Month: June 2023

Source: United States Navy

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) hosted a two-day multilateral maritime security meeting for 90 senior military officers and diplomats from 22 nations as well as senior representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council at the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain. Officials discussed the current maritime security environment and ways to further enhance maritime security in the region, according to a joint statement released June 26.

“Participants reiterated commitment to uphold navigational rights and operate consistent with international law, as well as pursue collective efforts to prevent threats to vessels traveling through regional waterways that are critical to international trade and the global economy,” the statement read.

Separately, NAVCENT’s naval amphibious task force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, hosted a multilateral maritime engagement conference in Bahrain for the second time this year, with 100 international staff officers from 10 nations. Representatives from Bahrain, France, Jordan, Kuwait, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States held discussions to identify future collaborative training opportunities across the Middle East.

“One of the best ways to remain ready to respond to a contingency is to listen to and work with our partners,” said U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Matthew S. Reid, the Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade commander. “Understanding their security challenges and learning how we can best integrate with them during a crisis or contingency response – especially one that occurs in an amphibious domain – is important.”

Conference participants conducted a series of briefs and breakout sessions on air, ground and maritime operations, continuing discussions last held in January. Participants also toured RFA Cardigan Bay (L3009), a United Kingdom Royal Navy landing-ship dock, while the ship was pierside in Bahrain.

In addition to the UK’s regional maritime forces, Bahrain hosts the headquarters for NAVCENT and two major multinational naval partnerships, Combined Maritime Forces and the International Maritime Security Construct. Combined Maritime Forces includes 38 nations that form the world’s largest military partnership at sea. The International Maritime Security Construct is an 11-nation coalition that focuses on maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandeb.

Source: United States Navy

Effective immediately, uniformed military personnel who experience sexual harassment are eligible to receive the range of support options available to victims of sexual assault through the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program. The new policy implements requirements of the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act and Independent Review Commission recommendations. 

“This policy reflects the Department’s commitment to creating a culture of dignity and respect, and strengthening victim support services,” said Secretary Del Toro. “We take victims’ experiences seriously, and we are committed to creating an environment where victims of sexual harassment are heard, validated, and feel safe to report their experience and receive supportive services.”

Victims of sexual harassment now have the option to receive crisis intervention, safety assessments, counseling resources, victim advocacy support and to discuss reporting options with SAPR personnel. 

“Preventing sexual harassment within an organization requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach,” said Andrea N. Goldstein, acting director, DON Office of Force Resiliency. “We will continue to implement policies and procedures that clearly define sexual harassment, improve victim response, and educate members on the importance of bystander intervention, to reduce the likelihood of sexual harassment occurring.”

The policy clarifies that while victims of sexual harassment may receive victim support services from SAPR Program Office, the Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) Program will continue to process and track military sexual harassment complaints. Additionally, in accordance with the DON No Wrong Door policy, a victim of sexual harassment may contact any victim care and support office to receive services or, with the victim’s permission, receive a warm hand-off to the appropriate service provider.

In guidance on 14 September 2022, the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness directed the Secretaries of the Military Departments to develop an execution strategy to make sexual harassment victims eligible for sexual assault prevention and response (SAPR) services. The policy applies to all victims of sexual harassment who are uniformed Service members within the DON, specifically: Active and Reserve Components to include cadets and midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) and the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS), as well as the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Source: United States Navy

“At the invitation of the United States, senior government officials from Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, as well as senior representatives from the Gulf Cooperation Council, held a high-level, multilateral meeting in Bahrain on June 25, 2023, to discuss current maritime security and ways to further enhance maritime security in the region. Participants reiterated commitment to uphold navigational rights and operate consistent with international law, as well as pursue collective efforts to prevent threats to vessels traveling through regional waterways that are critical to international trade and the global economy.”

Source: United States Navy

Pacific Griffin 2023 is the fourth iteration of the biennial maritime exercise between the two navies. Conducted in the waters near Guam, the two navies will enhance combined maritime proficiency while strengthening relationships during two weeks of dynamic training evolutions ashore and at sea. The exercise is an extension of the longstanding bilateral engagement series, Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), which the two navies have conducted annually since 1995.

U.S. Navy Capt. Sean Lewis, deputy commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7, said Pacific Griffin 2023 would enhance mutual understanding, demonstrate maritime capabilities and deepen the long-standing partnership between the two navies.

“For more than 55 years, U.S. and Republic of Singapore forces have forged an enduring relationship based on robust security, defense cooperation, and lasting people-to-people ties,” said Lewis. “We have an unwavering commitment to our partners in this region. Pacific Griffin provides a challenging and technologically advanced training opportunity that allows us to become more dynamic and build competencies as an integrated maritime force.”

The U.S. and Singapore work together frequently on a number of initiatives and conduct regular personnel exchanges, participating in bilateral and multilateral exercises such as CARAT, Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), and Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), as well as multi-national counter-piracy activities.

Pacific Griffin 2023 will have events ashore and at sea, including combined afloat sea combat training, anti-submarine warfare and anti-air warfare demonstrations, and replenishment at sea.

Participating U.S. Navy assets include the littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14), the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), dry cargo ammunition ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14), and maritime patrol aircraft from CTF-72.

Manchester, an Independence-variant littoral combat ship, is on a rotational deployment, operating in the U.S. 7th fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with allies and partners and serve as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

As the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed DESRON in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of littoral combat ships rotationally deployed to Singapore, functions as Commander, Task Force 76/3 Sea Combat Commander, and builds partnerships through training exercises and military-to-military engagements as the executing agent of Commander, Task Group CARAT.