MCAT Partners with Peru Navy

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Jeffery Tilghman Williams, High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift Public Affairs

CALLAO, Peru (NNS) -- Maritime Civil Affairs Team (MCAT) 207 completed a two-week subject matter expert exchange with Peruvian naval officers on the topic of civil military operations in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief environments in Callao and Lima, Peru, Dec. 17.

The five-man team, assigned to Maritime Civil Affairs and Security Training Command (MCAST), exchanged information and reference material with 15 Peruvian civil affairs officers on doctrine and the organizational value of civil affairs using five main pillars: populace and resources control, foreign humanitarian assistance, civil information management, nation assistance and support to civil administration.

The officer in charge of the subject matter expert exchange said that his Peruvian counterparts are just beginning to conduct civil affairs, and that they were eager to learn and exchange information for their program.

"It was a mutually beneficial exchange on a tactical level between two nations committed to building enduring relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my team's experiences in Haiti as well as understanding the Peruvian navy's role in future disaster response situations," said Lt. Jason Schechter, MCAT 207 officer in charge.

During the joint service information sharing venture, the Peruvian sailors shared their new disaster relief task-force organization, which incorporates the aviation, physical security, operations and public works force of Naval Base Callao into an immediate response group able to deploy and respond to earthquakes, floods or tsunamis in the Callao region.

The MCAT team also discussed tactics and procedures used by the U.S. government in response to recent efforts throughout the world including Haiti.

"Getting to know our counterparts in foreign navies allows my team to gain a broader understanding of how other countries view civil military operations," said Schechter. "It promotes interoperability and partnerships at a time when our countries share common security concerns."

MCAST staffs, trains, equips and deploys Sailors to facilitate and enable a Navy component or joint task force commander to establish and enhance relations between military forces, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the civilian populace.

Accomplished in a collaborative manner across the spectrum of operations in the maritime environment, MCAST executes civilian to military operations and military to military training, as directed, in support of security cooperation and security assistance requirements.

SPS 2011 is an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America involving 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, contact COMUSNAVSO/C4F Public Affairs by e-mail at comusnavso-c4f_mypt_pao@navy.mil, visit www.public.navy.mil/comusnavso-c4f, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NAVSOUS4THFLT.