Surface Warfare Magazine - Spring 2019

Surface Warfare Spring 2019 Issue 62

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2019

Authorization

Surface Warfare is published quarterly from appropriated funds by authority of the Chief of Naval Operations in accordance with NPPR P-35.

The Secretary of the Navy has determined that this publication is necessary in the transaction of business required by law of the Department of the Navy.

Use of funds for printing this publication has been approved by the Navy Publications and Printing Policy Committee.

Reproductions are encouraged with proper citation. Controlled circulation.

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Surface Warfare (USPS 104170) (ISSN 0145-1073) is published by the Department of the Navy, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, 2841 Rendova Road, San Diego, CA 92155.

Periodicals postage paid at San Diego, CA, and additional mailing offices.

Charter

Surface Warfare Magazine is the professional magazine of the surface warfare community.

Its purpose is to educate its readers on surface warfare missions and programs, with a particular focus on U.S. surface ships and commands. This journal will also draw upon the Surface Force’s rich historical legacy to instill a sense of pride and professionalism among community members and to enhance reader awareness of the increasing relevance of surface warfare for our nation’s defense.

The opinions and assertions herein are the personal views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Navy.

Surface Warfare Spring 2019 Issue 62

Contact:

Surface Warfare Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs Office, N01P 2841 Rendova Road San Diego, CA 92155 Phone: (619) 437-2735

Contributions and Feedback Welcome

Send articles, photographs (min. 300 dpi electronic) and feedback to: surface_warfare_maga@navy.mil

Commander, Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Rich Brown

Deputy Commander, Naval Surface Forces Rear Adm. Joey B. Dodgen Public Affairs Officer Cmdr. Patrick L. Evans Executive Editor MCCS Ahron Arendes Managing Editor Ted Townsend Layout and Design Ted Townsend

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Contents

2. Commander's Corner Surface Force News: 4. Qatar, U.S. Conclude

Eastern Sailor 19 6. First Integrated Air & Missile Defense

Trainer Opens in San Diego 8. USS Fort McHenry en route

to Black Sea 9. Navy Christens Guided-Missile Destroyer

Frank E. Petersen Jr.

22. Surface Ship Readiness: Rewarding a

Culture of Excellence 24. Pacific Fleet Commander Emphasizes

Readiness for High-End Warfighting Cover Stories: 26 . SNA 2019: CNSF Delivers 'State

of The Surface Force' 30. The Navy’s Amphibious Assault Forces

Lead the Way with Cutting-Edge Technology

10. Chung-Hoon seizes drugs in Gulf of Aden

34. CNSP Selects FY 2018 Sea and Shore

Sailors of the Year

11. USS Michael Monsoor commissioning

ceremony honors legacy of Navy SEAL

36. Voices From the Fleet

Women on the Waterfront

12. First WTI Takes Command of

Naval Warship

38. History and Heritage:

Operation Praying Mantis –

25 Years Later

13. USS Porter Departs Aksaz, Turkey Feature Stories: 14. Littoral Combat Group 1 returns

from SouthAmerica 16. Surface Force Pacific Commander Charges

Fleet to Meet the Challenge of

Renewed Great Power Competition 18. 77 Years later, We Remember

40. Surface Warfare Leadership Recognizes

Value of Corporate Knowledge

Through the Years

Cover: USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) is the second ship of the Zumwalt class of guided missile destroyers. The Zumwalts were designed as multi-mission surface combatants tailored for advanced land attack and littoral dominance with a mission of providing credible, independent forward presence and deterrence and operating as integral parts of naval, joint or combined maritime forces.

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Commander's Corner

VADM. Rich Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, speaks with crewmembers, government employees and civilian contractors aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52).

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Millar

I was honored and privileged to speak to our Surface Warriors in January during the annual Surface Navy Association (SNA) National in Washington DC. During my ‘State of the Surface Force’ speech, I emphasized Mission Command, Turning Readiness into Lethality, and creating a Culture of Excellence.

We have had a busy three months since then.

In March we completed the firstever Surface Warfare Commander’s Conference (SURFWARCOM) at the fully informed level as well as the first-ever TS/SCI Commander's Training Symposium (CTS). As ADM Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet highlighted in March when he visited Commanding Officers (COs) in San Diego, we need combat ready ships and combat minded crews prepared to fight and win in blue-water, Fleeton-Fleet combat. Efforts such as SURFWARCOM empower our leaders and enable them to maximize the capabilities of their platforms in the high-end fight.

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

On the training front, three ships have nearly completed the basic phase under the new Surface Force Training and Readiness Manual (SFTRM). We still have about 3 years for everyone to get their first run through under the new guidelines, but feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive and COs have had more discretionary training time.

One thing I am particularly excited about is the Surface Warfare Mariner Skills Logbook. All ships have copies on hand, and the Navy has established a National Stock Number (NSN). I need ship wardrooms to take ownership of this process and Captain's to use this as a tool to help develop their young officers.

Navy Leadership continues to move forward and build upon recent efforts. This summer Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) will begin sustained deployments with USS MONTGOMERY and followed by USS GABRIELLE GIFFORDS in the fall. The Fleet will soon see the stand-up of the Surface Development Squadron (SURFDEVRON) that will serve as a vehicle to test new technologies. Additionally, I will be on the east coast later this summer to conduct Staff Talks with Commander, Naval Surface Forces Atlantic where we share lessons and best practices between staffs on how to better support our Sailors and Ships.

Let me be clear, many of these recent and ongoing efforts will take time to fully mature. I need our Triads, Department Heads, and other senior leaders to communicate the good work ongoing with your Junior

Officers and Sailors. There is a lot of good news to share. It is a fantastic time to be part of the Surface Navy, and I look forward to working with you to make our Navy better each day.

To the Surface Fleet, keep up the great work. We've set the conditions to empower you to bring up issues to my staff and effect positive change. Together, we will build a culture of excellence to meet the maritime challenges presented by today's Great Power Competition. Own the Fight! *

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Surface Force News Qatar, U.S. Conclude Eastern Sailor 19

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Samantha P. Montenegro, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs

ARABIAN GULF (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Qatari Emiri Naval Forces completed Eastern Sailor 19 on Nov. 7.

Eastern Sailor is an annual, bilateral surface exercise between the U.S. and the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces that serves to expand the levels of cooperation and to build strength through partnerships.

The exercise was led by Task Force (TF) 55 and is part of a routine theater security cooperation engagement plan and serves as an opportunity to strengthen tactical proficiency in critical mission areas, as well as supports long term regional stability.

Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73), Cyclone-class coastal patrol ship USS Sirocco (PC 6), U.S. Coast Guard Island-class patrol cutter USCGC Monomoy (WPB 1326), Qatari Emiri Naval Forces missile boats; Q04, Q07, a Qatari gun boat and two Qatari fast boats worked together during the exercise.

Cmdr. Bob Bowen, Decatur’s commanding officer, said he was proud to be part of the exercise and appreciated the opportunity to work with the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces.

“Eastern Sailor 19 provided a valuable training opportunity that allowed both U. S. and Qatari forces to operate and learn from each other while building relationships,” said Bowen.

The exercise included small-boat attack; visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS); division tactics and maritime infrastructure protection.

Operations Specialist 1st Class John Cranek, a member of the Decatur VBSS team, appreciated his opportunity to train alongside the Qatari forces.

“It was a great experience to be able to conduct VBSS drills with the Qatari navy,” said Cranek. “Opportunities like these to train with our regional partners are unique. I am grateful to have been a part of the exercise and for the chance to work with another navy.”

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

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“Opportunities like these to train with our regional partners are unique. I am grateful to have been a part of the exercise and for the chance to work with another navy.�

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Samantha P. Montenegro

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Surface Force News First Integrated Air & Missile Defense Trainer Opens in San Diego

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Millar Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO - Emerging threats and advances in Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) technology require a new approach to the development of warfighting expertise. Shipboard operators and tacticians must be properly trained to maximize the effectiveness of combat systems against emerging adversary technologies.

In order to meet the need to create warfighters versed in high-end capabilities, Vice Adm. Rich Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, was among other Naval leaders to open the Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense Trainer (CIAT) on Dec. 6 at Naval Base San Diego.

“This trainer allows us to continue to create a culture of excellence within the Surface Force,” said Brown. “For example, CIAT allows Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTIs) to propose new tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), run them, get them right, then get them out to the fleet. In turn, ships can train on the TTPs to build lethality, warfighting and tactical proficiency.”

