Surface Warfare Magazine - Winter 2016

Winter 2015Issue 49Surface

Warfare

2014 Russel Egnor Navy Media Award Winner

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Cover: A Standard Missile 2 is fired from tthe guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110). Photo by Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Alexis Tincoff

AuthorizationSurface 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.

CharterSurface 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:

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Contact:Surface Warfare Magazine

Commander, Naval Surface Force,U.S. Pacific Fleet

Public Affairs Office, N01P 2841 Rendova Road

San Diego, CA 92155Phone: (619) 437-2735

Man. Train. Equip.

Surface Warfare

Magazine

Commander, Naval Surface Force

Public Affairs Officer

Editorial Advisor

Executive Editor

Managing Editor, Layout and Design

Layout and Design

Staff

Vice Adm. Tom Rowden

Cmdr. Tamsen Reese

Lt. Rebecca Haggard

MCCS Michael Mitchell

MC1 Trevor Welsh

MC2 Phil LadouceurMC2 Zachary Bell

Mr. Nicholas Groesch

SURFACE WARFARE WINTER 2015

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Contents

3 • Commander's Corner

Featured Article

5 • Providing the Training and Education Foundation That Supports Distributed Lethality

Personnel Readiness

9 • Navy Kicks Off New Tours with Industry Program

10 • SWO Career Changes

11 • Creating Competence, Confidence, and Credibility Among the Surface Warfighters

13 • Richardson Addresses Naval War College on Importance of Education

13 • MCPON Speaks at Naval Academy, Makes History

Combat Readiness

15 • SMWDC, Expeditionary Forces Protect the Homeland During Mine Warfare Exercise

18 • Multi-National Exercise Solidifies Partnerships and Amphibious Readiness

21 • USS Ross Successfully Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target During Coalition Test

23 • USS Fort Worth Completes First CARAT Exercise with Bangladesh Navy

24 • USS Wayne E. Meyer Hosts U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen

25 • USS Coronado Conducts Live Fire Testing

25 • NSWC Philadelphia Command Stands Up

Material Readiness

27 • USS Cowpens Holds Cruiser Modernization Induction

29 • Future Changes in Maintenance System Designed to Reduce Burden on Sailors

31 • NAVSSES Reaches Milestone for DDG 51 Machinery Control System Process

32 • The Future of 3-M Inspections

33 • Navy Set to Install Hybrid Electric Drives in Destroyer Fleet Staring Next Year

Heritage & Recognition

35 • USS William P. Lawrence Honors Fallen with 9/11 Memorial Ceremony

36 • Oliver Hazard Perry Class Sails into Naval History

39 • Prisoner of War Speaks on Eight Years in Captivity

42 • Navy's First Mrs. Sybil Stockdale Ombudsman of the Year Award Recipients Announced

Blogging From the Fleet

43 • SWO Students at Naval Postgraduate School Prepare for, Create the Future

Command Changes

If it Floats, it Fights.

WWW.PUBLIC.NAVY.MIL/SURFOR

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Many of you will read this issue just before, during,

or immediately after the January 2016 Surface Navy Symposium. A time when we come together as a community to review the recent past and to think together about the future, not to mention renewing ties with shipmates and seeing examples of the truly eye-watering technology our industry partners are developing. To say that I am excited about SNA 2016 is an understatement and I look forward to another great event. Please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself if you catch me between conversations.

However, before SNA comes the holidays, and by the time you read this I will have had the absolute thrill of visiting ships and crews in the 5th and 6th Fleet AORs over Thanksgiving. I wanted to personally tell them know how much I value the sacrifice that they and their families make every day, but especially at this time of year. I’ve made it clear from the day I took command of the Surface Force that I work for the ships, and on these visits I hope to get a better sense of how we are doing where the rubber meets the road. What the Surface Force is doing in the areas of our nation’s vital interests is crucial to protecting and sustaining America’s national security and prosperity, and as the world seems to become more and more unpredictable, the powerful presence of the Surface Navy continues to grow in importance.

More powerful presence sums up what I want you to take away from this edition of the Commander’s Corner. By now most of you have

Commander's Corner

Photo by MC2 Zachary Bell


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Editorial by

Commander, Naval Surface Force

Vice Adm. Tom Rowden

for 2016 in terms of exercises, experiments, and employment. And while I won’t steal my own SNA speech thunder by revealing everything here, we’ll be deploying a three ship “Distributed Lethality” Surface Action Group (SAG) this year. It will, among other things, teach us a great deal about things like distributed logistics, communications in a satellite denied environment, electronic maneuver warfare, and local networking.

A final area I am determined to make more progress in is working closely with the Marines in 2016 to optimize Distributed Lethality in expeditionary operations. The capability resident in the combination of force derived of the F-35B operating in tandem with Baseline 9 DDG’s, the coming Flight III DDG, and the DDG 1000—creates a world of new possibilities for the Joint Force Maritime Component Commander. Packaging and employing a lethal brand of naval power extends our reach and forecloses adversary options, on, under, over, and next to the seas.

heard of our Distributed Lethality initiative—an approach to organizing, training, equipping and fighting the Surface Force. It stresses an increase in individual unit lethality and innovative force packaging designed to present adversaries with a more complicated combat problem that stretches their ISR networks and dilutes their available weapons stocks. I laid out a vision of Distributed Lethality at SNA 2015, and we’ve been busy throughout the year doing the hard work of creating a compelling narrative, analyzing the benefits, assessing the risks, and reporting our findings to senior decision-makers and warfighting commanders. There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for the concept. The presence now of hard, analytical data to support our suppositions of a year ago is having an impact on how the Surface Force will contribute in the future. Our combatant commanders will have greater offensive capability and more options when Distributed Lethality is fully implemented.

As excited as we are about supporting data, we are even more excited about what we have planned

We accomplished quite a bit in 2015, but there is a good bit left to do. Specifically, while the general concept of Distributed Lethality appears to have gained wide acceptance, we need to better understand how much is “enough.” How lethal? How distributed? How can this more lethal and distributed force be logistically supported by a force that is inclined to a more aggregated posture? How can this distributed force maximize its use of inorganic and often space-based sensors for targeting and surveillance? How can we improve organic ISR capabilities to supplement Strike Group ISR and land-based capabilities? How can future surface combatants be designed and built from the keel up to ensure they can meaningfully contribute throughout their service lives to this emerging fleet design?

You can see—there’s a lot to be done. But I am convinced that there is no better group of people to get answers to these questions than the men and women of the Surface Force and I am proud to count myself among you.

See you at SNA! *

COMMANDER'S CORNER

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qualify as Surface Warfare Officers. Budget plans are in place to add a ninth week to BDOC in Fiscal Year 2017. This solid foundation is reinforced during the Advanced Division Officer Course (ADOC), a four week course taught in Newport prior to a conventional SWO’s second division officer tour. (Nuclear Power SWOs proceed to prototype training and their first nuclear tour.) ADOC is not a billet specialty course; it is our community’s commitment to continued professional development. ADOC bolsters and deepens the fundamental SWO knowledge in our Division Officers and helps reinvigorate basic SWO Core Competencies that are universal in our profession. Budget plans are in place to add a fifth week to ADOC in Fiscal Year 2017. In addition to these SWOS courses, junior officers may also

Providing the Training and Education Foundation That Supports Distributed Lethality

improve SWO recruiting and retention, and increase selectivity in the department head screening process offer great promise for continued improvement. SWOS must continue to adapt to keep pace with these initiatives.

The SWO training continuum and building block approach enables our community to initially develop and later hone the knowledge and skills necessary in our profession. The seed is planted at the Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC), taught in Norfolk and San Diego. The entire focus of this eight week course is to set up Ensigns for success during their initial sea tour. They are taught division officer management, leadership, shiphandling and navigation, maritime warfare, and material readiness fundamentals. The goal is for Ensigns to quickly assimilate to their ship and first tour assignments, and enable them to

Within the past two years the Surface Warfare Officers

School (SWOS) has completed implementation of a comprehensive professional training continuum for the Surface Warfare Officer community. Surface Warfare Officers now attend formal schoolhouse training at SWOS prior to every milestone sea tour from first tour division officer through major command. Beyond this, SWOS has worked in collaboration with the Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) and the Navy Surface and Mine Warfare Development Center (NSWDC) with guidance from community leadership to refine and expand this block approach to build competence and confidence among our Officers. Work is by no means complete. Initiatives to expand billet specialty training, introduce Warfare Tactics Instructors to the podium, overhaul warfare doctrine,

Capt. David A.Welch

Story by

Surface Warfare Officer School

Photo by MC3 Jonathan Jiang


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Continued on next page

receive billet specialty training for their specific first or second division officer assignment. This block approach provides our Division Officers with the right training at the right time, and provides them with the confidence and competence to perform their duties.

Fleet feedback has been very positive for both of these courses, and we have already reached the point where every ADOC student is a BDOC product. This trend will

continue and in approximately three to four years, every Department Head School student will be a BDOC and ADOC graduate. With a solid foundation now in place, the Surface community is better postured to develop an Officer Corps which possesses more technical and increased tactical proficiency as they return to SWOS for the Department Head Course and ultimately return to sea in pivotal roles as Department Heads.

SWOS must be prepared with a revised and improved Department Head curriculum to match this trend. SWOS will take advantage of Warfighting Tactics Instructors (WTIs) filling “production billets” at SWOS and will maximize post Commander Command talent assigned to SWOS to ensure wholeness and relevance of material within each warfare domain. In the next few years we plan to introduce

Photo by MC2 Christian Senyk

Photo by MC3 Jonathan Jiang

Photo by MC2 Kevin V. Cunningham

FEATURED ARTICLE

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Continued from previous page

a nuanced shift in our approach to training officers, and a greater understanding of foundational material will be expected of individual students. In other words, the SWOS department head course and command courses will provide more assigned reading and will assume an increased level of understanding of Navy instructions, capabilities and limitations. The course itself will increase in complexity with a drive to a long term goal of producing officers at the command level who have mastered SWO core competencies: warfighters, tacticians, leaders, ship-drivers, and material readiness and personnel managers.

This comprehensive training continuum has been built with the end-state goal in mind of elevating our community’s warfighting capability through advanced tactical thought and execution using the latest technology and the most qualified instructors in the schoolhouse. We must produce commanding officers who are wholly grounded in advanced warfighting and tactics; this represents a return to our roots, with the CO as the ship’s number one warfighter. Raising the bar, particularly at the junior levels, has forced SWOS to re-evaluate how we train at mid-grade and senior levels in order to improve upon the skills that our current junior officers have developed. As we move forward, we must retain an agile, innovative and relevant training organization, that relies upon improved, detailed curriculum and learning initiatives that produces competent warfighters. This requires SWOS to evolve the current curriculum, support a wide array of individual learning strategies, and better utilize specific and targeted application of technology.

