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Hospital Ship to Depart Norfolk for Medical Mission

June 12, 2019June 12, 2019 seawaves

June 10, 2019 – USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) deploys from Naval Station Norfolk on Friday, June 14 at 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. During its five-month deployment, Comfort will provide medical assistance in support of regional partners and in response to the regional impacts of the Venezuela political and economic crisis. While deployed, Comfort will conduct mission stops in Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago. U.S. military medical personnel aboard the Comfort will work alongside a…

USNS Lawrence H Gianella Completes Her Final Underway Mission

June 1, 2019 seawaves

May 23, 2019 – Military Sealift Command’s last champion class T-5 petroleum tanker, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella (T-AOT 1125), completed its final underway mission for the U.S. Navy by sailing down the Elisabeth River to downtown Norfolk, Virginia in support of National Maritime Day, May 23. Christened April 19, 1986, USNS Lawrence H. Gianella’s primary role has been to perform point-to-point delivery of petroleum products to Department of Defense storage and distribution facilities worldwide. “USNS Lawrence H. Gianella is the last and longest serving U.S. government owned champion class T-5…

USS John C Stennis Arrives in Norfolk

May 17, 2019 seawaves

May 16, 2019 – The nearly 5,000 Sailors of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3 arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, May 16, concluding a seven-month deployment. The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), commanded by Capt. Randy Peck, departed on deployment from Bremerton, Washington, in October of last year. CSG-3, commanded by Rear Adm. Mike Wettlaufer, is comprised of the flagship John C. Stennis with Pacific Fleet based CSG-3 staff, embarked squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, Destroyer Squadron 21 staff, USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), USS Stockdale (DDG…

Ike Completes Sea Trials

April 2, 2019 seawaves

April 2, 2019 – USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) successfully completed sea trials April 1. “Sea trials was successful well beyond expectations,” said Capt. Kyle Higgins, Ike’s commanding officer. “Our investment in our ship paid off and now the real work begins: getting the flight deck certified so we start doing what this warship was built to do – launch and recover aircraft.” Ike departed Naval Station Norfolk March 28, returning to sea for the first time since August 2017. The ship conducted the Sea Trials off the Virginia…

Ike Completes Fast Cruise

March 27, 2019 seawaves

March 27, 2019 – USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) successfully completed its five-day fast cruise, March 25, in another step toward returning to sea for the first time since July 2017. “The crew performed magnificently,” said Capt. Kyle Higgins, Ike’s commanding officer. “Fast Cruise brought nearly 3,000 Sailors together for the first time in a long time, and demonstrated they can pull together and operate as one. I’m honored to be here and be a part of this extraordinary team. I could not be more proud of our Sailors…

Truman Gets Back to Sea

March 20, 2019 seawaves

March 16, 2019 – USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) departed Naval Station Norfolk, March 16, following a three month availability period used to upgrade systems, conduct maintenance, and provide targeted training. “Our team is excited to do what we do best – conduct operations at sea,” said Harry S. Truman Commanding Officer, Capt. Nick Dienna. “Routine training evolutions like this help us build on the success of our last deployment, strengthening our fundamentals and improving our technical expertise.” Harry S. Truman returned to its homeport in Norfolk Dec. 16…

Méndez Núñez” Completes Training with US Navy

March 9, 2019 seawaves

February 27, 2019 (Google Translation) – The frigate of the Spanish Navy “Méndez Núñez” (F-104) has satisfactorily completed the planned training in its integration with units of the US Navy. The frigate has participated in the certification exercise “Composite Training Unit Exercise” (COMPTUEX), which assesses the preparation of the Carrier Combat Group “Abraham Lincoln”. The “Méndez Núñez” left its base in Ferrol last January 3 to the naval base in Norfolk (Virginia). During the transit, he carried out internal training in preparation for his participation in the exercise. During their…

Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Wraps Up COMPTUEX

February 25, 2019 seawaves

February 25, 2019 – After weeks at sea drilling and training through a variety of challenging and realistic scenarios during their composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), the Sailors of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG) returned to Naval Station Norfolk Feb. 23. The month-long assessment tested ABECSG’s units and their ability to interoperate as a team-of-teams in a complex and rapidly changing maritime domain. Upon successful completion of COMPTUEX the ABECSG will be the next CSG certified for deployed operations. “I’m extremely proud of the hard…

USS McFaul Deploys

January 31, 2019 seawaves

January 25, 2019 – USS McFaul (DDG 74) departed Naval Station Norfolk, Jan. 25, on a regularly-scheduled deployment to conduct maritime security operations. The ship, and its roughly 300 Sailors, is trained and ready to conduct a wide range of tasks, to include ballistic missile defense. “The Silent Warriors of McFaul are strong, focused, resilient and self-sufficient; which is critical as we sail independently,” said Cmdr. Janet Days, McFaul’s commanding officer. “I am exceptionally proud to lead this team of navy professionals and rest assured, when called upon, McFaul will…

Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Departs for COMPTUEX

January 31, 2019 seawaves

January 28, 2019 – The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG) departed Naval Station Norfolk for Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), Jan. 25. COMPTUEX is a certification exercise that assesses a strike group’s ability to conduct military operations at sea and project power ashore through joint planning and execution of challenging and realistic training scenarios. During COMPTUEX, ABECSG will be evaluated on their ability to integrate all assets of the strike group into a cohesive, multi-mission fighting force, and their ability to carry out sustained combat operations at sea. The…

Carrier Strike Group 12 Welcomes Spanish Frigate Mendez Nñez to Norfolk

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 seawaves

January 15, 2019 – The Álvaro de Bazán-class Spanish navy frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez (F 104) arrived at Naval Station Norfolk Jan. 14 to train and conduct group exercises as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12. Méndez Núñez, homeported in Ferrol, Spain, was commissioned in 2006. She joins CSG-12 assets Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron 2, and the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) to conduct Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is a training evolution designed to…

US Navy Contract Announcements January 7, 2019

January 8, 2019January 8, 2019 seawaves

General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., (NASSCO)-Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $91,477,172 undefinitized contract action as a modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-16-C-4306) for USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) fiscal 2019 Dry-docking Planned Incremental Availability. A Dry-docking Planned Incremental Availability includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship’s military and technical capabilities. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by February 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in…

USNS Big Horn Completes US Fifth Fleet, US Sixth Fleet Deployment

December 20, 2018 seawaves

December 20, 2018 – USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) pulled into Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 17, signifying the completion of their 10-month deployment in support of U.S. Navy and allied efforts in the U.S. Fifth Fleet and U.S. Sixth Fleet’s area of responsibility. “Some of the missions USNS Big Horn undertook during this deployment included the logistical support for the NATO exercise Trident Juncture and Carrier Strike Group 8 with the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) and Destroyer Squadron 28 along with NATO Allies of the Royal…

USNS Comfort Returns to Norfolk After Completing Mission in South, Central America

December 20, 2018December 20, 2018 seawaves

December 19, 2018 – U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) pulled into Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 18, after completing her deployment to South and Central America in support of Enduring Promise. Comfort’s return to Norfolk signifies the conclusion of an 11-week medical support mission to the region as part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative. “The men and women on USNS Comfort, representing the best of the United States Navy and our nation, treated over 26,000 patients and conducted approximately 600 surgeries aboard the ship and at…

T&I Lab Purchases New Exoskeleton Suits for America’s Shipyard

December 8, 2018 seawaves

December 7, 2018 – New exoskeleton technology has made its way to Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), and members of the workforce are now being certified for its use. The Robotics Subcommittee (RSC), a section of the NNSY Technology and Innovation Community of Practice (T&I COP), has been researching new innovative technologies that are able to improve the health, safety, and efficiency of the shipyard worker. One of their most prominent technologies researched and tested is the Levitate Airframe exoskeleton suit, a flexible power suit or limb accessory technology that is…