United States naval forces assigned to Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, will begin several exercises in the Persian Gulf during November to demonstrate a wide range of capabilities, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief assistance.
Contingency planning helps prepare forces for real-world events that can happen unexpectedly. USS Wasp (LHD 1) began a crisis response exercise Nov. 1, involving amphibious, air and medical forces in the Persian Gulf.
Commander Task Force (CTF) 59 is leading the exercise, focusing on furthering the region's humanitarian and disaster response capability.
"The scenario is challenging but prepares us for a real-world event," said Cmdr. Jay Chambers, CTF 59 plans officer. "From the table-top discussions, which drew up plans for how our forces will assist, to turning those plans into action, this exercise allowed us to examine the best way to proceed, and to proceed quickly, with providing assistance to any requesting nation."
The exercise is designed to practice and evaluate the ships' ability to serve as "first responders" after a natural disaster. The five-day training exercise ensures 5th Fleet is capable of responding to any crisis in this region and is part of United States commitment to the people of the region.
"The purpose of the exercise is to continually improve the 5th Fleet skills in completing complex missions that require capabilities broader than one ship or unit," said Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander, U.S. 5th Fleet.
This exercise tests the ability to rapidly flow personnel and supplies from the sea to an affected area within the first 72 hours, similar to U.S. Navy assistance for natural disasters during the Indonesia tsunami, relief efforts for the Pakistan earthquake, and most recently the volcano eruption in Yemen.
Crisis response exercises also develop the capabilities of military personnel to respond to hazards affecting maritime infrastructure. For instance, a problem on an oil platform could cause an oil spill that, if not contained, could cause follow-on problems to the environment or other infrastructures.
An important part of this exercise will be to test oil spill response capabilities, which will involve a spill response and initial clean-up.
In addition to the Wasp training, Enterprise Carrier Strike Group and Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group are also operating and training in the region. Multiple strike groups are capable of executing a broad range of operations.
"Naval forces deployed here contribute to building stronger relationships that in turn help underwrite security and stability," said Cosgriff. "Counter piracy operations off the coast of Somalia demonstrate our commitment to keeping sea lanes open for legitimate commerce and shipping."
Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water and includes the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse includes three critical waterways: Suez Canal, Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Bab al Mandeb.
Maritime security operations help set the conditions for security and stability throughout the region. Naval forces conduct maritime operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters so that commercial shipping and fishing can occur safely in the region.
