Surface Warfare SUMMER 2017 Issue 55
This issue: Progress on All Fronts Resetting the LCS Force
And: Four Lessons from Wayne E. Meyer & Aegis
SURFACE WARFARE SUMMER 2017
Authorization
Surface Warfare is published quarterly from appropriated funds by authority of the Chief of Naval Operations in accordance with NPPR P-35. The Secretary of the Navy has determined that this publication is necessary in the transaction of business required by law of the Department of the Navy. Use of funds for printing this publication has been approved by the Navy Publications and Printing Policy Committee. Reproductions are encouraged with proper citation. Controlled circulation.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Surface Warfare, SURFPAC Public Affairs Office, 2841 Rendova Road, San Diego, CA 92155. Surface Warfare (USPS 104-170) (ISSN 0145-1073) is published by the Department of the Navy, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, 2841 Rendova Road, San Diego, CA 92155. Periodicals postage paid at San Diego, CA, and additional mailing offices.
Charter
Surface Warfare Magazine is the professional magazine of the surface warfare community. Its purpose is to educate its readers on surface warfare missions and programs, with a particular focus on U.S. surface ships and commands. This journal will also draw upon the Surface Force’s rich historical legacy to instill a sense of pride and professionalism among community members and to enhance reader awareness of the increasing relevance of surface warfare for our nation’s defense. The opinions and assertions herein are the personal views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Navy.
Surface Warfare Summer 2017 Issue 55
Contact:
Surface Warfare Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Office, N01P 2841 Rendova Road San Diego, CA 92155 Phone: (619) 437-2735
Contributions and Feedback Welcome Send articles, photographs (min. 300 dpi electronic) and feedback to: surface_warfare_maga@navy.mil
Commander, Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Tom Rowden Deputy Commander, Naval Surface Forces Rear Adm. John Mustin Public Affairs Officer Cmdr. John Perkins Executive Editor MCCS Michael Mitchell Managing Editor MC2 Phil Ladouceur Layout and Design MC2 Phil Ladouceur
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Contents IF IT FLOATS
IT FIGHTS 2 • Commander's Corner Surface Force News:
Cover Stories:
4 • US Naval Academy Graduates Class of 2017
20 • Righting the Ship: Progress on All Fronts Resetting the LCS Force
5 • USS Chancellorsville Wins Prestigious Spokane Trophy 6 • Navy, Marine Corps Spotlight the Future of Amphibious, Autonomous Warfare
26 • Four Lessons From the Life of Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer & the Development of Aegis 30 • Makin Island ARG Returns
7 • USS Jackson Completes Successful Missile Test
33 • USS Somerset shines on maiden deployment
8 • CNO, USS Coronado, USS Sterett Highlight US Navy Presence at Singapore's International Maritime Review IMDEX17
35 • Makin Island ARG &11th MEU's Contributions to US 7th Fleet
10 • USS Lake Erie, US Service Members Render Assistance in Sri Lanka After Devastating Floods
38 • Early Command Opportunity
36 • Deputy Dispatches: RC2C: Your RC Sailors 9 • SM-6 Test Displays Range and Versatility are Seagoing Sailors
11 • USS Gabrielle Giffords Commissioned in Galveston Feature Stories:
39 • Leadership Literature: Motivation & Organization 40 • Voices From the Fleet: What Destroyers and Cruisers Add to a Carrier Strike Group
12 • A History of the Tomahawk in Combat 16 • Ready for the Call: Trump Orders Missile Attack in Retaliation for Syrian Chemical Strikes 18 • USS Ross, Porter Commanding Officers Receive Phone Calls from President Trump
Cover: USS Carney (DDG 64) transits the Mediterranean Sea. Original Photo by MC1 Theron Godbold. Digital illustration by MC2 Phil Ladouceur.
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Commander's Corner
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ummer brings with it many things; some important, some pleasurable, and some both. Among the things I place in the “both” category are baseball, time with family, and the Surface Warfare Flag Officers Training Symposium (SWFOTS) in San Diego – scheduled coincident with the waterfront Surface Navy Association (SNA) symposium July 13. I am particularly excited for this year’s SNA and SWFOTS, because there are a lot of exciting things to talk about. As a preview to those discussions, I want to share some of my thoughts with you. In the last few months, the CNO released a new Force Structure Assessment setting a requirement of 355 ships for our Navy to accomplish its critical missions around the world. To put this in perspective, a 355 ship Navy is about 25% larger than the Navy we have today (275 ships) – a significant increase. Exactly how, and when, we get to 355 ships is a matter for the folks in Washington to hash out, but there appears to be a rising consensus that the Navy must get bigger to protect and sustain our global interests. Another area where there is clear consensus is the topic of readiness – Surface Force readiness – and the importance of focusing additional resources to buy more of it. Specifically, I mean properly resourced training, fuel needed for meaningful at-sea operations, time
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Editorial by
Vice Adm. Tom Rowden Commander, Naval Surface Force
and money necessary to get both routine and emergent maintenance done, threat pacing modernization, and at-sea manning that ties it all together. Current readiness is so important that our new Secretary of Defense James Mattis made it his #1 priority upon taking office in January, and that priority is front and center in the recently submitted fiscal year 2018 Department of Defense budget. He and the uniformed leadership of the Navy have been making a persuasive case to Congress, that even before we grow the fleet, we must shore up current readiness accounts, and their case is carrying the day. What does all this mean to the Center of the Universe – namely you, the crews of the Surface Force? Most importantly, I think it means we may have turned the corner on “the lean years,” where surface ship maintenance routinely served as a bill-payer for other Navy priorities. It means we will be able to get our ships the maintenance and repairs
they need, while ensuring we are able to provide for meaningful atsea training throughout the workup cycle. Additionally, it means we can begin to replenish the stocks of some of our tried and true weapons like TLAM, while simultaneously being able to turn on full rate production for new and exciting ones like the SM-6. Make no mistake – while the trends are headed in the right direction, I am under no misconception that everything is fixed. My staff and I continue to work hard to make sure we get the right people to the right billets at the right time, and with the right training. We are coordinating with the Navy maintenance organizations and the repair yards to ensure that we factor in sufficient “growth” margins for emergent – but predictable – work. Put another way, it’s all about the Four T’s – Tactics, Talent, Tools, and Training – and the focus that we place on them. The Surface Force, by articulating a strategy
focused on maritime dominance through Sea Control enabled by a more distributed and lethal force, has had considerable impact on how leaders think about Seapower and its application toward the great power competition. We started a conversation several years ago that is now beginning to fully impact how we organize, train, equip, and fight, and we’ve done it by focusing on the basics of the Four T’s. For the Surface Force, readiness is founded in the “Four T’s”. I have a feeling our Navy will grow in the years to come, and I’m excited about that. The growth won’t happen as quickly as some would like. That said, I am confident that the bigger Navy will be built on a solid foundation of readiness and professionalism, the kind of professionalism and duty that I see every day as I visit our ships. I am proud of you, proud of your resourcefulness and performance, and, more than ever, I am extremely proud to be a Surface Warrior! *
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Surface Force News
Photo by MC2 Brianna Jones
US Naval Academy Graduates Class of 2017 ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- The U.S. Naval Story from Naval Academy Academy graduated 1,053 new Navy and Marine Corps Public Affairs officers at the annual graduation and commissioning ceremony May 26 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The graduating class includes 768 Navy ensigns and 259 Marine Corps second lieutenants. Among the graduates are two interservice commissions into the U.S. Air Force. Seventeen foreign exchange students also graduated from the academy, hailing from Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Georgia, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Montenegro, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. These officers will return to serve in their home countries' militaries. U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter addressed the Class of 2017 about the momentous occasion. "You are joining a long and storied lineage," said Carter. He referenced
the Class of 1917 who a century ago graduated early to join the fight in World War I. He also spoke about the Class of 1967 who 50 years ago graduated and went on to fight in Vietnam, returning home to civil unrest. "Still they sacrificed, still they endured," said Carter. "This legacy of selfless service continues today with the Class of 2017." Carter went on to talk about the academic and athletic prowess of the graduating class. Six midshipmen received prestigious graduate scholarships,
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including one Rhodes Scholarship, one Truman Scholarship, one Gates Cambridge Scholarship, one Fulbright Scholarship and two Schwarzman Scholarships. The Naval Academy varsity sports record for the 2016-2017 academic year is 306-184-6. In just its second season in a conference, Navy football won the AAC West Division title after sharing the division crown with Houston in its first year. Specifically, Navy's senior class finished with a 37-16 (.698) record, the most wins by a class over a four-year period. Eight Navy teams made it to the 2017 NCAA Academic Progress Rate Honors List. The Navy women's lacrosse team recently beat #2-ranked UNC and will play Boston College tonight in their first Final Four. The midshipmen also excelled on the community service front, giving approximately 25,000 volunteer hours to the local and national community. More than 500 midshipmen were involved in the Midshipman Action Group, which organizes more than 50 service projects throughout the academic year. "I can state one indisputable fact: the Class of 2017 is prepared," said Carter. "You are ready to join our Navy and Marine Corps team, to lead, fight and win." Guest speaker Vice President Michael Pence agreed. "Today you'll become leaders in the world's greatest force for good," said Pence. "All of you who do so are patriots. You're the pride of your family, and you're the pride of the American people. You're the best of us." "Trust your training, and the principles you learned here, and you'll have success. Remember that character is destiny," he said. "Be men and women of integrity." "You bear the burden with honor, courage and commitment," Pence continued. "All of you will be called to duty. Always remember you follow in the wake of heroes." *
USS Chancellorsville Wins Prestigious Spokane Trophy YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The crew of the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) was awarded the 2016 Spokane Trophy early 2017. The Spokane Trophy is an annual award sponsored by the Spokane, Washington Council of the Navy League of the United States and is presented to the U.S. Pacific Fleet's surface ship with the highest level of operational readiness in areas ranging from coordinated air warfare, surface warfare and undersea warfare operations. "I am pleased to announce that USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) has Story by earned the 2016 Spokane Trophy Ensign Kyle Plunkett award for overall excellence in USS Chancellorsville Public Affairs surface ship combat system readiness and warfare operations," said Admiral Scott Swift, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. The 2016 award marks the second time Chancellorsville has earned this prestigious award. "Throughout the year, the crew of Chancellorsville demonstrated superb performance and excellence across the wide spectrum of combat system warfare areas." said Swift. "USS Chancellorsville's selection as the best in the Fleet highlights a steadfast commitment to our Navy and the Nation. I offer my sincere congratulations to the crew of USS Chancellorsville. You can be justifiably proud of this achievement. Well done!" Chancellorsville Sailors are extremely proud and honored to be recognized for their hard work and commitment to excellence. Fire Controlman First Class Erin Reeve said, "We've set the bar high for ourselves to basically be the best throughout Seventh Fleet. The Spokane Trophy directly reflects this attitude and the teamwork nurtured on Chancellorsville. This recognition just makes us hungry to stay the best and keep pushing to find new ways to excel." The Spokane Trophy was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt to recognize naval warfighting proficiency. The trophy was cast from 400 ounces of silver and is valued in excess of $4 million dollars. It is kept on permanent display at the Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters building in San Diego. Chancellorsville is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and assigned to Carrier Strike Group Five supporting security and stability in the IndoAsia-Pacific region. *
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Surface Force News
Navy, Marine Corps Spotlight the Future of Amphibious, Autonomous Warfare Story by
Warren Duffie Jr. Office of Naval Research Public Affairs
ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- Augmented reality systems and advanced wireless networks were among the technologies shown during the Ship-to-Shore Maneuver Exploration and Experimentation Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (S2ME2 ANTX) 2017a set of amphibious exercises May 4 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California. S2ME2 ANTX brought together industry, academia and the Naval Research and Development Establishmentwhich includes the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and various research laboratories associated with the Department of the Navy-to demonstrate emerging technology innovations. The exercise involved hundreds of Sailors, Marines and Department of Defense civilian employees and contractors. By using direct feedback and technical evaluations from participating warfighters and senior leadership in attendance, S2ME2 ANTX also may change the way the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps look at prototyping and rapidly acquiring technology. "The large scope of this exercise allows the Navy
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Vice Adm. David C. Johnson, principal military deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, Vice Adm. Thomas S. Rowden, commander of
Naval Surface Forces, and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert B. Neller, speak during ANTX. Photo by Cpl. Samantha Braun.
