Free Republic

Story Number: NNS040312-16 Release Date: 3/12/2004 12:46:00 PM By Lt. Rachelle McPherson, Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay Public Affairs GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba (NNS) -- Military and civilian personnel from the Naval Hospital (NH) here were awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation during a ceremony Feb. 5. Capt. John S. Edmondson, NH commanding officer, presented the award to the staff on behalf of Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England. “For over a year, the hospital staff has worked hard to accomplish our mission,” said Edmondson. “The staff, without interrupting the routine operations of the hospital, did an outstanding job.” The Naval Hospital...

Story Number: NNS040312-17 Release Date: 3/12/2004 2:40:00 PM From Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Public Affairs NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- At least three Sailors were killed, 24 were treated at area hospitals, and 47 suffered minor injuries March 12, when the bus in which they were traveling collided with a truck on U.S. Route 17 about 20 miles north of Beaufort, S.C. Rescue efforts at the scene of the accident are on-going. The Sailors were from the pre-commissioning unit (PCU)of the guided-missile destroyer PCU Pinckney (DDG 91). Names of those killed in the accident are being withheld pending notification of...

<p>Fox News just announced an accident in South Carolina involving a bus carrying Navy personnel to a memorial service. 3 dead, at least 60 injured.</p>

Story Number: NNS040311-07 Release Date: 3/11/2004 11:33:00 AM From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs HONG KONG (NNS) -- A Sailor assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 195, embarked aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), died March 9 while on liberty here. Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Thomas Francis Doughty, 25, of Nashville, Tenn., was on liberty in Hong Kong and was transported to Fenwick Pier where he stopped breathing. Resuscitation efforts were initiated by three U.S. Navy hospital corpsmen who were on duty at the pier’s first aid station. An ambulance was summoned and arrived four minutes later. Doughty was taken...

Story Number: NNS040311-11 Release Date: 3/12/2004 2:58:00 AM By Journalist 1st Class Daniel J. Calderon, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon brought the their MTV reality show, "The Osbournes," to the Navy March 9, when they visited and toured the USS Missouri (BB 63) Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. “The concierge desk called this morning and asked if we could give a special tour,” said Same Lowe, director of visitor operations at Missouri. “At first, they couldn’t tell us who or even if the people were coming.” By...

Story Number: NNS040311-10 Release Date: 3/12/2004 10:02:00 AM From Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) will make a four-day port visit to Pensacola, Fla., starting March 17. The ship will be open to the public for general visiting. “Pensacola is a great Navy city that, over the years, has been central to naval training. We are extremely pleased to be able to have the JFK visit Pensacola,” said Vice Adm. Gary Roughead, Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet/NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic. The arrival of John F. Kennedy, commanded by...

Story Number: NNS040310-07 Release Date: 3/10/2004 11:12:00 AM By Journalist 2nd Class Kimberly Rodgers, Navy News Service WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Academy award-winning actor Ernest Borgnine spent time with Sailors March 9 at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. During the visit, Borgnine shared with Sailors the influence the Navy has had on his life. After 10 years of naval service during World War II, Borgnine, 87, said he became more responsible. "Being here brought back so many memories," he reminisced, often overcome with emotion. "The idea of being a part of something so enormous taught me how to be...

Story Number: NNS040309-04 Release Date: 3/10/2004 6:19:00 PM By Journalist 2nd Class (SW/AW) R. David Valdez, Public Affairs Center, Norfolk NORFOLK (NNS) -- Today’s Sailors have a valuable resource that can help them plan their careers, take advantage of new information, and take courses that will not only help their military careers, but will also help them outside of the military. This resource is Navy Knowledge Online (NKO). From its Web site, www.nko.navy.mil, Sailors, Marines, Department of the Navy civilians and retirees have access to a centralized point for all kinds of information. Chief Personnelman Joseph Gomez, manpower analyst and...

Story Number: NNS040310-14 Release Date: 3/11/2004 8:59:00 AM By Journalist 1st Class Michael B. Murdock, USS Bridge Public Affairs ABOARD USS BRIDGE (NNS) -- In the early hours of Feb. 24, USS Bridge (AOE 10) cast off mooring lines and began her final underway period as a U.S. Navy vessel. The four-day underway period was needed to complete Ship’s Material Assessment and Readiness Test (SMART) and offload ammunition in preparation for Bridge’s transfer to Military Sealift Command (MSC) ownership. SMART is MSC’s version of the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), and successful completion was required prior to Bridge...

Story Number: NNS040310-05 Release Date: 3/11/2004 3:00:00 PM By Fire Controlman 2nd Class Joseph W. Lovett, USS Port Royal, and Lt. Chris Davis, ESG 1 Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- USS Port Royal (CG 73) returned home to Pearl Harbor March 11 following a six-and-a-half month deployment with Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1. The 350 crew members assigned to Port Royal returned to “the Navy’s best homeport” following operations in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Port Royal deployed Sept. 2 with ESG 1, supporting a Chief of Naval Operations and Commandant of the Marine Corps-sanctioned...

Story Number: NNS040310-02 Release Date: 3/10/2004 8:26:00 AM By Stacey Byington, Naval Station Pascagoula Public Affairs PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- USS Thomas S. Gates (CG 51) will leave its homeport at Naval Station Pascagoula, Pascagoula, Miss., for a five-month deployment March 10. The deployment will cover a variety of missions, including a circumnavigation of the South American continent. Gates’ deployment will include counter-drug operations, high-profile port visits along the eastern Atlantic seaboard; escorting the nation’s newest carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), to her new homeport in San Diego; and international exercises with South American navy ships. “This is an...

