MSC hosts Estonian defense ministers

NAPLES, Italy (USTCNS) --- Prior to its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, visiting a U.S. Navy cargo vessel — packed with military hardware — anchored just off the Estonian coast, would have been unthinkable.

But, times have changed, and eleven years later, the former Soviet satellite state is now vying for membership in NATO.

So, at the invitation of Capt. Stephen P. Curtis, USN, Commander of the Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron One, or MPSRON One, and the U.S. Embassy in Estonia, two senior Estonian government officials paid a visit to the MV 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo Aug. 30, while the ship was anchored just off the capital city of Tallinn.

First aboard, former defense and foreign minister, Juri Luik, who currently serves as an advisor to the Estonian Foreign Minister on NATO issues. Luik served as the Baltic nation’s defense minister until February of this year, leaving his post due to an election and change in government. Prior, he held the post of Estonia’s foreign minister.

Along with ship’s master Capt. Michael Faraday, Curtis led the tour, which included the ship’s six cargo decks. Bobo is a commercial cargo vessel under long-term contract to the Navy’s Military Sealift Command. The ship’s mission is to quickly off-load military equipment to support troops overseas in response to a crisis — either war or humanitarian disasters.

Later the same day, current defense minister Sven Mikser came aboard for discussions with the MPSRON staff and tour of the vessel. Accompanying Mikser were Madis Mikko, head of media and information for the Estonian defense ministry, Juri Parbo, the defense ministry’s deputy chancellor of logistics, Tanel Rigno, chief of the defense logistics branch, and senior advisor to Minister Mikser, Christian Marc-Liflander.

Both Luik and Mikser had the opportunity to see 800 million-dollars worth of the most advanced U.S. Marine Corps military ‘hardware’ up close: M1-A1 Abrams tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, humvees, howitzers, and containers carrying everything from meals-ready-to-eat to medical supplies — anything the Marines need to fight a war a long way from home.

“It was a great honor to have the current and previous defense ministers aboard — all in one day,” said Curtis. “It’s certainly a rare opportunity.”

Bobo is named after a former U.S. Medal of Honor winner, and serves as the squadron’s flagship. With eight military personnel aboard, the ship is crewed and operated by 29 merchant mariners under contract to MSC. Bobo is 673 ft. in length, has a beam of 105 ft., and displaces 46,111 long tons.