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The Brown Water Navy Returns
By Bull Nav
For the first time since Viet Nam, we have a "Brown Water Navy."
Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1, based at Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Little Creek deployed March 8 after a year of intense training with Marine forces.The deployment marks the first for a riverine squadron since the Vietnam War.
More than 100 riverine Sailors deployed to the Middle East to integrate with Marines from the II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) to conduct maritime security operations (MSO) along rivers and other inland waterways: denying the use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack; a haven for insurgent activities; or the illegal transportation of weapons, people or material in Iraq.
This has been a long time coming. The original intention was that the Navy will pick up this mission that the Marines are currently conducting in Iraq. When I read this,
“Our goal is to help the Marines and other units we’ll be working with to facilitate stability in the area,” said, Lt.j.g. Joshua Sprubeck, team officer for RIVRON 1.
it makes me think that they will be assisting, rather than taking over the mission. Navy News stand has the whole article here. These guys can definitely make a difference, and my hope is that they can allow the Marines to concentrate on ground missions, rather than Maritime Security Operations (MSO).
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Comments
Hey, command is command. And for an O-4, I think it would be a great opportunity. AND I think it would be a blast.
Good luck!
We have had a "Brown Water Navy" since Vietnam and before the current war in Iraq. I was in the U.S. Army stationed in Fort Davis Panama with the 5-87 Infantry (Light) in the early 1990's and my Fire Support Team (FIST) worked with a U.S. Navy Special Boat Unit (SBU) on multiple occaisions. I can't get into specifics but the Brown Water Navy was pretty active in Latin America through the 90's and probably still is today.
Richard Disney
Actually the brown water Navy has existed prior to the formation of the RIVRONs. I am a retired Chief of 26 years service. Most of my tiem as a Chief was spent in Naval Coastal Warfare when NCW was most a reseve affair. Part of the NCW was the Inshore Boat Units. The units were manned by the best of the best. I have been on mission and excercises that were certainly "Brown Water". To often reservist who did these missons way before the units came under the auspices of the active side do not get the credit. The trumpets are blowing for these news units but not nearly enough attention been paid to the reservist who were doing a long time before.
Amen to that last post! People are so hyped up about the return of the brown water navy that most of the time they forget that the job was still there, just not in the navy's hands. I cant speak for the late 70's and 80's, but from 1993 till june of 2005 the Marine Corps held that position. Small Craft Company (scco) of Headquartars Battalion, 2nd Marine Division patrolled the waterways of Iraq. Very little people even realize this, or the fact that a majority of the Marines trained the reservists who are now teaching the navy. Even the RACs and SURCs were the Marine's first. I'm not saying the Navy doesnt deserve it, I just wish people would give some recognition to the fine military men who held that brown water capability when no one even thought it existed anymore.
As a Swift boat sailor, I applaud all of these men and women and the ones before. They sail in harms way and the protestors just whine. I am against Global Whinning.
Excellent points, all. I, too, am against Global Whinning.
Certainly, between IBU's and SBU's, there has been some form of boat units in the Navy. However, these were not percieved to be able to take up what the Marines were doing in Iraq. Hence creation of the RIVRONs. The Virginian Pilot had a bunch of articles a while back on all this and I would recommend reading them for anyone interested on how this came about.
And I would be remiss if I did not mention CDR Salamander's series of articles.
Here is the latest:
http://haloscan.com/tb/cdrsalamander/8454286769947779678
I would concur with Richard Disney. I served in Panama with him from 92-96 in the 5th/87th Inf and we often worked with the SBU units. USARSO was and still is a largely overlooked AO that is probably why they slipped under the radar.
God bless our troops.
I've written on many sites trying to find anyone who remembers or served with me. I served with RIVDIV 543 for 2years as a boat commander and 6 mos.with RIVDIV591 as same. My years of tour were from 1/67 to6/69. Anyone one out there who remembers me, or served with me, i'd surely appreciate quick E/M. THANKS PS. my nickname was" MAMACAS"
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I've been thinking about this for an upcoming tour. I'm getting to the point where I wouldn't get to command the boats, though, I'd have to command the whole squadron. That doesn't sound like as much fun.
What I like about it is that the Navy is finally adapting to the type of wars we're fighting. We've been stuck in the blue-water, over-the-horizon mode for a while, and it's keeping us out of the fight. The only way to get involved so far has been going on an Individual Augmentee tour for 6-12 months (usually 12).