Navy

Ford Sailors Reflect on International Women of Color Day

Story by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Grace Lyles

USS Gerald R. Ford Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. — Sailors aboard the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) celebrate International Women of Color Day, March 1, 2023.

“Aboard Ford, we will be celebrating International Women of Color Day in alignment with Women’s History Month,” said Chief Retail Services Specialist Ana Marrerosuarez, program manager for Ford’s Multicultural Heritage Committee. “We will make posters, videos and stories that celebrate women in today’s Navy and the accomplishments they provide daily to the mission.”

International Women of Color day has been recognized by the National Institute for Women of Color since 1986 and acknowledges the achievements of the women of color who have paved the way in U.S. Naval history and for Ford’s Sailors serving today.

According to the Naval History and Heritage Command website, in 1942, Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy became the first Asian American woman to serve in the U.S. Navy as part of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) program.

Although black women were permitted to serve in the Navy temporarily during World War I, they were not officially authorized to do so until 1944. The first two black female naval officers, Lt. j. g. Harriet Pickens and Ensign Frances Wills, were commissioned on December 26, 1944.

Chief Yeoman Edna Young was the first black American woman to enlist in the Navy in July 1948. That year, Lt. Cmdr. Maria Emiliana Aquino became the first Native American woman to serve as an officer in the Medical Service Corps.

In 1978, Capt. Joan Bynum was the first black woman to be promoted to her rank of O-6. That same year, Brenda “Raven” Robinson became the first black female pilot and only the 42nd woman to earn Wings of Gold for completing naval aviation training.

In 1993, Cmdr. Lynn Chow became the first female Navy gunnery officer aboard a combatant ship. In 2000, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Roseanne Oliveros became the first female Hispanic Seabee Diver. In 2010, Capt. Kathlene Contres was the highest-ranking Hispanic American woman officer in the Navy until she retired.

By 2014, Admiral Michelle J. Howard was chosen as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations after having been the first black woman to command a ship. Howard was also the first black woman to achieve ranks of two and three-star admiral.

These trailblazers of the past, as well as Ford’s strong Sailors, provide inspiring examples of resiliency and courage. According to diversity.defense.gov, in 2016, more than 19,000 U.S. Navy Sailors were women of color. Today, Ford recognizes how far women of color in the Navy have come and how much further they will go in the future.

“I am the only person who has the power to determine my future and I am the only obstacle in my way,” said Seaman Nacolette Carr, from Miamisburg, Ohio, assigned to Ford’s supply department. “I think the Navy does very well with inclusion and I think just continuing to keep people informed of the past and how far we’ve come has accomplished so much.”

Ford is proud to have women of color serving and assisting with daily operations to achieve mission readiness.

“I think of myself as a Sailor, as an officer, not as a gender,” said Lt. Cmdr. Wanda Colon, Ford’s principal assistant supply officer. “When I get a task, I try to do my best, work hard, and that’s how I survive.”

Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier. As the first-in-class ship of Ford-class aircraft carriers, CVN 78 represents a generational leap in the U.S. Navy’s capacity to project power on a global scale. Ford-class aircraft carriers introduce 23 new technologies, including Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, Advanced Arresting Gear and Advanced Weapons Elevators. The new systems incorporated onto Ford-class ships are designed to generate a higher sortie rate with a 20% smaller crew than a Nimitz-class carrier, paving the way forward for naval aviation.

For more information about the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/ and follow along on Facebook: @USSGeraldRFord, Instagram: @cvn78_grford, Twitter: @Warship_78, DVIDS www.dvids.net/CVN78 and LinkedIn at USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

SATTAHIP, THAILAND (Feb. 23, 2023) Naval Special Warfare forces deployed in support of U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific concluded a joint combined training exercise with Royal Thai Navy Special Warfare Command on Feb. 22.

The three-week exchange built upon the two forces’ long-standing relationships and cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region.

“We value our relationship with the Royal Thai Navy Special Warfare Command, and it is continued trainings like this that sharpen our tactics,” said the senior team leader of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare unit.

The exercise began with tactical training with weapons, close-quarter combat drills, tactical combat casualty care, explosive breaching, and maritime boat operations.

“Once we were able to share, establish and execute standard procedures, our two forces developed real-world special operations scenarios,” added the senior U.S. team lead. “This training enhanced our forces’ readiness and interoperability to successfully plan and execute modern-day missions.”

The realistic scenarios served as a capstone to the forces’ engagement and included maritime interdiction operations and visit, board, search and seizure rehearsals.

Personnel from U.S. Naval Special Warfare and Royal Thai Navy Special Warfare Command also exchanged culture history, traditions and customs.

“The bonds we formed while learning and understanding one another’s culture cemented the friendships during the training,” said the senior U.S. team lead. “Whether it was a traditional Thai BBQ one week or a traditional American dish the next, or Muay Thai training sessions together, and even the exchanging of patches, memorabilia and sharing the history of each other’s units and cultures – those deep personal connections are strengthened and forge a stronger shared interest of community.”

U.S. Naval Special Warfare is the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach.

U.S. Special Operations Forces provide flexible response to contingencies in the Indo-Pacific. Integral to this capability is a forward-deployed posture and continuous engagement with partner and ally forces, heightening mutual interoperability and regional expertise.

“We have a strong, forward-looking U.S.-Thai defense alliance, rooted in history, which helps foster a region where all countries enjoy prosperity and peace,” said the senior U.S. team lead. “Our command remains committed to maintaining our enduring friendship with Thailand and the Thai people.”

The United States and Thailand have nearly two centuries of diplomatic relations and have been security treaty allies for over 65 years.

On Feb. 27, the two nations will participate in Cobra Gold 2023, a two-week-long multinational military exercise with thousands of service members and partners from across the Indo-Pacific.

This annual event increases the capability, capacity, and interoperability of partnered nations while simultaneously reinforcing their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The upcoming Cobra Gold 2023 exercise is the 42nd iteration and is set for a full-scale revival since the pandemic. The Thailand and U.S. co-sponsored exercise is conducted annually in the Kingdom of Thailand and will be held from Feb. 27 – Mar. 10, 2023, with seven full participants (Thailand, U.S., Japan, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Malaysia), three limited participants (Australia, India, China) and ten Multinational Planning Augment Team participants.

MANAMA, Bahrain – U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) commenced the Middle East region’s largest maritime exercise, Feb. 26.

Known as International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2023, the multinational event is combined with Cutlass Express, which is led by Naval Forces Europe-Africa. Both will involve more than 50 partner-nations and international organizations operating in the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, Indian Ocean and East African coastal regions.

Additionally, the combined exercise will include 7,000 personnel, 35 ships and more than 30 unmanned and artificial intelligence systems.

Participants will focus on five main areas: combined command and control, maritime security, mine countermeasures, unmanned systems and artificial intelligence integration, and global health.

IMX and Cutlass Express are scheduled to end March 16 and 17, respectively. This is the eighth iteration of IMX since the exercise was established in 2012.

The full list of participants is available here: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7650926/imx-ce-23-scheduled-participant-list

In recognition of Engineer roles in defueling the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility (RHBFSF), Joint Task Force-Red Hill (JTF-RH), the recently established military organization tasked with defueling, joined the engineering community and its cohorts in celebrating National Engineers Week, Feb. 19 to 25. Celebrated every year since being initiated by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) in 1951, the week of recognition is held to highlight the important role Engineers play in society.

The JTF-RH employs upwards of 60 Engineers as it executes its mission to safely and expeditiously de-fuel the RHBFSF, which currently holds more than 104 million gallons of fuel. Engineer week provides an opportunity for the JTF-RH to highlight the critical role its Engineers play in moving the mission forward.

“It’s a time for Engineers across all spectrums to come together and share their stories and lessons learned and get different perspectives,” said U.S. Army Maj. Stephen Buck, an engineering officer for JTF-RH. “Not only is it a reconnection in our field, but it’s also a reminder to keep looking at what’s going on around the world and to keep that strong center and foundation of the Engineering Corps.”

The RHBFSF was constructed under 100 feet of volcanic rock, and consists of 20 fuel tanks, that were innovatively designed and constructed during the latter half of World War II. The original plan called for burying four fuel containers horizontally in a hillside at the U.S. Navy facility at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Ultimately, this became the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility with construction of 20 vertical storage tanks – each 100 feet in diameter and 250 feet high – and connected by tunnels to a harbor-side pumping station more than two-and-a-half miles away.

Construction on the Red Hill facility began the day after Christmas 1940 and continued daily without interruption – with the exception of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Work on the first tank was completed in September 1942, and the entire project was finished in September 1943, requiring over 3,900 workers. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, Red Hill was used as a transfer point for fuel moving from the U.S. mainland to the Persian Gulf. The RHBFSF was registered as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

While the construction of the facility was a significant Engineering accomplishment, it was built 100 feet above the islands fresh water aquifer. In the past several years, several fuel leaks have led to contamination of the aquifer leading to the decision by the DOD in March 2022, to defuel and permanently close the facility.

The array of Engineers assembled by JTF-RH hail from many different disciplines, but these military and civilian experts remain singularly focused on solving the complex issues associated with defueling a subterranean fuel storage facility.

According to Buck, Engineers are tailor-made to be assigned to a mission such as JTF-RH.

“The engineering background really helps when it comes to the amounts and types of calculations,” Buck said. “There are a lot of unexpected things that can turn up and we have to calculate solutions and work with the contractors to get the necessary materials.”

When not on military duty, Buck, a U.S. Army reservist assigned to U.S. Army Pacific Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, Engineering Directorate, works as a contracting officer’s representative team lead for Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. A graduate of Lake Mary High School, Lake Mary, Florida, he moved to Kailua-Kona on the Hawaii island at age eighteen and is a graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

For Buck, a permanent Hawaii resident with close family ties to the islands, the defueling mission takes on a personal tone.

“It feels good to be part of this mission where we’re involved with ensuring the safety of the community,” Buck said. “There’s a lot of personal ties for me being a local resident and being a part of this community.”

According to Buck, there’s no need for a special week, but it’s nice to have. Being part of the JTF-RH mission is enough. “It’s a unique experience being a part of this Joint Task Force. There’s a lot of pieces, but it’s definitely worthwhile.” said Buck.