USS Ramage Returns from Deployment

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jared King, USS Ramage Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61) returned to its Naval Station Norfolk homeport May 4 after a nine-month deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

Ramage, which deployed Aug. 7, 2013, supported maritime security operations and conducted theater security cooperation efforts during her time in 6th Fleet.

"I think the deployment went great," said Cmdr. Dave Stoner, Ramage's commanding officer. "Everything that we were asked to do we were able to accomplish because of our training. There were a few things that we hadn't specifically trained for, but the crew adapted very quickly. The opportunities we had as an independently deployed destroyer on this deployment were truly unique."

Ramage senior leadership was proud of the crew's performance in meeting theater objectives.

"One of the reasons I extended my tour here is because the crew is just phenomenal," said Ramage's Command Master Chief Joseph O'Brien. "They performed so much better than any crew that I have worked with in the past."

During the course of her deployment, Ramage conducted naval exercises with partners in the region. Evolutions included joint visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS), live-fire proficiency, aviation operations, and personnel exchanges. All of the events enhanced interoperability between the U.S., NATO, and partner forces.

"Hardly a day went by when we didn't see a warship from another country," said Stoner. "The close interaction operating with them or near them is really the most interesting and rewarding part of the deployment. I think now more than ever our relationships with other countries matter."

Ramage also briefly joined the George H. W. Bush Carrier Strike Group and served as the strike group's Air Defense Commander. Ramage conducted port visits to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and Israel, enhancing relations with each of these countries while affording the crew the opportunity to explore their culture and history.

"The crew performed magnificently and they conducted themselves in the best manner really befitting of Navy core values ashore and out to sea," said Stoner.

Commissioned in 1995, Ramage is the first ship to carry the name and the 11th destroyer of its class. Ramage is named in honor of Vice Adm. Lawson P. Ramage, the distinguished World War II submarine commander who earned the Medal of Honor when he led the USS Parche (SS 384) on a daring nighttime attack on a Japanese convoy, sinking two enemy ships and damaging another three without sustaining any damage.

Work Takes Office as Deputy Defense Secretary

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel swore in his new deputy, Bob Work, during a ceremony in the Pentagon this morning.

Work -- who replaces Christine H. Fox, who agreed to serve as the interim deputy defense secretary when Ash Carter stepped down last year -- took the oath of office and immediately went down the hall to begin his new job.

President Barack Obama nominated Work -- a career Marine artillery officer -- for the position in February. He served as undersecretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2013. The Senate confirmed him as the new deputy defense secretary last week.

In a statement, Work said it was an honor to be confirmed as the nation’s 32nd deputy secretary of defense.

“I am humbled by the confidence President Obama and Secretary Hagel have placed in me and pledge to do everything possible to help maintain America's military edge,” he said. “Ash Carter and Christine Fox both distinguished themselves while serving as deputy secretary and have left a legacy of excellence.

“I look forward to following in their footsteps,” he continued, “and ensuring our service members, civilians and contractors have everything they need to protect our great nation and accomplish what we ask of them.”

Navy's Newest Electronic Attack Aircraft Reaches Centennial Milestone

By Marcia Hart

ST. LOUIS (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy officers and distinguished visitors from Missouri and Illinois gathered for a ceremony May 5 in St. Louis, Missouri, to celebrate the production of the 100th EA-18G Growler.

The Growler, the newest advancement in the Navy's electronic attack (EA) arsenal, is a variant of the Block II F/A-18F Super Hornet and is the Navy replacement for the EA-6B Prowler.

The airborne electronic attack aircraft combines modern advances in Airborne Electronic Attack systems and weapons with the tactical versatility, advancements and capabilities of the Block II Super Hornet.

"The EA-18G Growler is a high demand asset that is equally critical in disrupting our enemies operations as it is enhancing our own," said Capt. Frank Morley, program manager for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) during the ceremony at Boeing.

Next week, Capt. Darryl Walker, commander of the Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet (CVWP), will accept delivery of the aircraft on behalf of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 in Whidbey Island, Washington, before its transfer to a designated operational squadron in the fleet.

The Growler is designed to perform an array of airborne electronic attack missions, operating from either the deck of an aircraft carrier or land-based fields, similar to the EA-6B Prowler. Through these capabilities, warfighters may jam or suppress enemy radar and communication systems to protect friendly assets in the air and on the ground.

"NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) is continuing to advance the capabilities of the Growler as the U.S. Navy's electronic attack mission becomes more robust and potential adversaries up their game with increasingly lethal air defenses," Morley said.

With new technologies, such as the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ), the Growler will have greater capabilities in the EA arena then its predecessor. Currently, the Growler still uses the Prowler's ALQ-99 Jammer Pods, slated to be replaced with the NGJ in the early 2020s. The NGJ features active electronically scanned array antennas and a lighter, more aerodynamically shaped pod, which can allow for faster airspeed bringing greater lethality and capability to the EA-18G.

The EA-18G program remains on the same schedule and cost projected when the program began in 2003, and the aircraft is projected to serve beyond 2040. The Navy accepted its first Growler Aug. 3, 2006.

Gary Sinise Foundation and Hope For The Warriors® Partner to Meet Needs of Military Families

Two Nonprofits Work Together to Strengthen Program Work to Support Families

LOS ANGELES, CA, May 1, 2014 – The Gary Sinise Foundation and Hope For The Warriors® announce the building of a renewed and growing partnership to meet the needs and challenges of today’s military families. Both nonprofits are dedicated to serving military members, veterans and their families and have already worked closely together for more than four years.  The new partnership expands the services, coordination and training needs in an effort to better meet the challenges faced by a veteran population that has been in combat for more than ten years.

The Gary Sinise Foundation, through their incredible outreach program work, is connected with military families in crisis each day.  With the new partnership, the foundation will connect with the Hope For The Warriors® clinical staff for assessment and support needs of those families.

The Clinical Health & Wellness Program, developed by Hope For The Warriors®, utilizes clinical care coordinators who work one-on-one with military families as they face financial, physical and/or psychological battles.  Clinical case management is led and reviewed by licensed social workers with in depth knowledge and experience with the military community and it’s culture.  Assessments will determine the next steps needed in providing resources, treatment, community building, and financial assistance.

“When it comes to military families, our Foundation is always searching for areas of need and new ways to address those needs,” said Judy Otter, Executive Director of the Gary Sinise Foundation. “Partnering with Hope For The Warriors® makes for a strong, far-reaching alliance. Together, we'll continue to make positive changes in the lives of our nation’s heroes and their loved ones."

In 2012, Hope For The Warriors® entered a partnership with the online Master of Social Work Program from the University of Southern California.  It was the first partnership of its kind, matching a top-ranked social work program with a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that specializes in meeting the needs of today’s active duty members and veterans.  Through the partnership , Hope For The Warriors® will provide the required supervision of an experienced master social worker to support clinical support services for the Gary Sinise Foundation.  In addition, both organizations will evaluate other opportunities for training and support.

“The Hope For The Warriors® clinical care team assist military families in crisis as well as address their long term needs and goals,” said Robin Kelleher, Hope For The Warriors® President.  “Collaborating with the Gary Sinise Foundation will strengthen program work within both organizations, benefiting military families across the country.”

About the Gary Sinise Foundation:

Actor/humanitarian Gary Sinise has been actively and tirelessly supporting the troops for over thirty years.  Among his numerous film and television roles, it was his portrayal of Lt. Dan Taylor in the landmark film Forrest Gump which formed an enduring connection with servicemen and women throughout the military community.  After several USO handshake tours in 2003, Sinise formed the “Lt. Dan Band” and began entertaining troops serving at home and abroad. Performing pop hits to classic rock staples, the 12-member cover band has played for over half-a-million troops and their families.

