Sailors from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) and Marines assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), Aug. 7, while operating as part of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (KSGARG).
COMPTUEX is designed to prepare and assess Arlington and the other ships in the KSGARG individually and as a unit, prior to deployment.
During the exercise, Arlington ran through a series of drills that tested the crew’s ability to respond to different scenarios, such as maritime patrol, non-combatant evacuation operations, and visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operations.
Completion of COMPTUEX marks the completion of the integrated phase of the ship’s training cycle, as well as completion of the certifications that make Arlington deployment ready.
The three-week exercise also helped to develop cooperation between the different units in the KSGARG by allowing it to practice responding together to various plausible scenarios.
Key components of COMPTUEX are communication and cooperation, not only between the ships, but also between the Sailors and Marines aboard.
KSGARG is composed of Amphibious Squadron 4 staff, the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), Arlington (LPD 24), the amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), and the 26th MEU.
Image: US Navy