Short term improvements include infusing elements of cyber security across the training continuum as well as developing and leveraging curriculum in support of the Planning and Tactics Officer.

As a community, we must build shipboard Subject Matter Experts on the Navy’s Operational Planning Process, and must weave the principles of Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief (PBED) into every aspect of formal training. This will enable ships to have a mature deliberate planning process and solid tactical training program.

We must continue to strive for the right balance of learning strategies. Today the preponderance officer curriculums are instructor-led training. While this training has its place, we realize that it is only one way that an individual learns. SWOS continues to shift towards a blended solution that combines required reading, computer based training, instructor lead training, specific and targeted application of intelligent tutoring systems, practical exercises, facilitated discussions, high-fidelity physics based simulations, practical

assessments and examinations. Our goal is to provide a learning environment that supports a myriad of individual learning strategies that builds and then maintains a relevant foundation of SWO warfighting excellence.

Training and education must continue to evolve to ensure they provide relevant material, prepare officers for the challenging assignments afloat, and maintain the core competencies of our community. A center piece of distributed lethality requires that we shift away from the decades old SWO paradigm of purely defensive operations. In order to act offensively, we must have a solid educational foundation that enables all SWOs to not just understand tactics and doctrine, but to be able to plan effectively and think tactically. *

Photo by MC1 Frank Lynn Andrews

Photo by Lt. Matthew Comer


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Man. Train. Equip.

SHANGHAI (Nov. 16, 2015) Logistics Specialist 1st Class Redentor Jimenez mans the rails as the forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) enters Shanghai for a scheduled port visit. Stethem is in Shanghai to build relationships with the PLA Navy and demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin V. Cunningham)

PERSONNEL READINESS

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Navy Kicks Off New Tours with Industry Program

The Navy kicked off a new program Oct. 5, designed

to give high performing officers and Sailors experience at large corporations for approximately one year. Three participants began work today with Amazon in Seattle, Washington, and two with FedEx, in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of program's first cohort.

As Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus first announced in his May 2015 speech at the Naval Academy, this program is designed give our Sailors exposure to leading-edge business practices, techniques, and technologies with the competitiveness of the corporate business cycle.

"This program is a win-win for both the Navy and corporate America," said Chief of Naval

FromChief of Naval

Personnel Public Affairs

Personnel, Vice Adm. Bill Moran. "We need Sailors in our Navy who think differently and aren't afraid to challenge the status quo. This program will help our folks learn different problem-solving approaches, leadership styles and business models that they can bring back to the Navy. It will also provide a unique opportunity for Sailors and civilians to interact, and hopefully inspire others to serve their country."

The Navy's five participants were selected by their community leaders, and while assigned to Amazon and FedEx, they will work as normal employees of each company.

"We are proud to partner with the Navy in launching this program and are excited to learn from the officers during their time at Amazon," said Dave Niekerk, an Army veteran and Culture & Engagement Leader at

Amazon. "We know our company and customers will benefit from their contributions, as we do from all Amazonians with military experiences. These officers working on daily process improvements and solving complex problems will have the opportunity to make quick assessments, implement plans and drive them to completion."

Shannon A. Brown, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Express, expressed similar sentiments.

"FedEx is tremendously proud of our long association with all branches of the U.S. Military, and we look forward to working with Cmdr. Rice and Cmdr. Finley," she said. "We will do our best to make their FedEx experience beneficial, and we will undoubtedly learn much from them as well."

SWO Career OpportunitiesSURFACE WARFARE WINTER 2015

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Next year, the Navy is working to expand the program to 10-15 officers and 10-15 enlisted per year. The program is open to officers O-3 and above with greater than five years of service and who have completed their first operational tour, as well as to enlisted E-6 and above.

Sailors participating in the program will remain on Active Duty with the Navy paying all of their salary and benefits. Following their industry tour, Sailors will work with their community detailer to receive a special assignment known as a utilization tour where their new skills will be put to best use by the Navy.

Those participating as part of program's first cohort are:

Cmdr. Shane D. Rice is a Human Resources Officer stationed at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Mid-South, Tn. He is currently assigned as the Deputy Director, Production Management Office Bureau of Naval Personnel responsible for the integrated planning, production and execution of the Navy's Enlisted Supply chain. Cmdr. Rice will be assigned to FedEx.

Lt. Cmdr. Tenisha M. Finley is a Human Resources Officer stationed at NSA Mid-South, Tennesee. She is currently assigned as the Division Director, BUPERS-071, Information Management Office, Bureau of Naval Personnel responsible for the Financial Management and Capitol Planning and Navy and Marine Corps intranet branch. Lt. Cmdr. Finley will be assigned to FedEx.

Lt. Cmdr. Jared F. Loller is an EA-18G Growler pilot stationed at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. He is currently the Maintenance Officer at Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ ) 133. LT. Cmdr. Loller will be assigned to Amazon.

Lt. Niki Y. Elizondo is a second tour division officer aboard USS Dewey (DDG 105) out of Naval Base San Diego, California. She is the Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer. Lt. Elizondo will be assigned to Amazon.

Lt. William J. Hall is a second tour division officer aboard USS Shoup (DDG 86) home ported in Everett, Washington He is the Damage Control Assistant. Lt. Hall will be assigned to Amazon. *

Option-based, agile, flexible careers

Surface warfare officer (SWO) leadership is thinking differently and more creatively about their people and how to retain top talent. The SWO legacy career path has served well as a force, but the conveyor belt style associated with developing tomorrow’s leaders lacks inherent flexibility. In simple terms, this new approach affords officers the opportunity to chart their own course and determine how to best sequence sea duty and shore duty in a way that meets their needs and those of their families.

Increasing selectivity and rewarding superior performance

SWO leaders recognize that talented officers do not stay in the Navy for the money. Talented performers stay in surface warfare for the opportunity to make a difference, for service with meaning and impact, for challenge, and for the passion of serving with exceptional men and women at sea. The monetary bonus is not about paying a buck to stay in the Navy – it’s about paying attention to the best performers and rewarding them for what they do and who they are.

Sailor 2025 initiatives -- new tools for talent retention

Providing young officers with choice, flexibility and options through a restructured career path is important, but restructuring, alone, is inadequate. SWOs need additional tools to enhance and incentivize retention in a competitive market. Sailor 2025 focuses on several areas to retain the most talented and dedicated surface warfare officers:

- Develop warriors with advanced graduate education.

- Broaden opportunity through exposure to America’s top companies.

- Expand opportunities for career intermission.

- Reinforce our commitment to dual-military couples.

Investing in Warfighting Expertise

The mission is to fight and win at sea. To that end, the surface warfare community is embarked on the most expansive and robust warfighting training effort since the establishment of the all-volunteer force in the early 1970s. Through this continuum of education and training, the goal is to produce commanding officers who are wholly grounded in advanced warfighting and tactics; this approach represents a return to roots, with the captain as the ship’s number one warfighter.

Going on Offense: Recruiting the Next Generation

Reaching out across our great country to attract, recruit and retain young men and women is imperative for our continued success. In a war for talent, every avenue to maintain a competitive edge must be pursued. Targeted changes to the recruiting paradigm for the Surface Warfare community include a stronger “persistent presence” on social media outlets and a renewed emphasis on officer recruiter programs, Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps units and leveraging Naval Academy Blue and Gold Officers to reach deeply in the talent pool of young Americans and identify those who have what it takes to be Surface Warriors. *

In July 2015, surface warfare leadership made a strong commitment to embrace a career management model that shifts away from retaining the most willing officers, and focuses or retention of the most talented officers. Ultimately, our surface warfare leadership’s commitment to people is focused on retaining our most talented officers and growing leaders who can think, lead, operate and win in a variety of future environments.

Career ChangesFrom

Navy Personnel Command

SWOPERSONNEL READINESS

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Lt. j.g. Jessica Kellogg

Story by

Surface Force Atlantic Public Affairs

time to time, but the surface fleet is designed to be capable of much more – these ships were designed for multifaceted and complex air, surface and anti-submarine warfare against a sophisticated enemy.

To counter this, the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC ) opened in June 2015. SMWDC is similar to the famous TOPGUN school for the Navy’s elite pilots. SMWDC is on a mission to take the most tactically hungry junior Surface Warfare Officers (SWO) and provide them with advanced tactics training and education. These newly designated

Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTI) will return to the fleet to spread updated knowledge and war fighting capability as a form of distributed lethality.

“It’s time to shift the rudder,” said Rear Adm. Jim Kilby, SMWDC’s commanding officer, while talking to a group of officers aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). “Right now we’re good at the inspections and evaluations, but we need to shift the emphasis to training.”

WTIs will specialize in one of three mission areas: Amphibious Warfare, Integrated Air and

Tactical Excellence by Design

Creating competence, confidence, and credibility among the surface warfighters

The adage “use it or lose it” has long been applied to physical

and mental skills; however, it is just as applicable to the Navy’s warfighting capability. After 15 years of ground war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the surface Navy has been primarily relegated to the background, a very different role than it saw in the sea battles of World War II.

In recent years, top surface leaders have voiced concerns about naval war fighting becoming a lost talent. Tomahawk missile strikes, like those launched in late 2014 against Daesh, cross the headlines from

U.S. Navy Photo


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Missile Defense (IAMD), or Anti-submarine and Surface Warfare (ASW/SuW). They will attend a five-week baseline school, followed by 12-19 weeks of mission-specific training, ensuring the same level of competence, confidence and credibility between each of the specialties.

“There’s going to be attrition, not everyone will get a trophy,” explained Kilby. “But that’s a good thing; WTIs will know they truly accomplished something.”

When WTIs return to the fleet, they will be easily recognizable, not only by their knowledge and expertise, but by a special patch they will wear on their uniforms. This too was modeled after TOPGUN’s method of adding prestige and visibility to the most elite fighter pilots. The “patch wearers” will be a cadre of tactical rock stars within the SWO community; easily accessible subject matter experts able to transform the watch team and wardroom’s combat potential into combat power.

Much like scouts from a professional sports team, Kilby and his team are on a campaign to go ship-by-ship to identify the best junior officers to fill the 100 seats they plan to graduate annually from SMWDC to meet their goal of one WTI on every ship and at every command. Eventually, 20% of officers will become WTIs after their division officer tours. Additionally, ten percent of WTIs will come from the Limited Duty Officer program.

“It’s like saving money - you invest, probably without thinking about it,” said Kilby. “We’re doing the same thing: the best place to invest is in our people, so we pay ourselves first, budget time to do it and put the necessary people and resources toward our success.”

It’s not just the senior leadership that has seen the need for WTIs. Junior officers are excited about this new opportunity as well. By attending SMWDC after their second division officer tour, junior

officers have the opportunity to learn a specialized trade, allowing them to truly achieve mastery of their specialty, and retain greater control over their career path.

“SWO life is all about being a ‘ jack-of-all-trades, master of none,’” explained Ensign Roy Bliss, the assistant admininstration officer aboard Wasp. “Through this program we can really delve deep into something we enjoy, and become subject matter experts.”

