Small Boats

Hello again.  Continuing with our NATO exercise.  With great weather, we had the opportunity to put our small boats in the water a couple different times.  One time was to practice our Maritime Interception Operations (MIO) procedures.  We have a group of our Sailors who are highly trained in MIO, ready to board merchant ships to conduct inspections in support of UN sanctions, to provide assistance to the crew of the vessel, or to help deter modern day pirates.  This team got some good training, boarding an Italian Navy auxiliary to practice their skills.  Enjoy the pictures below, thanks for your support. 

                                           Boat Crew Stands Ready

                                             Manning the crew served weapons

                                           Watching for Problems

                                            MIO team ready to go

                                           Preboarding Excitement

                                          They even let me drive the small boat sometimes...

NATO Exercise

Hello again - sorry it has been so long since my last post, we have been busy.  After a brief port visit to Palermo, Sicily, we got underway for a combined exercise with other NATO units.  The exercise includes ships, submarines and aircraft from about 10 different countries.  Below is a picture of some of the ships involved, note Mt Etna in the background.  One note - we are experiencing some computer issues, so if your Sailor has not been emailing like normal, please stay with us as we resolve our technical issues.  Thanks for your support.