• Military Menu                       

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

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Sierra Leone APS Maritime Professionals Graduate on Royal Netherlands Ship

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS091109-07
Release Date: 11/9/2009 2:38:00 PM

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Jason Morris, Africa Partnership Station Johan de Witt Public Affairs

HNLMS JOHAN DE WITT, At Sea (NNS) -- Sixteen maritime professionals from Sierra Leone concluded three weeks of at-sea training with a graduation ceremony on the flight deck of the Royal Netherlands Navy Africa Partnership Station (APS) platform HNLMS Johan de Witt (L 801) Nov. 6.

This is the second of three scheduled graduation ceremonies on this APS platform since the training commenced in Dakar, Senegal on Oct. 9. APS Johan de Witt previously graduated 15 maritime professionals from Ghana and will graduate another 15 maritime professionals from Senegal early next week.

"The time on board was well spent. We have learned new things during our time on board and have improved our knowledge of the material covered," said Sierra Leone Sub Lt. Adonis Koroma. "In addition to training, my team and I have received instructional techniques so we can train our fellow Sailors back in Sierra Leone."

Classroom interaction and hands-on, skill-building exercises made up the agenda for these maritime professionals. Topics covered included small boat maintenance, small boat operations, maritime law enforcement, damage control, emergency medical training and computer software applications.

"We are very proud of the Sierra Leone maritime wing students' accomplishments. They have displayed excellence in both classroom and practical application engagements," said Capt. Richard Wheatley, APS training officer. "The collaborative effort between the Netherlands, United States and our African partners is a new and dynamic phase for Africa Partnership Station. It is another step forward in the desire to strengthen maritime safety and security through education and practice to secure peace, stability and economic opportunity in this maritime domain."

APS focuses on building cooperative partnerships with regional maritime services to achieve common international goals such as stability and security.

APS brings an international team of maritime experts including elements from Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United States to offer assistance in addressing maritime safety and security challenges such as unlawful, unregulated and illegal fishing, piracy and illicit trafficking.

The APS Johan de Witt deployment began in September and will run through November. Port visits will include stops in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and Cape Verde.

Johan de Witt, a landing platform dock amphibious ship homeported in Den Helder, Netherlands, is the first non-U.S. ship to execute an APS deployment.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe -U.S. Naval Forces Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/naveur/.