Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Navy

MSC fleet replenishment oilers USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) and the MSC dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11) will provide logistics services including aviation fuel, diesel ship fuel, dry, fresh and frozen food equipment and supplies to the ships participating in the exercise.

MSC chartered tanker ships MT Overseas Mykonos and MT Allied Pacific will provide fuel to the MSC combat logistics ships during replenishment-at-sea events. With the closing of the Navy’s The Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, the tanker replenishment events will allow the CLF ships to receive fuel at sea, enabling them to provide logistic services to exercise participants as needed, without delay.

MSC rescue and salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS 51) will deliver two decommissioned Navy ships to the designated target area in preparation for sinking exercises (SINKEX); amphibious transport dock Ex-Dubuque (LPD 8) and amphibious assault ship Ex-Tarawa (LHA 1).

Five members of Military Sealift Command Pacific’s (MSCPAC) Headquarters Unit are serving as watch standers, providing maritime logistics support to Commander, Task Group 173. These reservists, alongside will providing comprehensive planning and coordination for each replenishment-at-sea conducted during the exercise, including arranging and coordinating rendezvous locations and times for MSCs CLF ships and MSC chartered tankers. In addition, the Reservists will coordinate towing operations Grasp.

At sea, 24 members of MSC Cargo Afloat Rig Team (CART) will support at-sea logistics operations in support of the exercise, training and working hand-in-hand with the civil service mariner crews in order to meet the huge underway replenishment demands of keeping the ships of the 29 participating nations supplied and moving.

“MSC and our crews of highly professional civilian mariners are proud to be a part of RIMPAC 2024,” said Leonard Bell, Deputy to the Commodore, Military Sealift Command Pacific. “This is a great opportunity for us to not only demonstrate our logistics capabilities, but to work and learn from our foreign Navy partners in an at-sea environment. In today’s challenging environments, exercises such as RIMPAC allow us to foster goodwill and relationships with like-minded partners, ensuring safe seas for military and commercial sailing.”

Hosted biennially by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), and executed by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet (C3F), RIMPAC is a multinational maritime exercise that takes place in and around the Hawaiian Islands. This year marks the 29th iteration of RIMPAC, a series that began in 1971 and is scheduled to take place from June 26 to August 2. Approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel are scheduled to participate. This year’s exercise will include units or personnel from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States. RIMPAC is a unique training opportunity designed to foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans.

Source: United States Navy

Below is a transcript of the remarks as delivered:

John, thank you so much for that warm introduction. It was an honor to serve with you my whole career. And I’m really happy to see you here at the helm of the Navy Memorial. And I want to offer and echo your thanks to everyone that had a part in putting together this evening and our great celebration of veterans in our Navy team, and also to the team here at the Navy Memorial that really brings to life our Navy story, every single day, and for always making our summer Tuesday nights for our Concerts on the Avenue so much fun and so exciting.

Good evening, everyone. Welcome. And as John said, I’m Admiral Lisa Franchetti. I’m the Chief of Naval Operations I took over back in November, and I could not be more proud of our incredible Navy and Marine Corps teams, as I look out, and I see them serving all around the world, Adm. Foggo, fellow flag and general officers, congressional staff, members, distinguished guests, family, friends, and most importantly, tonight, our veterans community. Those who are veterans, and those who work tirelessly every day to support and serve our veterans, welcome to the Concert on the Avenue.

I want to say thanks in advance to our Navy Band, and its brand-new director you’re gonna get to see up there tonight, Commander Robert “Seph” Coates. And if you haven’t heard of the Navy band before you are in for a real treat. Our Navy Band is made up of our nation’s finest musicians, the most talented musicians that come from all across the rich fabric of America. And every single one of them has chosen to serve our Navy, our nation, all around the world, by connecting people through their gift of music.

And every single one of them could be in the most premier orchestras and bands that our nation or really the world has to offer. But they’ve chosen to be part of our Navy team and take on the mission of music with a purpose. I couldn’t be more proud of them. And I know we’re all going to enjoy a really wonderful time with them tonight. And I hope you’re all up for dancing because I heard that there’s been dancing in every concert so far. I look forward to everybody getting up there and really enjoying themselves. So again, welcome. And it is wonderful to have you all here tonight.

You know one of the things that you get to do when you get to host a concert is choose a theme. And I decided to choose a theme to make tonight all about veterans to pay tribute to our veterans and those who support them. Let me recognize tonight, a few organizations and a few special guests that are here with us tonight.

I first want to recognize our veterans who are here from the Armed Forces retirement home, veterans … who have served in World War II and the Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq Wars.

It is really an honor to have you as my special guests here. And I hope if y’all haven’t gotten a chance to meet them, get over there and chat them up and listen to all of their great stories. I heard you have a five star here in the house. All right, I also want to thank the Armed Forces Home leadership for facilitating the visit today. We have with us the American Legion. We have Military Officers Association of America, the Navy League of the United States, the Navy League National Capital Chapter, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society. And it again is a pleasure to be here with all of you this evening. We are taking this night to honor you, our veterans, and the many Americans both past and present, who have taken up the profession of arms to defend our great nation. Tonight, as we honor our veterans service organizations, I want to thank you for all that you do tirelessly to support our veterans, no matter when they served or their circumstance, because you really make a difference for them and for their families every single day.

