Army

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – From the sun-kissed shores of Southern California to the ancestral lands of the Omaha reservation in Nebraska, U.S. Air Force Capt. Ashley Morris, 60th Inpatient Operations Squadron critical care nurse, embarked on a journey tracing her diverse Native American heritage.

Born and raised in Southern California, Morris’ childhood took a transformative turn when her family relocated to the Omaha reservation in Nebraska at age 13. Despite being enrolled as a member of the Seneca-Cayuga tribe based in Oklahoma, her upbringing was predominantly shaped by the traditions and influences of the Omaha reservation and her maternal grandfather’s legacy. With roots in Seneca-Cayuga, Omaha, Ho-chunk, Navajo, Blackfeet and Seneca from New York, Morris carries within her a rich tapestry of diverse ancestral connections.

Morris also came from a long line of military members on both sides of her family. She was inspired by her maternal grandfather, Louis Hinman Sr., who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is of Omaha, Ho-Chunk and Seneca-Cayuga descent. Her great-grandfather, Louis Jamison, a Seneca native from New York, was in the U.S. Army and a World War II veteran.

“I’ve known since I was a young girl that I wanted to join the military,” said Morris. “I also jokingly say my motivation was because I was raised with four older brothers and tried to prove that I was just as strong as them. As for nursing, my mother is in healthcare, and I always had a desire to help people. So, nursing just felt like the most natural career choice for me.”

Capt. Ramon Blanco Vargas, 60th Inpatient Operation Squadron critical care flight element chief and Morris’ supervisor, described Morris as devoted to continuing to learn and excel in her field, driven by a passion for positive patient outcomes.

“Capt. Morris is a dedicated critical care nurse who is committed to her profession and those she provides care for,” shared Blanco Vargas. “She is empathetic and ensures that her patients and their families are comfortable and well taken care of.”

Some significant milestones for Morris include achieving the rank of captain in two U.S. military branches, the Army and the Air Force. She has completed 10 years of military service, with 9 of those years served in the Army, and aims to continue for another 16 years until retirement. Another notable achievement for Morris is graduating from the Army’s Officer Candidate School in 2017, with her grandfather pinning on her rank of 2nd lieutenant.

Morris navigated nursing school as a full-time student, mother, employee and a soldier.

“I always try to reflect on my life and all the hardships I have overcome, and I understand that my successes are partly due to the strong family ties and foundation I was raised in,” Morris shared.

Morris believes that her cultural background has played a significant role in shaping her into the officer she is, particularly in terms of resilience. This resilience has allowed her to persevere despite doubters or the lack of certain opportunities.

When considering joining the military, Morris advises people to go for it! She consistently tries to recruit other Native Americans into the healthcare field and the military, using her own experiences to demonstrate the opportunities the military has to offer.

“I have met some of my best friends, traveled to some great places and did some amazing things all because of the military,” said Morris.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin. — The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Beloit (LCS 29) November 23, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“I take great pride in representing Wisconsin’s manufacturing economy and the workers who power it,” said the Honorable Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Senator, State of Wisconsin. “When it comes to our ship building industry our workers have helped sustain America’s security for our national defense for generations. We boast a successful history of building ships and the city of Beloit has long played an essential role in that.”

Guest speakers for the event also included the Honorable Tony Evers, Governor of Wisconsin, who delivered the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Remarks were also provided by Adm. James Kilby, Vice Chief of Naval Operations; the Honorable Gwen Moore, U.S. Representative, Wisconsin’s Fourth District; Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro; and Mr. Ali Ruwaih, Vice President, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Small Combatants and Ships.

“Today we commission the Navy’s newest freedom-class littoral combat ship, the first ever to bear the name of the best city in Wisconsin, USS Beloit.” said Kilby. “Beloit will play a key role in implementing the Chief of Naval Operations’ strategy as a platform with a crew ready with the right capabilities, weapons, sustainment, and training deterring our adversaries and ready to fight.”

Beloit completed 19 certifications in just seven weeks after moving onboard and successfully passed each certification the first go round, scoring above the Navy’s standards for the LCS community including completing their Light off Assessment (LOA) in less than a week with flying colors.

“I would like to thank our employees and our industry partners for their resiliency and dedication to Littoral Combat Ship Freedom Class who demonstrated exceptional commitment and delivered outstanding results,” said Ruwaih. “The USS Beloit has been designed to protect and guide the crew as they carry forth the ship’s motto Forward for Freedom. I could not think of a more fitting description of an LCS Sailor who displays the most versatile set of skills to help ensure freedom of the seas.”

