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USS Bataan & 26th MEU Enter Indian Ocean
I wonder what they'll be doing. I filed under 'Iraq', but could be anywhere around the Indian Ocean.USS BATAAN, At Sea The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) and the Sailors and Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) successfully transited the Suez Canal Jan 30 and entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO). While in the region, the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) will conduct Maritime Security Operations (MSO). MSO help set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment, as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. These operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material. U.S. 5th Fleets AOO encompasses 2.5 million square miles of water and includes the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. Well continue our role as the surface warfare commander and the air defense commander for the Bataan Expeditionary Strike Group, said Cmdr. Jon Carriglitto, Bataans operations officer. Together with the MEU, we bring the ability to insert a quick, capable amphibious force where its needed. While in theater, approximately 6,000 U.S. Sailors and Marines assigned to the ESG and the 26th MEU provide the combatant commander a versatile sea-based force that can be tailored to a variety of missions. The Bataan ESG has the capabilities to support MSO, combat operations and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief. Bataan ESGs presence in the U.S. 5th Fleet will require the crew to conduct what it does best well deck and flight deck operations, said Carriglitto. Well be conducting varsity-level operations, but much of it falls right in line with our ongoing training, so I know were ready to meet those challenges. Bataan, commanded by Capt. David Hulse, left its homeport of Norfolk, Va., Jan. 4, on a regularly-scheduled deployment as the flagship of the Bataan ESG. The ESG is comprised of the Bataan Strike Group, commanded by Commodore Donna Looney, Commander, Bataan Strike Group/Amphibious Squadron 2, and the 26th MEU based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., commanded by Col. Gregg Sturdevant. In addition to Bataan, the strike group consists of USS Shreveport (LPD 12), — (LSD 51), USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Underwood (FFG 36), and USS Scranton (SSN 756). Posted by: Glenmore 2007-01-30 |
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