Week four saw NORTHLAND with the unique opportunity of patrolling the Territorial Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Cape Verde with three embarked shipriders from the Cape Verde Coast Guard. Cape Verde is an archipelago comprised of ten islands located approximately 500 nautical miles west of Senegal. The African nation gained its independence from Portugal in 1975 and has close ties with the United States. A recent increase in illegal migrant activity in the region, and growing concerns over drug smuggling and encroachment of foreign fishing vessels in Cape Verde's EEZ prompted a request from the Cape Verde government to the U.S. Embassy for patrol assistance in their waters. It just so happened that NORTHLAND was in the area and so began the first ever combined maritime operation between our two nations.

NORTHLAND spent four days at sea circumnavigating the island chain covering nearly 900 nautical miles. During this period, the Cape Verde shipriders identified several Cape Verde flagged vessels fishing illegally without the appropriate permits. We were also able to provide some valuable training in basic seamanship, collision avoidance, and bridge watchstanding procedures. The Cape Verde ship riders possessed a solid foundation in maritime operations having spent six years in Portugal studying at a Naval Academy. They caught on quickly to our procedures and integrated smoothly into our watch team. While we were patrolling, four NORTHLAND crew members stayed ashore to provide Maritime Law Enforcement and Defensive Tactics training to 23 members of the Cape Verde Coast Guard. This was the first such training for the Cape Verde Coast Guard which helped standardize their boarding practices and procedures.

Upon our arrival in Mindelo, Cape Verde shoreside training concluded with mock boardings and instruction in fighting fires and flooding. Cape Verde Coast Guard personnel were introduced to the basics of fire hose handling, pipe patching, plugging holes in the hull and first aide. By all accounts the combined patrol and training operation was a great success.

While in Mindelo, NORTHLAND's crew distributed U.S. Navy Project Handclasp medical and recreational supplies to a local hospital and school. Project Handclasp is a Navy sponsored program that collects donations of medical supplies, toys, school materials, and other related items which are then donated by deployed Navy Combatants and Coast Guard cutters to the needy on behalf of the citizens of the United States. The items were warmly received and we are certain they will be put to good use.

Later that same evening, NORTHLAND's basketball team lost a "not so close" game to a well organized and very tall local team. We wrapped up our visit to Cape Verde with a beach BBQ attended by members of the Cape Verde Coast Guard and several U. S. military and NATO liaison officers who were in Cape Verde participating in a NATO exercise. It was a great send off with plenty of sun burnt shoulders and blistered toes from playing softball and soccer barefoot in the sand.

As we depart Cape Verde and begin focusing on our next operation, we hope that our brief interaction will lay the groundwork for additional combined operations in the future that will build an even closer relationship with the men and women of the Cape Verde Coast Guard.

Photos

NORTHLAND crew enjoying a day at the beach during the Morale BBQ.

ENS Alex plays the bad guy during defensive tactics training of Cape Verde Coast Guard personnel.

LTJG Weist, ENS Alex, DC1 Hoyt, DC2 Matousek and Cape Verde Coast Guard pose after the last day of training.

BM1 Gervais and SK2 Seeger leave NORTHLAND's mark in Cape Verde.

CAPT Giglio presents the flags flown while patrolling Cape Verde territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone to Captain Santana of the Cape Verde Coast Guard.

DC1 Hoyt and DC2 Matousek train the local Coast Guard members in Basic Damage Control.

Cadet Rice gives a soccer ball to children at a local school as part of Project Handclasp.

OS1 Roland and LTJG Weist play soccer with the Cape Verde children.

MK3 Rose gives a teddy bear to a local school girl.

NORTHLAND crew and school children pose after presenting the gifts from Project Handclasp.

NORTHLAND crew gracefully lose during a morale basketball game with a local team.

LTJG Sanzo works on part of the Reverse Osmosis water maker.

MK3 Green takes his turn at working on the Reverse Osmosis water maker.

DC1 Hoyt teaching proper technique when striking with an expandable baton.

LCDR Lane meets with hospital administrators to donate medical supplies for Project Handclasp.