Donald C Winter News

With the strike of a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow by the ship's sponsor, the Navy christened its newest aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the lead ship of the new Gerald R. Ford class, Nov. 9, in a ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. Susan Ford Bales, Ford's daughter and the ship's sponsor, had the honor of christening the ship in front of more than 20,000 Sailors, shipbuilders and civilians, bringing to life the Navy's newest aircraft carrier design in more than 40 years. "I christen thee United States Ship Gerald R.

The Navy will commission the newest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship San Diego during a 10 a.m. PDT ceremony Saturday, May 19, 2012, in San Diego, Calif. The ship is named for the city of San Diego, principal homeport of the Pacific fleet, and honors the people of "America's Finest City" and its leaders for their continuous support of the military. Three previous ships have carried the name San Diego -- the armored cruiser named in 1914, the World War II-era cruiser commissioned in 1942 and the combat stores ship commissioned in 1969. Adm.

Join us for the largest gathering of world renowned scientists, archaeologists, oceanographers, engineers and authors, led by ‘Titanic’ Director and Deep Sea Underwater Explorer and Inventor of Autonomous Underwater 3-D Cameras, James Cameron Discover how underwater exploration, technology and marine forensics have changed history, impacted ship building and affected the way shipwrecks and aviation disasters are discovered and handled. There will be a special dinner speech by the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter, 74th secretary of the Navy and symposium panel discussions, led by leading scientific experts, including Paul Henri Nargeolet, Rear Admiral Eccles, Norman Polmar, and David Jourdan.

The 74th Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter, resigned his office as planned on March 13. Winter had agreed to remain in office until March 13, to ease the transition of the Department of Defense. “As I relinquish my duties as Secretary of the Navy, I count myself blessed for having had the opportunity to serve as your Secretary,” Winter said in a message to the Navy and Marine Corps. Winter became the Secretary of the Navy on Jan. 3, 2006. During his tenure, Winter focused on three priorities: prosecuting the war against terrorist enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan; taking care of wounded Sailors, Marines and their families; and building the future fleet.

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter, right, and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Gary Roughead depart the United States Supreme Court after giving testimony for the use of sonar in naval training exercises off the coast of . The Supreme Court will decide a dispute between the U.S. Navy and conservationists over sonar use during naval training exercises off the coast of . U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin S. O'Brien

Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter announced Aug. 19 that Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard won the Department of the Navy's Fiscal Year 2008 Safety Excellence Award. This is the second consecutive year the shipyard earned the DON Safety Excellence Award. In 2007, the shipyard was recognized for achieving elite "Star" status under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Programs. The 2008 award is for "Safety Ashore" in the industrial category. The annual award is the Navy's most prestigious safety award. It recognizes Navy and Marine Corps commands that demonstrate exceptional operational excellence by sustained mission success with simultaneous exemplary safety performance. This is the seventh year these awards have been presented.

The Navy's newest ship, the future USS Freedom (LCS 1), will be commissioned Nov. 8 at Veteran's Memorial Park in . The commissioning date set by Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter, was announced by the commissioning committee Aug. 18 in . "This is a huge milestone, another milestone in the life of USS Freedom," said Cmdr. Michael Doran, prospective commanding officer of Freedom's Gold Crew. The littoral combat ship was designed to provide the U.S. Navy with greater flexibility and capability in operating in the littoral or "green water" coastal areas.

Military Sealift Command’s dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Lewis and Clark won the 2008 Department of the Navy safety excellence award in the Military Sealift Command category, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced yesterday. The 689-ft. ship is currently operating out of Norfolk, Va., and is crewed by 124 civil service mariners and a small military detachment of 11 active-duty Navy sailors. Lewis and Clark’s crew was recognized for developing new operational procedures…

The U.S. Navy's commissioned the latest guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) at 's Locust Point Cruise terminals Aug. 9 - the fourth time in naval history that a ship bears this name. The ship can now directly support the Navy's effort to execute the maritime strategy. During the ceremony, Greg Sterett, a descendant of the ship's namesake Lt. Andrew Sterett, was dressed in a colonial naval uniform, and left the 19th century warship USS Constellation, normally anchored in 's , to board the modern warship. He brought with him not just his family name, but the spirit of his ancestor.

The first of the Navy's littoral combat ships, LCS-1 Freedom, got underway for builder trials on on July 28. Builder trials test the ship's propulsion, communications, navigation and mission systems. The LCS is designed to defeat threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. "LCS is a transformational program. It provides the first capability we've had to really be able to perform in littoral regions the way we believe we're going to need to over the next many years given all the challenges that we see worldwide in littoral regions…

On June 23, 2008, the Supreme Court accepted a request by the Navy that the Court review a series of lower court rulings that restrict the Navy's use of sonar in training exercises off the coast of . The original injunction, handed down in August 2007 by a U.S. District Court in and later amended, was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in February. In March, the Navy requested the review that the Supreme Court has now accepted. "My primary job is to ensure that Navy ships in the Pacific are prepared to fight and win in combat," said Vice Adm. Samuel J. Locklear, Commander, U.S.

Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter visited Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Makin Island (LHD 8) May 29, as part of a scheduled Gulf Coast visit. Winter toured the Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (NGSB) facility and spaces aboard . His primary goal for the tour was to review updates on the overall shipbuilding activities at NGSB and for a status assessment of what's happening with . "The overall integration of combat systems in particular was most helpful, and I think it helped gauge not only where we are right now but where we'll be in the future," Winter said.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Kevin S. Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter announced on May 7 at a ceremony in , the name of the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be USS Michael Murphy. Designated as DDG 112, the name honors Lt. Michael Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wing, in on June 28, 2005. "Michael Murphy's name which will be forever synonymous with astonishing courage under fire will now be associated with one of the U.S.

By Lt. The Navy's newest nuclear-powered submarine, USS North Carolina (SSN 777), was brought to life May 3 during a commissioning ceremony held in its namesake state at the . The ship's sponsor, Mrs. Linda Anne Rich Bowman, wife of Admiral Frank L. "Skip" Bowman, retired U.S. "You're a team and ready to go forth and defend this country," said Bowman. "My hope is that she (USS North Carolina) will sail in peace to keep us free. The ceremony included speeches made by local and congressional politicians as well as flag officers of the submarine force. The Secretary of the Navy Donald C.

The Navy's newest attack submarine will be commissioned May 3, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at . Designated SSN 777, the fourth submarine of the Virginia-class will bear the name to honor the Tar Heel State. The submarine will be the fourth ship of the U.S. Navy to bear the name . The first was a 74-gun ship-of-the-line that served from 1820 to 1836. The second was a Tennessee-class armored cruiser that was built at the shipyard and served from 1908 to 1921. The third was the first of the Navy's modern battleships, serving from 1940 to 1947, earning 12 battle stars for service during World War II. The battleship now serves in , , as a memorial for all who served in World War II. Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter will deliver the ceremony's principal address.

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics laid the keel for USNS Wally Schirra, the eighth dry cargo-ammunition ship in the U.S. Navy’s T-AKE program. Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter recently named the ship in honor of the late Navy captain and original NASA pioneer. The Wally Schirra is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the third quarter of 2009. On April 21, NASSCO will begin construction of the ninth ship of the Lewis and (T-AKE) class. The ship will be named later and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in the first quarter of 2010. “From keel-laying to delivery, NASSCO is significantly reducing the T-AKE build cycle with each subsequent ship and providing substantial cost savings to the Navy,” said Frederick J.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Kevin S. Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter, arrived on March 23 for a three-day visit in as a guest of the Israel Ministry of Defense and the Israel Navy Commander in Chief, Vice Admiral Eli Marum. This visit is a continuation of the strong ties and extensive collaboration between the and U.S. Naval Forces. This is Winter's first visit in as the Secretary of the Navy. His first visit to the country was in 1998 when he arrived with a delegation of U.S. Military Industry Seniors. During his stay, he met with the Minister of Defense, Mr. Ehud Barak, Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi, General Manager of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Mr.

The Navy League's 2008 Sea-Air-Space Exposition, appropriately themed "Global Maritime Security," will be held at the Marriot Wardman Park Hotel in , March 18-20. The goal of the exposition is to provide up-to-the-minute developments on policy and programs of the maritime services, with speakers that include Secretary of Defense the Honorable Dr. Robert M. Gates, Secretary of the Navy the Honorable Dr. Donald C. Winter and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead. The expo will also showcase national and international maritime exhibits of the latest in sea power technology.

Mrs. Deborah Mullen, ships sponsor for the precommissioning unit Dewey (DDG 105) christens the newest Aegis-class destroyer, striking the traditional champagne bottle across the ship's bow at Northrop Grumman Systems Shipyard, Pascagoula, Miss., Jan. 26, 2008. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad J. By Fred W. The ship's freshly painted gray hull gave up only a hollow "clunk" as the bottle she gripped with both hands in baseball-bat fashion glanced off its edge.

The Honorable Donald C. Winter, Secretary of the Navy, and several reporters visited the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Jan. 26 to observe how the Navy conducts Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training using mid-frequency, active sonar while protecting marine life. The strike group is off the coast of Southern California conducting the training under the terms of a preliminary injunction that was partially and temporarily stayed in federal district court. The strike group was participating in a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) to prepare it for an overseas deployment. "It is incredibly important for me to stay current on what is happening and see the changes that are implemented," Winter said.

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Donald C. Winter announced Jan. 30 the names of three Virginia class submarines -- the Missouri, California and Mississippi. The selection of Missouri honors the continuous support of the military by the people of the "Show Me State," and its leaders. Designated SSN 780, Missouri is the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state. The last Missouri (BB 63), a U.S. Navy battleship, saw action in World War II, Korean War and the 1991 Gulf War. Missouri was also the site where Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz and Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and many other U.S. and Allied officers, accepted the unconditional surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War II on Sept. 2, 1945.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Kevin S. The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), Donald C. Winter, came aboard USS Virginia (SSN 774) and spent the day touring the ship and meeting the crew. This was Winter's first underway visit aboard a Virginia-class submarine. Winter's message to the ship's Sailors was one of thanks for their commitment and contribution to the nation's defense during his day-long visit. "First, I would like to thank all of you for your diligence and hard work. This is always a treat for me to come and visit the Sailors in the fleet," Winter said. Winter also awarded and pinned two Sailors for achieving their submarine warfare qualification.

Secretary of the Navy Dr. Donald C. Winter announced the naming of the seventh and eighth Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ships (T-AKE) as Carl Brashear and Wally Schirra. The T-AKEs are owned and operated by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command. The selection of Carl Brashear, designated T-AKE 7, honors Master Chief Boatswain's Mate (Master Diver) Carl M. Brashear, who joined the U.S. Navy in 1948. He was a pioneer in the Navy as the first black deep-sea diver, the first black master diver and the first U.S. Navy diver to be restored to full active duty as an amputee, the result of a leg injury he sustained during a salvage operation. After 31 years of service, Brashear officially retired from the U.S. Navy on April 1, 1979.