NNS150218-10. Wounded Warriors, Families Brought Together During NRSE Symposium
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NNS150218-06. Special and General Courts-Martial for January 2015
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NNS150218-04. George H.W. Bush Returns from Underway
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NNS150218-03. Chief of Civil Engineers, Seabee FORCM Visits Rota
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NNS150218-01. GW Wins Consecutive Battle 'E'
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NNS150217-12. USS Paul Hamilton Departs on Deployment
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NNS150217-11. San Antonio Sailors Represent Navy at Local Salute to Veteran Patients Event
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NNS150217-09. NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Celebrates African American Heritage
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NNS150217-04. USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) Wraps Up First of Three Crew Swaps on Deployment to US 7th Fleet
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NNS150217-03. Top Sea Service Leaders Conclude Western Conference and Exposition
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NNS150217-02. Ready Now. Anytime, Anywhere
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NNS150217-01. George H.W. Bush Awarded Battle"E"
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DNU -- In today's edition of All Hands Update, Ash Carter was sworn in as the Nation's 25th Secretary of Defense at the White House, and Navy offering re-enlistment bonuses for Sailors with critical skils in undermanned billets.
-- http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
DNU -- The U.S. Coast Guard named its newest fast-attack cutter for World War II veteran, William Trump.
-- http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
DNU -- The Navy wants Sailors to understand how to prevent and report retaliation to their chain of command.
-- http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
NNS150218-08. Current All Hands Update
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NNS011213-29. This Day in Naval History - Feb. 18
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Eye on the Fleet - U.S. Navy Photo of The Day
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NNS150218-10. Wounded Warriors, Families Brought Together During NRSE Symposium
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW/EXW) Stacy D. Laseter, Naval Region Southeast Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- A panel of seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors, alongside their spouses, gathered at the Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) Wounded Warrior Family Symposium Feb. 11, on board Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
The symposium was hosted by Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) - Safe Harbor, the Navy's main support program for wounded warriors and their caregivers.
During her opening remarks, CNRSE Rear Adm. Mary Jackson thanked the panelists for sharing their story before emphasizing the importance of learning and spreading the word about the NWW Safe Harbor program.
"This is about having the opportunity to learn about how we can better provide services for our ill, injured and wounded warriors," Jackson said. "We are very much looking forward to what you have to tell us, but I also ask that today be a dialogue. We need to learn."
The objective of the event was to hear directly from the families of enrollees about their experiences, trials and triumphs. Their open feedback will develop the delivery of non-medical services to current and future enrollees and their families.
"We had people with the ability to affect change in the audience to hear the questions, comments and concerns of our recovering service members and their caregivers," said Lt. Daniel J. Simonds, regional program director, NWW Safe Harbor.
The panel of enrollees included retired Airman Brett Parks, who was injured in a shooting when he attempted to stop a robbery while off duty; Hospital Corpsman Herbert Peterson, who was injured after suffering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns in a liberty accident; Chief Naval Aircrewman (Operator) Trevor Bowen, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year, but has since gone into remission; and Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Daniel Devine, who was injured during his third tour to Afghanistan when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) exploded a mere 300 feet from him, causing a traumatic brain injury.
"We had a broad spectrum of wounds, illness and injuries on our panel and I think a lot of times, people associate wounded warriors with combat, but our audience was able to see that it's not just combat wounded Sailors who require assistance," said Simonds. "I thought that really drove home a nice point to the audience."
The program currently has more than 1,640 enrollees, with more than 1,500 additional service members who have received assistance though they did not qualify for enrollment. NWW Safe Harbor offers an extensive variety of services, including assisting with employment and education opportunities, connecting them to benefits, hosting adaptive athletics events, and family and mental health resources.
"My injury has changed everything," said Devine. "I'm not able to play with my kids as much as I would like to. I require a lot of patience from my wife and I've lost a lot of memory. It's been something that I've had to learn to deal with, but you learn and you push forward. We are fairly new to the program, but they have given us more resources than we know what to do with."
The NWW Safe Harbor program was formally established in 2008 and, since its foundation, its mission has extended beyond offering support to service members wounded in combat. Currently, of its enrolled service members, half are injured and half are ill.
"It helped me have a complete turnaround from where I was when I woke up from my coma. I didn't know what to do," Parks said. "From the moment I woke up, Navy Safe Harbor was there with me and my wife, and they helped get the paperwork together because we didn't know about anything. And they helped to push me to do sports and continue setting goals and get better."
For more information about NWW and how to enroll, call (855) NAVY WWP/ (855) 628-9997, or visit http://safeharbor.navylive.
For more news from Commander, Navy Region Southeast, visitwww.navy.mil/local/nrse/.
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NNS150218-06. Special and General Courts-Martial for January 2015
From the Office of the Chief of Information
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The following reports are the results of Special and General Courts-Martial tried within the United States Navy in January 2015. The cases are listed by the Navy Region in which they were tried.
Naval District Washington
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Washington, D.C., CTRC Cristobal Dominguez, USN pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to minors and assault consummated by a battery. On Jan. 9, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-5 and confinement for 75 days.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in Washington, D.C., YN1 Stacy Cain, USN pleaded guilty to fraud and false official statement. On Jan. 21, 2015, the military judge sentenced her to reduction in rank to paygrade E-1 and confinement for 12 months.
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Norfolk, Virginia, AMEC Matthew Purington, USN pleaded guilty to fraternization, assault consummated by a battery, solicitation to commit a crime, false official statement, and making a false claim. On Jan. 22 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-2, and confinement for 165 days.
* At a General Court-Martial in Norfolk, Virginia, AMAR Justin Handley, USN pleaded guilty to assault consummated by battery and obstruction of justice. On Jan. 26, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to a fine of $500 and confinement for 180 days.
* At a General Court-Martial in Norfolk, Virginia, BM3 Shaquon Abrams, USN pleaded guilty to sexual harassment. On Jan. 29, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to forfeit all pay and allowances, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 5 months.
Special Court-Martial
* None.
Navy Region Southeast
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Jacksonville, Florida, ITC Michael Ellis, USN was tried for rape, sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, and assault consummated by a battery. On Jan. 23, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of guilty to all charges and sentenced him to be discharged with a Dishonorable Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for two years.
* At a General Court-Martial in Pensacola, Florida, an E-3 was tried for rape, sexual assault, and aggravated sexual contact. On Jan. 30, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of not guilty.
Special Court-Martial
* None.
Navy Region Northwest
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, CTM3 Jason Gaines, USN was tried for maiming. On Jan. 29, 2015, the military judge returned a verdict of guilty to the lesser included offense of aggravated assault on a child under the age of 16. On Jan. 30, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for nine months.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, MM3 Ryan Dunmire, USN pleaded guilty to larceny. On Jan. 21, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to a fine of $2,000, reduction in rank to paygrade E-2, and confinement for 135 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, MR3 Diamond Janczak, USN pleaded guilty to unauthorized absence, failure to obey a lawful order, and false official statement. On Jan. 21, 2015, the military judge sentenced her to reduction in rank to paygrade E-2 and confinement for 45 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, an E-2 was tried for conspiracy, consuming alcohol under the age of 21, and false official statement. On Jan. 22, 2015, the military judge returned a verdict of not guilty.
Navy Region Southwest
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in San Diego, California, GSM1 Darren Yazzie, USN was tried for rape of a child, aggravated sexual contact with a child, sodomy, and absence without leave. On Jan. 9, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of guilty to rape of a child and absence without leave and sentenced him to be discharged with a Dishonorable Discharge, forfeit all pay and allowances, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 17 years.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, NCC Joshua Follansbee, USN pleaded guilty to assault consummated by a battery. On Jan. 8, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-6 and confinement for 89 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, MC1 Joseph Ebalo, USN pleaded guilty to unauthorized absence and wrongful appropriation. On Jan. 15, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to forfeit $1,000 per month for 6 months, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 6 months.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, an E-4 was tried for sexual assault. On Jan. 15, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of not guilty.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, FC3 Adam Blevins, USN pleaded guilty to wrongful use of a controlled substance. On Jan. 16, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-3 and confinement for 81 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, EM2 Alex Moralesestrada, USN was tried for desertion. On Jan. 21, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of guilty and sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, ABHAA Mitchell Bettes, USN pleaded guilty to unauthorized absence, wrongful use of a controlled substance, and breaking restriction. On Jan. 22, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 125 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, LT. Tosha Klotzbach, MSC, USN pleaded guilty to false official statement and conduct unbecoming an officer. On Jan. 27, 2015, the military judge sentenced her to a reprimand and a fine of $3,000.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, AWV3 William Naylor, USN pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. On Jan. 6, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-3 and confinement for 89 days.
Navy Region Japan
General Court-Martial
* None.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in Yokosuka, Japan, IC3 Minh Nguyen, USN pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact. On Jan. 16, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, forfeit $1000 per month for 4 months, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 4 months.
* At a Special Court-Martial in Yokosuka, Japan, an E-6 was tried for insubordination. On Jan. 30, 2015, a panel of members returned a verdict of not guilty.
Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in N
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NNS150218-04. George H.W. Bush Returns from Underway
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Ian Crimmins, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) pulled into its homeport of Norfolk after an eight-day underway, Feb. 18.
The ship's crew conducted various training evolutions and flight exercises throughout the underway, including carrier qualifications (CQ) for three squadrons, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 "Gladiators," Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 120 "Grey Hawks," and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28 "Dragon Whales."
CQs train new pilots, and experienced pilots returning to flying from non-flying assignments, for carrier-based launches and landings in preparation for assignments to operational squadrons.
"VFA-106 is the fleet replacement squadron (FRS) for F-18 pilots," said Lt. j.g. Shane Brady, attached to the Gladiators. "This underway was a lot of our first times landing on a carrier."
FRS trains pilots and flight officers in their specific aircraft before being assigned to the fleet. During the underway, extreme weather conditions added to the difficulty of landing an aircraft at sea.
"The pitching deck and high winds created a challenging situation," said Brady. "We had rough seas and winds reaching 40 knots."
VAW-120 utilized this underway to train its pilots in transitioning from the E-2C Hawkeye to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
"We just finished the transition to the new E-2D, and this is the first time for our pilots operating this aircraft on a carrier," said Lt. j.g. Patrick Flynn. "These CQs are great for maintaining pilot proficiency in both day and night conditions."
George H.W. Bush is in port after conducting training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean.
For more information on USS George H.W. Bush follow the ship's fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
For more news from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), visitwww.navy.mil/local/cvn77/.
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NNS150218-03. Chief of Civil Engineers, Seabee FORCM Visits Rota
By Mass Communication Specialists 2nd Class (SW) Grant Wamack and Morgan Over, Naval Station Rota Public Affairs
NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- The Chief of Civil Engineers and Seabee Force Master Chief (FORCM) visited Naval Station Rota Feb. 17 and 18 as part of a visit to assess engineering support facilities and bases throughout the Region.
Rear Adm. Katherine Gregory and Seabee FORCM Christopher Levesque met with Spanish and American personnel assigned to Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Public Works Rota, held an all-hands call with Seabees and civilians assigned to Rota, and toured construction projects aboard the installation.
"For the United States Navy, Rota is a tremendously important base," said Gregory. "In the last several years it has become an even more important base as we move ships here ... getting those ships here and supporting this activity in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic is very important to the U.S. and our allies."
Gregory went on to say that the work NAVFAC Rota has accomplished has been "a journey of discovery ... but you have all done it brilliantly. If there's one thing the Navy has done well in the last several years, it has been you and Rota supporting the Forward Deployed Naval Forces mission."
Prior to Gregory's call, she coined Utilitiesman 1st Class Mike Boyle saying, "I want to give this coin to Petty Officer Boyle, but really it's for all of you" she said, referring to all personnel in attendance.
Levesque also spoke to the Spanish and American personnel touching on the important role of Rota's Seabees.
"NAVFAC has a tremendous amount of activity going on around the world and Rota, Spain, is no exception," said Levesque. "The world out there is changing and our forward presence is so important to the mission of our Navy."
NAVFAC is the Systems Command that delivers and maintains quality, sustainable facilities, acquires and manages capabilities for the Navy's expeditionary combat forces, provides contingency engineering response, and enables energy security and environmental stewardship.
For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visitwww.navy.mil/local/rota/.
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NNS150218-01. GW Wins Consecutive Battle 'E'
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eric S. Brann, USS George Washington Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and its crew became the first forward-deployed carrier to earn the Battle Efficiency Award (Battle 'E') two consecutive years, after announcement of the second award, Feb 13.
The Battle 'E' is awarded annually to ships who display the highest conditions of preparedness and capabilities for wartime readiness. The award is given after evaluations and inspections have determined the winning ship's performance and recognizes sustained superior performance in an operational environment within a command.
"This is the second year in a row, which is an amazing accomplishment," said Capt. Timothy Kuehhas, George Washington's commanding officer. "Your hard work, dedication and leadership has once again been recognized fleet wide and is most deserving. Congratulations and well done."
George Washington competed against carriers assigned to the west coast for the Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific's Battle 'E'. Carriers from the east and west coast are evaluated by Afloat Training Group and other inspection teams during a series of certifications and inspections, and one from each coast is awarded the Battle 'E'.
"I am very impressed and happy about the ship receiving this award. I am also proud to be a part of the George Washington team," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuel) 1st Class Kendrick Menor, from Honolulu. "It is hard for a ship to earn two awards like this back to back, but we did it."
According to Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Demarius Richardson, from Waldorf, Maryland, the George Washington crew has shown true pride and dedication to maintaining the ship's readiness and will continue to do as such.
"This is a great symbol of our professionalism," said Richardson. "We do a lot of the same training over and over, but it just proves that we are doing the right things and we are working hard to make [George Washington] the best ship."
George Washington (CVN 73) and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
For more news from USS George Washington (CVN 73), visitwww.navy.mil/local/cvn73/.
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NNS150217-12. USS Paul Hamilton Departs on Deployment
From Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) departed on an independent deployment to the Arabian Gulf and Western Pacific Ocean.
While deployed, Paul Hamilton and its crew of more than 300 Sailors will conduct theater security cooperation and maritime presence operations with partner nations.
"We are proud, confident, and ready for all tasking Paul Hamilton will be assigned," said Commanding Officer Cmdr. John Barsano. "For many of our young Sailors, it's the first time they will live aboard for eight months and travel overseas. I could not have asked of anything more from the crew for this upcoming deployment."
Commissioned May 27, 1995, Paul Hamilton is the third U.S. Navy ship named after the third secretary of the Navy. His term in office included the first months of the War of 1812, during which time the small United States Navy achieved several remarkable victories over British warships.
Paul Hamilton is a multi-mission ship designed to operate independently or with an associated strike group. The ship is assigned to Destroyer Squadron 21 and is homeported in Hawaii within the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations.
U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific from the West Coast of North America to the international date line and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, visitwww.navy.mil/local/cnrh/.
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NNS150217-11. San Antonio Sailors Represent Navy at Local Salute to Veteran Patients Event
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jacquelyn D. Childs, Navy Medicine Education and Training Command Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO (NNS) -- A Navy recruiter and a Navy Medicine Training Support Center instructor stationed in San Antonio represented the Navy as 'ambassadors' at a local veteran's hospital during an event Feb. 13 to kick off the 28th annual nation-wide Salute to Veteran Patients Week.
Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Daniel Morales, a recruiter at Navy Recruiting District San Antonio, and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Shantal Zavala, an instructor from the Navy Medicine Training Support Center, went with representatives from the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard to the Audie Murphy Veteran's Hospital to speak with veterans and show their support.
"Each of us who are privileged to live in this nation has a special place in our hearts for these defenders of freedom," said Marie Weldon, director of South Texas Veteran's Health Care System, during the welcoming remarks at the event. "That is why VA takes time during the week of Valentine's Day to encourage our community to express affection and respect for those we admire."
Morales, Zavala and the eight other service members went on a guided tour of a couple sections of the hospital including part of the psychiatric ward and the prosthetics lab. As they walked through and spoke to veteran patients at the hospital, they passed out hand-made Valentine's cards donated by local elementary schools.
"The main thing was just to show support for the veterans who served before us; talking to them and letting them know that we care, and making the day a little bit special for them," said Morales. "We wanted to let them know we don't take it for granted, that we haven't forgot the things that they've done."
"I think it's really rewarding, especially being a corpsmen," said Zavala. "It was really rewarding to see what we do overseas in theater actually matters for patients here at the hospital."
This was the first of many events the two Sailors and their counterparts from the other services will be attending as ambassadors. They were each selected to represent their military branch at Fiesta San Antonio 2015. A celebration of San Antonio's history and diverse culture, Fiesta is one of the largest festivals in the nation, lasting approximately two weeks and bringing in millions of visitors.
"I'm honored and privileged to be selected as an ambassador," said Morales. "It could've been someone else, and I'm happy to be a part of it just to show my support and represent the U.S. Navy and the military."
"I'm glad to participate," agreed Zavala. "I'm really excited about it. As I read more about Fiesta, I'm really excited to be a part of that culture they have here."
Fiesta San Antonio is scheduled to take place April 16 - 26. More information about Fiesta San Antonio can be found at http://www.fiesta-sa.org/
For more news from Navy Medicine Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmsc/.
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NNS150217-09. NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Celebrates African American Heritage
By Sky M. Laron, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Director of Corporate Communications
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Members of the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka Multi-Cultural Committee presented the 2015 African American Heritage/Black History Month celebration Feb. 13 onboard Yokosuka Naval Base.
The theme of the celebration was 'A Century of Black Life, History and Culture'.
The event highlighted the many accomplishments of African Americans in history as well as several live acts to include a guitar solo and songs by Kazuhiko Sato, a member of the NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Regional Services Department (Code 400) and a performance by the Christian Ministries Far East (CMFE) Gospel Choir.
The keynote speaker was Bishop Charles Hall, founding and senior pastor, CMFE Worship Center and a 30-year U.S. Navy veteran who hails from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Hall spoke to the adversity that African Americans have faced as well as many of the successes and stated that the United States was a salad bowl rather than a melting pot, in that a salad has many different ingredients but at the end of the day it tastes good, refereeing to the many varied cultures and races that make up America and how Americans are better off for it.
African-Americans have served in the U.S. Navy since its beginnings, even before America was fully formed as a nation, fighting in the Continental Navy as our country struggled for its independence, said Capt. Raymond Bichard, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka, commanding officer, adding that today, African American active duty officer and enlisted Sailors, reservists and civilians continue to serve with distinction in what is arguably the greatest Naval power in the history of the world.
Nearly 70 years ago, President Truman desegregated the military and during that time many African Americans have worn the uniform and fought proudly, said Bichard.
"It was the military that was ahead of the rest of the country in understanding the necessity and value of integration," said Bichard. "I can say without reservation that our command and our Navy is better because of the many contributions put forth by our African American community members, shipmates and friends."
Members of the NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka community joined together after the event to share in a pot-luck style meal that represented the diversity of all participants through the variety of entrees served.
"As usual, our Multi-Cultural Committee has done an excellent job of putting this ceremony together," said Bichard. "It's important to remember that they are all volunteers...so, thank you all for your efforts and dedication."
The Navy conducts activities in observance of nine specified diversity-related groups, events or individuals. Department of Defense themes are promulgated by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI).
For more news from Naval Supply Systems Command, visitwww.navy.mil/local/navsup/.
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NNS150217-04. USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) Wraps Up First of Three Crew Swaps on Deployment to US 7th Fleet
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Antonio P. Turretto Ramos, USS Fort Worth Public Affairs
SEMBAWANG, Singapore (NNS) -- LCS Crew 104 Juggernauts successfully completed the first quarter of the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth's (LCS 3) maiden 16-month deployment to the Asia-Pacific following a crew swap with LCS Crew 103 Rough Riders Feb. 17.
Crew 104 deployed Fort Worth from her homeport in San Diego in November 2014, transiting across the Pacific Ocean and making port visits in Hawaii, Guam and Jakarta before arriving at her maintenance and logistics hub in Singapore in late December. Days later, Fort Worth joined multinational search efforts for AirAisa Flight QZ8501 at the request of the Indonesian government.
"Fort Worth has already answered the call from a regional partner very early in her first 16-month rotational deployment -- this early success speaks to the operational value that LCS brings to 7th Fleet and we look forward to bringing more of these ships to the region simultaneously in the coming years," said Rear Adm. Charlie Williams, commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific and commander, U.S. 7th Fleet's Task Force 73.
Fort Worth is the first LCS to deploy under the "3-2-1" manning concept, which allows LCS to sustain a 16-month forward presence without fatiguing the crew during the extended deployment. It is named 3-2-1 because three rotational crews will support two LCS ships and maintain one deployed ship. Two additional crew swaps will occur for the remainder of Fort Worth's deployment, roughly every four months.
"Just as I said in December, Fort Worth's arrival in the region is the dawn of a new age for U.S. Navy operations in Southeast Asia," said Capt. Fred Kacher, Destroyer Squadron 7 commodore and tactical commander of Fort Worth. "Through a number of high-visibility operations and events over the past few months, you have shown why forward presence in Southeast Asia matters and have made an immediate, positive impact not only within our own Navy but with our regional partners."
Crew 104, along with embarked Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 Detachment 1 and Surface Warfare Mission (SUW) Package Detachment 3, transited directly from San Diego to Hawaii, where the ship conducted helicopter deck landing qualifications off the Hawaiian coast in late November as part of a joint exercise with the Army and Marines. The exercise provided an opportunity for pilots from both services to become familiar with landing on one of the Navy's newest warships.
While Fort Worth stopped to refuel in Guam Dec. 11, Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific (CTF 75) took the opportunity to tour the ship, gaining a better understanding of how LCS' adaptability, speed and maneuverability can support future CTF 75 requirements in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
Fort Worth made its initial Southeast Asia port visit in Jakarta Dec. 22, marking the first-ever LCS visit to Indonesia. During the five-day stop, the crew hosted U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake as well as senior leaders from the Indonesian government and navy during a reception and ship tours.
Just after arriving in Singapore in late December, U.S. 7th Fleet tasked Fort Worth to join in the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 search effort at the request of the Indonesian government. After loading supplies and embarking an eight-member team from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1, Fort Worth departed Singapore Jan. 2 and arrived on station in the Java Sea Jan. 3. During Fort Worth's nearly two weeks on station, the ship teamed up with the guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) and conducted around-the-clock searches to locate the missing plane. The AirAsia search marked the first time an LCS and DDG worked jointly to conduct real world operations, with each ship bringing unique capabilities to support the search.
"From San Diego to Singapore, and all the stops in between, I couldn't be prouder of Crew 104," said Cmdr. Kendall Bridgewater, LCS Crew 104 commanding officer. "The Sailors have successfully met every challenge and tasking with poise and dedication, exceeding expectations for all that has been put before them."
"The Feb. 17 crew turnover with Crew 103 is the fourth turnover between Crews 104 and 103. This familiarity between the crews has fostered trust and respect between us and has contributed to the success of the first-ever forward deployed crew swap under the 3-2-1 manning concept," said Bridgewater.
Crew 104 will arrive at their homeport of San Diego Feb. 18, where the crew will spend time training on-shore and off the California coast before redeploying in May to Marinette, Wisconsin, and serving as the commissioning crew for the littoral combat ship Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Milwaukee (LCS 5), the third ship in the Freedom class.
"The great thing about the LCS program as a whole is that it creates tight-knit, highly trained crews. While performing the crew swap in a forward deployed status is unique and different, it ran smoothly because Crews 103 and 104 have a history together," said Cmdr. Matt Kawas, Crew 103 commanding officer. "Simply, our flow is very efficient and very familiar, allowing us to optimize the time we had together during the turnover."
Crew 103 comes aboard with about 100 Sailors, which includes Sailors from HSM-35 Detachment 2 and SUW Mission Package Detachment 1. Shortly after crew swap, Fort Worth will get underway and conduct port visits, patrols, and starting with Foal Eagle in March, exercises with regional navies throughout U.S. 7th Feet. Held annually with the Republic of Korea navy, Foal Eagle also is the first exercise in Northeast Asia that incorporates LCS participation.
"My Rough Riders are thrilled to get back to Fort Worth and we are eager to build upon the outstanding work of Cmdr. Bridgewater and his Juggernauts in the first quarter of the ship's deployment. As part of the new manning construct, we trained hard both ashore and on USS Freedom (LCS 1) and are looking forward to taking what we have learned to support the 7th Fleet Commander during operations and exercises with our partner nations," said Kawas.
Fast, agile and mission-focused, littoral combat ships are designed to operate in near shore environments and employ modular mission packages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures or anti-submarine warfare. Fort Worth will employ the surface warfare mission package for her entire deployment, augmenting her 57mm gun and rolling airframe missile launcher with two 30mm guns, two 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats and two six-member maritime security boarding teams.
Fort Worth is the second LCS to deploy as part of an initiative for up to four rotational deployments of these ships simultaneously to U.S. 7th Fleet in the coming years. Fast, agile and mission-focused, LCS is designed to operate in near-shore environments and employ modular mission packages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures or anti-submarine warfare.
The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability and prevent conflict.
For more news from Destroyer Squadron 7, visit www.na
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NNS150217-03. Top Sea Service Leaders Conclude Western Conference and Exposition
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Huey D. Younger Jr., Navy Public Affairs Support Element-West
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Western Conference and Exposition (WEST 2015) concluded Feb. 12 after a three-day event featuring Department of Defense and civilian sector exhibitors and keynote speakers at the San Diego Convention Center.
The event gave active duty U.S. and allied military, government, industry and academia decision-makers the opportunity to engage on multiple levels to discuss the maritime strategy, especially the cyber domain, during the three-day event from Feb. 10-12.
Military and industry leaders showcased and discussed innovation in emerging systems, platforms, technologies and networks that will impact all areas of current and future sea service operations.
Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Michelle Howard, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and Adm. Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard, closed the three-day convention with a panel discussion addressing sea service priorities.
WEST 2015 is co-sponsored by Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International and the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI), both non-profit, non-lobbying membership associations. Now in its 25th year, WEST 2015 featured exhibits from key technology leaders and discussions by some of the top leading military and industry experts. This year, the conference had more than 10,000 attendees during the three-day event.
