Photo By Chief Petty Officer Justin Stumberg | U.S. Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Cordell Cox, right, Officer in Charge assigned to Combat...... read more read more
Under the humid African sun, Sailors, Marines, and São Tomé engineers worked side-by-side, trading tools and techniques as they brought a new maritime training facility to life.
This hands-on partnership is part of exercise Obangame Express 2025, where 22nd Naval Construction Regiment (NCR) Sailors, Reserve Marine engineers assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 25 engineering platoon, and São Toméan forces teamed up to build a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) maritime training facility designed to enhance maritime security operations.
The initial construction began in March, before the main exercise execution which occurs in May. This allowed U.S. and São Tomé engineers to complete key portions of the facility ahead of Obangame Express 2025.
“A lot of the heavy lifting happened before the exercise even kicked off,” said Senior Chief Constructionman Gabriel Miller, 22 NCR project officer.
This pre-exercise effort ensured that São Toméan forces would have a fully functional and mission-ready training site to support VBSS drills and boarding scenarios throughout the exercise timeline.
“We built out the core structures early so that São Toméan teams could train in a realistic environment during the main scenario,” said Miller. “It will set the tone for everything that follows.”
The VBSS trainer, constructed primarily from Organization for Standardization (ISO) containers and modular wood frames, is designed to simulate a shipboard environment. The facility includes multiple levels, ladder wells, customizable walls for close-quarters battle training, and simulated bridge spaces critical for ship control operations.
“The VBSS environment ties directly into counter-piracy, illegal fishing, and maritime interdiction operations,” said 2nd Lt. Cordell Cox, CLB 25 officer in charge. “Now, São Tomé’s teams will have a realistic space to practice ship-boarding tactics, search operations, detaining personnel, and seizing illegal materials. These are key skills to reinforce their maritime security mission.”
Building the trainer was a mutual exchange. São Toméan engineers demonstrated local construction techniques, including concrete placement methods that are different from U.S. practices, while U.S. forces shared methods for wood frame construction and modular site design.
“This kind of work brings people together in a way that classroom training never could,” Cox said. “You can’t fake trust when you're sweating and figuring things out side-by-side.”
Building in São Tomé presented unique challenges including sourcing local materials, navigating relaxed cultural timelines, and adapting to equipment delays. But overcoming these obstacles provided invaluable operational experience for the Marines.
“These points of friction were expected,” said Cox. “They mirror the type of operational environment we would encounter during a combat deployment, and they sharpened our ability to plan, adapt, and deliver a mission-critical asset on time.”
As hammers rang out and welders sparked steel, it became clear that the strongest foundation being laid here wasn’t just concrete or timber, it was lasting partnership, operational readiness, and shared security for the region.
Obangame Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by U.S. Sixth Fleet as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities to African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.
The 22nd Naval Construction Regiment (NCR) commands naval construction forces for Navy Expeditionary Combat Forces Europe-Africa/Task Force 68, supporting U.S., Allied, and partner interests across the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.
Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners to advance U.S. national interests, security and stability in Europe and Africa.
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2025 09:38 |
| Story ID: | 497605 |
| Location: | SAO TOME ISLAND, ST |
| Web Views: | 252 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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