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Community Briefs

FIAPITO VIMOTO RECEIVES NURSING EXCELLENCE AWARD

 

Fiapito Vimoto, a registered nurse at the VA Clinic in Tafuna is the recipient of the Nursing Excellence Award, and she was selected from amongst a pool of candidates representing the Pacific Region including Guam, Saipan, Oahu, Kauai, and Kona.

 

Head nurse of the local VA Clinic Nitatose Misi, RN, explained that the Nursing Excellence Award has been around for many years  but this is the first time the local VA Clinic participated in the selection process through the submission of Fiapito Vimoto as a nominee. (The award is for nurses working in VA Clinics only).

 

Vimoto was presented a special plaque and certificate as a commemoration of her selection for the Award. When asked for comments, a very modest Vimoto didn't say much, only expressing gratitude to her family for their support of her work, and Dr. Fred Uhrle and the entire staff of the Tafuna VA Clinic for nominating her.

 

41 LOCAL RECRUITS SWORN IN FOR ENLISTMENT IN U.S. ARMY

 

A total of 41 future soldiers were sworn in for enlistment to the United States Army last week during a brief ceremony held at the new VA building in Tafuna. SSG Lauie Laban-Ilalio of the local US Army Recruiting Command explained that the new recruits are part of the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), meaning they will not leave right away and there are still responsibilities and duties that must be upheld prior to July, when the first group of soldiers are scheduled to fly out for basic military training (boot camp).

 

Of the 41 that were sworn in, 30 will be on active duty while the remaining 11 have signed up to be reservists. Most of the recruits are 2013 graduates. SSG Laban-Ilalio explained that after the swearing in ceremony, the recruits and their parents took part in an orientation session that was aimed at fully preparing them for what to expect during basic training and what they must adhere to while on DEP — things like passing the physical fitness assessment, maintaining the right weight, upholding their moral qualifications, refraining from any violations of the law, and participating in training programs which are held once a week, in addition to physical training (PT) twice a week.

 

The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by Chief Warrant Officer (CW-2) Filomena Ruby Lefiti who was also presented with a certificate of appreciation for her many years of dedicated service to the US Army.

 

"It has always been the custom and tradition of the US Army to honor and show appreciation to its members for their dedicated service and that is why CW-2 Lefiti was recognized," SSG Laban-Ilalio said.

 

The new recruits will be dispersed and attending one of four boot camps held at Ft. Benning, Georgia; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Jackson, South Carolina, or Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. The next swearing in ceremony will be held during the first week of August but from now until then, those who are interested in joining the US Army at that time are reminded that the cut-off for the submission of names is mid-July.

 

The local US Army Recruiting Station is located in the second floor of the Laufou Shopping Center and is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Thursday, and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Friday. More information on how to become Army Strong can be obtained by visiting their Nuuuli location or calling SSG Laban-Ilalio at 258-5040.

 

LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS UNDERGO TRAINING

 

Members of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), the Department of Health (DOH), and employees of the pharmacy at the LBJ Tropical Medical Center took part in an educational training session conducted in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and conducted by Public Health Advisor Barbara Cooper, on ways to help local first responders in handling medication during times of natural disasters and/or bioterrorism threats.

 

The training took place last week at the Tafuna Health Center. The participants were taught ways to carry out their roles during times of trouble, when medications are requested from off-island and the chain of events that follow once the medication is shipped and arrives on local soil.

 

There is a specific method on how to get the medications quickly and safely from the airport to the warehouse where they are stored, and then disbursed out to the local hospitals and health centers before they are made available to the general public. Those who participated in the training were schooled in these methods.