Senior military leaders from 14 nations gathered at U.S. Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) headquarters here in Hawaii for the Naval War College Combined Force Maritime Component Commander (CFMCC) Flag Officer Course Feb. 5-11.
The 27 CFMCC participants came from Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Peru, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United States.
Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, said:
This course is one of the most important international venues the U.S. Navy hosts and directly supports our strategic rebalance to the Indo-Asia-Pacific. It provides big and realizable dividends for all participating nations by strengthening regional partnerships and improving operational effectiveness to address our common maritime challenges.
The Naval War College facilitated the weeklong course, and this was the ninth annual CFMCC hosted by PACFLT since 2007.
The participants heard lectures on maritime security and took part in open-forum panel discussions facilitated by subject-matter experts to foster a better understanding of the various perspectives involved in a combined force.
The value of these cooperative relationships has been proven in recent months when the U.S. Navy operates with partners and allies during disasters such as responding to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines or in the search for missing airliners.
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Image: US Navy