Showing posts with label USS FORT MCHENRY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USS FORT MCHENRY. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

DRONES: U.S. NAVY TARGET AND TEST DRONES


FROM: U.S. NAVY

040623-N-5663H-001 South China Sea (June 23, 2004) - A team of Royal Brunei Armed Forces military and civilian contractors prepare "Banshee" unmanned drones for launch from the U.S. Navy's dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43). The drones are used as targets while conducting underway gunnery practice during the Brunei phase of exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT). CARAT is a regularly scheduled series of bilateral military training exercises with several Southeast Asia nations designed to enhance the interoperability of the respective sea services. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist Seaman David J. Ham (RELEASED)




040206-N-9222M-001 Aboard USS Essex (LHD 2) Feb. 6, 2004 - One of five BQM-74 test drones launches from the amphibious assault ship USS Essex's (LHD 2) flight deck during a missile firing exercise. The test drones are remote controlled, GPS-guided missiles. Essex and the guided missile cruiser USS John McCain participated in the missile firing exercise conducted to test the ships defensive capability. During the exercise, Essex fired three NATO Sea Sparrow anti-air missiles to intercept the drones. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Nicholas C. Messina. (RELEASED)

Sunday, September 2, 2012

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS





FROM: U.S. NAVY

120831-N-WL435-365 DUBLIN (Aug. 31, 2012) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert and Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) the Honorable Ray Mabus speak to Irish media aboard the amphibious dock-landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) about the importance of the Emerald Isle Classic NCAA football game between Navy and Notre Dame. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor/Released

 
 

 




120831-N-ZE938-021 WILLEMSTAD, Curacao (August 31, 2012) Sailors heave in a mooring line on the flight deck of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36) as the ship departs Willemstad, Curacao after a scheduled port visit. Underwood is deployed to Central and South America and the Caribbean in support of Operation Martillo and the U.S. 4th Fleet mission, Southern Seas 2012. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Frank J. Pikul/Released)


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

USS FORT MCHENRY RMEMBERS THE WAR OF 1812


FROM:  U.S. NAVY
120615-N-CN263-054 BALTIMORE (June 15, 2012) Lance Cpl. Zachary Franks, a military policeman assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 26, discusses the .50-caliber M2 machine gun mount on his Humvee with a tour group aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43). Fort McHenry welcomed more than 1,000 visitors aboard throughout the day to celebrate the Star Spangled Sailabration, which coincides with Baltimore Navy Week 2012 and commemorates the War of 1812 and the writing of the "Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Wesley Dannelley/Released) 

Sailors, Marines Show Off USS Fort McHenry
Story Number: NNS120617-05Release Date: 6/17/2012 9:48:00
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Wesley Dannelley, Navy Operational Support Center Baltimore
BALTIMORE (NNS) -- USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) welcomed more than 1,000 guests aboard for the Star-Spangled Sailabration, June 15, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 and the nation's flag.

Crew members conducted guided tours around the deckplates and visitors observed the day-to-day activities Sailors and Marines perform aboard the ship, as well as some of the tasks Marines perform while ashore or forward deployed.

Marines of Combat Logistics Battalion 26 (CLB 26), embarked for the War of 1812 celebrations, displayed equipment and vehicles for public view, and offered demonstrations on various tools of the trade.

Marine Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) members attached to CLB 26 donned the heavy Kevlar EOD suit used to protect Marines when they handle and dispose of various explosive devices. Guests were also introduced to the "EOD Bot," the remote-controlled robot that allows EOD teams to gather information and/or handle explosives while keeping personnel out of harm's way.

Lance Cpl. Easten Fry, a field artillery cannoneer with Bravo Battery 1/10, also attached to CLB 26, was the subject matter expert for the Marine Corps' M777A2 Howitzer, answering questions and giving demonstrations of the weapon's capabilities.

"Having people take time out of their day to walk a quarter of a mile down a pier in the heat to hear about my job makes me feel appreciated," Fry said.

United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps Seaman Apprentice Phillip Plunkard expressed his excitement about being onboard a warship. "Getting to learn all about the Navy, and seeing all the helicopters was so cool!"

While aboard, Plunkard met Cmdr. Ray Hartman, commanding officer of Fort McHenry, who shared words of wisdom and encouragement.

Fort McHenry is homeported at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek/Fort Story, and is currently preparing for its upcoming deployment.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

THE BATTLE OF BALTIMORE BAY REMEMBERED IN FLAG DAY COMMEMORATIONS


FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
The amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) transits past Naval Station Norfolk, Va., as part of OpSail 2012 in Norfolk, Va., commemorating the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, June 6, 2012. The parade includes an international fleet of naval vessels as well as waterborne and air assets from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Army Corps of Engineers and other government and private organizations. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Julie Matyascik







Navy Ships Participate in Flag Day, War of 1812 Commemorations
By Donna Miles
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2012 - Ten Navy ships, including USS Fort McHenry, are commemorating Flag Day today at the site of the historic War of 1812 battle 200 years ago that inspired the National Anthem.

Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen will take part in Flag Day events at Fort McHenry, the star-shaped fortress that endured what's become one of the most remembered engagements of the war.

On the night of Sept. 13, 1814, British ships in Baltimore harbor bombarded the outgunned U.S. resistance at the fort for 25 solid hours. Francis Scott Key, a civilian lawyer who was sent to Baltimore to negotiate an American hostage's release, found himself in a front-row seat to the battle aboard a British ship.

As dawn broke the following morning, Key stood on the ship's deck, amazed to see the U.S. flag still flapping in the breezes over the battered fort. He was so moved that he penned the poem that became the lyrics of the National Anthem.

The Navy ships in Baltimore are part of a flotilla making its way up the Eastern Seaboard to mark the bicentennial of the war that historians say marked the dawn of U.S. naval power.

Eighteen tall ships, including the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, and navy vessels from Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Norway are accompanying the Navy gray hulls in the "Star Spangled Sailabration."
The flotilla spent 12 days in Norfolk before arriving today in Baltimore for a week of activities including a tall ship parade, an air show by the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, fireworks and a parachute jump into Camden Yards.

The festivities, co-sponsored by Operation Sail Inc., are part of a lineup of bicentennial commemorations that kicked off in April in New Orleans and will continue through 2015. Organizers hope to engage the public with educational events and programs across the South, the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions and into Canada to highlight America's maritime heritage and the War of 1812.

Beyond the Battle of Fort McHenry, many Americans have little understanding of what's been called America's first forgotten war.

The War of 1812 centered on maritime disputes between the United States and Great Britain. In the early 1800s, the Royal Navy, which was at war with France, was stopping American ships to search for sailors born in England, then forcibly pressing them into service for the crown. Both the French and English began seizing American ships, and later imposed an embargo on American vessels going to Europe that nearly bankrupted the industry. President James Madison ultimately declared war against England in 1812.
Among the most remembered events was the burning of the White House, the Capitol and the Washington Navy Yard. Dolly Madison, alone with her servants when British troops torched the White House, personally saved the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington by carting it off in a wagon to Georgetown.

Army Gen. Andrew Jackson became a national hero as he led the Battle of New Orleans, ending Britain's long string of land victories.

But with naval battles in North America, off South America and Great Britain, and in the Pacific and Indian oceans, the War of 1812 was predominantly a sea campaign. It served as a defining moment for the fledging U.S. Navy, which fought the British as they tried to blockade the Atlantic coast and support land forces from Lake Erie and Lake Champlain, leading to the birth of America's modern sea services.

"The War of 1812 is significant because it paved the way for future development of the U.S. Navy," said U.S. Naval War College Professor Kevin McCranie, author of the soon-to-be-released book, "Utmost Gallantry: The U.S. and Royal Navies at Sea in the War of 1812."

"Challenging the most dominant naval power of the time, the less powerful U.S. Navy found ways to protract the war and incurred significant costs for Great Britain," he said. "That's why the War of 1812 is important for national leaders to study."

The war also helped establish the Navy's legacy of heroes. Oliver Hazard Perry, who had been dispatched from Newport, R.I., constructed ships on the shores of Lake Erie that went on to defeat a large British armada assembled there. Capt. James Lawrence, aboard the U.S. frigate Chesapeake as it was taken by HMS Shannon, uttered as his last words, the famous battle cry, "Don't give up the ship."

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who announced the bicentennial celebration last year, said the activities will recognize the men and women who continue to carry on this tradition. He called the bicentennial an opportunity to celebrate the U.S. Navy's heritage and its continued commitment to securing unobstructed access and free use of the world's oceans that are vital to national security and prosperity.

"This 'second war of independence,' fought 200 years ago, established U.S. sea power as a force in the world, and our continuing presence in the great blue and beyond," he said. "As we commemorate Old Glory and the War of 1812, we ought to remember the delicate weaving of history that has brought America to this place of great influence and greater responsibility."

Event organizers also call it a way to underscore the importance of a strong international goodwill. William Armstrong Jr., from Operation Sail pointed out that the three combatants in the conflict have become close allies.

The United States and Canada share the longest unprotected national boundary in the world, he noted during the May Parade of Sail event in Norfolk. Meanwhile, the United States and Great Britain have become not only trading partners, but also military and political allies.

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