'New Dawn' Arriving in Iraqi Waterways

PERSIAN GULF, AT SEA

10.04.2010

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet           

Story by: Lt. John Rogers

PERSIAN GULF - With Operation Iraqi Freedom drawing to a close in August and Operation New Dawn beginning Sept. 1, the Iraqi navy shifted toward a leading role in providing security for Iraqi territorial waters.

Coalition forces had been leading security operations in the Iraqi maritime environment until the day that Iraqis would take over responsibilities.

The security of this compact and challenging operating environment is crucial due to the enormous volume of trade conducted at the oil terminals and the ports of Umm Qasr and Basrah.

Iraqi Patrol Ship Nasser (702) conducted joint training with USS Chinook (PC9), and the Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission - Navy, Aug. 4. The training was the final step in ensuring Nasser was prepared to take on the full range of operations and lead a successful patrol by the Iraqi navy.

A three-day training event focused on oil terminal defense. Nasser patrolled the water around Al Basrah Oil Terminal, while a rigid-hulled inflatable boat from Chinook's small boat simulated a wide range of scenarios, including posing as a fishing dhow that had come too close to the terminal, and simulating a high speed skiff intent on attacking the terminal.

"Nasser did an outstanding job of protecting the water around ABOT and making it difficult to attack the terminal," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Ian Lacomb, a quartermaster and the small boat coxswain.

The next day the Chinook crew hosted Nasser's crew for a series of training scenarios focusing on weapons, safety and stern ramp familiarization.

The Italian-built Nasser, similar to U.S. patrol craft, is outfitted with the same M2 .50-caliber machine guns as on the Chinook, making Chinook, which made Chinook a perfect platform to host the weapons training. During the session, coalition forces trained the Iraqis tips on safe and accurate shooting. Upon completion of the initial training, Iraqi sailors completed a live fire exercise, ensuring each sailor was familiar and comfortable with operating the weapon.

During safety training, Iraqi sailors learned rescue and fire control techniques. Rescue and assistance techniques were taught to ensure the Iraqi sailors were able to proficiently provide assistance to mariners operating in the vicinity of the oil terminals. Chinook's damage control training team conducted scenarios that exercised Nasser's crew members ability to engage fires and flooding casualties.

Chinook Sailors also provided small boat-handling familiarization training to Nasser sailors, focused on how to safely launch and recover small boats from a stern ramp and safely transfer personnel. Small boat operations are critical to the Iraqi maritime environment allowing warships to transfer personnel and material, as well as providing a means of assisting and boarding merchant vessels and dhows.

"I was impressed by the motivation of the Iraqis throughout the entire three-day training event," Petty Officer 1st Class Blaine Lenzner, an engineman, said.

The training has since proven useful in the real world when Nasser recently assisted a dhow that suffered a mishap to its engineering plant. Nasser crew members helped the vessel repair the bilge pump, and reverse the flooding, so that the dhow was able to safely continue its transit.

• Date Taken: 10.04.2010
• Date Posted: 10.04.2010 03:27
• Story ID: 57448
• Location: PERSIAN GULF, AT SEA