Photo By Chief Petty Officer Elizabeth Reisen | NORFOLK, Va. (July 3, 2024) Machinist Mate Second Class Kaylee Turner, assigned to...... read more read more
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NORFOLK, Va. — On land and at sea, installations work tirelessly to ensure military assets located on Navy Region Mid-Atlantic bases remain secure from threats.
A drive onto base is met with tall fence lines and manned gates but across each shoreline, these water “fence lines” and “gateways” are patrolled by skilled harbor security forces who must rely on continuous training and their harbor security boats (HSBs) to keep Navy warships safe while in port.
Over the course of the next two years, harbor patrol units (HPUs) at coastal installations throughout the region will receive new, V-shaped hull MetalCraft HSBs and tailored hands-on training led by NRMA Port Operations.
These boats are part of a phased replacement program to upgrade and standardize the type of HSBs used for harbor security. The last time this happened was in 2010.
Naval Station Norfolk was the first installation to receive the new vessels and seven master-at- arms training supervisors attended this boat familiarization July 3 to learn technical boat details so patrols are not halted by basic mechanical issues or accidents that could be avoided.
According to NRMA Port Operations Training Specialist John Garcia, the goal of this class is to instill specific boat operations measures that he described as the “rules of the road.”
“That’s my big thing right there is I want all these Sailors to know the rules of the road,” said Garcia. “Training on these boats is very, very important. To save lives, to save money, [not] losing your asset.”
As each of the seven bases selected for the phased replacement receive their new boats, Garcia will travel to each location to get coxswains ready behind the helm.
Part of the training held on NS Norfolk, incorporated requirements from a new Commander Navy Installations Command instruction with standardized start up, shut down and operational procedures that security and boat maintainers must follow.
Before heading out on the water, personnel from the HPU and port operations repair unit came together to go through an equipment custody checklist to identify any potential issues.
Master-at-Arms First Class David Harrington, who has been assigned to NS Norfolk HPU for three years, remarked that the training was mission essential and if training supervisors are not familiar with the new boat platform that there is a high risk of mishaps and danger.
“Our own security officer says it to us all the time that harbor is one of the most dangerous types of missions that a master-at-arms can perform because you are not only navigating the security aspect, you’re navigating other people operating in the water,” said Harrington. “It’s a lot and it’s very important we are up-to-date and fully qualified to handle this new platform.”
| Date Taken: | 07.10.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2024 10:05 |
| Story ID: | 475969 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ready at the Helm: NRMA Harbor Patrol units receive new boats and training, by CPO Elizabeth Reisen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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