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Bataan ESG Integrates With MEU, Begins COMPTUEX

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS061025-19
Release Date: 10/25/2006 3:08:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Joanne De Vera, USS Bataan Public Affairs

ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines with USS Bataan (LHD 5) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) are underway October and November for their Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) off the Atlantic Coast.

COMPTUEX is a pre-deployment certification that evaluates an ESG’s ability to conduct major combat operations using a three-week, scenario-based exercise.

“COMPTUEX is a major exercise that brings together the strike group and the MEU [Marine Expeditionary Unit] for complex integrated scenarios that test our warfare skills,” said Commander, Bataan Strike Group, Capt. Donna Looney. “The goal is to certify the strike group to deploy combat capable and ready for tasking by the regional commanders.”

Looney serves as the composite warfare commander for the entire Bataan Strike Group. Together with the MEU commander, she commands a fighting force that integrates the Blue/Green team, the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group.

“The integration of Sailors and Marines will be especially important during COMPTUEX because both components of the blue-green team must work together, even if the certification is just evaluating the blue side,” said Bataan’s Operations Officer, Cmdr. Jon Carriglitto. “The certification allows us to deploy, and I know we will come out of COMPTUEX ready to go.”

Bataan serves a multifaceted role for the ESG.

“As the flagship and surface warfare commander for the ESG, Bataan’s responsibility is to defend the strike group against all surface threats,” said Looney. “Each command plays a vital role in the ESG and in making COMPTUEX a success. Vella Gulf serves as the air defense commander, Nitze as undersea warfare commander and Underwood as the maritime interdiction operations commander. Oak Hill and Shreveport also bring significant capabilities to the team.”

To help support COMPTUEX, Sailors aboard the ships can expect to be busy.

“This will be an intense few weeks,” said Looney. “Everyone can expect to be challenged to respond to the kinds of events that we might face when we deploy, such as small boat and air attacks, as well as maritime interdiction operations.”

Bataan ESG is comprised of embarked elements of Amphibious Squadron 2, the 26th MEU, USS Shreveport (LPD 12), USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), USS Underwood (FFG 36), USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), and USS Scranton (SSN 756). Joining the Bataan ESG for COMPTUEX is the French ship, FS Degrasse (D612), providing invaluable coalition training, along with USS Hawes (FFG 53), USS Ashland (LSD 48) and USS Kaufman (FFG 59), who are deploying separately.