Lance Cpl. Chris Seigal, left, helps Seaman Recruit Grigory Severyukhin work aboard the USS Essex on Tuesday. The Essex was diverted from the North Arabian Gulf near Iraq to the Indian Ocean to support Operation Unified Assistance. (Nicholas C. Messina / U.S. Navy)
Deployed in the North Arabian Gulf the past four months, the USS Essex shifted its mission last week and steamed toward Indonesia, the Navy reported, to assist with humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of an earthquake and tsunamis that devastated South Asia coastlines on Dec. 26.
“I expect that Essex will take her new mission in stride,” Capt. J. M. van Tol, the ship’s commander, stated in a news release Friday. “It actually may be a welcome, if brief, change from the operations of the past several months. I hope we may do some useful work to help afflicted people in the region.”
On its way to its new assignment, the release said, the Essex stopped in Bahrain Harbor and picked up four helicopters that will assist in the humanitarian relief. The MH-53E Sea Dragon heavy-lifting helicopters are from the Texas-based Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 — the “Blackhawks.”
The Sea Dragons provide the capability for the Essex to transport dozens of personnel and up to 16 tons of cargo.
“Helicopters are helpful because they can land on any open area,” stated Capt. Mark Donahue, Amphibious Squadron 11 commander, in another Navy report.
Having the Essex close to the tsunami-ravaged area also brings the benefit of the ship’s high-level hospital care capabilities, the Navy said.
“The LHD (landing ship, helicopter dock) class has the most capable medical facility of any combatant ship in the Navy,” added Donahue. “We have a fleet surgical team embarked. We have a whole lot of medical capability to contribute to the relief efforts.”
The Essex is the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship and serves as flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group operating from Sasebo Naval Base, Japan. The ARG includes the Essex, USS Harpers Ferry and USS Juneau — there were no reports of the latter two ships leaving their positions near Iraq.
Meanwhile, according to a separate Navy report, the USS Fort McHenry, an amphibious dock landing ship that also operates from Sasebo, arrived in Indonesia this week with 50 Seabees from the Okinawa-based Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 40. Marines from the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa also are supporting efforts with the Fort McHenry.
The Seabees with the Fort McHenry are focused on contingency construction, road clearing and runway repair projects, the report said. Sailors and Marines they accompany are delivering fresh water and other aid as part of Operation Unified Assistance.
During the next few weeks, the report stated, NMCB 40 is likely to deploy more Seabees to provide humanitarian assistance in Indonesia. Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Nelson, a construction electrician from Bravo Company, was part of the first group.
“We have a difficult task ahead of us that will prove to be both physically and mentally demanding on everyone involved,” Nelson said in the report.
“If we are able to put the situation into perspective and remember the cause we are supporting,” he said, “it will be easier to deal with what we see and hear while we are there.”
