10:40 AM EDT on Friday, August 12, 2005

By 13News


It´ll be a happy day Monday for families of crewmen of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bear.

The 270-foot ship will return to Portsmouth about 11:00 a.m. after three months away on deployment to Africa.

The Bear crew visited eight countries in North Africa and the Gulf of Guinea region, some of which had never hosted a Coast Guard vessel before, the Coast Guard said.

”There are quite a bit of resources there, quite a bit of trade and other activities that go through those waters. But there´s not a lot of maritime security forces,” said the ship´s commanding officer, Cmdr. Robert Wagner. ”We´re helping these countries be able to get boats and crews onto the water.”

While visiting Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Ghana, Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome and Principe, the Bear´s crew conducted training operations with these nations´ naval forces to help them protect their own interests at sea.

But it wasn´t all work and no play. While in port, the crew visited historical and cultural sites of significance, participated in community outreach programs, including renovating a school in Equatorial Guinea, and challenged local and foreign military teams to informal soccer matches. Receptions and cultural exchanges also offered opportunities to make new friends.

”These North African engagements are great opportunities for us to improve familiarity and relations between our countries,” Wagner said.

Londres, 14 de Agosto 2005
www.embarege-londres.org


Fuente: 13WVEC.COM

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