Month: October 2024

Source: United States Navy

NORTH SEA – The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) transited through the Strait of Dover for the North Sea, Oct. 14.

The strike group will conduct operations in the North Sea with Allies and partners from several countries in the region, demonstrating the warfighting interoperability and strategic relationships built over the past eighty years.

“Storied in world history, our transit through the Strait of Dover to operate with our Allies in the North Sea underscores our commitment to maritime security and the NATO Alliance,” said Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the HSTCSG. “We will operate with our NATO Allies and partners to strengthen our collective readiness, defense, and deterrence. No nation can confront today’s challenges alone, and we look forward to showcasing our interoperability.”

The Strait of Dover, historically known as the Dover Narrows, is the narrowest part of the English Channel and separates Great Britain from mainland Europe. The channel also separates the Atlantic Ocean from the North Sea, a strategically important area where the carrier strike group will conduct various bilateral operations with Allies and partners. The strike group last operated in the North Sea during a deployment in 2018, including time operating above the Arctic Circle in the Norwegian Sea for the NATO exercise Trident Juncture.

“I’m excited to operate in the North Sea again,” said Capt. Dave Snowden, commanding officer of USS Harry S. Truman and former executive officer during the 2018 deployment. “With its unique geographical and environmental characteristics, every time we operate in this region we increase our proficiency and showcase our inherent flexibility to operate anywhere in the world.”

The HSTCSG will support U.S. Naval Forces Europe’s maritime operations and theater security cooperation missions, working alongside Allies and partners to maintain maritime safety, security, and stability. The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) operated in the North Sea in 2023 and was the first aircraft carrier to visit Oslo, Norway, for a port of call since 1958.

Before entering the Strait of Dover, the strike group operated off the Azores and Northern Africa for a series of warfighting training scenarios between the strike group’s ships and air wing before heading North for the English Channel.

“It feels like the world has their eyes on us, speculating where we’ll go and what we’ll do next,” said Lt. Adam Biethman, a reactor department officer onboard Harry S. Truman. “I love the flexibility of our strike group, and it’s great to know we’ll be operating and learning from our Allies in the North Sea.”

The carrier strike group consists of the flagship USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75); Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 with nine embarked aviation squadrons; staffs from CSG-8, CVW-1, and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28; the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64); and two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109).

HSTCSG’s mission is to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations at sea and remain the cornerstone of the Navy’s forward presence through sea control and power projection capabilities. You can find them on DVIDS at https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN75.

Source: United States Navy

PACIFIC OCEAN – The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) took one more step toward returning to a deployment-ready state, completing its first post planned incremental availability exercise while underway in the Pacific Ocean Sept. 27.

The culmination of the training evolution was a Final Evaluation Problem (FEP), a command assessment tailored to the unique training portfolio and requirements of Nimitz, as well as the ship’s upcoming deployment. Passing the FEP moves Nimitz into the pre-deployment phase, beginning the ship’s preparation for the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), and eventual deployment.

“We’ve overcome the first major hurdle of Nimitz’s pre-deployment training and evaluation process,” said Capt. Douglas Graber, Nimitz commanding officer. “It was difficult evolution, but the long hours of training and preparation we put in really paid off. I couldn’t be more proud of our crew and their performance throughout the evaluation process.”

For more information please contact the USS Nimitz Public Affairs Officer at pao@cvn68.navy.mil.

Source: United States Navy

With decades of public service, Panetta offered frank advice and lessons learned to the more than 1,300 students, faculty and staff gathered in the packed NPS King Hall auditorium.  

“Fundamental to everything our democracy stands for is leadership, and that requires character, integrity, and courage,” said Panetta. “Those qualities are abundant in this room, and being selected to come to NPS further sets you apart. When you graduate, you will carry the additional obligation to do more, take risks, make hard decisions and lead solutions to complex national defense challenges if we’re going to remain the world’s strongest democracy.”

