Month: June 2024

Source: United States Navy

Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes Commander, Naval Medical Forces Pacific, and Director, Defense Health Network Pacific Rim, presided over the ceremony and presented Hines with the Legion of Merit.

“Leading a health care facility is difficult,” said Valdes. It is an assignment that demands exceptional leadership and a deep understanding of our military’s unique health care needs. The challenges faced in providing world-class care to our military community are vast and ever evolving. The execution of patient care, training, research, and operational readiness requires great skill and expertise…Capt. Hines has performed exceptionally with grace and poise.”

“From day one, he focused on the readiness and health of our warfighters and their families by expertly leading a highly trained team of medical experts to deliver world-class care to more than 189,000 eligible beneficiaries across the INDOPACOM area of operations,“ continued Valdes. “He fulfilled the command’s critical role of ensuring a medically ready force focused on expanding expeditionary capacity with our allies in the region.”

Rear Adm. Satoshi Tsukazaki, director of the Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) Hospital Yokosuka served as a guest speaker at the ceremony and remarked on the relationship between the two military health care facilities.

“We have accomplished many things together, but there are two things that I would especially like to thank Capt. Hines for. First, we were able to move forward with the training on damage control surgery as a joint operational team of Japan and U.S. medical personnel,” said Tsukazaki. ” Second, Capt. Hines and his team developed the Japanese-American Medical Interoperability Partnership Program (JAMIPP) and have started accepting our junior medical personnel to familiarize them with the U.S. military medicine. I am sure that the joint training on damage control surgery and JAMIPP will raise our interoperability to the next level.”

“Capt. Hines, thank you very much for your leadership and your dedication and commitment to promote mutual understanding and interoperability between our two countries,“ concluded Tsukazaki.

Hines a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, previously served as executive officer of U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa prior to taking command of USNMRTC Yokosuka on June 30, 2022. He will report to Washington D.C. for his next assignment with Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

“Serving as the commanding officer of USNMRTC Yokosuka for the past two years has been a tremendous honor,” said Hines. I am proud of the Yokosuka staff serving on mainland Japan, in South Korea, and on Diego Garcia for their many accomplishments and mission focus during challenging times. This team has been recognized repeatedly for delivering the highest quality health care to our forward-deployed joint forces. “We have developed deep partnerships with our JSDF colleagues that directly support the U.S.-Japanese alliance and our desire for peace across INDOPACOM. I welcome Capt. Velazquez and his family to Japan fully confident that he will continue the tradition of partnership and reputation of excellence that Naval Hospital Yokosuka has earned.”

Prior to receiving orders to USNMRTC Yokosuka, Velazquez, the 39th commanding officer of USNH Yokosuka and a New Orleans native, served as executive officer at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton.

“I am extremely privileged to take command and to be a part of the legacy of excellence of USNH Yokosuka and USNMRTC Yokosuka,” remarked Velazquez. “With personnel stationed across three countries we support the entire INDOPACOM by providing excellent care when and where it is needed while also ensuring a force that is medically ready to deploy, now. We have always met these missions and will continue to do so.”

Story originally posted on DVIDS: USNH Yokosuka Change of Command 

Source: United States Navy

The soldier’s unit requested transport to a medical facility after he had trouble breathing and lost consciousness. 
 
The SAR crew launched from Ault Field at approximately 9:45 that morning and arrived on scene just before 10:20. A bystander with orange flags guided them to a spot at an elevation of 5300 ft.  above sea level where the pilot conducted a one-wheel landing so the rescue team could depart and check on the patient. The rescue team discovered the man was suffering from shortness of breath, dehydration, nausea and chest pains.
 
The team immediately prepped the man for extraction. He and the rescue team were hoisted into the SAR helicopter around 10:55 and arrived at St. Joseph’s in Bellingham just after noon.
 
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island SAR has conducted 10 missions this calendar year, which includes 3 MEDEVACs, 2 searches and 5 rescues.
 
The Navy SAR unit operates three MH-60S helicopters from NAS Whidbey Island as search and rescue/medical evacuation (SAR/MEDEVAC) platforms for the EA-18G aircraft as well as other squadrons and personnel assigned to the installation.  Pursuant to the National SAR Plan of the United States, the unit may also be used for civil SAR/MEDEVAC needs to the fullest extent practicable on a non-interference basis with primary military duties according to applicable national directives, plans, guidelines and agreements; specifically, the unit may launch in response to tasking by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (based on a Washington State Memorandum of Understanding) for inland missions, and/or tasking by the United States Coast Guard for all other aeronautical and maritime regions, when other assets are unavailable.
 
 

Source: United States Navy

Secretary Del Toro attended the ceremony alongside dignitaries including President of the United States Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, veterans, and representatives of the allied nations.

The Normandy American Cemetery is the final resting place for over 9,300 American soldiers. The 80th anniversary serves as a solemn reminder of the immense cost of war. D-Day resulted in heavy casualties on both sides, highlighting the sacrifices made to secure freedom. These commemorations aim to honor the fallen while celebrating the ultimate triumph of the Allied forces.

“On that fateful day, members of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ from our Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Coastguardsmen to the French resistance fighters who fought to set the conditions for victory behind enemy lines, demonstrated a level of devotion to duty, gallantry, and heroism that was unparalleled in the history of mankind,” said Secretary Del Toro. “They accepted nothing less than full victory. Their bravery and sacrifice are forever etched in the histories of our nations and will continue to serve as inspiration for future generations.”

