Wasp Prepares For Returning Marines
Story Number: NNS040802-08
Release Date: 8/2/2004 3:43:00 PM
By Journalist 2nd Class (SW) Mark C. Schultz, USS Wasp Public Affairs
ABOARD USS WASP, At Sea (NNS) -- The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) is gearing up for a mass influx of Marine personnel and equipment.
After three months of operations in Afghanistan fighting the war on terrorism, the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is preparing to head home.
“The MEU’s mission ashore is completed, and we are now in the process of getting our Marines back,” said Wasp Strike Group Commander Capt. Steven Joachim.
As the Marines prepare their tents, humvees, helicopters and jets, the Wasp Strike Group is also making preparations.
“Everyone will be glad to see them,” said Wasp Commanding Officer Capt. James Wise II. “The biggest task for us to overcome is adjusting to the increased number of people on board.”
Deploying from Norfolk in February as part of the first East Coast expeditionary strike group, Wasp Sailors and 22 MEU Marines were an integrated team working side by side. As the ship made its way across the Atlantic, through the Mediterranean Sea and into U.S. 5th Fleet, 22 MEU was there lending a hand where needed, while training and preparing for the mission ahead.
“The Marines are our primary mission, so we always plan for them,” said Wise. “After we offloaded our Marines in April, Wasp had to refocus to conduct missions in this area of operations without them. Now that they are returning, our Sailors will have to plan their days more effectively to account for a big influx of people - when they eat chow, go to the gym and things like that.”
This deployment, Wasp Sailors had the opportunity to do things they wouldn’t have been able to do with the Marines aboard.
“We’ve used this opportunity to do maintenance, training and things like that,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Derek Bracey, hangar deck leading petty officer. “We’ve also opened up the hangar bay for use as a gym. People have been using it for volleyball, soccer, basketball and several MWR events. But starting a few weeks ago, we began preparing for the Marines to come back.”
From maintenance to supply, Wasp Sailors have been gearing up. The last two underway replenishments were larger than usual to bring on extra food and supplies for the returning Marines.
“We will have more than double the number of people aboard when the Marines come back,” said Cmdr. Peter Dahl, Wasp supply officer. “To feed that many people, we have to go from ordering 80 to 100 pallets of food to ordering 200 to 300 pallets every two weeks.”
Aviation departments have been vamping up their resources, as well. Aviation Intermediate Maintenance Department has spent the last three weeks calibrating, testing and inspecting their equipment to make sure it is ready for the ACE [Air Combat Element] as they return.
“We have to make sure all the support equipment within AIMD is in a ‘ready for use’ status,” said Senior Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Richard Shirley, Wasp’s production control senior chief. “All ground support equipment, avionics test benches, the tire and wheel shop, oil analysis lab, and life support and survival equipment shop have to be inspected by their work center supervisors to verify the equipment is operational. Inspections can take anywhere from an hour on a radio test set, to several days on jack and test stands.”
Adding more to the workload, AIMD is also in charge of a 375-man troop berthing and staff noncommissioned officer berthing.
“On top of the 200 pieces of life support equipment we have inspected in the past week, we have to make sure all the Marine spaces are ready to be lived in again,” said Shirley. “We have to check all the lights, computer connections, fixtures, and make sure the bathrooms and spaces are clean.”
The majority of preparation began at the beginning of July, but divisions like S-6 have been preparing since the Marines departed.
“They have been inventorying, cleaning and ordering parts in preparation for the Marines when they get back,” said Dahl. “Once the ACE returns, it will get busy. S-6 will probably be working 24/7 supplying parts to the ACE.”
As aviation stores inventories parts, Air department’s VG division is inventorying ammunition.
“We just completed a wall-to-wall inventory of all the ammo we have on board,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class David Connolly, ammunition accountant. “We also performed a lot of maintenance on the magazines since the Marines left.”
As preparations are made on the ship, some Sailors are being sent ashore to make sure things are packed up and ready for transport.
“We are sending five guys to the beach to count ammunition and make sure it is packed properly before it is brought aboard,” said Connolly. “This will help speed things up when the time comes to onload everything.”
Sailors aboard Wasp are working hard to make sure everything is ready to give the Marines a warm welcome when they return.
“The Marines coming back marks the beginning of the end for our deployment,” said Fouch. “I might have to work harder and longer than before, but I know that I am going home soon, once the Marines get back.”
For related news, visit the USS Wasp (LHD 1) Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/lhd1.
