"Bilateral
training in mine countermeasures is critical for our strategic ROK-U.S.
alliance," said Capt. Mike Dowling, commander, Mine Countermeasures
Squadron 7 (MCMRON 7). "It also enhances our combined capabilities
and interoperability with the ROK Navy. These live force exercises continue
to support our commitment to maintaining maritime stability in this
region."
Approximately 300 U.S. Navy personnel assigned to MCMRON 7, mine countermeasures
ships USS Warrior (MCM 10) and USS Chief (MCM 14); along with teams
from Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5, Explosive
Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 1, Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare
Center, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14, and Mobile Mine
Assembly Group participated in the training alongside their ROK Navy
partners.
"We took 'warfighting first' to heart and took advantage of every
opportunity to maintain and improve our mine warfare capabilities,"
said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Tyree, executive officer of Chief.
During the exercise, U.S. and ROK Navy ships and explosive ordnance
disposal divers practiced clearing routes for shipping and conducted
training surveys for clearing operational areas. In addition to ships,
remotely operated vehicles were also used to rehearse mine countermeasures
operations from under the sea.
"Operating in waters near the Korean peninsula provided us the
most realistic training we could hope for in preparing for contingency
operations," said Tyree. "The geography and bathymetry can't
be replicated anywhere else and it's good for our sonar operators, Mine
Neutralization Vehicle (MNV) pilots, and Mine Warfare (MIW) evaluators
to experience it firsthand."
Foal Eagle is an umbrella of regularly-scheduled, annual exercises that
are the culmination of many months of planning and are based on realistic
training scenarios. The naval portion of the Foal Eagle exercises take
place in international waters around South Korea and features a full
spectrum of maritime operations.
MCMRON 7, commanded by Capt. Mike Dowling, is a combined readiness and
tactical staff responsible for mine countermeasures in the U.S. 7th
Fleet area of responsibility. The squadron consists of four Avenger-class
minesweepers forward-deployed to Sasebo, Japan, and a helicopter mine
countermeasures detachment in Pohang, ROK. |
