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USS Carney trains with Jamaican Defense Force Coast Guard

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The crew of USS Carney hosted members of the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard for a one-day training opportunity off the coast of Kingston on Friday, March 16. The Carney is in the area working with regional partners to support hemispheric stability, security and regional prosperity.

“The Jamaicans play a key part in all kinds of security operations in the Caribbean and we thought the training would be mutually beneficial,” said Carney’s Weapons Officer Lt. Rob Pudney. “We weren’t disappointed.”

Two Jamaican Officers and five enlisted Sailors worked side-by-side with Carney Sailors in visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) training while onboard. The U.S. and Jamaican Sailors simulated the actions needed to board and search a vessel, and shared ideas of how best to conduct these operations. The five hour training event included static displays of the equipment used in maritime security operations.

The training was arranged with the assistance of U.S. Embassy personnel and helped prove the ability of the two navies to work together on short-notice. Carney is expected to return to Jamaica later in its deployment and the recent interaction is already paying off. “A few of the Jamaican Defense Force Sailors said they would help ensure Carney Sailors get the most out of or next visit here,” said Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Joe Ring.

An Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer home-ported in Mayport, Fla., Carney is in the first week of a spring-time patrol in the Caribbean. During its deployment, Carney is assigned under the operational control of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO), the Navy component commander for SOUTHCOM. NAVSO directs U.S. naval forces operating in the region and interacts with Caribbean, Central and South American civil forces and navies to shape the maritime environment within SOUTHCOM’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).

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