The November 2008 edition of the Seafarers LOG introduced readers to a group of Seafarers taking special training at the union-affiliated Paul Hall Center who were about to embark for the first time on the U.S. Military Sealift Command’s HSV Swift. This enthusiastic group said they were ready to go – and on Nov. 25 they got their wish, as the high-speed vessel sailed from Louisiana.Besides the SIU members and the officers, the Swift – a new addition to the SIU-contracted fleet – also carried various Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force units as the vessel began a five-month deployment in support of Southern Partnership Station (SPS).
According to the Defense Department, Southern Partnership Station is an annual deployment of various specialty platforms to the U.S. Southern Command area in the Caribbean and Latin America. The mission’s primary goal is information sharing with navies, coast guards, and civilian services throughout the region.
“Southern Partnership Station provides an excellent opportunity to facilitate cooperation, interaction and communication between regional partners’ civil and maritime services,” said Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet.
“Working together alongside our partner nations, sharing knowledge and experiences through joint, multinational and interagency exchanges will help to build strong relationships, improve interoperability and enhance regional maritime security.”
Military training teams and subject-matter experts embarked on the Swift will provide partner nations with classroom and hands-on training in various subjects. For example, members of the Navy Expeditionary Training Command from Naval Amphibious Base in Little Creek, Va., will provide instruction in small boat operations, maintenance and repair, boarding techniques, armed sentry, search and rescue, combat lifesaving, leadership principles, and instructor training.
The ship is scheduled to visit El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados and Colombia.
The Swift is operated for MSC by Sealift, Inc. and its unlicensed mariners are members of the SIU. Its wave-piercing catamaran hull is capable of more than 42 knots, according to MSC. It was developed as a support ship as part of the Navy’s sea-basing, prepositioning strategy and is slated for ongoing assignments in Central and South America.
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