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US Navy vs Chinese Navy (PLAN) – Strategy & Numbers (2014-2017)

August 18, 2019

Let’s start this with a quote from the Department of Defense in 2006: “Of the major and emerging powers, China has the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States and field disruptive military technologies that could, over time, offset traditional US military advantages absent US counter strategies.” Hence, in this video, we’ll look at the situation of the US Navy and the People Liberation Army Navy at around 2014 to 2017. Note that I will use “Chinese Navy” instead of “People Liberation Army Navy”. Now, let’s start by looking at China’s strategic situation. As you can see here, China has an extensive coastline of around 14 500 kilometers but also a huge border with fourteen countries that stretches 22 100 kilometers. Or, as the US Office of Naval Intelligence puts it: “For China, this provides a formidable challenge: just to characterize activities in the “near sea”, China must build a picture covering nearly 875 000 square nautical miles of water-
and air-space.” Additionally, the coastline contains various island chains which are sometimes not in control of China. Thus, in case of war, they could serve as unsinkable aircraft carriers. Probably the most notable among these is Taiwan. Taiwan is a thorn in the side of China, not just for political reasons, but also in terms of geostrategy. The political reasons, for those who don’t know, the Chinese were engaged in a civil war between the Communists and the Nationalists. The latter lost and retreated to Taiwan. “Taiwan has long served as a literal/figurative cork in China’s bottle, riveting Beijing’s attention on the cross-strait stalemate while complicating north-south movement along the Asian seaboard and access to the Western Pacific.” “So Taiwan is both an asset in the hands of China and a liability in the hands of an adversary.” Of course, Taiwan is not the only problem and ally of the US in the region. Basically, the most important allied countries to the US are: Japan, South Korea, and the Phillipines, although the latter one may be subject to change. Additionally, there are US bases at Guam, Singapore, and Diego Garcia. Another important aspect to consider is the resource and transport situation. Although China is commonly known for its many resources, this is actually quite misleading. “While well-endowed with resources in absolute terms, China’s per capita endowment is poor, which has led to its rising demand being reflected in increasing purchases from abroad. China became a net importer of oil for the first time only in 2003, and of coal in 2009. Its dependency ratios: net imports divided by total consumptions were 43.8 percent for copper, 62.1 percent for iron ore, and 78.0 percent for alumina. Additionally, many of those imports are passing through several maritime chokepoints. Most notably the Straits of: Taiwan, Mallaca, Hormuz, and Bab El-Mandeb. Thus, securing trade at these points would be crutial in any conflict. Especially recently, China increased imports of oil and decreased domestic production, According to Forbes, “China’s crude oil imports will remain strong through 2016 and 2017, as Beijing continues to fill its Strategic Petroleum Reserves and domestic production falls sharply, helping rebalance the glut in global oil markets. Now let’s look at the US strategic situation. Although, geographically, the United States has a larger shoreline than China by around one third with 20 000 km versus 14 500 kilometers, it is surrounded by ocean on both sides, and in the north and south it’s bordered by countries that don’t pose a threat, or are even friendly. This position has its advantages, but also drawbacks. Although basically everyone that wants to attack has to cross a large ocean, the US also has to cross an ocean to reach anyone. For alliances and partnerships, the distance also has probably a counterintuitive benefit, because most countries would prefer the US as a distant hegemon over a local rival. Now let’s look at current challenges for the United States and the US Navy. These are global terrorism, the rise of China, US budget problems, and various problems in the Middle East. Besides those problems, a strategic key aspect is securing and maintaining trade, something one might easily miss. Just to give you some numbers, from a Naval War College Review article in 2008: “Globally, maritime trade constitutes over 75 percent of all international trade.” “America conducts 95 percent of its commercial trade – total imports and exports – via maritime conveyances.” “This translates into 1.5 million containers arriving at American ports each year, moving 2.4 billion tons of cargo.” “Some 1200 to 1500 commercial vessels call on American ports daily.” Now let’s look at China again: China’s strategy was influenced by several conflicts, both far away and close by. One important one was the Persian Gulf War, which had a significant impact on the modernization and shift in strategy. The Chinese leadership called for preparation for “local wars under high technology conditions”, but the US intervention in Serbia in 1999 was also noted. More recent and closer incidents were the Taiwan Strait Crisis and the Hainan Island Incident in 2001, yet probably the Taiwan Strait Crisis was the most important one. “The Taiwan Strait Crisis especially holds significant weight, as China at the time had very little in the way of strategic options in countering an American carrier off its coast”. Hence, China’s goal is either protection of its maritime commerce, and deterrence of enemies. Thus, in short term, the buildup of a strong blue water navy is crucial. Additionally, strong anti-shipping capabilities, with anti-ship ballistic missiles and other means, is also of major importance in order to expand the range of the defenses. This will also allow the Chinese Navy to operate farther into the East China and Southeast China Seas. A long-term goal is the build up of a force that is able to provide power-projection capabilities. Although China has access to several military and civilian bases outside of China, the so-called “String of Pearls” which range from Cambodia to Sudan, and expand the readiness and operational range of its fleet, for a major intervention, they are probably not sufficient. In order to achieve these goals, the Chinese Navy is expanding in quantity: “During 2014 alone, more than 60 naval ships and craft were laid down, launched, or commissioned, with a similar number expected through the end of 2015”; and also quality and capabilities: “We see evidence of shifting strategic focus in the People Liberation Army Navy’s rapid retiring of legacy combatants in favour of larger, multimission ships equipped with advanced antiship, antiair, and antisubmarine weapons and sensors. Highlighting this transition is the fact that every major People Liberation Army Navy’s surface combatant under construction is capable of embarking a helicopter, an addition that supports over-the horizon targeting, antisubmarine warfare, and search and rescue.” Geographically, China’s strategy revolves, to a large degree, around the so-called First- and Second Island Chains, which are not officially defined but basically every source mentions them in one way or another. Depending on the source, the first island chain runs from Japan to the Ryukya Islands, Taiwan, the Phillipines, and to Indonesia, whereas the Second Island Chain runs from the middle of Japan to the Bonin Islands up to the Marianas and Indonesia. Basically, those islands are seen by the Chinese as the first and second line of defense. Now for the US Navy. Here, we can look directly at the publication from 2007: “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower” which outlines the strategy, goals, and challenges. It notes, “Unites States seapower will be globally postured to secure our homeland and citizens from direct attack and to advance our interests around the