Tarawa takes a swim in the Gulf

Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Carlos Cepeda | Sailors and Marines leap off of amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa's (LHA 1) portside aircraft elevator during a swim call held in the Gulf of Oman. Tarawa is currently conducting operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Maritime Security Operations help set the conditions for security in the maritime environment. From security, arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt use of the maritime environment by violent extremists as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material. U.S. forces maintain a naval and air presence in the reign that deters destabilizing activities while safe guarding the reigns vital links to the global economy. (U.S. Navy photo/Petty Officer 3rd Class Carlos A. Cepeda)  

04.16.2008

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet           

By Petty Officer 3rd Class Carlos Cepeda

PERSIAN GULF – Lasting memories were made aboard amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa (LHA 1) as Sailors and Marines enjoyed well-deserved leisure time during a steel beach picnic, swim call, and fishing call in the Persian Gulf, April 7 – 8.

Tarawa crew, embarked staff and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit set sail from San Diego Nov. 5 on a regularly scheduled deployment, completing several operations which included disaster relief in Bangladesh and medical support missions in the African nation of Djibouti.

"I believe there are many benefits of events like this-- the most obvious being the opportunity for down-time," said Capt. Brian Luther, Tarawa's commanding officer. "Allowing Sailors an opportunity to get their errands done, wash and dry laundry, and hang out with their friends is a great way to reduce the stress of deployment."

The crew unwound and enjoyed a full day of music, basketball, barbeque in the hangar bay, and open-air activities on the flight deck. The night was topped off with a flight deck viewing of the movie, 'Pulp Fiction.'
The next day, Apr. 8th, Sailors got a chance to do something many have heard of, but few have actually done-- take part in a swim call. Over 500 Sailors and Marines got to take a dip in the open ocean and wade their way back through the ship's well-deck. Some of those personnel, 165 to be exact, took a 30 foot plunge off of Tarawa's port aircraft elevator.

"I jumped off the elevator. It was a lot of fun-- really exhilarating. While you are falling, you are surprised that you haven't hit the water already, and you are saying to yourself, 'I'm still falling, I'm still falling.' You're supposed to keep your arms and legs crossed, but I started flailing. Then I hit the water and sank right in, really deep. I looked up and headed to the surface. I saw all these people tiring and getting into boats, but my friend and I, aviation ordnanceman 1st Class Dennis Guernsey, didn't stop. We made it all the way around the ship, and when we got to the end, it was awesome! We were really tired though," said Air Traffic Controller 3rd Class Phillip Kondracki.

Most of the swimmers who jumped off of the elevator had difficulty making it to the Tarawa well deck because of the strength of the current, so they received an assist from the "shark watch."

"We must have helped out well over a hundred folks," said Capt. Rex D. Laceby of Battalion Landing Team 1/5, Reconnaissance Platoon. Laceby was in charge of the three boats and nine armed Marines that patrolled the area for sharks. "Thankfully, none appeared," said Laceby.

Additionally, Sailors were also allowed to fish from all three landing craft utilities, with the ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation providing fishing poles, tackle and sunscreen. "We went out fishing on our LCU, and we came back about three or four hours later. The only thing anybody caught, though, was sunburn," said Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel A. Barker.

"These events create lasting memories," said Luther. "Doing routine operations take on a 'groundhog day' effect and they tend to blur together. The steel beach and swim call days stand out. They make the deployment memorable, remind them that the job can be fun, and most importantly, give every Sailor what they need most from a deployment...a good sea story."

Tarawa is currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Maritime Security Operations (MSO) help set the conditions for security in the maritime environment. From security, arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt use of the maritime environment by violent extremists as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

• Date Taken: 04.16.2008
• Date Posted: 04.16.2008 14:35
• Story ID: 18486