US Marine task force participates in Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School

16 Jul 2020 | 1st Lt. Heather Chairez The Official United States Marine Corps Public Website

U.S. Marines and Sailor with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Southern Command participate in Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School, or NAVSCIATTS, at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, July 7-18.

12 Marines and a Sailor with the ground combat element were selected to participate in an exchange of tactics and procedures in order to enhance the task force’s riverine advisor skills that are specifically tied to U.S. Southern Command’s campaign objectives.

“The SPMAGTF-SC will walk away from NAVSCIATTS with a greatly enhanced understanding of small boat operations and joint naval operations planning,” said Maj. Tony Cox, ground combat element officer in charge of SPMAGTF-SC. “This will better prepare the task force to excel in the future operations of our mobile training teams’ instruction to partner nation service members.”

“We’ve had an outstanding two weeks aboard NAVSCIATTS. We will carry the skills we’ve gained and lessons learned forward, as we train with partner nations and continue to prepare for the next fight.” Gunnery Sgt. Kinuwan Sharpe, ground combat element senior enlisted leader of SPMAGTF-SC


NAVSCIATTS is U.S. Special Operations Command's Security Cooperation schoolhouse that provides strategic, tactical and operational courses to international military and law enforcement security professionals. The SPMAGTF-SC participated in information exchanges that included naval terminology, craft capabilities, riverine tactics, and immediate action drills, along with a final exercise that incorporated all the knowledge acquired throughout the course.

“We’ve had an outstanding two weeks aboard NAVSCIATTS,” said Gunnery Sgt. Kinuwan Sharpe, ground combat element senior enlisted leader of SPMAGTF-SC. “We will carry the skills we’ve gained and lessons learned forward, as we train with partner nations and continue to prepare for the next fight.”

This is the sixth consecutive year that SPMAGTF-SC has trained to deploy to the area of responsibility. The SPMAGTF-SC have mobile training teams with a mission to build a stronger partnership with the host nation militaries and to increase the proficiency and professionalism within their forces. NAVSCIATTS will expand the subject matter expertise within the task force, and enable them to share experiences with partner nation forces.

The task force is on standby to rapidly respond and assist partner nations with crisis response efforts throughout Lain American and the Caribbean.