Navy League of the United States - Denver Council
Citizens in Support of the Sea Services
November Dinner Meeting - November 15, 2024 - Vietnam Through a Periscope We had an interesting and eventful meeting on Friday evening. We elected the Council Officers and Board of Directors for 2025. They will be installed at the January meeting. . Click here to see the pictures of the November meeting. |
| Our guest speaker, retired Navy Captain, Dick Life, gave us a unique perspective on the war Vietnam, where he served on USS Perch and USS Tunney, two World War II era submarines. They transported “frogmen” (now Navy Seals) as close to shore as possible, sometimes hitting the bottom, typically verboten for submarines. They also used their deck guns to protect troops from the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and bring them, and some civilians to safety. He displayed many pictures from the era as well as some from a more recent trip to Vietnam. It was a unique and rarely heard perspective on the Vietnam War. |
We were proud to honor the top performers at the Navy Talent Acquisition Group Rocky Mountain. We recognized PO1 Jacinta Woods, USN as the Metro Division All-Star of the Year and PO2 William Perry as the North Division All-Star of the Year. PO1 Devyn Paddock was awarded the Recruiter of the Year for his service at Navy Recruiting Station Taylorsville. These highly performing sailors were accompanied by Senior Chief Randy Carrasco, the Director of Personnel and Operations at NTAG Denver, and Maria Rust, the Public Affairs Specialist. Their hard work, perseverance and devotion to duty ensures that we will have a strong Navy in the years to come. | Senior Chief Carrasco thanks the top performers at NTAG for their contributions to the success of the unit. |
| We also honored the Sea Cadet of the Year, PO2 Silas Wenzel and the Navy League Cadet of the Year, PO1 Logan Wuestefeld. We were happy to welcome these two very impressive young men and their families to the meeting. LCDR David Gilfillan, the Commanding Officer of the Colorado Sea Cadets, gave a great presentation highlighting their activities over the past year. The Denver Council was pleased to present a $1,000.00 donation to the Colorado Sea Cadets in support of this very active and robust organization that provides leadership development, strong moral character and life skills for so many young people. |
Thanks to all who participated for your very generous response to our Toys for Tots Drive. We collected a trunkful of toys that will be delivered to the local warehouse.
Happy holidays to all! Our next meeting will be held on Friday, January 17, 2025 at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Airport. Registration for this event will open in late December.
November Dinner Meeting – November 15, 2024
Our guest speaker for this meeting is retired Navy Captain and long-time Denver Council member, Dick Life. Dick had a long and varied Navy career, including 3 tours of duty in Vietnam. He will give us some insight into the Vietnam era with his presentation titled “Vietnam Through a Periscope.” We will also honor the top performers at NTAG Rocky Mountain as well as the Sea Cadet and Navy League Cadet of the Year.
Please click here to register for the November meeting. Registration will be open until Thursday, November 7th.
At this meeting, we will collect new, unwrapped toys for donation to the Marine Toys for Tots program in Aurora, CO. We appreciate your support of this program to bring joy and hope to less fortunate children in our community.
If you haven't done so already please read the article below regarding the Pay our Troops Act and take action! The issues are clearly laid out and it is quick and easy to contact your members of Congress.
Pay our Troops Act - Rapid Response Requested
Please take a moment to join our Rapid Response email campaign in support of Congresswoman Jen Kiggans' "Pay Our Troops Act" (awaiting bill number).
Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) reintroduced the Pay Our Troops Act, legislation to ensure members of the military are paid in the event of a government shutdown. The bill will protect members of the military, including the Coast Guard, as well as certain U.S. Department of Defense civilian employees and contractors should Congress fail to provide temporary or full-year federal funding by September 30, 2024. Currently, if the government shuts down without a funding bill for the Department of Defense signed into law, many of those serving in our Armed Forces will not receive their paychecks.
Please use the link below to learn more about this issue and to send a letter directly to your Members of Congress by just clicking send! Let's get to work!
Thank you,
Luke Lorenz
Senior Director, Legislative Affairs
Navy League of the United States
 | Captain Brian Quin presented an interesting brief on the Pacific Partnership, which was born out of the military led humanitarian response to the devastation following the tsunami that occurred in Southest Asia in 2004. Based upon the success of this mission, the United States became the driving force behind the first Pacific Partnership mission in 2006. This year Captain Quin commanded the 19th year of this mission in partnership with Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Germany. In 2024, the mission stopped at the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia – Pohnpei and Chuuk at the invitation of these host nations. |
The Pacific Partnership is enabled by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Fleet Logistics Center, our partner nations, and the Military Sealift Command and civilian mariners who sailed aboard the hospital ship Mercy.
The purpose of the partnership is to fulfill and increase U.S. commitments, to coordinate with and strengthen ties with our allies and partners in the Pacific, to combat the climate crisis, to reinforce the health care abilities of the participating nations, and to partner with Pacific Islanders to strengthen people-to-people ties.
These goals are accomplished in a variety of ways, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparation, direct medical care, ‘train the trainer’ sessions, and working with local church and community groups to best reach the people. Navy medical providers conducted dental, vision and chronic disease screenings for the public, along with eyeglasses and dental care as needed. There were over one hundred cataract surgeries performed aboard the hospital ship Mercy. The U.S. donated two minimally invasive surgical units to the Soloman Islands, and local health care providers were trained in their operation.
Engineering projects, led by the Seabees, included school and clinic renovations, concrete replacement, and field upgrades. There were also community outreach events to build goodwill and human connection. These included band concerts, religious services, sporting events and community murals.
The Pacific Partnership made a positive impact on all the countries they visited, not just in 2024 but in the years to come by improving their capacity for medical treatment, by providing better educational facilities and the ability to better respond to future natural disasters. Those sailors who participated in these endeavors were also blessed by their encounters with the native peoples.
| Denver Council President, Florence Mackin, thanks Captain Quin for his presentation and for making us aware of the good that the United States does in the world. |
Florence Mackin presents a plaque to SGT Nathaniel Brewer in recognition of his superior performance as a canvassing recruiter from October 2023 through September 2024. During this time SGT Brewer recruited 19 highly qualified applicants and shipped 12 morally, mentally and physically prepared men and women to Marine Corps Training Depots. His relentless work ethic and commitment to recruiting the next generation of the Marine Corps have made him a top performer in Recruiting Station Denver and an example to his peers. We were honored to have him with us at the dinner on Friday event |
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Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, November 15, 2024 at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Airport. Details and information about the program and registration will be available about one month prior to the meeting.
Denver Council Dinner - Friday, September 20, 2024
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Navy Week Welcome Reception - Monday, August 12, 2024
Navy Week is coming to Colorado Springs from Monday, August 12 through Sunday, August 18. The Denver Council with support from Cogitic Corporation in Colorado Springs, the USS Colorado Submarine Association and the Mile-High Tailhook Association, will host a Navy Week Welcome Reception for Vice Admiral John Fuller, the Inspector General of the Navy. We will also be joined by crewmembers of USS Colorado, USS Mesa Verde and sailors from local commands.
The reception will be held at the Doubletree Hotel located at 1775 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80909 from 5:30 to 7:00pm. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served. There will be a cash bar. Cost is $30.00 per person.
Click here to register for the reception.
Denver Council Dinner - May 17, 2024
The Denver Council held a wonderful dinner on Friday, May 17th with 80 people in attendance, including local area Sea Service Academy appointees and NROTIC scholarship recipients. These young people are about to take the first step in service to our nation. We were very happy to welcome them and wish much success going forward.
| We were also happy to welcome CDR William Murphy, Commanding Officer of the Navy Reserve Center Denver, and Command Master Chief, MACM Gene Colwell. The Denver Council presented the Junior Sailor of the Year award to AME2 Cessy Morales, and the Bluejacket of the Year award to BMSN (SW) Patrick Lamamee. The professionalism, initiative, and dedication of these two young sailors is very impressive. Our Navy is in good hands! |  |
| Don Price, President of the USS Colorado Submarine Association, gave a very enthusiastic presentation about the group’s recent trip to Hawaii to welcome the USS Colorado to her new home port at Pearl Harbor, and the associated activities with the ship’s crew, including a tiger cruise. A great time was had by all! Pictured to the left is Don showing a picture of USS Colorado at the North Pole flyihg the Colorado State flag. |
You can find the full story about the visit to Hawaii and more pictures in the USS Colorado Submarine Association newsletter.
David Gilfillan provided an update on the activities of our Sea Cadets & Navy League Cadets, and the scholarships that will be available thanks to a most generous donation from retired Commander Len Deemer. Pictured to the right are the Sea Cadets as they prepare to present the colors. |
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The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Rear Admiral Scott Robertson, Director of Strategy, Policy & Plans (J5), North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command.
| The Admiral explained that global dynamics today are in a state of flux. Since 1992 there has been a 300% increase in maritime traffic, with another 300% increase predicted for the next 20 years. 99% of internet traffic flows through underwater cables. A strong Navy is more important than ever before. The national defense of the United States has shifted as China, Russia, Iran & North Korea seek to replace the United States as a global leader and reestablish international order to favor them. The US is under attack in the information and cyber domains. This includes spreading misinformation and dis-information, attacks on our infrastructure that could affect our ability to project force, and creation of distrust in our national leadership. |
The US has strengthened our alliances with our allies and partners to create a coalition of nations each bringing unique capabilities, to stand against these attacks, and to achieve the goal of being able to project power anywhere in the world.
The future of the Navy will likely see a smaller force as uncrewed systems become more prevalent. Work is progressing on unmanned systems, both in the air and under the sea. New combat systems, such as directed energy lasers, are being rapidly modernized. The force itself has become increasingly diverse. The Arctic has become a major logistic hub, and at the same time an area of competition with Russia.
The Admiral entertained many questions from the audience. He expressed his concerns about the vulnerability of our electronic grid, and the lack of understanding by our population about what our adversaries are trying to do. People need to develop critical thinking skills to question sources of information rather than readily accept misinformation and disinformation.
He noted that with the widespread use of electronics, may have lost interest in interpersonal communication, which can lead to a loss of trust. He encouraged the young people to establish a culture of trust, starting with living the values that they espouse and being honest about their strengths and weaknesses. He advised them to ask questions and to listen to the answers as no one learns anything by talking. It was a wonderful opportunity for the young people there to be exposed to some lessons in leadership as they begin their venture into new roles as future leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps. |
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Denver Council Dinner - May 17, 2024
| Our next Denver Council Dinner will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024 at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Airport, 16475 East 40th Circle, Aurora, CO 80011. We are happy to welcome Rear Admiral Scott Robertson as our guest speaker for the evening. Rear Admiral currently serves as Director of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (J5) at North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. |
At this meeting we will also welcome the Front Range Area Sea Service Academy appointees, NROTC scholarship recipients, and their families. We will also honor the top performers at the Naval Operations Support Center Denver.
Please click here to register for this event. If you prefer to register via ground mail, please click here to access the dinner flyer, print the last page and mail it along with a check for $40.00 payable to NLUS Denver Council to Mrs. Pam Quin, 1000 Green Oaks Drive, Greenwood Village, CO 80121-1325.
Denver Council Dinner - March 15, 2024 "From the Sea to the Stars" Despite all the snow that fell on Thursday, we had a good crowd at our March meeting on Friday, March 15. Our guest speaker, LCDR Ryan Salcido, give an insightful presentation on U.S. Space Command and the Navy’s role in space warfighting. |
| Originally designated as a Naval Flight Officer, LCDR Salcido earned his Information Warfare qualification and was re-designated as a Maritime Space Office within the Information Warfare Community in 2022. He is a plank owner in that community. |
There are about 1,200 members of Space Command. Five to seven hundred are active-duty military, both officers and enlisted, from all the services. The rest are GS civil service workers. The Naval Element of Space Command works in concert with joint interagency and other partners to support all aspects of Fleet tactics, command, and control. At this time there are about one hundred Maritime Space Officers, most of whom have transferred from other specialties. The need for a Space Cadre with expertise in space operations will only continue to grow as our interests in space grow.
Like the other services, the U.S. Space Force is responsible for staffing, training, and equipping personnel to fight. This organization provides forces to Space Command, which is the geographic command responsible for conducting operations in, to and from Space to defeat aggression and deliver space security. With the many and growing U.S. interests in Space it has become increasingly important to protect our assets in space, as well as to prevent malfeasance by bad actors.
At this meeting we honored the top performers at the Navy Information Operations Center Colorado. We were happy to welcome the Executive Officer, CDR Lindsay Cosentino and the Command Master Chief Ken Walton. Pictured to the right are Florence Mackin, Denver Council President, CTR2 (IW) Ariana Abrahamson, USN, the Blue Jacket of the Year, CTR2 (IW) Michael Canfield, USN, the Junior Sailor of the Year, and CTR1 (SS/IW) Zachary Dawson, USN, the Senior Sailor of the Year. CMC Ken Walton, at the far right, gave an introduction for each of these outstanding sailors. It is clear why they were chosen for this honor. |
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| Sonja Asper, the Admin Officer and Finance Officer of the Lexington Division and Training Ship Colorado, gave us an update on the January and February activities of the Sea Cadets, including some who were sent to the base barber for haircuts. She read some letters of thanks from the Cadets to Mr. Len Deemer, who made a very generous donation to that organization. It was moving to listen to their words about what the Sea Cadet organization means to them. |
JJ Mackin gave an update on the USS Colorado. She departed New London, CT on March 15th. Her next stop will be Pearl Harbor, HI for an overhaul expected to last about 2 years. Her homeport after that is yet to be determined.
Click here to see the photo album for the event.
Our next meeting is scheduled for May 17, 2024 at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Airport. We are very happy to announce that Admiral Scott Robertson, J-5 at NORTHCOM, has agreed to be our guest speaker. Registration will be opened about one month prior to the event.
Denver Council Dinner – January 19, 2024 We had a good crowd at our dinner on Friday, January 19th despite the very chilly weather. Our guest speaker for the evening was Dr. Chris Juergens, the Head of Curatorial Services and the Anschutz Curation of Military History at History Colorado. He was joined by Sydney Mauch, the Anschutz Military Collections Specialist at the Museum. |
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The Museum follows a process of collecting objects from the original owners, military veterans and family members, and verifying the provenance of all items accepted. Sydney Macuk works on the science and preservation work done on the items that are brought into their collections. The items are photographed to document damage, treated to remediate the damage, and then stored appropriately to prevent future damage.
| As you might expect in Colorado, the collections regarding Army history are extensive. They recently opened the Winter Warriors exhibit detailing the training and service of the 10th Mountain Division during World War II. Pictured to the left are some of the artifacts in this exhibit, including an Eisenhower jacket, boots worn by a member of the 10th Mountain division and Benito Mussolini's fez. |
In addition to the exhibits housed at the Museum, they have outreach programs with various community organizations and schools, which are done both in-person and virtually throughout the state. It was a fascinating look at the inside workings of the Museum by these dedicated professionals to bring history alive for the citizens of Colorado.
Senator Bernie Herpin presented a picture of USS Colorado (BB 45) to Chris Juergens. The picture was found in the basement of the State Capitol and given to Bernie in recognition of his work in introducing the bill that authorized the USS Colorado license plate. |
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| We honored the United States Coast Guard Cryptologic Unit Colorado Enlisted Person of the Year, Intelligence Specialist Paul Myrick, for his top-notch performance in analyzing and providing time sensitive intelligence in support of US national security objectives, his supervision of over 35 joint service and civilian members, and his work to promote diversity and inclusion within this group. We were happy to welcome the USCG Cryptologic Unit Commanding Officer, LCDR Ian Phillips DeZalia as well as Senior Chief Tom Russo and Chief Josh Rousy. |
David Fong presented an overview of the activities of the Sea Cadets. JJ Mackin showed slides of the return of USS Colorado (SSN- 788) from her third deployment and gave an update on future plans.
The pictures taken at the meeting are now available at this link: Navy League Dinner 1-19-24 | Flickr
Our next meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 15, 2024 and will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Airport in Aurora
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Denver Council Dinner - November 17, 2023
| The Denver Council had a wonderful evening on Friday, November 17. Out guest speaker for the evening was Chaplain (Colonel) Andy Meverden, who served for 14 years as an enlisted soldier in the United States Army, and then for an additional 26 years as a Reserve/Guard Chaplain. He deployed to Afghanistan with the Colorado Army National Guard Green Berets from 2002 to 2003. Chaplain Andy's presentation centered on his experiences in Afghanistan with the ‘soft side of war’. In addition to his religious duties, he was asked to lead humanitarian projects, such as conversational English classes for high schoolers, as well as missions to support orphans, widows, and the local ex-patriot NGO community in Kabul. |
After a tragic accident resulted in the deaths of four young boys and left another one severely injured, he had to reach out to the village elders to learn about and then participate in a local custom to acknowledge the injury and make it right with the fathers of these children. His respect for the local Afghans, and willingness to atone for the injury led to a level of reconciliation. All in the audience were moved by his story. Chaplain Andy’s book about these experiences, Unconventional Chaplain, was published in May 2020.
The Denver Council of the Navy League of the United States is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, 2137 Night Sky Lane, Lafayette, CO 80026