world”, which basically requires the ability to strike anywhere. It contains six goals which are divided along two lines: the first is along the line of a regional power, and the second along the lines of a global force. For the regional power, it is noted that, “Credible combat power will be continuously postured in the Western Pacific and the Arabian Gulf/Indian Ocean to protect our vital interests, assure our friends and allies of our continuing commitment to regional security, and deter and dissuade potential adversaries and peer conpetitors.” The three goals of regional combat power are: limit regional conflicts with forward deployed, decisive maritime power, deterrence of major power wars, and win the wars of the United States. Now, for the global presence, it is intended to use a mission-tailored force. “This global distribution must extend beyond traditional deployment areas, and reflect missions ranging from humanitarian operations to an increased emphasis on counter-terrorism and irregular warfare.” The goals are as follows: contribute to homeland defense in depth; foster and sustain cooperative relationships with more international partners; prevent or contain local disruptions before they impact the global system. Now let’s look at Taiwan again. It is also very important for the US because it is an ally to the US and of major importance in the Asia-Pacific region. If the US were to stop providing a security insurance for Taiwan, this would not only be a major change in the Asia-Pacific region, but also a dangerous message to US allies around the world. Currently, the US Navy is undergoing an expansion. According to the Naval Vessel Register, the US fleet in June 2017 had a total of 277 ships, whereas 234 are active on commission. According to an article from “Defense News” in December 2016, the new goal of the US Navy is a 355 ship fleet. Besides that, there are major upgrades in progress. Most notably, the replacement of the Nimitz-class carriers with Ford-class carriers, the replacement of the Arleigh Burke destroyers with the Zumwalt-class, replacement of Los Angeles-class attack submarines with Virginia-class, and introduction of the Littoral Combat Ship for the Coast Guard. Note that some of these changes will need years, or even decades to be completed. Now let’s take a short look at the Chinese Navy. For this, I use data from 2015 by the Office of Naval Intelligence, so these numbers are probably lower than the current ones considering the expansion of the fleet. The Chinese Navy is organised in three fleets: the North Sea Fleet, stationed in Qingdao; the East Sea Fleet in Ningbo; and the South Sea Fleet in Zhanjiang. Now let’s take a bit of a closer look here. The North Sea Fleet in 2015 consisted of: three nuclear attack submarines, 25 diesel attack submarines, eight destroyers, ten frigates, eleven amphibious ships, 18 missile patrol craft, and six corvettes. The East Sea Fleet had around 18 diesel attack submarines, nine destroyers, 22 frigates, 20 amphibious ships, 30 missile patrol craft, and six corvettes. And, finally, the South Sea Fleet: two nuclear attack submarines, four nuclear ballistic missile submarines, 16 diesel attack submarines, nine destroyers, 20 frigates, 25 amphibious ships 38 missile patrol craft, and eight corvettes. And here’s their accompanying commentary: “As of this publishing, the People Liberation Army Navy consists of approximately 26 destroyers, 21 of which are considered modern; 52 frigates, 35 modern; 20 new corvettes; 85 modern missile-armed patrol craft; 56 amphibious ships; 42 mine warfare ships, 30 modern; more than 50 major auxiliary ships; and more than 400 minor auxiliary ships and service support craft. During 2013, more than 60 total naval ships and craft were laid down, launched, or commissioned. We expect a similar number by the end of 2015. In 2013 and 2014, China launched more naval ships than any other country, and is expected to continue this trend through 2015-2016. Note that meanwhile, Chinese Navy added several ships and probably most notably a carrier, something I will discuss shortly after we take a look at the US Navy numbers. Now, for the US Navy, we have official data from 2017. The Naval Register notes a total battle force of 277 ships, of which 234 are active/in commission. For instance, although there are eleven carriers, only ten are in active commission. This is a very important aspect, because having a ship doesn’t mean it’s operational. Now let’s look at the US Navy forces which are most broadly divided in the “Atlantic” and “Pacific” fleets. For the Atlantic, there are: four carriers; ten missile cruisers; 28 destroyers; one command ship; 15 amphibious ships; 15 coastal patrol ships, of which two are of the Littoral Combat Ship-class; six nuclear ballistic missile submarines; two nuclear cruise missile submarines, 23 nuclear attack submarines, and, of course, the USS Constitution, which is a wooden-hull frigate and, if you’re not from the US, you probably might know it from Fallout 4. Now, for the Pacific, there are: six carriers; 12 missile cruisers; 35 destroyers, of which one is of the new Zumwalt-class; one command ship; two submarine tenders; 17 amphibious ships; six Littoral Combat Ships; eleven mine countermeasure ships; eight nuclear ballistic missile submarines; two nuclear cruise missile submarines; 28 nuclear attack submarines; and, quite surprisingly, at least for me, the USS Pueblo because it sits in North Korea since it was captured in 1968 in the Pueblo Incident. Now, as a little extra, a short excursus on the Chinese carrier, or better, carriers. Although the Chinese carrier Liaoning is often noted as a major game changer, it is usually not correctly portrayed. It is an important step, yet its capabilities itself are not comparable to US Navy carriers which are a key element in a carrier strike group, yet are far from the only element necessary to provide the capabilities of such a group. At first, let’s consider the Chinese carrier limits: first off, one operational carrier, in a way, means no carrier, because for proper deployment, usually a backup ship with similar capabilities and operational status is necessary. And yes, the Chinese Navy launched a second carrier in 2017, but is still fitted out and far from operational. Additionally, a carrier itself is only one element of a carrier strike group. Such a group requires a carrier strike wing, proper airborne early warning planes like the E-2C Hawkeye, ships for missile defense, and also proper anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Additionally, supply ships, and, ideally, a group of submarines for escort. On the technical side, a difference is that the Liaoning uses a ski-jump configuration instead of a catapult, which limits the loadout of the carrier planes. Thus, usually less fuel and/or weapons are carried. Yet the Chinese carrier is a major step in gaining experience with operating a carrier and carrier-borne strike wings. Additionally, it can provide a fleet with air-defense missions, and thus extend its range. The Office of Naval Intelligence notes, “Unlike a US Carrier, Liaoning is not well equipped to conduct long-range power projection. It is better suited to fleet air defense missions, where it could extend a protective envelope over a fleet operating in blue water. Although it possesses a full suite of weapons and combat systems, Liaoning will likely offer its greatest value as a long-term training investment.” Well, this video originally should have mainly covered the operational aspects, but I guess I got a bit carried away here with the strategic aspects and vital background information. As always, sources are in the description. If you want to learn more about military history, I suggest my featured playlist, or if you want to know how an engagement between the US and China might work out, check out this video by Commissar Binkov. Special thanks to Justin for helping me out; thank you for watching; and South China Sea you next time!

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Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer – AIRR

August 18, 2019

My name’s Jameson Ware and I am an Aviation Rescue Swimmer in the United States Navy. Within the aviation rescue swimmer community, you’re going to come across a multitude of missions outside of just search and rescue. They all encompass the idea of “So Others May Live”. So you have the anti-submarine warfare aspect, which involves hunting, tracking, and if need be, killing submarines. You also have the surface warfare aspect, which entails building the surface pick for the strike group. You have the humanitarian piece. You have the search and rescue piece. You’re going to become essentially a Jack of trades. But, when you really dig deep into the underlying meaning for each of them, they still fall into the bracket of “So Others May Live”.

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United States vs Russia – Who Would Win? Military / Army Comparison

August 18, 2019

In recent years Russia has shown an aggressive
nature not seen since the end of the Cold War, with its President- Vladimir Putin- clearly
signaling he means to remake Russia back into its former Cold War-era superpowerdom. The US and its allies meanwhile have pushed
back with economic sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and by bolstering their
military readiness within the Baltic States area. But who would ultimately win in a showdown
between the US and Russia, and what might that war look like? As always the rules of this war game include
no use of nuclear weapons, as a nuclear exchange would render any war moot and result in total
global devastation. For this specific war game though the US will
not be able to call upon its numerous allies nor use their territory, pitting it on its
own against the Russian bear. Russia has a little less than half the population
of the United States, with 144,554,993 people vs the US’s 324,527,000. This ratio translates into total available
manpower as well, with Russia having 34,765,736 civilians fit for military duty, and the US
having 73,270,043. In their active duty militaries, Russia has
approximately 800,000 personnel, while the US has just over 1.2 million. Through sheer numbers alone its clear the
US has a sizable advantage, but that advantage is compounded when you take into account that
roughly 2/3 of Russia’s military is made up of conscripts vs the US’s all-volunteer force. Russia’s military conscripts are notoriously
under-trained and poorly equipped, and suffer from morale issues, all of which would come
into play in ways that this wargame can’t properly model but would have very serious
real-world implications for Russia. In the air the US has a staggering advantage,
with a total of 12,100 combat aircraft vs Russia’s 4,042. The bulk of the US’s air fleet is made up
of multirole strike aircraft, giving American forces flexibility in planning missions as
the same plane may fight a strike mission one day, and act as a fighter escort the next. Russia has only recently begun to design aircraft
with the same multirole capability, and today the total count is 2,062 multirole aircraft
for the US vs 428 for Russia. In dedicated fighters Russia outnumbers the
US nearly 2:1, with 629 fighter aircraft vs the US’s 388. This holds true for dedicated strike or air
support aircraft as well, with Russia having 752 attack aircraft vs the US’s 470. Russia’s limitation in multirole aircraft
means that as war progresses and losses are incurred, it will be harder and harder for
Russian air forces to launch effective sorties, while the US could absorb those losses and
maintain the flexibility needed to launch different types of sorties effectively. The US also has an advantage in technology
levels with Russia about a decade or two behind US aircraft, with only the Su-34 and Su-35
having comparable systems technology to most US aircraft- though unfortunately for Russia
it only fields about 120 or so of its most modern air frames. US missiles are also on the whole technologically
superior to Russian missiles, with the modern R-77-1 just starting to see mass proliferation
in the Russian air forces, while the US is equipped with the modern AIM-120D and near-modern
AIM-120C and AIM-9X. Where Russia could make up that technological
and numbers shortfall however is in its ground-based SAM air defenses, which vastly outnumber and
outclass the US’s own SAM capabilities. While the US fields the Patriot air defense
missile battery, Russia is equipped with the modern and fearsome S-300 and S-400 systems
which sport a range over double of the Patriot: up to 400km vs 160km. On the sea the US also outnumbers Russia,
with a total naval force of 436 ships vs Russia’s 313 ships. Russia also suffers disadvantage from the
fact that the bulk of its fleet is made up of aging, Soviet-era ships. The bulk of US naval power is in its supercarriers,
of which it operates 11, vs Russia’s 1- though as recent action in Syria has shown Russia’s
Admiral Kuznetsov is barely combat-worthy and is currently undergoing repair and refitting
operations expected to last 3 years. On land Russia has the clear numbers advantage,
with a total of 20,050 tanks vs the US’s 8,848, though most of Russia’s armored forces are
made up of the 1970s T-72, with 8700 in service. Even with some modern upgrades, they would
not stand a chance against the US’s M1 and M1A2 Abrams, which are nearly completely modernized
and outclass Russia’s most numerous tanks, the T-72, T-55 and the T-80 in firepower,
armor and sensors. Russia’s most modern tanks include the T-90
and T-14 Armata, yet together they only number 570 total- not nearly enough to go head-to-head
vs the US’s Abrams. The one overwhelming advantage Russia has
over the US is in the amount of artillery it is equipped with: 14,533 vs the US’s 3,269,
so though Russia may lose control of the skies eventually it has a good chance of still giving
its ground troops the fire support they would desperately need in a fight against the US. So how would a potential war play out? With no hope of controlling the seas, and
not enough heavy-lift transport ships to launch an invasion across either the Atlantic or
the Pacific, Russia would opt to wage a defensive war. Without NATO support the US could not invade
via major land routes through Germany or the Baltics, forcing it into an amphibious assault
of Russia. Though the US navy outmatches the Russian
navy, Russian naval forces would opt to operate close to shore where they can remain within
range of coastal fire support and aircraft. This would also make it easier for Russian
ships to resupply and refit, meaning that they could get back into the fight faster
than American ships whom would have to make the long trip back home to either the east
coast or naval bases in the Pacific. At the outset of war the US would seek to
first degrade both the Russian navy and air force before attempting any coastal assault. Russia’s biggest weakness would be its sheer
size, forcing it to spread its air defenses across the entirety of its coast to prevent
incursions by American aircraft. While access via carrier-based planes would
be limited during most of the year due to sea ice, bomber aircraft operating from Alaskan
air bases could launch strikes across the North Pole or west into the Kamchatka region. Russian bombers could attempt to do the same,
but ultimately both sides would see most of their bomber fleet destroyed within days-
Russian bombers would be lost to overwhelming number of American interceptors, and US bombers
would be downed by an equally overwhelming number of Russian SAM batteries. In the end, strategic bombers would play a
small role in the opening weeks of the war and not be worth sacrificing- with the exception
of US’s B-2 stealth bombers, which would likely enjoy a degree of success, although with only
20 in its inventory the US would eventually deplete its numbers as well. The bulk of the US’s initial war effort would
be an air campaign waged by its carrier-based strike aircraft, goading Russian air defenses
to engage so that American fighters could begin thinning out the Russian fighter fleet. With superior technology the US would enjoy
a favorable kill ratio, but Russian aircraft would be operating defensively and supported
by ground-based radar and SAM, negating American technological advantage and equalizing that
kill ratio. This is where American numbers would tip the
odds for victory in the skies, as though it could not commit all of its aircraft at once
due to a lack of nearby bases, it could fairly quickly replace its carrier-based aircraft
losses to continue the fight until exhausting the Russian air forces. American carriers however would be hunted
by Russian submarines, which would pose a formidable threat. Russian subs would be limited in their effectiveness
by the large number of anti-submarine warfare platforms the US employs, but would most likely
be effective in sinking at least a third of the US carrier fleet. The losses of entire supercarriers could also
mean a loss of 80-120 aircraft as well, further helping Russia equalize the numbers advantage
enjoyed by the US. After weeks, or possibly months, of an air
and naval campaign, the US may attempt a land invasion, though with American transports
limited to a ferry total of approximately 20,000 troops per day, any amphibious assault
would likely be crushed by the overwhelming number of Russian defenders. Instead, it’s highly likely that the US would
simply choose to blockade Russia, and lean on European nations to embargo it as well. Any actual invasion of Russian territory would
prove disastrous for the US, and though over time superior numbers, technology and an economy
approximately 3 times bigger than Russia’s could make an invasion feasible, it would
only come at a staggering number of casualties for the US. Rather than accept such high casualties, the
US could simply sit back and slowly strangle the Russian economy while continuing to wear
out its air defenses to the point that it could strike deeper and deeper into Russian
territory. Eventually this war of attrition would be
enough to force Russia to the negotiating table. Ultimately victory would go to the United
States of America, although unable to threaten Moscow with troops-on-the-ground such victory
would end up largely meaningless with few if any concessions granted by Russia, making
the entire war largely a pointless endeavor on both sides.

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Navy Physician – Captain Cynthia Macri

August 18, 2019

I never would have been able to go to medical school if it wasn’t for the Navy. So when people ask me, “Well, how has the Navy benefited you?” I owe everything ? everything to the Navy. I’m Captain Cynthia Macri, Medical Corps, United States Navy, and I am the Special Assistant for Diversity to the Chief of Naval Operations. When I got into medical school there was the issue of tuition and I decided I always wanted to be in the Navy anyway. So I walked over to a Navy Recruiter and I said, “Hey I know there’s a scholarship, can I have it?” So I got a Navy scholarship, the Health Professions Scholarship, and I went to Temple Medical School on that scholarship. It’s very simple they paid for full tuition and all my books any fees that I had. I didn’t have to worry about anything and I graduated from medical school completely debt-free. And I think a lot of people don’t realize how liberating that is, not having any debt. The Navy provided not just the funding for my medical education, but I met incredible people, great mentors, and really learned to work in a collaborative environment with people from all different backgrounds and different ranks and different specialties. When you see where everybody fits together in the enterprise it really makes you value every patient that walks into your office. The thing that I find to be the most attractive is that when you see a patient, you see them as a part of the whole Navy, the whole network. Three main reasons why I stay in, and one is because is truly because of the patients. The second reason is because of our support staff. Our Corpsman go out to the front lines, they bring the patients back to us. They make our practice so much better. I’m a Gynecologic Oncologist and we have a conference where we have radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, dietitians, we have physical therapists, the technicians. Everybody works together to make the best plan for the patient. So I can do what’s best for my patient every single time. We as health care providers in the Navy have to be concerned about keeping a healthy force fit because that healthy force takes care of the national security of our country. And we also want to make sure that those war fighters know that when they are deployed that we are taking care of their family members as well. In addition, the Navy is a force um that has been called upon to respond rapidly to natural disasters and the most recent one of course in Japan as well as in Haiti and Indonesia. We provide assistance when needed and really focus on the health care and preventive needs of the population in the midst of a disaster. Working as the Special Assistant for the Chief of Naval Operations for diversity, my primary role is to keep the CNO informed on how can the Navy leverage its benefits to improve the lives of different minority groups, including women. The Navy is viewed as a leader in diversity efforts among the armed services. In order to provide culturally literate care we really need to have more more people of different backgrounds serving not just in engineering, science, technology, but also in medicine. It was recommended to me to stay in the clinical side um for at least ten years so that I could hone my skills as a clinician. But during that time I also took on roles such as the OB-GYN residency director and I filled in as the interim Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Director. I’ve also been on committees for the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and I was appointed as a board examiner for the American Board of OB-GYN. All as a Navy physician. So your contributions to medicine are not really restricted to just what happens in the Navy. The three critical elements of being a Navy physician is competence, compassion and caring. When I say competence I don’t just mean that you have to have good grades and good test scores or anything like that. It’s much more than that. Competencies include understanding the communities and the experiences that other people have had that shape the way they respond to you. A doctor must also be compassionate and empathetic and they have to care not just about the patient himself or herself but the family and the environment that that person lives in every day. It has to truly be about the patient and the enterprise that you serve. The two that stand out the most is that you can be a flight surgeon in the Navy. So our doctors actually train in Pensacola, Florida as well, and they are come out as certified flight surgeons with like wings and everything. Secondly you can be an undersea medical officer. So if you like to dive, then dive medicine might be the thing for you. In fact there are twelve women already qualified on submarines, right and they’re all medical officers, they’re dive medical officers. And you can’t have it, you can never have those experiences in the civilian sector. Whether it’s at the undergraduate level or it’s at the graduate level, we are here to help if you are willing to take that first step and make the inquiry. So make sure you conquer education and then you just have to be a good performer and a person of principle. And you can do anything you want. Thank you for watching this Navy webcast. If you have any questions visit navy.com or find us on Facebook.

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Happy 243rd Birthday U.S. Navy

August 17, 2019

>>Richardson: HEY TEAM, CNO RICHARDSON AND MCPON
SMITH HERE TO WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. 243 YEARS AGO, OUR NAVY WAS FOUNDED,
FOUNDED TO PROTECT AMERICA FROM ATTACK, TO SECURE OUR PROSPERITY, AND OUR
INTERESTS AROUND THE WORLD AND WE’VE BEEN DOING THAT EVERY DAY SINCE.
>>Smith: FOR OVER 243 YEARS,
WE’VE KEPT AMERICA SAFE THROUGH YOUR EXCEPTIONAL TALENT, DEDICATION OF
DUTY, AND STRENGTH OF CHARACTER, YOU’VE MANAGED TO SAIL THE SEAS AND KEEP
AMERICA SAFE. JOHN PAUL JONES ONCE SAID, THAT “MEN MEAN MORE THAN GUNS IN THE RATING
OF A SHIP,” AND THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT OUR PEOPLE.
>>Richardson: THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT
IT’S ABOUT THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE DONE OVER OUR HISTORY THINK ABOUT
THE WAR OF 1812, BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE MOBILE BAY, MANILA BAY, MIDWAY. THROUGHOUT
OUR HISTORY, OUR SAILORS HAVE ALWAYS RISEN TO THE OCCASION AND PUNCHED ABOVE
THEIR WEIGHT WHEN THE NATION CALLED.>>Smith: WE HAVE IN OUR NAVY ALL OF THE CREATIVITY,
INNOVATION, AND ANY PROBLEM AND ANY CHALLENGE THAT FACES US, WE’LL MEET IT
HEAD-ON. SAIL SAFE OVER THE NEXT YEAR AS WE SHARPEN OUR EDGE TO PREPARE OURSELVES
FOR WHATEVER COMES NEXT>>Richardson: MCPON SMITH OPENED WITH A QUOTE
FROM JOHN PAUL JONES AND I’LL CLOSE WITH A QUOTE FROM JOHN PAUL JONES, “HE WHO
CANNOT RISK WILL NOT WIN.” THIS IS THE YEAR THAT WE WIN. WHEREVER YOU ARE AROUND
THE WORLD, ON A SHIP, IN A SQUADRON, TAKE SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS YEAR
MEANS AS WE GO AND WE WIN IT WE EARN IT EVERY SINGLE DAY, EVERY SINGLE WATCH. OUR
NATION’S SECURITY, THE EXPERIMENT THAT IS DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD IS A FRAGILE
THING. IT IS NOT DIVINELY ORDAINED. WE HAVE TO FIGHT EVERY DAY TO PROTECT IT.
OUR NAVY HAS BEEN DOING THAT FOR 243 YEARS, AND WE’RE GONNA DO IT AGAIN THIS
YEAR. LET’S GET TO IT.

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U.S. Navy Social Worker – Lieutenant Junior Grade Samantha Penney

August 17, 2019

Currently I work at Walter Reed Bethesda and I’m a social work intern getting my two-year clinical supervision. We do five-month rotations in different clinics. And currently I’m working in psychiatric consultation liaison services which really means that we’re working with inpatient wounded warriors and their families, and it’s very exciting and fulfilling work. Before me, the way the Navy developed social workers is they’d take them from the civilian world, commission them, and then they’d be a Navy social worker. My story was a little bit different. I went to my re-designation officer and asked if there was anything I could do for the Navy in the mental health field. And he found out that the Navy was interested in creating social workers. They trained me while I was in the Navy to be a social worker. So I’m the first one they’ve ever done that with and everybody’s following in my footsteps. There are so many benefits that come from being in the Navy. There’s financial benefits, healthcare benefits, education benefits. Part of being a social worker is you’re required to have continuing education units. And in the Navy they are offered practically nonstop and most of them free of charge. So you really can’t beat all those benefits and the availability that the Navy provides to you for your education and your continuing education. I wanted to be in the Navy since I was 13 years old. My family is very patriotic, very supportive of this country. When I told them that I wanted to be in the Navy, they couldn’t have been more proud. To know that I’m giving back to those who serve or who have served before me is very important. I’m Lieutenant JG Samantha Penny. I’m a social worker in the United States Navy. For more information, go to navy.com or find us on Facebook.

