Category: United States Navy

Source: United States Navy

The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, will deliver the ceremonial principal address. Remarks will also be provided by the Honorable Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Vice Adm. Jeffery T. Jablon, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Installations and Logistics, and David J. Carver, President, General Dynamics NASSCO. In the time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsors and U.S. Navy ship introduction specialists who have helped bring to life over 100 ships in the past 20 years, Alicia Aadnesen and Debbie Simmons, will christen the ship with the traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne on the ship’s bow.

The ship is named for American suffragist Lucy Stone, who joined other notable advocates such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Ernestine Rose, and Antoinette Brown Blackwell to petition for suffrage and abolition in the 19th century. Her efforts as a founder of the Women’s National Loyal League were essential to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery.

“Lucy Stone’s legacy of leadership and advocacy for equality reflects the values we uphold in the U.S Navy,” said Secretary Del Toro. “USNS Lucy Stone stands as a testament to our commitment to operational excellence and is a proud moment as we continue to build and strengthen our maritime capabilities.”

The future USNS Lucy Stone will be the fifth Lewis-class fleet replenisher oiler and will be operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. The oilers feature a substantial volume for oil, significant dry cargo capacity and aviation capability. T-AOs provide additional capacity to the Navy’s Combat Logistical Force and become the cornerstone of the fuel delivery system.

PEO Ships, one of the Department of Defense’s largest acquisition organizations, is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships and craft, auxiliary ships, special mission ships, sealift ships and support ships.

Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information on the Fleet Replenishment Oilers can be found at: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2222909/fleet-replenishment-oilers-t-ao/

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti is cancer free after undergoing treatment for Stage 1 Breast Cancer at the John P. Murtha Cancer Center at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Franchetti received her diagnosis in late June after a routine screening mammogram. She underwent a successful outpatient surgery in July, completed radiation therapy, and began maintenance endocrine therapy this month. During her surgery, Franchetti temporarily transferred her authority to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations.

“I am grateful for my wonderful team of doctors at John P. Murtha Cancer Center for their excellent care and their development of a treatment plan that allows me to continue leading the world’s greatest Navy,” Franchetti said. “I am blessed that this was detected early and will forever be an advocate for early and routine screening.”

Source: United States Navy

U.S. 6th Fleet and the Bulgarian Navy closed out the third serial of Sea Breeze 2024, concluding the 23rd iteration of exercise Sea Breeze, Sept. 20, 2024.

Twelve countries participated in exercise Sea Breeze 2024-3, training together and exchanging knowledge on explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), dive operations, and unmanned underwater vehicles.

“We adopted a ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach for the EOD portion of the exercise, and by the end of Sea Breeze 2024-3, we brought every aspect of our training together to successfully complete a full-mission rehearsal,” said Cmdr John P. Kennedy, commanding officer of EOD Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8. “I am incredibly proud of how Sailors across 12 nations worked together as one team and learned from each other to enhance our collective EOD and mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities.”

The culminating training event for Sea Breeze 2024-3 brought the various serials together into a full-mission rehearsal. It started with an underwater vehicle that identified a simulated mine threat. From there, the joint EOD teams used techniques they trained on from previous exercise events to find a mine in the water, safely dive to deliver an explosive charge, detonate that explosive charge to render the threat safe, and place divers in the water to verify that their procedures were effective.

The final training week during Sea Breeze 2024-3 allowed the U.S., Allies and partner nations to further refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for EOD and MCM. Sea Breeze 2024 successfully built and enhanced U.S. and Allied EOD/MCM capability, which is essential for demining the Black Sea.

“Exercises like Sea Breeze are important to future peace, security, and stability of the Black Sea region,” Vice Adm. Thomas Ishee, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, said at a press conference during the Fleet Commanders’ Conference. “We greatly appreciate the Allies and partners who joined us to promote freedom of navigation, stability, and security in the Black Sea. We demonstrated how we each dispose of ordnance and how we find drifting mines and are able to diffuse them. Understanding how we work to address this threat helps us to address the mine threat now and in the future.”

