Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Keith Knisely | Embarked international staff participate in U.S. Naval War College course aboard...... read more read more
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U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the United States Naval War College, and USS George Washington (CVN 73) collaborate to strengthen partnerships and foster an environment of cooperation amongst foreign partners via George Washington’s Southern Seas 2024 deployment and an unprecedented Embarked International Staff Program.
EISP, developed by Rear Adm. James A. Aiken, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, advances multinational maritime partnerships and develops leaders through first-hand experience. Over 20 officers from nations that operate in SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, The Netherlands, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, have embarked George Washington’s crew for Southern Seas 2024. They will be joined during the transit by officers from Uruguay and the United Kingdom. While aboard the officers will circumnavigate the South American continent with George Washington.
The NWC's role throughout the embarked international staff transit it to establish a foundation for the efforts of the EIS for the duration of the transit. Discussions include carrier and strike group operations, learning about each participant's navy, how to function on a multinational staff, role-playing exercises targeted toward humanitarian relief, and disaster response protocol.
“We do this by fostering their formation and development as a team, raising considerations for multicultural communications, and offering questions they can use to refine plans,” said NWC associate professor Sean Carroll. “We want to emphasize that for them to achieve success during the program, it won’t be as individuals. It will be as a team.”
Instructors and participating foreign officers came aboard during George Washington’s most recent port call in Mayport, Florida. Naval War College staff were subsequently flown off May 5, 2024, following four days of comprehensive guidance. The embarked international staff now continue their education in the realm of maritime interoperability at a self-guided pace, having received the fundamentals.
“We want them to ultimately take charge of their own learning and see where they take it,” said Carroll.
According to Chilean navy Cmdr. Rodrigo Aguero, NWC International Fellow, the mere presence of these foreign officers aboard George Washington showcases trust between the U.S. and the participants’ respective countries. This program is a significant step towards bolstering SOUTHCOM commander’s priority of strengthening partnerships in the Southwestern hemisphere.
Another team from the United States Naval War college will return to George Washington towards the end of Southern Seas 2024 in order to study of the program following upcoming port visits, key leader engagements and joint military exercises.
“It is the hope of the NWC that we will be able to capture what they have learned,” said Carroll. “We want to prepare them to return home able to articulate the importance of U.S. interoperability in reports, briefs, and even simple conversations.”
The program marks the first time international officers have joined the crew of a U.S. vessel on such a scale outside the scope of NATO, and aims to solidify SOUTHCOM’s relationship with our neighbors in the Southwestern hemisphere for years to come.
| Date Taken: | 05.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.13.2024 18:58 |
| Story ID: | 471189 |
| Location: | ATLANTIC OCEAN |
| Web Views: | 214 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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