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HistoryMOCC HistoryHistory

Circa 2009

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...OPNAV NOTICE 5400 - March 30, 2009 - Permanent Duty Station Change, Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center (FMP MOCC) Alfa..." Contributed by GALLARDO, LCDR Orlando gallardo@lhd2.navy.mil [12MAY2009]

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Circa 2008

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCameraRear Admiral Brian C. Prindle "...Rear Admiral Prindle Makes Historic Visit by Navy LT Aaron Roberts - VP-47 Public Affairs - Hawaii Marine - Volume 38, Number 5 - February 1, 2008 - http://www.mcbh.usmc.mil - Page A5. Squadrons Mentioned: VP-26, VP-47 and MOCC..." Contributed by LT Roberts james.roberts@tlab.afcent.af.mil [15MAY2008]

Photograph Caption: Rear Admiral Brian C. Prindle, commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, addresses Task Group 57.18 Sailors in Iraq. Ali Air Base, Iraq was one of the last locations Prindle visited in his recent tour of the Fifth Fleet area of operations. Photograph by Seaman Meagan E. Klein

TALLIL, Iraq – Rear Adm. Brian C. Prindle visited the men and women of Task Group 57.18, comprised of Sailors from VP-47, VP-26, Consolidated Maintenance Organization 2, and Mobile Operational Control Centers Delta and Golf, at Ali Air Base, Iraq here.

Rear Admiral Prindle, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, visited Ali as one of his final stops touring forward deployed P-3C squadrons.

"I cannot think of another organization in the Navy, especially in aviation, that has more dynamic events going on," Prindle said. "Everyone I talk to has high praise for this command. You are the leading the way at the fighting edge of freedom." Task Group aircrews are flying in support of maritime patrol operations and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This is an unprecedented era for the P-3 Navy, marking the first time a complete P-3 squadron and maintenance organization have deployed to Iraq.

Though originally designed for maritime patrol and submarine hunting, the P-3 has additional capability to enable it to be the "eyes in the sky" for Coalition Forces on the ground. The plane is equipped with cameras that allow surveillance over great distances with precise resolution, making it a force multiplier in counterinsurgency operations.

The Admiral spent his day touring the Navy compound, talking to Sailors, and answering questions about current P-3 operations. He wanted to see firsthand how the Task Group accomplishes its mission.

Prindle, a P-3 Naval aviator, gave a very enthusiastic speech to his fellow Sailors about the P-3 community.

"Coming out here is one of the most valuable things I do. I get reenergized when I watch this well-oiled machine doing great things for our nation. I see a lot of talented and motivated Americans doing tremendous work," Prindle said.

Prindle continued his journey to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar before flying back to Norfolk, Virginia.

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCameraMOCC History "...Three MOCC's United In One Family - By LT(jg) Christian Dumlao, VAQ-131 - Friday, March 7, 2008..." WebSite: Nortwest Navigator http://www.northwestnavigator.com [08MAR2008]

Photograph Caption: From left to right, Electronics Technician 3rd Class Luis Miguel Serrano, Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center (FMP MOCC) MED out of NAS Sigonella, Sicily, Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW/AW) Marisol Serrano Dumlao, FMP MOCC GOLF out of Whidbey Island, and Operations Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Eliezer Serrano, Jr., FMP MOCC out of NAS Jacksonville, Florida, are three siblings stationed at three of the nine FMP MOCCs in the Navy around the world. MC2 Tucker Yates

The makeup of one particular command depends on its mission and goal. A major command like an aircraft carrier could easily have over 5,000 personnel attached to it, while a smaller command such as Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center (FMP MOCC) may have at any given time approximately 20 to 30 people.

So what are the chances of three siblings in the "Big" Navy, to be stationed in three different FMP MOCC's at the same time?

Considering there are more than 450,000 Sailors, the chances of three siblings being stationed in three different FMP MOCC's at the same time could be pretty slim to none.

Well, a slim chance is better than no chance at all and that is exactly what happened in this case of Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW/AW) Marisol Serrano Dumlao and her brothers Operations Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Eliezer Serrano Jr and Electronics Technician 3rd Class Luis Miguel Serrano.

The three are not only enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the same time, but are contributing to the essential mission of FMP MOCC "It's cool to know that I have a good idea of what my brother and sister are doing everyday because I bet it's pretty similar to what I do in my MOCC everyday," said Luis. "It is nice to know that I can call my brother and sister anytime if I need help with anything at work, because they will for sure know what to do".

The children of Eliezer and Luz Mirta Serrano from Orocovis, Puerto Rico, say they feel special about being such a big part of the command.

"It is definitely an advantage knowing somebody from a different MOCC, and having that somebody be a brother of mine makes it even better and easier in case I need to coordinate something with them or just find out how they do certain things," said Marisol Luis was the first sibling to end up in a MOCC, when he reported to MOCC MED in Italy straight from ElectronicT "A" School. 10 months later, Marisol reported to MOCC GOLF in NAS Whidbey Island, Washington after completing her tour at the Naval Reserve Readiness Command Southeast in NAS Jacksonville, Florida.

Luis could not believe he and his sister were both in a MOCC. They later joked about how crazy it would be if Eliezer, also ended up in a MOCC. Oddly enough, Eliezer informed them both he was reporting to the MOCC out of NAS Jacksonville, Florida seven months later.

"I left Puerto Rico to join the Navy right after high school and it was very difficult for me to leave my parents and my younger brothers behind," said Marisol. "I knew that I had to go because I wanted to see the world and go to college. Plus, I wanted to make a good life for myself, so that I can help them out someday. Little did I know, but my brothers would follow me in the Navy and in turn make good lives for themselves. That was a very exciting time for me, when they followed."

Eliezer and Luis joined the Navy after seeing how much fun their sister was having in all of the places she was visiting and how excited she was about all of the unique things she was experiencing.

"Everytime she called home and talked about where she had been and what she was doing, I got jealous," said Eliezer. "We all missed her and we wanted to be with her. I though to myself, if she could do it, then I could do it too. So shortly thereafter, I decided to join the Navy".

"I can't believe that this is where all three of us are right now at this particular moment in our lives," said Luis. "Looking back, I never wanted to see my sister leave us for the Navy, but now I am glad she did. If she didn't, my brother and I would have probably never even thought about joining the Navy. I am so proud of where I am and what I have done and I am also very proud of my brother and sister. About the only thing cooler would be if all three of us can be stationed back in Puerto Rico all at the same time and be with our parents."

© 2008 Sound Publishing, Inc.

