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From Left to Right: LT Matt White, LT David Bloore, CAPT Amy Burin, CDR Baldomero Garcia, ASN RDA The Honoarable Sean Stackley

Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and

Acquisition Sean Stackley visited SSC Atlantic Feb. 6. During a town hall meeting that was broadcast to all center sites, he shared his perspective from working inside the Beltway, and took questions from the audience. He also toured the data center on the Charleston campus, and took part in a small business roundtable in town.

“I want to have a dialog with employees to find out what’s working, what’s not working, and what we can do better,” the assistant secretary said at the start of the town hall meeting.

He discussed the challenging budget situation being felt in the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, the nation and all over the world. These fiscal challenges have required a long-term focus on the health and welfare of the government workforce and a careful mapping of the nation’s technical industrial base.

“Our nation’s superiority at sea and in theater is based on the technical superiority that resides in our warfare centers and system commands,” Stackley said. That’s why attracting,

Training and retaining people with the skill sets needed to ensure our nation’s technical superiority is paramount, he added.

Mr. Sean Stackley Stresses Technical Skills of the Workforce

https://wwwa.nko.navy.mil/portal/edo/home/comPADRES

8 April 2014

Inside This Issue 1 Stackley Stresses

Technical Skills of the Workforce

2 Navy Communications

Satellite Program – One Step Closer to Delivering a New Capability

4 “A Taste of Diversity” at

SCC LANT 6 ENDURING

PARTNERSHIP...BUILDING CAPACITY Enhancing the Royal Saudi Naval Forces future C4I capabilities

7 US, Romania begin work

on Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Complex

9 Notes from the Editor

2

To be more effective and efficient in delivering capability to the warfighter, Pentagon leaders have been identifying exactly what each warfare center and systems center is responsible for, and the functional and critical skills required at those centers. Last year’s guidance on work acceptance ensures they are working in those areas. Any work done for other customers has to contribute to the center’s core competency, he said.

“We have a core responsibility to be the technical experts of the systems we field. As far as IT technical authority goes, you are it,” he said.

“We’ve got to make sure we do it right, with the right amount of oversight, technical authority and technical expertise,” he said.

“You have to be the subject matter expert on your systems. We will not win the next war just by using large numbers of people. We will win it with great technology. You are that arm,” Stackley told the SSC Atlantic listeners. “When warfighters go into harm’s way, they depend on the technical systems you are providing to protect them and give them the edge,” he said.

Navy Communications Satellite Program – One Step Closer to Delivering a New Capability By LCDR Michael Aiena and Joe Willis The second Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-2) satellite successfully completed a 30 day drift through space culminating in an on-time arrival at its Continental United States operational slot in a slightly inclined orbit over the equator on January 9, 2014. A series of burns designed to induce a drift rate of approximately 3° per day initiated the relocation maneuver. A team of satellite engineers from the Naval Satellite Operations Center (NAVSOC), the Navy Communications Satellite Program Office (PMW 146), Lockheed Martin, and General Dynamics closely monitored MUOS-2 to ensure a successful finish to the relocation sequence, courtesy of a few well executed “stopping” burns. MUOS is a narrowband military satellite communications system that supports a worldwide, multi-service population of users in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band, providing increased communications capabilities to smaller terminals while supporting interoperability with legacy systems. MUOS is designed to support users

MUOS-2 Satellite (Ready for Launch Vehicle Integration)

that require greater mobility, higher data rates and improved operational availability. The MUOS program includes a satellite constellation of four operational satellites plus one on-orbit spare, a ground control and network management system and a new commercial cellphone like Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) waveform for user terminals.

