Master Chief Petty Officer News

The much-needed replacement for the U.S. Coast Guard’s long-serving medium endurance cutters (WMEC) took a giant step closer to joining the fleet as the first Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) was launched and christened at Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) in Panama City, Fla. on October 27, 2023.The future USCGC Argus (WMSM 915) was christened by the ship’s sponsor, Captain (Ret.) Beverly Kelley, the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel, the 95-foot patrol boat, USCGC Cape Newagen (WPB 95318).

The U.S. Coast Guard’s newest Legend-class national security cutter, Calhoun (WMSL 759), departed from HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Sunday, November 19.“We congratulate the NSC team of shipbuilders on a job well done,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding NSC Program Manager Amanda Whitaker. “Watching Calhoun sail away is a proud moment for us all and we look forward to watching this highly capable national security cutter serve for decades to come.”Calhoun is scheduled for commissioning in 2024 and will be homeported in Charleston…

The U.S. Coast Guard‘s newest national security cutter, Calhoun (WMSL 759) has successfully completed builder’s sea trials, HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced.The ship—the 10th Legend-class cutter built by Ingalls for the Coast Guard—successfully tested propulsion and auxiliary equipment, as well as various ship systems, the Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder said.“Every successful sea trial is a major accomplishment for our shipbuilders, and the NSC team has worked hard to ensure the Coast Guard receives another highly capable and advanced cutter for the fleet…

REMEMBERING MY SHIPMATE JOHN MICHELWe met in January 1959 when I became the first Officer in Charge of the Navy’s newly acquired Bathyscaph Trieste and John was the first USN enlisted man to be assigned to the project. We were based at the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego. Trieste was unique as there were only two deep diving manned submersibles in the world. The French Navy had the other. Our team learned about the bathyscaph more by ‘apprenticeship’ than through any sort of formal learning process.

An injured mariner was medevaced from a vessel 220 miles south of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 17th District command center, in Juneau, received the initial request for the medevac on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. from the crew of the Liberia-registered FPMC 33 after a crewmember on board had reportedly broken his legs.The watchstanders requested the tanker meet a Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak aircrew, forward-deployed to Cold Bay, at a rendezvous point approximately 220 miles south of Dutch Harbor to safely embark the patient.

HII christened Legend-class national security cutter Calhoun on Saturday at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division.Calhoun (WMSL 759) is named to honor Charles L. Calhoun, the first master chief petty officer of the U.S. Coast Guard. Calhoun served in the U.S. Navy for three years during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946 as a torpedoman second class. He enlisted in the Coast Guard that same year and held varying positions of leadership over the course of his career.“Today’s…

Master Chief Jason M. Vanderhaden was relieved as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) by Master Chief Heath B. Jones during a military change-of-watch ceremony Thursday, at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, N.J.Vanderhaden also retired from the Coast Guard after 34 years of service to the nation directly following the ceremony and received the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal.“I’m grateful for the tremendous leadership of our senior enlisted leader corps and amazing Chief’s Mess, they are truly the backbone of our service,” said Vanderhaden.

A steel cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday for the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81).Slated to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN 81 is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Newport News, Va. Doris Miller’s keel is scheduled to be laid in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2032.Doris Miller is the second ship of the two-carrier contract award HII received in January 2019 for the detail design and construction of the Gerald R.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of Legend-class national security cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759) late last week.“This is a very special keel authentication ceremony for a multitude of reasons,” said George Nungesser, Ingalls’ vice president of program management. “While we were able to work steadily and safely though the pandemic, visitation to the shipyard made commemorating major shipbuilding milestones a challenge.

The U.S. Navy's future guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) completed acceptance trials on March 12, returning to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Ingalls Shipbuilding Division after spending two days at sea in the Gulf of Mexico.During acceptance trials, the ship's crew performed a series of demonstrations for review by the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). These demonstrations are used to validate the quality of construction and compliance with Navy specifications and requirements prior to delivery of the ship to the U.S.

Surface Navy Association (SNA) names two new Vice Presidents to focus on Navy and Coast Guard Enlisted membersThe Surface Navy Association has established two new Vice President positions created to specifically focus on providing tailored programs, professional development and other outreach initiatives dedicated to better serve our Navy and Coast Guard Enlisted members. The Association’s board of directors has approved Retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles “Skip” Bowen and Retired Fleet Master Chief (AW/SW) JoAnn Marie Ortloff to the new positions.Bowen joined the Coast Guard in 1978 and served for 32 years. A lifelong cutterman, Bowen commanded five separate Coast Guard units ashore and afloat.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division started fabrication of the U.S. Coast Guard’s newest Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) Calhoun (WMSL 759) . The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut."Each new ship in this class has been an exciting opportunity to build on our legacy," said Jay Boyd, Ingalls' NSC program manager. "This is the 10th cutter in the class and a steady production line has allowed…

USCGC Angela McShan Delivered to U.S. Coast Guard.Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC ANGELA MCSHAN, the 35th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard took delivery on the 1st of August, 2019 in Key West, Florida. Bollinger President & C.E.O. Ben Bordelon said, “We are very pleased to announce the latest FRC delivery, the USCGC ANGELA MCSHAN. Previous cutters have been stationed around the nation including Alaska and Hawaii. The ANGELA MCSHAN…