CIAT is a state-of-the-art facility where instructors train shipboard operators and tacticians in a controlled environment without being underway or even on the ship. The trainer is comprised of a mock combat information center, sonar room, control room and debrief room, all designed to maximize instructor observation and grow combat effectiveness. By taking the Sailors off the ship and bringing them to the shore-based trainer, it allows the students to spend a week dedicated to and focused on learning high-end warfighting, away from the distractions that can come with a ship’s daily schedule.

“Sailors gain the experience of using tactically coded equipment, high fidelity simulation tools, and a uniquely integrated debrief capability; all of which are non-existent in shipboard training systems,” said Lt. Cmdr. Reisheid Dixon, the officer in charge of Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS), San Diego. “I can create a scenario anywhere in the world and that Operations/Combat Systems team can fight through tactical scenarios just like they would encounter as if they were on deployment. We have the ability to replicate atmospheric conditions, various threats, potential enemy actions and all other variables that may impact a weapon engagement’s possible outcome.”

One major benefit of the trainer is that it enables ships to safely execute dangerous, complex scenarios that would otherwise incur unacceptable risk in a live training

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Woody S. Paschall

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environment with live targets. The trainer also provides training at a lower cost compared to real-world, underway operations; it aligns with TTPs; and it doesn’t deviate from tactical system performance or threat characteristics that a Sailor would expect onboard their ship.

“How Sailors expect a particular system to react on the ship is exactly how the system will react in the simulator.

This will provide for greater watchstander proficiency, increase scenario realism and enhance the watchteam’s ability to plan, brief, execute and de-brief in a robust virtual environment, said Dixon. “Current shipboard training systems are limited in capacity to train to all required combat system capabilities.”

Capt. Peter Kim, the commanding officer for USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) , toured CIAT a week prior to opening to see all the capabilities it has to offer.

“The benefits of a high-end, multi-mission, shore-based CIAT trainer are enormous,” said Kim. “In the past, training opportunities ashore for ships in maintenance were very limited. Crews can now take advantage of this facility any time to train, qualify, and maintain proficiency.”

CIAT also provides an individual who is training in a team environment with an integrated debrief capability.

During training, the audio of the instructor and watchstander is recorded for after-action reporting and instructor analysis.

“CIAT is improving training effectiveness by allowing side-by-side comparison of operator perceived tactical situation against ground truth,” said Brown. “CIAT is the most comprehensive training system that embodies the planning, briefing, executing and debriefing process.”

The trainer's capabilities are targeted at supporting basic phase training events, but its inherent capabilities could accommodate a wide range of other training events.

The new capacity and capability provided by the CIAT provides a close-proximity, shore based venue for Naval Surface and Mine Warfare Development Center's (SMWDC) Warfare Tactics Instructors to execute and validate existing and developmental TTP. It also provides the WTI cadre additional reps-and-sets on the weapons system to sharpen the Fleet's warfighting edge in a realistic, simulated training environment, which is also diffused throughout the Fleet resulting from WTI planning and execution of advanced tactical training exercises, doctrine and TTP development, and operational support.

One such WTI who had the opportunity to experience CIAT, is Lt. Ben Olivas, an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) WTI assigned to SMWDC Headquarters’ Operations and Training Branch.

"CIAT is an extremely valuable training system. It was almost surreal to see how accurately the trainer mimics the combat system. I felt like I was on a real ship fighting the battle at sea. CIAT is undoubtedly one of the best training systems that the Surface Warfare community has invested in to advance our warfighting capabilities," said Olivas.

Following the opening of the San Diego location, CIAT developers plan to open an additional location in fall of 2019 at the CSCS detachment in Norfolk, along with adding two reconfigurable combat information center trainers at the Aegis Training and Readiness Center in Dahlgren, Virginia.

“This is the first of its kind, but not the last,” said Brown.

“The quality and fidelity of this training is an unmatched capability for the Surface Force and it will serve to enhance warfighting skills and readiness across the waterfront in creating a culture of excellence; ultimately preparing our warfighters to own the fight.” *

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Surface Force News USS Fort McHenry en route to Black Sea

By U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

DARDANELLES STRAIT (NNS) -- The Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), with embarked elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), began its north-bound transit of the Dardanelles Strait, en route to the Black Sea on Jan. 6.

“USS Fort McHenry’s transit into the Black Sea reaffirms our collective resolve to Black Sea security and enhances our strong relationships with our NATO allies and partners in the region,” said Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. “Our routine operations in the Black Sea also demonstrate the inherent flexibility and capability of U.S. 6th Fleet naval forces.”

The Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea, consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention. During 2018, The Arleigh Burkeclass guided-missile destroyers USS Ross (DDG 71), USS Carney (DDG 64) and USS Porter (DDG 78), the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) with embarked elements of the 26th MEU,

U.S. Navy photo

“Our routine operations in the Black Sea also demonstrate the inherent flexibility and capability of U.S. 6th Fleet naval forces.” and Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport USNS Carson City (T-EPF 7), all conducted operations in the Black Sea. Homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Fort McHenry is on a regularly scheduled deployment in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations with the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Arlington (LPD 24), and U.S. Marines assigned to the 22nd MEU, headquartered in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

While in U.S. 6th Fleet, the ship will conduct operations with allies and partners to advance security and stability in Europe.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. *

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U.S. Navy photo

Navy Christens GuidedMissile Destroyer Frank E. Petersen Jr.

By Department of Defense Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy christened the newest guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) Oct. 6 at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. is the first ship named in honor of Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen Jr., the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps officer promoted to brigadier general. When he retired in 1988 after 38 years of service, he was, by date of designation, the senior-ranking aviator in the Marine Corps and the United States Navy.

D’Arcy Neller, wife of Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, and Dr. Alicia J. Petersen, widow of Frank E. Petersen Jr., serve as the ship’s sponsors. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the two sponsors christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

“The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. will serve for decades as a reminder of Lt. Gen. Petersen's service to our nation and Navy and Marine Corps team,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “This ceremony honors not only Petersen’s service but also the service of our nation’s industrial partners, who, for centuries, have helped make our Navy the greatest in the world."

The future Frank E. Petersen Jr. will be the 71st Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and is the fifth of 21 ships currently under contract for the DDG-51 program. 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.

The future Frank E. Petersen Jr. will be equipped with the Navy's Aegis Combat System, the world's foremost integrated naval weapon. The ship will also incorporate Cooperative Engagement Capability that, when combined with the Aegis Combat System, will permit groups of ships and aircraft to link radars to provide a composite picture of the battle space, effectively increasing the theater space. The capability is designed to provide the Navy with a 21st-century fighting edge.

The nearly 9,500-ton Frank E. Petersen Jr. is 509.5 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots. *

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Surface Force News Chung-Hoon seizes drugs in Gulf of Aden

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Logan C. Kellums, Carrier Strike Group 3, Public Affairs

GULF OF ADEN (NNS) -- The guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) interdicted a shipment of narcotics aboard a stateless vessel while conducting maritime security operations in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden on Dec. 27.

Chung-Hoon’s visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team seized over 11,000 pounds of hashish while conducting a flag verification boarding.

“We have been conducting maritime security operations along suspected maritime smuggling routes in order to interdict illicit shipments into Yemen and Somalia,” said Cmdr. Brent Jackson, commanding officer of Chung-Hoon. “It's critical in an effort to curb the ongoing shipments of illicit weapons and narcotics. I am grateful that Chung-Hoon was able to play a small part in an ongoing effort to deter and limit these illicit shipments of contraband."

The vessel was determined to be stateless following a flag verification boarding, conducted in accordance with customary international law. The vessel and its crew were allowed to depart once the narcotics were seized.

Chung-Hoon is one of the many ships currently conducting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet. Maritime security operations, as conducted by the Navy, entail routine patrols to determine pattern of life in the maritime environment as well as enhance mariner-to-mariner relations. The relationships built as a result allow the Navy to disrupt the transport of illicit cargo that often funds terrorism and unlawful activities, and reassures law-abiding mariners in the region.

Chung-Hoon is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Command Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

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

U.S. Navy photos

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USS Michael Monsoor commissioning ceremony honors legacy of Navy SEAL

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Woody Paschall Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO – The Navy’s newest Zumwalt-class destroyer, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), was commissioned Jan. 26 at Naval Air Station North Island.

Twenty gold star families and four Medal of Honor recipients witnessed the Navy’s second Zumwalt-class destroyer enter the fleet.

