• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Security Detachment Returns from Seven-Month Deployment to the Middle East

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080212-10
Release Date: 2/12/2008 10:50:00 AM

From Maritime Expeditionary Security Group 3 Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Approximately 80 expeditionary Sailors of Maritime Expeditionary Security Detachment (MESD) 321 returned to Naval Air Station, North Island, Calif., Feb. 6, after completing a seven-month deployment to the Middle East.

The highly mobile security Sailors from MESD 321 deployed security teams across the Middle East providing protection to aircraft, ships, submarines, personnel and cargo in support of Operations Vigilant Mariner (OVM), Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

The detachment completed more than 40 embarked security team missions, protecting 11 Military Sealift Command vessels and two submarines. Additionally, they completed four Raven missions and an entry control point force providing force protection for nearly 40 ship operations.

Under the operational guidance of Naval Coastal Warfare Forward, they conducted 24-hour security operations by providing landward security teams, embarked security teams, and Phoenix Raven teams, which involved highly trained security teams protecting aircraft and ships in high threat locations. Most missions consisted of embarked security teams providing continuous shipboard security for U.S. Naval ship logistics ships as they transited choke points to support theater combat operations.

"In this unconventional fight, MESDs have evolved into an indispensable force," said MESD 321 Officer-in-Charge, Lt. Bakari Dale. "The detachment performed outstanding on deployment as they set new standards in expeditionary security and improved interoperability between [Naval Expeditionary Combat Command] forces."

During the deployment, MESD 321 participated in numerous community relations projects to include providing soccer and baseball coaches for the Bahrain Department of Defense School and providing volunteers to assist in the Souda Bay 2007 Special Olympics.

"As always we put our best foot forward and achieved our mutual goal of a great deployment," said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Brenna Karleskind. "I feel proud to be returning home safely with the men and women that I arrived with and look forward to future missions to show that, when it comes to working as a team, that's what we do best."

MESDs are subordinate units under Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadrons, a component of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, the global force provider of adaptive force packages of Navy expeditionary capabilities to joint warfighting commanders.

For more news from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/necc/.