Tag Archives: osprey

Ode to LHD-6: Short life of USS Bonhomme Richard

U.S. Navy Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) had its keel laid down on 28JUN1995, at Ingalls Shipyard in Pasagoula, Mississippi. Launched on 14MAR1997.

Launch of LHD-6, Ingalls Shipyard at Pasagoula, Mississippi, 14MAR1997. USN photo.

LHD-6 was commissioned as USS Bonhomme Richard on 15AUG1998. Decommissioned on 15APR2021, due to massive damage caused by sabotage.

Non-operational, AV-8A Harrier static trainer (note missing canopy) onboard LHD-6, 26MAR2001. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Gilbert Lopez.

How you get your PT onboard LHD-6. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Gilbert Gomez, 27MAR2001.

25mm cannon, 27MAR2001, USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Felix Garza.

Bunks for the Marines. USMC photo by Lance Corporal Gilbert Gomez, 31MAR2001.

A MH-60S Sea Hawk lifts supplies from the deck of LHD-6, during humanitarian response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean quake/tsunami. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Juan E. Diaz, 06JAN2005.

Near the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, 08JAN2005. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Robert S. Cole.

Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC, hovercraft), from LHD-6, delivers humanitarian aid to the city of Meulaboh, on Sumatra, Indonesia, 10JAN2005. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate First Class Bart A. Baver.

LHD 6 returns to home-port San Diego, California, after a busy deployment. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Prince A Hughes the Third, 06JUN2005.

Taking part in the Parade of Ships in Seattle, Washington, 03AUG2005. USN photo by Journalist Petty Officer First Class Ralph Radford.

‘Vertical Replenishment’ (VertRep), USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Apprentice Bryan Niegel, 11APR2006.

AAV7A1 (Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7A1) heads for home, 26APR2006. USN photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Mark Patterson the Second.

During wargame Rim of the Pacific (RimPac) 2006. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman James R. Evans, 25JUL2006.

Taking part in Fleet Week, in San Francisco Bay, California, 07OCT2006. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Roland Franklin.

Mark 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System, 27NOV2006. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Emmanuel Rios.

USN video, by Petty Officer First Class Keith Jones, LHD 6 departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for PacRim 2010:

2011 USN interview, by Petty Officer Second Class Lawrence Davis, of Seattle resident Sarah Meyer who is impressed by LHD 6:

LHD 6 sails into Sasebo, Japan, 09APR2012. Notice the old 1st gen Harrier trainer on the deck. USN photo by Joe Kane.

Until April 2012, LHD 6 called San Diego, California, its home port.  Sasebo, Japan, became LHD 6’s new home port officially on 23APR2012.

LHD 6 relieved sibling ship LHD 2. USN photo by Joe Kane, 06APR2012.

The Mess Deck wasn’t just for meals; it was used for promotion exams, playing board games, watching the Super Bowl, cake eating ceremonies, etc. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lacordrick Wilson, 12OCT2012.

In April 2014, during rough weather, LHD 6 took part in the search for victims of the sunken Korean ferry Sewol.  USN video by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Christian Senyk:

LHD 6 bridge ops during Sewol recovery operation, April 2014. USN video by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Christian Senyk:

USN video by Petty Officer Third Class Cameron McCulloch, 30DEC2014, securing the anchor chains of LHD 6:

How many rubber boats can you get into LHD 6? USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Kevin V. Cunningham, 02FEB2015.

2015 USN video by Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Dickinson, how to shoot a M2HB .50 cal from the LHD 6:

LHD 6 led Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) of 2015.  USN music video by Petty Officer Second Class Matthew Dickinson:

Timelapse video by Petty Officer Third Class Cameron McCulloch, MV-22B Osprey launch from LHD 6, 13MAR2015:

In April 2016, LHD 6 took part in humanitarian ops after the Kumamoto Earthquake, in Japan.  Video report by Seaman Michael Sanchez:

AV-8B Harrier operations onboard LHD-6, August 2016. USMC video by  Lance Corporal David A. Diggs:

March 2017 gunnery (M2HB, M240 & Mark 35) fest video by Petty Officer Third Class Jeanette Mullinax:

March 2017, Mark 15 Phalanx loading and burping, video by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Kyle Carlstrom:

In June 2017, LHD 6 was attacked by a Zombie Killer Tomato! USMC gunners repelled the attack using their trusty M240 light machine gun. USMC video by Lance Corporal Garett Burns:

July 2017, USN ‘birth canal’ point of view video, by Mass Communication Specialist second Class Diana Quinlan, of LHD 6 giving birth (and then taking it back!) to LCAC (hovercraft):

21 gun salute for lost MV-22 Osprey crewmembers, 09AUG2017. USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Diana Quinlan.

On 05AUG2017, one of LHD 6’s MV-22 Osprey crashed in The Coral Sea. Three crewmembers were killed.

USN video by Mass Communication Specialist second Class Diana Quinlan, showing use of World War Two era LCU (Landing Craft Utility) for amphibious ops, August 2017:

In February 2018, USMC Lance Corporal Richard Lin talks about his first impressions of LHD 6. USMC video interview by Lance Corporal Austin Weck:

U.S. Army photo montage by Sergeant Dahnyce Baucom, of Pacific operations involving LHD 6, February 2018:

In 2012, LHD 6 was ‘forward deployed’ to Japan. In May 2018, LHD 6 returned to San Diego, California.  The plan was to take part in the 2018 RimPac, then return to San Diego for upgrades that would allow it to handle the new super-expensive F-35 Lightning-2.  Dramatic USN music video by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Diana Quinlan:

USN video, by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Travis Litke, of hovercraft (LCAC) launch while the Star Spangled Banner can barely be heard in the background, during RimPac, 26JUL2018:

After what would become LHD 6’s final RimPac wargame, it made what would become its final port-of-call into San Francisco Bay, on 30SEP2018, for what would become its final Fleet Week. USN video by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Travis S. Alston:

COUNTDOWN TO THE END:

In a possible portent of things to come, on 31JAN2019 the crew of LHD 6, and the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, and San Diego Federal Fire Department, conducted a damage control drill. Video report by Petty Officer Second Class Benjamin Kittleson and Petty Officer Third Class Gavin T Shields:

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Cosmo Walrath, 07FEB2019.

On 07FEB2019, LHD 6’s outgoing commander held an All Hands Call, explaining to the crew that they needed to be “Ready Now, Ready Always”, and announces a new self-improvement program called ‘Rise Above’, saying “We’re going to have resources to help you personally and professionally. We’re going to have new events and training every month. You’re never going to be Ready Now! Ready Always! if you don’t self-improve.  Our primary goal is to have you leave this command better than when you arrived.” Sounds to me like there was a problem with crew morale.

Then in March 2019, and despite the All Hands Call that indicated crew morale problems, LHD 6 was given the Navy’s Retention Excellence Award (supposedly for achieving 75% reenlistments in fiscal year 2018), which is also known as The Golden Anchor Award! Video report by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields:

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Second Class Benjamin Kittleson, 26APR2019.

In April 2019, an LHD 6 crewmember was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, for capturing a woman who was threatening a religious congregation.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields, 13MAY2019.

In May 2019, the crew of LHD 6 conducted a quarterly ‘Safety Tune Up’.

In June 2019, an LHD 6 Sailor was killed in a single-vehicle accident, near Interstate 8 in San Diego.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields, 21NOV2019.

On 21NOV2019, LHD 6 got a new commanding officer.

USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist Third Class Gavin Shields, 27APR2020.

In April 2020, the crew of LHD 6 begins CoViD (Corona Virus Disease) Pandemic mandate ops.

USS Bonhomme Richard, 2022: PUNISHMENTS FOR LACK OF LEADERSHIP

2021: STEEL INFERNO, ONE YEAR LATER, SABOTAGE & LACK OF LEADERSHIP=DEATH OF A SHIP!

July 2020: INTO THE STEEL INFERNO!

KNIGHTHAWKS FIGHT TO SAVE LHD 6!

Cold War Battle Damage: USS TRIPOLI LPH-10 DESERT STORM

Cold War Subs: USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571), STILL FIGHTING AFTER 67 YEARS! FIRST BORN IN LAND-LOCKED IDAHO?

Vehicle I-D: THE MANY LIVES OF LST-786

Vehicle I-D: V-22 Osprey USMC Yuma

V-22B Osprey, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment Weapons and Tactics Instructor course (WTI) Yuma, Arizona, 07 October 2016:

VEHICLE I-D: MD-530F CAYUSE WARRIOR, AFGHANISTAN

Japan buys V-22 under guise of Disaster Preparedness!

Despite many silly-vilians in Japan demanding the removal of U.S. V-22 Ospreys (due to high accident rate world-wide, 1991-2000 four crashes 36 people killed, since 2007 three crashes six killed), the neo-imperialist government of Abe Shinzo is buying U.S. made MV-22 Ospreys ostensibly for disaster preparedness:

JAPAN TO TEST NEW AUTOMATED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM! U.S. ALREADY HAS ONE, AND IT FAILS TO STOP ILLEGALS!

U.S. Job Losses & Store Closings, 27 – 30 April 2015: “When you can’t pay your bills, you don’t keep going.” Toyota kills 900+ jobs in California! ObamaCare kills 2-thousand+ health insurance jobs in 1 day! 12-thousand U.S. Steel jobs gone!

