Embarked Marines Share Leadership Tactics with Southern Partners

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kim Williams, High Speed Vessel Swift Public Affairs

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (NNS) -- U.S. Marines embarked aboard High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) completed their final subject matter expert exchange in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2010.

The Marines spent five months exchanging leadership and mission planning techniques with partner nation defense and military forces.

A team of five instructors, based out of Marine Corps Training Advisory Group (MCTAG) in Virginia Beach, Va., conducted information exchange sessions with service members and civilians from Barbados, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Panama. Upon completing the exchanges, participants in each country added many new vital skills to their tool belts.

"Many of the countries requested land navigation sessions as part of the exchange package," said Sgt. Edan Valkner, MCTAG SPS 2010 subject matter expert. "It is the basis of patrolling. If you can't find your location or where you are going to, you can't find your patrol route or do your job as an infantryman. Using the terrain available, we choose points of relevancy and give participants information and skills to navigate from point to point using a compass, map and protractor to identify map locations along a course."

MCTAG's global mission is to build partner nation capacity in support of combatant commanders' theater security force assistance and security cooperation objectives designated by Marine force component commands. MCTAG is a subordinate unit under United States Marine Corps Forces Command.

The organization has participated in several SPS mission since its inception in 2007.

Sgt. Georman Elder, MCTAG SPS 2010 subject matter expert, has participated in the two most recent, focusing his efforts on the martial arts exchanges as an embarked Marine on board Swift.

"Being able to defend yourself is the foundation of being able to defend your country," said Elder. "Additionally, the leadership and character principles taught, along with the tan belt portion of the (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program), [are] paramount to any military or defense force."

Elder said the MCMAP sessions are based on the Marine Corps values of mental discipline, physical discipline and character, and the program strengthens participants in all of these areas.

"The 32 hours of tan belt training that I exchanged with participants during SPS is the same training that a basically trained Marine out of boot camp would receive," said Elder.

Participants, in addition to completing the 32 hours of training, were also required to have a sparring match and pass a final technique test.

Several teams are embarked aboard to conduct subject matter expert exchanges including Marine Corps Training and Advisory Group, Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Team and Navy Criminal Investigative Service.

The Swift is deployed supporting Southern Partnership Station 2010, an annual deployment of various specialty platforms to the U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR) in the Caribbean and Central America. The mission's primary goal is information sharing with navies, coast guards, and civilian services throughout the region.