Latest news with #Caudle
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
USS Harry S. Truman returns home after six months of fighting Houthis
After eight months at sea and six months in combat, the USS Harry S. Truman is back at port. The aircraft carrier, along with other ships in its carrier strike group arrived back in the United States this weekend after an extended stay in the Middle East. The ship and its crew took part in one of the largest naval offensives the U.S. military has engaged in since World War II. The carrier pulled into Naval Station Norfolk on Sunday, June 1, with family and other sailors waiting to meet them. Video and photos shared by the Navy and local media showed crewmembers embracing loved ones. A large combat action ribbon banner was set up on the ship's superstructure. It was a welcome homecoming for a carrier group that went on an extended, 251-day-long deployment. When the Truman Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Middle East in December 2024, the U.S. Navy was more than a year into an ongoing fight with Houthi forces. The Truman was the latest in several aircraft carriers to be sent to waters around the Middle East since October 2023, both as a wider deterrent and to deal with the threats from Yemen to shipping vessels. During its deployment, the crew of the USS Harry S. Truman and the aviators of Carrier Air Wing 1 launched 11,000 sorties, flew 25,000 flight hours and executed 22 underway replenishments, Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, said during an address to sailors on Sunday. 'That's simply incredible,' Caudle added. The deployment was also marred by a series of mishaps, including the loss of three of the air wing's F/A-18 fighter jets and a collision with a merchant ship that forced a change of command. Despite that, the carrier strike group remained at the forefront of the Navy's actions in the Middle East, which the Navy celebrated on Sunday. 'It was certainly a long, challenging deployment across the board, and pretty, pretty unique for my entire career as well,' Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, said on Sunday. 'There's really nothing in comparison because of the tempo of operations, because of the continuous combat that these warriors saw. To be able to bring them all home safely to their families [brings] just an immeasurable sense of relief and pride.' The USS Harry S. Truman initially set sail in September 2024, operating in the European theater. The Truman's deployment took it to the Red Sea, to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln. After it arrived in the Middle East in December, it quickly joined in the ongoing campaign against Houthi forces. After Houthis started attacking commercial ships in the waters around Yemen in October 2023, the U.S. Navy had deployed multiple carrier strike groups and several independent destroyers to the region, both to intercept missiles and drones fired at ships and to bomb targets inside Yemen. Shortly after joining the combat against the Houthis, the Truman Carrier Strike Group engaged in an intense nighttime fight, with both sides firing missiles and rockets at each other over the Red Sea. During that Dec. 22 fight, the cruiser the USS Gettysburg accidentally shot down a F/A-18F fighter jet that took off from the Truman; the two aviators were recovered with minor injuries. The F/A-18F is the only crewed American aircraft to be downed during the year and half of fighting around Yemen; several uncrewed aerial drones were shot down by Houthis in that period. The fighting with the Houthis paused in January, but the carrier strike group remained active in combat operations in the region. In February, its air wing launched a major airstrike on ISIS militants in Somalia. On Feb. 12, near Port Said, Egypt, the Truman collided with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M. The incident forced the ship to make an emergency port visit in Greece for repairs. That resulted in the initial commander, Capt. Dave Snowden, being replaced with Capt. Christopher Hill. Hill previously had commanded the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which saw extensive combat against the Houthis in 2024. The carrier once again took the lead in operations against Houthis when hostilities restarted on March 15. The Truman and its support ships were the military's main arm in Operation Rough Rider, which saw extensive bombings of targets across Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen. That led to more than 50 days of American airstrikes on Yemen, including the use of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. However additional problems plagued the ship. In late April a F/-18E Super Hornet and its tow fell off the ship as the carrier maneuvered. A few days later another fighter jet, a F/A-18F, fell into the sea after a failed landing. The U.S. announced last month that a ceasefire had been reached. Soon after the Truman Carrier Strike Group departed the region on its trip home. Currently the USS Carl Vinson and its carrier group remain in the waters around the Middle East, having arrived earlier in the spring. In his remarks as the ship pulled home, Hill noted the challenges they faced at sea. 'These warrior sailors demonstrated superb grit for more than eight months,' Hill said. 'Even in the face of significant challenges, they persevered, never giving up when their nation needed them. It's been an honor to serve alongside such dedicated professionals and to take them home to their families.' Navy SEAL Team 6 operator will be the military's new top enlisted leader Veterans receiving disability payments might have been underpaid, IG finds Guam barracks conditions are 'baffling,' Navy admiral says in email Navy fires admiral in charge of unmanned systems office after investigation The Pentagon wants troops to change duty stations less often
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Honey badger' admiral emerges as top contender for Navy chief
Adm. Daryl Caudle — a longtime admiral who has demanded accountability from America's ailing shipbuilding industry — has emerged as the front-runner for the Navy's top officer post, according to five people with knowledge of the process. The likely selection of Caudle, a four-star admiral who heads the command that trains and equips the Navy's sailors, comes just two months after President Donald Trump fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first female in that role. He terminated her in an abrupt purge of top military leaders, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown. A three-decade Navy officer who has commanded submarine fleets, Caudle could prove a fairly safe choice. Unlike Navy Secretary John Phelan, he has significant Pentagon experience. Democrats, who are angry about Franchetti's sudden dismissal, may find it harder to oppose a well-regarded career officer. 'He's a no-nonsense guy, you can't bullshit him,' said one former Navy colleague, who like others was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. 'He goes and finds problems, he turns over the rock, and whatever's underneath it, he chews it up, spits it out and comes back.' Caudle, if selected, would inherit a fleet that has struggled with embarrassing and costly shipbuilding delays and which is now 14 times smaller than China's. He would join as Phelan is examining what to cut in the service's contracts and as Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency investigates the Navy's shipbuilding efforts. The admiral traveled with Phelan in late March off the southeastern coast and to the Connecticut shipyard where the Virginia-class submarine is built. He also has spent the past two weeks visiting senators, two people familiar with the conversations said. He would replace acting Navy chief of staff Adm. James Kilby, who has been on the job since Franchetti was dismissed. U.S. Fleet Forces Command declined to comment. The Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. POLITICO previously reported that a number of top military officials were in the running for the post. This included Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo and his predecessor, retired Adm. John Aquilino; Vice Adm. Brad Skillman, who runs the Navy's Office of Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources; and retired Rear Adm. Keith Davids, who served as the director of the White House military office during the first Trump administration. Paparo, who was a leading contender for Navy chief during the Biden administration, took himself out of consideration, according to a person close to the White House. He and Caudle interviewed for the Navy's top military post in July 2023 but lost out to Franchetti. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command did not respond to a request for comment. Caudle has been unusually blunt in calling out failures in the defense industrial base. 'I am not forgiving of the fact they're not delivering the ordnance we need,' Caudle said in 2023 when defense contractors were slow to restock the Navy's depleted weapons arsenal. He has also criticized the service's lack of public shipyards to maintain warships and said the Navy should be 'embarrassed' that it can't develop lasers to provide air defense aboard ships. He joined the Navy more than three decades ago and commanded nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines before taking over the service's submarine fleet in the Atlantic and serving as a vice director on the Joint Staff. He earned the call sign 'honey badger' due to his tenacity and ability to solve hard problems, the former Navy colleague said. He has led the U.S. Fleet Forces Command since 2021. Caudle has taken on an even more public profile in recent months, praising the Navy's efforts to patrol U.S. territorial waters after the Trump administration ordered more military assets to the southern border. He appeared in a Navy video in March that touted the deployment of guided missile destroyers to waters off the U.S. coast for the border mission. The longtime admiral referred to the location as the Gulf of America, which Trump renamed from the Gulf of Mexico in an executive order. 'Our Navy is answering the call to safeguard America's southern border,' Caudle said after the USS Gravely left Norfolk, Virginia, in a campaign-style video that featured soaring music and stock footage of U.S. warships. 'He's really astute and he's aware of all of those problems,' the former Navy colleague said. 'He's spread his talent across the entire fleet." Caudle has had to deal with everything from the high rate of suicide aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the condition of barracks, barges and parking at the old shipyard. 'The solutions are out there, we've just got to have open and honest conversations about the problems,' Caudle said at the Sea Air Space conference this month. We need to 'find ways to unite our collective energies behind solving those problems without a Pearl Harbor or a 9/11 event being required to motivate us.' Paul McLeary and Connor O'Brien contributed to this report.