and Marine Corps to make informed decisions about future generations of technology for use by the warfighter," said Dr. David E. Walker, ONR's director of technology. "This pairing of Sailors and Marines with scientists and technologists will help move innovation at a faster pace." S2ME2 ANTX focused on five different capability areas of amphibious operations: ship-toshore maneuver; weapons fire support and effects; clearing assault lanes; command and control; and information warfare. Demonstrated technologies included unmanned and autonomous vehicles equipped with sensors to gather intelligence in the air, on land and underwater. During each amphibious beach demonstration, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles approached the shore first, collecting intelligence about battlespace conditionsincluding threats and obstaclesproviding an accurate picture of what warfighters would face when leaving their vessels and vehicles. Several ONR- and Naval Research Laboratory-sponsored systems were demonstrated at S2ME2 ANTX, including: Battlespace Exploitation of Mixed Reality (BEMR) Lab: This cutting-edge technology merges virtual reality (complete immersion in a simulated/virtual world) and augmented reality (where virtual objects are imposed onto real-world vision), through the use of Oculus Rift goggles. Mine Warfare Rapid Assessment Capability (MIW RAC): A small quadcopter is outfitted with an ultrasensitive magnetometer and sensors to detect mines and provide real-time data to a handheld Android device. Coalition Tactical Awareness and Response (CTAR): This system uses satellite imagery to conduct surveillance of large areas of open ocean. CTAR processes image data to generate detailed reports about maritime activity in these ocean areas, and can share this information with partners and allies. Technologies that performed well at S2ME2 ANTX potentially could be featured at Bold Alligator 2017, a multinational series of amphibious exercises led by U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, scheduled for the fall. *
USS Jackson Completes Successful Missile Test SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Jackson (LCS 6) successfully fired a SeaRAM missile against an aerial drone, destroying the target in a test off the Southern California coast, April 22. The drone was simulating an antiship missile as part of a Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) event to demonstrate the Story by FC1 Christopher self-defense capability of the ship Bright against an aerial target. "I couldn't be more proud of USS Jackson Public Affairs my crew and all the hard work we have put forth in preparing for and accomplishing the CSSQT events," said Cmdr. Patrick Keller, Jackson's commanding officer. CSSQT events are designed to test the ship's ability to track and disable high-speed maneuvering surface targets and defeat long range anti-shipping air threats. Planned and coordinated by the LCS Shipbuilding Program Office, the CSSQT included firing exercises using the 57mm gun against a fast attack craft. Jackson's crew, along with personnel from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, completed each scenario successfully and exercised Jackson's combat systems suite. "It's been a long journey, with a lot of training, effort and dedication," said Keller. "These events further demonstrate that my team is ready to fight and defend Jackson, and that our ship is ready when called. I couldn't be happier with the results." Constructed by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, USS Jackson is an Independence variant LCS and the third vessel of the trimaran design. Jackson was christened March 22, 2014 and commissioned Dec. 5, 2015 in Gulfport, Mississippi. LCS is a high-speed, agile, shallow draft, focusedmission surface combatant designed for operations in the littoral environment, yet fully capable of open ocean operations. LCS is complementary to the surface fleet, with the ability to counter and outpace evolving threats independently or within a network of surface combatants. Paired with advanced sonar and mine hunting capabilities, LCS provides a major contribution, as well a more diverse set of options to commanders, across the spectrum of operations. *
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Surface Force News
CNO, USS Coronado, USS Sterett Highlight US Navy Presence at Singapore's International Maritime Review IMDEX17 Story from CTF 73 Public Affairs
SINGAPORE (NNS) -- The littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) represented the U.S. in the International Maritime Defense Exposition 2017 (IMDEX-17) in Singapore May 16-18. The ships and crew were joined by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, who was hosted by Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Chief Adm. Lai Chung Han for the RSN 50th anniversary celebration and International Maritime Review along with engagement associated with IMDEX. "Let's congratulate the Republic of Singapore Navy for their 50th anniversary; their golden jubilee," said Richardson. "What better way to celebrate that anniversary than an International Maritime Review in the company of so many partner navies. It's very clear to me that partnerships are built into the Singapore DNA. The fact that the United States Navy was here with two
SURFACE WARFARE SUMMER 2017 CNO Adm. John Richardson is welcomed aboard USS Sterett by Capt. David Bretz, commodore of DESRON 31. Photo by MC1 Byron Linder.
ships demonstrates our commitment to partnerships as well." Singapore's inaugural International Maritime Review was co-scheduled with IMDEX and brought together 27 ships from 21 navies and chiefs of navies and coast guards from around the globe. The International Maritime Review featured a ship parade rendering honors to the President of Singapore Tony Tan Keng Yam and the participating chiefs of navies. "We were very honored to have Coronado showcased during Singapore's International Maritime Review," said Cmdr. Douglas Meagher, the ship's commanding officer. "This event, and the International Maritime Defense Exhibition that followed, served as a reminder of how important the oceans are to our collective prosperity as sea-faring nations. Our Sailors continue to excel at this mission while building maritime partnerships both at sea and ashore." IMDEX is the Indo-Asia-Pacific's flagship maritime defense show and provides an avenue for stakeholders, industry representatives and naval leaders to liaise and collaborate. "We are excited and honored to have participated in IMDEX this year," said Cmdr. Claudine Caluori, commanding officer of USS Sterett. "We have built strong alliances and partnerships for decades that contribute to regional security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, and IMDEX provided an opportunity to further enhance defense cooperation and reinforce these ties." Coronado hosted Principle Assistant Deputy Secretary of Defense Kristin French, as well as Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet Vice Adm. Jospeh Aucoin and Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Chief of Staff Adm. Yutaka Murakawa. Sterett played host to the Republic of Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean for a tour and visit with the ship's crew. Both ships also welcomed more than 1,000 visitors, including defense industry professionals, trade press, and academics, during public tours and receptions. The United States routinely participates in International Maritime Reviews and trade shows like IMDEX to promote dialogue, stability and security cooperation throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. *
U.S. Navy Photo.
SM-6 Test Displays Range and Versatility
PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Navy successfully executed four flight tests of the surface-to-air Standard Missile-6 Block I (SM-6 Blk I) off the Hawaiian coast April 6-13. These tests marked the next step toward the SM-6 Blk I's achievement of Full Operational Story from PEO Integrated Capability. In addition, these are Warfare Systems the first tests with the latest SM-6 Public Affairs Blk I software that includes air warfare, ballistic missile sea based terminal defense, and anti-surface warfare capabilities. "I'm very proud of my team for the seamless planning and execution of these flight tests, which are the culmination of disciplined systems engineering efforts. These latest flight test successes demonstrate, once again, the versatile capability of SM-6 Blk I," said Capt. Michael Ladner, major program manager for Surface Ship Weapons, Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). "With these successes, we've validated that the latest SM-6 Blk I tri-mission capable software is ready to be delivered to our Sailors." The SM-6 provides an over-the-horizon engagement capability when launched from an Aegis warship and uses the latest in hardware and software missile technology to provide needed capabilities against evolving air threats. The SM-6 program has completed development and achieved Initial Operational Capability in November 2013. PEO IWS is an affiliated Program Executive Office of the Naval Sea Systems Command. IWS is responsible for spearheading surface ship and submarine combat technologies and systems, and for implementing Navy enterprise solutions across ship platforms. *
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Surface Force News
Photo by MC2 Joshua Fulton
USS Lake Erie, US Service Members Render Assistance in Sri Lanka After Devastating Floods COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (NNS) -- The Ticonderoga-class guidedmissile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 11 to support humanitarian assistance operations in the wake of severe flooding and landslides that devastated many regions of the country. The United States Pacific Command will also deploy military aircraft and other specialists who will join in the humanitarian efforts. "We share in the sorrow of the Sri Lankan people at the loss of life and devastation brought on by this disaster," Story from CTF 73 said Adm. Harry Harris, commander U.S. Pacific Public Affairs Command. "Friends help friends and the United States stands with Sri Lanka during this difficult time. U.S. forces will coordinate with our Sri Lankan counterparts to support recovery efforts. We will work closely with our interagency partners from the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and others to ensure continued, timely and swift responses to requests from the Government of Sri Lanka." Recent heavy rainfalls brought by a southwest monsoon triggered flooding and landslides throughout the country, displacing thousands of people and causing significant damage to homes and buildings. Because of the long-standing friendship between the United States and Sri Lanka, American forces are able to respond with critically needed capabilities. "We're very proud to have the opportunity to provide relief and assistance to the citizens of Sri Lanka," said Capt. Darren McPherson, commanding officer, USS Lake Erie. "Whether it's rehabilitating flooded areas or
providing food and water, our Sailors are well trained for this mission and we are ready to execute on behalf of the United States." The U.S. military has a history of successfully working with international relief organizations and host nations to provide relief to those affected by disaster. In March 2017, U.S. Navy doctors and civil engineers aboard USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4) visited Hambantota, Sri Lanka for Pacific Partnership, a two week humanitarian and disaster relief preparedness mission, establishing key relationships with the Sri Lankan Navy and civil service agencies in the country. Those relationships are helping U.S. military personnel efficiently integrate into the current Sri Lanka humanitarian response mission. "Americans and Sri Lankans have shared a deep bond throughout the history of our two countries," said the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Atul Keshap. "The people of both countries have always stood side-byside in times of need." USS Lake Erie left her homeport of San Diego in May on an independent deployment to the Western Pacific with an embarked detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 49 (HSM-49). As U.S. 7th Fleet's executive agent for theater security cooperation in South and Southeast Asia, Commander, Task Force 73 conducts advanced planning, organize resources, and directly support the execution of maritime exercises and engagements, such as Pacific Partnership, the bilateral CARAT series, the Naval Engagement Activity (NEA) with Vietnam and the multi-lateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. *
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Photo by MCCS Michael Mitchell
USS Gabrielle Giffords Commissioned in Galveston GALVESTON, Texas (NNS) -- USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), the Navy's newest littoral combat ship, was brought to life by her crew before a crowd of nearly 2,500 guests at Pier 21 at the Port of Galveston, June 10. Adm. William Moran, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, delivered the ceremony's principal address Story from CNSF before officially commissioning the ship into service. Public Affairs "As we man the rails today, blood gets pumped, the ship comes alive, and the heart begins to beat," said Moran. "It's the blood that is infused by the spirit, the attitude, and the courage of its namesake. We are so proud to be part of Gabrielle Giffords' legacy to the United States." Following the commissioning, Dr. Jill Biden, the ship's sponsor and wife of former Vice President Joe Biden, gave the time-honored Navy tradition of ordering the crew to "man our ship and bring her to life!" The crowd sounded its approval as the crew ran aboard the ship to man their assigned stations and complete the ceremony of bringing the ship into active service to end a story that began more than five years ago. In 2012 the Secretary of the Navy announced the future ship's name, and USS Gabrielle Giffords became the 16th ship to be named for a woman and only the 13th ship to be named for a living person since 1850. The ship is commanded by Cmdr. Keith Woodley, a native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, who leads the core crew of 50 officers and enlisted personnel. During the ceremony Woodley praised the crew for their dedication and hard work in getting the ship ready for service. "This is not just a new ship. This is a new class of ship and that makes it even more challenging for the crew," said Woodley. "They have risen to that challenge and performed exceptionally well in getting this ship ready for service." Most other Navy surface combatant ships have a crew of 300 or more Sailors, but littoral combat ships like Gabrielle Giffords have more automated systems and much smaller crews than their counterparts. Gabrielle Giffords' crew is just 73 at the ship's commissioning.
"It's not easy being an LCS Sailor," said Gunner's Mate 1st Class Mark Dobrinin. "We have to wear so many hats and be trained on systems and duties outside of our normal job specialty due to the small crew size. Every enlisted Sailor here volunteered for the program and we're excited to serve on USS Gabrielle Giffords." The 3,200-ton Gabrielle Giffords was built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. The ship is 421 feet in length and has a beam of 103 feet and a navigational draft of 15 feet. The ship uses two gas turbine and two diesel engines to power four steerable waterjets to speeds in excess of 40 knots. Littoral combat ships are fast, agile, mission-focused platforms designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking, and win against 21st-century coastal threats such as submarines, mines, and swarming small craft. A fast, maneuverable, and networked surface combatant, Gabrielle Giffords is capable of operating independently or with an associated strike group. It is designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in coastal waters. Following commissioning, USS Gabrielle Giffords then transited to her new homeport at Naval Base San Diego. *
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Where are the
Shooters?
A History of the Tomahawk in Combat
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SURFACE WARFARE SUMMER 2017 Photo by MC1 Carmichael Yepez
I
t is said that in a crisis one of the first questions asked by military leaders is “Where are the carriers?” However, since the Tomahawk land attack missile was first used in combat during Operation Desert Storm, most military operations have really begun with strikes using these precision weapons launched from cruisers, destroyers and submarines. The Tomahawk is an all-weather, Story from long-range cruise missile capable Naval History & of being launched from more than Heritage Command, 140 U. S. Navy surface ships and Communication & submarines for land attack warfare. Outreach Division It can precisely strike high value or heavily defended land targets. All cruisers, destroyers and guidedmissile and attack submarines are capable of using the system.
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Photo by PH3 Brad Dillon
Here is a list of some of the combat operations in which the Tomahawk has figured prominently. 1991 Jan. 17, 1991: At 1:30 a.m., nine ships in the Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf, and Red Sea fire the first of 122 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi targets during Operation Desert Storm. This marks the first combat launch of the Tomahawk. The guided-missile cruiser San Jacinto (CG 56) fires the first Tomahawk from the Red Sea, while the guided-missile cruiser Bunker Hill (CG 52) fires the first Tomahawk from the Arabian Gulf. By the end of the second day of the operation, ships and submarines had launched 216 Tomahawks against 17 Iraqi military leadership, electric, and oil targets. On day three of the operation, the fast attack submarines USS Louisville (SSN 724) and USS Pittsburgh (SSN 720) while submerged, fire the first submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles in combat history 1993 Jan. 17, 1993: In response to Iraqi violations of the Middle East no-fly zone the guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 53) and destroyers USS Hewitt (DD 966) and USS Stump (DD 978) steaming in the Arabian Gulf, and destroyer USS Caron (DD 970) in the Red Sea, launch 42 Tomahawks against targets in Iraq. June 26, 1993: In what Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin L. Powell, described as a
“proportionate” response to the Iraqi assassination plot against former President George H. W. Bush, his wife Barbara, two of their sons, and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) launches nine Tomahawks from the northern Arabian Gulf, and the destroyer USS Peterson (DD 969) fires 14 more missiles from the Red Sea, in a coordinated night attack against the Iraqi intelligence service headquarters building in Baghdad. 1995 Aug. 30, 1995: Three weeks after the end of the Croatian military’s successful Operation Storm, aircraft from the carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) spearhead attacks against Bosnian Serb air defense missile sites, radar sites and communications facilities as part of the opening day of Operation Deliberate Force. The operation lasts until Sept. 20 and includes, among other operations, thirteen Tomahawk land attack missile strikes from the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60). In part as a result of the operation, the Bosnian Serb forces agree to enter peace negotiations that ultimately result in the Dayton Accords, ending the conflict in BosniaHerzegovina. 1996 Sept. 3, 1996: Operation Desert Strike begins in retaliation for the Aug. 31 dispatch by Saddam Hussein of 40,000 Iraqi Republican Guardsmen and regulars against Irbil, a Patriotic Union of Kurdistan town 48
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miles east of Mosul. Desert Strike attacks Iraqi fixed surface-to-air missile sites and air defense command and control facilities in southern Iraq. The guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) fire 14 Tomahawks. The next day, the destroyer USS Hewitt (DD 966), and the guided-missile destroyers USS Laboon (DDG 58) and USS Russell (DDG 59), and fast attack submarine USS Jefferson City (SSN 759) fire 17 more. 1998 Aug. 20, 1998: Operation Infinite Reach (Resolute Response) begins with two simultaneous retaliatory raids in response to the twin al-Qaeda attacks on the embassies in East Africa on Aug. 7. The guided issile cruisers USS Cowpens (CG 63) and USS Shiloh (CG 67), destroyer USS Elliott (DD 967), guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69), and fast attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) fire 73 Tomahawks at the Zhawar Kili al-Badr terrorist training and support complex, 30 miles southwest of Khowst, Afghanistan. Meanwhile the destroyers USS Briscoe (DD 977) and USS Hayler (DD 997) steaming in the Red Sea launch six Tomahawks against the al-Shifa pharmaceutical plant near Khartoum, Sudan. Dec. 16, 1998: With Iraqi President Saddam Hussein obstructing weapons inspections, the U.S. launches Operation Desert Fox, a series of sustained air strikes against Iraqi, chemical and biological weapons development facilities. Seven ships carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles, participate in the operation. 1999 March 24, 1999: With the collapse of diplomatic efforts to counter Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) President Slobodan Milosevic’s “cleansing” of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) launches Operation Allied Force, with Navy surface ships and submarines launching Tomahawk cruise missiles. 2001 Oct. 7, 2001: Operation Enduring Freedom begins when a U.S.-led coalition launched tomahawk missiles and air strikes against terrorist training camps and military installations.
