Amphibious warship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) and embarked components of the fifteenth Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) returned dwelling on Wednesday, wrapping up a seven-month deployment to U.S. seventh and third fleets.
The fifteenth MEU’s embarked components on Harpers Ferry included Marines and sailors from the Command Factor, BLT 1/5, and Fight Logistics Battalion 15, based on a Thursday Marine Corps launch.
Some sailors and Marines returned to Camp Pendleton on Wednesday, whereas Harpers Ferry pulled into San Diego on Friday.
Harpers Ferry is a part of the Boxer Amphibious Prepared Group, which additionally consists of amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) and amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25). Upkeep points with Boxer led the ships within the ARG to deploy individually to the Indo-Pacific.
The deployment was additional difficult by the grounding of all V-22 Ospreys in December following a November crash of an Air Power CV-22 and the lack of its whole crew in Japan. The grounding order lifted in early March, however at the moment, it was unsure whether or not the fifteenth MEU’s Ospreys assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Bolstered) can be licensed in time for the deployment.
Somerset left for deployment in January with embarked fifteenth MEU components to hold out workouts in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines earlier than ending up its deployment with participation within the Rim of the Pacific 2024 train in Hawaii. The amphibious transport dock returned dwelling to San Diego on Aug. 13. Somerset along with its fifteenth MEU components lately participated in San Francisco’s Fleet Week from Oct. 7-14.
Boxer departed on April 1 however returned to San Diego ten days later after struggling harm to its rudder. Following repairs, it resumed the deployment on July 3. The massive deck amphibious ship headed towards Hawaii, the place it waited till July 23 to embark its fifteenth MEU components, which accomplished participating in RIMPAC 2024 and subsequently went to the Indo-Pacific. Boxer and the embarked fifteenth MEU components are at the moment within the Philippine Sea, participating within the U.S-Philippine train KAMANDAG 8.
Harpers Ferry, which deployed on March 19, marked a milestone with the primary operational use of the Marine Corps’ new Amphibious Fight Automobiles, based on the discharge.
“The expertise and insights gained by the ACV Platoon and Battalion Touchdown Group 1/5 throughout this deployment have laid the groundwork for refining ways, logistics, and upkeep practices for future expeditionary operations,” reads the discharge.
Through the deployment, fifteenth MEU forces aboard Harpers Ferry carried out three main workouts. The primary was Train Balikatan 24 within the Philippines held from April 22 to Could 10. Somerset and its embarked fifteenth MEU components additionally participated.
“Throughout Balikatan, the ACV Platoon performed a live-fire waterborne gunnery train in Oyster Bay, marking the primary abroad employment of ACVs,” the discharge reads. “Utilizing their automated distant weapons techniques, the ACVs engaged simulated targets afloat and on shore.”
In June, Harpers Ferry traveled to Okinawa, Japan, the place “Alpha Firm, BLT 1/5, and the ACV Platoon performed a ship-to-shore motion, with the ACVs splashing into the waters off White Seaside Naval Facility after Alpha Firm’s Marines practiced troop egress and switch procedures,” based on the discharge. “This marked the ACVs’ first time ashore abroad.”
Harpers Ferry additionally skilled with the Republic of Korea Marine Corps for the Ssang Yong 24 drill in August.
With Harpers Ferry’s return, solely Boxer is left deployed within the Indo-Pacific with a few of its fifteenth MEU rotary wing components deployed on expeditionary help base USS Miguel Keith (ESB-5).
“The H-1 helicopter detachment, a part of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 165 (Bolstered), fifteenth MEU, briefly transferred to Miguel Keith from the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) on Sept. 21,” the fifteenth Marine Expeditionary Unit stated in a separate information launch.
“This marked the primary time a full H-1 detachment has operated from an ESB-class ship throughout a deployment, permitting the fifteenth MEU to increase its aviation operations capabilities throughout the Indo-Pacific.”
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