Cable, Houston Welcome Distinguished Malaysian Visitors
By MC3 Corey Hensley
USS Frank Cable (AS 40) Public Affairs

Release Date: 02/3/2011

(SEPANGAR, Malaysia) – Sailors assigned to the submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) and Los Angeles class fast attack submarine USS Houston (SSN 713) welcomed Admirals of the Royal Malaysian Navy while inport.

First Adm. Anuwi, Commander of Naval Region 2, and First Adm. Rosland, Commander Royal Malaysian Navy Submarine Command, were both honored by side boys as they came aboard Cable.  Anuwi, Rosland and several other Malaysian officers were then personally escorted by Cable’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Thomas Stanley, and Cable’s Executive Officer, Cdr. Bruce Deshotel, to the Officer’s Wardroom.

Lt. Cdr. Shadrick Williams, acting Repair Officer of Cable, was present, along with Cable officers, as servicemembers from both organizations dined together and chatted about the similarities and differences of the two Navies.
“One of the biggest things to remember is that no matter what country we’re in, we’re all in the Armed Services, so that’s a common thread,” said Williams.  “Each country does not do things the exact same way.  But you learn in talking with people of the Armed Services in other countries, that there are a lot of similarities.”

After the lunch, the Malaysian officers toured the ship’s bridge, where Stanley talked about restorations, Military Sealift Command (MSC) integration, and Cable’s onboard repair facilities.  The men were shown the ship’s Periscope Repair Shop, Dive Chamber, and Carpenter, Sheet Metal, Pipe and Machine Shops where all work integral to submarine repair and service takes place.  The Malaysian officers were then escorted through the Houston, which was moored alongside the Cable.

Williams believes our presence in Malaysia to be very important to help maintain stability in this region, to support our allies, and help the flow of information.

“They started up a Navy so they can strengthen and secure their borders, and if we want them to be an ally, it would be in our best interest to share information with them, and train them,” Williams said.

Williams also stated that another reason behind the port visit was crew morale.  After having spent a weekend seeing the sites in a foreign port for the first time in over a year, quite a few Sailors volunteered their time to meet with their fellow Malaysian Sailors at a lunch held for all enlisted personnel.

Cable’s Command Master Chief Peter Kosloski attended the event and mingled with his own Sailors, as well as those from Malaysia’s Navy.  Kosloski said that it was a great opportunity for building a strong relationship with a foreign country and talk about common ideas.

“They have the exact same concerns that we have,” said Kosloski.  “They love their country, they love their family.  They want to provide for their families, they want to do what’s right for their country.  They want to do something that is honorable, and that’s why they chose to be Malaysian Sailors.  That’s a lot of the reasons why our young people choose to be American Sailors.”

Kosloski hopes that the time spent in Malaysia will be beneficial for both the U.S. Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy.  He said he wants the Malaysian Sailors to remember their experiences, and the interactions they had with the U.S. Sailors. 

“In the end, discussions about taking a Malaysian ship to go see a Navy port,”  said Kosloski, “Let’s have more U.S. Navy ships come to Malaysia, so we can do more of these team building events, sports events, and social events, help our Navies understand each other a lot better so that we can do future operations out at sea.”

For Williams, the Malaysia visit is also about showing off what the Cable’s capabilities are as a submarine tender.

“It shows the whole world that we can take our submarine tender to a foreign port, where we’re relying on a host nation, and we can bring a unit along side, and we can do work, we can make repairs,” said Williams.

Cable conducts maintenance and support of submarines and surface vessels deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility.