Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia April 3, 2018

Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia April 3, 2018 - The high cost of calling home and internet use here becomes substantial making it harder to keep in touch with my wife and kids back home. Anything is much appreciated
~~ Evan ----

Artic Operability

Beaufort Sea, March 10, 2018 - Navy Diver 2nd Class Christopher Corley, assigned to Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 1, prepares to dive into a water hole during a mock torpedo recovery exercise in support of Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2018.  During ICEX 2018, the Seawolf-class fast attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) from Bangor, Washington, the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768) from Groton, Connecticut, and the Royal Navy Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Trenchant (S91) will conduct multiple arctic transits, a North Pole surfacing, scientific data collection and other training evolutions during their time in the region.

Meet Your Military: Marine Leads Surveillance Sensor Ops

Marine Corps Sgt. John Verhage III, a native of South Brunswick, N.J., is a surveillance sensor operator with Task Force Southwest in Afghanistan, March 12, 2018. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Sean J. Berry

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, April 10, 2018 —
“I’d rather take lessons from the past than learn lessons the hard way,” said Marine Corps Sgt. John Verhage III, who hails from South Brunswick, New Jersey, and is a surveillance sensor operator with Task Force Southwest here. 

“It’s better to use something like ground sensors now, rather than something happening and wishing we would have employed measures like this beforehand,” Verhage said.

Verhage leads the ground sensor operations in Helmand province, which helps employ remote sensors as general surveillance and early warning systems to aid the Afghan National Defense and security forces.

Supporting Afghan Forces

The constant management of the remote sensors systems helps Afghan forces maintain a high level of awareness during combat operations.

“We’re all working together here; we’re protecting ourselves and the [Afghan National Police] at the same time with these sensors,” said Verhage, who has logged numerous security patrols — both mounted and dismounted — to help boost the Afghan’s defense capabilities through sensor emplacement.

“If I do my job, the police feel safer, which in turn makes us all feel safer,” he said. “Every life matters out here, and I’m just doing my part.”

Providing Warning of Enemy Activity

The ability to detect enemy activity through remote surveillance is nothing new. The Marines’ sensor control and management platoons employed unmanned remote sensor systems since 1967 during the Vietnam War.