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


Secretary of the Navy Names Expeditionary Sea Base Ship From Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the Navy’s newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, T-ESB 4, will be named USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams during a ceremony in Charleston, West Virginia, Jan. 14. Hershel “Woody” Williams, the ship’s namesake, was born in West Virginia and joined the Marine Corps following the attack on Pearl Harbor.


In 1944, after serving in Guadalcanal and Guam, he joined the campaign in Iwo Jima. Two days after arriving on the island, Williams picked up a 70-pound fl amethrow- er and walked ahead of his infantry’s tanks for four hours clearing their path of enemy machine gun fi re. President Harry S. Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor two years later for his actions. Williams served during the Battle of Iwo Jima until he was wounded in March of 1945. He returned to the United States, was awarded a Purple Heart and released from active duty. Later, he served in the Marine Corps Reserves for 17 years. Williams is the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of Iwo Jima. The new 784-foot-long vessel will feature a 52,000 square foot fl ight deck, fuel and equipment storage, repair spaces, magazines, and mission-planning spaces. Able to accommodate up to 250 person- nel, the new ESB ship will support multiple missions, such as air mine counter mea- sures (AMCM), counter-piracy operations, maritime security operations, humanitarian aid and disaster-relief missions, and crisis response operations.


In addition, the vessel will be capable of supporting MH-53 and MH-60 helicopters, with an option for future upgrades to support MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams will be constructed by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego. The ship is ex- pected to be delivered to the Navy in 2018.


Chief of Naval Research Helps Steer New Tech for the Fleet


By Warren Duffi e, Offi ce of Naval Re- search Public Affairs


ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- On Jan. 13, Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Mat Winter gave the keynote address at the Surface Navy Association’s 28th Annual National Symposium, held in Crystal City, Virginia.


When discussing the Navy’s top sci- ence and technology (S&T) priorities with military, government and industry leaders, Winter refl ected on his college days at the University of Notre Dame.


“When I graduated from Notre Dame 30 years ago, many of the things that the Navy had in the ‘petri dish’ back then, so to speak,


are being used today throughout the fl eet,” said Winter. “The big questions we ask daily at the Offi ce of Naval Research [ONR] are ‘What’s in the petri dish now?’ and ‘How can we be better about developing tomorrow’s technology for our Sailors and Marines?’” The symposium featured defense com- panies, suppliers and military commands exhibiting surface warfare technology and future research and development initiatives. The theme of this year’s symposium


was, “Surface Warfare Strategy: A View Beyond the Horizon.” Keeping with that theme, Winter outlined ONR’s mission; organizational structure and goals; and its investment portfolio, which ranges from quick-reaction projects that take as little as a year to implement within the fl eet, to long-term research that could pay off big in 20 years.


“As the chief of naval research, I’m the chief mad scientist of the Navy,” said Winter. “At ONR, we discover new and exciting knowledge every day. What keeps me up at night is how to get technology to the warfi ghter-and how to make the business and execution of science more effective and effi cient.” Winter highlighted several ONR-spon- sored technologies that are navigating the transition pipeline successfully, including: -Ground-Based Air Defense Directed


Energy On-the-Move program, commonly referred to as GBAD http://www.onr.navy. mil/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2014/ Ground-Based-Air-Defense-Laser.aspx: GBAD is a laser weapon system powerful enough to shoot down enemy unmanned aerial vehicles and small enough to fi t in the back of a Humvee or Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.


-LaWS http://www.onr.navy.mil/ Media-Center/Press-Releases/2014/LaWS- shipboard-laser-uss-ponce.aspx: A ship- board laser weapon system currently aboard USS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15).


