Maritime unprepared for cyber attacks

Nearly 80 percent of large American maritime industry companies surveyed in an inaugural Maritime Cyber-Security Survey reported cyber-attacks targeted their companies within the past 12 months. The survey, which was conducted by Jones Walker LLP of New Orleans, indicated that with rapidly evolving technologies throughout the U.S. industry to help increase efficiencies and competitiveness have also presented major cyber-security risks, which the industry is unprepared to shoulder. Thirty-eight percent of all industry respondents reported cyber-attackers targeted their companies. Ten percent reported that the data breach was successful, while 28 percent reported that attempts were thwarted. There is a false sense of preparedness in the maritime industry, according to the survey. Six-nine percent of respondents expressed confidence in the industry's overall cyber-security readiness, but 64 percent indicated their companies were unprepared to handle the far-reaching business, financial, regulatory, and public relations consequences of a data breach. (Source: Maritime Logistics 10/29/18) Jones Walker is the largest law firm in New Orleans. Its principal areas of practice include admiralty and maritime, labor and employment, litigation, business and finance, energy, estates and tax, and corporate and securities.

More cruises to test Gulf Coast waters

The first four-day Disney cruise out of the Port of New Orleans was announced in September and sold out within an hour. Additional cruise lines are about to start testing Gulf Coast waters with bigger ships and longer cruises. “You wouldn’t believe the people that jumped on that” first-day sale for the Disney cruise, said Brenda Walker, who owns Coast Cruises and More. “The whole cruise” sold out in an hour, she said. “It just shows you how eager people are to cruise local.” South Mississippians had a choice of one Carnival ship out of Mobile, Ala., and two out of New Orleans, Walker told NOLA.com, or travel to Florida or Texas. More cruise lines are “testing the waters,” she said, and even Carnival has expanded its trips. (Source: Sun Herald 10/27/18)

‘Threatened’ marsh bird status

The eastern black rail marsh bird that nests along coastal waters is so rare some people think it’s a myth. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the bird as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act. It’s about the size of a Jackson Square beignet with red eyes and gray feathers. It once ranged across wetlands of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, but habitats have been disappearing. Sea level rise along Louisiana’s coastal land are decimating those marsh lands, and becoming a challenge for the birds. They nest along a “narrow strip right on the coast” of Louisiana, said Justin Lehman, a scientist with Audubon Louisiana, “where we’re having shoreline erosion. The land they need is the first to go.” USF&W says the threatened status is needed because the bird’s populations have declined by as much as 90 percent in some regions. Bryan Watts, director of the Center for Conservation Biology at William & Mary in Virginia, has researched the bird’s populations, and those studies were cited by USF&W’s proposed endangered status. USF&W began a 60-day comment period on the proposed ESA listing on Oct. 9. Federal protections could follow a year-long review period. What those protections would be are unclear. (Source: NOLA.com 10/26/18)

Bollinger delivers 31st FRC

LOCKPORT, La. – Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards delivered the 31st Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the Coast Guard on Oct. 25 in Key West, Florida. The 154 foot Sentinel-class patrol boat has a flank speed over 28 knots, state of the art command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26-foot Over-the-Horizon IV cutter boat. The vessel’s commissioning will be in March 2019 at its future homeport in San Pedro, Calif. “We are extremely proud that the Fast Response Cutters built by Louisiana craftsmen here at Bollinger Shipyards are having such a major impact on our country’s safety and security,” said Bollinger President/CEO Ben Bordelon. (Source: Bollinger Shipyards 10/26/18) OTH-IV is interoperable with National Security Cutters and FRCs. OTH-IV is longer than its predecessor and features improved endurance, upgraded electronics, enhanced shock mitigation and a bimini top that provides sun protection for the crew. On Oct. 8, the CG awarded Huntington Ingalls-Pascagoula, Miss., with a $97M contract to procure materials for the 11th National Security Cutter. HII-Ingalls President Brian Cuccias says the contract will streamline the production of NSC components and support the company’s 422 suppliers in 40 states. HII-Pascagoula’s unit has provided seven of the CG’s flagship NSCs slated to replace the service branch’s 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters.

HII duo among most influential in Miss.

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) retired Army Maj. Gen. Augustus L. Collins, a member of HII’s Board of Directors, and Edmond Hughes, VP of human resources and administration at HII-Ingalls, were honored by Our Mississippi magazine as two of the Top 25 Most Influential African-Americans in Mississippi. The 2018 awards gala took place Oct. 25 in Jackson. Collins is CEO of MINACT Inc., a Mississippi-based contractor that supports the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps program in several states throughout the country. He served in the U.S. Army and Mississippi National Guard for more than 35 years. Hughes is responsible for leading all aspects of human resources related to the attraction, development and retention of the workforce at HII-Ingalls. Before joining Ingalls in 2006, he was a director of human resources at TRW. HII is America’s largest military shipbuilding company. (Source: HII 10/26/18)

Dauntless returning from drug ops

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless is scheduled to return to its homeport at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., on Oct. 27 after a 54-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The 76-member crew interdicted two vessels that were hauling an estimated 2,000 pounds of cocaine with an approximate value of $27.2M. The cutter left in September for patrol in support of Operation Martillo. The operation sends Defense Department and Coast Guard crews to work with partner nations to curtail the flow of illegal drugs coming into the U.S. from Central and South America. Dauntless patrolled more than 7,000 nautical miles and transited the Panama Canal. (Source: Coast Guard 10/26/18)

Study calls for 400-ship Navy

PARIS – The American Navy is short of ships, even with its long-term goal of 355, it may need to prepare for two major conflicts at the same time, and maintaining rotational requirements by having excess capacity for a surge in operations and potential casualties, according to a study from the Heritage Foundation think tank. The foundation is a conservative organization that has been a policy-prominent influence during the Trump administration. The study calls for about a 12 percent increase over the Navy’s current 30-year shipbuilding plan - up to $6B per year to the shipbuilding budget to get to 400 ships by 2039. The study was conducted and written by Thomas Callender, a retired submarine officer and analyst at Heritage, who acknowledges the difficulty of achieving a 400-ship fleet under budget constraints, and a limited industrial capacity. His analysis was based on “requirements to fight and win two major regional conflicts” and additional mission assignments for certain classes of ships. The study calls for increases that would include a 13th aircraft carrier, 19 small surface combatants (SSCs), seven new amphibious ships, and a 22 more combat logistics ships. The big jump in SSCs would be aimed at having enough ships to support a 13-carrier Navy, support 12 Littoral Combat Ships configured as mine-hunters, and still have excess capacity to escort logistics ships. (Source: Defense News 10/26/18) Gulf Coast Note: Huntington Ingalls Industries’ shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., currently builds LHA 6 America class amphibious assault ships. USS America was delivered in 2014. The second ship in that class, Tripoli (LHA 7), is currently under construction and scheduled for delivery this year. In June 2016, Ingalls was selected to build LHA 8, which will incorporate the well deck back in its design. Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence class of Littoral Combat Ships.

