Page 8. MAINE COASTAL NEWS January 2016 U. S. NAVY NEWS


science, geospatial information science, astrometry, Earth orientation and precise time.


Sunset Tribute Honors Sailors Lost Aboard USS Utah


By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gabrielle Joyner, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Hawaii PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Pearl Harbor survivors, World War II veterans and guests gathered at the USS Utah Memorial for a sunset tribute on Joint Base Pearl Har- bor-Hickam, Dec. 6.


The event, hosted by Pearl Harbor Li- aison retired Master Chief Yeoman James Taylor, commemorated the 74th anniversary of those who bravely served on the Flori- da-class battleship and honored the 58 crew members still entombed aboard the sunken vessel.


GULFPORT, Miss. (Dec 5 , 2015) Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus delivers remarks during the christening ceremony for the Navy’s newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship, USS Jackson (LCS 6), in Gulfport, Miss. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sam Shavers/Released)


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its post-shakedown availability period (PSA) in which the ship’s crew and con- tractors make improvements to the ship’s design. About 20 percent of the work being performed is the normal maintenance as- sociated with PSAs for newly constructed ships. The rest of the maintenance consists of the upgrades designed to support the JSF. “When this ship was built, Joint Strike Fighter testing was underway, most recently on the USS Wasp based on the East Coast at the time,” said America’s Commanding Offi cer Capt. Michael W. Baze. “The lessons learned during the Wasp testing periods, lessons about the long-term sustainability of our ship fl ight decks during JSF operations as compared with the legacy AV-8B Harri- er, are being incorporated into America’s design. These changes will become a part of subsequent LHA/LHDs moving forward, for example our follow-on LHA ship the Tripoli; currently in construction.” The new thermal coatings will allow America, and subsequent ships of the class, to handle the new JSF’s thrust and reduce heat sent to decks below allowing for longer time between deck maintenance. “The beauty of the thermal spray is it is designed to wear a lot better under these types of conditions,” said Baze. “The con of thermion is it does costs a little more than the traditional non-skid we use in other parts of the ship that do not have to support Joint Strike Fighter landings.”


“As Marine Corps plankowners of America, we are all excited about the improvements being made to America in support of the Joint Strike Fighter,” said U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Offi cer 4 Shane Duhe, America’s mobility Combat Cargo Offi cer. “This is because we will become one of the fi rst ships to have the Joint Strike Fighter with us in an operational environ- ment. What this is going to do for all of us, with the Navy-Marine Corps team, is it’s going to greatly increase the strike capability that Marine air-ground task forces bring to the fi ght.” The America-class amphibious assault ships have the largest aviation support spaces of all amphibious warships, and are therefore capable of supporting the most ad- vance Marine Corps aircraft, soon to include the JSF.


“All the extra aviation volume and space translates into our ability to stay on station longer, support what we call ‘faster sortie accomplishment rate’ in aviation terms,” said Baze. “That’s how fast and how


often we can launch aircraft off this ship and keep them fl ying.”


America is currently moored at Naval Base San Diego and scheduled to be in PSA until early next year. Every new ship conducts a PSA that is designed to harness results of a thorough test and evaluation period and pave the way to operational em- ployment.


Oceanographer of the Navy Celebrates 185th Naval Oceanography Birthday By Brian Leshak, Offi ce of the Oceanographer of the Navy


WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Offi ce of the Oceanographer of the Navy celebrated the 185th anniversary of Naval Oceanography and the 50th anniversary the meteorology and oceanography (METOC) designator was implemented, Dec. 4, during an award ceremony held at the U.S. Naval Observa- tory.


Following the opening ceremony Oceanographer of the Navy, Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet presented the 2015 Naval Ocean- ography Awards. The Naval Oceanography Awards recognize Naval Oceanography professionals for their expertise, accom- plishments, and leadership in the application of meteorology, oceanography, hydrogra- phy and precise time and astrometry. The awardees are: The Capt. Richard


C. Steere Award: Lt. Nicolaas Verhoeven, Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center. The Commander Mary Seas Award: Lt.


Cmdr. Douglas W. Pearman, commander, Carrier Strike Group One Chief Aerographers Mate John R. Dun-


gan Award: Senior Chief Aerographers Mate Anthony Mazzulo, Fleet Weather Center San Diego


Matthew Henson Award: Megan Hutchins, Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center


and G Streets in Northwest Washington. The depot served as the fi rst master time reference for the Navy and as a storage fa- cility for navigation charts and equipment. It also worked on precise time and celestial mapping and sponsored the fi rst Naval activ- ities in hydrographic survey, oceanography, marine meteorology and climatology and geospatial information science. That depot later became known as the U.S. Naval Ob- servatory, as it still known today. Naval Oceanography encompasses a wide range of missions crucial to supporting today’s Naval fl eet. They include oceanog- raphy, hydrography, meteorology, climate


Naval Oceanography was founded in 1830, located inside a two-room house on 17th


Among those in attendance was Pearl Harbor survivor, retired Chief Petty Offi cer Gil Meyer, one of the crew members serving aboard USS Utah on the fateful morning of Dec. 7, 1941. Taylor recounted Meyer’s story of that day.