In his opening comments, Panetta stressed the importance of alliances in addressing today’s conflicts, and terrorism instigated and supported by a growing axis of autocracies lead by China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

“Our adversaries are actively working to undermine trust,” Panetta remarked. “When our nation is distracted, tyrants will fill the void. The leader’s job is not to point fingers, but to point out falsehoods and elevate reality so we can agree on the problem, then work together to address it.  Across the aisle, or across alliances, that’s how leaders get things done. That’s how we win.”

The “Fireside Chat” was moderated by retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Eric Wendt, a former Special Forces Green Beret and current professor of practice in the school’s Department of Defense Analysis, and an NPS distinguished alumnus. When asked the one thing he would do to improve DOD today, Panetta responded, “There are many things, but the one thing I am most concerned about is speed.”

“We need DOD bureaucracy to move at the speed of technology,” added Panetta. “I’m concerned that we can’t act swiftly enough to ensure our advantage by leveraging and learning about cutting edge technologies. Industry is setting the pace, and much of it is American innovation, but we need to apply innovative thinking to how we acquire, adapt and adopt technology to meet capability needs. I believe NPS and the future Naval Innovation Center at NPS are parts of the solution.”

During his visit, Panetta also spoke with Defense Analysis students in the DA 3900 Command and Leadership course taught by Wendt, where he further encouraged students to apply their operational experience, NPS education and research to solving the most vexing challenges facing DOD.

Before leading the DOD, Panetta served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, director of the Office of Management and Budget, White House Chief of Staff, and as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Today, Panetta co-directs with his wife, Sylvia, the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, based at California State University, Monterey Bay. The Institute is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit center that seeks to instill in young men and women the virtues and values of public service.

• For more information on the Secretary of the Navy Guest Lecture program at NPS, and to watch past lectures, visit https://nps.edu/sgls

Learn more about the NPS Department of Defense Analysis at https://nps.edu/web/da

Source: United States Navy

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower & Reserve Affairs), the Honorable Franklin R. Parker visited the University of Alabama on October 12, 2024, in partnership with the Navy Submarine Industrial Base program. As the Department of the Navy’s senior representative at the University’s football game against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, Secretary Parker helped carry the message for the Department’s Maritime Statecraft and educated attendees on the endless career opportunities available – both in and out of uniform.

The state of Alabama’s role in U.S. naval history has been steadfast for centuries, and it continues to be vital to building the Department’s maritime workforce. Thousands of Sailors, Marines, and Civilians hail from the state. The National Call to Maritime Service, an initiative to attract talent to naval careers, and BuildSubmarines.com were co-sponsors for the game, demonstrating a whole-of-government and whole-of-industry partnership necessary to ensure national security.

“In an era where the stakes are incredibly high, we must attract and retain top-tier talent,” Secretary Parker stated. “We are committed to raising awareness of the critical openings available for individuals to leverage their talents, develop their skills, and pursue their passions through a career of public service.” The Department of the Navy offers a unique proposition—a chance to serve on the front lines of freedom and an opportunity to grow personally and professionally.

This visit comes at a crucial time as the Navy expands its submarine industrial base. The Department of Navy recently supported the purchase of an Alabama Shipyard, a strategic move that will boost submarine production capacity and create approximately 3,000 new, sustainable jobs in the region.

“This public and private sector partnership demonstrates our commitment to building vital   capability and capacity required for the submarine industrial base,” Matt Sermon, Executive Director, Program Executive Office Strategic Submarines said. “By investing together with industry in Alabama, we’re not just increasing our ability to build the next generation of submarines but creating a hub for innovation, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development. For University of Alabama students, alumni, fans, and stakeholders, this represents an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation and contribute to our national security.”

For University of Alabama students, the submarine industrial base offers a specific opportunity to hire and train the next generation of workforce members who are mission critical to building the submarines and systems the Navy needs.

For more information about the National Call to Maritime Service and future military and federal employment opportunities, please visit https://www.secnav.navy.mil/calltomaritimeservice/Pages/default.aspx.

For more information about amazing opportunities in the Submarine Industrial Base and how you can support your Navy without wearing a uniform, please visit https://www.buildsubmarines.com/.