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U.S. Navy Senior Officers

August 17, 2019

I did two years on a destroyer squadron staff, the squadron would take a group of ships and we’d go out to sea. The evacuation from Lebanon. We went into New Orleans and in fact we gave care. Sharp guard operations in the Adriatic Sea. I love what I do, I love to work with airplanes. The Navy has evolved significantly from, you know, our early beginnings. This country is – is – is made up of so many different people and so many different cultures. I was in the lower pay grade, I mean the lower that anybody coming to the military can come in as a – as a – right in the bottom. My name is Captain Sylvester DelRosario and I’m the Director of Diversity for the Navy Recruiting Command. And I was able to make a Chief Petty Officer in a year – in a year and two month. And from there, I got my Commission as a Ensign ah – from there – ah – 20 years later I’m here wearing my Captain bars. My family was very proud. They were there and I saw it in their face, saw even tears from their faces when – during the ceremony. The, the whole desire to go Navy was to fly airplanes, and to maybe, one day, command a squadron. My name is Arthur James Johnson Junior, Rear Admiral, United States Navy. Early in my career when I was – uh – in my early 20’s, um I – uh – got my wings. I went through flight training and I think I was winged at probably 22. And, my first assignment I was selected to go back to teach other people how to fly. And uh – so that was pretty amazing as a young 22 23 year old, teaching other people, some of them older than you, how to fly airplanes. Today, I’m the highest ranking Latina or Hispanic woman in the Navy. My name is Captain Cathy Contres and I am the Commandant at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute. First of all I liked what they offered women. Um, I felt like I – I was getting more respect. Um, I don’t know how to explain it but the jobs, I knew that I would be immediately put in the leadership position and I liked that idea. The other special time in command was as Commanding Officer of USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship. My name is Andy Winns, Vice Admiral, Naval Inspector General. But I think because of the sheer size of the ship, and the number of men and women that were under my charge, I believe that it was a special time, because we deployed on 2 occasions. I reported to my first submarine as a Junior Officer, Ensign Williams. My name is Melvin G. Williams Jr. I’m a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy. It was awesome, it was a relatively small submarine but very, very capable. And I’ll always remember my first command tour. I’ve always had a desire to understand the world, you know and to travel. My name is Sinclair M. Harris. I am a Rear Admiral Select in the United States Navy. I think I just really just wanted to see the world, and when I joined, I had no concept of staying in 26 years. I really – I had no idea. Being an Admiral in the Navy is as high as you can go. It’s – it’s a privilege. My name is Rear Admiral Will Rodriguez, I’m the Chief Engineer at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego, California. Becoming an Admiral is a – is a unique opportunity to serve the Navy. I remember the day, it was St. Patrick’s Day 2004 when I got the call. And I was – I was floored – I was – wow. I never dreamed, I never dreamed of making Admiral. One of the things that I’ve, uh, experienced in Navy medicine is – uh – the ability to never have to ask my patients if they could afford the care that I had to give. My name is Vice Admiral Adam Robinson, uh I am the Surgeon General of the Navy, number 36, and also the Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Been in the Navy for 31 years, I learn a lot, I struggle a lot, I’ve been through and I’ve seen a lot. One of the things is that I never allow nobody to stop me. There – there is a lot of mentoring and it goes on, some informal mentoring some formal mentoring, by Commanding Officers and Department Heads. I enjoyed my opportunities to travel the world, to see sights, and uh see things that most people only can read about. And uh, so if someone is inclined to experience those kinds of things the Navy’s for you. Navy gave me my Master’s Degree. Helped me to – it gave me the time off, 18 months, to do my Master’s Degree. Didn’t have to work during that time, all I did was – I was a student, got my full pay and benefits. I think that if – if I hadn’t joined the Navy, as a person, I don’t know that I’d be as well rounded. I’ve got 2 Master’s Degrees from the Navy, ok, that I never would’ve gotten if I hadn’t joined. My deepest relationships have been in – the people I’ve met in the military. In the Navy in specific. Going in the Navy meant driving the ships at sea – destroyers, frigates, it’s ah, it’s ah, it’s very intense. And you’re 21 22 23 24 years old. Any young person who enters who has skills and desire, the Navy will give you a chance. The Navy is indeed a diverse place, and we are working on making it more diverse. And the diversity includes the men and women of all colors, religions, and persuasions and backgrounds who come together and who serve uh – under a common flag, and who um, make the commitment to support, defend our country. So I – I would be very comfortable telling ah – young folks, particularly minorities, that ah the Navy is a place of opportunity and you should give it a shot.

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Navy Skills for Life – Land Survival Training – Survival Kit