“After the ship was hit by torpedoes, rolled over and sank, Gil Meyer slid off the bottom of the ship and swam ashore, dodging bullets from strafi ng aircrafts,” said Taylor. “Soon after the attack he was assigned to the light-cruiser USS Detroit and remained on the ship throughout the war. Gil says it was a hair-raising experience to be on board one of the fi rst ships to enter Tokyo Bay.”


Also present was special guest Mary


Wagner Kreigh. Mary and her twin sister Nancy Lynne were born prematurely Aug. 29, 1937 to Chief Yeoman Albert T.D. Wag- ner, also assigned to the USS Utah. Nancy lived only two days and on the morning of Dec. 7, Wagner had her ashes in his locker while waiting for a chaplain to come aboard and perform the traditional Navy burial at sea; But the surprise attack on Pearly Harbor Dec. 7, changed everything as baby Nancy went down with the ship, along with over 50 crew members.


“The Utah lies on her side like a rusted metal giant guarding her cherished treasures entombed within her bowels like a mother guarding her children. She is at peace, as are her charges.


Their bed is an azure carpet, their blan- ket is a gentle breeze, and their lullaby is the whispering wind. The scene is breathtaking. It is beautiful, wondrous and serene. Thank you my brave warriors for taking such good care of my twin sister. It is my wish to join her when my time comes. We started life together and we should spend eternity together,” wrote Mary in an emotional poem about USS Utah and her sister.


After the tribute, the guests stood in rev- erence for the sounding of taps, followed by the presentation of the wreaths to the Pearl Harbor survivors and special guests. Rainey McKenna, an offi cer for The National Park Service, said she felt the event was intimate and moving, and felt honored to be have been able to have a conversation with one of the Pearl Harbor survivors, Delton “Wally” Walling.


“He is a wonderful human, very warm, very inviting, and I was able to hear some of his stories about his time and where he was when this happened,” said McKenna. “They gave me insight into an experi-


ence that I don’t have a lot of familiarity with and many of these stories are new to me, so it was a chance to really hear what the day was like and what it meant to him. It was a wonderful thing to be here with our [Pearl Harbor] survivors, to share this moment at the USS Utah”


McKenna also mentioned the tribute would be one of the events shared on Dec. 7, 2015, on a live stream program. “We are on an island and there is only so many who can join us here on this special day, but there is so much interest and we’ve had people inquiring about this and planning on joining the live feed from all over the world,” said McKenna. “This is something that touched many people. It was part of a greater story and there’s this interest that still persists in what happened here that day, and I think its something that we can share with thousands if not millions of people.”


USS Jackson (LCS 6) Commissioned By MC2 Kathleen L. Church


GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- The crew of USS Jackson (LCS 6) ushered in a new era in naval warfare, Dec. 5, as the ship was brought to life before a crowd of nearly 10,000.


“I hereby place United States Ship Jackson in commission. May God bless and guide this warship and all who sail in it,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, who helped name the ship in 2011. “This certainly ranks right up there with great days that I’ve had.”


Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran’s


daughter, Dr. Kate Cochran, was the ship’s sponsor. It’s the fi rst ship to bear the name of Mississippi’s capital city. The name held a special meaning for many of those at the commissioning.


“For it to be named after the city, the capital of the state in which you were born, is even more of a phenomenal feeling,” said Command Senior Chief Ken Ballard. Ballard and 52 other crewmembers will man missions aboard the Jackson, one of the fastest and most technologically advanced warships in the world.


“They’re providing incredible pres-


ence. They’re providing lethality. They’re providing a lot of things that the United States Navy needs today and is going to need for years in the future,” said Mabus. For the crew, the commissioning was the culmination of three years of hard work. A fast, agile, and high-technology sur- face combatant, Jackson will act as a plat- form for launch and recovery of manned and unmanned vehicles. Its modular design will support interchangeable mission packages, allowing the ship to be reconfi gured for anti- submarine warfare, mine warfare, or surface warfare missions on an as-needed basis. The littoral combat ship (LCS) will be able to swap out mission packages, adapt- ing as the tactical situation demands. These ships will also feature advanced networking capability to share tactical information with other Navy aircraft, ships, submarines and joint units.


The brand new 417 foot ship weighs in at 3,100 tons. It can travel at speeds in excess of 40 knots. The USS Jackson will be home ported at Naval Base San Diego.


USNS Maury Completes Acceptance Trials


By Team Ships Public Affairs


PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- USNS Maury (T-AGS 66) completed Acceptance Trials, Nov. 6, following a week of extensive ship tests and underway events. The T-AGS 66 Acceptance Trials, the


fi nal evaluation of the ship prior to delivery, included testing of major propulsion, auxil- iary, damage control and deck systems. “As a result of dedicated effort and


preparation, T-AGS 66 performed very well at Acceptance Trials this week,” said Mike Kosar, the support ships, boats, and


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