COMBAT READINESS
PERSONNEL READINESS
MATERIAL READINESS
Sharing stories and news from Sailors across the U.S. Navy’s Surface Forces
Editorial by:
Vice Adm. Tom Rowden Commander, Naval Surface Force
Summer has flown by, and we are now safely into fall. This issue of Surface Warfare Magazine will be the last one you see until 2016, so I hope you will read every word. It will have to hold you over through the end of the year. That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are plenty of exciting things to talk about. I know I say it a lot, but it really is a great time to be a SWO! With the official establishment of the Navy’s Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), we have seen the Warfighting Tactics Instructors (WTI) concept catch on with our Surface Warriors, and there is already a line to get into the program. The WTI patches that are presented to the graduates are showing up on coveralls and are getting a lot of attention. BZ to RDML Jim Kilby and his staff for their hard work getting stood up and for spreading the SMWDC story to the fleet. As if that wasn’t an exciting enough development for SWOs, in July the lead SWO detailer, Capt. Brad Cooper, rolled out a new plan to retain top talent in our community. The SWO Career Chart is the first of its kind and offers junior officers the opportunity to apply for graduate education at America’s elite institutions, work at a Fortune 500 company, and develop skills valuable to the Surface community, among other options. This program is all about 22 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
empowering junior officers, providing them flexibility and more possibilities in addition to the great options we already offer, like the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). In early September, I visited NPS and spoke to the students, faculty, and staff there. It was during this visit that we announced the establishment of a Surface Warfare Chair. This is a first for NPS and yet another first for the Surface Force. Capt. Chuck Good, who recently completed his CO tour in USS Princeton (CG 59), is assigned to NPS as the inaugural SWO Chair. As part of his assignment, he is a mentor, supporting both the personal and professional development of students. Capt. Good and future chairs will also be a conduit between the fleet and the school, traveling regularly to commands and bringing back the latest initiatives, needs, and requirements of an ever-evolving force. I recently hosted a commander’s training symposium in Coronado to complement the one Commander, Naval Surface Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet conducted in June. These are great opportunities to bring leadership together to meet and get updated on issues important to the surface community. For the Pacific leaders, among the updates, there were discussions on maintenance, Distributed Lethality, and a brief by VADM Tyson, the new Third Fleet commander. Additionally, we had the opportunity to hear Capt. Paul Rinn, USN (Ret), former commanding officer of USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58), recount his ship’s mine hit in the Arabian Gulf and the importance of training and leadership when responding to an emergency. By the time you read the next issue, we will be gearing up for January’s SNA Symposium. At last year’s symposium I rolled out what Distributed Lethality is and how it affects the employment of our Surface Fleet. Since then, many smart and motivated people have applied their talents and insights to push the concept forward. The members of the Distributed Lethality Task Force on both coasts, in academia, and from my staff have been working hard, and I am excited to show the impressive strides that have been made. Also before the January addition, we’ll get a chance to celebrate some of our favorite holidays – the Navy’s birthday, the Marine Corps’ birthday, and Veterans’ Day! I wish you happy holidays and will see you in 2016.
FEATURES Command Changes . . . . . . . . . 4 New SWO Retention Initiative. . . . . 6 New Name, Same Mission . . . . . . 8 Smoke on the Water. . . . . . . . . 10 Adept at Offense . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Steel-Crafted Honor. . . . . . . . . 12 Defending in Disputed Spaces. . . 13 Ready to Serve. . . . . . . . . . . . 14 LCS 6 Delivered . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Reinforced Partnerships. . . . . . . 16 Fast Paced and In Depth. . . . . . 18 Through the Looking G.L.A.S.S. . . . 20 Hands-On SWO Experience. . . . . 22 We Want You! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Surface Line Week. . . . . . . . . . 26 PMS Service Requests . . . . . . . . 28 Why is there INSURV? . . . . . . . . . 30 Worth the Wait. . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Reaching New Heights . . . . . . . . 36 Legacy with Longevity . . . . . . . . 37 The End of an Era . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Capt. Hancock Leadership Award. 40 SURFLANT Leadership Change . . . 42
SURFACE WARFARE MAGAZINE STAFF Commander, Naval Surface Force Vice Adm. Tom Rowden Public Affairs Officer Cmdr. Tamsen A. Reese Editorial Advisor Lt. Rebecca Haggard Editor, Layout and Design MC1 Trevor Welsh Layout and Design MC2 Zachary D. Bell MC2 Phillip M. Ladouceur Nicholas A. Groesch
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. Contributions and Feedback Welcome Send articles, photographs (min. 300 dpi electronic) and feedback to: Managing Editor, Surface Warfare Magazine Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Office N01P 2841 Rendova Road, San Diego, CA 92155 Email: surface_warfare_maga@navy.mil Phone: (619) 437-3873 Authorization Surface Warfare Magazine 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. Surface Warfare (USPS 104-170) (ISSN 0145-1073) is published by the Department of the Navy, Director, Surface Warfare (OPNAV N861M), 2000 Navy Pentagon, Room 5B453 Washington, D.C. 20350. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices.
Cover: USS New York (LPD 21), foreground, USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), right, and USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10), prepare to conduct a replenishment-at-sea while underway in the Red Sea. Photo by MC3 Jonathan B. Trejo. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 3
COMMAND CHANGES Naval Surface Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet Rear Adm. Chris W. Grady July
Amphibious Construction Battalion 1 Capt. Greg Vinci August
Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific Rear Adm. John V. Fuller June
Mine Countermeasures Ship Squadron 3 Capt. Keith A. Knutsen June
Amphibious Squadron 11 Capt. Ed Thompson May
USS Boxer (LHD 4) Capt. Michael Ruth June
Destroyer Squadron 1 Capt. Joseph M. Keenan June
USS New Orleans (LPD 18) Capt. Glenn R. Jamison August
Destroyer Squadron 7 Capt. H.B. Le August
USS San Diego (LPD 22) Capt. Carl W. Meuser July
US
Destroyer Squadron 15 Capt. Christopher J. Sweeney August
USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) Capt. Juan Orozco May
US Cm
Destroyer Squadron 31 Capt. Charles Johnson August
USS Princeton (CG 59) Capt. Christopher Alexander July
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U Capt.
U C
Pa C
C
USS Cm
USS Barry (DDG 52) Cmdr. Zoah Scheneman August
USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) Cmdr. Todd C. Zenner June
USS Tornado (PC 14) Capt. Dale W. Maxey August
USS Laboon (DDG 58) Cmdr. Gary M. Chase July
USS Truxton (DDG 103) Cmdr. Joseph A. Baggett August
atrol Craft Squadron 1 Cmdr. Jake B. Douglas July
USS Gonzales (DDG 68) Cmdr. Stefan Walch July
Tactical Air Control Squadron 11 Cmdr. Daniel J. August June
USS Decatur (DDG 73) Cmdr. Garrett Miller May
USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) Cmdr. Walter C. Mainor June
SS Comstock (LSD 45) Cmdr. Gervy J. Alota July
USS Mason (DDG 87) Cmdr. Christopher J. Gilbertson August
Littoral Combat Ship Crew 102 Cmdr. Christopher A. Brown July
SS Carter Hall (LSD 50) mdr. Christina Dalmau August
USS Mustin (DDG 89) Cmdr. Thane C. Clare August
USS Patriot (MCM 7) Lt. Cmdr. Emily Y. Royse May
USS Halsey (DDG 97) Cmdr. Kenneth Athans August
Mine Countermeasures Crew Bulwark Lt. Cmdr. Jermaine Brooms June
USS Monterey (CG 61) . Christopher P. Degregory August
Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) mdr. Thomas E. Myers June
USS Dewey (DDG 105) Cmdr. Abigail Hutchins August
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 5
FEATURE Multi-Track, Option-Based, Agile Approach to Career Management Surface Warfare Launches New Initiative to Retain Top Talent Story by:
MC1 Trevor Welsh
Naval Surface Force , U..S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
Imagine
a community where officers are rewarded, generously, for their superior performance. A community that empowers and encourages its top performers to go above and beyond to attain their maximum potential. Where each and every person is given option after option tailored to their abilitties and skillsets in an effort to allow them to be the best surface warfare officer (SWO) they can be... The SWO lead detailer delivered a brief unveiling the new SWO Career Chart during the 2015 Surface Navy Association (SNA) West Coast Symposium in San Diego, July 16. Capt. Brad Cooper, from Surface Officer
Photo by MC3 Nathan Wilkes
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Distribution Division (PERS-41), spoke about Vice Adm. Tom Rowden’s, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet initiative to improve the careers of current and future surface warfare officers and continuing the Navy’s focus on warfighting first. The goal of the new SWO Career Chart is to raise the level of talent in the SWO community and grow future department heads, commanding officers, warfare commanders, and flag officers who can think, lead, operate, and win in a variety of future environments. Cooper told the group that the program is about empowering junior officers, providing them flexibility and options. “We are shifting away from a ‘conveyor belt’ approach and toward a multi-track, option-based, agile approach to career management,” said Cooper. “Surface warfare officers will now have the option to pursue different tracks as part of their career chart. These options connect strongly with and enable our top priority of ‘Warfighting First!’” Cooper said this program is the first of its kind and offers SWO junior officers career options that give them the opportunity to develop skills valuable to the community, apply for education at America’s elite institutions, work at a Fortune 500 Company to gain valuable corporate experience and knowledge, increase the potential retention bonus and take career intermission to pursue goals, among others. “Among the new options are going to Naval Postgraduate School after the first division officer tour, earning a master’s degree in a skillset we value then returning to sea for a second division officer tour then to department head school,” said Cooper. “We want to offer an option-based, flexible, agile, career underscored by opportunities emerging from Sailor 2025 initiatives, a restructured bonus proposal that rewards performance and pro-active outreach to retain talent.”
