Month: November 2024

Posted on

Defense News: USS John S. McCain Returns Home from Deployment

Source: United States Navy

EVERETT, Washington – The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) returned to Naval Station Everett, Oct. 31, 2024 following an eight-month deployment with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) to the U.S. 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation.

“I am incredibly proud of the dedication, resilience, and professionalism shown by our team throughout this deployment,” said Cmdr. Parina Somnhot, commanding officer of John S. McCain. “Our Sailors always answered the call and helped ensure mission success.”

John S. McCain deployed in March and operated both independently and as part of the TRSCG. The TRCSG deployed to the Indo-Pacific region to support regional security and stability, to keep sea lanes open, and to reassure our allies and partners of the U.S. Navy’s unwavering commitment to the region. The strike group was later ordered to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to strengthen U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.

John S. McCain conducted various exercises with foreign navies, strengthening important relationships with allies and partners. These exercises enhanced warfighting readiness, interoperability, and maritime coordination between allies and partners.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, and expeditionary strike groups.

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is comprised of Carrier Strike Group 9 staff, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23 staff, the flagship Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, and DESRON 23 ships that include guided-missile destroyers USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), USS Russell (DDG 59) and John S. McCain.

An integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations – from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information on John S. McCain, please visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/ddg56/.

Posted on

Defense News: FRCSW Bids Farewell to Its Last Legacy Aircraft

Source: United States Navy

Introduced in the 1980s, the F/A-18 Hornet has been a versatile and essential asset in naval aviation, serving in major conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm and the Kosovo War. This particular Hornet, designated AQ-99, carries a rich operational history, symbolizing both the aircraft’s role in naval conflicts and the legacy of FRCSW’s aircraft maintenance program. “This is monumental for the depot,” said Ehren Terbeek, FRCSW Tactical Air Program Manager. “Many artisans here began their careers working on these aircraft, and it’s a milestone for everyone involved.”

The facility’s role in maintaining these legacy aircraft has been extraordinary. Through innovations like the center barrel replacement, FRCSW extended the operational life of the F/A-18 far beyond its original limit of 6000 flight hours, with some Hornets surpassing 9,000 hours. “The aircraft is old so parts were hard to source, and structural repairs were challenging, but our team’s skills and knowledge ensured these aircraft kept flying,” Terbeek emphasized. These efforts have been crucial in keeping naval aviation mission-ready for decades.

FRCSW’s artisans, many of whom are veterans, take immense pride in their work. The departure of the second-to-last Hornet to Fort Worth, Texas and now the final Hornet returning to Miramar, marks a bittersweet moment for those who spent their careers ensuring these aircraft remained battle-ready. For many, working on the F/A-18 has been a career-defining experience. “It was bittersweet knowing we were saying goodbye to an aircraft that defined our work for decades,” Terbeek reflected.

As FRCSW transitions to newer aircraft models like the F-35 and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle like the MQ-8, the experience and expertise gained from decades of maintaining legacy aircraft will continue to inform its evolving role. The final maintenance effort on this F/A-18 Hornet is both the end of a chapter and a tribute to FRCSW’s historical contributions and the skilled workforce that has upheld the highest standards of aircraft maintenance. The legacy of excellence remains, as the facility prepares to support the next generation of naval aviation.

Fleet Readiness Center Southwest is the Navy’s premier West Coast aircraft repair, maintenance, and overhaul organization specializing in the Navy and Marine Corps aircraft and their related systems.

Posted on

Defense News: Readout of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s Meeting with Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy Rear Adm. Garin Golding

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met virtually with Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy Rear Adm. Garin Golding, Oct. 31.

The two leaders discussed their shared defense and security priorities of a free and open Indo-Pacific, strengthening their naval partnership through increased interoperability, and their commitment to upholding the rules based international order.

Franchetti thanked Golding for the Royal New Zealand Navy’s support and participation in Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2024 and for New Zealand’s steadfast leadership in the Pacific Islands region.

During RIMPAC 2024, Franchetti visited the Royal New Zealand ship HMNZS Aotearoa (A-11), where she thanked Royal New Zealand Navy service members, met with the ship’s leadership, and observed the exercise first-hand.

CNO also expressed her condolences and sympathy for the loss of HMNZS Manawanui, which sunk, without loss of life, after running aground off the coast of Samoa, Oct. 5. 

The United States and New Zealand have a longstanding partnership focused on ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe.

Posted on

Maryland Man Charged with Tax Crimes and COVID-19 Relief Fraud

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

An indictment was unsealed on Monday charging a Maryland man with COVID-19 relief fraud, not filing a tax return and not paying all required employment taxes.

According to the indictment, Vince Akins, of Ellicott City, allegedly owned and operated several transportation companies that serviced different federal agencies. Eventually all but one of those companies stopped operating. Nevertheless, Akins was allegedly responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. Between 2019 and 2022, however, Akins allegedly did not pay to the IRS the full amount of the taxes withheld. 

In addition, in 2020, he allegedly filed four Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications using false IRS documents on behalf of his then-defunct companies. He received $387,220 in fraudulent PPP loans, which were later forgiven. When he obtained the loan proceeds, he laundered approximately $151,000 of it by transferring it to two personal bank accounts in Nigeria. Further, Akins allegedly did not file a personal return for 2020 despite being required by law to do so. 

Akins was charged with bank fraud, money laundering, employment tax violations and failure to file a tax return. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each bank fraud charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each money laundering charge, a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each employment tax charge and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for the failure to file a return charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Joseph D. G. Castro of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Posted on

Justice Department Announces Settlement and Consent Decree with Chicago Cubs Over Alleged Americans with Disabilities Act Violations at Wrigley Field

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

The Justice Department today announced a settlement and proposed consent decree with the Chicago Cubs to resolve alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at Wrigley Field.

“The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that sports venues like Wrigley Field be accessible to people with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have full and equal access to public accommodations, including our ballparks.”

“As a result of this settlement, baseball fans with physical disabilities will have vastly improved options at Wrigley Field — on par with those available to all other patrons,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Chicago Cubs are to be commended for working collaboratively with our office to find solutions, demonstrating their commitment to providing accessibility for people with disabilities.”

The department filed a lawsuit in 2022 against the Cubs, alleging that the organization’s renovation and reconstruction of Wrigley Field — a multi-year undertaking known as “the 1060 Project” — discriminated against individuals with disabilities. The lawsuit alleged, among other things, that the Cubs failed to provide wheelchair users with adequate sightlines as compared to standing patrons and failed to incorporate wheelchair seating into premium clubs and group seating areas.

Under the settlement, the Cubs will make numerous remediations to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities, including by removing noncompliant wheelchair spaces and companion seats and replacing them with wheelchair spaces that have significantly improved views of the field and fully compliant sightlines. The remediations will take place in every area of the stadium, including incorporating wheelchair spaces and companion seats into premium club areas at the front of the grandstand that will, for the first time, provide some front-row access for fans in wheelchairs. The Cubs have also agreed to modify protruding objects along circulation paths within Wrigley Field and ensure that certain parking and shuttle services outside the stadium are compliant. All Cubs employees and contractors whose job responsibilities involve contact with patrons with disabilities will receive training on the settlement before each of the next three baseball seasons.

The settlement and proposed consent decree have been submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois for final approval. Over the next several years, the Cubs will submit to the United States written reports detailing their compliance with certain obligations in the consent decree. The United States may review compliance with the consent decree, including by inspecting Wrigley Field, at any time during the next three years.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abraham J. Souza and Patrick W. Johnson for the Northern District of Illinois handled the case.

For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat discrimination in public accommodations, please visit the ADA’s government website.