Space Force

KOROR, Palau — In a demonstration of sound seamanship and dedication, the crew of the USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) completed the rescue operation of the motor yacht Black Pearl 1 and the 11 crew aboard, ensuring its safe arrival and mooring in the Republic of Palau on July 22, 2024.

“Wrapping up this tow and seeing the Black Pearl safely handed off in Palau was incredible, especially considering the size of that yacht. I’m proud of how the crew handled everything. They’re creative problem solvers, come up with quick solutions on the fly, and they manage risks like pros. It’s rewarding to see everyone work together seamlessly, ensuring we live up to our role as America’s maritime first responder and a trusted partner in Oceania. It’s moments like this that highlight the strength and dedication of the Oliver Henry crew,” said Lt. Ray Cerrato, the USCGC Oliver Henry commanding officer.

At 11:22 a.m. ChST, the Oliver Henry crew transferred the Black Pearl’s tow to the 75-foot Palau-flagged tug SSC Techall, just offshore Palau. This handover marked a pivotal moment in the operation, showcasing the coordination between multiple teams and assets to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved. By 12:30 p.m., the Black Pearl was securely moored in Palau, with the Oliver Henry following suit and mooring by 3:00 p.m.

Petty Officer 1st Class Juan Taijeron, a boatswain’s mate who recently reported to Oliver Henry serving in several roles, including coxswain and quartermaster of the watch, reflected on the operation, “Setting up the tow on the Black Pearl was pivotal. My charter boat captain experience came in handy, but the unified efforts and mutual understanding between us and the Black Pearl’s crew made it successful. As soon as we connected the tow, I reassured them, saying, ‘Don’t worry, guys, we’re safe now; the Coast Guard has us in tow.’ It was more than just completing a task; it was about building trust and lifting spirits amidst the adversity.”

The rescue and assistance efforts undertaken by the crew of the USCGC Oliver Henry involved meticulous coordination and technical skill. Upon boarding the Black Pearl 1, the team initiated dewatering operations to manage flooding in the yacht’s steering room. This process was crucial for preventing further damage and maintaining the vessel’s stability. Additionally, the crew worked to stabilize the rudder and ensure the yacht was secure for towing. These efforts were critical in safeguarding the boat and crew during the long tow back to Palau.

“After safely boarding the Black Pearl, we quickly assessed and addressed the flooding in the steering room by setting up dewatering operations through a small opening in a crawl space. It was a textbook example of our training in action—managing to stabilize the situation despite the challenging conditions,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Rodgers, a machinery technician aboard Oliver Henry, recounting the critical moments of the rescue operation.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryder Nollan, a boatswain’s mate who joined the crew five months ago and works in the deck department, part of the rescue and assistance team, also shared his experience: “Getting on the Black Pearl was a bit nerve-wracking but thrilling, especially as we maneuvered through swells that threatened to sweep us into the ocean. The boat was not in the best position as the swells were hitting it from the starboard side, so every swell water would come up and over the stern platform and be about two feet deep. The successful connection of the tow felt like a huge relief. It was a testament to the dedication and teamwork of everyone involved. Finally resting after seeing the tow securely in place was the best part, knowing we had successfully mitigated a dangerous situation through collective effort and precise execution.”

The USCGC Oliver Henry’s tow of the Black Pearl 1 lasted more than 28 hours. It covered more than 200 nautical miles from the Western Pacific to Koror, Palau, navigating challenging conditions, including 6-foot swells and strong winds.

“Once back aboard the Oliver Henry, my role shifted to overseeing the fantail during the towing evolution. Picking up the tow, especially in close proximity, always gets your adrenaline going. But the crew’s training kicked in perfectly. We managed to pass the heaving line over and secure the boat in tow. In moments like these, you see the training pay off, making sure everything we do is spot on. Leading these evolutions, seeing everything come together safely—it’s a great feeling,” said Chief Petty Officer Carleton Kleinschrodt, a machinery technician and the engineering petty officer, detailing critical moments securing the tow aboard the Oliver Henry.

The operation highlights the skill and readiness of the U.S. Coast Guard and the effectiveness of international cooperation through systems like the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) program. The U.S.-flagged cargo vessel SLNC York arrived before Oliver Henry and remained on the scene until the U.S. Coast Guard arrived.

This operation was conducted in conjunction with the crew’s regular patrol under Operation Rematau, which aims to bolster the security, safety, sovereignty, and economic prosperity of Oceania, aligning with U.S. national security objectives and promoting regional maritime good governance.

