rickusn

Interesting notes: Stennis is deploying with three vice the normal two Burke class DDG's and the Rentz which didnt work-up with ie train with (COMPUTEX, JTFEX etc.) these ships is deploying with the group.

I dunno for sure but it seems a Burke I/II never deploys anymore unless in the company of a Burke IIA or OHP FFG on a one -or-one basis.

I think it says alot about the USN's increasing reliance on helicopters for surveil/recon among other missions..

It really is a shame that ten more Burke Flight I/II were built before construction of the IIA was finally begun and even that in liue of the far more capable Flight III.

Its also intesting to note that AFAIK VS-31 is making the last S-3B Viking Pacific deployment in the Stennis:

" VS-31 is slated to join CVW-9 for one final cruise before the squadron is decommissioned "

Ships and Squadrons of the John C. Stennis Strike Group
USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)

USS Antietam (CG-54) with HSL 43 DET 5 embarked

Destroyer Squadron Twenty One
USS O'Kane (DDG-77)

USS Preble (DDG-88) with HSL 45 DET 1 embarked

USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60)



Carrier Air Wing Nine
VFA-154 - "The Black Knights"

VFA-146 - "The Blue Diamonds"

VFA-147 - "The Argonauts"

VMFA-323 - "Death Rattlers"

VAQ-138 - "Yellowjackets"

VS-31 - "The TopCats"

VAW-112 - "The Golden Hawks"

HS-8 - "The EightBallers"

VRC-30 - "The Providers"

Other Ships and Detachments
USS Key West (SSN-722)

USS Rentz (FFG-46)

USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)

Explosive Ordinance Demolition Mobile Unit 11 DET 9

Galrahn

Rick, my main man, you missed the obvious.

When it was announced in December the Navy was discussing surging a 2nd carrier to the Gulf, which 2 CSGs were first in line? The answer is the Enterprise CSG and the Reagan CSG. Obviously, the Reagan CSG is being surged, but instead of sending one of the surge groups to the Gulf, the Stennis CSG was sent to the Gulf, and the Reagan was sent to conduct the original Stennis CSG mission. The question I asked was why?

Listing the potential groups, take a closer look.

Reagan CSG:

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)
USS Lake Champlain (CG 57)
USS Decatur (DDG 73)
USS McCampbell (DDG 85)
USS Tucson (SSN 770)
USNS Rainer (T-AOE 7)

Enterprise CSG:

USS Enterprise (CVN 65)
USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55)
USS McFaul (DDG 74)
USS Nicholas (FFG 47)
USS Alexandria (SSN 757)
USNS Supply (T-AOE 6)

Stennis CSG:

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)
USS Antietam (CG 54)
USS Preble (DDG 88)
USS O'Kane (DDG 77)
USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60)
USS Key West (SSN-722)
USS Rentz (FFG 46)
USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)

What if you looked at it like this?

Stennis CSG:

USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)
USS Antietam (CG 54)
USS Preble (DDG 88)
USS Rentz (FFG 46)
USS Key West (SSN-722)
USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10)

Attached SSG:

USS O'Kane (DDG 77)
USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60)

Would it mean anything to you? Does it mean anything to you that the Pentagon announcement that the US is deploying the Stennis included in the same statement the announcement to deploy Patriot Missile Batteries to the region to fight the Insurgency in Iraq? When I read it, at first I busted out laughing, then I raised my eyebrow.

Ever heard of Long Range Surveillance and Tracking (LRS&T)?

As you know, the Burke Flight I/II DDGs in the Pacfic, all of them, are different than the Burke Flight I/II DDGs deployed in the Atlantic. The O' Kane upgraded to version 3.6 just in time for the deployment (Jan 06), while I understand the USS Paul Hamilton was upgraded late last year.

Obviously you realized the extra ships in the strike group meant something, however I'm kindof surprised you didn't put 2 and 2 together.

gunnut

I am completely confused...

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Dreadnought

Out of all the above listed in the Carrier group the only two I have seen pierside was Antietam (CG54) and O'kane (DDG77) never onboard but none the less very impressive ships to oggle pierside.

Opps forgot to mention I have aslo seen the John C Stennis pierside as well. I would very much like to see the Reagan I havent seen her yet outside of pictures.

__________________
Fortitude.....The strength to persist...The courage to endure.

Dreadnought

Galrahn

The US is intentionally deploying a rather large percentage of its existing operational, advanced staged development AEGIS ballistic missile defense to the Gulf region, to fight the Iraqi insurgency if you are to believe the political rhetoric. While the two ships themselves do not have interceptors, they do have the latest upgrades to AEGIS BMD, allowing them to be guidance assets in Patriot missile intercept.

I do not believe the US is going to strike Iran, in fact I find the editorial analysis of such a scenario to be a mimic of the lazy intelligence guesswork analysis performed by the CIA regarding Iraq's WMD analysis in 2003 before the Iraq war. Virtually every media editorial theory of US strike is based on the assumption of the US executing its preemption policy, and on expectations US aggression, rather than the possibility of improved intelligence capability since March 2003 in regional affairs.

The mostly defensive naval deployments of AEGIS ABM defense and additional Royal Navy minesweepers to the Gulf region is interesting, noteworthy, and most likely very intentional. It is happening for a reason, and if the reason isn't to prelude to a US strike against Iran, the other possibilities are at least as interesting.

