“Sea Sisters is one of the few direct engagements the U.S. military has with our Djiboutian partners,” said Chief Gunner`s Mate Lydia Cassard. “It provides an opportunity for building relationships, collaborating on a joint event, and learning from each other.”
The training exercise started with classroom knowledge exchanges and a briefing on events before transitioning to the water for training in search and rescue, tactical combat casualty care, water survival, and weapons familiarization.
Sea Sisters began in 2023 when servicewomen from MSRON 11 conducted a maritime personnel recovery exercise with the Djiboutian Coast Guard servicewomen for the first time. Sea Sisters began to unite women from partner nations for a common goal: protecting the port of Djibouti.
“Sea Sisters allows the opportunity for women of the MSRON to share their experience in the community and their skillset with our partners,” said Chief Cassard. “In turn, we get to hear them as well. It’s a huge exercise that we are always excited to be a part of and a chance to share knowledge and culture as well as make friends.”
The Biannual Sea Sisters engagement prepares Djiboutian Coast Guard servicewomen for the Bull Shark exercise, a joint personnel recovery exercise that brings maritime forces from the United States, Djibouti, Spain, and France together. MSRON units assigned to Camp Lemonnier work with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard for months each year to prepare for the regional exercise, practicing maritime skills, signaling, advanced navigation, and casualty care. The exchange of knowledge and shared experiences serve to build trust.
About MSRON 1B and Camp Lemonnier
MSRON 1B is an expeditionary command that executes a full spectrum of combat and combat support missions, including littoral combat and embarked security trams on high value assets in support of global force management and major combat operations.
While assigned to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, MSRON 1B provides CLDJ’s 36 tenant commands and visiting naval vessels protection through 24/7 port security and escorting operations. CLDJ is an operational installation that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where and when they are needed to ensure security in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. (U.S. Navy story by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Maurice Brown)
