Task Force 76

Last updated

Task Force 76 / Amphibious Force U.S. Seventh Fleet / Expeditionary Strike Group SEVEN
ESG-7 logo.png
Active1943 to present
CountryUnited States of America
Branch United States Navy
Type Expeditionary Strike Group
Role Amphibious Operations
Part of United States Seventh Fleet
Garrison/HQWhite Beach Naval Facility
Motto(s)Forward From the Sea
Commanders
Current
commander
Rear Adm. Derek A. Trinque

Expeditionary Strike Group SEVEN/Task Force 76 (Amphibious Force U.S. SEVENTH Fleet) is a United States Navy task force. It is part of the United States Seventh Fleet and the USN's only permanently forward-deployed expeditionary strike group. It is based at the White Beach Naval Facility at the end of the Katsuren Peninsula in Uruma City, Okinawa, Japan.

Contents

CTF 76 conducts operations throughout the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations, which includes the Western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.

History

10 January 1943 – Southwest Pacific Amphibious Forces – later called the Seventh Amphibious Force is formed in Brisbane, Australia. Participated in Operation Chronicle, the landing at Lae, the landing at Scarlet Beach at Finschhafen, Battle of Arawe and Battle of Cape Gloucester on the island of New Britain,

1944 – Participated in the landing at Hollandia, landing at Aitape, landing at Saidor and Admiralty Islands campaign.

1950 – Supported UN during Korean War by stationing ships at Inchon and Wonsan.

1954 – CTF 76 participated in Operation Passage to Freedom, the largest operation of its kind in history. The operation evacuated 310,000 people from communist-controlled North Vietnam to South Vietnam and carried 58,000 tons of cargo and humanitarian aid.

Amphibious Ready Group Alpha with USS Princeton (LPH-5) off Vietnam, in 1968. USS Princeton (LPH-5) with Amphibious Ready Group Alpha off Vietnam 1968.jpeg
Amphibious Ready Group Alpha with USS Princeton (LPH-5) off Vietnam, in 1968.

1965 – Participated in amphibious landings, assaults and demonstrations off the eastern coast of the Republic of Vietnam. Also cleared mines off the Vietnamese coast toward the end of the Vietnam War. Amphibious Ready Group Alpha, and its U.S. Marine contingent "Special Landing Force Alpha" or SLF-A (often referred to as the "Sluff", during the Vietnam era) formed Task Group 76.4. TG 76.4 consisted of various support vessels, such as Landing Platform, Helicopter (LPHs) such as the USS Princeton (LPH-5), USS Okinawa (LPH-3) or USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2). Other vessels included LSTs (Landing Ship Tank) or LSD (Landing Ship Dock) supported a reinforced Marine Corps battalion referred to as a Battalion Landing Team (BLT). The Marine elements of the Group were referred to as Special Landing Force Alpha which itself consisted of the BLT and a Marine Helicopter Squadron. The ARG also included an Amphibious Group Command Ship (AGC) or the Amphibious Communication and Command Ship (LCC) which carried the Commander Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet and command and communications support facilities. Three AGCs and one LCC rotated to the Western Pacific and all four were involved in the amphibious landings by the LCC/AGC/SLF in Vietnam. The one LCC was USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) and the three AGCs were USS Eldorado (AGC-11), USS Estes (AGC-12) and USS Mount McKinley (AGC-7).

1971 – Homeported to Okinawa, Japan

1975 – Rescued more than 100,000 people from Phnom Penh and Saigon (including in Operation Eagle Pull). Also assisted in recovery of the American-flagged SS Mayaguez after it was hijacked by the Cambodian Khmer Rouge in the Gulf of Thailand.

1983 – Transited to Suez Canal to support multi-national forces in Lebanon.

1999 – Belleau Wood Amphibious Ready Group completed no-notice five-month deployment to Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Fox.

2000 – USS Belleau Wood and USS Juneau complete humanitarian mission to East Timor supporting Australian-led forces. Continued missions until East Timor became 191st member of United Nations in 2002.

2004 – USS Essex and USS Fort McHenry deploy to Indonesia in support of Operation Unified Assistance to provide support and aid to the victims of the 26 December tsunami in Southeast Asia.

2005 – Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group returns to Sasebo, Japan following unscheduled eight-month surge deployment to North Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.

2005 – Forward Deployed ARG deploys for Fall Patrol. Conduct Amphibious Landing Exercise/Talon Vision (PHIBLEX/TV) 06 in the Republic of Philippines and then make a port visit to Hong Kong.

2006 – Forward Deployed ARG deploys for 5-month Spring Patrol, participating in TRUEX/MUEX in Guam, Balikatan 06 in the Republic of Philippines, Foal Eagle 06 in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Cobra Gold in the Kingdom of Thailand.

2006 – USS Patriot and embarked Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 Detachment (Det) 51 complete Summer Patrol throughout Southeast Asia, participating in Cobra Gold and WP-MCMEX in Malaysia, while making port visits to Brunei, Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong. [1]

2007 – Forward Deployed ARG participates in joint exercises with the Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Thailand, Australia, Japan, Kingdom of Cambodia, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Republic of the Philippines. Task Force 76 units also participated in Operation Sea Angel II, a disaster response mission in the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

2009 – Between 7 August and 18 October, Task Force 76 assigned forces supported Foreign Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations in Taiwan, Indonesia and the Republic of the Philippines.

2011 – Operation TOMODACHI: USS Essex (LHD-2), USS Tortuga (LSD-46), USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) and USS Germantown (LSD-42) were positioned off of north eastern Honshu to assist the disaster recovery efforts in conjunction with the Japan Self Defense Force.

2011 – USS Tortuga (LSD-46) assisted in flood relief efforts in Thailand along with elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.

2012 – Task Force 76 and assigned units directly participated in 12 bi-lateral exercises including Balikatan, Amphibious Landing Exercise, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise in the Republic of the Philippines, Cobra Gold in Thailand, Foal Eagle, Clear Horizon and Korean Interoperability Training Program in the Republic of Korea, Valiant Shied, Terminal Fury and Keen Sword in Japan.

Forward-deployed CTF 76 ships and commands

CTF 76 consists of the following units: [2]

U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan

U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan

Okinawa, Japan

Pohang, Republic of Korea

Guam, United States

Transiting Amphibious Ready Groups

United States-based Amphibious Ready Groups which pass through the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations fall under the operational control of CTF 76.

Task Force / Amphibious Group Commanders to present

  Rear Adm. Derek A. Trinque  (15 June 2022 – Present)
  Rear Adm. Christopher M. Engdahl  (12 May 2021 – 15 June 2022)
  Rear Adm. Fred W. Kacher  (May 2019 – 12 May 2021)
  Rear Adm. Charles B. Cooper II  (22 January 2018 – May 2019)
  Capt. Marvin "Ed" Thompson  (September 2017 – 22 January 2018)
  Rear Adm. Marc H. Dalton  (3 August 2016 – September 2017)
  Rear Adm. John B. Nowell  (29 August 2015 – 3 August 2016)
  Rear Adm. Hugh D. Wetherald  (11 September 2013 – 29 August 2015)
  Rear Adm. Jeffrey A. Harley  (24 May 2012 – 11 September 2013)
  Rear Adm. J. Scott Jones  (8 April 2011 – 24 May 2012)
  Rear Adm. Richard B. Landolt  (23 June 2008 – 8 April 2011)
  Rear Adm. Carol M. Pottenger  (7 November 2006 – 23 June 2008)
  Rear Adm. Victor G. Guillory  (1 October 2004 – 7 November 2006)
  Rear Adm. Gary R. Jones  (28 July 2003 – 1 October 2004)
  Rear Adm. Frederic R. Ruehe  (March 2002 – 28 July 2003)
  Rear Adm. Paul S. Schultz  (Jun 2000 – March 2002)
  Rear Adm. Harry M. Highfill  (March 1998 – June 2000)
  Rear Adm. Walter Doran  (June 1995 – December 1996)
  Rear Adm. George B. Shick Jr.  (1980 – 1982)
  Rear Adm. Don Whitmire  (1974–1976)
  Rear Adm. Wycliff D. Toole Jr  (July 1972 – 1973)
  Rear Adm. Walter D. Gaddis  (1970 - July 1972)
  Rear Adm. Daniel E. Barbey  (January 1943 - )

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Tarawa</i> (LHA-1)

USS Tarawa (LHA-1), the lead ship of her class, is an amphibious assault ship that served in the United States Navy from 1976 to 2009. She is the second ship to be named for the Battle of Tarawa, fought during World War II. Tarawa was decommissioned on 31 March 2009, at San Diego Naval Base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Seventh Fleet</span> Numbered fleet of the United States Navy

The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with 50 to 70 ships, 150 aircraft and 27,000 Sailors and Marines. Its principal responsibilities are to provide joint command in natural disaster or military operations and operational command of all US naval forces in the region.

USS <i>Tripoli</i> (LPH-10)

USS Tripoli (LPH-10), an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship, was laid down on 15 June 1964 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 31 July 1965; sponsored by Jane Cates, the wife of General Clifton B. Cates, former Commandant of the Marine Corps; and commissioned on 6 August 1966 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Tripoli was the second US Navy ship named for the Battle of Derna in 1805. It was the decisive victory of a mercenary army led by a detachment of US Marines and US Army soldiers against the forces of Tripoli during the First Barbary War. It was the first recorded land battle of the United States fought overseas.

USS <i>New Orleans</i> (LPH-11)

USS New Orleans (LPH-11) was an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship in the United States Navy. She was the third Navy ship to be so named, and is the first named for the Battle of New Orleans, which was the last major battle of the War of 1812.

USS <i>Blue Ridge</i> (LCC-19) Ship

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) is the lead ship of the two Blue Ridge-class amphibious command ships of the United States Navy, and is the flagship of the Seventh Fleet. Her primary role is to provide command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) support to the commander and staff of the United States Seventh Fleet. She is currently forward-deployed to U.S. Navy Fleet Activities, Yokosuka in Japan, and is the third Navy ship named after the Blue Ridge Mountains, a range of mountains in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. Blue Ridge is the oldest deployed warship of the U.S. Navy, following the decommissioning of USS Denver. Blue Ridge, as the U.S. Navy's active commissioned ship having the longest total period as active, flies the First Navy Jack instead of the jack of the United States. Blue Ridge is expected to remain in service until 2039.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amphibious ready group</span> US Amphibious Assault Group

An amphibious ready group (ARG) of the United States Navy consists of a naval element—a group of warships known as an Amphibious Task Force (ATF)—and a landing force (LF) of U.S. Marines, in total about 5,000 people. Together, these elements and supporting units are trained, organized, and equipped to perform amphibious operations.

USS <i>Inchon</i> Former amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy

USS Inchon (LPH/MCS-12) was an Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy in service from 1970 to 2002. Following a major fire, she was laid up and sunk as a target in 2004.

USS <i>Pearl Harbor</i>

USS Pearl Harbor is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was named for Pearl Harbor, where World War II began for the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Task Force 77 (United States Navy)</span> US Navy aircraft carrier battle force

For decades, Task Force 77 was the aircraft carrier battle/strike force of the United States Seventh Fleet in the United States Navy (USN) since the U.S. Seventh Fleet was formed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15th Marine Expeditionary Unit</span> Military unit

The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven such units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a strength of about 2,200 personnel. The MEU consists of a command element, a reinforced infantry battalion, a composite helicopter squadron and a combat logistics battalion. The 15th MEU is currently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">31st Marine Expeditionary Unit</span> Military unit

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 Marines and sailors. The 31st MEU consists of a company-sized command element, a battalion landing team (BLT),, a medium tiltrotor squadron (reinforced),, and a combat logistics battalion. The 31st MEU is based at Camp Hansen, Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan. The 31st MEU is the only permanently forward-deployed MEU, and provides a flexible and lethal force ready to perform a wide range of military, humanitarian, and diplomatic operations as the premier crisis response force in the Indo-Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expeditionary Strike Group 3</span> Military unit

Expeditionary Strike Group 3 is an expeditionary strike group (ESG) of the U.S. Navy. Expeditionary strike groups combine the capabilities of surface action groups, submarines, and maritime patrol aircraft with those of Amphibious Ready Groups for deployment and maintaining staff proficiencies to provide fleet commanders with a highly flexible, ready fly-away unit. It is capable of projecting expeditionary striking power in the maritime, littoral, and inland environs in support of U.S. national interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expeditionary strike group</span>

In the United States Navy, the expeditionary strike group (ESG) is a coordinated group of surface ships, aircraft, submarines, and other naval assets. In contrast to carrier strike groups (CSGs), which emphasize air power and are led by a supercarrier, ESGs are strongly suited for amphibious warfare and are led by an amphibious assault ship. The ESG concept was introduced in the early 1990s, based on the Naval Expeditionary Task Force. The U.S. Navy fields nine expeditionary strike groups and ten carrier strike groups, in addition to surface action groups.

USS Terrebonne Parish (LST-1156), originally USS LST-1156, affectionately nicknamed the "T-Bone" by her early crew, was a Terrebonne Parish-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy in 1952. The lead ship in her class, she was named for Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, the only U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. The ship was later transferred to Spain and renamed Velasco (L-11), and was scrapped in 1994.

USS <i>Mount Vernon</i> (LSD-39)

USS Mount Vernon (LSD-39) was an Anchorage-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the fifth ship of the U.S. Navy to bear the name. She was built in Massachusetts in 1972 and homeported in Southern California for 31 years until being decommissioned on 25 July 2003. Mount Vernon acted as the control ship for the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. In 2005, she was intentionally destroyed off the coast of Hawaii as part of a training exercise.

Task Force 61 (CTF-61) is a task force of the United States Navy that today denotes what used to be designated the Mediterranean Amphibious ready group (MARG) of the United States Sixth Fleet. It is composed of approximately three Amphibious assault ships, but in 2008 is designated the Expeditionary Strike Group that includes their embarked landing craft. From these ships, United States Marine Corps ground forces can move ashore by sea and air in amphibious assault or emergency evacuation missions. Once ashore, the ships of Task Force 61 are able to logistically support the ground forces, until the objective of the landing has been accomplished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrier Strike Group 5</span> Military unit

Carrier Strike Group 5, also known as CSG 5 or CARSTRKGRU 5, is the U.S. Navy carrier strike group assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet and permanently forward deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The Strike Group Flagship is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) which also embarks Strike Warfare Commander, Carrier Air Wing Five and its nine squadrons. As of June 2015, CSG 5 includes three Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Destroyer Squadron Fifteen, which serves as the Sea Combat Commander and is responsible for seven assigned Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Task Force 75</span> Military unit

The Commander, Task Force 75 , properly named Navy Expeditionary Forces Command Pacific; or simply NEFCPAC, is a US Navy task force of the United States Seventh Fleet and is 7th Fleet's primary expeditionary task force composed of EOD, Coastal Riverine, Cargo Handling, and Seabee detachments. CTF 75 is responsible for the planning and execution of coastal riverine operations, explosive ordnance disposal, diving, expeditionary logistics, engineering and construction, and underwater construction. Additionally, it provides direct support to salvage operations and expeditionary intelligence throughout the Indo-Pacific region as directed by 7th Fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Beach Group One</span> Military unit

Naval Beach Group One, (NBG-1) is a United States Navy amphibious unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in Coronado, California. Naval Beach Group Two is its sister unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia.

References

  1. CTF 76 Website – History Page Archived 10 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "About Us".