 |
|
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Awarded: | 11 December 1985 |
| Laid down: | 9 November 1987 |
| Launched: | 6 May 1989 |
| Commissioned: | 1 June 1991 |
| Status: | Active in service as of 2007 |
| Homeport: | NS San Diego, California |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 11,590 tons (light), 16,325 tons (full) |
| Length: | 610 ft (186 m) overall |
| Beam: | 84 ft (25.6 m) |
| Draft: | 21 ft (6.4 m) |
| Propulsion: | 4 Colt Industries, 16 cylinder diesel engines, 2 shafts, 33,000 shp (25 MW) |
| Speed: | 20+ knots (37+ km/h) |
| Complement: | Crew: 22 officers, 391 enlisted; Marine detachment: 402 plus 102 surge |
| Armament: | 2 × 25 mm Mk-38 guns; 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts; 6 × .50 cal. machine guns |
| Landing craft: | 4 LCACs or 21 LCM-6s |
USS Rushmore (LSD-47) is a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship to be named for the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Rushmore (LSD-47) was laid down on 9 November 1987, by the Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans; launched on 6 May 1989, sponsored by Mrs. Meredith Brokaw, wife of NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw; and commissioned on 1 June 1991, at New Orleans.
History
1990s
The ship's first assignment was to deliver three Air Cushioned Landing Craft (LCAC) to Camp Pendleton, California from Panama City, Florida. Along the way, Rushmore conducted a port visit in Jamaica, traversed the Panama Canal, and visited Rodman, Panama. Camp Pendleton was the last stop before arriving at her homeport of NS San Diego.
During her first six-month deployment, Rushmore spearheaded the beach landing on Somalia during Operation Restore Hope. The largest military humanitarian operation in history, Restore Hope was designed to provide food and medical relief to the starving people of Somalia.
Rushmore's 1994 WestPac deployment came almost one year ahead of schedule. She deployed with only four weeks' notice and participated in Operation Support Hope off the coast of Mombasa, Kenya, the USLO relocation in Somalia, and exercises with forces of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. During this deployment, Rushmore also was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Rushmore's 1996 deployment followed a complete and highly successful training cycle during which Rushmore earned the Blue E and the Battle E. This deployment provided numerous international training opportunities for the Tarawa (LHA-1) Amphibious Readiness Group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (13th MEU) including Cobra Gold '96 with Thailand, Infinite Moonlight with Jordan, Red Reef with Saudi Arabia, and Meuex '96 with Kuwait. Rushmore demonstrated its superior adaptability throughout deployment by becoming the first LSD-41-class ship to employ Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) for the SPECWAR Detachment.
Rushmore concluded 1996 with a port visit to Mazatlan, Mexico. The ship earned its second consecutive Battle E in 1996.
Rushmore is the test platform for the Smart Ship program known as Gator 17. The ship was outfitted with several new technologies to reduce workload and manning levels. Information from the program aboard Rushmore will be used to assist in the design of the LPD-17 class amphibious ships. Installation was completed at the end of 1997.
Rushmore deployed in 1999 with the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (11th MEU). During this deployment, Rushmore participated in Operation Iron Magic with the United Arab Emirates and Exercise Red Reef with Saudi Arabia. Rushmore also had the distinction of becoming the first United States Naval warship to visit Doha, Qatar in 10 years. Other port visits included Japan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Guam, Australia and Hawaii. Rushmore returned to San Diego in December 1999 and became the first "Smart Ship" to complete a six-month Western Pacific deployment.
2000s
With the new millennium, came a year of local operations for Rushmore. The ship last deployed on December 6, 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG 5). On the way to the Fifth Fleet Area of Responsibility, a cataclysmic earthquake occurred, which would change the course of Rushmore and begin a massive U.S. military humanitarian operation, dubbed Operation Unified Assistance. The powerful tsunami that caused tidal waves and flooding in Southeast Asia took the lives of more than 100,000 people in a matter of hours. USS Rushmore and the elements of Expeditionary Strike Group FIVE were called into action.
The ship became an afloat staging base for military helicopters to refuel and transport supplies. USS Rushmore launched both LCACs bringing tons of food and water ashore for distribution to survivors. Once the operation ended, Rushmore reset a course to the Persian Gulf to support Maritime Security Operations, and help defend Iraq's Kwar Al Amaya and Al Basra Oil Platforms. The Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed to Kuwait, and went further north into areas of Iraq before they were brought back onboard in early April.
Rushmore sailors enjoyed two port visits during their two months in the Persian Gulf, one visit to the Mid-Eastern
country of Bahrain, the other, a trip to the port of Jebel
Ali, United Arab Emirates. During the transit home, Rushmore stopped for a port visit to
The ship completed a three-month maintenance period and participated in Operation Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) off the coast of Hawaii from June to August of 2006.
Rushmore began 2007 by completing work ups with the Bonhomme Richard (ESG 5). They loaded more than 400 marines of the 13th MEU onboard along with their equipment to prepare for the transit to the Middle East.
On 16 February 2007, Rushmore was awarded the 2006 Battle "E" award.[1]
As April 10th arrived the Rushmore was ready to get underway for deployment to the Middle East. The Rushmore has
visited several different ports, including Guam, Singapore, Jebel Ali,
As of September 2007, Rushmore is commanded by Commander Calvin D. Slocumb, homeported at NS San Diego, California, and assigned to Expeditionary Strike Group Three (ESG 3).
Notes
- ^ Paula M. Ludwick (2007-02-19). Surface Force Ships, Crews Earn Battle "E". Navy Newsstand. Retrieved on 2007-09-07.
Reference
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
External links
| Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship |
|---|
|
Whidbey Island | Germantown | Fort McHenry | Gunston Hall | Comstock | Tortuga | Rushmore | Ashland |
| List of amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy |
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