Navy

Plenty of attention has been given lately to multiple underwater Navy reenlistments. But a Navy Hospital Corpsman took reenlistments to a new height on Nov. 10.

Petty Officer 1st Class Kyle Hugo, a Biomedical Equipment Quality Assurance technician, piloted his way into six more years of loyal, dedicated service when, at the controls of the Piper Archer single engine aircraft flown by him, served as the ceremony’s location.

Lt. Cmdr. Michael Lucas, Naval Medical Readiness Logistics Command’s (NMRLC) Operations Director, flew with Hugo and was the reenlisting officer. Captured in a photograph, the expression on Lucas’ face tells the story of conducting a reenlistment ceremony 2,000 feet off the ground.

“It was a unique experience,” Lucas said. “I actually anticipated performing this ceremony because I am not aware of another enlisted Sailor pilot who flew an airplane while reciting the oath of reenlistment.”

Both he and Hugo are assigned to NMRLC, which is responsible for building and maintaining rapidly deployable medical systems to support contingency operations, humanitarian assistance, and real-world events and exercises around the globe.

Nestled on Cheatham Annex, in Williamsburg, VA, NMRLC is led by Capt. Matthew P. Marcinkiewicz. Its mission is to support readiness by providing deployable medical systems, high-quality eyewear and ophthalmic devices, and fleet logistics solutions. Its vision is we will be Navy Medicine’s premiere integrated medical logistics support activity.

As a pilot in his off duty time, Hugo is well positioned to support the integrated medical logistics support activity through his efforts, if ever called upon.

A 2006 high school graduate of Ovey Commeaux High School in Lafayette, LA, he enlisted in the Navy in 2008. He always knew he wanted to join the military as his great grandfather, his father, and his brother were all Sailors.

“Originally, I wanted to be an officer and fly. I’ve been flying since I was age 13. But as I transitioned through academia, I realized college wasn’t for me, so I dropped out,” Hugo said. “After working for a year at a metal stock supplier, I decided I wasn’t going to get stuck in Louisiana for the rest of my life. I went to a recruiter’s office and shortly after that, my first duty station was at a clinic at Marine Base Camp Fuji, Japan.”

During his 14 years of active-duty service, Hugo has participated in three operational assignments. One was Operation Tomodachi, next was the Expeditionary Medical Facility ‘A’ deployment to Guam. Next was the deployment of a CT scanner to Djibouti. This refers to a computed tomography scan, which is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body.

In addition, he served in Afghanistan in 2012; he also served at the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2013, and he served on a carrier deployment to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf in 2017.

When discussing how he got started as a pilot, Hugo recalled an adventure he had with his father who encouraged his growth and love of flying when he was a youth.

“When I was 13, my father’s co-workers took us up in his plane and my dad asked me if that was something I would be interested in doing. My response was of course a very enthusiastic YES,” he exclaimed. “So, we found an instructor at the local airport and my father paid for the lessons, at the time a whopping $75 an hour, until I started working.”

He explained that he had to take a break from flying for a while because of school, but he finished his license at age 20, one month before he joined the Navy. But he also recalled the places he has flown throughout his aviation career.

“The farthest straight-line distance I’ve flown was about 90 nautical miles, but I’ve flown all over the U.S., including California, Chicago, Ohio, Southern Louisiana, Kitty Hawk and even Japan when I was stationed there,” he said. “I used to give air tours over Tokyo or fly my friends out to the islands in Tokyo Bay or around Mount Fuji. I’ve even be able to do aerobatics in a SNJ-5 Texan, which was a Navy training plane in WWII.

“I hold a private pilot certificate with complex aircraft and tail dragger endorsements, and I am currently working on my instrument rating. Then I plan to use the GI Bill for my commercial and multi-engine licenses. I plan on buying my own plane within the next 10 years.”

When asked about his professional career, Hugo recalled a common question he has received in the normal course of his duties.

“I get asked what the craziest thing is you’ve seen as a Navy hospital corpsman?”

The response, he said, takes him to a darker place and some of his darker memories he has experienced while serving in certain strategic global locations.

“But the takeaway I like best is that because of me, people are still alive, and there’s no greater feeling in the world than having contributed to saving a fellow warfighter’s life.”

