Vice Adm. Tighe Takes Charge of Information Warfare and Naval Intelligence — Vice Adm. Jan Tighe assumed the duties of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (DCNO) for Information Warfare (N2N6) and Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) July 15 at the Pentagon. Tighe succeeded Vice Adm. Ted N. "Twig" Branch, who has submitted his retirement request following a 37-year naval career. Branch assumed office as the DCNO for Information Warfare/DNI in July 2013.
Awesome Autonomy: The Future Force, RoboBoats — The future of naval engineering was on display last week as 13 teams of high school and college students did battle at the 9th annual RoboBoat Competition in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The competition — sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Foundation — is a robotics contest where teams program their student-built autonomous surface vehicles to navigate through a series of water-based challenges.
US Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet Holds Change of Command — Vice Adm. Mike Gilday relieved Vice Adm. Jan E. Tighe as commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F) during a change of command ceremony held July 14 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Gilday, who was most recently the director of operations, J3, for U.S. Cyber Command, takes the reins of FCC/C10F from Tighe, who will assume duties as the deputy chief of naval operations (DCNO) for information warfare (N2N6) and director of naval intelligence (DNI).
New "American Connections" Media Outreach Program Replaces Legacy Fleet Hometown News Program — The Navy recently announced the American Connections Media Outreach Program, a new and innovative means to share news and information about its Sailors, ships and the Navy's mission with Americans across the country. The program, announced via NAVADMIN 148/16, modernizes and replaces the Navy's legacy Fleet Hometown News (FHTN) program. It was established to share the Navy story in media across the country serving markets which generally do not generally receive Navy news and information.
President Obama Visits Naval Station Rota — First US President to Visit in 15 Years — President Barack Obama spoke to more than 2,000 American and Spanish service members and their families during a visit to Naval Station Rota, Spain, July 10. During his visit, Obama visited USS Ross (DDG 71) as well as held an all-hands call to thank service members. Obama's trip to the naval station marked the first time a U.S. president has visited the installation in 15 years.
Blue Angels Announce New Solo Pilot — U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, announced their selection of a prior Blue Angels pilot to serve as their new Blue Angel #6 Opposing Solo pilot July 11. The team will welcome back Navy Cmdr. Frank Weisser for the remainder of the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Weisser previously served on the Blue Angels from 2008-2010 and performed duties as the Narrator, Key Influencer and VIP Pilot, Opposing Solo and Lead Solo.
Michigan Undocks, Ending Historic Refit — Although USS Michigan (SSGN 727) only moved a few dozen yards July 8 when it left Dry Dock 2 for nearby Pier 5, the brief journey was a major step forward for the sub, the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF), and the Navy. Michigan's undocking marked the beginning of the end of a Major Maintenance Period that began in August 2015 and included complex repairs in the sub's sail, superstructure, engineering spaces and missile compartments, said PSNS & IMF Project Superintendent Kevin Looney. It also included the historic installation of the first submarine living quarters for enlisted female Sailors.
Education Questions Answered during DoD's Virtual Education Fair — The Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education Program will host its second pilot DoD Virtual Education Fair August 11, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, in an effort to help make higher education more accessible to service members, veterans and family members. .
DUSN(M) Issues Memo Streamlining Commercial Broadband Deployment Process on DON Property — In a June 30 memo, "Streamlined Process for Commercial Broadband Deployment," Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy (DUSN) for Management Thomas W. Hicks issued guidance that streamlines the process for deployment and expansion of commercial broadband services.
Center for Information Dominance Changes Name — Capt. Bill Lintz, Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) commanding officer, announced the information warfare (IW) community's training arm officially changed its name from Center for Information Dominance (CID) to CIWT, July 7. Earlier this year, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and Director of Naval Intelligence Vice Adm. Ted Branch replaced the term "information dominance" with "information warfare." This also resulted in Naval Information Dominance Forces, which identifies the requirements for the IW community's training, also changing name to Naval Information Forces to be consistent with naming conventions for other type commanders.
These stories originally published by Navy News Service during July 11-15, 2016. For more Navy news, go to: www.navy.mil/.