Navy

NORFOLK – Following an eight-and-a-half-month deployment embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) to the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, the “Patriots” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140 return to its home base of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington, April 22, 2023.

VAQ-140 operates the EA-18G Growler, an electronic attack aircraft that specializes in suppression of enemy air defenses.

While deployed, VAQ-140 participated in multiple joint exercises with international allies. These events include a NATO integration event in November in Spangdahlem, Germany, vigilance activity Neptune Strike in Romania and Hungary, and Juniper Oak – the largest force exercise with the Israeli military.

VAQ-140 operated with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, completing carrier operations in the Alboran, Tyrrhenian, Ionian, Adriatic, and Aegean Seas. The Patriots also had the opportunity to visit several ports as ambassadors of the United States, including Souda Bay, Crete; Naples, Italy; Split, Croatia; Marseilles, France; and Athens, Greece.

The Patriots began their 2022-2023 deployment under the command of Cmdr. Alan “Carl” Carlson, but following an airborne change of command on March 22, 2023, they are returning under the command of Cmdr. Erik “Squanch” Halvorson. When asked about the Squadron’s performance throughout the deployment, Halvorson said “I’m extremely proud of the performance of my squadron while deployed to U.S. Sixth Fleet. The Patriots rose to every challenge they faced and performed honorably with our international partners.”

This was the first deployment for twelve of nineteen VAQ-140 aircrew and many Patriot Sailors. First-time deployer Lt. Robert “Niceman” Curry said he “will miss my mustache and comradery amongst the air wing but am beyond excited to return to Whidbey Island.”

Throughout the deployment Patriot aircrew logged over a thousand flight hours and over 950 carrier arrested landings. Lt. Cmdr. Anthony “Chazz” Nicolas’s most memorable moment on deployment was “definitely the Blanco Brown concert. I’m a huge fan and it was amazing to see him live while underway.”

The Patriots are grateful to have returned to their families and loved ones, and are grateful for the support from them throughout the deployment. They look forward to continuing to operate America’s Growlers in the Pacific Northwest.

George H.W. Bush is the flagship of CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG. CSG-10 is comprised of George H.W. Bush, CVW-7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON-26 completing deployment with CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119).

The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard the George H.W. Bush are the “Sidewinders” of VFA-86, the “Jolly Rogers” of VFA-103, the “Knighthawks” of VFA-136, the “Pukin Dogs” of VFA-143, the “Bluetails” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 121, the “Patriots” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, and the “Grandmasters” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46.

USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the oldest-serving U.S commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, successfully completed its 350,000th arrested aircraft landing while sailing in the South China Sea, a milestone nearly 48 years in the making.

Nimitz is the first active U.S. Navy carrier in the Fleet to reach this milestone. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) has the next highest total of arrested landings at 326,600.

Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of Nimitz, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22 piloted the landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA 22 on the morning of April 22nd.

“I am honored and humbled to land this historic milestone for our ship. I dedicate this landing to the countless naval aviators who have flown before me, and it is a privilege to further the proud tradition of service that this distinguished aircraft carrier embodies,” said Sicola. “To the shipyard maintenance teams who put in countless hours to prepare this warship for sea, to the thousands of dedicated Sailors on board who sacrifice for their country, and to the families back home who support us along the way – ‘teamwork is a tradition’ on Nimitz and we could not have accomplished this mission without the steadfast commitment to this historic ship.”

As first in its class, Nimitz is the namesake for all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the Fleet. Over the decades, tens of thousands of Sailors have embarked on Nimitz to fulfill missions around the globe. Since commissioning nearly 50 years ago, Nimitz has sailed 30 deployments and served in countless operations and missions.

Nimitz serves as the flagship of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG). The NIMCSG is currently on a regularly-scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

“As we sail through the South China Sea, we celebrate this once in a lifetime achievement, 350,000 arrested landings, over a hundred years of innovation in the U.S. Aircraft Carrier, and the determination, sacrifice and winning spirit of all past and present Naval Aviators and our Sailors” said Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, commander, Carrier Strike Group 11. “This landmark is a testament to the nation’s commitment to fly, sail and operate around the globe promoting peace and security just as “Old Salt – the NIMITZ” has done for the past 48 years.”

The 350,000th trap represents a significant moment in the history of the ship. Nimitz’s first arrested landing was conducted in 1975, the same year of the ship’s commissioning. Capt. Bryan Compton, Nimitz’s first commanding officer, made history by completing the first landing.

Although the ship has sailed in several oceans and has homeported in multiple locations, the constant throughout the decades has been the tenacity of the ship’s crew day in and day out – without which not a single landing could have been possible.

“Although aircraft are critical to our mission, the aviators and maintainers that fly and operate our aircraft are truly the reason for our success,” said Capt. Christopher Hurst, commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17. “This milestone showcases our Sailors’ precision and operational excellence to execute hundreds of thousands of landings on Nimitz.”

Nimitz’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment (ALRE) division is responsible for operating and maintaining the ship’s catapults and arresting gear.

“We have been looking forward to achieving this milestone for a long time,” said Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) Robert Reed, leading chief petty officer of ALRE division. “The Sailors made all of this possible by manning our equipment and ensuring the proper execution of our mission. Their dedication and determination is inspiring, and I am proud to be a part of team Nimitz. This landing could not have been done without their commitment to the ship.”

Before celebrating the historic 350,000th arrested landing aboard Nimitz, flight deck personnel quickly got back to work. Sailors reset the arresting cable, taxied aircraft out of the landing area, and reset the deck – there were still more aircraft to land. Mighty Nimitz had to get ready for trap number 350,001.

A Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic project team joined partners last fall to break ground on the construction of a new communications center at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay, Greece.

Military Construction Project 131 (MILCON P-131) is a $34.2 million effort to consolidate all communications for the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Atlantic (NCTAMS) Atlantic Detachment Souda Bay and NSA Souda Bay’s Communications department.

NIWC Atlantic’s project team, part of its Joint Command and Operations Centers (JC&OC) team within the Command and Operations Centers Division, is conducting the design and installation effort for all command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems for the state-of-the-art facility.

“Throughout the project, NIWC Atlantic’s project team will fully codify the C4I requirements in order to support the MILCON C4I design, justify funding for the project to help meet asset management goals and support the implementation of further MILCON phases,” said Gale Womack, project lead, JC&OC team. “The team is also responsible for the collection of capabilities and requirements data and to validate C4I/IT [information technology] systems required for acquisition or relocation from existing facilities that will align with projected future requirements for both command and operations centers.”

NSA Souda Bay is an operational ashore installation which enables and supports U.S., allied, coalition and partner nation forces to preserve security and stability in the European, African and Central Command areas of responsibility.

“NSA Souda Bay is a nexus for joint U.S. and NATO forces operating within three combatant commanders’ areas of responsibility,” said Bill Schmitz, supervisor, program management competency supervisor, Shore Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Integration (C2ISR&I) department. “NSA’s geographical location, airfield, port and NATO facilities make it an invaluable operational support asset for U.S. and NATO forces.

MILCON P-131, which includes paving, site improvements and demolition of the existing communications center, is expected to be complete in the fall of 2024.

To read more about the project, visit DVIDS – News – NSA Souda Bay Breaks Ground on New Communications Center (dvidshub.net).

About NIWC Atlantic

As a part of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NIWC Atlantic provides systems engineering and acquisition to deliver information warfare capabilities to the naval, joint and national warfighter through the acquisition, development, integration, production, test, deployment, and sustainment of interoperable command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber and information technology capabilities.

Working dogs have been used for decades in a variety of fields. One common career field for working dogs is working with police departments, such as the Kaua`i Police Department (KPD). They first brought dogs to the team in the late 1980’s and have had dogs on the force ever since.

The newest dog to KPD is a Belgian Malinois named Kratos. He joined the vice unit in January 2023, the same time that his handler, Blake Maura, moved to the unit.

Kratos and Maura had been practicing his detection skills wherever possible, from the old water department in Lihue to baseball fields all over the island, even utilizing the overflow lots at rental car agencies. This training was in preparation to earn the American Working Dog and California Narcotics Canine Association certifications. As they ran out of new places, they reached out to Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in hopes of using spaces on base.

“When we place the aids, the odor lingers so we can’t use the same place over and over again,” said Herb Nakamura, owner and trainer of Hawai`i K9 Koncepts. “We always have to keep moving and his training is six weeks so you can imagine trying to find fresh places can be hard.”

Using the command “zoeken”, which is Dutch for “search”, Kratos was trained to detect crystal meth amphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl. Thanks to PMRF and places throughout the community offering spaces for practice he earned his certifications on April 13 and can now be fully utilized by the KPD.

“We really want to build the relationship between KPD and PMRF going forward,” Maura said, explaining why he was so excited to be able to do some training on PMRF.

Maintaining a positive relationship with the local community in all aspects is a high priority for PMRF. Working with KPD offers a perfect opportunity to do just that while also strengthening PMRF as a whole.

“He got part of that training and success from training here on the base that we afforded him and they really appreciate that,” said Major James Rodriguez, operations officer at PMRF. “We really got to take advantage when they do come out and accommodate them as best as we can.”

Creating a strong working relationship with KPD helps to ensure that in the event of an actual emergency, everyone is prepared to respond and work coherently. Offering the use of our facilities also greatly increases the chance of KPD extending an invitation should PMRF ever need to utilize one of their facilities.

“The beauty of training together is that they can come out and see how the Navy thinks,” said Rodriguez. “I’d rather do it and make mistakes during training versus in the real world where people could get hurt. It’s vital that we train together because that guess work could be life and death.”

Just a week after Kratos came to PMRF, KPD got another working dog and there are already plans for him to practice using our facilities. As PMRF continues to build that relationship with KPD it should be expected to see those officers and dogs on base more often.

WASHINGTON, D.C.── Naval Oceanography attended this year’s Sea-Air-Space (SAS)—the largest maritime exposition in the United Sates—hosted by the Navy League, April 3-5, 2023.

U.S. defense industry stakeholders and key military decision-makers gathered for three-days to engage: policy discussions; informative educational sessions; national security threats and sea service-related solutions in capability as the way forward.

Here, Naval Oceanography was able to reassure its partners of value they offer in collaborative efforts to increase capabilities that meet global-threats facing the world.

“I attended Sea-Air-Space this year in my role as CNMOC’s Chief Technology Officer and Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA),” said Betty Jester, Naval Oceanography’s Chief Technology Officer. “Several of the entities who Naval Oceanography has active Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) or in process of developing a CRADA were in attendance”

During SAS, stakeholders already in collaboration with Naval Oceanography were able to speak with Jester and other representatives about critical work underway, but SAS also facilitates new partnerships—so perspective collaborators had on-the-spot networking ability.

“It was a great opportunity to connect and re-connect with these important industry partners that provide Naval Oceanography access to emerging capability to enhance our ability to close gaps in various mission area,” Jester said.

It’s conferences like SAS that continue to push the nation’s defense components and provide the, literal and figurative, room to convene and discuss pressing issues facing the globe.

“The conference also afforded Naval Oceanography the ability to see other companies that provide applicable, newly-innovative capabilities and ability to hear senior DOD leadership officials speak on important topics such as emerging threats and the strategic importance of the Artic,” Jester continued.

When government officials, like Jester, attend SAS or similar conferences, they hear directly from DOD Senior Executives with possible one-on-one feedback, thus clarity is shed on mission focus areas—resulting in more mission success.

“I spent several days with important follow-ups and realize SAS gave me a ‘leg-up’ in several important technology areas such as Unmanned Surface Vehicles and Data Management advances,” said Jester.

Naval Oceanography has approximately 2,500 globally distributed military and civilian personnel, who collect, process and exploit environmental information to assist Fleet and Joint Commanders in all warfare areas to guarantee the U.S. Navy’s freedom of action in the physical battlespace from the depths of the ocean to the stars.

The Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition was founded in 1965 as a means to bring the U.S. defense industrial base, private-sector U.S. companies and key military decision-makers from the sea services together for an annual innovative, educational, professional event located in the heart of Washington, D.C. This year’s exposition brought together 15,000 participants, 350 Exhibitors, 270 Flag and SES Officers, and delegations from 67 countries.

The Navy League of the United States, founded in 1902 with the support of President Theodore Roosevelt, is a nonprofit civilian, educational and advocacy organization that supports America’s sea services: the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine. The Navy League has more than 30,000 individual members, more than 200 councils and, more than 240 corporate and community affiliate members.

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