Incomplete list of publicly announced layoffs & shutdowns:

California: Obama Care forced managed health care provider Health Net to issue three mass layoff WARNs saying 2,122 health insurance related jobs will be eliminated on 26 June 2015!  (and never mind the reports that Health Net is being sued for canceling their customer’s treatments, resulting in at least one death!) In Joshua Tree, Obama Care forced Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care to issue a mass layoff WARN saying 541 healthcare workers will become unemployed at the end of June!  In Yucca Valley, Obama Care forced Hi-Desert Memorial Health Care to issue a layoff WARN saying at least 42 healthcare workers will become unemployed at the end of June!  In Corona, Ireland based legal drugs maker Actavis issued a layoff WARN for July.  In Modesto, Switzerland based chocolate maker Nestle issued a layoff WARN saying 56 people will become jobless by the end of June.  The new Albertsons-Safeway issued more layoff WARNs saying another 21 Safeway employees will be laid off in June.  In Duarte, Kroger issued a WARN saying they are shutting down their Ralph’s grocery store in July, 72 jobs lost.  In San Diego, aerospace company and tax-sucker Hamilton Sundstrand issued a WARN saying they will shutdown at the end of June.  In Mountain View, tech company Symantec continues to layoff people, this time they issued a WARN for June.  In San Francisco, law firm Littler Mendelson issued a mass layoff WARN saying 113 people will become jobless in July!  Santa Anna based Corinthian Colleges announced it will shutdown all remaining 28 campuses across the U.S.! It’s the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education which revealed the for-profit school was frauding its students!  In Pleasant Hill, Gun Works shutdown.  The owners said they were “just exhausted” from fighting a combination of unAmerican anti-2nd Amendment activists and politicians, greedy landlords who jacked up the rent, and new local anti-2nd Amendment laws.  What automotive industry recovery?  In Torrance, Toyota suddenly shutdown their Motor Credit Corporation, 941 jobs gone overnight!

Florida: In Saint Petersburg, finance and insurance company PSCU issued a WARN saying 53 people will be laid off in June.  In Tampa, Mitt Romney wunderkind Staples issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down their Oak Fair Boulevard store between July and October, 47 jobs will be lost.

Illinois: In Old Irving Park, Mirabell German restaurant shutdown after 38 years of operations, apparently due to the death of the chef.  After 43 years Joliet Area Suzuki Strings shutdown, blaming crashing student enrollment: “We just cannot financially sustain it anymore, our numbers have been gradually going down over the last four or five years. Last year, we were down to 40 students, and now we’re at about 25. You just can’t exist with that.”-Mary Smelser, founder

Indiana: What automotive industry recovery?  Maker of cast iron engine blocks Pure Power Technologies shutting down its Indianapolis factory, 153 jobs lost by November!

Michigan: In Pittsfield, Pier 1 Imports shutdown.  Local news reports said company administrators wouldn’t say why, and even ordered employees not to talk about it.

Minnesota: In Saint Paul, after five years Bars Bakery shutdown both of its stores. The owners say they need more family time. Minneapolis based retailer Target announced more layoffs, this time 140 corporate positions have been eliminated! Company administrators say they are trying to reduce expenses by $2-billion USD, that’s how bad they think the economy is going to get!  In Cloquet, after 28 years Robert’s Home Furnishings shutdown.  The owner said the bad economy was forcing him to “consolidate” everything to his store in Duluth.

Missouri: Grocery store chain Schnucks laid off 52 people, and eliminated eight open jobs, at its Saint Louis HQ.  No explanation given. This comes weeks after administrators spent $1.69-million buying a property that they’ve rented for years. Administrators admitted they weren’t using the Saint Louis property for anything, and had no future plans for it!

New York: In Melville, NCO Financial Systems issued a shutdown WARN for their Extended Office Services, 28 jobs lost by July.  In East Syracuse, General Super Plating finally notified state employment administrators that they shutdown back in March, 95 jobs lost.  In NYC, Cambridge University Press issued a layoff WARN saying 67 of their 190 employees will be jobless by July.  God refuses to stop his Museum of Biblical Art from shutting down, due to the American Bible Society selling off the building (those greedy Christians)!   In Albany, the Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Boys issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in July, 37 jobs lost.   The Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Girls is also shutting down in July, 35 jobs lost.  In Rochester, Durham School Services issued a WARN saying they’re shutting down in July, due to loss of contract, 142 jobs lost!  In Webster, iconic Xerox issued a WARN saying they’re contracting out their Corporate Trucking & Cross Dock jobs in July, 35 in-house jobs lost.  The new Obama Care medical device tax possibly forcing Ortho Clinical Diagnostics to hand over their Rochester operations to Nypro in July.  They expect at least 105 of their 1-thousand jobs to be lost in the transfer!  In Clifton Park, Berkshire Bank announced they will shutdown their 15 Park Avenue office in July.

