Month: June 2023

Source: United States Navy

Navy corpsman have been the recipients of 22 Medals of Honor, 199 Navy Crosses and 984 Silver Stars.
“To be a corpsman, embodies personal sacrifice,” said HM3 Raymond Rodriguez, from Rocky Ford, Colorado, assigned to Ford’s medical department. “No other rate has more Medal of Honor recipients than the corpsman rate, which to me explains that we give our everything for our patients, no matter what.”
The rich and highly decorated history of the corpsman rate breeds a community of excellence, demonstrating why they joined their field: to help others in need.
“What I love about the corpsman rate is the rich heritage that we have and that we share with one another and the ability to constantly be in service to our brothers and sisters in the Navy,” said HM1 Devin Tanner, from Tucson, Arizona, assigned to Ford’s medical department.
Since the establishment of the rate, corpsman have been there to keep the Navy’s Sailors and Marines in the fight. From annual check-ups to emergencies, corpsmen are there for service members.
“I have a very direct impact on our fleet’s readiness as well as our fleet’s health,” said HM3 Rodriguez. “Everything I do correlates with providers and doctors, getting results back, as well as keeping us healthy and happy.”
Without the knowledge and dedication the Navy’s corpsmen provide to the fleet, no mission would be able to be completed without them.
“For me, being a corpsman means being passionate about what you do,” said HM3 Sarah Chinquee, from Brownsville, New Jersey, assigned to Ford’s medical department. “When you’re passionate about what you do, you put the time, effort and critical thinking into your job. I can confidently say all the corpsmen here are very passionate about their jobs.”
The hospital corpsman rate focuses on the most important aspect of the Navy: the Sailors.
“We’re here for you. While we have worth, we are not more worthy than any other rate. But the value that we bring to the Navy team is vital,” said Tanner. “Day or night, around the world there is always a corpsman there, to respond to our brothers and sisters in need.”
‘I solemnly pledge myself before God and these witnesses to practice faithfully all of my duties as a member of the Hospital Corps,’ – The Hospital Corpsman Pledge.
The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) is conducting a scheduled deployment in the Atlantic Ocean in support of interoperability and maritime security. The GRFCSG provides an inherently flexible naval force capable of deploying across combatant commands to meet emerging missions, deter potential adversaries, reassure allies and partners, enhance security and guarantee the free flow of global commerce. In total, the GRFCSG is deployed with more than 6,000 Sailors across all platforms ready to respond globally to combatant commander tasking.
Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier. As the first-in-class ship of Ford-class aircraft carriers, CVN 78 represents a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. Ford-class aircraft carriers introduce 23 new technologies, including Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System, Advanced Arresting Gear and Advanced Weapons Elevators. The new systems incorporated onto Ford-class ships are designed to deliver greater lethality, survivability and joint interoperability with a 20% smaller crew than a Nimitz-class carrier, paving the way forward for naval aviation.
For more information about the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/ and follow along on Facebook: @USSGeraldRFord, Twitter: @Warship_78, DVIDS: www.dvids.net/CVN78 and LinkedIn at USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

Source: United States Navy

Beginning June 12, Navy mission owners will be able to migrate their application workloads from on-premises data centers and other cloud environments into an enterprise Microsoft Azure hosting environment, part of Flank Speed, one of the most advanced zero trust architectures in the Department of Defense (DoD).

Source: United States Navy

Norfolk Naval Shipyard works daily to support the mission of repairing, modernizing, and inactivating our Navy’s warships and training platforms on time, every time, to protect America. It takes dedicated people who invest time and skill into the work they do in order to achieve that goal. From mechanics servicing the vessels to equipment being used, an important need that sometimes goes under the radar is the power that keeps everything moving. Without power, the shipyard cannot meet the Navy’s mission. Moreover, ensuring power requires teams in place to respond, no matter the circumstances.

Source: United States Navy

The Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office recently delivered the first Aircrew Procedures Trainer (APT) device to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125 at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan.

This delivery is the first pilot trainer that will be embedded with a forward deployed unit within the VAW community, completing the Navy’s planned platform training system deliveries for deployed aircrew.
“The delivery of this training device to VAW-125 will revolutionize the way Navy forward-deployed forces train and enable them to win the high-end fight,” said Capt. Kevin McGee, program manager. “The team put in significant effort to deliver this capability and ensure our forward-deployed forces are well equipped to maintain and improve their skills, even when deployed.”

The APT device provides deployed pilots realistic, high-fidelity simulator training in basic flight operations, navigation, emergency procedures, crew resource management, tactics, instrument procedures, carrier familiarization and other capabilities. Training time in the simulator minimizes risk by providing a safe environment in which pilots can both practice for muscle memory and learn new skills that can be applied in an operational environment.

The program office originally procured a trainer for Norfolk, Virginia. One month after the contract award, Airborne Command and Control and Logistics Wing signed and approved a requirement for a new device to be delivered to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. Recognizing the urgent need, the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division team, along with industry partners, developed a creative solution to quickly meet both this new requirement and the current needs of the Fleet. Within two months of the announcement, the program office E-2 training systems team negotiated the new delivery location.    

“As with many contracting actions, there were complications and challenges that had to be overcome for this device to be delivered, but with strong partnerships among all stakeholders this new high-fidelity trainer will help maintain the highest standards of readiness to meet Carrier Air Wing goals,” said Dave Adams, the program office E-2 training systems team lead.
From the Naval Aviation Training Systems and Ranges Program Office. 

Source: United States Navy

The commander for Combined Maritime Forces’ counter-piracy task force visited Japanese self-defense force units during a two-day trip to Djibouti, June 14-15.

Republic of Korea Navy Rear Adm. Ko Seung-bum, commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, visited Japanese destroyer JS Makinami (DD 112) while the ship was moored in the African nation, which sits on the Horn of Africa along the Gulf of Aden.

“I express my warmest thanks to Japan for their continued support in our counter-piracy operations,” said Ko. “It is clear that the close working relationship Korea and Japan have in the Far East makes us stronger in deterring piracy in the Middle East.”

Ko met the commander of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s 7th Escort Division as well as Makinami’s commanding officer. He also held discussions with leaders from Japan’s Deployment Air Force for Counter-Piracy Enforcement and Deployment Support Group for Counter-Piracy Enforcement units.

“We will continue to demonstrate cooperation, leadership and a cohesive approach to counter-piracy activities throughout the Combined Maritime Forces area of operations,” said Ko.

He previously met Japanese counterparts aboard Makinami in February when the ship was moored in Bahrain. Makinami is forward-deployed to the Middle East supporting regional counter-piracy patrols under CTF 151.

Established in 2009, CTF 151 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, which includes 38 nations. CTF 151 conducts maritime security operations to deter, disrupt and suppress piracy and armed robbery at sea, outside the Horn of Africa.

CTF 151 is headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces.