Optimism, uncertainty

Naval Station Everett, under Coury's command since 2010, should be well positioned for the future as the Navy moves 60 percent of its ships to the Asia-Pacific region by 2020. The question is how new federal budget constraints under sequestration will affect those plans and the Navy's desire to increase its ship count from 286 to 295 by then, Coury said.

Sequestration has meant lots of belt tightening as the Navy focuses on "mission-critical" items, he said. That means no more overtime pay and reductions in groundskeeping, utilities and morale, welfare and recreation services for sailors.

The budget turmoil also forced Coury to eliminate community outreach efforts this year, so the base won't have its annual open house and ship tours in July.

"We are adapting and we will succeed," Coury said.

But for the Navy's 200,000 civilian employees, 14 upcoming furlough days will equal a 20 percent discretionary pay cut, he said. The Navy recognizes that hardship and is working to minimize it.

Naval Station Everett's three frigates, USS Ford, USS Rodney M. Davis and USS Ingraham, will be decommissioned in coming years and will be replaced by three destroyers, Coury said. The plan was announced last year, but the Navy hasn't finalized the moves while sequestration forces it to juggle dollars.

Another wild card: The Base Closure and Realignment Commission will meet in 2015 and 2017 to consider which military bases to keep and which to recommend for closure.

Regardless, "Naval Station Everett stands fully quipped to meet that transition," Coury said.

Despite the new budget reality, Coury said Naval Station Everett and its ships are moving ahead with intensive energy conservation efforts as part of the Navy's Great Green Fleet. The USS Nimitz demonstrated the use of 100 percent biofuel for its jet wing during recent RIMPAC exercises in Hawaii, he said. Last year, the USS Ford became the first Navy ship to sail on a biofuel blend.

Shoreside, Coury has been leading environmental stewardship efforts. The base has plans to install a wind turbine and electric-vehicle charging stations. Its diesel-powered vehicles run a B20 biofuel blend and its gasoline-powered vehicles run on E85 ethanol. Energy consumption around the base has been reduced by 28 percent to 90 percent and its buildings rate among the top 25 percent most efficient in the world.

"We're doing our part to conserve," Coury said.

After Coury finished his speech, Port of Everett executive director John Mohr asked how Everett could "BRAC-proof" Naval Station Everett from possible closure.

Coury couldn't make specific suggestions, but he said the community's support of Snohomish County's second-largest employer, which pumps about $318 million into the local economy, is critical to keeping Naval Station Everett open and the county's support of the base and its sailors is "tremendous."

"But again, I must remain apolitical on the issue," he said. Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson expressed an optimistic tone.

"This is the base that most bases try to become," he said. To call Naval Station Everett "'the sailors' choice' isn't just a mantra. This is the No. 1 base for where all sailors want to be assigned."

Youth sports safety

Cringing at bumps, falls, trips and nudges is a common response among parents of young athletes. Seventy-two percent of parents of children ages 6 to 17 report that they are highly concerned about their child experiencing a head injury on the sports field, according to a recent survey conducted by NMI Research and DSM Nutritional Products, and their concern is not unwarranted. In fact, data indicates that emergency room visits of school-age athletes for serious injuries like concussions have significantly increased in recent years.

Parents should continue to encourage their children to get involved with youth sports, but they need to be aware that hard-hitting spills could have a lasting impact on their child’s brain health if not handled properly.

“I’ve worked with young and old athletes who are experiencing the lasting effects of head trauma during sports,” says Dr. Julian Bailes, a neurosurgeon and sports medicine expert who has worked with professional and college athletes for more than two decades. “In many cases, their parents or coaches were eager to get them back in the game because they didn’t show signs of an injury. Through research, we’re finding that even minor repeated head injuries can cause long-term effects on brain function.”

Every parent on the sidelines should be aware of the signs that a more serious injury may have occurred. A father of five children and former athlete himself, Bailes recommends that parents educate themselves about sports safety.

“There are things parents can do to help protect their children from sports-related injuries, from selecting the right protective gear to working with coaches and leagues to build awareness around recognizing and treating head injuries,” says Bailes. “And we’re learning more every day. For example, recent pre-clinical studies have looked at the use of DHA omega-3 as a nutrient to help reduce the impact of traumatic brain injury.”

Tip No. 1: Know the signs. Not all concussions involve a loss of consciousness. In fact, most people who have concussions never black out. Some indicators that a child may have a concussion and needs to see a doctor include headaches, listlessness, irritability, changes in sleeping, eating, school performance or play behaviors, and loss of balance or unsteady walking.

Tip No. 2: Limit exposure in practice. As a parent you can encourage coaches to have lighter practice days, focused on agility versus full-on player contact.

Tip No. 3: Play it safe and slow. Less than half of parents rely on a medical professional to examine their child to determine if they should return to play after a head injury, according to the survey. Don’t take any chances. If your child experiences head trauma or you suspect a concussion during practice or in a game, seek medical attention immediately. And don’t be too eager to get them back in the game – wait until you get the go ahead from a doctor.

Tip No. 4: Be smart about nutrition. Important for brain development and function throughout the lifecycle, DHA is a structural fat in the brain that is particularly important during early childhood when the brain is in a rapid period of growth and development. Look for foods rich in DHA, like fatty fish, foods and beverages fortified with a vegetarian and sustainable algal source of DHA.

Tip No. 5: Take a lead from the pros. Stay up to date on the latest regulations and new equipment that is imposed by professional and collegiate teams. Many times, what happens at the professional or collegiate level will trickle down to youth sports.

“Sports are an important and healthy part of childhood, but being an athlete is not without risks,” says Dr. Bailes. “It only takes one poor or uninformed choice for a game to turn from fun to tragedy. Every parent, coach and child should be educated on how to recognize and handle head injuries during sports.”