For further details on the rescue operation or the ongoing efforts of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia, please contact Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir, public affairs officer, at [email protected] or [email protected].

-USCG-

About USCGC Oliver Henry:

The USCGC Oliver Henry is part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter fleet. Named after Oliver T. Henry, Jr., a pioneering African American Coast Guard member, it is equipped to perform various missions, including search and rescue, national defense, and maritime law enforcement.

About Operation Rematau:

Operation Rematau is how U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia supports Operation Blue Pacific. These efforts include the patrols of the Fast Response Cutters. This initiative supports U.S. national security objectives by fostering maritime good governance and security within the Pacific region. “Rematau” translates to “people of the deep sea,” echoing the deep ties and shared goals within the Pacific community.

Shannon Collins

Armed Forces Sports

SAN DIEGO – Army dominated against Air Force to secure gold for the Armed Services Women’s Rugby Championship here July 13 with a score of 27-5.

During the only Armed Services women’s competition where all five service branches have their own teams, they met in 10 matches that lasted 14 minutes each over two days.

Friday, match 1, Air Force won over Coast Guard, 29-5; match 2, Army took Marine Corps 20-12; match 3, Navy won over Coast Guard, 17-12; Army beat Air Force, 29-7 and Navy beat Marine Corps, 19-0. For the day 2 match up, Air Force beat Navy 22-14 in match 6; Army beat Coast Guard 33-5; Air Force beat Marine Corps 26-15; Army won over Navy 20-14 and Marines beat Coast Guard 14-12.

Army Sgt. Joanne Fa’avesi, Fort Carson, Colorado; Army Reserve 1st Lt. Cienna Jordan; Marine Cpl. Anastasia Schraff, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California; Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Alex Sutton, Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida; Navy Ensign Megan Neyen, Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Coast Guard Lt. Hollis Connick, Sector Delaware Bay, Pennsylvania; and Air Force Capt. Adrienne Yoda, Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany earned spots on the 2024 Armed Forces all-tournament team.

Army

Army Reservist Capt. Kaitlyn Kelly, an ROTC professor at Loyola University, Chicago, has coached the Army rugby team since its inception in 2019. She said she’s extremely proud of them for winning gold.

“We had three main words we went into this camp and tournament with. It was unity, accountability, and relentless pursuit,” she said. “Every girl had their own brick where they wrote their own personal why and what they were bringing to the team. Before every training and before every game, we took the brick out. We, figuratively and physically, brick by brick, built our foundation for how we were going to play.”

Army won gold for three years and took silver last year. Kelly said the team’s focus was on respect for the other players and for the game.

“We always want to be confident, but with that confidence, we never want to settle,” she said. “I told the girls, ‘I’m proud, but I’m not satisfied. And we shouldn’t be satisfied until the very end of the tournament.’”

She’s proud of the work they put in, their unity, mental toughness, and togetherness on and off the pitch, she said.

“I know how hard the coaching staff has pushed them, and I know how hard they’ve worked in the off season to get to this point,” Kelly said.

Kelly said rugby is chaotic and elegant violence, and the strength of the Army team is composure in that chaos and being Army Strong. The motto for the Army team is, “for those who can’t.” Each Army rugby player honored a fallen service member on their jerseys. They dedicated their gold medals to Army. 1st Lt. Hailey Hodsen.

All the teams took a moment “for those who can’t,” female rugby players who couldn’t play because of mental or physical injuries, deployments and for the fallen.

Kelly coached Hodsen at the United States Military Academy in rugby and before Hodsen had the chance to try out for the Armed Forces Army team, she died in a training exercise in Germany.

“We had extra motivation this year because it was truly an honor to play for her and for those who couldn’t be here,” Kelly said. “I’m so proud of my team’s resiliency to come together and truly play for those who can.”

Air Force

Two F-22s from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar flew over Nobel Field as the games kicked off Friday. The Air Force rugby players said they couldn’t help but smile and yell, “Airpower!” as they fought for their place in the championship match.

Air Force Capt. Adrienne Yoder is a C-130 pilot at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, and team co-captain.

“Our relentless effort, resiliency, speed and deeper bench really got us there,” she said. “Army has a target on their back next year. We get stronger every year.”

Retired Air Force Maj. Patricia “Patty” Adams, security forces instructor, has been coaching the Air Force rugby team since it began.

“We went from the lowest place when we first started to putting points on the board to now being in contention for the final and gold medal every year,” she said. “The best part about the Air Force program is that we develop a play from the ground up.”

