U.S. Navy patrolling RI sea lane<\/p>\n
Heather Paterson, Associated Press, Aboard USS Ford<\/p>\n
U.S. Petty Officer Gale Vasquez would rather be in the Arabian
\nSea. Instead he's in Southeast Asia, scouring one of the world's
\nbusiest shipping lanes for terrorists.<\/p>\n
Vasquez, from Kelso, Washington, is a helicopter pilot who
\nflies out in front of the Ford while it patrols the Straits of
\nMalacca, between Indonesia and Malaysia.<\/p>\n
His captain, Cmdr. David Matawitz, said on Sunday that the
\nFord was doing its part for the U.S.-led war on terrorism by
\nkeeping the straits safe for the estimated US$850 million of
\ngoods which pass through these waters each day.<\/p>\n
Matawitz, from Everett, Washington, said the possibility of
\nterror groups blowing up a ship in these waters \"is a real
\nthreat.\"<\/p>\n
\"These terrorists blew up the World Trade Center -- you don't
\nknow what they're doing next,\" said Matawitz. \"In this world
\nsituation things are changing so fast. These straits are vital --
\nvital to the war effort, vital to the world economy,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The Straits of Malacca is a major shipping lane connecting
\nAsia and much of the world. But they are also a favored hunting
\nground spot for pirates: About a third of the world's pirate
\nattacks last year occurred in Indonesian waters.<\/p>\n
Matawitz said that before the Sept. 11 attacks in the United
\nStates, navy ships were on guard in the straits mainly for
\npirates, who cost the shipping industry millions each year.<\/p>\n
Now, he said, they're also watching for terrorists,
\nscrutinizing \"every single ship that comes through here from the
\nsmall fishing boats to the large merchant ships to air planes of
\nany size ... You never know what they're coming in.\"<\/p>\n
The 225 crew members on the Everett-based Ford have been at
\nsea for more than two months.<\/p>\n
Boatswain's mate 2nd class Ralph Soto said that the crew knew
\ntheir current mission would be different from others before
\nleaving the United States.<\/p>\n
\"We all knew that whatever came our way was not going to be a
\ntraining mission,\" said Soto, of San Luis Obispo, California.<\/p>\n
Many of the sailors said they would like to be closer to the
\nnaval front line in the Arabian Sea or the Persian Gulf because
\nthat's what they had been trained to do. Their ship is loaded
\nwith missiles, guns and anti-submarine warfare systems.<\/p>\n
But while they are thousands of miles from the war in
\nAfghanistan, they are keenly aware of the importance of their
\nmission.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-navy-patrolling-ri-sea-lane-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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