probe. 

Milley also said his staff made unsuccessful attempts 

Tuesday after the incident to reach his Russian 

counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of 

Russia’s General Staff. Milley did speak with top 

generals from Ukraine, Poland and other NATO nations 

by phone Tuesday evening, he said. 

Milley and Austin pledged to continue arming Ukraine 

and bolstering NATO’s eastern flank for however long it 

is necessary. To date, the United States has increased its 

troops in Europe by about 20,000 and sent some $18.6 

billion in weapons and supplies to Ukraine since just 

before the Russian invasion. 

Among the key difference-makers in the fight have 

been the U.S.- and NATO-supplied High Mobility 

Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, which have 

allowed Ukrainian forces to strike Russian command 

and logistics nodes deep behind front lines. Austin said 

another potential game-changing weapons system had 

begun operating in Ukraine — U.S.-supplied shortrange 

air defense systems known as NASAMS, or 

National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems. 

The NASAMS, which are designed to shoot down 

incoming ballistic missiles, fighter jets and drones, 

have hit 100% of the Russian missiles at which they 

have been fired, Austin said, labeling their performance 

“very impressive.” 

Milley warned the war was unlikely to end anytime 

soon, even as the Russians have faced one defeat after 

another, including the loss of key southern port-city 

Kherson in recent days. 

The general said the winter cold could force some 

slowdown to tactical operations, but the Russians 

appeared poised to continue fighting even amid 

“staggering losses” of critical weapons systems — 

tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters and fighter jets, 

among them — and troops, which have left Russia’s 

military “really hurting bad.” 

Milley last week estimated Russia and Ukraine had 

each suffered “well over” 100,000 combat deaths and 

injuries during the war. 

“Russia could end this war today. Russia could put an 

end to it right now,” Milley said. “But they won’t. They 

are going to continue the fight. They’re going to continue 

that fight into the winter, as best as we can tell, and we, 

the United States … will continue to support Ukraine 

for as long as it takes to keep them free, sovereign, 

independent and with their territory intact.” 

Austin, a former four-star general, encouraged the 

Ukrainians to continue their advances in the south and 

the east even amid the impending cold, saying it would 

be “a mistake” to allow Russian troops to “rest, refit and 

rearm.” 

“I don't believe they're going to make that mistake,” 

the defense secretary said. “And my goal is to make 

sure that they have the [military] means to do what's 

necessary to ensure that they don't hold up.”



TO ADVERTISE 

contact nathan.stiles@mhce.us 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE 

AT MHCE.US


contract to stay on because of 

lowered reimbursement rates 

they said would mean they had to 

operate at a loss. But they were 

also blindsided by the Oct. 24 date, 

thinking they would stay on the 

network until the end of the year. 

Other pharmacies were unaware 

their wholesaler or agency that 

represents them in negotiations 

had declined the contract on their 

behalf. 

When asked whether the new 

contracts would be the same as 

those previously rejected by some 

independent pharmacies, Express 

Scripts Spokesperson Justine 

Sessions declined to comment. 

Ronna Hauser, senior vice 

president of policy and pharmacy 

affairs at the National Community 

Pharmacists Association, which 

is advocating on behalf of the 

independent pharmacies, said 

that while the organization does 

not definitively know the terms 

of the upcoming contract, early 

indications are that it will be the 

same as the previous one. 

"I don't have a crystal ball as 

to what's going to happen, but 

this may be just an exact replay 

of the unfortunate situation we 

saw before, where independent 

pharmacies will still not be able 

to participate in the network," 

Hauser said. "I've had members 

use the terms 'dog and pony show,' 

'smoke and mirrors,' 'Groundhog 

Day.'"


The move by Kroger to leave 

Express Scripts vindicates the 

independent pharmacies' stance, 

Hauser argued. 

"It was not our members choosing 

to leave this network, it was our 

members being forced to leave 

this network as business owners," 

she said. 

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who 

has been asking Tricare patients to 

contact him if they were affected 

by the pharmacy reductions, was 

similarly unsatisfied with Express 

Scripts' announcement. 

"This is an empty gesture, and 

the facts remain the same: Tricare 

beneficiaries are losing access 

to their local pharmacy to pad 

Express Scripts' bottom line," 

Carter said in an emailed statement 

to Military.com. "The DoD must 

step in and rectify this situation so 

that patients, not pharmacy benefit 

managers, are put first." 

But the Express Scripts officials 

said they're hopeful at least some 

pharmacies will come back, in 

part because they are doing more 

outreach directly to the pharmacies 

represented by a wholesaler so 

that those stores can in turn push 

their representatives to accept the 

contract. 

