Category: Defence

Source: United States Navy

“Command is the absolute pinnacle of any naval officer’s career,” said Rear Adm. Kenneth Epps, commander, NAVSUP, Chief of Supply Corps, and presiding officer for the event.

“Dave led a magnificent team to accomplish major feats,” he said. “He exceeded wildly, hit every mark that you can come in to, hit every mission requirement that came his way. It’s been beyond impressive.”

“To Capt. Carnal, Capt. Uribe, and the entire NAVSUP BSC team, thank you for your service, thank you for your dedication to everything we do.

“There has never been a time for more sense of urgency to be taking command now. I could not be more excited and comforted knowing that JC will soon have the watch,” said Epps.

Carnal served as commanding officer, NAVSUP BSC, from October 2022 to August 2024 and received the Legion of Merit for his exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service.

Under his direction, NAVSUP BSC developed and implemented a multi-year campaign plan framework to grow unit capabilities, increase the speed and agility of information technology (IT) delivery, and utilize data as a strategic asset. He led the modernization of an enterprise data analytics environment that improved data-driven decision-making, and accelerated readiness by capitalizing on the business value of data. His leadership resulted in an enhanced ability to integrate and consolidate existing data warehouses, while also laying the foundation for an advanced supply-chain analytics capability throughout the Navy Enterprise.

“I am forever grateful to have been part of [NAVSUP BSC] for the last 21 months,” said Carnal. “I genuinely appreciate everything you taught me, and I now consider myself an IT guy.

“Thank you for all you have done to support our Navy, the NAVSUP Enterprise, and most importantly the Sailors that are America’s warfighting Navy.

“JC, you are the right person to lead NAVSUP BSC during this exciting time of change and continue building on our legacy. Empower the team so you can leverage their amazing talents and skills to deliver the IT capabilities we need to strengthen the Navy’s supply chains. Without a doubt, you are taking command of the best Echelon III team in NAVSUP.”

Uribe most recently served as director, Fleet and Resources Division, United States Fleet Forces Command.

“As we gather today to mark this event, I am reminded of the resilience, strength, and unity that define our organization. NAVSUP BSC is more than just a collection of individuals. We are a cohesive team bound by a shared mission to provide cutting-edge business solutions supporting our Navy and warfighters worldwide,” said Uribe.

“I have full confidence in the aptitude, dedication, and professionalism of each member of this team,” he said. “Together, we will chart a course toward new horizons, innovate in the face of challenges, and uphold the proud tradition of excellence that defines our organization.”

Uribe is a native of San Antonio, Texas, and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 1999. He has completed multiple afloat, ashore, and overseas assignments including USS Ticonderoga (CG 47); USS Cleveland (LPD 7); USS Nimitz (CVN 68); Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Sigonella; Base Command Group at Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq; Logistics and Fleet Support Competency at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command; Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office at Naval Air Systems Command Patuxent River; Office of the Director, Defense Logistics Agency Fort Belvoir; NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support Philadelphia; and Fleet Requirements and Resources Division at U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

Carnal transfers to NAVSUP and will serve as assistant commander, Supply Chain Management, Policy, and Performance.

NAVSUP BSC provides the Navy with information systems support through the design, development, and maintenance of systems in the functional areas of logistics, supply chain management, transportation, finance, and accounting and is one of 11 commands under Commander, NAVSUP.

NAVSUP is headquartered in Mechanicsburg and employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of over 25,000 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP and the Navy Supply Corps conduct and enable supply chain, acquisition, operational logistics, and Sailor family care activities with mission partners to generate readiness, sustain naval forces worldwide, and prevent and decisively win wars.

For more information about NAVSUP BSC, visit https://www.navsup.navy.mil/NAVSUP-Enterprise/NAVSUP-Business-Systems-Center/.

For more information about NAVSUP, visit https://www.navsup.navy.mil/NAVSUP-Enterprise/NAVSUP-Headquarters/.

Source: United States Navy

CARTAGENA, Colombia – (Aug. 5, 2024) – Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Burlington (T-EPF 10) arrived in Cartagena, Colombia on Aug. 5, 2024 as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Continuing Promise 2024 (CP24).

Source: United States Navy

The aircraft crews from Assault Helicopter Battalion 2-2 CAB practiced single-spot deck landings aboard USNS Sacagawea, off the coast of Jinhae, South Korea, to certify nine crew members and 13 pilots in landing on a ship.

 
The DLQs were conducted through coordination between Military Sealift Command Office-Korea, USNS Sacagawea, and crews from Assault Helicopter Battalion 2-2 CAB to qualify or reset their crew on single-spot DLQ currency.

The training environment was also an opportunity for Army aircrews to ensure maritime air movement capability and readiness.

“Combining the expertise of professional civilian mariners aboard USNS Sacagawea, and the joint efforts between U.S. Army’s 2-2 CAB and MSCO-Korea personnel, this evolution provided a valuable opportunity to enhance interoperability between all involved,” said Cmdr. Patrick J. Moore, commanding officer, MSCO-Korea. “Overall, there was great collaboration between MSCO-K, USNS Sacagawea, and the soldiers of 2-2 CAB.”

The event was executed safely and without incident.

 
Commander, Military Sealift Command Far East ensures approximately 50 ships in the Indo-Pacific Region, are manned, trained and equipped to deliver essential supplies, fuel, cargo, and equipment to warfighters, both at sea and on shore.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024, MSC exists to support the joint warfighter across the full spectrum of military operations, with a workforce that includes approximately 6,000 Civil Service Mariners and 1,100 contract mariners, supported by 1,500 shore staff and 1,400 active duty and Reserve military personnel.

Source: United States Navy

More than 1,000 visitors had the chance to explore cutting-edge technology during a recent industry showcase event geared toward solving challenges faced in the military aviation maintenance community.

Hosted by the Eastern North Carolina (ENC) Tech Bridge in partnership with the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) and Craven County, the NCMS Technology Showcase held July 16-17 at the Riverfront Convention Center of in New Bern featured almost 50 organizations presenting their newest innovations.

According to ENC Tech Bridge Director Jamaine Clemmons, the event was designed to allow stakeholders at all levels of the aviation maintenance enterprise to explore new industry products and have face-to-face conversations with the developers. This type of intentional connection can help drive the innovation that finds new uses for existing products or improves the development of technology in ways that make it beneficial to national defense efforts, he said.

“We have problems that need to be solved, and we work with industry and academia on how to solve these issues,” Clemmons explained. “Events like this technology showcase allow us to work on getting next-generation solutions into the hands of our warfighters, as well as our maintainers at our military aviation depots and shipyards.

“The type of collaboration that takes place during these events allows the ENC Tech Bridge to support the rapid development, testing and fielding of solutions that will enhance the mission readiness throughout the Naval Aviation Enterprise,” he continued. “Building these partnerships helps facilitate an environment that encourages innovation and the development of advanced technology, and that’s a win-win for these exhibitors and the Navy.”

Fleet Readiness Center East Commanding Officer Capt. James M. Belmont said he was impressed by the variety of technologies on display during the event, and was optimistic that the interaction between attendees and exhibitors would lead to positive developments.

“Finding innovative solutions to support our maintenance operations and our forward-deployed service members is a high priority for FRC East,” Belmont said. “It’s such an important part of what we do that we brought in hundreds of our depot’s workforce to interact with these exhibitors and see how these solutions can help improve our operations, from the highest levels of our leadership to our artisans who turn wrenches on the hangar deck, engineers, logisticians and even high school interns.”

The event came about as the result of growth that has been under way since the ENC Tech Bridge launched in early 2022, and was the Tech Bridge’s largest event to date.

“It has been gratifying to watch the Tech Bridge grow from an idea into a reality, and this tech showcase is just the next step in building an ecosystem of innovation that can speed solutions to our nation’s warfighters,” said Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers Engineering Group Head Mark Meno, who attended the showcase. “Events like this allow our enterprise artisans, engineers and support staff to see firsthand the emerging technology these small businesses bring to the table allows them to investigate potential uses for new equipment from a broad perspective.

“An aircraft maintainer, for instance, might have different ideas than an engineer of how a tool could be used to improve maintenance and repair operations, or consider modifications to an existing technology that could make it useful in a manner the manufacturer hadn’t yet considered,” he continued. “Having the opportunity to get all of these groups together is a really effective way to create the collaboration that drives innovation adoption of new technology, while helping our Sailors and Marines maintain the technological superiority they need to fight and win. That’s very exciting.”

Providing a venue in which those types of collaborations can begin is one of the reasons NCMS hosts technology showcase events at U.S. military facilities around the globe, said Debbie Lilu, NCMS vice president of maintenance and sustainment business development.

“NCMS was thrilled to facilitate connections between members of our trusted network of technology solution providers and the Fleet Readiness Center East and ENC Tech Bridge stakeholders,” she said. “NCMS has established our technology showcases because we recognize that effective solutions grow out of such opportunities for dynamic idea sharing. We stand ready to assist as new collaborations formed through this event work toward demonstrating, validating, and implementing critically needed sustainment innovations.” 

The ENC Tech Bridge works to bridge the gap between the Navy and nontraditional partners like small businesses, academia and nonprofits by building an ecosystem of innovation that supports the Navy and Marine Corps. Local Tech Bridge efforts focus on several areas of consideration, including manufacturing and repair technologies; advanced manufacturing; big data, data analytics and visualization; technical insertion; augmented and mixed reality; automation and robotics; soft and wicked problem solving; and workforce development. The ENC Tech Bridge operates in conjunction with a partnership between FRCE and Craven County.

