NLSC Member on assignment off the African coast

In May, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Forward, set sail from its homeport in Portsmouth, Va., across the Atlantic. Forward will conduct maritime security and safety exchanges with countries along the west coast of Africa as part of the African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership mission.



And a Mandarin-speaking NLSC member is on the Forward. YiYi Johnson, joined the Cutter Forward on July 9, using her language skills to assist in the Forward's mission.

“All the excitement is overwhelming, but I’m coping with it,” she said. “I haven’t been to Africa before. I was on the road when the NLSC sent the email. I emailed ‘count me in’ right then and there. I haven’t been to Africa before, so I had to volunteer”.

During the three-month mission, the 270-foot Forward and its crew will work with such countries as Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Liberia, Guinea and Senegal in support of the Navy’s 6th Fleet. Through various activities and exchanges they will focus on offshore operations in support of the host country’s efforts to stem illicit maritime activity and bolster maritime security and safety.

Ms. Johnson added that she loves different cultures, so when she has opportunities to go ashore in these countries, she plans to check out the local area and people, to “see how they live, their cultures and customs”.