A 21-gun salute was fired by the Royal Navy on Saturday (June 15) to mark the Queen’s Official Birthday.
The saluting gun at Fort Blockhouse at Gosport – at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour – was fired at 12 noon by six specialist gunnery instructors from HMS Collingwood at Fareham.
Petty Officer Trevor Willis, Close Range Weapons Instructor, was in charge of the ceremonial team who fired the guns.
It is tradition for the Royal Navy to mark important anniversaries of the Royal Family in this way.
In keeping with tradition, the ships alongside in the Naval Base were ‘dressed overall’ with colourful flags stretching the entire length of the ship.
The custom of Navy gun salutes dates back to the early days of sail when ships visiting foreign ports would discharge their guns before entering, proving they were empty and that the visit was peaceful.
The portable 19th century gun at Fort Blockhouse has been firing salutes since it was acquired by the Navy in 1957.

Press Release, June 18, 2013; Image: Royal Nav

The Rampagers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83 held a change of command ceremony while deployed aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE), June 17.
Cmdr. Bobby Markovich was relieved of command by Cmdr. Jesse Hilliker, the former executive officer, in an aerial change of command above the ship. Before the launch, the ceremony began on the flight deck with a few words from Markovich and Commander Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Capt. Terry Morris.

“It’s been my pleasure to serve with you and an honor to have you here in the Air Wing,” said Morris. “You have been a reason for our success and I’m proud to call you my friend and I look forward to sharing many experiences with you in the fleet. Your squadron has done exceptionally well and we have had tremendous highs with your success.”

After the ceremony, both pilots read their orders, formally transferred command over the radio and then celebrated their last flight together by executing basic fighter maneuvering against each other.

“I will most remember the Sailors, the promotions and the folks getting their EAWS wings; those are always good days,” said Markovich. “I will remember all the flying and all the missions over Afghanistan and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. [I hope to leave behind] my Legacy. We trained hard, we flew hard and we were always ready when we were called upon.”

Markovich graduated from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich. in 1990 with a Bachelor of Technology degree in Aviation. After completion of Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned in August 1995.
During his career, Markovich has accumulated 6,500 flight hours (civilian and military) and 750 arrested landings. His military awards include various meritorious individual and unit awards, including six Strike Flight Air Medals, Joint Commendation Medal and five Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat V.
VFA-83 was deployed for 13 out of the 16 months while under the command of Markovich and he said he could not have asked for a better squadron. His next command will be at Naval Central Command in Bahrain.
Hilliker graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics.
He has logged more than 550 traps in the F/A-18 and more than 2,600 flight hours in 32 different aircraft. His military awards include various meritorious individual and unit awards including four Strike Flight Air Medals and three Navy Commendation Medals.
Hilliker stated that he is proud to continue with a great team as commanding officer.

“The squadron, Air Wing and ship team has been working very hard and I am excited to be a part of it,” said Hilliker. “[Markovich’s] patience, emphasis on flying and training and his dedication to his people are the things I will look forward to taking into my tour.”

Cmdr. Nathan Ballou assumed duties as VFA-83 executive officer.

Press Release, June 18, 2013; Image: US Navy

Sailors and Marines participated in a Maritime Prepositioning Force (MPF) training event during amphibious exercise Dawn Blitz at Naval Amphibious Base June 13.
The MPF training event tested logistics capabilities of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and proficiency in moving supplies and equipment ashore from a ship at sea. MPF ships are stationed around the globe with military equipment and supplies, ready to respond when needed.
One of the most important aspects of these capabilities is the opportunity to provide disaster response and humanitarian assistance to nations in need. This gives the U.S. the opportunity to bolster relationships with partner nations, said Chief Operation Specialist Bobby Jackson, Naval Beach Group 1 leading chief petty officer.
Sailors and Marines work hand-in- hand to get the equipment of a Marine expeditionary unit from ship to shore said Lt. Cmdr. Jason Chung, operations officer for Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1.

