NEWS OF THE FORCE: Friday, June 3, 2016 - Page 2

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NEWS OF THE FORCE: Friday, June 3, 2016 - Page 2

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U.S. Navy and Marine Corps

    

    One person is dead after a U.S. Navy jet crashed during a practice flight in Tennessee. The crash of the Blue Angels plane occurred near Smyrna Airport after take-off at about 3 p.m., local time, yesterday, officials said. All other Blue Angels aircraft landed safely.

    The Navy’s Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group launched combat sorties from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea today in support of Operation Inherent Resolve over Syria and Iraq, according to a news release from the U.S. European Command. The carrier strike group transited the Suez Canal yesterday and today flew multiple combat sorties in an effort to degrade the resources and leadership capability of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the release said. "While the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is in the 6th Fleet's area of operations, they continue to project power ashore against terrorists and violent extremists," said Navy Vice Adm. James Foggo III, the 6th Fleet's commander. "This exemplifies our Navy’s mobility, flexibility and adaptability, as well as our commitment to execute a full range of military operations in concert with our indispensable European Allies and partners," he added. The strike group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman; embarked Carrier Air Wing 7; Commander, Carrier Strike Group 8; the guided missile cruiser USS Anzio; Destroyer Squadron 28; and the guided missile destroyers USS Bulkeley, USS Gonzalez and USS Gravely. The Truman Carrier Strike Group brings multi-mission capable platforms to the Eucom's area of responsibility and the U.S. 6th Fleet's area of operations with strike, ballistic missile defense, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the release said. "These resources further serve to support European allies and partners, deter potential threats and to conduct combat operations in support of the counter-ISIL mission," the release continued.

After conducting operations in the 5th Fleet's area of operations, which includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean, the strike group’s deployment was extended to support dismantling and rolling back terrorist networks from the 6th Fleet's area of operations before it returns home to Norfolk, Va.

    U.S. Navy officials are buying six new RQ-21A Blackjack small tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to provide surveillance capability for U.S. Marine Corps and Navy tactical commanders.

    Rear Adm. (upper half) Ronald A. Boxall will be assigned as director, Surface Warfare Division, N96, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Boxall most recently served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 3, Bremerton, Wash.

    Rear Adm. (upper half) Peter J. Fanta will be assigned as director, Warfare Integration, N9I, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Fanta is currently serving as director, Surface Warfare Division, N96, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

    Rear Adm. (lower half) David M. Kriete, selected for promotion to rear admiral (upper half), will be assigned as director, Strategic Capabilities Policy, National Security Council, Washington, D.C. Kriete is currently serving as commander, Submarine Group 9, Silverdale, Wash.

    Capt. Jon C. Kreitz, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as president, Board of Inspection and Survey, Virginia Beach, Va. Kreitz is currently serving as executive assistant, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), Washington. D.C.

    Iowa State University Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps midshipman Jack Randall is participating in a summer cruise with a U.S. Navy warship.

    Summer 2016 is heating up with new and upcoming advances in Navy diving technologies at the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Panama City, Fla., Division (NSWC PCD). Underwater Systems Development Project Engineer Dennis Gallagher and his team are developing what can be described as a "next-generation" and "futuristic" system for the Navy diving community. The Divers Augmented Vision Display (DAVD) is a high-resolution, see-through head-up display (HUD) embedded directly inside of a diving helmet. This unique system enables divers to have real-time visual display of everything from sector sonar (real-time topside view of the diver's location and dive site), text messages, diagrams, photographs and even augmented reality videos. Having real-time operational data enables them to be more effective and safe in their missions - providing expanded situational awareness and increased accuracy in navigating to a target such as a ship, downed aircraft, or other objects of interest.

    The "Skinny Dragons" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 4 are conducting 2016 deployment operations after performing upgrades and completing personnel qualifications, resulting in 12 combat-ready aircrews and an adept maintenance department prepared for the squadron's multi-site deployment. This deployment consists of visiting past deployment sites of Sigonella, Sicily, and Djibouti, Africa. Additionally, the squadron detached multiple crews to Comalapa, El Salvador, to conduct maritime interdiction operations (MIO) in support of Operation Martillo.

