Observing the Pacific Fleet Deployments

The Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group is in Australia, and the Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group is deploying tomorrow.

Six Navy ships carrying troops from the Camp Pendleton-based 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit will leave San Diego on Sunday morning on a regularly scheduled deployment...

Joining the Marines on the voyage will be aviators from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 21 and Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light 45, both based at North Island Naval Air Station, and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166 at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.

The announcement does not say where the strike group is heading, but with the Nassau Expeditionary Strike Group in the Gulf currently without a MEU, it is very likely the Peleliu ESG will spend some time there. Normally, the "float" MEU acts as the strategic reserve for Iraq, although as things hve been improving the reserve has been based in Kuwait mostly, normally troops rotating in and out of theater.

Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group

USS Peleliu (LHA 5)
USS Dubuque (LPD 8)
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52)
USS Cape St. George (CG 71)
USS Benfold (DDG 65)
USS Halsey (DDG 97)

The Peleliu ESG deployed in 2006 and spent some time in the Gulf region, while the USS Peleliu (LHA 5) deployed last summer in Pacific Partnership 2007, a humanitarian deployment to Southeast Asia. Pacific Partnership 2008 got underway this week with the deployment of the USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) on Thursday.

Mercy is scheduled to visit the Republic of the Philippines, Vietnam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.

Partner nations participating in the mission include Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

Also participating in the deployment are several non-governmental organizations that provide medical, dental, construction and other humanitarian services ashore and afloat in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

This should complete the major strike group deployments for both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets for a few months.

While it holds no significant meaning, we observe tomorrow will mark a very rare occasion when all three of the old Tarawa class LHAs are deployed in strike groups. We observe finally we can point to a ship where the Navy is really getting its money's worth out of some old war horses. This is a good thing, the Senate bill passed the other day expressed frustration with the Navy regarding the delays and cost problems of the new LHA(R).