• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Fort McHenry Sailors Prepare Ship for Departure

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060403-06
Release Date: 4/3/2006 12:45:00 PM

By Journalist 2nd Class David J. Ham, USS Fort McHenry Public Affairs

SASEBO, Japan (NNS) -- USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) Sailors are preparing to move to what will be their new home on USS Tortuga (LSD 46) beginning April 3.

Tortuga and Fort McHenry will complete the exchange of command in April, part of the Navy’s hull swap program to provide Navy’s Forward Deployed Naval Force (FDNF) with newer or more capable ships.

Fort McHenry will sail to Little Creek, Va., the former homeport of Tortuga, after the exchange of command.

Fort McHenry Sailors are working hard on preservation leading up to the exchange of command, in order to leave Tortuga Sailors with a bright ship.

“The deck department has been working hard on paint and preservation of all exterior spaces in preparation of the hull swap,” said Lt. Richard T. Manglona, Fort McHenry’s 1st lieutenant. “The constant painting of the exterior spaces, the realigning of the waterline and relaying the decks have become the major attributes to the exterior.”

Making sure the material condition of Fort McHenry is up to par has been keeping the engineering department busy, according to Fort McHenry’s Chief Engineer, Lt. Theodore Essenfeld.

“We have been identifying any equipment that appears to be degraded, insufficient and otherwise in need of work. We have been getting all of our repairs completed before we turn this ship over to the Tortuga crew,” said Essenfeld.

Fort McHenry’s Operations Officer, Lt. Michael R. Vaas, said Fort McHenry’s operations department has made significant strides at making the upcoming hull swap go as smoothly as possible. Specific contributions include making sure all inventory of publications and charts are up to date and that all navigational equipment such as radars is operational.

“It’s good departmentally, because a lot of our equipment and their equipment is similar and in the same place. Both parties are aware of the inventories and discrepancies,” said Vaas.

According to Manglona, the overall progress of ship as a whole is going over very well.

“We are turning over a well-maintained ship,” he said.

Essenfeld noted that, “all of our equipment is up and running and fully operational. Ship certifications are up to date and the crew will miss Fort McHenry when she leaves Japan. There is a lot of pride in ownership and it will be sad to see Fort McHenry go, but we are up to the new challenge that awaits us on the Tortuga.”

Fort McHenry is a dock landing ship forward deployed to Sasebo, Japan, as part of the Forward-Deployed Amphibious Ready Group.