Forward from the Atlantic
Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, is responsible for manning, training and equipping the U.S. Navy ships stationed stateside on the East Coast, as well as forward deployed assets in Bahrain, Spain and at the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System in Romania and Poland. SURFLANT is composed of 77 ships and 31 shore commands.
Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (COMSURFLANT), is one of the six U.S. naval type commands (TYCOMS) that was established in 1975 as a consolidation of the cruiser-Destroyer, Amphibious, and Service Forces, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. In addition to SURFLANT's 60-plus ships, there are special mission and fleet support units that make up the more than 29 commands of the force. Our approximately 25,000 personnel are stationed both stateside and on the high seas (from the Norwegian Sea in the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea). Additionally, SURFLANT provides a critical element to drug interdiction operations in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific.
Our cruisers, destroyers, and frigates maintain constant readiness to engage enemy land targets, aircraft, ships, and submarines. Our amphibious ships, with embarked U.S. Marines, project sea power ashore by maintaining the capability of landing the U.S. Marines by helicopters, amphibious track vehicles, air cushion landing craft, and assault craft whenever and wherever the need arises.
The Naval Beach Group, consisting of the amphibious Seabees, a beach master unit, and assault craft units, provide essential pre- and post-landing support to our amphibious forces.
In summary, the widely diversified and specialized command is an important instrument of national policy in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, and the Persian Gulf. "To Go in Harm's Way" in defense of the principles of freedom and democracy has been the rally call of our Sailors for over 200 years.