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A tanker once full of crude oil is back at sea more than two weeks after the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy took control of the merchant ship in the Gulf of Oman, Iranian officials said on Wednesday. Vietnamese-flagged merchant tanker M/V Sothys departed the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas on Wednesday after IRGCN troops took control of the ship on Oct. 24 in the Gulf of Oman.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration will announce a series of actions Thursday to help veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other contaminants while serving overseas, including making it easier for vets to prove that they were exposed and pushing to find links between exposure and potentially deadly diseases, administration officials said.

The FAQs have been updated providing some additional clarification to PRP Policy. Physical Readiness Program Frequently Asked Questions (1ST QTR – FY22)

The PMK-EE Deadline for Cycle 254 of the E-7 exam is November 30, 2021.

UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 092201Z NOV 21 MID200001270679U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 254/21 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/NOV// SUBJ/UPDATES TO THE NAVY LEADER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM// REF/A/DOC/CNO/01MAY19// REF/B/DOC/OPNAV/26APR21// REF/C/DOC/BUPERS/07MAR21// NARR/REF A IS CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS LETTER, NAVY LEADER DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 3.0. REF B IS OPNAVINST 5351.2B, ENLISTED LEADER DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM. REF C IS THE NAVAL MILITARY PERSONNEL MANUAL ARTICLE 1301-906, NAVY OFFICER LEADERSHIP CONTINUUM TRAINING.// RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces three significant changes to the leader development paths outlined in the Navy Leader Development Framework (NLDF). These requirements will be incorporated into future revisions of references (a) and (b). Reference (a) outlines how our Navy will develop leaders who demonstrate operational excellence, strong character and resilience at every level of seniority. 2. Enlisted Leader Development (ELD). Reference (b) states that the various levels of ELD replaced similar levels of the now-defunct Petty Officer Selectee Leadership Courses. ELD courses are to be completed while in current paygrade (i.e., all E-5 Sailors must complete the Intermediate Leader Development Course (ILDC) while serving as an E-5 and prior to eligibility for advancement to E-6). The Foundational Leader Development Course (FLDC) is for Sailors in paygrades E-3 and E-4. The ILDC is for Sailors in paygrade E-5. The Advanced Leader Development Course (ALDC) is for Sailors in paygrade E-6. ILDC and ALDC will be a prerequisite for advancement to E-6 and E-7 respectively, starting in calendar year 2025. FLDC will still be available but will not be a requirement for eligibility for advancement. a. Naval Leadership and Ethics Command (NLEC) San Diego and NLEC Dam Neck are responsible for training all Command-Navy Leader Development Facilitators (C-NLDF) in the Fleet. Only Chief Petty Officers (CPO), Senior Chief Petty Officers (SCPO), or Master Chief Petty Officers (MCPO) who have attended and passed the C-NLDF course may facilitate FLDC, ILDC, and ALDC classes. Previously qualified Master Mobile Team Trainers must maintain their qualification through NLEC San Diego and NLEC Dam Neck in order to qualify new C-NLDF facilitators. A minimum of two qualified facilitators are required to conduct any of these courses at a local command. Command Master Chiefs (CMDCM) are responsible for managing the number of qualified C-NLDFs and tracking the number Sailors who have completed ELD courses at their commands in the Fleet Training Management and Planning System (FLTMPS). b. The FLDC, ILDC and ALDC classes can be completed either virtually by NLEC staff or in-person by NLEC staff or trained C-NLDFs. The C-NLDF course and the Chief Petty Officer Leader Development Course (CPO-LDC) will only be offered as in-person learning. Only certified C-NLDFs at the SCPO or MCPO level who are CPO-LDC qualified may facilitate CPO-LDC. NLEC San Diego and NLEC Dam Neck currently offer CPO-LDC and will be responsible for the certification of CPO-LDC facilitators. CPO-LDC will be a prerequisite for advancement to E-8 commencing with the Fiscal Year 2026 Selection Board. Units will also enter and verify documentation of completion in FLTMPS for CPOs attending CPO-LDC. c. Leader development for MCPOs that are not on a community-specific command track will be completed in conjunction with the Senior Leader Course (SLC) identified in paragraph 4 below. 3. Intermediate Leadership Course (ILC). This course offers one week of high-impact, professional learning experiences intended to facilitate and foster the growth of motivated and engaged leaders who are dedicated to building effective teams and implementing a command vision. This is accomplished through an emphasis on self-awareness, decision science, ethical decision making, bias awareness and in-class engagements concentrated on developing and enhancing the skills required to inspire, connect and strengthen the performance of our Navy team. a. The ILC is required for all intermediate-level officers with 7 to 12 years of commissioned service and serves as the formal linkage between the Division Officer Leadership Course and applicable leadership courses for more senior officers. While the course may be completed in conjunction with other required community-specific training, such as an established department head (DH) pipeline in line with exhibit 1 of reference (c), assignment to DH positions or positions of similar responsibility are not a consideration for attendance. b. The ILC is offered at NLEC Newport, NLEC San Diego and NLEC Dam Neck. Unit commanders, commanding officers and officers-in-charge will ensure officers meeting the requirements outlined in reference (c), as clarified in paragraph 3a, have the opportunity to attend ILC. Units will also enter and verify documentation of completion in FLTMPS for each officer attending ILC. 4. Senior Leader Course (SLC). This course offers one week of high-impact, professional learning experiences intended to facilitate the empowerment of adaptive and inspirational leaders to recognize and embrace their ability to influence and shape organizations. This is accomplished through a focus on self-awareness, decision science, shaping organizational behavior, ethical decision making, bias awareness and resilience. a. The SLC is required for all Active-Duty officers who have been selected for or newly promoted to Commander (O-5) and are not on a community- specific command track in line with reference (c). Additionally, this course is recommended for Active-Duty MCPOs. Due to class size limitations, officers and MCPOs who have been selected for a training path requiring their attendance at the command master chief/command senior enlisted leader/chief of the boat, prospective executive officer, and/or prospective commanding officer leadership courses will not attend SLC. However, attendance at SLC does not prohibit future opportunities for selection to a command track. b. The SLC is offered at NLEC Newport, NLEC San Diego and NLEC Dam Neck. Unit commanders, commanding officers and officers-in- charge will ensure officers and MCPOs meeting the requirements outlined in reference (c), as clarified in paragraph 4a, have the opportunity to attend SLC. Units will also enter and verify documentation of completion in FLTMPS for each officer or MCPO attending SLC. 5. Points of Contact a. ELD. CMDCM Chad Lunsford, NLEC San Diego, CA at (619) 556-7270/DSN 556, or via e-mail at chad.lunsford(at)navy.mil. b. ILC and SLC. CDR Jill Skeet, NLEC Newport, RI at (401) 841-7438/DSN 841, or via e-mail at denita.j.skeet(at)navy.mil. 6. This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or canceled. 7. Released by Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.// BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//

SAN DIEGO — Recommended improvements to Navy infrastructure at its San Diego bases should be part of next year’s defense-spending bill after two service investigations found that the lack of firefighting resources on the pier contributed to the July 2020 Bonhomme Richard disaster, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said Monday after spending the weekend touring base facilities.

In the latest sign of serious, systemic decay within America’s national security enterprise, the U.S. Navy announced last week that the USS Connecticut (SSN 22), one of America’s three multi-billion-dollar Seawolf class attack submarines, was crippled in an entirely avoidable mishap.

SEATTLE (AP) — A metallurgist in Washington state pleaded guilty to fraud Monday after she spent decades faking the results of strength tests on steel that was being used to make U.S. Navy submarines. Elaine Marie Thomas, 67, of Auburn, Washington, was the director of metallurgy at a foundry in Tacoma that supplied steel castings used by Navy contractors Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding to make submarine hulls.

Here’s a list of some of the restaurants across the country that offer free eats or discounts to all veterans and active-duty service members on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Double-check with your local outlets to make sure they are participating in the offer and what proof of service they require. Some offer discounts to veterans but not their family members. If your favorite place isn’t on the list, check with the restaurant anyway just to make sure it isn’t offering Veterans Day discounts or free food. Many do.

To honor the service of veterans and in celebration of Veterans Day, select NEX locations will present a 2021 commemorative coin to retired veterans on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., while supplies last. The coins will also be available online at myNavyExchange.com when a purchase is made beginning on Nov. 11 EST, until supplies last. Veterans should bring verification of veteran status, if available. “Our NEX stores and associates really look forward to honoring our veterans with this coin presentation each year,” said Bill Marx, Marketing Promotion Coordinator for the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM). “Since many of our NEXCOM associates and military affiliated, they truly know the sacrifices our veterans make in service to our county. To make it easier for a veteran to get a coin, NEXCOM is once again teaming up with the other military exchanges and the Defense Commissary Agency so that veterans can be honored at any Army/Air Force Exchange, Coast Guard Exchange, Commissary or Marine Corps Exchange as well.” NEX locations that will be distributing the commemorative coins are NEX Norfolk, Little Creek, Portsmouth and Oceana, Virginia; NEX Annapolis, Patuxent River and Bethesda, Maryland; NEX Mitchel Field, New York; NEX New London, Connecticut; NEX Newport, Rhode Island; NEX Great Lakes, Illinois; NEX Crane, Indiana; NEX Kings Bay, Georgia; NEX Charleston, South Carolina; NEX Memphis, Tennessee; NEX Meridian and Gulfport, Mississippi; NEX Belle Chase, Louisiana; NEX Orlando, Jacksonville, Mayport, Pensacola, Panama City and Key West, Florida; NEX Corpus Christi, Texas; NEX San Diego, Lemoore, North Island and Port Hueneme, California; NEX Bangor, Bremerton, Everett and Whidbey Island, Washington; NEX Fallon, Nevada; NEX Pearl Harbor; NEX Guam; NEX Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; NEX Sasebo, Yokosuka and Atsugi, Japan; NEX Sigonella, Sicily; NEX Naples, Italy; NEX Rota, Spain; NEX Bahrain and NEX Djibouti. Quick Facts To honor the service of veterans and in celebration of Veterans Day, select NEX locations will present a 2021 commemorative coin to retired veterans on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., while supplies last. The coins will also be available online at myNavyExchange.com when a purchase is made beginning on Nov. 11 EST, until supplies last. Veterans should bring verification of veteran status, if available.

SAN DIEGO - Fleet replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), the Military Sealift Command's newest ship, was christened during a ceremony at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, today. The event was attended by the family of the ship’s namesake as well as other dignitaries included Carlos Del Torro, Secretary of the Navy; former Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus; Vice Adm. Jeffery Hughes, Dep Chief Naval Operations for Warfighting Development; Rear Admiral Stephen Barnett, Commander , Navy Region Southwest; Rear Adm. Michael Wettlaufer, Commander, Military Sealift Command; Capt. James White, Milk's civil service master; Todd Gloria, Mayor, San Diego, Rep. Susan Davis (ret); Dr. Jen Campbell, San Diego Council President; Anne Kronenberg, activist and Milk’s former campaign manager; members of the Harvey Milk Foundation, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The ship honors Navy veteran and LGBT activist Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. He was assassinated On November 10, 1978 (10 months after he was sworn in), by fellow City Supervisor, Dan White. Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 for his activism. USNS Harvey Milk is the first ship named for an openly gay person. “The secretary of the Navy needed to be here today, not just to amend the wrongs of the past, but to give inspiration to all of our LGBTQ community leaders who served in the Navy, in uniform today and in the civilian workforce as well too, and to tell them that we’re committed to them in the future,” Del Toro said, noting that Milk resigned his commission and discharged from the Navy for being gay. “For far too long, sailors like Lt. j.g. Milk were forced into the shadows or, worse yet, forced out of our beloved Navy. That injustice is part of our Navy history, but so is the perseverance of all who continue to serve in the face of injustice.” "My uncle never dreamed of having a ship, or a street, or a park, or a school named after him," said Stuart Milk, Harvey's nephew and the keynote speaker at the ceremony. "What we celebrate today is that the Navy honors the difference between tolerance and acceptance." The 746 foot Milk is the second ship in the new John Lewis-class previously known as the TAO(X). This class of oilers has the ability to carry 162,000 barrels of diesel ship fuel, aviation fuel and dry stores cargo. The upgraded oiler is built with double hulls to protect against oil spills and strengthened cargo and ballast tanks, and will be equipped with a basic self-defense capability, including crew served weapons, degaussing, and Nixie Torpedo decoys, and has space, weight, and power reservations for Close In Weapon Systems such as SeaRAMs, and an Anti-Torpedo Torpedo Defense System. The Lewis-class of oilers will replace the current Kaiser Class fleet replenishment oilers and they age out of the MSC fleet. “A Navy veteran and tireless advocate for equality and universal rights, having Harvey Milk as the namesake for this ship as she adds to our Nation’s strategic advantage in agile logistics is absolutely awesome!” said Wettlaufer. “With enhanced capabilities in storage and delivery of fuel and cargo, Harvey Milk will support our Navy in the away game as we keep our country safe far from home and protect the sea lines of communication. Important to our economic vitality and assuring allies and partners, this ship will help promote freedom of access to international seas and the rules based international order that has sustained the peace over the last 70 years.” Speaking before breaking a bottle of champagne across the ship’s hull, the ship’s sponsor, Paula Neira, Clinical Program Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Transgender Health and a Navy veteran said, "When Harvey Milk sails, she'll send a message both domestically and around the globe to everybody that believes in justice and freedom and liberty, that there is a place for you in this family." Following the traditional champagne christening, Milk slid down into the water with its horn blowing, streamers flying and music from the Navy Band Southwest playing. Five more Lewis-class oilers are on order for the Navy. In July 2016, US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus that he would name the Lewis-class oilers after prominent civil rights activists and leaders including Earl Warren, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone and Robert F. Kennedy.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledged in a letter Thursday that three members of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort had “unusually pervasive access” to VA officials during his administration. The three men, Marvel Entertainment Chairman Ike Perlmutter, lawyer Marc Sherman and Bruce Moskowitz, a Palm Beach doctor, “sought to exert influence” over government initiatives, the VA conceded. None of the men have experience in the U.S. military or government.

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – The base commander has placed a local bar off-limits to uniformed service members following several occasions where Navy shore patrol found troops drinking there after curfew. Bar 894 Base, in the Wakamatsucho district of Yokosuka City, is off-limits until further notice, base commander Capt. Rich Jarrett announced on Thursday.

During his 27 years in the U.S. Army, Leonard Gruppo joined the Special Forces, served in four war zones and led a team of combat medics in Iraq before retiring in 2013 as a lieutenant colonel. During his six minutes inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Gruppo joined a slew of other military veterans as a mob of pro-Trump rioters carried out an unparalleled assault on the bastion of American democracy. He's among dozens of veterans and active-service members charged in connection with the insurrection.

In October, a US nuclear-powered attack submarine collided with what is believed to have been an uncharted seamount while operating in the South China Sea. The USS Connecticut suffered some damage, and several sailors were wounded during the collision. The Navy said on November 4 that it had relieved the sub's senior leaders over the incident.

November - Navy family news

Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, relieved Cmdr. Cameron Aljilani as commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Cashin as Executive Officer, and Master Chief Sonar Technician Cory Rodgers as Chief of the Boat, of Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22), on Nov. 04, 2021, due to loss of confidence. Thomas determined sound judgement, prudent decision-making and adherence to required procedures in navigation planning, watch team execution and risk management could have prevented the incident. Capt. John Witte will assume duties as interim Commanding Officer. Cmdr. Joe Sammur will assume duties as interim Executive Officer. Command Master Chief Paul Walters will assume duties as interim Chief of the Boat. USS Connecticut remains in Guam while undergoing damage assessment and will return to Bremerton, Washington for repairs.

US Marines were driven into submission by their British counterparts during a training exercise held deep in the California desert last week, according to a report in Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper. The paper reported the group of Royal Marines employed new tactics that helped them get the better of the American troops, who were on home soil.

Attending live events, such as concerts, sports, performing arts and family themed events is how many of us relax with entertainment. These experiences are especially significant to Veterans and those who serve our country in uniform. Quite often, our Veterans and service members have missed out on various life events, such as birthdays, anniversaries and holidays with family and friends. Those are experiences that we can’t get back, however we quite often commit to making up for it when we’re back with our loved ones.

Chief Petty Officer Uniform Allowances and Requirements

Iran has said it thwarted an attempt last week by the United States Navy to seize a tanker in the Sea of Oman carrying its oil. “With the timely and authoritative action of the Guards naval forces, the US terrorist Navy’s operation to steal Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman failed,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement published on Wednesday by Iranian state media.

ISTANBUL, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities detained 17 people on Wednesday for putting a hood over the head of a visiting U.S. Navy civilian employee in a protest against United States policy in the Middle East, the Istanbul governor's office said. The group that carried out the act, the Turkey Youth Union (TGB), shared images on Twitter of the incident, in which a group of people chanted anti-U.S. slogans at their target.

Naval observers were befuddled when, after years of exciting experimentation ending in 2015, the U.S. Navy seemed to give up on acquiring a high-performance, combat-capable drone for its carrier air wings. Now, years later, the U.S. Navy finally is coming back around to the idea of a carrier-compatible combat drone. The sailing branch’s new aviation strategy confirms that the MQ-25 robotic tanker, the only unclassified air vehicle to come out of the earlier experiments, will pull double duty as a surveillance system.

The Navy has so far approved five exemptions for the required COVID-19 vaccination — all medical, a Navy official told USNI News. The service has approved five permanent medical exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine so far, said Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Andrew DeGarmo. No one has been separated or discharged, as of Nov. 1, for not receiving the vaccine and the final snapshot will likely not be ready until Nov. 28, DeGarmo said. The Navy has not released how many administrative exemptions — which is the category religious exemptions fall under — have been granted in terms of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is mandatory for all active-duty sailors and reservists. However, the Navy has not approved a religious waiver for vaccinations in the past seven years, DeGarmo said.

YOKOSUKA, Japan - The investigation submitted to the U.S. 7th Fleet commander determined the submarine grounded on an uncharted seamount. The command investigation for USS Connecticut (SSN 22) has been submitted to Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet for review and endorsement. The investigation determined that Connecticut grounded on an uncharted seamount while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region. Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet will determine whether follow-on actions — including accountability — are appropriate.