MUOS-2 Launch (19 July 2013)

After launch on July 19, 2013, MUOS-2 underwent a rigorous On Orbit Test period verifying the operational status of the satellite bus, which provides power and other host services to the payload. Upon completion of the On Orbit Test period, the Navy took operational control of the satellite from the prime contractor during the Handover-2 ceremony and commenced relocation of MUOS-2 to its CONUS location. The Navy also accepted three of the four MUOS ground sites located at Wahiawa, Hawaii; Geraldton, Australia; and Northwest Annex, Virginia at the Handover-2 milestone. The EDOs supporting PMW 146 are CAPT Joe Kan, MUOS Program Manager; and LCDR Mike Aiena, APM for Launch and Mission Operations. CDR Chris DeSena, MUOS Contracting Officer Representative & Principle APM; and CDR Matt Bohlin, Terminal Integration & Test Lead, are Aviation Engineering Duty Officers. Rounding out the military personnel in the program are the APM for Integrated Logistics Services, CDR (S) Paul Benishek, Supply Corps; and LTC Rodger Pitt (US Army), Launch and Mission Operations Division Director. LTC Pitt, the Army Liaison, supports the joint mission aspect of MUOS. BEAT ARMY! Next up for MUOS-2 is an OT&E period later in 2014. This event must be successfully completed before MUOS-2 can be delivered for use by the Operational Community. The PMW 146 team remains proud of its many accomplishments over the last 2 years to include placing the first two MUOS satellites into geosynchronous orbit. However, the team is leaning forward to deliver the remaining three satellites and Niscemi, Italy ground site to support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines around the world. Until next time….GO MUOS!!!

“A Taste of Diversity” at SCC LANT By: Holly Quick

The Office of Equal Employment Opportunity

and Diversity Management sponsored SSC Atlantic’s “A Taste of Diversity” event Dec. 3 to recognize and celebrate individuals of diverse backgrounds, and to educate employees about various cultures. A panel discussion, informational displays, musicians and dancers, and sampling of ethnic foods gave attendees a taste of the different cultures represented.

CDR Baldomero Garcia during the panel discussion

Commanding Officer Capt. Amy D. Burin welcomed attendees via video, since she was unable to attend in person, and Acting Executive Director Dave Monahan discussed the importance of diversity. Members of a diversity panel of SSC Atlantic employees and community participants answered questions about workplace recruitment efforts, retention and inclusion of individuals of different backgrounds.

Linda Ward moderates the panel discussion

Panelists and the groups they represented included:

• African American Heritage: Amanda

Patterson-Womble, SSC Atlantic Council of Supervisors chair

• Disability Employment: Thomas Sessions, electrical engineer (code 5944)

• Hispanic Heritage: Cmdr. Baldomero Garcia, SSC Atlantic deputy chief engineer

• Asian Pacific Islander Heritage: Hahn Chau, senior contracting officer (code 2243)

• Women’s History: Crystalyn Bragg, assistant human resources director — Trident Technical College

• Native American Indian Heritage: Teresa Gore, founder of the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of South Carolina

Solomon Nkwocha guides guests through a room of African- American cultural displays

The second part of the event was more interactive. Attendees were guided through rooms of displays about different cultures and sampled ethnic foods while dancers and musicians demonstrated performance arts from their cultures.

Guest sample ethnic foods

The intent of the event, which celebrates the uniqueness and value of different cultures and backgrounds, was to increase attendees’ appreciation for the wealth of diversity among SSC Atlantic employees.

ENDURING PARTNERSHIP...BUILDING CAPACITY

Enhancing the Royal Saudi Naval Forces future C4I capabilities

By: LCDR Samuel Hallock United States Military Training Mission to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Engineering and C4I Advisor The United States Military Training Mission (USMTM) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is the largest Security Assistance Organization in the world. Established by the 1977 Accords, the organization traces its roots to the historic 1945 meeting of President Roosevelt and King Abdul-Aziz aboard the Cruiser USS Quincy. As the Engineering and C4I advisor to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) I had the privilege of assisting in the negotiation and delivery of a critical Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for increasing the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) capability of the RSNF. When signed, this LOA will establish a new $240M FMS (Foreign Military Sales) case between the U.S. Military and KSA. This is the first piece of a greater $1.1B “C4I Road Map” that will see the RSNF expand from a limited C4I interoperability (seen below)

