OFF THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA — The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and their Navy counterparts of Amphibious Squadron 8 kicked off their final training evolution today to prepare their Marines and sailors for an upcoming deployment this spring.

Certification Exercise, commonly called CERTEX, is the third at-sea exercise for the Navy-Marine team and is intended to test their ability to rapidly plan and respond to a variety of crises during the next three weeks.

Over the weekend, approximately 2,300 Marines loaded the three amphibious assault ships of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which includes the USS Iwo Jima, USS New York and USS Gunston Hall.

The Marines worked around the clock to load the essential aircraft, vehicles and equipment that constitute a Marine Air Ground Task Force, which they will put to the test while refining their skills before heading across the Atlantic into the European and Central Command areas of operation.

The 24th MEU/PHIBRON 8 team will conduct training missions in North Carolina and Virginia in the coming days, which will include a Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel, mechanized raids, long-range aviation raids, and a response to a multiple casualty situation. These missions are based on a continuous fictitious scenario that has developed throughout the MEU’s six-month work-up cycle that has the unit operating off the coast of unstable countries who requested support from the United States.

A unique addition to this final exercise will be the integration of an unmanned aerial vehicle, which will deploy with the 24th MEU. This will be the first East Coast MEU to deploy with a UAV, which they will use to gather aerial imagery.

The 24th MEU’s CERTEX is also being included in the scenario driving Bold Alligator, the largest amphibious exercise conducted off the East Coast in 10 years.

The 24th MEU will conduct some missions in support of this larger exercise, but will mostly focus on its own mission essential tasks they are required to execute prior to deploying.

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Photo and story by MC3 Shannon Burns
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2011, then-Senior Chief Electronics Technician Rafael
Perez was in his hotel room with his family before being abruptly awoken by
his command sponsor. In the middle of a duty station change, Perez’s sponsor
went on to inform him that two commercial airplanes had crashed into the World
Trade Center Towers. Little did Perez know the events that had transpired would
forever shift the path of his life. A native of Bronx, N.Y., Perez joined the Navy in
1987, five years after graduating high school. His motivation came in the form of
the Hollywood blockbuster, “Top Gun.”
“When I watched the movie ‘Top Gun’ I said to myself, ‘I want to do
that. I wanted to … be like those cool guys in the movie,’” said Perez.
Following his decision to join the Navy, Perez spent the next 14 years
like any other Sailor: deploying, visiting other countries, advancing in
rank, and building friendships.
“When 9/11 happened I had just transferred from USS Newport News
(SSN 750) to Submarine Group Seven, Yokosuka, Japan,” said Perez. “I
was in the Navy Lodge with my family, and my sponsor woke me up at
about 11:30 p.m. Yokosuka time and told me to turn on the TV. He told me
that our country was under attack. After that, our lives changed forever.”
After receiving the devastating news, Perez’s first reaction was to try
to get in touch with his mother and two siblings who resided in the Bronx.
“I talked to my family immediately as [the attack] was happening,”
said Perez. “I said to myself, ‘Oh my God! There must be at least 25,000
people who work in that building.’ I couldn’t believe that someone would
kill innocent people through terrorism in my hometown! I’d always
hear about wars in other countries, but I never thought that the streets
I would walk on and the places I would visit with my family would be a
target for terrorist activity.”
Because he was stationed in Yokosuka at the time of the attacks, Perez
was not able to immediately see his family.
“I was not able to see my mom and brothers until a year after the attacks,” said Perez. “I knew they were safe, but that day changed my life
because I knew that anything could happen anytime, anywhere. Every
day that I get to see them is a blessing.”
During the aftermath of 9/11, Perez attended an admiral’s call in
which the upper chain of command spoke about the current events.
“9/11 reinforced to me that we were going to be a nation at war and
that leadership of Sailors was going to be essential to success. September
11th inspired me to take that next step and lead Sailors outside of my
rate. I aspired to be a CMC,” said Perez.
The steps that Perez took to accomplish his goal of one day becoming
a command master chief included numerous hours of selfless devotion
to his Sailors and constant support to the war against terrorism. One
of those ways, Perez said, is serving aboard USS New York (LPD 21).
It was an opportunity, symbolic as it were, “I knew I couldn’t pass up.”
On Sept. 9, 2003, construction began on New York, a ship containing
7.5 tons of metal salvaged from the towers. New York was christened on
March 1, 2008, during a ceremony at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans.
On Nov. 7, 2009, she was commissioned in New York City.
“When I heard that they were going to build New York using metal
from the towers, I wanted to be stationed [at that command],” said Perez.
“I felt so great knowing that there was going to be a ship that would have
such a personal connection to New York and those attacks. The souls
of those who perished are in that ship, and it feels so amazing to be a
CMC on board her.”
The attacks changed not only his path in the Navy, but his view of how
safe he was as well.
“Before 9/11, I probably took security and safety for granted,” Perez
explained. “Since 9/11, I realized we can’t live in fear – that would mean
the terrorists won – but, that we must be vigilant that there are some in this
world who still desire to do our nation harm. It takes all of us to protect
our nation and our communities.”
For Perez the connection to the New York goes beyond her crew.
“I’ve been in the Navy for 24 years and most of it has been served in the
submarine community,” Perez said. “The biggest thrill of my naval career is
serving as CMC on USS New York. I feel as though the 348 crewmembers
assigned are not her only crewmembers. I feel like I have about 15 million
New Yorkers as my crewmembers as well.”
Since 9/11 the Navy has had to adjust to the threat of terrorism and
a new kind of war where the enemy may not be as obvious as it has been
in the past.
“The Navy is so adaptable, [but] 9/11 changed the face of the Navy,”
Perez commented. “We had to realize that we had to change our warfare
tactics, I think the entire DoD (Department of Defense) realized that we
were going to have to change. We had to become lite and fast instead of just
trying to overcome [our adversaries] with our military might. It caused
our leadership to think about how quickly and effectively we could bring
the fight to the enemy.”
Perez said that he feels privileged not only to be in the Navy, but to be
on New York as the CMC as well.
“I’m so blessed to be a part of this organization. I’m so proud that I
get to represent New York, her crewmembers, and the Navy to the world,”
said Perez. “I wish I could invite the whole Navy to come and visit USS
New York because she’s a fantastic ship, and the people who serve aboard
her are fantastic.”
Perez’s focus is on helping his Sailors improve in and out of the Navy.
“I really want to help USS New York become the best it can be,” said
Perez. “Developing my Sailors both personally and professionally is my
primary focus right now. Most of the Sailors that serve on [New York]
chose to serve here, and they have a deep personal connection to what
this ship stands for.”
Perez’s hope for the future of New York is for the ship to reach its full
potential while on deployment.
“I’d really like the ship to excel in all warfare areas,” Perez commented.
“I really want her to make a difference while deployed so that when people
ask how New York fared on deployment I can say that we exceeded all
expectations.”
Perez has been New York CMC for five months. New York’s homeport
is Norfolk, Va.
Burns is assigned to Defense Media Activity
Original story here
http://www.navy.mil/media/allhands/acrobat/ah201109.pdf

