Serving the Nato, Naples and Gaeta military community in italy
58th year, No. 7
Friday, February 22, 2013
Planning Underway for APS 2014
W hat ’ s I nsIde
By Lt. Cmdr. Kevin West, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs
The three-day Initial Planning Conference for Africa Partnership Station (APS) took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 11-13. The primary operational elements of APS include international partner missions conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, and U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, with African navies and coast guards. “International partner participation is absolutely vital to increase the quantity and quality of underway operational training opportunities with our African partners,” said Rear Adm. John “Chris” Sadler, director of the maritime partnership program for U.S Naval Forces EuropeAfrica/U.S. 6th Fleet. “When it comes to international cooperation, I believe Africa Partnership Station is the gold standard by which all other programs are measured.” The high standards set by participating partner nations are improved by the continuation of dialogue by planning future goals and objectives for APS. “Long before APS, Cameroon had a good record of maritime security cooperation with NATO-member countries,” said Cameroonian navy Lt. Cmdr.
Working with the Best of the Best in the Navy Pages 5 - 6
Lt. Cmdr. Michele Lowe, maritime affairs officer for Ghana, speaks with Benin navy Capt. Jonas Noukpliguidi during the three-day Initial Planning Conference as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS). APS is an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa. (Photo by Sgt. Andrew M. Smith)
Sone Ngogne. “But APS has brought a new dynamic to this cooperation in the increasingly high-stakes Gulf of Guinea region.”
APS is U.S. Naval Forces Africa’s flagship maritime security cooperation program. The focus of APS is to build maritime safety and security by
increasing maritime awareness, response capabilities and infrastructure. The first official APS mission deployed in November of 2007.
CNO Testifies About Post-Sequestered Navy Page 7
NCTS Naples Celebrates 50 Years of ‘Warfighters Connecting Warfighters’ By ITC Robert Labrenz, NCTS Naples Public Affairs Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station (NCTS) Naples celebrated the 50th anniversary of its commissioning this month with a heritage presentation at Capodichino theater Feb. 15 and a cake-cutting ceremony that followed. Established at Bagnoli as the U.S. Naval Communications Unit Naples in February 1963, the command has constantly evolved over the past five decades to keep pace with significant changes in communications technology. In May 1968 the command took on the mission of providing communications services to afloat units, and was renamed Naval Communications Stations Italy. The United States’ bicentennial year in 1976 witnessed the assumption of theater-wide communications oversight and control. Now named Naval Communications Area Master Station Mediterranean, it became one of four such master stations in the world. This era is notable for the introduction of satellite communications technology and automated message processing equipment. With the advent of computer network support, in October 1991 the command became Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Mediterranean, and took on administrative control of communications sta-
Ospreys Take Flight for Exercise Cobra Gold Page 13
Crime Statistics Summary Personnel from NCTS Naples cut a birthday cake Feb. 15 in honor of the command's 50th year of service. From left, Lt. Jonathan Dieter, Heather Williams, Capt. Synthia Jones, Antonio Beatrice, Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kevin Burd, and Chief Aviation Electronics Technician James Overton. (Photo by ET2 Daniel Beck)
tions in Sicily and London. In 1993, NCTAMS MED took control of the communications station in Rota, Spain. The most significant change occurred with the move in 1997 from Bagnoli and Agnano to a new purpose-built Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) facility at Capodichino, shared with Naval Security Group Activity Naples and Submarine Group 8. The command became NCTAMS EURCENT Oct. 1, 1997 with naval communications responsibilities for the entire European Command and Central Command areas of responsibility. Reorganization in 2005 resulted in the downgrade of Naples from an area master station to NCTS Naples, though at this time new respon-
sibilities were added which saw the command become the Theater Network Operations and Security Center for the OCONUS Navy Enterprise Network in Europe. Together with its Satellite Facility at Lago Patria, NCTS Naples today provides Command, Control, Communications, and Computer services for U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/ U.S. 5th Fleet, and for Joint and NATO units responsible for combat operations in the Mediterranean, Southwest Asia, Indian Ocean, Atlantic, and Pacific areas of responsibility. Specific missions have changed with the times and the state of technology, but the Sailors and civilians of NCTS Naples remain "Warfighters Connecting Warfighters".
Review what happened between Feb. 11 and Feb. 17, 2013. Page 12
FRIDAY High 57 / Low 46 Chance of Rain
SATURDAY High 59 / Low 48 Chance of Rain
SUNDAY High 59 / Low 41 Chance of Rain