Kearsarge celebrates half-way day

USS KEARSARGE, GULF OF OMAN

02.01.2016

Courtesy Story

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel E. Gheesling, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Public Affairs

GULF OF OMAN— Sailors and Marines aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) celebrated the half-way mark of their deployment with a steel-beach picnic in the Gulf of Oman, Jan. 30.

The picnic gave the crew members a break from their daily duties and to acknowledge the success of the first half of deployment.

“Deployment has gone well,” said Gunner’s Mate Seaman Kendall Trichel from Buffalo, New York. “The leadership always has something planned for their junior Sailors and Marines.”

During the event, Sailors and Marines took advantage of the opportunity to spend some time on the flight deck enjoying the sun and the activities that were sponsored by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department.

“We had golf, sumo-wrestling, basketball, volley ball and various fitness challenges,” said Brooke Webber, the MWR fun boss aboard Kearsarge. “It definitely gave everybody a chance to mix and mingle outside of a work environment.”

As part of a way to give back, most of the food was prepared on the flight deck by senior leadership, giving the ship’s culinary specialists and food service attendants time away from their daily routine in the galley and the opportunity to relax topside on the flight deck.

“The meals were cooked by officers and senior enlisted so our culinary specialists could have some time off,” said Webber. “It’s good to see leadership stepping up to the plate when it comes to taking care of our Sailors and Marines.”

Lined up in a barbeque-style setting, the crew had a wide variety of food to choose from throughout the day.

“We broke out over 3,300 pounds of hamburgers, hot dogs, T-bone steaks and other assorted meats and vegetables for the crew,” said Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Ronald Moody, the Supply Department’s leading chief petty officer. “A lot of preparation went into this, from a lot of different people, in order to make this a success.”

Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

• Date Taken: 02.01.2016
• Date Posted: 02.01.2016 18:34
• Story ID: 187625
• Location: USS KEARSARGE, GULF OF OMAN
• Hometown: BUFFALO, NY, US