For more news from Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, visitwww.navy.mil/local/
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NNS150217-02. Ready Now. Anytime, Anywhere
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Luke B. Meineke, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Public Affairs
NAPLES, Italy (NNS) -- In 2015 the U.S. Navy Reserve will be 100 years old. Designed to "deliver strategic depth and operational capability to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Forces in times of peace or war", the Navy Reserve has provided support in areas from healthcare to special warfare and everything in between.
First created in response to the outbreak of World War I, and through the efforts of then Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and his assistant, Franklin D. Roosevelt, legislation for the creation of the Naval Reserve Force was passed on March 3, 1915. Since that time, reservists have served in every major war in which the United States has fought.
As of December 2014, 107,687 reservists were serving as either the Selected Reserve (SELRES), or Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Sailors, providing vital naval warfighting and operational capabilities in myriad roles. SELRES, the largest and most relied upon of the Ready Reserve, consists of drilling reservists and Full-Time Support (FTS) reservists. Drilling reservists are reservists who typically fulfill a service commitment of one weekend a month and two weeks a year of drilling and training. They are available for recall to active duty status and represent the Navy's primary source of immediate manpower.
FTS reservists serve full-time active duty service relating to the training and administration of the Navy Reserve program. They are assigned to shore installations or operational units.
IRR reservists are composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel. Though they typically receive no pay and are not obligated to drill, conduct annual training, or participate in any military activities, IRR personnel retain their status as uniformed military personnel. They retain their military specialty (i.e. rate) and rank, and receive benefits like entitlement to a military ID card, or NEX and commissary benefits.
Today, reservists assigned to Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (CNREURAFSWA) contribute and help drive the command's mission to provide efficient and effective shore service support to U.S. and allied forces in the Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia area of responsibility.
Approximately 400 reservists from 20 different units spread throughout the United States are assigned to CNREURAFSWA. Separated into boat support units (BSU), naval security force (NSF) units and regional units, the reserve unit locations stretch as far west as Las Vegas to as far east as Long Island, New York, as far south as Corpus Christi, Texas to as far north as Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Reservists from these Navy Operational Support Centers (NOSC) are assigned to all the installations that comprise CNREURAFSWA, with the exception of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ) and Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu, Romania, which has not been officially commissioned.
"The NSF units are security units, mostly made up of master-at-arms," explained Regional Operational Support Officer Lt. Cmdr. Micah Weller. "They are dedicated units that can be brought in if there was an increase in the force protection condition (FPCON) level. The BSUs focus on port and air operations, so that would mean boatswain's mates, operations specialists, aviation boatswain's mates (handling), aviation boatswain's mates (fuels) for example. They also provide Department of Defense (DOD) firefighters and our Regional Operations Center (ROC) is augmented from those units."
These service members are essential to the CNREURAFSWA mission. The ROC unit's mission is emergency response and watch standing, as well as conducting the exercises necessary to ensure base personnel are prepared in case of an emergency.
Weller added that the Operational Support Office does a good job of certifying that the focus is on finding those billets that aren't manned or locating areas where a command needs support and finding the right reservist or reservists to step in and provide that support and expertise.
Most importantly, though, he says due to the training they receive both from the military and from the civilian sector, reservists arrive ready to contribute.
"The training prepares them to be that support," Weller said. "For example, master-at-arms conduct all their gun training in the states, so they arrive prepared to augment and support immediately. However, reservists bring a unique set of added skills gained from their civilian jobs. For example, an information systems technician will have his training from the Navy, but after he transferred to the reserves, maybe he worked at a place like Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and gained this whole different perspective and set of skills."
On any particular day, 25 percent of the Navy Reserve is delivering global operational support to the fleet and combat forces. The unique perspective and extensive training has and continues to make them an essential element of the U.S. Navy. On March 3, when the organization celebrates 100 years of dedicated service and sacrifice, reservists can be proud of their heritage and that they carry on a legacy of service with distinction both during peacetime and in times of war, and that they contribute significantly to the Navy's overall mission to maintain, train and equip forces capable of winning wars, deterring acts of aggression and engendering and sustaining freedom of the seas.
For more news from Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnre/.
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NNS150217-01. George H.W. Bush Awarded Battle"E"
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Ian Crimmins, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs
ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Commander, Naval Air Forces awarded the 2014 Battle Efficiency (Battle "E") for East Coast-based aircraft carriers to Sailors of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Feb. 13.
The Battle "E" is designed to measure and recognize a command's sustained superior performance and efficiency in an operational environment through the calendar year.
"I could not be more proud of this ship and its crew," said Capt. Andrew J. Loiselle, commanding officer, USS George H.W. Bush. "Our Sailors are some of the most dedicated in the fleet. It's a huge honor for me to have been a part of all their efforts."
Battle "E" is only achieved through meeting and exceeding multiple operational standards based on individual and community efforts.
"This crew brings their 'A' game every day, and it's truly exciting to watch," said Loiselle. "They have set the standard for the rest of the fleet."
The recipient of the Battle 'E' award is decided through departmental awards, which mark excellence in the ship's individual departments. George H.W. Bush received all 15 departmental awards.
"Winning Battle "E" validates our hard work," said Command Master Chief David Carter. "Every Sailor helped to win it, and that means something. I've been in the Navy 28 years and this is my first Battle "E." It's a testament of how good of a team we are."
This is George H.W. Bush's second award for Battle "E" in three years.
The USS George Washington (CVN 73), forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, won Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific's Battle 'E' on the West Coast.
George H.W. Bush is currently conducting training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean.
For more information on USS George H.W. Bush follow the ship's fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
For more news from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), visitwww.navy.mil/local/cvn77/.
NNS150218-08. Current All Hands Update
From Defense Media Activity - Navy
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- All Hands Update features three one-minute newscasts today.
First one-minute newscast-
- Headlines for Wednesday, February 18, 2015: Ash Carter Sworn in as Nation's 25th Secretary of Defense; Navy Offering Re-Enlistment Bonuses to Retain Sailors in Key Billets
http://youtu.be/nV8Rqit-07A
http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
Second one-minute newscast-
- Newest U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Named for D-day Veteran
http://youtu.be/1jTg9M9lcwE
http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
Third one-minute newscast-
- Navy Wants Sailors to Know How to Prevent and Report Retaliation
http://youtu.be/8IgujQ8f8C0
http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
Defense Media Activity-Navy produces All Hands Update (AHU) newscasts each day. AHU can be seen throughout the day and evening on the Direct-to-Sailor (DTS) satellite television service available aboard 160 ships of the fleet and via the Navy Web site at www.navy.mil. Check your local DTS program schedule for air times. AHU can also be seen throughout the world on the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).
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NNS011213-29. This Day in Naval History - Feb. 18
From Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division
1846 - Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft issues the General Order to change Larboard to Port for identification of the left side of a sailing vessel.
1865 - In order for CSS Charleston, CSS Chicora, and CSS Palmetto State not to be captured by Rear Adm. John A. Dahlgren's squadron during the evacuation of Charleston, S.C., Confederate Capt. John R. Tucker, orders the ships be set afire and blown up.
1942 - USS Truxtun (DD 229) and USS Pollux (AKS-2) sink during a heavy storm in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, with the loss of 204 lives.
1944 - The amphibious force under Rear Adm. Harry W. Hill lands troops on Engebi Island, Eniwetok, securing the island before the end of the day.
1945 - U.S. Navy destroyers engage Japanese vessels off Iwo and Chichi Jima. USS Waldron (DD 699) is damaged after intentionally ramming a gunboat; USS Dortch (DD 670) sinks auxiliary submarine chaser Ayukawa Maru north-northwest of Iwo Jima; USS Barton (DD 722), USS Ingraham (DD 694), and USS Moale (DD 693) operating near Chichi Jima, sink Japanese guardboats No.35 Nanshin Maru, No. 3 Kyowa Maru, and No.5 Kukuichi Maru.
1994 - Mine Countermeasures Ship USS Ardent (MCM 12) is commissioned.
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Navy News Service is the official news wire service of the U.S. Navy, containing stories recently posted to the Navy Web site at www.navy.mil. It is a product of the Defense Media Navy - 6700 Taylor Rd., Fort Meade, MD 20755. Reprints should be credited to the Navy News Service (NNS).
For the latest in Navy news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.
For all Navy-related questions, review the FAQs posted at www.navy.mil or visit www.history.navy.mil.
Media queries should be directed to the Navy News Desk at (703) 697-5342.
