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Voices of NATO

There are thousands of Voices of NATO. Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen. In the field or at a desk. All ranks and 28 nationalities. Do you have a story to tell, or a point of view to express? We welcome your submissions. Read our first article by YN2 Gauthier, who expresses his hope that others will share their stories. Visit our submission page and become one of the Voices of NATO.
 
This opportunity is open to all NATO service members, active or retired. All submissions are subject to review by the editors, and must conform with Operational Security. Photos are also encouraged.
Cdre Bekkering - A comprehensive approach for maritime security
The flagship of TF 508, HNLMS ROTTERDAM, has just left the Seychelles. She is ready for her third counter piracy patrol along the coasts of Somalia, as part of NATO’s Operation OCEAN SHIELD.

A Day Aboard HSwMS Kullen
The SHAPE Media team, Staff Sergeant Ian Houlding (GBR Army), Petty Officer H. Lucien Gauthier III (U.S.A. Navy) and Sergent Chef Edouard Bocquet (FRA Air Force) embarked on the HMS Kullen at the end of a larger visit to DANEX/NOCO 2012. Visit to the exercise also included visits to four other vessels from the Lithuanian, Latvian and German Navies. The visits to these other vessels provided insights similar to what was found on the Kullen, however the differences were not quite as stark. What's more, is that the Kullen was the first non-NATO ally ship to be visited during the week.

LNS Dzukas and LVNS Lode Conducts Towing Exercise During DANEX/NOCO 2012
Tuesday, 4 September 2012 at Sea – The LNS Dzukas from the Lithuanian Navy and LVNS Lode from the Latvian Navy conducted a towing exercise (TOWEX) as a part of the larger DANEX /NOCO 2012 exercise. A TOWEX provides the crews of two vessels to practice assisting another vessel by attaching a line between them. 

SHAPE PAO Media Team's Busy Pace at DANEX-NOCO 2012
Over the last 24 hours the ACO Media Team have travelled close to 120 nautical miles in three ships.

SHAPE PAO team reporting from DANEX
SHAPE has a Public Affairs detachment aboard FGS Frankfurt. The team will provide coverage of the Danish and German led exercise, DANEX 2012.

Cdre Bekkering - The other side of the coin
Earlier this week, six suspected pirates were transferred from HNLMS Rotterdam to the authorities of the Seychelles. They were apprehended by NATO's TF 508 flagship on the 13th of August during the liberation of the dhow Burhan Noor.

Cdre Bekkering - After the Monsoon
It is quiet on the north coast of Puntland. The local skiffs are mostly pulled onto the beach. The Yemeni dhows, coming over to purchase the catch of local fishermen, seem to have gone home. The reason for this is pretty straightforward: It is too hot; 32 degrees Celsius--and that is the seawater temperature. "Even the fish go away”, is what the locals tell us. Ramadan makes the effect even bigger than normal. Activity levels go down, family life becomes even more important and sailors and fishermen want to go home.

Anchor watch in the baking heat of Muscat
HNLMS Evertsen is anchored in the harbour of Muscat, the capital city of the Arab state of Oman. Today, I am acting as the Officer of the Anchor Watch, which is why I am standing to attention at the flagpole in my shining white tropical uniform. We salute the flag at precisely 08:00hrs, after the flag has been hoisted with the appropriate ceremony.

5 weeks left
After 4 weeks at sea, we arrived in the port of Salalah in Oman.

Cdre Bekkering - Fighting symptoms or setting conditions?
It seems quiet in the Indian Ocean. That is to say, on the pirate side of life. Naval presence in the Gulf of Aden and strong monsoon winds in the Arabian Sea seem to withhold pirates from hunting for merchant ships and crews they want to hold for ransom.

Seaman Leendert Schaap - Loading food and disposing of garbage in Salalah
Last week, after exercising our boarding role many, many times, the call "boarding watch to your stations” was finally sounded for real. We had to take up stations early, because we were going to board a dhow that was suspected of piracy. For me, as a gunner, it was quite an exciting and also a good morning. Fortunately, everything went well. The pirates, after having spent a few days on board our ship, have been handed over to Oman, where they are going to be put on trial.

Lieutenant Chris Elings - Action!
It is Friday, 29 June, 05:30 hrs in the morning, and dawn is cautiously creeping over the horizon. Normally at this time, the bridge of HNLMS Evertsen is a picture of tranquillity, but today it is a hive of activity. And not only the bridge: almost the entire crew is hard at work at this early hour. Our on-board helicopter has just taken off. On deck, the gunners are getting their machine guns ready while, amidships, the Nautical Service is preparing our RHIBs (fast motorboats) for launch. Just a few more minutes and then we get down to what we are here for: for the first time on this deployment, we will apprehend a ship suspected of piracy!