The other great part of this week, we’re going to celebrate the Fourth of July. Let us all take a moment to pause and recognize all that our Navy and Marine Corps service members have done for us over these past 249 years, ensuring our independence, protecting our Constitution, and guaranteeing our nation’s security and prosperity by keeping the seas free and open for all.

All right, in a few minutes we’re going to head up to the plaza where we like to call that the big “Granite Sea.” As you look out there, and when you get up there, I do want you to take a minute and look up at the 26 bronze sculptures that depict Navy history, the most iconic being the Lone Sailor statue. It is the symbol of the Navy Memorial’s mission to honor, recognize and celebrate the men and women of the sea services past, present, and future. I see some future ones out there in the audience without a doubt.

And although the Navy spends a lot of time, and we spend a lot of money, working on having the best equipment, the best platforms that any nation could ever have, from ships, submarines, to jet aircraft, and everything else we do, it really is our Sailors, both active and reserve, our Navy civilians, and all their families who are our true strategic advantage. As we celebrate tonight, please take a minute to think a little bit about all of our Navy and Marine Corps teammates who are standing the watch so that we can be here tonight. They’re standing that watch around the clock, around the world, everywhere from the seabed, all the way up to space, in cyberspace in the information environment, so they can preserve the peace, they can be ready to respond in a crisis. And if called, they’ll be ready to win decisively in war.

So, thank you very much tonight for being here. Thank you again to all of our veterans, for your service for paving the way and making a difference for all of us who serve today and making a difference for our great nation. And thank you to all of our veterans service organizations here tonight. Your service makes a difference every day and I could not be more proud to be here with you this evening. Enjoy the rest of the reception, and I look forward to seeing you up there on the great Granite Sea. Thank you very much.

Source: United States Navy

The training involved aircraft from Commander, U.S. Naval Air Forces and the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Greeneville (SSN 772), assigned to Commander Submarine Squadron 11 (CSS-11).

“This training opportunity provided the submarine warfighters aboard USS Greeneville the opportunity to practice a unique capability,” said Capt. Kenneth Douglas, Commander, Submarine Squadron 11. “Expanding joint interoperability capabilities effectively demonstrates our asymmetric advantage on and under the world’s oceans and I look forward to continued training events with our Naval Special Warfare operators.”

During the training, Naval Special Warfare (NSW) operators performed a military freefall and conducted an airborne drop of combat rubber raiding crafts (CRRC) off the coast of Southern California. Following this, the NSW operators rendezvoused with Greeneville at a designated location before returning to shore.

“Undertaking an operation of this caliber highlights the indispensable role that NSW and the submarine force play within the joint force,” said Capt. Blake L. Chaney, Commander, Naval Special Warfare Group 1. “By synchronizing our operations, activities and investments, we not only bolster fleet lethality but also provide substantial value in securing access to either denied or contested areas.”

Engaging in ongoing training with Naval Special Warfare and Commander Submarine Squadron 11, ensures that the U.S. Naval force is well-prepared to tackle the challenges of a dynamic and competitive maritime environment.

CSS-11 is home to five Los Angeles-class fast attack submarines, which are capable of supporting various missions, including: anti-submarine warfare; anti-ship warfare; strike warfare; and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Naval Special Warfare is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach and gain and maintain access for the Joint Force in competition and conflict.

Source: United States Navy

Royal Jordanian Navy Capt. Ayman Al Naimat turned over command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154 to Egyptian Navy Commodore Haytham Khalil. Egypt is the third partner nation to command the task force since its establishment in May 2023.

“I am proud I have been giving the chance to represent my country, Jordan, in the CMF family as CTF 154 commander for the past seven months,” said Capt. Al Naimat. “CMF is more than just about the message we deliver, it’s about the commitment we’re all eager to present, it’s all about collective efforts we all share to maintain the global maritime security in this very important part of the world. I hope that I was able along with my team to achieve CMF vision and to successfully fulfill CTF 154’s mission speaking of maritime security enhancement training (MSET).”

CTF 154 conducts multinational maritime training at locations across the Middle East, enabling more CMF partner-nations to participate in training opportunities without ships or aircraft, particularly during courses that are facilitated ashore. It organizes training events around five core areas: maritime awareness, maritime law, maritime interdiction, maritime rescue and assistance, and leadership development. Each training opportunity is tailored to meet partner requests ranging from basic to advanced levels.

“It is my honor to represent my country, Egypt, in CMF as the new CTF 154 commander,” said Commodore Khalil. “My team and I will give the role all we have to achieve CMF’s vision and to successfully fulfill CTF 154’s mission in maritime security enhancement training to reach the goals we are all looking for.”

Commodore Khalil will lead a team of nine multinational staff from six countries in planning, coordinating, and executing MSET.

CMF is the world’s largest naval partnership, with 44 countries working together. Other task forces include CTF 150, focused on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden; CTF 151, which leads regional anti-piracy efforts; CTF 152, dedicated to maritime security in the Arabian Gulf; and CTF 153, focused on international maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.