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Reservists Make Major Contributions to Black Sea Partnership Cruise

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS071016-02
Release Date: 10/16/2007 8:41:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jennifer L. Clifton, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

USS MOUNT WHITNEY, At Sea (NNS) -- Turkish words came in waves over the radio in the bridge of the 6th Fleet flagship Sept. 28, where Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Steve Anderson, a native of Turkey, listened in. USS Mount Whitney followed a Turkish pilot’s lead through the very narrow Turkish Straits, only a mile wide in places.

“I didn’t really think the captain was going to need me to translate, but I would be there just in case,” said Anderson.

During Mount Whitney’s transit through the crowded and narrow Turkish straits, Anderson continually alerted the ship’s executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Mike Wenke, of possible dangers ahead, including a boat that had run aground and another boat that had stalled in the middle of the straits, allowing the ship to make it’s way safely into the Black Sea.

Anderson is one of 14 Navy reservists individually augmenting active-duty U.S. 6th Fleet (C6F) personnel to host U.S. Naval Forces Europe’s (CNE) first Theater Security Cooperation underway training exercise utilizing Mount Whitney in the Black Sea, where ship riders from five partner nations are participating in training workshops to foster regional maritime security and safety.

Rear Adm. Robert M. Clark, also a reservist, said that active-reserve integration is essential for capitalizing on the Navy’s complete base of skill sets and contributes to the Navy’s execution of periodic, predictable and persistent presence in order to build long-term relationships. He added there is no clear divide between reserve forces and active forces.

“We are one organization. It’s a matter of using our total asset base, which includes active duty personnel, reservists, civilians, contractors and SMEs [subject matter experts] in our sphere of influence that we can request,” said Clark.

While reservists attached to CNE-C6F fill gaps for shorter exercises like the five-day Black Sea Partnership Cruise, they also serve longer stints in some high profile countries where the U.S. Navy needs boots on the ground.

“For example, the Navy placed Seabee officers with language and technical skills in full-time positions for six months to a year on [active-duty special work] to build a guard shack and a boat ramp for a partner nation’s Coast Guard,” said Clark.

Capt. Chip Walter said, “It’s like a family tree. They [reservists] extend the spokes and help us branch out, but we’re all extensions of the same hub.”

Cmdr. Jamie Johnson, a reservist herself and the active-reserve liaison for Maritime Partnership Program 513 at the Navy Operational Support Center in Chicago coordinated the reserve component of the Black Sea Partnership Cruise. Johnson, who lives and flex drills in Naples, Italy, met with the CNE-C6F Black Sea and Caspian Regional Planning Team in Naples once a week for the past several months to determine needs and to work with Reserve units in the United States to schedule individual augmentees for the event.

The team of reservists integrates with active duty shipboard personnel and CNE-C6F staff members in critical roles as country liaisons, translators, force protection personnel, public affairs staff, and facilitators for training workshops.

Johnson, the country liaison team lead for five partner nations participating in the event, said this kind of exercise is ideal for reservists.

“It’s a way for people who don’t do this full-time, who have a different background and other training, to step into a situation and make a useful contribution,” said Johnson.