Category: United States Navy

Source: United States Navy

The worldwide NEXCOM Enterprise is comprised of a workforce totaling over 16,000 among seven separate business lines— the Navy Exchange (NEX), Navy Lodge Program, Navy Gateway Inns & Suites, Ships Store Program, Navy Clothing and Textile Research Facility, Uniform Program Management Office and Telecommunications Program Office. Each of these businesses has unique capabilities that provide the U.S. Navy community with distinctive and critical response efforts following events such as hurricanes, wildfires, snowstorms, U.S. Navy ship incidences, pandemics and other humanitarian efforts.

As a Navy command, NEXCOM stands ready to support the U.S. Navy and its military members wherever and whenever it is called upon around the world. “We are a worldwide command with a value-added mission and purpose,” said Capt. Craig Abraham, Deputy Commander Military Services at NEXCOM. “NEXCOM’s mission essential capabilities, tactical business model and global locations, provide our Navy with a timely response and strategic support following any type of crisis.”

In the past few years in particular, NEXCOM contributed much needed services and products to help sustain and support first responders, the military community and the Fleet following U.S. Navy ship accidents while underway, the fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6), countless natural disasters, and humanitarian efforts. NEXCOM’s support included food, lodging, personal care items, internet services and uniform availability.

As an example, NEXCOM was there to lend a hand when the USS John McCain (DDG-56) and USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) were involved in collisions at sea. NEXCOM provided lodging for displaced Sailors, made Navy uniforms available for those Sailors who needed replacements and the NEX Yokosuka Flower Shop created the memorial flowers for those Sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice.

In 2020, during the fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard, NEXCOM headquarters, along with NEX San Diego, provided water, sports drinks and ice as well as snacks to the first responders. In coordination with Naval Base San Diego leadership, NEX San Diego delivered 4,450 meals as well as personal care items to emergency responders and displaced Sailors.

In the aftermath of natural disasters, like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Hurricane Irma in 2017,  Hurricane Michael in 2018 and the earthquake at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., in 2019, NEXCOM ensured all of its business lines were utilized to assist. Following Hurricane Katrina, NEXCOM provided free phone banks, delivered gasoline and deployed five Military Retail Facilities (MRF) to provide much needed food, drinks, electronics and health and comfort items. Also, NEXCOM’s Uniform Program Management Office instituted an emergency Deferred Payment Plan that allowed Sailors to purchase up to $500 worth of uniform items and pay for them over a 12-month period, interest free. After Hurricane Michael, NEXCOM sent a MRF to assist the mission essential personnel and NEXCOM’s Telecommunication Program Office established Wi-Fi hotspots. In addition, Navy Lodge Pensacola, Fla., made rooms available for those displaced due to the storm. In 2015, NEXCOM was also at the ready when Naval Support Activity Mid-South, Tenn., was hit with unprecedented rain and flooding. NEXCOM provided emergency supplies, including diapers, dog food, gasoline and lodging.

Most recently, NEX Bahrain and NEX Naples, Italy, teams assisted in the Afghan humanitarian effort. NEXCOM personnel coordinated support with their respective installations to ensure the daily needs of individuals who evacuated Afghanistan were met with essentials like health and comfort items, masks, water and baby products.

“NEXCOM is uniquely qualified to support our Navy and our patrons during times of crisis,” said Abraham. “Our seven business lines can offer a wide variety of products and services such as lodging, fuel, food service, telecommunications and more. Through the course of our retail business, we have contracts with a variety of businesses that are invaluable when supplies are needed in an emergency situation. We also have stock on-hand in our NEX locations and distribution centers that we can quickly mobilize to send to where it is needed.”

Source: United States Navy

“NEXCOM is continually looking to bring services to our NEX locations that will enhance the quality of life of our valued patrons,” said Mary Margaret Caragan, Services Program Manager at NEXCOM. “NEXCOM opened its first Pearle Vision Center at NEX Oceana, Va., in 2019. Since that time, we’ve opened more locations so we can offer eye care service to even more of customers.”

The Pearle Vision Centers have on-site optometrists to give eye exams and write prescriptions. In addition to eyeglass frames, customers can also purchase contact lenses on-site. The vision centers work with all major health and vision plans including Tricare, Aetna, EyeMed, VSP and United Healthcare Vision. 

Pearle Vision Centers are currently open at NEX Oceana, Va.; NEX Pearl Harbor; NEX San Diego and NEX North Island, Calif.; NEX Bethesda and NEX Annapolis, Md.; NEX Jacksonville, Fla.; and NEX Guam. A Pearle Vision Center at NEX Memphis, Tenn., is expected to open summer 2022.                         

Source: United States Navy

After completing the ship’s inaugural patrol, Paul Ignatius will join destroyers USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), USS Ross (DDG 71), USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) as Forward Deployed Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E) ships homeported in Rota, Spain, fortifying the enduring relationship between the U.S. Navy and NATO.

Paul Ignatius’ move is one of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the Rota-based destroyers.

The ship is named in honor of former Secretary of the Navy Paul Ignatius, who served under President Lyndon Johnson from 1967 to 1969. Ignatius previously served as a Navy lieutenant during World War II.

Paul Ignatius is the second of eight planned Flight IIA “technology insertion” ships, which contain elements of the Flight III ships. The Flight III upgrade is centered on improvements to the DDG air and missile defense capability, enabling Flight III ships to simultaneously perform AAW and BMD. This improvement satisfies the Navy’s critical need for an enhanced surface combatant Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) capability.

“We are excited to begin this journey today,” said Cmdr. Aaron Arky, commanding officer of Paul Ignatius. “This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by many Sailors to both prepare the ship and hone our tradecraft. Paul Ignatius is one of the newest and most advanced destroyers in the Navy. Together with our embarked helicopter detachment, we are bringing a lot of capability to the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations.”

U.S. Navy ships assigned to FDNF-E demonstrate national resolve, strengthen alliances, dissuade potential adversaries, and enhance the ability to respond quickly to contingencies. Rota offers a world-class port facility that provides an excellent location for multi-mission Aegis ships to support NATO and U.S. missions, exercises and engagements.

U.S. 2nd Fleet, reestablished in 2018 in response to the changing global security environment, develops and employs maritime forces ready to fight across multiple domains in the Atlantic and Arctic in order to ensure access, deter aggression and defend U.S., allied, and partner interests.

For more news from C2F, visit http://www.facebook.com/US2ndFleet or http://twitter.com/US2ndFleet

Source: United States Navy

The operations included the U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) and the Indian Navy’s guided-missile frigate INS Trishul (F 43), which focused on building interoperability and strengthening relationships.

“Our crew strives to work efficiently and effectively to ensure we are able to operate together with our partners while underway. Conducting an exercise with the Indian Navy off of their western coast is a chance that we did not want to miss,” said Cmdr. Erik Roberts, commanding officer of Momsen. “Our commitment to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific is bolstered every time we perform at-sea operations with those who share our maritime goals.”

The U.S.-India bilateral operations focused on division tactics, a passing exercise, communications checks, and formation sailing, providing both navies the opportunity to work together to further common maritime goals.

Momsen is assigned to Commander, Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15. CTF 71/DESRON 15 is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet is the largest forward-deployed fleet and routinely operates and interacts with 35 maritime nations while conducting missions to preserve and protect critical regional partnerships.

For more news from CTF 71, visit https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/DS15

Source: United States Navy

Lescher met with Naval War College leaders, spoke with students at the Navy Leadership and Ethics Course (NLEC), and discussed Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) and shipyard performance with shipyard leadership. He also discussed the production of the Virginia class SSN and Columbia class SSBN – platforms critical to accelerating our undersea warfare advantage.  

Lescher received helpful feedback from leaders at all levels about the Chief of Naval Operations’ Get Real, Get Better (GRGB) movement.   

While at the Naval War College and NLEC Lescher emphasized the need to establish clear standards and measures for the GRGB behaviors desired in the fleet. Lescher has made it a priority to engage with each NLEC class over the last year, encouraging them to take GRGB principles to their new commands.  

“As leaders we must role model Get Real, Get Better behaviors by removing barriers for our people where we can and elevating barriers with specificity and accountability where we can’t,” Lescher said. 

On the trip Lescher also visited both PNS and GDEB shipyards to talk with leadership about the challenges they are facing and how the Navy and industry can partner at all levels to enhance transparency to remove barriers and measurably improve performance.  

“The Navy is changing our mindset and processes through GRGB, and we are actively challenging our industry partners to do the same,” said Lescher. “Working together to achieve better outcomes is key to accelerating Navy’s maritime advantage in our strategic competition with China.” 

For more information about Get Real, Get Better visit www.navy.mil/GetRealGetBetter