Strike Group, DESRON 40 Ready for UNITAS

							                                        Public Affairs Office
                                           Press Release
                                         USS George Washington (CVN 73)
                                                     Box 10
                                               FPO AE 09550-2873
Lt. Cmdr. Bill Urban                                                Release #08-053
757-443-7831                                                        May 1, 2008

                 Marine Detachment Embarks USS Farragut
              By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class J.T. Bolestridge


       RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- The Headquarters Element of the 4th Marine Recon

Detachment of the 24th Marines embarked the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut

(DDG 99) May 1 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in support of Partnership of the Americas 2008

(POA 08).

       The embarked Marines will conduct training with Uruguayan marines when USS

Farragut arrives in Montevideo, Uruguay for a port visit. Maj. Bill Sablan, the exchange

detachment officer in charge, explained their training is designed to enhance security

cooperation, one of the primary goals of POA 08.

       “The overall idea is to enhance the capability sets of everyone involved in the

training,” Sablan said. “We’ll take turns throughout the training showing each other our

different tactics, techniques, and procedures. This type of face-to-face exchange is

designed to build camaraderie between partner nations.”

       Mutual training will include non-combatant evacuation operation exercises,

Marine Corps martial arts, small boat operations and small arms weapons training.

       It has been uncommon for U.S. Marines to embark destroyers in recent years.

The Navy and Marine Corps, as well as the Coast Guard, have recently increased their
efforts to work cooperatively, creating more opportunities for enhanced training and

experience.

       Capt. Rudy Laco, Commander, Destroyer Squadron Four Zero (COMDESRON

40) said “Combined US Navy-Marine Corps operations involving partner nations like

Uruguay are examples of maximizing employability and deployability for U.S. units and

providing greater agility and reliability for partner nations, while being less predictable

for potential adversaries.”

       POA 2008 is the third exercise by that name and will be carried out from April

until October in Central and South America, as well as in the Caribbean. The exercise

emphasizes interoperability and cooperation between U.S. and partner nation’s maritime

forces through a variety of exercises and events.




                                       -USN-