She said active duty, Reserve and Guard players from around the world find a tournament they want to participate in and play together in social tournaments to build their skills and communication amongst each other. The Air Force has a junior varsity team called the Warthogs, which participated in a local tournament and cheered on their fellow rugby teammates during the championship.

“We all cheer for each other; we’re all superstars,” she said. “We have 15 players who all work together to achieve that common goal of scoring tries and winning games.”

The Air Force team is a combination of Air Force and U.S. Space Force Command. Playing on the rugby team gives the athletes a chance not only to network among the two Air Force service branches but among the joint services.

“They support each other. We have connections and networking. We help each other achieve goals both personally and professionally in military careers. We show up at each other’s weddings and promotions,” she said. “Rugby players are a very tight knit community. We’re women, we’re rugby, we’re military. This is the strongest family I’ve ever seen.”

Marines

Marine Gunnery Sgt. Alan McAlister, operations chief, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California, has coached the Marine team since 2019, when they took silver.

“It was amazing because the battle between us and Air Force was 5-0, and it came down to the last play,” he said. “The women were so excited and putting full effort into it since it was a new women’s sport. The men had been playing for 10 years. It was amazing.”

He said that though the Marines had some bumps in the road, they took away some good lessons and know what to build upon as the program moves forward.

“We learn from our mistakes,” McAlister said. “We’ll just get better and come back stronger next year. We have fight. They know how to take the ball and run as hard as they can. We run harder than any team. We have the IQ, we have the field identification, we know plays, we can make reads on the field.”

He said each year, the talent has been improving but they always need new blood. He encourages any Marines who play any sports to consider coming out for rugby.

“We’re not going to turn anyone away from camp. New players have no bad habits,” he said. “They do exactly what they’re told, and it fits so well into the game plan because they don’t know anything else other than what we just told them. Submit the application.”

McAlister said he’s proud of his team.

“They just don’t quit,” he said. “The fight in these women is unreal. They come focused; they come hungry. Leaders step up on this team.”

He said competitions like the Armed Forces Women’s Rugby Championship are vital.

“You build competition here,” he said. “You put yourself up against your brothers and sisters and other armed services and show what you have on so many different levels. It builds camaraderie. It builds aggression. It’s physically fit, and for the Marine Corps, this is maneuver warfare. Rugby is nothing more than retaining a ball and trying to identify a gap in the enemy’s defense.”

He said he’s also had numerous Marines re-enlist and encourage their friends to enlist in the Marines or in other services because of sports like rugby.

“They get to do something they love, get treated like a professional athlete, make friends with athletes from different services, travel to different parts of the world and get that mental refresh,” he said.

Navy

Navy coach Talia Carasquillo, a fitness specialist out of Naval Base Point Loma, has coached Navy since 2019.

“It’s been about growth since the beginning,” she said. “Last year was the first year we had forward momentum because we actually had more than 10 players. It was a great year for growth. It was a competitive camp. Everyone really showed up.”

She said she was proud of her Navy team this weekend.

“Everybody understood the common goal and lifted each other up toward that goal, whether they played or not,” she said. “Each game was tight. We kept a level head in chaos and kept continuity., finding our rhythm. We had great attitudes around this weekend and during the training camp.”

Navy Lt. Tia Blythe, a physical therapist stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, is co-captain of the team. She said the Navy finished better than they have in the past.

“It’s the best we’ve done,” she said. “I’m very proud of my team. The difference between our scrimmage last weekend with the local teams and the way the teams played this weekend is incredible. There was big improvement, considering we only play together once a year.”

Blythe played on the USA 7’s team for two years and earned a silver medal in Dubai. She said representing Team USA then and now with the Navy team is exciting. She encourages any Sailors who play sports to try out for Armed Forces teams.

“We had a girl who’s only been playing rugby for five weeks, and she did amazing,” Blythe said. “She ended up starting in each game this weekend. Even if you don’t have a lot of experience, we have a great coaching staff and a good program. You can learn so much in this short camp and then come back next year even stronger. It doesn’t matter what sport you may have played in high school or college.”

She said winning is great, but all the rugby athletes, regardless of service branch, pride themselves on team culture.

“We bring each other up. There’s no negativity between players,” she said. “We make new friends, learn something new and are always excited to come back each year.”

Coast Guard

Coast Guard coach Donnie Harbert brings 23 years of rugby coaching experience at the premiership and national level. He served as an Army medic with the 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Being a veteran, Harbert said he understands the importance of the military mission and giving the active, guard and reserve military athletes a positive experience.