Other junior officers, such as Lt. j. g. Jonathan Clark, 1st Division officer aboard San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), see the excitement in the possibility to get first hand tactical experience.

“It’s pretty unique,” said Clark. “On the traditional SWO path, as first and second tour division officer, we don’t really get the tactical experience so many of us join for, but this program gets us that training and experience. I think it will be a really good thing.”

SMWDC is also addressing concerns about the ship’s maintenance and training cycle in preparation for deployments.

With the current schedule, any unexpected delay can cause ships to enter the integrated phase without having fully completed the basic underway training phase. To better bridge the gap between the two phases and give strike groups a jumpstart on working together as a group, SMWDC has introduced Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training. SWATT is a 3 week program of simulator and real-world training.

During work-ups on a ship, “…it was like I went from 3 miles per hour to 10 miles per hour on the treadmill, and the crew was running to keep up,” said Kilby. “I want to dampen that curve, so crews are walking before we start running.”

In a world full of strife and uncertainty, the WTI program keeps warfighting first. From Ensign to Captain, SWOs will have access to relevant and cutting edge tactics and training designed to insure they are a capable and lethal force.

"This has been a long time coming for our community," said Kilby. "This is an exciting time to be a surface warfare officer." *

Photo by MC2 Kevin V. Cunningham

PERSONNEL READINESS

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MC1 Marty Carey

Story by

Office of the MCPON

"Make no mistake about it: this journey you have embarked upon will be challenging. It will test you. You will have doubts and at times you will be tempted to quit," said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens. "It is OK to have those thoughts, but it's what you do with those thoughts that will guide you toward your goal of becoming a naval officer."

Stevens, the first MCPON to speak at the Academy, delivered his speech to more than 1,100 plebes of the United States Naval Academy's Class of 2019, marking the beginning of their four-year academic tour.

MCPON shared a personal story about a time when he faced adversity in his career, and encouraged the future naval officers to dig deep inside themselves when they face adversity.

"I made the decision that failure was not an option. I applied the level of effort that was necessary, and ultimately passed the course with flying colors," said Stevens. "It was what I learned from that experience, and others just like it, that has helped me throughout my career."

Stevens shared his perspective on how to be an overall healthy, well-rounded Sailor.

"Something that I share with all my Sailors, is to be fit.

MCPON Speaks at Naval Academy, Makes HistoryNot just fit in the sense of physical exercise, but that you must be spiritually, physically, morally, and mentally fit," he said. "What these things mean to each of you will vary, but I encourage you to be as fit as possible every day."

He continued, "I also ask that you remember to control those things which you own. There will be many things you do not have control over like reveille, academic standards, and injuries. You can't control these things because, simply put, they are out of your hands," Stevens said. "What you must focus on, is controlling those things that only you own. This includes your integrity, honesty, accountability, and treating one another with dignity and respect."

"Finally, remember to make every day your masterpiece," said MCPON. "Attitude is everything. Each morning when you wake up it is a new day, so have a positive attitude, and when you step out - step boldly. Embrace the challenges you will face.

Class of 2019 is one of the most diverse in all of the Academy's history, boasting 27% women, 36% minorities, 12 international students, 61 former enlisted, and candidates from all fifty states, including the Virgin Islands, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. *

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson

held an all hands call at U.S. Naval War College (NWC), Oct. 5, where he discussed the importance of the institution and its role in helping plot the Navy's course.

He also reminded students that what happens while they are students here - both in and out of the classroom - can change the trajectory of their careers and lives.

"It is almost a magical place. And certainly you're going to get a world class education. There is no doubt about that," said Richardson. "Even more important, you're going to forge strategic relationships with one another within our Navy, with current and future leaders of other navies, with the best thinkers in the United States and the world."

"This is a bright strategic star in

CNO Addresses Naval War College on Importance of Education

the constellations of institutions," he stressed.

Richardson said that the early visit, just three weeks into his tenure, was intended to make a statement on how highly he regards the school and the work it is doing.

"I wanted to send a message first and foremost to all of you, how much I value this special place in our Navy. And how much I value each of you here in this room, both students and faculty," Richardson said to a packed auditorium.

The world is changing quickly and historically NWC has adapted seamlessly to the changing nature of security, according to Richardson. But the work at NWC reaches further than that.

"You go well beyond adapting," said Richardson. "You actually define the future security

environment in so many ways. The thinking that emerges out of the Naval War College has, throughout our Navy's history, not only adapted but projected what will be our future."

According to Richardson, that ability is a vital tool considering the current world situation.

"I can't think of any time where that will be more important than right now," he said. "We are in a highly dynamic situation, and at no time has it been more important to get out in front and map our course into the future."

Richardson, who took office Sept. 18, is the 31st CNO and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982 with a bachelor's of science degree in physics. He holds master's degrees from the National War College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. *

Story by Daniel L.

KuesterU.S. Naval War

College Public Affairs


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Man. Train. Equip.

PHILIPPINE SEA (Nov. 12, 2015) Ens. Andrew Beeler, from Port Huron, Mich., assigned to the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), calls away an engineering casualty over the ship’s announcement system during an engineering training team drill aboard the ship. Chancellorsville is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operation in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Raymond D. Diaz III)

COMBAT READINESS

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There is an age-old military proverb: “train how you

fight and fight how you train”. The Mine Warfare (MIW) staff of the new Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) embodied this adage during a homeland defense exercise to ensure American ports remain free of mine threats, Oct. 26 – Nov. 6.

SMWDC’s MIW Battle Staff employed Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCMRON) 3 and other commands to conduct a bicoastal defense effort to locate and remove simulated underwater explosives. Among those commands were: Mine Countermeasures Division 31, amphibious transport dock

ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), mine countermeasures ship USS Champion (MCM 4), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 1, 2, 11, and 12, Naval Oceanography and Mine Warfare Command (NOMWC), Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), and a pair of U.S. Coast Guard sectors.

SMWDC’s engagement in the Field Training Exercise (FTX) improved operational readiness -- specifically by ensuring that participating MIW units were equipped with the skills needed to defend the homeland in support of the Maritime Operational Threat Response Plan.

“We demonstrated the ability

to command and control mine countermeasure (MCM) operations in multiple U.S. ports – on the East and West Coast,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Baughman, vice commander of SMWDC’s Mine Warfare Task Force. “The MCM forces were able to successfully search, locate and clear exercise mine threats, and report that information back to military leaders.”

Baughman and his staff developed a plan to counter suspected mining in the homeland by organizing subordinate MCM forces – then executed a responsive action to simulated mining scenarios. The San Diego-based staff “coordinated with local authorities,” Baughman said, to combat threats in three

FromSMWDC Public

Affairs and ESG- 3 Public Affairs

SMWDC, Expeditionary Forces Protect the Homeland during Mine Warfare Exercise

U.S. Navy photo


16

areas: Colts Neck, New Jersey; Puget Sound, Washington; and Seal Beach, California.

One of the Navy’s newest ships, USS Somerset, supported the Southern California portion of the drill by acting as the Afloat Forward Staging Base. Multiple EODMU platoons supported the West Coast – from sunny SOCAL, to the chilly waters of Washington – with Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), EOD MCM divers, and unmanned vehicles.

“An 80-person team was able to successfully search and clear nearly 350 nautical miles, detect 75 mine-like objects, and neutralize 20 [simulated] mines in eight days,” said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher P. Kent, EODMU 2’s executive officer. “This training offered an ideal opportunity to exercise multiple underwater mine countermeasure capabilities (UMCM) in a challenging environment. Our MCM adaptive force package consisted of unmanned underwater vehicles, an expeditionary MCM company, and a command and control element sourced by us, EODMU 12, SPAWAR and NOMWC.”

Commissioned just three years ago, Somerset and its crew embraced SMWDC and its subordinate MCM Forces. The Navy’s latest amphibious transport dock ship was exposed to a rare opportunity to participate in real-time expeditionary threat scenarios.

"It was an honor to for us,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Lennie Reed, Somerset’s commanding officer. “The crew was excited to execute in an uncommon warfare area for amphibious ships. The technology and assets for combating mine threats are truly advanced; and demonstrating strong communication and interoperability between Somerset crew, SMWDC, and EODMU 2 showcased the Navy's flexibility in neutralizing unconventional threats in support of homeland security."

This mine warfare exercise was an integrated training and annual assessment event for SMWDC’s MIW Battle Staff, MCMRON 3,

and EODMU 2. The annual drill was a collective defense effort that also included U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Commander, U.S. Third Fleet, and the U.S. Coast Guard (sectors Los Angeles and Seattle).

The U.S. Navy plays a vital role in protecting global shipping -- hence why an effectively trained and forward-deployed naval force is America’s single greatest guardian of unimpeded maritime commerce. The two-week MIW FTX demonstrated that the Navy’s mine warfare team is equipped to “fight how it trains”, and is ready to protect U.S. coastal region and ports against any subsurface improvised explosive devices.

“I’m extremely proud of the performance of the MIW force, particularly the manner in which they integrated seamlessly into a cohesive team,” said Rear Adm. Jim Kilby, commander, SMWDC headquarters (HQ ). “The Point Loma team did an amazing job; I look forward to us continuing to build on their subject matter expertise and capabilities as we move forward.”

SMWDC’s MIW staff, located

in Point Loma (sector of San Diego), is a division of SMWDC (HQ ), a new command activated at Naval Base San Diego, June 9, 2015. Supported by U.S. Naval Surface Forces Pacific, the one-star command is responsible for increasing the tactical proficiency of the surface and mine warfare communities through the creation of warfare doctrine, underway assessment exercises and Warfare Tactics Instructors. *

Photo by MC1 Vladimir Ramos

COMBAT READINESS

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Dawn 2015

Blitz

Photo by MC3 Veronica Mammina


18

Multi-National Exercise Solidifies Partnerships and Amphibious Readiness

Naval, ground and aviation forces from the United States, Japan,

Mexico and New Zealand departed Naval Base San Diego Aug. 31, to participate in exercise Dawn Blitz 2015 (DB-15) off the coast and ashore at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Training Center 29 Palms, California, through Sept. 9.

DB-15 is a scenario-driven biennial exercise that develops U.S. and coalition operational interoperability, and is designed to train the participants in operations expected of an amphibious task force.

The exercise tested staffs in the planning and execution of amphibious operations in a series of live training events at sea, in the air and ashore.

“The world that we live in today is unpredictable,” said Rear Adm. Daniel H. Fillion, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Three. “That is why multi-lateral exercises like Dawn Blitz are crucial in order to train for a diverse range of mission sets, including humanitarian relief and crisis response.”

Units from U.S. Third Fleet and I Marine Expeditionary Force utilized the latest technologies and live exercises to accomplish DB-15 training objectives. The exercise involved an amphibious landing, live-fire opportunities, and Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) training and sea-basing operations.