August 16, 2019

Going out in a wilderness and getting lost or getting caught in a bad storm is a lot
easier than you think, so it’s always good to be prepared before you do that. Some things you might consider bringing with you are something to get out of the weather like, for instance, a poncho of some sort and possibly some cordage like what we know as 550 cord or parachute cord; right? And that is to be able to tie your shelter down. You need some type of a canteen. That can be any kind of a
water bottle that you could possibly secure or something surplus like this. This is a one-quart canteen with an eight-ounce canteen cup attached to it. When you’re thinking about getting the water, okay, you’re going to have to consider purification techniques. And when we do purification techniques, one technique would be the use of iodine tablets. Usually it takes up to 30 minutes for iodine tablets to work. On a real cold day it might take up to an hour. So there’s another item that you might consider that would be a little bit better if
you’re really thirsty and have to have a drink and that’s some type of a water filter. Something like this will allow you to be able to drink water from its source
without having to purify because the device itself will purify the water that you’re drinking. Depending on what type of area that you’re in, you might consider a snakebite kit. This will help you be able to ride out that snakebite a little bit better than not doing it at all. While you’re out there, you’re going to need some type of warmth. Okay?
So you’ll need some type of fire-starting kit. All right? And my personal preference would be a magnesium stick and flint. Okay? This is factory-made flint. All right?
And the other part is magnesium. This is a tinder source for the flint stick. If you carry matches, you need to ensure your matches are carried in a watertight container. Let’s say, for instance, something happens and they get wet.
You can always resort back to the magnesium stick and flint. Something else I believe is important is some type of kindling.
You can make kindling out of this right here. These are called fire sticks. They’re saturated in wax.
You can shave these and get some shavings off and spark these up. One of these will burn for approximately seven minutes. All right?
So it’s helpful to have something like this. And to help get you out of your situation sooner would be some type of signaling devices. This is a battery-powered strobe light. This will work at nighttime and allow the people that are looking for you
to be able to pinpoint your location to rescue you quicker. A signal mirror can be used in the daytime. One of these held up into the sun and
turned a little bit will flash – will make a real bright flash that can be seen for many miles. And then at nighttime or even in the daytime, let’s say you’re in some deep wilderness
and you’re hurt pretty bad and you can’t get around, a signal whistle is very helpful to have. You know, your voice will eventually give out but one of these all it requires is
a blast of air from your lungs and you can be heard from a long ways away. Something that’s very essential to being out in a wilderness is a first aid kit –
something portable with just the basics in there that you need. And then, of course, when it gets dark it’s always good to have a flashlight. Okay? I prefer a flashlight like this.
It’s very robust, it’s waterproof, but a flashlight is also good to have. Last but not least is some kind of a knife. I prefer a heavy-bladed survival knife because
it acts more like a hatchet and it will chop things but you must be very careful. As you can probably guess, you can hurt yourself pretty bad
with a knife but this is a good heavy-bladed knife. It does a lot of work in a short period of time and that’s why I like a knife of this size. These are the things that I consider carrying out into the
wilderness when I go on a hike or go camping. I think any of these items here carried all together would be very helpful
to any person that likes to go and explore in the outdoors.

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Navy Clinical Social Worker — LT Bryan Pyle

August 16, 2019

I decided to join the United States Navy because it’s always been in the back of my mind to do something more. As a social worker, that’s one of the things that we do. We enjoy helping others. We enjoy doing our part to make it a better world. And I have always valued what service members do for the military. I’m Lieutenant Bryan Pyle. I’m a licensed clinical social worker in the United States Navy. I was a licensed clinical social worker before I joined the Navy. I worked as a crisis counselor. I worked as a therapist for families and children. I also worked as a clinical care manager within a managed care behavioral health center. My practice as a Navy social worker is different than it was as a civilian social worker, mostly because I wear the uniform and I represent the United States Navy. At the same time, I’m also bringing to the table the same level of clinician skills that I would as a civilian. One of the unique aspects about being a clinician within the military’s health system is that it’s not a for-profit-driven system. The focus is not to get the numbers of patients in to get the revenue up, it’s something that’s completely off the table. I can focus strictly on the patient care needs. Recently one of the sailors that I ? I worked with contacted me and let me know what an impression I had on basically helping him save his own life from a direction that he was taking. I was able to see this patient for a while longer than you would in a civilian community. We were able to get this patient to a different place, a safer place. And long after that he contacted me and he let me know that I helped him save his life. It’s those kinds of stories and those kinds of situations that I never thought I’d find myself in halfway around the world helping someone, but I’m able to do that with the Navy. I’m able to have leadership opportunities that I don’t think I would have been able to have as a civilian. I’m able to meet a lot of professionals from a wider variety of backgrounds that I would not have been able to do in my previous jobs. I’ve been to Europe and I’ve been to Japan; I’ve been to Singapore in just the short amount of time that I’ve been in. And so those are wonderful experiences that I would never ever trade. Likewise, I’ve been able to witness things I never thought I’d witness. Now more than ever before it’s a great time to become a Navy social worker because there is a – not only financial incentives and career incentives, but there’s a growing community of fellow professionals who wear the uniform. To make the transition from a civilian to an active-duty social worker the Navy made it really easy. It was a matter of contacting the medical recruiting command; and I was able to begin practice within a month. Being a social worker in the military service gives you an opportunity to be both a professional in your practice, whether it be mental health, whether it be therapy, whether it be case management or family services, but also be a leader as an officer within the military service. I love being able to say to colleagues or to family members, “Yes, I’m still an officer in the Navy. Yes, this is what the Navy has been doing around the world. And that I represent that.”

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Navy Cryptologic Warfare Officer – CWO

August 16, 2019

As a Cryptologic Warfare Officer, you primarily deal in the realms of electronic warfare, signals intelligence and cyberspace. I was commissioned through Officer Candidate School, 2010. Part of the job as an officer is being a firewall for the Sailors so they can continue to do their jobs unimpeded. When I’m leading these Sailors I’ll get a diverse team. CTN’s, CTI’s, CTR’s, I integrate CTT’s and IS. And I oversee and organize them and make sure they’re doing what they need to do. They do their work and if it’s not working: “Hey, what’s wrong? What do you need?” “Oh hey, sir, I need this equipment” or “I need these permissions”. I’ve had the opportunity to deploy with the U.S. Coast Guard, conduct counter-narcotics operations. I’ve deployed with the U.S. Army for counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan. I’ve worked with certain three-letter agencies. Gotten to deploy on surface platforms, sub-surface platforms. You can run the gamut as a Cryptologic Warfare Officer. It is a Choose Your Own Adventure.

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