Month: May 2022

Source: United States Navy

Leading the charge is 4th Fleet’s Command Master Chief Robert Florentino. He and other command leaders have partnered with nations in the Caribbean, Central and South America regions to assess, formulate, and train on the integration of enlisted service members into key leadership roles, ushering in a new era of enlisted leaders working alongside top officers.

Enlisted service members have been the backbone of the U.S. armed forces since its inception. They are technical experts and advisors to their commanders, providing them valuable insight to help make key decisions downrange. Today, enlisted service members play an even more critical role in the operational effectiveness of the armed forces as they take on more responsibilities and tackle the complexities of a changing battlespace and society.

“I am excited for what lies ahead for our partner nation’s enlisted leaders,” said Florentino. “Never has there been a better time than now for 4th Fleet to help incorporate the best and brightest enlisted service members to lead and help shape the future of partner nation maritime forces.”

The effort is aligned with U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) Enlisted Leader Professional Development (ELPD) program. SOUTHCOM’s priorities through ELPD aim to help professionalize the noncommissioned officer (NCO) corps in partner nations by sharing experiences, best practices and lessons learned. With the support of U.S. combatant commands, many nations have embraced ELD programs.

Florentino explains that ELD is not a new concept, it has been around for quite some time.

Currently, ELD efforts have been seen during engagements at 4th Fleet’s maritime staff talks (MSTs) as well as trips to the region for exercises and key leader engagements. During these, Florentino briefs partner nation leadership on the benefits of ELD.

“The goals are to establish a relationship with our partner nations, learn from each other, and establish a program where we can have enlisted leader development across the fleet both abroad as well as in the United States,” said Florentino.

The initiative will be conducted in phases. The first is the assessment phase, in which 4th Fleet leadership will travel to a country to better understand partner nation current ELD status, and help them create a tailored plan. Subsequent phases will consist of actions to better integrate enlisted leaders.

One aspect of the program for 4th Fleet involves setting up leadership subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE) in partner nations that are aligned with SOUTHCOM’s overarching ELPD goals. Leadership SMEEs will be structured similar to courses in the U.S. Navy, which consist of training junior and senior enlisted personnel.

Through consistent and relevant engagement, 4th Fleet aims to enhance and build enlisted leaders in maritime forces to be the best they can be, which will further strengthen regional partner relationships and allow forces to better work together to strategically solve problems.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.

Learn more about USNAVSO/4th Fleet at https://www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT and @NAVSOUS4THFLT.

Source: United States Navy

Two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Lassen (DDG 82) and USS Delbert Black (DDG 119) pulled into Port Everglades early, Sunday morning, May 1 along with the USCGC William Flores (WPC-1103) for three days followed by the USCGC Ibis (WPB-87338) for the remainder of the week. The ships will do tours for residents Monday through Saturday. Additionally, Sailors will perform volunteer work for schools and museums, the Navy Band will play venues across the city, and service members will have the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of Southern Florida.

“We are glad to be back and are looking forward to reconnecting, to share our stories and our experiences, and to introduce Port Everglades to our Sailors,” said Rear Adm. John Menoni, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Two. “It is a privilege to be able to visit with you all.”

Monday morning tours, from 9 a.m. to noon, will be “accessible” tours for people who are physically unable to board the ships. Guests will be escorted so they can view the ships from the pier while Sailors from various departments talk about their jobs onboard. Regular tours begin that afternoon from 1-4 p.m. and will maintain those morning and afternoon hours throughout the week. A new addition are the two evening tour sessions from 6-8 p.m. May 2 and May 4. All tours are free.

In addition to the ships, displays of Naval history, recruiting information and Navy environmental programs will be available for visitors to see as they wait for their tours.

More than 100 service members will also endeavor to say “thank you” to the local community through volunteer efforts at various locations across Fort Lauderdale. Sailors and Coast Guardsmen will help refurbish areas around the Naval Air History Museum, they will perform work at a wildlife rehabilitation center, they will visit two local schools as well as a senior center.

The Navy Region Southeast Band will hold more than a dozen performances at various locations from the beachfront to a “Spirit of America” concert. Their week is highlighted by performing at a May 2 Florida Marlins baseball game. Their evening includes the national anthem before the game, “God Bless America” at the 7th inning, and rocking out the stadium at one of the concourse venues.

The Sailors will also participate in a series of other events including: an all-hands welcome ceremony involving the mayor; a salute to veterans and also to women in the military; a traditional Navy chili cook-off; a Beach Olympics competition which will pit teams of Sailors and a few from the community, in this new quintessentially Floridian event.

USS Delbert D. Black is named for a native Oklahoman who rose to become the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, or MCPON. In this position, Black oversaw the establishment of the Senior Enlisted Advisor position, which eventually became known as the Command Master Chief. The creation of these and similar programs helped boost retention and career advancement.

The USS Lassen namesake, Lt. Clyde E. Lassen, was a native of Fort Myers, Fla., who earned the Medal of Honor for his courageous helicopter search and rescue of two downed aviators. He became the first naval aviator and fifth Navy man to be awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery in Vietnam.

Information on events and activities may be found by visiting https://browardnavydaysinc.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FleetWeekPortEverglades.

Source: United States Navy

The VRAV comes nearly four months into Spruance’s scheduled deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. The eight-day repair period included critical maintenance of navigation, combat systems and engineering equipment vital to continuing the mission, conducting cooperative security engagements with regional partner nations and enhancing maritime security relationships during the ship’s rotational deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

Voyage repair availabilities require detailed coordination between the ship’s crew, contracted personnel and Navy repair coordinators to ensure ships like Spruance can take full advantage of availabilities to maximize operational effectiveness while on deployment.

“The self-sufficiency of our crew while at sea is second-to-none, but having an opportunity to complete major repairs and conduct significant maintenance in Sasebo was critical to keeping Spruance fully mission capable,” said Cmdr. Christopher Ivey, Spruance Executive Officer. “Japan is one of our strongest allies and also has one of the best ship repair capabilities anywhere. We are grateful for this voyage repair availability and are taking full advantage of it.”

In addition to the VRAV, Spruance conducted shipboard training and exercises to maintain readiness, with an emphasis on in-port emergency team damage control training, rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) operations, and anti-terrorism exercises.

“It was really rewarding to have the opportunity to pull into port and take care of deck maintenance and conduct preservation on the ship that we can’t do at sea” said Lt. Sean Lawlor, Operations Officer aboard Spruance. “When you have the ability to pull into port on deployment and set a plan into action whether it’s training or maintenance, you can drastically lengthen and improve your time at-sea.”

Spruance is on a regularly-scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region with Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.