Riverine Squadron 3 Deploys to Iraq

Riverine Squadron 3 represents the third riverine unit to deploy to Iraq since last March. It is good to see this capability back in the Navy.

The Navy stopped active-duty inland and coastal patrols after Vietnam. Last year, they reclaimed the mission, taking over river patrols for an overburdened Marine Corps.

On Sunday, about 150 sailors from Riverine Squadron 3 left for Iraq - the third unit to deploy since last March. Jordan left the command Monday in a ceremony at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base.

Jordan started the group a little more than two years ago with a few dozen sailors and borrowed office space. Thirteen months into the mission, the squadrons have conducted 800 combat operations with more than 200 shoreline sweeps, discovering nearly 100 weapons caches. They have worked with Iraqi forces, with the goal of training them to take over the patrols in western al Anbar province.

Then the article reminds us that the Navy still has some work to do to improve this capability.

The Cold War strategy of warships battling in deep seas needs to be supplemented by a force than can secure harbors, ports and rivers, Tillotson said. “We need to be there,” he said.

Petty Officer 3rd Class David Smith came straight from advanced training into the first squadron. Smith, an engine mechanic, said the new squadron had to come to terms with worn equipment and a new mission.

We like that the Navy has taken a slow approach to reestablishment for riverine. It has to be built, and there should be deployments before major investment to get a feel for what is needed, and desired, to enhance the capability. However, the Navy should start increasing a budget commitment beginning in FY10 or FY11 if the Navy is serious about the riverine capability. Considering both years will likely be tight budgets, the discussion needs to begin now in Congress. Clearly riverine isn't expensive compared to building warships, but in tight budgets even small sums get hard to come by.

We believe the future riverine forces will require integration with the blue water forces, specifically we believe LPD-17 well deck deployment capability will be very important. It is noteworthy Nigeria is of the most strategically important energy sources for the United States, and is also a River Delta. With the insurgency bubbling in that region, which is also the top region in the world regarding piracy, the Navy needs to be looking sooner rather than later for budget investments in riverine forces, because it needs to be available when called upon.