John Nowell News

The United States must engage with maritime partners around the world to create and build trust, according to senior Navy leaders speaking at the 2007 Surface Navy Association West Coast Symposium, held pier side at Naval Station San Diego, in August. Surrounded by ships and cooled summer breeze coming off the harbor, the many attendees heard about the Navy’s efforts to create and build upon meaningful partnerships. Rear Adm. Pete Daly discussed the Navy’s efforts to create a new maritime strategy. The previous maritime strategy addressed a Soviet threat that no longer exists. “We had one big enemy. We understood that enemy. We knew where they were coming from. In the past, military powers knew that military adventurism would be met with reciprocal force.

The Portsmouth-based Coast Guard Cutter Legare completed a historic five-day port visit in Liberia Feb. 19. With a recent end to Liberia's long civil war, Legare became the first U.S. military ship to moor in Monrovia in more than 17 years. As part of Commander, Naval Forces Europe-Africa's strategy to improve maritime security and safety in the Gulf of Guinea, Legare is part of a unique naval task group comprised of USS Kauffman (FFG 59) and elements of the Destroyer Squadron 60 staff that is currently deployed off the coast of West Africa to strengthen regional maritime partnerships. "Many of these countries are trying to develop capabilities that we would normally associate with coast guards rather than navies in the traditional sense…