Boxer ESG Enters 5th Fleet Area of Operations
Story Number: NNS061109-12
Release Date: 11/9/2006 4:07:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Derek R. Sanchez, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/ Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs
USS BOXER, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Boxer (LHD 4) Expeditionary Strike Group (BOXESG) entered U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of operation Nov. 8 during a deployment in support of maritime security operations (MSO).
“I think we’re extremely ready for what the 5th Fleet has to offer,” said BOXESG Commander Capt. David Angood. “It’s a testament to the flexibility, tenacity, and the seriousness of Sailors and Marines in the strike group. If anything significant were to happen in a real-world environment, BOXESG would handle it very well.”
During its deployment, BOXESG is prepared to operate alongside coalition partners and conduct MSO under international maritime conventions.
MSO help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.
BOXESG includes Boxer, USS Dubuque (LPD
, USS Comstock (LSD 45), USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Howard (DDG 83), and USS Bunker Hill (CG 52). BOXESG also includes Amphibious Squadron 5, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WHEC 726) and Canadian Frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341).
U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, and is responsible for about 2.5 million square miles of water including the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, and parts of the Indian Ocean.
