Month: May 2024

Source: United States Navy

The future USS Helmand Province commemorates the multiple U.S. Marine Corps operations that took place in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province as part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The name selection follows the tradition of naming amphibious assault ships after U.S. Marine Corps battles, early U.S. sailing ships, or legacy names of earlier carriers from World War II.  Secretary Del Toro named LHA 9, the future USS Fallujah, in 2022.

“In keeping with naval tradition of naming our Navy’s amphibious assault ships after U.S. Marine Corps battles, I am honored to announce today that the future LHA-10 will be named USS Helmand Province,” said Secretary Del Toro. “Recognizing the bravery and sacrifice of our Marines and Sailors who fought for almost 20 years in the mountains of Afghanistan.”

Initiating the first U.S. ground offensive of OEF, on Oct. 19, 2001, helicopters launched from USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) lifted Task Force Sword (FT-11) to Objective Rhino, a remote airstrip in Helmand Province. Following the airstrip’s seizure, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived on Nov. 25, 2001 to establish Camp Rhino. It was one of the longest ship-to-shore amphibious operations in history. Elements of the 26th MEU (Special Operations Command) subsequently reinforced the 15th MEU on Dec. 4, 2001. Afterward, Marine presence in Helmand remained constant, though minimal. On April 29, 2008, the 24th MEU stormed Taliban-held Garmser, then staged into southern Helmand on June 1, 2008. With allied support, the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade launched Operation Strike of the Sword on July 2, 2009. The 1st Battalion, 7th Marines later conducted operation Sangin Moshtrarak Naweed in May 2012. This was one of OEF’s largest air assault operations. By 2013, with relative regional stability secured, Marines trained Afghan forces to maintain security in advance of the late 2014 drawdown.

“For Marines, Helmand Province is a place of bittersweet memories,” said Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric M. Smith. “An entire generation of Marines wrote another chapter in the storied history of our Corps there, as warriors, but also as peacebuilders. Their legacy is defined by the spirit they embodied and the lives they touched. I look forward to the day when the USS Helmand Province will steam forward and carry Marines on their way to write new chapters—in peace, and if called, in war.”

Along with the ship’s name, Secretary Del Toro announced the sponsor for the future USS Helmand Province as Mrs. Trish Smith, the spouse of Gen. Smith. She is an active volunteer for Marine Corps programs, including the Cornerstone Program, and Lifestyle, Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills (LINKS) program. She is an advocate and mentor for military families. In her role as sponsor, Trish Smith will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.

“Sponsoring the USS Helmand Province is an honor beyond words,” said Trish Smith. “I am looking forward to a lifelong relationship with the ship’s leaders, but more importantly, with the generations of Marines, Sailors, and their families that she will carry abroad. Together, we will forever carry the memories of those who served in Helmand.”

During his remarks, Secretary Del Toro reiterated that Marines on naval vessels, such as the future USS Helmand Province, are building relationships with our allies and partners in support of integrated deterrence. The Marine Corps remains focused on modernizing to fight and win against current and future threats in any clime and place.

“The work we ask our Marines and Sailors to do every day is anything but ordinary or routine, and in many cases extremely dangerous. It is incumbent upon all of us, including government and industry, to leverage every resource at our disposal to ensure our Marines have what they need to be successful in their assigned missions and return home safely to their loved ones,” said Secretary Del Toro.

America-class amphibious assault ships are designed to support Marine Corps Operational Maneuver From the Sea and Ship to Objective Maneuvers. The America-class ships replaced all of the decommissioned Tarawa-class LHAs and are now optimized for aviation ability, accommodating the Marine Corps’ future Air Combat Element while adding additional aviation maintenance capabilities and increasing fuel capacities, and extra cargo storage. With the unique inherent powers of the amphibious assault ships, they are often called upon to also support humanitarian and other contingency missions upon short notice.

More information on amphibious assault ships can be found here.

Modern Day Marine is an annual trade show and exposition which showcases the latest innovations and technologies in military equipment, weapons, and gear and is primarily aimed at U.S. Marines and defense industry representatives. The show provides a forum for Marine Corps leaders to collaborate with our industry partners, Congressional stakeholders, and Department of Defense leadership on current and future initiatives. Engagements during the expo are intended to reinforce existing programs and priorities and set conditions for future initiatives.

Read Secretary Del Toro’s full remarks here.

Source: United States Navy

Inspired Union focused on maritime interdiction operations, explosive ordinance disposal mine countermeasure tactics, techniques, and procedures, and harbor security. The exercise created opportunities for improving readiness, enhancing maritime security and stability, and promoting the freedom of navigation in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

“Exercises like Inspired Union continue to improve our readiness and interoperability in the maritime domain,” said CAPT Robert “Paco” Porter, Commodore of Task Force 52. “Pakistan is an important partner and we are honored for their hospitality both during this exercise and the lead up to it. We look forward to future opportunities to work with an important partner like Pakistan.”

A U.S. Coast Guard maritime engagement team, a U.S. Marine Corps fleet anti-terrorism security team, a civil affairs team, and an expeditionary mine countermeasures and diving team, took part in Inspired Union.

As a capstone bilateral exercise, Inspired Union fosters collaboration between Pakistan and the U.S. armed forces, in an effort to uphold the rules-based international order that supports the free flow of commerce in strategically important waters in the region.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab al-Mandeb.

Source: United States Navy

Good morning, everyone! It is great to be with you here in D.C. for the final day of Modern Day Marine 2024.

Lieutenant General Chiarotti, thank you for that kind introduction and for your 36 years of service in the United States Marine Corps. 

From Europe to the Middle East, from the Indo-Pacific to the Caribbean, you answered the call of our nation time and time again, leading Marines and Sailors around the globe in support of peace and stability.

And I thank you for your continued dedication to serving the Marine Corps as the Chief Executive Officer of the Marine Corps Association.

The work of your organization and others like it undertake to support the professional development of our Marines and to build awareness of the rich history, spirit, and traditions of our Marine Corps that are critical to maintaining the world’s premier naval expeditionary force.

General Smith, General Mahoney, Sergeant Major Ruiz, thank you, Gentlemen, for your decades of service, and for your leadership of the United States Marine Corps.

I cannot express how I proud I am of the successes we’ve realized during our time together, from meeting recruiting goals to being the first service to pass an audit, and I look forward to what the future holds for the Marines, Sailors, and civilians that you lead.

Given the challenges our nation faces today, alongside our international allies and partners, it is imperative that we remain committed to fielding a strong Navy and Marine Corps team that is lethal, agile, and capable of deterring our adversaries and, if called upon, prevail in combat.

And those challenges are many, from Europe to the Indo-Pacific to the Red Sea.

In Europe, Russia has entered the third year of its unprovoked, illegal, and brutal war of aggression in Ukraine.

We, alongside our NATO allies, proudly stand alongside our Ukrainian partners as they fight to restore peace in their homeland.

And I commend Congress for their passage of the recent national security supplemental budget request that included $60 billion in assistance for Ukraine, providing them with the materiel support they need to defend against Russia’s ongoing invasion.

And as you are all aware, in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, we are working alongside our NATO allies and partners in the Middle East to ensure the safety of innocent, civilian mariners and to protect our commercial shipping against missiles and drones launched by the Houthis in Yemen.

Since last November, the Houthis—who are an Iranian partner and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group—have launched over one hundred attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Marines and Sailors across multiple ships and aviation squadrons have demonstrated a high level of warfighting experience and an incredible amount of resiliency while conducting kinetic operations.

In March, I had the privilege of welcoming USS Bataan (LHD-5) home at Naval Station Norfolk. The sense of pride I felt from our Marines and Sailors from knowing that they excelled in the performance of their assigned missions was overwhelming.