The audience was honored with the presence of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Iraqi war and many other significant battles. The Sailors, family and friends and community of Beloit were reminded of the profound responsibility that comes with such a legacy that the officers and crew of Beloit will undoubtedly uphold with honor, integrity and valor.

“Today is about the commissioning of a ship. But it’s also a ceremony about a calling, a calling to serve and a calling to sacrifice,” said Moore. “I am proud that this ship is being commissioned in the state where it was built. It will be the first commissioned ship named after Beloit, Wisconsin in honor of that city’s contributions to the US Navy, especially the ship engines built in that city.”

The ship’s sponsor, retired Army Maj. Gen. Marcia M. Anderson, gave the first order to “man our ship and bring her to life.”

“The commissioning of the USS Beloit is not merely a naval event – it is a celebration of American industrial might, a testament to the enduring spirit of the American people, and a tribute to the city of Beloit and the state of Wisconsin,” said Del Toro. “Everywhere you go, you will sail Forward for Freedom – serving as a beacon of our nation’s enduring commitment to independence and security for all and a reminder of the many thousands of Sailors and Marines who have gone before us.”

“We are making history! Our Badger crew and the city of Beloit have worked and waited for this moment.” said Kissinger. “We are incredibly blessed and humbled to celebrate the commissioning of the USS Beloit with the cities of Milwaukee and celebrating Beloit. Forward to Freedom!”

LCS class ships like Beloit will be equipped with Over the Horizon – Weapons System (OTH-WS) Naval Strike Missile (NSM). The OTH NSM provides the U.S. and its allies with long range anti-surface offensive strike capability as well as increased coastline defense, deterrence, and interoperability. This will include the MK 70 Payload Delivery System (PDS) which uses combat proven MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) technology to provide mid-range precision fires capabilities. The MK 70 enables rapid deployment of offensive capability to non-traditional platforms and locations.

The ceremony featured early successes, future developments, milestones, fair winds and following seas while showcasing a weeklong series of events celebrating the ship, its crew, community and namesake city.

Beloit is the 15th Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) commissioned in the United States Navy and the first to be commissioned in naval service to bear this namesake.

USS Beloit (LCS 29) was built by the Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin, the named on Feb. 10, 2018, and authorized on Oct. 10, 2018. It was christened May 7, 2022, and completed acceptance trials the following year. The ship was delivered to the U.S. Navy on Sept. 30, 2024.

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. They are capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.

USS Beloit will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

The mission of CNSP is to man, train, and equip the Surface Force to provide fleet commanders with credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore.

For more news from Naval Surface Forces, visit DVIDS – Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – The Eielson Air Force Base Natural Resources and the Alaska Air National Guard, 168th Wing Environmental office are teaming up to bring an exciting winter activity to the base: the 2024-2025 EAFB NR and 168 WG Winter Trails Challenge. The challenge, running from Dec. 1, 2024, through April 30, 2025, invites military members, families, and base employees of all ages to explore the scenic trails of Eielson AFB while having fun and earning prizes.

“This is a great way for people to experience the beauty of Alaska while staying active, making memories, and learning about new places on base,” said Deb Lipyanic from the 168th Environmental Office. “It’s about encouraging people to get outside, bringing people together, enjoying the winter, and discovering what we have here.”

Like the popular Fairbanks Borough Trails Challenge, this initiative encourages participants to hike, ski, or explore a dozen trails around the base, each marked by the Trails Challenge signs. The goal is to find the signs, snap a selfie with them, and submit your photo to win some swag, including custom coffee cups featuring the challenge logo.

The challenge is a fun activity and an opportunity to connect with the great outdoors while discovering Eielson AFB’s hidden gems.

“We know sometimes people don’t always want to go to town to do things,” said Lipyanic. “The whole family can get out and do this right here at Eielson. They can feel more comfortable with the base they have been stationed at whether they wanted to be here or not.”

The idea for the Trails Challenge began when Lipyanic ran into Gene Larocca from the Eielson Natural Resources office during a hike in Fairbanks and thought the trail challenge would be great on base, so they partnered to bring the community-building activity to the base.

“Every so many years, a new rotation of active-duty personnel moves in, which will be all new to them,” said Lipyanic. “For folks who live and work here, it is a great opportunity to come out at lunchtime, go skiing, collect their sign, and get some PT.”

Larocca added, “Great group PT or Unite event for the units on base.”

The trail challenge signs feature the Eielson Natural Resources and the 168th Wing Polar Bear logos. The challenge is out there to gather your Polar Bear selfies. Squadron challenges will soon be introduced for those looking for an extra layer of competition.