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-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150218-06. Special and General Courts-Martial for January 2015
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150218-04. George H.W. Bush Returns from Underway
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150218-03. Chief of Civil Engineers, Seabee FORCM Visits Rota
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150218-01. GW Wins Consecutive Battle 'E'
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150217-12. USS Paul Hamilton Departs on Deployment
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150217-11. San Antonio Sailors Represent Navy at Local Salute to Veteran Patients Event
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150217-09. NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Celebrates African American Heritage
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150217-04. USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) Wraps Up First of Three Crew Swaps on Deployment to US 7th Fleet
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150217-03. Top Sea Service Leaders Conclude Western Conference and Exposition
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150217-02. Ready Now. Anytime, Anywhere
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS150217-01. George H.W. Bush Awarded Battle"E"
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
DNU -- In today's edition of All Hands Update, Ash Carter was sworn in as the Nation's 25th Secretary of Defense at the White House, and Navy offering re-enlistment bonuses for Sailors with critical skils in undermanned billets.
-- http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
DNU -- The U.S. Coast Guard named its newest fast-attack cutter for World War II veteran, William Trump.
-- http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
DNU -- The Navy wants Sailors to understand how to prevent and report retaliation to their chain of command.
-- http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
NNS150218-08. Current All Hands Update
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
NNS011213-29. This Day in Naval History - Feb. 18
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/
Eye on the Fleet - U.S. Navy Photo of The Day
-- http://www.navy.mil/list_
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NNS150218-10. Wounded Warriors, Families Brought Together During NRSE Symposium
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW/EXW) Stacy D. Laseter, Naval Region Southeast Public Affairs
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- A panel of seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors, alongside their spouses, gathered at the Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) Wounded Warrior Family Symposium Feb. 11, on board Naval Air Station Jacksonville.
The symposium was hosted by Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) - Safe Harbor, the Navy's main support program for wounded warriors and their caregivers.
During her opening remarks, CNRSE Rear Adm. Mary Jackson thanked the panelists for sharing their story before emphasizing the importance of learning and spreading the word about the NWW Safe Harbor program.
"This is about having the opportunity to learn about how we can better provide services for our ill, injured and wounded warriors," Jackson said. "We are very much looking forward to what you have to tell us, but I also ask that today be a dialogue. We need to learn."
The objective of the event was to hear directly from the families of enrollees about their experiences, trials and triumphs. Their open feedback will develop the delivery of non-medical services to current and future enrollees and their families.
"We had people with the ability to affect change in the audience to hear the questions, comments and concerns of our recovering service members and their caregivers," said Lt. Daniel J. Simonds, regional program director, NWW Safe Harbor.
The panel of enrollees included retired Airman Brett Parks, who was injured in a shooting when he attempted to stop a robbery while off duty; Hospital Corpsman Herbert Peterson, who was injured after suffering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns in a liberty accident; Chief Naval Aircrewman (Operator) Trevor Bowen, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year, but has since gone into remission; and Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Daniel Devine, who was injured during his third tour to Afghanistan when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) exploded a mere 300 feet from him, causing a traumatic brain injury.
"We had a broad spectrum of wounds, illness and injuries on our panel and I think a lot of times, people associate wounded warriors with combat, but our audience was able to see that it's not just combat wounded Sailors who require assistance," said Simonds. "I thought that really drove home a nice point to the audience."
The program currently has more than 1,640 enrollees, with more than 1,500 additional service members who have received assistance though they did not qualify for enrollment. NWW Safe Harbor offers an extensive variety of services, including assisting with employment and education opportunities, connecting them to benefits, hosting adaptive athletics events, and family and mental health resources.
"My injury has changed everything," said Devine. "I'm not able to play with my kids as much as I would like to. I require a lot of patience from my wife and I've lost a lot of memory. It's been something that I've had to learn to deal with, but you learn and you push forward. We are fairly new to the program, but they have given us more resources than we know what to do with."
The NWW Safe Harbor program was formally established in 2008 and, since its foundation, its mission has extended beyond offering support to service members wounded in combat. Currently, of its enrolled service members, half are injured and half are ill.
"It helped me have a complete turnaround from where I was when I woke up from my coma. I didn't know what to do," Parks said. "From the moment I woke up, Navy Safe Harbor was there with me and my wife, and they helped get the paperwork together because we didn't know about anything. And they helped to push me to do sports and continue setting goals and get better."
For more information about NWW and how to enroll, call (855) NAVY WWP/ (855) 628-9997, or visit http://safeharbor.navylive.
For more news from Commander, Navy Region Southeast, visitwww.navy.mil/local/nrse/.
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NNS150218-06. Special and General Courts-Martial for January 2015
From the Office of the Chief of Information
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The following reports are the results of Special and General Courts-Martial tried within the United States Navy in January 2015. The cases are listed by the Navy Region in which they were tried.
Naval District Washington
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Washington, D.C., CTRC Cristobal Dominguez, USN pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to minors and assault consummated by a battery. On Jan. 9, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-5 and confinement for 75 days.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in Washington, D.C., YN1 Stacy Cain, USN pleaded guilty to fraud and false official statement. On Jan. 21, 2015, the military judge sentenced her to reduction in rank to paygrade E-1 and confinement for 12 months.
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Norfolk, Virginia, AMEC Matthew Purington, USN pleaded guilty to fraternization, assault consummated by a battery, solicitation to commit a crime, false official statement, and making a false claim. On Jan. 22 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-2, and confinement for 165 days.
* At a General Court-Martial in Norfolk, Virginia, AMAR Justin Handley, USN pleaded guilty to assault consummated by battery and obstruction of justice. On Jan. 26, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to a fine of $500 and confinement for 180 days.
* At a General Court-Martial in Norfolk, Virginia, BM3 Shaquon Abrams, USN pleaded guilty to sexual harassment. On Jan. 29, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to forfeit all pay and allowances, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 5 months.
Special Court-Martial
* None.
Navy Region Southeast
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Jacksonville, Florida, ITC Michael Ellis, USN was tried for rape, sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, and assault consummated by a battery. On Jan. 23, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of guilty to all charges and sentenced him to be discharged with a Dishonorable Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for two years.
* At a General Court-Martial in Pensacola, Florida, an E-3 was tried for rape, sexual assault, and aggravated sexual contact. On Jan. 30, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of not guilty.
Special Court-Martial
* None.
Navy Region Northwest
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, CTM3 Jason Gaines, USN was tried for maiming. On Jan. 29, 2015, the military judge returned a verdict of guilty to the lesser included offense of aggravated assault on a child under the age of 16. On Jan. 30, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for nine months.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, MM3 Ryan Dunmire, USN pleaded guilty to larceny. On Jan. 21, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to a fine of $2,000, reduction in rank to paygrade E-2, and confinement for 135 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, MR3 Diamond Janczak, USN pleaded guilty to unauthorized absence, failure to obey a lawful order, and false official statement. On Jan. 21, 2015, the military judge sentenced her to reduction in rank to paygrade E-2 and confinement for 45 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in Bremerton, Washington, an E-2 was tried for conspiracy, consuming alcohol under the age of 21, and false official statement. On Jan. 22, 2015, the military judge returned a verdict of not guilty.
Navy Region Southwest
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in San Diego, California, GSM1 Darren Yazzie, USN was tried for rape of a child, aggravated sexual contact with a child, sodomy, and absence without leave. On Jan. 9, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of guilty to rape of a child and absence without leave and sentenced him to be discharged with a Dishonorable Discharge, forfeit all pay and allowances, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 17 years.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, NCC Joshua Follansbee, USN pleaded guilty to assault consummated by a battery. On Jan. 8, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-6 and confinement for 89 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, MC1 Joseph Ebalo, USN pleaded guilty to unauthorized absence and wrongful appropriation. On Jan. 15, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to forfeit $1,000 per month for 6 months, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 6 months.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, an E-4 was tried for sexual assault. On Jan. 15, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of not guilty.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, FC3 Adam Blevins, USN pleaded guilty to wrongful use of a controlled substance. On Jan. 16, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-3 and confinement for 81 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, EM2 Alex Moralesestrada, USN was tried for desertion. On Jan. 21, 2015, the panel of members returned a verdict of guilty and sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, ABHAA Mitchell Bettes, USN pleaded guilty to unauthorized absence, wrongful use of a controlled substance, and breaking restriction. On Jan. 22, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 125 days.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, LT. Tosha Klotzbach, MSC, USN pleaded guilty to false official statement and conduct unbecoming an officer. On Jan. 27, 2015, the military judge sentenced her to a reprimand and a fine of $3,000.
* At a Special Court-Martial in San Diego, California, AWV3 William Naylor, USN pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. On Jan. 6, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to reduction in rank to paygrade E-3 and confinement for 89 days.
Navy Region Japan
General Court-Martial
* None.
Special Court-Martial
* At a Special Court-Martial in Yokosuka, Japan, IC3 Minh Nguyen, USN pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact. On Jan. 16, 2015, the military judge sentenced him to be discharged with a Bad Conduct Discharge, forfeit $1000 per month for 4 months, reduction in rank to paygrade E-1, and confinement for 4 months.
