The Navy held a keel laying and dedication ceremony for its two newest Auxiliary General Purpose Oceanographic Research vessels (AGOR 27 and AGOR 28) Aug. 17 at Dakota Creek Industries, Inc., shipyard in Anacortes, Wash. The Ocean Class AGOR ships will be well-equipped modern oceanographic research
Dock-landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) departed Constanta, Romania following the completion of Exercise Summer Storm 2012, Aug. 19. Summer Storm is a combined amphibious assault exercise by U.S. Marines from the Security Cooperation Task Force Africa Partnership Station 2012 and Romanian sailor
The U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) departed its forward operating location of Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, Aug. 20 to continue its 2012 patrol. Continuing in its fourth patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations since relieving the now decommis
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
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
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
The “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 held an aerial change-of-command ceremony in the skies above aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65), Aug. 16. Cmdr. Marcus Lopez relieved Cmdr. Daniel Sullivan as commanding officer. During the ceremony, Sullivan and Lopez flew F/A-18F Super Ho
Guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) held a change of command ceremony at sea in the Gulf of Aden, Aug. 16. Cmdr. Christopher D. Stone relieved Cmdr. Michael E. Hutchens as Churchill’s commanding officer in a ceremony held on the destroyer’s flight deck. Hutchens assumed comman
Sailors from guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) are assisting the crew of guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) to recover from damage sustained in a collision with a large Japanese-owned merchant vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, Aug. 12. Porter transited under its own power to Jeb
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
Navy helicopters teamed with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection units Aug. 15 to conduct aerial firefighting against several wildfires in eastern San Diego County. At CALFIRE’s request for immediate response support, the Navy is providing three firefighting helicopters equipped wi
BAE Systems recently received a $25.7 million contract from the U.S. Navy to overhaul and upgrade two Mk 45 naval guns bringing them to the 5-inch 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 configuration. The Mod 4 is an upgrade to the Mod 2 design, which significantly enhances overall mission performance. “This contra
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
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) hosted 12 midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) and Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) units, July 31-Aug. 15. U.S. Naval Academy and NROTC’s academic curriculums require midshipmen to complete a summer cruise pr
