Category: Defense

Source: United States Navy

The exercise, led by Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood, is designed to evaluate and improve search and rescue collaboration procedures with neighboring countries (NATO and non-NATO) and to verify communication between Rescue Coordination Centres.

The exercise provides an opportunity to practice and develop inter-regional and cross-boundary cooperation and coordination between the Rescue Coordination Centres of Allies in NATO’s Northern region and between partner nations that have common Search and Rescue Region (SRR) boundaries with those of Allies.

While the search and rescue services of participating nations are structured and organized differently, they are all identically motivated by the desire to save lives

This year’s iteration will be conducted in three separate areas – Atlantic North, Atlantic Middle, and Atlantic South, and is scheduled to conclude May 17. Units and personnel from Belgium, Denmark, Faroe Islands, France, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States will train together in accordance with standards and procedures described in the international Search and Rescue Manual, IAMSAR.

While the search and rescue services of participating nations are structured and organized differently, they are all identically motivated by the desire to save lives, a core value of MARCOM.

Quick Facts:
Exercise Dynamic Mercy is held annually, either in the Atlantic or the Baltic Region.

This year’s exercise is in the Atlantic, involving three Search and Rescue Centres as well as units and personnel from 10 NATO/partner nations.

Participating nations: Belgium, Denmark, Faroe Islands, France, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Involved Search and Rescue Centres:

• Atlantic North – Conducted in and around the northern part of the Norwegian Sea and the waters adjacent to Iceland and Greenland. This part will take place on April 19 and 26, and May 11, 2022.

• Atlantic Middle– Conducted in and around the northern part of the North Sea and the southern part of the Norwegian Sea and Skagerrak. This part will take place on April 26, 2022.

• Atlantic South – Conducted in and around the middle and southern part of the North Sea and the English Channel. This part will take place on May 16-17, 2022.

Source: United States Navy

Working alongside Commander, Naval Region Japan (CNRJ) Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), and Joint Regional Maintenance Center Detachment Sasebo’s Ship Repair Facility (SRF), America’s damage control organization devised and executed a complex drill involving a simulated fire spreading from a workshop into the ship’s hangar bay.

“This was a giant effort on the part of America’s crew, SRF, and CFAS Fire Department.” said Capt. Shockey Snyder, America’s commanding officer. “We have to be prepared to work alongside our civilian counterparts in the event of a major fire, and I’m proud of the team’s hard work integrating with the base firefighters to demonstrate our casualty response capability together.”

The drill, required by the Industrial Ship Safety Manual for Fire Prevention, also known as the 8010 Manual, was created to train integrated teams of Sailors and base firefighters to fight casualties in industrial environments.

“This was a bigger drill than our In-port Emergency Team typically runs,” said Cmdr. Heru Mansell, America’s damage control assistant. “It was designed to get to the point where we had to declare it a major fire, evacuate the entire crew and the civilian contractors working on board, and request assistance from the base firefighters.”

Within seconds of receiving a report of simulated smoke, the ship notified SRF and F&ES, prompting fire engines and ambulances to converge on America’s berth while Sailors conducted initial firefighting efforts and SRF evacuated civilian contractors. When the fire grew out of control, the ship requested the base’s help, while evacuating the entire crew. Once integrated, four-person teams of Navy and civilian firefighters reentered the ship to relieve attack teams already engaging the fire.

On the pier, leadership from America, F&ES and SRF set up an Incident Command Post, or ICP, to monitor firefighters on the ship and at various stations on the pier including Rehab, Triage and Staging.

“If a fire got out of control on a ship this size, we could be fighting it for hours, or even days,” said Chief Jared Whittemore, CNRJ F&ES. “The goal is to always have teams in Staging, ready to relieve the firefighters on the ship. We can then take those relieved hose teams to Rehab, where they can cool down and recuperate before rotating back to Staging to stay in the fight.

“Overall, communication flowed really well with America’s team and we demonstrated our ability to fight a major fire together,” Whittemore said.

Rescue and Assistance teams, or R&A, also arrived from USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and USS Rushmore (LSD 47), which are forward-deployed to Sasebo as part of Amphibious Squadron 11 along with America.

America, lead ship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: United States Navy

The worldwide NEXCOM Enterprise is comprised of a workforce totaling over 16,000 among seven separate business lines— the Navy Exchange (NEX), Navy Lodge Program, Navy Gateway Inns & Suites, Ships Store Program, Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility, Uniform Program Management Office and Telecommunications Program Office. Each of these businesses has unique capabilities that provide the U.S. Navy community with distinctive and critical response efforts following events such as hurricanes, wildfires, snowstorms, U.S. Navy ship incidences, pandemics and other humanitarian efforts.

As a Navy command, NEXCOM stands ready to support the U.S. Navy and its military members wherever and whenever it is called upon around the world. “We are a worldwide command with a value-added mission and purpose,” said Capt. Craig Abraham, Deputy Commander Military Services at NEXCOM. “NEXCOM’s mission essential capabilities, tactical business model and global locations, provide our Navy with a timely response and strategic support following any type of crisis.”

