Department of Defense

Huntingtown Native Serving with Navy fighter Squadron to Support Super Bowl LX Flyover

Huntingtown Native Serving with Navy fighter Squadron to Support Super Bowl LX Flyover

During the 2026 Super Bowl national anthem performance, members of four U.S. Navy tactical squadrons will conduct a unified flyover with members of the Air Force. Lt. Cmdr. Dewayne Hooper, a native of Huntingtown, Maryland, is among those supporting the Feb. 8 flyover above Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The eight-aircraft flyover formation...
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Southern Maryland Schools CLOSED on Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Southern Maryland Schools CLOSED on Wednesday, January 28, 2026

St. Mary’s County – All Schools and Offices are closed on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 – Code 3 for staff. No employees should report to work. Administrative leave will be provided for twelve-month employees. Operations Prince George’s County – Closed Tuesday, January 27, 2026 – Thursday, January 29, 2026 | CODE YELLOW | Schools are...
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NAS Patuxent River Operating under Restricted Access Due to Weather Monday, January 26, 2026

NAS Patuxent River Operating under Restricted Access Due to Weather Monday, January 26, 2026

Due to weather conditions, NAS Patuxent River will maintain its operational status of Restricted Access for All but Mission Essential Personnel Monday, January 26, 2026. This applies to NAS Patuxent River, Webster Outlying Field, and Navy Recreation Center Solomons. The NAS Patuxent River Child and Youth Programs, Commissary and Navy Exchange will be closed...
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Southern Maryland Schools CLOSED on Monday, January 26, 2026 Due to Weather

Southern Maryland Schools CLOSED on Monday, January 26, 2026 Due to Weather

ST. MARY’S COUNTY – All St. Mary’s County Public Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 26, 2026, with a Code 3 for employees. No employees should report to work. Administrative leave will be provided for twelve-month employees. Operations and Maintenance Emergency personnel will follow the established protocol. Thank you and stay safe. CALVERT COUNTY...
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NAS Patuxent River, Webster Outlying Field, and Navy Recreation Center Solomons Under Restricted Access

NAS Patuxent River, Webster Outlying Field, and Navy Recreation Center Solomons Under Restricted Access

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: Due to forecasted weather conditions, NAS Patuxent River has updated its operational status to Restricted Access for All but Mission Essential Personnel beginning 12:01 a.m. Sunday, January 25, 2026. This applies to NAS Patuxent River, Webster Outlying Field, and Navy Recreation Center Solomons. The NAS Patuxent River Commissary...
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U.S. Navy Demonstrates AI-Enabled Autonomy for Future Collaborative Combat Aircraft

U.S. Navy Demonstrates AI-Enabled Autonomy for Future Collaborative Combat Aircraft

The U.S. Navy recently completed a second successful demonstration advancing multi-platform coordination of autonomous systems, an essential step toward developing future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The Dec. 11 event at Point Mugu Sea Range in California focused on maturing manned-unmanned teaming capabilities for CCA, which are intended to extend the reach of carrier air wings and deliver scalable, cost-effective platforms capable of operating...
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CH-53K Program Enters Multi-Year Procurement Contract With GE Aerospace

CH-53K Program Enters Multi-Year Procurement Contract With GE Aerospace

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: A five-year, multi-year procurement (MYP) contract was signed on January 8 between the Department of War (DOW) and GE Aerospace for both new production and spare T-408 engines, along with associated sustainment services for the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter. The $1.4 billion contract covers five years, Lots...
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Employment Data Reveal’s Trump Firings Have Cost Maryland Nearly 25,000 Federal Jobs in 2025, with 10,300 Federal Jobs Lost October-November

Employment Data Reveal’s Trump Firings Have Cost Maryland Nearly 25,000 Federal Jobs in 2025, with 10,300 Federal Jobs Lost October-November

New employment estimates for October and November 2025 released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that federal employment in Maryland fell by an estimated 10,300 in October and November 2025 (combined) according to the bureau. The employment losses are the first monthly job numbers to reflect “fork in the road” deferred resignations...
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Comptroller Lierman Expresses Concern at Recent Federal Workforce Cuts During Board of Public Works

Comptroller Lierman Expresses Concern at Recent Federal Workforce Cuts During Board of Public Works

Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman joined Governor Wes Moore and Treasurer Dereck Davis for a meeting of the Board of Public Works. Governor Moore opened the meeting by discussing the jobs report released today by the Maryland Department of Labor. The report reveals the state had lost 24,900 federal jobs between January and November 2025,...
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F-35 pilots and Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft Hone Tactics in Joint Simulation Environment

F-35 pilots and Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft Hone Tactics in Joint Simulation Environment

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) achieved a milestone in advancing F-35 Lightning II aircraft integration with the Navy’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) during a recent tactical demonstration in its Joint Simulation Environment (JSE). The event demonstrated how advanced modeling and simulation can develop tactics and strategies for fifth-generation aircraft like the F-35 operating with uncrewed...
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Defense Contractor IAP Worldwide Services Agrees to Pay More Than $800k to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations

Defense Contractor IAP Worldwide Services Agrees to Pay More Than $800k to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations

IAP Worldwide Services, Incorporated (IAP), a logistics, facilities management, and advanced technical and professional services company headquartered in Delaware, agreed to pay the United States $810,821.65 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the settlement with Special Agent in Charge, Christopher...
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NAS Patuxent River Mourns Passing of Two Commanding Officers

NAS Patuxent River Mourns Passing of Two Commanding Officers

This past month we were saddened by the loss of two of our former commanding officers, Capt. Edward Laney, Jr. and Capt. Roger Hill. These two remarkable aviators did much in their careers, and served NAS Patuxent River with distinction in their roles as commanding officer. Laney was a seasoned naval aviator prior to...
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NAVAIR Enables Cross-Service Collaboration, Forward Thinking With Additive Manufacturing

NAVAIR Enables Cross-Service Collaboration, Forward Thinking With Additive Manufacturing

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: The NAVAIR Additive Manufacturing team supports Navy and Marine Corps maintainers with AM training, engineering support and technical data to increase readiness in forward-deployed locations where traditional logistics are contested. Recently, Marine Aircraft Logistics Squadron 36 (MALS-36) and 18th Maintenance Group (18 MXG) maintainers used AM to...
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NAVAIR P-8A Poseidon Upgrade Hits Cloud-Connectivity Milestone With Minotaur “Labyrinth” Hub

NAVAIR P-8A Poseidon Upgrade Hits Cloud-Connectivity Milestone With Minotaur “Labyrinth” Hub

The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft program office (PMA-290) achieved an airborne connectivity landmark when the P-8A Poseidon Increment 3 Block 2 (I3B2) aircraft successfully connected to the Minotaur Family of Systems (MFoS) Labyrinth hub. This pivotal connection occurred during a combined development test / operational test event this December at Naval Air Systems...
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Two NAVAIR Employees Recognized at 70th Annual Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Ceremony

Two NAVAIR Employees Recognized at 70th Annual Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Ceremony

Anthony Blankenship, deputy director, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, and Gregory Imhof, director of test technologies, Naval Test Wing Atlantic, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, were recognized at the 70th annual Distinguished Civilian Service Awards ceremony at the Pentagon December 3. This is the Department of War’s (DoW) highest award given to...
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NAVAIR Releases V-22 Comprehensive Review Findings

NAVAIR Releases V-22 Comprehensive Review Findings

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PAXUTENT RIVER, MD.: Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) released the findings of a comprehensive review Dec. 12, 2025, on the V-22 Osprey aircraft flown by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. The review reaffirmed the airworthiness of the V-22 platform under established controls allowing the continued safe operations of...
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Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for Dec. 16, 2025

Noise Advisory – NAS Patuxent River Sets Noise Advisory for Dec. 16, 2025

Communities surrounding the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Outlying Field Webster, and the Northern Neck of Virgina are advised that a noise-generating night-time test event is scheduled to take place December 16, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. through 7:30 p.m. Night testing and training is essential for the precision and safety of our military aviators...
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NAS Pax River SAR Dogs, Navy Corpsman Complete Rigorous Qualification Flight, Enhancing Combat Readiness

NAS Pax River SAR Dogs, Navy Corpsman Complete Rigorous Qualification Flight, Enhancing Combat Readiness

Story by Maria Scott, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Arsides Garay, assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Patuxent River, has completed the rigorous L00A Joint Qualification Requirement (JQR), culminating in a successful final qualification flight. The achievement provides Navy Medicine with another highly skilled corpsman ready to deliver advanced life...
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U.S. Navy UAS Surpass One Million Flight Hours in ISR Operations

U.S. Navy UAS Surpass One Million Flight Hours in ISR Operations

Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.: The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program office (PMA-263) recently announced that the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Services UAS surpassed one million flight hours in support of operations on land and at sea. Sailors aboard achieved the one million flight hours...
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P-8A Program Leverages Partnerships to Achieve Winning Operational Outcomes

P-8A Program Leverages Partnerships to Achieve Winning Operational Outcomes

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD.: The Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program (PMA-290) and the P-8A program team planned and executed several Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events in recent months.  The successful AOG events were completed outside of the continental U.S. (OCONUS) with cooperative partnerships between the U.S. Navy and the Royal...
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The Patuxent Partnership 2025 Defense Summit

The Patuxent Partnership 2025 Defense Summit

On Wednesday, November 19th, 2025, an audience of 200+ attended the 3rd Annual TPP Defense Summit, a full-day program of dynamic panels and speakers, including NAWCAD leadership. Ms. Bonnie Green, TPP Executive Director, welcomed everyone and discussed the challenges of organizing the Defense Summit during a government shutdown. Delivering a useful, informative full-day Summit,...
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Santa Claus to Spread Cheer Over Southern Maryland on December 9th, 2025, Courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Santa Claus to Spread Cheer Over Southern Maryland on December 9th, 2025, Courtesy of the U.S. Navy

Southern Maryland residents young and old should look skyward on Tuesday, Dec. 9, between 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. ET as Adm. Saint Nicholas takes to the air on his annual holiday readiness flight. Locals can catch a glimpse of Nicholas — flying under his seasonal call sign “Claus” — as he lifts off...
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CH-53K King Stallion: 10 Years Since First Flight

CH-53K King Stallion: 10 Years Since First Flight

Published November 17th, 2025, article delayed due to Government shutdown NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER: October 27, 2015 the CH-53K King Stallion took to the skies for its first flight. Today, more than 10 years later, there are 20 CH-53Ks executing missions with four different Navy and Marine Corps squadrons. The CH-53K, which...
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CSM to Launch New Aviation Maintenance Technology Associate Degree Program

CSM to Launch New Aviation Maintenance Technology Associate Degree Program

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is helping students fill critical workforce gaps in the region with a new associate degree program in Aviation Maintenance Technology. The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) has approved the CSM Associate of Applied Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology program, making the college the first institution in the...
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NAS Patuxent River Navy Lodge Wins First Carlson Award for Exceptional Service

NAS Patuxent River Navy Lodge Wins First Carlson Award for Exceptional Service

NAS Patuxent River’s Navy Lodge was recognized by Naval Supply Systems Command and installation leadership Oct. 22 with the 2025 Edward E. Carlson Hospitality Award in a ceremony at the Pax River Navy Exchange. The Edward E. Carlson Award is awarded to the Navy Lodge that has the highest scores in guest and associate...
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