B&K levee contract: $31.2M

B&K Construction Co. of Mandeville, La., was awarded a $31,260,319 firm-fixed-price contract for West Bank Mississippi River Levee. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in New Orleans with an estimated completion date of Oct. 22, 2021. FY 2019 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $31,260,319 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 10/25/18)

New drilling near Gillsburg, Miss.

Australis Oil & Gas Ltd. is drilling new wells in an oil formation straddling southwest Mississippi and southeast Louisiana near Gillsburg, Miss. It is the first new wells drilled in the area in about three years. The Australian company says it plans to drill at least six wells. The company bought 81,000 acres of leases in the region in 2016-17 in part of the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale. AO&G plans to spend $43M in borrowed money on drilling, which would be an average well price of about $7M. (Source: The Associated Press 10/22/18)

ALMMSN rescues wayward dolphin

The Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network (ALMMSN), based out of the Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab, responded to a fisherman’s Oct. 16 report of a young pantropical spotted dolphin in distress in Deer River near Theodore, Ala. Pantropical spotted dolphin’s normal habitat in is off-shore waters and not inshore rivers. “(T)his dolphin was out of (its) habitat and separated from its pod,” said ALMMSN Stranding Coordinator Mackenzie Russell. The dolphin was nearly six feet long and weighed more than 100 pounds. Intervention and rescue was determined following a health assessment by ALMMSN Veterinarian Dr. Alissa Deming, in coordination with NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service. The dolphin was in critical condition and in “urgent need of medical care,” Deming said. Transporting wild dolphin is “notoriously challenging” and can be “extremely stressful,” she continued. The dolphin required several doses of emergency medications during the transport” to the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Miss., Deming said. The dolphin is now receiving 24-hour a day care. It’s unclear why the dolphin was alone and far removed from its normal habitat and pod. If you see a sick, injured or dead marine mammal in Alabama waters, call ALMMSN at 1-877-WHALE-HELP. (Source: Dauphin Island Sea Lab 10/17/18)

EPA, Miss. settle with Chevron USA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Justice, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) announced a national settlement with Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Chevron) that requires safety improvements at all its domestic refineries. The settlement resolves claims that the company violated provisions of the Clean Air Act aimed at preventing accidental releases of hazardous chemicals that can have serious consequences for public health and the environment. As part of the proposed settlement, Chevron will spend approximately $150M to replace vulnerable pipes, institute operating parameters and alarms for safer operation, improve corrosion inspections and training, centralize safety authority within the corporation, conduct a pilot study of safety controls for fired heaters, and make other safety improvements at all its domestic refineries. Chevron also will pay a $2.95M civil penalty and will implement supplemental environmental projects worth at least $10M in the communities around refineries in Mississippi, California, Utah, and Hawaii. The overall value of this settlement exceeds $160M, which makes it the largest settlement in the history of the EPA’s enforcement of the Risk Management Plan Rule under Clean Air Act. During EPA’s investigation, Chevron experienced accidental releases of regulated chemicals at two of its other refineries, including a 2013 explosion and fire in Pascagoula, Miss., that caused the death of an employee Tonya Graddy, and a 2013 rupture in El Segundo, Calif. The Mississippi DEQ participated as co-plaintiff over Chevron’s Pascagoula refinery. This is the first case in which the U.S. and a state have jointly brought suit to enforce these provisions. (Source: EPA 10/24/18)

La. restoration projects OK’d by Prez

Multiple major flood defense and coastal restoration projects proposed for Louisiana are expected to move forward under a law signed Oct. 23 by President Donald Trump. The Water Resources Development Act, which got bipartisan support in Congress, authorizes a long list of projects and studies, and directs the Army Corps of Engineers to speed up projects that have been authorized. It’s “a big deal for Louisiana,” said U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.). “This begins to cut the red tape, cut the bureaucracy, and (allows) us to turn dirt – to make sure our ports are competitive, our ecosystems restored, and our communities are safe,” Graves said during a signing ceremony at the White House. No projects are funded by the act. Instead, it dictates which projects move forward and carried out. Funding would need to be allocated by the president or included in appropriations by Congress. (Source: NOLA.com 10/24/18)

CG suspends search for missing man

Coast Guard searches for person near Cocodrie NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is searching for a 60-year-old male in the water near Caillou Bay some 15 miles southwest of Cocodrie, La., on Oct. 24. The person was reported missing from the vessel Miss Trudy about 11:25 a.m. There were two people aboard. The CG launched a boat crew and two aircraft to search for the man. The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office reported Miss Trudy sank and a Good Samaritan vessel recovered one of the people from the water. The search continued overnight. (Source: Coast Guard 10/24/18)
UPDATE: The CG suspended its search on Oct. 26 after searching for some 1,607 square-nautical miles for about 57 hours.

Metal Shark opens Alabama business

BAYOU LA BATRE, Ala. – Louisiana-shipbuilder Metal Shark has announced its entry into the towboat market with a contract to build three 120-foot river towboats for Florida Marine Transporters Inc. of Mandeville, La. The four-decked, welded-steel, USCG Subchapter “M-compliant towboats were designed by Massachusetts-based John W. Gilbert Associates Inc. and will be powered by twin Cat 3512C Tier 3 marine diesel engines. Construction is underway at Metal Shark-Alabama with deliveries starting next year. The contract signals Metal Shark’s expansion into the steel shipbuilding sector, and formal entry into the inland towboat market following its June acquisition of Horizon Shipbuilding of Bayou La Batre. Metal Shark, best known as a builder of welded aluminum vessels from its yards in Franklin, La., assumed ownership of Horizon’s 35-acre shipyard and announced its intent to expand steel shipbuilding efforts. “The first step in bringing our Alabama facilities online was to implement the technology, production and project management methodologies … perfected during the course of building over 1,000 vessels at our two Louisiana shipbuilding facilities,” said Metal Shark’s CEO Chris Allard. With those systems in place, multiple new steel vessels are under construction and demand for Shark’s refit and repair services. “We can proudly say that Metal Shark Alabama is fully open for business,” said Allard. Metal Shark is recruiting in Alabama and Louisiana to expand its workforce. The company has also fortified its executive management and business development teams. (Source: Metal Shark 10/22/18)

Crowley christens ConRo El Coqui

Crowley Maritime Corp. christened its Commitment Class combination container/roll on-roll off (ConRo) ship El Coquí, which is among the first of its kind to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), on Oct. 20 in Puerto Rico. The Jones Act compliant vessel is the first of two built as part of Crowley’s Commitment Class project, and a key new component in the company’s supply chain transformation in the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade. Its sister ship Taíno is in the final phases of construction and testing at VT Halter Marine’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., and is expected to be delivered in late 2018. (Source: Crowley Marine 10/22/18) Crowley Marine is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., and has facilities in Gulfport, Miss., and Covington, Lake Charles and New Orleans, La. Crowley Maritime Corp.’s new container/roll on-roll off (ConRo) ships El Coquí and Taíno have received international acclaim with the Shoreside Team of the Year Award during the Safety at Sea Awards ceremony held by Safety at Sea International magazine recently in London.

