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Chung-Hoon Sailors Support Coalition Efforts in North Persian Gulf

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS070812-05
Release Date: 8/12/2007 5:44:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Christopher T. Smith, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs

USS CHUNG-HOON, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) has been conducting Maritime Security Operations as part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 158 in the north Perisan Gulf for more than a month.

Chung-Hoon conducts a variety of missions, but its primary focus is working with coalition partners to maintain security around Iraq’s most significant economic assets, the Al Basrah and Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminals.

“We’re assisting the coalition in conducting Maritime Security Operations and training Iraqi marines, but our primary mission is the defense of the oil platforms,” said Cmdr. James Aiken, Chung-Hoon’s commanding officer. “That focus is number one based on coalition efforts in maintaining stability and security in the region.”

Chung-Hoon brings mission-essential capabilities to the coalition’s efforts in the north Persian Gulf.

“Primarily, we serve as the command-and-control platform and we do a lot of communicating in different ways with coalition forces,” said Aiken. “We have a robust boarding team, and we are also the air-defense commander for this region. We have top-notch air-defense capability with helicopters that help secure the oil platforms by supporting the surveillance of this area and boarding team operations.”

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HSL) 43 Det. 2 is embarked aboard Chung-Hoon. Lt. Greg Lembo, HSL-43 Det. 2 maintenance officer, said his team provides coalition assets with an aerial view of the north Persian Gulf.

“We provide an all-weather capability for day and night helicopter coverage for all sorts of missions that go on,” said Lembo. “We provide a higher degree of situational awareness for ships and boarding teams who can’t see what we can see at 500 feet. We see the big picture, which is essential in deterring threats.”

That big picture helps ensure the security of coalition visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) teams, who directly interact with regional mariners.

Ensign Renae Renken, one of Chung-Hoon’s boarding officers, said local mariners support Coalition operations in the north Persian Gulf because they know coalition partners are present for their protection. She also said that Chung-Hoon personnel participate in training Iraqi forces.

“Coalition forces conduct boardings with the Iraqi marines, usually with tankers and tugs,” said Renken. “At the same time that we’re carrying out the mission, we’re able to train the Iraqis on areas where they may need improvement. It’s very much a joint project that builds trust and unity.”

Coalition VBSS teams also learn from each other.

“Working with other countries exposes us to different boarding tactics,” said Renken. “We can then modify our methods to become more effective.”

Aiken is proud of his Sailors’ efforts during their deployment.

“If there’s one thing that I’m proud of with Chung-Hoon, it’s that we have 300 people on board who are coming together as a team and who are completing a mission bigger than themselves,” said Aiken.