Surface Warfare Magazine - Spring 2018

This issue:

Readying the Fleet to Own the Fight On board with Sailor 2025 USS Carney USS Joins Ross in the Black Sea

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

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 Spring 2018 Issue 58

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. Rich Brown Deputy Commander, Naval Surface Forces Rear Adm. John Mustin Public Affairs Officer Cmdr. John Perkins Executive Editor MCCM Michael Mitchell Managing Editor Ted Townsend Layout and Design Ted Townsend

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Contents IF IT FLOATS

IT FIGHTS 2 • Commander's Corner Surface Force News:

Cover Stories:

4 • Navy, NASA Complete

Underway Recovery Test

22 • USS Carney Joins Ross

in the Black Sea

6 • USS America, 15th MEU

Return from Deployment

24 • Readying the Fleet to

Own the Fight

8 • USS Wasp Arrives in Japan to Join

Forward Deployed Naval Forces

30 • On board with Sailor 2025

10 • Aegis Fleet Champion Vice Adm.

James H. Doyle, Jr. Dies 11 • F-35Bs join USS Wasp for historic

Indo-Pacific deployment

Feature Stories: 12 • New Mark VI Patrol Boat Command Opportunities

34 • Female Gladiator Sailors

Claim Historic First 36 • Deputy Dispatches 38 • Leadership Literature:

Mindset: The New Psychology

of Success 40 • Voices From the Fleet

16 • Sea and Shore Sailors of the Year

Announced for 2017 18 • Increased Tactical Proficiency Within

the Amphibious Navy

Cover: The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) transits the Bosphorus Strait.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Turner

2

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Commander's Corner

Photo by Mass

Communication Specialist 2nd Class Amy M. Ressler

I am honored and humbled to have assumed responsibilities of our naval surface forces as the commander, Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

It goes without saying: my absolute number one priority is providing our surface ship commanding officers the manning, training, and equipping required to put warships to sea in support of our operational fleet and combatant commanders.

My Command Philosophy is included in this issue. It’s simple and straightforward, and should be understood by all hands. Simply put, we need to place greater focus on how we take care of our ships, how we train and develop our Sailors, and how we account for risk in an inherently dangerous profession.

Upon these fundamentals, we will build a Surface Force that owns the fight -- being the best, the fastest, and the toughest surface Navy the world has ever known.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Editorial by Vice Adm. Rich Brown Commander, Naval Surface Forces

As Surface Force commander, I am dedicating all my effort, and that of my staff, to setting up our commanding officers, their crews and their ships for success. In my mind, our success always goes back to one or more of the three foundational responsibilities of the Type Commander – manning, training, and equipping.

Working together with the resource sponsors in the Pentagon, Navy Personnel Command in Millington, the tactical experts at Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), the professionals at Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS), the training community on the various waterfronts, and the acquisition community in Washington, I will set clear standards of readiness for the fleet and provide the tools necessary to achieve them.

We must have high standards, we must not accept undue risk, and we must be forthright in ensuring everyone in the chain of command knows when our standards and our risk profile are not aligned. From the deckplates to my office, we all have a role to play in strengthening our Surface Force.

Throughout the rest of the year, I will be making my way out to the various waterfronts, putting on my coveralls, and walking your ships to see our Surface Warriors in action and look you in the eye and restate

our priorities. Equally important though, I want to hear from you. I want to hear about systemic hurdles impeding you, your shipmates and your ships from being your best. I want to hear about well-intentioned administrative processes that have grown to burden and now only serve to burn precious man-hours. The days of effectiveness at the cost of long-term efficiency are over.

I want to hear YOUR ideas about how we can make our readiness and certification systems more EFFECTIVE and more EFFICIENT. Now is the time to think seriously about what it takes to be ready for conflict, to be more proficient, and to develop the mental toughness in the calm of peacetime that combat will draw upon in the future. This is my business, and I expect it to be yours, too.

Own the Fight, VADM Brown *

3

4

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Surface Force News

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Natalie M. Byers

Navy, NASA Complete Underway Recovery Test On Jan. 23, the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) successfully completed recovery operations of NASA's Orion test capsule in what is referred to as the Underway Recovery Test (URT) 6.

Part of a U.S. government interagency effort to safely retrieve the Orion crew module, which is capable of carrying humans into deep space, this marks the fourth completion of a URT aboard Anchorage.

Along with the Sailors from Anchorage and NASA engineers, personnel from the same class ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), Special Boat Team 12 and Navy divers from Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 3 joined forces to practice recovery operations of the Orion test capsule during tests conducted day and night and in varying sea states.

"Our crew trained closely with NASA for several months to be ready for this mission," said Capt. Dennis Jacko, Anchorage commanding officer. "I think the ship did an outstanding job supporting historic tasking in addition to the demands required to prepare for deployment. The successful test is evidence that everyone – including our NASA partners - delivered."

Designed to launch and recover amphibious craft during normal operations, the ship's well deck offers a model setup for this unique NASA mission by not only carrying and storing multiple small boats to aid in the recovery process of

the capsule, but more importantly, by partially submersing the aft part of the ship, the test capsule was able to be recovered in ideal conditions for the task. And should the returning astronauts need it, the ship's advanced medical facility has the equipment and personnel on stand by for treatment.

URT-6 consisted of releasing the test capsule from the well deck, then carefully maneuvering the ship alongside the capsule at slow speed. Once the test capsule was far enough from the ship, the lines attaching the capsule to the ship were released. Divers then attached a NASA stabilization ring designed to help in sustaining the capsule, and therefore the astronauts, for up to three days.

Retrieval operations required the divers to first remove that collar, attach lines from the small boats to steady and guide the capsule toward Anchorage, and then allow Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) to assist NASA in attaching lines to a winch of their design which finally hauled the capsule into the well deck.

The recovery in its entirety was considered a high-risk evolution, but special attention was paid to the capsule when it was towed closely behind the ship. “NASA took our inputs and modified the equipment for this URT mission," said Chief Petty Officer Beau Lontine, a Navy diver assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3. "There are so many things that can go wrong if

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

just one person isn't paying attention, so we conducted training with both the hardware and rigging to allow for a safe recovery of the capsule. To the casual observer, it might seem like a basic recovery, but it was far from a simple evolution."

The test recoveries allow the NASANavy partnership to evaluate recovery processes and procedures, while validating hardware sustaining openocean conditions prior to conducting recovery operations outside of controlled environments, where risk increases greatly for personnel involved.

Aboard Anchorage to observe his first URT was NASA Astronaut, retired Navy Capt. Stephen Bowen. "I'm very pleased with what I saw," said Bowen. "The reason you do this is to better understand. You realize you don't have all the answers right now. There will be changes made; things are going to evolve, and they should get better over time."

Since 2014, URTs have been conducted by NASA engineers with the intention to continue until the recovery process is believed to be without error. URT-7 is

scheduled for October 2018 aboard USS Somerset (LPD 25) where specific attention will be paid to the validation and verification of the recovery hardware. Efforts of the URT program are aimed toward developing a safer, more efficient way of recovering the capsule scheduled for an early 2020 mission involving a flying crew, said NASA’s Recovery Director Melissa Jones.

"Testing went very well. We've shaved 15 minutes off a timeline with one run, which is important when recovering a crew in order to get them out as quickly as possible."

The Orion spacecraft is designed to meet the evolving needs of our nation's deep-space exploration program for decades to come and will not only carry the crew to space, but provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.

