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U.S. Navy Status Report-as of autumn 2011

2012-01-24T20:32:00.000-08:00

As of autumn 2011,the U.S. Navy had 325,123 personnel on active duty,along with 103,015 in the Ready Reserve.The Department of the Navy employed 203,952 civilian personnel.
The Navy's battle force consisted of 286 vessels,including eleven aircraft carriers and their Carrier Strike Groups,as well as 48 attack submarines and the 14 ballistic missile submarines in the strategic deterrent force.
There were more than 3700 aircraft in the Navy's operational inventory.
The Navy,along with the other armed forces,is gravely concerned about the prospect of the arbitrary spending cuts Congress has set in motion for 2013.These would significantly damage the Navy's global reach and missions across the board.Senator John McCain(R-Arizona)and others are working to halt this sequestration process brought about by budgetary gridlock.
Congress is not bound by this-it's something we passed;we can reverse it,Senator McCain insisted.The former presidential candidate was a Navy officer and POW during the Vietnam War.

Navy Construction Workers Help Young Family

2012-01-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

A convoy of U.S. Navy Seabees,the service's legendary construction battalions,happened across an horrific wreck on California 101,north of Santa Barbara,on Thursday.A semi truck had rear-ended a BMW sedan driven by Kelly Lynn Groves,36,a first grade teacher,who was accompanied by her two daughters,Sage,10, and Mila,10 months.The impact crunched the car to practically nothing and pushed it over a concrete retaining wall,leaving first responders with a very precarious task.
The semi truck had careened off the highway and plunged 100 feet into a ravine below,killing the truck driver.As the firefighters and others attempted to rescue the young family in the BMW,it kept slipping little by little over the edge,threatening the mother and daughters with the same fate as the truck driver,Charles Allison.
Incredibly,a convoy of Navy Seabees,clad in their camouflage uniforms,arrived by chance exactly when they were needed,with exactly what was needed-a heavy duty forklift with a telescoping arm.The forklift can lift up to 11,000 pounds.They managed to stabilize the vehicle with it so the first responders could extract Ms.Groves and her girls.
One of the Seabees explained that they are trained to adapt and overcome any obstacle.They once again proved that they are fully capable of doing just that.
The Seabees have a base at Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme,which is part of Naval Base Ventura County.It is the West Coast homeport of the Seabees.The name "Seabees" is derived from "C.B.s,"for "Construction Battalions."

The Bluebird,A North American Favorite

2012-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:00

An Eastern Bluebird family of four has been noted along the Pennsylvania-Maryland border.Such a sighting is fairly common in open woods and farms.Bluebirds,which are cavity nesters,stay in the Mid-Atlantic region year-round.It's probably the parents and their two young of the year.
The three bluebird species of North America are some of the most popular birds.There are Western and Mountain Bluebirds as well as Eastern.You really can't mistake them for anything else.As Thoreau noted,they carry the sky on their backs.On a cloudy day,however,they may well go undetected by humans rushing around.Their plumage isn't so obvious in low light conditions.
At this time of year,the bluebird family is looking for berries to eat,as insects are in short supply.The little Asian pears,which are just pits covered by a very thin layer of fruit,are also sustaining them.Their two-note call is often given on the wing.
Building a trail of bluebird boxes has become one of the leading scout and nature center projects.

Air-Sea Battle Concept Moves Forward

2012-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

With the establishment of the Air-Sea Battle Office on 12 August 2011,which was subsequently announced on 9 November,the U.S. Navy,Marine Corps and Air Force have begun an era of unprecedented collaboration and integration.In response to a recent Quadrennial Defense Review,the office has been stood up by the Pentagon to integrate air and naval combat capabilities in support of emerging national security requirements.
The Air-Sea Battle concept is being developed to counter anti-access/area denial challenges posed by global proliferation of a range of advanced military technologies,including conventional ballistic missiles;long-range precision cruise missiles;advanced integrated air and missile defense systems;electronic and cyber warfare capabilities;submarines;surface warships;and advanced combat aircraft.
The Air-Sea Battle Office will do this by facilitating interservice coordination;influencing war games;fostering development and integration of air and naval capabilities;and collaborating with the joint forces.Furthermore,the ASBO will foster the integration of acquisition strategies and the conceptual approach to warfare as warfighters counter these emerging A2/AD threats.ASBO will ensure the defense of U.S. and allied interests and sustain stability and freedom throughout the global commons.
The joint forces concept has been developing for many years,but has recently been accelerated by both economic necessity and strategic reality.

Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet

2012-01-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet

Weirdly Warm:South Central Pennsylvania's Shuttered Ski Resorts

2011-12-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

Liberty Mountain,Roundtop Mountain and Whitetail Resorts have yet to open so much as one trail.It has simply been too warm and wet.Not only has it not snowed;it hasn't been possible to make snow,either.The target maximum temperature of 28 degrees F has been frequently exceeded.
Skiers are getting impatient,asking the resorts by Tweet just when they plan to open this year.All they've been able to reply is that they don't know,but there will surely be some skiing eventually.As long as a stubborn jet stream keeps the Arctic air bottled up in Canada,there won't be any relief for them.The local economy will continue to miss the business the skiers bring up from D.C. and Baltimore,as well as close-in towns in Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland.
The three resorts are owned by Snow Time,Inc.,a privately held firm based in York,Pennsylvania.They have a four season business model,offering golf,along with wedding and conference amenities,as well as fly fishing.Given ski seasons like this one,it's a good thing they do.
Tuesday saw torrential rain pelt the resorts,but the company says Wednesday night is forecasted to be ideal for snowmaking,with temperatures in the low 20s F.Next week is looking even better,with the prospect for several consecutive nights of 25 degrees F or below as an Arctic blast buffets the region.
Update:All three resorts have now opened for skiing and snowboarding on limited terrain.There is no top of the mountain access or tubing as of yet.Expect rudimentary quality conditions-at least until next week,when Arctic air will be drifting in.

Operation New Dawn Concludes As Colors Return From Iraq

2011-12-20T19:42:00.000-08:00

The colors of U.S. Forces Iraq-the unit's flags-arrived home on Tuesday,carried by the last troops to return from Operation New Dawn,General Lloyd J. Austin III,U.S. Army,commander,and his staff.The soldiers flew to Joint Base Andrews,Maryland,where they were greeted by President Barack Obama;Vice President Joe Biden;Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey,U.S. Army;and Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter,as well as the returning soldiers' families.
In a brief address to mark the occasion,General Austin,who is incidentally one of the highest ranking African Americans in the U.S. Army,declared that U.S. Forces Iraq has accomplished its mission.I am proud to safely return our colors to the United States of America.They have safely been passed from commander to commander.
A significant number of our troops answered the call after 9-11.Many of them have re-enlisted.What our troops achieved is truly remarkable.They removed a brutal dictator and gave the Iraqi people their freedom.
Success in Iraq cannot be soley defined as a military effort.Thank you to all of our State Department comrades who are here with us today.
The general went on to thank our Gold Star families-those who lost family members in the war-for their sacrifice,and also the great American public for their care packages and letters-often sent to soldiers they didn't even know.It was a big boost to morale.
Finally,the general thanked our military men and women who served in Iraq.I am truly humbled by your many sacrifices.Thank you for a job extremely well done,General Austin said emphatically.
Genral Austin goes on to be Vice Chief of Staff,U.S. Army.The colors will eventually be put on display.
Members of all five branches of the U.S. military served in the Iraq War:Army,Marine Corps,Navy,Air Force and Coast Guard.