North Carolina: In Winston-Salem, the owners of New Town Bistro and Bar said it will shutdown in May.  It needs a major remodel and the owners said in this bad economy it wasn’t worth it.  Also, after 60 years Towne Jewelers shutdown, the owners said “It’s time for a change.” The state Department of Transportation announced they will eliminate 81 jobs by June.  It’s due to a new state law forcing taxpayer funded agencies to hire cheap-o contractors.

Ohio: After more than 40 years the West Chester Garden Center shutdown, due to competition from ‘Big Box’ stores.  The owners gave a good example of why the economy sucks; they could barely afford to pay their employees $10 per hour, but admitted you can’t live in the area on $10 per hour without financial assistance.  New Albany based Bob Evans Farms announced they will shutdown 20 restaurants! After spending millions of dollars trying to improve their restaurants, administrators decided that at least 20 of them still weren’t “meeting expectations.” They said most of the failed restaurants were outside Ohio.  After numerous layoffs, the owners of the Toledo Free Press gave up and shutdown: “When you can’t pay your bills, you don’t keep going.”-Tom Pounds, publisher

Oklahoma: Oil rig maker Falcon Rigs now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, saying they can’t pay 192 creditors!

Pennsylvania: After more than 90 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression) restaurant Cohick’s Trading Post shutdown. One of the co-owners turned evil greedy and actually sued the other co-owner to force them to sell the family business!  Pittsburgh based US Steel announced another 9-thousand people will become jobless this year!  That’s on top of the almost 3-thousand people they’ve already laid off since January!

South Dakota: In Sioux Falls, after 25 years Valentino’s restaurant shutdown. The owner said the restaurant business ain’t what it used to be: “This is such a demanding industry right now, and right now most people don’t realize we’re still ranked very high in the nation for restaurants per capita. So it’s gotten more challenging over the years, so it takes a lot. It takes a lot out of you.”-John Jones

Texas: Fort Worth based federal tax-sucker Bell Helicopter announced they will layoff 1-thousand 1-hundred people!  It’s blamed on its tax-payer money-pit the continually (literally) crashing V-22 tilt-rotor assault plane.  In Robstown, Maxum Petroleum issued a WARN saying 60 jobs will be lost in June.  Soon to be a part of Halliburton, Baker-Hughes issued a WARN saying 21 people at their Alice 2 site will be laid off.

Utah: Cereal maker Kellogg Company (aka Kellogg’s) announced they are shutting down their Clearfield facility, at least 2-hundred jobs lost! It’s part of the company’s “efficiency and effectiveness program”.  Idiotic and out-o-touch city administrators say they’re confident “Another company will come in right behind, and we’ll still continue to have a lot of employment here in Clearfield.”

Vermont: Concord High School will shutdown due to lack of funding caused by lack of students.

Virginia: In Carytown, the owners of ‘artesian retailer’ Modern Artifacts said they’re quitting in May, calling it a “lifestyle choice”.

Washington:  Simpson Lumber shutting down three mills, 120 jobs lost due to sale of company to competitor in California!

24 – 26 April 2015: 27-thousand home care product jobs gone!

Food Crisis 29 April 2015: There’s human in that can of tuna? “I think our lives are in the hands of the Lord of Death.” 

U.S. Food Crisis 29 April 2015: Albertsons Safeway to kill 800+ California jobs! 

U.S. Food Crisis, April 2015: “…it hit me like a bag of rocks!”

ObamaCare job destruction, 1st quarter 2015: “more change than we’ve seen in the past 75 years combined.”

Dumbing Down the United States, 1st Quarter 2015: “we’ve had a 66% decrease in our enrollment!”

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) no longer issues mass layoff reports: “On March 1, 2013, President Obama ordered into effect the across-the- board spending cuts (commonly referred to as sequestration) required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended. Under the order, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) must cut its current budget by more than $30 million, 5 percent of the current 2013 appropriation, by September 30, 2013. In order to help achieve these savings and protect core programs, the BLS will eliminate two programs, including Mass Layoff Statistics, and all ‘measuring green jobs’ products. This news release is the final publication of monthly mass layoff survey data.”

Employees at U.S. military helicopter factory doubled as drug dealers

“This investigation and prosecution focused not only on the sellers, but also on the users because of the critical role that these employees play in manufacturing military aircraft.”-Zane David Memeger, U.S. Attorney General’s office

After a four year investigation, 37 current and former employees at the Boeing plant in Philadelphia, have been arrested for selling drugs.  The plant builds CH-47 Chinook helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft.

Most of the drugs being sold were prescription pain killers. The customers were fellow Boeing employees.

Investigators say the drug dealing, and drug use did not affect production, however, in 2008 one employee sabotaged a Chinook by cutting 70 electrical wires.