A-SPS 11 Bids Farewell to Guatemala

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian S. Finney, A-SPS 11 Public Affairs

PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala (NNS) -- USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) departed Guatemala, Feb. 23, following ten days of subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE) with Guatemalan sailors and marines.

Throughout the week, Gunston Hall Sailors and Marines from the embarked SCTF participated in a variety of SMEEs. Areas of engagement included small boat maintenance, land navigation, live fire, and visit board search and seizure (VBSS).

"It's an honor for us as representatives of the United States Marine Corps to be here this week, to stand side by side with our Guatemalan partners exchanging techniques, tactics, and procedures" said the SCTF Commanding Officer of Troops Lt. Col. Paul D. Baker. "Guatemala's rich military history has enabled us to have a very eventful and rewarding engagement, one that we will remember for the rest of our lives."

A-SPS 11 Sailors and Marines also found time to participate in a local community relations project. More than 60 Sailors and Marines worked alongside parents, students and teachers to renovate and paint a school in the town of Livingston, near Puerto Barrios.

"This has been an exceptionally rewarding exchange with the Guatemalan armed forces, where we have formed bonds based on professional respect and personal friendship," said Capt. John Meier, A-SPS 11 mission commander. "This mission has also presented a unique opportunity to connect with the Guatemalan people as well, through a series of cultural exchanges and a community relations project that saw over 60 Sailors and Marines work side by side with the local community to paint a school house."

Gunston Hall and the embarked Marine Security Cooperation Task Force (SCTF) are deployed for Amphibious Southern Partnership Station 2011 (A-SPS 11). A-SPS 11 is intended to provide a sustained, visible presence in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility through combined and multilateral cooperative missions.

Guatemala is the second of four countries scheduled to host Gunston Hall and A-SPS 11, which also includes scheduled stops in Belize, Colombia and Jamaica.

A-SPS11's visit to Guatemala concluded with a day of sports, a field meet, barbecue and closing ceremony at the Santo Tomas Naval Basel.

A-SPS 11 is a United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM)-directed operation implemented by Commander, United States Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO), supported by United States Marine Corps Forces, South (MARFORSOUTH) and carried out by Commander, Destroyer Squadron Four Zero (CDS40), USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) and a Marine Corps Security Cooperation Task Force.

COMUSNAVSO is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility. COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. Maritime Strategy, including Theater Security Cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.

Marines Conduct Martial Arts Training with Guatemalan Military

By Cpl. Brittany Kohler, Amphibious Southern Partnership Station 2011 Public Affairs

PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala (NNS) -- U.S. Marines conducted subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) with Guatemalan service members aboard Kaibil Base, Guatemala, Feb. 17.

The exchanges included Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) and non-lethal weapons and tactics, taught by Marines from Security Cooperation Task Force (SCTF), Ground Combat Element (GCE) and Logistics Combat Element (LCE).

"This is our first learning evolution here in Guatemala, and it is great so far," said Staff Sgt. Zachary R. Strelke, GCE Scout Platoon commander. "This is a new experience for many of the Guatemalan service members, but they are very combat-focused, so this training is right up their alley."

SCTF consists of Marines from Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, 2nd Tank Battalion and 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion and is currently deployed in support of Amphibious Southern Partnership Station 2011 (A-SPS11).

A-SPS11's mission is to strengthen cooperative partnerships in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility and to conduct SMEEs to enhance capabilities of both U.S. and foreign militaries.

In 2010, a group of U.S. Marines visited the Guatemalan special forces "Kaibil" base and taught Guatemalan service members tan belt, the entry level, techniques. This year, the Guatemalan forces requested the SCTF to advance the MCMAP exchange to cover grey and green belt techniques.

"Being a Kaibil, this type of training is very important to us," said Kaibil Infantry Lt. Elvis Roman Flores Ramirez, First Company Rifleman. "I wish there was more time to train and learn more skills to become proficient in the advanced levels of martial arts."

Though Kaibil soldiers and Guatemalan Army soldiers are separate, both participated in the exchange. The Kaibil are the special forces of the army, so many Guatemalan soldiers work toward becoming a Kaibil.

"They were all very eager to learn and seemed excited to learn new moves," said Cpl. Chase H. Dale, GCE Scout Platoon. "It was fun watching them perform the techniques on each other. I learned very quickly that they have a high tolerance for pain and do not like to tap out."

The MCMAP techniques covered in the exchange consisted of basic moves and techniques from each belt level. The curriculum was chosen based on what the Guatemalan military may need to use in their combat, including grappling techniques, throws and body weight leverage control.

"This training will help me in the future, not only in the military but on civilian ground too," said Ramirez.

The hand-to-hand combat exchange is done in conjunction with the non-lethal weapons and tactics course conducted in the same area on base. The course covered several non-lethal formations for defeating riot situations, and unarmed hand-to-hand combat techniques, for preserving life and regaining order. The course is designed to teach soldiers what to do in situations such as civil disturbances or peacekeeping operations, and to provide augmentation to the police force, if needed.

"I learned a lot of techniques that will definitely be useful in the future," said Kaibil Infantry Lt. Jose Luis Lantan Tuch, 2nd Company, special forces. "I learned how to extract friendly personnel from a riot or mob, safely block a street, provide a quick deployment of forces and successfully gain the overall control of an area."

The Kaibil soldiers said they plan on taking everything they learn from the exchanges to continue their own training, pass on the knowledge to others, and update their manuals to continue to advance their training of infantry soldiers.

"Today is just the first day of exchanges, and we have already covered a lot of good information, and I think we made a good first impression," said Strelke. "I am looking forward to learning from them."

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For more news from Southern Partnership Station 2011, please visit www.facebook.com/southernpartnershipstation or www.navy.mil/local/sps.

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Guatemalan Sailors, Marines Host Water Survival Skills Exchange

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian S. Finney, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command-U.S. 4th Fleet Public Affairs

PUERTO BARRIOS, Guatemala (NNS) -- USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) Sailors and Security Cooperation Task Force (SCTF) Marines wrapped up water survival and search and rescue (SAR) information exchanges with Guatemalan service members at Santo Tomas Naval Base, Feb. 18.

The SMEE exercises lasted four days and included U.S. Marines, Guatemalan marines and special forces soldiers, also known as Kaibil.

"We're all participating in the same events at the same time, which creates the atmosphere for us to bond with one another," said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Wesley A. Eastman, SCTF, Logistics Combat Element (LCE) company commander.

The two forces shared survival techniques such as treading water, breathing control and inflating uniform items as emergency floatation devices. All these techniques, if executed properly, can prevent loss of life.

"It's very rewarding to have the opportunity to conduct combat water survival exchanges with the Kaibil and Guatemalan marines," said Sgt. Maj. Brett C. Sheuer, SCTF sergeant major and Marine combat instructor trainer of water survival (MCITWS). "This is one of those special SMEEs that can actually save lives when dealing with our combat operations and amphibious roots in any aquatic environment."

The exchange was very interactive for both sides involved, and included a wide range of knowledge, from those with years of water survival expertise, to those with as little as 45 days of military experience.

"I thought it was really useful to learn these techniques," said Soldier 2nd Class Cesar Chun Pop, a Guatemalan marine SMEE participant. "I can use these skills not only in the military, but outside the military. If my boat flips over in the ocean I can use these techniques to help me."

The U.S. Navy, alongside host country sailors, each displayed search and rescue (SAR) techniques for more than 15 SAR qualified service members. According to Gunston Hall SAR swimmer, Quartermaster 2nd Class Stephen D. Macdonald, he saw the exercise as being quite beneficial.

"It helps strengthen our bond as far as working in cohesion," said Macdonald. "They can see how we do our business, and we can learn some things from them as well."

The swimmers demonstrated various strokes and basic techniques that are used when rescuing someone in the water. By the end of the SMEE, both sides had clearly progressed and enhanced the foundation for future training within their own services.

"It went really well," said Macdonald. "It was great having one-on-one interaction and helping to enhance what they already knew, and us learning things that we see them do."

Rescue swimmers must have the skills to provide basic pre-hospital life support for rescued individuals. The SMEE concluded with a lesson on CPR, and a relay race that incorporated all the techniques that were taught.

"We all learned a great deal from one another and not only the knowledge that we shared, but the lifelong friendships that were made," added Scheuer. "We definitely strengthened our ties with the Kaibil and Guatemalan Marines for many years to come.

Gunston Hall is currently deployed to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility supporting Amphibious Southern Partnership Station 2011 (A-SPS11), and Guatemala is one of four scheduled stops for Gunston Hall during A-SPS11, including visits to Belize, Colombia and Jamaica.

A-SPS 11 will focus on sharing mission-focused knowledge and expertise so each participating country will be able to improve capabilities in what it considers key mission areas, and result in enhanced regional maritime capabilities and security.

Subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE) within the mission are meant to strengthen our existing regional partnerships through the exchange of maritime mission-focused knowledge and improve capabilities in what A-SPS considers key maritime security mission areas.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. FOURTH Fleet, visit www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT, or www.public.navy.mil/comusnavso-c4f.

For more news from Southern Partnership Station 2011, visit www.facebook.com/southernpartnershipstation or www.navy.mil/local/sps.

For more news from U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South, visit www.marines.mil/unit/marforsouth/Pages/Home.aspx.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/cusns/.

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Southern Partnership Station 2011 Team, Guatemalan Service Members Celebrate Partnership

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jeffery Tilghman Williams

High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) Public Affairs

PUERTO QUETZAL, Guatemala (NNS) -- The joint military crew aboard High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) supporting Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011 and Guatemalan sailors and soldiers celebrated a two-week subject matter expert exchange with a closing ceremony at the naval base in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, Feb. 4.

The ceremony included a traditional American style barbecue, a plaque exchange and volleyball.

"We just wanted to do something to show our appreciation for the opportunity to work with our American brothers," said Capitan de Navio Carlos Lainfiesta, commander of the Pacific Naval Base in Puerto Quetzal. "Today is just about celebrating our accomplishments and having a good time."

During the two-week exchange, the service members worked side by side, participating in information exchanges related to medical operations, practical self defense, construction, civil affairs and security.

"In our short time here, we have been able to do some incredible things and make tremendous strides in sustaining enduring relationships with the Guatemalan governments," said SPS 2011 Mission Commander Cmdr. Mark Becker. "And we look forward to future engagements, so we can continue to build and learn from each other.

SPS 11 is an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America. The mission's primary goal is information-sharing with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout the region.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO) is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility. COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. Maritime Strategy, including Theater Security Cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.

For more information, please contact COMUSNAVSO/C4F Public Affairs by email at comusnavso-c4f_mypt_pao@navy.mil, visit www.public.navy.mil/comusnavso-c4f, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT, at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/browser.php#!/pages/Southern-Partnership-Station/116426301746856 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT.

For more news from U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command & U.S. 4th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/cusns/.

This article was sponsored by Military Books.