A brief look at preparations for the annual exercises held in Thailand
Logistics is a key factor of any military operation,
whether it is during a crisis or for humanitarian operations - providing
equipment, supplies and enabling personnel to maneuver is the first step.
An important part in this year’s Cobra Gold is the dispatch of equipment
which will enable US military forces to participate in the exercise.
The
Gopher State, one of 10 crane ships, measures in at 668.6 feet (approx 215
meters) long, with a displacement of 31,500 tons and can be used as a
floating port/terminal in situations where there are no facilities or
where the port facilities have been destroyed in a military operation. The
ship was involved with operations in the Gulf War.
Well before the troops assemble for the exercise, four
U.S. Naval ships have been busily unloading their cargo at Chuck Samet,
Sattahip. They are the MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, at 675 ft 2 inches (approx.
220 meters) long, the MV PFC Dewayne T. Williams at 673 ft 2 inches (218
meters) long, the big daddy of the contingent, the USNS Seay at 950 feet
(approx. 318 meters) long and the SS Gopher State crane ship, acting as a
portable terminal.
U.S.
Navy Squadron Three Commander, Commodore William D. Daniels, in charge of
the prepositioning exercises said, “It’s great to be a part of these
exercises and we are happy to be here in Thailand.”
These floating warehouses are part of the Military
Sealift Command (MSC) and with the exception of the SS Gopher state, one
squadron can carry enough equipment to support over 14,000 combat
personnel for up to 30 days of a military operation, providing vital
equipment such as armored personnel carriers, amphibious vehicles, tanks,
construction vehicles, ammunition, medical and foods supplies.
Captain
Landon Hutchens, Public Affairs Officer attached to Cobra Gold with the
U.S. Marine Corps addresses the media.
Each of these ships are packed full of equipment, with
the positioning and placement of each item an exact science, balancing the
cargo accordingly when loading and unloading. The vessels are capable of
doing this in port, or out of port as is the case in Chuck Samet where
equipment has been loaded on to floating barges and transported to shore
where the SS Gopher State then lifts the heavy equipment onto land.
U.S. Navy Squadron Three Commander, Commodore William
D. Daniels, in charge of the prepositioning exercises said, “It’s
great to be a part of these exercises and we are happy to be here in
Thailand.” This is Commodore Daniels’ first visit to Thailand. He also
spoke warmly about the Thai people and the good cooperation between the US
and Thai forces during the setup stages for Cobra Gold 2002.
The Ships
The ships are privately owned and leased to the US
government on 25-year contracts. Civilian merchant mariners crew them,
with only minimal military personnel onboard. When asked why this was so,
the response was, “If we were to use Navy personnel the amount of crew
would effectively be tripled by the true nature of procedure. This way,
vessels can operate with a sufficient amount of crew at considerably less
expense.” All of the civilian crewmembers are experienced mariners. They
are provided with military training and are kept informed of the relevant
safety measures required by the navy. The training is updated annually.
Captain
Tim McCann (center) of the SS Gopher State and his chief officers take a
breather from their hard work getting ready for Cobra Gold 2002.
One doesn’t realize the size and capacity of these
vessels until one is on board. The first stop of our tour was the MV 1st
Lt. Jack Lummus. The ‘Lummus’ as it is called, is part of the MSC’s
sixteen large medium container roll-on/roll-off ships. It is a “mere”
675 ft 2 inches long (approx. 220 meters) with a total displacement of
46,111 tons and top speed of 17.7 knots.
It can store up to 480 vehicles of varying sizes. The
cranes on the ship can lift 39 tons each or work in unison for heavier
equipment such the M1 Tank for army personnel or graders used by the
Construction Battalion.
(L
to R) Senior Chief Scott Williams, Public Affairs Officer from Amphibious
Group 3 of the U.S. Navy, Dub Allen, Public Affairs Officer for MSC Far
East, and Major Joe Piek, Public Affairs Officer.
The MV PFC Dewayne T. Williams, at a “tiny” 673 ft
2inches (218 meters) holds similar capacity and speed to the ‘Lummus’
and has a crew of 32.
