Page 22. MAINE COASTAL NEWS September 2015 U. S. Navy News Continued from Page 8.


third-class petty offi cer, and in the Korean War he was a captain with the Marine Corps 1st Marine Air Wing serving as a Ground Communications Offi cer.


“Let them know of your presence and your determination to defend freedom,” said Warner, as he addressed the audience and the ship’s crew. “Defend the sea lanes of the world which are the very arteries of international commerce. Manned by our submarines, our surface ships, and naval aircraft, we are carefully working to keep those sea lanes open - not just for us but for all.”


The keynote speaker for the com- missioning ceremony was Adm. Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations. “This boat is the latest incarnation


of American sea power, and is a strategic asset for this country,” said Greenert. “This affords us what we refer to as global access, and it is fundamental to any mission that you ask your military to do. Frankly, we are challenged in space, we are challenged in cyber, we are challenged in the air and we are challenged on the surface. We are not currently challenged in the undersea. We own the undersea domain. We must keep that situation as we go into the future.” John Warner is the second of eight


Block III Virginia-class submarines to be built. The Block III submarines are built with new Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower costs and increase missile-fi ring payload possibilities. The fi rst 10 Block I and Block II Virginia-class submarines have 12 individual 21-inch diameter vertical launch tubes able to fi re Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMS). The Block III submarines are built with two-larger 87-inch diameter tubes housing six TLAMS each. “You are at a formative stage as a crew,”


said Vice Adm. Michael Connor, Command- er, Submarine Forces. “If you approach your important duties with the same commitment


as your namesake there is no doubt that the USS John Warner will enjoy a lifetime of future accomplishments that parallels the future trajectory of Petty Offi cer Third Class John Warner.”


And when Cmdr. Daniel B. Caldwell, commanding offi cer, asked Mrs. Warner to bring the ship to life, USS John Warner joined the Navy’s submarine force. As the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, the submarine can operate in both littoral and deep ocean environments and presents combatant com- manders with a broad and unique range of operational capabilities. John Warner is a fl exible, multi-mission platform designed to carry out the seven core competencies of the submarine force: anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; delivery of special operations forces; strike warfare; irregular warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and mine warfare. The submarine is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. It will operate for 33 years without ever refu- eling.


“The commissioning of the USS John


Warner marks the beginning of what is expected to be 40 years of distinguished service for this great submarine - a fi tting tribute to a man who served his nation for so long as a Sailor, a Marine, a United States Senator and, as one of my most esteemed predecessors as Secretary of the Navy,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “This ceremony is not only a celebration of a man who dedicated so much of his life to his country and to the Department of the Navy, but also a reminder of the partnership our Navy shares with the shipbuilding industry in Senator Warner’s home state of Virginia and the continued success of the Virgin- ia-class attack submarine program.” Construction on John Warner began April 29, 2009; the submarine’s keel was


authenticated during a ceremony on March 16, 2013; and the submarine was christened during a ceremony Sept. 6, 2014.


Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Carson City (JHSV7) Keel Authenticated From Team Ships Public Affairs


MOBILE, Ala. (NNS) -- The keel of the future USNS Carson City (JHSV 7) was au- thenticated during a ceremony at the Austal USA shipyard here today.


The keel was authenticated by the Mayor of Carson City, the Honorable Robert Crowell. By etching his initials into the keel plate, Crowell confi rmed that the “keel” of the ship had been “truly and fairly laid.” Today’s ceremony serves to recognize the joining together of a ship’s components, representing a major milestone in the ship’s construction. “We’re honored to have Mayor Crowell of Carson City give life to the ship by au- thenticating its keel,” said Capt. Henry Ste- vens, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Offi ce, Ships. Joint high speed vessels are versatile, non-combatant vessels designed to operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, in- creasing operational fl exibility for a wide range of activities including maneuver and sustainment, relief operations in small or damaged ports, fl exible logistics support, or as the key enabler for rapid transport. They are capable of interfacing with roll-on/ roll-off discharge facilities, as well as on/ off-loading vehicles such as a fully com- bat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank. JHSVs support a variety of missions including the overseas contingency opera- tions, conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, supporting special oper- ations forces, and supporting emerging joint seabasing concepts.


