Passed midshipman

A passed midshipman, sometimes called as "midshipman, passed", is a term used historically in the 19th century to describe a midshipman who had passed the lieutenant's exam and was eligible for promotion to lieutenant as soon as there was a vacancy in that grade.
Royal Navy.
Passed midshipman was never an official rank or rating in the Royal Navy, but was commonly used to describe midshipmen who had passed the lieutenant examination but were waiting on a roster to be commissioned. Between 1800 and 1815, due to a shortage of officers to command small craft, passed midshipmen were titled sub-lieutenant but this also was not an official rank.
Passed midshipmen awaiting promotion often elected to become master's mate, an experienced seaman role as assistant to the master. Though formally the rating did not lead to promotion to lieutenant, master's mates were paid more than any other rating and were the only ratings allowed to command any sort of vessel. A midshipman who became master's mate earned an increase in pay from £2 15s to £3 16s per month, but initially reduced his chances at a commission. Over time, however, an appointment of master's mate became considered a normal part of the path to a commission; the situation caused some confusion during the last part of the 18th century, when two parallel roles – master's mates trying to become masters, and former midshipmen working toward a commission – held the same title and responsibilities aboard ship.
By the first years of the 19th century, the prefix "master's" was dropped for passed midshipmen, to distinguish them from master's mates in the navigator's branch. In 1824 two further grades were also introduced, consisting of master's assistants and second-class volunteers. These corresponded to midshipmen and first-class volunteers respectively in the executive line. From this point, passed midshipmen had the rating master's mate, abbreviated as mate, and prospective masters had the rating master's assistant. These changes helped eliminate the confusion caused by the mingling of midshipmen in the navigator's branch. In 1838 a Royal Commission, presided over by the Duke of Wellington, recommended the institution of the rank of mate as an official step between midshipman and lieutenant. In 1861 mate was abolished in favor of sub-lieutenant.
United States Navy.
Passed midshipman was first used in 1819, and unlike the Royal Navy was an official rank of the United States Navy. With the establishment of the rank of ensign in 1862, the ranking structure was changed. The term "midshipman" came to mean an officer that passed his exams, while a cadet midshipman was one that had not or was still an undergraduate. A passed midshipman would be appointed a commission to the rank of ensign, rather than lieutenant.


Cross of Merit (Ukrainian Insurgent Army)

The Cross of Merit () was an award of Ukrainian Insurgent Army. It awarded for distinguished services to the state and people of the Ukrainian army. The Order was instituted on January 27, 1944 by the Ukrainian Supreme Liberation Council leaders, Roman Shukhevych and Dmytro Hrytsai.
The Order is awarded in five (golden, silver and bronze) grades and had a red ribbon with a black stripe on each edge.


National Museum of the United States Navy

The National Museum of the United States Navy, or U.S. Navy Museum for short, is the flagship museum of the United States Navy and is located in the former Breech Mechanism Shop of the old Naval Gun Factory on the grounds of the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., United States.
The U.S. Navy Museum is one of ten official Navy museums, and is part of the Naval History & Heritage Command, the official history program of the United States Navy.
Mission.
The U.S. Navy Museum collects, preserves, displays, and interprets historic naval artifacts and artwork to inform, educate, and inspire naval personnel and the general public.
History.
The U.S. Navy Museum was established in 1961 and opened to the public in 1963. As one of 15 Navy museums throughout the country, it is the only one that presents an overview of U. S. naval history. Permanent and temporary exhibitions commemorate the Navy's wartime heroes and battles as well as its peacetime contributions in exploration, diplomacy, space flight, navigation and humanitarian service.
Known for 40 years as the U.S. Navy flagship museum, The U.S. Navy Museum celebrates a legacy of educating the public. In the tradition of its predecessors on the Washington Navy Yard beginning in 1865, the current museum features a collection that dates from 1800. The museum's collection moved twice before Admiral Arleigh Burke established the current museum, Building 76, in 1963 to create an American naval history museum comparable to those in Europe. The U.S. Navy Museum continues to embody Burke's vision of sharing the Navy's history and traditions with the world.
The tradition of collecting naval artifacts in the United States began in the early 19th century under the command of Thomas Tingey, the first commandant of the Washington Navy Yard. The first artifact collected was a French gun, cast in 1793 at Lyons, captured during the Quasi-War with France, 1798–1801. From this modest beginning, the collection grew as the U.S. Navy fought in more battles and explored the high seas during the early years of the American republic.
As the Navy's collection of artifacts grew, so did the need for a space to display them. In 1865, the former Paint Shop opened as the Museum of Naval Relics and Weapons, where the Dispensary is today. This museum was amongst America's earliest federal museums. Listed as one of Washington's most popular tourist attractions in Morrison's Strangers Guide to Washington, the collection impressed visitors with such artifacts as a gun from Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes's conquest of Mexico, and the sloop "Kearsarge"s original sternpost containing a shell she received during her fight with the Confederate raider "Alabama" off the French coast.
In 1913 the museum's artifacts were moved to Building 120. The museum shared space with the Seaman Gunner's Quarters and the Recruiting Office. This site is now a parking lot west of the Washington Navy Yard. The building was demolished in 1927, which left the Navy's collection of artifacts in storage for eight years. In April 1935, the third museum opened in building 40, at the north end of the Breech Mechanism Shop constructed between 1887 and 1899. When World War II ended, the yard officially changed its name to the Naval Gun Factory. Hence, the museum became the Naval Gun Factory Museum. After gun production ceased, Admiral Burke obtained the entire building in 1961 to house a new and more complete collection of artifacts.
Today, the U.S. Navy Museum is the only naval museum to chronicle the U.S. Navy's history from its creation to the present. Artifacts like USS "Constitution"s fighting top, the world's deepest diving submersible, "Trieste", and the khaki uniform of former Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz make The Navy Museum's collection second to none.
Close to 94,000 individuals visit The U.S. Navy Museum annually. Admission to the museum and its programs is free. The museum is architecturally accessible.
Visiting the National Museum of the U.S. Navy.
The National Museum of the United States Navy and the associated Cold War Gallery are typically open to the public. On March 14, 2020, though, both facilities closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; as of April 2021, no time frame has been given for reopening. Because the museum is on the grounds of an active military installation, visitors must either present valid government/military credentials, be accompanied by someone who has such credentials, or apply for a day pass at the on-site visitors' center. Upon entering the museum, visitors can see the fighting top from , as well as a statue of Boatswain's Mate Charles W. Riggin, made from melted dimes.
Willard Park.
Located between the U.S. Navy Museum and the waterfront, Willard Park is named for Admiral Arthur L. Willard, Commandant of the Navy Yard from 1927 to 1930. Alongside the many iron guns on display are a screw from the battleship , a 6-inch gun salvaged from the battleship USS "Maine", a bathysphere from the "Alvin" undersea exploration vehicle, the Swift Boat "PCF-1", and a 14-inch naval railway gun from the First World War.
Permanent exhibits.
Dive! Dive! U.S. Navy Submarines.
This large room is dedicated entirely to the history of American submarines. The room features a pair of working periscopes, targeting computers, and battle flags.
The American Revolution and the French Alliance.
The U.S. Navy's violent beginning is documented near the museum's entrance with a video kiosk, weapons, and depictions of early American Navy heroes.
The Forgotten Wars of the Nineteenth Century.
This exhibit features artifacts from the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War and the Second Barbary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican–American War. The centerpiece of this exhibit is a replica of gun deck.
Civil War.
The Civil War exhibit shows the sorts of warships and equipment used by sailors of the Union and Confederate fleets. Models of the legendary ironclads and , the commerce raider , and the are on display.
Spanish–American War.
This exhibit tells the story of the loss of the battleship , public outrage and the beginning of the United States as a global power. On display are several weapons, items from the home front, a model and diagram of the strange , and the uniform of Admiral George Dewey.
Polar Exploration.
The story of Admiral Richard Byrd's 1928 voyage to the South Pole is told through photographs and equipment from his and other subsequent voyages.
Navigation.
Vitally crucial throughout history, navigational techniques and various pieces of equipment are explained in a small exhibit on the history of navigation at sea. The room is filled with charts, chronometers, and meteorological equipment.
U.S. Navy in World War I.
This exhibit detailing the U.S. Navy's brief involvement in the First World War explains the dangerous task of submarine-hunting and showcases models of warships of the period, a captured German flag, and footage of a U.S. Navy railway gun in action.
In Harm's Way, The Navy in World War II.
The most extensive section of the museum, In Harm's Way, is divided into three sections.
Korea 1950–1953: The Navy in the Forgotten War.
Uniforms and equipment, along with videos and other artifacts, bring the often-ignored Korean War into focus. Captured Soviet weapons, models of aircraft and warships, and a piece of the Inchon seawall are on display.
Other exhibits.
The deep submergence vehicle "Trieste" is the highlight of the Undersea Exploration exhibit. A small exhibit on the Steel Navy (1883–1909) is in the north end, as well as on the Battle of Trafalgar, which features a short film on naval artillery based on the 2003 film "".
In popular culture.
The Navy Museum was featured in "Ephemera", the Season 17 Episode 16 episode of the CBS TV series "NCIS".
Other Navy museums.
There are nine other official Navy museums:
The following museums are not listed on the list of "Official U.S. Naval Museums" in the footnote at the top of this section:


LGBT in the United States Army


Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) is an agency of the United States Department of the Navy that manages health care activities for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. BUMED operates hospitals and other health care facilities as well as laboratories for biomedical research, and trains and manages the Navy's many staff corps related to medicine. Its headquarters is located at the Defense Health Headquarters in Fairfax County, Virginia. BUMED has 63,000 medical personnel and more than a million eligible beneficiaries.
History.
BUMED was one of the original five Navy bureaus formed in 1842 to replace the Board of Navy Commissioners. It is one of two bureaus still in existence. BUMED was headquartered at the Old Naval Observatory from 1942 until 2012.
In 2005, Navy Medicine aligned its shore facilities into four overarching commands: Navy Medicine East, Navy Medicine West, Navy Medicine National Capital Area, and Navy Medicine Support Command. In 2012, Navy Medicine Support Command was renamed and realigned into the Navy Medicine Education and Training Command, with its non-training units becoming independent under BUMED. Navy Medicine National Capital Area's largest component, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, was merged in 2011 with Walter Reed Army Medical Center to form the joint Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The merged facility came under the jurisdiction of the new Joint Task Force National Capital Region/Medical, and in 2013, Navy Medicine National Capital Area was disestablished, with its few remaining facilities transferred to Navy Medicine East.
While a 2006 report of the Defense Business Board recommended that the Army, Navy, and Air Force medical commands be merged into a single joint command, citing savings in budget and personnel, this recommendation was not carried out and in 2012 the Defense Health Agency (DHA) was established separately from the military medical commands. All three military medical commands were however all moved to share the new Defense Health Headquarters facility in Falls Church with DHA, again as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure.
Organization.
Departments.
The commanding officer of BUMED is the Surgeon General of the United States Navy, a rear admiral. BUMED is divided into ten departments, each referred to with an alphanumerical code. Each of the staff corps is headed by a rear admiral, except for the Hospital Corps, which is headed by a force master chief petty officer because of its status as an enlisted rating. The other department heads are mostly either rear admirals or civilians.
Subordinate commands.
BUMED operates the following facilities and commands:
Naval Medical Forces Atlantic:
Naval Medical Forces Pacific:
Naval Medical Forces Support Command:
Other commands:
Hospital ships:
While the Medical Treatment Facility on each hospital ship is operated by BUMED's medical personnel, the ships themselves are operated by civilian mariners employed by Military Sealift Command.
References.
9. Navy Medicine Leadership. http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=602


Officers Quarters, Washington Navy Yard

The Officers Quarters are fifteen residences located in eight historic buildings in the Washington Navy Yard. Each individual residence is labelled with a single letter such as Quarters A or Quarters B. They were built at different times but continue to serve as housing for senior officers of the United States Navy.
Quarters A.
This house, also known as Tingey House was built around 1804 and was the home of the Commandant of the Navy Yard. It was named after the first Commandant, Captain Thomas Tingey. It is possible that the 2-story brick building was designed by Lovering and Dyer. Unlike most government buildings, it was not seriously damaged during the 1814 Burning of Washington. In 1977, it became the official home of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Quarters B.
The first of the quarters to be built in 1801, this housed the second in command of the Yard. As with Quarters A, it was looted but not damaged during the 1814 Burning of Washington.
Quarters C and D.
Built in 1878 on top of the former reservoir, these two residences in a three-story brick building housed the Naval Constructor and the Civil Engineer.
Quarters E, F and G.
Built around 1837, this building housed the Master of the Yard, the Surgeon, and a Lieutenant. It was smaller than normal for officers of this rank.
Quarters H.
Built sometime before 1824, the Gunner quarters were built against the wall separating the Yard from M street. The building was expanded and repaired throughout the late 1800s.
Quarters K, L and M.
An octagon building originally built for muster calls, it was modified to house three residences in 1889.
Quarters N, O.
Originally a paint shop built in 1865, which also served as a museum, this building was remodeled into two residences in 1891.
Quarters P, Q.
Standing next to the Latrobe Gate and the Marine barracks, this building housed the ranking Marine officer in charge of the guard. The building was added to and repaired throughout the late 1800s.


Michael F. McAllister

Michael F. McAllister (born December 12, 1964) is a United States Coast Guard vice admiral currently serving as Deputy Commandant for Mission Support. He previously served as commander of the Coast Guard Seventeenth District. In April 2021, he was nominated as the next commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area and Defense Force West, replacing Linda L. Fagan.


Center for Information Warfare Training

The United States Navy's Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) is one of the learning centers of Naval Education and Training Command, headquartered on Naval Air Station Pensacola Corry Station in Escambia County, Florida. It is responsible for the development of education and training policies for over 22,000 members of the Information Warfare Corps in the fields of cryptology and intelligence, along with the cyber realms of information operations and technology, and computer systems and networks. The Center also oversees Language, Regional Expertise and Culture.
The Center administers about 200 courses across the globe to an average annual student count of 22,000 with a staff of nearly 1,300 military, civilian and contracted staff.
All of CIWT's learning sites operate under one of four "schoolhouse commands, each which specializes in a different concentration. Each schoolhouse has its own leadership team (CO/XO/CMC) and operates independently of one another.
Information Warfare Training Command Corry Station focuses on cryptologic technician (CTT/CTR/CTI/CTM/CTN) and information systems technician enlisted "A" and "C" schools and cryptologic warfare and information professional officer courses.
Information Warfare Training Command Monterey specializes in training language training for Navy linguists, the special warfare community, Personnel Exchange Program, and foreign area officers through Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, California
Information Warfare Training Command San Diego
Information Warfare Training Command Virginia Beach
In addition, there are two CIWT sites that are not under another schoolhouse, and report directly to CIWT: CIWT Detachment Goodfellow at Goodfellow Air Force Base and CIWT Detachment at Fort Gordon, Georgia.
The Center had previously been called the Center for Information Dominance; its name was changed in 2016.


USCGC Tamaroa

Two ships of the United States Coast Guard have been named USCGC "Tamaroa", ultimately after the Tamaroa tribe of the Illiniwek tribal group.


USCGC Northland (WMEC-904)

USCGC "Northland" (WMEC-904) is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. Her keel was laid down in 1981 and she was launched in 1982 by the Tacoma Boatbuilding Company of Tacoma, Washington. She was commissioned on December 17, 1984.
History.
The USCGC "Northland" is the second cutter to carry that name and the fourth of the thirteen Famous Class cutters currently serving in the WMEC- 270' fleet. "Northland" is home ported in Portsmouth, Virginia.
"Northland" has many missions including Search and rescue, Law Enforcement and Interdiction, Homeland Security, and Defense Operations. "Northland's" crew is composed of officers and enlisted personnel with a large variety of different Coast Guard rates. "Northland's" primary area of operation includes but is not limited to the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico.


Joseph Bubba

Joseph L. Bubba (born February 28, 1938) is an American Republican Party politician who served for five terms in the New Jersey Senate.
Bubba served in the United States Navy, got a degree in Marketing from Seton Hall University and was a manager for New Jersey Bell Telephone Company. He served on the Board of Education of the Wayne Public Schools from 1971 to 1975, and was elected to the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1975. He lost a bid for re-election in 1978, and was elected Passaic County Republican Chairman in 1979.
Bubba was first elected to the Senate in 1981, when redistricting reconfigured the 34th Legislative District, which included Wayne and Clifton in Passaic County, and parts of Western Essex County. He defeated Democrat William J. Bate, an Assemblyman and ex-Senator, by a 53-47% margin. Two years later, Bubba faced a GOP primary challenge from Assemblyman S.M. Terry LaCorte, which he won 57%-43%. He survived a tough general election campaign against Passaic County Freeholder James Roe, the brother of U.S. Rep. Robert Roe by just 974 votes. He won re-election in 1987, 1991 and 1993 against Democrats Donald Hetchka, Assemblyman Joseph Mecca and ex-State Consumer Affairs Director Patricia Royer, respectively.
When Roe retired in 1992, Bubba ran for the Republican nomination for the seat. He was defeated in the general election by former Assemblyman Herb Klein by a wide margin. In 1997, Bubba was challenged by Passaic County Freeholder Norman M. Robertson in the primary. Robertson gained the backing of the Republicans in the district and easily defeated Bubba by a count of 66%-34%.
In the Senate, Bubba served as Assistant Minority Whip from 1985 to 1986, as Minority Whip from 1987 to 1988, and as Assistant Minority Leader from 1988 to 1991. He lost his leadership post after the 1991 election after Donald DiFrancesco defeated Bubba's ally, John H. Dorsey, for Senate President.
Bubba retired to Florida after a career with the phone company, and in 2004 made a bid for Pompano Beach, Florida City Commissioner. He received 235 votes -- just 8% -- in his fourth-place finish. (The candidate who finished third lost by 27 percentage points and Bubba got less than half the number of votes she did.)


Vilnian National Guard

Vilnian National Guard () was a paramilitary unit formed in the city of Vilna (modern Vilnius, Lithuania) during the French invasion of Russia in 1812. Among the duties of the unit were maintaining law and order in the city, but also guarding state and military buildings. The Vilnian National Guard took part in the Battle of Vilna later that year, during Napoleon's retreat from Russia. Following the Russian take-over of the city the Guard was disbanded.
Already before the French invasion started, a large part of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania revolted against the Russian Empire. Soon after his arrival to Vilna, Napoleon Bonaparte formed the Provisional Government of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, promising to restore it to its former wealth. The new government instantly renewed the Polish–Lithuanian Union and agreed to form the forces of the popular uprising into regular army. On July 5, 1812, the irregulars were formed into three regiments of guards cavalry and five regiments of infantry.
In addition to the regular units, on July 1 an irregular unit of Vilnian burghers was formed in order to carry out police and safekeeping duties within the confines of the city. The unit, named "Vilnian National Guard", or "Gwardia Narodowa Wileńska" in Polish, was composed of 2 battalions. In accordance with the rules for similar units formed in Warsaw, Minsk, Grodno and other towns, the membership was to be limited to all able-bodied men between 18 and 50 years of age, who possessed financial qualifications for the service (two thirds of all the recruits paid for their own equipment and uniform).
Following the renewal of the Polish–Lithuanian Union the command over the unit was passed to experienced Polish officers from the Duchy of Warsaw, often veterans of the "Old Guard". The first commander of the newly formed unit was Colonel Kozielski. Among its officers was also Józef Deszczyński, a noted Polish composer and director of the epoch.


Ed Foreman

Edgar Franklin Foreman, Jr. (born December 22, 1933) is a former member of the United States House of Representatives. He had one term representing Texas's 16th congressional district from 1963 to 1965 and a second term from 1969 to 1971 representing New Mexico's 2nd district, then newly established. He is the most historically recent member of Congress to have represented more than one state during their career, and the only living person to have done so.
Early years.
Foreman was born near Portales in Roosevelt County in southeastern New Mexico, to Edgar Foreman Sr. and the former Lillian Childress.
From 1952 to 1953, he attended Eastern New Mexico College in Portales. He transferred to New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where in 1955 he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. From 1953 to 1956, Foreman was employed by Phillips Petroleum Company. From 1956 to 1957, he served in the United States Navy. He headed Foreman Brine Sales and Service in Odessa, Texas, from 1956 to 1962. He was formerly the president of Valley Transit Mix, Atlas Land Company, and Foreman Oil, Inc.
Political career.
Represented West Texas, 1963–1965.
In 1962 Foreman was elected to Congress from the 16th District in West Texas, which stretched from El Paso to the Permian Basin. His victory is attributed to the incumbent Democratic Representative J. T. Rutherford having been linked with the Billie Sol Estes scandal. In that same election, the Democrat, later Republican, John B. Connally, Jr., was elected governor over the Republican oilfield equipment executive Jack Cox.
Foreman was defeated when he sought re-election in 1964, a year in which President Lyndon B. Johnson, a Texan, was reelected over Republican U.S. Senator Barry M. Goldwater in a landslide, and the Republicans suffered massive losses throughout the nation.
Represented southern New Mexico, 1969–1971.
In 1968 while residing in Las Cruces, Foreman ran for Congress in the southern district of New Mexico and upset the two-term Democrat E. S. "Johnny" Walker of Albuquerque. Richard Nixon won New Mexico's electoral votes that year over Hubert H. Humphrey, and that Republican momentum helped Foreman to get elected. Foreman was unseated after a single term in 1970 by Democrat Harold Runnels.
Appointment to two federal jobs.
After losing a House seat for the second time in six years, Foreman in 1971 was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Interior in the Nixon administration, and the following year, 1972, he was appointed to a position at the United States Department of Transportation, where he stayed until 1976.


Combat Logistics Battalion 4

Combat Logistics Battalion 4 (CLB-4) is a logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The battalion falls under the command of Combat Logistics Regiment 3, which is a part of the 3rd Marine Logistics Group. They are based on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan and their mission includes construction, demolition, supply, transportation, maintenance and fabrication.
Mission.
Provide direct support (DS) tactical logistics to an 4th Marine Regiment beyond its organic capabilities in the areas of transportation, intermediate level supply, field level maintenance, and general engineering.
History.
CLB-4 / CLR-3 was originally 3rd Transportation Support Battalion until changing in 2007. CLB-4 was the first full battalion to deploy from Okinawa, Japan since the Vietnam War. The battalion deployed to Al Anbar Province, Iraq in support of Regimental Combat 6 during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007 and 2009. The battalion had one Marine injured and no fatalities during these deployments. CLB-4 has also deployed in support of OEF.


Marine Air Control Squadron 24

Marine Air Control Squadron 24 (MACS-24) is a reserve United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provides aerial surveillance and air traffic control for the Marine Forces Reserve. They are headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia with an outlying detachment at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. They fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 48 and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Mission.
The support of air control operations as directed by the Commanding General, Marine Forces Reserve and to provide air surveillance, control of aircraft and ground-based air defense assets, and to provide navigational assistance to itinerant friendly aircraft in support of the Fleet Marine Force.


Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard

The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) is the senior enlisted member of the U.S. Coast Guard and the principal advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard on all enlisted personnel matters.
The holder of this position is equivalent to the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major of the Army, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force,
and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and by protocol is equal to a vice admiral.
The MCPOCG is appointed by the Commandant of the Coast Guard to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest levels in the Coast Guard. As such the MCPOCG is the senior enlisted advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The MCPOCG's exact duties vary, depending on the Commandant, though generally devotes much time traveling throughout the Coast Guard observing training and communicating with Coast Guardsmen and their families. The normal tour of assignment is four years, which runs concurrently with the Commandant of the Coast Guard. The first member to hold this post was MCPOCG Charles L. Calhoun, and the current MCPOCG is Jason M. Vanderhaden.


Marine safety (USCG)

Marine safety is one of the eleven missions of the United States Coast Guard.
Coast Guard personnel inspect commercial vessels, respond to pollution, investigate marine casualties and merchant mariners, manage waterways, and license merchant mariners. Coast Guard officials also draft recommendations for the transit of hazardous cargo by ship, such as liquid natural gas.
In addition to this mission, the Coast Guard carries out investigations to determine the cause of accidents on American-flagged (Flag State) ships or foreign ships in American waters (Port State).
Among the activities of the Coast Guard is inspection of commercial boats carrying passengers for hire. Vessels carrying more than six passengers must show a Certificate of Inspection; this indicates the crews of such vessels have undergone drug testing, that the vessel's firefighting and lifesaving equipment is adequate and in good condition, and machinery, hull construction, wiring, stability, safety railings, and navigation equipment meet Federal standards.
Overview.
The Coast Guard performs its marine safety mission by conducting marine inspection, marine investigation, waterways management, port safety, and merchant mariner credentialing activities. The marine safety mission is the largest mission performed by Prevention Departments at Coast Guard Sectors. Coast Guard personnel that contribute to the marine safety program at field units are eligible to earn the Marine Safety Insignia.
Marine inspection.
The Coast Guard is responsible for inspecting vessels (e.g., boats or ships) that are registered in the United States or are foreign ships in U.S. waters.
The Coast Guard delegates this responsibility to the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection.
Inspections are done either under Flag State responsibility or Port State responsibility. The four basic categories of vessels subject to inspection are:
There are two kinds of inspections: Safety and Security.
Inspections of vessel safety systems includes the following:
Inspections of vessel security systems includes the following:
Marine investigation.
The Coast Guard investigates marine casualties and allegations of improper Merchant Mariner actions to determine cause, and to prevent future occurrences under its Marine Safety mission. There are two kinds of investigations: Marine casualty investigations, and personnel actions.
Marine casualty investigations.
Marine casualty investigations are carried out for the following:
Personnel actions.
Investigations are also conducted to determine if personnel actions by licensed or documented merchant mariners constitute one or more of the following:
These investigations may result in a suspension and revocation action, which is an administrative process to determine the fitness of an individual to retain or continue to operate under the authority of his/her merchant Mariner document or license. These hearings are not criminal proceedings but rather administrative in nature.
Waterways management.
The program manages, influences, and provides access to a safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sound waterways system by providing marine safety information to the public, processing marine event permits, bridge administration and marine transportation system services.
Port safety.
The port safety function has a long history in the Coast Guard. It was expanded during the 20th century to include the protection of ports, harbors, vessels, and waterfront facilities against accidents, negligence, and sabotage. These responsibilities have been assigned to the COTP primarily through the Ports and Waterways Safety Act of 1972. This Act resulted from several major groundings and oil spills and provided port safety authority for the COTP to protect the use of port transportation facilities, and to enhance efforts against the degradation of the marine environment.
The port safety mission is primarily concerned with the prevention of accidental damage to ports, facilities, and ships in order to protect the environment and facilitate commerce.
The major activities that support the Port Safety mission include:
The Captain can close a port and direct private vessels to depart or take protective measures if necessary, such as to prepare for a hurricane.
While port safety is concerned with "accidents" that harm people or property, port security (as a part of maritime security) is concerned with "deliberate acts" intended to harm people or property.
Merchant mariner credentialing.
In the United States, the Coast Guard is responsible for evaluating, certifying, and credentialing U.S. merchant mariners. All mariners receive a Merchant Mariner Credential from the Coast Guard, and are also required to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential from the Transportation Security Administration.


