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Southern Partnership Station Completes Mission in El Salvador

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS081215-01
Release Date: 12/15/2008 10:55:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Okula

LA UNION, EL SALVADOR (NNS) -- U.S. Navy and Marine Corps training teams completed the first leg of their mission Dec. 12 in El Salvador as part of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) on board high speed vessel Swift (HSV 2).

HSV 2 Swift is the mobile base of operations from which military subject matter experts exchange knowledge with partner nation militaries.

Teams from the U.S. Navy's Expeditionary Training Command, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Marine Corps Training and Advisory Group began courses in El Salvador Dec. 1 and have since shared their experience with more than 150 student Sailors, Marines and civilian port workers. The courses provided instruction in several fields such as small boat operations, port security and combat leadership, which together will help strengthen bonds between El Salvador and the United States while expanding regional security.

"My hope, as we sail off this afternoon, is that all of our goals were achieved: to build lasting partnerships, create unbreakable friendships and to strive for enhanced maritime security," said Cmdr. Christopher Barnes, SPS mission commander, during a farewell ceremony held Dec. 11 on La Union's naval base. "I believe we will continue to foster this special relationship that has borne so much fruit."

Capt. Eduardo Antonio Svenblad, Salvadoran fleet commander, hopes his nation's partnership with the United States will continue to grow.

"We believe this is not the first or the last time you will visit us and, for us, it will always be a great pleasure to welcome you," Svenblad said. "We expect you to visit on future occasions so we can again grow the ties of friendship that have brought us together as armed forces."

Port visits remain in six additional countries, including Jamaica, Barbados, Colombia, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic. SPS will arrive next in Balboa, Panama, where its five-month effort to share professional knowledge with partner nations will continue.

The mission is coordinated through U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet (NAVSO/ 4th Fleet) and partner nations to meet their specific training requests. As the naval component command of U.S. Southern Command, NAVSO's mission is to direct U.S. Naval Forces operating in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions and interact with partner nation navies. Various operations include counter-illicit trafficking, theater security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, military-to-military interaction and bilateral and multinational training.

Fourth Fleet is the numbered fleet assigned to NAVSO, exercising operational control of assigned forces in the SOUTHCOM area of focus.

For more news from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet, go to www.navy.mil/local/cusns.