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued an elderly man from a vehicle that fell into a marina in Panama City, Fla. A boat crew from Coast Guard Cutter Marlin was launched to rescue the 89-year-old man behind the wheel after crew members saw his vehicle go into the St. Andrews Marina in at approximately 12:45 p.m. Saturday. The boat crew broke the car’s window, pulled the man from the vehicle and transferred him to emergency medical personnel ashore. “As soon as one of our crewmen witnessed the car enter the water…

The 58th Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. Robert Burke, and Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer April Beldo visited Naval Base San Diego to discuss the Sailor 2025 initiative and hear from Sailors Jan. 12. The Sailor 2025 initiative is a series of changes to a wide range of personnel programs and policies Burke is looking at in order to provide the Navy with the right mix of skill sets and Sailors with more flexible career paths. "I am here to paint the big picture of Sailor 2025," said Burke. The goal of Sailor 2025 is aimed at modernizing the naval personnel system and includes 43 different initiatives which fall under three major categories: modernizing the entire personnel system, modernizing the training process, and enhancing career and family readiness.

The Surface Navy Association (SNA) concluded its 29th annual three-day symposium in Arlington, Virginia, Jan. 12. The symposium focused on distributed lethality to enable sea control and facilitated professional discussions between military members, industry representatives and lawmakers regarding surface warfare technology, tactics, training and career development. The first day commenced with welcomes, roundtable discussions and keynote addresses by Navy leaders, including Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. William Moran and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Steven Giordano. Vice Adm. Thomas Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Forces/Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, detailed his new Naval Surface Force Strategy and related it to the symposium's objectives.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Steven Giordano visited Naval Station Rota, March 27 and 28. During their time in Rota, Richardson and Giordono visited the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Ross (DDG 71), ate lunch with the 2016 Sailors of the Year, viewed a display of Commander, Task Force 68 expeditionary equipment and held an "all-hands call" with installation Sailors, civilians and family members. While meeting Sailors around the installation, Richardson said it was clear Naval Station Rota Sailors are mission-focused and very well led. "I am incredibly proud and humbled to be your chief of naval operations," said Richardson.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of the destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) on June 1. The ship, named in honor of the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, will be the 32nd Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyer Ingalls has built for the U.S. Navy. “This ship’s name carries a special meaning,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said at this morning’s keel-laying ceremony. “Destroyers are traditionally named after great men and women in the history of our Navy…

Marine Jet Power, Inc. (MJP) has hired Philip Gibson as Director of Sales, responsible for sales and business development efforts in North, South and Central America. Gibson brings to the role more than 30 years’ military maritime experience, having most recently served as a Regional Sales Manager for Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (Boston Whaler). He retired from the U.S. Navy in 2005 with the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, where he served as a U.S. Navy SEAL and advisor to the international military and police forces for riverine and counter-drug operations.

Commanders of U.S. warship removed after cargo ship collision; seven sailors killed in June collision. The U.S. Navy has removed the two senior officers and the senior enlisted sailor on a U.S. warship that almost sank off the coast of Japan in June after it was struck by a Philippine container ship, the Navy said on Friday. Multiple investigations have yet to apportion blame for the accident that killed seven U.S. sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer the USS Fitzgerald. However, the punishments are the first public admission by the U.S. Navy that mistakes by the crew contributed to the deadliest incident on a U.S. warship since Islamist extremists bombed the USS Cole in Yemen's Aden harbour in 2000. "The collision was avoidable and both ships demonstrated poor seamanship.

The new Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) was launched by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Friday, September 8, in Pascagoula, Miss. “A quality launch is a critical milestone in a ship’s life,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “Our world-class shipbuilders have once again met this goal in launching DDG 119. We look forward to continuing this success as we prepare DDG 119 to join the fleet as USS Delbert D. Delbert D. Black was translated via Ingalls’ rail car system to a floating dry dock.

The Great Lakes Naval Museum was officially renamed the National Museum of the American Sailor during a ceremony and sign unveiling at the museum July 4. The Navy's top enlisted Sailor, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens, was joined by retired Rear Adm. Sam Cox, director of Naval History and Heritage Command, North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Capt. James Hawkins, commanding officer of Naval Station Great Lakes, Jennifer Searcy, Ph.D., director of the National Museum of the American Sailor, and representatives from the Great Lakes Naval Museum Foundation and National Museum of the American Sailor Foundation to unveil the new sign in front of the museum.

The Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119), Saturday, Nov. 4, during a 10 a.m. CST ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The future USS Delbert D. Black is the first ship to bear the name of a master chief petty officer of the Navy (MCPON) and is named for the first person to hold that office. Black began his 30-year Navy career in the spring of 1941. After completing recruit training, he reported to his first assignment, USS Maryland (BB 46) in Pearl Harbor, where he witnessed the Japanese attack that drew the United States into World War II. Over the next 26 years, he rose through the ranks to Gunner's Mate Master Chief before his selection in 1967 to serve as the first MCPON.