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Essex, 31st MEU Enjoy Phuket Port Visit

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050324-04
Release Date: 3/24/2005 10:23:00 AM

By Chief Journalist (SW/AW) Christina Johnson, USS Essex Public Affairs

USS ESSEX, At sea (NNS) -- USS Essex (LHD 2) crew members and embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) personnel wrapped up a four-day port visit to Phuket, Thailand, Mar. 23.

The majority of Essex Sailors and 31st MEU personnel spent most of the visit in Patong Beach, one of the coastal areas most heavily damaged by the Dec. 26 tsunami, now largely restored.

"They did a good job cleaning up the area," said Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class Eric J. Keef. "It didn't look like a tsunami had hit the area nearly three months ago. I would have liked to have had more time to take advantage of everything the area had to offer."

Some of the offerings during the four-day period included elephant rides, whitewater rafting, and a Thai cultural tour that featured animals indigenous to Thailand.

"I thought the [cultural] tour was fascinating," said Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) 3rd Class Alexis L. Mille. "I especially liked the monkeys, because we were able to get close and feed them peanuts. It was pretty cool to see a water buffalo, too."

According to Essex Commanding Officer Capt. Martin J. Keaney, Phuket was a perfect choice for a port visit.

"Phuket has remained one of the best tourism values in the world. Our Sailors and Marines enjoyed high quality first-class food, accommodations and entertainment at very reasonable prices."

This was also the perfect opportunity for Navy and Marine Corps personnel to show the rest of the world that Phuket was open for business.

"As the local officials and merchants told many of us," he said, "this is now the best tsunami relief the U.S. Navy could possibly send to Phuket - tourists!"

Essex continues the transit home after being deployed for eight months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and delivering humanitarian relief supplies to the northern areas of Sumatra as part of Operation Unified Assistance. Essex is the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship, based out of Sasebo, Japan, and the flagship for the forward deployed expeditionary strike group.