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COMPTUEX is a month long scenario-based training and evaluation process designed to enhance interoperability of all Vinson Carrier Strike Group ships and concluded with certification, ensuring they are fully prepared in all areas of warfare for their upcoming deployment.
“Ships start out training in the basic phase; learning how to operate and fight as a single ship,” said Lt. Cmdr Chris Peters, operations officer aboard Lake Champlain. “In COMPTUEX, it gets to the advanced part of the training cycle; where you are working not just as a ship, but as an entire strike group. It is some of the most advanced and challenging training that the Navy offers and that’s why it’s the last milestone a ship and its strike group go through, prior to deployment.”
During COMPTUEX, Lake Champlain completed two mock straight transits, four underway replenishments, 48 sorties that logged more than 140 flight hours, expended in excess of 8,000 rounds of ordnance, and traveled more than 9,000 nautical miles.
“I think the crew did exceptionally well over this last month,” said Capt. Chris Cegielski, commanding officer of Lake Champlain. “We didn’t make it out for the two-week group sail in August, so this was the first time we were with the rest of the Vinson Carrier Strike Group and we took the steep learning curve in stride. Our anti-submarine warfare certified in only two days when the average is five days so that was very impressive.”
COMPTUEX is not meant for just one ship, as it tests the capabilities of the entire Carrier Strike Group. There are several ways to get information between ships, but those normal resources are not always available.
“One of the hardest things is communicating between units and we stretched the limits of communication,” said Peters. “We are operating far apart and far from the shore, so there were certainly challenges. Ultimately, the Strike Group did well and that’s because all the different ships and all of the different warfare areas were communicating as well as they could be.”
As Lake Champlain returns home from COMPTUEX, one thing that has been communicated around the ship is the crew’s feeling regarding the upcoming deployment.
“I’m excited for deployment and I know the crew is excited for it,” said Cegielski. “This ship hasn’t deployed in six years so that’s a big thing. It’s going to be a great deployment and we getting four really good port visits out of it so it’s going to be a good deal.”
Lake Champlain is attached the CSG-1, which consists of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Air Wing 2, and Destroyer Squadron (CDS) 1. CVW-2 consists of Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) 4 “Black Knights”, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 “Blue Hawks”, Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 2 “Bounty Hunters”, VFA-34 “Blue Blasters”, VFA-137 “Kestrels” and VFA-192 “Golden Dragons”, Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 113 “Black Eagles” and Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136 “Gauntlets”. CDS-1 consists of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104), USS Dewey (DDG 105), USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112).
For more information on USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), visit www.facebook.com/UssLakeChamplain/
| Date Taken: | 11.23.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 11.23.2016 15:20 |
| Story ID: | 215741 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 248 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) Completes COMPTUEX, by PO1 Nathan Serpico, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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