You are not mistaken about the USMC and the USS Bonhomme Richard.
—————————— Salute to the USS Bonhomme Richard and Those Who Served On Her —————————————
Homecoming 4/9/2010 - 11th MEU - Capt. Roger Hollenbeck - Camp Pendleton
CAMP PENDLETON — Thousands of Marines and Sailors from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit will return to Camp Pendleton April 13 after a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific, Middle East and Horn of Africa regions.
During the deployment, the 11th MEU and Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group participated in eight Theater Security Cooperation exercises from Indonesia to Kuwait.
“These exercises gave the Marines and Sailors of the 11th MEU opportunities to hone their war-fighting skills with warriors from different countries and services, each with unique talents and experiences” said Col. Gregg Olson, the Commanding Officer of the 11th MEU. “From survival training in the jungles of Indonesia and East Timor to full-scale raids and live fire exercises with counterparts throughout the Middle East, this deployment employed all the capabilities of the Marine Air Ground Task Force.”
The MEU embarked USS Bonhomme Richard, USS Cleveland and USS Rushmore and deployed in late September 2009. For most of the deployment, the three ships of the Amphibious Ready Group and their embarked Marines operated independently of one another, coordinating their actions through the Marine Air Ground Task Force command element and its counterpart Navy headquarters, Amphibious Squadron 7. Dispersed operations permitted this team to conduct multiple, simultaneous missions and broadened the reach of amphibious forces beyond what could have been achieved had the three ships remained in company.
“Dispersing the MEU permitted Marines to be three and sometimes four places at once,” Olson said. “At one point we had two different training exercises underway in the Arabian Gulf while Marines and Sailors over 1,800 miles away aboard Bonhomme Richard supported Maritime Security Operations, trained ashore in the Horn of Africa and provided the United States Central Command a flexible force with which to react to contingencies. Our training provided us opportunities to exercise geographically dispersed forces; while deployed we had plenty of chances to put what we had rehearsed into practice. Our Marines and Sailors are experts at operating with commander’s intent and in austere conditions. This float provided them opportunities to show off their expertise across the spectrum of expeditionary operations.”
The ships will offload the Marines and Sailors of the MEU by helicopter and landing craft, then continue their transit home to San Diego, arriving April 14.
“The Marines and Sailors performed admirably during our work-up training and while deployed,” Olson said. “They came together as a team over the last year and have certainly earned some time off with their families and friends.”
For more information or to attend the homecoming event, contact the 11th MEU public affairs officer, Capt. Roger Hollenbeck, at Hollenbeckra@bonhomme-richard.usmc.mil or roger.hollenbeck@usmc.mil.
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