Oct. 7-14, 2001: As the war in Afghanistan enters its second week, British and U.S. naval-launched Tomahawks attack seven target areas—two near Kandahar, one near the crucial crossroads of Mazāre-Sharīf, and two around the capital of Kabul that collectively consisted of training facilities, surface-toair missile storage sites, garrisons, and troop staging areas. 2003 March 19, 2003: A coalition of nations launches Operation Iraqi Freedom which begins with Tomahawk strikes. 2011 March 19, 2011: U.S. naval forces participate in a Tomahawk missile strike on Libya as part of Operation Odyssey Dawn designed to set the conditions for a coalition no-fly zone. The guidedmissile destroyers USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Barry (DDG 52), fast attack submarines USS Providence (SSN 719), USS Scranton (SSN 756) and the guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) participate in the strike. 2014 Sept. 22, 2014: U.S. U.S. Navy photo military forces and partner nations, including Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, undertake military action against ISIL terrorists in Syria. The strikes include 47 Tomahawks launched from the guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 61) and USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) operating from international waters in the Red Sea and North Arabian Gulf. 2016 Oct. 12, 2016: The U.S. military strikes three radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory on Yemen’s Red Sea coast using Tomahawks launched from USS Nitze (DDG 94). The strikes target radar sites involved in the earlier missile launches threatening USS Mason (DDG 87) and other vessels operating in international waters in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb. 2017 April 6/7, 2017: Most recently, at the direction of the President, U.S. forces conduct a cruise missile strike against a Syrian Air Force airfield. * See story on next page.
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Ready For The Call
Photo by MC3 Robert Price
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T
he United States fired Tomahawk missiles into Syria April 7, in retaliation for the regime of Bashar Assad using nerve agents to attack his own people. President Donald J. Trump ordered the attack on Al-Shayrat Air Base, the base from which the chemical attack on Syria's Idlib province was launched. The missiles were launched from U.S. Navy ships in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The attack was in retaliation for the Syrian dictator for using banned chemical agents in the April 4 attack. "Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians," Trump said in a statement to the nation. "Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror." Trump ordered the targeted military strike on the airfield that launched the attack. "It is in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons," the president said. No one disputes that Syria used banned chemical weapons on the people of Idlib, he said, adding that this is a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Syria also ignored United Nations Security Council resolutions. "Years of previous attempts at changing Assad's behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically," Trump said. "As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen and the region continues to destabilize, threatening the United States and its allies." Trump called on all civilized nations to join the United States in seeking an end to the slaughter in Syria, and to end the threat terrorism poses in the blighted nation.
Trump Orders Missile Attack in Retaliation for Syrian Chemical Strikes
Story from Department of Defense
Photos by MC3 Ford Williams
Shortly after the president's address, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis issued a statement providing details on the strike. It took place at about 8:40 p.m. EDT -- 4:40 a.m. April 7 in Syria, he said. The strike was conducted using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, or TLAMs, launched from the destroyers USS Porter (DDG 78) and USS Ross (DDG 71) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Davis said in his statement. A total of 59 TLAMs targeted aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radars. "As always, the U.S. took extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties and to comply with the Law of Armed Conflict," Davis said. "Every precaution was taken to execute this strike with minimal risk to personnel at the airfield." The strike was "a proportional response to Assad's heinous act," the Pentagon spokesman said, noting that Shayrat Airfield was used to store chemical weapons and Syrian air forces. The U.S. intelligence community assessed that aircraft from Shayrat conducted the April 4 chemical weapons attack, he added, and the strike was intended to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again. Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line, Davis said, and U.S. military planners took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel at the airfield. "We are assessing the results of the strike," Davis said. "Initial indications are that this strike has severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft and support infrastructure and equipment at Shayrat Airfield, reducing the Syrian government's ability to deliver chemical weapons. The use of chemical weapons against innocent people will not be tolerated." *
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USS Ross, Porter Commanding Officers Receive Phone Calls from President Trump
Story from U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/ U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs
O
n April 9, the commanding officers of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Ross (DDG 71) and USS Porter (DDG 78) received phone calls from President Donald J. Trump. The president called to thank the commanding officers, Cmdr. Russell Caldwell and Cmdr. Andria Slough, and their crews for their professionalism and quick response to the tasking to conduct a cruise missile strike against Shayrat airfield in western Syria April 7. This strike was in response to the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime. *
USS Porter (DDG 78) USS Porter was commissioned in 1999 at Port Canaveral, Florida.
Porter, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, departed on its third forwarddeployed patrol Nov. 30. It is conducting routine patrols in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. In March 2017, Porter participated in the multilateral NATO Allied Maritime Command anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare exercise Dynamic Manta 2017 with naval forces from France, Norway, Canada, Turkey, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy and the U.K. In February 2017, Porter participated in exercise Sea Shield 2017. Sea Shield is an annual Romanian-led multinational exercise in the Black Sea to improve interoperability and proficiency of participating units. Porter is a Ballistic Missile Defense capable Aegis ship operating as part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense.
Photo by MC3 Ford Williams
The ship’s motto is “Freedom’s Champion.”
USS Ross (DDG 71) Ross, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, departed on its fifth forwarddeployed patrol April 3. It is conducting routine patrols in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe. Ross’ weapons include surface-to-air missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, antisubmarine rockets, torpedoes, Phalanx Close-In Weapons Systems and a five-inch rapid-fire deck gun. Electronic warfare countermeasures, decoys, and passive detection systems supplement these weapons. Ross is a Ballistic Missile Defense capable Aegis ship operating as part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense. On March 30, 2017, USS Ross completed the final live fire tests of the newly installed SeaRAM systems, successfully intercepting U.S. Navy targets launched from Spain’s test range in the Gulf of Cadiz. Since its arrival at Rota in 2014, Ross has been actively involved in Operation Atlantic Resolve working with U.S. partners and allies to achieve objectives in the Sixth Fleet area of operations.
USS Ross was commissioned in 1997 at Galveston, Texas.
Photo by MC3 Ford Williams
The ship’s motto is “Fortune Favors Valor.”
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Battle damage assessment image following the strike. U.S. Navy photos.
Photo by MC3 Ford Williams
"In general, the President was impressed with Porter's precision and lethality. It was obvious he was extremely pleased with our performance and is glad we're out here patrolling in U.S. 6th Fleet," Slough said. Slough took command of Porter Jan. 28, 2016. In February Porter went to the Black Sea and participated in the Romanian led exercise Sea Shield. In March, Porter participated in the multilateral Allied Maritime Command anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare Exercise Dynamic Manta 2017. Also in March, Porter was awarded the 2016 Atlantic Fleet "Bloodhound" award, signifying the best ship in the fleet at antisubmarine warfare. Slough is a 1998 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Her personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, Pacific Fleet Shiphandler of the Year and the Vice Admiral John D. Bulkeley Leadership Award.
"The success of this mission hinged upon our Sailors' excellent training, technical knowledge and dedication to their work," Caldwell said. "It was a distinct honor to hear firsthand from our commander in chief that these operations had a direct impact in support of his national objectives." Caldwell took command of Ross Nov. 12, 2015, and was relieved by the current executive officer, Cmdr. Brian Gallo, in a ceremony onboard the ship April 11, in port Larnaca, Cyprus. Caldwell is from Johannesburg, South Africa, and a graduate of the University of Kansas. His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), and Navy Achievement Medal (two awards).
Photo by MC3 Robert Price
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Progress on All Fronts Resetting the LCS Force Story from CNSF Public Affairs
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T
he use of forward and ready conventional forces to deter aggression is a pillar in the Surface Force Strategy to reinvigorate Sea Control and Power Projection. Among these forces is the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a versatile platform that will play a pivotal role in achieving and sustaining sea control at the time and place of our choosing. While USS Coronado (LCS 4) has nearly completed the maiden deployment of the Independence variant, she is still the sole LCS deployer in 2017. That all changes in 2018!
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Photo by David Stoltz
The maturing LCS program serves as an example of the broader Surface Force Strategy’s ability to deliver combat-ready warships. Following last year’s Chief of Naval Operations-directed LCS Review (which provided straightforward program modifications to enhance simplicity, stability, and ownership), key factions of government and industry are working together to implement changes that will put these ships where they are needed the most – in the hands of our fleet commanders. In fact, the LCS program is progressing on several fronts. The commissioning of USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) in May marked the ninth LCS hull now moored at naval piers around the globe. Additionally, in order to increase the speed at which needed modifications for current and future weapon, engineering and hull needs are developed and delivered to the fleet, four LCS hulls have been designated as CONUS-based test ships – a crucial role Coronado will take on, with hulls 1 through 3, when she returns from deployment. The follow-on LCS hulls remain in the standard post-delivery test cycle. This period, which every new ship entering the fleet must go through, lasts approximately 15 months and includes final contractor trials, maintenance availabilities, and combat systems ship qualification trials (CSSQT). The milestones met during this necessary stage of a ship’s life are designed to ensure fleet commanders receive new assets that have been maximized for warfighting capacity and capability. This represents just the beginning of the growing number of LCS within the fleet. The current nine hulls being put to the test are just a fraction of the presence LCS will eventually assume. In fact, with five more ships scheduled to deliver in 2017,
and four more ships joining the fleet annually for the next three years thereafter, LCS will soon comprise one of the largest ship classes in the fleet, second only to the Arleigh Burke class destroyers. By 2030, LCS and frigates are projected to represent half of our deployed surface combatants. Toward this maturation, 2018 will see five ships ready for operational tasking, helping the LCS program achieve important new milestones. Specifically, USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) and USS Jackson (LCS 6) will enter fleet service in the spring as the first East and West Coast training ships designated by the LCS Review; the East Coast will see its first LCS deployment; and for the first time from the West Coast, two LCS will be simultaneously deployed to the Southeast Asia operational theater. This year our fleet will see a significant change to the composition and capability of the surface fleet with a more integrated LCS platform. Already, the independent Western Pacific deployments of USS Freedom (LCS 1) in 2013 and USS Fort Worth
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(LCS 3) in 2016 have proven what these new ships can do. As part of the class’s debut to global maritime operations, Freedom conducted joint and multi-national amphibious exercise assaults close to shore, and performed maritime security exercises with partner navies from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Building on this success, Fort Worth conducted multiple maritime patrols in the South China Sea, opened visits to more ports, and exercised with regional navies throughout the Indo-AsiaPacific region, including Naval Engagement Activity Vietnam and Foal Eagle off the Korean Peninsula.
