S.D. Ships to Join Gulf-Bound Armada

In an unusual move, 13 Navy ships are scheduled to depart San Diego and Long Beach on the same day, Saturday, for the Persian Gulf to assist in Operation Desert Shield, officials said Monday.

As U.S. forces build in the Middle East, the aircraft carrier Ranger is expected to join the deployment. The Ranger is scheduled to leave Dec. 8, carrying eight air wings--three based at Miramar Naval Air Station and two from North Island Naval Air Station.

Another ship, the auxiliary repair ship Jason, will pull out of San Diego Wednesday, but Navy officials declined to confirm whether this vessel was being deployed to assist in Operation Desert Shield.

The other 13 ships that will leave this week belong to Amphibious Task Group 3. Those ships will carry several thousand Marines from the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Camp Pendleton. Navy officials have planned a press conference this week to announce details of the Amphibious Task Group 3 deployment.

“It’s unusual to have all the ships steam out like that,” said one Navy official, who asked for anonymity. “It could be considered a show of continuity and support and solidarity to have them leave together from the git-go as a group.”

The 13 ships are expected to meet with five others from the Pacific Fleet in the Hawaii area. Then as a group, the vessels will travel to the Persian Gulf area. The 12,000 mile voyage from the West Coast to the Middle East should take about five weeks.

“I think Bush has decided to attack Iraq after the first of January. If Iraqi forces are still in Kuwait, we are going to throw in everything we can,” said retired Rear Adm. Gene LaRocque, director of the Washington-based Center for Defense Information. “We have upped the ante and Saddam Hussein has upped the ante. We are going to need everything we can send--there is no turning back unless President Bush is willing to negotiate.”

Of the 13 ships, 10 are based in San Diego and three--the dock landing ship Mt. Vernon, the amphibious cargo ship Mobile and the dock landing ship Anchorage--are based in Long Beach.

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

By Jan. 1, the West Coast ships will join with what will be more than 160 other vessels, mostly from the U.S. Navy but also from other nations, including Great Britain, France, Australia, Canada and Argentina, LaRocque said.

When the aircraft carrier Ranger arrives in the Middle East, the carrier will be loaded with about 2,500 men from eight air wings. Those wings will include: VF-1, VF-2, and VAW-116 from Miramar; VS-38 and HS-14 from North Island; and VA-145 an VA-155 from Whidbey Island. The squadrons include fighter jets, attack bombers, anti-submarine warfare jets and helicopters, and surveillance and electronic jamming aircraft.

The Ranger will be pulling out of San Diego only 12 days before another carrier, the Independence arrives. The “Indy” is scheduled to arrive Dec. 20, after serving three months in Operation Desert Shield. The Independence left the Gulf area shortly before Defense Secretary Dick Cheney announced earlier this month that troop deployments could last longer than the usual six months.

Camp Pendleton remained tight-lipped Monday about the pending deployment of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, except to confirm that the brigade is shipping out this week and that convoys of equipment are streaming from the base to the San Diego-based ships along Interstate 5.

“We’re loading up the ships, we’re going to deploy,” said Capt. Chris Gillette, a Camp Pendleton spokesman.

He refused to say on what day or how many Marines will be leaving, but said public notice will be given because Brig. Gen. Peter Rowe, who commands the 5th, hopes for an outpouring of support for the departing servicemen.

“One of the general’s concerns is that there be a nice send-off,” said Gillette.

The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was deployed from Camp Pendleton in early August. Officially, the Marine Corps has refused to disclose how many Marines were deployed with the 1st, but the number is believed to be 15,000 to 20,000.

Similarly, military officials have said anywhere from 4,000 to 16,000 Marines from the 5th Brigade are preparing to leave, but a specific number hasn’t been released.

In recent weeks, about 825 Marine reservists from throughout the United States have been mobilized for active duty to strengthen the 5th Brigade. The reservists were hurriedly processed at Camp Pendleton a week-and-a-half ago and last week underwent four days of combat training to refresh their skills.

The 5th Brigade specializes in amphibious assault.

Times staff writer Ray Tessler contributed to this story.