Groves Celebrates Success, Returns Home

USS Stephen W. Groves, along with Portuguese frigate Alvares Cabral (F331) and German auxiliary ship Rhoen (A1443), visited Lisbon, Portugal in July for the formation of Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG-1). Reforming after the summer dispersal of the NATO group, the three ships used this opportunity to plan for the upcoming Mediterranean surge deployment and to enjoy the first of many exciting port visits.

In August, Stephen W. Groves and her sister ships enjoyed a brief port visit in Cadiz, Spain and then conducted a wide variety of information operations, maritime security spotchecks, and maritime surveillance operations in the Western Mediterranean Sea in support of NATO Operation Active Endeavor. Each of these missions focused on developing a cooperative relationship with the Mediterranean maritime community and protecting freedom of navigation within the NATO area of operations. The group communicated with hundreds of merchant vessels and promoted the policies of the NATO Shipping Center. One tactical watchstander noted, "These commercial ships seem very interested in the information we have to offer about maintaining a safe maritime environment. They express their gratitude for our presence here and offer a lot of insight into what they're seeing in the Med on a day-to-day basis." The ship's Visit, Board, Search, and Salvage (VBSS) team also conducted five compliant spotcheck boardings, which aimed to verify cargo manifests, personnel documentation, and sanitation conditions.

Following Active Endeavor, SNMG-1 visited the French ports of Marseille and Toulon. The crew of Stephen W. Groves hosted a force reception in Marseille, which was well-attended by the NATO group, local dignitaries, and members of the Navy League chapter. In Toulon, the Navy League arranged several remarkable cultural opportunities for the crew, including winery visits and regional tours.

Exercise Loyal Midas came next for SNMG-1. This multi-national training operation included more than 20 NATO surface combatants, submarines, and air units. Throughout the exercise, Stephen W. Groves conducted undersea warfare exercises, maritime interdiction operations, gunnery exercises, and refueling-at-sea evolutions. Each of these events was designed to test the ship's proficiency and improve the integrated performance of the NATO Reaction Force. The scenario intensified over a two week period, requiring the NATO force to continually respond to changing geopolitical and humanitarian factors. This dynamic context provided an excellent training opportunity by forcing the ships to maintain a balance between heightened operational readiness and a stable, de-escalatory peacekeeping posture.

Stephen W. Groves and her sister ships continued to build upon their strong cohesion while supporting a second Active Endeavor surge in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The crew enjoyed port visits to Augusta Bay, Sicily and Souda Bay, Crete, which included a highly successful beach cleanup community relations project.

In early November, Stephen W. Groves transited south through the Suez Canal and Red Sea and arrived on station in the Gulf of Aden to support the final operation of her NATO deployment. The SNMG-1 staff relieved Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG-2) as Commander Task Force 508 (CTF 508) and assumed responsibility for NATO's counter-piracy efforts. In support of Operation Ocean Shield, Stephen W. Groves and her sister ships conducted a wide variety of information operations, counter-piracy patrols, and maritime surveillance operations along the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden.

Each of these missions focuses on deterring piracy, developing cooperative relationships with other international maritime forces, and protecting commercial shipping and ensuring freedom of navigation within one of the world's most heavily traveled straits.

One of the most unique and promising facets of Operation Ocean Shield was the chance to work with non-NATO maritime partners in the counter-piracy initiative. Naval surface and air assets from around the world patrolled the IRTC and nearby Somali Basin, often coordinating with NATO and sharing information about high interest shipping traffic and suspected piratical activity.

Throughout the deployment, Stephen W. Groves Sailors sought to meet new challenges and increase mission readiness. Their contributions were vital to the NATO group's operational success.

After an exciting five-month SNMG-1 deployment, the sailors of Stephen W. Groves remember recent success, celebrate a well-deserved homecoming, and look forward to future opportunities for excellence. Operations Officer Lt. Arlen Rose concludes, "Groves came here to support and serve the NATO missions, and I believe we have accomplished our goals in all facets."