For the first time, a forward-deployed U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship was used to administer a standard military aptitude test, the Navy said on Friday.

The USS America, stationed in Sasebo, Japan, with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the 7th Fleet, was the site of the Armed Forces Classification Test on April 15.

The multi-part test is an element of the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery, a series of general- and specific-knowledge examinations by which enlisted personnel demonstrate occupational preferences and specialties.

While the test is routinely administered at colleges, at over 14,000 Military Entrance Testing Stations, at a local Military Entrance Processing Stations aligned with recruiting offices and aboard deployed ships at sea, the USS America was approved as a test site.

"When we heard the Navy College Office was closing its doors in Sasebo and the opportunity for sailors to retake their ASVAB test would no longer be an option, we had to take action," CMDCM Randy Bell, Command Master Chief of the ship, said in a press release.

"The sailors we are entrusted to lead and care for deserve the best opportunities possible and our future depends on them and their ability to grow and progress in their careers," Bell said.

The AFCT administered in April was for personnel who have already taken the ASVAB and seek to improve their scores, which are factors in officer candidacy evaluation and promotions.

"I really appreciate having the opportunity to test myself and see if I can qualify for a job in either engineering or administration," commented Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Latasha Velez, who is assigned to the USS America.

"It's scary to think that this opportunity almost went away," Velez said.

Navy's newest guided missile destroyer to be christened on Saturday
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 23, 2021 - The christening of the U.S. Navy's newest destroyer on Saturday will be Mississippi's Ingalls Shipbuilding's first full-scale christening in the COVID-19 era.

The USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee will be the Navy's 73rd Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, and was built by the Huntington Ingalls Industries subsidiary in Pascagoula, Miss., the site of the ceremony.

A member of the DDG-51 class of ships, the new destroyer is capable of conducting anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, carrying the MK-41 Vertical Launching System to fire missiles.

At 509.5 feet in length, the ship is configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, with high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures, the Navy said.

San Diego will be its homeport.

The ship honors Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, who became superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps in 1911.

Recipient of the Navy Cross, awarded for distinguished service in combat, Higbee was among 20 women, known as the "Sacred Twenty," to join the newly-established Navy Nurse Corps and serve in World War I.

This will be the second ship to carry her name. The destroyer USS Higbee served in World War II and in the Korean War, and was the first combat warship named to honor a female Navy veteran.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, acting assistant secretary of the Navy Jay Stefany and Rear Adm. Cynthia Kuehner are scheduled to speak at the event.

The ship's sponsors include Louisa Dixon, Virginia Munford and R. Pickett Wilson.

Ship christening ceremonies have typically been reduced in scope since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Navy certifies first female Steam Generating Plant Inspector
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 22, 2021 - A Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center sailor recently became the first woman certified as a Steam Generating Plant Inspector for the U.S. Navy, the service announced Thursday.

Marya Hudgens, a chief machinist's mate assigned to the MARMC Engineering Department's Steam and Propulsion Branch, completed the SGPI certification course after a lengthy process including screenings, shipboard qualifications and courses of knowledge.

"When I was aboard USS Boxer as an E-5, this was a goal I set for myself," Hudgens said in a press release issued by the branch. "Everyone was telling me there had never been a female boiler inspector in the Navy. I remember saying, 'One day I'm going to be the first.'"

According to the Navy, there are more than 6,000 machinist mates in the service, but only about 25 certified SGPIs.

SGPIs perform specialized tasks like inspecting material condition, monitoring general readiness, diagnosing improper operating procedures and detailing repairs of all marine main propulsion plant boilers and steam catapult accumulators.

According to Senior Chief Machinist's Mate Michael Barton, who is also assigned to the Steam and Propulsion Branch, the training program begins early in a sailor's career.

Sailors who show potential and interest are added to a list, which is whittled down before they make it to the final certification course.

Hudgens, a 15-year veteran of the service, said she hopes her accomplishments will influence others to aim high.

"My hope is that by me achieving this, it will push more female machinist's mates to set their goals high and realize they could be doing the same thing that the guys are doing, if they work hard and don't give up," Hudgen said.

USS Vella Gulf conducting sea trials after repairs
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 22, 2021 - The USS Vella Gulf returned to sea this week after being docked for repairs, the Navy said.

The guided-missile cruiser is undergoing sea trials to "test the ship's system efficiency and ensure proficiency at sea," 2nd Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Marycate Walsh said in a statement obtained by Navy Times and USNI News.

The Vella Gulf is part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and deployed to the Atlantic Ocean on Feb. 19, but left the convoy near the Canary Islands on Feb. 26 due to a fuel oil leak later blamed on corrosion.

Last week, the crew found significant debris in the cruiser's main reduction gear, extending its repair period and keeping the ship docked at Naval Station Norfolk.

At the time the Navy did not say how long repairs would take, and the crew was kept onboard the vessel to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In February, the Navy said fully vaccinated crews would not have to follow restriction of movement and sequestering guidelines, but the Vella Gulf's crew is not fully vaccinated and therefore could not leave the ship, Navy Times reported.

USS Philippine Sea ends 10-month deployment
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 22, 2021 - The USS Philippine Sea has returned to Florida's Naval Station Mayport, marking the end of a nearly 10-month deployment, the Navy announced Thursday.

The guided-missile cruiser traveled nearly 60,000 nautical miles during its deployment, operating in in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, including the Gulf of Aqaba, the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf, according to a Navy press release.

"When faced with many unique challenges over the past ten months, the crew not only persevered, but demonstrated unmatched resolve and an unwavering spirit of camaraderie," Capt. Kevin Hoffman, Philippine Sea's commanding officer, said in the release.

"Their resilience inspires me every day," Hoffman said.

The vessel's deployment included multiple strait and choke point transits, including the Strait of Gibraltar, Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab-el Mandeb.

This included 18 transits through the Strait of Hormuz, many while escorting partner military vessels and commercial shipping.

The Philippine Sea also operated as part of the Nimitz carrier group in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, and led and participated in several maritime security exercises with partner nations, the Navy said.

"The crew worked extraordinarily hard over the last ten months amidst a global pandemic, from daily tasks to earning professional qualifications and achieving personal goals," said Cmdr. LeAndra Kissinger, the ship's executive officer.

"Everyone came together to accomplish every operational tasking as a team. Their work in the Fleet set a high bar for all future deployments," Kissinger said.

In March, the vessel ported in Bahrain for three weeks after about 20 sailors tested positive for COVID-19, which followed an investigation of possible exposure in February.

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Navy commissions littoral combat ship USS Oakland
Washington DC (UPI) Apr 19, 2021
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