The third and largest in this contingent is the USNS
SEAY, part of the MSCs nineteen large medium roll-on/roll-off ships. It
measures in at 950 feet (approx. 318 meters) with a displacement of 62,069
tons and reaches speeds up to 24 knots. This vessel stands out like an
icon in the ocean, dwarfing all other vessels close by.
The
MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus is part of the MSC’s sixteen large medium
container roll-on/roll-off ships. 675 ft 2 inches long (approx. 220
meters) with a total displacement of 46,111 tons, its top speed is 17.7
knots.
The SS Gopher State, one of 10 crane ships, measures in
at 668.6 feet (approx 215 meters) long, with a displacement of 31,500 tons
and can be used as a floating port/terminal in situations where there are
no facilities or where the port facilities have been destroyed in a
military operation.
The
MV PFC Dewayne T. Williams, 673 ft 2inches (218 meters) long, has a crew
of 32.
Its 4 starboard cranes are able to lift a combined
weight of 120 tons, working individually or in unison, providing a quick
turn around of loading or unloading of heavy equipment. The ship was built
in 1972 and then converted to a crane ship in 1986. It has permanent
ballast (which provides balance) enabling it to lift heavy loads without
any significant shift in the center of gravity, even with extra long booms
on its 4 cranes.
Equipment
is packed in tight about the MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, where the positioning
and placement, loading and unloading of each item is an exact science.
Captain Tim McCann, who has served on the ‘Gopher
State’ said that the ship was involved with operations in the Gulf War.
Each of the ships is loaded and deployed for 3 year
stints, after which they return to their main base in the US for
refurbishment. The Maritime Prepositioning Force’s (MPF) concept of
operations calls for U.S. Marine Corps and Navy support personnel to fly
to a contingency site concurrently with the Maritime Prepositioning
Squadron sailings. Once personnel have arrived in the theater of
operations, the ships are off-loaded and Marines can quickly move into
combat. It is an essential element of the US Navy’s capability providing
efficient sea transportation of vital equipment and supplies to specific
operations areas in any amount of time.
Cobra Gold 2002
Cobra Gold 2002 is a regularly-scheduled joint/combined
exercise and is the latest in the continuing series of U. S. - Thai
military exercises designed to ensure regional peace and strengthen the
ability of the Royal Thai Armed Forces to defend Thailand or respond to
regional contingencies. The official exercises commence this coming
Tuesday, May 14.
Flying
Humvies? No, the Gopher State’s crane make sure they don’t have to.
One of the newest additions to this year’s Cobra Gold
is the High Speed Vessel (HSV) for the Marine Corps. This new type of
vessel, part of the Marine Expeditionary force is a new chapter in
logistics. The HSV, as it is referred to, is a high speed catamaran
capable of maintaining a speed of 33 knots fully loaded with 970
passengers. Its= 32,000 square feet (approx. 10,000 sq.m) is used to carry
an entire battalion of marines and equipment.
However, Cobra Gold is not about equipment alone, the
most important aspect is people. People are required to operate equipment,
people are required to interact and promote relations. Cobra Gold 2002 is
more important than ever. Planning commenced in September 2001 and is
realized today as one of the largest exercises involving U. S. Forces in
the Pacific Command this year.
US
Marines check out the equipment in a state-of-the-art transport vehicle.
This year’s exercise will focus the participants on
peace enforcement operations and will include the planning and execution
of noncombatant evacuation operations, as these types of military
operations are increasingly called for in today’s world.
A recent example is the U. S., Thailand and Singapore
armed forces involvement in the peacekeeping mission in East Timor.
Major
Tom Russell (right) said, “The benefits of these exercises are far
reaching for the region. It provides an opportunity to share technical and
tactical experiences between all participants.”
As in all previous Cobra Gold exercises, this exercise
will include joint-combined land, sea and air operations.
