Category: United States Navy

Source: United States Navy

CNO: Shipmates, CNO Gilday here with my wife Linda to celebrate and recognize Military Spouse Appreciation Day.  We are a stronger military because of the support, selflessness and service of our better halves – our spouses… our partners.  

LINDA: Military Spouse Appreciation Day, held annually the Friday before Mother’s Day, is a day for us to pause and recognize all of our military spouses.  

CNO: Being a military spouse has unique challenges; through long deployments, stressful missions, duty days, and countless PCS moves, our spouses carry heavy burdens… often while navigating careers of their own. Military spouses do all of this with grace and are a constant source of strength, inspiration and motivation for us all. 

Linda: Together, we applaud everything you do for your Sailor and the entire Navy family. We appreciate your service and do not take your sacrifice nor the challenges you face for granted.  

CNO: To my wife Linda – and to all of the incredible spouses around the world – Thank you. Each of you serve our nation and I am grateful for your service. I know that we couldn’t do it without you.

Source: United States Navy

The annual forum enhances the interoperability of member nations across a range of naval cooperation and guidance for shipping (NCAGS) and maritime trade operations roles to bolster maritime security, protection of merchant shipping, and industry fidelity through maritime domain awareness.

Senior officers from the navies of Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States attended the working group.

“Your active participation, partnership, and leadership in this working group is critical to better understanding our operating environment,” said Vice Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of U.S. 3rd Fleet, during his opening remarks. “Through the exchange of information on your maritime industry security practices and current trends, the naval cooperation and guidance for shipping or maritime trade operations greatly enhances the interface between the naval forces and merchant shipping.”

The working group also served as a final planning conference for Bell Buoy 2022, an exercise that is designed to promote the practice of NCAGS processes and policies at tactical and operational levels. It simulates scenarios that incorporate new threats to which participants must respond.

“The exercise enables us to integrate partner capabilities and collaborate,” said Koehler. “No one country alone can manage this vast geographic area.”

The PACIOSWG was formed in 2002 following the events of Sept. 11, and is derived from the Radford Collins Treaty of 1951.

An integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet not only leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific, but also provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to flawlessly execute our Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations—from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: United States Navy

WASHINGTON – Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday released an update to the CNO Professional Reading Program, May 6.  

The CNO-Professional Reading Program consists of 12 books, and is a mix of writing genres including fiction, non-fiction, military, strategy, management, and technology, among others.

“A learning mindset is essential to accelerating our warfighting advantage,” said Gilday. “A Navy that learns, adapts, and improves the fastest will be the most successful. Knowledge sharing is essential to creating a learning culture.”

The goal of the program is to contribute to a culture dedicated to warfighting and learning, while simultaneously supporting the personal and professional development of Sailors beyond that of their primary designator or rating.

“We are driving a fleet-wide campaign of self-improvement,” said Gilday. “We must foster an organization that supports and empowers Sailors to have an independent quest for knowledge through reading and information sharing. What you know and how fast you learn is relevant in this era of strategic competition.”

The following books are included in the newly released update:

1. “To Rule the Waves” by Bruce Jones 
2. “A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy” by James Holmes 
3. “China as a 21st Century Naval Power” by Michael. A. McDevitt 
4. “Not One Inch” by Mary E. Sarotte 
5. The Sailor’s Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea” by Admiral James G. Stavridis
6. “Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War” by Paul Scharre 
7. “Fortune Favors Boldness” by Barry Costello 
8. “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy’s Finest Hour” by James Hornfischer 
9. “World War II at Sea: A Global History” by Craig Symonds 
10. “Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield” by Gayle T. Lemmon
11. “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown 
12. “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck

Link to CNO’s Professional Reading Program website:  https://www.navy.mil/CNO-Professional-Reading-Program/.  

Most of the books are available at no cost to Sailors in both e-Book and digital audio format from the Navy MWR digital library collection.  Eligible patrons can download the books through: https://www.navymwrdigitallibrary.org.

Source: United States Navy

MSTs with Brazil started in the early 2000s to synchronize the numerous engagements that both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps were conducting with their Brazilian counterparts, a robust schedule that has continued over the past 20 years.