Likewise, the outpouring of love and support I witnessed from the families that had endured over eight months of separation was a reminder of why we do what we do—why we sail into harm’s way—to keep them safe, and to defend the ideals and freedoms we enjoy.

Finally, in the Indo-Pacific, we face a comprehensive maritime power—our pacing challenge.

The People’s Republic of China continues to exert its excessive maritime claims through their navy, coast guard, and maritime militia.

We will continue to sail and operate alongside our allies and partners, including the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, in support of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region, one where nations are secure in their access to the seas and where their rights within their exclusive economic zones are respected and upheld.

Our Navy and Marine Corps remain at the center of global and national security—maintaining freedom of the seas, international security, and upholding the rules-based international order that has brought prosperity and stability to millions around the globe.

And to preserve the freedoms and ideals codified by the Constitution many of us here today have sworn an oath to support and defend against all enemies, foreign and domestic, we are proud to have the world’s strongest Marine Corps, supported America’s Warfighting Navy.

But to maintain the competitive advantages our Marines and Sailors enjoy today in terms of platforms, systems, and capabilities, it is imperative that we continue to both modernize and innovate.

Shortly after I became the 78^th Secretary of the Navy in August of 2021, I laid out our Department’s three enduring priorities of: Strengthening Maritime Dominance, Building a Culture of Warfighting Excellence, and Enhancing Strategic Partnerships.

Over the last year, we have realized significant advances in the Marine Corps against all three of our enduring priorities. 

This progress directly supports Force Design, and the Marine Corps continues to make progress in this force-wide transformational endeavor to ensure our ability to operate as our Nation’s Stand-In Force, any-time, anywhere around the globe.

And as we look towards the future of the Corps and how we will advance its warfighting capabilities and readiness along all three enduring priorities, we are making strong commitments to the acquisition of modern platforms and systems, taking care of our Marines and their families, and strengthening our relationships with allies and partners across the world.

On the acquisitions front, the President’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 includes $4.2 billion for the procurement of platforms and weapons our Marines and Sailors need to operate ashore as an expeditionary force, including:

• Joint Tactical Vehicles
• Amphibious Combat Vehicles
• Naval Strike Missiles for NMESIS
• Tactical Tomahawk missiles
• Javelin anti-armor missiles, and
• Ground/Air Task Oriented RADAR (GATOR)

We continue to acquire F-35s and CH-53Ks to provide our Marines with the strike and heavy lift support they require from the air.

And our Navy continues to procure LPDs, LHAs, and LSMs to ensure we maintain the sealift capacity necessary to move Marines and their equipment throughout the maritime domain in potentially contested environments.

However, the core of our combat strength is our people. A critical element of Force Design is providing our people with world class training and education opportunities—including the Naval Community College—to hone their skills, making the Marine Corps more lethal and agile.

We are taking an innovative approach to utilizing our Reserve Marines through programs such as the Marine Innovation Unit, where reservists can directly apply their civilian career experiences in support of the rapid identification, experimentation, prototyping, adoption, and fielding of cutting-edge technologies to solve capability gaps identified by Marines in the field.

And we focused on improving the quality of life for our Marines and their families through initiatives like Barracks 2030, improving on-base family housing, and expanding childcare services with planned construction of new Child Development Centers across several installations.

We are also committed to reducing destructive behaviors across both the Navy and Marine Corps as we strive to provide each and every one of our Marines, Sailors, and civilians with a work environment where they feel safe, respected, and welcomed.

All of these efforts contribute to the readiness and resiliency of our Marines and their families, ensuring they are ready to respond to wherever they are needed around the globe.

However, it is important to note that our Marines rarely operate alone and are often accompanied by forces from our allies and partners.

Every day, our Marines and Sailors are sailing, flying, and operating alongside the forces of fellow like-minded nations across the world.

Exercises like Freedom Shield 24 with the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, Iron Fist 24 with the Japanese Self Defense Force, and Balikatan 2024 with the Armed Forces of the Philippines provide us with unique opportunities to strengthen the bonds between our nations’ respective militaries, building trust in one another’s abilities to operate in a critical region.

