Recently, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) members at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville welcomed eight foreign navies for a conference produced entirely by U.S. Navy reservists.

The Specialized Inter-American Naval Conference on Naval Control of Shipping (SIANC-NCS) is an off-set of the bi-annual Inter-American Naval Conference (IANC) and is usually held at rotating host nations every other year.

Within the U.S. Navy, the directives produced by the IANC are exclusively managed by the Navy Reserve through the Navy's Naval Cooperation for Guidance and Shipping (NCAGS) organizations. In accordance with that precedent and as a showcase of the broad breadth of capacities in our reserve force, the conference itself was managed entirely by reservists from Buffalo, New York; Chicago; Houston; New York; Norfolk, and Washington, D.C. among other cities.

The reservists, who have been planning every aspect of the international conference since February, fulfilled the mission of the Navy Reserve's mission to "deliver strategic depth and operational capability." Proving that depth and capability, the 23-person team was comprised of industry executives, New York City police officers, Harvard graduates, exotic pet distributors, aestheticians, food service staff, Fulbright Scholars, and champion runners.

That capacity was recognized and appreciated by the naval delegations in attendance.

Capt. Jesus Lopez Vallejo of the Mexican Navy described his impressions of reservist Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Bravo.

"Tony is an excellent example - he was there the moment I arrived in Florida, helped us overcome a tri-lingual language barrier throughout the conference, and ensured I had a positive firsthand experience with the U.S. Navy," said Vallejo.

Vallejo was surprised to learn that Bravo was a reservist.

"Reservists' ability to be a civilian and then a Navy officer the next day is very impressive," said Vallejo. "If reservists didn't exist our national friendships wouldn't exist."

Lt. Cmdr. Bravo, an engineer with Broken Hill Proprietary Billiton Completions, said agreed.

"The skillsets we develop in our civilian roles enhance our military training and enable us to quickly adapt to any scenario," said Bravo. "We are ready now, anytime, anywhere,"

This year marked the first time in more than 12 Years the U.S. has hosted the conference, which first convened in 1959. NAS Jacksonville was selected due to its importance to the U.S. Navy and waterway shipping, and all that Jacksonville offers as a destination conference city. The conference underscores the U.S. Navy's position as a key contributor to inter-American shipping as well as the value the Navy places on its productive maritime partnerships.

This year's conference focused on the sharing of knowledge, the exchange of ideas, and the development of insights among each country's navy towards greater hemispheric solidarity. In addition to the U.S., navies represented included those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Over the course of the conference, each attending nation delivered a presentation focused on the year's theme, "Exchanging Information to Strengthen Partnerships."

Rear Adm. Chris Sadler, USFFC reserve deputy director of maritime operations served as senior U.S. Navy representative.

"This conference is a great example of how we support the fleet," said Sadler. "Since NCAGS is a 100 percent reserve mission, it only makes sense that we should play such a large role in this conference. The maritime shipping and language expertise our reservists bring to the plate are essential to getting the job done and building the relationships that are so valuable in working with our partner navies."

Among the non-conference activities the team planned for delegates was a static display of the P8 Poseidon aircraft hosted by Patrol Squadron 16 (VP-16), a trip to American retail shops, and eating American hot dogs in American baseball caps at a Jacksonville Suns game.

Sadler commented on the conference's importance in building and sustaining international partnerships and readiness. "Trust cannot be surged," said Sadler, quoting a familiar saying.
As intended, and with the help of reservists, this conference has reinforced both.

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