Anchorage is homeported in San Diego and is part of U.S. 3rd Fleet. Third Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. *

“There are so many things that can go wrong if just one person isn't paying attention, so we conducted training with both the hardware and rigging to allow for a safe recovery of the capsule"

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Carrel Regis and 3rd Class Natalie M. Byers

5

6

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Surface Force News USS America, 15th MEU Return from Deployment After a seven-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific and Middle East regions, the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) returned home to San Diego, on Feb. 2. Through the duration of their deployment with the America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), Sailors and Marines aboard America conducted maritime security

By Mass operations and theater security cooperation efforts in Communication support of regional security, stability, and the free flow Specialist 2nd Class of maritime commerce in the Pacific and Middle East.

Kristina Young, "Our Blue-Green team proved themselves time and USS America time again to be a professional and versatile contingency (LHA 6) Public response force, whether it was at sea, in the sky, or on Affairs land,� said Capt. Rome Ruiz, commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 3. "As an amphibious task force, our ships gained extensive experience by working with various partner nations and ship platforms, which contributed to increasing the strength of our combat power.�

Following sustainment exercise (SUSTEX) in Hawaii, the crew conducted operations in the Indo-Pacific to include partner-nation training in Malaysia,

military-to-military exchanges with Singapore, and supporting AV8B Harrier and MV-22B Osprey operations in Yap and Palau. Upon their arrival to the Middle East, Sailors and Marines conducted the combat rehearsal Alligator Dagger to strengthen their capabilities as a crisis response and contingency force for the Central Command area of responsibility. Additionally, America had the opportunity to train alongside other naval vessels including the newly commissioned expeditionary support ship USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3), as well as host Djibouti Chief of Defense, Lt. Gen. Zakaria Cheikh Ibrahim on board.

The ship 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 through tours and community outreach projects. The ship conducted port

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jesse Monford

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

visits in Guam, Singapore, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Malaysia. At one of the largest air shows in the world, embarked aviation assets from America and 15th MEU had the unique opportunity to participate in the Dubai Air Show and host the kick-off reception onboard. HSC23 and VMM-161 represented U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation strength at the air show.

At the completion of the ship’s first deployment, America’s Sailors and the 15th MEU Marines reunited with family and friends. "This crew grew exponentially in skill and professionalism,” said Capt. Joe Olson, commanding officer of America.

“Our Sailors and the Marines of the 15th MEU fulfilled their tasking proficiently, effectively, and with heart. I am honored to have served with these men and women and we are excited to be home."

Throughout the course of the sevenmonth deployment, America traveled 42,911 nautical miles; processed 214,697 pounds of mail; conducted 5,075 flight deck landings, takeoffs and vertical replenishment drop off and pick-ups. The engineering department produced 16.34 million gallons of potable water; Sailors and Marines consumed 254,960 eggs; and the ship’s store sold $1,021,624.87 in merchandise.

The America ARG, commanded by PHIBRON 3, consists of the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22), the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) and America. They operated with HSC-23 and detachments from Assault Craft Unit 5, Naval Beach Group 1, Beachmaster Unit 1, Fleet Surgical Team 1 and Tactical Air Control Squadron 11.

The 15th MEU is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force comprised of a ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 5th Marines; an aviation combat element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (Reinforced); a combat logistics element, Combat Logistics Battalion 15.

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. Third Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions that promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the Pacific. *

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alexander Ventura II

U.S. Navy photo by Melissa K. Russell

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alexander Ventura II

7

8

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Surface Force News

By Amphibious Force 7th Fleet Public Affairs

USS Wasp Arrives in Japan to Join Forward Deployed Naval Forces After completing a 28,400-mile journey from Norfolk, Virginia, to Sasebo, Japan, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) arrived replaced USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) as 7th Fleet’s forwarddeployed amphibious assault ship. Prior to completing their transit across the Atlantic into the Pacific, Wasp conducted two months of humanitarian relief work following major hurricanes in the Caribbean.

The force structure change is part of a Department of Defense plan to position the most advanced and capable assets in support of partners and allies, the evidence of which can be seen in WASP bringing to bear her significant upgrades that now allow her to land and launch the U.S. Marine Corp’s F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

“The arrival of USS Wasp represents an increase in military capability and a commitment to our partners and allies for security and stability in the region,” said Capt. Colby Howard, Wasp commanding officer.

“Paired with the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, we remain ready to execute the full range of military operations from crisis response to disaster relief.”

Shortly after departing Norfolk, Wasp was diverted to the Caribbean to assist the U.S. Virgin Islands and Dominica in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The ship then provided assistance to Puerto Rico following the Category 5 Hurricane Maria, a storm regarded as the

Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class David Krigbaum

worst natural disaster in the history of the American commonwealth island. In support of those relief efforts, Wasp aircraft flew an impressive 108 missions on the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, totaling 385 hours of flight time. They moved 1,129 total passengers, 26,720 pounds of equipment and 1,718,200 pounds of logistical support items, including 328,100 pounds of food and water.

"It's an exciting time to be in the Navy, and an exciting time for Wasp and her crew, given the wide variety of missions we have the opportunity to support," said Wasp Command Master Chief Gregory Carlson.

"Over the last 18 months, this crew has not only performed its daily duties in an exemplary manner, but grown as individuals and well-represented the U.S. as ambassadors as we have served across the globe. While I'm proud of what they have accomplished, I'm also very proud of whom they've become as a crew."

Wasp is assigned under Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7, the Navy’s only forward-deployed expeditionary strike group, and directly partners with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit as the Pacific’s on-call crisis response force. The F-35B is scheduled to embark on Wasp when the amphibious assault ship and MEU deploy in 2018 for regularly scheduled regional patrol within the Seventh Fleet area of operations. *

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

“The arrival of USS Wasp represents an increase in military capability and a commitment to our partners and allies for security and stability in the region"

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Levingston Lewis

9

10

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Surface Force News Aegis Fleet Champion Vice Adm. James H. Doyle, Jr. Dies Story by Otto Kreisher

Retired Vice Adm. James H. Doyle Jr., whose 34 years of commissioned service culminated with his work developing and fielding cruisers and destroyers with the Aegis Combat System and associated systems, died on Feb. 23. He was 93.

Doyle - the son of Vice Adm. James H. Doyle, who earned honors as commander of amphibious forces during the Korean War - graduated from the Naval Academy in June 1946 with the war-accelerated class of 1947.

He served at sea on cruiser USS Chicago (CA 136), destroyer USS John W. Thomason (DD 760) and minesweeper USS Bulwark (MSO 425), and then

commanded coastal minesweeper USS Ruff (MSC(O) 54) and minesweeper USS Redstart (MSF 378). After a tour of duty with the Judge Advocate General, Doyle served as executive officer of destroyer leader USS John S. McCain (DL 3) in the western Pacific and then commanding officer of destroyer USS John R. Craig (DD 885) during operations off Vietnam.

Following completion of nuclear power training, he served as executive officer of heavy cruiser USS Newport News (CA 148) and then commanded nuclear cruiser USS Bainbridge (CGN 25), during which time he deployed again off Vietnam and was involved in the search for survivors of the deadly fire that ravaged USS Enterprise (CVN 65).

His performance at sea earned him two Legion of Merits and a Bronze Star, as well as selection for flag rank.

His flag officer assignments included chief of the International Negotiations Division on the Joint

Photo by U.S. Navy

Chiefs of Staff, which afforded him the opportunity to be involved in the SALT I nuclear arms reduction negotiations and serve as the JCS representative to the Law of the Sea Conference.

Doyle then returned to sea as commander of CruiserDestroyer Group 12 and commander of Attack Carrier Striking Group Two aboard the USS Forrestal (CV 59) deployed in the Mediterranean. He commanded U.S. 3rd Fleet from 1974 to 1975.

In his final assignment as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Surface Warfare from 1975 until his retirement in 1980, Adm. Doyle played an influential role in the development and fielding of Aegis warships, the Tomahawk missile, the Vertical Launching System and gas turbine propulsion, all of which are crucial components of today's Navy.

For his later service, he was awarded two Distinguished Service Medals. As an ongoing tribute to his work and legacy, the Aegis development site in New Jersey was named the VADM James H. Doyle Jr. Combat Systems Engineering Development Site in 2008, and a Navy acquisition award recently was named in his honor.

After retirement, he served as vice chairman of the Strike and Air Defense Division of the National Defense Industrial Association, and was an advisor to the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the Naval War College and the Center for Oceans Law and Policy at the University of Virginia. He also taught International Law of the Sea at George Washington University's National Law Center from 1982 to 1989. *

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

F-35Bs join Wasp for historic Indo-Pacific deployment EAST CHINA SEA - A detachment of F-35B Lightning II's with Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121) arrived aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) March 5, marking the first time the aircraft has deployed aboard a U.S. Navy ship and with a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in the Indo-Pacific.

By Task Force 76 The F-35B, assigned under the Okinawa-based 31st Public Affairs MEU, provides a robust set of sea-based capabilities that enhance Navy-Marine Corps expeditionary operations.

The aircraft is equally capable of conducting precision strikes inland, supporting Marines inserted ashore or providing air defense for the Expeditionary Strike Group.

"Pairing F-35B Lightning II's with the Wasp represents one of the most significant leaps in warfighting capability for the Navy-Marine Corps team in our lifetime," said Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7. "This 5th generation stealth jet is extremely versatile, and will greatly enhance and expand our operational capabilities.”

VMFA-121 pilots are scheduled to conduct a series of qualification flights on Wasp over a multi-day period. Following qualifications, the F-35Bs and 2,300 Marines that make up the 31st MEU will deploy aboard ships of the Wasp ESG for follow-on operations in the Indo-Pacific region as part of a routine patrol to strengthen regional alliances, provide rapid-response capability, and advance the Up-Gunned ESG concept.

The Up-Gunned ESG is a U.S. Pacific Fleet-initiated concept that aims to provide lethality and survivability to a traditional three-ship amphibious ready group by integrating multi-mission surface combatants and F-35Bs into amphibious operations. By adding these capabilities, the amphibious force can more effectively defend against adversarial threats in the undersea, surface, and air domains, as well provide offensive firepower to strike from the sea.

The 31st MEU is the only forward-deployed MEU in the region. The F-35B serves as one airframe within a multitude of air capabilities of the MEU's Air Combat Element. Air, ground, and logistics forces make up the MEU's Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), a composite of capabilities that allow the MEU, in partnership with Navy amphibious ships, to conduct a wide-range of missions from crisis response to disaster relief.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Molina

"Pairing F-35B Lightning II's with the Wasp represents one of the most significant leaps in warfighting capability for the Navy-Marine Corps team in our lifetime,"

“This is a historic deployment,” said Col. Tye R. Wallace, 31st MEU Commanding Officer. “The F-35B is the most capable aircraft ever to support a Marine rifleman on the ground. It brings a range of new capabilities to the MEU that make us a more lethal and effective Marine Air-Ground Task Force.”

Multi-mission guided-missile destroyers USS Dewey (DDG 105), with embarked Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 “Magicians,” and USS Sterett (DDG 104), with embarked Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 49 “Scorpions,” are scheduled to support a range of operations and training with the Wasp Expeditionary Strike Group for varying stretches during the patrol.

The arrival of the F-35B culminated testing and shipboard structural modifications on Wasp that began in 2013. Wasp completed an overhaul in 2017 and subsequently departed Norfolk to forward-deploy to Sasebo, Japan as part of a Department of Defense effort to place the most advanced capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

“Deployment of the versatile F-35B enhances the full range of Expeditionary Strike Group capabilities with one of the world’s most technologically-advanced air warfare platforms,” said Capt.

Colby Howard, Wasp commanding officer. “With the specific upgrades Wasp has received, the Navy Marine Corps team in the Pacific is better positioned than ever before to support our commitment to the security of Japan and the region.” *

11

12

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

By Ensign Britney Duesler, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

Following in the footsteps of the Patrol Torpedo (PT) boats of World War II and the Riverine Patrol Boats (PBRs) in Vietnam, the modern Mark VI Patrol Boat offers today's Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) a cutting edge platform and new opportunities for small unit leadership.

Valuing Command at Sea The surface warfare community values command at sea, and considers it the pinnacle of leadership. Junior SWOs on track to successfully complete their second division officer tours have the opportunity to screen for command-at-sea billets on the Mark VI. Department heads requesting to screen for command early also have the opportunity to be slated to serve as a Mark VI company commander, commanding three of the boats. Now, for talented board-screened junior officers, command at sea is achievable by as early as year five of commissioned service, and reaps continuing rewards through the officer’s career. As these men and women grow in their Navy careers and advance to positions at sea with more responsibility, the skills they honed in the Mark VI will enhance the operational effectiveness of any ship in which they serve.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Alfred A. Coffield) Illustrated by Ted Townsend

13

14

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

What is the Mk VI Patrol Boat?

Why A New Command Position?

The command position for the Mark VI patrol boat was created to attract the top performers in the surface community to lead the Mark VI program through the maturation process required to fully integrate into the Chief of Naval Operations’ (CNO) Maritime Design. The junior officers selected to command Mark VI Patrol Boats will have a tremendous opportunity to mature their leadership, tactical, and shiphandling skills throughout their tour with the Coastal Riverine Force. As a result, the surface warfare community will see long-term dividends from this early command opportunity for some of its best and brightest officers.

The Mark VI Patrol Boat is the newest platform in Navy Expeditionary Combat Command’s inventory.

The boat is 84 feet in length, and has a maximum crew size of 12 personnel. The crew consists of two full watch teams, each with a patrol officer, boat captain, coxswain, engineer/gunner, navigator, and communicator/gunner. The Mark VI’s primary mission is to patrol littoral areas beyond sheltered harbors and bays for the purpose of force protection for friendly and coalition forces and critical infrastructure. Other mission areas include, security force assistance, high value unit shipping escort, visit board search and seizure (VBSS) support operations, and theater security coordination.

Mark VI Patrol Boats commands are located in Little Creek, Va. and San Diego. Both deploy to the 5th Fleet and 7th Fleet area of operations.

Deployments to 5th Fleet will be to Bahrain to conduct operations with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community. The 7th Fleet deployments will initiate in Guam, and focus on expanding the range and capabilities of the Patrol Boat to participate in theater security cooperation efforts.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018 Photo by Chief Boatswain’s Mate Nelson Doromal Jr Illustrated by Ted Townsend

Early Command Training Pipeline and Qualifications Division officers who wish to apply for the Mark VI Patrol Boat command position must meet the following requirements: • • • • • • • • •

Attain formal designation letter as a SWO Serve at least 36 months on a ship Complete at least one deployment Complete Basic Division Officer Course Complete Advanced Division Officer Course (nuclear-qualified officers exempt) Earn their Engineering Officer of the Watch qualification Demonstrate sustained skills in shiphandling and seamanship while assigned to their ship Screen for department head Complete the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command screening

Mark VI commanding officers can expect the pipeline to be about six months; company commanders may take a little longer based on course availability.

Commanding officers can expect to go to the Surface Warfare Officers School for a portion of the Surface Commanders Course (SCC), take a revised command assessment, attend Command Leadership School at The Naval Leadership and Ethics Center, and then proceed to NECC for follow-on training in order to give them the foundation they need to be successful.

Additionally, lieutenant commanders slated for company command will have opportunity to attend senior officer legal, shipride, TYCOM indoctrination, and command assessment (as needed) training.

