Navy Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander, Naval Surface Force, said readiness, training, manpower and new technology, such as simulators, are sharpening the surface fleet’s competitive edge.

The “SWO Boss” spoke Aug. 26 on the closing day of the Surface Navy Association’s annual Waterfront Symposium at Naval Station San Diego, a hybrid live and virtual event with in-person speakers and attendees as well as virtual participants.

Kitchener cited progress in training and certifying ship crews and individual watchstanders and the value of virtual training capabilities and simulators.

“We continue our integration of the live, virtual and constructive capability, which is integral to the future of training as it emulates threats at the scale we will encounter and injects them into our training scenarios,” he said. 

“Junior officers are becoming highly proficient at shiphandling and navigation thanks to an array of new trainers and simulators,” Kitchener said. “It’s amazing technology, being led by Surface Warfare and bringing increased training capacity and warfare capability to our fleet, worldwide.”

The weapons tactics instructors (WTIs) being developed by the Surface and Mine Warfare Development Center are now joining commands around the fleet in significant numbers, and they’re paying dividends, he said. 

“We will always need talented people developing and introducing warfighting tactics on the waterfront — to do that, we need to certify more WTIs. We will continue to invest in SMWDC and strengthen it as the centerpiece of Surface Force warfighting.”

According to Kitchener, getting WTIs into the fleet seven years ago shifted the conversation back to warfighting.

“Now we need to take it even further. We are validating the required number of WTIs to meet our goals over the next few years, but we know that with the growing size and complexity of our SWATT [surface warfare advanced tactical training] program and our goal to put a WTI on every ship, we need a better path to get these officers certified and out to the fleet.”

The myriad of readiness, training, manpower and technology initiatives together will retain the surface force’s “competitive edge,” he said. “Competitive edge is leading the world in warfighting technology. Competitive edge is denying our adversaries battle space and freedom of maneuver every day in peacetime. Competitive edge is not only knowing we can defeat the enemy, but the enemy knowing it too. It’s about combat readiness, but more importantly, it’s about combat action, and winning that action.”

Retired Vice Adm. Rick Hunt, president of SNA, thanked the speakers representing operations, personnel, training and support leadership, as well as the in-person and virtual audience for attending. He expressed his gratitude to the active duty and reserve attendees, as well as industry partners, for their contributions to the surface force and national defense.

“Where but the Navy, and the surface Navy in particular, do you have the opportunity to learn every day; to continue to grow; address new and challenging opportunities every day; to make a difference, not only to yourself, but to your shipmates every day; and to be able to deliver directly to our national defense?” he said. “What higher purpose can there be than to do be able to do this kind of very personally and professionally satisfying work — and to do it in a most powerful way?”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Department of Defense announced Aug. 28 the deaths of 13 service members who were supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. They died Aug. 26, 2021, as the result of an enemy attack while supporting non-combatant evacuation operations in Kabul, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation.    

For the Marine Corps, the deceased are: 

Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah. 
Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California.
Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California.
Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska.
Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana.
Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas.
Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri.
Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming.
Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California.  

Hoover, Lopez, Page, Sanchez, Schmitz, Espinoza, McCollum, Merola and Nikoui were assigned to 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California.  

Gee was assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  

Rosariopichardo was assigned to 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity Bahrain.  

For the Navy, the deceased is:  

Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio.  

Soviak was assigned to 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.  

For the Army, the deceased is:  

Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee. 

Knauss was assigned to 9th PSYOP Battalion, 8th PSYOP Group, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.  

The Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay in Baltimore, Maryland, is one of two shipyards executing a service life extension program (SLEP) for the U.S. Naval Academy’s (USNA) fleet of yard patrol craft (YPs) used to train midshipmen in navigation and seamanship. Lyon ship yard in Norfolk is also conducting the SLEP.

The USNA has a fleet of 21 YPs, which are used to support pierside familiarization, basic damage control and basic to advanced seamanship and navigation underway. There are two variants. The YP 676 class boats are 108 feet long, while the newer YP 703 class are 119 feet long.

YP 676-class boats have wooden hulls and entered service in the mid-1980s. By comparison, the seven YP 703 boats have steel hulls and entered service at the academy in 2010.

The USNA Waterfront Operations Department provides a crew of four, including a craft master (normally a senior Boatswains Mate or Quartermaster), an Engineman and two deck seamen, augmented by the midshipmen who come aboard for training. The Seamanship and Navigation Department provides an officer to train the midshipmen.

YPs are also used to cruise along the eastern seaboard and can be used as platforms for research. The YPs have been used for summer cruises as far as the Great Lakes, but that hasn’t happened for about 20 years. They have a range of  1,800 nautical miles at 12 knots, and can travel for about five days without refueling. YPs spend about 150 days underway conducting training per crew per year.

“The bridges of the YPs are also being upgraded to bring them up to date with electronic navigation standards and newer radar and charting systems. They’ll now have the same version of VMS [vessel management system] that the fleet has,” said Capt. John Tobin of the Seamanship & Navigation department. 

The SLEP affects the YP 676 class boats and will include hull and deck repair, as well as habitability upgrades and overhaul and modernization of the engines and electric generating equipment. The SLEP is being managed by the Support Ships, Boats, and Craft Program Office (PMS 325) within Program Executive Office Ships. Additional YP availabilities are scheduled to continue through March 2022.

“We have completed five SLEPs of the 676 wooden hulled class,” said Cmdr. David Kowalczyk, the CG Yard’s chief of project management. “Two YP’s — YP-683 and YP-684 — are currently undergoing SLEP, and two more are pending.”

The program will be complete with all 12 YPs by 2022. The program will overhaul only two YPs at a time so that there will be enough craft to perform training.

The Navy specified that the repair facility be within 150-mile radius of the Naval Academy, and the Coast Guard Yard — less than 30 miles by car and easy to reach by water — meets that criterion by a wide margin.

The repairs require the YPs to be drydocked or removed from the water to inspect, evaluate, and perform repairs to wooden hull, as well as removal and overhaul of main engines and generators, replacement of galley equipment and inspection and repair of auxiliary systems.

“YP SLEP gives the CG YARD an opportunity to exercise our strengths in vessel renovations and waterfront industrial trade work, and the Navy benefits from our efficient work practices and experience. Ultimately, these strengths combine to  give our customers a quality product, minimal down-time for the vessel, and excellent value for their money,” said Kowalczyk.

Kowalczyk said some of the wood work is done by the CG Yard’s Structural Group’s wood crafters, with portions subcontracted. “YP SLEP is a great opportunity for our wood crafters to employ their skills, and diversify their workload and experience.”

He said there are some challenges inherent in wooden ship overhauls.

“When you undock a wooden vessel after several months of being on land, the wood dries out and shrinks, which can lead to leaks upon undocking. Teaming with the Navy, we’ve cooperatively developed to slowly refloat the vessel on our electric shiplift, to allow the wood to swell back up in a controlled environment. Our electric shiplift is basically an elevator that allows us to lift ships out of the water. This process minimizes leaks, and if it proved necessary, we could lift the vessel back up expeditiously and complete repairs.”

Upon completing the SLEP program, each of the YPs will be able to remain in service for another 10 years.

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard is conducting critical incident search and rescue overflights and assessing for damage Aug. 30 along the Gulf Coast Region of Louisiana following Hurricane Ida, the Coast 8th District said in a release. 

The Coast Guard has brought to bear more than 28 aviation assets and nearly 21 shallow-water response assets to respond to flooded and damaged areas. 

“The Coast Guard will continue to provide search and rescue capabilities, assess the damage done by Hurricane Ida, repair aids-to-navigation, and ensure the ports along the Gulf Coast can be safely reopened for the flow of maritime commerce,” said Capt. Tracy Phillips, area commander for the Ida response.  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser repatriated 11 Dominican migrants and returned 12 Haitians to the Dominican Republic Saturday, following the interdiction of an illegal voyage in the Mona Passage. 

The interdiction is the result of ongoing Coast Guard and Caribbean Border Interagency group partner efforts to deter and stop illegal voyages in the Mona Passage. Since Oct. 1, 2021, the Coast Guard and CBIG federal and state partner agencies have interdicted and or apprehended 2,100 migrants traveling illegally to Puerto Rico. 
 
“We urge any person thinking of taking part in an illegal voyage to not take to the sea,” said Cmdr. Beau Powers, Sector San Juan chief of response. “Your life will be at risk, as will the lives of everyone aboard the vessel. The perils are many, including traveling with ruthless smugglers, aboard grossly overloaded makeshift vessels, in dangerous sea states, with little or no lifesaving equipment onboard. Those making this voyage should expect to be returned to their country of origin and also may face prosecution. The dangers are real, please don’t trust your life to a smuggler or in a makeshift vessel.” 

The interdiction took place Aug. 26, after a Customs and Border Protection marine patrol aircraft crew sighted a migrant vessel, approximately 42 nautical miles north of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The cutter Winslow Griesser diverted to the scene and interdicted the 25-foot makeshift boat with 11 Dominicans, 11 Haitian adults and one Haitian minor aboard. 

The crew of the Winslow Griesser transferred the adult migrants to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel just outside Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, while the minor was transferred to local authorities ashore from the Childrens and Adolescents National Council CONANI. 

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.  The Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser is a fast response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

GROTON, Conn. – The Navy celebrated the commissioning of USS Vermont (SSN 792), the first Block IV Virginia-class submarine to enter service, Saturday, Aug. 28, at Naval Submarine Base New London, Submarine Readiness Squadron 32 said in a release. 

“Vermonters have served with valor from the highest mountains to the depths of the ocean,” said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who served as the event’s keynote speaker and was attending his first ship ceremony as secretary. 

“This vessel has already proven itself in service, not only because it was designed the right way, but because of the exemplary work of the men aboard,” he said. 

Vermont was administratively commissioned on April 18, 2020, but due to restrictions on large gatherings because of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, no traditional commissioning ceremony was held. To ensure the health and safety of the crew and all those in attendance during the ceremony Saturday, attendance was limited and no public or media tours were held. Masks were required in all indoor spaces and encouraged in outdoor spaces. 

Since its administrative commissioning, USS Vermont has been an active submarine in the U.S. Navy, including participation in anti-submarine warfare exercises alongside the Brazilian navy in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations in December of 2020. 

In addition to Del Toro, Rear Adm. Douglas Perry, director of undersea warfare on the chief of naval operations’ staff and a Vermont native, was among those who spoke at the Saturday ceremony. 

Perry spoke of the legacies of previous Navy ships with Vermont ties and military heroes from the state’s past, like Ethan Allen during the Revolutionary War and 19th Century Admiral of the Navy George Dewey. 

“The Green Mountain State’s legacy of naval service runs deep,” Perry said. “You join a rich history of honorable service.” 

This is the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Vermont, but first in a century. The first was one of nine 74-gun warships authorized by Congress in 1816. The second, Battleship No. 20, was commissioned in 1907 and first deployed in December of that year as part of the “Great White Fleet.” The battleship Vermont was decommissioned June 30, 1920. 

The submarine Vermont was christened in a traditional ceremony at General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard in Groton, Connecticut, on Oct. 20, 2018. 

“She was built by the best, for the best, and is the best of the best,” said Gloria Valdez, the ship sponsor and a former deputy assistant secretary of the Navy overseeing shipbuilding and modernization. “She is the most technologically advanced submarine in the world.” 

USS Vermont is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam and will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. She has a crew of more than 130 Navy personnel. 

“We get to finally say, ‘The ship’s in commission, thank you so much to everyone who supported us,’” said Cmdr. Charles Phillips, the commanding officer of USS Vermont. “This represents the people of Vermont. We want to make them proud and let them justify their confidence in us as we defend our country.” 

Fast-attack submarines are multi-mission platforms enabling five of the six Navy maritime strategy core capabilities — sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. They are designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare. Fast-attack submarines project power ashore with special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises. 

Block IV Virginia-class submarines incorporate design changes focused on reduced total ownership cost. By making these smaller-scale design changes to increase the component-level lifecycle of the submarine, the Navy will increase the periods between depot maintenance availabilities and increase the number of deployments. 

Blocks I-III Virginia-class submarines are planned to undergo four depot maintenance availabilities and conduct 14 deployments. Block IV design changes are intended to reduce planned availabilities by one to three and increase deployments to 15. 

Also speaking at the ceremony Saturday were members of the Vermont and Connecticut congressional delegations: U.S. Rep. Peter Welch of Vermont, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. 

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division successfully completed builder’s trials for guided missile destroyer Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), the company announced in an Aug. 27, 2021, release. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer spent three days in the Gulf of Mexico testing the ship’s combat system, which included firing a missile.  

“Ingalls, Navy AEGIS Test Team, the Navy ship’s force, the program office, numerous combat systems participating acquisition managers, and supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair worked together to ensure a successful builder’s trial,” said John Fillmore, Ingalls’ DDG 51 program manager. “A successful builder’s trial sets us up for a final trial prior to delivery. We are proud of the work our shipbuilders have accomplished so far and look forward to finishing strong.”

DDG 121 is named for Frank E. Petersen Jr., who was the U.S. Marine Corps’ first African American aviator and general officer. After entering the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1950, Petersen would go on to fly more than 350 combat missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Ingalls has delivered 32 destroyers to the Navy and currently has four more under construction including Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), Ted Stevens (DDG 128) and Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129).Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management, to sea control and power projection — all in support of the United States military strategy. The guided missile destroyers are capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense well into the 21st century.

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) received Milestone C (MS-C) approval Aug. 23, allowing the program to move into its first phase of production, the Naval Air Systems Command said in an Aug. 25 release.

The Navy plans to award the first two low-rate initial production lots over the next several months.

“The combined government/industry team has worked tirelessly over the last few years to reach this milestone,” said Capt. Alex Dutko, Direct and Time Sensitive Strike (PMA-242) program manager. “We look forward to getting this new weapon with its increased capability and lethality out to the fleet as soon as possible.”

The MS-C decision comes just over two years after the Navy awarded the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract to its prime contractor, Northrop Grumman. The team conducted the first live-fire event in July to verify system integration and rocket motor performance, as well as initiate modeling and simulation validation.

Captive and live fire flight testing is planned to continue through 2022 and initial operational capability is planned for 2023.

The Navy is integrating AARGM-ER on the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G, and it will be compatible for integration on the F-35.  By leveraging the U.S. Navy’s AARGM program, the AARGM-ER with a new rocket motor and warhead will provide advanced capability to detect and engage enemy air defense systems.

NORFOLK, Va. — USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) departed Aug. 26 for sea trials, marking completion of one of the largest and most complex aircraft carrier availabilities conducted at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), NNSY Public Affairs and USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs said in a joint Aug. 26 release.

The Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA), which began in February 2019, marked Bush’s first time out of the water since 2006. The shipyard workforce contributed 762,500 workdays of the 1.3 million workday availability, with the ship’s crew, Alteration Installation Teams and contractors comprising the rest.

The DPIA included a number of complicated planned efforts including a complete shaft and propeller overhaul, rudder refurbishment, catwalk and tank preservation, and modernization and upgrades to electronic and combat systems, catapults, and hotel services.

“At the beginning of this challenging availability I shared with the project team this would be a marathon event due to the large work package and the length of time it would take to return George H.W. Bush to the Fleet,” said Project Superintendent Jeff Burchett. “At that time, we had no idea what we would face with the COVID 19 pandemic and the additional challenges it brought to the team to overcome such a major obstacle on top of the planned work. The team stepped up and worked through it.”

The ship’s commanding officer Capt. Robert “Aggs” Aguilar was complimentary of the collaboration between NNSY and the crew.

“The end of this maintenance period marks the beginning of our team’s ability to execute our primary mission which is to provide combat capability to Fleet and Joint Force commanders whenever and wherever it is needed,” said Aguilar. “We remain grateful for the teamwork with Norfolk Naval Shipyard to get us back to sea. Now the crew of George Herbert Walker Bush will bring the ship to life and return her to full operational capability.”

NNSY implemented process improvement and innovations in several areas of the availability, including the U.S. Navy’s first organic cold spray repairs at any of the four public shipyards to repair components on Bush. Laser scanning was used to facilitate installation of sponsons onboard, supporting first time quality. Additionally, the shipyard’s special emphasis group developed unique weight handling equipment using electric winches for servicing components while in dry dock.

“The team has been all-in with either fixing or elevating any issues as they occurred, with non-stop execution in mind to ensure USS George H.W. Bush was returned to the Fleet,” said Shipyard Commander Capt. Dianna Wolfson. “With such an extensive and challenging availability, it took a daily commitment from our team members in delivering technical excellence and skilled craftsmanship on Bush so it could be ready to excel in its mission and demonstrate Freedom at Work.”

The ship will now complete sea trials and multiple certifications before beginning a pre-deployment training cycle.

“It’s been a unique privilege leading the project team of this availability throughout its entire duration at Norfolk Naval Shipyard,” said Burchett. “When starting the project, we adopted a quote from George H.W. Bush himself: ‘This is my mission and I will complete it.’ It’s taken a lot of teamwork and perseverance, on top of working through unexpected challenges, but today we can say the mission is complete and USS George H.W. Bush—and the Navy—is all the better for it.”

This report was updated on Aug. 27.

ARLINGTON, Va. — A suicide bomber attacked a gate at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, killing 13 U.S. military personnel and wounding at least 15 others, U.S. military officials said. 

Killed were 11 Marines and one Sailor, according to official statements as of 27 Aug. A press report said that the 13^th military person killed was a soldier. The service identities of the 15 wounded personnel have not been announced yet, pending notification of next of kin, though some are confirmed to be Marines, according to the HQMC statement. 

The units of the dead and wounded have not been announced. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, staged from the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, had dispatched Marines to Kabul in mid-August as part of the U.S. forces deployed to the Kabul airport to evacuate Americans and certain Afghan nationals who had helped with the U.S. war effort.   

The attack is believed to have been conducted by ISIS-K, rather than the Taliban, said Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander, U.S. Central Command, speaking Aug. 26 via internet link to reporters at the Pentagon. At least 79 other people were killed at the scene of the attack, which included small arms fire as well as a suicide vest. 

A second attack thought to have occurred at the Baron Hotel near the airport turned out not to have occurred, said Army Maj. Gen. William “Hank” Taylor, the Joint Staff’s deputy director of regional operations, in an Aug. 27 briefing to reporters.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued the following statement: 

“On behalf of the men and women of the Department of Defense, I express my deepest condolences to the loved ones and teammates of all those killed and wounded in Kabul today.  

“Terrorists took their lives at the very moment these troops were trying to save the lives of others. 

“We mourn their loss. We will treat their wounds. And we will support their families in what will most assuredly be devastating grief. 

“But we will not be dissuaded from the task at hand.  

“To do anything less — especially now — would dishonor the purpose and sacrifice these men and women have rendered our country and the people of Afghanistan.” 

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday also memorialized in the following statement the Navy and Marine Corps personnel lost in the attacks:  

“This is a solemn day for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps team. Those warriors who died gave their lives to save thousands of men, women and children, Americans and Afghans alike.   

“Their courage and selflessness represent the highest ideals of America. We pay solemn tribute to their sacrifice.  

“To the families and loved ones who grieve — you are not alone. We stand beside you in this pain, humbled by the loss of these heroes, grateful that individuals of such valor chose to serve among us.”  

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David H. Berger issued the following statement: 

“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we learned several Marines and other service members were killed and wounded in the Kabul attacks today. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families as they are notified of this devastating loss.   

“These fallen heroes answered the call to go into harm’s way to do the honorable work of helping others. We are proud of their service and deeply saddened by their loss. As we mourn, we also keep those who are still over there protecting Americans and our Afghan partners at the forefront of our thoughts. Our Marines will continue the mission, carrying on our Corps’ legacy of always standing ready to meet the challenges of every extraordinary task our Nation requires of her Marines.      

“I am continually humbled by the courage and warrior spirit exhibited every day by Marines across the globe. The sacrifices Marines make on behalf of freedom must never go unnoticed or unappreciated. I ask that you keep these Marines and service members, and especially their families, in your thoughts and prayers.”