USS Green Bay participates in Korean Marine Exchange Program

AT SEA

03.31.2015

Courtesy Story

USS Green Bay (LPD 20)

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Elizabeth Merriam, USS Green Bay (LPD 20) Public Affairs

WATERS TO THE EAST OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA— Amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are participating in the bi-lateral training exercise, Korean Marine Exchange Program (KMEP) 2015 off the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK) March 28 - April 1.

“The Green Bay Navy and Marine Corps team recently completed our first training and certification event and to proceed immediately into this exercise with the Republic of Korea Navy and Marines reinforces our combat skills,” said Capt. Kris McCallum, commanding officer of Green Bay. “KMEP also demonstrates our plug and play capability to join with our Korean counterparts and, within hours of doing so, be able to execute varsity level missions at and from the sea,”

The combined total of around 15 ROK and U.S. Navy amphibious ships supported a combined amphibious landing to demonstrate the unique ability of the 31st MEU to arrive in theater via amphibious shipping, along with a ROK Regimental Landing Team, into an amphibious Combined Marine Expeditionary Brigade.

“In addition to providing the 31st MEU with the required lift and command and control capacity to execute this exercise, Green Bay provides the Amphibious Task Force Commander with the air and surface sensors and connectivity to build an accurate and far reaching picture of the operational area,” McCallum said.

As well as providing the MEU with the required lift and command and control to execute this exercise, personnel exchanges are another important aspect of KMEP.

ROK marine corps 1st Lt. Chaehyeom Cho, a reconnaissance and repair diver, is visiting the Green Bay as part of a personnel exchange to see first-hand how the Green Bay executes her mission and experience life aboard a U.S. Navy warship.

“I like the working environment,” Cho said. “Here on Green Bay, the officers and enlisted all work together and are very professional. They all seem to really enjoy their job.”
KMEP enhances the combat readiness and interoperability of ROK and U.S. forces and is critical in our combined ability to operate across the range of military operations from humanitarian and disaster relief to complex, expeditionary operations.
As an intelligence chief, Staff Sgt. Brent Tourangeau keeps track of the Marine operations ashore but having participated in onshore operations during KMEP in 2013, he has a unique understanding of the operations.

“We practice these exercises so we have that interoperability,” said Tourangeau. “The ROK personnel are very professional. We worked out the equipment, the translators, and the frequencies so if there was a real world contingency we would be able to communicate with each other.”

During the bi-lateral exercise, ROK navy UH-60 helicopters landed on the flight deck of Green Bay, the newest member of the forward-deployed amphibious force.

“This is the first time an LPD 17 class ship has been a part of a forward deployed naval force in this area of operations,” said Lt. Matthew Headley, mini boss. “Performing deck landing qualifications with the ROK shows we have the capability of recovering ROK, American and most any other ally nation aircraft.”

KMEP 2015 demonstrates the Navy/Marine Corps’ responsive amphibious and expeditionary capabilities from the sea and demonstrates our commitment to the ROK-U.S. Alliance which contributes to the security and stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Green Bay along with the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48), and embarked 31st MEU make up the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group.

• Date Taken: 03.31.2015
• Date Posted: 03.31.2015 16:47
• Story ID: 158713
• Location: AT SEA