The ship honors Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Ramadi, Iraq, Sept. 29, 2006. At the ship’s 2008 naming ceremony, former Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter recognized Monsoor as “a consummate professional who faced terrorist enemies with aplomb and stoicism."

“When you man the rails today and you man your first watch stations at [general quarters], you bring this ship to life in the spirit and legacy of Michael Monsoor with toughness, courage and love, and you will be the defenders,” said Vice Adm. Timothy Szymanski, the deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.

“Monsoor is an incredible honor that the Navy has bestowed upon him and his family,” said Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin Oleson, one of Monsoor’s teammates in Ramadi. “I went out to the christening event, and I was completely blown away [by] the sheer size of what this ship represents."

California Congressman Scott Peters delivered the commissioning ceremony's principal address for the ship named for the southern California native.

“‘You never quit.’ Those are the words Michael Monsoor wrote with permanent marker inside the camouflage hat he wore throughout his [Basic Undersea Demolition School] training at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center here at Coronado,” said Peters. “If you visit the quarterdeck of the magnificent new ship we commission this morning, you will see his hat there with those words inscribed within it. It is encased in glass where it will remain on display permanently for the life of the ship. The letters are faded from time and wear but their significance and how Michael applied them to his life are as vivid and meaningful today as they were that day when he wrote them many years ago as his reminder to persevere. The words ‘you never quit’ are also brandished prominently throughout the ship as if Michael himself is offering encouragement to every man and woman who sets sail upon her."

“She was constructed for stealth and speed and will navigate and operate using the newest and most sophisticated technology and weaponry available. She was built for battle and reflects the highest level of combat readiness as was her namesake, Petty Officer Michael Monsoor.”

Sally Monsoor, Michael Monsoor’s mother, served as the ship’s sponsor and delivered the time-honored first order to “man our ship and bring her to life!” The crew of 148 officers and enlisted personnel were joined by servicemembers who served with Monsoor in Ramadi as they raced aboard to man the rails and watch stations.

The nearly 16,000-ton Michael Monsoor was built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship is 610 feet in length, has a beam of 87 feet, and a navigational draft of 27 feet. The ship is powered by two Rolls-Royce main turbine generators, two Rolls-Royce auxiliary turbine generators, two 34.6 MW advanced induction motors to speeds up to 30-plus knots.

Zumwalt-class destroyers maximize stealth, size, power and computing capacity–fielding an array of weapons systems and cutting-edge technologies to fight forces in the air, on and under the sea, and on land. *

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Millar

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Surface Force News First WTI Takes Command of Naval Warship

By Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Ian G Johnson, LCSRON TWO Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- Cmdr. Lenard Mitchell became the first Warfare Tactics Instructor (WTI) to take command of a Navy warship during a recent ceremony here aboard Freedom Class littoral combat ship USS Little Rock (LCS 9).

“The tactical foundation, thought process, and critical thinking the WTI program provides will be a huge help as we employ LCS,” said Mitchell.

“Coaching, teaching, and mentoring are ways we can train better, make stronger Sailors, and be ready to meet any challenge we face as a team. You don’t get anywhere by yourself. In the Navy and in life, you owe that to someone to pay that forward. In this case, I’m going to pay it forward to my crew, ship, and the LCS program.”

A Canton, Mississippi native, Mitchell enlisted in the Navy as an operations specialist before graduating from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and earning a commission in 2000. Before his 2014 selection to the WTI program, he completed sea tours aboard USS Deyo (DD 989) and USS Gettysburg (CG 64) as a strike officer, weapons officer, and combat systems officer. Mitchell said his experiences developed his love for tactics that was necessary to succeed in the WTI training program.

Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center’s (SMWDC) WTI program trains high-performing junior officers in advanced tactics and Surface Warfare expertise before they are placed in production tours where they plan and support advanced tactical training exercises; develop doctrine and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP); and provide operational support. After these tours, they return to the fleet to increase the lethality

and tactical proficiency of the Surface Fleet by infusing their knowledge and experience within the watchteams they support and lead.

“Being a WTI challenges your tactical thinking and planning skills,” said Mitchell. “But, it’s in the production tours where we make our buck." Serving as tactical mentors and instructors at the Afloat Training Group (ATG), the Center for Surface Combat Systems, or SMWDC Headquarters; giving back to the fleet, getting out on ships on the waterfront and sharing that knowledge and raising the warfighting ethos for the Tactical Action Officer and tactical watchstanders on the ships is really where the WTI program makes a difference.

Mitchell is a graduate of SMWDC's Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) program in Dahlgren, Va., a rigorous 15-week curriculum focused on the Navy's most cutting edge tactics and technologies for talented surface warfare officers. The program includes classroom instruction with the Aegis Training and Readiness Center (ATRC) in Dahlgren, Virginia, tactical training, mission planning, and on-site visits with the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC), and various Army and Air Force commands. Additionally, WTI candidates each have a specific research focus area to start them on the path to building expertise in that particular area.

“Before we deploy, I’m looking forward to taking the Little Rock team through Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) and other advanced tactical training exercises,” said Mitchell. “The SWATT exercise and the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief process challenges the warfighter, the watchteam, and will make the whole LCS program better.”

A fast, agile, mission-focused platform, the littoral combat ship is designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric anti-access threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. *

“Coaching, teaching, and mentoring are ways we can train better, make stronger Sailors, and be ready to meet any challenge we face as a team.”

Photo by Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Ian G Johnson

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USS Porter Departs Aksaz, Turkey

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James Turner, USS Porter Public Affairs

AKSAZ, TURKEY (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) departed Aksaz, Turkey following a regular scheduled port visit on its sixth forwarddeployed naval forces (FDNF) patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, Jan. 3, 2019.

The two-day visit provided Sailors the opportunity to interact with local citizens, partake in a tour, experience Turkish culture and make preparations for the next leg of patrol.

"The crew was excited to make our first port visit of patrol in Turkey,” said Command Master Chief Abel Griego. “For most of the Sailors, it was their first time ever visiting Turkey. We made the most of the time we had here, enjoying the rich culture, warm hospitality and beautiful scenery. This port visit gave us a chance to meet our Turkish navy counterparts to support future engagements.

In all, the crew was able relax and take in all that Turkey has to offer as well as bring on 127,000 gallons of fuel and 10 pallets of stores to continue with our mission."

While in Aksaz, Commanding Officer Cmdr. Craig Trent visited with Ali Acar, mayor of Marmaris, Turkey and the District Governor Cemalettin Yuksel to exchange pleasantries and small gifts.

The Porter also hosted a luncheon for nine local Turkish naval officers including Rear Adm. Hasan Ozyurt, Aksaz southern task group commander, and Rear Adm. Semih Ozanguc, naval base commander, to express their gratitude for the port visit. After the luncheon, there was a small gift exchange where Cmdr. Trent presented ship coins and ball caps to the Turkish navy sailors.

While on liberty, 120 Porter Sailors participated a tour of Dalyan Turtle Beach sponsored through the ship’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program. The tour gave Sailors the chance to sail down the Dalyan River, visit the breeding ground of Loggerhead turtles, view rock tombs dating back to 400 B.C., and enjoy therapeutic mud from the river.

“I really enjoyed the tour,” said Seaman Gabreale Simmons. “My favorite part is a toss-up between the river ride and the mud bath.

The tour guides were very nice and it was something I’ve never experienced before. I am thankful to have received the opportunity.”

The ship's patrol is a demonstration of the U.S. Navy's continued commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships in the European and African region.

While on patrol, Porter will conduct naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. *

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

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LITTORAL COMBAT GROUP 1 RETURNS FROM SOUTH AMERICA

By Littoral Combat Group 1 Public Affairs

Photo by Sgt. Allison Bak

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“This exercise allows us to assist our partners in enforcing fisheries laws and protecting the economy in the South Pacific.”

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines from Littoral Combat Group One (LCG 1) returned home to Naval Base San Diego and Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam after participating in the International Maritime and Naval Exhibition for South America, known as EXPONAVAL. Both USS Somerset (LPD 25) and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) visited Valparaiso, Chile, to participate in the bicentennial anniversary of the Chilean Navy and EXPONAVAL, the major naval exhibition for Latin America on the Pacific coast.

"We safely and successfully conducted our mission," said Capt. Ken Coleman, commodore, LCG-1. "I give full credit to our tremendous Sailors and Marines. They demonstrated outstanding readiness, tactical expertise and represented our nation and Navy with great pride and professionalism.”

More than 1,000 Sailors and Marines from the LCG-1 flagship Somerset, embarked Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF)-Peru, and Wayne E. Meyer deployed to South America in order to strengthen relationships and enhance cooperation between partner nations.

While in Valparaiso, Sailors and Marines engaged in community service events and sports competitions with the local community. Somerset also held a reception on board, co-hosted by U.S. 4th Fleet and the U.S. Ambassador to Chile.

Underway, Wayne E. Meyer and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) from Tactical Law Enforcement Team Pacific conducted a maritime patrol exercise with Ecuadorian navy assets to counter illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.

“This exercise allows us to assist our partners in enforcing fisheries laws and protecting the economy in the South Pacific,” said Lt. j.g. Mike Brooks, the deployable team leader of the embarked LEDET. “A large number of states in this area depend on fisheries for food security and export income, and our Navy-Coast Guard team helps preserve both.”

Alongside the Peruvian Naval Infantry, SPMAGTFPeru conducted a humanitarian assistance, disaster response exercise in Chorrillos, Peru, an area prone to natural disasters. The bilateral group successfully demonstrated their ability to provide water purification, electricity, medical services, heavy equipment to clear roads and highways, and helicopters to reach isolated areas quickly in times of natural disaster.

“There were only a few weeks between the time we received the mission and the time we deployed,” said Lt. Col. Francisco Zavala, commanding officer, SPMAGTFPeru. “Our successful execution on a short notice is a testament to the Marine Corps’ level of readiness and our ability to come together as a Navy-Marine Corps team, rapidly deploy and honor our commitments to our partners and allies.” * *

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Surface Force Pacific Commander Charges Fleet to Meet the Challenge of Renewed Great Power Competition

By Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Rufus Hucks

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SAN DIEGO (March 14, 2019) – Commodores, commanders, and surface fleet leaders need to prepare for the high-end fight to meet the challenge of renewed Great Power Competition. That was the message from Vice Adm. Richard Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSP), during the Commander’s Training Symposium (CTS), March 14.

Reiterating key themes from his Surface Navy Association (SNA) address, Brown, along with representatives from various commands – including U.S. Pacific Fleet, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, and Undersea Warfighting Development Center - urged leaders to prepare to transition readiness into lethality, reinvigorate mission command, and drive toward a culture of excellence.

“Driving to a culture of excellence must be a bottom-up management effort.

We’ve set the conditions to empower you to bring up issues so my staff and I can effect change. If you run into operational or maintenance roadblocks, let us know and we’ll get after them,” Brown told the group of nearly 100 unit commanders, commodores, and senior leaders.

CTS covered a wide breadth of surface warfare initiatives and updates, including:

• Recent revisions to the Surface Force Training and Readiness Manual (SFTRM), which now permit ships’ crews to certify early when they demonstrate full proficiency during Certification Events (CEs) • Recent one-year update on the Readiness Reform Oversight Committee’s (RROC) work to make our Navy a safer and more combat-effective force • Integrated training and tactical vignettes • Intelligence and geo-political updates CTS is a culmination of a week’s worth of events that emphasized building and sustaining fleetwide readiness. During the week, Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, delivered a series of discussions with waterfront leaders in San Diego, March 11-13.

“We are driving to provide fleet commanders with combat-ready ships and battle-minded crews who will go, fight and win. Continuing the discussion on how we are going to own the fight is the most important element to a synchronized and able-bodied Surface Fleet,” said Brown. “My staff and I are here to advocate for your needs and to set you up for success.”

During CTS, Brown reminded the attendees that 2018 was a year devoted to raising standards, improving training, tightening qualifications, re-emphasizing certifications, and re-asserting the primacy of command.

Whereas, 2019 is devoted to turning that readiness into lethality through an unrelenting pursuit of excellence over compliance.

“2018 is behind us. Continue to focus forward,’ Brown said. When you need support, tell us!”

CNSP will host another CTS this fall to continue this important dialogue. *

“We are driving to provide fleet commanders with combat-ready ships and battle-minded crews who will go, fight and win.”

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Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Somers T. Steelman

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77 Years later, We Remember

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Allen McNair, NPASE Hawaii

In the early morning rain fell softly across the island and on a crowd of approximately 2,000 people who were focused on one man -- Everett Hyland.

Seventy-seven years ago, Hyland was on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania (BB 38) when it took a direct hit from a 500-pound bomb launched by Imperial Japanese forces. The bomb hit so close to where he was standing, it knocked him into the air. In the end, he sustained multiple wounds and severe burns, but escaped with his life. He was the only survivor on board.

The Arleigh Burke-Class guided missile destroyer USS Michael P. Murphy (DDG 112), sailed past the gathered crowd and rendered honors to Hyland and the thousands of Service Members and civilians who were at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

The Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day 77th Anniversary Commemoration was held on the ceremonial lawn at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center to remember the 2,390 American casualties from the attack on Pearl Harbor and reflect on the peace and prosperity forged by all who fought on.

The theme of this year’s event was “Forging the Future,” which derives from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s State of the Union address in 1943.

“As long as our flag flies over this Capitol, Americans will honor the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines who fought our first battles of this war against overwhelming odds,” Roosevelt said. “Their unconquerable spirit will live forever.”

The ceremony began with a customary moment of silence at exactly 7:55 a.m. -the time that the attack started in 1941.

Following the national anthem, a Hawaiian blessing, and passing honors, superintendent of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, Jacqueline Ashwell, expressed her compassion for the service members who were present 77 years ago.

“As long as our flag flies over this Capitol, Americans will honor the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines who fought our first battles of this war against overwhelming odds”

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“When I have the privilege of accompanying someone on their very first visit to Pearl Harbor, I ask them to stop for a moment and go back in time with me to imagine the harbor as it was that day,” Ashwell said. “Explosions, chaos, smoke, flame. Some of you don’t have to imagine. You witnessed it first-hand. We are truly blessed to have you here with us today, to help us remember.”

Adm. Phil Davidson, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, was the keynote speaker of the ceremony. He said that since WWII, the U.S. has continued to play an active role in ensuring a free and open region.

“The United States continues to work alongside our allies and partners towards this shared vision,” Davidson said. “But, challenges remain. There are nations and forces in the region today opposed to the idea of a free and open region. We will remain opposed to those who desire to lead a region who is closed and authoritarian. We cannot fail and we will not fail.”

Following the admiral’s speech, active duty service members and national park service rangers presented wreaths to honor the Territory of Hawaii, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin R. Pacheco

These wreaths are an expression of gratitude and a symbol of unending appreciation of service and sacrifice.

Distinguished visitors included the Honorable David Ige, governor of Hawaii, Tatsunobu Isoda, mayor of Nagaoka, Japan, and Adm. John Aquilino, commander, Pacific Fleet. The ceremony concluded with a rifle salute by the U.S. Marine Corps and a vintage aircraft flyover.

Rear Adm. Brian Fort, commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, reminded the crowd that in just under two years, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The lives lost here at Pearl Harbor and throughout all of World War II will always be remembered; and that memory will continue to forge a generation of peace, partnerships, and prosperity for many generations. *

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“When I have the privilege of accompanying someone on their very first visit to Pearl Harbor, I ask them to stop for a moment and go back in time with me to imagine the harbor as it was that day�

Photo by Mass Communication 1st Class Corwin M. Colbert

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Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Danielle A. Baker

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By Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

NAVAL AMPHIBIOUS BASE CORONADO – Recent revisions to the Surface Force Training and Readiness Manual (SFTRM) now permit ships’ crews to certify early when they demonstrate full proficiency during Certification Events (CEs). Three surface ships have satisfied certification requirements under these changes, which increases commanding officer’s (COs) discretionary crew training time. The changes also underscore the determined effort to foster a culture of excellence in the surface force.

The dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) completed their Basic Phase certification seven weeks early.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) certified all Mobility-Engineering (MOB-E) CE requirements three weeks ahead of schedule during her first underway training/certification visit conducted by Engineering Assessments Pacific (EAP) and Afloat Training Group Sand Diego (ATG SD). The MOB-E certification ensures Sailors have the necessary skills to operate the engineering plant and respond to potential shipboard casualties.

USS Charleston (LCS 18) completed her New Construction Light Off Assessment (LOA) in three and a half days, half the time allotted for the visit.

The ship accomplished more than 70% of her material checks in the two weeks leading up to the LOA, which greatly facilitated that early completion.

LOA is an assessment which ensures the ship is able to safely light-off and operate its engineering plant both in port and at sea. The assessment was performed by EAP/ ATG SD as well.