ESG recovering from Michael

Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Fla., was among the Florida Panhandle communities to get hit hardest by Hurricane Michael on Oct. 10. The company is focusing on helping its employees recover. ESG’s two major shipyards are based in Bay County, which was declared a major disaster area. The company’s Allanton shipyard is located a few miles west of Mexico Beach, Fla., where Hurricane Michael made landfall. ESG and suppliers are assisting employees with meals on-site and essentials for their families. ESG is bringing in temporary accommodations for a number of workers and offering an interest-free loan program to all direct-hire hourly employees. Eastern is also working closely with governmental officials and contractors to restore power, water and communication at both shipyard facilities while also repairing damages in order to get the shipyards fully operational as soon as possible. “As a family-owned business, we consider our employees … our first priority,” said ESG President Joey D’Isernia. (Source: Work Boat 10/20/18) ESG announced in September - 12 days before the hurricane - that the Coast Guard exercised the fixed-price, incentive option on its Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) contract to build the lead OPC, USCGC Argus (WMSM-915). In conjunction, the CG also exercised the firm fixed price option for Long Lead Time Materials for OPC #2, USCGC Chase (WMSM-916).

Avery Island added to historic places

Louisiana’s Avery Island, in Iberia Parish - a salt dome, birthplace of Tabasco sauce and pre-historic archaeological sites - was added to the National Register of Historic Places. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced the U.S. Department of Interior’s designation Oct. 19. Avery Island is a significant part of Louisiana’s history and culture, said Cassidy, and home to more than 100,000 birds and other species, such as otters and muskrats, along with exotic plants and prehistoric archaeological sites. Avery Island is less than 10 miles south-southwest of New Iberia. Tabasco pepper sauce is manufactured by the McIlhenny Co., whose President/CEO Anthony Simmons says the historic designation comes during the 150th anniversary of Tabasco and the 200th anniversary of his family’s settlement on the island. (Source: The Associated Press 10/20/18)

Unplugged La. wells spewing since ’04

An oil spill that has leaked millions of barrels into the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Ivan in September 2004 has gone unplugged for so long it verges on becoming one of the worst offshore disasters in American history. Some 300-to-700 barrels of oil per day have been spewing from the Taylor Energy oil platform’s sinking 12 miles off the Louisiana coast during Ivan. A number of the wells have never been capped, and U.S. officials estimate it could continue throughout the 21st century. With no fix in sight, the spill is threatening to overtake BP's 2010 Horizon disaster, also in the GoM, as the largest ever. (Source: Washington Post 10/21/18) Taylor Energy has been an independent, New Orleans-based oil company since its founding in 1979 by Patrick F. Taylor. Since his death in 2004, his wife Phyllis Taylor has assumed ownership and is the chairman/CEO, and making her the wealthiest woman in Louisiana. Taylor has been actively supporting the reconstruction of New Orleans since its destruction during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Taylor Energy, one of the largest privately owned oil and gas companies operating in the GoM, agreed in February 2008 to sell all its energy assets to a joint venture between Korea National Oil Corp. and Samsung Corp., according to the Times Picayune.

Epic buys BAE-Mobile shipyards

Epic Alabama Shipyard has bought BAE Systems' Southeast Shipyards Alabama and its facilities in Mobile, Ala. Epic will provide ship repair and maintenance services utilizing existing facilities and dry docks, including Alabama Dry Dock, which is one of the largest in the Gulf of Mexico. Epic Alabama Shipyard is owned by Epic Companies of Houston, a global offshore construction and decommissioning company, which will service vessels from its own fleet in Mobile. No purchase price was disclosed. Epic is also exploring opportunities to fabricate offshore structures, barges and small vessels in Mobile. Epic provides support services to the offshore energy sector, including diving, pipe-laying, plugging and abandonment of wells, platform and pipeline decommissioning, and construction of offshore structures, including LNG offshore terminals. (Source: Work Boat 10/18/18)

Austal awarded EPF 13 contract

Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., is awarded a $57,854,366 cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized contract action for procurement of long-lead-time material and production engineering for the expeditionary fast transport (EPF 13). The EPF class provides high-speed, shallow-draft transportation capability to support the intra-theater maneuver of personnel, supplies and equipment for the Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. Work will be performed in Novi, Mich. (30%); Mobile (15%); Houston (9%); Slidell, La. (8%); Franklin, Mass. (8%); Chesapeake, Va. (7%); Rhinelander, Wis. (5%); Iron Mountain, Mich. (2%); and Dallas (2%) with other efforts performed at various locations throughout the U.S. below 2%; and at various locations outside the U.S. below 1%). Work on EPF 13 is expected to be completed by November 2021. FY 2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $43,390,775 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 10/18/18)

New health clinic at NCBC Gulfport

The Naval Branch Health Clinic at Gulfport, Miss., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 19 for a new 58,000 square foot clinic. The clinic will provide care to some 6,000 active duty service members, retirees, and families enrolled to the clinic. NBHC Gulfport is one of 10 branch clinics across four states assigned to Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla. It is located on board Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport. (Source: NH Pensacola 10/19/18)

LHA 8 fabrication begins at HII

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division officially started fabrication of the America-class amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8) on Oct. 15. The start of fabrication signifies the shipyard is ready for sustained production and ready to move forward with the construction of the ship. Bougainville will retain the aviation capability of the America-class design while adding the surface assault capability of a well deck. The well deck gives the Marines the ability to house and launch two landing craft air cushion (LCAC) hovercraft or one landing craft utility (LCU) as needed during maritime missions. Other additions will include a larger flight deck configured for an F-35B Marine Joint Strike Fighter and Osprey V-22, which can be used for surface and aviation assaults. (Source: HII 10/16/18)

Michael hits LCS mine warfare testing

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Hurricane Michael, which devastative Florida’s Gulf Coast a week ago, has also taken out parts of the Air Force and Navy’s weapons systems and testing of the Littoral Combat Ship mission modules and unmanned systems the Navy is developing at Naval Surface Warfare System Panama City. The AF is also still evaluating the 17 F-22s Raptors left behind at Tyndall Air Base. Navy Capt. Danielle George, program manager for LCS mine-countermeasures (MCM) warfare, said that the hurricane may have caused serious damage to important equipment. The LCS program office is reviewing satellite images from its location in Maryland. Some Panama City buildings were damaged, and “(P)ossibly some of the equipment that was in there, ranging from government accepted test pieces of equipment to manufacturing capability for one-off parts for legacy systems,” could be at risk. The Navy recently put a priority on testing new mine warfare capabilities, which is an area both U.S. and NATO officials have admitted have atrophied since the end of the Cold War. Earlier in October, Naval Sea Systems Command received go-ahead from the Defense Department to begin developing an unmanned surface vehicle as part of the MCM system. The future plan is to field a platform that can mix and match different modular systems for mine hunting, minesweeping, and mine destruction, according to Navy officials. The Navy is looking to 2019 to award initial contracts for the second phase of a new unmanned undersea vehicle program. Teams from both Lockheed Martin and Boeing/Huntington Ingalls will undergo a critical design review for their prototypes of the Orca Extra Large UUV, which should have a range of 1,000 miles in order to allow manned ships and aircraft to keep a standoff distance from potential threats. (Source: Breaking Defense 10/17/18)

Power restored to Panama City port

Power was restored to the Port of Panama City (Fla.) on Oct. 13 following Hurricane Michael shattering the calm of the north-central Gulf Coast on Oct. 10. The Panama City Port Authority hasn’t been able to contact all of its employees, but most have been contacted for and are safe, said port authority director Wayne Stubbs. Most employees sustained some damage to their homes, and some have lost homes, he said in a prepared statement. The port sustained damage to multiple buildings, but there was no damage to the docks, cranes, and equipment. The port expects to offer limited terminal service for general cargo by the end of this week. Communication in the area remains unreliable. President Trump toured the region Oct. 15 to view the damage. (Source: Marine Link 10/15/18)

Tyndall families told have patience

Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., families were safely evacuated before Hurricane Michael hit; and the service will have to find other accommodations for them until repairs can be made, Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters. He had no idea on a timeline for restoration of base operations or repairs for the demolished housing. Some of the Tyndall families relocated to Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss. Tyndall is the main base for training on the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor, and serves as a center for training on battle management. Fifty of Tyndall F-22s were flown out in advance of the hurricane to Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, and Texas Fort Worth Alliance airport, according to 325th Fighter Wing commander, Col. Brian Laidlaw. The 3,600 airmen and family members stationed at the base won't be allowed to return until their safety can be ensured, he said. "I know that you (Tyndall families) are eager to return. I ask you to be patient and try to focus on taking care of your families and each other. We can rebuild our base, but we can't rebuild any of you," Laidlaw wrote. (Source: Military.com 10/12/18)

Cole defense team overruled

The U.S. Court of Military Commissions review court sided Oct. 12 – the 18-year anniversary date of the terrorist attack against USS Cole at the Port of Aden in Yemen - with the trial judge in the case ruling that defense lawyers had no authority to quit the case over ethics questions raised by discovery of a microphone in their meeting room, which had stalled the case since February. A Pentagon spokesman had no immediate comment on when the pre-trial proceedings would resume at Naval Base Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in the death-penalty case against Abd al Rahim al Nashiri. The court's calendar shows the Cole case has been assigned to a courtroom for the entire month of October. The Saudi native is accused of master-minding al-Qaida's Oct. 12, 2000, suicide bombing of the destroyer that killed 17 American sailors and wounded dozens of others, including two of three Navy chiefs with connections to Pensacola, Fla. He has been held by the U.S. since 2002 but charged in 2011. The 57-page decision by review panel also ruled that the chief defense counsel, Marine Brig. Gen. John Baker, did not have authority to let civilian lawyers quit the case a year ago. The trial judge, Air Force Col. Vance Spath, convicted Baker of contempt of court, fined him $1,000 and ordered Baker confined for 21 days. Baker’s conviction was later overturned by U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth, which found a war court judge did not have unilateral contempt authority. (Source: Miami Herald 10/13/18)

Seabee killed in military housing

GULFPORT, Miss. - A Naval Construction Battalion Center Seabee was shot and killed in military housing managed by Keesler Air Force Base early Oct. 13, Gulfport base spokesman Brian Lamar confirmed to the Biloxi Sun Herald. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) has the lead on the shooting for the military. No other details were immediately available. (Source: Sun Herald 10/14/18) NCBC Gulfport most recently had become temporary lodging for Tyndall AFB, Fla., military families fleeing Hurricane Michael. It is not clear whether the temporary lodging of the hurricane-fleeing families was at this military housing unit.

Partnering to aid hurricane stricken

U.S. Northern Command and its National Guard and Defense Department partners are working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to respond in areas hit by Hurricane Michael, according to Northcom officials. Emergency responders are conducting initial assessments of the damage, officials said. The Coast Guard (CG) has been focused on safety of life, damage assessment, and reopening waterways. They had 129 rescues and its shallow-water response teams transported 142 nursing home residents to a hospital in Pensacola. The Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) sent more than 130 personnel, including survey teams to work with the CG and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to assess damage to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Port St. Joe, Fla. The CoE is executing seven mission assignments that include delivering temporary emergency power, debris technical assistance and route clearance. Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Ga.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; and Maxwell AFB, Ala., have been identified as FEMA incident support bases and federal staging areas in support of disaster operations to provide power and distribute supplies and equipment to the affected areas. Northcom has deployed a defense coordinating officer and a defense coordinating element to the emergency operations center in Tallahassee. These DCO/Es are specially trained military officers who provide DoD regional knowledge, requirements validation and liaison support in order to coordinate the military’s response to FEMA mission assignments. The Tyndall-based 1st Air Force Northern is the designated air component of Northcom with the sole responsibility for ensuring the aerospace control and air defense of the continental United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. (Source: Defense Department 10/12/18)

Jax CERT heads to Panama City

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast dispatched one military member and 11 civilian personnel from Naval Air Station Jacksonville Oct. 11 as part of a Contingency Engineering Response Team (CERT) to Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., after Hurricane Michael made landfall along the Gulf Coast. CERT members will work with NSAPC staff on the ground to perform assessments to help get the base back up to normal operations. It’s the first deployment of the CERT during the 2018 hurricane season, according to NAVFAC Southeast Production Officer and Disaster Preparedness Officer Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Thrun. "They require little preparation time as they are ready to go at a moment’s notice.” (Source: NAVFAC Southeast 10/12/18)

OPSB rejects Bollinger’s tax break

The Orleans Parish (La.) School Board denied Bollinger Algiers’ application for a five-year property tax break. It was the board’s first-ever vote on the topic since it gained power to review industrial tax exemption applications. Six of the seven board members voted to deny Bollinger’s application under the Louisiana Industrial Tax Exemption Program. District 3 member Sarah Usdin recused herself. The district rejected the request because the application failed to meet two of four established rules for tax breaks approved by OPSB. Bollinger Algiers is a subsidiary of the Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards, one of the largest vessel-repair firms in the Gulf region. There was little information available on the project or Bollinger’s property the tax request. However, an Aug. 17 Louisiana Board of Commerce resolution identified the project name as "2017 Expansion". Online documents show a Bollinger employee also submitted requests with the city and the sheriff's office for tax breaks. Bollinger submitted the same application to OPSB on Sept. 13. The district's resolution stated the project was not located in a "distressed region" or "an enterprise zone," as defined in the criteria. The Bollinger project has also already commenced construction, but the district's criteria states a project cannot have begun prior to gaining OPSB approval. (Source: NOLA.com 10/11/18)

HII workers earn STEM awards

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Thirteen employees from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls, Miss., and Newport News shipbuilding divisions were recognized for achievements in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) during the 23nd annual Women of Color STEM Conference. Three employees received Technology All-Star awards, which recognize accomplished women of color from mid-level to advanced stages of their careers who have demonstrated excellence in the workplace and in their communities. They are Cathrine Huckleby, financial analyst, and Tania Johnson, technical electrical engineering manager, both of Ingalls; and Sharon Callahan of Newport News. Ten employees received Technology Rising Star awards, which recognize women who are helping to shape future technology. Eight of the 10 were from Ingalls: Monee Bronson, material planning coordinator; Kenya Cowan, administration generalist; Elzater Moffett, engineer; Anecia Moore, subcontracts manager; Marilyn Williams, accountant; and Michele Williams, planner and scheduler. Newport awardees included Natasha Diaz, foreman, and Anicia Freeman, IT systems engineer. HII was among the corporate sponsors that supported this year’s event, which was held this week in Detroit. (Source: HII 10/12/18)

USS Cole attack anniversary

On This Day – Oct. 12, 2000 - In The Navy: USS Cole (DDG 67) is attacked by terrorists in a small boat laden with explosives during a brief refueling stop in the harbor of Aden, Yemen. The suicide terrorist attack kills 17 members of the ship's crew, wounds 39 others, and seriously damages the ship. Gulf Coast Note: On April 19, 2002, USS Cole departed then-Northrop Grumman Corporation’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., following a 14-month restoration project, and began transit to its homeport in Norfolk, Va.

Navy's 243rd Birthday

In this maritime era, the Navy is critical to securing America's place in the world. As CNO Adm. John Richardson and MCPON Russell Smith explain in their birthday video, our people are key to our success; they are Forged by the Sea. (Source: USN 10/11/18) The Navy's 243rd birthday is Oct. 13. (Source: Navy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2QzV3QyGY

'Hunters' in ‘eye’ at landfall

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The “Hurricane Hunters” of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew four straight days inside Hurricane Michael, and on Oct. 10, when the Category 4 storm made landfall near Mexico Beach, Fla., the unit was again in its eye. Col. Robert J. Stanton, 403rd Wing vice commander and navigator, said that only after passes two and three were they able to get better readings because the storm began better development. The Florida Panhandle was ground zero from the get-go, but “Michael was different than others,” said Capt. Kelsie Carpenter, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer, “because the track pretty much stayed the same. “The 53rd WRS sent data to the National Hurricane Center and watched it grow to a “Cat 2”. By the time of landfall it was a Cat 4. The 53rd WRS Air Force reserve squadron is the only Defense Department unit that flies reconnaissance missions into severe tropical weather to gather data for the NHC to improve their forecasts and storm warnings. In all, the squadron flew nine missions into Hurricane Michael to gather this information. (Source: Keesler AFB 10/11/18)

Sea Fighter weathers Michael

The experimental Navy catamaran Sea Fighter (FSF-1) successfully weathered Hurricane Michael and is currently off the coast of Panama City, Fla., waiting for clearance to pull back into port, according to the Office of Naval Research. The 950-ton Sea vessel is at double anchor in the bay “engines running and nose to the wind” with a minimal crew aboard, ONR spokesman Robert Freeman told USNI News on Oct. 10. The ship recently completed a maintenance period, but repairs to its propulsion and steering systems hadn’t been tested before Hurricane Michael showed up on its radar. The ship’s civilian master decided to weather the storm in the bay. Sea Fighter has been in service since 2005 as a test platform for both Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City and ONR. The Panama City base was the only U.S. Navy facility evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Michael’s landfall, according to Navy Region Southeast. (Source: USNI News 10/11/18) FSF-1 is an experimental Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) that was under development from 2005-08). It has a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) design that provides exceptional stability - even in rough seas.

Gulfport safe haven from Michael

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Commander Navy Region Southeast designated the area within 150 miles of Gulfport, Miss., as a remote safe haven for personnel and families who evacuated due to Hurricane Michael. On Oct. 9, personnel and families from Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla., were authorized to travel to Gulfport. The safe haven is to offer access to temporary quarters and Fleet and Family Support Centers on board Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport. The safe haven location places the families out of harm’s way, but close enough that sailors can return to help restore essentials services when possible. (Source: Navy Region Southeast 10/09/18)

Master Boat delivers tug to Kirby

Master Boat Builders of Bayou La Batre, Ala., delivered the 109-foot ATB tug Cape Lookout to Kirby Offshore Marine of Houston in September. The tug was designed by Guarino & Cox of Covington, La. Cape Lookout has a steel hull and an aluminum tower, and is powered by a pair of Tier 4 Caterpillar 3516E diesel engines. The new tug is also built to Coast Guard-certified Subchapter M standards. (Source: Work Boat 10/08/18)

Newest Indy LCS: Santa Barbara

WASHINGTON - Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced Oct. 9 that the next Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship will be named USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). The future Santa Barbara will be built at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. The Navy has accepted delivery of 16 LCS, including recent contract modifications, of a total 32 LCS. Ten are still under construction (LCS 15, 17, and 19 through 26). Austal builds the even-numbered hulls. (Source: Secretary of Navy 10/09/18)

LCS Tulsa completes trials

The Austal USA-built Littoral Combat Ship Tulsa successfully completed acceptance trials after a series of in-port and underway demonstrations for the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey. Acceptance trials are the last major milestone before delivery to the Navy. "The Navy and industry trials team in Mobile (Ala.) executed another solid Acceptance Trials. The performance of the ship demonstrated incorporation of lessons learned and continual ship-over-ship improvements which will ultimately result in decreased cost to the Navy," said Capt. Mike Taylor, LCS program manager. "Tulsa is well on track to provide needed LCS war-fighting capability to the fleet and the nation." Tulsa will be commissioned following delivery, and a post-delivery availability focused on crew training, certifications and familiarization exercises in Mobile. The ship will be homeported in San Diego. (Source: The AP 10/08/18)

FPSO challenge in GoM

It’s been more than 40 years since the Shell Castellon started operation as the first floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit in 1977. Since 1977, hundreds of FPSO vessels have operated worldwide, and the oil industry has reaped benefits. Despite continued international popularity, FPSOs have been few and far between in the Gulf of Mexico. There are only two. In this new release, industry subject matter expert Peter Lovie explains why. (Source: Marine Link 10/09/18)

‘Runnin Roos’ finish Colombia project

RIOHACHA, Colombia - The "Runnin' Roos" of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 – based out of Gulfport, Miss. - completed water-well drilling exploration operations Oct. 3 in the rural community of Riohacha, Colombia, as part of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2018. The operation resulted in a supply of readily available water in the region and was celebrated with an official handover ceremony at the well site. NMCB-133 completed the project in coordination with members of the Wayuu population, who are indigenous to Riohacha, in an effort to bring a greater supply of water to the community. The project took about a month to complete, and was the result of months of planning, coordination and logistics movements. “It was awesome to participate in this project,” said Utilitiesman 2nd Class Patrick Cannon. It was Cannon’s “first time” to assist a community in need. “… I don’t think a lot of people realize that how much of an impact it has. Water gives everyone life, and life can’t go on without water”, he added. SPS is a demonstration of America’s commitment to partner-nations in the Caribbean, and Central and South America in order to foster goodwill and enhancing the ability to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian crises. SPS 18 will conclude this month. (Source: Southern Partner Station 10/09/18) The "Runnin' Roos" have a long tradition of contributions to America every day in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, and Africa.

