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HSV Swift Wraps Up SME Exchanges in El Salvador

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100706-05
7/6/2010

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Rachael L. Leslie, High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) Public Affairs

LA UNION, El Salvador (NNS) -- High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV) 2 departed La Union, El Salvador, July 2 after two weeks of conducting subject matter expert exchanges with the nation's civilian and military defense forces as part of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2010.

Sailors, Marines and DoD civilians aboard Swift spent the last two weeks working with personnel from the country trading ideas and best practices about various topics in the maritime community including port and physical security, leadership and various Marine Corps subjects.

"The time our crew spent in this great country helped to strengthen the open, multilateral partnership we already have with El Salvador," said Capt. Kurt Hedberg, SPS 2010 mission commander. "The end result of the visit is a further enhanced regional stability and security, which supports the U.S. Maritime Strategy."

SPS 2010 is a deployment of various specialty platforms to the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility in the Caribbean and Central America. Its primary goal is information exchanging with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout these regions.

By adding a formal structure to these exchanges, as well as focusing resources and efforts specifically to the needs of the countries visited, SPS aims to achieve common security goals through its partnerships and collaborations.

In addition to the more formal structure of the exchanges, participants and facilitators held volleyball games and cookouts, strengthening the ties between the United States and El Salvador.

"The casual interactions between us and our partner nations are a big part of fostering these relationships, which helps to improve the operational readiness for all participating services," said Hedberg. "We were able to have a little fun and really enjoy the similarities between the capabilities and personalities of both nations."

The visit to El Salvador was the fourth stop for Swift during SPS 2010. The deployment is scheduled to conclude in September 2010. The ship is operated and navigated by 17 civilian contract mariners working for a private company under charter to the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command.