Ashland (LSD 48) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 109 text:

messdecks honoring crewmembers who have become fathers in September, the first full month of the cruise. A cake cutting ceremony honored the crewmen for their service during this separation from their families. Among the Marine contingent on ASHLAND, the first Marine reenlistment ever held on ASHLAND took place on the starboard bridge wing, as Marine Sgt Donald R. Berry of Alfa Company. Battalion Landing Team 1 8. 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) took the oath of reenlistment. 03 October: Having completed participation in Dynamic Guard 3-93. with a successful backload of 22 MEU Marines and equipment. USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) sailed south to rendezvous with USNS BIG HORN and USS BUTTE in the southern Aegean. Several NATO ships joined together conducting vertical replenishment, connected replenishment and refueling at sea simultaneously. A blue-green team effort by the Sailors and Marines of ASHLAND, the crews of BIG HORN and BUTTE, and the aircrews ensured safe completion of the twelve-hour evolution. After replenishment. ASHLAND detached to proceed independently to the Black Sea for port visits to Constanta. Romania: Varna. Bulgaria: and Istanbul. Turkey. Transiting the Dardanelle and Bosporus straits was a first for ASHLAND as well as many members of the crew. Sailing through the heart of Istanbul provided many unforgettable sights. First stop: Constanta. Romania. ASHLAND arrived at noon on the 2nd of October, receiving honors from Romanian naval units inport. ASHLAND moored pierside at the inner harbor, and was welcomed by the Romanian naval band and a group of well-wishers. Later that afternoon. ASHLAND ' S Commanding Officer. Captain D. W. Keith, accompanied by an ASHLAND Honor and Color guard of Sailors and Marines had the privilege of laying a wreath at Constanta ' s military cemetery, honoring Romania ' s war dead. Captain Keith also paid official calls on the Romanian Navy CNO. the Prefect and the Mayor of Constanta. That evening, a reception was hosted by the commander of the Romanian Navy officially welcoming ASHLAND to Constanta. A better understanding of our two navies and nations was fostered at this meeting. ASHLAND Sailors and Marines took the opportunity to further enhance relations with the local community and our nations by volunteering for community relations projects. The volunteers assisted in repairing and repainting the childrens ward at the local hospital. Other activities included athletic events between ASHLAND and Romanian Sailors and Marines, further fostering goodwill. Tours of castles, including the famed Dracula castle at Bran, were held in the picturesque countryside of Transylvania, and shopping and touring in Constanta. ASHLAND crewmembers were impressed by the friendliness and warmth of the Romanian people and will have many fond memories from the Latin soul of the Balkans:. 10 October: ' Just a few years ago. this visit may not have been possible. Today, sailors of both Navies become ambassadors of goodwill. said Admiral Anghelescu of the Romanian Navy, during a reception held on board the amphibious assault ship USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) during the occasion of ASHLAND ' s port visit to Constanta, Romania. Also in attendance was the commander of the Romanian Naval Infantry and senior Romanian civil officials. During the four day port call. ASHLAND Commanding Officer Captain D. W. Keith and other ASHLAND officers toured a Romanian mine layer and frigate, learning firsthand the capabilities of their Romanian counterparts. ASHLAND reciprocated by conducting tours for Romanian officers and exchanging souvenirs and experiences. Sailors and embarked Marines engaged in numerous athletic competitions with cadets from the Romanian naval academy and hosted them on board to demonstrate Marine amphibious capabilities. Over two thousand Romanians toured ASHLAND. ASHLAND crewmembers spent a day instructing Romanian school children in the finer points of traditional American sports: baseball, football and basketball. DT3 Washington commented The children caught on very quickly, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. CW()4( SW) C. E. Watzlavic of Beachmaster Unit 2 and ASHLAND ' s own ETC(SW) Richard T. Boucher played a guitar and sang in the cultural exchange with the students. To show their appreciation, the students treated over two hundred crewmembers to a demonstration of Romanian folk dancing by the students at their school. ASHLAND departed Constanta. Romania Oct. 6. and was enroute to Varna, Bulgaria when the situation in

Page 108 text:

20 August: Off the east coast of the United states gather the ships of the AMERICA Joint Tasi Group (JTG) and the GUADAL- CANAL Marine Amphibious Ready Group (MARG), including USS ASHLAND (LSD 48). USS GUADAL- CANAL (LPH 7). on it ' s final deployment, leads ASHLAND and USS SHREVEPORT ( LPD 1 2 ) in carrying a Marine Amphibious Ready Group. AMERICA JTG is led by the aircraft carrier USS AMERICA (CV 66). cruisers USS NORMANDY (CG 60) and USS MONTEREY (CG 61). destroyers USS SCOTT (DDG 995) and USS THORN (DD 988). and the fast frigates USS BOONE (FFG 28) and US S SIM PSON (FFG 56). Supporting these ships for the next six months will be the replenishment oiler USS SAVANNAH (AOR 4) and the ammunition ship USS BUTTE (AE 27). Completing the force, always there but rarely seen, is the submarine USS GROTON (SSN 694). This deployment is only the second time a Joint Task Group has deployed with a MARG, to create a multi-mission task force. 06 September: Arriving at Rota, Spain on the 25th of August, on their maiden deployment, the crew of the USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) eagerly await experiencing new sights and sounds at their first of many ports of call. Having left their lamilies, friends and homes just two short weeks earlier. ASHLAND completed an Atlanlic transit with other ships of (he USS AMERICA (CV 66) Joint Task Group. The transit culminated with a Passing of the Watch from the detaching battle group, stores and supplies onload, equip- ment upkeep and normal ship routine. Along with that demanding sched- ule, the crew managed to participate in several MARG (Marine Amphibious Ready Group) athletic events with ASHLAND capturing the softball title and placing 1st and 2nd place in the 5k nm. Additionally, several members of the crew took advantage of tours provided by MWR. Visiting surrounding cities afforded the crew the opportunity to purchase souvenirs and gifts for loved ones back home. The 1st of September found ASHLAND departing Rota for Spanish Phiblex 2-93. A joint American- Spanish amphibious exercise on the southwestern coast of Spain. The conclusion of Spanish Phiblex 293 will see ASHLAND sailing into the Mediter- ranean as an intregal part of the AMERICA JTG. 13 September: Having completed Spanish Phiblex 2-93, USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) .sailed from Sierra de Retin training anchorage enroute to the Adriatic Sea Transiting through the Straits of Gibraltar, the crew was afforded the opportunity to capture a piece of the rock on film and video. In ancient times the straits were known as liie Pillars of Hercules, because of the location of Mount Abyla across the straits on the north African coast. This area marked the eml of the known world. I .egend holds that Hercules split open the land briiige connecting liie conlinents of liurope and Afiica. allowinu access to the sea and the fabled island of Atlantis. Enroute to the Adriatic, where it will be assisting in the United Nations Protection Forces (UNPROFOR) in the former Yugoslavia, ASHLAND continued a busy schedule that included weapons familiarization firings, training on naval rights and responsibilities, and a two-day safety stand down, where the crew drilled on general safety procedures. 27 September: The amphibious assault ship USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) departed Izmir, Turkey on September 19, after a three days port visit where ASHLAND ' s crew toured the historic Turkish city, sampling the local cuisine, visiting bazaars and local historical sights. ASHLAND departed Izmir and set course for the southern coast of Turkey to take part in Operation Dynamic Guard 3-93, a multinational exerci.se involving units from Italy, Turkey and Spain, as well as U.S. forces. ASHLAND, along with USS GUADALCANAL (LPH-7), and the Italian assault carrier SAB MARCOS, supported a multinational amphibious landing at Doganbey, Turkey, near the site of the historic Gallipoili landings of World War One. In a joint landing at Saros Bay, Turkey, the units oi D namic Guard 3-93 practiced coordination with the forces of other natiims, in mine- sweeping operations, fligiil operations and troop landings. As part ol tiuil .oov- dination, ASHLAND c;uTied an obser er from the Turkish Air Force, part of the multinational coordination that is the On a im .ASIII.ANDIiok personal sivcial lunch

Page 110 text:

Somalia required ASHLAND ' s assistance. Within 72 hours, ASHLAND changed course, transitted the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits for the second time in a week, engaged in underway and vertical replenishment with USS BUTTE, enroute to transit the Suez Canal, joining U.S. Naval units off the coast of Somalia in support of Operation Restore Hope. ASHLAND sails with USS GUADALCANAL (LPH 7) and USS SHREVEPORT (LPD 12), standing by to respond at a moments notice as a quick reaction force for operations ashore. 17 October: USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) began its first week of service in Operation Restore Hope with its initial transit of the Suez Canal. During the transit, ASHLAND Sailors and Marines participated in a Run for Fun , jogging on the flight deck for the entire transit. Ten teams ran 19,014 laps, the equivalent of 950 miles. ASHLAND then joined the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) battle group off the coast of Somalia. Both ASHLAND and LINCOLN are on their first Indian Ocean deployments. ASHLAND and it ' s four hundred marines are part of the reinforcements sent to Somalia by President Clinton to bolster the United Nations and U.S. Forces involved in Operation Restore Hope, standing by to respond to any situation that occurs in Somalia. While waiting the call to action, day to day life on ASHLAND continues. Weapons training was held lor the Marines and Sailors on board, while the Marines lue being briefed and immunized should they be called on to go ashore. On the lighter side, a party was held on ASHLAND ' s mess decks to celebrate the Navy ' s birthday on October 13th. ASHLAND Commanding Officer Captain D. W. Keith spoke to the crew on the Navy ' s continuing mission and the importance of our mission off Somalia, and cut the Navy ' s birthday cake with assistance from the youngest, PNSA Dale Forsythe, and the oldest, SH 1 Paul Munoz, sailors on board ASHLAND. On October 15th, a second party celebrated ASHLAND personnel who had children born recently, or whose birthday fell in October. The week closed with an ice cream sundae Sunday night as a break to a busy week of training and op- erations. On a more solemn note, a burial at sea was held on ASHLAND ' s stem gate on October 1 7. As hymns played and an honor guard fired salutes, the ashes of former Navy Gunners Mate Second Class Frank Shaputnik were scattered over the waves of the Indian Ocean by his son-in-law. Operations Specialist First Class Michael Mus.selman. GM2 Shaputnik served on a troop transport similar to ASHLAND during World War Two, participating in several pacific campaigns. 24 October: USS ASHLAND (LSD 48) began its second week of service in Operation Restore Hope as part of a show of force off Mogadishu, Somalia, including USS GUADALCANAL (LPH 7), USS SHREVEPORT (LPD 12), and Pacific Fleet USS NEW ORLEANS Amphibi- ous Ready Group and the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) carrier battle group. During it ' s first full week in the Indian Ocean, ASHLAND practiced launching and recovering the Marine and Navy landing craft and amphibious vehicles in its 440 foot long, 50 foot wide well deck, which can be flooded to a depth of ten feet to ser e as a harbor for landing craft. On a solemn note, embarked Marines of Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1 8 held a memorial service for their fallen comrades marking the tenth anniversan,- of the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut on October 23, 1983. In formation on the flight deck of ASHLAND, Sailors and Marines were addressed by ASHLAND Commanding Officer Captain D. W. Keith and CO of Troops Captain A. K. Dixon, on the close ties between the Navy and the Marine Corps, and the continuing mission of both. During the ceremony, a Marine honor guard fired volleys while the landing craft normally embarked on ASHLAND steamed in formation, both as training and as a living symbol of the Navy Marine Corps team. The week ended with a Sunday afternoon Steel Beach Picnic on ASHLAND. In a break from the busy training schedule of the last few weeks. Sailors and embarked Marines ate chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks grilled by ASHLAND officers. Picnick- ing crewmembers also played basketball, while schools of dolphins kept pace with ASHLAND. 31 October: 1 he earh luoniine calm was siiatlcrcd wilii liie oice of Daw ones booming over the 1 MC, ihivatcnu : ihc uninitiated among the crew w ho iared eiiUux- inio ills domain.