Nearly 28 years ago to the day, the carrier Carl Vinson had a visitor whose death is one of the biggest news stories of the week. Elizabeth Taylor, who died Wednesday, attended the ship’s christening (or maybe commissioning) with her husband, former Navy Secretary and then Virginia Sen. John Warner. The two are shown together in a photo posted on the carrier’s Facebook page, which described her as a “friend” of the ship. The photo’s origins are unclear. The caption says it’s from the christening March 13, 1982. The ship, however, was christened March 15, 1980. The picture is probably…
Browsing: Congress
It’s been another busy week for the Navy. Here are seven stories in seven minutes from the past seven days that are worthy of notice: 1. Defense Bill passes HASC. This bill has tons of important stuff – far too much to put in this blog. You can check Monday’s edition of Navy Times for the complete scoop. But among the highlights is this news that lawmakers bucked the Pentagon’s 1.4 percent pay raise request, and looks to instead give service members a 1.9 percent boost. In addition, the bill aligns the 30-year shipbuilding plan with the QDR, which bodes well…
For the second time in as many weeks, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has publicly proclaimed his own sanity. Or at least that he is “not crazy.” The first happened May 7 when he told reporters: I may want to change things, but I’m not crazy. I’m not going to cut a carrier, OK?” The comment was in response to headlines Gates made on May 3 when he questioned the need for 11 carrier strike groups. Today, Gates conceded a fiscal fight when the House Armed Services Committee decided the Pentagon’s basic pay raise from 1.4 to 1.9 percent. As first…
Last week, Florida’s fight for a carrier was staggered by this Government Accountability Office report. Seeing the Sunshine State was standing on spaghetti legs, Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Va., on Wednesday night landed what Virginia lawmakers hope to be the knock-out punch. It happened as the House Armed Services Committee considered the 2011 defense bill.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates dropped the bomb of the week. In his first invitation to the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space symposium, Gates suggested a need for cutting carriers, sinking SSBN(X) and eliminating Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles. You can read Gates’ speech here, and find out how this affects you in Monday’s edition of Navy Times. Speaking of amphibious operations, the personnel bubbas in Millington are starting to dry out. Two days of rain dumped more than 14 inches in the area. A levee couldn’t hold the water back and the base was flooded. This delayed one promotion board and threw many administrative matters into…
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that subs are now officially open to women. In other career news, the active duty master chiefs list was released. The Coast Guard is holding its ground in the oil spill – and against critics. and the Army cancelled the Non-Line of Sight Launch System, which will likely have significant ramifications for the Littoral Combat Ship. Here’s seven stories in seven minutes from the past seven days that you may not have seen, but are worthy of notice:
The Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition brought more than 130 members from its 400 constituent companies to Capitol Hill Thursday to urge continued support for the aircraft carrier program. The sixth annual breakfast, held at the Rayburn Building, was attended by Reps. Glenn Nye, D-Va., and Rob Wittman, R-Va. Both serve on the House Armed Services Committee and both are very vocal on keeping a minimum of 11 carriers in the fleet through 2039. As one might expect, the construction and capabilities of the forthcoming carrier Gerald R. Ford was the top topic. Scoop Deck had a good talk with…
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that the Green Hornet on Thursday took to flight – the fighter jet, not the super hero. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was powered by a 50/50 blend of biofuel and JP-5. That same day, a U.S. military jury cleared a Navy SEAL of failing to prevent the beating of an Iraqi prisoner suspected of masterminding a 2004 attack that killed four American security contractors. Two others will soon have their day in court. And on Wednesday, the Navy implemented its first change in 17 years to…
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that the Navy’s 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock will be named for Rep. John Murtha – a story first reported by Scoop Deck’s own Phillip Ewing. An unfortunate T-39 crash killed four in Georgia also made headlines, as did the Thursday announcement that changes were coming to the performance evaluation system and advancement policy (check Monday’s Navy Times for more on that). And the president also reaffirmed his 2011 Afghan withdrawal plan this week. Here’s seven stories in seven minutes from the past seven…
Scoop Deck blogger Lance M. Bacon took a day trip with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead this week. This is the play-by-play report. Roughead speaks with reporters en route to Kings Bay, Ga., Tuesday morning. (photo by MC2 Kyle Malloy) 0620 Flying with the CNO definitely has its advantages. Here are a few: When the itinerary says departure time is 0615, you are wheels-up at 0615. No sitting on the tarmac for 30 minutes waiting to get in the departure line. Unlike commercial airlines, which incarcerate you in a 20-inch cell they call a “seat,” all the spots…
