With everything from an airport to a dentist the USS America is a moving, floating city
Disappointed with not being allowed to come ashore the sailors of the USS America have invited Aussies for a virtual tour of the amphibious assault ship. WATCH THE VIDEO
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The US sailor points a modified M-14 rifle and fires at the Royal Australian Navy ship pulling alongside.
Seconds of silence follow the loud bang, before cheers emanate from fellow sailors.
The shot was successful.
Helicopters buzz above as the USS America and HMAS Ballarat crew members each take a side of the shot line and thread back a stronger cable, used to pass a handheld radio and other items between the ships as the American vessel prepares to refuel the 118m-long Aussie frigate.
A few hours later the dull roar of fighter jets, with USS America emblazoned on their tails, resumes as they launch off the deck of the 259m long Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA-6) over the Coral Sea.
Inside the US Navy’s only forward deployed, or foreign-based, amphibious assault ship, any number of sailors or marines might be visiting the floss boss or getting a cheap haircut.
Captain Ken Ward, commanding officer of the USS America, said the warship was a floating city with everything from a hospital to a jail, called the brig, on board.
“It’s truly a small floating city with everything from power plants to a small grocery store … and a large galley, or cafeteria, where the crew eats,” he said.
“It’s also a floating airport, it has a jail and a police force.”
Capt Ward said no one was in the brig during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2021 (TS21), the reason it and other foreign military vessels have been sitting off the Queensland coast for the past few weeks.
“We really don’t need to use it too often, … (but) it’s incredibly clean and it’s a really nice facility,” he said.
The ninth iteration of TS21, Australia’s largest biennial military exercise with the US comprised of 17,000 personnel from six countries, finished this weekend after a fortnight of mock war games throughout the state.
Crew on foreign ships have not been allowed to disembark this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic and Australia’s mandatory quarantine rules.
Commissioned in 2014 and based in Sasebo, Japan, the America is the US Navy’s only forward deployed, or foreign-based, amphibious assault ship and has about 2500 sailors and marines on board.
Its primary aim is to support the Okinawa-based US Marine Corps 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU)’s air combat element, which includes the F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter jets and the MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, among other combat helicopters.
Information Specialist Second Class Andrew Valderas said the America was the navy’s “premier crisis response force” in the Indian-Pacific region.
“Our habitability is essential to our ability to operate with our marine brothers and sisters of the 31st MEU, to ensure security and stability for our partners and allies here in the Indo Pacific and the folks back home,” he said.
In a video made exclusively for the Courier Mail, fighter jets can be seen taking off one after another, while – at a different time – a helicopter delivers supplies as the HMAS Ballarat steams alongside receiving 400,000 litres of fuel from its larger ally.
Inside, sailors and marines chat at tables while waiting members of the Food Services Division to cook their lunch in an industrial-sized kitchen called the galley.
Petty Officer Second Class Valderas said three meals a day were prepared for the thousands on board.
“Additionally, there is a wardroom for the ships commissioned officers and a chief petty officer mess for the ships senior enlisted crew,” he said.
PO2 Valderas said the amphibious assault ship also has one of the largest exercise areas in the fleet.
“America has two (gyms), one for weightlifting and one for cardio training,” he said.
“America’s fitness centres are some of the largest exercise facilities in the fleet and they see a lot of traffic.
“If the weather is nice, we can go for a run on our flight deck, as long as we’re not flying of course.”
With nurses assisting a patient in a room behind him, Hospital Corpsman Third Class Justin Hunter said the warship had medical and dental staff on board.
“For our sailors that are feeling a little bit under the weather, we have fully functional medical facilities equipped with operating rooms to help take care of sailors and marines twenty-four-seven,” he said.
“Also, we have floss boss on board with a dental team to make sure your dental care is up to date and to take care of any emergency needs at any time.”
In another part of the vessel, Retail Specialist Third Class Gregory Baker said crew members could buy essentials or snacks from a store, and even get their hair cut on board.
“Our floating city also has its own ships store, fully stocked with essentials and a variety of snacks,” he said, while standing next to a shelf full of chocolate bars.
“At the barber shop we have haircuts on sale for the bargain price of $3.93 ($A5.35).
“Styles limited,” he quipped.
The USS America is the flagship of Amphibious Squadron 11 and the Expeditionary Strike Force Seven, part of the US Pacific Fleet, which provides naval forces to the Indo-Pacific region.
It, along with the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and USS Germantown (LSD 42) make up the America Amphibious Ready Group.
Read related topics:Talisman Sabre 2021
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