Hurricane Hunters fly into Michael

MIAMI - Hurricane Michael has become a Category 2 storm over the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 9 and was being predicted to hit the north Florida coast on Oct. 10. Mandatory evacuations were issued for low-lying coastal areas ahead of the storm. An aircraft and crew from the Hurricane Hunters of the Air Force Reserve unit at Keesler AFB, Miss., flew through the eye of the hurricane off the western tip of Cuba and found wind speeds rising. By 7 a.m. (CT) today, winds were at 100 mph. The forecast was for it to strengthen into a possible Cat 3 hurricane with winds of up to 111 mph. The storm is speeding for the Florida Panhandle at 12 mph. It is moving in a north-northwest direction, but a high pressure system to the west may steer Michael in a more NNE direction sometime in the next 12 hours. Some 120,000 people on Panama City Beach received mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday morning, and across other low-lying areas. (Source: MSN 10/09/18)

CG sets Gulf Coast port conditions

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard has begun making preparations for Hurricane Michael. On Oct. 8, the CG set Port Condition X-Ray in the following ports and waterways: Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Port of Gulfport and Pascagoula, Miss., Port of Mobile, Ala., and ports of Panama City and Pensacola, Fla. (Source: Coast Guard 10/08/18)

Problems in DoD shipbuilding industry

Over the past two decades, according to a newly released unclassified version of a Defense Department report, the U.S. shipbuilding industry has had to contract work to overseas companies because, since 2000, the industrial base has lost more than 20,500 U.S.-based manufacturing firms. As those firms shuttered, work they had once performed was sent overseas creating and is indicative of the financial pressures squeezing the entire defense industrial base. Firms involved in manufacturing shipbuilding components were among the hardest hit by this shift in the global marketplace, the report states. Across the shipbuilding sector, manufacturers and suppliers have left the industry, limiting competition. In some cases, the Navy is forced to rely on a single and sole source supplier for critical components. (Source: USNI News 10/08/18. Copy of report within link)

CG rescues 4 in south La.

Four people were rescued Oct. 7 from the Grand Sun passenger vessel that caught fire in Chandeleur Sound, La. CG New Orleans launched a helicopter crew. The aircrew arrived at 3:52 a.m. and recovered the four from the boat and transported them to emergency medical services at CG Air Station New Orleans. The CG later launched a response boat and crew from Venice, La., to monitor the vessel’s location and check for possible pollution. (Source: Marine Link 10/08/18) https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4803791/coast-guard-rescues-4-people-burning-vessel

Saint Rose group pact: $17.2M

M.R. Pittman Group of Saint Rose, La., was awarded a $17,255,645 firm-fixed-price contract for interim closure structure demolition. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in New Orleans with an estimated completion date of May 8, 2020. FY 2014 Army other procurement funds in the amount of $17,255,645 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 10/05/18)

CG assists NW Fla. grounded vessel

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard assisted three people aboard a vessel taking on water near St. George Island, near Panama City, Florida, on Oct. 7. CG Station Panama City received a report at 11:39 p.m. on Saturday of a 56-foot fishing vessel that ran aground on the south-western side of St. George Island. The CG launched a 45-foot response boat and crew to assist. The boat crew arrived on scene at 2:02 a.m. Sunday and de-watered the vessel and transported its crew to shore without injuries. (Source: Coast Guard 10/07/18)

La. trails in energy efficiency

Louisiana still trails much of the nation when it comes to implementing policies to help and encourage utilities and residents in the state to save electricity, according to a new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The report, released yearly, ranks Louisiana 46th in the nation for its energy efficiency programs and policies - tied with Kansas and South Dakota. That was down two spots from 2017, but significantly behind efficiency leaders Massachusetts, California, and Rhode Island. The report looked at six categories, including types of policies and public benefit programs in place to encourage efficiency among utilities and everyday electricity users. It also looked at transportation policies, building codes and efficiency standards for household appliances. (Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy 10/04/18) The four Gulf Coast states, except Florida, ranked in the 40s: Louisiana (46), Mississippi (44) and Alabama (43). Florida was No. 26 of the 50 states. Although, Florida was the only one of four that lost ground (-1) since the 2017 report.

HII pair earn SASE leader awards

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A pair of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) employees from it’s the Ingalls Shipbuilding and Newport News Shipbuilding received achievement awards Oct. 4 during the 2018 Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) National Conference and STEM Career Fair. The STEM fair is the largest conference and career fair for Asian Americans in America. The conference was held in Schaumburg, Ill. Conlan Hsu, a structural engineer at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., received the ERG Leadership award recognizing a person who has/is serving in a leadership capacity for HII’s Asian Pacific Islander employee resource group, and the overall impact of their involvement in advancing the mission of the ERG and influencing the company’s support for their API employees. Dede Dolkar, a material process engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding, received the Promising Professional award. SASE was founded in 2007 for Asian heritage scientific and engineering professionals.(Source: HII 10/04/18)

DDG 121 christening at Pascagoula

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), on Oct. 6 at Huntington Ingalls' shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., according to a Defense Department media release. The ship is the first ship named in honor of Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen Jr., the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps officer promoted to brigadier general. When he retired in 1988 after 38 years of service, he was the senior-ranking aviator in the Marine Corps and Navy. Former Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Alfred Gray is the primary speaker. D’Arcy Neller, wife of Gen. Robert Neller, the current Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Dr. Alicia J. Petersen, widow of Frank E. Petersen Jr., will serve as ship’s sponsors. The future Frank E. Petersen Jr. will be the 71st Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and is the fifth of 21 ships currently under contract for the DDG 51 program. The ship will be configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection, forward presence, and escort operations at sea in support of low-intensity conflict/coastal and littoral offshore warfare, as well as open ocean conflict. (Source: Seapower Magazine 10/04/18)

CG conducts in-tu test burn in Ala.