Dreadnought

Very interesting I would say.

RAL's_pal?

Aren't you on the wrong coast to be looking at the Stennis and Antietam at pierside? If you're in San Diego, it's only a 2 hour drive to Dickie's house........

Dreadnought

Hey Pal,
Long time no see.

I have seen the Stennis tied up in Virginia before she departed for the Gulf in 98. Actually we hung around to see her depart Norfolk. Just something about watching the tugs get her under way. Im thinking was probably the last Carrier I have actually seen upclose from pierside thats still in service. Havent been back to Norfolk in a few years now but want to go and see the new Monitor museum that supposed to open soon or Ill wait until they pull North Carolina for her hull inspection/repairs and see both at once. Its supposed to happen in the next few years so patience may pay off.

The Antietam i saw in San Diego while there in 2003. Never stepped aboard (would love too) but just took a few minutes to admire. I have family in San Jose and after touring the ships in San Fran (wooden ships) kind of got bored and didnt want to do the Alcatraz tour so we went to San Diego for the day to see what was in port at that time. Interesting place I might add. Would have loved to see the Iowa in the reserve but time didnt allow for further travel. Thats why I continue to ask Mr. L about her. Didnt know Mr.L was that close to SD.

The O'Kane I made a mistake on and havent seen her. It was the Cook DDG75 we viewed in Norfolk. Dont know why I thought O'Kane.

C'mon Pal dont you know im a two ocean Dred when need be.

Dreadnought

That in itself the two groups are an awful lot of firepower to be in one place at one time. With multiple capabilities.

Dreadnought

[quote=Dreadnought;331016]Hey Pal,
Long time no see.

I have seen the Stennis tied up in Virginia before she departed for the Gulf in 98. Actually we hung around to see her depart Norfolk. Just something about watching the tugs get her under way. Im thinking was probably the last Carrier I have actually seen upclose from pierside thats still in service. Havent been back to Norfolk in a few years now but want to go and see the new Monitor museum that supposed to open soon or Ill wait until they pull North Carolina for her hull inspection/repairs and see both at once. Its supposed to happen in the next few years so patience may pay off.

The Antietam i saw in San Diego while there in 2003. Never stepped aboard (would love too) but just took a few minutes to admire. I have family in San Jose and after touring the ships in San Fran (wooden ships) kind of got bored and didnt want to do the Alcatraz tour so we went to San Diego for the day to see what was in port at that time. Interesting place I might add. Would have loved to see the Iowa in the reserve but time didnt allow for further travel. Thats why I continue to ask Mr. L about her. Didnt know Mr.L was that close to SD.

The O'Kane I made a mistake on and havent seen her. It was the Cook DDG75 we viewed in Norfolk. Dont know why I thought O'Kane.
Was thinking the last FFG's I have seen here in Philly were for the Army/Navy game we had 2 in port Haleyburton and Klakring.

C'mon Pal dont you know im a two ocean Dred when need be.

RAL's_pal?

Actually Dickie and I both live in Los Angeles County so you drove right by the area on the way to San Diego. I'm sure if you're in the area again you could probably talk RAF into meeting you for breakfast at Baker's Square.

It's been a while since I've been down San Diego way, used to like driving past North Island/Coronado to see which carriers were in and then traveling down a few more miles to the 32nd Street Naval Base. Since I spent a number of childhood years in National City and Chula Vista, all I had to do was walk to Broadway Ave and look Northwest to see the fleet. We used to go to a small commissary in a quansont hut in the early 1960's on Coronado literally in the shadows of the carriers.

Dreadnought

I will certainly keep this in mind the next time I go visit my brother. Thanks.
Do I get a tour of Long Beach as well?

RAL's_pal?

I haven't been near the ex-shipyard since it closed 9 years ago. I've seen the area in some movies and other programs about longshoremen, but that's it. There's even a place in Long Beach where yardbirds bought bricks with their names inscribed on them, and I guess it's a museum-type area. I hope Dick can chime in here, because I don't know much about the thing.

RustyBattleship

If you mean the shipyard, there is absolutely nothing left. Even the dry docks have been filled in and it's one huge parking lot for containers.

As for the city, the past mayoral administrations concentrated too much on Pine Avenue and Broadway upgrades. I hate the place.

The Aquariium is nice. However, if you take the Aquarium road at the bottom of the 710 Freeway, go just past it to Pierpoint Landing street. Turn left and left again at the very first parking lot. If it's a weekend, you won't find a place to park because of the fishermen out there. At the end of the parking lot is our Naval Complex Memorial Park that was created by The Friends of the Navy and the City of Long Beach.

You can't miss it. There is an 18,000 lb stocked anchor there that supposedly was lost by one of Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet ships. It was salvaged by Al Larson Boat Company and donated to us. The Flagpole is built like a ship's mast and used to be the flagpole of the Naval Hospital up on Carson Street (torn down for a shopping mall). then there is a huge Ancillieary sphere with some photos around it supposedly representing the shipyard and Naval base.

Our main effort now is the selling of engraved bricks to be placed in the walkways along with two special memorial slabs with the names of the men killed on the USS Evans when the RAS Melbourne cut her in two.

I have recently been made chairman of Friends of the Navy and have the forms if you want to order bricks either in your name, or the name of a relative that served or even a company name.

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