Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group MED 03 Deployment
LHD-3 Kearsarge
"Proud, Trustworthy, Bold"
On 8 January 2002 KEARSARGE entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a four-month Planned Maintenance Availability that ended on 25 April that year. In July KEARSARGE made a port visit to Boston to participate in the annual Harborfest celebration over the 4th of July. On 10 October KEARSARGE participated in a unique exercise in the Gulf of Mexico to prove a new capability of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship - to support mine sweeping capabilities.
On January 12, 2003, with only 72 hours notice, KEARSARGE was deployed, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. It was the ship's fifth deployment. Serving as the Flagship for Rear Admiral Nowakowski, Commander, Amphibious Task Force EAST, and BGen Richard Natonski, Commanding General Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2D MEB) and Landing Force EAST, KEARSARGE carried more than 1,700 Marines from the 2D MEB to the Northern Arabian Gulf. KEARSARGE later became the Flagship for Commodore Gregg Jackson, Commander Amphibious Squadron EIGHT.
On 14 February KEARSARGE began off-loading the 2D MEB at Kuwaiti Naval Base. They joined up with Marines from the 1 MEB to become Task Force TARAWA. On 20 March, hostilities commenced, the name of the engagement was changed to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, and Task Force Tarawa crossed into Iraq and went to war. KEARSARGE remained off the coast of Iraq flying combat re-supply missions employing the CH-53E helicopters attached to the Condors of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron Four Sixty-Four (HMH 464).
On the way home from that history combat deployment, KEARSARGE also provided support to the President of the United States during his visits to Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt and Aqaba, Jordan during his summits with Arab leaders. Additionally, KEARSARGE was diverted from its homecoming track to the western coast of Africa to support Operation SHINING EXPRESS. KEARSARGE returned home on June 30, 2003.
Chronology
-
30 Jun 2003 - Return to Nofolk
28 Jun 2003 - Offload Marines at Morehead City
20 Jun 2003 - Atlantic Ocean
12 Jun 2003 - Positioned off Liberia
end May 2003 - Red Sea
14 Feb 2003 - Offload 2D MEB at Kuwaiti Naval Base
19 Mar 2003 - OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
04 Feb 2003 - Transit Suez
14 Jan 2003 - deploys w/ ATF-E
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
