Essex 'Second to None' In Forward-Deployed Role
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS061127-12
Release Date: 11/27/2006 2:25:00 PM
By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Christina Johnson, USS Essex (LHD 2) Public Affairs
USS ESSEX, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Essex (LHD 2) wrapped up its annual fall patrol with embarked Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), as the ship completed its last set of taskings and training requirements Nov. 20, and now makes the transit to return to its forward-deployed home of Sasebo, Japan.
The majority of the fall patrol included two bilateral exercises, Talon Vision and Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) FY 07, with the armed forces of the Philippines (AFP), which concluded Oct. 28.
Several objectives were completed during the fall patrol. Tactical training continued on Essex which included continual engineering, damage control, force protection and medical drills, and training to meet whatever real world contingency the ship may encounter in its position as the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship.
“The biggest hurdle centers on the fact that we are operational year-round as a forward deployed Naval forces (FDNF) asset, and we do not have the usual work-up periods expected prior to a deployment,” said Lt. Thomas M. Williams, Essex’s Engineering Department auxiliary officer. “On any given day, we might be doing flight quarters, well deck operations, combat systems operations or exercises in support of Japan, Korea and most recently the Philippines. So for the most part, we do not train to deploy, we train to fight or to provide assistance every single day.”
Damage control objectives were also met by the ship’s crew during this time period. The repair lockers met all of their proficiency goals and trained to mission certification criteria for Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) III.
“Everyone worked very hard to make the Afloat Training Group Western Pacific’s [ATGWESTPAC] assessment a 100 percent success,” said Damage Control Training Team Leader, Chief Damage Controlman (SW) Mike D. Kelsey.
Although Essex’s primary mission is as an amphibious warship, the ship also functions as a fully equipped medical ship, second only to the actual hospital ships, USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) and USS Comfort (T-AH 20). Though these capabilities were not needed in full during the patrol, Essex’s Medical Department completed important training in this area if needed in an emergency situation.
“The ship has significant medical capabilities that augment Essex’s capabilities to provide airlift and command/control functions, and we maintain the same hospital standards you see stateside,” said the ship’s Senior Medical Officer, Cmdr. Brett V. Sortor.
Essex’s Commanding Officer, Capt. Brian Donegan, stated that Essex has an obligation to maintain operational readiness at the highest level at all times.
“We don’t have the luxury of ‘standing down’ after operations and then ‘ramping up,’” said Donegan.
This has been evident during the past three years where Essex received a short-notice deployment order in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom which included an eight-month Persian Gulf deployment; humanitarian assistance/disaster relief for the 2005 Indonesia tsunami survivors in addition to the 2006 devastating mudslide in Southern Leyte, Philippines; and the ship stands by ready for the next ‘real world’ evolution to utilize its unique capabilities as part of FDNF.
“We are on call, all the time. We must be ready to execute a full spectrum of missions from humanitarian assistance to maritime security to combat operations in a matter of hours,” Donegan added.
Essex is the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship and the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ESXARG) based out of Sasebo, Japan, serving under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force (CTF) 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
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