The officials also pointed to 

feedback from members of 

Congress as one of the reasons 

they are inviting pharmacies to 

rejoin the network. 

Once the solicitation is out, 

pharmacies will have 15 days to 

accept or reject the contract, the 

officials said. 

"Even without Kroger's 

participation, nearly all Tricare 

beneficiaries have an in-network 

pharmacy within a 15-minute 

drive of their home, but we are 

always working to provide more 

choice to our members and look 

forward to welcoming additional 

independent pharmacies back into 

the network," Jenkins said in his 

statement. 

The Military Officers Association 

of America, which has also 

expressed concern about the 

pharmacies being dropped from 

Tricare, appeared more optimistic 

about the latest development. 

"The Military Officers Association 

of America has received 

significant member feedback 

describing longer drives, problems 

involving medication at longterm 

care facilities, and a host of 

other issues," Karen Ruedisueli, 

MOAA's director of government 

relations for health affairs, said 

in a written statement. "MOAA 

supports any work to reestablish 

a strong retail network to ensure 

beneficiaries can access their 

service-earned benefits."


US House win by ex-combat pilot cements 

Republican control 

LOS ANGELES — Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, a 

former Navy fighter pilot, scored a U.S. House win in 

a strongly Democratic district Wednesday, handing 

the GOP control of the chamber and giving the party 

a rare reason to celebrate in a state dominated by 

Democrats. 

The conservative Republican was reelected to a third 

term in a district that has a 12.5-point Democratic 

registration edge and was carried by then-presidential 

candidate Joe Biden by double digits in 2020. It was 

Garcia's third consecutive victory over Democrat 

Christy Smith, a former legislator. 

Garcia was first elected in a special election in May 

2020, then was reelected two years ago by just 

333 votes. He faced an even tougher challenge this 

year, after his left-leaning district was redrawn and 

became more solidly Democratic. 

With nearly 75% of the ballots counted, Garcia had 

54.2%, to 45.8% for Smith. 

Even though his victory carried historic weight 

by putting Republicans in charge of the House 

"the mission remains the same," Garcia said in a 

statement, in which he promised to work to "get our 

country back on track." 

Garcia, who flew over 30 combat missions during 

Operation Iraqi Freedom, is the sole GOP House 

member with a district anchored in heavily 

Democratic Los Angeles County.


It takes 218 seats to control the House. With the 

addition of the latest California results, Republicans 

have locked down 218 seats so far with Democrats 

claiming 211. 

In another key race in the state, Democratic Rep. Mike 

Levin beat back a tough challenge from Republican 

businessman Brian Maryott in a Southern California 

district that straddles Orange and San Diego counties. 

With nearly all the votes counted, Levin had 52.65%, 

to 47.4% for Maryott. 

Levin said he was eager to return to Washington to 

continue working on affordable health care, climate 

change and assistance for veterans. Biden traveled to 

the district in the election's closing days in hopes of 

giving Levin a boost. 

Garcia's win, which gave Republicans House control, 

came with a splash of political sass, arriving in a state 

so solidly Democratic that a Republican hasn't won a 

statewide race since 2006. It is also home to House 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco. California is 

known nationally as a liberal monolith, but pockets of 

conservative strength remain, mainly in the Southern 

California suburbs and rural and farming stretches. 

But even with the wins, Republicans will remain 

a small minority within the state's congressional 

delegation. 

Of the state's 52 seats — the largest delegation in 

Congress — GOP candidates had captured just 

nine as of Wednesday. Counting continued in five 

districts, although one was a matchup between two 

Democrats. 

Smith, a former legislator, had argued Garcia was 

out of step with district voters: He was endorsed by 

then-President Trump in 2020, then joined House 

Republicans who rejected electoral votes from 

Arizona and Pennsylvania and opposed Trump's 

impeachment after the Capitol insurrection. She also 

highlighted Garcia's opposition to abortion rights. 

Garcia emphasized his military service and pointed 

to his vote supporting $2,000 stimulus checks as 

one example of his political independence. He's also 

stressed local issues, including concern over illegal 

marijuana cultivation. 

In California, the primary House battlegrounds are 

Orange County — a suburban expanse southeast of 

Los Angeles that was once a GOP stronghold but has 

become increasingly diverse and Democratic — and 

the Central Valley, an inland stretch sometimes called 

the nation's salad bowl for its agricultural production. 

The tightest remaining contest in the state emerged 

in the Central Valley, where Democrat Adam Gray 

seized a tissue-thin lead over Republican John Duarte 

for an open seat in District 13. 

Underscoring the closeness of the race, Gray's 

campaign formed a committee to begin raising money 

to finance a possible recount. The latest returns 

showed Gray leading by 600 votes, with nearly 85% 

of the ballots tabulated. 

In Orange County, Democratic Rep. Katie Porter 

was holding a nearly 3-point edge over Republican 

Scott Baugh in one of the nation's marquee races. 

Baugh had slashed her lead in half earlier this week, 

but Porter, a star of the party's progressive wing, 

rebounded. About 90% of the votes had been counted. 

In the Central Valley's 22nd District, where about twothirds 

of the votes have been counted, Republican 

Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach then- 

President Donald Trump, had a 5.6-point margin 

over Democrat Rudy Salas.


Hawaii Base Now Allows Pregnant Soldiers to Move 

Out of Barracks Sooner 

Junior soldiers at a base in Hawaii are now allowed 

to move out of their barracks after 20 weeks of 

pregnancy, a potentially huge step forward as the 

Army doesn't have a service-wide norm and most 

garrisons don't allow pregnant troops to move out 

until much later. 

The move, approved this month by Col. Steve 

McGunegle, the Army Garrison Hawaii commander, 

reduced how far along in a pregnancy a soldier must 

be before potential permission to leave the barracks 

from 28 weeks. That 28-week mark is the norm 

for most Army installations, though some push the 

requirement to as late as 32 weeks. 

"[This] was updated to reduce risks to the mother 

and baby, and provide ample time to find a residence, 

furnish a home and be settled before delivery," 

Michael Donnelly, a spokesperson with U.S. Army 

Garrison Hawaii, told Military.com in a statement. 

There is no blanket Army rule that governs when 

pregnant junior troops can earn the additional benefits 

generally associated with married service members, 

specifically being granted a housing allowance and 

permitted to live off base. The move comes as senior 

Army officials, most notably Sergeant Major of the 

Army Michael Grinston, have urged commanders 

and senior noncommissioned officers not to wait for 

service-wide personnel policies to improve quality 

of life for their soldiers. 

One of the key factors in the new policy in Hawaii 

is permitting women to move before a soldier enters 

her third trimester of pregnancy to give room for 

a possible premature baby and allow the soldier 

to be more comfortable in the final months before 

giving birth, one soldier familiar with how the new 

rule was developed told Military.com. It also gives 

those soldiers more wiggle room if there is a delay 

in their housing allowance or there are issues finding 

housing. 

The Army as a whole has put parenthood issues at 

the center of some of its policy revamps this year, 

a signal that women have made significant gains in 

boosting their foothold in the service. The service 

has effectively revamped quality-of-life issues 

pertaining to the 400,000 parents serving, including 

better accommodations for women pumping breast 

milk while on duty, and expanding leave options for 

miscarriages.

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 17


Obama to Announce Expansion of Young Leaders 

Program to US 

WASHINGTON — An Obama Foundation program that 

has trained hundreds of young leaders across Africa, the 

Asia-Pacific and Europe is being expanded to include the 

United States. 

Former President Barack Obama is expected to announce 

the new program on Thursday during a two-day democracy 

forum the foundation is co-sponsoring in New York City. 

The Obama Foundation Leaders United States program is 

a six-month leadership development program for emerging 

leaders between the ages of 24 and 45. The program will 

serve more than 100 leaders from the U.S. in its first 

year. Participants will be chosen through a competitive 

application process. 

In remarks prepared for delivery on Thursday at the forum, 

Obama cites "consistently high interest" in the foundation's 

programs as a reason for the expansion. 

"The creativity, determination and passion of these leaders 

are already making an impact — in lives saved, environments 

restored, children educated," he says. "They're creating new 

models for clean energy generation and poverty alleviation. 

It's remarkable and inspiring — and a little humbling, since 

I sure wasn't making such an impact at their age. 

"And the good news is, we're just scratching the surface of 

what this next generation is capable of," Obama says. 

The Obama Foundation Leaders program has worked with 

more than 700 people in Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Europe 

since it was launched in 2018 after Obama, a Democrat, 

left the White House following two terms as president, 

according to the foundation. 

Valerie Jarrett, a longtime Obama adviser, said the U.S. 

extension of the leaders program is a "continuation of our 

efforts to pay it forward by helping the next generation." 

The foundation, in partnership with Columbia University 

and the University of Chicago, is holding its first democracy 

forum in New York on Thursday and Friday. Democracy 

thinkers, leaders and activists from across the globe will 

discuss how to advance and strengthen democracy in the 

United States and abroad. 

Obama is scheduled to close the first day of the forum with 

a speech and a conversation with a group of foundation 

leaders.


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“We had a number of conversations and I have 

a ton of respect for Malcolm and the decision 

he made,” Belichick said. “I’m sure he’ll be 

a great teammate and a great Marine and I’m 

glad he’s defending us and he’s on our side.” 

Record-setting career 

Former Navy Football Star Malcolm 

Perry Retires from the NFL to 

Resume Military Career 

Perry was a four-year varsity standout at 

Navy, making his collegiate debut in the 

most sensational of ways. Starter Tago Smith 

got injured during the season opener against 

Fordham and Perry was literally pulled out of 

the stands at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial 

Stadium. 

After missing three days of practice due to 

illness then playing in the junior varsity game 

on Friday, Perry did not dress for the opener 

and thus sat in full uniform among the Brigade 

of Midshipmen. 

Malcolm Perry was on the verge of beginning 

a third season in the National Football League 

when he made a decision that surprised many. 

Just days before the start of 2022 training 

camp, the New England Patriots wide receiver 

announced he was retiring from professional 

football with the intent of resuming his 

military career as soon as possible. 

Perry, a 2020 graduate of the Naval Academy, 

had been contemplating the move for some 

time and was at peace with the decision. 

“I kind of felt my time in the NFL was coming 

to an end, just mentally and physically,” Perry 

told The Capital Gazette last Friday afternoon 

at the Guinness Brewery in Halethorpe. 

The Naval Academy and Notre Dame alumni 

associations held a joint luncheon to celebrate 

the 95th meeting between the two institutions, 

which was held Saturday at M&T Bank 

Stadium in Baltimore. 

A pair of former Navy and Notre Dame players 

were the guests of honor at the event. Perry 

represented the Midshipmen, while Baltimore 

Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley 

represented the Fighting Irish. 

Perry, who had previously declined media 

requests to discuss his sudden retirement, 

explained the reasoning behind his decision. 

“I still had a burning desire to go serve and 

fulfill the commitment I signed up for when 

I went to the Naval Academy,” Perry said. “I 

kind of came to the conclusion that I was ready 

to call it quits and go do something that means 

a lot to me, my family and my country.” 

Just three days earlier, legendary New 

England coach Bill Belichick praised Perry’s 

commitment to service while reflecting on the 

upcoming Veterans Day. Belichick, who grew 

up in Annapolis and has deep ties to the Naval 

Academy, did not try to dissuade Perry when 

informed he was ready to trade his football 

cleats for a pair of combat boots. 

When Will Worth took over for the fallen 

Smith, Navy was suddenly without a backup 

quarterback because third-stringer Zach Abey 

was suspended for the game. With Navy 

comfortably ahead, Perry came off the bench 

and made several nice runs while leading a 

90-yard drive that produced a field goal. 

So the legend began.


Perry alternated between quarterback and 

slotback as a sophomore and junior, rushing 

for 2,269 yards and 18 touchdowns over 

those two seasons. It was all a prelude to one 

of the greatest individual seasons in Navy 

football history. 

Head coach Ken Niumatalolo and offensive 

coordinator Ivin Jasper tailored the offense 

to suit Perry’s skill set and he literally ran 

wild as a senior. The 5-foot-9 speedster set 

the Football Bowl Subdivision single-season 

record for rushing yards by a quarterback 

with 2,017 and scored 21 touchdowns as 

Navy went 9-2, captured the Commander-in- 

Chief’s Trophy and upset Kansas State in the 

Liberty Bowl. 

Perry was simply spectacular and the NFL 

scouts took notice. He was selected in the 

seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft by 

the Miami Dolphins as a wide receiver. It 

was the same scenario faced by another 

record-setting Navy quarterback and fellow 

Tennessee native — Keenan Reynolds. 

Reynolds was a sixth round pick of the 

Baltimore Ravens in 2016 and made the 

transition to slot receiver well enough to 

spend three seasons in the NFL. He played 

in one regular season game with the Seattle 

Seahawks. 

Reynolds holds the Navy career record 

with 4,559 rushing yards — 200 more than 

Perry, who sits in second place. Reynolds 

also holds the FBS career record for rushing 

touchdowns with 88. 

Perry played in nine games with the Dolphins 

as a rookie, recording nine receptions for 92 

yards and a touchdown. Miami waived Perry 

prior to the start of the 2021 season and he 

was claimed by New England. 

Perry made the Patriots’ opening day roster, 

but was inactive due to a foot injury. He 

landed on injured reserve and was eventually 

released. New Orleans signed Perry to the 

practice squad for the remainder of the 

season, but he chose to rejoin the Patriots on 

a futures contract. 