An Incredible Opportunity to Continue The Legacy Trailblazers who compete for these positions have the opportunity to join an exclusive club comprised of some of the Navy’s most respected leaders who also cut their teeth leading small, fast boats at sea. President John F. Kennedy and Adm. John D. Bulkeley were both PT Boat commanding officers during WWII and are just two of the many success stories from the small boat community.

Junior officers interested in opportunities for Mk VI Patrol Boat command should contact the second tour department head and early command SWO detailer at Navy Personnel Command. *

15

16

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Sea and Shore Sailors of the Year Announced for 2017

Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (SURFPAC) and Commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic (SURFLANT) announced their 2017 Sailors of the Year (SOYs).

Culinary Specialist First Class Latoya Farrish, from USS Essex (LHD 2), and Hospital Corpsman First Class Luis Figueroa, from the littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7), were announced

By Naval Surface as the Sea SOYs. Forces Public Boatswain’s Mate First Class Lesbia Butler, Affairs Assault Craft Unit 1, and Interior Communications Electrician First Class Ronnie Byrd, from Surface Squadron 14 (DESRON 14), were announced as the Shore SOYs. Each year, the SOY Program recognizes Sailors who best represent the large number of superior and dedicated professionals within the SURFPAC and SURFLANT squadrons and commands. Seventy-two Sailors competed for the Surface Navy Sea SOY and Shore SOY across

both Fleets. Each competition involved a service record review, selection board and leadership events, where Sailors demonstrated their professional competency.

Both SURFPAC and SURFLANT held formal ceremonies to officially recognize the SOYs. In attendance were the Sailors’ spouses, command leadership, distinguished military guests and community supporters.

Rear Adm. John Wade, commander, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, commended the SURFPAC SOY candidates on their professional competency, integrity, and total commitment to excellence.

“The purpose of our Navy is to protect our great nation from attack, ensure freedom of the seas, and preserve our strategic influence in key regions of the

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

"The strength of our Navy is not the steel of our ships or our advanced weapons and sensors. It’s our people; the men and women who volunteer to serve. All of you selected as Sailor of the Year represent the very best of this group."

Photos by U.S. Navy

world,” Wade said. “The strength of our Navy is not the steel of our ships or our advanced weapons and sensors. It’s our people; the men and women who volunteer to serve. All of you selected as Sailor of the Year represent the very best of this group.”

In Norfolk, Va., Rear Adm. Jesse A. Wilson, Jr., commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, recognized the SURFLANT SOYs leadership, character, and expertise.

“Each one of you should be extremely proud to have been nominated for this prestigious award…you are the heart and soul of the Atlantic Surface Force. I applaud all of you on your performance and look forward to hearing about the great thing you will continue to do during your careers.”

The Sailor of the Year program was established in 1972 by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet to recognize an individual Sailor who best represented the ever-growing group of dedicated professional Sailors at each command and ultimately, in the Navy. When the program began, only the Atlantic

and Pacific Fleet Sailors were recognized. Within 10 years, the Sailor of the Year program was expanded to include shore commands.

Sailors from both coasts will go on to compete at the next level against their counterparts from the submarine, aviation and expeditionary communities.

The SOYs selected SURFPAC will compete for the honor of U.S. Pacific Fleet Sailor of the Year, and the SURFLANT SOYs will compete for the U.S. Fleet Forces Command Sailor of the Year. Those selected as Sea SOY will be flown to Washington, D.C. to be meritoriously promoted to Chief Petty Officer. The Shore SOY will travel to the nation’s capital to compete for the honor of Chief of Naval Operations Shore Sailor of the Year. *

17

18

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

The Gator Navy is Getting a Stronger Bite – Increased Lethality and Tactical Proficiency in the Amphibious Navy

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Increased Tactical Proficiency Within the Amphibious Navy Sailors and Marines from the USS Essex (LHD 2) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) recently departed Naval Base San Diego to engage in a first for the Navy’s Surface Warfare community – an ARG Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise.

By Ensign During this dedicated at-sea training period, Britney Duesler, participants focus on watch team, unit, Air Naval Surface Force, U.S. Defense Command, and Surface Combat Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Commander training – before integrating the Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

The Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC)-led exercise is focused on advanced tactical training at sea in order to improve warfighting proficiency, lethality, and ship interoperability before further training in the ARG’s deployment cycle.

Completing this training will help the ARG’s units and warfare commanders “learn to work together as teams before moving along in the training cycle,” said Rear Adm. John Wade, commander of SMWDC. SMWDC’s mission is to increase the lethality and tactical proficiency of the Surface Force across all domains, and it does that through four lines of operation – one of which is providing advanced tactical training to the Surface Fleet.

The SMWDC-delivered training during the ARG SWATT prepares ships for the high-end, integrated scenarios they will see during future training scenarios in the ship’s training cycle, which ultimately prepare the ARG for deployment and assimilation into an Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG).

The long-term goal is that all surface ships will undergo a SWATT event prior to completion of the pre-deployment training cycle.

“This is something we have to do as a community to maintain a competitive advantage against the peer and near-peer threats outlined in the National Defense Strategy,” said Wade.

The training the units receive from SWMDC during the ARG SWATT consists of several levels of exercises and evaluations. The embarked SMWDC training team consists of post-major command commanders, Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTIs), and technical community experts and uses the Plan, Brief, Execute, and Debrief (PBED) process to evaluate ships throughout the entirety of the exercise.

Upon completion, the WTIs and other trainers use the results of the evaluation to provide same day, directly observed performance feedback to the shipboard teams. This process allows them to receive in-person feedback in a timely manner.

Using data replay tools throughout the event (as part of the PBED Process) breaks down barriers within watch teams by removing the possible human perspective error of what really happened during the training scenarios. Ground truth provides watch teams

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Levingston M Lewis

19

20

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

and personnel – regardless of rank – the humility needed to grow together effectively as a team in an expedited manner.

“SWATT represents the first opportunity that the Essex ARG ships and staff have had to train together as a team. This training will bridge the gap between unit level training our ships recently completed and the advanced fleet training, which will prepare us for our next deployment,” said Capt. Gerald Olin, commander of PHIBRON 1.

Furthermore, data gathered during each SWATT exercise – whether an ARG or a Carrier Strike Group based cruiser-destroyer (CRUDES) SWATT – are cataloged, analyzed, and reviewed by a Data Analysis Working Group (DAWG) approximately 4-6 weeks after the conclusion of the exercise. The DAWG identify combat systems, tactics, and human performance strengths and weaknesses that get fed back into the Surface Warfare Enterprise for rapid organizational learning and development.

The Essex ARG SWATT, however, is just one example of how the Navy’s amphibious fleet is increasing its lethality and warfighting proficiency.

Within the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations, currently deployed USS Wasp (LHD 1) will connect with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Dewey (DDG 105) and USS Sterett (DDG 104) as part of a new “upgunned ESG” concept.

Adding a destroyer to the strike group means adding the ability to strike inland targets with Tomahawk missiles, to conduct robust air defense using the Aegis Combat System, to hunt and find submarines, and to provide naval surface gunfire support.

“These are all capabilities that aren’t normally part of an amphibious readiness group, but they are now,” said Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of ESG 7. “We bring extra capability to the warfighting element of what we’re doing here in theater.”

Sterett and Dewey’s presence as part of the Wasp ARG reinforces the need for SWATT training. Typically, cruisers and destroyers deploy as part of either a Surface Action Group (SAG) or a Carrier Strike Group (CSG), supplementing the air warfare capabilities of the carrier.

As members of an ESG, the destroyers will have a unique responsibility to Wasp that requires training and coordination among the strike group.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Another new addition to the Wasp ESG is the integration of the F-35B Lighting II fighter jet into the strike group.

