Sailors aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) conducted a live-fire exercise at sea, Feb. 21.
The Mobile Bay fired the Mark 45 5-inch gun, two Mark 38 25mm machine guns, a Phalanx Close-in Weapons System (CIWS) and a M240B machine gun.
“For the exercise, we put an inflatable balloon, or ‘killer tomato,’ in the water and used it as a target for our weapons,” said Ensign Patrick Bohdan, the gunnery and ordnance officer aboard the Mobile Bay. “This live-fire exercise was to maintain proficiency and train some of our newer Sailors. This was an opportunity to have some of the younger guys get their hands on the guns and consoles.”
Starting over 1,500 yards out, the ship moved closer as each weapon was given the opportunity to fire and sink the target. The last weapon fired was the M240B machine gun. U.S. Navy Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class Michael Miller, from Louisville, Kentucky, was the one who fired the final rounds.
“It was great to be able to get out and shoot the guns,” said Miller. “It’s nice when we do all the work and maintenance for them, to have an opportunity to fire them, and see that your work pays off.”
The exercise not only generated excitement throughout the crew, but also played an important role to the Navy’s overall mission.
“Our ability, as a Navy, to have different levels of force response enables us to respond in unique situations that would require diverse levels of lethality and manning,” said Bohdan. “This exercise ensured the Mobile Bay is ready for any opposing threat.”
The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Info-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 02.21.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2019 03:07 |
| Story ID: | 312701 |
| Location: | SOUTH CHINA SEA |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS Mobile Bay Conducts Live-Fire Exercise, by PO1 Nicholas Bauer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT