History, Politics And Current Affairs

Former Vice Chief of Naval Operations Robert Burke Arrested by Feds on Bribery Charges
By Heather Mongilio and Sam LaGrone
May 31, 2024

A retired Vice Chief of Naval Operations was arrested Friday on charges of bribery stemming from an alleged government contract scheme between 2020 and 2022.

Robert Burke, a retired four-star admiral, allegedly worked with two CEOs to arrange a contract with their company to provide training for the Navy in exchange for a position with the company.

Burke is charged with bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, performing acts to affect a personal financial interest and concealing material facts. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, the co-CEOs of the company, which was not named in the Department of Justice release, were also arrested.

The two face charges of bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery and each face up to 20 years. The two are listed as the co-chief executives of a training company called nextjump based out of New York City.

Allegedly, Kim and Messenger secured a government contract to provide training for a group in the Navy from 2018 to 2019, when the Navy ended the contract and ordered Burke to no longer contact the two CEOs.

Instead, the three met in 2021 to set up a situation in which Burke would use his influence as a Navy admiral to get the company a contract with the Navy, the release alleges.

“They allegedly further agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value Kim allegedly estimated to be ‘triple digit millions,’” reads the release.

The DOJ alleges that, in 2021, Burke ordered his staff to award a contract to Messenger’s and Kim’s company to train naval personnel in Italy and Spain. The contract was worth $355,000, according to the release.

“To conceal the scheme, Burke allegedly made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by creating the false appearance that Burke played no role in issuing the contract and falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded,” the release reads.

Burke started working with nextjump in October 2022. A post on social media announces Burke as a senior partner.

Allegedly, Kim and Messenger secured a government contract to provide training for a group in the Navy from 2018 to 2019, when the Navy ended the contract and ordered Burke to no longer contact the two CEOs.

Instead, the three met in 2021 to set up a situation in which Burke would use his influence as a Navy admiral to get the company a contract with the Navy, the release alleges.

“They allegedly further agreed that Burke would use his official position to influence other Navy officers to award another contract to Company A to train a large portion of the Navy with a value Kim allegedly estimated to be ‘triple digit millions,’” reads the release.

The DOJ alleges that, in 2021, Burke ordered his staff to award a contract to Messenger’s and Kim’s company to train naval personnel in Italy and Spain. The contract was worth $355,000, according to the release.

“To conceal the scheme, Burke allegedly made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by creating the false appearance that Burke played no role in issuing the contract and falsely implying that Company A’s employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded,” the release reads.

Burke started working with nextjump in October 2022. A post on social media announces Burke as a senior partner.

The DoJ release lists Burke’s next salary as $500,000 with 100,000 stock options.

In a statement, the Navy said the service, “cooperated with this investigation from the onset. We take this matter very seriously and will continue to cooperate with the Department of Justice.”

The service referred USNI News to the DoJ for additional information.

The DoJ release lists Burke’s next salary as $500,000 with 100,000 stock options.

In a statement, the Navy said the service, “cooperated with this investigation from the onset. We take this matter very seriously and will continue to cooperate with the Department of Justice.”

The service referred USNI News to the DoJ for additional information.

James1978 wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 7:25 pm Oh for crying out loud . . .

Former Vice Chief of Naval Operations Robert Burke Arrested by Feds on Bribery Charges
-snip -

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that a future Constellation-class Guided Missile Frigate, FFG 67, will be named USS Galvez,.

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement while joining U.S. Ambassador to Spain Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón and Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy, Admiral Antonio Pineiro, in Madrid, Spain, for the U.S. Embassy's Fourth of July Celebration.

The future USS Galvez honors Conde Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid and his service during the American Revolutionary War. This will be the first U.S. Navy vessel named for Gálvez.

"Gálvez wasn't just a supporter from afar-his actions directly influenced the course of the war and helped secure American Independence," said Secretary Del Toro. "That is why, in his homeland, I am incredibly pleased to announce that our next Constellation-class frigate, FFG 67, will be named the USS Gálvez."

During the American Revolution, Gálvez provided supplies, intelligence, and military support to the American colonists and led military victories for Spain against Great Britain. As governor of Spain's territory in Louisiana, he covertly worked with American agent Oliver Pollock in 1777 to transfer money, gunpowder, and vital supplies to colonial forces.

In his direct service to Spain, Gálvez recruited an army of 7,500 men made up of Spanish, French, African American, Mexican, Cuban, and Anglo-American forces. In 1779-1780, his forces defeated the British at Battles in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Natchez, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama. In 1781, he successfully seized Pensacola, Florida, and was wounded during the fighting. His contributions were recognized by George Washington as a decisive factor in the outcome of the Revolutionary War.

After the Revolutionary War, Gálvez led an effort to chart the Gulf of Mexico, including Galveston Bay, and served as the viceroy of New Spain. In 2014, the United States Congress passed Public Law No. 113-229, granting him honorary citizenship of the United States-making him one of only eight honorary citizens in U.S. history.

The future USS Galvez, the sixth of the new Constellation-class frigates, was appropriated in 2024. The other ships in the class are USS Constellation (FFG 62), USS Congress (FFG 63), USS Chesapeake (FFG 64), USS Lafayette (FFG 65), and USS Hamilton (FFG 66). Secretary Del Toro named the future USS Lafayette (FFG 65) in 2023 and the future USS Hamilton (FFG 66) in May 2024.

Along with the ship's name, Secretary Del Toro announced the sponsors for the USS Galvez will be Ambassador Reynoso Pantaleón and Spanish Ambassador to the U.S. Ángeles Moreno Bau. They, in their role as sponsors, will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.

"Honoring Bernardo de Gálvez in this way at our Independence celebration marks not only the close, enduring, and historic partnership between the United States and Spain, it also recognizes his and Spain's critical role in the war for America's Independence almost 250 years ago," said Ambassador Reynoso.

The Constellation-class guided-missile frigate represents the Navy's next generation small surface combatant. This ship class will be an agile, multi-mission warship, capable of operations in both blue-water and littoral environments, providing increased combat-credible forward presence that provides a military advantage at sea.

The Constellation-class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.

Lordroel wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 6:59 am So 2/6 of all Constellation-class frigates are named after a French and a Spanish person,

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that a future Constellation-class Guided Missile Frigate, FFG 67, will be named USS Galvez,.

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement while joining U.S. Ambassador to Spain Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón and Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy, Admiral Antonio Pineiro, in Madrid, Spain, for the U.S. Embassy's Fourth of July Celebration.

The future USS Galvez honors Conde Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid and his service during the American Revolutionary War. This will be the first U.S. Navy vessel named for Gálvez.

"Gálvez wasn't just a supporter from afar-his actions directly influenced the course of the war and helped secure American Independence," said Secretary Del Toro. "That is why, in his homeland, I am incredibly pleased to announce that our next Constellation-class frigate, FFG 67, will be named the USS Gálvez."

During the American Revolution, Gálvez provided supplies, intelligence, and military support to the American colonists and led military victories for Spain against Great Britain. As governor of Spain's territory in Louisiana, he covertly worked with American agent Oliver Pollock in 1777 to transfer money, gunpowder, and vital supplies to colonial forces.

In his direct service to Spain, Gálvez recruited an army of 7,500 men made up of Spanish, French, African American, Mexican, Cuban, and Anglo-American forces. In 1779-1780, his forces defeated the British at Battles in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Natchez, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama. In 1781, he successfully seized Pensacola, Florida, and was wounded during the fighting. His contributions were recognized by George Washington as a decisive factor in the outcome of the Revolutionary War.

After the Revolutionary War, Gálvez led an effort to chart the Gulf of Mexico, including Galveston Bay, and served as the viceroy of New Spain. In 2014, the United States Congress passed Public Law No. 113-229, granting him honorary citizenship of the United States-making him one of only eight honorary citizens in U.S. history.

The future USS Galvez, the sixth of the new Constellation-class frigates, was appropriated in 2024. The other ships in the class are USS Constellation (FFG 62), USS Congress (FFG 63), USS Chesapeake (FFG 64), USS Lafayette (FFG 65), and USS Hamilton (FFG 66). Secretary Del Toro named the future USS Lafayette (FFG 65) in 2023 and the future USS Hamilton (FFG 66) in May 2024.

Along with the ship's name, Secretary Del Toro announced the sponsors for the USS Galvez will be Ambassador Reynoso Pantaleón and Spanish Ambassador to the U.S. Ángeles Moreno Bau. They, in their role as sponsors, will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.

"Honoring Bernardo de Gálvez in this way at our Independence celebration marks not only the close, enduring, and historic partnership between the United States and Spain, it also recognizes his and Spain's critical role in the war for America's Independence almost 250 years ago," said Ambassador Reynoso.

The Constellation-class guided-missile frigate represents the Navy's next generation small surface combatant. This ship class will be an agile, multi-mission warship, capable of operations in both blue-water and littoral environments, providing increased combat-credible forward presence that provides a military advantage at sea.

The Constellation-class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations.

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 7:12 am And another naming convention goes out the window.

The only name that has been selected that was lucky was CONSTELLATION. The rest have been fairly undistinguished, if not outright unlucky, which is probably why we haven’t had a LAFAYETTE, CHESAPEAKE or CONGRESS in a long while.

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 7:12 am And another naming convention goes out the window.

The only name that has been selected that was lucky was CONSTELLATION. The rest have been fairly undistinguished, if not outright unlucky, which is probably why we haven’t had a LAFAYETTE, CHESAPEAKE or CONGRESS in a long while.

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

clancyphile wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 2:14 pm Not a horrible decision, and probably a good name for a ship.

kdahm wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:58 pm

clancyphile wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 2:14 pm Not a horrible decision, and probably a good name for a ship.

They need to do another check. What are the odds that he had slaves or indentured servants? That would be enough to downcheck him in this day all by itself.

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 7:12 am And another naming convention goes out the window.

The only name that has been selected that was lucky was CONSTELLATION. The rest have been fairly undistinguished, if not outright unlucky, which is probably why we haven’t had a LAFAYETTE, CHESAPEAKE or CONGRESS in a long while.

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

Nightwatch2 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 7:01 pm

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 7:12 am And another naming convention goes out the window.

The only name that has been selected that was lucky was CONSTELLATION. The rest have been fairly undistinguished, if not outright unlucky, which is probably why we haven’t had a LAFAYETTE, CHESAPEAKE or CONGRESS in a long while.

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

I’m looking forward to when they get down to state representatives with naval service….

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:54 pm

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 7:12 am And another naming convention goes out the window.

The only name that has been selected that was lucky was CONSTELLATION. The rest have been fairly undistinguished, if not outright unlucky, which is probably why we haven’t had a LAFAYETTE, CHESAPEAKE or CONGRESS in a long while.

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

They did with HAMILTON. Which was not exactly a distinguished ship during the War of 1812, being in commission about 8 months before sinking in a storm. The other HAMILTON was named for Archibald Hamilton, the last USN officer killed in the War of 1812.

Quite frankly they should just admit they named it for the musical.

Carrier USS John C. Stennis Overhaul Delayed, Work Will Take More than 5 Years to Complete
By Sam LaGrone
June 18, 2024

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The midlife overhaul and refueling for aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) will now take about five and a half years to complete – an extension of almost 14 months, according to Navy Fiscal Year 2025 budget documents.

Stennis began the refueling and complex overhaul in 2021 and was due to finish the massive, multi-billion overhaul by August 2025. However, that date was pushed to the right by more than a year to October 2026, according to the Fiscal Year 2025 budget documents released earlier this year.

Speaking to USNI News on Monday, program executive officer carriers Rear. Adm. Casey Moton said the delays are due to the workforce and material shortfalls that stretched out the delivery of USS George Washington (CVN-73), which were made worse by the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an April statement, NAVSEA said the delay was, “due both to mandatory growth work following ship condition assessments, as well as industrial base challenges.”

George Washington was at the Newport News yard for almost six years before completing the RCOH with the sailors working in the shipyard subject to some of the toughest conditions in the military, according to a 2023 Navy investigation following the deaths by suicide of several sailors assigned to the carrier.

Stennis will be in the yard less time and the service has taken steps to increase the quality of life for the sailors working on the carrier, Moton told USNI News.

That includes creating new habitability standards the carrier must meet before the Naval Sea Systems Command, the PEO and the ship’s leadership can make the decision to allow the sailors to move back aboard the carrier.

As part of the FY 2025 budget submission, the Navy requested additional funds for sailors to live off the ship during the work.

The cost increases, “include additional months of crew berthing and to provide more off-ship housing in apartments vice barracks for sailors. Beginning with [Stennis] RCOH, no on-board housing is used for crew berthing for sailors during the RCOH. In previous RCOH availabilities, crew move-aboard occurred nearly a year before the ship re-delivered,” reads the budget documents.

Lack of parking, adequate housing and other amenities, like reliable Wi-Fi and healthy food options, were highlights from an investigation that concluded sailors on Washington had the toughest living standards in the U.S. military.

Moton spoke at an announcement of a $120 million garage that would add 2,800 spots to allow sailors and shipyard workers parking nearby the shipyard with 2,000 spaces reserved for sailors working in the yard. According to the investigation, about 2,000 sailors parked in satellite lots, requiring travel of up to three hours to get to work.

Stennis left the dry dock of HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in April to start the second part of the carrier’s RCOH and is currently pier-side at the shipyard.

Worker Shortage Hobbles Construction of U.S. Navy Frigates
April 12, 2024
By Tony Capaccio (Bloomberg) —

The shipyard producing the US Navy’s new frigate has been hobbled by a failure to “achieve engineering and skilled workforce levels” for the medium-sized vessel, according to a service document on the project that’s now forecast to run as much as three years late.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine has experienced “unprecedented poor workforce retention — high attrition rates,” according to an unreleased Navy briefing slide prepared for senior service and Pentagon officials late last month. It spelled out the shipyard’s woes in more detail than the publicly released findings of top Navy programs released last week.

The company will require more than 1,600 skilled workers next year, up from more than 900 today, according to the slide.

The Wisconsin-based unit of Italy’s Fincantieri SpA was picked by the US Navy in 2020 over three other contenders for the initial phase of its new frigate program. The frigate was conceived as a better-armed, better-armored but more expensive successor to the problem-plagued Littoral Combat Ship. The contractor was obligated to deliver the first of a potential 10 frigates by April 2026, but that’s now anticipated to slip by as much as 36 months.

The previously unreported briefing slide made available to Bloomberg News outlines a harsher conclusion than Navy officials gave reporters last week when they outlined the findings. Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s workforce retention issues are symptomatic of the challenges facing the Navy’s shipyards.

It’s driven the service to invest billions of dollars in industrial base infrastructure improvements and to more actively seek out needed skilled employees such as welders, pipefitters, metal fabricators and electricians.

“Inexperienced labor and supervisors are a consistent challenge across Navy programs and a product of the steep buildup of workforce that is necessary to achieve performance across all the shipyards,” said Shelby Oakley, a Government Accountability Office director who oversees defense contracting assessments.

Offering Bonuses
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro acknowledged the frigate builder’s retention issue in a brief interview after congressional testimony on Wednesday. He said the service has provided incentive fees for workers to stay on the job — $5,000 if they stay a first year and $5,000 “if they stay throughout construction of the first ship,” he said. “We’ve been trying to work with industry to get them to a better place,” he said.

The Navy expects the first frigate to cost almost $1.3 billion, with an average procurement cost of approximately $1.1 billion for the remaining 19 ships, lawmakers said in the fiscal 2023 defense policy report.

Of all the shipbuilding program delays disclosed, the frigate “was the most startling for me,” said Ronald O’Rourke, naval analyst for the Congressional Research Service.

Vice Admiral James Downey, head of Naval Sea Systems Command, told reporters last week that in addition to workforce hiring and retention issues, the frigate delay stemmed in part from the ship’s incomplete design and to Fincantieri working on three programs simultaneously at its Wisconsin yard, including a vessel for Saudi Arabia.

Fincantieri spokesman Eric Dent said in a statement that “we understand” the 36-month delay is a worst-case scenario.

“We know we are on the clock, so challenge accepted,” he said. “We need to improve on a range of workforce issues for sure, and we need a Navy-approved design. We will get there, but we cannot do it alone.”

Workforce issues “are a consequence of the Navy consistently not taking a critical eye to the overly optimistic promises underpinning its shipbuilding programs,” Oakley said.

David Newton wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 9:25 pm

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:54 pm

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

They did with HAMILTON. Which was not exactly a distinguished ship during the War of 1812, being in commission about 8 months before sinking in a storm. The other HAMILTON was named for Archibald Hamilton, the last USN officer killed in the War of 1812.

Quite frankly they should just admit they named it for the musical.

You mean the 1812 Overture?

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 7:54 pm

Nightwatch2 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 7:01 pm

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

I’m looking forward to when they get down to state representatives with naval service….

Probably still a better choice than some of these names.

Would probably help if we sentenced you to Congress or DoD.

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:54 pm

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Sat Jun 22, 2024 7:12 am And another naming convention goes out the window.

The only name that has been selected that was lucky was CONSTELLATION. The rest have been fairly undistinguished, if not outright unlucky, which is probably why we haven’t had a LAFAYETTE, CHESAPEAKE or CONGRESS in a long while.

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

They did with HAMILTON. Which was not exactly a distinguished ship during the War of 1812, being in commission about 8 months before sinking in a storm. The other HAMILTON was named for Archibald Hamilton, the last USN officer killed in the War of 1812.

Quite frankly they should just admit they named it for the musical.

MikeKozlowski wrote: ↑Tue Jun 25, 2024 6:36 pm

Johnnie Lyle wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:54 pm

Calder wrote: ↑Mon Jun 24, 2024 4:37 pm

Look on the bright side. At least they didn't use the name of another politician.

They did with HAMILTON. Which was not exactly a distinguished ship during the War of 1812, being in commission about 8 months before sinking in a storm. The other HAMILTON was named for Archibald Hamilton, the last USN officer killed in the War of 1812.

Quite frankly they should just admit they named it for the musical.

...OTOH, the USCG has had at least two HAMILTONS, one of which went down in WWII. Without question, they were both named for Alexander (as a Secretary of the Treasury), and as he can be reasonably be said to have contributed to the Revolution (as a commander) and the Constitution, I'm pretty good with naming a warship for him.

Mike

Poohbah wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2024 5:23 am Okay, my preferred name list for glorious ships:

Hornet
England
Guadalcanal
Gambier Bay
Laffey
Samuel B. Roberts
Hoel
Johnston
Houston
Yorktown
Lexington
San Francisco