Tarawa ESG WESTPAC 03 Deployment
LHA-1 Tarawa
"Eagle of the Sea"
Tarawa took part in RIMPAC 2002. Tarawa and USS Rushmore (LSD 47) embarked approximately 1,000 troops of the Special Purpose Marine Ground Task Force Three (SPMAGTF-3) from Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Among the force were 110 Singaporean Marines. Multinational units, including the Singaporean Marines on Tarawa, trained with the U.S. forces during the assault. They included participants from Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan and the Republic of Korea. Over 30 ships, 24 aircraft, and 11,000 Sailors, Marines, Soldiers and Airmen participated in this year's RIMPAC exercises.
USS Tarawa (LHA-1) left her berth Jan. 6, 2003 and headed west for a six-month deployment, amid the nation's continued preparations for the possibility of a conflict in the Arabian Gulf region. USS Tarawa led a force that included approximately 2,000 Sailors on three ships under the command of Capt. Ron Thomas, Commander, Amphibious Squadron Seven. The Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) included the dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) and the amphibious assault dock ship USS Duluth (LPD 6). The three ships carried a total of approximately 2,200 Marines from the Camp Pendleton-based 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).
This deployment was USS Tarawa's 12th Western Pacific deployment.
Since departing San Diego Jan. 6, 2003, the Tarawa steamed for three straight weeks underscoring the sense of importance behind this deployment.
The Tarawa docked in Signapore in the February of 2003. It was the first port call for the Tarawa ARG since the six-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean began Jan. 6.
USS Tarawa arrived off the coast of Kuwait in the North Arabian Gulf in late February of 2003, adding approximately 4,000 more Sailors and Marines to the rapidly growing American force in the region. Accompanying the San Diego-based amphibious assault ship are the dock landing ship USS Rushmore and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Duluth.
Tarawa served as the flagship for Task Force 51, under the command of Rear Adm. W. Clyde Marsh. Stationed in the Arabian Gulf during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Tarawa ARG provided critical support to the ground troops of the U.S. and coalition forces that pressed into southern Iraq and then north towards Baghdad.
The Tarawa made a port call to Bahrain in late May 2003. The visit to Bahrain was the second port of call for Tarawa since departing Jan. 6 for a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The first port visit came Jan. 30-31 to Singapore. This deployment marks the 12th Western Pacific deployment for Tarawa, which was commissioned in 1976.
After six months, thousands of nautical miles, one war, and several times in the national spotlight, more than 4,000 Sailors and Marines aboard the three San Diego-based ships of the USS Tarawa (LHA 1) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) returned home.
The combined 2,000 Sailors aboard Tarawa, the dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) and the amphibious assault dock ship USS Duluth (LPD 6) returned to Naval Station San Diego July 16.
All three ships of the Tarawa ARG participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom, bringing four M-1A1 main battle tanks, 16 light armored vehicles and 15 amphibious assault vehicles with the embarked Marines. The ships also brought various component commands that added 33 aircraft and seven landing craft to the multinational coalition effort.
Chronology
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16 Jul 2003 - Returns to San Diego
12 Jul 2003 - Offload MEU at Camp Pendleton
24 Jun 2003 - Coral Sea
20 Jun 2003 - Port Visit @ Townsville
04 Jun 2003 - Indian Ocean
19 Mar 2003 - OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
12 Feb 2003 - Disembark marines @ Kuwait
10 Feb 2003 - transit Strait of Hormuz
15 Jan 2003 - departs Pearl Harbor
mid Jan 2003 - port call @ Pearl Harbor 06 Jan 2003 - deploys for WESTPAC
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