Month: September 2022

Source: United States Navy

“The FAT is the first contact to ensure the ship’s retail and services division is 100% capable to complete any mission tasking and worldwide deployment,” said Chief Petty Officer Jason Phaff, NEXCOM fleet assist team leading chief petty officer. “These combined efforts allow for the ship’s store operation to provide the crew with daily necessities and improved morale, which is a huge impact of ship readiness.”

The retail services specialists (RSs) on the ship were eager to show the FAT around and learn how to improve their processes and use this review as an audit tool for their operations.

“The FAT provides technical assistance and guidance to forces afloat to improve the performance of ships store operations. FAT’s can review ships’ data remotely in the retail operations management system and allows the team to assist deployed ships, ensuring 24/7 readiness.” explained Phaff. “The FMR allows the FAT to discover areas of improvement, as well a as areas of success.”

On this visit, the FAT observed the barbershop in action as a Sailor was in the middle of receiving a haircut. This was a unique opportunity for the FAT to review techniques and confirm the RSs were operating with the tools they need to accomplish the job.

The FAT in San Diego reviews 49 Pacific Fleet ships and two shore activities. The FMRs follow a 24-month cycle. This leads to the team consistently going aboard various ships to conduct checks on procedures, equipment and training. The FAT assists with resale operations management, retail operations, accounting, procurement, cash-handling procedures, laundry and barbershop services, customer service, vending machine assistance, and visual merchandise training.

“The Sailors on the FAT provide the most current and up-to-date training to all Ships in our area of responsibility to guarantee the ship’s store program is ready to go at a moment’s notice,” said Phaff.

NAVSUP FLC San Diego is one of eight FLCs under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, NAVSUP employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 25,000 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics and Sailor & family care activities with our mission partners to generate readiness and sustain naval forces worldwide to prevent and decisively win wars. Learn more at www.navsup.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom.

Source: United States Navy

From an early age, Queen Elizabeth II demonstrated a profound sense of duty to her country and to the world that the next generation would inherit. She grew up in a world rocked by conflict and war, and in a radio address as a young princess, she reminded her generation that, “when peace comes, it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.” During World War II, she joined the women’s branch of the British Army, making her the first woman of the royal family to be an active duty member of the British Armed Forces.

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne. She promised to devote her whole life to service—and did just that, for the next seven decades. As the United Kingdom’s head of state, she was a steady and comforting presence to generations. On the global stage, Queen Elizabeth II was a source of calm and strength over decades of change for country and the world. She helped to fortify the Alliance between our two great democracies, and with her steady leadership, the United Kingdom helped to build and maintain the rules-based international order, rooted in cooperation and democratic values. 

In 1991, before the Queen addressed a joint session of Congress, President George H.W. Bush said that she had been “freedom’s friend for as long as we can remember.” And on the last day of her long and full life, it feels fitting that countries from around the world are once again rallying together in defense of the rules-based international order that she so ardently supported throughout her decades of service.

During this painful moment for the United Kingdom, my thoughts are with the Queen Elizabeth’s family, King Charles III, all those who loved her, and with our stalwart British allies.

Source: United States Navy

The Pentagon observance ceremony, which is not open to the public, allows the family members of those lost in the terrorist attack to observe the memory of their loved ones.

There will be a press event from the main press riser in the Pentagon Memorial at sunrise (6:40 a.m.) just prior to the ceremony’s start. At that time, the American Flag will be unfurled down the side of the Pentagon. Coverage is limited to 10 press, who must be on the credentialed list. Only the pool video camera will be allowed. Slots will be filled on a first-come basis.    

The observance ceremony is open to still photographers and journalists, but pooled for TV/network outlets. No unilateral cameras are permitted this year.  All media covering the ceremony must be on the credentialed list. Media interested in covering this event must RSVP by noon EDT Friday, Sept. 9, to be put on the credentialed list. Please respond to OSD.PA.DutyOfficer@mail.mil with name, outlet, position, email and phone number.  Please indicate if you are covering the flag unfurling only, or the main observance ceremony only, or both.

Additional details regarding equipment pre-set time, security check-in times, parking, etc., will be provided to those on the credentialed list.

Source: United States Navy

Acceptance Trials consists of a series of in-port and at-sea demonstrations that allow the Navy and the shipbuilder, Austal USA, to assess the ship’s systems and readiness prior to delivery to the Navy.

“The completion of this milestone is another win for our Navy and industry partners and a testament to the hard work of our shipbuilding team,” said Tim Roberts, program manager, Strategic & Theater Sealift, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “USNS Apalachicola will enhance the operational flexibility needed by our Sailors.”

EPF 13 also completed Unmanned Logistics Prototype trials assessing autonomous capabilities integrated into the shipboard configuration, demonstrating that a large ship can become a self-driving platform.  

In transit from Mobile, Alabama, to Miami, Florida, Apalachicola’s autonomous system completed a stress test in high-traffic coastal areas by taking appropriate ship handling actions while operating around other ships, boats, sailboats, and craft. Overall, the ship was in autonomous mode for approximately 85 percent of the multiple day at-sea period.

The unprecedented development of autonomous capability on Apalachicola is the culmination of collaborative efforts with the Navy’s shipbuilding and industry partners, Austal USA, L3 Harris and General Dynamics.

“The ability to expand unmanned concepts into the existing fleet was validated by these trials,” said Roberts. “The capabilities integrated onto EPF 13 set the groundwork for future autonomous operations.”

EPFs are shallow draft, commercial-based, catamaran designed for rapid, intra-theater transport of personnel and equipment. The EPF’s high speed, shallow draft, and ability to load/unload in austere ports enables maneuver force agility in achieving positional advantage over intermediate distances without reliance on shore-based infrastructure.

