Month: June 2023

Source: United States Navy

The future USS Lafayette will honor Marquis de Lafayette and his service during the American Revolutionary War. 

A member of the French nobility, the young Lafayette took a fervent interest in the cause of the American revolutionaries, and in December 1776, was contracted into service as a major general in the Continental Army. In 1779, he returned briefly to France, where he successfully advocated for military aid for the Americans. He was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine, where British soldiers shot him in the leg. After his recovery, Lafayette joined Gen. George Washington as a member of his personal staff, forming a bond that has been characterized as the one shared between a father and his son.

“Their shared ideals—that all people deserve liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as well as an unflinching commitment to democratic governance—are the foundation upon which the relationship between France and the United States of America continue to build upon today,” said Secretary Del Toro during remarks at the naming ceremony in Paris. “Just think, were it not for the Marquis de Lafayette’s willingness—along with that of tens of thousands of his compatriots—to fight alongside our Continental Army and Navy during our Revolutionary War centuries ago, we might not be here together this evening.”

 

In 2002, Congress posthumously made Lafayette an honorary U.S. citizen.  

Three previous Navy vessels have been named in honor of Lafayette: a sidewheel ironclad ram, a transport ship (AP 53), and a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN 616).

USS Lafayette, the fourth of our new Constellation-class frigates, is scheduled to commission in 2029. The other ships in the class are USS Constellation (FFG 62), USS Congress (FFG 63), and USS Chesapeake (FFG 64).

USS Lafayette and her sister ships bring with them increased lethality, survivability, and the capabilities that our Joint Force requires to conduct operations around the world with our partners and allies.

“Just as her namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette did almost 250 years ago, USS Lafayette and her crew will stand ready to answer our Nation’s call to defend our shared principles around the world, ensuring that our global maritime commons remain free and open for all who wish to use them for lawful activities,” said Secretary Del Toro.

 

U.S. Ambassador to France Denise Bauer said, “The vital American-French alliance owes much to our historic naval partnership and to the early leadership of the Marquis de Lafayette, and so it is entirely fitting that the United States Navy will name a vessel in honor of this legendary hero.” 

 

The Constellation-class guided-missile frigate represents the Navy’s next generation small surface combatant. This ship class will be an agile, multi-mission warship, capable of operations in both blue-water and littoral environments, providing increased combat-credible forward presence that provides a military advantage at sea.

The Constellation-class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.

Specifically, the class includes an enterprise air surveillance radar, Baseline Ten Aegis combat system, a Mk 41 vertical launch system, communications systems, Mk 57 gun weapon system countermeasures, and added capability in electronic warfare and information operations with design flexibility for future growth. 

A ship naming celebration will also take place at George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia on July 3, 2023.   

Find more information on Constellation-class guided-missile frigates here.

Source: United States Navy

The Navy created the CWT rating to meet the requirements of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signed Dec. 23, 2022, which directed the Navy to establish a cyber warfare rating for enlisted personnel separate from the cryptologic technician enlisted rating.
 
The CWT rating will initially absorb the Cryptologic Technician-Networks rating in its entirety, and all CTN billets and personnel have been changed to CWT effective June 28, 2023.
 
Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander of Naval Information Forces and the Navy’s Information Boss, explained how the Navy developed its plan to establish the CWT rating.
 
“We developed the CWT rating closely with our leaders in the CTN rating, thoroughly reviewing billet requirements of Sailors assigned to the Cyber Mission Force (CMF), while determining what was required to fulfill the requirements under the NDAA,” said Aeschbach.  “Our analysis showed the CTN rating had long-standing, validated billets and Navy Enlisted Classification codes (NECs) already linked to critical cyber work roles across Fleet, CMF, and national requirements; – in fact, 93 percent of all work conducted by the CTN rating is primarily classified as cyber.  This rating more accurately describes the predominance of cyber work our CTN Sailors are already performing.”
 
NAVIFOR Force Master Chief Laura Nunley emphasized no CTN Sailor’s career will be negatively impacted by the establishment of the CWT rating.
 
“During the process of establishing the CWT rating, we have been committed to a ‘do no harm’ approach to CTN Sailors,” noted Nunley.  “No Sailor’s advancement opportunity or Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) will be affected by this rating establishment.  All rating specific incentive pays currently entitled to CTN Sailors will be awarded to CWT Sailors.”
 
Nunley also explained how CTN Sailors’ inputs shaped the new rating.
 
“We know our CTN Sailors are vested in their cryptologic history, so we ensured we embraced them through this rating establishment process, including the design of the CWT rating badge,” said Nunley.  “We invited all CTN Sailors to submit their original patch designs to our CTN enlisted leaders, and we assembled a team to evaluate these proposals and select a winning design.
 
 “I’m proud to recognize CTN2 Kennedy Bullard, assigned to the 552 Cyber Protection Team (CPT), Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command in Suffolk, Va., whose design will be worn by the more than 2,200 CWT Sailors!”
 
Establishing the CWT rating ensures the Navy matches specialized skill sets to the competition it faces in the cyberspace domain.  CWTs will apply their specialized skill sets to competition the Navy faces in the cyberspace domain, employing tactical and strategic capabilities to plan, develop, and execute offensive and defensive Cyberspace Operations; and performing threat analysis, digital forensics, network exploitation, research and development, and mission planning.
 
“CTN Sailors have been absolutely critical to addressing threats in cyberspace – ensuring our Navy and joint force stay in competition,” said Aeschbach.  “We’re committed to training, recruiting and retaining talented Cyber Warfare Technicians to pace this competition, and to prevail in conflict if they are ever called to do so.”
 
NAVIFOR’s mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN.
 
For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at Https://Www.Facebook.Com/NavalInformationForces/ or the public web page at Https://Www.Navifor.Usff.Navy.Mil. 

Source: United States Navy

Accepting delivery of DDG 125 represents the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy. Prior to delivery, the ship conducted a series of at-sea and pier-side trials to demonstrate its material and operational readiness.

DDG 125 is named for Pfc. Jack Lucas, who served in the U.S. Marines during World War II, earning the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Iwo Jima, when he was just 17 years old. He is the youngest Marine, and the youngest serviceman in World War II, to be awarded the United States’ highest military decoration for valor. In 1961, he returned to military service; as a Captain in the U.S. Army, Lucas trained younger troops headed for Vietnam.

“Delivery of the future USS Jack H. Lucas is an historic occasion. As the Navy’s first Flight III destroyer, DDG 125 brings the most advanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability to the fleet,” said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “I am tremendously proud of the entire Navy and industry team for delivering this ship.  The AEGIS Shipbuilding program has demonstrated yet again that it remains a world class organization and carries on the legacy of Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer that was established over fifty years ago.  Build a little, test a little and learn a lot.  Job well done!”

The Flight III upgrade is centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity.

Ingalls’ Shipbuilding division is currently in production on future destroyers Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131) and Sam Nunn (DDG 133).

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, and boats and craft.

Source: United States Navy

Entomological support typically includes the study of insects and bugs commonly found in a particular region in order to prevent the spread of insect-borne disease.

McGlynn provided entomological expertise in support of multiple studies during this time including: a project in Mongolia surveying for difficult to find mosquitoes that transmit malaria, examining new pesticides to treat service member uniforms, surveillance of melioidosis, a disease caused by a bacteria that can cause severe pneumonia in humans in Australia and insecticide resistance studies in Vietnam.

NAMRU-2 was established during World War II in Guam to conduct applied research in support of force health protection and has operated intermittently since 1955. Currently, NAMRU-2 is located in Singapore and acts as the center of a hub-and-spoke research model in multiple southeastern Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Laos.

In Malaysian Borneo, the particular species of parasite that can cause malaria through mosquito transmission is becoming an emerging public health threat. Typical malaria transmission is from one infected human to another human through the bite of a mosquito, but this species of parasite is transmitted by mosquito between non-human primates in heavily forested areas. Urbanization, climate change, and farming practices that encroach upon natural jungle habitats provide increased opportunities for this species of parasite to be transmitted from monkeys to humans via mosquito.

To better understand the threat of malaria transmission in the region from this particular parasite, McGlynn worked with the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) to coordinate the training of 29 officers and noncommissioned officers in entomological surveillance techniques and identification of malaria parasites in human blood. These military personnel will now be able to train their respective units within the MAF to increase their army’s capacity to survey for insect-borne diseases such as malaria.

“This was an incredible experience for me, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity,” said McGlynn. “The leadership and personnel at NAMRU-2 were fantastic to work with, conducting cutting edge research in support of the warfighter.”

Lt. McGlynn was awarded his first Navy Achievement Medal (NAM) for his efforts and entomological support of this mission.

NECE is the Navy and Marine Corps’ Center of Excellence for operational entomology located at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. NECE’s unique DoD mission is to develop and evaluate novel products, pesticides, and technologies to better protect deployed forces from vectors of disease. NECE also provides operational medical entomology and pest management training to DOD military and civilian personnel and is the program manager for all Navy shipboard pest management. NECE plays a key role in supporting national strategic interests though engagement and exchange with foreign health and military partners.

https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Marine-Corps-Public-Health-Center/Field-Activities/Navy-Entomology-Center-of-Excellence/