and vertical replenishments at sea. Fort Worth also joined multilateral search efforts in the Java Sea for Air Asia Flight 8501, and conducted unmanned aerial vehicle training with a Singaporean Scan Eagle UAV, further demonstrating the flexibility of the ship. Both deployments featured the landings of foreign helicopters on the deck. USS Coronado (LCS 4) continues its forward-deployed operations in the Asia Pacific region. The ship's success in operations in the Sulu Sea and South China Sea included a passing exercise; visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) training with the Royal Brunei navy patrol vessel Daruttaqwa; participation in Maritime Training Activity Sama Sama with the Philippines, operating alongside the PHL Navy's PF-15 frigate; as well as two emergent Maritime Interdiction Operations, and two emergent Counter Piracy Operations. Additionally, the ship has done independent patrols in the South China Sea and Strait of Malacca promoting maritime security along strategic sea lanes. This continued trend of success highlights why these ships are tailormade for the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, where they offer the right mix of littoral patrol and hull-tohull interaction with partner navies USS Montgomery (LCS 8). Photo by ET1 Adam Ross that will make all the difference Additionally, naval officers from Sri as we move forward. As demonstrated by Coronado's Lanka and the Maldives embarked prominent presence at the International Maritime the ship on a transit through the Defence Exhibition & Conference 2017 (IMDEX) Straits of Malacca starting from Asia 2017, in front of 26 Chief of Navies, the ship's Changi, Singapore, and ending in capabilities have already drawn international interest. Phuket, Thailand. In addition to Planning for an engaged future, sustained operations building rapport with partner navies in the area, by the Independence variant, passed a in South Asia, these ships helped significant milestone when Coronado completed the promote a common understanding first expeditionary preventive maintenance availability of safe and professional behavior at in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Another new marker for future operations was sea based on strict adherence to the accomplished prior to the ship's deployment when established international rule sets. it successfully executed the first live-fire over-theOf particular note, the ship’s horizon (OTH) missile test using a Harpoon missile participation in the Cooperation while participating in the world's largest international Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise with the maritime exercise, Rim of the Pacific 2016. The Bangladesh Navy was the first OTH demonstration supports the Surface Force's exercise in three years that aim to strengthen naval power, at and from the sea, included ship-to-ship maneuvers, by increasing the offensive capability of each surface helicopter deck landings at night, combatant.
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USS Coronado (LCS 4) moors pierside in Langkawi, Malaysia . Photo by MC2 Amy Ressler
Over the next year, readying LCS for full fleet integration will continue with mission package testing, starting with a CONUS-based mine countermeasures (MCM) deployment for USS Independence (LCS 2) that will test new technologies and inform procurement decisions for the systems ultimately intended to locate, identify, and neutralize sea mines. While both the airborne laser mine detection system and the airborne mine neutralization system have already achieved initial operational capability (IOC), the shipborne systems are still maturing. Independence will also seek to refine the concept of operations for this warfare area by validating existing technologies, evaluating developing systems, and building proficiency through afloat exercises. The Surface Warfare (SUW) mission package also continues to progress steadily. Achieving IOC in 2015, eight individual gun mission modules and seven maritime security modules have been delivered to the
fleet, and more are on the way. The next mission package increment is the surface-to-surface mission module (SSMM). USS Detroit (LCS 7) successfully conducted a structural test firing of the SSMM in February 2017 when it launched a Hellfire missile from the ship, and follow-on phased testing for the SSMM will occur over the next year during various ships’ CSSQTs. The SUW mission package will begin developmental testing aboard USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) later this year and will culminate in operational testing and IOC in 2018. Ashore, the LCS program is showing incredible forward progress. Modeled after the other ship class type desks, the newly stood up LCS/MCM type desk (or N48 directorate) at Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSP) and commanded by former LSC Squadron One (LCSRON 1) commodore, Capt. Warren Buller, provides day-to-day readiness focused type commander (TYCOM) support for operational and material readiness of LCS and MCM and offers
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USS Detroit (LCS 7). Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin
added capacity to address class issues. Shortly after establishment, N48 hosted the first LCS Design Summit, a three-day conference comprised of Sailors, maintainers, engineers, program sponsors, and other technical warrant holders. By reviewing casualty reports, departures from specification, local operating procedures, temporary standing orders, and – most importantly – Sailor feedback, the summit identified 99 class issues for adjudication. The summit spurred a quarterly Top 10 Technical Issues forum that will provide a steady drumbeat to identify and fix similar problems, making these ships more
reliable to operate in the near and long-term. On another front, San Diego opened the doors on a new LCS Training Facility this past September. The 148,000 squarefoot building, located on Naval Base San Diego, houses Bridge Part Task Trainers, Launch Handling and Recovery trainers, Virtual Reality Labs, and will eventually add fullscale Mission Bay Trainers. Along with the integrated bridge and combat simulators, the LCS Fleet will use these modern training systems to provide Sailors with the most realistic off-hull training possible that supports the Traint o - Q u a l i f y / Tr a i n-t o - C e r t i f y constructs of the LCS program. Naval Station Mayport currently possesses a baseline training capacity, with more facilities scheduled to be phased in over the next several years. Command and control of LCS ship crews will also evolve for the better over the next year. Last year’s LCS Review not only adjusted the crewing concepts, but also created a new command structure. It consists of three different four-ship divisions on both coasts. Each division, commanded by a Navy captain in a major command billet similar in stature to officers commanding guided missile cruisers, amphibious transportation docks ships, destroyer squadrons, or amphibious assault ships, will focus on a single
mission (anti-submarine, antisurface, or mine countermeasures). The LCSRON will remain intact, albeit with a smaller footprint, to provide executive oversight and functions for the three divisions on their respective coasts. Work is underway to fine tune the missions, functions, and tasks for this new command and control structure, with the first East and West Coast divisions (both SUW) projected to stand up in the spring of 2018. But perhaps the most notable and important LCS program change can already be seen on the waterfront in how we crew these ships. Following the guiding tenets of last year’s LCS review to increasing stability, simplicity, and ownership, Sailors will be wearing ball caps with their ship’s name – not a crew number. Fusing core personnel and mission detachments together into a single ship assignment achieves all three objectives in a single salvo. Many are already there…and they have the ball caps to prove it! When reflecting upon the LCS class, Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson noted, “These ships bring needed capability and presence to our combatant and theater commanders.” In 2018, this needed capability and presence will be demonstrated across the fleet and around the globe. It will no longer be a question of when we will see LCS in the fleet, but where. *
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Leadership Four Lessons From Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer & the Development of Aegis
Photo by PHC Chet King
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He set out to build a weapon system. He ended up creating a movement What they produced— Was amazing. Story by
MC2 Phil Ladouceur CNSP Public Affairs
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n the almost 35 years since the commissioning of the first Aegis ship, USS Ticonderoga (CG 47), ships with the Aegis Weapon System have come to make up approximately half of the Surface Force, and more being built well into the future. It is the longest continuous shipbuilding venture in Navy history. The Aegis system is a highly sophisticated collection of computer hardware, software, sensors, interfaces, and weapons. It is the fighting brain of the ship. It sees the enemy and figures out exactly how to counter the threat. When ships with Aegis work together, the brain gets bigger, seeing and understanding more as each ship’s system works with the other to communicate information.
Combat Information Center onboard USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), 1998. Photo by PH2 Gloria Barry
Aegis wouldn’t have existed without the leadership of one man over the course of more than a decade: Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer. Before Aegis, weapons systems would integrate with radar to track targets individually. After Aegis, ships were able to maintain a total awareness of the battlespace; a complete picture of air, surface, and sub-surface combatants, as well as non-combatants, tracking every threat within range at once. Not only that, but the system's software could determine the best response to each threat. It was a technical revolution, but its success was not built solely on a foundation of engineering. What it truly depended on was visionary, long-term, and emboldened leadership. While hundreds of people contributed to the development of Aegis, it’s probably safe to say that it wouldn’t have existed without the leadership of one man over the course of more than a decade: Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer, widely known as the “Father of Aegis.” The tools the Navy needs to stay competitive in the 21st century will not simply appear when needed. In order to put in place the elements necessary for success, it is worth looking back at the development of Aegis. While the its full history, in all its technical detail, is beyond the scope of this article (as is the long career of Meyer), it is possible to distill and briefly discuss four elements of Meyer’s leadership of Aegis. They are not only relevant to the development of future technical programs, but also to leadership in general.
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1. Work With What You’ve Got… But Be Prepared To Seize The Moment In the late 1960s, the successful development of the Polaris ballistic missile submarine by the Special Projects Office led to the creation of several new project offices. The organizational structure allowed personnel and money to be brought to bear in a targeted way to hasten innovation. Also during this time, a framework was set in place to review the development and progress of major projects. This created an operating structure under which project managers had discretion and independence to work toward their goals as they saw fit, but they also had to routinely demonstrate progress. It’s easy to see how Meyer’s philosophy, “Build a little, test a little, learn a lot,” developed out of this environment. “You have to work with what you've got, until […] some momentous thing occurs,” he said. “You've got to
work with what you've got, not with what you want to wish would be." Aegis was originally designed as a sensor/weapon system, but by the mid-70s it became clear that because of technological advances, it could be expanded to direct the efforts of an entire carrier battle group. Meyer had to convince everyone that not only was this new vision of Aegis necessary, but that it was technically possible and affordable. And he didn’t only have to convince them once. Over the 13 years of his tenure, he had to repeatedly justify the program to the same people over and over again, in addition to new people who were unfamiliar with the program. This was complicated by the fact it wasn’t the same program as when it started... It was constantly evolving. Aegis adjusted to not just the operational needs, but to the ever-changing political landscape that shaped the budgetary environment.
