• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Africa Partnership Station Visits Riverine Group 1

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110526-10
5/26/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SCW) Paul D. Williams, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Thirty military and civilian officers from Africa Partnership Station (APS) visited Riverine Group (RIVGRU) 1 May 20 in Virginia Beach, Va.

Foreign partners participating in APS were able to better understand the U.S. Navy's riverine capabilities following their week-long visit to Virginia Beach.

APS is a series of activities designed to build maritime safety and security in Africa by working together with African and other international partners.

Through APS members gain insight on creating a set of shared goals, including improving maritime security. APS will help ensure African coastal nations are better able to protect their own resources and citizens and enable African nations' militaries to stand on their own in stopping maritime crime and the movement of illegal goods at sea.

"This was a great experience, especially for small boat units," said Kenyan navy Lt. Col. Thomas Nganga, commandant of the Kenyan Navy Training School. "We just formed a small boat unit and began training on visit, board, search and seizure and search and rescue operations – what we see today with the riverine, this is part of what we want to do in the future."

During the visit, RIVGRU 1 personnel demonstrated their capabilities by providing APS officers a ride on riverine boats. The demonstration gave the visitors a chance to see riverine boats performing high speed turns, emergency stops and the insertion and extraction of ground troops.

"We have a lot of rivers and lakes that share a border with the Congo and we experience a lot of hostile actions there," said Tanzanian navy Col. Joachim Karia. "We are looking forward to proposing this type of training, and eventually have this same capability as riverines."

According to U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, since its inception in 2007 APS has partnered countries for training engagements and port visits off the west coast of Africa and has grown into a platform of international partnerships and maritime security training from multiple countries.

"APS allows riverine to build the relationships we need in a small unit environment to conduct training and operations together," said Capt. Christopher Halton, commodore of RIVGRU 1. "We have as much to learn from the African nations, and how they operate on rivers and inland waters, as they do from us."

Riverines are part of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, an enduring force providing capability across the full range of military operations in the Maritime Strategy, to include forward presence, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, sea control and power projection and deterrence. Riverine Sailors continue to build allies around the world and create multinational expertise that can be applied across the spectrum of warfare.