D-Day, codenamed Operation Overlord, was the largest amphibious assault in history. On June 6, 1944, over 150,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control. The battle was fiercely contested, and the success of D-Day paved the way for the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

As the number of surviving D-Day veterans dwindles, these commemorations take on even greater significance. They serve as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made during World War II, and the importance of international cooperation in the face of tyranny.

“We indeed owe a profound debt of gratitude to our Veterans of D-Day and World War II, for the battles they fought during their time afforded us all a chance to live in peace—a peace we, our allies, and our international partners are still fighting to preserve across the world today, from the battlefields of Ukraine to the waters of the Red Sea,” said Secretary Del Toro. “We honor those in whose footsteps we follow by remaining steadfast in our commitment to our trans-Atlantic alliance, and we are fully committed to countering any and all challenges that threaten peace and security across Europe.”

Unlike the heavily fortified Omaha Beach, Utah Beach faced less initial resistance. However, the American troops of the 4th Infantry Division still encountered fierce German defenses. Despite facing rough seas and landing off-course, they managed to secure a foothold and push inland.

By honoring the Allied forces who fought there, the commemoration emphasized the crucial role of international cooperation in the face of adversity. The ceremony allowed attendees to not only remember the past, but also to inspire future generations with the ideals of freedom and international solidarity.

Read Secretary Del Toro’s remarks here.

Source: United States Navy

Good evening, everyone!

It is an honor to join you all today here at Utah Beach as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day and Operation Overlord, which marked the turning of the tide in the Allies’ campaign to liberate Europe from Nazi oppression.

General Poppas, Mr. Brunetière, distinguished guests, and especially our World War II Veterans, thank you for joining us this evening to reflect upon and commemorate the actions of both United States and Allied servicemembers, in the air, at-sea, and on-land here at Utah Beach.

As the United States’ 78th Secretary of the Navy, I stand before you as the representative of the nearly one million Sailors, Marines, and civilian employees who comprise our Navy and Marine Corps Team worldwide and carry the legacy of those who fought and gave their lives to ensure the success of the amphibious landings at Normandy.

And here at Utah Beach, we recall the actions of the US battleship USS Nevada and the Royal Navy’s monitor HMS Erebus as well as scores of smaller US, British, French, and allied warships, bombarding German positions in support of Force “U.”

Our Sailors and Coastguardsmen helmed landing craft that took US, British, and Canadian forces ashore, combatting rough seas so that they would have a fighting chance on land.

Our Beachmasters and clearance teams worked tirelessly to ensure that beaches and littoral waters were clear of obstacles that would impede our troops.

Our naval personnel knew they could not fail in their mission, and strove valiantly to ensure they supported our U.S. Army counterparts from VII Corps and the 82nd Airborne.

The landings across Normandy on June 6th, 1944, while challenging, demonstrated to the world the resolve of our alliance to stand up to tyranny and oppression, and to fight for the common ideals and freedoms we still hold dear, 80 years on.

As General Eisenhower stated in his Order of the Day to the personnel of the Allied Expeditionary Force on June 6th, 1944, “I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.”

On that fateful day, members of the “Greatest Generation,” from our Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Coastguardsmen to the French resistance fighters who fought to set the conditions for victory behind enemy lines, demonstrated a level of devotion to duty, gallantry, and heroism that was unparalleled in the history of mankind.  They accepted nothing less than full victory.

Their bravery and sacrifice are forever etched in the histories of our nations and will continue to serve as inspiration for future generations. 

We indeed owe a profound debt of gratitude to our Veterans of D-Day and World War II, for the battles they fought during their time afforded us all a chance to live in peace—a peace we, our allies, and our international partners are still fighting to preserve across the world today, from the battlefields of Ukraine to the waters of the Red Sea.

We honor those in whose footsteps we follow by remaining steadfast in our commitment to our trans-Atlantic alliance, and we are fully committed to countering any and all challenges that threaten peace and security across Europe.

Again, it is an absolute honor to be with you all today at this hallowed ground.  May we never forget the sacrifices of our countrymen, and may we always strive to live up to the examples they set forth in defense of liberty across the globe.

May God continue to grant our nations liberty and prosperity, and may God Bless our World War II Veterans and their families, as well as those who follow in their footsteps today. Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

The trip centered on increasing engagement with long-established allied member nations through enhanced information sharing, regional security cooperation, and cooperation in new domains.

The international trip began in Brussels where DDNI and ADDNI met with Mr. Scott Bray, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security to discuss threat vulnerabilities and strengthening intelligence cooperation with NATO.

DDNI and ADDNI then travelled to Italy where they visited U.S. 6th Fleet leadership to discuss multi-domain intelligence capabilities and operational priorities.

The next stop was NATO’s Joint Force Command Naples where DDNI and ADDNI were briefed by American military members on NATO operational priorities in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and established a common understanding of maritime security.

DDNI closed out his international trip in Stuttgart, Germany where he met with European Command intelligence leaders to discuss threat warning priorities and processes for intelligence dissemination in response to Russian aggression in Europe.

Meetings and engagements like these with international Navy and Intelligence counterparts furthers understanding and deepens the partnerships that are essential to ensuring global security.