Comstock (LSD 45 LSD 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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SHIP ' S MISSION United SlatesShipCOMSTOCK(LSD45)is the fifth shipof the WHIDBEYISLAND(LSD-41)cla and the third ship of the class to serve in the Pacific Fleet. The mission of the Landing Ship Dock (LSD) is to transport mannes and their combat equipmei ashore whenever the need arises, either by air or by sea. In her vast well deck. COMSTOCK can earn, foi Landing Craft AirCushion (LCAC). The LCAC is an assault hovercraft with the ability to cruise in the non-displacement mode at speec in excess of 40 knots while carrying a 60 ton pay load. With the LCAC, COMSTOCK is capable of conductin amphibious operations against a significantly di ersified range of littoral areas. COMSTOCK s tloodable well deck is essential to her mission accomplishment. The well deck is flooded u to 6 feet forward and 10 feet aft when embarking or launching assault craft. Once the assault craft ha e lefi the ship, they are directed ashore by the ship ' s Combat Informatio Center (CIC). To provide the continuous suppiirt the assault force requires, CO.MSTOCK is equipped with th Navy ' s latest Command and Control technology. COMSTOCK HISTORY USS COMSTOCK (LSD-45) is the second ship to be named after the Comstock Lode, an earl American pioneer mining site near Virginia City, Nevada. The Comstock Lode, founded in 1 839, has becoiii indelible in the history of our . merican West: it produced more than 5500. 000. 000 in gold and silver. Lquallv iiiiportani as the riches the mine produced sere the peripheral effects that it had on other industrie, To mine the ore, huge hoisting machines, giant pumps, heavy stamps, drills, cables and hundreds of other too! were manufactured. To drain water from underground reservoirs, engineers completed a five-mile tunnel und the lloor of the Carson Ri er to the Comstock mine. Water required for the 40,000 inhabitants of Virginia City and its surrounding area was iransporte troni an artificial lake, Marlelte. . 0 miles away in the Sierra Ne ada Mountains. Using pipes that were cast t fit around muuniains, tunnels, Humes and a large inverted siphon, the water transportation and distributio system was considered an engineering marvel during this epochal period. The original I ' SS COMSTOCK ( LSD I ) ) was commissioned during the end of World WarTw o in 1 94: .md later served in both the Korean and V ietnam Confiicts. She earned ten battle stars lor ser ice m the Korea War, the most awarded to a ship of this type. She received a Meritorious Unit Commendation and six battl stars for Vietnam War service. Now her successor. LSD 45. continues the rich naval tradition associated wit the name Comstock. Since her commissioning in February 1 990, COMSTOCK has completed three extended deploymeni to the Wesiern Pacific and Middle East Forces, and has completed one deployment to the Southern Pacifi conducting counter narcotics operations. Since being commissioned, COMSTOCK has been at the tip of the spear . She participated 1 evacuation operations afier Mt Piiuitiibo erupted in the Philippines She was on station during Operatio Desert Shield Desert Storm, and participated in Operation Continue Hope off the coast of Somolia. Time an again COMSTOCK ' s ability to perform under pressure has been demonstrated by the Sailors and Marines th; serve their countrv w ilh pride. In December 1 95. COMS TOCK returned from an extended deplov nieni lo the . rabian Gull in continue support of United Nations and United States policies for that region. Among the highlights of the deploy met were inlegraletl aniphibiousopcrations with the Jordanian .Xrmed Forcesduring Operalion Infinite Moonligh COMS rOCK IS a can do ship w iih ' can do Sailors and Marines. The ship v as the first ISN combatant t have a fully integrated crew of male and female Sailors. Sailors on COMSTOCK have seen the world with port visits lo the tropical climates and .Asia shopping extravagan as with stops in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Her extensive tours in the .Arabia Gulf have been highlighted by visiting such ports as: Aquaba, Jorda; Manama, Bahrain: Kuwait City, Kuw ai aiul Jebcl .Mi. United .Arab F.mirales. Other popular ports of call for COMSTOCK hav included: Mombas; Kenya; Seychelles: Perth. Austrailia: and Haw an. Not all the got d liberty ports are ov erseas. howev er. Som of the best visits have been to some of Ameiica ' s fine west coast cities, such as San Francisco and Monterey California. 80 Kevin D. Farley Heifl Jonn CiuMtook Speaaksi 619-226-3005 knlaiteyOcorrpuMfve cam 9