USS Boxer hosts tour for local media

KOTA KINABALU: Like the multipurpose Swiss Army knife, the USS Boxer (LHD 4), a United State forward-deployed amphibious assault ship, is versatile and useful.

With a displacement of 40,500 tonnes, 844 ft (257m) in length and speeds of up to 20 knots (37km/h), the USS Boxer is a multipurpose ship that can perform various combat and non-combat roles.

“Like a Swiss Army knife, the USS Boxer can perform various roles when called into action. But of course our primary role is bringing the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) on board to various operational areas according to our task,” said Commanding Officer of the USS Bonhomme Richard, Captain Mike Ruth during a media tour on board the USS Boxer that docked at the Sepanggar Naval Base here on Wednesday.

Ruth added that the ship could also do more than just combat operations.

“With the biggest medical facilities in the US Navy outside of two hospital ships, our ship can provide humanitarian assistance to those in need during calamities and disasters.”

“Although the ship’s medical facilities are primarily for the use of our sailors and marines who are on board the ship, the ship’s medical equipment can be flown by the US Marine Corps assets ashore to provide medical assistance to those who might need them.

“Our medical services and facilities onboard the ship also serves as a floating hospital as services provided include triage, radiography, surgery as well as dental,” said Ruth.

The USS Boxer, an amphibious is home-based in San Diego, California and its primary mission is to embark, deploy and land elements of the Marine Landing Force in amphibious assault operations either by helicopter, landing craft, amphibious vehicles or a combination of any of the aforementioned methods.

The ship is capable of carrying AH-1Z Viper helicopters, UH-1Y Venom helicopters, MV-22B Ospreys, MH-60S Sea Hawks, CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopters, amphibious assault vehicles (AAV), Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and other amphibious machineries as well as the short and vertical take-off and landing (SVTOL) AV-8B Harriers.

There are currently about 2,700 sailors and marines on board the ship.

The USS Boxer deployed from San Diego in February and has sailed for operations in the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf and now the South China Sea.

The ship will continue its current operation upon leaving Kota Kinabalu.

Meanwhile, Commodore of Amphibious Squadron 1, in which the USS Boxer is part of, Captain F. Foege said that he had enjoyed the collaboration between his squadron and the Malaysian Armed Forces.

“Three ships serve under my squadron, namely the USS Boxer, the USS Harpers Ferry and the USS New Orleans and we are all working very closely with regional partners,” Foege said.

He added that previously, the squadron was operating in the United States Navy 5th Fleet of Operations but is now operating in the 7th Fleet of Operations.

Commanding Officer of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit US Marine Corps, Colonel Anthony M. Henderson, meanwhile said that he enjoyed the joint training with the Royal Malaysian Air Force Special Forces Team (PASKAU) and the Malaysian Army’s 5th Infantry Brigade a few days ago at Paradise Camp in Kota Belud.

“Such trainings are always conducted with our regional partners to foster friendship between brothers-in-arms.

“We want to get people to understand who we are as Americans and we want to share our warfare knowledge with them.

“In return, we also want to learn the Malaysian Armed Forces’ way of doing things,” Anderson said.