http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/usn/ en-us Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:33:59 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414857/posts TOKYO — Two homemade mortar launchers found within possible striking distance of Naval Air Facility Atsugi on Wednesday are being investigated as a planned guerrilla attack, Japanese police said. The time-triggered devices contained projectiles and were found at 10:20 a.m. in a wooded area about 500 yards north of the main base gate in Ayase City by a Japanese neighbor, a Kanagawa Prefectural Police spokesman said Wednesday. No projectiles had been launched from the devices, the spokesman said. Further details on the launchers and whether the projectiles were explosive were unavailable Wednesday, according to the spokesman. Police suspect an attack... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414857/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:33:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411016/posts SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — Two minesweepers that arrived here on temporary rotation last summer will make a permanent home in Sasebo, the U.S. Navy announced Wednesday. The USS Avenger and USS Defender, both from San Diego, will remain here after a review found it would be better to keep the two minesweepers in Sasebo rather than regularly rotate ships in from the United States, the Navy said. Both ships had been in Sasebo for about six months and will join the base’s two other forward-deployed mine ships, the USS Patriot and the USS Guardian. The change was not due... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411016/posts#comment Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:53:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400411/posts In early November, retired Senior Chief Jeffrey Sparenberg was the guest of honor at military heritage day in Delaware. Sparenberg spent 23 years in the Navy, including time on the destroyer Cole, and he was at Fort DuPont State Park that day to donate a flag that he said flew over the Cole shortly after it was attacked nine years ago. The flag, he hoped, would be put on view at the planned Delaware Military Museum. A photograph from the ceremony shows Sparenberg on the steps of a shuttered brick building. The left side of his chest is covered with... The Virginian-Pilot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400411/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 19:33:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400396/posts The commanding officer and top enlisted sailor serving on the Norfolk-based destroyer James E. Williams were relieved of command today after numerous cases of fraternization among the crew and allegations of sexual assault. Cmdr. Paul Marquis, skipper of the Williams, was assigned to administrative duty by Capt. Robert C. Barwis, the commander of Destroyer Squadron 26, according to a Navy spokesman. Master Chief Timothy Youell, who served as the command master chief on the Williams, also has been reassigned to an administrative job. The actions come in the wake of nine fraternization cases between senior and junior enlisted personnel on... The Virginian-Pilot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400396/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 19:19:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378599/posts I created a web site that focuses on the brand new classes of warships that the US Navy is currently building for the 21st century. It includes a lot of specifications, history, and good pictures of each class. The logo and links to the various ship classes are included below. (Picture intesive links) Just click on each of the Pictures or names of the vessels and they will take you to the page for that vessel at the site : http://www.jeffhead.com/usn21 These vessels are critical to our ability to maintain our unassailable edge in the near to mid-term future. Other... US NAVY 21 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378599/posts#comment Wed, 4 Nov 2009 20:45:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2368640/posts Navy officials handed a career-ending letter of censure yesterday to the chief who oversaw the prolonged hazing and sexual taunting of members of a Navy dog-handling unit in Bahrain. Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Toussaint was removed from supervisory duties overseas with the Naval Special Warfare Command and will work in an administrative post at a base in Norfolk, Va., until his forced retirement in January, said Cmdr. Elissa Smith, a Navy spokeswoman. Toussaint is on leave and has refused all interview requests, said Cmdr. Greg Geisen, a spokesman for the Coronado-based Naval Special Warfare Command. The Navy began investigating... Union Tribune (via signonsandiego.com) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2368640/posts#comment Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:15:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2345930/posts President Barack Obama has shot down a little-known provision in a massive Pentagon policy bill that would have greatly benefited House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s district. Pelosi (D-Calif.) is among dozens of lawmakers pressing for language in the House version of the 2010 defense authorization bill that would transfer closed military bases, at no cost, to local authorities for economic development. But the White House is opposed to the provision, saying it would provide “potential windfalls” for private developers. Responding on behalf of Obama to letters from several senators who support the House legislation, Dorothy Robyn, the deputy undersecretary of Defense... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2345930/posts#comment Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:06:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2337939/posts Stealthy Italian submarine will train with U.S. Navy The ITS Scire is paying a visit to Mayport to take part in a Joint Task Force Exercise. By Timothy J. Gibbons From its high-tech fuel cell engine to its automated torpedo loading system, the ITS Scire proudly shows off the advanced technology crammed into its narrow body. But being on the crew of a cutting-edge fighting vessel doesn't mean one has to ignore the comforts of life - which perhaps is why cans of extra virgin olive oil manage to find a corner amid the fearsome torpedoes. From the espresso machine... Jacksonville.