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Winter 2015/2016
COMPASSTeam MARCOM’s Newsletter
facebook.com/nato-maritime-commandwww.mc.nato.int
U.S. Marine Corps V22 OSPREY lands on Dutch LPD HNLMS JOHAN DE WITT during NATO Exercise TRIDENT
JUNCTURE in October 2015.
Travel Corner Gibraltar - The Cheeky Monkey AdventureBy Cdr Dave Benham, Chief PAO
Following a TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015 media day in Sierra Del Retin, Spain, the day before, I had several hours to spend before my flight back to London. So I headed to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar for some sight-seeing. From the summit, I took in tremendous views of southern Spain, the Mediterranean and Atlantic meeting point, and the coast of North Africa across the water, while enjoying some lunch at a café at the top.
They warned us the Barbary Macaques love to steal food from tourists, but I didn’t have any food. Just a bag with souvenirs for the family purchased at the café. I even tied the bag to my belt, thinking that would deter theft. It didn’t. A very cheeky monkey (pictured) walked up to me and snatched it before I could react.
He fled to a high ledge to investigate his ill-gotten gains. I called in vain for him to return the bag, but ignoring me, he set about tearing the bag open. Inside, he found two toy stuffed monkeys and a wooden souvenir. He decided to check the edibility of one of the stuffed monkeys by biting it, but it did not agree with his palate, so he flung it over the edge to the rocks below. Then he dumped the rest of the bag’s contents out and tossed it over the edge in disgust. Having lost interest in my souvenirs, he ambled away in search of another victim.
Intent on returning to London with the souvenirs for my wife and sons, I climbed down the steep hill and retrieved them, unmolested by any more macaques, and safely packed them away in my jacket pockets for the remainder of the hike. On return home, the stuffed toys were presented to my two “cheeky monkeys,” on the eve of my older son’s 6th birthday.
For those interested in visiting Gibraltar, more information is available here: http://www.visitgibraltar.gi/
NewcomerStaff members are celebrating a new addition to the MARCOM family! A son, Ümit Alp Aydogan, was born to Lieutenant Commander Tayfun Aydogan and his wife Hatice November 3rd. Little Ümit is the Aydogans’ second this tour, and third overall. Mother and baby are doing well!
COMPASS
HQ MARCOM
MARCOM’s Newsletter Compass is composed and published by the Public Affairs Office of the Allied Maritime Command with the technical support of Carillion Plc. in Northwood, United Kingdom.
Opinion herein do not necessarily reflect official NATO or Allied Maritime Command policy.
Editorial StaffCdr David BenhamChief Public Affairs Officer - COMPASS Chief Editor
Lt Cdr Tayfun AydoganDeputy Chief Public Affairs Officer
Mr. Luis BritoMedia Analyst
WO Cedric ArtiguesHQ MARCOM Photographer
FEATURED STORY:Maritime participants shine in NATO’s largest exercise in thirteen years, TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015
STORY:Allied nations observe Remembrance Day/Veterans Day November 11
STORY: Allied Maritime Command changes Commanders
SOCIAL:A talented young archer
As we head towards the holidays, I am delighted to introduce this edition of Compass. This is OUR magazine to air some news and to cover some of those stories that get missed in the hurly-burly of the normal working day. I hope you enjoy flicking through it and find some articles that catch your attention.
The most important thing to say in this brief article is Thank You! I have now been in post for around two months, and I am very grateful for all your support and very warm welcome. If my thanks haven’t reached you - thank you for the very good pre-joining briefs and for the really moving Change of Command Ceremony. I know Admiral Peter and his wife Linda felt very special as he left, and my wife Ali and I were both really touched
by the ceremony and the very warm welcome that you offered us. Since then I have been moving at speed and I am really delighted at how the HQ, and everyone in it, has flexed and come with me. It is never easy adjusting to a new COM and moving focus - but you all have done this in a brilliant way. Thank you!
You know my mantra - focus on Operations; be Inquisitve; look to see how we can offer Nations greater value from maritime NATO; think how we understand our environment better and finally lets work at getting our story out in different ways so people listen to our message and take it in. Perhaps less obvious is my desire to keep MARCOM as a happy place to work. I believe it is critical that we let people grow and nurture talent and creativity. I also think it is important to recognise that everyone has a voice in our business; diversity makes us stronger and helps us to understand better the world around us. And finally, I believe our families and partners are the core of everything we do. Life is not a dress rehearsal after all, so we should embrace our families and make them part of our life in the HQ and on the base. To that end, I love our international evenings and thank our Spanish and French friends for their recent hospitality - both nights were hugely enjoyable.
I feel very honoured and lucky to be your Commander. I know it might seem obvious but it is the most incredible privilege to be in this position and I will do everything I can to repay the trust that our Nations have put in us.
Yours
Yours
By Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, MARCOM Commander
MARCOM’s Newsletter
Public Affairs Office
Follow us on
Editorial Corner
Northwood HeadquartersSandy LaneNorthwood MiddlesexHA6 3HP
United Kingdom
email: [email protected]: www.mc.nato.intTel: +44 (0)1923 956763
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
Inside MARCOM
CALENDAR
December• 25–Christmas(bankholiday)• 26–BoxingDay(bankholiday)
January• 1–NewYears(bankholiday)• 2–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 21–BurnsNight• 26-30–Blackoutperiod• 28–Lunchtimemessraffle
February• 6–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 11–ChineseNewYear
• 19–CharityBlackTieMusicalGala
March• 2–5o’clockclub• 4–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 6–MotheringSundayLunch• 11–26–Blackoutperiod• 17–StPatrick’sNight
April• 1–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 3–GoodFriday(bankholiday)• 6–EasterMonday(bankholiday)• 21-StGeorge’sDay• 30–ArmyvsNavyRugby
All flags at NATO’s Allied Maritime Command fly at half-mast in solidarity with France following the terrorist attacks on Paris November 13.
13 SEPT 2015 - HMS AMBUSH, ESPS MISTRAL, FGS HAMBURG, ITS GRECALE, TCG PREVEZE AND HS POSEIDON in formation during NATO’s Submarine Warfare EXERCISE DYNAMIC MONGOOSE 2015.
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
Allied nations observe Remembrance Day/Veterans Day
On November 11th, delegations of MARCOM personnel attended commemorative ceremonies at the military cemeteries of Brookwood (Surrey) and the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
MARCOM Prepares for Noble Mariner 14with contribution by Commander Stefano Cossu, Italian Navy
A Talented Young ArcherCdr Erdal Urcan of the Turkish Navy, presently assigned to Allied Maritime Command, has a daughter who is a very talented archer.
She has been interested in archery for a number of years and was coached in her home country Turkey by a top national coach. While studying in England, she joined her local archery club, which she discovered was using her school grounds for practice.
Since joining the club, she has been involved in many competitions, including indoor and outdoor championships. She has won a number of prizes, including a team medal with her club.
This year, for the second time, she received the highest score in her age and gender group.
She has attended national level evaluation sessions, which are designed to develop young archery talent. She has the potential to become a very good archer indeed.
Investiture for COM MARCOM at Buckingham Palace
Commander, NATO’s Allied Maritime Command Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE, was invested Companion of the Order of the Bath November 19th at Buckingham Palace in London, UK. The Order of Bath is mainly awarded to officers of the Armed Services, as well as to a small number of civil servants. The title of the Order is late medieval in origin. It arose from the ritual washing (inspired by the washing of baptism), a symbol of spiritual purification, which formed part of a knight’s preparations for the conferment of knighthood. The Star of the military knights and Dames Grand Cross is composed of rays of silver, charged with an eight-pointed (Maltese) cross.
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
NATO Allied Maritime Command changes Commanders
NORTHWOOD, UK – In a brief ceremony October 13 at Northwood Headquarters, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CB CBE handed over command of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command MARCOM to Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE. Numerous NATO and UK national defence leaders were in attendance, including NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Philip Breedlove.
Vice Admiral Hudson held command of MARCOM since February 14, 2013, leading the newly consolidated command forward as the Alliance’s Single Service Command for the maritime with command of a range of NATO maritime assets (maritime patrol aircraft, ships and submarines) from its initial operating capability to full operational capability, culminating with the certification exercise TRIDENT JEWEL 2015 in March.