Exercise Sea Breeze 2024 is a joint MCM exercise between the Bulgarian Navy, Royal Navy, Ukrainian Navy and U.S. Navy. Sixteen countries and organizations participated this year: Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, NATO Allied Maritime Command, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Türkiye, Ukraine, U.K. and U.S.

The initial serial, hosted by the United Kingdom from June 24 to July 5, focused on the integration and command and control of mine countermeasure vessels (MCMV) and a Ukrainian task group headquarters augmented by international staff officers and mentors.

The second serial was a Fleet Commanders’ Conference co-hosted by the Bulgarian Navy and U.S. 6th Fleet from September 9-11, focused on discussing the current maritime situation in the Black Sea, collective demining capabilities, and effective ways to enhance maritime security in the region.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

Source: United States Navy

LIMASSOL, Cyprus –The Harpers Ferry-class amphibious landing dock ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) and embarked Marines of 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (Special Operations Capable) arrived in Limassol, Cyprus, Sept. 20, 2024, to conduct scheduled maintenance.

The maintenance period, termed a mid-deployment voyage repair (MDVR), allows the Sailors and Marines an opportunity to complete corrective and preventative maintenance actions that cannot be accomplished while at sea. The MDVR allows USS Oak Hill to sustain necessary capabilities to continue operations in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa areas of responsibility.

“Sustained operations at sea are demanding and create a lot of wear and tear on the ship and its systems,” said Cmdr. Jason Nowell, Oak Hill’s commanding officer. “Conducting maintenance in Cyprus will enable Oak Hill to continue to operate at full readiness while also growing our relationships with the industrial base assisting us with repairs and the local Cypriots we meet during our stay. In turn, this will benefit future units deploying in the region.”

The last U.S. Navy ship to execute an MDVR in Limassol was Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) in August 2023. The ability to execute critical maintenance in allied and partner countries such as Cyprus provides a significant benefit to U.S. Navy ships and the Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) maintenance mission.

While the ship is in port, Marines of the 24th MEU (SOC) will participate in routine bilateral training exercises with the Cypriot National Guard in Paphos and Larnaca, Cyprus, in partnership with the Republic of Cyprus. This training is part of their scheduled deployment and focuses on maintaining the readiness and operational capabilities of Navy and Marine Corps forces so that they continue to be ready for any mission.

Oak Hill is operating in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations as part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (WSP ARG)-24th MEU (SOC) supporting U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region, including in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, to continue promoting regional stability and deterring aggression.

The WSP ARG-24th MEU (SOC) is comprised of its flagship namesake, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), Oak Hill, and the embarked 24th MEU (SOC).

The 24th MEU (SOC) is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a command element, Aviation Combat Element (Medium Marine Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced)), Ground Combat Element (Battalion Landing Team 1/8), and Logistics Combat Element (Combat Logistics

To learn more about USS Oak Hill, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ussoakhilllsd51

To learn more about WSP ARG-24th MEU (SOC), please visit our DVIDS feature page: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/wasparg24thmeu

Source: United States Navy

PIERRE, S.D. (Sept. 19, 2024) — It’s not everyday that landlocked states see Sailors walking around their communities in their dress whites. This is especially the case for the residents of Pierre, S.D., which is the capital city of the state, where the closest Navy affiliation would either be the Navy veterans salt-and-peppered around the area or the ‘local’ Navy Reserve Center which is located about 220 miles away in Sioux Falls.
So when the residents of Pierre learned the that the crew of the Independence-variant, littoral combat ship USS Pierre (LCS 38) was coming in for a visit, from Sept. 17-19, they made sure they were ready to welcome their latest namesake’s crew with open arms.

