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USS Tarawa Crew Trains, Maintains Readiness

By Chief Journalist William Polson, USS Tarawa Public Affairs

Story Number: NNS030205-02
Release Date: 2/5/2003 12:00:00 PM

ABOARD USS TARAWA, At Sea (NNS) -- There's a sense of something both important and urgent these days aboard USS Tarawa (LHA 1).

As the amphibious assault ship steams westward through the Pacific Ocean on a routine six-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf, a sense of urgency can be seen around the ship in various forms.

The flight deck is more active than usual, as embarked Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) practice small arms fire. During other times, a rainbow of blue, yellow and red-shirted airmen orchestrate a seemingly never-ending cycle of flight operations.

"We're much busier now than before deployment," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Kelly Owens, a division leading petty officer in Tarawa's air department. "The flight schedule changes often, and it seems like we constantly have additions to the schedule that weren't there the night before. This is the kind of increased operations tempo we'll see in the Gulf."

Meanwhile, almost daily, the crew trains at general quarters and firefighting drills. In the hangar bay, it's not uncommon to see mechanics working fervently to fix a broken item or replace a part. Gun mounts, where the 25mm chain guns sat quietly for a long time in port, now buzz with watches around the clock.

"Our department has been doing more weapons training," said Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Christopher White.

The tempo of everything seems to have increased as Tarawa leads a group of three amphibious warships, including the dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) and the amphibious assault dock ship USS Duluth (LPD 6). Since departing San Diego Jan. 6, they have steamed for three straight weeks underscoring the sense of importance behind this deployment.

"What this crew may face in the near future cannot be understated. They watch the news, they know what's going on. They sense the urgency and the importance of what's ahead," said Tarawa Commanding Officer Capt. Jay Bowling. "But they've had the best training that money can buy. I have no doubt that they're ready for whatever comes."