I’m thinkin’ that’s Lincoln
May 31st, 2011 | Navy Newport News Shipbuilding Photos Ships | Posted by Dave Brown
An eagle-eyed reader named “Mike” wrote us over the weekend to make an interesting point about the Navy’s photo illustration released the day the Navy announced that the second Gerald R. Ford-class carrier will be named in honor of John F. Kennedy. His point? That ain’t no Ford.
“There’s plenty of renderings of the Ford Class available for use, and with the differences between classes you might as well be showing a picture of the Forrestal.”
Right you are. The carrier below JFK’s head is actually the Abraham Lincoln. The image was shot March 2 as the ship made its way across the Pacific near the end of its most-recent deployment. You can see the photo in its natural habitat here.
Ford and its follow-ons will look more like this.
Some good news, for a change
May 26th, 2011 | Amphibious operations Gator Navy LPD-17 Maintenance Navy San Antonio class Ships testing | Posted by Bill McMichael
The much-maligned amphibious transport dock ship San Antonio returned to Norfolk Thursday afternoon after 10 days of sea trials, and commanding officer Cmdr. Thomas Kait seemed like a very happy man during a press availability in his onboard cabin.
“I would characterize it as an A-plus,” Kait told reporters. “I don’t know how many times I said `great’ or said, `This is the first time this ship’s done this in two years’.”
Kait said crew morale was sky-high, “just knowing that their gear worked. All the hard work they put forth over the past two years. I know there were a lot of people rootin’ for us who had left the command over the past six months that put a little blood and sweat into it as well. I know they were cheering for us on shore as well.”
This first of two phases of sea trials was dedicated to validating the main diesel engines. Kait said the ship operated about 80 miles off the Atlantic coast to steer clear of shipping and also kept maneuvering to a minimum, all so as not to throw off the vibration analysis equipment and other engine testing gear. A stepped series of tests, each more intense than the previous step, culminated with a full-power demonstration.
“We went full speed on all four engines for one hour,” Kait said. “We did some rudder swing checks. We shut power to the steering units to make sure they’d hold at a 25-degree rudder — which they did fantastic.” The ship then went all astern, full power, and followed that with the same steering checks performed going forward.
There was a bit of vibration as the ship got to 25 knots and up, Kait said — “which we would expect to see.” He received one report of a sailor standing between two main engines while underway who “said they were purring like kittens.”
Drive train vibration had been an issue when engineers searching for the cause last year discovered misaligned or non-tightened foundation bolts and an improperly installed main reduction gear. The problem, coming atop efforts to repair electrical, lube oil and other systemic problems, forced officials to cancel the ship’s scheduled deployment this year.
Kait, mindful of those issues, was careful not to get overly enthusiastic. “Instead of saying we’re doing great, I’d like to say that we’re getting back to where we should be,” Kait said. “We have a little bit of a checkered past, but I think we’ve overcome that. We’re not doing anything special. We’re following the maintenance requirements cards — just what every other ship does.”
During the second phase of sea trials, which begins in June, more emphasis will be placed on the San Antonio’s combat systems. “We’ll do a lot more maneuvering, to increase our proficiency,” Kait said.
If all that goes well, San Antonio will start preparing for only its second deployment since being delivered in August 2005. Kait said he couldn’t yet say when that might happen but said that the ship will begin the now-standard 20-week basic training phase. Integrated training with other amphibious ships would normally follow. But should a contingency arise, he said, San Antonio will be ready to respond once its flight and well decks are fully certified — probably by the end of summer, Kait said.
It still floats
May 23rd, 2011 | Carriers Navy Newport News Shipbuilding Photos Refueling and Complex Overhaul Ships | Posted by Bill McMichael
We’ll let the picture tell the story: The carrier Theodore Roosevelt got underway Saturday for the first time in nearly two years when it left its dry dock at Newport News Shipbuilding and entered James River in southeast Virginia.