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCamera080225-N-5821P-079 LAGOS, Nigeria (Feb. 25, 2008) "...Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Brandon Cox, assigned to Patrol Squadron Detachment (PATRON) Sigonella, discusses the nose-wheel steering of a P-3 C Orion with members of the Nigerian Air Force at Ikeja Air Force Base in Nigeria. Members of Task Force 67, Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Command Center Mediterranean, and PATRON Sigonella are deployed to the air base for Exercise Maritime Safari 2008, part of an on going military to military cooperation between the United States and Nigeria. The Nigerian Air Force and Navy, under the auspices of the Defense Headquarters, are hosting the U.S. Navy in the joint exercise, which will focus on search and rescue procedures, aircraft maintenance and best practices to improve maritime safety. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason T Poplin (Released)..." WebSite: NavyNews http://www.navy.mil/ [04MAR2008]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCameraMaritime Safari 2008 "...Joint U.S., Nigerian exercise "Maritime Safari 2008" concludes - Release Date: Mar 03, 2008 - Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason T. Poplin - Fleet Public Affairs Center Detachment Sigonella..." WebSite: United States European Command http://www.eucom.mil/english/FullStory.asp?art=1606 [04MAR2008]

Photograph Caption: LAGOS, Nigeria - Sailors from Commander Task Force Six Seven, Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Command Center, and Patrol Squadron Detachment Sigonella gather together with resident artists of Nike Art Gallery during a cultural exchange visit with the local community Feb. 24. Sailors were afforded the opportunity to learn about and observe the creation of arts and crafts, local attire, and enjoyed some of the local cuisine. Part of the on-going military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, the Nigerian air force and Navy, under the auspices of the Defense Headquarters, are currently hosting the U.S. Navy in a joint exercise which will focus on search and rescue procedures, aircraft maintenance and best practices to improve maritime safety. (Department of Defense photo by Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason T. Poplin)

LAGOS, Nigeria - Personnel from Commander Task Force Six Seven, Patrol Squadron Detachment Sigonella (PATRON SIGONELLA), and Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Command Center Mediterranean concluded a seven-day deployment to Ikeja Air Force Base Feb. 28.

The Nigerian air force and Navy, under the auspices of the Defense Headquarters, hosted the U.S. Navy in joint exercise Maritime Safari 2008.

Maritime Safari is part of the growing ongoing military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Nigeria. The highlight of the exercise was the location of a simulated lost at sea exercise through coordination between a Nigerian air force Dornier 228, a U.S. Navy P-3 C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, and the Nigerian Navy Ship Nwamba.

"By participating in this exercise, we establish the strengthening of partnerships and relationships," said Navy Capt. John Nowell, commodore of Destroyer Squadron Six Zero and commander of Task Force West and Central Africa.

Collaboration between the two nation's militaries also focused on aircraft maintenance procedures, mission planning, and idea exchanges about maritime concepts. Focus was given to improving maritime safety and security by building upon the capabilities of maritime personnel, maritime domain awareness, infrastructure, and response and enforcement fields.

"The Americans are very friendly and the Nigerians have interacted with them very well socially," said Capt. Tayo Ojeyemi, a Nigerian air force Group officer who piloted the Dornier 228 during the search and rescue exercise. "On the professional side, we are learning a lot from each other and I hope we will continue to have future engagements."

Information and idea exchange were celebrated in both the officer and enlisted communities. Officers from both militaries worked together during pre-flight and post-flight briefings. Enlisted airframers of the Nigerian air force embraced an opportunity to interact with their American counterparts. Together, they visited several sections of the P-3 and made comparisons between various components of the aircraft and the C-130 J Hercules utilized by the Nigerians.

Maritime Safari included a VIP flight that offered several senior Nigerian military officials the chance to tour PATRON SIGONELLA's P-3 in the air.

"As a whole, the support of the Nigerian military has been simply phenomenal," said Nowell. "Everything from the security that they have provided, which has been very robust, to their support and events like the socials they have hosted which have helped get their maritime professionals and aviation professionals together with ours to build those bonds of friendship and rapport."

During the visit, U.S. Navy personnel participated in a cultural relations day hosted by Nigerian local leadership where Sailors saw the creation of arts and crafts at a local arts and cultural museum. Sailors interacted with artists as they were creating fabrics and mosaics in addition to observing local dancers perform an array of local traditional dances. Sailors also visited the Lagos State Model Nursery and Primary School to distribute toys, diapers, and school supplies which were donated by the Naval Air Station Sigonella and PATRON SIGONELLA communities.

"These items are very tangible representations that we care and that it's not just about what we're doing in uniform, but also about what we want to do to help with what is every nation's most precious resource, their children," Nowell said.

Exercise Maritime Safari 2008 is part of Naval Forces Europe's Africa Partnership Station (APS) initiative, which seeks to improve maritime safety and security while building relationships and partnerships with the countries of West and Central Africa.


Circa 2007

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCameraS3 Tim Woodcock "...First deployment a success - By Lt. Shane McKinnie - CPRW-10 reporter - Friday, October 12, 2007..." WebSite: Northwest Navigator http://www.northwestnavigator.com/ index.php/ navigator/ whidbey/ first_deployment_a_success/ [12OCT2007]

Photograph Caption: Members of FMP MOCC Golf on deployment at Clark Air Field, Republic of the Philippines. Pictured are (back from left) ET2 Robert Helmanson, IT1 Carlos Gusby, IT1 Marisol Dumlao, AW1 Tibor Szivos, ET3 Geoffery Doran and CWO5 Frank Basaca; (front) AWC Donald Pinkerton, ET1 Richard Baumert, ETC Jay Landry, ITSN Sophia Westmoreland, AW1 Courtney Shipley and OS1 Michael Ojeda.

Newly-established Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Command Center—Golf recently returned from its first unit deployment. MOCC Golf deployed to Clark Air Field, Republic of the Philippines where it operated in support of Carrier Strike Group and Joint flight operations.

While deployed, MOCC Golf supported numerous exercises in addition to its vital role in the global war on terrorism.

Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training—Philippines (CARAT RP) and three carrier strike group transits were highlights for the staff. MOCC Golf also helped coordinate a successful search and rescue operation, locating and aiding the motor vessel Led Lina.

FMP MOCC Golf was formed on April 1, 2006 and is a tenant command of Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10 (CPRW-10) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Its primary mission is to support the P-3 Orion maritime patrol mission anywhere around the world.

The MOCC staff collects intelligence, prepares mission briefs and communicates with the P-3 while airborne, often in remote locations with very little notice.

Seaman Information Systems Technician Sophia Westmoreland completed her first deployment. "I enjoyed supporting the aircrews and helping to improve their mission effectiveness," she said, "as well as the comradeship that formed between the MOCC staff and the Patrol Squadrons' personnel in working toward a common goal."

Despite the MOCC staff's busy schedule during their deployment, they found time to donate school supplies and clothing to local children in need.

MOCC Golf had a great deployment and made a significant contribution to the war on terror in their first ever deployment.

© 2007 Sound Publishing, Inc.

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCameraAW1 (AW/NAC) Matthew Robinson "...Wing 10 selects year's top Sailors - By Lt.j.g. Evan Larsen - CPRW-10 reporter - Friday, January 26, 2007. (CPRW-10, VP-1, VP-40, VP-46, VP-69, VQ-1 and VQ-2 menioned)..." WebSite: Northwest Navigator http://www.northwestnavigator.com/ index.php/navigator/whidbey/ wing_10_selects_years_top_sailors/ [01FEB2007]

Photograph Caption: AW1 (AW/NAC) Matthew Robinson is seen on patrol in Iraq during Individual Augmentation duty.

Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 1st Class (AW/NAC) Matthew Robinson was recognized, Jan. 19, by Commodore David Taylor as the 2006 CPRW-10, Shore Sailor of the Year.

His selection came as a result of his tremendous professionalism and steadfast sacrifice exerted during a 300-day Individual Augmentation while supporting the U.S. Army's 13th Sustainment Command in Iraq. As a member of the Joint Crew Composite Squadron One, and aligned with ground combat troops, he utilized his electronic warfare expertise to develop training and maintenance programs for ground forces which mitigated the radio-controlled improvised electronic device threat.

While conducting a routine ground combat patrol, he demonstrated uncommon valor during an attack on his patrol by stabilizing the wounded and preparing a landing zone for a medical evacuation helicopter.

Additionally, he showed the initiative to continue the patrol and search for secondary IEDs, resulting in a Meritorious Service Medal awarded from the Brigade's Commanding General.

Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW/NAC) Robert Parish of Patrol Squadron 69 (VP-69) received top honors as CPRW-10 Senior Sea Sailor of the Year for 2006.

A consummate expert and extraordinary leader, his enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication to his shipmates' career advancement and education resulted in his selection as the Sea Sailor of the Year.

One of only five full system Quality Assurance Representatives, he proved invaluable during a number of engine changes and the quality inspection of countless work center repairs which directly contributed to the high level of operational success achieved by the six operational squadrons assigned to CPRW-10.

The award for CPRW-10 Shore Junior Sailor of the Year went to Aviation Warfare Specialist 2nd Class (NAC) Carey Langley of CPRW-10.

Her expertise proved crucial in supporting 36 forward-deployed aircrews, as a result of her keen analysis from over 260 missions. As a leader in her field, Langley's attention-to-detail led to critical enhancements in our national security.

CPRW-10 Junior Sea Sailor of the Year honors went to Avionics Electrician Mate 2nd Class (AW) Justin Leetham, currently serving in VP-46. Leetham recently returned from deployment with VP-46 in which he proved to be an exceptional leader.

He demonstrated honesty, integrity and an absolute dedication to duty. While at VP-46, his actions increased aircraft availability that executed 220 combat sorties and over 2,000 mishap-free flight hours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Oak Harbor Mayor Pro-Tem Danny Paggao, along with several local business and educational organizations, took time to pay homage at all the Sailors of CPRW-10.

As in the past, they provided gifts to recognize the winners and participate in recognition of the finest examples the Navy has to offer.

Every command in CPRW-10 had their senior and junior Sailors of the Year present for the presentation ceremony. These included;

-- VP-1 Senior Sailor of the Year, PS1(AW) Jared Zdrojowy; Junior Sailor of the Year, AW2(AW) Michael Headings;

-- VP-40 Senior Sailor of the Year, AM1(AW) David Anderson; Junior Sailor of the Year, AM2(AW) Matthew Vitello;

-- VP-46 Senior Sailor of the Year, AW1(AW) Gamorro Cameron; Junior Sailor of the Year, AE2(AW) Justin Leetham;

-- VP-69 Senior Sailor of the Year, AO1 (AW/NAC) Robert Parish; Junior Sailor of the Year, AT2(AW/NAC) David A. Smith; Selected Reserve PR1 (AW) Mark Wilde;

-- VQ-1 Senior Sailor of the Year, AM1 (AW) Luigi Giugliano; Junior Sailor of the Year, YN2(AW) Nicholas Hulse;

-- VQ-2 Senior Sailor of the Year, AM1(AW) John Bouquio; Junior Sailor of the Year, AT2 (AW/NAC) Peter Benninger;

-- Mobile Operations Command and Control Center Golf Senior Sailor of the Year, ET1(SW) William Lewis, Junior Sailor of the Year, ET2 Colleen Colver; and

-- CPRW-10 Shore Sailor of the Year, AW1 (AW/NAC) Matthew Robinson; Junior Sailor of the Year AW2 (NAC) Carey Langley.

© 2007 Sound Publishing, Inc.


Circa 2006

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...060803-N-5821P-008 Ghana (Aug. 3, 2006) - Lt. j.g. Dane Hill assigned to Commander, Task Force Six Seven (CTF-67) Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Command Center, demonstrates the fundamental operations of the Automated Identification System (AIS) ship tracker to Lt. Bismark Akabutu, the electrical officer aboard Ghanaian naval vessel GNS Anzone (P30). During the first two weeks of August, Sailors from CTF-67 will participate in engagement exercises with the Ghanaian armed forces. U.S. Navy efforts in Africa and specifically in the Gulf of Guinea strengthen emerging partnerships and improve maritime security capability and capacity. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Poplin (RELEASED)..." WebSite: NavyNews http://www.navy.mil/ [18MAR2008]

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Circa 2005

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCameraJason Chudy / S&S "...Six-man Navy team hunts Afghan enemies - Mobile control center provides intelligence link in Kandahar - By Jason Chudy, Stars and Stripes - Mideast edition, Tuesday, July 5, 2005..." WebSite: Stars and Strips http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=29350&archive=true [05DEC2005]

Photograph Caption: Members of the Mobile Operations Control Center at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, deploy worldwide in support of P-3 Orion surveillance operations. A six-man detachment from Jacksonville, Fla., is serving in Kandahar. Four of the unit's sailors are, from left, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Kenney, detachment commander; Petty Officer 1st Class Ray Sibby; Petty Officer 2nd Class Ben Clanton; and Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Scull.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — In the elusive hunt for enemy fighters in Afghanistan, Navy surveillance aircraft have a small group of ground-based allies.

A six-man Mobile Operations Control Center deployed to Kandahar supports P-3 Orion crews and their missions over Afghanistan's more than 650,000 square miles of terrain.

"MOCCs are … for critical voice and data connections for remote P-3 operations," said Lt. Cmdr. Brian Kenney, detachment commander of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based unit.

Unit personnel also provide pre-mission planning and post-mission debriefs to the crews, as well as ensuring that anything the aircraft does detect and record is quickly sent to military commanders.

The MOCC allows the aircrew "to focus on flying," said Kenney, a 26-year Navy veteran.

Navy P-3 Orions have flown over Afghanistan since early in the war, using their onboard imaging and electronics systems to provide bomb damage assessments and locate enemy troops.

They've even followed vehicles and, when enemy fighters got out of one vehicle, relayed their location to nearby ground troops, according to a Navy press release from 2003.

But without the MOCC, information couldn't easily get to commanders. So when the P-3s deploy to remote areas, so does a MOCC.

And that mobility, Kenney explained, is the key to the unit's operations.

"We bring our own power and gear — satellite dishes, the whole nine yards," he said. "All we need is a roof overhead and some basic care and feeding.

"We can be anywhere, up and running within two days, depending on what you want," he said. The MOCC can deploy the entire 14-sailor unit and its equipment on one C-130.

The active-duty unit deployed to the Central Command area of operations with its normal 14-man contingent, Kenney said, but only six currently remain in Afghanistan.

Kenney's MOCC detachment is also supporting P-3 operations in the Horn of Africa and a handful of its sailors are working with the Navy's 5th Fleet maritime surveillance headquarters in Bahrain.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Scull, who deployed from the Jacksonville Tactical Support Center, said that he's worked with MOCCs in Rota, Spain, and in the Balkans.

While assigned to Patrol Squadron 16 in the late 1990s, Scull's aircraft worked with a MOCC to track the Russian submarine Kursk, which later sank off Norway.

The MOCC, he said, is vital to the P-3 community. "There would be no support [for P-3s] unless they bring a MOCC with them," he said. "Especially where there are no Tactical Support Centers," or TSCs.

TSCs are based at certain Navy commands worldwide, and when Navy P-3s deploy somewhere where there isn't a permanent naval presence, such as in Afghanistan or Africa, one of the eight MOCCs are called to deploy.

MOCC crews normally do between three- and four-month deployments to remote areas and also cover shorter exercises or operations while in Jacksonville.

Petty Officer 1st Class Ray Sibby, a communications specialist who's been with the unit for three years, has deployed to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, for exercise UNITAS, and has done operational deployments to Souda Bay, Crete, and now Afghanistan.

Sibby, a 17-year Navy veteran, is also the unit's leading petty officer, cryptologic equipment manager, computer systems administrator and communications equipment specialist.

Having a number of responsibilities is typical for MOCC personnel, he said.

"You have to do things that you're not normally doing [in your job field]," he said. "It's a good command to be with — it's a challenge. By the time you leave … you've gained so much knowledge, and not just in your own rate [job]."

© 2005 Stars and Stripes. All Rights Reserved.

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...OPNAV NOTICE 3111 - Chief of Naval Operations - PERMANENT DUTY STATION CHANGE AND MERGER/RENAMING OF FLEET MARITIME PATROL MOBILE OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER EAST PACIFIC (FMP MOCC EPAC) AND FLEET MARITIME PATROL MOBILE OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER WEST ATLANTIC (FMP MOCC WLANT)..." WebSite: Navy Directives http://neds.daps.dla.mil/ [05DEC2005]

Canc frp: Nov 06
OPNAVNOTE 3111
Ser DNS-33/5U838436 NOV 07 2005
OPNAV NOTICE 3111

From: Chief of Naval Operations

Subj: PERMANENT DUTY STATION CHANGE AND MERGER/RENAMING OF FLEET MARITIME PATROL MOBILE OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER EAST PACIFIC (FMP MOCC EPAC) AND FLEET MARITIME PATROL MOBILE OPERATIONS CONTROL CENTER WEST ATLANTIC (FMP MOCC WLANT)
Ref: (a) OPNAVINST 3111.14V and (b) OPNAVNOTE 5400 of 18 Jun 03

1. Purpose. To approve subject permanent duty station (PDS) change and merger/renaming of Officer in Charge, Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center East Pacific (FMP MOCC EPAC) and Officer in Charge, Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Control Center West Atlantic (FMP MOCC WLANT), both under the administrative command of the Chief of Naval Operations per reference (a).

2. Background. These PDS changes and merger/renaming are designed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of mission accomplishments and to comply with CNO Guidance to align and streamline Navy activities. The new activity, FMP MOCC GOLF, will be co-located with and provide direct mission support to the active PATRECONWING at Whidbey Island, Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing TEN (COMPATRECONWING TEN) .

3. Organizational Changes. Effective 1 April 2006, change PDS and merge/rename FMP MOCC EPAC and FMP MOCC WLANT. The following applies:

    b. Mission. To provide combat ready, stand alone capability to field fully operational Mobile Operations Command Center (MOCC) and conventional operational control (OPCON) (locally or forward based) for unlimited duration during high tempo operations in support of regional and global conflicts and Joint Service or International Expeditionary Forces.

    c. Major Claimant. COMNAVRESFOR

    d. OPNAV Resource Sponsor. N78

    e. Administrative Chain of Command

      Echelon - Administrative Chain of Command

      2 - Commander, Naval Reserve Force
      3 - Commander, Naval Reserve Forces Command and Commander, Reserve Patrol Wing
      4 - Officer in Charge, Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile
      5 - Command Center GOLF
4. Action
    a. This is advance change 80-05 to enclosure (5) of reference (b).

    b. Master Update Authority, Honolulu, HI will revise the applicable Plain Language Addresses (PLAs) in the Central Directory Component effective 1 April 2006, unless otherwise directed via official correspondence. Correspondence concerning the PLA should be forwarded to COMNAVNETSPAOPSCOM (Code N31), 5280 Fourth St., Dahlgren VA 22448-5300. Renamed commands must file the appropriate Form 509 with the servicing Defense Messaging Service (DMS) communications center to ensure immediate addition of the new PLAs in the DMS system.

    c. Director, Navy Staff (DNS-33) will revise reference (b).

5. Cancellation Contingency. This notice may be retained for reference purposes. The organization action will remain effective until changed by Director, Navy Staff.

F. J. NINER By direction
Distribution:
Electronic only, via Navy Directives Website http://neds.daps.dla.mil/

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCamera050614-N-3983C-005 Sigonella, Sicily (June 14, 2005) "...Actress Andie MacDowell tours the flightline with Commodore of Command Task Force Six Seven (CTF-67), Capt. Robert Lally, left, and Mobile Operations Control Center Officer in Charge, CTF-67, Lt. Cmdr. Dan Emerson, while touring NAS Sigonella, Sicily. NAS Sigonella, Sicily provides logistical support for Commander, Sixth Fleet and NATO forces in the Mediterranean area. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Betsi Currence (RELEASED)..." WebSite: Navy Newsstand http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=25301 [20AUG2005]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCamera050614-N-1120L-084 Sigonella, Sicily (June 14, 2005) "...Actress Andie MacDowell tours the flight line with Commodore of Command Task Force Six Seven (CTF-67), Capt. Robert Lally, left, and Mobile Operations Control Center Officer in Charge, CTF-67, Lt. Cmdr. Dan Emerson, while touring NAS Sigonella, Sicily. NAS Sigonella, Sicily provides logistical support for Commander, Sixth Fleet and NATO forces in the Mediterranean area. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 3rd Class Michael Lavender (RELEASED)..." WebSite: Navy Newsstand http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=25297 [20AUG2005]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCamera030525-N-4441P-023 Central Command Area of Operation (May 25, 2003) "...KU-band Expert Returns from Experimental Ship - Story Number: NNS031001-16 - Release Date: 10/1/2003 4:21:00 PM - By Journalist 1st Class Jeremy Allen, Naval Air Reserve Brunswick Public Affairs..." WebSite: Navy Newsstand http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=9765 [14JUL2005]

Picture Caption: Joint Venture, High Speed Vessel Experimental One (HSV X1) transports various different warfare groups that are participating in a Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure (VBSS) training evolution in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class (AW) Michael J. Pusnik Jr. (RELEASED)

BRUNSWICK, Maine (NNS) -- Electronics Technician 1st Class Garry Roy from Bartlett, N.H., and a naval Reservist assigned to Naval Reserve Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operation Control Center (FMP MOCC) 0197, recently returned from the Arabian Gulf after serving nearly eight months aboard the experimental vessel Joint Venture (HSVX-1).

Joint Venture was leased by the Army from the Australian shipbuilder INCAT and is currently on loan to the Navy. Joint Venture is a 313-foot high-speed, aluminum catamaran-hulled, ocean-going vessel. It is rapidly re-configurable and can ferry up to 325 combat personnel and 400 tons of cargo nearly 3,000 miles one way at speeds in excess of 40 knots. Joint Venture was employed as a vessel capable of conducting independent advance force operations.

One of the ship's operational requirements was for the Navy to provide a senior technician to take on the responsibility of maintaining the experimental KU-band satellite system frequencies aboard this forward-deployed vessel.

An extensive Navy search identified Roy, who at the time was providing front gate security at Naval Air Station Brunswick, but who, as a civilian, is an eletronic engineer.

"Roy was a Reservist who had the skills we needed," said Capt. Phil Beierl, officer-in-charge of Joint Venture. "He was able to provide the technical support to the KU-band, and as a Sailor, he was fully part of the crew. Because of our mission, we had no technical representatives on board. It forced us to prove our self-sufficiency, and he was a big part of that."

"I joined the Navy Reserves in 1979 at the age of 29," said Roy, age 53, who also does corporate training. "I went 23 years without being mobilized and had a good Reserve career. But that all changed on Nov. 14, 2001."

Roy was immediately assigned to the Auxiliary Support Force (ASF) aboard Joint Venture.

"They [Office of Naval Research (ONR)] called and asked if I could be gone for five months," added Roy. "They wanted me to join the crew of this experimental vessel that was heading to the Arabian Gulf."

Roy's proven ability to work under pressure was exactly what ONR and the Naval Research Lab needed, while they experimented with using KU-band satellite frequencies while in the Arabian Gulf.

"The whole crew learned to maintain the equipment, thanks to Roy," Beierl said. "That gave them the freedom to operate the system without someone over their shoulders. He has the courage and convictions to get things done."

After crossing the Atlantic, the ship operated in the Arabian Gulf. Joint Venture was tasked by U.S. Central Command to support various operations, one of which was to function as the command and control platform for U.S. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land Forces).

While Joint Venture worked with the SEALs, Roy was working and keeping the KU-band satellite system working.

"What the satellite [signal] did was go through the TELSTAR 12 satellite and come down in Chesapeake, Va., connecting to their routers," added Roy. "What is unique is that my satellite dish is only four feet in diameter, and the data rate could have gone up to eight megabytes per second without any difficulty. We had more bandwidth than any ship in Arabian Gulf."

Not only was this vessel highly operational and fast, but it could carry a variety of equipment.

"Completely full, the draft of the ship was only 14 feet," explained Roy. "We could support the Mark 5 boat and carry a number of 33-foot Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) in the hull, and we had a flight deck for helicopter operations."

"Roy didn't limit himself to the KU-band," Beierl said. "He applied his technical expertise wherever it was needed. He made sure the rest of the crew knew what he knew. Our deployment, forward of the rest of the fleet, is proof this ship has a future with the Navy."

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCameraJason Chudy / S&S "...Six-man Navy team hunts Afghan enemies - Mobile control center provides intelligence link in Kandahar - By Jason Chudy, Stars and Stripes - Mideast edition, Tuesday, July 5, 2005..." WebSite: Stars and Stripes http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=29350&archive=true [14JUL2005]

Picture Caption: Members of the Mobile Operations Control Center at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, deploy worldwide in support of P-3 Orion surveillance operations. A six-man detachment from Jacksonville, Fla., is serving in Kandahar. Four of the unit's sailors are, from left, Lt. Cmdr. Brian Kenney, detachment commander; Petty Officer 1st Class Ray Sibby; Petty Officer 2nd Class Ben Clanton; and Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Scull.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — In the elusive hunt for enemy fighters in Afghanistan, Navy surveillance aircraft have a small group of ground-based allies.

A six-man Mobile Operations Control Center deployed to Kandahar supports P-3 Orion crews and their missions over Afghanistan's more than 650,000 square miles of terrain.

"MOCCs are … for critical voice and data connections for remote P-3 operations," said Lt. Cmdr. Brian Kenney, detachment commander of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based unit.

Unit personnel also provide pre-mission planning and post-mission debriefs to the crews, as well as ensuring that anything the aircraft does detect and record is quickly sent to military commanders.

The MOCC allows the aircrew "to focus on flying," said Kenney, a 26-year Navy veteran.

Navy P-3 Orions have flown over Afghanistan since early in the war, using their onboard imaging and electronics systems to provide bomb damage assessments and locate enemy troops.

They've even followed vehicles and, when enemy fighters got out of one vehicle, relayed their location to nearby ground troops, according to a Navy press release from 2003.

But without the MOCC, information couldn't easily get to commanders. So when the P-3s deploy to remote areas, so does a MOCC.

And that mobility, Kenney explained, is the key to the unit's operations.

"We bring our own power and gear — satellite dishes, the whole nine yards," he said. "All we need is a roof overhead and some basic care and feeding.

"We can be anywhere, up and running within two days, depending on what you want," he said. The MOCC can deploy the entire 14-sailor unit and its equipment on one C-130.

The active-duty unit deployed to the Central Command area of operations with its normal 14-man contingent, Kenney said, but only six currently remain in Afghanistan.

Kenney's MOCC detachment is also supporting P-3 operations in the Horn of Africa and a handful of its sailors are working with the Navy's 5th Fleet maritime surveillance headquarters in NSA Bahrain.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Scull, who deployed from the Jacksonville Tactical Support Center, said that he's worked with MOCCs in Rota, Spain, and in the Balkans.

While assigned to Patrol Squadron 16 in the late 1990s, Scull's aircraft worked with a MOCC to track the Russian submarine Kursk, which later sank off Norway.

The MOCC, he said, is vital to the P-3 community. "There would be no support [for P-3s] unless they bring a MOCC with them," he said. "Especially where there are no Tactical Support Centers," or TSCs.

TSCs are based at certain Navy commands worldwide, and when Navy P-3s deploy somewhere where there isn't a permanent naval presence, such as in Afghanistan or Africa, one of the eight MOCCs are called to deploy.

MOCC crews normally do between three- and four-month deployments to remote areas and also cover shorter exercises or operations while in Jacksonville.

Petty Officer 1st Class Ray Sibby, a communications specialist who's been with the unit for three years, has deployed to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, for exercise UNITAS, and has done operational deployments to Souda Bay, Crete, and now Afghanistan.

Sibby, a 17-year Navy veteran, is also the unit's leading petty officer, cryptologic equipment manager, computer systems administrator and communications equipment specialist.

Having a number of responsibilities is typical for MOCC personnel, he said.

"You have to do things that you're not normally doing [in your job field]," he said. "It's a good command to be with — it's a challenge. By the time you leave … you've gained so much knowledge, and not just in your own rate [job]."


Circa 2004

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: History ThumbnailCameraCourtesy of U.S. Navy"...P-3 Orions get rare land patrol in Afghanistan - By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes - Pacific edition, Sunday, September 5, 2004..." WebSite: Stars and Stripes [27OCT2008]

Photograph Caption: Sailors from Misawa's Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operational Control Center-Western Pacific pose for a photo while deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

NAF Misawa, Japan — Ten sailors from this northern Japan base returned in late August from a four-month deployment in landlocked Afghanistan, where they slept in tents and battled sandstorms and dry heat with soldiers, Marines, airmen and coalition forces.

Though welcomed by the other services, the sailors couldn't avoid the obvious question: "There's no water here. What are you guys doing here?"

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, members of NAF Misawa, Japan's Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operational Control Center-Western Pacific and the P-3 Orion planes they support, have been moving farther from water as their mission grows.

Once a stalwart submarine hunter, the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft is taking on new roles, said Lt. j.g. Kevin Harrington, officer-in-charge of NAF Misawa, Japan's mobile operational control center.

The P-3 Orions flying over Afghanistan represent the most-inland missions of maritime patrol aircraft since World War II, Harrington said.

"Maritime patrol aircraft have expanded their role to support the global war on terrorism," he said.

At home, sailors with NAF Misawa, Japan's operational control center support P-3 squadrons from the United States who deploy to NAF Misawa, Japan on six-month rotations. They also support P-3s in distant locations, including Kuwait and the Philippines.

In Afghanistan, the NAF Misawa, Japan sailors set up a remote tactical support center for the P-3 Orions at a joint Air Force-Army base in Kandahar.

They worked 12- to 15-hour days, seven days a week, setting up shop in what's locally known as the Taliban's "Last Stand Building" — a structure blown apart during fierce fighting after Sept. 11 by a U.S. Air Force Joint Direct Attack Munitions and patched up by the Army.

The sailors' job was to provide the P-3 aircrews with communications, command, control, computer and intelligence support, Harrington said.

"Any type of connectivity between ground and air assets," said Petty Officer 1st Class James Cox, an aviation warfare systems operator.

The sailors could not disclose how many P-3 Orions they supported, nor where those planes were assigned, due to the nature of the ongoing mission.

The aircraft were supporting Marine and Army ground forces, Harrington said.

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin sheds some light on the P-3 Orion mission in Afghanistan, reporting that since Sept. 11, the aircraft have been used to gather intelligence and provide surveillance and reconnaissance for commanders in the Arabian Sea and on the ground in Afghanistan. The equipment on board the four-engine, turboprop planes, the newspaper says, can help troops on the ground gain situational awareness by transmitting digital images and verbal or e-mail messages to commanders by satellite.

The NAF Misawa, Japan sailors, with their expertise and 18,000 pounds of electronic and communications equipment, ensured the P-3 crews were able to perform their jobs adequately and safely. They conducted flight-safety briefings and debriefings, among other tasks, and made sure the crews checked in hourly, said Petty Officer 1st Class Kyle Wilkinson, aviation warfare systems operator.

"We keep track of them hourly or sometimes less, depending on how hostile the environment is," he said.

Added Cox: "If something happened to the aircraft, we know where they're at" to alert search-and-rescue teams.

Most challenging during the mission was maintaining the equipment in the hot and dusty environment, the sailors said.

They built makeshift shade for outdoor gear and constantly cleaned it.

"The sky was orange and it was all dust," Cox said.

Though the deployment was mostly work, there was some excitement away from the job. Wilkinson found a viper coiled in his tent, Harrington got his photo snapped with Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera and Cox remembers nearly dropping his boxed dinner when 120 mm rocket flares were set off to illuminate an area outside the base perimeter.

There also were serious, somber moments: On Memorial Day, the sailors and other servicemembers at Kandahar remembered five soldiers attached to a unit there who were killed the day prior.

"Those types of things really drove home why we were there," to fight the war on terrorism, Harrington said.


Circa 2003

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCamera030325-N-8921O-024 Al Salam Air Base, Kuwait (Mar. 25, 2003) "...Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operations Command Center (MOCC) West Pacific Command, records the range and bearing of all aircraft in the area. MOCC is deployed conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Chris Otsen. (RELEASED)..." WebSite: Navy Newsstand http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=7435 [20AUG2005]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...Reserve Chief Gets his Bars - Story Number: NNS030904-02 - Release Date: 9/4/2003 10:49:00 AM - By Journalist 1st Class Jeremy Allen, NAR Brunswick Public Affairs..." WebSite: Navy Newsstand http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=9343 [14JUL2005]

BRUNSWICK, Maine (NNS) -- A special ceremony was conducted recently in the classroom of Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 5. On a stage, before a small group of supporters, Chief Information Systems Technician (AW) Rod Hooper, attached to Naval Reserve Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operation Control Center (NR FMF MOCC) 0197, transformed from a chief petty officer to a chief warrant officer.

"Chief Hooper deserves it so much," said Cmdr. Pete Coffin, MOCC's commanding officer. "Since he has been working as our training officer for over a year now, he might as well get paid for it."

Chief warrant officer is a management position created in 1775 for enlisted technical experts to bridge the gap between the officer and enlisted ranks.

"In 1988, achieving warrant officer became my ultimate career goal," Hooper said. "In 1988, I met Warrant Officer John Valentine. It was his style and demeanor that emulated what a leader should be. He could get things done like no one I ever knew. He was a great role model for me."

That meeting inspired Hooper, and 13 years later, he would finally reach his goal with a little help.

Between active and Reserve duty, Hooper was an Army staff sergeant and drill instructor.

"I believe we all need to advance to make opportunities for others to move up," said Hooper, who works as an Admissions and Communication Manager at Southern Maine Medical Center. "Advancement beyond E-7 in my rating is tough. Hopefully, by my moving out of an E-7 billet, someone else will be advanced."

His advice for other Reserve Sailors deciding on applying for a commission rings true for both sides of the rank structure.

"Don't be the typical one weekend a month, two weeks a year Reservist," Hooper said. "Do as much contributory support as you can. Take a variety of difficult or unusual assignments in leadership roles. Go oversees to high profile sites. Get qualified. But most of all, take care of the people around you, and not just on drill weekends. When push comes to shove, it is the folks you deal with on a regular basis that will make or break you. Don't quit!"

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP History ThumbnailCamera030525-N-4441P-023 Central Command Area of Operation (May 25, 2003) "...KU-band Expert Returns from Experimental Ship - Story Number: NNS031001-16 - Release Date: 10/1/2003 4:21:00 PM - By Journalist 1st Class Jeremy Allen, Naval Air Reserve Brunswick Public Affairs..." WebSite: Navy Newsstand http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=9765 [14JUL2005]

Picture Caption: Joint Venture, High Speed Vessel Experimental One (HSV X1) transports various different warfare groups that are participating in a Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure (VBSS) training evolution in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and end the regime of Saddam Hussein. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class (AW) Michael J. Pusnik Jr. (RELEASED)

BRUNSWICK, Maine (NNS) -- Electronics Technician 1st Class Garry Roy from Bartlett, N.H., and a naval Reservist assigned to Naval Reserve Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operation Control Center (FMP MOCC) 0197, recently returned from the Arabian Gulf after serving nearly eight months aboard the experimental vessel Joint Venture (HSVX-1).

Joint Venture was leased by the Army from the Australian shipbuilder INCAT and is currently on loan to the Navy. Joint Venture is a 313-foot high-speed, aluminum catamaran-hulled, ocean-going vessel. It is rapidly re-configurable and can ferry up to 325 combat personnel and 400 tons of cargo nearly 3,000 miles one way at speeds in excess of 40 knots. Joint Venture was employed as a vessel capable of conducting independent advance force operations.

One of the ship's operational requirements was for the Navy to provide a senior technician to take on the responsibility of maintaining the experimental KU-band satellite system frequencies aboard this forward-deployed vessel.

An extensive Navy search identified Roy, who at the time was providing front gate security at Naval Air Station Brunswick, but who, as a civilian, is an eletronic engineer.

"Roy was a Reservist who had the skills we needed," said Capt. Phil Beierl, officer-in-charge of Joint Venture. "He was able to provide the technical support to the KU-band, and as a Sailor, he was fully part of the crew. Because of our mission, we had no technical representatives on board. It forced us to prove our self-sufficiency, and he was a big part of that."

"I joined the Navy Reserves in 1979 at the age of 29," said Roy, age 53, who also does corporate training. "I went 23 years without being mobilized and had a good Reserve career. But that all changed on Nov. 14, 2001."

Roy was immediately assigned to the Auxiliary Support Force (ASF) aboard Joint Venture.

"They [Office of Naval Research (ONR)] called and asked if I could be gone for five months," added Roy. "They wanted me to join the crew of this experimental vessel that was heading to the Arabian Gulf."

Roy's proven ability to work under pressure was exactly what ONR and the Naval Research Lab needed, while they experimented with using KU-band satellite frequencies while in the Arabian Gulf.

"The whole crew learned to maintain the equipment, thanks to Roy," Beierl said. "That gave them the freedom to operate the system without someone over their shoulders. He has the courage and convictions to get things done."

After crossing the Atlantic, the ship operated in the Arabian Gulf. Joint Venture was tasked by U.S. Central Command to support various operations, one of which was to function as the command and control platform for U.S. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land Forces).

While Joint Venture worked with the SEALs, Roy was working and keeping the KU-band satellite system working.

"What the satellite [signal] did was go through the TELSTAR 12 satellite and come down in Chesapeake, Va., connecting to their routers," added Roy. "What is unique is that my satellite dish is only four feet in diameter, and the data rate could have gone up to eight megabytes per second without any difficulty. We had more bandwidth than any ship in Arabian Gulf."

Not only was this vessel highly operational and fast, but it could carry a variety of equipment.

"Completely full, the draft of the ship was only 14 feet," explained Roy. "We could support the Mark 5 boat and carry a number of 33-foot Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) in the hull, and we had a flight deck for helicopter operations."

"Roy didn't limit himself to the KU-band," Beierl said. "He applied his technical expertise wherever it was needed. He made sure the rest of the crew knew what he knew. Our deployment, forward of the rest of the fleet, is proof this ship has a future with the Navy."

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...Reserve Chief Gets his Bars - Story Number: NNS030904-02 - Release Date: 9/4/2003 10:49:00 AM - By Journalist 1st Class Jeremy Allen, NAR Brunswick Public Affairs..." WebSite: Navy Newsstand http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=9343 [14JUL2005]

BRUNSWICK, Maine (NNS) -- A special ceremony was conducted recently in the classroom of Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 5. On a stage, before a small group of supporters, Chief Information Systems Technician (AW) Rod Hooper, attached to Naval Reserve Fleet Maritime Patrol Mobile Operation Control Center (NR FMF MOCC) 0197, transformed from a chief petty officer to a chief warrant officer.

"Chief Hooper deserves it so much," said Cmdr. Pete Coffin, MOCC's commanding officer. "Since he has been working as our training officer for over a year now, he might as well get paid for it."

Chief warrant officer is a management position created in 1775 for enlisted technical experts to bridge the gap between the officer and enlisted ranks.

"In 1988, achieving warrant officer became my ultimate career goal," Hooper said. "In 1988, I met Warrant Officer John Valentine. It was his style and demeanor that emulated what a leader should be. He could get things done like no one I ever knew. He was a great role model for me."

That meeting inspired Hooper, and 13 years later, he would finally reach his goal with a little help.

Between active and Reserve duty, Hooper was an Army staff sergeant and drill instructor.

"I believe we all need to advance to make opportunities for others to move up," said Hooper, who works as an Admissions and Communication Manager at Southern Maine Medical Center. "Advancement beyond E-7 in my rating is tough. Hopefully, by my moving out of an E-7 billet, someone else will be advanced."

His advice for other Reserve Sailors deciding on applying for a commission rings true for both sides of the rank structure.