DB-15 promoted interoperability and cooperation between joint, coalition, and U.S. Forces, by providing the opportunity to exchange knowledge and learn from each other, establish personal and

FromI Marine Expeditionary Force

Continued on page 20

COMBAT READINESS

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“I saw our partnerships strengthen through rigorous planning, preparation and

execution of the numerous amphibious landing scenarios we conducted… I look forward to future training opportunities

with our partners, and I continue to be impressed with their resilience, aptitude,

professionalism and ability to adapt to complex situations. The movement from sea

to land is not a simple maneuver..." -Rear Adm. Fillion




20

global crisis response expected of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

“As we train today at sea and ashore, make no mistake, our men and women in uniform are motivated and eager to become the best warfighters they can be to support and defend this great Nation,” said Berger.

Ships that participated in DB-15 include USS Boxer (LHD 4), USS New Orleans (LPD 18), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), USS Somerset (LPD 25), SS Curtis (T-AVB 4), USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), and USS Shoup (DDG 86); Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships JS Hyuga (DDH 181), JS Kunisaki (LST 4003), and JS Ashigara (DDG 178); and Mexican Navy Ships ARM Usumacinta (A 412) and ARM Revolucion (P 164). *

professional relationships and hone individual and small-unit skills through challenging, complex and realistic live scenarios with special focus on building combat power ashore.

“It has been amazing here this morning and for the past two weeks,” said Lt. Gen. David H. Berger, commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force. “It was great being able to see our Marines and sailors work alongside coalition partners that we train with regularly, broadening our perspective and learning what it takes to be an expeditionary Naval force in readiness.”

The exercise is one of a series of amphibious training events on both coasts of the U.S. Exercises like DB-15 provide realistic, relevant training necessary for effective

Photo by MC2 Ryan Riley

Continued from page 18

COMBAT READINESS

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USS Ross Successfully Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target During Coalition Test

FromU.S. Naval Forces

Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public

Affairs

USS Ross (DDG 71) successfully intercepted a ballistic missile in the North Atlantic Ocean

during the Maritime Theater Missile Defense (MTMD) Forum's at-Sea Demonstration (ASD) Oct. 20, 2015.

This is first time a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IA guided interceptor was fired on a non-U.S. range and the first intercept of a ballistic missile threat in the European theater.

ASD-15 is a U.K.-hosted, U.S.-facilitated, multi-national demonstration of coalition Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability.

For the scenario, a short-range Terrier Orion ballistic missile target was launched from Hebrides Range and was in flight simultaneously with two anti-ship cruise missiles fired at the coalition task group. Ross fired a SM-3 and successfully engaged the ballistic missile target in space. In its air defense role, USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) fired a SM-2, which is the first time a SM-2 was fired on the Hebrides Range.

Adm. Mark Ferguson, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, made the following statement:

"Today, nine member nations of the Maritime Theater Missile Defense Forum, under the auspices of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, successfully conducted the simultaneous engagement of a ballistic missile

in space and an anti-ship cruise missile target, the first demonstration of this capability in the European theater. I want to congratulate the men and women whose forethought, detailed preparation and operational planning ensured the success of this important exercise.

"The execution of the live-fire exercise is a clear demonstration of the forum's ability to safely conduct effective coalition sea-based defense against simultaneous anti-ship and ballistic missile threats within an operational scenario.

"I am particularly proud of the performance of the USS Ross (DDG 71), based in Rota, Spain. Ross conducted, in a flawless fashion, the exo-atmospheric ballistic missile intercept in the European theater, based on data provided by an allied ship. This exercise demonstrates the commitment of the United States to the defense of Europe through our Aegis ships and our shore station in Romania, as well as the professional performance of our allied Sailors.

"This achievement also highlights the enduring value of our MTMD Forum member nations - Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom-and demonstrates the interoperability of allied navies to conduct integrated air and missile defense." *

Integrated Air & Missile Defense At-Sea Demonstration


22

The MTMD Forum member nations are Australia, Canada, France, Germany,

Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States.

The tactical data link used in ASD-15 covers over 5.7 million square miles.

The Maritime Theater Missile Defense forum was established in 1999 as a co-operative body

for participating navies to develop improved cooperation and promote interoperability in sea-based missile defense.

Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) is a process by

which coalition ships and aircraft share information with each other

to better defend themselves and coalition related assets against

ballistic missile attacks.

Did You Know?

Photo by MC2 Justin Stumberg

COMBAT READINESS

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The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) completed

its first Cooperation Afloat Readiness And Training (CARAT) exercise with Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal, Oct. 3.

CARAT Bangladesh 2015 is a tangible representation of the continued U.S. commitment to our security partnership and our commitment to peace, prosperity, and security in South Asia.

"The sea phase of CARAT Bangladesh was short but filled with a large number of naval warfighting core competencies that advanced our navies' interoperability," said Cmdr. Christopher Brown, commanding officer of Fort Worth. "Fort Worth once again proved to be an ideal platform to interact with our Bangladesh Navy partners given our size, displacement, armament,

and capabilities - true hull-to-hull partners."

Since the initial CARAT Bangladesh in 2011, steady progress has been made in increasing the complexity and scope of the bilateral engagement. The 2015 sea phase consisted of several highly complex surface warfare exercises, small boat operations, and deck landing qualifications.

"We conducted night DLQ's [Deck Landing Qualifications] with the Bangladesh flight crew observing from the helicopter tower in order to explain to them our procedures for safely landing on the ship at night," said Lt. Michael Chertude, operations officer assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35, Detachment 3, currently embarked on Fort Worth. "This

USS Fort Worth completes first CARAT exercise with Bangladesh navy

MC2 Joe BishopStory by

Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

experience will hopefully enable the Bangladesh Naval Aviation community to develop their own techniques and procedures for safely conducting night landings onboard their own ships."

No two phases of CARAT are alike. Shore and afloat training events vary in scale, duration and complexity based on host-nation capabilities, U.S. asset availability and mutual training goals coordinated during two multiple-day planning sessions several months before exercise commencement.

"Both Fort Worth and the Bangladesh warships successfully executed a live-firing exercise utilizing their main batteries and small caliber weapon systems to engage a deployed target through a series of firing runs," said Lt. Brett Ringo, combat systems officer aboard Fort Worth. "These interactions continue to strengthen our partnership and joint interoperability, which forges a strong bond between our two navies."

The exercise also helps to build people-to-people relationships through social events, community service projects and professional exchanges.

"It was an awesome experience that was very informative and educational," said Lt. Cmdr. Azizul Hakim, a helicopter pilot with the Bangladesh Navy, who participated in the professional exchanges. "It will help us with our forthcoming deck landing training immensely."

The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability and prevent conflict. *

CARAT exercises develop cooperative maritime security capabilities that

support security and stability in South and Southeast Asia. These are regions

that depend on the free flow of commerce through vital sea-lanes that connect

them to the global economy.

Did You Know?

Photo by MC2 George Bell


24

USS Wayne E. Meyer

The crew of the guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E.

Meyer (DDG 108) hosted a group of midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy for an underway evolution off the coast of San Diego, July 28.

The ship departed from Naval Base San Diego with the midshipmen on board as part of the Professional Training of Midshipmen (PROTRAMID) summer training evolution.

PROTRAMID is an event that allows the officer candidates to experience a variety of communities into which they can eventually earn a commission. Their visit to the Wayne E. Meyer was scheduled as a part of their introduction to the surface warfare community.

Cmdr. Adam Fleming, commanding officer of Wayne E. Meyer, said he encouraged the midshipmen to make the most of their time on board.

"This is a great ship with a crew of

Hosts U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen

great Sailors," said Fleming. "They are ready and eager to answer any questions you may have and teach you as much as possible today."

The midshipmen participated in a series of shipboard familiarization evolutions including damage control exercises, a tour of the ship, observation of shipboard maneuvering, and small-arms firing.

"The full-power demonstrations were really impressive," said Midshipman Second Class Chanin Cooley. "We had a really great time

Lt. j.g. Brigid Byrne

Story by

USS Wayne E. Meyer Public Affairs

with the officers and crew of Wayne E. Meyer!"

Meyer was named after the late Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer, who is regarded as the "Father of Aegis" for his service as the AEGIS Weapons System Manager and later his development of the AEGIS Shipbuilding Project Office.

The crew of Wayne E. Meyer is currently taking part in certification evolutions as part of the ship's basic phase of training in preparation for future deployments. *

Photos by MC3 Patrick Dionne

COMBAT READINESS

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and women from Carderock and Philadelphia, both past and present, have proudly worked together, side-by-side," said Dr. Tim Arcano, NSWC Carderock Division technical director.

Arcano will serve as the temporary NSWC Philadelphia Division technical director until a permanent one is named.

"We will continue to work together in building and sustaining the world's greatest Navy," said Arcano,

Overall, the NAVSEA Warfare Centers represent approximately 30 percent of the Navy's engineering and scientific expertise and provide "full spectrum" technical advice and solutions to Navy program offices across multiple portfolios and in multiple warfare areas. *

NSWC Philadelphia Command Stands Up

The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Philadelphia

Division stood up as a separate echelon four Division within NSWC, Oct. 1.

NSWC Philadelphia Division, formerly known as Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station (NAVSSES), was an echelon five command within NSWC Carderock Division.

"If we take a look back and view how much was accomplished over the past year, I think it's unprecedented," said NSWC Philadelphia Division Commanding Officer Capt. Walter Coppeans, III. "Keeping the day-to-day operations running while undergoing a large amount of organizational change in a relatively short time period is a testament to

USS Coronado (LCS 4) successfully tracked and

neutralized both single and multiple fast inshore attack craft during live-fire testing off the coast of California July 18-22.

The ship's crew and embarked surface warfare (SUW) mission package (MP) detachment conducted test events using the ship's core weapons system, the Mk 110 57mm gun, and the embarked SUW MP Mk 46 30mm gun weapon systems (GWS) against a "swarm raid" of representative fast inshore attack craft. In a swarm raid, multiple enemy ships attempt to attack a ship using large numbers of smaller craft.

The test validated the accuracy and capability of the ship's weapons systems against representative attack craft in an operationally realistic scenario. This test is part of a larger series of test and trial events which will culminate this fall in the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) of the Independence-variant LCS operating with a

which features six selectable modes of fire. The Mk 50 gun mission modules are designed to destroy enemy small boats by direct fire, complementing the ship's 57mm gun by covering a different attack range and angle. Enclosed in the MK 50 Mod 0 GMM structure, is the MK 44 Mod 2 30mm automatic gun in a MK 46 turret. The gun can be fired in single shot, five-round bursts, and unlimited length bursts at a rate of 200 rounds per minute. To optimize accuracy against small, high-speed targets, the gun system uses a forward-looking infrared sensor, a low light television camera, and laser range finder with a closed-loop tracking system.