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Monday, January 01, 2007 For Immediate Release:

Contact: Frank Shafroth 703-228-3116(voice), 703-228-4743 (TTY)
Navy ship commemorates heroes and victims of the 9/11 Pentagon attack

The Arlington County Board today made appointments to the Commissioning Committee for the USS Arlington, a new U.S. Navy ship (San Antonio Class) currently under construction. The USS Arlington is scheduled to be commissioned in 2011, and is being built to honor the heroes and victims of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon in 2001.

“Our community will never forget the tragic events of September 11^th,” said Paul Ferguson, Chairman of the Arlington County Board. “The USS Arlington will stand as a living tribute to those brave men and women who risked their lives to save others and we are grateful to the Commissioning Committee for their leadership.”

The Committee will be responsible for fundraising and maintenance of a long-term relationship between the ship, its crew, and Arlington County and will also address a timeline, fundraising issues, and a recommended process for the commissioning of the USS Arlington, including an assessment of the financial implications for the County.

As part of its charge, the committee shall make its final recommendations to the Board by no later than December 1, 2007.

The USS Arlington Commissioning Committee
The Arlington County Board appointed the following members to the Commissioning Committee:

• Rosemary Dillard, whose husband was killed in the Pentagon on 9/11
• Pat Hymel Lipinski, whose former husband was killed in the Pentagon on 9/11 and former principal at Hoffman-Boston Elementary School
• Lisa Dolan, whose husband, Navy Captain Bob Dolan, was killed at the Pentagon on 9/11
• Rodney White – Arlington County Fire Department firefighter/paramedic
• Wilbur R. Gray – Arlington County Fire Department Battalion Chief
• Admiral Stansfield Turner, former Director of Central Intelligence Agency
• Nancy Gorell – President of the No. Va. Council of Navy League
• Admiral John Foley – Vice President, Business Development/Strategic Planning, Northrup Grumman

Additional members will be appointed at a later time.

Background:
In September 2005, the Navy held a ceremony at the Pentagon to name the USS Arlington and the USS Somerset in honor of the heroes and victims of the Pentagon attack and the flight downed in Pennsylvania. The ceremony also honored the sacrifices of those who provided critical assistance both during and after the attack of 9/11, including the emergency, fire, and rescue personnel of Arlington County.

The Arlington and Somerset are the latest additions to the San Antonio Class of amphibious transport dock ships–the first to be designed from the keel up. This class is set to replace 27 amphibious ships from the three classes of amphibious ships now in service. An earlier ship of the same class, the USS New York, was named for the World Trade Center victims in New York. With an overall length of 684 feet, the San Antonio Class ships are designed to accommodate 1,200 sailors and Marines and their equipment.

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