THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 9, 1994 TAG: 9408090389
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
The amphibious assault ship Wasp and transport dock Nashville will leave Norfolk on Thursday to assume patrol duties off Haiti as part of the U.S. effort to drive the nation's military leaders from power.
With a crew of 1,600 sailors and carrying Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C., the ships will relieve the Inchon amphibious ready group.
The departure of the Wasp and Nashville means the men aboard the Inchon ships have only ``seven days and a wake-up'' call before they return to Norfolk. The Inchon group has been patrolling in the area for the past six weeks.
The Inchon, along with the amphibious transport dock Trenton, dock landing ship Portland and tank landing ship Spartanburg County, are now scheduled to unload their 2,000 Marines in Morehead City, N.C., on Aug. 16, and arrive back in Norfolk the next day.
Also scheduled to return about the same time, most likely on Aug. 18, is the 2nd Fleet command ship Mount Whitney, carrying a crew of about 600. The Mount Whitney has been serving as a command and control ship.
Navy officials were expected to formally announce the schedules today.
The Wasp had been in the Caribbean on refresher training when it was caught in the early stages of the Haitian crisis. It had about 650 Marines aboard at the time and returned to Norfolk on July 18 after nine weeks in the region.
Its commanding officer, Capt. Robert C. Chaplin, promised then that his crew would rush needed maintenance work and get new supplies in order to relieve the Inchon ships as soon as possible.
Actually, Chaplin did better than that. The Inchon group had been told two weeks ago to expect to be home no sooner than Aug. 20 if nothing unforeseen happened. The crews now are getting home three days earlier.
The amphibious ships have been part of a 35-ship armada of Navy, Coast Guard and some allied ships from Canada, France and Argentina.
They were placed off the Haitian coast to evacuate if necessary the estimated 3,500 Americans who remain in Haiti.
They also could be used if President Clinton exercises his option to invade Haiti in order to restore its elected government to power.
The Inchon group was hustled off to the Caribbean after the Fourth of July weekend when the Haitian boat exodus reached unprecedented proportions. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people a day were being rescued by Coast Guard and Navy ships that weekend.
The group had just returned from a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean when it was called back to work after only 12 days of liberty back home. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
THE WASP
The Wasp is a 40,500-ton helicopter and troop carrier. At 844
feet long it carries a crew of 1,200, plus up to 1,800 troops. It
also can carry a mix of 30 helicopters and 6 to 8 AV-8B Harrier
aircraft.
THE NASHVILLE
The Nashville, at 17,000 tons, is 570 feet long and carries a
crew of 380 and up to 900 troops. It also can carry an assortment of
helicopters and amphibious landing equipment in its well deck.
KEYWORDS: U.S.S. WASP U.S. INCHON U.S. NAVY
by CNB