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Tortuga Teams Up with Army for DLQ'S

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070312-18
Release Date: 3/12/2007 5:39:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Brandon A. Myrick, USS Tortuga Public Affairs

USS TORTUGA, At Sea (NNS) -- Army pilots assigned to Tactical Squadron (TACRON) West Pacific (WESPAC) conducted deck landing qualifications aboard USS Tortuga (LSD 46) off the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on March 7.

Two U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters based out of Camp Humphries, ROK, participated in the deck landing qualifications (DLQ), giving pilots serving in the U.S. Army an opportunity to become more familiar with landing aboard Navy ships such as Tortuga.

“This is a great opportunity to train with and assist our Army brothers,” said Cmdr. Todd A. Lewis, Tortuga’s commanding officer.

“This is a great training exercise in case these pilots need to land aboard a aaval vessel in the future,” said Lt. Cmdr. Danny Jaffer of TACRON WESPAC. “The hard work and dedication from the Army pilots and Tortuga Sailors made this qualification evolution run smooth and right on schedule.”

As a result of joint operations between branches of the armed forces, services have to cross train with each other. Landing aboard a Navy ship such as Tortuga is becoming more and more important as operations diversify.

"This training is not common to Army aviation, but it is necessary, especially while stationed in the Pacific area of operations," said Jaffer.

Tortuga Sailors are accustomed to the various types of helicopters they land on a normal basis from their Marine counterparts, however, many of them have no experience with Army helicopters.

“I thought the deck landing qualification was cool getting to work with the Army,” said Engineman Fireman Ferrell W. Conner. “I never thought I would see Army helos on a Navy ship.”

As Army pilots were familiarizing themselves to an underway ship’s flight deck, Tortuga Sailors also became more familiar with Army helicopters.

The qualifications lasted throughout the day and showed why Sailors aboard Tortuga are well-trained and capable of any situation, said Lewis.

“Sailors did an excellent job assisting the Army in their qualifications,” said Lewis. “The overall evolution was a success and Tortuga is looking forward to conducting these types of operations with the Army in the future.

Tortuga is a dock landing ship serving under Commander Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force. ESG 7/Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.