Posted on 05/20/2002 9:15:05 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
ABOARD THE SS OBREGON, Mediterranean Sea — On the outside, this 820-foot ship looks no different than the other cargo vessels cruising into the Port of Tarragona.But inside, packed into five decks, there is enough equipment to supply thousands of U.S. Marines: Humvees, tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, ammunition, tents and five-ton trucks. There are even containers full of Meals, Ready to Eat for sustenance.
The only thing missing is the Marines.
Maritime Pre-positioning Ships are little-known military cargo vessels strategically placed across the globe to give a brigade everything it needs, any place commanders want it in as little as 10 days. Each can carry 15 M1A1 Abrams tanks and dozens of trucks, dozers, howitzers and light-armored vehicles.
"You can’t lift this much equipment by air. It’s too much," said Navy Capt. Philip Briscoe, commander of Naval Beach Group Two. "That is why these ships are a national asset."
Although the ships are not a secret, they do not get the attention of a destroyer or aircraft carrier.
The Obregon is one of five such ships that travel in and near the Mediterranean like mobile, floating tool boxes ready to supply as many as 17,000 Marines for as long as 30 days.
The Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, along with Navy Seabees, got to practice offloading in preparation for NATO’s Dynamic Mix 2002 exercise. The exercise kicks off this week.
It was a rare opportunity to practice the tricky task of unloading the gear from the ships offshore, or "in-stream" as the Marines and Seabees called it.
"It’s not something we get to do often," said Lt. Cmdr. Joe Campbell, operations officer for the Norfolk, Va.-based Amphibious Construction Battalion Two.
Using 50-ton cranes and motorized barges, it took about three days for sailors and Marines to offload 400 tanks, Humvees and trucks from the Obregon and USNS Martin, about two miles offshore from Tarragona.
They parked the combat cargo at a makeshift base onshore dubbed Camp Toro Bravo. Marines then loaded everything onto trains to be transported 200 miles to Zaragoza, where NATO troops will participate in field exercises and war games for the next month.
Removing the heavy machinery requires careful planning and dozens of Marines, who wear red patches on their uniforms. They direct tank and truck operators where to park and move the vehicles and gear. Seabees also are involved.
"It’s like a jigsaw puzzle," said Marine Maj. Richard Williams, who helped coordinate the offload.
To take off a certain piece, another piece must be moved. Putting everything back on is the hardest part, Williams said.
Planning must be incredibly precise. If there is too much cargo at the bow and stern of the ship, it could be catastrophic.
"The ship could break in half," Williams said.
Last week’s Seabees and Marines offloaded the Martin and Obregon much like they would during a crisis, though the amount of cargo taken off was only a small slice of what was aboard.
If the Pentagon had to send a brigade-sized force to a far-flung hot spot or, for example, military action against Iraq, chances are the pre-positioned ships would get the call, just like during the 1991 Gulf War.
Strike planners could order the ships to the desired location, and Marines would be flown to the spot to meet up with their gear.
In addition to bullets and guns, the ships have a fleet hospital and an expeditionary airfield. Some of the ships carry equipment to conduct humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
Thirteen Maritime Pre-positioning Ships are grouped into three squadrons on location in the western Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. They are organized into three squadrons. A Navy captain commands each ship, which has a crew of mostly civilian merchant marines.
The Army and Air Force have similar ships that are part of Military Sealift Command’s Pre-positioning. In total, the Pentagon’s Pre-positioning Program consists of 33 forward-deployed ships.
The squadrons usually remain on the move or anchored far away from shore. If needed, the Pentagon can send one of the ships anywhere in the world usually within 24 hours.
Although the cargo is military, the ships are painted white, have black hulls and contracted mariners. Marines, like those with Marine Corps Security Force Company Europe in Rota who were on board the Obregon, often provide security and protection, especially in areas close to shore.
Typically, crews are rotated every 90 days.
Andrew Etter, a merchant mariner on board the Obregon, said living and working on the pre-positioned ships is less stressful than the commercial ships he has worked on, mostly because the ships do circles in the sea waiting.
"But we’re always ready when they need us," he said.
Thanks for your concern.
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