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The US Navy is sending at least three ships, including at least one amphibious assault ship, to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a show of strength during a period of tensions with Syria and political uncertainty in Lebanon. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Thursday the deployment should not be viewed as threatening or in response to events in any single country in the volatile region. "This is an area that is important to us, the eastern Med," he said when asked about news reports of the ship movements. "It's a group of...

The US Navy is sending three warships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in a show of strength during a period of tensions with Syria and political uncertainty in Lebanon...... Another military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because full details about the ship movements are not yet public, said the USS Cole is headed for patrol in the eastern Mediterranean and that the USS Nassau, an amphibious warship, would be joining it shortly. The officer said a third ship would go later, but he did not identify it by name.

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Elements of the USS Nassau (LHA 4) Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) including the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), amphibious transport dock USS Austin (LPD 40) and the guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71), carrying more than 2,700 Sailors, returned to Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek May 4, following a six-month deployment is support of the global war on terrorism. Nassau ESG ships, which deployed Nov. 7, conducted maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) and supported theater security cooperation in the U.S....

ABOARD USS NASSAU (April 24, 2006) -- As the Marines and sailors of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) prepare for the long journey home crossing the Atlantic, one Marine was able to get his homecoming a little early. Cpl. Phillip Ramirez, of Jacksonville, Fla., a squad leader with Weapon’s Co., Battalion Landing Team, 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, got the chance to meet his father during an underway replenishment at sea (unrep). Ramirez’s father, Leonardo, is the chief cook for USNS Patuxent, the Fleet Replenishment Oiler assigned to refuel the Nassau. “I was told a half hour ago...

ABOARD USS NASSAU, AT SEA, April 9, 2006 – Expeditionary Strike Group 8 transited through the Suez Canal April 7, marking the end of more than four months of maritime security operations in the 5th Fleet area of operations. Maritime security operations help set the conditions for maritime security and stability while complementing regional nations' counter-terrorism and security efforts. The goal is to deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material. ESG-8, combining the five ships and one submarine in the Nassau Strike Group with the 22nd...

USS NASSAU, At Sea (March 24, 2006) -- The flight line at Al Asad Air Base was a flurry of rotor blades and wrench-toting men and women while Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 261 (Reinforced) was in Iraq. Night and day for months, these mechanics, avionics and air frame specialists and a myriad of other supporting personnel of HMM-261 (Rein) enabled the squadron’s 1,845 sorties of more than 3,000 combat flight hours. Even though those on the flight line rarely saw the direct benefits of their job, their hard work kept Marines throughout Iraq safe. “We delivered a lot of bullets...

ABOARD USS NASSAU, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Nassau (LHA 4) and embarked units provided assistance to a distressed vessel off the coast of Kenya Jan. 31 while conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the area. Motor vessel Al Manara reported a need for provisions, engineering assistance and medical attention. The crew aboard Nassau responded as part of their MSO mission to provide supplies, medicine and assistance to the vessel’s crew. “We received a report from Coalition Task Force (CTF) 150 stating that the motor vessel Al Manara had suffered an engineering casualty approximately 680 miles off the coast of...

  Home News Money & Finance Military News Consumer News Political News Today in History Top Entertainment News Net News - Sponsored by KTC Group National News International News Weather Sports Health 10 On Your Side Community Entertainment JobFinder 10 WAVY People Programming Experts On Your Side Advertising About WAVY Contact 10  May 28, 2003 News Aircraft From The Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt Return Home Printer Friendly Version Click here to view a video report on the return of the C2-A Greyhounds .Click here to view a video report on the return of the Bear Aces flying the E2-C Hawkeye....

Live report from reporter on USS Nassau says that a second sailor has gone missing and may have gone overboard.

<p>HAMILTON, Bermuda (CNN) --The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Nassau headed home Saturday without one of its sailors, who fell overboard in what the ship's captain called a "freak accident."</p> <p>Returning from a nine-month deployment to the Persian Gulf, Capt. Russell Tjepkema said, "This 24-hour period was the hardest 24-hour period of the entire deployment."</p>

24th MEU coming home to Lejeune CAMP PATRIOT, KUWAIT - Marines returning from Iraq washed their vehicles and cleaned their weapons Friday as they prepared to return home, the first U.S. ground unit ordered to ship out from the Persian Gulf. Servicemen and women of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are to set sail for Camp Lejeune in North Carolina in about a week, said spokesman Capt. Dan McSweeney. The trip on board USS Nassau, USS Austin and USS Tortuga will take about a month. "They kind of took care of us because we have been out for so long,"...

USS Portland, Crew of 320 Returns Home By SONJA BARISIC .c The Associated Press VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Hundreds of families stood in the rain and fog Friday, cheering as the USS Portland became the first East Coast-based Navy ship to return home from the war in Iraq. During its three-month mission, the Portland and its crew of 320 delivered combat Marines and equipment to Kuwait. It came home a bit early because of a needed repair. ``This is an answered prayer,'' said Cheryl Douglas, 47, of Virginia Beach. She was anxiously waiting at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base...

SOUTHERN IRAQ(April 5, 2003) -- After departing Camp Lejeuene, N.C. in August of last year, the Marines and Sailors of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) have faced many challenges this deployment. Whether it was conducting peace support operations in Kosovo, or humanitarian assistance operations in Djibouti and Kenya, the 24th MEU has always risen to the challenge. Now, the MEU faces its biggest challenge yet -- Operation Iraqi Freedom. After receiving word that the MEU's deployment was extended indefinitely to support Iraqi Freedom, the MEU began to send troops ashore. Over a period of three days, the...

Navy's F-14A Tomcat Crashes in Iraq By ROHAN SULLIVAN .c The Associated Press ABOARD THE USS KITTY HAWK (AP) - A F-14 Tomcat strike fighter crashed into the Iraqi desert during a bombing mission early Wednesday after a mechanical failure caused its engines to fail, senior Navy officers said. The pilot and a second crewman ejected to safety and were rescued by helicopter. The F-14A - a type of plane that dates from the late 1960s and is among the Navy's oldest - went down in southern Iraq about 1:50 a.m. said Rear Adm. Matthew G. Moffit, commander of the...

GOTTA SEE THIS - War for Enduring Freedom 01/29/03 - Jarf el-Nadaf, Gaza, Sulaymanyah, Paris, Porto Alegre BREAKING: Jarf el-Nadaf - Hopeless, lost UN Weapons Inspectors BREAKING: Gaza - Terrorist explosions at home BREAKING: Sulaymanyah - No more Halabjas BREAKING: Beit Hanoun, Gaza - Ballistic missiles launched at Israel from bridges (US media silent) USS Nassau, Amman, Beirut, Berlin, Khan Younis, Rafah, Sidon, Paris, Porto Alegre =========== Baghdad =========== UN weapons inspectors beg for help and directions from Saddam's "Monitoring Directorate" after they got lost on their "inspection" visit to Jarf el-Nadaf, south of Baghdad. Joint "inspection" by the Iraqi...