News

USS America hosts Japanese Sailors in San Diego for Dawn Blitz
August 31, 2015 — SAN DIEGO -- Amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) began hosting Japanese Sailors Aug. 17 as they prepare for the annual amphibious assault training exercise Dawn Blitz 2015 (DB 15) in early... MORE

RQ-4 Global Hawk Operates Eyes in the Sky
August 31, 2015 — MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Several R-Q4 Global Hawks and approximately 40 support and operations personnel are deployed to Misawa Air Base for the aircraft's second rotation here. The Global Hawk... MORE

In this photo, an RQ-4 Global Hawk is towed during flight recovery at Misawa Air Base, Japan, Aug. 19, 2015. Several of these unmanned aircraft will operate out of Misawa until December 2015, and will provide a broad spectrum of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance collection capabilities in support of joint combatant forces in worldwide peacetime, contingency and crisis operations.

20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives Completes Exercise in South Korea
August 31, 2015 — YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea -- Soldiers from 20th CBRNE Command (Chemical,Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives) completed Exercise Ulchi FreedomGuardian in South Korea Aug. 28.The Defense... MORE

Camp Hansen Egress Training Facility Increases Safety
August 31, 2015 — CAMP HANSEN, Okinawa - Marines are known for their ability to improvise, adapt and overcome, enabling them to respond to nearly every possible scenario they may encounter.However, one scenario Marines... MORE

Pacific Partnership 2015 Wraps Up in Da Nang, Vietnam
August 28, 2015 — DA NANG, Vietnam - The crew of the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) wrapped up their 10-day visit in Da Nang, Vietnam today, completing the ship’s last mission stop of Pacific Partnership 2015.While... MORE

DA NANG, Vietnam (Aug. 17, 2015) - The Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) arrives in Vietnam, the fifth Pacific Partnership 2015 mission stop for the ship and embarked Task Force Forager. Millinocket is serving as the secondary platform for Pacific Partnership, led by an expeditionary command element from the Navy's 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR) from Port Hueneme, Calif. Now in its 10th iteration, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Asia Pacific region. While training for crisis conditions, Pacific Partnership, missions have provided medical care to approximately 270,000 patients and veterinary service to more than 38,000 animals. Additionally, Pacific Partnership has provided critical infrastructure development to host nations through the completion of more than 180 engineering products.

Maritime Preposition Ships Squadron 3 Joins Typhoon Relief in Saipan
August 28, 2015 — SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands -- A small fleet of ships with Maritime Prepositioning Ships Squadron (MPSRON) 3, recently played a different role assisting the people of Saipan recover from the... MORE

SAIPAN (Aug. 11, 2015) - U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st
Marine Expeditionary Unit, distribute water to local civilians during typhoon relief efforts. The 31st MEU and the ships of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group are assisting the Federal Emergency Management Agency with distributing emergency relief supplies to Saipan after the island was struck by Typhoon Soudelor Aug. 2-3.

Deputy Secretary of State Heather Higginbottom to Lead U.S. Delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum
August 28, 2015 — Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Heather Higginbottom will lead a high-level U.S. Government delegation to the Pacific Islands Forum Post Forum Dialogue (PIF... MORE

Ashland Arrives in Okinawa and Offloads 31st MEU
August 28, 2015 — OKINAWA, Japan -- The amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) arrived in Okinawa, Japan Aug. 27 to offload the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).Ashland completed an array of exercises... MORE

SAIPAN HARBOR, Saipan (August 8, 2015) - Vehicles from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are unloaded from the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) via Landing Craft Utility vehicle during disaster relief efforts in Saipan after Typhoon Soudelor made landfall. Ashland is assigned to the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group and is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

PACFLT Commander Reaffirms Close Ties with Singapore, Thanks Sailors During Southeast Asia Visit
August 28, 2015 — SINGAPORE (NNS) -- Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, made his inaugural visit to the Republic of Singapore Aug. 26-28 to reaffirm the U.S. Navy's strong partnership and ties with... MORE

Tailoring and Critical Thinking - Key Principles for Acquisition Success
August 28, 2015 — Based on recent Department of Defense (DoD)acquisition guidance, programs now have the opportunity to approach acquisitionprogram management in ways previously viewed as nontraditional... MORE

Thai Combat Controllers, U.S. Air Support Operations Make It Rain
August 27, 2015 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Fliers and ground crews got used to a lot of foreign accents throughout Red Flag Alaska 15-3.However, for U.S. and coalition C-130 Hercules pilots, one... MORE

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (Aug. 24, 2015) - Flight Lieutenant Phongsakron Namjit, Royal Thai Air Force combat controller, and U.S. Air Force Capt. Michael Spanogle, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron Air Mobility Liaison Officer, coordinate an airdrop during Red Flag Alaska 15-3.

Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission Visits 607th Air and Space Operations Center
August 27, 2015 — OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- Swedish and Swiss representatives of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission visited the 607th Air and Space Operations Center here Aug. 24 as part of an observation... MORE

In this photo, Col. Christopher Cotts, Seventh Air Force chief of staff, greets Swedish Maj. Gen. Mats Engman, right, head of policy and plans department for the Swedish Armed Forces and Swedish Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission member, and Swiss Lt. Col. Christian Guillaume, Swiss delegate to the NNSC, during an observation tour during exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian Aug. 24, 2015, at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea.. The NNSC provides transparency to the international community by ensuring planning and operations are conducted with a "defensive and deterrent" nature.

Japan Air Self-Defense Force English Briefing Contest at Naha Air Base
August 27, 2015 — KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Southwestern Composite Air Division hosted an English briefing contest Aug. 26 at Naha Air Base, Japan. Two officers from Kadena Air Base... MORE

KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (Aug. 26, 2015) - United States Air Force Maj. Christopher L. Teke, 18th Civil Engineer Squadron officer, and Maj. Mark Carl, 909th Air Refueling Squadron assistant director of operations, listen to Airmen from Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) give briefings in English during a completion at Naha Air Base. JASDF hosted an English briefing contest to be judged by American Airmen.

Yokota Airlifters Finish RED FLAG-Alaska Exercise
August 27, 2015 — YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Airmen with and in support of the 36th Airlift Squadron returned to Yokota Monday after traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 2-24, to train combat... MORE

2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team Soldiers Honored for Community Service
August 27, 2015 — KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Four Soldiers from 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, were recognized during the Joint Venture Education Forum at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Community... MORE

In this photo, U.S. Pacific Command Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Eric Wendt (middle right) and his wife (middle left) thank Staff Sgt. Eric E. Mankin, a native of Sparks, Nev., and Sgt. Ryan M. Douglas, a native of New Port Richey, Fla., both are infantrymen assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, for their volunteer contributions with partner schools during the Joint Venture Education Forum at the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center Aug. 20 in Kapolei.

US Sailors, Marines Enhance Regional Cooperation during CARAT Thailand 2015
August 26, 2015 — SATTAHIP NAVAL BASE, Thailand (NNS) -- The 21st annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces began Aug... MORE

'Pacific Angels' Complete Their Partnership, Outreach Efforts in the Philippines
August 26, 2015 — DAO, Philippines - Pacific Angel Philippines came to a definitive end at a closing ceremony at Dao Covered Court in Dao, Bohol Province, Philippines, here Aug. 24.The ceremony featured speakers from... MORE

In this photo, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Hillyer, mobility assistant to the chief of staff, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, speaks during the closing ceremony of Pacific Angel Philippines 15-1 in Bohol Province, Philippines, Aug. 24, 2015. Over the course of six days, 5,101 patients received health care and six different schools were refurbished providing rehabilitated learning space to approximately 5,000 students. Pacific Angel is a multilateral humanitarian assistance civil military operation, which improves military-to-military partnerships in the Pacific while also providing medical health outreach, civic engineering projects and subject matter exchanges among partner forces.

Army Signaleers Keep 14th Missile Defense Battery Connected
August 26, 2015 — KYOGAMISAKI, Japan - Signal Soldiers from the 94th Army Air and Missile DefenseCommand, 78th Network Enterprise Center, and the 307th Expeditionary SignalBattalion enhanced the ability of the 14th... MORE

KYOGAMISAKI, Japan (Aug. 25, 2015) - Signal Soldiers from the 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, 78th Network Enterprise Center, and the 307th Expeditionary Signal Battalion work on enhancing the ability of the 14th Missile Defense Battery, 94th AAMDC to communicate with their higher headquarters and transmit accurate missile defense data to meet their regional and homeland defense missions.

Repairing a Wounded Falcon - the Mission of Aircraft Structural Maintenance
August 26, 2015 — MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- "I'm warning you ahead of time - most shops say 'be careful' when entering certain areas - but we really mean it," said Tech. Sgt. Adam Corey. "Try not to breathe in too... MORE

Pacific Angel Philippines Mass Casualty Exercise Improves Emergency Response
August 26, 2015 — TAGBILIRAN, Philippines -- In 2013, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Bohol Province, Philippines, destroying bridges and turning buildings into piles of rubble. The damage was... MORE