The Coast Guard’s Research and Development Center conducted a successful test burn of oil using the using the Joint Maritime Test Facility’s burn pan on Little Sand Island in Mobile (Ala.) during the week of Sept. 17, 2018. Controlled, pre-planned burns conducted using the JMTF allow researchers to gather critical data to help oil spill responders determine best practices for operational use of in-situ burning, developing new equipment with procedures, and refining of the training of responders. The use of in-situ burning of oil was successful as a response option during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill and helped reduce environmental impacts on the marine environment. (Source: Marine Link 10/04/18)

HII closes deal on Avondale

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Oct. 4 the closing of the sale of HII’s former Avondale (La.) shipyard facilities to Avondale Marine, a joint venture between T. Parker Host and the Chicago-based real estate firm Hilco Redevelopment Partners, who plan to redeveloped the 254-acre site it into a multi-modal, manufacturing and logistics hub. The Avondale site is located upriver from New Orleans, and had built and repaired commercial and military vessels for more than 75 years. The Avondale facility, once part of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, ceased its Navy shipbuilding operations in December 2014. Avondale’s UNO Maritime Center of Excellence has remained open and continues to do engineering and design work in support of Ingalls’ shipbuilding programs in Pascagoula, Miss. T. Parker Host is HQ’d in Norfolk, Va., and is among the nation’s largest terminal operators and among the maritime industry’s leaders specializing in agency, terminal operations, and marine assets. (Source: HII 10/04/18) HII initially listed the property price at $125M, but dropped it to $95M. However, the purchase price was not disclosed. The UNO Maritime Center building is owned by the state of Louisiana and was not part of deal.

Ingalls, Pemamek collaboration

Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss., has formalized a long-term working collaboration with Pemamek Ltd. The shipyard placed an order for automated PEMA Bulkhead production line. The agreement is a continuum for the large-scale PEMA welding automation solutions delivered in 2017. The collaboration consists of integrated milling, advanced one-sided welding station with MAG process, profile and T-beam assembling and tack-welding solutions, as well as two robotized welding portals both of which includes two robots and special conveyor solutions. The agreement also includes comprehensive spare part package and preventive maintenance with a warranty extension. (Source: Marine Link 10/03/18)

NWF to split $25.2M RESTORE funds

Two of the northwestern-most counties of Florida - Escambia and Santa Rosa - are scheduled to receive $25.2M in BP environmental-penalty funding for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and massive oil spill across the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The money is part of $292M in federal RESTORE Act funding designated for Florida, and divided equally among 23 Gulf Coast counties from the Florida Keys to Escambia. Unlike other portions of the billions in restitution, the $292M has to be used on projects to improve waterways and ecosystems. Santa Rosa’s $12.6M share is to go to converting the Soundside and Holley by the Sea communities from septic systems to sewer systems, and relocating the effluent discharge from the Navarre Beach Waste Water Treatment Facility to a 200-acre site on Eglin Air Force Base property. Escambia's $12.6M is to help fund the removal of up to 20 feet-deep of polluted soil from the bottom of Bayou Chico as part of a plan to remediate the soil, which could include dredging polluted areas. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 10/03/18)

LW&FC cancels airport plan in refuge

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (W&FC) will hold its first public meeting Oct. 4 to discuss a proposed plan to build an airport in a south Jefferson Parish wildlife refuge. In August, W&FC Secretary Jack Montoucet signed an agreement with the Grand Isle Independent Levee District to begin planning to build an airport in the Elmer's Island Wildlife Refuge, a 1,145-acre beach and marshland area west of Grand Isle. The refuge is a shorebird nesting site and a rest stop for migratory birds. The proposal did not have a commission hearing before the agreement was signed. Wildlife refuge research conservation groups and scientists were not informed about the agreement, and were shocked W&FC would consider an airport in the protected wildlife habitat. The levee district hoped an airport would bring tourists and anglers to Grand Isle via private planes and small jets. Scientists say the airport will ruin marsh habitat and scare away birds; and could lead to bird-strike collisions with aircraft. The updated agenda indicated that W&FC will discuss the proposal's "facts and circumstances." Elmer's Island was part of the Caminada Headland project, the most expensive coastal restoration undertaken in Louisiana. The W&FC meeting is at 9:30 a.m. at the Wildlife and Fisheries Headquarters Building, at 2000 Quail Dr., in Baton Rouge. (Source: NOLA.com 10/03/18) UPDATE: Bowing to public pressure, The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries’ secretary Jack Montoucet announced Oct. 4 that the commission has canceled a proposed plan to build an airport in the Elmer's Island Wildlife Refuge. Montoucet announced the cancellation prior to the commission’s first public hearing on the proposal. (NOLA.com 10/04/18)

HII top 25 firm: Forbes

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) was recently named one of the better employers for new college graduates in 2018, according to a Forbes magazine nation-wide survey of young professionals. HII ranked 21 of 250 employers in the survey. Forbes’ list comes from a series of independent, online surveys of more than 10,000 professionals working for organizations with more than 1,000 workers in the U.S. The employees were asked to give their opinions on a series of statements surrounding their employer’s atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, salary and wage, and workplace and diversity. This is the first year Forbes has compiled the list. (Source: HII 10/03/18)

Firm acquires La.-based ASV Global

A Lafayette, La.-based company that specializes in unmanned and autonomous marine systems has been bought by a New York company. ASV Global, which has an office in Broussard, La., as well as the U.K., was acquired by L3 Technologies and will be known as L3 ASV, according to a company announcement. L3 Technologies provides global surveillance, communications and networked systems and electronic systems for military, homeland security and commercial aviation customers. The move enhances L3’s spectrum of unmanned maritime capabilities, company officials said. (Source: The Advocate 09/30/18)

HII-Pascagoula pact: $97M

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss., has received a $97M fixed-price advance procurement contract from the Coast Guard to purchase long-lead materials for an 11th National Security Cutter (NSC). The funds will be used to purchase major components for NSC 11. HII-Pascagoula has delivered seven NSCs, the flagship of the CG’s cutter fleet, which are designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s. (Source: Marine Link 10/02/18)

HII raises $20K for Special Olympics

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division raised $20,000 for Special Olympics of Mississippi at the company’s seventh annual “5K on the Causeway.” The race was held Sept. 29 on Singing River Island. More than 900 runners registered for the race. This year’s top male and female shipbuilders were Adam and Amanda Whitaker, a married couple who have worked at Ingalls for a combined 25 years. The overall 5K winner was Josh Pittman of Ocean Springs. Each 5K winner received a medal hand-designed by Special Olympics athletes. In May, Ingalls donated $5,000 to athletes at the 2018 Special Olympics of Mississippi Summer Games, which were held at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. (Source: HII 10/02/18)

Record 4 LNG tankers pass thru PC

Four liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers made their ways through the Panama Canal’s Neopanamax Locks in a single day (Oct. 1) marking a new milestone for the canal and its capacity to handle a growing demand from the U.S. Gulf Coast, where several new LNG export terminals are scheduled to begin operating in Louisiana. The vessels Ribera del Duero Knutsen, Maran Gas Pericles transited northbound, while Torben Spirit and Oceanic Breeze transited southward, facilitating international trade between customers in South Korea, Japan, Chile, and the U.S. Gulf Coast. The milestone bests the Panama Canal’s previous record set April 17 when three LNG vessels transited the waterway on the same day. (Source: Maritime Logistics Professional 10/02/18)

