www.flagshipnews.com | The Flagship | Section 1 | Thursday, August 24, 2023
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IN THIS ISSUE
Naval Air Force Atlantic welcomes new commander
Naval Air Force Atlantic (AIRLANT) held a change of command ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Aug. 17. Rear Adm. Douglas Verissimo relieved Rear Adm. John Meier during the time honored ceremony. Page A3 VOL. 31, NO. 29, Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com
August 24-August 30, 2023
TOP: MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Aug. 14, 2023) The world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) steams in formation with the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the flagship of U.S. Sixth Fleet, the Hellenic Navy frigate HS Elli (F 450), assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) during a photo exercise, Aug. 14, 2023. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS MALACHI LAKEY) ABOVE LEFT: ADRIATIC SEA (August 12, 2023) A MH-60S Sea Hawk Helicopter, attached to the“Ghost Riders”of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28, takes off during flight operations aboard the Blue Ridge-class command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), flagship of U.S. 6th fleet, Aug. 12, 2023. (U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST SEAMAN JOSEPH MACKLIN) ABOVE RIGHT: SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C.-- U.S. Navy Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 and U.S. Marines dig out debris from a simulated crater as part of airfield damage repair efforts in support of Large Scale Exercise (LSE) 2023 at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, Aug. 10, 2023. (U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY TECH. SGT. CHRISTOPHER HUBENTHAL)
Navy and Marine Corps conclude Large Scale Exercise 2023 By Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command NORFOLK, Va. — More than 25,000 Sailors and Marines across the globe participated in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps-led Large Scale Exercise (LSE) 2023, Aug. 9-18. One of the largest exercises for the maritime services, LSE 2023 is a live, virtual and constructive, globally-integrated exercise designed to refine the synchronization of maritime operations. During a media roundtable, the commanders of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and Marine Forces Command
highlighted LSE 2023 as the leading exercise in how the Navy and Marine Corps further improves their ability to fight on land, air, sea, space, and cyberspace in order to maintain a military force that is most effective in peacetime and more powerful in war. “We have a responsibility and a duty to be able to respond globally to threats and vulnerabilities to peer adversaries and competitors,” said Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander U. S. Fleet Forces Command. “And the way you get great at that is to practice with exercises like LSE 2023.” LSE 2023 spanned 22 time zones and included participants from U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Naval
Forces Europe-Africa Command, Marine Forces Command, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and seven U.S. numbered Fleets: Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth. The integration of fleet operations with emerging technologies played a key role in refining and validating Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) capabilities. “The United States is a global power that has global interests. We have allies and partners around the world. We routinely sail, fly, and operate in international spaces,” said Adm. Stuart Munsch, commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe and Africa. “You put
that all together, and we have a responsibility to be able to operate globally, effectively, and that’s what we’re doing. We demonstrate that to assure our allies and partners, and we demonstrate it to deter adversaries.” LSE 2023 reinforced a culture of learning and increased warfighting readiness by merging real-world operations with virtually constructed scenarios to create a realistic training environment that allowed Sailors and Marines to train the way we fight, regardless of geographic boundaries. “This is an exercise where we can bring all of our experiences together and learn from Turn to Large Scale Exercise, Page 7
U.S. Navy posthumously awards a swift boat Vietnam Veteran the Bronze Star with Valor By Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
The Navy posthumously recognized Lt. j.g. William Collins, a Vietnam War veteran and former officer-in-charge of a swift boat, during a ceremony today onboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. Collins’ wife Estella and his family accepted the award on his behalf from Rear. Adm. Brad Andros, commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC). Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro recently upgraded the award to a Bronze Star, recognizing Collins’ meritorious service in connection with combat operations from November 1967 through July 1968, while serving as the office-in-charge of a patrol craft fast, Coastal Division 11, in the Republic of Vietnam. Collins conduct 120 combat patrols in shallow, hazardous waters and directed the boarding and searching
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of hundreds of junks and sampans, which contributed immeasurable to the efforts to half communist infiltration of South Vietnam. On many occasions, he participated in naval gunfire support in conjunction with land combat operations. During a May 2023 ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Del Toro said, “It is not only appropriate, but absolutely essential that we, as a nation, take time to focus on this period in our country’s history, and especially, to thank these most deserving of our citizens, our Vietnam veterans.” Collin’s daughter Jacqueline Collins Kilduff said her father loved his time in the Navy and would be incredibly proud to receive the Bronze Star award if he was with them today. “The Navy provided him with the best Turn to Bronze Star Recipient, Page 7
Lt. j.g. William Collins stands aboard patrol craft fast 53 with his crewmates. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COLLINS FAMILY)
Farewell, FLIP! Renowned Navy-Owned Research Platform Retired after 60 Years of Service A dynamic era in naval oceanography recently ended as the iconic Floating Instrument Platform — popularly known as FLIP — was officially retired from service. Page A4
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