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Published: October 27, 2008 6:00 PMUpdated: October 27, 2008 6:31 PM
As four Canadian naval vessels prepared to depart Esquimalt Harbour for a training exercise in the Pacific, two ships returned from a six-month stint in the Middle East.
HMCS Calgary and HMCS Protecteur returned late last week after sailing around the world and patrolling the Gulf of Aden, Oman, the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. Nearly 500 sailors and air crew joined a multi-national task force in maritime security operations to deter the transportation of contraband cargo and disrupt the movements of extremists in the region.
While families greeted those returning, earlier this week family and friends waved goodbye to 500 Esquimalt-based sailors heading out for a month-long training mission with U.S. warships that includes a port stop in San Diego.
Halifax-class frigates HMCS Winnipeg and Regina, along with Kingston-class ships Yellowknife and Whitehorse, will join the USS John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group for a large warfare exercise.
“This type of exercise is fundamental to providing our sailors with the training to have the flexibility to operate their ships independently or integrate into a larger coalition task force,” Commodore Nigel Greenwood, Commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific, stated in a press release.
raldous@vicnews.com
