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HSV 2 Swift Heading Home After Completing SPS 2011

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110407-17
4/7/2011
image: Top News Story

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeffery Tilghman Williams
High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- The joint military and civilian crew aboard High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) is en route to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., after a 155-day deployment to Central and South America in support of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011.

During the deployment, the Sailors, Marines, Airman and civilian mariners participated in subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE) with government and non-government organizations in Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Peru.

The SMEEs were focused on cross training and sharing information in the fields of medicine, construction, physical security, civil affairs, electrical engineering and combat tactics.

"During this mission, we were fortunate to have some of the best and brightest service members in the military to assist in building and sustaining an enduring relationship with our partner nations in South and Central America," said Cmdr. Mark Becker, SPS 2011 mission commander. "The unequalled success we've experienced during this mission is a testament to their professionalism and commitment of duty."

The SPS 2011 team consisted of service members from Swift, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 28, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, Expeditionary Combat Camera, Navy Cyber Force, Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Marine Corps Training and Advisory Group, Navy Personnel Command, the 608th Air and Space Operations Center, the 116th Communications Squadron, Naval Hospitals, and training centers and Maritime Civil Affairs Training and Security.

"Our team was very diverse, but we all worked together to accomplish the single goal of partnership," said Lt. Rama Mutyala, NMCB 28 detail bravo officer-in-charge.

"In my 24 years of naval service, I have never seen a group of men and women work so seamlessly on such a critical mission to provide humanitarian assistance and cross training to seven countries," said Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Charles Mobley, NCIS security, training, assessment and assistance team leader.

In addition to working side-by-side with foreign militaries and non-government organizations, the SPS team also delivered more than 504,500 pounds of Project Handclasp and humanitarian aid donations, valued at just over $1.7 million. Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program that accepts and transports educational, humanitarian and goodwill material donated by America's private sector on a space-available basis aboard U.S. Navy ships for distribution to foreign nation recipients.

"The Project Handclasp deliveries were a vital part of our operation because we brought humanitarian assistance to people in need," said Becker. "At the end of the day, it's about people helping people and that's what we as U.S. service members are committed to."

The donations included 312 pallets of food, fire fighting equipment, computers, teddy bears, mobility aids, water filters, generators, an ambulance and a mobile medical clinic.

"Seeing the smiles on people's faces when we unloaded supplies from the ship was probably the most rewarding of any single moment on this mission," said Cmdr. David Blazes, SPS 2011 lead medical officer. "Cross training was our priority, but the impact those supplies will have on those people's lives, is unequivocal."

"SPS is constantly evolving and improving, and fortunately we were able to be a part of this extremely important mission," said Becker. "The partnerships we built and relationships we established will last a lifetime and continue to promote the Navy as a global force for good."

SPS 11 is an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America. The mission's primary goal is information-sharing with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout the region.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO) is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility.

COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. maritime strategy, including theater security cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.