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Minesweeper Crew Visits Etajima, Japan

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070220-17
Release Date: 2/20/2007 6:55:00 PM

By Chief Electrician’s Mate (SW) Noel B. Corneja, USS Patriot Public Affairs

KURE, Japan (NNS) -- A handful of crew members of forward-deployed mine countermeasures ships USS Patriot (MCM 7) and USS Guardian (MCM 5) visited the historical island of Etajima on Feb. 11, the site of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy from 1888 to 1945 and, since 1956, the center of the Maritime Self-Defense Service School.

Located in Hiroshima Bay, west of Kure and south of Hiroshima city, the officer candidate school and first service school provides officers and enlisted with hands-on and technical knowledge in a wide variety of learning from, but not limited to, submarine rescue, weather, minesweeping, gunnery, torpedo and sonar. Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Service School can be compared to the U.S. Naval Academy and Great Lakes Training Center combined.

Inside the mine countermeasures building is a mock-up of a minesweeper’s fantail section with fully operational gear used by students for hands-on training.

“I am more than impressed by the extensive capabilties the Japanese training facilities offer,” said Lt. Cmdr. Thomas E. Shutlz, Patriot commanding officer. “I think being here, seeing how the Japanese conduct training, allows us to better understand our capabilities and enhances our close working relationship, so that we are fully ready when we go to sea and do it for real.”

The crew was led on a tour by members of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).

“This school is like Annapolis for the United States and Dartmouth for the British Royal Navy. Currently, approximately 550 officers and enlisted are being trained. Each year, approximately 3,200 students graduate from this school,” said Lt. Kadizushi Osaki, chief engineer of JDS Tsusima.

Patriot crew members marveled at the various simulators and training devices as well as the sophisticated training available.

“I was impressed how the school combined the pilot house and combat information center simulators, it is very realistic, and you can see that the students will be ready once they are sent to the fleet,” said Lt. j.g. John F. Boseman, Patriot’s damage control assistant.

Other Patriot crew members felt the same way.

“This is learning from the past and the future, being surrounded with historical artifacts from the naval museum such as the World War II midget submarine and the state-of-the-art learning aids at at the Maritime Service School. It looks like the past meets the future,” said Electronics Technician 2nd Class (SW) Samuel Sorto of Patriot’s operations department. ”What I saw here amazed me.”

The Sasebo, Japan-base minesweeper made port visits to Yokosuka and Iwakuni before arriving to Kure, where it is set to continue its engagement with the land, Japanese culture and Japan Self Defense Forces.

Patriot is a mine countermeasures ship operating out of Sasebo, Japan, and serving under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force 76 which is based out of Okinawa, Japan with an operating detachment in Sassebo, Japan.