Category: United States Navy

Source: United States Navy

The future USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212) will be the first U.S. Navy ship to bear her name.

“As we close out women’s history month, it is my absolute honor to name the next T-AO after the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She is a historic figure who vigorously advocated for women’s rights and gender equality,” said Del Toro. “As Secretary of the Navy, it is my aim to ensure equality and eliminate gender discrimination across the Department of the Navy. She is instrumental to why we now have women of all backgrounds, experiences and talents serving within our ranks, side by side with their male Sailor and Marine counterparts.”

The name selection for the John Lewis-class replenishment oiler follows the naming convention of honoring people who have fought for civil and human rights. Born in 1933, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a pioneering advocate for women’s rights turned Supreme Court Justice. Ginsburg made history as the second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court when she was nominated by President Bill Clinton and confirmed in 1993. Of her 27-year tenure on the Supreme Court, she is most noted for her work toward issuing the majority opinion for United States v. Virginia, a landmark 1996 case that struck down Virginia Military Institute’s male-only admissions policy.

The future T-AO 212 is the eighth of the T-AO ships awarded to the Navy, with the first delivered in 2021. The class and lead ship T-AO 205 is named in honor of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga). 

Secretary Del Toro also named Justice Ginsburg’s daughter, Jane Ginsburg as the ship’s sponsor.

T-AO ships are fleet oilers designed to transfer fuel to the Navy’s operating carrier strike groups. The oilers have the ability to carry a load of 162,000 barrels of oil, maintain significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and a speed of 20 knots. General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company designed the vessels with double hulls that protect against oil spills as well as strengthened cargo and ballast tanks. The T-AO measures 742-feet in length with a full load displacement of 49,850 tons.

For more information about Fleet Replenishment Oilers visit: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2222909/fleet-replenishment-oilers-t-ao/

Source: United States Navy

Navy Capt. Douglas MacKenzie, commanding officer of Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center in Sigonella, Italy, visited Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Europe in Germersheim, Germany, March 7. Army Lt. Col. Katie Dlugosz, and her leadership team provided a warehouse tour for MacKenzie and Navy Cmdr. Treven Feleciano, FLCSI operational officer, demonstrating the expanded support DDDE is providing to ships in Crombie, Scotland, operating in the area known as the “High North.” The tour was followed by a synchronization meeting to help ensure timely support to Crombie.

The goal of both initiatives is to reduce the logistics response time to the High North. MacKenzie gave an overview of anticipated naval expansion in the High North and impact to DDDE and the NAVSUP support units based in Crombie.

Recent changes by Distribution Headquarters’ future plans and NAVSUP to system’s sourcing logic allows some order fulfillment to be performed at DDDE, instead of traditional Navy centric depots that are further away from the warfighter. Separately, air transshipments for ships operating out of Crombie have now been routed to DDDE via the aerial port at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

MacKenzie thanked the team for their work to date and anticipated efforts with DDDE to reduce LRT going forward. He gave every member of Dlugosz’s briefing team a coin in recognition of their support.

Source: United States Navy

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Each Thursday morning Sailors from Information Warfare Training Site (IWTS) Hawaii can be found volunteering onboard USS Missouri (BB 63), preserving the Battleship, famous for being the site of surrender that marked the end of World War II.
  
During a ceremony on Mar. 24, the IWTS Hawaii volunteers were recognized for their efforts by the Missouri’s Director of Volunteers and received plaques for the “Outstanding Adopt-a-Space” and “Outstanding Military Group Support” for 2021; and Cryptologic Technician Technical 1st Class Jacklyn McVay was awarded the USS Missouri Legacy Award/Outstanding Military Volunteer by USS.
 
IWTS Hawaii Sailors spend time preserving the deck, maintaining historic gun mounts, and cleaning the space that the site adopted through the Missouri “Adopt-a-Space program.”
 
“It is always a great experience going over to help preserve and maintain a significant piece of Naval history,” said McVay. “There are a lot of times that we will go to the ship, planning on cleaning the bridge, but are then ask us to help with anything from moving teak wood to disassembling a gun mount for refurbishment and replacement. While it may be a small amount of time that we give to the ship, the help that we do provide and the lasting contribution is amazing.”
 
McVay has been volunteering onboard the USS Missouri for the past two years.
 
Information Systems Technician Submarines 1st Class Tyler Silliman is in charge of planning the volunteer events for the site’s Sailors. His coordinated efforts have resulted in more than 100 hours of volunteer work from 14 Sailors participating in the program throughout 2021.
 
“Taking pride in our space aboard the historical bridge is something our Sailors look forward to every single Thursday,” said Silliman. “Our site’s Sailors are very appreciative of the opportunities given to us to support the USS Missouri.”
 
All of IWTS Hawaii’s Sailors who take part in the program are proud of their volunteer efforts onboard the historic warship to preserve a significant piece of Naval history, and maintain the outstanding relationship that has been fostered with the Missouri Volunteer Organization.
 
