Amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) departed Naval Base San Diego, Sept. 17 with the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group (PELARG) and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) for a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific.
In addition to Green Bay, the Peleliu ARG consists of amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47).
“We’re really excited to be back at sea to do what it is that we get paid to do,” said Capt. Putnam Browne , Green Bay’s commanding officer. “We’re paid to put the Marines ashore and go where the country needs us to employ or support humanitarian relief or weapons support.”
Green Bay also hosts support elements from Assault Craft Units (ACU) 1 and ACU 5, and Beach Master Unit 1. The MEU element aboard includes Battalion Landing Team 3/5, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 15.
During the morning of departure, the ship hosted families and friends on the pier to spend final moments together. Some families were saying goodbye for the first time.
“This is our first deployment apart and it’s awful,” said Shelby Illich about her husband, Lance Cpl. Ryan Illich . “I’m not ready for this at all. I told him that I loved him and I would be here waiting for him no matter what.”
Other families have been apart for deployments before, but some will be leaving behind additional member of the family.
“I think it should be a good deployment but it’s going to be rough. My wife is pregnant and she is due in December,” said Engineman 2nd Class (SW) Derrick Langlios . “It’s my first child, a little girl, and when I get home I’m going to tell her that I love her and I wish I could have been there to see her born. It’s one of the things I will not experience, but it’s the sacrifice of being in the Navy.”
Green Bay recently completed predeployment workups after departing the shipyard less than five months ago. During the workups, the Peleliu ARG and 15th MEU successfully completed composite training unit exercise and certification exercise, both designed to evaluate the team’s ability to conduct operations at sea and ashore.
Green Bay is deployed with more than 1,000 Sailors and Marines who are prepared to conduct any operations the Peleliu ARG requires of them.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, September 20, 2012; Image: US Navy