GovernmentNews

Photos: Two Carriers Join Forces in Philippine Sea

By MarEx 2018-11-16 19:06:32

The carriers and escorts of the USS Ronald Reagan and USS John C. Stennis strike groups have teamed up for high-end exercises in the Philippine Sea, a relatively rare gathering of naval power in the Western Pacific. It comes at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China over contested Chinese claims in the nearby South China Sea - including a recent "unsafe" encounter between an American destroyer and a Chinese warship near China's fortified outposts in the...

White House Fills Two Vacant Seats on Federal Maritime Commission

By MarEx 2018-11-16 11:02:15

On Thursday, the White House announced that will appoint former Federal Maritime Commissioner Dan Maffei to return to his still-vacant seat. Maffei, a former Democratic congressman, departed the FMC on June 30 when his initial term expired; at the time, the White House declined to renew it. Rep. Maffei had been appointed by the Obama administration in 2016, and while FMC commissioners ordinarily serve for five years, they may only serve for two unless confirmed, a process...

Saudi Coalition Halts Hodeidah Offensive

By MarEx 2018-11-15 11:08:33

The Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government in Yemen's civil war has ordered a temporary halt in its offensive to retake the key port city of Hodeidah. The move comes amidst growing pressure on the government of Saudi Arabia to reach a truce with Houthi rebels, who have controlled Hodeidah and much of Yemen's Red Sea Coast since 2014. Last week, the Trump administration ceased providing the U.S. military's aerial refueling services for Royal Saudi Air Force missions over Yemen....

One Pleads Guilty and Another Sentenced in Fat Leonard Case

By MarEx 2018-11-14 18:17:06

Former U.S. Navy Captain Jeffrey Breslau has pleaded guilty to criminal conflict of interest charges and former U.S. Navy Master Chief Ricarte Icmat David has been sentenced on corruption charges to 17 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and $30,000 in restitution. Both appeared before Judge Janis Sammartino of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and are the latest U.S. Navy officials to plead guilty and be sentenced in the expansive...

Guidelines for Fair Treatment of Seafarers Mandated

By MarEx 2018-11-13 17:07:57

A regional meeting of Asia’s leading seafaring nations has highlighted the plight many seafarers face in the event of a maritime accident and has pledged to lead the drive towards proper and effective implementation of the IMO and ILO agreed Guidelines on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers. Given the global nature of the shipping industry and the different jurisdictions that seafarers may be brought into contact with, it was felt that they need special protection, especially in relation to contacts...

Despite Competing Claims, Exxon Begins Drilling off Cyprus

By MarEx 2018-11-12 11:50:11

ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum are moving ahead with a natural gas exploration campaign off Cyprus, despite heated rhetoric from Turkey about the validity of the island nation's E&P leases. A drillship is presently in position to drill at the Exxon-Qatar lease site, named Delphinus, according to Cypriot state media. The national maritime authorities are broadcasting a warning to mariners regarding the vessel's presence and a security zone surrounding it. In addition, Cyprus has defined a security corridor between the drilling...

Spencer: Why we Honor Armistice Day

By MarEx 2018-11-11 14:35:56

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer delivered a message about the history and significance of both Armistice Day and Veterans Day and why we honor both every year on November 11. “One hundred years ago, the guns fell silent across Europe on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, of 1918. The armistice, which ended World War One, finally ended the most horrific warfare the world had ever seen and the world began its...

November 11, 1918: The Guns Fell Silent

By MarEx 2018-11-10 18:58:57

One hundred years ago, on 11 November 11, 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous warfare. With their armies retreating and close to collapse, German leaders signed an Armistice, bringing to an end the First World War. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those...

U.S. Provides Port Security for Papua New Guinea Summit

By MarEx 2018-11-09 20:37:00

U.S. Coast Guard service members are deploying overseas to provide port security for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Papua New Guinea, which begins November 12. U.S. Ambassador to PNG Catherine Ebert-Gray and PNG Police Commissioner Gary Baki have signed a rare MOU authorizing the United States to enforce security zones in Port Moresby's harbor during the summit. Leaders and senior officials from 21 member nations are scheduled to attend, including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. “With dignitaries...

Typhoon Relief Efforts Continue on Tinian and Saipan

By MarEx 2018-11-09 17:50:43

The Department of Defense has deployed about 500 personnel to the Mariana Islands to help with the disaster response effort for Super Typhoon Yutu recovery efforts, which struck Tinian and Saipan with 180-mph winds on October 24. Super Typhoon Yutu was the strongest typhoon ever to hit a U.S. territory, and it was the second-strongest system to hit U.S. soil in recorded history, according to NOAA. Yutu intensified rapidly just prior to making landfall, growing from a 75-mph Category 1 storm to a 180-mph...