Month: December 2023

Source: United States Navy

Dating back to 1929, every January 1st, the officer of the deck or another designated individual on a U.S. Navy vessel, may write the normally customary deck log entry in poetic style of a to mark the transition to the New Year.

Deck logs are official records that register required reports, significant events and activities on a ship, and are maintained for administrative and historical purposes. However, the normal style of deck log entries is typically dry and factual, focusing on the ship’s location, weather conditions, and notable occurrences. The tradition of the New Year’s Deck Log Poem allows Sailors to inject a little bit of humor, creativity, and personal expression into their duty of maintaining the deck log. It provides a way for the crew to bond with their fellow shipmates and celebrate the holiday spirit even when they are far from home and loved ones.

Over time, it has become a cherished tradition, with each ship putting its own unique spin on the New Year’s Deck Log Poem. Every year, Naval History and Heritage Command spotlights the most creative deck log poems in an annual contest. Sailors from across the fleet are encouraged to submit their most creative deck log poems, turning the usually formal records of ship activities into vibrant and imaginative expressions of naval life.

“I think the tradition of the New Year’s Deck Log is extremely important,” said Alexis Van Pool, the recent Deck Log coordinator at NHHC. “It is a way to connect with the past, with the entire history of the Navy. In 1929, you’d have a young Ensign writing the poem, and now in 2023 you have a similarly young Ensign writing it. There’s something larger than themselves that forms a line between the two of them connecting them nearly 100 years apart.”

While the officer of the deck is often the most common author of these poems, it’s not uncommon for other crew members, especially those with a talent for poetry or a knack for creative writing, to contribute or collaborate on the New Year’s Deck Log Poem. This tradition fosters a sense of camaraderie and allows Sailors to collectively celebrate the holiday in a unique and meaningful way.

As 2023 comes to a close, it is in the tradition of the New Year’s Deck Log Poem to find a moment of reflection and unity. In a year marked by heavy operational commitments and extended periods away from loved ones, Sailors across the world have faced challenges with remarkable tenacity. Through their dedication and sacrifice, they have upheld the values and mission of nation and the U.S. Navy. The New Year’s Deck Log Poem has allowed for the deck log to transcend its role as a simple record, becoming a cherished and enduring expression of the Navy’s heritage and tradition.

“In the lines of the Navy’s New Year’s Deck Log Poems, we find a unique tapestry of resilience, camaraderie, and tradition, woven together by the men and women who serve with unwavering dedication,” said Sam Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, Rear Adm. (retired). “As we boldly go and plot our course for the New Year, we are hopeful that this cherished naval tradition continues to be a source of unity and inspiration, reminding us that even in the most challenging of times, the spirit of the U.S. Navy perseveres.”

To be eligible for the competition:

 Entries must be from a commissioned US Navy vessel deployed or at shore.
 Entries must be submissions to the ship’s official deck log.
 Entries must be written as the first entry on January 1, 2024.
 Entries must be unclassified.
 All paygrades active and reserve are eligible.

First to third place winners will be announced in April, National Poetry Month. The first-place author will receive a piece of historic copper sheathing from USS Constitution.

Submission will only be accepted by email at nhhc-decklogs@us.navy.mil. Scanned PDFs of the deck log entry are the preferred form of digital submission.
For more information about the deck log completion, visit NHHC at www.history.navy.mil.

NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating US naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC comprises many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, the USS Constitution repair facility, and the historic ship Nautilus.

Source: United States Navy

When you think of Navy flyovers rarely do you think of Navy flight surgeons flying in the backseat, but it is more common than you think. To demonstrate that commonality, two Navy flight surgeons will fly in two of the four T-45 Goshawk aircraft scheduled to fly over the 90th Orange Bowl featuring the Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Bulldogs, Dec. 30.
 

“The inclusion of flight surgeons participating in flyovers is indicative of the special relationship we have with our aviators,” said Lt. Michael Rizzo, from Pensacola, Florida, who serves as a flight surgeon, assigned to Training Air Wing Two aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas.  “Wherever the aviators go, we go with them. When we are included in a flyover, it is an indicator of a pretty unique and special relationship with special mutual trust forged between aviators and their flight surgeons.”
 
Rizzo added that the unique bond between naval aviators and naval aerospace medicine is rarely found in the civilian side of medicine. Developing that bond with their naval aviators is important because it is part of the natural interface between the practice of medicine, the science of safety and the profession of aviation.
 
