Source: United States Navy
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. — A commitment to safety and occupational health excellence has earned Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) the 2023 Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Shore Safety Award in the Large Industrial Activity category. This is FRCE’s third time receiving the award.
Source: United States Navy
Speaking to a full house at King Hall Auditorium, Mattis answered questions in a fireside chat format with retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Eric Wendt, an NPS distinguished alumnus and professor of practice in the Department of Defense Analysis, before taking questions from NPS’ warrior-scholar students about national security threats and how to address them.
“My top concern is the rise of the China-led axis with Russia, North Korea and Iran. It is a ‘1940 moment’ for the U.S. and the world,” said Mattis. “My answer to this problem can be said in three words: allies, allies, allies.”
While Mattis conveyed confidence in democratic alliances to stand against autocracies, he recognized that democracy is often messy and slow. Nevertheless, he expressed urgency to resolve our national debt and differences, and to restore decency to debate necessary to inform rational decision-making and progress on hard issues. A unified voice, Mattis argued, strengthens America’s hand.
“Diplomacy is also enabled by deterrence, which requires a strong, credible military and leaders unapologetic about defending our shared values,” explained Mattis. “We need to build up our forces to be more lethal, agile, and innovative, and I believe you are the caliber of talented leaders with the right ethos our county needs now – be ready to go.”
In addition to NPS students, faculty and staff, the audience included 101-year-old Edward Cavallini, a former Marine Corps captain and infantry platoon commander who was wounded twice during the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Mattis met Cavallini, who lives in the Monterey area, and exemplified him in his talk.
“We have no divine right to freedom,” Mattis said. “Much has been sacrificed by those who stood against tyranny before us, and your country expects no less of you than what has already been given by others like Captain Cavallini.”
Mattis spent more than four decades in uniform, rising to the rank of general after having commanded Marines at all levels, from an infantry rifle platoon to a Marine Expeditionary Force, and ultimately commanding joint forces as Commander, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
During his visit, Mattis engaged in meetings with the NPS President and Provost, received briefings on the school’s future, and spent 90 minutes in a private session with students in the Command and Leadership class taught by Wendt. One of Wendt’s students, Marine Corps Maj. Michael Noblit, a Special Operations Officer and Marine Raider, offered his thoughts on the exchange.
“I’m sure I speak for all my classmates in expressing our gratitude to Secretary Mattis for being so giving of his time and wisdom, which speaks volumes about him as a leader and his ongoing dedication to our country’s future,” said Noblit. “Open and honest, his authenticity is unquestionable, and he didn’t pull any punches in sharing lessons from his real-world experiences with insights invaluable to leading in combat or in our local communities.”
Source: United States Navy
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler and the Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces Gen. Metin Gürak at the Ministry of National Defense, and the Turkish Head of Navy Adm. Ercument Tatlıoğlu at the Turkish Navy Headquarters in Ankara, Türkiye, June 3.
Franchetti highlighted that Türkiye is a longstanding and valued NATO Ally and that the U.S. values our strong bilateral relationship. Franchetti further expressed gratitude for Türkiye’s ongoing regional stabilization initiatives, and shared that she looks forward to increased collaboration in the future.
The leaders also discussed opportunities to maximize cooperation on Black Sea security, particularly de-mining efforts. U.S. and Turkish Navies operate and train together continuously, including various interoperability exercises between their two newest large-deck ships, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and Türkiye’s TCG Anadolu.
This is the first time Franchetti has met with Güler as the Chief of Naval Operations. This was also the first time Franchetti has met with Gürak as the CNO; the two leaders last met when Franchetti visited Türkiye as Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, in 2019.
Franchetti last met with Tatlıoğlu in September 2023 at the International Seapower Symposium, in Newport, R.I.
Source: United States Navy
Exercise Dacia is a tactical-level exercise in the Black Sea, inside Romanian territorial waters, consisting of rapid environmental analysis, mine countermeasures, logistics support and communications with NATO Allies and partners and industry.
Commander of TF-66 Rear Adm. Michael Mattis served as the U.S. Sixth Fleet spokesman and keynote speaker at the opening ceremony for the exercise in Romania.
“This exercise demonstrates our mine countermeasures and unmanned underwater vehicle capabilities, increasing our combined maritime domain awareness in the Black Sea region,” said Mattis. “As we continue to develop new concepts of operations and standards together, we collectively sharpen our competitive edge, promote security and stability and ensure all-domain access.”
Integrating new and enhanced capabilities, like unmanned vehicles, across all domains gives U.S., Allies and partner nations flexible responses to threats in support of shared interests.
Participating nations including France, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Turkiye, U.K, and the U.S. demonstrated their collective capability to retain control of territorial waters in conflict and their dedication to Black Sea security.
TF-66 is U.S. Sixth Fleet’s forward-deployable headquarters, capable of orchestrating joint, all-domain effects in a specific region through asymmetric and unconventional concepts of operations in concert with Allied, coalition, joint, interagency, and other partners to reassure Allies and partners, promote security and stability, and maintain all domain access throughout the European theater.
TF-68 provides explosive ordnance disposal operations, naval construction, expeditionary security, and theater security efforts in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations.
For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.
Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.
Source: United States Navy
Capt. Patrick Murphy relieved Capt. Dave Coles as commander of the Middle East region’s forward-deployed destroyer squadron.
Coles, a San Francisco Bay Area native, assumed command of the DESRON in November.
Under Coles’ leadership, DESRON 50 provided direct support to Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force 150, directing multiple maritime interdictions of vessels, seizing an estimated $128 million in illicit narcotics, denying terrorist organizations the income they need to carry out their malign activities.
He also integrated aerial and surface assets to expand maritime capabilities, coordinating the efforts of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, Air Forces Central Command, and coalition partners to provide a robust presence in the Red Sea region. These efforts resulting in 50 incident-free Bab al-Mandeb transits.
Coles also built maintenance capacity in a highly dynamic environment when he enabled the U.S. Coast Guard’s Patrol Forces Southwest Asia to execute maintenance on all five of their fast-response cutters in a forward logistics location. This kept the FRC fleet 100 percent ready for tasking.
“[Commodore Coles], thank you for leading from the front,” said Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and the ceremony’s presiding officer, during his remarks. “Thank you for building trust and strengthening critical partnerships throughout the region. But most of all, thank you for your passion and relentless devotion to duty which serves as an inspiration up and down the chain of command.”
In his remarks, Coles thanked the men and women of the squadron for their dedication to keeping the surface force in the Middle East ready.
“What a privilege to work alongside the ‘Desert Sailors’ of DESRON 50,” Coles said. “Our insatiable appetite for every inch of competitive combat advantage that we can generate is our North Star. Material readiness, Sailor readiness, team readiness guide us toward the ultimate aim of victory at sea if and when we are challenged. I appreciate the staff’s relentless pursuit of these goals.”
Murphy, of Lexington, Massachusetts, assumed command after serving as the deputy commodore since October. A 1999 graduate of The Citadel, he commanded the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96).
“It’s a true pleasure to come to work every day and to take care of our Sailors and ships,” Murphy told the DESRON staff in his remarks. “It’s the people that makes this job so rewarding.”
The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water space and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb.