SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 8, 2010 -- Following what he called “a very full day of meaningful discussions” today with South Korean leaders, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff condemned North Korea’s acts of aggression and praised South Korea for demonstrating restraint to keep it from...

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- The National Park Service and the U.S. Navy hosted a joint memorial ceremony commemorating the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7 at the newly dedicated $56 million Pearl Harbor Visitor Center at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. The...

KIRISHIMA TRAINING AREA, Kyushu, Japan -- About 200 Marines and Sailors with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit began the annual bilateral field training exercise Forest Light with Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces in mainland Japan, Dec. 7. Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 31st MEU,...

USS ESSEX, At sea -- The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) practiced decked landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) vehicle inter-operability with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) tank landing ship JS Kunisaki (LST 4003) off the coast of Okinawa, Japan Dec. 6 as...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) - USS Nimitz (CVN 68) departed San Diego Dec. 6 to conduct an administrative homeport change from Naval Base Coronado to Naval Base Kitsap at Bremerton, Wash. Nimitz is making the homeport change to conduct a year-long docking-planned incremental availability (DPIA) at the Puget...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) - Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (SURFPAC) ships, guided-missile cruiser USS Cape Saint George (CG 71) and mine countermeasures ship USS Dextrous (MCM 13) Crew Exultant, raised a total of $156,335 for the Defense Department's 2010 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) drive...

PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) - Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel and their U.S. counterparts aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) work side-by-side Dec. 5 to increase interoperability and improve the alliance during Keen Sword 2011. Keen Sword officially kicked off on Dec. 3 with dozens of...

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia -- Equipped with trumpets, tubas, donated clothes, Hula-Hoops, toys and lots of energy, Sailors from USS Mustin (DDG 89) and the 7th Fleet Orient Express Band visited the Goodwill School, a local charity organization aimed at educating children in Sihanoukville, Cambodia on...

EAST CHINA SEA (NNS) -- The forward-deployed Sailors of the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) joined Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to begin the biennial exercise Keen Sword Dec. 3 in the East China Sea. The joint, bilateral exercise is conducted in accordance with...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) - Command master chiefs (CMCs) and senior enlisted leaders (SELs) from Naval Surface Forces (SURFOR) gathered for the CMC/SEL Symposium hosted by SURFOR's force master chief at the Island Club on Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., Nov. 30 to Dec. 1. The enlisted leaders...

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) - Naval Submarine Support Command (NSSC) Pearl Harbor has been selected and on Dec. 2 announced as the recipient of the 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility in the at-large category. "This award is testament to the flexibility of the...

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia -- Commanded by a man who was born in the rice fields of Cambodia, the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) arrived in Sihanoukville, Cambodia for a port call Dec. 3. It has been over 37 years since Mustin’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Michael V. Misiewicz has...

OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) -- The "Golden Eagles" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 9 concluded a six-month deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) Nov. 24. The "Skinny Dragons" of VP 4 relieved VP 9 as Commander, Task Group (CTG) 72.2/72.4. While VP 9 was deployed to Kadena Air Base in...

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - U.S. military personnel will partner with Japanese Self-Defense Forces in Japan Dec. 3 through 10 to conduct joint-bilateral training during Exercise Keen Sword 2011. The Commander of 13th Air Force, Lt. Gen. Hawk Carlisle, and Gen. Ryoichi Oriki, Chief of...

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - U.S. military personnel will partner with Japanese Self-Defense Forces in Japan Dec. 3 through 10 to conduct joint-bilateral training during Exercise Keen Sword 2011. The Commander of 13th Air Force, Lt. Gen. Hawk Carlisle, and Gen. Ryoichi Oriki, Chief of...

PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec 2, 2010) - Following a highly successful exercise with the Republic of Korea Navy in the waters west of the Korean Peninsula, USS George Washington (CVN 73) traveled more than three hundred miles back to the Pacific Ocean in preparation for the Japanese led exercise Keen Sword...

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) - The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Charlotte (SSN 766) departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific region Dec. 1. "Charlotte's material condition is outstanding, thanks largely in part to the crew's efforts and hard work over the...

WASHINGTON (NNS) - The Navy will christen littoral combat ship (LCS) Fort Worth Dec. 4, during a 10 a.m. CST ceremony at Marinette Marine Corp. shipyard in Marinette, Wis. The ship's name recognizes the city of Fort Worth, Texas. For more than 150 years, the patriotic citizens of Fort Worth have...

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) - Families and friends said goodbye as the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) departed from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Nov. 30 for an independent deployment to the Middle East and Western Pacific. "We should be okay," said Naomi...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2010 - As the United States and South Korean militaries wrapped up four days of joint naval exercises, the task force commander said he’s “exceptionally satisfied” with capabilities demonstrated during operations that sent a strong deterrent message to North Korea. “It...