Sailors assigned to the command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) salute while manning the rails as the ship gets underway from Gaeta, Italy, on May 18, 2020. US Navy Photo
Naval operations are proceeding unimpeded by the COVID-19 pandemic, top leaders say, but there could be readiness challenges next year if the virus continues to affect the output at maintenance depots and at the suppliers who make spare parts. Read More
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) departs Apra Harbor for carrier qualifications during a deployment to the Indo-Pacific on May, 21, 2020. US Marine Corps Photo
The Navy has made good progress learning how to prevent or contain a COVID-19 outbreak on ships at sea, the head of the service told reporters today, but there are still a lot of unknowns the Navy is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to figure out. Read More
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is moored pier side at Naval Base Guam on May 15, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated with a statement from the Navy.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is underway for the first time since its deployment was interrupted for 55 days to battle a COVID-19 outbreak that infected almost a quarter of the crew, USNI has learned. Read More
Incoming plebes participate in the Oath of Office Ceremony during induction day (I-day) 2017 at the U.S. Naval Academy. US Navy Photo
Keeping the Navy’s new officer pipeline open while mitigating COVID-19 risks means altering, delaying or even skipping some of the long-held traditions considered rites of passage for midshipmen.
Logistics Specialist 3rd Class Rhandy Domigpe, from Oxen Hill, Md., communicates with the bridge watch team during low visibility watch aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG-59). US Navy Photo
The increased technical complexity of systems and reduced manning make U.S. warships less able to operate if a disease breaks out on a ship than the previous ships that weathered the 1918 influenza outbreak, a panel of experts said last week. Read More
The return of Department of Defense workers to office spaces closed due to COVID-19 is still weeks away and hinges on a variety of factors to be weighed by local commanders, Pentagon officials said.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is moored pier side at Naval Base Guam on May 15, 2020. US Navy Photo
The crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is in the midst of a small pier-side exercise typically held before a ship goes underway, Navy officials told USNI News on Monday. Read More
USNI News Graphic
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of May 18, 2020, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship. Read More
Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD-8) underway in the eastern Pacific on April 20, 2020. US Navy Photo
When a COVID-19 outbreak hit USS Kidd (DDG-100) last month, the Navy sent a medical team with specialized lab equipment to the guided-missile destroyer to test for novel coronavirus among the crew. An outbreak at sea could easily and quickly overwhelm a warship’s small medical department, in this case an independent-duty corpsman and two hospital corpsmen in a crew of about 330. Read More
The Navy’s newest Sailors congratulate each other with elbow-bumps to minimize contact after a capping ceremony, marking their transition from recruit to Sailor, at Recruit Training Command. The Sailors recently completed “Battle Stations,” the crucible event that recruits must pass prior to graduation, testing their knowledge and skills in basic seamanship, watchstanding, damage control, firefighting and emergency response procedures. More than 35,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp. US Navy Photo
The Navy is confident its COVID-19 mitigation efforts are working well enough to increase the number of recruits arriving at boot camp to 750 per week.
