Month: October 2023

Source: United States Navy

The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) and Sonwonil-class diesel-electric submarine ROKS Jung Ji (SS 073), along with maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from the “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 and ROK Navy squadron 611, participated in the exercise to increase interoperability between the navies in the undersea domain and to provide opportunities to enhance the use of submarine tracking and engagement as a tool to maintain stability throughout the Western Pacific region.

“We significantly increased our ability to carry out joint operations for TASW through fierce, realistic training,” said Cmdr. Kim Il-bae, commanding officer, ROKS Jung Ji. “We will deter enemy aggression and are ready to firmly defend our seas.”

The exercise reflects the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and complements the many exercises, training, operations and other military cooperation activities conducted by U.S. submarine forces with the Republic of Korea navy.

“These combined training events maintain our readiness at a high level,” said Cmdr. James Fulks, commanding officer, USS Topeka. “Our increasing interoperability with ROK submarines promotes democracy and provides security for the region.”

Jung Ji also executed several scheduled port visits at U.S. Naval Base Guam, where the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) served as the host vessel.

During the in-port periods, the ROK submarine’s leadership spoke with various area commanders including Capt. Carl Trask, commander, Submarine Squadron 15, and Capt. Brent Spillner, commanding officer of the Emory S. Land-class submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39). Additionally, Jung Ji’s crew practiced seamanship and tactical maneuvers in the submarine trainer at Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific Detachment Guam, hosted tours of their vessel, toured Annapolis, and explored the local area.

Silent Shark has been conducted biennially since 2007. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S-ROK alliance.

Commander, Submarine Group 7 directs forward-deployed, combat-capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare throughout the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

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.
 

Source: United States Navy

A formal invitation was sent and subsequently accepted for a team of U.S. Navy Culinary Specialists to train with, and compete alongside, the Royal Navy Culinary Arts Team at Exercise Joint Caterer 2023 (EJC 23), a cross-service competition between the U.K.’s Royal Navy (RN), British Army and Royal Air Force (RAF).

The U.S. Navy chefs were selected to showcase all aspects of Navy Food Service and has members from across the Navy to include afloat units, ashore galley programs, Presidential service and the Pentagon. The Navy team landed in London and settled in at Worthy Down Camp, Food Service Training Wing, in Winchester, U.K., hosted by Warrant Officer 1 Sam Hogg.

The visit provides an opportunity for the U.S. Navy CSs to work alongside Royal Navy Catering Services and participate in a series of bilateral skills workshops and training at the RN Embassy (Admiralty House), the Food Services Training Wing, and the two-week EJC 23 workshop at HMS Raleigh. The whole event culminating in competing together at the UK Armed Forces’ most prestigious and fiercely contested culinary competition.

The U.S. competitors are Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Haiwen Wu, pre-commissioning unit John F. Kennedy (CVN 79); Culinary Specialist 2nd Class (CS2) Gabriel Hernandez-Chavarria, Presidential Sous-Chef at Camp David, Maryland ; CS2 Brittiny Boatman, Galley Watch Captain at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California ; CS2 Jamesha Richardson Galley Watch Captain at Naval Base Kitsap, Washington; Culinary Specialist 1st Class Luis Sanchez, Leading Petty Officer at the Secretary of Defense Mess, Pentagon, Virginia; Chief Culinary Specialist Melody White, Guest Operations Chief at Camp David, Maryland; and Senior Chief Culinary Specialist (CSCS) Michael Edwards, Enlisted Aide to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pentagon, Virginia.

“When I found out I was selected for the team I was extremely happy,” shared CS2 Hernandez-Chavarria. “Experiences like these are not easy to get, they help the Navy because we can come back and share techniques with the other chefs who haven’t had the opportunity yet.”

CSCS Nicholas Zaricor, Enlisted Aide to Commander, Navy Region South-West; and Chef Scott Cooper, Regional Training Chef for Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic; accompanied the competitors to coach and mentor them through the whirlwind process.

The first week at the Food Service Training Wing allowed the chefs to acclimate to the environment, to include the climate, time difference, ingredients, and equipment in the U.K. Throughout the week, the chefs prepared for the competition, working through ideas and techniques, with their U.K. sponsor Chef Instructors including a morning spent with a class on artisan bread making by U.K. Chef Instructor Steve Moss, and practicing and refining various plating methods in preparation for joining the 30 U.K. Chef competitors at HMS Raleigh.

“My leadership has been the key to being chosen for this (and others) competition,” said CS2 Boatman. “They’re the ones who gave me the opportunities to compete.”

Since moving four hours west to HMS Raleigh, chefs from both nations spent a day breathing life back into the former Food Service training facility which had been closed for more than a year since the training had been moved to Worthy Down Camp. All hands turned to the task together, cleaning the five kitchens to be used, stocking them with the stores that will end up as ingredients for dishes the chefs will be creating and practicing for the actual competition later this month, 30 October through 1 November.

“To be successful, we all need to work together as a team and support each other. You’ll need to be creative, innovative and resourceful. You’ll need to push yourselves to your limits and accept that things won’t always go to plan and when they don’t, you’ll need top pick yourself up and carry on,” said Warrant Officer 1 Carl Neville, the Royal Navy Culinary Arts Team director. “As Royal Navy Catering Services, I know you’ll do that, you are capable of extraordinary things.”

Source: United States Navy

“On a personal level, competitions teach Navy chefs how to perform under pressure,” shared Culinary Specialist 1st Class (CS1) Luis Sanchez. “You learn organization, planning skills, menu development and how to perform live, all of which will help a chef as they progress through their career.”

According to the competition rules, the Project Leader may allow the armed forces of other nations to compete as well. This year’s Project Leader, Royal Navy (RN) Warrant Officer 1 Carl Neville reached out to the Naval Supply Systems Command Food Service, subsequently, a formal invitation was sent and accepted for a team of U.S. Navy Culinary Specialists (CSs) to train with, and compete alongside, the Royal Navy Culinary Arts Team at EJC 23.

The visit provides an opportunity for the CSs to work alongside RN Catering Services and participate in a series of bilateral skills workshops and training at the RN Embassy (Admiralty House), the Food Services Training Wing, and the two-week EJC 23 workshop at HMS Raleigh, a RN training command in Torpoint U.K. The program culminates in competing along with their U.K. counterparts at the armed forces’ most prestigious, and fiercely contested culinary competition.

“We have chefs here who have competed at Exercise Joint Caterer for years and chefs who have competed at the Culinary World Cup and Culinary Olympics with the Combined Services Culinary Arts Team,” said Royal Navy Culinary Arts Team (RNCAT) Captain, Chief Petty Officer Scott Furber. “Just putting your names forward shows me and my mentors that you are willing to show the other services what the Royal Navy has to offer in terms of Catering Services and Defence Engagement.”

The seven US competitors were selected to try to showcase all aspects of Navy Food Service. There are members from all across the Navy to include afloat units, ashore galley programs, Presidential service and the Pentagon. The goal is to create a program of jointness with the UK and lead to long term sustainable training opportunities that will turn those who participate into the next generation of ambassadors for the Culinary Specialist rating. This was intended to not leave any groups out, so that every CS in every field could see this and think, this could be them.

“I feel lucky and motivated, it’s an honor to be chosen for these big things, especially being so junior,” confessed Culinary Specialist 3rd (CS3) Class Haiwen Wu. “I’ll try my best to represent the Navy and stay humble and learn.”

The last time a foreign military participated in EJC was in 2017, which was the U.S. Navy. This year, with guidance from the seasoned mentors of the RNCAT, the Navy CSs will be participating in the following events:

Open Show Platter
Prepare and present a cold show platter using meat, poultry, game or fish for six persons on the platter. Two portions are to be served to show portion size and balance which one will be tasted by the judges and the other for display. The platter should consist of three main items with one garnish for each item. The platter should be served with two sauces or chutneys on the side and a salad. A suitable glaze may be used to enhance overall presentation.

Open Restaurant Plates Vegan Starter
Prepare and present four plates: two plates with two varieties of starters suitable for a vegan diet. One variety intended hot but served cold and another variety intended cold and served cold. A suitable vegan setting gel can be used to enhance presentation. Judges will taste one plate of each variety.

Open Restaurant Plates Main Course
Prepare and present four plates: two plates with two varieties of main course. Both varieties intended hot but served cold. A suitable setting gel can be used for enhanced presentation. Judges will taste one plate of each variety.

Open Dessert Plates
Prepare and present four plates: two plates with two varieties of dessert. One variety intended hot but served cold and another variety intended cold and served cold. A suitable vegan setting gel can be used to enhance presentation. Judges will taste one plate of each variety.

A full descriptive menu is to be provided next to the entry along with a list of allergens present in each dish.

Open Show Platter will be Senior Chief Culinary Specialist (CSCS) Michael Edwards.

Open Restaurant Plates Vegan Starter will be CS3 Wu.

Open Restaurant Plates Main Course will be and CSCS Edwards.

Culinary Specialist 2nd Class (CS2) Brittiny Boatman, CS2 Jamesha Richardson.

Open Dessert Plates will be CS2 Gabriel Hernandez-Chavarria, CS1 Sanchez and Chief Culinary Specialist Melody White.

EJC is taking place alongside the Public Sector Catering Expo being held at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire. The competition attracts hundreds of chefs from across the forces, many of whom will be supporting their colleagues. EJC is renowned in the industry for generating a vibrant and exciting energy that will inspire visitors and exhibitors alike.

“Competitions give exposure to the world, and to the rest of the Royal Navy, that Catering Services are more than ‘slop-jockeys,’” explained Leading Catering Services Mattie Tew. “CSs preside over diplomatic meals, where the affairs of state are settled, the superior food we provide becomes the common ground.”

Source: United States Navy

Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) has hired its first permanent employees from the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge Program. SkillBridge matches military members with industry partners to gain valuable training and work experience during their last 180 days of active duty service, to ease their transition into the civilian workforce.

FRCE recently became a SkillBridge industry partner, with its first three-person class beginning training in March. Joseph Cooper, a former petty officer second class with the U.S. Coast Guard, was the first to begin work when he was hired as an aircraft worker on FRCE’s C-130 program. The other two members of that first cohort, human resources assistant Melanie Cooper, and logistics management specialist Mike Carmer, started work at the end of September.

SkillBridge provides service members the chance to gain civilian training and work experience while they are still in the military. Meanwhile, the industry partners benefit from the chance to evaluate the service member’s work performance and employment potential while they are still receiving their military pay and benefits.

“SkillBridge gives employers the opportunity to work with military veterans who bring a higher level of maturity and character to the workplace, as well as the service member’s real-world experience,” said Chris Clower, FRCE SkillBridge program coordinator. “For an employer like FRC East, where about 60 percent of the workforce have served in the military, the qualities that make service members effective in their jobs make them valuable civilian employees as well.” 

SkillBridge interns at FRCE go through initial new employee training and safety classes. They receive training in resume writing, interview techniques and job-search strategies. Service members said these classes help them translate their military experience into terms that are relatable to the civilian workplace.

“They teach us to take our military training and experience and express the value to the civilian employer,” said Sgt. Darehle Perry, a Marine who is currently attending SkillBridge training at FRCE. “I can tell a supervisor how I solved this problem, or learned how to lead my subordinates effectively. I gained a lot of valuable skills in the military, and I need to be proud of that and communicate those skills to a potential employer.” 

After their initial training, SkillBridge interns are prepared to perform a specific federal job. They receive on-the-job training with a supervisor and work with a mentor to hone their skills. After that, they have the opportunity to work in various jobs based on their job skills and interests.

Cooper’s Coast Guard experience was in avionics and electronics, but he learned to work as a sheet metal mechanic at FRCE. He said he learned a great deal from his mentors in the production shop.

“I thought I knew how to drill a hole before I got here,” he said. “It’s more complicated than I thought. There’s a reason the mechanics are called artisans, because they are very meticulous and precise.”

In addition to providing job-related experience, the SkillBridge program also helps service members navigate the administrative details that come with transitioning to post-military life. Clower said creating a clear plan can help alleviate some of the stress service members may feel about leaving the military.

“You’re leaving the service on Friday, and everybody tells you you’re prepared, but you’re really not,” said Clower. “On Monday morning, reality sets in and you look in the mirror and you realize that this is real. This is the next chapter of my life.”

According to Clower, the goal for the SkillBridge program at FRCE is to continue to bring service members in as they near the last 180 days of their military service, providing them with training, job skills and, in the best cases, job offers. Cooper said his SkillBridge participation has made his transition from the Coast Guard to civilian life much less stressful.

“I learned so much about myself, what I want to do, and where my strengths and weaknesses are,” said Cooper. “Now I can say I have a job, and I don’t have to worry about leaving the military and not having a plan for my future.”

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while serving as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.

Source: United States Navy

Whether it is due to its all-weather versatility and reliability, or its run with the renowned flight demonstration team, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the F/A-18 Hornet has been a combat-proven platform for the Navy and Marine Corps for many years.

It’s a historic aircraft with an extensive past – one that would certainly not be as long or successful without a service life extension process called Center Barrel Replacement (CBR) – a complex and lengthy repair developed in 1991 by Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) and conducted exclusively by artisans at FRCSW and Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE). 

In fact, FRCSE and FRCSW both recently completed their last legacy F/A-18 CBR.

“Congratulations to the entire team of personnel that not only completed this final Center Barrel Replacement, but have also been the lifeblood of the CBR program here at FRC Southeast,” said FRCSE’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Al Palmer. “We conduct many difficult repairs, but CBRs demand a level of artisan skill that reminds us of how talented our workforce is here at FRC Southeast.”

The Legacy Hornet originally soared into the Navy and Marine Corps arsenal in the 1980s with an expected service life of 6,000 flight hours. Like most things, an aircraft is only as strong as its parts, and after years of hard landings aboard aircraft carriers at sea, it was discovered that the aircraft’s fuselage section or center barrel, was particularly susceptible to damage. 

“Thousands of rough landings at sea and G-forces create an incredible amount of stress on an aircraft in general, but the center barrel on a Hornet has several key attach points that are particularly vulnerable to stress,” said Rebecca Ferguson, FRCSE’s F/A-18 Legacy Hornet production lead. “The landing gear and wings connect to the fuselage at the center barrel. Replacing this structural piece helps ensure the aircraft remains airworthy.” 

To prolong the aircraft’s life, highly skilled and talented artisans conduct a CBR by situating the jet on a sturdy support frame, or center barrel fixture, splitting it in half and laboring thousands of hours drilling thousands of fasteners to free the fatigued component. 

Once removed, artisans carefully drop in a new center barrel, which Northrup Grumman manufactures in the form of a kit, and then FRCSE’s skilled artisans go through the entire drilling and riveting process again, ensuring every hole is methodically bored one size up to accommodate a larger fastener – approximately 20,000 fasteners first drilled out, then drilled in. 

Depending on its condition and other planned depot maintenance evolutions, such as a High Flight Hour (HFH) inspection and Planned Maintenance Interval (PMI), a CBR can take up to three years to complete, costing the Navy approximately $3 million per aircraft. While it may sound expensive, this repair is a fraction of the cost of a new aircraft. 

“The repair is extensive and usually accompanied by other depot HFH and PMI evolutions,” said Ferguson. “The nature of the repair requires artisans to spend years with these aircraft, which doesn’t just take technical know-how and meticulous attention to detail, but also a real sense of pride in the work performed. FRC Southeast and FRC Southwest CBR artisans and engineers are why these aged aircraft are still flying over 40 years later – long past their expected lifecycle. It’s truly an incredible feat.” 

The CBR program has spanned more than 32 years of continuous F/A-18A-D service life extension efforts, which has made a significant impact throughout the Naval Aviation Enterprise by improving the Navy’s warfighting capabilities and warfighters’ safety.

As a few artisans gathered to watch the last CBR Legacy Hornet taxi down the flight line at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, an instrumental chapter of FRCSE and aviation history has concluded – opening the door for even greater innovation and challenges to come.

The last Navy operational deployment of the F/A-18 Hornet was aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), which ended in March 2018. Currently, the F/A-18 Hornet remains the workhorse of Marine Corps tactical aviation and supports operational deployments around the globe. It will serve as the Marine Corps’ primary bridging platform to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter until its planned sundown in 2030.

About Fleet Readiness Center Southeast 

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) is Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, employing approximately 5,000 civilian, military and contract workers. With annual revenue exceeding $1 billion, the organization serves as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers by maintaining the combat airpower for America’s military forces.