Limited as there are only a few lines between nodes and no cool “lightening bolts”

To expanded C4I interoperability

Enhanced as there are more lines between nodes

and “lightening bolts” . . . clearly a superior architecture

This new LOA represents a significant step forward for the RSNF as well as increased interoperability with U.S. and coalition forces within the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. This interoperability is critical in maintaining our partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Daily Attire

My position as an in-Kingdom advisor has been a very engaging and rewarding tour thus far. The billet requires daily interaction with many Saudi counterparts (from LT to RADM), NAVCENT/CENTOM, NAVSEA, and SPAWAR personnel and lots of forethought and self-reliance. The Kingdom itself is a bit of a culture shock as it is quite different from other Gulf nations such as Bahrain, Oman, and Dubai, but a very engaging culture. The personnel daily interactions are perhaps the most important aspect of the position, as the culture values knowing you on an individual level and only once a relationship has been establish can work can commence.

Taking in some culture

"Tactical Mustache"

US, Romania begin work on Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Complex Vince Little, USACE Public Affairs

Oct. 28, 2013: VADM James D. Syring, MDA Director, Romanian President Traian Basescu, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Miller, and Romanian Minister of Defense Mircea Dusa ceremoniously shovel the dirt to break ground for the Aegis Ashore missile defense site at Deveselu Air Base Romania.

Oct. 28, 2013: VADM James D. Syring, MDA Director, Romanian President Traian Basescu, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Miller, and Romanian Minister of Defense Mircea Dusa ceremoniously shovel the dirt to break

ground for the Aegis Ashore missile defense site at Deveselu Air Base in Romania. Top U.S., Romanian and NATO officials broke ground Monday on a new ballistic missile defense facility being built to boost regional stability and strengthen the alliance's collective security stance. The high-profile ceremony signaled the start of construction for the Aegis Ashore complex, the second stage of the three-part European Phased Adaptive Approach to ballistic missile defense. It follows the September 2011 accord between the United States and Romania to establish a site here for land-based SM-3 interceptors. The U.S. facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2015. Romanian President Traian Basescu, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy James Miller, Romanian Minister of National Defense Mircea Dusa, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Frank Rose and Vice Adm. James D. Syring, the Missile Defense Agency director, were among the senior leaders at Monday's groundbreaking event. "This is a historic occasion," Vershbow told the audience. "Missile threats to alliance territory and

populations are real and growing. NATO's defense against these threats must be real, too. And it must be able to grow and adapt as the threat evolves. That's the approach we are taking at NATO." U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe District is managing the project. A Romanian contractor, SC Glacial PROD SRL, conducted site-activation work in advance totaling $3.3 million. It constructed temporary facilities on the base, including offices, container housing units, a warehouse and vehicle inspection area. In July, USACE awarded a $134 million contract to KBR Inc., which will cover all construction, security fencing and storage, infrastructure maintenance and support services for Aegis Ashore. Europe District officials said a contract for the construction of Navy support facilities and infrastructure could be awarded in early 2014. Col. Peter Helmlinger, the Europe District commander, presented USACE's traditional groundbreaking plaque to Rear Adm. Jack Scorby, commander of Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia. "A groundbreaking ceremony symbolizes the partnership among the organizations that will be coordinating on a project," Helmlinger said. "The No. 1 priority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and chief of engineers is to support (Combatant Commands) and warfighters. ... Our role is critical, along with our partners, to ensure the success of this project." Officials say the U.S. and its European NATO allies face a growing threat posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles, particularly from the Middle East. Global trends indicate the systems are becoming more flexible, mobile, durable, reliable and accurate, while also increasing in range. Regional actors continue to develop long-range missiles that can threaten the U.S. and Europe. "The facility here in Deveselu will be a crucial component in building up NATO's overall ballistic missile defense system," Vershbow said. "This will make the NATO system more robust [and] increase

