Marines Prepare for Deployment

As part of the massive buildup of U.S. forces in the Middle East, a fleet of 13 ships will sail from San Diego and Long Beach after Thanksgiving, heading for the Persian Gulf to assist in Operation Desert Shield, Navy officials said Friday.

The ships, all belonging to Amphibious Task Group Three, will pull out loaded with the Fifth Marine Expeditionary Brigade from Camp Pendleton. All 13 ships are expected to depart on the same day, said Master Chief Mike McLellan, a Navy spokesman.

Even as Camp Pendleton prepared Friday to send up to 18,000 more Marines to the Gulf, the base celebrated, too--the 215th birthday of the Marine Corps.

Brig. Gen. Peter Rowe, commanding the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, said in brief remarks Friday at the celebration that his command is prepared for the assignment, but he wouldn’t disclose how many Marines would be deployed or when.

“I can’t answer that,” said Rowe.

His command is composed of troops, tanks, fighter and attack jets and helicopters.

Word of the latest Marine deployment also heightened the fears of families who already have loved ones in the Gulf.

The wife of a captain who is in the Middle East said Friday, “I’m really worried about my husband. I’m scared something’s going to happen.”

“Honestly,” she added, “it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a war soon.”

The decision to beef up forces was announced Thursday by President Bush, who ordered as many as 240,000 additional troops from Europe and the United States.

The vessels that will carry newly deployed troops from Southern California are expected to make one brief stop--in the Philippines, Honolulu or Okinawa--for maintenance and supplies before reaching the Persian Gulf. The 12,000-mile voyage from the West Coast to the crisis area should take about five weeks, a Navy official said.

“The idea is to get the ships there by mid-January,” said one Washington Navy official. Although the deployment had been planned, many local Navy officials were not aware that the announcement was going to be made public this week.

“It’s absolute chaos,” said one official. “The ship crews weren’t at all surprised, but we weren’t prepared for the announcement.”

Of the ships, 10 are based in San Diego and three--the dock landing ship Mount Vernon, the amphibious cargo ship Mobile and the dock landing ship Anchorage--are based in Long Beach. The Amphibious Task Force is commanded by Rear Adm. Stephen S. Clarey. Officials declined to disclose the departure date or length of deployment. Clarey was unavailable for an interview.

“The President directed the increase to begin immediately, and we do not discuss specific dates,” McClellan said.

The San Diego ships are: the amphibious assault ship Tarawa, assault ship Tripoli, assault ship New Orleans, transport dock ship Vancouver, transport dock ship Denver, transport dock ship Juneau, dock landing ship Germantown, tank landing ship Barbour County, tank landing ship Peoria and tank landing ship Frederick.

Echoes of the new deployment were evident at the Friday celebration, when the pageant of historic Marine uniforms included one of desert camouflage.

The newly deployed troops will join thousands of other Camp Pendleton Marines--the exact number hasn’t been disclosed--who were hurriedly shipped out in early August. Before the first deployment, about 36,000 Marines were stationed at Camp Pendleton.