Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening Begins
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officially kicked off the project to deepen of the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet Friday, as Weeks Marine’s cutterhead dredge Captain Frank started dredging 5 miles above the Head of Passes.The USACE awarded this first contract for the Ship Channel deepening to Weeks Marine on September 3, 2020, and the Captain Frank started the deepening Friday. The USACE awarded the second cutterhead dredge contract to Manson Construction on September 8, 2020. Manson’s cutterhead, the Robert M. White, is expected to begin deepening in late September.
General Dynamics Christens Future USS Thomas Hudner
On April 1, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works christened the U.S. Navy’s newest guided-missile destroyer, Thomas Hudner (DDG 116). The ship is named for Capt. Thomas Hudner Jr., who intentionally crash landed his plane in an effort to save Ensign Jesse Brown, the nation’s first African-American Navy pilot, during the Korean War’s Chosin Reservoir campaign. The Saturday morning christening ceremony took place at Bath Iron Works’ shipyard and was attended by Capt. Hudner as well as several members of his family and the family of Ensign Brown. Speakers included Sen. Susan Collins, Sen.
U.S. Naval Academy: New Superintendent
The U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) has held a change of command ceremony in Annapolis, Maryland, where Vice Adm. Walter E. "Ted" Carter Jr. relieved Vice Adm. Michael Miller, becoming the 62nd academy superintendent, informs U.S. Naval Academy Public Affairs. Carter, a native of Burrillville, Rhode Island, served as president of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, before he was nominated in June as the next superintendent. A career naval aviator, he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1981. Miller, a native of Minot, North Dakota, and 1974 USNA graduate, retired at the ceremony, completing 40 years of active duty naval service.
US Naval Academy Class of 2014 Graduation
The Naval Academy says that an estimated 30,000 people filled the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, to witness the swearing in of the U.S. military's newest officers. The Naval Academy Class of 2014 graduated 1,068 men and women, including 784 Navy ensigns and 265 Marine Corps second lieutenants. Graduating first in the class is Marine 2nd Lt. David F. Williams, of Roanoke, Virginia, a political science and economics major who will serve as a Marine ground officer after finishing a master's degree in Latin American studies at the University of Cambridge, England. The class included 12 foreign exchange students from Brunei, Ecuador, Georgia, Jamaica, Lebanon, Lithuania, Maldives, Panama, and Taiwan.
Navy Midshipman Sues Academy, Superintendent
The female midshipman who has accused three former US Naval Academy football players of sexually assaulting her is now suing the academy and its superintendent, arguing that he must remove himself from the case, reports NBC News. Citing Susan Burke, the attorney representing Midshipman 'Doe', NBC News said that Vice Admiral Michael Miller, superintendent of the academy, personally intervened in the case out of concern for his self-interest. The attorney added that Miller was actively intending to retaliate against her client for that fact that she had harmed the Naval Academy and him. An Article 32 hearing ended Tuesday after eight days of testimony to determine whether or not a court-martial should be convened against the three accused midshipmen.
Vice Adm. Miller Leads Naval Academy
According to an August 3 report from the Associated Press, the 61st superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy took command August 3, pledging to make ethics a priority after financial irregularities were discovered by Navy investigators under his predecessor. Vice Adm. Michael Miller, who served as Navy chief of legislative affairs in Washington, took over at a change-of-command ceremony from Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler. (Source: AP)
Chinese Officials Observe U.S. Navy Exercise
After Chinese military officials observed a large-scale U.S. exercise, several of their American counterparts — on both sea and land — expressed interest in China returning the favor, Stars & Stripes reported. An exchange makes for a more “human” relationship between the two world powers, Lt. Gen. David Deptula said Wednesday. “If something happens, and the leadership knows each other, they can pick up the phone and talk about it,” Deptula said in a video-teleconference broadcast to Andersen Air Force Base. “We would like them to reciprocate. Deptula is running the joint U.S. Navy/Air Force air operations of Valiant Shield this week — the largest exercise of its kind in a decade. He declined comment on a Pentagon report in May that cites Beijing as a potential threat.
