The Chicago Navy Week 2012 portion of the commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 officially kicked off Aug. 13 with a noon performance by the Navy Band Midwest Brass Quintet in downtown Chicago. According to organizers, the War of 1812 event is a salute to all Sailors and Marines who f
The U.S. 6th Fleet flagship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Theoule-sur-Mer, France, Aug. 14, to commemorate the 68th anniversary of allied troops landing in Provence during World War II. During the visit, Sailors will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cross of Lorraine monument t
USS Constitution kicked off its 15th annual Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Heritage Weeks from the ship’s berth in Charlestown, Mass., Aug. 14. CPO Heritage Weeks is a weeklong training cycle held on successive weeks, in which Constitution’s crew teaches CPO selectees time-honored maritime evolutions suc
The vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) and Navy Total Force/Manpower, Personnel, Education and Training (MPT&E) fleet master chief visited aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) Aug. 14 as the ship continued its historic 25th and final deployment. Adm. Mark Ferguson and Fleet Master Chief (SW/A
The U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) held a change of command ceremony Aug.11. Capt. Gregory J. Fenton relieved Capt. David A. Lausman to become George Washington’s 11th commanding officer. “We stood on this same stage 40 months and 2 days ago,” said Lausm
Guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) departed Tallinn, Estonia, following a three-day port visit, Aug. 11. During the visit, Sailors participated in community engagement projects and experienced Estonia’s rich culture. “We were excited about Farragut’s visit,” said Michelle Schohn, public
The Navy will participate in the regularly scheduled Exercise Reliant Mermaid in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 13-16. Reliant Mermaid, in its 11th iteration, is an annual search and rescue exercise designed to increase interoperability by developing individual and collective maritime proficiencies of
Adm. Mark Ferguson, vice chief of naval operations (VCNO), visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)(Ike) for a two-day visit highlighted by an all hands call and meetings with leadership, Aug. 12-13. As part of the visit, the VCNO, and Navy Total Force/Manpower, Pe
The U.S. Navy achieved successful open-water validation dives July 2012 on MK 16 MOD 1 Underwater Breathing Apparatus’ (UBA) electronic circuitry to extend service life into the next decade for a world-class unique diving rig capable of extreme depths in open sea water. Naval Surface Warfare Center
More than 40 chief petty officers (CPO) and CPO selects, assigned to commands within Navy Region Northwest, participated in a community relations (COMREL) project at Washington Veterans Home, Aug. 9. The CPO selects, Sailors undergoing an induction process to CPO, assisted the grounds crew of the ve
The Examiner reports that a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Porter collided with a Japanese-owned bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday morning. The U.S. Navy says that no one was hurt in the collision. The collision between USS Porter (DDG 78) and the Panamanian-fl
Military Sealift Command-chartered High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) departed Monrovia, Liberia Aug. 11 after concluding a port visit in support of Africa Partnership Station (APS) West 2012. Swift spent eight days engaging with the people and military of Liberia as the ship docked in Freeport. An emb
Sailors aboard U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), embarked 7th Fleet staff and Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Pacific arrived in Fukuoka, Japan Aug. 10. While in Fukuoka, crew and staff will serve as goodwill ambassadors for the U.S., promoting peace and stabilit
Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11, which is permanently embarked aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and is forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan, commenced a fall deployment of the 7th Fleet area of responsibility Aug. 10. During this deployment, PHIBRON 11’s staff includes over 120 Sailors from differe