Month: August 2022

Source: United States Navy

“It is my honor and privilege to rejoin the nation’s oldest intelligence agency and I look forward to working again with such a bright and storied assembly of military and civilian professionals who are advancing America’s national security in every corner of the world,” said Studeman. “Rear Adm. Copley has tackled some of ONI’s most daunting challenges and I look forward to building on his success.”

Studeman joins ONI from his previous role as Director for Intelligence, J2, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, an honors graduate in Mandarin Chinese from the Defense Language Institute, and a distinguished graduate of the National War College.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve with the military and civilians of ONI,” said Copley. “I’m so proud of the work they accomplished this past year and encouraged by the promise of a transformed, penetrating ONI that’s more ready than ever to deliver decision advantage to the Navy and nation under Rear Adm. Studeman’s command. The nation is fortunate to have this team of warriors fighting for it.”

ONI is America’s premier maritime intelligence service and a core element of the U.S. Navy’s Information Warfare Community. ONI possesses unmatched knowledge of the maritime operating environment and delivers penetrating understanding of threats to America’s security to national decision makers and the Fleet. Established in 1882, ONI is the nation’s longest-serving intelligence agency.

NMIO advances maritime intelligence integration, information sharing, and domain awareness to foster unity of effort to protect the United States and its global interests, its allies, and its partners against threats to, in, or emanating from the global maritime domain. The National Security Council and Office of the Director of National Intelligence drive NMIO activities intended to unify maritime elements of the Intelligence Community and ensure cohesion across the Nation’s security and defense functions within the maritime domain.

Source: United States Navy

Detailed planning is currently underway for the Comfort to visit Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. During these mission stops, Continuing Promise medical teams will focus on working alongside partner nation medical personnel to provide care on board and at land-based medical sites to increase medical readiness, strengthen partnerships, and enhance the combined capabilities of the U.S. Navy and partner nations to respond to public health disasters and humanitarian crises.

“No mission better demonstrates our enduring commitment to the region as we work collaboratively with likeminded nations to ensure a secure, free, and prosperous hemisphere,” said Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet. “Today, more than ever, our fates are inextricably linked in the Western Hemisphere. Continuing Promise provides valuable training for U.S. and partner nation personnel to learn from each other and to work side by side to improve the medical readiness of our neighborhood while also collectively being prepared to meet regional challenges.”

The Continuing Promise 2022 main planning conference (MPC) took place in Jacksonville, Fla. July 6-7, and included over 100 participants from across the U.S. armed forces, Department of State, non-governmental organizations, and partner nation military members. The conference allowed participants to discuss details of the mission including medical planning, training, logistics, and security for the ship and personnel while in host nation ports.

Capt. Bryan Carmichael, commodore of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 4 will serve as mission commander for Continuing Promise 2022.

“I look forward to getting out there on Comfort and doing great things for America and our partners in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility,” said Carmichael. “The mission helps show those who live in this part of the world they can turn to the United States for help whenever needed. Medical services is a big part of this mission but we are also building relationships with these countries and their people that will have lasting impacts.”

The Continuing Promise mission will include providing direct medical care and expeditionary veterinary care, conducting training and subject matter expert exchanges on various medical and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief topics, and leading seminars on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS).

WPS is a United Nations initiative that started with UNSCR 1325 signed in 2000. It was a public acknowledgement that women are more adversely impacted by conflict and crisis, and that including women in security planning will lead to a more peaceful world. The Department of Defense (DoD) signed the WPS Implementation Plan in 2020. It outlines defense objectives and goals that the DoD will strive to achieve in order to move the bar toward full WPS implementation. USSOUTHCOM and USNAVSO/4th Fleet are dedicated to WPS and the promotion of gendered perspectives.

Continuing Promise 2022 marks the twelfth mission to the region since 2007 and the seventh mission involving USNS Comfort. The mission will also foster goodwill, strengthen existing partnerships with partner nations, and encourage the establishment of new partnerships among countries, non-government organizations, and international organizations.

“We are incredibly excited by the opportunities presented by Continuing Promise 22,” said Capt. Bradford Smith, USNAVSO/U.S. 4th Fleet Surgeon. “In addition to providing world class care to those in need, we are looking forward to strengthening relationships with our partner nations through subject matter expert exchanges as well as humanitarian relief and disaster exercises to build capacity and resilience during times of crisis.”

