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U.S., Kenyan Forces Conclude Exercise Edged Mallet

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070317-07
Release Date: 3/17/2007 11:43:00 AM

By Lance Cpl. Aaron J. Rock, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs

MANDA BAY, Kenya (NNS) -- The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and USS Bataan Strike Group completed Exercise Edged Mallet 2007 in Manda Bay, Kenya March 12.

Over the course of the 10-day training evolution, Marines and Sailors participated in bilateral military training with elements of the Kenyan army and also took part in (COMREL) community relations projects in the surrounding areas of Naval Station Manda Bay.

The bilateral training portion of the exercise featured Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2/2, 26th MEU conducting live-fire ranges, exchanging demonstrations of tactics, and conducting joint patrols with units from the Kenyan 15th Rifle Battalion.

In addition to the bilateral military training, the exercise featured COMREL projects that offered friendship building opportunities between U.S. service members and Kenyan civilians.

Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 26, 26th MEU joined engineers from the Kenyan military to refurbish the Bargoni Primary School in Bargoni, Kenya.

In a separate community outreach effort, several medical specialists from the MEU and the Bataan Strike Group held a two-day medical clinic for residents of the Bargoni area.

Col. Gregg A. Sturdevant, commanding officer of the 26th MEU, said the projects allowed Marines and Sailors to help those in need and make a positive impact on the Kenyan people.

“Community relations projects allow us to do something special for a community and hopefully, at the same time, leave them with a more positive image of the U.S. and our military forces,” he said.

Marine Sgt. Maj. Howard K. Long, sergeant major of BLT 2/2, said the cultural exchange between U.S. and Kenyan militaries left lasting friendships as well as new perspectives.

“The Kenyans have been most hospitable,” he said. “We have compared drill, shared martial arts, looked at each other’s gear and interacted every way that military guys can do so, including breaking bread together.”

Long said those exchanges were some of the most important parts of the entire training. “You can't put a price on the cultural exchange,” he said. “This has made memories on both sides that will last a lifetime.”

The 26th MEU departed North Carolina Jan. 6 on a routine deployment as the landing force with the Bataan Strike Group. In addition to USS Bataan (LHD-5), the strike group is comprised of the USS Oak Hill (LSD-51), USS Shreveport (LPD-12), USS Nitze (DDG-94), USS Vella Gulf (CG-72), USS Underwood (FFG-36) and USS Scranton (SSN-756).

The Bataan Strike Group is currently supporting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command area of responsibility.

MSO help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.