Month: October 2023

Source: United States Navy

During the visit, Acting Surgeon General Via met with active duty, civilian, and host nation medical personnel, who are instrumental in ensuring the health and readiness of servicemembers stationed or deployed to the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. The Acting Surgeon General expressed his gratitude for their unwavering dedication and many contributions to the U.S. Navy and Joint Force mission supporting the National Defense Strategy and the U.S. – Japanese Alliance.

The visit also included discussions on various medical initiatives, healthcare services, and the latest advancements in medical technology within the Military Health System. Acting Surgeon General Via emphasized the importance of continually improving medical capabilities to better support the men, women, and families of the Fleet, Fleet Marine Force, and across the Joint Force.

“I am immensely proud of the exceptional work our medical professionals are doing in Yokosuka and Iwakuni,” said Surgeon General Via. “Their commitment to the health and well-being of our Sailors and Marines is truly commendable. We are committed to providing them with the support and resources they need to excel in their mission.”

“We are tremendously grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities and highlight the accomplishments of our dedicated, innovative, and skilled team providing healthcare services across 9 million square kilometers to over 337,000 operational forces, including U.S. Seventh Fleet, III Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Forces Japan, U.S. Forces Korea in the Republic of Korea, and Military Sealift Command in Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory. We appreciate Admiral Via’s commitment to our staff and patients in support of U.S. strategic tasking in this important area of operations.” said USNMRTC Yokosuka Commanding Officer T. Blair Hines.

The Acting Surgeon General’s visit underscored Navy Medicine’s commitment to ensuring the highest access to care and safety standards in support of forward-deployed U.S. Navy personnel stationed overseas. This commitment plays a crucial role in maintaining the readiness and overall well-being of the Navy’s global force.

In a significant step towards enhancing cooperation and interoperability between the United States Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), Surgeon General Via met with his counterpart, the Surgeon General of the JMSDF, Rear Admiral Hitoshi Ogawa.

The meeting took place with the primary objective of strengthening medical capabilities and coordination between the partner naval forces. This collaboration aims to ensure enhanced interoperability between the medical systems and to reinforce joint operations in the Indo-Pacific region.

During the meeting, Surgeon General Via expressed his commitment to expanding partnerships in the medical field and highlighted the importance of sharing best practices, research, and training opportunities. Surgeon General Ogawa from the JMSDF echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the value of mutual cooperation in addressing regional and global healthcare challenges.

Key areas of discussion included disaster response, medical logistics, telemedicine, and shared research initiatives. The Surgeons General explored opportunities to exchange medical personnel for cross-training, joint exercises, and disaster relief operations.

This meeting marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to further strengthen the bond between the United States Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. Both Surgeons General reaffirmed their commitment to promoting international cooperation, advancing medical capabilities, and maintaining a resilient and healthy naval force.

USNMRTC Yokosuka provides healthcare services and ensures medical readiness to the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility covering nearly 9 million square kilometers (8,920,530.52 km²). Our organization serves over 337,000 operational forces, including the U.S. Seventh Fleet, III Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Forces Japan, Marine Corps Installations Pacific, U.S. Forces Korea in the Republic of Korea, and Military Sealift Command in Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory. USNMRTC Yokosuka provides a vast array of healthcare to our service-members, families, and Allied Forces from primary and specialty medical care to dental services. USNMRTC Yokosuka leads the AOR with breakthrough performances in healthcare delivery Key Performance Indicators and consistently implements innovative programs to deliver specialty healthcare services efficiently across vast distances.

Source: United States Navy

 

Darleen Greenert, Rickover’s sponsor, Navy veteran, and wife of former Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert, highlighted the sacrifice of military families during her remarks and remembered the late Eleonore Rickover, the namesake admiral’s wife and sponsor of SSN 709.

“How lucky am I be to be standing by these wonderful, amazing submariners,” Greenert said to the audience before making one request. “Take my submarine sailors in your hearts and keep them in your prayers – however you pray – and help them be strong because we know they are brave.”

The ceremony culminated a years-long process for commissioning the USS Rickover, the second submarine to commemorate Adm. Hyman G. Rickover – often referred to as the father of the nuclear Navy. The first Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709), commissioned in Groton on July 21, 1984, and deployed 12 times until its decommissioning in December 2007.

Greenert gave the crew the traditional order to “man our ship and bring her to life,” after which Rickover’s sailors responded “aye aye ma’am” before ceremonially running aboard the submarine.

Rickover’s commanding officer Cmdr. Matthew Beach called the event a “momentous occasion” during his speech.

“The commissioning of [this] ship is dedicated to a leader who reshaped our sea service through an unrelenting 63 years of service,” Beach said of Adm. Rickover’s legacy. “In front of you today on board this ship, the proud sailors of the next generation – Hyman G. Rickover – stand ready to continue this legacy of excellence guiding our ship into harm’s way and defending the values that we hold dear.”