USNS Apalachicola is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy later this year. 

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

Source: United States Navy

The safety program at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) has earned recognition for excellence at levels ranging from the state of North Carolina to the Chief of Naval Operations. Now, the depot is being acknowledged by the Department of Defense (DoD) as the best of the best in terms of safety and occupational health.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Shawn G. Skelly presented FRCE with the DoD Safety and Occupational Health Management System (SOHMS) Achievement Award for organizations during an Aug. 23 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

In a letter congratulating FRCE for the command’s accomplishment, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr. said the award represents a significant accomplishment for the command in implementing a culture of safety.

“FRC East has established a successful, positive safety culture that has connected everyone within the facility around the common goal of a safe and healthy work environment,” Cisneros wrote. “By enhancing commitment to a safety and occupational health management system, FRC East sustains a culture that yields a safe and healthy workplace for generations to come.”

The award, presented annually by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, honors commands and individuals that have demonstrated exceptional performance in the implementation and sustainment of a safety and occupational health management system that aligns with DoD goals and objectives.

“We established the DoD Annual SOHMS Achievement Awards program in 2016 to recognize the hard work of high-performing DoD organizations such as FRC East, which have gone above and beyond to instill a positive safety culture, enhance accountability and productivity, and create a safer workplace,” said Force Safety and Occupational Health Director Laura Macaluso of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. “FRC East’s commitment to the principles of effective safety and occupational management systems resulted in both mishap and lost time rate reductions, enhancing the department’s operational readiness and supporting the secretary’s goal of ‘Taking Care of Our People.’”

FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont said the achievement speaks to the important role safety plays in day-to-day operations at the depot.

“Safety is one of the core tenets of this command and it shows in accomplishments like closing out 2021 with the lowest number of OSHA-recordable mishaps in the depot’s history and receiving recognition from the DoD,” Belmont said. “The Department of Defense Safety and Occupational Health Management System Achievement Award is a huge honor for FRC East. I’m so proud of each member of the team for their efforts to sustain this level of safety in our workplace.”

FRCE Compliance and Quality Department Head Amy Morgan accepted the award on behalf of FRCE, along with industrial hygienist Pam Jestness and lead safety specialist Brian Pounders. Earning recognition from the highest echelons of military leadership was a key indicator that the command is on the right track, she said.

“You can’t get much higher on the top of the heap than saying you are the best within the Department of Defense,” Morgan said. “I swelled with pride for the team here at FRC East, because everyone has a hand in this and everyone has made this happen. It has been a long journey, but we’re not done. We’re just getting started. We’re on that world-class journey to be the safest command that we can be. That’s really exciting.”

Morgan said she believes the command’s superior safety performance and recognition in the SOHMS Achievement Awards reflect the depot’s adoption of the principles of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), an initiative of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). VPP recognizes employers and workers in private industry and federal agencies who have implemented effective safety and health management systems and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. FRCE began participating in the program in 2006 and is one of only 62 DoD sites worldwide to earn the prestigious VPP Star Site designation.

“I believe this award speaks to where VPP takes you,” Morgan explained. “There was a conversation during the award ceremony about how VPP doesn’t make change overnight; VPP changes a culture, and to change a culture takes time. At FRC East, we have been on this journey for a long time.”

That VPP journey is still underway, she noted. Because FRCE is such a large command, it was divided into nine application areas – each consisting of no more than 500 employees – for VPP Star Site consideration. Application Areas Charlie and Golf earned Star Site status in 2019, and are set for recertification in 2023.

“We have a lot of new personnel, and we have been educating them and reminding the workforce of what VPP is and why it’s important,” Morgan said. “The goal is zero injuries, but in the meantime we’re making sure that we’re prepared to recertify our Star Sites and then continue to improve overall safety within the command.

“That takes a cultural change,” she continued. “If your workforce doesn’t intrinsically want to do something, then it’s not going to happen. If you don’t make it easy for them or they don’t understand why it’s important, then they’re not going to do it. But when people understand, they usually want to do the right thing – and in this case, why wouldn’t you want to keep yourself safe so you can enjoy a nice, long, full life with your family? That’s the goal here.”

Morgan said time spent adopting VPP principles has been time well invested, because it helped develop the culture of safety that is now pervasive at FRCE and continues to benefit the command. 

“This has been a decade or more of a concerted team effort. This has been because of everyone being involved, and that’s the only way we succeed,” she said. “This is just how we do our work here: safely. Not the old ways, or how it’s always been done. It’s not a discussion point; we’re going to do our work the right way and follow the process and continually improve. Our goal is to have zero injuries – zero people hurt while they are at work, so they go home whole to their families every night. And we’re going to keep pressing for that.”

The advantages of Improving workforce safety and occupational health also include a significant financial benefit to the command. Data shows that FRCE has documented safety-connected savings of more than $30 million since 2009, Morgan said.

“It’s fortunate that with improved safety, there is also a significant financial tail that comes with this that reduces expense greatly, by millions of dollars,” she explained. “This impacts not only the wholeness of our people, but our financial stability as a command to be able to continue to support the warfighter. That’s tremendous.”

While the Defense Department’s recognition of FRCE’s safety program is gratifying, the results of the improved safety culture are what’s truly important, Morgan added. Those results are readily evident in the depot’s safety statistics.

“There has been a lot of hard work and a lot of tough days, and a lot of wondering if we’re really making a difference,” Morgan said. “But then you look at the data and the numbers, and there’s no denying our injury rates are the lowest they’ve ever been.”

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.