ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard will surge ships and aircraft to the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility to counter increased cartel drug running amid the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump and Defense Department officials announced. At an April 1 press briefing at the White House,…
Modly Announces First President of Naval Community College
WASHINGTON — Acting Navy Secretary Thomas B. Modly has selected Randi Cosentino as the first president of the new U.S. Naval Community College. Cosentino comes to the Department of the Navy from Guild Education, where she served as the chief academic officer. Guild Education works with major Fortune 500 companies like Disney and Walmart…
COVID-19 Testing, Isolation Expand for Crew of Aircraft Carrier as Navy Dismisses Captain
ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. Navy officials are scrambling to find accommodations on Guam to isolate thousands of Sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, the first — and, so far, only — deployed Navy ship to be caught up…
Navy Surface Forces, Army Attack Helicopters Conduct Ops in Arabian Gulf
PERSIAN GULF — U.S. Navy expeditionary landing base ship USS Lewis B. Puller has been conducting joint naval and air integration operations with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters assigned to Army Central Command’s Task Force Saber throughout March, according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) public affairs. …
New NOAA Program to Support, Expand Agency’s Use of Unmanned Systems
SILVER SPRING, Md. — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is establishing a new Unmanned Systems Operations Program to support the rapidly expanding use of these systems across the agency, according to a NOAA release. The new program will promote the safe, efficient and economical operation of unmanned systems (UxS) that NOAA uses…
Geurts: Ship Construction Ongoing, Repairs Continuing Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is continuing to build and repair ships amid the COVID-19 pandemic but also is looking ahead to position itself to accelerate as the nation recovers from the pandemic, the service’s top acquisition official said. The repair yards…
Cutter Stratton Departs for Eastern Pacific Counter-Narcotic Patrol
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton got underway from Coast Guard Island on March 28 for a months-long deployment to the eastern Pacific Ocean, where the crew will patrol international waters off Central and South America to intercept and deter drug-trafficking efforts. …
Raytheon, MDA Sign $2 Billion Standard Missile-3 Contract
TUCSON, Ariz. — Raytheon Co. will produce and deliver SM-3 Block IB interceptors under a $2.1 billion, multiyear U.S. Missile Defense Agency contract, the company said in a release. The deal is the first multiyear contract for the SM-3 program and covers fiscal years 2019–2023. …
Navy Regional Maintenance Centers Continuing Work Amid COVID-19 Crisis
WASHINGTON — In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Navy’s Regional Maintenance Centers (RMCs) are continuing to maintain the Navy’s ships, even in countries where the pandemic is especially severe, the Navy said. “Our priority is the protection of our workforce, [and] our commanders have…
Marine Recruiting Command Transitions to Digital, Telephonic Prospecting
QUANTICO, Va. — Amid the national emergency caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, Marine Corps Recruiting Command (MCRC) is taking steps to protect recruiters and applicants, their families and their communities by limiting face-to-face interactions with the public, the command said in a release. Effective immediately, MCRC will temporarily transition…
