CHIPS Articles: U.S. Navy History and Week in Review

Navy Innovators Explore Fleet Applications of 3D Printing —Self-sustaining ships, artificial limbs and even printed food topped the list of discussion topics this week as Navy leadership explored the implementation of 3D printing for the fleet. Nearly 200 engineers, scientists and 3D-printing practitioners discussed Navy applications of additive manufacturing (AM), often referred to as 3D printing, at the Naval Additive Manufacturing Technical Interchange (NAMTI) at Naval Surface Warfare Center - Carderock, April 28-30.

Department of the Navy Announces 2015 Young Investigators — It's a career-defining moment for 36 college and university faculty April 30, as the Department of the Navy announces the recipients of its 2015 Young Investigator Program, one of the oldest and most selective scientific research advancement programs in the country. Collectively, awardees will receive $18.8 million in grants to fund research across a range of naval-relevant science and technology areas. This is a banner year for the program, administered by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), which increased funding by 50 percent over last year.

JCREW Counter IED Program Approved for Operational Testing — The Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Electronic Warfare (JCREW) program is approved for operational testing, Naval Sea Systems Command announced, April 30. The Commander Operational Test and Evaluation Force will conduct the testing to verify the program's effectiveness and suitability. It is expected to enter low rate initial production later this fiscal year. The Navy designed the JCREW system using an innovative modular, open architecture platform that allows rapid improvements in system performance in order to counter the constantly evolving IED threat.

Vietnam Memorial Honors Fallen Americans at USS Midway — A half-scale replica of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall was set up at USS Midway Museum, April 25-30, to give the community a chance to reflect upon the sacrifices made and to look at mementos and artifacts from the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund sponsored the construction of the original memorial in D.C. The replica wall on Midway is one of approximately 40 stops annually across the nation in communities large and small. The Vietnam Memorial contains the names of all 58,286 Americans who died in the conflict.

Japanese Artist Gifts Painting, Gratitude to GW Sailors — Takashi Shima, a Japanese painter and photographer from Wakayama Prefecture, visited Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and presented a watercolor painting to the ship, April 27. Capt. Timothy Kuehhas, George Washington's commanding officer, accepted the painting depicting the ship operating at sea on behalf of the more than 3,300 ship's company. Shima previously created and presented paintings to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and Marines stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, for their efforts during Operation Tomodachi. Shima wanted to extend a similar token of gratitude to George Washington for the crew's contributions to peace and stability in the region.

ONR: Helping to Train the Future Canine Force — Canines have proven to be expert bomb detectors for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Officials with the Office of Naval Research's Expeditionary Canine Sciences program announced April 28 that they are taking a fresh look at how dogs are trained to identify different explosive devices. Researchers hope to streamline and enhance canines' training so they can work with any Navy or Marine Corps dog handler.

CNO's Director for Information Dominance Sees Training Firsthand — The corporate director of Information Dominance for the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV N2/N6C) met with the experts who train the fleet Information Dominance Corps during a visit April 24. During his visit to the Center for Information Dominance (CID) Rear Adm. Bruce F. Loveless was briefed on the Digital Tutor (DT) program and the Information Systems Technician, Information Warfare Officer and Information Professional Officer courses. He was also updated on the Center for Language Regional Expertise and Culture (CLREC) program and the Navy's Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (Navy COOL) program during his tour.

Family Legacies Unite At the Quarterdeck of the Navy — Capt. Harry Thetford writes about the Navy’s family ties for All Hands Magazine.

U.S. Naval Academy Hosts Special Olympics — The U.S. Naval Academy hosted the annual Maryland Special Olympics competition on Ingram Track, April 26. Approximately 350 midshipmen volunteers were paired with athletes that competed in track and field events throughout the day. The event is a collaboration between the Naval Academy's Midshipmen Action Group, the Annapolis Jaycees and Maryland Special Olympics. Athletes earning qualifying times will then go on to the next level of competition at other venues statewide.

These stories originally published by Navy News Service during April 27-May 1, 2015. For more Navy news, go to: www.navy.mil/.