Post by Mathen Nors on Oct 2, 2008 0:27:30 GMT -5
Well, [N]atalie said I should make my own thread for this sort of thing, and it just so happens that I now actually have something to put in this thread... that's right, a sea story! My first real one.
On September 17th, 2008, my ship was moored at Fort-de-France, Martinique, a French Caribbean Island in the Eastern Caribbean. As part of our normal deployment schedule, she and her crew were participating in Theater Security Cooperation events with the French and Dutch Navies, as well as the navies of other countries that have territories or interests in the region. The goal of the operation is to strengthen security and cooperation between the navies to counter any sort of threat that might be in the area.
Our ship was scheduled to get underway to commence standard Counter Narco-Terrorism operations at 1300 (1 pm). However, the night before, our chain of command recieved word from JIATF-South - the Regional Command for the area - that a Group 3 Merchan Vessel suspected of carrying contraband of some sort had left the Caribbean some four or five days prior, and was en route to Europe. Satellite images showed the ship stopped in Venezuela and took on some sort of dry cargo, and intelligence strongly suggested that she'd also taken on drugs, which was hidden among the normal cargo.
As a result of the intelligence, our underway time was abruptly moved to earlier in the morning. At 0800 (8 am), our ship cast off and put to sea. Our ship's maximum speed is 30+ knots, and the merchant's was only 10 knots. However, the merchant did have a five day head start on us.
Nevertheless, on the night of September 20th, we caught up to the Motor Vessel "Megan Star" and trailed her through the night without giving away our presence. In the morning, when dawn arrived, the crew of the "Megan Star" were treated to a terrifying sight: 9,000 tons of grey battle steel and guns bearing down on them at top speed. "Megan Star" was ordered to heave to and prepare to be boarded.
On September 21st, a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) from our ship boarded the merchant vessel and secured it, making sure there were no immediate threats. Directly after that, our own Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team - myself included - boarded the vessel to guard the crew and provide security.
The next 8 days were interesting, to say the least. The "Megan Star" was about 800 miles off the coast of Africa by the time we caught her, so we had to escort her all the way back. We worked in shifts that were sometimes six hours long, to as long as twelve hours. Every time a shift was up, my team would have to climb over the side of the "Megan Star" and board a small boat - while traveling at 10 knots! - and return to our own ship for a shower, some food, and a few hours sleep. Then, when it was our turn again, we would again board the small boat, and return to the merchant vessel. We were armed at all times, wearing body armor and carrying up to 50 pounds of gear, and the weather was incredibly hot and humid. Suffice to say, it was not fun.
The second night after we captured the "Megan Star", her captain managed to get ahold of some of his stash of beer, and proceeded to get quite drunk. During his normal watch at the helm, he suddenly took the vessel off auto pilot and attempted to ram our own ship. Essentially, he assualted almost 300 sailors with a deadly weapon, attempting to kill us all. I was just sitting down to a much deserved dinner when I heard the ship's four turbines increase power, and then the entire ship started listing hard to starboard (right). At that point, my Lead Petty Officer rushed into the room and exclaimed "The Megan Star just turned into us! She's trying to ram us!" I heard the turbines kick up to full power - they are essentially jet engines modified for marine use, so you can imagine their noise - and the ship hauled over hard to starboard as she came to full speed, attempting to avoid collision.
Thankfully, we were able to avoid the potentially fatal collision. The LEDET and our VBSS members aboard at the time were able to wrest control of the "Megan Star" from the master, and returned her to her standard course. After that, the security presence onboard was increased, and the master was confined to his cabin for the rest of the journey.
The rest of the voyage was largely without incident. My team was aboard when we returned the "Megan Star" to San Juan, Puerto Rico, mooring her at the Coast Guard Station there after a long ten hour shift which had started in the early hours of the morning. There, we turned over control to the Coast Guard contingent, and returned to our own vessel while she took on fuel in preparation for the voyage home.
Yesterday, October 1st, our Commanding Officer recieved word from the Coast Guard that the "Megan Star's" cargo had been unloaded. Within, they found 3 TONS of cocaine. Estimated street value is around $98 Million.
And so it is, that following this victory, my ship will finally be returning to home port in about four days, after six months of deployment.
If you have any questions about me or what I do, please feel free to ask them here or via PM. Once I get back home, I'll also be available at times on MSN Messenger. I'll be updating this thread as I get more stories to tell.
Enjoy!
On September 17th, 2008, my ship was moored at Fort-de-France, Martinique, a French Caribbean Island in the Eastern Caribbean. As part of our normal deployment schedule, she and her crew were participating in Theater Security Cooperation events with the French and Dutch Navies, as well as the navies of other countries that have territories or interests in the region. The goal of the operation is to strengthen security and cooperation between the navies to counter any sort of threat that might be in the area.
Our ship was scheduled to get underway to commence standard Counter Narco-Terrorism operations at 1300 (1 pm). However, the night before, our chain of command recieved word from JIATF-South - the Regional Command for the area - that a Group 3 Merchan Vessel suspected of carrying contraband of some sort had left the Caribbean some four or five days prior, and was en route to Europe. Satellite images showed the ship stopped in Venezuela and took on some sort of dry cargo, and intelligence strongly suggested that she'd also taken on drugs, which was hidden among the normal cargo.
As a result of the intelligence, our underway time was abruptly moved to earlier in the morning. At 0800 (8 am), our ship cast off and put to sea. Our ship's maximum speed is 30+ knots, and the merchant's was only 10 knots. However, the merchant did have a five day head start on us.
Nevertheless, on the night of September 20th, we caught up to the Motor Vessel "Megan Star" and trailed her through the night without giving away our presence. In the morning, when dawn arrived, the crew of the "Megan Star" were treated to a terrifying sight: 9,000 tons of grey battle steel and guns bearing down on them at top speed. "Megan Star" was ordered to heave to and prepare to be boarded.
On September 21st, a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) from our ship boarded the merchant vessel and secured it, making sure there were no immediate threats. Directly after that, our own Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team - myself included - boarded the vessel to guard the crew and provide security.
The next 8 days were interesting, to say the least. The "Megan Star" was about 800 miles off the coast of Africa by the time we caught her, so we had to escort her all the way back. We worked in shifts that were sometimes six hours long, to as long as twelve hours. Every time a shift was up, my team would have to climb over the side of the "Megan Star" and board a small boat - while traveling at 10 knots! - and return to our own ship for a shower, some food, and a few hours sleep. Then, when it was our turn again, we would again board the small boat, and return to the merchant vessel. We were armed at all times, wearing body armor and carrying up to 50 pounds of gear, and the weather was incredibly hot and humid. Suffice to say, it was not fun.
The second night after we captured the "Megan Star", her captain managed to get ahold of some of his stash of beer, and proceeded to get quite drunk. During his normal watch at the helm, he suddenly took the vessel off auto pilot and attempted to ram our own ship. Essentially, he assualted almost 300 sailors with a deadly weapon, attempting to kill us all. I was just sitting down to a much deserved dinner when I heard the ship's four turbines increase power, and then the entire ship started listing hard to starboard (right). At that point, my Lead Petty Officer rushed into the room and exclaimed "The Megan Star just turned into us! She's trying to ram us!" I heard the turbines kick up to full power - they are essentially jet engines modified for marine use, so you can imagine their noise - and the ship hauled over hard to starboard as she came to full speed, attempting to avoid collision.
Thankfully, we were able to avoid the potentially fatal collision. The LEDET and our VBSS members aboard at the time were able to wrest control of the "Megan Star" from the master, and returned her to her standard course. After that, the security presence onboard was increased, and the master was confined to his cabin for the rest of the journey.
The rest of the voyage was largely without incident. My team was aboard when we returned the "Megan Star" to San Juan, Puerto Rico, mooring her at the Coast Guard Station there after a long ten hour shift which had started in the early hours of the morning. There, we turned over control to the Coast Guard contingent, and returned to our own vessel while she took on fuel in preparation for the voyage home.
Yesterday, October 1st, our Commanding Officer recieved word from the Coast Guard that the "Megan Star's" cargo had been unloaded. Within, they found 3 TONS of cocaine. Estimated street value is around $98 Million.
And so it is, that following this victory, my ship will finally be returning to home port in about four days, after six months of deployment.
If you have any questions about me or what I do, please feel free to ask them here or via PM. Once I get back home, I'll also be available at times on MSN Messenger. I'll be updating this thread as I get more stories to tell.
Enjoy!