Description: A Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) assigned to Assault Craft Unit Four (ACU-4), exits the well deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3).
Posted on 12/15/2005 3:32:42 PM PST by SandRat
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon in December for action while in Aquaba, Jordan, in August.
The Combat Action Ribbon is awarded to a ship’s crew when the safety of the ship and crew is endangered by enemy attack - such as a ship engaged by shore fire - and the ship’s crew performance is considered satisfactory.
Kearsarge’s robust force protection measures thwarted a terrorist attack while pierside in Aquaba with USS Ashland (LSD 48) Aug. 19 in support of Exercise Infinite Moonlight, a two-week training exercise between the Jordanian military, Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Due to Kearsarge’s robust force protection measures, a direct attack was prevented.
No U.S. Sailors or Marines were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged. Regrettably, a Jordanian sentry was killed and a second Jordanian sentry wounded at the jointly manned pier gate adjacent to the ship.
Following the attack, the ships maintained their presence in Aquaba Harbor, conducting Air Cushion Landing Craft (LCAC) and helicopter operations in support of Infinite Moonlight. Upon completion of the exercise Aug. 25, the Marines were transported back to the ship via LCAC and helicopters.
According to Kearsarge leadership, cooperative training exercises are essential to building trust and relationships with all nations fighting against transnational terrorism, and because of that, Kearsarge continued the exercise with Jordan.
“Completion of the exercise reinforced the notion that attacks on coalition forces will not result in the withdrawal of forces from exercises or operations,” said Capt. Joseph Sensi, Kearsarge’s commanding officer.
Kearsarge, which returned from deployment in September, is currently undergoing a planned maintenance availability at BAE Systems shipyard in Norfolk, Va.
GATOR NAVY PING!
Well done guys!
Kearsarge was the boat used in the Scott O'Grady TRAP.
Then you especially enjoyed the article.
Thank you SandRat for this. The Kearsarge is part of my family. I know what that sounds like. My son was aboard as a Air Controlman Second in 1997 when the Kearsarge was at Serra Leone. I stood on Her deck and I was really proud to have done that. God Bless Her and All Her sailors that took care of Her.
Then you heard many stories of the GATOR NAVY from your son.
My son was on the ship during the Scott O'Grady rescue and the Serra Leone evacuations. He was a Cryptographer.
He gave my wife and I a tour of the ship when we went to Norfolk to visit him. At one point he took us on a 'shortcut'. It does not show up well in the above photo, but there is an outside, open stairway down the side of the ship for about three decks. What an experience that was!
BTTT
I was on the pier painting the stern of the kearsarge when the attack happened. the poor jordanian soldier on watch never saw it coming. RIP
Luckily my son and his team were off somewhere in the desert.
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