* At a Special Court-Martial in Yokosuka, Japan, an E-6 was tried for insubordination. On Jan. 30, 2015, a panel of members returned a verdict of not guilty.
Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia
General Court-Martial
* At a General Court-Martial in N
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NNS150218-04. George H.W. Bush Returns from Underway
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Ian Crimmins, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs
NORFOLK (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) pulled into its homeport of Norfolk after an eight-day underway, Feb. 18.
The ship's crew conducted various training evolutions and flight exercises throughout the underway, including carrier qualifications (CQ) for three squadrons, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 "Gladiators," Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 120 "Grey Hawks," and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28 "Dragon Whales."
CQs train new pilots, and experienced pilots returning to flying from non-flying assignments, for carrier-based launches and landings in preparation for assignments to operational squadrons.
"VFA-106 is the fleet replacement squadron (FRS) for F-18 pilots," said Lt. j.g. Shane Brady, attached to the Gladiators. "This underway was a lot of our first times landing on a carrier."
FRS trains pilots and flight officers in their specific aircraft before being assigned to the fleet. During the underway, extreme weather conditions added to the difficulty of landing an aircraft at sea.
"The pitching deck and high winds created a challenging situation," said Brady. "We had rough seas and winds reaching 40 knots."
VAW-120 utilized this underway to train its pilots in transitioning from the E-2C Hawkeye to the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye.
"We just finished the transition to the new E-2D, and this is the first time for our pilots operating this aircraft on a carrier," said Lt. j.g. Patrick Flynn. "These CQs are great for maintaining pilot proficiency in both day and night conditions."
George H.W. Bush is in port after conducting training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean.
For more information on USS George H.W. Bush follow the ship's fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
For more news from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), visitwww.navy.mil/local/cvn77/.
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NNS150218-03. Chief of Civil Engineers, Seabee FORCM Visits Rota
By Mass Communication Specialists 2nd Class (SW) Grant Wamack and Morgan Over, Naval Station Rota Public Affairs
NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain (NNS) -- The Chief of Civil Engineers and Seabee Force Master Chief (FORCM) visited Naval Station Rota Feb. 17 and 18 as part of a visit to assess engineering support facilities and bases throughout the Region.
Rear Adm. Katherine Gregory and Seabee FORCM Christopher Levesque met with Spanish and American personnel assigned to Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Public Works Rota, held an all-hands call with Seabees and civilians assigned to Rota, and toured construction projects aboard the installation.
"For the United States Navy, Rota is a tremendously important base," said Gregory. "In the last several years it has become an even more important base as we move ships here ... getting those ships here and supporting this activity in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic is very important to the U.S. and our allies."
Gregory went on to say that the work NAVFAC Rota has accomplished has been "a journey of discovery ... but you have all done it brilliantly. If there's one thing the Navy has done well in the last several years, it has been you and Rota supporting the Forward Deployed Naval Forces mission."
Prior to Gregory's call, she coined Utilitiesman 1st Class Mike Boyle saying, "I want to give this coin to Petty Officer Boyle, but really it's for all of you" she said, referring to all personnel in attendance.
Levesque also spoke to the Spanish and American personnel touching on the important role of Rota's Seabees.
"NAVFAC has a tremendous amount of activity going on around the world and Rota, Spain, is no exception," said Levesque. "The world out there is changing and our forward presence is so important to the mission of our Navy."
NAVFAC is the Systems Command that delivers and maintains quality, sustainable facilities, acquires and manages capabilities for the Navy's expeditionary combat forces, provides contingency engineering response, and enables energy security and environmental stewardship.
For more news from Naval Station Rota, Spain, visitwww.navy.mil/local/rota/.
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NNS150218-01. GW Wins Consecutive Battle 'E'
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Eric S. Brann, USS George Washington Public Affairs
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and its crew became the first forward-deployed carrier to earn the Battle Efficiency Award (Battle 'E') two consecutive years, after announcement of the second award, Feb 13.
The Battle 'E' is awarded annually to ships who display the highest conditions of preparedness and capabilities for wartime readiness. The award is given after evaluations and inspections have determined the winning ship's performance and recognizes sustained superior performance in an operational environment within a command.
"This is the second year in a row, which is an amazing accomplishment," said Capt. Timothy Kuehhas, George Washington's commanding officer. "Your hard work, dedication and leadership has once again been recognized fleet wide and is most deserving. Congratulations and well done."
George Washington competed against carriers assigned to the west coast for the Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific's Battle 'E'. Carriers from the east and west coast are evaluated by Afloat Training Group and other inspection teams during a series of certifications and inspections, and one from each coast is awarded the Battle 'E'.
"I am very impressed and happy about the ship receiving this award. I am also proud to be a part of the George Washington team," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuel) 1st Class Kendrick Menor, from Honolulu. "It is hard for a ship to earn two awards like this back to back, but we did it."
According to Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Demarius Richardson, from Waldorf, Maryland, the George Washington crew has shown true pride and dedication to maintaining the ship's readiness and will continue to do as such.
"This is a great symbol of our professionalism," said Richardson. "We do a lot of the same training over and over, but it just proves that we are doing the right things and we are working hard to make [George Washington] the best ship."
George Washington (CVN 73) and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
For more news from USS George Washington (CVN 73), visitwww.navy.mil/local/cvn73/.
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NNS150217-12. USS Paul Hamilton Departs on Deployment
From Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) departed on an independent deployment to the Arabian Gulf and Western Pacific Ocean.
While deployed, Paul Hamilton and its crew of more than 300 Sailors will conduct theater security cooperation and maritime presence operations with partner nations.
"We are proud, confident, and ready for all tasking Paul Hamilton will be assigned," said Commanding Officer Cmdr. John Barsano. "For many of our young Sailors, it's the first time they will live aboard for eight months and travel overseas. I could not have asked of anything more from the crew for this upcoming deployment."
Commissioned May 27, 1995, Paul Hamilton is the third U.S. Navy ship named after the third secretary of the Navy. His term in office included the first months of the War of 1812, during which time the small United States Navy achieved several remarkable victories over British warships.
Paul Hamilton is a multi-mission ship designed to operate independently or with an associated strike group. The ship is assigned to Destroyer Squadron 21 and is homeported in Hawaii within the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations.
U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific from the West Coast of North America to the international date line and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy.
For more news from Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, visitwww.navy.mil/local/cnrh/.
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NNS150217-11. San Antonio Sailors Represent Navy at Local Salute to Veteran Patients Event
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jacquelyn D. Childs, Navy Medicine Education and Training Command Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO (NNS) -- A Navy recruiter and a Navy Medicine Training Support Center instructor stationed in San Antonio represented the Navy as 'ambassadors' at a local veteran's hospital during an event Feb. 13 to kick off the 28th annual nation-wide Salute to Veteran Patients Week.
Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Daniel Morales, a recruiter at Navy Recruiting District San Antonio, and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Shantal Zavala, an instructor from the Navy Medicine Training Support Center, went with representatives from the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard to the Audie Murphy Veteran's Hospital to speak with veterans and show their support.
"Each of us who are privileged to live in this nation has a special place in our hearts for these defenders of freedom," said Marie Weldon, director of South Texas Veteran's Health Care System, during the welcoming remarks at the event. "That is why VA takes time during the week of Valentine's Day to encourage our community to express affection and respect for those we admire."
Morales, Zavala and the eight other service members went on a guided tour of a couple sections of the hospital including part of the psychiatric ward and the prosthetics lab. As they walked through and spoke to veteran patients at the hospital, they passed out hand-made Valentine's cards donated by local elementary schools.
"The main thing was just to show support for the veterans who served before us; talking to them and letting them know that we care, and making the day a little bit special for them," said Morales. "We wanted to let them know we don't take it for granted, that we haven't forgot the things that they've done."
"I think it's really rewarding, especially being a corpsmen," said Zavala. "It was really rewarding to see what we do overseas in theater actually matters for patients here at the hospital."
This was the first of many events the two Sailors and their counterparts from the other services will be attending as ambassadors. They were each selected to represent their military branch at Fiesta San Antonio 2015. A celebration of San Antonio's history and diverse culture, Fiesta is one of the largest festivals in the nation, lasting approximately two weeks and bringing in millions of visitors.
"I'm honored and privileged to be selected as an ambassador," said Morales. "It could've been someone else, and I'm happy to be a part of it just to show my support and represent the U.S. Navy and the military."
"I'm glad to participate," agreed Zavala. "I'm really excited about it. As I read more about Fiesta, I'm really excited to be a part of that culture they have here."
Fiesta San Antonio is scheduled to take place April 16 - 26. More information about Fiesta San Antonio can be found at http://www.fiesta-sa.org/
For more news from Navy Medicine Education and Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmsc/.
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NNS150217-09. NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Celebrates African American Heritage
By Sky M. Laron, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Director of Corporate Communications
YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Members of the NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka Multi-Cultural Committee presented the 2015 African American Heritage/Black History Month celebration Feb. 13 onboard Yokosuka Naval Base.
