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Tarawa Sailors, Marines Complete RIMPAC Exercises

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040723-18
Release Date: 7/23/2004 9:40:00 PM

From USS Tarawa Public Affairs

ABOARD USS TARAWA (NNS) -- The crew of USS Tarawa (LHA 1) (Big T) helped embarked Marines rescue a mock embassy staff under siege in the notional country of "Green," evacuating 160 people after unruly protesters began lobbing tennis balls, sticks and water balloons to simulate dangerous objects, July 14.

Six days later, Tarawa's crew launched a Marine landing force ashore in Green (Bellows Beach in Kauai) to repel a notional group of extremists from the nearby and equally notional country of "Orange."

The exercises, known as a noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO) and an amphibious assault operation respectively, highlighted Tarawa's participation in the 2004 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercises off the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

"The NEO exercise is an increasingly important mission, given the security threats in overseas countries," said Tarawa crew member Cmdr. Dan Granados, who coordinated Tarawa's role in the NEO exercise. "Although not a direct military mission, it involves both the Marines and Navy to ensure it is accomplished effectively and efficiently."

During the evacuation operation July 14, Tarawa Sailors received, processed, and provided food and water for the evacuees after they were flown to the ship. Once aboard, the role players dressed as civilian evacuees moved through a line in the hangar bay, where Personnelman 2nd Class Lanelle Hawthorne and five of her Tarawa shipmates assisted them.

"We checked them in and helped them get settled on the ship," said Hawthorne, a 27-year-old native of Kauai. "This helped me to get better prepared. If we ever had a real emergency, I would know what to expect."

Meanwhile, another Tarawa NEO participant, Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Pat Egan, helped provide security for the check-in process, making sure that no one had brought weapons.

"We checked the evacuees out when they got aboard, frisked them, and made sure they had no weapons," said Egan. "This was good training to make sure that if we took on evacuees that there would be no sleeper terrorists."

Just one part of the overall RIMPAC 2004 exercises, the NEO prepares all participants for similar real-world situations. The exercises also helped build relations between the participating nations, a predominant theme of RIMPAC, according to Tarawa Commanding Officer, Capt. John Riley.

"We had the opportunity on the Big T to host several observers from Singapore, Mexico and Australia during the NEO," said Riley. "It was a good chance for them to see an amphibious assault ship in action from our perspective."

"It was a very informative experience to see how you operate and how you do business. This was very systematic," said Singaporean naval officer Lt. Col. Joe Cheong, one of two Singaporean observers who watched the exercise inside Tarawa's hangar bay.

"We are observing right now, but in the future, this is something in which we would like to participate," said Mexican Cmdr. Jose Barradas, one of two Mexican naval officers who also observed the NEO in Tarawa's hangar bay.

This year's RIMPAC, conducted from June 29 to July 27 off the coast of Hawaii, is the 19th of a series of Pacific naval exercises that began in 1971. Among the countries participating this year are Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.