Bataan, Mayport Ships ESG Begin Workups

Nearly 1,200 Marines and their equipment will arrive aboard Bataan during the two-week underway period. Aircraft, amphibious craft, vehicles and equipment will test the storage space on Bataan.

''We will bring out 50 percent of the equipment brought on a deployment to move around and see what fits where,'' said 26 MEU Air Officer, Marine Corps Maj. Eric Jessen.

The MEU will operate in six phases during the underway. Phase one consists of the ESG transit, and phase two is the equipment and personnel onload. Phase three, the basic skills portion, tests communication and logistics between the ships and for Marine familiarization on how Bataan operates during shipboard evolutions. Phase four involves the amphibious operations, including onloading amphibious assault vehicles (AAV). Phases five and six are the offload of equipment and personnel.

Sailors and Marines will use the underway period as an opportunity to get to know one another and get accustomed to the procedures unique to each service.

''This is really the first opportunity to conduct business with all elements of the ESG,'' said Bataan Operations Officer, Cmdr. Jon Carriglitto. ''It's been tremendous so far. We expect the ESG will strengthen in our ability to fight as a team.''

The early integration of the Navy-MarineCorps team makes operational planning easier.

''Early planning prepares us to fight and win wars,'' said Carriglitto. ''When all procedures are in place ahead of time, operations run more smoothly, and it will be easier to accomplish the mission.''

Certifications and pre-deployment requirements in warfare and command and control areas will also be conducted during the underway. Aircraft will practice with Bataan and get certified to land aboard a ship with Deck Landing Qualifications (DLQ), one of many goals during the underway period.

For the majority of the crew, this is the first time they have had the opportunity to work alongside Marines aboard Bataan. The last time a MEU was embarked was in 2003 during the Operation Iraqi Freedom deployment. The Bataan ESG is made up of Bataan, USS Shreveport (LPD 12), USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), USS Underwood (FFG 36) and embarked HSL-44 Detachment Six, USS Mahan (DDG 72), and USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) and embarked HSL-44 Detachment One.

Bataan is one of 24 ships that comprise Commander, Amphibious Group (COMPHIBGRU) 2, based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Va. COMPHIBGRU 2, with its 16,000 Sailors and Marines, provides warfighting naval amphibious forces to operate with joint and combined forces for combatant commanders.