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. *

everyone's skills, hard work and dedication. Philadelphia Division and Carderock Division will always work together collaborating to support the Fleet now and in the future."

NSWC Carderock Division will continue to focus on full spectrum ship design support for the Navy and NSWC Philadelphia Division will continue to focus on full spectrum machinery systems support, with a new emphasis on commonality and cybersecurity.

NSWC Philadelphia Division employs approximately 1,745 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians and support personnel and has more than 100 laboratories and test sites.

"For more than 23 years, our men

surface warfare mission package. IOT&E is a major developmental milestone for defense systems, confirming a system is operationally effective as designed and built. The Navy completed Freedom-variant testing last fall aboard USS Fort Worth (LCS 3).

"After extensive testing, the Mk 110 serves as a powerful deterrent capability in protection of both the USS Coronado's crew and those of her sister littoral combat ships," said the ship's commanding officer, Cmdr. Peter Kim. "The Mk 110 paired with the surface warfare mission package expands the ship's ability to defend against threats faced in a global environment and testing further proves these weapons systems are highly-capable and versatile against multiple representative fast [inshore] attack craft."

The Mk 110 is an adaptable weapons system capable of firing up to four rounds per second. The gun is also capable of using programmable, proximity-fuzed smart ammunition,

USS Coronado Conducts Live Fire TestingFrom

Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships

FromNSWC Philadelphia

Division Public Affairs and

Congressional Affairs


26

EQUIPSection

Man. Train. Equip.

SAN DIEGO (Nov. 12, 2015) Hull Technician 2nd Class Carissa Humphrey brazes a chilled water pipe aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). Brazing is a process that joins two or more metal items together using a filler metal. America is undergoing a post-shakedown availability (PSA) in which the ship’s crew and assigned contractors make improvements to the ship’s design. America’s PSA will pave the way for future America-class amphibious assault ships. (Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Somers Steelman)

MATERIAL READINESS

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USS Cowpens Holds Cruiser Modernization Induction

The guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) was

inducted as the first ship to undergo a modernization effort that will significantly upgrade its capabilities in multiple mission areas, Sept. 25, at Naval Base San Diego.

The CG Phased Modernization Program is designed to balance the Navy's long-term requirement for

MC2 Phillip LadouceurStory by

Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet

Public Affairs


28

was transferred from the authority of Rowden to Vice Adm. William Hilarides, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

"Today's ceremony marks the first step in extending the lives of our cruisers, and I'm excited to be a part of it," said Hilarides. "That excitement will only be matched when, after an exciting and challenging modernization, she returns to duty as part of our active fleet."

The modernization process will include major upgrades, including the Aegis weapon system with naval integrated fire control-counter air (NIFC-CA) capability, SPQ-9B multipurpose radar, electro-optical sight system, AN/SQQ-89A(V)-15 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) suite with multi-function towed array (MFTA) and significant hull mechanical and electrical (HM&E) upgrades.

"When she returns to the fleet, she will be fully modernized and capable of meeting and defeating any threat," said Rowden. "This is smart work."

Upon completion of the modernization, Cowpens will have a 29-year-old hull but the most modern and capable combat system available, and an extended life from 35 to 44 years.

"Admiral Hilarides will take custody of a ship that has been a powerhouse in the world's most

a carrier strike group air defense commander (ADC) platform and its future shipbuilding requirements.

"We are saving money, preserving force structure, and generating options for leadership," said Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

As part of the ceremony, Cowpens

powerful Navy and make her, over time, something even greater," said Rowden.

That sentiment was also shared by Hilarides.

"Cowpens will be a game changer, and I look forward to the day when this ship leaves my care and sails over the horizon; that will be a great day for the Navy and the nation," he said.

The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) is also scheduled to be inducted and undergo the same phased modernization as Cowpens Sept. 30.

As a part of the transfer, the ship also underwent a change of command. Lt. Cmdr. Horst Sollfrank assumed command, relieving Capt. Michael Sciretta.

Sciretta graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in administration of justice, and was commissioned in 1992 through the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corp. He is scheduled to take command of the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) later next month.

Sollfrank is a native of Cortland, New York, and graduated from Hawaii Pacific University in 2001, receiving a degree in diplomacy and military studies. He previously served as the commanding officer of Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Crew Dominant. *

Photos by MC2 Zachary Bell

MATERIAL READINESS

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Tailored for Relief

Okay, we know the Navy's planned maintenance system (PMS) is vital for keeping our ships afloat.

However, it can also cause a huge administrative burden on sailors. Anything that can be done to alleviate this burden is going to be greatly appreciated by the men and women in uniform. That’s why the tailored force revision (TFR), was designed to allow work center supervisors (WCS) more time to focus on performing maintenance and less administrative time processing PMS changes. Each one is jam-packed with as much helpful, burden reducing data as possible! Let’s look at why a TFR is so necessary in today’s Navy.

Today, PMS sends revised requirements to each work center through periodic force revisions (FR). The burden is placed on the WCSs to read through these revisions and interpret the content. It takes an average of 806 man-hours per ship for work center supervisors to perform all the steps required to implement an FR for each quarter. Everyone would agree, sailors should spend more time performing maintenance than doing paperwork!

One of the biggest burdens is all the guesswork left to the Sailor. Hundreds of independent decisions must be made regarding the following 5 questions:

As a WCS, do you know if you chose the right scheduling aid to follow? Perhaps, the GMLS Mod 3 looks physically identical to the GMLS Mod 4. Individual interpretations of scheduling aids result in inconsistent scheduling across ship classes with the same equipment configuration. To further complicate matters, the Chain of Command has no visibility on schedules of other ships within the same class. This makes it difficult to identify and correct scheduling errors. TFR was developed to begin solving these problems.

Saving Time:The TFR project was started in 2010 by the U.S.

Naval Surface Force and is now sustained by Naval Sea Systems Command. Currently released semiannually to surface ships only, TFR is a maintenance expert ashore assisting a WCS with the administration of their FRs. WCSs are provided, in conjunction with the standard FR, a separate tailored FR package that contains pre-processed FR data to import into SKED. It also comes with an applied list of effected pages (LOEP) report that shows document and schedule changes. The LOEP also flags inconsistent items for review. In addition, the TFR comes with summary reports highlighting anomalies for the WCS and 3MC.

This initial shift of some of the administrative burden off the WCS was positively received by the fleet.

The ultimate goals for the TFR are to provide

• What equipment is covered by this MIP? • How many pieces of equipment do I have?• What do each of the scheduling aids mean?• How do they affect my work center?• Does this MIP cover a System, Subsystem, or

Equipment level item?

A. Scheduling Aid 21. MK 29 MOD 3 - MRC M-1 (FVGR), S-7R (FVHA), S-9R (FVGX), R-OT-1 (FVJC) is for MOD 10/11 only. MK 29 MOD 4 configurations omit these MRCs.

B. Scheduling Aid 22. MK 29 MOD 4 - MRC

M-2 (FVQB), S-8R (FVPK), S-10R (FVPP) is for MOD 12/13 only. MK 29 MOD 3 configurations omit these MRCs.

William KellyStory by

Naval Sea Systems Command,

Maintenance Engineering Division

Future Changes in Maintenance System Designed to Reduce Burden on Sailors

For example, coverage for the guided missile launching system (GMLS) is provided on MIP 7211/003. The following scheduling aid guidance is provided for MRC applicability:

Material index page (MIP) scheduling aids are the primary mechanism for linking maintenance requirement cards (MRCs) to equipment and they are often difficult to follow and easy to misinterpret.


30

• See which ships are using a particular MIP. • View entire classes of ships to compare

differences in LOEPs and schedules. • Look up general information about multiple

ships or specific equipment details for one ship.

print and manually compare old documents with new documents. Additionally, TFR Templates reduce the ambiguity associated with MIP and MRC applicability by grouping MRCs into categorized System, Subsystem, and Equipment groupings. Instead of sailors interpreting the scheduling aids to determine which MRCs are applicable to their system, TFR experts ashore analyze MIPs and build Equipment Maintenance Plans specifically for their ship and system.

Furthermore, TFR templates will include additional notes and comments to help sailors understand, in layman’s terms, how the MIP applies to their equipment and configuration. Imagine if 70% of your FR was done for you prior to receiving the new FR and all you had to do was verify. That’s our vision! While still a tool that is evolving, TFR Templates are the first step in building EMPs ashore and pushing them to the Fleet.

Standardizing:Once MIPs have been

standardized through EMPs and tied to configuration, they can be applied consistently throughout the fleet. EMPs will contain PMS schedule nomenclature, MRC assignments and equipment quantities. When Sailors apply EMPs to their SKED schedules,

it will standardize maintenance for that system across the Class.

The Future:The topics discussed so far all lead

to the future of PMS, a six year project currently in motion that will re-imagine and modernize PMS. In the future, changes to maintenance requirements will be pushed out electronically through “continuous distribution.” This is basically providing the most up-to-date information available to the ship. SKED will update automatically and notify the supervisor that a PMS change has been received from shore and implemented. If the PMS changes for a type of equipment, the EMP is updated and it automatically updates the PMS schedules throughout the fleet. Change it for one – change it for all!

ETA for EMPs:Beginning in April 2015, EMPs

for two DDG 51 Class ships, USS Kidd (DDG 100) and USS Ramage (DDG 61), were built as a “Proof of Concept” for testing. This helped to refine the process for implementing EMPs to correct SKED schedule discrepancies while retaining PMS completion history. Lessons learned were incorporated into the EMP process and the team is currently working on completing EMPs for the entire DDG 51 Class.

TFR inspired EMPs are the first step towards PMS schedules being generated ashore. This shift in burden from the Sailor to the shore will greatly reduce administrative action required at the deck plate while increasing the accuracy of schedules across ship class and configurations. The result is less paperwork for the Sailor and consistent PMS scheduling across the fleet.

We hope you are as excited as we are! For more information, go to our “Reinvigorate PMS” milBook place on milSuite.mil. You can also provide feedback or request information by sending an email to [email protected]. *

reduced administrative burdens on sailors, improve scheduling accuracy and consistency, link PMS to configuration and improve information for decision makers. By incorporating other TFR tools like Snapshot, PMS Change Indicators and eventually equipment maintenance plans (EMP), TFRs can not only meet but exceed these goals.

Visibility Ashore:Snapshot is a one-stop-shop PMS

data research tool. What’s great about Snapshot is it provides shore-based analysts and leadership a tool to research how PMS is being scheduled between ships within the same class. Released quarterly to show current schedules and the latest Force Revision, Snapshot lets you quickly:

Snapshot is intuitive, and like today’s smartphones, it doesn’t come with training or a user manual. It’s that easy to use!

