Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12), embarked aboard Military Sealift Command’s hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), arrived in Apra Harbor on Aug. 20, as it nears the completion of its nearly five-month deployment on the largest annual humanitarian civic assistance HCA mission in the Asia Pacific. The s
USS Constitution departed her berth from Charlestown, Mass. Aug. 19, to set sail for the first time since 1997, during an underway demonstration commemorating Guerriere Day. The underway honored the 200th anniversary of Constitution’s decisive victory over the HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812, m
The United States Military Sealift Command (MSC) has exercised the first of three six months options for the ongoing charter of the Austal high speed vessel “WestPac Express”. The option forms part of a 24 month contract that Austal was awarded in December 2011. Austal Chief Executive Officer, Andre
BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, Inc., San Diego, Calif., was recently awarded a $36,825,375 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract to definitize the USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) fiscal 2012 Extended Selected Restricted Availability. The contract includes the planning an
The Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR) announced Aug. 17 that two new apprenticeship trade opportunities are in the works for Navy Security Force (NSF) personnel. The apprenticeship will be open to all E-4 and above in select rates or those with select Navy Enlisted Classification (NEC) codes. I
More than 500 people seeking jobs and nearly 60 employers came to Naval Base San Diego’s (NBSD) Anchors Catering and Conference Center to participate in the “Hiring Our Heroes” employment fair, Aug. 16. Hiring our Heroes began in March 2011 as a nationwide initiative by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Surgeons aboard Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) provided a unique and relevant service to Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) participants in the form of minor surgeries, Aug. 14. During the transit from the mission’s final port in Cambodia to Guam, service members were able
Guided-missile frigate USS Carr (FFG 52) assisted a United States-flagged sailing vessel in the Western Caribbean Sea Aug. 14. Carr discovered the U.S. flagged sailing vessel “Bob” which failed to answer calls on the bridge-to-bridge radio. Sailors from Carr manned the rigid hull inflatable boat to
The commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, U.S. 4th Fleet (COMUSNAVSO/C4F) officially concluded the annual 2012 PANAMAX exercise Aug. 16 at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris along with Brazilian Rear Adm. Wilson Pereira de Lima Filho concluded the exercise in which more
On the evening of 28 February/1 March 1942, two proud ships fought together against overwhelming odds by facing the Japanese Western Java Invasion Convoy in the midst of the Sunda Strait. HMAS Perth (I) and USS Houston were both torpedoed and sank within 30 minutes of the other, consigning almost a
USS Carr (FFG 52) conducted an underway replenishment (UNREP) with USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10) while deployed to the Caribbean Sea in support of Operation Martillo, Aug. 13. Typically ships assigned to the Fourth Fleet area of responsibility must go off station to conduct a brief stop for fuel in p
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
This year’s fourth and final mission port for Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) was Cambodia, bringing an end to nearly three full months of working ports in Southeast Asia. While in Cambodia, the PP12 team of more than 1,200 crew members, spent 14 days at the invitation of host country to take part i