    A Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) training squadron composed of three ships began a three-day port visit at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on June 1st, as part of a round-the-world deployment to 16 ports in 13 countries. During the port visit, Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, toured the JTS flag ship JS Kashima (TV 3508), reviewed sailors in formation and spoke to newly-commissioned Japanese ensigns about the strong and lasting U.S./Japan partnership at sea. Later this month, JMSDF ships will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise, scheduled June 30-Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands. Japan's participation in the 2016 iteration marks the 19th time the country has participated in the exercise.

    The Sea Services Leadership Association (SSLA) announced that the 29th annual Joint Women's Leadership Symposium (JWLS) is now open for registration and will feature Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke as a keynote speaker on the conference's second day. The two day symposium, co-sponsored by the Navy, is scheduled for June 14-15 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. Along with Burke, the conference will feature several other speakers including Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James; Undersecretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy, the first female four star general in the U.S. military, retired Army Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Michael Stevens; and U.S. Pacific Fleet Master Chief Susan Whitman. This year's symposium theme, "Leading with Purpose! Impacting the Future," will help prepare women to excel in the military today and tomorrow. The Joint Women's Leadership Symposium brings together service members, decision makers, policy influencers and thought leaders to address global challenges to women in the services and to encourage and strengthen leadership development. Attendees may register at www.sealeader.org. Sailors interested in attending can reserve a spot on the Navy's registration request list at the SSLA's website by filling out a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JWLSnavyreg.

    At an intimate ceremony held in the Pentagon, Adm. Michelle Howard promoted her high school classmate, Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Jacobson, to the rank of commander on May 27th.

    The "Science Brothers," based out of the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Panama City (Fla.) Division were named the Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Education and Outreach Advocate of the Quarter for third quarter, fiscal year 2016. The Science Brothers team consists of the following members: Project Lead Bill Porter; Deputy Lead Dan Flisek; Mentor Ed Linsenmeyer and team members Gavin Taylor, Kinsey Naud, and Rachel Ivy. The Science Brothers is a nonprofit outreach program aimed at sparking elementary school students' interest in STEM activities and offers free, engaging presentations to schools and community organizations. Two main NSWC Panama City Division employees, Flisek and Porter, are the faces of the science demonstrations and shows, but behind the scenes reside a dedicated team of federal civil servants with one focus: educating school-aged children about the fun of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

    Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) Franklin Parker visited Yale College's Naval ROTC on May 26th to speak with university and unit staff and to congratulate the newly-commissioned ensigns.
After speaking with the unit's executive officer, Parker met with seven ensigns who were recently commissioned. As a Yale graduate himself, Parker conveyed how proud he was of each of them on their decision to serve their country in this manner, as well how happy he was to see NROTC back on Yale's campus.

    The Department of the Navy conducted a hiring and support summit at the Doubletree Hotel in Tampa, Fla., June 1-2. The event was free of charge to anyone who wished to attend, but was conducted specifically to assist veterans and wounded warriors find employment with the Department of Defense, federal agencies and businesses in the private sector. An "Employer Summit" was held in June 1st to allow veterans, wounded warriors and others attending to join employers, human resources professionals, hiring managers and industry leaders to discuss the challenges and solutions associated with veteran hires and their transition to the civilian sector.

    Exposure to extremely loud noise can result in permanent hearing loss. Arguably no better example of this risk is the noise levels experienced by U.S. Navy pilots. Logging thousands of hours in aircraft that bellow jet noise at incredible decibel levels, hearing protection for pilots is an imperative part of their safety equipment. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) Va., and its branch clinics are helping pilots by fitting them with Communication Ear Plugs (CEPs), which are custom ear molds made from silicone that improve hearing protection and still provide a way to communicate with others.

    Representatives from the Bureau of Naval Personnel and the Navy Personnel Command's Fleet Engagement Team (FET) are scheduled to visit Japan June 6-14 to discuss the latest personnel policies and initiatives impacting sailors and their families.

    The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) completed the multinational search and rescue exercise Argonaut on May 31st. Stout worked in conjunction with naval forces from host nation the Republic of Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Israel and the United Kingdom to test each country's search and rescue capabilities.

    The U.S., the Philippines and Malaysian navies are scheduled to conduct a coordinated multilateral training activity in the Sulu Sea, tomorrow. The training will take place between the bilateral phases of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) with Malaysia and the Philippines.

    The amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, yesterday. The flagship is in Estonia, along with seven more ships participating in BALTOPS 2016, to conduct a pre-sail conference in preparation for the exercise kick-off on Sunday. Mount Whitney is designed to be a command and control ship and, as the U.S. 6th Fleet's flagship, will serve as the operating platform for Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) during BALTOPS 2016.

    The keel of the future USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) was ceremoniously laid at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., on Wednesday. The ship's keel was authenticated by Ima Black, the ship's sponsor and wife of the late Delbert D. Black, and HII General Ship Superintendent Ernest Wiley. The authenticators etched their initials into the keel plate to symbolically recognize the joining of modular components and the ceremonial beginning of the ship. The ship will be configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection, forward presence, and escort operations at sea in support of Low Intensity Conflict/Coastal and Littoral Offshore Warfare, as well as open ocean conflict. HII's Pascagoula shipyard is also currently in production on the future destroyers USS John Finn (DDG 113), USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), and USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117).

    Members of the naval oceanography community and relatives of the "Father of Modern Oceanography" peered into the future of ocean surveying while paying homage to their history during a partnership celebration held alongside USNS Maury (T-AGS 66) in Pascagoula, Miss., on May 31st. The event, hosted by VT Halter Marine, celebrated the newest ship of the multi-mission Pathfinder (T-AGS 60) class, as well as their long partnership with naval oceanography. The Pathfinder ships, constructed by VT Halter for the Navy, conduct hydrographic, acoustic, oceanographic, and bathymetric survey operations worldwide. Data and information collected by the ships are used to develop products and services that aid in defense mission planning and safe navigation. Maury was delivered to the Navy in February.

    The United States Marine Corps has officially released its latest rules and regulations governing tattoos for its rank and file members.

    More than 70 U.S. Marines have walked in the footsteps of the original "Devil Dogs" while touring Europe's World War I battle sites.

    And Defense Secretary Ash Carter has nominated Lt. Gen. David H. Berger to be the next commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific. Berger is currently the commander of Camp Pendleton, Calif.

 

Real-life 'Rambo' gets 20 years in plot to kill DEA agent

    

    A onetime decorated U.S. Army sniper instructor known as "Rambo" was sentenced on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for conspiring in a plot to kill a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.

    Joseph Hunter, 51, was sentenced in Manhattan by U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who said he made the "dishonorable choice" to join a conspiracy to kill the agent and a cooperating witness in Liberia in 2013 and to recruit others for assassination assignments. Hunter was to be paid $100,000 while two snipers he recruited were to be paid $700,000, prosecutors said. The others - a former U.S. Army soldier and an ex-German soldier - already were each sentenced to 20 years in prison. She called his crimes "grave and serious" and said post-traumatic stress syndrome could not earn him leniency. "His was a choice that betrayed society and the honor and trust that this country invested in his military career," Swain said. Still, she showed leniency, sentencing him below the minimum of 25 years sought by prosecutors but above the 10 years requested by the defense.

    Hunter was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in July 2004 as a sergeant first class after 20 years. But prosecutors said in court papers that since 2009, he had participated in numerous murders, shootings and torture for an international drug group and then bragged to others that "it’s easy to kill."

    When he spoke in court Tuesday, Hunter cried and blamed his crimes on forgetting "to place God at the forefront of my thoughts and actions." He said he was ashamed and embarrassed but "forever grateful" for those who remained supportive, including a sister, who dabbed her eyes with tissues as she watched the proceeding. "I have shamed them, a good family, good friend," he said.

