Rocky Mountain Navy Association Newsletter January 2018

Rocky Mountain Navy Association

News The Rocky Mountain Navy Association (RMNA) is a not-for-profit, organization to promote the United States Navy and the Naval Reserve in the local community. Specific out reach efforts have been extended to civic organizations, educational institutions, and the business community. RMNA also provides mission support to the local recruiting command and offers a wide variety of professional development assistance programs to the naval reserve community. Newsletter Contact: James Garrett, CAPT, USNR (Ret.), garrettj3745@yahoo.com This is an interactive newsletter so Click on underlined inks or photos for websites for more information or zoom the page.

January 2018

Reminding you of next monthly RMNA Luncheon at the American Legion Post, 5400 East Yale, Denver (southeast corner of I-25 and Yale), on Wednesday, February 7th, gathering around 11:30 a.m.

February Guest Speaker will be Captain Steven E. Maffeo, USNR, Ret. See Below

See You There!

Captain Steven E. Maffeo, USNR., Ret. is formerly the associate director of the McDermott Library, U.S. Air Force Academy. He also was in naval intelligence for over 28 years and commanded three reserve intelligence units. He spent many years working for IPAC, FICPAC, ONI, and JICPAC. Before retiring, his last navy assignment was teaching the history of intelligence at the National Defense Intelligence College.

"Maffeo's book fills a longstanding gap in the literature of Navy cryptology. This volume will remain the standard reference for information about the Navy's intelligence personnel before and during World War II." (Review in U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings) This unique reference presents 59 biographies of people who were key to the sea services' preparation for fighting the Japanese Empire when World War II broke out, and whose advance work proved crucial. These intelligence pioneers invented techniques, procedures, and equipment from scratch, not only allowing the U.S. to hold its own in the Pacific despite the loss of much of its fleet at Pearl Harbor, but also laying the foundation for today's intelligence methods and agencies.

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Vol. 3 Issue 1

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Since the boat has been delivered to the Navy, it is now operational and conducting shakedown operations. They will be in port over the Christmas standown, but will be at sea most of the time after that until Commissioning.

Commissioning Coin Design: Design of the commemorative coin to celebrate Commissioning is complete and the first order has been delivered from the manufacturer. We are in the process of ordering a larger supply to have available for sale online as well as at the Commissioning. Donors at the Big Horn Sheep level and above will receive the coin as part of tier rewards. Donors at the Maroon Peak level and above will receive and entire collection of commemorative coins: Keel Laying, Christening and Commissioning with a special wooden base upon Past Newsletters link which to mount them. https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2018/01/military-confirms-chinas-high-tech-third-aircraft-carrier-constructiondetails.html https://news.usni.org/2016/01/04/officials-confirm-construction-of-first-domestic-chinese-aircraft-carrier

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Top Stories 2017: U.S. Navy Acquisition and Maintenance By: Megan Eckstein December 22, 2017 10:28 AM • Updated: January 1, 2018 10:48 AM USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2017.

The following is part of a series. Please also see Top Stories: International Acquisition, Navy Operations, Marine Corps Operations, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Acquisition, International Operations and New Administration.

2017 began with the promise of planning for a larger fleet: at the end of 2016, the Navy announced a 355-ship requirement, and the incoming Trump Administration expressed its support for a larger military and a heftier Navy. Few concrete steps were taken this year, though, to begin a buildup – though many programs that will be pivotal to the 355-ship fleet of the future reached significant programmatic milestones in 2017.

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USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Bio here...

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“Grunts In the Sky” Documentary Showcases the Modern Warfare

A-10’s Contribution to

THE PREVIOUSLY SECRET VIDEO SHOW S W AR FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PILOTS, FORW ARD AI R CON T ROLLER S, AN D SO LDI ER S ON T H E GR OUND .

BY KYLE MIZOKAMI

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a14559986/grunts-in-the-skydocumentary-a-10s-contribution-modern-warfare/? src=nl&mag=pop&list=nl_pnl_news&date=010618

“Grunts in the Sky” features interviews with A-10 pilots who explain how they made the decision to fly the A-10, and what it feels like to support troops in contact with the enemy—even hearing the crack of enemy gunshots over the radio while coordinating an air strike. It also interviews Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs), Air Force personnel that embed with ground troops and are trained to work with pilots to place bombs on target. Finally, U.S. Army troops describe what it’s like to work with an A-10 flying overhead.

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Boys as young as 10 served aboard warships as “powder monkeys” shown in this photograph taken aboard USS New Hampshire in 1864 or 1865. They carried gunpowder charges from the ship’s magazine below decks to the gun crews. Short and agile, they could dart between legs of the gunners without hindering them in action. George Hollat, a 16 year-old powder monkey aboard USS Varuna, , received the medal of Honor; America’s highest military decoration, for his bravery during a daring attack on Forts Jackson and St Philip in April 1862. Varuna was part of a squadron commanded by David Farragut.

Sea History magazine, Winter 2018

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BENEATH THE WAVES The Life and Navy of Capt. Edward L. Beach, Jr.