Reality T.V.,Coast Guard Style

2011-12-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

The Weather Channel has been exploiting the U.S. Coast Guard for its own purposes of generating ratings and making a profit.The question is,is the Coast Guard getting a fair amount in return?
"Coast Guard Alaska" documents life at the Kodiak air station in seven 60 minute episodes.It does make for compelling viewing.For human interest,it's hard to top search and rescue,which the Kodiak Island unit appears to spend most of its time on.Even those who really aren't interested in the Coast Guard as an institution,nor understand the service fully,will be drawn in by the life and death situations which are the bread and butter of this particular outpost.The documentary has the added virtue of being amenable to the viewing habits of many of TWC's viewers,who mainly watch the channel in short snippets to-let's face it-get the local forecast on the way out the door or in airport lounges and hotel rooms.You can watch the episodes rescue by rescue,since the events are sufficiently self-explanatory. In short,the show is a winner for TWC.As to whether the Coast Guard is winning equally is more difficult to quantify.Ultimately,the service's leadership will have to ponder that one and render the appropriate decision.
The Weather Channel's goal is to reward its investors through profitable entertainment.The Coast Guard's goal is neither to entertain nor to make a profit,but to preserve the homeland security of the United States through its various missions.
The Weather Channel is co-owned by NBC Universal,Bain Capital and The Blackstone Group,L.P.In turn,NBC Universal is co-owned by Comcast and General Electric."Coast Guard Alaska" is a production of Al Roker Entertainment,whose CEO is the popular NBC personality.
The Weather Channel is seen by more than 100 million U.S. viewers.Other TWC long-form original content series include "Twist of Fate" and "From the Edge with Peter Lik."

DIA Honored With Joint Meritorious Unit Award

2011-12-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

The Defense Intelligence Agency,a Pentagon organization that provides strategic military intelligence to warfighters and defense policy makers,received a Joint Meritorious Unit Award,or JMUA,from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at a 13 October ceremony.The award,the eighth in the agency's history,was given for exceptional achievement during the period of August 1,2008 to July 31,2011.
The extraordinary dedication of agency personnel was directly responsible for the identification,pursuit and capture or death of key adversaries,as well as the provision of vital information essential to maintaining our national security,the award citation said.
Within the past year,the agency helped manage emerging threats related to North Korean aggression against South Korea;the Arab Spring;and the Libya crisis;as well,a DIA team supported humanitarian and disaster relief to Japan following the tsunami and nuclear disaster at Fukushima.Agency teams are frequently deployed with military and interagency partners to defend U.S. national security interests.
The award device,a streamer,was attached to the DIA flag by Mr.Panetta and DIA Director Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess,Jr.,U.S. Army.Looking on was James Clapper,Director of National Intelligence.
The DIA has more than 16,500 military and civilian personnel worldwide.The agency is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Iranian Students Ransack British Embassy

2011-11-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

In a move that has haunting echoes for Americans,a crowd of Iranian students rushed the British Embassy in Tehran on Tuesday evening,vandalising the premises and terrorising diplomats and their families.Unable to break the lock on the compound's iron gate,the activists just climbed over it.Once inside,they trashed documents and set fires,burning the Union Jack and raising a Shiite banner.Chanting "Death to England,"they took hostages,whom they later released.
A British residential compound was stormed in the fracas.Iranian security forces did little to stop the intruders.The British Foreign Office expressed outrage and condemned the incident.The student mob was linked to the Basij plainclothes militia.
The U.K. has recently joined Canada and the U.S. in imposing sanctions on Iranian banks to thwart Iran's suspected nuclear weapons development programme.
In 1979,a similar group of students attacked the U.S. Embassy in Tehran,seizing dozens of American hostages and holding them for 444 days.March 2007 saw the Iranians seize 15 British Sailors and Marines,accusing them of violating Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf,which the U.K. denied.They were released after two tense weeks in captivity.