"Don't be the typical one weekend a month, two weeks a year Reservist," Hooper said. "Do as much contributory support as you can. Take a variety of difficult or unusual assignments in leadership roles. Go oversees to high profile sites. Get qualified. But most of all, take care of the people around you, and not just on drill weekends. When push comes to shove, it is the folks you deal with on a regular basis that will make or break you. Don't quit!"


Circa 2001

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "... Elite Venture 2001 Tests Reservists for Drug - By Kerry Morrow..." WebSite: NAVSEA http://www.navsea.navy.mil/ featurestories_content.asp?txtDataID=1089&txtType ID=4 [07FEB2007]

Naval Reservists from Pennsylvania and Michigan shed their civilian attire in early June for a chance to suit up for some hard core simulated drug-interdiction training.

Elite Venture 2001 was held at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan to test the skills of Reservists who could find themselves assigned to a drug-interdiction mission.

Every aspect of Elite Venture, hosted by Tactical Support Center (TSC) 1173, an element of Naval Air Reserve Activity Center (NARA) Detroit, Mich., was planned to mirror real-time missions.

Active-duty personnel from Mobile Operation Control Center (MOCC) NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, arrived a few days prior to the exercise to help the Reservists train for drug-interdiction scenarios.

Reserve aircrews from the Fixed Wing VP-92, NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, brought a P-3-II plane to fly mission scenarios over Lake Superior, Lake Huron and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

"Our yearly MOCC is the best training evolution we do here in Michigan," said Cmdr. Anthony T. Bell, TSC 1173's commanding officer. "We're so happy the Willow Grove VP-92 unit is flexible enough to come to Michigan to help us train."

The communications equipment and aircraft were protected 24-hours a day throughout the exercise by members of Force Protection Law Enforcement Security Unit (FP LEPSU) 0192, NARA Detroit. Elite Venture provided LEPSU personnel with valuable watch-standing experience. Each mission began with an intelligence briefing from Joint Forces Intelligence Command (JFIC) 0846.

Scenarios included a simulated "black list" of freighters suspected of dumping drugs overboard for pickup, and locations of possible drug processing labs.

Flight crews were instructed to make up to two attempts to identify a freighter, and if unable to do so, request permission from the watch commander for additional passes.

Aircrew would communicate a freighter's identity and location to personnel from TSC 1173 and TSC 0273, also based at NARA Detroit.

TSC Sailors plotted the position and course of each contact and logged the information into a computer database. Coordinates of hypothetical drug labs located deep in a Michigan forest were also logged. A debriefing was held after each mission to evaluate results.

Since 1998, the TSC units at NARA Detroit have held similar annual training exercises.

Exercises such as Elite Venture provide the valuable training needed to fulfill the unit's support mission with the Fleet's drug interdiction and Anti-Submarine Warfare activities.


Circa 1996

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...P-3 Crew Returns From African Mission - By LT Barbara Burfeind, NAS Sigonella PAO...(Mentioned: VP-16, VP-66, TSC and MOCC )" WebSite: The Navy Public Affairs Library http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/news/eurnews/eur96/eur96049.txt [04DEC2005]

SIGONELLA, Sicily - (NENS) -- Pilots and crew members from VP-16 returned last Friday following four weeks in Entebbe, Uganda, with two flight crews alternating daily surveillance flights over Zaire, Africa. The maritime patrol aircraft located and documented numbers of refugees and their movements in Zaire.

"We've gone into the painting business, and we're covering the world," said CDR William P. Nash Jr., VP-16's commanding officer, while briefing his squadron before departing for Entebbe. He noted how the squadron being forward deployed allowed them to be in both hemispheres, with crews flying in Bosnia, Iceland and Uganda.

The NAS Jacksonville, Florida, based squadron is at NAS Sigonella, Sicily for a five-month Mediterranean deployment under Commander, Task Force Sixty-Seven. Augmenting VP-16's operations was VP-66, a reserve P-3 squadron based in NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The reservists flew logistics and supply runs to and from Entebbe.

While based in Entebbe, the P-3 squadron gave the world a rare glimpse of its operations -- historically used for anti-submarine warfare over water -- with VP-16 adapting its aircraft capabilities to an "overland" mission of locating refugees.

During the deployment, squadron crew members were interviewed and taped by CNN television, Stars & Stripes, American Forces Network (AFN), BBC and various stateside and international media.

The squadron provided critical information to the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) for their assessment of the humanitarian situation in Central Africa, CDR Nash said. Tactical Support Center (TSC) NAS Sigonella, Sicily supplied the crews with the required intelligence and charts for the region and detached one officer and two enlisted Sailors with the Mobil Operational Control Center (MOCC).

From the air, crew members noted locations of several large refugee tent cities which easily stood out from the lush, green, mountainous countryside near Lake Kivu. The crew members also observed large groups traveling along the road to Goma, Zaire.

Several crew members described the nine-hour flights as "an aerial obstacle course," dodging seasonal thunderstorms while trying to document the various refugee locations and movements in Zaire.

"We've seen thousands of people and tents. It's very easy to see the tent cities with the naked eye," said AME1 William Liening of St. Henry, Ohio. "They're just a blanket of white."

"This is a standard Navy P-3 day," said AW2 Gina Mahoney, of Thompson Falls, Mont. "This is exactly what we're trained to do; it feels good to know that we're prepared and can help."

The flights were not without excitement. Wednesday, Nov. 20, about midday, above Goma, Zaire several crew members witnessed "puffs of smoke," characteristic of anti-aircraft fire, which burst well below the aircraft. The P-3 left the area and continued the mission at other locations.

There was no damage to the aircraft or injuries to the crew, as the aircraft was operating above the range of the expected threat for the area, said CDR Nash. However, the incident drew worldwide attention as it appeared in news coverage on CNN, in the Associated Press, and on the Internet that same evening.

Although Zairian refugee assessment continues, VP-16's two aircraft and crew have returned to Sigonella. Two West coast P-3 squadron crews relieved the VP-16 crews. From here, VP-16 contiues to "paint the world."


Circa 1992

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...HOMEPORT AND PERMANENT DUTY STATION 13 SEP 02 ..." WebSite: http://www.usa-federal-forms.com/usa-fedforms-dod-opnav/dod-opnav-5400-5-nonfillable-a.pdf [04DEC2005]

FMP MOCC ALPHA
NAS Brunswick, Maine
01 OCT 92

FMP MOCC
NAS Jacksonville, Florida
FL01
OCT 92

FMP MOCC MIDPAC
NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii
11 FEB 91

FMP MOCC WESTPAC
NAF Misawa, Japan
27 MAY 92

FMP MOCC EPAC
NAS Point Mugu, California
31 AUG 98

FMP MOCC MED
NAS Sigonella, Sicily
05 FEB 93

FMP MOCC WLANT
NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
12 JUN 00


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