In the past few years in particular, NEXCOM contributed much needed services and products to help sustain and support first responders, the military community and the Fleet following U.S. Navy ship accidents while underway, the fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), countless natural disasters, and humanitarian efforts. NEXCOM’s support included food, lodging, personal care items, internet services and uniform availability.

As an example, NEXCOM was there to lend a hand when the USS John McCain (DDG-56) and USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) were involved in collisions at sea. NEXCOM provided lodging for displaced Sailors, made Navy uniforms available for those Sailors who needed replacements and the NEX Yokosuka Flower Shop created the memorial flowers for those Sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice.

In 2020, during the fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard, NEXCOM headquarters, along with NEX San Diego, provided water, sports drinks and ice as well as snacks to the first responders. In coordination with Naval Base San Diego leadership, NEX San Diego delivered 4,450 meals as well as personal care items to emergency responders and displaced Sailors.

In the aftermath of natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Irma in 2017,  Hurricane Michael in 2018 and the earthquake at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., in 2019, NEXCOM ensured all of its business lines were utilized to assist. Following Hurricane Katrina, NEXCOM provided free phone banks, delivered gasoline and deployed five Military Retail Facilities (MRF) to provide much needed food, drinks, electronics and health and comfort items. Also, NEXCOM’s Uniform Program Management Office instituted an emergency Deferred Payment Plan that allowed Sailors to purchase up to $500 worth of uniform items and pay for them over a 12-month period, interest free. After Hurricane Michael, NEXCOM sent a MRF to assist the mission essential personnel and NEXCOM’s Telecommunication Program Office established Wi-Fi hotspots. In addition, Navy Lodge Pensacola, Fla., made rooms available for those displaced due to the storm. In 2015, NEXCOM was also at the ready when Naval Support Activity Mid-South, Tenn., was hit with unprecedented rain and flooding. NEXCOM provided emergency supplies, including diapers, dog food, gasoline and lodging.

Most recently, NEX Bahrain and NEX Naples, Italy, teams assisted in the Afghan humanitarian effort. NEXCOM personnel coordinated support with their respective installations to ensure the daily needs of individuals who evacuated Afghanistan were met with essentials like health and comfort items, masks, water and baby products.

“NEXCOM is uniquely qualified to support our Navy and our patrons during times of crisis,” said Abraham. “Our seven business lines can offer a wide variety of products and services such as lodging, fuel, food service, telecommunications and more. Through the course of our retail business, we have contracts with a variety of businesses that are invaluable when supplies are needed in an emergency situation. We also have stock on-hand in our NEX locations and distribution centers that we can quickly mobilize to send to where it is needed.”

Source: United States Navy

“NEXCOM is continually looking to bring services to our NEX locations that will enhance the quality of life of our valued patrons,” said Mary Margaret Caragan, Services Program Manager at NEXCOM. “NEXCOM opened its first Pearle Vision Center at NEX Oceana, Va., in 2019. Since that time, we’ve opened more locations so we can offer eye care service to even more of customers.”

The Pearle Vision Centers have on-site optometrists to give eye exams and write prescriptions. In addition to eyeglass frames, customers can also purchase contact lenses on-site. The vision centers work with all major health and vision plans including Tricare, Aetna, EyeMed, VSP and United Healthcare Vision. 

Pearle Vision Centers are currently open at NEX Oceana, Va.; NEX Pearl Harbor; NEX San Diego and NEX North Island, Calif.; NEX Bethesda and NEX Annapolis, Md.; NEX Jacksonville, Fla.; and NEX Guam. A Pearle Vision Center at NEX Memphis, Tenn., is expected to open summer 2022.                         

Source: United States Navy

After completing the ship’s inaugural patrol, Paul Ignatius will join destroyers USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), USS Ross (DDG 71), USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) as Forward Deployed Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E) ships homeported in Rota, Spain, fortifying the enduring relationship between the U.S. Navy and NATO.

Paul Ignatius’ move is one of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the Rota-based destroyers.

The ship is named in honor of former Secretary of the Navy Paul Ignatius, who served under President Lyndon Johnson from 1967 to 1969. Ignatius previously served as a Navy lieutenant during World War II.

Paul Ignatius is the second of eight planned Flight IIA “technology insertion” ships, which contain elements of the Flight III ships. The Flight III upgrade is centered on improvements to the DDG air and missile defense capability, enabling Flight III ships to simultaneously perform AAW and BMD. This improvement satisfies the Navy’s critical need for an enhanced surface combatant Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capability.

“We are excited to begin this journey today,” said Cmdr. Aaron Arky, commanding officer of Paul Ignatius. “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by many Sailors to both prepare the ship and hone our tradecraft. Paul Ignatius is one of the newest and most advanced destroyers in the Navy. Together with our embarked helicopter detachment, we are bringing a lot of capability to the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations.”

U.S. Navy ships assigned to FDNF-E demonstrate national resolve, strengthen alliances, dissuade potential adversaries, and enhance the ability to respond quickly to contingencies. Rota offers a world-class port facility that provides an excellent location for multi-mission Aegis ships to support NATO and U.S. missions, exercises and engagements.

U.S. 2nd Fleet, reestablished in 2018 in response to the changing global security environment, develops and employs maritime forces ready to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

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