USS Sampson Conducts PASSEX with Egyptian Navy
RED SEA
02.15.2018
Courtesy Story
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chanel L. Turner
RED SEA- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) and the Egyptian navy’s guided-missile frigate Sharm El-Sheikh (FFG 901) participated in a passing exercise (PASSEX), Feb. 15.
Cmdr. Tim LaBenz, commanding officer of Sampson, welcomed the Egyptian frigate’s leadership aboard before the ships conducted an exchange of liaison officers and performed maneuvering drills.
“The officers and crew aboard the Sampson were honored to participate in this exercise with our Egyptian counterparts” said LaBenz. “By exchanging liaison officers and conducting maneuvering and live-fire events, we continue to strengthen the relationship between our navies.”
The drills paused for lunch where crew members from both ships discussed their shared personal and professional experiences of deployment.
The exercise reconvened with Sharm El-Sheikh and Sampson firing their guns.
Later, members of Sampson’s visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) teams embarked Sharm El-Sheikh where they provided training and demonstrations to their counterparts.
“I believe this successful event will be among many more,” said LaBenz. “I look forward to sailing alongside them again in the future.”
The event concluded with an exchange of wardroom gifts between the maritime professionals. The Egyptian naval officers thanked their U.S. counterparts for the hospitality and wished them well on the rest of the deployment.
Sampson is deployed with the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group to the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of operations in support of maritime operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.
https://www.dvidshub.net/news/269287/uss-sampson-conducts-passex-with-egyptian-navy