From Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain – Exercise Compass Rose II was conducted at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Dec. 11-14. It was the fourth Combined Task Force 154 Maritime Security Enhancement Training event in the past six months and the first under Jordanian command.

The exercise was CTF 154’s most diverse so far and included more than 40 representatives from 12 CMF Members, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, NCIS, and observers from the NATO Mission Iraq.

Several key areas took center stage during the exercise: Visit Board Search and Seizure procedures, vessel security, and watch officer fundamentals. This curriculum built upon previous MSET events as part of CMF’s capacity-building efforts among its members and partners.

Compass Rose II leveraged resources available at NSA Bahrain, including the U.S. Coast Guard VBSS facility, CTF 56.11’s Embarked Security and Intelligence Team training simulator, and the CMF watch floor. Additionally, representatives from the NCIS Transnational Crimes Unit provided information on trends in illicit maritime activities in the region and how to effectively conduct interdiction operations.

Royal Jordanian Naval Force Capt. Ayman Al Naimat, the commodore of CTF 154, praised the exercise.

“It was a tremendous success, not only because of the high quality of instruction, but also because of the bonds formed between the participants and facilitators,” he said. “We look forward to building on this success in our next event.”