By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Brian Goodwin, Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group Public Affairs
USS SAN ANTONIO, At Sea (NNS) -- Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 264 Aviation Combat Element (ACE) detachment recently embarked amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) to conduct a variety of training operations with the ship's air department.
The 75 Marines assigned to the ACE detachment, stationed out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., disembarked from the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) to test their skills in defensive postures and ordnance loading operations, and to showcase the aviation capabilities of the new San Antonio-class ship.
"The LPD class has the capabilities to support an aviation detachment aboard, and we were here to exercise the motions of executing air operations that can be used in future missions," said Capt. Peter Herrmann, ACE action officer.
"Normally we are the ready deck to support Iwo Jima when the ship is at flight operations and, on occasion, we will fly and perform deck landing qualifications," said Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) (AW) Thomas Cline, San Antonio's Air Department leading chief petty officer.
The mission of San Antonio's aviation boatswain's mates (handling) was to serve as safety directors while ACE performed 48 mishap-free aircraft moves to and from the hangar bay to the ship's flight deck.
Refueling the helicopters safely was another top priority for San Antonio's Air Department and for the aviation boatswain's mate (fuel) Sailors.
"We refueled the helicopters 40 times in one week in order to keep ACE in the air," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuel) 1st Class (AW) Jerome Fuda.
Cmdr. Kurt Kastner, San Antonio's commanding officer, commented on the air department's performance.
"Our air department is truly flexing their operational muscle," said Kastner. "We are conducting a lot of flight operations and aircraft handling evolutions, so they are getting a lot of experience."
Cline is proud of his departments' achievements.
"We demonstrated our air capabilities by launching the ACE's aircraft in an environment of amphibious ships deploying Marines," added Cline. "San Antonio is even capable of going off on its own with an embarked detachment, and perform missions independently. This was the first time we had a Marine detachment with us, and we look forward to the opportunity of working with them again in the future."
ACE departed with an enhanced appreciation for the professionalism of San Antonio's Sailors and Marines.
"San Antonio has been a very hospitable place for us, and the Sailors and Marines have been very supportive of our operations," added Herrmann.
San Antonio is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to conduct maritime security operations (MSO). MSO helps develop security in the maritime environment. From security arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists' use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.