Satisfactorily completing certification events early is a key focus area of the revised SFTRM, which was published on Nov. 1, 2018. It accomplishes two important goals. First, it puts a big “T” (Training) and little “a” (assessment) into Afloat Training Groups (ATG), ensuring that ship’s leadership focuses first on training Sailors. This underpins the Surface Force’s rededication to command at sea and an insistence that crews work hard to not just meet standards but strive for operational excellence.

Secondly, while meeting the same required standards,

the SFTRM changes the delivery strategy of Basic Phase Training. ATG-led training and drills will first certify the ship’s watch teams. Once the crew’s watch teams have demonstrated proficiency, ATG will then focus on the ship’s training team certification. These crew-based training teams ensure that the ships are able to continuously train during the Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP) cycle.

More importantly, ships that are able to demonstrate proficiency and meet standards during certification events will certify during that event. Under the previous approach, an unnecessarily artificial time-based, lockstep compliance method handcuffed crews both ready and capable of accelerated readiness certification.

Ship COs who build a culture of excellence within their crews and earn certification earlier will get the remaining Basic Phase time back to further build upon their culture of excellence and warfighting ethos.

Vice Adm. Rich Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, emphasized this message to ship COs during his State of the Surface address at the 2019 Surface Navy Association (SNA) symposium.

“I am your biggest advocate with your operational chain of command for giving time back to you and the ship. We’ve set the conditions for our CO’s to be more confident in taking risks by restoring firebreaks between maintenance, training, and operations and we improved training and assessments. So, we need COs to seize the initiative, and to be confident, sensible risk-takers because winning in combat demands it,” said Brown.

Winning in this era of a Great Power Competition demands embracing the concept of Mission Command.

“I’ve said this many, many times: As the CO goes, so goes the ship. We’ve been making changes to the Surface Force for nearly a year now. 2018 was a year devoted to raising standards, improving training, tightening up qualifications, re-emphasizing certifications, and reasserting the primacy of command. 2018 was about being the best. It was a year of building readiness, but we don’t build readiness for readiness’ sake. We must turn that readiness into lethality. And we do that through an unrelenting pursuit of excellence over compliance,” said Brown. *

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Pacific Fleet Commander Emphasizes Readiness for High-End Warfighting

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

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Navy leaders up and down the chain of command need to prepare their crews to fight and win in blue-water, fleet-on-fleet combat. That was the message Adm. John C. Aquilino, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, delivered during a series of discussions with waterfront leaders in San Diego, March 11-13.

Aquilino, along with U.S. Pacific Fleet Force Master Chief James Honea, visited various commands at the largest fleet concentration area on the West Coast.

At the Naval Air Station North Island's Lowry Base Theater, they led a conversation with leaders from air, surface, subsurface, expeditionary and special warfare communities about the importance of building and sustaining readiness fleetwide.

Aquilino expressed urgency, telling the gathering of commanding officers, executive officers and command master chiefs that he and Honea were there to help drive a shared effort to build winning, high-end war fighting crews with high-end war fighting capability.

“We are in this together,” Aquilino said. “Readiness is a team sport. Here is what I owe you: I owe you the people, the parts, the time, the syllabus and the trainers to generate readiness. You also have a responsibility. I need you to take those things I give you and turn them into lethal combat power.”

Aquilino acknowledged there was more work to be

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joseph Millar

done, and asked the diverse group of leaders for feedback on barriers to building and sustaining readiness.

“I won’t assign you missions you’re not ready to go do,” Aquilino said. “This is the leadership across all communities in San Diego. I need to hear from you what’s working and what isn’t.”

Honea challenged the command master chiefs in attendance to align their efforts to their commanding officer’s priorities.

“When we talk about building winning teams, it’s the chiefs’ mess that develops the technical experts that build the readiness,” Honea said. “Those winning teams have confidence in themselves and the faith of their commanding officer that they will have the weapons they need when they go into those fights.”

At the Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet's (CNSP) Surface Warfare Commanders Conference, Aquilino repeated the need for high-end war fighting capability.

Leaders carried that message into CNSP's Spring 2019 Commander's Training Symposium (CTS), which is a forum for commanders and commanding officers to receive updates on fleet-wide initiatives, as well as to ask questions and provide feedback directly to CNSP. “I’m confident that we will win any fight,” Aquilino told the San Diego-based Navy leaders. “Let there be no doubt: Each one of our Sailors should know they are part of the best damn Navy in the world.” *

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“Let there be no doubt: Each one of our Sailors should know they are part of the best damn Navy in the world.”

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SNA 2019:

CNSF Delivers 'State of The Surface Force'

By Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

U.S. Navy photo

SURFACE WARFARE SPRING 2019

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kashif Basharat

“Excellence is about superior performance and winning. A culture of excellence demands a sense of urgency in all that we do.”

ARLINGTON, Va. (Jan. 15, 2019) – Calling it “the most important task before us in Surface Warfare,” Vice Adm. Rich Brown, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, urged the Surface Warfare community to drive toward a culture of excellence, reinvigorate mission command, and prepare to transition readiness into lethality to meet the challenges of a renewed Great Power Competition.

“The urgent demands of a renewed Great Power Competition require us to drive toward a culture of excellence – a culture that recognizes that standards are the baseline; a culture of rapid innovation, of creativity across all ranks, and of outcomes that favor our strategic needs,” said Brown. “We must instill toughness and trust in our Sailors as the foundation for this culture of excellence.”

Brown made the comments during his “State of the Surface Force” address at the Surface Navy Association’s (SNA) 31st national symposium.

During the address, Brown reminded the audience of maritime, government and industry professionals, that 2018 was a year devoted to raising standards, improving training, tightening qualifications, reemphasizing certifications, and reasserting the primacy of command.

“2018 was about being the best!” said Brown. “It was a year of building

Photo

readiness, but we don’t build readiness for ‘readiness’ sake. We must turn that readiness into lethality. And we do that through an unrelenting pursuit of excellence over compliance.”

Brown stated that compliance is important but needs to serve as the foundation for excellence.

“Compliance is about inspections. Excellence is about superior performance and winning. A culture of excellence demands a sense of urgency in all that we do – not just frenetic activity – but focused action to deliver the outcomes our Navy requires,” said Brown.

Driving toward a culture of excellence expeditiously is a priority, according to Brown, because of the common thread in the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Navy Strategy.

“If you don’t feel this sense of urgency, then you have not been paying attention. The common theme in all of these strategies is that they are Maritime Strategies – strategies that call for sea control whenever and

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wherever we need it – requiring our Surface Navy to deter, but if necessary, fight and win the battle for sea control now in an age of Great Power Competition,” said Brown. “We still remain unmatched in sea control, but we have to work at it harder now, and we must continue to get better. We must learn rapidly. We must innovate faster. We must be tougher than our adversaries.”

To continue to do this, according to Brown, the Surface community must embrace the concept of Mission Command.

“Mission Command requires combat ready warships — materially sound with full system redundancy – to go to sea and support sustained combat operations. Mission Command requires tough, battle minded crews – trained, cohesive, and eager to fight and prevail over a thinking adversary; crews that have had the opportunity to think, practice, and refine independent tactics before someone shoots at them. Mission Command requires bold, confident, and tough commanding officers – driven to win and hungry for the challenge of command. Mission command requires innovation and creativity, experimentation and rapid learning.”

“While we need to deliberately plan for largescale fleet engagements-- and we’re doing that-- emphasizing mission command will prepare our commanders to react to an environment rife with the fog of war, loss of communications, and imperfect information—while still executing commander’s intent.”

Brown also called on commanding officers to be confident, sensible risk-takers because winning in combat demands it.

“In the first message I released titled ‘Command,’ I wrote that I implicitly trust each of our commanding officers.

But with that trust comes incredible and unyielding responsibility and accountability. We must continue the hard work of relearning how to train, operate, and fight in a Mission Command environment. We need squadron commodores and warship CO’s focused on building winning teams. We need CO’s to constantly challenge their watch teams to improve their warfighting disciplines, and to talk about warfighting at every opportunity. We need CO’s to boldly embrace and manage risk, not avoid it. I am your biggest advocate with your operational chain of command for giving time back to you and the ship. We’ve set the conditions for our CO’s to be more confident in taking risks by restoring firebreaks between maintenance, training, and operations and we improved training and assessments. Seize the initiative.”

Before ending his address, Brown reiterated his call for a culture of excellence over compliance.

