Posts tagged ‘amphibious assault ship’
FRIDAY FOTO (July 29, 2022)
WELCOME TO MY DARKSIDE
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Taylor Parker) Please click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Ronald Saunders prepares to direct a Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper helicopter on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) during night flight operations July 14, 2022.
We understand that many Flight Deck crew wear face masks to block out the exhaust fumes, and skulls are a popular motif. We probably should have saved this photo for Halloween — by why wait?
Aircraft handlers, like Saunders, wear yellow shirts, as do aircraft directors who shuttle aircraft around the busy flight decks of assault ships and aircraft carriers like traffic cops. Other flight deck crew, who arm, fuel, repair, inspect and move aircraft, wear garb of different colors reflecting their job. To see a short video explaining what all the colors mean, click here.
The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group is on a scheduled deployment in the Atlantic Ocean, U.S. Naval Forces Europe’s area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allies and partner interests.
FRIDAY FOTO (May 27, 2022)
FLEET WEEK-NEW YORK.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Hannah Mohr) Click on the photo to enlarge the image,
Marines and Sailors man the rails aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) as the ship arrives in New York for Fleet Week New York on May 25, 2022.
The Marines on the Bataan are assigned to Marine Expeditionary Unit 24 (MEU, pronounced M’you). MEUs are the smallest air-ground task forces (MAGTF) in the United States Fleet Marine Force. Each MEU is an expeditionary quick reaction force, deployed and ready for immediate response to any crisis, whether natural disaster or combat mission.
Sailors on the Bataan operate the huge ship that takes the Marines where they are needed in a hurry. They also supply and take care of the Marines while they are aboard ship.
Bataan is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. The 24th MEU is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
FRIDAY FOTO (March 19, 2021)
The Color of Water.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Danny Gonzalez) CLICK on photo to enlarge.
U.S. Marines with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and Navy Sailors navigate a combat rubber raiding craft after launching from the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland, during an exercise in the Philippine Sea on February 24, 2021.
The 31st MEU is operating aboard the ships of Amphibious Squadron 11 in the 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability with ally and partner militaries in the Indo-Pacific Region.
FRIDAY FOTO (September 18, 2020)
Different Perspective.
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Brandon Salas)
At 4GWAR Blog, we’re used to seeing Marines, Army Rangers and other frontline troops fast rope out of a hovering helicopter, but from, a different angle — usually a long camera shot, far enough away to see the hovering aircraft, and the troops sliding down the rope, and sometimes the view from the aircraft, looking down. But here we see things from the deck of the amphibious assault ship USS America looking up at a MV-22B Osprey’s tail section and the sky above.
These Marines are with the Maritime Raid Force (MRF) of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). They’re fast roping onto the America’s deck from an Osprey assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Reinforced) — another part of the 31st MEU.
The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is the smallest Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF), a combination of air, ground and support assets. Together, with Sailors and Navy ships they serve as the nation’s forward deployed, quick response team, capable of accomplishing numerous missions around the globe.
The MEU, commanded by a Marine Corps colonel, comprises approximately 2,200 Marines and Sailors based aboard three or four amphibious ships. These ships are manned by another 2,000-plus Sailors and Marines, and as a group are designated as an Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) commanded by a senior Navy Captain. Joined together, the MEU and PHIBRON are designated as an Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). The America, flagship of the America Amphibious Ready Group, operates in the 7th fleet area of operations in the Indo-Pacific region. The 31st MEU is the Marine Corps’ only continuously forward-deployed MEU. ,
The fast rope sustainment training prepares the MRF for specialized insertion methods in support of a variety air-to-ship operations, including visit-board-search-and seizure (as seen in this photo), maritime interdiction and specialized limited scale raids.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, click on the highlighted links.
FRIDAY FOTO (July 17, 2020)
Four-Day Fire — Update
(U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Austin Haist)
This photo shows the Navy amphibious assault ship, USS Bonhomme Richard, on fire beside the pier at Naval Base San Diego, California on July 12. It wasn’t until Thursday, July 16, after four harrowing days of smoke, intense heat and flames that the fire was put out.
The Navy announced firefighters have extinguished all known fires on Bonhomme Richard, Seapower magazine reported. Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, said “fire teams are investigating every space to verify the absence of fire.”
“Until every space is checked and there are no active fires we will not be able to commence any official investigations. We did not know the origin of the fire. We do not know the extent of the damage,” Sobeck said July 16.
The 22-year-old Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) had been in San Diego since 2018 undergoing modernization including being prepared to accommodate the F-35B, a vertical lift and short take-off variant of the Lightning II joint strike fighter.
Experts said the loss of Bonhomme Richard — whether completely or just lost for extensive repairs — deals a significant blow to the Navy’s plans to have F-35Bs continually deployed in the Pacific. according to Defense News. And that could pose problems for asserting freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and rejecting China’s territorial claims in the area.
At a press briefing in San Diego Friday (July 17), the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday said the damage to the ship was extensive to electrical, mechanical and structural systems. While he was confident the defense shipbuilding industry could restore the BHR so it could return to sea, he added “the question is, should we make that investment in a 22-year-old ship.”
Gilday praised the ship’s firefighting crew and Sailors from other ships in port as well as federal and local fighters for their lengthy battle against the inferno, which at times reached over 1,000 degrees. He said looking into the cause of the fire will be one of three parallel investigations.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Natalie M. Byers/Released)
A second investigation, routine in such incidents, will be conducted by the Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), to determine if the fire was caused by any malfeasance or criminal activity, Gilday said the Navy also will conduct a third investigation that will look into several echelons of command to determine if the correct procedures were in effect during the emergency, Seapower reported. That third probe will look into whether the Navy reacted properly to the fire, and if measures should have been in place that were not, among other factors.
The top Navy commander promised “We will follow the facts of what happened here. We will be honest with ourselves. We will get after it as a Navy,” Seapower noted.
In the photo above, federal firefighters assess damage in the hangar bay aboard the Bohomme Richard on July 15. None of the firefighters or ship’s crew were seriously injured.
It’s worth noting that at Naval Service Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois — the Navy’s only enlisted boot camp –recruits are trained in firefighting as one of five basic competencies, which also include damage control, watch standing, seamanship and small-arms handling and marksmanship.
FRIDAY FOTO (April 5, 2019)
Whites (and) Lighning
(Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Barker)
Sailors man the rails aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD1) as it arrives for Exercise Balikatan at Subic Bay in the Philippines. This March 30, 2019 photo practically spans the long history of the Navy and Marine Corps — from the sailors in their summer bell-bottomed dress whites, “dixie cup” hats and black neckerchiefs to the Marines’ newest aircraft, the F-35B Lightning II jet fighter, parked behind them.The stealthy F-35B is a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, designed to meet the land and ship-based needs of the Marines.
Balikatan is an annual U.S.-Philippine military training exercise focusing on missions ranging from humanitarian assistance and counter-terrorism.
SHAKO: Women’s History Month 2019, Part III
Women in the Navy.
Here is the third installment of 4GWAR’s tribute to Women’s History Month featuring photos illustrating the contributions of women in the four armed services. With the exception of one historic first or trailblazer for each service, these pictures focus on women doing their jobs — some dirty, difficult or dangerous — but all essential to keeping the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps ready to defend the United States of America. This week we look at women Sailors.
(Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Spencer Fling)
Sailors celebrate after graduating from Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois on January 4, 2019. Great Lakes, on the western shore of Lake Michigan north of Chicago, is the Navy’s only recruit training facility, or boot camp. The workload is heavy and the recruits must adjust to a completely new way of life during the eight-week training program. In addition to classroom instruction, recruits spend time learning the fundamentals of small arms marksmanship, seamanship, water survival, line handling, and fire fighting. Long days and intensive training leave the recruits little free time. While male and female recruits train together they have separate sleeping quarters, known as “ships.”
(Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ford Williams)
Navy Seaman Aliyah Smith (above) stands watch aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) as the ship transits the Bosporus, the entrance to the Black Sea, on February 19, 2019.
(Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Markus Castaneda)
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nia Baker supervises Marines preparing to depart the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD-48) with combat rubber raiding crafts in the Philippine Sea, January 25, 2019.
(Navy photo by Seaman Jarrod Schad)
Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Itzel Samaniego paints an engine cover for an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter in the hangar bay of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) in the Pacific Ocean on February 16, 2019.
(Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Justin Whitley)
Petty Officer 2nd Class Brittany McGhee signals an AV-8B Harrier to take off during flight deck operations aboard the USS Boxer (LHD 4), an amphibious assault ship, in the Pacific Ocean on January 15, 2019. Each crewman has a different task on a very busy and noisy flight deck of assault ships and aircraft carriers, depending on the color of their jacket. Yellow jackets are worn by aircraft handling officers (like petty officer McGhee), catapult and arresting gear officers and plane directors.
(Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Anaid Banuelos Rodriguez)
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Ashley Zappier fires an M240B machine gun aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD-20) in the Gulf of Thailand, Feb. 17, 2019, during Cobra Gold, a multinational exercise focused on supporting the humanitarian needs of communities in the region.
(Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryre Arciaga)
Navy Seaman Sierra Hogard adjusts the rotations of the ship’s shaft aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) in the Mediterranean Sea on January 2, 2019.
(Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Chandler Harrell)
Navy Hospial Corpsman 2nd Class Victoria Robinson performs a dental examination on Seaman Tyler D’Angelo aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) in the Indian Ocean on January 21, 2019.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Raymond Maddocks)
Honoring a Trailblazer: Naval aviators participating in a flyover to honor the life and legacy of retired Navy Captain Rosemary Mariner pose for a photo at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia on February 2, 2019. It was the first ever all-female flyover as part of the funeral service for Mariner, a female Naval aviation pioneer. She was one of the Navy’s first female pilots, the first to fly a tactical (jet attack) aircraft and the first woman to command a naval aviation squadron. Captain Mariner was a leader of the organization Women Military Aviators. In 1992, she worked with members of Congress and a Defense Department advisory board to overturn laws and regulations keeping women from combat.
Enter a caption
U.S. Pacific Fleet Band musicians, male and female, perform during a celebration at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii on February 27, 2019. Navy Musicians attend the Armed Forces School of Music, located in Little Creek, Virginia, for 21 weeks. The active duty Musician rating requires a 48 month (4 year) minimum enlistment contract.
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SHAKO is an occasional 4GWAR posting on military history, traditions and culture. For the uninitiated, a shako is the tall, billed headgear worn by many armies from the Napoleonic era to about the time of the American Civil War. It remains a part of the dress or parade uniform of several military organizations like the corps of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York.
FRIDAY FOTO (November 12, 2016)
Veteran’s Day 2016
Defense Department photo by Army Sergeant Amber I. Smith.
President Barack Obama lays a wreath during a Veterans Day ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia Friday, November 11, 2016.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Carla Giglio
The USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) sails past the Statue of Liberty as it enters New York Harbor prior to Veterans Week NYC 2016.
The 1,000 Sailors and more than 100 Marines on board the amphibious assault ship articipated in New York’s Veterans Day parade Friday, November 11. The ship recently returned from the humanitarian assistance mission to Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
FRIDAY FOTO (December 18, 2015)
Bending Light.
U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Eric C. Burgett
Light, motion and camera speed combine to create a weird imagery effect as a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey launches from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LDD-4) during an exercise in the Pacific Ocean. The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group is underway off the coast of Southern California completing a certification exercise.
FRIDAY FOTO (March 27, 2015)
A Study in Lighting.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin V. Cunningham
Sometimes the Friday Foto illustrates a military operation or training exercise. Sometimes it shines a spotlight on unsung heroes like para-rescue men and under-appreciated military skill sets like sappers and hospital corpsmen.
And sometimes we just feature an arresting, beautifully-composed photo by one of the services’ many photographers. This is one of those times. This sailor, waiting to take off in an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, has been caught in what appears to be a shaft of sunlight caused by the rotating helicopter engine blades. This shot was taken on the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard in the East China Sea on March 24.
BTW, the sailor is a naval aircrewman assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25. Make sure you click on the photo to enlarge it and get the full effect.
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