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Essex Fuels Up at Sea after PHIBLEX Conclusion

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS061106-16
Release Date: 11/6/2006 3:03:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jhoan M. Montolio, USS Essex Public Affairs

ABOARD USS ESSEX, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Essex (LHD 2) and USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) performed a successful fueling at sea (FAS) in the Philippines operating area Oct. 30.

Diehl provided both diesel fuel marine (DFM), used for operating the ship, and jet propellant (JP-5), needed for refueling U.S. Navy and Marine aircraft.

Both fueling stations on Essex’s starboard side were used during the FAS.

“We successfully took on about 450,000 gallons of DFM and around 140,000 gallons of JP-5. We did it fast and efficiently. Every time station seven beats station three on getting the probe across is a good day for me,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jose Feliz.

“It went really well,” said Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Brian Johnson. “We have a lot of new Sailors that are getting trained and it also serves as a refresher for more experienced personnel like myself.”

The ability to perform successful evolutions, like a FAS in addition to vertical replenishments (VERTREPs) and connected replenishments (CONREPs), helps keep forward-deployed ships ready and available. This saves the ship valuable training time by being able to remain at sea, and it saves the ship money that would have to be spent on costs associated with coming into port.

The key to all of these successful evolutions are the Sailors who make up the various key departments, such as deck department.

“We are the best at what we do,” said Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class (SW) Marreco T. Clay. “From any type of underway replenishment to handling LCUs [landing craft units] and LCACs [landing craft air cushion], this ship and its crew is second to none in the fleet.”

Essex, along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), participated in two annual bilateral exercises, Talon Vision (TV 07) and Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX 07), with the armed forces of the Philippines (AFR), from Oct. 16 to Oct. 28.

Essex is the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship and is the flagship for the Sasebo, Japan-based Essex Expeditionary Strike Group, 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.