ACE Marines Arrive Aboard BHR
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS070125-16
Release Date: 1/25/2007 5:56:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dustin Mapson, USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs
USS BONHOMME RICHARD, At Sea (NNS) -- Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 5's Aviation Combat Element (ACE) landed aircraft and loaded personnel and equipment on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) (BHR) Jan. 20.
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 163 (Reinforced) embarked BHR off the coast of Southern California, conducting at-sea evolutions as part of the Expeditionary Strike Group Integration (ESGINT) exercise.
ACE Commanding Officer, Marine Lt. Col. Brent Willson, said the first priority during this underway is getting his pilots qualified for carrier flight operations.
“The majority of my guys have never been on a ship before,” Willson said. “Once we get them qualified for carrier flight operations we can move on and start conducting real world operations."
“There are basically three important stages to our preparation for the upcoming deployment,” added Willson. “This at sea period can be looked at as the crawl phase of our training. COMPTUEX (Composite Training Unit Exercise) will be the walk phase of training, and then we will move immediately into the sprint during JTFX (Joint Task Force Exercise).”
Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Gary Ragat, the ACE maintenance chief, said the underway will be beneficial to all the Marines on board BHR.
"Most of the pilots and Marines have extensive experience in the desert from previous tours during Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom,” said Ragat. “But this is their first time on a ship conducting combat operations at sea.”
During ESGINT, special operations capable Marines attached to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, will perform a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) of a targeted vessel as a training exercise. A variety of aircraft from the ACE will assist in the VBSS.
Marine Capt. James Hoffmann, a helicopter pilot with the ACE, said a VBSS is one of the last resorts in terms of detaining a vessel.
“If we are called in to board a ship it means every last option has been expended and we are now forced to physically board the vessel,” said Hoffman. “By the time we put Marines on the deck of a suspected vessel it means all other means of indirect intervention have failed.”
Hoffman said the VBSS will involve a variety of aircraft, and incorporates intelligence and operational support from ships and personnel across the ESG.
BHR Commanding Officer, Capt. Steve Greene, said the goal of ESGINT is to prepare the Navy and Marine Corps team of ESG 5 to work together.
“ESGINT is our first opportunity in nearly two years to work with a full ACE embarked,” said Greene. “For our flight and hangar deck crews, it’s very much like a golfer spending time on the driving range. The training we’re doing now will increase the probability that we’ll hit the fairway during COMPTUEX, JTFEX and deployment - doing our part to ensure the ACE can execute safe, timely and effective air combat operations.”
BHR and ESG 5 are currently underway off the coast of Southern California training to conduct sustained combat operations at sea in preparation for an upcoming deployment.
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