U.S., Australian Expeditionary Staffs, Ships Begin 1st Phase of Talisman Saber
The U.S. Navy's Expeditionary Strike Group 7 ships left Brisbane, Australia, on June 10, while amphibious ships of Royal Australian Navy began the embarkation of Australian soldiers in northern neighbor Townsville, launching the force integration training (FIT) phase of Talisman Saber 2007 (TS07). TS07 is a joint and combined exercise demonstrating and improving on the U.S.-Australian military alliance that will feature crisis action planning and the execution of contingency response operations in land, sea and air maneuvers. More than 20,000 U.S. and 12,000 Australian personnel will participate in the military training exercise set to enhance interoperability and regional stability.
Naval Staffs, Units Reach Training Milestones for Cobra Gold 2007
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Adam R. From middle-of-the night physical training to airfield security tactics to underwater detonations or planning for a humanitarian assistance/disaster relief mission; training milestones were achieved in a multitude of missions areas for the United States, Royal Thai and Republic of Singapore combined Naval forces (CNAVFOR) during Cobra Gold 2007, which officially concluded May 18. Most of the field training exercises in diving, mobile security and mine countermeasures concluded one day prior to the final ceremony with a culminating training session. "When I look at this year's exercise, I see incredible engagement taking place, both within the particular training scenarios and outside of it," said Commander, Task Force 76, Rear Adm.
Keel-Laying of Third T-AKE Ship
U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Carol M. Pottenger, Commander, Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, was the honoree for the keel-laying event, welding her initials into the keel of the T-AKE 3, the USNS Alan Shepard. With her are Dave Morton, Program Manager, Naval Fleet Auxiliary Force Program (L) and Art Diaz, MSC Ship Construction Senior Owners Representative. General Dynamics NASSCO on February 14, 2006, held the keel-laying ceremony for USNS Alan Shepard, the third ship in the U.S. Navy’s T-AKE program. Designated the Lewis and Clark class, the new T-AKE ships fulfill combat logistics force requirements. The keel-laying ceremony is a NASSCO tradition, signifying an important milestone as a new ship begins to take shape on the company’s building ways.
