Navy to Christen Destroyer Michael Monsoor — The Navy will christen the newest destroyer, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), Saturday, June 18, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at the General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine. The second ship in the Zumwalt-class of destroyers, DDG 1001 is named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor. Sally Monsoor, petty officer Monsoor's mother, will serve as the ship's sponsor.
Three New Navy Training Apps Now Available — Three mobile apps designed for Navy basic military training became available for public download, June 16. The three mobile training apps U.S. Military Rank & Reference, U.S. Navy Ratings & Reference, and Ships & Aircraft Training are part of the eSailor Initiative, and are presently being used by recruits on electronic tablets at Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy's only boot camp.
Story Time: ONR Researchers Create 'Human User Manual' for Robots —With support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an artificial intelligence software program named Quixote to teach robots to read stories, learn acceptable behavior and understand successful ways to conduct themselves in diverse social situations.
Blue Angels Begin Training for Return to Season Schedule — U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, announced it will begin training flights in preparation to resume the team's Pensacola practice and air show season schedules, June 16. The team will fly its first training flight in a "Big V" formation, with five aircraft over downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach, Florida, June 16.
Naval War College Examines 'Strategy in Complex and Uncertain Times' — Students, staff, faculty and distinguished guests participated in the 67th Current Strategy Forum (CSF), June 14-15, at U.S. Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island. The two-day event, focused on "Strategy in Complex and Uncertain Times," served as the academic capstone event for students graduating June 17. It brought together NWC students with national security speakers from the military, academia, government and private industry to explore a wide range of national and international issues.
Team Navy Receives Warm Welcome at 2016 Warrior Games — Athletes and families were officially welcomed to the 2016 Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games during a celebration dinner sponsored by the Warrior Games Family Program at Hilton Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, June 14. Athletes from the United States' and United Kingdom's armed forces, along with family members and caregivers, were in attendance to kick off this year's games which are taking place at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
Navy Announces Further Review of Enlisted Rating Titles — In order to be as inclusive as possible and reflect that all Navy occupations are open to men and women, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recently met with his leadership team to discuss the service's enlisted rating titles review. During the meeting, senior Navy leaders, including Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Mike Stevens, agreed to develop a new approach to enlisted ratings that provides greater detailing flexibility, training and credentialing opportunities, is more gender inclusive, and ultimately translates Navy occupations more clearly to the American public.
Adm. Bill Gortney Retires aboard USS George Washington — Adm. Bill Gortney retired aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) during a ceremony held on the ship's flight deck June 13. The ceremony marked the end of Gortney's 39 years of military service.
These stories originally published by Navy News Service during June 13 -17, 2016. For more Navy news, go to: www.navy.mil/.