Month: November 2023

Source: United States Navy

The U.S. and Marshallese providers united in support of the Marshall Islands Ministry of Health and Human Services tuberculosis and eradication campaign.

“Together, with our Marshallese partners, we are testing all residents of Aur for tuberculosis, and also starting treatment for those who tested positive,” said Lt. Hoel Rupert David, officer in charge of the medical effort.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands has one of the highest rates of tuberculosis in in the world.

“Tuberculosis is an airborne disease caused by bacteria,” said David. “It can easily pass on from person to person, and if it is not treated, it can be fatal.”

Having the support from PP24-1’s medical team reinforced local medical professionals’ hopes to rid Marshallese citizens of the disease.

“It is important because our tuberculosis (TB) strategy and goal is to eliminate TB, and for us to take control by 2035 by doing this mass screening,” said Samantha Anontog, a Marshallese tuberculosis nurse supervisor. “Especially in the outer islands, TB service is not free. It’s not available in the outer islands, so we are bringing it to them.”

To reach the outer islands of Aur Atoll, 13 U.S. Sailors and a contingent of Marshallese professionals left the island of Majuro aboard RMIS Liwatoon-Mour, the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ hospital ship, commencing their hours-long journey. Upon arrival, the team spent three days delivering medical care to the islands’ residents, combating tuberculosis and providing optical and dental care.

This is the first time in Pacific Partnership history that U.S. service members have embarked on a foreign vessel to provide medical support.

“It gives me great joy and honor to be part of this unique and challenging mission,” said David. “We have never done this type of mission before, and it’s challenging because we have to travel five to six hours in a Marshall Islands-owned medical ship to be able to come here. Coming here was not easy, and it’s only 13 of us, handpicked, to be a part of this mission delivering expeditionary healthcare to the people in this underserved community.”

The U.S. and Marshallese integration facilitated learning opportunities for the medical partners, helping them to hone their professional skills and foster stronger connections.

“Working with Marshallese partners is amazing,” said David. “One of the things that they taught me is reading x-rays. In the United States, you rely totally on the radiologist. Here, we do not have a radiologist to read x-rays. It’s you. You need to be there, and by doing that multiple times, I learned more about reading x-rays.”

Medical care is highly limited for the residents of Aur Atoll, and the bigger island of Majuro, which is home to the country’s largest hospital, is not easily accessible.

“Our mission is not done yet,” said David. “In the Marshall Islands there are a lot more atolls that need the same services that we provided for Aur, and for the future Pacific Partnership, if given the opportunity to do this again, I will do it in a heartbeat.”

Now in its 19th iteration, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Woitzel)

Source: United States Navy

Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you for joining me here at the United States Naval Academy to recognize and reflect upon the incredible contributions of Native Americans in service to our Navy, our Marine Corps, and our nation.

Thank you, Rear Admiral Kacher, for hosting today’s ceremony here on the Yard, and for your continued leadership of the United States Naval Academy as the acting Superintendent while we wait for the Senate to take action on over 360 general and flag officer nominations, to include yours to lead the United States Seventh Fleet in the Indo-Pacific region.

Director Cox, we are pleased that you are able to join us this afternoon, and I would be remiss if I did not commend you and your team at Naval Heritage and History Command for the incredible work you do on a daily basis to capture the history of our Navy and Marine Corps and share it with the American public.

I would also like to welcome Mr. PaaWee Rivera, Senior Advisor and Tribal Affairs Director for the White House.  Mr. Rivera, thank you for your presence at today’s ceremony, and for your dedication to strengthening the bonds between our government and the Native American community across our nation.

Secretary of the Interior Haaland, ma’am, we are honored to have you with us this afternoon.  Thank you for your many years of public service, and your advocacy for the rights and dignity of all Americans, regardless of race or gender.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you, from our Midshipmen to the representatives of the several organizations present, for joining us this afternoon for this ceremony.

Since our nation’s founding, Native Americans have volunteered to serve in our armed services.  From the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I and II, to Korea, Vietnam, and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Native Americans have fought with honor and distinction to preserve our union and defend our ideals of freedom and democracy, even during periods when they were not recognized as citizens of our country.

In our Navy, we remember Admiral Joseph “Jocko” Clark, a 1918 graduate of the United States Naval Academy—our school’s first Native American graduate—who commanded carriers and task groups throughout the Pacific during World War II.

Commander John Herrington, a naval aviator and NASA astronaut, became the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space.

Boatswain’s Mate First Class James E. Williams, the namesake of USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) and the most decorated enlisted Sailor in our Navy’s history, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership and courage under fire during a fierce engagement with Viet Cong forces during the Vietnam War.

More recently, Vice Admiral Jeffrey Trussler, a member of the Cherokee nation, served as our Director of Naval Intelligence.

The proud legacy of leadership of the Native American community within our Department continues on today, with Rear Admiral Wesley McCall, Rear Admiral Calvin Foster, and Brigadier General Stephen Lightfoot leading Sailors and Marines around the globe.

As we reflect upon the leadership, the actions, and the devotion to service that these men and hundreds of thousands of other Native Americans have embodied since 1776, one story in particular stands out to me—the actions of Medal of Honor recipient Commander Ernest Edwin Evans, a native of Oklahoma and a member of USNA Class of 1931.

Now, Commander Evans’ name may sound familiar to many of you, especially if you’ve read James Hornfischer’s “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors,” a perennial inclusion on the Chief of Naval Operation’s reading list.

If you haven’t read this book, I encourage you all to do so, for the actions of our Sailors—in many cases their final acts of service and heroism—so eloquently described by Mr. Hornfischer are truly inspiring, and I am grateful that his family is with us for today’s ceremony.

Commander Evans commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer upon graduation from the Naval Academy, and went on to serve on several ships in several capacities as our nation sailed towards its entrance into World War II.

In 1943, Commander Evans assumed command of the USS Johnston, serving as its only commanding officer.

During the commissioning ceremony, Commander Evans reportedly told his crew and the audience assembled, “This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.”

And on October 25th, 1944, off the coast of the Philippines, Commander Evans and the crew of the USS Johnston indeed found themselves in harm’s way during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

On that day, the USS Johnston and six other destroyers were left to defend our escort carriers covering the Marines ashore, fighting to retake the Philippines.

As the world wondered where Admiral Halsey and his fleet were, Commander Evans and his fellow destroyer captains launched an offensive attack against overwhelming odds against a much larger Japanese naval force, with the USS Johnston in the lead.

Commander Evans sailed his ship towards the enemy, launching torpedoes and firing every gun his ship had to buy the escort carriers and Marines ashore time to complete their mission.

Despite severe damage to his ship and his own wounds from Japanese fire, he repeatedly put the USS Johnston between the enemy and more vulnerable U.S. ships, saving the lives of thousands of his fellow Sailors.

Ultimately, the USS Johnston was lost during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, with Commander Evans going down with his ship.

For his leadership and selfless service in the face of a superior enemy force, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the first Native American in our Navy to be presented with this award.

And I am honored to announce that, in recognition of his heroic actions, our Navy will once again welcome a USS Ernest E. Evans into our Fleet, as his name will adorn our future Arleigh Burke Flight III class destroyer DDG-141.

Of note, I would like to thank Director Cox and his team at NHHC for providing the ship’s bell from USS Evans (DE-1023) for today’s ceremony to serve as the connection between our future USS Ernest E. Evans and the first ship to honor their shared namesake.

I am also pleased to announce that the ship’s sponsor of USS Ernest E. Evans (DDG-141) will be Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

Secretary Haaland is the daughter of Veterans, with her mother serving in the United States Navy and her father serving for 30 years in the United States Marine Corps.

As a 35th-generation New Mexican, she has dedicated her life to public service, both in service to the Pueblo of Laguna Native American tribe, as well as the people of New Mexico in Congress.  As a member of the Biden Administration, she is the first Native American to serve as a cabinet-level secretary.

A ship sponsor’s role is to serve as the connection between a ship, her crew, and her namesake.

And I can think of no better American to be that bond between our Native American community and USS Ernest E. Evans than Secretary Haaland.

Secretary Haaland and Commander Evans are just two of the hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who either have served or are currently serving in support of our Nation.

As we observe our national Native American Heritage Month, it is imperative that we all take this opportunity to reflect upon the service and sacrifices that the men and women of our Native American communities made in defense of our collective freedom, preserving the ideals of liberty and freedom we hold dear.

Again, it is an honor to be with you all this afternoon to celebrate this special moment for our Navy and for our nation.

At this time, I would like to invite Rear Admiral Kacher to the podium to offer his reflection on the life and career of Commander Evans.

May God continue to bless our country with fair winds and following seas.  Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement during Native American Heritage month. Additionally, Secretary Del Toro announced that the ship’s sponsor will be U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary.

“Since our nation’s founding, Native Americans, such as Ernest Evans, have volunteered to serve in our armed services. From the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I and II, to Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Native Americans have fought with honor and distinction to preserve our union and defend our ideals of freedom and democracy, even during periods where they were not recognized as citizens of our country,” said Secretary Del Toro.”

“Today, we honor Commander Ernest Evans for his courage and ultimate sacrifice,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “While this nation has not always welcomed them, Native Americans have consistently and honorably served in disproportionately high rates across the Armed Forces to keep us safe at home and abroad. As we honor Commander Evans with this stunning vessel, we also honor the service of Indigenous servicemembers nationwide, past and present. Native American history is American history, and today’s designation ensures that our story continues to be told.”

Ernest Edwin Evans was born on Aug. 13, 1908, in Pawnee, Oklahoma. He graduated from Central High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy on May 29, 1926. After a years’ enlisted service, he was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy, entered as a midshipman, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in June 1931.

Evans spent his first decade of service in San Diego, Pensacola, and aboard seven ships. He was serving on his eighth in the East Indies when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, thrusting the U.S. into World War II.

In 1943, Cmdr. Evans assumed command of the USS Johnston, serving as its only commanding officer. During the commissioning ceremony, Cmdr. Evans reportedly told his crew and the audience assembled, “This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.”

Oct. 25, 1944, off the coast of the Philippines, Cmdr. Evans and the crew of the USS Johnston found themselves in harm’s way during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On that day, Cmdr. Evans and his fellow destroyer captains launched an offensive attack against overwhelming odds against a much larger Japanese naval force, with the USS Johnston in the lead. Not waiting for orders, Evans commanded the crew to begin a torpedo run, drawing fire away from the carriers, directly taking hits from three powerful 14-inch guns. Despite severe damage to his ship and his own wounds from Japanese fire, he repeatedly put the USS Johnston between the enemy and more vulnerable U.S. ships, saving the lives of thousands of his fellow Sailors.

Ultimately, the USS Johnston was lost during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, with Cmdr. Evans going down with his ship. For his leadership and selfless service in the face of a superior enemy force, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

“And I am honored to announce that, in recognition of his heroic actions, our Navy will once again welcome a USS Ernest E. Evans into our fleet once again, as his name will adorn our future Arleigh Burke Flight III class destroyer DDG-141,” said Secretary Del Toro.

In addition to the Medal of Honor, the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon, Cmdr. Evans had the China Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp, and was entitled to the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with six engagement stars, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Philippine Defense and Liberation Ribbons with the one star.

A destroyer escort vessel, USS Evans (DE 1023), was named in honor of Cmdr. Evans. Mrs. Hugh Hendrickson of Tulsa, Oklahoma, sister to Cmdr. Evans, sponsored the vessel at the launching at the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Seattle, Washington, on Sept. 14, 1955.

Source: United States Navy

The ‘Philadelphia 15’ were fifteen African American service members aboard the USS Philadelphia (CL 41) who faced racial discrimination and injustice during their service in 1940. This meeting marks an important step in acknowledging and rectifying the past injustices faced by these sailors.

“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to meet with the family members of the ‘Philadelphia 15′ and personally express our gratitude for their loved ones’ service and sacrifice,” said Parker. “This meeting is a significant moment for us to acknowledge the injustices they faced and to ensure their stories are heard and remembered. It is my hope through this meeting, we can provide some measure of closure and healing for the families, and reaffirm our commitment to equality and justice within the Department of the Navy.”

The meeting was attended by descendants of Mr. Otto Robinson and Mr. Jesse Watford, two members of the ‘Philadelphia 15’. The descendants attended in person and virtually.

“I want to thank Ms. Dina Finkel and Mr. Franklin Parker for inviting us to the Pentagon today and for the opportunity to express our feelings and stories about our families,” said Frances Goodman, Watford’s granddaughter. “I want to thank them for the chance to receive the updated discharge certificate and for honoring the Philadelphia 15 this Veteran’s Day week.”

The Department of the Navy (DON) recognizes the contributions of African American Sailors, past and present, to the strength of the force and the defense of the nation. The DON remains committed to addressing disparities and ensuring equal opportunities for all service members.

“Meeting with family members of the ‘Philadelphia 15’ exemplifies the DON’s commitment to correcting disparities and fostering a diverse workforce,” said Parker. “By acknowledging and rectifying the injustices faced by these brave sailors, we send a powerful message that we value the contributions of all service members, regardless of their background. This commitment to equality and justice is not only essential for attracting and developing a diverse workforce, but also for retaining the talent and dedication that strengthens our Navy and ensures our success as a force.”

The ‘Philadelphia 15’ authored a letter published in the Pittsburgh Courier in October 1940, describing the racial discrimination, abuse, and limited opportunities for advancement they experienced in the Navy due to their race. As a result, all fifteen men were discharged within one to four months of the publication, with two receiving “Bad Conduct Discharges (BCDs)” and the rest receiving “undesirable” charges.

After a thorough review of their cases, Mr. Robert Hogue, Principal Deputy ASN (M&RA) filed a group application with the Board for Correction of Naval Records (BCNR) in August 2022, requesting that the records of the ‘Philadelphia 15’ be corrected and relief be granted. The BCNR unanimously recommended all fifteen men receive an honorable discharge and a favorable reason for their separation, rectifying the previous unjust characterizations of their service. On June 16, 2023 Parker, alongside descendants of John and Larry Ponder, two members of the Philadelphia 15, announced the correction of the records in a ceremony at the Pentagon.

The Office of the ASN M&RA serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness on all matters related to civilian and military personnel policies, reserve integration, military community and family policy, and total force manpower and resources.

Source: United States Navy

An in-house team created bots specifically designed to automate tasks within FRCE’s Comptroller Department. Bots are programmable software robots that automate repetitive tasks in a digital environment.

“The work our team is doing directly contributes to FRC East’s ability to support the Fleet faster and more efficiently,” said FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont. “The bots the team created are a force multiplier for us. This is a great example of the creativity and innovative thinking that is propelling FRC East forward into the future.”

Earlier this year, FRCE successfully implemented a bot that automatically extracts information from a wide range of records and documents and then enters this data into the depot’s financial system. This initial project has already saved the Comptroller Department nearly seven weeks of labor related to data entry tasks.

FRCE is now gearing up to implement two additional bots. One is aimed at reducing the manpower required to process employee clocking data while the other focuses on increasing efficiency related to the creation of outgoing funding documents. Depot officials believe these bots could potentially save thousands of labor hours.

“With the current geopolitical environment, working and using our resources efficiently is more critical now than it’s ever been,” said Anderson Braswell, who helmed the depot’s robotic process automation team. “It’s inefficient to have our people bogged down doing repetitive tasks. By automating this work, we free them up to do more strategic analysis and perform other complex tasks.”

Braswell, who served as budget officer at FRCE before recently transferring to another assignment within Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), said bots were historically created at the NAVAIR level for use within the enterprise, with depots providing input regarding their specific needs.

The depot’s Information Systems Division worked closely with NAVAIR to enable FRCE personnel to utilize robotic process automation technology in-house, he explained, which was instrumental in streamlining the creation of bots suited specifically for the needs of the depot.

“We have the actual users designing the bot itself,” said Braswell. “We’re bringing everything down to the most basic level. I think that’s going to pay off and become the new model for the future because no one understands the process you’re trying to automate better than the person who literally does it every day.”

According to Braswell, FRCE’s in-house team consists of personnel selected from the depot’s Comptroller Department and Information Systems Division.

“We come up with the ideas and processes of what we need to do,” said Braswell. “Information Systems are the technical experts. By working together, we came up with a process for how to build our own homegrown bots and how to get those published to where everybody in the Navy can use them.”

In addition to the expertise provided by the Information Systems Division, Braswell cited the simplicity of the automation software as a key factor in enabling personnel from the Comptroller Department to design and create bots.

“You don’t have to be a computer programmer to do it,” said Braswell. “It offers two options. You can either look at it in code – which is what Information Systems team usually does. There’s also a graphical user interface that you can use that is very user friendly and works more like a flowchart.”

The bot FRCE put into use earlier this year to automatically extract information from financial documents was originally created at NAVAIR. Braswell said the RPA team modified it specifically for use at the depot. Within 10 months, this bot saved FRCE more than seven weeks of labor hours.

This success inspired the team to create a truly home-grown bot designed to reduce labor hours related to processing employee timekeeping. Nearly complete, Braswell expects this bot to be implemented at FRCE in the very near future. He said the team immediately went to work on yet another bot, which is also nearing completion, aimed at streamlining the creation of outgoing funding documents at the depot.

“Since all the documents are coming from us, a lot of this work is very repetitive,” said Braswell. “Any time you have a repetitive process, you can handle that with a bot. If it’s repetitive and not very complex, it’s a perfect candidate for automation.”

Ryan Jones, a command business financial manager at FRCE and member of the team, said the depot’s Comptroller Department is an ideal testbed for the creation and design of bots.

“With more than 4,000 employees, there is a massive amount of data that needs to be processed on a regular basis,” said Jones. “There’s tons of clocking, expenditure and financial data to look at. Reports that need to be done. This work is crucial because it all coincides with the maintenance, repair and overhaul work done at the depot. It takes a lot of manpower to do all of this.”

Jones was an early champion and adopter of bots and automation at FRCE. In 2019, FRCE began using the technology to streamline the labor correction process. The success of this effort was the catalyst that resulted in the creation of the in-house team.

“It saved thousands of labor hours and allowed the office to spend more time analyzing, reporting and making corrections,” said Jones. “It made us realize that if just two people could do this, imagine what a whole team could accomplish.”

Moving forward, Jones said the lessons the team has learned enhancing efficiency within the Comptroller Department will benefit the entire depot.

“Efficiency is something that every department is trying to optimize,” said Jones. “Anything we can do to speed up processes makes other departments realize that they too can use this technology. If you have a task that’s taking too long, and there’s a way to speed that up, we have the tools to make things more efficient.”

Braswell agreed and said embracing process automation technology and using it creatively will be crucial as FRCE prepares for the future.

“The way we do business today is not the way we’re going to do business tomorrow,” Braswell said. “We can’t remain static– we need to think outside of the box and figure things out now. You can’t be afraid to explore the art of the possible.”

Learn more at www.navair.navy.mil/frce or https://www.facebook.com/FleetReadinessCenterEast.