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Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron 3 Deploys to Central Command

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110209-20
2/9/2011

From Maritime Expeditionary Strike Group (MESG) 1 Public Affairs

CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron (MSRON) 3 Sailors began a deployment to the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of responsibility (AOR), Feb. 6.

Sixty-one Sailors boarded an aircraft that departed Naval Base Coronado en route to join Commander, Task Group 56.5 in the USCENTCOM AOR, and will relieve Whidbey Island-based MSRON 9 Sailors currently serving there. Task Group 56.5 is responsible for the security and defense of ports in the Arabian Gulf.

"Somewhere in the world, 24 hours a day, there's an MESF (maritime expeditionary security force) Sailor standing the watch; and in many cases they are the last line of defense between another 'USS Cole' and 'Khobar Towers,'" said Capt. Richard W. Daniel, commander, Maritime Expeditionary Security Group (MESG) 1.

In 1996, a terrorist attack on the Khobar housing complex in Saudi Arabia took the lives of 19 U.S. service members and injured 372 foreign nationals.

"We provide force protection and port security in foreign countries to protect the movement of high value assets and ensure security of cargo being transported," said Cmdr. Thomas Murphy, MSRON-3 commanding officer. "We will work very closely with the hosting country's forces, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army to complete our mission."

These units are deployable, providing security and protection of strategic shipping and naval vessels operating in coastal areas and port facilities, to ensure uninterrupted flow of cargo to combatant commanders.

Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadrons, formerly known as Mobile Security Squadrons (MSS), were established in the wake of terrorist attacks abroad; in particular the 2000 bombing of USS Cole (DDG 67).

MSRONs provide rapidly deployable point defense personnel and assets for force protection and anti-terrorism operations in support of fleet commanders.

Approximately 335 Sailors are assigned to MSRON-3, homeported at Naval Outlying Landing Field, Imperial Beach, Calif.