Removing Guesswork:PMS Change Indicators

appeared in 2013 and are used to highlight changes on MIP and MRC documents since the last FR, thus eliminating the need to

Graphic courtesy of Naval Sea

Systems Command, Maintenance

Engineering Division

MATERIAL READINESS

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NAVSSES Reaches Milestone for DDG 51 Machinery Control System Process

Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station successfully resolved

their 1,000th System/Software Problem/Improvement Report (SPIR) using an internally developed process, July 1.

The process ensures decisive, clear and consistent distance troubleshooting guidance and support for DDG 51-class machinery control systems (MCS).

In February 2013, the DDG 51 Machinery Control Systems Branch at NAVSSES began using a process developed by a group of its engineers to improve the workflow of providing in-service engineering support to ships, shipyards and regional maintenance centers (RMC).

They created the Fleet Support Process (FSP), which established an email entry point where anyone needing help with DDG 51 MCS issues can submit their support request. The email routes through a carefully developed process so an in-service engineering agent (ISEA) can solve the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Before the FSP, requests came to the group in many roundabout ways making it difficult for engineers to track an issue's progress, said Noam

Oz, program manager for DDG 51 class machinery control system fleet support at NAVSSES. Now anyone needing assistance submits an inquiry via email to [email protected].

Since the inception of the new FSP, the team has improved its SPIR closure rate to almost 92 percent. In 2013, the first year, the team closed 308 SPIRs followed by 509 in 2014, and they are on pace to reach 450 by the end of 2015.

Oz said it is difficult to compare their closure rate today to before FSP implementation because the metrics are not available. He said one of the main goals of the new process is to develop metrics that help them become more efficient in serving the customer.

"Two of our great achievements of the FSP are that it enables us to capture meaningful and actionable metrics, and it is successful by the empirical data reflecting a 90 percent plus closure rate," said Oz.

Another goal is to share the information gathered by NAVSSES with all ships in the class, RMCs and shipyards. Oz said everyone benefits from the information because often ships, RMCs and shipyards will

encounter similar issues and their knowledge of previous SPIRs helps them resolve problems on their own.

Oz said he and a few other NAVSSES engineers (referred to as the gatekeepers) monitor the email box and send an immediate reply to the requestor letting them know their issue was received, and it will be assigned to an ISEA for action. They assess the issue and assign the task based on knowledge of the problem and availability.

In the past most of the work was directed to only a few engineers because they were whom the ships knew to contact. Now, the "gatekeepers" evenly distribute work amongst all the engineers in the branch so no one person is overburdened.

"Before we had maybe six engineers getting all the calls from ships," Oz said. "There was a lot of duplicity and uneven distribution of the workload."

NAVSSES engineers work with more than 60 ships in the DDG 51 class - of which there are five to seven variants of machinery control systems going through different stages of modernization.

Oz said his team developed a spreadsheet showing the variant of each ship and which machinery control systems it utilizes. Oz then created a list of engineers (with a primary, secondary, and tertiary) who are most knowledgeable for each variant of machinery control system. This ensures the best possible person is working an issue.

The results he looks for with FSP are improved quality of work, reduction of time to complete the job, and lowering the cost to do business, said Oz. So far, he is happy with the outcomes.

"It's been amazing what we've accomplished in only two and a half years using this process," said Oz. "The real reward is when we get fleet feedback saying the process works." *

Joseph BattistaNaval Ships

Systems Engineering Station

Public Affairs

Story by

Photo by MC2 Carlos M. Vazquez II


32

The Future of 3-M Inspections

Inspection. Just the mere mention of this painful yet necessary event

conjures up images of people coming aboard and pointing out every little mistake or misinterpreted directive as a critical flaw that will result in a sinking ship. This may be an overstatement, but 3-M Inspections can certainly provoke this feeling. It is time to address the pain and burden of the 3-M Inspection and set it back on a corrected course for all involved.

So, why do we need 3-M Inspections in the first place? It really comes down to two critical elements: ensuring the ship is maintained per technical standards (i.e. Planned Maintenance System (PMS)) and that the Current Ship’s Maintenance Project (CSMP) accurately reflects the material condition of the ship. Sounds simple enough, but the reality is PMS is

complicated. This is especially true when faced with an administrative process leading to the performance of a Maintenance Requirement Card (MRC) being 80 steps (we counted). This makes for a pretty long inspection process.

There are a number of factors that contribute to 3-M Inspections being so onerous. For instance, due to low visibility ashore, all of the ship accomplishment records can only be accessed aboard ship. Also, maintenance procedures have been made overly complicated and lengthy over time. For example, some of the safety precautions are nonsensical and repetitive. To complicate these issues, 3-M and inspection requirements are not contained in one manual but spread out in a number of instructions.

The 3-M Inspection process has its own set of problems as well. This

process has driven the creation and management of records that have little to no value to the ship and exist primarily to aid the inspection teams. This adds complexity to shipboard tasks and the managing of PMS documents.

Another issue with the 3-M Inspection process is that it doesn’t provide all the information needed to improve maintenance effectiveness and sometimes, is not in alignment with other inspections/assessments. All too often, 3-M Inspection results are at odds with the results provided by the Inspection and Survey (INSURV) and Total Ship Readiness Assessment (TSRA). Since both of these events primarily use PMS to assess the ship’s material condition, it would stand to reason that if INSURV notes the ship is doing a poor job in conducting PMS but the ship passes the 3-M

Photo by MC3 Alonzo M. Archer

Story by

U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Fleet Maintenance Division

Jeff Baur


MATERIAL READINESS

33

will transition the building of PMS schedules from the ship to a shore infrastructure resulting in a centralized database ashore. It will eliminate approximately 80% of the inspection that looks solely at PMS administration. Also, the gathering of performance metrics could be accomplished long before the inspectors come to the ship. With inspection teams doing a majority of their planning and preparation ashore, once aboard they only need to conduct spot checks to make sure that PMS recorded as accomplished was actually conducted and that the CSMP reflects the ship’s condition.

Since we can’t wait until the Future of PMS is delivered to clean up our inspection process, we have established a working group to look at what we can do now to better focus our attention towards the two critical elements.

We have also begun the process of analyzing inspection attributes and consolidating directives. As all Type Commanders (Surface, Submarine, Air, Expeditionary, Cyber and Installations) are participating in this consolidation process, we anticipate agreement and concurrence to the many required changes.

Inspections are necessary and not going away. An attempt was made in 1998 to dismiss them and we continue to suffer the consequences. However, it is obvious the current inspection process is not hitting the mark. Thus, it is vital to seize the opportunity FoPMS will bring to make sure we realign all aspects of PMS making a stronger and more streamlined solution. This will make our lives easier and renew focus on what is truly important…executing maintenance. *

Next year the Navy will begin installing a hybrid electric drive (HED) system on 34 Flight IIA

Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyers in a bid to lower the fuel costs of the ships, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) told USNI News in a statement.

The system, which will marry an electric motor to the ships’ main reduction gear to drive the ship at low speeds, promises to save the service thousands of barrels of fuel in over a ship’s deployment.

Earlier this year L-3 — the company was awarded the contract in 2012 to develop the technology — delivered two pre-production HED systems for testing ahead of the first installation in the Burkes in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2016 after research and development testing is done, NAVSEA said.

The almost $50 million program, to date, follows the lead of the U.K. Royal Navy which used a similar scheme to drive its Type 23 Duke-class frigates.

While the Burke’s four LM-2500 gas turbines are highly efficient at top speeds, the efficiency decreases at lower speeds, wasting more fuel.

Utilizing a preexisting quill drive in the main reduction gear, the HED motor is capable of turning

Navy Set to Install Hybrid Electric Drives in Destroyer Fleet Starting Next Year

the drive shaft and propelling the ship at speeds less than 13 knots. That speed range would work well with missions like ballistic missile defense or maritime security operations.

“HED will provide DDG-51 commanding officers with an additional propulsion option at low speeds. Lowering the rate of fuel consumption during low speed operation increases mission effectiveness through greater time on station,” read the statement from NAVSEA.

“In an operational context, using HED 50 percent of the time increases time on station by as much as 2.5 days between refueling.”

NAVSEA began investigating the HED concept for destroyers around 2008, when oil prices were at $174 a barrel said NAVSEA’s Glen Sturtevant in an interview with Jane’s Defence Weekly in 2010.

The service tested the concept on USS Truxtun (DDG-103) under a research and development contract with General Atomics using a DRS Technologies permanent magnet motor in 2012 before selecting L-3 to outfit the Flight IIA ships.

Following the first two ships in FY 2016, NAVSEA plans to outfit four ships with HED a year. *

Inspection with flying colors, something is amiss.

Fixing the 3-M Inspection process begins with challenging every inspection attribute to determine whether or not it contributes to the two critical elements of 3-M noted earlier. If an attribute doesn’t do this, it needs to be eliminated. Instructions that are relative to 3-M will be consolidated into two documents: the 3-M Manual (for PMS Program Policy, Management and Data Requirements) and the Joint Fleet Maintenance Manual (for Shipboard Execution and Inspection).

Next, is alleviating the administrative burden and improving record accessibility which will be accomplished by the Future of PMS (FoPMS), a 6 year project that is modernizing the entire PMS system. This future PMS system

How would you better evaluate

the performance of PMS and

CSMP accuracy? We want to hear your opinion on

the matter. Please email PMS@

Navy.mil or visit www.milsuite.

mil/book/groups/Reinvigorating-

Shipboard-PMS.

Sam LaGroneStory by

United States Naval Institute

Continued from

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34

SAN DIEGO (Sept. 11, 2015) Sailors raise the American flag aboard guided-missile cruiser USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) as part of a 9/11 tribute. The ceremony honored those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and in subsequent armed conflicts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Phil Ladouceur)

Heritage.

HERITAGE & RECOGNITION

35

Lt. j.g. Jane BairdStory by

USS William P. Lawrence

Public Affairs

USS William P. Lawrence Honors Fallen with 9/11 Memorial Ceremony

Guided missile-destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG

110) Sailors held a memorial ceremony on Sept. 11 aboard the ship at Naval Base San Diego.

Senior Chief Gunner's Mate Jaye Bell led the silent demonstration for the ceremony commencing promptly at 6:02 a.m., coinciding with the time that the second plane struck the Twin Towers in the terrorist attacks on New York City Sept. 11, 2001.

Twelve Sailors, dressed in full firefighting equipment and desert camouflage uniforms, represented

the heroes of 9/11. Ten members of the crew accepted American flags in honor of their loved ones lost during the terrorist attacks and subsequent armed conflicts. These National Ensigns were flown from William P. Lawrence's yardarms on Sept. 10.

During the ceremony, command leadership rendered salutes to each of those members bearing an Ensign in recognition of the fallen. Following the honors, Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Jaime Gordonmartin and Personnel Specialist 1st Class Nathaniel Hammond raised the colors to half-mast. The ship's search lights were directed to the sky to symbolize the Twin Towers.

"It meant a lot to participate in the ceremony today," said Hammond. "On watch last night, I realized that someone else was standing watch just like me when the attacks happened. This is the tragedy of our generation. I will never forget, and it has been the largest influence on my desire to serve my country."

