Crowley Scholarships to Four USMMA Cadets
Four U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadets were awarded with 2017 Thomas B. Crowley Memorial Scholarships during yesterday’s Containerization and Intermodal Institute’s Connie Awards luncheon in Newark, N.J. Jenny Terpenning, supervisor, marine recruiting at Crowley Maritime Corporation, presented the scholarships to Midshipmen (MIDN) Joshua Cann, Vincent Policastro, Rebecca Snyder and Benjamin Starr while also formally recognizing 2016 recipient Chandler Chiappe, all of whom were chosen based on their academic performance…
US Navy: Bigger is Better, but at What Cost?
The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.
Arunta Replenishes as Part of Combined Maritime Force
Deployed to the Middle East region, HMAS Arunta recently completed her first underway replenishment in the Gulf of Aden, in company with United States Naval Ship Walter S. Diehl and Pakistani Naval Ship Shamsheer. Arunta’s Navigating Officer, Lieutenant Stuart McPherson enjoyed the opportunity to conduct a replenishment with Walter S. Diehl. With Arunta on Walter S. Diehl’s port side and Shamsheer on her starboard side, both frigates simultaneously refuelled from Walter S. Diehl’s bunkers. “Opportunities like this are a great way to gain valuable experience and learn how other navies operate. I look forward to working with both ships again in the future,” Lieutenant McPherson said.
US Navy Supply Ships Collide in Indian Ocean
Two U.S. Navy supply ships collided in the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean early on Thursday, but no crew members were injured and initial reports suggested the vessels suffered only minor damage, the force said in a statement. It gave no reason for the collision between the ships which provide logistical support for the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, a deployment covering the Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea from its base in Bahrain. The fleet is also part of a multi-national naval force protecting shipping against piracy.
MSC ships Deliver Humanitarian Relief to Indonesia
Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Richard E. Byrd and fleet replenishment oiler USNS Walter S. Diehl delivered urgently needed supplies, equipment and fuel off the coast of Indonesia Oct. 10 - 14, in response to the deadly earthquakes that struck the region Sept. 30. At the request of the government of Indonesia and the U.S. Department of State, the Navy - including MSC - joined other branches of the U.S. military, international relief organizations and Indonesia's military to deliver food, fresh water and medical supplies to remote mountain villages. The U.S. Air Force also established a field hospital which treated more than 2,000 patients.
Juneau Transitions from Trials to Workups
USS Juneau (LPD 10), the amphibious transport dock ship of the USS Essex (LHD 2) Expeditionary Strike Group, completed the initial workup process with the Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Oct. During the workups, which began when Juneau departed White Beach Naval Facility Sept. 29 after onloading Marines and their equipment, the ship and its crew have recovered landing craft, air cushions (LCACs), embarked a landing craft utility (LCU), certified Marine pilots for deck landings (DLQs), and launched and recovered combat rubber raiding crafts (CRRCs). The successful workups come after the ship recently exited a three-month ship’s restricted availability (SRA) period, in which Juneau underwent an overhaul with much of its systems and overall material condition.
