Showing posts with label USS MAKIN ISLAND. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USS MAKIN ISLAND. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS TAKEN IN PERSIAN GULF

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island pulls alongside the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf, Oct. 10, 2014. The George H.W. Bush is supporting maritime security operations, strike operations in Iraq and Syria as directed, and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Juan D. Guerra.

An F/A-18C Hornet attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 15 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf, Oct. 10, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Card.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

MAKIN ISLAND AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUP RETURNS


Photo Credist:  U.S. Navy. 
FROM:  U.S NAVY
Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group Returns From Deployment
Story Number: NNS120622-04Release Date: 6/22/2012 10:22:00
From Amphibious Squadron 5 Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) returned to their homeport of San Diego June 22 following a seven-month deployment.

The three ships that comprised the Makin Island ARG were amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52).

In addition to the more than 1,700 Sailors who returned today, one day earlier, more than 2,100 Marines assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), which had embarked the three ships for the deployment, returned home to friends and family members at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

During the seven-month deployment, the nearly 4,000 Sailors and Marines of the Makin Island ARG conducted maritime security operations (MSO) and theater security cooperation (TSC) exercises and events in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility.


"In addition to the MSO mission, Amphibious Ready Groups bring flexible assets into the theater that allow fleet commanders the ability to deliver combat forces, support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions as well as noncombatant evacuations," said Capt. Donald Cuddington, commander, Amphibious Squadron 5. "During this deployment, the Sailors and Marines of the Makin Island ARG took part in a number of exercises and TSC events in support of our nation's maritime strategy."

Cuddington said highlights of the deployment included supporting exercises Kilat Eagle in Malaysia, MAREX 2012 in Cambodia, and numerous TSC events with other coalition partners in the Gulf region.

"A key component of our maritime strategy is building regional partnerships to ensure security, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region," said Cuddington. "Our deployment is proof of just that, and that we are a professionally trained fighting force also capable of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief if needed."

While deployed, the embarked 11th MEU participated in a total of 14 exercises with regional partners and host nations.

"We were able to sharpen our skills while strengthening partnerships with our hosts," said Col. Michael R. Hudson, 11th MEU commanding officer. "From survival and jungle training in Cambodia and Malaysia to full-scale raids and live-fire exercises with counterparts throughout the Middle East and Horn of Africa, this deployment employed all the capabilities of our air-ground-logistics team."

Hudson said this was also the first operational deployment of the four-blade AH-1Z Viper helicopter. When deployed with the UH-1Y helicopter, the "Yankee-Zulu" package replaces the older two-blade Marine Corps AH-1W and UH-1N helicopters.

The new helicopters can carry an additional 2,000 to 4,000 pounds, travel faster and conduct combat operations from a safer distance. The AH-1Z and UH-1Y also share an 85 percent parts commonality, which streamlines training and maintenance.

"Although we are most capable as a three-ship [group], positioning our forces throughout our area of operations permitted Marines to be three and sometimes four places at once," said Hudson. "At one point, we were participating in three different large-scale exercises in the Western Pacific, while simultaneously planning three more. We were able to accomplish these exercises and other contingency-support missions because of the agility and capability inherent in a MEU embarked on amphibious ships."

Sailors and Marines from the Makin Island ARG also participated in a variety of community relations activities in a total of six different countries during the deployment. These projects include spending time with needy children and the elderly, making improvements to local schools and orphanages, and taking care of abandoned cats and dogs at animal shelters.

This was the maiden deployment for Makin Island, the Navy's newest amphibious assault ship and the only U.S. Navy ship with a hybrid electric propulsion system.

"Our Sailors and Marines successfully met every mission during our historical maiden deployment in support of the nation's maritime strategy," said Capt. Cedric Pringle, Makin Island's commanding officer. "As the Navy's first operational test platform for this hybrid-electric propulsion system, our fuel efficiency directly enhanced the ability to operate forward for longer. Additionally, our significant fuel cost savings, coupled with our lessons learned, will serve as a solid foundation for optimizing this ship, as well as current and future ship designs. The value of our first deployment will continue to increase, as we assess required refinements in engineering subsystems, training, and logistics support."

During the deployment, Makin Island made port visits to Singapore, Bahrain, Jordan, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. USS New Orleans visited Cambodia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. USS Pearl Harbor stopped in Singapore, Cambodia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Thailand, Republic of the Philippines and it's namesake of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Hundreds of family members joined the Sailors and Marines on each of the three ships for the final leg of the deployment, from Hawaii to California, as part of a scheduled Tiger Cruise.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

SAILORS AND MARINES FROM USS MAKIN ISLAND DELIVER FOOD TO THE ELDERLY IN HONG KONG

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Photo:  USS Makin Island.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.
Makin Island Sailors and Marines Help Deliver Food to the Elderly during Hong Kong Port Visit
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David McKee, USS Makin Island (LHD 8) Public Affairs
HONG KONG (NNS) -- A group of Sailors and Marines from USS Makin Island (LHD 8) and the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) joined local volunteers to help deliver bags of food to residents of the Kwai-Chung Elderly Center in Hong Kong during a community service project May 26.

A group of 35 Sailors and Marines participated in the event as part of the ship's May 25-28 port visit to Hong Kong.

The project also coincided with local observances of Mother's Day, Father's Day and the upcoming Dragon Boat festival in June.

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handing) 1st Class Mark Higgenbottom, one of the Sailors volunteered for the project, said that in addition to bringing food and sundry items to the residents he shared his time with men like Cheung Kin Yip.

Through a translator, Higgenbottom said he got to know the 70 year-old man and found out that he enjoys table tennis and the Internet.

"Mr. Yip was hip for an old guy," said Higgenbottom. "The guy had a lot of energy and went out of his way to show us he stayed active playing table tennis and using the Internet to stay in touch with his family and friends."

Yip lives alone in his apartment, which is about the size of a large bedroom in a typical American home and contains a living area, bathroom and kitchen.

Through the translator, he told Higgenbottom that he enjoys a simple life of getting up in the morning and checking the stock market on the Internet and checking his email and Facebook page.

"It's easier to live on my own," said Yip through the translator. "I like my independence."

Lt. Jeff Perry, a chaplain aboard Makin Island who organized the community service project, said he thinks community relations projects like helping the elderly foster good relations in the communities that the Navy and Marine Corps visits.

"Projects like this put a face on the Navy and Marine Corps and helps build a truer and broader image of us and shows another side of the military that isn't often shown by the media," said Perry.

The group of Makin Island Sailors and Marines delivered food to two communities and another group of volunteers spent time at a local dog shelter. More than 2,000 Sailors and Marines were able to experience the Hong Kong culture during the four-day port visit.

Makin Island is the first U.S. Navy ship to deploy using a hybrid-electric propulsion system. By using this unique propulsion system, the Navy expects over the course of the ship's lifecycle, to see fuel savings of more than $250 million, proving the Navy's commitment to energy awareness and conservation.

This initiative is one of many throughout the Navy and Marine Corps that will enable the Department of the Navy to achieve the Secretary of the Navy's energy goals to improve our energy security and efficiency afloat and ashore, increase our energy independence and help lead the nation toward a clean energy economy.

Makin Island is the flagship of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group that is currently deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

The 7th Fleet area of operations includes more than 52 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian oceans, stretching from the international date line to the east coast of Africa, and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

I SAW THREE SHIPS A SALING

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), left, the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) transit the Indian Ocean. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist John Lill (Released) 120508-N-KD852-128

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