Rushmore (LSD 47) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 5 text:

USS Ru hmore CLSD 475 Dv' Gperation Enduring Freedom - Iraqi Freedom .lzmuury 6 - july 13. 2003

Page 4 text:

A I 3 Y 5 5 5 v 5 F l 1 I P w I

Page 6 text:

peration Iraqi Freedom On Jann-Wy 6 sous Rughmm-L, dL.l,lUM-tl ll! ,ripping ,rl tlpk-,alltrtt l tnltttttty I tri ill-sir tr- pail til lln' lrttiixta ,Miyphlhmus Ready GFOUP UXRCU lll Lttltlilioll lo lltc Ulllx't'ls rlllkl ctcxx, Rttslrrrrrrrr' latin tl ttrilnrtla tl ilcttrvtilr. liotti lln' li' Murine Expedition-try Unit Special Operations Vapalvlcl. :Xssgttlll t'r.rtt lint N .md llrun lr 'Nl-r-rtrt I tnt I At the end Ofthti fir-sl wcelx lllltlc-1-WQIX . lllg' ,Nlili laslwtl Rllsllllltllt' lo tllalts' .t ltwtit limit strip in l't'.iil llarlnrt, ll,rt-.arg My pick up mail and supplies forthe group. During tltosc lcxr short hom s, countless pallets ul stout--I it cn' r t.nn'rl onto tln- llrght dcclt while the 5hip's Repair Parts Petty Ulliccrs quicltlx torc through the local cconorni in scart lr ol ctr-i r tlnni: clsc thc Xlill rrrqurfcd Following the quick sprint across the Pacilic. tltc .-XRLE pttllcd Illltt I 'lianyi Nix .rl llast' lll5lIl1l,'.lIlUlt'lUl is liat uoultl end up being the last liberty call the Sailors and Marines noultl scc lor months llncc .lax s later tln' slnps X'vL'lt' omc again :noting quickly to the Arabian Gulf. In mid-February. the ARG entered the 5 ' I-'lcct area ol responsibility tht Ilia lln- mood gilnntttl Rnslnnorc underwent a perceptible change as everyone shifted gears lrom training to possible combat operations llrc Inst ordcr til business was offloading the Marines at Kuwait Naval Base tKNl3l, During an all day ct olution on lf Iiclnuary. lrclrcoptci units from USS Tarawa transferred troops while the Lamling Cralt Air t'uslnon iclnclcs tl PM sl moi cd crpnpmcnl lttlllL'xlli1l't'. With the Marines ashore and Ruslimorc's primary mission tlrcrcby complctc. thc cn-xr asstttttctl a largely stand-by role waiting in various boxes, or small designated operating areas. not lar liom tlic coast ol Iraq, Srncc Rushmore carried a large percentage of the area's LCAC assets. the wait didn't last long, illilllllllgl vt rtli llrrtisli land lorccs stntll became a priority as planning continued for a possible invasion ol' Iraq. 'l'l1at planninp had Rnslimoic scrx my as a latmclimp platlorm lor a British amphibious landing on the Al Faw Peninsula. Rnslimorc's l.t'.M s made' mnltrplc trips to Knvtait to practice loading and unloading the British equipment onto the US Navy cralt. 'llrcsc crolutions vt crc tlicmsclx Us itnprcccdcntcd and ucrc necessary to determine the feasibility ol' the planned operation, As thc cml ol March approaclicd and thc prospect ol' xsar became inevitable, the British troops embarked Rushmore and crcryonc waited lor thc order lu 51-o, 'l'lic atmosplicrc was an odd mix of apprehension and amusement: apprehension ol' what was to comc and amuscmcnt that cach ol thc groups found toward the other. The amusement however. was quickly replaced by cold scrionsncss vrlicn thc ordcr linally came. Q.-'li' J 2 9 7 i ,X