“For me, the thing that is truly special about Navy flight medicine is how close we are with the naval aviators we support,” Rizzo said. “They are our patient population and there is no other realm of medicine where you develop such a close personal relationship with your patients, you take care of them and they take care of you.”
 
Accompanying Rizzo in another T-45 aircraft, is fellow flight surgeon, Lt. Nicholas Ryan, from Daytona Beach, Florida. Both flight surgeons shared another commonality, they attended Florida State University. Rizzo graduated from Florida State and earned his undergraduate degree in 2013. Ryan completed his undergraduate degree the following year, in 2014. Rizzo remained at Florida State University to earn his medical degree, whereas Ryan attended Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine at Auburn University.
 
To date, Rizzo has amassed 200 hours of flying, and Ryan has amassed 100 hours. However, participating in a flyover during the Orange Bowl will be a first for both Rizzo and Ryan. To help communicate the uniqueness of their role they have invited medical students interested in careers as a flight surgeon to a static display on Dec. 29 at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport to give exposure to naval aerospace medicine.
 
“There may be medical students who may be interested in naval flight medicine, but may not know what it is and how cool it is,” Ryan said. “We wanted to help out a little bit and give an experience to medical students that we did not get. We both joined the Navy right before medical school and the Navy paid for our school. We knew we would be Navy doctors when we were finished with our schooling, but at the time there were not a ton of opportunities to get our eyes on what the duties of being a flight surgeon looked like.”
 
Currently, there are over 260 Aerospace Medicine and flight surgeon billets in Spain, Italy, Japan, Bahrain, Okinawa, and all over the United States. The Navy’s flight surgeon course is 26 weeks long with classes convening three times a year at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida.
 
“It is a great deal that not a lot of people know about,” Ryan said, who added during the flight surgeon training course they fly the T-6 Texan II turboprop aircraft and the TH-73A Thrasher helicopter. “We train on both types of aircraft before we are selected to go out to our fleet squadrons. The flight training, we receive with the student pilots in Pensacola is crucial and helps us understand the basics of aerodynamics, engines, aviation weather and pipeline selection.”
 
Capt. Robert Krause, the Force Surgeon assigned to Naval Air Force Atlantic, knows exactly why Ryan and Rizzo are excited about their jobs since he was previously a naval aviator and then became a flight surgeon at the Navy Fighter Weapons School, or more commonly known as TOPGUN, in Fallon, Nevada, after attending the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.  In his current position, he has the oversight of all the flight surgeons on the east coast as well as the medical departments of seven aircraft carriers. 
 
“My current job is extremely rewarding and I work with great people but I would love to be back in the Lieutenants flight boots,” Krause said. “Opportunities are increasing in aerospace medicine and there are bigger jobs to complete but I would love to be flying in a flyover one more time, because that is a memory you will never forget.”
 
In their role as flight surgeons they are required to spend at least 50 percent of their time in the squadron spaces interacting with the squadron aviation personnel and conducting a vital safety role as part of the Naval Aviation Safety Program. The remaining 50 percent is dedicated to the clinical care of aviators as well as the maintenance personnel responsible for keeping the aircraft flying.
 
“We gain credibility with the aviators when we strap on the jet and show that we share their passion for flying,” Rizzo said, who added the reason why they are expected to fly with their squadrons is so that “we understand, on a first-hand and personal level, the physiologic stressors of the in-flight environment.”
 
The intent of that time spent with aircrew is to allow the flight surgeons to become familiar with each member of their squadrons so that they can better notice a change in behavior and understand when and why you need to ground an aviator as well as return them to flight.
 
“That requirement of bi-directional trust is the biggest reason why we get so close to our aviators,” Rizzo said. “They need to trust us but we also need to trust them.”
 
For more information about the duties of a flight surgeon, visit https://www.med.navy.mil/Navy-Medicine-Operational-Training-Command/Naval-Aerospace-Medical-Institute/Department-53AH/Flight-Surgeon/.
 

Source: United States Navy

U.S. Navy Capt. David Coles, the commodore of the task force, awarded Lt. Jonty Paul Sutton his new rank slide in a ceremony attended by members of the Mason’s crew.

“It was a distinct privilege to pin the rank of lieutenant on Jonty Sutton,” said U.S. Navy Capt. David Coles, the commodore of the task force. “Lieutenant Sutton’s expertise and his 26 years of experience in the Royal Navy have been vital to Operation Prosperity Guardian’s success. It was truly an honor for CTF 153 and me to take part in this special day for our coalition teammate.”

Sutton enlisted in the Royal Navy at the age of 20 and advanced to chief petty officer before being commissioned.

He was temporarily transferred to the Mason from the Royal Navy’s Type 45 air-defense guided missile destroyer HMS Diamond (D34), also supporting Operation Prosperity Guardian, on which he is working toward 600 bridge hours to qualify as an officer of the watch.

Aboard Mason, Sutton experienced the daily life of a U.S. Navy sailor and observed routine operations in the pilot house, combat information center, engineering spaces and flight deck, sharing his personal experiences along the way.

Led by Combined Task Force 153 of the Combined Maritime Forces, Operation Prosperity Guardian represents a focused, international effort to address maritime security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security. More than 20 countries have confirmed their participation in the operation.

“Multiple countries being present highlights that this is a world issue and shows all of our commitment to reassuring and protecting merchant ships,” Sutton said.

Source: United States Navy

NAPLES, Italy — The Wasp-class amphibious ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) transited Dec. 28, 2023, from the Red Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and will join the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19).

Source: United States Navy

The Navy OSTC is a new legal organization with exclusive authority over covered offenses, primarily personal violence offenses specifically including sexual assault, and is responsible for prosecuting those offenses at general and special courts-martial. The Navy OSTC’s special trial counsel (STC) are Navy judge advocates with specialized education, training, and experience, as well as the required temperament.

“This landmark change to the U.S. military justice system will significantly strengthen the independent prosecution of sexual assault and other serious criminal offenses in the Department of Defense,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III in a statement about the standup of the OSTCs across all services.

Rear Adm. Jon Stephens, who serves as the Navy’s first-ever lead special trial counsel, oversees the Navy OSTC. The Navy OSTC’s main headquarters is located at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.

“The Navy OSTC’s primary mission is to achieve justice, and in doing so, provide an effective, efficient, respected, and trusted tool for maintaining good order and discipline in the Navy,” said Stephens. “We prepared extensively and we’re fully ready to assume OSTC’s weighty responsibilities.”

Beginning Dec. 28, 2023, Navy commands must report covered offenses to the Navy OSTC.  Commands should consult the Navy JAG Corps website for OSTC office locations and points of contact, as well as a list of covered offenses. Importantly, the Navy’s victim reporting process remains the same; there have been no changes to existing procedures. 

The Navy OSTC is divided into two regions, Norfolk, Va. and San Diego, Calif., with 10 field offices. All certified STCs must be members of the Navy JAG Corps’ military justice litigation career track. Selection to that track requires quantitative and qualitative experience, on-the-job training, and personal recommendations by senior judge advocates.  Each STC was selected by a board of senior Navy military justice experts and was personally detailed to a STC billet by the Judge Advocate General of the Navy. 

The establishment of the Navy OSTC is accompanied by the implementation of several other, substantive military justice reforms. These include a new, military judge-alone sentencing system with parameters and criteria; expanded access by accused service members to the appellate court; broader notification rights for crime victims; randomized selection of service members detailed to court-martial panels; and increased resources and request procedures for defense counsel. 

These sweeping changes to the military justice system were directed and recommended by the Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023 National Defense Authorization Acts, as well as the Secretary of Defense’s Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military. Together, they represent the largest transformation of the system in more than 70 years.

In addition to increasing good order and discipline across the Fleet, these reforms will allow warfighters to focus even more closely on execution of the Navy’s critical mission, while also enhancing trust in the military justice system.

More information about the Navy OSTC is available online. Significant training and communication efforts across the Fleet are currently underway and will continue in 2024.

LINK 1: https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3627334/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-the-offices-of-special/

LINK 2: https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Flag-Officer-Biographies/BioDisplay/Article/3323348/rear-adm-jonathan-t-stephens/

LINK 3: https://www.jag.navy.mil/about/organization/ostc/

LINK 4: https://sapr.mil/sites/default/files/public/docs/victim-assistance/Victim_Reporting_Options_Guide.pdf

LINK 5: https://www.jag.navy.mil/about/organization/ostc/