MSRON 11 Leads Djiboutian Navy in Groundbreaking Navigation Training

For almost the past five years, deployed Sailors with MSRON at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, have held a series of weekly classroom trainings in partnership with Djiboutian sailors to enhance maritime knowledge.

Now, MSRON 11 has taken the course to the water where Djiboutian sailors will plot points and then fire up Djiboutian Navy patrol boats in open water to navigate in day and night scenarios.

“Our goal is to help them establish their naval mission sets,” said U.S. Navy Senior Chief Mineman Ramses Martinez, MSRON 11 operations lead. “We’re taking it back to the basics of navigation and establishing the required programs in order to be able to navigate anywhere in the world.”

The updated training will include three phases, starting with core fundamentals such as line handling and man overboard scenarios, to navigation and engineering troubleshooting, and eventually advanced navigation with hands on navigation off the coast of Djibouti.

“These sailors will be able to conduct line handling and navigation better than me,” said Djiboutian Navy Maitre Abdillahi Djilal.

As partners, the U.S. and Djiboutian Sailors work together in the Port of Djibouti, a vital trading point along the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

“Having control of our waterways is very important,” said Martinez. “In order to do that safely, you have to be able to use the tools that allows you to maintain a presence.”

MSRON 11 plans to continue teaching this advanced navigation training with more Djiboutian sailors and equip them to expertly train and teach the next generation of Djiboutian sailors.

“We are training future instructors that will serve as our replacement and create a force multiplying effect,” said Martinez. “With our assistance, the Djiboutians will be able to establish their own command training team.”

Programs like this facilitate the development of our African partners’ defense and security to increase regional stability.

“They will be able to face challenges independently and established their own identity as a naval force,” said Martinez.

MSRON 11 is a maritime force protection unit deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, an operational installation that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where and when they are needed to ensure security in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.