The crew of USS Constitution will kick off their participation in the “Crews Into Shape” program from the ship’s berth in Charlestown, Mass. March 4-31. Sponsored by the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center and open to anyone employed by the DoD, Crews into Shape is a workplace-focused initiat
Forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) returned to Sasebo after participating in Cobra Gold 2012 (CG12), March 5. Germantown departed Sasebo Jan. 30 to onload Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in White Beach, Okinawa, Feb. 1 prior to beginning CG12,
U.S. Marines from High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift partnered with United Nations Police (UNPOL) to train the Haitian National Police (HNP) in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, March 1. Nine Marines from Swift are working for two weeks to conduct subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) with the HNP and an UNPOL tea
The Operations Room is the nerve centre of a ship. With radar, sonar and communications equipment covering the full range of electronic and electro-magnetic detection and analysis, the Ops Room staff track the activity of vessels and aircraft in the ship’s area of responsibility. In action, they are
Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) held a change of command ceremony at sea in the Arabian Gulf, Feb. 29. Capt. Cedric E. Pringle relieved Capt. Jim Landers as commanding officer. Pringle becomes the ship’s third commanding officer since commissioning in 2009. For the past 18 months, P
Guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) completed two days of participation for Exercise Obangame Express 2012, Feb. 29. Obangame Express is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Gu
In February 2012, at and around the US Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune, approximately 12,000 military personnel and 24 ships from 9 different countries participated in the largest US amphibious exercise since 2001. Among the participants in Bold Alligator were 2 Dutch units from the Caribbean region,
The supply ship HNLMS Amsterdam has been designated as the new guard ship of the Royal Netherlands Navy in the Caribbean, where it will be deployed in counternarcotics operations and coastguard tasks. The ship sailed from the port of Den Helder in mid-February and is scheduled to perform its tempora
African sailors who spent 27 days aboard guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2012, departed Simpson, Feb. 27. The 10 APS shipriders came from the navies of Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo and Togo. The shipriders got aboard S
Sailors from various commands aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island took part in an Auxiliary Security Force (ASF) training course, Feb. 6-24. The Sailors will serve as force protection assets and offer support to the base’s security department. The focus of the ASF course is to be a force i
Sailors assigned to the forward-deployed amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) participated in a community service (COMSERV) project at a local school, Feb. 23, during a scheduled port visit to Laem Chabang. Twenty Sailors visited Ban Ronghip School to interact with local children and
Sailors from ice patrol ship HMS Protector tackled a ferocious fire which raged through a Brazilian research base. Two dozen crew from the research and survey vessel helped out when the blaze engulfed the Ferraz research station on King George Island in the South Sandwich Islands. Sailors from a Roy
Haitian Authority Port Nationals (APNs) participated in a recognition ceremony upon the completion of their subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) in Cap-Haitian, Haiti with Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) members embarked on High Speed Vessel (HSV 2) Swift Feb. 24. The 21 APN participant
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), and commander, Allied Joint Forces Command Naples (JFC), held a change of command ceremony on Naval Support Activity Naples in Naples, Italy, Feb. 24, where Adm. Bruce W. Clingan relieved Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III. Among the dignitaries an