Hospital ship, NHP staff to deploy

The Navy's East Coast-based hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) will be leaving its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Va., on Oct. 11 for an 11-week deployment designed to ease the strain on Central and South American medical workers caused by millions of Venezuelans fleeing their country under the reign of President Nicolas Maduro. Comfort will travel between ports in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and Honduras, according to an announcement from the U.S. Southern Command. The deployment comes on the heels of an August visit to South America by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who announced Comfort's impending move as a humanitarian mission. The ship’s entire crew will include more than 200 American and partner-nation military doctors, nurses, and technicians and about 60 volunteers from non-governmental organizations. The medical team expects to treat some 750 patients a day at shore-based sites, and as many as 20 surgeries per day aboard ship. (Source: Virginian-Pilot 10/01/18) Gulf Coast Note: The Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., command will have 10 personnel deploying with USNS Comfort. The personnel include a pediatrician, family medicine provider, dentist, master-at-arms, electronics technician, information technician, culinary specialists, and a personnel specialist, according to NHP’s public affairs office.

Keesler med first to transition

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The 81st Medical Group at Keesler Air Force Base has officially transferred management and administration functions to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) on Oct. 2 in Phase 1 of a transition that will eventually include all Defense Department health care facilities. The Military Health System is conducting the transition in phases. The 81st MDG, along with hospitals and clinics at Fort Bragg, N.C.; Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.; Joint Base Charleston, S.C.; Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., in addition to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, are all part of Phase 1. The DHA will be responsible for all facilities budgetary matters, information technology, healthcare administration and management, administrative policy and procedure and military medical construction. “We look forward to the opportunity to transform military health care into a more integrated system which will lead to consistent, high-quality health care experiences for our patients,” said Air Force Col. Beatrice T. Dolihite, commander of the 81st MDG. The Keesler Medical Center is the first hospital in the AF to transition. The next phase of integration, which includes hospitals and clinics in the Eastern U.S., should be complete by Oct. 1, 2019. Subsequent phases, which include hospitals and clinics in the West, followed by overseas medical facilities, should be completed by Oct. 1, 2020, and Oct. 1, 2021, respectively. (Source: 81st Training Wing 10/02/18)

DISL’s inaugural ArtSeaLab fest

The inaugural three day ArtSeaLab Festival is scheduled for Oct. 26-28 at the Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab campus. Festivities include a culinary arts competition, outdoor arts and craft show, high school and middle school "Love Our Gulf" art competition, marine debris 3D art competition, eco-poetry community workshops, live folk demonstrations, performances, and children's art plus science activity tents. The ArtSeaLab Festival is collaboration between Alabama's Marine Science Consortium, DISL, and Art Does It (ADI), a non-profit arts organization. ArtSeaLab's mission is to enhance the relevance of science in our environment and how it relates to our eco-system promoting conservation of our natural resources, the preservation of our coastal habitat, our economy, and our way of life. If you are an artist/crafter/performer or community group interested in exhibiting or a potential arts event sponsor, please visit www.artsealab.org or call Lori Angelo (251) 861-2141 ext. 7010 at Langelo@disl.edu. (Source: DISL 010/01/18)

Bollinger promotes Kuehe

LOCKPORT, La. - Bollinger Shipyards announced Sept. 10 the promotion of Matthew Kuehne to General Manager of Bollinger Quick Repair. BQR is located on the Harvey Canal a half-mile west of the Mississippi River at the Harvey Locks. It is a full-service shipyard and provides service to both inland and offshore marine transportation sectors with five dry docks ranging from 1,500 tons to 3,400 tons, on-site machine shop, armature shop, propeller shop and access to all Bollinger support facilities. Kuehne is a 2007 graduate of the University of New Orleans. Bollinger Shipyards is a designer and builder of fast military patrol boats, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tug boats, rigs, lift-boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards. Bollinger has 10 shipyards located throughout Louisiana with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region. (Source: Bollinger 09/10/18)

Linhoos named NGI, GRI assistant

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Anna Linhoss, a Mississippi State University researcher with interests in hydrology, ecology, watershed management, climate change, and computational modeling and simulation, is being named assistant director of the university’s Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) and Geosystems Research Institute (GRI). Her new role will include collaboration with a multitude of research teams. NGI and GRI both operate under the umbrella of MSU’s Office of Research and Economic Development. Linhoss’ work has been recognized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; National Fish and Wildlife Federation; and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, among others. She has received 18 competitive research grants totaling $4M. Her background includes research projects in the Gulf of Mexico that concentrate on issues such as oyster reef restoration and preventing island erosion by examining the rate of sand erosion at Deer Island and mapping the flow of currents. In Florida’s Biscayne Bay, she studies how water quality affects algal blooms and the resulting environmental impacts to the ecosystem. (Source: MSU 10/01/18)

Hornbeck contract: $33.6M

Hornbeck Offshore Operators of Covington, La., was being awarded a $33,619,420 modification to the fixed-price portion of a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N6238715C2507) to exercise a one-year option period for the operation and maintenance of four modified offshore-supply vessels identified as T-AGSEs serving as blocking vessels in support of the Navy. The contract includes a 215-day base period, nine one-year option periods and one 150-day option period. Work for this option period will be performed at sea worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. Working Navy and Transportation funds in the amount of $33,619,420 are obligated at the time of award. The funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/29/18)

DoD backs off reduced payment plan

A Pentagon initiative to save taxpayer funds, by paying defense contractors less up-front for large weapons’ deals, has drawn the wrath of a pair of Republican lawmakers who say the scheme will hurt the military’s technological prowess. In a Sept. 24 letter to Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and Senate ASC Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) asked the Defense Department to not implement a proposed policy that cuts the amount of financing support contractors get in the early phases of a contract. The lawmakers’ letter called the proposal “fundamentally flawed” and saying it would cause DoD to fall behind on its national security technological dominance strategy. DoD has given contractors until Oct. 23 to submit comments on the proposal that it plans to implement year’s end. If implemented, the new rule would lower the amount of government funding defense contractors get from 80 percent to 50 percent. DoD wants to tie payments to certain performance measures, and put in new penalties for fraud. The Pentagon has been arguing for years it has been overpaying contractors because it never amended its financing rate when the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates after 2008, which would have made it easier for contractors to finance weapons development without subsidies. The new rules would save money and would reward good work more appropriately, DoD argues. Defense contractors reacted sharply to the proposal, with the three major defense industry associations unanimously opposing the rule. (Source: Washington Post 09/30/18) UPDATE: WASHINGTON - The Defense Department has backed off its proposal to reduce upfront monies paid to contractors of major weapons systems. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said Oct. 1 that the decision to withdraw the proposed acquisition changes stemmed from a lack of “coordination” inside the department. (Source: The Associated Press 10/01/18)