With his pilot certifications and professional licenses, Hugo plans to one day become a commercial pilot. But while he continues to serve at NMRLC, he will be able to help the command meet its mission and volunteer for command level activities whenever his talents are required.

MANAMA, Bahrain – On Nov. 8, U.S. 5th Fleet intercepted a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman smuggling lethal aid, including a large quantity of explosive material, from Iran to Yemen.

U.S. Coast Guard ship USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) and guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) interdicted the vessel as it transited international waters. Patrol coastal ship USS Hurricane (PC 3) and Navy explosive ordnance disposal technicians from U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 56 also assisted during a weeklong effort to fully search the vessel and verify the type of material found.

U.S. forces discovered more than 70 tons of ammonium perchlorate, a powerful oxidizer commonly used to make rocket and missile fuel as well as explosives. This is U.S. 5th Fleet’s first ever interdiction of ammonium perchlorate.

“This was a massive amount of explosive material, enough to fuel more than a dozen medium-range ballistic missiles depending on the size,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “The unlawful transfer of lethal aid from Iran does not go unnoticed. It is irresponsible, dangerous and leads to violence and instability across the Middle East.”

The search also found more than 100 tons of urea fertilizer. Urea is a chemical compound with agricultural applications that is also known for use as an explosive precursor.

The vessel and its four Yemeni crewmembers were intercepted while transiting from Iran along a route historically used to traffic weapons to the Houthis in Yemen. The direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of weapons to the Houthis violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 2216 and international law.

U.S. forces sank the vessel Nov. 13 in the Gulf of Oman after determining it was a hazard to navigation for commercial shipping. The four crewmembers were transferred to Yemen for repatriation Nov. 15 when The Sullivans completed an at-sea exchange in the Gulf of Aden with the Yemen Coast Guard.

“Alongside our partner forces, CENTCOM is committed to security and stability of the region and to deterring the illegal and destabilizing flow of lethal material into the region over land, in the air, and the sea,” said Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander.

U.S. 5th Fleet previously seized 40 tons of urea fertilizer Jan. 18 when guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) and patrol coastal ship USS Chinook (PC 9) interdicted a another fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman that had attempted to smuggle illicit weapons off the coast of Somalia months earlier.

The U.S. 5th Fleet operating area includes 21 countries, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and Suez Canal.

The time-honored naval tradition of the official passing of authority between officers is a reflection of the spirit and integrity of all Navy men and women, past, present, and future.

The ceremony was presided over by Capt. Dave Webber, Commodore, Navy Recruiting Command Region West. Webber showcased the numerous accomplishments of the command, while paying special tribute to the challenges Collins faced as a commanding officer and his leadership.

“Under Commander Collin’s leadership, NTAG Phoenix shipped nearly 4000 enlisted Sailors and naval officers to the fleet,” said Webber. “To put that accomplishment in perspective, NTAG Phoenix manned the equivalent of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, despite facing the challenges of a global pandemic, a diminishing recruitable market, and historic civic unrest. JC [CDR Justin Collins] is, without question, the most passionate, driven, mission-focused, no-excuses Commanding Officer I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Thank you for your exceptional focus and support, JC.”

Webber also spoke highly of the oncoming commanding officer.

“Commander Kevin “KK” Kahl brings over 22 years of dedicated service to his country to this command,” said Webber. “As the new commanding officer, I look forward to seeing him bring his own brand of leadership, commitment, and teamwork to the Region West recruiting organization. He has already shown himself to be a brilliant, engaged, and vociferous professional. I have full confidence in his abilities to continue NTAG Phoenix’s success.”

During the ceremony, Collins credited the command accomplishments to his Sailors and encouraged the team to continue to strive for excellence as the new commanding officer takes charge.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better team, you are the best in the nation,” said Collins. “Through the many times of uncertainty, I was moved by your personal accountability to persevere and ensure our command made its mission so we could man the fleet. As I turn over this command to Cmdr. Kahl, we need our leaders at all levels within NTAG Phoenix to align themselves with his vision and guiding principles to navigate the myriad of challenges that you will face. Your willingness to operate in excellence with an insatiable appetite to be better has made a personal impact on me, and I ask that every one of you never stop trying to be better.”