Politico
14-04-2025
- Business
- Politico
‘Honey badger' admiral emerges as top contender for Navy chief
Adm. Daryl Caudle — a longtime admiral who has demanded accountability from America's ailing shipbuilding industry — has emerged as the front-runner for the Navy's top officer post, according to five people with knowledge of the process. The likely selection of Caudle, a four-star admiral who heads the command that trains and equips the Navy's sailors, comes just two months after President Donald Trump fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first female in that role. He terminated her in an abrupt purge of top military leaders, including Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown. A three-decade Navy officer who has commanded submarine fleets, Caudle could prove a fairly safe choice. Unlike Navy Secretary John Phelan, he has significant Pentagon experience. Democrats, who are angry about Franchetti's sudden dismissal, may find it harder to oppose a well-regarded career officer. 'He's a no-nonsense guy, you can't bullshit him,' said one former Navy colleague, who like others was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. 'He goes and finds problems, he turns over the rock, and whatever's underneath it, he chews it up, spits it out and comes back.' Caudle, if selected, would inherit a fleet that has struggled with embarrassing and costly shipbuilding delays and which is now 14 times smaller than China's. He would join as Phelan is examining what to cut in the service's contracts and as Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency investigates the Navy's shipbuilding efforts . The admiral traveled with Phelan in late March off the southeastern coast and to the Connecticut shipyard where the Virginia-class submarine is built. He also has spent the past two weeks visiting senators, two people familiar with the conversations said. He would replace acting Navy chief of staff Adm. James Kilby, who has been on the job since Franchetti was dismissed. U.S. Fleet Forces Command declined to comment. The Pentagon did not respond to requests for comment. POLITICO previously reported that a number of top military officials were in the running for the post. This included Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo and his predecessor, retired Adm. John Aquilino; Vice Adm. Brad Skillman, who runs the Navy's Office of Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources; and retired Rear Adm. Keith Davids, who served as the director of the White House military office during the first Trump administration. Paparo, who was a leading contender for Navy chief during the Biden administration, took himself out of consideration, according to a person close to the White House. He and Caudle interviewed for the Navy's top military post in July 2023 but lost out to Franchetti. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command did not respond to a request for comment. Caudle has been unusually blunt in calling out failures in the defense industrial base. 'I am not forgiving of the fact they're not delivering the ordnance we need,' Caudle said in 2023 when defense contractors were slow to restock the Navy's depleted weapons arsenal. He has also criticized the service's lack of public shipyards to maintain warships and said the Navy should be 'embarrassed' that it can't develop lasers to provide air defense aboard ships. He joined the Navy more than three decades ago and commanded nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines before taking over the service's submarine fleet in the Atlantic and serving as a vice director on the Joint Staff. He earned the call sign 'honey badger' due to his tenacity and ability to solve hard problems, the former Navy colleague said. He has led the U.S. Fleet Forces Command since 2021. Caudle has taken on an even more public profile in recent months, praising the Navy's efforts to patrol U.S. territorial waters after the Trump administration ordered more military assets to the southern border. He appeared in a Navy video in March that touted the deployment of guided missile destroyers to waters off the U.S. coast for the border mission. The longtime admiral referred to the location as the Gulf of America, which Trump renamed from the Gulf of Mexico in an executive order. 'Our Navy is answering the call to safeguard America's southern border,' Caudle said after the USS Gravely left Norfolk, Virginia, in a campaign-style video that featured soaring music and stock footage of U.S. warships. 'He's really astute and he's aware of all of those problems,' the former Navy colleague said. 'He's spread his talent across the entire fleet.' Caudle has had to deal with everything from the high rate of suicide aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the condition of barracks, barges and parking at the old shipyard. 'The solutions are out there, we've just got to have open and honest conversations about the problems,' Caudle said at the Sea Air Space conference this month. We need to 'find ways to unite our collective energies behind solving those problems without a Pearl Harbor or a 9/11 event being required to motivate us.' Paul McLeary and Connor O'Brien contributed to this report.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Triad homes damaged by hail storm need roof repairs