JHSVs provide fast intra-theater transportation of troops, military vehicles and equipment. Each JHSV is capable of transporting 600 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. Each vessel includes a fl ight deck to support day and night aircraft launch and recovery op- erations. Brunswick will have airline style seating for 312 embarked forces with fi xed berthing for 104.


As one of the Defense Department’s


largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the develop- ment and procurement of all destroyers, am- phibious ships, special mission and support ships, and special warfare craft.


National Naval Aviation Museum


DISCOUNT POWER TOOLS CORDED POWER TOOLS CORDLESS POWER TOOLS FUELED POWER TOOLS PNEUMATIC POWER TOOLS FASTENERS HAND TOOLS


MATERIAL HANDLING


POWER TOOL ACCESSORIES SAFETY SUPPLIES WELDING SUPPLIES


Ensures USS Forrestal “Trial by Fire” Accident is Forever Remembered From National Naval Aviation Museum PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The two na- val aviators were on hand Tuesday at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola to examine a section of their historic ship that was recently added to the museum’s collec- tion. The USS Forrestal (CVA 59) suffered a devastating fi re and resulting explosions from a rocket accident on July 29, 1967 which killed 134 Sailors and injured 161. “Since the decision to scrap Forrestal


(CV 59), the museum has sought to obtain this stern plate,” said Robert Macon, the museum’s acting director. “Every single aircraft that landed on the ship passed over it and to have a section of the ship that was the foundation for the modern supercarriers of today on display will be of great interest to our visitors.” Workers at All Star Metals in Browns-


ville, Texas, where the ship arrived for scrapping in February 2014, cut away the stern plate, which has been part of the ship


since her commissioning in 1955. It arrived in Pensacola just days before the 48th anni- versary.


Retired naval aviators Rear Adm. Peter Booth and Capt. C. Flack Logan were fi ghter pilots serving on board the aircraft carrier that day which was operating off the coast of Vietnam when catastrophe struck. A Zuni rocket loaded on one aircraft impacted an ex- ternal fuel tank of another airplane, starting a fi re on the fl ight deck that caused bombs on fully-loaded aircraft spotted for launch to detonate.


Observing what was happening around him from the cockpit of his F-4 Phantom II, positioned along the starboard edge of the fl ight deck aft of the ship’s island, Logan climbed out and jumped onto the fl ight deck. Running forward, he was caught in the explosion of a 1,000-pound bomb, the force throwing him against the island. From his squadron’s ready room below decks, Booth made his way to the catwalk and beheld the inferno.


“During that fi rst few minutes, many proud and dedicated Sailors died with more to follow in the hours to come.” In addi- tion to the signifi cant crew casualties, the fi re destroyed 21 airplanes and the ship’s survivability was in doubt during the mass casualty.


In addition to Booth, who later in his career commanded the carrier, and Logan, the survivors included among others future Senator John S. McCain III, and future (and now retired) Commander Pacifi c Fleet Adm. Ron Zlatoper.


NHHC Offers Publication Now Avail- able in eBook


WASHINGTON – A number of Naval His- tory and Heritage Command’s publications are now available as eBooks. Those wishing to know more about their Navy’s history and heritage can now download several books on mobile devices – for free! From Joshua L. Wick, Naval History and Heritage Command Communication and Outreach Division


These volumes from The U.S. Navy and the Vietnam War series are the fi rst NHHC publications available in two free formats users can download. Currently available are: The Approaching Storm: Confl ict in Asia, 1945–1965;


The Battle Behind Bars: Navy and Ma- rine POWs in the Vietnam War; Navy Medicine in Vietnam: Passage to Freedom to the Fall of Saigon; Nixon’s Trident: Naval Power in South-


east Asia, 1968–1972.


Readers of U.S. Navy history can download free copies of the above listed publication from NHHC’s website here - http://www.history.navy.mil/research/ publications/recent-publications.html.The eBooks are available as MOBI version for Kindle devices and the EPUB version for most other readers.


This is a major leap forward in NHHC’s


effort to improve access to its content and history holdings. Between 2009–2010, the command only offered four publications available for download and only in PDF forms. With these releases, NHHC enables the command to better meet its goals of pro- viding access to its published information and content. There are future plans to make other NHHC publication available. NHHC publications are frequently held by university and large public libraries, where they are available for reading and check-out. Items not available at your local library can generally be obtained using inter- library loan. Researchers are encouraged to consult the staff of their local library if they are unable to locate these publications.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31