USS Tarawa (LHA-1)

USS "Tarawa" (LHA-1) is a United States Navy amphibious assault ship, the lead ship of her class, and the second ship to be named for Tarawa Atoll, site of a Marine landing during World War II. The first "Tarawa" was the USS|Tarawa|CV-40. The Tarawa is scheduled to be decommissioned March 31, 2009, at Naval Base San Diego. [cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.pot07sep07,0,2851367.story|title=Navy to Decommission Tarawa After 32 Years of Honorable Service|date=September 11, 2008 |work=Navy Newsstand|accessdate=2008-09-12]

History

She was laid down in November 1972 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding, launched 1 December 1973, sponsored by Audrey B. Cushman, the wife of General Thomas J. Cushman, former Commandant of the Marine Corps; and commissioned on 29 May 1976, Capt. James H. Morris in command.

"Tarawa" is the first of five ships in a new class of general-purpose amphibious assault ships and combines in one ship type the functions previously performed by four different types: the amphibious assault ship (LPH), the amphibious transport dock (LPD), the amphibious cargo ship (LKA), and the dock landing ship (LSD). She is capable of landing elements of a Marine Corps battalion landing team and their supporting equipment by landing craft, by helicopters, or by a combination of both.

The ship departed Pascagoula on 7 July 1976 and set a course for the Panama Canal. She transited the canal on 16 July and, after a stop at Acapulco, Mexico, arrived at San Diego, California on 6 August. During the remainder of 1976, the amphibious assault ship conducted trials, tests, and shakedown in the southern California operating area.

During the first half of 1977, "Tarawa" was engaged in training exercises off the California coast. On 13 August, she entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard for post shakedown availability which was completed on 15 July 1978. Following four and one half months of intensive individual ship and amphibious refresher training with embarked marines, "Tarawa" ended 1978 in her home port of San Diego on Christmas stand down.

Missions

Her first deployment came in 1979, where she successfully experimented with AV-8 Harrier jets and later rescued 400 Vietnamese refugees adrift in the South China Sea.

After a second deployment in 1980, and in 1983, during her third deployment, "Tarawa" went to the Mediterranean to support the UN peacekeepers in Beirut, Lebanon. Several additional cruises followed.

In December 1990, "Tarawa" was the flagship of a thirteen-ship amphibious task force in support of Operation Desert Storm. She participated in the "Sea Soldier IV" landing exercise in January that was a deception maneuver suggesting an amphibious assault in Kuwait, and then on 24 February landed Marines in Saudi Arabia just south of the Kuwaiti border.

In May 1991, "Tarawa" went to Bangladesh in support of Operation Sea Angel, providing humanitarian assistance to victims of a cyclone, delivering rice and water purification equipment.

Her 1992 deployment included visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, and Australia.

In April 1996, following another complex overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, "Tarawa" left from San Diego on its ninth Western Pacific deployment. A U.S./Thailand amphibious training exercise in the Gulf of Thailand, and exercise "Indigo Serpent" (with the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy) and exercise "Infinite Moonlight" (the first-ever exercise between U.S. and Royal Jordanian Navy) in the Red Sea preceded "Tarawas visit to thePersian Gulf in support of "Operation Southern Watch", enforcing the "no-fly zone" over southern Iraq. "Tarawa" was also part of "Operation Desert Strike". Returning to San Diego in October 1996, "Tarawa" earned both the Federal Energy Conservation Award and the Secretary of the Navy Energy Conservation Award"'.

In mid October 2000, the Tarawa was passing through the Strait of Hormuz on her way into the Persian Gulf when the USS|Cole|DDG-67|6 was attacked. Upon news of the attack, the "Tarawa" came about and steamed full ahead to the Port of Aden in Yemen where she joined the USS|Donald Cook|DDG-75|6, USS|Hawes|FFG-53|6, and the British ship HMS|Marlborough|F233|6, already providing logistical support and harbor security, as the command ship in charge of force protection in what became "Operation Determined Response". Other US Naval ships involved were the USS|Catawba|ATF-168|2, USS|Camden|AOE-2|2, USS|Anchorage|LSD-36|2, and the USS|Duluth|LPD-6|2. The "Tarawa" remained with the "Cole" until she was secure aboard the Norwegian heavy-lift semi-submersible salvage ship MV|Blue Marlin [ for passage to the US before returning to duty in the Persian Gulf.

Part of the film Rules of Engagement (2000) includes scenes of actor Samuel L. Jackson filmed aboard the "Tarawa".

Tarawa deployed from mid 2005 to early 2006 took her to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She transported the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. During this deployment, she visited Darwin, Australia, Dubai, UAE, Bahrain, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

She was deployed in Bangladesh once again as part of the Cyclone Sidr relief efforts with the "Kearsarge". Code name for the mission was "Operations Sea Angel II" in recognition of the "Tarawa"'s previous support to Bangladesh in 1991. These humanitarian assistance efforts were instrumental in the ship being awarded the 2007 Battle Efficiency Award.

Her latest deployment was in Nov. 07 to June 08, with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in the Middle East in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. She returned to her home port, San Diego, CA, finishing a seven month deployment. She visited Singapore, Bahrain, Jebel Ali, U.A.E., Perth and Hobart, Australia and Hawaii.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t2/tarawa-ii.htm
*NVR|http://www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/LHA1.htm

External links

* [http://www.tarawa.navy.mil USS "Tarawa" (LHA-1) homepage]
* [http://www.usstarawavets.org USS "Tarawa" Veterans' Association homepage]
* [http://www.uscarriers.net/lha1history.htm USS Tarawa history at U.S. Carriers]