USS Theodore Roosevelt, assisted by tug boats, transits via the James River as the ship relocates from dry dock 11 to pier 3 at Newport News Shipbuilding May 21. //U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Sean Hurt
The move comes in the midst of the carrier’s ongoing 39-month refueling complex overhaul, which began in August 2009 at Newport News, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. The work aims to add another 25 years of life to the nuclear-powered carrier, which was commissioned in 1986.
The carrier was pushed by five tugs during the very short, yet very slow, evolution. “It’s like watching a cloud move,” said Lt. Cmdr. Karen Eifert, the carrier’s public affairs officer. The short trip, however, required a lot of planning; the carrier’s quartermaster team had been training for the movement since March, according to a Navy news release.
“Without teamwork there is no way this evolution could have been completed successfully,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jesus Lopez, Deck Department’s 2nd division assistant leading petty officer, quoted in the news release. “This is my second time taking a ship out of dry dock and I know first-hand what it takes. It takes every sailor onboard TR working together and having each other’s back and completing their jobs together.”
Back where it belongs … in the water
May 20th, 2011 | Carriers Navy Newport News Shipbuilding Photos Refueling and Complex Overhaul Ships Shipyard Video | Posted by Bill McMichael
Twenty months in dry dock will end Saturday, May 21, when the carrier Theodore Roosevelt checks out of Dry Dock 11 at Newport News Shipbuilding (so nice to be able to use the simple name again, though we should note that the yard is a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries …) to a pierside location for the remainder of its 39-month refueling complex overhaul.
The Theodore Roosevelt's XO, Capt. Douglas C. Verissimo (left) stands by the ship's commanding officer, Capt. Billy Hart, to watch the initial stage of flooding the dry dock. // Navy photo by Mass Communications Seaman John Kotara
The hull actually got wet again beginning on May 16, when the shipyard flooded the dock for testing.
When the ship actually becomes fully afloat Saturday, the short trip to the pier will be TR’s first “underway” since it entered the shipyard in August 2009.
Since then, the Navy says the ship’s shafts, propellers, rudders, anchors, catapults and arresting gear machinery have been replaced or refurbished.
“Team Theodore Roosevelt has shown exemplary dedication in preparingthis ship for its return to the water,” said Capt. Billy Hart, TR’s commanding officer. “As we rebuild TR space by space and restore function to every system, sailors will shape the ship to serve the nation for 25 more years to come.”
So far, TR sailors have put in a ton of work. They’ve completed more than4,500 individual refurbishing and rehabilitation tasks and expended more than 1.15 million man-hours of labor, according to TR Chief Engineer Cmdr. Gunter Braun.
The crew is scheduled to move back aboard next year.
Saving lives this summer
May 20th, 2011 | Liberty Marine Corps Mishaps Naval Safety Center Navy Personnel Safety | Posted by Bill McMichael
Announcements of annual safety campaigns may for many go in one ear and out the other, but the Naval Safety Center’s summer campaign, which officially begins Memorial Day weekend, is an opportunity for Navy leaders to hit the deckplates and hammer home the message that it’s possible to have fun without taking life-threatening risks. Last summer was the Navy’s safest on record. Still, 14 sailors and 14 Marines lost their lives in motor vehicle and recreational mishaps. That was a big improvement over the five-year average of 44 total off-duty deaths each summer. But still …
Leaders can find all sorts of useful materials with which to reinforce the message here.
“Live to play, play to live.” Here’s to a safe summer!
Pirates live another day
May 19th, 2011 | Navy | Posted by Joshua Stewart
Either there are more gamers out there than anyone expected, or Somali pirates have more enemies than they realize.
No matter the case, overwhelming interest from prospective players has forced the Office of Naval Research to delay the start of a counter-piracy wargame that was supposed to have its opening salvo May 16. About 1,000 players were expected, but major media outlets across the country picked up on ONA’s plans, and more than 12,000 people registered.
“We are overwhelmed at the positive response this game has generated. We are delaying the launch to be sure to extract the very most for the Navy from this, and our future online game series,” said Larry Schuette, ONR’s director of innovation.
While people were probably attracted to the game because it’s about piracy, ONR is more interested in the game’s platform, the Massive Multiplayer Online Leveraging the Internet system, or MMOWGLI, as a research tool. The platform is kind of a blend of social media, reddit and a turn-based strategy game. Basically, players will break into teams and will be presented with videos and graphics about piracy. Teams will then have to develop a response, with players then voting on the best course of action. In all, the game lasts three weeks and has three phases. ONR wants to use all the data generated in this process to figure out how effective policies are developed.
“Attracting good ideas is the lifeblood of ONR’s cutting-edge science and technology,” said Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of naval research. “I am encouraged by the enormity of interest in MMOWGLI and hope that this crowdsourcing tool will harness the power of collective thought to help drive external innovation for the Navy.”
ONR hasn’t said when it will re-schedule the game (the website says “Coming soon, spring 2011″), but a spokesman said that they are trying to increase capacity and usability. Until then, you can still sign up to play.
Who knows, maybe 11,999 of the “players” are really Somali pirates determined to delay the game as long as possible? When the game does start though, they should be easy to pick out — they’ll be the ones who campaign to keep Navy SEALs far, far away.
Six clicks off target
May 17th, 2011 | Facebook Navy | Posted by Joshua Stewart
Put the sextant down and grab your mouse — a Navy scavenger hunt begins Wednesday.
This doesn’t require scuttling around, but rather clicking. The entire contest, which begins May 18, takes place on Facebook. It’s part of an effort to promote maritime strategy while highlighting different Navy Facebook pages.
To find the first clue, go to Big Navy’s Facebook page where you should find a hint about a command where you can find the second clue. Leave a comment there to prove you clicked through. Go to that command’s Facebook page on day two for the second clue; again, leave a comment and go to the next command. In all there are six clues. The first person to comment on the sixth command after stopping by all the others wins and get to assist in selecting the Navy’s official Facebook picture for the week of Memorial Day.
Also, since we at The Scoop Deck like you so much, here’s a compass and a map (Read: the Navy’s directory of official social media accounts. It may be helpful, but we can’t vouch that it’s up to date or exhaustive.)
This isn’t the Navy’s first Facebook-based contest. In March, in tribute to the NCAA basketball tournament, the Navy ran its own contest to determine the most popular aircraft carrier. The Carl Vinson — which certainly had less name recognition two months ago than today, considering its role in the burial of Osama bin Laden — won.
A unit by any other name …
May 17th, 2011 | Entertainment Navy SEALs | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
The trouble with secret military units – the type the U.S. government refuses to acknowledge even exist, like, say, Delta Force or Area 51 – is this: Just how is the public, including the news media, supposed to identify them accurately if there is no official logo or name? Without it, chances are good that some might get it wrong.
That’s apparently what happened when German television station N24 aired a report May 5 on the May 1 killing of Osama bin Laden by Navy SEALs. The station used what it believed was an official logo of the classified secret unit known as Naval Special Warfare Development Group or SEAL Team 6.
The problem? The logo, which features an eagle holding a trident similar to that depicted in the Navy SEAL Trident warfare pin worn by SEALs and on team patches, represented fighters living in a different century and universe. The logo used apparently was created by a “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” fan to represent the Maquis, a band of 24th century rebel fighters.
One clue that the logo was wrong might have been the Klingon skull and eyepatch. Another hint that screamed out to Scoopdeck is the phrase “SEALS TEAM VI.” Real SEAL teams are referred to as “SEAL Team (fit number here).”
A day after the German news report aired, a blogger on the Star Trek fan site, http://trekmovie.com, reported on the error, and poked some fun with it. The international blogosphere had a field day with the mix-up, too. “Maquis Special Forces took down Bin Laden?” one site asked, dryly. “Osama Bin Laden was killed by Star Trek rebels,” proclaimed a headline. “Star Trek terrorists killed bin Laden,” said another. The Fox News channel picked up the story several days later.
A military surplus shop owner holds up a SEAL Team 6 patch.//The Associated Press/
While Naval Special Warfare Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and Joint Special Operations Command don’t acknowledge the existence of a unit called SEAL Team 6, and has no publicly-available official unit logo, a SEAL Team 6 patch can be bought online at various online sellers and local military surplus stores. Just assume, of course, that it’s legit. Die-hard collectors might want to scoot out to the surplus store and grab those patches while you can.
And hurry. Just two days after bin Laden’s demise, The Walt Disney Co. asked the federal government to let it trademark the name, SEAL Team 6, according to MediaBistro. Disney Enterprises, Inc., a Burbank, Calif.-based entertainment company submitted three applications on May 3, asking to trademark the unit’s name for three purposes:
1. Clothing, footwear and headwear.
2. Entertainment and education services.
3. Toys, games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles (except clothing); hand-held units for playing electronic games other than those adapted for use with an external display screen or monitor; Christmas stockings; Christmas tree ornaments and decorations; snow globes.
Snow globes. Imagine Mickey Mouse with an M4A1 and .45 cal pistol. Really. Well, perhaps a modern-day Captain Hook. According to Media Bistro:
“For all we know Disney has been working on an animated feature about a team of anthropomorphic seals in search of adventure, but given the timing of the application that seems…unlikely.”
It’s not clear yet whether Disney Nation will succeed where others haven’t. A check of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office online search page found that in 2002 and 2004, NovaLogic, Inc., of Calabasas, Calif., tried to trademark SEAL Team 6 for computer and video game purposes and for games and action figures, but it dropped the request in 2006. But, then again, if the government doesn’t say that a unit by that name exists, would it object to a trademark request by Disney, or anyone else? And, if so, would that open the floodgates to others who also want to capture – and capitalize on – the namesakes and historic achievements of military units who selflessly serve their nation, even those that officially do not exist?
Former JAG becomes federal judge
May 12th, 2011 | Historical Navy JAG Photos | Posted by Bill McMichael
The Navy JAG Corps got a nice feather in the cap May 11 when a former Navy JAG and civilian public defender was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a U.S. district judge in Virginia’s Eastern District.
Arenda L. Wright Allen of Norfolk, nominated by President Obama in June 2010, becomes the first black female federal district judge in the state. She was confirmed on a unanimous 96-0 vote.
“I believe that the president has made an extraordinary choice in nominating Miss Wright Allen,” Sen. Jim Webb, a former Navy secretary, said on the Senate floor May 11 before the confirmation vote. “She distinguished herself as the premier candidate in a very competitive field for this vacancy. She has displayed during her career the highest degree of integrity, competence and commitment to the rule of law. She exemplifies the best of the Virginia bar and in fact, she received the highest ranking from the Virginia State Bar.”
Allen, 50, was commissioned in 1984. After earning her law degree from the North Carolina Central University School of Law in 1985, Allen served as an active-duty Navy lawyer for five years, various other assignments, and as a reservist for an additional 12 years before retiring as a commander in 2005. She also served as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1990 to 2005, when she became a federal public defender.
Cheese sub surfaces
May 10th, 2011 | Humor Navy Submarines World War II | Posted by Sam Fellman
USS Jallao, a Wisconsin-built attack sub that earned it stripes in World War II, surfaces in pure Wisconsin cheddar. // Angela Hemauer
When submarine vets gathered last Thursday in Manitowoc, Wis., they found an accurate – and edible – tribute to their years of undersea service: a 22-inch-long sculpture of attack submarine Jallao made of pure cheese.
It was the creation of Sarah Kaufmann, a.k.a. the Cheese Lady. You won’t be surprised to know that this “nationally-recognized cheese sculptor,” according to a press release, hails from Wisconsin, the nation’s cheese capital. (Jallao was built with sturdy two-year-old aged Wisconsin cheddar.)
Behind the conning tower of the surfacing sub is its hull number, 368. Jallao was one of 28 subs built by Manitowoc Shipping Co. during World War II. After commissioning it in 1944, Jallao’s crew headed to the Pacific theater and earned four battle stars – also depicted in cheese. The gathering in Wisconsin last weekend was for vets who served aboard the 28 Wisconsin-built subs and their families.
This is not the first naval fromage-homage for Kaufmann. A few years ago, she sculpted a model of carrier Ronald Reagan in Sargento as big as a small boulder.