Source: United States Navy
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada — U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) held a Women, Peace and Security Symposium (WPS), Sept. 18-21, as part of Continuing Promise 2023 on board the USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) and at Grenada’s National Cricket Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada.
Source: United States Navy
ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) held a Women, Peace and Security Symposium (WPS), Sept. 18-21, as part of Continuing Promise 2023 on board the USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) and at Grenada’s National Cricket Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada.
Source: United States Department of Justice News
WASHINGTON – A government contractor is charged by criminal complaint, unsealed today, with espionage. Abraham Teklu Lemma, 50, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Ethiopian descent living in Silver Spring, Maryland, is charged with gathering or delivering national defense information to aid a foreign government; conspiracy to gather or deliver national defense information to aid a foreign government; and having unauthorized possession of national defense information and willfully retaining it.
The charges were announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
Lemma worked as an IT administrator for the Department of State, and as a Management Analyst for the Department of Justice. In those positions, Lemma was granted a TOP SECRET security clearance and granted access to classified systems.
According to the criminal complaint, between December 19, 2022, and August 7, 2023, Lemma copied classified information from Intelligence Reports and deleted the classification markings from them. Lemma then removed the information, which was classified as SECRET and TOP SECRET, from secure facilities at the Department of State against protocol. The materials related to a specific country and/or geographic region. Lemma accessed, copied, removed, and retained this information without authorization.
It is further alleged that Lemma used an encrypted application to transmit classified national defense information to a foreign official associated with the specific country’s intelligence service. In these communications, Lemma expressed an interest and willingness to assist the foreign official in providing information. In one communication, the foreign official stated stated, “[i]t’s time to continue ur support.” Lemma responded, “Roger that!” In another chat, the foreign official praised Lemma’s efforts, stating “[a]lways this beautiful country have [sic] some special people who scarify [sic] their life to protect our proud history. You always remembered. It doesn’t matter the results.”
The two espionage charges carry a potential sentence of death or any term of years up to life, and the retention charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years. A federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Alexandra Hughes for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Matthew McKenzie of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Navy
Months before this recent earthquake, personnel at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota have been planning for Exercise Reliant Rumble 2023 which will take place on Sept. 25, 2023. This annual training exercise simulates a significant earthquake that trigger subsequent issues within the installation.
“Reliant Rumble is an earthquake disaster preparedness exercise used to evaluate Emergency Management’s, Fleet & Family Service’s, and Public Work’s ability to maintain facility/base operations as well as the ability to support families during a natural disaster,” explained Lt. Jeff Gao, training officer for NAVSTA Rota. “It is important because this drill will validate contingency measures that are in place in the event such a natural disaster was to occur.”
NAVSTA Rota maintains a robust training schedule to incorporate many different type of training scenarios to ensure that personnel are prepared for a variety of threats – both natural and man-made. By testing and evaluating different processes and systems throughout the installation, leadership can effectively plan and prepare.
Exercise Reliant Rumble will test the installation’s ability to respond to natural disaster by setting up an evacuation site, maintaining operations during power outage, and structural safety checks. Throughout the exercise, installation personnel will review current procedures, find potential issues or challenges, and talk through solutions. This ensures that when a real disaster occurs, personnel know how to best respond to protect personnel and the installation.
Installation personnel work to protect the base and its personnel and assets. But on a micro-level, what can you do to protect you and your family? According to the Ready.gov website, here are a few tips to prepare for the disaster:
• Create an emergency kit. Your emergency kit should contain food for three days including one gallon of water per person per day. Other items to include are flashlight, fire extinguisher, medicine, personal hygiene items, and pet food.
• Protect your home. This tip is earthquake-centric but one of the easiest preventative measures you can take now is to prepare your home for a possible earthquake. Anchor heavy furniture and televisions to the walls, place breakables on lower shelves, and look into home structural issues now instead of later.
• Create a plan. Creating an emergency plan is important – especially with children – to help reduce fear and ease anxiety. Discuss how you can react to different natural disasters and what that looks like if they are in bed, playing outside, or at school. Create a communication plan on how you would reach each other – either via phone or a set meeting location – after a natural disaster.
While the recent earthquake in Morocco highlights that it’s impossible to plan for a natural disaster, NAVSTA Rota leadership and you can prepare for potential disasters.
Source: United States Navy
YOKOSUKA, Japan – The unmanned surface vessels (USVs) Ranger and Mariner from Unmanned Surface Vessel Division ONE (USVDIV-1) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on September 18 as part of a scheduled port visit during Integrated Battle Problem (IBP) 23.2.