• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Exercise Prepares Tarawa Sailors, Marines for Deployment

Navy Newsstand

Release Date: 11/06/2002

From USS Tarawa Public Affairs

ABOARD USS TARAWA, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Tarawa (LHA 1) had the feel of a warship ready for something important.

As the ship steamed off the coast of Southern California, sights and sounds that hadn't filled her spaces since the previous deployment in 2000 began to reappear. Harrier jets roared off the flight deck, Sailors busily performed aircraft maintenance in the hangar bay, and Marines, packed with combat gear, loaded onto landing craft in the well deck.

All of this took place as part of the Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) from Oct. 21-31. The exercise marked the first of three major training evolutions to prepare the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to deploy with the Tarawa Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) -- the amphibious assault ship Tarawa, the dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) and the amphibious assault dock USS Duluth (LPD 6), under the command of Commander, Amphibious Squadron Seven.

"This is the first phase towards certifying the 15th MEU to deploy aboard Tarawa," said Capt. Jay Bowling, the ship's commanding officer. "This is the first time in our interdeployment training cycle that we, as an amphibious assault ship, worked with the Marines to get them ready for deployment. Basically, we're ironing out operational issues."

As the exercise progressed, the crew quickly adapted to the routine of a ship preparing for deployment. Down in the well deck, Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Joel Smith observed the landing craft packed with Marines as they headed for shore as part of the exercise.

"This training helps prepares us for operations we could face during deployment," said Smith, a safety observer who watches out for such things as a boat line possibly under too much strain or a Sailor not focusing on the job at hand. "With the experience we get here, we're more prepared to man up at a moment's notice, and operate the well deck safely and effectively to move the Marines and their equipment."

One person whose job helps bring the Navy "blue" and the Marine "green" sides together during joint operations is Gunnery Sgt. Dennis Grimm, a member of Tarawa's combat cargo department. Grimm's department helps coordinate the movement of troops and material on and off the ship.

"Transferring equipment and personnel takes a lot of coordination between operations on the flight deck and down in the well deck, so we've got to learn to get it right, here and now," said Grimm. "Exercises like this one teach us how, because when we get to the other side of the world there won't be any second chances to get it right."