USS John L. Hall Completes Theater Security Cooperation port visits to Poti and Batumi, Georgia
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BATUMI, Georgia — USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) completed a pair of successful Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) port visits to Poti and Batumi, Georgia Mar. 4.
From Feb. 25 to Mar. 4, John L. Hall's sailors conducted multiple training sessions with the Georgian Coast Guard including first aid, damage control, search and rescue (SAR), rescue and assistance (R&A), and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) tactics.
"In Poti, we did some classroom training on the firefighting ensemble and self contained breathing apparatus and conducted a walkthrough of a R&A drill where we integrated the two teams so that it was half Georgian Coast Guard and half John L. Hall sailors," said Lt. j.g. Kim Koss, John L. Hall's damage control assistant. "The next day of training, they were able to conduct the R&A on their own and simulated fighting a flammable liquid fire after transporting their equipment to another ship." John L. Hall sailors were able to take liberty in Batumi. They painted and cleaned a local orphanage as a community relations project, played Georgian coastguardsmen in a soccer game and attended several Georgian-hosted cultural tours.
John L. Hall also hosted a reception for United States Ambassador to Georgia John Bass, and several Georgian officials, including Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili, Deputy Defense Minister Nick Vashakidze, and Maj. Gen. Zaza Gogava, commander of the Georgian Border Guard.
Upon arrival in Batumi, Cmdr. Derek M. Lavan, John L. Hall's commanding officer, and Master Chief Petty Officer Dion Beauchamp, John L. Hall's command master chief, attended a welcoming ceremony on the pier featuring the national anthems of the United States and Georgia, traditional Georgian dances by a group of local children, and the presentation of small bowls of wine as a welcoming gift.
"The Georgians were amazingly warm and genuine hosts," said Lavan. "I have never been to a country where we were as welcomed and made to feel at home as Georgia; people went out of their way to take care of my Sailors. Their coast guard was incredibly eager to train with us and learn."
Approximately 60 sailors were invited to one of two traditional Georgian supras, which are feasts held in their honor involving local cuisine, homemade Georgian wine, toasting and dancing. One supra was hosted by the mayor of Batumi while another was hosted by Gogava.
"This was my second supra since I was here in 2008; what a great time to get to know your host on a personal level and enjoy some of the best food I have ever eaten," said Beauchamp. "We all had a great time and learned so much about the Georgian culture and traditions." John L. Hall is conducting a scheduled deployment to the 6th Fleet area of responsibility and is homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
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