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NECC Completes Force Protection Exercise

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090505-02
Release Date: 5/5/2009 5:17:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Curtis, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 1 Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) teamed up to support Commander 3rd Fleet's Force Protection Certification Exercise (FPEX) for the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, while San Diego, April 28-30.

The NECC units included Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 1, Maritime Expeditionary Security Group (MESG) 1, Maritime Civil Affairs Squadron (MCAS) 1 and Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2.

The exercise was designed to test the Strike Group's security and to prepare the expeditionary teams that will deploy to help safeguard them while in foreign ports.

The Strike Group and NECC forces integrated to help certify the Strike Group's anti-terrorism readiness prior to its deployment, and allowed NECC forces to show how they are a force multiplier that enables the fleet by creating security in any port.

EODGRU 1, which was heading the command and control of the NECC forces, stressed the importance of having team unity and the great opportunity this gave NECC forces to work together and speak the same language.

"We are a unique force enabler," said Capt. Jan Schwarzenberg, EODGRU 1 deputy commander. "We can be specific to the force, the threat and the need."

As part of the exercise Maritime Civil Affairs Team 105 from MCAS 1 trained inside a mock-up of a village complete with actors and pyrotechnics that were rigged to detonate like real explosives and rocket-propelled grenades.

The training was very realistic.

"It's a lot different coming out here and going through the motions and seeing it first hand rather than just reading about it in a book," said Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Pedro Flores.

The MCAS teams are tactical units made up of a five-man team, which includes an officer in charge, a hospital corpsman, a communications expert, coxswain and Seabee. The teams are designed to go into a civil populace and determine what problems exist that would cause instability in that community and try to counteract it.

"Even though it's training it feels so real it gets your heart pumping," said Electronics Technician 1st Class Hector F. Gonzales. "This is one of the best training exercise I've been through because everything was so real."

From exploring a village to port activities this exercise is all encompassing. The UCT 2 provided underwater construction capabilities during the exercise.

"This was the first time we were integrated into this type of staff and this kind of operation," said Chief Warrant Officer Frank A. Iusi, operations officer for UCT 2. "We probably have done 20 dives during the exercise."

The team identifies any waterfront construction problems then fixes those problems so port operations can continue. While the underwater construction team works their trade in the water the MESG works to support the Command Task Force staff and acts as a representative for all of MESG.

"One of the key parts of this exercise is getting everybody together under NECC and working together under one command," said Lt. Jason P. Brand, MESG 1 Coast Guard liaison officer.

The FPEX is an effort that included both Reserve and active duty forces from NECC and the Nimitz Strike Group working together to ensure that everyone is prepared for their upcoming deployments.