The theme of the celebration was 'A Century of Black Life, History and Culture'.
The event highlighted the many accomplishments of African Americans in history as well as several live acts to include a guitar solo and songs by Kazuhiko Sato, a member of the NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka Regional Services Department (Code 400) and a performance by the Christian Ministries Far East (CMFE) Gospel Choir.
The keynote speaker was Bishop Charles Hall, founding and senior pastor, CMFE Worship Center and a 30-year U.S. Navy veteran who hails from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Hall spoke to the adversity that African Americans have faced as well as many of the successes and stated that the United States was a salad bowl rather than a melting pot, in that a salad has many different ingredients but at the end of the day it tastes good, refereeing to the many varied cultures and races that make up America and how Americans are better off for it.
African-Americans have served in the U.S. Navy since its beginnings, even before America was fully formed as a nation, fighting in the Continental Navy as our country struggled for its independence, said Capt. Raymond Bichard, NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka, commanding officer, adding that today, African American active duty officer and enlisted Sailors, reservists and civilians continue to serve with distinction in what is arguably the greatest Naval power in the history of the world.
Nearly 70 years ago, President Truman desegregated the military and during that time many African Americans have worn the uniform and fought proudly, said Bichard.
"It was the military that was ahead of the rest of the country in understanding the necessity and value of integration," said Bichard. "I can say without reservation that our command and our Navy is better because of the many contributions put forth by our African American community members, shipmates and friends."
Members of the NAVSUP FLC Yokosuka community joined together after the event to share in a pot-luck style meal that represented the diversity of all participants through the variety of entrees served.
"As usual, our Multi-Cultural Committee has done an excellent job of putting this ceremony together," said Bichard. "It's important to remember that they are all volunteers...so, thank you all for your efforts and dedication."
The Navy conducts activities in observance of nine specified diversity-related groups, events or individuals. Department of Defense themes are promulgated by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI).
For more news from Naval Supply Systems Command, visitwww.navy.mil/local/navsup/.
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NNS150217-04. USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) Wraps Up First of Three Crew Swaps on Deployment to US 7th Fleet
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Antonio P. Turretto Ramos, USS Fort Worth Public Affairs
SEMBAWANG, Singapore (NNS) -- LCS Crew 104 Juggernauts successfully completed the first quarter of the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth's (LCS 3) maiden 16-month deployment to the Asia-Pacific following a crew swap with LCS Crew 103 Rough Riders Feb. 17.
Crew 104 deployed Fort Worth from her homeport in San Diego in November 2014, transiting across the Pacific Ocean and making port visits in Hawaii, Guam and Jakarta before arriving at her maintenance and logistics hub in Singapore in late December. Days later, Fort Worth joined multinational search efforts for AirAisa Flight QZ8501 at the request of the Indonesian government.
"Fort Worth has already answered the call from a regional partner very early in her first 16-month rotational deployment -- this early success speaks to the operational value that LCS brings to 7th Fleet and we look forward to bringing more of these ships to the region simultaneously in the coming years," said Rear Adm. Charlie Williams, commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific and commander, U.S. 7th Fleet's Task Force 73.
Fort Worth is the first LCS to deploy under the "3-2-1" manning concept, which allows LCS to sustain a 16-month forward presence without fatiguing the crew during the extended deployment. It is named 3-2-1 because three rotational crews will support two LCS ships and maintain one deployed ship. Two additional crew swaps will occur for the remainder of Fort Worth's deployment, roughly every four months.
"Just as I said in December, Fort Worth's arrival in the region is the dawn of a new age for U.S. Navy operations in Southeast Asia," said Capt. Fred Kacher, Destroyer Squadron 7 commodore and tactical commander of Fort Worth. "Through a number of high-visibility operations and events over the past few months, you have shown why forward presence in Southeast Asia matters and have made an immediate, positive impact not only within our own Navy but with our regional partners."
Crew 104, along with embarked Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 Detachment 1 and Surface Warfare Mission (SUW) Package Detachment 3, transited directly from San Diego to Hawaii, where the ship conducted helicopter deck landing qualifications off the Hawaiian coast in late November as part of a joint exercise with the Army and Marines. The exercise provided an opportunity for pilots from both services to become familiar with landing on one of the Navy's newest warships.
While Fort Worth stopped to refuel in Guam Dec. 11, Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific (CTF 75) took the opportunity to tour the ship, gaining a better understanding of how LCS' adaptability, speed and maneuverability can support future CTF 75 requirements in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
Fort Worth made its initial Southeast Asia port visit in Jakarta Dec. 22, marking the first-ever LCS visit to Indonesia. During the five-day stop, the crew hosted U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake as well as senior leaders from the Indonesian government and navy during a reception and ship tours.
Just after arriving in Singapore in late December, U.S. 7th Fleet tasked Fort Worth to join in the AirAsia Flight QZ8501 search effort at the request of the Indonesian government. After loading supplies and embarking an eight-member team from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1, Fort Worth departed Singapore Jan. 2 and arrived on station in the Java Sea Jan. 3. During Fort Worth's nearly two weeks on station, the ship teamed up with the guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) and conducted around-the-clock searches to locate the missing plane. The AirAsia search marked the first time an LCS and DDG worked jointly to conduct real world operations, with each ship bringing unique capabilities to support the search.
"From San Diego to Singapore, and all the stops in between, I couldn't be prouder of Crew 104," said Cmdr. Kendall Bridgewater, LCS Crew 104 commanding officer. "The Sailors have successfully met every challenge and tasking with poise and dedication, exceeding expectations for all that has been put before them."
"The Feb. 17 crew turnover with Crew 103 is the fourth turnover between Crews 104 and 103. This familiarity between the crews has fostered trust and respect between us and has contributed to the success of the first-ever forward deployed crew swap under the 3-2-1 manning concept," said Bridgewater.
Crew 104 will arrive at their homeport of San Diego Feb. 18, where the crew will spend time training on-shore and off the California coast before redeploying in May to Marinette, Wisconsin, and serving as the commissioning crew for the littoral combat ship Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Milwaukee (LCS 5), the third ship in the Freedom class.
"The great thing about the LCS program as a whole is that it creates tight-knit, highly trained crews. While performing the crew swap in a forward deployed status is unique and different, it ran smoothly because Crews 103 and 104 have a history together," said Cmdr. Matt Kawas, Crew 103 commanding officer. "Simply, our flow is very efficient and very familiar, allowing us to optimize the time we had together during the turnover."
Crew 103 comes aboard with about 100 Sailors, which includes Sailors from HSM-35 Detachment 2 and SUW Mission Package Detachment 1. Shortly after crew swap, Fort Worth will get underway and conduct port visits, patrols, and starting with Foal Eagle in March, exercises with regional navies throughout U.S. 7th Feet. Held annually with the Republic of Korea navy, Foal Eagle also is the first exercise in Northeast Asia that incorporates LCS participation.
"My Rough Riders are thrilled to get back to Fort Worth and we are eager to build upon the outstanding work of Cmdr. Bridgewater and his Juggernauts in the first quarter of the ship's deployment. As part of the new manning construct, we trained hard both ashore and on USS Freedom (LCS 1) and are looking forward to taking what we have learned to support the 7th Fleet Commander during operations and exercises with our partner nations," said Kawas.
Fast, agile and mission-focused, littoral combat ships are designed to operate in near shore environments and employ modular mission packages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures or anti-submarine warfare. Fort Worth will employ the surface warfare mission package for her entire deployment, augmenting her 57mm gun and rolling airframe missile launcher with two 30mm guns, two 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats and two six-member maritime security boarding teams.
Fort Worth is the second LCS to deploy as part of an initiative for up to four rotational deployments of these ships simultaneously to U.S. 7th Fleet in the coming years. Fast, agile and mission-focused, LCS is designed to operate in near-shore environments and employ modular mission packages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures or anti-submarine warfare.
The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability and prevent conflict.
For more news from Destroyer Squadron 7, visit www.na
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NNS150217-03. Top Sea Service Leaders Conclude Western Conference and Exposition
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Huey D. Younger Jr., Navy Public Affairs Support Element-West
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Western Conference and Exposition (WEST 2015) concluded Feb. 12 after a three-day event featuring Department of Defense and civilian sector exhibitors and keynote speakers at the San Diego Convention Center.
The event gave active duty U.S. and allied military, government, industry and academia decision-makers the opportunity to engage on multiple levels to discuss the maritime strategy, especially the cyber domain, during the three-day event from Feb. 10-12.
Military and industry leaders showcased and discussed innovation in emerging systems, platforms, technologies and networks that will impact all areas of current and future sea service operations.
Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Michelle Howard, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and Adm. Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard, closed the three-day convention with a panel discussion addressing sea service priorities.