Commissioned June 4, 2011, William P. Lawrence is named after Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, a naval aviator, former Vietnam prisoner of war and former commander of U.S. 3rd Fleet. The ship is assigned to the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group and is home ported in San Diego. *

Photo by MC2 Phil Ladouceur


36

For the first time in almost 38 years, there will be no Oliver Hazard Perry (OHP) Frigate on the fleet

rolls of the United States Navy. The USS Simpson (FFG 56) was decommissioned in her homeport of Mayport, Florida, Sept. 29, and represented the last frigate in the Navy's inventory.

"Like today's Littoral Combat Ship, the Perry class frigate received a lot of criticism when it was first introduced, yet went on to provide decades of exceptionally versatile and valuable service to our nation," said retired Rear Adm. Sam Cox, who is currently the director of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). "Many disparaged her supposedly limited sensor suite, among other things, failing to recognize the significant impact of her new generation helicopter

Oliver Hazard Perry Class Sails into Naval History

Farewell


capability. And, as the USS Samuel B. Roberts demonstrated, the ship was much tougher than many initially gave her credit for, especially in the hands of well trained and well led Sailors."

The OHP Frigates were originally designed as cost efficient surface combatants with limited anti-air defense and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, to serve as escort protection for other ships.

In hindsight, they proved to be the Navy's "little ship that could" for enduring missions that mushroomed over the last four decades, including maritime interdiction operations, counter narcotic efforts, and engagements with partner navies in fulfilling the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower, also known as the Maritime Strategy.

to theFrigates

Dave WernerStory by

Naval History and Heritage Command Assistant Director for Communication and Outreach

Photo by MC1 John Hageman


37

Ultimately the U.S. Navy commissioned 51 FFG-7 class frigates between 1977 and 1989, built by Bath Iron Works and Todd Shipyards. From the inception of the FFG-7 program, the Navy recognized a need for a large number of these frigates to replace World War II destroyers that were due to retire. In order to meet this numerical requirement, stringent design controls were placed on the size and, in particular, the costs, of the FFG-7.

During protracted periods of austerity, the ships and their crews suffered from spare parts shortages and reduced maintenance support. As a result the men assigned to the ships became known for their determination, ingenuity and grit to meet mission - with whatever was available. It became, for the community of OHP frigate Sailors, a badge of honor.

Sailors have traditionally been a superstitious lot, and the lead ship in the class, the USS Oliver Hazard Perry (FFG 7), provided literally an auspicious launch. At her launch ceremony on 25 September 1976, the crowd watched anxiously as the ship failed to roll down the slip-way when the ceremony called for it. As if scripted, movie star actor John Wayne (the "Duke") jogged up to the ceremonial platform from his seat in the gallery and gave the

bow of the frigate a shove with one hand, and famously appeared to have 'pushed' the 445-foot, 4,100-ton warship down the ramp.

Not unlike that magic moment, the ships and men who crewed them have always managed to demonstrate surprising timely guile - despite the odds. Their relatively limited firepower and size never seemed to disqualify them from most tasks, and time and again the ships proved suited for most any assigned mission.

On routine patrol in the Arabian Gulf when Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, the USS Taylor (FFG 50) and USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) were part of a small flotilla of ships that served as the original participants of Operation Desert Shield, which helped dissuade further Iraqi offensive action until the coalition assembled and transitioned to offensive action under Operation Desert Storm. While the coalition force amassed, the two FFGs served to implement the United Nations authorized blockade of Iraq.

During Desert Storm, USS Nicholas (FFG 47) and the Kuwaiti fast attack craft Istiqlal (P 5702) conducted the first surface engagement of the war on Jan. 18, 1991. Supporting combat search and rescue operations for the air campaign, Nicholas employed her

Seahawk helicopters to scout the Dorrah oilfield.

Despite nearby Iraqi combatant ships and aircraft armed with Exocet missiles, Nicholas and Istiqlal sailed within a mile of the southern platforms. Once in range, the Nicholas' helicopters launched precision-guided missiles that destroyed enemy positions on the two platforms. As a result the frigate took the first 23 enemy prisoners of war.

Nicholas later attacked Iraqi patrol boats operating less than a mile from the Kuwaiti coast, and sank or heavily damaged four enemy craft.

The ships themselves demonstrated in battle they were also capable of withstanding considerable damage. Their stoutness was proven when

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Photo by MC3 Timothy Schumaker


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USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) struck a mine, and USS Stark (FFG 37) was hit by two Exocet cruise missiles, both patrolling the Arabian Gulf at the time.

In the case of the Samuel B. Roberts' mine strike, April 14, 1988, the U.S. launched Operation Praying Mantis where coalition air and surface units destroyed the two Iranian oil rigs and also Iranian units attempting to counter-attack U.S. forces.

During the operation the USS Simpson (FFG 56) participated in destroying the 147-foot missile patrol boat Joshan (P 225), avenging the damage inflicted on her sister ship. In fact, by the end of the operation, U.S. air and surface units had sunk, or severely damaged, half of Iran's operational fleet.

The OHP class proved itself worthy

in a different war the U.S. has been waging for decades: Stemming the tide of illegal narcotics entering the nation from the sea. The frigates proved to be the platform of choice, and their presence resulted in dozens and dozens of drug seizures worth an estimated street value measured in billions of dollars.

While the ships and crews have proven worthy, the reality remained that they lacked the multi-mission capabilities necessary for modern surface combatants faced with increasingly available high-technology threats. Their design also offered limited capacity for change.

In time, arguably because of their relatively diminutive status, the ships and crews serving in the class very much came to embody the same hallmarks of

determination, gumption, self-reliance and surprising effectiveness as their namesake, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1785 - 1819). When war with Great Britain was declared on June 18, 1812, Perry was assigned to what he considered an insignificant command of small gunboats at Newport. While his fellow officers gained glory on sleek vessels like the Constitution and Hornet, Perry was dissatisfied with the opportunity given him. After petitioning the Navy Department, he earned assignment to complete construction and soon after successfully lead a flotilla in the Battle of Lake Erie, forever earning a place in Navy history.

The U.S. Navy retains the 218 year old frigate USS Constitution, currently in dry dock undergoing a planned maintenance availability. *

The capabilities of the OHP frigates will now be subsumed by new ships like JHSV, LCS, Mobile Landing Platforms and Afloat Forward Staging Bases deliver the capabilities today's environment demands. The Secretary of the Navy announced in January 2015 that going forward, new Freedom- and Independence-class ships will be christened under the frigate designation.

Photo by NC1 Jorge Delgado

Did You Know?


39

The sky is blue, the sun is bright, and the Sailors manning the

rails are gleaming in their dress whites. On the pier, between USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), the official party approaches the stage.

They are gathering at Naval Base San Diego in honor of National POW/MIA Remembrance Day, in between two guided-missile destroyers named for two of the most notable POWs of the Vietnam War, Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale and Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence.

Lastly, an older man in a dark gray suit makes his way past the side boys and to the stage. His white shirt gleams as brightly as the uniforms

where it peeks out from under his jacket, as does his white hair. But what shines out most bright and most clear, is his confident and easy demeanor. He seems very calm, at peace with himself.

He is retired Cmdr. Everett Alvarez, Jr. And he spent eight-and-a-half years in captivity in North Vietnam, the second-longest tenure of any POW in American history.

"Today's ceremony has a personal meaning, because it gives me an opportunity to pay tribute to two good friends," said Alvarez.

His voice breaks a little with his next words.

"Both now deceased," he saidA little more than a year after he

was shot down, then Cmdr. James

Stockdale joined him in captivity, and then Cmdr. William Lawrence a few months after that.

“God must have had a plan when these two officers joined the group,” said Alvarez.

By that time, the North Vietnamese were putting into place their policies on how they would treat the prisoners of war.

"And things were getting tough," he said, a terse understatement.

"The North Vietnamese's policy was that the war was illegal, and that they had never signed the Geneva Accords anyways," said Alvarez. "Therefore, American service members were criminals and the purpose of detaining them was to rid them of "anti-social

Prisoner of War Speaks on Eight Years in Captivity

Giantsamong Heroes

MC2 Phillip Ladouceur

Story and Photos by


Public Affairs


40

This was when the torture began. And this was also when leadership stepped up.

Among those present is retired Capt. Charles Plumb. The day before the ceremony, he spoke to the chief petty officer's mess and wardroom of USS Stockdale, telling them about his experience.

Plumb:"The first prison cell we were all

introduced to in Vietnam was eight feet long and eight feet wide," said Plumb, who spent nearly six years as a POW during the Vietnam War.

He could remember perfectly the dimensions of his cell. Three steps in one direction before he ran into a wall, and then having the opportunity to turn around and walk three more the other way.

"Inside my new home I had nothing to do, no books to read, no window to look out, no TV, telephone, video, Blackberry, Bluetooth- I didn't have a pencil or piece of paper. For 2,103 days. And I was a short timer," he said.

When he first communicated in prison with another prisoner, he was already in immense physical pain from the harsh treatment he'd received. But he was in worse pain mentally.

Plumb wondered if he could

ever go home. He felt that he had besmirched his country. He could never face his fellow fighter pilots, who must have been stronger than him. Could he even face his family?

A small wire was poking through a hole of his tiny desolate cell, scratching and demanding attention. He knew it must be another American. He desperately wanted to speak with someone, but at the same time, the shame was so overwhelming that he just wanted to sit in squalid isolation in the corner.

He remembered thinking: I bet that guy is tougher than I am. I bet he didn't spill his guts. He didn't want to face that, to compare that with his own experience, and how weak that would make him.

Eventually, he broke down and reached out. The need for human contact was too strong. But he still felt the guilt, and as he communicated, slowly and tediously in code, the guilt finally overflowed and overwhelmed him.

"I have a confession," Plumb said to the other POW. "You may not even want to speak to me after I tell you what I've done. I broke. I spilled my guts. I wasn't nearly as strong as I wanted to be."

From the other end, expressed laboriously and determinedly

tendencies" or "bad attitudes" that criminals were supposed to have."

There are chuckles from the audience. Many of those gathered are former POWs, or members of their families.

"We could be cured, they said, if we only saw 'American Imperialism in its true light,'" he continued. "And if we could just see that, and admit it, freely and honestly, over the radio broadcasts, tapes, even preach it to our fellow POWs, under any circumstances that they demanded, if we did that then we would be considered cured and we could go home."

But on the other hand if they didn't repent and show "progress," then they were demonstrating a "bad attitude," and were therefore hardened criminals and subject to the severest punishments.



41

through the same code, came a reply that split through his guilt like lightning.

"Hell, everybody's spilled their guts. None of us was as strong as we thought we could be," said the other POW.

He told Plumb there was good news in the camp. They had great leadership. Guys like Stockdale and Lawrence. They weren't prisoners. They were still fighters. It was a new, redefined mission, but they were not on the defensive.

