Naval Reservists Assist in Water Taxi Rescue
Reservists from Naval Reserve Center (NRC) Baltimore assisted in the rescue of more than a dozen passengers from a water taxi that had capsized in Baltimore's Inner Harbor late in the afternoon of March 6. Two of the passengers died and three were still listed as missing, while the remaining 22 were rescued by Baltimore City Fire Department personnel, with the assistance of the NRC Baltimore Reservists. Command Master Chief Melvin Johnson and Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Edward Mendez witnessed the water taxi capsize as it attempted to maneuver in heavy winds and seas. They immediately called 911, and Cmdr. Petersen Decker, commanding officer of Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk, Det.
Carter Hall Conducts Coalition Operations in the Gulf of Aden
USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), Royal Fleet Auxiliary Fort Austin (A 386) and its embarked helicopter detachment 857th Royal Naval Air Squadron, and Federal German Ship Köln (F 211) are conducting maritime operations as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150. CTF 150 is responsible for maritime operations in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, North Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Through cooperation, these units drastically increase their individual capabilities. Flying two ASAC-7 Sea King helicopters, each equipped with the Searchwater 2000 radar, the aviators of the 857th are capable of locating and classifying contacts several hundred miles away. Between Carter Hall’s air assets and those of the 857th, the coalition partners have the ability to cover a much larger area with fewer ships.
