USS PELELIU, Pacific Ocean (NNS) -- Commander, Amphibious Squadron 3 (CPR-3), USS Peleliu (LHA 5) and the other ships of Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group completed Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) March 28.
The exercise, performed from March 12 through March 28, was an integrated training exercise that tested different warfare aspects of the strike group's forces.
"It takes a list of tasks called the Navy Mission Essential Tasks List, which are a list of evaluated competencies which strike groups are supposed to possess and you test that in an integrated warfare environment," said Ensign Pete Wengel, CPR-3 assistant staff intelligence officer.
"This exercise aims at certification to ensure that the strike groups that are deploying can accomplish the missions that they may need to perform while deployed," Wengel said. "However, the ships are not all doing the same thing because different ships in the strike group have different capabilities, so they are tested on what their capabilities are."
Peleliu succeeded in demonstrating many different tasks, including safe flight operations, counter-targeting, as well as operating in numerous defensive formations.
"There were activities going on 24-hours a day," said Wengel. "We had to be flexible and account for what the strike group had planned."
The environment created by the exercise was meant to reflect what could be expected during the actual deployment.
Intelligence Specialist 1st Class (SW) Rodney Boyd said the exercise allowed the chance to see Peleliu operate in a stressful environment.
"We want the exercise to be challenging to our analysts and other departments because in the region we're deploying, the environment will be somewhat stressful so we want a lot of challenges," Boyd said.
This was Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 3rd Class Nicholas Schmidt's first COMPTUEX.
"There were times where the normal collections methods we used were purposely cut out to make you think outside of your comfort zone, to make you come up with new ideas on how to get the information you need and what other options you have," he said.