-Electromagnetic Railgun http://www.


onr.navy.mil/Media-Center/Press-Releas- es/2015/Railgun-at-Future-Force-EXPO. aspx: This weapon generates high-powered electrical currents to launch projectiles at distances over 100 nautical miles at speeds that exceed Mach 6, or six times the speed of sound. “We’ve also been able to develop and get out various quick-reaction technologies our Sailors can use right away on ships,” said Winter. “These include systems that fi ght corrosion as well as autonomous, ro- botic tools for cleaning and repairing pipes. They’re not sexy technologies, but they help our Sailors perform their missions better and provide the Navy with signifi cant savings.” Winter also discussed ONR’s invest- ment priorities for development of future technology. Among these were directed energy and electric weaponry; cyber dom- inance; electronic warfare; unmanned au- tonomous vehicles that can “swarm” adver-


BATH Maine (Jan. 13, 2016) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson and Master Chief Petty Offi cer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens hold an all-hands call aboard the future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) at Bath Iron Works (BIW) shipyard. During their visit, Richardson and Stevens received an overview of BIW and toured Zumwalt. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Laird/Released)


saries; and synthetic biology, which creates new organisms with specifi c functions, such as threat monitoring. Winter closed his remarks by inviting symposium attendees to check out ONR’s websitehttp://www.onr.navy.mil/ to learn about partnership opportunities. “Within the S&T community, the triad composed of government, industry and ac- ademia is vital to success,” he said. “With your help, we can develop and mature to- morrow’s technology.” The Surface Navy Association was incorporated in 1985 to promote greater coordination and communication among those in the military, business and academic communities who share a common interest in naval surface warfare and to support the activities of Surface Naval Forces.


CNO, MCPON Tour Future Fleet in Pax River and Bath


From Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs


BATH, Maine (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson and Master Chief Petty Offi cer of the Navy (MCPON) Mike Stevens visited facilities at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md. and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine Jan. 13.


Following an all-hands call at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at NAS Patuxent River, Richardson and Stevens got an opportunity to get a fi rsthand look the latest aviation projects under development, including the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, the F-35C Lightning II joint strike fi ghter, and the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS).


CNO thanked an audience of Sailors, Navy Civilians and contractors for their ef- forts in charting the future of Naval Aviation. “We need to connect creativity with produc- tion,” said Richardson. “We need to remove bureaucracy and allow us to be faster - to get great ideas into the fl eet. NAVAIR does that. It’s in your DNA. There is just a tremendous amount of creativity here,” Richardson said. Following the morning a Pax River, Richardson and Stevens travelled to Bath, Maine to tour the future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), and receive an overview of Bath Iron Works shipyard.


“There is so much going on between the Navy and Bath,” said Richardson. “You only have to look to the headlines to understand the impact our shipbuilders have on our national security.”


Naval Academy Midshipman Receives Inaugural Stephen Decatur Award


From U.S. Naval Academy Public Affairs


WASHINGTON (NNS) -- U.S. Naval Acad- emy quarterback Midshipman 1st Class Keenan Reynolds accepted the White House Historical Association’s inaugural Stephen Decatur Award, Jan. 5, at the Historic De- catur House in Washington, D.C. The award was named in honor of War of 1812 hero Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr., and presented on his 237th birthday. It recognizes a young leader in the country who embodies the ideals of honor, courage and commitment set forth by Decatur during the formative years of the United States Navy.


“There’s so much that can be said about what Decatur meant to the Navy and the na- tion,” said Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter. “Stephen Decatur defi ned us as a maritime nation. He left a legacy for all of us to follow.” Carter noted that under Reynolds’ lead- ership as the team captain, the GPA among the football team seniors last semester was 3.13, a higher average than the rest of the Brigade of Midshipmen. “It’s a special team, and he’s a special captain who led them for such a wonderful season,” said Carter. Reynolds fi nished his college football career with a 32-13 (.711) record as Navy’s starting quarterback. Under his leadership, Navy won a record 11 games this fall, in- cluding the recent Military Bowl against the University of Pittsburgh.


“I’m truly honored to be the inaugural winner of this award,” said Reynolds. “I try every day to learn. There are great leaders all around us, so I try every day to learn some- thing new. I go to a school full of leaders. All of them are probably more qualifi ed than I am for this award, so I am very apprecia- tive.”


The Associated Press named Reynolds


a Third Team All-American, and he ranked fi fth in the recent voting for the Heisman Trophy. He is the fi rst quarterback in the history of the Army-Navy game to go 4-0 against the rival academy, and he helped lead the midshipmen to three Command- er-In-Chief trophies.


His 88 career touchdowns and 530 career points are the most in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history, while his 4,559 career rushing yards are the most in FBS history by a quarterback. He is just the sixth player in FBS history to rush and pass for more than 4,000 yards in a career. Former Secretary of the Navy John Dalton presented the award on behalf of the


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