"We're still fighting this war." Stockdale and Lawrence:At the ceremony, Alvarez is trying

to put into words what it was about their resistance that strengthened their spirits as it also broke their bodies.

In his earlier days, Stockdale had studied the writings of those who'd survived the gulags of the Soviet Union. He understood the importance of physical resistance.

our personal character intact. Our self-respect, integrity, loyalty, patriotism, and honor," he said.

And he said they were able to do this because of leadership. These were men who put the best interest of others ahead of themselves.

"Men who would themselves do first what they asked others to do," he said.

Men like Stockade, who came perilously close to dying in the struggle of physical resistance.

"He was the rock," said Alvarez. "As the senior naval officer he accepted full responsibility and he never wavered."

Men like William Lawrence. Athlete, scholar, aviator, and poet, he composed a poem about his home state, "Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee," while in solitary confinement. It was adopted by Tennessee as its official state poem in 1973.

He not only memorized the rank

"We had to try by making them hurt us, because we learned soon enough that compliance that is extracted by brute force is in no way damaging to the human spirit," said Alvarez.

Those hurts may have physically broken their bodies, but their spirits remained unharmed by not giving in to mere threats.

In this new theater of operations, their heroes included many of the former POWs in the audience, he said.

“Ordinary guys who made the prison guards torture them for submission one day, and then come back and make them start all over again the next time, and again the next, and this went on for years.” Alvarez.

He said that in his opinion, for this situation at least, it was the right tactic.

"It enabled us to return home with the important elements of

Continued from

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Navy's First Mrs. Sybil Stockdale Ombudsman of the Year Award Recipients Announced

FromNavy Installations Command Public Affairs

The Navy announced recipients of the 2015 Mrs. Sybil

Stockdale Ombudsman of the Year Award August 25. While formally recognizing four notably outstanding individuals, the award honors the dedication and the contributions of all ombudsmen.

The ombudsman awardees, who were nominated by their commanding officers for serving their command and families with extraordinary, selfless dedication and commitment to family readiness, are:

* Ms. Karina Dickinson, Ombudsman for USS New York (LPD 21), representing the U.S. Fleet Forces Command

* Mrs. Cheryl Trujillo, Ombudsman for USS Hopper (DDG 70), representing the U.S. Pacific Fleet

* Mrs. Ronye McCarthy, Ombudsman for Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68, representing Navy shore activities

* Mrs. Colleen G. Weaver, Ombudsman for Navy Operational Support Center Sacramento, representing the Navy Reserve Force

Named in honor of Mrs. Sybil Stockdale the award memorializes her steadfast support to families of prisoners of war (POW) throughout her husband's, Vice Adm. James Bond Stockdale, seven-year internment in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. She became a co-founder and national coordinator of the National League of Families, a nonprofit organization that worked on behalf of American Vietnam-era Missing in Action and POW Families, serving as their liaison to the White House and the Department of Defense.

"This award recognizes Sybil Stockdale who selflessly helped others and has continued to serve as an inspiration to all military

families, including our amazing ombudsmen who go above and beyond for the Navy family," said Vice Adm. Dixon R. Smith, Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC).

The recipients were formally recognized at a ceremony at the San Diego Town and Country Resort Sept. 24, hosted by the San Diego Armed Services YMCA, USO San Diego, the San Diego Navy League and the Fleet & Family Support Center.

The Navy Family Ombudsman Program was created in 1970 by Admiral E.R. Zumwalt, Jr., then chief of naval operations (CNO), to improve communication between commands and the families of Sailors who served in them. *

and name of every POW, he also developed the "tap code" that they used to covertly communicate without the knowledge of their captors.

"One of the finest persons I have ever known. In my view, he was the model of what a Naval officer-and a gentleman- should be," Alvarez said.

After the war, both Stockdale and Lawrence stayed close to all of those who were held captive.

"They never forgot us, and they were always there to help," he said.

Beyond Heroes:"There are ceremonies being held

all over the country today," said Alvarez. "It is a demonstration of the gratitude and the respect that we as a nation have for those who served and sacrificed under the most difficult circumstances."

For the crews of the two vessels, Alvarez wanted them to know that their ships bear the names of two of the finest and ablest leaders in the history of the Navy.

Alvarez said that there was nothing particular about himself that made him more qualified to speak at the ceremony than any of the other former POWs present.

"I think we had many heroes, some that are sitting out there in the audience," he said. But he qualified that statement.

"Our heroes were not John Waynes," he said. "They were ordinary guys, just like yourselves." And they endured years of horrific treatment, fighting their new war, maintaining their integrity and sense of self through it all.

All ordinary guys. All heroes.But for Stockdale and Lawrence,

there were no qualifications. For them, Alvarez required only three words to describe their stature and significance:

"Giants among heroes." *

Sadly, Sybil Stockdale passed away Oct. 10,

2015. Her devotion to the Navy and support

and contributions to the Surface Warafre

community will be forever remembered.

In Memoriam


43

On the Cutting EdgeSWO Students at Naval

Postgraduate School Prepare for, Create the

Future

For the past century, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) has been the engine driving the intellectual

and professional development of the officer corps. The Surface Community has capitalized on NPS’ specialized academic programs since the school’s inception, and we are renewing this commitment as NPS begins its’ second century of academic excellence. According to the 2014 NPS Annual Report & Fact Book, Surface Warfare Officers comprise over 20% of the Navy resident student population, the single largest community presence at NPS.

More relevant than our numbers, the quality of our students makes our community stand out on campus; all SWO students are proven performers, screened for Department Head Afloat and committed to future service. Integral to PERS-41’s Talent Management initiatives, NPS quota fills are screened via the biannual Junior Officer Talent Management Boards, where officers’ records of performance at sea as well as their undergraduate academic achievements are rigorously evaluated. These gifted Surface Warfare Officers (SWOs) on campus reflect almost a quarter of our

Capt. Chuck Good

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44

An hour from Silicon Valley, NPS’s internationally-renowned faculty are at the forefront of technological innovation in Unmanned and Autonomous Systems, robotics, cyber warfare, C4I systems, and network analysis. As well, the school boasts the nation’s only business school focused on government-distinctive practices and processes, to include concentrations on acquisition and financial management. The NPS School of International Graduate Studies not only sits at the epicenter of foreign affairs expertise the greater Bay Area, which includes the Defense Language Institute, Stanford University, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies but also exports that expertise to deploying Strike Groups via the Regional Security Education Program. The Operations Research and Systems Engineering Analysis programs have long been renowned in naval circles as providing the underpinning skills and techniques which drive the programmatic and operational analysis that accompany every budgetary cycle in the Pentagon. The school also boasts an Undersea Warfare Academic Group, which provides an interdisciplinary core curriculum of engineering, physics, oceanography and operations analysis to create a cadre of anti-submarine and mine warfare experts.

The Surface Warfare students on

pool of future Department Heads, a substantial investment in our community’s future.

To ensure the best rate of return on this investment, Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific (CNSP), has assigned a post-major command captain to serve as an on-campus advocate for Surface Warfare issues and as a mentor to SWO students. The CNSP Surface Warfare Chair was formally established on 10 September 2015 by Vice Rowden and retired Vice Adm. Ron Route, NPS president, to “ensure Surface Warfare Officer graduate level candidates receive the best possible interdisciplinary warfare education that identifies and spearheads research topics in direct support of surface warfighting.”

Working alongside students and faculty, the Chair is a conduit for bringing current Fleet issues, requirements and practices into the academic program as well as connecting on-campus research with the staffs and operating units who can benefit from NPS’ intellectual capital. The NPS faculty and students alike share a deep desire to make meaningful contributions to the Fleet, and in the last decade, the school has completed its transformation into a full-fledged research university delivering cutting-edge knowledge to the warfighter across all academic disciplines.

campus are in the thick of it all. Lt. Donny Northrup in Financial Management is finishing off his thesis on “A Business Practice Analysis of the Surface Navy’s Depot Management Program,” and Lt. Megan Jamison of Operations Research is taking up the charge with “Modeling and Analysis of Surface Navy Availability Maintenance Processes.” In Network Operations, Lt. Matt Maupin is pursuing an innovative “Tactical Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking in Support of Littoral Operations.” Across campus, there are four separate research efforts ongoing which support the Distributed Lethality concept that Rowden is championing. Among them, Lt. Kristen Eriksen is pursuing “Creating a Simulation Model to Assess Options for Distributed Lethality.”

These are just a few examples of the many contributions that our motivated and intellectually gifted SWO graduate students are making; if we reviewed them all, it would fill this edition of Surface Warfare! For all Surface Warriors reading this issue, please keep in mind the ongoing contributions that the NPS is making to our community writ large, as well as to the individual students passing through our historic halls. With the addition of a dedicated Chair to channel these efforts, NPS is poised to deliver a torrent of innovative solutions to some of our most vexing challenges. *

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) provides relevant and unique advanced education and research programs to increase the combat effectiveness of commissioned officers of the naval service to enhance the security of the United States. In support of the foregoing, and to sustain academic excellence, fosters and encourages a program of relevant and meritorious research which both supports the needs of the Navy and Department of Defense while building the intellectual capital of the Naval Postgraduate School faculty.

Did You Know?

BLOGGING FROM THE FLEET

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Command Changes

Capt. Mark J. Oberley, November 2015Capt. Brian J. Quin, October 2015

Cmdr. Michael Johnson, November 2015

Capt. J.J. "Yank" Cummings, September 2015 Cmdr. Jon P. Rigby, October 2015

Capt. Michael S. Sciretta, September 2015 Cmdr. Jennifer Eaton, October 2015

Capt. Carlos A. Sardiello, October 2015

USS Vella Gulf (CG 72)USS Essex (LHD 2)

USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43)

USS Anchorage (LPD 23) USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49)

USS Lake Erie (CG 70) USS Barry (DDG 52)

USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20)

Cmdr. Amy Graham, September 2015

Cmdr. Gilbert Ayan, November 2015

Cmdr. Paul M. Allgeier, September 2015

Cmdr. Adam G. Cheatham, October 2015

USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54)

USS Milius (DDG 69)

USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81)

USS Stout (DDG 55)


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Cmdr. Matthew Cieslukowski, September 2015USS Sterett (DDG 104)

Cmdr. Amy M. McInnis, November 2015USS Howard (DDG 83)

Lt. Cmdr. John Mateikat, November 2015USS Warrior (MCM 10)

Cmdr. Morris Oxendine, August 2015Naval Beach Unit SEVEN

Cmdr. Paul J. Kaylor, October 2015

Cmdr. Marc D. Crawford, September 2015

USS Nitze (DDG 94)

USS Gridley (DDG 101)

Cmdr. Henry J. Allen, October 2015USS Bulkeley (DDG 84)

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Surface Warfare Magazine - Winter 2016

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