Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) Sailors welcomed their new Force Master Chief April 26. Force Master Chief (AW/SW) April Beldo comes to NETC from the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) where she served as the first female African American command master chief onboard a nuclear aircraft carrier. Sh
Survey ship HMS Echo became the first Royal Navy vessel in ‘the gateway of India’ in five years when she sailed into the metropolis that is Mumbai. It allowed a change of some crew (the ship regularly rotates around one third of her sailors to sustain her mission away from the UK) and a chance [&hel
Guided missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) recovered 89 bales of cocaine in support of Operation Martillo on April 20 in the Western Caribbean Sea. An SH-60B Sea Hawk assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 60 Det
Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island honored and recognized the contributions of its individual augmentee (IA) Sailors at an IA appreciation event held at the Chief Petty Officers’ Club, April 26. The semi-annual NAS Whidbey Island Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) event is held each April an
Sailors and Marines serving aboard amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) have a unique opportunity to celebrate Earth Day every day, not just April 22 like the rest of the world. Crew members have taken the ship thousands of miles away from its homeport of San Diego and have showed off th
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus visited Sailors, Marines and family members at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, April 25-26. Mabus was in Bahrain as part of a larger visit throughout the region. He reenlisted six Sailors and presented awards to six Sailors during an all-hands call with
Swooping low over the Firth of Clyde a Hawk jet banks as it approaches Ailsa Craig, preparing to make another pass of HMS Blyth. It’s just one action-packed episode from the largest military exercise in Europe, now approaching its climax in and off Scotland. Whilst much of the media attention is foc
U.S. Pacific Fleet’s humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA) mission, known as Pacific Partnership, will deploy aboard U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) May 1, for a four-month deployment Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. Now in its seventh year, Pacific Partnership has be
USS Chicago (SSN 721) arrived in Guam April 19 where it is assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 as one of three forward-deployed submarines. Chicago replaces USS Houston (SSN 713), a fast-attack submarine that transferred to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in January. Cmdr. Nick Tilbrook, Chicago’s co
The Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed their transit of the Strait of Gibraltar, April 24. The Iwo Jima ARG, transiting the Strait of Gibraltar, includes Amphibious Squadron 8 (PHIBRON), USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and USS
Sailors on board amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) celebrated Italy’s Liberation Day in downtown La Spezia, April 25. Liberation Day is a national holiday for Italy, and Wednesday marked the 67th anniversary of the fall of Mussolini’s Italian Social Republic. Commanding Officer Cm
On Monday 23 April Dutch warship HNLMS Van Amstel, who is participating in the EU’s counter piracy mission – Operation Atalanta, hosted a media event during a port visit to Dar es Salaam. The successful media event was organized to highlight the EU Naval Force’s (EU NAVFOR) efforts to fight against
The commander of U.S. 6th Fleet and commander, Striking and Support Forces NATO visited counterparts in the Republic of Albania, April 25. During his visit, Vice Adm. Frank C. Pandolfe hosted a reception for U.S. and Albanian dignitaries aboard the Little Creek, Va., based amphibious dock landing sh
The first ship in the Navy’s new Joint High Speed Vessel class, the future USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), completed Builder’s Sea Trials, April 19, in Mobile, Ala. JHSV 1 is a versatile, non-combatant, transport ship that will be used for fast intra-theater transportation of troops, military vehicles, and