NTAG Phoenix’s area of responsibility includes more than 37 Navy Recruiting Stations and Navy Officer Recruiting Stations spread throughout 250,000 square miles of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado.

Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 26 NTAGs, and 64 Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOCs) serving over 1,000 recruiting stations worldwide. Their mission is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.

For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, go to http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).

Elements of Naval Medical Forces Pacific (NMFP) recently travelled to Okinawa prefecture, Japan, and began participation in exercise Keen Sword 23 (KS23), Nov. 12.

Keen Sword 23 is a biennial, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command-scheduled, and U.S. Pacific Fleet-sponsored field training exercise (FTX). The joint/bilateral FTX runs through Nov. 20. KS23 is designed to enhance Japan-U.S. combat readiness and interoperability while strengthening bilateral relationships and demonstrating U.S. resolve to support the security interests of allies and partners in the region.

As a feature of this year’s Keen Sword, NMFP deployed a small headquarters element from Naval Base San Diego, and Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) 150-Alpha, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., to support medical-related exercise scenarios at Camp Foster, Marine Corps Base S.D. Butler.

During KS23, NMFP’s command and control concept will test Navy Medicine’s joint and bilateral integration with a Japan Ground Self Defense Force medical base in Okinawa, III Marine Expeditionary Force units, and other Navy units to refine interoperability with partners in the region.

“Keen Sword is a tremendous opportunity for our Navy Medicine team to exercise a new medical command and control concept in support of the operational forces,” said Rear Adm. Guido F. Valdes, commander, NMFP. “Additionally, our deployed EMF in Keen Sword is a concrete example that we are a key component in providing deployable health services that enable strengthening alliances and partnerships.”

Expeditionary medical facilities are globally positioned to support combat operations, contingencies, and exercises worldwide. An EMF can be pre-positioned and lay dormant until called upon; or deployed with a unit from a staging base.

Okinawa hosts a prepositioned facility, one of five, that can accommodate a deployed scalable EMF.

The EMF is a platform of Navy Medicine and has a three-part mission:

• Provide health-service support to military operations involved in medical stability as expeditionary advanced-based functional components.

• Deploy as part of the fleet commander’s projection ashore to support geographical combatant commanders’ theater plans policies.

• Provide medical capability ashore in situations where a sustained land campaign is envisioned for a Marine Expeditionary Force, or for limited contingencies involving naval forces.

Recently, EMF-150, as part of Commander, Task Force 75, deployed to Guam in 2020 and played an important role in the DoD’s response to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In Keen Sword, EMF-150-Alpha will provide a forward-deployed theater hospitalization capability as requested by the Component/Combatant Commander in support of operational forces,” said Navy Capt. Elizabeth Smith, commanding officer, EMF 150-Alpha, which is part of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Camp Pendleton, NMFP. “EMF leaders participated early in the exercise planning process and refined the requirement to provide the lightest, leanest capability possible while still meeting the requirement and capacity to enable increased survivability for all U.S. and Allied partners.”

Military medical platforms are classified by the Military Health System roles of care to describe battlefield medical and health capabilities.

The military organizes health-service support capability across the theater of operations, communications zone, and home station to provide medical care from Roles 1-4.

Role-4 capability represents the most definitive medical care available, such as those provided by U.S. and overseas-based military medical treatment facilities.

The EMF is a Role-3 theater hospitalization capability, which includes everything from surgery, ancillary services, holding capabilities, and specialty services like neuro, urology, and even OB-GYN if the mission requires.

These assets usually act in a general support role to an entire theater vice a single unit.

Role-1 units are usually a direct support capability supporting their owning unit, while Role-2 units can function in a general support or direct support role.

“This exercise provides an opportunity to further operationalize Navy Medicine platforms under a new medical command and control concept to provide the right care, at the right time, under any conditions,” said Smith.

Naval Medical Forces Pacific provides oversight for 10 NMRTCs, on the West Coast and Pacific Rim that man, train, and equip medical forces, primarily in military treatment facilities. NMFP also oversees eight research laboratories that deliver cutting edge health and medical research to enhance the deployment readiness and survivability of our Joint Forces.