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Navy Secretary News

19 Mar 2024

US Navy Secretary Meets with Ship Repair Execs

File photo: Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro (Photo: Jared Mancuso / U.S. Navy)

The United States' Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, on Monday hosted executives from major ship repair companies at the Pentagon for a roundtable discussion focused on surface ship repair and modernization initiatives.Navy and Marine Corps leaders have expressed that repair process improvements are critical to meeting the needs of worldwide combatant commanders.“The maritime industry is a strategic sector critical to our economic and national security,” said Secretary Del Toro.

28 Nov 2022

Newport News Authenticates Keel for US Navy Sub Arkansas

(Photo: HII)

HII’s (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division hosted a keel authentication ceremony for Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800).The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members, including the three men, during Saturday’s ceremony.The Little Rock Nine made history in 1957 with their response to the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v.

27 Jul 2022

From Surface to Subsea to Space: U.S. Navy Shipbuilding Outlook 2022

The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) transit the Atlantic Ocean March 20, 2021, marking the first time a Ford-class and Italian carrier have operated together underway. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Riley McDowell)

As a rudderless U.S. Navy debates maritime strategy, fleet futures and platform performance, America’s naval shipbuilding industry can look forward to another year of relative stasis.Barring a major geopolitical incident or unexpected maritime provocation, government shipbuilding isn’t going to change course. With Admiral Michael Gilday approaching the final “lame duck” year of his four-year term as Chief of Naval Operations and the 2024 election season looming, the prospect for major changes in the Navy’s demand signal seems limited.Aside from the U.S.

19 Jun 2020

Navy Won't Reinstate Coronavirus-hit Carrier Captain

File photo: Capt. Brett Crozier, addresses the crew as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in November 2019 (U.S. Navy photo by Nicholas Huynh)

The U.S. Navy will not reinstate Captain Brett Crozier after finding fault with his response to the outbreak of the coronavirus aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and is also putting an admiral’s promotion on hold, sources told Reuters on Friday.The decisions, first reported by Reuters, are expected to be announced later on Friday at a news conference by the Navy’s top leaders.Crozier was hailed by his crew as a hero for risking his job by writing a letter that leaked calling on the Navy for greater safeguards for his crew.

08 Jun 2020

More than Half of Theodore Roosevelt Crew Have Coronavirus Antibodies

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) departs Apra Harbor on June 4 to continue its scheduled deployment in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by MacAdam Kane Weissman)

A U.S. Navy investigation into the spread of the coronavirus aboard the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier has found that about 60 percent of sailors tested had antibodies for the virus, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, suggesting a far higher infection rate than previously known.In April, the Navy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started conducting serology tests to look for the presence of specific antibodies that are created by the immune system’s attack response to the presence of the virus and remain in the blood for a period of time.More than 1…

22 May 2020

USS Theodore Roosevelt Returns to Sea Following COVID-19 Outbreak

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) returns to operations in the Philippine Sea on May 21 following an extended visit to Guam in the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic. (U.S. Navy photo by Kaylianna Genier)

U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is underway for the first time since being sidelined by an onboard coronavirus outbreak that infected hundreds of sailors and led to the firing of the ship's commander.Theodore Roosevelt was in the Asia-Pacific region when a number of its sailors began falling ill with COVID-19, forcing the aircraft carrier to eventually dock in Guam on March 27. One sailor who was infected died, and more than 1,110 out of the roughly 4…

29 Apr 2020

Coronavirus-hit US Navy Destroyer Arrives in San Diego

The guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) arrives in San Diego, April 28, 2020, as part of the Navy's response to the COVID-19 outbreak onboard the ship. While in San Diego, the Navy will provide medical care for the crew and clean and disinfect the ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Alex Millar)

A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer with a coronavirus outbreak on board docked in San Diego Tuesday after cutting its mission short to administer medical care to affected sailors and disinfect the ship.USS Kidd (DDG 100) was at sea participating in counter-narcotics operations when several sailors on board began exhibiting influenza-like symptoms. Two sailors were medevaced to the U.S. and a number of others were transferred to amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) for closer observtion.

29 Apr 2020

Theodore Roosevelt Prepares to Return to Sea

U.S. Sailors fold the American flag after evening colors on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) April 24, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Kaylianna Genier)

Hundreds of U.S. Navy sailors began the transition from quarantine and isolation to return to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Wednesday, as the ship prepares to return to sea after a bow-to-stern deep cleaning following a coronavirus outbreak on board. Theodore Roosevelt was in the Asia-Pacific region when its sailors began falling ill with COVID-19, forcing the aircraft carrier to eventually dock in Guam. One sailor who was infected died, and nearly 850 out of the roughly 4…

27 Apr 2020

Navy Wants to Reinstate Fired Captain of Coronavirus-hit Carrier

File photo: Capt. Brett Crozier, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), addresses the crew during an all-hands call on the ship’s flight deck in November 2019 (U.S. Navy photo by Nicholas Huynh)

In an extraordinary reversal, the U.S. Navy has recommended reinstating the fired captain of the coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, whose crew hailed him as their hero for risking his job to safeguard their lives, officials said on Friday.The Navy’s leadership made the recommendation to reinstate Captain Brett Crozier to Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday, just three weeks after Crozier was relieved of command after the leak of a letter he wrote calling on the Navy for stronger measures to protect the crew…

13 Apr 2020

USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailor Dies from COVID-19

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Indo-Pacific on March 18, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Nicholas V. Huynh)

A U.S. Navy sailor died on Monday after contracting the coronavirus aboard the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, whose captain was fired after warning his crew would die unnecessarily unless strong action was taken.The sailor, the first active-duty U.S. servicemember to die from coronavirus complications, was admitted to intensive care on April 9 after being found unresponsive in his quarters. The sailor had tested positive exactly two weeks ago on March 30, the Navy said.“I am keenly aware of the dedication and commitment of our Sailors and Marines in service to our Nation – in war…

13 Apr 2020

Another 103 Sailors from US Carrier Test Positive for Coronavirus

A U.S. Hospital Corpsman tests a USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) sailor for symptoms of COVID-19, on Naval Base Guam, Guam, April 8, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Jordan E. Gilbert)

Another 103 crew members on the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Navy said on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases from the ship to 550.In a statement on its website, the Navy said 92% of the carrier’s crew members had been tested for the virus, with 550 positive and 3,673 negative results.

09 Apr 2020

Theodore Roosevelt Sailor with Coronavirus Taken to ICU

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Philippine Sea in February 2020.  (U.S. Navy photo by Sean Lynch)

A sailor from the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in Guam after testing positive for the coronavirus last month, the U.S. Navy said on Thursday, as the number of coronavirus cases on the ship jumped to over 400.The case comes after Thomas Modly resigned as acting Navy secretary on Tuesday, following a mounting backlash for his firing and ridiculing the commander of the Theodore Roosevelt, who pleaded for help stemming a coronavirus outbreak onboard.In a statement…

07 Apr 2020

Pentagon Chief Accepts Acting Navy Secretary's Resignation

File photo: Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly speaks at a Pentagon press briefing, Washington, D.C., April 2, 2020. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday that he had accepted Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly’s resignation.“This morning I accepted Secretary Modly’s resignation. He resigned on his own accord, putting the Navy and the Sailors above self so that the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and the Navy, as an institution, can move forward,” Esper said in a statement.Esper said that with President Donald Trump’s approval, Army Undersecretary Jim McPherson would take over as acting Navy Secretary.(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Eric Beech Editing by Chris Reese)

07 Apr 2020

Trump Says May Jump Into Navy Furor After Captain Ridiculed in Speech

File photo: President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Joint Base Andrews, Md., December 20, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Spencer Slocum)

U.S. President Donald Trump said he may get involved in a deepening crisis in the Navy after its top civilian on Monday ridiculed a revered former commander whose letter pleading for help for his coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier was leaked to the public.In a surprise speech to crew members of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt that was meant to be a private address, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly defended his decision to relieve Captain Brett Crozier of his command…

06 Apr 2020

Acting Navy Head Blasts Fired USS Theodore Roosevelt Captain

File photo: Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly briefs the press about the Navy’s response to COVID-19, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 1, 2020. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

The acting head of the U.S. Navy, in a surprise speech to the crew of a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier, castigated their former commander for writing a leaked letter that demanded the Navy take stronger action to halt the spread of the illness.Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly stood by his decision to relieve Captain Brett Crozier of his command in a speech to crew members of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt while it was docked in Guam early on Monday.“If he didn’t think that information was going to get out into the public in this information age that we live in…