Aiken led the U.S delegation and Rear Adm. Gustavo Calero Garriga, commander of the Maritime Operations and Protection of the Blue Amazon Command (COMPAAZ), led the Brazilian Delegation.

“Brazil and U.S. Navy have a very rich and strong history of collaboration and partnership,” said Garriga. “Maritime Staff Talks such as these will help strengthen our ties and I look forward to working together as one in the name of unity and friendship.”

Aiken noted that part of the special relationship 4th Fleet shares with Brazil stems back to the year 1943, when the original U.S. 4th Fleet was established in Recife, Brazil.

“This is a proud year for Brazil,” said Aiken. “You are celebrating the bicentennial of your military and also the bicentennial of your country. We are excited for the opportunity to be part of that celebration.”

The MST serves as a comprehensive engagement venue for all bilateral maritime security cooperation activities. Over the past year, U.S. and Brazilian engagements, such as key leader engagements and cultural exchanges continue to reflect the strong partnership.

Aiken expressed his excitement at being able to have the MST face-to-face for the first time since 2018, and stressed collaboration, working together, and building trust as key components of these talks.

“We share a common goal,” said Aiken. “To increase our collective abilities by working together to coordinate and synchronize our efforts in support of our mutual security goals. We get sharper and better when we bounce ideas and we understand each other more.”

Delegates discussed upcoming 2022 operations including UNITAS LXIII 2022, which will take place in Brazil.

“We continue to have a strong bond and successful working relationship with our Brazilian partners,” said Lowell ‘Mac’ McClintock, U.S. 4th Fleet Civilian Deputy IANTN Secretariat. “I am excited at the possibilities this MST will bring for us and our Brazilian counterparts as we continue to improve our interoperability.”

Other notable topics discussed included the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Initiative and the Enlisted Leadership Development (ELD) program.

WPS is a United Nations initiative that 4th Fleet adopted, highlighting the
importance of women in today’s Navy and recognizing that women must be critical actors in all efforts to achieve sustainable international peace and security. WPS promotes a gendered perspective and women’s equal and meaningful participation in peace processes, peacebuilding and security.

4th Fleet’s Command Master Chief Robert Florentino spoke of the Enlisted Leader Development (ELD) Program designed to align goals in the 4th Fleet area of responsibility to U.S. Southern Command’s Enlisted Leader Professional Development (ELPD) program. ELD aims to help professionalize the noncommissioned officer (NCO) corps in partner nations by sharing experiences, best practices and lessons learned.

“The vision is the commitment to building and strengthening relationships at all levels,” said Florentino. “This is dependent on one thing and that is us working as a team of officers and enlisted to get the job done.”

The MST ended with Aiken and Garriga signing the minutes, signifying the end of a productive week of discussions, and a mutual agreement to continue to work together and build on the special relationship the two nations share in the future.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American region.

Learn more about USNAVSO/4th Fleet at https://www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT and @NAVSOUS4THFLT.

Source: United States Navy

The Honorable Tammy Baldwin, U. S. Sen. from Wisconsin, will be the principal speaker. The Honorable Mike Gallagher, U. S. Rep. from Wisconsin’s 8th District; Vice Adm. John Fuller, Naval Inspector General; Vice Adm. Francis Morley, Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition; and Ms. Lori Curtis Luther, City Manager of Beloit, Wisconsin, as well as shipbuilders Steve Allen, Vice President, Small Combatants and Ship Systems, Lockheed Martin Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors, and Mark Vandroff, Chief Executive Officer, Fincantieri Marinette Marine will also provide remarks.

In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsor, Beloit-native and retired Army Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson will break a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

“The future USS Beloit will be the first U.S. Navy ship honoring the proud naval contributions of Beloit, Wisconsin,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. “I have no doubt the Sailors of USS Beloit (LCS 29) will stand the watch with pride and be ready to respond to any mission, wherever, and whenever, there is a need.”

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The platform is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom-variant team, or odd-numbered hulls, constructed in Marinette, Wisconsin. Austal USA leads the Independence-variant team in Mobile, Alabama, for LCS 2 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls.

LCS 29 is the 15th Freedom-variant LCS and 29th in the LCS class. It is the first ship named in honor of the city of Beloit, Wisconsin.

Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information on the Littoral Combat Ship Program can be found at:  https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2171607/littoral-combat-ship-class-lcs/