Month: September 2022

Source: United States Navy

The year’s exercise includes 19 warships/vessels, one submarine, and 21 aircraft from UNITAS participants including, marine and naval forces from Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Jamaica, Mexico, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, Uruguay and the United States.

During the opening ceremony, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro highlighted the strong partnerships between UNITAS participating nations.

“It is a true privilege to join you in kicking off UNITAS, the world’s longest running international maritime exercise,” said Del Toro. “Our Sailors and Marines are proud to serve with the men and women who wear the cloth of your nations. We are committed to standing alongside you to defend the sea lanes, protect sovereign territory, and deter aggression.”

UNITAS, which is Latin for “unity,” was conceived in 1959 and has taken place annually since first conducted in 1960. This year marks the 63rd iteration. This year, Brazil hosts UNITAS in conjunction and celebration of the bicentennial anniversary of both their nation’s independence and navy’s founding.

The exercise’s main objective is to increase interoperability among participating maritime services. UNITAS enables the assembled forces to organize and conduct combined maritime operations in a multinational task force and test their responsiveness through an exercise scenario. The secondary objective is to develop and enhance relationships among exercise participants.

“The seas have an unquestionable importance to the economic and social development of our countries,” said Rear Adm. Marcelo Menezes Cardoso, Commander of the 1st Division Squadron for the Brazilian Navy and who will serve as UNITAS Commander Task Group 138.20, “New threats to the seas have demanded a renewed effort of cooperation among our navies.”

Prior to the start of UNITAS LXIII, participating nations had the opportunity to participate in cultural exchanges, sporting events and community relations projects as part of the host country’s bicentennial events, including the Bicentennial Naval Parade of Ships, which took place Sept. 7 along the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
Following the opening ceremony, the ships will head to sea to conduct combined and joint operations as a multinational task force, executing event-driven scenarios that will maximize opportunities to enhance collaboration and improve interoperability.

“I would like to express my pride in being part of this team and express my appreciation for all those present,” said Cardoso. “I invite everyone to take advantage of this opportunity, sometimes only once in a lifetime, to make friends, learn, and reinforce the ties that exist between us and our navies.”

UNITAS develops and sustains relationships that improve the capacity of our reemerging and enduring maritime partners to achieve common objectives. Additionally, the military-to-military exchanges foster friendly, mutual cooperation and understanding between participating navies and marine corps.

A significant focus of UNITAS LXIII is the cooperation and integration of the multinational navy forces with marine corps and naval infantries. The maritime domain includes the littorals that incorporates the ocean and the area inland from the shore which can be supported and defended directly from the sea.

U.S. forces participating in UNITAS LXIII include USS Lassen (DDG 82), USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), USS Albany (SSN 753), Commander, Amphibious Squadron Eight (COMPHIBRON 8), Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 (HSC 22), Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 70 Detachment 2 (HSM 70 Det 2), Patrol Squadron Sixteen (VP-16), Special Boat Team 22 (SBT 22), Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) Det 2, Seal Platoon from Seal Team 8, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two (EODMU-2), Beachmaster Unit Two (BMU-2), USCG Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team (PAC AREA TACLET), Commander, Destroyer Squadron 40, (COMDESRON 40), Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 8, 25th Marine Regiment, 3d Battalion 25th Marine Regiment, 3d Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Company (4th LAR), 4th Combat Engineer Battalion (4th CEB), 6th Engineer Support Battalion (6th ESB), 4th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), 4th Civil Affairs Group (4th CAG), Marine Aircraft Group 49 (MAG-49), U.S Marine Corps Forces South (MARFORSOUTH), and USNAVSO/FOURTHFLT.

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.

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South is the Marine Corps component to U.S. Southern Command, is responsible for planning exercises, operation, and overall Marine Corps support for the SOUTHCOM assigned area of responsibility.

Source: United States Navy

“Congratulations to the 2022 National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award winners,” said EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management, Dr. Carlton Waterhouse, in an official EPA press release announcing the winners. “These awards highlight the hard work and tremendous partnerships needed to address contaminated federal facilities, and implement locally driven reuse strategies to safeguard communities and protect the environment.”

Furthermore, these awards are given to project teams including: federal agency project managers; developers; reuse authorities; or state, tribal, and local partners who demonstrated excellence in working cooperatively with the EPA to ensure the reuse of a site complements the type of cleanup actions taken. Awardees demonstrate excellence in working cooperatively and forming partnerships; complementing redevelopment design with the selected remedy; innovating beneficial use outcomes; considering the impacts on and inputs from the local community, especially communities disproportionately impacted by environmental contamination; and creating jobs, fostering economic development, or recreational opportunities.

NAVFAC Environmental Restoration Division Director Robert Sadorra was on hand at the ceremony to accept the award and provide brief remarks.

“The Navy and NAVFAC are greatly honored that the EPA selected Naval Industrial Reserve Ordnance Plant, formerly located right here on this site, as a recipient of this award,” Sadorra said. “The transformation of this property into Northern Stacks Industrial Park over the last 10 years is truly amazing!”

Sadorra added that NAVFAC is grateful for the partnerships with the EPA, MPCA, BAE Systems, and local Minnesota businesses, which enabled them to manage risks and find an effective solution to protect human health and the environment, and also supported bringing social and economic benefit to the community.

“Let us also applaud Hyde Development … the product of their work, efforts, and excellent partnerships – the Northern Stacks Industrial Park – is certainly an outstanding model for all former industrial sites to follow,” he said.

Also in attendance at the awards ceremony was Fridley Mayor Scott Lund, who said the City of Fridley is proud to be a part of this major environmental cleanup and redevelopment endeavor.

“This multi-year project delivered on job retention, job creation, environmental cleanup and new investment in the community,” he said. “The cooperation amongst federal, state, and local officials including their respective agencies, was like no project we have seen in our community!”

NAVFAC MIDLANT provides facilities engineering, public works and environmental products and services across an area of responsibility that spans from South Carolina to Maine, as far west as Michigan, and down to Indiana. As an integral member of the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic team, NAVFAC MIDLANT provides leadership through the Regional Engineer organization to ensure the region’s facilities and infrastructure are managed efficiently and effectively.

For additional information about NAVFAC MIDLANT on social media, follow our activities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/navfacmidatlantic and on Instagram @navfacmidatlantic.

Source: United States Navy

Forrest Sherman has been conducting operations throughout the Mediterranean Sea, operating continuously with the Barbaros-class frigate TCG Kemalreis (F-247) of the Turkish Navy. The two ships also conducted a replenishment-at-sea with the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha (T-AO-196) to provide fuel and stores to the warships on September 7.

The port visit to Aksaz will include the planning conference for Exercise Dynamic Mariner-Mavi Balina 2022 (DYMR/MB22). The exercise is the Maritime Force Integration Live Exercise (LIVEX) which forms part of the certification process for the NATO Response Force 2023 (NRF23). The exercise will take place in Turkish territorial waters and international waters in the Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea from September 11-22, 2022.

“Our real world operations and exercises as Allies lead to robust interoperability and interchangeability and therefore enhances our integrated naval warfighting capability as an Alliance,” said Rear Adm. Scott Sciretta, Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2). “Demonstrating our capabilities during exercises such as Dynamic Mariner ensures NATO remains fully prepared to undertake any mission required to provide the collective defense for which the Alliance is solely designed.”

The aim of Dynamic Mariner is to focus on the maritime expeditionary nature of the NATO Response Force deployment in a littoral environment, as well as to evaluate and improve interoperability and integrate tactical maritime operations at the Task Force level. The exercise incudes 50 surface units, 5 submarines, 5 air assets, 1,500 marines, and personnel from 12 NATO nations – Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Türkiye, and the United States.

“Dynamic Mariner is another opportunity to work with our NATO Allies and Partners towards a common goal. Focusing on maritime expeditionary operations, enhancing joint collaboration, and improving interoperability increases the strength of the Alliance,” said Cmdr. Lawrence Heyworth IV, commanding officer of Forrest Sherman.

In addition to the final preparations for the exercises, Sailors will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of tours including a boat trip to islands around Marmaris or enjoy the unique experience of a Turkish bath.

USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) is the flagship for Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2), a multinational integrated task group that projects a constant and visible reminder of the Alliance’s solidarity and cohesion afloat and provides the Alliance with a continuous maritime capability to perform a wide range of tasks, including exercises and real-world operations in periods of crisis and conflict.