And we have liftoff - War and Readiness

All Hands, Feb, 2003 by Craig JO1 Strawser

YOU'RE PACKED IN LIKE sardines in the cabin; you hear the engines spin up; the craft starts to vibrate and all of a sudden you lift off into the air. But this isn't your typical catapult shot from an aircraft carrier. Instead, you're along for a ride on one of the most versatile pieces of amphibious assault equipment in the Navy's arsenal, the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC).

"We have a bunch of different missions we can do," said Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (SW) Gary Adams, the loadmaster for LCAC 13. "The most common one is taking the Marines to shore. We take all their vehicles, from Humvees to LVSs, and we can even take the M-1 Abrams tank. We get them onto the beach, and they don't have to get their feet wet. They're happy to be able to hit dry land, and we can even go inland with them if we need to. We can also launch from over the horizon and approach at high speed."

LCAC 13's Craftmaster, Chief Gas Turbine Systems Technician - Electrical (SW) William Kennedy, explained why he feels the LCACs are important to the mission of the Marine forces. "There are a lot of coral heads out here," he said, "and a lot of the beaches haven't had hydrostatic testing done to ensure safe landing areas for the utility landing craft (ICUs). With the LCAC, if you have several feet of water above the coral, we can go right over them."

Chief Operations Specialist (SW) Douglas Martin, the navigator for LCAC 13, agreed with Kennedy. "With traditional landing craft, you can only hit about 20 percent of the world's beaches. We open that up to 70 percent. If there are coral reefs, or things like that, traditional landing craft just can't get through; it's got to be by an LCAC.

"Plus, we put the Marines' feet on dry beach, so they don't have to trample through the wet surf zone before they start their mission. They can also hit a lot more beaches, which means they don't have to transit as far."

Working closely with the LCAC Sailors is a great benefit for the Marines of the 31st Weapons Company Combined Anti-armor Tank (CAT) platoon. Cpl. John Randby, a member of the team, said he was surprised the first time he saw an LCAC. "I saw one of these come through the water and up onto the beach, and I was like, 'Wow!' It was unbelievable. I was pretty surprised at how versatile it is and how many trucks it could carry."

The CAT team is comprised of six to seven machine-gun vehicles with .50 caliber and MK 19 machine guns, as well as the six TOW vehicles that operate the TOW missile systems. "We do different missions." Randby said, "like setting up screen lines, providing convoy security and clearing the path for large convoys. If we get into action, our machine gun vehicles will button up the tanks with suppressive fire, and the TOWs will move in and take them out."

The LCAC crew and the CAT team work with each other through work ups and during deployment. Randby said,

"We rely on them to get us on and off the boat. This is a great crew to work with. They help us out with the dirty jobs like keeping the vehicles clamped down, and they keep us informed about what's going on."

He said they've never had any of the problems you sometimes hear about when Sailors and Marines work together. "Everybody gets along like one unit. We need these guys to get our job done, and the teamwork really works out good."

In addition to moving the Marines and their equipment, Adams said they also do search and rescue (SAR) missions, evacuations, supply runs, mail runs and troop transport. "We can even hold 180 people if we have our shelter set up on board."

With their varied mission capability, the small, closely-knit crew of LGAC 13 must work very hard to stay operational.

Gas Turbine Systems Technician Mechanical 1st Class (SW) Donald Jones, the chief engineer, said it can sometimes be difficult keeping the LCAC ready. "By myself, I couldn't do it," said Jones. "But with the help of the deck mechanics, the maintenance team and the chief's knowledge, we keep her running good."

Jones ensures LCAC 13 stays ready to go by involving every member of the crew with all aspects of LCAC engineering. GSEFN Cornelius Price IV said that's one of the best things about working on the LCACs. "You're always learning new things;' he said. "If something breaks, you get to be involved with fixing it, and that gives you the knowledge of what to do if it ever happens again."

A fireman involved with high-level maintenance? In the LCAC world, you can count on it. Martin said that's part of what makes it better than a "regular" Navy job. "Sometimes you can get lost in the big picture on a large ship. You sometimes hear junior Sailors saying that what they do doesn't really matter. [My crewmen] know that what they do has a direct impact," he said.

"If that LCAC goes down, they can't move any cargo on or off this ship;' he added. "So those two junior guys who might be cleaning bilges on a bigger ship are an integral part of this ARG. They have to be. They have to know their job, and they have to keep the boat running. It really gives them a sense of pride and satisfaction at getting their job done.