Tag Archives: surface navy

New Workshops at SWO School Putting Focus on Leader, Crew Performance and Wellness at Sea

New Workshops at SWO School Putting Focus on Leader, Crew Performance and Wellness at Sea

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A student in the Pilot convening of the Officer of the Deck Phase II course works at the Automatic Radar Plotting Aid station in a Ship Simulator at Surface Warfare Schools Command. OOD-II will be introduced to the fleet concentration areas in October, 2021, and will be taught at SWSC’s Mariner Skills Training Command Pacific (MSTCPAC) in San Diego, Calif., and Mariner Skills Training Command Atlantic (MSTCLANT) in Norfolk, Va., on US Navy Photo

Future ship commanders and executive officers are getting new tools to prepare for the rigors of leadership at sea as part of a new series of courses to boost their own mental and physical skills and tactical performance of their ships’ crews. Read More →

New Surface Forces Instruction Restricts Who Can Earn a SWO Pin

New Surface Forces Instruction Restricts Who Can Earn a SWO Pin

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Capt. John F. Meier, then commanding officer USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), and Susan Ford Bales, ship’s sponsor, pin on Lt. j.g. Nicole Oliver’s surface warfare officer device, held inside the ship’s in-port cabin in 2016. US Navy Photo

This post has been updated to specify that there are no restrictions on who an individual ship commander could qualify as an officer of the deck.

The Navy is tightening up who can be qualified as a surface warfare officer and reserving time on the bridge for officers who are on a path to command warships, the commander of Naval Surface Force told USNI News this week. Read More →

New Surface Warfare Officer Career Path Stresses Fundamentals; More Training Before First Ship, More Time At Sea

New Surface Warfare Officer Career Path Stresses Fundamentals; More Training Before First Ship, More Time At Sea

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Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer observes training in the littoral combat ship simulator during a visit to Surface Warfare Officers School (SWOS) Command June 12, 2018. US Navy Photo

The U.S. Navy is retooling the career path for surface warfare officers in the aftermath of last year’s fatal guided-missile destroyer collisions. The plan requires more school for new officers before they report to their first ships, institutes a new testing regime through major commands and shapes the career path so SWOs spend more time at sea. Read More →

Navy Creates Permanent Readiness Command To Monitor Japan-Based Ships

Navy Creates Permanent Readiness Command To Monitor Japan-Based Ships

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Water is drained from a dry dock at U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF JRMC) Yokosuka preparing the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG-67) for a scheduled maintenance availability in July 2015. US Navy photo.

The Navy’s Japan-based ships are the pointed end of the spear and keeping them sharp falls to the recently created Naval Surface Group Western Pacific, CNSG WP that was just made a permanent command.

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Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group Training to Tougher Standards Underway Ahead of Formal Navy Policy Changes

Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group Training to Tougher Standards Underway Ahead of Formal Navy Policy Changes

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Quartermaster Seaman Diamond S. Copes uses a sextant to measure the distance between celestial bodies from the bridge wing of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG-88) on March 14, 2018. US Navy Photo

ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT AND USS BUNKER HILL, IN THE PERSIAN GULF – Even as top Navy and congressional leadership in Washington continue to negotiate a path forward for the surface fleet in the aftermath of last year’s two fatal destroyer collisions, some surface leaders are already taking action to ensure their crews are more ready and operating at a higher level of proficiency than the Navy requires.

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VADM Rowden Calls Naval Surface Group Western Pacific an Advocate for Ship Training Needs

VADM Rowden Calls Naval Surface Group Western Pacific an Advocate for Ship Training Needs

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Vice Adm. Thomas Rowden, Commander of Naval Surface Forces. US Navy photo.

This post has been updated to include additional comments from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson.

ARLINGTON, VA – The commander of Naval Surface Forces expressed support for the new Naval Surface Group Western Pacific as an important addition that gives voice to training and certification needs in the Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) in Japan, despite some pushback from the secretary of the Navy over the group’s formation. Read More →

Sequestration Sidelines Six Surface Ships

Sequestration Sidelines Six Surface Ships

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Arleigh-burke class guided missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDg 93) is docked at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in May. The ship's deployment is delayed due to budget cuts. US Navy Photo

Arleigh-burke class guided missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDg 93) is docked at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in May. The ship’s deployment is delayed due to budget cuts. US Navy Photo

The U.S. Navy has identified six deferred ship deployments due to budget cuts due to sequestration and the ongoing Fiscal Year 2013 Continuing Resolution, Navy officials told USNI News on Thursday. Read More →