| USS
IWO JIMA (LHD 7) assists 26 MEU with
AST
By
JO1(SW) Mike Jones
USS IWO JIMA Public
Affairs
The
Marines of the 26th
Marine Expeditionary Unit (26 MEU)
returned aboard USS IWO JIMA (LHD 7)
as the multi-purpose, amphibious
assault ship departed Norfolk to help
conduct Amphibious Specialty Training
(AST) August 23.
Components
of Combat Service Support
Detachment-26; 2nd Battalion, 8th
Marine Regiment; Marine Medium
Helicopter Squadron-162 (HMM-162);
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron-464
(HMH-464); Marine Light Attack
Helicopter Squadron-269 (HMLA-269);
and Marine Attack Squadron-231
(VMA-231) arrived aboard IWO JIMA as
LHD 7 arrived off Onslow Bay, N.C.
earlier this week.
Additional
ships USS Ashland, USS Austin, USS
Normandy and USS Kaufman were also on
station comprising the framework of an
Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG).
"We
went into this exercise with two key
thoughts in mind," said Col.
Thomas F. Qualls, 26 MEU commander and
officer in charge of the exercise.
"The first was that we are
training for combat operations. That's
the long-term goal. The specific and
most relevant thought for this
exercise was that we are going to
'precision crawl,'" Qualls
stated. "This crawl stage focused
on unit level training that will allow
us to pick up the pace in subsequent
exercises."
"Each
of our objectives were fully achieved,
including successful flex in the
middle of the landing plan," said
Qualls.
The AST
wrapped up for the 26 MEU ahead of
schedule when weather conditions in
the area began to deteriorate.
"Tropical Storm Gaston forced us
to call a 'heavy air' audible once the
sea state presented concerns. The team
effort and inherent flexibility of the
afloat (Marine Air Ground Task Force)
was clearly at work."
USS IWO
JIMA departed the area to return to
Norfolk August 30.
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