“ACB 1 plays a vital role where we do an offload that consists of anchoring off the beach, because adequate facilities are not available for the MSC ships to moor,” said Chung. “Depending on how far the ship is anchored out we are able to transport the equipment fairly quickly. Once it is on the beach they could roll right off and go where needed.”

This event is one in a series of live amphibious training events conducted during Dawn Blitz. Dawn Blitz is an exercise that integrates Navy/Marine Corps expeditionary amphibious forces for the purpose of conducting combined operations from the sea.

Also participating in the exercise is Naval Beach Group 1 (NBG-1). “Our mission is to move logistics from the Military Sea Lift Command ship across the beach. This portion of the exercise is a training event to gain proficiency in moving equipment,” said Naval Beach Group 1 Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Flanagan. “We couldn’t be happier about how the training went; we got some great results

U.S. Third Fleet leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific from the West coast of North America to the international dateline and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy.

Press Release, June 18, 2013; Image: US Navy

Three foreign nationals were rescued by the personnel of Coast Guard Station El Nido and the Philippine Navy immediately after receiving a distress alert from a motor yacht that went dead on water 35NM southwest off Malampaya gas field, Palawan.
According to Coast Guard Action Center, the United Kingdom registered M/Y Simone sent a distress alert to the Coast Guard after an unexpected fuel exhaustion caused by a generator problem.
Immediately upon receiving the alert, Coast Guard District Palawan (CGDPAL) established a communication with M/Y Simone and was informed that all crew are in good physical condition and are only seeking for assistance for refueling to the nearest shore.
The crew were identified as Ian Riley, British national; Glenn Cooke, 51 years old and Australian national; and Ryan Mann, 36 years old and an American citizen.
CGDPAL directed Coast Guard Station (CGS) El Nido to provide assistance to the distressed yacht. Through coordination with Joint Task Force Malampaya (JTFM), a Philippine Navy patrol gunboat, Coast Guard Special Operations Group (CGSOG) and Coast Guard K-9 personnel onboard PG-386 joined the search and rescue team.
The team guided the yacht to El Nido Pier where it refueled and provided statement for the investigation.
According to the crew, they were on their way to Kota Kinabalu when the yacht encountered generator problem due to a damaged pump belt. The derangement, which resulted to rapid exhaustion of fuel, coupled with prevailing bad weather condition prompted the crew to send a distress alert signal.

Press Release, June 18, 2013; Image: Flickr

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft landed on Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter destroyer Hyuga (DDH 181) for the first time June 14.
The landing aboard Hyuga was the culmination of extensive planning by Sailors and Marines from Commander, U.S. Third Fleet, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, I Marine Expeditionary Force, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade and was one of a series of live training events during amphibious exercise Dawn Blitz.
The Sailors and Marines conducted familiarization training with Japanese crews in preparation of the landing, June 3-11. Aboard USS Boxer (LHA 4), Sailors mentored Japanese counterparts on heat shields used by ships for MV-22 landings.

“Anytime we do amphibious operations on ships we do a tremendous amount of training to make sure our pilots and aircrew are properly qualified,” said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Brad Harms, Commanding Officer of Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron 161 (VMM-161). “We do practice landings on simulated decks on the ground which allows us to practice landing profiles. We worked closely with our Japanese counterparts aboard Hyuga so they were familiar with our procedures.”

The ability for the Osprey to land aboard a Japanese ship provides another opportunity for the U.S. and Japan to respond to crises to include natural disasters and protect collective maritime interests. After landing, the crew of the Osprey and the Hyuga demonstrated the utility of the MV-22 by showing towing procedures, lowering and raising the aircraft in the ship’s elevator and loading and unloading of supplies.

“Landing on the ship was no different than landing on any other ship but the meaning behind it was pretty significant, and I’m proud to be a part of it,” said Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Sevilla, Crew Chief with VMM-161.

Hyuga is one of three JMSDF ships participating in exercise Dawn Blitz June 11-28. Exercises like Dawn Blitz provide the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy and Marine Corps.
Joint, interagency and international relationships strengthen U.S. Third Fleet’s ability to respond to crises and protect the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners.

Press Release, June 18, 2013; Image: US Navy