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Barbary Thunder II Proves to be a Success

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050706-08
Release Date: 7/6/2005 10:10:00 AM

By Journalist 2nd Class Sean Spratt, Commander, Naval Forces Europe/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

MEDITERRANEAN SEA (NNS) -- The amphibious transport ship USS Nashville (LPD 13) concluded joint exercise Barbary Thunder II with allied forces from Britain, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria in July.

The 10-day exercise proved to be a great success and a step forward in fighting the global war on terrorism.

“This exercise exceeded the expectations I had when we first started, and has proven to be a great success,” said Lt. Cmdr. Richard Guzman, staff planner for Task Force 64. “This exercise was the second stage of getting allied forces in the Mediterranean Sea together to share information and getting everybody on the same page to fight the global war on terror.”

During the course of the training exercise, Nashville was the command ship, hosting liaison officers (LNO) from all the nations that participated.

“The Intelligence Infusion Center worked great for all the LNOs,” said Guzman. “There was a lot of communication and information sharing between them that hasn’t been seen before on this big of a scale, and was really great to see and experience.”

The Intelligence Infusion Center was just one part of the whole joint exercise. Another piece of the puzzle was the maritime interdiction operations, in which U.S. Marines joined Marines from Italy, Algeria and Morocco to cross-train in Close Quarters Combat and Fast Rope operations.

“The way we are trying to attack the problem is by working with other nations, specifically Italians, Algerians and Moroccans, to train and share information,” said Capt. Bryce Armstrong, platoon commander, 2nd Platoon/2nd Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team. “It is important that we can learn from each other, but I think the most important thing is that we work together so if we ever need to do this type of operation again, we have already taken the first step.”

Even the Nashville Sailors had a chance to get involved and joined Moroccan sailors in running several drills. They were also able to compare techniques and equipment, and share knowledge on damage control.

“Getting a chance to share our firefighting style with the Moroccans was exciting, because they were very interested at our advancements in firefighting,” said Lt. Justin Willis, Nashville’s damage control assistant. “We also got a chance to run through a fire drill and a flooding drill with the Moroccan sailors, which was just a fantastic experience for everyone involved.”

Nashville’s flight deck was “green” almost the whole time, with continual flight operations, including exercises with Explosive Ordinance Disposal personnel and Marines who participated in Cast and Recovery, and rappelling training.

“Cast and Recovery operations is a fast means of inserting troops into the sea and extracting them,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class (AW/NAC) William Stark, helicopter crew chief. “This training is important for Sailors and Marines who have different techniques to accomplish a common goal.”

All the training evolutions came together smoothly, with each training experience being tremendously valuable for all nations involved. Everyone getting to experience the differences in language, ideas and techniques, with the ability to train and learn from one another, was great.

“It is a great opportunity for us and for all the other countries involved,” said Capt. Donna M. Looney, commodore of Commander, Task Force 64. “Seeing Navy and Marine Corps professionals from the participating North African countries and NATO countries share their knowledge, ideals and expertise has proven that this exercise is tremendously valuable.”