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The Interactive Customer Evaluation program is a system that gives MCLB Barstow community members the opportunity to rate the products and services provided by the different MCLB Barstow offices and facilities. Your comments are appreciated and are used to improve the products and service offerings MCLB Barstow makes available to you.
COMMENT: I have been hearing from my neighbors that the housing staff is entering homes to replace filters without the permission of residents if they are not home. I personally heard that a staff truck was in my driveway and I was not home and had no notice of them entering my residence. I hope this is just hearsay, because I do not at all agree with people being able to enter my home without my permission for any reason. If this is true, I think the community should at least be informed that it is going on. I think the old system of appointments should be set back into motion as well. I have not personally had anyone knock on my door to change the filter in a couple of months, and putting these two facts together worries me. This is my home right now and I want to know beforehand if someone is coming in, even if it is only for a minute.
FOLLOW-UP: The housing maintenance contractor does not enter any resident’s quarters without making contact with the resident first. The Housing staff monitors the housing. All resident’s keys are kept under lock and key in the housing office and are not checked out for any reason, except emergencies, and even then, only with the approval of housing.
If you have any questions, call the Housing Office aboard MCLB Barstow at 577-6872.

Security tip of the week

Recently, some football fans had their car broken into while they were at a game. A garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard were stolen.
When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house and the garage door remote control to gain entry. The thieves knew the owners were not home and how much time they had to clean out the house. They also brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.
If you have a GPS, don’t put your home address in it. Put a nearby address, such as a store or gas station, so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

2009 Strategic Plan

Tuesday, 3 March 2009

The 2009 Strategic Plan for MCLB Barstow has been released. Be sure to pick up your copy at work or view it online here. [View Document]

Driving simulator teaches MCLB Barstow leathernecks keys to driving responsibly

By Cpl. Danny Restivo
Combat Correspondent

 With the holiday season on the horizon, many service members will enjoy time off with friends and family. Many Marines will travel to parties and gatherings, but although the occasions are joyous, everyone needs to be cautious when driving.
“The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration reports that alcohol related accidents are increased during the holiday season, with half those drivers having a blood alcohol level over the legal limit,” said Brian Korves, a Safety Office traffic specialist aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif.
To help Marines make the correct choice when getting behind the wheel, Korves and other safety officials offered Marines two simulators to experience what impaired driving is like, and how seatbelts save lives. “The seatbelt convincer does exactly what its name says,” said Korves. “The individual riding on it, depending on their weight, will go five to ten miles per hour.”
The seatbelt convincer uses a standard car seat and ramp that puts the rider at a speed of five to ten miles per hour. Though the speed may seem slow to some, the potential for injury is ever present.
“I know it’s only 5 to10 mph, but without any restraint, I could see how someone could easily get injured in a minor accident,” said Pfc. Brice Wolters, an awards clerk for Headquarters Battalion.
“I’ve been in two accidents, and each time I forgot to put on my seatbelt,” said Pfc. Jimmy Cryan, a personnel clerk with HQBN. “Luckily, I was never injured, and after trying the seatbelt convincer, it’s just another reason for me to remember that I have to put on my seatbelt.”
During the safety brief, Marines also learned about the consequences of driving while impaired through the Simulated Impaired Driving Experience.
“The SIDNE doesn’t make the driver impaired, it just makes the steering, braking, and turns react a bit slower like an impaired driver would,” said Korves. As part of the SIDNE, Marines had to negotiate a series of orange cones, while driving go-karts that were modified to respond as though they had been drinking heavily.
Each SIDNE was similar to a driver with 0.2 percent blood alcohol content, which is nearly three times the legal limit in all 50 states.
“When I was driving the gokart, I felt like I wasn’t in control, and that’s a feeling I can’t stand,” said Lance Cpl. Darlene Diaz, a military personnel clerk with HQBN. “After driving with the SIDNE, I can see why people get arrested.”
“Many people who drink think they have control of their vehicle, but in reality they really don’t,” said Korves, who believes safety is the responsibility of everyone. “Just because you don’t care about yourself and you want to drink and drive, you’re still putting other motorists’ lives in danger.”