The NCMS Technology Showcase was the first collaborative business development event between Craven County and the ENC Tech Bridge, and gives the county the opportunity to support research, education and industry growth in the county along with Tech Bridge initiatives, said Craven County Economic Development Director Jeff Wood.

“This event underscores the fruitful collaboration between Craven County and the Eastern North Carolina Tech Bridge,” Wood said. “It highlights the pivotal role of our partnership to accelerate technology transfer and foster new opportunities within the aerospace defense sector.”

As part of the NavalX network, 19 Tech Bridges aim to make connections between the Navy and emerging entities like startups, small businesses, academia, nonprofits and private capital that aren’t traditionally part of the Navy’s development and acquisition process. The Tech Bridge framework allows the Navy to collaborate with nontraditional partners and accelerate the innovation timeline in ways that traditional acquisition methods do not. This structure eases the collaboration process and allows the Navy to leverage the speed and efficiency improvements these nontraditional partners have experienced in recent years, ultimately putting assets in the hands of the nation’s warfighters significantly faster, at a more economical rate.

“The future starts here,” Clemmons said. “It starts with industry and innovation, and how we collaborate to solve these problem sets and bridge the gap between the Navy and emerging entities like startups, small businesses, academia, nonprofits and private capital that aren’t traditionally part of the Navy’s development and acquisition process, so they can help us develop solutions for our warfighters.

“This is how we get to a posture where we’re ready to fight tomorrow’s wars, today,” he continued. “When the call comes, it starts with technology, and how our service men and women can use that technology to come home safely.”

Source: United States Navy

The ceremony featured guest speakers; the Hon. Oscar Robert H. Cristobal, Vice Mayor of Legazpi, Capt. Daniel Keeler, PP24-2 mission commander, Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Mr. Carlos Ante, Legazpi City Administrator.

“Pacific Partnership in Legazpi promotes strong military and civil partnerships that reinforce mutual understanding and interoperability between the Philippines and U.S., and makes us better equipped to handle various challenges,” said Keeler. “This region is prone to natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Our enhanced cooperation today will make us better prepared tomorrow, should we need to collectively respond in crisis.” 

The PP24-2 Philippines mission stop, which runs from Aug. 1 through Aug. 14, will provide tailored medical care focusing on subject-matter exchanges and community education; construction and reconstruction of multiple schoolhouses and knowledge exchanges with exercises covering disaster response and humanitarian assistance. Additionally, the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band will perform in a variety of community engagements around the city.

Initially, Pacific Partnership efforts were heavily focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) but has evolved over the years to use an all-hazards approach with expanded lines of effort in medical and public health, engineering, and host nation outreach. Individual projects and events are synchronized with the host nation and are organized according to their requests and needs.

“The City of Legazpi extends its warmest welcomes and unending gratitude to all the participating nations behind the 2024 Pacific Partnership whose contributions have made significant impacts to the people of Legazpi,” said the Hon. Oscar Robert H. Christobal, vice mayor of Legazpi City. “We look forward to our continued partnership. Dios Mabalos!”

Disaster emergencies, both natural and man-made, remain an ever-present threat to life, security, stability, and prosperity throughout the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.

“Through various exchanges and hands-on trainings, this year’s HADR activities are focused on increasing the Urban Search and Rescue capacity by 30 percent and testing the city’s Tsunami Response Plan for the first time,” said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Flor Joseph, PP24-2HADR line of effort lead. “We are thankful to the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office for collaborating with us to develop a plan that best serves their community, drawing on their invaluable insights and perspectives about what works best locally.”

Pacific Partnership fosters multilateral cooperation and emphasizes a multinational whole-of-government approach, by planning and executing operations with U.S. and partner nation militaries, interagencies, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations. This subsequently provides a strong foundation of trust and enhances our collective ability to respond in times of crisis.

Born out of the devastation brought by the December 2004 tsunami that swept through parts of South and Southeast Asia, Pacific Partnership began as a military-led humanitarian response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters. Building on the success and goodwill of this operation the U.S. helped spearhead the inaugural Pacific Partnership mission in 2006. This mission leveraged partner nation militaries and non-governmental organizations proficiencies to expand disaster relief capacity in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.

“On behalf of the U.S. contingency, I thank the Legazpi local government, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and people of Legazpi for their heartwarming welcome,” added Keeler. “Their invitation and partnerships are crucial for maintaining peace, security and prosperity in the region. Pacific Partnership harnesses our collective strength to build a resilient future, ensuring that when the earth shakes, we stand firm in our readiness.”

Pacific Partnership, now in its 20th iteration, is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year the mission team works collectively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability capabilities, increase maritime security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

For more information about Pacific Partnership visit, www.clwp.navy.mil/Pacific-Partnership.