Vulcan Display Flight

The Vulcan Display Flight (VDF) was a unit of the Royal Air Force formed in 1984 to continue to perform display flights of the Avro Vulcan bomber, which was withdrawn from active service that same year. It operated XL426 from 1984 to 1986 and XH558 from 1985 to 1993. It was disbanded in 1993, due to defence cuts.
History.
Prior to the formation of the VDF, various Vulcans were publicly displayed by operational RAF squadrons as part of their normal duties. Since the Vulcan had been a popular performer, it was decided after the disbandment of the last operational Vulcan unit, 50 Squadron, to set up the VDF to continue display flying. The first display, performed using XL426, was for IX Squadron's Standard Presentation Parade at RAF Honington on 23 May 1984. Over 50 displays were then completed using XL426 for the 1984 season.
As a result of budget cuts, it was decided by the Ministry of Defence to discontinue the VDF, as it couldn't justify the cost of maintaining a single aircraft type simply for display purposes. The final flight, performed using XH558, was at RAF Cranfield on 20 September 1992.
Operations.
The Vulcan Display Team (VDT) was a volunteer unit, with the aircraft based at RAF Waddington but with 55 Squadron, a Victor tanker unit based at RAF Marham, being their parent unit. To avoid disputes between squadrons, the VDF's Vulcans flew with the Black Panther insignia of No. 1 Group RAF, the same device worn when Vulcans were posted overseas on exercises.
Aircraft.
The VDT was initially allocated the aircraft XL426, with XH560 held in reserve. XL426 was one of the last three Vulcans to be in bomber configuration in active RAF service, having been retained as training aircraft for the Vulcan tankers of 50 Squadron. With XL426's flying hours running out, it was decided in the first year of displays to replace it with XH560, although after it was discovered that XH558 had more flying hours, it was chosen instead. The already withdrawn XH558 had been at Marham for spares recovery prior to eventual disposal. A former tanker, XH558 was converted back into bomber configuration at Waddington and made its display debut at the TVS Airshow in Bournemouth in May 1985. XL426 also continued to display until a final appearance at RAF Coningsby Open Day on 14 June 1986.
XL426 was sold to a preservation group based at Southend Airport (where it remains as a taxiable aircraft), being delivered on 19 December 1986. After the disbandment, XH558 was also sold for preservation, being delivered to Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome in Leicestershire on 23 March 1993. It was eventually returned to flight in 2007 and was displayed as a civilian aircraft from the 2008 to 2015 seasons inclusive before being grounded for engineering reasons, also remaining as a taxiable aircraft at Robin Hood Airport.


Stab (Luftwaffe designation)

The German language term Stab (literal translation: "staff") was used during World War II to designate a headquarters unit of the German "Luftwaffe" (air force). There were "Stab" units at the level of a "Gruppe" or "Geschwader" – units that were equivalent to wings and groups in the air forces of the English-speaking world. "Stab" units directly controlled aircraft as well as controlling those belonging to subordinate units.
These command units used the mandated blue or green "staff aircraft" colour for the third character (the individual aircraft's letter) of their alphanumeric "Geschwaderkennung" wing code, to distinguish their aircraft from the rest of air units in the same unit. These units were divided in the following form, for the fourth and last character normally used to distinguish individual "Staffeln" (squadrons) from the letter "H" onwards in Luftwaffe wing codes:
On some occasions they also used letters Q, I, J, W and others, or numbers, but these were used less commonly. As day fighter Jagdgeschwader combat wings did not use the "Geschwaderkennung" four-character alphanumeric code system for aircraft identification, as one example, the all-jet Jagdgeschwader 7 "Nowotny" and piston-engined Jagdgeschwader 300 "Wilde Sau" fighter wings, these used the red-blue or blue-white-blue Reich Defense (German Reich metropolitan defense) rear fuselage bands of 90 cm total width respectively, for their "Stabsschwarm" units. Under the cockpit, the rank of the air commander might have been indicated via a rank sign, with or without additional letters as mentioned above.
For example:


USCGC Acacia (WAGL-200)

USCGC "Acacia" (WAGL-200) was originally built for service by the U.S. Army as a mine planter shortly after World War I and later transferred to the U.S. Lighthouse Service, which became part of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939; when transferred the ship was redesignated as a "Speedwell"-class buoy tender. She was sunk in 1942 by a German U-boat.
Construction.
"Acacia" was laid down by Fabricated Shipbuilding Corporation and Coddington Engineering Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the mine planter USAMP "General John P. Story", for the U.S. Army, sometime around 1 October 1918. She was named for Major General John Patten Story, Chief of Artillery 1904–1905. She was launched on 15 September 1919 and was delivered around 1 May 1920, then commissioned into the Army's Mine Planter Service at Milwaukee.
Service history.
Army – transfer to the Lighthouse Service.
"Acacia" was a mine planter, USAMP "General John P. Story", originally built for the U.S. Army in 1919. Although intended for the Coast Defenses of Pensacola, Florida, she never served there. Transferred in November 1920 to the Army Supply Base, Brooklyn, New York. Transferred in April 1921 to Fort Totten, New York in the Coast Defenses of Eastern New York. Transferred in August 1921 to Fort Monroe, Virginia in the Coast Defenses of Chesapeake Bay. The ship was decommissioned on 10 November 1921.
Six vessels of this type were transferred to the U.S. Lighthouse Service at no cost in 1921–1927 and redesignated as "Speedwell"-class lighthouse tenders, also functioning as buoy tenders. The original intent was for these vessels to serve a dual purpose: mine planter in case of a war, and lighthouse tender during peacetime. Unfortunately, this conversion proved to be impracticable and too expensive and they were modified exclusively for service as tenders at a cost of between $41,022 to $110,963. Each had a turtleback forecastle installed and their anchors were mounted high to prevent the ship from being hung up on a buoy she was servicing. A steel main deck was added forward; new windows were installed in the pilothouse, and a new refrigerating plant was added. All vessels were then commissioned from 1923 to 1927 with new names.
Lighthouse Service and Coast Guard service.
"Acacia" was assigned to the San Juan, Puerto Rico, area 21 April 1927. The ship’s field of operations included Puerto Rico and adjacent islands, Virgin Islands, Guantánamo Bay, and Cuba. Although the ship was designated as a lighthouse tender she was also used to perform construction and repair of stations, small structures, piers, etc. in addition to her work of tending aids to navigation. After the San Felipe hurricane on 13 September 1928, the crew nicknamed themselves "The Acacia Construction Company" because of the number of repairs they performed. She ran aground off Fajardo, Puerto Rico, in September 1932, during a hurricane, probably the San Ciprian hurricane, but was safely refloated.
The ship's main mission was in to place and repair aids to navigation equipment, in which they maintained approximately 255 during her time in service. The crew
supported shore lights, unwatched lights, lighted buoys, unlighted buoys and beacons, and radio beacons on both the Panama Canals Atlantic and Pacific sides, the western Caribbean, Morro Puercas and the Jicarita Island Lights. In addition, "Acacia" rendered numerous salvage services involving vessels and persons in distress. The most notable was the rescue of the Brazilian training ship "Almirante Saldanha". The vessel and its crew were given up for lost after the ship had run aground off San Juan Harbor Entrance 25 July 1938. "Acacia" rescued her crew, and the rescue created a celebration in Brazil and gained the attention of international officials.
In June 1938, Boatswain Ora Doyle took command of the tender from Master John A. Anderson, who transferred to command . In late 1939, "Acacia" and the cutter towed the seized Italian tanker "Colorado", which had its engine room damaged through sabotage by its interned crew, from San Juan to Galveston, Texas for repairs, one of the longest towing operations in Coast Guard history to that time.
Sinking.
On 15 March 1942, from 11:37 until 12:11, while en route alone from Curaçao, Netherlands West Indies to Antigua, British West Indies, "Acacia" was sunk by gunfire from the as part of Operation Neuland approximately south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The U-boat opened fire on the unarmed tender with 68 rounds from her /45 caliber deck gun, 92 rounds from her /83 caliber anti-aircraft (AA) gun, and 70 rounds from her /65 caliber AA gun. "Acacia" caught fire and the entire crew of "Acacia" abandoned ship before she sank by the stern. The survivors were located by a PBY "Catalina" and picked up by . They were landed at San Juan 16 March 1942. She was the only U.S. buoy tender sunk by enemy action during the war.
"Acacia" sank at , about southwest of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Online resources


United Arab Emirates Army

As part of the military of the United Arab Emirates, the United Arab Emirates Army is responsible for land operations.
Origins.
The origins of the UAE Army begin with the formation, by the British Government, of the Trucial Oman Levies in 1951 (renamed Trucial Oman Scouts in 1956). The Trucial Oman Scouts was disbanded with the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971 and its assets were subsumed into the new "Union Defense Force (UDF)" in which each Emirate was responsible for training and equipping its own forces. These separate "Ruler-Controlled" Armed Forces included: the Abu Dhabi Defense Force (1965-1976), the Ras Al Khaimah Mobile Force (1968-1976), the Dubai Defense Force (1970-1976) and the Sharjah National Guard (1972-1976). It was not until the formation of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces on 6 May 1976 that the UAE and its Army had a unified, federally controlled General Headquarters based in the capital Abu Dhabi.
Operational history.
Union Defense Force (1971-1976).
With the Union of seven Emirates in 1971, a new Union Defense Force (UDF) was established with each individual Emirate responsible for maintaining their own force.
While the UDF's mission was to defend the nation from external and internal aggression, the role of the UDF in the early years was restricted mostly to the former. The UDF were used on two occasions in Sharjah in the early years of the Union.
Sharjah-Fujairah border conflict.
In February 1973 following a brief border war between armed Bedouin tribesmen from both Sharjah Emirate and Fujairah Emirate over a disputed area of land which covered a quarter of an acre and included water wells and date palm trees. 22 people were killed and another 12 were wounded before UDF troops were able to impose a ceasefire.
Sharjah-Dubai border conflict.
On 20 August 1973, an incident occurred at Tawi Nizwa on the Sharjah-Dubai border. Tawi Nizwa was a small inland settlement which both Sharjah and Dubai claimed was in their territory. Dubai had recently drilled a water well at the location. On 20 August, A Dubai Defense Force helicopter flew over the site to view developments on the ground. Sharjah forces on the ground fired at the helicopter. It was hit some 43 times and forced to land. No-one was injured. The conflict could have escalated into a conflict but did not thanks to the personal intervention of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in his role as Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates. This incident would have a major role in the integration of the diffused UDF into the centralized Armed Forces of the UAE in 1976.
Oman (1973-1975).
An ADDF infantry squadron was based in Sohar, Oman from October 1973 to January 1974 and from November 1974 to April 1975. Its role was to relieve the Oman Gendarmerie unit in Sohar so the latter could deploy to Dhofar province in the south in order to combat rebel activity there during the Dhofar Rebellion.
Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (1976-present).
In the five years since 1971, the UAE federation went from strength to strength and a subsequent decrease in internal aggression was apparent. It was agreed by the Rulers of the various Emirates to unify and integrate the various forces of the UDF into one centralized Armed Forces. This occurred on 6 May 1976 and the various Emirate-controlled forces were reorganized into regional commands: Abu Dhabi Defense Force became Western Military Command, Dubai Defense Force became Central Military Command, and Ras Al Khaimah became Northern Command. Sharjah's armed force merged with the remnants of the federally controlled UDF to create the Al Yarmouk infantry brigade. The UAE Armed Forces also participated in some of its first overseas missions.
Arab Deterrent Force in Lebanon (1977-79).
The UAE Armed Forces contributed 750 men to the Arab Deterrent Force peacekeeping mission in Lebanon from 1977 to 1979, organized by the Arab League in October 1976. Five UAE contingents were deployed in the Bekaa Valley during the Lebanese Civil War. Three UAE Armed Forces personnel were killed in action, and eight injured.
First Gulf War (1990-91).
During the War against Iraq, UAE troops reported that they have deployed several thousands of men in that engagement. They participated in the conflict as part of the GCC-led Peninsula Shield force that advanced into the city of Kuwait. United States military aviation bombed the Iraqi positions from the UAE, and United States ships operated out of UAE ports along the coast of the Persian Gulf. The UAE Air Force also carried out strikes against Iraqi forces. A total of ten UAE combat deaths and 15 wounded were reported as a result of these battles.
Somalia (1993-1994).
From January 1993 to April 1994, the UAE Armed Forces participated in humanitarian operations in Somalia under the United Task Force (UNITAF) and UN Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II). UAE land forces supplied a 640-man group in four rotations during this period. Three UAE Armed Forces personnel were killed in action.
Kosovo & Albania (1999-2001).
The UAE Armed Forces participated in two peacekeeping/humanitarian missions in the Balkans over the 1999-2001 period: NATO-led Operation Kosovo Force (KFOR) and Operation White Hands. Almost 1,500 Emirati troops served in the two missions.
Afghanistan (2003-2014).
The UAE and its Land Forces participated in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission (2001-2014) and committed to contribute to the follow-on mission of ISAF; the NATO-led Operation Resolute Support (2015-).
Yemeni Civil War (2015-present).
During the 2015 Yemeni Civil War the United Arab Emirates Army (together with Saudi Army soldiers) intervened in support of fighters loyal to the ousted regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi against Houthi militants. UAE troops assisted anti-Houthi fighters in the re-taking of the strategic southern Yemeni port city of Aden and also Al Anad Air Base, the largest airbase in Yemen.
On 4 September 2015 the army suffered its heaviest loss in modern history, losing 52 soldiers in war in Yemen to a tactical ballistic missile strike. The UAE has since deployed an entire armoured brigade to Yemen.
Up until November 2017 the UAE forces have suffered 120 dead.
On 3 May 2018, the United Arab Emirates deployed over 100 troops, artillery and armoured vehicles to the Yemeni archipelago of Socotra in the Arabian Sea without prior coordination with the internationally recognised Government of Yemen. Shortly after landing, UAE forces expelled Yemeni soldiers stationed at key installations, including Socotra Airport and the flag of the United Arab Emirates was raised above official government buildings in Hadibu.


4th Maintenance Battalion

The 4th Maintenance Battalion was a battalion of the United States Marine Corps Reserve that provided intermediate-level maintenance for the Marine Reserve's tactical ordnance, engineer, motor transport, communications electronics and general support ground equipment. They were headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana with subordinate units throughout the United States. They fell under the command of 4th Marine Logistics Group. As part of the 2010 Force Structure Review Group, 4th Maintenance Battalion was reorganized into Combat Logistics Battalion 451 and Combat Logistics Battalion 453.
Mission.
Provide general support and intermediate (3rd and 4th echelon) maintenance support for Marine Corps furnished tactical ordnance, engineer, motor transport, communications electronics, and general support ground equipment. The Battalion is structured to provide command and control for centralized coordination and decentralized execution of maintenance efforts to sustain combat power. Subordinate Elements are organized along functional area lines to provide maintenance support in commodity areas that are critical to Marine Forces Reserve's war fighting capability.


Arabo Battalion

The Volunteer Arabo Detachment (Արաբո կամավորական ջոկատ) or Arabo Battalion was a paramilitary Armenian volunteer unit during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, composed of ethnic Armenians from mainly Armenia and Karabakh, as well as Armenians from abroad. It was an ARF-affiliated unit.
History.
The group was originally called Garegin Njde. However, the emergence of a group called "Garegin Njde" among other Armenian groups led to the change of the group's name to "Arabo". "Arabo" was the pseudonym of Arakel Avedisian, who revolted against the Ottomans in the 19th century and was eventually killed by Kurdish groups. The group was established in Yerevan in October 1989 with the participation of Armenian nationalists from Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and France, as well as experienced officers and servicemen who served in the Soviet Army. On 9 October 1989, the number of members of the group was 24, and on January 19, 1989, the number of members of the group increased with the arrival of groups of 10, 15, 20.
Operaitons.
At the initial stage, Arabo operated along the Armenia–Azerbaijan border. Arabo personnel took part in the Capture of Garadaghly against the orders of Monte Melkonian, with fighters from the battalion, alongside personnel from othe rvolunteer units, gathering over three dozen Azerbaijani captives and killing them, as a way to "avenge" the death of another comrade the day before". More than 80 members of the Arabo Battalion were killed on June 29, 1992 during the Hasangaya Operation in Aghdara conducted by the Ganja Battalion together with the Tartar Territorial Self-Defense Battalion.
Post-war.
The battalion has long been forgotten missing in Armenia. It only came up again in the mainstream in 2008 after the distribution of historical footage of the bodies of battalion members on YouTube.


SLNS Gajabahu (P626)

SLNS "Gajabahu" (P626) is an Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Sri Lanka Navy. Formerly, it was USCGC "Sherman" (WHEC-720) a United States Coast Guard Hamilton-class high endurance cutter named for John Sherman, the 32nd United States Secretary of the Treasury and author of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
"Sherman" was involved in search and rescue efforts following the sinking of F/V "Big Valley" near Saint Paul Island, Alaska, on January 15, 2005.
On March 17, 2007 "Sherman" stopped the Panamanian motor vessel "Gatun" about 20 miles off a Panamanian island. "Gatun" was loaded with 20 tons of cocaine with an estimated retail street value of $600 million. The seizure was the largest drug bust in US history and the largest interdiction at sea.
History.
CGC "Sherman"s keel was laid on January 25, 1967 at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was launched on September 3, 1968.
CGC "Sherman" was originally homeported in Boston, Massachusetts where her primary mission was ocean station patrol in the North Atlantic.
In 1970, "Sherman" was assigned to Coast Guard Squadron Three in Vietnam. Her tasking during the conflict was primarily in support of Operation Market Time, which involved sorting through hundreds of small vessels off the Vietnamese coast in search of enemy weapons smugglers. "Sherman"s crew inspected some 900 vessels during her 10-month tour in Southeast Asia. The old 5" gun (now replaced by a 76mm mount) answered 152 calls for naval gunfire support, including a running fight on the night of 21 November 1970 which resulted in sinking the North Vietnamese armed freighter "SL-3", which was carrying tons of enemy munitions.
In 1971, "Sherman" returned to Boston. With satellite technology reducing the need for ocean station patrols and amid concern of the rising American drug problem, the emphasis shifted to drug interdiction. In October 1976, "Sherman" seized the 275-foot Panamanian freighter "Don Emilio" and confiscated 82 tons of marijuana, the largest drug seizure in history at the time. Responding to a need for greater operational resources in the Pacific, "Sherman" was transferred to her next homeport in Alameda, California in May 1979. "Sherman"s primary missions shifted to Alaskan Patrols (ALPAT) involving fisheries law enforcement (LE), drug interdiction, search and rescue (SAR), and military readiness in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. "Sherman" was decommissioned from May 1986 until July 1989 to complete a three-year Fleet Renovation and Modernization (FRAM) project at Todd Shipyard in Seattle, Washington. The project upgraded "Sherman"s weapons, communications, aviation and other operating systems and completely renovated crew living and berthing spaces. "Sherman" completed ready-for-sea trials in July 1990 and once again commenced operational missions in the Pacific.
In July 2001, "Sherman" became the first Coast Guard cutter to circumnavigate the world, after conducting U.N. sanctions enforcement duty in the Persian Gulf and goodwill projects in Madagascar, South Africa, and Cape Verde.
CGC "Sherman" appeared in the 2005 film "Yours Mine & Ours".
In May 2006, the cutter participated with a U.S. Navy task group during a five-month deployment to Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. In March 2007, "Sherman" received worldwide attention when her boarding team discovered more than 17 metric tons of cocaine aboard the Panamanian freighter "Gatun", a record seizure in the Eastern Pacific. "Sherman" was awarded the Golden Eagle award by the White House for combined interdiction successes during 2007.
In May 2011, "Sherman" was transferred to San Diego, California. "Sherman" continued her operations by accomplishing three drug interdiction deployments in the Eastern Pacific, a winter Alaskan patrol in the Bering Sea to enforce U.S. fisheries regulations and to provide search-and-rescue support during the Alaskan red king crab harvest, and by earning the Pacific Area Operational Readiness Award.
In May 2015, "Sherman" transferred her homeport to Honolulu, Hawaii.
After a final patrol in the Bering Sea, "Sherman" returned to Honolulu on January 23, 2018 to await decommissioning on March 29, 2018. Two new National Security Cutters will replace "Sherman" and the previously-retired in Honolulu.
Transfer to Sri Lanka Navy.
On 27 August 2018, at Honolulu, the ex-"Sherman" was transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy. Ex-"Sherman" was recommissioned 6 June 2019 as SLNS "Gajabahu" (P626). The ship is the second ship named after King Gajabahu I, the warrior king of the medieval Sri Lankan Kingdom of Anuradhapura. The ship retained its Otobreda 76 mm gun and MK 92 Fire Control System, while the Phalanx CIWS was removed.


