Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8), Platoon 802 wrapped up their participation in exercise Open Spirit 2014, May 22. Held annually in one of the Baltic States, the exercise aims to clear shipping routes, communication lines, and fishing areas and search for and dispose
The 2013 Sailor of the Year winners were meritoriously advanced to Chief Petty Officer during a ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial, May 22. Deputy Chief of U.S. Naval Operations for Operations, Plans & Strategy Vice Adm. Michelle Howard was the guest speaker at the pinning ceremony hosted by the M
The U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) conducted an at-sea ammunition on-load in preparation for its 2014 patrol, May 21-22. George Washington completed approximately 1,050 vertical and connected replenishment lifts in two days to take on ordnance from Milit
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) will enter the Black Sea Friday, May 23, to promote peace and stability in the region. Vella Gulf’s mission is to work with NATO allies toward mutual goals, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to strengthening and improvin
Pilots, maintainers and air crew personnel assigned to the seven fixed-wing aircraft squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) spent 10 days on Iwo To, Japan (formerly Iwo Jima), May 9 – 19, preparing for the upcoming patrol aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) by completing fiel
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency conducted the first flight test of the Raytheon-made Standard Missile-3 from the Aegis Ashore weapon system, which is designed to protect U.S. deployed and NATO forces in Europe from ballistic missile attack. The non-intercept scenario tested the safe launch and fly
A considerable load has been put on France due to its intention to continue with the construction and sale of Mistral-class ships to Russia. France said that the delivery of two warships to the Russian Navy will not be affected by the current EU sanctions imposed on Russia amid the Ukrainian crisi
Forty-five delegates from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which provides an essential link between NATO and the parliaments of NATO nations, visited Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt on Friday, May 2nd to discuss security developments in the Asia-Pacific region and their significance for Canada.
Phoenix Express 2014, a multinational maritime exercise between North African, European, and U.S. naval forces, commenced its inport phase at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay, May 13. The U.S. Africa Command-sponsored exercise, now in its eighth year,
The importance of expanded cooperation in the Gulf region was the theme of U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s remarks today at the Gulf Cooperation Council defense ministerial conference. Defense ministers from all six member nations, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Ara
The United States and Canadian personnel began a three-day joint maritime exercise Tuesday near Juneau. The crews of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa, a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and the Canadian Royal Navy vessels HMCS Brandon and HMCS Whitehorse tested search
A change of command ceremony was held for Officer Training Command (OTC) in the Captain Howard N. Kay Hall at Naval Station Newport, May 12. In a traditional naval ceremony, Capt. Kevin McGowan relieved Capt. Vernon Kemper as commanding officer of OTC. The acting commander of Naval Service Trainin
This June, heads of militaries, government officials and industry representatives will be gathering in Cartagena, Colombia for OPV & Surface Combatants Latin America 2014 to discuss the region’s maritime security concerns and solutions. OPV & Surface Combatants Latin America, taking place between
The Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS) will hold its Sixteenth Plenary Session at the UN Headquarters in New York on 14 May 2014, under the Chairmanship of the European Union. The meeting will focus on three major policy areas: (i) capacity building in the region off the coas
