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Commander, NAVEUR/NAVAF Discusses APS, Counterpiracy

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100415-20
4/15/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan Hutto, Defense Media Activity - Anacostia

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR)/U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) attended a roundtable discussion at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., April 15.

As Commander, NAVEUR/NAVAF, Adm. Mark Fitzgerald is responsible for providing overall command, operational control and coordination of U.S. Naval forces in the European Command/Africa Command Area of Responsibility (AOR).

Fitzgerald discussed the U.S. Navy's Africa Partnership Station (APS) mission.

"Africa Partnership Station is not a U.S.-sponsored operation," said Fitzgerald. "We try to bring in as many nations as we can. Last year we used a Dutch ship, a Belgian ship and three U.S. ships and other land-based operations all under the banner of APS to build the capacity and capabilities of the navies in Africa."

APS is an international security cooperation initiative aimed at building and strengthening long-term relationships and global maritime partnerships through training and other collaborative activities with Africa, which will improve maritime safety and security.

Fitzgerald also discussed U.S. and allied efforts to help counterpiracy and other irregular and transnational threats, enhancing stability and securing freedom of navigation for the benefit of other nations.

"Because of our APS work, we think we're getting some good traction," said Fitzgerald. "We've been doing this for three years. Cameroon was able to do a big anti-piracy operation last year, Côte d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone have both been enforcing their fishing zones and Kenya and Tanzania have both joined in on our counterpiracy operations."

He then elaborated on how NAVEUR/NAVAF is supporting the maritime strategy and furthering the ever-strengthening partnership between the U.S. Navy and African nations.

"Africans like to say 'African solutions for African problems,'" said Fitzgerald. "This has been resonating in the APS. I see this as a way to continue to build that capacity in Africa. If there's a problem in Africa, it's not us coming down to fix it, but they have the tools to fix it on their own."

The mission of NAVEUR/NAVAF is to conduct the full range of maritime operations and theater security cooperation in concert with coalition, joint, inter-agency and other partners in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa.

Fitzgerald also serves as commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Italy, and has operational responsibility for NATO missions in the Balkans, Iraq and the Mediterranean.