Month: May 2022

Source: United States Navy

Byrnes and Thayer were recognized for their collaboration with Naval Research Laboratory and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division. The group pioneered a new alloying process used for large propulsor castings.

“This is another huge accomplishment and well deserved for all of Sarah’s and Trevor’s work,” NFPC Director Nate Bird said. “This effort will not only save time and money at NFPC but will have a lasting impact on the submarine program through higher quality castings.”

The Etter Awards are given annually to the Department of the Navy’s most exceptional civilian and military scientists and engineers in recognition of technically outstanding and highly beneficial contributions.

The award will be presented on June 16.

Byrnes, a York County native, earned her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Drexel University. She currently resides in West Chester. She is NFPC’s Machining and Metals Lab Branch Head.

Thayer, a native of Washington Twp. N.J., earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rowan University. He currently resides in Glen Mills and is NFPC’s Foundry Engineering Branch Head.

Located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center is a modern manufacturing facility that employs a highly skilled and versatile workforce of engineers, tradespeople, and support personnel.

Source: United States Navy

S2c Kyser was killed on Dec. 7, 1941, in the attack on Pearl Harbor and had remained an Unknown for almost eight decades before being identified on Aug. 9, 2019, by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) using his DNA and modern forensic technology.

According to the DPAA, on Dec. 7, 1941, Kyser – originally from Muskogee, Okla. – was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma, which was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, when the ship was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The USS Oklahoma sustained multiple torpedo hits, which caused it to quickly capsize. The attack on the ship resulted in the deaths of 429 crewmen, including Kyser, who was 18 years old at the time.

From December 1941 to June 1944, Navy personnel recovered the remains of the deceased crew, which were subsequently interred on Oahu, Hawaii. In 2015, advances in forensic technology prompted the reexamination of Unknown remains associated with the loss of the Oklahoma.

Kyser’s remains were exhumed and transferred the DPAA laboratory, where they were successfully identified.

“We are deeply humbled to welcome the remains of Seaman Second Class (S2/c) Duane “D.T.” Kyser to Fresno. His ultimate sacrifice during the attack on Pearl Harbor all those years ago still resonates and has intrinsic value today. The freedoms we fight for today are built upon the efforts of those who have gone before, and we are profoundly honored to escort home the remains of one of these patriots,” NAS Lemoore commanding officer Capt. Douglas M. Peterson said.

Kyser’s remains are being laid to rest in Fresno, rather than in Oklahoma, because according to his nephew, Mr. Duane T. Kyser of Sacramento, “There is no family – or even friends – left in Oklahoma. We are all here in California.”

Kyser’s name is recorded on the Walls of the Missing at the Punchbowl on Oahu, Hawaii, along with the others who are missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Interment will be May 21, 2022 at 1 p.m. in Fresno Memorial Garden, 175 S. Cornelia Ave., in Fresno, Calif. Rear Admiral Gene F. Price, Vice Commander of Navy Information Forces, will conduct the graveside honors.

Source: United States Navy

The visit included a tour of the Multifunction Air Operations Center and the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar, which is the short-to-medium range multirole radar.

The MAOC, under the command of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, is using the G/ATOR to conduct air surveillance and multidomain awareness in support of NATO operations. The leaders discussed communication and information-technology solutions for data exchange between lateral and higher echelons of command, to include NATO and coalition partners.

U.S. Marines also demonstrated the expeditionary capabilities of the Marine Air Command and Control System. The MACCS, with a small footprint, can rapidly deploy with few logistical and transportation requirements to achieve initial operational capability.

The radar site in Lithuania is a successful execution of expeditionary advanced base operations; the employment of mobile, low-signature, and easy to sustain naval expeditionary forces from a temporary location. The MACCS and G/ATOR are key components of expeditionary advanced base operations and the future force, in accordance with Force Design 2030.

Multiple elements within 2nd MAW rapidly repositioned from the Arctic to the Baltic Sea region to reinforce the Allied defensive posture and to support the NATO Air Policing mission.

The deployments were conducted in full coordination with host nations and military authorities, and although temporary in nature, they are prudent measures to increase readiness and enhance Eastern European’s collective defense. The deployment of U.S. Marine Corps forces is evidence of the Marine Corps’ readiness and strong commitment to NATO allies and partners.

Source: United States Navy

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The Navy, in coordination with the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), has released long-term monitoring (LTM) drinking water data for eight more zones on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) on the https://jbphh-safewaters.org website.

Since the Navy began long-term monitoring on March 22, there have been no detections of JP5 contamination in the Navy water system.

Summaries of the first month of LTM sampling results are now posted on the following Safe Waters pages: Pearl City Peninsula (Zone A1) here; Ford Island (Zone A2) here; Iroquois Point (Zone A3) here; Sub Base (Zone C1) here; Hale Alii, Marine Barracks, Hospital Point (Zone C2) here; Shipyard, Hospital Point (Zone C3) here; Earhart Village (Zone D3) here; and Hawaii Air National Guard (Zone D4) here.

LTM results for four other zones had previously been posted May 6: McGrew and Halawa (Zone B1) here, Camp Smith (Zone G1) here, Aliamanu Military Reservation (Zone H3) here, and Red Hill Housing (Zone I1) here.

This brings to 12 the total number of zones whose first month of LTM sampling has been released. The first month’s sampling results for the remaining seven zones have been validated and are awaiting summarization by the Navy and final review by the DOH. The Navy will post those summaries and sampling results on each zone’s page as soon as they have completed the review process.

Under an interagency-approved flushing and sampling plan, the Navy water system is now in a two-year period of LTM. This includes testing about 6,000 more samples from roughly 55% of residences and other facilities on the system for more than 60 different contaminants.

Under the plan, the Navy is sampling 5% of homes and other buildings in each zone of the Navy water system for the first three months after the DOH amended that zone’s health advisory (a total of 15% in each zone after three months). After that, 40% of all homes and other buildings on the system will be sampled over the following 21 months. All schools, child development, and medical centers will be sampled regularly during both phases of the plan.

Sampling locations for homes in each zone are chosen as a geographic representation of the zone, based on their location on the neighborhood distribution system. Different homes will be chosen during each phase to provide a good geographic spatial representation of homes sampled.

All results are validated to state and federal drinking water requirements, including the incident-specific parameters (ISPs) set by the DOH for the Navy water system.

Sample results are generally categorized as non-detect, detect, or exceed. If a sample exceeds action levels for contaminants, the resident or building point of contact will be personally notified.

The following information is provided to help interpret the data:

• Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) tests look for many petroleum compounds and are done in addition to standard drinking water tests.
• Total Organic Carbon (TOC) is a measure of the amount of organic compounds contained in a water sample, many of which are naturally present in the environment, but which also can be an indicator of contamination, including petroleum or other sources. TOC itself has no health effects. However, TOC provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts.
• Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) are established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are the maximum permissible level of contaminants in water which is delivered to any user of a public water system.
• Environmental Action Levels (EALs) are established by the Hawaii DOH and are concentrations of contaminants in drinking water and other media (e.g., soil, soil gas, and groundwater) below which the contaminants are assumed to not pose a significant threat to human health or the environment. Exceeding the Tier 1 EAL does not necessarily indicate that contamination at the site poses environmental hazards but generally warrants additional investigation.
• All values are in parts per billion (ppb), which is equal to micrograms per liter (µg/L).
• The Method Detection Limit (MDL) is the lowest concentration at which an analyte (chemical subject that is being analyzed) can be detected in a sample.

For more information on these actions, go to the news section of http://www.navy.mil/jointbasewater.

For more information on long-term monitoring of the Navy water system, go to https://jbphh-safewaters.org.