Category: Defense

Source: United States Navy

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Source: United States Navy

Rosado, a Navy JAG Corps member since 2015, previously was named Joint Staff Navy Element Sailor of the Year, as well.  She now is in the running for Navy Shore Sailor of the Year, which will be announced in June.  If selected, Rosado would meritoriously advance to chief petty officer.
 
“My biggest take away from this tour is that you can remain competitive without being in competition,” said Rosado.  “When we maintain our authenticity and focus on the unique talents each person brings to the team, we all succeed.  I hope to represent our community well at the next level of competition.”
 
Rosado earned the awards because of her superb work, outstanding leadership, and positive impact upon the Legal Counsel, the Joint Staff, and the Combatant Commands.  She was selected from among 13 other Joint Command candidates, all with impressive performance and qualifications.
 
“The competition was extremely tough … We are proud that Petty Officer Rosado surpassed her peers with her outstanding professionalism, leadership and technical knowledge,” said Senior Chief Yeoman Coby Cleon Turner, the Navy element senior enlisted leader in the Office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (OCJCS).  “This is a significant milestone in a Sailor’s career!  We are grateful for her exceptional dedication and hard work.”
 
Rosado was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and she immigrated to the U.S. at age six.  She graduated from Hyde Park High School and then subsequently earned a biology degree at Boston University.  Acting upon a lifelong interest in the military, she enlisted in the Navy in January 2013 as a Machinist Mate.  She graduated at the top of her training class and was meritoriously advanced to a Third Class Petty Officer upon reporting to her first command, the USS George Washington (CVN 73), which was homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.
 
Shortly after arriving in Yokosuka, Rosado learned about the Legalman rating and decided to convert.  She was accepted into the Legalman program, and, upon graduation, she received orders to the Region Legal Service Office in Manama, Bahrain.  During her time there, she was selected as the Naval Legal Service Command Junior Sailor of the Quarter.  She subsequently was assigned to OCJCS at the Pentagon.
 
Rosado said she would not have achieved so much during her tour without support and mentorship from her Chief of Staff, Mr. Paul Kiamos.
 
“He has taught me to make the success of those around me a priority no matter what,” Rosado said. “I also want to thank my mentors and LN leadership for helping me prepare for board after board.”
 
Bravo Zulu!

Source: United States Navy

Firm handshakes, hugs and smiles filled the conference room where the CNATT unit commanding officers and detachment officers in charge spent two days.  They sharpened their leadership skills and learned more about how the CNATT headquarters and directorate staffs, as well as other entities like legal and medical, can help them continue to provide highly-trained Sailors and Marines to the fleet.
 
Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic severely limited travel and meetings of this nature, so with COVID transmission rates low and vaccinations abundantly available across the country, current CNATT leaders were able to get together in person for the first time as a group.
 
“It’s really been great to have these leaders here,” Capt. Vence Logan, CNATT commanding officer, said. “The feedback has been great, the presentations have been great.  The event came together very well.  It’s been a lot of fun over the past two days.”
 
A few CNATT domain leaders shared their thoughts on the event.
 
“This week’s workshop gave us the opportunity to develop, enhance, strengthen relationships with leadership, CNATT staff, and the other commanders,” Marine Lt. Col. Marc Blankenbicker, CNATT Unit New River commanding officer, said. “You can start relationships remotely, and they may be effective enough to get by.  It’s intangible and immeasurable, but what you gain from looking at your teammates in the eye is irreplaceable.”
 
Cmdr. David Sweet, CNATT Unit Whidbey Island commanding officer, agreed.
 
“I had a great time meeting my fellow commanding officers, officers in charge and executive officers in person,” Sweet said.  It’s good to know that we are not alone and are all working through the same issues. I look forward to making this a yearly, in-person event.”
 
CNATT leadership would like to thank all staff members who helped make the offsite event a success.
 

Source: United States Navy

Middendorf, the 62nd Secretary of the Navy, was born Sept. 22, 1924, in Baltimore. He served as Secretary of the Navy from 1974 to 1977 where he oversaw the creation of the Marine Corps Marathon and is credited as one of the architects of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands from 1969 to 1973, ambassador to the Organization of American States (1981 – 1985), and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union (1985 – 1987). 

“I joined the service 80 years ago in Boston and since then, the Navy has been my life”, said Middendorf. “Words cannot express how much this award means to me, and I am incredibly honored. We must continue to face the present threats, measure our adversaries and competitors, and support the Navy as it tackles challenges today and tomorrow.”

Established in 1951, the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award is the highest honor for which civilians not employed by the Department of the Navy can receive. The award is presented by the Secretary of the Navy to honor individuals who have carried out acts of valor or heroism or who have demonstrated exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long-term benefit to the Navy, Marine Corps or the Department of the Navy as a whole. 

“Secretary Middendorf is an accomplished, driven veteran and diplomat who embodied the highest ideals of public service,” said Del Toro. “This award is a recognition of his achievements, which directly contributed to the more lethal, capable and agile force we have today. We look to historic periods of service, such as Amb. Middendorf’s, to guide us in our path to maintaining our maritime dominance.”

Notable recipients of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award are Joe Rosenthal, Sybil Stockdale, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and Tom Hanks.

For more information about the Secretary of the Navy, visit: https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Secretary-of-the-Navy/

Source: United States Navy

More than 400 Sailors from Ford’s weapons, deck and aircraft intermediate maintenance departments participated in the event, collecting more than 200 pallets from the flight deck and hangar bay then transporting them to multiple advanced weapons elevators to be stored in the ship’s magazines.

“All weapons divisions were involved with the evolution and personnel worked from the magazines to the flight deck to ensure everything was safe and efficient,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Joshua Hitcho, from New Zionsville, Pennsylvania, assigned to Ford’s weapons department. “The whole evolution went smoothly. It was impressive to watch, and I am proud to be part of the team that made it happen.”

The on-load started with Ford pulling alongside William McLean and shooting lines over to establish communications and connect distance lines. Once attached, MH-60S helicopters attached to the “Tridents” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 9, began to lift ammunition over to Ford’s flight deck and pallets of ammunition were transferred via connected replenishment.

“We on-loaded both live and training ammunitions to help support Carrier Air Wing 8 and our security forces on board for this underway,” said Lt. Cmdr. Paul Castillo, from San Diego, Ford’s Ordnance Handling Officer. “Every carrier needs ammunition to complete the mission. There is nothing we can’t do when we have a fully loaded ship.”

The ammunition from this on-load is essential for arming aircraft with live ordnance during carrier qualifications and carrier strike group integration.

“It feels good because we get to show what weapons department really does. We spent a lot of time and hard work to get to this point and it payed off,” said Hitcho. “Getting the entire department together as a group was great, everybody was excited and ready to go. Everybody was in the right place at the right time, it was a small part of a bigger picture.”

Onloading ammunition while underway is critical to Ford’s ability to supply the embarked air wing with ordnance needed to conduct its missions. This successful evolution will bring Ford one step closer to deployment readiness.

“I could not be prouder of our Sailors. The whole department doing what we were meant to do was the pinnacle of my time here,” said Castillo. “This on-load is a big piece of the puzzle for our ship to do what carriers were meant to do.”

For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit www.dvidshub.net/CVN78 or www.facebook.com/USSGeraldRFord.