2. Technical Expertise Can Build Trust with Outsiders Trained as an engineer, Meyer studied his trade at three different institutions: University of Kansas, MIT, and Naval Postgraduate School. Dealing with members of Congress and their staffs, Meyer realized that honesty was the best policy. Rather than just try to directly win people's support for Aegis, he won them over personally by establishing trust in his technical expertise. “My experience with them was to be as straightforward as I knew how and put it in comprehensive terms,” he said. “Those people over there, in that era, could understand BS
fairly fast, but they grasped honesty pretty quickly, too. When you’re in trouble, they need to know you’re in trouble… You’ve got to develop a relationship, and it takes quite a while to work that relationship out.” Myer knew he was probably never going to convince everyone at the outset of why they should support his vision for Aegis. But even if the people he hadn’t yet convinced could trust in his ability to honestly explain the technical issues, he had still laid the foundation for a relationship of trust. And that trust that often could only be built up over many years. Then they might
be brought around later, because they would still be willing to talk to him again. Meyer also insisted that the people working on Aegis had to be prepared to defend it. He wanted them to answer questions competently, but he also saw that preparing for criticism allowed for perceiving flaws ahead of time and correcting them. Learning to explain and defend the system was not only promotional or a sales-pitch; it was also an excellent development tool.
3. Get People On Your Team, Not Just Into Your Organization Meyer was skilled in getting people involved-He even got Nancy Reagan, the First Lady of the United States, to christen Ticonderoga on Armed Forces Day in 1981. That not only increased awareness of the importance of Aegis, but also made everyone involved aware that there would be a lot of people watching if they missed their deadlines. The ship was completed on budget and on time. Meyer wasn’t only building allies outside his organization; he was also building them within. “One of the things you learn about program management is that it’s not unlike being a politician,” he said. “You have to get the people with you. If you don’t believe this is a democracy, you ought to be a Project Manager for a while. Everybody votes on your
performance every day. Success is dependent on getting the people behind you.” From contractors to researchers to Navy personnel, Meyer created a community around Aegis. As they became experts, they became supporters. Over his tenure, he made sure that everyone wanted to work together and pull in the same direction. Meyer believed that like conductors, project managers kept everyone going, and kept them on time. "You’re confronted with a challenge of getting the laboratories, civilians, the production lines, the factories, study groups-Everybody to play in this grand symphony in the orchestra, and playing for just for more than thirty seconds,” he said. “Conductors have to master that or, in fact, they don't last very long."
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Combat Information Center onboard USS Ticonderoga, 1984. Photo by Chief Journalist Harrison
4. Long-Term Tenure Enables Long-Term Thinking
USS Ticonderoga firing Harpoon missile, 2001. Royal Navy photo.
Of course, Meyer’s lengthy leadership of Aegis contributed to his ability to make decisions in the longterm. After all, it’s definitely easier for people to make critical judgments if they aren’t worrying about their next career move. He never lost focus of Sailors taking ships to sea as the prime mover of his long view. He also credited a lesson he learned from Admiral Hyman Rickover, another Navy leader, who oversaw the development and operation of Navy nuclear propulsion for 30 years. Meyer said that while much of what he’d learned from Rickover was widely known, there was one lesson from that was not. "[Rickover] said, 'You must make all decisions as though you're going to live forever,'” said Meyer. “That is to say, you have to be prepared to live with the decision, meaning you can't make expedient decisions no matter what the cost. You must try to make the right one.” Using that principle as a guide, especially over a long tenure, leads to making better decisions, and hence outcomes. It removes the short-term incentives that can negatively impact the undertaking's chance of success.
As the Navy's long-term effort to lead and grow the organizations that will develop the tools needed to meet tomorrow’s challenges continues, it’s clearly worth looking back to Meyer and Aegis. Great leaders are irreplaceable, but it’s not impossible to identify and replicate some of the conditions that allowed them to succeed. And what better place to start than one of the most successful programs—and leaders—the Navy has ever had. *
First Lady Nancy Reagan at the christening ceremony of USS Ticonderoga, 1981.
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Makin Island A R G Returns mphibious
eadiness
roup From Makin Island Public Affairs
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ailors and Marines of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) returned to their homeport at Naval Station San Diego, May 15, after a successful seven-month deployment to the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation. During the deployment, more than 4,500 Sailors and Marines of the Makin Island ARG and embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) conducted maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in support of regional security, stability, and the free flow of maritime commerce in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions. Makin Island ARG is comprised of amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45). During deployment, the three ships reported to Commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 5, embarked aboard Makin Island, and operated with embarked forces of 11th MEU, "Blackjacks" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21, and detachments from Assault Craft Unit 5, Fleet Surgical Team 5, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11, and Beachmaster Unit 1. "The Makin Island ARG/11th MEU team provided our commanders with the world's most capable seabased rapid-response force. Our ships and the landing force they carried gave our commanders the operational flexibility they needed to respond to a range of crises, anywhere in theater, in a moment's notice," said Capt. Mike Crary, commander, PHIBRON 5. "After seven months of operations, I'm still impressed by this team's capabilities. They have performed superbly together - a testament to their professionalism and dedication - and I couldn't have asked to serve with a more motivated group of Sailors and Marines." Throughout the U.S. Pacific and Central Command areas of responsibility, the ARG/MEU trained with
partner militaries to enhance relationships with those nations and to strengthen proficiency in the execution of the full spectrum of amphibious operations. In 7th Fleet, Sailors and Marines worked with militaries and self-defense forces from Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Papua New Guinea. While in 5th Fleet, the team participated in exercises with forces in Djibouti and Oman. "Exercises like Tiger Strike with the Malaysian armed forces and Alligator Dagger in Djibouti included hundreds of LCAC (landing craft air cushion) evolutions and flight hours," said Capt. Mark Melson, Makin Island's commanding officer. "Moving the landing force ashore and working with our partners in those countries enhanced our collective crisisresponse capabilities and ensured the team's readiness to react to anything our commanders needed." The 2,600 Marines and Sailors of the 11th MEU recently disembarked the ships to return to their home base in Camp Pendleton, California. The 11th MEU is comprised of 11th MEU Command Element; Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (Reinforced); Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines; and
Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 11. This was the third deployment for Makin Island, the seventh for Comstock, and the first for Somerset. "I am very proud of Somerset's Blue and Green Team and their ability to quickly adapt to changing mission sets on this deployment," said Somerset's Commanding Officer Capt. Darren Glaser. "From our participation in the first-ever theater security cooperation event with the newly-formed Sri Lankan Marine Corps, to our bilateral exercise with the Royal Omani Forces in Exercise Sea Soldier, and executing a range of amphibious operations in the Middle East, Somerset has worked extraordinarily hard during this deployment to accomplish every mission asked of us. The team can be proud that they truly lived up to the memory of this ship's 9/11 namesake and set an incredibly high bar on Somerset's maiden deployment." The ships visited several foreign ports throughout deployment, giving Sailors and Marines a valuable opportunity to experience new cultures and enjoy liberty while interacting with local communities and strengthening relationships with partner countries. The ships visited ports in Guam, Singapore,
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Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates. "We were honored to visit several important partners throughout deployment," said Cmdr. Bradley Coletti, commanding officer of Comstock. "These were once-in-alifetime experiences that allowed our Sailors and Marines to enjoy some well-deserved down time while learning about many of the world's most diverse cultures. The engagements were critical in demonstrating U.S. commitment to our partners and the mutual goals of enhanced regional security and stability." The ships steamed more than 45,000 nautical miles throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans, conducting operations in areas including the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf, and South China Sea. Aboard Makin Island, the ARG flagship, the crew consumed nearly a half-million eggs, 17,000 pounds of coffee, and 32,000 pounds of ground beef. The ship's store sold $1.5 million in merchandise, the barber shop performed 8,000 haircuts, and the post office received 120,000 pounds of mail. The ship's engineers produced more than 17 million gallons of fresh water for the crew, and the flight deck saw more than 6,000 successful aircraft launches and recoveries.
Photo by MC2 John Hetherington
Photo by MC2 Jacob Allison
Photo by MC2 Jacob Allison
"This crew should feel extremely proud of what they accomplished over the last seven months. Right from the start, they conducted relevant, real-world operations in direct support of our country's national security goals," said Melson. "Throughout deployment, our Sailors and Marines worked night and day to stay at the top of their game, ready to answer the call. They're the reason we were always in the right place at the right time, ready to put Marines ashore to perform a wide range of missions. This team can hang their hats on a job well done, and now it's time to focus on being back home and reuniting with our families and loved ones." U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths, to promote ongoing peace, security and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations. *
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USS Somerset shines on maiden deployment
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s we departed Naval Base San Diego Oct. 14, 2016, for USS Somerset’s (LPD 25) maiden deployment, along with USS Makin Island (LHD 8) and USS Comstock (LSD 45) for operations in the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th, I knew the ship and crew were more than ready. Now, as we prepare to return to San Diego on May 15, I want to share how Somerset shined on our maiden deployment. We worked very hard transitioning from a precommissioning unit to a deployment ready U.S. Navy warship – first through the basic phase of training and then into the intermediate phase as integrated members of the Amphibious Squadron 5/11th Marine Expeditionary Unit team and the ‘Makin Island’ Amphibious Readiness Group. During this training, Somerset Sailors and Marines quickly learned to work together and completed certification in all mission areas we could be assigned to perform throughout a deployment. Since setting sail, the Makin Island Amphibious Readiness Group has collectively been engaged in numerous operations defending U.S. interests and maintaining freedom of the seas. As a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock (LPD) ship, Somerset offers the kind of innovation and cutting edge technology the surface Navy needs to
Photo by MC1 Larry Carlson.
meet future challenges at sea – both during this initial deployment and for years to come. The ship includes Commanding innovations in its external design Officer, that reduces the ship’s appearance USS Somerset on radars and a state-of-the-art command and control network. San Antonio-class ships were designed to be stealthy, have significant survivability features and an advanced computer technology to accomplish a broad range of missions. This class is the first amphibious ships in the U.S. Navy to feature these design innovations. High-tech systems, an integrated Ship Wide Area Network, video cameras located throughout the ship, and technology like the Consolidated Visual Information System allow the crew to monitor the vast array of systems onboard, while requiring fewer personnel at watch stations. These advanced systems facilitate both external and internal flexibility to not only serve as a warfare commander in a strike group, but also gives the crew the ability to monitor vital ship system’s from traditional controlling stations like the bridge, as well as in other places like a joint planning room, the wardroom lounge or even the ship’s library and chapel. With shipboard Story by
Capt. Darren Glasser
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Photo by MC3 Amanda Chavez
Photo by Gunnery Sgt. Robert B. Brown Jr.
innovations in technology like the Consolidated Visual Information System, it’s possible to be in the helo control tower and review all the parameters of online equipment in the engine rooms, keep an eye on all surface/air contacts while sitting in the wardroom or even steer the ship all the way back by the flight deck in our These unique capabilities have been in high demand and we have participated in major operational tasking throughout the deployment. A true testament to our resolve, we remained on station and at sea for as long as 76 consecutive days supporting missions. Through our work, we demonstrated our commitment to readiness. Operations included several firsts for the United States and our partnering nation, Sri Lanka, as the first and largest U.S. Navy warship to conduct both Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and air ship-to-shore operations on a Sri Lankan Naval Base and first ever theater
Photo by MC3 Amanda Chavez
Photo by MC3 Amanda Chavez
security cooperation exercise with the Sri Lankan Navy (Marines). This enabled a first major militaryto-military exercise, multiple exchanges and training events with the U.S. Marines and Sri Lanka forces. While Somerset already has three of its own rigid-hull inflatable boats, we embarked an additional two rigidhull inflatable boats crewed by Assault Craft Unit 5 to support the Marine’s Maritime Raid Force operations. Our LCACs from Beach Master Unit 5 moved Marines and their equipment to beaches around the world during this deployment. Our ability to rapidly embark diverse joint forces, integrate them, deploy them close to the mission objective and support them in the execution of their mission sets has been critical to getting the job done this deployment. Additionally, we also took part in exercises and engagements with our valuable strategic partners in Oman and Djibouti. Using this technology, all of the impressive work is accomplished with a ship operating with lower manning levels than traditional ships of its size. Somerset, and the other San Antonio-class ships like it, are unique and forward-thinking surface warfare ships that bring a wide array of naval warfighting and Defense Support of Civil Authorities capabilities together in one package. Her distinctive characteristics make Somerset worldwide deployable for almost any mission – but I am the first to admit, the ship would only be a shell without the devoted Sailors and Marines. Each LPD-17 class
can support up to 800 additional personnel, provide medical care (we have both surgical and dental capability) and it encompasses more than 23,000 square feet of vehicle storage space, more than double of the previous LPD-4 class it replaced. Somerset’s crew is both highly trained and prepared to support command and control, to on load and offload people, provisions and/or special equipment ashore. Dedicated, highly trained and professional, the Somerset team is united to defend our country and to keep the seas safe and free. The ship’s array of accomplishments on this first deployment, from naval firsts with other countries to successfully carrying out traditional mission tasking, are a direct result of the hard work and service of the crew and their embarked 11th MEU counterparts on board. They are the heart of the ship – without them, the ship could not move operate and fight to deliver concentrated, projected combat power ashore or execute the vast number of humanitarian missions we have the flexibility to support. Having served on several different ship classes in my career, I could not ask to serve on a more powerful surface warship or with a better crew! As one of the Navy’s three 9/11 Memorial ships, the memory of Flight 93’s courage and sacrifice lives on, embodied by Somerset’s Sailors and embarked Marines. Somerset has 22 tons of steel from one of two mining excavators present at the crash site, which stood witness to the crash of Flight 93, and later where an American flag was flown by first responders during the recovery operation. That steel was melted down and incorporated into the bow stem of this ship during its construction. That piece of history and courage through adversity is now a part of the backbone of this ship, it cutting through the water for both this crew as we return from our maiden deployment and future crews who will serve aboard this ship. *
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Makin Island ARG & 11th MEU's Contributions to US 7th Fleet
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he Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), comprised of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45), with the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), provided a vital array of amphibious capabilities to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations during a month-long stay in theater. The 4,500 Sailors and Marines of the ARG-MEU conducted maritime security operations and partnership Story by building throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific to preserve MC2 Dennis the free flow of commerce in the region and promote Grube international cooperation. The Navy-Marine Corps Makin Island Public Affairs team also participated in bilateral engagements which strengthened military relations with partner nations and enhanced regional stability. Capt. Mike Crary, commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 5, said the team's deployment to the region brought a critical capability to a dynamic operating environment. "The ARG-MEU team brings a range of capabilities to any region. During month six of our deployment, we entered 7th Fleet at the top of our game, trained and equipped to perform everything from combat operations and maritime security missions to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts," said Crary. "As a forward deployed contingency-response force, we provided operational flexibility for our 7th Fleet commanders." The ARG-MEU team worked closely with foreign nations during their time in the Pacific to maintain strong relationships, proficiency and readiness. During their final international port visit to Hong Kong, Makin Island and embarked Marines hosted a reception aboard the ship for foreign dignitaries and distinguished guests. The crew also gave back to the community by spending time with students from several local schools and giving ship tours to local students and Boy Scouts, while experiencing Hong Kong's rich culture firsthand. "Our time is 7th Fleet was very relevant and much of what our team accomplished will have long-lasting, positive impacts on this region," said Capt. Mark Melson, Makin Island's commanding officer. "The importance of the partnerships our Sailors and Marines enhanced here can not be overstated, and their contributions to those relationships will remain long after our deployment is done." The Sailors and Marines aboard Comstock also trained alongside members of the Sri Lankan Navy in an effort to exchange expertise in a range of topics which improved communication and coordination between U.S. and Sri Lankan forces, built mutual warfighting capability and supported longterm regional cooperation. Comstock also visited Port Moresby to conduct activities and training that enhanced the Papua New Guinea Defense Force's support to civil authority operations, which include entry control and vehicle check points, escalation of force tactics, personnel searches, urban patrolling and VIP escorts. "Training with partner militaries enables both forces to better understand how one another operate, and helps ensure we can fight effectively together toward a common objective," said Col. Clay C. Tipton, commanding officer, 11th MEU. "You can surge military personnel, equipment and vehicles, but you can't surge trust. That only comes from working side-by-side and shared experiences of tough, realistic training." *
Photo by Cpl. Brandon Maldonado
Photo by MC3 Abby Rader
Photo by Cpl. Devan K. Gowans
Photo by MC3 Devin M. Langer
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Deputy Dispatches
RC2C: Your RC Sailors are Seagoing Sailors
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e’ve been busy, as a community and as a Navy, since our last edition of the waterfront’s finest magazine. Momentum continues to build across the full spectrum of our T4 (Tactics, Talent, Tools, and Training) pillars, and the implementation of our Surface Force Strategy from the deckplates to the capital… and every echelon in between. There’s no question it’s an exciting time to be a Surface Warrior. As you enjoy your summer, I ask each of you to continue thinking critically about how we at the headquarters can help you become more effective, efficient and lethal warfighters. Every iota of effort expended in your daily routine should tie back to the single, unifying thought that we must be ready to fight - and win decisively - at sea when called upon to do so. That unequivocal focus is what drives every conversation, every decision and the expenditure of every precious dollar at the headquarters. As your Deputy Commander and SWO Boss’s principle advisor on reserve affairs, I’m also the Surface Warfare community leader for the reserve force. Wearing my “RC SWO Boss” hat, I’ve been working with our staff and that of the Chief of Navy Reserve (VADM Luke McCollum) to develop programs, initiatives and courses of action to address key pain points on the waterfront. Specifically, we’ve been scrutinizing how the 3150 motivated RC officers and Sailors assigned to our afloat forces deliver their support to the fleet. And we’ve been rethinking traditional models to increase their value, while broadening the types and durations
of the support they provide. Again, Story by we keep coming back to the base Rear Adm. question: how can we leverage John B. Mustin our RC team to enhance surface Deputy Commander, warfighting readiness, capability SURFPAC and capacity? One way is RC2C. So what exactly is RC2C? It’s an acronym for the program that gets our “Reserve Component to Sea." That’s right – your reserve Sailors are seagoing Sailors. And we want to get them to you. Our afloat billet gaps are well documented, but did you know your Reserve Component (RC) Sailors are available and motivated to support you for periods ranging from a few days to more than six months. We refer to RC2C as “Surge Support,” meaning it generally applies to medium duration fills, offering temporary relief onboard - while the Bureau of Personnel and our SURFPAC Total Force Manpower shop continue to aggressively work the manning process to get you your full-time active duty fill. Of course, every engagement is dependent upon validation of requirements and availability of funding and resources, but we’re confident in how we’ve primed the demand-supply ecosystem to address your surge support needs. What you need to know is that RC support isn’t limited to in-port periods and pierside availabilities, though each of those scenarios provide opportunities for you to benefit from close integration with your reserve team. In fact, as it relates to “Surge Support” and RC2C
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Rear Adm. Mustin gives his remarks to survivors and family members of Sailors from USS Stark. Photo by MC3 Michael Lopez
– a program specifically designed to address critical afloat billet shortages on our deployers – you should consider the RC a qualified source of available, ready resources who can join your crew for medium duration “surges” and immediately add value to your daily operations. Ashore and underway. We just sent a reserve Chief Logistics Specialist underway on USS Kid (DDG 100) to fill a supply department Leading Chief Petty Officer billet that had been gapped for months. He joined the ship in Everett, sailed to San Diego, and is underway on deployment with them now. Here’s some additional context. Within the CNSP enterprise each of the last four years we’ve averaged 39 Sailors each providing 113 days of afloat surge support. This year we’ve seen that number spike because of the increase in critical afloat billet gaps, the interest in the RC in providing longer periods of support, and the availability of funding. But, we know we can still do more.