Perry participated in New England’s rookiefree 

agent mini camp in June and that would 

be the last time he suited up in an NFL 

uniform. While continuing to work out daily 

at the team facility in Foxborough, Perry 

found himself thinking more and more about 

the mandatory five-year commitment that 

he was allowed to put on hold to pursue pro 

football. 

“This whole offseason was mentally different 

than any other offseason I’ve had in my whole 

football career,” Perry told New England 

Patriots radio play-by-play announcer Bob 

Socci. “Just the passion to get out on the field 

and become better at what I do, it wasn’t 

necessarily there. It wasn’t hard to go to 

work, but it was hard to dial in. 

Desire to serve. 

Perry grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee, and 

starred at Kenwood High, earning All-State 

honors as a junior and senior. Both parents, 

Malcolm and Bonny Perry both served in the 

United States Army and were stationed at 

nearby Fort Campbell. 

As an athlete, young Malcolm dreamed of 

playing in the NFL. As a career choice, he 

longed to one day wear the uniform and 

follow in the footsteps of his service member 

parents. 

After significant reflection and much soulsearching, 

Perry realized his heart and 

head were all-in for serving the military 

commitment without further delay. Once the 

decision was made, the hardest part for Perry 

was informing Belichick, who had believed 

in his abilities and provided two separate 

opportunities to make the Patriots roster. 

“It was an easy decision, but it was a hard 

process. Going to talk to Coach Belichick 

about it and letting him know what I wanted 

to do was tough,” Perry said. “Ultimately, 

I’m happy with my decision and looking 

forward to what the future holds.” 

Perry was worried Belichick might be 

disappointed that the slot receiver was giving 

up pro football and might try to persuade 

him to at least go through training camp. It 

was the complete opposite as the future Hall 

of Famer was proud of Perry and offered 

encouragement. 

“Obviously, a big life decision for 

Malcolm and one that you know I and, as 

an organization, we have total respect and 

appreciation for,” Belichick told the media 

last week. “That’s real-life football. There’s 

real bullets out there, you know? We coach 

and play a great game, but that game — that’s 

for all the marbles. Anybody that’s in that 

arena we have the ultimate respect for.” 

Belichick has a long history of helping 

former Navy players make the giant leap 

from serving to playing in the NFL. It began 

with standout safety Chet Moeller, who 

was discharged from the Navy after being 

diagnosed with diabetes. Moeller signed with 

the New York Giants in 1980 while Belichick 

was an assistant, but wound up getting cut. 

Wide receiver and returner Phil McConkey 

also used his connection with Belichick to 

sign with the Giants after fulfilling his fiveyear 

commitment as a Navy helicopter pilot. 

McConkey wound up playing six seasons in 

the NFL and he played a pivotal role in New 

York’s 39-20 defeat of the Denver Broncos in 

Super Bowl XXI. 

Belichick later signed former fullbacks 

Kyle Eckel and Eric Kettani to free agent 

contracts with the Patriots. By far the most 

successful Naval Academy graduate to play 

for Belichick is Joe Cardona, who is in his 

eighth season as the starting long snapper for 

the Patriots. 

Belichick has always given former 

Midshipmen the benefit of the doubt, a 

byproduct of knowing how special academy 

graduates are. 

Belichick grew up in Annapolis and was 

totally immersed in Navy football through 

his father. Steve Belichick, who died in 

November 2005 at the age of 86, is the 

longest-serving assistant in Navy football 

history — working as an advance scout and 

special teams coordinator from 1956 to 1989 

under seven different head coaches. 

Having built a relationship with Belichick 

is one of many aspects Perry will appreciate 

about his pro football experience. The 

25-year-old is honored to be on the short 

list of Naval Academy graduates taken in 

the NFL Draft and will always remember 

catching his first career touchdown. 

“Coming from the Naval Academy, it’s very 

rare to make it in the NFL. Just getting a shot 

in the first place is amazing and I’m truly 

thankful,” Perry said. “I enjoyed every single 

second of my NFL experience. Just being 

out on the field competing each day and 

getting to know so many great teammates ... 

it’s definitely something I’ll remember and 

cherish the rest of my life.” 

Perry is currently back home in Clarksville 

waiting for paperwork to be processed and 

command decisions to be made enabling him 

to be recommissioned as an officer. When 

that happens, he will report to Marine Corps 

Basic Quantico for The Basic School.


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3 Sailors Receive Commendation Medal for Saving 

Injured Man’s Life at Navy Base in Italy 

Three Navy sailors have 

witnessed the accident 

later, the injured man 

never know when the 

received commendation 

and “sprang into action 

regained consciousness 

call to action comes. 

medals for saving a man’s 

immediately,” the Navy 

and started breathing. 

