USS Comstock, Anchorage Return Home
Story Number: NNS030702-09
7/2/2003
By By Lt. j.g. Patrick Drain, USS Comstock Public Affairs
NAVAL STATION SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Amphibious warships USS Comstock (LSD 45) and USS Anchorage (LSD 36) are returning to San Diego July 3, ending a successful six-month deployment supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The embarked Marines will return to Camp Pendleton July 2.
Comstock and Anchorage also rescued five Filipino fishermen June 9, who were stranded at sea 313 miles off the Philippine coast since May 15.
The homecoming marks the end of a surge deployment to the Northern Arabian Gulf that began January 17, when a total of seven ships deployed from San Diego as Amphibious Task Force West (AFT West), carrying Marines and equipment to the Arabian Gulf. Comstock and Anchorage carried Marines from 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance and 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Division.
Thursday's homecoming signifies the first San Diego-based amphibious ships to return from combat. Comstock and Anchorage are returning ahead of the rest of ATF West to facilitate the decommissioning of Anchorage October 1, and to ready Comstock for a 2004 deployment with the USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) Amphibious Ready Group.
Comstock held a unique double mission in OIF. Following the Marine offload at Kuwait Naval Base in February, Comstock supported Maritime Environmental Response Operations (MERO) in preparation to mitigate any attempt by Iraqi forces to engage in environmental terrorism by dumping crude oil into the North Arabian Gulf, as happened in 1991. Comstock, acting as the MERO "Mother Ship," teamed up with assets from the U.S. Coast Guard and Naval Supervisor of Salvage. Instead of carrying traditional Navy landing craft and Marine Corps combat equipment, Comstock carried Class V oil skimmers and boom handling boats, as well as a number of U.S. Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs).
During the opening days of the war, Comstock and her embarked MERO team hovered on station in the Northern Arabian Gulf -- ready to respond to any actions by the Iraqi regime -- until the oil terminals were secured by coalition forces.
Anchorage also disembarked Marines in late February, and on March 8, commenced logistical support of the Gulf Oil Platforms (GOPLATs) of Mina Al Bakr Offshore Terminal and Khawr Abd Allah Offshore Terminal in the Northern Arabian Gulf. They assisted U.S. Coast Guard personnel assigned to protect the platforms by providing daily quality of life amenities, such as hot showers, three meals a day and bunks to sleep in.
In addition to supporting the GOPLAT mission, Anchorage's crew conducted a "Desert Tortoise" run for all of the ships in ATF West. This tasking involved loading-up with mail, supplies and Sailors in Bahrain (over 100,000 lbs. of mail, 232 pallets of cargo, and 71 Sailors), and then delivering this cargo and transferring the Sailors to the amphibious ships patrolling the Northern Arabian Gulf.
In early May, Anchorage and Comstock returned to the waters off Kuwait Naval Base to backload Marines returning from Iraq. Comstock embarked 234 Marines of 1st Artillery Battalion, 11th Marines; and Anchorage embarked 198 Marines attached to 1st Battalion, RECON, and Engineers Battalion.
Comstock made port visits to Guam, Bahrain, and Hawaii; and Anchorage made a port visit to Bahrain and Hawaii during their deployment.
For related news, visit the Commander Amphibious Group Three Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cpg3.
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