Category: MIL-OSI

Source: United States Navy

Midway was not just a clash of warships and aircraft. It’s also a testament to the dedication and bravery of the Navy physicians, dentists, and pharmacist’s mates (hospital corpsmen). Navy medical personnel served on every vessel in the Navy Task Forces 16 and 17—from the immense carriers to the nimble destroyers. In the crucible of the battle, medical personnel administered life-saving care to wounded sailors, performed surgery, and stabilized critical injuries with limited resources. And when ships were damaged or sunk, medical personnel often coordinated evacuation efforts while ensuring that the wounded received the care they desperately needed.

Among the many who displayed exceptional heroism at Midway were two of Navy Medicine’s finest:

Lt. John H. Peterson, USS Hammann (DD-412):

Peterson served as medical officer aboard the destroyer USS Hammann at Midway. Although injured by a shock of a torpedo explosion, Lt. Peterson helped lead the evacuation efforts from his ship. Afterwards, he directed the rescue of many seriously wounded sailors who might otherwise have drowned. For three grueling days, he rendered constant medical care to the wounded aboard another destroyer en route to its base, pushing himself to the brink of exhaustion.

Lt. j.g. Edward Augustus Kearney, USS Yorktown (CV-5):

Dr. Kearney’s unwavering commitment extended far beyond his initial duty during the attacks. A Navy physician attached to the ill-fated carrier Yorktown, Kearney helped evacuate the casualties from the sinking ship and led the effort to care for wounded aboard the rescue craft. Kearney volunteered to return to Yorktown as part of a salvage party, helping to collect the dead and prepare their burials at sea. Afterwards, he was assigned to be the medical officer aboard destroyer USS Benham (DD-397) caring for 70 wounded, 45 of whom were in critical condition. His devotion to duty and professional skill as a surgeon, while working without the normal facilities of a sickbay or operating room, are responsible for many surviving Midway and getting to medical facilities on Pearl Harbor where they received advanced care.

Kearney and Peterson were later awarded Silver Stars for their exceptional service at Midway.

While Kearney and Peterson serve as examples of the extraordinary acts of bravery at Midway, they represent only part of the medical support provided. Many will never receive the recognition they deserve, but their collective efforts ensured countless sailors survived to fight another day.

Sources:

Executive Officer’s Report of Action for Period of June 4-June 7, 1942. USS Yorktown. BUMED Correspondence Records, National Archives II, College Park, MD.

Gay, George H. Sole Survivor: The Battle of Midway and Its Effects on His Life. Naples, FL: Midway Pubs., 1980. 320 pp.

Hough, Richard A. The Battle of Midway. New York: Macmillan, 1970. 90 pp.

Peterson, John. Military Times Awards of Valor. Retrieved from: https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/20777

Source: United States Navy

The ship will cruise along the Willamette River and moor between the Steel and Burnside Bridges on June 5 before 5 p.m.

USS Montgomery (LCS 8), along with vessels from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy, will offer public tours and its crew will participate in annual festivities across the city to include the Grand Floral Parade, Royal Rosarian Honorary Knighting Ceremony, and community service activities.
The U.S. Navy ship will be open for public tours on June 6-9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To ensure ship tour completion by 4 p.m., lines will be monitored for approximate entrance start time. All tours will be complete by 4 p.m., so the tour line may be cut earlier in the afternoon, depending on line waiting times. It is recommended that those interested in public ship tours arrive early. 

Visit Portland Rose Festival’s website for more information about the visiting U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy vessels.

The Portland visit will offer the public an opportunity to tour a U.S. Navy warship and meet with Sailors as they showcase their ship’s capabilities. It also gives the public a chance to gain a better understanding of how sea services support national defense and freedom of the seas.
When arriving for public tours, all visitors will be required to present government-issued photo identification, and pass through an airport-style security screening checkpoint prior to boarding the ships. All visitors are subject to search prior to entering the security zone. Visitors are encouraged to bring as few items as possible when arriving for their tour, as there is no on-site storage. Flat-heeled, closed-toe shoes are required for tours aboard ships.

Prohibited items on board include the following:
– Weapons: including knives, firearms and club weapons
– Defensive chemicals or sprays: including mace and pepper spray; spray cans of any type
– Fireworks, flammable liquids or other explosives
– Drugs and drug-related paraphernalia illegal by federal standards, including cannabis
– Large bags, including backpacks, diaper bags and large camera bags (small camera bags and small handbags may be permitted, but are subject to search)
– Strollers

While general photography of this event is allowed, the use of drones in the area of Navy vessels is strictly prohibited.
Due to the nature of U.S. Navy ships, those with limited mobility, or those who require walkers or wheelchairs, may not be allowed on ship tours for their safety. In these cases, the Navy will facilitate a pierside brief.
For more information about USS Montgomery, please visit:  https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/lcs8/

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, June 4.

Franchetti thanked the Crown Prince for the inviolable U.S. – Bahrain defense relationship and expressed her gratitude for the continuous hospitality Bahrain shows in hosting the U.S. Navy.

The CNO also highlighted Bahrain’s leadership in the security and stability of the region and expressed her gratitude to the Crown Prince for being one of the United States’s longest and closest partners in the Middle East, a major non-NATO Ally, and their participation in Operation Prosperity Guardian. 