It could be on a carrier 

life after an accident 

at a U.S. military base 

in Italy, officials said 

Tuesday. 

The sailors were 

performing routine 

duties and preparing 

said. 

“The first thing I thought 

when he fell was to get 

out of our [vehicle] 

and see if he was 

OK,” Bullock said in a 

statement. 

Around that time, Petty 

Officer 3rd Class Sarah 

Meader brought a firstaid 

kit and stabilized 

the injured man’s neck 

until emergency medics 

arrived. 

in hostile waters or as 

you're driving down 

your home street. For 

that, I am proud for their 

performance and it was 

an honor to award them 

for their efforts." 

for training at Naval 

Support Activity Naples 

two weeks ago when a 

man who’d been tying 

down a forklift fell off 

a truck and injured his 

head. 

Two of the sailors, 

Petty Officer 2nd 

Class Xavier Escalante 

and Petty Officer 2nd 

Class Nikolas Bullock, 

“I saw his eyes roll to 

the back of his head, he 

wasn’t breathing and he 

started to turn purple,” 

Escalante added. “I 

started administering 

CPR.” 

Navy officials said one of 

the men continued CPR 

and chest compressions 

while the other went to 

call for help. A short time 

All three sailors were 

awarded the Navy 

and Marine Corps 

Commendation Medal 

on Tuesday. 

“These sailors embody 

the courage the Navy 

looks for in our fighting 

force," Capt. James 

Stewart, the base’s 

commanding officer, 

said in a statement. "You 

Naval Support Activity 

Naples is home to U.S. 

Naval Forces Europe 

and the Sixth Fleet. It’s 

located in southwestern 

Italy on the coast of the 

Tyrrhenian Sea. Built 

in 1951, the complex 

is used by U.S. forces 

but is technically under 

Italian military control.


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Troop Pay Bumps, 

Child Care and Health 

Concerns are the 

Focus of Quality-of-life 

Improvements in House 

Version of 2023 NDAA 

WASHINGTON — Troops are poised to receive pay raises and 

inflation bonuses, expanded child care, contraception coverage, 

paid moving expenses for pets and other support under the House 

version of defense policy legislation for the 2023 fiscal year. 

Lawmakers packed their $840 billion National Defense 

Authorization Act, an annual military spending priorities 

bill slated to take effect Oct. 1, with a slew of quality-of-life 

improvements as high costs of living, elevated suicide rates and 

additional stressors take a toll on service members and their 

families. 

The House on Thursday adopted the mammoth legislation, which 

typically totals more than 3,000 pages, but it will still need to be 

reconciled with a Senate version and paid for by a separate bill 

from congressional appropriators. 

A shared provision among all the drafts is a 4.6% pay hike for 

service members and civilian personnel, the largest in 20 years. 

House lawmakers also agreed to give additional 2.4% bonuses to 

troops earning less than $45,000 per year to counter the effects 

of inflation that rose to 9% last month. The bonus amounts to a 

maximum of $90 per month and would be paid from January to 

December 2023. 

“I am especially proud that this year’s bill supports those who 

defend our country by giving them the compensation they 

deserve,” Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, 

D-Wash., said in a statement. 

In addition to wage hikes, the bill also provides relief for housing 

and other everyday costs and covers up to $2,000 in pet moving 

costs for overseas military moves. 

The White House on Tuesday shot down proposed extra pay 

for sailors working on ships undergoing lengthy overhauls and 

soldiers in the Arctic due to “sufficient” existing law for special 

duty pay. But those provisions still made it into the legislation, 

championed by lawmakers alarmed by suicides tied to Alaskan 

bases and the USS George Washington. 

Other measures targeting suicide prevention, including a sixyear 

pilot program to provide troops with safes, locks or other


devices to store their personal 

not been able to deploy when 

as well as invest in the long-term 

including assault and rape, and 

firearms, are also attached to 

needed because of a dental 

upkeep of the facilities. The 

grant up to $7,500 to victims 

the bill. 

issue." 

Defense Department would be 

leaving abusive relationships 

“We have an obligation to 

address this extraordinary rate 

of suicide in the military,” 

Several other measures are 

dedicated to improving access 

to child care and the quality 

required to significantly ramp 

up spending on maintenance 

during the next four years. 

with a service member. 

Congressional work to 

produce a bicameral 2023 

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., 

of military child development 

The defense bill additionally 

defense bill is not likely to 

said this week on the House 

centers. 

forces the Pentagon to build 

commence until September, 

floor. “This is one modest 

step." 

Speier also successfully 

lobbied to eliminate Tricare 

insurance co-pays for 

One provision would help 

families on waitlists for onbase 

care by paying them up to 

$400 more per month to afford 

civilian child care. Another 

on the military justice reforms 

enacted in last year’s version of 

the NDAA and offer stronger 

support for victims of sexual 

assault. 

the earliest that the Senate is 

expected to vote on its version 

of the legislation. 

“Our work is not done,” said 

Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, 

contraception for one year, 

would provide financial 

Sexual harassment prosecutions 

the top Republican on the 

giving women service 

support for extended family 

would move outside the 

Armed Services Committee. 

members and their families 

members who take on child 

chain of command under the 

“We will continue to improve 

benefits long available to 

care duties during a move to a 

legislation, giving the cases to 

upon this bill in conference 

civilians under the 2010 

different duty station. 

independent prosecutors rather 

to ensure that this legislation 

Affordable Care Act. An effort 

to expand troop access to 

abortions at military medical 

facilities failed to clear the 

Rules Committee for a floor 

Lawmakers also agreed to 

raise pay and improve benefits 

at child development centers 

to attract and retain employees 

than commanders. Lawmakers 

are also directing the military to 

establish a compensation fund 

for victims of violent crimes, 

gives our warfighters what 

they need.” 

vote. 

Another health care provision 

put forward by Democrat 

Andy Kim of New Jersey 

and Republican Trent Kelly 

of Mississippi will provide 

all members of the National 

Guard and reservists access to 

the same no-fee dental care as 

active-duty troops. 

"It is our sworn duty as 

members of Congress to 

ensure they have access to 

preventative and continuous 

dental care -- just as we 

do for active-duty military 

personnel," Kelly, a major 

general in the Mississippi 

Army National Guard, said 

last month. "All too often, 

these men and women have


Navy Flexes Medical Muscle in Expeditionary Clinic 

During Major US-Japan Exercise 

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — At an expeditionary 

medical facility built inside a warehouse on this 

Marine Corps base, Navy doctors and nurses triaged 

incoming casualties brought by Osprey tiltrotor 

aircraft Tuesday from an imagined battle more than 

130 miles away. 

It was a drill, of course, part of Keen Sword 23, a 

honing every two years of U.S. and Japanese armed 

forces’ readiness to fight together. With fighting 

comes casualties and the medical branch, like the 

warfighters, rehearses for the job. 

The caregivers scanned simulated gunshot, burn 

and blast victims brought from the Amami Islands 

to Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ambulances at 

Camp Foster and then to the expeditionary medical 

station, also called a Role-3 facility. 

Keen Sword, begun in 1986, is designed to increase 

combat readiness and improve the working 

relationship between U.S. and Japanese forces. The 

exercise this year began Nov. 10 and ends Saturday at 

bases across main-island Japan, Okinawa prefecture 

and in Japan’s territorial waters. 

A Role-3 expeditionary medical facility, comparable 

to a hospital ship, was staffed Tuesday by sailors 

from Naval Medical Forces Pacific at Naval Base 

San Diego and Expeditionary Medical Facility 

150-Alpha at Camp Pendleton, Calif., according to a 

Naval Medical Forces Pacific news release Sunday. 

A Role-3 facility provides a level of care three steps 

“This was an opportunity for us to coordinate with 

our partners in the region to assess each other’s 

medical assets and see how we can continue to work 

forward together on other operations and exercises,” 

Navy Capt. Stephen Arles, director of Naval Medical 

Forces Pacific’s maritime operations center, said 

during a lull in the action. “Exercises like this give 

us an opportunity to operationalize Navy medicine 

assets to enhance our readiness in times of conflict 

and to ensure we have a ready medical force.”


from the battlefield, according to the release. Role-1, 

by comparison, is a corpsman providing care at or 

near the battlefield. 

A Role-3 facility provides damage control surgery 

and resuscitation, along with supplemental support 

and specialty services like urology, ophthalmology 

and orthopedic surgery, said facility commander 

Navy Capt. Elizabeth Smith. 

The Camp Foster facility was built for up to 454 

staff members, 20 intensive care beds, 130 acute 

care beds and four operating rooms that can conduct 

up to 36 surgeries per day, Smith said. The facility 

is also stocked with medications, ventilators and its 

own blood supply. 

The facility could also be used for humanitarian and 

disaster relief, Smith said. 

“We have all the monitoring needs and the emergency 

resuscitative equipment necessary just like in any 

emergency room,” facility acting executive officer 

Capt. Chris Keith said as corpsmen worked around 

him. 

