Navy Region Southwest News

U.S. Navy ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) caught fire on Sunday morning while it was moored pier side at Naval Base San Diego.According to the U.S. Navy, 21 people were being treated for light injuries on Sunday.The Navy said in a statement: "Today, we suffered a terrible tragedy aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) when a fire broke out aboard the ship while in port San Diego. At this point, 17 Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital."The remainder of the crew is accounted for.

The City of Los Angeles welcomed more than 1,200 Sailors and Marines to the Los Angeles and San Pedro area for a week-long tribute to the sea services during the fourth annual Los Angeles Fleet Week Aug. 27-Sept. 2.Los Angeles Fleet Week offers the public an opportunity to tour Naval ships, engage with service members, and enjoy a variety of displays and events throughout the week. It also gives the public an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the sea services and how they support our country’s national defense strategy.“The port of LA is the largest port in the country…

Vice Adm. Mary M. Jackson relieved Vice Adm. Dixon R. Smith at a change of command ceremony for Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) March 31, at the Washington Navy Yard. The ceremony included the presentation of colors by the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard color guard, national anthem by the U.S. Navy Band and remarks from guest speaker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson. "While here, I've witnessed firsthand the tremendous dedication of our civilians and Sailors who support the fleet, warfighters and their families," said Smith. Smith served as the head of the Navy's entire shore infrastructure for approximately two and a half years and was the fifth commander of CNIC since the command's inception in 2003.

The officers and crew of guided missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) were named as the recipients of the 2014 Navy Region Southwest "Project Good Neighbor" flagship award for medium-sized sea duty commands, Sept. 29. Princeton was one of eight Navy Region Southwest units recognized for their volunteerism and community service in an official naval message released by Rear Adm. Patrick Lorge, commander, Navy Region Southwest. Led by Lt. John Quay, the ship's command chaplain, Princeton Sailors leveraged their experience with community relations projects while deployed last year to create a year-round program to improve the quality of life for the less fortunate in San Diego County. Quay said Princeton Sailors work with Habitat for Humanity at least once a month.

Chief Musician Scott Foote leads the Navy Region Southwest Band in the Italian Heritage parade during San Francisco Fleet Week 2012. San Francisco Fleet Week brought together recently more than 2,500 Sailors, Marines and Coast Gaurdsmen from four ships to the city of San Francisco in order to highlight the personnel, technology and capabilities of the sea services. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tim D. Godbee)

Maritime Museum of San Diego to ceremonially welcome Vietnam War-era Swift Boat P24, September 18, 2012, restoration work to follow. The event, to be attended by 35 Swift Boat Veterans and Mayor Jerry Sanders, among other dignitaries, takes place at the Museum located at 1492 Harbor Drive in downtown San Diego. It marks the first public appearance of the vessel acquired in July from the Republic of Malta. P24 was originally donated by the United States Navy to Malta’s Maritime Squadron in 1971. It continued in service to that country until being retired in 2010.

A multi-agency drill simulating a major oil spill off the coast of San Diego is scheduled to be held Wednesday and Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center. The two-day exercise will involve dozens of participating agencies from around the southern area. The drill is designed to test the response capabilities of the agencies and create a decision-making environment for participants. The joint-agency efforts will be monitored and evaluated in order to identify any areas in need of improvement. Some of the organizations involved are Chevron Corporation, Coast Guard Sector , U.S. Navy Region Southwest, San Diego County Office of Emergency Services and the California Department of Fish and Game's Office of Spill Prevention and Response.

'America's Flagship', USS Constellation (CV 64) was decommissioned Aug. 6 after 41 years, nine months and 11 days of naval service in a ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island. Former President Ronald Reagan presented a Presidential Flag to the ship in 1981, and tagged Constellation with the nickname 'America's Flagship.' Coincidentally, the newly commissioned USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) will replace Constellation when it arrives in San Diego next summer. Lt.j.g. Jenny Krug, combat systems division officer, has been on the crew of a precommissioning unit (PCU), but never part of a decommissioning crew. "It's really interesting working the opposite side of a PCU," said Krug.

At a ceremony to honor Vietnam veterans, service members and their families observe a Vietnam Memorial Monument on board Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. The ceremony was held to honor Navy and Coast Guard personnel who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. U.S. By Journalist 3rd Class Cynthia R. SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- A monument dedicated to Navy and Coast Guard veterans who fought and died supporting brown water and other naval operations in Vietnam was unveiled May 21 at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. More than 700 people attended the unveiling of the 66 feet-long and 8 feet-tall monument, which displayed 26 panels listing the names, ranks, hometowns, units and dates of death of all the veterans who took part in brown water operations in Vietnam from 1960 to 1975.

Commander Pacific Fleet Adm. Robert Willard discussed the Navy’s evolving maritime strategy and the shift of emphasis from the Atlantic to the Pacific Fleet during a breakfast meeting in San Diego on June 21. During the morning address to local military and civilian leaders, Willard discussed the changing approach of the U.S. Navy in regard to its maritime strategy. The strategy is one that strikes a balance between what he called “high-end warfare” and “low-end warfare” that is playing out in the Pacific area of responsibility that includes Iraq, Afghanistan and the southern Philippines. He characterized “high end” by acknowledging the deterrent and dissuasion effect the Navy has with its forward forces in the Pacific…

Commodore of Submarine Squadron 11, Capt. Paul N. Jaenichen, relieved the commanding officer of USS Helena (SSN 725), Cmdr. William A. Schwalm, due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command May 16. Cmdr. Daryl L. Caudle will serve as the temporary commanding officer of Helena. Caudle commanded the USS Jefferson City (SSN 759) and currently serves as the deputy commander for Submarine Squadron 11. Schwalm will be temporarily assigned to Navy Region Southwest. Helena, the 37th submarine of the Los Angeles class, is assigned to Submarine Squadron 11 and homeported in San Diego. It is named for the city of Helena, Montana, and is the fourth U.S. ship to bear the name. Helena was commissioned July 11, 1987. From Submarine Force Representative West Coast Public Affairs

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Commander, Navy Region Southwest Asia (CNRSWA), hosted an oil spill response workshop and exercise April 3-5 at Naval Support Activity Bahrain. This exercise brought together different organizations that need to be involved in responding to a potential oil spill in the region. “The primary goal of the workshop was to educate and familiarize participants with the CNRSWA and Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet response plans and available resources that may be used,” said Awni Almasri, CNRSWA regional environmental coordinator and Navy on-scene commander for CNRSWA. Several organizations participated in the training including CNRSWA Environmental Department, U.S.

Vice President Dick Cheney spoke to approximately 3,200 Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1 Sailors, Marines and family members on May 23. While aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), where the event was hosted, Cheney thanked the ESG 1 service members for their hard work in supporting the war on terror and providing humanitarian aid to Pakistan after an October 2005 earthquake there killed more than 70,000 people. "This operation would not have been possible without the effort of ESG 1," said Cheney. Rear Adm. Michael LeFever, commander, ESG 1, said that helping out those in need in Pakistan was different because it was a non-combatant role, but it was a wonderful experience for him and the ESG 1 crew. "It was really a great opportunity to help out.