Wasp recently embarked a detachment of F-35B Lighting IIs with the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, 31st MEU, marking the F-35B’s first operational deployment of F-35B’s with a MEU. “This is a historic deployment,” said Col. Tye R. Wallace, 31 st MEU Commanding Officer. “The F-35B is the most capable aircraft ever to support a Marine rifleman on the ground. It brings a range of new capabilities to the MEU that make us a more lethal and effective Marine AirGround Task Force.”

The recent integration of destroyers and F-35Bs into the ARG makes surface ship advanced tactical training – optimally placed between basic phase training at the unit level and integrated phase training with the MEU – all the more important.

“Providing watch teams and warfare commanders the reps-and- sets they need to exercise and build their combat muscle is critical,” said Wade.

The SMWDC-led ARG SWATT is crucial to providing the training time needed to produce a cohesive group of surface combatants prepared to support the MEU, and

ultimately fleet and combatant commanders.

The amphibious Navy is better prepared for operational commitments across the board by flexing their warfighting capabilities during ARG SWATT exercises. Improved watch team cohesion, increased tactical proficiency, top-ofthe-line technology, and a WDC capable of driving highspeed learning throughout the Surface Warfare enterprise enable the Navy-Marine Corps team to maintain the competitive edge against the nation’s peer and near peer threats. *

The F-35B is the most capable aircraft ever to support a Marine rifleman on the ground

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jacob Owen

21

22

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James R. Turner

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) joined USS Ross (DDG 71) in the Black Sea to conduct maritime security operations on Feb. 17, as part of an operational schedule that helps sustain the U.S. Navy’s presence in the region.

“Our decision to have two ships simultaneously operate in the Black Sea is proactive, not reactive, and was conducted in accordance with international law, including the 1936 Montreux Convention, which regulates maritime traffic through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus international straits,” said Vice Adm. Christopher Grady, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. “We operate at the tempo and timing of our choosing in this strategically important region. By nature, ships are flexible,

By U.S. Naval Forces mobile forces, and the Navy is uniquely Europe-Africa Public Affairs capable of providing credible and capable forces to defend our nation’s interests throughout the world.”

The last time two U.S. ships operated in the Black Sea was July 2017, during U.S.-Ukraine co-hosted exercise Sea Breeze. U.S. 6th Fleet ships regularly conduct bilateral and multilateral patrols with our Black Sea partners and allies, including Bulgaria and Turkey, and conduct exercises with other partners and allies.

“The continued presence of the U.S. Navy in the Black Sea demonstrates our enduring commitment to regional stability, maritime security of our Black Sea partners, and the collective defense of our NATO allies,” said Grady, as is evident in the three Black Sea exercises the U.S. 6th Fleet took part in during 2017.

During Spring Storm, from March 13-21, U.S. participation in the bilateral, Romania-led exercise focused on tactical unit and staff interoperability between Romanian and U.S. Navy forces. The Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit led U.S. efforts in the exercise, which consisted of amphibious operations and maritime defense drills.

Sea Shield, a multinational Romanian-led exercise from Feb. 1-10, saw Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) focusing on deploying leading technology and combat capability in support of allies and partners in collective defense of the Black Sea region. The goal of the exercise was to improve the interoperability and combat proficiency of participating units.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Finally, from July 10-22, air, land, sea, and amphibious forces from 16 nations participated in Exercise Sea Breeze, which focused on warfare areas to include maritime interdiction operations, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, damage control, search and rescue, and amphibious warfare.

This exercise occurs annually and is designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability, strengthen combined response capabilities, and demonstrate resolve among allied and partner nation forces to ensure stability in the Black Sea region. Participating U.S. assets included the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS HuĂŠ City (CG 66) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64).

Outside of regular exercises, the Black Sea is a routine operating area for U.S. assets to exercise and conduct port visits. Over the last year, five additional ships have operated independently in the region as port visits provide an

"The continued presence of the U.S. Navy in the Black Sea demonstrates our enduring commitment to regional stability"

opportunity for U.S. forces to build regional relationships and gain appreciation for diverse cultures, and bilateral and multilateral training is aimed toward improving maritime capabilities and reassuring NATO allies and regional partners of the commitment of the U.S. to the alliance and to maritime security and stability in the Black Sea region.

Ross and Carney are two of four U.S. ballistic missile defensecapable destroyers that are forward deployed to Naval Station Rota, Spain and routinely patrol the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. *

23

24

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

By Vice Adm. Richard Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Forces

ur Navy’s enduring mission is to protect and defend America and its national interests worldwide. As the largest contingent of the Nation’s maritime warfighting force, it is critical our surface ships continue to “own the fight” by being the best, the fastest, the toughest and the smartest warships operating around the globe.

Remaining the world’s preeminent Surface Force requires we put trust in, and responsibility on, our commanding officers to ready their ships for sea.

More specifically, to ready their ships for combat at sea. This demand for combat-ready ships requires me, as commander, Naval Surface Forces (SURFOR) and

commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (SURFPAC), to ensure our commanding officers and, by extension, their ships remain the “center of gravity” for everything we do. The responsibility placed on each of them to prepare their ship, their crew and themselves for combat makes for a tremendously challenging and rewarding assignment. However, our ships cannot be successful without the full support of the SURFPAC (and counterpart Naval Surface Forces Atlantic) staff.

As such, I dedicate my service as SURFOR to do everything I can to make sure we set our commanders and their ships up for success.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

It is critical our surface ships continue to “own the fight” by being the best, the fastest, the toughest and the smartest warships operating around the globe.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anthony Flynn

25

26

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Good Stewardship, Professional Development, and Safety.

These fundamentals will be at the core of all our actions.

As the Surface Type Commander, my mission – and that of my staff – is “supporting Combatant Commanders and Navy Component Commanders by providing combat-ready Naval Surface Forces which are forward deployable, fully trained, properly manned, capably equipped, well maintained, and combatsustainable.” It is a lofty mission, but a completely achievable one when all stakeholders – me, my staff, the commanding officers, the crews of our warships and the supporting array of training, maintenance, and personnel management professionals – are pulling in the

same direction and focused on the three fundamental principles which have guided me to success in every ship and strike group I have commanded. They are Good Stewardship, Professional Development, and Safety.

My command philosophy is simple and straightforward. It covers everything we do in ships. It focuses on how we take care of our ships, how we train and develop our Sailors, and how we account for risk in an inherently dangerous shipboard environment. These fundamentals will be at the core of all our actions.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin Leitner

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Theron J. Godbold

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

The principle of good stewardship stems from an understanding and an appreciation of the resources that the American people have entrusted to us. Our ships are funded by taxpayer dollars and we have a responsibility to smartly operate and properly maintain them. Sixty percent of the Fleet’s shipboard manning comes from accessions, and many Sailors join the Navy right after high school graduation.

Therefore, the reliefs for many of our Sailors serving aboard our ships today are currently in the eighth grade. The fact that many of today’s

ships will still be in commission years from now and the Sailors that will man them have yet to be recruited, you realize the importance of taking care of our ships. The maintenance, modernization and training completed today not only benefit our current operations, but also preserve our future capability.

Therefore, we need to ensure the highest level of care, cleanliness, and material condition aboard our ships.

If we follow the guiding principle of good stewardship, we will produce warships ready for tasking by our fleet commanders.

The principle of good stewardship stems from an understanding and an appreciation of the resources that the American people have entrusted to us.

27

28

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

As part of professional development, we owe our Sailors the opportunity to fleet-up in responsibility and advance through the ranks

The principle of professional development finds root in the thought that each Sailor aboard our ships has a responsibility to command their actions, their environment and the situation.

We need proficient, confident, and highly capable professionals manning every watch-station. A crew this is well-trained, educated and qualified is a crew that knows their ship and her missions.