The expeditionary medical facility is a natural fit for 

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger’s 

service-wide redesign called Force Design 2030, 

Arles said. One of the redesign’s main tenets is 

expeditionary advanced base operation. The Role-3 

facility is too big for the battlefield and is a higher 

level of care but can be scaled down depending on 

where it is needed, Arles said. “This is a scalable 

facility so it does not have to be deployed in its entirety 

and therefore can be more mobile and moved to a 

location where it’s needed,” he said. “Or, in a larger 

scale operation, the full facility can be deployed, 

obviously with less mobility, but with more capacity 

and more capabilities.” Force Design 2030 cut tanks, 

towed cannon artillery and some helicopter units for 

smaller, faster, harder-to-detect fighting formations 

armed with long-range precision-fire capabilities in 

the form of light attack munitions. Expeditionary 

advanced base operations call for these mobile units 

to disperse inside the range of enemy missiles to 

seize and hold islands and sink enemy vessels at sea. 

The Marines on Okinawa have been rehearsing the 

concept piece by piece since its inception.


The Marines’ Most 

Hallowed Ceremonial 

Unit is Getting its First 

Female Commander 

When Capt. Kelsey 

Hastings takes command of 

the Marine Corps’ revered 

Silent Drill Platoon later 

this month, she will become 

the unit’s first female leader 

— and its first-ever female 

member. 

Hastings, a 2017 Naval 

Academy graduate, was 

named the Silent Drill 

Platoon’s commander for 

the 2023 parade season, the 

Marine Corps announced 

Tuesday. She will take 

command of the ceremonial 

unit on Nov. 21. 

“It is exciting to be 

selected as the Marine 

Corps Silent Drill Platoon 

commander," Hastings 

said. "SDP is oftentimes the 

face of the Marine Corps, 

showing the world how 

elite and professional our 

organization is, and being 

selected to lead them is truly 

an honor. I look forward 

to working with my new 

Marines and being a face 

that a little girl can see and 

envision herself as." 

The 24-member Silent Drill 

Platoon dates back to the 

1940s and features handselected 

infantry Marines 

who perform complicated 

drill routines featuring 

elaborate spins and tosses 

of their signature M1 

Garand rifles with fixed 

bayonets without the benefit 

of any spoken commands 

or cadence. The platoon, 

headquartered at the Marine 

Barracks in Washington, 

D.C., performs hundreds of 

times each year at events 

across the United States, 

including in weekly parades 

during the summer months 

outside the barracks and 

at the Marine Corps War 

Memorial in Arlington, Va. 

Hastings, an artillery officer, 

is already a veteran of the 

Marine’s ceremonial units, 

according to the Marine 

Corps. She commanded 

another of the Marine 

Barracks-based marching 

platoons in 2021 and then 

served through most of 

2022 as the executive officer 

for the Marines’ marching 

company, A Company, 

which oversees four 

ceremonial platoons, which 

includes two marching 

platoons — the elite Silent 

Drill Platoon and the Marine 

Corps Color Guard Platoon, 

according to the service. 

Col. Robb Sucher, the 

commander of the Marine 

Barracks, described 

Hastings as a “stand-out 

performer” and tireless 

worker in the announcement 

of her selection. 

“I'm excited for her 

to represent Marine 

Barracks Washington as a 

representative of the Marine 

Corps in this role,” he said. 

Hastings is a native of 

Seattle, Wash., where she 

graduated from the Chief 

Sealth International High 

School before attending the 

Naval Academy. She was a 

member of Navy’s rowing 

team, helping the team win 

three consecutive Patriot 

League women’s rowing 

championships between 

2015 and 2017, according 

to the academy. 

She first served in Hawaii, 

where she was an artillery 

platoon commander, 

a fire direction officer 

and a battery executive 

officer before attending 

Ceremonial Drill School, 

which qualified her to serve 

in Marine ceremonial units, 

according to the service. 

Just seven years ago, 

Hastings would not have 

been eligible to serve in 

the Silent Drill Platoon or 

in the artillery field, which 

for decades were male-only 

combat positions. 

The Marine Corps opened 

front-line combat roles, 

including infantry and 

artillery jobs, to women in 

2016 after then-Defense 

Secretary Ash Carter ordered 

all military specialties and 

units open to female troops 

in December 2015. 

The Marine Corps initially 

opposed opening many jobs, 

especially infantry roles, 

to women. But within five 

years, nearly 300 female 

Marines had moved into 

previously closed combat 

roles, according to the 

service. 

Those numbers have 

continued to grow. As of 

Nov. 1, some 559 female 

Marines had earned jobs 

in combat specialties 

previously closed to them, 

including 388 enlisted 

Marines and 171 officers, 

the service said Tuesday. In 

all, 1,346 female Marines 

are now assigned to units 

that were all-male in 2015, 

according to the Corps.

November 2022 — MHCE Newsletter

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