Another summer, another few months of attempting to maximize my support to the reserve and minimize my time in the office. (ie. travel as much as I can on the government dime vice sitting in the office and reading while they upgrade my hardware for several months straight). I’ve completed one week in New Orleans evaluating a new hovercraft, and one week of leave in Colorado (article with pics/vids soon), but this is focused on half of a week in California (nothing about Pendleton because I keep forgetting to take pics while I’m there).

After a few days in Pendleton inspecting legacy LCACs, I headed down to Navy Amphibious Base Coronado (now falls under the umbrella command of Navy Air Station North Island) for a different kind of legacy inspection. After getting checked in at the base “hotel”, I hit the base gym and then walked back via a little memorial. This is a privately funded/maintained memorial to the sailors from the Riverine Force lost during Vietnam. I had one name in particular that I wanted to see – GMG2 Ford – the namesake of the USS Ford (FFG 54) that I served on briefly for 2 months in 2010 for training purposes during the RIMPAC exercise while USS INGRAHAM was in drydock in Seattle.  (wiki link for Ford sent me to an alternate reference I hadn’t seen before).

GMG2 Ford is about 1/2 way down on the right side

Obelisk to those lost during Operation Game Warden (I don’t recall what’s on the other sides)

 

Sample PBR of the same sort GMG2 Ford served on

Full monument – display boats are to my left

 

Plaque from the wall – including GMG2 Ford

Disappointingly I missed out on the tour opportunities for this display (also a Swift Boat and a larger command craft on display – can post pics in future if desired) – but I will try and keep an eye on the schedule the next time I’m in the area.

After seeing that and getting some pics, I walked up the strand to a joint called “McP’s Irish Pub”. Not too bad, for the local prices and nice atmosphere. Would have preferred a few more options, but good enough.

The next day I started my local inspection – most of which was spent on a nice cruise through the harbor out to open sea so I could test the plumbing.

Passing Under the Coronado Bridge

 

Nice waterside view of the USS Midway Museum – highly recommended if you get a chance to visit it.

 

Passed one of the new “unmanned” surface vessel test platforms a couple times – interesting design – could be useful but I haven’t read much about them yet.

 

Decidedly non-Navy Seals

I got a little more sun than I had anticipated – sunscreen or otherwise.  While there are accommodations below decks for longer trips (that we did inspect just like everything else), the weather was nice and there was a great breeze – and there’s something pretty fun rolling along at 10-11 kts for a few hours just a few feet above the waterline – as opposed to being on the bridge of a larger ship at a height of 40ft or more.  I was impressed that the two sailors in charge of this craft – driving and operating were both E-6s (First Class Petty Officers) where in other cases there might be one officer in command – they were very well prepared for the inspection and all the sailors did an excellent job.  It is something you notice going from one sort of command to another – and seeing the various types of command structures and command styles.

Self portrait in brass

This type of Landing Craft resembles ones we used in World War II or Korea, but is surprisingly younger than I am.  It’s had a few key system upgrades too (there is a follow-on replacement in development again).  Typically they would deploy with a Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) – you can fit 2 of them inside the welldeck of a larger amphibious assault ship (there might still be an older ship that can take 3….phrasing).  Most ESG/ARG (Amphibious Readiness Group) have a mix of ship classes – some carrying these and some carrying the LCAC hovercrafts – I think the Marines are still recertifying their amphibious tanks following some tragic accidents.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but none of our current assets are designed for implementing hostile amphibious landings the way we did at Normandy or Incheon.  We have assets to soften up the beaches, but the current generation of LCACs, LCUs and similar craft are made for landing on secured territory.  Under worst case scenarios, they could probably be used for storming a beach, but these aren’t designed with the same purpose as the WWII Higgins boats (we also don’t have the same sort of inventory numbers).  They’re efficient for getting troops and equipment ashore after natural disasters or when port equipment has been destroyed, but they aren’t suitable for facing heavy artillery on their own.  I think that’d change pretty fast in the event of a real need…but that remains to be seen.

View from the main deck while heading back to port – note: the mast and entire pilot house actually folds down/collapses so that it will fit into a tighter well deck.  The forward vehicle ramp is visible – the rear ramp is directly behind me.

 

Older hull and slightly older design variant.

After finishing up the inspection and outbrief, I did have a chance for one more visit to my favorite San Diego locale – Half Door Brewing.  This involved another walk all the way up the strand to the little commuter ferry terminal and riding across to the Convention Center.  A little warm – and somehow I completely forgot to check whether there was a home game that night.  Turns out there was – but that also meant a little less traffic to walk through en route to the brewery – and once the game started, it was a little less crowded as the stadium filled up.  Nice weather for a 3 mile walk each way and a comfortable way to burn off the extra calories.
I’m going back for two more weeks this next weekend…not sure about hijinks, but I’ll probably be a lot busier.