Civil Service News

Bollinger Shipyards on Thursday announced it has delivered the USCGC Melvin Bell to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. This is the 181st vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 55th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.“We’re incredibly proud to deliver the USCGC Melvin Bell, the final of six Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Boston, the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Bollinger president and CEO, Ben Bordelon.

Yemen's Houthi group is piling on pressure to extract economic gains in U.N.-led talks for an extended truce deal with attacks on oil ports in government-held areas, which officials say have disrupted crude exports, choking state revenues.Yemen's foreign ministry said in a statement that the Houthis launched a drone attack on the southern Qena port in Shabwa on Wednesday. The group's military spokesman said on Twitter that the operation "foiled an attempt to loot" Yemen's oil by preventing a vessel from docking.A joint statement by the U.S.…

Sarkis Tatigian, who began his Navy career at the age of 19 during the Second World War, passed away earlier this week, leaving behind a nearly 78-year legacy of service to the Department of Defense.At the time of his death, Tatigian, the longest serving civil servant in the history of the DoD, was serving as Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Small Business Advocate.“Mr. Tatigian truly lived a life dedicated to advocacy and the service of others,” said NAVSEA Executive Director, James Smerchansky.

U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) departed Norfolk, Va. Saturday for New York City in support of the COVID-19 response efforts.The Military Sealift Command ship will serve as a referral hospital for patients not infected with COVID-19, providing a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults, while allowing shore-based civilian hospitals to focus on their medical care devoted to the treatment of COVID 19 patients."The entire Comfort team safely…

U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in Los Angeles, Friday to support the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts.While in Los Angeles, the ship will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, and will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults. This will allow local health professionals to focus on treating COVID-19 patients and for shore-based hospitals to use their Intensive Care Units and ventilators for those patients.Operated by Military Sealift Command…

Military Sealift Command hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to signify the opening of its new Center for Excellence located on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, March 25.The Military Sealift Command Center for Excellence provides MSC-centric basic training for newly employed civil service mariners (CIVMAR).“Ultimately, the new Military Sealift Command Center for Excellence is replacing the MSC training center in Earl, New Jersey,” said Military Sealift Command Total Force Management Director Mike Morris, who co-officiated the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Military Sealift Command hospital ship, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), departed Naval Station Norfolk today and is now underway and making final preparations to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. USNS Comfort can arrive in Puerto Rico as early as Oct. 3, but the final date and arrival location is to be determined. "The medical capability the ship can deliver can be done underway, it can be done in port, or it can be done at anchor. Between the helicopter capability we have and the boats we have, all of those things together give us the ability to be flexible in our mission," said Capt. Kevin Robinson, commander, forward command element aboard USNS Comfort.

The Department of the Navy recognized more than 50 acquisition professionals for exceptional efforts in the acquisition field during a Pentagon ceremony Nov. 17. Hosted by Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) Sean Stackley, the 2016 Acquisition Excellence Awards celebrated individuals and teams for upholding key tenets of acquisition including competition, affordability, technical expertise, innovative techniques and professional acumen. "Today, we recognize those who have distinguished themselves amongst the tens of thousands who are equally committed to ensuring that our Navy and Marine Corps is the most capable fighting force in the world," said Stackley. Undersecretary of the Navy, Dr.

Two new mobile apps designed for Sailors to complete required Navy General Military Training (GMT) on Records Management (RM) and Privacy and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Awareness became available April 19. PII and RM are annual GMT Standardized Core Training (SCT) requirements. PII must be completed by August 31 every year. The records management training app has been updated to include current topics and new focus areas. RM must be completed by December 31 every year. The apps are designed to provide Sailors with anytime, anywhere access to the mandatory training as well as links to key resources. "The mobile apps are an extension of our training to offer alternate methods to our workforce," said Rear Adm. Mike White, commander, Naval Education and Training Command.

The Long Beach City Council on Tuesday confirmed the appointments of Long Beach City College executive Lou Anne Bynum and former City Councilman Doug Drummond to second terms on the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Mayor Robert Garcia announced the reappointments last month. Both Bynum, the Harbor Board Vice President, and Drummond, a former Board President, were originally appointed by Garcia’s predecessor, Mayor Bob Foster. “These commissioners have done outstanding jobs helping to lead the Harbor Department,” Garcia said. “Their commitment to continuing public service will provide stability and consistency to the decisions governing Long Beach’s most important economic engine.

With the aim of growing the U.K. Ship Register and attracting more maritime business to the U.K., a new a senior level director role has been created at the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as part of the government’s aspiration to grow the nation’s share with the global maritime sector. The new position, which will be tasked with encouraging ship owners to join the U.K. Ship Register, was announced by Sir Alan Massey, CEO of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at an event during London International Shipping Week. “The UK Flag has seemingly become less attractive to ship owners and operators and we cannot go on ignoring the problem,” Massey said. “. . . Something has needed to change. In recent years the number of ships and the total gross tonnage on the U.K.

The U.S. 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) departed Batumi, Georgia, Oct. 18 after completing a successful port visit. While in Batumi, Sailors had the opportunity to participate in community relation projects, provide tours of Mount Whitney, participate in multiple sporting events and engage with Georgian coast guard members during military-to-military engagements. “Our port visit in Batumi, Georgia was absolutely fantastic. The opportunity to engage and interact professionally, socially and athletically with our Georgian counterparts was invaluable towards advancing an enduring bilateral partnership; a partnership committed to security and stability in the region.” – Capt. Mark Colombo, USS Mount Whitney, commanding officer, Oct.

