21 November 2016 F-35B Weapons Load Testing Wraps up on USS America during DT-III PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- The F-35B Lightning II third developmental test phase (DT-III) aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) reached a new milestone as the program completed weapons load testing Nov. 16.The Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) assigned to Air Test and Evaluation...
21 November 2016 Carrier Strike Group 5 Returns to Yokosuka after Patrol YOKOSUKA, Japan -- Carrier Strike Group Five (CSG 5) and its flagship USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) returned to Yokosuka, Japan, Nov. 21 following a three month patrol of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.While on patrol, CSG 5 was comprised of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW 5), the...
21 November 2016 Deployed B-1s Join U.S. Forces, Japan Self-Defense Force for Exercise Keen Sword ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, SD -- B-1 bombers from the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, joined U.S. forces and the Japan Self-Defense Force for Exercise Keen Sword 17, which took place Oct. 30 to Nov. 11, 2016.Keen Sword is a joint and bilateral exercise held...
21 November 2016 Top-performing Leaders Complete Phase Two of the Young Alaka'i Leadership Program FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- Twenty-seven top performing company-grade officers, warrant officers and non-commissioned officers at the joint level, from all services across the Pacific region, and one Department of the Army (DA) Civilian, attended and completed the 8th Theater Sustainment Command’s Phase...
21 November 2016 William Beaumont Army Medical Center Doctor Provides Aid in Vietnam Mission QUANG BINH PROVINCE, Vietnam - More than four decades ago, the United States found itself divided by the controversial war in Vietnam. The conflict resulted in the deaths of almost 60,000 service members. More than 1,200 are still Missing in Action (MIA).During a recent temporary assignment with the...
18 November 2016 Team 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command Conducts Combined Decontamination Exercise with Republic of Korea Army DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA - The 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command conducted a combined decontamination exercise with the Republic of Korea 2nd Operational Command as a part of the Reception, Staging, and Onward Movement Field Exercise at Camp Carroll, Nov. 17.Multiple units participated in the...
18 November 2016 USS Makin Island arrives in Singapore CHANGI, Singapore (NNS) -- The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) arrived in Singapore for a scheduled port visit, Nov. 18.The port visit will allow Sailors from Makin Island and Marines from the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to experience the local culture and conduct...
18 November 2016 Special Forces Support Soldiers Get Tactical Tune-up at Two-Week Course TORII STATION, Okinawa -- The first sergeant's words bounced off the shoot house walls like the sim-rounds being fired through the Special Forces support Soldier's rifles. "We need you to be enablers. To enable, you must be able to enhance our Special Forces missions. In order to do that, you must...
18 November 2016 Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Ready Group Takes Part in Vigilant Ace 17-1 OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 and other elements of Marine Aircraft Group 12 from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, arrived at Osan Air Force Base, Korea, Nov. 15, 2016, to conduct unit level training and...
18 November 2016 Face of Defense: Army Brothers-in-Arms Serve Together in Hawaii JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- Joel and Timothy Seppala, natives of Hayti, South Dakota, share a bond not only as siblings, but also as brothers-in-arms.“We had a typical big brother-little brother relationship growing up,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Seppala, the senior religious...
17 November 2016 USS Comstock Arrives in Subic Bay SUBIC BAY, Philippines (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) and the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines, Nov. 16, for a port visit while operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. During the port...
17 November 2016 Secretary of the Navy Visits Hawaii Sailors, Marines PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus met with Sailors and Marines stationed in Hawaii during all-hands calls at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) and Marine Corps Base Hawaii Nov. 16. Mabus said the purpose of the visits was to thank service members for their hard work and...
17 November 2016 US Navy Divers Conduct Inaugural Dive, Preserve Legacy of USS Salute MUARA, Brunei (NNS) -- Navy divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1 are teaming with Royal Brunei navy personnel Nov. 16-18 for diving operations on former USS Salute (AM 294), a World War II-era minesweeper sunk by a Japanese mine during preparations for amphibious landings in the...
17 November 2016 Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni Ready Group Takes Part in Vigilant Ace 17-1 OSAN AIR FORCE BASE, Korea -- Marine Wing Support Squadron 171, Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 and other elements of Marine Aircraft Group 12 from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, arrived at Osan Air Force Base, Korea, Nov. 15, 2016, to conduct unit level training and...
17 November 2016 KS17: 459th Airlift Squadron and Komatsu Air Rescue Squadron Conduct familiarization training Exercise YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- As the sun was setting behind the mountain terrain, it casted a deep orange hue onto the flight line as UH-1N Iroquois crewmembers completed their pre-flight inspections. Working diligently as twilight faded into darkness, the low hum of the twin turbo shaft engines started...
16 November 2016 Indo-Asia-Pacific Region Remains 'Most Consequential' to America, PACOM Chief Says WASHINGTON -- The Indo-Asia-Pacific region remains the most consequential area for America’s future, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said here today. Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. said at the Defense One Summit kickoff that he has told all in the region that the United States “is a Pacific...
16 November 2016 USS Sampson to Support New Zealand-led Forces Responding to Earthquake PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy is supporting recovery efforts in response to the earthquake in New Zealand. In addition to a maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, USS Sampson (DDG 102) and its two embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopters is now, at the request of the New Zealand government,...
16 November 2016 Japan and U.S. Forces Complete Amphibious Operations during Keen Sword 2017 PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- U.S. Forces and Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) combined to complete a series of amphibious operations as part of Keen Sword 2017 on Nov. 11.Keen Sword is a joint and bilateral exercise held biennially off the coast of Japan and for the first time held simultaneously off Guam...
16 November 2016 Pacific Air Forces, US Marine Corps Conclude Exercise Cope West 17 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- U.S. Marines with Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225 conclude exercise Cope West 17 at Sam Ratulangi International Airport, Indonesia, on Nov. 11, 2016.Cope West 17 is a fighter-focused exercise lead by Pacific Air Forces and executed by the...
16 November 2016 Devil Soldiers Demonstrate Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System for Republic of Korea Army CAMP HUMPHREYS, Republic of Korea ¬– Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, along with leaders from the 2nd Infantry Division / ROK-U.S. Combined Division and Eighth Army, conducted a demonstration of force on force engagement...