Bataan Sails Into HURREX 08 Training
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS080904-24
Release Date: 9/4/2008 5:32:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matthew Bookwalter, USS Bataan Public Affairs
ABOARD USS BATAAN, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Bataan (LHD 5) completed its first full day of Hurricane Exercise (HURREX) 08-002 training Sept. 3.
The at-sea exercise, designed to test the ship's ability to respond to humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief needs during the 2008 hurricane season, kicked off with a full day of events that included flight operations, medical evacuation training and rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) drills.
"We simulated going into uncharted waters where the ship has never been before," said Chief Boatswain's Mate (SW) Michael Thomas, "Just like if we were going in to provide hurricane relief."
The RHIB stayed out in front of the ship to give readings of the depth of the water ahead.
"We check the depth of the water to make sure the ship anchors in safe waters," said Thomas. "Staying 2,000 yards ahead of the ship lets us know that if the ship was anchored, it would have a safe radius for its swing circle."
A sounding boat is a smaller vessel, normally a RHIB, which is used in these types of operations to scout the depths of the waters, a standard procedure used when anchoring in questionable seas.
"Whenever a ship is going somewhere it has never been, like when a hurricane comes through and changes the waters, a sounding boat can look for new sand bars, debris fields, sunken ships or buildings and make sure there is a safe area to anchor," said Thomas.
In addition to the successful anchoring training, Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 6 operated with Bataan's shipboard medical team to prepare for emergency response, should the need arise.
"We were trying to exercise the casualty responses of the Bataan in the presence of the augmented medical capabilities," said Cmdr. Guido Valdes, the officer in charge of FST-6. "We had a basic casualty evacuation drill where casualties come to us via helicopter, which will be our main mission when we regularly deploy. Right now we are taking baby steps and figuring out what we need to improve on."
The day's training gave the surgical team and ship's company a look at not only what they need to work on to be ready to deploy next year but also how they'll respond during any possible relief efforts.
"Everyone responded the way they were supposed to," said Valdes. "The strike group officially forms in October, and we are getting everybody up to speed. We have had a lot of turnover with personnel, and as a result of that, everybody is learning their roles and their stations."
Bataan still has a few days of training scheduled for the HURREX, and although the exercise isn't in response to any current event, each day is geared toward training for hurricane relief efforts that may be needed during this year's hurricane season.
"The best way to make sure we're ready to provide aid when and where needed is to be at sea," said Capt. Jack Sotherland, Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) commodore. "From here, not only can we fine-tune our skills, but we're also ready to respond if called upon."
Embarked squadrons for the exercise include equipment and personnel from Commander, ESG 2: Commander, Amphibious Squadron 2; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22, Tactical Squadron 21, FST 6, Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2; ACU 4; and Beachmaster Unit 2.
Bataan is the fifth ship of the Navy's Wasp-class ships. She was commissioned Sept. 20, 1997 and is the second U.S. Navy warship to bear the name. CVL-29 was an Independence-class small aircraft carrier that was commissioned in November 1943. After serving in both World War II and the Korean conflict, CVL-29 was decommissioned in 1954.
For more news from USS Bataan, visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd5.
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