Photo by Lt. James Arterberry
Cooper said that junior officers and their families potential,” said Cooper. have different tracks on the SWO career chart The new initiative had been previously briefed to available to them. more than 60 flag officers on July 15 during the Surface “This effort builds on current policies that Warfare Officer Flag Officers Training Symposium have served us well,” said Cooper. “Under our (SWOFOTS) in San Diego. new approach, commanding officers and junior Along with the unveiling of this program to surface officers are more empowered to influence the warfare leadership at SNA West 2015 and SWOFOTS, future and leverage Cooper and his team has new opportunities in a global face-to-face tour “We’ll put a rocket on the backs of graduate education, planned to educate the our best performers and propel those personal growth and warfare community. officers to new heights as those officers surface career flexibility.” “In the coming weeks, achieve their absolute maximum Cooper said the we will travel to every fleet potential.” initiative was not concentration area and Capt. Brad Cooper developed due to Washington, D.C. to brief this Surface Officer Distribution Division (PERS-41) retention or accession plan,” said Cooper. “The plan issues, but is a new will also be briefed at the approach that focuses more on retaining the most U.S. Naval Academy and to every ROTC [Navy Reserve talented vice the most willing. Officer Training Corps] unit in America starting this fall. “We’ll put a rocket on the backs of our best We will also pursue opportunities to virtually connect performers and propel those officers to new heights with SWOs serving throughout the country in other as those officers achieve their absolute maximum locations and assignments. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 7
COMBAT READINESS
T he M ission R emains T he S ame
NAMDC Becomes SMWDC Detachment Dahlgren Story by:
Barbara Wagner SMWDC Detachment Dahlgren, Public Affairs
Change Reflects Collective Training and Missions for SWO Community...
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The Navy Air and Missile Defense Command (NAMDC), the U.S. Navy’s lead organization for Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) matters, was part of a tactical disestablishment and consolidation June 30 to better serve the warfighting needs of the surface Navy. NAMDC is now the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center Detachment Dahlgren (SMWDCDD), reporting to the newly-established Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) in San Diego, California. The change is credited to a training need recognized in 2010 by the commander of U.S. Naval Surface Forces Pacific (CNSP), for a single surface warfare cross-fleet organization responsible for theater through tactical level warfare mission areas. “We are beginning a concerted upgrade in our tactical standards and expertise with the establishment of the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center; we’ve needed this command for a long time,” said Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “What a great day this is for our surface Navy; I am committed to SMWDC’s success as an essential means of improving our combat readiness”. This summer, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) activated four Warfighting Development Centers to enhance fleet tactical readiness: Expeditionary Warfighting Development Center (EXWDC) in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) in Fallon, Nevada, the Undersea Warfighting Development in Groton, Connecticut, and SWMDC in San Diego -- with detachments in Dahlgren and Little Creek, Virginia. “This has been a long time coming for our community,” said Rear Adm. Jim Kilby, commander of SMWDC. “We’re aligning the surface warfare community through synchronized tactics, doctrine, and training in air warfare, amphibious warfare, ballistic missile defense, mine warfare, surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. I believe this effort will keep our focus on warfighting first.” Under the new merger, all NAMDC missions, functions, tasks, and personnel billets are transferred to SMWDC with no change to operations. The goal of this consolidation is to mitigate warfare gaps, support the operational commanders and ensure tactical excellence by design. With the unification underway, SMWDCDD welcomed
U. S. Navy Capt. Jim Jones, detachment director (officer in charge), who returned to Dahlgren after tours aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG-67) and at the Pentagon. Jones was previously a part of the establishment of NAMDC in 2009, where he served as the command’s assistant chief of staff for operations and mission support. “The standup of SMWDC really marks a new focus on improving tactical proficiency within the surface warfare community,” said Jones. “A key part is going to be the Warfare Tactics Instructor (WTI) program, mostly due to the synergy of having all these centers of excellence on the base. We’re going to be able to build true IAMD warfighting professionals and [subject matter] experts. I’m excited about the challenges ahead.” Jones noted that the new emphasis on tactical proficiency will be especially important for the surface warfare community’s future leaders. “Another great change is seeing how we’re focusing on our junior officers and junior personnel,” he said. “I think it’s going to help build our pride and professionalism. It was good [before], but now it’s going to be even better.” As a NAMDC plank owner, Jones is confident in the ability of SMWDCDD to carry out its new and vital mission. “I was gratified to see that many of the folks I worked with previously are still here,” he said. “They are recognized experts and really bring a lot to the team. I’ve also been impressed with the new personnel; they bring in new ideas and experiences. I am fortunate to work with this great team again.” SMWDC is the single command responsible for the synchronized-tactical training of the surface warfare community in six mission areas: Amphibious Warfare (AMW), Air Warfare (AW), Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), Mine Warfare (MIW), Missions of State (MOS), and Surface Warfare (SUW)/ Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). Supported by SURFOR, SWMDC will increase the tactical proficiency of the surface warfare community across all mission areas at the individual, unit, integrated and joint levels. “It’s great for surface warfighters,” said Jones. “The maritime threat is evolving and we are evolving our training and readiness to be ready for that threat, today and tomorrow -- where it matters, when it matters.”
U.S. Navy Photo
In case you missed it:
What is SMWDC? Modeled after NAWDC, more popularly known as ‘Top Gun’, SMWDC has four tactical focus areas: the development of WTIs -- highlytrained junior surface warfare officers serving as subject matter experts in AMW, IAMD, MIW and SUW/ASW; the creation and validation of warfare doctrine that is timed to meet the needs of the fleet; the creation of a Surface Warfare Combat Training Continuum (SWCTC), and finally, the implementation of a new underway training exercise called the Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT), which will meet the readiness needs of individual ships post basic phase, and just before their integrated Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) prior to deployment. SMWDC headquarters was formally established June 2015 at Naval Base San Diego and is responsible for increasing the tactical proficiency of individual surface warfare communities through the creation of warfare doctrine, underway assessment exercises and Warfare Tactics Instructors. NAMDC transitioned to SMWDC Detachment Dahlgren under the Office of the Chief of Naval Operation’s Notice (OPNAV) 5400.
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 9
Smoke on the Water From:
LCS Program Executive Office Naval Sea Systems Command
Engineering development tests of modified Longbow Hellfire missiles for use on littoral combat ships (LCS) were successfully conducted in June, the Navy reported July 30. Integration of the Longbow Hellfire missile system, designated the Surface-to-Surface Missile Module (SSMM), will increase the lethality of the Navy’s fleet of littoral combat ships. The SSMM is expected to be fully integrated and ready to deploy on LCS missions in late 2017. “This test was very successful and overall represents a big step forward in SSMM development for LCS,” said Capt. Casey Moton, LCS Mission Modules program manager. Termed Guided Test Vehicle-1, the event was designed to specifically test the Longbow Hellfire launcher, the missile, and its seeker versus high speed maneuvering surface targets (HSMSTs). The HSMSTs served as surrogates for fast inshore attack craft that are a potential threat to Navy ships worldwide. During the mid-June tests off the coast of Virginia, the modified Longbow Hellfire missiles successfully destroyed a series of maneuvering small boat targets. The system “hit” seven of eight targets engaged, with the lone miss attributed to a target issue not related to the missile’s capability. The shots were launched from the Navy’s research vessel Relentless. The test scenarios included hitting targets at both maximum and minimum missile ranges. After a stationary target was engaged, subsequent targets, 1100 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Surface-to-surface missile test tor LCS successful
conducting serpentine maneuvers were engaged. The tests culminated in a three-target raid scenario. During this scenario all missiles from a three-shot ripple fire response struck their individual targets. Integration of the fire-and-forget Longbow Hellfire missile on LCS represents the next evolution in capability being developed for inclusion in the Increment 3 version of the surface warfare mission package for LCS. When fully integrated and tested, each 24-shot missile module will bring added firepower to complement the LCS’s existing 57mm gun, SEARAM missiles and armed MH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter. LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, with three types of mission packages including surface warfare, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine warfare. The Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS) is responsible for delivering and sustaining littoral mission capabilities to the fleet. Delivering high-quality warfighting assets while balancing affordability and capability is key to supporting the nation’s maritime strategy.
Photo by MC2 Zachary D. Bell
Adept at Offense Five PC ships conduct test and proficiency fire with GMS
Photo by MC1 Joshua Bryce Bruns
From:
NAVCENT Public Affairs U.S. Naval Forces Central Command
Five coastal patrol ships (PC) that have been outfitted with the Griffin Missile System (GMS) conducted a test and proficiency fire June 26-28. The patrol coastal ship USS Monsoon (PC 4) conducted the test fire while USS Typhoon (PC 5), USS Firebolt (PC 10), USS Sirocco (PC 6) and USS Whirlwind (PC 11) conducted a proficiency fire. “The test and proficiency firing event is a great event for us,” said Cmdr. Tom Shultz, commander, Patrol Coastal Squadron 1. “First, it requires planning coordination across task forces and various echelons throughout the Navy. Then it requires extensive system preparation and training to ensure our ships and Sailors are fully ready for the event. In the end, it makes us all more proficient at utilizing this system, making us prepared to go out on patrol and execute our assigned 5th Fleet missions.” Guided missiles like the GMS enhance the engagement capability of the PCs and will be integrated with existing crew-served weapons allowing the PCs to
enhance their capability to defend themselves against small boat threats. “The crews have done an outstanding job of implementing what is a somewhat new weapons system,” said Shultz. “In-depth schoolhouse training before arrival to a PC and then continuous training once aboard is required to maintain proficiency for Sailors qualified to operate GMS. It’s a very capable and unique system, so it’s definitely worth it to put in the effort.” Adapted from aviation and special operations platforms, the GMS consists of a government-designed launcher and weapons control system, BRITE Star II forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensor/laser designator, and Griffin B (Block II) missile. “GMS gives the PCs a surface-to-surface missile capability ,that is able to defeat small boat threats, which may be beyond the effective range of the ship’s gun systems, giving the PCs additional defense in-depth capability when coupled with their two Mk 38 25mm chain guns and crew served weapons,” said Shultz. “GMS is integrated with the BRITE Star optical sight which is used for identification, tracking and targeting.” The remaining five PCs in Bahrain are scheduled to receive the GMS by October 2015. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 11
Legacy of
Honor
Crafted in
Steel
Future USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) Begins Fabrication From:
Team Ships Public Affairs Naval Sea Systems Command
A ceremony at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard celebrated the start of fabrication of the future guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), July 21 in Pascagoula, Missisippi. The future USS Delbert D. Black honors the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON). Black, a 30-year veteran, rose from the ranks of master chief gunner to senior advisor of the Navy; the title later changed to MCPON. The MCPON is an advocate and voice of all Sailors and their families, serving as the senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations. “I am excited to see DDG 119 production starting off strong,” said Capt. Mark Vandroff, DDG 51 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “This ship will not only honor a great Navy leader, it will serve as a testament to all our current and future senior enlisted leaders of the value the Navy places on their service. My team was greatly honored to have Mrs. Black present at the start of fabrication and looks forward to her enthusiasm during the ship’s construction.” 1122 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
A Human Connection “Today was very emotional for me,” said Ima, Black’s widow and the ship’s sponsor. “I know the men and women who serve on this ship will be proud to have the name Delbert D. Black on their uniform.”
This ship will be equipped with the Navy’s Aegis combat system, the world’s foremost integrated naval weapon system. This system delivers quick reaction time, high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures capability for anti-air warfare. The ship is part of the Navy’s latest flight of destroyers, Flight IIA, which enables power projection, forward presence, and escort operations at sea in support of low intensity conflict/coastal and littoral offshore warfare as well as open ocean conflict. Delbert D. Black is the third ship in the FY2013-FY2017 multiyear procurement contract to start fabrication. The future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) has already begun fabrication at HII. Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) is currently in production at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and special warfare craft. Delivering high-quality war fighting assets while balancing affordability and capability - is key to supporting the Navy’s Maritime Strategy.
Defending in Disputed Spaces Naval War College forum examines security issues in contested environment Story by:
Daniel L. Kuester
U.S. Naval War College Public Affairs
The U.S. Naval War College (NWC) hosted its 66th annual Current Strategy Forum (CSF), June 16-17, bringing together national security experts from military, academia, government and private industry. As the annual capstone event this year’s theme examined maritime security issues in a contested environment. “The Current Strategy Forum is all about the students,” said Michael J. Sherlock, director of the forum. “We want to bring in perspectives they haven’t heard before. We have to present to the students the idea that because of changing world situations, they will be required to find new solutions. We are not going to be able to do things the same way anymore.” The forum featured an address by Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michelle J. Howard,
“” ...with the rise of other powers around the world, we have a contested environment again.
Michael J. Sherlock Current Strategy Forum Director
who spoke on “All Domain Access and Future Challenges.” The topic was chosen due to the changing global environment that graduating students will soon face, in particular, cyber threats. “We have to be able to fight in this domain,” said Howard. “This domain has criminals in it. This domain has hackers in it. This domain has honest businessmen in it. This domain has family in it. This is like an urban fight. And there will be a lot of collateral damage if we choose to fight in it.” Complicating the cyber domain is the ability to identify the enemy, she said. “This environment is not only contested,” said Howard, “We have the challenge of getting to attribution, making it hard for us to counterattack.
Photo by John P. Stone
Who is doing this to us?” Changing world conditions have forced defense and security strategies to evolve and change, and students attending this year’s forum were provided with fresh perspectives. “During the Cold War, we had a contested environment,” said Sherlock. “Then we had a few years where we, the United States, had a primacy and were uncontested. Now, with the rise of other powers around the world, we have a contested environment again.” That return to a contested environment is shaping international affairs, something that current and future military leaders will operate in and need to be prepared for. To help students prepare and gain a broader understanding of these challenges, the college brings in a variety of speakers from different backgrounds. “We value practitioners, and we also value those that have studied the subject matter and have had significant scholarship on these topics,” said Sherlock. Other keynote speakers included Andrew F. Krepinevich of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Lt. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck Jr., of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Peter W. Singer of the New America Foundation, and Henry M. Paulson of The Paulson Institute. The forum also featured three panel discussions, which focused on contested arenas, challenges and trends, and national, military and maritime strategy. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 13
Trained, Versatile and
Ready to
Serve LCS Crew 106 Commissioned for Duty
Photo by MC2 Zachary Bell
Story by:
MC1 Trevor Welsh Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
The littoral combat ship (LCS) rotational crew commissioning ceremony for Crew 106 was held at Mariner’s Park aboard Naval Base San Diego, July 2. The ceremony for the “Makos” of Crew 106 opened with the announcement of the newly commissioned crew and its plans for the future as part of the Navy’s littoral combat ship program. “It’s a real honor; the crew has worked extremely hard to get us here,” said Cmdr. Michael R. Wohnhaas, the commanding officer of Crew 106. “I’m very proud of the recognition we get to show the crew today, and I’m looking forward to many years of proud naval service by LCS Crew 106” In the weeks and months leading up to the ceremony, LCS Crew 106 Sailors spent long days becoming qualified through training and various professional schools in order to prepare for their 1144 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
duties as a rotational LCS crew. “We are more than prepared as a crew,” said Fire Controlman 1st Class Shawn Lloyd. “There is a lot of experience within this team and a lot of man hours have gone into training and sharpening our skills in order to get the mission done right and well.” In addition, several Sailors received awards and recognition during the ceremony for their performance throughout the establishment process. The versatile LCS variants are designed with a minimal manning concept in mind. A core crew consists of about 50 highly qualified, screened, and selected Sailors who operate the systems, stand watch and conduct maintenance, all in support of the ship’s mission. With half of the LCS ships deployed at all times, the LCS 3:2:1 (3 rotational crews: 2 rotational ships: 1 ship deployed) rotational crewing concept provides twice the forward presence of other surface combatants.
Navy Accepts Delivery of LCS 6
Photo Illustration by Jay M. Chu
From:
NSSC Corporate Communication
Naval Sea Systems Command
The Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Jackson (LCS 6) during a ceremony at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, Aug. 11. Jackson is the fifth littoral combat ship (LCS) to be delivered to the Navy, the third of the Independence variant to join the fleet. Capt. Warren R. Buller, II, commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 was on hand to mark the occasion. “We are pleased to receive the future USS Jackson,” Buller said. “Jackson will operate out of Mayport, Florida, while conducting full ship shock trials, prior to joining her sister littoral combat ships in their homeport of San Diego in late 2016.” Delivery marks the official transfer of LCS 6 from the shipbuilder, to the Navy. It is the final milestone prior to commissioning, which is planned for December 2015 in Gulfport, Mississippi.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the life of the future USS Jackson, an exceptional ship which will conduct anti-submarine, surface and mine countermeasure operations around the globe with ever increasing mission package capability” said LCS program manager Capt. Tom Anderson. “It also marks a significant milestone for the LCS program, as the first of 20 LCS block buy ships delivers to the Navy. It is exciting to see these capable, yet affordable, ships transitioning from serial production to serial delivery.” Following commissioning and shock trials, Jackson will be homeported in San Diego with her sister ships USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), and USS Coronado (LCS 4). The LCS is designed to defeat threats in coastal waters where increasingly capable submarines, mines, and swarming small craft operate. To deliver capabilities against these threats, the Navy introduced LCS with innovative concepts, such as modular mission packages, to quickly respond to an evolving threat. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 15
Reinforced Partnership CJLOTS Successfully Completed by U.S., Republic of Korea From:
ESG 3 Public Affairs Expeditionary Strike Group 3
U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) forces successfully inserted a temporary 560 meter (1,840 feet) Trident Pier, established two temporary pipelines, and carried out numerous cargo transfers from sea-to-shore on the west coast of the ROK during the Combined/Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (CJLOTS) 2015 exercise. Approximately 1,700 personnel worked together to defeat the challenges of significant tidal fluctuations and changes in water levels, of up to eight vertical meters (29 feet), to safely accomplish the first successful connection of the floating pier on Korea’s west coast. “Working in this environment, with the tidal surge over the mud flats, was extremely challenging, but I’m happy to report we succeeded. We did it,” said U.S. Rear Adm. Daniel Fillion, Expeditionary Strike Group Three and joint task force commander. “And the men and women of the ROK military and the U.S. forces working as an alliance is the reason we succeeded.” To combat the less-than-desirable weather conditions, an around-the-clock team of U.S. and ROK meteorologists and oceanographers (METOC) worked through data and weather model analysis to inform the decisions of commanders and harbor 1166 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
masters, directing the complex flow of amphibious cargo movements. The use of different models made it important to collaborate in order to achieve consensus on predictions about the sea and sky conditions. Sea states, ocean currents, changing beach shape, wind speeds and visibility all factored into U.S.ROK decision-making about the safe and efficient movement of cargo from the sea to the shore. “I considered every phase of the exercise for safety,” said ROK Senior Chief Petty Officer Lee Soonhwa, the ROK navy’s lead weather instructor for its Education Command. “I had to think about the operations to advise go, or no-go, decisions.” With conditions being monitored closely, the pier was pieced together miles off shore. The exercise participants constructed and then guided the pier over shallow tidal flats into a pre-cleared channel on the beach enabling the transfer solid and liquid cargo from sea to the shore, improving logistics transfers, and allowing for communications and cooperation for the first time. “This [CJLOTS] exercise conducted by the ROK and U.S. forces is significant in the sense that it was the first successfully conducted exercise in the West Sea overcoming operational difficulties and limitations,”
Did You Know? Combined/Joint (CJ) refers to multi-national and joint-services cooperation. Logistics Overthe-Shore (LOTS) are military operations including offshore loading and unloading of ships when a fixed port facility is not available because of enemy activities or natural disasters.
