Latest news with #Amphibious
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Brown Water Navy explained by Tennessee sailor
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Petty Officer First Class Evan Hammonds joined the Navy 15 years ago after leaving Kingsport, Tennessee. He has become a part of the Brown Water Navy. 'Traditionally, what you'll have is Blue Water Navy, which are the big ships like carriers, destroyers, and things, and then you have the Amphib Navy, which is the Brown Water Navy because we operate in that gray area in between,' said Hammonds. Part of the job is operating Amphib boats which are used to transport marines and sailors from land to sea. 'Well, traditionally amphibious landings, amphibians reside in both land and water, so naturally because we're both land and water, we take the marines and put them ashore, so we're amphibious in nature.' 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → They not only serve the military but also civilians when there is a natural disaster. 'We'll go down range to a hurricane-affected area or a natural disaster area and we'll do humanitarian aid: loading, unloading medical supplies, actual supplies, food, water, things of that nature,' explained Hammonds. He also explained that, as a diesel mechanic, he understands the importance of safety if something goes wrong aboard the boat. The crew has to be their own firefighters because emergency teams may not be able to reach them in time. The race is on if something goes wrong, as sailors only have about two minutes to get on fire gear, similar to firefighters. News 2's Shelby Mac had the privilege of racing the clock to throw on fire gear as quickly as she could. She came up short by about five seconds, with the ideal time frame being completely dressed and ready to fight fires within two minutes. Hammonds is only five years away from the end of his naval career, and he's excited to come back home. 'Go back home to Tennessee, farm a little bit, be left alone, kind of not have to deal with people and systems and stuff, just kind of you know farm and go back to where I'm actually more comfortable.' To see more from Shelby's naval journey, check out the News 2 special report . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kimberly election: 3 incumbents and 1 newcomer contend for 3 Village Board positions
KIMBERLY — On April 1, voters will elect three trustees out of four candidates to a two-year term on the Kimberly Village Board. On the ballot are three incumbents — Tom Gaffney, Lee Hammen and Norb Karner — and one challenger — Brian Finman. The Post-Crescent asked each candidate to fill out a questionnaire and explain why they're running for office, what makes them the better candidate and how they would address the most important issues facing the town. Their answers, some of which have been lightly edited for clarity, are published below. For information about registering to vote and what else is on your ballot, visit Address: 101 Clubhouse Lane Age: 71 Occupation: Retired. Previously worked for family business Gaffney's Red Carpet Tavern, as pipe fitter/service technician for We Energies in the natural gas division, and as part-time instructor of natural gas training program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Highest education: Graduate of Kimberly High School Relevant experience: Kimberly Village Board trustee from 2006-2012 and from 2019 to present Campaign website: None Address: 232 S. Washington St. Age: 75 Occupation: Retired from 1000 Islands Environmental Center after 30 years as a naturalist Highest education: Bachelor's degree in wildlife management and forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Relevant experience: Village of Kimberly trustee for 40 years (served on Kimberly Parks and Recreation Committee, Tree City USA Board, Planning Commission, Kimberly Recreation Association); Outagamie County Board supervisor for 25 years (served on Airport Property Committee, chair of Airport Business Park Expansion Project Oversight Committee, vice chair of Greenway Committee, commissioner on East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Chair of Transportation Committee); DNR hunter safety instructor for 44 years; evening school instructor at Fox Valley Technical College for 30 years Campaign website: None Address: 515 Lamers Road Age: 73 Occupation: Retired Highest education: Associate degree Relevant experience: 25 years on the planning commission, four years on Village Board Campaign website: None Address: 467 Papermill Circle Age: 54 Occupation: Retired Naval Officer Highest education: Bachelor's degree in systems engineering from U.S. Naval Academy, master's in engineering management from Old Dominion University. Presently enrolled in the Professional MBA program at UW-Madison. Relevant experience: 30-year career as a Navy surface warfare officer; retired at the rank of captain; held command-at-sea three times including USS RUSHMORE (LSD-47) and Amphibious Squadron FOUR. Served on multiple staffs with manning, training, and material readiness oversight. Deployed nine times and visited more than 50 countries supporting fleet commander operational objectives and the Navy's global presence in the maritime commons. After the Navy, I also taught a year of eighth-grade math and science in the Fox Valley and appreciate the challenges and opportunities facing public education. Campaign website: None Gaffney: I want to be a part of the completion of our new parks and street department building, the ongoing redevelopment of the mill site and numerous other projects going on in Kimberly are just some of the reasons I am running for reelection. Hammen: I am concerned about the future of Kimberly's economic and environmental needs. I enjoy being involved in the community and making Kimberly a better place to live. Karner: I feel this is my way to stay involved with the Village and my way to provide help with current and future issues. Finman: I grew up in Appleton a mile from Kimberly and came home to the Fox Valley after 30 years in the Navy. I appreciate Kimberly's transformation from its manufacturing heritage and its amazing success in sports and education. I aspire to continue public service and to be part of Kimberly's future. Gaffney: No response. Hammen: My past experience at both the village and county level. Involvement with programs at the Kimberly Library and recreation departments. Taking time to listen to the thoughts, concerns and suggestions of the Kimberly residents. Karner: I believe my background in engineering helps make good choices, whether it's street projects or the current project of the municipal garage. Finman: I'm not entirely a newcomer; Gordy's, ShopKo, and Sunset Beach were part of my childhood and I love what Kimberly represents as a community. After moving 18 times in the Navy, what I lack in local knowledge I make up for in global perspective. I also strive to be highly transparent. Gaffney: No response. Hammen: Keeping Kimberly a safe place to live, learn, work and play. The village board works to provide police and fire departments with the tools they need to accomplish this. Having opportunities for recreation in Kimberly are important. Whether softball, ice skating, soccer, swim lake, splash pad or visiting Santa Claus at Memorial Park, all are programs we provide and will continue to provide. It's important we do all of this while maintaining an affordable tax rate for the residents of Kimberly. Karner: Many residents are concerned with stormwater, sidewalk replacement, along with street replacement. We are working with staff to provide the best solutions possible for the residents of Kimberly. Finman: With the price of everything going up and interest rates not coming down, achieving growth and balancing budgets are increasingly difficult for citizens, businesses, and local governments alike. Kimberly's strategic challenge is to maintain its impressive competitive advantage in public education while managing growth in a way that doesn't price middle class families out of the market. The solution requires communication, dialog, data analysis, and clearly articulated priorities. The Navy hard-wired me to focus on the mission, think critically, take care of people, seek feedback, communicate, and be accountable. Contact Kelli Arseneau at 920-213-3721 or karseneau@ Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @ArseneauKelli. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 4 candidates contend for 3 seats on Kimberly Village Board