As part of professional development, we owe our Sailors the opportunity to fleet-up in responsibility and advance through

the ranks. In a time of crisis or combat, we will be dependent upon each Sailor to not only know their job, but to know their boss’s job. A phrase commonly used in sports, “next person up,” is more relevant to how our Navy operates today.

We must be prepared to fight today, tomorrow, and next week. Our ships must be able to take a hit and continue to fight. A crew that knows the ship’s missions and her systems will be able to take that ship into the fight and win.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

The last fundamental principle – safety – needs to always be at on the forefront of our actions.

Operating ships at sea is inherently dangerous. Knowing this, I want to be crystal clear; nothing short of combat operations should force us to put a shipmate’s life in danger unnecessarily. We must continue to mature our ability to identify hazards and apply risk management.

Risk management produces safety by getting us to think 6 to 12 steps ahead of what we’re doing.

Again, I believe that if we fully understand and live by the principles of Good Stewardship, Professional Development and Safety, we set ourselves up to win every time – we own our actions, we “own the fight.”

I am humbled and honored to serve as the Commander of our Surface Force. My job, and that of my staff, is to ensure our commanding officers have everything they

This is important because readying our ships for operational tasking requires us to “train like we fight” – underway and under strenuous conditions. We can’t necessarily assume someone senior to us has thought of the consequences of an action. Any Sailor, from the most junior to the most senior, can save a shipmate’s life by simply asking the question, “Should we be doing this?” The ability to speak out with regard to safety needs to be driven to the lowest level.

need to get their ships underway in support of our fleet and combatant commanders. Now is the time to think seriously about what it takes to be ready for conflict, to be more proficient, and to develop the mental toughness in the calm of peacetime that will be drawn upon in the chaos surrounding combat. *

29

30

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

By Capt. Don Wilkinson, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Manpower and Personnel

The Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) is making good on the need to respond to growing demands by executing the Sailor 2025 program with a needed sense of urgency. With current

manning projections showing a deficit of 5% from FY19 until FY21 when it will finally reach the Operational Fleet Response Plan (OFRP) target of 95%, CNP and the Manning Control Authority

Fleet (MCAF) have used all the wellknown force management levers to reduce gaps until then. By now you are most likely aware of the change in PFA policy that will ensure the Navy receives full return on investment for initial training of Sailors, increases to the high-year tenure policies for E-3 to E-6, and the removal of early out authorities combined with extension opportunities that match EAOS to sea duty PRDs. But are you aware of the broader perspective that Sailor 2025 brings?

Sailor 2025 is the Navy’s program that will improve and modernize personnel management and training systems to more effectively recruit, develop, manage, reward, and retain the force of tomorrow. In order for our Navy to become a fighting force of 355 ships, the proper workforce must be in place beforehand to accommodate the growth. It falls on those of us currently in uniform to set the standards of what we want our Surface

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Force to look like. Well-trained PERSOs, TRAINOs and Career Counselors are not enough to effectively implement Sailor 2025. Well-versed leaders at the deckplate level who are conversant and familiar with programs currently available as well as those in development are needed to

make this endeavor a success.

So what is Sailor 2025? It is a program focused on three core pillars – Personnel System Modernization; Ready, Relevant Learning (RRL); and Career Readiness.

Many of us who have been around the Navy for a while understand the need for personnel system modernization, but it is no longer just about updating

Manpower, Personnel, Training & Education (MPT&E) Information & Technology systems. It now includes the development of more flexible policies, an increase in transparency at all levels, and the delivery of better tools designed to ultimately provide Sailors with more choices. Today’s generation wants increased career selection and CNP’s initiative to implement at least ten Sailor 2025 advantages within 2018 aims to do just that.

31

32

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

The first pillar addresses Personnel System Modernization and covers a broad number of initiatives. For enlisted personnel, most notable is the Meritorious Advancement Program. The Navy is looking to expand this program to account for ~15% of all E-3 to E-6 advancements, allowing Fleet leadership to meritoriously advance hard chargers and thereby identify those with the talent needed to succeed at the next rank. For senior enlisted, a program by which personnel distribution occurs by advancement is forthcoming. For example, a hard-to-fill job in Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) Japan might come with an automatic promotion to E-8/E-9. For officers, the Fleet Scholar Education Program seeks to expand fully funded in-residence graduate degree opportunities at civilian institutions, and additionally, SECNAV tours are being paired with industry partners where selected candidates will have the opportunity to observe firsthand the latest insights and best practices from high-performing companies.

Meanwhile, changes at the Fleet-wide level include a review of the enlisted advancement exam process by a working groups seeking the benefits and feasibilities of a complete overhaul, the analysis of combining ratings with similar training experience and by Rating Modernization, and most notably, a new evaluation system, focused on objective review that removes peer comparison and force distribution, updates the rated components, and changes the timing of when the formal evaluation is completed, is beginning phased-in implementation over the next year. For our reserve force, NAVADMIN 047/18 announced the Targeted Reentry Program that will ultimately provide top-performers with gold and silver tickets that mean automatic avenues back into the active Navy. Ultimately, the goal of every first pillar initiative is the same: better retention and better utilization of our talent pool.

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

The second pillar deals primarily with Ready, Relevant Learning (RRL) and has brought with it much philosophical debate. The old way of brick and mortar schoolhouses, or industrial age training, is being replaced with career-long learning continuums where training is delivered by modern methods to enable faster learning, better knowledge retention, and delivery at the right time and in the right way for our Sailors. In watching my own children, I can observe that today’s youth teach themselves. When they can’t figure something out they search the Internet or reach back to an application on a mobile platform to better understand a system or process. This is not to say the traditional classroom is outdated, but rather than the one-and-done A to C school pipeline, the Navy will mix in-classroom instruction with modern training methods and methodology tailored to the unique requirements of each career path. Additionally, RRL aims to increase outside training access to Sailors by mobile delivery platforms, workplace –embedded job aids, and reachback/refresher capabilities. Are there challenges here?

Yes, but the resources, and more importantly the will, to make this happen, are in place. Fleet Forces Command as the Executive Agent is running to deliver successful, accelerated RRL to get the high velocity, tailored learning we need in the Fleet.

Finally, the third pillar, which covers Career Readiness, is primarily about expanding our Sailor and family support. For the family framework, this is about expansion of childcare services, maternity and paternity leave, and increasing career intermission opportunities.

To improve health and wellness, which directly translates into the toughness of our Navy, this pillar focuses on improving fitness programs and nutrition mindfulness.

Mental Health issue awareness and strengthening the resilience of our Sailors is a critical factor in maintaining mission readiness. As such, more counselors are being placed on the waterfront, while programs like SAIL and SAPR are either being established, updated or revitalized. Falling under this category of changing policies to improve stability and work-life balance is the effort to focus on dual-military/dual-professional spouse and single-parent policies. And since our service is fundamentally built upon leadership, the Navy has created a Leadership Development Framework from which it will revamp leadership training to better develop our leaders and ensure we are leveraging our nation’s diversity to become a wholly inclusive team.

While Navy manning may presently be at a strategic crossroads, what is certain is that Sailor 2025 is the surest path to success. In order to recruit our reliefs, develop and retain the Sailors we currently have, and meet mission requirements of the future, our Surface Force has set forth this MPTE innovation. Are you onboard? *

33

34

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Three Gladiator Sailors Claim Historic First Story by

MC2 Victoria Kinney

Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

T

hese words, from a 1917 recruiting poster of a woman wearing a man's Navy uniform and a jaunty 'Dixie Cup,' are a relic of bygone era for women in the Navy today.

This is especially so for the ones aboard USS Gladiator (MCM 11).

The forward-deployed Avenger-class mine countermeasures (MCM) ship welcomed their first three female chief petty officers to its crew earlier this year.

