ATLANTIC OCEAN –
The Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), operating within the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (IWOARG), conducted a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6), April 12, 2021.
The replenishment came as Carter Hall and IWOARG entered the SIXTHFLT area of operations on their deployment in support of maritime security and stability in Europe and Africa.
Supply played a critical role to help protect the health and safety of U.S. and allied nations by allowing ships to remain at sea for long periods of time.
During the replenishment, the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17), also operating within the IWOARG, approached Supply from its portside while Carter Hall approached concurrently from the starboard. Both ships took on fuel and stores.
Supply is one of MSC’s largest combat logistics ships, which means more fuel and supplies for NATO allies and partners.
Carter Hall accepted 50 pallets of stores, including food and supplies, as well as mail for the crew. Due to the volume of stores received, the replenishment was an all-hands-on-deck event. Carter Hall Sailors and Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) came together to form a working party, efficiently and safely bringing the supplies aboard.
“Forward thinking and planning on the routes for the stores to go from the RAS station to the various storerooms led to a successful stores onload,” said Lt. Eric Deitenbeck, Carter Hall’s supply officer. “The extra hands of the 24th MEU made for less work and more enjoyment. They had music playing and a majority of the Marines were singing and having a great time.”
After the onload, Carter Hall’s mail orderlies made calls breaking the good news to Sailors and Marines of packages and letters received from families ashore.
Carter Hall is conducting operations in the Atlantic Ocean with Amphibious Squadron 4 and the 24th MEU as part of the Iwo Jima ARG.
MSC operates approximately 125 naval auxiliary civilian-crewed ships, replenishes U.S. Navy ships, strategically prepositions combat cargo at sea and moves military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners around the world.
The 24th MEU consists of a ground combat element, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/8, a logistics combat element, Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 24, and an aviation combat element, Medium Tilt-Rotor Squadron (VMM) 162 Reinforced.
The Iwo Jima ARG-MEU team is manned, trained and equipped to fulfill amphibious requirements in support of maritime security and stability. Amphibious ready groups and larger amphibious task forces provide military commanders a wide range of flexible capabilities including maritime security operations, expeditionary power projection, strike operations, forward naval presence, crisis response, sea control, deterrence, counter-terrorism, information operations, security cooperation and counter proliferation, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief."
U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
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