Month: June 2022

Source: United States Navy

Scott is an ordained minister in the Chaplaincy of Full Gospel Churches and a native of Amarillo, Texas. The retirement ceremony marked the culmination of 30 years of military service.

“From the moment he swore the oath three decades ago, he has been a beacon of light and a consummate leader in our Navy,” Gilday said. “Our Navy is more resilient and stronger in heart and mind having you at our spiritual helm.”

In Scott’s remarks to the assembled crowd, he immediately credited Navy chaplains and Religious Program Specialists for the success of his tenure.

“This is my tribe,” Scott said, suppressing tears. “These enablers of spiritual strength are the men and women who have thrust themselves in the middle of the muddle with Sailors, Marines, and Coastguardsmen. I am forever indebted to you and will spend the rest of my days grateful for you and your service and support.”

Scott then read his retirement orders and gave the command for his flag to be lowered for the final time then turned to Gilday and reported that he was ready to be relieved.

Todd followed by reading his orders and was promoted to Rear Admiral Upper Half and then gave the command for his flag to be raised for the first time as the 27th Chief of Navy Chaplains.

Todd is a native of Seattle and is an ordained minister of the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. He has previously served as the Chaplain of the Marine Corps and Deputy Chief of Navy Chaplains.

“A sense of overwhelming gratitude barely scratches the surface of our emotions today,” Todd said. He thanked all those who had supported him along the way, including Scott for his mentorship and Teresa, his wife of 40 years, for her partnership and support.

Todd concluded his remarks by reminding the Chaplain Corps of their solemn responsibility.

“It is part of our vocation as the Chaplain Corps to call the Navy, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard to their sacred duty to wield the sword in righteousness; we prepare them spiritually in anticipation of that difficult task and we stand by them in this challenge. My prayer is that we will be faithful shepherds, always present and faithful to our flock with our divine tools to strengthen them,” Todd said.

Source: United States Navy

The ship hosted Kuwaiti officials for tours and a formal dinner with U.S. leaders. Kuwait has one of the largest U.S. military presences globally.

“Kuwait is a valued partner,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “Our coast guards and navies remain bound by shared interests in maintaining regional maritime security and stability as well as countering terrorism.”

Kuwait currently leads Combined Task Force (CTF) 152, one of four task forces under the U.S.-led Combined Maritime Forces. CTF 152 conducts maritime security operations in the Arabian Gulf.

“Kuwait is leading Combined Task Force 152 with incredible energy and innovation. I see an exciting future ahead,” said Cooper.

Tomorrow, U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 will conduct a demonstration of new unmanned systems capabilities at the Mohammed Al-Ahmad Kuwait Naval Base. The demo will involve Saildrone Explorer and Devil Ray T-38 unmanned surface vessels.

“There is great potential for Kuwait to join U.S. Navy efforts to integrate unmanned and artificial intelligence capabilities,” said Cooper.

Port Royal arrived in Kuwait after visiting Bahrain days earlier. The ship and its crew of more than 300 Sailors began operating in the Middle East in May.

The U.S. 5th Fleet operating area encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The region is comprised of 21 countries and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal, and Bab al-Mandeb.

Source: United States Navy

If health conditions permit, the Navy will conduct education and community outreach throughout San Jose and the surrounding communities.

San Jose Navy Week will bring between 50 and 75 Sailors from across the nation to volunteer throughout the community and discuss why the Navy matters to San Jose. This will be the first Navy Week hosted by San Jose and the surrounding communities.

San Jose Navy Week will feature in-person demonstrations, performances, and engagements throughout the week that will include:

• Senior Navy Leaders – Flag officer and senior civilian Navy leaders with ties to San Jose and the surrounding area.
• Namesake Sailors – Sailors serving on USS California (SSN 781), a Virginia-class fast-attack submarine.
• Navy Band Southwest – Performances and masterclasses with Navy Musicians.
• Naval History and Heritage Command – Educational presentations and lesson plans about the deep ties between California and the Navy. 
• USS Constitution – Demonstrations about the oldest commissioned ship in the Navy.
• Navy Expeditionary Combat Command – Educational STEM presentations and fitness demonstrations by technicians, medics, and divers. 
• U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command – Educational presentation on the importance of atmospheric and oceanographic science and the overall value of STEM education to the Navy.

Every Sailor selected to participate in San Jose Navy Week, except those with an approved waiver for health or religious reasons, will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Furthermore, the Navy Office of Community Outreach will work closely with community partners in San Jose and follow guidance from public health officials.

Navy Weeks are the service’s signature outreach program, designed to allow the citizens of San Jose to learn about the Navy, its people, and its importance to national security and prosperity. The Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) coordinates Navy Weeks.

“We are very excited to bring Navy Week to San Jose,” said NAVCO’s director, Cmdr. John Fage. “Navy Weeks give us the opportunity to help connect Americans to their Navy. We are looking forward to safely and responsibly building those connections in the San Jose area and showing everyone why their Navy is so important.”

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy’s flagship outreach effort to regions without a significant Navy presence, with over 250 Navy Weeks held in more than 80 different U.S. markets.

“We coordinate about 75 outreach events during a Navy Week through corporate, civic, government, education, media, veterans, and community service engagements,” said NAVCO Navy Week program manager Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers. “The 2022 schedule is exciting for us because we will be in several brand-new markets, like San Jose.”

For more information on San Jose Navy Week, contact Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers at (901) 232-4450 or kevin.l.chambers4.mil@us.navy.mil. 

Source: United States Navy

Chaplains from eight nations will work together throughout the exercise to share religious and spiritual support strategies, specifically, support during times of crisis.

“Navy chaplains from Allied and partner nations support personnel in both steady state and crisis situations,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Brian Weigelt, the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet Force Chaplain. “Life in the maritime domain is challenging, and navy chaplains possess skills in helping navigate those unique challenges on a daily basis.”

BALTOPS 22 is an annual exercise designed to promote mutual understanding, confidence, cooperation and interoperability among forces, national commands, and personnel of participating nations.

The objective of RSSII is to test the capacity of providing chaplain support across national boundaries at sea, while overcoming barriers and limitations within an exercise environment prior to the necessity of support in a real-world scenario.

“In the event of a conflict, we have to be spiritually and psychologically ready to respond,” explained Weigelt. “By exercising our ability to provide chaplain support interchangeably between countries during a potential crisis, we will be able to seamlessly integrate should the need arise.”

Prior to the start of the exercise, the participants conducted training aboard the Blue Ridge-class command-and-control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) June 3 in Stockholm. Twenty-three participants (chaplains, other officers and enlisted support) from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States participated in the event.

Throughout the rest of the exercise, chaplains will test their ability to provide support during dynamic operations. They will practice personnel transfer between different units and nations, support during medical response scenarios, and their ability to communicate with higher headquarters with respect to personnel needs. Also, focus groups will be held to consider the realities of maritime combat on the psychological and spiritual readiness of Sailors.  

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be working alongside my religious ministries counterparts during BALTOPS,” said Belgian Navy Moral Counselor 1st Class Emmanuel Reynaerts. “We want to be sure that all the navies here will have spiritual support. And if they can’t get it from their own ship, then we should find a way to give them the support they need, even if it’s from another country.”

BALTOPS 22 is the premier maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region. The exercise, led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, and executed by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, provides a unique training opportunity to strengthen combined response capabilities critical to preserving freedom of navigation and security in the Baltic Sea.

For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with our Allies and Partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.