CARIBBEAN SEA (March 27, 2020) Sailors and Coast Guardsmen assigned to the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) conduct a rigid-hull inflatable boat operation. During the deployment to the U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility, Detroit, with embarked helicopter and USCG law enforcement detachment, will support Joint Interagency Task Force South's mission, which includes counter-drug patrols and detection and monitoring of illicit traffic in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Anderson W. Branch/Released) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z6uz76SckI

Pre Commissioning Unit Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), will be commissioned during a ceremony Saturday, March 24, 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina. Ralph Johnson, commanded by Cmdr. Jason Patterson, a Chicago native, is the 64th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and the 30th DDG 51 class destroyer built by the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard. It is the first warship named for Medal of Honor recipient Marine Pfc. Ralph Henry Johnson. Johnson, a native of Charleston, posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War. Johnson used his body to shield two fellow Marines from a grenade, absorbing the blast and dying instantly in March 1968. In early fall of 2014, the keel of Ralph Johnson was laid down. The ship was launched on Dec. 12, 2015 and christened on April 2, 2016 during ceremonies at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Arleigh Burke (DDG 51 class) class destroyers are highly-capable, multi-mission ships that conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security. These DDGs provide a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface, and subsurface environments. The ship's Integrated Air and Missile Defense radar will provide increased computing power and radar upgrades that improve detection and reaction capabilities against modern air warfare threats, as well as ballistic missile defense. The Aegis Combat System will enable the ship to link radars with other ships and aircraft to provide a composite picture of the battle space, and effectively increase the theater space. New ships in this class, such as Ralph Johnson, have anti-ballistic missile capabilities as well. The DDG’s all-steel construction provides a survivable platform. After commissioning in Charleston, she will make her way to homeport in Everett, Washington. For more information on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, visit http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=900&ct=4 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pul0VL2TeY

The Office of Naval Research Global (ONRG) TechSolutions-sponsored Tactically Reconfigurable Artificial Combat Enhanced Reality (TRACER) package consists of a virtual-reality headset, a backpack, a state-of-the-art simulated weapon designed to deliver realistic recoil, and a software package that creates multiple and adaptable simulation scenarios for security personnel to experience. ONRG TechSolutions allows Sailors and Marines to submit technology requests directly to the development community for rapid response prototyping. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgeMJx4g0c

Following the results of the FY-15 Chief Selection Board, two of the Navy top Master Chiefs joined the Weekly Wire Rundown to share their experience serving on selection boards and offer advice on what Sailors can start doing now to stand out next cycle. Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPT&E) Fleet Master Chief April Beldo and Navy Reserve Force Master Chief CJ Mitchell answer questions about the board ranging from how Sailors can stand out in their peer group to what they should include in their letters the board. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4nktnmnLgQ