Japanese Journalists Educated With Hands-On Training At ATGWP
Story by Lt. Steven Boatwright, Afloat Training Group Western Pacific
July 16, 2010

Journalists from 13 local and national Japanese news media outlets including Pacific Stars & Stripes toured Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) June 30.

During the tour they observed and participated in hands-on training evolutions that demonstrated how afloat and classroom training is provided to keep the forward-deployed naval forces in Yokosuka fully mission ready.

Capt. Curtis J. Gilbert, Afloat Training Group, Western Pacific commanding officer, led the tour which included visits to the Center for Security Forces, the Center for Naval Engineering and the Afloat Training Group command building.

At the Center for Security Forces, the group toured both the live firing range and the firing simulator used for security force training. During the simulator visit, two of the visiting journalists were outfitted with simulator weapons and participated in an actual simulator generated scenario exercise.

At the Center for Naval Engineering Damage Control-Firefighting Trainer, the group observed Sailors from USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) going through basic firefighting training, combating an actual class bravo fire.

During the trainer visit, Gilbert discussed the environmental protective systems installed at the facility that ensure all fuel, firefighting water, residue and smoke plumes are not released into the surrounding atmosphere.

“All waste and exhaust products are fully collected and contained within the firefighting simulator,” Gilbert said. “More than 150,000 gallons of water are expended during each training exercise, and it is collected from the self-contained drain system, filtered, and then re-used.”

At the Navigation Seamanship Ship Handling Simulator located within the Afloat Training Group Western Pacific main building, each journalist was given a chance to take the helm and simulate driving a guided-missile destroyer around Tokyo Bay. This event provided a very realistic hands-on approach in understanding the seamanship and navigation training U.S. forces personnel experience to sharpen their skills using the simulator.

The purpose of the tour was to provide the journalists a deeper appreciation of the fleet training performed on board CFAY.

The tour was given in support of the Commander U.S. Naval Forces Japan Media Engagement Program; a quarterly information and education venue that provides the Japanese national and local news media with accurate and up-to-date information about the U.S. Navy in Japan.

The program’s intent is to deepen the understanding of the mission of the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed naval force in support of the United States-Japan alliance.