U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the honorable Michael Ratney, and different friends, noticed flight operations from Vulture’s Row; headed under decks to the Hangar Bay to speak with material specialists about Marine Corps aviation capabilities; visited the effectively deck for a walk-through of a touchdown craft, utility (LCU); and paid a go to to the ship’s medical services.
He mentioned the go to gave him a brand new appreciation for the forces working every single day to take care of regional stability and the free circulation of commerce in these very important waterways.
“It was an absolute honor for me to spend time with the Sailors and Marines of USS Bataan and the twenty sixth MEU,” he mentioned. “Strolling the deck and assembly these unimaginable younger women and men reassures me that the dedication to regional safety is one our Navy and Marine Corps take severely.”
USS Bataan and the dock touchdown ship USS Carter Corridor (LSD 50) arrived within the Center East Aug. 6. Bataan ARG/twenty sixth MEU items convey to the area extra aviation and naval property, in addition to extra U.S. Marines and Sailors, offering better flexibility and maritime functionality to U.S. fifth Fleet.
An amphibious assault ship can carry greater than two dozen rotary-wing and fixed-wing plane, together with MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor plane and AV-8B Harrier assault jets along with a number of amphibious touchdown craft. A dock touchdown ship additionally helps operations for numerous rotary-wing plane, tactical automobiles and amphibious touchdown craft.
The Bataan ARG departed Norfolk, Virginia, on July 10 with Amphibious Squadron 8, Fleet Surgical Workforce 8, Tactical Air Management Squadron 21, Helicopter Sea Fight Squadron 26, Assault Craft Unit 4, Seaside Grasp Unit 2 and the twenty sixth MEU.
The twenty sixth MEU, based mostly in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, is able to conducting amphibious missions, disaster response and restricted contingency operations to incorporate enabling the introduction of follow-on forces and designated particular operations.
The U.S. fifth Fleet space of operations encompasses roughly 2.5 million sq. miles of water house and contains the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Purple Sea, elements of the Indian Ocean and three crucial choke factors on the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb.