In 2011 he launched the Gary Sinise Foundation to honor its defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen and build communities. These include its R.I.S.E. program (Restoring Independence and Supporting Empowerment), whose flagship initiative is a custom Smart Home building project for severely wounded veterans.  Both through its own efforts and through its Building for America’s Bravest partner program with Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Gary Sinise Foundation is constructing these one-of-a-kind homes all across the country, each for a wounded hero, their caregivers and family. Other programs include Relief & Resiliency Outreach, INSPIRATION to ACTION, Invincible Spirit Festivals, Serving Heroes and Arts & Entertainment Outreach.

The Gary Sinise Foundation (Federal Tax ID 80-0587086) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity as defined in sections 509(A)(1) and 170(B)(1)(A)(VI) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Combined Federal Campaign, CFC #27963.  For more information, please visit www.garysinisefoundation.org.

About Hope For The Warriors®:

The mission of Hope For The Warriors® (www.hopeforthewarriors.org) is to enhance the quality of life for post-9/11 service members, their families, and families of the fallen who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty.  Hope For The Warriors® is dedicated to restoring a sense of self, restoring the family unit, and restoring hope for our service members and our military families.

Hope For The Warriors® has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator

(www.charitynavigator.org) for three consecutive years.  Charity Navigator is an independent organization that evaluates fiscal responsibility and accountability of nonprofits.

Hope For The Warriors® (Federal Tax ID 20-5182295) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity as defined in sections 509(A)(1) and 170(B)(1)(A)(VI) of the Internal Revenue Code.  Combined Federal Campaign, CFC #27800.

Air Force Pacific Commander Highlights Importance of Engagement

By Nick Simeone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2014 – The United States needs to remain closely engaged militarily with its Asian and Pacific allies, especially at a time when the region is watching with concern Russia’s behavior toward neighboring Ukraine, the top Air Force commander for the Asia-Pacific region said today.

“The importance of the Asia-Pacific to the future of the United States I don’t think can be overstated,” Air Force Gen. Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle told a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here, more than two years after the United States announced a strategic rebalance to the region. The rebalance includes plans to deploy 60 percent of its warships to the region by 2020 and an increase in American troop rotations there.

Carlisle noted that for Asian-Pacific nations dealing with territorial or internal disputes, Russia’s intervention in neighboring Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea are causing increasing concerns.

“What Russia is doing in Ukraine and Crimea has a direct effect on the Asia-Pacific,” he said, adding that Russia is becoming “increasingly active” in the Pacific, where the country has a long Eastern border, making its actions “a challenge for us in the Asia-Pacific as well as Europe.”

As area air defense commander, Carlisle’s command of 45,000 Pacific Air Forces airmen has him overseeing security for more than half the planet’s surface and the world’s five largest economies, as well as 60 percent of the planet’s population. “You can fit every land mass on the planet in the Pacific Ocean and still have room left over for another North American continent and another African continent,” the general noted.

A host of potential conflicts challenge the security of the United States and its allies in the region, including ongoing tensions with North Korea, China currently involved in several territorial disputes with its Asian neighbors, as well as cataclysmic natural disasters that often require a U.S. response -- just a few of the potential flash points he listed.

“The tension on the Korean Peninsula is truly as tight as it’s ever been, and it appears that it’s getting worse and more of a challenge,” Carlisle said, pointing to the North’s ongoing threats of missile and nuclear tests as well as last year’s sudden execution of leader Kim Jong Un’s uncle, who had been considered the second most powerful figure in Pyongyang.

One of the toughest challenges, he said, is safeguarding the United States and its allies from region’s stockpile of missiles. “The largest missile arsenals in the world are in Russia, China and North Korea,” he added, “and most of them are pointed at either us or our friends and allies.”

Last year’s federal budget sequester had the effect of slowing down the number of U.S. military regional engagements, Carlisle said, but that has since picked up, with the total number set to be about 400 this year. But said he warned that the challenges to regional security continue to exceed the capacity of the United States.

“Today, I believe that we have more mission than we have money, manpower or time, and I believe it’s going to stay that way for the foreseeable future,” he said. So it’s increasingly important, he added, for the United States to maintain an increasingly forward presence.

Relationships, he said, are fundamental. “We need to be closer to our allies and partners and friends in the region,” Carlisle said.