U.S. 3rd Fleet Hosts Staff Talks for Maritime Defense

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Kory Alsberry, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. Kenny Floyd met with U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles W. Ray, commander, USCG Pacific Area (PACAREA), and Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. William Truelove, commander, Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC), March 31-April 1 for the sixth annual Three-Party Staff Talks (TPST).

TPST enable U.S. 3rd Fleet, PACAREA and MARPAC leadership to come together to discuss current and future maritime operations between their forces and to see the capabilities of various 3rd Fleet operational units while strengthening the relationship between the Navy, Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy.

Staffs from each command participated in working groups that focused on maritime homeland security and defense, command, control, communications, computers and joint exercises.

"It's meetings and talks like these that build upon our joint interagency and international relationships that strengthen U.S. 3rd Fleet's ability to respond to crises and protect the collective maritime interests of U.S. and its allies and partners." said Floyd.

Following two days of information sharing, a number of goals were discussed including enhancing relationships between the three partners, closing gaps in maritime homeland security and defense, strengthening joint-planning processes.

"Seeing first-hand the vast capabilities of the Navy and how they interact with the Coast Guard and our Canadian partners is a testament to the hard work these men and women put forth," said Ray. "These staff talks are an excellent opportunity to help bolster relations and assure maritime security through real-time interactions with Navy and partner nation commander counterparts."

While in San Diego the admirals also had the opportunity to tour the Littoral Combat Ship Training Facility, USS Freedom (LCS 1) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group (EODGRU) 1 units.

"The Three Party Staff Talks allow us to continue to build upon our long-standing partnerships, re-affirm our common goals, and seek out those opportunities where we can work together to ensure our collective security" said Truelove. "Given how closely we operate and exercise together, these talks, for me, take on great value."

Other topics of discussion included upcoming HA/DR exercises, fleet training exercises and missile defense.

"A key objective for the annual staff talks is to achieve seamless interoperability among the three parties," said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Charlene Forgue, TPST action officer.

PACAREA is the Coast Guard's regional command element and force provider for maritime safety, security, and stewardship in the Pacific from the U.S. Western States to Asia, and from the Arctic to Antarctica.

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific from the West Coast of North America to the international date line and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy.