Navy

PLYMOUTH, United Kingdom – Marines and Sailors from the USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), assigned to the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Bravo Command Element(MEU(SOC)) arrived in Plymouth, U.K. for a regularly scheduled port visit, July 28.

During the visit, Sailors and Marines will have a chance to experience the rich culture of the area through morale welfare and recreation tours to popular cultural and historical landmarks around the city. This port visit marks the first stop for the USS Mesa Verde while deployed in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) area of operations.

“The Sailors and Marines of the USS Mesa Verde and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) are looking forward to our first port call in Plymouth, U.K. as we work to reinforce our strategic relationship between the U.S. and NATO allies,” said Capt. Marc Davis, commanding officer, USS Mesa Verde.

Bataan and Mesa Verde deployed from Norfolk, Virginia on July 10 along with Harper’s Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall as part of the Bataan ARG.

“The Marines and Sailors of the 26th MEU(SOC) are excited to be at sea for the start of our deployment and are thankful to be welcomed to Plymouth to further our long-standing partnership with our close friends and allies,” said Lt. Col. Josef H. Wiese, Bravo Command Element Officer-In-Charge, 26th MEU(SOC) aboard the USS Mesa Verde. “Over the last seven months we have successfully demonstrated our proficiency and competency in all MEU MAGTF missions and warfighting in preparation for our deployment within 6th Fleet and 5th Fleet area of operations. This is the first opportunity the Marines on the Mesa Verde will have to visit the U.K. and experience its rich culture before we begin training with our allies and partners in the region.”

As founding members of NATO, the United States and the United Kingdom share a commitment to preserving the safety and security of the NATO Alliance that spans more than 70 years.

The port visits highlight the United States and England’s strong relationship and shared values, enabling enduring engagement and training that supports regional stability and security.

NAVEUR and the Royal Navy share a proud maritime partnership and defense cooperation focused on promoting security, stability and prosperity across NATO territories. The U.S. and the U.K. share a commitment to upholding and advancing the rules-based international system.

The NATO alliance is vital to European security and also to U.S. national interests. NATO allies and partners take every opportunity to train together to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures to increase our interoperability.

The Bataan ARG consists of the of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), San amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), and dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50). Embarked commands include Commander, Amphibious Squadron 8, Fleet Surgical Team 8, Tactical Air Control Squadron 21, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26, Assault Craft Unit 4, Beach Master Unit 2, and the 26th MEU (SOC).

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) (Special Operations Capable) (MEU(SOC)) is a task-organized Special Operations Capable Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), with all-domain operational capabilities, consisting of a Ground Combat Element (GCE), Air Combat Element (ACE), Logistics Combat Element (LCE), a USMC/SOCOM MEU/SOF Liaison Element (SOFLE), and a Maritime Special Purpose Force (MSPF) centered around the Command Element’s Force Reconnaissance Company.

The Bataan ARG and embarked 26th MEU (SOC), under the tactical command and control of Task Force 61/2, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

Earlier this year, personnel from Ebbing Air National Guard Base’s 184th Attack Squadron partnered with the U.S. Navy for fleet synthetic training.

“FSTs are relatively new for our unit here in Arkansas, and we are starting to gain traction on being more integrated and intentional when it comes to naval exercises,” said Maj. Stephen Hyde, the 184th Attack Squadron chief of training. “However, this is by no means our first interaction with the Navy. There are many opportunities throughout the year in which we train with other services to gain joint knowledge and experiences. We also send crews to help plan and train alongside Army and Marines to communicate the capabilities and limitations of our aircraft.”

Fleet synthetic training is an essential component of current naval training. The advanced simulator training is designed to teach sailors how to successfully operate everything from ships and submarines to aircraft and helicopters. It provides a safe, but realistic environment to train and gain experience. During the latest training exercise, the 184th Attack Squadron Airmen were helping educate seafaring commanders on the best way to utilize MQ-9 aircraft.

“Think about it this way, with proper planning you may have an air asset already in the area you plan on sailing through,” said Hyde. “The airborne asset can accurately paint a picture of all potential threats in the area. Accurate battlefield tracking and persistent airborne intelligence surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) something major commands and ground commanders put an extremely high emphasis on, especially if they plan on committing soldiers and operators to the area.”

Moreover, fleet synthetic training can also provide challenging or high-threat scenarios like advanced enemy air defenses, electronic warfare, or cyber-attacks that would be difficult to replicate in live-training exercises. By exposing personnel to realistic, but simulated, challenges, it allows sailors and Airmen a chance to develop skills in a controlled environment, making them better prepared for real-world operations.

Collaborating with the Navy also helps Air National Guard Airmen. Joint exercises showcase how 188th Wing Airmen are force multipliers projecting military strength abroad while simultaneously helping Airmen train integration capabilities with the home-station simulator. Airmen participating in the exercise can take lessons learned and train fellow personnel without extra cost to the budget or the information getting watered down.

“Understanding each other and how we fight in a joint environment is key to winning the next fight,” said 1st Lt. Kyle Shaw, 184th Attack Squadron. “Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have capabilities the Navy wants and needs for accurate and timely intelligence.  Developing relationships and highlighting RPA capabilities to the Navy helps us become even more lethal for the next fight.”  

Through joint training integration, communication between branches improves. Airmen can bring attention to a priority targets, new capabilities/information, or potential, but unintended, casualties not accounted for in real time as it happens. Communicating directly to the seafaring commanders or essential decision makers helps eliminate the ‘fog of war’ but also helps sailors and Airmen have a greater understanding of the command-and-control structure and strategic objectives and priorities.

“Being exposed to a different service and seeing how they operate opens your eyes to problem sets that you may not have experienced before,” said Staff Sgt. Conner Ciabattari, an intelligence analyst with the 184th Attack Squadron. “It can lead to problem solving in different ways or ‘thinking outside the box.’

While the Navy is self-sufficient in providing their own airborne assets, our objective is to work toward a future of flawless interoperability if the need should arise. Showing the capabilities of our asset and our crews is good look for our platform, our base, and the Air National Guard in general. Overall, the Navy was thoroughly impressed by our abilities in providing the decision makers with timely and effective airborne ISR and strike capabilities.”

Working with the Navy directly aligns with the Air Force’s current objectives to foster interoperability, allowing for seamless integration and coordination in joint operations.

“In my opinion, collaborating with the Navy falls squarely into the heart of the future operating concept stating no service can operate alone,” said Hyde. “If you cannot work within the joint service construct, it will severely hamper our ability to communicate effectively and hold objectives. When it comes to a near-peer future war or conflict, there will not be time for the U.S. military to ask for a pause until we can get on the same sheet of music. We need to iron these details out now to remain agile, responsive, and more flexible to deny any adversary’s objectives.”

The 184th ATKS will continue to play a significant role in the Air Force Future Operating Concept by working with joint services to establish interoperability, fostering collaboration, and provide realistic training scenarios to help enhance readiness and enable aircrews continuous learning and improvement.

Human construction and rising sea levels have taken a bite out of the Chesapeake Bay’s turtle populations and their habitats, but Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River has taken them under its wing. A base volunteer program, the Northern Diamondback Terrapin Survey, finds and protects turtle nests while gathering actionable data about turtle health.

Northern diamondback terrapins swim ashore to lay eggs on the Patuxent beaches every May through July. Program volunteers walk the beaches twice a day—one volunteer in the morning and one in the afternoon—during “turtle nesting season” to find nests and place protective crates over them to keep predators away.

“Naturally, not that many babies would have made it. Now we have so many more terrapins that we’re releasing into the area,” said Rebecca Stump, NAS Patuxent River resources specialist and program director. “In the long run, we’re trying to reset the balance.”

The volunteers also gather data on egg size, color, weight, and anything abnormal. This, they share with researchers at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, a University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science facility studying the impacts of pollution, climate change, and other challenges on turtle populations.

NAS Patuxent River started its survey program in 2013. The base’s Environmental Division oversees it, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources receives its findings. The volunteers are primarily service members and civilians from the base, and many return season after season.

“Each year, we’ve gotten better volunteers. People more dedicated with more knowledge. They come back year after year, and we’re finding more nests and learning how to find the nests better,” Stump said.

Stump said that volunteer shifts continue until October 1—eggs take up to 50 days to hatch, so some babies are not born until the fall.

The base shuts down an aircraft landing zone near the beach during nesting season. This lets the turtles nest undisturbed.

“We really appreciate that, because a lot of our nests are on that landing zone right now,” said Danielle Deville, program intern who oversees the volunteers.

Deville said that the program is now tracking around 65 nests total. Finding them is no small feat: Mother turtles hide their eggs well, so volunteers must look carefully for subtle signs of digging.

“These females are very crafty,” she said. “You want to look for an area that is disturbed in some sense. If you’re in an area with a lot of pebbles, you want to find an area that doesn’t have a lot of pebbles.”

Volunteers also look for turtle footprints: “You can kind of see their claws in the sand once it’s more dry,” Deville said.

Baby turtles have many enemies: Raccoons, raccoons, foxes, squirrels, muskrats, and birds all eat turtle eggs. In addition, moles destroy eggs by tunneling through nests, and some invasive grasses’ roots grow right through eggshells, impaling embryos.

But Chris Rowe, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory biologist, warns that turtles face an even bigger peril from climate change. Temperatures change turtle embryos’ gender: A rise of just two degrees Celsius results in primarily female babies. Rowe said that warming temperatures could result in too few males, and with that, fewer babies being made.

“It’s getting warmer, so we want to know how the nest temperatures are changing. And we are trying to project ahead. In another 50 years, it’s going to be two or three degrees warmer. What does that mean for the sex ratio and the population?” Rowe said.

Coupled with this, rising sea levels exacerbate erosion of beach habitats. Shorelines in much of the region have been whittled away, and where there were gently sloping sandbanks, there are now steep cliffs rising eight feet or higher.

When turtles cannot climb the cliffs, they lay their eggs low on the cliff faces. There, eggs are often drowned by high tides or washed away by rainstorms. Rowe said that when volunteers find nests in these cliffs, they move them to sands further inland where the tide cannot reach them.

Rowe said that erosion in the Bay region has worsened in recent decades due to sea-level rise. And turtles have already lost habitat due to human construction, he noted.

Rowe said that researchers will need more data over time to determine how the turtle populations are doing. He credited the survey program with being a valuable data source.

“We’re not doing the same thing, but we work together,” Rowe said. “We and Rebecca’s group have a common goal, and that’s taking care of these animals.”