Tag Archives: Secretary of Defense Mark Esper

SECDEF Esper: Summer PCS Moving Season Still Possible

SECDEF Esper: Summer PCS Moving Season Still Possible

Employees at Cord moving company use forklifts to pickup crates to transfer from the loading dock to temporary storage in the warehouse July 2, 2019, in Belleville, Illinois. DoD Photo

The Pentagon is grappling with how to start the summer permanent change of station season — when roughly a quarter of a million military moves occur — while protecting the force from the spread of COVID-19.

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Navy Adapts Medical Care Around COVID-19 Threat

Navy Adapts Medical Care Around COVID-19 Threat

Hospitalman Thomas Lacey, right, and Hospitalman Mohammad Yassine, left, screen a patient in their car at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth’s (NMCP) COVID-19 drive thru screening and triage site outside of NMCP’s Emergency Department on March 20, 2020. US Navy Photo

The Navy is trusting lower-level unit commanders to develop plans that both balance mission readiness with reducing the risk of exposing personnel to COVID-19 .

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UPDATED: SECDEF Esper: Hospital Ship Comfort to New York in Less Than 14 Days

UPDATED: SECDEF Esper: Hospital Ship Comfort to New York in Less Than 14 Days

USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) returns to Naval Station Norfolk after a five month deployment on Nov. 15, 2019. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated to include information from a press briefing by Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday.

THE PENTAGON – Hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) will ship out to New York City in less than 14 days, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Tuesday. Read More

Trump: Hospital Ship Comfort to go to New York City, Mercy Set for West Coast Support

Trump: Hospital Ship Comfort to go to New York City, Mercy Set for West Coast Support

Hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) departs Naval Station Norfolk to support humanitarian relief operations. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated with a statement from the Navy.

THE PENTAGON — The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) will be routed to New York City to help alleviate non-COVID-19 medical needs, President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday. Read More

CNO, Commandant Asking for Fleet Wholeness Amid Pause in Future Force Structure Planning

CNO, Commandant Asking for Fleet Wholeness Amid Pause in Future Force Structure Planning

USS America (LHA-6) sails in the Gulf of Thailand in support of Exercise Cobra Gold 2020 on March 1, 2020. US Navy Photo

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Navy and Marine Corps are caught in a battle with Pentagon leadership over the right force size to aim for and how quickly to try to get there, but the top officers in the sea services insist that everyone is on the same page about maintaining wholeness and readiness as the service grows. Read More

CNO Gilday Defends 36-Month Carrier Cycle, Says Navy Has Never Missed a Deployment

CNO Gilday Defends 36-Month Carrier Cycle, Says Navy Has Never Missed a Deployment

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday meets with Sailors during his visit to Naval Expeditionary Intelligence Command. US Navy Photo

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The chief of naval operations defended the Navy’s force-generation model, saying that it could be tweaked to change the balance of deployed forces versus those ready to surge if needed – but the 36-month maintenance, training and deployment cycle fundamentally works. Read More