Other speakers at the commissioning ceremony included Kevin Graney, president of General Dynamics Corp.’s Electric Boat shipyard, as well as U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut. The master of ceremonies was Lt. Cmdr. Collin Hedges, executive officer of the USS Rickover.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro praised the crew and the shipbuilders during his speech calling the commissioning a “true milestone for our fleet.”

“It is great to be here in Groton, known to many as the submarine capital of the world, as we celebrate the return of Rickover into service,” Del Toro said. “The crew of Hyman G. Rickover and our industry partners have worked tirelessly over the past several years to bring our nation’s newest submarine to life and we wouldn’t be here today without them.”

Capt. Jason Grizzle, commodore of Rickover’s parent Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) FOUR, likened the success of the crew to the “hard work and dedication that directly mirror the teachings of the boat’s namesake.”

“In the words of Adm. Rickover, ‘when doing a job — any job — one must feel that he owns it, and act as though he will remain in that job forever,’” Grizzle said. “Matt and his crew truly embody the ingenuity and attention-to-detail which has been instilled in every submariner from day one – and I think every submarine veteran can feel this boat and this force is, and remains to be, theirs.”

Rickover’s youngest plankowner – an honorific given to commissioning crewmembers – Seaman Mark Dean called the commissioning event an “unreal experience” only being on board for a short time.

“It’s just a cool experience that not many people are able to experience,” Dean said. “Today, my submarine is being put into the fleet.”

Adm. Frank Caldwell, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, highlighted Adm. Rickover’s “enduring impact” on the Submarine Force as “we celebrate 75 years of the nuclear propulsion program.”

“Admiral Rickover challenged what’s possible beginning with our first nuclear powered submarine – USS Nautilus,” Caldwell said during his remarks. “In doing so, he changed our submarine force, he changed the nature of naval warfare, and he changed U.S. industry and shipbuilding forever.”

USS Rickover is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam and is able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots. Rickover has a crew of nearly 135 Navy personnel.

Fast-attack submarines are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. They are designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. Fast-attack submarines project power ashore with special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises.

Source: United States Navy

NORFOLK, Va. – Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith embarked HMS Prince of Wales (PWLS) and met with Royal Navy First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Sir Ben Key to sign an updated strategic charter, Oct. 18.

The charter, known as “Delivering Combined Seapower” or DCS, is a bilateral tri-service strategic approach plan that supports cooperation, collaboration, and integration among U.S. and U.K. maritime services.

First signed in 2014, DCS was introduced to build and sustain interoperability between the U.S. and U.K. fleets.

The updated document includes a shared vision to enable the next level of interoperability the joint force requires, acceleration of U.S.-U.K. interchangeability, and underscores the collective dedication to safeguarding global maritime interests and promoting a rules-based international order.

“‘Delivering’ is the key word here,” said Franchetti.  “The U.S. and U.K are providing real, operationally relevant capabilities that are making a difference on the oceans every single day.  This document reflects the significant progress we’ve made since the original charter nine years ago and clearly articulates how we will advance and expand our interchangeability and deliver combined seapower going forward.”

Key emphasized the importance of this renewed alliance, “This Charter is testament to the enduring strength of the relationship between our navies and marines. By aligning our strategies and capabilities, we strengthen our ability to deter threats, respond to crises, and promote stability across the world’s oceans. This partnership will undoubtedly enhance our collective effectiveness, create opportunities to work ever more closely together, and promote our shared values.”

Although the U.S. Marine Corps has participated in U.S.- U.K. DCS Strategic Dialogues, this revision marks the first time the U.S. Marine Corps has been formally incorporated into the charter.

“I’m proud to be in this endeavor with Adm. Franchetti and Adm. Key,” said Smith. “Both countries’ Marines and Sailors have long-enjoyed a unique bond. We need to continue moving toward full interoperability, which includes maximizing our information sharing, training on each other’s platforms, and finding novel ways to integrate at the staff and warfighter level. This charter is a real step forward toward that goal.”

Throughout the days’ events the leaders observed a demonstration of F-35B operations onboard HMS PWLS, and discussed maritime strategies, warfighting concepts, and future force design.

The U.S. and U.K. naval forces regularly operate together around the globe, and Franchetti and Smith last met with Key in September at the 25^th International Seapower Symposium in Newport, Rhode Island.

Source: United States Navy

Mount Whitney is forward deployed to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility where it engages with Allies and partners in support of maritime operations, which encompasses naval diplomacy and national efforts to build comprehensive U.S. and Allied maritime power.

The ship operates with a combined crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

For more than 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with our Allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.