The three chiefs, Chief Logistics Specialist Monique Graves, Chief Personnel Specialist Aracely Sanchez, and Chief Information Technician Nicole Knight, all reported aboard between January and March. Gladiator is the first MCM to integrate female enlisted Sailors into their crew.

"When I joined the Navy I didn't expect to ever be put into a position where I would be the first to do anything," said Graves, of Chesapeake, Virginia. "I thought I would just do my job and hopefully hit the milestones and my goals, but to be able to say that I was the first in naval history? I never would have thought that would happen for me."

Female commissioned officers have been serving on MCMs as commanding officers and executive officers for some time, as these positions had separate living quarters. To prepare for the addition of enlisted females, however, the ship was refitted with female living quarters during the ship's last dry-dock period.

While the berthing might be small, to these Sailors, its meaning is significant.

"That piece of metal, that rack, is where we lay our head down at night," said Sanchez, a native of Tualatin, Oregon. "Just being around this crew makes us feel like we're a family and makes us feel safe, and that's what makes us feel like we're home."

Lessons learned on Gladiator will provide guidance for USS Sentry (MCM 3) as that ship prepares for its own enlisted female integration. Both ships are planning to outfit their crews in the future with up to 18 enlisted female Sailors of all ranks.

Sanchez said she had never heard of minesweepers in her 18 years in the Navy. But that didn't stop her from taking on the challenge of learning and adapting to fulfill their new roles.

"It doesn't matter what gender you are," said Sanchez.

"Leadership comes from your heart and from your experiences."

Graves agreed, adding that the sky was truly the limit.

"There are so many opportunities available here that

you're not able to do on any other platform," said Graves.

"I could be officer of the deck, combat information center watch officer, or really everything and anything I choose to be."

"From the start of my career I've always wanted to make my own way," said Knight, a native of Baltimore.

"The reason I chose the Navy was to cover a branch of the service that no one else in my family has covered and to set a new path. I used that same logic to make the choice and go into the minesweeping community.

I wanted to be a trailblazer for the junior Sailors and show that if I could do it, they could do it."

"I think this is a sign of our Navy's progression," said Lt. Cmdr. Roosevelt B. White, Gladiator's commanding officer. "I think this transition has been so effective because of our emphasis on being surface warfare professionals. We strive to foster an environment of dignity and respect no matter race, religion, gender, or sexual preference of any crew member and we do not tolerate any type of disrespect. We look forward to integrating junior enlisted female Sailors in the near future."

"When I first got here and looked around at the Sailors, I didn't know what to expect," said Graves. "Now that I've fully embraced it, I'm having the time of my life."

The MCM community continues to search for eligible applicants for the newly-available billets. Along with a new supply chief, the community is looking for 30 hard-charging junior enlisted women to serve on minesweepers.

Gladiator is one of four MCM ships forward deployed to Bahrain and is attached to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's (NAVCENT) Task Force (TF) 52. The Avenger-class MCMs are able to sweep and hunt for mines as well as finding, classifying and destroying moored and bottom mines in U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

Task Force 52 is the mine countermeasures force of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. It ensures freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the Arabian Gulf and the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse comprises 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen. *

35

36

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Deputy Dispatches

By Rear Adm. John B. Mustin Deputy Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Greetings from Surface Forces’ headquarters in Coronado.

We’ve been busy, as a community and as a Navy, since our last edition of the waterfront’s finest magazine. In the short period since our last issue, we thanked Vice Adm. Tom Rowden for his leadership and vision, and wished him “fair winds and following seas” after 35 years of service to the surface community, the Navy, and the nation. And we welcomed Vice Adm. Rich Brown to the helm, positioning him to lead of our community’s center of gravity for innovation, talent, revolutionary warfighting thinking, and “man, train and equip” efforts as Commander, Naval Surface Forces.

Ensure you’re familiar with our Guiding Principles (Good Stewardship, Professional Development, and Safety, which lead to Owning the Fight).

And we’ve been heavily involved in the articulation of our future. The President’s National Security Strategy

clearly defines our priorities, directing our Navy to protect the American homeland, promote American economic prosperity, and advance American influence throughout the world. The National Defense Strategy (NDS) operationalizes these imperatives and articulates our plan to compete, deter and win in today’s competitive security environment. These two documents are required reading for every professional Naval Officer. In their entirety. They establish the edges of our playing field as it relates to how Congress, and the American people, view our contribution to the nation.

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph M. Buliavac

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

As our Chief of Naval Operations described to Congress, the maritime expression of the NDS -- what we refer to as the “Navy the Nation Needs” -- articulates how we will increase America’s naval and maritime power.

The summary takeaway is that the Navy the Nation Needs will be:

BIGGER

TALENTED

Congress made a 355-ship Navy the law of the land, and the associated increase in capacity will strengthen our ability to prevail in warfighting contingencies, meet Combatant Commanders demand, expand global influence, and support American prosperity by safeguarding access to critical markets, waterways, and chokepoints.

Our Sailors are the life-blood of our Navy, and the “X Factor” that will carry us to victory against near-peer competitors in a high-end fight.

As such, we will invest heavily in more recruiting, training, education and retention efforts.

BETTER

AGILE

We will create more capability across all our naval platforms. We will field state-of-the-art systems and continually modernize legacy ones. We will leverage accelerated acquisition and rapid prototyping -- for example, in directed energy, lasers, STANDARD Missile (SM)-2/6 weapons, Maritime Strike Tomahawk and unmanned capabilities -- to deliver capability faster.

We will develop and implement innovative operational concepts to increase our competitive advantage. For example, in just the past year, we operationalized Distributed Maritime Operations, in which fleet commanders distributed forces across an entire theater of operations as an integrated weapon system, leveraging multi-domain capabilities and harnessing the power of the fleet tactical grid. We will continually learn, better integrating the results of wargames, fleet exercises, and experimentation to improve our technical and tactical operations at sea in preparation for peer competitors and high-end warfare.

NETWORKED

READY

We will enable our fleet to connect and combine in rapidly adaptable ways, allowing air- and seaborne units to optimize sensing, tracking, shooting, and controlling functions.

We will have more at-sea time, more ammunition and parts, and more time and funding for maintenance to address the training, navigation equipment, command and control, and manning issues we see today. We are committed to improving the quality and duration of our individual and unit training -- both at sea and in realistic, shore-based simulators.

In short, the Navy is investing in the tactics, training, tools and talent necessary to ensure your success, and our community’s vibrancy long into the future. We are removing the constraints associated with false historical choices that have hampered prior budget decisions. We will no longer choose between increased capacity or better capability…readiness or modernization…more complex technology or networked systems…more or better trained Sailors…we will, instead, optimize the balance between all of those important elements to get you what you need on the waterfront.

Today, tomorrow and into the future.

To that end, our over-arching focus remains support to you, our waterfront warfighters. We recognize that what makes us the best Navy in the world is not our ships, missiles, jets or technology, though all of those things are important and indeed impressive. We know that what makes us so great is our people --- our Total Force team of active and reserve Sailors, and our civilians. And that’s why we focus on you as our community’s most important leaders.

We as Surface Warriors are more than a community.

We’re a team. A winning team with high standards and a thirst for competition. I remain steadfastly appreciative for everything you’re doing to prepare to fight and win – and to keep our Navy the strongest, most capable and effective force the world has ever known.

Keep up the great work leading the world’s finest Navy. I’m proud to serve with each of you, and I look forward to seeing you on the waterfront. *

37

38

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Leadership Literature As I finished my Executive Officer tour and considered my transition to the role of Commanding Officer, I used the time during Prospective Commanding Officer pipeline training to read the books about leadership and warfighting that were on my list. Having read a dozen books during this time, the one book that resonated most with me, about my transition to Command and what it means to lead at sea, was “Mindset:

By Kevin Meehan The New Psychology Commanding Officer of Success� by Dr. USS Gabrielle Carol Dweck.

Giffords Dr. Dweck spent decades researching the topic of success as a psychologist at Stanford University and she explains how the power of our mindset contributes to our ability to achieve great success. This book is valuable for leaders, parents, teachers, coaches, athletes, friends, husbands and wives. In essence, Dweck proposes that there are two fundamental mindsets that people adopt; a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

Those that adopt a fixed mindset believe, generally, that success is a matter of talent, intellect, or those innate attributes a person is born with. For example, if a child achieves a perfect score on a math test in grade school, people with a fixed mindset attribute that success to the child's intelligence. We often hear teachers who adopt a fixed mindset praise a student who achieves a perfect score on a test by saying "congratulations Sally, you're so smart." This type of recognition reinforces the fixed mindset because either

a person is smart and can achieve, or they are not and therefore cannot achieve. Fixed mindsets can stifle continued growth and limit individual and organizational success over time.

Those who adopt a growth mindset, on the other hand, recognize the value of effort as a fundamental contributor in achieving success.

The same student may achieve a perfect score on a test and a teacher with a growth mindset recognizes the hard work and effort that was the main factor in delivering the outstanding result. This is a simple, but powerful difference between those who believe success is a matter of talent, smarts, or something that one either has or doesn't have, and those who believe success is the result of effort and hard work. As simple as it may seem, Dweck explains how adopting either mindset has far reaching implications for sowing the seeds of success. Dweck draws interesting conclusions about our mindset and our theories about recognition as motivators for success and how rewarding effort, with a growth mindset, sets the conditions for continued motivation and lasting success in an organization. Recognition based on a fixed mindset results in a conditioning within an organization where people feel they cannot influence their own success. Those organizations that employ fixed mindset recognition strategies routinely show an inability to sustain success over time, whereas those leaders in organizations that adopt a growth mindset and reward effort and hard work, lead transformational organizations that achieve lasting success and avoid performance plateaus.

In our Surface Navy we can become almost fixated on results as an absolute, irrefutable metric of our individual and Command success.

We report our readiness based on metrics that translate to stoplight

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

colors which confirm our status … green is success, yellow or red is not. We receive numerical grades on all of our basic and advanced phase training cycle warfare area certifications and we attempt to map those numerical results to our success as a Command. We underpin Battle Effectiveness awards for the best ships in our Squadrons on metrics, numerical results, and maintaining eligibility.

Are we missing something as leaders? Are we unwittingly adopting fixed mindsets across the force? Are we focused too much on results at the expense of the processor methods that enable success?

Perhaps if we looked more closely at the means instead of the ends, we may be able to achieve lasting growth in our Commands and across the Force. Perhaps if we

focused attention and recognition more on effort, process, and methods during training, and less on results and “scores,” we may set the conditions for enduring organizational growth within our Commands as Dr. Dweck proposes.

Dr. Dweck’s provocative book provided a new perspective on leadership, recognition, and motivation in ways I didn’t expect, which were applicable in my role as a leader at sea, but also as a father.

If you’re looking for a quick read that will challenge your perspective on setting the conditions for lasting success in your command, and in your other important roles in life, then give this book a moment of your time. * V/r Cmdr Kevin Meehan

Other books that may be of interest: • Drive by Daniel Pink • They Call Me Coach by John Wooden • The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni • Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King and Halce Fischer-Wright • The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins • One Hundred Days by Admiral Sandy Woodward • The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors

by James Hornfischer • Ship of Ghosts by James Hornfischer

Commander Kevin Meehan is Commanding Officer of USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) Gold Team. Cmdr. Meehan holds a master's degree in executive leadership, and served in the Deliberate Plans section as an Operational Planner for the U.S. Pacific Fleet and NATO Allied Command Transformation-Staff Element, Europe as a Ballistic Missile Defense Officer and Strategic Planner. He is a graduate of the Maritime Advanced Warfighting School.

39

40

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Voices From the Fleet From Navy Office of Information Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Kristopher Wilson

The Navy joins the nation in celebrating Women's History Month throughout the month of March 2018.

ALNAV 007/18 encourages participation in all the heritage celebrations and special observances throughout the year. This year, Navy commands are encouraged to celebrate and reflect on the theme "Honoring Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination."

Women have served in the Navy as nurses dating back to the 1800s, most notably during the Civil War when the Sisters of the Holy Cross served aboard USS Red Rover, the Navy's first hospital ship. In 1948, women gained permanent status in the Navy with the passage of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act. "Women's History Month is a time to reflect on and express gratitude to the trailblazers who demonstrated unparalleled courage, tenacity and vision, sometimes in the face of systemic headwinds, to chart a course for today's women who proudly and honorably serve in the U.S. Navy," said Vice Adm. Jan Tighe, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare/ Director of Naval Intelligence.

Over the last century, women have served aboard auxiliary ships beginning in 1978 and on combatant ships beginning in 1994. In 2016, the Department of Defense opened all military occupations and positions to women.

Female Sailors and civilians play an integral role in the success of the Navy as part of the One Navy Team. Women serve in every rank from seamen to admiral and hold nearly every job from naval aviator to deep-sea diver. Twenty percent of the Navy's enlisted force is women, including eight percent of all senior and master chiefs.

Nineteen percent of the officer force and 10 percent of all admirals are comprised of women.

In the Navy's civilian workforce, 27 percent are women and 26 percent are Senior Executive Service members.

According to the September 2016 "One Navy Team" memo from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson, actively being inclusive and open to diverse perspectives will produce leaders and teams who learn and adapt to achieve maximum possible performance, who achieve and maintain high standards, and are ready for decisive operations and combat.

Diversity also influences various thoughts, ideas, skill sets and experiences which ultimately helps increase the effectiveness of the Navy. Integrating Sailors and civilians from diverse backgrounds enables the Navy to recruit and retain the nation's top talent from a wide pool of skilled personnel.

"Women's History Month is a time to reflect on and express gratitude to the trailblazers who demonstrated unparalleled courage, tenacity and vision"

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2018

Command Changes December 2017

Rear Adm. Cedric Pringle.......................................Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3 Capt. Thomas E. Shultz........................................................................................USS Green Bay Capt. John C. Howard..................................................................................................USS Wasp Capt Dennis Farrell..........................................................................................USS San Jacinto Capt. Brad L. Arthur.........................................................Commander, Amphibious Squadron 5 Cmdr. Nathan Fugate............................................................Commander, Assault Craft Unit 1 Cmdr. Tom McLendon............................................................Tactical Air Control Squadron 11 Cmdr. Jimmie J. Jensen III..................................................................................USS Germantown Cmdr. Micah Murphy....................................................................................USS John S. McCain Cmdr. Edward P. Bertucci............................................................................USS Paul Hamilton Lt. Cmdr. Catherine A. B. Reppert.......................................MCM Crew Bulwark/USS Ardent Lt. Cmdr. Eric J. Blomberg..........................................................................................USS Scout

January 2018

Vice Admiral Richard A. Brown.............Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Capt. Eric Anderson..............................................................Commander, Naval Beach Group 2 Capt. Paul Campagna................................................................................USNS Lewis B. Puller Capt. Tony Roach.........................................................................................USS John P. Murtha Cmdr. Benjamin W. Oakes......................................................................................USS Pinckney Cmdr. Phillip Knight.............................................................................................USS Oak Hill

February 2018

Capt. Kyle J. Colton...........................................................Commander, Destroyer Squadron 9 Capt. Kenneth A. Strong................................................................................USS New Orleans Cmdr. Jamie Hopkins...................................................................................USS Wayne E. Meyer Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin C. Pearlswig............................................................................USS Warrior

41