Coast Guardsman Train aboard Boone

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steve Smith, Southern Seas 2011 Public Affairs

USS BOONE, At Sea (NNS) -- Three U.S. Coast Guardsmen from USCGC Escanaba (WMEC 907) embarked guided-missile frigate USS Boone (FFG 28) April 9, to experience first-hand how the Navy operates in a joint service environment.

Boone and Escanaba will join guided-missile frigate USS Thach (FFG 43) and guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) for UNITAS Atlantic phase (LANT) in South America. UNITAS LANT is a joint exercise involving navies from Brazil, the United States, Argentina, and Mexico.

Days before the exercise kicked off, Escanaba and Boone used the time for information exchanges, training and familiarization.

"This is our first time exclusively working with the U.S. Navy," said Ensign Alicia Flanagan, Escanaba combat information center officer and communications officer. "We have a lot of the same equipment and a lot of the same standards and procedures. I'm actually quite surprised at how similar the two services are. It's been an easy integration."

During UNITAS, forces will participate in a series of theater security cooperation events, including military-to-military cooperation, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, combined exchanges, exercises and operations, and maritime security.

"I think we have a lot to benefit from each other, especially now, with the Coast Guard expanding its missions and the locations we are working," said Flanagan. "I know the Navy is heavily involved in anti-drug trafficking and that's also one of our primary missions, but we bring the law enforcement capability. It's important that we're able to work together."

Aside from the larger interoperability scenarios and exercise planning, much of the information came down to simple hands-on experience with the smaller issues. The Coast Guardsmen learned how to tie down a Navy helicopter on a Coast Guard cutter, travel as part of a battle group and basic Navy combat watch stations.

"It's always good to get a perspective from how different U.S. services operate," said U.S. Coast Guardsman Operations Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Fojtik. "You understand the capabilities and limitations of the other ships, for example, how often can they set flight quarters? They might not be able to support the same things we can."

The Coast Guardsmen spent four days aboard, standing the regular watch rotation in the combat information center (CIC) and on the bridge.

"I had a great experience cross-training with the Navy," said U.S. Coast Guardsman Operations Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Goodson. "Understanding what the other ships that we're steaming with are doing is definitely a great experience. I found it very beneficial and would recommend it to other Coast Guardsmen."

COMUSNAVSO/C4F supports U.S. Southern Command joint and combined full-spectrum military operations by providing principally sea-based, forward presence to ensure freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain, to foster and sustain cooperative relationships with international partners and to fully exploit the sea as maneuver space in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.