Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) arrived in Hawaii for the last port visit during its Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) deployment, Sept. 30.

Rushmore departed San Diego Aug.14, to begin its transit to the South Pacific to conduct maritime security operations. Rushmore remained under U.S. 3rd Fleet control for the entirety of the deployment, including beyond the international dateline, which previously divided operational areas of responsibility for U.S. 3rd and 7th fleets.

"The 2017 Oceania Maritime Security Initiative was enormously successful due to the seamless integration of the USS Rushmore (LSD 47) and USCG LEDET (U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment) 401," said Lt. David Steele, officer in charge of LEDET 401. "Patrolling some of the most remote waters in the world, we built maritime domain awareness, enforced international fisheries regulations and ensured the sustainability of regional fisheries."

"We left for OMSI with several goals in mind to include, a seamless integration with our U.S. Coast Guard counterparts and positive interaction with foreign entities" said Cmdr. John Ryan, Rushmore commanding officer. "OMSI provided a great opportunity for the Rushmore crew and U.S. Coast Guard LEDET to promote economic stability throughout Oceania and strengthen our strategic partnerships in the area. I am proud of the work the crew has done over the past two months training, qualifying and bringing Rushmore back in a better material condition than when she left."

The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for patrolling the waters around numerous islands associated with the United States throughout the region. Each of these islands has territorial waters stretching out to 12 miles from shore. Beyond that, stretching out to 200 nautical miles is an Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), an area defined by international law that allows each nation exclusive rights to the exploration and use of marine resources. Oceania contains 43 percent or approximately 1.3 million square miles, of United States' EEZs.

OMSI is a secretary of defense program aimed to diminish transnational illegal activity on the high seas in the Pacific Island Nations of Oceania's EEZ and to enhance regional security and inoperability with partner nations.

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. Third Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations.

For more information on U.S. 3rd Fleet visit www.facebook.com/ThirdFleet/

For more information for the USS Rushmore, visit http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/lsd47/Pages/default.aspx