Wasp Completes Ammunition Offload
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS041104-01
Release Date: 11/4/2004 9:35:00 AM
By Journalist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Mark C. Schultz, USS Wasp Public Affairs
NAVAL WEAPONS STATION EARLE, N.J. (NNS) -- Now back from the first East Coast Expeditionary Strike Group deployment in support of the global war on terrorism, the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) offloaded what remained of its ammunition stores at Earle Naval Weapons Station, N.J., Oct. 23-28.
"We had more than 1.8 million rounds of munitions to offload," said Cmdr. James Hunter, Wasp's air boss. "This ammunition will be used by USS Kearsarge on its upcoming deployment."
The missiles, bombs, rockets and other ordnance were used by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit while operating in Afghanistan earlier this year.
"The Marines burned through a fair amount of ammunition, but they took less than a quarter of what we had on board," said Hunter. "They even left some in theater for the U.S. forces that relieved them. Before Sept. 11, using that much ammunition was unheard of."
Wasp is offloading a majority of its ammunition, keeping only enough for the ship's defense. The two-story ammunition magazines aboard will be virtually empty for the first time since November last year, finally bringing an end to Wasp's 2004 deployment.
Wasp is scheduled to conduct exercises with the Marine Corps' newest aircraft, the V-22 Osprey, in mid-November before its maintenance availability early next year.
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