Photo by Lt. Russell Wolfkiel
said Republic of Korea Navy Rear Adm. Park Kikyung, Flotilla 5 commander. A floating platform called the roll-on-roll-off discharge facility was also assembled offshore and, upon completion, towed four miles to moor astern USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (T-AK 3008). Once moored to Bobo, the platform served as a staging area for the cargo to be transferred to the Trident Pier by other sea craft. The U.S. and ROK each deployed offshore petroleum discharge systems (OPDS) opening up the capability for liquid cargo transfer. “This expeditionary capability can be used worldwide for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations, contingencies or crisis response,” said Navy Cmdr. Erik Palin, Naval Liaison Officer for Military Sealift Command Korea. “This success validates the capability for a rapid supply of water or petroleum from sea to shore in times of need.” The U.S. temporary pipeline connected to USNS Vice Adm. K.R. Wheeler (T-AG 5001) ran 3.2 kilometer (2 miles), was capable of delivering 1.7 gallons of product and supplied potable water for the exercise participants. “Typically, diesel, JP8, JP5 are the products we deliver,” said Rick Bower, Senior Mission Specialist of
OPDS. “It’s whatever the customers use or require. As soon as the pipeline reached the shore, we hooked up the pipe to the Beach Termination Unit, which will interface with the Army Inland Petroleum Distribution System to allow the product to be pumped to the warfighter.” The entire exercise included approximately 800 ROK personnel from the First Marine Corps Amphibious Landing Support Battalion, the Port Operating Unit of the Transportation Command, and the Logistics Command of the ROK Army led by the ROK Navy Flotilla 5 and roughly 900 U.S. personnel from Expeditionary Strike Group Three, the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), the Military Sealift Command and the 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Support Battalion who all joined forces to make CJLOTS ’15 a success. “The milestones reached from this year’s CJLOTS exercise were the result of extensive planning and cooperation between a number of U.S. and ROK teams,” said Fillion. “I could not be more proud of the way that our allied team worked as a coordinated unit to solve the problems we faced here at Anmeyeon Beach. Working together, we have established relationships that will endure well beyond the end of this exercise.” http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 17
PERSONNEL READINESS
and Story by:
Ensign Joey Seymour
Navy Public Affairs Support Element West
Sixty Navy Reserve officers took part in the second annual Surface Warfare Refresher Training (SWRT) from July 24 to 26. Combined, the fastpaced and in-depth training visited five ships, an active littoral combat ship (LCS) training facility, an aviation familiarization, the working site of Coastal Riverine Squadron 1 and lectures from high-profile presenters. The purpose of the annual training is to provide reserve officers with a diverse and detailed overview of the future of surface warfare through hands-on experiences, unique site visits, and informative presentations. The weekend kicked off on July 24 with an address from Rear Adm. Christopher J. Paul, deputy commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, on the future of the surface force. Afterward, the group paid a visit to the LCS Training facility at Naval Base San Diego, where the reserve officers witnessed several demonstrations and training operations.
In Depth
Reserve Officers Tackle SWO Refresher Training A visit to USNS Lewis B. Puller (MLP 3) was next on the agenda. An extensive tour demonstrated how the ship will serve as an afloat forward staging base (AFSB) to support special operations missions, counter piracy/ smuggling operations, maritime security operations, and mine clearance, as well as humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions. “We have a wide range of officers attending this training, all providing support to so many different units,” said Cmdr. Glen A. Viado, commander, Naval Surface Fleet Readiness Headquarters. “By making these site visits, I think our officers will be able to take back something that they can pass on to their Sailors about what’s going on in the surface warfare world.” Day one concluded with a presentation given by
Photo by MC2 Nolan Kahn
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Photo by MC2 Nolan Kahn
Rear Adm. James W. Kilby, commander, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center. On July 25, the Reserve officers visited the flight line at Naval Air Station North Island to board and learn about four aircraft, including an SH-60 Sea Hawk, P-8 Poseidon, E-2C Hawkeye, and MQ-8 Fire Scout. The tour also included a utility boat ride to Naval Base San Diego, where the officers visited USS Somerset (LDP 25), USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), and USS Sampson (DDG 102). Rear Adm. Kelvin N. Dixon, deputy commander, Navy Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, discussed the future needs of Reserve surface warfare officers and where opportunities are and will be. “It’s a bright future for Reserve officers,”
Viado added. “This weekend they were able to see all the assets available to them...During this training they heard and saw firsthand how they could make an immediate impact with LCS, ballistic missile defense, and direct energy.” July 26 concluded the training with presentations on LCS capabilities and Coastal Riverine Squadron 1, as well as a site visit to USS Freedom (LCS 1) in the dry dock at Naval Base San Diego. The site visit included a weapons demonstration and look into the communication tools used by the Coastal Riverine Squadron. “Giving 60 Reservist the opportunity to see, hear about and put their hands on different platforms is a success,” Viado said. The next surface warfare refresher training is tentatively scheduled to take place next summer at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida.
Photo by MC2 Nolan Kahn
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 19
Through the Looking G.L.A.S.S. East-Coast Cruiser Sailors form Assocation Chapter to Support Shipmates Story by:
MC3 Justin R. DiNiro
USS Normandy Public Affairs
Sailors aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) formed a chapter of the Gay, Lesbian and Supportive Sailors (GLASS) association to encourage service members to rededicate themselves to equality, dignity and respect for one another, June 21. GLASS focuses on promoting a workplace free of prejudice, bigotry, harassment and violence through each Sailor’s advocacy, education and outreach. The meetings offer many subjects for discussion in a safe space for free expression. GLASS also promotes visibility of LGB issues, referrals, and academic and leadership opportunities. “I am glad to say that since the talk of starting up the program we have received phenomenal
support from up and down the ranks,” said Electronics Technician 2nd Class Tiffany Taylor. “We have been graced with Sailors who are going to great lengths to make sure this program opens up to its full potential, because there is so much positivity that comes from community groups like this.” Programs such as GLASS encourage Sailors to feel comfortable with their sexual orientation allowing an environment free of judgment, with a common goal to unify everyone throughout the service to see one another as a shipmate. “It is a great opportunity for equality throughout the Navy and ultimately the military as a whole,” said
Photo by MC2 Sean P. Lenahan
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Yeoman 2nd Class Tom Mayberry. “I think the way people ostracize others for their sexual preferences is a shallow mindset that negatively impacts the mission. We need to get past seeing people for their choices and look at them as they are, shipmates, peers, and friends.” The meetings course with positive ideas from the few people who run the program. Each individual contributed a way for the association to improve morale, supporting various goals to educate the Sailors aboard and raise awareness throughout the ship. A large bulletin board was hung in the passageway in front of the galley about the timeline of adversity the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has faced to begin the awareness for this month. “The official launch of the association is Friday; I can’t say enough how excited each and every person is,” said Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Patrick Felan. “From the captain, all the way down to our newest Sailors, we have received so much support throughout the ship to make this association successful.” The committees of GLASS have successfully held two meetings and a wealth of information was passed around. Sailors spoke passionately about sponsor ideas to host game nights similar to Morale, Welfare and Recreation, giving away gift baskets and raffles, even long term goals to volunteer their time with youth groups for the ship’s return to homeport. “People are going to want to be a part of this group,” said Felan. “It might be foreign to them now but in a short while people will see how much fun we have. I think it is hard for most people to understand this group is a supportive group for everyone, not a support group for Sailors that are gay or lesbian. Yes there are gay and lesbian Sailors, but the goal is for everyone to look past that and be one in the same uniform.” GLASS members plan to host a heritage ceremony this Friday and sponsor numerous activities and events on the ship throughout the deployment. “Our major purpose behind the group is allowing all of our Sailors to understand one another,” said Taylor. “We want to be able to respect one another’s diversity, and show how far we can go with the support of each other as shipmates.”
Did You Know? GLASS focuses on promoting a workplace free of prejudice, bigotry, harassment and violence through each Sailor’s advocacy, education and outreach.
It’s been three years since the first GLASS chapter was initiated in Great Lakes, Illinois, on Feb. 13, 2012. The program is growing throughout the Navy with GLASS chapters being initiated on various platforms, such as destroyers, littoral combat ships, and aircraft carriers. Sailors are tailoring the association specifically to their home command, raising awareness, supporting one another and learning to accept everyone as a single unified Navy.
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 21
n O s d n l Ha
v a N e c a 9 SExuperrifence m
Story by:
MC2 Melissa D. Redinger
Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Public Affairs
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C
ommander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT) hosted midshipmen as part of the U.S. Naval Academy’s 2015 Professional Training for Midshipmen (PROTRAMID) Surface week. PROTRAMID is an eight-week program during the summer months that provides indepth training to midshipmen on the various communities within the Navy and Marine Corps. “PROTRAMID starts when midshipmen are in their sophomore year of college,” said Lt. Cmdr. Shawn Hansen, SURFLANT engineering damage control training and readiness officer. “Our goal is to help show the midshipmen the various areas of military service and let them see if a particular area is something they would be interested in pursuing as a career.” Participants spend a week learning and training in surface, aviation and submarine warfare areas, and the Marine Corps. “I am who I am from my experiences that I have gained from the waterfront. You choose what you take from the different communities; Marine Corps, submarine, aviation or surface warfare,” said Rear Adm. Pete A. Gumataotao, SURFLANT’s previous commander. “It is your passion and how
vy
you apply it. You are going to find out what each community has to offer and what their strong points are.” PROTRAMID is an important time for midshipmen because it provides increased understanding and first-hand experience in the Navy, and can help them improve leadership skills and choose specific officer career paths. “Specialized cruises are offered to the midshipmen in every warfare community, to include aviation, surface, submarine, special warfare and special operations,” said Hansen. “Marine Corps students attend ‘Bulldog’ prior to their senior year of college. During this time, they are assigned to Marine units for their summer training, either at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, or Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.” The program helps develop the midshipmen mentally, morally and physically, and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, loyalty and Navy core values. The goal is to commission naval officers who possess basic professional backgrounds and are motivated toward careers in the Navy and Marine Corps. “I found PROTRAMID to be helpful in giving me the chance to see the different communities the Navy has to offer,” Alison Keenan, a third-year midshipman, said. “I found the [submarine] community to be the most interesting because at school we are only there for academics. The only training or actual interaction we have with the fleet is during the summer months. So actually getting to go on a sub for the first time and seeing how everything looks and works has helped me out a lot and was an eye opening experience.” The midshipmen summer program has proven to play a vital role in giving the future leaders of the Navy an opportunity to experience the broad range and multiple facets that encompass the Navy’s mission; a mission to maintain, train and equip combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas. Photo by MC2 Justin Yarborough
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 23
We
want
you! SMWDC Boss Calls Hawaii-Based Cruiser SWOs to Action Story and Photo by:
MC2 Johans Chavarro
Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Hawaii
Junior surface warfare officers (SWO) stationed aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) were visited by Rear Adm. James “Jim” Kilby, commander, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC), at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Aug. 10. The new SWO “Top Gun” commander hosted a professional mentorship call to introduce SMWDC and the career opportunities it presents to SWOs after their second division officer tour as a new generation of SWO tactical experts called warfare tactics instructors (WTI). “WTIs are junior SWOs that receive comprehensive education in advanced tactics and training,” said Kilby. “These officers will act as force multipliers for their ships and staffs. They are passionate about tactics, and they’ve shown an affinity throughout their career to become tactical subject matter experts (SME) in specific warfare areas: amphibious warfare (AMW), integrated air and missile defense (IAMD), surface warfare/antisubmarine warfare (SUW/ASW) and mine warfare (MIW).” This summer, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) activated four Warfighting Development Centers to enhance fleet tactical readiness: the Expeditionary Warfighting Development Center 2244 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
(EXWDC) in Virginia Beach, Va., the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) in Fallon, Nev., the Undersea Warfighting Development in Groton, Conn., and SWMDC in San Diego -- with detachments in Dahlgren and Little Creek, Virginia. “We have set up a 19-week WTI schoolhouse for IAMD in Dahlgren along with forthcoming classes next year in SUW/ASW in San Diego and AMW in Little Creek,” said Kilby. “I want to produce tactical thinkers, instructors who can teach the tactics to his wardroom and watch team.” SMWDC’s goal is to produce 110 WTIs per year with one WTI attached to each surface ship and staff (Center for Surface Combat Systems, Afloat Training Groups, etc) to ensure a single training standard for the surface fleet. Junior officers aboard John Paul Jones said having the rear admiral come on board ignited their interest in the WTI program, primarily because the career trajectory allows opportunity for growth, specialization and appreciation. “Do I see myself pursuing the path of a WTI? Right now, where I am in my career, I would say, yes,” said Ensign Elee Wakim, main propulsion officer (MPO) aboard John Paul Jones. “It offers the opportunity for me to specialize, learn and grow in a specific warfare area. It allows me to leave my imprint and really have ownership of something in my career. It’s an exciting opportunity and it’s one I think I’ll pursue.” Lt. j.g. Alexander Roman, anti-submarine warfare officer (ASWO) for John Paul Jones , agreed with Wakim. “Would I sign up to be a WTI? Of course, without a doubt,” said Roman. “This is an exciting time to be a SWO; being a better warfighter is what I signed up to do. WTI is the future of the [surface] Navy. Being able to teach tactics, being able to understand the tactics and being able to tactically employ the weapon systems, and build up the proficiency of the wardroom, wherever you go [as a WTI] in the Navy, is the way that it should be.” Dating back to summer 2014, Kilby and his SMWDC staff have been on a ship-to-ship campaign seeking the most tactically passionate junior SWOs to prospectively become WTIs. His visit to the John
Paul Jones marked his 55th ship visit spanning from San Diego, Virginia, Japan and Hawaii. “When you take time out of your day to go to the ship and address them, that’s a definite, overt signal; it’s a visible, tangible signal that we are serious about this program,” said Kilby. “The JPJ is unique; she’s the test ship for the Missile Defense Agency in the Navy. Those officers are on the tactical cutting edge of our Navy and I definitely want to pull that experience and leverage it as we move forward into this program.” In the end, Kilby said the WTI program is a longterm investment opportunity, one that builds a more robust surface Navy. “The best investment is in our people; we’re investing in our youth and building that expertise at a much more junior level,” said Kilby. “We will see over time, that those officers will stay in and feel valued, and become great commanding officers, destroyer squadron commanders or amphibious commanders in the future.” SMWDC was formally established June 2015 at Naval Base San Diego and is responsible for increasing the tactical proficiency of surface warfare communities through the creation of warfare doctrine, underway assessment exercises and WTIs.
What Does it Mean? WTIs are junior SWOs that receive comprehensive education in advanced tactics and training. These officers will act as force multipliers for their ships and staffs. They are passionate about tactics and they’ve shown an affinity throughout their career to become tactical subject matter experts (SME) in specific warfare areas: amphibious warfare (AMW), integrated air and missile defense (IAMD), surface warfare/anti-submarine warfare (SUW/ ASW) and mine warfare (MIW).
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 25
Story by:
MC2 Phil Ladouceur
Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
The 34th annual Surface Line Week (SLW) in San Diego came to an end with the presentation of overall awards during closing ceremonies at Naval Base San Diego, Aug. 21. Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, thanked all the commands who participated before handing out trophies to winners. “I think it’s important from time to time that we just take a step back to take a breath, enjoy each other’s company, have some friendly competition, and have the opportunity to share some sea stories around the waterfront,” said Rowden. He went on to thank all those involved with organizing the event, and also those who participated, noting that their day-to-day efforts at their commands do not go unnoticed. “I know that you all work very hard every single day on your ships and at your commands, and I sincerely appreciate it,” he said. SLW is an annual competitive event that allows San Diego military commands and service members the opportunity to showcase their athletic and professional talents in a variety of tournament-style competitions. This year there were 32 total events and 32 commands that participated. USS San Diego (LPD 22) was the overall first place winner, with USS 2266 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Comstock (LSD 45) finishing in second place, and USS Cowpens (CG 63) coming in third. In the large command category, USS San Diego (LPD 22) took first place, USS Comstock (LSD 45) placed second, and USS Makin Island (LHD 8) finished in third place. In the medium command category, USS Cowpens (CG 63) took first place, USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) placed second, and USS Lake Erie (CG 70) finished in third place. In the small command category, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron (LCSRON) 1 captured first place honors, Navy Region Southwest Transient Personnel Unit was awarded second place, and Beach Master Unit (BMU) 1 finished in third place. This year’s athletic events included a 5K run, basketball, billiards, bowling, dodgeball, flag football, softball, golf, push-up/pull-up endurance, functional fitness and soccer. There was also a chili and salsa cook-off on the final day of competition. SLW professional events for 2015 included a damage control marathon, marksmanship, medical diagnosis/stretcher bearer race, photo competition, rescue swimmer, sailing, seamanship, ship handling, welding/cutting, lathe and visual communication . “I think SLW was a success,” said Lt. Jochelle Schatz, this year’s SLW coordinator. “Every year it seems like it’s growing in numbers.” Nearly 300 games were played throughout the week, including 38 football games, 39 basketball games, 26 dodgeball games, 27 racquet ball matches, 30 soccer matches, 37 softball games, 27 tennis matches, and 44 volleyball matches. In addition, there were more than 400 rounds of golf. Schatz was happy to see the level of involvement from commands, from Seaman to Captain. “It was great seeing commanding officers and leadership from commands, out supporting their teams,” said Schatz. Schatz was happy to see the camaraderie that built between different commands despite all the competition. “I’ve seen commands throughout this whole event build friendships with one another, encourage each other throughout the competitions, and cheering each other on. It was a nice surprise to observe that,” she said.
Photo by MC2 Zachary D. Bell
Photo by MC2 Zachary D. Bell
Photo by MC1 Trevor Welsh
Photo by MC1 Trevor Welsh
Photo by MC2 Phill Ladouceur
Photo by MC2 Zachary D. Bell
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 27
MATERIAL READINESS
PMS Service Requests The Future of Feedback Reports
Story by:
Michael Pasquarette
PMS Project Manager, Naval Sea Logistics Center
Has something like this happened to you? You’re working on a maintenance procedure and run into a problem on a maintenance requirement card. You take the time to research the problem, fill out and submit a planned maintenance system (PMS) feedback report (FBR) hoping you will receive a response before your tour on that ship is over? Such is the current state of the feedback reporting system. To be fair, some responses are received relatively quickly, however, others linger for months on end. Technical and Non-technical Feedback Reports are the primary processes for updating planned maintenance system (PMS) documentation today. Unfortunately, the existing FBR process does not always give sailors timely updates for issues with the PMS documents provided to them. Additionally, the existing process also has limited visibility of FBR status, administrative burdens for processing advanced change notices (ACN) and ”pen and ink” changes on maintenance index pages (MIPs) and maintenance requirement cards (MRCs), as well as an overall lack of community involvement for resolving common problems throughout the Fleet. The end result is a suboptimal process that doesn’t always provide the timely relief of maintenance problems. The Future of PMS (FoPMS) project will breathe new life into the current FBR process. The objective is a multi-faceted feedback system. It’s called the PMS service request (PSR) and like the name implies, it is meant to improve customer service and communication. Unlike its predecessor, which left a Sailor guessing the outcome, the PSR encourages feedback both ways. The PSR will not only be used for PMS documentation updates but also for questions, feedback, or change requests for PMS tools, processes, and policy. In short, each PMS 2288 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Service Request is a request to the maintenance community for additional guidance, clarification, or improvements. Clearly, two-way communication is a key aspect of the PMS Service Request concept. Currently, FBRs emulate the legacy “paper” process and leave the ship to the Type commander for screening before reaching Naval Sea Logistics Center (NSLC) for action and potential forwarding to the respective In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA) for technical action. Once the FBR leaves the ship, the Sailor who created it does not have an easy way of tracking it throughout the system. The screening and brokering processes in use today are inconsistent and somewhat arbitrary leaving the sailor to wonder what has happened with the FBR. In the system of the future, the PMS Service Requests will immediately leave the ship upon approval and be visible to all interested parties throughout the screening and adjudication process. This means not only will the originating ship or activity be able to see the PSR at all times, but Type Commanders, Commodity Specialists (CS), In-Service Engineering Agents (ISEA), and other Sailors using the same systems will be able to see it as well. Continuous distribution of PMS documents and other information will be a key part of the PMS Service Request. Think of continuous distribution as a constant update of material. Today, the Surface fleet only receives bulk PMS updates semi-annually due to the administrative burden associated with making changes through the Force Revision process that deletes and re-installs the electronic PMS library aboard ships. The Future of PMS will maintain a continuous distribution of PMS changes automatically updated within the electronic PMS deck through Equipment Maintenance Plans. While this will greatly reduce or eliminate the administrative burden for Force Revisions, it will also eliminate the need for ACN processes and other paper-based PMS document work-around
