Carney Trains With Jamaican Defense Force Coast Guard

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Susan Cornell

USS Carney (DDG 64) hosted members of the Jamaican Coast Guard for a one-day training opportunity March 16 in Jamaican coastal waters as the ship patrolled the Caribbean. Carney is deployed to support U.S. Southern Command�s (SOUTHCOM) theater engagement strategy with regional partners to support hemispheric stability, security and regional prosperity. Training with the Jamaican Coast Guard is one aspect of this strategy. "The Jamaicans play a key part in all kinds of security operations in the Caribbean and we thought the training would be mutually beneficial,� said Carney�s Weapons Officer Lt. Rob Pudney. �We weren't disappointed.� Two Jamaican officers and five enlisted sailors worked side-by-side with Carney Sailors in visit, board, search and seizure training while on board. The U.S. and Jamaican service members simulated the actions needed to board and search a vessel and shared ideas of how best to conduct these operations. The five-hour training event included static displays of the equipment used in maritime security operations. The training was arranged with the assistance of U.S. Embassy personnel and helped prove the ability of the two navies to work together on short notice. Carney�s positive experience has set the stage for continued training with Jamaica.

�A few of the Jamaican Defense Force sailors said they would help ensure Carney Sailors get the most out of any future visit here,� said Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Joe Ring. An Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer home-ported in Mayport, Fla., Carney is in the first week of a spring patrol in the Caribbean supporting SOUTHCOM priorities. During its deployment, Carney is assigned under the operational control of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO), the Navy component commander for SOUTHCOM. NAVSO directs U.S. naval forces operating in the region and interacts with Caribbean, Central and South American civil forces and navies to shape the maritime environment within SOUTHCOM's area of responsibility.

From USS Carney Public Affairs