“Once we received word that the new USS Pierre’s crew was coming into town we wasted no time engaging with the local leaders and community members setting up meetings and events,” said Mike Mehlhaff, executive officer of the USS Pierre’s commissioning committee. “This is something we are excited about, and to be able to have our city’s name on a U.S. Navy ship really instills great pride in the residents.”
The commissioning committee was able to set up a variety of engagements throughout the week. The crew was able to conduct school presentations at local elementary schools and T.F. Riggs High School.
“The students were absolutely thrilled to meet the U.S. Navy Sailors today,” said Jennifer Nedrebo, principal at Buchanan Elementary School. “Their excitement was contagious, and many of them were beaming with pride, knowing that a new ship will be named in honor of Pierre. It’s not every day that they get such a unique experience, and I believe they were genuinely inspired by the Sailors’ presence.”
“It’s very important for us to foster a connection to the people and community that our ship and crew will represent,” said Cmdr. Justin Guernsey, commanding officer of USS Pierre. “Also being a surface warfare officer, I am extremely passionate about sharing and highlighting the importance of U.S. Navy Sailors and ships across the fleet, and how their namesake ship fits into a larger equation that helps support peace and stability around the world.”
In addition to local school visits the crew was able to have a guided tour around Pierre by the Mayor Steve Harding, and have a meet and greet with South Dakota’s Governor, Kristi Noem.
“We enjoyed introducing the crew to our community during the city commission meeting, and the governor was even able to find some time in her busy schedule to meet the crew” said Pierre Mayor Steve Harding. “Folks that were able to have interactions with the Sailors were very interested to learn about the ship and really developed a connection that the ship and her crew will be able to carry throughout the world for Pierre, S.D.”
“We have had a lot of exciting projects that were finished up recently around the city of Pierre, and we were able to showcase them to the Sailors during their visit,” Harding continued. “I think its a bond that we [the city of Pierre] will share, and thats being able to take challenges head on and to keep moving and progressing for the benefit of all.”
“Being able to meet these leaders and community members allows us, as Sailors, to really take a step back and realize that we don’t only represent the Navy, but we represent these people, this city,” said Mineman 3rd Class Sekema Williams. “That alone really inspires me to go out there and really commit 100% to everything I do.”
The crew was treated with welcome signs from local business owners, held an open house at the American Legion, and even participated in local media interviews.
“These types of visits are incredibly beneficial for our community,” said Nefrebo. “It provides a broader perspective on the vital role the Navy plays in our nation while sparking curiosity and a deeper appreciation for our armed forces.”
“I was extremely humbled and grateful for the opportunity to visit the great people of Pierre and was able to express that on-air,” said Lt. Marshal Van Gundy, weapons officer aboard USS Pierre. “To be able to reach out and connect with people that weren’t able to meet us in person further deepens the connection we have with the city, and I look forward to sharing these experiences with the men and women I get to lead.”
Before the crew departs they were able to volunteer with the local charity Feeding South Dakota.
“We [the crew] thought it was super important that we were able to give back to the community that embraced us with open arms,” said Command Senior Chief Aaron Beugler, senior enlisted leader aboard USS Pierre. “I want to set the standard now while on this visit, so that years from now the future Sailors of USS Pierre continue to strengthen the bond we have with our namesake city.”
“Many people in Pierre will never see their namesake on the water,” said Harding. “Thats why this namesake visit is so special. And to have these Sailors, our namesake Sailors, be able to come out here and share their experiences in the Navy, makes us feel a great sense of pride and honor to have them sailing the USS Pierre in our name.”
As the crew wrapped up their time in Pierre they look back on an impactful visit, and are already discussing their next trip back to their namesake city.
“This truly was a fantastic visit,” said Guernsey. “From the state and local government, business owners, the veteran community, and all the residents that we have had the pleasure of meeting, they were all welcoming and supportive and made an overall lasting impact on me and my crew. And I can honestly say that Pierre, S.D., has become a second home for us!”
USS Pierre will be the second ship named to honor the citizens and capital of South Dakota. The first USS Pierre was a PC-461-class submarine chaser built during World War II, which was renamed Pierre in Feb. 1956, and decommissioned in Oct. 1958.
You can keep up to date with the latest on USS Pierre (LCS 38) by visiting usspierre.org.
If you or someone you know is interested in a career or wants to find out more about the U.S. Navy, they can visit www.navy.com or call Navy Counselor 1st Class Jason Standiford, U.S. Navy recruiter and S.D. native, assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group Northern Plains at Navy Recruiting Station Rapid City, at 605-799-7779.
For more information on NTAG Northern Plains, like and follow us on Facebook @NTAGNorthernPlains, Instagram @ntagnp, and X @NTAG_NP.
NTAG Northern Plains is responsible for the U.S. Navy’s enlisted and officer recruiting, covering 393,000 square miles in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and parts of Illinois, and Wisconsin.