Belleau Wood (LHA 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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I BYJQHE NUMBERS N 17,497 miles traveled I! 39 Reenlistments I67 Days underway S S Q67 Days in port 1 54 Days aboard USSEssex 0 S0 Days Hb0afdUSSBellwu Wvvfl 46 EHliS1edAifWHffH1e SPeCi21liSfS 61EHliS1edS111'faCeWHffa1eSPecialiStS 4,118,115 Gallfmseffuel uSef1 01,250,000 heckswfitfenbydiSb111'SiHg S351,200 P01'fViSi1ShiP10P01'a1i11gC0S1S 68 New 1 crewmembers reportedaboard 10 Babies addedtocrewmembersfa ili 18,000 0Doz Eggs in 0 0 Wax 6,750 Lb Bacon' p ' 145 Gal Stripper 18,000 Lbs Ground Beef S, 1,296 RmsPrinter Paper 6,000 Lb Sliced Cheese , 11,892 Ea Pens 6,000 Lbs Bread 1 3,500 y Waste Paper B g 1,500 Lb Hamburge 22,700 S Plastic Waste B 1,500 Lb Hot Dog B 69,000 Ea Paper Pla 7,200 Gls Milk 112,000 Ea Paper Cup 900 Gls Ice Cream 60,000 Ea Plastic Spoon 20,000 Lb Chicken 115,000 Ea Plastic Knives 9,000 Lb Lettuce 185,000 Ea Plastic Fork 7,500 25,000 Lb Tomatoes Potatoes

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F - A year before the Navy s largest ever hull swap between USS Essex CLHD 22 and USS Belleau Wood KLHA 31, the crew spent countless hours preparing the Paclfic Fleet,s top large deck amphlblous assault shlp for the Forward Deployed Naval Forces CFDNFJ ln Sasebo, J 2111311 The n Gator's Dockmg Phased Malntenance Avallablllty, major equlpment upgr2ld6S and ha rk dedicated to pamtlng, cleamng and refurblshmg the shlp, ensured Essex would be comed edltlon to the Seventh Fleet The crew began the year 2000 wlth a very successf URYC followed by the awardlng of the Battle E by Commander Amphlblous GrouP Thr eady recognized as the best on the San Dlego waterfront, the crew was selected to C011 lrst West Coast operatlonal testing of the MV 22 Osprey, a multl purpose tllt rotor 2lll'C ng evaluated by the Marine Corps for future SEFVICC aboard large deck amphibious shlPS artment of Defense's Jolnt Shlpboard Hellcopter Integratlon Program team came abo the Army and Alr Force before Essex departed for Hull Swap 2000, to gather 1mport2lIlfJ0 vlce lnteroperablhty fllght lnformatlon On J une 2 as the ship pulled away from Plel' 2 at w was extremely confident ln their abllltles, thelr Shlp and thelr mlSSl0 to dellver the Navy,s best ship to the FDNF , . Iro . . . . . . - rd W0 . . . . . . . a wel ' ' . ' ul n 5 5 ' ' ee. Alr . . duct the ff - . - '- ' ,, . raft ' ' - . . . n Dep . . . . ard with - ' ' int Ser . . . . . . . . . ' 32nd Street in San Diego, the cre ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' I ' n

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Captain Robert J. Gilman relieved Captain Stephen D. Gilmore as Commanding Officer of USS Essex in Exchange of Command ceremonies on May 17, 2000, in San Diego. The ceremony signified the end of a long maintenance period for Amphibious Group Three's large-deck amphibious ship Battle 'E' winner, and the beginning of Hull Swap 2000.