Story Number: NNS040310-04 Release Date: 3/10/2004 8:58:00 AM By Stacey Byington, Naval Station Pascagoula Public Affairs PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) will depart its homeport at Naval Station Pascagoula for its final deployment March 10. The ship is scheduled to be decommissioned Sept. 30. While deployed, the ship will initially conduct counter-drug operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and then participate in UNITAS operations off the coast of South America. UNITAS is an annual series of multinational training exercises and operations conducted by the Navy, Marine Corps, Special Operations and U.S. Coast Guard forces...

Story Number: NNS040305-01 Release Date: 3/5/2004 9:40:00 AM From Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Ships and aircraft of the USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) are in the midst of their Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). The exercise, which began Feb. 21, is scheduled to run through mid-March, and will use the Virginia Capes and Jacksonville, Fla., operating areas and training ranges along the East Coast and Gulf Coast of Florida. Additionally, the exercise will involve complex strike group training events, naval surface fire support training and air-to-ground events. COMPTUEX is...

Story Number: NNS040308-15 Release Date: 3/9/2004 12:38:00 AM By Journalist 2nd Class Ahron Arendes, USS Nimitz Public Affairs NORTH ISLAND, Calif. (NNS) -- USS Nimitz (CVN 68) broke the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP) single-day blood donation record Feb. 20 at a blood drive to support service members deployed to the Middle East, military hospitals and clinics, and retirees, and their family members. According to Doreen Rekoski, ASBP blood donor recruiter, in one day, Nimitz Sailors donated 162 pints of blood, breaking the previous record of 133. The record for a two-day blood drive is 204 pints. "The one-day drive...

Story Number: NNS040304-08 Release Date: 3/5/2004 12:03:00 AM By Journalist Seaman Richard Locklear, USS Enterprise Public Affairs ABOARD USS ENTERPRISE, At Sea (NNS) -- As the deployment of USS Enterprise (CVN 65) ended Feb. 29, its crew hosted a “Tiger Cruise” for family and friends to give them a taste of life aboard a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. Approximately 1,500 new Enterprise, also know as "Big E," shipmates embarked for the final leg of the journey home from Mayport, Fla., to the carrier’s homeport of Norfolk, Va. According to Big E’s Tiger Cruise coordinator Lt. Curness Pierre Russell, the Tiger...

Story Number: NNS040305-12 Release Date: 3/7/2004 2:18:00 PM By Journalist 2nd Class Mary Popejoy, Naval Submarine Base Bangor Public Affairs SILVERDALE, Wash. (NNS) -- Naval Submarine Base Bangor has aligned itself with other submarine bases by standing up a Naval Submarine Support Center (NSSC) Feb. 27. The NSSC will be responsible for the whole array of sub support, which covers operational support, material, legal, administration, medical and engineering. The implementation of the NSSC will give submariners one place to go for all their needs. “The NSSC will provide all the submarines on the waterfront with a one-stop reference for submarine...

Story Number: NNS040305-10 Release Date: 3/6/2004 9:02:00 AM By Ensign Graham McAllister, USS Fitzgerald Public Affairs ABOARD USS FITZGERALD (NNS) -- Four Sailors from USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) rescued a 19-year-old woman from drowning Feb. 15. The woman allegedly jumped from the Coronado Bay Bridge and landed 30 yards from Fitzgerald after a 200-foot fall. During a routine security patrol, Duty Section Leader Chief Information Systems Technician (SW/AW) David Gutierrez heard a loud noise in the water near Fitzgerald. Believing a person who had jumped from the bridge caused the noise, Gutierrez quickly notified his chain of command and began...

Story Number: NNS040305-05 Release Date: 3/5/2004 12:26:00 PM By Journalist 1st Class (SW/AW) AnTuan Guerry, National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs BALTIMORE (NNS) -- Surgeon General of the Navy Vice Adm. Michael Cowan and more than 40 staff members from various congressional offices visited hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) March 1. Congressman Benjamin Cardin of Maryland’s Third Congressional District also paid a surprise visit to the ship and its crew. Comfort’s primary mission is to provide an afloat, mobile, acute-surgical medical facility for the U.S. military to support expeditionary warfare. The visit allowed the staffers to view firsthand the...

Story Number: NNS040306-01 Release Date: 3/6/2004 10:40:00 PM From Navy News Service BALTIMORE (NNS) -- Reservists from Naval Reserve Center Baltimore assisted in the rescue of more than a dozen passengers from a water taxi that had capsized in Baltimore's Inner Harbor late in the afternoon of March 6. Two of the passengers died and three were still listed as missing, while the remaining 22 were rescued by Baltimore City Fire Department personnel, with the assistance of the NRC Baltimore Reservists. Command Master Chief Melvin Johnson and Information Systems Technician Third Class Edward Mendez witnessed the water taxi capsize as...

Story Number: NNS040305-03 Release Date: 3/5/2004 10:43:00 AM Special release from the U.S. Department of Defense WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Department of Defense announced March 4 that an additional toll-free telephone number has been established for individuals who want to contact or provide information to the Department of Defense Task Force on Care for Victims of Sexual Assault. The number, (800) 497-6261, is staffed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. The department's hot line will supplement those previously established by each of the services. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld this month ordered a senior-level inquiry into...