William Guarini News

A Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC), from the Navy’s Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1, conducts an orientation ride in Lake Qadisiya, the man-made reservoir on the North side of Haditha Dam. RIVRON 1, based out of Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek, is currently supporting the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. The deployment marks the first for a Navy riverine squadron since the Vietnam War. U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jon E. The Navy’s riverine force marked its one-year anniversary May 25. Riverine Group (RIVGRU) 1 and Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1 were both formally established May 25, 2006, under Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC).

Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1, based at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek deployed March 8 after a year of intense training with Marine forces. The deployment marks the first for a riverine squadron since the Vietnam War. More than 100 riverine Sailors deployed to the Middle East to integrate with Marines from the II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) to conduct maritime security operations (MSO) along rivers and other inland waterways: denying the use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack; a haven for insurgent activities; or the illegal transportation of weapons, people or material in Iraq. “The combat skills training…