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CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- Sailors from Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron (HS) 10 “Warhawks,” deployed to the Pacific in support of the global war on terrorism March 24. The detachment of 31 Sailors and two HH-60H Seahawks departed Naval Air Station North Island aboard an Air Force C-5 Galaxy cargo jet. “This is our opportunity to go out and do what we’ve been training for, and also help the other branches of the military,” said Lt. Matt Burns, HH-60H pilot and detachment administration officer. HS-10 had a lot of maintenance work to complete over the past two weeks to prepare for the...

PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII (NNS) -- The nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) departed on a Western Pacific deployment from its homeport of Pearl Harbor March 21. According to Cmdr. James Pitts, Tucson’s commanding officer, the crew prepared by conducting standard pre-deployment upkeep and maintenance. “In the last few months we went through a fairly sizable maintenance period. We needed to make sure the equipment is up to standards for deployment,” said Pitts. “We also held routine and operational training to help us support the nation and [U.S.] 7th Fleet’s mission.” He said overall, the crew handled the maintenance and...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Nearly 6,000 Sailors and Marines and six ships of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 departed San Diego Feb. 15 for a six-month deployment in support of the global war on terrorism. The strike group completed their last training work-up, Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX), Jan. 26 and its two other required exercises, ESG Integration Exercise (ESGINT) and Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), late last year. Collectively, these exercises prepared the group for the difficult challenges that a deployment presents. “The magnificent Sailors and Marines of ESG 3 will do their duty as a vital part of...

WACO, Texas (Army News Service, Nov. 28, 2005) — A day after Thanksgiving, more than 1,500 Soldiers bound for a 14-month deployment to Kosovo and Bosnia were honored in a ceremony Nov. 25 at Baylor University’s Ferrell Center. A circular sea of green seats was filled by excited and emotional family members and friends at Baylor’s indoor arena in Waco, Texas. They were there to say goodbye to their Soldiers one last time before they departed for the Balkans. It was the first time 36th Infantry Division Soldiers were deploying to Europe since World War II. During the ceremony, guest...

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The fast-attack submarine USS Norfolk (SSN 714) departed from its namesake homeport Nov. 7 for a six-month deployment as part of the USS Nassau (LHA 4) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG). Norfolk is heading to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility (AOR) in support of the global war on terrorism (GWOT). Commanding Officer Cmdr. Scott Adams is excited about this opportunity for his crew and ship to show just what the submarine force can do. “Our sub can operate in shallow water, under ice, and in congested areas in all weather conditions. We are able to...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Oct. 20, 2005) -- Sergeant Craig Meltzer did not want to leave his wife and 2-month-old daughter at home while he deployed to Iraq's Al Anbar province for six months. But, as much as he hated to leave his wife and daughter, the idea of watching his Marine family deploy without him was unthinkable. Meltzer, a 26-year-old Virginia Beach, Va., native, deployed with the Bulldogs of Marine Attack Squadron 223 from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., in August. As the senior noncommissioned officer in the AV-8B Harrier squadron's flight equipment section, the Salem High School...

CAMP VIRGINIA, Kuwait, -- Iraqi soldiers will learn how to obtain and use human intelligence information from a Fort Huachuca mobile training team. The first course for between 75 and 100 selected and vetted Iraqis will begin within a week at an undisclosed location in Iraq, said Maj. Eric Haupt, operations officer for the 309th Military Battalion. The Iraqis must be able to identify those within their country causing problems. To do that, they have to know who the trouble-makers are and how they operate, Haupt said. Although many insurgents are Iraqis, a number of foreign fighters have infiltrated into...

FORT HUACHUCA - "That's what I signed up for," said Sgt. Charles Odom as he prepared to join the rest of the 40th Signal Battalion in a ceremony at Libby Army Airfield Sunday afternoon, prior to its deployment to Iraq. About 130 members of the communications battalion are in the air today enroute to Kuwait, after stops in Indianapolis, Newfoundland, Ireland and Hungary. This will be Odom's second tour in Iraq and, although he exchanged fire with insurgents during the year he spent around Fallujah previously, he was calm about going again. "I heard it's more secure now," the 101/2-year...

NAVAL HOSPITAL JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Eighty-four medical personnel from Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville, Fla., boarded buses to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Sept. 1 to rendezvous with USS Bataan (LHD 5). From there, the ship will sail to New Orleans to provide urgently needed support to relief efforts for Gulf Coast residents impacted by Hurricane Katrina. The medical personnel, including a broad range of physicians, nurses and hospital corpsmen, are assigned to one of the hospital’s deployable platforms, Casualty Receiving and Treatment Ship Team (CRTS) 8. Bataan is one of several Navy ships deployed to the hurricane relief effort....

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C. (Sept. 1, 2005) -- Approximately 120 servicemembers from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-461 deployed in support of Joint Task Force Katrina today to provide disaster relief to the residents and city of New Orleans. The “Ironhorses” are scheduled to work hand-in-hand with several other branches of the military to provide supplies and humanitarian relief, perform search and rescue missions and reestablish the infrastructure, allowing state relief agencies access to stranded citizens. “It will be a combined effort,” said Lt. Col. Frank B. Crisafulli, HMH-461 executive officer. “We’ll be coordinating with (the Department of) Homeland...

NORFOLK, Va., May 26, 2005 — The USS Saipan and two other Norfolk Naval Station-based ships deployed May 25, under the Fleet Response Plan (FRP), in support of the global war on terrorism. "Make no mistake, we are at war. FRP is all about getting ready sooner, and remaining ready longer, and the sailors on these ships are responding tremendously," U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Mark Fitzgerald Saipan is one of five East Coast ships carrying more than 2,800 sailors rapidly deploying or “surging” for an approximately three-month deployment to the European and Central Command maritime areas of responsibility. Other ships...

JONESBORO, Ga. (AP) - On his first day on the job, the new sheriff called 27 employees into his office, stripped them of their badges, fired them, and had rooftop snipers stand guard as they were escorted out the door. The move Monday by Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill provoked an angry reaction and prompted a judge to order him to rehire the employees. "It appears ... that employees of the Sheriff were terminated without cause" and in violation of the county's civil service rules, Judge Stephen Boswell wrote in granting a 30-day restraining order. Hill, 39, defended the firings...

It is different when a National Guard unit deploys. The "total force" includes active duty and reserve component service members. And while the missions that like units go on are identical, there are differences in the way active duty and reserve components deploy. These differences were apparent at the Feb. 12 deployment ceremony for the 30th Heavy Separate Brigade. The unit is the first National Guard combat brigade to deploy since the end of World War II. The brigade will deploy in the next few weeks, and includes units from New York, Minnesota, Maryland, California, West Virginia and Illinois. The...

Japan Deploys Ship Amid N. Korea Report Thursday March 13, 2003 3:30 AM TOKYO (AP) - Japan has sent a battleship to the Sea of Japan, the Defense Agency said Thursday, amid media reports that North Korea could be preparing another missile test. Defense Agency spokesman Yoshiyuki Ueno said that the Aegis-missile equipped destroyer has top-of-the-line surveillance capabilities. Ueno refused to say when it was deployed, and described its mission as part of regular patrol activities. But the dispatch came as two major Japanese newspapers reported North Korea appears to be making final preparations to test-launch its Rodong ballistic missile,...