Australian Military Visits Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Sailors

Twenty-eight members of the Australian navy, army, and air force visited Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) Oct. 24.

Australian Forces met with Sailors from the expeditionary community to see how they operate and to learn about NECC capabilities.

“We wanted to visit NECC as part of our Australian Command and Staff course,” said Australian navy Lt. Cmdr. Glen Price. “Australia is looking to add expeditionary forces in the future so being able to see NECC capabilities will give us a bigger picture and aid us in working better as coalition forces.”

The tour included hands-on displays of NECC forces along with demonstrations of explosive ordnance disposal robots, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), dive equipment and riverine boats.

“It’s amazing to see all the capabilities that NECC has and all the different parts that go together successfully,” said Australian navy Cmdr. Rebecca Jeffcoat.

Australian forces plan to take what they learned back to their operating commands.

“One of the biggest gaps in our forces that NECC has is riverine forces,” said Jeffcoat. “I plan to make the riverine capabilities one of my topics in my report along with the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). I think those items could be used in [the] Australian navy.”

NECC serves as the single functional command for the Navy’s expeditionary forces and as central management for the readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of those forces. NECC forces include riverines; naval construction; explosive ordnance disposal; maritime expeditionary Security; Expeditionary intelligence; expeditionary Logistics; maritime civil affairs; security force assistance; expeditionary combat readiness and expeditionary training.

“Australian forces here today are very appreciative of the hospitality that NECC has shown our forces,” said Jeffcoat. “We look forward to visits like this in future.”

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Source: navy, October 27, 2011