During their discussion, Franchetti applauded the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) signed last year to formalize U.S – Bahrain cooperation to deter conflict in the region, enhance regional stability, and de-escalate tensions. Franchetti added that C-SIPA is as a significant upgrade in our strategic bi-lateral relationship with Bahrain. Right now, C-SIPA is a bilateral agreement between the United States and Bahrain, however both leaders said they welcome other friendly countries to join because the more integrated and coordinated we are, the more secure, stable, and prosperous the region will be.

This is the first time Franchetti has met the Crown Prince.

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Source: United States Navy

The exercise demonstrated HSC-2’s capability to work together in the event of a local disaster with multiple casualties. This interoperability exercise opened the door for future training collaboration between HSC-2 and NMCP to prepare for real-world casualty events. In addition to NMCP, Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads fire and security supported the simulated exercise along with other commands. 

“Working with our shipmates at NMC Portsmouth, EMF-Juliet, and NSA Hampton Roads to plan and execute this mass casualty exercise provided an outstanding opportunity for operational cross-training and I’m grateful for their outstanding efforts to make the event such a success,” Capt. Matt Wright, commanding officer, HSC-2.

EMF-Juliet, established in September of 2022, provides health service support to full range military operations as expeditionary advanced base functional components during ground-based, air and maritime operations.
The mission of the EMF is “to provide standardized, modular, flexible theater hospitalization and health service support functionality to an advanced base environment throughout the full range of military operations,” according to the Navy EMF directive.

During the four-hour training, HSC-2 provided two helicopters to transfer simulated survivors following a large magnitude earthquake in the Hampton Roads region. The major elements that were evaluated during the training included command and control, triaging a large number of patients with varying injuries, and assessing the ability to successfully monitor all patients throughout the process.

“Obviously, we hope to never use these lifesaving skills, but are absolutely committed to maintaining our readiness and uphold the Navy Rescue Swimmer motto: ‘So others may live’,” Wright said.

The ultimate goal with the training exercise was to test a viable plan in the event of a mass casualty, whether natural or man-made, that requires NMCP to receive patients.

HSC-2 is located on board Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia and is responsible for operating Sikorsky MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters. As a Fleet Replacement Squadron, HSC-2 trains pilots and aircrewmen to employ the MH-60S worldwide in a variety of missions, including fleet logistics support, search and rescue, medical evacuation, special warfare support, anti-surface warfare and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The squadron fulfills secondary missions of theater security cooperation and U.S. 2nd Fleet operational support.
  
 
 
 

Source: United States Navy

Aquatic life is an integral part of ecosystems and economies. In environments ranging from freshwater through marine, it underpins the health, culture, opportunities and economic wellbeing of the nation—from local communities to the entire country. The ability to inventory and monitor the status and trends of aquatic biodiversity is key to maintaining national prosperity.

Today, the White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy (OSTP) released the “National Strategy for Aquatic Environmental DNA.” The Environmental DNA (eDNA) Task Team had 10 federal agencies participating in drafting the strategy and included significant scoping and engagement of the private sector, academia and non-profit organizations.

“There is an urgent need for improved biological survey tools to meet the scale, scope and management/monitoring needs in the U.S., and eDNA is an exciting tool that has come of age and can meet the need,” said Michael Weise, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Marine Mammals & Biology Program Officer, and co-chair of the federal eDNA Task Team.

To properly monitor and support national aquatic biodiversity requires timely and trusted information. Through eDNA analysis, the simple act of collecting water can lead to critical insights into the nation’s aquatic biodiversity from microbes to whales—with a tool that is non-invasive and can be scaled to meet the demands of large-scale surveys. This powerful new technology is revolutionizing how we explore, measure and monitor biodiversity in ecosystems across the national and international landscape.

The National Aquatic eDNA Strategy lays out a plan to harness the power of eDNA to explore, map, monitor and better understand aquatic life to sustain and restore biological resources now and in the future. The strategy is a call to action for federal agencies and non-federal partners to build a national eDNA enterprise through coordinated and collaborative efforts that unite scientific inquiry, entrepreneurial enterprise, philanthropic endeavor, and public and private investment.

Understanding that shared technical knowledge is critical to the production of reliable and credible data, the strategy provides a pathway to comprehensive assessments of aquatic life in U.S. waters.

“The National Aquatic Strategy sets the stage for the co-design of implementation milestones, including harmonized technical approaches, coordinated observations, and aligned communication strategies,” said Weise. “This network of shared information will result in a nationwide eDNA network to inform decisions that promote resilient ecosystems.”

With enhanced knowledge of these ecosystems and its diverse inhabitants, Sailors and Marines will be able to test and train more effectively in U.S. waters.

The extensive list of partner organizations focused on eDNA supports recent guidance from the Secretary of the Navy, the Hon. Carlos Del Toro, who recently released the Naval Science and Technology Strategy. In that document, the Secretary notes that “Naval S&T has a long history of highly successful relationships with sister services and other U.S. government S&T and research organizations…Additionally in areas of climate science and understanding our oceans we will work with other agencies to increase our knowledge.”

OSTP release: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/news-updates/2024/06/03/white-house-releases-new-strategies-to-advance-sustainable-ocean-management/