BROWNS SUMMIT, N.C. (WGHP) — Sunday's hail storm affecting portions of the Triad came and went quickly, but it's leaving some lingering damage. Homeowners are now beginning the process of getting their roofs inspected and potentially replaced if they have damage from the hail. Mike Caudle took video of the storm as lightning flashed in the distance Sunday night in Browns Summit. 'I think we had dozed off, and we woke up abruptly to the sound of tremendous hail on the roof,' Caudle said. After it passed, they checked the house and the cars, and all were battered. 'I figured there might be some roof damage. I called Eddie this morning, and they jumped right on it,' Caudle said. Eddie and Shannon Leiss own 5 Star Roofing, and Caudle's call was one of many they got after the storm hit. 'It's been crazy. We've had Facebook messages, calls, contact through our website,' Shannon said. Shannon says it's important to notify insurance and line up a licensed inspector right away. 'If they see damage to their cars, driveways, mailboxes, even trampolines, it stands to reason it's impacted the roof as well,' she said. Inspector and Sales Manager JT Townsley arrived to survey the damage and started by walking around the house. He noticed puncture marks in the window screens and dents and dings in the gutters. Then he got onto the roof and used chalk to circle hail damage on the shingles. There are circular marks, and they're soft to the touch because the hail has damaged the shingle's integrity. 'It breaks away those small granules, which provide UV protection from the roof, which protect your roof,' Shannon said. 'We've got what I would call textbook hail damage on this roof,' Townsley said. Caudle got the news before Townsley came back down the ladder. 'There's really no way to repair this type of damage, so it warrants a full roof replacement,' Townsley said. He explains it like this. 'The way to look at what hail damage does to your roof is kind of like a pothole. What happened last night caused countless little blemishes in the shingles where it crushed … blasted the granules off the shingles and fractures the matting beneath them. That isn't necessarily a problem, but just like a pothole in the road, it doesn't happen overnight. It starts as a small blemish in the road and gets worse and worse at an accelerated rate,' Townsley said. Caudle says he's glad he called 5 Star Roofing. 'Your roof is the front line to your home,. You don't want water leaks and things like that. They just damage so much more,' he said. And now he has the information to take to his insurance company and get the ball rolling. 'The more information you have, the better the decision you can make,' Caudle said. If you need your roof inspected, roofing companies like 5 Star Roofing typically offer the inspection for free. Shannon wants to remind people to please make sure a company is licensed and advises taking a look at their reviews to make sure the company and their work are reputable. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Locally-based USS Gravely deployed to Gulf of America
YORKTOWN, Va. (WAVY) — The guided missile destroyer USS Gravely is being deployed to the southern border to counter illegal immigration, drug and weapons trafficking, as well as transnational crime. 'Gravely is just one part of a phase of events that we have been involved in to support southern border operations,' said Admiral Daryl Caudle, commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces. The Department of Defense described the move as a significant shift, giving the U.S. Navy a direct role in stopping threats before they reach American shores. Gravely's most recent deployment was in the Red Sea, facing a different kind of adversary than what they'll encounter near the southern border. Caudle said their mission and mindset is set with educational training leading up to the deployment. 'They get intelligence briefs, specifically to the area in which they're operating,' he said. 'There's education before they deploy.' Working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, Gravely will conduct operations such as search and seizure while working to deter illegal immigration and drug trafficking. 'These ships are trained in boarding and seizure, search and seizure operations,' Caudle said. 'That can be part of this. Just leveraging that exquisite, capability down there gives great maritime domain awareness.' When asked about the potential for more local sailors to join Gravely in the southern waters, Caudle mentioned sailors working functions on the physical border itself. 'We're also providing people, along with the Marine Corps, for … border operations as well — Seabees, could be Navy Expeditionary combat folk,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