So how can you get your RC to sea? To tap into your RC team and to benefit from "Surge Support" opportunities, start by speaking to your immediate superior in command (ISIC) or type commander (TYCOM) operational support officer (OSO). And before you do, remember the entering argument for that conversation is a valid requirement – in this case, a gapped billet. No requirement means no budget…and no budget means no support. We’re simply not able to fund “nice to have” opportunities when we’ve got so many “must have” requirements facing our deployers. An OSO can help you map your specific requirement to the supply of qualified, available Sailors who can help you. The RC2C program exists for one reason, and one reason only - to help you, our afloat warfighters. Your RC Sailors want to help you here. Ask your OSO how RC2C can help you today. Here’s what I want you to remember from this article:
1. Your reserve force exists to support your warfighting readiness, capability and capacity 2. Your RC Sailors can, and should, support you underway 3. RC2C (“Reserve Component to Sea”) was created to support you, our center of gravity Keep up the great work leading the world’s finest Navy. I look forward to seeing you on the waterfront. *
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Everyone who's anyone is taking the MK VI for a spin... And now you can too!
Early Command Opportunity Early Command is an experience that is highly valued by both the Surface Warfare community and those who serve as Commanding Officers in Mine Countermeasures (MCM) or Patrol Coastal (PC) ships. Because Early Command provides some of our finest Surface Warfare Officers with an invaluable experience leading sailors in crucial missions across the world, we've teamed up with Navy Expeditionary Combat Command to create more opportunities for top performing Junior Officers to serve as Afloat Commanding Officers. Beginning in November 2017, officers will have an opportunity to screen for O3 / O4 Command Afloat positions in MKVI Patrol Boats. Lieutenants who have completed their 2nd Division Officer tour will be eligible to command a MKVI Patrol Boat. Post-Department Head Lieutenants and Lieutenant Commanders will be eligible to serve as Company Commander for a Company of three MKVI Patrol Boats.
MKVI Patrol Boats are the newest platform in the NECC inventory and are based out of Little Creek, Va., and San Diego, Calif., and deployed to Bahrain and Guam. Over 84 feet in length, the MKVI is a highly capable platform whose primary mission is to provide capability to persistently patrol littoral areas beyond sheltered harbors and bays for the purpose of force protection of friendly and coalition forces and critical infrastructure. These missions include: security force assistance (SFA); high value unit (HVU) shipping escort; visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operations; and theater security cooperation (TSC). The Mark VI program of record is for a total of 12 boats -- six boats have been delivered to the fleet and six more are to be delivered by the end of the 2nd quarter of fiscal year 2018.
Screening for these new opportunities will be conducted at the November 2017 Early Command Board. Previous Early Command opportunities in MCM and PC ships are still available. These more traditional opportunities for Command Afloat provide significant leadership and operational experience while carrying out missions in C4F, C5F, and C7F. While maintaining readiness for a full spectrum of capabilities, MCMs and PCs execute TSC, HVU escort, and Counter Illicit Trafficking (CIT) operations as well. * ―Capt. Rick Cheeseman
NPC, SWO Distro, Pers-41
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Motivation & Organization
Leadership Literature
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hen I was first approached to write a review on a book or books that have influenced me as a leader, two immediately came to mind. The first is about leadership, specifically how to motivate team members to take action and deliver results. The second is a historical case study of how an organization executed transformational change. Surface naval officers flow back and forth between operational and organizational roles. In executing the Surface Force Strategy, as leaders we must have the capability and capacity to deliver results, both operationally and organizationally. Both books show how we can do just that - deliver results.
Review by
Capt. Joe Cahill
Commanding Officer, USS Bunker Hill (CG 52)
Start With Why Starting with the simple premise, “People don’t believe what you do, they believe in why you do it,” Simon Sinek begins a journey which shows how great leaders raise the performance of their teams by inspiring action, and not by direction. This premise is important as every organization can articulate what they do, and good organizations can articulate how they do what they do, but only great organizations can articulate why they do what they do. Commanding officers of our warships must able to articulate the why to their crews if we are to find success in the movement towards transformational operational change enabling our surface combatants to execute our two core naval functions, sea control and power projection - our what.
The Fast Carriers: The Forging of an Air Navy The second book I would propose is 'The Fast Carriers'. This quick read charts the transition of why, how and what our aviation brethren executed before and during WWII to transform how our Navy established sea control and projected power. A fascinating breakdown of how to execute transformational organizational change, the book follows the careers of the 5 primary types of leaders the organization focused on: administrative reformers, founding champions, thinkers, fighters, and builders. In many cases leaders played multiple roles across time, shifting back and forth as the aviation community established Carrier Task Forces as our core element of naval combat power.
Moving Forward As we implement the Surface Force Strategy lines of change (Tactics, Talent, Training and Tools), our leaders must be able to act with skill and finesse in both the operational and organizational environments. True change can only be accomplished with leaders who can articulate why in both environments. The great power competition we find ourselves in has renewed our why. Everything we do as the Surface Force is about controlling the sea and projecting power. We use predictive and reactive global deployments in order to limit regional competitors options for escalation. We accomplish this with credible combat power, provided by warships that operate in a distributed manner capable of defeating the first salvo, and then rapidly shifting to the offensive to deceive, target, and destroy enemy forces at sea and on land. I challenge my fellow, former and future commanding officers to read both these great books as we position our Navy for the future. *
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SURFACE WARFARE SUMMER 2017
Voices From the Fleet
Ships assigned to the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group participate simulated straits transit. Photo by MC3 Craig Rodarte
What Destroyers and Cruisers Add to a Carrier Strike Group
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have seen what our cruisers and destroyers (CRUDES) are capable of, and know them to be a vital contributor to our Carrier Strike Groups. Most folks who have spent any amount of time on a CRUDES know they are invaluable to our Navy. Without the cruiser performing air defense, the high value unit (HVU) – often a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier bringing the pre-dominance of the power projection to the strike group – would not be able to send pilots downrange to perform their jobs of conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), strike missions, or any combination thereof. The HVU’s ability to maneuver safely throughout the world’s waters while routinely launching and recovering aircraft relies solely on the multi-mission, multi-weapon capabilities our CRUDES deliver and train toward on a daily basis. Surrounding a Carrier or other HVU with the “ring of steel,” comprised of one cruiser and two or more destroyers, not only allows the HVU to safely execute her primary mission, it also provides offensive and defensive capabilities galore for the entire Strike Group. Without the cruiser and destroyers: • There would be no alerts from active or passive sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) when a submarine is within the area of operations, potentially threatening the ships in the strike group and carrier strike operations; • There would be no shipborne surface or air-engagement capabilities in the event that lethal weapons must be employed in order to protect our nation and our assets; • There would be no AN/SPY-1/3 radars to detect air contacts well ahead of the force during transits or routine operations;
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There would be no 5” guns standing at the ready for a worst-case scenario involving small craft swarming the HVU. One could continue on with a mile-long list; suffice it to say that the CRUDES provide a robust mission set necessary for a strike group to conduct operations in support of America’s national interests. Each of these ships has the ability to engage roles as other Warfare Commanders when Story by necessary, bearing a tremendous Capt. Nick Sarap responsibility and displaying the Commodore, versatility and flexibility of the DESRON 1 CRUDES complement. It is readily apparent that the CRUDES we employ every day in our Strike Group operations are capable of conducting and supporting a myriad of mission-sets required of the Strike Group. The surface ships feverishly train and hone various skillsets regularly so that the aircraft carrier can do what she is called to do – to be a forward, ready and engaged centerpiece, a visible maritime deterrence for the U.S. command authority. The systems, weapons, and most importantly the people aboard every single American flag warship assigned as a CRUDES asset are top-notch in every way – fully ready and standing the watch. I am currently stationed at Destroyer Squadron One, where the command logo conveys the unit’s ethos,“If you want peace, prepare for war.” And that is precisely what our cruisers and destroyers deliver – they allow us to rest easy in times of peace, knowing we are indeed prepared for whatever lies ahead of us. *
SURFACE WARFARE SUMMER 2017
Command Changes Capt. George A. Kessler, Jr............................................ USS Antietam (CG 54)
March 2017
Capt. Keith A. Knutsen .....................Afloat Training Group Pacific Engineering
Capt. Robert Andrew Hall, Jr............................. Afloat Training Group Atlantic
Cmdr. James B. Howell....................................Tactical Air Control Squadron 22
Cmdr. Tammy Royal.............................................USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) Cmdr. Teresa Elders..............................................USS Cape St. George (CG 71)
Cmdr. James M. "Mike" Williams................................. USS Kidd (DDG 100)
Cmdr. Claudine Caluori............................................... USS Sterett (DDG 104) Cmdr. Jay Clark.................................................. Afloat Training Group Mayport
Capt. Rome Ruiz............................................................ Amphibious Squadron 3
April 2017
Capt. Larry G. McCullen............................. USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)
Cmdr. David A. Huljack.................................................. USS Barry (DDG 52)
Cmdr. Ryan B. Billington............................................ USS Howard (DDG 83)
Cmdr. William H. Harkin........................................... USS Bulkeley (DDG 84)
Lt. Cmdr. Roosevelt White, Jr.................................. USS Gladiator (MCM 11)
Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Bubulka............................................... USS Sentry (MCM 3) Capt. Benjamin R. Nicholson......................................... Destroyer Squadron 22
May 2017
Capt. Maximilian Clark............................................ USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) Capt. Peter K. Nilsen.............................................. USS Philippine Sea (CG 58)
Cmdr. Kenneth Athans..............................Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific
Cmdr. Leroy J. Mitchell.................................................USS Benfold (DDG 65)
Cmdr. Bryce Benson ................................................ USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62)
Cmdr. Thomas M. Van Scoten...................USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81)
Cmdr. Daniel E. Broadhurst............................................ USS Stout (DDG 55) Lt. Cmdr. Brett Jasionowski...........................................USS Pioneer (MCM 9)
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