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Essex Offloads MEU, Helps School in Subic Bay

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS061027-04
Release Date: 10/27/2006 2:54:00 PM

From USS Essex Public Affairs

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES (NNS) -- USS Essex (LHD 2) wrapped up a two-and-a-half day visit in Subic Bay Oct. 19, that included offloading Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and their equipment, as well as Sailors participating in a community service project for a local school.

Oct. 18, Essex Sailors participated in a community service project where they delivered sporting goods, school supplies and Girl Scout cookies to students at Olongapo City’s Gordon Heights II Elementary.

“I think it went really well in terms of helping the kids. It shows that we care,” said Essex Disbursing Officer Ensign Spencer Driscoll. “I wish we could do more.”

Essex was able to perform small boat training by making a trip from Subic Bay south to the historic island of Corregidor. Corregidor is an important symbol in U.S. history as the last Pacific outpost of any size to fall to the enemy in the early stages of World War II.

The recapture of the island also stands out as the key event for the ultimate liberation of the Philippine archipelago, and the Essex small boat was able to follow the path taken by many U.S. Navy ships during World War II.

Essex demonstrated her ship-to-shore operations by completing a landing craft unit (LCU) sterngate marriage with a fellow Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) ship, USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49). A sterngate marriage allows pieces of equipment to load on or off the ship without having to bring the LCU into the well deck. It is called a ‘marriage’ because the stern gate, back end of the ship or craft, lowers and touches each other to complete the on load/off load process.

“If we can’t take an LCU in our well deck because we have LCACs (Landing Crafts Air Cushion) in there, we’ll move the necessary pieces of equipment from the ship to the LCU via the sterngate,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Mark B. Clariza of Essex Deck Department.

Essex’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Brian Donegan, felt the time spent in Subic was put to good use.

“This visit to Subic Bay provided Essex with an excellent start for Talon Vision and PHIBLEX (Amphibious Landing Exercise) exercises,” he said. “We were able to meet the people of the Philippines, replenish our supplies and coordinate with our partners in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, so we could get the most out of the joint training during the next two weeks.”

Essex is the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship and is the flagship for the Sasebo, Japan-based Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), which serves under Commander, Task Force 76. Task Force 76 is the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force and is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.