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Ghostriders Finish Last Major Underway Aboard USS Mount Whitney

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS051014-11
Release Date: 10/14/2005 3:47:00 PM

By Journalist 1st Class Eric Brown, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Commmander, U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

NAPLES, Italy (NNS) -- The NATO exercise Destined Glory (Loyal Midas) 2005, which ran from Sept. 29 to Oct. 14 in the Thyrrenian Sea near Sardinia, marked the end of an era for Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 2, Detachment 1, the Ghostriders, as their last major underway period.

Since 1987, the Ghostriders have served the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet flagship – both USS LaSalle (AGF 3) and USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20) - in Gaeta, Italy. In the early weeks of November, the 20 Ghostriders and their UH-3H Sea King helicopter will be leaving the amphibious joint command and control ship for good.

“I think we’ll be remembered well,” said Lt. Cmdr. Steven Miller, the detachment’s officer in charge. “We can move a lot of people and a lot of mail and cargo without having to make multiple runs. We keep the bird shiny, we’re always on time and we always provide good service. That’s our legacy.”

During Destined Glory, the helicopter detachment and their Sea King flew 23 flights, which carried 155 passengers and 7,500 pounds of cargo.

The Ghostriders will be replaced aboard Mount Whitney by Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 28, Detachment 7, which will be using the MH-60S helicopter to support 6th Fleet.

"The primary reason behind these changes is because it is a new age, and the Navy has new helicopters,” Miller explained. “The Sea King is going away. It’s been serving the U.S. Navy since 1962.

“It started off as an antisubmarine warfare platform, hunting submarines and dropping sonar buoys. Eventually, the Sea King became a utility aircraft, moving around people, mail and cargo in support of different units throughout the fleet. The airframes are very old - this helicopter we have on board has nearly 15,000 hours on it.”

The Ghostriders’ presence will be missed aboard the 6th Fleet flagship, said Lt. Cmdr. Steven Hull, executive officer of Mount Whitney.

“They continually provided flawless service to the ship and to the fleet commander,” he noted. “The Ghostriders represent American muscle at its finest; they are able to do any type of mission, whether it’s surveillance, search and rescue, force protection or doing pony runs to get our mail. "

“They have never once been late or unable to complete a mission based on the ability of the aircraft or personnel issues. In other words, they have always been on time for every tasking that we have handed to them, with all the right parts and pieces to execute the mission.”

Following Destined Glory, the Ghostriders have one more scheduled underway period – a three-day cruise – before packing up and doing a turnover with the relieving detachment.

“Our last underway day is Oct. 22,” Miller said. “When we get back, we are still on the hook operationally, until early November. During that time, we’ll be on call for tasking, but we will also be working very hard to prepare the turnover, so we can move the new detachment personnel into our spaces.

“We’ll be packaging up stuff and sending it home, and when we get the official turnover time, then we’ll begin tearing the [UH-3H] apart. We’ll take all the rotor blades off, the tail off, the transmission out and remove the sponsons with the main landing gear. Then we’ll put the helicopter on a truck, and it will be shipped back to the Unites States.”

Miller credits the Ghostriders’ numerous operational successes to the hard work of the detachment’s officers and enlisted men, who are aviation machinist’s mates, aviation electrician’s mates, aviation structural mechanics, aviation maintenance administrationmen, aircrew survival equipmentmen and storekeepers.

“We fly the daylights out of our helicopter,” he said. “My crew’s attention to detail and their dedication really keeps it looking good and performing well, so we can give 6th Fleet the best service we can.”

Although he has only been with the detachment for a few months, operations officer Lt. Daniel Post said he will miss both the Ghostriders and flying the UH-3H.

“This has been my only operational squadron, but I think we have it really good here,” he recalled. “This particular group works really well together, and it’s been good to work with these guys.

“This will probably be my last chance to fly a UH-3H. The Sea King is unique, and the reason they have been around for more than 40 years is because they have been working the whole time. I think the Navy’s going to miss them. They have got one of the best safety records of naval aircraft, and it’s a pleasure to fly them.”