Nassau, Mesa Verde, Ashland deploy

NORFOLK, Va. - Three ships comprising the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group (NAS ARG) deployed from Norfolk Monday as part of a regularly scheduled deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.

The NAS ARG is comprised of the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4) and the amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19), both based at Naval Station Norfolk, and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story.

The sailors expect to be gone for at least seven months.  During that time, the clock will tick for these families.  Babies will walk and timelines will shrink.

"We actually cut out a bunch of ships and paste them on the wall and every week they sink a ship with the dates on them," says one sailor facing the longest deployment of her 16 year career. Her four children will remain at home with Dad.

The ships will pick-up the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24 MEU) from Camp Lejeune, N.C. The 24 MEU includes a Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion 9th Marines Regiment; Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (Reinforced); Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 24; and its Command Element.

Also leaving as part of the NAS ARG is Amphibious Squadron Eight (PHIBRON 8), which includes the Nassau, Ashland, Mesa Verde and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28 .

To prepare for deployment, the NAS ARG/24MEU successfully completed Amphibious Squadron Eight (PHIBRON-8)/MEU Integration (PMINT), Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) and a Certification Exercise (CERTEX).

This regularly scheduled deployment is not part of the relief efforts currently underway in Haiti.  However, the sailors will respond if called on says Captain John Bruening, Commodore PHIBRON 8.

" We're on a scheduled deployment right now and we'll leave here knowing we're heading to the sixth and fifth fleet and certainly if our tasking changes I think the nation can know we are ready to support anyway we can."