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Kearsarge Underway CASREP-Free

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050330-05
Release Date: 3/30/2005 10:13:00 AM

By Chief Journalist (SW/AW) Dave Nagle, USS Kearsarge Public Affairs

ABOARD USS KEARSARGE, At Sea (NNS) -- The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) marked its first casualty report (CASREP)-free day in recent history March 27.

Kearsarge, which deployed March 25, marked the milestone with a cake cutting.

A CASREP is generated when a shipboard engineering or electronic equipment component is degraded or not functioning, that has an impact on the ship's ability to carry out its mission.

"If you operate equipment for any length of time, something will eventually require repair," said Lt. j.g. John St. John, Kearsarge's electronics maintenance officer. "So, it's normal for a ship to have a CASREP. But this is the first time in two-and-a-half years that we've been CASREP-free."

This is a significant accomplishment, considering Kearsarge's operational tempo during the last few years, said the ship's commanding officer.

"This is our third deployment in two years," said Capt. Luke Parent. "We surge deployed on short notice twice, first in January 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and then in June 2004 to move elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit to U.S. Central Command. As soon as we returned from that lift mission, we immediately moved into our training and work-up cycle for this deployment. So this ship and its equipment have seen a lot of use."

This milestone wouldn't be possible, Parent noted, without the hard work and dedication of Kearsarge's engineering and maintenance personnel, who maintain high standards while executing planned maintenance. High standards and adherence to published operating procedures are not just platitudes on Kearsarge, he said. They are an everyday fact of life, or this mission would not be possible.

"This crew understands that Kearsarge needs to be ready to go anytime, anywhere to support any mission," said Parent. "Team Kearsarge has put in a lot of extra hours and effort to clear our CASREPs, ensure all of our systems are in top working order and ensure we are at our best state of readiness to carry out any mission. I'm extremely proud of their work."

Kearsarge is deployed as the flagship for the Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group, on a regularly scheduled deployment in support of the global war on terrorism.