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    USS Anchorage wraps up RIMPAC, San Diego

    SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

    07.28.2014

    Courtesy Story

    Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

    By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Elena Pence
    USS Anchorage Public Affairs

    SAN DIEGO – Amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) returned to port after participating in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014 Exercise off the coast of San Diego, July 28.

    More than 400 personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru and the U.K. joined Anchorage Sailors for RIMPAC.

    Anchorage acted as the afloat sea-base, supporting Commander of Task Group 177.1 (CTG), and served as the operating platform for a multinational mine countermeasures (MCM) group that included airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM), underwater vehicles, divers and marine mammals.

    During the exercise, embarked Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14 (HM-14) conducted AMCM, while Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Mobile Unit 1 and 11 performed MCM operations.

    "HM-14's participation in RIMPAC is essential and beneficial for many reasons," said Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Grover, officer in charge for HM-14. "It allows the squadron to execute cross-country flights, conduct shipboard operations, integrate with the international MCM Staff Combined Task Force (CTF) 177.1, participate as part of the MCM triad to meet squadron unit level training goals, execute AMCM mission tasking, and remind the larger Navy as a whole what the HM community and the MH-53E Sea Dragon is capable of accomplishing."

    Lt. Cmdr. Erich Frandrap, executive officer of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11, said the exercise demonstrated the inherent flexibility of MCM forces.

    "RIMPAC 14 is a unique opportunity for multiple MCM assets from several countries to all come together to jointly tackle a difficult task: finding mines and ensuring safe access for friendly forces," he said.

    Commissioned in May 2013, this was the first time Anchorage participated in RIMPAC. Anchorage commanding officer Cmdr. Joel Stewart said the exercise was a great opportunity to get the ship and crew integrated into the fleet.

    "We've come in a big way and proved that, even though we haven't done a maiden deployment yet, Anchorage is a force multiplier and will certainly bring a lot of value to 3rd Fleet or anywhere else the Navy needs the ship to conduct its mission," he said.

    Twenty-two nations, 49 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 26-Aug. 1, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2014 is the 24th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

    For more news from Rim of the Pacific, visit www.navy.mil/local/rimpac. For more news on USS Anchorage (LPD 23), visit www.facebook.com/anchoragelpd23.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 07.28.2014
    Date Posted: 07.30.2014 22:54
    Story ID: 137805
    Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US

    Web Views: 949
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN