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American, Japanese Minesweepers Participate in PASSEX

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070222-10
Release Date: 2/22/2007 4:30:00 PM

By Lt j.g. Scoop Peterson, USS Guardian Public Affairs

SASEBO, Japan (NNS) -- USS Guardian (MCM 5) and USS Patriot (MCM 7) returned to Sasebo, Japan, on Feb. 17 after a successful three-day passing exercise (PASSEX) with Japanese maritime assets.

The two U.S. forward-deployed mine countermeasures ships departed Kure, Japan, Feb. 15 after a brief port visit and joined two Yaeyama-class minesweepers, JDS Tsushima (MSO 302) and JDS Hachijou (MSO 303), from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF).

Tsushima and Hachijou are based out of the JMSDF naval base in Yokosuka, Japan, a port city just south of Yokohama, also home to a number of U.S. forward-deployed assets.

“To ensure freedom of the seas in and around Japan, the U.S. Navy and JMSDF must continue to participate in bi-lateral exercises like this," said Lt. Cmdr. Steven H. DeMoss, Guardian commanding officer. “It is imperative we continue to train and interact closely with our maritime partners to hone mission readiness.”

The multiship training evolutions included communication drills, precision tactical maneuvering and mine sweeping.

A significant part of any successful bilateral exercise is the forging of personal relationships between the country’s service members, according to senior leaders of both nations. Two crew members from each ship conducted a personnel exchange to allow those crew members to witness the Navy life of their bilateral counterparts.

“It was great to see both the similarities and the differences between shipboard life on a Japanese minesweeper and one of our own,” said Ensign Ryan Costanzo. Costanzo spent three days aboard Tsushima as part of the exchange. “The Japanese sailors were very interested in U.S. Navy tactics and our minesweeping gear. I think that joint exercises such as this are a great boost to the regional cooperation between our Navies.”

Further bonds were established ashore when after the exercise, the crews from each ship held a barbecue and competed in a sports day on Feb. 20. Tournaments were held with each ship playing against the other in soccer and softball.

Overall, with interactions both afloat and ashore, bilateral exercises like this enable participating military forces to increase interoperability, and allow the United States and Japan to demonstrate their commitment to each other, according to senior leaders of all ships involved.

The three-day exercise allowed each of the four ships to simultaneously perform a wide range of minesweeping skills, evolutions essential to their role in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, said DeMoss.

The enthusiasm for carrying out that role together was displayed by Sailors from all four ships.

“I can’t wait to work with them again,” said Costanzo.

Guardian is a Mine Countermeasures ship forward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan. Guardian and Patriot serve under Task Force 76, which serves as the 7th Fleet’s mine countermeasures arm in forward-deployed operations.