Press Items

Navy Ship Visits Gabon

USS Emory Makes a Call at Gabonese Port

Approximately 1,400 sailors and Marines aboard USS Emory S. Land visited the ports of Libreville and Port Gentil in Gabon from February 15-21 as part of the ship's 2005 Gulf of Guinea Deployment.  Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet, Vice Adm. Harry Ulrich said, “The purpose of the deployment is to enhance security cooperation between the U.S. and participating Gulf of Guinea nations by providing the opportunity to interact and improve familiarization with how we operate in real-world environments.”

This deployment was similar in nature to the regularly-scheduled West African training cruises (WATC), conducted since 1978. The 2005 Gulf of Guinea Deployment included multiple security training and maritime operations.  The familiarization efforts focused on navigation and seamanship, search and rescue, antiterrorism force protection, and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

The deployment was a direct result of the 2004 Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security Conference held in Naples, Italy, in October.  The conference addressed regional common interests, challenges, and threats for the 17 navies that participated.  Nation participants and observers in this year's deployment included Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, Benin, and Sao Tome and Principe - all participants in the Naples conference. Several theater ally counties were invited to observe the deployment.