Middle East:A Consolidation of Forces

2011-11-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

Given recent trends,the next decade in the Middle East may see a consolidation of the current strategic reality in the region.Driven by a need to counterbalance Iran,Saudi Arabia has embarked on a significant defence buildup that will considerably solidify its pre-eminent military stature among the Gulf States.The new Saudi defence minister,Prince Salman bin Abdul-Aziz,is presiding over the project following the October death of his predecessor,Prince Sultan.
According to The Washington Post,the Saudis will basically double their military capabilities in both hardware and manpower.The army and national guard will grow by a combined 175,000 troops;the navy will buy more than 30 billion dollars of new ships and missiles;the air force will purchase another 450-500 aircraft;and the interior ministry will augment police and special forces by 60,000 personnel.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for a dramatic intensification of sanctions against Iran.He considers Iran a grave and growing threat to international security.
In Southwest Asia,the Afghan government has been authorised by a special assembly to negotiate with the U.S. for a substantial U.S. military presence in the country beyond the current withdrawal date of 2014.The Afghans will seek an end to night raids by U.S. forces,however,which they see as unnecessarily risky.
This Afghan policy stands in stark contrast to that of Iraq,which couldn't muster enough support to keep U.S. troops beyond the end of this year.The U.S. is looking at its options for shifting some of the soldiers to Kuwait and other allied states in the region.

Sapsucker Winter Visitor

2011-11-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

The yellow-bellied sapsucker has been seen wintering in the lower elevations of the Mid-Atlantic region,fond of the parks,woodlots and suburbs that are abundant there.It is always a bird of open woods,breeding from Canada and Alaska south through much of the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains,and around the Great Lakes,in boreal and transition forests.
About 21 centimeters long,or 8 and a half inches,this nearly silent woodpecker has mottled black and white plumage with dull yellow on its belly and a splash of red on the crown and throat-females are red only on the throat.It is known for the neat rows of holes it drills in tree bark,from which it drinks sap with its tongue and eats insects caught in the sap.
A woodsman may be busily working in the forest,only to catch a pleasant glimpse of this attractive northern creature,which seems to calmly accept humans who are performing legitimate tasks.The sapsucker expects people to be working around its home.Since it favors working forests and their scattered clearings,it doesn't have a problem with the woodland laborer.

Twilight of the USS Enterprise

2011-11-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

In a few years,the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier,the USS Enterprise(CVN 65)will be decommissioned.From that date until 2015,the U.S. Navy will be short an aircraft carrier.In 2015,the USS Gerald R Ford will join the fleet,bringing the number of carriers back to 11.
The Enterprise was commissioned on 25 November,1961.Since then,she has served in every major combat operation.Originally built to last 25 years,through excellent maintenance the ship will soon surpass 50 years of service life.So far,more than 100,000 Sailors and Marines have served on her.The Big E is the second oldest ship in the fleet after the wooden-hulled USS Constitution.
The Big E was last deployed on 13 January,2011 in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean.On that cruise with her strike group of a Carrier Air Wing,guided missile cruiser and three guided missile destroyers,she participated in operations which captured 75 Somali pirates and launched missile strikes against the repressive Gaddafi regime in Libya.
The Enterprise has one or two more deployments ahead of her.A deployment typically lasts about six months.In 2013,the ship will be decommissioned,then deactivated and defueled at Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News,Virginia.It is uncertain whether the Enterprise can become a museum following this massive and unprecedented safing process,which will involve dismantling much of the warship.
Huntington Ingalls Industries(HII)

Defense Secretary Warns Iran

2011-11-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a warning to Iran and others not to miscalculate over the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.For Iran and anybody else who has any other ideas,let me make clear that the United States maintains 40,000 troops in that region;23,000 in Kuwait,and numbers of others in countries throughout that region,Mr.Panetta stated while on an Asian trip last week.
Almost all U.S. forces will be withdrawn out of Iraq by 31 December on orders by President Obama.The only exceptions will be a small cadre of U.S. Marines who guard the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad-the largest U.S. Embassy in the world-as well as a small number to help with arms transactions with Iraq.
As well as maintaining those U.S. troops currently stationed in the Persian Gulf region outside of Iraq,the Pentagon is reportedly considering transferring some of the soldiers now in Iraq to neighboring Kuwait,The New York Times ascertained.The U.S. Navy may also keep more warships in the region.A Pentagon spokesman said they're going through a range of options and no decisions have been made.
The vacuum created by U.S. withdrawal from Iraq is a growing concern for America's Sunni Muslim Persian Gulf allies,who are wary of more Iranian Shiite Muslim influence in the region.

Admiral James Stavridis Honored

2011-10-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

Admiral James G. Stavridis,U.S. Navy,and the U.S. Armed Forces received the Athenagoras Human Rights Award at the New York Hilton on 15 October.The award was presented by Archbishop Demetrios,Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Western Hemisphere,and Dr.Anthony Limberakis,National Commander of the Order of St.Andrew the Apostle,Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.The award is presented to one who exemplifies in word and deed the commitment to liberty.
In his acceptance,Admiral Stavridis,who leads the NATO defense alliance as Supreme Allied Commander Europe(SACEUR),a post once held by President Dwight D. Eisenhower,recalled his father from Asia Minor and the values he imparted,including pride in their Hellenic heritage.It is the duty of the strong to protect the weak,the admiral observed.We live in an imperfect world in which human rights sadly are not the norm.
Also attending the awards banquet were the Honorable Dr.Suzan Johnson Cook,U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom;ABC Chief Political Correspondent George Stephanopoulos,Master of Ceremonies;and Fox News Chief Congressional Correspondent Mike Emmanuel,who introduced those seated on the dais.The latter two are Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate-a Greek Orhtodox distinction similar to being Knights of Columbus.
Patriarch Bartholomew is the current Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch,the spiritual leader of all Orthodox Christians.He is based in Istanbul,Turkey.

Marines Exercise Near Controversial Islands

2011-10-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

Six Asian countries,including China and the Philippines,lay claim to some of the Spratly Islands.Nonetheless,U.S. and Philippine Marines are holding two weeks of military exercises near the disputed islands.Some 3,000 troops are participating.The most sensitive exercise will be a mock raid by the forces to capture a hostile beach head on the South China Sea.
A U.S. Marine Corps spokesman denied the exercises were aimed at a specific country;they are merely intended to improve regional security capability.
The Spratlys are part of a vast archipelago of more than 750 islands,reefs and atolls off the Philppine and Malaysian coasts in the South China Sea,which China considers to be its territorial waters.The international community doesn't agree with China's expansive concept.
The Spratlys consist of only four square kilometers of land,but the archipelago is flung across more than 425 square kilometers of sea.
The Spratlys are considered important as way marks for territorial claims on natural resources believed to be in and under the South China Sea,including fisheries and oil and gas.A number of the islands are patrolled by small military units of China;Vietnam;Taiwan;Malaysia;and the Philippines,as a way to assert these claims.This has resulted in minor armed clashes over the past thirty years.

Findings From The Edge:Brookhaven National Laboratory

2011-10-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

Located on a 5200 acre site 60 miles east of New York City in Upton,Long Island,Brookhaven National Laboratory does basic and applied research in long term,high-risk programs at the frontiers of science to develop advanced technologies that address national needs,transferring them to other organizations and the commercial sector.Its staff of 3,000 scientists,engineers,technicians and support personnel host over 4,000 guest researchers annually and carry out the strategic missions of the Department of Energy.
BNL's major programs include Nuclear and high energy physics;Physics and chemistry of materials;Environmental and energy research;Nonproliferation;Neuroscience and medical imagery;and Structural biology.
The Nonproliferation and National Security Department has developed the Conceptual Design of Safeguards,the first systematic nuclear materials safeguard system that integrates material control and accountability;physical protection;and records and reporting.
The NND has also developed international nuclear safeguards and expanded into technology for counter-terrorism;critical infrastructure protection;and advanced detection development and testing.It has a special interest in Material Protection Control and Accountability in Russia and the Newly Independent States.
Ironically,BNL may now be applying some of these findings to its own activities as an investigation and procedural review have been prompted by a minor radiation leak from a monitor testing device on 28 September.Radiological operations were stood down pending completion of the inquest.

US Coast Guard: Deepwater Horizon Wreckage Isn't Source Of Gulf Sheen -Source

2011-10-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

US Coast Guard: Deepwater Horizon Wreckage Isn't Source Of Gulf Sheen -Source

Destroyer Joins The Fleet

2011-10-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

The granddaughter of a great World War II commander,Admiral Raymond Ames Spruance,participated in the sunset commissioning of an Arleigh Burke class destroyer,the USS Spruance(DDG 111),on Saturday 1 October in Key West,Florida.Ellen Spruance Holscher,Sponsor of the new ship,ordered the 285-member crew to man the ship and bring her to life,at which they ran up the gangways in their dress whites.Ms.Holscher had also taken part in the ship's christening on 5 June,helping to smash a bottle of champagne against the bow.
General Dynamics built the warship at its Bath Iron Works in Maine.Commander Tate Westbrook is her commanding officer.
The ship is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles;a 5-inch gun;25mm machine gun;and torpedo tubes.It also carries two MH60-R helicopters.
Admiral Spruance led naval forces in the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
Several other of this type of destroyer are under construction or in the planning phase.

Coast Guard Puts Transocean On Notice

2011-09-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a Notice of Federal Intent to Transocean,owner of the abandoned Deepwater Horizon oil rig,which now sits on the ocean floor near BP's capped Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico.The notice informs a party it may be liable for cleanup costs and damages under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.The Coast Guard recently spotted a number of sheens on the ocean's surface near the site of the crippled rig and well,which caused a catastrophic oil spill in April 2010.
Captain Johnathan Burton,commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Morgan City,said the notice is part of the Coast Guard's process whenever there is an oil sighting that cannot be immediately attributed to a specific source.The Coast Guard said the oil sheens may be leaking from a severed pipe that once connected the rig to the well.This riser pipe now lies twisted on the ocean floor.
Both Transocean and BP said they will cooperate with the Coast Guard's investigation of the sheens,but pointed fingers at each other as the potentially liable party.In late August,a BP submarine survey of the area showed no leakage from the Macondo well itself.The well was capped on 15 July,2010 and permanently sealed on 19 September of that year.
Enforcing environmental laws and responding to oil spills are some of the Coast Guard's core missions.It played a key role in assessing,investigating and mitigating the Macondo well spill.

Bridges To Somewhere:Thespian Family Receive Navy Memorial Honor

2011-09-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Bridges family,who have lent their talents to American dramatic arts for over 60 years,are receiving the U.S. Navy Memorial's Lone Sailor Award on September 22 in Washington,D.C.The late Lloyd Bridges and his two sons,Beau and Jeff,will be saluted for their decades of service to country and community.All three are U.S. Coast Guard veterans.
Lloyd Bridges,who died in 1998,served in the Coast Guard from 1941-45;Beau Bridges served in the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserves from1959-1967;Jeff Bridges followed with his service in the Coast Guard and USCGR from 1967-75.It's a fact that may surprise many of their fans.One doesn't necessarily associate Hollywood with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The family has several hundred television,record and film credits to their name,from Lloyd's hit TV series Sea Hunt(1958-61)to Beau's Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Award for "An Inconvenient Truth"(1989) and Jeff's Best Actor Oscar for his role in "Crazy Heart"(2009).
Beau and Jeff also have a sister,Lucinda Bridges.
Lloyd Bridges received an Honorary Commodore Award from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary,11th Coast Guard District Los Angeles.Son Beau served aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dexter(WHEC-385).
Also receiving the Lone Sailor honor for 2011 are baseball legends Jerry Coleman and Bob Feller,who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy,respectively;as well as Brian Lamb,C-Span founder and U.S. Navy veteran.

