Posts Tagged Operation Tomodachi

USS Essex completes support of Operation Tomodachi

USS EssexU.S. Pacific Fleet PACIFIC OCEAN (April 6, 2011) The amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) – Official prepares for a farewell formation steam with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force Ship JS Hyuga (DDH 181). Essex, with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, has completed operations off the coast of Kesennuma in northeastern Japan, in support of Operation Tomodachi. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mark R. Alvarez)

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Reagan (CVN-76) Cleanup

U.S.S. Reagan DECON

Marines wash the surface of an F/A-18C Hornet

Lance Cpl. Juan Olguin, from Lakewood, Calif., sprays the surface of an F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the Death Rattlers of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 323 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan during a countermeasure wash down on the flight deck. Sailors scrubbed the external surfaces on the flight deck and island superstructure to remove potential radiation contamination. Ronald Reagan is operating off the coast of Japan providing humanitarian assistance as directed in support of Operation Tomodachi.

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USS Essex nears the coast of Japan

 USS Essex (LHD 2)U.S. Pacific Fleet

PACIFIC OCEAN (March 27, 2011) USS Essex (LHD 2), with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard, nears the coast of Japan at sunrise. The 31st MEU and Amphibious Squadron 11 delivered food, water, comfort items and commercial repair vehicl…es to residents on the isolated island of Oshima, off the coast of Kessennuma, using U.S. Navy landing craft. Marines and Sailors of the 31st MEU are conducting humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions in northeast Japan in coordination with Japanese Self Defense Forces. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Capt. Caleb Eames)

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Reagan Crew Works to Keep Radiation Contamination Down

Navy crew members mop the flight deck March 23 to remove radioactive contamination from the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan off the Japanese coast.

From: Marine Corps Times

… “I don’t know of any aircraft carrier that’s ever been contaminated like this,” he said.

Powell, the radiation officer, said that he only got two hours of sleep from Sunday until Wednesday. By then, things had calmed down significantly.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the ship has lowered its vigilance. Visitors coming aboard even nine days later were thoroughly checked, as are crews still coming back from relief missions.

The mass cleanup of the ship’s surface Wednesday was considered largely successful, although commanding officer Capt. Thom Burke, in an announcement over the vessel’s public address system the next day, said that some “hot spots” remained.

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