“I am so proud of the entire IWTS Hawaii team for their volunteer work,” said Cmdr. Tim Raymie, Information Warfare Training Command San Diego’s Commanding Officer. “Not only are the team outstanding information warfare instructors, but also great Naval professionals who take pride in their Naval heritage and whose dedication to keeping the Missouri in pristine shape will help future Sailors and civilians fully appreciate the ship’s proud history and legacy.”
 
IWTS Hawaii, is one of three training sites under Information Warfare Training Command San Diego (IWTCSD). As part of the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), IWTC San Diego provides a continuum of training to Navy and joint service personnel that prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.

With four schoolhouse commands, a detachment, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT trains over 22,000 students every year, delivering trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.

Source: United States Navy

The award recognizes the top 100 providers out of more than 10,000 businesses and organizations for superior customer service in various fields including the government sector. 
 
The Navy College Virtual Education Center (NCVEC) uses LiveHelpNow, a customer service software, to live chat with Sailors about Tuition Assistance (TA), Navy College Program for Afloat Education (NCPACE), and to answer general education questions via the website and text messaging. LiveHelpNow is also the system by which Sailors and academic institutions submit help request support tickets, and it houses a knowledge library of articles on Navy College topics.
 
The announcement came on the heels of the final stages of the service model transition from brick and mortar Navy College Offices to a virtual service provider via the NCVEC in 2021.
 
The Navy Voluntary Education (VOLED) Director, Cdr. Adam Walski, praised his team for their extraordinary efforts during the transformative year.
 
“Achieving best-in-class service delivery is impressive enough,” said Walski. “However, taking into account some of the challenges the team had to overcome – from pandemic restrictions to overhauling our service delivery model – takes it to the next level. Bravo zulu!”
 
For Systems Manager Darryll Cleaves, the award affirms the hard work of the education counselors and the VOLED team as a whole.
 
“This award highlights the commitment and dedication of the VOLED team’s unwavering support to Sailors achieving their education goals,” said Cleaves.
 
Cleaves also believes the award confirms the effective collaboration he sees within the NCVEC.
 
“It highlights the teamwork and efforts the VOLED team puts into providing the best customer service to military members,” said Cleaves. “In particular, it recognizes the collective effort of an outstanding group of education counselors who worked hard responding to all chats and texts generated by Sailors. And, they did so in a timely and efficient manner.”
 
NETPDC Commanding Officer Capt. Willie Brisbane offered her praise to the VOLED team for their efforts.
 
“A huge congratulations to the NCVEC team on receiving the LiveHelpNow award,” said Brisbane. “To attain the title as the ‘top service provider’ is exceptional and I am very proud of their accomplishment!”
 
As a part of the service delivery transition, the phone number for the NCVEC recently changed to the MyNavy Career Center number, 1-833-330-MNCC (6622). This change affords Sailors across the globe toll free access to a Navy College Program counselor. Sailors can speak with a counselor at the NCVEC, Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
 
Sailors interested in continuing their education journey can also go to the Navy College Assistance Center via the Navy College website, www.navycollege.navy.mil, and click “Chat Now” to chat online with a Navy College education counselor.
 
As part of the MyNavy HR Force Development team, NETPDC provides products and services that enable and enhance education, training, career development and personnel advancement throughout the Navy. Primary elements of the command include the Voluntary Education Department, the Navy Advancement Center and the Resources Management Department.

Additional information about NETPDC can be found at https://www.netc.navy.mil/NETPDC.
 

Source: United States Navy

The keel for the future USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG 127), was ceremonially laid at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW), March 30.  

The ship is named for Marine Corps Cpl. Patrick Gallagher, who received the Navy Cross for heroism during the Vietnam War when he managed to jump on and throw an enemy grenade into a river. He was killed in action just one year later.  The keel laying marks the 55^th anniversary of his death.

A contemporary keel laying ceremony recognizes the moment of a ship’s construction when two significant pieces of the hull structure are welded together and joined, constituting a major portion of the ship’s shape. The authentication or etching of the ship sponsors’ initials into a ceremonial keel plate will take place during the ceremony. The sponsors of DDG 127 are Gallagher’s three sisters: Teresa Keegan, Rosemarie Gallagher, and Pauline Gallagher.

“The future USS Patrick Gallagher will strengthen our maritime dominance and bring proven capability to the fleet,” said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “This ship and all who serve aboard it will be a reminder of the steadfast commitment to our country that Cpl. Gallagher exhibited.”

The final Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built in the Flight IIA configuration, DDG 127 is equipped with the Aegis Baseline 9C2 Combat System, which brings crucial Ballistic Missile Defense capabilities to the Fleet in addition to the ship’s primary missions of anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and strike warfare.

BIW is also currently in production on the future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), USS John Basilone (DDG 122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124), USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG 126), USS William Charette (DDG 130), and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG 132).

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