Free showing of “SING” for military and their families Jan. 7

The film “SING” (PG) will start at 9 a.m., Jan. 7 at the Seefilm Bremerton Cinema, 655 Fourth St., Bremerton. It’s free and open to all military — active, reserve and veterans — and their families. Reservations are required. To get your free tickets, go to www.KitsapMilitaryGroup.com.

“We do it twice a year to give back to the military, to show them we love them and appreciate them and what they do for us really means a lot,” said Emily Stoican, a member of the Shane McGraw Team, which sponsors the twice-annual free showings. For more information, call 360-519-7567, or email McGrawTeam@waterstonemortgage.com.

No U.S. carrier in Middle East

The Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) carrier strike group left the Arabian Gulf and Mediterranean Dec. 26, heading home to for Norfolk, according to Defense News (Dec. 28, 2016).

However, there could be a gap of as much as two months before its replacement, the USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77) arrives on station. The Bush recently completed a 13-month overhaul in Norfolk, a process that stretched months beyond its original end date. Navy officials have given no concrete answer as to why there was a delay, but have suggested poor planning, a lack of training, funding interruptions and unspecified emergent work contributed to the problem, according to Defense News.

John Paul Jones ship may have been found

NORTH SEA (NNS) — Four months ago, a multinational group of sailors and scientists from a variety of commands, organizations and militaries set out to search for the wreckage of John Paul Jones’ American Revolutionary War ship Bonhomme Richard, according to U.S. Navy sources.

Embarked upon rescue and salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS 51) to survey a late 18th/early 19th century shipwreck off the coast of England in the North Sea: underwater archaeologists from the Naval History and Heritage Command, Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 2; sailors from Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center; sailors from the French Mine Clearance Dive Unit (MCDU); and members of Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration.

The site is interesting to researchers for many reasons, not the least of which is its location in the same general area as that of the final battle of Jones’ famous warship, Bonhomme Richard.

During the Revolutionary War, the French crown loaned Bonhomme Richard to the United States. Commanded by Jones, Bonhomme Richard’s crew was an early example of sailor toughness.

The ship and her squadron were ordered to the United Kingdom to cruise for prizes off the coasts of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. About a month into her mission, Sept. 23, 1779, she encountered a convoy of merchant ships underway from Flamborough Head, which immediately turned back once they caught sight of Jones and his ships. Jones pursued and around 6:30 p.m. engaged HMS Serapis, which had been covering the retreat.

Three-and-a-half hours later, Bonhomme Richard emerged victorious but mortally wounded.

Jones shifted his colors to Serapis, the wounded were transferred over and her riggings were repaired. Bonhomme Richard sank somewhere in the North Sea. Her logs were not updated in her final hours, so her final location remains unknown.

Recognize the signs of suicide

Suicide is a major concern among veterans. Many veterans may not show any signs of intent to harm themselves before doing so, but some actions can be a sign that a veteran needs help. Veterans in crisis may show behaviors that indicate a risk of harming themselves.

Veterans who are considering suicide often show signs of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and/or hopelessness, such as:

• Appearing sad or depressed most of the time.
• Clinical depression: deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating — that doesn’t go away or continues to get worse.
• Feeling anxious, agitated, or unable to sleep.
• Neglecting personal welfare, deteriorating physical appearance.
• Withdrawing from friends, family, and society, or sleeping all the time.
• Losing interest in hobbies, work, school, or other things one used to care about.
• Frequent and dramatic mood changes.
• Expressing feelings of excessive guilt or shame.
• Feelings of failure or decreased performance.
• Feeling that life is not worth living, having no sense of purpose in life.
• Talk about feeling trapped — like there is no way out of a situation.
• Having feelings of desperation, and saying that there’s no solution to their problems.

Their behavior may be dramatically different from their normal behavior, or they may appear to be actively contemplating or preparing for a suicidal act through behaviors such as:

• Performing poorly at work or school.
• Acting recklessly or engaging in risky activities — seemingly without thinking.
• Showing violent behavior such as punching holes in walls, getting into fights or self-destructive violence; feeling rage or uncontrolled anger or seeking revenge.
• Looking as though they have a “death wish,” tempting fate by taking risks that could lead to death, such as driving fast or running red lights.
• Giving away prized possessions.
• Putting affairs in order, tying up loose ends and/or making out a will.
• Seeking access to firearms, pills or other means of harming oneself.

Source: U.S. Veterans Affairs.

Terryl Asla is military affairs reporter for Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at tasla@soundpublishing.com.