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A date with US warship

DUBAI — Stepping inside the USS Peleliu, the hustle-bustle of soldiers, the gallant salutes and a general sense of military order greet you to an all-together different world.

A city by itself, the ship carries over 2,300 crew including several hundred marines and officers.

From sailors, pilots and ground units to doctors and cooks, the vessel has its own hospital, airstrip and weather centre.

The 39,438 tons, 820ft, steam turbine powered vessel can hit a top speed of 24kts/hr.

USS Peleliu (LHA-5) is a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy, named after the Battle of Peleliu during World War II. Entering service in 1980, the ship has been deployed to the Gulf on several occasions, performed an evacuation of US Naval Base Subic Bay following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, operated with the INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce, participated in Pacific Partnership deployments, and provided assistance following the 2010 Pakistan floods.

Colossal in size, the USS Peleliu has three kitchens staffed by over a hundred cooks who serve four meals a day.

The medical centre, fully equipped with surgeons, dentists, nurses and corpsmen provide the ship with emergency assistance.

From mending broken bones to providing regular medical check-ups, the medical centre has its own labs and operation theatre.

Built in 1978, the ship has advanced connectivity with complete Internet access, satellite communications and a dedicated video conferencing facility.

Captain E. Cedrun who commands the USS Peleliu says, “Although we have a variety of aircraft and advanced technological systems, the driving force of the ship and air wing team is the crew.” A dedicated weather forecasting bureau provides the captain with regular weather updates and storm warnings.

Docked at the Jebel Ali port for repairs, Col. Roy Osborne says, “It is a large ship and the extensive weather forecasting system allows us to plan the ship’s course ensuring a safe passage during stormy weather.”

With helicopters (Sea Knight, Sea Stallion, Sea Dragon, Huey, Super Cobra, Seahawk) and aircraft (Harrier - second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft) numbering more than 30 on board the ship, a dedicated air command centre takes care of the aerial operations.

Complete with a hangar, service area, taxiway and six landing spots, the USS Peleliu is capable of launching air operations for both combat and rescue missions.

The Peleliu also has a police and fire department on board the ship to ensure law and order.

USS Peleliu’s official motto is Pax per Potens — which means Peace through Strength. Given the vessel is returning from a humanitarian mission in Pakistan, the motto is truly befitting.

Flood rescue

The disaster in Pakistan - triggered by days of torrential downpours - submerged hundreds of houses in water and destroyed roads and bridges, hampering already difficult rescue efforts.

As monsoon rains battered Pakistan and continued to worsen the flood and displace millions of people, the Peleliu ARG and embarked Marines of the 15^th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) provided much needed relief supplies to affected areas.

The Navy and Marine Corps team is uniquely capable of providing sustained humanitarian assistance operations at sea and ashore. 
— muaz@khaleejtimes.com