Approximately 14,000 U. S. forces will participate,
including elements of U. S. Army, U. S. Marine Corps Forces, U. S. Pacific
Air Forces; as well as Special Operations Command Pacific, Air Combat
Command, Air Mobility Command (AMC), Military Sealift Command (MSC) and
reserve elements from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.
Participating Thai Forces will number approximately
7,000 and will include elements of the Royal Thai Army, Navy, Marine Corps
and Air Force.
The
USNS SEAY, part of the MSCs nineteen large medium roll-on/roll-off ships,
measures in at 950 feet (approx. 318 meters) with a displacement of 62,069
tons and reaches speeds up to 24 knots.
As Major Tom Russell said, “The benefits of these
exercises are far reaching for the region. It provides an opportunity to
share technical and tactical experiences between all participants.”
“Other benefits include the ability to refine and
streamline arrival and assembly procedures. We are doing this strictly by
the book. The practice of force generation is a critical part of any
operation, whether it is responding to a crisis or providing humanitarian
aid, we can purify huge amounts of water and provide facilities up to 500
hospital beds,” added the major.
In
Chuck Samet, equipment gets loaded onto floating barges and is transported
to shore where the SS Gopher State then lifts the heavy equipment onto
land. (U.S. Navy Photograph by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith)
He also said, “The rapid deployment and assembly of
the MPF is vital and we can be in any coastal waters within 7 steaming
days. We can cope with any operations small or large as it (MPF) is
scalable and flexible.”
This year’s Cobra Gold will also feature a more
realistic approach with both aggressive and reactive forces, including
live ammunition training.
An
M1A1 Abrams tank is offloaded Motor Vessel (MV) 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, with
Military Sealift Command, onto lighterage to be ferried to SS Gopher
State. The cranes on board Gopher State will offload the equipment to the
pier here. (U.S. Navy Photograph by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith)
“It will be a win-win situation,” said the major.
The lessons learned from the Cobra Gold exercises will enable all
participating forces to evolve professionally and personally, learning
from each other, benefiting their country and culture.-
Whilst in Thailand, visiting U.S. Forces will also
conduct Community Relations Service Projects (Comrels) in which military
personnel will interact with the local society building, painting,
sharing, teaching and learning in helping to create a better relationship
with people of Thailand.
The Big Picture
Cobra Gold is just a small part in the overall scheme
of things. As mentioned it provides training for all participants,
developing and refining skills that can be used in real life situations.
The Maritime Prepositioning Forces provide much needed support in most
military operations whether it is conflict or humanitarian.
One
of the newest additions to this year’s Cobra Gold is the High Speed
Vessel (HSV) for the Marine Corps. The HSV is a high speed catamaran
capable of maintaining a speed of 33 knots fully loaded with 970
passengers. Its 32,000 square feet (approx. 10,000 sq.m) can carry an
entire battalion of marines and equipment. (Photo courtesy of MSC website)
In a conflict environment, these units provide and
support equipment and supplies to troops on the ground so that they can
safely secure and maintain hold of territory until reinforcements arrive.
In a humanitarian operation, such as in Bangladesh a
few years ago, these units are able to provide medical supplies,
foodstuff, distilled water and the necessary equipment to rebuild towns
and villages so that they can once again function.
A final Note!
A word of thanks to Dub Allen, Public Affairs Officer
for MSC Far East, Senior Chief Scott Williams, Public Affairs Officer from
Amphibious Group 3 of the U.S. Navy and Captain Landon Hutchens, Public
Affairs Officer attached to Cobra Gold with the U.S. Marine Corps for
taking the time to show Pattaya Mail reporters the efforts put into
exercises such as Cobra Gold 2002; it’s all about logistics.
Carolyn
Tarrant and Fr. Anthony Lafeber cut the ribbon of the new building while a
father of the center looks on.
Father
Giovianni proudly looks on while Bishop Lorenz Thienchai and Dr. Somsak
declare the facilities open.
The
Lovely ‘Moo’ from Shenanigans doubled as a ‘Play Something You
Know’ CD salesperson in support of the Care for Kids Charity Drive for
2002.
