[Kabar-indonesia] Second CARAT Phase Closes in Thailand [to continue in Indonesia]

[Joyo at aol.com]

U.S. Department of Defense  
June 28, 2006

Second CARAT Phase Closes in Thailand

By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Melinda
Larson, Destroyer Squadron 1 Public Affairs

 SATTAHIP, Thailand (NNS) -- The Thailand phase of
exercise series Cooperation Afloat Readiness and
Training (CARAT) ended June 27 during a closing
ceremony at the Royal Thai Navy's (RTN) Frigate
Squadron 2 piers here.

 The combined USN/RTN task group accomplished more
than two hundred scheduled exercise events during the
weeklong, multifaceted exercise designed to build
working relationships between the two navies. 

 "With multinational responses to regional
contingencies such as humanitarian  assistance and
disaster relief becoming more common, we owe it to
ourselves to work together routinely in a realistic
training environment such as CARAT," said CARAT's
executive agent Rear Adm. William Burke during his
closing remarks.

 The enhancement of regional cooperation, promotion of
understanding between participating military forces
and the continuing development of their operational
readiness are the primary goals of CARAT and were
accomplished during many training events, including an
amphibious landing with 20 Royal Thai  marines and 25
RTN medical professionals who embarked USS Tortuga
(LSD 46) during the two-day at-sea phase. Going ashore
on air cushion landing craft (LCAC), the marines
executed a mock raid at the beach.

 "The ability to put personnel, equipment and material
ashore from the sea is  a key capability in a variety
of scenarios," Burke said. "The fact that our two 
nations know how to do it as a team makes us a strong
combined force."

 During the mock raid while the marines assaulted the
beach, the medical team  practiced medical evacuation
procedures. The medics then transported the wounded
back to Tortuga.

 "We were able to interact with one another so we know
that if we had to respond to a natural disaster
together we would be familiar with each other's
procedures and would be able to work together to help
patients," said Lt. Mercedes Lau, Tortuga's dental and 
triage officer.

 Lau also worked in tandem with her Thai dental and
medical counterparts ashore during three days of
medical and dental services where more than 1,000 Thai
citizens received medical and dental care from the
combined medical team.

 Other community service and civic action projects
ashore included construction of a new community center
by Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 40 Seabees. In
addition, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen assembled 50
wheelchairs that, along with other medical supplies,
were donated to local schools and charities.  The
CARAT task group volunteers also interacted with
blind, deaf and disabled children as part of CARAT
Thailand.

 "It's the personal experiences and relationships that
we develop and build on during CARAT that put us in
such a great position to succeed at combined
operations," said Burke. "These projects not only
serve as another opportunity for our forces to work
together, but also benefit those in need."

 Team building is a goal of CARAT, and both navies
coordinated their efforts in many areas, including
visit, board, search and seizure procedures, maritime
surveillance, mine warfare, diving and salvage, and
maritime law.

 Gunnery exercises were another major piece of the
CARAT at-sea phase. Gunnery practice was accomplished
using ship-deployed surface targets and a target drone
launched by Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa
Targets Division.

 During the at-sea phanes, the seven-ship task group
was able to communicate via the Combined Enterprise
Network Regional Information Exchange System
(CENTRIXS).

 "CENTRIXS is a great system that allows our navies to
communicate in text-based formats, which really
enhances our combined command and control capability,"
Burke said.

 The combined task group numbered over 2,000 people,
and Burke lauded them for their efforts, which have
potential global implications.

 "CARAT is a prime opportunity to improve our
interoperability. Our Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and
Marines working together as they've been doing for the
past  week is another step forward in the growth of
the relationship between our sea services," Burke
said. "That relationship is more important today than
it has ever been. More than half of the world's
economy comes from the great Asia-Pacific region, and
a stable maritime environment is critical to the flow
of that trade, which is vital to all nations."

 The bilateral, summer-long CARAT series will continue
throughout Southeast Asia with the nations of Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The  exercise
began in Singapore.

 The CARAT task group is led by Capt. Al Collins,
commander of Destroyer Squadron 1. Collins is embarked
aboard Tortuga, which operates from Sasebo, Japan, as
part of the U.S. 7th Fleet's Forward Deployed Naval
Forces. Collins' staff is based in San Diego. The
other U.S. CARAT task group ships are USS Hopper (DDG
70), USS Crommelin (FFG 37), USS Salvor (ARS 52) and
the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Sherman (WHEC 720).
Hopper, Crommelin and Salvor are homeported in Pearl
Harbor, Hawaii. Sherman is homeported in Alameda,
Calif.

 RTN ships participating in the exercise included the
missile corvettes HTMS Ratanakosin (441) and HTMS
Kirirat (432), tank landing ship HTMS Surin (722),
counter-mine ship HTMS Bangrachan (631) and the
frigate HTMS Taksin (422).

 For related news, visit the Commander Task Force 73
Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/clwp/.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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