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NAVFAC EURSWA Supports Black Sea Partnership Mission

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS081126-22
Release Date: 11/26/2008 7:55:00 AM

By Kelly Burdick, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe and Southwest Asia Public Affairs

NAPLES, Italy (NNS) -- The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe and Southwest Asia's (NAVFAC EURSWA) provided oil-spill preparedness training aboard USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20) during the week of Nov. 10 as part of the multinational 2008 Black Sea Partnership Cruise (BSPC).

Representatives from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Ukraine, and the United States attended the training sessions led by John Owens, NAVFAC EURSWA regional Navy on-scene coordinator (NOSC) . Also, discussions were held with the representatives from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia, about coordination for contingency support and future combined training opportunities.

For the second year, Owens assisted Commander, Navy Europe/U.S. 6th Fleet (CNE/C6F) in achieving theater security cooperation goals through planning, developing and executing oil-spill workshops. Owens also provides similar support for the U.S. Africa Command and U.S. European Command. NAVFAC EURSWA staffs the Commander Navy Region Europe (CNRE) Environmental Program.

"The BSPC was a very positive engagement experience that brought together the majority of the Black Sea nations, as well as Azerbaijan, in a professional maritime setting. We had the opportunity to work with members of all participant nations in the oil-spill preparedness workshop, where we provided training on technical spill planning and response subjects, then facilitated interactive information exchange and coordinated group response management exercises," said Owens.

NAVFAC EURSWA's NOSC training program, developed by Owens, promotes interoperability and common planning and response processes with other military forces throughout Europe, Southwest Asia and Africa. In addition to the BSPC, Owens has developed and conducted workshops in the Black Sea (Romania/Bulgaria/Georgia), Cape Verde, Gabon and Mozambique. Future workshops or related oil-spill response activities are tentatively scheduled in Azerbaijan, Cape Verde, Gabon, Ghana, Malta, Senegal, Madagascar/Seychelles and Ukraine.

"We feel very fortunate to have established relationships with workshop partners, and to have had a part in enhancing cooperation and understanding between their countries," Owens said.

Ken Isaac, CNRE/NAVFAC EURSWA's Environmental Program manager, explained Navy Europe's environmental program exists mainly to support the CNE/C6F mission.

"We are fortunate to have one of the Navy's most highly qualified spill program managers, and John's ability to contribute in efforts such as the Black Sea Partnership Cruise directly further fleet theater security cooperation objectives, while at the same time improving Navy Europe oil spill readiness," said Isaac.

NAVFAC EURSWA executes more than $600 million a year in construction, professional engineering and facilities services for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of Defense and NATO commands in those countries throughout Europe and Southwest Asia where the Navy is the DoD lead agent for military construction.

For more news from Naval Facilities Engineering Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/navfachq/.