Terry M. Cross

Terry M. Cross (born 1947) is a retired United States Coast Guard Vice Admiral who served as Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from July 2004 until June 2006. He served as the Coast Guard's second in command and was the Agency Acquisition Executive.
Career.
Cross graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1970 with a B.S. degree in Engineering. He also earned a master's degree in Industrial Administration from Purdue University's Krannert School of Management and is a graduate of the National War College.
Some of his early operational assignments include service as a Deck Watch Officer aboard the cutter USCGC "McCulloch", Operations Officer of Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and Commanding Officer of Air Station San Francisco, California. Staff assignments included service as the Chief of Staff, Atlantic Area; Chief, Office of Programs; Chief, Office of Budget; and Chief, Office of Acquisition Resource Management at Coast Guard Headquarters.
He served as Commander, Pacific Area. VADM Cross was responsible for all Coast Guard operations west of the Rocky Mountains and throughout the Pacific Basin to the Far East, an area encompassing over 73 million square miles. Under his leadership, Pacific Area units established the first Coast Guard maritime intelligence fusion center, participated in the Iraq War and Operation Liberty Shield, and set new records for illegal drug seizures.
VADM Cross served as the Assistant Commandant for Operations, where he was responsible for management oversight of all Coast Guard operating programs, including maritime safety, law enforcement, intelligence, and national defense. He initiated the Coast Guards' Maritime Domain Awareness initiative, succeeded in gaining formal membership in the Intelligence Community for the Coast Guard and led efforts that rapidly supported the Coast Guard's Homeland Security Strategy, including the development of deployable Maritime Safety and Security Teams. Cross' other flag assignments included service as Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District; Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District and Director of Operations Policy at Coast Guard Headquarters.


Justice Building

The Justice Building designed by Thomas W. Fuller in Ottawa is so-called because it was previously home to the Department of Justice (Canada).
Originally called Block D, it was built from 1935 to 1938 for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). It was renovated in 1998–2001 and now houses some of the offices of Members of Parliament.
It is similar Gothic Revival architecture design to the Confederation Building located just east of it, which was also designed by Thomas W. Fuller.
In Ian Fleming's short story "For Your Eyes Only" James Bond visits the RCMP headquarters when it was located in this building, and the book contains a description of the structure.


Division of the North

The Division of the North () was a Spanish infantry division that existed in 1808.
Spain was, at that time, an ally of France and the division, composed of 15,000 men under the command of the Marquis de la Romana, Pedro Caro y Sureda, was initially deployed, between 1807 and 1808, to perform garrison duties in Hamburg under Marshal Bernadotte. In March 1808, along with a Franco-Belgian unit of approximately the same size, the unit was deployed to Denmark, with the two-fold objective of protecting that country, also an ally of Napoleon, and preparing for an invasion of Sweden.
Return to Spain.
While the Division was in Denmark, the Peninsular War broke out on 2 May 1808. Once Caro y Sureda learned of the changed situation, he made plans with the British to return the Division to Spain. The Marquis contacted Rear-Admiral Keats in his flagship , and on 9 August 1808 the Spaniards seized the fort and town of Nyborg. Keats' squadron then took possession of the port and organized the transportation of the Spanish back to their home country. Some 9-12,000 men of the 15,000-strong division were immediately able to board British ships on 27 August and ultimately escape to Spain. Their defection reduced Bernadotte's "Hanseatic Army" to a string of glorified coastal garrisons, severely sapping Napoleon's left (north) wing in the contest with Austria for mastery over Central Europe in 1809.
Romana and his men arrived at Santander, Spain, where he was appointed Commander of the Galician Armada. The Division reinforced Lieutenant-General Joaquín Blake, whose Army of Galicia was in retreat from superior French armies in Cantabria. At the Battle of Valmaseda, which took place on 5 November 1808, Blake suddenly turned on his pursuers to rescue a trapped detachment and defeated a division of General Victor's army at Valmaseda (Biscay).
The Division then participated in the Battle of Espinosa, fought on 10 and 11 November at the township of Espinosa de los Monteros in the Cantabrian Mountains. The battle resulted in General Victor defeating Blake. Blake, to his credit, led his remaining men through an heroic retreat west through the mountains, escaping Soult's pursuit. However, when he arrived at León on 23 November, only 10,000 men remained under his banner.


Double cantilever hangar

A double cantilever hangar is a type of hangar that was constructed by the United States Air Force during the Cold War. Large hangars were constructed at Castle Air Force Base, Loring Air Force Base, Carswell Air Force Base, and Travis Air Force Base, while smaller hangars were constructed at March Air Force Base, Edwards Air Force Base, Hanscom Air Force Base, and Homestead Air Force Base.


