Kearsarge (LHD 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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LvmiesffisiHisesil1l51iifer2frsif+E9eeLl+lT9-33 'A ,L N. 'Y' KEARSARGE 0-m0UdS According to KEARSARGE x , 5- Q-W--ff-I-e-ee-s--e--F fe 'A ZMEB in Arabian Gnu' Cf'H1fw1Cw1:ff0t7if'ef .' I- 1. A' B JO' C, .l Hwm ir Marine Capt. Israel Garcia, . - f . , Q' 'T3'5,:., ,r ,' -V lm 1' I I ' space ashore is the only q , xt! . 1 Ugg KFARSARGE ILHD- limiting factor in how quickly is A 'Q' LQ' . ,Q .V .. 'ig iii, 31beganolfloading elements the Sh , Spayload can be ' ,X 2 , ' . . delivered. .. -, I --1 NN ' o lhe2 Marlne ,, . ,Q 5 sf- - A f-4. ,, - I The biggest problem we 're bgrli-Nei 4' ' l A 'il ' is Iii' reditionarv Brigade in the . . Q . 4 XX, ,t 1 Arltbian GulfI eh. I5 as part gangs to wlube . . A , T S H one ofthe largest amphibious- 'rg' uphhaarcm 'wld' 4 .. operations sinee the Gulfllhnt lg U 'mwizve ave more I et 'Nh ' The eutirc' lrroeess will take eqmlnmlmt an Heyple' S X l , V Several Davs. Iwcfnlse he Marmm? Pre' ' N ' I KEARSAkGE umm, will positioning Force ships have already put gear ashore for L 4' the 6 ' marine Regiment to use. It 's going to require a lot Iu,,.Mm,u,l l.m.,.ie,.S M PCL Qfeoordination with the other i slnps in the task force, so we don 't all arrive on the beach at the same time. Ideally, we debark appmxiruately I .300 Marines and I .600 tons of equipment, ineludin g armored trucks and lII'lIIIl'l1V. using Assault Crali Unit FOUR 's ?l'2ftZf!unn Lumlmg Cum want to have two LCACs on the beach at a time. The important thing is that we take our time and we do it right. said KEARSARGE C omlrat Cargo Assistant Master Gunnetjv Sgt. Darryl Fart: This is a huge event. - Tivo other ships in Task I ol1'e 5 I .5 eurrv similar loads. Three other ships earrv smaller elements of .several Inuulred Marines. In all. the operation will involve I 5- I 6 amphibious sltips. more than I4.000 Marines and l'f'?eftllf 'jh. g sein A .P . hundreds ofthousands oftons 1- on mm H'-l0 r's 'ps' T ofequipntent. Their feces will remoin fresh in our minds ond their legacy will l1onOf ' ' ' ' ' II WFEBRUARY1heur service ond socrilice. The Honorable Honslord T. Johnson

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f r Q y E y N ft g S if , ,L , .l E 1 f gg . 5 , 'Q Images n J :Wells 2 ' f X xx ft X' 4 X A ' ,-, --'J ix ' an i.. , ' 'V'--T ' -- n 1 : .'- ,- qi ' Februor On 9 February an Ecumenical Service was held on the Flight Deck to pray for the men and women ofthe Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade. Soon, they would depart KEARSARGE to position themselves in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to prepare for war. Four days later, on the 33'd day of the deployment, KEARSARGE passed through the Strait of Hormuz and was finally in the Arabian Gulf. The ship proceeded to the Northern Arabian Gulf, and took station oft the coast of Kuwait. YFEBRLI-XRY 43

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i-------1--li' I asa' ioivmoll 'T--gg, 'ga-.. .4 -:R M 'i -J all 'linux Ei' .hh J 'iggkgg ' -L xx ,. . , S Pj if 'Y if I. . - .. - . D, I v GQ' l -,f' Y lg, , 1 Qi -435 ' ' iw' Rav WFAEP.-'. V I , ll - 2 'Z ,J XA, 1 A--. - . : I . -,E ef 1 . f i r..-- t ' ' i PL 1 ' Dog . Jcliwtauxvf, . .. 'I -L -,- '?ff,',- k 7:1-L gf' jf. 3 , B J.-P QA- .4-n1!i1,., ,V S E ' 3 W J 61' ' sh M . g QD- KEARSARGE First Lieutenant Lt. Cmdt: Dan Riley echoed Master Gunnery Sgt. Farr's comments. Doing this safely is our most important goal, he said. We 're going to be working a lot of long hours, and we don 't want any itqured Sailors and Marines, or damaged equipment. Lt. Cmdt: Riley runs KEARSARGE 's Deck Department and is responsible for the ship 's well deck and vehicle storage decks. The ship will be at anchor during the operation, so the Deck Department will man all the ship 's sea and anchor watches in addition to conducting the ojfload. Heat and fatigue are two f?f01tl' biggest concerns, he continued. Proper hydration becomes an even larger issue when people are tired. 2 Division Leading Petty Qfllfffl' BM l I S WXAWI Melvin Morris oversees the process of I fl 1R equipment and materiel onto the LCACs. All the Marine equipment aboard KEARSARGE was loaded in Nvtjolk. Va., and off the coast Hear Camp Lejeune, N.C. Our onload was ideal, Morris said. It went very smoothly, especially considering we didn 't have any ramp-up training with the Marines before we left. The LCACs are already loaded with the gear the Marines want on the beach first. It was the last gear loaded, he continued. All the heavy equipment will go first, then supplies. Finally, personnel will go out on the LCACs using Personnel Transport Modules l PTM 1. Despite the prospect of long hours and stdling heat and humidity, the Sailors in Deck Department aren 't complaining. We 're ready to do this, Lt. Cmdt: Riley said. While some Marines will land using the PTMs on the LCACs, the tnajority will go ashore aboard CH-53 helicopters from KEARSARGE 's Flight Deck. Again, coordination is key. Air Department Leading Chief Petty Officer ABHCSIAWXSWQ Jim Lynch said the 75 flight deck q ashore will be riding in by helicopter That means our Handlers and V 1 i Aviation Fuels Division reads to execute their personnel will he working 16- ll1iSSi0I1- hour days, Lynch said. The rjiload will require a lot They 'll be tired, but they 're oforchestration between all motivated because this is the ships. It's going to he a wha, ,hey 'ye gmingglpng coordinated effort hy all K EARSARGE Commanding hands to get the troops aslmu Ojicer Capt. Terry McKnight safety-. summed it up. This is the KEARSARGE will l'l'H1Uil1 in graduation ceremony for the the Gulll Wlllly lv l'l'f'l'il'l' short course the Magnificent Mllfilll'-Y US well - Seven l the ship ofAmphihious This is their home. Capt. Task Force East! took getting McKnight concltuled. 'WM' 'll here, Capt.McKnight said. he waitingjor them when thi x We got our Marines here t1'!UI'Il. FE BRUARYWJ scdelv and on time,