We also continue to train alongside our allies and partners in Europe and South America through exercises such as Nordic Response and CENTAM Guardian 24, respectively.

The alliances and partnerships we enjoy with nations around the globe are indeed what separate us from our potential adversaries, and I am proud that the United States Marine Corps is the partner-of-choice many militaries across several continents.

Now, as we look towards the future of the Corps, it is important to reflect on where we’ve been, and the sacrifices made by our Marines and Sailors who, for centuries, have served as our Nation’s premier expeditionary fighting force.

Here in Washington, D.C, their stories, including acts of heroism and devotion to our nation, are preserved throughout the capital’s museums and monuments—including the Marine Corps War Memorial at Arlington, where I swore my oath of office as Secretary of the Navy.

Up the road from here in Annapolis at the United States Naval Academy, the names of fallen graduates like Major Doug Zembiec, Major Megan McClung, and 1^st Lieutenant Travis Manion adorn the walls of Memorial Hall.

Across the world, Marine Corps bases and installations are marked with reminders of Marines who remained “always faithful” to our Nation.

And in our Fleet, warships bear the names of Marine Corps Medal of Honor Recipients, like Colonel Harvey Barnum, hard-fought battles, including Bataan and Bougainville, and places of historical significance to the Corps, such as Tripoli.

In December of 2022, I had the privilege of naming the future America-class amphibious assault ship LHA-9 the USS Fallujah, honoring the actions of our Marines who participated in the First and Second Battles of Fallujah, as well as all of our Marines and Sailors who conducted operations in Iraq.

In keeping with naval tradition of naming our Navy’s amphibious assault ships after U.S. Marine Corps battles, I am honored to announce today that the future LHA-10 will be named USS Helmand Province, recognizing the bravery and sacrifice of our Marines and Sailors who fought for almost 20 years in the mountains of Afghanistan.

I am also honored to announce that Mrs. Trish Smith, the wife of the 39^th Commandant of the Marine Corps General Eric Smith, will serve as the ship’s sponsor for USS Helmand Province.

A ship’s sponsor plays a critical role throughout the life of a warship, serving as the bond between the ship, her crew, and the nation they serve.  And I have no doubt that Mrs. Smith will serve admirably in this role, supporting the Marines and Sailors of USS Helmand Province wherever they may sail around the globe.

Mrs. Smith, please join me on stage for the presentation of your official sponsor designation letter.

Thank you, Mrs. Smith, on behalf of our Navy and Marine Corps, for accepting this lifetime commitment, which will endure long after your and your husband’s time in service to the Corps ends.

At this time, I would like to offer the stage to our Commandant, General Eric Smith, to share the significance of Helmand Province to the Marine Corps.

(Commandant Provides Remarks)

Thank you, General Smith, for sharing your reflections on why naming this ship USS Helmand Province is so important to keeping the memories of those who gave all alive for future generations of Marines and Sailors.

As I close, I will echo what General Smith highlighted—the work we ask our Marines and Sailors to do every day is anything but ordinary or routine, and in many cases extremely dangerous.

It is incumbent upon all of us here in this room—government and industry—to leverage every resource at our disposal to ensure our Marines have what they need to be successful in their assigned missions and return home safely to their loved ones.

May God Bless our Marines, Sailors, civilians, and their families, and continue to grant our Nation with fair winds and following seas. Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Carney, homeported at Naval Station Mayport, supported a variety of missions, including maritime security operations and theater security cooperation, while on a scheduled independent deployment in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas operations.

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.

Source: United States Navy

Some 105 Reserve Sailors took part in the third annual Mako Storm exercise at the Navy Warfare Development Center, learning and following NAVCENT procedures for maritime operations, including intelligence briefings and logistics planning, and responses to medical emergencies — all designed to prepare them to fill the roles of their active-component counterparts at a moment’s notice. 

The immersive training introduced many Reserve Sailors to the maritime operations center experience and the roles they will play during an actual event.  

“I’ve learned a lot about what an intelligence specialist does on a watch floor,” said Intelligence Specialist 3rd Class Shea Outlaw, the lead intelligence analyst in Mako Storm 2024. “An exercise like Mako Storm allows me to see exactly what my role would be in a real-life scenario.” 

Mentorship is a foundational component of Mako Storm 2024 and the broad Mako series, which includes Mako Challenge, Mako Sentry and Mako Global. 

“The mentors here are stellar,” Outlaw said. “They’ve been able to answer my questions or guide me in using critical thinking to find the answer.”  

This year’s Mako Storm included multiple Sailors who served as mentors to watch standers. Among them was Cmdr. Matt Packard, the MOC advisor in NR NAVCENT/C5F’s N3 unit, who served as a mentor for battle watch captains and fleet watch officers in the fleet command center cell. 

Packard explained the importance of not only mentors, but cross-enterprise, collaborative unit training. 

 “Mako Storm 2024 is an outstanding environment to conduct training across all NR NAVCENT/C5F units,” he said. “The 12 units are split up in different locations around the U.S., and that makes it very challenging to conduct face-to-face training with everyone at the same time. Mako Storm is the only opportunity we have to get the NAVCENT Reserve units together and conduct training that they will take with them to the NAVCENT watch floor in Bahrain.” 

 The Mako series provides unique opportunities for Reserve Sailors to develop networks that are crucial for unit cohesion and professional development, and to forge lasting personal connections and friendships, Packard said. 

 “In the exercise environment, Sailors are focused solely on fighting the problem at hand,” Packard said. “Outside of that, they can make connections for professional development, which can further enhance the value of training.”  

He also stressed the value of giving Reserve Sailors access to training equipment and resources that mirror what is in use in the NAVCENT MOC.  

 “Sailors can’t access this level of operational level of war training or maritime operations center systems at their Navy Reserve Centers, which are focused on administrative readiness,” Packard said. “In the Navy Warfare Development Center facility, they get significant hands-on training and experience to take to the fleet.” 

Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Steve Ramirez joined the exercise as a red cell database manager, assisting with the creation of simulated challenges and threat. As a prior active-duty Sailor and a NAVCENT veteran, he found value in the training environment and an opportunity to expand his knowledge base. 

 “Participating in this year’s MAKO STORM has allowed me to ask questions of officers to gain more big picture awareness,” Ramirez said. “When you’re doing this job in the fleet, you don’t get a chance to talk to officers much because you have to focus on your role and complete your task. In this training environment, I get to interact with them and ask them what they would do, or what I should do, in certain situations. So, it is very valuable knowledge I can take with me to future assignments in the fleet.” 

Among the senior leaders who attended the exercise and spoke with Sailors were Vice Adm. John Mustin, the chief of the Navy Reserve; Rear Adm. Kenneth Blackmon, the vice commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the operational level of war force design flag champion for the Navy Reserve; and Rear Adm. Marc Lederer, the reserve deputy for installations and logistics in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 

Rear Adm. Jeff Jurgemeyer, the NAVCENT/C5F vice commander, participated fully in the battle rhythm.  

 “The Navy Reserve heavily invests in exercises like Mako Storm because they have a great return on investment,” Jurgemeyer said. “Mako Storm gives our Reserve Sailors a thorough understanding of what they will be doing on the NAVCENT watch floor.” 

 Further, he said, in an increasingly dynamic global security environment, exercises such as Mako Storm 2024 reflect the crucial role Reserve Sailors play in current operations. 

 “If you follow the news, you know that the Middle East is a busy place lately,” Jurgemeyer said. “NAVCENT is putting significant resources into maintaining security and stability in the region. If a Reserve Sailor wants to get in the game and play at the varsity level, then NAVCENT is the place to be.” 

 NAVCENT/C5F is the maritime component commander of U.S. Central Command in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, which encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse comprises more than 20 countries and includes three critical choke points: the Suez Canal, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz.