Proving the value of forward presence by the Navy and Marine Corps team, both ships remain nearby in the Adriatic Sea and are available to support the U.S Embassy if required. More Americans may be evacuated should conditions require. The State Department Thursday recommended Americans leave Albania because continuing disorder has made the country unsafe. The U.S. Embassy intends to maintain operations with a reduced staff. The nine-day program will test Seawolf's combat and navigation systems and verify ship handling, sonar, fire control and towed array handling systems.
Hawkeye aircraft locate and track contacts in the air.
Third Fleet is testing naval command and control concepts and new technologies to help shape future warfighting techniques. The battle experiment is being conducted at the same time as the Marine Corps' Hunter Warrior Advance Warfighting Experiment. More than 3,600 pieces of equipment ranging from giant road scrapers, bulldozers, cranes and trucks, to Morale Welfare and Recreation equipment, tents and camouflage gear were transferred to requesting Navy commands at virtually no cost to the recipient. The reserve team will close their activity, the Navy's Transportation Equipment Management Center on Sept. 30. Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton, will be the speaker at the ceremony.