its level of coverage. And it will enhance the level of protection the alliance can provide." The European Phased Adaptive Approach allows for flexibility based on technological advances and the evolution of ballistic-missile threats, U.S. defense officials said. Two years ago, the Phase I completion featured the deployment of Aegis BMD-capable ships in the Mediterranean equipped with SM-3 interceptors, as well as a missile-defense radar based in Turkey. The U.S. is targeting sometime in 2018 for the third phase, which sets up an Aegis Ashore site in Poland. In addition, Aegis BMD ships will be forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, starting next year. They'll be available to support NATO missile-defense capabilities in crisis situations. "Our commitment to EPAA is ironclad, and I look forward to seeing the completion of the system in the coming years," Miller said. The land-based ballistic missile defense capability in Romania will rely on a system almost identical to that used on Navy Aegis-capable guided-missile destroyers and cruisers. It's designed to detect, track, engage and destroy ballistic missiles in flight. The BMD facility at Deveselu sits on about 430 acres. The site will consist of a fire-control radar deckhouse with an associated Aegis command, control and communications suite. Separately, it will house several launch modules containing SM-3 missiles. "This is a major project, and it will take a concerted effort in the next two years to finish strong," Helmlinger said. "We need great people to accomplish the project. Teamwork is absolutely essential to accomplish this mission. We all have to work on the common objective of project delivery that produces this facility on time, on budget, transparently and safely. … The Corps of Engineers is committed to delivering state-of-the-art construction projects for our service members worldwide -- and especially here in Europe."

About 200 U.S. military personnel, government civilians and support contractors will be required to operate the Aegis Ashore complex, according to Defense Department estimates. BMD cooperation helps feed NATO's mutual security efforts and forms part of a broader response to counter potential dangers, U.S. officials said. The mission's global nature and demand it places on American forces drive the need to bolster missile-defense relationships and seek burden-sharing arrangements with partners and allies. "Today's groundbreaking ceremony is pivotal as we move forward with our ballistic missile defense capability," Scorby said. "We'll be working very closely with our Romanian counterparts to ensure they have the proper infrastructure, resources and security to make sure we bring our Aegis Ashore capability to bear. … Geographically speaking, this is a great location to defend against any threats that might be out there." Close collaboration will be critical in bringing the Romania project to completion -- from the strategic bilateral partners and USACE managers to the contractors carrying out the labor, the admiral said. "We will all work together toward that common ground of ensuring we have a ballistic missile

defense system on time and ready to defend Europe's interests," he said. The placement of Aegis Ashore at Deveselu also represents a major milestone in the deepening strategic bilateral partnership between the U.S. and Romania, Miller said. The two nations served together in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Their armed forces routinely participate in military exercises and engagements as well. "Romania has evolved into one of our most reliable and steadfast partners ... and increasingly, a country that can export security around the world," the undersecretary added. "We see great potential in further building this relationship." Basescu praised his nation's strong defense bond with the United States but said Monday's ceremony had a deeper significance for Romanians. "It means Romania is now integrated into the overall systems of NATO," he said. "This base will also prove we have the capabilities to protect European and American citizens from the real threat of ballistic missiles. ... Today, I have the feeling of a job completed." MDA's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System has proven effective through repeated testing. Since January 2002, it's been successful in 28 of 34 intercept flight tests, according to U.S. officials.

Notes from the Editor: -Think you have what it takes to produce/edit the Information Domination? Do you have a computer with MS Word . . . then you have what it takes. I am looking for a replacement so if you are interested please drop me a line at andrew.j.privette@navy.mil -Hope you all enjoyed the first (woohoo) installment of the “Information Domination” and wanted to express my gratitude to everyone who submitted articles/pictures/quick notes. Please send any newsletter inputs for the “Information Domination” to me at

andrew.j.privette@navy.mil

Until Next Time!

Very Respectfully,

LCDR Andrew J. Privette