The US Navy’s amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) arrived in Guam on August 29 to undergo mid-deployment repairs.
The scheduled voyage repair availability (VRAV) comes four months into Ashland’s multi-month deployment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The ship will undergo important upkeep and repair work made possible by Guam’s facilities and ship support personnel.
In addition to the VRAV, Japan-based Ashland will conduct shipboard training and interact with the community through scheduled service projects.
Ashland and other ships of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group, recently supported the 31st MEU’s periodic certification exercise (CERTEX) off the coast of Australia. CERTEX provided an opportunity to practice the full range of 31st MEU capability from crisis response to non-combatant evacuation operations.
“We are grateful to be in Guam and take advantage of time to get this ship in optimal condition,” said Cmdr. Patrick German, Ashland executive officer. “Guam is a great location for ship repairs. They have the facilities, manpower and expertise that are always available abroad.”
A mid-deployment VRAV is commonly scheduled to allow U.S. naval vessels to accomplish repairs and maintenance in their homeport, but for vessels overseas, a U.S. Naval Base can present an ideal location for ship repair.
Ashland is operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance partnerships and be a ready-response force for any type of contingency.