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Maritime Civil Affairs Team 202 Prepares Supplies for APS

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS081224-09
Release Date: 12/24/2008 10:22:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael R. Hinchcliffe, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to Maritime Civil Affairs Team (MCAT) 202 helped deliver Project Handclasp supplies Dec. 19 to USS Nashville (LPD 13) intended for distribution during Nashville's Africa Partnership Station deployment scheduled to begin January 2009.

APS is an international security cooperation initiative aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and other collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in West and Central Africa. Nashville (LPD-13) will serve as the APS flagship from January to May 2009.

MCAT 202 is part of Maritime Civil Affairs Squadron 2 based in Yorktown, Va. The five-person team consists of one team leader, team chief, coxswain, corpsman and Seabee.

"It was important for our civil affairs team to be involved with the donation process from the beginning," said Lt. Christopher Servello, MCAT 202 team leader. "Based on our understanding of the region and the partnerships and relationships we have built during previous visits, we were able to help Project Handclasp identify the correct items to donate."

Servello said the primary purpose of Project Handclasp is to receive, collect, consolidate and store humanitarian, educational, and goodwill material for transportation on naval vessels and distribution by naval personnel on behalf of American citizens to needy people overseas. The donated medical, hygiene, and school supplies will be distributed during APS civic and humanitarian outreach activities by APS's U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

"The Project Handclasp-Maritime Civil Affairs interaction was the most robust to date," said Project Handclasp Director Paul Brown. "This partnership resulted in an outstanding collection of donations that are sure to add to APS's civil outreach efforts throughout the region."

While deployed, MCAT 202 will provided needed coordination and liaison between the APS staff on Nashville, U.S. Embassy country teams, host-nation civilian and military organizations, and partner non-governmental organizations. This is 202's second APS deployment. Team members deployed from January to April in support of APS Fort McHenry efforts in Ghana and Liberia.

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