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2337939/posts#comment Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:31:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330920/posts WASHINGTON — While Republicans are calling a Department of Veterans Affairs health planning booklet a "death book" that encourages veterans to kill themselves or forgo care, ethicists and legal and medical experts say it's a reasonable attempt to help America's veterans plan for the end of their lives. Jim Towey, the former director of President George W. Bush's White House office of faith-based initiatives, wrote in The Wall Street Journal last month that the VA's "Your Life, Your Choices" booklet encourages veterans to "hurry up and die." Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele added in a television interview that the... McClatchy Newspapers http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2330920/posts#comment Thu, 3 Sep 2009 01:51:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1237380/posts A British computer specialist has been indicted formally in the US on charges that he used websites to recruit and finance Taliban fighters. Babar Ahmad, 30, was arrested in London in August and has been held in the UK pending the outcome of extradition proceedings. Ahmad allegedly ran the site azzam.com, which investigators say was used to funnel money to terrorists. "Azzam Publications has been set up to propagate the call for jihad ... to incite the believers and also, secondly, to raise some money for the brothers," the website allegedly said. Donors were encouraged to smuggle cash into Pakistan... Ananova.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1237380/posts#comment Thu, 7 Oct 2004 00:35:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2309271/posts It’s time to return some sanity to the way ships are named.  Why?  Because the silliness is upon us once again:111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. CON. RES. 83Expressing the sense of Congress that a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the Navy, either the aircraft carrier designated as CVN-79 or the aircraft carrier designated as CVN-80, should be named the U.S.S. Barry M. Goldwater.Bill information and status here  The nonsense began with CVN-70  and reached the height of historical blindness with the Truman (honestly, naming a carrier for a president who tried his hardest to kill naval aviation and oversaw the death... Steeljaw Scribe http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2309271/posts#comment Thu, 6 Aug 2009 01:52:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2308485/posts RAND study: Now China wins Taiwan Straits air war Nearly 10 years after a RAND study predicted the US side easily beats China in an air war over the Taiwan Straits, the think-tank has published a new monograph online today that reverses its former opinion. Now, a People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) bristling with a newly acquired arsenal -- including Su-27 and J-10 fighters, AA-12 and PL-12 missiles, and short-range ballistic missiles -- defeats the US side. Moreover, the PLAAF defeats the US side with or without F-22s, with or without access to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and... Flightglobal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2308485/posts#comment Wed, 5 Aug 2009 04:09:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2306607/posts <p>WASHINGTON (Aug. 2) - Navy pilot Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher was shot down over the Iraq desert on the first night of the Gulf War in 1991 and it was there he apparently was buried by Bedouins, hidden in the sand from the world's mightiest military all these years.</p> AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2306607/posts#comment Sun, 2 Aug 2009 18:53:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304131/posts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is eyeing treasure in a massive Pentagon bill that could benefit her district greatly. Pelosi is among dozens of House lawmakers pressing for a little-known provision in the defense policy bill that would speed up the transfer of military bases to private developers. One of those shuttered bases has been the subject of years of failed negotiations between San Francisco, the city Pelosi represents, and the Navy. The two parties have been at a stalemate over Treasure Island, a Navy base that closed in 1993 and sits atop a man-made island in the San Francisco... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304131/posts#comment Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:36:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2302704/posts F-35C meets US Navy's single-engine derision By Stephen Trimble When Lockheed Martin rolls out the F-35C on July 28, US Navy pilots will be one step closer to operating a single-engine fighter off a carrier deck. The DEW Line contributor Dave Majumdar explores this issue with an active F/A-18 pilot with more than 1,700 flying hours, who asked to remain anonymous. If there is any doubt that the US Navy aviation community will accept a single-engine fighter, such as the F-35C, one pilot has a clear answer: That "decision has been made" already and, after all, "the Navy is not... Flight Global http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2302704/posts#comment Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:39:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2301056/posts Please join us in the campaign to show Gratitude to our US Military. Go the following link to the Gratitude Campaign and email the link to everyone you know: THE GRATITUDE FOR OUR MILITARY CAMPAIGNLet's show our military how grateful we are for their service all over this country. It's a neat video you can download to distribute in emails, thumbdrives, and any other way you can too. Thank you. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2301056/posts#comment Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:02:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2300305/posts The U.S. Navy found cracks in two of its older F-18A/B/C/D series of aircraft. The apparent cause was a missing fastener. But to be on the safe side, all 622 of these F-18s are being inspected. The navy has been watching its F-18 carefully, because as aircraft age, they develop unexpected cracks. And the F-18 fleet has been aging fast. Over the last decade, the U.S. Navy found that their older F-18C Hornet fighters were wearing out faster than planned for. This was sort of expected with the F-18Cs, which entered service during the late 1970s and early 80s. These... Strategy Page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2300305/posts#comment Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:47:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2298963/posts Enlisted sailors with more than 20 years of service may find themselves out of a job by June, according to a Navy message Monday. Performance-based continuation boards, the Navy’s latest end-strength shaping effort, are scheduled to kick off this September and will determine if a sailor is going to be recommended for continuation in service or forced to retire. The program is focusing on sailors in the ranks of E-7 to E-9 with more than 20 years of active service. According to the Navy Personnel Command Web site, high-year tenure is currently 24 years for chief petty officers (E-7), 26... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2298963/posts#comment Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:40:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2295986/posts VIRGINIA BEACH What started in J.C. "Tip" Tipton's garage 40 years ago has morphed into one of the best live-action shows in town. Trouble is, it's not open to the public. Tipton was the first president of the UDT-SEAL Association, a support group for members and veterans of the Navy's underwater demolition and sea-air-land commando teams. The group has been celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend during its annual East Coast reunion at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, where 4,000 active and retired SEALs, their families and guests saw a dramatic display of the clandestine warriors' skills and equipment Saturday.... The Virginian-Pilot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2295986/posts#comment Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:43:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290878/posts Tomahawk may get ship-killer role By Enric Volante ARIZONA DAILY STAR A U.S. Navy missile that cruises hundreds of miles over land to blow up buildings is being redesigned in Tucson to chase down moving targets. Raytheon Missile Systems wants to turn its land-attack Tomahawk missile into a ship killer that can do something never done before: Hit a cruising warship from a thousand miles away. On Friday, the Defense Department announced a $12.8 million contract for Raytheon to engineer and test a new warhead system for the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile. Ninety percent of the work would be... Arizona Daily Star http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290878/posts#comment Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:32:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290710/posts YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Petty Officer 3rd Class Chad Kahl never suffered from a lack of open space while growing up in North Dakota. When he told friends and family there that he had volunteered to live aboard a 350-foot-long metal tube underneath hundreds of feet of water, they thought he was crazy. Kahl had done his homework on the submarine lifestyle. But as he prepared to get under way for the first time, he wondered if his friends may have had a point. "I think everyone that goes doesn’t really know what they’re getting into," said Kahl of... Stars and Stripes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2290710/posts#comment Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:41:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280516/posts Fast Boat Threat Faces Hail of Hellfires Posted by Graham Warwick at 6/26/2009 2:48 PM CDT Faced with the threat from swarms of small boats. the US Navy is looking to equip the sensor turrets of its shipborne helicopters with the ability to designate multiple targets for simultaneous attack by laser-guided missiles like Hellfire. Photo: US Navy A new Office of Naval Research project, called Multi-Target Track and Terminate (MT3), aims to demonstrate a prototype multi-target laser designator on an MH-60 - including at least six simultaneous launches against maritime targets in realistic conditions - within 60 months of contract... AVIATION NOW http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2280516/posts#comment Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:25:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272207/posts The Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead announced in Annapolis recently that "diversity is the number one priority" at the Naval Academy. The Naval Academy superintendent, Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler, echoed him. Everyone understands that "diversity" here means nonwhite skins. Fowler insisted recently that we needed to have Annapolis graduates who "looked like" the Fleet, where enlisted people are about 42 percent nonwhite, largely African American and Hispanic. The stunning revelation last week was that the Naval Academy had an incoming class that was "more diverse" than ever before: 35 percent minority. Sounds good, only this comes with a... The Capital (Annapolis, MD) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2272207/posts#comment Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:03:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267653/posts On June 8, 1967, US Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty was suddenly and brutally attacked on the high seas in international waters by the air and naval forces of Israel. The Israeli forces attacked with full knowledge that this was an American ship and lied about it. Survivors have been forbidden for 40 years to tell their story under oath to the American public. The USS Liberty Memorial web site tells their story and is dedicated to the memory of the 34 brave men who died. http://www.gtr5.com/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2267653/posts#comment Tue, 9 Jun 2009 01:14:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2261533/posts VIRGINIA BEACH A few years ago at a reunion for Navy sailors and airmen, Clarence Cooper met two men he'd seen just once - Sept. 14, 1968. It was a hot and humid afternoon when North Vietnamese troops ambushed Cooper's supply ship on the river outside Vinh Long. Rockets streamed from the bank, blasted through bulkheads and drove shrapnel into the small crew. The sailors unloaded on the entrenched enemy lines. The deck was covered with smoke and fire and cartridge cases and two rocket-propelled grenades that somehow didn't explode. The fight culminated with a helicopter rescue of a gravely... The Virginian-Pilot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2261533/posts#comment Sun, 31 May 2009 09:56:40 GMT