YOKOSUKA, Japan – Capt. Will Pennington relieved Capt. Daniel Grieco as commanding officer of U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) during a change of command ceremony held onboard July 27. Grieco served as commanding officer from May 2011 to July 2012. During his tenure, Grieco was responsible for leading Blue Ridge through […]
SIHANOUKVILLE – The Military Sealift Command’s hospital ship, USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived today in Cambodia to begin the final mission phase of Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12). This is the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s seventh annual Pacific Partnership humanitarian and civic assistance (HCA) mission. Prior to arriving in Cambodia, Mercy and her PP12 embarked personnel visited […]
VINH, Vietnam – Reserve Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Rear Adm. Russell S. Penniman hosted a breakfast recognizing four parent-child pairs of crewmembers deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12), 23 July. The parent child pairs consist of Dr. Mary Hartman and her daughter Anna Grove, Dr. Randy Jungman along […]
VINH, Vietnam – Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) has concluded its visit to Vinh, Vietnam July 24. Aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), the PP12 team of more than 1,200 crew spent 14 days by the invitation of Vietnam to take part in a multitude of events. While in Vietnam PP12 […]
YOKOSUKA, Japan – The U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier returned to its forward-operating port at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on July 26 to conclude the first-half of its 2012 patrol. USS George Washington (CVN 73) and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, traveled more than 10,800 nautical miles; conducted exercises and operations […]
PHILIPPINE SEA – Japanese dignitaries from the South Kanto Defense Bureau, Diet party, and other government officials visited the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) July 24 for a tour of the ship. Visitors arrived by carrier onboard delivery (COD) and were welcomed into the captain’s import cabin for drinks, snacks […]
VINH, Vietnam – Global Grins has helped bring smiles to thousands of people by donations given to the Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12) mission to hand out during four mission port visits between May and August this year. Global Grins is non-profit organization that provides toothbrushes and oral hygiene supplies to different places that are in […]
VINH, Vietnam– A Vietnam War veteran revisited Vietnam for the first time since the war with his daughter while working together on a very different kind of mission, Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12). Retired Army Capt. John Zywicke served as the Executive Officer of the Medical Clearing Company with 82nd Air Borne in Phu Loi, Vietnam […]
VINH, Vietnam – Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 pack their seabags one last time July 21 before returning home after a nine month forward deployment. Twenty-two ‘Fighting Forty’ Seabees, along with four containers packed with tools and equipment, departed Okinawa in late June to Nghe An province. After 30 hours from their […]
VINH, Vietnam – They say every cloud has a silver lining, even after a terrible disaster. It may not be obvious at first, but given time the sun will shine. In 1978, the Amoco Cadiz ran aground off the coast of France, ripping open its hull and spilling millions of gallons of crude oil, which […]