The amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall operates off the coast of Killick, Haiti. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson

Chance often plays a large role in the lives of our military’s men and women. The sailors and service members aboard the USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) recognize that fact of life all too well today.

LSD 44 was supposed to be off the west coast of Africa today, working with partner navies and providing security and stabilization instruction and assistance to the nations and peoples in that region as the sea base for Africa Partnership Station (APS) West . Instead, they find themselves off the coast of Haiti, uniquely staffed and provisioned for a relief mission they could have never imagined.

British Royal Navy Cmdr. David Salisbury, right, the director of staff for Africa Partnership Station West, embarked aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, helps deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

On board the ship are a number of officers from various navies in West Africa as well as officers from European militaries. Officers from nations as diverse as Gabon, Senegal, Ghana and Italy were part of the APS staff but have transitioned to being an integral part of Gunston Hall’s relief efforts. The ship also carried a Maritime Civil Affairs Team (MCAT) which has worked to allow closer cooperation with local leaders and NGO’s in the area.

Maritime Civil Affairs Team 203, along with Sailors from the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall and the Mexican navy ship ARM Huesteco deliver donated goods from Mexico to more than a thousand people in a school yard in Killick. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

The ship is working through the Haitian Coast Guard (HCG) base on the outskirts of the devastated city of Carrefour. Killick Base was badly damaged by the earthquake on January 12 but the first U.S. ships on scene found the Haitian Coast Guardsmen at work. USCGC Forward was met by their small craft and their aid parties welcomed ashore.

HCG Killick Base has become an active relief center for the region. Large amounts of supplies have been offloaded for distribution by the HCG and local Haitian police. A medical clinic has been created and staffed, and medical evacuations to ships offshore such as USS Bataan and the hospital ship Comfort are carried out as necessary.

Petty Officer 1st Class Christine Perez, information systems technician, left, from Elgin, Texas, Nicole Lozano, chief Navy counselor, center, from Salt Lake City, and Seaman Nicole Worthy, from Vallejo, Calif., comfort a crying baby after a medical examination at Killick Haitian Coast Guard Base. All three Sailors are stationed aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, which is assisting in Operation Unified Response following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Jan. 12. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martine Cuaron

Gunston Hall arrive January 18. It has been on station since then. Forty man work parties are going ashore every day to provide assistance in and around the medical clinic. The Mexican Navy is supplying medical personnel to the clinic.

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Chris Hann trains Mozambique Marines aboard the the guided-missile frigate USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) on visit, board, search and seizure techniques. Robert G. Bradley is making the first ever Africa Partnership Station port visit to Mozambique, where the crew will conduct a range of training, community service projects and cultural activities. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

Africa Partnership Station is the US Navy’s program to maintain a low-footprint presence in Africa in support of the Africa Command mission and the Navy’s goal of building maritime partnerships. The USS Bradley (FFG 49) recently participated in APS with visits to the east coast of Africa.

The East African mission represented the first APS mission in the region. The previous APS ships had been tasked to work in west and central Africa.

The navies of Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania requested APS assistance, for what APS does best, sustained, focused training. These nations have small navies, which are still organized along Army lines, using Army ranks as an example. They requested training in basic naval duties such as firefighting, small boat operations, boarding with search and seizure procedures and basic navigation.

We discussed APS E Africa this morning with Capt. Nicholas Holman, IV, USN, CTF-63/Sealift Logistics Command Europe/CTF-363 Southeast Africa Task Force in a Bloggers’ Roundtable. Captain Hollman talked about Bradley’s work with the nations of East Africa.

Much of the APS in West Africa has been aboard larger ships than Bradley. Bradley was selected for the East African APS due to its shallower draft and need for less pier space when docked. Some of the ports visited by Bradley could not host a larger vessel.

Holman told us that Bradley’s helicopters were removed for the APS mission. Hanger space was used to contain freezer units with additional food that would allow a longer stay by Bradley. Space was tight on the frigate, and room had to be found for the sailors from the three main host nations which participated in ride alongs.

The top priority for all three nations was maritime safety and security. Captain Holman told us that $310 million dollars is lost to the nations involved in illegal fishing alone. He would not discuss the nations doing the illegal fishing but he could confirm that these were large scale operations with factory ships, not just small craft.

Asked about the sailors aboard Bradley, Holman said that the crew supported the mission. They were sailors working with other sailors. They enjoyed the various community relations projects. Even the youngest sailor “got it”.

Along with working with the local navies, Holman joined embassy staff in meeting with host nation officials. There were ship tours and other social functions. The host nations are very eager to have the United States Navy continue port visits and APS activities.

Here are a few stories about the USS Bradley’s work on APS:

• Robert G. Bradley Mozambique for Workshops, Music and Volunteerism
• Bradley Sailors Help Children at Mozambique Orphanage
• Robert G. Bradley VBSS Teams with Mozambican Marines
• Robert G. Bradley Visits Comoros to Strengthen Ties
• Robert G. Bradley Sailors Arrive in Tanzania

Marley Gevanthor is a volunteer with Project Hope, working in conjunction with Africa Partnership Station. Pvt. Valerie McCants of the 64th Medical Battalion give a puppy a dose of de-worming medication to protect the animal from intestinal parasites. APS is a U.S. Naval Forces Europe-led initiative, executed by a multi-national staff aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) and High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2).

Africa Partnership Station (APS) brings members of the 64th Medical Battalion and Project Hope to help control the rabies virus in the local pet population, March. 24.

Beginning this morning, Capt. Brian Smith and Pvt. Valerie McCants, with the help of Marley Gevanthor, an Emergency Room Nurse from San Francisco General Hospital volunteering with Project Hope, began administering a combination vaccine to dogs and cats and a host of other animals belonging to locals.

Project Hope is a Non Government Organization (NGO) working in conjunction with APS in order to bring medical supplies and services to those in need in West and Central African countries.

“This project will only cover a small percentage of the population due to the limited number of doses. We are working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Health to arrange funding and assistance to broaden the rabies program here to allow for wider coverage of animals that will receive the rabies vaccine,” said Smith.

In addition to protecting against rabies, the vaccine also protects the animals from rhinovirus, respiratory virus, herpes virus, and intestinal virus. To further protect the pets they were given de-worming medication as well. The de-wormer is important because it kills parasites that can be transferred to humans.

“It’s wonderful to be able to take my skills and use them in a different discipline,” said Gevanthor. “They’re all little patients and we’re helping to keep them healthy.”

By the end of the day the trio had administered 100 doses of the vaccine with another clinic scheduled for tomorrow.

“I wish I could do more, Liberia has a large need, especially with rabies,” added Smith. “Rabies is very prevalent in the dog population here and I’m glad that I’m able to do a little bit to help, hopefully I can arrange to do more in the future.”

Part of the U.S. Navy’s Global Fleet Station, APS provides a platform with the capacity and persistent presence to support sustained, focused training and collaboration on a regional scale to maritime partners in West and Central Africa.

Commander Task Force 365 and training teams from various U.S. and European military commands, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations are embarked on board Fort McHenry to enhance cooperative partnerships.

DVIDS
By Petty Officer 1st Class Brian A. Goyak
Africa Partnership Station Public Affairs