Nature Note:Moth Resembles Tree Bark

2011-09-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

I noted a triangular moth resting on the sliding screen door of my home.Taking a closer look,I observed it was beautifully camouflaged as gray tree bark.It was an epione underwing,a forest moth that ranges from Quebec west to Minnesota and south to Florida,Texas and Oklahoma.When startled,the epione underwing drops to the ground.
The adults are abroad from August to September,having emerged from pupae in leaf litter.The eggs are laid on tree trunks in the early autumn and then hatch in the spring.The epione underwing caterpillars favor the leaves of shagbark hickory trees.
There is probably one generation of this moth a year.It was first described by the British entomologist Dru Drury in 1773.Drury lived from 1725-1803 in London.His collection had at least 11,000 species.The son of a prosperous goldsmith,three species were named in his honor by fellow entomologists.

Frigate Visits Mauritius On Goodwill Trip

2011-09-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

The USS Samuel B. Roberts(FFG 58) arrived in Port Louis,Mauritius on 5 September for an eight day goodwill port visit.The ship's crew will be strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and exercises in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa,which is part of the mission of U.S. Africa Command.
Besides on board training in damage control;fire fighting;search and rescue;and electrical maintenance,the crew will undertake a community service project at a children's school and play a soccer match with the Mauritius coast guard.It is FFG 58's fifth East Africa port visit in the past seven weeks.Prior to that,the frigate was engaged in maritime security operations and theater security cooperation in the U.S. 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility.
Homeported in Mayport,Florida,FFG 58 is an Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate.These frigates have a complement of 17 officers and 198 enlisted personnel.
Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean.Its closest neighbors are Reunion and Madagascar.

Irene,Katia and Isabel:Nature's Tropical Blowhards

2011-08-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

Mariners and Mid-Atlantic residents are warily observing another tropical system developing,even as the region busily cleans up after the previous one.As of Tuesday evening,Hurricane Irene had killed 43 people,and three million were still without power.A thousand roads were blocked in Connecticut,and water rescues continued.The storm's cost was up to seven billion dollars,and Mid-Atlantic agriculture was taking a blow as well,with 30,000 chickens perishing in Maryland,while New Jersey's significant blueberry crop was damaged.
Hurricane Irene wasn't the worst tropical system we have seen.It will go down as a moderately destructive event;but if you are in one of the eleven towns that remain isolated by flooded or crumbled roadways,it will indeed seem one of the worst to you personally.
Far out in the Atlantic,just off the coast of West Africa,another unwelcome guest is making its way towards us.Tropical Storm Katia is just beginning its path of mayhem,and could be a hurricane by Wednesday.
Sometimes hurricanes occur in patterns,revisiting the same area for an extended period.That would be the worst case scenario for the Mid-Atlantic,which until Irene had not seen a hurricane landfall since Isabel,a Cape Verde storm like the new Katia,struck in September 2003,leaving 51 deaths and 4.3 billion dollars of inflation-adjusted damage in its wake.
Update:Katia has now been upgraded to a hurricane,with top winds of 75 mph.It is located just east of the Leeward Islands.It will be days before its course can be ascertained.
The death toll from Irene was 45 as of Wednesday evening.The damage estimate was over 12 billion dollars.Just over two million remained without power,and food was scarce in some towns.Rescues continued.
All New Jersey rivers were receding,but the Passaic was still a roaring rapids.More than 24 feet above flood stage,the river inundated Wallington.The Passaic drains Northern New Jersey,which had its wettest August on record even before Irene.
In Vermont,the National Guard delivered relief supplies.Road access was restored to all but one community.A base lodge was destroyed by a swollen creek at the Killington ski resort,and several other businesses in the state were ruined by the flooding.

Historic Church Sustains Damage In Earthquake

2011-08-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Historic Church Sustains Damage In Earthquake