US navy ship completes Gulf of Guinea deployment

Accra, March 08, GNA - A US Navy ship, the U.S.S. Emory S. Land, has completed its third visit to Sekondi as part in its Gulf of Guinea deployment.

Some 1,400 U.S. sailors and marines participated in the 2005 Gulf of Guinea deployment, which was designed to enhance security cooperation between the US and participating Gulf of Guinea nations, according to a statement from the US Information Service released in Accra on Tuesday.

The statement said since the deployment began on January 25, instructors and sailors representing Cameroon, Sao Tome, Gabon, Ghana, Benin and Nigeria shared more than 2,000 hours of cooperative training experiences with sailors on the Emory S. Land.

The sailors' training ranged from navigation and seamanship to search and rescue, anti-terrorism force protection and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

At a reception on board the vessel, the US Ambassador in Ghana, Ms Mary Carlin Yates acknowledged the hard work of the US and Ghanaian navies during the U.S.S. Emory S. Land visit.

"This visit is one more indication of the excellent military-to-military relationship between Ghana and the United States." The statement said at the Sekondi Base, the Emory S. Land's Repair Department provided personnel to give technical assistance to troubleshot repair needs for patrol craft, jet drives, diesel fuel systems, air conditioning systems and various electrical systems. On-the-job training was provided in machining, welding, weld inspection, motor rewind, safety, quality assurance and maintenance management.

The statement said in Ghana, as well as the other port stops, sailors worked together on community repair activities. I In the Takoradi/Sekondi metropolis, sailors painted the administrative block of the Twin Cities School for Disabled Children. They also helped finish a classroom block for the Inchaban Methodist School by putting on a roof and painting and finishing the classroom block's interior.