WEST 2015 is co-sponsored by Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA) International and the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI), both non-profit, non-lobbying membership associations. Now in its 25th year, WEST 2015 featured exhibits from key technology leaders and discussions by some of the top leading military and industry experts. This year, the conference had more than 10,000 attendees during the three-day event.
For more news from Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, visitwww.navy.mil/local/
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NNS150217-02. Ready Now. Anytime, Anywhere
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Luke B. Meineke, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Public Affairs
NAPLES, Italy (NNS) -- In 2015 the U.S. Navy Reserve will be 100 years old. Designed to "deliver strategic depth and operational capability to the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Forces in times of peace or war", the Navy Reserve has provided support in areas from healthcare to special warfare and everything in between.
First created in response to the outbreak of World War I, and through the efforts of then Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and his assistant, Franklin D. Roosevelt, legislation for the creation of the Naval Reserve Force was passed on March 3, 1915. Since that time, reservists have served in every major war in which the United States has fought.
As of December 2014, 107,687 reservists were serving as either the Selected Reserve (SELRES), or Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) Sailors, providing vital naval warfighting and operational capabilities in myriad roles. SELRES, the largest and most relied upon of the Ready Reserve, consists of drilling reservists and Full-Time Support (FTS) reservists. Drilling reservists are reservists who typically fulfill a service commitment of one weekend a month and two weeks a year of drilling and training. They are available for recall to active duty status and represent the Navy's primary source of immediate manpower.
FTS reservists serve full-time active duty service relating to the training and administration of the Navy Reserve program. They are assigned to shore installations or operational units.
IRR reservists are composed of former active duty or reserve military personnel. Though they typically receive no pay and are not obligated to drill, conduct annual training, or participate in any military activities, IRR personnel retain their status as uniformed military personnel. They retain their military specialty (i.e. rate) and rank, and receive benefits like entitlement to a military ID card, or NEX and commissary benefits.
Today, reservists assigned to Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia (CNREURAFSWA) contribute and help drive the command's mission to provide efficient and effective shore service support to U.S. and allied forces in the Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia area of responsibility.
Approximately 400 reservists from 20 different units spread throughout the United States are assigned to CNREURAFSWA. Separated into boat support units (BSU), naval security force (NSF) units and regional units, the reserve unit locations stretch as far west as Las Vegas to as far east as Long Island, New York, as far south as Corpus Christi, Texas to as far north as Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Reservists from these Navy Operational Support Centers (NOSC) are assigned to all the installations that comprise CNREURAFSWA, with the exception of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ) and Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu, Romania, which has not been officially commissioned.
"The NSF units are security units, mostly made up of master-at-arms," explained Regional Operational Support Officer Lt. Cmdr. Micah Weller. "They are dedicated units that can be brought in if there was an increase in the force protection condition (FPCON) level. The BSUs focus on port and air operations, so that would mean boatswain's mates, operations specialists, aviation boatswain's mates (handling), aviation boatswain's mates (fuels) for example. They also provide Department of Defense (DOD) firefighters and our Regional Operations Center (ROC) is augmented from those units."
These service members are essential to the CNREURAFSWA mission. The ROC unit's mission is emergency response and watch standing, as well as conducting the exercises necessary to ensure base personnel are prepared in case of an emergency.
Weller added that the Operational Support Office does a good job of certifying that the focus is on finding those billets that aren't manned or locating areas where a command needs support and finding the right reservist or reservists to step in and provide that support and expertise.
Most importantly, though, he says due to the training they receive both from the military and from the civilian sector, reservists arrive ready to contribute.
"The training prepares them to be that support," Weller said. "For example, master-at-arms conduct all their gun training in the states, so they arrive prepared to augment and support immediately. However, reservists bring a unique set of added skills gained from their civilian jobs. For example, an information systems technician will have his training from the Navy, but after he transferred to the reserves, maybe he worked at a place like Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) and gained this whole different perspective and set of skills."
On any particular day, 25 percent of the Navy Reserve is delivering global operational support to the fleet and combat forces. The unique perspective and extensive training has and continues to make them an essential element of the U.S. Navy. On March 3, when the organization celebrates 100 years of dedicated service and sacrifice, reservists can be proud of their heritage and that they carry on a legacy of service with distinction both during peacetime and in times of war, and that they contribute significantly to the Navy's overall mission to maintain, train and equip forces capable of winning wars, deterring acts of aggression and engendering and sustaining freedom of the seas.
For more news from Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnre/.
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NNS150217-01. George H.W. Bush Awarded Battle"E"
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Patrick Ian Crimmins, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs
ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Commander, Naval Air Forces awarded the 2014 Battle Efficiency (Battle "E") for East Coast-based aircraft carriers to Sailors of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) Feb. 13.
The Battle "E" is designed to measure and recognize a command's sustained superior performance and efficiency in an operational environment through the calendar year.
"I could not be more proud of this ship and its crew," said Capt. Andrew J. Loiselle, commanding officer, USS George H.W. Bush. "Our Sailors are some of the most dedicated in the fleet. It's a huge honor for me to have been a part of all their efforts."
Battle "E" is only achieved through meeting and exceeding multiple operational standards based on individual and community efforts.
"This crew brings their 'A' game every day, and it's truly exciting to watch," said Loiselle. "They have set the standard for the rest of the fleet."
The recipient of the Battle 'E' award is decided through departmental awards, which mark excellence in the ship's individual departments. George H.W. Bush received all 15 departmental awards.
"Winning Battle "E" validates our hard work," said Command Master Chief David Carter. "Every Sailor helped to win it, and that means something. I've been in the Navy 28 years and this is my first Battle "E." It's a testament of how good of a team we are."
This is George H.W. Bush's second award for Battle "E" in three years.
The USS George Washington (CVN 73), forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, won Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific's Battle 'E' on the West Coast.
George H.W. Bush is currently conducting training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean.
For more information on USS George H.W. Bush follow the ship's fan page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/
For more news from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), visitwww.navy.mil/local/cvn77/.
NNS150218-08. Current All Hands Update
From Defense Media Activity - Navy
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- All Hands Update features three one-minute newscasts today.
First one-minute newscast-
- Headlines for Wednesday, February 18, 2015: Ash Carter Sworn in as Nation's 25th Secretary of Defense; Navy Offering Re-Enlistment Bonuses to Retain Sailors in Key Billets
http://youtu.be/nV8Rqit-07A
http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
Second one-minute newscast-
- Newest U.S. Coast Guard Vessel Named for D-day Veteran
http://youtu.be/1jTg9M9lcwE
http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
Third one-minute newscast-
- Navy Wants Sailors to Know How to Prevent and Report Retaliation
http://youtu.be/8IgujQ8f8C0
http://www.navy.mil/viewVideo.
Defense Media Activity-Navy produces All Hands Update (AHU) newscasts each day. AHU can be seen throughout the day and evening on the Direct-to-Sailor (DTS) satellite television service available aboard 160 ships of the fleet and via the Navy Web site at www.navy.mil. Check your local DTS program schedule for air times. AHU can also be seen throughout the world on the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS).
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NNS011213-29. This Day in Naval History - Feb. 18
From Naval History and Heritage Command, Communication and Outreach Division
1846 - Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft issues the General Order to change Larboard to Port for identification of the left side of a sailing vessel.
1865 - In order for CSS Charleston, CSS Chicora, and CSS Palmetto State not to be captured by Rear Adm. John A. Dahlgren's squadron during the evacuation of Charleston, S.C., Confederate Capt. John R. Tucker, orders the ships be set afire and blown up.
1942 - USS Truxtun (DD 229) and USS Pollux (AKS-2) sink during a heavy storm in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, with the loss of 204 lives.
1944 - The amphibious force under Rear Adm. Harry W. Hill lands troops on Engebi Island, Eniwetok, securing the island before the end of the day.
1945 - U.S. Navy destroyers engage Japanese vessels off Iwo and Chichi Jima. USS Waldron (DD 699) is damaged after intentionally ramming a gunboat; USS Dortch (DD 670) sinks auxiliary submarine chaser Ayukawa Maru north-northwest of Iwo Jima; USS Barton (DD 722), USS Ingraham (DD 694), and USS Moale (DD 693) operating near Chichi Jima, sink Japanese guardboats No.35 Nanshin Maru, No. 3 Kyowa Maru, and No.5 Kukuichi Maru.
1994 - Mine Countermeasures Ship USS Ardent (MCM 12) is commissioned.
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Navy News Service is the official news wire service of the U.S. Navy, containing stories recently posted to the Navy Web site at www.navy.mil. It is a product of the Defense Media Navy - 6700 Taylor Rd., Fort Meade, MD 20755. Reprints should be credited to the Navy News Service (NNS).
For the latest in Navy news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.
For all Navy-related questions, review the FAQs posted at www.navy.mil or visit www.history.navy.mil.
Media queries should be directed to the Navy News Desk at (703) 697-5342.
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