“They put their lives on the line to help protect us. As a coach and veteran, I take that very seriously and want to give them the most positive experience possible so they can take away mental toughness and self-discipline, take ownership over their progress and skills,” he said.

The athletes are a mix of enlisted and officer out on the pitch, mentoring each other, teaching each other leadership skills and resiliency, the coach said.

He said it’s easy to focus on physical strength but at every camp, he also teaches them mental toughness and mental resilience, pillars they can use in their military careers and day-to-day life.

“You’re not going to get all the calls. You’re not going to get all the bounces. How do you react to that?” he said. “How are you going to move forward from that? How are you going to learn from it?”

The Coast Guard rugby team is 15 members with no substitutes.

“Learning these resiliency and critical thinking skills will make them stronger Coast Guardsmen so that when they have a real-world situation, they’ll be fully capable,” he said.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — Royal Canadian Air Force Lieutenant-General Blaise Frawley, deputy commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command, and RCAF Chief Warrant Officer James McCarron, Canadian Element NORAD Chief Warrant Officer, toured the Western Air Defense Sector on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., during a visit July 16, 2024.

During their visit, Frawley and McCarron toured the new WADS $10 million-dollar Agile Operations Center where they observed WADS airmen enforcing a presidential temporary flight restriction over Las Vegas. The operations floor air battlement management team discussed their unique responsibilities as they related to the joint interface control cell (datalinks), weapons, air picture management and command and control sections.

They also toured the new WADS Mission Training Center which is a $2 million-dollar state-of-the-art training space which allows for the separation of live operations from training. Frawley and McCarron also had an opportunity to talk to Airmen in the Maintenance Operations Center and WADS Power Plant.

Prior to their departure, they held a townhall where Airmen had an opportunity to ask questions on a variety of NORAD topics to include future threats and readiness issues and WADS top performers were recognized.

Frawley presented Master Sgt. Courtney Lawson, 225th Air Defense Squadron first sergeant, with the Deputy Commander NORAD Award of Excellence. This award is for an individual that has sustained high performance and dedication worthy of specific recognition or a single significant event where the outcomes and their linkage to the NORAD mission and comprise of significant contributions to the military or civilian community. Lawson responded to a critical incident with a seriously injured Canadian Armed Forces member. She went beyond her normal responsibilities and advocated for proper medical attention that resulted in the hospitalized care and continuous monitoring of the CAF member. “Her swift and compassionate actions underscore the genuine spirit of international cooperation, making her a deserving candidate for this award,” commented Frawley.

Three members of the WADS team received the Deputy Commander NORAD coin, which is bestowed in recognition of special achievement, impressive service, or as appreciation for exemplary work by a member in support of the NORAD mission.

• RCAF Capt. Ayush Goel, WADS Canadian Detachment air battle manager, was recognized for exemplary problem-solving skills when he provided command and control to fighter assets investigating an unknown track of interest where fighters encountered communication issues. Goel quickly adapted by using datalink communication, enhancing the situational awareness of the fighters. This adaptation allowed for improved navigational decisions and conservation of fuel, critical for the mission’s limited on-station duration.

• Senior Master Sgt. Candice Borek, 225th Air Defense Group commander support staff section chief, was recognized for her critical role during historic, rapid, and far-reaching manpower changes across the Air National Guard. She provided analysis of changes from the enlisted grade review for both WADS and the Eastern Air Defense Sector.

• Staff Sgt. Jordon Starks, 225th Air Defense Squadron interface control technician, was recognized for expertly leading a Combat Reporting Center team of seven Multi-Capable Airmen during a presidential temporary flight restriction, marking the first integration with a Battle Control Center in a decade. He incorporated a Link-16 terminal into the Homeland Defense Network and coordinated with Continental U.S. NORAD Region Joint Interface Control Officer to innovate Link-16 and radar integration methods, enhancing CRC and NORAD BCC Agile Combat Employment collaboration.

The CANELEMNORAD Chief Warrant Officer’s coin is awarded in recognition of special achievement, impressive service, or as appreciation for exemplary work by a member in support of the NORAD mission.

• Senior Master Sgt. Joshua Carruthers, 225th Air Defense Squadron support senior liaison, was recognized for his collaborative work with the Joint Interface Control Cell and local base units which enabled CAF personnel to perform duties within the WADS JICC, also known as the Datalink Cell. Carruthers is in the process of developing and implementing the first cyber systems operator initial skills review and initial qualification training courses, which are designed to improve the integration and proficiency of new personnel.

