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Sea Services Leaders Underscore International Cooperation, Trust

By Matt Hilburn, Associate Editor

Leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Canadian Navy on March 19 painted a picture of how sea services can be used not only to project hard power, but also use soft power to foster better relationships among countries.

Leading off the afternoon panel discussion, entitled, "Strategic Engagement and Maritime Diplomacy," at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition was Rear Adm. Michael A. LeFever, director, Military Personnel Plans and Policy Division, who shared his experiences commanding Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1, which embarked with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2005.

During the deployment, the ESG and its Marines were used in "hard" ways -- in combat operations in Iraq -- and "soft" ways during disaster relief after the earthquake in Pakistan. The ESG also participated in Exercise Bright Star 2005, a 47-country exercise that takes place in Egypt. LeFever, looking back at the deployment, said "this is the future."

Marine Lt. Gen. Richard F. Natonski, deputy commandant for Plans, Policy and Operations, launched into an abbreviated version of the "Long War" brief, which outlines how the Marine Corps anticipates operating in the post-Iraq War world.

The Corps sees fostering security cooperation relationships with countries as a key to avoiding major combat operations, and its concept for accomplishing that task will be to establish Security Cooperation Marine Air Ground Task Forces, which will provide various kinds of training to foreign militaries in places the Corps currently cannot persistently deploy like South America and Africa.

"Today, the Marine Corps is singularly focused in Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. He added that the Marine Corps, by growing to an end-strength of 202,000, will be able to train for the full spectrum of warfare, "getting into the mountains, getting into the jungles."

Coast Guard Vice Adm. Charles D. Wurster, commander, Pacific Area, highlighted the many international Coast Guard activities, including 26 separate bilateral agreements with various countries to stem the flow of illegal drugs from Central and South America into the United States. He said that last year 355,000 pounds of cocaine were interdicted.

Wurster also talked about the Northern Pacific and North Atlantic Coast Guard Forums, which will enable coast guards in strategically positioned countries in each region to work together in solving transnational issues such as illegal fishing.

Capping the discussion were presentations by Canadian Navy Rear Adm. P.D. McFadden, commander, Joint Task Force Atlantic, commander Maritime Force Atlantic, and Marine Lt. Gen. John Sattler, director for strategic plans and policy on the Joint Staff.

Both highlighted the importance of increased international cooperation to fight terrorism, ensure the free flow of commerce and take interoperability beyond the technical level to the level of increasing trust among nations' sea services.