DATE: Thursday, March 20, 1997              TAG: 9703190691

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Military 

                                            LENGTH:   61 lines

WEEKLY BRIEFING

NATO AT CROSSROADS: As NATO prepares to redefine itself, the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, Marine Corps Gen. John J. Sheehan, and Dr. James Koch, president of Old Dominion University, will conduct a symposium entitled ``NATO at the Crossroads,'' April 11-12 in Mills Godwin Hall at ODU. Government officials, civilian analysts and ranking military officers from NATO's 16 member nations will participate. For details, call John Broderick at 683-3152, or Lt. Cmdr. Lincoln Smith at 445-3235.

TRAINING CENTER CLOSES: Naval Training Center San Diego formally closes Friday after 74 years as the Navy's West Coast boot camp. The first recruits walked through its doors in 1923. Nearly 8,000 sailors a year were trained there, or taught through 40 courses at its Service School Command. All recruit training will now be conducted at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center near Chicago.

DOC'S FUND-RAISER: The Naval Medical Department Officer's Wives Club of Tidewater will host its third annual Fiesta & Fund-Raising Auction at 6:30 p.m. April 12 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Drydock Club. Cost is $15 a person. Proceeds support comfort and entertainment items that are placed in the wards, clinics and waiting areas of the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center and its other area facilities. For more information, or reservations, call 483-8195.

SHIP VISITS: Two Navy ships will be open for tours from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can reach the destroyer Stump through Gate 2 at the Norfolk Naval Station. The dock landing ship Ashland will welcome tourists at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. Visitors should use Gate 1. For updated information, call 444-7637.

CSS VIRGINIA CREW HOSTED: The Hampton Roads Naval Museum will host a free presentation performed by the crew of the CSS Virginia from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Twelve historians will interact with visitors as they display personal artifacts of sailors, soldiers and Marines of the Civil War era. There will be hands-on displays for children. The museum is on the second floor of Nauticus. Admission is free.

WATERFRONT LOGISTICS EXPO: The Norfolk Fleet and Industrial Supply Center will host its first Waterfront Logistics Exposition from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 10 at Norfolk Live at the Norfolk Naval Station. The event takes the place of the former Customer Service Conference. Exhibits, displays and open-floor discussions will be held. For more information, call Randy Lester at 444-4047.

BATTLE ``E'' WINNERS: Vice Adm. Douglas J. Katz, commander of the Atlantic Fleet's Naval Surface Force, has announced the winners of SURFLANT's Battle Efficiency Awards for 1996. They are the guided-missile cruisers Anzio, Gettysburg, Hue City, San Jacinto, Vella Gulf and South Carolina; destroyers Barry, Arleigh Burke, Conolly, Laboon, O'Bannon, Spruance and Stout; frigates Boon, Carr, Doyle, Fahrion, Halyburton and Klakring; mine countermeasures ships Devastator and Guardian; coastal mine hunters Heron and Inchon; salvage and rescue ships Grasp and Grapple; amphibious ships Gunston Hall, Kearsarge, La Moure County, Saipan, Trenton; command ship LaSalle; oiler Monongahela; and fast combat support ship Supply.

CHESS, ANYONE?: The Naval Base Chess Tournament will be held April 5 at the Wind & Sea Recreation Center, using a five-round Swiss System with 80-minute time limits on each game. The tourney, open to all active-duty personnel, opens with an 8:30 a.m. check-in and 9:30 a.m. first round. For details or to register, call the Athletic Office at 444-2276 before April 3.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu