European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday june 13, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3. A amps Marc Mcfann . Navy Petty officer 2nd class Russel Homes left and Seaman Joshua Jones pull a line from the guided missile Cruiser Gettysburg onto the deck in Kiel last week. 15 nations navies shoring up skills by Marc Mcfann . Bureau Kiel Germany a ships from 14 nations including a mix of nato and former East bloc members Are joining the . Navy in a Baltic exercise that May be the wave of the future. Known As Baltic operations exercise �?T94, or bal tops �?T94, the .-sponsored exercise has been conducted annually with nato allies for 22 years. However since last year Western navies have been joined by their former soviet bloc adversaries. A we Are like pioneers in the course we Are starting vice adm. Victor Ivanovich Litvinov Deputy commander of the russian Baltic Fleet said during a news conference in Kiel on the southwestern tip of the Baltic sea. A we Are doing the Best we can to Foster the course of cooperation. These exercises might result in real Friendship Between our Peoples and our about 52 ships and 4,500 sailors Are taking part in bal tops which started tuesday and ends next Friday in the Baltic. Naval forces and observers from Estonia Finland Ireland Latvia Lithuania Poland Russia and Sweden join ships from Denmark Germany Belgium the Netherlands Norway the United kingdom and the United states although not billed technically As a nato exercise bal tops comes close to the types of activities promoted in the alliances partnership for peace program. The program is intended to strengthen military relations Between nato and its one time european antagonists. A planning was too far along for the bal tops 94 to become a partnership for peace exercise a said capt. David Hunter the . Commander of the Maneu vers. A but i can say that perhaps this exercise will provide a Model for future partnership for peace exercises and indeed bal tops �?~95 May be a partnership for peace joint Maneu vers on tap for the integrated Fleet include refuelling demonstrations search and Rescue operations and advanced boarding techniques. Bal tops events this week will be for nato nations Only and include opera. A. A a. A amps Mac Mcfann the . Guided missile frigate Oliver Hazard Perry left and German Navy destroyer list Juns await the Start of Bailie operations exercise 94 last week in Kiel. Tons against submarines and aircraft along with coordination of surface ships and submarines. Quot nato has a Long record of operating together. And those exercises we have done in he past allow us to operate anywhere in the world on Short notice a Hunter said. A that Type of interoperability is what we want to develop Here with inc Baltic nations and it May apply in the future to operations around the world As it has in the past for lithuanian cmdr. Ralmunda Baltuska commander of the lithuanian ships at bal tops said the exercise was the a Only and the Best Opportunity Quot for his Young Navy to get professional training. A for Lithuania it is a real attempt to make practical Steps toward the collective Security in the Baltic . Ships participating in bal tops Are the guided missile Cruiser Gettysburg the destroyer Hayler and the guided missile frigate Oliver Hazard Perry the ships were to visit ports in Germany the Netherlands Norway Poland Sweden Lithuania Denmark Estonia Finland Latvia and Russia during the exercise. American Liaison helps Foster Clear sailing by Mark Mcfann . Bureau Kiel Germany As a . Navy Seal it Robert Gusentine said he prefers to be in front of the action not behind the scenes. However it is behind the scenes that Gusentine is having the most Impact As an american Liaison assigned to a German Navy Seal unit participating in the .-led Baltic operations exercise �?T94, or bal tops 94. The 15-nation naval exercise combines a Fleet of nato and former soviet bloc member ships for Maneu vers in the Baltic sea. Gusentine 34, Speaks German and plays a Pivotal Roll in coordinating activities Between the . And German naval units. A a in a basically the Liaison officer for our . Seals explosive ordnance disposal personnel command and control teams and the German helicopter Crews that those units will be working with Gusen Tine said . Navy seals Are sailors trained in sea air and land specialities similar to the army a Green berets. As part of the . Navy a personnel Exchange program Gusentine is assigned to a German Navy Seal unit at Eckern Forde 15 Miles Northwest of Kiel. In German the unit is known As the or combat swimmer company. A we basically do the same types of training and perform the same types of missions but the Tempo Here is much slower a Gusentine said. A i think its because they re germans just starting to go outside of their Borders again their smaller scale of operation and culturally they just do things in their own Good time. A sometimes its frustrating because you have to throttle Back your intensity a Little a he said. A after you go to defense language school and sit in the classroom for nine months there is nothing you a rather do than operate at 31 knots a he said referring to the defense language Institute at the . Army Presidio of san Francisco installation. In naval Lingo operating at 31 knots basically Means going at full Speed a a Tempo that Gusentine said he misses. At Eckern Ford there Isnit Quot that sense of urgency compared with duty As a Seal in the states Gusentine said. A they done to work weekends and they work a Balf-d3y on fridays. When its time to go Home at 1530 3.30 at 1531 its a ghost town. They get six weeks of vacation a year and they take before becoming a Seal Gusentine spent the first couple of his eight years in the Navy As a surface warfare officer. Sets Marc Mcfann . Navy it. Ujj. Moynihan Points out Navy it. Robert Gusentine a German Navy Seal badge. That Way with the recruiters a he said. �?o1 always Felt like the seals were the first a i originally had the idea to come into ones up to Bat if something was to Hap the seals but things just did no to work out
