• Military Menu                       

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

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

7th Fleet, Blue Ridge return to Yokosuka

7th Fleet News Release

Release Date: 12 May 2003

By 7th Fleet public affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan - After completing one of the largest exercises in the Western Pacific area of operations, the crew of the 7th Fleet command and control ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) returned here May 12 after nearly two months underway.

The 7th Fleet staff, embarked aboard Blue Ridge, successfully completed Exercise Tandem Thrust 03. Tandem Thrust is a biennial exercise designed to test the 7th Fleet commander's staff's ability to effectively plan and execute crisis contingency response operations as a joint task force commander. Although service members from the United States were the primary participants, forces from Australia and Canada also took part in the nearly three-week exercise, which ran from April 14 - May 5.

According to Vice Adm. Robert F. Willard, commander of 7th Fleet, and the commander of the Tandem Thrust joint task force, Tandem Thrust epitomizes the direction defensive strategies, warfighting capabilities and military operations are headed.

"I think Tandem Thrust was very, very successful," Willard said. "Very basically, we don't operate in the real world as just a naval force any longer. Virtually everything we do, and this is especially true of the (forward deployed naval forces), is either joint, with other services involved, or combined, with our allies. The tenets of joint warfare are also applied to combined warfare, and essentially we don't do anything else. That's the way we operate in the real world."

During the early portion of the deployment, Capt. Andrew G. Sevald turned over command of Blue Ridge to Capt. J. Stephen Maynard during a change of command ceremony in Singapore on March 28.

Blue Ridge also visited Guam and Saipan, two islands in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, during the deployment. Blue Ridge and 7th Fleet Sailors hosted local civilian and military dignitaries during a reception on board Blue Ridge during one of several visits to Guam. The staff and crew also had the opportunity to enjoy activities such as sightseeing, athletic events and shopping.

Seventh Fleet is commanded by Vice Adm. Robert Willard. Blue Ridge is commanded by Capt. J. Stephen Maynard, and has a complement of nearly 1,000 crewmembers and embarked staff.