Asia Pacific Defense Forum Winter 2005

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The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mellon (WHEC 717) steams past a remotecontrolled
watercraft and a banana boat used as targets during a gunnery exercise.
Photo by JOSN David Ham, USN

Damage Control Wet Training
RSN and U.S. sailors traded damage control techniques during a major flooding exercise at the RSN Damage Control Training Centre’s “Wet Trainer.” Inside the grueling and realistic trainer, sailors experienced a loss of power, a pitching effect of 10 degrees to port and starboard, and flooding up to their waists. “We responded on the run without much instruction or intervention,” said U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Chris Cortez. “It was very valuable. You can learn new techniques during different training scenarios.”

RSN and U.S. Navy sailors use shoring material to repair damage during a flooding scenario at the RSN Damage Control Training Centre’s “Wet Trainer.”

Photo by JOC Melinda Larson, USN

Both navies worked together as a team. As the sailors all struggled to gain control of the situation, communicating with each other was paramount. “It was hard to communicate at first, but then the training took over,” said U.S. Navy DC3 Ricardo Gonzalez. “We were able to understand each other without talking. We just looked at each other and knew what the other wanted. Damage control response is the same in any language.”

Singapore Sailors Tour USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43)
About 25 Singapore sailors toured the dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) before the two navies conducted at-sea combined operations. The RSN sailors observed the ship’s Close-In Weapons System and the well deck for amphibious operations. “It’s important when you’re working with a foreign navy that each crew understands what the other’s capabilities are, so that we gain a full appreciation for one another and can work together more efficiently,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kristy Doyle, Fort McHenry’s executive officer.

“The tour was very organized, and very professional,” said RSN SSgt. Vi Jay on his first tour of a U.S. ship. “Everyone was friendly and answered all the questions we had. There were really a lot of things the same about our ships. It was interesting to see.” RSN Second Sgt. J.C. Lee added, “It was an eye-opener. The ship was so big. I think I learned a lot.” The tour was the one of the first chances for the two navies to talk to each other on a professional basis and exchange general information about their ships and life in each service. “There’s something about a sailor no matter what country they’re from … about a person who is willing to go out to sea. It’s a very unique operating environment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Doyle. “You’re out there with the weather and sea and each other, but you’re out there alone, and it’s a certain kind of person that signs up for that mission. I think that once the sailors start to interact with each other, they see that they are a lot more like each other than they originally might have thought,” he said. “Anytime you can build that kind of relationship at the one-on-one level, it adds to the bigger relationship between services, between countries.”

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