Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.)

Marine Corps IG Removed, ‘Counseled’ for Failures as 1st MARDIV CO Following Fatal AAV Sinking Investigation

Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi

The Marine Corps inspector general – who last month was suspended from the role as the service’s watchdog – won’t be returning to the job after Gen. David Berger last week formally “counseled” him for his “failure” to properly train and evaluate a platoon whose amphibious assault vehicle sank during a training exercise off southern California last summer.

Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi was in command of the 22,000-member 1st Marine Division when the 26-ton AAV sank July 30,...

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/09/marine-corps-ig-removed-counseled-for-failures-as-1st-mardiv-co-following-fatal-aav-sinking-investigation

House Lawmakers Call For Long-Term Strategy For Sealift After Decades of Neglect

An undated photo of a Watson-class LMSR. MSC Photo

House lawmakers are calling on U.S. Transportation Command and the U.S. Maritime Administration to create a sealift strategy amid decades of concerns over the capacity of the sealift fleet.

During a joint hearing between the House Armed Services Committee’s seapower and projection forces subcommittee and readiness subcommittee on Tuesday, lawmakers criticized and expressed concern over the lack of a cohesive strategy to build up the sealift fleet.

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/19/house-lawmakers-call-for-long-term-strategy-for-sealift-after-decades-of-neglect

NAVSEA: Navy Could Accelerate Some Public, Private Shipyard Upgrades If Money Were Available

Terrance Wells, from San Diego, ties straps for a containment project on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) on Oct. 26, 2020. US Navy Photo

Support is growing within the House Armed Services Committee to accelerate Navy efforts to improve ship repair capacity at both private and public shipyards, and for funding that either through ongoing talks about a massive federal infrastructure bill or other means, lawmakers made clear during a Thursday...

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/07/navsea-navy-could-accelerate-some-public-private-shipyard-upgrades-if-money-were-available

Marine Corps Suspends General Over Deadly AAV Accident, Lawmaker Wants Answers on Navy’s Role in Incident

Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi

The Marine Corps recently suspended a two-star general as it continues an investigation into last year’s fatal Amphibious Assault Vehicle accident that left eight Marines and one sailor dead.

During a hearing in front of the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee today, Marine Corps assistant commandant Lt. Gen. Gary Thomas told lawmakers that Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi, who recently became the service’s inspector general, had been suspended. Castellvi led the 1st...

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/03/marine-corps-suspends-general-over-deadly-aav-accident-lawmaker-wants-answers-on-navys-role-in-incident

House Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Save Navy’s INSURV Reports

Chief Warrant Officer Glen Spitnale, an inspector from the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), speaks to Operations Specialist 2nd Class Garland Sebastian aboard USS Cole (DDG-67) on Dec. 5, 2017. US Navy Photo

Two House lawmakers on Friday introduced legislation that, if passed, would keep the long-standing independent report on Navy ships going in perpetuity.

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) – the vice ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and ranking member of the HASC seapower and...

https://news.usni.org/2021/04/16/house-lawmakers-introduce-bill-to-save-navys-insurv-reports

Navy, Marine Corps Had a Good Safety Record in 2020 But Have Plans to Get Better

Boatswain’s Mate Petty Officer First Class Jarret Hal conducts a safety brief before a underway replenishment, on the Alreigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG-72) on Jan. 24, 2021. US Navy Photo

Navy leaders in all communities are taking a hard look at how they can use data to prevent training accidents and operational mishaps, even as 2020 proved to be a good year for safety amid a high operational tempo, the service’s vice chief told lawmakers this week.

In 2020, the service...

Navy Looking to Accelerate Effort to Revitalize Public Shipyards Amid Lawmaker Concerns

The portside anchor of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is lowered into a dry dock for maintenance. GHWB is currently in Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Va. US Navy Photo

The Navy is evaluating how it can speed up the timeline for its initiative to renovate aging public shipyards amid concern from lawmakers that the current 20-year timeframe is too long.

As the service continues to work its way out of a years-long maintenance backlog and the nuclear-powered fleet is set to grow in the...

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/22/navy-looking-to-accelerate-effort-to-revitalize-public-shipyards-amid-lawmaker-concerns

Lawmakers Want Navy to Take New Look at Destroyer Hybrid Electric Drive

The guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) departs Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment. US Navy Photo

Pushing the military to become more energy efficient is an emerging theme of the House Armed Services Committee Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. For the Navy, this means taking a second look at installing hybrid electric drive systems on Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.

Wednesday morning, the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/05/lawmakers-want-navy-to-take-new-look-destroyer-hybrid-electric-drive-program