MCMs Arrive in U.S. 5th Fleet

The Military Sealift Command chartered M/V Tern, a Netherlands-flagged float-on/float-off ship, transits the Indian Ocean while carrying four Avenger-class mine counter measure ships to their new homeport in Manama, Bahrain. Porter is deployed as part of Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex R. Forster/Released)

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- Four U.S. Navy mine countermeasures (MCM) ships arrived in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations aboard M/V Tern, June 23.

USS Sentry (MCM 3), USS Devastator (MCM 6), USS Pioneer (MCM 9) and USS Warrior (MCM 10) were transported from San Diego aboard M/V Tern to support a U.S. Central Command request for additional MCM assets in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

MCM ships conduct operations with coalition forces in order to ensure the continued, safe flow of maritime traffic in international waterways.

The arrival of the MCMs, and the additional capability and capacity they provide, offer greater opportunities for cooperation with regional partners.

The MCM ships are scheduled for a seven-month deployment with rotational crews from San Diego to provide continuous manning.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprised of 20 countries, includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

USS Sentry Moves to San Diego

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Mike Leporati, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS Sentry (MCM 3) arrived at its new homeport, Naval Base San Diego Sept. 9, as part of a homeport change from Naval Station (NS) Ingleside, Texas.

Sentry is the last of eight mine countermeasure ships (MCM) to arrive from NS Ingleside. The movement of the MCM's are in accordance with the Defense Base Relocation and Closure Commission's directed closure of the base by April 2010. The departure continues the consolidation of mine warfare surface assets in one location to align resources, consolidate expertise and increase cost-savings in maintenance, training and operations.

"It's really great to be in San Diego," said Lt. Cmdr. Hans E. Lynch, Sentry commanding officer, Crew Swerve.

Sentry's 76-man crew left NS Ingleside on May 20 and spent four months traveling through the southern United States and Central America.

"It was a long trip for the crew," said Lynch. "We traveled through the Panama Canal and we trained with the Canadian navy off the coast of Mazatlan. So this is great to get back together with their families."

Brandie Sievers waited with her two children for her husband Engineman 1st Class Casey Sievers in a mass of woman and children.

As Sentry approached the pier Sievers turned to her children and said, "Look there's you're daddy's ship."

"We are very close-knit because we're part of a smaller command. We're like a family and we communicate better than if we were on a bigger ship," Sievers explained.

Sentry belongs to Commander, Mine Countermeasures Squadron (COMCMRON) 2, with seven other mine sweepers which include USS Warrior (MCM 10) and USS Chief (MCM 14) who arrived in April and May.

"Moving to San Diego is going to be a benefit because the weather is more conducive to our training and we'll have much greater access to repair facilities and technical assists," said Lynch.

MCM ships possess the ability to effectively control, shape and dominate the littoral operational area which includes locating and neutralizing mines. The merger between naval mine warfare and anit-submarine warfare is the latest step towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these warfare capabilities, resources and technology functions.

Sentry helps provide deterrence, promote peace and security, and preserve freedom of the sea and humanitarian/disaster response within 3rd Fleet's 50 million square mile area of responsibility in the Eastern Pacific as well as supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy when forward deployed.

Final Mine Countermeasure Ship To Arrive in San Diego

Sentry (front) and USS Kingfisher (MHC-56)

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- USS Sentry (MCM 3), the final of eight mine countermeasure ships (MCM), is scheduled to arrive to its new homeport at Naval Base San Diego the second week of September after transiting from Ingleside, Texas.

Sentry is part of Commander, Mine Countermeasures Squadron (COMCMRON) 2. USS Champion (MCM 4), USS Devastator (MCM 6), USS Pioneer (MCM 9), USS Warrior (MCM 10) and USS Chief (MCM 14) arrived in San Diego in April and May. USS Defender (MCM 2) and USS Avenger (MCM 1) were heavy lifted to Japan for deployments in the western Pacific in June.

COMCMRON 2 is the squadron commander for all mine countermeasure ships in San Diego. The relocation of mine warfare surface assets from Ingleside, Texas, to San Diego is in accordance with the Defense Base Relocation and Closure Commission's (BRAC) directed closure of Naval Station Ingleside and is part of the consolidation to align resources, consolidate expertise and increase cost savings in maintenance, training and operations.

Naval Mine and Anti-submarine Warfare Command (NMAWC) based in San Diego will oversee the mission of the MCMs. NMAWC focuses efforts across numerous resource sponsors, systems commands, research laboratories, training organizations and operational commands to ensure Navy-wide competency in the naval mine warfare (MIW) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission areas.

MCM ships possess the ability to effectively control, shape and dominate the littoral operational area which includes locating and neutralizing mines. The merger between naval MIW and ASW is the latest step towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of these warfare capabilities, resources and technology functions.

Sentry helps provide deterrence, promote peace and security, preserve freedom of the sea and humanitarian/disaster response within 3rd Fleet's 50 million square mile area of responsibility in the eastern Pacific as well as supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy when forward deployed.