06 Apr 2020

US Defense Chief Backs Navy Ouster Amid Report Captain has Coronavirus

File photo: Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper briefs the media about the department's COVID-19 response, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., March 17, 2020. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper defended the Navy’s controversial decision to remove the commander of a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier, who was reported on Sunday to have tested positive for COVID-19 as the number of its sailors with the highly-contagious disease also grew.Captain Brett Crozier started showing symptoms of the virus before he was relieved of his command of the Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday and has tested positive, the New York Times said, citing two Naval…

03 Apr 2020

Navy Probe to Decide Future of Fired US Carrier Commander

Capt. Brett Crozier addresses the crew for the first time as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during a change of command ceremony in November 2019. (U.S. Navy photo by Sean Lynch)

Even as he is hailed as a hero by his crew, the fired commander of a coronavirus-stricken U.S. aircraft carrier is being reassigned while investigators consider whether he should face disciplinary action, acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told Reuters on Friday.Captain Brett Crozier was relieved of his command of the Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday after a scathing letter in which he called on the Navy for stronger action to halt the spread of the virus aboard the nuclear…

03 Apr 2020

Dismissed US Carrier Captain Gets Hero's Ovation From Crew

Capt. Brett Crozier addresses crew during an all-hands call on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) flight deck in November 2019. (U.S. Navy photo by Nicholas Huynh)

The captain of a U.S. aircraft carrier relieved of his command after seeking stronger measures in response to a coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship was given a hero’s ovation by his crew when he left the vessel, video posted on Twitter showed.A brief clip showed Captain Brett Crozier walking down the gangplank of the Theodore Roosevelt as crew members repeatedly chanted “Captain Crozier, Captain Crozier!”Crozier turned to wave at the crew after he stepped ashore in Guam.The removal of Crozier, first reported by Reuters, was announced by acting U.S.

02 Apr 2020

US Navy Relieves Commander of USS Theodore Roosevelt

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) (U.S. Navy photo by Brandon Richardson)

The U.S. Navy on Thursday relieved the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote a scathing letter that leaked to the public asking the Navy for stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard the ship.The removal of Captain Brett Crozier from the command of the 5,000-person vessel, which was first reported by Reuters, was announced by acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who said the commander exercised poor judgment.Modly said the letter…

31 Mar 2020

'Sailors Do Not Need to Die,' Warns Captain of Coronavirus-hit US Aircraft Carrier

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Philippine Sea in February 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Sean Lynch)

The captain of the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, in a blunt letter, has called on Navy leadership for stronger measures to save the lives of his sailors and stop the spread of the coronavirus aboard the huge ship.The four-page letter, the contents of which were confirmed by U.S. officials to Reuters on Tuesday, described a bleak situation on board the nuclear-powered carrier as more and more sailors test positive for the virus.The Navy puts the ship’s complement at 5…

26 Mar 2020

All Sailors on US Aircraft Carrier to be Tested for COVID-19

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Philippine Sea on March 24, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Jomark A. Almazan)

All 5,000 personnel aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt will be tested for the coronavirus after the number of sailors on the ship who have tested positive for the virus increased, U.S. Navy officials said on Thursday.The move is the latest example of the coronavirus’s impact on the military.Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told a Pentagon news conference that, while the carrier in the Pacific Ocean was capable of carrying out military operations, it would be pulling into Guam in the Pacific Ocean.In all…

25 Mar 2020

Three Sailors on US Aircraft Carrier Have Coronavirus

Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) (U.S. Navy photo by Kaylianna Genier)

Three U.S. sailors on board the Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier in the Pacific tested positive for the coronavirus, U.S. Navy officials said on Tuesday, the first known cases of the virus on board a U.S. military ship at sea.Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told a news conference that the three had been quarantined and were being flown off the ship. The ship has about 5,000 personnel on board.Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday said the ship was last in port in Vietnam about 15 days ago.

08 Jan 2019

Navy to Deploy Surface Ships to Arctic

The U.S. Navy may follow up October’s carrier strike group operations in the Arctic with another foray into the icy High North, with leadership considering sending a group of ships into a trans-Arctic shipping lane this summer, the Navy secretary said.Much has been made of potential Arctic shipping lanes opening up as ice melts and more areas become navigable, said a press release from USNI NEWS.An expected uptick in commercial shipping and tourism in the Arctic region has put some urgency on the U.S. Coast Guard’s plans to build a fleet of icebreakers, as well as the Navy’s interest in having a more visible presence in the region.Navy Secretary Richard V.