In the Military
For and about Hawaii's servicemen and womenBy Gregg K. Kakesako
See also: For Your Benefit
Pacific Command is
Navy’s oldest and biggest
unified commandThe appointment of Adm. Thomas Fargo as the next commander in chief of the Pacific Command in charge of all military forces in the Pacific makes him the fourth Navy admiral to be elevated from the job of head of the Pacific Fleet since it became a major Navy command in 1958.
The U.S. Pacific Command was established Jan. 1, 1947, and is the oldest and largest of the United States' nine unified commands. The present U.S. Pacific Command includes areas originally assigned to two other unified commanders. Responsibilities of the Far East Command were assumed on July 1, 1957. That same day the command assumed some of the responsibilities of the Alaskan Command and individual Army and Air Force component commands for the Pacific were established in Hawaii.
From 1947 to January 1958, the commander of the Pacific Command served as head of the Pacific Fleet when it became a separate component.
According to Pacific Fleet records, Adm. John H. Towers, who was commander of what the Navy then called the Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas from Feb. 1, 1946, to January 1947, was named as the Pacific Command's first chief. Towers was followed by Adm. Louis E. Denfeld, 1947; Adm. DeWitt C. Ramsey, from 1948 to 1949; Adm. Arthur W. Radford, from 1949 to 1953; and Adm. Felix B. Stump, from 1953-58 as head of both the Pacific Fleet and the Pacific Command. Since 1958 the Navy admirals who have been elevated from head of the Pacific Navy have been:
>> Adm. U.S. Grant Sharp Jr., Pacific Fleet commander Sept. 30, 1963, to June 26, 1964; Pacific Forces commander June 30, 1964, to July 31, 1968. >> Adm. Maurice F. Weisner, Pacific Fleet commander from Sept. 30, 1973-Aug. 12, 1976; Pacific Forces commander Aug. 30, 1976, to Oct. 31, 1979. >> Adm. Charles R. Larson, Pacific Forces commander Feb. 15, 1990, to Feb. 15, 1991; Pacific Forces commander March 1, 1991, to July 11, 1994.
President Bush signed a proclamation Thursday making April 9 Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. "I call upon all the people of the United States to join me in remembering former American prisoners of war by honoring the memory of their sacrifices," the president said in the proclamation.
A congressional study says that basing U.S. nuclear attack submarines in Japan or South Korea could provide eight to 10 more mission days per year than subs based in Guam because it reduces travel time. The Navy currently plans to base three Los Angeles-class subs, the backbone of the current attack submarine force, in Guam, but the Congressional Budget Office believes that home-porting more subs in Guam would better utilize its current fleet of 55 nuclear warships.
The March study acknowledges that it did not taken into account the political ramifications or the potential costs of such a move. But they do illustrate the relative advantage of finding overseas bases for Navy submarines, especially across the vast Pacific Ocean.
The Army is testing a newer, denser armor system for its new eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier -- the Stryker -- which is already 4,000 pounds overweight. But the new armor system could add 235 pounds to the Stryker. The Stryker is an integral part of the Army's transformation program, which involves one brigade at Schofield Barracks. These units are supposed to be more mobile and able to deploy within four days anywhere in the world on C-130 transport planes. Some Army units are supposed to get the Strykers next year.
Moving up
Pearl Harbor
>> Cmdr. Ken Auten has replaced Cmdr. John Sorce as skipper of the destroyer USS Hopper, which is now on a six-month deployment. >> Capt. David Armitage has relieved Capt. Martin Leghart as commanding officer of Afloat Training Group Middle Pacific.
Hickam Air Force Base
>> Lt. Col. Daniel Settegren assumed command of the 15th Operations Support Squadron, replacing Lt. Col. Michael Fleck.
Gregg K. Kakesako can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.