“Compliance stresses processes; excellence stresses outcomes. Compliance focuses on the ‘must do;’ excellence focuses on the ‘should do.’ Compliance sees standards as the goal; excellence sees standards as the minimum. Compliance is about inspections; excellence is about superior performance and winning. Compliance is about admin; excellence is about warfighting. Most importantly, compliance produces only survivors; excellence always produces winners,” said Brown. “The Surface Force is a force of winners and we will Own the Fight!” *

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U.S. Navy photo

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wherever we need it – requiring our Surface Navy to deter, but if necessary, fight and win the battle for sea control now in an age of Great Power Competition,” said Brown. “We still remain unmatched in sea control, but we have to work at it harder now, and we must continue to get better. We must learn rapidly. We must innovate faster. We must be tougher than our adversaries.”

To continue to do this, according to Brown, the Surface community must embrace the concept of Mission Command.

“Mission Command requires combat ready warships — materially sound with full system redundancy – to go to sea and support sustained combat operations.

Mission Command requires tough, battle minded crews – trained, cohesive, and eager to fight and prevail over a thinking adversary; crews that have had the opportunity to think, practice, and refine independent tactics before someone shoots at them. Mission Command requires bold, confident, and tough commanding officers – driven to win and hungry for the challenge of command.

Mission command requires innovation and creativity, experimentation and rapid learning.”

“While we need to deliberately plan for largescale fleet engagements-- and we’re doing that-- emphasizing mission command will prepare our commanders to react to an environment rife with the fog of war, loss of communications, and imperfect information—while still executing commander’s intent.”

Brown also called on commanding officers to be confident, sensible risk-takers because winning in combat demands it.

“In the first message I released titled ‘Command,’ I wrote that I implicitly trust each of our commanding officers. But with that trust comes incredible and unyielding responsibility and accountability. We must continue the hard work of relearning how to train, operate, and fight in a Mission Command environment.

We need squadron commodores and warship CO’s focused on building winning teams. We need CO’s to constantly challenge their watch teams to improve their warfighting disciplines, and to talk about warfighting at every opportunity. We need CO’s to boldly embrace and manage risk, not avoid it. I am your biggest advocate with your operational chain of command for giving time back to you and the ship. We’ve set the conditions for our CO’s to be more confident in taking risks by restoring firebreaks between maintenance, training, and operations and we improved training and assessments.

Seize the initiative.”

Before ending his address, Brown reiterated his call for a culture of excellence over compliance.

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“Mission Command requires combat ready warships — materially sound with full system redundancy – to go to sea and support sustained combat operations”

U.S. Navy photo

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By George Galdorisi Director, Corporate Strategy Group SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific

“We have got to be able to prove the lethality, survivability, unpredictability and networked nature of our forces�

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brandon Parker

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he chief of naval operations’ new Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority (Design 2.0) is clear: the U.S. Navy must be ready to conduct prompt and sustained combat incident to operations at sea.

To achieve this goal, the Navy must strengthen naval power at and from the sea by supporting distributed maritime operations and becoming more lethal. Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Vice Adm. Rich Brown, emphasized this focus on lethality at the recent Surface Navy Association Symposium where he noted: “2018 was a year of building readiness, but we don’t build readiness for readiness sake.

We must turn that readiness into lethality.”

Design 2.0 also calls for “deepening integration with our natural partner, the U.S. Marine Corps.” Throughout the nation’s history, the Marine Corps has delivered a lethal punch in numerous conflicts. The nexus of the Navy’s forward-looking strategy and integration with the Marine Corps resides in the Surface Navy’s amphibious assault forces. And now that the Marine Corps is, in the words of a former Marine commandant, “Returning to its amphibious roots,” the potent Navy-Marine Corps team is enjoying a new renaissance powered by people, operational concepts, exercises and new technology.

As a former amphibious Navy Sailor, I believe it is important to recalibrate our thinking about what we mean by amphibious assault and expeditionary warfare. Many readers of Surface Warfare likely watched last summer’s Smithsonian Channel series, The Pacific War in Color.

Amphibious assaults on Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and other islands showed scores of amphibious ships and hundreds of landing craft in the attack on each Japanese-held island.

That is your grandfather’s amphibious assault Navy.

In the decade-and-a-half after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the Marine Corps was heavily engaged in Iraq and

Afghanistan and not embarked in the Navy’s amphibious ships. Today, the Marines are back to sea and working with their Navy partners to ensure that the nation’s amphibious assault forces (more appropriately expeditionary assault forces) are, in the words of Lt. Gen. David Berger, the commander of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command, “prepared for large-scale amphibious operations.”

Design 2.0’s, Line of Effort (LOE) Green (Achieve High Velocity Outcomes) calls for the Navy to “rapidly acquire key platforms and payloads.” For the expeditionary assault forces, that responsibility is shared by Rear Adm. Ronald Boxall, Director, Surface Warfare (N96), and Marine Maj. Gen. David Coffman, Director, Expeditionary Warfare (N95).

Coffman has clearly articulated the aspirations for the Navy-Marine Corps expeditionary assault forces, noting, “We have got to be able to prove the lethality, survivability, unpredictability and networked nature of our forces.” He also pointed out that the most-recent Force Structure Assessment calls for 38 of the Navy’s 355 ships to be L-class amphibious warships. This number of L-ships is a significant investment for the Surface Navy.

However, ships are increasingly expensive. For this reason, the Navy and Marine Corps expeditionary assault forces have been proactive in looking for affordable new technology to add capability to their existing and future ships. One of the technologies that offers the most promise in this regard is unmanned systems (UxS). Indeed, Design 2.0 directs this emphasis. UxS are highlighted in the first supporting task under LOE Green: Rapidly acquire key platforms and payloads. Indeed, UxS are called out as four of the eleven key platforms the Navy must acquire as a matter of priority.

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There are compelling reasons for this focus on UxS. These unmanned systems can reduce the risk to human life in high-threat areas, deliver persistent surveillance over areas of interest, and provide options to warfighters—particularly given their ability to operate autonomously. Indeed, as Coffman pointed out, “Unmanned surface and undersea vehicles have the potential to dramatically change the way amphibious forces operate.”

The Navy’s commitment to unmanned systems is seen in the Navy’s Force Structure Assessment, as well as in a series of Future Fleet Architecture Studies. In each of these studies—one by the CNO staff, one by the MITRE Corporation, and one by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments—the proposed future fleet architecture featured large numbers of air, surface, and subsurface unmanned systems. Indeed, these reports highlight the fact that the attributes that unmanned systems could bring to the Navy by 2030 have the potential to be transformational.

It is one thing to issue policy and state aspirations to make expeditionary assault forces more lethal, survivable, unpredictable and networked and to use unmanned systems to help achieve this goal, and another to take action to make this happen. But that is precisely what the Navy-Marine Corps expeditionary assault force has done in a number of recent exercises, experiments and demonstrations. This team has been the most active in evaluating unmanned systems to leverage what they bring to the fight.

There are few missions more hazardous to the NavyMarine Corps team than putting troops ashore in the face of a prepared enemy force. For the amphibious assault mission, UAVs are useful—but are vulnerable to enemy air defenses. UUVs are useful as well, but the underwater medium makes control of these assets at distance problematic. For these reasons, the expeditionary assault force has focused on evaluating unmanned surface vehicles (USV) to add to their “kit” to conduct critical ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), IPB (intelligence preparation of the battlespace), and resupply missions.

The Ship-to-Shore Maneuver Exploration and Experimentation (S2ME2) Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) (S2ME2 ANTX) provided an opportunity to demonstrate innovative technology that could be used to address gaps in capabilities for naval expeditionary strike groups. The S2ME2 ANTX experiment focused on exploring the operational impact of unmanned surface vehicles on

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Deven Leigh Ellis

the amphibious ship-to-shore mission. S2ME2 ANTX had a focus on unmanned surface systems that could provide real-time ISR and IPB of the battlespace. These are critical missions that have been traditionally been done by our warfighters, but ones that put them at extreme risk.

During the assault phase of S2ME2 ANTX, the expeditionary commander used a USV to thwart enemy defenses. The amphibious forces operated an eight-foot MANTAS USV (one of a family of stealthy, low profile, USVs) which swam into the enemy harbor (the Del Mar Boat Basin on the Southern California coast), and relayed information to the amphibious force command center using its TASKER C2 system. Once this ISR mission was complete, the MANTAS USV was driven into the surf zone to provide IPB on obstacle location, beach gradient, water conditions and other information crucial to planners.

