MSD 71 Sailors Adapt to Life, Work on Iraq's Oil Terminals
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS060628-03
6/28/2006
By Journalist 2nd Class Zack Baddorf, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs
USS PORT ROYAL, Northern Persian Gulf (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to Mobile Security Detachment (MSD) 71 are adapting to their life and work aboard Iraq’s oil terminals.
As part of Commander, Task Group (CTG) 158.1, MSD 71 is conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) on the Al Basrah (ABOT) and Khawr Al Amaya (KAAOT) oil terminals.
When the Guam-based Sailors are not standing watch or training with Iraqi marines, they find the time to get out of the sun, cool off, and relax. Instead of watching television in the detachment’s lounge area on ABOT, Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (AW) Pierre Peacock chooses to go fishing. Peacock puts together bait of bread and bacon and goes off to an isolated spot, out of the blistering sun.
“I escape the platform,” said Peacock. “When I’m fishing I don’t particularly worry about what’s going on, I just fish. I think about my grandfather fishing back home.”
Besides fishing, Peacock said there’s plenty to do on the oil platforms. Some of his shipmates spend their free time exercising while others take online Navy or university courses.
“This is a totally different beast for us,” said Master-at-Arms 1st Class (SW) Billy Carver. “Usually we’re on a supply ship, and this is the first time we’ve been on an actual platform. It is just a lot hotter than anything we are used to. But we’ve got Internet connectivity, a lot of movies, books, and some other stuff to keep us busy - so we are adjusting to this.”
“The heat is sometimes almost unbearable, but you know, we get through it,” Peacock said. “There are long, hard days, but it’s nothing that we can’t handle. It’s just work for seven days a week for six months.”
Despite the challenges of working on an oil terminal in Iraqi territorial waters, the Sailors say they enjoy working here and making a difference.
“As far as having an objective and an end state in actually accomplishing something during a deployment, so far this has been the most satisfying of all the previous deployments I’ve done,” said MSD 71’s officer in charge, Lt. Cmdr. Kenny Miller. “Knowing that my personnel and I are directly responsible for the economic stability of Iraq and their future is very satisfying.”
MSO help set the conditions for security and stability in the North Persian Gulf and protect Iraq’s sea-based infrastructure to help provide the Iraqi people the opportunity for self-determination.
For related news, visit the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cusnc/.
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