As Commander MARCOM, Vice Admiral Hudson commanded two live operations: NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD and NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, and held overall command of four Standing Naval Forces: Standing NATO Maritime Groups ONE and TWO and Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Groups ONE and TWO.
During his tour, Vice Admiral Hudson met with key leaders of numerous Allied and partner nation navies, and led two major maritime commanders meetings, titled Sea Sense, that brought together naval leaders from around the world to discuss issues of shared concern, interoperability, and partnership opportunities in various aspects of maritime security.
Vice Admiral Johnstone took command of MARCOM following his previous assignment as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, the First Sea Lord’s agent in the UK MoD, Whitehall and London. His afloat commands include HMS IRON DUKE (a Type 23 Frigate), and HMS BULWARK (an amphibious assault ship and the Fleet’s Amphibious Flagship); where he undertook operations in the Northern Gulf, Horn of Africa and off Lebanon. He was awarded a CBE for an extended Gulf Deployment and the evacuation of British Nationals out of Beirut.
As Commander Allied Maritime Command, he will continue the work begun by Vice Admiral Hudson in support of NATO’s transition to a more ready and capable Alliance, developing maritime aspects of the Readiness Action Plan and the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
FEATURED STORY: Maritime participants shine in NATO’s largest exercise in thirteen years, TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015
More than 70 ships and submarines, maritime patrol aircraft and 3,000 Marines participated in Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015, the biggest and most ambitious NATO exercise since 2002, from October 19 to November 5.
Nineteen NATO nations supplied Navy and Marine forces to the exercise, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
During the exercise, maritime units and personnel operated from several locations, including Rota (ESP), Zaragoza (ESP), Pinheiro da Cruz (PRT), Sierra de Retin (ESP), Alvarez De Sotomayor (ESP), Capo Teulada (ITA), Troia (PRT) and HQ MARCOM (GBR).
The exercise was designed to be a high-visibility, robust training opportunity for participating units and forces that exceeds that available in most national exercises. The maritime part of the exercise tested multiple warfare disciplines at sea including for instance: amphibious landings in four locations, Special Operations Forces (SOF) activities, maritime patrol aircraft sorties, submarine warfare and littoral training events.
The exercise featured an Opposition Force (OPFOR) of nearly 20 ships, numerous aircraft and submarines simulating combat against NATO forces on a massive scale across the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.
MARCOM was responsible for facilitating the training of and directing the activities of the maritime forces, in order to meet the training objectives for the participating units.
Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015 also functioned as the venue for evaluating the United Kingdom Maritime Force HQs (UKMARFOR) as a High readiness maritime force command to NATO Response Force (NRF) for 2016. This evaluation ensured UKMARFOR’s readiness to meet any challenge it is assigned in the coming year.
“NATO’s naval forces face a challenging and evolving security environment. We must work to enhance our readiness and flexibility, and TRIDENT
JUNCTURE gives us the perfect venue to challenge our ability to respond to complex multi-dimensional threats in a well-coordinated and effective fashion.
To provide the Alliance an effective collective defence in a crisis, our naval forces must be able to work seamlessly together with other naval forces, and with our air and land-based components. TRIDENT JUNCTURE provides our forces the most complex test of interoperability in a joint multinational
environment that the Alliance has enjoyed in well over a decade.” Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone
13 OCT 2015 - Colour guard is placed infront of the tribune with the departing MARCOM Commander, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CB CBE observing.
13 OCT 2015 - Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE addresses staff and guets during the handover ceremony,
13 OCT 2015 - (From left to right) Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CB CBE, General Philip Breedlove and Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE.
05 NOV 2015 - Welcome remarks by Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE at Tróia, Portugal during Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015 NAC Sea Day / DV Day (M).
05 NOV 2015 - Amphibious assault of LCVPs from HMS BULWARK and 2 WILDCAT helicopters from HMS OCEAN
05 NOV 2015 - First row attendance during the Press Conference of NATO Secretary General and the Portuguese Minister of Defence on board NRP VASCO DA GAMA
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
NATO Allied Maritime Command changes Commanders
NORTHWOOD, UK – In a brief ceremony October 13 at Northwood Headquarters, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CB CBE handed over command of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command MARCOM to Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE. Numerous NATO and UK national defence leaders were in attendance, including NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Philip Breedlove.
