When I wrote about the Marine Corps a few years ago, teaming CVBGs and ARGs/MEU (SOC)s into combined task forces was still a very new concept.[71] Though joining these two powerful and flexible units makes great sense, big technical, institutional, and cultural barriers had to be overcome in order to make it happen. Once the concept was implemented, however, it quickly proved its worth, in the Balkans, the Taiwan Straits, Africa, and the Persian Gulf. The CVBG/ARG/MEU (SOC) teams have held the line for American interests and kept a lid on the chaos of the 1990s.
For their 1997/1998 Mediterranean cruise, the GW battle group teamed with an ARG based around Amphibious Squadron Two (PHIBRON-2). These four ships are commanded by an 'ARG Commodore,' Captain Phillip Sowa, USN, from his flagship, the amphibious helicopter carrier (LPH) USS Guam (LPH-9). Though Guam lacks the larger flight deck, well deck, and hangar found on newer Tarawa (LHA-1) and Wasp-class (LHD-1) assault ships, the ARG has found ways to compensate for these shortcomings. To make up for the shortage of well deck space as well as vehicle and cargo capacity, the ARG has an extra Dock Landing Ship (LSD) to carry the full range of gear needed by an MEU (SOC). Since flight deck parking space on Guam is minimal, the AV-8B Harrier II detachment assigned to the MEU (SOC) was reduced to four aircraft. For close air support, the MEU (SOC) can rely on VMFA-251, the Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron embarked on GW. Marines prefer to have their own aviators flying cover over a hot beach or landing zone.
The amphibious helicopter carrier USS Guam (LPH-9), flagship of the amphibious ready group attached to the George Washington battle group. JOHN D. GRESHAM • USS Guam (LPH-9) -Guam is among the last of her kind-one of only two of the Iwo Jima class (LPH-2) still in service-and is scheduled to be decommissioned after the 1997/1998 cruise. Until then she will be Commodore Sowa's flagship and the headquarters for the embarked MEU (SOC). While she lacks the comforts, as well as some of the advanced communications and electronics, of her younger LHA/LHD cousins, Guam is an old warhorse, able to carry up to 1,500 Marines and twenty-four helicopters. Captain William J. Luti commands her.
• USS Shreveport (LPD-12) -Another 'rusty but trusty' veteran of American amphibious operations. An Austin- class (LPD-4) Amphibious Transport Dock, Shreveport is the 'inshore' element of the ARG, with much of the 'special' warfare capability of the MEU (SOC) aboard. This includes an organic remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) unit of Pioneer reconnaissance drones, as well as the rubber boats, the force recon element, and a Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) team. Led by Captain Denby Starling II, she can expect at least a decade of service ahead before her final trip to the scrap yard and replacement by a new San Antonio-class (LPD-17) amphibious ship.
• USS Ashland (LSD-48) -Designed to carry a mix of landing craft, vehicles, and cargo, Ashland is a Whidby Island-class (LSD-41) amphibious ship, capable of carrying up to four Landing Craft, Air Cushioned (LCAC), which are favored in today's amphibious operations. Captained by Commander Timothy R. Hanley, Ashland is a modern and very comfortable ship for its crew and embarked Marines.
• USS Oak Hill (LSD-51)- Oak Hill is one of four Harpers Ferry-class LSDs, cargo variants of the Whidby Island class. By shortening the well deck so that it only has a capacity for two LCACs, Oak Hill gains vastly increased stowage for vehicles and cargo. Oak Hill is an another state-of-the-art amphibious ship, with Commander Michael A. Durnan at the helm.
Amphibious ships like these are hardly sleek greyhounds of the sea. Sailors joke that the designator 'LSD' stands for 'large slow duck!' For this reason, Admiral Mullen has teamed several of his escorts for regular operations with the Guam ARG, depending upon the mission. For example, during inshore amphibious operations, South Carolina and John Rogers usually provide cover for the ARG. This includes ASW and gunfire support, as well as a SAM air defense 'bubble.' Thanks to her NTU system, South Carolina can tap into the sensor and automation systems of the Aegis ships, and take firing cues from them.
The ARG's combat power is the cargo it can deliver-Marines and their 'stuff.' For the Guam ARG, that cargo is the 24th MEU (SOC). The 24th was the unit that plucked Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady out of Bosnia back in 1995, after his F-16C Fighting Falcon was shot down by a Bosnian Serb SA-6 SAM. Today the unit is commanded by Colonel Richard Natonski, USMC, and has roughly the same structure as in 1995. The 24th's components include:
• Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3–6 — The core of the 24th MEU (SOC) is built around BLT 3–6, a reinforced Marine rifle battalion. Its 1,200 Marines have their own armor, artillery, and transport, providing a capability to launch small coastal raids or spearhead large invasions. During 1997 and 1998, the 24th MEU (SOC) has been commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Richard P. Mills.
• Medium Marine Helicopter Squadron 263 (HMM-263) — The air component of the 24th MEU (SOC) is a reinforced squadron of twelve CH-46E Sea Knight medium-transport helicopters. Attached are quartets of CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift, UH-1N Iroquois command-and-control, and AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters. Normally there is a detachment of six AV-8B Harrier II fighter-bombers assigned, but Guam's limited deck parking space reduced this to just four. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Duva is the commander of HMM-263, and is equipped to operate as a Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC-commanding Army, Navy and Air Force aviation assets on the scene) if necessary.
• MEU Service Support Group 24 (MSSG-24) — the 24th MEU (SOC)'s logistical tail is the 24th MSSG. Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Brian L. Tonnacliff, this compact unit keeps the 24th supplied with everything from floppy disks and ammunition to jet fuel and water.
All of the above components make for one of the best-balanced, most compact fighting forces in the world. What it lacks, like its CVW-1 teammate, is depth-it is only a couple thousand sailors and Marines in a world where dictators command tens of thousands of soldiers. But one of the nice things about being a 'gator' sailor or Marine is that if you go in harm's way, a lot more Marines and other American warriors can be on the way, soon to back you up.
'Cats and Dogs': Miscellaneous Attached Units
CVBGs, ARGs, and MEU (SOC)s are just three of the many units 'owned,' trained, and 'packaged' by U.S. Atlantic Command (USACOM) in Norfolk, Virginia.[72] Before a CVBG or ARG/MEU (SOC) goes into combat, it will likely be reinforced with additional support units. While this may not be a complete list, it is representative of what has been regularly used in the last decade or so.
• Land Based Air Support-In addition to CVW-1 and HMM-263, the GW battle group frequently needs support from land-based aviation to sustain long-term operations in high-threat areas. This was seen clearly during Operations Desert Storm and Joint Endeavor. These aviation units can include:
— Airborne Tanker Support-Every CAG dreams, hopes, and lusts for more airborne tanker support. Since the retirement of the KA-6D Intruder, the only tankers he actually 'owns' are S-3 Viking and ES-3 Shadow aircraft, which can carry under-wing 'buddy' refueling pods. Each of these can 'give away' about 8,000 lb/3,627 kg of fuel for tanking. This is less than a third of what used to be dispensed by a single KA-6D, so