Spanish Army

The Spanish Army (; "Army of the Land/Ground") is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century.
The Spanish Army has existed continuously since the reign of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella (late 15th century). The oldest and largest of the three services, its mission was the defense of Peninsular Spain, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Melilla, Ceuta and the Spanish islands and rocks off the northern coast of Africa.
History.
During the 16th century, Habsburg Spain saw steady growth in its military power. The Italian Wars (1494–1559) resulted in an ultimate Spanish victory and hegemony in northern Italy by expelling the French. During the war, the Spanish Army transformed its organization and tactics, evolving from a primarily pike and halberd wielding force into the first pike and shot formation of arquebusiers and pikemen. During the 16th century, this formation evolved into the tercio infantry formation.
Backed by the financial resources drawn from the Americas, Spain fought wars against its enemies, such as the long-running Dutch Revolt (1568–1609), defending Christian Europe from Ottoman raids and invasions, supporting the Catholic cause in the French civil wars and fighting England during the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604). The Spanish Army grew in size from around 20,000 troops in the 1470s to around 300,000 troops by the 1630s during the Thirty Years' War that tore Europe apart, requiring the recruitment of soldiers from across Europe. With such numbers involved, Spain had trouble funding the war effort on so many fronts. The non-payment of troops led to many mutinies and events such as the Sack of Antwerp (1576), in which 17,000 people died.
The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) drew in Spain alongside most other European states. Spain entered the conflict with a strong position, but the ongoing fighting gradually eroded her advantages; first Dutch, then Swedish innovations had made the tercio more vulnerable, having less flexibility and firepower than its more modern equivalents. Nevertheless, Spanish armies continued to win major battles and sieges throughout this period across large swathes of Europe. French entry into the war in 1635 put additional pressure on Spain, with the French victory at the Battle of Rocroi in 1643 being a major boost for the French. By the signing of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Spain was forced to accept the independence of the Dutch Republic.
18th century.
Spain remained an important naval and military power, depending on critical sea lanes stretching from Spain through the Caribbean and South America, and westwards towards Manila and the Far East.
The Army was reorganized on the French model and in 1704 the old Tercios were transformed into Regiments. The first modern military school (the Artillery School) was created in Segovia in 1764. Finally, in 1768 King Charles III sanctioned the "Royal Ordinances for the Regime, Discipline, Subordination, and Service in His Armies", which were in force until 1978.
Napoleonic era and Restoration.
In the late 18th century, Bourbon-ruled Spain had an alliance with Bourbon-ruled France and therefore did not have to fear a land war. Its only serious enemy was Britain, which had a powerful Royal Navy; Spain, therefore, concentrated its resources on its Navy. When the French Revolution overthrew the Bourbons, a land war with France became a danger which the king tried to avoid.
In Spanish Army the officer corps was selected primarily on the basis of royal patronage, rather than merit. About a third of the junior officers had been promoted from the ranks, and they did have talent, but they had few opportunities for promotion or leadership. The rank-and-file were poorly trained peasants. Elite units included foreign regiments of Irishmen, Italians, Swiss, and Walloons, in addition to elite artillery and engineering units. In combat, small units fought well, but their old-fashioned tactics were hard to use against the French "Grande Armée", despite repeated desperate efforts at last-minute reform.
In 1808, Napoleon tried to depose Carlos IV of Spain and install his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne, sparking the Peninsular War. Initially, there was little resistance and Spain was occupied. Soon, however, Spanish units began to reorganize and set up guerrilla warfare, culminating in a Spanish victory at the Battle of Bailén within the first two months of the war. The defeated French evacuated the peninsula all the way to the Ebro valley near the Pyrenees, suffering many humiliating defeats against the regular Spanish Army. They were among the first sound defeats of the hitherto seemingly unbeatable Imperial French Army, forcing Napoleon to intervene personally with massive forces, but also sparked the War of the Fifth Coalition, as other European powers, led by Austria, were encouraged to declare war on France. The situation steadily worsened for the French although Napoleon brought more effective troops into the peninsula, as the guerrilla insurgents increasingly took control of Spain's battle against Napoleon and created a more or less unified underground national resistance, for which traditional armies of the time were not organized or prepared for yet. By 1812, however, the army controlled only scattered enclaves, and could only harass the French with occasional raids. Fortunately for the Spanish, the disastrous French invasion of Russia severely weakened the French Army and forced Napoleon to cut troop concentrations in Spain, ultimately allowing the Army, militia and their British allies to drive the French out of Spain by 1814.
Nineteenth-century wars.
Spain entered the 19th century with a reduction of territory and recognition of power in Europe following the Congress of Vienna in 1814 and faced renewed problems in the international arena. The Spanish military was devastated as a consequence of its former alliance with France, costing it its main fleets and many war damages in its military arsenals and weapons factories, much of which was inflicted by the British or Portuguese allies during the Peninsular campaign to prevent the French or Spanish to resume their services after the war. In the immediate aftermath of the war, while its administration was facing local rebellions against a renewed absolutist monarchy, the overseas colonies inspired by France and the United States of America sought to wrestle control from the debilitated European government that demanded more taxes to rebuild itself after the Napoleonic period disasters. Many continental armies were sent to Central America and South America which proved to be futile and too late. The former Empire lost an important artery of its power and with it the wealth in revenues which it had become dependent on over the centuries. In response, attempts were made to reform the military into a modern and standing national force, with conscription being adopted.
Spain faced a series of internal dynastic conflicts, collectively known as the Carlist Wars, requiring Spain to undergo a series of reforms directed at its military, administrative, and social structures. As consequence of these internal conflicts, and the weakness of the central structures of government under the monarchy, many generals with political ambitions would interrupt public life in multiple Coup d'états, known as Pronunciamientos, for the rest of the century until the Second Restoration of the Bourbons in Spain under Alfonso XII. These series of military interruptions in civil government eventually shaped a permissive cultural and political mentality, with a tacit expectation of "special emergency interventions" from the military that would pervade well into the first third of the 20th century. In the year 1920 the Spanish army was composed of about 500,000 men, ultimately ending up in the Spanish Civil War.
Second Republic (1931–36).
During the Second Spanish Republic, the Spanish government enlisted over ten million men to the army.
Civil War (1936–39).
Some US citizens came to Spain to fight in their civil war for two main reasons. The first being to promote their ideals and the other being to escape the trials of living in America during the great depression.
The Americans totaled 2,800 and suffered heavy casualties: 900 killed and 1,500 wounded.
The Spanish Army under the Francoist Regime (1939–1975).
This period can be divided in four phases:
Second World War.
At the end of the Civil War, the Spanish (Francoist) Army counted with 1,020,500 men, in 60 Divisions. During the first year of peace, Franco dramatically reduced the size of the Spanish Army to 250,000 in early 1940, with most soldiers two-year conscripts.
A few weeks after the end of the war, the eight traditional Military Regions (Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Burgos, Valladolid, and the VIII Military Region at La Coruña) were reestablished. In 1944 the IX Military Region, with its headquarters in Granada, was created. The Air Force became an independent service, under its own Ministry of the Air Force.
Concerns about the international situation, Spain's possible entry into the Second World War, and threats of invasion led Franco to undo some of these reductions. In November 1942, with the Allied landings in North Africa and the German occupation of Vichy France bringing hostilities closer than ever to Spain's border, Franco ordered a partial mobilization, bringing the army to over 750,000 men. The Air Force and Navy also grew in numbers and in budgets, to 35,000 airmen and 25,000 sailors by 1945, although for fiscal reasons Franco had to restrain attempts by both services to undertake dramatic expansions.
During the Second World War, the Army in metropolitan Spain had eight Army Corps, with two or three Infantry Divisions each. Additionally, the Army of Africa had two Army Corps in Northern Africa, and there were the Canary Islands General Command and the Balearic Islands General Command, one Cavalry Division, plus the Artillery's General Reserve. In 1940 a Reserve Group, with three Divisions, was created.
The Blue Division.
Although Spanish caudillo Francisco Franco was neutral and did not bring Spain into World War II on the side of Nazi Germany, he permitted volunteers to join the German Army (Wehrmacht) on the condition they would only fight against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front, and not against the Western Allies or any Western European occupied populations. In this manner, he could keep Spain at peace with the Western Allies, while repaying German support during the Spanish Civil War and providing an outlet for the strong anti-Communist sentiments of many Spanish nationalists. Officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and as 250 Infanterie-Division in the German Army,The Blue Division was the only component of the German Army to be awarded a medal of their own, commissioned by Hitler in January 1944 after the Division had demonstrated its effectiveness in impeding the advance of the Red Army, on the Volkhov front (October 1941 – August 1942) and in the siege of Leningrad (August 1942 – October 1943), mainly at the battle of Krasny Bor.
International Isolation.
At the end of the Second World War, the Spanish Army counted 22,000 officers, 3,000 NCO and almost 300,000 soldiers. The equipment dated from the Civil War, with some systems produced in Germany during the World War. Doctrine and Training were obsolete, as they had not incorporated the teachings of the Second World War; Scianna elaborates on the weaknesses of equipment, political role, and worldview. This situation lasted until the agreements with the United States in September 1953.
Agreement with the United States (Barroso Reform, 1957).
After the signature of the military agreement with the United States in 1953, the assistance received from Washington allowed Spain to procure more modern equipment and to improve the country's defence capabilities. More than 200 Spanish officers and NCOs received specialised training in the United States each year. With the Barroso Reform (1957), the Spanish Army abandoned the organisation inherited from the Civil War to adopt the United States' pentomic structure.
General Instruction 158/107 of 1958 initially affected three experimental divisions (DIE 11, 21, 31 at Madrid, Algeciras, and Valencia respectively). Instruction 160/115 of January 15, 1960 extended these changes to another five transformation divisions (DIT, at Gerona, Málaga, Oviedo, Vigo, Vitoria, respectively) and the four mountain divisions (divisións de infantería de montaña, DIM). Most of the heavy divisions had five manoeuvre "agrupaciones" based on two to three regiments and support formations, while the Mountain Divisions "Urgel" 42, 51, 52, and "Navarra" 62 had six "batallón de cazadores de montaña" anchored on two to three regiments, an independent company, and what appears to be a battalion of motorised infantry.
All in all, after the Barroso Reform, the Spanish Army had eight Pentomic infantry divisions, four mountain divisions, the 'Brunete' Armoured Division, the "Jarama" Cavalry Division, with four armoured groups ("agrupaciones blindadas"), three independent Armoured Brigades at rather a reduced strength and three Field Artillery Brigades ("Brigada de artillería de campaña") with assigned artillery groups.
Years of Economic Development (1965).
The 1965 Reforms were inspired by then-contemporary French organisation and doctrine. The Menéndez Tolosa reforms from 1965 divided the Army into two categories: the Immediate Intervention Forces (FII, Field Army) and the Defensa Operativa del Territorio (DOT, Operational Territorial Defense (Territorial Army)) territorial forces.
The FII had the mission of defending the Pyrenean and the Gibraltar frontiers and of fulfilling Spain's security commitments abroad. It was to be "an army corps equipped and trained for conventional and limited nuclear warfare, ready to be deployed within or outside national borders." It was made up of:
The DOT was to maintain security in the regional commands and of reinforce the Civil Guard and the police against subversion and terrorism. It comprised nine independent Infantry Brigades (one in every one of the Military Regions of Spain), organized with a brigade HQ and two infantry battalions each; the Mountain Infantry Division No. 4 "Urgell" and Mountain Infantry Division No. 6 "Navarra"; the Mountain Reserve of the Army High Command; the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla commands, with their respective DOT units including the Regulares (six groups later reduced to four) and the Spanish Legion (4 Tercios); and the Army General Reserve Command, composed of DOT units working as the reserve force of the Army, the equivalent to the United States Army Reserve.
During the last years of the Francoist regime, contemporary weapons and vehicles were ordered for the Army. In 1973, the military education system was reformed in depth, in order to make its structure and objectives similar to those existing in the civilian universities. It was during this time that the Spanish Army fought in the campaigns in what is now Western Sahara against Arab forces in the area who agitated for the end of Spanish colonial rule.
The Spanish Army under King Juan Carlos I and beyond.
Initial years (1975–1989).
Three main events characterise this period: creation of a single Ministry of Defence (1977) to replace the three existing military ministries (Army, Navy and Air Ministries), the failed coup d'état in February 1981 and the accession to NATO in 1982.
The "Modernización del Ejército de Tierra" (META) plan was carried out from 1982 to 1988 so that Spain could achieve full compliance with NATO standards. Military regions in mainland Spain were reduced from nine to six; the Intervention Force (FII) and the Territorial Defence (DOT) were merged; the number of brigades was reduced from 24 to 15; and personnel numbers cut from 279,000 to 230,000.
After the end of the Cold War (1989–present).
The end of the Cold War came with the reduction of the term of military service for conscripts until its complete abolition in 2001 and the increasing participation of Spanish forces in multinational peacekeeping operations abroad are the main drivers for changes in the Spanish Army after 1989.
Three reorganisation plans have been implemented since. First the RETO plan (1990), then the NORTE plan (1994), under which the now "Manoeuvre Force," located in the old Captaincy of Valencia, was reduced to an army corps equivalent of a complete heavy division and the equivalent of a light division with reduced support; and the Instruction for Organisation and Operation of the Army (IOFET) 2005.
Today.
Personnel.
In 2001, when compulsory military service was still in effect, the army was about 135,000 troops (50,000 officers and 86,000 soldiers). Following the suspension of conscription the Spanish Army became a fully professionalised volunteer force and by 2008 had a personnel strength of 75,000. In case of a war or national emergency, an additional force of 80,000 "Civil Guards" comes under the Ministry of Defence command.
Commanders in Chief of the Spanish Army.
Army Ministers.
"Source: "
Ranks and insignia.
The military ranks of the Spanish army are as follows below. For a comparison with other NATO ranks see Ranks and Insignia of NATO. Ranks are wore on the cuff, sleeves and shoulders of all army uniforms, but differ by the type of the uniform being used.


Fleet admiral (United States)

Fleet admiral (abbreviated FADM) is a five-star flag officer rank in the United States Navy whose rewards uniquely include active duty status for life. Fleet admiral ranks immediately above admiral and is equivalent to General of the Army and General of the Air Force. Although it is a current and authorized rank, no U.S. Navy officer holds it presently, with the first U.S. Navy fleet admiral being William D. Leahy, followed by Ernest King and then Chester W. Nimitz, all promoted in December 1944. The last person to be promoted to the rank was William Halsey Jr. in December 1945. While all four men effectively retired in the late 1940s, the rank of fleet admiral is for life. The last active fleet admiral was Nimitz who lived until 1966, surpassing the other three men who had all died by the end of the 1950s.
History.
Post-Spanish American War.
The Navy originally had an established five-star rank of Admiral of the Navy. This rank was established and given only to Admiral George Dewey, in recognition of his victory at Manila Bay in 1898. On March 2, 1899, Congress passed approving the creation of the rank. The Senate confirmed Dewey's promotion to that rank on March 14, 1903, and he was officially promoted to Admiral of the Navy on March 24, 1903, with a retroactive date-of-rank of March 2, 1899. The congressional act also stipulated that upon Dewey's death, the rank would cease to exist. Dewey died on January 16, 1917, ending the Navy's use of the rank.
World War II.
A proper five-star rank of fleet admiral was created in 1944 in order to give United States military officers comparable rank to five-star officers of allied nations. The rank of fleet admiral was created by an Act of Congress for four officers to hold on a temporary basis under Pub.L. on December 14, 1944. The rank was made permanent for the four individual holders by on March 23, 1946. Although Congress authorized the promotion of Omar Bradley to the five-star rank of General of the Army in 1950 while serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff so that he would be of the same rank as General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, the theater commander in Korea, there has been no new legislation authorizing the use of the rank of fleet admiral since 1946.
It was held during and after World War II by the following officers:
The timing of the first three appointments was carefully planned, such that a clear order of seniority and a near-equivalence between the services was established for the Generals of the Army promoted at the same time. General Marshall was promoted to General of the Army on December 16, 1944; General MacArthur was promoted on December 18, 1944; General Eisenhower was promoted on December 20, 1944, and General Arnold was promoted on December 21, 1944. He would later be laterally promoted to General of the Air Force on May 7, 1949 after the Air Force was created as a separate service as part of the National Defense Act of 1947.
The insignia for a fleet admiral is composed of five silver stars in a pentagonal design. Worn on the service dress blue uniform sleeve was a gold stripe two inches wide surrounding the sleeve two inches from the cuff with four half-inch stripes placed at 1/4 inch intervals. The single gold five-pointed star, one ray down, worn above the top stripe was not part of the rank, but indicated the wearer to be a line officer.
Post-World War II.
Another contender to receive the rank of fleet admiral was Admiral Raymond A. Spruance; the choice between him and Halsey was an issue that occupied several months of deliberation, before Admiral King finally chose Halsey. Purportedly U.S. Representative Carl Vinson, chairman of the House Armed Services committee and a strong supporter of Halsey, was responsible for blocking subsequent efforts to promote Spruance to fleet admiral (although his promotion continued to be blocked after Vinson retired). Instead, Spruance's achievements were recognized by the unique honour of a Special Act of Congress awarding him full four-star admiral's salary during the remainder of his life. Spruance expressed the following feelings over the issue:
The first fleet admiral to leave active duty was Ernest King who retired immediately after the conclusion of World War II. Chester Nimitz and William Halsey both retired two years later while William Leahy was the last fleet admiral to leave active duty in 1949. According to Public Law 78-482, fleet admirals on active duty receive the same pay as a Rear Admiral, Upper Half (two star) plus a $5,000 personal allowance, and upon retirement were to receive 75% of their active duty pay. When Public Law 79-333 made the rank permanent for Leahy, King, Nimitz, and Halsey, it also provided for full pay and allowances once those officers retired. As with a general of the army, a fleet admiral was entitled to an office maintained by the Navy along with an aide (of the rank of Captain), a secretary, and an orderly.
Three of the four fleet admirals died in the late 1950s and, by 1960, Chester Nimitz was the sole surviving U.S. Navy fleet admiral. He held a ceremonial post as Navy adviser to the Western Sea Frontier with his quarters based in San Francisco. Nimitz died in 1966 with no further fleet admirals appointed since.
Modern usage.
No officers have been appointed to the rank of fleet admiral since William Halsey. The rank of fleet admiral is still maintained as a rank of the U.S. Navy, and could again be bestowed, pending approval of the United States Senate. However, the President, with consent from the Senate, may award a fifth star at any time they see fit.
In the 1990s, there were proposals in Department of Defense academic circles to bestow a five-star rank on the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
As recently as the late 2000s, some commentators proposed that the military leader in the Global War on Terrorism be promoted to a five-star rank.
Ranks senior to fleet admiral.
The Navy does not have an established rank senior to fleet admiral. The only officially recognized United States military rank senior to fleet admiral is General of the Armies when Congress passed in 1976, promoting George Washington to that rank and making him senior to all other grades of the Army, past or present.


Mark 92 Guided Missile Fire Control System

The Mark 92 Fire Control System is a US-built medium-range anti-aircraft missile and gun fire control system. It was developed for the FFG-7 Oliver Hazard Perry class guided missile frigates. The system is a licensed USN version of the Thales Nederland WM-25 fire control system. The Mark 92 fire control system was approved for service use in 1975. Introduction to the fleet and follow-on test and evaluation began in 1978.
Radar Systems.
The Mark 92 system assigns targets via the ship's air search radar, and surface search radar or from the Mark 92's own search radar capabilities. The system has two or three radar sub-systems depending on the model. The first two are combined into a single system called the Combined Antenna System or CAS is used in all models. The CAS has a track while scan radar (Search) and a tracking radar both housed in an egg shaped radome. The radars can search for, track, and illuminate targets. There is also a third radar for target illumination referred to as the Separate Target Illumination Radar or STIR. The STIR is a radar developed from the AN/SPG-60 radar that is part of the Mark 86 gun fire control system.
STIR (Separate Target Illumination Radar) Deactivated.
The USN retired the RIM-66E, or Standard missile-1, from active service in 2003. Oliver Hazard Perry frigates in USN service have had the STIR radar removed. The STIR radars are still in use on non-USN vessels.


Order of battle at the Battle of Athos

This is a listing of ships that fought at the Battle of Athos, 30 June 1807, during the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–1812. Spelling of Turkish ships is uncertain.
Imperial Russian Navy.
Second line:
750 guns total
Ottoman Turkish Navy.
Frigates:
Sloops:
Others:
850 guns total


USCGC Gasconade

USCGC "Gasconade" is a "Gasconade"-class river buoy tender which was built in 1964 at Saint Louis, Missouri where she was initially homeported. In 1965 she was assigned a homeport of Omaha, Nebraska.
Design.
"Gasconade" pushes a specific-use aid to navigation maintenance barge, with a crane and buoy service gear. The vessel has a beam, of draft, and displaces 141 tons (full load). She is powered by two diesel engines turning two shafts with 600 bhp, giving the vessel a capability of eight knots.
History.
"Gasconade" was initially assigned a homeport at St. Louis, Missouri in 1964 but was transferred to Florence, Nebraska on 27 July 1965. Since 27 September 1965, "Gasconade" has been homeported at the Corps of Engineers facility on John J. Pershing Road in Omaha, Nebraska. "Gasconade" is commanded by a master chief boatswain's mate with a crew of thirteen assigned. Her area of operation includes the Missouri River from Glasgow, Missouri to Sioux City, Iowa.


Willard J. Smith

Willard John Smith (May 14, 1910 – April 1, 2000) served as the thirteenth Commandant of the United States Coast Guard from 1966 to 1970.
He was born in Suttons Bay, Michigan, and was the son of Oscar Smith, a retired commissioned warrant officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and his wife, Emma Bequist. Upon graduation from high school in Charlevoix, Michigan, he entered the University of Michigan, but later transferred to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
Upon graduation from the academy in 1933, he was assigned to a Galveston, Texas-based Coast Guard cutter and later served as an aide to Commandant Russell R. Waesche from 1936 to 1939. During World War II, he was assigned to the Coast Guard's aviation branch and was responsible for the construction and commissioning of Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco, California, where he was assigned to duty until 1946. From 1946 to 1948, he served as commander of Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Michigan before his assignment as assistant chief of the Coast Guard's Aviation Division from 1948 to 1950. From 1950 to 1951, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. From 1962 to 1965, he served as superintendent of the United States Coast Guard Academy.
From 1965, until his appointment as commandant, he served as commander of the Cleveland, Ohio-based 9th Coast Guard District. As commandant in 1967, he oversaw the transfer of the Coast Guard from the United States Department of the Treasury to the United States Department of Transportation.
Upon completion of his service as Coast Guard Commandant in June 1970, he moved to Traverse City, Michigan. The following October, he was appointed as Assistant Secretary for Safety and Consumer Affairs at the United States Department of Transportation, serving under then-Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe until July 1971, when he returned to Traverse City. In 1973 he became admiral of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan and held the position until 1974.
He subsequently moved to Atlantic Beach, Florida, where his wife, the former Harriet A. Lary died on February 2, 2000, two months before he himself died, aged 89. His remains were interred alongside his late wife at Arlington National Cemetery. At the time of his death, he was the oldest-living former Coast Guard Commandant.