“We plan to hold friendly competitions between active and guard units, where teams can compete to see who can find the most signs in a given period,” said Lipyanic. “It will be fun to bring units together and enjoy some friendly rivalry – best of the best units.”

Larocca said, “Focused on the work-life balance, what we have here, even in the competitiveness of it all, is people, including commanders, who will see the locations and know where to share with others.”

The signs are strategically placed around the base to ensure participants can explore areas they may have yet to visit. The locations offer recreational activities, encouraging participants to experience the base’s wide range of outdoor options.

“The idea was to put the signs in areas that will bring people to recreation locations,” said Larocca . “Make sure people are familiar with where they can recreate. We even included the stock lakes so we could have signs at the stock lakes where people could connect to the resources. People can go, and this is the hiking trail at the stocked lakes with fishing opportunities.”

Larocca wanted to remind the participants. “Trail rules on the checklist state whether the trail allows access by foot, skis, or operating recreational vehicles.”

“I was really happy Gene was keen on partnering with us,” said Lipyanic. “Partnering on this project has been fun. I’m excited to finally get this underway and excited to see where it goes in the future. We should do things together – It cements an excellent, solid partnership between the host and the tenant unit. We want to do things together and actively participate by doing this kind of stuff.”

Larocca said, “You are contributing to the community’s quality of life. It’s a neat way to bring people into the locations and introduce them to these recreational-based locations so they know what there is to do in summer or winter, whatever the season.”

The Eielson AFB Natural Resources office is the guide to enjoying the Alaskan Outdoors.

“We basically say as natural resources, we are your park office on base,” said Larocca. “We are trying to connect you from A to Z.”

While the official start date for the Eielson Trail Challenge is December 1, those eager to begin over Thanksgiving weekend are encouraged to do so. “It’s a great way to work off your turkey,” Lipyanic joked.

How to Participate:

1. Register: Sign up for the challenge by emailing [email protected] with your name, family members, or friends who wish to join.

2. Find the Signs: Explore the trails and locate the special “diamond” logo signs.

3. Take a Selfie: Capture a photo with the sign as proof of your adventure.

4. Submit Your Photos: Email your selfies to the provided address and claim your prizes when you find all 12 signs.

The challenge is open to anyone with access to Eielson AFB. While base access is required to visit many of the trails, visitors can be sponsored onto the installation. It’s a unique opportunity to explore Alaska’s natural beauty right from the doorstep of Eielson AFB.

Once the winter challenge concludes, the summer challenge will begin in May 2025, continuing the tradition of connecting people with nature through fun and adventure.

For more details on the challenge, including trail maps, visit the official Eielson AFB Natural Resources Office at Building 2215 or visit https://www.eielson.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/382407/natural-resources-office/

The Natural Resources Office is located in Building 2215 and is the nerve center of the base conservation education program. The entrance to the facility parking area is located across from the intersection of Manchu Trail and Central Avenue.

Displayed are aerial photographs of base and geologic survey maps of the surrounding Army lands as related to fishing, hunting, and trapping. Display racks contain Alaska fishing, hunting, and trapping regulations, hunting and fishing maps of base and the surrounding Army lands, handouts on base off-road vehicle policy, fishing, hunting, and recreation handouts, sportsmen’s club membership applications, and more.

Bulletin boards contain information on trapping, fishing, hunting, canoeing, hiking, current natural resources projects, and cross-country skiing. Natural Resources maintains a reference library on a variety of natural resources subjects. On display are 39 birds, 14 fish, and 17 animals native to Alaska.

The Natural Resources Office hours are Mon-Fri 0800-1600. It is recommended that customers call (907) 377-5182 prior to heading to the office.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 22, 2024) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team documenting flood information in the wake of Hurricane Helene has culminated surveys in Tennessee and Virginia and has shifted its efforts to North Carolina.

Data collection update

The data collection effort has been on-going for several weeks and will provide key insights for planning and infrastructure decisions, improving flood resilience for safer, more sustainable communities.

According to Kelley Peck, Nashville District Water Resources Section chief, field efforts to document flood information in Cocke, Greene, Washington, Unicoi, Carter, and Johnson Counties in Tennessee, and Washington County in Virginia, officially concluded Oct. 26 in coordination with the Tennessee Valley Authority and U.S. Geological Survey.

“The team’s duty is to assess peak water levels from flooding caused by Hurricane Helene across 14 counties in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina,” Peck said. “The focus is now on North Carolina. Even though more than a month has passed since this historic flood impacted Appalachia, timely data collection remains crucial to understanding its full effects.”

With a few more weeks left to conclude the overall mission, the field teams have already collected approximately 1,800 surveyed high-water marks in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. A dozen USACE employees began documenting high-water marks Oct. 28 in Jackson, Haywood, Transylvania, Henderson, Buncombe, Madison, Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties. This includes data collection within the Pigeon River and French Broad River basins in some of the hardest hit population centers of western North Carolina. Teams continue to identify and document historical water levels within the Nolichucky River, Watauga River, and Little Tennessee River basins.

“This important work cannot be accomplished without the support of our partner agencies, USACE leadership, and the public,” Peck said. “As always, we encourage the public to help identify high-water marks and to share their stories. We are grateful for their continued coordination and support through these challenging times.”

USACE continues to seek first-hand accounts of the flooding impacts in all three states and encourages the public to help by providing any data, such as photos, videos, and/or personal accounts, of floodwater levels during Hurricane Helene. This information can be submitted by emailing [email protected].

Next steps

The high-water mark data is being compiled into a database for USACE and its local, state, and federal partners. Collected information plays a key role in interagency coordination and support for flood risk management, infrastructure planning, and emergency response.

“There is still much work to be done after data collection in the field concludes,” Peck said. “The team will go through a rigorous quality review of the data, organize files into a geodatabase, and catalog data for historical reference. A final data set of surveyed high-water mark points will be available in addition to a report once this review process is completed.”

Peck said the flood information will assist USACE hydraulic engineers in evaluating the impacts of Hurricane Helene to enhance flood risk resiliency for the affected communities. This analysis will inform decision making and enhance preparedness, supporting local officials and partner agencies in rebuilding these areas with a focus on future disaster mitigation.

What the team is experiencing

Experienced personnel are supporting the high-water-marks mission in North Carolina. They work to efficiently plan operations, canvass evidence of high-water marks, and survey elevation data. The teams consist of office and field personnel from all backgrounds, including engineering, surveying, planning, and natural resource management.

Several employees who recently deployed into North Carolina provided insight on their experiences while documenting flood data in the affected communities.

Annalee Warren, civil engineer in the USACE Nashville District’s Water Resources Section Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch, deployed to North Carolina to document high-water marks and collect information from people that experienced the flooding. She also found herself listening to people coping with the hardships and recovery efforts.

“Getting the opportunity to go and help collect high-water mark data from Hurricane Helene was a true honor and humbling experience – one that I will never forget,” Warren said. “Everyone was so kind and helpful despite the devastation they experienced. I walked away grateful to have served.”

Michael Krneta, also a civil engineer and Warren’s coworker, collected what he described as stark evidence of the flood and its immense reach. He recalled seeing high-water marks scarring homes and businesses, but also heard firsthand accounts of the flooding.

“The community response wasn’t just about clearing debris or patching roofs; it was about collectively tackling the immense task of rebuilding, and in the immediate aftermath, surviving,” Krneta said. “We met people who lived in apartment buildings and complexes who had pooled their resources to ensure nobody went without food, water, or shelter.”

While searching for marks on washed-out driveways or steep slopes, Krneta said the team encountered people that were still living in the dark without power, running water, or food other than what they stored prior to the storm.

“On more than one occasion, a month after the event, people told us we were the first and only ones to have visited their property to check on them,” Krneta added.

Annalise Winton, regional economist in the Project Planning Branch’s Plan Formulation Section, said she had never seen flood damage in person, let alone to such a widespread extent.

“It gave me a very deep and profound perspective,” Winton said. “I learned so much by being there on the ground, and it was a gift to hear each person’s experience. The people were all very kind to us, and they are incredibly resilient despite the unbelievable hardships they are facing. It was truly moving, and I am looking forward to anything and everything that we are able to do to work with these communities to help mitigate and prevent this sort of damage from happening again.”

How to recognize the team

As the USACE team continues its work, the public can easily identify them collecting data in impacted areas wearing Corps of Engineers apparel and/or reflective safety vests. When field personnel visit flood-impacted areas they carefully photograph and document each high-water mark, the type of surface it is on, and the quality of the mark, among other details. Professional land surveyors note the precise location and elevation of each mark using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and survey-grade equipment, tied to known benchmarks for accuracy.

Public Law 84-99 provides authority for USACE to undertake emergency response operations including flood response, rehabilitation, preparedness, and technical assistance. Data collection serves to advance preparedness.

The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/About/Districts/Nashville-District/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on X (formerly Twitter) at www.x.com/nashvillecorps. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.