When the team of engineers from the Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE) loaded their 3D hybrid-metal printer onboard Somerset as part of the experimentation sector of Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2024, they had no idea that they would soon be asked to solve a real-world engineering casualty.

Hours after being loaded on board, a critical component of the reverse osmosis pump, which generates clean water for the crew – an absolute necessity for ships spending long periods at sea – shattered.

“What we didn’t expect was that we would have the opportunity to directly help ship readiness so soon,” said Lt. Charles Wallace, a mechanical engineer from the Naval Postgraduate School, and one of the team members onboard. “Especially for something as mission-essential as a reverse osmosis pump, where if you run out of water you’re going to be coming home pretty quick.”

3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), has been a major area of interest for Department of Defense in recent years. In January 2021, the DoD published its first-ever Additive Manufacturing Strategy to “provide a shared set of guiding principles and a framework for AM technology development and transition to support modernization and warfighter readiness,” across the military.

“For Trident Warrior, CAMRE organized the largest distributed advanced manufacturing demonstration the Department of Defense has ever conducted to date,” explains Lt. Col. Michael Radigan with the Marine Innovation Unit, and government lead on the CAMRE team. “This was accomplished by linking advanced manufacturing equipment, joint subject matter experts, and commercial partners to tackle real-life readiness solutions.”

The benefits of successfully implementing additive manufacturing on ships include saving time, money, space, and increasing overall warfighting readiness by allowing for repair and replacement of equipment in a contested environment. In the case of Somerset, had the reverse osmosis pump failed during their 6-month deployment, it would have reduced their ability to produce drinking water for the Sailors and Marines.

“If the crew had to rely on a replacement part without using additive manufacturing, it would have taken weeks or months,” said Staff Sgt. Jordan Blake, a member of the Marine Innovation Unit, and tasked with technical oversight of the project aboard ship. “With this technology, we’ll have the new component printed and ready for installation before the order for a replacement would be completed.”

While 3D printing on Navy ships is still in its infancy, Somerset is not the first ship to utilize AM. In April, 2024, the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22) piloted a liquid metal jetting additive manufacturing process fielded by the CAMRE team, operationally showcasing this novel technology’s capabilities at sea.

What makes the Somerset demonstration unique, is that the machine is a metal hybrid design, combining subtractive and additive manufacturing in one machine. Subtractive manufacturing is an umbrella term for the process by which solid blocks of material are shaped into the desired object via cutting, boring, drilling, and grinding. This is in contrast to additive manufacturing, which builds something by adding material one layer at a time – hence additive.

Oftentimes, constructing a replacement part involves both additive and subtractive manufacturing. Before they tested the model on Somerset, this meant alternating between different machines, however by combining the two processes it effectively streamlines the overall workflow.

“The benefit of a system like this is that you’re able to computerize [a component], send the code, then once you’ve printed something, it becomes replicable,” said Wallace when asked how the hybrid machine represents a step forward for the military.

Not only is 3D printing faster and safer than traditional machinery repair, but the replacement parts are often stronger as well. The weld is nearly as strong, or stronger, than the parent metal. AM is essentially building through welding, which means the replacement pump will potentially surpass the strength of the previous version.

The project builds upon a unique cross-sectional effort from the DoD and industry partners to provide hands-on experience for military students. The printer test itself falls under the umbrella of CAMRE, which funded the project and sent four NPS students to study advanced manufacturing capabilities in an operational scenario. Two soldiers on the team operate the printer and three Marines operate the polymer printers which help augment the capabilities of the metal printer.

A project engineer and representative for the industrial printer’s parent company, is also on hand to teach the Somerset crew to operate the printer independently. This includes a combined effort with ship’s company machinery repairmen, providing feedback and guidance to correctly build and fit the new component.

The intent of Trident Warrior and, more broadly, Fleet experimentation is to allow the Navy and its partners to incorporate real-world warfighter feedback early in the acquisition process by exposing the Fleet to emerging capabilities. Repairing the reverse osmosis pump on Somerset in an operational scenario demonstrates why operationalizing 3D printing capabilities remains a focus for many leaders in DoD.

3D printing will directly contribute to Somerset accomplishing something previously impossible – the creation, repair, and replacement of vital equipment at sea. While the Department of Defense may face various material readiness issues to come, there is no doubt that advanced manufacturing will be a part of future solutions. 3D printing opens new avenues to ensure the U.S. Navy can provide continuous security and stability from any place, at any time.

Twenty-nine nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, 14 national land forces, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC in and around the Hawaiian Islands, June 27 to Aug. 1. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971.