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Oak Hill Returns Home From Surge Deployment

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060601-15
Release Date: 6/1/2006 2:02:00 PM

By Journalist 1st Class Stefanie Holzeisen-Mullen, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) returned to her homeport at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va., May 31, after a four-month surge deployment operation in support of the global war on terrorism (GWOT).

Oak Hill deployed Jan. 24 along with the Naval Station Mayport, Fla.,-based guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) and the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69), and conducted maritime security operations as part of the Dutch-led Coalition Task Force (CTF) 150.

“From start to finish, this crew performed flawlessly. They were phenomenal,” said Cmdr. Ray Stapf, Oak Hill’s commanding officer, about the crew’s motivation and drive in the face of an accelerated deployment.

According to Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, surge deployments enable the Navy to demonstrate how scaleable, responsive and uniquely capable naval power can strengthen security in key maritime areas of interest. A simple realignment of schedules, made possible by ships maintaining their readiness under the Fleet Response Plan (FRP), enabled the Navy to surge Oak Hill.

Oak Hill and the other coalition partners in CTF 150 operated in the Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.

“My crew took this ship out of a basic phase to get ready to go,” said Stapf. “Oak Hill is nothing but 16,000 tons of twisted steel without the crew,” he added.

As an amphibious ship, Oak Hill’s ability to provide the vital assets necessary during their time on station were invaluable to total mission accomplishment, said Stapf.

“With all the new threats in the global war on terror, the ship is so well suited to adapt to any mission,” said Stapf.

In March, Oak Hill provided assistance to a distressed vessel approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia while conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the area.

During the deployment, each of the GWOT surge ships participated in a number of bilateral and multinational theatre security engagements that directly supported GWOT through presence and by strengthening enduring and emerging regional partnerships.

“We worked well with the other members of the Task Force (150),” said Stapf. “We were able to accomplish everything that was asked of us and more.”

During their transit home through the Mediterranean Sea, Oak Hill conducted their engineering certification before enjoying a port visit to Cittivecchia, Italy.

“Our ability to accomplish our engineering certification while underway – conducting casualty drills while maintaining the mission – this was a perfect example of the teamwork on board,” said Stapf.

Now home, Oak Hill will begin workups as an element of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) Expeditionary Strike Group scheduled to deploy later this year.

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us now that we’re home,” said Stapf. “But this crew performed superbly, and they are all fired up and ready to execute.”