Source: United States Navy
CORONADO, Calif. – More than 100 U.S. Navy Reserve sailors from U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) and U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleets executed MAKO SENTRY 23, the third SENTRY exercise to test the warfighting readiness of the Maritime Operational Center (MOC) Reserve Watch standing units, March 30-April 2 at Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific’s facility March 30 through April 2, 2023.
Source: United States Navy
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. – An engineer at Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recently became the depot’s first Fellow in the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Fellows Program, earning distinction as one of the top 0.75% of the command’s scientists and technical professionals.
Source: United States Department of Justice 2
L3 Technologies, Inc., Communication Systems West, a Utah-based manufacturer of communications equipment for military systems, has agreed to pay $21.8 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting and causing the submission of false claims to the Department of Defense by including in contract proposals the cost of certain parts twice, the Department of Justice announced today.
From approximately 2008 to 2011, L3 submitted, and the Department of Defense accepted, dozens of contract proposals for a handheld receiver called the Remote Operations Video Enhanced Receiver (ROVER), and a compact transceiver called the Video Oriented Transceiver for Exchange of Information (VORTEX), which operate together to provide real-time, full-motion video and other crucial data from the battlefield. The contract proposals included the cost of low-cost common-stock items, such as nuts and bolts, twice. As a result, the United States alleged that L3 knowingly double-charged the government for these parts.
“Government contractors must ensure that they provide the goods or services that they promised at the proper price,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to pursue those who knowingly overcharge the American taxpayers.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the integrity of federal procurement contracting,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “We will vigorously pursue federal contractors who fail to comply with the highest standards of accuracy to ensure federal agencies are appropriately charged for goods and services.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, is steadfastly committed to rooting out fraud and ensuring taxpayer dollars are properly utilized,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of DCIS’s Southwest Field Office. “DCIS, the Department of Justice, and our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to ensure individuals and contractors that defraud the government are held accountable for their actions.”
“This settlement further demonstrates the resolve of Army Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners to protect and defend the assets of the United States Army,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott L. Moreland of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Field Office.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah, with assistance from the Department of Defense, Defense Contract Audit Agency, and Defense Contract Management Agency.
This matter was handled by attorneys Paul R. Perkins, Russell B. Kinner, and Allison Cendali of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Steinvoort for the District of Utah.
In conjunction with this resolution, the Justice Department has agreed to settle for $7,982,554 a lawsuit filed by L3 alleging breach of contract claims against the United States. That case, L3 Technologies, Inc., Communications Systems-West Division v. United States, Civil Action No. 17-1304 (Fed. Cl.), alleged that in an effort to prevent L3 from continuing to double-charge for common-stock items, the Department of Defense improperly prohibited L3 from charging certain other costs.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Source: United States Navy
U.S. Navy destroyer, USS Cole (DDG 67), a ship commissioned in 1996 in Fort Lauderdale, was the first to arrive followed by the amphibious dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), expeditionary fast transport USNS Newport (T-EPF-12) and the fast attack submarine USS Indiana (SSN 789) early, Sunday morning, April 23. USCGC William Flores (WPC-1103) will arrive Monday.
Reservations were taken to tour the ships and more than 9,000 slots were filled in advance of the arrival for Monday through Saturday tours.
The Navy Band will perform at more than 15 venues across the city including performing the national anthem for the Florida Panthers playoff game April 23 and the Miami Marlins Friday, April 28.
“We look forward to being in Port Everglades to spend time with the outstanding citizens of South Florida,” said Rear Adm. Tom Williams, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group TWO. “We are proud to be able show the community our ships as well as the outstanding Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Merchant Mariners who make our Naval Service – Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command – the very best in the world.”
In addition to the ships; equipment displays, Marine and Navy recruiting information and Navy environmental programs will be available for visitors to see as they wait for their tours.
More than 100 servicemembers will also endeavor to say “thank you” to the local community through volunteer efforts at various locations across Fort Lauderdale. Sailors and Coast Guardsmen will mentor and visit with students from several area schools, help refurbish areas around the Naval Air History Museum, visit veterans at a senior facility, and support youth fitness at two separate YMCA events.
Monday brings a new event where the ships will host more than 800 JROTC students from Broward County Schools for tours as part of a Fleet Week STEM summit. About 300 JROTC cadets from Miami will visit Tuesday morning as part of the youth VIP tours.
The Sailors will also participate in a series of other events including: an all-hands welcome ceremony involving the mayor; a salute to veterans event and a salute to women in the military; a traditional chili cook-off against local fire and police teams; and a Damage Control Olympics competition which will pit teams of Sailors from each ship and the USCG against each other through a series of challenging events at a damage control trainer.
Arleigh Burke-class Aegis-equipped guided-missile destroyer, USS Cole is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. USS Cole is named in honor of Marine Sgt. Darrell S. Cole, a machine gunner who was killed in action at the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japan, on Feb. 19, 1945, during World War II.
USS New York is the fifth ship in the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, and the sixth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named after the great state of New York. A special tribute to the people that died on 9/11 is the 7 and ½ tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center and cast as USS New York’s bow stem.
USS Indiana was the 16th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine built. Fast-attack submarines like USS Indiana are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence.
USNS Newport is a 338-foot-long aluminum catamaran designed to be fast, flexible and maneuverable, even in austere ports, making it ideal for rapidly transporting troops and equipment within a theater of operations. The ship can be tasked with, anything from carrying containerized portable hospitals to support disaster relief to transporting tanks and troops. The ship is the twelfth Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport and operated by Military Sealift Command
Information on events and activities may be found by visiting https://browardnavydaysinc.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FleetWeekPortEverglades.
Source: United States Navy
Benfold’s visit highlights the strength of the U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance and follows a trilateral exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). Participants included JS Atago (DDG 177) and ROKS Yuk Gok Yi (DDH 992) and focused on Ballistic Missile Defense integration and shipboard maneuvers.
While in Busan, U.S. Navy and ROKN watch standers conducted a post mission conference aboard Benfold to detail lessons learned and identify areas for improving future exercises.
“We leveraged our Busan port visit to explore ways to improve our allied tactics,” explained Lt. Cmdr. JR Dinglasan, combat systems officer for Benfold. “We ultimately discovered a ton of common ground. We are grateful to our ROKN hosts for the opportunity to de-brief such a valuable exercise in person.”
Benfold Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Marcus Seeger, shared similar appreciation. “We are grateful for the warm welcome we received during our stay in Busan. In the wake of our latest trilateral ballistic missile defense exercise, we hope to expand not just our naval training but also our people to people ties.”
The ROK-U.S. alliance, including naval cooperation, is strong and has a long history of deterring aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
Benfold is operating as part of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71, U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. CTF 71 is responsible for the readiness, tactical, and administrative responsibilities for forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, as well as any surface unit conducting independent operations in the region. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.