Tony

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Tribune News Service) — A Navy helicopter with two people on board crashed after the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing in Isle of Wight County on Wednesday morning, according to law enforcement officials.

Whether the Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility in Hawaii remains open is uncertain, following two major fuel spills the Navy that contaminated Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham’s water supply and forced thousands of families out of their homes after Thanksgiving. Testifying Tuesday before the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee, Rear Adm. Blake Converse, deputy commander of the Pacific Fleet, said, “we need to complete our investigation” and assess the findings of third-party investigators as to how the spilling of 14,000 gallons of jet fuel happened at Red Hill and can the problems identified in manning, operating procedures and training be fixed.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday issued a new “Charge of Command” to commanders Jan. 11. 2022.

U.S. Air Force and Navy aircraft flying hours and availability have declined over the past two decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The trend, which is more pronounced than U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) assessments due to how aircraft are accounted for, was heavier in the Navy, which also flew more hours per aircraft, the nonpartisan government agency tasked with supplying economic analysis to Congress said in a recent report.

The USS Orleck, a former U.S. Navy destroyer that saw combat in the Korean and Vietnam wars, is heading to Jacksonville to begin a new life as a floating military museum. The Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association announced Tuesday that it has acquired the ship and that it will soon be Jacksonville-bound after passing a seaworthiness inspection last month in Texas.

Find out if you can get disability compensation (monthly payments) and other benefits for illnesses or other conditions, like the ones listed below. These are illnesses and conditions we believe may be caused by contact with harmful chemicals or other hazardous materials while serving in the military.

If you’re the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a Veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC). Find out if you can get VA benefits or compensation.

(CNN)The US Navy will comply with an order from the Hawaii Department of Health to halt operations at its Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after a leak late last year contaminated drinking water and sickened military families. Capt. Bill Clinton, director of public affairs and outreach for US Pacific Fleet, confirmed the shutdown Monday.

More than 100,000 military retirees living in five states will soon be seeing more money in their pockets, thanks to new laws that were passed in 2021 making their military retirement tax free.

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- An updated " Guide 8 (Jan 2022) has been added to the "GUIDES" tab. - An updated " Guide 11 (Jan 2022) has been added to the "GUIDES" tab. For clarification to PRP policy, the following is provided: - Terminal Leave: At the discretion of the CO, members on terminal leave are not required to participate in the Navy’s PFA cycle. However, member’s with approved terminal leave which starts after the command’s PFA cycle are required to participate in the Navy’s official PFA. Once member is on terminal leave, CFLs must place member in a transfer status in PRIMS. - DOD Skill-Bridge: Members who have been approved to participate in Skill-Bridge are not required to participate in the Navy’s official PFA once they have departed, transferred or already TAD from the command for Skill-Bridge assignment. However, members who are approved to attend Skill-Bridge and still at the command during the command’s PFA cycle are required to participate in the Navy’s official PFA cycle. Once a member is at Skill-Bridge and the command has determined the member will not return, the CFL must place the member in a transfer status in PRIMS. For more information on Skill-Bridge, please go to the website: https://dodskillbridge.usalearning.gov/program-overview.htm

To the editor: There are at least a couple of problems with the logic used by those in the military refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. I find it hard to understand why many are worried that the shots "were too new for their risks to be fully understood." It's a tough argument to make when roughly 9.37 billion doses have been given worldwide.

Starting with the new year, the Navy is requiring senior enlisted sailors and some officers to use a government travel charge card to pay for a permanent change of station. A PCS can cost thousands of dollars for travel, lodging and vehicle rentals, along with an untold cost in stress. Paying those expenses with a government card is designed to reduce the burden on sailors and improve government accounting, according to a Navy financial specialist.

The Seattle Times editorial board is misguided with its Navy reset recommendation for Whidbey Island [“Navy and Whidbey Island advocates need compromise on jet noise,” Dec. 27, Opinion]. There is no “feud between the U.S. Navy and residents of Whidbey Island.” Relationships between the base and Whidbey area leaders are among the best in the nation. The Navy is being sued by a specific, energetic, well-funded activist group. Once the pinnacle of environmental law, the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act now present endless opportunities for “long running” litigation.

For the past four weeks, the Navy has been busy relieving officers of command, starting with Cmdr. Lucian Kins, the executive officer of the destroyer USS Winston Churchill, who was fired on Dec. 10. Since then, Cmdr. Jennifer Reid was relieved as commander of Navy Reserve Center-Toledo on Dec. 20; Cmdr. Richard Zamberlan and Cmdr. Phillip Lundberg, who were serving as the captain and executive officer respectively of the littoral combat ship USS Montgomery, were both fired on Dec. 30; and Cmdr. Jeffrey Servello, captain of the destroyer USS Paul Ignatius, was relieved on Jan. 6.

The Navy has separated 20 sailors, all of whom were in their first 180 days of active duty, for continued refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine. The sailors are the first that the Navy has separated, the sea service announced Wednesday evening. No other active-duty sailors have been separated due to vaccine refusal, although the executive officer of USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) was separated in December for failure to follow a lawful order. A Navy official told USNI News that the officer would not get vaccinated against or tested for COVID-19. The 20 entry-level separations were done during initial training periods, according to the Navy’s COVID-19 update Wednesday.

MILLINGTON, TENN. – Sailors interested in rate conversions may now see the availability of positions prior to applying. This is a new feature of the latest MyNavy Assignment (MNA) release, launched Dec. 3, 2021. Sailors can now determine their potential fit in a rate conversion depending on the available positions advertised in MNA for Sailor application. Previously Sailors had to apply without knowing the positions available, but they can now shop for positions and see the availability of both in-rate and out-of-rate jobs. Most conversion requests will be initiated, reviewed, and adjudicated within MNA. If quotas out of the Sailor’s current rate are not available, Sailors will not normally be able to submit conversion applications.

The commander of a Mayport, Fla.-based guided-missile destroyer was relieved from command “due to a loss of confidence,” two Navy officials told USNI News on Thursday. Cmdr. Jeffery Servello, commander of USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), was removed from his position on Thursday, the officials confirmed. The relief comes after an investigation into the ship’s performance during a 2021 exercise in which the crew had made mistakes during an anti-air warfare drill in the Atlantic, two sources familiar with the exercise told USNI News.

It marks a big step back into history, from serving as executive officer on the Norfolk-based guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg to command of the world’s oldest commissioned naval vessel. Cmdr. Billie Farrell is about to take command of USS Constitution — Old Ironsides — the first woman to do so in the ship’s 224 years.

The aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford is expected to conduct its first deployment in 2022 — four years after it was originally scheduled to deploy. To ensure the carrier can deploy this year, the Navy has cannibalized parts from future aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy — a move that is not expected to delay the construction of the Kennedy

TOKYO — The U.S. military in Japan accounted for another 242 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday as the winter coronavirus surge continues, according to military and Japanese reports. Marine Corps installations reported the bulk of those increases. The total at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, 25 miles south of Hiroshima, grew to 240 with another 50 counted on Monday and 47 on Tuesday, according to base news releases. That cluster started with eight confirmed cases on Dec. 27.

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — The Hawaii Department of Health on Monday gave final approval to an emergency order to close the Navy’s Red Hill underground fuel storage facility on Oahu that is linked to contaminated water affecting thousands living in military communities. “Today’s decision affirms DOH’s actions to safeguard the drinking water that we share as a community,” Kathleen Ho, deputy director of environmental health, said in a news release. Ho ordered the facility closed Dec. 6, about a week after people living on and near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam began complaining of foul-smelling tap water that carried an oily sheen.

PMK-EE Deadline for Cycle 255 - Active Duty/ Full-Time Support PMK-EE COMPLETION DEADLINE: for Cycle 255 (March 2022 E-4 through E-6 Active Duty/ Full-Time Support) is 31 January! Don't wait until the last minute. Remember PMK-EE completion is required only once per pay grade and can be taken on the PMK-EE mobile app or on Navy eLearning. See NAVADMIN 260/21 for more information.