China has evacuated several hundred workers from Libya and is taking them by ship to Malta, the head of the Malta Civil Service, Mario Cutajar, said on Wednesday. He said the Maltese government was arranging temporary accommodation for the workers and was preparing for the eventuality of a bigger evacuation from the North African country if the unrest there continues to grow. Cutajar is heading a crisis centre to cater for the fallout of the situation in Libya. Earlier on Wednesday, the Philippines said it had chartered a ship to take up to 1,000 Filipinos to Malta. Cutajar said 150 foreign workers, mostly Filipinos, had arrived in Malta on Tuesday on flights from Mitiga airport near Tripoli.

The U.S. Navy informs that its first -in-class joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) has left the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, after more than three months of operating in the European and African theaters. "I am extremely proud of the work Spearhead has achieved in theater, primarily for her efforts in supporting Africa Partnership Station and the pillars that program represents," said Vice Adm. Phil Davidson, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, who recently visited the ship during a port visit in Gabon. "I commend the Sailors and civilians who performed superbly over the course of their work here in U.S. 6th Fleet. Since entering the theater in late January…

With the threat of terror at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the United States is prepped with vessels in the Black Sea. The U.S. Navy deployed two ships to the Black Sea to help protect against the threat of terror attacks surrounding the Games. According to a Navy release, the U.S. 6th Fleet flag ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), with 300 Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners onboard, arrived in the Black Sea Feb. 4 to conduct maritime security operations, and USS Taylor (FFG 50), with a crew of approximately 200 Sailors, arrived in the Black Sea Feb.

The U.S. 6th Fleet flag ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), with 300 Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners onboard, arrived in the Black Sea Feb. 4 to conduct scheduled maritime security operations. USS Taylor (FFG 50) will arrive in the Black Sea Feb. Both ships will perform routine operations in the Black Sea to establish and enhance cooperation, mutual training and interoperability with regional partner nations and allies. Taylor, with a crew of approximately 200 Sailors…

The latest surge in blue water shipbuilding and the seagoing billets that those jobs create is a welcome change for a domestic maritime sector that had seen nothing but decline for the past four decades. Still, and from a training, demand, and recruitment point of view, the brown water sector is arguably the place to be for today’s aspiring mariners. That’s because increasingly sophisticated equipment, expanding fleets and a much tighter regulatory regime are creating the demand for ever more mariners.

The Navy's first joint high-speed vessel departed Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Ft. Story today on its maiden deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility. USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) is expected to remain in U.S. 6th Fleet until May 2014 and sail to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility through the end of fiscal year 2014. While deployed, the ship will undergo planned experimentation and testing to determine the ship's capabilities. "The JHSV ship class will play an important part in the future of our joint forces in terms of affordability…

Polish officers have earned respect in the engine rooms and on the bridges of the international shipping fleet. With more than 4,000 full or part-time students and about 600 graduates per year the AkademiaMorska in Szczecin, Poland, is assuring the continuity of this reputation. In addition to Polish students, the Maritime University is serving international members of the maritime community with a number of English language programs. They also offer specialized courses tailored to the specific needs of individual shipping companies.

Military Sealift Command launched its redesigned public website and blog July 16 and 17. The new website is available at www.msc.navy.mil and includes a dynamic, user-friendly interface with updated content about the command's mission, vision and support to warfighters worldwide. "These updates are designed to inform the general public and members of the media about MSC: who we are, what we do, and why our Navy needs its noncombatant fleet," said Rear Admiral T.K. Shannon. "MSC is committed to delivering meaningful and current information on its global operations while garnering feedback from its customers, and our website serves that purpose," Shannon said. As part of its new online presence, MSC's blog interface was updated as well.

Rear Admiral Mark “Buz” Buzby, commander of the Military Sealift Command, sat with Maritime Reporter contributing editor Edward Lundquist talked with a week before his retirement aboard USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) at Little Creek, Virginia, on May 10, 2013. The talk centered on a unique event in maritime history. MSC had seven ships in the area east of Japan, responding to the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed 19,000 people. One of them was the fast combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)…

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) confirms Moncrief in the post held on an interim basis since October 2011. The government as sole owner of the UKHO, ran an open, external and national competition for the Chief Executive role. This was a rigorous recruitment process with a panel chaired by an independent Civil Service Commissioner. The appointment is endorsed by the UKHO Chair and Board, the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy, and is effective immediately. Ian has a long and distinguished naval career…

Military Sealift Command's (MSC) joint high-speed vessel, USNS 'Spearhead' visits the Port of St. Petersburg, FLA. U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, Mayor Bill Foster and other distinguished visitors from St. Petersburg joined Navy Chief of Information Rear Adm. John Kirby, Capt. Sam Norton, commander, MSC Atlantic, and Capt. Doug Casavant, the ship's civil service master, during an arrival ceremony in honor of the ship, its crew and the Navy. The three-day port call is primarily a working visit and an opportunity for senior officials and military personnel from U.S. Central Command and U.S.