By Edward F. Finch Edward F. Finch is the Director of the Stephenson County History Museum. He holds a PhD in History Education from Illinois State University and previously taught for 30 years at Freeport High School in Illinois. He resides in Freeport, IL with his wife Cathy.

Capt. Edward “Ned” Latimer Beach, Jr. USN is known primarily for his bestselling novel Run Silent, Run Deep, which was made into a film in 1958 with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster and his record setting voyage as commanding officer of USS Triton (SSN(R) 586), that was the first submarine to circumnavigate of the globe while submerged. A highlydecorated United States Navy submarine officer, during World War II, he participated in the Battle of Midway as well as other 12 combat patrols, earning 10 decorations for gallantry, including the Navy Cross.

His career also offers insights into the inner workings of power, from inside the Pentagon in the years right after World War II, to inside of the Eisenhower White House, to the politics of the Republican Party in the United States Senate in the 1970s,. In addition to serving as an officer aboard U.S. submarines in the Pacific during World War II, he was a prolific author publishing two novels in addition Run Silent, Run Deep, as well as numerous works on naval history.

Ned Beach is a biography that weaves together the personal, professional and writing life of a man who for many was the public face of the submarine community in the years after the Second World War. With a father, who was a naval officer and the author of thirteen published novels in the 1910s & ‘20s, as the eldest son Ned Beach was greatly influenced to follow in his father’s footsteps and to become both an officer and a writer.

From his youth in Palo Alto, California during the Great Depression to his service in the Pacific in the war against Japan to the epic submerged circumnavigation of the globe in early 1960 commanding one of the early nuclear powered submarines, Ned Beach’s career encompasses a revolutionary period in American naval history. Not only did he experience it, he wrote about it. This book tells the story of his remarkable life, career and writing.

“On the night of Christmas Eve, Trigger cruised on the surface into Sagami Nada, an entrance to Tokyo Bay. As her diesel engines throbbed, the sub’s record player was attached to her PA system, and Christmas carols were heard all over the ship. Ned [Beach], standing watch on the bridge, heard the carols through the two speakers near his position. He later recalled getting a lump in his throat “the size of a watermelon” as the familiar holiday refrains brought memories of family and home. While the playing of Christmas carols was a way of bringing some Christmas cheer to the crew, it was also an act of defiance against the Japanese, since the music could be heard across the waters, giving way the location of the sub. Trigger was showing a new spirit of under the command of Roy Benson.”

boldness

These words from Edward Finch’s Naval

Institute Press Beneath the Waves biography of Captain Edward L. “Ned” Beach, Jr., frame in one historic snapshot a very vivid current reality.

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https://s3.amazonaws.com/CHINFO/USS+Fitzgerald+and+USS+John+S+McCain+Collision+Reports.pdf

The Navy Swamp Needs Draining Too 2017)

The Navy is sailing in very troubled waters.

(The Patriot Post, Nov 9,

ary Comment

A scathing Navy report released Nov. 2 reveals that two major collisions — one between the USS Fitzgerald and merchant ship ACX Crystal off the Japanese coast on June 17 that killed 17 sailors and another between the USS John McCain and oil tanker Alnic MC near Singapore on Aug. 20 that killed another 10 — were caused by “fundamental failures to responsibly plan, prepare and execute ship activities to avoid undue operational risk.”

The USS Fitzgerald’s collision was precipitated by a “compilation of failures by leadership and watchstanders,” including lookout crews who “were inattentive, disengaged in developments on the Bridge, and unaware of several nearby vessels.” As a result, they “failed to visually differentiate between two vessels in close proximity” while “attempting to cross a highly congested sea lane at night.”

Moreover, the Officer of the Deck, the person responsible for safe navigation of the ship, “exhibited poor seamanship by failing to maneuver as required, failing to sound the danger signal and failing to attempt to contact CRYSTAL on Bridge to Bridge radio,” the report states. The officer also failed to “call the Commanding Officer as appropriate and prescribed by Navy procedures to allow him to exercise more senior oversight and judgment of the situation.”

Crew members also accidentally decoupled the ship’s two engines, and the two shafts “working opposite to one another in this fashion caused an un-commanded turn to the left.” This error, coupled with “lost situational awareness” on the ship’s bridge, effectively accelerated the McCain’s turn into the Alnic MC. “The thing that stood out to me was in both situations they had minimal situational awareness,” stated Capt. Rick Hoffman, a retired cruiser captain who reviewed the report for Defense News. “In the case of Fitzgerald, nearly criminal negligence on the part of the bridge watch team. And in neither case did the ship sound five short blasts or raise the general alarm to let anyone know they were in danger.”

Incredibly, there were two additional incidents involving 7th Fleet vessels last year. In January, the USS Antietam guided missile cruiser ran aground near Yokosuka base. In May, the USS Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing boat.

The report minced no words regarding why these incidents occurred: “In each of the four mishaps there were decisions at headquarters that stemmed from a culturally engrained ‘can do’ attitude, and an unrecognized accumulation of risk that resulted in ships not ready to safely operate at sea.”

Since the collisions, eight senior leaders have been relieved of duty, and members of both ships’ bridge and Combat Information Center watch teams have also received administrative actions. And while the Navy does not make these actions public, they may include career-killing letters of reprimand. Moreover, if the continuing investigation demands additional punishment, it will be forthcoming. ……. Further reading on the Patriot Post here….

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The USS McCain’s collision was an equally damning sequence of errors. Because the person at the helm was having difficulty maintaining course while also adjusting the throttles for speed control, the Commanding Officer “ordered the watch team to divide the duties of steering and throttles.” This unplanned shift “caused confusion in the watch team,” that ultimately led the helmsman to believe the steering mechanism had failed. According to the report, crews attempted to fix the mistake by transferring steering “among various controlling stations four times within the two minutes leading up to the collision.”

IRS-Impersonation Telephone Scams An aggressive and sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be employees of the IRS, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a pre-loaded debit card or wire transfer. Victims may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver’s license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Or, victims may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an “urgent” callback request.

Some con artists have used video relay services (VRS) to try to scam deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Taxpayers are urged not trust calls just because they are made through VRS, as interpreters don’t screen calls for validity.

Con artists often approach victims with Limited English Proficiency in their native language, threaten them with deportation, police arrest and license revocation, among other things. IRS urges all taxpayers caution before paying unexpected tax bills In recent years, thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams and fake IRS communication. Scammers use the regular mail, telephone, fax or email to set up their victims.

REMEMBER: The IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information. In addition, IRS does not threaten taxpayers with lawsuits, imprisonment or other enforcement action. Recognizing these telltale signs of a phishing or tax scam could save you from becoming a victim.

Please Note that the IRS will never: • Call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill if you owe any taxes.

• Threaten to immediately bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.

• Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

•

Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

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NEEDED: VETERANS (and families) TO ATTEND THIS YEAR’S COLORADO STATE LEGISLATURE’S

MILITARY AND VETERANS APPRECIATION DAY WHEN: WHERE; TIME:

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018 COLORADO STATE CAPITOL, COLFAX AND SHERMAN, DENVER, CO. 7:30 A.M, (coffee and time to meet and talk with Legislators) Location: Capitol’s West Foyer, 1sr floor 9:00 A.M.- 11:45 convening of both Houses in the House Chamber (2nd floor) to recognize and honor our some 450,000+ Colorado Veterans and our outstanding Military WHY SHOULD I ATTEND? To receive the recognition you deserve as serving in our Armed Forces, and to show by your attendance that you appreciate our State’s General Assembly and their recognition of the great value that Veterans bring to this State.

This makes your attendance crucial to achieving this goal. Numbers matter.

HOW WILL THE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES KNOW I AM AVETERAN? Business attire. And please wear something that indicates you are a Veteran (e.g. your Veteran’s ball cap, shirt, your Service’s ball cap, name tag, etc).

HOW DO I GET INTO THE STATE CAPITOL There are two entrances. On the north side (facing Colfax Ave), you go up the outside stairs, enter the middle door, and go through Security (like at an airport). Rotunda is straight ahead, in the Capitol center On the south side (14th Ave), you enter at the door which is in the west side of the steps going up, and go through Security. You are on the basement floor and you go to the center and there, either by elevators or the stairs, go to the First Floor where the Rotunda is.

WHERE CAN I PARK? Street parking, but spaces are limited and with meters which have time limitations. A close by paid parking structure is in the Museum Parking structure at the corner of 13 th Ave. and Broadway (entrance is on 12th Ave between Broadway and Acoma. Come out of the structure on the north side, and you will be at 13th and Broadway. Two blocks east, one block north is the Capitol’s south entrance.

WHY IS MY ATTENDANCE SO IMPORTANT? To show by numbers of Veterans personally attending that we have a vibrant and active Veteran population that adds much to the Colorado economy and takes seriously their civic duties. Please invite others; carpool, bring spouses. family. Need a large group in the gallery so the Legislators can see us.

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https://breakingdefense.com/

RMNA Interests and Activities Denver Council of Navy League https://www.facebook.com/Denver-Navy-League-295522804808/ Colorado ESGR

https://www.facebook.com/colorado.esgr.1

Navy Recruiting District Denver http://www.cnrc.navy.mil/Denver/ Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) http://www.nrotc.navy.mil/ U. S. Naval Academy Blue and Gold http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/BGO/ USS Colorado (SSN 788) Commissioning Committee http://usscoloradocommittee.org/ Members Annual Golf Tournament This newsletter is posted online to our website at (www.navrescolorado.org) and Facebook page at (https://www.facebook.com/RockyMountainNavyAssociation/) Do you have an idea or a success story to share? Maybe you’ve heard of an upcoming event that we should all support. Send me your ideas @ garrettj3745@yahoo.com. There are so many interesting experiences and opportunities to learn and our newsletter is just one way that information can be shared.

It was on January 3rd, 1987. that the first solo female performer was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame….Aretha Franklin.

“Don’t

let yesterday use up too much of today.”- Will Rogers 10