solutions. If a PSR results in a change to PMS documents, those updated documents will be automatically distributed to all hull/activities using the same systems and equipment. This means, you can expect approved changes to be finalized on the maintenance requirements distributed to your command within days, not months after the changes are authorized. So if it was a monthly PMS check you were working on and you submitted a PSR, there is a good chance you will be working on the revised document the next time that PMS check comes due. How great is that? By making the PSRs more versatile than the current FBR system, work center supervisors can view any PSR fleet-wide, whether it is opened or closed. Automatic indicators will be available from the scheduling software to highlight issues or concerns from their peers who use and perofmr maintenance on the same systems or equipment. If the supervisor sees a common issue they may be able to select a “thumbs up” or a “+1” indicator to add their name and command to the existing PSR and add more information or comments. In contrast, if the user disagrees with a PSR request, they may select the “thumbs down” or a “-1” indicator to show their disagreement and provide a conflicting viewpoint. In this manner,
the Fleet maintenance community will have a greater ability to influence how PMS documents, tools, processes, and policies evolve. This process can only be successful if the information is easy to find and their opinions can be captured in just a few clicks of a mouse, rather than the current practice of making an entirely new (and independent) feedback document. In order to implement the PMS Service Request in the Future, there are several technical challenges to overcome. The primary obstacle is the ability to continuously send and receive PMS data from the ship. To leap this hurdle, the Future of PMS infrastructure will be designed to work primarily in an off-line mode, with transactions being passed between the ship and the shore as bandwidth is made available. This approach will allow commands to continue to utilize their maintenance system when the system does not have active communications with shore support infrastructure. Other potential barriers include the limited computer resources at the ship level, shore-based hosting infrastructure shortfalls, and the need for all PMS to be tied to configuration records. As these barriers are overcome, the PMS Service Requests will be implemented to give you a quicker response to all of your feedback and be a key feature in the Future of PMS Project. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 29
Why is There a Board of Story by:
Rear Adm. Mike Smith
President, Board of Inspection and Survey
The Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) was established by Congress to ensure that the ships of the United States Navy are properly maintained in order to provide prompt and sustained mission readiness at sea. Originally created in 1868 under Adm. David Farragut, the Board was officially constituted by Congress in 1882. INSURV conducts periodic inspections to meet its Title X responsibilities. The primary focus of the Board is not on any single ship, but rather the collective material readiness trends that are developed by inspecting a representative sample of Fleet units each year. Certainly, we will continue to identify and recommended for striking from the Naval Vessel Register inspected ships found to have used all of their service life and which can no longer be economically maintained. Thankfully, this is a very rare occurrence, and the value of the Board remains in assessing accumulated trends. Thus, the Board exists because of the Title X mandate to provide assurances to Congress, and not as an internal process through which the Navy assesses an individual ship’s material condition. Indeed, INSURV survived the Inspection, Certification, Assessment, and Visit (ICAV) review conducted by the Chief of Naval Operation’s Fleet Review Board (FRB) in the late 1990s primarily because this legislation not only existed, but remains important to Congress. While collecting material readiness trends in order to provide assurances to Congress is the primary focus of INSURV, there are many ancillary benefits to the Fleet. For instance, by codifying a material inspection window at an identified point in the Optimized Fleet Response Plan (O-FRP), specifically during the early portion of the intermediate Phase, our results help Fleet Commanders and Type Commanders evaluate the material readiness of their units as they prepare for deployment. These results then help provide forward deployed operational commanders assurances that the units they are receiving are materially ready to conduct prompt and sustained combat operations at sea. But are those assurances really necessary? Would not Type Commanders already have processes that validate material readiness and inform operational commanders? Indeed they should and most likely do. 3300 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
INSURV, as a disinterested third party, can independently validate those processes. The use of third party validation of process is neither a new or unique concept. Most of commercial industry, including naval shipyards, use some sort of third party inspection as part of their Quality Management System to help validate their processes. The International Organization for Standardization establishes criteria for evaluating standards for much of industry. The ISO 9001 Quality Management System used by private naval shipyards establishes a 4-prong approach: 1) processes should be written; 2) the organization should follow the written processes; 3) audits should be conducted both internally and externally to validate the first two points; 4) audit results should be used to improve the processes. The TYCOM audits are then the internal audits, while INSURV becomes responsible for the external audits. Other benefits of INSURV material inspections include use by the Chief of Naval Operations to: 1) help inform his testimony before Congress; 2) help focus the allocation of scarce maintenance funding; and 3) modify or establish policy that enables the improvement of Fleet material readiness. In its 2014 Annual Report, INSURV provided a myriad of recommendations to help resolve material readiness process or funding issues. All of these recommendations were approved by the CNO and have been taken for action. In many areas the Fleet is already seeing benefits. For instance, INSURV pointed out that funding for the external review of the cathodic protection data had ceased which resulted in ships cont. on page 32... being potentially susceptible
INSPECTION AND
SURVEY?
The commanders of the Naval Surface Forces in the Atlantic and Pacific are working together to establish a singular basic phase process for building ship material readiness.
Photo by MC3 Erik Foster
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 31
Photo by MCSN Kenneth Rodriguez Santiago
Photo by MC2 Amanda R. Gray
to underwater hull corrosion. Based on INSURV’s recommendation, the funding was restored. Additional INSURV observations led to studies to determine why preventive maintenance and zone inspections were not being consistently and expertly performed, why amphibious ships were less materially ready than cruiser/destroyer type ships, and why damage control systems were consistently degraded in the Fleet. In order to obtain consistent and accurate data that allows us to develop insightful trends that will benefit the Fleet, it is essential that INSURV get an unfettered look at the ships they are inspecting. If Type Commanders infuse significant maintenance funds into ships that are scheduled to receive an INSURV Material Inspection, the true condition of those units is masked and the resulting data might lead senior naval leaders and Congress to improperly believe that the Fleet is more materially ready than it actually is. Masking actual readiness conditions is counter-productive to the goals and mission of INSURV, minimizes the benefits from our trend analysis and ultimately defeats the purpose that caused INSURV to be established in the first place. How then can INSURV achieve that unfettered look? Does this mean that ships simply stop preparing for INSURV Material Inspections? Of course not. Every commanding officer is responsible to prepare for every inspection his or her ship receives. That preparation, however, should be more in the form of: 1) ensuring they are maintaining a good 3M (Maintenance and 3322 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Material Management) program…and this includes both strict adherence to the consistent and expert conduct of preventive maintenance and the proper and appropriate documentation of deficiencies discovered as a result of this maintenance; 2) establishing and conducting thorough and timely zone inspections and, once again, documenting deficiencies that cannot be quickly resolved; 3) ensuring consistent documentation of deficiencies discovered during the course of routine operations (we keep logs for a reason and equipment operating out of specification should be corrected or documented for correction later); and 4) effectively managing the ship’s class maintenance plan, ensuring that required assessments are conducted within periodicity and resulting required maintenance is scheduled for appropriate maintenance availabilities. Ships should prepare for an INSURV inspection by liaising with INSURV inspectors, Fleet Assist Teams and TYCOM staffs to understand the scope of the visit and implement lessons learned-- just as they would for any other inspection. Ships should not be receiving any special maintenance funding beyond the ordinary just to correct material deficiencies in preparation for INSURV. Rather, Fleet maintenance funding should be implemented consistently at the right time and at the right level in an effort to provide every ship the required material readiness appropriate to their point in the O-FRP. INSURV has tried to help this process. In 2013 the Board stopped grading Material Inspections as SAT, DEGRADED, or UNSAT. We felt the grading process failed to adequately
Under the new grading process the grouping a ship falls into is much less the result of actions or inactions of the current crew. Photo by MC2 Gary A. Prill
represent the challenges faced by different ship classes and believed that the repercussions to anything other than SAT were so severe that it appeared ISICs and commanding officers were being driven to exert extraordinary efforts just to pass. We felt our own process was encouraging the bad behavior we were trying to stop. The grades were replaced by scores that could be then used for trending purposes. Those scores were grouped by ship class into categories that ranged from significantly below average to excellent with most ships of a class, 68% to be exact, assigned to the “average” category. Additionally, some of the stigma was limited as there had to be one ship “below average” for every ship “above average”. This grouping became the new “grade” that we provided to ships and their chains of command. Under the new grading process the grouping a ship falls into is much less the result of actions or inactions of the current crew. Now, the final score is likely the result of many external material readiness factors that INSURV is able to capture in their revised assessment process-- including having adequate time to conduct maintenance, being fully manned, being fully funded to conduct all required maintenance, maintainers having received proper training, or ships having a significant back log of maintenance which developed from past maintenance deferrals. Every ship should go through the same process that consistently builds material readiness…and that
process should be designed to make all of our ships equally ready to deploy and not weighted to focus more on ships getting ready for material inspections. The commanders of Naval Surface Forces in the Atlantic and Pacific are working together to establish a singular basic phase process for building ship material readiness. Once adopted, this process will enable TYCOMs to cease allocating scarce maintenance funds solely to prepare for INSURV. All ships will now go through identical preparation processes and those processes will be focused on providing each ship the material readiness they require for deployment. This new process will produce a system that enables INSURV to achieve its mission of identifying and assessing crossship class material readiness trends by inspecting a representative sample of Fleet units each year and using our assessments to provide assurances to Congress that the Fleet is materially ready and to senior naval leadership that our maintenance processes are working and providing the desired effects. In summary, INSURV exists to report unfiltered naval material readiness information to Congress and as such must be able to evaluate ships as close as possible to their natural state of preparedness in order to properly assess that material readiness. In this way, INSURV will be able to consistently collect accurate data from individual ships that can be used to derive relevant trends for Congress and for naval leadership. Those trends can then be used to ultimately improve the material readiness of all our deployers. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 33
Worth the Wait: Story by:
Jeffrey Baur
US Fleet Forces Command (USFF), Fleet Maintenance Division
Maybe you have heard that Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) and Commander Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) are combining efforts to reinvigorate the shipboard planned maintenance system (PMS) through the Future of PMS project (FoPMS). This project will improve PMS through changes in policy, content, tools, and processes making PMS easier to execute for the Sailors while ensuring our naval ships are properly maintained. So you may be saying to yourself, “Sounds great! Now when will we get it on our ship?” You’ll see some incremental improvements to the current PMS program as FoPMS comes together, but the current timeline calls for a six year development and rollout period. Improvements will come soon which will be addressed later in this article, but why must FoPMS take so long? Well, there are several answers to this important question… The primary answer is that there are acquisition rules and regulations that must be followed before a major change to a program may be deployed. There is a checklist of processes that must be followed and many of these processes are tied to the government fiscal years and have their own schedule and timeline. These items involve funding, contracts, Program Management Office (PMO) oversight, testing, security certification and many other factors. Many of these processes are put in place to protect the Navy from fraud, waste, and abuse as well as to ensure that all security concerns 3344 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Why the Future of PMS Will Take so Long are accounted for. In addition to acquisition regulations, FoPMS must establish firm requirements. This process starts by establishing the requirements for the program through the Fleet 3M Requirements Management Board (RMB), a governing body that makes and approves requirements. Once the requirements have been approved, they are passed to the NAVSEA 3M Configuration Control Board (CCB) to have a solution designed to meet those requirements. This solution is then approved by the RMB before implementation may begin. Due to the scope of this effort, it is expected to take until FY16 to have the final solution approved and ready for implementation. Ok, so maybe now you’re saying to yourself, “Fine, but FY16 isn’t that far off. Why is it still going to take so long?” Two main factors are manpower and time. One of the primary principles of FoPMS is having the PMS requirements associated with every configuration item on the ships. This results in a streamlined process for Sailors; maintenance requirements are provided explicitly to the ships for execution with a bare minimum of administrative effort, meaning no more line-outs. In order to do so, many of the generalized PMS documents will need to be broken down into their specific equipment procedures. This also includes addressing the quality and complexity of the documents. As of Force Revision (FR) 1-15, the Navy’s process for updating and distributing PMS documents, there are 85,245 PMS documents that are being maintained by NAVSEA. These documents affect 12,045 individual Work Center Supervisors. It will take a lot of processing to get the PMS content at the appropriate level and tied to all of the configuration records.
“Alright, that’s a lot of documents. Still, six years?” Well, another reason for the waity is that the FoPMS project will be dependent on various platforms and Information Technology (IT) infrastructure components, including hosting centers and shipboard servers that have their own timelines and objectives. Even if the acquisition processes could be bypassed, the tools overhauled and content revised sooner, nothing can be deployed until the IT infrastructure and platforms are ready to accept the modernized program. Since these infrastructure platforms support a wide range of systems, they have their own development and deployment schedules that are planned years in advance. Therefore, NAVSEA will need to synchronize the deployment schedule with these major platforms to ensure that the IT infrastructure will be ready to receive FoPMS when it is complete. The final reason for the lengthy timeline is that NAVSEA and USFF want to get this right! It is important to not rush any requirement decisions. At its core, the current PMS system operates on a paper-based logistics philosophy that depends on Sailors to make the proper associations between maintenance requirements and the equipment configuration. This system has been moderately enhanced over the past decade by computers, digital documents, and minor processing changes. Each of these changes has served as a patch for a specific problem, to reduce costs, or reduce administrative burden. Unfortunately, these patches often solve one problem but cause additional problems elsewhere. FoPMS represents the best opportunity to change the current model by taking the maintenance planning responsibility off of the ship and placing it in the hands of engineers ashore. An additional shift will be made to change administrative processes to make it easier on the Sailors and put more of the burden on a stronger, smarter and more dynamic system and toolset. The
bottom line? FoPMS cannot be another bandage in a long line of bandages, but a total solution to improve the execution of PMS at the deck-plate. Now that you know why it will take so long to get the final solution, it is time to talk about what can be done to improve PMS before the end of the six year timeline. During the Fleet 3M RMB process, one of the initial requirement changes is to revise PMS policy to make it more streamlined for PMS execution. Reducing the administrative burden on the Sailors and focusing on PMS accomplishment are the primary objectives of this effort. These 3-M RMB objectives also align with the Chief of Naval Operations’ Reduce Administrative Distractions initiative as well as Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command’s Mission Priority that calls to “Reinvigorate Shipboard Preventive Maintenance” and “Challenge Every Requirement.” RMB efforts include changing 3M inspection processes to ensure that they are focused on two primary questions: 1) Is the intention of the PMS maintenance requirement being performed on the ship? 2) Does the Current Ship Maintenance Program (CSMP) accurately reflect the current material condition of the ship? This means that there will be a reduced emphasis on administration and verbatim compliance issues. The policy changes are expected to take effect sometime in FY16. In addition, as the PMS content is reviewed and refined, those changes will be incorporated into the existing PMS system and distributed to the Fleet. This may include Equipment Maintenance Plans that specify the appropriate MRCs to go with the various makes, models and variants that exist for a system or equipment. These improved logistics documents should make maintenance scheduling easier and more consistent throughout the Fleet. So while it may take several years before the full Future of PMS system is deployed to your ship or activity, you can expect to see improved PMS documentation and streamlined PMS policies hitting the waterfront much, much sooner. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 35
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Reaching New Heights Naval Surface Warfare Center Staff Recognized as Top Navy Scientist, Engineer
Story by:
Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division Public Affairs
Two Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division (NSWC IHEODTD) staff received the Dr. Delores M. Etter Award for Top Scientists and Engineers for 2014, during a ceremony held at the Pentagon, June 12. Award recipients were Vasant Joshi, senior materials scientist, and Greg Young, propulsion engineering and program. The award was established in 2006 and is named for Dr. Delores Etter, former assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, and recognizes Navy civilian and military personnel for exceptional science and engineering achievements. Since 2010, NSWC IHEODTD scientists and engineers have earned nine of the awards. Young and Joshi were recognized for development of a hybrid rocket fuel that performs as well as solid rocket fuel while creating a safer system that is throttleable and has the ability to be stopped and restarted in flight. The new boron-based system overcomes traditional difficulty of inefficient combustion with boron by elimination of hydrogen in the composition. The increased performance was demonstrated in fiscal year 2014 using a subscale rocket motor test stand constructed at the command. “We’re extremely proud of Dr. Joshi and Dr. Young,” said NSWC IHEODTD Technical Director Ashley Johnson. Their work on hybrid rocket propulsion represents a significant advancement in 3366 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
technology by introducing the possibility of throttling a rocket motor that allows for greater mission flexibility. This could provide missiles the ability to loiter then accelerate to engage once the target is acquired. Their accomplishment required exceptional technical rigor and a strong understanding of combustion, rocket propulsion and the underlying sciences. It also represents the command’s commitment to develop and transition new products and services that increase warfighting capabilities. NSWC IHEODTD is a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Enterprise. It is a leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics and ordnance research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit, and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.
Photo by Matthew Poynor
Legacy with Longevity Story and Photo by:
Vice Adm. Tidd Receives Surface Navy Association’s“Old Salt” Award
MC2 Tyrell Morris Defense Media Activity
Vice Adm. Kurt Tidd, assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, became the 19th recipient of the “Old Salt” award in a ceremony at the Pentagon, June 22. The “Old Salt” award is presented to the surface warfare officer serving on continuous active duty with the earliest surface warfare officer qualification, which is the first milestone qualification an eligible commissioned officer may receive in surface warfare. The award is sponsored by the Surface Navy Association and was passed from Adm. Samuel Locklear to Tidd. “It’s a tremendous honor to have been on active duty as a surface warfare officer for all these years,” said Locklear. “So to pass it on is a little bit bitter sweet but it’s good to have this opportunity and I’m proud of it.” Tidd said he never expected to serve this long and is humbled by this experience. “It’s a mixed blessing,” said Tidd. “On the one hand it is a testimony to being the last person
“Find the joy, passion and pleasure in each job that you get, every time you go to sea.”
Vice Adm. Kurt Tidd
Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
standing in line behind an awful lot of superbly qualified people who have gone before you. On the other hand, it’s a real pleasure because it’s recognition of the fact that I’ve been able to be a part of this organization and be a member of this professional community for over 35 years now.” The names of past “Old Salts” have their names engraved on brass plates added to the base of the Old Salt statue. The statue is then held in the
custody of the current “Old Salt” for the remainder of his active duty tenure. Upon Tidd’s retirement, the Old Salt statue will be passed on to the next officer, who will determined by a search of records, a recommendation by director of surface warfare, and approval by the Board of the Surface Navy Association. The prestigious award has been held by numerous great leaders such as former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen and former Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Adm. John Harvey. Tidd is a 1978 U.S. Naval Academy graduate with 37 years of naval service. He earned his surface warfare officer qualification in June 1980 aboard USS Semmes (DDG 18). Tidd wanted to give Sailors advice on how to have a successful naval career. “Enjoy every single assignment that comes down,” said Tidd. “Find the joy, passion and pleasure in each job that you get every time you go to sea. Learn from those who have gone before you and take the lessons to apply to your own personal toolkit.” http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 37
The End of an Era The last remaining Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate on the West coast, USS Gary (FFG 51) has been Decommissioned
Story by:
MC1 Trevor Welsh Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Fleet Public Affairs
Past and current crew, plank owners, former and current commanding officers, namesake relatives and friends and family gathered at Naval Base San Diego July 23 to bid farewell to USS Gary (FFG 51), the last remaining Oliver Hazard Perry-class guidedmissile frigate on the West coast, after 31 years of service. During the decommissioning ceremony, led by the ship’s Commanding Officer Cmdr. Steven McDowell, guest speakers, Hon. William Albrecht, World War II veteran and a recipient of the Bronze Star, and retired Capt. Dallas Bethea, reminisced on their experience and connections with Gary. Albrecht served aboard USS Franklin (CV 13) with the frigate’s namesake, Cmdr. Donald Gary. He was one of hundreds to be rescued by Gary after Franklin was heavily damaged by aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy on March 19, 1945, which subsequently resulted in then Lt. Gary’s receiving the Medal of Honor. “When USS Franklin was struck by two armorpiercing 500-pound bombs dropped by a Japanese bomber, in recognition of his extraordinary efforts to rescue 300 men trapped in the mess compartment, Gary was awarded the Medal of 3388 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Honor,” said Albrecht. “USS Gary’s shield, crest and motto were set forth by the many accomplishments of Lt. Gary that fateful day.” Bethea, the ship’s second commanding officer, serving from 1986 to 1989, spoke on the many accomplishments and historic milestones of the ship and its first crew. “These are the boys of Gary,” he said. “These are the boys, the men, who were integral in the success of the ship. They took a ship that was nothing in the shipyard and created a warship. It wasn’t me, my predecessor or successor; it was the boys of Gary. That is the heart and soul of the ship, the men who serve aboard her. Today we, the boys of Gary, are saying goodbye to an old friend, a ship that has served this country with great honor and dedication during her 31-year history in the Navy.” The decommissioning ceremony is a time-honored
Photo by MCCM Donnie Ryan
naval tradition that retires a ship from service through various ceremonial observances, including the department heads’ final reports, lowering of the ship’s commissioning pennant and national ensign, and Sailors walking off the ship while a bugler plays “Taps.” The ceremony is meant to pay respect to the ship and the Sailors who have served aboard during decades of honorable service. “Gary was commissioned Nov. 17, 1984,” said McDowell. “Although much has changed since then, one thing remains the same; the crew started off strong and has now ended strong. Gary and other frigates have been around for decades serving as the backbone of a Navy that constantly deploys in peace and wartime. Over these years, frigate Sailors have earned a reputation for being tough, dedicated, resourceful and a close-knit family. To the Gary crew, thank you for being the best you
could be. It has been an honor to serve as your commanding officer.” Gary’s keel was laid down Dec. 18, 1982, at Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California; it was launched Nov. 19, 1983, sponsored by Mrs. Donald A. Gary and Mrs. George D. Leamer; and it was then commissioned Nov. 17, 1984 at Naval Station Long Beach with Cmdr. Harlan R. Bankert, Jr. in command. The ship returned from its final deployment in April, following operations in the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility. Gary was part of the countertransnational organized crime mission Operation Martillo, a joint, combined operation involving the U.S. and 14 European and Western Hemisphere partner nations which targets illicit trafficking routes in the waters off Central America. http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 39
2015 Capt. Joy Bright Hancock LCSRON 1 Ensign Cassandra N. Karo Named Recipient Story and Photos by:
MCCM Donnie Ryan Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
An ensign assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron ONE (LCSRON 1) in San Diego has been named the recipient of the 2015 Capt. Joy Bright Hancock Leadership Award. Ensign Cassandra N. Karo, a native of Beaufort, South Carolina, and a 16-year Navy veteran, has been recognized as the recipient of the limited duty officer/ warrant officer category of the prestigious female leadership award. As a limited duty officer ensign, Karo’s military journey started many years ago as a “military brat” and a member of her high school’s Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) unit. Karo grew up in California and attended high school at Scripps Ranch and Mira Mesa High School. The daughter of an enlisted U.S. Marine, she said many of her childhood friends moved to Okinawa, Japan. “My initial reason for joining the Navy is that I wanted to travel,” said Karo, who joined the Navy two months after her older sister enlisted. “When I came in, the first place I wanted to go was an aircraft carrier or to Japan. I was blessed to pick the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) out of Yokosuka, Japan, in OS [Operations Specialist] A-school but ended up going to Commander, U.S. Seventh Fleet on board USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) due to female berthing availability.” That first duty station and a passion for the OS rating set a strong foundation for an incredible career as Karo quickly advanced up the enlisted ranks. On board Blue Ridge she earned her Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist qualification, qualified watch supervisor, and advanced to the rank of petty officer second class. Follow-on assignments were Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 7, Commander, U.S. Third Fleet, and USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) helped prepare her for selection to the rank of chief petty officer the first year she was eligible. “Coming in, I knew I wanted to be chief petty officer,” said Karo. “I had two chief RDC’s [recruit division commanders] in boot camp, a chief yeoman, and a chief boatswain’s mate and they made me want to be a chief.” 4400 Summer FALL 2014 2015 • •SURFACE SURFACE WARFARE WARFARE MAGAZINE MAGAZINE
In a sea intensive rating, she continued to become an expert in her career field and serve a role model for both male and female Sailors. At one time, she and her husband were a dualmilitary couple with three small children. Eventually, he left the Navy to take care of their now four children so that she, a chief petty officer at the time, could concentrate on her career. A year after putting on anchors, she set her sights on a new goal, earning a commission as a limited duty officer. “It was my A-OPS [Assistant Operations Officer] on board Bunker Hill who told me he didn’t see chief being my end goal,” said Karo. “He told me to consider putting in a package to get a commission.” She did in fact put in a commissioning package and Karo was selected first time up to join the 6122 Limited Duty Officer Surface Operations community. Her first assignment as an officer was at LCSRON 1 where she assumed the duties of N3 Division Officer and Surface Warfare Mission Package Liaison Officer. Karo said the three things she believes contribute to her personal success are Faith, family (both blood and Navy), and ambition. “I believe God made all this possible,” said Karo. “When I wanted to go left, God guided me right. My family support has given me the extra motivation I needed to get through the rough times, especially the times at sea away from my kids.” When it comes to ambition, it would be hard to find anyone who loves what they do in the Navy more than Karo. “I love to work on new qualifications and goals,” said Karo. “It’s a personal satisfaction to scratch off a goal from my list.” Karo said she could not stress enough the importance of the support she receives from her husband on a daily basis. “If he wasn’t taking care of our family well while I was out to sea, I wouldn’t have been able to focus and complete my qualifications,” said Karo. “He is the real MVP and the rock of our family because when I deploy he takes care of our kids.” Karo said her advice for young Sailors wanting to succeed in the Navy is simple. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared of the unknown,” said Karo, who plans on going to a destroyer for her next assignment. “Don’t be scared to work out of your comfort zone.”
Leadership Award
Did You Know? The Capt. Joy Bright Hancock Leadership Award, established in 1987, honors Navy women with visionary leadership whose ideals and dedication foster a positive working environment while reinforcing and furthering the integration of women into the Navy.
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 41
BLOGGING FROM THE FLEET
New Kahunas to Lead Atlantic
“SWOhana”
From the afloat staging base and 10 coastal patrol boats in the U.S. 5th Fleet, to the three (and soon, four) ballistic missile destroyers forward deployed in Spain, to the Aegis Ashore facility in Romania, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT) has warfighters putting distributed lethality into action every day. And a new squadron of littoral combat ships, with the first of eight arriving this fall, will offer new ways to carry out the nation’s business. SURFLANT has alwast been where it’s needed. “Clearly, this is not your father’s SURFLANT,” said Rear Adm. Pete A. Gumataotao. Speaking at the change of command ceremony that saw him handing over the reins, Gumataotao was commenting on these many changes that have been seen and felt in recent years by surface Blog by:
MC2 Phil Ladouceur
Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
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warfare officers (SWO). With new doctrine, training and technology, our forces are packing a more lethal offensive punch, and better supporting the efforts of aviators, submariners, and joint and coalition warriors, he said. “The future is now, at SURFLANT, where the team is charging all ahead flank!” said Gumataotao. And a part of the newly arrived future is the newly arrived regime at SURFLANT: Rear Adm. Christopher W. Grady and Force Master Chief Jack R. Callison. Gumataotao offered up a new word, a play on ‘ohana’, the Hawaiian word for family, to help express his bright outlook for the future of SURFLANT under Grady’s charge. “As I hand the conn to Rear Admiral Chris Grady, I am 100-percent confident he will take our team to the next level, staying the course and making us a better ‘SWOhana.’” Kahuna has a variety of meanings. In Hawaiian it could mean an expert in a profession or trade, or a holy wise man. In modern English, it’s come to mean a leader or someone who is at the apex of their profession, often describing such people as “the Big Kahuna.” That combination of leadership and expertise perfectly sums up what Gumataotao brought to SURFLANT—And what Grady will be bringing to it. “It is a fantastic time to be joining SURFLANT,” said Grady. “I am honored to follow in the long line of my esteemed predecessors here; I look forward to the exciting challenge of living up to their legacy of service to our surface warriors.” The other new leader, Force Master Chief Callison, was chosen for the particular traits he’d exhibited. “He is extremely experienced at every level and will bring a lot to the table,” said Grady. “I was struck by his vision and passion to set our Sailors up for success.” Grady was confident that selecting Callison would bring to the command someone would continue the tradition of excellence already established at SURFLANT, who would make every effort on behalf of the Sailors under his charge. “I look forward to working closely with him to do just that,” said Grady. The recent change of command’s location, on the USS Wisconsin (BB 64), signaled that while new tactics, technology and training make it a great time to be a part of SURFLANT, the new leaders will make sure that good, old-fashioned responsibility for the welfare of the ‘SWOhana’ remains a part of the command’s future.
Grady is a native of Newport, Rhode Island, and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame from which he was commissioned an ensign through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program. His sea tours included USS Moosbrugger (DD 980) and USS Princeton (CG 59). He served as commanding officer of Mine Counter Measure Rotational Crew Echo on USS Chief (MCM 14) and USS Ardent (MCM 12), USS Cole (DDG 67), and Destroyer Squadron 22. Grady’s flag assignments include director of the Maritime Operations Center (N2/3/5/7), commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Most recently, as commander, Carrier Strike Group 1, he just returned from a nearly 10-month combat deployment to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
A West Palm Beach, Florida native, Callison enlisted in the Navy in June 1987, immediately after graduating from John I. Leonard High School, in nearby Greenacres, Florida. His previous assignments include USS Holland (AS 32); USS Alamagordo (ARDM 2); USS L. Y. Spear (AS 36); Caribbean Regional Operations Center; Commander, Carrier Group Four; USS Arthur W. Radford (DD 968); and USS Carter Hall (LSD 50). Callison’s tours as command master chief include Strike Fighter Squadron 2 “Bounty Hunters,” USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS Normandy (CG 60) and USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). He is a graduate of the Senior Enlisted Academy class 119 (Blue), the Command Master Chief Course class 44, and the National Defense University’s Keystone course. Other academic achievements include Senior Enlisted Professional Military Education, and Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education.
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor • Summer 2015 43