The 22nd annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise ended on a high note yesterday following the successful execution of a five-day exercise by marines and navy personnel from the United States and Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) personnel, which took place on land and at sea.

The closing ceremony at the Training Centre of the Royal Brunei Navy in Muara saw Captain Haji Yusuf bin Masron, Chief of Staff, Joint Force Headquarters RBAF officially deactivating the exercise as a mark of concluding the event.

In his closing remarks, Captain Haji Yusuf noted, "This year's exercise has once again provided us with opportunities to further strengthen relations between our two countries, and I believe both sides have significantly benefitted from the events and interactions."

The CARAT exercise, he said, "has always been an important event in our calendar.

"The symposiums, ComRel, jungle training, flights serials and the performance of 7th Fleet Band have contributed to the wide variety of interactions involving maritime and land domains with the military and government agencies, including local communities."

The activities "have contributed immensely towards the broadening of knowledge and exposure between both sides. I hope such interaction will continue and further strengthen our ties," he said.

Meanwhile, Captain Lex Walker, Deputy Commander of Destroyer Squadron 7, in an interview highlighted the success of CARAT Exercise 2016 between the United States and Brunei Darussalam.

He pointed out that the exercise was a huge success, with both countries' militaries able to accomplish a lot of what was planned - doing so safely and professionally. This has helped further strengthen relations for long-term.

"Ideally, we would have two or three weeks to carry out the exercise because there are just so many things that we are trying to accomplish. If you look at what we have accomplished this week, we have operated on land, in the air, at sea and under the sea - which is a lot within just five days. If we could have expanded to 10 days, we could have gone deepen into the exercise, but in the five days that we have, because of the planning, coordination and great teamwork, we were able to get it all done."

On the diving operation to the sunken USS Salute that lies beneath the waters of Brunei Bay, Captain Lex Walker explained, "The dive helped to build interoperability between the two navies' diving teams.

"In addition, the USS Salute is a very special vessel in our history. The place where the wreckage is resting is also our memorial site for our deceased service members, so we were excited with the opportunity to dive and verify the sanctity of the site," he said.

CARAT Brunei 2016 serves as a credible avenue for sharing best practices, strengthening cooperation in response to shared maritime security challenges and in enhancing interoperability among participating forces of both countries.

The five-day exercise consisted of coastal-based and at-sea trainings.

The CARAT Brunei exercise involved personnel and assets from the Royal Brunei Land Forces, Royal Brunei Navy, Royal Brunei Air Force, medical teams, legal unit, RBAF Band, the Ministry of Defence Public Relations Unit and other government agencies. Meanwhile, the United States' participating forces included personnel and assets from the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.

Additional activities such as professional community exchanges, band performances and skills symposia also took place throughout the exercise.

After more than two decades of CARAT engagements, the exercise continues to be a significant platform of military-to-military cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and the United States.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]