USS Klakring Hosts Foreign Navy Officers
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS100707-16
7/7/2010
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Michael J Scott, Commander, Task Group 40.0 Public Affairs
CALLAO, Peru (NNS) -- USS Klakring (FFG 42), Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HSL) 42 Detachment 10 and embarked Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40 welcomed aboard 14 naval officers from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay June 30 in Callao, Peru.
The sailors toured the ship and ate lunch with Capt. Brian Nickerson, DESRON 40's commodore.
Klakring is on a six-month deployment to South America and the Caribbean as part of Southern Seas 2010 (SS10). SS10 focuses on conducting a variety of exercises and multinational exchanges to enhance interoperability, increase regional stability and build and maintain regional relationships with partner nations.
Nickerson said the relationship building is something that the crew and visitors experienced first-hand.
"These sailors represent the countries we've visited as we've made our way around South America and the ones who participated in UNITAS LANT," said Nickerson. "Relationships have already been established, not only between the navies, but personally as well. Brazil will host next year's UNITAS exercises, and I'm sure we'll see some of these same officers there."
The officers embarked the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in San Diego June 5 as part of operation Southern Amphibious Station and will remain on board through July 20.
Their visit to Klakring gave them the opportunity to experience another platform, one a lot closer to the class of ships they're used to in their navies.
"I've enjoyed my visit on the Klakring. It reminds me of the ships in my navy," said Argentina Navy Lt. j.g. Juan Rosato. "It's smaller and older than the New Orleans, but it's a very nice ship."
Rosato said it's important these navies come together and learn from each other. He said opportunities like these help all sailors understand each other more effectively.
"Some things are the same. For example, the Shellback ceremony when you cross the equator is the same tradition for all navies," said Rosato. "However, there a differences. Our Navy uses officers for everything. But I've noticed in the U.S. Navy, chiefs man some positions our officers have. That's the biggest difference I see. But I think we can still work together."
The officers said they have thoroughly enjoyed their time on both the New Orleans and their visit to the Klakring, but they admitted they were a bit surprised at the openness and freedom they've had on both ships.
"I'm amazed at the amount of the things the U.S. Navy has allowed us to do," said Uruguay Lt. j.g. Federico Saravia. "We have gone to every corner of the ship and learned what each department does. From the lowest seaman to the most experienced officer, everyone has answered all of our questions and has been very helpful."
Saravia said he has felt very welcomed and feels a strong sense of unity from each navy.
"We all stand the same watches and go through basically the same routines. When you sit down and talk to people from all the different parts of the world, you discover we're all brothers and sisters because we all chose the same career," said Saravia.
Argentina Lt. Daniel Giudici, who serves as exercise and planning department head for DESRON 40, said he was honored to have such a position. Giudici said the visiting foreign sailors would take back to their navies a wealth of information that will enhance both their careers and lives.
"It is very important for the invited to see that there is a foreign officer working as part of a team, and of course, this helps to shortcut the distance between the different nations that are allied or have a good relationship with United States," said Giudici. "Those officers will take back to their navies experiences, starting from having seen a female interacting on the unit, all the way up to costumes, behaviors, way of working and basically for some of them, just listening to experiences of other shipmates, to see that you are the same kind of Sailor sharing the same problems and seas."
Lt. j.g. Amelia Abbett, who served as one of the tour guides, said she noticed the foreign officers were very curious about the U.S. Navy and the ship's visit to South America.
"They are really informed about our ships and interested in the jobs we do everyday," said Abbett. "They wanted to know about our duties and the places we have been and where we're going."
Cmdr. Scott M. Smith, Klakring's commanding officer, said opportunities like these give the officers another venue in which to learn.
"This visit provided an unexpected opportunity to see how U.S. Navy ships interact with one another and the different capabilities that each platform offers. This diversity of platforms, much like the diversity of our Sailors, is one of the strengths of our Navy," said Smith.
Southern Seas is an annual U.S. Southern Command-directed operation executed by DESRON 40 as Commander, Task Group 40.0.
SS10 includes Klakring, HSL 42 Detachment 10 and DESRON 40 serving as the command element.
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