    Lawyers in the case said his Army service included training soldiers in marksmanship and tactics, five years of classified missions and five years as a drill instructor at Fort Knox, Ky. Afterward, he did private security for firms during two tours of Iraq. Defense lawyers said he had received numerous awards, including a certificate presented by President George W. Bush, the Global War on Terrorism Medal and was appointed as a Kentucky Colonel by his home state.

    After leaving the Army, Hunter passed the entrance exam to join the New York Police Department (NYPD) but did not pursue it because he thought it would be too expensive to raise a family of four in New York City, according to court papers. So the family settled in Owensboro, Ky., and he worked over a year as a classification treatment officer in Kentucky.

    The judge said he strayed into sniper work for the money. Hunter was brought to the United States in 2013 to face conspiracy charges. Hunter pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges after his arrest in the sting operation.

 

American Red Cross

    

    The American Red Cross has been selected by the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Fla., as their designated charity for the month of June. Benefit events, community volunteerism and merchandise sales will occur throughout the month. On June 18th, teams of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa employees will join Red Cross volunteers and the Hillsborough County Fire Department in canvassing a high risk Tampa neighborhood installing free smoke alarms, educating residents on fire safety and how to escape their home should there be a fire. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa will be holding a benefit event for Red Cross on June 25th. Open to the public, the event will feature a charity slot tournament as well as a benefit concert and check presentation of funds raised for the month. The slot tournament has an entry fee of $10 and 50 percent of those proceeds will be donated to the charity and 50 percent to the prize pool. Tickets can be purchased at the Rock Shop or upon entry at the event.

    The American Red Cross serving Arkansas is joining more than 300 Red Cross responders providing care to Texans impacted by expanding flooding. Two Red Cross mobile teams deployed today from Jonesboro and El Dorado. A third team will leave Little Rock tomorrow morning.

    The American Red Cross will be attending the Alachua County, Fla., Animal Services' Disaster Preparedness event on Saturday.

    The American Red Cross in Hattiesburg, Miss., recently recognized SERVPRO, a cleanup and restoration company, for its participation in the Red Cross' Disaster Responder Program.

    And The American Red Cross' Central Florida Region continues to support relief efforts in Texas where residents are being impacted by yet more devastating flooding. This morning, Red Cross volunteers Robert “Kel” Bartley and Kevin Fitzgerald left for Austin, Texas, in the emergency response vehicle. Their job will be to help deliver food, water, tarps, mops, bug spray, cleaning supplies, gloves, face masks and other items to Texans affected by the flooding. The Red Cross has deployed 22 emergency response vehicles to help and six more are on the way to Texas to support the relief effort, including the unit from the Tampa Bay area. Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers from all over the country are in Texas, operating or supporting 17 shelters, providing meals, helping assess the damage and distributing relief supplies. Kel and Kevin are among the 17 volunteers who have been deployed to Texas from the Central Florida region. Rain continues to fall in the Texas region where the ongoing flooding has already damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.

 

The parting shots

    On this date in 1621, for current New York, an English charter was given to the Dutch West India Co. for "New Netherlands." In 1889, the first long-distance electric power transmission line in the U.S. was completed. In 1916, ROTC units were established by the U.S. Congress. In 1932, Lou Gehrig hit four straight home runs and he just missed a home run during his fifth time at bat. In 1948, the Hale telescope was dedicated at the Palomar Observatory. In 1956, rock and roll music was banned in Santa Cruz, Calif. In 1965, U.S. Astronaut Edward H. White floated freely outside the space vehicle Gemini IV for 21 minutes. And in 1976, Queen's song "Bohemian Rhapsody" went gold after over 1 million copies were sold.

    Today is the birthday of President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis (1808-1889), and Cuba's President Raul Castro turns 85 today.

    And a missing Japanese boy has been found alive. Takayuki Tanooka, the father of seven-year-old Yamato Tanooka who went missing on May 28th after being left in a forest by his own parents, spoke to the media in Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, today. Yamato Tanooka was found alive today.

 

   Sometimes finding Jesus is as easy as opening up a bag of your favorite snack food:

           

 

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