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This week in links: MWR site trouble, a familiar face coming back as region CO

You can get all these links as soon as they're posted by following @nwnavynews on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook. Have a link to suggest? Send me an e-mail or a message through Twitter or Facebook. Thanks!

Links for the week of Jan. 29:

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This week in links: Pedestrian safety, shipyard job fair, Haiti relief

You can get all these links as soon as they're posted by following @nwnavynews on Twitter or becoming a fan on Facebook. Have a link to suggest? Send me an e-mail or a message through Twitter or Facebook. Thanks!

Links for the week of Jan. 15: 

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New working uniform making waves

The blue camouflage pattern of the new Navy working uniform is becoming a more common sight around the Northwest as local commands begin to adopt it. The uniform, known as NWU, became available at Navy Exchanges here in November 2009.

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What to expect in 2010

New uniforms. The first EA-18G Growler squadron deployment. Women training for submarine service. Those are among the changes coming for the Navy in 2010.

Here are some things to watch here in the Northwest:

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BAH rates drop for most Northwest bases

Military housing allowances across the U.S. will rise an average of 2.5 percent in 2010. But BAH rates for service members stationed at most Navy bases in the Northwest will go down slightly, due to falling real estate values.

An E-4 at Naval Station Everett will see about a 3 percent drop with dependents or a nearly 8 percent drop without. The same sailor at Naval Base Kitsap will see a 3.5 percent drop with dependents and a 1.7 percent drop without.

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Holiday concerts coming up for Navy Band Northwest

Navy Band Northwest will play a series of public holiday concerts beginning Saturday, Dec. 12 in Oak Harbor. The band also plays Dec. 13 in Everett, Dec. 16 at Fort Lewis and Dec. 18 in Bremerton.

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This week in links: Free football tickets, injury update, Growler production

You can get all these links as soon as they're posted by following @nwnavynews on Twitter. Have a link to suggest? Send me an e-mail or a message on Twitter. Thanks!
Links for the week of Dec. 4:
 

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Remembering Pearl Harbor: 2009 events

Ceremonies on- and off-base in the Puget Sound area on Monday, Dec. 7 will mark the 68th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor. With the number of Pearl Harbor survivors dwindling, this could be one of the last chances for you to hear their accounts firsthand.

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Halloween fun around Puget Sound in 2009

If you're still trying to decide what to do for Halloween, here's a rundown of events happening this week on or near local bases in Kitsap, Whidbey Island and Everett. This list is by no means comprehensive. Post a comment and share other activities you'd recommend. 
 

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Flu basics can keep you from getting sick

Simple steps can help you avoid getting the flu and spreading it around this year. That's the message Navy medicine officials want to convey as they prepare for an influx of patients with symptoms from seasonal flu and the much-talked-about H1N1 strain, also known as swine flu.
"The thing we want people to do is take sort of a collective breath," said Capt. Dan Frederick, a regional public health emergency officer at Naval Hospital Bremerton.
He shared a handout being distributed at the hospital that lists four Cs to remember:
 

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High cost of living for Washington bases

An analysis by Military Times found the cost of living near bases in Washington state among the highest in the nation, outside of California, Hawaii and Washington, D.C.
The least expensive base in the state is Fairchild Air Force Base, ranking 98th out of 267 bases in the U.S. Naval Station Everett is the most expensive in Washington at 211th on the list.

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Free summer fun for families 2009

Looking for something fun to do with the kids in the weeks remaining before school starts again for the fall? Communities all over the Puget Sound area offer free summer activities, many of which happen year after year.

Here are some best bets coming up:

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Final deployment for Prowler squadron

Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 138 was scheduled to return home to Whidbey Island this week after the unit's final deployment aboard USS John C. Stennis before transitioning from the EA-6B Prowler to the EA-18G Growler.

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A talk with Alison Buckholtz, author of 'Standing By'

I caught up with Alison Buckholtz recently at a cafe in Anacortes, Wash., where she reflected on the reception to her book and her family's next chapter: a 14-month IA assignment for her husband.

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Year of the Military Family: What does it mean for you?

Congress declared 2009 the Year of the Military Family and urged President Obama to issue a proclamation doing the same. It's a symbolic gesture that doesn't come with any new benefits or funding for support programs. But along with Michelle Obama's emphasis on military families, it could signal further action ahead to ease the burden on those who serve the country without uniforms.

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How has housing crisis hit your family?

Service members and advocacy groups say the housing crisis has hit military families particularly hard. With housing values dropping and fewer people buying, orders to move to a new duty station can bring unexpected financial hardship.

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