S2ME2 ANTX was a precursor to Bold Alligator, the annual U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command (MARFORCOM) expeditionary exercise. Bold Alligator was a scenariodriven exercise designed to demonstrate maritime and amphibious force capabilities, and was focused on conducting amphibious operations, as well as evaluating new technologies that support the expeditionary force. The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) orchestrated events and was embarked aboard USS Arlington (LPD-24), USS Fort McHenry (LSD43), and USS Gunston Hall (LSD-44).

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The early phases of Bold Alligator were dedicated to long-range reconnaissance. Operators at the exercise command center at Naval Station Norfolk drove the sixfoot and 12-foot MANTAS USVs off North and South Onslow Beaches, as well as up and into the Intracoastal Waterway. Both MANTAS USVs streamed live, highresolution video and sonar images to the command center. The video images showed vehicles, personnel, and other objects on the beaches and in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Once this long-range reconnaissance provided a well-nuanced view of the battlespace, the 2nd MEB used a 12-foot MANTAS USV, equipped with a Gyro Stabilized SeaFLIR230 EO/IR Camera and a BlueView M900 Forward Looking Imaging Sonar to provide IPB just prior to the amphibious assault. The sonar was employed to deliver bottom imaging of the surf zone, looking for objects and obstacles that could pose a hazard to LCACs and LCUs as they moved through the surf zone and onto the beach.

While ISR and IPB are crucial in an amphibious assault, once the assault is underway and Marines are on the beach, a critical factor in ensuring their success is rapid resupply. Using manned naval craft to do this mission puts operators and vessels at unnecessary risk.

A major Navy-Marine Corps amphibious exercise, Valiant Shield, evaluated the ability of unmanned surface vehicles to conduct this resupply mission.

During Valiant Shield 2018, Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC) used USVs to resupply the landing force.

The expeditionary force commander used a 12-foot MANTAS USV to provide rapid ship-to-shore logistics resupply. While this small USV carried only one hundred and twenty pounds of cargo, the proof-of-concept worked and demonstrated that unmanned surface systems could resupply troops ashore.

The Navy and Marine Corps see great potential in expanding the scope of unmanned maritime systems testing. As a program manager for unmanned maritime systems suggested: “Small unmanned vehicles are used to extend the reach of a mission through aiding in communications or reconnaissance. None have become programs of record yet, but we are monitoring their development.”

In his keynote address at the SNA Symposium, Vice Adm. Brown said that it is “time to begin aggressive experimentation,” and further called for cutting edge weapons to include unmanned surface vessels. In his remarks at SNA, Rear Admiral Boxall suggested that the Surface Navy needs to distribute its capabilities to unmanned platforms.

The Navy plans an ambitious series of exercises throughout 2019 and 2020: Bold Alligator, several ANTXs, Sea Dragon, RIMPAC 2020 and Large Scale Exercise 2020, among others.

Based on the promising performance of small unmanned surface vessels in support of expeditionary assault forces, the Navy and Marine Corps would be well-served to accelerate this integration of USVs into the amphibious forces kit. *

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CNSP Selects FY 2018 Sea and Shore

Sailors of the Year

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

Photos by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jacob I. Allison

SAN DIEGO – Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSP) announced the 2018 CNSP Sea and Shore Sailors of the Year (SOY) during a recognition banquet at the Admiral Kidd Catering and Conference Center in San Diego, Feb. 19.

Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Nicholas Natelli, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), was named the Sea SOY, and Damage Controlman 1st Class Dustin Parks, assigned to Afloat Training Group Western Pacific, was named as Shore SOY. Ten finalists for the CNSP Sea and Shore SOY competition were recognized at the Surface Navy Association-sponsored event, which was attended by the nominee’s spouses, command leadership teams, distinguished military guests and community supporters.

Natelli, a native of Denver, graduated from Bayside High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1999 and enlisted the same year. Upon completion of

initial training, he reported to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). He has a degree in Biomedical Engineering.

“SOY week was truly amazing,” said Natelli. “Nerves were high at the beginning but after the first event began it was high energy learning and building camaraderie with the finalists and mentors. I am extremely honored and humbled to be selected from so many peers.”

Parks, a native of Crisfield, Maryland, graduated from Crisfield High School in 2009, then enlisted in 2011.

Upon completion of initial training, he reported to the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63).

“I am extremely honored to have been given the opportunity to not only go to San Diego and represent my command, but to meet the finest the Navy has to

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offer,” said Parks. “It was truly a humbling experience to be selected for CNSP’s Shore SOY.” The annual SOY competition begins at the command level, with each Shore and Sea command in the Pacific region nominating their command-level SOY. More than 100 Sailors were nominated at the command level, but only four from sea commands and four from shore commands were chosen as finalists. These finalists then attended the Pacific SOY week in San Diego, along with Sailors from U.S. 3rd Fleet (C3F), Submarine Force, U.S Pacific Fleet (SUBPAC), and Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet (AIRPAC).

“We interviewed an outstanding group of first class petty officers as nominees for this year’s SOY competition,” said Force Master Chief James Osborne,

force master chief of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “These Sailors represent the finest the Navy has to offer. The future of the Navy is in good hands and I am confident they will be wearing the khaki uniform soon.”

During the week, Sailors and their spouses participated in a variety of activities that were evaluated by senior leadership. This year, candidates attended events at the USS Midway Museum and the San Diego Zoo, interacting with local communities and leaders as well as with CNSP’s leadership.

From here, the two nominees traveled to Hawaii to compete against other U.S. Pacific Fleet Sailors for the title of U.S. Pacific Fleet Sea and Shore SOY. The sea and shore-based commands of Pacific Fleet represent more than 200,000 Sailors. The Sailor selected as Pacific Fleet Sea SOY will be eligible for meritorious promotion to chief petty offer and the Pacific Shore SOY will compete in Washington, D.C., for the title of 2018 Chief of Naval Operations Shore Sailor of the Year. *

“I am extremely honored to have been given the opportunity to not only go to San Diego and represent my command, but to meet the finest the Navy has to offer.”

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Voices From the Fleet

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

It’s 2019, and women are serving in every branch of the United States’ Armed Forces with no gender-specific restrictions imposed on them. Positions in combat units are awarded based on merit and qualification, rather than restricted by sex. Nearly 20% of both enlisted and officers serving in the U.S. Navy are female. It is without a doubt a great time to be a woman that serves.

March 26, Vice Adm. Richard Brown, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet hosted the 2019 Women’s Waterfront Symposium, as a forum for Sailors and leadership to come together to learn about and discuss current issues facing women in the Navy.

The symposium featured keynote speaker Capt. Jen Ellinger, commanding officer of USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), who reminded the audience that there are still individuals actively serving that began their careers when opportunity was more limited.

Recalling her time at the Naval Academy, Ellinger noted that she was not allowed to become a Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) due to the Combat Exclusion Act. Despite the career restriction, she participated in a 2-month cruise aboard a destroyer participating in exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) during her senior year midshipman training in 1992. This was, perhaps, a sign of the changes to come for women serving in the Navy.

“This [the opportunity to drive a warship alongside Allied ships in the Baltic Sea] was a unique opportunity,” she said.

Women weren’t allowed to serve in assignments on combat ships, so the female midshipmen were the only women aboard. She remembered how for the first week of the cruise, the crew of the ship avoided them. But as time went on, the crew grew comfortable with integrating the young women into the daily operations of the ship. They were afforded the opportunity to drive the ship and explore the life of a SWO. Ultimately, Ellinger said, the experience aboard the destroyer was a positive one, despite the initial “gawking” and awkwardness of women being in the all-male environment.

At the end of her cruise, the commodore of the Surface

Action Group she had been attached to asked her what her desired service selection was.

“If I could serve on a destroyer like this, I would definitely go SWO,” she said. “But due to the fact that my opportunities are limited to non-combatants, I’m turned off by the exclusivity of your community.”

The commodore’s response caught her off guard.

“Midshipman, women have served on [Navy] ships since 1978. And they will serve on these ships as well. It’s coming.

In time, women will have the opportunity to command them.

It will happen,” he said. And it did happen.

Ellinger graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1993, just a few months before the Defense Authorization Act repealed the prohibition against women serving on combat vessels. Coincidentally, she had been unable to commission into the pilot pipeline due to budget cuts; she instead chose the surface community, based upon her positive experience during the midshipman cruise.

She reminisced about being in the Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS) in Newport, Rhode Island, and learning about the “bittersweet” news of the repeal of the Combat Exclusion Act. However, she noted, “I was locked into three year orders to USS Shasta (AE-33) and a chance to drive another warship would have to wait.”

Unable to immediately serve on a “Gucci DDG ship,” Ellinger refocused her efforts at SWOS toward qualifications that would support her next tour on a warship. She graduated from the Steam Engineering Officer of the Watch course and was the first female to graduate of the Frigate Gas Turbine School.

After her tour aboard Shasta, Ellinger went on to serve aboard combatant ships, and now, 25 years later, she serves as the commanding officer of USS Lake Champlain, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser.

Ellinger’s career is a nearly perfect timeline to demonstrate how far the Navy has come in integrating women aboard surface ships. We’ve made extraordinary progress in unlocking the true potential of 20% of our force. We’ve gone from sending a handful of female midshipmen on a summer cruise to a female commander of U.S. 6th Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO leading BALTOPS 2018.

Today’s Great Power Competition requires a diversity of qualifications and resources to ensure that peace and security are achieved and maintained. Our Navy benefits from different perspectives and capabilities and, thus, is further strengthened as more women assume leadership roles. When we base assignments on performance and qualifications, with no gender bias, we are a stronger force united by our common desire to serve with honor, courage and commitment. *

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History and Heritage Operation Praying Mantis – 25 Years Later

By Naval History and Heritage Command

For the first time since World War II, U.S. naval forces and supporting aircraft fought a major surface action against a determined enemy.

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On 14 April 1988, watchstanders aboard USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) sighted three mines floating approximately half of a mile from the ship.

Twenty minutes after the first sighting, as Samuel B. Roberts was backing clear of the minefield, she struck a submerged mine. The explosive device tore a 21-foot hole in the hull, causing extensive fires and flooding.

Ten Sailors were injured in the attack. Only the heroic efforts of the ship’s crew, working feverishly for seven straight hours, saved the vessel from sinking. Four days later, forces of the Joint Task Force Middle East (JTFME) executed the American response to the attack: Operation Praying Mantis. The operation called for the destruction of two oil platforms being used by Iran to coordinate attacks on merchant shipping. On 18 April, the coalition air and surface units not only destroyed the oil rigs but also various Iranian units attempting to counter-attack U.S. forces. By the end of the battle, U.S. air and surface units had sunk or severely damaged half of Iran’s operational fleet. Navy aircraft and the destroyer Joseph Strauss (DDG 16) sank the frigate Sahand (F 74) with harpoon missiles and laser-guided bombs.

A laser-guided bomb dropped from a Navy A-6 Intruder disabled frigate Sabalan (F 73), and Standard missiles launched from the cruiser Wainwright (CG 28) and frigates Bagley (FF 1069) and Simpson (FFG 56) destroyed the 147-foot missile patrol boat Joshan (P 225). In further combat A-6s sank one Boghammer high-speed patrol boat and neutralized four more of these Swedish-made speedboats. One Marine AH-1T Sea Cobra crashed from undetermined causes, resulting in the loss of two air crew. Operation Praying Mantis proved a milestone in naval history. For the first time since World War II, U.S. naval forces and supporting aircraft fought a major surface action against a determined enemy. The operation also demonstrated America’s unwavering commitment to protecting oil tankers in the Arabian Gulf and the principle of freedom of navigation. *

Historical Photos U.S. Navy

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By Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (Feb. 12, 2019) – Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, commander of Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, hosted more than 40 retired flag officers during this year’s “Retired Surface Warfare Flag Officer Training Symposium” onboard Naval Base San Diego.

The event was an opportunity for Brown and other active-duty Surface Force leaders to provide updates to the retired surface leaders.

In addition, the retirees were asked to reflect on their own experiences and provide candid feedback and mentorship to help continue improvements to the fleet.

“We’re looking forward to your feedback.

We want you all up on everything that’s going on so you can advocate for us, whether it’s in your industries or in your communities," said Brown.

The theme for this year’s symposium was “Culture of Excellence.”

The retired flag officers received an overview of the work undertaken in 2018 to rebuild readiness for the purpose of advancing lethality to meet the challenges of a renewed Great Power Competition.

In addition, they were informed on how the Surface Force is expanding its focus toward inculcating a culture of excellence and reinvigorating the concept of mission command in 2019 and beyond.

“The U.S. Surface Force is the preeminent sea control force. We want to build on that by going beyond just complying with standards and drive toward excellence,” said Brown.

This drive toward excellence includes the recently revised Surface Force Training and Readiness Manual (SFTRM), which, among other things, changes the delivery strategy of Basic Phase

Training and allows ships that demonstrate proficiency during Certification Events to “buy back” time for commanding officers (COs) to develop excellence in surface operations at sea. USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) and USS Monterey (CG 61) are the first ships in the Pacific and Atlantic to go through the revised basic phase.

Brown provided updates on the Junior Officer of the Deck (JOOD) course, which is on track for May; Maritime Skills Training Centers (MSTC) in Norfolk and San Diego, which will be online in t e m p o r a r y facilities in May; and Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) Mariner Skills Logbooks, which have been issued to the fleet.

Brown also noted that the fleet has conducted 31 Afloat Bridge Resource Management Work shops (BRMW) with post major command advisors, who provide advice and mentorship to current COs. In addition, the retired flag officers received briefs on the integrated training process, the methodology of assessing performance against plans, and the surface force plan and vision for 2019 and beyond. Also they toured USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) and the Littoral Combat Ship Training facility.

Brown told the group that it is an exciting time for the Surface Community. “We are doing a lot to set the environment for a culture of excellence – a culture that recognizes that standards are the baseline; a culture of rapid innovation, of creativity across all ranks, and of outcomes that favor our strategic needs.” He asked the retired flag officers for support in advocating for these Surface Navy initiatives.

Naval Surface Forces is responsible for manning, training and equipping the Surface Force to Fleet Commanders with credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore. *

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Command Changes December 2018

January 2019

February 2019

Cmdr. Rob Laird.....................................................................................USS MOMSEN DDG 92 Lt. Cmdr. Sarah Lynch................................................................................USS Scout MCM8 Cmdr. Rob Niemeyer..................................................................................USS MILIUS DDG 69 Cmdr. Warren Hakes.............................................................................................ATGPACNW Lt. Cmdr. Christi Burgos.......................................................................................ATGPACNW Cmdr. Eric Atienza...........................................................................................................ACU-5 Capt. Robert T Bryans Jr.....................................................................USS MOBILE BAY CG 53 Cmdr. Derek Rader..............................................................................USS DECATUR DDG 73 Cmdr. Kelly Mahaffey.....................................................................................................BMU-1 Cmdr. Robert "Mac" McFarlin............................................................USS BENFOLD DDG 65 Capt. James Harney.................................................................................USS Port Royal CG 73 Cmdr. Brad Coletti...........................................................................................................CPR-1 Cmdr. Aaron Anderson.........................................................................USS Manchester LCS14 Cmdr. J. Brandon Cornes................................................................................USS Tulsa LCS 16 Cmdr. Leonardo Giovannelli......................................................................USS Preble DDG88 Lt. Cmdr. Christopher G. McCurry.......................................................USS Anchorage LPD23 Cmdr. Matthew Scarlett............................................................USS INDEPENDENCE LCS2 Lt. Cmdr. Christopher M. Causee.......................................................USS Germantown LSD42 Cmdr. John Hoy...............................................................................USS MANCHESTER LCS 14 Cmdr. Karl McCarthy...............................................................................USS OMAHA LCS 12 Cmdr. David N. Taft...............................................................................USS Higgins DDG 76 Lt. Cmdr. Randall J. Clemons...............................................................USS McCampbell ddg85 Cmdr. Benjamin Nehrke...........................................................................USS Blue Ridge LCC19 Cmdr. Andrew P. Rivas..........................................................................USS CHAFFEE DDG90 Cmdr. John Culpepper..........................................................................USS CHAFFEE DDG90 Lt. Cmdr. Robert Burke.............................................................................USS Coronado LCS4 Capt. Matthew M. McGonigle....................................................................................LCSRON1 Capt. Christopher J. Budde............................................................................................CCSG-9 Cmdr. Jonathan Hopkins............................................................................USS MILIUS DDG69 Cmdr. Drew A. Borovies..................................................................................USS Tulsa LCS 16 Cmdr. Brandon Cornes....................................................................................USS Tulsa LCS 16

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