3 of 6  1 2 3 4 5 6   Page 3 MANLEY NOTES REACH OUT AND FEEL THE PRIDE office.  My escorts - not my neighbor (he had other priorities to attend) - were today’s petty officers young, highly proficient profession- als.   All that I was exposed to was un- classified, of course, but so much of it is straight from Star Wars.  Each work space is equipped with com- puters linked to a main communica- tions system.  Satellite TV is taken for granted.  E-mail access, the Internet, cell phones, and constant dining privileges. You may recall the state of commu- nications back in the sixties and seventies.  I would go through tons of paper to finally find the ball scores a week late.  News and sports are live and instantaneous today. I was astonished to learn of the “cash payments” - mostly none.  The Navy Cash System provides each crew member with a card and account number that is used for nearly everything - gedunk ma- chines, ship’s store and everything in between.  Money as we knew it is not used; plastic has taken over everywhere.  No supply forms, no chits.  It is all accomplished with computers and the automated data system. By the end of the day I was           exhausted and vividly reminded why I am no longer on active duty.  These kids - and they are not all “kids” - must meet physical require- ments that you and I too often ig- nored. I was deeply impressed and moved by the crew - officers, chief petty officers, petty officers, and seaman alike - men and women.  They are professionals who are filled with pride in their job, their ship, and their Navy.  They are expertly trained and skilled.  Believe me, it shows. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, my neighbor is their Command Master Chief.  I was for- tunate to enjoy a similar position many years earlier.  There is a dif- ference between then and now. The CMC is selected after a very rigid screening process then spe- cially trained for the position.  It is a demanding job and situated on the organizational chart immediately to the right of the Commanding Offi- cer.  On his hip, he wears a small radio to maintain immediate voice contact with every space on the ship.  Mostly it is 24/7. I am especially grateful to my friend and good neighbor, Command Master Chief Sam Lymon for my day at sea.  I want to thank and praise the Commanding Officer, the wardroom, the CPO Mess, and the entire crew for making my cruise most memorable. Joe Dennison, our Association President, is arranging a visit to tour one of today’s destroyers during The Homecoming Reunion.  You would be a darn fool to miss it! USS BATAAN (LHD-5 ) APPEALS COURT REVERSES VA AGENT ORANGE POLICY “Some of the inequities of the appli- cation of presumptive coverage for exposure to Agent Orange have fi- nally been set aside,” said John Rowan, national president of Viet- nam Veterans of America.   On August 16, 2006, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims ren- dered a decision in the appeal of Haas v. Nicholson.  In their 31-page decision, the Court determined the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been unlawfully denying pre- sumptive disability compensation for exposure to Agent Orange (AO) for service members who served in waters offshore of Vietnam and earned the Vietnam Service Medal (VSM). Numerous veterans who served in Vietnam have been able to qualify for presumptive disability compen- sation for exposure to AO.  Unfortu- nately the application of presump- tive coverage has resulted in many inequities for veterans and their families.  An example of this can be seen in the VA’s denials of pre- sumptive service connection to ser- vice members who served on ships and boats off the coast of Vietnam.  Although these veterans earned and received the VSM, many have had their claims denied by VA for presumptive disability due to AO exposure because they did not step foot on the ground in Vietnam. “All veterans who served in the wa- ters offshore need to speak with a service representative or service officer as soon as possible to see if they have a viable claim for com- pensation,” Rowan said.  These vet- erans should participate in the AO registry exam at their earliest be- fore the regulations change again in favor of the VA, Rowan advised.