A U.S. Navy hospital ship has the capacity to provide afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facilities to the U.S. military and partners. The medical and dental capabilities provided during this deployment will assist communities with a wide range of health services including general adult care, pediatric care, dental treatment, and optometry. Additionally, limited surgical procedures will be offered in coordination with partner personnel.

The final planning conference will take place in September, which will finalize details of the mission. Additional details on the upcoming deployment will be released at a later date.

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

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK – The United Through Reading Program’s mobile story station visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), July 26-27, 2022.

The mobile story station, which is a library and video studio on wheels, provided the Sailors of George H.W. Bush and Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 the opportunity to record themselves reading books to their loved ones before the upcoming deployment.

The two day event was organized by Chief Religious Program Specialist Angel Pacheco and Religious Program Specialist 3rd Class Chauncey Phillips to honor the Bush family legacy and lifetime mission of spreading literacy and resiliency across military families through the program.

“It was a great opportunity to bring this event to our crew prior to our deployment,” said Pacheco. “Families will be able to have a recording during the first portion of deployment, instead of waiting for Sailors to mail the first recording. It was a great morale enhancing event.”

The Mobile Story Unit’s visit to George H.W. Bush also marked a successful first visit to the east coast, with 71 Sailors participating in 81 recorded reading sessions and taking home many free children’s books.

“The act of shared reading has a profound impact on the connection between the reader and the child,” said Laura Steiner, program manager Navy East, United Through Reading. “We strive to enable service members the opportunity to maintain and grow this connection during deployments and other times of separation, wherever they serve. It is our pleasure to make this accessible through our on-board Story Stations, our App, and our Mobile Story Stations. We hope this week’s visit from our Mobile Story Station brings a positive start to the USS George H. W. Bush’s upcoming deployment for its crew and their families.”

United Through Reading video recording sessions will continue at sea across CSG-10 as coordinated by the respective ships’ religious ministry teams of chaplains and religious program specialists. Any Sailor is able to talk to a religious program specialist, chaplain, or representative about recording a video while out to sea. After the video is recorded, the video and card will be mailed to the recipient’s home through the command ministries department and United Through Reading on the Sailor’s behalf.

“Chaplains care for the soul of the Sailor and their families, and the best way to show that, is through acts of compassion,” said Cmdr. Douglas Grace, CSG-10 chaplain. “Our entire George H.W. Bush Strike Group has built a foundation of leadership and compassion that starts at home. Just as Barbara Bush believed in family as the foundation for a legacy to endure, the Sailors within the Strike Group shared their passion for literacy by using the United through Reading program that facilitates a read-aloud experience for military families. This proven benefit strengthens family bonds and encourages early childhood literacy.”

George H.W. Bush provides the national command authority flexible, tailorable warfighting capability as the flagship of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group which maintains maritime stability and security to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied and partner interests. For more information about the ship you can visit its Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or official webpage. For more information about the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group you can visit its official website, Facebook, or LinkedIn page.

Source: United States Navy

CNO: Navy Family, CNO Gilday here with my wife Linda — joining me to celebrate Women’s History Month. This month we take time to consider the amazing accomplishments women have made over the past decades. Since women were allowed to join the Navy in 1917 — laws, social norms, policies, and cultural changes have changed to allow women to serve in every capacity. 

Linda: Compared to the rest of world, our country has opened the doors and provided protections for women who want to move into many previously held male positions. And in the Navy, every job, space and rank in the Navy are now open to women. Today, because of path women in history have paved, 18% of uniform personnel are women and nearly 27% of Navy civilians are women. Today, there are all-women teams on ships, in aviation, and in construction, to name a few.

CNO: We wouldn’t be here today, the strongest Navy in the world, without women breaking barriers, like:

• Over a hundred years ago Chief Yeoman (F) Loretta Perfectus Walsh became not only the first woman to serve in the Navy, its first woman chief petty officer, but also the first woman to serve in a non-nursing capacity in any branch of the armed forces when she enlisted in 1917;
• Nearly 80 years ago, Lt. j.g. Harriet Ida Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills became the first Black women commissioned as officers in the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) (1944);
• 26 years ago Vice Adm. Patricia Tracey was the first woman to be promoted to vice admiral in the U.S Navy; and
• 12 years ago Vice Adm. Nora Tyson became the first woman to command a carrier strike group (2010).

Linda: You can be sure there have been even more historical figures who have (and continue) to volunteer their time and efforts to contribute to Navy’s success. Not normally recognized, there are ombudsmen, spouses and partners – many, but not all, have been women. Two of the many historical figures to highlight are Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady of the United States, whose first 7 years of marriage were spent as a Navy spouse. Mrs. Zumwalt is a long time spouse who lived in 40 homes, raised four children and worked tirelessly behind the scenes in many untraditional ways, which is now emulated in other families and non-profit organizations.

CNO: Because of the great strides women have taken over the past century, women now serve as aviators, engineers, divers, scientists, mechanics, and nuclear technicians, to name a few. The Navy has a vast array of programs that enable women to achieve professional goals, and do so in an equal opportunity environment. Whether your dream is to be a submariner, a SEAL, or the next fleet Admiral, we are in a better place because of the history of women serving valiantly throughout our ranks.

Linda:  Women have and will continue to be barrier-breakers. They are serving on the bridge, in the cockpits, in the trenches, and at the homefront, — and this month we give thanks to those who’ve come before us to show that it’s “normal” to be in these roles. I am tremendously inspired by their tenacity, bravery, professionalism and commitment, as you will be when you read their stories. 

CNO:  I hope you’ve heard about the WIN (Women in the Navy) project, a growing collect of the stories of the civilian and military women trailblazers. They can be found in the WIN site: navy(dot)mil(forward slash)W-I-N. And I know you’ll enjoy reading about each one, and sharing it with others thinking of joining the Navy.  It’s our hope that sharing their stories – we will continue to inspire future generations of both men and women alike.

You can visit the new website at:  www.navy.mil/win and view the WIN book at: https://go.usa.gov/xzv8P

Source: United States Navy

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The LCS is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a class of Small Surface Combatants armed with capabilities focused on defeating global challenges in the littorals. LCS is designed to provide joint force access in the littorals. LCS can operate independently or in high-threat environments as part of a networked battle force that includes larger, multi-mission surface combatants.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls, e.g. LCS 1). It is a steel monohull design constructed by Lockheed Martin in the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corporation’s shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. The Independence variant is an aluminum trimaran design originally built by an industry team led by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works for LCS 2 and LCS 4. Currently, Independence variant LCS (LCS 6 and subsequent even-numbered hulls) are constructed by Austal USA in the company’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard.

LCSs are assigned by variant to Atlantic and Pacific Fleets in order to enhance alignment of sustainment activities. As of June 2021, the ships are divided into two squadrons: Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 (LCSRON ONE) in San Diego and Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2 (LCSRON TWO) in Mayport, Florida.  The Freedom variant is based in Mayport, while the Independence variant is homeported in San Diego. Both variants can execute the primary warfare mission of surface warfare. Other mission modules are in testing.  As of June 2021, most crews are manned with Blue and Gold rotational crew model, allowing increased forward deployed presence. There are also training ships that remain available to support readiness generation needs of off-hull crews.

USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) and USS Coronado (LCS 4) are single-crewed and assigned to support technical and tactical capability development, in addition to Numbered Fleet Commander needs. 

Shore Support to Minimal Manning

Under the LCS sustainment concept, aspects of many legacy shipboard functions such as logistics, maintenance, and training are conducted by outside organizations, thus removing these functions from the ship’s crew in order to supplement the minimal manning model. The enabler of LCS distance support is the Maintenance Support Team (MST). MSTs coordinate with the Regional Maintenance Center (RMCs), Mission Package Support Facility (MPSF), and supply enterprise for all LCS maintenance and logistics issues. The staffs of the LCS Squadron (LCSRON), LCS Training Facility (LTF) and Surface Ship Type Commander (TYCOM) Afloat Training Group (ATG) provide training and certification functions.

There are two primary facilities designed to support LCS. The LCS Support Facility (LSF), has offices for the LCSRON staff, off-ship crews, and pre-commissioning crews. The LTF houses key training equipment for qualification and certification of crews and detachments. The MPSF provides sustainment and depot maintenance support for mission modules. In concert with LCSRON commodore, these organizational elements fully support the ships and mission modules at home and deployed.

Maintenance

Unlike most surface ships, LCS utilizes a combination of ship’s force and contracted personnel to conduct preventative maintenance due to the LCS minimal manning model.  The LCS sustainment strategy calls for monthly, five-day, preventative maintenance availabilities (PMAVs) and quarterly, 14- day, continuous maintenance availabilities (CMAVs) as part of the ship’s operational schedule.    Deployed LCSs largely execute maintenance at Forward Operating Sites (FOS), which have embedded maintenance support facilities/personnel.  Additionally, the ships have the capability to conduct maintenance at Remote Operating Sites (ROS).  These locations do not have embedded support facilities/personnel, therefore, fly away teams meet the ship at these locations for planned and corrective maintenance.

Crewing

LCS utilizes a Blue/Gold crew model where the crews rotate on/off the ship every four to five months.  This model allows for individual Sailor training/school attendance, team trainer completion, Sailor advanced qualification completion, and crew leave. Due to the demanding nature of the minimal manning model, crews complete sustainment and basic phase training evolutions at the LTF. The LCS fleet is divided into six divisions (three per coast) comprised of four ships of the same variant – including one as a dedicated training ship that is  manned by a traditional, single crew vice rotating crews. The training ship in each division remains in the United States and operates in local areas to certify the six Blue/Gold crews that will operate the three deployed LCSs of each division. Each division will have a single warfare focus.  The Blue/Gold crew rotation and single warfare focus provides more forward presence with a better blend of ownership, stability, and increased training for each crew.

Training

A key enabler of LCS rotational crewing is the LCS shore-based training and certification capability, which represents a significant advancement in the surface force approach to qualification of individual watchstanders and teams. Crew training is based on a virtual ship-centric concept, accomplished through a combination of classroom instruction, vendor training, shore-based trainers and sophisticated virtual reality training systems. This ensures LCS ships deploy with fully qualified sailors, a ship Key Performance Parameter, without hindering their ability to be adequately trained. It also, ensures that time spent aboard LCS is time operating LCS.

Current Ship Status

Initiated in February 2002, the LCS program represents a reduction in time to acquire, design, and build ships in comparison to any previous ship class. A total of 35 LCS have been awarded to date: 23 ships have been commissioned (LCS 1-20, 22, 24, 26); three are pre-delivery; five additional LCS are under various stages of construction and four are in the pre-construction phase. FY 2019 was the final year programmed for LCS seaframes.

General Characteristics, Freedom variant

Builder: Lockheed Martin

Length: 387.6 feet (118.1 meters)

Beam: 57.7 feet (17.6 meters)

Displacement: approximately 3,450 MT full load

Draft: 14.1 feet (4.3 meters)

Speed: 40+ knots

Ships:

USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), San Diego, California

USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), Mayport, Florida

USS Detroit (LCS 7), Mayport, Florida

USS Little Rock (LCS 9), Mayport, Florida

USS Sioux City (LCS 11), Mayport, Florida

USS Wichita (LCS 13), Mayport, Florida

USS Billings (LCS 15), Mayport, Florida

USS Indianapolis (LCS 17), Mayport, Florida

USS St. Louis (LCS 19), Mayport, Florida

PCU Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS 21) – under construction

PCU Cooperstown (LCS 23) – under construction

PCU Marinette (LCS 25) – under construction

PCU Nantucket (LCS 27) – in pre-production phase

PCU Beloit (LCS 29) – awarded and in pre-production phase

PCU Cleveland (LCS 31) – in pre-production phase

General Characteristics, Independence variant

Builder: General Dynamics (LCS 2 and LCS 4), Austal USA (LCS 6 and follow)

Length: 421.5 feet (128.5 meters)

Height: 126.3 feet (38.5 meters)

Beam: 103.7 feet (31.6 meters)

Displacement: approximately 3,200 MT full load

Draft: 15.1 feet (4.6 meters)

Ships:

USS Coronado (LCS 4), San Diego, California

USS Jackson (LCS 6), San Diego, California

USS Montgomery (LCS 8), San Diego, California

USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), San Diego, California

USS Omaha (LCS 12), San Diego, California

USS Manchester (LCS 14), San Diego, California

USS Tulsa (LCS 16), San Diego, California

USS Charleston (LCS 18), San Diego, California

USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), San Diego, California

USS Kansas City (LCS 22), San Diego, California

USS Oakland (LCS 24), San Diego, California

USS Mobile (LCS 26), San Diego, California

USS Savannah (LCS 28), San Diego, California

PCU Canberra (LCS 30) – under construction

PCU Santa Barbara (LCS 32) – in pre-production phase

PCU Augusta (LCS 34) – in pre-production phase

PCU Kingsville (LCS 36) – in pre-production phase

PCU Pierre (LCS 38) – in pre-production phase