Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Hector Carrera | 210819-N-WY048-2459 PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 19, 2021) – Sailors assigned to...... read more read more
APRA HARBOR, Guam (March 10, 2022) – The expeditionary sea base USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), part of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11, swapped Blue and Gold crews in Guam, Feb. 12-22, as part of the ship’s maiden deployment to the western Pacific.
Since arriving in the region fall 2021, Miguel Keith has integrated with Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7 to flex and refine four core capabilities: aviation, berthing, equipment staging, and command-and-control (C2).
“Acting as C2 hub, Miguel Keith embarked the staff of ESG 7 in support of the AMERICA ARG composite deployment, and conducted proof of concept embarks for Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCMRON) 7 and Commander Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) 7,” said Capt. Troy Fendrick, commanding officer of Miguel Keith’s Blue Crew. “Additionally, MGK successfully integrated Naval Special Warfare and Marine Corps assets in the East China Sea.”
While its military crew periodically transitions between Blue and Gold, like the U.S. Navy’s submarines and littoral combat ships, Miguel Keith’s hybrid crew maintains a team of professional civilian mariners, including a ship’s master who oversees the safe navigation and maneuvering of the ship.
“The great working relationship we have with both Blue and Gold Crews adds a tremendous amount to the mission,” said Military Sealift Command Capt. Brice Bheringer, Miguel Keith’s master. “While we keep the ship operating and navigating, the Blue and Gold crews focus on mission turnover. This minimizes ship’s downtime and gets us back on station. It also allows us to consult together on additional capabilities, like Navy Expeditionary Surgical Team support, to expand our contribution even further.”
Bheringer’s civilian crew steers Miguel Keith wherever embarked military commanders need to go, which could be anywhere the U.S. does not have a land-based footprint. The ship’s strategic presence there expands commanders’ range of crisis response options for everything from limited combat to disaster relief operations.
“I like to look at Miguel Keith as a big blank canvas,” said Capt. Greg Baker, PHIBRON 11 Commodore, “because there are just so many things we can do, and have done already.”
“It’s built to commercial standards, so it has the capacity for a command staff, visitors, or if necessary, those seeking temporary refuge during a humanitarian mission like embassy reinforcement,” added Baker. “On top of that, its flight deck is huge, so it can provide a ready deck exactly when and where we need one, for any aircraft in our or our partners’ rotary-wing or tiltrotor inventory. That’s critical to our ability to control key maritime terrain and deny our adversaries from the sea.”
Miguel Keith’s civilian-vessel specifications and appearance provide yet another benefit: It can be a stage for realistic maritime security operations training – boarding exercises – for Sailors and Marines from other platforms and units, including Naval Special Warfare.
“Gold Crew is trained and motivated to operate onboard Miguel Keith,” said Capt. Patrick Keller, commanding officer of Miguel Keith’s Gold Crew. “We are looking forward to building on the great work by Blue Crew and continue to integrate Miguel Keith into Seventh Fleet operations. Miguel Keith is ready and able to execute any tasks to include real world operations, fleet exercises, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, or as a C2 hub for embarked staffs. As our ship’s motto states, ‘Semper in Pugna’: Miguel Keith is always in the fight.”
Together, the forward-deployed ships of PHIBRON 11 and elements of the 31st MEU are operating as part of the Commander Task For 76 composite deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility to enhance interoperability with allies and partners, and serve as a ready response force to defend peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2022 20:01 |
| Story ID: | 416148 |
| Location: | APRA HARBOR, GU |
| Web Views: | 2,002 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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