VOLUME 19, NUMBER 509
NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN
November 29, 2023
NATION CELEBRATES NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH By David Vergun, DOD News The proclamation states: "Despite centuries of violence and oppression, Native peoples remain resilient and proud. Today, Native Americans are essential to the fabric of the United States. They serve in the United States armed forces at higher rates than any other ethnic group. "They continue to steward so many of our great lands. Their contributions to science, humanities, arts, public service, and more have brought prosperity for all of us. Their diverse cultures and communities continue to thrive and lead us forward." Ashish S. Vazirani, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said the Defense Department recognizes November as National American Indian Heritage Month. "This year's theme is 'Tribal Nations Soaring to New Heights.' American Indians and Alaska Natives have a long history of military service. During World War II, the legendary contributions of Navajo Code Talkers were critical for U.S. success. Similarly, Alaska Natives fearlessly defended U.S. territories from Japanese raids. "Many American Indians and Alaska Natives serving today cite a desire to follow in the footsteps of their family members and have a deep patriotism
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for protecting and serving their homeland," he said. Alicia Madalena Sylvester, from the Pueblo of Jemez tribe, is the Defense Department's senior tribal advisor and liaison for Native American affairs. She and others spoke today at the Pentagon's National Native American Heritage Month celebration.
Native American men and women serve in the armed forces at five times the national average, Sylvester said. They have served with distinction in every conflict since the birth of this country. "As Native American veterans have pledged their service to the nation, the Department of Defense is also committed to fulfilling its legal and moral responsibilities," she said. "I want to assure all tribal leaders present here that DOD is committed to ensuring that government-togovernment consultation with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes are consistently timely, respectful, meaningful and robust." The Pentagon event included tribal dances from different Native American tribes. "It is truly a blessing to hear the songs, the native language, and drumbeats throughout the Pentagon courtyard and within our corridors," she added. According to the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, the 2023 National American Indian Heritage Month poster depicts America's landscape interspersed with symbols that depict American Indian and Alaskan Native achievements and contributions. The poster is also an ode to the "Skywalkers." Iroquois ironworkers, especially Mohawks, are legendary for their dizzying work in erecting skyscrapers and steel bridges. Mohawk men have walked and worked on nearly all of New York City's towering buildings, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and Rockefeller Center. In Pittsburgh, they worked on the U.S. Steel Building, the Civic Arena, and the Fort Pitt Bridge, among other structures.
USS Stethem, Task Force 59 Put More Eyes in the Sky, Expanding Maritime Domain Awareness By NAVCENT Public Affairs The Arleigh Burke-class guidedmissile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) recently demonstrated expansive maritime domain awareness, utilizing Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicles during operations in the Gulf of Oman, Nov. 8-9. The UAVs, part of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59, put a highly capable intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability in the hands of Sailors at sea. Flexrotor’s high endurance and vertical takeoff-and-landing capabilities make them particularly well suited for the task of building an accurate maritime picture, said Capt. Colin Corridan, Task Force 59 commodore. “Our warfighters require innovative methods for gaining a deeper understanding of the operating environment,” Corridan said. “The ISR capabilities of these UAVs greatly expand our sight picture and help us better monitor what’s happening in the region.”
Flexrotor provides complete autonomous flight following takeoff, with a wide communication range and the ability for aroundthe-clock ISR coverage. It can be used day or night by U.S. and coalition partners for a wide range of intelligence, surveillance, target
acquisition and reconnaissance operations over land and sea. Flexrotors played an integral part in recent operations where it integrated with 12 different unmanned platforms for “mannedunmanned teaming” operations, tracking Iranian Navy and Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) ships and small boats over several days during routine patrols in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The operations aboard Stethem built on the strength of that operation, Corridan noted. “The Sailors aboard Stethem and from Task Force 59 are strengthening maritime security and stability through the use of Flexrotor, deterring malign activity by bad-faith actors,” he said. “As these capabilities expand, we’re going to be able to gain more information more quickly to be able to make faster, smarter decisions.” U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprising 21 nations, includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb.