Send in the Marines
USS Tripoli (LHA-7)
Amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and elements of the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will join USS Gerald R. Ford and Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups already on-station.
USS Tripoli, 2,500 Marines headed to Middle East
The move bolsters the 50,000 troops and two carrier strike groups that are already in the region.
By Stephen Feller
March 13 (UPI) — The USS Tripoli, and the 2,500 Marines on the amphibious assault ship, are headed to the Middle East to bolster U.S. military power there as the war in Iran enters its third week.
The Tripoli, along with Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Group, had been operating in the Philippine Sea but is now headed west south of Taiwan through the Luzon Strait, USNI News reported.
Although the Tripoli had been with the USS San Diego and USS New Orleans in the Philippine Sea, it is not clear if the San Diego and the New Orleans are also being moved closer to Iran.
As Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to most traffic, and is targeting vessels that transit it, the move comes as U.S. Central Command asked the Pentagon for additional military options in the conflict, Axios reported.
I’ll bet an entire US dollar the Marines will wind up owning Kharg Island.
No bet.
Kharg Island will be a hell of drone and missile attacks.
Then the Iranians will destroy 90% of their own economic infrastructure. If they try to be too cute, our EOD guys will place explosives all over that place for us to blow whenever we desire. If we take losses the whole place goes up. No win situation for the Iranians.
Everyone! “From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Karg Island!”
Brings tears to my eyes!!
These new Gator amphibs are better than the McNarmara
Boon doggle Iwo Jima Class LPH’s, where the Length and 2 screws cut down to one due to budget cuts.. This is what I was told by Shipmates and I never checked it out to see if it were true…
“No boots on the ground!”
If it’s pavement, does that actually count as “GROUND”?
Other than the ones already there, or does the US forfeit a huge strategic and economic advantage over a motto?
The Strait of America and Trump Island, payback for 47 years being ass to the World and then .29 cent gas…
Dang. I was just in the 31st MEU and I missed this?! Alas, a mere 13 years too late. 🙁
A tad off topic, but……when do you think we will see the USS Biden? And…if it’s built what type of ship would it be?
The Simpsons mentioned the USS Walter Mondale in the episode “Bart vs. Australia.”
According to their rescue helo’s pilot — “it’s a laundry ship!”