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USA Today, December 30, 2005
Navy needs to know more about SONAR's effect on sea life
Charlotte Observer, 30 DEC 05
Undersea sonar range part of new military initiatives
Estes Thompson, Associated Press
By Jacob Cook, The Dispatch (MD), 30 DEC 05
By Danielle Sherry, The Day, 12/30/2005
defenselink.mil , December 29, 2005
James Morgan, The Herald, December 30 2005
USA Today, December 30, 2005
Navy Secretary Gordon England, who has also been serving as the acting deputy Defense secretary, gave up his Navy post, clearing the way for Donald Winter to be sworn in as Navy secretary next week.
Some senators have blocked England's confirmation as deputy Defense secretary, the Pentagon's second-highest position. But other senators, including John Warner, R-Va., indicated last month that Bush will bypass the Senate and install England as deputy secretary within the next few months using what is known as a recess appointment.
Winter, former corporate vice president of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, was confirmed as Navy secretary by the Senate last month but not sworn in. Now that England has stepped down, that ceremony will take place Tuesday.
Navy needs to know more about SONAR's effect on sea life
Charlotte Observer, 30 DEC 05
The U.S. Navy wants North Carolina land, air space and now some of its offshore fishing grounds. It's nice to be popular, but when so much attention threatens the state's natural resources, someone ought to squawk.
Normally that job would fall to the governor. But Mike Easley has been so careful to avoid the appearance of taking on the Navy that many Eastern North Carolina residents wonder who will speak for them on these issues.
Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight may have wondered the same thing. He wrote the state's two U.S. senators and 13 U.S. representatives to urge them to oppose the Navy's Undersea Warfare Training Range, a 660-square-mile area 47 miles off the N.C. coast, and push for a more suitable place. That range would allow the use of SONAR equipment to detect quiet-running enemy submarines. But fisheries experts fear that SONAR experiments have already caused damage to fish and marine mammals, including the beaching of 34 pilot whales in January near Oregon Inlet.
"This facility will have a long-lasting negative impact on our state's fisheries and coastal tourism, with no economic or environmental benefit to the citizens of North Carolina," Sen. Basnight wrote. "Once again, the Navy has proposed a facility in our state that will do considerable damage to our people and our environment."
When the Navy met with state lawmakers recently to tell them the service expected only minimal damage from the SONAR training, legislators appeared dubious. "I don't leave this presentation feeling any better than I did coming in," said Rep. Robert Grady, a Jacksonville Republican. "You say there is no evidence there will be long-term, significant behavioral disruptions on fish. You might find out later that there is."
The Navy plans to extend a comment period to allow for more public input on the proposal. It also plans to present more information on how it concluded there would be little impact.
Good. More information will be helpful. But what the Navy needs is convincing evidence and compelling proof of no significant impact. North Carolina's economy is built upon tourism and Eastern North Carolina particularly depends upon fishing.
So far the Navy's ability to present persuasive evidence is questionable. It so badly botched studies of potential jet aircraft collisions with large waterfowl in northeastern North Carolina that a federal judge ordered more studies.
Not only is the Navy's credibility on the line; so is the welfare of an economically depressed region. If the Navy hopes to persuade this state it knows what it's talking about, it will need more persuasive data than it has dredged up so far.
Undersea sonar range part of new military initiatives
Estes Thompson, Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. - As thousands of troops based in North Carolina fought the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005, leaders in the state worked hard to keep their bases at the forefront of the nation's military establishment.
By all accounts, they succeeded, ensuring that the Army's Fort Bragg and Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune, as well as other bases in the state, will start to grow in numbers of personnel in the new year, as will the businesses that cater to them.
"The defense industry is a backbone for the North Carolina economy," said Lindsey Mabry, a spokeswoman for Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole.
The federal base closing process, which concluded in 2005, included the decision to "close" Pope Air Force Base - mostly a negative in name only, since the base will become a part of Fort Bragg and continue to operate.
Mostly, the federal base closing panel ended up adding to the state's military bases. The Army will move its Forces and Reserve command to Fort Bragg, bringing a bevy of new generals and other ranking officers to the base outside Fayetteville, which is already home to the Army's 18th Airborne Corps and Special Operations Command.
The four-star general leading the Forces command will be the highest ranking officer at the base and in the state.
The base's 82nd Airborne Division will also gain a brigade, giving the "All-American" division of paratroopers four brigade combat teams.
The military has six years to implement the panel's recommendations. Planning must start next year, but some moves will require construction budget authorizations from Congress, said Paul Dordal, a retired Air Force general from Fayetteville who helped the city lobby the independent base-closing panel.
Meanwhile, the process added a repair center for F-15 jet fighter engines at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base at Goldsboro. Some jobs were cut at an aircraft repair facility at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, but officials said future missions at the base would result in increased employment.
In all, the process is expected to add 5,000 to 6,000 military personnel to the state, according to figures compiled by Dole's office.
"As the ... final recommendations are implemented, North Carolina's bases and base communities stand to gain," said Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, who led the state lobbying effort. "Fayetteville and Bragg will be getting what amounts to a corporate headquarters locating to North Carolina."
Outside of the base closing process, the Marine Corps announced plans in 2005 to add two infantry battalions at Camp Lejeune and open a new Marine Corps special operations command, which will bring about 2,000 new troops to the base in Jacksonville.
And after years of delays and testing that followed accidents that killed several Marines, the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft was finally approved for use by the Marine Corps. The first Osprey squadron, which will gradually replace the Corps' Vietnam-era helicopters, was based at Marine Corps Air Station New River.
The air base next to Camp Lejeune is also home to Osprey training facilities.
In all, there were more than 100,000 troops based in North Carolina by the end of 2005, with units from each base playing major roles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Scores of North Carolina-based troops were killed in combat - 147 Marines from Lejeune alone by December - and the Pentagon death announcements mounted weekly.
Some 25,000 Marines from the II Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Lejeune were expected to begin returning home from Iraq in 2006 after about a year overseas. In mid-2006, the 3rd Brigade of the 82nd Airborne is expected to deploy to Iraq.
Among the military issues to be resolved in 2006 is the fate of the Navy's planned practice landing field for jet fighters in eastern North Carolina. Opponents have so far won in their legal battle to keep the Navy from building the airfield on a 30,000-acre parcel in Washington and Beaufort counties.
Opponents believe the thousands of waterfowl that stop in the area during migrations would threaten the jets, and that jet noise would harm the birds by disturbing their rest.
Another military project that remains unsettled is the Navy's plan to build a huge underwater sonar array 47 miles off the Atlantic coast, near Camp Lejeune. The 660-square-mile range would be used for training ships and aircraft in anti-submarine warfare.
Opponents argue the range would harm sea life, and state government leaders say the Navy hasn't provided concrete answers about their concerns. The Navy had planned to close its public comment period at the end of 2005, but decided to extend it through January.
By Jacob Cook, The Dispatch (MD), 30 DEC 05
OCEAN CITY – A partnership between the resort and an active military submarine was praised by local officials this week after a group of Ocean City representatives went aboard the ship and experienced a slice of Navy life.
Local residents and officials took advantage of a newly-formed partnership recently when they traveled to Norfolk, Va. and stepped aboard the USS Hyman G. Rickover.
In November, United States Navy Commander Robert Cosgriff, superior officer of the USS Rickover, approached the City Council and presented town officials with a unique opportunity to create a partnership with Ocean City and allow the crew to identify with the resort.
The USS Rickover was the lone nuclear powered fast attack submarine from the Los Angeles 688 class without a namesake city.
Nearly a month after the relationship was formed, a group of local representatives traveled to Virginia where they interacted with the crew, took in some training and spent more than 24 hours on the submarine described as a “modern marvel.”
City Manager Dennis Dare said his experience aboard the USS Rickover was remarkable, praising the military crews for their professionalism and overall demeanor.
“As I look back on it, the ride was thrilling, but it was just as exciting to meet the young men on the crew,” said Dare. “The boat is impressive, but the crew is even more impressive. It was just fascinating.”
Dare, who served in the Navy for two years, said the trip was hard to describe as his first ride on a submarine left him with a newfound respect for the crew of the USS Rickover, which is gearing up for a six-month deployment.
“I have a whole new respect for what the people on the ship do and what they need and clearly they need support from citizens,” said Dare.
A highlight of the trip was watching the crew at work on the submarine and getting to see the simulated training facilities on land, according to Dare.
“The training they do on land in preparation to going to sea was impressive,” he said. ”The idea is for your crew to train in a controlled setting, but make it as real as possible.”
Dare said most of the people stationed on the submarine had not been to Ocean City, but he would hope the crew’s host city could reach out to them and move forward with a strong relationship.
“They haven’t been here, but they were people stationed in Norfolk for quite a few years,” said Dare. “I would really hope the relationship continues.”
The USS Rickover is 360 feet long, displaces 6,900 tons and carries a crew of 14 officers and 120 enlisted. The ship was launched Aug. 27, 1983 at Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Conn. and commissioned on July 21, 1984 at Naval Submarine Base, Groton, CT.
Along with Dare, local residents Larry Whitlock, Tom Collins, Mitch Parker, Lee Lawson and County Commissioner Bud Church represented the town as they gained first-hand knowledge about the Navy and military operations.
Church said the experience was the highlight of his year and he would not hesitate to return for a visit with the Navy’s permission.
“It was the highlight of my year. It was a wonderful experience,” he said. “It was probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life.”
Church said watching the crew in action and getting an inside look at some of the things the Navy does on a regular basis to protect the country and stay prepared for unforeseeable circumstances was amazing.
“I have a huge amount of respect for them and it takes a special type of person to go under water like that,” said Church.
Church said the partnership was formed to provide crews of the USS Rickover with a place to call home during long deployments and to boost morale, but Ocean City was the real benefactor because the city’s name is associated with a great group of people serving America each and every day.
“Ocean City is a wonderful wonderful place to live, [but] I think instead of us giving them something it was them giving us something,” said Church.
By Danielle Sherry, The Day, 12/30/2005
Groton - It was not only the workers and area business owners who were left reeling after Electric Boat announced earlier this month that it could lay off up to 2,500 employees; many local officials were left wondering what's next as well.
"It's so hard to organize a measured defense right now," Heather Sherman Bond, a Groton town councilor and former EB employee, said. "Not knowing what's going to happen makes it hard to plan."
Bond survived a round of EB layoffs during the mid-1990s and remembers well the tension it caused for both workers and local businesses.
"It's like this cloud of impending doom," she said. "I sort of feel like we have BRAC (the Defense Base Realignment and Closure) looming over our heads again. It's that same feeling of dread."
EB has vowed that it will not let employees go unless it is absolutely necessary.
"We are seeking any new work we can get," Robert Hamilton, the company's director of communications, said.
Hamilton explained that for the first time since the Nautilus, there are no new submarine design plans in the works. "We are very concerned about that area of the business right now," he said.
Hamilton added that the overhaul and repair portion of EB might also see cuts because of work being given to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
"With just the work we have in the plant right now the company can sustain itself until 2014," he said. "So to suggest that we will be gone in a short amount of time is just irresponsible."
Tony Sheridan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, said that although the layoffs are a serious matter, "It's not as bad as it could be."
Some had accused Sheridan of not taking the impact to local businesses into proper consideration after the announcement.
"Any new jobs will not be equivalent. There could be a decline in the standard of living," he said.
Bond agreed that the real problem will be the fallout after the layoffs.
"It appears that the young design engineers are the target this time" she said. "And these people have families that live in our area and live out their daily lives here. Without any other appropriate positions in the local area, they will probably be forced to move, and that's a real loss."
Bond added that small businesses would be at risk.
"We tend to only think about the big businesses, but I'm sure these cuts - if they happen - are going to affect the small sandwich shops and the mom and pop cafes hard," she said.
Many of the same concerns that arose when the Naval Submarine Base was put onto the BRAC list have come up again. Indeed, if the sub base's near miss on the Pentagon's base closure list raised some local officials' awareness of the need for economic diversification in Groton and the region, the layoff announcement has hammered that message home.
"I'm going to continue to push for economic development in this area," Bond said. "Once our study into this area is done, we need to implement many of the suggestions. It's vital for the survival of this town."
The proposed EB layoffs come after a string of Pfizer Inc. employees were given pink slips over the last few months, leaving residents feeling unstable as the new year dawns.
Assurances that the layoffs are not yet a sure thing have done little to quell the fears of the employees walking around the shipyard.
"We have done everything to try and keep the workers well informed of what's going on," Hamilton said. "But we don't have all of the information right now, and I can understand how that can be frustrating."
Some workers claim that they had been told to not speak with the press about the impending layoffs, but Hamilton said that he knows of "no concerted effort to keep things quiet."
"Make no mistake, John Casey feels that it is a horrible thing to have to lay people off," Hamilton said. "And hopefully our worst fears will not be realized."
defenselink.mil , December 29, 2005
American Bridge Co., Richmond, Va., is being awarded a $30,603,497 firm-fixed-price contract for replacement of Pier 6 at Naval Submarine Base New London. The work to be performed provides for complete demolition and disposal of three piers, construction of a new submarine pier with associated utilities/amenities, dredging and dredge disposal in a Confined Aquatic Disposal (CAD) cell and all incidental related work. Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., and is expected to be completed by December 2007. Contract funds in the amount of $3,161,580 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with eight proposals received. The Engineering Field Activity Northeast, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Lester, Pa. , is the contracting activity (N62472-06-C-0017).
James Morgan, The Herald, December 30 2005
The Scots-based rescue team which freed seven men from a trapped Russian submarine have been handed a contract lifeline.
After months of uncertainty, the Rumic UK rescue team, dubbed Thunderbirds, have been given a new two-year £8m deal to run the Royal Navy's submarine rescue service.
It had been widely reported that the crew was facing the axe when the 10-year deal between the Ministry of Defence and contractors the James Fisher group expired in November.
A £47m deal for a wider NATO arrangement to provide similar services for the UK, France and Norway was won by Rolls-Royce in June last year.
Fisher executives were hopeful that it would be given a roll-over contract until August 2007, when the Rolls-Royce arrangement starts. With that contract now awarded, the eight-strong crew will continue to be on constant standby to answer calls for help in any part of the world.
Roger Chapman, Rumic chairman, said: "This is very good news."