By Petty Officer 1st Class Talley Reeve
USS JOHN S. MCCAIN AT SEA -- Just after completing a recent exercise, USS John S. McCain is again underway, this time to help with search and rescue operations off the coast of Japan, March 12.
Cmdr. Matt Lehman, commanding officer of John S. McCain said, “We had just pulled into Yokosuka when I got the word to head back out and proceed north. We’re now part of the search and rescue operations taking place off of the coast of Japan.”
“As a member of Destroyer Squadron 15 and the George Washington Carrier Strike Group, we’ll be working side-by-side with USS Ronald Reagan and other Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships, helping with any humanitarian operations that come up,” he added.
McCain’s mission involves small boats operations using rigid hull inflatable boats to search anything adrift in the water and providing support for any helicopter operations by acting as a refueling station; an operation also known as “lilypadding.”
“I’m really proud of my guys,” said Lehman. “We got the call late at night, right when we returned from an exercise and here we are again doing our thing. It’s a real testament to the all the sailors in the U.S. Navy that we can get underway in such a short period.”
“I’m proud to be part of this operation and I know we’ll do the best we can do and help everyone we can.”
An 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck the northern part of Japan last Friday afternoon, causing a tsunami that destroyed the town of Sendai, Japan. The Japanese government soon requested aid from the U.S. Navy, sending several ships from the 7th Fleet area of operations to the area.
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2011 11:16 |
| Story ID: | 66980 |
| Location: | USS JOHN S. MCCAIN, USAFRICOM, AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 635 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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