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Fleet Survey Team Completes Goodwill Tour with Emory S. Land

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060615-04
Release Date: 6/15/2006 3:08:00 PM

From Naval Oceanographic Office Public Affairs

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. (NNS) -- An 80-day deployment by members of the Navy Fleet Survey Team (FST) at the John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) ended with Navy hydrographic surveys being conducted in West African ports between January and May.

Fleet Survey Team is a rapid deployment group that performs hydrographic surveys worldwide in support of the warfighter. The primary purpose of the trip was to demonstrate the team’s technical capabilities, develop bonds with the West African countries and perhaps pave the way for future extensive maritime surveys in a region where safe navigation is often hampered by a lack of current data. Mission surveys were limited to ports and harbors.

“FST’s deployment aboard USS Emory S. Land went a long way in demonstrating our unique ability and low cost, small footprint capability while promoting safety of navigation,” said Cmdr. Todd Monroe, FST’s commanding officer.

Along the way, members of the survey team cruised aboard USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and visited Angola, Sao Tome, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Gabon and Ghana. All lie in west and southwest Africa along the Gulf of Guinea.

“Many of those ports had not had any types of surveys done in decades,” said Chief Aerographer’s Mate (AW/SW) David Sonnier, who was on the deployment. “There were wide errors in the existing data.”

On some of the surveys, local hydrographers traveled with the FST surveyors to participate. Each survey resulted in an instant product.

“We were producing a product right there and giving it to the locals,” Sonnier said. “We would print it and deliver preliminary charts with processed data.”

NAVOCEANO, comprised of approximately 1,100 military, civilian and contractor personnel, is responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements within the Department of Defense.

For more information about NAVOCEANO, visit https://www.navo.navy.mil.

For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.