Vice Admiral Hudson held command of MARCOM since February 14, 2013, leading the newly consolidated command forward as the Alliance’s Single Service Command for the maritime with command of a range of NATO maritime assets (maritime patrol aircraft, ships and submarines) from its initial operating capability to full operational capability, culminating with the certification exercise TRIDENT JEWEL 2015 in March.
As Commander MARCOM, Vice Admiral Hudson commanded two live operations: NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD and NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, and held overall command of four Standing Naval Forces: Standing NATO Maritime Groups ONE and TWO and Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Groups ONE and TWO.
During his tour, Vice Admiral Hudson met with key leaders of numerous Allied and partner nation navies, and led two major maritime commanders meetings, titled Sea Sense, that brought together naval leaders from around the world to discuss issues of shared concern, interoperability, and partnership opportunities in various aspects of maritime security.
Vice Admiral Johnstone took command of MARCOM following his previous assignment as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, the First Sea Lord’s agent in the UK MoD, Whitehall and London. His afloat commands include HMS IRON DUKE (a Type 23 Frigate), and HMS BULWARK (an amphibious assault ship and the Fleet’s Amphibious Flagship); where he undertook operations in the Northern Gulf, Horn of Africa and off Lebanon. He was awarded a CBE for an extended Gulf Deployment and the evacuation of British Nationals out of Beirut.
As Commander Allied Maritime Command, he will continue the work begun by Vice Admiral Hudson in support of NATO’s transition to a more ready and capable Alliance, developing maritime aspects of the Readiness Action Plan and the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
FEATURED STORY: Maritime participants shine in NATO’s largest exercise in thirteen years, TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015
More than 70 ships and submarines, maritime patrol aircraft and 3,000 Marines participated in Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015, the biggest and most ambitious NATO exercise since 2002, from October 19 to November 5.
Nineteen NATO nations supplied Navy and Marine forces to the exercise, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
During the exercise, maritime units and personnel operated from several locations, including Rota (ESP), Zaragoza (ESP), Pinheiro da Cruz (PRT), Sierra de Retin (ESP), Alvarez De Sotomayor (ESP), Capo Teulada (ITA), Troia (PRT) and HQ MARCOM (GBR).
The exercise was designed to be a high-visibility, robust training opportunity for participating units and forces that exceeds that available in most national exercises. The maritime part of the exercise tested multiple warfare disciplines at sea including for instance: amphibious landings in four locations, Special Operations Forces (SOF) activities, maritime patrol aircraft sorties, submarine warfare and littoral training events.
The exercise featured an Opposition Force (OPFOR) of nearly 20 ships, numerous aircraft and submarines simulating combat against NATO forces on a massive scale across the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.
MARCOM was responsible for facilitating the training of and directing the activities of the maritime forces, in order to meet the training objectives for the participating units.
Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015 also functioned as the venue for evaluating the United Kingdom Maritime Force HQs (UKMARFOR) as a High readiness maritime force command to NATO Response Force (NRF) for 2016. This evaluation ensured UKMARFOR’s readiness to meet any challenge it is assigned in the coming year.
“NATO’s naval forces face a challenging and evolving security environment. We must work to enhance our readiness and flexibility, and TRIDENT
JUNCTURE gives us the perfect venue to challenge our ability to respond to complex multi-dimensional threats in a well-coordinated and effective fashion.
To provide the Alliance an effective collective defence in a crisis, our naval forces must be able to work seamlessly together with other naval forces, and with our air and land-based components. TRIDENT JUNCTURE provides our forces the most complex test of interoperability in a joint multinational
environment that the Alliance has enjoyed in well over a decade.” Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone
13 OCT 2015 - Colour guard is placed infront of the tribune with the departing MARCOM Commander, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CB CBE observing.
13 OCT 2015 - Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE addresses staff and guets during the handover ceremony,
13 OCT 2015 - (From left to right) Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CB CBE, General Philip Breedlove and Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE.
05 NOV 2015 - Welcome remarks by Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE at Tróia, Portugal during Exercise TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015 NAC Sea Day / DV Day (M).
05 NOV 2015 - Amphibious assault of LCVPs from HMS BULWARK and 2 WILDCAT helicopters from HMS OCEAN
05 NOV 2015 - First row attendance during the Press Conference of NATO Secretary General and the Portuguese Minister of Defence on board NRP VASCO DA GAMA
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
Allied nations observe Remembrance Day/Veterans Day
On November 11th, delegations of MARCOM personnel attended commemorative ceremonies at the military cemeteries of Brookwood (Surrey) and the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
MARCOM Prepares for Noble Mariner 14with contribution by Commander Stefano Cossu, Italian Navy
A Talented Young ArcherCdr Erdal Urcan of the Turkish Navy, presently assigned to Allied Maritime Command, has a daughter who is a very talented archer.
She has been interested in archery for a number of years and was coached in her home country Turkey by a top national coach. While studying in England, she joined her local archery club, which she discovered was using her school grounds for practice.
Since joining the club, she has been involved in many competitions, including indoor and outdoor championships. She has won a number of prizes, including a team medal with her club.
This year, for the second time, she received the highest score in her age and gender group.
She has attended national level evaluation sessions, which are designed to develop young archery talent. She has the potential to become a very good archer indeed.
Investiture for COM MARCOM at Buckingham Palace
Commander, NATO’s Allied Maritime Command Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE, was invested Companion of the Order of the Bath November 19th at Buckingham Palace in London, UK. The Order of Bath is mainly awarded to officers of the Armed Services, as well as to a small number of civil servants. The title of the Order is late medieval in origin. It arose from the ritual washing (inspired by the washing of baptism), a symbol of spiritual purification, which formed part of a knight’s preparations for the conferment of knighthood. The Star of the military knights and Dames Grand Cross is composed of rays of silver, charged with an eight-pointed (Maltese) cross.
COMPASS
HQ MARCOM
MARCOM’s Newsletter Compass is composed and published by the Public Affairs Office of the Allied Maritime Command with the technical support of Carillion Plc. in Northwood, United Kingdom.
Opinion herein do not necessarily reflect official NATO or Allied Maritime Command policy.
Editorial StaffCdr David BenhamChief Public Affairs Officer - COMPASS Chief Editor
Lt Cdr Tayfun AydoganDeputy Chief Public Affairs Officer
Mr. Luis BritoMedia Analyst
WO Cedric ArtiguesHQ MARCOM Photographer
FEATURED STORY:Maritime participants shine in NATO’s largest exercise in thirteen years, TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015
STORY:Allied nations observe Remembrance Day/Veterans Day November 11
STORY: Allied Maritime Command changes Commanders
SOCIAL:A talented young archer
As we head towards the holidays, I am delighted to introduce this edition of Compass. This is OUR magazine to air some news and to cover some of those stories that get missed in the hurly-burly of the normal working day. I hope you enjoy flicking through it and find some articles that catch your attention.
The most important thing to say in this brief article is Thank You! I have now been in post for around two months, and I am very grateful for all your support and very warm welcome. If my thanks haven’t reached you - thank you for the very good pre-joining briefs and for the really moving Change of Command Ceremony. I know Admiral Peter and his wife Linda felt very special as he left, and my wife Ali and I were both really touched
by the ceremony and the very warm welcome that you offered us. Since then I have been moving at speed and I am really delighted at how the HQ, and everyone in it, has flexed and come with me. It is never easy adjusting to a new COM and moving focus - but you all have done this in a brilliant way. Thank you!
You know my mantra - focus on Operations; be Inquisitve; look to see how we can offer Nations greater value from maritime NATO; think how we understand our environment better and finally lets work at getting our story out in different ways so people listen to our message and take it in. Perhaps less obvious is my desire to keep MARCOM as a happy place to work. I believe it is critical that we let people grow and nurture talent and creativity. I also think it is important to recognise that everyone has a voice in our business; diversity makes us stronger and helps us to understand better the world around us. And finally, I believe our families and partners are the core of everything we do. Life is not a dress rehearsal after all, so we should embrace our families and make them part of our life in the HQ and on the base. To that end, I love our international evenings and thank our Spanish and French friends for their recent hospitality - both nights were hugely enjoyable.
I feel very honoured and lucky to be your Commander. I know it might seem obvious but it is the most incredible privilege to be in this position and I will do everything I can to repay the trust that our Nations have put in us.
Yours
Yours
By Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, MARCOM Commander
MARCOM’s Newsletter
Public Affairs Office
Follow us on
Editorial Corner
Northwood HeadquartersSandy LaneNorthwood MiddlesexHA6 3HP
United Kingdom
email: [email protected]: www.mc.nato.intTel: +44 (0)1923 956763
MARCOM’s Newsletter - Winter 2015/2016
Inside MARCOM
CALENDAR
December• 25–Christmas(bankholiday)• 26–BoxingDay(bankholiday)
January• 1–NewYears(bankholiday)• 2–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 21–BurnsNight• 26-30–Blackoutperiod• 28–Lunchtimemessraffle
February• 6–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 11–ChineseNewYear
• 19–CharityBlackTieMusicalGala
March• 2–5o’clockclub• 4–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 6–MotheringSundayLunch• 11–26–Blackoutperiod• 17–StPatrick’sNight
April• 1–Familieshappyhour(NOM)• 3–GoodFriday(bankholiday)• 6–EasterMonday(bankholiday)• 21-StGeorge’sDay• 30–ArmyvsNavyRugby
All flags at NATO’s Allied Maritime Command fly at half-mast in solidarity with France following the terrorist attacks on Paris November 13.
13 SEPT 2015 - HMS AMBUSH, ESPS MISTRAL, FGS HAMBURG, ITS GRECALE, TCG PREVEZE AND HS POSEIDON in formation during NATO’s Submarine Warfare EXERCISE DYNAMIC MONGOOSE 2015.
Winter 2015/2016
COMPASSTeam MARCOM’s Newsletter
facebook.com/nato-maritime-commandwww.mc.nato.int
U.S. Marine Corps V22 OSPREY lands on Dutch LPD HNLMS JOHAN DE WITT during NATO Exercise TRIDENT
JUNCTURE in October 2015.
Travel Corner Gibraltar - The Cheeky Monkey AdventureBy Cdr Dave Benham, Chief PAO
Following a TRIDENT JUNCTURE 2015 media day in Sierra Del Retin, Spain, the day before, I had several hours to spend before my flight back to London. So I headed to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar for some sight-seeing. From the summit, I took in tremendous views of southern Spain, the Mediterranean and Atlantic meeting point, and the coast of North Africa across the water, while enjoying some lunch at a café at the top.
They warned us the Barbary Macaques love to steal food from tourists, but I didn’t have any food. Just a bag with souvenirs for the family purchased at the café. I even tied the bag to my belt, thinking that would deter theft. It didn’t. A very cheeky monkey (pictured) walked up to me and snatched it before I could react.
He fled to a high ledge to investigate his ill-gotten gains. I called in vain for him to return the bag, but ignoring me, he set about tearing the bag open. Inside, he found two toy stuffed monkeys and a wooden souvenir. He decided to check the edibility of one of the stuffed monkeys by biting it, but it did not agree with his palate, so he flung it over the edge to the rocks below. Then he dumped the rest of the bag’s contents out and tossed it over the edge in disgust. Having lost interest in my souvenirs, he ambled away in search of another victim.
Intent on returning to London with the souvenirs for my wife and sons, I climbed down the steep hill and retrieved them, unmolested by any more macaques, and safely packed them away in my jacket pockets for the remainder of the hike. On return home, the stuffed toys were presented to my two “cheeky monkeys,” on the eve of my older son’s 6th birthday.
For those interested in visiting Gibraltar, more information is available here: http://www.visitgibraltar.gi/
NewcomerStaff members are celebrating a new addition to the MARCOM family! A son, Ümit Alp Aydogan, was born to Lieutenant Commander Tayfun Aydogan and his wife Hatice November 3rd. Little Ümit is the Aydogans’ second this tour, and third overall. Mother and baby are doing well!
